Archive for October, 2018

Is God a Liar?

Thursday, October 25th, 2018

I have a bunch of questions about the Bible and God. I’ve never believed in God so I sat down and started reading the Bible. Within the first 4 pages I had seriously 150 questions. God made the serpent in the tree of knowledge that serpent lied to Eve then Eve lied to Adam. Why? So life started out on lies?

Life didn’t really start out on lies.  Life in the Garden of Eden started out perfectly, and we aren’t told how long it continued that way before man chose to sin.  But, yes, then man ruined it by falling into sin.  These are not simple issues, but I would suggest the four articles below from https://www.christiandataresources.com/basicbibledoctrine.htm.

35) BD17-01 Satan, the Enemy of Our Souls

36) BD17-02 The Attack on the Woman

37) BD18-01 The Fall Into Sin

38) BD18-02 The Results of the Fall

Jesus is actually God showing himself to us? But yet Jesus is God’s son. But now I’m hearing Jesus is actually God. I’m sorry but I don’t trust liars & it seems to me God is nothing but a liar and enjoys deceiving people.

Yes, I believe that Jesus is God, but this is one of the most controversial and difficult subjects in the Bible.  Please see the short article at https://www.christiandataresources.com/trinity.htm for clarification.

Everybody that made god mad in the beginning was killed by the flood. Why doesn’t he just get rid of the evil and keep all good doers?

All men (except Jesus Christ) were born with an old sin nature, so none of us is good (Isaiah 64:6). So, God had made a plan to be able to deal justly with sin, and yet deal with us sinners in grace and give us eternal life.  Please see:  https://www.christiandataresources.com/intro-01.htm.

If Adam & Eve started life then we’re all related and incest was the beginning of everything. It all makes no sense.

Well, we’re all related, but not as a result of incest.  In the Garden of Eden, God told Adam and Eve to populate the earth (Genesis 1:28).  Obviously, with only one man and one woman on earth, Adam and Eve began their family with each other.  And, for the same reason, there was not yet a need for a law against incest, until Leviticus 18.

Plus everything has to come from something. If God made all this, where did He come from, and why does he let evil people murder & rape children and let people make really harmful diseases? Like I said the first 4 pages of the Bible just shows me He’s nothing but a liar and deceiver. I’m really trying to believe but I honestly don’t trust liars, but I’m seriously looking for help on this topic. 

The Bible doesn’t deal with the subject of where God came from.  He does let bad things happen to us, but I don’t think this would be happening if man hadn’t first disobeyed God through sin.  If He were to ultimately let bad things happen to us, he wouldn’t have saved us from our own sin by His plan of salvation through the death of (the perfect) Jesus Christ on the cross for our sins.  Again, please see the articles noted above for more clarification.

Bible study may seem difficult in the beginning, but it gets easier as you start understanding its concepts.  I would suggest that you read the series of Basic Bible Doctrine articles at https://www.christiandataresources.com/basicbibledoctrine.htm.

Did Jesus Condemn Homosexuality?

Tuesday, October 23rd, 2018

July 16, 2016 by Dr. Robert Jeffress

When confronted with verses in the New Testament against homosexuality, homosexual advocates will quickly go to another myth of homosexuality. And that is, Jesus never condemned homosexuality. That argument is flawed in three important ways.

First, that argument assumes that Jesus’ words are more authoritative than the rest of the Bible. To say Jesus never condemned it is to say that Jesus’ words carry more weight than the words of the apostle Paul or the apostle Peter or any other scripture. But we don’t believe that as Christians. Second Timothy 3:16 says, “All Scripture is inspired by God.” Those are all God’s words.

Second, the argument fails to realize that by affirming the truthfulness of the Old Testament, Jesus automatically condemned homosexuality. In Matthew 5:17, Jesus said, “Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill.” Let me illustrate it this way. Let’s say somebody came up to you and said, “I believe President Obama is pro-slavery.” You say, “Why would you say such a thing?” And your friend says, “Well, I did some research. Of all of the speeches the president has given, in not one speech did he speak out against slavery. Therefore, he is pro-slavery.” Would that be a logical deduction? Of course not. At his inauguration, the president swore to uphold the Constitution of the United States of America. And the Constitution prohibits slavery. Thus by swearing to uphold the Constitution, he was saying, “I am going to uphold all the laws, including laws against slavery.” It’s the same way with Jesus. When Jesus upheld the Old Testament, He was automatically condemning homosexuality.

Third, by upholding God’s plan for sexuality, Jesus did condemn homosexuality. In Matthew 19 the Pharisees tried to trick Jesus by questioning Him on the issue of divorce and remarriage. Jesus answered by going back to God’s original plan for human sexuality, which is this: sex is reserved for a marriage relationship between a man and a woman. Yes, it’s true that Jesus never mentioned the word “homosexuality.” He never said, “You shall not commit homosexuality.” But guess what? Jesus never said, “You shall not commit incest.” Jesus never said, “You shall not commit bestiality or pedophilia or necrophilia.” Was he pro-necrophilia and pedophilia? Of course not. By upholding God’s pattern for sexuality–a man and a woman in a marriage relationship–Jesus automatically condemned any deviation from that pattern.

Spiritual Gifts

Sunday, October 21st, 2018

Dear Owen, Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I received your answer on the term laity and clergy, and I belief that we all should have a full measure of understanding on how the gifts work (1 Corinthians 2:12). Especially in these days where some people believe and teach that some gifts are no longer, or have ceased functioning in Church. If we look without ignorance at what is going on in Church today, I ask myself two questions: (1) Did the Holy Ghost really ceased distributing some gifts? (1 Corinthians 12:11); and, (2) Is it a demonic doctrine (1 Timothy 4:1). I personally believe every gift is still very much available. The Word of God is clear. We shall neither add nor remove anything to or from his Word (Revelation 22:18). And strangely the only place where these certain gifts have ceased, is among those who are called the “laity” which I refer as the fellowship which include leadership which include (Ephesians 5:21). However the gifts of the “clergy” seems to be much available no wonder everybody wants a position a place where only the minority get to exercise their gifts. In these last days the armies of this world is 100 times better equipped than they were 2000 years ago. The Church is much more better equipped than the former (Haggai 2:9).I strongly belief the term and exercise of laity and clergy should be abolished from Church for it is the reason why millions of people are sitting in the order of tombstones in the Catholic church and the same can be seen not only in the Protestant, but almost in every contemporary church. I belief the term laity and clergy is the order of the Catholic Church meeting that contradict the Biblical order of Church meetings (1 Corinthians 14:26). Well Owen, this is how I see and if you think I need correction you are welcome. Someone ask me what day is the Sabbath and should we observe it? Hope to hear from you soon, slalom. 

Yes, you make a strong point that all spiritual gifts are still functional in the church. I do now allow for this possibility, although I can see how it can be argued both ways. The main point I was trying to make in my article on spiritual gifts was that there are many
sensational television evangelists that do not truly possess the gift of healing and miracles. However, I do believe that some people may truly have these gifts today.

Re. the terms “clergy” and “laity”: Again, I tend to agree with you, that this may be a distinction that we need not make, especially in the way that the Catholic Church does. We are all expected to use the gifts that God gave us.

Re. the Sabbath Day: Please see my article entitled Sabbath.

Thanks,

Owen

Laity and Clergy

Monday, October 8th, 2018

Dear Owen, re. the so called ‘five-fold ministry’ Ephesians 4:7, 15 some Bibles refer to, verse 11, a man has the gift (N.T.), others refer a gift to a man (NKJV), and men teach that only certain people have received the gifts. But in verse 7, it is given “to each one of us” and in verse 11 we are divided by the word “some”. If my understanding is correct, where did laity and clergy come from? 

Ephesians 4:7 teaches that each of us was given grace (and spiritual gifts), but 1 Corinthians 12 teaches that there are a “variety of gifts” (verse 4), and we each have different gifts. Within this variety of gifts, there are the gifts that you mentioned in Ephesians 4:11. We sometimes refer to those with these gifts as members of the “clergy,” and those with other gifts as members of the “laity.” However, no matter which spiritual gifts we have (and no matter how men might categorize us), we are expected to use our
spiritual gifts for the glory of God.

Also, 1 Corinthians 12:29 says, “…All are not apostles, are they? All are not prophets, are they? All are not teachers, are they? …” This is confirmation that we don’t each have all of these gifts. In addition, there are special requirements for those who have some of these “clergy” gifts, such as the requirements for a pastor in 1 Timothy 3:1-7.

I hope that I have answered your question. If not, please reply.

Thanks,

Owen

The Bema: Like a Beautiful Mind

Monday, October 1st, 2018

In 2 Corinthians 5:10, we are told of the Judgment Seat of Christ, the “bema,” before which all believers will someday appear. Christ will judge our deeds, and we will righteously be rewarded with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or stubble (1 Corinthians 3:12). The fire of Christ’s judgment will burn up the wood, hay, and stubble, and leave us with any gold, silver, and precious stones. These are priceless rewards from Christ for our obedient acts of divine good while here on earth. I believe that they are indescribably good; that is, that with our current limited viewpoint, “gold, silver, and precious stones” are the closest, yet unrealistic, terms for us to perceive of these riches.

I imagine this event as a great assembly of all believers in eternity. With Christ on His throne, we’re all in the audience. He calls us to the stage one-by-one, and we’re each given what we have earned.

I’m reminded of this by a scene in the movie, “A Beautiful Mind.” It is the biography of John Nash, a mathematical genius. With his mind constantly at work, he aspired to making real contributions in his field while battling demons of schizophrenia. After some 40 years of such battles, he settled into a pattern of every-day life–basically thinking and teaching. Then, later in life, he was nominated for the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences. As he was being informed of his nomination in the faculty cafeteria at
Princeton, his peers in academia lined up to congratulate him and present him with their pens. After a lifetime of struggle, Nash finally realized his dream.

I dream of the “bema,” the Judgment Seat of Christ. Believers will be rewarded for their individual efforts in using their spiritual gifts for God’s glory. I pray for wisdom and steadfastness in using my gifts, such as writing this article for inspiration to others.