Modern Science Confirms Christian Claims

Tyson likes to  use Cosmos to advance Evolutionist propaganda. He also deletes most of my tweets.

Contrary to his opinion and that of many others, our best and latest science proves,

“In the beginning God”… 

—————–

“If the universe had not been made with the most exacting precision we could never have come into existence. It is my view that these circumstances indicate the universe was created for man to live in.” –Robert Jastrow, agnostic astronomer, author of God and the Astronomers, former head of Goddard Space Center at NASA

“An honest man, armed with all the knowledge available to us now, could only state that in some sense, the origin of life appears at the moment to be almost a miracle, so many are the conditions which would have had to have been satisfied to get it going.” –Francis Crick, biochemist and spiritual skeptic, shared the Nobel Prize for discovering the molecular structure of DNA

“There is for me powerful evidence that there is something going on behind it all….It seems as though somebody has fine-tuned nature’s numbers to make the universe….The impression of design is overwhelming.” – Paul Davies, an internationally known British astrophysicist and author

“When you realize that the laws of nature must be incredibly finely tuned to produce the universe we see, that conspires to plant the idea that the universe did not just happen, but that there must be a purpose behind it.” –John Polkinghorne, a leading Quantum Physicist

“It was my science that drove me to the conclusion that the world is much more complicated than can be explained by science, it is only through the supernatural that I can understand the mystery of existence.” – Allan Sandage, astrophysicist and discoverer of Quasar stars

“Many have a feeling that somehow intelligence must have been involved in the laws of the universe….I strongly sense the presence and actions of a creative being far beyond myself and yet always personal and close by.” –Charles Townes, Nobel Prize-winning physicist

“There is for me powerful evidence that there is something going on behind it all….It seems as though somebody has fine tuned nature’s numbers to make the Universe….The impression of design is overwhelming.” –Paul Davies

“A common sense interpretation of the facts suggests that a superintellect has monkeyed with physics, as well as with chemistry and biology, and that there are no blind forces worth speaking about in nature. The numbers one calculates from the facts seem to me so overwhelming as to put this conclusion almost beyond question.” –Fred Hoyle

“Discoveries of the last half of the 20th century have brought the scientific community to the realization that our universe and our planet in the universe are so remarkably unique that it is almost impossible to imagine how this could have happened accidentally, causing many agnostic scientists to concede that indeed some intelligent creative force may be required to account for it.” –Dr. Walter Bradley, Professor Emeritus of Mechanical Engineering at Texas A & M University

The devil’s Hordes Greatest Defeat

Christus op kruis – Vlissegem (Photo credit: PhilFlickr2)

 “The devil’s hordes thought, at first, that the crucifixion of Christ was their triumph. 

But their very triumphs, God used for their defeat. 

They thought they had God with His back to the wall,

pinned and helpless and defeated. 

They did not know it was God Himself who had dragged them down to that point. 

He did not conquer in spite of the dark mystery of evil,

He conquered through it.” 

Scottish Theologian James Stewart

 

The Deconstruction of Absolute Truth and Creativity – The Loss of Inspiration and Innovation

Demolition (Photo credit: hoskarsson)

“In a time of deceit telling the truth is a revolutionary act.” 
― George Orwell

“Truth is so obscure in these times, and falsehood so established, that, unless we love the truth, we cannot know it.”
― Blaise Pascal

Deconstructionism of truth is prevalent in today’s society.

“There are no absolutes”, is the theme of Deconstructionism.

(also known as Relativism,Existentialism and Postmodernism)

The negative effects are broad and damaging to society, industry, and politics.

No facet of society is left unharmed by the denial of truth.

Until we believe there are truths that we can believe in, we will have nothing in which we can invest belief, for truth is the subject,and belief is the action.

Conversely, to the degree that we are sure of that which we believe, to that same degree we will have confidence, courage, and willingness to take risk.

Truth gives solid ground for the activation of belief, and belief attempts things that doubt ignores.

Belief is as essential to innovation as water is to life.

Truth, belief and innovative creativity are interdependent.

Truth inspires us to believe we can achieve new possibilities.
Truth is called,”light”, in the Bible, enabling us to see possibilities.

Without belief that something came be done that has never previously been done, nothing new would become reality,

because we would not believe it can be done, and would therefore not attempt to do it.

That is how truth fosters belief ,creativity and innovation.

“And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:32)

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6)

Related articles

• The Deconstruction of Absolute Truth and Unity – The Reason Society Can No Longer Reason (christcenteredteaching.wordpress.com)
• The Deconstructionism of Truth and the Bible – The Biggest Threat to Any People (christcenteredteaching.wordpress.com)
• What’s Wrong with Relativism? (ethicsbythebook.wordpress.com)

Prophetic -“Marking the Watershed”- The Last Book by Francis Schaeffer

Francis Schaeffer (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Written in 1984 ,Francis Schaeffer’s last book “Marking the Watershed” reads like a prophetic foretelling of what our future would look like if we fail to put Christ first in our hearts. In fact, it reads like a prequel to Ravi Zacharias‘s 2013 open letter to America.

Schaeffer uses a watershed as an illustration.
A Watershed is a place where snow would accumulate in the mountain peaks, and is it melts, the water would separate go in opposite directions and eventually end thousands of miles apart.
Schaeffer saw this beginning to happen to Christianity in regards to Biblical infallibility among evangelical Christian leaders as early as the early 1970’s.

My summary-Christianity ,in the past, has influenced the moral consensus for political debate, art, and books and movies in the United States of America, and the World. Now we are the minority, and so is our ability to influence culture.
As I’ve said before ,the will of the people is good so long as the people are good .</strong

These following excerpts,though almost thirty years old, resonate with current relevance.

“the Bible’s absolutes provide a consensus within which freedom can operate. But once the Christian consensus has been removed, as it has been today, then the very freedoms which have come out of the Reformation become a destructive force leading to chaos in society.” Francis Schaeffer

“The primary emphasis of biblical Christianity is the teaching that the infinite-personal God is the final reality, the Creator of all else, and that an individual can come openly to the holy God upon the basis of the finished work of Christ and that alone. Nothing needs to be added to Christ’s finished work, and nothing can be added to Christ’s finished work. But at the same time where Christianity provides the consensus, as it did in the Reformation countries (and did in the United States up to a relatively few years ago), Christianity also brings with it many secondary blessings. One of these has been titanic freedoms, yet without those freedoms leading to chaos, because the Bible’s absolutes provide a consensus within which freedom can operate. But once the Christian consensus has been removed, as it has been today, then the very freedoms which have come out of the Reformation become a destructive force leading to chaos in society. This is why we see the breakdown of morality everywhere in our society today — the complete devaluation of human life, a total moral relativism, and a thoroughgoing hedonism.”

“Without a strong commitment to God’s absolutes, the early church could never have remained faithful in the face of the constant Roman harassment and persecution. And our situation today is remarkably similar as our own legal, moral, and social structure is based on an increasingly anti-Christian, secularist consensus.”

The New Neo-Orthodoxy 

There is only one way to describe those who no longer hold to a full view of Scripture. Although many of these would like to retain the evangelical name for themselves, the only accurate way to describe this view is that it is a form of neo-orthodox existential theology. The heart of neo-orthodox existential theology is that the Bible gives us a quarry out of which to have religious experience, but that the Bible contains mistakes where it touches that which is verifiable — namely history and science. But unhappily we must say that in some circles this concept now has come into some of that which is called evangelicalism. In short, in these circles the neo-orthodox existential theology is being taught under the name of evangelicalism.

Martin Luther said, “If I profess with the loudest voice and clearest exposition every portion of the truth of God except precisely that little point which the world and the devil are at the moment attacking, I am not confessing Christ, however boldly I may be professing Christ. Where the battle rages, there the loyalty of the soldier is proved and to be steady on all the battle front besides, is mere flight and disgrace if he flinches at that point.” (1)

“For the existentialist it is an illusion to think that we can know anything truly, that there is such a thing as certain objective truth or moral absolutes. All we have is subjective experience, with no final basis for right or wrong or truth or beauty. This existential world view dominates philosophy, and much of art and the general culture such as the novel, poetry, and the cinema.”

Related articles

• Francis Schaeffer and Thomas Aquinas’ Secular “Autonomy” (philosophicaugustine.wordpress.com)
• Schaeffer Energized Evangelical Thought and Action (calvinistview.com)
• Francis Schaeffer on Warrantless Belief in Absolutes (reformedreader.wordpress.com)
• Schaeffer and Irrationality’s Spread of Despair (calvinistinternational.com)
• http://www.barna.org/faith-spirituality/619-are-christians-more-like-jesus-or-more-like-the-pharisees

The Crucifixion of Jesus Christ – from “The Bible” Series on the History Channel – 4 Minute Video- An Easter Reflection

This video from the History channel series ,”The Bible”, depicts Christ’s sacrifice and death on the cross.

It is my hope and prayer that each of us can see God’s love through the suffering Christ endured for us.

He died so that we can live.

But death could not hold Him.

Sunday is coming.

 ^“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

(John 3:16 , The Bible)

The Road Map For Renewal For America – Gospel Shaped Ministry – By Tim Keller

“Gospel ministry is endlessly creative,it’s ever new,it means that you can preach the Gospel and you never have to be afraid of boring people.”

“The Gospel is what every theological category should be expounding when we do our theology.”

 “Every sermon ought to be about Jesus. It doesn’t matter what passage, or if it’s the Old Testament or the New Testament,it should be Jesus”

“Father, we want to be Gospel shaped people now.”

Tim Keller

This video is 54 minutes long.

If you can watch this video but only  have time for a few minutes of it, I suggest you watch the last 11 minutes, and come back for the rest later.

If you can watch the entire video you may conclude it is one of the best, and perhaps the best sermon I have posted by Tim Keller.

If you cannot watch the entire video, I will be posting more quotes from this video as I find the time. Please come back for more.

Tim Keller’s Sermon “A New Community” Holds The Key To What America And The World Needs – Revival

 

This sermon is from the Bible account of the first revival as recorded in the book of Acts chapter 2.
The same conditions that will revive the Church now are the conditions gave life and growth in the beginning of the Church.

This is the Redeemer synopsis below, but the truth of the matter is that what happened at Pentecost holds infinitely more value than we see initially.

The value to the Church today is as real as it was for the first believers!

“What was it about early Christianity that made it spread like wildfire through the Mediterranean world?  There was something astonishingly attractive in the inclusiveness of a religion that drew people from across all racial, cultural, economic, intellectual and philosophical divides.”

In fact,the essence of what worked then is the key to what works today!

Christ in you and God’s love shed abroad in the hearts of believers!

It all starts and is driven by a constant rejoicing for who Jesus is to all of us.

When you listen, think ,”Revival”.

Heavenly Father,

Please renew,awaken and revive our love for you in and through your Son, Jesus!

Click on the link below.

http://sermons2.redeemer.com/sermons/new-community

Related articles

• Perfect Freedom – We Are All Slaves to Something – A Sermon by Tim Keller of Redeemer Presbyterian Church – Manhattan N.Y. (christcenteredteaching.wordpress.com)
• Suffering: If God is good, why is there so much evil in the world? A Audio Sermon By Tim Keller of Redeemer Presbyterian Church Manhattan N.Y. (christcenteredteaching.wordpress.com)
• True Christianity – Like No Other Religion of the World (christcenteredteaching.wordpress.com)

Who Authored Hebrews?- Why I Think it Was Barnabas

 

 

The question of ,”who authored the Bible book of Hebrews”, has been a subject of debate for almost two thousand years.

If you are a student of the Word of God and doctrine this is an important issue for one primary reason.

The author of Hebrews gives an ALMOST contradictory set of statements regarding Salvation by Christ alone. One is one of the most assuring and the other is very disconcerting. It is known  as a paradox. They only APPEAR to cancel each other. There is another truth that the simple explanation of makes sense of both.

So it really matters that we know and understand all we can about this author.

Tertullian, the third century Christian theologian, believed that Barnabas wrote the book of Hebrews.

I was glad to hear that because I had already come to the same conclusion before reading about Tertullian.

Here’s my reasoning.

First clue.

1. Most researchers agree that the book of Hebrews reads similar to the books that we are sure Paul wrote.

But a closer look by literary experts seems to conclude that it is somewhat like Paul’s style but not enough that it really could be him, given certain differences that stand out.

I think that Paul is the one who has a similar style of the author of Hebrews.

Take a look at the early days of Paul to see what I mean.

Barnabas and Paul had a traveling ministry to the Gentiles for a while.

Both spoke to the crowds regularly, and would have influence each other’s speaking and therefore writing styles.

If I’m right,the correct way to state the similarities is to say that Paul and Barnabas influenced each other and have similar styles of delivering a message.

Second clue.

2. Theological non- negotiable differences between Paul and Barnabas ,namely that of Grace and its rightful emphasis.

Paul never would have put things as ambiguous as the author of Hebrews in regards to salvation and the  fullness of the meaning of grace.  Nor did he endure it well when he and Barnabas where missionaries.

Here is an example of where Paul stood in regards to his grasp of God’s Grace through Christ as compared to Barnabas’ grasp of God’s Grace through Christ.

 ^“When Peter came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he was clearly in the wrong. Before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group. The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas was led astray.” Galatians 2:12-13

It is also revealing to know that Galatians was written by Paul to Christians who wandered off the path in regards to the purity of salvation by faith in Christ alone and sanctification by Christ alone more than any other books of the New Testament.

That is true of Galatians in both clarity and content.

Paul’s appreciation for God’s grace ,and his understanding of it, served to save the purity of  the message of Grace Alone for salvation, earned by Christ Alone.

The good deeds a Christian does are then the result of Christ’s working in the heart and desires of the true believer.

And…

The scripture records that Paul and Barnabas split over a dispute regarding Barnabas’ nephew ,John Mark , who abandoned them while the two of them spread the Gospel to the gentiles.

I propose that John Mark was not enough reason for the parting of these two, and that this incident was only the straw that broke the proverbial camels back.”

I think Paul would have stayed with Barnabas if he thought the Gospel was going out in its fullness to the gentiles. He cared more about Christ and the Gospel than he cared about his own life.

“For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.”

Philippians 1:2  

And that was Paul’s last letter before execution.

Paul’s grasp of God’s grace was completely resting on Christ’s finished work on the cross.

On the cross, Jesus Christ paid for the sins of all people who ever did and ever would live.

Only Jesus was the only perfect human to ever live, so only Jesus was worthy to pay for our sins with His life.

He died for us.

On the cross, Jesus said, “it is finished”.

And if we believe, we can choose to respond as Paul did,

“For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”

Revisiting the Trinity

Isaiah 9:6 ” For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

” Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.”Isaiah 7:14
This verse is repeated and explained in Matthew’s Gospel of Jesus Christ.

” The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him, “Immanuel”,( which means, “God with us”). Matthew 1:23

These cannot be explained any other way, the child was the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father.

We are called to child like faith,
That is because God can do anything,
He created all the laws of the universe, yet He only lived under those laws when He came to rescue us.
Because He loved us.
The rest of the time He lives above the laws of the universe, where time does not even exist, for He created time.

I also maintain a domain as a hub for my WordPress blog.
http://www.godcamedown.com

Here is how I see the trinity, (I use the flower known as the Trillium to illustrate.) Followed by this brief explanation.

People often struggle with the idea of the trinity. How can God be a man and a Spirit and God all at the same time?
The answer is easier when we remember He is God. Nothing is too hard for God. He fills all of the universe at the same time, knows all of our thoughts continually, sees perfectly in total darkness. Still His power is no less.
When God had a son he did not create another God. God inhabited flesh and bones. Why? Because He is Holy and Just. A man would have to atone for the sins of mankind. But no man was the perfect offering required for sacrifice. God loved us so much that He personally came to endure the hardships of life and still be able to love His enemies. He allowed them to kill Him on a Roman cross. He bore our punishment and endured our shame because He loved us. Then three days later He overcame the grave to prove He can do the same thing for all who believe in Him as Lord and Savior.

If we refuse to accept Christ as Savior because none of this makes sence then we have misunderstood what faith is. God lives above reason and can do anything,… including all that we would call absurd.

Reason is not how we come to know God, but by faith. Romans 1:17 “The just shall walk by faith.”

Let me leave you with this final word from Hebrews 4:2 of the Bible. It helped transform my life from being unable to rest on what the Bible says by reason and illustrates the necessity of faith,
and speaks of those who perished outside the promised land for lack of faith.

“For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it.” Hebrews 4:2

God bless you on your journey for truth, May you take God at His word by faith find rest and peace in Him.

God’s Word Must Be in Your Heart To Have Affect on Your Mind

Written in Latin, Polish and German. Discovered in 1827 by Josef Chmel. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 Your word I have hidden in my heart,

That I might not sin against You.

Psalm 119:11

Has God’s word migrated from your mind to your heart?

The truth is that thoughts are guided by desires and desires come from the heart.

The heart will compromise the integrity of the mind for that which it refuses to accept.

Herein lies the supremacy of love, and the benefit of Loving God with all that we have.

Loving God to the fullness of our capacities means having nothing left with which to love anything contrary to Him.

That’s My King – A Sermon By S.M. Lockridge Set To Images From The Passion of the Christ

The Passion of the Christ (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

(The sermon in text has been added to this posting for those who cannot stream video).

Every Easter I’m reminded of the movie, The Passion of the Christ.

You may not have seen the movie, but do yourself a favor and watch this short video Sermon set to images from the movie.

Though only 6.5 minutes long, this video is powerfully moving visually,intellectually and spiritually.

The sermon was preached by Pastor S.M Lockridge.

I can personally witness to being familiar with Scripture references to support each claim in the video from the  Holy Bible.

Using a sermon preached decades ago by a preacher who is with the Savior now, the message encompasses art, truth, and eternal hope in Christ.

In all my efforts to make Jesus real to my readers, nothing I have written even comes close to what you are about to hear and see.

We can know God. We need only to know Jesus, the way the truth and the life.

Click on the link below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzqTFNfeDnE&sns=em

That’s My King

A Sermon by S.M. Lockridge

“The Bible says my King is the King of the Jews.
He’s the King of Israel.
He’s the King of righteousness.
He’s the King of the ages.
He’s the King of Heaven.
He’s the King of glory.
He’s the King of Kings,
and He’s the Lord of lords.
That’s my King. I wonder…
Do you know Him?

My King is a sovereign King.
No means of measure can define his limitless love.
He’s enduringly strong. He’s entirely sincere.
He’s eternally steadfast. He’s immortally graceful.
He’s imperially powerful. He’s impartially merciful.
Do you know Him?

He’s the greatest phenomenon that has ever crossed the horizon of this world.
He’s God’s Son. He’s the sinner’s Savior. He’s the peak of civilization.
He’s unparalleled. He’s unprecedented. He is the loftiest idea in literature.
He’s the highest personality in philosophy.
He’s the fundamental doctrine of true theology.
He’s the only one qualified to be an all-sufficient Savior.
I wonder if you know Him today.

He supplies strength for the weak.
He’s available for the tempted and the tried.
He sympathizes and He saves.
He strengthens and sustains.
He guards and He guides.
He heals the sick. He cleanses the lepers.
He forgives sinners. He discharges debtors.
He delivers the captives. He defends the feeble.
He blesses the young. He serves the unfortunate.
He regards the aged.
He rewards the diligent, and He beautifies the meager.
I wonder if you know Him.

He’s the key to knowledge.
He’s the wellspring of wisdom.
He’s the doorway of deliverance.
He’s the pathway of peace.
He’s the roadway of righteousness.
He’s the highway of holiness.
He’s the gateway of glory.
Do you know Him?

Well, His light is matchless.
His goodness is limitless.
His mercy is everlasting.
His love never changes.
His word is enough.
His grace is sufficient.
His reign is righteous,
and His yoke is easy and His burden is light.
I wish I could describe Him to you.
Yes, He’s indescribable. He’s incomprehensible.
He’s invincible. He’s irresistible.
You can’t get Him out of your mind.
You can’t get Him off of your head.
You can’t outlive Him, and you can’t live without Him.

Well, the Pharisees couldn’t stand Him,
but they found out they couldn’t stop Him.
Pilate couldn’t find any fault in Him.
Herod couldn’t kill Him.
Death couldn’t handle Him,
and the grave couldn’t hold Him.

That’s my King!”

“The Bible – End Or Means ?” – Is The Bible Simply A Set Of Laws, Morals and Principles From God, Or The Means To A Relationship With Him ? An Audio Sermon By Dr. Tim Keller , Redeemer Presbyterian Church , Manhattan NY.

Many people believe that the Bible is simply at set of rules and guidelines from God for acceptable behavior.

But being Biblically right does not in and of itself make you right with God. That happens in our heart, not our head.

 “That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.”  (Romans 10:9-10)

God came down to mankind in the form of Jesus Christ to both show us His great love for us and to make a way for us to once again be in relationship with Him. 

Belief in Christ as the God sent Savior starts with the heart, and the love of God is the finishing mark of genuine conversion.

In this Rare and doctrinally beautiful sermon, Dr.Keller addresses a subject that many will not face until they stand before thier maker on judment day.

Do we simply know about God, or do we genuinely know God? 

“The Bible – End or Means” will serve as a “Truth Filter “, for your heart and head on this subject. Listen to it at least 6 or 7 times.

(Click the link below)

http://sermons2.redeemer.com/sermons/bible-end-or-means

Free online.

Enjoy!

Motives Matter – God’s Word is in Your Head – But Is His Love in Your Heart?

One of my favorite passages in the Bible is John 5:39-42.

“You search the scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.”
“But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.”
“I do not receive honor from men. But I know you, that you do not have the love of God in you.”

I like that verse because it reminds me of me when I was a young Christian and believed all I had to do was read and memorize the Bible and I would be fine. But what I really like about this passage is how Jesus contrasted knowing the Word to knowing the Word Made Flesh, Himself. I think this is something that a vast number of Christians also need to have an awakening to.

“I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.”
Psalm 119:11

I stocked my head full of scripture, as all Christians should, and I started to notice a theme. That theme is God’s love for mankind through Jesus Christ, the promised Messiah / Savior.

So after a Sunday sermon that focussed on how terrible sin was and was meant to guilt us into right behavior, I asked the Pastor this question:

“Pastor, do you think the problem with Christians is that there is too much worldliness in the church?”

“Absolutely!”, was his immediate response.

To which I replied,”Well I think the problem with Christians is that there is not enough Jesus in the church.”

A quote by Martin luther king illustrates this principle well:
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that.”

The path of least resistance for all mankind is to assume we can earn all or some of our salvation, and our pride will also keep us from an intimate relationship with God. Knowing scripture, rules and principles, and correct doctrine are all great, but we should take care we don’t make the same mistake as those Christ was speaking to in our text by becoming pridefull about what we know and letting self righteous knowledge of the Word take the place of faith in Christ alone for our righteousness.

The Jews that Jesus spoke to in John 5:39-42 could have just as easily been me when I was younger, and many of my Christian friends and pastors today.

When a person realizes his or her predicament without a savior, they are typically afraid of death and suffering without Christ.
Thats why its called “salvation” or “saved”, so it makes sense at that point. The problem comes from not growing into a close relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

The goal is for us to become accountable to love for God and our relationship to Him through Jesus Christ His Son.

Our love for God will replace our fear of God as we realize the depths of God’s love for us.

“There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” 1 John 4:18

Why do we love Him?
“We love Him because He first loved us.” 1 John 4:19

How did He love us?
The Cross.

“But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” Isaiah 53:5-6

Why does it matter?
Because motives matter to God.

“Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God.” 1 Corinthians 4:5

I used to read the Bible just because it has power to change me.

“For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”Hebrews 4:12

Now I read God’s word in anticipation of getting to know Him better and for what a His word has for me to grow closer to Him.

“For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name,I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide, and long and high and deep is the love of Christ,and to know this love that passes knowledge- that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” Ephesians 3:14-19

Fear of God is the beginning of wisdom, but love for God is our destination.

Because motives matter.

Biblical Emphasis in Doctrine – God is Love

No theme of the Bible is so constant as this.
God is love. (1 John 4:8 and 4:16 )

In the old testament book of Micah we read,”He delights in mercy,” (7:18), and in Micah 6:8 we are told that God wants us ,“To love mercy, “.

God is love, and the ultimate Biblical Emphasis is to reflect His love shown to this world in the personage of our Savior Jesus Christ.

Tell them about Jesus. Live like Jesus. Serve like Jesus.

“Now before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had come that He should depart from this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world He loved them to the end.” (John 13:1)

Any doctrinal theme can be emphasised and taken out of it’s Biblically Intended Emphasis.

If any Christian teacher can talk about any subject from the Bible for long without relating it all to Jesus Christ, the teacher is probably teaching mere morals and rules.

But Christianity as Christ instituted it is a relationship.

“Rules without relationship breed resentment,” someone has said.

The famous Scottish Journalist,Thomas Carlyle said it well,
“What this town needs is someone who knows Christ other than by hearsay.”

Biblical Emphasis in Doctrine – The Numbers Are In – Its About Jesus

Solus Christas Emphainein – Emphasize Christ Alone

Many Christian denominations share the same foundational doctrinal beliefs and values.

Much has been said about the need to emphasize one doctrine or the other and why to do so.

Not enough is being said about Biblical Emphasis in Doctrine as is demonstrated by a survey of The Bible.

For instance – If we take all the verses of the New Testament, about 7,956, and divide that number by the amount of times the Authors, under divine inspiration of the Holy Spirit mentioned Jesus Christ.

Taking into account there are many different names for Jesus ,some of which are Christ, Son, Savior, Son of Man, Lamb of God, Teacher, Jesus Christ, Master,and Lord. A word search in a digital Bible will reveal about 2,143 such references to our Lord.

7,956 x .2694% = 2,143.34 Which means the New Testament authors under divine inspiration of God’s Spirit reference at least one of Jesus Christ’s names about 27% of the time.

So we should always ask ourselves, “When we teach God’s Word are we using Biblical Emphasis?”

The Bible really is about Jesus. He is the way back to God.

“Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6

The Gospel Story – So Unlike Man Made Stories it Must Be True

Nobody would make up a story about the leader of their religion like the story of Jesus Christ in the Bible.

“Embarrassing testimony is powerful evidence for historical accuracy.” Frank Turek

The four Gospels all record events that some historians call, “The Criterion of Embarrassment“.

The list has caused quite a lot of debate, and the kind of commentary that includes a lot of anger in the absence of coherent reasoning on the part of naysayers.

The list of embarrassing stories is long and I have only recorded a few of them here for examples.

——————-

Jesus Christ was accused repeatedly by His contemporaries of being born illegitimately.

His parents were not from nobility or influential.

He was born in a stable.

His arrival was announced by a chorus of Angels, not to nobility, but to humble shepherds watching their flocks by night.

His brothers did not believe in Him.

The religious leadership of His day hated Him.

He didn’t flaunt His miraculous powers for influence on a grand scale.

He did not free Israel from its Roman oppression as they wanted.

He didn’t even own a sword himself and forbid His followers from using them to defend Him.

He did not choose men of nobility to be His 12 Disciples. Instead He chose fisherman and tax collectors.

Many of the disciples did things that Jesus corrected them for doing, lack of faith, hunger for power, being judgmental and so on.

Most of the disciples betrayed Him when He was captured, and Peter denied he knew Him three times.

He showed tender mercy,kindness and respect to women during a time and culture that was very oppressive to women, and over one thousand years before the rest of the world would do so.

He made His Triumphant Entry into Jerusalem on a donkey’s colt instead of a valiant steed.

He took the role of a servant and washed His disciples feet.

He allowed Himself to be captured by His enemies.

He did not speak in defense of Himself before the Jewish and Roman rulers.

He suffered public torture and shameful humiliation, but did not speak out in resistance to it.

He allowed Himself to be crucified on a Roman Cross.

While on the cross, He cried out,
“My God ,My God, why have you forsaken Me?”

He did not save Himself from undue punishment, instead, He died for those who rejected Him.

He was laid in a borrowed tomb,( but He rose again on the third day !)

All of these events and much more, stand in stark contrast to the things that commonly and historically appeal to the heart of mankind.

If the story of Jesus Christ was manufactured by men,

they would omit these events and try to cover them up in an effort to fabricate a leader devoid of embarrassments.

 ^“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,

who, being in the form of God,

did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation,

taking the form of a bondservant,

and coming in the likeness of men.

 And being found in appearance as a man,

He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death,

even the death of the cross.” (Philippians 2:5-8)

Why not believe in Jesus Christ and follow Him.

He alone is worthy.

Archeological Proof The Bible is an Accurate Translation of Ancient Holy Manuscripts

English: The Psalms scroll, one of the Dead Sea scrolls. Hebrew transcription included. English translation available here. Français : le rouleau des Psaumes, l’un des manuscrits de la mer Morte. Une transcription en hébreu moderne est incluse. Une traduction anglaise est disponible ici. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Archeological Proof The Bible is an Accurate Translation of Ancient Holy Manuscripts

The Dead Sea scrolls are available to view online now. The scrolls are over 2000 years old. They predate Christ’s earthly ministry and include the entire Old Testament books except Esther. They,” bare witness to,” the integrity of modern translations made from other ancient Greek and Hebrew manuscripts.

The best Bibles are not interpretations, but translations. A translation seeks to accurately translate words and thoughts. The most accurate translations included many Greek and Hebrew scholars in the project. In some cases, such as the NIV84, over 100 scholars translated the Bible from ancient Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic manuscripts. We can verify the credentials of each translator. The project began in 1966 and was not completed until 1978.

The NIV84, The NKJV, MSG, and the New American Standard are among the most accurate translations from the Greek, Hebrew and Aramaic scriptures in English.

The Codex Sinaiticius is the oldest entire New Testament manuscript, dating back to about 350 A.D. Constantine Tischendorf, a German Bible scholar, found this manuscript in 1859 at the Monastery of Saint Catherine, Mount Sinai, an ancient monastery in the arid Sinai desert.
Each ancient manuscript has served to prove the accuracy of our Modern translations of the Bible.
Digitally photographed images are now available online for study by scholar and skeptic alike.

You can research them at the following links,

View the the Dead Sea Scrolls, available online since 2009-

http://dss.collections.imj.org.il/isaiah

View the 1600-year-old Complete New Testament of the Bible, The Codex Sinaiticus online-

http://www.codex-sinaiticus.net/en/

http://www.csntm.org/home/about