March 8, read the Bible in a year; in PowerPoint, with comments.

Matthew 19:1-12 is relatively short but contains some of the most important aspects of life, such as marriage and divorce. “What therefore God hath joined together, let no man put asunder.

Ecclesiastes 7. There is value in practical wisdom.

Ecclesiastes 8. Obey authorities for God’s Sake, and yes, this too is in Ecclesiastes: “Eat, drink and be merry.” It fits with the theme of vanity.

Psalm 19, of David. “This Psalm reflects, more than any other, the beauty and splendor of the Hebrew poetry found in the Psalter. C.S. Lewis wrote, ‘I take this to be the greatest poem in the Psalter and one of the greatest lyrics in the world.’” (VanGemeren)

Psalm 20, of David. The people’s prayer for the King is heard by the LORD. The most quoted part is: “ Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the Lord our God.” The Lord saves, we pray for the King.

Psalm 21, of David. The New Testament references from Revelation 14 seems to fit. When I read the Psalm the battle hymn of the republic kept ringing in my ears.

January 15, read the Bible in a year; in PowerPoint, with comments.

In John 10:22-42 Jesus claimed to be one with his Father. This is of course blasphemy unless it is true, so for that the Jews wanted to stone him.

In Genesis 27 Jacob deceived Isaac to get the blessing of the firstborn instead of Esau. Esau got one too, but just the regular blessing, so to avoid more trouble Jacob fled to Laban.

In Genesis 28, Jacob went to Paddan Aram to get a wife. On the way he had a dream, commonly known as “Jacob’s Ladder”. Meanwhile, Esau took yet another wife, the daughter of Ishmael. The promise of Jacob’s dream was that God was to give the land to Jacob’s descendants. Jacob made a vow to God and named the place Bethel.

Psalm 5 is a prayer extolling the joy of praising God and praying towards Jerusalem, but is also an urgent prayer to do away with and destroy all wickedness and wicked people.

January 1, read the Bible in a year; in PowerPoint, with comments.

The Holy Bible is the most influential book ever written. According to Wikipedia it has been translated in its entirety into 724 languages, and the New Testament has been translated into 1617 languages. At least one part of the Bible has bee translated into 3,589 languages, and more translations are coming every year, especially from the Wycliffe translators.

Both the New Testament and the Old Testament begin with the words “In the beginning”.

John1:1-18 deals with creation spiritually.

Genesis 1 deals with the physical creation with spiritual emphasis, laying the groundwork for spiritual understanding of how and why we exist.

We are existing in time and space. The question is: What was there before time and space existed, before the beginning?

Answer: God, existing in three persons, God the Father, God the Son (the Word) and God’s Spirit, (the Holy Ghost).

The Three-in-one God alone are eternal, everything else, including time and space, is created.

Another Question: Why did God say “it was good” for day 1,3,4 and 5 but not for day 2 and it was very good after day 6?

Answer: The ecosystem is a work in progress and will function differently for each phase and finally come to completion when all parts are set in place, which includes people. We are responsible to God to be good stewards of the earth and leave it a better place than we found it.

Paul’s letter to Philemon, slavery and redemption.

The Apostle Paul wrote this short letter to Philemon in A.D. 60. Philemon was a slave owner and Onesimus  was a runaway slave. Paul was in prison in Rome, and somehow Onesimus had a conversion to Christianity after running away.

Paul is sending this letter to Philemon together with the letter to the church of Colossi using Tychius and Onesimus as the letter carriers!

Colossians 4:7 Tychicus will tell you all the news about me. He is a dear brother, a faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord. I am sending him to you for the express purpose that you may know about our circumstances and that he may encourage your hearts. He is coming with Onesimus, our faithful and dear brother, who is one of you. They will tell you everything that is happening here.

Senders are Paul and Timothy!

Philemon had the right to punish Onesimus and recapture him as a slave, but because of Paul’s faith in the redemptive powers of Christ he is sending him anyway.

Paul promises to pay back the money Onesimus stole from Philemon when he ran away. This is how business between Christians should be conducted!

This is just a short letter from one man to another. So why is it in the Bible? Paul had written many other letters to individuals and none of them made it into the Bible. (Paul’s letter to Titus was really for the church in Crete which was being formed and for universal use on qualifications for leadership in churches.)

It is my belief this short letter is included in the Bible is because of slavery. Paul’s co-writer Timothy writes in 1 Timothy 1:7 They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm. We know that the law is good if one uses it properly. We also know that the law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, 10 for the sexually immoral, for those practicing homosexuality, for slave traders and liars and perjurers—and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine 11 that conforms to the gospel concerning the glory of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me.

If Philemon had recaptured Onesimus he would have been a slave trader, and this letter is in the Bible to affirm that slave trading is out of bounds to Christians.

On the other hand Muhammad, the prophet of Islam Owned, bought and sold slaves, making him a slave trader, and slave trading has been the tradition of Muslims through the ages. Saudi Arabia abolished slavery in the 1950’s, and Mauritius abolished it in 2007. As of now there is no country that has slavery as an official policy, but world-wide human trafficking is on the rebound.

What we need is a revival among followers of Christ and an awakening among people to turn to true Christian values

Bibles worse than Chemical warfare? A Limerick.

This is a video from a secular Syrian. Eretz Zen, the footage was taken Sept. 3 in the Syrian town of Jarablus on the Turkish border. Reference:
http://www.wnd.com/2013/09/bibles-called-worse-than-chemical-weapons/#DqWQR40oEBe123s0.99

A message from Syria’s Jarablus:

“We’ll take all the gas without fuss;

for the Bibles are worse;

Christian love is a curse.

Jihad filled with hate: Our syllabus.”

The CIA has been arming the Syrian rebels for some time now. Is this really the people we would like to support?

The Biblical base for Obama’s economic polices. Luke 16:1-8.

“Jesus would back my tax-the-rich policy.”

President Obama really did say that at the recent National Prayer Breakfast.

He went on to say that his understanding of the Bible is his basis for his economic policies.

So the question is: Which Governmental policy was Jesus so supportive of?

I think I have found it: It is from: Luke 16:1-8 King James Version (KJV)

1And he (Jesus) said also unto his disciples, There was a certain rich man, which had a steward; and the same was accused unto him that he had wasted his goods.

2And he called him, and said unto him, How is it that I hear this of thee? give an account of thy stewardship; for thou mayest be no longer steward.

3Then the steward said within himself, What shall I do? for my lord taketh away from me the stewardship: I cannot dig; to beg I am ashamed.

4I am resolved what to do, that, when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.

5So he called every one of his lord’s debtors unto him, and said unto the first, How much owest thou unto my lord?

6And he said, An hundred measures of oil. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and sit down quickly, and write fifty.

7Then said he to another, And how much owest thou? And he said, An hundred measures of wheat. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and write fourscore.

8And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light.

The certain rich man is the people of the United States, the steward is Obama, the goods are our national resources and heritage.

So far the People of the United States are commending the unjust steward.

Do you think this is the basis for his economic principles?

Please explain your theology, Mr. President.

Mr. President!

On the resent National Prayer Breakfast in Washington D.C. you said:

“Jesus would back my tax-the-rich policy.”

You went on to say that your understanding of the Bible is the basis for your economic policies.

Campaigning in Ohio, presidential candidate Rick Santorum was criticizing your radical environmental views, which he said hurt the American people.

“It’s not about you [people],” Santorum  declared. “It’s not about your quality of life. It’s not about your jobs. It’s about some phony ideal. Some phony theology. Oh, not a theology based on the Bible — a different theology.”

Very few commented on your statements at the prayer breakfast. People seem to be perfectly happy that you are using your understanding of the Bible as the basis for your polices.

When Rick Santorum challenges you on your understanding of the Bible, saying that your  theology is open to challenge, everybody is jumping on him, saying that any criticism of your Christian belief is over the line.

You invited a discussion on your understanding of the Bible since you use it as the basis for your economic polices.

What is your biblical basis for not having an opinion whether we should have a budget or not?

What is your biblical understanding on abortion? The only references on abortion I can find in the Bible are child sacrifices, as was practiced in Baal worship. Is that your basis?

Where is the biblical justification for Government regulation trumping Religion?

Please let me know where you stand on the Bible since it is your understanding of the Bible that is the basis for your economic polices.

You were in Rev. Jeremy Wright’s Church for twenty years. You said you never listened to his sermons. How did you obtain your understanding of the Bible?