Daily Bible Nugget #831, 1 John 5:20

Posted on March 9, 2024 by Jerry

 

The Nugget:

1Jn 5:20  And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life. (KJV)

1Jn 5:20 And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. (ESV)

1Jn 5:20 And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us insight to recognize the True One; and we are in union with the True One through His Son, Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. (Williams NT)

1Jn 5:20 And we are certain that the Son of God has come, and has given us a clear vision, so that we may see him who is true, and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. (Basic English Bible)

1Jn 5:20  We know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding so that we know the real God. We are in the one who is real, his Son Jesus Christ. This Jesus Christ is the real God and eternal life. (GW, God’s Word Translation)

1Jn 5:19.  We realize that we come from God, while all the world is under the influence of the Evil One.
1Jn 5:20.  We realize, too, that the Son of God has come among us, and has given us the discernment to know the True God; and we are in union with the True God by our union with his Son, Jesus Christ. He is the True God and he is Immortal Life. (Twentieth Century New Testament)

My Comment:

1Co 12:3  Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost. (KJV)

Even in our day, the divinely inspired test of Holy Spirit derived genuine illumination and true understanding of the Bible is that such understanding is only possessed by those who affirm the full deity of our Lord Jesus Christ.

To gain such understanding, carefully study the Bible by comparing Scripture with Scripture using The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge or The Ultimate Cross Reference Treasury. You may also use the original Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as well as Bibles that contain cross references.

1Co 2:13  Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
1Co 2:14  But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

My thanks and appreciation to  Ken Sagely for allowing me to share his post below.

From Ken Sagely’s Facebook Post:

THE INFALLIBLE WORD IS UNDERSTOOD THROUGH ILLUMINATION OF GOD

(Illumination is that ministry of the
Holy Spirit which enables each person
who is in right relation to God to understand

the Scriptures)

The Spirit breathes upon the Word, and brings the truth to sight, Precepts and Promises afford A sanctifying light. Newton

PSALM 119.18
Open Thou mine eyes,
that I may behold wondrous things

out of Thy law.

LUKE 24.45
Then opened He their understanding

that they might understand the scriptures.

JOHN 7.17
If any man will do His will,
he shall know of the doctrine,
whether be of God,

or whether I speak of myself.

JOHN 16.13
Howbeit when He,
the Spirit of truth, is come,
He will guide you into all truth:
for He shall not speak of Himself,
but what soever He shall hear,
that shall He speak:

and He will show you things to come.

EPHESIANS 1.17-18
That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ,
the Father of glory,
may give unto you
the Spirit of wisdom and revelation
in the knowledge of Him:
18 The eyes of your understanding
being enlightened;
that you may know
what is the hope of His calling,
and what the riches of the glory

of His inheritance in the saints.

1 JOHN 2.27
But the anointing
which you have received of Him
abideth in you,
and you need not that any man teach you;
but as the same anointing
teacheth you of all things,
and is truth, and is no lie,
and even as it hath taught you,

you shall abide in Him.

HOW FIRM A FOUNDATION

How firm a foundation you saints of the Lord
is laid for your faith in His excellent Word;
What more can He say than to you He hath said,
To you who for refuge to Jesus have fled?
When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie
My grace all sufficient shall be thy supply :
The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design

Thy dross to consume and thy gold to refine.

 

Dig Deeper into God’s Word by studying the notes and cross references given in The Ultimate Cross Reference Treasury for 1 Corinthians 12:3 which I share below:

1 Corinthians 12:3
give you to understand. Paul here gives a test, stated both negatively and positively, for determining the source—demonic or divine—of spiritual gifts. Negatively, the counterfeit source refuses to positively confess the deity of Christ, is self-exalting, and disorderly, and stems from the soulish nature of man; positively, the true source confesses the full deity of Christ, is self-effacing, and orderly, and stems from the spiritual nature in man (Joh 4:24). As many spiritual gifts had been paralleled by demons in the false worship of pagan deities in Corinth, with which these Gentile Christians had been most familiar (1Co 12:2), they needed a test to distinguish false spirituality from the true. Paul’s subsequent discussion affirms the unity of the Body of Christ (1Co 12:13), and the sovereignty of the Holy Spirit who according to His discretion distributes gifts to every believer. Paul gives further admonition and direction for the use of these gifts, that everything in the congregation may be done “decently and in order” (1Co 14:40). 1Co 15:1 g.

no man. *Mar 9:39, Luk 9:50, Joh 16:14, 15, *1Jn 4:2; *1Jn 4:3.

speaking by. Psa 109:20, Mat 23:34, Mar 12:36, +Luk 4:1; Luk 10:21.

the Spirit of. Gr. pneuma, +Rom 8:1 note. Job 26:4, +*Mat 1:20.

calleth Jesus. That is, to say he was a malefactor, one justly condemned to death. This the Jews said who invoked his blood upon their heads (Hodge). This was probably a form of renunciation (CB). 1Jn 2:22.

accursed. or, anathema. 1Co 16:22, Lev 27:28, 29, *Deut 21:23, Luk 21:5 g. +Act 23:14 g. Rom 9:3, Gal 1:8, 9; *Gal 3:13.

no man. 1Co 8:6, *Mat 16:16; *Mat 16:17, *Joh 13:13; Joh 15:26, *2Co 3:5; 2Co 11:4.

can say. FS108B22, +Pro 20:9. Act 8:37.

the Lord. The word kurios, Lord, is that by which the word Jehovah is commonly rendered in the Greek version of the Old Testament. To say Jesus is the Lord, therefore, in the sense of the apostle, is to acknowledge him to be truly God. No one can truly believe and openly confess that Jesus is God manifest in the flesh unless he is enlightened by the Spirit of God (Hodge). Thus only those enlightened by the Holy Spirit can recognize Jesus as Jehovah. Belief in the full deity of the Lord Jesus is the positive test of orthodoxy given by the apostle. **1Co 2:8; **1Co 15:47, +*Neh 9:6, *Mat 7:21, 22, 23, *Luk 6:46, +*Joh 8:24; +**Joh 20:28, +**Act 10:37; Act 11:21 note. **Rom 10:9; **Rom 10:10, 2Co 4:5, Php 2:11, +**1Pe 2:3 note with >Psa 34:8.

but. or, if not. Gr. ei mē. FS184C, Mat 4:9. 1Co 14:5 g.

but by. This means acknowledging Him as Lord and Master (Rom 10:9), not mere lip-service (CB). Mat 16:17, +Luk 4:1, Joh 15:26, **+Rom 10:9.

Ghost. Gr. pneuma, +Mat 1:18 note. +*Mat 3:16, +*Joh 14:26.

 

FOR FURTHER STUDY: +**1Pe 2:3 note with >Psa 34:8 

1Pe 2:3  If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.
Psa 34:8  O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.

the Lord. The Hebrew text underlying this quotation from the Old Testament reads “Jehovah” (Psa 34:8 h); this is therefore a very clear instance of the Divine Name of Jehovah being applied directly to Jesus Christ by the apostles in the New Testament, for the following verse (1Pe 2:4) shows unmistakably that this reference is to Jesus (Act 11:21 note). The following pairs of references will show that this identification is very frequently made in the New Testament:

(1) Mat 3:3 with Isa 40:3.

(2) Joh 12:41 with Isa 6:1 note.

(3) Eph 4:7, 8 note with Psa 68:18.

(4) 1Pe 3:15 with Isa 8:13.

(5) 1Co 2:8 with Psa 24:7; Psa 24:10.

(6) Jas 2:1 with Psa 24:7; Psa 24:10.

(7) 1Co 1:30 with **Jer 23:5; **Jer 23:6.

(8) Joh 3:31 with Psa 97:9.

(9) Rev 1:17 with Isa 44:6.

(10) Php 2:6 with Zec 13:7.

(11) Heb 13:20 with Isa 40:10, 11.

(12) Col 1:16 with Pro 16:4.

(13) Luk 7:27 with Mal 3:1.

(14) Heb 1:8; Heb 1:10, 11, 12 with Psa 102:24, 25, 26, 27.

(15) Tit 2:13 with Hos 1:7.

(16) 2Ti 4:1 with Ecc 12:14.

(17) Rev 1:5; Rev 17:14 with Dan 2:47.

(18) Joh 1:3 with Isa 40:28.

(19) Col 1:17 with +*Neh 9:6.

When I present the above information to Jehovah’s Witnesses, the reaction I get is the question, “How could Jesus be Jehovah? Is that what you are claiming?” The answer is that in the Bible there is more than one Person in the Triune Godhead who is called Jehovah (**Gen 19:24 note; +*Exo 3:2 note; Isa 6:1 note). For Scripture evidence establishing the divinity or deity of Christ, see Topic Numbers 74-82, the sets of references gathered at Mat 28:19 note, and the following related notes and references: (1) Deity of Christ, Col 1:16 note. (2) Christ received worship, +*Mat 14:33, +*Joh 20:28; +*Joh 20:29 note. +*Act 7:59 note. (3) Christ is not a lesser god, or entitled to a lesser degree of worship, +*Joh 1:1 note. Php 2:6 note. (4) Jesus called God, +**Joh 20:28; Joh 20:29 note. (5) Charged with blasphemy for his claim to deity, Joh 10:32 note. (6) Only a divine Savior possessing full deity could qualify as our substitute in the atonement for sins, Heb 10:4 note. **Jer 23:5; Jer 23:6.

 

Posted in Apologetics--Christian, Bible Study Tools, Daily Bible Nuggets, Doctrinal Discussions, False Religions, How to Interpret the Bible Correctly, How to Study the Bible, Ken Sagely contributions | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Daily Bible Nugget #830, Matthew 4:4

Posted on March 7, 2024 by Jerry

 

The Nugget:

Mat 4:4  But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

My Comment:

To stay alive spiritually we must live by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. Those words are found only in the Bible. Our Lord Jesus Christ expects us to regularly read and study the written word of God.

Our Lord Jesus Christ quoted Deuteronomy 8:3 as recorded in Matthew 4:4 in response to the Tempter or Satan (Matthew 4:3) who challenged Jesus when Jesus was very hungry after fasting for forty days in the wilderness (Matthew 4:2), saying:

Mat 4:3  And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.

Notice that Satan said, “If thou be the Son of God.” The underlying Greek text uses what is called the First Class Condition of “if,” which assumes the condition to be true. By the use of “if,” Satan was not calling into question whether in fact Jesus is the Son of God; rather, he assumes this to be true.

Greek has four different kinds or classes of the word “if.” I have marked these as carefully as I could in The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and The Ultimate Cross Reference Treasury in a note at Matthew 4:9. The different classes of “if” represent different degrees of “ifyness.” Most interesting to me is the class which means contrary to fact or impossible.

Notice that Jesus answered the Devil by citing Scripture to refute him. This ought to be a lesson to us on how important it is to know the Scriptures. Remember how James wrote that we are to resist the Devil and he will flee from us (James 4:7).

There is still more truth to glean from Matthew 4:4. There are two commonly used Greek words, logos and rhema translated by the same English word word. Understanding the important difference between these two Greek words opens up a whole new world of understanding, especially when reading Hebrews chapter 11, starting with the use of rhema at Hebrews 11:3.

Many thanks are due to Ken Sagely for allowing me to share his encouraging Facebook post.

From Ken Sagely’s Facebook Post:

THE INFALLIBLE WORD IS ESSENTIAL !!

DEUTERONOMY 8.3
And He humbled thee,
and suffered thee to hunger,
and fed thee with manna,
which thou knowest not,
neither did thy fathers know;
that He might make thee know;
that man doth not live by bread only,
but by every word
that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord

doth man live.

JOSHUA 1.8
This book of the law
shall not depart out of thy mouth;
but thou shalt meditate therein day and night,
that thou mayest observe to do
according to all that is written therein:
for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous,

and then thou shalt have good success.

JOB 23.12
Neither have I gone back
from the commandment of His lips;
I have esteemed the words of His mouth

more than my necessary food.

PSALM 119.11
Thy word have I hid in mine heart,

that I might not sin against Thee.

JEREMIAH 22.29
O earth, earth, earth,

hear the Word of the Lord,

MATTHEW 22.29
Jesus answered and said unto them,
Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures,

nor the power of God.

1 PETER 2.2
As newborn babes,
desire the sincere milk of the word,

that ye may grow thereby.

HOW FIRM A FOUNDATION

ye saints of the Lord, is laid for your faith
in His excellent Word! What more can He
say than to you He hath said—To you, who
for refuge to Jesus have fled? When thru
fiery fiery trials thy pathway shall lie, My
grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply ‘
the flame shall not hurt thee–I only design
thy dross to consume and thy gold to refine.
What more can He say than to you He hath

said—-To you, who for refuge to Jesus have fled.

For Deeper Study:

Matthew 4:4
It is written. The appeal is not to the spoken voice (Mat 3:17) but to the written Word (CB). T1034, Mat 4:6, 7; Mat 4:10, **Mat 22:29, +*Psa 119:11, Mar 12:10, Luk 4:4; Luk 4:8; Luk 4:12, Joh 7:42; Joh 17:8; Joh 17:14; Joh 17:17, +*Rom 15:4, *Eph 6:17, Heb 10:7, 8.

Man. Mat 6:25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34. *>Deut 8:3, Luk 4:4, Joh 4:31, 32, 33, 34; Joh 6:49, 50, 51.

not live. Isa 38:16, Dan 1:15.

bread. FS171, +Gen 3:19. Mat 4:3, Mat 6:11; Mat 6:31; +*Mat 24:45, Gen 42:2, 1Ki 17:4.

but. Mat 14:16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, Exo 16:8; Exo 16:15; Exo 16:35; Exo 23:15, 1Ki 17:12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 2Ki 4:42, 43, 44; 2Ki 7:1, 2, Hag 2:16, 17, 18, 19, Mal 3:9, 10, 11, Mar 6:38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44; Mar 8:4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, Joh 6:5, etc., Joh 6:31, etc., Joh 6:63.

by. T1047, Deut 8:3. Note: That is, as Dr. Campbell renders, “by every thing which God is pleased to appoint;” for rama, which generally signifies a word, is, by a Hebraism, here taken for a thing, like davar, in Hebrew.

every word. Gr. rhēma (S# G4487, Mar 9:32 note). (Mat 5:11). Mat 12:36; Mat 18:16; Mat 26:75; Mat 27:14, +Mar 9:32 note. Mar 14:72, (Luk 1:37), Luk 1:65; Luk 2:15 (thing), Luk 2:17; Luk 2:19 (things), Luk 2:29; Luk 2:50, 51; Luk 3:2; Luk 5:5; Luk 7:1; Luk 9:45; Luk 18:34; Luk 20:26; Luk 24:8; Luk 24:11, Joh 3:34; Joh 5:47; Joh 6:63; Joh 6:68; Joh 8:20; Joh 8:47; Joh 10:21; Joh 12:47, 48; Joh 14:10; Joh 15:7; Joh 17:8, Act 2:14; Act 5:20; Act 5:32 (things). Act 6:11; Act 6:13, Act 10:22; Act 10:37; Act 10:44; Act 11:14; Act 11:16; Act 13:42; Act 16:38; Act 26:25; Act 28:25, Rom 10:8; Rom 10:17, 18, 2Co 12:4; 2Co 13:1, Eph 5:26; Eph 6:17, Heb 1:3; Heb 6:5; **Heb 11:3 note; Heb 12:19 a. 1Pe 1:25, 2Pe 3:2, Jud 1:17, Rev 17:17.

of God. Deut 32:47, +*Jos 1:8, =1Sa 21:9, +*Job 23:12, *Psa 17:4; **Psa 119:11, Isa 38:16, +*Jer 15:16, +*Joh 5:39; *Joh 6:63, 1Co 3:15, *Eph 6:17, **Heb 4:12, 1Pe 4:18, Rev 19:15.

Posted in Christian Living, Daily Bible Nuggets, Ken Sagely contributions, Principles of Christian Living | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

How to Solve the Reading Problem

Posted on March 6, 2024 by Jerry

 

Proverbs and Quotations:

“Resolve to edge in a little reading every day, if it is but a single sentence. If you gain fifteen minutes a day, it will make itself felt at the end of the year.”  Horace Mann

The Problem:

Very recently (February, 2024) I listened to a report on the radio where it was claimed that very few students at all levels of education actually are able to read at or above grade level.

When I was teaching high school English in the 1990s I had no students among my eleventh and twelfth grade classes who read at or above grade level. My best students, perhaps two or three students out of a class of 35, could read at an eighth grade level at most.

The problem is still with us–it remains unsolved.

I devised a solution that worked for 80% of my students when I was given the freedom to teach my students using teaching materials I devised.

That freedom to utilize teacher expertise and experience to solve the problems of my own students disappeared, much to the loss of my students’ educational progress.

When I was forced to follow a mandated “new Bible,” a pacing chart which dictated what I was to teach each day from the assigned course textbook, I had no further opportunity to supplement or replace the required texts with texts which met the current ability and interest of my individual students. Sometimes I did find ways to circumvent this lock-step and very deadening curriculum requirement, but it was not easy. Rather, it was very expensive for me at my own out-of-pocket cost to produce better teaching materials than those provided by the Board of Education.

Some Examples Reflected in the Professional Literature:

In an article by Michael J. Young in the journal Language Arts, Volume 99, Number 2, November 2021, pages 113-125, titled “Not Allowed: Power and Practice in Literacy Teaching as Defined by the State,” there is featured as the opening vignette this report of a first grade teacher’s personal experience:

“I feel like we are testing kids to death. Every two weeks we have a reading assessment that we have to do with our students. We’re not allowed to read it to them, so they really struggle … there’s a lot of pressure…. I feel like we’re just pushing them away too fast, way too hard. And then I think that leads into the behaviors and things that we see. They aren’t allowed to be kids. We’ve taken that away from them.  –Annie, first-grade teacher”

The opening sentence of the article reads:

“Annie’s concerns are tied to a challenge facing US elementary literacy education: third-grade reading laws” (page 113).

Another publication I receive through my NCTE (National Council of Teachers of English) subscription is the Council Chronicle. The November, 2021 issue is titled “The Promise of Making a Difference.” An article by Trisha Collopy is titled “A Stress Test for American Democracy: Teaching Civic Reasoning and Engagement in a Time of Division,” pages 18-20. The article concludes under the heading “Fresh Challenges,” and states:

“While the COVID-19 pandemic was not on the horizon when the NAEd [National Academy of Education] began its work, Lee [Carol D. Lee] says it has added urgency to the conversation–and to the interdisciplinary nature of the work.

“To make sense of the pandemic requires an understanding of the science of viral mutations and vaccines; the math behind probability and trends; the literacy to sort credible news sources from disinformation; and a knowledge of the history of US vaccination campaigns, she says. “If you can’t engage in that kind of content alone, along with questions about the rights of the individual versus community good,” decisions can have devastating results, she says.

“As the culture wars over school curricula play out, Lee, Levine [Peter Levine], and Freedman [Sarah Warshauer Freedman] say the answer for educators is not to step back, but to step forward.

“The more teachers avoid these [difficult] topics, the less engaged in the civics space … young people will become,” Freedman says. “And the role of schools in a democracy, including English teachers, is to teach young people to grapple with these kinds of tensions.”

Lastly, from the NCTE journal English Education, also part of my NCTE subscription, Volume 53, Number 4, for July 2021, in an editorial by Melanie Shoffner titled “Leadership: Honestly, It’s Not for Everyone,” pages 248-253, wisely observes:

“How can teachers be empowered and agentic if they have little autonomy over their own curriculum? … how can educators at any level lead if their instructional practices and professional identity are constantly, and publicly, denigrated and devalued? When did leadership in education default to those with the smoothest smiles and the politic responses and the right connections instead of those who know what they’re doing, who are doing it for the right reasons?” (emphasis added)

My Comment:

Many educational leaders do not know what they are doing.

They have what I call the “Nabal Syndrome.”

1Sa 25:14  But one of the young men told Abigail, Nabal’s wife, saying, Behold, David sent messengers out of the wilderness to salute our master; and he railed on them.

1Sa 25:17  Now therefore know and consider what thou wilt do; for evil is determined against our master, and against all his household: for he is such a son of Belial, that a man cannot speak to him.

They are unwilling  to acknowledge the expertise and success of the teachers who do know what they are doing. Good teachers go unrecognized and are not encouraged in or praised for the work they do. My students asked me, “Mr. Smith, how come you are never chosen as ‘Teacher of the Year’?”

The leaders and administrators are not open to constructive suggestions made by those who serve under them.

Contrast the attitude of King David:

1Sa 25:32  And David said to Abigail, Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, which sent thee this day to meet me:
1Sa 25:33  And blessed be thy advice, and blessed be thou, which hast kept me this day from coming to shed blood, and from avenging myself with mine own hand.

THE SOLUTION:

  1. Parents must take the initiative at home by reading to their child or children from the time they are infants until they are of an age where they no longer live in the household.
  2. Parents must engage in home schooling when possible or in home education which is always possible. Turn off the media. Disengage from excess participation in sports. Use the reading ladder concept to select three books of interest to or concern for your child: choose from the public library three non-fiction books on the same subject–one from the children’s library section for an easy to read book on an elementary level; one from the young adult section of the library for a more advanced level; and finally, one from the adult section for the most advanced level. Reading the books in this order of difficulty, your child will learn enough from the first level to successfully understand and learn from the middle level and will then be able to succeed in reading and understanding the adult level book. Your child will have grown in reading skill and subject knowledge as a result.
  3. To start the whole process, especially for reluctant and struggling readers, invest in the reading program I wrote and used for almost 40 years during my teaching career. The price for the book in printed form on Amazon is $20. The digital (Kindle format) edition is priced at $10. Search for it under the title, The Language Enrichment Program, or my name, Jerome Smith.
Posted in Education Issues, The Language Enrichment Program | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

How Not to Teach a Class

Posted on March 5, 2024 by Jerry

 

Proverbs and Quotations:

“If you think education is expensive, try ignorance.” Derek Bok

My Comment:

I received a book as part of my subscription to ASCD (Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development) that immediately grabbed my attention. The book, authored by Persida and William Himmele, is titled Why are We Still Doing That? The subtitle is: Positive Alternatives to Problematic Teaching Practices (2021, 129 pages). The back cover under the heading “Old Habits Die Hard” lists “16 common educational practices that can undermine student earning.”

Here are three malpractices from the list which concern me most:

Round robin reading

My comment: I rarely if ever used this practice. Yet this practice, as I experienced it in Sunday school, had a profound impact on my life. I was almost never prepared to answer Bible questions when I was part of the high school Sunday school class taught by Mr. Dean Sawdon and Mr. John Boyko at Highland Park Baptist Church in Highland Park, Michigan. As a result of continued embarrassment in front of all the other class members, I was motivated to start reading the New Testament in earnest in August of 1953. By November 7, 1953, I experienced the change that takes place as a result of doing such reading on a regular basis. I have written about what happened in detail each November 7 on this site (See the November archives for each year displayed on the right-hand side of each page on this site).

When I became a Sunday school teacher myself, I learned not to scare pupils away from attending my Sunday school class by employing “round robin” reading or teaching tactics. Instead, I opened the class to answer any questions my students had. When I did not immediately know the answer to a student question, I promised to bring an answer the next Sunday, and I studied the subject of the question so I could do that. I built quite a library as I bought books which provided answers to my student questions.

I vividly remember inviting a potential student to my Sunday school class. She frankly said she was scared to attend any Sunday school class because she might be asked to read aloud from the Bible and she was ashamed of her poor reading skill. I assured her I would never call on her or any other student to read aloud that did not want to. If I recall correctly, I bought her a hard cover New Testament in easy English so she could read it without difficulty for herself. The edition I shared with her is titled The New Life Testament, translated by Gleason H. Ledyard, Word Books, Publisher, Waco, Texas, 1970 (627 pages). This translation uses 850 English words, short sentences, short paragraphs, good size readable print and helpful headings to make reading and reading comprehension easier when reading the New Testament.

Content breadth over depth

When I was teaching English 6, an eleventh grade course titled Early American Literature, I was told not to spend too much time on colonial literature. I determined to do otherwise and cover it as extensively and intensively as I could. This was a long time ago, in the mid 1960s. I am still in touch with two of my students from that time, both of whom later let me know the impact in their lives of studying Early American Literature.

When I taught American history in the 1980s I was told not to spend much time covering the Colonial Period. Once again, I deviated from the suggested procedures and spent more time teaching about the founding of this country and stressed that the United States of America is NOT a democracy, but a Federal Republic, and that the founders of this nation were absolutely against a democracy. I taught the importance of the Electoral College, and how it must be kept in place in order to permit less populated states to have a voice in laws and policies that affect them. Otherwise, two or three most populous states would have full control of the legislative process and the laws Congress might pass. I stressed that truth cannot be determined by a majority vote.

Adhering to rigid pacing guides

Near the end of my teaching career the administration in the field of Language Arts (what used to be called, and more sensibly, the English Department) told us we were being issued what they called our “new Bible.”

Our “new Bible” was a mandatory pacing guide for every course that specified exactly what page of the course textbook we were to teach from over the course of the semester. Our lesson plans must exactly reflect what was specified for each day as given in the pacing chart for the course. Our Department Head and our district supervisors were to visit our classes unannounced to be sure we were teaching on any given day what our lesson plans and the pacing chart specified. The reason given for adopting such a procedure was to enable students who moved from one region of the large district (Detroit Public Schools) to another Detroit region to continue each class at the same point where they left off in their previous school.

That may sound good to school administrators who might not know any better. To those who went to college and actually learned something about how to teach, such a practice of mandating what page of classroom text must be studied each day of the school year is a very horrible and backward idea.

Any parent who has been blessed with two or more children knows that no two children, even in the same family, are alike in terms of when each child is ready to learn a skill like reading.

Any teacher who has paid attention to the progress of two different classes of students taking the same course at different hours of the school day the same semester knows that no two classes are ever the same in their rate of progress.

Every teacher ought to be aware that no two students learn and progress at exactly the same rate or speed or depth. To be most effective as a teacher, a teacher must be prepared to meet the learning needs of each student starting with where the student is in academic achievement and building from there. When teachers are enabled to teach effectively, and the students learn effectively, the end result is that by the end of the semester or course, students are less alike in their achievement than when the class instruction started, for some students, when they are allowed to do so, will learn far more than other students in the same class. That is a good thing, not bad. As teachers we ought to encourage individual differences by encouraging each student to progress as far as possible. This is the opposite of trying to ensure all students end up the same.

Pacing charts take away the opportunity for teachers to meet individual differences in ability and interest that every class always presents and therefore fails to take the learning needs and interests of each student into account. This limits student growth, and leaves every student behind from what they could have achieved if teachers were allowed to use their expertise and discretion effectively.

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Daily Bible Nugget #829, Psalm 119:59

Posted on March 4, 2024 by Jerry

 

The Nugget:

Psalm 119:59  I thought on my ways, and turned my feet unto thy testimonies. (KJV)

Psalm 119:59  I have thought about my life, and I have directed my feet back to your written instructions. (GW, God’s Word translation)

My Comment:

The cure for what ails us as individuals and the whole of all society is stated in this Psalm: Think carefully about your life and the direction you are going. When you do that, you will be led to turn back to God’s written instructions in the Bible. It is like a cause/effect relationship (Psalm 9:10).

Read the Bible more, study the Bible more, and you will grow more in your spiritual life and in your love for God’s Word.

From Ken Sagely’s Facebook Post:

2 TIMOTHY 3.16-17
All Scripture is given by inspiration of
God and is profitable for doctrine,
for reproof, for correction, for instruction,
in righteousness 17 That the man of God
may be adequate, equipped for training

in righteousness.

Cross References:

2 PETER 1.21
For the prophecy came not in old time
by will of men but holy men of God spake

as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.

JOHN 5.39
Search the scriptures; for in them ye think
ye have eternal life: and they are they which

testify of me.

ACTS 17.11
These were more noble than those in Thessalonica
in that they received the word with all readiness of mind,
and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things

were so.

PSALM 119.103
How sweet are thy words unto my taste yea, sweeter

than honey to my mouth.

PSALM 119.105
Thy word is a lamp unto my feet. and a light

unto my path.

PSALM 119.59
I thought on my ways, and turned

my feet unto thy testimonies.

PSALM 19.7
The law of the Lord is perfect
restoring the soul: the testimony
of the Lord is sure, making wise

the simple.

1 CORINTHIANS 11.31
But if we judged ourselves rightly we

should not be judged.

HOW FIRM A FOUNDATION

ye saints of the Lord,  is laid for
your faith in His excellent Word!
what more can He say than to you
He hath said, To you, who for refuge
to Jesus have fled? When thru fiery
trials thy pathway shall lie, My grace,
all sufficient, shall be thy supply!
What more can we say than to you
He hath said—-To you who for refuge

To Jesus have fled!

Many thanks to Ken Sagely for his encouraging selection of Scripture.

 

Posted in Christian Living, Daily Bible Nuggets, Ken Sagely contributions, Principles of Christian Living | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Sabbath Questions Answered Part 1

Posted on February 29, 2024 by Jerry

 

The Text:

Act 20:7 And on the first of the sabbaths, the disciples having been assembled to break bread, being about to depart on the morrow, Paul reasoned to them. And he continued his speech until midnight. (Literal Translation of the Holy Bible)

The Opening Post Challenge:

This is what Rome created, not Christianity, for it existed prior to Constantine, the one so many falsly claim created the religion named after it’s Christ in Acts 11:26.

Rome Admits the Truth

Catholic Record, London, Ontario, September 1, 1923.

Sunday is our mark of authority. The Church is above the Bible, and this transference of Sabbath observance is proof of that fact.

From the Catholic Record, September 17, 1893:

Sunday is founded, not of Scripture, but on tradition, and is distinctly a Catholic institution. As there is no Scripture for the transfer of the day of rest from the last to the first day of the week, Protestants ought to keep their Sabbath on Saturday and thus leave Catholics in full possession of Sunday.

My Response:

The Roman Catholic Church did not create Christianity. The Book of Acts records that the followers of our Lord Jesus Christ were first called Christians in Antioch:

Acts 11:26

26 And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.
King James Version

The Roman Catholic Church came along many centuries after that.

And as for the Sabbath, the Sabbath was never changed to Sunday. Jews who follow their Bible still worship on the Sabbath. Christians who know their Bible worship on the First Day of the week, our Sunday. Sunday worship began in the time of the New Testament and neither Constantine nor the Roman Catholic Church had anything to do with it.

Christians worship on the First Day of the week to commemorate the historical fact that our Lord Jesus Christ arose bodily from the grave on the First Day of the week, our Sunday.

OP Author Reply to Me (from supplied link):

Today I want to answer the question which so many listeners have been concerned about since our first broadcast on the Sabbath question. How did the change take place, substituting Sunday for Saturday as the day of worship? This is possibly one of the most disturbing religious questions among thinking Christians today. Unfortunately, the issue is not examined publicly very often for reasons that we’ll consider today. But multitudes have wondered when, how and why the change came about. We have established in previous broadcasts that the Bible itself speaks with absolute consistency on this subject.

No Change Documented in the Bible

In both Old and New Testament there is not a shadow of variation in the doctrine of the Sabbath. The seventh day, Saturday, is the only day ever designated by the term Sabbath in the entire Bible. Not only was Jesus a perfect example in observing the weekly seventh-day Sabbath, but all His disciples followed the same pattern after Jesus had gone back to heaven. Yet no intimation of any change of the day is made. The apostle Paul, who wrote pages of counsel about lesser issues of Jewish and Gentile conflicts, had not one word to say about any controversy over the day of worship. Circumcision, foods offered to idols, and other Jewish customs were readily challenged by early Gentile Christians in the church, but the weightier matter of weekly worship never was an issue. Why? For the simple reason that no change was made from the historic seventh day of Old Testament times, and from creation itself. Had there been a switch from the Sabbath to the first day of the week, you can be sure the controversy would have been more explosive than any other to those Jewish Christians.

MY RESPONSE: 

The Biblical evidence does not correspond with your claims regarding Sabbath observance.

During the lifetime of our Lord Jesus Christ upon earth, Jesus and His followers, all of whom were practicing Jews in good standing, obviously kept the Seventh Day Sabbath in accordance with the Mosaic Law.

For Jews, as I mentioned, the Sabbath is still observed in this manner and the Fourth Commandment has never changed. That is to say, the Sabbath has never been changed to a day that differs from the day found in the Law of Moses.

But if you carefully read and study the New Testament, you will never find a single mention of the Fourth Commandment regarding Sabbath observance mentioned as a command for Christians to observe. Not once. Be very careful to read my statement carefully.

Christians worship on the First Day of the week to commemorate the historical fact that our Lord Jesus Christ arose bodily from the grave on the First Day of the week, our Sunday.

There are no provable examples in the New Testament record of Christians meeting for Christian worship (involving the celebration of the Lord’s Supper) on the Jewish Sabbath.

Christians worship on the First Day of the week to commemorate the historical fact that our Lord Jesus Christ arose bodily from the grave on the First Day of the week, our Sunday.

Post Author Reply to Me: 

Then my question would be why did Jesus, as well as the disciples keep the Sabbath, which word itself denotes the 7th day?

Please read the link that was given you, because I fear you missed what Christ, as well as those who followed Him stood for. Christ is The Lord of the Sabbath, and as an expression describing Jesus which appears in all three Synoptic Gospels: Matthew 12:1–8, Mark 2:23–28 and Luke 6:1–5. As Lord of the Sabbath His custom was to worship on the 7th day, which He taught His disciples to follow. This Sabbath keeping is in keeping with the law of the 10 commandments, the 4th to be more specific.

The Disciples Kept the Sabbath 85 Times in the book of Acts, this was done after Christs death and resurrection. There is no mention in the NT of commemorating Sunday for Christs resurrection. One would think that Christ would have mentioned that prior to His ascension, and that the disciples would have mentioned the change as well. But there is not a single Bible verse to support Sunday as the day of worship.

If one follows Christ, they will remember that Sabbath was made for man, not the Jew. Biblically when given in Genesis there was no Jew nor was there Moses or Mosaic Law, there was the command that God gave to man to worship on this day, that God sanctified. This has not changed and the fact that Christ’s disciples never commemorated SUNday for the reason you and a major part of Christian’s say is the reason, doesn’t mean it is in accordance to God’s law.

My friend I have to humbly disagree with you and remind you that the Word is to be used as the authority for what we do as Christian’s. God’s word doesn’t support SUNDAY worship no matter the reason you and others give, the Bible is to have the final say!

My Reply:

I have read your link very carefully.

Unfortunately, the article is filled with inaccuracies which cannot be supported from the Bible itself.

I gave you two absolutes for you to attempt to refute.

If you can refute either or both of those absolutes by just one explicit New Testament example, you will have successfully refuted my claim.

My Claim 1: The New Testament NEVER states the Fourth Commandment regarding Sabbath observance as a command for Christians to follow.

My Claim 2: There is not so much as even ONE example of Christians meeting for specifically Christian worship (involving partaking of the Lord’s Supper) on the Jewish Sabbath.

Post Author Reply:

Number two is a claim with a condition of the Lord’s Supper attached to the Sabbath, the scriptures don’t even support that. The Lord’s supper has always been separate from the Sabbath. As well as a JEWISH sabbath which there is no such thing, supported by scripture. This was already mentioned and proved with the Genesis creation of the 7th day which is attached to the 4th commandment via creation.

So number two claim, based on how you have stated it, is an unfounded claim with no scripture to back it as you have stated it.

Now dealing with your first claim, let’s see if I’m following you:

1 are you saying that Christian’s not told to keep the 4th commandment?

Or

Are you saying the words 4th commandment are not used in commanding Christians to keep Sabbath?

2. Are you inferring the law of 10 commandments is no longer, meaning the 4th is no longer a command, therefor allowing for Sunday observance?

My Reply:

In my Claim 1 I am affirming that the Fourth Commandment regarding Sabbath observance is never once stated as a command in the imperative mood of command in the Greek text of the New Testament in a manner that applies to Christian believers.

In my Claim 2 I am affirming:

There is not so much as even ONE example of Christians meeting for specifically Christian worship (involving partaking of the Lord’s Supper) on the Jewish Sabbath recorded in the New Testament.

It is necessary to specify “involving partaking of the Lord’s Supper” in order to distinguish Christian worship of our Lord Jesus Christ from Jewish worship on the Sabbath. The first converts to Christ mentioned in the New Testament record were Jews along with a very small number of Gentiles, and Christian Jews at the first continued worship in the Jewish Temple and synagogue until Jews excluded them. This does not count as Christian worship. Christian Jews for a time continued Temple or synagogue attendance because this afforded them opportunities to witness to Jesus as the true Messiah in obedience to Acts 1:8.

With regard to your question 1,

“1 are you saying that Christian’s not told to keep the 4th commandment?”

Christians are never told, that is, specifically commanded in the imperative mood in the Greek New Testament, to keep the 4th commandment in the text of the New Testament.

With regard to your question 1,

“Are you saying the words 4th commandment are not used in commanding Christians to keep Sabbath?”

The 4th commandment regarding the Sabbath is never quoted in the New Testament in the form of a command directing Christians to keep the Sabbath.

With regard to your question 2:

“2. Are you inferring the law of 10 commandments is no longer, meaning the 4th is no longer a command, therefor allowing for Sunday observance?”

That is not my inference; nine of the ten commandments are re-stated in the New Testament in a manner that applies to Christian believers.

 

Posted in Apologetics--Christian, Doctrinal Discussions, False Religions, How to Interpret the Bible Correctly, Sabbath Issues | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Daily Bible Nugget #828, Matthew 24:35

Posted on February 27, 2024 by Jerry

The Nugget:

Mat 24:35  Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

My Comment:

Do you want to see things change for the better? You ought to!

I think our greatest problem is that most Christians and most churches are asleep and have little impact upon what is going on in the world around them.

It is time to wake up! How to do that? Simple.

Start studying your Bible in earnest. Pray specifically for individuals within your circle of influence. Live in obedience to God’s Word yourself (Hebrews 12:14). Share the Gospel with others who know you and who respect your life and testimony. Disciple others by teaching them all you know about God and His Word. If each genuine Christian would do this the impact would make a difference!

I am thankful for Ken Sagely’s significant gathering of related Scripture passages pertaining to “The Infallible Word of God” which I share immediately below.

Don’t miss my presentation of notes and cross references for Matthew 24:35 which conclude this post. There is a spiritual feast for those willing and able to take the time to dig deeply into God’s Word and learn something new for a change.

From Ken Sagely’s Facebook Post:

The Infallible Word of God

is Eternal !!

1 KINGS 8.56
Blessed be the Lord that hath
given rest unto his people
Israel, according unto all that he promised:
there hath not failed one word of all his
good promise, which he promised by the

hand of Moses his servant.

PSALM 89.34
My covenant will I not break,
nor alter the thing

that has gone out of my lips,

PSALM 119.89
For ever, O Lord,

Thy Word is settled in heaven.

PSALM 119.152
Concerning Thy testimonies,
I have known of old

that Thou hast founded them for ever.

PSALM 119.160
Thy word is true from the beginning :
and every one of Thy righteous judgements

endureth forever.

PSALM 40.8
The grass withereth, the flower fadeth :

but the word of our God shall stand forever

MATTHEW 24.35
Heaven and earth shall pass away,

but MY words shall not pass away.

HOW FIRM A FOUNDATION
ye saints of the Lord is laid for your faith
in His excellent Word! What more can He
say to you He hath said—To you, who for
refuge to Jesus have fled? When thru fiery
trials thy pathway shall lie My grace, all
sufficient, shall be thy supply, the flame
shall not hurt thee– I only design thy dross
to consume and gold to refine The soul
that on Jesus hath leaned for repose,
I will not. I will not, I will not desert to
his foes, that soul, tho all hell should
endeavor to shake, I’ll never–no, never–

no never forsake!

 

Cross Reference Bible Study for Matthew 24:35 from The Ultimate Cross Reference Treasury:

Matthew 24:35
Heaven. *Mat 5:18, Job 14:12, Psa 36:5; %+*Psa 89:2; %+*Psa 89:37; **Psa 102:26 note. **Psa 119:89, Isa 34:4; *>Isa 51:6; Isa 54:10, Jer 4:23; *Jer 31:35; *Jer 31:36; %+*Jer 33:25, Mar 13:31, Luk 16:17; Luk 21:33, Heb 1:11, 12; Heb 12:27, *2Pe 3:7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, Rev 6:14; Rev 20:11; Rev 21:1.

and earth. Job 18:4, +*Ecc 1:4, Isa 13:13, Mar 13:31, Luk 21:33.

shall pass away, but. FS111, Gen 18:27. This is most assuredly the Figure Meiosis, also known as Litotes (Luk 11:4 note), involving a Balanced Sentence where the first statement is contrary to fact or reality, and is used in a contrast to most strongly emphasize what is affirmed in the last statement.

In this form of statement the last statement is frequently introduced by the word but, which helps to mark this figure (see Isa 51:6; Isa 54:10, +Luk 11:4). Scholars can wrangle with my assertion all they please; their contrary opinion only demonstrates they have not studied the Scriptures carefully enough. I have. Jesus does not, and absolutely could not, affirm that heaven and earth will pass away.

The expressions used here are frequently reflected elsewhere in Scripture (see the preceding Parallel Passages). Surely our Lord Jesus Christ and His Jewish hearers, intimately acquainted with the Hebrew Scriptures (T1122, +**Joh 6:14), were aware of the context, for example, of **Psa 102:26  as seen in Psa 102:28, something apparently missed by some modern scholars.

God’s Covenant Promises are absolutely guaranteed as being more sure than the promise that the earth abides forever and shall never perish, so sure are the sure mercies of David, mercies above and greater than the heavens (Psa 108:4).

Note carefully in the context of Psa 102:26 the statement of Psa 102:28 that the generations of “thy servants shall continue” (+**Psa 72:5) and be “established before thee.”

Surely the Bible writers who cite or allude to one statement in their hymn book (Psalm 102:26) were most aware of its context and the assurance of Psalm 102:28! Psalm 102:28 comes immediately after and concludes the whole hymn.

So when Jesus states “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away,” His words are the guaranteed words of the Abrahamic and Davidic Covenants, which are more sure than the heavens and will certainly come to pass. God Himself appeals to the promised eternal constancy of the universe (Jer 31:35, 36, 37) to affirm the absolute certainty of the “Sure mercies of David” (+**Isa 55:3).

To suggest the heavens or the earth shall literally pass away would violate the provisions of the Abrahamic Covenant (+**Gen 12:2 note) and the Davidic Covenant (+**2Sa 7:10 note), which would contradict the very character of God Himself (+*Mal 3:6), which is utterly impossible (+**Gen 18:25 note. +*Tit 1:2).

If our Lord Jesus Christ is to rule eternally here upon this earth in Jerusalem on the Throne of David forever over the whole earth (+**Isa 24:23, Dan 7:13, 14, +*Zec 14:9, +*Mat 5:5, **Luk 1:32; **Luk 1:33, Rev 11:15), then the earth as we know it will stand forever (**1Ch 16:30, **Psa 148:5; **Psa 148:6). Psa 58:8; +**Psa 108:4, +**Luk 1:32; +**Luk 1:33.

my words. Plural of logos. Gen 21:1; Gen 28:15; Gen 32:12; *Gen 41:32, Num 11:23; +*Num 23:19, 1Sa 9:6, 2Sa 7:21, 1Ki 8:15; 1Ki 16:34; 1Ki 22:38, 2Ki 7:16; 2Ki 23:16, 2Ch 6:4, *Psa 19:7; Psa 56:10; **Psa 89:34; Psa 93:5; *Psa 119:58; ***Psa 119:89; *Psa 119:96; *Psa 119:152; **Psa 138:2, Pro 12:19; +*Pro 30:5, Isa 9:8; Isa 21:17; **Isa 31:2; **Isa 40:8; **Isa 55:11; Isa 58:14, Jer 32:24; Jer 32:42; **Jer 33:20; **Jer 33:21; **Jer 33:25; **Jer 33:26; Jer 36:28; Jer 36:32; Jer 39:16; Jer 44:28, Eze 5:17; *Eze 12:25; Eze 17:24; Eze 21:32; Eze 24:14; *Eze 26:14 note. Eze 36:36, Dan 2:45; Dan 4:28; Dan 6:8, **Amos 9:9; **Amos 9:11, Hab 3:6, Zep 2:2, Zec 1:6, **Joh 10:35, Rom 3:3; Rom 9:6, 1Co 1:9, 2Co 1:19, 1Th 5:24, 2Ti 2:13, **Tit 1:2, **Heb 6:18, *1Pe 1:23; *1Pe 1:25, Rev 3:7; Rev 3:14.

not. FS158, +Mat 5:18.

pass away. 2Co 5:17, Heb 8:13; Heb 12:27, 2Pe 3:10, 1Jn 2:17, Rev 21:4.

 

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Daily Bible Nugget #827, Lamentations 3:25

Posted on February 23, 2024 by Jerry

The Nugget:

Lamentations 3:25  The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.  (KJV)

Lam 3:25  The LORD is good to those who wait for him, to anyone who seeks help from him. (GW, God’s Word translation)

My Comment:

We can find comfort and grace to help (Hebrews 4:16) as we take the time to seek the Lord. In this day, I believe we can most profitably seek the Lord by studying His word in the Bible. As we seek Him, we will discover He cares for us.

From Ken Sagely’s Facebook Post:

HE CARETH FOR YOU

1 PETER 5.7

1Pe 5:7  Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

( Never let Satan cause you to

doubt this, dear believer)

1. PSALM 9.9-10
The Lord also will be a refuge for the
oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble
9.10 And they that know thy name will put
their trust in thee: for thou, Lord, hast not forsaken

them that seek thee.

2. LAMENTATIONS 3.25
The Lord is good unto them that wait for him,

to the soul that seeketh him.

3. PSALM 147.3, 5
3. He healeth the broken in heart, and
bindeth up their wounds
v5 Great is our Lord, and of Great power;

his understanding is infinite.

4. 2 TIMOTHY 2.19
Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth
sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them

that are his.

5. Psalm 43.2
When thou passest through the waters, I will be
with thee: and through the rivers, they shall not
overflow thee: when thou when thou walkest
thru the fire, thou shalt not be burned: neither

shall the flame kindle upon thee.

6.LAMENTATiONS 3.22-23
22 It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are
not consumed his compassions fail not.
23 They are new every morning:

great is thy faithfulness.

7. PSALM 103.14
For He knoweth our frame;

He remembereth that we are dust.

HOW FIRM A FOUNDATION
Ye saints of the Lord, is laid for your
faith in His excellent Word! What more
can He say than to you He hath said, To

You who for refuge to Jesus have fled?

To dig deeper on this important subject, read the cross references for Lamentations 3:25 as they are found in:

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge: 

Lamentations 3:25
good: Lam 3:26; Gen 49:18; Psa 25:8, Psa 27:14, Psa 37:7, Psa 37:34, Psa 39:7, Psa 40:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, Psa 61:1, Psa 61:5; Psa 130:5, 6; Isa 25:9, Isa 30:18, Isa 40:31, Isa 64:4; Mic 7:7, 8; Zep 3:8; 1Th 1:10; Jas 5:7

unto: 1Ch 28:9; 2Ch 15:2, 2Ch 19:3, 2Ch 30:19, 2Ch 31:21; Psa 22:26, Psa 27:8, Psa 69:32, Psa 105:3; Psa 119:2; Isa 26:9, Isa 55:6; Hos 10:12

The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge:

Lamentations 3:25

good. +*Exo 34:6; Psa 25:8, 9, 10; Psa 86:5; +*Jer 29:11; *Nah 1:7; +*Mat 5:45; +*Luk 6:35

that wait for. ver. *Lam 3:26; Gen 49:18 ≥℘. *Psa 25:8; *Psa 27:14; *Psa 37:7; Psa 37:34; Psa 39:7; *Psa 40:1, 2, 3, 4, 5; Psa 62:1; Psa 62:5; *Psa 130:5; Psa 130:6; Isa 25:9; *Isa 30:18; *Isa 40:31; Isa 49:23; *Isa 64:4; Mic 7:7; Mic 7:8; Zep 3:8; *1Th 1:10; *Jas 5:7

soul. Heb. nephesh, +Gen 12:5

that seeketh. +*1Ch 28:9; *2Ch 15:2; *2Ch 19:3; *2Ch 30:19; *2Ch 31:21; +*Psa 9:10; *Psa 22:26; Psa 27:8; *Psa 69:32; Psa 105:3; Psa 105:4; *Psa 119:2; ✓Isa 26:9; ✓Isa 55:6; *Hos 10:12; Luk 11:9; Luk 11:10; Heb 11:6

The Ultimate Cross Reference Treasury: 

Lamentations 3:25
The Lord is good. +*Exo 34:6, Deut 8:16, Psa 25:8, 9, 10; Psa 86:5; Psa 125:4, +*Jer 29:11, *Nah 1:7, +*Mat 5:45, +*Luk 6:35.

that wait for. *Lam 3:26, Gen 49:18 <rp. 1Sa 28:7, 2Ki 6:33, Ezr 8:22, Job 14:14; Job 17:13, +*Psa 25:3; *Psa 27:14; *Psa 37:7; *Psa 37:34; Psa 39:7; *Psa 40:1, 2, 3, 4, 5; Psa 52:9; Psa 62:1; Psa 62:5; Psa 123:2; *Psa 130:5; *Psa 130:6, +*Pro 20:22, +*Isa 8:17, 18, 19, 20; *Isa 25:9; *Isa 30:18; Isa 33:2; *Isa 40:31; Isa 49:23; Isa 50:10; *Isa 64:4, Jer 14:22, *Hos 12:6, Mic 7:7, 8, Hab 2:3, Zep 3:8, Zec 11:11, Luk 12:36, Rom 2:7; Rom 8:25, Gal 5:5, +*1Th 1:10, *Jas 5:7; *Jas 5:8.

soul. Heb. nephesh, +Gen 12:5.

that seeketh him. 1Ch 16:11 note. +*1Ch 28:9, *2Ch 15:2; *2Ch 19:3; *2Ch 30:19; *2Ch 31:21, +**Psa 9:10; *Psa 22:26; Psa 27:8; *Psa 69:32; Psa 70:4; Psa 73:28; Psa 105:3, 4; *Psa 119:2, Son 3:4, +*Isa 8:19; +*Isa 8:20; **Isa 26:9; **Isa 55:6, +Jer 29:13, *Hos 10:12, *Amos 5:4, +**Luk 11:9; +**Luk 11:10, **Heb 11:6.

1 Chronicles 16:11
Seek the Lord. Note that man is encouraged to seek after God. It is therefore possible for man to do so. See the Parallel Passages given at +**Psa 9:10, 1Ch 22:19, *2Ch 11:16, +**Psa 9:10; +*Psa 27:8 note. Psa 53:2; Psa 69:32; Psa 77:2; Psa 105:2; *Psa 105:3; Psa 105:4, Pro 8:17; +*Pro 28:5, +*Isa 8:19; +*Isa 8:20 note. +*Isa 26:9; **Isa 45:19; Isa 51:1, +*Jer 29:13, *Lam 3:25, Amos 5:4; Amos 5:6, *Zep 2:2; *Zep 2:3, Joh 7:17 note, *Act 17:27, %Rom 3:11, +*Heb 11:6.

and his strength. T1537, 2Ch 6:41, Psa 63:2; Psa 68:35; Psa 78:61; +Psa 86:16 (T1715). FS121M, +Exo 8:23, i.e. the Ark of the Covenant, which was the sign and symbol of His Presence and strength. So Psa 105:4, according to Psa 132:8.

seek his face. *Psa 4:6; *Psa 27:8; *Psa 27:9; Psa 67:1.

continually. T1153, Psa 72:15, Isa 62:6, Dan 6:20, Hos 12:6, Rev 4:8.

Posted in Bible Promises, Bible Study Tools, Christian Living, Daily Bible Nuggets, Ken Sagely contributions, Practical Application Bible Studies | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Adam failed the test but Jesus passed the test

Posted on February 15, 2024 by Jerry

 

The Text:

1 Corinthians 15:47  The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.

The Muslim Challenge:

If disciples knew Jesus is God or he wanted to die for their sin, why they all fled when Roman soldiers came to arrest (Matthew 26:56) Jesus? How someone 2000 years later know Jesus better than those who had years of eyewitness knowledge?

My Response:

Take time to read the account given in the New Testament carefully.

The disciples fled the scene because Jesus asked that they be allowed to do so:

John 18:8

8 Jesus answered, I have told you that I am he: if therefore ye seek me, let these go their way:
King James Version

 Post Author Replied:

Why they fled if they believe Jesus is God?

My Answer:

I hope you are able to read and carefully consider my answers to your questions and challenges. Thank you for reading my answers. Thank you for asking very good questions.

Satan challenged Jesus to jump off the top of the Temple in Jerusalem. Satan even quoted some verses from the Psalms which said angels would protect Jesus from injury.

Jesus answered Satan with Scripture which said we are not to tempt the Lord our God.

The Bible offers some good advice in Proverbs 22:3,

Pro 22:3 A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished. (KJV)

Pro 22:3 Sensible people will see trouble coming and avoid it, but an unthinking person will walk right into it and regret it later. (GNB, Good News Bible)

When Judas betrayed Jesus and brought a large group of Temple police to arrest Jesus, they did not come to arrest the whole group of disciples. Jesus, therefore, asked that his disciples be allowed to leave the scene for their safety, and the disciples were allowed to do so.

Notice that at all times Jesus was in control of the situation.

Joh 18:8 “I have already told you that I am he,” Jesus said. “If, then, you are looking for me, let these others go.” (GNB)

Jesus did what He did in order to do the will of God and fulfill Bible prophecy.

 

Post Author Asked:

If Jesus wants  to forgive you by killing himself, why Satan is needed?

My Answer:

Satan is a great deceiver and an absolute liar (John 8:44). Satan deceived Eve by getting her to eat the forbidden fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the garden of Eden when Adam was not immediately present.

Adam made the choice to also eat of the fruit of the forbidden tree when Eve brought the fruit to him. He did not want to be separated from Eve. Adam had been lonely until God created her.

Adam failed the test by failing to obey God’s one commandment no matter what. Jesus passed the test by keeping God’s commandments perfectly and by not giving in to any of Satan’s temptations.

When Adam made this choice, he lost the position of dominion over the earth and was excluded with his wife Eve from the garden. But before Adam and Eve were sent out from the garden, God clothed them with the skins of animals. God, in effect, made this animal sacrifice to clothe them as a picture of the fact that sin can only be forgiven on the basis of a blood sacrifice (Hebrews 9:22).

Adam also in effect gave up the privileged position he had (Genesis 1:26, dominion) and his privileged position was given to Satan (Luke 4:6).

Jesus is called the Second Man (1 Corinthians 15:47) in the New Testament. He successfully lived a perfect and sinless life (John 8:46. Hebrews 4:15). Unlike the first Adam, Jesus passed the tests when Jesus was tempted by Satan. Jesus now has all authority on earth and in heaven (Matthew 28:18).

It was necessary for Jesus to die as the atoning sacrifice for our sins. This He did by His death on the cross.

The sacrifices for the sins of the people in Old Testament times were offered annually on the Day of Atonement mentioned in detail in Leviticus chapter 16. On the Day of Atonement two goats were involved. One goat was killed and became a burnt offering for the sins of the people and its blood was sprinkled on the altar in the Holy of Holies.

Then the high priest placed his hands on the head of the other goat and the high priest confessed all the sins of the people. This live goat was then taken and released into the wilderness.

This annual ceremony of the Day of Atonement required two goats to depict what Jesus would do for us when He died as an atoning sacrifice for all of us. Jesus was both the priest and the offering (1 John 2:2) in His atonement sacrifice for us by which He took our sins (John 1:29). His death is the provision made for all people. The benefit of this provision is conditional–we must believe He is the Son of God who died for our sins and that He rose again from the dead. The proof that God accepted this atoning sacrifice is that Jesus was raised bodily from the dead on the third day as He Himself predicted (Matthew 17:23).

 

 

Another Participant:

Posted a link to an Instagram video titled “Christian Scholar, Bart Ehrman, exposes the Bible.”

I Replied:

I am quite familiar with the claims and writings of Bart Ehrman. Dr. Ehrman is a great Greek scholar. Unfortunately, if I understand his testimony correctly, he lost his faith when he learned there are many variations in the manuscript texts of the New Testament as they have been preserved for us.

It is very likely that I have been studying such issues for many more years than he has been studying them. I have not lost my faith at all as a result of learning about manuscript variations.

Dr. Ehrman sensationalizes some of these issues when he writes for public consumption. He is more reserved and careful when he writes for a more academic and scholarly audience.

I have exposed Dr. Ehrman on my website and I show that there are sometimes some very good reasons to disagree with what he claims about the Bible.

 

Posted in Apologetics Issues--Other Faiths, Doctrinal Discussions | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Another example of misreading Scripture

Posted on February 12, 2024 by Jerry


The Text:

Joh 8:46 Which one of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me?

My Comment:

Before you criticize the Bible it would help your case to be sure you have read it correctly first!

Muslims often post what they think are valid criticisms of Jesus and the Bible without understanding the Bible and its cultural background.

I taught the students in my English classes at Cass Technical High School that when you criticize, dislike, or disdain a great work of literature, your opinion of the work of literature says more about you than what you imagine your view reflects about any shortcomings you suppose you found in the work of literature.

The Muslim Challenge: Did Jesus Command or Permit His Disciples to Steal from Others?

Jesus was a big sinner according to the Bible !!
Was Jesus was without sin ?
According to the Christian bible he is replete with examples of sinning!
“from lying, to breaking various laws, to dishonoring his parents, to stealing.”
“. . . Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, tell him that the Jesus needs them, and he will send them right away. . .7 They brought the donkey and the colt, placed their cloaks on them, and Jesus sat on them.” Matthew 21:1-7.
Jesus and his disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath.
plucking grain violates the Sabbath and the apostles were guilty of theft for eating from a field not theirs.
” (Matthew 12:1-2)”
D’varim / Deuteronomy 5:19
“You shall not steal”
Sh’mot / Exodus 20:15
“You shall not steal.”
May be an illustration of text

My Response:

You might consider the possibility that you are misreading the Bible.

Certainly our Lord Jesus Christ fully kept the Law of God. He never commanded anyone to steal anything. The better view would be to understand that Jesus had pre-arranged with the owners the disposition of the donkey and its colt. They were aware Jesus had need of them on this momentous occasion and were most willing to have Jesus use them for His purpose. Jesus stated that if anyone questioned their actions, let them know Jesus needs them, and the person will send them right away.

As for plucking grain on the Sabbath, Jesus and His disciples apparently knew the Law better than the Pharisees did or the writer of this Muslim post. The Law permitted this activity. Furthermore, Jesus proclaimed He was the Lord of the Sabbath. Let that sink in and discern Who Jesus must be when he boldly made this claim (Mark 2:27, 28).

Jesus challenged His critics:

John 8:46 Which one of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me?

His enemies and critics could not convict Jesus of any sin. If they could not convict Jesus of any sin then when Jesus challenged them to their face, no critic today has any legitimate grounds for thinking they can do so now.

Posted in Apologetics Issues--Other Faiths, False Religions, How to Interpret the Bible Correctly | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment