The Hartford–Warning, Jesus said “Defraud Not”

Posted on January 25, 2013 by Jerry

I was informed by letter from The Hartford (Lexington, KY) in October 2012 that they sought the executor of my deceased (2007) father’s estate.

That they reached me shows they have a data base that must be correct.

Correct, because (1) I am the oldest son of my father; (2) I am the designated Trustee of my parents’ family Trust; (3) I was able to promptly furnish by their request the data they requested regarding date of birth and death; (4) I was able to furnish the requested original Death Certificate; (5) I furnished the Trust documents demonstrating I am the Trustee of my parents’ Trust.

But upon further dealing with them, I find they violate good sense and the requirements of justice egregiously.

They required I furnish “letters testamentary” to prove I was the executor of my deceased father’s estate. Far as I am able to determine, this requirement is impossible to meet. Since my parents’ assets were all included in the Family Trust, and I am the designated Trustee, I was never appointed by a probate court to be the executor of my parents’ estate.

But THE HARTFORD told me that a Trustee of a Family Trust could not be the beneficiary of an annuity. I told them nonsense. Other insurance firms I have been privileged to have contact with in conjunction with my parents’ trust do not have that requirement, so their requirement is arbitrary and unjust.

Therefore, I firmly suggest that no Christian who becomes aware of the facts should ever have dealings with this company. And Christian or not, I suggest whenever possible this company should be avoided.

My Dad was very astute financially. When I began my teaching career with a salary of less than $6000 a year, my salary was larger than his. Yet he amassed a small fortune, in size just short of one million dollars, I believe. My brother and I elected to have his money spent for the care of our mother and father until their natural death.

My father purchased an Annuity Contract from The Hartford in 2002. It paid him interest earnings annually at a good rate of return for the time.

But through its requirements The Hartford has made it impossible for the designated and lawful beneficiary or beneficiaries to redeem their proper and lawful claim.

This is unjust. In terms of what Jesus taught in Mark 10:19, this violates His command to “Defraud Not.”

Mar 10:19 Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother.

The Hartford, through its representatives or employees, have rejected my repeatedly submitted claim for a different reason each time. It is as though they keep changing the requirements. They would surely argue otherwise.

After submitting the requested documents (an original death certificate among them), I spoke to them on the telephone. Most of their telephone people are very gracious and informed and helpful, but not all. First, it was suggested (incorrectly, it turned out), that a copy of the death certificate would be sufficient. Then it was made known to me that an original was required. I spent the money and obtained one. The Hartford representatives informed me that at my request they would return the original death certificate to me. I notified them on December 27, 2012 and other times previously that I wished to have the original death certificate returned to me.

I also included a letter clipped to the death certificate requesting that it be returned to me.

Either very late last week or very early this week I received a message on our answering machine from The Hartford informing me that they had just shredded the original death certificate. I think the message said that was done in accordance with their 45 day policy.

On Tuesday of this week I called them, very upset. I requested to be connected with someone who had authority to do something. For the first time ever in my several telephone contacts with this firm, the lady who took my call was very kind, stayed on the line, and connected me to the right department (Annuity Claims, I think it might have been), and the lady there cooperated and connected me with her supervisor almost immediately.

The Supervisor was most gracious, heard me out, obtained the requisite file which indeed proved what I said had transpired indeed took place, noting he had my letter right there.

I requested that they obtain for me at their expense a replacement of the original death certificate. He said he would arrange for that to be done. Time will tell if he keeps his word.

In previous calls to The Hartford, Hartford personnel would never release any information regarding the size of the annuity my father had purchased. First, I was told they would not release that information until they had the original death certificate.

I sent them the certificate by certified mail, paying for an electronic receipt to prove it was delivered and received. When I knew for sure they had it, I called again asking about the annuity account. I was flatly told by the agent I then spoke with that it was company policy that this could not be revealed. I asked to speak to his supervisor. He said that he was as high as I could go.

On Tuesday, I asked the supervisor I had reached about the amount of the annuity. He told me. It is a very modest, even small sum. I told him it ought to be obvious on the face that to require me as the beneficiary to go through all the hoops they were requesting was absurd. By right, they clearly should have simply sent the check, as other companies more reasonably did when I, as Trustee of my parents’ Family Trust, had to deal with them. The amount is so small that with care my wife and I can save that much in a month when our expenses are lighter even on my very meager income.

The Supervisor was very kind and candid. He said he was well aware, from the reports of others like me who had contacted him, that The Hartford in this regard is much harder to deal with than similar companies. He attributed that to the requirements established by their legal department, requirements he was in no position to modify.

I told him I’ve been in debates with very successful attorneys before, and won. I said, “The stipulations of your legal department are ludicrous, and impossible to meet. I will take steps almost immediately to provide your firm with adverse publicity because of the injustice of its internal regulations and procedures.”

The Supervisor said that it was certainly well within my rights to do just that. He said he would inform the proper department of my request for a replacement original death certificate. I think I recall correctly that he said he would inform the legal department of my complaint and constructive suggestion that they modify their requirements for redemption of an annuity claim of such small size as that due me. But he said it would be unlikely I would benefit from any results from that.

I told him that I have done absolutely all I can do from my end about this claim. There is nothing more I can do. He had suggested I go to the town hall and obtain a statement or document which indicated the termination of the original estate, something he called a “small estate affidavit.” I explained that since I live more than half way across the country from the requisite “town hall,” and I don’t think that city has a “town hall,” that this again was an insurmountable hurdle I cannot meet. I explained that the “estate” had been placed by the court in the hands of Miss Jan Miner, the official court-approved guardian for my parents until their death. At the time of their death, the court provided that all reverted to me as the Trustee of their family Trust. Therefore, as the Trustee of that trust, I was clearly the proper person to receive the claim.

Miss Miner has retired. Even the last attorney associated with my parents’ care let me know at the start of this year that she was now retired. I have no available contacts now to pursue the matter.

But folks caught in a bureaucracy often are not empowered to correct the wrongs and injustices they see.

I thanked the Supervisor for his time and patience. I said I trusted he realized that my anger is in no sense directed at him, but at his company. I concluded by saying there is a very famous sermon by Robert G. Lee, a famous evangelist from the South, titled “Pay Day Someday.” I said that his company and those within it responsible for injustice will definitely face that final “Pay Day.” I said those who have received the gracious benefits God offers by faith need not fear that day, but those who have not have everything to fear for all eternity.

For all who managed to read this far, I have two further points to make:

(1) Should it happen that you ever purchase life insurance or an annuity that may be intended for your heirs, BE SURE the company has a fair policy such that the designated beneficiaries of the policy will be able to meet the requirements to receive the benefit. Clearly, THE HARTFORD does NOT have such a fair policy. Knowing what I now know of them by direct experience, I advise everyone to avoid doing any business of any kind with THE HARTFORD, until they learn to establish fair and just policy.

(2) And what does all this have to do with Real Bible Study? I believe the inhabitants of pulpit and pew alike need to be better informed of what the Bible teaches regarding the matter of justice in all its varied forms and applications.

Here is a very relevant, plain text of Scripture which addresses the issue of my complaint against THE HARTFORD:

Lev 19:13 Thou shalt not defraud thy neighbour, neither rob him: the wages of him that is hired shall not abide with thee all night until the morning.

A careful study of the cross references for Leviticus 19:13, accessed in the manner I lately described here to all three levels in either The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge or Nelson’s Cross Reference Guide to the Bible, will illuminate the depth to which the Bible treats this subject, and the severe penalty God promises to levy against all who violate His commands regarding this issue.

Leviticus 19:13 clearly tells us we are not to (1) defraud thy neighbor, very likely the text pointed to by Jesus when he said “Defraud not,” as recorded in Mark 10:19; (2)we are not to retain money, whether wages or other financial benefits, rightly due others; in some settings, it means wages must be paid in full and on time. In other settings it means if a beneficiary has a valid claim, that claim must be honored promptly and in full without imposing restrictions that would prevent the benefit being received.

By failing to honor the claim, THE HARTFORD has violated God’s Law, for in effect the proper recipient has been denied, and so has been robbed of the benefit promised the original purchaser.

By failing to honor the claim, THE HARTFORD has further violated God’s Law, for though they have the money in hand, they refuse to pay it out promptly, violating the Biblical Law which requires funds “not abide all night with thee until the morning.”

And just what is the penalty God through our Lord Jesus Christ warns will be exacted of those who as a matter of course violate these principles?

Mat 25:40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
Mat 25:41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

Jesus further said,

Luk 16:10 He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.

Using the principles Jesus enunciated in Luke 16:10, I find in my own experience that THE HARTFORD is unworthy of anyone’s trust.

Posted in Justice and the Bible | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Defending Due Process Rights

Posted on January 25, 2013 by Jerry

Abraham Lincoln once said, “Stand with a man while he is right, and part with him when he goes wrong.” Abraham Lincoln

I believe Lincoln’s statement is in full accord with Bible truth.

This morning I found an opportunity to post the following comment on an AFL-CIO Blog comment area:

All serious union members and supporters need to focus on educating friends and acquaintances with the purpose of unions and collective bargaining in the first place–to secure the rights of workers. What rights? DUE PROCESS rights and the inviolability of contracts. As a Union Representative over many years I experienced first hand the failure on the part of “management” and “administration” to fulfill or observe the due process requirements of the Collective Bargaining Contract. Inform friends, neighbors, acquaintances, and your political representatives of the necessity to preserve the hard-won due process rights of every worker in every field. This is what justice is all about.

Certain very popular talk-show hosts constantly misrepresent unions. They frequently repeat the all-out lie that union dues support the political agenda of the union. They seem not to understand that political support for candidates does not come from union dues, but separate voluntary contributions of union members who want to support candidates favorable to their cause.

It is time to stand against these lies, and declare the truth.

I commented elsewhere this morning that there are two Bible passages that pertain to these issues directly:

Luke 10:7

Luke 10:7 And in the same house remain, eating and drinking such things as they give: for the labourer is worthy of his hire. Go not from house to house.

Compare 1 Timothy 5:18,

1Ti 5:18 For the scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. And, The labourer is worthy of his reward.

Psalm 15:4

Psa 15:4 In whose eyes a vile person is contemned; but he honoureth them that fear the LORD. He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not.

The pertinent clause is rather obscure in the King James Version. In the CEV version it reads:

And they keep their promises, no matter what the cost.

God is very strict in His requirements that legal agreements be kept to the letter. Failure to observe an agreement with a heathen or pagan king was the direct and immediate cause for the destruction of Solomon’s Temple and the removal of the nation of Israel from its land resulting in the Babylonian Captivity for 70 years. There are other examples in the Bible, starting as early as Joshua, who kept an agreement even when he learned that he had been deceived by those who sought and obtained the agreement.

I believe Psalm 15:1 makes it quite clear that the consequences of not obeying God’s standard of adhering to contracts as written are most serious for the individuals involved in violating or reneging on an established contract or agreement. This includes all States, politicians, political parties, and voters who support the arbitrary termination of duly agreed upon Collective Bargaining Contracts.

Psa 15:1 A Psalm of David. LORD, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill?

The rest of this short psalm provides the answer to the question raised in the first verse.

Collective Bargaining agreements are written for a specific length of time, often one year, two years, or three years. The proper stance of elective officials, management, and administration would be to live up to the contracts agreed to. When the Contract period is up, and the Contract is up for re-negotiation, THEN is the time to secure any fair and needful adjustments to the provisions of the Collective Bargaining agreement. Unions also must learn to live with reality in difficult times and not make demands which cannot be justified morally or by economic good sense.

Posted in Justice and the Bible | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

How to Dig Deeper using Cross Reference Bible Study

Posted on January 15, 2013 by Jerry

Many times at this site, Real Bible Study.com, some of the best information about Bible study and how to do it is hidden in the comments section as I post comments in response to those who post their questions or comments on an article.

On September 5, 2012, I posted a comment to a blind or nearly blind visitor to this site who asked specifically how to study a particular verse, 2 Corinthians 5:17.

2Co 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

Ironically, another poster to an article in the Atheist and Agnostic category here objected to the contradiction I committed: he read that I affirm that one should study the Bible alone and independently in its plain text, and thought it very odd that I proceeded to detail step by step how to study 2 Corinthians 5:17. I explained that unknown to him, the poster whose question I was answering was unable to read printed text on paper, so was virtually blind, limited to studying the Bible by computer only. The poster had informed me that he has the New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge on his computer as part of his Logos 4 software, and asked for help on how to use it most effectively in his studies.

Here is the answer, just as I wrote it, to Brad, the vision impaired poster:

[9-5-12 To Brad on How to dig deeper with the NTSK for 2C5v17]

Dear Brad,

You are utterly correct when you remind us that “Knowing God is only accomplished through the mind of Christ, your renewed mind and your new heart. Anything outside of your new creation is dead.”

The subject of discipleship is a most important one. I have placed notes at a number of places in The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge about this subject. It was a matter of great concern to me when I was teaching my original high school Sunday school class. You can access all of the New Treasury notes on this theme if you start from Jonah 4:11 for the key words that great city. At the end of that note, notice the passages given under “See related notes (1 Th 3:5n. He 3:13n. 6:9n),” and be sure to study those too.

At 2 Corinthians 5:17, I believe the best way to study this verse and its relationship to the rest of the truths in Scripture that connect to it is to (1) look up all the cross references in turn just as they are given.

17. if. FS184A, +1 Cor 15:2. in Christ. ver. 1 Cor 5:19, 21. 2 Cor 12:2. *Is 45:17, 24, 25. Jn +14:20 (+Jn 14:20). *Jn 15:2, 5. 17:23. +*Ro 8:1n, Ro 8:9. 16:7, 11. 1 Cor *1:30 (*1 Cor 1:30). Ga 1:22. 3:28. *Ga 5:6. *Ep 1:3, 4. Phil 4:21. Col 1:19, 20. *1 J 4:13. he is. or, let him be. or, he is created. FS63E2, +1 S 13:8. a new. Gr. kainos, new in quality, not time, +*Mk 2:22n. Ps 51:10. Ezk 11:19. 18:31. 36:26. Mt 12:33. +*Jn 3:3, 5. *Ga 6:15. **Ep 2:10. +*Re 2:17. creature. FS121I1, +Ge 3:7. T#591. Dt 30:6. +Jb 2:3 (T#645). Ps 102:18. *Ezk 36:26. Jn 1:13. +*Jn 3:3, 5. Ro 2:28, 29. +Ro 6:4. Ga 5:24. 6:15. Ep 2:15. Titus 3:5. Re 21:5. old. ver. 16 (1 Cor 5:16). Is 43:18, 19. 65:17, 18. Mt 9:16, 17. 24:35. Ro *6:4-6 (*Ro 6:4-6).  Ro 7:6. 8:9, 10. 1 Cor 13:11. Ep 2:15. *Ep 4:22-24. *Phil 3:7-9. *Col 3:1-10. He 8:9-13. 2 P 3:10-13. Re 21:1-5. become new. Is 66:17, 18.

Then go back and (2) look up the cross references given at each verse marked with a “+” sign. For example, for 2 Corinthians 5:17, a reference so marked with the “+” sign for the key words in Christ is Jn +14:20 (+Jn 14:20). This indicates that for further and deeper study, go to Jn 14:20 and consult the cross references given there.

Joh 14:20 At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.

Then, when you have completed checking out the cross references at Jn 14:20, come back to 2 Corinthians 5:17 and go to the next passage that has the “+” symbol, which is Romans +8:1n (+Ro 8:1n). Notice carefully (3) that for Romans 8:1 I have placed an explanatory note in addition to cross references for study.

Rom 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

Follow this procedure for the remainder of the cross references given at 2 Corinthians 5:17.

You may wish to dig deeper by following this process I just described at either some or all of the passages at 2 Corinthians 5:17 which have the “+” symbol.

I have done this frequently in my own study. I have found, and set up the cross references so that they in particular are designed to be followed “three layers deep.” By this I mean, starting at 2 Corinthians 5:17, you could dig deeper going to Jn +14:20 (+Jn 14:20). That is the “second layer.”

The “third layer” would involve working from John +14:20 (+Jn 14:20), and reading the verses marked with a “+” symbol, turning to those passages and looking up their cross references. At John 14:20, for example, the first passage marked with a “+” follows the key words I am in, and is the reference to Jn 5:17. The next passage with a “+” at 2 Corinthians 5:17 is the reference to Ro +8:1n (+Ro 8:1n). That passage makes for a very full study of the subject indeed. To explore the “third level” from Ro 8:1, follow up on references there for the key words in Christ which have the “+” symbol, which are in turn Ro +16:7 (+Ro 16:7) and Ga +1:22 (+Ga 1:22). These passages will deepen your understanding of what is meant by the expression “in Christ.”

About the “*” symbol: It indicates a clear verse. A new user, not practiced or inclined to look up a lot of references, will benefit first from reading those. But for a full study, all references should be read.

Also, when teaching a group where time constraints won’t permit looking up all the references, the references marked with the “*” sign are the clearest passages, so consider those. Don’t under any circumstances neglect the passages marked with the ** symbol, which in the electronic edition and printed edition have been translated as a check mark.  Verses marked with a double asterisk indicate critically important passages that should not be overlooked.

It actually works to look up additional cross references at any verse, even those not marked with a +, and it will provide yet more insight on a theme being studied. Usually the passages marked with the “+” sign will have more references given than those unmarked with this sign. For those who have access only to the original Treasury of Scripture Knowledge this is an important point to note, since the original edition does not have any emphasis markings for the cross references given. I have added those to my two books, The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and Nelson’s Cross Reference Guide to the Bible. I have also placed even more of these emphasis symbols in my new project to provide far more cross references for serious Bible study, a work which may be published later this year (2016) in digital format.

I hope these pointers on how to “dig deeper” into 2 Corinthians 5:17 or any other verse of interest to you prove helpful.

[Newly edited to make the cross-references work with the reference tagger software so that hovering a mouse pointer over the reference will display the text of the Bible cross reference, January 11, 2016]

Posted in How to Study the Bible | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

DO SOMETHING!

Posted on January 14, 2013 by Jerry

A tragedy has occurred. Twenty children and six teachers were killed outright by a gunman at an elementary school in Connecticut.

Now the media and the powers that be in our government cry “We must do something!”

What is being incessantly proposed with the loudest voices is to further restrict guns and gun ownership.

The President did not pass his civics class in high school, apparently. Maybe that is why he has kept all his school records “closed.” The President talks transparency, and does the opposite. The Vice-President is no wiser.

They both chose to ignore (I’m sure they really did not forget) that the Constitution contains a Bill of Rights. The SECOND AMENDMENT states that the right of individuals to bear arms “SHALL NOT BE INFRINGED.”

Just what is it that our utterly irresponsible media, the President, and others clamoring loudly against gun ownership, don’t understand about those simple words, “SHALL NOT BE INFRINGED”?

It appears to me that all those individuals joining in the clamor must have failed their reading class too.

Notice that the President and his supporters never direct their attention to the root of the problem. That would not forward their agenda.

Which means, as I see it, they have no interest in solving the problem.

I just now completed my work of expanding the cross references for 1 Corinthians. I came upon a most interesting cross reference to 2 Chronicles 12:14 today,

2Ch 12:14 And he did evil, because he prepared not his heart to seek the LORD.

THAT IS THE PROBLEM.

Thoroughly unpacking 2 Chronicles 12:14 may assist everyone to begin to see how to solve the problems that need to be addressed.

This verse is a Divinely Inspired assessment of the fatal flaw behind the failures of King Rehoboam.

The failures of King Rehoboam are paralleled by the failures of our current President and Vice President.

What first drew my attention to this verse today is that I noticed it is a cause/effect relationship verse. I had not noticed it before, so I added this verse to my now quite extensive list of such verses given in my note at Psalm 9:10 in The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and also in Nelson’s Cross Reference Guide to the Bible.

In 2 Chronicles 12:14, the stated CAUSE is “he prepared not his heart to seek the Lord.”

The stated EFFECT of that is “he did evil.”

Our nation has departed from the high moral and spiritual ground possessed and sanctioned by the Founding Fathers, the writers and signers of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights.

When we are on the wrong road, insisting on going further on the wrong road won’t get us to where we ought to be.

The best way to more fully “unpack” 2 Chronicles 12:14 is to consult the cross references that pertain to this verse.

The verse reads:

2Ch 12:14 And he did evil, because he prepared not his heart to seek the LORD.

The cross references read, as I now expanded them today,

14. he did evil. 2 Ch %19:3. 1 K +*12:8. 14:22-24. Pr 11:10, 11. 12:5, 26. 17:4. 24:20, 24. 25:5. 28:4, 12, 28. **29:2, **12, 16. because. Ps +**9:10n. he prepared. Heb. he fixed. ver. 1. 2 Ch 11:16. *19:3. *20:33. 27:6. 30:19. 1 S 7:3. 1 K 15:14. 1 Ch 29:18. Ezr *7:10. Jb 11:13. Ps 57:7mg. 78:8, 37. 112:7. 1 C **15:58. 16:13. his heart. Ps +*119:80. Pr +*4:23. to seek. Dt 5:29. **17:18-20. Ps *105:3, 4. Is +*45:19. **55:6, 7. Ezk 33:31. Mt *7:7. Lk *11:9.

he did evil.

2Ch 19:3 Nevertheless there are good things found in thee, in that thou hast taken away the groves out of the land, and hast prepared thine heart to seek God.

This verse contrasts with the verse we are studying, as indicated by the “%” symbol. But it shows that King Jehoshaphat, though he had significant flaws mentioned in 2 Chronicles 19:2, nevertheless was partly on the right track.

2Ch 19:2 And Jehu the son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him, and said to king Jehoshaphat, Shouldest thou help the ungodly, and love them that hate the LORD? therefore is wrath upon thee from before the LORD.

The Bible specifies the evil that Rehoboam did. One would have to study the full context as well as associated verses identified by cross references, but a very significant reference is 1 Kings 12:8,

1Ki 12:8 But he forsook the counsel of the old men, which they had given him, and consulted with the young men that were grown up with him, and which stood before him:

Rehoboam’s problem was that he could not withstand the influence of those of his own generation, those he grew up with. The younger men whose advice he followed were not blessed with the wisdom of the older men whose advice he ignored. The result is that the nation of Israel was divided into two kingdoms.

In our own day our nation seems “split down the middle,” and I often wonder how so many voters could possibly choose an inferior candidate for the office of President. But people are blinded by prejudice, ignorance, and lack of discernment, and are swayed by the mainstream media, not reality.

Like Rehoboam, our own President has chosen very poor advisors. He is headed the wrong direction, and there seems no one in sight that has the wisdom to provide the President the proper guidance and advice, someone the President would respect and listen to.

Our President has stated that he reads the Bible every night. I trust this is still so. If he could read the Bible with insight, that would be a significant source of valuable guidance and advice.

1Ki 14:22 And Judah did evil in the sight of the LORD, and they provoked him to jealousy with their sins which they had committed, above all that their fathers had done.
1Ki 14:23 For they also built them high places, and images, and groves, on every high hill, and under every green tree.
1Ki 14:24 And there were also sodomites in the land: and they did according to all the abominations of the nations which the LORD cast out before the children of Israel.
1Ki 14:25 And it came to pass in the fifth year of king Rehoboam, that Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem:
1Ki 14:26 And he took away the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king’s house; he even took away all: and he took away all the shields of gold which Solomon had made.
1Ki 14:27 And king Rehoboam made in their stead brasen shields, and committed them unto the hands of the chief of the guard, which kept the door of the king’s house.
1Ki 14:28 And it was so, when the king went into the house of the LORD, that the guard bare them, and brought them back into the guard chamber.
1Ki 14:29 Now the rest of the acts of Rehoboam, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?
1Ki 14:30 And there was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all their days.

Notice in this account, among other things, that the wealth of the nation was stolen, and brass was substituted for gold. In our nation our money is constantly being devalued by the actions of the Federal Reserve and the Treasury, and the failure of Congress to even address the problem of the burgeoning national debt at all. The Senate has not done its main Constitutional duty for three years or so for it has not passed a budget.

Notice the rise and toleration of the Sodomites in Israel. That is going on in our country too, and marks another aspect of the evil that has been wrongly tolerated.

Notice too the mention of continuing war “all their days.” That is an evil afflicting our nation today as well.

Pro 29:2 When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn.

Pro 29:12 If a ruler hearken to lies, all his servants are wicked.

Pro 29:16 When the wicked are multiplied, transgression increaseth: but the righteous shall see their fall.

he prepared.

2Ch 20:33 Howbeit the high places were not taken away: for as yet the people had not prepared their hearts unto the God of their fathers.

1Co 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

his heart.

Pro 4:20 My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings.
Pro 4:21 Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart.
Pro 4:22 For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.
Pro 4:23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.

to seek.

Deu 17:18 And it shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book out of that which is before the priests the Levites:
Deu 17:19 And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life: that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them:
Deu 17:20 That his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and that he turn not aside from the commandment, to the right hand, or to the left: to the end that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he, and his children, in the midst of Israel.

Isa 55:6 Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:
Isa 55:7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

Luk 11:9 And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.

That is a sampling from the cross references which serve to shed light upon, amplify, and explain 2 Chronicles 12:14.

How does this relate to and impact answering the question, “WHAT IS TO BE DONE?”

First of all, all of us, from the President himself to the humblest individual in the nation, need to seek guidance from the proper sources. We all need to divorce ourselves from our private agendas, and get back to truth and reality. You cannot solve a problem by repeating past mistakes.

Second, all must honor and follow the provisions written in the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. We ought also to follow the moral laws of the Bible, the only source of the Higher Law our founding documents were based upon.

Third, we must address the problems we face now. Stop manufacturing crises to advance our own political agendas. Currently, efforts to restrict guns and ammunition do not address the problem: guns don’t kill people; people do. Passing laws in violation of the Second Amendment serve to disarm law abiding people and make it harder for law-abiding individuals to defend themselves and families. More laws won’t solve the problem because criminals by definition don’t obey the laws!

Somewhere I have record of a Supreme Court decision that flatly stated that if a law is invalid on its face because it contradicts the Bill of Rights or the Constitution, we ought not to obey that law.

What kind of individuals are committing the mass killings in schools and other venues? In almost every case, these individuals are on medications that have warning labels indicating the terrible side effects the medications have on some individuals. Young people below the age of 25 are especially vulnerable to these side effects. Therefore, get off the subject of gun control which has nothing to do with the problem, and solve the problem of giving medications which produce these side-effects in individuals.

Let us also get rid of the absurd notion that there ought to be “gun free” zones anywhere in this country. Gun-free zones are an open invitation for cowards to commit mass murder as we have seen repeatedly.

Fourth, Paul wrote of the power of the Gospel of Christ, “for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” In Paul’s day, that included everyone. In Paul’s day, he spread the Gospel of Christ in a very hostile environment, and according to his enemies, “turned the world upside down.” Paul did that without the benefit of the printing press, mainstream media, or the Bill of Rights! He did it by the power of God, by the power of the Holy Spirit, and in response to the direct call of our Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 9:15).

Government, and especially more government, is NOT the answer. The answer is to get the Good News of the Gospel out to every individual so that they can be saved. When Christ enters the life of an individual, that life is dramatically changed. Paul wrote at 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 a list of terrible sins that will keep any and all who practice them out of heaven. Some of those sins are very popular today, and even “protected” by the Government. But Paul wrote of those who practiced those sins in their lives, “but such were some of you.” Once they became saved they no longer practiced those sins. The power of the Gospel delivered individuals in Paul’s day from the terrible sins he listed. That deliverance is still available today to any one who will repent and believe the Gospel.

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Nonsense in the News

Posted on December 21, 2012 by Jerry

The mainstream media does not practice journalism, but yellow journalism. The news is agenda driven by vested corporate and political interests at war against the truth.

I see this on every hand.

Take the issue of “gun control.” The so-called “left” is energized almost beyond belief anytime a great tragedy takes place to sound alarm bells against the Second Amendment. Of course, they will never hear to reason.

Don’t give out the facts: our minds are made up already.

It is easy to forget that our Bill of Rights, our Declaration of Independence, and our Constitution is based upon the principle of Higher Law. The Founding Fathers said so.

But for some years now, in some places, including all education levels, history before 1877 in the United States is de-emphasized, in a sense left untaught.

Our leaders, from President Obama down to our local officials, are largely ignorant of history. And many, if not most of them, are utterly ignorant of the Bible.

The Bill of Rights lists some of the unalienable rights granted to every person by God. These rights were not granted by the government. And how do we know that any rights have been granted by God? God told us so, in the One Book He inspired to be written, the Bible.

At the following link in the news today, an article posted on the Drudge Report reports the NRA (National Rifle Association) President as saying:

 

At one point, LaPierre said “the media demonize lawful gun owners, amplify their cries for more laws and fill the national debate with misinformation and dishonest thinking.”

Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2012/12/21/journalists-slam-nra-throughout-press-conference/

There are continuing cries for more laws just now. Laws passed in a hurry are almost always very unwise. At the heat of the moment after “911” the Orwellian-named so-called “Patriot Act” was passed. A mammoth bill, it was passed even before hardly anyone had a chance to read it. What it did was take away our liberties, but has actually done little to improve our safety.

If the powers that be were really interested in our security (which they are not), they would immediately close the southern border and any other border through which or across which come illegal immigrants. But doing what is clearly right is not in line with their agenda.

If the powers that be were really interested in our safety they would advocate for more gun ownership and complete freedom to own guns by those who wish to. Passing laws against any form of gun ownership does nothing to improve our safety. The people who would obey such laws are not the source of the problem the laws allegedly address. Like the old saying goes, “When guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns.” Criminals do not, by definition, obey the laws. So what makes you or the government think that more laws would solve the problem? They won’t.

We need to address the problem of lawlessness, and how to solve it. The Bible addresses this issue head-on. Paul spoke of the only viable solution when he wrote, after naming a horrendous list of sins, “but such were some of you” (1 Corinthians 6:11).

The solution to our moral and fiscal problems is clearly outlined in the Bible. But America and its leaders have left the secure moorings of the Founding Fathers who believed the Bible.

I’ve read in the news that even Evangelical Christians are weakening in their number and influence.

And just this week I read of a supposed Bible scholar, an “expert” in New Testament history, who formerly was an Evangelical Christian, but now boasts of his agnosticism, an author who has written a piece in a once popular and widely read news magazine, debunking the historicity of the New Testament account of the birth of Christ and surrounding events. As one Christian commentator wrote, the newsmagazine is going out of print at the end of this year, but the New Testament is still in print.

I learned of this nonsense in the news from an email I received from Kirk Cameron, who reported:

Timed for this Christmas, Newsweek just released a cover essay by Bart D. Ehrman, who is well-known for his belief that the New Testament is largely historical fiction. “Who is Jesus?” is the question on the cover. “The Myths of Jesus” is the headline on the essay itself.

Read more: Newsweek Vs the New Testament

I personally think Professor Bart D. Ehrman needs to have his head examined. Anyone who suggests the New Testament is “largely historical fiction” knows nothing about the subject of historicity in the manner I have discussed the subject here on Real Bible Study. He certainly has made no use of The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge in connection with the evidences that demonstrate the historicity of the New Testament (see the note at 2 Peter 1:16). To find the appropriate notes in The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, consult the Subject Index for the alphabetical entry, “Apologetics.” I suggest that Professor Ehrman consult the next several entries in that index immediately following the “Apologetics” entry on the subject of “Apostacy.”

We really need to get back to the Bible, not debunk it.

As for the Fiscal Cliff nonsense in the news. Here again we as a nation have failed to obey the Bible. The Bible explicitly tells us that national debt is a curse. Check out Deuteronomy 28:12, 44. I have discussed this extensively here in other posts under the category “Politics and the Bible.”

Almost no one is talking sense about the Fiscal Cliff issue either. Good guidance about these issues will be found in many short but very informative articles written by Karl Denninger at The Market Ticker. In essence he points out that (1) we need to cut back government to a size we can actually afford; (2) most of the financial solution is never discussed–the issue of medical monopoly bought by well-heeled lobbyists who represent medical interests and banking interests who pay our senators and representatives very well so they can be re-elected; our Congress then in turn returns the favor by passing laws giving the medical industry benefits no one else in society receives. Medical costs have far outstripped the inflation rate, and will become such a large portion of the federal budget that our government may very well collapse, and our society along with it.

The last but not the least of the Nonsense in the News is the mistaken notion that the world will end today in accordance with prophecy developed from the Mayan Calendar. I guess I better hurry and finish this post or it will never make it!

The Bible declares that the world will never end, that the earth abides forever (Ecclesiastes 1:4). Some of the other relevant passages that pertain to this issue in the Bible are Psalm 72:5, 7, 17. 78:69. 89:36, 37. 104:5. 148:6. Isaiah 9:6, 7. Ezekiel +37:25. Luke 1:31-33. There are many more, some of which can be found by checking the cross references given at the passages I just listed. Anyone who would assert that “heaven and earth will pass away” is ignorant of both Scripture and the figures of speech employed for emphasis in the Bible.

Don’t be confused by the Nonsense in the News. The Bible still stands, even if Newsweek Magazine has come to an end, at least in its print edition.

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Affirmative Action NO, Affirmative Learning YES

Posted on November 16, 2012 by Jerry

I think it is about time the “Affirmative Action” issue is addressed squarely right here and right now.

The people of Michigan voted to abolish affirmative action for college admission in this state.

(Reuters) – A Michigan law that bans affirmative action in public college admissions violates the Constitution, a federal appeals court ruled on Thursday, adding to a growing debate on preferential treatment for minorities.

A sharply divided U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit in Cincinnati found that a 2006 amendment to the Michigan Constitution imposed burdens on racial minorities in violation of the U.S. Constitution’s guarantee of equal protection. (Chicage Tribune, November 15, 2012)

For once the current Michigan Attorney General is on the right side when he vowed to take the issue all the way to the Supreme Court in a statement I heard on the radio this past week.

Minorities DO NOT need preferential treatment. Black students especially. Giving such students preferential treatment does them a great disservice.

Students who are given “points” in the admissions process because they are black so they qualify for college entrance places them in college, but it does not give them the background and skills needed to succeed in college.

Many, if not most, such students drop out. The money they spent to attend college, while not entirely wasted (supposing they might have learned something even if they did not pass courses successfully), did not or will not get them to their intended goal.

Preferential treatment sends the wrong message to high school students, and even students in grades before that. Students of color think they are “owed” an education because of slavery which ended more than a century and a half ago. So, in class in high school, where I taught, students did not exert their fullest effort.

Administrators made it clear to teachers that if the teacher failed too many pupils, the teacher would be reprimanded, and ultimately rated unsatisfactory. Science teachers and mathematics teachers were quite flustered by such administrative decisions.

Administrators argued, “If the student did not learn, the teacher did not teach.” Nonsense. Administrators who make such claims are out of their minds and have no business in the field of education.

The teachers cannot make up for lost learning when they receive students in the ninth grade or tenth grade who read at the third or fourth grade level. Often, the best of the twelfth grade students read at the eighth grade level.

AND THE COURT IS STUPID ENOUGH to favor this situation? Judges and attorneys need to wake up. It may be they could learn how to solve the achievement gap and help students to be genuinely prepared for college if they carefully studied my course goals and lesson plans and associated assignments that I have posted at www.readingsteps.com, but of course they are not interested.

Nevertheless, coaches at the high school where I taught informed me that 21 of their athletes qualified for full athletic scholarships to college as a result of the tutoring I voluntarily gave them.

Students need careful moral direction. If you don’t think so, you have not been reading the news. Notice in recent news the moral failures that have been prominent nationally. On a smaller scale of course, I saw those problems with the students I taught. To solve the problem, I made use of daily proverbs and quotations. I had students write “Proverb Interpretation” and “Proverb Application” compositions weekly. Some of my students told me they appreciated the assignments I gave them, and told me the assignments had changed their lives.

One set of those proverbs is also posted at the www.readingsteps.com site.

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Saturday, November 7, 1953

Posted on November 7, 2012 by Jerry

That evening I was to attend the Holiness Youth Crusade rally at the Detroit Institute of Arts auditorium.

At the youth rally representatives of many participating churches were to take part in a Bible Quiz to determine the winner from all the churches. Participants had won the local quiz event for the local church youth group.

I had barely begun attending Thoburn Methodist Church in Detroit. I had been invited by a good neighbor who lived kitty-corner across the street to attend the Methodist Youth Fellowship. The church was only two blocks away.

I had begun reading the New Testament in earnest in August of 1953. Upon winning the quiz at the MYF meeting at Thoburn, I had two weeks to study the New Testament even more before the Holiness Youth Crusade rally.

I read my pocket New Testament with even more attention. On Saturday morning, November 7, 1953, I was delivering papers for my Detroit Shopping News route. I was thinking about what I had read in the New Testament. I realized I was a sinner. I realized I needed to receive Jesus Christ as my personal Savior. While stopping to fold the next paper for delivery on Lumpkin Street under a little oak tree, I realized that though I had gone to Sunday school since my parents could carry me there as an infant, I had never really understood salvation. But on November 7, 1953, I did come to understand that I was unsaved, and I prayed for forgiveness, and for Christ to enter my heart and life. He has been there with me ever since.

I was not in church when I accepted Christ. I was out delivering papers. But I remember whistling the tune to a Gospel song I had sung in Sunday school, “Now I belong to Jesus, Jesus belongs to me, not for the years of time alone, but for eternity.”

I did not win the final contest that evening. But that morning I received something far greater than the Bulova watch grand prize. I received eternal life and a permanent personal relationship with my Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

I have continued to read and study the Bible these now 59 years since that day. I encourage every reader to get out that Bible or New Testament and read it daily if you can. Most people ought to be able to squeeze at least twenty minutes a day to read the Bible for themselves. It will change your life if you do.

You cannot grow spiritually without regularly reading and studying the Bible for itself by yourself for yourself.

I learned just a day or two ago that today, November 7, is Reverend Billy Graham’s birthday. I think it is his 94th birthday. I attended the Billy Graham Crusade in October, 1953, with the Methodist Youth Fellowship in Detroit. I did not even realize then that I had not received Christ. But less than a month later I received Christ.

Times were different and from a spiritual standpoint far better in 1953 than they seem to be now. There was a strong emphasis back then on Bible study. Churches reached out to the surrounding community to win souls to Christ. People carried their own Bible to church. People talked about spiritual things after church. Pastors taught the Bible from the pulpit. Some pastors did what was known as expository preaching. I remember sitting under the Bible teaching ministry of Dr. Lehman Strauss. He preached through a number of Bible books while he was the pastor of Highland Park Baptist Church. There were well-stocked independent Bible bookstores. They were not filled with spiritual pablum, but with solid works of Bible study and Bible study tools.

The culture has changed since then. But no matter how much change we see for the worse, it surely is not as bad as the culture faced by the first Christians depicted in the book of Acts. Without modern media, radio and television, or the Internet, the disciples then “turned the world upside down.” They did not have electricity or automobiles. They did have and make use of the Roman roads to travel about the Roman empire with the message of the Gospel. If they could do that without the benefit of the printing press, and they did, they surely put us to shame.

If we want to see a positive change in our culture and community, we must pray, and get the Gospel message to the lost around us. It does not take church hierarchy to do it. It takes obedience to the commands of Christ to preach the Gospel to every creature.

I suspect we need less preaching and far more teaching. We need for believers today to be well-taught in the Bible so they can resist the snare of false doctrine promulgated by false cults claiming to teach a more enlightened understanding of the Bible. Every now and again I hear the plea on Christian radio for Christian unity, for the elimination of divisiveness, and on the part of some, the appeal to drop all discussion of Bible doctrine. It is Bible doctrine, accurately studied out of the Bible itself, that is the real need today. We need changed lives that attract people to the Gospel. The people in the pew are the ones responsible to get the Gospel message out to the unsaved. Too many Christians act and live out of the misguided notion that witnessing to the unsaved and winning them to Christ is the task of the paid professionals in the Church. God wants all His blood-bought children to be available to help reach others with whom they are in contact with the Gospel.

If you make a daily habit of reading God’s Word, you will find it easy and almost automatic to be able to share your faith in Christ with others when they ask you about the reason of the hope they see you have in Christ.

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Truth is never determined by a majority vote

Posted on November 7, 2012 by Jerry

The voters have spoken. The next four years ought to be interesting.

If present policies continue, mathematics may catch up to us and collapse the economy and the government.

The debt problem cannot be solved by borrowing more money.

When major blocks of the economy have bought the votes and support of our politicians, who give them special privileges and laws written to favor them, the economics are distorted.

I wonder how many Evangelicals in swing states failed to vote at all, and how many others did not vote in accord with what the Bible teaches.

The United States of America is not and by its founders was never intended to be a democracy. We are a federal republic. A federal republic is more stable than a democracy. Presidents are not elected on the basis of who wins the popular vote, but on the basis of who gets the necessary number of electoral votes in the Electoral College. From time to time there are those who wish to do away with the Electoral College. That would be most unwise. That was the debate topic one year when I was on the debate team. Among other things, our system as devised by the Founding Fathers has the advantage that the vote of the people is never split up by a multiplicity of political parties. In some European countries this is not the case, and their governments are less stable and change leadership more often than we do.

We do need to keep our political leaders in prayer, as Paul urged in his letter to Timothy.

1Ti 2:1 I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;
1Ti 2:2 For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.
1Ti 2:3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;
1Ti 2:4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
1Ti 2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
1Ti 2:6 Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.

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Governor Snyder’s Dirty Politics in Michigan

Posted on November 2, 2012 by Jerry

I sent the following letter to Governor Snyder just now, because both he and the Michigan Attorney General are involved in dishonest actions in direct violation of the Bible: (1) Thou shalt not lie or bear false witness–Exodus 20:16; (2) thou shalt honor all contracts you have entered into for their duration even if it hurts–Psalm 15:4.

Dear Governor Snyder:

We support Proposal 2 to protect collective bargaining because it gives Michigan workers a voice for fair wages, benefits, and safe working conditions. While we understand you disagree with us on Proposal 2, we are writing you respectfully to ask that you condemn the false and misleading statements inundating the airwaves against Proposal 2, and to ask you to urge those running the “No” campaign to take these ads off the air now.

You have stated often the need to try to unite Michigan. These false ads dangerously deepen divisions within our state, and necessitate your action to stop them now.

These ads urging “No on 2” are built on a mountain of falsehoods. Protecting Michigan Taxpayers (PMT) has based its arguments on an opinion of the Attorney General that the Court of Appeals over-ruled last August.

Just yesterday, opponents of Prop 2 misled voters again in their latest 30 second TV ad. The ad, “Dangerous,” misrepresented statements printed in the Detroit Free Press by an opposition spokesman. After being confronted with the facts, the ad’s sponsor, PMT, has refused to take the ad down.

Other TV ads falsely claimed that that Proposal 2 would “make it harder to get convicts thrown out of schools,” “could prohibit schools from removing employees with criminal records” and “would eliminate safety rules for school bus drivers.” These pernicious claims do a deep disservice to Michigan, present and future.

You are currently touring the state, encouraging people to vote no on Prop 2. As we stated, we disagree with you. But we hope you do agree that on November 6th, voters will make a critical decision on a bed-rock issue, and that their decision should be based on the truth, not falsehoods. We hope your sense of decency will encourage you to urge the “No on 2” campaign to terminate their dishonest claims and to avoid similar conduct in the final days of the election.

Governor Snyder, if you are unwilling to stand up for what is right, and for the truth, you may be a politician but you are utterly unworthy of your office.

Collective Bargaining must be protected with the strongest possible protections available. Collective bargaining must not be subject to the whim of the party or person in office. I know, for as a Detroit teacher from 1962 until 2001, serving part of that time as the DFT Union Representative at both Southeastern and Denby High School, I saw how important it was for teachers to be protected against arbitrary actions and unfounded judgments against teachers by inept administrators.

Collective bargaining protects GOOD teachers against BAD administrators, because only by means of an enforceable contract can teachers be guaranteed proper DUE PROCESS.

I have discussed and documented this at length in one or more articles I posted on my website, www.realbiblestudy.com under the category “Politics and the Bible.”

I respectfully call your attention to the 15th Psalm, particularly Psalm 15:4, where God Himself condemns those who do not uphold the contracts they have agreed to. In the light of Psalm 15:1, such persons are in danger of never seeing heaven.

I have heard the false and misleading political advertising which you and your supporters have promulgated on WWJ and WJR. They are despicable because of their blatant falsehoods. I also saw a video clip from the Mackinaw Center which argued police officers would lose their right to the protection of binding arbitration. I am the teacher who suggested to the DFT that binding arbitration be included in the teacher contract with the Detroit Board of Education, and that contract year it was included in the DFT Contract. But the Mackinaw Center’s advertisement with the bright but misinformed young lawyer is mistaken.

I also do not appreciate our Michigan Attorney General appearing in advertising that counters the efforts of those in favor of Proposal 2. If his name ever appears on a ballot for re-election, you may be sure I will work toward his defeat, even though I usually vote for the Republicans. I have personally written to the Attorney General about this issue.

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I finally caught up to Uncle Frank–Almost

Posted on October 23, 2012 by Jerry

Uncle Frank was a valued friend of mine for nearly a dozen years. He lived in The Fort Grand Hotel, 4070 W. Fort Street in Detroit just west of Hubbard. That is about eight blocks west of the Ambassador Bridge, as I recall. He lived in the same room since 1920. I lived nearby in an apartment on the corner of Fort Street and Hubbard.

I did not meet Uncle Frank until a mutual friend, Don Reese, asked me to drive Frank to a Bible study Uncle Frank was conducting at a home several miles away near Chandler Park, not far from Chadsey High School. Usually Don drove Frank there. Don was surprised I had not yet met Frank, for I had been living in the apartment on Hubbard for several years practically next door. It turns out that Frank’s Bible study was being held in the home of one of my own current high school Sunday school class pupils who attended Chadsey. Uncle Frank was good with children and young people. Once I got to know him, I gave him as many opportunities to teach my high school Sunday school class as I could so that they could benefit from someone who knew much more about the Bible than I did.

Uncle Frank was 75 when I met him about 1964, and I knew him until he went home to be with the Lord in 1975. I was the last person, so far as I know, to have seen him alive. Frank told me he was going home to be with the Lord that very night. Frank needed my help to get into bed. He told me he was looking forward with great delight and anticipation to waking up in the presence of his Lord and Savior before morning.

During those years that I knew him I learned much about the Bible and Bible doctrine I had not learned before. The first thing Frank challenged me with was the subject of the mode of Christian baptism. I told him I was always taught that immersion was the correct mode. Frank asked me if I was willing to read a book about the subject. I said I was. Frank loaned me his copy of G. W. Hughey’s work, The Scriptural Mode of Christian Baptism (Kansas City: Hudson Press, 1907). That book opened my eyes to a whole new understanding of what the Bible actually teaches on that very limited issue. Though Uncle Frank was merely a retired factory worker, retired from Kelvinator, he made the Bible his lifetime study. He specialized in the types of Scripture, especially as they depict the work of Christ for us. Frank had a professionally carved model of the Tabernacle, a subject he was expert in.

The world is 6016 years old today, October 23, 2012, according to Archbishop Ussher’s chronology. I share its birthday, though not so long ago. But I have now caught up to the age Uncle Frank Burrell was when I first met him. I have not yet caught up to his knowledge of the Bible, but like he was while I knew him, I’m still working on that every day.

Edited to add (10/25/12):

I just came across the “In Remembrance” folder from Uncle Frank’s funeral, held Wednesday, February 12, 1975 at the Don Graham Funeral Home in southwest Detroit. Frank Burrell was born January 10, 1886. He passed away February 9, 1975. Clergyman officiating: Rev. David R. Dresser (of the Ward Memorial Prebyterian Church, if I recall correctly) and Rev. Paul Whaley, Uncle Frank’s good friend, teacher at the Detroit Bible College. Interment: Michigan Memorial Cemetery.

I’ve always wondered about the dates given in that folder. Uncle Frank told me when I met him that he was 75; when he passed away it figured to be that he was 86. But if he was born in 1886, then in 1975 he would have been 89, if my arithmetic is right. In any case, he was a blessing to all who met him, and his impact continues even today.

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