I had requested a prayer for salvation for noted Atheist Christopher Hitchens. I am familiar with him from various YouTube videos.
He seems to be a well spoken man of logic and reason. His atheist viewpoints are the ones I disagree with (obviously), but he arrives at them by a reasonably well thought out route.
As is always the case, people who try to explain away Christianity (and all religion really) behind a fortress of logic....well, they are missing the point, aren't they?
GOD gave us a brain. GOD allows us to make our own choices (how many of you want someone to love you because they had no choice? didn't think so). Ultimately, GOD has the right to bless or discipline or punish whomever he wants. We are his creation. Fortunately, or unfortunately depending on your attitude and behavior, GOD is just. Thank goodness that his grace (i.e. "unmerited favor") has given us access to his supernatural love and power. He has provided a way for us to grow, in him, and all we need to do is ask and be obedient.
The whole point is....GOD made us and we are his children. We have a spark of intellect and a spirit. He is the one who gave it to us.
Now then...Humanists (like Christopher Hitchens) who believe everything we need is within us and the world would be perfect without religion are correct to a very small degree. I believe that, as children of GOD who were created in his image, we have some some powers that the animal kingdom doesn't possess.
We have "Will Power". We have a mind. We have emotions that motivate. All these things add up to having a "soul". Not a spirit, but a soul. They are two different things. (Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.)
So, to an extent, we have the power to shape the world around us and bend it according to our own motivations, whatever they may be. This is where the similarities between religion (Christianity to the point of this discussion) and humanism end. The entire wealth of GOD..indeed, adoption into his kingdom..is available through Jesus. Trying to build your own life is one thing, but to lead the world based solely on your own will power, is quite frankly a losing proposition...ending ultimately in the final loss, the eternal kingdom of GOD. And for what? What benefit did you receive for rejecting GOD in favor of humanism? The ability to sin without conviction, perhaps?
The whole point of this post is this.....Christopher Hitchens and I agree on a great many things, but we are WAY off the mark on Christianity. He argues from a stance of NOT believing the bible, determined to not accept anything outside the realm of the "natural", and can't accept that Christianity is anything other than the hopeful wishes of deluded people who don't want everything to end when they die.
The difference between that stance and the reality of the body of Christ is that we believers have a testimony. That testimony provides a witness to Christ. "Yeah....it didn't make sense to me either, except then GOD revealed himself to me"...and such like. People may not believe an ancient book, and ignore the miraculous spiritual prophesy that came to pass hundreds of years after it was written (the Book of Isiah), but when Jim Bob down the street has his life transformed and starts being blessed everywhere he goes, then his neighbors might begin to ask about his change. Then, he witnesses. The sad part is, we in the Church have gotten so bad about reading the bible, living "right", and providing a witness....the lost world is subject to comparing us to other religions and listening to the people who force their voice upon them (if they represent us or not).
I've gotten WAY off point here. The amazing thing about a humanist like Hitchens and a Christian is that he is ALSO anti-abortion. Since he believes we humans are so great, he thinks we have a responsibility to protect a "future citizen".
Talk about Strange bedfellows.
Friday, February 19, 2010
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
From Adam to Jesus....from 1 Chronicles and Matthew
1 Adam, Seth, Enosh, 2 Cainan,[a] Mahalalel, Jared, 3 Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech, 4 Noah,[b] Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
5 The sons of Japheth were Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras. 6 The sons of Gomer were Ashkenaz, Diphath,[c] and Togarmah. 7 The sons of Javan were Elishah, Tarshishah,[d] Kittim, and Rodanim.[e]
8 The sons of Ham were Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan. 9 The sons of Cush were Seba, Havilah, Sabta,[f] Raama,[g] and Sabtecha. The sons of Raama were Sheba and Dedan. 10 Cush begot Nimrod; he began to be a mighty one on the earth. 11 Mizraim begot Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, Naphtuhim, 12 Pathrusim, Casluhim (from whom came the Philistines and the Caphtorim). 13 Canaan begot Sidon, his firstborn, and Heth; 14 the Jebusite, the Amorite, and the Girgashite; 15 the Hivite, the Arkite, and the Sinite; 16 the Arvadite, the Zemarite, and the Hamathite.
17 The sons of Shem were Elam, Asshur, Arphaxad, Lud, Aram, Uz, Hul, Gether, and Meshech.[h] 18 Arphaxad begot Shelah, and Shelah begot Eber. 19 To Eber were born two sons: the name of one was Peleg,[i] for in his days the earth was divided; and his brother’s name was Joktan. 20 Joktan begot Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, 21 Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, 22 Ebal,[j] Abimael, Sheba, 23 Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab. All these were the sons of Joktan.
24 Shem, Arphaxad, Shelah, 25 Eber, Peleg, Reu, 26 Serug, Nahor, Terah, 27 and Abram, who is Abraham. 28 The sons of Abraham were Isaac and Ishmael.
The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham:
2 Abraham begot Isaac, Isaac begot Jacob, and Jacob begot Judah and his brothers. 3 Judah begot Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez begot Hezron, and Hezron begot Ram. 4 Ram begot Amminadab, Amminadab begot Nahshon, and Nahshon begot Salmon. 5 Salmon begot Boaz by Rahab, Boaz begot Obed by Ruth, Obed begot Jesse, 6 and Jesse begot David the king.
David the king begot Solomon by her who had been the wife[a] of Uriah. 7 Solomon begot Rehoboam, Rehoboam begot Abijah, and Abijah begot Asa.[b] 8 Asa begot Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat begot Joram, and Joram begot Uzziah. 9 Uzziah begot Jotham, Jotham begot Ahaz, and Ahaz begot Hezekiah. 10 Hezekiah begot Manasseh, Manasseh begot Amon,[c] and Amon begot Josiah. 11 Josiah begot Jeconiah and his brothers about the time they were carried away to Babylon.
12 And after they were brought to Babylon, Jeconiah begot Shealtiel, and Shealtiel begot Zerubbabel. 13 Zerubbabel begot Abiud, Abiud begot Eliakim, and Eliakim begot Azor. 14 Azor begot Zadok, Zadok begot Achim, and Achim begot Eliud. 15 Eliud begot Eleazar, Eleazar begot Matthan, and Matthan begot Jacob. 16 And Jacob begot Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus who is called Christ.
17 So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations, from David until the captivity in Babylon are fourteen generations, and from the captivity in Babylon until the Christ are fourteen generations.
Christ Born of Mary
5 The sons of Japheth were Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras. 6 The sons of Gomer were Ashkenaz, Diphath,[c] and Togarmah. 7 The sons of Javan were Elishah, Tarshishah,[d] Kittim, and Rodanim.[e]
8 The sons of Ham were Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan. 9 The sons of Cush were Seba, Havilah, Sabta,[f] Raama,[g] and Sabtecha. The sons of Raama were Sheba and Dedan. 10 Cush begot Nimrod; he began to be a mighty one on the earth. 11 Mizraim begot Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, Naphtuhim, 12 Pathrusim, Casluhim (from whom came the Philistines and the Caphtorim). 13 Canaan begot Sidon, his firstborn, and Heth; 14 the Jebusite, the Amorite, and the Girgashite; 15 the Hivite, the Arkite, and the Sinite; 16 the Arvadite, the Zemarite, and the Hamathite.
17 The sons of Shem were Elam, Asshur, Arphaxad, Lud, Aram, Uz, Hul, Gether, and Meshech.[h] 18 Arphaxad begot Shelah, and Shelah begot Eber. 19 To Eber were born two sons: the name of one was Peleg,[i] for in his days the earth was divided; and his brother’s name was Joktan. 20 Joktan begot Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, 21 Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, 22 Ebal,[j] Abimael, Sheba, 23 Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab. All these were the sons of Joktan.
24 Shem, Arphaxad, Shelah, 25 Eber, Peleg, Reu, 26 Serug, Nahor, Terah, 27 and Abram, who is Abraham. 28 The sons of Abraham were Isaac and Ishmael.
The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham:
2 Abraham begot Isaac, Isaac begot Jacob, and Jacob begot Judah and his brothers. 3 Judah begot Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez begot Hezron, and Hezron begot Ram. 4 Ram begot Amminadab, Amminadab begot Nahshon, and Nahshon begot Salmon. 5 Salmon begot Boaz by Rahab, Boaz begot Obed by Ruth, Obed begot Jesse, 6 and Jesse begot David the king.
David the king begot Solomon by her who had been the wife[a] of Uriah. 7 Solomon begot Rehoboam, Rehoboam begot Abijah, and Abijah begot Asa.[b] 8 Asa begot Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat begot Joram, and Joram begot Uzziah. 9 Uzziah begot Jotham, Jotham begot Ahaz, and Ahaz begot Hezekiah. 10 Hezekiah begot Manasseh, Manasseh begot Amon,[c] and Amon begot Josiah. 11 Josiah begot Jeconiah and his brothers about the time they were carried away to Babylon.
12 And after they were brought to Babylon, Jeconiah begot Shealtiel, and Shealtiel begot Zerubbabel. 13 Zerubbabel begot Abiud, Abiud begot Eliakim, and Eliakim begot Azor. 14 Azor begot Zadok, Zadok begot Achim, and Achim begot Eliud. 15 Eliud begot Eleazar, Eleazar begot Matthan, and Matthan begot Jacob. 16 And Jacob begot Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus who is called Christ.
17 So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations, from David until the captivity in Babylon are fourteen generations, and from the captivity in Babylon until the Christ are fourteen generations.
Christ Born of Mary
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Timeline of New Testament....I added to this
90 - 160 A.D.
All the New Testament has been written, but there is almost no sense of a closed collection.
How the New Testament Became the New Testament
During the first and second centuries A.D., the only "Scriptures" available to the Church, were those books we know today as the Old Testament. Gradually, certain letters and books became circulated throughout the known world. It began to be evident which of these were inspired by God. Over the next few centuries, certain books were gradually accepted, while others were rejected.
160 - 250 A.D.
There is an awareness of a collection of inspired writings, and the phrase New Testament is first used. (added to the gospels Acts through 1st Timothy, as well as Titus, 1st John, and Jude)
250 - 325 A.D.
All of the letters of Paul are now accepted.
325 A.D.
The council of Nicea (added Hebrews and Revelation)
325 - 397 A.D.
In 367 A.D., Athanasius first lists the current number and order of the New Testament books. In 397 AD, at the council of Carthage, the collection of the New Testament is finally closed. (added James, 2nd Peter, 2nd and 3rd John)
All the New Testament has been written, but there is almost no sense of a closed collection.
How the New Testament Became the New Testament
During the first and second centuries A.D., the only "Scriptures" available to the Church, were those books we know today as the Old Testament. Gradually, certain letters and books became circulated throughout the known world. It began to be evident which of these were inspired by God. Over the next few centuries, certain books were gradually accepted, while others were rejected.
160 - 250 A.D.
There is an awareness of a collection of inspired writings, and the phrase New Testament is first used. (added to the gospels Acts through 1st Timothy, as well as Titus, 1st John, and Jude)
250 - 325 A.D.
All of the letters of Paul are now accepted.
325 A.D.
The council of Nicea (added Hebrews and Revelation)
325 - 397 A.D.
In 367 A.D., Athanasius first lists the current number and order of the New Testament books. In 397 AD, at the council of Carthage, the collection of the New Testament is finally closed. (added James, 2nd Peter, 2nd and 3rd John)
More old testament overview
The Old Testament
How the Old Testament Became the Old Testament
There is an old saying that the Church does not decide what the Bible is; it discovers what the Bible is. This distinction is essential. The process of the Bible becoming the Bible, took place as the Church recognised that certain books and letters were "the Word of God", whereas other pieces of literature were not. However, the Old Testament became the Old Testament in a slightly different way.
The Jews never used the phrase "Old Testament", since they only had one collection of Scripture. This was called the TANAK. The TANAK derived its name from the first letters of the three types of writings. We referred to these writings above: the Law, the Prophets and the Writings.
This collection of writings was written between about 1500 B.C. and 400 B.C. Around 200 B.C., a group of 70 Jewish scholars translated the TANAK into Greek, since Greek was the language of the day. This effort took 70 days, and the resulting Greek translation of the TANAK was called the Septuagint (meaning "70"). However, the Septuagint included seven books that were not part of the TANAK. These books are known today as the Apocrypha.
Around 90 A.D., another group of Jewish scholars met at the Council of Jamniah, and decided to include only the 39 books found in the original Hebrew collection. They excluded the books of the Apocrypha, which were entirely written in Greek. The collection of the Old Testament was now closed and finalised.
Old Testament Overview
Today, Christians tend to categorise the Old Testament into five sections:
The Law
History
Psalms and Wisdom Writings
Major Prophets (called "major" only due to the length of these books)
Minor Prophets
However, Judaism simply categorises them into three sections:
The Law
The Prophets
The Writings
Whichever way you view the books of the Old Testament, there are 39 in all. Here is a summary of each book in the Old Testament, under the five headings of law, history, psalms and wisdom writings, major prophets and minor prophets.
The Law
Genesis
This word means "beginnings", and in many ways, Genesis sets the foundation for the rest of the Bible.
Exodus This word means "way out". The book describes the rescue of God's people from their slavery in the land of Egypt.
Leviticus The name of this book comes from the Levite family, one of the 12 families of Israel. The Levites were the priests of the nation, and were responsible for the law between God and the people, as well as between the people themselves. This book contains detailed laws for the nation.
Numbers
This book is, as it sounds, a book of numbers. There are some historical stories, but it is mainly records of the families of Israel.
Deuteronomy
This words comes from the words deutero, meaning "second", and nomos, meaning "law". The book is mainly an address from Moses to the people of Israel, outlining the law to them, before they entered the land of Canaan.
History
Joshua
This book describes how Israel entered the "promised Land", Canaan, under the leadership of Joshua. It includes those occasions when Israel didn't do what God told them to do - and the consequences of their actions.
Judges Once Israel had entered the land of Canaan, their leaders were called Judges. This book describes the successes and failures of Israel, as they cycled through times of peace and war with neighbouring countries.
Ruth
The book of Ruth is a short book, set in the time of the Judges. It shows how a woman from the country of Moab is welcomed into the family of Israel. It is a reminder of God's original command to Israel, that they should be a light to the rest of the world.
1 Samuel
This book is thought to have been written by the prophet Samuel. It covers the time from Israel's first king, Saul, until Saul's suicidal death.
2 Samuel
This book continues where 1 Samuel left off. It covers events from the installation of David as king, until David is old and close to dying.
1 Kings
This book begins by following the line of kings through David. When David's son Solomon dies, a power struggle takes place between Rehoboam, Solomon's son, and Jeroboam. The nation of Israel is then split into two separate nations. Two families, Judah and Benjamin form one nation, while the remaining families form another. The book follows the fortunes and failures of the kings of the northern kingdom (Israel) and the southern kingdom (Judah).
2 Kings
This book continues where 1 Kings left off. It covers the history until both the kingdoms of Israel and Judah have been taken into captivity, by Assyria and Babylon, respectively.
1 Chronicles
1 Chronicles and 2 Chronicles are quite similar to 1 Kings and 2 Kings. However, there are important differences. 1 Chronicles begins by tracing the line of David from Adam, through to David's descendants at the exile of Judah. It contains other historical records, and then focuses on the life of David, from the time he becomes king, until his death.
2 Chronicles
2 Chronicles selects historical material from the reign of Solomon, through to the last king of Judah before its exile. Whereas the two books of Kings swap between the northern and southern kingdoms, the books of Chronicles focus exclusively on the kingdom of Judah. (Jesus is a descendant of the family of Judah, so emphases like this are designed to prepare the reader for Jesus).
Ezra This book describes the return of the Jews from exile. persia had conquered the kingdom of Babylon while the Jews were in exile, and so it was the persian king who allowed them to return. The book, with the priest Ezra as main figure, focuses on the temple being built.
Nehemiah
This book focuses on the building of the wall of Jerusalem. It also provides various lists of people. Nehemiah was the cupbearer to the persian king, and it is he who returns to Jerusalem to oversee the completion of the wall.
Esther This book describes the "meteoric" rise to fame and power, of Esther, a Jew living in Persia during the exile. Esther becomes queen, and due to her influence, prevents the Jews from being destroyed. The word "God" is not found in the book of Esther, and this has caused some to wonder why it is in the Bible. Nevertheless, the book shows how God has always been protecting his people from complete destruction.
Psalms and Wisdom Writings
Job
This book is one of the world's greatest writings on the subject of pain and suffering. Unbelievable tragedy afflicts Job, his family, and his possessions. After questioning God about what he has done, God asks Job a few pertinent questions. The book explodes the popular myth that good things always happen to good people, and bad things always happen to bad people.
Psalms
This is a collection of 150 psalms. A psalm is basically a piece of poetry designed to be sung with music. The psalms are often the favourite book of people, because they express the whole range of feelings towards God. The cry "How long O Lord? Will you forget me forever?" is heard with "I will sing to the Lord, for he has been good to me".
Proverbs
This is a collection of wise sayings, or proverbs. It has an emphasis on how life should be.
Ecclesiastes
The title of this book means "Teacher". It has an emphasis on how life really is. The book is a poetical record of the exploits of King Solomon, who tried everything life could offer him, and concluded that "everything is meaningless!" The end of the book offers his perspective on how to live life successfully: Fear God and keep his commands, for this is the whole duty of people. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.
Song of Solomon
This book is a poem concerning Solomon and his love for the woman who will soon be his wife. Due to the sometimes explicit nature of the writing, people have often seen this book as an allegory. However, the book should be taken literally. It shows the importance God places on real love, and on a continuing passion between husband and wife.
Major Prophets
Isaiah
Isaiah's name means "God saves". Isaiah wrote to the nation of Judah before the exile. His purpose was to remind Judah of the special relationship they had with God as members of His covenant community.
Jeremiah
Jeremiah's name means either "God establishes" or "whom God appoints". Jeremiah wrote to the nation of Judah before and just into the exile. He is often called the Weeping prophet, due to him weeping for the fate of his people, and also because he is thought to have written Lamentations. His purpose was to expose the darkness of Judah's sin, along with the piercing brightness of God's word.
Lamentations
This book is a collection of poetry written after the fall of Judah. It has only five chapters, but was placed after Jeremiah, since Jeremiah was believed to be its author. His purpose was to show how the curses predicted in Deuteronomy 28 had come to pass.
Ezekiel
Ezekiel's name means "God strengthens". Ezekiel wrote to the both the nation of Judah and Israel during the exile. His purpose was to show the glory and perfect character of God.
Daniel
Daniel's name means "God is prince". Daniel wrote to the nation of Judah, as well as to non-Jews in Babylon, during the exile. His purpose was to show that regardless of what happens in the world, God is completely in control.
Minor Prophets
Hosea
Hosea's name means "salvation". Hosea wrote to the nation of Israel before the exile. His purpose was to show how the curses of Deuteronomy were coming to pass, as well as ultimate restoration to Israel.
Joel
Joel's name means "Yahweh is God". Joel wrote to the nation of Judah before the exile. His purpose was to focus attention to the Day of the Lord, when justice would be complete.
Amos
Amos' name means "burden-bearer". Amos wrote to the nation of Israel before the exile. His purpose was to show that although God would punish Israel for rebelling against him, he would preserve a small group of people who had not rebelled.
Obadiah
Obadiah's name means "servant of the Lord". Obadiah wrote to the nation of Edom. His purpose was to declare that Edom would be judged by God for its constant hatred towards Israel.
Jonah
Jonah's name means "dove". Jonah wrote to the nation of Israel before the exile. His purpose was to remind Israel that they were to bless the nations of the world. If any nation turned away from evil and turned towards God, God would forgive and restore.
Micah Micah's name means "who is like God?". Micah wrote to the nation of Judah before the exile. His purpose was to show that God was fair in disciplining Judah, since Judah had turned from God.
Nahum Nahum's name means "comforter". Nahum wrote to the nation of Assyria. His purpose was to announce the fall of Assyria, and to comfort Israel that God was in control.
Habakkuk
Habakkuk's name means "embracer". Habakkuk wrote to the nation of Judah before the exile. His purpose was to show that God was always fair in dealing with evil, even if his ways were different to the ways of people.
Zephaniah
Zephaniah's name means "protected by God". Zephaniah wrote to the nation of Judah before the exile. His purpose was to show the coming judgment on Judah because of its disobedience to God.
Haggai
Haggai's name means "festive". Haggai wrote to the nation of Judah after the exile. His purpose was to arouse the leaders and people of Judah from their spiritual apathy, and encourage them to continue building the temple.
Zechariah
Zechariah's name means "God remembers". Zechariah wrote to the nation of Judah after the exile. His purpose was to motivate the people to spiritual renewal, and motivate them to rebuild the temple, by showing them God's plans for their future.
Malachi
Malachi's name means "messenger of God". Malachi wrote to the nation of Judah after the exile. His purpose was to put the finger of judgment on the nation, and to motivate the people to return to God with all their beings.
How the Old Testament Became the Old Testament
There is an old saying that the Church does not decide what the Bible is; it discovers what the Bible is. This distinction is essential. The process of the Bible becoming the Bible, took place as the Church recognised that certain books and letters were "the Word of God", whereas other pieces of literature were not. However, the Old Testament became the Old Testament in a slightly different way.
The Jews never used the phrase "Old Testament", since they only had one collection of Scripture. This was called the TANAK. The TANAK derived its name from the first letters of the three types of writings. We referred to these writings above: the Law, the Prophets and the Writings.
This collection of writings was written between about 1500 B.C. and 400 B.C. Around 200 B.C., a group of 70 Jewish scholars translated the TANAK into Greek, since Greek was the language of the day. This effort took 70 days, and the resulting Greek translation of the TANAK was called the Septuagint (meaning "70"). However, the Septuagint included seven books that were not part of the TANAK. These books are known today as the Apocrypha.
Around 90 A.D., another group of Jewish scholars met at the Council of Jamniah, and decided to include only the 39 books found in the original Hebrew collection. They excluded the books of the Apocrypha, which were entirely written in Greek. The collection of the Old Testament was now closed and finalised.
Old Testament Overview
Today, Christians tend to categorise the Old Testament into five sections:
The Law
History
Psalms and Wisdom Writings
Major Prophets (called "major" only due to the length of these books)
Minor Prophets
However, Judaism simply categorises them into three sections:
The Law
The Prophets
The Writings
Whichever way you view the books of the Old Testament, there are 39 in all. Here is a summary of each book in the Old Testament, under the five headings of law, history, psalms and wisdom writings, major prophets and minor prophets.
The Law
Genesis
This word means "beginnings", and in many ways, Genesis sets the foundation for the rest of the Bible.
Exodus This word means "way out". The book describes the rescue of God's people from their slavery in the land of Egypt.
Leviticus The name of this book comes from the Levite family, one of the 12 families of Israel. The Levites were the priests of the nation, and were responsible for the law between God and the people, as well as between the people themselves. This book contains detailed laws for the nation.
Numbers
This book is, as it sounds, a book of numbers. There are some historical stories, but it is mainly records of the families of Israel.
Deuteronomy
This words comes from the words deutero, meaning "second", and nomos, meaning "law". The book is mainly an address from Moses to the people of Israel, outlining the law to them, before they entered the land of Canaan.
History
Joshua
This book describes how Israel entered the "promised Land", Canaan, under the leadership of Joshua. It includes those occasions when Israel didn't do what God told them to do - and the consequences of their actions.
Judges Once Israel had entered the land of Canaan, their leaders were called Judges. This book describes the successes and failures of Israel, as they cycled through times of peace and war with neighbouring countries.
Ruth
The book of Ruth is a short book, set in the time of the Judges. It shows how a woman from the country of Moab is welcomed into the family of Israel. It is a reminder of God's original command to Israel, that they should be a light to the rest of the world.
1 Samuel
This book is thought to have been written by the prophet Samuel. It covers the time from Israel's first king, Saul, until Saul's suicidal death.
2 Samuel
This book continues where 1 Samuel left off. It covers events from the installation of David as king, until David is old and close to dying.
1 Kings
This book begins by following the line of kings through David. When David's son Solomon dies, a power struggle takes place between Rehoboam, Solomon's son, and Jeroboam. The nation of Israel is then split into two separate nations. Two families, Judah and Benjamin form one nation, while the remaining families form another. The book follows the fortunes and failures of the kings of the northern kingdom (Israel) and the southern kingdom (Judah).
2 Kings
This book continues where 1 Kings left off. It covers the history until both the kingdoms of Israel and Judah have been taken into captivity, by Assyria and Babylon, respectively.
1 Chronicles
1 Chronicles and 2 Chronicles are quite similar to 1 Kings and 2 Kings. However, there are important differences. 1 Chronicles begins by tracing the line of David from Adam, through to David's descendants at the exile of Judah. It contains other historical records, and then focuses on the life of David, from the time he becomes king, until his death.
2 Chronicles
2 Chronicles selects historical material from the reign of Solomon, through to the last king of Judah before its exile. Whereas the two books of Kings swap between the northern and southern kingdoms, the books of Chronicles focus exclusively on the kingdom of Judah. (Jesus is a descendant of the family of Judah, so emphases like this are designed to prepare the reader for Jesus).
Ezra This book describes the return of the Jews from exile. persia had conquered the kingdom of Babylon while the Jews were in exile, and so it was the persian king who allowed them to return. The book, with the priest Ezra as main figure, focuses on the temple being built.
Nehemiah
This book focuses on the building of the wall of Jerusalem. It also provides various lists of people. Nehemiah was the cupbearer to the persian king, and it is he who returns to Jerusalem to oversee the completion of the wall.
Esther This book describes the "meteoric" rise to fame and power, of Esther, a Jew living in Persia during the exile. Esther becomes queen, and due to her influence, prevents the Jews from being destroyed. The word "God" is not found in the book of Esther, and this has caused some to wonder why it is in the Bible. Nevertheless, the book shows how God has always been protecting his people from complete destruction.
Psalms and Wisdom Writings
Job
This book is one of the world's greatest writings on the subject of pain and suffering. Unbelievable tragedy afflicts Job, his family, and his possessions. After questioning God about what he has done, God asks Job a few pertinent questions. The book explodes the popular myth that good things always happen to good people, and bad things always happen to bad people.
Psalms
This is a collection of 150 psalms. A psalm is basically a piece of poetry designed to be sung with music. The psalms are often the favourite book of people, because they express the whole range of feelings towards God. The cry "How long O Lord? Will you forget me forever?" is heard with "I will sing to the Lord, for he has been good to me".
Proverbs
This is a collection of wise sayings, or proverbs. It has an emphasis on how life should be.
Ecclesiastes
The title of this book means "Teacher". It has an emphasis on how life really is. The book is a poetical record of the exploits of King Solomon, who tried everything life could offer him, and concluded that "everything is meaningless!" The end of the book offers his perspective on how to live life successfully: Fear God and keep his commands, for this is the whole duty of people. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.
Song of Solomon
This book is a poem concerning Solomon and his love for the woman who will soon be his wife. Due to the sometimes explicit nature of the writing, people have often seen this book as an allegory. However, the book should be taken literally. It shows the importance God places on real love, and on a continuing passion between husband and wife.
Major Prophets
Isaiah
Isaiah's name means "God saves". Isaiah wrote to the nation of Judah before the exile. His purpose was to remind Judah of the special relationship they had with God as members of His covenant community.
Jeremiah
Jeremiah's name means either "God establishes" or "whom God appoints". Jeremiah wrote to the nation of Judah before and just into the exile. He is often called the Weeping prophet, due to him weeping for the fate of his people, and also because he is thought to have written Lamentations. His purpose was to expose the darkness of Judah's sin, along with the piercing brightness of God's word.
Lamentations
This book is a collection of poetry written after the fall of Judah. It has only five chapters, but was placed after Jeremiah, since Jeremiah was believed to be its author. His purpose was to show how the curses predicted in Deuteronomy 28 had come to pass.
Ezekiel
Ezekiel's name means "God strengthens". Ezekiel wrote to the both the nation of Judah and Israel during the exile. His purpose was to show the glory and perfect character of God.
Daniel
Daniel's name means "God is prince". Daniel wrote to the nation of Judah, as well as to non-Jews in Babylon, during the exile. His purpose was to show that regardless of what happens in the world, God is completely in control.
Minor Prophets
Hosea
Hosea's name means "salvation". Hosea wrote to the nation of Israel before the exile. His purpose was to show how the curses of Deuteronomy were coming to pass, as well as ultimate restoration to Israel.
Joel
Joel's name means "Yahweh is God". Joel wrote to the nation of Judah before the exile. His purpose was to focus attention to the Day of the Lord, when justice would be complete.
Amos
Amos' name means "burden-bearer". Amos wrote to the nation of Israel before the exile. His purpose was to show that although God would punish Israel for rebelling against him, he would preserve a small group of people who had not rebelled.
Obadiah
Obadiah's name means "servant of the Lord". Obadiah wrote to the nation of Edom. His purpose was to declare that Edom would be judged by God for its constant hatred towards Israel.
Jonah
Jonah's name means "dove". Jonah wrote to the nation of Israel before the exile. His purpose was to remind Israel that they were to bless the nations of the world. If any nation turned away from evil and turned towards God, God would forgive and restore.
Micah Micah's name means "who is like God?". Micah wrote to the nation of Judah before the exile. His purpose was to show that God was fair in disciplining Judah, since Judah had turned from God.
Nahum Nahum's name means "comforter". Nahum wrote to the nation of Assyria. His purpose was to announce the fall of Assyria, and to comfort Israel that God was in control.
Habakkuk
Habakkuk's name means "embracer". Habakkuk wrote to the nation of Judah before the exile. His purpose was to show that God was always fair in dealing with evil, even if his ways were different to the ways of people.
Zephaniah
Zephaniah's name means "protected by God". Zephaniah wrote to the nation of Judah before the exile. His purpose was to show the coming judgment on Judah because of its disobedience to God.
Haggai
Haggai's name means "festive". Haggai wrote to the nation of Judah after the exile. His purpose was to arouse the leaders and people of Judah from their spiritual apathy, and encourage them to continue building the temple.
Zechariah
Zechariah's name means "God remembers". Zechariah wrote to the nation of Judah after the exile. His purpose was to motivate the people to spiritual renewal, and motivate them to rebuild the temple, by showing them God's plans for their future.
Malachi
Malachi's name means "messenger of God". Malachi wrote to the nation of Judah after the exile. His purpose was to put the finger of judgment on the nation, and to motivate the people to return to God with all their beings.
Brief History of the old testament
I don't care for the tone of this, but it helps form a timeline for studying the old testament.
The Book
The Bible (from biblos, Greek for 'book') is the basis of two great religions, Judaism in the Old Testament and Christianity in the New Testament. In each case it brings together a group of documents to tell the story of the founders and early followers of the religion. In doing so it also explains their beliefs. The conventional sources of historical evidence (archaeological remains, written documents) provide few traces of the Old Testament story and none at all of the events described in the New Testament. Yet in the Bible the early Jews and Christians provide an account of themselves which is unparalleled, among religious groups of those times, in its wealth of detail.The books of the Jewish Bible are believed to have been written over several centuries, beginning in the 10th century BC - by which time the Hebrews are settled in Canaan, or Palestine. But in many parts the scribes are writing down a much older oral tradition. It is thought that some of the events described may go back as far as the 18th century BC. The holiest part of the Bible for Jews is the first five books, known as the Torah ('instruction' or 'law' in Hebrew). In non-Jewish sources these books are sometimes called the Pentateuch ('five scrolls' in Greek, from a translation done in Alexandria).
Genesis, the first book of the Torah, begins with a resolutely monotheistic story of the creation and goes on to provide a series of myths which can be echoed in other religions - the fall of man into a state of sin through disobedience (Adam and Eve eating the apple), a great flood which sweeps away the whole of sinful mankind except for one small group of survivors (Noah and his family), and the emergence of different languages (God's punishment for man's presumption in building the mighty tower of Babel, which almost reaches to heaven). With the entry of Abraham, Genesis reaches the story of the Bible's own people, the Hebrews.bkh -->Abraham's people: 18th - 13th century BCIn Genesis Abraham is the patriarch of a nomadic tribe. The story has him moving through Mesopotamia (from Ur to Harran) and then down into Canaan - a land which, God promises, his descendants will inherit. Many tribes move with their flocks among the settled cities of Mesopotamia and Palestine. No doubt several, from time to time, have charismatic leaders long remembered by their descendants. There is no reason to doubt that a figure such as Abraham exists, and scholars put his likely date at about 1800 BC. What makes him significant is the idea of his pact with God, by which God will help Abraham's people in return for their fulfilling God's law. This is the covenant at the heart of the story of the Hebrews.-->-->bkk -->Abraham's grandson is Jacob, whose story provides the origin of the tribal division of the Hebrews. When God renews the covenant with Jacob he gives him a new name, Israel. Jacob eventually has twelve sons, from each of whom a tribe descends - the twelve tribes of Israel. In Genesis the sons of Jacob cause his family to move to Egypt - first by selling one of their number (Joseph) into slavery there, and then by moving south themselves in a time of famine. People called habiru feature in Egyptian records. They have been identified by some scholars with the Hebrews, but there is no firm evidence to prove the link.bkl -->Moses and ExodusIn Exodus, the second book of the Torah, the religious identity of the Hebrew tribes is firmly established through the leadership and inspiration of Moses - as he brings them north towards Canaan, escaping from a state of slavery in Egypt. It is to Moses that God reveals his name (from the burning bush), saying 'I Am Who I Am'. This gives him a name written with four Hebrew letters, YHWH, meaning 'He Who Is'. God's name is later considered too holy to be spoken, but with its vowels added it is Yahweh. In Christian versions of the Old Testament it becomes written as Jehovah.-->-->bkn -->God also reveals to Moses the ten commandments. If the Hebrews obey these laws, God will favour them as his chosen people and will bring them into the promised land of Canaan. This pact is a renewal and development of the long-standing covenant between God and the Hebrews. It now becomes literally the centrepiece of the Hebrew religion.
God, in Exodus, tells Moses to engrave the laws upon two tablets of stone and to place them in a wooden chest covered in pure gold. This chest is the ark of the covenant. As the most sacred object of the Hebrew cult, it will eventually be housed in the inner sanctuary of the temple at Jerusalem.bko -->In Exodus and the three remaining books of the Torah, the Hebrews are wandering in the Sinai desert under the leadership of Moses and of his elder brother Aaron, later seen as the prototype of the Hebrew priesthood.
he third book, Leviticus, is priestly material - largely given over to listing the proper details of ritual and sacrifice.
The fourth, Numbers, describes something of the social and political structure of the tribes on the slow journey north towards the promised land.
Deuteronomy is an amplification of God's law for his people. At the end of Deuteronomy Moses glimpses the land promised by God to Abraham, but dies before he can enter it.bkp -->The Torah: 1000-400 BCThe five books of the Torah, made up of passages composed at various times from the reign of David onwards, are amalgamated and amplified by the priests in about 400 BC. They attribute all five books to Moses, inspired by God. The underlying purpose of the priests is to reinforce the identity of the Jewish community after the return to Jerusalem. In this they succeed beyond all possible expectation. The Torah becomes, and remains today, the centre of Judaism. The most sacred part of a synagogue is the ark containing the Scrolls of the Law. Reading from them, in a cycle which completes the Torah each year, is the heart of the liturgy.-->-->bkq -->After the five books of the Torah, the Old Testament consists of material which can be classed in three categories. There are historical books, continuing the story of the children of Israel; prophetic books, in which the prophets (in effect preachers) castigate the Israelites for their sins and warn them of the wrath of God to come; and poetic works, ranging from the devotional (Psalms) to the more literary (Song of Solomon). In Jewish Bibles the warnings of the prophets are interspersed with the history, of which they are indeed an important part. In the Christian arrangement the prophets are kept to the end, after the poetic books.bkt -->
Joshua, Judges, Samuel and Kings: 11th - 8th century BC
The historical books of the Bible begin with two, Joshua and Judges, which describe the attempts of the Hebrews to enter the promised land. In spite of the resounding story about the walls of Jericho falling down when Joshua (the chosen successor of Moses) marches round them, the texts make it plain that the move into Canaan is a long and fiercely contested process - with the various tribes achieving their own small victories and glorying in their own local heroes. The most famous of these heroes is Samson, a great slayer of the people who are the Hebrews' main rivals for this land of milk and honey. They are the Philistines.The peak of the Israelite achievement is described in the two books of Samuel. These tell how the tribes of Israel finally unite against the Philistines. Samuel, a combination of priest, prophet, soldier and politician, anoints Saul as king and thus creates the Israelite monarchy. Saul's success is limited, and it is not until the throne has been usurped by David that the monarchy in Israel is secure. It then seems to go into a steady decline, from Solomon onwards (as described in Kings). Even so, David's dynasty will rule for 400 years. And moral decline has certain attractions, as a theme, for the stern prophets.bkz -->
Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel: 8th - 6th century BCThe message of the prophets is a constant one. The threats facing Israel are the direct result of the failure of the people and of their rulers to live according to God's commandments. The disasters, when they come, will be God's punishment. But by the same token there is hope. The Israelites are, after all, his chosen people. If they repent and mend their ways, he will again protect them. Among the three major prophets, Isaiah preaches in the 8th century when the threat is from Assyria; Jeremiah pronounces doom in the early 6th century, when the enemy is Babylon; and Ezekiel, in exile, comments a few years later on the same disasters, after Jerusalem has fallen to the Babylonians.A variable text: from the 5th century BCAfter the return from Babylon the priests in Jerusalem are determined to establish a definitive text of the Bible. Scrolls are exhibited in the Temple forecourt, against which other manuscripts can be checked and corrected. Yet over the centuries the text becomes increasingly subject to change for a purely practical reason. The original version shows only the consonants. To help in the study of the Torah, schools add vowels and accents to give assistance when reading aloud. This allows ample opportunity for variations to creep in.
Masoretic text: 9th century ADThe problem is not finally resolved until a major effort in the 9th century AD by Jewish scholars in Jerusalem and in Baghdad (the successor city to Babylon) results at last in consensus. Their agreed Hebrew Bible becomes the standard for all subsequent manuscript copies, and thereafter for printed versions. As guardians of the biblical text these scholars are called Masoretes. The authorized version is known as the Masoretic text. Meanwhile the Hebrew Bible becomes the first body of sacred scripture to be translated - in the form of the Septuagint, for the Greek-speaking Jews of Alexandria. And it acquires a new and influential identity as the Old Testament, prefacing the New Testament of the Christians.
The Book
The Bible (from biblos, Greek for 'book') is the basis of two great religions, Judaism in the Old Testament and Christianity in the New Testament. In each case it brings together a group of documents to tell the story of the founders and early followers of the religion. In doing so it also explains their beliefs. The conventional sources of historical evidence (archaeological remains, written documents) provide few traces of the Old Testament story and none at all of the events described in the New Testament. Yet in the Bible the early Jews and Christians provide an account of themselves which is unparalleled, among religious groups of those times, in its wealth of detail.The books of the Jewish Bible are believed to have been written over several centuries, beginning in the 10th century BC - by which time the Hebrews are settled in Canaan, or Palestine. But in many parts the scribes are writing down a much older oral tradition. It is thought that some of the events described may go back as far as the 18th century BC. The holiest part of the Bible for Jews is the first five books, known as the Torah ('instruction' or 'law' in Hebrew). In non-Jewish sources these books are sometimes called the Pentateuch ('five scrolls' in Greek, from a translation done in Alexandria).
Genesis, the first book of the Torah, begins with a resolutely monotheistic story of the creation and goes on to provide a series of myths which can be echoed in other religions - the fall of man into a state of sin through disobedience (Adam and Eve eating the apple), a great flood which sweeps away the whole of sinful mankind except for one small group of survivors (Noah and his family), and the emergence of different languages (God's punishment for man's presumption in building the mighty tower of Babel, which almost reaches to heaven). With the entry of Abraham, Genesis reaches the story of the Bible's own people, the Hebrews.bkh -->Abraham's people: 18th - 13th century BCIn Genesis Abraham is the patriarch of a nomadic tribe. The story has him moving through Mesopotamia (from Ur to Harran) and then down into Canaan - a land which, God promises, his descendants will inherit. Many tribes move with their flocks among the settled cities of Mesopotamia and Palestine. No doubt several, from time to time, have charismatic leaders long remembered by their descendants. There is no reason to doubt that a figure such as Abraham exists, and scholars put his likely date at about 1800 BC. What makes him significant is the idea of his pact with God, by which God will help Abraham's people in return for their fulfilling God's law. This is the covenant at the heart of the story of the Hebrews.-->-->bkk -->Abraham's grandson is Jacob, whose story provides the origin of the tribal division of the Hebrews. When God renews the covenant with Jacob he gives him a new name, Israel. Jacob eventually has twelve sons, from each of whom a tribe descends - the twelve tribes of Israel. In Genesis the sons of Jacob cause his family to move to Egypt - first by selling one of their number (Joseph) into slavery there, and then by moving south themselves in a time of famine. People called habiru feature in Egyptian records. They have been identified by some scholars with the Hebrews, but there is no firm evidence to prove the link.bkl -->Moses and ExodusIn Exodus, the second book of the Torah, the religious identity of the Hebrew tribes is firmly established through the leadership and inspiration of Moses - as he brings them north towards Canaan, escaping from a state of slavery in Egypt. It is to Moses that God reveals his name (from the burning bush), saying 'I Am Who I Am'. This gives him a name written with four Hebrew letters, YHWH, meaning 'He Who Is'. God's name is later considered too holy to be spoken, but with its vowels added it is Yahweh. In Christian versions of the Old Testament it becomes written as Jehovah.-->-->bkn -->God also reveals to Moses the ten commandments. If the Hebrews obey these laws, God will favour them as his chosen people and will bring them into the promised land of Canaan. This pact is a renewal and development of the long-standing covenant between God and the Hebrews. It now becomes literally the centrepiece of the Hebrew religion.
God, in Exodus, tells Moses to engrave the laws upon two tablets of stone and to place them in a wooden chest covered in pure gold. This chest is the ark of the covenant. As the most sacred object of the Hebrew cult, it will eventually be housed in the inner sanctuary of the temple at Jerusalem.bko -->In Exodus and the three remaining books of the Torah, the Hebrews are wandering in the Sinai desert under the leadership of Moses and of his elder brother Aaron, later seen as the prototype of the Hebrew priesthood.
he third book, Leviticus, is priestly material - largely given over to listing the proper details of ritual and sacrifice.
The fourth, Numbers, describes something of the social and political structure of the tribes on the slow journey north towards the promised land.
Deuteronomy is an amplification of God's law for his people. At the end of Deuteronomy Moses glimpses the land promised by God to Abraham, but dies before he can enter it.bkp -->The Torah: 1000-400 BCThe five books of the Torah, made up of passages composed at various times from the reign of David onwards, are amalgamated and amplified by the priests in about 400 BC. They attribute all five books to Moses, inspired by God. The underlying purpose of the priests is to reinforce the identity of the Jewish community after the return to Jerusalem. In this they succeed beyond all possible expectation. The Torah becomes, and remains today, the centre of Judaism. The most sacred part of a synagogue is the ark containing the Scrolls of the Law. Reading from them, in a cycle which completes the Torah each year, is the heart of the liturgy.-->-->bkq -->After the five books of the Torah, the Old Testament consists of material which can be classed in three categories. There are historical books, continuing the story of the children of Israel; prophetic books, in which the prophets (in effect preachers) castigate the Israelites for their sins and warn them of the wrath of God to come; and poetic works, ranging from the devotional (Psalms) to the more literary (Song of Solomon). In Jewish Bibles the warnings of the prophets are interspersed with the history, of which they are indeed an important part. In the Christian arrangement the prophets are kept to the end, after the poetic books.bkt -->
Joshua, Judges, Samuel and Kings: 11th - 8th century BC
The historical books of the Bible begin with two, Joshua and Judges, which describe the attempts of the Hebrews to enter the promised land. In spite of the resounding story about the walls of Jericho falling down when Joshua (the chosen successor of Moses) marches round them, the texts make it plain that the move into Canaan is a long and fiercely contested process - with the various tribes achieving their own small victories and glorying in their own local heroes. The most famous of these heroes is Samson, a great slayer of the people who are the Hebrews' main rivals for this land of milk and honey. They are the Philistines.The peak of the Israelite achievement is described in the two books of Samuel. These tell how the tribes of Israel finally unite against the Philistines. Samuel, a combination of priest, prophet, soldier and politician, anoints Saul as king and thus creates the Israelite monarchy. Saul's success is limited, and it is not until the throne has been usurped by David that the monarchy in Israel is secure. It then seems to go into a steady decline, from Solomon onwards (as described in Kings). Even so, David's dynasty will rule for 400 years. And moral decline has certain attractions, as a theme, for the stern prophets.bkz -->
Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel: 8th - 6th century BCThe message of the prophets is a constant one. The threats facing Israel are the direct result of the failure of the people and of their rulers to live according to God's commandments. The disasters, when they come, will be God's punishment. But by the same token there is hope. The Israelites are, after all, his chosen people. If they repent and mend their ways, he will again protect them. Among the three major prophets, Isaiah preaches in the 8th century when the threat is from Assyria; Jeremiah pronounces doom in the early 6th century, when the enemy is Babylon; and Ezekiel, in exile, comments a few years later on the same disasters, after Jerusalem has fallen to the Babylonians.A variable text: from the 5th century BCAfter the return from Babylon the priests in Jerusalem are determined to establish a definitive text of the Bible. Scrolls are exhibited in the Temple forecourt, against which other manuscripts can be checked and corrected. Yet over the centuries the text becomes increasingly subject to change for a purely practical reason. The original version shows only the consonants. To help in the study of the Torah, schools add vowels and accents to give assistance when reading aloud. This allows ample opportunity for variations to creep in.
Masoretic text: 9th century ADThe problem is not finally resolved until a major effort in the 9th century AD by Jewish scholars in Jerusalem and in Baghdad (the successor city to Babylon) results at last in consensus. Their agreed Hebrew Bible becomes the standard for all subsequent manuscript copies, and thereafter for printed versions. As guardians of the biblical text these scholars are called Masoretes. The authorized version is known as the Masoretic text. Meanwhile the Hebrew Bible becomes the first body of sacred scripture to be translated - in the form of the Septuagint, for the Greek-speaking Jews of Alexandria. And it acquires a new and influential identity as the Old Testament, prefacing the New Testament of the Christians.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
My new favorite passage
I really like this passage. I like that the father didn't have to get the boy healed through his own prayer. I'm encouraged that, while the disciples couldn't heal him, Jesus could do it. And, Jesus pinpointed why they couldn't heal the boy. Unbelief. Jesus also identified that particular demon, and said that he could only be removed through prayer and fasting.
Jesus gave us a road map, didn't he?
A Boy Is Healed
14 And when they had come to the multitude, a man came to Him, kneeling down to Him and saying, 15 “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic[c] and suffers severely; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water. 16 So I brought him to Your disciples, but they could not cure him.” 17 Then Jesus answered and said, “O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him here to Me.” 18 And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour. 19 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” 20 So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief;[d] for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. 21 However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”[e]
Jesus gave us a road map, didn't he?
A Boy Is Healed
14 And when they had come to the multitude, a man came to Him, kneeling down to Him and saying, 15 “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic[c] and suffers severely; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water. 16 So I brought him to Your disciples, but they could not cure him.” 17 Then Jesus answered and said, “O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him here to Me.” 18 And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour. 19 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” 20 So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief;[d] for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. 21 However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”[e]
Monday, March 23, 2009
There is something I want very badly. I will not rest until I get it. I will not quit. I am doing a good work, and will not come down.
I wish I could blog about it, but I gave my word I wouldn't do it. Instead, I want to declare to the world that I will not surrender. I will not accept anything less than victory. It is the most important goal I've ever had in my life.
The bible says that GOD gave each of us "the" measure of faith. So....it's GOD's faith. GOD had to give to each of us the measure of faith we are using in order to believe in him. Can we get additional faith? Well, the bible says that faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of GOD.
So, I will not stop seeking GOD about this thing that I want. GOD said that if we would humble ourselves, and pray, and seek his face, and turn from our wicked ways, then he would hear us and heal our land.
Although I am nothing of myself, I am more than a conquerer in him. If I am a child of GOD, and a joint heir with Jesus...then I am, by definition, a prince of the King of Kings.
I don't care what I have to do or where I have to go to get this thing I want. If the devil has what I want.....then he had better run. If he hides it, even in his heart....there will I rake for it.
I wish I could blog about it, but I gave my word I wouldn't do it. Instead, I want to declare to the world that I will not surrender. I will not accept anything less than victory. It is the most important goal I've ever had in my life.
The bible says that GOD gave each of us "the" measure of faith. So....it's GOD's faith. GOD had to give to each of us the measure of faith we are using in order to believe in him. Can we get additional faith? Well, the bible says that faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of GOD.
So, I will not stop seeking GOD about this thing that I want. GOD said that if we would humble ourselves, and pray, and seek his face, and turn from our wicked ways, then he would hear us and heal our land.
Although I am nothing of myself, I am more than a conquerer in him. If I am a child of GOD, and a joint heir with Jesus...then I am, by definition, a prince of the King of Kings.
I don't care what I have to do or where I have to go to get this thing I want. If the devil has what I want.....then he had better run. If he hides it, even in his heart....there will I rake for it.
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