GOD of the Old Testament vs. GOD of the New Testament Part III

The Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:1-9)

 ¹ Now the whole earth had one language and one speech. ² And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar, and they dwelt there. ³ Then they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They had brick for stone, and they had asphalt for mortar. ⁴ And they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.”
⁵ But the LORD came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built. ⁶ And the LORD said, “Indeed the people are one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them. ⁷ Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.” ⁸ So the LORD scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they ceased building the city. ⁹ Therefore its name is called Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of all the earth; and from there the LORD scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth.

God had commanded man to populate the earth (Gen. 1:28; Gen. 9:1). That’s kind’a hard if you bunch up in one city. God could have dealt harshly with the people; He could have sent disease, or an enemy, or any number of horrible things to scatter them. But as is God’s nature, He chose to be merciful and do the unexpected. 

God created man to multiply and cover the earth. What is so hard about that?  

While we’re on the subject, have you ever had plans to do something that just didn’t work out? Maybe, like me, you find out later that was God’s hand guiding you somewhere else.

Like the hand of a loving parent guides their toddler lest he fall, so also God guides us lest we fall (in sin).

An interesting note: This site later became Babylon (Iraq). Babel is also where we get the word “Babble,” meaning incoherent chatter. 

GOD of the Old Testament vs. GOD of the New Testament Part II

Part II

Cain and Abel (Genesis 4:1-15)

⁶ So the LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? ⁷ If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.”
⁸ Now Cain talked with Abel his brother; and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him. Gen. 4:6-8

How did God respond?

Cain was angry and the Lord spoke to him warning him that sin was ready to pounce on him but Cain ignored God and sin indeed did pounce. God had tried to reach Cain’s cold, hard heart before he did something horrible. God knew before hand what Cain would do but he spared his life anyway.  

⁹ Then the LORD said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?”
He said, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?”
¹⁰ And He said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground. ¹¹ So now you are cursed from the earth, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. ¹² When you till the ground, it shall no longer yield its strength to you. A fugitive and a vagabond you shall be on the earth.”
¹³ And Cain said to the LORD, “My punishment is greater than I can bear! ¹⁴ Surely You have driven me out this day from the face of the ground; I shall be hidden from Your face; I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond on the earth, and it will happen that anyone who finds me will kill me.”
¹⁵ And the LORD said to him, “Therefore, whoever kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold.” And the LORD set a mark on Cain, lest anyone finding him should kill him.

Does that sound like a tyrant bent on killing any who disobey Him?

As atrocious as Cain’s behavior was, God still had mercy on him. God did not ignore his sin but still had compassion on him. Notice here that Cain never showed any remorse for his sin. He only showed concern for himself.

I don’t know why God chose to let him live, or why He didn’t let him live in fear of his life; all I know is God did not withhold mercy from this sinful man.

Continued…

GOD of the Old Testament vs. GOD of the New Testament

Is The God Of The Old Testament A Tyrant?

Lately I hear this argument quite frequently. The God of the O.T. orders everyone to be stoned for minor offenses, and for His people to murder men, women and children to take their land. If you didn’t do exactly as He said, He had you killed.

I think the beginning of the problem here is the pre supposed assumption of God as a tyrant and the search for passages that would support such a claim. I think to find the truth one has to start before these “acts” of so-called malice.

Let’s go back to Genesis

God gave “everything” to Adam and Eve with the exception of the one tree. That sounds like a loving Father to me. He didn’t make this beautiful garden and give them a small portion of it, He gave them all of it with the exception of “one” single tree. He also informed them of the consequences of eating of that tree (Gen. 2:17).

“If God really loved them, why did He make that tree?” you might ask. If God did not give them the “choice” to decide, that would not be love! Would we want to marry someone against their will? Why? We want to be loved in return by choice. If a person holds another person captive who does not share their affection, we lock that person up; it’s called kidnapping. So if GOD made us love Him and didn’t give us this choice, would He really love us? Would we really love Him? No!

It is some what difficult to explain this to a person who doesn’t know or understand the nature of GOD; they just don’t get it. It takes the Holy Spirit to open our eyes.

In Genesis when God told Adam he would die if he ate from the tree, He didn’t mean at that very moment. GOD could have killed Adam and Eve and started over. How could anyone blame Him if He did? Were they not warned?

Again, this clearly shows a GOD of love and mercy.

After eating from the tree, they saw their nakedness and were ashamed (Gen. 3:7). So what did GOD do? He made them skins to cover their nakedness.

Now this is another subject but this is the first death in history. An innocent animal had to be killed to cover man’s sin.

So we have man, who sins against GOD, and GOD doesn’t kill him, instead He clothes him. That sounds like love and compassion to me.

  Continued…

"Let's Get Physical"

Do you remember that song by Olivia Newton John?

I think it came out in the late 70’s or very early 80’s. I remember seeing the women wearing the leotards, and leg warmers (looked like oversized, droopy socks to me), and they wore bandanas on their heads. When they weren’t bouncing in this attire, they had mall hair, complete with about five pounds of hairspray. I shutter to think what would have happened if they had gotten close to an open flame.

That really started the “Physically Fit” mentality and it continues to this day.

Every week there is a new diet, a new list of “you shouldn’t eat,” a new fitness routine, or some other new thing that will make you healthier and happier.

In this “physically fit” society in which we live, it is hard to realize we are seeing obesity at an all time high. My personal opinion is that a thousand and twelve channels on TV, video games, working in offices/cubicles and on computers plays a major role in this. I’m not saying these things are bad, but they replaced playing football outside, skate boards and roller skates, working in the fields, and all the other things we use to enjoy before we had so many “indoor” activity choices.

I remember the older relatives when I was a boy, I think everything they ate was fried; Fried chicken, fried fish, fried steak, fried eggs, french fries, etc, and three large meals a day. The shocker: none of them were obese!

I believe that was because they worked it off. I also believe it was normal to have gall bladder problems by age forty, but most lived into their eighties; and were healthy.

Back to my original topic; “Physical Fitness.” How should we view the exercise of our bodies? What is the scriptural advice?

⁶ If you instruct the brethren in these things, you will be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished in the words of faith and of the good doctrine which you have carefully followed. ⁷ But reject profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise yourself toward godliness. ⁸ For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come. ⁹ This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance. ¹⁰ For to this end we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe. ¹¹ These things command and teach.

According to Paul, “spiritual fitness” trumps “physical fitness.” How we train our mind in the things of God have eternal value.

I am not condemning working out or staying fit; that is not my objective. What I would like to point out is that being “Spiritually Fit” is much more important.

Good “Spiritual Fitness” will last beyond this life. What good is being physically fit if you develop cancer at age twenty five? Your physical condition may help you survive a little longer, but ultimately death may follow; It will at some point. My next question is hard but I must ask it; will you enjoy a physically fit body in hell?

NO! You won’t enjoy anything in hell.

One last thing I want to point out in closing; just before the passage about good “spiritual fitness,” what does Paul have to say?

 ¹ Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, ² speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, ³ forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. ⁴ For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving; ⁵ for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer. -1 Timothy 4:1-5

Some may disagree with me here, but Paul says we are not to reject what God has given. I am not saying Paul is talking all together about what I am saying, but we need to look for God’s truth in every word of this passage. I do believe in taking care of the body, it is the temple of the Lord; but at the same time, I reject all the latest fad diets. If we seek first “Spiritual Fitness,” we can enjoy other things the world says are bad. 

People today tell us meat is bad for us, milk is bad, eggs are bad and so on;

I disagree. I don’t eat chicken, eggs, or drink much milk myself, but that is because I don’t like them. I do have a problem with raw fish (sushi). But what God has called good, I will not call bad; and what God calls bad, I will not call good.

Friend, if you are a fitness enthusiast that is fine; but don’t let that cause you to stumble. Don’t let your zeal for being healthy come before your worship and honoring God.     

Repentance

⁵ So David’s anger was greatly aroused against the man, and he said to Nathan, “As the LORD lives, the man who has done this shall surely die! ⁶ And he shall restore fourfold for the lamb, because he did this thing and because he had no pity.”
⁷ Then Nathan said to David, “You are the man!”   -2 Samuel 12:5-7

Have we ever found ourselves caught off guard in a sin? Maybe we made some unkind statements about a friend or a joke about someone with a disability; and then we are confronted by them, or someone else. It may be then and only then that we realize how wrong we were.

Maybe we were supposed to take our kids to the zoo or pick up a friend at the airport but we forgot. Maybe our wife/husband was counting on us to do something important and we dropped the ball.

There is that moment that we are confronted with what we have done, or not done, that causes our heart to cringe and hurt.

What about those who are unfaithful to their spouse? The soldier who was asleep on post or not being vigilant and the result was the death of his fellow soldiers? The politician who takes a bribe and loses the respect of his constituents?  

Truth be known, everyone of us has failed another at some point. Unfortunately we are doomed to do it again and again. The big question here is not what we have done, but rather how do we respond once the sin has been uncovered.

It is easy for us to be angry when we see someone else do wrong, but isn’t it funny how we can be lenient on ourselves? For some, they go the opposite route and never forgive themselves. They let regret destroy their life and cause them to cease being productive.

So what are we to do?

David had failed miserably (2 Samuel chapter 11). His head had blown up and he thought he could do whatever he pleased; even taking another man’s wife and murdering the man.

But God wasn’t finished using David. He knew David’s heart, and He knew David would repent when he saw his sin exposed. God sent Nathan the prophet to lay out what David had done but do it in a way that David would not realize he was the man until his own anger was aroused at the hideousness of the sin.

When the truth was revealed, David repented. He was in agony over what he had done. God didn’t let him off the hook, but He allowed David to remain on the throne. God continued to use David.

Dear friend, have you got a hideous past? Have you committed adultery, lied, failed someone, murdered? There is hope. No matter what you have done, “REPENT!” God is faithful to His word and He will restore you. He wants to bring good out of the bad. He can heal any hurt you suffer. He may leave the scars, but He will heal the wound.

If you have sinned but just can’t bring yourself to confess it and repent, I urge you to get on your knees before Holy God and cry out; You are in grave danger.

If you are struggling with a tainted past and feel as though you can’t get past it, please contact your pastor, or a pastor if you are not a member of a church. If you would like to discuss this with me, please feel free to contact me.

The bottom line is we don’t know how long we have to make things right with God. Why wait? Please deal with this today.

I will praise You with uprightness of heart, when I learn Your righteous judgments.  -Psalm 119:7

Comming Soon...

I recall hearing stories of immigrants coming to America many years ago.

Many were poor and could not afford to bring their whole family. The hope was to come here, get established, and send for their loved ones. Before telephones, emails and such, they had no way of communicating with their loved ones outside of written letters, and that could take months. There was a chance those letters may never have reached their families due to ship wreck or other unforeseen occurrence. 

These people did not know what to expect. All they knew was that they had heard of this wonderful land where anything was possible. It would seem that everyone could be rich as long as he was willing to work hard. For many, that was the case. These people were willing to risk their lives in a long and difficult trip across the ocean in a wooden ship, sealed with tar. I believe the smell would have been nauseating to many. I’m not exactly sure how the onboard bathrooms worked, but I’m pretty sure it was either a hole in a board hanging over the side, or a pot, or something else less sanitary than we have today. I don’t believe they had showers or baths, and potable water would have been in limited supply.

So why leave your family, risk death (from disease, starvation, pirate attack, or other less than desirable demise) and endure such a miserable voyage?

It’s simple, because they were willing to risk everything for something better.

But what about those left behind? For some, they never heard from their loved ones again. But for others there was great rejoicing when they were re-united on the shores of this great land.

So, why do I speak of this? Because we Christians are very much like these immigrants; we see heaven as that beautiful  and distant land of unfathomable beauty and opportunity. Some of us go on ahead while some of us remain behind until a future time. For those of us waiting for our time to go, we should never lose sight of the destination or the loved ones waiting there. Unlike these pilgrims, we won’t lose loved ones on the journey. We have the assurance that they made it, if they received Christ as their personal Lord and Savior.

   

The Coming of the Lord

¹³ But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. ¹⁴ For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.
¹⁵ For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. ¹⁶ For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. ¹⁷ Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. ¹⁸ Therefore comfort one another with these words. -1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

For those of us who have lost loved ones, there is hope.

If they received Christ as their personal Lord and Savior (and we as well), we will most definitely see them again.

You would not sabotage the boat your loved ones were on, so how can you not share the Gospel with your loved ones before they leave this life?

To hold back God’s truth is to drill holes in the bottom of the boat.

I want to paint a picture of hope, and promise; but I can’t do this without challenging you to consider the responsibility you have.  Dear friend, please share God’s truth with others. What if no one ever shared it with you? What if your loved ones drilled holes in the bottom of your boat?

Resist Temptation

No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.  -1 Corinthians 10:13

Our Pastor has challenged every member of our church to learn this verse.  When I joined a Bible study group with the Navigators back in 1985, the first verse I memorized was this one. What is so important about this verse?

May I be so bold as to say, because “WE ALL” face temptation!                           
Friend, if you think you don’t face it you are deceived. Whether you are saved or lost, you face temptation. We all struggle with temptation. C. S. Lewis wrote a book titled “The Screwtape Letters” on this subject. I highly encourage every person to read it. Although it is a fictional story, it gives us a pretty good idea how Satan works. If one thing fails, he tries another. If that fails, he has another trick. Of one thing you can be sure, he is relentless. He will never, never, never, ever give up; at least not while you remain here on earth.  

“But we are human and God expects us to fail” you might say. Okay, if that be the case, the next time your child disobeys you, you should not correct or punish them because they are a child and you expect them to act like what they are. Doesn’t hold water does it? Of course not! Let us turn back to our verse:

No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.  -1 Corinthians 10:13

Okay, okay, but what about examples? I’m glad you asked. In Genesis chapter 39, a man named Joseph is a Hebrew slave in an Egyptians house. His master has made him head of his household. A problem arises when the Egyptians wife begins to lust after Joseph. She approaches him several times until her lust consumes her.

¹¹ But it happened about this time, when Joseph went into the house to do his work, and none of the men of the house was inside, ¹² that she caught him by his garment, saying, “Lie with me.” But he left his garment in her hand, and fled and ran outside.  -Genesis 39:11-12

How many of us could honestly say we would flee? Consider that Joseph is a slave. There is no mention of a wife until later. I’m sure he was tempted over and over for a moment of physical pleasure. He could have said “as a slave, I must do what I am told.” He could have found some excuse to do what he wanted. “A man has needs” you might say. Big question here:

“Do I care more about my desires, or God’s will?”

You have to make a choice. If we decide to follow Christ, He will not leave us to fight this battle by ourselves. Again, let us look at our verse:

No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.   -1 Corinthians 10:13

“So how do I overcome temptation?” Let’s look at the Master. Jesus Himself was tempted by Satan in the wilderness.

  ¹ Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. ² And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. ³ Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” ⁴ But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’”
⁵ Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, ⁶ and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written:
’He shall give His angels charge over you,’ and, ‘ In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’” ⁷ Jesus said to him, “It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the LORD your God.’”
⁸ Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. ⁹ And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.”
¹⁰ Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.’” ¹¹ Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.  -Matthew 4:1-11

How did Jesus Christ Himself deal with temptation? He quoted scripture!       
Friend, if you truly want to live for Christ, I beg you, please make it a priority to spend time in prayer and studying scripture.  Paul said to put on the armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-20). We can only win the battle by preparation beforehand. If we do not get ready before the battle, we are doomed. 

When you fail, and you will, do not give in to despair. Immediately repent and get back up. Christ died for this reason. No where in scripture does it say when we receive Christ we will no longer be subject to temptation. It says:

No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.   - 1 Corinthians 10:13

Thankfulness continued...

One day when I was in the Marines I sat down to eat my lunch in the chow hall.  As was my custom, I began to criticize everything I thought was wrong with the meal. A good friend and brother in Christ, was sitting across from me. He sat quietly for awhile and then casually asked if I had said a blessing over my food.

I proudly reported “yes” I had. He then asked me a question I have never forgotten; he asked me how I could ask God to bless something and then complain about what God had blessed?

That was over twenty years ago and I still think often of his question.

I try to apply it to all things, not just food. If we pray for a rebellious child, are we in disbelief when they begin to show an interest in church, the Bible, or God?

What about that sinful neighbor? Do we pray for them and then talk bad about them to others? If they start going to church, do we doubt their sincerity?

If we ask God to do something or bless something, how should we behave after?

Should we not give thanks continually?

   ²⁶ And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.” ²⁷ Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. ²⁸ For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. ²⁹ But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.” ³⁰ And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. –Matthew 26:26-30

Can you imagine what it took for Jesus to be able to do this, knowing what was about to happen a few short hours away? And then sing hyms?

If Jesus could give thanks knowing what lay before Him, and continue to act in absolute obedience, what is it for me to be thankful in all things? There is absolutely “NOTHING” I can face that I should not, and cannot give thanks for.

It is merely a reflection of what is in my heart.

I pray that each of us would consider this and pray about it. If we grumble over a meal that is not up to our standards, maybe God will let us miss a few so that we will understand why we should be grateful. Maybe if we feel a lack of His presence, we will be thankful when we do feel His presence. Maybe then, when we feel slighted because we don’t get our way, we will remember and give heartfelt thanks because it is in our heart!

Thankfulness

And in that day you will say: “ Praise the LORD, call upon His name; declare His deeds among the peoples, make mention that His name is exalted.-Isaiah 12:4

¹⁴ But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. ¹⁵ And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. ¹⁶ Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. ¹⁷ And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.-Colossians 3:14-17

Thankfulness: what does this mean?

thank·ful [thángkfəl] adj

1.  feeling gratitude: feeling or expressing gratitude

2.  glad about something: glad or relieved about something 

Encarta ® World English Dictionary © & (P) 1998-2005 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

To be depressed, one need only turn on the evening news. Crime rates are high, natural disasters are claiming more and more lives, healthcare costs, terrorism continues to expand, the economy is shot, unemployment appears to be here to stay; it goes on and on.

“What have I got to be thankful for” you might ask?

God!

That’s right, God!

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. –John 3:16

This one verse alone should be enough to cause us to break out in praise and thankfulness. It is a promise of hope and deliverance for every weary soul if they will receive it.
“That’s fine” you might say, “but my life is a shambles right now. I need a break. How long can God expect me to endure?”  

²² Then the multitude rose up together against them; and the magistrates tore off their clothes and commanded them to be beaten with rods. ²³ And when they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to keep them securely. ²⁴ Having received such a charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.   
²⁵ But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. –Acts 16:22-25

³⁸ Then He said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me.” ³⁹ He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.” –Matthew 26:38-39

 

There are numerous passages throughout the scriptures that tell of men and women, and even Jesus, going through difficult times. I don’t think one of them liked it at the time, but that is not my point.

My point is this, "don’t look at this temporary affliction as being forever; It is but for a time. Focus on the end result."

Had Jesus not gone to the cross, we would have much in deed to grieve over.

But praise God, we have a future beyond our wildest dreams. These brief times of distress refine us so that our future is even brighter. The Father uses pain to draw us to Himself. Many of us would be crawling along the shaky ledge but for the goodness of God who let us fall that He might raise us up and deliver us.

As much as I have grieved through the pain I have endured, I would not trade what I have learned. When this life on earth is over for me, I will never ask “why Lord?”  I will say with heartfelt gratitude, “Thank You!”

Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. –Psalm 107:1

The Spiritual Heritage of the United States Capital

Were our forefathers really deists and atheists? See the facts for yourself.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tlum7TAgI6I&feature=related

U.S. Capitol Tour with David Barton

We have heard so much about seperation of church and state from the liberals; take a look at the facts.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlfEdJNn15E&feature=related