tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32749242590757853242024-03-23T09:38:12.089-07:00To follow HimChavouxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02548629951249411219noreply@blogger.comBlogger58125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3274924259075785324.post-904523705812331482024-03-23T09:18:00.000-07:002024-03-23T09:37:38.855-07:00On Racism<p><b><u>Why should racism concern Christians?</u></b> </p><p>"I am not a racist!" This is what I would always tell myself. Although I grew up in Namibia in the time when it was still under apartheid South African rule, my family was always relatively liberal and taught us to respect people of all races. Later, when preaching the gospel to Zulu's as a young follower of Jesus, I learned about the importance of cultural differences and about our Lord humbling Himself to become one of us (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Phil+2&version=ESVUK" target="_blank">Phil.2</a>)... and that we should follow in his footsteps when bringing the gospel to others.</p><p>So imagine my surprise when the Holy Spirit revealed how much racism there was still in my heart. This happened many years ago when I was working as a volunteer at a youth hostel in Haifa, Israel. We were a group of young men who often played basketball together, all believers in Jesus as Messiah. One of the group was the son of an Arab mother and an African father, really a nice guy with a Christ-like character -- to me he looked almost like a tall Cape Coloured, to give a South African context. He was married to a very fair-skinned, red-haired Jewish girl, also a believer in Messiah Jesus and they made a beautiful couple. Then I found out that her parents (also believers) were not in favour of the marriage originally. And I was surprised and a little indignant -- How could they have anything against this friend of mine who was such a nice guy and exemplified what a believer in Jesus should be? This was when the Holy Spirit asked me this question: How would you feel if one of your sisters got in a relationship with a black or coloured person? Would you approve? And I had to honestly confess that I would not approve. Oh, I had all kinds of good reasons for why such a relationship would not be a good idea in South Africa of the time, but at the bottom of it all was actually racism, racism that I had never even realized still existed in my heart. As a Christian, I should beware of my own sin (<a href="https://www.blueletterbible.org/nkjv/psa/18/1/t_conc_496023">Ps.18:23</a>) and sinful inclinations.</p><p>So why is it important to talk about racism again? Racism needs to be defined clearly, because we are currently living in a society where almost anything that could possibly give offence to some group is called "racism". The main problem with this is the boy who cried "Wolf!"... we become so numb to everything being called racism, that we become unable to recognize actual racism when we see it. Additionally, as shown by my own experience, it becomes easy not to see our own racist and sinful attitudes ("<i>There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.</i>" - <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Prov.+14&version=ESVUK" target="_blank">Prov.14:12</a>). </p><p><b><u>What is racism?</u></b></p><p>Although there are all kinds of new definitions of racism to try and make it as wide as possible (but also to exclude some racial groups from being guilty of racism), at its heart <b><i>racism is simply a specific form of prejudice</i></b>. Prejudice implies that I <b><i>judge</i></b> somebody and his/her abilities according to the colour of their skin (or some other irrelevant initial observation) <i><b>before knowing</b></i> anything more about the person (and also subsequently viewing everything the person do or say through the lens of this initial judgement). </p><p>Given this definition, <b><i>what racism is not:</i></b></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Racism is <i><b>not</b></i> simply another term for <b><i>racial hatred</i></b>. All racial hatred flows from racism, but not all racism results in hatred. This misunderstanding of racism was one of the reasons why I was unable to recognize my own racism until the Holy Spirit revealed it to me. Because I did not hate people of other races, I am not or cannot be a racist? I was wrong.</li><li>Racism is also <b><i>not simply</i></b> <b><i>generalization</i></b>. To generalize from an observation and say that black people are good in some sports (or not generally good in other sports, like rugby or swimming), is not racism. Such a generalization could be true and based on reliable statistical facts. However it can become racism, when such a generalization (which could possibly be true) is applied to every single person of that skin colour (i.e. pre-judging a specific individual by a common and also possibly false perception).</li><li>Simply <i><b>pointing out</b></i> typical <b><i>differences</i></b> based on facts between different groups is not racism. However, to make assumptions about people of a specific skin colour based on stereotypes. <i>is </i>racism. Because such assumptions are based on prejudice, rather than actual facts. Even when there are real differences between groups, most of the time the reason for the differences have nothing to do with skin colour, but could be because of cultural differences or the quality of their diet when growing up. In truth, genetic studies have shown that there are typically greater genetic variety within groups of the "same" skin colour than between the groups. However, it is not racist in the medical field, for example, to know or state that certain people groups have higher risks of certain diseases due to genetic differences, especially where skin colour does make a difference (e.g. that dark-skinned people are prone to Vitamin D deficiency in far Northern climes, or that light-skinned people are prone to skin cancer when working outdoors in Africa). Again, the reason why it is not racist, is because it is not based on prejudice.</li><li>Similarly, to honestly <b><i>state</i></b> <b><i>differences between cultures</i></b> that often correspond to skin colour, is not racism. It becomes racism when we generalize to to point of saying, "All of them are like this", or to start thinking that a specific people group or skin colour is simply better than all others. Pride and haughtiness is one of the things most hated by God (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Prov.+6&version=ESVUK" target="_blank">Prov.6:16-17</a>). But worse, racist pride is not even based on my own accomplishments or abilities, but pride based only on my skin colour! Therefore this is also a kind of prejudice, where I judge myself (positively), but not based on my character or actual deeds. In truth, just as is true for individuals, all cultures and people groups have positive aspects in their culture, but also negative aspects. Just because the typical sins of my people group is not the same as that of others, does not make me or my culture any less sinful.</li><li>Pride, in the sense of having an appreciation for the history and accomplishments of my own people or <b><i>to openly identify</i></b> as a member of a specific people group, is not racism. Not apologizing because I am a member of a certain people group or skin colour, is not racism. It only becomes racism when I start to see myself as superior to others <i>because of</i> my skin colour. </li></ul><p></p><p>From the above negative definition of racism, it should be clear that <b><i>people of any race can be racist</i></b>. Racism is an attitude of the heart and has nothing to do with power or the ability to force my racism on others. A white South African who experiences discrimination in the work place, can be just as racist as he used to be under old apartheid South Africa. The loss of power is irrelevant. There <i>is</i> something like institutional (also called structural or systemic) racism, where racism is built into the system and people are judged and dealt with according to their skin colour, rather than their character, skills or abilities. The most obvious example is Apartheid. However, <i style="font-weight: bold;">it includes Affirmative Action </i>and racial quotas. This kind of racism may be justified on the grounds of giving "previously disadvantaged groups" a fair opportunity to rectify the injustices of previous racial discrimination, but inherently it still approaches people and judges them according to skin colour.</p><p>It should therefore be clear that racism can easily be hidden, even under a mask of "good intentions". A policy like affirmative action implies that the black (previously disadvantaged) person would never make it without help; that a person, just because of a dark skin colour, is inherently not able to do certain things without (white) help. The worst aspect of this kind of racism is that it places certain people in a permanent position of dependence (and another race permanently in the position of help-givers). Moreover, it creates the perception that any black person or person from a "previously disadvantaged" group who accomplishes anything in society, only did so because of help from outside and would never have been able to do so without (affirmative action) help, even for those who reached their goals through hard work and by their own merits without outside help -- it creates a lasting perception of inferiority, both for outsiders and for those within the group. This also demonstrates why racism is not only (or even primarily) racial hatred.</p><p>Because racism focuses on skin colour, it never addresses the actual reasons for differences (and the growing gap) in wealth and status within society. Things like lack of skills, which could be learned (e.g. many, if not most, Afrikaner farmers learn from childhood from their dad how to farm... formal Agricultural training often just provide the theoretical background for what they already know -- only when a new generation of black farmers start teaching their children how to farm, will there truly be equal skill levels and opportunities). Differences in average IQ between racial groups could be based on something as simple as dietary differences (e.g. lack of proteins) causing slower brain development. Or simply inferior schooling due to unmotivated or insufficiently trained teachers. Or simply cultural differences... e.g. as long as the majority of black boys prefer to play soccer rather than rugby, rugby is likely to be predominated by players from racial groups who have played and watched almost exclusively rugby since boyhood. It is important not to put any stumbling blocks in the way of anybody who is truly interested and has talent for a specific sport that is not popular in his or her own culture. But also not to look primarily at skin colour. In this light, is it then justifiable to have quotas or to dictate a certain percentage "representation" in companies, organizations or sport teams? Is it not exactly (and still) racism (prejudice based on skin colour)? And can we as Christians support this, if we acknowledge that racism is sin and evil in the eyes of God? </p><p>Just as the Lord had to confront me as a follower of Jesus with my own racism many years ago, I pray that the Holy Spirit will convict everyone who reads and needs this, of their sin. "<i>My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory.</i>" (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jam+2&version=ESVUK" target="_blank">James 2</a>) -- This includes partiality based on skin colour.</p><p><br /></p>Chavouxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02548629951249411219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3274924259075785324.post-28634087415438948422019-09-15T03:28:00.003-07:002019-09-15T03:39:29.447-07:00The story of the Kingdom of God<h1 id="the-history-of-the-kingdom-of-god" style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1.1; margin: 15px 0px; position: relative; text-align: center;">
<em><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">The history of the Kingdom of God</span></em></h1>
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<span style="color: #f3f3f3;">The kingdom of God was not a new concept suddenly introduced by Jesus in his preaching (even though it was the major aspect of his preaching and parables:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="https://chavoux.blogspot.com/2019/09/the-gospel-of-kingdom-of-god.html">The gospel of the Kingdom of God</a>). It has a long history in the Bible… here is a short overview of the concept as it is revealed over time in the Bible. The Kingdom of God was not an afterthought, but it will become clear that this was the ultimate purpose of God right from the start of creation.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #f3f3f3;">The whole universe, heavens and earth, was created by the LORD God for Himself (described in Gen.1-2). And He created mankind to rule over the earth as his representatives.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><em>This</em><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>is our ultimate creation purpose, right from the start. Obviously, to rule as the representative of somebody else, you have to be in constant communication with who-ever you are representing. The image that you reflect, needs to be the image of the Person you represent (otherwise you are representing yourself or somebody else). And this is the relationship described in Gen.2-3 between mankind and the LORD God.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #f3f3f3;">But then came the fall into sin and rebellion against God (described in Gen.3-4). Mankind gave their allegiance and obedience to the serpent, turning their backs on their Creator and King and on their whole reason for being; their creation purpose (to rule as his representatives). Satan became the<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><em>de facto</em><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>ruler of this earth as we (the rightful stewards of this earth) gave him our allegiance. Even during this time, a handful of people “walked with God” and were considered faithful to Him (e.g. Enoch and Noah).</span></div>
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<span style="color: #f3f3f3;">But then, when the sinfulness and rebellion of mankind became too great, God disinhereted the nations. They were given over to worshipping “other gods”, lesser spiritual beings… who often followed the devil in his rebellion against God and became part of his “the kingdom of this world” – the nations at larger no longer served or worshipped the one true God directly, but served false gods of their own making and imagination, or even worshipped demons (this process is also referred to in some of the Psalms and in parts of Gen.6-11).</span></div>
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<span style="color: #f3f3f3;">And then the Lord God intervened. He started again with a single person to whom He gave the promise that he would become the father of many nations and with a single country that would become his very own… although all of the earth belongs to Him as the Creator, He was not going to take it back with violence and judgement. He would start with a single nation through whom the world would see what He looks like and what it looks like if people followed Him and lived for Him. He would become their King and rule them through his righteous and holy teaching (Law/Torah). They would be separated to Him from among all the nations and be a Kingdom of priests to Him (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ex+19&version=ESVUK">Ex.19:5-6</a>). Priests represent the people to God and Kings rule as his representatives over the earth (their land, which He would give to them as an eternal inheritence). But this position was also conditional; they had to keep his covenant, commands and Torah (Law) that showed them the way to live this holy lives as his representatives on earth.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Deut+32&version=ESVUK">Deut.32:8-9</a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>– “<em><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>When the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance, when He divided mankind, He fixed the borders of the peoples according to the number of the sons of God. But the Lord’s portion is his people, Jacob his allotted heritage.</em>” It is among these “sons of God” that He will arise to judge them and ultimately inherit all the nations of earth again as described in<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ps+82&version=ESVUK">Ps.82</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #f3f3f3;">And herein lies one of the most basic aspects of the Kingdom of God… It is through our sin (disobedience to God and obeying the voice of the satan instead) that we have lost our position as his representatives and given rule over the earth to the enemy (satan, called the prince/ruler/god of this world in the New Testament). And even Israel, the chosen nation, disobeyed his Torah. The Good News of the Kingdom, is that God is going to take back the rulership that belongs to Him alone. And He is going to use people to do that. More specifically, He was going to use a very specific Person (the Son of man) to do it, as the representative of all mankind, the Anointed. Jesus of Nazareth came, proclaiming the Good News that the promised Kingdom of God has arrived (because the King has arrived). There were many promises through the ages given through the prophets about this promised King. And one of the main things He did, was to live 100% according to the Torah of God, even challenging his opponents, “<em>Which one of you convicts me of sin?</em>” (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+8&version=ESVUK">John 8:46</a>) after having just convicted them all of their own sin (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+8&version=ESVUK">John 8:1-12</a>). Thus He was the one righteous Man who could give a righteous offering of Himself to atone for all our sins (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Is+53&version=ESVUK">Is.53</a>), according to the prophecies. Taking our sins and forever dealing with it as the Representative of mankind, He forever removed any claim that the tempter had on earth. Thus, through his death and resurrection, He freed us from sin, the law, fear of death, our flesh and this present world system (ruled by the “prince of this world”), into his new Kingdom as the true Representative of God the Father on earth – He showed us the face of God, his true character.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #f3f3f3;">One of the promises about the coming Messiah, the Son of David according to the flesh, was that He would rule over all the nations (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Is+9&version=ESVUK">Is.9</a>,<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Is+11&version=ESVUK">11:10</a>,<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Dan+7&version=ESVUK">Dan.7:14</a>). However, He would also break every weapon of war and nations will no longer learn to make war (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Is+2&version=ESVUK">Is.2:4</a>,<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hos+1&version=ESVUK">Hos.1:17</a>,<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hos+2&version=ESVUK">2:17</a>,<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mic+4&version=ESVUK">Mic.4:3</a>). How then would He win the whole earth, all nations, as his Kingdom? “<em>Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts.</em>” (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Zech+4&version=ESVUK">Zech.4:6</a>).<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><em>This</em><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>was the Kingdom demonstrated and established by Jesus on earth… like a mustard seed, smallest of all (cultivated) seeds, growing into a tree (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matt+13&version=ESVUK">Matt.13:31-32</a>). And<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><em>this</em><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>was the method through which God chose to re-establish his reign on earth – not by a mighty display of his power as during the Exodus, but through the Spirit of his Son, changing us into the image of his Son when we enter into and become part of his Kingdom, through his Spirit (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Rom+8&version=ESVUK">Rom.8:29</a>,<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Rom+12&version=ESVUK">12:1-2</a>,<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+3&version=ESVUK">John 3:3,5</a>).</span></div>
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<span style="color: #f3f3f3;">Yes, there is also a future fulfillment, when the power and authority of the Lord (and our sonship) finally becomes visible in its glory (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hos+2&version=ESVUK">2 Thess.1:7-10</a>). Then, He will recreate a new heaven and earth, uncorruptable and where it will literally and vissibly be heaven on earth (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Rev+21&version=ESVUK">Rev.21</a><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Rev+22&version=ESVUK">-22</a>). The Kingdom that He planned when creating mankind originally, where we rule as his representatives, will finally become a reality, but even more glorious than the first creation (just compare Gen.1-2 with Rev.21-22). But in the meantime, for now He is establishing his Kingdom in and through all those who willingly join themselves to Him and give themselves fully to Him, through repentance and faith (trust) in Him. We are being prepared in this world for our future with Him – by learning how to live in communion with Him (and each other). We are completing the mission with which the Father sent Jesus (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+20&version=ESVUK">John 20:21</a>), establishing the Kingdom of God on earth, not in our own strength or through our own power, but through our unity with Him (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Joh+15&version=ESVUK">John 15:1</a><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Joh+16&version=ESVUK">-16:11</a>).</span></div>
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Chavouxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02548629951249411219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3274924259075785324.post-25483724968029761712019-09-01T11:56:00.001-07:002019-09-01T11:56:33.247-07:00The gospel of the Kingdom of God<h1 id="the-gospel-of-the-kingdom" style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 1.1; margin: 15px 0px; position: relative; text-align: center;">
<em><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">The gospel of the Kingdom</span></em></h1>
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<span style="color: #f3f3f3;">Jesus started his public ministry with these words: “<em>The time is fulfilled, and the<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><span style="font-weight: 700;">kingdom of God</span><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.</em>” (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark+1&version=ESVUK">Mark.1:15</a>) Right from the start it is all about the Kingdom of God. The single object of most of the parables and teachings of Jesus is about the Kingdom of God (just read the gospels).</span></div>
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<span style="color: #f3f3f3;">Jesus starts his ministry with the Good News of the Kingdom of God, “<em>And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people.</em>” (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matt+4&version=ESVUK">Matt.4:23</a>); He ends his time on earth teaching about the Kingdom, “<em>To them he presented himself alive after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><span style="font-weight: 700;">the kingdom of God</span>.</em>” (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+1&version=ESVUK">Acts 1:3</a>); the early disciples continue to preach the Kingdom of God, “<em>But when they believed Philip as he preached<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><span style="font-weight: 700;">good news about the kingdom of God</span><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.</em>” (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+8&version=ESVUK">Acts 8:12</a>), “<em>And he entered the synagogue and for three months spoke boldly, reasoning and persuading them about<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><span style="font-weight: 700;">the kingdom of God</span>.</em>”; and the book of Acts ends with Paul preaching the Kingdom of God, “<em>He lived there two whole years at his own expense, and welcomed all who came to him, proclaiming<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><span style="font-weight: 700;">the kingdom of God</span>and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance.</em>” (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+28&version=ESVUK">Acts 28:30</a>)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #f3f3f3;">In<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="https://chavoux.blogspot.com/2019/06/true-gospel-what-is-christian-really.html">What is a disciple? The true Good News</a>, we read a little bit about the true gospel in contrast to various false gospels. But the word “gospel” (Besorah in Hebrew / Euangellion in Greek) means something like “Good News”, “Happy Message”, “Joyful Proclamation”, “glad tidings”. It is used in the Old Testament already (e.g. after victory over enemies - ) and in New Testament times it was often used for the glad tidings that a new king or emperor has been crowned and the uncertainty of deciding who will reign has been settled. One of the clearest passages in the Old Testament is part of the introduction to<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Is+53&version=ESVUK">Isaiah 53</a>, “<em>How beautiful upon the mountains<br />are the feet of him who brings good news,<br />who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness,<br />who publishes salvation,<br />who says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns.’</em>” (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Is+52&version=ESVUK">Is.52:7</a>) What is the content of the message of peace, happiness and salvation? “Your God reigns” (He is King!). This Kingdom of God has been promised in connection with the Messiah, the Son of Man, in multiple Messianic prophecies, e.g., “<em>Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and He shall reign as King and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: ‘The Lord is our righteousness.’ … But they shall serve the Lord their God and David their king, whom I will raise up for them.</em>” (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jer+23&version=ESVUK">Jer.23:5-6</a>,<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jer+30&version=ESVUK">30:9</a>)<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br />“<em>I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I myself will make them lie down, declares the Lord God. I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, and the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them in justice. … And I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd.</em>” (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ezek+34&version=ESVUK">Ezek.34:15-16,23</a>)<br />“<em>I saw in the night visions,<br />and behold, with the clouds of heaven<br />there came one like a son of man,<br />and he came to the Ancient of Days<br />and was presented before him.<br />And to him was given dominion<br />and glory and a kingdom,<br />that all peoples, nations, and languages<br />should serve him;<br />his dominion is an everlasting dominion,<br />which shall not pass away,<br />and his kingdom one<br />that shall not be destroyed.</em>” (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Dan+7&version=ESVUK">Dan.7:13-14</a>)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #f3f3f3;">These are the promises to which Jesus was referring when He said “the time is fulfilled”. This is a whole different viewpoint of the Good News – it is not primarily about us being saved from our sins and eternal death, but about the righteous King coming to take his rightful place. More about this story of the Kingdom in the next piece. But here I want to mention some practical implications to the fact that the gospel is all about the Kingdom of God:</span></div>
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<li><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">We enter the Kingdom by repentence and faith in Jesus as the Messiah, the anointed King, High Priest and Prophet of the New Covenant. “<em>Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”</em>” (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+3&version=ESVUK">John 3:3</a>)</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">We are saved into something. From the kingdom of darkness into the Kingdom of light. We are not simply saved for ourselves and our own “eternal life in heaven” (pie in the sky someday when we die).</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">The whole purpose of the Kingdom of God is to re-establish the Kingdom of God (his reign) on earth as it is in heaven. Mankind, who was put in charge of the earth, has rebelled against Him, serving the “prince of this world” and He has overlooked this rebellion for some time. But now He is re-establishing his reign over the earth, through a Man, Jesus the promised Messiah King.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">The Kingdom is all about the King. It is all about Messiah Jesus. All of our previous posts about the church and revival comes back to this principle… it is all about Jesus.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">He, Jesus, the Messiah, is the King. We follow Him. We obey Him. We serve Him… when we enter his Kingdom. This is a voluntary decision. He never forces anybody to enter the Kingdom. But if we do it, we belong fully to Him. He created us, and He bought us back from sin, in order that we may belong to Him. He has a double claim on our lives.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">The Kingdom is built on foundations of righteousness and the love and mercy of God,<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><em>not</em><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>on military power or earthly authority. There is only one King, and He rules in our hearts when we enter his Kingdom. He makes us new people that are able to keep his cmmands of love, by coming to live inside us (<a href="https://chavoux.blogspot.com/2019/06/how-to-follow-him.html">How to follow Him</a>).</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">The Kingdom starts small (like a mustard seed) and grows slowly to become big (like a large tree). It involves individuals entering in, not nations “converted” by the sword. It grows through discipleship, becoming like Jesus, and disciple-making, helping others to become like Jesus. All living born-again Christians are part of the physical representation of Messiah on earth, his body. While the Kingdom of God is already here on earth where-ever Messiah reigns in the hearts of his disciples, this is just the beginning. The future involves the Kingdom being established in its full power, when Messiah returns in glory and power, and all those who have died in Him are resurrected to eternal life (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Cor+15&version=ESVUK">1 Cor. 15</a>). Then the original creation purpose of God, why He created mankind in the first place, will be fulfilled.</span></li>
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Chavouxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02548629951249411219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3274924259075785324.post-79172008050220931422019-06-16T13:13:00.003-07:002019-06-16T13:21:37.497-07:00How to follow Him<h1 id="how-to-follow-him" style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 1.1; margin: 15px 0px; position: relative; text-align: center;">
<em><span style="color: #999999;">How to follow Him</span></em></h1>
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<span style="color: #999999;">WWJD?</span></h2>
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<span style="color: #f3f3f3;">We have already established that a Christian, accoring to the Bible is a disciple, a follower, an apprentice of the Messiah (Christ) (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+11&version=ESVUK">Acts 11:26</a>) in<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="https://chavoux.blogspot.com/2019/06/true-gospel-what-is-christian-really.html">What is a disicple? The true Good News</a>. But what does this actually mean? According to many people it is to look at the example of Jesus, and do the same. This is typical of the “what would Jesus do (WWJD)” understanding of being a Christian. Paul said, “<em>Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.</em>” (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Cor+11&version=ESVUK">1 Cor.11:1</a>) and Peter said, “<em>For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.</em>” (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Pet+2&version=ESVUK">1 Pet.2:21</a>). There can be no denying that there is some truth in this understanding of being a Christian and following Jesus.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #f3f3f3;">There is one important point that is missed by the WWJD viewpoint of following the Messiah, however – Jesus is not dead! He died on the cross yes, but He was raised from the dead and is alive today! “<em>For I delivered to you as of<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><span style="font-weight: 700;">first importance</span><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>what I also received: that Messiah (Christ) died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then He appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared also to me.</em>” (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Cor+15&version=ESVUK">1 Cor.15:3-8</a>). What does this mean for our following of Jesus? It implies that we (should) hear and follow the voice of the living Messiah<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><em>today</em><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>(see<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="https://chavoux.blogspot.com/2019/06/hearing-voice-of-good-shepherd-and.html">On hearing the voice of the good Shepherd</a>)! It is not<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><em>only</em><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>about following the example of Jesus from 2000 years ago, but also of hearing his voice and following Him here and now.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #f3f3f3;">We already talked about<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="https://chavoux.blogspot.com/2019/06/hearing-voice-of-good-shepherd-and.html">hearing his voice</a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>and<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="https://chavoux.blogspot.com/2019/06/living-in-his-presence-walking-humbly.html">living all of our lives in his presence</a>. Here I want to focus on<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><em>how</em><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>we obey Him. In his last command, Jesus told his disciples to make disciples of all nations and to teach them<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><em>to obey</em><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>all that He has commanded them (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matt+28&version=ESVUK">Matt.28:18-20</a>). But He precedes and closes off the command with two great promises:</span></div>
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<li><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">“<em>All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.</em>” – in this very important sense, the Kingdom of heaven<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><em>has now come</em><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>– and</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">“<em>And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.</em>” – we are not left alone to do what He command us on our own or in our own strength.</span></li>
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<span style="color: #f3f3f3;"><span style="font-weight: 700;"><em>These promises are an inherent part of the command</em></span><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>to make (and be) disciples of Messiah Jesus. But even more, even from the perspective of following the<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><em>example</em><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>of Jesus, He has taught us how we are to follow Him:</span></div>
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<li><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">“<em>So Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.’</em>” (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Joh+5&version=ESVUK">John 5:19</a>) – If even the Son of God can do<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><em>nothing</em><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>of his own accord, can we?</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">“<em>I can do nothing on my own.</em>” (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Joh+5&version=ESVUK">John 5:30</a>) – Isn’t this the promise of Jesus in Matt.28 that He would not leave us on our own?</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">“<em>…I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me.</em>” (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Joh+8&version=ESVUK">John 8:28</a>)… “<em>For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the One who sent me has himself given me a commandment–what to say and what to speak.</em>” (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Joh+12&version=ESVUK">John 12:49</a>) – Is this not what He promised elsewhere, “<em>And when they bring you to trial and deliver you over, do not be anxious beforehand what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour, for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit.</em>” (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark+13&version=ESVUK">Mar.13:11</a>? And then Jesus extends the example He showed to us: “<em>Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.</em>” (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Joh+12&version=ESVUK">Joh.15:4</a>), “<em>Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.’<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></em>” (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Joh+12&version=ESVUK">Joh.20:21</a>) – Just as He remained in and lived out of his Father, we are to remain and live out of Him.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><em>This</em><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>is the secret of discipleship. To live and remain in Jesus. Nothing more, nothing less.</span></li>
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<span style="color: #f3f3f3;">“<em>And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.</em>.”<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Joh+5&version=ESVUK">1 John 5:11-12</a>).</span></div>
Chavouxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02548629951249411219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3274924259075785324.post-81857497987972520212019-06-10T04:52:00.002-07:002019-06-10T04:52:49.452-07:00Walking with Him<h1 id="living-in-his-presence" style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 1.1; margin: 15px 0px; position: relative; text-align: center;">
<em><span style="color: #cccccc;">Living in His presence</span></em></h1>
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<span style="color: #cccccc;">Walking humbly with your God</span></h2>
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<span style="color: #f3f3f3;">“<em>‘With what shall I come before the Lord,<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br />and bow myself before God on high?<br />Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,<br />with calves a year old?<br />Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,<br />with ten thousands of rivers of oil?<br />Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression,<br />the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?’<br />He has told you, O man, what is good;<br />and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><span style="font-weight: 700;">to walk humbly with your God?</span></em>” (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mic+6&version=ESVUK">Mic.6:6-8</a>)<br />“<em>And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul,</em>” (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Deut+10&version=ESVUK">Deut.10:12</a>)<br />Since the beginning (see e.g. Enoch and Noah)<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><em>this</em><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>was the one thing that God wanted – that we would walk (live) mindful of his presence. It is important to realise that it is not about the actual presence of the God who fills heaven and earth (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jer+23&version=ESVUK">Jer.23:24</a>), but about<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><em>our</em><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>awareness of his holy presence.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #f3f3f3;">And this has become reality in the New Covenant when we not only live<em>before</em><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Him, but He lives<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><em>in</em><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>us and we<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><em>in Him</em>. From Romans to 2 Peter the words “in Christ” are found 89 times! Jesus Himself expresses this clearly in<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Joh+14&version=ESVUK">John 14:17-18, 20</a>,<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Joh+15&version=ESVUK">15:1-14</a>,<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Joh+17&version=ESVUK">17:21-23, 26</a>. The Scripture in<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Thes+5&version=ESVUK">1 Thess.5:17</a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>says, “<em>pray without ceasing,</em>”. How is this possible? Don’t we have jobs and work to do?</span></div>
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<span style="color: #f3f3f3;">The secret is to live a life in the presence of God, a life of dependence on Him and his power working in us.</span></div>
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<li><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">I have very early on in my walk with the Lord learned that I cannot do any “spiritual” work in my own strength… Because of my natural personality as an introvert, I simply could not talk to people about Jesus and what God has done for us through Him.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><em>That</em><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>was why I prayed so desperately for God to fill me with his Holy Spirit, because I knew from experience that I could never be a witness to Him by myself (not that I didn’t try at first). But He could (and did!) use me as an instrument in his hand after filling me with his Holy Spirit (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Act+1&version=ESVUK">Acts 1:8</a>).</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">However, until very recently, my secular work, my studies, etc. I simply did in my own strength. Yes, I did my best because I did it “for Him”, but I relied on my own wisdom and intelligence to do it. Being healthy and loving to learn, I thought that I could do<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><em>this</em><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>well enough on my own. But I recently learned that as a follower of Jesus, I cannot. A little book by brother Lawrence, “the practice of the presence of God”, as well as a number of personal circumstances, suddenly brought it home to me… walking in the presence of the Lord includes a life of<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><em>total dependence</em><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>on Him, a life of faith (trust) in Him. In our secular jobs<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><em>we are serving Him</em>(this I knew), and therefore, just like we need his Spirit for serving Him in “spiritual matters”, we<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><em>need Him</em><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>to serve Him in our daily work (this I learned).</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">Even more so, I learned that<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><em>even when we relax</em>, rest, or go on holiday (which we all need), we should do it in dependence on Him. Jesus rested (e.g. sleeping in the boat on the Sea of Gallilee), but even his time of rest, was a time of teaching and of being useful to God (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matt+8&version=ESVUK">Matt.8:23-27</a>,<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matt+14&version=ESVUK">Matt.14:13</a>). I realised that we can trust the Father to lead us to rest as we need it (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matt+14&version=ESVUK">Matt.11:28-30</a>,<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark+6&version=ESVUK">Mark 6:31</a>). He will not allow us to burn out serving Him… burn-out is all too often the evidence that we have been serving Him in our own strength. But similarly, considering my “down time” as my own, opens me to all kinds of temptations. It was while David was relaxing in Jerusalem with his army fighting in Rabba, that he sinned with Bathsheba (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Sam+11&version=ESVUK">2 Sam.11</a>). I also found that I was most vulnerable to sin when relaxing, “doing my own thing”. Even our “off” time we are to spend in his presence.</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="color: #f3f3f3;">All good and well, but<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><em>how</em><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>do we live (walk) in the presence of God? A few practical things I have learned:</span></div>
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<li><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">Make sure there are no unconfessed sins that can break your intimacy with the Holy God. Go to Him in prayer and ask Him to show you any and all sin that is in your life that may separate you from Him (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Is+59&version=ESVUK">Isa.59:1-2</a>). Then know that the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin when we acknowledge and confess them to Him one-by-one by name (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+John+1&version=ESVUK">1 John 1:5-10</a>) – He even forgets about them (think about that! –<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Is+43&version=ESVUK">Isa.43:25</a>).</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">During the day, talk to God<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><em>about what you are doing</em>. Ask his help and ask Him to lead you to do it to his glory, out of love for Him because of his great love for you. Thank Him for his help and praise Him for all that He has done for us continually (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Eph+5&version=ESVUK">Eph.5:18-20</a>).</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">If you sin against your brother (or even a non-believer), immediately go to him or her and make peace (reconcile) if possible –<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matt+5&version=ESVUK">Matt.5:24</a>– then you can continue to walk in His presence with a clear conscience.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">Quiet prayer, also about your daily chores, is how you come into the presence of God. However, after that you remain in his presence simply by an inner awareness that He is there… and as soon as you loose this awareness, you return to Him in quiet prayer.</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="color: #f3f3f3;">This all is part of how we follow the<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jer+23&version=ESVUK">promised</a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="https://chavoux.blogspot.com/2019/06/hearing-voice-of-good-shepherd-and.html">good Shepherd</a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>in his coming Kingdom.</span></div>
Chavouxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02548629951249411219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3274924259075785324.post-17116562665925646582019-06-03T02:52:00.001-07:002019-09-15T03:29:19.598-07:00On revival - index<h1 id="on-revival" style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 1.1; margin: 15px 0px; position: relative; text-align: center;">
<em><span style="color: #999999;">On revival</span></em></h1>
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<span style="color: #999999;">Links to what I am learning about revival and planning to prayerfully investigate further in this time…</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333;">1.</span><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="color: #333333;"> </span><a href="https://chavoux.blogspot.com/2019/05/what-is-revival.html" style="color: #4183c4;">What is revival and what it is not</a><br />
<span style="color: #333333;">2.</span><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="color: #333333;"> </span><a href="https://chavoux.blogspot.com/2019/05/where-i-get-spiritual-food.html" style="color: #4183c4;">Where I get spiritual food</a><br />
<span style="color: #333333;">3.</span><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="color: #333333;"> </span><a href="https://chavoux.blogspot.com/2019/05/tradition-and-revival.html" style="color: #4183c4;">New wine in new wineskins: on church structure</a><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="color: #333333;"> </span><br />
<span style="color: #333333;">4.</span><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="color: #333333;"> </span><a href="https://chavoux.blogspot.com/2019/06/true-gospel-what-is-christian-really.html" style="color: #4183c4;">What is a disciple? The true Good News</a><br />
<span style="color: #333333;">5.</span><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="color: #333333;"> </span><a href="https://chavoux.blogspot.com/2019/06/hearing-voice-of-good-shepherd-and.html" style="color: #4183c4;">On hearing the voice of the good Shepherd</a><br />
<span style="color: #333333;">6.</span><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="color: #333333;"> </span><a href="https://chavoux.blogspot.com/2019/06/living-in-his-presence-walking-humbly.html" style="color: #4183c4;">Living in his presence (walking humbly with your God)</a><br />
<span style="color: #333333;">7.</span><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="color: #333333;"> </span><a href="https://chavoux.blogspot.com/2019/06/how-to-follow-him.html" style="color: #4183c4;">How to follow Him</a><br />
<span style="color: #333333;">8. </span><span style="color: #333333;"><a href="https://chavoux.blogspot.com/2019/09/the-gospel-of-kingdom-of-god.html">The gospel of the Kingdom of God</a></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333;">9. <a href="https://chavoux.blogspot.com/2019/09/the-story-of-kingdom-of-god.html">The story of the Kingdom of God</a></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333;">10. </span><span style="color: #333333;">The power of the Holy Spirit</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333;">11. The problem of sin</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333;">12. The answer to the problem of sin</span></div>
Chavouxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02548629951249411219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3274924259075785324.post-35824423378396445912019-06-03T02:41:00.004-07:002019-06-10T04:33:58.221-07:00Hearing the voice of the Good Shepherd (and following Him)<h1 id="the-good-shepherd" style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 1.1; margin: 15px 0px; position: relative; text-align: center;">
<em><span style="color: #eeeeee;">The Good Shepherd</span></em></h1>
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<span style="color: #eeeeee;">Hearing the voice of Jesus</span></h2>
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<span style="color: #f3f3f3;">One of the most important, but also most misunderstood aspects of discipleship (being a Christian), is about hearing the voice of God. It should be part of the FAQ of Christianity. A<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><em>personal relationship</em><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>with God through Jesus implies that I can hear his voice. Jesus said, “<em>My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.</em>” (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+10&version=ESVUK">John 10:27</a>). What is important to note, is that we are not simply following the example of Jesus; we are actually following the risen Lord, the living King of the Kingdom of Heaven (see<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="https://chavoux.blogspot.com/2019/06/true-gospel-what-is-christian-really.html">What is a disicple? The true Good News</a>).</span></div>
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<span style="color: #f3f3f3;">Elsewhere, I have written something on<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><em>how</em><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Christians hear the voice of God (<a href="https://www.quora.com/If-God-communicates-with-you-how-does-it-happen-Do-you-hear-Gods-voice-feel-a-pulling-or-something-else/answer/Chavoux-Luyt">Quora</a>). This includes,</span></div>
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<li><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">Reading the Bible to get to know<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><em>Him</em>. His word for everyone.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">Reading the Bible and having a sudden insight into how how it is applicable to my current situation - a personal “Word of the Lord” that is<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><span style="font-weight: 700;"><em>not</em></span><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>applicable to all Christians or circumstances. - the Holy Spirit applying the Scriptures.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">An deep inner peace about a decision. This implies that I know the peace of God already and there is currently no known sins in my life that can disturb his peace.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">An inner feeling, similar to my conscience, just knowing that something is true and right. I still test it by the Scriptures.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">Specific circumstances that suddenly line up with the above. especially after a time of prayer and fasting. This is not<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><em>always</em><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>God speaking to us, and are to be tested (e.g. by asking older and wiser Christians for their advice, and making sure that it is in line with the Bible).</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">Prayer, followed by any of the above. If we want to hear his voice, we should ask Him to lead us. Prayer helps to create the expectation that God will speak to me, to bring me to the place where I will listen.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">Have I been following Him in the past? Have I obeyed everything He told me? God will not reveal anything new to me until I have obeyed what He had already said to me.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">An audible voice. This has never happened to me, but has happened to some of my fellow Christians. However, it is not common, even for those people to whom God has spoken audibly.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">God speaking through a dream. This has only happened once or twice in my life to me. Normally this is a dream in which I dream about God or an angel speaking to me; not just a normal dream that I interpret as a message from God. I often cannot forget the dream. And it is<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><em>obviously</em><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>in line with what the Bible teaches.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">Sometime a soft inner pulling, showing me somebody in need, something I should do to comfort or help somebody, an insight in a certain situation about what God wants me to do. Feels similar to my conscience, but beforehand.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">Only once in my life has God communicated with me through a vision. It was both to teach me something profound and also to make me experience something of his presence.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">In a smallish community of fellow believers, we often had the experience in our weekly meetings that God would have spoken to a number of us about the exact same subject or from the exact same part of Scripture.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">Answers to prayer: often not in the way I expected, but unmistakenly the hand of God. I can only pray according to the will of God if I know what His will and character is. And I can only pray with true faith (fully trusting that He will hear my prayers) when I know that I am not praying with wrong motives or ask for something that is against the will of God. The way in which God answers my prayers teaches me more about who He is.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">Prophetic insight (word of knowledge?) where I just “instinctively” know something about somebody I have never met in order to help or pray for them according to the will of God. Or an inner discomfort when hearing some teaching (and later finding it to contradict the Bible).</span></li>
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<span style="color: #f3f3f3;">Some of the lessons that I have been learning about hearing the voice of God from the words of Jesus in<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+10&version=ESVUK">John 10</a>…</span></div>
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<li><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">We become part of his sheep herd only by entering through Him. He is the door for the sheep and only by entering through Him are we saved.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">He calls us by name. He knows each one of us personally.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">We do not follow Him as individuals, but together as a single herd.<em>This</em><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>was something that I only learned fairly recently. We are not following the Messiah Jesus simply as individuals, but we hear his voice as a group in unity. I have<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><em>experienced</em><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>this in the past where as a group we shared what we have learned in the past week – and often God has been talking to us about the same thing. And then the different parts of what we shared, fit together like a puzzle giving the full picture; or like a diamond, with many facets and being seen from different perspectives increases our appreciation of its beauty.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">Getting to know someone takes time. It is through following Him, listening to his voice and going where He calls us, that we get to know his voice.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">It is through getting to know the voice of Jesus Himself that we can easily recognise the voice of a stranger. It is not by learning a bunch of (true) doctrines that we will be able to recognise false teaching, but by knowing Him. Again, this process of getting to know Him is something that happens in fellowship with other followers of Jesus.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">Nobody can pluck us from his hand. If we loose the way, He is the good Shepherd who will come looking for us (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luk+15&version=ESVUK">Luk.15:4-7</a>).</span></li>
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<span style="color: #f3f3f3;">Christians “hearing the voice of God” is something that many people misunderstand. Although God sometimes speak in an audible voice, this is not common (even in the experience of those who<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><em>have</em><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>heard Him in this way). However, it is clear from the way Jesus spoke that his sheep (those who have entered into the Kingdom of God through Him – the Gate of the sheep) should be able to hear and follow his voice. And this was not only true for while He was physically on earth; He explicitly says that He would not leave us as orphans, but would come back to his disciples through the Holy Spirit (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+14&version=ESVUK">John 14</a>). The book of Acts demonstrates how this happened in practice. Paul goes as far as to say that anyone who does not have the Spirit of Messiah, does not belong to Him (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Rom+8&version=ESVUK">Rom.8:9</a>). And he repeatedly says that we are to be led by the Holy Spirit (e.g.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Rom+8&version=ESVUK">Rom.8:1,14</a>,<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Gal+5&version=ESVUK">Gal.5:16-18</a>). We<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><em>can</em><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>hear the voice of the Shepherd, The real question is if we are (still) following Him.</span></div>
</h1>
Chavouxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02548629951249411219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3274924259075785324.post-51563697167415190292019-06-03T01:35:00.000-07:002019-06-03T02:53:44.820-07:00True gospel - What is a Christian really?<h1 id="the-true-good-news" style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1.1; margin: 15px 0px; position: relative; text-align: center;">
<em><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">The true Good News</span></em></h1>
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<span style="color: #f3f3f3;">
What is a Christian really?</span></h2>
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<span style="color: #f3f3f3;">This is not the message I originally planned to share this week. However, I was confronted by a question earlier:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="https://www.quora.com/Why-do-so-many-people-accept-God-and-then-live-anyway-they-want/answer/Chavoux-Luyt">Why do so many people accept God and then live anyway they want?</a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Basically there are two answers to this:</span></div>
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<li><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">They do not know the God with whom we have to do.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">They were taught a false gospel.</span></li>
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<span style="color: #f3f3f3;">In a following post (Hearing the voice of the Good Shepherd) I am going to talk about the first point. Here I just want to hook on to the previous post about church structures and revival. There are two main reasons given why so many young people leave the church:</span></div>
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<li><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">They don’t get relevant answers to their questions and specifically the doubts with which their faith is assaulted from all sides.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">They find church boring and irrelevant to real life.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br />I will venture that the true answer to both problems is not in changing our traditions and structures, but in introducing them to the living God. To have a living relationship with the living God is<em>never</em><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>boring! It may be dangerous and costly, but it is<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><span style="font-weight: 700;"><em>not</em></span><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>boring. Moreover, the person having a relationship and experience of the living God is never at a disadvantage against even the cleverest atheistic argument. The reality of God in our lives is<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><em>the most important</em><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>answer to any atheistic or other argument – it is the word of our testimony (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Rev+12&version=ESVUK">Rev.12:11</a>). Of course there is more – It helps to discover that there are good answers to most atheistic questions (e.g.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://coldcasechristianity.com/">Cold Case Christianity</a>). But more important than any knowledge of (true) facts, is knowing God personally.</span></li>
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<span style="color: #f3f3f3;">What does it mean to be a Christian? This question touches the root of the gospel. The one “definition” for Christian in the Bible, explaining where the term was first used, says that<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><span style="font-weight: 700;"><em>the disciples</em></span><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>were first called “Christains” in Antioch (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+11&version=ESVUK">Acts 11:26</a>). A disciple of Jesus is a follower, a student, an apprentice of the living Jesus who have risen from death, in a personal relationship; it is<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><em>not</em><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>only about<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><em>trying</em><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>to follow the example of Jesus when He was on earth. One “<em>false gospel</em>” which is sometimes taught and a reason for people living “anyway they want” after accepting Jesus… is that you can be a “Christian” and “saved”, but without being a disciple or follower of Jesus Christ or the need for anything more really, than a one-time “decision for Christ”. This is one side of the false gospel, which can be called the “gospel” of lawlessness (Frank Viola calls it the gospel of libertarianism) – mentioned in<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matt+7&version=ESVUK">Matt.7:23</a>,<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matt+23&version=ESVUK">23:28</a>,<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matt+24&version=ESVUK">24:12</a>,<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Rom+6&version=ESVUK">Rom.6:19</a>,<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Tit+2&version=ESVUK">Tit.2:14</a>,<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Joh+3&version=ESVUK">1 Joh.3:4</a>. Read the passages and you will get a pretty good idea what Jesus thinks of this!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #f3f3f3;">This gospel of lawlessness, however, is often a reaction to another “<em>false gospel</em>”, the “gospel” of legalism. This is the gospel that says that now, after having repented and accepted Jesus Christ, you need to start living “like a Christian”. In the New Testament time, this was mostly by requiring new believers to keep all the Torah (Law) of Moses – they had to be circumcised (become Jews) and commanded to keep the whole law (after all, Jesus was a Jew and kept the whole Law, so as his followers, so should we). In modern-day Christianity our legalism is more hidden. We know that we do not have to keep the whole Law of Moses, but instead, we create our own list of (human-made?) laws. “<em>Now that you are a Christian, you need to pray everyday, read your Bible, go to church and witness to the gospel.</em>” You have to wear certain clothes or avoid certain places, etc… not only that, you need to live in the same way as Jesus did (read the “sermon on the mount” as a starting point). And here is the thing, if you devote yourself to Jesus and to loving like He did and living like He commands us to live… you will soon learn that the Christian life is simply impossible (“<em>Be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect</em>” –<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matt+5&version=ESVUK">Matt.5:48</a>,<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Cor+13&version=ESVUK">2 Cor.13:11</a>). At this stage you will have a few options:</span></div>
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<li><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">Give up on the Christian life. It is simply not possible for me, so I will not even try. And then I grab on to a false (partial) gospel of “grace” that says that it doesn’t matter how I live anymore… as long as I “believe” in Jesus (actually, according to<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=James+2&version=ESVUK">James 2</a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>this is not real faith). I fall back to<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><span style="font-weight: 700;"><em>the gospel of lawlessness</em></span>. This is often the starting point and reason for those who teach a gospel of lawlessness. They found<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Rom+7&version=ESVUK">Rom.7</a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>to be true in their lives… I cannot do what I know I should.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">Become<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><span style="font-weight: 700;"><em>self-righteous</em></span>. I change the requirements to something that I find easy to do. And then I can judge those others who sin in different ways to the way I sin (their sins are always worse than my own). I become a<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><span style="font-weight: 700;"><em>legalist</em></span>, making a list of Christian things to do (including mostly those that I find easy and leaving out the more difficult parts). And then I compare myself to others and feel good about myself for not sinning like they do… “<em>God I thank you that I am not like other people…</em>” (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luk+18&version=ESVUK">Luk.18:11</a>).</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">I keep on living<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><em>under condemnation</em>. I keep on<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><em>trying</em><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>in my own strength (and failing). A life of “<span style="font-weight: 700;"><em>walking and falling</em></span>”, often more on the ground and going backward than actually going forward.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">Discover who I am<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><span style="font-weight: 700;"><em>in Messiah</em></span><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>and the power of his Holy Spirit. Moving from Rom.7 into the reality of<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Rom+8&version=ESVUK">Rom.8</a>. Realise that I<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><em>have been</em><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>born again, that I<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><em>am</em><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>a new creation; that Jesus actually lives<em>in me</em><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>and lives his life<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><em>through me</em>; that just as I<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><em>gave myself to Him</em>when I first came to Him, I need to keep on living in dependence on Him, being led and empowered by his Spirit. Discover the true Good News of<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><span style="font-weight: 700;"><em>the Kingdom of God</em></span>. Not only learning that I should follow Jesus Christ as his disciple, but learning<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><em>how</em><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>to follow Him,<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><em>how</em><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>to hear his voice,<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><em>how</em><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>to obey Him and be filled with his Holy Spirit.</span></li>
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<span style="color: #f3f3f3;">What is the true Good News (gospel)? That God has done<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><em>for us</em><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>and will do<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><em>in us</em><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>what we could not do for ourselves. That it is primarily about<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><span style="font-weight: 700;"><em>his Kingdom</em></span><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>and his plan in the world (and our part in it) and not simply about being saved from hell. The Lord is establishing his Kingdom on earth<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><em>through us</em>. We are no longer part of the kingdoms of this world, but become citizens of the Kingdom of God that was established by the Messiah King, Jesus (Yeshua) of Nazareth. It is through our unity with Him that we are free and saved from our sin (It is is very simple: “<em>And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.</em>.”<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Joh+5&version=ESVUK">1 John 5:11-12</a>).<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><span style="font-weight: 700;"><em>It is all about the King, the Messiah Jesus</em></span>. It is this perspective the enables us to identify any false gospel (there are many): if it is not above all about Jesus Himself and our position in Him, it is false. If it is about<em>ourselves</em><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>and<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><em>our</em><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>attempts (or lack of even trying), it is false. The true gospel of the Kingdom is all about the King. We do not need to know every false gospel and false teaching in order to identify what is false… we only need to know the true Good News (that God has finally established his coming Kingdom here on earth<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><em>through Jesus, his Son</em>) in order to see what is in contradiction to this gospel. He is the One who enables us to live according to his will, changing us into the image of his Son (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Rom+8&version=ESVUK">Rom.8:29</a>).</span></div>
Chavouxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02548629951249411219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3274924259075785324.post-82134772676869310892019-05-18T15:05:00.001-07:002019-05-18T17:03:39.570-07:00Tradition and revival<h1 id="new-wine-in-new-wineskins" style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 1.1; margin: 15px 0px; position: relative; text-align: center;">
<em><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">New wine in new wineskins</span></em></h1>
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<span style="color: #f3f3f3;">– On church structure and tradition</span></h2>
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<span style="color: #f3f3f3;">Every might move of the Spirit of God in the past (commonly called “revivals” or “awakenings”) have changed some aspect of traditional church – things like tent meetings, altar calls, prayer meetings, bible studies or small groups, house churches, etc. was originally something “new” (even if much of it could be found in the New Testament already).</span></div>
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<span style="color: #f3f3f3;">Jesus made an important point when He was confronted by the Pharisees for his disciples not fasting according to the Jewish traditions of the time. New wine needs to be poured into new wineskins.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #f3f3f3;">Today there are many different Christian traditions. The issue is not that some traditions are good or true and some are bad… the issue is whether the traditions still serve the Kingdom of God? If God would work through his Holy Spirit again like in New Testament times, would our current church structure be able to handle it? Or would it be a stumbling block and a means of resisting the Holy Spirit of God? If God sends us the revival that many are praying for, would our church structures be able to handle it? Or will it be like pouring new wine into old wineskins… the skins will burst and the wine spill? If 3000 should become believers in one day (and one town/city) would we be able to baptise and include them into the body of Messiah like the Jerusalem church did? Are our structures and level of maturity of current believers really prepared to handle such an outworking of the Spirit of God?</span></div>
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<span style="color: #f3f3f3;">There are many aspects of modern church (including protestant churches) that are not based on the Bible, but are based on human tradition (see “<a href="https://paganchristianity.org/">Pagan Christianity</a>” by Frank Viola). But not all of them will necessarily be a hindrance the the work of the Spirit in revival, as long as they do not become more important than the Word of God.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #f3f3f3;">One tradition that can be a stumbling block, is the position of the pastor / preacher as somehow<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><em>above</em><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>the “ordinary” congregation members. Jesus made it explicit that we should not be seeking positions and titles, but that the way to lead is to serve. Peter repeats that in his letter: the elders (shepherds) should take care of the flock, not by coercion or for profit, but eagerly and cheerfully, not as dictators or domineering, but as examples (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Pet.+5&version=ESVUK">1 Pet.5</a>). There is no precedent in the New Testament for the idea of a clergy and laity. “<em>for you have one Teacher and you are all brothers … you have one Master, the Messiah. He who is greatest among you shall be your servant.</em>” (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matt+23&version=ESVUK">Matt.23</a>) It is by imitating and demonstrating the life of Messiah Jesus, that our leaders are to lead. The aim is to teach the sheep to be able to hear the voice of the Good Shepherd for themselves (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Joh+10&version=ESVUK">John 10</a>), not to rule! Unless this same attitude is in the hearts of our leaders that were in Jesus (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Phil+2&version=AMP">Phil.2</a>), humbling Himself for us,<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><em>they will often offer the greatest resistence to the Holy Spirit working in the body of Messiah in revival</em>! This often happened in the past. While the “five-fold ministry” of <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Eph.4&version=ESVUK">Ephes.4:11-12</a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>can to some extent help us to function as the body of Jesus on earth in having different leadership gifts (rather than just a “pastor” or teacher), it can<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><em>also</em><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>become an excuse for seeking titles and positions!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #f3f3f3;">The other important “tradition” that can grieve the Holy Spirit and prevent revival, is the lack of unity among believers. While I may disagree with my brother about many things,<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><em>if</em><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>he is truly following Jesus and would be accepted by God on this basis and<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><em>if</em><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>he is not living in open sin or teaching false teaching that would endanger the salvation of those who hear him, we have to accept each other as true brothers in Christ, loving each other as He loves us and not allow our differences (sometimes simply differences in musical taste!) to divide us. Moreover, we can (and should) actually learn from each other. By having our church denominations that isolate us from other believers, ways of worship and different teaching emphasis, we are missing out on the fullness of the body of Messiah. Division in the body of Messiah, a proud spirit of being right, rather than being loving, is one reason why we do not see the reality of New Testament churches and the same power today.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #f3f3f3;">The last point that I believe is<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><em>very</em><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>important, is that we should not confuse church structure (new wineskins) with the power and life of the Holy Spirit (true revival). Just changing our traditions and structures are meaningless on its own. Starting to have house churches, because God blessed and gave revival in China through house churches, is to miss the point. It is<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><em>not</em><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>the structure that is important (even if we change to be closer to the primitive New Testament church) – it is the power and fruit of the Spirit of the Most High God that matters. A New Testament church structure can only<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><em>prepare</em><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>us for the outpouring in power of the Spirit of God (like the first church in <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+1&version=ESVUK" target="_blank">Acts 1</a>), but it<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><em>is not </em>the Holy Spirit Himself. Revival, the church of Jesus which have become luke-warm, cold, dead or tolerant of false teaching (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Rev+2&version=ESVUK">Rev.2</a>-<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Rev+3&version=ESVUK">3</a>), repenting and<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><em>becoming alive again</em><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>is above all an inner working of the Holy Spirit, not an outward manifestation through structures and (new) traditions. In a time where the church in the West has become stagnant and cold and where many young people are leaving the church, may we have the wisdom and courage to prepare ourselves for what God wants to do in and through us as his body on earth.</span></div>
Chavouxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02548629951249411219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3274924259075785324.post-28951141918850507712019-05-07T00:50:00.001-07:002019-05-07T00:53:50.666-07:00Where I get spiritual food<h1 id="where-i-get-food" style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1.1; margin: 15px 0px; position: relative; text-align: center;">
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Where I get food</span></h1>
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<span style="color: white;">From the beginning Jesus called his disciples into a group of fellow disciples. One of the major dangers of solitary Christians is that we may become “strange”. We can all too easily be led by our own subjective glasses through which we read the Bible into all kinds of strange and simply wrong understandings nad interpretations of the Word of God. That is why Paul also confirmed his message with the first apostles (Gal.2:1-10). This is also why periods of being alone with God in the Bible are always that: just for a certain time. It might be very necessary, but it is not meant to last forever.</span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">The Word of God in the Bible is like milk for newly-born babies and like solid food for those who have grown a bit in the Christian life after having been born again (1 Pet.1:25 - 2:2; Heb.5:12-14). So my first source of spiritual food is the Bible. Reading the Bible for yourself is like eating a rare steak; you need to to cut it and chew it for yourself to get the most out of it. Many Christians never progress past eating pre-cut and overdone bits of steak or eating only milk and porridge. They only read “daily devotions” from some book that quote maybe one or two verses from the Bible or from a preacher in church – all prepacked and cooked and pressed through the blender of one person’s interpretation to make it easily digestable. We cannot grow like this… but perhaps it is also not healthy to only eat steak every day?</span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">So before continuing in sharing what I am learning in my time of silence with God, I think it is important to mention that much of what I share is not simply my own opinion of what I read in the Bible. I have been reading books and a few online groups regularly on the internet. One of the things that I noticed, is that God has been speaking with many different people all over the world, saying essentially the same things. In this post I would like to share some of my sources for spiritual food in this time.</span></div>
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<li><span style="color: white;"><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/quicksearch/?quicksearch=revive+us&qs_version=ESV">The Bible</a>. I am currently in the process of reading through the Bible in a year again. This is not the same as in-depth Bible study, but God still uses it to speak to me. As part of this, I am also recording (and sharing on WhatsApp) the various Messianic prophecies that I find. Both milk and solid food, this is the most important part of my spiritual diet.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: white;">While I do not generally like “daily devotion” type of books, the one exception is “My Utmost for His Highest” by Oswald Chambers. It is available online and as a daily e-mail:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="https://utmost.org/">My Utmost for His Highest</a></span></li>
<li><span style="color: white;">Frank Viola (author of “<a href="https://www.paganchristianity.org/">Pagan Christianity</a>”, “Reimagining church” and other good books) has an online<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="https://frankviola.org/2010/02/01/10-straw-man-myths-about-pagan-christianity-reimagining-church/">blog</a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>and an online network focusing on the<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="https://www.thedeeperchristianlife.com/">deeper Christian life</a>. More recently, he has written a book “Insurgence” and a<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="https://insurgencebook.com/">web site</a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>dedicated to the principles discussed in that book.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: white;">Those who know me, also know that I have a heart for Israel. Two Messianic groups in Israel from which I recceive good spiritual food, are<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="https://tikkun.tv/">Tikkun International</a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>and<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="https://www.reviveisrael.org/">Revive Israel</a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>(I was a volunteer for a few months at Moshav Yad Shmonah as well, and helped to build some of their wooden guest houses).</span></li>
<li><span style="color: white;">A favourite for me for keeping in touch with world news from a Christian perspective, is<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="https://www.incontextinternational.org/perspectives/">Incontext Ministries</a>.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: white;">And of course, we are priviledged today in that while I am fairly isolated in the mountains, I can still post online, and from time to time connect with friends via WhatsApp or Facebook (and even e-mail)… and like all believers in the past, pray for each other.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: white;">Just being able to spend time in creation (and getting paid for it!) and seeing and praising the wonderful works of God’s hands, is of course water for my soul. He has made all things good<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ps+104&version=ESVUK">Ps.104</a>.</span></li>
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Chavouxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02548629951249411219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3274924259075785324.post-72201518694309051602019-05-06T00:28:00.000-07:002019-05-07T00:48:57.199-07:00What is revival?<h1 id="what-is-revival-and-what-it-is-not" style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1.1; margin: 15px 0px; position: relative; text-align: center;">
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What is revival? (and what it is not)</span></h1>
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<span style="color: white;">Revival is commonly seen as a supernatural and uncommon intervention by God’s Holy Spirit in which large numbers of people repent and come to faith in Jesus. Some people prefer the word “awakening” to describe such a revival. But in both cases it is commonly seen as something that God does of his own free will and with little (if any) human involvement. Others point to the external trappings of past revival (e.g. a series of tent services) and calls any such activities “a revival” – in this case, mostly something that happens as the result of human effort. However, I am convinced that both of these viewpoints are missing something vital, mistaking the<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><em>results</em><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>of revival for real revival itself.</span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">The word “revival” does not occur in the New Testament at all. It does occur in the Old Testament (“<em>Will you not make us alive again</em>” = “<em>revive us again</em>” – Ps.65, Hos.6), and the<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><em>idea</em><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>is found throughout Scripture including the last book of the New Testament, Revelation. Why would revival be important if it is such a small part of the Scriptures? Or rather, if revival is of such importance as many seem to believe (myself included),<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><span style="font-weight: 700;"><em>why is it not mentioned more in the New Testament?</em></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">I believe that there is a good reason for this and it has everything to do with<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><em>what revival actually is</em>. Revival is not mentioned in most of the New Testament, because most New Testament churches<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><em>did not need revival</em>. The clue is in the very word that is used. Only something or someone that has died or is almost dead, can be revived. And almost all the churches in the New Testament period were<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><em>alive</em><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>and growing –<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><span style="font-weight: 700;"><em>there was no need for revival</em></span>! Because<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><em>this</em><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>is the most important prerequisite for revival: unless the church is dying or almost dead already, it has no need for revival. Revival implies something coming back to life: “<em>I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God.</em>” (Rev.3:1-2). By the time of Revelation, we are confronted with a number of 1st century churches who were indeed in need of revival. Can we really say that our situation is all that different today? Do our churches look more like that of the first church in Jerusalem, or rather similar to most of these we find in Revelation? “<em>But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.</em>” “<em>But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols.</em>” “<em>I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.</em>“</span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">Revival is the body of Messiah on earth becoming alive again and living the life to which He called us. It is<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><em>not</em><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>simply an unusual and supernatiral temporary “visitation by the Spirit of God”. It is the<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><em>restoration</em><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>to<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><span style="font-weight: 700;"><em>the normal Christian life</em></span><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>in the church, the life that we find described in the New Testament. And yes, there were many people coming to repentance and the Holy Spirit working in power to bring the lost to Messiah (just read Acts). But this was a<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><em>result</em><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>of what the Holy Spirit had done<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><em>within</em><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>the congregations of disciples. For this reason, I am convinced that true revival is not something that should ever stop. It is not the will of God that his church should die again and that this death should be called “normal”. Yes, even within the New Testament church there are different seasons – a time of rapid growth in numbers followed by a time of deeper spiritual growth (being built up in love, knowledge and grace) or a period of persecution and testing – but it does not (and should not) be followed by a season of being dead, where the church looks no different from the world and often only keep the outer trappings of previous revivals, “<em>having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power.</em>” (2 Tim 3:5).</span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">Will you pray with me that God would open our eyes to see his church through his eye? Will you pray for mercy and the Spirit of repentance and new life within the church? Jesus told those first century churches in Revelation that He would remove their lamps if they did not repent (for most of them that is exactly what has happened – those towns in Muslim Turkey have been without a Christian church for centuries). How long do we think He will allow our luke-warm and spiritually dead western church to survive and spatter mud on his holy Name? Yes, like in Revelations there are congregations that do not need revival because they are already alive and growing in the power of the Holy Spirit. But is this not the exception rather than the rule today?</span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">What do you think about revival? Is it something we need today? Why (not)?</span></div>
Chavouxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02548629951249411219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3274924259075785324.post-83780189248466025762018-09-15T16:24:00.001-07:002019-05-07T00:52:41.212-07:00On authority and submissionThis is really in response to <a href="https://www.crossway.org/articles/are-authority-and-submission-inherently-flawed/" target="_blank">Are authority and submission inherently flawed?</a><br />
Just a few thoughts:<br />
Jesus explicitly tells his disciples not to let people call them "father", "teacher", etc., because we are to have only one Teacher, Leader and head, Jesus Himself. In other words, in our leadership we are <i>not</i> to search for high positions, we are <i>not </i>to lord it over fellow believers (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Peter+5&version=CJB" target="_blank">1 Pet. 5:1-6</a>) "<i>Therefore, I urge the congregation leaders (elders) among you, as a fellow-leader and witness to the Messiah’s sufferings, as well as a sharer in the glory to be revealed: shepherd the flock of God that is in your care, exercising oversight not out of constraint, but willingly, as God wants; and not out of a desire for dishonest gain, but with enthusiasm; also not domineering over those in your care, but as people who become examples to the flock. Then, when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive glory as your unfading crown. </i><i>Likewise, you who are less experienced, submit to leaders. Further, all of you should clothe yourselves in humility toward one another, because </i><i>God opposes the arrogant, but to the humble he gives grace. </i><i>Therefore, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, so that at the right time he may lift you up.</i>"<br />
For me the teaching of Jesus is clear that people are in leadership <i>to the extent that they resemble Jesus in humility</i>. The elders are those who have been following Him for longer, knows Him better and can thus better teach the inexperienced ones how to know Him and hear his voice for themselves and follow Him. He is finally the one we are to follow. The authority that leaders have is the authority of Jesus, as Paul said (paraphrased): "Follow me as I follow Messiah (or to the extent that I follow Him)."<br />
<br />
This brings me to the issue of submission. Almost every time it is mentioned in the Bible, it is mentioned in the context of <i>everyone </i>submitting to one another. A Christian leader who is unwilling to receive correction from the least of the brothers, are transgressing the command of the Lord. Secondly, and more importantly, we are also commanded repeatedly to submit to the secular authorities under which we have been placed by God. But this submission only follows as long as they do not require us to transgress against our Lord, Jesus Himself. The same, even more so, is true for the leadership of spiritual leaders. Jesus is the <i>only</i> King, the only Lord, the only Messiah who we are all to follow. If our spiritual leaders in any way leads us to be unfaithful to Him, there is no reason to obey them (even if we still honour them). The command of the general always have higher authority than the corporal, and we obey the corporal only to the extent that his commands reflect that of the general. If course, the leadership of our Lord looks different than that of an earthly military general, but the principle of Jesus having the highest and final authority holds for all Christians. And discipleship implies that <i>all </i>the sheep (not only the "leaders") learn to hear and know his voice (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+10&version=ESVUK" target="_blank">John 10</a>).<br />
<br />
Why am I bothering to respond to this issue? For two reasons:<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>I have seen spiritual abuse too often hiding under the mask of "submission". We first submit to Jesus and as a result submit to our fellow believers (all of us). But this submission to people is not and should never be, a substitution for getting to know the Lord ourselves and hearing his voice ourselves. Too often we have people following a specific pastor or teacher blindly ("I am from Paul" or "I am from Peter") and not learning to know and hear the Lord.</li>
<li>The "church" has too often built up a hierarchy of authorities that resembles the principles and structures of the world, rather than that of Jesus. And once it is established, it becomes almost impossible, even for the leaders in it, to change. Leadership organisations have made decisions <i>for </i>the church, that were in direct opposition to the commands of the Lord, and because of the leadership or organisational structure, there is no way to confront them (as Paul did for Peter - <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Gal.+2&version=ESVUK" target="_blank">Gal.2:11-20</a>). There is little to no accountability in such structures. We are repeatedly told that we are accountable, firstly to the Lord Himself, but also to our fellow believers. And rigid hierarchical structures remove this accountability.</li>
</ol>
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Answering the question posed: No, authority and submission is not inherently flawed. But it should happen in line with the principles of the Kingdom of God (the least should be considered the greatest) and <i>not </i>according to the principles of the world where authority is based on position.Authority should be based on the fruit of the Spirit, the resemblance to Jesus Christ, the example as a follower of Jesus and evidence of an intimate relationship with Him, and <i>not</i> on an official position. Submission is required of and to everyone, not only to certain special leaders, and only insofar as their leadership brings us closer to the Lord Jesus Himself.</div>
Chavouxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02548629951249411219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3274924259075785324.post-80591763537510016552018-07-28T06:24:00.001-07:002018-09-21T13:16:48.961-07:00Why theology is not a science (and neither should it be)We live in a time where science is held in an almost mystical reverence by many people (mostly non-scientists) and this is not new. The result has been that many academic fields that was originally not considered as "science", has either lost their respectable positions (e.g. various arts, literature and even philosophy) or has tried to present themselves in a more "scientific" guise. This reverence for science (often without really understanding the strength and weaknesses of science) has many unfortunate consequences, including the lack of training by the majority of scientists in basic logic or the philosophy of science, the very presuppositions and assumptions on which all their scientific work is built. To be sure, I can do good science without thinking or understanding the principles on which my scientific method rests (yes, there is not just one "scientific method", in spite of what many scientists think). I simply need to know my own field and the methods used for research in my field.<br />
<br />
But the most unfortunate consequence of this lack in philosophical background, has been the rise of "scientism", the belief that only knowledge based on some "science" can be true or worthwhile and that only that which can be investigated using "science" or scientific principles actually exists at all. Just a moment's thought will expose the fallacy of this idea. It means that mathematics (used extensively in all science, but not based on or scientifically proven), logic (used in science, but often also with glaring logic fallacies to be found in scientific publications due to the lack of a solid grounding in basic logic in most science undergraduate programs) the philosophy of science and epistemology (really the foundations of science), and all the historical fields (e.g. history, and archaeology, which do use some scientific tools like carbon dating, but is not and cannot really be called "science" in the modern sense, including the history of science itself) can no longer make any meaningful contribution to knowledge. Philosophy, ethics and theology all obviously becomes superfluous in this "modern scientific" world.<br />
<br />
I have for the longest time considered modern "liberal" theology as simply an mask for unbelievers in the Christian community, the mask that hypocrites who no longer believe in Jesus or the God revealed through the Bible, used to hide their unbelief and to pretend to be "good Christians" so that their livelihood would not be under threat (since they are basically paid by the common, believing Christians). A way for them to still be able to call themselves "Christian" or "Christian scholar" or at least "theologian" or "biblical scholar" while simultaneously denying the very fundamentals of the Christians faith. However, I recently realised that at least originally, the early liberal theologians often had totally different motivations. It was for them an attempt to reach "modern" people who had a "scientific" worldview and could no longer believe in the supernatural and miraculous events found throughout the Bible. For them theology and even Christianity was not inherently based on the real existence of a living God and a Jesus who worked wonders or physically rose from the grave, but instead was all about the "ethics" or "spiritual insight" to be found in Christianity. Christianity for them was not about the person of Jesus the Christ, of Nazareth, but about a "historical Jesus" who was not really the Christ "of faith", but who did teach some timeless "truths" that meant that religion and theology was still relevant in the modern word. It was all about saving some kind of "Christianity" or the church and making it acceptable and believable to modern man. In a sense they acted out of love and loyalty, but not loyalty or love for the God and Jesus of the Bible; rather loyalty to the church and love of religion (and maybe their own positions in the religious structures). They tried to change theology to appear more "scientific", to be based on the same presuppositions as "science", so that in this way it could be relevant and meaningful to modern people. But also to a certain extent so that they would escape some of the disdain in which many of their colleagues in the new modern sciences were looking down on their area of expertise, their "queen of the sciences" having been dethroned. When I talk about "modern theology" here, I use the term in the way that Andrew Murray used it: the so-called "liberal theology" of the nineteenth century and its philosophical modern-day descendants, which includes most of "mainstream" theology taught in most (Dutch) reformed theology faculties in South African universities (see <a href="http://bennozuiddam.com/Die%20Moderne%20Teologie.pdf" target="_blank">Die Moderne Teologie.pdf</a>).<br />
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I have always maintained that if God (the God of the Bible) truly exists, He would in no way be the proper subject of science. He is the Creator of all nature, so there is no way that the methodologies and approach developed to investigate the natural world, would be appropriate or able to investigate a Person so great. He is claimed to be the Creator of all the "laws of nature" painstakingly being discovered by the natural sciences, so how does it make sense that He would Himself in any way be subject to the very laws that He created? Why should a methodology developed so that we can find these regularities in nature tell us anything about the Creator of these laws? The methods and assumptions of the natural sciences for investigating creation, are simply irrelevant to investigating the existence, nature and character of the Creator. Instead, historically the foundations of the natural sciences were based on the philosophical foundation of the God of the Bible (combined with Greek philisophy - <a href="http://jameshannam.com/index.htm" target="_blank">http://jameshannam.com/index.htm</a>). Science is based on a foundation of logic, philisophy, mathematics and yes, even theology, rather than the other way round. The reason why the Christian worldview provided the basis for science is twofold:<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>Christianity postulated that one single God, a God of order and laws, created all of nature and that therefore nature was subject to these laws. This was in contrast to polytheism that postulated different (often capricious) gods ruling over different parts of nature and often in opposition to each other, so that there was no reason to suppose that nature could be predicted using certain laws. This was also in contrast to ancient atheism which could provide not basis to suppose that nature would not simply be chaotic, with anything and everything simply the result of chance and randomness and no reason to presuppose laws of nature that can be used to predict how nature works.</li>
<li>Christianity postulated that nature is just the creation of God and is in no way divine itself. This meant that we were free to investigate and study all aspects of nature in contrast to those religions that held that nature itself was divine and above us, so that as mere humans it would be irreverent to study nature as just an object. Because our God and Father had created nature, as Christians we were not only free, but actually encouraged to study his handiwork as a way to bring more glory to Him, the Creator.</li>
</ol>
<br />
I recently realised that there is another and very important way why modern "liberal" theology is not and should never be considered as a "science" or "scientific". While in science it is true that we "stand on the shoulders of giants", our current knowledge and new discoveries are based on the results of previous research, it is also a basic part of science that the foundations and previous claims are frequently re-examined and retested. And it is this aspect, the repeated experiments or retesting of current theories and hypotheses, that is lacking in modern theology. The "JEDP hypothesis" of the origins of the first 5 books of the Bible, which should have been rejected long ago based on archaeological and other evidence, is still with us in new and modern guises. The fact that we now know from the archaeology how ancient documents in the Near East were copied and changed by their copyists over time, and that this <i>actual evidence</i> shows absolutely nothing like the claimed process of the JEDP hypotheses, is simply ignored by most (all?) modern theologians. The typical feedback and re-examination of evidence that is so important for modern science, is simply absent. Instead, ever-more complex, new hypotheses are simply built on the foundations of previous hypotheses, with little or no new evidence and little or no examination of the basic foundations or assumptions themselves - it gets refined and expanded, but the hypothesis itself is never seriously subjected to testing and compared to the alternatives. It is well-known by now in the history of religion, that nothing like the pseudo-evolutionary process of religious "development" originally proposed by theory behind the JEDP hypothesis ever occurred... this real, actual evidence is simply ignored in favour of a theoretical framework into which all evidence are simply pressed to fit or else just ignored. It is claimed that writing and literature could not exist in Israel before the existence of a sophisticated monarchy on theoretical grounds, and the actual evidence of literacy and development of alphabetical writing itself among Asiatic slaves and miners in Egypt, simply ignored! The one exception to this uncritical acceptance of theoretical claims without evidence, for which theologians no doubt congratulate each other, is the "traditional" supernatural viewpoint of the Bible as describing real events and a living God, active in history. This is the one hypothesis in theology where no punches are pulled and of which nobody can be sceptical enough. I have no problem with the fact that we should not be gullible in theology and examine everything critically... this approach is actually encouraged in the Bible ("But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good;" - 1 Thess.5:21). What I am saying is that the major problem in modern theology is exactly that they do not critically examine <i><b>everything</b></i>. Only one hypothesis (that the God of the Bible actually exists as He is revealed in the Bible) is regularly subjected to critical examination, while the alternative hypotheses are not subjected to nearly the same level of scepticism. <b><i>Modern theology is a pseudo-science</i></b>, not primarily because it attempts to investigate a Person who would not legitimately be the object of scientific study if He truly exists, but because it is too eager to accept uncritically the alternative hypotheses and isolates itself from the many new discoveries in other fields (like archaeology) and its implications - See <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Reliability-Old-Testament-K-Kitchen/dp/0802803962" target="_blank">On the Reliability of the Old Testament</a>. It <i>pretends</i> to be scientific while showing the same uncritical reverence for "science" that used to be shown for God, not understanding the methodology and limitations of science and evidence even in related fields like archaeology and history. Most importantly, it commonly accepts or illegitimately uses <i>the argument from silence</i> - if there is no external confirming evidence of an event, it is considered as evidence that it did not happen (there <i>is</i> a legitimate argument from silence, but again, there is little evidence that most theologians can distinguish between the two).<br />
<br />
Science cannot investigate the supernatural. Its methods were developed to investigate and discover the laws of nature and the natural world, working according to unchanging and predictable laws. By pretending to be scientific in adopting naturalistic <i>assumptions</i> (that there is no super-natural or that we cannot investigate the supernatural), it adopts the weakness of science, but without the strength of science in being truly self-correcting when the evidence is in contradiction to our hypotheses or theories... <i>this</i> makes it a pseudo-science. <i><b>If theology ever hopes to again be worthy of a title equal to "queen of the sciences", it should unapologetically recover the supernatural as part of its field of study, at least as a legitimate possibility to be investigated</b></i>, and truly develop a new methodology by which various supernatural claims can be tested and examined carefully; holding fast and accepting only the good and rejecting all evil and falsehood.Chavouxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02548629951249411219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3274924259075785324.post-45061407375009950842018-06-02T08:30:00.000-07:002018-06-02T08:30:06.148-07:00Can we trust the Bible? 2At the end of the blog asking about the inerrancy of the Bible (<a href="https://anotherapologeticsblog.com/2018/05/31/can-we-still-trust-the-bible/)" target="_blank">can-we-still-trust-the-bible</a>), there is an appendix with a number of apparent contradictions in the Bible. While I am not going to answer them one-by-one, I am going to mention a few basic principles that can help us see why most "Biblical contradictions" are nothing of the sort.<br />
<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>Almost every event described in the Bible will only tell what was considered as the most relevant facts. We never tell a story including every single detail. Realising that some facts have been omitted, will go a long way to understanding many apparent "contradictions".</li>
<li>Different parts of the Bible sometimes confirm what is written elsewhere (without meaning to) by providing missing information.</li>
<li>Sometimes we simply do not know what information is missing. This is not a good reason to claim "contradiction".</li>
<li>Much of the Bible is poetry. We should not read poetry as prose. Many so-called "contradictions" are simply a matter of not reading something as the genre it was meant.</li>
<li>There are common usage of hyperbole in the Bible. This is especially true in the Hebrew parts of the Bible. An example (which I read today) is where it claims that Joab killed <i>all </i>the males in Edom, and then explains in the same passage how Hadad, the son of the Edomite king with some of his father's servants escaped to Pharaoh Shisak. "All" is often used to refer to "almost all" or "most" or "all that matter" or "all that they could" (1 Kings 11).</li>
<li>In the same way, when describing what a king did, it is often referring to what his people or his high officials did or implemented. The above passage does not mean that David himself (or even Joab, leader of his army) killed every single Edomite male. But this was never understood in this way and it is a misinterpretation of the Scriptures to read it as such.</li>
<li>Time plays a role. When somebody did not do something immediately it is often recorded as "they did not do it". E.g the women not telling the other disciples about what they saw does not mean that they never ever told anybody about it (otherwise, how could Mark even record it as happening?)! The importance of time when something happened, is often ignored by those who claim ¨contradiction".</li>
<li>Similarly, place plays a role. What happened at one place with one group of people did not happen elsewhere (with another group of people). This is another source of many claimed "contradictions".</li>
<li>Sometimes the Bible focus on one person (or small group of persons) without implying that they were the only ones there or that all of them reacted or acted exactly the same. As an example, I have a book describing some parts of the life of the missionary "Praying Hyde". In it one colleague (Dr. Chapman) describe in a letter a period of prayer that he spent with this John Hyde and how it impacted himself and his work. There is no mention of anybody else. Then, in the very next paragraph, another colleague (Mr. Charles M. Alexander), who worked together with Dr. Chapman, describe to John Hyde's sister that he was at that meeting as well and that it was almost a whole day. Then at the end of the meeting, they called in a whole team of fellow workers to pray together. Are these two accounts contradictory? I trust that most people will see that it is not. But the Bible is frequently treated differently.</li>
<li>Numbers are often rounded up or down. Similarly for time. A common example is where an event took some time and one author would record the time of the beginning of the event and the other the end or middle of the event (e.g. when did the women come to the tomb of Jesus). And of course, they did not have cell phones or wristwatches for exact time keeping. </li>
<li>The Bible often do not tell things in chronological order, but in geographical or topical order. This is another frequent reason for claims of "contradiction".</li>
<li>There are some cases of textual corruption in the Bible (but the fact that we can identify them, already tells us something). However, they do not change the meaning of what the Bible actually teaches and are often just a side-note. The only two significant passages of which I know, is John 8:1-11 and the longer ending of Mark 16. For both passages James Snapp Jr (<a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?field-keywords=James-Snapp-Jr" target="_blank">https://www.amazon.com/s?field-keywords=James-Snapp-Jr</a>) has made a fairly strong case to their authenticity. <a href="http://www.thetextofthegospels.com/">http://www.thetextofthegospels.com</a></li>
</ol>
Chavouxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02548629951249411219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3274924259075785324.post-49287921087286649132018-06-02T05:47:00.000-07:002018-09-11T10:32:15.469-07:00Can we trust the Bible? 1<div class="tr_bq">
From a blog post: <a href="https://anotherapologeticsblog.com/2018/05/31/can-we-still-trust-the-bible/" target="_blank">https://anotherapologeticsblog.com/2018/05/31/can-we-still-trust-the-bible/</a></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<br /></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>Questions for those who insist on inerrancy:</b></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>1. Where in the Bible does it state inerrancy is an essential of Christian faith?</i></blockquote>
</blockquote>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The words of Jesus Himself (unless of course this record is </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">in error</i><span style="font-family: inherit;">) should be sufficient:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"</span><i style="font-family: inherit;">For I assure you and most solemnly say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke [of the pen] will pass from the Law until all things [which it foreshadows] are accomplished</i><span style="font-family: inherit;">.</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">" (</span><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matt.5&version=AMP" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Matt.5:18</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">"</span><i style="font-family: inherit;">If He called them gods, men to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be undone or annulled or broken),</i><span style="font-family: inherit;">"(</span><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+10&version=AMP" style="font-family: inherit;" target="_blank">John 10:35</a><span style="font-family: inherit;">) </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">And that Scripture says:</span><br />
"<i>The words and promises of the Lord are pure words,</i><br />
<i>Like silver refined in an earthen furnace, purified seven times.</i>"(<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+12&version=AMP" target="_blank">Psalm 12:6</a>) and "<i>So I will have an answer for the one who taunts me,</i><br />
<i>For I trust [completely] in Your word [and its reliability]. ...</i><br />
<i> All Your commandments are faithful and trustworthy. </i><br />
<i>They have persecuted me with a lie; help me [Lord]! ... </i><br />
<i>Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven [standing firm and unchangeable].</i>"(<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+119&version=AMP" target="_blank">Psalm 119:42, 86, 89</a>)<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Oh, but that does not include the New Testament? Paul was adamant that the gospel he proclaimed was not just his own: </span><br />
<div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">"<i>And we also thank God continually for this, that when you received the word of God [concerning salvation] which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of [mere] men, but as it truly is, the word of God, which is effectually at work in you who believe [exercising its inherent, supernatural power in those of faith].</i>"(<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Thessalonians+2&version=AMP" target="_blank">1 Thess.2:13</a>)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">So does Peter, quoting the Old Testament:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">"<i>But the word of the Lord endures forever.' And this is the word [the good news of salvation] which was preached to you.</i>" (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Pet.+1&version=AMP" target="_blank">1 Peter 1:25</a>)</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">And Peter considered the writings of Paul as Scripture already:</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"<i>And consider the patience of our Lord [His delay in judging and avenging wrongs] as salvation [that is, allowing time for more to be saved]; just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given to him [by God], speaking about these things as he does in all of his letters. In which there are some things that are difficult to understand, which the untaught and unstable [who have fallen into error] twist and misinterpret, just as they do the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction.</i>"(<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Pet.+3&version=AMP">2 Peter 3:15-16</a>)<i> </i>"</span></span><br />
This passage also answers the question about how we can have so many different interpretations of the Bible. Our hearts are deceitful and we often twist the meaning of the Scriptures in order for it to say what God did not mean at all.<br />
In this context Jesus said: "<i>Heaven and earth [as now known] will pass away, but My words will not pass away.</i>" (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+24&version=AMP">Matt.24:35</a>) ... if this does not refer to the written records of the words of Jesus, to what does it refer?<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>2. Did the early church have a Bible to believe was inerrant, or did they believe in the passion narrative and life of Jesus apart from sola scriptura?</i></blockquote>
How early? When they had the apostles living among them, they had the eyewitness testimony of the apostles themselves. But the apostles themselves depended on the truth and testimony of the Old Testament prophecies (and its fulfilment in Jesus) as a source of authority. Thereafter the church had the writings of the apostles (and of course the Old Testament throughout).</div>
<div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>3. Did God give us a book to have a relationship with Him? If the Bible is the sole foundation for Christian thought and worldview, why is it so ambiguous that it could take a team of lawyers to read it, and still disagree on its meaning?</i></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Yes, He gave as a book so that we can test the spirits. So that we can evaluate any teaching in the light of what He has already revealed. So that we can be equipped: <span style="font-family: inherit;">"<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span class="text 2Tim-3-16" id="en-AMP-29870" style="box-sizing: border-box;">All Scripture is God-breathed [given by divine inspiration] and is profitable for instruction, for conviction [of sin], for correction [of error and restoration to obedience], for training in righteousness [learning to live in conformity to God’s will, both publicly and privately—behaving honourably with personal integrity and moral courage]; </span><span class="text 2Tim-3-17" id="en-AMP-29871" style="box-sizing: border-box;">so that the man of God may be complete <span style="box-sizing: border-box;">and</span> proficient, outfitted <span style="box-sizing: border-box;">and</span> thoroughly equipped for every good work.</span></i></span></span><span class="text 2Tim-3-17" style="box-sizing: border-box;">"</span><span class="text 2Tim-3-17" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> (</span><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Timothy+3&version=AMP">2 Tim.3:16-17</a><span style="font-family: inherit;">). Is the Bible truly so </span>ambiguous<span style="font-family: inherit;">? Or is it too often ourselves who are looking for loopholes (like lawyers so often do) to avoid the full implications of what it teaches? Again, the Scripture itself teaches us that </span></span>He also gave us the Holy Spirit to interpret it correctly. <span style="font-family: inherit;">"<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span class="text 2Pet-1-19" id="en-AMP-30499" style="box-sizing: border-box;">So we have the prophetic word made more certain. You do well to pay [close] attention to it as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns <span style="box-sizing: border-box;">and</span> light breaks through the gloom and the morning star arises in your hearts.<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-AMP-30499C" data-link="(<a href="#cen-AMP-30499C" title="See cross-reference C">C</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> </span><span class="text 2Pet-1-20" id="en-AMP-30500" style="box-sizing: border-box;">But understand this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is <span style="box-sizing: border-box;">a matter</span> of <span style="box-sizing: border-box;">or</span> comes from one’s own [personal or special] interpretation, </span><span class="text 2Pet-1-21" id="en-AMP-30501" style="box-sizing: border-box;">for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.</span></i></span></span><span class="text 2Pet-1-21" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"</span> </span><span class="text 2Pet-1-21" style="box-sizing: border-box;">(<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Peter+1&version=AMP">2 Pet.1:19-21</a>) The reason why we so often disagree about the meaning of Scripture is exactly because we think it is a matter of one's own interpretation.</span></span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="text 2Pet-1-21" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><i>4. Have you ever changed your views on a perfectly orthodox article of faith? If you were wrong about one view, and right, or more justified in the other view, how can scripture be inerrant when you held several legitimate views on the same set of biblical texts? I realize the claim is that it is the text that is inerrant, not the interpretation, but how is strict inerrancy maintained when so many theories about the same passages can be legitimately held?</i></span></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">What is a "perfectly orthodox article of faith"? If it is anything that would influence my salvation by Jesus Christ, then no, I have never had to change my views on this. Yes, I have learned a lot more about what it implies to know and follow Jesus, since I first believed in Him, that I did not know in the beginning. And yes, there has been many peripheral issues about which I was wrong (and some about which I am still not sure that I have it correct). How is it possible if the Bible is inerrant? Because we should use Scripture to interpret Scripture. Even from a purely human viewpoint we know that later Biblical authors considered those who wrote before as authoritative and it is reasonable that they knew the previously existing Scriptures. So they would not then on purpose write something to contradict previous revelations. What they <i>would</i> do, is to correct some <i>wrong interpretation </i>of previous Scriptures. In my case, I did not know the Scriptures well enough to always tell which interpretation does not clash with what is said elsewhere. And in my experience, almost every misinterpretation or false teaching (including some that I believed) was based on taking some passages out of context and not taking into account the <i>whole </i>Bible.</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>5. Is certainty a necessary condition for believing something is true? Consider other good beliefs we have in other matters and your certainty in them.</i></span></blockquote>
Faith in God is based on trust. If He is not trustworthy, I would not have faith in Him. And yes, I have to be <i>certain</i> that I can trust Him in order to believe that what He says is true.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>6. Do you believe in Jesus because you have the Bible, or do you trust the Bible because you trust Jesus?</i></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I trust the Bible because I trust Jesus (and the claims that He makes in the Bible). However, I would have no idea who Jesus is, except through the Bible. And if the Biblical record is <i>not </i>trustworthy and true, then who is it that I trust? My own idea of who Jesus is? Like the Jesus seminar always creating a new "Jesus" that fits with what I <i>want </i>Him to be? Not who He truly was and is! But let me continue with this line of argument... It is not necessary to believe in the inerrancy of the Bible to come to faith in Jesus. I only have to accept that the Bible is a reasonably trustworthy revelation of who Jesus was. But once I believe in Him and becomes his follower (a Christian), I also follow his teaching on the authority of the Scriptures. And then I do trust the Bible as the word of God and <i>therefore </i>inerrant. It is in the faithfulness and reliability of God that my trust in the inerrancy of the Bible is based.</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>7. If the Bible is perfect, what role does the Holy Spirit play in the formation of our faith?</i></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Everything! The Holy Spirit is the One who originally inspired the Bible. And I can only understand the Bible through Him (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Peter+1&version=AMP" style="font-size: 16px;">2 Pet.1:19-21</a>). But I can and should (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+John+4&version=AMP">1 John 4: 1 & 6</a>) test the spirits to see that it is in agreement with what the Holy Spirit has revealed before (in the Scriptures). If not, I must reject it as not being from the Holy Spirit at all.</span></div>
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Chavouxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02548629951249411219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3274924259075785324.post-73016181125745650522018-02-22T02:17:00.001-08:002018-06-02T03:45:34.119-07:00Why would God care more about what we believe about God than how we live for God?Although old, I only recently discovered <a href="http://www.patheos.com/blogs/unfundamentalistchristians/2015/01/one-question-fundamentalists-cannot-answer/#disqus_thread" target="_blank">this thread: <b>One question fundamentalists cannot answer</b></a>:<br />
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<h2>
Why would God care more about what we believe about God than how we live for God?</h2>
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The first point I would make is that "believe" and "faith" in the Bible is primary about <i><b>trusting</b></i> God and his <i style="font-weight: bold;">faithfulness. </i>This is also why we fundamentalists emphasise the reliability of the Bible as God's Word - <b style="font-style: italic;">God is faithful and trustworthy</b>, also in his communication with us (i.e. his inspired Word), otherwise how could we trust Him?</div>
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But the real answer to the actual question is this: <i style="font-weight: bold;">What we truly believe determines how we live and how we act. </i>If we do not trust Him, we cannot truly love Him. We cannot live a life of dependence on Him. We cannot truly love even our enemies, because He loves them. We cannot look at the world through His eyes. We <i>can </i>try do do all of these things as "followers" of Jesus Christ (Christians), but what will inevitably happens, is that we will eventually discover (even if it takes years) that this is simply <i><b>not</b></i> humanly possible (without supernatural help). And when that happens, we can react to this realisation in a number of different ways (all bad), unless we have learned to believe in Him:</div>
<div>
<ol>
<li><i>We give up</i> on the Christian life and on the Christian message. We become either a New Age "spiritual person" believing that all religions are basically the same and only accepting the "ethical teachings" from each (according to our own definition of "ethical" now) OR we become atheist agnostic. We basically concludes that "Christianity doesn't work".</li>
<li>We redefines who God is and what He expects of us according to how <i>we</i> want Him to be. So we choose our ethics of love according to what we find easy and possible for ourselves. Those sins of which we are not guilty, we <i>condemn</i> (especially lack of love in others), while we <i>excuse</i> the sins of which we are guilty as acceptable to God (through various creative reinterpretations) because "He loves us". We basically redefine "Christianity" to suit ourselves, creating an idol of our own making.</li>
<li>...</li>
</ol>
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James 2 makes the point clearly that what we truly believe, determines how we act, irrespective of what we <i style="font-weight: bold;">say </i>we believe. If I believe the Good News as proclaimed in the Bible about God's breaking into our world through his Son, Jesus of Nazareth, it <b><i>will</i></b> change my life. If however, I only see Jesus as a good teacher (as did many of the Pharisees of his day), it will simply set me up for failure in trying to attain the high standards of his Kingdom. I cannot follow Him if I did not do a proper cost analysis (Luk.14). And part of that analysis involves the level of trust I am prepared to give to Him. And this is why I believe that it matters more to God what we believe (what is going on in our hearts) than how we live (what we do outwardly). Jesus repeatedly taught that it matters more that we actually clean the inside (which only He can do!) than that we appear clean from the outside. Of course, if nothing happens on the outside, <i style="font-weight: bold;">it is evidence that we do not truly believe in Him, </i>but only <i>say</i> that we do.</div>
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Chavouxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02548629951249411219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3274924259075785324.post-39207060337290303962017-06-19T00:51:00.001-07:002017-06-19T00:51:21.660-07:00The Jewish roots of ChristianityI have always been a bit sceptical of attempts to make Christians more "Jewish". It often felt to me like gentile Christians pretending to be Jews. But here is a good explanation of how important the Jewish roots of Christianity really are to our spiritual well-being as followers of Jesus Christ:<br />
<a href="https://chab123.wordpress.com/2017/06/18/five-lessons-on-the-jewish-roots-of-christianity/" target="_blank">https://chab123.wordpress.com/2017/06/18/five-lessons-on-the-jewish-roots-of-christianity/</a><br />
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(Also have a look at <a href="https://www.quora.com/As-a-Christian-how-much-of-the-old-testament-rules-do-you-believe-you-should-adhere-to/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/As-a-Christian-how-much-of-the-old-testament-rules-do-you-believe-you-should-adhere-to/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a>)<br />
<br />Chavouxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02548629951249411219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3274924259075785324.post-25174209457619313882017-03-30T03:52:00.001-07:002017-03-30T03:52:57.912-07:00The Kingdom of GodA good series of blog posts explaining why the Kingdom of God is so central to the gospel Jesus preached: <a href="http://bnonn.com/what-is-the-kingdom-of-god-1/">http://bnonn.com/what-is-the-kingdom-of-god-1/</a>Chavouxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02548629951249411219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3274924259075785324.post-75245190128405475342017-02-21T15:02:00.000-08:002017-02-21T15:02:19.256-08:00There is a new development...God is doing something new in my life, pulling together many of the past threads of truth, and also the passion He has put in me... for his Kingdom and his King Messiah...<br />
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<a href="http://www.newdevelopment.co.za/">http://www.newdevelopment.co.za</a><br />
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<br />Chavouxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02548629951249411219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3274924259075785324.post-62310755033399330342017-01-27T11:39:00.003-08:002017-01-27T11:39:58.145-08:00Who is the Messiah?In reaction to an answer of me on <a href="https://www.quora.com/Why-did-God-stop-sending-prophets-to-convince-us-he-exists-Read-question-details/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">Quora</a> about prophets and miracles, somebody wrote the following:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><b>Jews do not accept Jesus as the messiah because:Jesus did not fulfill the messianic prophecies.</b>Jesus did not embody the personal qualifications of the Messiah.Biblical verses "referring" to Jesus are mistranslations.Jewish belief is based on national revelation.But first, some background: What exactly is the Messiah?The word "Messiah" is an English rendering of the Hebrew word </i><i>Mashiach</i><i>, which means "anointed." It usually refers to a person initiated into God's service by being anointed with oil. (Exodus 29:7, 1-Kings 1:39, 2-Kings 9:3)</i><b><i>(1) Jesus Did Not Fulfill the Messianic Prophecies</i></b><i>What is the Messiah supposed to accomplish? One of the central themes of biblical prophecy is the promise of a future age of perfection characterized by universal peace and recognition of God. (Isaiah 2:1-4, 32:15-18, 60:15-18; Zephaniah 3:9; Hosea 2:20-22; Amos 9:13-15; Micah 4:1-4; Zechariah 8:23, 14:9; Jeremiah 31:33-34)Specifically, the Bible says he will:Build the Third Temple (Ezekiel 37:26-28).Gather all Jews back to the Land of Israel (Isaiah 43:5-6).Usher in an era of world peace, and end all hatred, oppression, suffering and disease. As it says: "Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall man learn war anymore." (Isaiah 2:4)Spread universal knowledge of the God of Israel, which will unite humanity as one. As it says: "God will be King over all the world – on that day, God will be One and His Name will be One" (Zechariah 14:9).If an individual fails to fulfill even one of these conditions, then he cannot be the Messiah.Because no one has ever fulfilled the Bible's description of this future King, Jews still await the coming of the Messiah. All past Messianic claimants, including Jesus of Nazareth, Bar Cochba and Shabbtai Tzvi have been rejected.Christians counter that Jesus will fulfill these in the Second Coming. Jewish sources show that the Messiah will fulfill the prophecies outright; in the Bible no concept of a second coming exists.</i><b><i>(2) Jesus Did Not Embody the Personal Qualifications of MessiahA. Messiah as Prophet</i></b><i>The Messiah will become the greatest prophet in history, second only to Moses. (Targum – Isaiah 11:2; Maimonides – Teshuva 9:2)Prophecy can only exist in Israel when the land is inhabited by a majority of world Jewry, a situation which has not existed since 300 BCE. During the time of Ezra, when the majority of Jews remained in Babylon, prophecy ended upon the death of the last prophets – Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi.Jesus appeared on the scene approximately 350 years after prophecy had ended, and thus could not be a prophet.</i><b><i>B. Descendant of David</i></b><i>Many prophetic passages speak of a descendant of King David who will rule Israel during the age of perfection. (Isaiah 11:1-9; Jeremiah 23:5-6, 30:7-10, 33:14-16; Ezekiel 34:11-31, 37:21-28; Hosea 3:4-5)The Messiah must be descended on his father's side from King David (see Genesis 49:10, Isaiah 11:1, Jeremiah 23:5, 33:17; Ezekiel 34:23-24). According to the Christian claim that Jesus was the product of a virgin birth, he had no father – and thus could not have possibly fulfilled the messianic requirement of being descended on his father's side from King David. (1)According to Jewish sources, the Messiah will be born of human parents and possess normal physical attributes like other people. He will not be a demi-god, (2) nor will he possess supernatural qualities.</i><b><i>C. Torah Observance</i></b><i>The Messiah will lead the Jewish people to full Torah observance. The Torah states that all mitzvot remain binding forever, and anyone coming to change the Torah is immediately identified as a false prophet. (Deut. 13:1-4)Throughout the Christian "New Testament," Jesus contradicts the Torah and states that its commandments are no longer applicable. For example, John 9:14 records that Jesus made a paste in violation of Shabbat, which caused the Pharisees to say (verse 16), "He does not observe Shabbat!"</i><b><i>(3) Mistranslated Verses "Referring" to Jesus</i></b><i>Biblical verses can only be understood by studying the original Hebrew text – which reveals many discrepancies in the Christian translation.</i><b><i>A. Virgin Birth</i></b><i>The Christian idea of a virgin birth is derived from the verse in Isaiah 7:14 describing an </i><i>"alma"</i><i> as giving birth. The word </i><i>"alma"</i><i> has always meant a young woman, but Christian theologians came centuries later and translated it as "virgin." This accords Jesus' birth with the first century pagan idea of mortals being impregnated by gods.</i><b><i>B. Suffering Servant</i></b><i>Christianity claims that </i><a href="http://www.aish.com/sp/ph/Isaiah_53_The_Suffering_Servant.html"><i>Isaiah chapter 53</i></a><i> refers to Jesus, as the "suffering servant."In actuality, Isaiah 53 directly follows the theme of chapter 52, describing the exile and redemption of the Jewish people. The prophecies are written in the singular form because the Jews ("Israel") are regarded as one unit. Throughout Jewish scripture, Israel is repeatedly called, in the singular, the "Servant of God" (see Isaiah 43:8). In fact, Isaiah states no less than 11 times in the chapters prior to 53 that the Servant of God is Israel.When read correctly, Isaiah 53 clearly [and ironically] refers to the Jewish people being "bruised, crushed and as sheep brought to slaughter" at the hands of the nations of the world. These descriptions are used throughout Jewish scripture to graphically describe the suffering of the Jewish people (see Psalm 44).Isaiah 53 concludes that when the Jewish people are redeemed, the nations will recognize and accept responsibility for the inordinate suffering and death of the Jews.</i><b><i>(4) Jewish Belief is Based Solely on National Revelation</i></b><i>Throughout history, thousands of religions have been started by individuals, attempting to convince people that he or she is God's true prophet. But personal revelation is an extremely weak basis for a religion because one can never know if it is indeed true. Since others did not hear God speak to this person, they have to take his word for it. Even if the individual claiming personal revelation performs miracles, they do not prove he is a genuine prophet. All the miracles show – assuming they are genuine – is that he has certain powers. It has nothing to do with his claim of prophecy.Judaism, unique among all of the world's major religions, does not rely on "claims of miracles" as the basis for its religion. In fact, the Bible says that God sometimes grants the power of "miracles" to charlatans, in order to test Jewish loyalty to the Torah (Deut. 13:4).Of the thousands of religions in human history, only Judaism bases its belief on national revelation – i.e. God speaking to the entire nation. If God is going to start a religion, it makes sense He'll tell everyone, not just one person.Maimonides states (Foundations of Torah, ch. 8):The Jews did not believe in Moses, our teacher, because of the miracles he performed. Whenever anyone's belief is based on seeing miracles, he has lingering doubts, because it is possible the miracles were performed through magic or sorcery. All of the miracles performed by Moses in the desert were because they were necessary, and not as proof of his prophecy.What then was the basis of [Jewish] belief? The Revelation at Mount Sinai, which we saw with our own eyes and heard with our own ears, not dependent on the testimony of others... as it says, "Face to face, God spoke with you..." The Torah also states: "God did not make this covenant with our fathers, but with us – who are all here alive today." (Deut. 5:3)Judaism is not miracles. It is the personal eyewitness experience of every man, woman and child, standing at Mount Sinai 3,300 years ago.</i><i>Further reading: </i><a href="http://www.aish.com/sp/ph/48943936.html"><i>"Did God Speak at Mount Sinai?"</i></a><b><i>Waiting for the Messiah</i></b><i>The world is in desperate need of Messianic redemption. To the extent that we are aware of the problems of society, is the extent we will yearn for redemption. As the Talmud says, one of the first questions asked of a Jew on Judgment Day is: "Did you yearn for the arrival of the Messiah?"How can we hasten the coming of the Messiah? The best way is to love all humanity generously, to keep the mitzvot of the Torah (as best we can), and to encourage others to do so as well.Despite the gloom, the world does seem headed toward redemption. One apparent sign is that the Jewish people have returned to the Land of Israel and made it bloom again. Additionally, a major movement is afoot of young Jews returning to Torah tradition.The Messiah can come any day, and it all depends on our actions. God is ready when we are. For as King David says: "Redemption will come today – if you hearken to His voice."I am NOT of the Jewish heritage myself but as a now recovered christian - the evidence against all biblical legends and mythology appears pretty conclusive in supporting the rationality of atheism.</i></blockquote>
Here I would like to respond, both because the Messianic prophecies were so important in my own spiritual growth (see <a href="http://www.chavoux.com/Messias/EnglishAnointed.html" target="_blank">http://www.chavoux.com/Messias/EnglishAnointed.html</a>), but also because so many people (Christians even) are unaware of the full extent of what God promised and how Jesus fulfilled the promises. This was something that Jesus understood and explained to his disciples after his resurrection, and which formed the basis of their teaching and proclamation of the gospel from the start; that they were eyewitnesses to the very things that God had promised. <br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>What exactly is the Messiah?The word "Messiah" is an English rendering of the Hebrew word </i><i>Mashiach</i><i>,
which means "anointed." It usually refers to a person initiated into
God's service by being anointed with oil. (Exodus 29:7, 1-Kings 1:39,
2-Kings 9:3)</i></blockquote>
I agree 100%, but would like to add that there are basically 3 positions for which people were anointed into God's service:<br />
<ol>
<li>Priest (and high Priest - Cohen haGadol): Ex.29:7 - "<span class="text Exod-29-6" id="en-CJB-2339"></span><i><span class="text Exod-29-7" id="en-CJB-2340">Then take the anointing oil, and anoint him by pouring it on his head.</span></i><span class="text Exod-29-7" id="en-CJB-2340">" Ex.30:23-30 - "</span><br /><span class="text Exod-30-23" id="en-CJB-2402">“<i>Take the best spices — 500 shekels of myrrh, half this amount (250 shekels) of aromatic cinnamon, 250 shekels of aromatic cane, </i></span><i><span class="text Exod-30-24" id="en-CJB-2403">500 shekels of cassia (use the sanctuary standard), and one gallon of olive oil — </span><span class="text Exod-30-25" id="en-CJB-2404">and
make them into a holy anointing oil; blend it and perfume it as would
an expert perfume-maker; it will be a holy anointing oil. </span><span class="text Exod-30-26" id="en-CJB-2405">Use it to anoint the tent of meeting, the ark for the testimony, </span><span class="text Exod-30-27" id="en-CJB-2406">the table and all its utensils, the menorah and all its utensils, the incense altar, </span><span class="text Exod-30-28" id="en-CJB-2407">the altar for burnt offerings and all its utensils, and the basin with its base. </span><span class="text Exod-30-29" id="en-CJB-2408">You are to consecrate them — they will be especially holy, and whatever touches them will be holy. </span></i><span class="text Exod-30-30" id="en-CJB-2409"><i>Then you are to <b>anoint</b> Aharon and his sons — you are to consecrate them to serve me in the office of <b>cohen</b>."</i></span></li>
<li><span class="text Exod-30-30" id="en-CJB-2409">King: 1 Kings 1:39 - "</span><i><span class="text 1Kgs-1-39" id="en-CJB-8627">Tzadok the cohen took the horn of olive oil out of the tent and <b>anointed</b> Shlomo. They sounded the shofar, and all the people shouted, “Long live <b>King</b> Shlomo!”</span></i><span class="text 1Kgs-1-39" id="en-CJB-8627">" 1 Sam 16:13 - " </span><span class="text 1Sam-16-13" id="en-CJB-7478"><i>Sh’mu’el took the horn of oil and <b>anointed</b> him there in his brothers’ presence. From that day on, the Spirit of <span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps;">Adonai</span> would fall upon <b>David</b> with power. So Sh’mu’el set out and went to Ramah.</i>"</span></li>
<li><span class="text 1Kgs-1-39" id="en-CJB-8627">Prophet: 1 Kings 19:15-16 - "</span><i><span class="text Isa-61-1"><span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps;">Adonai</span></span></i><span class="text 1Kgs-1-39" id="en-CJB-8627"><i><span class="text 1Kgs-19-15" id="en-CJB-9273"> said to him, “Go back by way of the Dammesek Desert. When you get there, anoint Haza’el to be king over Aram. </span><span class="text 1Kgs-19-16" id="en-CJB-9274">Also
anoint Yehu the son of Nimshi to be king over Isra’el, and <b>anoint</b>
Elisha the son of Shafat of Avel-M’cholah to be <b>prophet</b> after you.</span></i>" Isaiah 61:1-3 - "</span><i><span class="chapter-2"><span class="text Isa-61-1" id="en-CJB-11314">The Spirit of Adonai <span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps;">Elohim</span> is upon me,</span></span><br /><span class="text Isa-61-1">because <span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps;">Adonai</span> has <b>anointed</b> me</span><br /><span class="text Isa-61-1">to <b>announce</b> good news to the poor.</span><br /><span class="text Isa-61-1">He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted;</span><br /><span class="text Isa-61-1">to proclaim freedom to the captives,</span><br /><span class="text Isa-61-1">to let out into light those bound in the dark;</span><br /><span class="text Isa-61-2" id="en-CJB-11315">to proclaim the year of the favor of <span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps;">Adonai</span></span><br /><span class="text Isa-61-2">and the day of vengeance of our God;</span><br /><span class="text Isa-61-2">to comfort all who mourn,</span><br /><span class="text Isa-61-3" id="en-CJB-11316">yes, provide for those in Tziyon who mourn,</span><br /><span class="text Isa-61-3">giving them garlands instead of ashes,</span><br /><span class="text Isa-61-3">the oil of gladness instead of mourning,</span><br /><span class="text Isa-61-3">a cloak of praise instead of a heavy spirit,</span><br /><span class="text Isa-61-3">so that they will be called oaks of righteousness</span><br /><span class="text Isa-61-3">planted by <span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps;">Adonai</span>, in which he takes pride.</span></i><span class="text 1Kgs-1-39" id="en-CJB-8627">"</span></li>
</ol>
<span class="text 1Kgs-1-39" id="en-CJB-8627">But of course, "the Messiah" is not simply any Israelite priest, prophet or king.</span> <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span class="text 1Kgs-1-39" id="en-CJB-8627"> </span><b><i>(1) Jesus Did Not Fulfill the Messianic Prophecies</i></b> ... <i>What is the Messiah supposed to accomplish? One of the central themes
of biblical prophecy is the promise of a future age of perfection
characterized by universal peace and recognition of God. (Isaiah 2:1-4,
32:15-18, 60:15-18; Zephaniah 3:9; Hosea 2:20-22; Amos 9:13-15; Micah
4:1-4; Zechariah 8:23, 14:9; Jeremiah 31:33-34)</i></blockquote>
Is. 2:1-4 - "<span class="text Isa-2-1" id="en-CJB-10156"><span class="chapternum"></span><i>This is the word that Yesha‘yahu the son of Amotz saw concerning Y’hudah and Yerushalayim:</i></span><i> </i><br />
<div class="poetry">
<div class="line">
<i><span class="text Isa-2-2" id="en-CJB-10157">In the acharit-hayamim (last days)</span><br /><span class="text Isa-2-2">the mountain of <span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps;">Adonai</span>’s house</span><br /><span class="text Isa-2-2">will be established as the most important mountain.</span><br /><span class="text Isa-2-2">It will be regarded more highly than the other hills,</span><br /><span class="text Isa-2-2">and all the Goyim will stream there.</span><br /><span class="text Isa-2-3" id="en-CJB-10158">Many peoples will go and say,</span><br /><span class="text Isa-2-3">“Come, let’s go up to the mountain of <span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps;">Adonai</span>,</span><br /><span class="text Isa-2-3">to the house of the God of Ya‘akov!</span><br /><span class="text Isa-2-3">He will teach us about his ways,</span><br /><span class="text Isa-2-3">and we will walk in his paths.”</span><br /><span class="text Isa-2-3">For out of Tziyon will go forth Torah,</span><br /><span class="text Isa-2-3">the word of <span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps;">Adonai</span> from Yerushalayim.</span><br /><span class="text Isa-2-4" id="en-CJB-10159">He will judge between the nations</span><br /><span class="text Isa-2-4">and arbitrate for many peoples.</span><br /><span class="text Isa-2-4">Then they will hammer their swords into plow-blades</span><br /><span class="text Isa-2-4">and their spears into pruning-knives;</span><br /><span class="text Isa-2-4">nations will not raise swords at each other,</span></i><span class="text Isa-2-4"><i>and they will no longer learn war.</i>"</span></div>
<div class="line">
<span class="text Isa-2-4">It says <i><b>nothing at all about the Messiah</b></i>! Yes, there is a Messianic connection with the mention of the <i><b>last days</b></i> (as we will see), but there is simply no mention here about the Messiah. </span></div>
<div class="line">
<span class="text Isa-2-4">Is. 32:14-18 - "</span><i><span class="text Isa-32-14" id="en-CJB-10743">For the palace will be abandoned,</span><br /><span class="text Isa-32-14">the crowded city deserted,</span><br /><span class="text Isa-32-14">‘Ofel and fortress wastelands forever,</span><br /><span class="text Isa-32-14">a delight for wild donkeys and a pasture for flocks —</span><br /><span class="text Isa-32-15" id="en-CJB-10744">till the Spirit is poured out on us from above,</span><br /><span class="text Isa-32-15">and the desert becomes a fertile field,</span><br /><span class="text Isa-32-15">with the fertile field regarded as a forest.</span><br /><span class="text Isa-32-16" id="en-CJB-10745">Then justice will dwell in the desert,</span><br /><span class="text Isa-32-16">and righteousness abide in the fertile field.</span><br /><span class="text Isa-32-17" id="en-CJB-10746">The effect of righteousness will be peace;</span><br /><span class="text Isa-32-17">the result of righteousness, quiet trust forever.</span><br /><span class="text Isa-32-18" id="en-CJB-10747">My people will live in a peaceful place,</span></i><span class="text Isa-32-18"><i>in secure neighborhoods and tranquil dwellings.</i>"</span></div>
<div class="line">
<span class="text Isa-32-18">Once again, <i><b>no mention of the Messiah</b></i> in these verses! There <b><i>is </i></b>however, mention of the <i><b>Spirit</b></i> being poured out on us from above (another Messianic theme). Here is what is said earlier in that same chapter that could possibly be about the Messiah, however (Is.32:1-5):</span></div>
<div class="line">
<span class="text Isa-32-18">"</span><i><span class="chapter-2"><span class="text Isa-32-1" id="en-CJB-10730">There is coming a king who will reign justly</span></span><br /><span class="text Isa-32-1">and princes who will rule uprightly.</span><br /><span class="text Isa-32-2" id="en-CJB-10731">A man will be like a refuge from the wind,</span><br /><span class="text Isa-32-2">like protection from a storm,</span><br /><span class="text Isa-32-2">like streams of water on arid ground,</span><br /><span class="text Isa-32-2">like a rock cliff shading a weary land.</span><br /><span class="text Isa-32-3" id="en-CJB-10732">The eyes of those seeing will not be closed,</span><br /><span class="text Isa-32-3">the ears of those hearing will pay close attention.</span><br /><span class="text Isa-32-4" id="en-CJB-10733">The minds of the impetuous will learn to weigh carefully,</span><br /><span class="text Isa-32-4">the tongues of the stutterers will speak readily and clearly.</span> </i></div>
<div class="poetry top-1">
<div class="line">
<i><span class="text Isa-32-5" id="en-CJB-10734">The mean person will no longer be called generous,</span></i><span class="text Isa-32-5"><i>or the miserly said to be noble;</i>"</span></div>
<div class="line">
<span class="text Isa-32-5">Even if this is about the Messiah, how would one test it? The righteousness of the king? </span></div>
<div class="line">
<span class="text Isa-32-5">Is.60:15-18 - "</span><i><span class="text Isa-60-15" id="en-CJB-11306">In the past you were abandoned and hated,</span><br /><span class="text Isa-60-15">so that no one would even pass through you;</span><br /><span class="text Isa-60-15">but now I will make you the pride of the ages,</span><br /><span class="text Isa-60-15">a joy for many generations.</span><br /><span class="text Isa-60-16" id="en-CJB-11307">You will drink the milk of nations,</span><br /><span class="text Isa-60-16">you will nurse at royal breasts</span><br /><span class="text Isa-60-16">and know that I, <span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps;">Adonai</span>, am your Savior,</span><br /><span class="text Isa-60-16">your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Ya‘akov.</span> </i></div>
<div class="poetry top-1">
<div class="line">
<i><span class="text Isa-60-17" id="en-CJB-11308">“For bronze I will bring you gold,</span><br /><span class="text Isa-60-17">for iron I will bring you silver,</span><br /><span class="text Isa-60-17">bronze in place of wood,</span><br /><span class="text Isa-60-17">and iron in place of stones.</span><br /><span class="text Isa-60-17">I will make shalom your governor</span><br /><span class="text Isa-60-17">and righteousness your taskmaster.</span><br /><span class="text Isa-60-18" id="en-CJB-11309">Violence will no longer be heard in your land,</span><br /><span class="text Isa-60-18">desolation or destruction within your borders;</span><br /><span class="text Isa-60-18">instead, you will call your walls Salvation</span></i><span class="text Isa-60-18"><i>and your gates Praise.</i>"</span></div>
<div class="line">
<span class="text Isa-60-18">A great prophecy, but <i><b>no mention of the Messiah</b></i> at all!</span></div>
<div class="line">
<span class="text Isa-60-18">Zeph.3:9 - "</span><i><span class="text Zeph-3-9" id="en-CJB-14783">For then I will change the peoples,</span><br /><span class="text Zeph-3-9">so that they will have pure lips,</span><br /><span class="text Zeph-3-9">to call on the name of <span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps;">Adonai</span>, all of them,</span></i><span class="text Zeph-3-9"><i>and serve him with one accord.</i>"</span></div>
<div class="line">
<span class="text Zeph-3-9"><i><b>No mention of Messiah</b></i>. However, it does mention <i><b>the peoples</b></i> (i.e. non-Jews) <i><b>turning</b></i> to call on the name of YHWH (ADONAI). But nothing is said about how this will happen, except that it is something that God will do. Guess in who this prophecy is being </span><span class="text Zeph-3-9"><span class="text Zeph-3-9">fulfilled</span>, even now?</span></div>
<div class="line">
<span class="text Zeph-3-9">Hos.2:20-24 - "</span><i><span class="text Hos-2-20" id="en-CJB-14077">When that day comes, I will make</span><br /><span class="text Hos-2-20">a covenant for them</span><br /><span class="text Hos-2-20">with the wild animals, the birds in the air</span><br /><span class="text Hos-2-20">and the creeping things of the earth.</span><br /><span class="text Hos-2-20">I will break bow and sword,</span><br /><span class="text Hos-2-20">sweep battle from the land,</span><br /><span class="text Hos-2-20">and make them lie down securely.</span><br /><span class="text Hos-2-21" id="en-CJB-14078"><sup class="versenum mid-line"></sup>I will betroth you to me forever;</span><br /><span class="text Hos-2-21">yes, I will betroth you to me</span><br /><span class="text Hos-2-21">in righteousness, in justice,</span><br /><span class="text Hos-2-21">in grace and in compassion;</span><br /><span class="text Hos-2-22" id="en-CJB-14079"><sup class="versenum mid-line"></sup>I will betroth you to me in faithfulness,</span><br /><span class="text Hos-2-22">and you will know <span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps;">Adonai</span>.</span></i></div>
<div class="line">
<span class="text Hos-2-22"><i><span class="text Hos-2-23" id="en-CJB-14080"><sup class="versenum mid-line"> </sup>When that day comes,</span><br /><span class="text Hos-2-23">I will answer,” says <span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps;">Adonai</span></span><br /><span class="text Hos-2-23">“I will answer the sky,</span><br /><span class="text Hos-2-23">and it will answer the earth;</span><br /><span class="text Hos-2-24" id="en-CJB-14081"><sup class="versenum mid-line"></sup>the earth will answer the corn, wine and oil,</span><br /><span class="text Hos-2-24">and they will answer Yizre‘el [God will sow].</span></i>"</span></div>
<div class="line">
<span class="text Hos-2-22"><b><i>No mention of Messiah</i></b>! There is mention of "<i><b>that day</b></i>", which is elsewhere mentioned together with Messiah, so there might be a connection. But nothing by which Messiah can be identified.</span></div>
<div class="line">
<span class="text Hos-2-22">Amos 9:13-15 - "</span><i><span class="text Amos-9-13" id="en-CJB-14462">“The days will come,” says <span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps;">Adonai</span>,</span><br /><span class="text Amos-9-13">“when the plowman will overtake the reaper</span><br /><span class="text Amos-9-13">and the one treading grapes the one sowing seed.</span><br /><span class="text Amos-9-13">Sweet wine will drip down the mountains,</span><br /><span class="text Amos-9-13">and all the hills will flow with it.</span><br /><span class="text Amos-9-14" id="en-CJB-14463">I will restore the fortunes of my people Isra’el;</span><br /><span class="text Amos-9-14">they will rebuild and inhabit the ruined cities;</span><br /><span class="text Amos-9-14">they will plant vineyards and drink their wine,</span><br /><span class="text Amos-9-14">cultivate gardens and eat their fruit.</span><br /><span class="text Amos-9-15" id="en-CJB-14464">I will plant them on their own soil,</span><br /><span class="text Amos-9-15">no more to be uprooted</span><br /><span class="text Amos-9-15">from their land, which I gave them,”</span></i><span class="text Amos-9-15"><i>says <span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps;">Adonai</span> your God.</i>"</span></div>
<div class="line">
<span class="text Amos-9-15">This prophecy has been fulfilled in our own times since 1948. Great! But again, there is <i><b>no mention of the Messiah</b></i>!</span></div>
<div class="line">
<span class="text Amos-9-15">Mic.
4:1-4 - "</span><i><span class="chapter-1"><span class="text Mic-4-1" id="en-CJB-14575">But in the acharit-hayamim it will come about</span></span><br /><span class="text Mic-4-1">that the mountain of <span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps;">Adonai</span>’s house</span><br /><span class="text Mic-4-1">will be established as the most important mountain.</span><br /><span class="text Mic-4-1">It will be regarded more highly than the other hills,</span><br /><span class="text Mic-4-1">and peoples will stream there.</span><br /><span class="text Mic-4-2" id="en-CJB-14576">Many Gentiles will go and say,</span><br /><span class="text Mic-4-2">“Come, let’s go up to the mountain of <span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps;">Adonai</span>,</span><br /><span class="text Mic-4-2">to the house of the God of Ya‘akov!</span><br /><span class="text Mic-4-2">He will teach us about his ways,</span><br /><span class="text Mic-4-2">and we will walk in his paths.”</span><br /><span class="text Mic-4-2">For out of Tziyon will go forth Torah,</span><br /><span class="text Mic-4-2">the word of <span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps;">Adonai</span> from Yerushalayim.</span><br /><span class="text Mic-4-3" id="en-CJB-14577">He will judge between many peoples</span><br /><span class="text Mic-4-3">and arbitrate for many nations far away.</span><br /><span class="text Mic-4-3">Then they will hammer their swords into plow-blades</span><br /><span class="text Mic-4-3">and their spears into pruning-knives;</span><br /><span class="text Mic-4-3">nations will not raise swords at each other,</span><br /><span class="text Mic-4-3">and they will no longer learn war.</span><br /><span class="text Mic-4-4" id="en-CJB-14578">Instead, each person will sit under his vine</span><br /><span class="text Mic-4-4">and fig tree, with no one to upset him,</span><br /><span class="text Mic-4-4">for the mouth of <span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps;">Adonai</span>-Tzva’ot</span></i><span class="text Mic-4-4"><i>has spoken.</i>"</span></div>
<div class="line">
<span class="text Mic-4-4">The <i><b>last days</b></i> mentioned, but <i><b>not the Messiah</b></i>. </span></div>
<div class="line">
Zech.8:23 - "<span class="text Zech-8-23" id="en-CJB-14953"><i><span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps;">Adonai</span>-Tzva’ot
says, ‘When that time comes, ten men will take hold — speaking all the
languages of the nations — will grab hold of the cloak of a Jew and say,
“We want to go with you, because we have heard that God is with you.”’</i>"</span></div>
<div class="line">
<b><i>Messiah</i></b>?</div>
<div class="line">
Zech. 14:9 - "<i><span class="text Zech-14-9" id="en-CJB-15031">Then <span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps;">Adonai</span> will be king </span><span class="text Zech-14-9">over the whole world.</span><br /><span class="text Zech-14-9">On that day <span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps;">Adonai</span> will be the only one,</span></i><span class="text Zech-14-9"><i>and his name will be the only name.</i>"</span></div>
<div class="line">
<span class="text Zech-14-9">The kingship (or <i><b>Kingdom</b></i>) of the LORD (</span><span class="text Zech-14-9"><i><span class="text Zech-14-9" id="en-CJB-15031"><span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps;">Adonai</span></span></i><span class="text Zech-14-9" id="en-CJB-15031"><span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps;">)</span></span> </span>is mentioned, but <i><b>no direct mention of the Messiah</b></i> here.</div>
<div class="line">
Jer.31:30-34 - "<i><span class="text Jer-31-30" id="en-CJB-12191">Here, the days are coming,” says <span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps;">Adonai,</span> “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Isra’el and with the house of Y’hudah. </span><span class="text Jer-31-31" id="en-CJB-12192"><sup class="versenum"></sup>It
will not be like the covenant I made with their fathers on the day I
took them by their hand and brought them out of the land of Egypt;
because they, for their part, violated my covenant, even though I, for
my part, was a husband to them,” says <span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps;">Adonai</span>. </span><span class="text Jer-31-32" id="en-CJB-12193"><sup class="versenum"></sup>“For this is the covenant I will make with the house of Isra’el after those days,” says <span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps;">Adonai</span>: “I will put my Torah within them and write it on their hearts; I will be their God, and they will be my people. </span><span class="text Jer-31-33" id="en-CJB-12194"><sup class="versenum"></sup>No longer will any of them teach his fellow community member or his brother, ‘Know <span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps;">Adonai</span>’;
for all will know me, from the least of them to the greatest; because I
will forgive their wickednesses and remember their sins no more.”</span> </i></div>
<div class="poetry top-1">
<div class="line">
<i><span class="text Jer-31-34" id="en-CJB-12195"><sup class="versenum mid-line"></sup>This is what <span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps;">Adonai</span> says,</span><br /><span class="text Jer-31-34">who gives the sun as light for the day,</span><br /><span class="text Jer-31-34">who ordained the laws for the moon and stars</span><br /><span class="text Jer-31-34">to provide light for the night,</span><br /><span class="text Jer-31-34">who stirs up the sea until its waves roar —</span><br /><span class="text Jer-31-34"><span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps;">Adonai</span>-Tzva’ot is his name:</span></i></div>
<div class="line">
<span class="text Jer-31-34"><i><span class="text Jer-31-35" id="en-CJB-12196">“If these laws leave my presence,” says <span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps;">Adonai</span>,</span><br /><span class="text Jer-31-35">“then the offspring of Isra’el will stop being</span><br /><span class="text Jer-31-35">a nation in my presence forever.”</span></i>"</span></div>
</div>
Guess what the message of Yeshua from Nazareth was? Who explicitly instituted a <i><b>New Covenant</b></i> with the promise of changing people's hearts which is being fulfilled even to this day?</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="poetry top-1">
<i>Specifically, the Bible
says he will:Build the Third Temple (Ezekiel 37:26-28).Gather all Jews
back to the Land of Israel (Isaiah 43:5-6).Usher in an era of world
peace, and end all hatred, oppression, suffering and disease. As it
says: "Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall man
learn war anymore." (Isaiah 2:4)Spread universal knowledge of the God of
Israel, which will unite humanity as one. As it says: "God will be King
over all the world – on that day, God will be One and His Name will be
One" (Zechariah 14:9).</i></div>
</blockquote>
Build the Third Temple?<br />
Ezek.37:24-28 - "<i><span class="text Ezek-37-24" id="en-CJB-13736">My
servant David will be king over them, and all of them will have one
shepherd; they will live by my rulings and keep and observe my
regulations. </span><span class="text Ezek-37-25" id="en-CJB-13737">They
will live in the land I gave to Ya‘akov my servant, where your
ancestors lived; they will live there — they, their children, and their
grandchildren, forever; and David my servant will be their leader
forever. </span><span class="text Ezek-37-26" id="en-CJB-13738">I
will make a covenant of peace with them, an everlasting covenant. I
will give to them, increase their numbers, and set my sanctuary among
them forever. </span><span class="text Ezek-37-27" id="en-CJB-13739">My home will be with them; I will be their God, and they will be my people. </span></i><span class="text Ezek-37-28" id="en-CJB-13740"><i>The nations will know that I am <span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps;">Adonai</span>, who sets Isra’el apart as holy, when my sanctuary is with them forever.’”</i>"</span><br />
<span class="text Ezek-37-28" id="en-CJB-13740"><i><b>About the </b><b>Messiah</b></i>, sure. Again making mention of the <i><b>new, everlasting covenant</b></i> and <i><b>people being changed</b></i> to keep the rulings and regulations of God. Saying that the Messiah will be <i><b>ruler</b></i> of Israel <i><b>forever</b></i>. (How?) Saying that God will make his sanctuary with Israel. But <i><b>no </b></i>mention of the Messiah building the temple.</span><br />
<br />
<span class="text Ezek-37-28" id="en-CJB-13740">Gather all Jews back to the land of Israel?</span><br />
Is.43:5-6 - "<i><span class="text Isa-43-5" id="en-CJB-10980">Don’t be afraid, for I am with you.</span><br /><span class="text Isa-43-5">I will bring your descendants from the east,</span><br /><span class="text Isa-43-5">and I will gather you from the west;</span><br /><span class="text Isa-43-6" id="en-CJB-10981">I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’</span><br /><span class="text Isa-43-6">and to the south, ‘Don’t hold them back!</span><br /><span class="text Isa-43-6">Bring my sons from far away,</span></i><span class="text Isa-43-6"><i>and my daughters from the ends of the earth,</i>"</span><br />
<i><b>No mention of the Messiah</b></i> here, sorry. However, maybe previous or following chapters?<br />
Is.42:1-7 - "<i><span class="chapter-2"><span class="text Isa-42-1" id="en-CJB-10951">“Here is my servant, whom I support,</span></span><br /><span class="text Isa-42-1">my chosen one, in whom I take pleasure.</span><br /><span class="text Isa-42-1">I have put my Spirit on him;</span><br /><span class="text Isa-42-1">he will bring justice to the Goyim.</span><br /><span class="text Isa-42-2" id="en-CJB-10952">He will not cry or shout;</span><br /><span class="text Isa-42-2">no one will hear his voice in the streets.</span><br /><span class="text Isa-42-3" id="en-CJB-10953">He will not snap off a broken reed</span><br /><span class="text Isa-42-3">or snuff out a smoldering wick.</span><br /><span class="text Isa-42-3">He will bring forth justice according to truth;</span><br /><span class="text Isa-42-4" id="en-CJB-10954">he will not weaken or be crushed</span><br /><span class="text Isa-42-4">until he has established justice on the earth,</span><br /><span class="text Isa-42-4">and the coastlands wait for his Torah.”</span> </i><br />
<div class="poetry top-1">
<div class="line">
<i><span class="text Isa-42-5" id="en-CJB-10955">Thus says God, <span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps;">Adonai</span>,</span><br /><span class="text Isa-42-5">who created the heavens and spread them out,</span><br /><span class="text Isa-42-5">who stretched out the earth and all that grows from it,</span><br /><span class="text Isa-42-5">who gives breath to the people on it</span><br /><span class="text Isa-42-5">and spirit to those who walk on it:</span><br /><span class="text Isa-42-6" id="en-CJB-10956">“I, <span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps;">Adonai</span>, called you righteously,</span><br /><span class="text Isa-42-6">I took hold of you by the hand,</span><br /><span class="text Isa-42-6">I shaped you and made you a covenant for the people,</span><br /><span class="text Isa-42-6">to be a light for the Goyim,</span><br /><span class="text Isa-42-7" id="en-CJB-10957">so that you can open blind eyes,</span><br /><span class="text Isa-42-7">free the prisoners from confinement,</span></i><span class="text Isa-42-7"><i>those living in darkness from the dungeon.</i>"</span></div>
<div class="line">
<span class="text Isa-42-7">Here is a person mentioned who could be the Messiah... but what does it say about Him?</span></div>
<ol>
<li><span class="text Isa-42-7"> He will be filled with the Spirit of the Lord ("My Spirit on Him" - like David)</span></li>
<li><span class="text Isa-42-7">He will bring justice to the Goyim (non-Jewish nations).</span></li>
<li><span class="text Isa-42-7">He will not cry and shout in the streets.</span></li>
<li><span class="text Isa-42-7">He will bring forth justice (speak justice?) according to the truth.</span></li>
<li><span class="text Isa-42-7">He will not weaken or be crushed (see later in Is.53) until He has established justice on the earth.</span></li>
<li><span class="text Isa-42-7">The coastlands (of the Mediterranean Sea) wait for his Torah (teaching).</span></li>
<li><span class="text Isa-42-7">He will be a covenant for the people (of Israel)... see again Jer.31 and Ezek. 37 quoted above.</span></li>
<li><span class="text Isa-42-7">He will be light for the (non-Jewish) nations (Goyim).</span></li>
<li><span class="text Isa-42-7">He will open blind eyes.</span></li>
</ol>
Sounds familiar?</div>
<div class="poetry top-1">
Maybe Is.44:1-3, then? - "<i><span class="chapter-2"><span class="text Isa-44-1" id="en-CJB-11004">Now listen, Ya‘akov my servant,</span></span><br /><span class="text Isa-44-1">Isra’el whom I have chosen:</span><br /><span class="text Isa-44-2" id="en-CJB-11005">Thus says <span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps;">Adonai</span>, who made you,</span><br /><span class="text Isa-44-2">formed you in the womb, and will help you:</span><br /><span class="text Isa-44-2">Don’t be afraid, Ya‘akov my servant,</span><br /><span class="text Isa-44-2">Yeshurun, whom I have chosen.</span><br /><span class="text Isa-44-3" id="en-CJB-11006">For I will pour water on the thirsty land</span><br /><span class="text Isa-44-3">and streams on the dry ground;</span><br /><span class="text Isa-44-3">I will pour my Spirit on your descendants,</span></i><span class="text Isa-44-3"><i>my blessing on your offspring.</i>"</span></div>
<div class="poetry top-1">
<span class="text Isa-44-3">Anything about Messiah? Unless you assume "</span><span class="chapter-2"><span class="text Isa-44-1" id="en-CJB-11004">Ya‘akov my servant,</span></span><br /><span class="text Isa-44-1">Isra’el</span><i><span class="text Isa-44-1">" </span></i><span class="text Isa-44-1">to refer to Messiah, nothing here about Mashiach. But later in Isaiah it is obviously the same person as in Isaiah 42 who is speaking (Is.49:1-6):</span></div>
<div class="poetry top-1">
<span class="text Isa-44-1">"</span><i><span class="chapter-2"><span class="text Isa-49-1" id="en-CJB-11107">Coastlands, listen to me;</span></span><br /><span class="text Isa-49-1">listen, you peoples far away:</span><br /><span class="text Isa-49-1"><span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps;">Adonai</span> called me from the womb;</span><br /><span class="text Isa-49-1">before I was born, he had spoken my name.</span><br /><span class="text Isa-49-2" id="en-CJB-11108">He has made my mouth like a sharp sword</span><br /><span class="text Isa-49-2">while hiding me in the shadow of his hand;</span><br /><span class="text Isa-49-2">he has made me like a sharpened arrow</span><br /><span class="text Isa-49-2">while concealing me in his quiver.</span><br /><span class="text Isa-49-3" id="en-CJB-11109">He said to me, “You are my servant,</span><br /><span class="text Isa-49-3">Isra’el, through whom I will show my glory.”</span> </i><div class="poetry top-1">
<div class="line">
<i><span class="text Isa-49-4" id="en-CJB-11110">But I said, “I have toiled in vain,</span><br /><span class="text Isa-49-4">spent my strength for nothing, futility.”</span><br /><span class="text Isa-49-4">Yet my cause is with <span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps;">Adonai</span>,</span><br /><span class="text Isa-49-4">my reward is with my God.</span><br /><span class="text Isa-49-5" id="en-CJB-11111">So now <span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps;">Adonai</span> says —</span><br /><span class="text Isa-49-5">he formed me in the womb to be his servant,</span><br /><span class="text Isa-49-5">to bring Ya‘akov back to him,</span><br /><span class="text Isa-49-5">to have Isra’el gathered to him,</span><br /><span class="text Isa-49-5">so that I will be honored in the sight of <span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps;">Adonai</span>,</span><br /><span class="text Isa-49-5">my God having become my strength —</span><br /><span class="text Isa-49-6" id="en-CJB-11112">he has said, “It is not enough</span><br /><span class="text Isa-49-6">that you are merely my servant</span><br /><span class="text Isa-49-6">to raise up the tribes of Ya‘akov</span><br /><span class="text Isa-49-6">and restore the offspring of Isra’el.</span><br /><span class="text Isa-49-6">I will also make you a light to the nations,</span></i><span class="text Isa-49-6"><i>so my salvation can spread to the ends of the earth.”</i>"</span></div>
<ol>
<li><span class="text Isa-49-6">He addresses the coastlands (who were waiting for his Torah before).</span></li>
<li><span class="text Isa-49-6">He was called by name before his birth already.</span></li>
<li><span class="text Isa-49-6">He is called by the LORD "my servant Israel"</span></li>
<li><span class="text Isa-49-6">Through Him God will show his glory.</span></li>
<li><span class="text Isa-49-6">He was formed to bring Israel back to the LORD (<i><b>not</b></i> to the land of Israel). This obviously implies that "</span><span class="text Isa-49-6"><span class="text Isa-49-6">my servant Israel</span>" is not simply the people of Israel!</span></li>
<li><span class="text Isa-49-6">But He will not only restore and raise up Israel, He will be a light to the (non-Jewish) nations (as also mentioned in Is.42)</span></li>
<li><span class="text Isa-49-6">Thus will the salvation (Yeshuah) of God be spread to the ends of the earth.</span></li>
</ol>
<br />Usher in an era of world
peace, and end all hatred, oppression, suffering and disease? Again Isaiah 2 (quoted already above) <b><i>makes no mention of the Messiah</i></b>. The same is true for Zechariah 14.</div>
<div class="poetry top-1">
<br /></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="poetry top-1">
<b><i>(2) Jesus Did Not Embody the Personal Qualifications of Messiah</i></b></div>
</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="poetry top-1">
<b><i>A. Messiah as Prophet</i></b><i> The
Messiah will become the greatest prophet in history, second only to
Moses. (Targum – Isaiah 11:2; Maimonides – Teshuva 9:2) Prophecy can only
exist in Israel when the land is inhabited by a majority of world
Jewry, a situation which has not existed since 300 BCE. During the time
of Ezra, when the majority of Jews remained in Babylon, prophecy ended
upon the death of the last prophets – Haggai, Zechariah and
Malachi. Jesus appeared on the scene approximately 350 years after
prophecy had ended, and thus could not be a prophet.</i></div>
</blockquote>
Here is what Moses actually said (Deut.18:): "<i><span class="text Deut-18-15" id="en-CJB-5357">“<span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps;">Adonai</span> will raise up for you a prophet like me from among yourselves, from your own kinsmen. You are to pay attention to him, </span><span class="text Deut-18-16" id="en-CJB-5358">just as when you were assembled at Horev and requested <span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps;">Adonai</span> your God, ‘Don’t let me hear the voice of <span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps;">Adonai</span> my God any more, or let me see this great fire ever again; if I do, I will die!’ </span><span class="text Deut-18-17" id="en-CJB-5359">On that occasion <span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps;">Adonai</span> said to me, ‘They are right in what they are saying. </span><span class="text Deut-18-18" id="en-CJB-5360">I
will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their kinsmen. I
will put my words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I order
him. </span></i><span class="text Deut-18-19" id="en-CJB-5361"><i>Whoever doesn’t listen to my words, which he will speak in my name, will have to account for himself to me.</i>"</span><br />
<ol>
<li><span class="text Deut-18-19" id="en-CJB-5361">The prophet will not be second to Moses, He will be like Moses!</span></li>
</ol>
<span class="text Deut-18-19" id="en-CJB-5361">Is.11:1-2 - "</span><span class="text Deut-18-19" id="en-CJB-5361"><i><span class="chapter-2"><span class="text Isa-11-1" id="en-CJB-10355">But a branch will emerge from the trunk of Yishai,</span></span><br /><span class="text Isa-11-1">a shoot will grow from his roots.</span><br /><span class="text Isa-11-2" id="en-CJB-10356">The Spirit of <span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps;">Adonai</span> will rest on him,</span><br /><span class="text Isa-11-2">the Spirit of wisdom and understanding,</span><br /><span class="text Isa-11-2">the Spirit of counsel and power,</span></i><span class="text Isa-11-2"><i>the Spirit of knowledge and fearing <span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps;">Adonai</span> — </i>"</span></span></div>
<div class="poetry top-1">
<span class="text Deut-18-19" id="en-CJB-5361"><span class="text Isa-11-2">Branch and shoot (of David or his father Yishai) are repeatedly used as titles for the Messiah in the prophets. The sevenfold Spirit of God will rest on Messiah. If prophecy supposedly had stopped with Ezra, how then will the Messiah by filled with the Spirit? There is <i><b>nothing in Scripture</b></i> saying that prophecy had stopped forever in Israel, except for a <i><b>much later</b></i> observation by Maimonides. On the contrary, Joel prophesied about "the last days"</span> (Joel 3:1-2): "</span><i><span class="chapter-1"><span class="text Joel-3-1" id="en-CJB-14293">After this, I will pour out</span></span><br /><span class="text Joel-3-1">my Spirit on all humanity.</span><br /><span class="text Joel-3-1">Your sons and daughters will <b>prophesy</b>,</span><br /><span class="text Joel-3-1">your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions;</span><br /><span class="text Joel-3-2" id="en-CJB-14294"><sup class="versenum mid-line"></sup>and also on male and female slaves</span></i><span class="text Joel-3-2"><i>in those days I will pour out my Spirit.</i>"</span></div>
<div class="poetry top-1">
<span class="text Joel-3-2">Moreover, Jesus repeatedly prophesied during his ministry on earth, including specifically the destruction of the second temple and the destruction of Jerusalem (Matt.23), as well as the return of Israel to the land before his own return (Luk.13:35).</span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="poetry top-1">
<br /><b><i> Descendant of David</i></b><i> Many prophetic passages speak of a
descendant of King David who will rule Israel during the age of
perfection. (Isaiah 11:1-9; Jeremiah 23:5-6, 30:7-10, 33:14-16; Ezekiel
34:11-31, 37:21-28; Hosea 3:4-5)The Messiah must be descended on his
father's side from King David (see Genesis 49:10, Isaiah 11:1, Jeremiah
23:5, 33:17; Ezekiel 34:23-24).</i></div>
</blockquote>
We obviously agree that Messiah was to be the descendent of David, so I am not going to quote all the Scriptures here. Both genealogies of Jesus in the New Testament (through Joseph and through Joseph's father-in-law, father of Miriam) shows Him to be a descendent of David. However, the following interesting observation from Ezek.34:11-12, 23-24 - "<i><span class="text Ezek-34-11" id="en-CJB-13639">“‘For here is what Adonai <span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps;">Elohim</span> says: “I am taking over! I will search for my sheep and look after them, myself. </span><span class="text Ezek-34-12" id="en-CJB-13640">Just
as a shepherd looks after his flock when he finds himself among his
scattered sheep, so I will look after my sheep. I will rescue them from
all the places where they were scattered when it was cloudy and dark. ... </span><span class="text Ezek-34-23" id="en-CJB-13651">‘I
will raise up one shepherd to be in charge of them, and he will let
them feed — my servant David. He will pasture them and be their
shepherd.<sup> </sup></span><span class="text Ezek-34-24" id="en-CJB-13652"><sup class="versenum"></sup>I, <span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps;">Adonai</span>, will be their God; and my servant David will be prince among them. I, <span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps;">Adonai</span>, have spoken. </span></i><span class="text Ezek-34-25" id="en-CJB-13653"><i>I will make a covenant of peace with them;</i>" So who exactly is going to be the Shepherd? God, or his servant David (unless they are one)? Hos.3:4-5 says: "</span><span class="text Ezek-34-25" id="en-CJB-13653"><i><span class="text Hos-3-4" id="en-CJB-14086"><sup class="versenum"></sup>For
the people of Isra’el are going to be in seclusion for a long time
without a king, prince, sacrifice, standing-stone, ritual vest or
household gods. </span><span class="text Hos-3-5" id="en-CJB-14087">Afterwards, the people of Isra’el will repent and seek <span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps;">Adonai</span> their God and David their king; they will come trembling to <span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps;">Adonai</span> and his goodness in the acharit-hayamim.</span></i>"</span><br />
<span class="text Ezek-34-25" id="en-CJB-13653">Here is what interests me... after having been without king, prince, sacrifice etc., when they repent, they will seek God and "David their king", implying that they already know about this king? </span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span class="text Ezek-34-25" id="en-CJB-13653"> </span><i>(1)According to Jewish sources, the Messiah will be born of human
parents and possess normal physical attributes like other people. He
will not be a demi-god, (2) nor will he possess supernatural qualities.</i></blockquote>
<span class="text Ezek-34-25" id="en-CJB-13653">You claim that the Messiah is only the normal physical descendent of David. But he is not only the branch or shoot (</span><span class="text Ezek-34-25" id="en-CJB-13653"><span class="text Ezek-34-25" id="en-CJB-13653">the offspring) </span>of David (or Yishai, David's father), he is also the root (ancestor) of Yishai (Is.11:10). How can he be both the offspring and the ancestor of David if he is simply a normal man? Repeatedly it is mentioned that the Messiah will rule forever (eternally) as an eternal covenant... how? If he will just die again like any normal person? Dan.7:13-14 - "</span><i><span class="text Dan-7-13" id="en-CJB-20560">I kept watching the night visions,</span><br /><span class="text Dan-7-13">when I saw, coming with the clouds of heaven,</span><br /><span class="text Dan-7-13">someone like a son of man.</span><br /><span class="text Dan-7-13">He approached the Ancient One</span><br /><span class="text Dan-7-13">and was led into his presence.</span><br /><span class="text Dan-7-14" id="en-CJB-20561">To him was given rulership,</span><br /><span class="text Dan-7-14">glory and a kingdom,</span><br /><span class="text Dan-7-14">so that all peoples, nations and languages</span><br /><span class="text Dan-7-14">should serve him.</span><br /><span class="text Dan-7-14">His rulership is an eternal rulership</span><br /><span class="text Dan-7-14">that will not pass away;</span><br /><span class="text Dan-7-14">and his kingdom is one</span></i><span class="text Dan-7-14"><i>that will never be destroyed.</i>"</span><br />
<span class="text Dan-7-14">Really nothing supernatural here? </span><br />
<span class="text Dan-7-14">[As for the argument that Messiah had to be the descendent of David through his father, it really misses the point. God created mankind. If Miriam truly became pregnant through the power of his holy Spirit, He is obviously able to create (even from scratch, just as He created the first man), somebody with the DNA of David's descendent in her womb. Jesus was obviously not a woman (i.e. genetically <i>not</i> only the physical descendent of Mary, even if she was a virgin). I am not making any claim here for how God did it. I am only saying that if even modern humans can do all kinds of things with artificial insemination, and genetic engineering, by what logic can we claim that the Creator of the universe was unable to do so? As far as his contemporaries were concerned, He was the son of Joseph, the descendent of David. And such He was, at least legally and would have been written as such in the genealogies in the temple in Jerusalem. Here is a greater problem for any future "Messiah", however. It is not longer possible for any Jew to proof that he is an descendent of David (either physically or legally) since the temple genealogies have been destroyed. Only a Messiah who came before the destruction of the 2nd temple (as also prophesied by Daniel 9), could make any valid claim to be a legal descendent of David.]</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b><i>C. Torah Observance</i></b><i>The Messiah will lead the Jewish
people to full Torah observance. The Torah states that all mitzvot
remain binding forever, and anyone coming to change the Torah is
immediately identified as a false prophet. (Deut. 13:1-4)Throughout the
Christian "New Testament," Jesus contradicts the Torah and states that
its commandments are no longer applicable. For example, John 9:14
records that Jesus made a paste in violation of Shabbat, which caused
the Pharisees to say (verse 16), "He does not observe Shabbat!"</i></blockquote>
</blockquote>
<ol>
<li> Jesus Himself said that He did not come to abolish Torah, but to complete it (Matt.5:17-20): "<span class="text Matt-5-17" id="en-CJB-23265"><i>Don’t think that I have come to abolish the Torah or the Prophets. I have come not to abolish but to complete. </i></span><i><span class="text Matt-5-18" id="en-CJB-23266"><sup class="versenum"></sup>Yes indeed! I tell you that until heaven and earth pass away, not so much as a yud or a stroke will pass from the Torah — not until everything that must happen has happened. </span><span class="text Matt-5-19" id="en-CJB-23267">So whoever disobeys the least of these mitzvot
and teaches others to do so will be called the least in the Kingdom of
Heaven. But whoever obeys them and so teaches will be called great in
the Kingdom of Heaven. </span></i><span class="text Matt-5-20" id="en-CJB-23268"><i>For I tell you that unless your righteousness is far greater than that of the Torah-teachers and P’rushim, you will certainly not enter the Kingdom of Heaven!</i>" </span></li>
<li><span class="text Matt-5-20" id="en-CJB-23268">What He did, however, was to repeatedly accuse the P'rushim (Pharisees) and Scribes (Sopherim) of 1) putting aside the Torah of God for the sake of their received traditions and 2) being hypocritical by pretending to follow God while their hearts were far from Him (Is.29:13 - "</span><i><span class="text Matt-5-20" id="en-CJB-23268"><span class="text Isa-29-13" id="en-CJB-10676">Then Adonai said:</span></span><span class="text Isa-29-13"> “Because these people approach me with empty words,</span><span class="text Isa-29-13">and the honour they bestow on me is mere lip-service;</span><span class="text Isa-29-13"> while in fact they have distanced their hearts from me,</span></i><i><span class="text Isa-29-13"> and their ‘fear of me’ is just a mitzvah of human origin —</span></i><span class="text Matt-5-20" id="en-CJB-23268">"). </span></li>
<li><span class="text Matt-5-20" id="en-CJB-23268">Saving a life (and healing somebody's eyesight - one of <i>the</i> Messianic signs mentioned in the prophets! - by making a paste) was <i>not</i> breaking the Torah (but it was against <i>their traditions</i> of how to keep Shabbat). Their keeping of Torah was all on the outside, while not touching or changing the heart, the true source of evil, and He exposed them.</span></li>
</ol>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span class="text Matt-5-20" id="en-CJB-23268"> </span><b><i>(3) Mistranslated Verses "Referring" to Jesus </i></b><i>Biblical
verses can only be understood by studying the original Hebrew text –
which reveals many discrepancies in the Christian translation. </i><b><i>A. Virgin Birth</i></b><i>The Christian idea of a virgin birth is derived from the verse in Isaiah 7:14 describing an </i><i>"alma"</i><i> as giving birth. The word </i><i>"alma"</i><i>
has always meant a young woman, but Christian theologians came
centuries later and translated it as "virgin." </i></blockquote>
Actually, while the primary meaning of "alma" refers to a young girl, it also had the secondary meaning of her being still a virgin. "Betulah", the normal word use for "virgin", is also used for a widow in Scripture, and are almost always qualified as "not having known a man" when the meaning of "virgin" is its primary meaning. "Almah" is never unambiguously used of a married young woman. Moreover, Isa.7:14 is only part of the prophecy which finds its climax in Is.9 - "<i><span class="text Isa-9-5" id="en-CJB-10305">For a child is born to us,</span> <span class="text Isa-9-5">a son is given to us;</span> <span class="text Isa-9-5">dominion will rest on his shoulders, </span><span class="text Isa-9-5">and he will be given the name</span> <span class="text Isa-9-5">Pele-Yo‘etz El Gibbor</span><br /><span class="text Isa-9-5">Avi-‘Ad Sar-Shalom </span><span class="text Isa-9-5">[Wonder of a Counselor, Mighty God,</span> <span class="text Isa-9-5">Father of Eternity, Prince of Peace], </span><span class="text Isa-9-6" id="en-CJB-10306">in order to extend the dominion</span> <span class="text Isa-9-6">and perpetuate the peace</span><br /><span class="text Isa-9-6">of the throne and kingdom of David, </span><span class="text Isa-9-6">to secure it and sustain it</span> <span class="text Isa-9-6">through justice and righteousness </span><span class="text Isa-9-6">henceforth and forever.</span> <span class="text Isa-9-6">The zeal of <span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps;">Adonai</span>-Tzva’ot</span></i><span class="text Isa-9-6"><i>will accomplish this.</i>" As for the translation "parthenos" which was used in the Greek Septuagint translation of the Tanach (and thus also in the New Testament), it was done by Jewish scholars, so if there was any mistranslation, it was done by (pre-Christian) scholars who probably spoke better Hebrew than most modern Hebrew speakers. The "pagan borrowing" proposal is simply silly when seen in this light.</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b><i>B. Suffering Servant</i></b><i>Christianity claims that </i><a href="http://www.aish.com/sp/ph/Isaiah_53_The_Suffering_Servant.html"><i>Isaiah chapter 53</i></a><i>
refers to Jesus, as the "suffering servant." In actuality, Isaiah 53
directly follows the theme of chapter 52, describing the exile and
redemption of the Jewish people. The prophecies are written in the
singular form because the Jews ("Israel") are regarded as one unit.
Throughout Jewish scripture, Israel is repeatedly called, in the
singular, the "Servant of God" (see Isaiah 43:8). ... </i><i>When read correctly, Isaiah 53 clearly [and ironically] refers to the Jewish people...</i></blockquote>
Well, let's examine the Scripture itself... We have already look at the previous instances of "the servant of the LORD" in Isaiah 42 and 49 where it is clear that it is referring both to the people of Israel <i><b>and </b></i>to an individual in Israel who will bring Israel back to God, be the covenant for the people of Israel and a light to the nations. Moreover, in a number of other prophecies (also quoted by you), "the servant of the LORD" clearly refers to the Messiah ("David my Servant"). So which use of "servant of the LORD" fits Isaiah 52 and 53 best? "<i><span class="text Isa-52-13" id="en-CJB-11179">See how my servant will succeed!</span><br /><span class="text Isa-52-13">He will be raised up, exalted, highly honored!</span><span class="text Isa-52-14" id="en-CJB-11180"><sup class="versenum"> </sup>Just as many were appalled at him, </span><span class="text Isa-52-14">because he was so disfigured</span> <span class="text Isa-52-14">that he didn’t even seem human</span> <span class="text Isa-52-14">and simply no longer looked like a man, </span><span class="text Isa-52-15" id="en-CJB-11181">so now he will startle many nations;</span><br /><span class="text Isa-52-15">because of him, kings will be speechless.</span> <span class="text Isa-52-15">For they will see what they had not been told, </span><span class="text Isa-52-15">they will ponder things they had never heard. </span><br /><span class="chapter-2"><span class="text Isa-53-1" id="en-CJB-11182">Who believes our report?</span></span><br /><span class="text Isa-53-1">To whom is the arm of <span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps;">Adonai</span> revealed?</span><br /><span class="text Isa-53-2" id="en-CJB-11183">For before him he grew up like a young plant,</span><br /><span class="text Isa-53-2">like a root out of dry ground.</span><br /><span class="text Isa-53-2">He was not well-formed or especially handsome;</span><br /><span class="text Isa-53-2">we saw him, but his appearance did not attract us.</span><br /><span class="text Isa-53-3" id="en-CJB-11184">People despised and avoided him,</span><br /><span class="text Isa-53-3">a man of pains, well acquainted with illness.</span><br /><span class="text Isa-53-3">Like someone from whom people turn their faces,</span><br /><span class="text Isa-53-3">he was despised; we did not value him.</span> </i><br />
<div class="poetry top-1">
<div class="line">
<i><span class="text Isa-53-4" id="en-CJB-11185">In fact, it was our diseases he bore,</span><br /><span class="text Isa-53-4">our pains from which he suffered;</span><br /><span class="text Isa-53-4">yet we regarded him as punished,</span><br /><span class="text Isa-53-4">stricken and afflicted by God.</span><br /><span class="text Isa-53-5" id="en-CJB-11186">But he was wounded because of our crimes,</span><br /><span class="text Isa-53-5">crushed because of our sins;</span><br /><span class="text Isa-53-5">the disciplining that makes us whole fell on him,</span><br /><span class="text Isa-53-5">and by his bruises we are healed.</span></i></div>
</div>
<i> </i><div class="poetry top-1">
<div class="line">
<i><span class="text Isa-53-6" id="en-CJB-11187">We all, like sheep, went astray;</span><br /><span class="text Isa-53-6">we turned, each one, to his own way;</span><br /><span class="text Isa-53-6">yet <span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps;">Adonai</span> laid on him</span><br /><span class="text Isa-53-6">the guilt of all of us.</span></i></div>
</div>
<i> </i><div class="poetry top-1">
<div class="line">
<i><span class="text Isa-53-7" id="en-CJB-11188">Though mistreated, he was submissive —</span><br /><span class="text Isa-53-7">he did not open his mouth.</span><br /><span class="text Isa-53-7">Like a lamb led to be slaughtered,</span><br /><span class="text Isa-53-7">like a sheep silent before its shearers,</span><br /><span class="text Isa-53-7">he did not open his mouth.</span><br /><span class="text Isa-53-8" id="en-CJB-11189">After forcible arrest and sentencing,</span><br /><span class="text Isa-53-8">he was taken away;</span><br /><span class="text Isa-53-8">and none of his generation protested</span><br /><span class="text Isa-53-8">his being cut off from the land of the living</span><br /><span class="text Isa-53-8">for the crimes of my people,</span><br /><span class="text Isa-53-8">who deserved the punishment themselves.</span><br /><span class="text Isa-53-9" id="en-CJB-11190">He was given a grave among the wicked;</span><br /><span class="text Isa-53-9">in his death he was with a rich man.</span></i></div>
</div>
<div class="poetry top-1">
<div class="line">
<i><span class="text Isa-53-9">Although he had done no violence</span><br /><span class="text Isa-53-9">and had said nothing deceptive,</span><br /><span class="text Isa-53-10" id="en-CJB-11191">yet it pleased <span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps;">Adonai</span> to crush him with illness,</span><br /><span class="text Isa-53-10">to see if he would present himself as a guilt offering.</span><br /><span class="text Isa-53-10">If he does, he will see his offspring;</span><br /><span class="text Isa-53-10">and he will prolong his days;</span><br /><span class="text Isa-53-10">and at his hand <span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps;">Adonai</span>’s desire</span><br /><span class="text Isa-53-10">will be accomplished.</span><br /><span class="text Isa-53-11" id="en-CJB-11192"><sup class="versenum"> </sup>After this ordeal, he will see satisfaction.</span><br /><span class="text Isa-53-11">“By his knowing [pain and sacrifice],</span><br /><span class="text Isa-53-11">my righteous servant makes many righteous;</span><br /><span class="text Isa-53-11">it is for their sins that he suffers.</span><br /><span class="text Isa-53-12" id="en-CJB-11193">Therefore I will assign him a share with the great,</span><br /><span class="text Isa-53-12">he will divide the spoil with the mighty,</span><br /><span class="text Isa-53-12">for having exposed himself to death</span><br /><span class="text Isa-53-12">and being counted among the sinners,</span><br /><span class="text Isa-53-12">while actually bearing the sin of many</span></i><span class="text Isa-53-12"><i>and interceding for the offenders.</i>”</span></div>
<ol>
<li><span class="text Isa-53-12">The servant will be disfigured, no longer looking like a man... referring back to Is.50:4-6 - "</span><i><span class="text Isa-50-4" id="en-CJB-11136">Adonai <span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps;">Elohim</span> has given me</span><br /><span class="text Isa-50-4">the ability to speak as a man well taught,</span><br /><span class="text Isa-50-4">so that I, with my words,</span><br /><span class="text Isa-50-4">know how to sustain the weary.</span><br /><span class="text Isa-50-4">Each morning he awakens my ear</span><br /><span class="text Isa-50-4">to hear like those who are taught.</span><br /><span class="text Isa-50-5" id="en-CJB-11137">Adonai <span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps;">Elohim</span> has opened my ear,</span><br /><span class="text Isa-50-5">and I neither rebelled nor turned away.</span><br /><span class="text Isa-50-6" id="en-CJB-11138">I offered my back to those who struck me,</span><br /><span class="text Isa-50-6">my cheeks to those who plucked out my beard;</span><br /><span class="text Isa-50-6">I did not hide my face</span></i><span class="text Isa-50-6"><i>from insult and spitting.</i>" Who does this most resemble? Israel? or and individual?</span></li>
<li><span class="text Isa-50-6">Nations and kings will be startled and speechless because of him... again, earlier we read about the servant being a light to the nations (and gathering the people of Israel to God).</span></li>
<li><span class="text Isa-50-6">He is like a root out of dry ground... have we not earlier read mention of the root of Yishai in Is.11?</span></li>
<li><span class="text Isa-50-6">"We", that is the prophet and ... (?) did not value (esteem) him. The most natural reading is that "we" actually refer to the people of Israel, of whom the prophet is obviously a member.</span></li>
<li><span class="text Isa-50-6">He bore our diseases and suffered our pains...</span></li>
<li>but "we" (including the prophet) regarded him as punished by God.</li>
<li>He was wounded and crushed because of our crimes and sins.</li>
<li>We are healed by his bruises and the punishment that makes us whole fell on him.<i><span class="text Isa-53-4"></span></i><span class="text Isa-53-6" id="en-CJB-11187"> </span></li>
<li><span class="text Isa-53-6" id="en-CJB-11187">We all, like sheep, went astray</span> and turned our own ways (is this not repeatedly said of Israel in Isaiah?) and our guilt was laid on him.</li>
<li>He was submissive and did not open his mouth when mistreated (does this truly sound like Israel?); like a lamb to the slaughter and a sheep being sheered.</li>
<li><span class="text Isa-53-8" id="en-CJB-11189">After forcible arrest and sentencing,</span> he is taken away and cut off from the land of the living (he dies) for the crimes of the people of the prophet (or the people of God).</li>
<li>He was given a grave among the wicked, but in his death with a rich man. </li>
<li>He did no violence.</li>
<li>He said nothing deceptive.</li>
<li><span class="text Isa-53-10">He would present himself as a guilt offering.</span></li>
<li>He will live again to see his offspring, satisfaction, and prolong his days.</li>
<li>Through him God's desire will be accomplished.</li>
<li>He exposed Himself to death and were counted among the sinners, but actually bore the sins of many.</li>
<li>He prayed (interceded) for the offenders.</li>
<li>Therefore God will assign him a share with the great and mighty.<br /><div class="poetry top-1">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="line">
<b><i>(4) Jewish Belief is Based Solely on National Revelation</i></b><span class="text Isa-53-12"></span></div>
</blockquote>
<div class="line">
<span class="text Isa-53-10">Yes, I agree with with the statement that the basis of the Jewish people and belief was a National Revelation in the time of Moshe. But Moshe himself told them that God would send other prophets and that these prophets could be tested in two ways (Deut.18):</span></div>
<ol>
<li><span class="text Isa-53-10">They would prophesy only in the Name of the LORD (YHWH) and not false Gods.</span></li>
<li><span class="text Isa-53-10">What they prophecy would happen as they said.</span></li>
</ol>
<span class="text Isa-53-10">And the fulfilment of the many Messianic prophecies (a few of which we considered here), both confirm the prophetic word itself as being from God and the position of Yeshua of Nazareth as being the promised Messiah.</span><span class="text Isa-53-12"></span></div>
</li>
</ol>
</div>
<i> </i></div>
</div>
Chavouxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02548629951249411219noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3274924259075785324.post-91930606136428665672017-01-13T03:39:00.001-08:002017-01-13T03:39:09.631-08:00Christian Unity... The unity of the body of Messiah<br />
<br />
<a href="http://isaacandishmael.blogspot.co.za/2016/04/the-unity-of-body-of-christ-what-sort.html" target="_blank">http://isaacandishmael.blogspot.co.za/2016/04/the-unity-of-body-of-christ-what-sort.html</a><br />
<a href="http://isaacandishmael.blogspot.co.za/2016/05/the-unity-of-body-of-christ-what-sort.html" target="_blank">http://isaacandishmael.blogspot.co.za/2016/05/the-unity-of-body-of-christ-what-sort.html</a><br />
<br />Chavouxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02548629951249411219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3274924259075785324.post-73845131071098520362016-06-12T17:28:00.014-07:002023-06-09T02:48:32.537-07:00Questions and answers...I have not been very active on this Blog. In the meantime, I stumbled upon Quora answering various questions. I realized after a while that the same questions get asked repeatedly, just with a different twist. And unfortunately, many times a question is asked not to get an honest answer, but simply to provoke. So instead of continuing to answer again and again, I decided to post here some of my answers which I hope might be useful.<br />
<br />
There is <b>no </b>evidence for faith in God (or in Jesus or the Christian religion)?<br />
- <a href="https://www.quora.com/Theists-Im-an-atheist-Why-do-you-believe-in-God-s-and-why-should-I/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/Theists-Im-an-atheist-Why-do-you-believe-in-God-s-and-why-should-I/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a> | <a href="https://www.quora.com/Are-there-any-theists-on-Quora-who-believe-it-is-a-cold-hard-fact-that-God-exists/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/Are-there-any-theists-on-Quora-who-believe-it-is-a-cold-hard-fact-that-God-exists/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a> | <a href="https://www.quora.com/Does-God-exist/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/Does-God-exist/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a> | <a href="https://www.quora.com/Theists-why-do-you-think-the-universe-required-a-deity-to-come-to-be/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/Theists-why-do-you-think-the-universe-required-a-deity-to-come-to-be/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a> | <a href="https://www.quora.com/Do-you-think-that-God-exist-And-what-are-the-logical-evidence-for-his-existence-for-you-personally/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/Do-you-think-that-God-exist-And-what-are-the-logical-evidence-for-his-existence-for-you-personally/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a> | <a href="https://www.quora.com/What-would-be-your-utmost-reason-for-believing-in-your-faith-any-faith/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/What-would-be-your-utmost-reason-for-believing-in-your-faith-any-faith/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a> | <a href="https://www.quora.com/What-are-the-best-arguments-for-theism/answer/Chavoux-Luyt">https://www.quora.com/What-are-the-best-arguments-for-theism/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a> | From someone else: <a href="https://www.quora.com/If-miracles-are-powerful-and-fall-outside-the-purview-of-science-why-cant-we-just-get-rid-of-hospitals-and-build-more-temples-and-churches/answer/Joel-Lantz" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/If-miracles-are-powerful-and-fall-outside-the-purview-of-science-why-cant-we-just-get-rid-of-hospitals-and-build-more-temples-and-churches/answer/Joel-Lantz</a><br />
<br />
What is the difference between God and a fairy?<br />
- <a href="https://www.quora.com//What-is-the-difference-between-a-god-and-a-fairy/answer/Chavoux-Luyt">https://www.quora.com//What-is-the-difference-between-a-god-and-a-fairy/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a><br />
<br />
But can you prove it?<br />
- <a href="https://www.quora.com/How-could-you-prove-the-existence-of-God/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/How-could-you-prove-the-existence-of-God/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a> | <a href="https://www.quora.com/Does-God-exist/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/Does-God-exist/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a> | <a href="https://www.quora.com/How-do-theists-use-Jesus-rising-from-the-dead-as-proof-of-Gods-existence/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/How-do-theists-use-Jesus-rising-from-the-dead-as-proof-of-Gods-existence/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a> | <a href="https://www.quora.com/Can-the-existence-of-god-be-proven-scientifically/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/Can-the-existence-of-god-be-proven-scientifically/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a> | <a href="https://www.quora.com/Can-the-Bible-be-proven-to-be-the-word-of-God-using-outside-sources/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/Can-the-Bible-be-proven-to-be-the-word-of-God-using-outside-sources/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a><br />
<br />
On faith (Is faith not blind, then?)<br />
- <a href="https://www.quora.com/Why-dont-theists-understand-the-meaning-of-faith/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/Why-dont-theists-understand-the-meaning-of-faith/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a> | <a href="https://www.quora.com/For-what-reason-are-some-theists-on-Quora-and-elsewhere-desperate-to-make-atheism-a-religion/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/For-what-reason-are-some-theists-on-Quora-and-elsewhere-desperate-to-make-atheism-a-religion/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a> | <a href="https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-difference-between-faith-and-belief-3/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-difference-between-faith-and-belief-3/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a> | <a href="https://www.quora.com/Are-there-different-degrees-of-faith/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/Are-there-different-degrees-of-faith/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a> | <a href="https://www.quora.com/I-have-heard-it-said-that-God-gives-you-an-abundance-of-reasons-to-believe-and-some-reasons-not-to-believe-so-that-you-get-to-choose-so-real-faith-can-be-exercised-in-the-crucible-of-doubt-This-question-assumes-the/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/I-have-heard-it-said-that-God-gives-you-an-abundance-of-reasons-to-believe-and-some-reasons-not-to-believe-so-that-you-get-to-choose-so-real-faith-can-be-exercised-in-the-crucible-of-doubt-This-question-assumes-the/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a> Better than I could say it: <a href="https://www.thinkingchristian.net/posts/2016/12/no-atheists-skeptics-faith-not-failed-epistemology/?utm_source=twitter.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=buffer&utm_content=buffer63d9c" target="_blank">https://www.thinkingchristian.net/posts/2016/12/no-atheists-skeptics-faith-not-failed-epistemology/?utm_source=twitter.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=buffer&utm_content=buffer63d9c</a><br />
<br />
How did I come to faith in Jesus Christ?<br />
- <a href="https://www.quora.com/What-do-YOU-mean-when-you-say-that-you-believe-in-God/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/What-do-YOU-mean-when-you-say-that-you-believe-in-God/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a> | <a href="https://www.quora.com/What-experience-led-you-to-accept-Jesus-Christ-as-your-saviour/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/What-experience-led-you-to-accept-Jesus-Christ-as-your-saviour/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a> | <a href="https://www.quora.com/Christians-How-do-you-obtain-the-Holy-Spirit/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/Christians-How-do-you-obtain-the-Holy-Spirit/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a> | <a href="https://www.quora.com/What-is-your-salvation-story-How-did-you-come-to-know-Christ/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/What-is-your-salvation-story-How-did-you-come-to-know-Christ/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a><br />
<br />
The Kingdom of God concept?<br />
- <a href="https://www.quora.com/Which-religion-preach-about-the-kingdom-of-God/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/Which-religion-preach-about-the-kingdom-of-God/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a> |<a href="https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-meaning-of-Roman-13-which-is-about-submission-to-governing-authorities-and-states-The-authorities-that-exist-have-been-established-by-God-I-thought-church-and-state-were-separate/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank"> https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-meaning-of-Roman-13-which-is-about-submission-to-governing-authorities-and-states-The-authorities-that-exist-have-been-established-by-God-I-thought-church-and-state-were-separate/answer/Chavoux-Luyt </a><br />
<br />
Why was Jesus crucified?<br />
- <a href="https://www.quora.com/Why-was-Jesus-crucified/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/Why-was-Jesus-crucified/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a><br />
<br />
Why do I believe that the Bible is the Word of God and trustworthy?<br />
- <a href="https://www.quora.com/What-do-you-think-of-the-Bible/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/What-do-you-think-of-the-Bible/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a> | <a href="https://www.quora.com/How-do-Christians-know-that-the-Bible-is-the-Word-of-God/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/How-do-Christians-know-that-the-Bible-is-the-Word-of-God/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a> | <a href="https://www.quora.com/Is-the-Bible-true/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/Is-the-Bible-true/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a> | <a href="https://www.quora.com/What-reason-do-Christians-have-to-believe-the-writing-of-the-Bible-was-inspired-by-God/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/What-reason-do-Christians-have-to-believe-the-writing-of-the-Bible-was-inspired-by-God/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a> | <a href="https://www.quora.com/Some-people-seem-to-believe-a-divine-being-literally-wrote-the-Bible-but-do-people-understand-that-several-human-beings-physically-wrote-the-Bible/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/Some-people-seem-to-believe-a-divine-being-literally-wrote-the-Bible-but-do-people-understand-that-several-human-beings-physically-wrote-the-Bible/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a> | <a href="https://www.quora.com/What-are-the-best-arguments-for-whether-the-bible-is-true-or-that-its-not-logically-sound/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/What-are-the-best-arguments-for-whether-the-bible-is-true-or-that-its-not-logically-sound/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a> | <a href="https://www.quora.com/What-evidence-convinces-people-that-the-Bible-is-theword-of-God-and-what-makes-that-evidence-credible/answer/Chavoux-Luyt">https://www.quora.com/What-evidence-convinces-people-that-the-Bible-is-theword-of-God-and-what-makes-that-evidence-credible/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a><br />
<br />
So why don't most people believe the Bible, then?<br />
- <a href="https://www.quora.com/Why-dont-people-believe-in-the-Bible-even-though-it-is-historically-geographically-and-scientifically-apart-from-miracles-accurate/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/Why-dont-people-believe-in-the-Bible-even-though-it-is-historically-geographically-and-scientifically-apart-from-miracles-accurate/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a><br />
<br />
But is the Bible not full of contradictions?<br />
- <a href="https://www.quora.com/Is-it-problematic-that-the-Bible-frequently-contradicts-itself/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/Is-it-problematic-that-the-Bible-frequently-contradicts-itself/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a> | <a href="https://www.quora.com/What-should-Christians-make-of-the-differences-between-numbers-recorded-between-the-book-of-Samuel-Kings-and-Chronicles-in-the-Old-Testament/answer/Chavoux-Luyt">https://www.quora.com/What-should-Christians-make-of-the-differences-between-numbers-recorded-between-the-book-of-Samuel-Kings-and-Chronicles-in-the-Old-Testament/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a><br />
<br />
How do I know if somebody is teaching a true interpretation of the Bible?<br />
<a href="https://www.quora.com/Since-there-are-so-many-books-and-preachers-that-interpret-the-Bible-differently-yet-all-perfectly-logically-how-can-you-truly-know-who-the-false-teachers-are/answer/Chavoux-Luyt">https://www.quora.com/Since-there-are-so-many-books-and-preachers-that-interpret-the-Bible-differently-yet-all-perfectly-logically-how-can-you-truly-know-who-the-false-teachers-are/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a><br />
<br />
The Bible as a non-supernatural group of books (archaeological and historical usefulness of the Bible).<br />
- <a href="https://www.quora.com/Leaving-aside-supernatural-beliefs-what-little-known-things-does-the-Bible-New-and-Old-Testaments-tell-us-about-how-people-lived-in-past-times/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/Leaving-aside-supernatural-beliefs-what-little-known-things-does-the-Bible-New-and-Old-Testaments-tell-us-about-how-people-lived-in-past-times/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a> | <a href="https://www.quora.com/Who-were-the-people-of-ancient-Israel-What-is-the-difference-between-Hebrews-and-Canaanites/answer/Chavoux-Luyt">https://www.quora.com/Who-were-the-people-of-ancient-Israel-What-is-the-difference-between-Hebrews-and-Canaanites/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a><br />
<br />
The canon of the Bible? Which books and why?<br />
- <a href="https://www.quora.com/What-are-the-best-reasons-to-trust-the-Biblical-canon-of-scripture/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/What-are-the-best-reasons-to-trust-the-Biblical-canon-of-scripture/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a> | <a href="https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-story-of-how-the-Bible-came-to-be-written-anthologized-and-canonized/answer/Chavoux-Luyt/" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-story-of-how-the-Bible-came-to-be-written-anthologized-and-canonized/answer/Chavoux-Luyt/</a> | <a href="https://www.quora.com/Bible-2-Tim-3-16-All-scripture-is-inspired-of-God%E2%80%A6-What-is-the-scope-of-the-expression-all-scripture/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/Bible-2-Tim-3-16-All-scripture-is-inspired-of-God…-What-is-the-scope-of-the-expression-all-scripture/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a> | <a href="https://www.quora.com/What-makes-Christians-so-sure-the-4-gospels-chosen-for-the-Canon-are-the-real-story/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/What-makes-Christians-so-sure-the-4-gospels-chosen-for-the-Canon-are-the-real-story/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a> | <a href="https://www.quora.com/Who-combined-the-Old-and-New-Testament-How-do-these-two-compare-and-contrast/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/Who-combined-the-Old-and-New-Testament-How-do-these-two-compare-and-contrast/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a> | <a href="http://www.quora.com/If-the-Bible-is-the-sole-rule-of-faith-Sola-Scriptura-then-how-could-Christians-learn-Christian-truth-during-the-centuries-prior-to-the-printing-press-and-when-most-people-were-illiterate-anyway-or-before-the-canon-of-scripture-was-determined/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">www.quora.com/If-the-Bible-is-the-sole-rule-of-faith-Sola-Scriptura-then-how-could-Christians-learn-Christian-truth-during-the-centuries-prior-to-the-printing-press-and-when-most-people-were-illiterate-anyway-or-before-the-canon-of-scripture-was-determined/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a><br />
<br />
The Bible or experience?<br />
- <a href="https://www.quora.com/Do-Christians-rely-on-the-Bible-for-their-Knowledge-of-God-or-their-personal-experiences/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/Do-Christians-rely-on-the-Bible-for-their-Knowledge-of-God-or-their-personal-experiences/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a> <br />
<br />
On Bible versions<br />
- <a href="https://www.quora.com/How-do-people-who-take-the-Bible-literally-deal-with-the-fact-that-its-many-translations-and-edited-versions-differ-very-significantly-on-key-points/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/How-do-people-who-take-the-Bible-literally-deal-with-the-fact-that-its-many-translations-and-edited-versions-differ-very-significantly-on-key-points/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a> | <a href="https://www.quora.com/Which-is-the-best-Bible-version-and-why/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/Which-is-the-best-Bible-version-and-why/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a><br />
<br />
How to start reading the Bible<br />
- <a href="https://www.quora.com/I-want-to-start-reading-the-Christian-Bible-but-I-dont-ever-feel-in-the-right-mind-set-to-do-it-and-I-find-it-kind-of-hard-to-really-understand-it-Where-should-I-start-and-how-should-I-do-it-properly/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/I-want-to-start-reading-the-Christian-Bible-but-I-dont-ever-feel-in-the-right-mind-set-to-do-it-and-I-find-it-kind-of-hard-to-really-understand-it-Where-should-I-start-and-how-should-I-do-it-properly/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a> | <a href="https://www.quora.com/What-are-some-must-read-Bible-chapters/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/What-are-some-must-read-Bible-chapters/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a> | <a href="https://www.quora.com/How-do-people-decide-which-parts-of-the-Bible-need-to-be-interpreted-literally-and-which-are-to-be-taken-figuratively/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/How-do-people-decide-which-parts-of-the-Bible-need-to-be-interpreted-literally-and-which-are-to-be-taken-figuratively/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a> | <a href="https://www.quora.com/How-do-I-get-closer-to-God-How-do-I-start-reading-the-Bible-to-find-myself/answer/Chavoux-Luyt">https://www.quora.com/How-do-I-get-closer-to-God-How-do-I-start-reading-the-Bible-to-find-myself/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a><br />
<br />
But what about all those Old Testament rules?<br />
- <a href="https://www.quora.com/As-a-Christian-how-much-of-the-old-testament-rules-do-you-believe-you-should-adhere-to/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/As-a-Christian-how-much-of-the-old-testament-rules-do-you-believe-you-should-adhere-to/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a><br />
<br />
Prophecies?<br />
- <a href="https://www.quora.com/What-are-major-things-in-the-Bible-that-were-prophesied-and-actually-did-come-true/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/What-are-major-things-in-the-Bible-that-were-prophesied-and-actually-did-come-true/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a> | <a href="https://www.quora.com/Were-the-prophecies-in-the-Book-of-Daniel-really-prophecies-or-were-they-history/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/Were-the-prophecies-in-the-Book-of-Daniel-really-prophecies-or-were-they-history/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a> | <a href="https://www.quora.com/After-Armageddon-the-Biblical-last-battle-Where-will-the-human-race-be/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/After-Armageddon-the-Biblical-last-battle-Where-will-the-human-race-be/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a> | <a href="https://www.quora.com/Was-Jesus-wrong-about-the-timing-of-his-second-coming/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/Was-Jesus-wrong-about-the-timing-of-his-second-coming/answer/Chavoux-Luyt </a>| <a href="https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-difference-between-prophecy-and-fortune-telling/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-difference-between-prophecy-and-fortune-telling/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a> | <a href="https://www.quora.com/How-many-prophesies-did-Jesus-fulfill" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/How-many-prophesies-did-Jesus-fulfill</a> | <a href="https://www.quora.com/How-many-Messianic-prophecies-are-there/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/How-many-Messianic-prophecies-are-there/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a> | <a href="https://www.quora.com/What-major-Old-Testament-prophecies-did-Jesus-fulfill/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/What-major-Old-Testament-prophecies-did-Jesus-fulfill/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a><br />
<br />
Heaven and hell?<br />
- <a href="https://www.quora.com/Dont-people-realize-Jesus-was-a-Jew-and-that-Jews-dont-have-heaven-or-hell/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/Dont-people-realize-Jesus-was-a-Jew-and-that-Jews-dont-have-heaven-or-hell/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a> | <a href="https://www.quora.com/If-someone-on-this-planet-died-literally-five-minutes-after-Jesus-died-is-that-person-in-Hell-now-because-they-didnt-accept-Jesuss-sacrifice/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/If-someone-on-this-planet-died-literally-five-minutes-after-Jesus-died-is-that-person-in-Hell-now-because-they-didnt-accept-Jesuss-sacrifice/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a> | <a href="https://www.quora.com/How-many-times-have-you-told-a-non-believer-that-they-will-go-to-hell/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/How-many-times-have-you-told-a-non-believer-that-they-will-go-to-hell/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a><br />
<br />
Is it idolatry to trust the Bible as the Word of God?<br />
- <a href="https://www.quora.com/Is-the-doctrine-of-the-Bibles-infallibility-the-first-step-on-the-slippery-road-to-bibliolatry/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/Is-the-doctrine-of-the-Bibles-infallibility-the-first-step-on-the-slippery-road-to-bibliolatry/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a><br />
<br />
Can I be a Christian when I don't trust the Bible?<br />
- <a href="https://www.quora.com/Can-you-be-Christian-if-you-think-there-are-lots-of-errors-in-the-Bible/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/Can-you-be-Christian-if-you-think-there-are-lots-of-errors-in-the-Bible/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a><br />
<br />
Is any teaching beyond the Bible a heresy?<br />
- <a href="https://www.quora.com/Christians-Is-any-belief-beyond-the-Bible-a-heresy/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/Christians-Is-any-belief-beyond-the-Bible-a-heresy/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a><br />
<br />
On the historical reliability of the Bible and the argument from silence<br />
- <a href="https://www.quora.com/Is-Tim-ONeill-hypocritical-about-the-argument-for-silence/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/Is-Tim-ONeill-hypocritical-about-the-argument-for-silence/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a> | <a href="https://www.quora.com/What-evidence-is-there-for-Jesus-Christs-death-burial-and-resurrection" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/What-evidence-is-there-for-Jesus-Christs-death-burial-and-resurrection/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a> | <a href="https://www.quora.com/The-New-Testament-The-Bible-Can-anyone-supply-a-single-account-of-the-supposed-resurrection-of-Jesus-that-is-consistent-with-all-four-accounts-and-doesnt-contradict-any-of-them/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/The-New-Testament-The-Bible-Can-anyone-supply-a-single-account-of-the-supposed-resurrection-of-Jesus-that-is-consistent-with-all-four-accounts-and-doesnt-contradict-any-of-them/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a> | <a href="https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-relationship-of-Apollonius-of-Tyana-to-Jesus-Why-do-his-circumstances-look-like-that-of-Jesus/answers/19559009" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-relationship-of-Apollonius-of-Tyana-to-Jesus-Why-do-his-circumstances-look-like-that-of-Jesus/answers/19559009</a> | <a href="https://www.quora.com/Is-the-Bible-historically-accurate/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/Is-the-Bible-historically-accurate/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a> | <a href="https://www.quora.com/Do-we-have-extra-biblical-evidence-for-the-origins-of-the-Israelites/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/Do-we-have-extra-biblical-evidence-for-the-origins-of-the-Israelites/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a> | <a href="https://www.quora.com/Is-it-true-that-Matthew-Mark-Luke-and-John-were-named-centuries-after-publication-and-were-not-actually-penned-by-those-named/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/Is-it-true-that-Matthew-Mark-Luke-and-John-were-named-centuries-after-publication-and-were-not-actually-penned-by-those-named/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a> | <a href="https://www.quora.com/I-think-you-have-said-that-Jesus-was-an-historical-person-Is-this-just-based-on-probability-or-is-there-evidence-for-it/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/I-think-you-have-said-that-Jesus-was-an-historical-person-Is-this-just-based-on-probability-or-is-there-evidence-for-it/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a> | <a href="https://www.quora.com/Do-you-personally-believe-that-Moses-existed-Why/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/Do-you-personally-believe-that-Moses-existed-Why/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a> | <a href="https://www.quora.com/Why-do-Egyptologists-continue-to-denounce-the-Exodus-as-fictional-despite-the-amount-of-archaeological-evidence/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/Why-do-Egyptologists-continue-to-denounce-the-Exodus-as-fictional-despite-the-amount-of-archaeological-evidence/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a> | <a href="https://www.quora.com/Who-were-the-people-of-ancient-Israel-What-is-the-difference-between-Hebrews-and-Canaanites/answer/Chavoux-Luyt">https://www.quora.com/Who-were-the-people-of-ancient-Israel-What-is-the-difference-between-Hebrews-and-Canaanites/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a><div><br /></div><div>Archaeology and the Bible (see above on the historical reliability of the Bible)</div><div>- <a href="https://www.quora.com/Does-archaeology-disprove-the-Bible/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/Does-archaeology-disprove-the-Bible/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a><br />
<br />
Jesus as God?<br />
- <a href="https://www.quora.com/Did-the-historical-Jesus-see-himself-as-God/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/Did-the-historical-Jesus-see-himself-as-God/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a> | <a href="https://www.quora.com/The-Gospels-of-Mark-Matthew-and-Luke-do-not-proclaim-the-divinity-of-Jesus-Isnt-it-impossible-that-they-forgot-to-mention-such-a-humongous-issue/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/The-Gospels-of-Mark-Matthew-and-Luke-do-not-proclaim-the-divinity-of-Jesus-Isnt-it-impossible-that-they-forgot-to-mention-such-a-humongous-issue/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a> | <a href="https://www.quora.com/Why-dont-the-Gospels-save-John-be-explicit-and-state-Jesus-was-the-God-or-at-least-as-explicit-as-the-Gospel-of-John-about-Jesus-divinity/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/Why-dont-the-Gospels-save-John-be-explicit-and-state-Jesus-was-the-God-or-at-least-as-explicit-as-the-Gospel-of-John-about-Jesus-divinity/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a> | <a href="https://www.quora.com/If-Jesus-as-Christians-claim-is-the-way-and-the-son-of-God-did-he-know-that-was-his-speciality-since-his-childhood-I-mean-when-he-reached-the-puberty-or-before-puberty-how-was-he-thinking-of-himself-whether-he-is/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/If-Jesus-as-Christians-claim-is-the-way-and-the-son-of-God-did-he-know-that-was-his-speciality-since-his-childhood-I-mean-when-he-reached-the-puberty-or-before-puberty-how-was-he-thinking-of-himself-whether-he-is/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a><br />
<br />
Did Jesus Himself claim that He is divine and died for our sins?<br />
- <a href="https://www.quora.com/Did-Jesus-ever-actually-say-he-died-for-your-sins-and-he-is-divine-or-is-it-an-invented-theory-by-Paul/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/Did-Jesus-ever-actually-say-he-died-for-your-sins-and-he-is-divine-or-is-it-an-invented-theory-by-Paul/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a><br />
<br />
Defining God<br />
- <a href="https://www.quora.com/Shouldnt-people-try-to-define-precisely-what-it-is-that-they-call-God/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/Shouldnt-people-try-to-define-precisely-what-it-is-that-they-call-God/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a><br />
<br />
How many entities in Elohim for Moses?<br />
- <a href="https://www.quora.com/How-many-entities-constitute-Moses-Elohim-Are-the-7-Spirits-burning-before-God-in-Revelation-chapter-1-also-Elohim/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/How-many-entities-constitute-Moses-Elohim-Are-the-7-Spirits-burning-before-God-in-Revelation-chapter-1-also-Elohim/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a><br />
<br />
How do I know that I have the Holy Spirit in me?<br />
<a href="https://www.quora.com/How-does-one-know-he-has-the-Holy-Spirit-in-him/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/How-does-one-know-he-has-the-Holy-Spirit-in-him/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a><br />
<br />
Why don't most Jews believe in Jesus?<br />
- <a href="https://www.quora.com/Why-is-that-Jews-still-dont-believe-in-Jesus-as-the-Messiah-Please-dont-give-personal-views-just-give-a-logical-view/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/Why-is-that-Jews-still-dont-believe-in-Jesus-as-the-Messiah-Please-dont-give-personal-views-just-give-a-logical-view/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a><br />
<br />
What could make me loose my faith in Jesus Christ?<br />
- <a href="https://www.quora.com/Im-an-atheist-What-would-make-a-believer-to-lose-their-faith-in-God/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/Im-an-atheist-What-would-make-a-believer-to-lose-their-faith-in-God/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a> | <a href="https://www.quora.com/As-a-person-of-faith-what-would-it-take-to-make-you-an-atheist/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/As-a-person-of-faith-what-would-it-take-to-make-you-an-atheist/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a><span id="goog_1210056780"></span><span id="goog_1210056781"></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/"></a><br />
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But why the "genocides" in the Bible?<br />
- <a href="https://www.quora.com/Why-did-the-God-demand-the-Israelites-to-commit-genocides-in-the-Holy-Bible/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/Why-did-the-God-demand-the-Israelites-to-commit-genocides-in-the-Holy-Bible/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a> |:<a href="https://hard-sayings.quora.com/Jesus-said-not-to-hate-but-to-love-your-enemies-But-how-come-people-in-the-old-testament-like-David-is-full-of-hatred-f-1" target="_blank">https://hard-sayings.quora.com/Jesus-said-not-to-hate-but-to-love-your-enemies-But-how-come-people-in-the-old-testament-like-David-is-full-of-hatred-f-1</a><br />
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What about Abraham sacrificing Isaac?<br />
- <a href="https://www.quora.com/Abraham-biblical-figure-If-God-asked-you-to-sacrifice-your-child-would-you/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/Abraham-biblical-figure-If-God-asked-you-to-sacrifice-your-child-would-you/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a> | <a href="https://www.quora.com/Thought-Experiments-God-appeared-in-front-of-me-and-very-clearly-told-me-I-should-kill-my-son-Isaac-What-should-I-do/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/Thought-Experiments-God-appeared-in-front-of-me-and-very-clearly-told-me-I-should-kill-my-son-Isaac-What-should-I-do/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a><br />
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The problem of evil?<br />
- <a href="https://www.quora.com/A-question-to-both-theists-and-atheists-Why-is-there-evil-in-the-world/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/A-question-to-both-theists-and-atheists-Why-is-there-evil-in-the-world/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a> | <a href="https://www.quora.com/Why-does-God-allow-evil/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/Why-does-God-allow-evil/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a> | <a href="https://www.quora.com/How-can-I-believe-in-god-read-comment/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/How-can-I-believe-in-god-read-comment/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a> | <a href="https://www.quora.com/If-God-has-the-ability-to-prevent-suffering-but-doesnt-then-what-use-is-God-for-humans/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/If-God-has-the-ability-to-prevent-suffering-but-doesnt-then-what-use-is-God-for-humans/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a> | <a href="https://www.quora.com/Theists-how-do-you-reconcile-the-existence-of-evil-in-the-world-and-your-belief-in-an-omnibenevolent-and-omnipotent-God/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/Theists-how-do-you-reconcile-the-existence-of-evil-in-the-world-and-your-belief-in-an-omnibenevolent-and-omnipotent-God/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a><br />
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Some other philosophical questions on God<br />
- <a href="https://www.quora.com/Is-it-possible-there-is-really-no-g-God/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/Is-it-possible-there-is-really-no-g-God/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a> | <a href="https://www.quora.com/How-can-miracles-occur-if-they-by-definition-break-the-laws-of-nature/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/How-can-miracles-occur-if-they-by-definition-break-the-laws-of-nature/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a> | <a href="https://www.quora.com/Doesnt-the-concept-of-miracles-go-against-the-Christian-doctrine-for-free-will/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/Doesnt-the-concept-of-miracles-go-against-the-Christian-doctrine-for-free-will/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a> | <a href="https://www.quora.com/Is-God-really-almighty-Is-God-giving-us-freedom-of-choice-Read-the-first-comment/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/Is-God-really-almighty-Is-God-giving-us-freedom-of-choice-Read-the-first-comment/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a> | <a href="https://www.quora.com/What-is-feedback-for-the-question-Can-God-create-a-rock-that-he-cannot-lift-only-in-logic-study/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/What-is-feedback-for-the-question-Can-God-create-a-rock-that-he-cannot-lift-only-in-logic-study/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a> | <a href="https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-purpose-of-life-according-to-the-Bible/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-purpose-of-life-according-to-the-Bible/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a> | <a href="https://www.quora.com/God-What-exactly-is-meant-when-someone-says-that-God-is-bigger-than-the-mind-can-contain/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/God-What-exactly-is-meant-when-someone-says-that-God-is-bigger-than-the-mind-can-contain/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a><br />
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Why would an almighty, all-knowing God require worship?<br />
- <a href="https://www.quora.com/Why-would-any-benevolent-omnipotent-and-omniscient-god-ever-demand-adulation-or-even-acknowledgment/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/Why-would-any-benevolent-omnipotent-and-omniscient-god-ever-demand-adulation-or-even-acknowledgment/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a><br />
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How can Christians claim that we are saved by faith alone?<br />
- <a href="https://www.quora.com/Why-do-Christians-believe-that-salvation-is-entirely-on-faith/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/Why-do-Christians-believe-that-salvation-is-entirely-on-faith/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a> | <a href="https://www.quora.com/Protestants-teach-that-Christians-are-saved-by-faith-alone-Sola-Fide-yet-James-2-24-clearly-states-the-opposite-There-are-many-other-passages-in-the-NT-that-teach-we-will-be-judged-according-to-our-works-Isnt-Sola-Fide-unbiblical/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/Protestants-teach-that-Christians-are-saved-by-faith-alone-Sola-Fide-yet-James-2-24-clearly-states-the-opposite-There-are-many-other-passages-in-the-NT-that-teach-we-will-be-judged-according-to-our-works-Isnt-Sola-Fide-unbiblical/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a> | <a href="https://www.quora.com/Is-salvation-by-faith-alone-or-by-faith-plus-works/answer/Chavoux-Luyt">https://www.quora.com/Is-salvation-by-faith-alone-or-by-faith-plus-works/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a><br />
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Is God not unfair?<br />
- <a href="https://www.quora.com/Why-would-God-forgive-murderers-if-they-repent-but-not-forgive-atheists-who-are-very-loving-and-considerate-Why-would-anyone-want-to-worship-that-kind-of-god/answer/Chavoux-Luyt#" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/Why-would-God-forgive-murderers-if-they-repent-but-not-forgive-atheists-who-are-very-loving-and-considerate-Why-would-anyone-want-to-worship-that-kind-of-god/answer/Chavoux-Luyt#</a><br />
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So how many times can I repent, then?<br />
- <a href="https://www.quora.com/Why-would-God-forgive-murderers-if-they-repent-but-not-forgive-atheists-who-are-very-loving-and-considerate-Why-would-anyone-want-to-worship-that-kind-of-god/answer/Chavoux-Luyt/comment/20568800" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/Why-would-God-forgive-murderers-if-they-repent-but-not-forgive-atheists-who-are-very-loving-and-considerate-Why-would-anyone-want-to-worship-that-kind-of-god/answer/Chavoux-Luyt/comment/20568800</a> <br />
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My perspective on Christianity - What is a true Christian?<br />
- <a href="https://www.quora.com/Can-a-Christian-give-me-their-perspective-on-Christianity/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/Can-a-Christian-give-me-their-perspective-on-Christianity/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a> | <a href="https://www.quora.com/What-is-a-true-Christian/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/What-is-a-true-Christian/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a> | <a href="https://www.quora.com/This-question-is-solely-for-Christians-of-all-denominations-excluding-Jehovahs-Witnesses-Mormons-and-Seventh-Day-Adventists-How-would-you-define-mere-Christianity-not-the-book-written-by-C-S-Lewis/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/This-question-is-solely-for-Christians-of-all-denominations-excluding-Jehovahs-Witnesses-Mormons-and-Seventh-Day-Adventists-How-would-you-define-mere-Christianity-not-the-book-written-by-C-S-Lewis/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a><br />
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The right church?<br />
- <a href="https://www.quora.com/What-do-you-look-for-in-a-church-Does-it-matter-which-version-of-the-Bible-they-use/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/What-do-you-look-for-in-a-church-Does-it-matter-which-version-of-the-Bible-they-use/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a> | <a href="https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-true-church-according-to-the-Bible-Is-imitating-the-Christians%E2%80%99-way-of-life-and-belief-Biblically-sound-What-are-the-qualities-of-the-true-original-church/answer/Chavoux-Luyt">https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-true-church-according-to-the-Bible-Is-imitating-the-Christians’-way-of-life-and-belief-Biblically-sound-What-are-the-qualities-of-the-true-original-church/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a><br />
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The decline of Christianity: Why do young people loose their faith?<br />
- <a href="https://www.quora.com/Why-do-young-people-lose-their-faith-especially-Christians/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/Why-do-young-people-lose-their-faith-especially-Christians/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a> | <a href="https://www.quora.com/Why-is-American-Christian-church-attendance-declining-and-how-does-its-attendance-compare-with-other-countries/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/Why-is-American-Christian-church-attendance-declining-and-how-does-its-attendance-compare-with-other-countries/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a> | <a href="https://www.quora.com/My-Christian-mom-would-hit-me-and-swear-at-me-for-being-an-atheist-What-should-I-do/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/My-Christian-mom-would-hit-me-and-swear-at-me-for-being-an-atheist-What-should-I-do/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a><br />
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Trying to correct atheist misconceptions<br />
- <a href="https://www.quora.com/What-are-some-specific-points-theists-would-like-to-correct-atheists-on-about-theistic-beliefs/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/What-are-some-specific-points-theists-would-like-to-correct-atheists-on-about-theistic-beliefs/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a> | <a href="https://www.quora.com/Im-an-atheist-I-was-recently-told-I-have-a-distorted-view-of-Christianity-because-I-reject-and-criticize-Christian-fundamentalists-Am-I-wrong/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/Im-an-atheist-I-was-recently-told-I-have-a-distorted-view-of-Christianity-because-I-reject-and-criticize-Christian-fundamentalists-Am-I-wrong/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a> | <a href="https://www.quora.com/Why-are-theists-so-offended-by-atheistic-counter-views-in-public-discourse/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/Why-are-theists-so-offended-by-atheistic-counter-views-in-public-discourse/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a> | <a href="https://www.quora.com/For-what-reason-are-some-theists-on-Quora-and-elsewhere-desperate-to-make-atheism-a-religion/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/For-what-reason-are-some-theists-on-Quora-and-elsewhere-desperate-to-make-atheism-a-religion/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a> | <a href="https://www.quora.com/Will-someone-explain-why-atheists-are-so-aggressive-towards-theists-to-the-point-of-spamming-all-religion-questions-on-Quora/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/Will-someone-explain-why-atheists-are-so-aggressive-towards-theists-to-the-point-of-spamming-all-religion-questions-on-Quora/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a><br />
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On "being saved"<span id="goog_620096105"></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/"></a><span id="goog_620096106"></span><br />
- <a href="https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-meaning-of-saved-in-Christianity/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-meaning-of-saved-in-Christianity/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a> | <a href="https://www.quora.com/Why-does-it-seem-as-though-there-are-several-conditions-to-having-a-saving-faith-in-Christ-1/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/Why-does-it-seem-as-though-there-are-several-conditions-to-having-a-saving-faith-in-Christ-1/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a><br />
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Is Jesus the only way to eternal life?<br />
- <a href="https://www.quora.com/Do-Christians-think-that-all-non-Christians-are-going-to-Hell/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/Do-Christians-think-that-all-non-Christians-are-going-to-Hell/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a> | <a href="https://www.quora.com/Why-does-jesus-say-those-who-disbelive-him-will-go-to-hell/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/Why-does-jesus-say-those-who-disbelive-him-will-go-to-hell/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a> | <a href="https://www.quora.com/What-will-happen-to-those-who-have-not-heard-about-Jesus/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/What-will-happen-to-those-who-have-not-heard-about-Jesus/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a> | <a href="https://www.quora.com/Do-all-religions-ultimately-point-to-the-same-God/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/Do-all-religions-ultimately-point-to-the-same-God/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a> | <a href="https://www.quora.com/How-infinite-can-Jesus%E2%80%99-love-be-if-for-those-who-reject-him-as-being-their-savior-he-consigns-them-to-an-everlasting-hell/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/How-infinite-can-Jesus’-love-be-if-for-those-who-reject-him-as-being-their-savior-he-consigns-them-to-an-everlasting-hell/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a> | <a href="https://www.quora.com/Why-doesnt-Jesus-claim-to-be-the-truth-the-way-and-the-life-in-the-Gospels-of-Mark-Matthew-and-Luke-but-only-in-John/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/Why-doesnt-Jesus-claim-to-be-the-truth-the-way-and-the-life-in-the-Gospels-of-Mark-Matthew-and-Luke-but-only-in-John/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a> | <a href="https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-MOST-important-application-of-Comparative-religion-in-our-world-today/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-MOST-important-application-of-Comparative-religion-in-our-world-today/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a> | <a href="https://www.quora.com/Do-Christians-believe-that-people-who-believe-in-other-gods-and-dont-accept-Jesus-are-going-to-hell/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/Do-Christians-believe-that-people-who-believe-in-other-gods-and-dont-accept-Jesus-are-going-to-hell/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a><br /><br />
How can the Christian faith be true if it came so late? Why have God been "silent" for such long periods?<br />
- <a href="https://www.quora.com/How-is-Christianity-the-right-religion-belief-system-if-it-was-never-the-first/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/How-is-Christianity-the-right-religion-belief-system-if-it-was-never-the-first/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a> | <a href="https://www.quora.com/Where-has-God-been-since-the-Bible-was-written/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/Where-has-God-been-since-the-Bible-was-written/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a><br />
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Why should Christians evangelize?<br />
- <a href="https://www.quora.com/Jesus-taught-love-acceptance-so-why-do-evangelical-christians-contradict-that-basic-concept-and-try-to-convert-everyone-into-their-specific-faith/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/Jesus-taught-love-acceptance-so-why-do-evangelical-christians-contradict-that-basic-concept-and-try-to-convert-everyone-into-their-specific-faith/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a> | <a href="https://www.quora.com/Is-evangelism-necessary-in-this-day-and-age-or-should-people-seek-God-on-their-own-after-disillusionment-with-the-secular-worlds-values/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/Is-evangelism-necessary-in-this-day-and-age-or-should-people-seek-God-on-their-own-after-disillusionment-with-the-secular-worlds-values/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a> | <a href="https://www.quora.com/Do-religious-people-have-a-duty-to-convert-others-to-their-religion/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/Do-religious-people-have-a-duty-to-convert-others-to-their-religion/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a> | <a href="https://www.quora.com/What-is-evangelism-according-to-the-Bible/answer/Chavoux-Luyt">https://www.quora.com/What-is-evangelism-according-to-the-Bible/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a><br />
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Why pray?<br />
- <a href="https://www.quora.com/Why-do-Christians-have-to-pray-every-day/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/Why-do-Christians-have-to-pray-every-day/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a><div><br /></div><div>Best advice for new believers?</div><div>- <a href="https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-best-first-piece-of-advice-to-give-a-brand-new-believer-in-Christ-Answer-from-scripture/answer/Chavoux-Luyt">https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-best-first-piece-of-advice-to-give-a-brand-new-believer-in-Christ-Answer-from-scripture/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a><br />
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How to experience God yourself (Hearing the voice of the Lord)?<br />
- <a href="https://www.quora.com/Why-is-it-that-the-more-faithful-and-non-stop-Christian-experiences-God-more-than-others/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/Why-is-it-that-the-more-faithful-and-non-stop-Christian-experiences-God-more-than-others/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a> | <a href="https://www.quora.com/How-can-I-tell-the-difference-between-my-own-impulse-and-a-prompting-of-the-Holy-Spirit-in-times-when-you-have-to-act-or-decide-immediately/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/How-can-I-tell-the-difference-between-my-own-impulse-and-a-prompting-of-the-Holy-Spirit-in-times-when-you-have-to-act-or-decide-immediately/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a> | <a href="https://www.quora.com/If-God-communicates-with-you-how-does-it-happen/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/If-God-communicates-with-you-how-does-it-happen/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a><br />
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On science and religion<br />
- <a href="https://www.quora.com/Is-science-making-people-non-religious/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/Is-science-making-people-non-religious/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a> | <a href="https://www.quora.com/How-do-Christian-Fundamentalists-in-the-science-math-and-medicine-fields-reconcile-their-faith-with-evolutionary-biology/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/How-do-Christian-Fundamentalists-in-the-science-math-and-medicine-fields-reconcile-their-faith-with-evolutionary-biology/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a> | <a href="https://www.quora.com/How-seriously-should-we-take-the-proposal-of-a-young-Earth-by-some-fundamentalist-Christians/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/How-seriously-should-we-take-the-proposal-of-a-young-Earth-by-some-fundamentalist-Christians/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a> | <a href="https://www.quora.com/Why-cant-religion-and-science-co-exist/answer/Chavoux-Luyt">https://www.quora.com/Why-cant-religion-and-science-co-exist/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a> | <a href="https://www.quora.com/Is-there-a-Scientific-Moral-Evidence-That-God-of-the-Bible-Contradict-Science/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/Is-there-a-Scientific-Moral-Evidence-That-God-of-the-Bible-Contradict-Science/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a> | <a href="https://www.quora.com/Isnt-it-contradictory-to-believe-in-evolution-and-God-at-the-same-time/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/Isnt-it-contradictory-to-believe-in-evolution-and-God-at-the-same-time/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a> | <a href="https://www.quora.com/How-can-I-convince-my-parents-to-be-less-forceful-about-Creationism/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/How-can-I-convince-my-parents-to-be-less-forceful-about-Creationism/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a> | <a href="https://www.quora.com/Are-there-any-facts-revealed-through-a-religious-text-that-could-never-be-known-without-divine-inspiration/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/Are-there-any-facts-revealed-through-a-religious-text-that-could-never-be-known-without-divine-inspiration/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a> | <a href="https://www.quora.com/As-they-are-used-to-think-of-theories-that-predict-some-results-and-are-verifiable-why-do-some-scientists-believe-in-God/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/As-they-are-used-to-think-of-theories-that-predict-some-results-and-are-verifiable-why-do-some-scientists-believe-in-God/answer/Chavoux-Luyt </a>| <a href="https://www.quora.com/How-can-science-inform-religion-more-effectively/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/How-can-science-inform-religion-more-effectively/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a> | <a href="https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-conflict-between-Naturalism-and-Supernaturalism/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-conflict-between-Naturalism-and-Supernaturalism/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a> | <a href="https://www.quora.com/How-do-those-who-hold-the-doctrine-of-biblical-inerrancy-deal-with-scriptures-which-contradict-the-findings-of-science-or-history/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/How-do-those-who-hold-the-doctrine-of-biblical-inerrancy-deal-with-scriptures-which-contradict-the-findings-of-science-or-history/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a> | <a href="https://www.quora.com/How-do-scientists-and-thinkers-reconcile-their-understanding-of-the-physical-world-with-the-Bible-I-am-a-potential-convert-to-Christianity/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/How-do-scientists-and-thinkers-reconcile-their-understanding-of-the-physical-world-with-the-Bible-I-am-a-potential-convert-to-Christianity/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a><br />
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Science and philosophy<br />
- <a href="https://www.quora.com/Is-it-common-among-scientists-to-scorn-philosophy/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/Is-it-common-among-scientists-to-scorn-philosophy/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a> | <a href="https://www.quora.com/Which-is-the-most-advanced-religion-that-adhere-to-scientific-principles/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/Which-is-the-most-advanced-religion-that-adhere-to-scientific-principles/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a><br />
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What does Christianity have to do with Ecology?<br />
- <a href="https://www.quora.com/How-does-Christianity-line-up-with-ecology/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/How-does-Christianity-line-up-with-ecology/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a> | Was animals created for human consumption, then? <a href="https://www.quora.com/Does-the-Bible-say-that-animals-were-created-for-human-consumption/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/Does-the-Bible-say-that-animals-were-created-for-human-consumption/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a> (For a longer response on my web site about God and animals, see also <a href="http://www.chavoux.com/GodAnimals.html" target="_blank">http://www.chavoux.com/GodAnimals.html</a>)<br />
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Biodiversity?<br />
- <a href="https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-relevance-of-biodiversity/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-relevance-of-biodiversity/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a>| <a href="https://www.quora.com/What-do-you-think-we-can-do-as-individuals-and-as-a-society-to-curb-biodiversity-loss/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/What-do-you-think-we-can-do-as-individuals-and-as-a-society-to-curb-biodiversity-loss/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a><br />
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What would be the ecological impact of all people turning vegetarian?<br />
- <a href="https://www.quora.com/What-would-be-the-ecological-impact-if-all-humans-turned-vegetarian/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/What-would-be-the-ecological-impact-if-all-humans-turned-vegetarian/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a><br />
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Ecology - Competitive exclusion? Levels of organization?</div>
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- <a href="https://www.quora.com/What-do-you-think-about-the-competitive-exclusion-principle/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/What-do-you-think-about-the-competitive-exclusion-principle/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a> | <a href="https://www.quora.com/What-are-the-levels-of-organization-in-ecology/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/What-are-the-levels-of-organization-in-ecology/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a><br />
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Warfare - Do medics care for both sides?<br />
- <a href="https://www.quora.com/Do-army-medics-care-for-both-sides-in-a-war-or-just-their-own-soldiers/answer/Chavoux-Luyt" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/Do-army-medics-care-for-both-sides-in-a-war-or-just-their-own-soldiers/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a><br />
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History: Medieval science (Not mine, but a thorough answer by Tim O'Neill)<br />
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- <a href="https://www.quora.com/Why-did-science-make-little-real-progress-in-Europe-in-the-Middle-Ages-3/answer/Tim-ONeill-1" target="_blank">https://www.quora.com/Why-did-science-make-little-real-progress-in-Europe-in-the-Middle-Ages-3/answer/Tim-ONeill-1</a> </div><div><br /></div><div>Socio-ecology: Why agricultural cultures became dominant</div><div>- <a href="https://www.quora.com/Why-did-humans-adopt-agriculture-multiple-times-across-the-world-when-life-as-a-hunter-gatherer-certainly-was-healthier-and-easier/answer/Chavoux-Luyt">https://www.quora.com/Why-did-humans-adopt-agriculture-multiple-times-across-the-world-when-life-as-a-hunter-gatherer-certainly-was-healthier-and-easier/answer/Chavoux-Luyt</a></div>
</div></div>Chavouxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02548629951249411219noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3274924259075785324.post-58007882685949580352014-11-29T08:17:00.000-08:002014-11-29T08:17:00.408-08:00Noah, the movie, not Noah from the BibleI only recently saw the move "Noah"with Russel Crowe. Even knowing that it differed quite a lot from the Bible beforehand, I was still disappointed. I was a bit puzzled by the movie and how it was different from the Bible. I even recognized the word "zohar", but not making the connection to its meaning as the book of Kabbalah.<br />
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To me the greatest misrepresentations where the character of the Creator (who are totally without mercy in the film, while being merciful to righteous Noah and his family (and all the surviving animals) in the Bible. He also made clear His intentions in the Bible and there is no indication that what Noah did or why was unknown to his neighbours... rather that they did not pay attention to his message. Being obedient to God in the Bible therefore has a totally different result on Noah's character... one of mercy and thankfulness, rather than the inner struggle of the movie.<br />
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And finally the dots connected when I read the following article: <a href="http://drbrianmattson.com/journal/2014/3/31/sympathy-for-the-devil" target="_blank">http://drbrianmattson.com/journal/2014/3/31/sympathy-for-the-devil</a> . ... So much makes sense now. Even why God is portrayed as "the baddy", mean and merciless. This is always been the ploy of the enemy, right from the garden of Eden when he accused the Lord of being deceitful and not wanting the best for Adam and Eve. Truly he is a liar and the father of the lie!<br />
<br />Chavouxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02548629951249411219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3274924259075785324.post-66979219134708736782014-11-26T06:39:00.001-08:002014-11-26T06:39:16.924-08:00The works of Christ<br />"<em>Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” And Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.</em>”<br />I never really read what was written here until recently. As I was reading this passage my eyes were drawn to the phrase "the deeds of the Christ". What were these "deeds of the Christ" (or "the works of Christ" as in my translation)? It is not called "the deeds of Jesus". It wasn't simply the fact that Jesus were doing wonders. Many prophets (e.g. Moses, Elijah, Elisha) did wonders in the past. But it was specifically works that identify the Messiah (the Christ / the Anointed One). Isaiah 35: 5-6 among others, makes it clear that these were signs of the coming Kingdom... <br />
“<em>He will come and save you.<br /> Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,<br /> and the ears of the deaf unstopped;<br /> then shall the lame man leap like a deer,<br /> and the tongue of the mute sing for joy.</em>“<br />This why it is not simply called the „deeds of Jesus“, since it was not simply miracles, but very specific miracles that were prophesied to be Messianic („the deeds of the Anointed“).<br />Chavouxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02548629951249411219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3274924259075785324.post-14958380279357268282014-06-15T12:57:00.000-07:002014-06-15T12:57:34.242-07:00Disciples make disciples 5<h2>
What is the gospel, the Good News to which the first disciples testified?</h2>
<br /><strong>Mark 16:15-20</strong> - "<em>And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.</em>” <br /><br /><em>So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by accompanying signs.</em>"<br /><br />1. If you believe the gospel and are baptised, you will be saved. So it is something to believe, but what? The beginning of the book of Mark says:<br /><strong>Mark 1</strong> - "<em>The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. ... John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. ... And he preached, saying, “After me comes He who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I have baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” ... Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”</em>"<br />2. It is all about Jesus Christ (Yeshua, the Anointed One), the Son of God!<br />3. It involves repentance and forgiveness of sins (agreeing with the earlier Hebrew Scriptures!).<br />4. Jesus will baptize with the Holy Spirit (so it includes promises concerning the Holy Spirit in e.g. Joel 2).<br />5. It involves the Kingdom of God (which are clearly connected to the Son of man/Messiah in the Hebrew Scriptures from before: e.g. Dan.7). <br /><br /><strong>Luke 24:36-53</strong> - "<em>As they were talking about these things, Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, “Peace to you!” But they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit. And he said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. And while they still disbelieved for joy and were marveling, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate before them. <br /><br />Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.” <br /><br />Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them. While he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven. And they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple blessing God.</em>"<br />1. The fulfilment of the Scriptures.<br />2. The Messiah should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead.<br />3. Repentance and forgiveness of sins proclaimed in His Name.<br />4. For all nations (again in accordance to the previous prophecies).<br /><br /><strong>Acts 1:4-11</strong> - "<em>And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” <br /><br />So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” <br /><br />And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”</em>"<br />1. The power from the Holy Spirit when we are baptized with Him.<br /><br /><strong>Matt.28:18-20</strong> - "<em>And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”</em>"<br />1. Diciples of Jesus.<br />2. Baptized in the Name of Father, Son and Holy Spirit.<br />3. Teached to obey all the teachings of Jesus (including all on the Kingdom of God).<br />4. He is with us.<br /><br /><strong>Joh.20:19-23</strong> - "<em>On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of anyone, they are forgiven; if you withhold forgiveness from anyone, it is withheld.”</em>"<br />1. Receiving the Holy Spirit.<br />2. Sent as Jesus was sent (disciples making disciples).<br />3. Forgiveness of sins.<br />---===---<br />
What is your definition of "the Gospel"?Chavouxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02548629951249411219noreply@blogger.com0