Pearls are better than Easter eggs

God created the world in a specific order.

Genesis 1: 1-10 clearly maps out creation in this order:

1. Heavens and earth (covered in water)
2. Light
3. Day and Night
4. Firmanent dividing water from water
   - The firmament is called heaven
   - The separated water creates a bubble
5. Dry land

Our paper, Genesis Chapter 1, illustrates this. A simplified version has been created below, however you can click on the link above for the “pretty” version:

(water)

(water) ---firmanent--- (water)

(water/land) --- firmanent --- (water)

The creation of the earth is symbolic of the Holy Trinity.

How?

1. (water): This is God.
2. (water) ---firmanent--- (water): God separates himself thus creating Jesus. Confused? Think of a glass of water. Dump half the glass into another glass. Which one is water? BOTH. Same with God and Jesus.
3. (water/land) ---firmanent--- (water): Adam is formed of the earth (land). The water is NEXT TO the land and is LEFT WITH man. Why? For baptism – both water and fire. This is symbolic of the Holy Spirit

Simplified:

GOD (water)

JESUS (water) ---firmanent--- (water)

HOLY SPIRIT (water/land) --- firmanent --- (water)

God simply is. Jesus passes through the sky (or firmament or heaven). The Holy Spirit stays next to man so that man can be baptized.

There was a man named Abraham.

God made a promise to Abraham.

Genesis 22:17
I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore.

Matthew 20:16
For many are called, but few chosen.

Sand is an irritant, which is symbolic of mankind. Some of the sand will come into the water. This is referring to the water left on earth (the Holy Spirit) which is left next to man. The sand that comes into this water are those who hear the gospel message.

Even fewer will come into an oyster. Think of the oyster as Jesus. The grains of sand that come into that oyster are still an irritant. It is the oyster that coats the sand with a substance that smooths out the edges of sand and makes the irritating sand into a pearl. Jesus coats the irritating (sinful) man with the Holy Spirit, forming a pearl.

There was a traveler who found a hidden treasure – a pearl of great price.

Matthew 13:44 – The Parable of the Hidden Treasure
Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

Matthew 13:45-46 – Pearl of Great Price
45 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls,
46 who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.

Point #1: The man who finds the treasure hidden in a field is the same man who found a pearl of great price.

Point #2: The hidden treasure is the pearl of great price.

Point #3: The man went away and sold everything he had in order to buy that field that has the pearl in it.

Point #4: When the traveler returns to the field, he will pick up that pearl and take it to his father’s house, where it will shine like a star in heaven.

Deeper Point #1:

The man who finds the treasure hidden in a field is the same man who found a pearl of great price.

***The man is Jesus. The field is the world.

Deeper Point #2:

The hidden treasure is the pearl of great price.

***This is mankind coated with the Holy Spirit

***The great price is the payment for sin by the death of Jesus

Deeper Point #3:

The man went away

***Jesus left heaven to live on earth,

and sold everything he had

***then gave up his life

in order to buy that field that has the pearl in it.

***to pay the sins of the world

Deeper Point #4:

When the traveler returns to the field

***With the second coming of Jesus

he will pick up that pearl

***the sand that went into the oyster

and take it to his father’s house

***heaven

where it will shine like a star in heaven

Final Note: Abraham was promised that his descendants would be like sands on the shore, for many are invited. His descendants would outnumber the stars in the heavens, for few are chosen. There are more grains of sand than stars in heaven. Being a descendant of Abraham invites you, but doesn’t make you chosen. AND it is said, “and for the strangers who dwell among you and who bear children among you…shall be to you as native-born among the children of Israel; they shall have an inheritance with you among the tribes of Israel” (Ezekiel 47:22). So after Jesus, any man (irritant) who hears the gospel message (enters the water), believes Jesus (enters the oyster), and receives the Holy Spirit (coated by the oyster) is a descendant of Abraham.

A message to the doubter...

There has been one TV preacher that I have learned from and respect, and believe me that is rare. The Holy Spirit has obviously come out of this man and here is one of his best teachings...


CLAIMS THAT JESUS MADE

Regardless of the source, the only Jesus in history will be found
making one or more of the following claims.

a)Jesus spoke that He would be killed but would rise on the
third day. (Mark 10:33-34; Matthew 20:19)

b)He spoke that He had been sent to save the world and
salvation came only from believing in Him. (John 3:16-18)

c)Something was wrong with the whole world that could only
be set right by his death being a "ransom". (Matthew 20:28)

d)He spoke of God as His Father and that men should honor
the Son as they honored the Father. (John 5:23)

e)He spoke that those who believed in Him would have
everlasting life. (John 14:6)

f)He claimed to be the Son of God. (John 9:35-37)

g)He spoke that no man could come to the Father except
through Him. (John 14:6)

h)He spoke in His teachings of heaven and eternity from
the inside. "I saw Satan cast down." (Luke 10:18)
And, "Before Abraham, I was." (John 8:58)
And, "There is joy in heaven by the angels when a
sinner repents." (Luke 15:10)

i)He spoke that He was to be the judge of all things
including man. (John 5:22)

j)Jesus thought of Himself as perfect by presuming himself
adequate to forgive sin (Matthew 9:6) and be the redeemer and
Savior of mankind (Matthew 16:16-17).
It doesn't matter whether he was perfect,  he thought he was
and it is not man's nature to accept someone who thinks of
himself as perfect.  Mankind certainly does not make saints of
people who think they're perfect.

So from the claims that Jesus made one can only conclude that:

a) Jesus was a liar and a fraud or
b) He was who and what He claimed to be.
c) A GOOD AND WISE TEACHER

Some say that Jesus was a "good and wise teacher". One can be wise
and be a liar which only makes him a "good" liar. One can be good
and lie without the realization that he is lying in which case he
cannot be wise.

Therefore, one cannot call Jesus both "good and wise" without
accepting that He was what He said He was.

CAN JESUS BE "JUST" A PROPHET

The claims that Jesus made suggest that He considered Himself more
than a prophet. A mere prophet from God would never make the
statement that he "should be afforded the same honor as the one (God)
who had sent him" and mere prophets do not claim that they can forgive
sin. Therefore, if one is to afford Jesus the status of being one
of "God's prophets" then all the other claims that Jesus made should
be accepted as well.

THE RESURRECTION IS THE KEY

One of the qualifications of a prophet is his predictions must be
verifiable by witnesses. We tend to focus on the "long term"
prophecies of the Prophets of old as these are the ones most
relevant to us.
Short term prophecies, those that can be verified during the "time"
of the prophet, are important because they serve to identify him
immediately as a prophet and thus give credibility to his longer
term predictions.

The following verse in the Gospel of Mark obviously qualifies
as a "short term" prediction or prophecy from Jesus. One that could
be verifiable in His "time".

(Mark 9:31) For he taught his disciples, and said unto them,
"The Son of man is delivered into the hands of men, and they shall
kill him; and after that he is killed, he shall rise the third day."

The portion of this prediction of significant importance is Jesus'
claim that after being killed He would "rise on the third day".
It's obvious that a miracle from God must occur for this prediction
to come to fruition.

Thus, the Resurrection is the key to determining whether the claims of
Jesus were just a bunch of lies or if He was who He said He was.

THE FACTS

To argue His resurrection one must begin with some general assumable
facts. i.e. we can't argue a resurrection took place unless
we first assume "a life and a death were present" prior to the
resurrection. The following not only are recorded in the scriptures
but are easily backed up by the writings of historians of the period.
(i.e. Josepheus).

1)Jesus lived.
2)He was crucified and considered dead.
3)He was buried in a known accessible tomb.
4)The tomb was found to be empty on the third day.
5)It was preached (by the disciples) that He had was raised up
and had ascended to Heaven.
6)The Jewish leaders who instigated the crucifixion would
be most interested in disproving the resurrection even more
than we would today.
7)The early Church leaders (the disciples) were persecuted for
preaching the resurrection message.
8)The tomb was found empty.

COMMON ARGUMENTS AGAINST RESURRECTION

1)The disciples stole the body of Jesus.
2)The Romans stole the body.
3)The Jewish leaders stole the body.
4)The women went to the wrong tomb.
5)He (Jesus) wasn't really dead when he was placed in
the tomb and He resuscitated
6)Everyone was hallucinating.
7)The disciples made the whole thing up and were lying
when they preached the resurrection.
8)It's all true. The disciples are telling exactly what
they saw and experienced.

a)Had the Romans or the Jews stolen the body (arguments 2 & 3),
they could easily have disproved the Resurrection and expose Jesus
as a fraud by simply producing the body if they were in possession of it.

b)Had the women gone to the wrong tomb (argument 4) they would have
simply kept looking until they found the right one.

c)No one ever survived a Roman crucifixion (argument 5).
Further, John reports (John 19:34) that Jesus was pierced with a
Roman spear as a final gesture to assure His death.

d)Hallucinations are temporary and do not change reality.
If it had just been hallucinations, there would have been a body in
the tomb. (argument 6).

e)The only arguments remaining center on the disciples.
Specifically, the disciples were either telling the truth when they
preached the crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus or they were
preaching lies.

A LOOK AT THE DISCIPLES

Prior to the death and resurrection of Jesus the disciples were
disorganized in their understanding of the teachings of Jesus.
Peter was unstable in his faith as evidenced by his three denials
of Jesus. (Matthew 26:70-75). John was harsh and selfish to an extent
that Jesus actually referred to John and James as "the sons of thunder"
(Mark 3:17). Thomas was always filled with doubt.

Cowards, fearing for their own lives, all the disciples with
the exception of John, deserted Jesus when He was arrested and carried
away to be crucified. It appears that John was the only disciple that
was present at the crucifixion.

The disciples underwent cataclysmic changes after the Resurrection. They
show consistency in their understanding and preaching of what Jesus had
taught them. Peter became the epitome of stability within the Church.
John's ways were transformed from selfishness to loving and Thomas became
a full believer never to doubt again. Thomas preached in India which was
probably the most difficult "assignment" of all. Their cowardice was
transformed to that of courage as they preached throughout the "then known"
world.

THE FINAL ARGUMENT

Finally, to answer the question, "Were the disciples preaching lies or
were they telling what they knew to be the truth concerning the death and
Resurrection of Jesus".

The disciples were scattered throughout different countries as they
preached the Gospel. They preached alone not knowing if they would ever
see their fellow disciples again.

All the disciples, with the exception of John, were tortured, persecuted
and eventually put to death for preaching the resurrection. (The following
compilation is taken from Fox's Book of Martyrs by John Fox)

1)Peter was crucified in Rome.
2)Andrew was crucified in Edessa.
3)James was killed by the sword in Jerusalem.
4)Philip was crucified in Heliopolis, Phyrgia.
5)Bartholomew was beaten and crucified in India.
6)Thomas was speared by idolatrous priests in Parthia, India.
7)Matthew was axed to death in Nadabah, Ethiopia.
8)James (the son of Alphaeus) was clubbed to death in Jerusalem at the
age of 94.
9)Thaddaeus was crucified in Edessa.
10)Simon "Zeolotes" was crucified in Brittainnia.
11)Stephen was stoned to death and was the first to be martyred.
12)Paul (an apostle) was beheaded in Rome.
13)Matthias (an apostle) was stoned and beheaded in Jerusalem.
14)Mark (an apostle) was dragged to death in Alexandria.
15)Luke (an apostle) was hanged by priests in Greece.

Any of the disciples could have saved his own life by simply admitting
that he was preaching lies. Most likely none of the other disciples would
have ever known of such an admission since they were separated from the
others. Each of the disciples died alone.

Yet, not a single disciple retracted his story! They preached the death
and Resurrection of Jesus Christ even unto their own deaths. They preached
what they knew had happened. They were witnesses to the events that Jesus
had predicted. Jesus came out of the tomb as He said He would and since He
did then Jesus has to be everything He claimed He was.

Twisting Scripture PART 4

How often have you encountered some bizarre doctrine only to be stunned to hear a Bible verse quoted to support it? With new religious cults springing up almost daily and old ones growing rapidly, this is more and more common. How are they seemingly able to twist Scripture to mean something Christians have never believed it to mean in two thousand years?
James Sire, author of the Universe Next Door and How to Read Slowly, has isolated twenty separate kinds of reading errors which are characteristically made by cultists as they interpret the Bible. He covers the full range form simple misquotation to complex argumentation which links one slightly eccentric interpretation to another, mixes in a few orthodox readings and ends with a conclusion totally foreign to the biblical world view. Sire also handles twisted translation, over specification, virtue by association, ignoring the context and others. Scripture Twisting is a great book to pick up and read. I highly recommend this book!

16. VIRTUE BY ASSOCIATION:
Either (1) a cult writer associates his or her teaching with those of figures accepted as authoritative by traditional Christians; (2) cult writings are likened to the Bible; or (3) cult literature imitates the form of the Bible writings such that it sounds like the Bible. Example of (1): Rick Chapman list 21 gurus, including Jesus Christ, St. Francis and St. Theresa, that "you can't go wrong with." Example of (2): Juan Mascaro in his introduction to the Upanishads cites the New Testament, the Gospels, Ecclesiastes and the Psalms, from which he quotes passages supposedly paralleling the Upanishads. Example of (3): The Mormon DOCTRINE AND COVENANTS interweaves phrases from the Gospel of John and maintains a superficial similarity to the Gospel such that it seems to be like the Bible.

17. ESOTERIC INTERPRETATION:
Under the assumption that the Bible contains hidden, esoteric, meaning which is open only to those who are initiated into its secrets, the interpreter declares the significance of biblical passages without giving much, if any, explanation for his or her interpretation. Example: Mary Baker Eddy gives the meaning of the first phrase in the Lord's Prayer, "Our Father which art in heaven," as "Our Father-Mother God, all harmonious."

18. SUPPLEMENTING BIBLICAL AUTHORITY:
New revelation from post biblical prophets either replaces or is added to the Bible as authority. Example: The Mormons supplement the Bible with the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price.

19. REJECTING BIBLICAL AUTHORITY:
Either the Bible as a whole or texts from the Bible are examined and rejected because they do not square with other authorities - such as reason or revelation = do not appear to agree with them. Example:Archie Matson holds that the Bible contains contradictions and that Jesus himself rejected the authority of the Old Testament when he contrasted His own views with it on the Sermon on the Mount.

20. WORLD-VIEW CONFUSION:
Scriptural statements, stories, commands or symbols which have a particular meaning or set of meanings when taken within the intellectual and broadly cultural framework of the Bible itself are lifted out of that context, placed within the frame of reference of another system and thus given a meaning that markedly differs from their intended meaning. Example: The Maharishi Mahesh Yogi interprets "Be still, and know that I am God" as meaning that each person should meditate and come to the realization that he is essentially Godhood itself.

Again, these are very short summaries of the material covered in James Sire's book. These summaries alone should illuminate the insightful analysis Sire gives in his book, Scripture Twisting. Pick up a copy today!!


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The Parable of the Pearl (Matthew 13:44-46)

The Parable of the Pearl in Mat.13:44-46
44"The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.

45"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. 46When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.



44"The kingdom of heaven is like treasure"
Heaven is not some high plane of existence or foreign land, it will be a "new heaven and a new earth" (2 Peter 3:13, Revelation 21:1). Heaven is already here but not fulfilled in its entirety. The NEW earth will be paradise restored as it should have been in the beginning.

Treasure is defined as a precious possession. We strive as believers in Christ to obtain eternal life. Is a precious pearl worth more than eternal life? Absolutely not. But the fact is that pearls are a treasure here on this earth. Jesus is teaching future generations using a pearl symbolically, for mankind will always treasure pearls. A pearl is precious here on this earth presently and this earth is not the "new heaven" YET. What is precious here is not precious in heaven. YOU are precious in heaven. Precious gold here in today's world is but pavement on the roads in heaven. Eternal life is everlasting and does not become a commodity for other material items (e.g. pearls are sold and traded for other material objects) which will die with the new earth and the new heaven. However, the "new heaven and new earth" has not happened yet, and pearls will always be a treasured item of THIS present world. True treasure is eternal life, and eternal life is a transformation from what is finite into what is infinite... physical life ending to spiritual life everlasting. There is only one way to heaven and that is...


"hidden in a field"
The field is the earth. We are hidden in a finite world. The children of the Kingdom here on the earth are treated no differently than slaves. The present state of this earth is temporary just as the body has a temporary existence. We live in this temporary world as slaves but must fulfill the true meaning of life. The meaning of life is to utilize the time that we are given in these temporary shells of flesh into finding and maintaining a relationship with our Creator. The Creator is the One Who has come down here as the way to heaven and He came here in a tent of flesh with the name Jesus.


"When a man found it"
Jesus is the man here. What Jesus found/finds are His sheep. His sheep are the body of believers who are His treasure.
What is the symbolism used in this parable? A pearl. We now will explain the core of this parable...

Sand is an irritant, all men are sand, and all of mankind is an irritant.
"For all men have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God" [Romans 3:23]

Some of the sand found its way into an oyster.
The sand irritated the oyster [ by their sin ] and the oyster coated the sand changing/transforming it into a pearl.
The making of a pearl is done during the grain of sand's "lifetime".
However, pearls do not go to heaven during their lifetime.

"he hid it again",
Upon their death, they are hidden again in the earth [burial].


"and then in his joy went and sold all he had"
Jesus left heaven, came to earth in a tent of flesh and never became an "irritant" because Jesus never committed one sin. Jesus lived a perfect life. He had to live as a grain of sand "in joy" or out of love for us. In doing so He left His Father in heaven.


"and bought that field."
Jesus lived a perfect life and died undeservedly and without justification [for He had no sin]. He paid the price of those grains of sand who irritated the Father with their sin. The earth owes Jesus His life back, but the world cannot pay this debt. Because of this, the world owes and cannot pay. Jesus will take payment in the form of His sheep. For the life the sheep forfeited by sin is paid for by the righteousness of the life of Jesus and the unrighteous death He received.


45"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like"
How are we getting into heaven?


"a merchant looking for fine pearls. "
A merchant buys, sells, or trades. A merchant can buy or sell with money or credit. In this case, Jesus buys the pearls with the credit[s] owed to Him.
What credit[s] is Jesus owed? Anything [any life] He wants. Obviously, this will be the pearls and the pearls represent His sheep/the children of the Kingdom.


46"When he found one of great value,"
The other merchant knew the price would be high.


"he went away and sold everything he had"
Jesus lived a perfect life, never sinned, never owed anybody anything.

"and bought it."
He traded His life for death on the cross as the high cost of the pearls.


Final thought:
Sand is an irritant, all of mankind are irritants.
Some sand [some people] find their way into an oyster.
An oyster has a soft, silky, inside that coats the sand/irritant.
An oyster has a hard shell.
The inside of the oyster is symbolic of the Gospel teaching / teaching of the Holy Spirit. As the sand is exposed to more and more of the Teaching, the layers grow and polish the sand until the sand is encased and becomes a pearl.
The outer shell of the oyster is symbolic of the protection of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit shields the whole process, shields the whole person from the distractions, deviations, and deceptions of the other "merchants" who are Satan, and his followers.

God bless you this week.

Technorati: Christianity,preaching,bible,bible reading,bible-reading,sermon,sermons

Twisting Scripture Part 3

How often have you encountered some bizarre doctrine only to be stunned to hear a Bible verse quoted to support it? With new religious cults springing up almost daily and old ones growing rapidly, this is more and more common. How are they seemingly able to twist Scripture to mean something Christians have never believed it to mean in two thousand years?
James Sire, author of the Universe Next Door and How to Read Slowly, has isolated twenty separate kinds of reading errors which are characteristically made by cultists as they interpret the Bible. He covers the full range form simple misquotation to complex argumentation which links one slightly eccentric interpretation to another, mixes in a few orthodox readings and ends with a conclusion totally foreign to the biblical world view. Sire also handles twisted translation, over specification, virtue by association, ignoring the context and others. Scripture Twisting is a great book to pick up and read. I recommend it!


11. Selective Citing:
To substantiate a given argument, only a limited number of texts is quoted: the total teaching of Scripture on that subject would lead to a conclusion different from that of the writer. Example: the Jehovah Witnesses critique the traditional Christan notion of the Trinity without considering the full set of texts which scholars use to substantiate the concept.


12. Inadequate Evidence:
A hasty generalization is drawn from too little evidence. Example: the Jehovah Witnesses teach that blood transfusion is non biblical, but the biblical data which they site fails to either speak directly to the issue or adequately substantiate their teaching.


13. Confused Definition:
A biblical term is misunderstood in such a way that an essential biblical doctrine is distorted or rejected. Example: one of Edgar Cayce's followers confuses the Eastern doctrine of reincarnation with the biblical doctrine of being born again.


14. Ignoring Alternative Explanations:
A specific interpretation is given to a biblical text or set of texts which could well be, and often have been, interpreted in quite a different fashion, but these alternatives are not considered. Example: Erich von Daniken asks why in Genesis 1:26 God speaks in plural ("us"), suggesting that this is an oblique reference to God's being one of many astronauts and failing to consider alternative explanations that either God was speaking as "heaven's King accompanied by His heavenly hosts" or that the plural prefigures the doctrine of the Trinity expressed more explicitly in the New Testament.


15. The Obvious Fallacy:
Words like obviously, undoubtedly, certainly, all reasonable people hold that and so forth are substituted for logical reason. Example: Erich von Daniken says, "Undoubtedly the Ark [of the Covenant] was electrically charged!".


TO BE CONTINUED....

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Twisting Scripture--PART 2

How often have you encountered some bizarre doctrine only to be stunned to hear a Bible verse quoted to support it? With new religious cults springing up almost daily and old ones growing rapidly, this is more and more common. How are they seemingly able to twist Scripture to mean something Christians have never believed it to mean in two thousand years?
James Sire, author of the Universe Next Door and How to Read Slowly, has isolated twenty separate kinds of reading errors which are characteristically made by cultists as they interpret the Bible. He covers the full range form simple misquotation to complex argumentation which links one slightly eccentric interpretation to another, mixes in a few orthodox readings and ends with a conclusion totally foreign to the biblical world view. Sire also handles twisted translation, over specification, virtue by association, ignoring the context and others. Scripture Twisting is a great book to pick up and read. I recommend it!

6. OVERSPECIFICATION:
A more detailed or specific conclusion than is legitimate is drawn from a biblical text. Example: The Mormon missionary manual quotes the parable of the virgins from Matthew 25:1-13 to document the concept that "mortality is a probationary period during which we prepare to meet God." But the parable of the virgins could, and most probably does, mean something far less specific, for example, that human beings should be prepared at any time to meet God or to witness the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

7. WORD PLAY:
A word or phrase from a biblical translation is examined and interpreted as if the revelation had been given in that language. Example: Mary Baker Eddy says the name Adam consist of two syllables, A DAM, which means an obstruction, in which case, Adam signifies "the obstacle which the serpent, sin, would impose between man and his Creator."

8. THE FIGURATIVE FALLACY:
Either (1) mistaking literal language for figurative language or (2)mistaking figurative language for literal language. Example of (1): Mary Baker Eddy interprets EVENING as "mistiness of mortal thought; weariness of mortal mind; obscured views; peace and rest." Example of (2): The Mormon theologian James Talmage interprets the prophesy that "thou shalt be brought down and speak out of the ground" (Isaiah 29:4)to mean that God's Word would come to people from the Book of Mormon which was taken out of the ground at the hill of Cumorah.

9. SPECULATIVE READINGS OF PREDICTIVE PROPHESY:
A predictive prophesy is too readily explained by the occurance of specific events, despite the fact that equally committed biblical scholars consider the interpretation highly dubious. Example: The stick of Judah and the Stick of Joseph in Ezekiel 37:15- 23 are interpreted by the Mormons to mean the Bible and the Book of Mormon.

Here is the scripture verse out of the KJV:

15 Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 16 “As for you, son of man, take a stick for yourself and write on it: ‘For Judah and for the children of Israel, his companions.’ Then take another stick and write on it, ‘For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel, his companions.’ 17 Then join them one to another for yourself into one stick, and they will become one in your hand. 18 “And when the children of your people speak to you, saying, ‘Will you not show us what you mean by these?’— 19 say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “Surely I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel, his companions; and I will join them with it, with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they will be one in My hand.”’ 20 And the sticks on which you write will be in your hand before their eyes. 21 “Then say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “Surely I will take the children of Israel from among the nations, wherever they have gone, and will gather them from every side and bring them into their own land; 22 and I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king over them all; they shall no longer be two nations, nor shall they ever be divided into two kingdoms again. 23 They shall not defile themselves anymore with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions; but I will deliver them from all their dwelling places in which they have sinned, and will cleanse them. Then they shall be My people, and I will be their God.

10. SAYING BUT NOT CITING:
A writer says that the Bible says such and such but does not cite the specific text (which often indicates that there may be no such text at all). Example: A common phrase "God helps those who help themselves" is not found in the Bible.

TO BE CONTINUED....

Technorati:scripture twisting,bible study,cults

Good Friday Message--Why Jesus died for us

Gospel
Jn 18:1—19:42

Jesus went out with his disciples across the Kidron valleyto where there was a garden, into which he and his disciples entered.
Judas his betrayer also knew the place, because Jesus had often met there with his disciples.
So Judas got a band of soldiers and guards from the chief priests and the Pharisees and went there with lanterns, torches, and weapons. Jesus, knowing everything that was going to happen to him, went out and said to them, “Whom are you looking for?”

They answered him, “Jesus the Nazorean.”
He said to them, “I AM.”
Judas his betrayer was also with them.
When he said to them, “I AM, “
they turned away and fell to the ground.

So he again asked them, “Whom are you looking for?” They said, “Jesus the Nazorean.”
Jesus answered, “I told you that I AM.

So if you are looking for me, let these men go.” This was to fulfill what he had said, “I have not lost any of those you gave me.” Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it, struck the high priest’s slave, and cut off his right ear. The slave’s name was Malchus. Jesus said to Peter,
“Put your sword into its scabbard. Shall I not drink the cup that the Father gave me?”

So the band of soldiers, the tribune, and the Jewish guards seized Jesus, bound him, and brought him to Annas first. He was the father-in-law of Caiaphas,who was high priest that year.
It was Caiaphas who had counseled the Jews that it was better that one man should die rather than the people.

Simon Peter and another disciple followed Jesus. Now the other disciple was known to the high priest,and he entered the courtyard of the high priest with Jesus.
But Peter stood at the gate outside.

So the other disciple, the acquaintance of the high priest, went out and spoke to the gatekeeper and brought Peter in. Then the maid who was the gatekeeper said to Peter, “You are not one of this man’s disciples, are you?” He said, “I am not.”

Now the slaves and the guards were standing around a charcoal fire that they had made, because it was cold, and were warming themselves. Peter was also standing there keeping warm.

The high priest questioned Jesus about his disciples and about his doctrine. Jesus answered him, “I have spoken publicly to the world. I have always taught in a synagogue or in the temple area where all the Jews gather, and in secret I have said nothing. Why ask me?
Ask those who heard me what I said to them. They know what I said.” When he had said this,
one of the temple guards standing there struck Jesus and said, “Is this the way you answer the high priest?”

Jesus answered him, “If I have spoken wrongly, testify to the wrong; but if I have spoken rightly, why do you strike me?” Then Annas sent him bound to Caiaphas the high priest.

Now Simon Peter was standing there keeping warm. And they said to him, “You are not one of his disciples, are you?” He denied it and said, “I am not.”

One of the slaves of the high priest, a relative of the one whose ear Peter had cut off, said,
“Didn’t I see you in the garden with him?” Again Peter denied it. And immediately the cock crowed.

Then they brought Jesus from Caiaphas to the praetorium. It was morning. And they themselves did not enter the praetorium, in order not to be defiled so that they could eat the Passover. So Pilate came out to them and said, “What charge do you bring against this man?”
They answered and said to him, “If he were not a criminal, we would not have handed him over to you.” At this, Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves, and judge him according to your law.” The Jews answered him, “We do not have the right to execute anyone, “

in order that the word of Jesus might be fulfilled that he said indicating the kind of death he would die. So Pilate went back into the praetorium and summoned Jesus and said to him,
“Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus answered, “Do you say this on your own or have others told you about me?” Pilate answered, “I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests handed you over to me. What have you done?”

Jesus answered, “My kingdom does not belong to this world. If my kingdom did belong to this world, my attendants would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews.
But as it is, my kingdom is not here.”

So Pilate said to him,“Then you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say I am a king. For this I was born and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.” Pilate said to him, “What is truth?”

When he had said this, he again went out to the Jews and said to them, “I find no guilt in him.
But you have a custom that I release one prisoner to you at Passover. Do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews? They cried out again, “Not this one but Barabbas!”
Now Barabbas was a revolutionary.

Then Pilate took Jesus and had him scourged. And the soldiers wove a crown out of thorns and placed it on his head, and clothed him in a purple cloak, and they came to him and said,
“Hail, King of the Jews!”And they struck him repeatedly. Once more Pilate went out and said to them, “Look, I am bringing him out to you, so that you may know that I find no guilt in him.”
So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple cloak. And he said to them, “Behold, the man!” When the chief priests and the guards saw him they cried out,
“Crucify him, crucify him!”

Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and crucify him. I find no guilt in him.”
The Jews answered, “We have a law, and according to that law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God.” Now when Pilate heard this statement, he became even more afraid,
and went back into the praetorium and said to Jesus,

“Where are you from?”
Jesus did not answer him. So Pilate said to him, “Do you not speak to me? Do you not know that I have power to release you and I have power to crucify you?”
Jesus answered him,
“You would have no power over me if it had not been given to you from above. For this reason the one who handed me over to you has the greater sin.”
Consequently, Pilate tried to release him; but the Jews cried out,
“If you release him, you are not a Friend of Caesar.
Everyone who makes himself a king opposes Caesar.”

When Pilate heard these words he brought Jesus out and seated him on the judge’s bench
in the place called Stone Pavement, in Hebrew, Gabbatha. It was preparation day for Passover, and it was about noon. And he said to the Jews,
“Behold, your king!” They cried out, “Take him away, take him away! Crucify him!”
Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your king?”
The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar.” Then he handed him over to them to be crucified.

So they took Jesus, and, carrying the cross himself, he went out to what is called the Place of the Skull, in Hebrew, Golgotha. There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, with Jesus in the middle. Pilate also had an inscription written and put on the cross.
It read, “Jesus the Nazorean, the King of the Jews.”

Now many of the Jews read this inscription, because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek. So the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate,

“Do not write ‘The King of the Jews,’ but that he said, ‘I am the King of the Jews’.”
Pilate answered,
“What I have written, I have written.”

When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his clothes and divided them into four shares,
a share for each soldier. They also took his tunic, but the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from the top down.
So they said to one another,
“Let’s not tear it, but cast lots for it to see whose it will be, “
in order that the passage of Scripture might be fulfilled that says:
They divided my garments among them, and for my vesture they cast lots. This is what the soldiers did.
Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas,
and Mary of Magdala.
When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved
he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son.”
Then he said to the disciple,
“Behold, your mother.”
And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.

After this, aware that everything was now finished, in order that the Scripture might be fulfilled,
Jesus said, “I thirst.” There was a vessel filled with common wine. So they put a sponge soaked in wine on a sprig of hyssop and put it up to his mouth.
When Jesus had taken the wine, he said,
“It is finished.”
And bowing his head, he handed over the spirit.


Now since it was preparation day, in order that the bodies might not remain on the cross on the sabbath, for the sabbath day of that week was a solemn one, the Jews asked Pilate that their legs be broken and that they be taken down. So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first
and then of the other one who was crucified with Jesus. But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs, but one soldier thrust his lance into his side, and immediately blood and water flowed out.

An eyewitness has testified, and his testimony is true; he knows that he is speaking the truth,
so that you also may come to believe. For this happened so that the Scripture passage might be fulfilled: Not a bone of it will be broken.
And again another passage says:
They will look upon him whom they have pierced.

After this, Joseph of Arimathea, secretly a disciple of Jesus for fear of the Jews,
asked Pilate if he could remove the body of Jesus.And Pilate permitted it.
So he came and took his body. Nicodemus, the one who had first come to him at night,
also came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes weighing about one hundred pounds.

They took the body of Jesus and bound it with burial cloths along with the spices,
according to the Jewish burial custom. Now in the place where he had been crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had yet been buried. So they laid Jesus there because of the Jewish preparation day; for the tomb was close by.

SERMON:

Our Lord God is all forgiving and all powerful.
Our Lord God is also JUST and RIGHTEOUS.

Our Lord God's righteousness and justice demand that sin be punished (Romans 3:23; 6:23).

Since all sin is ultimately committed against God (Psalm 51:4), the only just punishment for sin is death (Roman 6:23).

We know this fact well...BECAUSE WE ALL DIE.

Question:
How will you ever be righteous in the eyes of God?

Do you think that your works, forgiveness of sins by a man, long and repetitive prayers, or even the saints will help you become righteous in God's eyes?

Really? If you do not know who Jesus is and why He died for your sin, then these acts do nothing! Faith is your actions based on the belief of Jesus as the Messiah and sustained in your life every 24 hour period. It is not a blindness to the Truth or a slight understanding of who Jesus is or who you think He is. The Truth is found in the Holy Bible and only by studying it will you learn the Truth. Your works, confessions, prayers, and holy saints do not take your sin away. There is only one way that can be done. Its time for some action...YOUR ACTION.

Thank the Lord that He has provided salvation beyond the ways of man!!
HOW?

1. Jesus Christ was God in the flesh (John 1:1, 14)

2. When Jesus died on the cross, He died WITHOUT SIN...and the world (with Satan), OWES THE LORD GOD HIS LIFE BACK. (Hebrews 9:15-17 15).

3. The world (with Satan) CANNOT give the Lord God His life back...for no one but the Lord God is the Creator of Life. (John 1:1-5, 14, 17 and 18)

4. Because Jesus was PERFECT and He was CRUCIFIED for being SINLESS... the world owes Him HIS Life...HE GIVES YOU LIFE BY YOUR FAITH"ing" IN HIM...
ASK HIM...KNOW HIM...READ HIS WORD...LIVE BY HIM! TOTAL FAITH"ing"!!!

5.
John 11:25
Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life:
he that believeth (faith"eth") in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:

6.
Jesus’ death was sufficient to pay for all the sins that have ever been committed (2 Corinthians 5:21).

7.
John 3: 16-21

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

"For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

"He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

"And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

"For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.

"But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God."

A GIFT OF GIFTS...FROM THE LORD OF LORDS AND KING OF KINGS!
This gift is available only by your action of accepting it and living through it.
That's the beginning of faith! Walk with Him and know Him.

For another uplifting lesson on this Good Friday...
Read the sermon: GO AND SIN NO MORE!



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GOOD FRIDAY

Luke 9:28b-36 (Sermon for the week of March 5th)

Gospel
Lk 9:28b-36

Jesus took Peter, John, and James
and went up the mountain to pray.
While he was praying his face changed in appearance
and his clothing became dazzling white.
And behold, two men were conversing with him, Moses and Elijah,
who appeared in glory and spoke of his exodus
that he was going to accomplish in Jerusalem.
Peter and his companions had been overcome by sleep,
but becoming fully awake,
they saw his glory and the two men standing with him.
As they were about to part from him, Peter said to Jesus,
“Master, it is good that we are here;
let us make three tents,
one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”
But he did not know what he was saying.
While he was still speaking,
a cloud came and cast a shadow over them,
and they became frightened when they entered the cloud.
Then from the cloud came a voice that said,
“This is my chosen Son; listen to him.”
After the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone.
They fell silent and did not at that time
tell anyone what they had seen.

SERMON:
This week we read about the Transfiguration of Jesus. It is an event that mankind has not seen since Moses. We will talk about that in a bit. One must come to answer the question if this event happened or not. If it didn't happen then the Gospels and/or Jesus is a fraud. If it did happen, then indeed Jesus is the Son of God just as the "Voice" said. This event was supernatural. Notice that there are two other people present. Moses and Elijah. Why are these two individuals present? Moses was told that he would enter the Promised Land. However, he never did enter the Promised Land...he was allowed only to see it.
Let's read
Deuteronomy 34:4-5:
4 Then the LORD said to him, "This is the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob when I said, 'I will give it to your descendants.' I have let you see it with your eyes, but you will not cross over into it." 5 And Moses the servant of the LORD died there in Moab, as the LORD had said.

But earlier God PROMISES Moses:
Exodus 6:7-8
7 I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. 8 And I will bring you to the land I swore with uplifted hand to give to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob. I will give it to you as a possession. I am the LORD.' "

So, what's the deal here? God promises something and then doesn't follow through. Well, the answer is no. God is not a liar and He does what He says! His ways are not always clear to us, but God still does what He promises. Where is the Mt. of Transfiguration? IT IS in the Promised Land! God has indeed led Moses into the Promised Land to stand besides the One who talked to Moses. Jesus is the One who promised Moses, and Jesus follows through!

Now why is Elijah present here? Remember the prophecy:
Malachi 4:4-5
4 "Remember the law of my servant Moses, the decrees and laws I gave him at Horeb for all Israel.5 "See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the LORD comes.

The dreadful day of the Lord is Jesus' crucifixion. (In the future Elijah will also reappear again at the Second Coming.) And the Transfiguration is BEFORE the crucifixion. Indeed the prophecy comes true...Elijah has reappeared! Prophecy has several layers of truth. Elijah has reappeared here, Elijah has not died here, so that means Elijah will appear again. This prophecy has two meanings...

One more statement about Moses and Elijah...Israel are the people of the Law and of the Prophets, and Moses was the great law giver and Elijah was the great prophet.

Why the Transfiguration? The Jews have their own personal and very human expectations of what the Messiah will do. They interpret prophecy in order to justify what they think the Messiah will do FOR THEM. Jesus did not come to save the Jews...they had their chance...many times. Jesus came to be the Messiah for the whole world and not a small population of Jews who frankly have trampled on the Laws of God. The Law did not work for them and it does not work for us. Jesus, the Creator, came here as a once and for all solution for the ongoing dilemma of mankind. This solution was the result of His sacrifice. The Universe cannot give the Creator His life back, and this world owes Jesus His life back. The Apostles realized that they were standing before the Creator and could not understand why Jesus had to die. The Transfiguration gave the "inner circle"; Peter, James, and John a very small glimpse of the glory of God. There were no doubts after this events as to the awesome power of God. Moses received a similar glimpse of God. Let's look at the parallel between The Creator speaking to Moses and Moses with Jesus on the Mt. of Transfiguration:
In verse 29 of this weeks reading it says: "And while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white".
Moses encountered God on Mt. Sinai as a "devouring fire on the top of a mountain" (Exodus 24:17) and Moses' face shone brightly "because he had been talking with God". Moses' face shone so brightly that he had to wear a veil to shield people from the glare his face emitted (Exodus 34:25-29). Exodus 24 and Jesus at the Transfiguration have a few parallels: they both occur on a mountain, involve Moses, have God speaking from a cloud, speak of the glory of the Lord, and inspire fear. Also in Exodus 24:13 Joshua is singled out and taken up the mountain with Moses. The name Joshua in Greek is "Jesus"... and we see Jesus and Moses again together at the Transfiguration. Notice that the "glory of God" seen by Moses is different. Moses looked at the backside of God's face and glowed. Moses' face mirrored the glory and the Transfiguration has this glory coming from Jesus Himself. The word "glory" is used in the Bible to speak of various supernatural events--but it is used especially to speak of God's glory--an aura associated with God's appearance that reveals God's majesty to humans. When Moses asked to see God's glory, God replied, "You cannot see my face; for no one can see me and live" (Exodus 33:20). God continued and said "See there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock; and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft in the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by, then I will take away my hand and you shall see my back; but my face shall not be seen" (Exodus 33:21-23). The point is that God's glory is so overwhelming that we cannot deal with it. It would be like touching a high voltage power line...we die. Peter, James, and John were privileged to see Christ's glory on the Mount of Transfiguration...there will be hard events to watch the Lord go through shortly.

Notice that Peter asks if he should build three booths for Jesus, Moses, and Elijah. There is a prophetic meaning to this that I think Peter didn't even know. We cover this in another paper we wrote on our website. The booths are connected with Moses. As Moses led the Israelites in the wilderness, God told him to build booths in which people would dwell for seven days (Leviticus 23:33-43). They were to do this "so that your generations may know that I made the people of Israel live in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt; I AM the Lord your God" (Leviticus 23:43). This observance is known as the Feast of the Tabernacles and started as a harvest festival but became to be a remembrance of their wanderings in the wilderness and their escape from slavery in Egypt.

In the reading we also read "and they were terrified as they entered the cloud" (verse 34). The disciples are terrified because they understand the cloud as the presence of God. Only the High Priest is allowed to come into God's presence and he does so only on the Day of Atonement (Hebrews 9:7). To look at God is to die. These disciples do not know if they shall die...whatever the outcome they are unprepared to meet their Maker. They are vulnerable and have been suddenly presented without warning with the presence of God. Who wouldn't be terrified?

The last part of the reading is: "This is my Son, my Chosen: listen to Him" (v.35). Indeed! We must study and come to truly understand all of the Words of Jesus! They have been recorded for us through immense effort by God and are the actual lessons taught by the Creator, our Messiah. If there is any reason to read any work...it is the Bible. We need to reinvest our time into intently studying the Gospels and work hard even if it takes a lifetime to fully understand everything Jesus has presented us through the writings of His disciples. Jesus speaks on several levels and we may often not understand what it means. But faith comes by the word of God, and our faith in strengthened through understanding the Word of God. We do not want to "err for you do not know the Scriptures". Jesus came, Jesus said, and Jesus died...we must know why and what it means to us individually.

God bless!

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The Way of the Law vs. The Way of Christ

The Pharisees and scribes created additions of the Law based on the 10 Commandments. These MEN added to God's Commandments. These "additions" comprise the Mitzvah. Mitzvah (Hebrew: מצווה, IPA: [ˈmɪtsvə], "commandment"; plural, mitzvot; from צוה, tzavah, "command") is a word used in Judaism to refer to (a) the commandments, of which there are 613, given in the Torah (the first five books of the Hebrew Bible).

THAT'S RIGHT! The "LAW" contains 613 Commandments!

613!

You can read these commandments HERE.

What is the single most important verse in the New Testament?

ANSWER: JOHN 3:16

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

Notice that the way of the Law has 613 commandments and the verse containing the Truth of the Way of Christ is 3:16---a reversal of the numbers!

What does Paul say about the Law?

Galatians 2:11-21

No Return to the Law
11 Now when Peter had come to Antioch, I withstood him to his face, because he was to be blamed; 12 for before certain men came from James, he would eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing those who were of the circumcision. 13 And the rest of the Jews also played the hypocrite with him, so that even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy. 14 But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter before them all, “If you, being a Jew, live in the manner of Gentiles and not as the Jews, why do you compel Gentiles to live as Jews? 15 We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles, 16 knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified. 17 “But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is Christ therefore a minister of sin? Certainly not! 18 For if I build again those things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor. 19 For I through the law died to the law that I might live to God. 20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. 21 I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.”

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Twisting Scipture Part 1

How often have you encountered some bizarre doctrine only to be stunned to hear a Bible verse quoted to support it? With new religious cults springing up almost daily and old ones growing rapidly, this is more and more common. How are they seemingly able to twist Scripture to mean something Christians have never believed it to mean in two thousand years?
James Sire, author of the Universe Next Door and How to Read Slowly, has isolated twenty separate kinds of reading errors which are characteristically made by cultists as they interpret the Bible. He covers the full range form simple misquotation to complex argumentation which links one slightly eccentric interpretation to another, mixes in a few orthodox readings and ends with a conclusion totally foreign to the biblical world view. Sire also handles twisted translation, over specification, virtue by association, ignoring the context and others. Scripture Twisting is a great book to pick up and read. I recommend it!

1. INACCURATE QUOTATION:

A biblical text is referred to but is either not quoted in the way the text appears in any standard translation or is wrongly attributed. Example: the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi says, "Christ said, 'Be still and know that I am God.'" This text is found only in Psalm 46:10.

2. TWISTED TRANSLATION:

The biblical test is re translated, not in accordance with sound Greek scholarship, to fit the preconceived teachings of a cult. Example: the Jehovah's Witnesses translate John 1:1 as "In [the] beginning the Word was. and the Word was with God, and the Word was a god". The correct translation is: " In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."

3. THE BIBLICAL HOOK:

A text of Scripture is quoted primarily as a device to grasp the attention of readers or listeners then followed by teaching which is so unbiblical that it would appear far more dubious to most people has it not been preceded by a reference to Scripture. Example: Mormon missionaries quote James 1:5 which promises God's wisdom to those who ask him and follow this by explaining that when Joseph Smith did this he was given a revelation from which he concluded that God the Father has a body.
James 1:5 NKJ-" If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him."

4. IGNORING THE IMMEDIATE CONTEXT:

A text of Scripture is quoted but removed from the surrounding verse which form the immediate framework for its meaning. Example: Alan Watts quotes the first half of John 5:39; "You search the Scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life", and Alan claims that Jesus was challenging His listeners' overemphasis of the Old Testament, but the remainder of the immediate context reads, "and it is they that bear witness to me; yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life", which shows that Jesus was upholding the value of the Old Testament as a testimony to Himself.


5. COLLAPSING CONTEXTS:

Two or more verses which have little or nothing to do with each other are put together as if one were a commentary on the other(s). Example: the Mormons associate Jeremiah 1:5 with John 1:2&14 and thus imply that both verses talk about the premortal existence of all human beings; Jeremiah 1:5 however speaks of God's foreknowledge of Jeremiah (not his premortal existence) and John 1:2 refers to the pre-existence of the Son of God and not to human beings in general.

Jeremiah 1:5 NKJ " “ Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.”

Note from Bible Truth: The Son of God (Creator/Jesus) knows who you are and your true name...you have predestined Good Works to do...however this belief that Jeremiah or you and me existed before we were physically born on earth is not biblically correct...God's foreknowledge and man's pre-mortal existence are two totally different concepts and this pre-mortal existence idea makes no biblical sense.

John 1:2 NKJ "He was with God in the beginning."

John 1:14 NKJ "14The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth."

TO BE CONTINUED....


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