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getting more from your bible reading

12/31/2018

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    Getting More from Your Bible Reading

And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.  (Habakkuk  2:2-3) (We read this chapter yesterday in our daily Bible reading.)

THIS IS THE FIRST DAY OF 2019 and everyone has a mindset of doing better this year than we did last year. We humans have a way of dropping our watermelon at the worst time and we would like to avoid that this year.  Right now, we are warm to New Year’s Resolutions. If we make ten resolutions and just one of them succeeds, it may be worth the effort.

MAY I SUGGEST THAT THE MOST IMPORTANT RESOLUTION WE CAN MAKE is to become a daily Bible reader. If you are already a daily Bible reader, strengthen and improve what you are doing. Bible reading, and Bible study are the foundation of your Christian life.

THE BIBLE IS STILL THE WORLD'S BEST-SELLING BOOK. According to Guinness World Records, the Bible is the best-selling book of all time with over 5 billion copies sold and distributed. www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/best-selling-book-of-non-fiction/  Guinness says: “Although it is impossible to obtain exact figures, there is little doubt that the Bible is the world's best-selling and most widely distributed book.”  Wikipedia quotes Guinness.

SO, THE BIBLE IS STILL THE BEST-SELLER OF ALL BOOKS! But it is not a “page turner” from beginning to end. The Bible does not read like a modern, paper-back novel. Our motive for Bible reading is found elsewhere, in its greater purpose rather than in its immediate contact. Daily Bible reading is a discipline and must be pursued like other books of great worth. The King James Bible is divided into 1,189 chapters and 31,173 verses.

IF WE READ FOUR CHAPTERS A DAY, we can read through the Bible in a year. Bible reading is not Bible study. While you are reading your Bible, mark the places you want to come back to later and study.  Straight reading of the Bible can be called: Bulk Reading.  There is great value in this. You will pick up phrases as you read that will stick with you. It will give you perspective as you read. It will cause you to visualize in your mind some of the stories.

IF YOU ARE A DAILY BIBLE READER, I COMMEND YOU. If not, I encourage you to begin today. You may want to follow the daily guide at the bottom of each MORNING MINUTE. Or, you may want to read from your smart phone. You may prefer to read from a paper Bible. Our Bible reading schedule is taken from “Through the Bible in a Year,” a tract published by Good News Publishers. If you follow the plan at the bottom of MORNING MINUTE, you can listen to it as well as read it. Look for the speaker icon near the top of the page on the right side of the page.

THE FIRST THING TO DO TO GET MORE OUT OF YOUR BIBLE READING, is to read it faithfully! Not easy. It is well established that to change a human habit, we must do the new thing for twenty-one days. To become a habitual Bible reader, you will have to commit yourself to doing it. It will not run over you! What time of day are you going to read your Bible? Where are you going to read your Bible? Settle those two things and you are on your way to success.

USE LITTLE CHUNKS OF TIME FOR BIBLE READING. I listen to the MORNING MINUTE plan if I’m at the computer when it’s time to read. If not, I may read/listen on my iPhone. I purchased some clip-on ear phones from Amazon that use Blue Tooth. If you are walking, lying down, or sitting in your Lazy Boy, you can turn it on and stick it in your pocket.
When you’re out and about you can wear your ear phone cord around your neck. If you’re in an office and it’s allowed, you may listen a few minutes or just read it off the screen. I like to close my eyes and listen.

THESE ARE GOOD WAYS TO INCREASE BIBLE INTAKE, but these are not my main way of Bible intake. I have two Bible apps on my iPhone: 1. YouVersion and 2. Blue Letter Bible. The BLB has an easy-to-use Concordance.

BEFORE MY SMART PHONE DAYS, I used to carry a Gideon’s pocket New Testament with Psalms and Proverbs for reading while waiting. Some of the later-model cars and trucks can pick up Blue Tooth signals and play them over the vehicle’s speakers. There are many ways we can use little pieces of time for Bible reading.

BARBARA AND I HAVE READ THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR SEVERAL TIMES but for the last several years, we have read less and have done more study after we have read a chapter. We usually read from 2-3 favorite commentaries and then discuss the chapter.

THE BEST SHORT ARTICLE I'VE SEEN ON GETTING MORE OUT OF YOUR BIBLE is a tract written by Warren Wiersbe in 1957. Through a mutual friend, I got his permission to post this booklet (slightly abridged) on biblewalking.com. Here is the link. http://www.biblewalking.com/how-to-get-more-out-of-your-bible---wiersbe.html I heard Dr. Wiersbe several times during Bible conferences at the Highland Park Baptist Church and Tenn. Temple Schools. Wiersbe’s article goes beyond Bible reading but I deem it worth your reading and keeping handy.

I MUST CONFESS THAT WHEN I GET INTO THE THICKET OF NAMES AND PLACES, my natural interest in the text bottoms out. What is the purpose and value of putting all those names and places in the Bible? Obviously, it is not for the immediate blessing to the reader. I think it’s because it is important to God, the writer. It displays God’s interest in every one of the individuals that has been born. The Bible gives us a small collection of individuals who have been put on display to show that God pays attention to the names of individuals.  People with names are born. People with names live. People with names die. Names are written in the Book of Life.

GOD DOES NOT USE A NUMBERING SYSTEM FOR IDENTIFYING INDIVIDUALS as governments do. God dignifies us and values us by giving us names. Little children are sensitive to their names. Call a child by the wrong name and see the reaction you get. I love to play a guessing game with children. “Is your name Sallie? Ruth? Betty?” They immediately engage in the guessing game, waiting for their rightful name to be called. It is as natural with a child as breathing to want you to get their name right and they do not want to be called a bemeaning or denigrating name.

WHEN I WAS ABOUT FIVE, ONE OF MY UNCLES STAYED WITH US and loved to call me Boone (after Daniel Boone), which I hated. He kept it up. One day while he was working at my dad’s sawmill and I was still too young for school, I spotted his riding pants hanging on the door. I got a chair and with a big yellow crayon used for marking logs and lumber, I marked as hard as I could all over his dark green riding pants. He was not pleased, but the name calling stopped. Little kids don’t like to be called bad names nor hear their parents called bad names. We had a lot of school yard fights over that.

GOD HAS HIS REASONS FOR PUTTING ALL THOSE NAMES IN THE BIBLE. We can try to pronounce them or skip over them and go on with our reading. Some study Bibles feature a self-pronouncing text. My mother’s Bible is like that. It was worn out and I had it recovered. I keep it in the special bookcase beside my chair in the living room and use it for looking up the pronunciation of names and places.

IN CHANGING JACOB'S NAME TO ISRAEL, THE NATION'S NAME was established.“Israel” occurs 2,576 times in the Bible. And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.  (Genesis 32:28)
 

WHILE ISRAEL WAS STILL LIVING,  his children became known as “the children of Israel.” And these are the kings that reigned in the land of Edom, before there reigned any king over the children of Israel.  (Genesis 36:31) Names of people, places, and nations are important to God.

NAMES HAD MEANINGS AND PORTRAYED CERTAIN TRAITS of the individuals. When the Babylonians conquered the southern kingdom of Judah, they singled out the royal seed and assigned them a place and a food diet of the king’s table. He wanted these top brains to serve in the positions of giving advice and performing administration. Not only so, but the Babylonians changed the names of these four young men. The Hebrew names were after the name of the Hebrew God. The Babylonians gave them new names that included the gods of the Babylonians.

Now among these were of the children of Judah, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: Unto whom the prince of the eunuchs gave names: for he gave unto Daniel the name of Belteshazzar; and to Hananiah, of Shadrach; and to Mishael, of Meshach; and to Azariah, of Abednego. (Daniel 1:6-7)

TODAY WE ARE MOST FAMILIAR WITH NAMES THAT BEGIN OR END WITH "EL." Israel, Elijah, Daniel, Elkanah, etc. My name, Daniel, means “God is my judge.” The female form is Daniele and means the same. Rachel, Ethel, Hazel; how many female names can you come up with that include “el?” Two of the Hebrew names above are: Daniel and Mishael. The other two are Hananiah and Azariah.

THIS SHORT VISIT TO A FEW HEBREW NAMES MAY HELP TO ILLUSTRATE why there are so many names of people and places in the Old Testament. There are names in the New Testament also, especially in Matthew 1:1-17 and Luke 3:23-38. God has honored us that we should be given names and He knows all of our names.

HE EVEN CALLS THE STARS BY NAME: He telleth the number of the stars; he
calleth them all by their names.  (Psalm 147:4)

ANOTHER REASON FOR NAMES IN THE BIBLE is that they serve as historical markers. What’s so important about historical markers? Just this: Our strongest reason for believing that the Old Testament is from the hand of God is the proclamation and fulfillment of prophecy. Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:  (Isaiah 46:9-10) The measuring  points of prophecy are usually names of people, places and kingdoms.   Bible reading is rewarding and once we get into it, it is a daily pleasure. Ω

Read Through the Bible in a Year
 JANUARY 1, 2019 – TUESDAY
 A.M. Genesis 1-2   P.M.  Matthew 1
(Bible Gateway will read this to you if you like. Look for the speaker icon.)

A Good Verse to Memorize:  
Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee,
and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.  (Jeremiah 1:5)
 
Song for Today: 
Rock of Ages (4:13)  (Vestel Goodman – Gaither Group)

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2W7Elmao3c
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the madman of christmas

12/27/2018

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          The Mad Man of Christmas
Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men.  (Matthew 2:16).

TODAY'S PICTURE: The Massacre of the Innocents, from The Life of Jesus Christ by J.J.Tissot, 1899 – In the drawing, a soldier has snatched a toddler from its mother. She is lying on her back on the wall with her white clothing unfurled. Her arms are stretched up toward the soldier who has raised her child above his head ready to kill it. Note the size of the child which is old enough to walk. In the next arch are another soldier and child.  The story continues…

Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not (Matthew 2:17-18).
 
SLEW ALL THE CHILDREN. Macrobins, a Heathen author, …reports, that "when Augustus heard, that among the children under two years of age, whom Herod king of the Jews ordered to be slain, that his son was also killed. Macrobins said, it was better to be Herod's hog than his son.'' (Gill)

THE POINT OF THE ABOVE SAYING IS THIS: that Herod, professing Judaism, his religion forbade his killing swine, or having anything to do with their flesh; therefore his hog would have been safe, where his son lost his life. (Clarke)

WITHOUT LAW...Herod unleashed his rage upon all the innocent male children in Bethlehem and the surrounding areas around the village. Bethlehem was never a big place. He acted unlawfully in tyranny. The wise men had told Herod the time when the star first appeared. From that, he knew about how old the new King Prince would be and gave the order to kill all the male children two years old and under.

IN THE END, IT WOULD BE THE SOLDIERS ESTIMATING THE AGE OF THE CHILDREN they found, and they would live or die according to the judgment of the soldiers. The age of “two years” would have been a stretched estimate to make sure the Jesus child did not escape.  Herod probably did not expect him to be quite that old. Herod rounded up the chief priests and scribes in Jerusalem and demanded what they knew about an expected Jewish Messiah. They quoted him Micah 5:2, the same as in your Bible today.

THE JEWISH HISTORIAN, JOSEPHUS DOES NOT MENTION THIS INCIDENT.  Barnes suggests three reasons why Josephus may not have written about the massacre at Bethlehem.

1. JOSEPHUS, A JEWISH HISTORIAN and a Jew, would not be likely to record anything that would appear to confirm the truth of Christianity.

2. THIS ACT OF HEROD WAS REALLY SO SMALL, compared with his other crimes, that the historian might not think it worthy of record. Bethlehem was a small and obscure village, and the other crimes of Herod were so great and so public, that it is not to be wondered at that the Jewish historian has passed over this.

3. THE ORDER WAS PROBABLY GIVEN IN SECRET, and might not have been known to Josephus. It pertained to the Christian history; and if the evangelists had not recorded it, it might have been unknown or forgotten. Besides, no argument can be drawn from the silence of the Jewish historian. No reason can be given why Matthew should not be considered to be as fully entitled to credit as Josephus. Yet there is no improbability in the account given by Matthew.

HEROD WAS AN ODIOUS AND BLOODY TYRANT, and the facts of his reign prove that he was abundantly capable of this wickedness. The following bloody deeds will show that the slaying of the infants was in perfect accordance with his character. The account is taken from Josephus, as arranged by Dr. Lardner.

ARISTOBULUS, BROTHER OF HEROD'S WIFE MARIAMNE, was murdered by Herod’s direction at eighteen years of age, because the people of Jerusalem had shown some affection for his person. In the seventh year of his reign, he put to death Hyrcanus, grandfather of Mariamne, then 80 years of age, and who had formerly saved Herod’s life; a man who had, in every revolution of fortune, shown a mild and peaceable disposition.

HIS BELOVED AND BEAUTIFUL WIFE, MARIAMNE, had a public execution, and her mother Alexandra followed soon after - Alexander and Aristobulus, his two sons by Mariamne, were strangled in prison by his orders upon groundless suspicions, as it seems, when they were married, and had children.

DURING HEROD'S LAST SICKNESS, A LITTLE BEFORE HE DIED, he sent orders throughout Judea requiring the presence of all the chief men of the nation at Jericho. His orders were obeyed, for they were enforced with no less penalty than that of death. When they were come to Jericho he had them all shut up in the circus, and calling for his sister Salome and her husband Alexis, he said to them,

“MY LIFE NOW IS SHORT, I KNOW THE JEWISH PEOPLE, and nothing will please them better than my death. You have them now in your custody. As soon as the breath is out of my body, and before my death can be known, do you let in the soldiers upon them and kill them. All Judea, then, and every family, will, though unwillingly, mourn at my death.”

JOSEPHUS SAYS THAT WITH TEARS IN HIS EYES he conjured them, by their love to him and their fidelity to God, not to fail of doing him this honor. What objection, after this account, can there be to the account of his murdering the infants at Bethlehem? Surely there could be no cruelty, barbarity, or horrid crime which such a man was not capable of perpetrating (Barnes) Herod, and the slaughter of the innocent toddlers in Bethlehem are part of the Christmas story.
   ●This article has been edited and reprinted from Good Morning! December 25, 2007.

 
 Read Through the Bible in a Year
 DECEMBER 28, 2017 - FRIDAY
 A.M. Zechariah 7-9    P.M. Revelation 19
(Bible Gateway will read this to you if you like. Look for the speaker icon.)

A Good Verse to Memorize:
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.  (Luke 2:13-14)
 
Song for Today: 
O Come All Ye Faithful (4:43) (Flash Mob – Five Strings)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XI2c9yptr4U
 

  (You may have to adjust the volume and delete an ad.)
 
 

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king herod the great

12/26/2018

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     King Herod the Great
Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him (Matthew 2:1-2.)

KING HEROD THE GREAT.  It is no accident that Jesus was born during the last two years of Herod the Great, who had ruled Judea in the Land of Israel for 34 years. But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, (Galatians 4:4). God is never late; never early. To Him, timing is very important. It is true in our lives, also. You were not born into the Roman Empire or into the American Civil War. You were born in God’s time. Jesus was born in God’s time.

GOD'S PROMISE (GENESIS 49:10) through Jacob on his death bed was an abiding prophecy that is rarely studied but is pure gold. It focused on the tribe of Judah. Its fulfillment came to pass first through David the king, and continues through the Jewish Messiah, Jesus the Christ.

AFTER KING SOLOMON, the nation of Israel was divided into two nations: the northern 10 tribes were called Israel. The southern two tribes were called Judea after Judah. Israel desecrated itself until God dispersed them into Assyria and they lost their identity. God had mercy on Judah (Judea) for about 150 years until at last they were so wicked that God sent Babylon to invade them three times. The last invasion was in 586 B.C., at which time the Temple was destroyed, and Jerusalem was leveled.  The Times of the Gentiles had settled in upon the land and continues to this day.

THE scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.  (Genesis 49:10).

THE KING'S SCEPTER IN THE HANDS OF JUDAH has been interrupted but not ended. One day the Scepter of Judah will be completely restored. It has not departed. Shiloh was born in a stable in Bethlehem and was rejected by Judea. God waited in mercy for 40 years for them to repent but they did not. In A.D. 70 the Roman general, Titus, brought a big army and destroyed Jerusalem and Herod’s beautiful temple.

OVER A MILLION JEWS WERE SLAUGHTERED IN THIS INVASION.  A huge stone memorial called The Arch of Titus is in Rome, Italy commemorating his conquering of Jerusalem. Carved into the stones is a procession of Jewish slaves brought to Rome in chains. I have a photo of this memorial as a screen saver photo and it sometimes circulates through my laptop.

FOR TWO THOUSAND YEARS THE JEWS HAD BEEN WITHOUT A HOMELAND until 1948 when they once again took their place among the nations of the world. Against the advice of his military and State Dept., U.S. President Harry Truman recognized Israel as a nation, almost immediately. The United States was the first nation to recognize Israel.  Truman’s mother had drilled into him as a little boy: “Be good to the Jew, Harry.”

ON DECEMBER 6, 2017, against the advice of his military and State Dept., U.S. President Donald Trump recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s Capital and pledged to move the U.S. Embassy there from Tel Aviv. There followed in the wake of that announcement, the disapproval of many voices and “three days of announced rage” by the Palestinians around Jerusalem and Israel. On May 14, 2018, a special ceremony was held in Jerusalem to commemorate the moving of the U.S. Embassy. It may take some time to determine the location and build the permanent embassy building.

THE NAME HEROD OCCURS 41 TIMES IN THE BIBLE. The first time is in our text: Matthew 2:1. He married ten wives and had several children by them. Herod the Great was the first of seven Herodian kings. including sons and grandsons, who were also called King Herod.  He murdered one of his wives and his three oldest sons.   He was great in ambition and great in cruelty. It is no surprise that he would send out his soldiers to kill all the boy babies in Bethlehem, two years after Jesus was born there.

THE SCOFIELD BIBLE NOTES OFFER A GOOD SUMMARY summary of information about Herod the Great. “Called Herod the Great, son of Antipater, an Idumean (Genesis 36:1). and Cypros, an Arabian woman. Antipater was appointed procurator of Judea by Julius Caesar, B.C. 47. At the age of fifteen Herod was appointed to the “government of Galilee. On B.C. 40, the Roman senate made him king of Judea. An able, strong, and cruel man, he increased greatly the splendor of Jerusalem, erecting the temple which was the center of Jewish worship in the time of our Lord.”

(The Jewish historian, Josephus is a good source of information that almost all commentators consult. The picture above is taken from Google and comes from a video about Herod). Ω 
 ●Edited and reprinted from Good Morning, Dec. 2007, and Morning Minute: December 8, 2017)
   
Read Through the Bible in a Year

DECEMBER 27, 2017 - THURSDAY
 A.M. Zechariah 4-6     P.M   Revelation 18
(Bible Gateway will read this to you if you like. Look for the speaker icon.)

Good Verses to Memorize:
But
when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,  To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.  (Galatians 4:4-5)
 
Song for Today: 
O Holy Night (4:36) (Josh Groban & Orchestra-and scenes: The Nativity movie)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Zh-yR0pbmU  
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Christmas is what you make it

12/24/2018

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Christmas Is What You Make It

And the angel said unto them (shepherds), Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.  For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.  (Luke 2:10-12)
 
Please note: To those who receive this by email, Please set your computer to receive dancarr@farmstel.com. Thanks.
 
CHRISTMAS IS UPON US and a Hobby Lobby ad captured what each of us must do about it: “Christmas is what you make it.” We can lean into celebrating the birth of Christ or we can make it an occasion of nothing more than celebrating celebration. The birth of Christ is very big in the Bible. Christmas is not in the Bible. We can honor the Lord and celebrate Christ’s birth with music and special food and maybe – perhaps…we can honor Him with the giving of gifts to one another.
 
WEDDINGS, ENGAGEMENTS, BIRTHS, HOUSE WARMINGS, and job promotions are just a few of our occasions of celebration and gift-giving. We have several national holidays in honor of our fallen soldiers, public figures and special occasions such as the 4th of July.
 
IN LUKE, JESUS' BIRTH IS ANNOUNCED BY ANGELS to lowly shepherds. He is called “a Savior.” He is portrayed as the Son of Man. In Matthew, Jesus is announced by wealthy dignitaries of a powerful eastern nation, wanting to know about the one born as King of the Jews. The wise men were not looking for a savior. They were looking for a king.  

CHRISTMAS IS MADE UP OF TWO WORDS: Christ and Mass: The celebration of Christ’s birth began about 336 A.D about the time the Catholic church was being formed. So, the Christ-mass is Catholic in origin, but has been gradually adopted by the whole Christian population of the world as a special occasion worthy of celebration. In principle, it resembles God’s annual days of “The Feasts of the Lord” in the Old Testament.  

 
IN REVELATION, WHEN THE FOLLOWERS OF THE ANTI-CHRIST at last kill God’s two witnesses, they will give gifts to one another. And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth. And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them.  (Revelation 11:10-11) Gift-giving by humans is a “human thing” to do whether the humans are good or evil.
 
THE POWER OF THE CHRISTMAS SEASON remains a mystery. Sociologists have studied it to death and can’t quite explain it or agree among themselves why it energizes the vast population of many nations of the world. Life is, indeed, a boring drudgery for many people and the Christmas season gives the worst of human beings a chance to think about others. It is for sure that many people do not share the motivation for Christmas celebration as seen through eyes of the shepherds or the wise men.
 
IN GENERAL, SHOPPING GIVES MANY A TEMPORARY HIGH that far exceeds meeting essential needs. They are called: “shopaholics.” Christmas taps into that human trait and for a month or so, people give themselves permission to buy all kinds of illogical and unneeded things.
 
THIS CONDITION HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH A BABE IN A MANGER or with blessing the poor. It is the feeding of an emotional addiction. This is the time of maxing out credit cards and people putting themselves in financial bondage. Many people struggle with their Christmas debt the rest of the year and pay the card shark banks enormous interest rates as high as 36%. It’s the thing that drives some people to continually buy lottery tickets…those who can least afford it.
 
THE ORIGINAL SANTA CLAUS WHO SECRETLY GAVE GIFTS gifts of food and clothing to the poorest of children and kept it a secret has been hi-jacked and morphed into the chief national money maker for merchants and banks. A scandal! Is Christmas about…Santa Claus? This is not going to set well with some Christians who have joined the club. But Christmas is what we make it. If it’s about Santa Claus, then go for it, but go for it with your eyes wide open and be honest about it. In my opinion, a lot of precious time with children in their formative years is squandered, wasted, by teaching them an extremely weak and distorted definition of Christmas.
 
THERE ARE SEVERAL PRODUCTIVE THINGS parents can do to strengthen the knowledge of their children about Christmas. One of the best with a long-term track record is the observance of Advent during the whole month of December. Get a set of candles and the candle base and light a new candle each Sunday. Take turns doing the various things. When children are old enough, let them take turns lighting the candles. Go online or your local Christian book store and find a booklet that gives the short Christmas scriptures to read each day.
 
GET A MINIATURE NATIIVITY SET with the manger and baby Jesus and parents, animals, shepherds and wise men. Explain that the Wise Men came 2 years later and that the family was living in a house by then. Let the children take turns telling the story and moving the figures into place as they tell the story. I know of nothing so helpful as this in teaching children. Learn that the Christmas story is in the first two chapters of Matthew and Luke: ONLY! Let your children find the Christmas story in their Bibles or in the family Bible.
 
GRADUALLY LEARN THE MAJOR PROPHECY PASSAGES in the Old Testament and drill the children on finding those passages. Make a little poster with the names of the children and let them earn gold stars for telling the Christmas story AND reciting the verses. Write the chief Christmas story verses on cards and say them throughout the year. By the time the children marry and start their families, they will know what to teach and how to teach it.
 
USE A MAP. Talk about shepherds and wise men and how far the wise men traveled. Get a map of Israel and the eastern nations and show how far the journey was and how long it took them. Talk about the guiding star and have the children memorize the star verses.
 
COLLECT AND SHOW SOME OF THE BEST CHRISTMAS VIDEOS you can find and play them during the month of December: again, and again and again. You are working with children and they love to repeat stores over and over. Take advantage of this and instill the stories of Christmas into your children and grandchildren (and their visiting friends).
 
SING CHRISTMAS CAROL CLASSICS AT HOME, with or without an instrument. Get several copies of the little Christmas Carol Classics and sing these carols at home during the month of December. Strive to memorize them. Include hand signals where it is appropriate. CHRISTMAS IS WHAT YOU MAKE IT.
 
MAKE CHRISTMAS COOKIES WITH THE CHILDREN on a day off or take off a day from work and do it. Sing Christmas carols while you work. Play Christmas carols in the background all during the month of December. Hum or sing with them. CHRISTMAS IS WHAT YOU MAKE IT. 

Read Through the Bible in a Year
 DECEMBER 24, 2018 - FRIDAY
A.M.   Zephaniah 1-3  P.M Revelation 15
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Good Verses to Memorize:
And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold,
I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.  (Luke 2:10-11)
 
Song for Today: 
Hallelujah Chorus-Arrangement (3:34) (Calvary Memorial Church)

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CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS...

12/19/2018

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  Christmas Traditions…
And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost. And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?  For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.  (Luke 1:41-44)
 
WHEN GABRIEL, AN ANGEL OF HIGH RANK, announced to the priest, Zachariah, that his wife, Elizabeth was going to have a child (they were both well-past the age for childbearing), Zachariah clouded up in unbelief. Gabriel told him he wouldn’t be able to speak a word until the baby was born. That’s part of the Christmas story but it is seldom mentioned. Well, just what is Christmas? Linus, friend of Charlie Brown, told America what Christmas is. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1odLOHFX7o  (1:23)
 

CHRISTMAS IS ABOUT THE CHRIST WHO CAME TO DIE FOR THE SINS OF THE WORLD and about a king who is to sit upon the throne of David as the ruler of the world. There’s a Christmas that born-again, Bible-believing Christians celebrate with several traditions, like food, evergreen trees, decorations and special music. We notice in our text that Elizabeth and Mary rejoiced in the joy and power of the Holy Spirit. That’s the TRUE spirit of Christmas!
 
THERE IS A LIGHTER SIDE OF CHRISTMAS that has been embraced by saint and sinner alike. It has no official designer and is a hodge-podge of ideas and practices that have come together through 20 centuries of observance. Simply stated: Christmas became a time of home and of giving to others, especially the poor. Over time, the Christian roots have morphed into something hard to recognize as “Christian.”
 
CLEMENT CLARKE MOORE GAVE US THE POEM: “A Visit from St. Nicholas” or “Twas the Night Before Christmas” in 1823 which was memorized by millions of children. It gave life and legitimacy to the mythical man who traveled with reindeer. In 1843 Charles Dickens presented a Christmas that targeted giving to the poor in his book: “A Christmas Carol.” Although it only sold about 6,000 copies that year, it later exploded into many theater productions, movies and television productions that has reached millions and millions. The poem and the book came in a time of poverty for most and extreme poverty for many. There were also many hungry, ragged street children.
 
THERE'S AN ARTIFICIAL CHRISTMAS THAT IS CELEBRATED nominal Christians and non-Christians that “celebrates giving” and “celebrates celebration.” The artificial Christmas has some of the most beautiful decorations and some of the best music. I notice in the film productions that it always has to snow big snowflakes to be a real Christmas. “I’m Dreaming of A White Christmas” is a beautiful song. Rich harmony, great word pictures! “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas,” beautiful song; I love to play it, skippy, good harmony. “Carol of the Bells” is hard to beat. (I’m not into Jingle, Jingle, Jingle Rock.” (Spare me!)
 
IF YOU WANT REAL CHRISTMAS, YOU MUST HAVE REAL CHRISTMAS MUSIC, not just beautiful music. About all the church hymnals have a collection of solid Christmas songs. For something special, how about “The Hallelujah Chorus?”
 
“THE LEGEND OF SANTA CLAUS CAN BE TRACED BACK HUNDREDS OF YEARS to a monk named St. Nicholas. It is believed that Nicholas was born sometime around 280 A.D. in Patara, near Myra in modern-day Turkey. Much admired for his piety and kindness, St. Nicholas became the subject of many legends.” (Google) This monk DID NOT have a sleigh and reindeer and go down chimneys or hire himself out at department stores to promote Christmas sales of merchandise.
 
WHEN I WAS SIX, I BEGAN WONDERING HOW "he" got around to everybody’s house in America and how he could get down our stove pipe. Sometimes stories get stretched beyond reason. When little kids start rolling their eyes, you know the story is lacking. In our day, “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” says he’s making a list, checking it twice, knows who has been naughty and nice; knows when you are sleeping, knows when you’re awake.
 
Hmmmm…SOUNDS LIKE SANTA CLAUSE HAS TAKEN ON THE ATTRIBUTES OF GOD... who is all-knowing and omni-present. Gotta be careful about what you allow to be taught at your house. God says He is a jealous God. The ten tribes of Israel and later the two tribes of Judah lost everything they had and were hauled off to Assyria and to Babylon because they celebrated the gods of their neighbors.
 
GOD SAID OF HIMSELF: Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else. I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.  (Isaiah 45:22-23) I decided a long time ago that the mythical man in the red suit who takes to himself the attributes of God can’t have God’s place at our house. There are so many wonderful ways of celebrating Christmas by focusing on the real reason for the season: Jesus!
 
AMERICA HAS GONE THROUGH SEVERAL YEARS OF “Christmas warfare.” Some people wanted to get rid of Merry Christmas and leave us stuck with Happy Holiday. One year, a little grocery chain here on Sand Mountain, Alabama, painted their big window with “Happy Holiday.” People didn’t like it and said so. One year and it was over. It’s been “Merry Christmas” ever since.  
 
THE BIG ADVERTISERS ON TV HAVE TAKEN A LITTLE LONGER but some are coming back around to selling “Merry Christmas” merchandise. “Merry Christmas” runs deep in the American psyche. It’s not just Bible-believing Christians who are insisting on “Merry Christmas.” Dennis Prager, a Jewish talk show host, is a strong supporter of “Merry Christmas.” https://www.dennisprager.com/jews-wish-merry-christmas/
 

CHRISTMAS RUNS DEEP IN AMERICA and the people don’t want it messed with. Christmas is not about selling toys, trinkets, and Toyota’s, but it is a major consideration as we look at the cultural relationship of Christmas to America.
 
CELEBRATION RUNS DEEP AND LONG IN THE BIBLE. God taught the Jewish people to celebrate toward Him. Every year, they were to come to Jerusalem three times and there were seven “feast” days for them to observe and enjoy. When the Jews returned to their homeland after 70 years of captivity in Babylon, they were dismayed, very sad that they had lost so much. They wept. Nehemiah comforted them with these words:
 
And Nehemiah, which is the Tirshatha, and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites that taught the people, said unto all the people, This day is holy unto the LORD your God; mourn not, nor weep. For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law. 
Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength.  (Nehemiah 8:9-10)

EVEN SO, WE SHOULD CELEBRATE THE BIRTH OF CHRIST, whatever time of year it took place. December 25th is as good as anytime. Celebrate with family and friends and church gatherings. If you’re alone, celebrate with the Lord. Ω
 

 Read Through the Bible in a Year
  DECEMBER 20, 2018 - THURSDAY
  A.M.   Micah 4:5       P.M     Revelation 11
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Good Verses to Memorize:
But
when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,  To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.  (Galatians 4:4-5)
 
Song for Today: 
How Great Our Joy! (2:02) (1st-2nd Grades: Calvary Christian School)

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HIS STAR...ANOTHER LOOK

12/16/2018

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      His Star…Another Look

Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him (Matthew 2:1-2.)

HIS STAR…as opposed to all the other stars they were used to seeing. The wise men could have stayed home and studied all kinds of stars. Studying stars was their business. But what they were watching, and following was no ordinary star. The nations of Jesus’ day and earlier, commonly referred to rising kings as stars. The priestly caste of the kings made their living gazing at stars and making predictions.

MUCH OF IT WAS FRAUD ON A GRAND SCALE. Kings were generally dominated by fear of losing their thrones and losing their heads, so the magician/priest caste was a common source of soothing sauce for kings. They believed that somehow the stars had great influence on the success or failure of their kingdoms. Do we not refer to our movie idols and athletes as “stars” today? It is ingrained in us.

JOSEPH WAS ENABLED BY THE LORD, in his dreams, to predict the future in terms of the sun, moon, and stars: And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me (Genesis 37:9). These eleven stars were his brothers. Did it take place? Of course, it did! They bowed before him in Egypt when they came to buy grain from Pharaoh’s storehouse. Joseph, their “little brother,” was the “grain boss” in charge next to Pharaoh.

THE ADVANCED NATIONS OF THE DAY were also great trading and commercial nations, which required the use of ships to ply the Mediterranean Sea. Ship captains relied on the North Star as a fixed point for navigation. The North Star is still there in its place today and still used as a fixed point of navigation. This would be enough reason for their government to finance and keep on hand a crew of men who studied the stars. We should remember that only God knows the future and only God can design and control the future. God’s ship is the only ship to get on. But a warning goes along with God’s gift of the stars to communicate.

GOD WARNED THE JEWS DURING LAST MONTH OF THE LIFE OF MOSES: And lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when thou seest the sun, and the moon, and the stars, even all the host of heaven, shouldest be driven to worship them, and serve them, which the LORD thy God hath divided unto all nations under the whole heaven (Deuteronomy 4:19).

THE PROPHET BALAAM, AS EVIL AS HE WAS, got it right when he prophesied: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Scepter shall rise out of Israel… (Numbers 24:17). The fulfillment of this was in David, who foreshadowed the one who was to follow him and sit upon his throne in Jerusalem. The Magi were 100% convinced that they had seen not just any star, but His Star.

HEROD WAS CONVINCED THAT THE MAGI HAD A REAL "STAR CONNECTION."  Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, inquired of them diligently what time the star appeared (Matthew 2:7). The Magi went on their way, …and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was (Matthew 2:9). Notice how they personally reacted to seeing the star again: When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy (Matthew 2:10).

THE WISE MEN WHO CAME TO JERUSALEM, LOOKING FOR A NEW KING were almost certainly influenced by the teaching of Daniel and written Jewish history that was passed down through wise men of Persia. Daniel lived to be an old man and had a well-established reputation for being Jehovah’s mouthpiece. Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm.  (Dan 6:3) They were wild not merely “star gazers.” They had a firm connection with the Lord.
 

THE APOSTLE PETER WRITES: We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: (2Peter 1:19)

“AND THE DAY-STAR” - The morning star - the bright star that at certain periods of the year precedes the day, and which is a pledge that the morning is about to dawn. Compare Revelation 2:28; 22:16.

"…IN YOUR HEARTS" — Christ’s arising in the heart by His Spirit giving full assurance, the day has already dawned in the heart of believers; what they wait for is its visible manifestation at Christ’s coming. (Jamieson, Fausset, & Brown Commentary)

PETER SAYS WE SHOULD TAKE HEED UNTIL  “the day star arise in your hearts.” He expected that to happen to the people he was writing to. How will you know when the day star has risen in your heart? You’ll be convinced of the certainty of Christ. How do you know when the sun is up? The day star in your heart is as self-evident as the noon-day sun overhead.
●This article is an edited reprint of “Good Morning December 13, 2007 and Dec. 7, 2017”
                    
Read Through the Bible in a Year

 DECEMBER 17, 2018 - MONDAY
 A.M. Obadiah 1     P.M     Revelation 8
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Good Verses to Memorize:
But
when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,  To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.  (Galatians 4:4-5)
 
Song for Today: 
Beautiful Star of Bethlehem (4:10) (Ben Spear - Gaither)

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who are these wise men?

12/13/2018

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         Who Are These Wise Men?

Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him (Matthew 2:1-2.)

WISE MEN. MUCH TIME AND SCHOLARSHIP HAS BEEN DEVOTED to these “wise men.” Who were they?  It was common practice for kings in the area of Babylon and Persia to assemble a body of the smartest men they could find who were masters of accumulated science and philosophy.  Kings wanted “professionals” at studying the stars and heavenly bodies. They grasped for any straw of connection to any existing deity “out there” anywhere who could guide them in controlling and expanding their kingdoms. That is the background.

HOWEVER, MIXED WITH THIS IS THE JEW FACTOR. As the Jews in the two southern tribes of Judah were conquered and forced into exile among the conquering kingdoms to the east, first Babylon and then Persia (modern-day Iraq and Iran) they took with them a firm belief in the one true God who had given them their land and their sacred books. Their sacred books had told them of one promised to come to Israel who would be an unusual, powerful governor.

THESE WISE MEN APPARENTLY WERE OFFICIALS OF GOVERNMENT in that they had considerable wealth in their wearing apparel and their mode of transportation. It is doubtful that they simply asked a few months off from their kingly duties to go on vacation. In short, the idea that they would have undertaken such a long trip as a private venture apart from their government authority and wealth is practically zero.

WE DON'T KNOW EXACTLY HOW THESE MEN WERE DRESSED but we can know this much: They did not look like lowly shepherds or merchants whose animals were covered with dangling items of merchandise or bags of spices. Their camels were not old and worn out. They almost certainly had traveling with them, trusted and skilled servants to take care of the animals and do food preparation. It was an entourage, well-organized and well-financed. We don’t know how many “wise men” there were. Three is a reasonable number.

THEIR GOVERNMENT HAD A HIDDEN INTEREST IN SUCH A VENTURE. The government of the wise men was heavily involved in commerce and commerce involved ships. The navigation of ships relied on a knowledge of the stars. I can’t prove it by the Scripture, of course, but I believe their government had an interest in the strange star they had been watching and studying.

THESE WISE MEN WERE STRONGLY INFLUENCED BY THEIR JEWISH BACKGROUND and the Jewish Bible. Their rulers in the east would have an interest in a strange star and a strange story believed by the Wise men: that a new king, an unusual king could be related to this unusual star. 


A READER COMMENTS: “These wise men would have no doubt had copies of Daniel's scriptures...Daniel was the chief of the magi of Babylon and taught in the school of the seers the prophecy of the star, the sign of the King of the Jews...Because of the faith Daniel to teach the truth of God, hundreds of years after his death the magi knew the prophecy and came to see the new born King" (Comment by George Gullickson, a reader)


THE GOVERNMENT'S INQUIRY WAS NOT ABOUT A SUFFERING SAVIOR who would save people from their sins. Their interest was about a new king born to the Jews. This would be a profitable journey for a sponsoring government. But apparently, they had a connection with God that their government did not have. God does as He pleases and on His own time schedule. These wise men made a long journey to find the Christ of the Jewish prophets. Wise men still seek Him today. Have you sought Him for yourself?

THE BIG PICTURE OF THE BIRTH OF JESUS THE CHRIST (Jewish messiah) is that the entire Old Testament says repeatedly: “He’s coming!” Beginning with Moses and continuing to Malachi, reference is often made of God’s promised one. The New Testament summarizes it: But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons (Galatians 4:4-5).
                     ●This article is an edited reprint of “Good Morning December 11, 2007”

Read Through the Bible in a Year
 DECEMBER 14, 2017 - FRIDAY

 A.M. Amos 1-3     P.M Revelation 5
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A Good Verses to Memorize:
But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,  To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.  (Galatians 4:4-5)

 
Song for Today: 
Beautiful Star of Bethlehem (3:41) (Gaither Group – Ben Speer)  

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mary and the angel gabriel-2

12/12/2018

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​              Mary and the Angel Gabriel
And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, to a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.  And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favored, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women (Luke 1:26-28).
 

IN THE SIXTH MONTH...The story of Jesus’ birth occurs in Matthew and Luke, in the first two chapters of each book. (The birth of Jesus is not told in Mark and John.) In Matthew, the text is arranged to display Jesus’ legal position as the heir to the throne of David. Matthew tells the story of Jesus as the long promised and long expected Jewish Messiah; the Christ. Jesus is his name. Christ is his title.
 
IN LUKE, THE TEXT IS ARRANGED TO SHOW JESUS AS THE GOD-MAN, portraying more the humanity of Jesus. The narrative is an almost uninterrupted story. In Matthew and in Luke there is a strong connection between Elijah and the promised Christ-King. 
 
IN LUKE, WE MUST ENTER THE STORY OF THE BIRTH OF CHRIST through the story of the birth of John the Baptist. Notice the words: in the sixth month (Luke 1:26). Christmas pageantry in our churches usually does not mention this except on our way to the birth of Jesus. Our Christmas plays are very limited in what they can do, so, they are almost always condensed.  In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy with John the Baptist, in v.36 the text says: “…thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.”

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IS THERE AN IMPORTANT CONNECTION between Elizabeth and Mary? Between John the Baptist and Jesus? There is a big connection. The prophet Malachi said: Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD: (Malachi 4:5).
 
FAST-FORWARD 30 YEARS: And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into a high mountain apart, And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light. And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elijah talking with him. (Matthew. 17:1-3)
 
NOTICE THE CONVERSATION THAT FOLLOWS: And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead.   And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elijah must first come? (Mat 17:9-10)
 
AND JESUS ANSWERED AND SAID UNTO THEM, Elijah truly shall first come, and restore all things.  (Matthew 17:11) But I say unto you, That Elijah is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise, shall also the Son of man suffer of them.  (Matthew 17:11-2) Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist.  (Matthew 17:13)
 
HAVE WE OVEREMPHASIZED ELIJAH? I don’t think so. There are two aspects of Jesus’ role in coming to earth: The Suffering Messiah and the Ruling Messiah. Jesus offered the Promised Messiah and the Promised Kingdom, but not on their terms. When they rejected their Messiah, they had already rejected the message and ministry of John the Baptist who had come in the spirit of Elijah in fulfillment of the prophecies. They wanted a Messiah they could use against the Roman Government. They did not want to be submissive to him and in their rebellion, they had blinded themselves to the prophecies about the Suffering Messiah.
 

THE LANGUAGE OF MALACHI SPEAKS OF ELIJAH coming before the great and dreadful day of the Lord. Jesus is coming back to earth as the ruling Messiah to rule and execute judgment upon the earth, immediately after the seven years of tribulation spoken of in Revelation. Malachi saw the result of the coming Messiah and the end characteristics of Elijah the prophet. Many scholars believe that one of the two unnamed witnesses in Revelation 11 is Elijah. They perform miracles like those of Moses and Elijah. 
 
●These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth. And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed. These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will.  (Revelation 11:4-6)
 
●And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them. And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves.  (Revelation 11:7-9)
 

●And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth. And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them.  (Revelation 11:10-11)
 
“CHRISTMAS" CAME SIX MONTHS AFTER JOHN THE BAPTIST WAS BORN; six months after “Elijah” was born. It is good to read these things and discuss them with the intention of remembering them. Teach these things to your children. A set of figurines depicting the Christmas story are valuable in allowing young children to tell the story and place each figure in the proper place as the story is told. The birth of John the Baptist should be included in the story. Teach it well at home and they will have it for life.

EVERY YEAR LET THE CHILDREN TELL THE COMPLETE STORY. Observing the Advent Season with the lighting of candles is also a good way to focus on the Christmas story. The different colored candles stand for specific things that need to be remembered by adults and children as well.

 WHEN THE CHRISTMAS SEASON IS OVER, pack up all the story pieces and keep them for next year. You can grow the collection a bit each year. Make it a part of your Christmas celebration. Do your children know the two angels that had names revealed to us? (Gabriel and Michael) Let’s make our homes to be strong teaching centers that coincide with what the children learn in church and in the Christian schools. Ω
 
Read Through the Bible in a Year 
 DECEMBER 13, 2018 - THURSDAY
A.M.  Joel 1-3   P.M. Revelation 4
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A Good Verse to Memorize: 
And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.  (Luke 24:27)
 
 
 Song for Today:
Choir & Orchestra: Joy to the World (Anonymous.  Good music.)
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GAPS IN THE BIBLE - PART 2

12/9/2018

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    Gaps in the Bible – Part 2

The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge.  There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard.  (Psalm 19:1-3)
 
TODAY WE CONTINUE AND CONCLUDE with “Gaps in Bible.” That is, times when God was silent between the Old Testament and New Testament and other times when God did not, does not comment on what He is doing or why He does it. He was silent for 2,000 years before Moses wrote anything and for the 2,000 years since the New Testament was completed. This is a book-size question, but today I’m going to try to finish all I have to say about it.
 
I RECEIVED THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE RECENTLY and in the last article I began responding to it. Here is the message: “I’ve been thinking a lot about the “gaps” in the Bible and why certain things were put in and why others were left out. I’ve learned that in the New Testament, the books chosen were from men who were directly associated with Jesus. The Old Testament though is still unclear to me. What happened to the souls of the people who were born gentiles and not of God’s chosen people? During the years of exile, when the Jewish people were not always able to make their sacrifices, what happened to the souls of those people who passed before their sins could be atoned? I saw this link and it did answer some questions, but I wanted to get your opinion on them”
 
THESE QUESTIONS ARE RAISED: “What happened to the souls of gentiles who were not God’s chosen people? During exile, what happened to the souls of those chosen people who could not make sacrifices and passed before their sins could be atoned?” Good questions.
 
THE BOOK OF HEBREWS DECLARES that the blood of bulls and goats cannot take away sins. Then, why sacrifice all those animals? The sacrificing of these animals was to remind the people of two things: 1. That the wages of sin is death. 2. That a perfect sacrifice, Jesus, would one day come to pay for their sins. Hebrews (10:4-11)
 
For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.  (Hebrews 10:4-7)
 
Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law; Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.  (Hebrews 10:8-10)
 
And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: (Hebrews 10:11)
 
ANOTHER QUESTION OFTEN ASKED IS: “Can the heathen who have never heard of Christ be saved?” When I was a junior in high school in Stevenson, Alabama, I confronted my young Social Studies teacher, who was not long out of college, about his soul. “Are you going to Heaven when you die?” I still ask that question. I didn’t ask him every day, or many times. But it really got to him and he evidently had considered it while he was still in college. One day as I greeted him before class, he beat me to the draw and said: “Dan, I have a question for you. Can the heathen who have never heard the gospel be saved before you get there to tell them how to be saved?”
 
I SAID, "WELL, SOMEONE WOULD HAVE TO TELL THEM HOW TO BE SAVED." (I knew a lot  back then, more than I know now.) He was gentle and didn’t ask me anything further. He had fastened a question to the bulletin board of my mind that would remain posted for the next 20 years. I knew I had not answered him and that I did not know how to answer him. It was one of those unanswered questions that would sometimes drift into by bedroom and perch itself on my pillow and say: “Well?”
 
TWENTY YEARS LATER, I was a lobbyist in the North Carolina Legislature for religious liberty and for the lives of unborn babies. I was visiting in the office of a legislator who was a farmer in East Carolina and a Methodist Stewart in his church. He asked me, one day: “Can the heathen who have never heard the Gospel be saved?” It was a hot arrow that shot straight back to that day in high school when my teacher asked me the same question.
 
THE GAME WAS OVER. NO MORE STALLING. I had had 20 years to think it over and I had been too lazy to dig into the Bible. Go into a Christian book store and look on the shelf that has all the books on the heathen being saved before they have heard the Gospel. (It’s in the basement in a closet under several boxes of plumbing supplies that were left there when the building was built 100 years ago.)
 
I SAID, "I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION but if you will give me three days, I will dig into the Bible and get back with you.” He was pleased, and I could tell that he expected me back in his office in three days with an answer from the Bible. In three days, I was back in his office with an answer. The answer was there all along but for twenty years I let it slide because…I really didn’t want to know the answer. I had a college degree with a major in Bible and that question had never come up. The prevailing view, the prevailing unfounded assumption was the same as I had answered my high school teacher 20 years earlier and somehow, I knew that my answer did not fly. Here are some important answers I have found.

●Christ died for the sins of the whole world. 
And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.  (1John 2:2) Christ died for the sins of Adam and Eve as well as for you and me: the whole world. Christ died for every human being that had been born or ever would be born. Those saved in the Old Testament were saved through the blood of Christ who would one day come and be the Lamb slain for them, from the foundation of the world. God will save men by the blood of Christ who call upon the Lord, but who know very little about God.
 
●Christ died in the mind of God before the foundation of the world. 
Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, (1Peter 1:20) And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.  (Revelation 13:8)
 
 
●There is but one God. The God of the Old Testament is the God of the New Testament.
Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.  (Isaiah 45:22) We do NOT have one God in the Old Testament and another God in the New Testament.
 
●God the Father and God the Son are one.
 
If you have called upon the name of the Lord, you have called upon the Father and you have called upon the Son. I and my Father are one.  (John 10:30)  We cannot go to God the Father and say: “Now Father, this is just between You and me. Please don’t tell Jesus about it.”
 

Jesus saith unto him (Phillip), Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake. (John 14:9-11)
 
●Every knee shall bow to God the Father and to God the Son. 
I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.  (Isaiah 45:23)
 
For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.  (Romans 14:11)
 
That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;  (Philippians 2:10)
 
 
●God Has Shown ALL MEN the first thing He wants men to know: His power and Godhead – His authority. 
Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: (Romans 1:19-20)
 
●The Heavens--all Creation tell all men the first thing God wants them to know: 
For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.  (Rom 10:13)
How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?  (Romans 10:14)
 
So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.  (Rom 10:17)
But I say, Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world.  (Rom 10:18) (This is a quote from Psalm 19:1-3)
 
The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.  Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge.  There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard.  (Psalm 19:1-3)
 
 
●To Encounter God, One Must Believe God Exists and Rewards Those Who Diligently Seek Him. 
But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.  (Hebrews 11:6) Must believe that God exists and that this God will reward them or respond to them if they diligently, sincerely seek Him. This is open to every human being on earth.
 
●Man is not lost because he “doesn’t know.’ Man is lost because he rebels against what God has shown him.
It is God who has made every one of us, and 102 times the Bible declares that salvation is of the Lord. 
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: (Romans 1:18-20)
 
●Only God can reach every soul He has made.
Jesus said: No man can come to me,
except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.  (John 6:44-45)
 
And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.  (Genesis 6:3)
 
 
●God does not hold a man responsible for what he does not have or does not know. 
For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not.  (2Corinthians 8:12)
 
●Cornelius illustrates God’s telling people how to go further…
There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian band,  (Acts 10:1)And now send men to Joppa, and call for one Simon, whose surname is Peter: He lodgeth with one Simon a tanner, whose house is by the sea side: he shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do.  (Acts 10:5-6)
 
 
Read Through the Bible in a Year
 DECEMBER 10, 2018 – MONDAY
  A.M. Hosea 5-8   P.M.  Revelation 1
(Bible Gateway will read this to you if you like. Look for the speaker icon.)

A Good Verse to Memorize:  
For if there be first a willing mind,
it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not.  (2Corinthians 8:12)
 
 
Song for Today: 
Who At My Door is Standing? (3:01)  (Eddie Arnold)

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrqxn6q1OSM  
 Wait a few seconds for the sound to come on.
 You may have to adjust the volume or delete an ad.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 



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GAPS IN THE BIBLE

12/7/2018

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Gaps in the Bible…

The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge.  There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard.  (Psalm 19:1-3)
 
Notice the underlined words of communication: sheweth, uttereth speech, voice, knowledge, heard.  God has been showing the people of every age and in every nation, certain things about Himself. “There is a God!” The prophet, Isaiah, wrote: Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.  (Isaiah 45:22)
 
TODAY'S ARTICLE IS A LETTER I WROTE today in answer to a recent letter, asking questions about “gaps in the Bible.” The questions are worthy of thought. This person writes:
 
“I’ve been thinking a lot about the “gaps” in the Bible and why certain things were put in and why others were left out. I’ve learned that in the New Testament, the books chosen were from men who were directly associated with Jesus. The Old Testament though is still unclear to me. What happened to the souls of the people who were born gentiles and not of God’s chosen people? During the years of exile, when the Jewish people were not always able to make their sacrifices, what happened to the souls of those people who passed before their sins could be atoned? I saw this link and it did answer some questions, but I wanted to get your opinion on them” 
 
HI SUSAN! (NOT HER REAL NAME)
 
THANKS FOR YOUR EMAIL, sharing your questions about Bible gaps. I read the article behind the link that you included: https://redeeminggod.com/400-years-of-silence/
 
HIS WRITTEN REVELATION TO US IS COMPLETE. We can assume that God is saying to us: “Here’s everything I want you to know that you can’t figure out for yourself.” God has never left Himself without a witness of His existence and our responsibility to Him. God does not show us everything we may want to know, but He does show us all that He deems necessary for us to know and in keeping with His purpose. You are asking about the 400 years of silence between the Old and New Testaments.
 
THE SILENCE OF THOSE YEARS DOES NOT MEAN that God was inactive for 400 years, but that during that time He did not ordain any prophets to speak for Him. A much larger time of silence was the time before Moses, some 2,000 years. Job is the oldest book in the Bible. Another time of silence is the time after the New Testament was completed, another 2,000 years.  The New Testament is in the Old, contained. The Old Testament is in the New, explained.
 
THE LONG PERIODS OF TIME between the utterance of prophecies and their fulfillment provide a means for proving the Bible to be the Word of God. The Book of Daniel is the key to understanding God’s hand in history, stretching from Babylon to the Roman Empire. Daniel tells us that the Stone that smashes the feet of the towering image in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream is the smashing of the kingdom of Satan and the entrance of the reign of Christ on earth for a thousand years and then there comes a new heaven and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness…the eternal state. Thus, Daniel is relatively short by powerful!
 
WE HAVE ANOTHER WITNESS IN CREATION. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: (Romans 1:20)
 
SOME OF THE PROPHETS WROTE MESSAGES to nations hundreds of miles away but the prophet did not get on a horse and take them a copy. Jonah did. Jonah walked through the streets of Nineveh for 12 days or so and gave them a short message: “40 days and God is going to destroy you.” Very limited. But it was enough to cause them to repent and God delayed their destruction for almost 150 years. It was the most powerful nation on earth at the time. 
 
THERE ARE SOME PRINCIPLES OF COMMUNICATION WITH GOD. Who takes the initiative: God or man? James wrote:  Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.  (James 4:8) In this case, it looks like the initiative is with man, but other verses indicate that God has already taken the initiative. What is “drawing nigh to God?” He abruptly talks about cleansing hands and dealing with heart issues, avoiding a double-mind.
 
WHEN WE GET READY AND TAKE THE FIRST STEP, God will draw close to us in response. He has been waiting for us to respond to what He has already done. If we don’t want God, He will leave us alone. But, as we read the Bible, we also see this: We love him, because he first loved us.  (1John 4:19) God has already taken the initiative.
 
ANOTHER PERTINENT VERSE IS: But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.  (Hebrews 11:6) Must believe that God exists and that this God will reward them or respond to them if they diligently, sincerely seek Him.
 
A PRINCIPLE OF SUCCESSFUL COMMUNICATION WITH GOD is promised by Isaiah: Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.  (Isaiah 45:22) In principle, it is the same as 2Chronicles 7:14: If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.  (2Chronicles 7:14)
 
JESUS AND HIS FATHER ARE ONE. Jesus saith unto him (Phillip), Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake. (John 14:9-11)
 
PAUL TELLS US IN ROMANS 10:13:  For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.  McGee says of this verse: “This is a remarkable statement, which Paul draws from the Old Testament (see Joel 2:32), to enforce his argument that salvation is by faith. This makes it very clear that both Jew and Gentile are to call on the Lord. To "call upon the name of the Lord" means to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.” (McGee)

TO REPEAT: This verse is Old and New Testament. When one calls on the Father, one has also called on the Son, and I might add: has called on the Holy Spirit. Can one call on Jesus and not call on the Father? Can one call on the Father and ask Him to keep it a secret from Jesus or tell the Father that it doesn’t pertain to Jesus? (Father, don’t tell this to Jesus. This is just between You and me.) Deep water here, but very important. The same verse is used in Joel and Romans pertaining to how to be saved. When one calls upon the Father, one has called upon the Son. Those who were in fellowship with the Father, recognized the preaching of the Son. See the verses following that show the oneness of the Father and the Son.
 
All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.  For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.  (John 6:37-38)
 
Then said they unto him, Where is thy Father? Jesus answered, Ye neither know me, nor my Father: if ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also.  (John 8:19) John 1:10 tells us that Jesus was co-creator of the world with God the Father: He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.  (John 1:10)
 
There is a timeline in God unfurling His communication to us and His dealing with us: But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,  (Galatians 4:4) God’s communication with us is PROGRESSIVE and that process involves a timeline. In promising Abraham the land He was going to give Him, God said this: But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full.  (Genesis 15:16)
 
God was saying to Abraham that the land he was seeing would be his but not in his lifetime. God was going to give the land to Abraham’s seed, but He could not kill them and give their stuff to Abraham because they were not yet wicked enough, but they were on their way. When they were wicked enough, God would be just in giving Abraham’s seed the property of those wicked people. There was a timeline.
 
God also has a timeline in revealing things to individuals. Those who choose to walk with God will have things revealed to them when it is appropriate to do so. God does not show us the date of our death when we are ten years old. He merely tells us we are going die after a while. God showed me Shirley’s death ten days before it happened…not the death itself, but a very strong impression, like a curtain, that I could not go to Washington for the March for Life. He arranged for me to be there when she died.
 
God told Ezekiel he was going to take his wife: Also the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,  Son of man, behold, I take away from thee the desire of thine eyes with a stroke: yet neither shalt thou mourn nor weep, neither shall thy tears run down. Forbear to cry, make no mourning for the dead, bind the tire of thine head upon thee, and put on thy shoes upon thy feet, and cover not thy lips, and eat not the bread of men. So I spake unto the people in the morning: and at even my wife died; and I did in the morning as I was commanded.  (Ezekiel 24:15-18)
 
You asked about gaps in the Bible. What is a gap in the Bible? There is a general understanding among Bible students about gaps in the Bible. It’s a period of time when God does not speak. But there is also a gap, or millions of gaps in people getting access to the Bible. Most of the people through history and to the present time have never had a Bible in their hands or heard anyone read a Bible verse. These are gaps of a different kind. Only a small percentage of earth’s population has ever entered the doors of a public place of worship. But, God has not left Himself without a witness.
 
The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge.  There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard.  (Psalm 19:1-3) Notice the underlined words of communication: sheweth, uttereth speech, their voice, knowledge, heard.  God has been showing the people of every age and in every nation, certain things about Himself. “There is a God!”
 
Then He says by the prophet: Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.  (Isaiah 45:22)  OK, the message is to all the ends of he earth but Isaiah is one man without a radio microphone, not even a laptop to write an email. How does Isaiah get his message to all the ends of the earth? He doesn’t. He can’t get his message to the ends of the earth. But he is telling the ones who have access to what he wrote, “This is how you get saved!”  “Look until me and be ye saved.” Who does that apply to? All the ends of the earth.
 
Who is going to tell them what God requires them to hear? Psalm 19:1-3 reveals that the heavens and the firmament above their heads told them what God wanted them to know: that He is God, the only God. The New Testament book of Hebrews ties into that when it says: “Must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.”
 
Man is lost because he rebels against what God has shown him. It is God who has made every one of us, and 102 times the Bible declares that salvation is of the Lord. Since I got saved at age nine, I have been telling the story of Jesus dying on the cross and rising from the dead and that He is not willing that any should perish. But God has never turned over to me the job of being the main speaker for the gospel. I try to remember that the Gospel message goes to “every creature.” I speak a word or leave a tract or do what I can to carry out the Great Commission Jesus left with us.
 
But I must be honest and say that there have never been enough preachers to tell every individual on earth the story of the Gospel of Christ. There have never been enough church buildings to hold all the people on earth. A very small percentage of earth’s population has ever held a Bible in their hands.
 
But there has always been the sun rising and setting and the things that only God could make to declare His authority and Godhead over them. It is up to God to decide how much of the complete picture He is going to show each individual. He shows His power and Godhead to every soul on earth and they are responsible to respond in faith and submission to what God has shown them. If anyone responds to what God has shown them, He will show them enough for them to be saved. God convicted Peter through the crowing of a rooster. God spoke through the mouth of a donkey to Balaam. Notice what Paul said in Romans about God showing things to people:
 
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: (Romans 1:18-20)
 
God has two books: the written Word of God, and the display of His majestic and powerful creation! He has made it all and man cannot make it. That’s why the devil has worked so hard at trying to convince people to believe in evolution, that order can come out of chaos. I have never seen a new Thunderbird sports car drive out of a big pile of scrap metal. I have never heard of an unabridged dictionary coming out of an explosion in an ink factory. Only God can bring order out of chaos.
 
Only God can reach every soul He has made. Jesus said: No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.  (John 6:44-45)
 
There is not room in this brief article to explore this subject completely. But perhaps these references will help to put the “Bible gaps” in perspective. Thanks for writing and sharing. Ω
 
Read Through the Bible in a Year
 DECEMBER 7, 2018 – FRIDAY
  A.M. Daniel 9-10   P.M.  2John 1
(Bible Gateway will read this to you if you like. Look for the speaker icon.)
A Good Verse to Memorize:  Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.  (Jeremiah 1:5)
( Picture: Eli and Samuel)
 
Song for Today: No One Ever Cared For Me Like Jesus (2:27)  ( George Beverly Shea)
                          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHhDXLkInUI
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    Dan Carr is a "retired" pastor, writer, teacher and continues to write at this website. This blog and other articles are e-mailed free to anyone who wants them. Go to: 
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    Dan and Barbara live 
    at Flat Rock, AL between Chattanooga, TN and Huntsville, AL. on Sand Mtn.
    We enjoy gardening, reading, church, family and friends.

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