Silence of the Scriptures, Part 2   Introduction A mother is about to bake a cake. She sends her 18-year-old son to the store to buy a gallon of milk. She hands him a ten-dollar bill and tells him she wants the change when he returns. The son heads to the store and then returns 20 minutes later with the gallon of milk, a 2-liter bottle of soda, and 3 candy bars. Dutifully, he hands his mother the milk and change. Upon seeing the change, she asks him why he bought more than the milk. His response, “You didn’t say I couldn’t buy them.” How often do people have that same approach to religion? A lot may deny it, but when you see their practice, it becomes very obvious. People do more or differently than what the scriptures teach.   Bible Examples Build yourself an Ark— In Genesis 6:12-14 we see the story of Noah and the building of the ark, So God looked upon the earth, and indeed it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth. And God ...

  Silence of the Scriptures, Part 1   Introduction In Deuteronomy 29:29, it is written, “The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.” What this means is that everything that is written in the bible is for us; if it’s not there, then it doesn’t matter. People find it hard to believe that God would keep certain things a secret from us; as if it necessary for us to have that knowledge.  It’s a shame that people think that if it isn’t revealed to us that we are responsible to find out the answers ourselves.    Bible Examples of “Not revealed” What was the forbidden fruit? In Genesis 3, Adam and Eve are in the Garden of Eden and being tempted by the serpent. Eve informs the serpent that they can eat the fruit of any tree except for the one in the middle; not even touch it (vs. 3). Now, let’s look at verse 6, So when the woman saw t...

  Misuse of Ps. 46:10   Introduction You’ve heard the old phrase, “Take time to stop and smell the roses.” This means that in life, sometimes we get so busy with our day-to-day activity that we don’t stop and appreciate the little things in life. We take for granted the landscape that is before us. If we don’t stop, once in a while, and admire the beauty of God’s creation, we might miss these opportunities when they are no longer available. In Psalm 46:10, the psalmist writes, Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! (NKJV) Is this the same sentiment as “stop and smell the roses”? Let’s see in this article.   Out of Context People today take this verse and use only the first part; Be still, and know that I am God , and plaster it all over things like mugs, T-shirts, bumper stickers, etc. It’s to give us the “warm fuzzy” feelings that God want us to remember Him in our busy day-to-day lives. In ...

  Misuse of Jer. 29:11   Introduction Have you ever had this happen to you? You go through life and a string of negative things take place. And when you feel really low about your current situation, someone will come along and say something like, “Don’t worry, God has a plan for you!” Although God does have a plan, this is not what they mean. They make it sound like He has something in the works specifically for you and no one else. The verse, from scriptures, that they connect to this is Jeremiah 29:11, which says, For I know the plans I have for you, says the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. (RSV) Is this what the prophet was talking about?   Out of Context As we stated, this is a sentiment given to those who are at a “low” in their life; laid off from work, in between jobs, a crisis at home, or tragedy within the family. Sometimes it might be encouragement for those arriving at the next step in their life; grad...

  Misuse of Col. 3:17   Introduction In Colossians 3:17 the apostle Paul wrote, And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. What exactly did he mean by “whatever you do…”? This article will look at what man says versus what the bible says.   Out of Context Taking this statement of Paul’s, at face value, could easily open the flood gates for all kinds of activity. One of the warning signs that people are a denominational fueled individual is when they call for information about your congregation, one of the first questions asked is, “What programs do you offer?” The idea of programs includes activities for children, singles night, couples’ activities, various ‘anonymous’ programs, rehab, soup kitchens, etc. But it doesn’t stop there; pancake breakfasts, car washes, Church softball teams, casino night, etc. In addition to all of this, people look at their God-given talents as reason t...

  Misuse of Phil. 4:13   Introduction In Philippians 4:13, the apostle Paul writes; I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. What did Paul mean when he wrote, “I can do all things?” A lot of people in the religious world cling to this verse as if it’s a lifesaver and that, even when times are tough, this verse will remind them that nothing is too hard.   Out of Context Many people think that they can accomplish anything if God (or Christ) is on their side. For example: Slam dunk a basketball, make the winning play in baseball, bench press more weights than one should, or win the lottery. Given that the last one is a form of gambling, God is not going to approve of that; nor will He take credit if you should win. If this is the case, then what does it mean?   In Context The first thing you need to know is that Paul wrote this letter from prison. Like Ephesians and Colossians, Philippians is what is known as a Prison Epistle . Secondly,...

    Introduction “Okay kids, it’s time for bible study!” “Groan. The bible is too big” “It takes forever to get through it.” Does this sound familiar in your household? I’ll agree that some parts of scripture seem tedious; Leviticus springs instantly to mind. However, when you get right down to it, the bible isn’t nearly as long as you think it is. Let’s face it, if man wrote the bible, it would be so much longer. So much more would have been added to it. Here’s a look at how brief the scriptures actually are.   This article is not to be confused with my other one titled, Who Wrote the Bible?   In the Beginning The creation of the earth, and everything within, only takes one chapter. One separate chapter was given to the creation of Adam and Eve. Had these chapters been written by man, you would see multiple chapters of what transpired during these six literal days. And that’s another point; some would argue that the days of creation are, in actuality...

    Introduction As Christians develop in their walk with God, a desire to do a deeper study comes along; with a group or alone. Some will turn to commentaries for assistance as previous scholars are known to write much on the various books and verses of the bible. But which is the best one and should I even bother with them at all?   Teaching Bible Class In early 2018, I was given the task to teach the main bible class on Sunday morning. It was a chapter-by-chapter study on the book of Ezekiel. For a novice teacher, such as myself, this isn’t the book you want to start with. However, at the time, I had previously done a personal study with a preacher and felt I had enough of an understanding of the book to be able to teach it to a class. In addition, gave me a bible software with featured bible dictionaries and commentaries from men like Matthew Henry, Albert Barnes, and others. I managed to muddle through the class; skipping a handful of chapters that disc...

 This week's article is on the inspiration of the scriptures. Click on the link here .

  This week's lesson is preached by Jay Borg.

  In 1 Corinthians 9:19-22, the apostle Paul discusses how he was able to be on the same level as all men; walking in their footsteps, sympathizing with their problems. He didn’t see himself as better than them. I’d like to focus on the last part of verse 22 which reads, I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. This was all about saving men’s souls by finding common ground. The Bible itself is “all things to all men” in that there is no other book, out there, which can answer all of your concerns, problems, or give you the best encouragement.   Worshipping God Most of last year we looked at how God wanted to be worshipped. Jesus speaks of this in John 4:23-24, “But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. "God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” Man says that they will worship God in thei...

  This week's lesson comes from me, Chris Mentzer. The title is Back to the Bible .

  Introduction Several years ago, I attempted to talk to a co-worker about the bible and he wasn’t interested. I was trying to tell him it was written by God; even though he had several human writers. His comment to me was, “Are you trying to tell me that God whispered in the ears of these men of what to write?” At the time, I didn’t have an answer. But it does make one pause and ask the question, who did write the bible? We’ll look at some possibilities below.   Potential Authors AN UNBELIEVER—How ironic would it be if the scriptures were, in fact, written by an Atheist? He would show how foolish it is to waste time worshipping someone, or something, that doesn’t exist. For sure, he would discuss the worship of idols like in Isa. 44:8-19; how one would spend all this time worshipping an inanimate object, hoping to be rewarded. But it isn’t written by an Atheist as they wouldn’t include verses like Psalms 14:1, The fool has said in his heart, "There is no God." ...