What gets us up and going spiritually?  Does our spiritual life consist of a series of highs powered by our favorite music?  Do we require a certain atmosphere or ceremony to lift us to feelings of worship?  Is fellowship what we live and die for?  Does the cup of coffee that we imbibe while reading our Bible produce a better sense of well being than fellowship with God Himself?  Does the absence of suffering and conflict produce in us a sense of well being with God?

As we begin this new year, perhaps it would be good to evaluate whether we are motivated by faith or by feelings.   If we can answer yes to any of questions above, perhaps it is time to repent and to confess it as sin.  The Scripture says the just shall live by faith.

Faith is a firm persuasion or conviction that comes from hearing the Word of God*.  Experiences that produce good feelings do not build faith.  Only Scripture can build faith.**

What are we listening to?

**So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.  Romans 10:17

Note: If you have concluded from reading this that I am against good music, worship, fellowship, a good cup of coffee, and peace, then you have missed the point.  Our stability, discipline, and spiritual growth as believers is based on biblical faith, a firm persuasion or conviction from God’s Word, not emotional highs.

If you and I are persuaded that the Scripture is God’s infallible Word, how should that affect our lives?

…let the word of Christ dwell in you richly…

*W.E. Vines Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words – Copyright 1984, 1996, Thomas Nelson, Inc., Nashville, TN.

And when they (the wise men) were come into the house, they saw the young child (Jesus) with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.     Matthew 2:11

When the wise men found the Christ Child with His mother, they worshipped Him and presented their gifts to Him.

Are you a wise man?

….let the word of Christ dwell in you richly….

I have a Savior, He’s pleading in glory,
A dear, loving Savior, though earth friends be few;
And now He is watching in tenderness o’er me;
And, oh, that my Savior were your Savior, too.

Refrain:
For you I am praying,
For you I am praying,
For you I am praying,
I’m praying for you.

I have a Father; to me He has given
A hope for eternity, blessed and true;
And soon He will call me to meet Him in heaven,
But, oh, that He’d let me bring you with me, too!

I have a robe; ’tis resplendent in whiteness,
Awaiting in glory my wondering view;
Oh, when I receive it all shining in brightness,
Dear friend, could I see you receiving one, too!

When He has found you, tell others the story,
That my loving Savior is your Savior, too;
Then pray that your Savior may bring them to glory,
And prayer will be answered—’twas answered for you!

Speak of that Savior, that Father in heaven,
That harp, crown, and robe which are waiting for you—
That peace you possess, and that rest to be given,
Still praying that Jesus may save them with you.

I Samuel 12:23; Job 42:8; II Thessalonians 1:11

Samuel O. Cluff – 1860 

Music by Ira Sankey – 1874

Public Domain

The Bible: The Word of God, the sixty-six Books of the Old and New Testaments, verbally[1] inspired in all parts and wholly without error as originally given of God (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:21).

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine,                      for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:                              II Timothy 3:16

All Scripture refers to the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments.  For more information on how there came to be sixty-six books and not sixty-seven or eighty-five, please read in this blog the article entitled Which Authority?

How much of the Scripture is inspired?  Verbally inspired refers to the very words of Scripture being God breathed.  This is what the Bible claims for itself, as opposed to being inspired ideas or relevant passages.

The word translated inspiration is from the Greek word theoneustia.  Theo meaning God, neustia meaning breath.  This word carries the idea of God breathing out as to source.  All Scripture is God breathed.  God’s breath is the irresistible outflow of His power, therefore all Scripture is a divine product [2].

The Bible’s integrity is wholly dependent upon God’s character [3].   God, being who He is, perfect in every way and and the perfect manifestation of truth, gave us a book which is wholly without error in its original form.  This living book (Heb. 4:12) reveals who we are, who He is, and His purpose for our being here.

Jesus speaking: Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill.  For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled (Matthew 5:17 & 18).  

Christ taught that heaven and earth would not pass away until all Scripture be fulfilled, down to every every jot and tittle.  A jot is the Hebrew letter yodh.  It is the smallest letter in the Hebrew alphabet. A tittle is smaller yet because it is only part of a letter.  By its presence or absence, a tittle can change one word to a totally different word with other meaning [4].

When Christ was tempted by Satan in the wilderness He responded to each of the three temptations by saying; It is written….and then He quoted specific Old Testament passages.  In His response to the first temptation Jesus answered and said; It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God (Matthew 4:4).

The Lord Jesus Christ, who claimed to be God in the flesh and proved it with witnesses and evidence, taught us that the words of Scripture cannot be broken. Even the parts of words (jots and tittles) are God breathed.  All of Scripture is breathed out from God and is completely trustworthy.

All Scripture is God breathed (a divine product), and is profitable (useful) for doctrine (teaching), for reproof (proving and testing), for correction (improvement of life and character), for instruction (training) in righteousness (that which is consistent with God’s own nature and promises/that which conforms to the will of God) [5] (II Timothy 3:16).

Some in professing Christianity will say that the Bible is good for religious material but it is not accurate for other things such as science and history.  What was the Lord’s view concerning the accuracy of Scripture?

Our Lord used historical incidents in the Old Testament in a manner that evinced His total confidence in their factual historicity [6].

He acknowledged that Adam and Eve were created by God, that they were two living human beings, not merely symbols of mankind and womankind, and that they acted in specific ways (Matthew 19:3-5; Mark 10:6-8).

He verified events connected with the flood of Noah’s day; namely, that there was an ark and that the flood destroyed everyone who was not in that ark (Matthew 24:38&39; Luke 17:26&27).

On two different occasions, He authenticated God’s destruction of Sodom, and the historicity of Lot and his wife (Matthew 10:15; Luke 17:28&29).

He accepted as true the story of Jonah and the great fish (Matthew 12:40).

He acknowledged the historicity of Isaiah (Matthew 12:17), Elijah (Matthew 17:11&12), Daniel (Matthew 24:15), Abel (Matthew 23:35), Zechariah (Matthew 23:35), Abiathar (Mark 2:26), David (Matthew 22:45), Moses and his writings (Matthew 8:4; John 8:46), Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Matthew 8:11; John 8:39) [7].

The following conclusions must be drawn from this:

 Christ did not merely allude to these accounts, but He also authenticated the events in them as factual history to be completely trusted.

Those events include many of the controversial passages of the Old Testament – creation, the Flood, the major miracles including Jonah and the fish [8].

Are you a follower of Jesus Christ?  If so, are you abiding in His doctrine?

Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine (teaching) of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.  If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God       speed: For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.                      II John 1:9-11

It makes no sense and defies logic to call oneself a Christian while denying the Messiah’s teaching (doctrine).

…let the word of Christ dwell in you richly…

Note:  Reason and logic are not ruled out in the interpretation of Scripture.  For example, the word for the trinity is not found in Scripture, but the elements of the trinity are all there as one God in three persons.  God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, three persons, each one wholly God but one in essence, equals The Trinity.

When however, reason and logic lead us to a place where our conclusions violate the clear teaching and statements of Scripture, we then find ourselves in the company of heretics.  Scripture commands us to warn heretics and then to mark and avoid them if they refuse the warning.  The strong self-willed opinions of a heretic make God a liar by contradicting His Word.

For study and teaching, a Bible believer must have a reliable translation to work from.  I use the New King James Version MacArthur Study Bible.  The NKJV is an updated version of the old English KJV and is a reliable translation.   The MacArthur Study Bible version contains many helpful study notes.  Don’t be side tracked by the popular teaching today that the KJV is without error as are the original manuscripts, and that the KJV should be used to check all other translations.  This view of the KJV is a twisted interpretation of the doctrine of inspiration.

Every translation that we have available today will contain some sort of scribal error, perhaps a missed letter, jot, or tittle.  The amount of this sort of omission is minimal and has no effect on the basic doctrine of Scripture.  One should not doubt for a second that we have in our possession ninety-five per cent and more of the original writings.  Studies and research from the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls in the last century confirm this.

I use the King James version almost exclusively for quoting Scripture in this blog because I like the old King James English.  The NASB is also a reliable translation that can be used for comparative studies.   Although very popular, the NIV is not a true translation.  It is often referred to as a dynamic equivalent.

Do not use a paraphrase!  Paraphrases are not accurate and usually express someone’s opinion about what the Scripture says.  I have seen a paraphrase that inserts baptism into certain passages on salvation where it is not found in the original language.  Other paraphrases omit key words that teach sound doctrine.  This is adding to and taking away from Scripture.  God’s Word warns of judgment for such deception (Proverbs 30:5&6; Revelation 22:18&19).  Use a reliable translation!  We want to know what God says, not someone’s opinion of what He might have said.

[1] Verbal – the very words of Scripture.

[2] The Inspiration and Authority of the Bible – B.B. Warfield, pg 133 – Copyright 1948 – The Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Co., Phillipsburg, NJ.

[3] What You Should Know About Inerrancy – Charles C. Ryrie, pg 40 & 41 – Copyright 1981 – Moody Bible Institute of Chicago.

[4] (Ibid., 59 & 60).

[5] Definitions – W.E. Vines Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words – Copyright 1984, 1996, Thomas Nelson, Inc., Nashville, TN.

[6&7] What You Should Know About Inerrancy – Charles C. Ryrie, pg  77 & 78 –  Copyright 1981 – Moody Bible Institute of Chicago.

[8] (Ibid., 78)

Lectures in Systematic Theology – Part II Bibliology, pg 43 – 71, Henry C. Thiessen, Revised by Vernon D. Doerksen – Copyright 1979 – Wm B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Charles Hodge’s Systematic Theology – Vol 1, Chapter VI, pg 151 – 172,  Reprinted May 1977 – Wm B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., Grand Rapids, Michigan.

The Inspiration and Authority of Scripture – Rene’ Pache – Copyright 1969, The Moody Bible Institute of Chicago.

 

What is a doctrinal statement?

A doctrinal statement defines Christian teaching.  It should define the fundamental doctrines of Christianity. A doctrinal statement is a concise statement of basic Christian doctrine according to Scripture.

A fundamental doctrine is a truth from Scripture, without which, Christianity ceases to be Christianity.  It is called a fundamental doctrine because it is a foundational truth to Christianity.  Remove that doctrine and the house of Christianity becomes red tagged.  Fundamental doctrines are the load bearing walls of Christianity.  They hold the house up.

Before supporting, endorsing or receiving teaching from any ministry that calls itself Christian, a believer should review that ministry’s doctrinal statement.  If it does not subscribe to the basic doctrines of Christianity, then that ministry does not deserve one’s support and/or recognition as Christian.

Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.  If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: For        he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.                              I John 1:9-11

…let the word of Christ dwell in you richly…

Note:  One should also become familiar with a ministry before supporting and/or endorsing it even if the doctrinal statement is sound.  One should observe whether or not the actions of the ministry are consistent with their own statement of faith.

Search on this blog for “My Doctrinal Statement”.

The word which came unto Jeremiah from the LORD, when king Zedekiah sent unto him Pashur the son of Melchiah, and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest, saying,

Enquire, I pray thee, of the LORD for us; for Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon maketh war against us; if so be that the LORD will deal with us according to all his wondrous works, that he may go up from us.

Then said Jeremiah unto them, Thus shall ye say to Zedekiah:

Thus saith the LORD God of Israel; Behold, I will turn back the weapons of war that are in your hands, wherewith ye fight against the king of Babylon, and against the Chaldeans, which besiege you without the walls, and I will assemble them into the midst of this city.

And I myself will fight against you with an outstretched hand and with a strong arm, even in anger, and in fury, and in great wrath.  And I will smite the inhabitants of this city, both man and beast: they shall die of a great pestilence.

And afterward, saith the LORD, I will deliver Zedekiah king of Judah, and his servants, and the people, and such as are left in this city from the pestilence, from the sword, and from the famine, into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of those that seek their life: and he shall smite them with the edge of the sword; he shall not spare them, neither have pity, nor have mercy.

And unto this people thou shalt say, Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I set before you the way of life, and the way of death.

He that abideth in this city shall die by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence: but he that goeth out, and falleth to the Chaldeans that besiege you, he shall live, and his life shall be unto him for a prey.

For I have set my face against this city for evil, and not for good, saith the LORD: it shall be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire.

And touching the house of the king of Judah, say, Hear ye the word of the LORD;

O house of David, thus saith the LORD; Execute judgment in the morning, and deliver him that is spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor, lest my fury go out like fire, and burn that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings.

Behold, I am against thee, O inhabitant of the valley, and rock of the plain, saith the LORD; which say, Who shall come down against us? or who shall enter into our habitations?

But I will punish you according to the fruit of your doings, saith the LORD: and I will kindle a fire in the forest thereof, and it shall devour all things round about it.

Jeremiah 21:1-14

Note:  The preceding chapters in Jeremiah are about God’s warnings of judgment and His promises of mercy should Israel repent.  Refusing to repent, the leaders turned on Jeremiah, God’s prophet.  Chapter twenty-one reveals Judah’s King Zedekiah asking for mercy without repentance.  The Lord’s response fills the remainder of chapter twenty-one with a message of judgment which history records.  Repentance is a change of mind which results in a change of direction.  Without repentance, there is no mercy.

Thus saith the LORD; Go down to the house of the king of Judah, and speak there this word,

And say, Hear the word of the LORD, O king of Judah, that sittest upon the throne of David, thou, and thy servants, and thy people that enter in by these gates:

Thus saith the LORD; Execute ye judgment and righteousness, and deliver the spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor: and do no wrong, do no violence to the stranger, the fatherless, nor the widow, neither shed innocent blood in this place.

For if ye do this thing indeed, then shall there enter in by the gates of this house kings sitting upon the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, he, and his servants, and his people.

But if ye will not hear these words, I swear by myself, saith the LORD, that this house shall become a desolation.

For thus saith the LORD unto the king’s house of Judah; Thou art Gilead unto me, and the head of Lebanon: yet surely I will make thee a wilderness, and cities which are not inhabited.

And I will prepare destroyers against thee, every one with his weapons: and they shall cut down thy choice cedars, and cast them into the fire.

And many nations shall pass by this city, and they shall say every man to his neighbour, Wherefore hath the LORD done thus unto this great city?

Then they shall answer, Because they have forsaken the covenant of the LORD their God, and worshipped other gods, and served them.  Jeremiah 22:1-9

…let the word of Christ dwell in you richly…

The first step to understanding the Scripture is salvation.   

               But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. I Corinthians 2:14

…let the word of Christ dwell in you richly…

Note: See blog article The First Act of Obedience

Nebuchadnezzar the king, unto all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth; Peace be multiplied unto you.

I thought it good to shew the signs and wonders that the high God hath wrought toward me.

How great are his signs! and how mighty are his wonders! his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion is from generation to generation.

I Nebuchadnezzar was at rest in mine house, and flourishing in my palace:

I saw a dream which made me afraid, and the thoughts upon my bed and the visions of my head troubled me.

Therefore made I a decree to bring in all the wise men of Babylon before me, that they might make known unto me the interpretation of the dream.

Then came in the magicians, the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers: and I told the dream before them; but they did not make known unto me the interpretation thereof.

But at the last Daniel came in before me, whose name was Belteshazzar, according to the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods: and before him I told the dream, saying,

Belteshazzar, master of the magicians, because I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in thee, and no secret troubleth thee, tell me the visions of my dream that I have seen, and the interpretation thereof.

Thus were the visions of mine head in my bed; I saw, and behold a tree in the midst of the earth, and the height thereof was great.

The tree grew, and was strong, and the height thereof reached unto heaven, and the sight thereof to the end of all the earth:

The leaves thereof were fair, and the fruit thereof much, and in it was meat for all: the beasts of the field had shadow under it, and the fowls of the heaven dwelt in the boughs thereof, and all flesh was fed of it.

I saw in the visions of my head upon my bed, and, behold, a watcher and an holy one came down from heaven;

He cried aloud, and said thus, Hew down the tree, and cut off his branches, shake off his leaves, and scatter his fruit: let the beasts get away from under it, and the fowls from his branches:

Nevertheless leave the stump of his roots in the earth, even with a band of iron and brass, in the tender grass of the field; and let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts in the grass of the earth:

Let his heart be changed from man’s, and let a beast’s heart be given unto him; and let seven times pass over him.

This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones: to the intent that the living may know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men.

This dream I king Nebuchadnezzar have seen. Now thou, O Belteshazzar, declare the interpretation thereof, forasmuch as all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known unto me the interpretation: but thou art able; for the spirit of the holy gods is in thee.

Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was astonied for one hour, and his thoughts troubled him. The king spake, and said, Belteshazzar, let not the dream, or the interpretation thereof, trouble thee. Belteshazzar answered and said, My lord, the dream be to them that hate thee, and the interpretation thereof to thine enemies.

The tree that thou sawest, which grew, and was strong, whose height reached unto the heaven, and the sight thereof to all the earth;

Whose leaves were fair, and the fruit thereof much, and in it was meat for all; under which the beasts of the field dwelt, and upon whose branches the fowls of the heaven had their habitation:

It is thou, O king, that art grown and become strong: for thy greatness is grown, and reacheth unto heaven, and thy dominion to the end of the earth.

And whereas the king saw a watcher and an holy one coming down from heaven, and saying, Hew the tree down, and destroy it; yet leave the stump of the roots thereof in the earth, even with a band of iron and brass, in the tender grass of the field; and let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts of the field, till seven times pass over him;

This is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree of the most High, which is come upon my lord the king:

That they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and they shall wet thee with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over thee, till thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.

And whereas they commanded to leave the stump of the tree roots; thy kingdom shall be sure unto thee, after that thou shalt have known that the heavens do rule.

Wherefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable unto thee, and break off thy sins by righteousness, and thine iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor; if it may be a lengthening of thy tranquillity.

All this came upon the king Nebuchadnezzar.

At the end of twelve months he walked in the palace of the kingdom of Babylon.

The king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty?

While the word was in the king’s mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, saying, O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken; The kingdom is departed from thee.

And they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field: they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and seven times shall pass over thee, until thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.

The same hour was the thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar: and he was driven from men, and did eat grass as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hairs were grown like eagles’ feathers, and his nails like birds’ claws.

And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honoured him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation:

And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?

At the same time my reason returned unto me; and for the glory of my kingdom, mine honour and brightness returned unto me; and my counsellors and my lords sought unto me; and I was established in my kingdom, and excellent majesty was added unto me.

Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and his ways judgment: and those that walk in pride he is able to abase.

The Old Testament book of Daniel chapter four.

…let the word of Christ dwell in you richly…

Is God sovereign?  Yes, He is!  

Is man responsible?  Yes, he is!

Be sure to vote.

Note:  When voting one should vote for the man or woman who one thinks is most likely to bring our country in the direction of Biblical values.

We should ask God, as we vote, for His will to be done.

 

Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.

Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.

Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.

Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people.

Behold, thou shalt call a nation that thou knowest not, and nations that knew not thee shall run unto thee because of the LORD thy God, and for the Holy One of Israel; for he hath glorified thee.

Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:

Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.

For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:

So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.

Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the LORD for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.

Isaiah 55:1-13

…let the word of Messiah dwell in you richly…