(51) The Unborn

Here are the results from last month's poll:  Can an abortion ever be justified, morally speaking?  More than one choice was allowed to be picked since some have more than one reason why they feel this way.

• No, it's murder (58%)
• Yes, if baby is ill conceived  (47%)
• No, there is a bigger picture to see (47%)
• Yes, if threatens mother's life (35%)
• No for other reasons (35%)
• Yes, for other reasons  (17%)
• Yes, it's a woman's right (11%)
• Other (11%)

(50) The Sabbath

Old Earth, Young Earth?  Active God, inactive God?  These questions boil down to one topic; the Sabbath.  What is the Sabbath all about?  The Hebrew word for sabbath is "to cease".  But what did God cease doing that day?  To understand you have to read not Genesis 1, but Genesis 2. 1  And the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. 2  And on the seventh day God finished his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. 3  And God blessed the seventh day, and hallowed it; because that in it he rested from all his work which God had created and made. Here are the results to last month's poll:  When the Bible says that "on the 7th day, God rested", what does it mean? 40% said God no longer creates.  This is the correct answer.  When God rested, He ceased creating.  All that we know, all that we see and don't see has been created.  Things since have gone extinct.  Things have been discovered, but they have always been here.  Things may have adapted to the environment (in a non-evolutionary way), but they have always been here.  Phil Fairchild, a minister of Christ in West Virginia (http://str8heartphil.blogspot.com/), says this, "I had trouble with this (topic) until I read the whole text...God rested or finished creating because He was finished, thus the correct answer is God no longer creates...". He goes on to say that he belives a better answer to this question is God is finished creating, meaning He is done with all the beginning stuff, not making things new like new borns and changing lives of people, hence you are a new creation. 40% said Other.  What???? 13% said God no longer gets involved with His creation.  This is what Deists believe.  People from the Enlightenment times like John Locke, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Francois-Marie Arouet (Voltaire), and even Thomas Jefferson had this idea that God created and has walked away leaving the laws of nature to run time, space, and lives.  They believed everything could be explained.  Then why do we sin?  Why do we die?  Why do we live?  What is our purpose?  They may have had an answer for these questions but they could not prove it by their own standards.  How do we explain the super-natural if God does not get involved? 6% said The whole thing is just a metaphor.  This answer is by those who are stubborn as a mule. 0% said God doesn't exist so what does it matter.  Says the atheist.  You have the answer twisted.  It's not God doesn't exist so what does it matter, it is if God doesn't exist, then nothing matters. 0% said God literally let the world alone for awhile.  This is actually the second best answer.  God does intervene here and there.  But the main problem with this it is not Biblical.  When He said I AM, it just doesn't mean that He exists in the here and now.   It means He is everywhere, omniscient, and omnipotent. The Sabbath is all about what God did during the days of creation.  He spent six literal 24-hour periods, or something equivalent to that, creating the universe, galaxies, earth and all life as we know it, and then some.  He is the Creator, the Almighty.  Most who believe in an old earth also believe in an inactive God.  One who may have created but took 15 billion years to actually do something else or allowed the laws of nature to run its course.  Most who believe in a young earth also believe in an active God, one who never leaves, Hebrews 13:5. The Sabbath is now a holy day because God rested, or finished His creation.  It is a day of celebration.  It is a day to look back and marvel in what has been done.  Here is an interesting article on the Sabbath, http://www.truthseek.net/sabbath.html.

(49) The Book of Galatians

Church of the Proselytes.

Galatians was the first book that Paul wrote that we have still in our possession.  If he wrote anything earlier, we do not have access to it anymore.  It was written around 49 AD.  This is about 20 years after the Resurrection of Christ and about  10-15 years after Paul's conversion to follow Christ.  It was sent from him to the church in Galatia while he was in Antioch.

It has often been called the Magna Carta of Christian liberty and can be considered the sister book to Romans.

Galatia was a Roman province named after Gaul since many of its inhabitants were Gaulic (Celtic).  An early king of Asia Minor (Bithynia), Nicomedes, invited the Celts to help him conquer the land from his own brother and to capture the throne in 278 BC.  Rome took it over in 28 BC.  Galatia was easily taken over by Rome since the area was not unified due to the attitude of the Galatians.  They usually aligned themselves with the ones who were "on the winning side".  Rome did not trust their allegiance so they attacked them and took them over.

The Church in Galatia was started by Paul (Acts 16:4-6) and included the cities of Iconium and Lystra, but just like their attitude of switching allegiance so easily, the Galatians had a hard time holding on to the faith.  They were constantly trying to win their salvation by human effort, even though Paul had taught them that they were saved by Grace.  He wrote this letter to remind them not to fall back into their old ways.

Some main points in the book are:

1. Although we live in a physical world, we should be spiritual (2:20-21)
2. We are not better than Israel but we are part of God's chosen people, we are heirs to the Kingdom (3:36-4:7)
3. We are free since we have grace but that does not give us the right to abuse this freedom and "get away with things" (5:13-14)
4. The Spirit produces its fruit in believers (5:22-25)
5. Our actions have consequences (6:7-10)

It was written to correct false teachings about the law of Moses.  The Jewish believers were saying that faith in itself was not enough and that the ceremonies of the law were still needed.  And if anyone wanted to be a true believer in Jesus one must first be converted to Judaism first.  Neither of course is what Jesus taught.

(48) Don't bet on it!

Do you know that many people use the verse "the wages of sin is death" as scripture against gambling?  How dumb can you be?  All this is referring to is that you do not want to risk your eternal salvation by living a life of sin and thinking you are going to be okay.  It has nothing to do with gambling.  Some use the scripture about lazy hands making a man poor but diligent hands bring wealth as being against gambling.  This is a little closer.  Those who gamble try to get money without earning it and most walk away from the table/machine poorer than when they came.  But the best scripture that can be used against gambling is Proverbs 28:22.

• He who is greedy rushes after riches, not knowing that want will overtake him.

Of course, there is no scripture that supports gambling but notice, it does not call it a sin.  It just means that if all we focus on all the riches of money then we lose our lives.  Not that we die because of gambling or going after riches, but that we lose things that are important to us.  It is a warning that if all we do is focus on our greed then greed will control us.   This is where the sin comes in; if we allow anything to control us then the action gets in the way of doing what we are supposed to be doing, hence a sin of omission by commission.

Here are the results from last month's poll:  Is gambling a sin?

• 37% said yes.
• 37% said maybe.
• 12% said no.
• 12% said it depends.

Now if that isn't clear then what is?   Here is an interesting article  http://bible.org/seriespage/money-money-money.

(47) You're going, whether you like it or not.

With all of our troubles we tend to blame other people.  If we commit a crime, it was the way our parents treated us when we were younger.  If we turn to substances it must have been the way our relationships have gone.  If we fail at something it must have been someone else we were working with on the project that did not do their part.  If we forgot to do something it must have been because no one reminded us to do it.  If you stub your toe, did you do it because you were forced to do it or because you are too stupid to watch where you are going?  Here are the results to the last poll:  Do you believe in predestination?

• (50%)  No. We have complete free will.  As predicted, since most who come to this site are Christians, most people would have answered this way.  There are many clues in the Bible that point us to this thinking.  Such as: if my people, who 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.-1 Chronicles 7:14, And if it seem evil unto you to serve Jehovah, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve Jehovah.-Joshua 24:15, and even the whole Sermon on the Mount tells us not to do and not to do certain things.  If we did not have free will then Jesus would never have told us what was right and wrong.
• (30%)  Not sure.  Good answer.
• (11%)  Yes. But only a certain few.  Judas, Jesus, Adam, Paul.  Some things in their lives seem like they were destined to do, as if they had no choice. Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done.- Luke 22:42, Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me-- to keep me from exalting myself!- 2 Cornithians 12:7, and The Son of Man is to go, just as it is written of Him; but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had not been born.- Matthew 26:24.  But no where in scripture does it say that the average person can not choose his own destiny.
• (7%) Yes. Our lives were predetermined. We have no control.  The Bible does not teach that all have no control over their destiny.  This would defeat all purpose of creation.  If God predestines His creation then there is no love there.  Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.   Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.- 1 Corinthians 13:4-8.  If love is patient, then  it is not forced on you.  If love is kind, then it is not vengeful.  If love is not proud, then it is not demanding.  If is is not self-seeking then it allows other to choose.  Scritpure says God is love.

Fore knowledge is not the same thing as presdestination.  Yes.  God knows what your decision will be but in all situations there are choices for you to make.  Some people quote scripture as saying God never changes.  That is true, but the meaning of that is that God is always God.  His values never changes.  His Word never changes.  His standards are never dropped.  His love does not fail.  But nothing points to Him not changing His mind.  In fact scripture says He did change His mind, a couple of times.  Maybe in those incidences, His heart was so full of compassion for His creation that He intervened.  If He intervenes then thagt gives us the power and freedom to ask Him anything.  But be careful what you wish for, you just might get it.

(46) The Book of John

A personal friend and Savior.

John, the "disciple whom Jesus loved", was a son of Zebedee and Salome.  He was a younger brother to another Apostle named James.  He was perhaps a cousin to Jesus Himself.  Jesus called him a son of thunder.  His Hebrew name of Yochanan means, God gives grace.  John is considered Jesus' closest companion, even though Peter stands out to be the one Jesus turns to when He starts the Church.  The book was written around 90 AD, probably from Ephesus.

Here are some interesting facts about the book:

• 90% of the book is unique
• This book shows more human emotions of Jesus than the rest
• There are more direct statements from Jesus on who He was
• Focuses on people's reactions to Jesus
• God is mentioned as the Father over 100 times
• Many of his themes are collected into groups of seven
• Each chapter shows Jesus in a different role as Savior
• There are less miracles, healings, and parables in this book than the rest
• 50% of the book is about Jesus' last days
• Has two chapters that tell what happens after the Resurrection
• Last verse was probably not written by John until after his own death, only verse in the Gospels that is first person view.

Who was John?  His father was Zebedee.  His mother was Salome.  His profession was a fisherman.  No only was that his job apparently they were prosperous at the job because scripture says he and his associates had hired help.  Maybe this prosperity gave him an attitude problem.  From some of the words we read about him, he and his brother, he was egotistical; thinking he and his brother should get to sit at the right hand of Jesus (Mark 10:35-41).  Even to ask such a question took chutzpah.  He was bold by thinking they could do the same things as Jesus like driving out demons.  He felt like he was given power and authority before it was actually given to him because he was going to "call down fire" upon people.  But after all of this within a few years of following Jesus, his heart was changed.  He would eventually become the most loved and the most faithful.  He stood by Jesus' side until the end.  He was there in the Garden.  He was there at the Cross.  And he was there at the Grave.  Jesus loved him so much that at His death He handed His own mother over to John to be cared for and watched over by him.  He must have done exactly what Jesus told him to do because after the first chapters of Acts  no one hears about him again until the Revelation. Tradition says that John died of old age.  If that is so he is the only one of the 12 who did.  For more on his life see:
http://ideasoftimbible.blogspot.com/search/label/John

What was his gospel about?  Jesus, the man.  It shows his feelings, emotions, and His his divinity at the same time.  It shows that His promise of eternal life is for everyone...who accepts it.

Why was it written?  So people who are looking for a personal relationship with God can find it.  This book is the simplest of them all to understand since it focuses on people's reaction to who Jesus was.  But unfortunately no one knows how to be in a relationship anymore since we are all viral and electronically motivated.  No one cares about relationships anymore.

(45) The Book of Luke

Theanthropos, the God Man.

Luke actually wrote two books but they could be considered the same book.  He also wrote Acts.  Both of these are to the same person, Theophilus.  Both are a collection of facts either gathered by Luke or witnessed by Luke.  You can tell which one by the viewpoint (1st, 2nd, and/or 3rd).  He switches back and forth to show the reader which ones he was told and which ones he saw.  Luke was not an eye witness of the resurrection but he was a close companion to Paul and witnessed many miracles and hardships that we know about Paul.  The book was written a little before 65 AD, probably in Caesarea.  Some resources feel he talked to Mary and John as well to get much of the story.

Here are some interesting facts about the book:

• It is the longest of the gospels
• It is more of a historical account rather than a preachable letter
• 500 verses are unique to this book alone
• There are more women documented in this book than the rest
• More parables are mentioned here than the rest
• Only book written in the Bible by a non-Hebrew
• Has many verses dedicated to Jesus' childhood

Who was Luke?  He was a doctor (Colossians 4:14).  Being a doctor he must have been a trusted record keeper.  Notice the geneology he writes goes all the way back to Adam.  He also carefully documented and investigated all he heard and saw (1:3-4).  He was not Hebrew.  He was Greek nut that doesn't mean he wasn't Jewish.  But for the most part we can assume he was not Jewish.  he was a faithful friend because he stuck it out with Paul until the end; even when Paul was locked up on his last breath, Luke was there (2 Timothy 4:11).  Tradition says that Luke died in his sleep at the age of 84.

What was his gospel book about?   Almost every major part of each story you read from this book (besides the the things that are repeated in the other book) has some indication or notion that Christ came to save people, all people, even the ones we consider "outcasts" of society.  He came to give the hopelesss, hope.  He came to give the homeless, a home.  He came to give those who unloved, love.

Why was it written?  For those who feel lost can feel found again.  The problem is we live in a society where people do not know they are lost.  Pride gets in their eyes.  They think they have all of their bases covered and that they do not need God.  It is like the movie Sixth Sense:  "I see dead people.  They don't know they're dead.".  People laugh it off and make jokes about it because they do not realize they are lost.  But deep down inside there is something calling to them, perhaps screaming at them, to wake up to the truth.  Otherwise, they would not be reading things like this to get answers.