What Does The Bible Say? Part 3

Issues Parts 3...

     Marriage is a sanctity of God.  I do not find in scripture anywhere when God says a man shall join with a man or a woman with a woman.  We were designed for procreation- man and woman.  That being said, we all struggle with the battle of the flesh, and we are all sinners.  However, God's "grace is sufficient."  Regardless of a person's choice, others should not be required to go against their Biblical beliefs.  Although current society is changing, God's Word is never-changing.  

     What does the Bible say?

Genesis 1:28 "And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it..."

Ephesians 5:31 "For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. "

Romans 1:25-32 "Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshiped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.   For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:   And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.   And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;   Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,  Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,   Without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:   Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

1 Corinthians 7:2  Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband."

Matthew 19:4-5 "And He answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that He which made them at the beginning made them male and female, and said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?"

    

    As we struggle with our own fleshly battles let us look to WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS, and remember Matthew 19:25, 26, "...With God, all things are possible." 

I like the words of Henry M. Morris.  "When the teachings of man conflict with the Word of God, it would be wise to go with God."

What Does The Bible Say? Part 2

More on issues at hand...
     I am not a doctor and do not know the specifics of how or when a life begins.  But I believe life starts in the womb, and it is a gift of God, not to be taken lightly or aborted at will.  The baby in the womb is a child; an actual breathing, feeling, human-being created by God.  

     So, "What does the Bible say?" Following are among a few:   

Psalm 127:3 "Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward."
Psalm 139:14-16  "I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.  My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.  Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them."
Psalm 127:3 "Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord and the fruit of the womb is His reward."

Isaiah 44:24 "Thus saith the Lord, thy redeemer, and He that formed thee from the womb, I am the Lord that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself."
Isaiah 49:15 "Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of he womb?  yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee."

Jeremiah 1:5 "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." 

Matthew 5:21  Ye have heard that it was said of them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment."
Deuteronomy 24:16 "The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, neither shall the children be put to death for the fathers: every man shall be put to death for his own sin."
Exodus 21:22 "if men strive, and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit depart from her, and yet no mischief follow: he shall be surely punished according as the woman's husband will lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges determine."

Matthew 19:14  "But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for such is the kingdom of heaven."
Luke 1:44 "For lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy."
     There are so many more verses to be researched and found in order to made sound decisions on moral issues.  Let us not forget Matthew 7:12 "Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets."
     So, WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY? 

What Does The Bible Say? Part 1

          When I consider the issues going on today and the politics being 'played', I have to STOP and ASK, "What does the Bible say?"

    I am not a scientist when it comes to knowing what is going on with so called "Global Warming".  What I do know is that we still have cold weather and hot weather.  It does seems like the hot weather is hotter and the cold weather does not seem to last as long, but that depends upon where you are located.  God is and will always be in control.  So, "What does the Bible say?" 

Genesis 8:22, "While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease."

     What I ask everyone to do is to "fact check" the Bible before making decisions and judgment calls.  

More to come....

Planting a Church

     I am excited about our church considering planting a church here in the United States.  We are a mission church and there is a need for missionaries within our country.  This is seen by the prevailing changes being made.  Who would have thought several years ago that citizens would be talking about allowing abortion up to term, changing the definition of marriage between the sexes, allowing transgenders into women's bathrooms, among many, many other issues being discussed and debated, and in such a hateful way?
      Yes, there is certainly a need for God-centered churches in the United States of America.  I will be proud to be a part of this mission work in my prayers and in my giving.  I thank God for those "willing to go."

The Story

     There is a song we sang in church as I was growing up and it was, "I Love To Tell The Story."  It is a beautiful song, and one of my favorites.  The refrain goes like this: 
I love to tell the story, 
’Twill be my theme in glory,
To tell the old, old story
Of Jesus and His love.

     Yet, if I had to summarize the story from Genesis to Revelations, how would I do it?  Let me try in a very simple form.

S avior ---This is God's Son, the One who died for me.

T ell the world-- We are commissioned to tell the world about Jesus. 

O pen your heart -- We are to open our hearts to the love of Jesus, and also love one another. 

R evive us again -- We are all sinners and have to repent daily.  

Y ahweh ---This is the One true God, the great I AM- The Beginning and the End.

Invitation

     Have you ever received an invitation and was so impressed you thought, "Wow! Why me?"
     In The Message version (Luke 14:10-11) it reads like this: "The next time you put on a dinner, don't just invite your friends and family and rich neighbors, the kind of people who will return the favor.  Invite some people who never get invited out, the misfits from the wrong side of the tracks.  You'll be - and experience - a blessing.  They won't be able to return the favor, but the favor will be returned - oh, how it will be returned - at the resurrection of God's people."
     God's invitation to heaven is to everyone, the poor, rich, and the misfits.  You see, God wants His house filled.  In verse 23 the Master says, "I want my house full."
     Everyone's invitation has been issued, and it came with a price.  "Wow! Why me?"  "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
     This is an invitation I have been blessed and honored to receive.  I accepted it when I was ten years old.  I, an undeserving misfit, am looking forward to the great banquet and praising the Guest of Honor.
   

Who Touched Me?

     "Who touched me?"  was the question Jesus asked of the woman wanting to be healed.  Jesus was not angry about the touch, but He felt it.  He even told the woman, "Be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole, go in peace."
     Jesus wants us to touch Him.  He wants us to look to Him for His touch.  He feels our distress and heals.  It is truly amazing what can happen in our lives if we will only seek Him in faith. 

Hebrews 11:1 "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."

Jeremiah 29:13 "And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart."

Forgiveness

     The hardest thing most of us have to do is to forgive.  I heard someone say this morning on a television show that "without forgiveness love dies".  This is so true.  We see it all around us today, especially in the media.  There seems to be no harmony, no willingness to do what is right because of the focus on revenge.  Not only do we stop loving others, but we are also not loving ourselves.
     There are so many scriptures in the Bible which tell us about forgiveness.  If we would take these to heart, our world would change.  The most important thing about forgiveness is what is it does to the one unwilling to forgive.  Harboring this need to resent, and actually hate, harms our own inner being.  So what do we do?  First of all, we need to seek scriptures found on forgiveness and apply them to our hearts, minds, and lives.  Then we STOP every aspect of our unwillingness to forgiveness. 
  S eek scripture
  T alk it out
  O vercome self
  P lan a change