WHAT IS TRUTH? PART 2
Before understanding how to define the interpretation of a piece of source material, an explanation of the truth behind the source material is required. Now that the validity of the source material is defined we can begin understanding the context in which we need to interpret the source.

PART 2: INTERPRETATION OF BIBLICAL SCRIPTURE
AUDIENCE ESTABLISHMENT
There are two audiences that may be reading this blog: those who do not believe and are seeking the truth and those who believe in the truth and want to learn more.

FOR THOSE WHO HAVE YET TO BELIEVE AND SEEK THE TRUTH
There may be those that are reading this article that are still skeptical about the Word of God and it’s validity. That is perfectly understandable; however I challenge you to ask God to reveal Himself through His Word to you. I have no doubt in my mind that if you truly ask to know the truth about Him that He will give you the insight through the Holy Spirit (I will explain more about this in the following section). So grab a Bible and sit down – ask God “Lord, I want to know the truth. I want to know that You are real. Show me that You are real. Show me who You are through this book I hold in my hands.”

I suggest starting with the book of John. It reads like a novel and it details exactly who Jesus is and what He came to do. I have no doubts that your questions will be answered by John the beloved.

Jesus said:
John 10:9
“I am the door, if anyone enters by me, he will be saved…”

John 10:14-15
14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.

FOR THOSE THAT BELIEVE AND SEEK TO KNOW HIM MORE
As a Christian, you have a tool at your disposal that beats any tool that you could ever be given here on Earth, the Holy Spirit. There are many facets to the Holy Spirit that help us but one of His main functions is to explain to us what we read in scripture.

1 John 4:9-16
9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us. 13 By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. 14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16 So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.

He, the Holy Spirit, will reveal and confirm that we are part of the family of God.

Romans 8:14-17
14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs–heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

THE HOLY SPIRIT AND HOW HE RELATES TO THE INTERPRETATION OF SCRIPTURE
THE HOLY SPIRIT – WHO IS HE?
Simply put the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God. He is part of the trinity that is God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit (Ghost). There is only one God with three distinct roles in our lives. All through the scripture God is presented in plural but with a singular verb attached. Grammatically it is incorrect to do so but He is the exception to grammatical rules.

Genesis 1:1
1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
בראשׁית ברא אלהים את השׁמים ואת הארץ׃

In the Hebrew for Genesis 1:1 the word for God is Elohim but it is used with a singular verb bara. Grammatically incorrect but we are given a clue to the plurality of God through the way the text is written. This idea is also represented in the English translation of Genesis 1:26 “Let us make man in our own image.” Psalm 2 is another great example of a dialog amongst the trinity that will bring the concept to a new level for you. I encourage you to take some time reading and understanding Psalm 2 to grasp the awe inspiring beauty of the Word of God. In order to understand it however, you must have the Holy Spirit to guide and explain it to you.

HOW TO INTERPRET SCRIPTURE
Before I became a Christian, I would sit and wonder where I came from, what I was doing here, where was I going – what is the meaning of this life… These are all good questions. Unfortunately, no one on earth had a good answer to those questions. Sure, you have people that try with self help books, videos, and talk shows like Oprah or Dr. Phil but who gives these people the authority to know the meaning of life, they are human – just like me. No – there had to be something else… so I began my search.

Little did I know that as I searched, the Holy Spirit of God was leading me to a place in my life where I could begin my journey with Jesus Christ. I was convicted by the Holy Spirit at a revival and I was told by God that I was a born a sinner and would die because of it. However, I had an option not to die. I could give my life to Him through Jesus Christ the Son and that Jesus paid the price for my sin and that I would not die with Him as my intercessor to God the Father.

John 3:36
36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.

Once I had accepted Jesus as my Lord as my savior – the Word of God was now exposed to me. I could understand things in scripture that I had not seen before. The Holy Spirit guides you through reading and interpreting the scripture by integrating life experience with bible application. You may read a verse one day and get something completely different the next based on what you are going through at the time. If there is one thing I have found about God’s Word – it’s a multilevel information system with multiple applications. No longer would I have to depend on someone else for interpretation, God is the superseding authority that defines what the meaning of life actually is. He had a plan for me… He has a plan for everyone.

OBEDIENCE AND RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT
Understand first and foremost, once we have given our lives to Christ, no man, including ourselves, can remove us from His hands. However, we must obey what He commands through the Holy Spirit. This is not a subservient relationship – it is more like a father to a son or daughter. He wants what is best for us. He tells us things that are for our own good because He knows better than we do what we need. It is our responsibility to Him that we seek what He wants for our lives and not what we want. If we do disobey, and mark my words we will, He steps back from us. He never leaves but He does wait for us to come back to Him and realize what we have done incorrectly. Punishment for disobedience does happen and most often will but He still loves us unconditionally.

CONCLUSION
God has the authority over interpretation of scripture and He will lead you through it with the Holy Spirit. It is imperative that a relationship be established through Jesus Christ the Son in order to benefit from the grace and truth that is given through the Word of God. Through grace, Jesus paid the price for your sin and it is a free gift to all who are willing to hear the voice of conviction from the Holy Spirit.

PART3: I will discuss THE FOLLOWING OF MEN – stay tuned because…
If it looks like a Christian, works like a Christian and talks like a Christian – might mean it’s actually a WOLF.

WHAT IS TRUTH? PART 1
From my last blog (My Lord and My God), I received a very good question – I wanted to be able to share this with others because it is very important…

The Question: I think I’m confused over what the definition of “works” is. I have this vision of good (biblically sanctioned) deeds in my mind. Don’t Christians that perform works already have faith? I could see your point if you were referring to someone who didn’t have faith, but I’m not sure that is the point here. The more I read about the different religions and many denominations and sub-denominations that constantly battle one another over the one “true” way, the harder it is to believe there is a universal truth, there are simply too many shades of gray. I am not looking to be in conflict with you here, but I am honestly wondering how someone with the obvious faith you have responds to the idea of following one particular interpretation, of one particular man (pastor), of one particular denomination, of one particular faith, amidst all the other (perhaps equally valid) claims?

It essentially boils down to how do you determine the truth. I am going to do my best by hitting the highlights without losing too much of the meaning of the topics that follow, there is only so much you can put in a blog. Unfortunately, I’m not going to be able to go into specific detail about everything I want to discuss – it would take a year to blog about it. If anyone has any questions feel free to respond accordingly and other blogs may spring forth over time out of your questions as well. I will address the issue of “works” in the Faith portion of the blog as it relates to Faith but I want to keep the focus on the overall issue of truth.

While thinking about how I would respond to the question, the Holy Spirit brought to my attention something that I had forgotten about in scripture – a dialog between two individuals that brings forth this very issue.

John 18:33-38 (ESV)

33 So Pilate entered his headquarters again and called Jesus and said to him, “Are you the King of the Jews?”

34 Jesus answered, “Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?”

35 Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you over to me. What have you done?”

36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.”

37 Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world–to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.”

38 Pilate said to him, “What is truth?” After he had said this, he went back outside to the Jews and told them, “I find no guilt in him.

Pilate wanted to know the real deal and people today still struggle with the same question – WHAT IS TRUTH?

PART 1: THE BIBLE (THE TRUE WORD OF GOD)
Before we get into the interpretation of the Bible there are few things that need to be understood about how the text was written and some information on the current circulating translations that currently exist.

So what is the Bible and how did we get it?
The word Bible is derived through Latin from the Greek word biblia, which is a diminutive of biblios, which denotes any kind of written document, but originally one written on papyrus. It is comprised of 66 books written by 40 different authors over a period of 2000 years. It is written in two languages – the old testament in Hebrew and the new testament in Greek.

Hebrew: The Hebrew alphabet is semantic, not just phonetic (letters associated with a numerical value). The vowels are implied (YHWH –Yahweh when translated). It has a vividness, conciseness, and simplicity that make it difficult to translate fully. It takes typically twice as many English words to translate Hebrew.

Greek: Beautiful, rich, and harmonious; a fitting tool both for vigorous thought and religious devotion. Characterized by strength and vigor; the language of argument, with a vocabulary and style that could penetrate and clarify phenomena rather than simply describe. After the conquests of Alexander the Great encouraged the spread of the Greek culture and language, regional dialects were replaced by the Hellenistic or common Greek.

The first full Greek translation of the Bible is called the Septuagint and it was translated in stages between the 3rd and 1st centuries BC in Alexandria. From there it was translated into Latin and then into English by John Wycliffe (1329-1384), considered the first to do the translation. There were others that also translated the Bible from Latin and Greek over the course of the next 300 years until 1607 when more than 50 scholars, through prayerful committees reviewed 5556 manuscripts available created the King James Version. The KJV of 1611 was sporadically altered until 1769, but was not thoroughly updated until the creation of the Revised Version in 1885. Read More on King James Translation

Modern Translation
With any translation from the original languages there will be information lost in translation.  That is why it extremely important to choose a translation that has references back to the original languages so that studying the original intent is not lost. Always keep in mind that when translations are paraphrased the intent of the scripture may be skewed beyond mere translational issues. Read more on Modern Translations

Historical and Archaeological validity
I do not want to go into the actual details involving the historical and archaeological evidence here because that is more than a blog can handle, however Josh McDowell has gone to great lengths to show how valid the bible is as a historical text and makes the case that the bible is indeed the true Word of God in his book, The New Evidence That Demands a Verdict.

What does the Word of God say about itself?

John 1:1
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

John 1:14
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

John 1:17
17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

So what does this say about the Word of God? In John 1:1, the Word has been there from the beginning and it was with God and it was also God. In John 1:14, the Word became flesh, dwelt among us as a man and was the only Son of God the Father. He was also full of grace and truth. In John 1:17, grace and truth were to be given through Jesus Christ.

What is truth?

John 18:37-38 (ESV)
37 Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world–to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.”

38 Pilate said to him, “What is truth?” After he had said this, he went back outside to the Jews and told them, “I find no guilt in him.

Conclusion to the truth of the Word of God

• Christ came to bear witness to the truth, which is the Word of God.
• The Word of God became flesh in Jesus Christ.
• Jesus Christ came to fulfill the Word of God so that He could bear witness to Himself and bring grace and truth so that all who are of the truth can listen to His voice for His purpose.

PART 2: I will discuss the interpretation of the Word of God – stay tuned…

This is an interesting article by Jack Kelley that explains how different religions portray the same Jesus and at the end explains how the bible portrays Jesus.

Seven Men Named Jesus by Jack Kelley

I wanted to send this out because of a couple of visitors I had to the house the other day. They were adamant that works were the key to heaven and that if they did as they were told and were deemed worthy by their church and God that they would receive the opportunity of heaven. Many religions claim Jesus but not all claim that Jesus is God – what does the bible have to say about this – is it clear? I gave them a couple of examples and had them scratching their heads when they left. Since that encounter I’ve spent quite a few hours making sure that position of Grace by Faith and not by Works is well justified in scripture – I knew this but I wanted to make sure I could convey this if need be again to any other visitors by citing exact scripture passages. I found the following in Galatians that summed up what I was thinking and wanted to convey the next go around.

Gal 3:1 O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified.
Gal 3:2 Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith?
Gal 3:3 Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?
Gal 3:4 Did you suffer so many things in vain–if indeed it was in vain?
Gal 3:5 Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith–
Gal 3:6 just as Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”?
Gal 3:7 Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham.
Gal 3:8 And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.”
Gal 3:9 So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.
Gal 3:10 For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.”
Gal 3:11 Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for “The righteous shall live by faith.”
Gal 3:12 But the law is not of faith, rather “The one who does them shall live by them.”
Gal 3:13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us–for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”–
Gal 3:14 so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.

These guys quoted James 2:24 to me “You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.” and he made a point that works is the key to faith… I told him that I was sorry he saw it that way and that he needed to go back over James again.

James 2:21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar?
James 2:22 You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works;
James 2:23 and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”–and he was called a friend of God.

It was Abraham’s faith and love for God that brought about the works – not the other way around. I also would like to point that Abraham was called a friend of God – not a brother… these guys considered Christ a brother… I had to set them straight.

Paul was very clear in that aspect of the role of Christ. He also brings the fact of that it is only by Faith that we are justified and not by works.

Php 3:8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ
Php 3:9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith–
Php 3:10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,
Php 3:11 that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

Thomas also had this to say after Jesus had been resurrected and he realized to whom he was speaking…

John 20:27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.”
John 20:28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!”

If you have a knock at the door one day – keep these verses in mind… Christ is not your brother – He is your God and that you are justified by faith and not by works… sometimes we take knowing this for granted. These guys have been deceived by their church (LDS) – it’s up to us to set them straight as to who God actually is and how to get there by faith in Christ.

I’m sure everyone has heard about this event – you might have even seen it live… but I just have to commend this young lady, contestant Carrie Prejean, for standing by her beliefs and stepping out in front of a live audience for God. There were many people watching and hopefully some of them got the message that God is still out there and yes there are still those that believe.

She was asked the question:”Vermont recently became the fourth state to legalize same-sex marriage; do you think every state should follow suit?” by Perez Hilton – unfortunately for him, he did not get the answer he wanted to hear.

Jude 1:10
But these people blaspheme all that they do not understand, and they are destroyed by all that they, like unreasoning animals, understand instinctively.

Hilton went on a angry spew of vulgarities in his video blog and then for several news media outlets. He called her the “B” word and later said that he really wanted to call her another word that was even more foul. Taking a cue from his anger, Hollywood actors have now jumped on his bandwagon by verbally lashing out against this young woman’s Godly conviction and even creating spoofs that outright mock God. If they only knew what they were doing… God’s justice is swiftly righteous and I would definitely not want to be on the receiving end of it.

Matt 24:37-39
37 For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
38 For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark,
39 and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.

The days of Noah are here – you can almost hear the footsteps of the Messiah – His Kingdom come – His Will be done… rejoice for those in Christ have hope – spread the good news to your friends, family and all those who come in contact with you.

Satan has enjoyed corrupting man for thousands of years. 2009 is no different. It is so important to understand what you believe in and why you believe in it. Societies today are full of wolves who prey on those who do not understand the Word of God. The following videos are a couple of examples of how Satan in currently corrupting and purposely leading astray individuals who claim to be Christian believers but are easily swayed because they are not familiar enough with the Word of God to combat this type of sabotage.

The man above mentioned no scripture at all. He wasn’t even sure what book of the bible had the point that he was trying to make. He just keeps laughing and laughing and laughing – repeating the “Joy of the Lord.” And yes – people are listening to this guy.

Matthew 7:15-23

15 Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
16 You shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
17 Even so every good tree brings forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree brings forth evil fruit.
18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
19 Every tree that brings not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
20 Therefore by their fruits you shall know them.
21 Not every one that says unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name? and in your name have cast out demons? and in your name done many wonderful works?
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, you that work iniquity.

Understand that Satan does know enough scripture to twist and corrupt but he cannot understand it. His goal is to corrupt what God has created. That includes us. If he can corrupt an individual and lead others down that same path, he has accomplished his goal.

In order for him to corrupt on a massive scale, sometimes he will use movies or documentaries to employ false doctrine. The Da Vinci Code, Religulous, and Zeitgeist are some great examples of false teachings made to look like fact in order to usurp Christians and Non Christians.

• The Da Vinci Code (Movie) – In the novel Leigh Teabing explains to Sophie Neveu that the figure at the right hand of Jesus in Leonardo da Vinci’s painting of “The Last Supper” is not the apostle John, but actually Mary Magdalene. According to the book, Mary Magdalene was the wife of Jesus Christ and was pregnant with his child when Jesus was crucified. The absence of a chalice in Leonardo’s painting indicates that Leonardo knew that Mary Magdalene was the actual Holy Grail and the bearer of Jesus’ blood in the form of the child she was carrying.

• Religulous (Documentary) – The film is written by and starring political comedian Bill Maher. According to Maher, the title of the film is a portmanteau derived from the words “religion” and “ridiculous”; the documentary examines and satirizes organized religion and religious belief. Maher says, “Faith means making a virtue out of not thinking. It’s nothing to brag about. And those who preach faith and enable and elevate it are intellectual slave holders, keeping mankind in a bondage to fantasy and nonsense that has spawned and justified so much lunacy and destruction.”

• Zeitgeist (Documentary) – Zeitgeist was released online for free on Google video on June 26, 2007 and has since been translated into several languages. For a time it reached the top of the chart of “most viewed” videos available through Google video. It won the award in the “Artivist Spirit” category for feature-length documentaries. Part I, entitled “The Greatest Story Ever Told” questions religions as original god-given stories, arguing the Christian religion specifically is mainly derived from other religions, astronomical facts, astrological myths and traditions; in turn derived from or sharing elements with other ones. In furtherance of the Jesus myth hypothesis, this part argues that the historical Jesus is a literary and astrological hybrid, nurtured politically in the interest of control. The following is a clip from this film…

This documentary written and narrated by Peter Joseph concludes Jesus of Nazareth is merely a fictional character, a combination of many fabled solar messiahs. It is full of complete fiction but presents everything with a “matter of fact” attitude. Unfortunately it has led individuals into oblivion with its ridiculous falsehood. Most of the “facts” in the film about Christianity as well as the other gods that are presented are proven false by a simple search in Wikipedia. The “Three Kings” that he relies heavily on in this clip are completely false in all the stories that he mentions. The major error he makes is with scripture, which never mentions “three kings.” Wise men – yes but it never associates a number with them.

Matthew 2:7 Then Herod, when he had privately called the wise men, inquired of them diligently what time the star appeared.

We are constantly bombarded with corruption of the Word. That is why it is so important that we understand it and distinguish fact from fiction. We must choose to read the Word daily and grow so that we may help ourselves and others to understand that these are false teachings.

Luke 8:10-15
10 …Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand.
11 Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.
12 Those by the wayside are they that hear; then comes the devil, and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.
13 Those on the rock are they, who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, who for awhile believe, and in time of temptation fall away.
14 And that which fell among thorns are they, who, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to maturity.
15 But that on the good ground are they, who in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.

Avoid being an individual “by the wayside.” Those who hear but allow the devil to take the word out of their hearts.
Avoid being an individual “on the rock.” Those who hear and receive with joy but during temptation fall away.
Avoid being an individual “among thorns.” Those who hear and go forth but are choked by the cares and pleasures of the world.
Be an individual on good ground! Who have heard the Word and keep it!

We must learn to defend ourselves against the corruption that Satan will throw our way daily.

Ephesians 6:10-13
10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in heavenly places.
13 Therefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Otherwise you may find your faith shaken and undermined by the philosophies of others who put authority in their own voice by using modern technologies to amplify that voice.

It’s been a few days – too many things going on at the house. Here is some scripture that I want to bring up that has been fulfilled time and again. God always keeps His promises – ALWAYS.

Gen 12:1-3
1 Now Yahweh said to Abram, “Get out of your country, and from your relatives, and from your father’s house, to the land that I will show you. 2 I will make of you a great nation. I will bless you and make your name great. You will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you. All of the families of the earth will be blessed in you.”

Gen 17:3-9
3 Abram fell on his face. God talked with him, saying, 4 “As for me, behold, my covenant is with you. You will be the father of a multitude of nations. 5 Neither will your name any more be called Abram, but your name will be Abraham; for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations. 6 I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make nations of you. Kings will come out of you. 7 I will establish my covenant between me and you and your seed after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God to you and to your seed after you. 8 I will give to you, and to your seed after you, the land where you are traveling, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession. I will be their God.” 9 God said to Abraham, “As for you, you will keep my covenant, you and your seed after you throughout their generations.

Since 1948, the United States have been an ally to Israel. It has only seriously come into question recently, due to the policies and comments under the new administration. Former US Ambassador to the UN John Bolton noted that Obama and his advisers have adopted the theory that the “overwhelming bulk of other Middle East grievances, wholly or partly, stem from Israel’s founding and continued existence” in a recent New York Post column. He has also made comments regarding this on several talk shows.

Here is an article from Israel Today noting Bolton’s comments.

Obama is bad for Israel, warns Bolton
Despite his efforts to appear as an impartial peace broker, US President Barack Obama’s words and actions over the past month prove his presidency could be very dangerous for Israel, warned former US Ambassador to the UN John Bolton.

In a weekend column for the New York Post, Bolton noted that Obama and his advisors have adopted the theory that the “overwhelming bulk of other Middle East grievances, wholly or partly, stem from Israel’s founding and continued existence.”

As such, Obama – either directly or through his Middle East envoy, George Mitchell – is expected to ramp up pressure on Israel to meet the Arabs’ untenable demands, from the surrender of strategic land to the opening of Israel’s doors to untold millions of so-called Palestinian “refugees.”

Israeli officials have already noted a sharp increase in stern warnings from Washington for Israel to accelerate the peace process, despite ongoing non-compliance by the Palestinians.

The Obama Administration has also made it clear that nothing but a fully independent and sovereign Palestinian Arab state will be acceptable as the final goal of the peace process.

That position contrasts that of incoming Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who insists that the Palestinians have demonstrated that they will use such a state to further threaten Israel, and therefore should not be granted full sovereignty.

Secretary of State Clinton and President Obama, are pushing hard for a two state solution. Unfortunately this ultimately undermines the sovereignty of Israel and gives validity to the Palestinians. Check out this clip from you tube to get some reaction from the Jewish community on this issue.

If this administration does push to undermine the sovereignty of Israel, it will leave the United States in a problematic position. If God decides to fulfill His promise to Abraham at this particular juncture then the United States may be in for some rough times ahead.

I am currently reading a book called Isralestine by Bill Salus. In this, Salus makes the case that Psalm 83 will happen prior to the Gog/Magog Invasion of Ezekiel 38 and 39. It’s very likely that it may occur in that order because this would set Israel up to be a great nation for 38 and 39. Now why do I bring this up today? Well, I saw a couple of articles that peaked my interest today and it reminded of a few verses from Psalm 83 (verse 2-8).

Psalm 83
1 A song. A Psalm by Asaph.
God, don’t keep silent.
Don’t keep silent,
and don’t be still, God.

2 For, behold, your enemies are stirred up.
Those who hate you have lifted up their heads.

3 They conspire with cunning against your people.
They plot against your cherished ones.

4 “Come,” they say, “and let’s destroy them as a nation,
that the name of Israel may be remembered no more.”

5 For they have conspired together with one mind.
They form an alliance against you.

6 The tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites;
Moab, and the Hagrites;

7 Gebal, Ammon, and Amalek;
Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre;

8 Assyria also is joined with them.
They have helped the children of Lot.

9 Do to them as you did to Midian,
as to Sisera, as to Jabin, at the river Kishon;

10 who perished at Endor,
who became as dung for the earth.

11 Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb;
yes, all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna;

12 who said, “Let us take possession of God’s pasturelands.”

13 My God, make them like tumbleweed;
like chaff before the wind.

14 As the fire that burns the forest,
as the flame that sets the mountains on fire,

15 so pursue them with your tempest,
and terrify them with your storm.

16 Fill their faces with confusion,
that they may seek your name, Yahweh.

17 Let them be disappointed and dismayed forever.
Yes, let them be confounded and perish;

18 that they may know that you alone, whose name is Yahweh,
are the Most High over all the earth.

There are several references to different cultures in Psalm 83 that will take up arms against Israel in an attempt to take over the Holy Land. What really peaked my interest were the two following articles that were released today about Saudi Arabia, Syria and the Palestinians (Fatah and Hamas) who’s ancestors are mentioned in Psalm 83.

From Reuters
Saudi and Syrian leaders to meet as ties warm

RIYADH (Reuters) – Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad will hold talks with King Abdullah on Wednesday in Riyadh, in the clearest sign of a thaw in ties between two Arab countries that have been at odds over regional issues.

The two leaders will discuss “ways to bolster bilateral ties, as well as regional and international issues of common interest,” state news agency SPA said.

King Abdullah will also meet Egypt’s President Hosni Mubarak in Riyadh on Wednesday, the agency said. It did not draw a link between the visits.

Saudi media have reported that Riyadh will this week host a mini-summit of the leaders of Egypt, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Syria. Read More…

From BBC News
Palestinians launch unity talks

Rival Palestinian factions are meeting in Cairo, at the start of a process they hope will pave the way for a national unity government.

Cross-party committees are due to start work on a number of key issues.

The most challenging ones are reforming the security services and the Palestine Liberation Organisation.

The Fatah and Hamas sides have fundamental differences over how to deal with Israel. While Fatah has renounced violence, Hamas refuses to recognise Israel. Hamas is prepared to accept a short-term truce but it reserves the right to fight Israel. Read More…

Edom and the Ishmaelites were in land occupied by southern Jordan today while the territories of Moab and Ammon make up the rest of that country. 70% of Jordan’s population is “Palestinian” and the country was formed to be the Palestinian home land. The Hagrites were part of Aram, whose capitol was Damascus in modern Syria. Gebal and Tyre can still be found in present day Lebanon. The Amalekites lived in Israel’s southern desert and Philistia settled in Gaza on Israel’s southern border.

All the peoples mentioned in Psalm 83 are the ancestors of the current Arabic nations that surround Israel. The puzzle pieces of these alliances are making their way onto the board and quite possibly could come together in the near future to form the image of Psalm 83.

The Dow Jones Industrial has plunged to a 12 year low in the last couple of days (below 7000) and people are losing their retirement at record pace. Those that have 401ks, IRAs, pensions or any other retirement plan dealing with stocks have been left breathless by the sucker punch of today’s market. People are scrambling to put money into anything that might maintain at least some kind of stability.

Unfortunately that is not the only issue looming on the horizon of this financial crisis. Hyperinflation is the next major blow in this volatile economic scenario. The definition used by most economists is “an inflationary cycle without any tendency toward equilibrium.” So what does that mean to us common folk? As the governments around the world “bailout” their banks and big industry companies they have no other choice but to print new money because they can no longer borrow money from each other. With the creation of a world banking system, every country that is party to this system is now locked into the same cycle of spiraling economic flux. As they begin to pump more new money into the system, the existing money will lose it’s value with every additional currency unit produced. So, not only is the retirement account hit from the falling stock price, the money that it does contain is losing value everyday. So you may see $50,000 in your IRA but it is no longer worth what it was a year ago. Currently, the banks are not lending any money that the government has given to them because they are trying to balance their own books. However, when they do begin to lend out that money you will begin to see hyperinflation take effect. Soon it may take a wheel barrel full of money to buy a loaf of bread, much like it did in Germany before World War 2.

Personal Investment with Daily Dividends
What do we invest in???
First we need to understand that we need a stable investment that can weather anything that the world can throw at it. I suggest an old but sure fire investment to last for quite some time – an Eternity if you give it the opportunity. I will personally guarantee that it will begin to pay great dividends from the day you begin investing in it. What is it you may ask??? Is it GOLD??? Is it SILVER??? How can I possibly get in on this investment???

Case Study:
The following is a story of a man, a ruler, who asked how he could get in on the deal…

Luke 18:18-25

18 A certain ruler asked him, saying, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”
19 Jesus asked him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good, except one—God.
20 You know the commandments: ‘Don’t commit adultery,’ ‘Don’t murder,’ ‘Don’t steal,’ ‘Don’t give false testimony,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’”
21 He said, “I have observed all these things from my youth up.”
22 When Jesus heard these things, he said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have, and distribute it to the poor. You will have treasure in heaven. Come, follow me.”
23 But when he heard these things, he became very sad, for he was very rich.
24 Jesus, seeing that he became very sad, said, “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter into the Kingdom of God!
25 For it is easier for a camel to enter in through a needle’s eye, than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of God.”

So this fabulous investment is eternal life through Jesus Christ…
The man in this case study chose to keep his riches rather than invest in the saving grace that was required for him to live forever. He kept all commandments but could not bring himself to accept Jesus for who He said He was and what He came here to do. Jesus knew exactly where this man’s heart was invested and He knew what he would have to give up in order to make an eternal investment. That’s why He asked him to give it all away and follow Him. The man just could not do it and as a result forfeited any profit he would have gained.

How does that help me SAVE FOR RETIREMENT???
You have to redefine your view of retirement in order to understand the value behind this investment. As humans, we have a tendency to narrow our scope to just the local world around us. Sometimes we barely make an effort to understand things on a countrywide basis and even less on a global scale. Now that this economic crisis has hit and has shaken things down to our local world, we have no choice but to pay attention to events shaping our current situation globally. In order to understand the value behind what Jesus Christ has done, you have to go beyond global.

In the book of James, he puts our scope in perspective, “For what is your life? For you are a vapor, that appears for a little time, and then vanishes away.” We are not going to be here forever… we may not like to think about it – but it is the truth. We need to find something to invest in that goes beyond this life. Once we hit permanent “retirement,” we need to have an unwavering investment to shelter us from that point on.

Once you understand the new definition of “retirement” and have decided to invest in this long term solution, you will begin to see dividends.

Some listed dividends

• New Eternal Life
  John 3:16

  For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

• New Home
  John 14:1-4

  1 “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. 4 And you know the way to where I am going.”

• Forgiveness and the Holy Spirit
  

  Act 2:38
  Peter said to them, “Repent, and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

  That last dividend is where your daily value comes in. You are forgiven for what you have done and what you will do from that point forward and you now have a guide that will keep you on the straight and narrow. The Holy Spirit leads and directs your daily life in the direction that God wants you to go. You will begin to see things with a new perspective and with a lot less worry. As you listen and understand what God has to say through the Holy Spirit, you begin to build up your treasure in heaven. You also build it by introducing others to His amazing opportunity.

  Matthew 28:18-19

  18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

  When you come to your final “retirement,” your friends and family can be there too – which will be an added bonus. But you need to inform them of this golden opportunity.

  The Risks of this Investment
  Now you must understand there are risks with this investment – you will have trials, tests of faith but this is a major learning process. As the old adage goes – anything worth having is never easy. However, you have an unwavering hand guiding you through the process.

  John 14:26-27
  
  

  26 But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and will remind you of all that I said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you; not as the world gives, give I to you. Don’t let your heart be troubled, neither let it be fearful.

  
  I hope this gave you a new perspective on Saving for Retirement. Always keep in mind that things of this earth will not last and you will not be able to take it with you… You can ensure however, that when you go on to your permanent retirement that you have a nice place to stay with no more worries, tears or fears.

When my wife and I first heard our baby’s heart beat on the monitor at the doctor’s office, my eyes were opened to a whole new world. With abortion running wild in today’s society, I began to really wonder why anyone would ever think that what’s inside the womb being formed by God’s own hands is not a baby. A posting on facebook by a friend of ours at church brought a situation to my attention that resurrected the thought I had that day in the doctor’s office.

Our friend was ministering to a woman who had recently had a stillborn son on January 30, 2009. She was obviously grieving the loss of her child that she knew so well and shared some of the hopes and dreams that she wanted for her son. Her husband is serving in the military out of state but was not allowed to come home and comfort his wife during this difficult time. His commanding officer did not consider it a baby since it was not alive outside of the womb. So in his terms they have not actually lost a child. Thank goodness most of our service men and women do not feel this way.

This situation saddened my wife and I very much. It was considered NOT A BABY. That mentality just blew me away… I could not fathom considering it not a baby. When I heard my son’s heartbeat for the first time there was no doubt in my mind that it was a baby. God was forming his fingers, his toes, his eyes, his mouth, his arms, his legs, his feet, his elbows, his smile – I was in awe of what was being formed in my wife’s womb… but never at any moment did I consider it anything other than a baby – a human life.

Psalm 139:13-16
13 For You formed my inward parts;
You wove me in my mother’s womb.
14 I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Wonderful are Your works,
And my soul knows it very well.
15 My frame was not hidden from You,
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth;
16 Your eyes have seen my unformed substance;
And in Your book were all written
The days that were ordained for me,
When as yet there was not one of them.

This idea of “it’s not a baby” is spreading world wide but especially here at home in the U.S. Our current commander in chief is very pro-abortion. He said that he would not “punish” his daughters with a baby because of mistake that they may make during their teen years. I do not consider a baby – punishment. Actually, I look at it the other way around. The babies should not be punished because of actions pursued by two individuals only thinking of themselves during an act that is quite prone to biological reproduction.

So why is this mentality running rampant? I found this in Matthew that might give a clue.

Matthew 24:3-13 – Signs of the Close of the Age
3 As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us,when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the close of the age?” 4 And Jesus answered them, “See that no one leads you astray. 5 For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray. 6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.

9 “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. 10 And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. 11 And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. 12 And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

So in verse 12, Jesus indicates that toward the end, the love of many will grow cold. That could explain the mentality of some of these individuals that rally around abortion. Today a baby is seen as an adverse result of a selfish, unwise quick decision based on the heat of the moment. This view that it is not a baby unless it finally makes it out of the womb alive is a complete lack of love for human life.

When I hold my son and he looks up at me and smiles, there is no better feeling in this world than to know that God made him for my wife and I. We both love him very much. We knew that he was a blessing to enjoy from the moment we found out he was going to be part of our lives.

The United Nations would like to pass a binding resolution that all member states make their own laws to determine what can be said about religion in public. It “also urges States to provide, within their respective legal and constitutional systems, adequate protection against acts of hatred, discrimination, intimidation and coercion resulting from defamation of religions…” Under this resolution, relating Islam to terrorism could become criminal. This would also limit our right to express our own religious convictions regardless of what they may be. An organized group of 57 Islamic countries, the largest block at the United Nations, has been the biggest proponent of this resolution. It says that it is concerned about anti-Islamic behavior, “This resolution is a major step towards sensitizing the international community on the serious impact of defamation of religions…” Last year it was passed as a nonbinding resolution but this year will be passing it as a binding resolution. It’s influence is already being felt around the world, most recently in India.

BBC News – Pair held for ‘offending Islam’

The editor and publisher of a top English-language Indian daily have been arrested on charges of “hurting the religious feelings” of Muslims.

The Statesman’s editor Ravindra Kumar and publisher Anand Sinha were detained in Calcutta after complaints.

Muslims said they were upset with the Statesman for reproducing an article from the UK’s Independent daily in its 5 February edition.

The article was entitled: “Why should I respect these oppressive religions?”

It concerns the erosion of the right to criticise all religions. Read More…

Lou Dobbs makes the comment on the U.N. that is absolutely correct, “This is becoming a totalitarian, authoritarian organization – this is really an effort to control thought.”

If the current administration begins to adhere to this resolution it could be disastrous for ministries all over the country, not to mention witnessing to people around you in your own neighborhood. Try and convert someone from Islam to Christianity and you might go to jail. If it is adopted however, it would not be the first time that a Christian went to jail preaching the Word to those that need to hear it. If it’s good enough for Paul – then it’s good enough for me.