ANSWERS For The Faith » Bible Study

-Jesus Never Said He Was God? –a Biblical Response

Dr. D — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 07:42:24 +0000

It has become culturally fashionable to make the claim that “Jesus never said he was God.”

Lots of folks would like to claim Jesus as their own but his divinity gets in the way. The Muslims claim Jesus was a great prophet to the Jews but far less than even their prophet Muhammad. Some Jewish folks would like to acknowledge him as an ancient Jewish rabbi teacher if they could leave out the God thing and ignore the terrible treatment many Jews have received from some of his misguided followers over the centuries.

Even Hindu and eastern gurus like to make the claim that Jesus traveled to India and learned everything from them. Then there is the strange case of Richard Dawkins who wants to claim that Jesus Would Be An Atheist Today.

The real problem is that the Bible gets in the way and supports the divinity of Jesus. Not only that, but Jesus clearly indicated on a number of different occasions that he was the “I am” God of the Old testament. The response of those who heard him at the time confirms it. <<Read the rest on my Apologetica page>> *Top

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-Santorum: “We Honor Those Relationships But We Don’t Call Them Marriage”

Dr. D — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 15:47:49 +0000

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Rick Santorum is running for the GOP nomination for President of the US. Over the weekend, Senator Santorum was called out by Fox News host Shepard Smith to catch up with the rest of the nation and accept same-sex marriage. Here’s Santorum’s reply:

“everybody is entitled to live the life they want” … “what we’re talking about is changing laws.”

“The question is whether we should change the laws of this country to reflect a different value structure. What we’re talking about here are different values. We have Judeo-Christian values that are based on Biblical truth and truth that can be acclaimed and resolved through reason. And, those truths don’t change just because people’s attitudes may change.”

“People are allowed to love a lot of different people and a lot of different, and we honor those relationships, but we don’t call them marriage and we don’t treat them like marriage.”

Santorum concluded by explaining that, “Family is the foundation of our society and marriage is the glue that holds that family together. That’s not being against anybody, that’s being for something.”

Response: Actually a very good response. It summarizes my feelings on the issue very well. I do not believe that being FOR traditional marriage between a man and a woman is a stand that is against anyone else but recognizes the importance of marriage and families as the basic building block of our society.

Our laws were originally based upon Judeo-Christian values found in the Bible whether one wants to accept them today or not. Biblical values and teachings are not up for grabs and change. We can either accept them or reject them.

This nation unfortunately is turning its back upon Biblical principles and values and society is beginning to demand that Biblical Christians go along with that change and ‘catch up.’

What is going to happen in the future to those of us who want to maintain a Biblical world view and refuse to ‘catch up?’ Unless there is a new awakening or revival in America, I shudder to think what the future will bring. Will the first amendment protect us? Already there are signs and indications that it may not entirely protect us in the future. *Top

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-Happy New Year 2012

Dr. D — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 18:12:45 +0000

May God Bless you and yours during this new year.

With the new year, many want to improve their lives in 2012. One of the best ways to do that is to read the Bible daily in the new year.

Several polls taken during the last year have unfortunately demonstrated that American Christians are somewhat illiterate when it comes to the Bible and particularly Biblical teachings. One good way to reverse the trend is to set aside time to read the good book everyday. An excellent idea is to read through the whole Bible or at least the New Testament during 2011. There are a number of good programs to help you in the process.

One of the easiest ways to get it done is to get a ‘One Year Bible’ where the whole year is divided up into daily readings usually with a selection from the New Testament, the Old Testament, and from Psalms. You can even get it in your favorite version at the book store or at Amazon.

If you find that reading all of it in one year is maybe too much, then you could read just the New Testament and Psalm offerings for each day and then maybe save the Old Testament or the following year (or visa versa).

There are also a number of good plans available that allow you to use your regular Bible for the reading. Here’s a few online: The One year Bible Online, Bible Year-eSword, Bible Gateway

You could also get the Bible on CD or tape and listen to it on the way to work this year or download it into your iPod, iPhone or MP3: iTunes, Apps me now

There are lots more Bible helps available just search online.

May God Bless us all in 2012. *Top

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-Amish Beard Cutting a Laughing Matter? No and the FBI Arrests 7 Men

Dr. D — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 17:23:30 +0000

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When you first hear about this story most people consider the Amish beard attacks to be a prank or a sick joke. It almost sounded laughable in the beginning. However when you take into consideration the traditions of the Amish this really is a serious ‘hate’ crime against an entire community and the FBI are taking it serious. What is really shocking is that it was apparently carried out by a rival Amish group.

According to the AP, the FBI raided an Amish community this morning (Wednesday) and made 7 arrests in this case:

BERGHOLZ, Ohio (AP) — Authorities raided the compound of a breakaway Amish group in eastern Ohio on Wednesday morning and arrested seven men on federal hate crime charges in hair-cutting attacks against Amish men and women.

Among those arrested were the group’s leader, Sam Mullet, and three of his sons, said Mike Tobin, a spokesman for the U.S. attorney’s office in Cleveland.

Authorities have said several members of the group carried out the attacks in September and October by forcefully cutting the beards and hair of Amish men and women.

The leader of this rival Amish group, Sam Mullet says that the haircutting attacks were carried out in retaliation for the way the other Amish treated his community. According to the AP account “Cutting the hair is a highly offensive act to the Amish, who believe the Bible instructs women to let their hair grow long and men to grow beards and stop shaving once they marry.”

Response: When I first read about the beard cuttings a month or so ago I must admit that I thought the story was a joke and rather humorous. However that just demonstrates how ignorant I am of the Amish customs and culture. Also I didn’t take the time to consider how I would feel if it happened to a member of my own family.

The fact that long beards and long hair are a part of their religious beliefs changes the entire character of this crime and does potentially make it a ‘hate crime.’ Not a laughing matter at all.

Also, put yourself in their place and see how you would feel if your family was treated this way. If someone snuck into my house and cut my wife’s hair while we were sleeping I would consider it to be a serious and frightening violation indeed and we have no religious beliefs about hair. *Top

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-UPDATE: City to Pay Back Fines and Change Code on Home Bible Studies

Dr. D — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 08:01:00 +0000

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The City of San Juan Capistrano, CA has agreed to pay back the fines charged against Chuck and Stephanie Fromm for hosting a large Bible study in their home without a city permit. Also, the city plans to review and make some changes to the municipal code.

Here’s the original story: -California City Fines Home Bible Study

At the time I made this comment:

“Once this case receives the national attention it deserves, there are going to be a lot of regrets down at city hall in San Juan Capistrano – a city that was ironically founded around a Christian mission.”

According to reports that is exactly what happened. The city received hundreds of angry letters from all over the country once the word got out. As a result of all the negative publicity, the City Council ended up supporting the Fromms against their own administrators in this case.

Last Wednesday the couple dropped their lawsuit against San Juan Capistrano after the city agreed to pay back the $300 taken from them in fines and amend the city ordinance to allow for home Bible studies.

Response: Another case where common sense finally won out against a crazy PC bureaucracy. This was a case that could not be allowed to stand. City administrators all over the country were watching how this would play out.

The city decided to back away for 2 very good reasons. One- negative PR and two- no hope that they would ever win this case in court. In final analysis, the city of San Juan Capistrano lost in the court of public opinion and would have also lost their case in the legal court. *Top

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-Does God Really help Those Who Help Themselves?

Dr. D — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 04:51:47 +0000

(Image by jamesomalley via Flickr)

Yesterday President Barack Obama boldly said that even God wanted to put Americans back to work, implying divine support for his ‘jobs bill.’

He was being critical of Republicans in Congress for passing a bill supporting the national motto -“In God We Trust” while more important things were being ignored:

"That’s not putting people back to work. I trust in God, but God wants to see us help ourselves by putting people back to work."

Later, White House spokesman Jay Carney responded to those who thought the President might have gone too far invoking the name of God in a political battle:

"I believe that the phrase from the Bible is ‘the Lord helps those who help themselves.’"

"I think the point the president is making is that, you know, we have it within our capacity to do the things to help the American people."

Only problem, the popular phrase is really not in the Bible and later the White House was forced to admit it.

Actually it was one of Benjamin Franklin’s favorite phrases which appeared in his 1736 almanac. It reflected his belief as a Deist that God did not intervene in earthly affairs so people needed to take the responsibility upon themselves for making a better world.

However, it didn’t originate with him, the proverb can be traced back to ancient Greece. Nevertheless this brings up the question:

Does God really help those who help themselves?

After all, there might not be a Bible reference for it and yet the teaching might still be somewhat true. So is the phase actually true to Biblical teaching anyway?

No.

The closest thing in the Bible teaches the flip side only. There are a myriad of passages which teach that the lazy or slothful should not expect any kind of blessing or help from God. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that God is going to bless those who work hard and help themselves.

Actually God is more likely to Help those who can’t help themselves or do all they can and ask for his help in the process. The popular phrase actually leaves God out of the process and seems to imply that we should expect God to go along with what ever we decide to do and bless us anyway.

Here’s two scriptures which teach nearly the opposite:

“He who trusts in himself is a fool…” –Prov. 28:26

“This is what the LORD says: "Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the LORD." -Jer.17:5

So there you have it. God is more likely to help those who trust in him, seek his guidance, and then do the best they can. Those who trust and ‘help themselves’ leaving God out of the process should not expect his help after all. *Top

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-It is Over Today for the Dangerous Mr. Camping (Hundreds Died Last Time)

Dr. D — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 14:31:39 +0000

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Today is the real ‘probably’ definite day it all comes down according to false teacher Harold Camping. May 21 was just a ‘spiritual’ warm up:

“A lot of things we didn’t have quite right will probably be finished out on Oct. 21.

“It wont be spiritual on October 21st, the world is going to be destroyed all together, but it will be very quick.”

Hopefully it will be all over for Camping’s dangerous ‘ministry’ at the end of the day. Hundreds actually died last time on May 21 thanks to Harold Camping’s false prediction. Hopefully no one loses their lives this time around.

You probably didn’t hear about the hundreds that died in May since the main stream media in America ignored the story. While the majority of Americans were making fun of Camping’s doomsday message, half a world away in Vietnam, thousands of Hmong Christians gathered on a mountain top in northern Vietnam to wait out the end after hearing Camping’s teaching on short wave radio. Unfortunately they were attacked by government forces since it was deemed to be an illegal gathering. Here’s one report of the incident:

After listening to a translation of Camping’s prediction 7,000 of these people (known in the West as Montagnards) gathered on a mountain praising God their suffering at the hands of the communist regime was about to end because Jesus was returning that day in May to establish a new kingdom,.

The police and military police slaughtered many of them at gunpoint – beheading two pastors. Others were arrested. I am told by Hmong pastors that so many were shot dead that they were buried in mass graves bulldozed over in an episode that I read about in Britain but did not understand the magnitude of until I got here.

Response: Camping’s predictions were laughable to most of us, but as a direct result of his false teaching, hundreds were slaughtered in Vietnam.

We look upon Harold Camping as a joke but over short wave radio his message was gladly received by a people hoping to finally be free from communist rule. Few Christian programs reach into that mountainous region of Vietnam, so Camping’s program received far more attention than it should have. Missionaries in the area tried to tell the Hmong pastors that the teaching was false but it was far too appealing to ignore plus the message gained authority coming over the short wave radio like it did.

For us, Camping is just a humorous false teacher, but the results of his false teaching are anything but funny. Hopefully we will finally be done with the dangerous Harold Camping and his ministry when the clock strikes midnight and bring us in a new day- October 22, in the year of our Lord 2011. *Top

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