tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27913811777923051312024-03-14T03:55:21.628-05:00Be-The-LightNotes about the <a href="https://books.google.com/books?uid=108763034832844007228&as_coll=1001&source=gbs_lp_bookshelf_list">Bible</a>Bible-Corpshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17183625411077537070noreply@blogger.comBlogger48125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2791381177792305131.post-61971184633163807082015-10-03T14:49:00.001-05:002015-10-03T15:07:04.017-05:00The name of Holy Spirit <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirElOhHt_WEr6fEwwDjqoFu8XHPKQYx_KQI_I1DGLclEYE2IDxWLGl9XjLdhbU2EGo3QoPgoejNDXS148dDJ0BmzH2G0CYNbo_bwBARSDEsIVh7jPDKGzdx91VKb-dGN7NWG7hyphenhyphenpQnYRoK/s1600/nullhello_MJVgv_v_s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirElOhHt_WEr6fEwwDjqoFu8XHPKQYx_KQI_I1DGLclEYE2IDxWLGl9XjLdhbU2EGo3QoPgoejNDXS148dDJ0BmzH2G0CYNbo_bwBARSDEsIVh7jPDKGzdx91VKb-dGN7NWG7hyphenhyphenpQnYRoK/s400/nullhello_MJVgv_v_s.jpg" /></a>
<br \><b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jWsYv1R5ROs" target="_blank">Onnyx : Slay the Dragon (Through the Spirit)</a></b>
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<p>God has a personal name. God’s Son has a personal name. The Holy Spirit has a personal name. This much should be obvious. The meaning of God's name is described within the Bible as <i>I Am.</i> The meaning of the Son’s name is described in the Bible as <i>The Savior.</i> Understanding the relationship of the Father and Son depends on understanding their names and the meaning of those names. So, what is the personal name of the Spirit and what does it mean, and does this matter?<p />
<p>I found 1 John 4:6 to be the closest to a specific statement about what the name of the Holy Spirit is, and also whether it matters.</p>
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<h4><i>We are from God; the person who knows God listens to us, but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of deceit.
<br /> (1 John 4:6 — New English Translation)</i></h4>
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<p>In 1 John 4:6, we see English the word <i>truth</i> associated with the Holy Spirit, and especially contrasted against the word deceit. While the English word <i>truth</i> is a close match for the meaning, If you take this Greek word (ἀλήθεια : <i>al-ay'-thi-yah</i>) to be naming the Spirit as well as describing the Spirit, It might open the Scriptures up. This is especially true in the Gospel and letters of John. Also, here John describes that other spirits exist, so being able to discern the Holy Spirit from false spirits becomes essential.<p />
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<h3> The name of the Spirit in the Gospel of John</h3>
<p>If we take the word ἀλήθεια to be a proper name for the Holy Spirit, it strengthens the Bible in many ways. I am proposing this as an idea to be considered. I haven't looked for any final destinations that lead to traps of theology. This idea was revealed to me through prayer and topical research many years ago, and it has been a backbone of my faith through difficult times. When I search briefly for affirmations of the Name of the Spirit by scholars, I see none, so there is likely a fundamental flaw in this idea. After years of holding it quietly, this morning I was lead to share this, to seek feedback.</p>
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<h4><i>And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
<br /> (John 1:14 — KJV)</i></h4>
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<p>If you take the word <i>truth</i> to be the name of the Spirit in this verse, it suddenly becomes an affirmation of the trinity, and a more complete statement that the gift of the grace by the father through the son brings the indwelling of the spirit. <\p>
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<h4><i>But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
<br /> (John 4:23-24 — KJV)</i></h4>
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<p>Here, the verse seems to be naming the spirit as you read above in 1 John 4:6. This verse also affirms the word is being used as a proper name of the Holy Spirit.</p>
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<h4><i>You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.
<br /> (John 8:32 — KJV)</i></h4>
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<p>In this verse, It becomes clear that <i>Truth</i> is a name. If truth is not a proper name, then this verse taken at its meaning is in conflict with much of the rest of the bible, since truth alone sets noone free. When you read this verse as the name of the spirit, then the verse is in harmony and this verse is as powerful as John 3:16. </p>
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<h4><i>... The devil ... was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
<br /> (John 8:44 — KJV)</i></h4>
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<p>Here we see evidence that Truth is the spirit through the description of being inside and the evidence that lies are not of the spirit.</p>
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<h4><i>Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice. Pilate saith unto him, What is truth? And when he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews, and saith unto them, I find in him no fault at all.
<br /> (John 18:37-38 — KJV)</i></h4>
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<p>In this last mention of the word ἀλήθεια in the Gospel of John, the complete meaning of the section is so much more clear when the word is translated into a proper name for the Spirit.</p>
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<h5>I'm using the King James Version here only because my only real way to get at the Greek words in the new testament are through a program that can search by Strongs Greek reference numbers, and the text I have access to with strongs encoding is the King James Version. As always, I strongly encourage reading these references in their complete original sections in multiple modern versions to fully appreciate the implications I suggest in the next few lines.</h5>
Bible-Corpshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17183625411077537070noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2791381177792305131.post-19966692483793771942015-09-06T12:59:00.001-05:002015-09-06T13:59:53.467-05:00Giving<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdacbenn61ZPjlpF0DpwSOjl1yatAc-lwgRsE3PRXY1oA-0Gbp_16QxftwY88Kvt0GMP_7gBEIU8K3XXyW1UcpZggPmm0YZwXFvr_aKrITMkmWxNN9omorICzxHcW_yc9wn3AHQe0sABYR/s1600/20-Prov-28-26-24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdacbenn61ZPjlpF0DpwSOjl1yatAc-lwgRsE3PRXY1oA-0Gbp_16QxftwY88Kvt0GMP_7gBEIU8K3XXyW1UcpZggPmm0YZwXFvr_aKrITMkmWxNN9omorICzxHcW_yc9wn3AHQe0sABYR/s640/20-Prov-28-26-24.jpg" style="max-width:90%;"/></a></div>Bible-Corpshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17183625411077537070noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2791381177792305131.post-26017452076963177092015-09-06T12:52:00.001-05:002015-09-06T12:56:57.087-05:00<a href=http://www.tricities.com/news/opinion_columns/article_25b15d64-ec0f-11e2-9405-0019bb30f31a.html target=_blank>In the US, few relevant top scientists believe in Intelligent Design</a>
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The title, if accurate, says much about the state of education in the United States, and not much about the state of Intelligent Design. From the dawn of the Renaissance to the first half of the 20th century a "top scientist" was one who achieved something like developing radio from a problem affecting electrical transmission into a new industry (Tesla).</br></br>
In the first part of the 21st century, "Top Scientist", as described here, is someone who has good grammar, and knows how to network. Professional courtesy and considering others ideas has given way to professional jealousy and picking on others motivations rather than ideas. This is very much part of a cycle of education that fits into a larger cycle of civilizations. The implications for the future are unsettling.</br></br>
Science is supposed to be about dangerous ideas. A law of science does not come to be by using politics. It needs really tough challenges to support it. The world was in fact flat for most of the history of the planet, while the idea of a spherical planet was developed under the school of Pythagoras as scientists listened to travelers from Africa tell of another region where the stars circled around far away to the south. That idea was dangerous. It was heresy against established facts. It took 2000 years before the idea was considered fact. When Magellan returned with claims of a circumnavigation, only then did the institutions start allowing for another idea.</br></br>
Science is supposed to point out the fallacies of today's common knowledge. Science is supposed to ask the really obvious questions that break the framework. There will always be those whose beliefs and reputations are on the line. There are always going to be those who get ruffled feathers when those obvious questions are asked. When we talk about this article, how does it fit in to the cycle of understanding? Or has American Education become a stoic institution with all it's eggheads in a single basket?</br></br>
In his time, Galileo was considered a heretic for observing what we now see as very very obvious things that nobody else was willing to point out: Venus seems to circle the Sun, not Earth, etc. Anyone interested could see those things from the dawn of history just by looking up, but nobody dared apply them to real science because the implications upset the balance of science as it was understood. Instead of considering what is now obvious, there were really complex solutions to the Venus and Mars planetary motion conundrums proposed for millenia.</br></br>
Today, almost nobody remembers who led the charge against Galileo. History records only the top scientists.</br></br>Bible-Corpshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17183625411077537070noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2791381177792305131.post-18857260195410806562013-04-15T21:43:00.000-05:002013-04-15T21:43:00.161-05:00Created - Evolved - DesignedDH:<br />Had theistic evolution been true (in the sense of humans being descended from sub-human primate mammals, but all supervised somehow by God), this would imply that God approved of fornication, even though the Law later given through Moses forbids adultery.<br />----------------<br />MH:<br />You are assuming that the behavior of animals today hasn't changed in the millennia since evolution and/or creation occurred. Since that's the whole point of evolution, I'd prefer to disprove it without having to ignore it completely. Fro...m what I can tell, God provides a 50/50 gender split in every species. There is nothing preventing monogamous relationships in any species I'm aware of. That is, no species on Earth needs an adulterous/fornicative relationship to pro-create. If you believe that the object of sex is to improve chances of survival by mixing up DNA, then why hasn't a more robust method of procreation evolved? A 4 way mixing would lead to quicker evolution. Especially in the "lower" animals (fishes/insects/amphibians) where 'sex' occurs outside the body, you'd think that allowing more than 1 pairing of DNA would have evolved, since by the rules of evolution it should have been the 'stronger'. Where is it? The theory of evolution loses steam when you start looking at what it should have produced instead of trying to piece together God's quilt in series instead of in parallel.<br /><br />As to the point of saying that because some animals fornicate today means that God didn't use evolution eons ago... If the deceiver was able to get to man, isn't it possible he also corrupted other creations in the earth? Is there any proof of fornication prior to the creation of man in the written or natural histories that I've missed? I'm not saying this is the case, just that it's a possibility.<br />----------------<br />DH:<br />@Michael: Very helpful contribution to the discussion. What you are saying is in effect that non-monogamous sexual relationships in mammals may be a result of the Fall, and thereby part of the "groaning of all creation" which Paul refers t...o in Romans 8. This is an interesting idea that I had not thought of before. Yet to state it in these terms does also militate against Evolutionism as a species of Philosophical Naturalism. The judgment following man's disobedience had far wider effects than most naturalists assume as a working hypothesis, even Christians who study the natural sciences.<br />----------------<br />MH:<br />There's a difference between suggestion and evidence. The points about fornication in other species being either evolved or fallen behavior are suggestion, not fact. Without time travel, there will be no evidence to prove or disprove it. It's a matter of faith either way. <br /><br />I do see universal evidence today which supports an original design of 1 male:1 female in all the animals on earth. "Natural selection" does not allow for such wasteful creations like 50% male births in walruses if only ~2% (*) of male walruses ever procreate. If Darwin had it right, then the birth rates of males in walruses should have dropped eons ago. The fact that males are born 50% of the time seems to be evidence against natural selection and evidence for an intelligent design that originally planned a 1:1 relationship for all creation, even where it wasn't necessary for the survival of the species. When you look at all the facts, the leap of faith that says the social behavior of walruses doesn't match their design is much smaller than the leap of faith that says there is some "natural selection" reason for the 48% of the population which has nothing to do with survival. The Law of Moses is confirming evidence that there is a reason for the unscientific birth rates in mammals.<br /><br />(*) My 2% statement here is purely a guess based on public television shows. It should be verified if it's going to be repeated.<br /><br />When you start talking about Man being an 'evolved' creature (with or without design involved) vs. built from clay on day 6, You get into the realm where again, without a time machine, you'll never be able to convince everyone. It is important to point out the leaps of faith that 'evolution' requires are much much larger than the leaps of faith that 'creationism' requires.<br /><br />To me: I find it entirely possible that God 'created' all the history that was scientifically required for man to exist in the blink of his eye. As He knew the hairs on your head before he made you, God lives outside time, and trying to understand 'creation' from inside time is going to be incomplete in any form we can grasp it. That is, in one (second, minute, hour, day, eon, other time period), He made the world which had evolved for eons up to the point of dinosaurs living up to today. And then, in another (blink of his eye,) 65 million years ago there was a huge asteroid which wiped out the dinosaurs, and all the events required to make man in the likeness of God. None of it happened, it was just what was required for man to exist. God made it already completed, already done. To better explain the difference between the earth being the result of the Big Bang or Creation: Pretend time machines existed and you set the destination for 67 million BC: If the big bang theory is correct you'll open your door and see T-Rex. If creation is correct, you're going to run into a huge brick wall about 6500 BC and discover all the stuff before that is an image, and not history. However, from here (6500 years or so into the creation), looking back you will never be able to see the wall. To all of us inside the event, created history is the same as transpired history, and arguing about which is REALLY correct is just over thinking it. Does it really matter if dinosaurs actually roamed the earth or the earth was made with the history of dinosaurs in it?Bible-Corpshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17183625411077537070noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2791381177792305131.post-55679539766763257052013-01-31T19:05:00.001-06:002013-01-31T19:05:56.614-06:00Last Instruction<b>Music: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWbbO8Hha7Y" target="_blank">GO!</a></b>
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The very last instruction from Jesus recorded by Matthew, Mark, and John record in their writings agree. Luke recorded the same instruction at the end of his Gospel, but then wrote another book describing who and how that instruction was followed in the early days of the movement (which includes later instructions from Jesus about how to carry out the Commision he gave us.) </div>
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Since John separated the Gospel from the Revelation, it is very important to note that he placed this "Last Instruction of Christ" at the end of Revelation, and not at the end of the Gospel. Why do you think the words of John that most closely resemble The Great Commission come at the end of the Revelation and not at the end of His Gospel? <br />
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Point is: Every nay-say, doomsday, holier-than-thou
interpretation taken from the New Testament is FOLLOWED by the Great
Commission. That fact that Christ's commission occurs at the very END of
each Gospel author's words must be recognized as important. That is,
Jesus revealed things about the end times, and THEN told us what to do
about it. </div>
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Clearly the Last Instruction Jesus gave us is a response to the prophetic words as much or more than it is part of the Gospel. Even if... no... Especially if all the predictions you see in Matthew 24 and Revelations can be applied to events you see around you today, The Last Instruction from Christ still applies today and to the end.<br />
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"Go!" -Jesus (Matthew 28:19)<br />
"Go!" - Jesus (Mark 16:15)<br />
"Go!" (*) - Jesus (Luke 24:47) <br />
"Come!" - Jesus, IAM, The Spirit & the bride (Revelation 22:16-17)<br />
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(*) - the word in Luke is more closely 'Proclaim' but carried in the first century the definite sense of not just speaking in a room, but getting out there, movement from her to another point and making noise.<br />
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Bible-Corpshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17183625411077537070noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2791381177792305131.post-60852264526852801152012-09-20T05:47:00.003-05:002012-09-20T05:49:15.590-05:00<b>Music: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LNWY-HaKts" target="_blank">The Power Of Prayer (Billy Fonfrel)</a></b>
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4 Loving what the world has is the same as hating God
You should know that, [but] you want only what will give you pleasure.
3 You people are not faithful to God!
Your motives are all wrong, so when you ask, you don't get it.
2 You wouldn't even think of asking God for it, would you?
You want what isn't yours and will risk violence to get your hands on it.
You lust for what you don't have and are willing to kill to get it.
1 [These] selfish desires make war inside you.
So, tell me, where do your fights and arguments come from?
James 4:4->1 (ERV)
James 4:3 (NLT)
James 4:2 (The Message)
James 4:1 (ERV)
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Bible-Corpshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17183625411077537070noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2791381177792305131.post-57054746739028008962012-08-29T08:02:00.001-05:002012-08-29T08:59:54.144-05:00How To Love<b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-CnVUJwcT8" target="_blank">How To Love (Sam FranjiONE)</a></b>
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<b>Love will never end.<br>
It never quits,<br>
It Never loses hope,<br>
Love never stops trusting.<br><br>
Love never gives up on people.<br>
Love is always happy with the truth.<br>
It is never happy when others do wrong,<br>
But Love does not remember wrongs done against it.<br><br>
Love cannot be made angry easily.<br>
It is not selfish. Love is not rude.<br>
It does not brag. Love is not jealous.<br>
<i>Instead</i>, Love is patient and kind.<br><br>
If I don’t have love, I gain nothing by doing all this:<br>
I may give away everything I have to help others, and<br>
I may even give my body as an offering to be burned.<br>
But even with all this, if I don’t have love, I am nothing.</b><br>
1 Corinthians 13:8->3 (ERV)
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... And they'll know we are Christians by our love.
Don't take that lightly.
Each and every day we have opportunities to be Jesus to others.
Bible-Corpshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17183625411077537070noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2791381177792305131.post-86212807719259795312012-04-11T10:20:00.000-05:002012-04-11T10:27:04.706-05:00Eggs in a Basket<b>Music : <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=eFh44Z3nfCU" target="_blank"> Aaron Tomberlin - It is Enough</a></b>
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Ecclesiasties 11:6-2
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7 [Consider:] The light is sweet, and it is good for the eyes to see the sun.
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6 So begin planting early in the morning, and don’t stop working until evening.
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You don’t know what might make you rich. Maybe everything you do will be successful.
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5 God made everything, and you can no more understand what he does than you understand how new life begins in a pregnant woman.
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4 He who is watching the wind will not get the seed planted, and he who is looking at the clouds will not get in the grain.
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3 If the clouds are full of rain, they will empty themselves on the earth,
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and whether a tree falls to the south or to the north, the tree will lie wherever it falls.
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[So,]
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2 Invest what you have in several different things. You don’t know what bad things might happen on earth.
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Sources
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7 AB (Apostle's Bible)
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6 ERV
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5 TEV
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4 BBE
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3 NET
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2 ERV
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Remember in your sowing that it is God's plan that you have more than one egg basket to keep.Bible-Corpshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17183625411077537070noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2791381177792305131.post-11675316936244785102012-04-01T20:28:00.000-05:002012-04-11T10:26:47.458-05:00Can't Buy Me Love<b>Music : <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=bpT2Zq9FJLs" target="_blank">The Beatles - Can't Buy Me Love</a></b><br><br>
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Simon saw that the Spirit was given to the Samaritans when the apostles placed their hands on them. So he offered Peter and John money and said, "Give me this power so that anyone I place my hands on will receive the Holy Spirit." Peter told Simon, "May your money be destroyed with you because you thought you could buy God's gift.<br>
Acts 8:18-20 (God's Word to the Nations)<br><br>
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Giving (MONEY) with expectation is not <a href="http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/give" target="_blank">giving.</a> <a href="http://mobile.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Gal+6%3A6-8&version=ERV" target="_blank">God cannot be mocked or fooled, what you 'sow' is exactly what you will reap.</a> (Galations 6:6 paraphrased) If you're able to give cash into the kingdom, that's wonderful. If putting cash into the kingdom is you're idea of 'sowing' (planting seeds with the expectation of returns of the same kind... ) you may reap cash, but the price of that cash is quite high. If you keep books on God, then you haven't 'given' at all, and fall into the same category as Simon above, trying to buy your stairway.<br><br>
Me? I'll keep sowing God's Word with the expectation that it (God's Word) takes root in the souls God places in my path. My harvest will be joy at the resurrection for the souls that stay out of the lake of fire.<br><br>
If you can give out of worship and thanks, and most especially without any expectations on returns or later benefits: you've got it. Live with the spirit "give, and it will be given to you"--understanding that "to give" means to let go completely. No expectations of great returns or rewards or rank or crowns. Give means to let go. <br><br>
Please, let go.Bible-Corpshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17183625411077537070noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2791381177792305131.post-12147147673641444922011-11-04T14:40:00.001-05:002011-11-04T15:13:35.435-05:00Saving Grace<b>Music: <a href="http://www.myspace.com/video/vid/1748688603" target="_blank">InterTwind - Save Me</a></b>
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Psalm 119:94-89 .ל (Lamed)
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94 Save me, because I belong to you.
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93 Because you give me new life, I won't ever forget your teachings.
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92 I would have died from my sufferings if I had not loved your teachings.
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91 All [the whole universe] are Your servants; therefore they continue this day according to Your ordinances.
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90 You have set earth in order, and it stands. To generation after generation your faithfulness lasts.
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89 LORD, thy Word dwells in Heaven without end. (Lord, thi word dwellith in heuene; with outen ende.)
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Verse List:<br>
94 New International Readers Version<br>
93 Contemporary English Version<br>
92 New Century Version<br>
91 The Amplified Bible<br>
90 The Bible in Living English<br>
89 The John Purvey revision of the Wycliffe Bible<br>Bible-Corpshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17183625411077537070noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2791381177792305131.post-9418990485164849012011-11-03T11:47:00.000-05:002011-11-04T13:54:55.019-05:00Sowing the Light<b>Music: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wN5SILxm55Q" target="_blank">Chris Rice - Go Light Your World</a></b>
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Galations 6:10-->4 from various versions
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<b><q>10 When we have the opportunity to help anyone, we should do it. But we should give special attention to those who are in the family of believers
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9b At the right time we will harvest a good crop if we don't give up, or quit.
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9a So let's not allow ourselves to get fatigued doing good.
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8b [Some people] plant to please the Holy Spirit. From the Spirit they will harvest eternal life.
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8a [Other] people plant to please their sinful nature. From that nature they will harvest death.
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8b {T}he one who plants in response to God, letting God's Spirit do the growth work in him, harvests a crop of real life, eternal life.
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7c Whatever you plant is what you'll harvest.
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7b You can never make a fool out of God.
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7a Make no mistake about this:
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6 Those who have been taught the gospel should help their teacher spread the good news
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5b For none of us is perfect!
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5a Each of us must bear some faults and burdens of his own.
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4c Don't compare yourself with others.
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4b Don't be impressed with yourself.
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4a Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that.
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<br>Verse list:
<br>10 New Century Version
<br> 9 The Message
<br> 8 New International Reader's Version
<br> 7 God's Word to the Nations
<br> 6 The Clear Word for Children
<br> 5 The Living Bible, Paraphrased
<br> 4 The Message
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<br>Sowing is what you make of your life. If you set the right goals, you'll reach the right goals.Bible-Corpshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17183625411077537070noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2791381177792305131.post-4633877984381528882011-04-15T11:51:00.006-05:002011-11-04T13:29:06.796-05:00Dawn<b>Music: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=-DO_fX0PNqM&playnext=1&list=PL4C1E676EA1C40905" target="_blank">Phil Wickham - Shining</a></b> (<a href="http://www.higherpraise.com/lyrics/awesome/awesome4949.html" target="_blank">lyrics</a>)<br />
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<a href="http://bible.oremus.org/?ql=156486311" target="_blank">Romans 13:11-14</a><br />
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<b> . . . [T]he day is near. Let us then lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armor of light . . . </b><br />
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When company is coming, you don't prepare by getting drunk, do you? <br />
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So, if the 'prophets' are to be believed, and the time is coming, there is less time for revelry than ever. Clean out your house now, before your guest arrives. <br />
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At my place of employment we had a saying about cleaning: "a place for everything, and everything in it's place." This philosophy went so far as to use tape to mark out locations on the floor for everything. Even a mop and mop bucket had a 'home location' marked with yellow tape in a closet somewhere. It made it easy to see what was out of place, and what had no place at all. <br />
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This way of cleaning means more today than ever. Take note of what belongs in your 'house' and mark a spot for it on the 'floor'. If you notice things in your house that are out of place, put them back in their home location. If you notice things that have no place in your house, what are they there for? <br />
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<img height="600" src="http://www.dailyencouragement.net/images/scripture/armor_of_god.jpg" width="400" /><br />
Image from dailyencouragement.netBible-Corpshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17183625411077537070noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2791381177792305131.post-71481563925214470102010-10-25T22:30:00.002-05:002011-11-18T10:51:49.987-06:00UncreatedGod said, Let there be light; and there was light. And God saw that the light was good (suitable, pleasant) and He approved it; and God separated the light from the darkness. Genesis 1:3-4 (AMP)<br />
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Pay attention here. Light (which is good) was created by God. Darkness (which is lacking good) was not created, just separated from the light.<br />
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In the same way, good was created, while evil was not created, it is just a lack of good. You can't fight evil with evil. You fight evil buy shining your goodness upon it.<br />
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If you bring a lamp into a dark room, what happens? Does the lamp get darker or the room get lighter? <br />
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True Light SHINES, and doesn't wait for darkness to pass it over.<br />
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Be the Light!Bible-Corpshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17183625411077537070noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2791381177792305131.post-46374491556561431642010-08-16T13:49:00.006-05:002011-11-04T13:55:26.370-05:00Paul On Shining<b>Music: <a href="http://www.ilike.com/artist/Newsboys/track/Shine" target="_blank">Newsboys - Shine</a></b> (<a href="http://www.christianlyricsonline.com/artists/newsboys/shine.html" target="_blank">lyrics</a>)<br /><br /><i>when you let it shine<br />you will inspire<br />the kind of entire turnaround<br />that would make a bouncer take ballet</i><br /><br /><hr><br /><center><b><i>Romans 12:21->1</i></b></center><br /><br /><b>Don't let evil conquer you, but conquer evil with good. Instead, as the scripture says: "If your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them a drink; for by doing this you will make them burn with shame."<br /><br /> Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord. Do your best to live in peace with everyone. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Try to do what is honorable in everyone's eyes. Be friendly with everyone. Don't be proud and feel that you know more than others. Make friends with ordinary people. Laugh with your happy friends when they're happy; share tears when they're down. Bless those who persecute (you), bless and do not curse them.<br /> <br /> When God's people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality. Have hope and be cheerful. Be patient in trials and pray constantly. Never be lazy, but be diligent. Burn with spirituality. Always slave for the Master. Love each other as much as brothers should, and have a profound respect for each other. Let love be genuine. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. <br /><br /> Is [your gift] telling others how they should live? Then tell them.<br /> Is it giving to those who are in need? Then give freely.<br /> Is it being a leader? Then work hard at it.<br /> Is it showing mercy? Then do it cheerfully. <br /> [He whose gift is] practical service, let him give himself to serving;<br /> he who teaches, to his teaching; <br /><br /> God has given different gifts to each of us because he is so very kind to us. God gives a gift to some people so that they are able to speak his messages. So, those people should believe God when they speak his messages. And they should speak the messages that God has told to them. So collectively we form one body in Christ, while individually we are linked to one another as its members. For, even as in one body we have many members, but the members don’t all have the same function,<br /><br /> But I say to every one of you, through the grace given to me, not to have an over-high opinion of himself, but to have wise thoughts, as God has given to every one a measure of faith. You must not adopt the customs of this world but by your new attitude of mind be transformed so that you can find out what God's will is—what is good, pleasing, and perfect. I entreat you, then, Brothers, by the mercies of God, to offer your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, for this is your rational worship.</b><br /><br /> -- Romans 12:21 (God's Word to the Nations)<br /> -- 20 (Good News Translation: Today's English Version)<br /> -- 19 (Today's New International Version)<br /> -- 18 (New Century Version)<br /> -- 17 (Christian Standard Bible)<br /> -- 16 (Contemporary English Version)<br /> -- 15 (The Message)<br /> -- 14 (New American Bible)<br /> -- 13 (New Living Translation)<br /> -- 12 (Christian Community Bible)<br /> -- 11 (21st Century Version of the Christian Scriptures)<br /> -- 10 (Jerusalem Bible)<br /> -- 9 (The Common Edition: New Testament)<br /> -- 8 (New International Reader's Version)<br /> -- 7 (Amplified Bible)<br /> -- 6 (Easy English Bible)<br /> -- 5 (The New Testament in Modern Speech)<br /> -- 4 (The Sacred Scriptures: The Concordant Version)<br /> -- 3 (The Basic Bible)<br /> -- 2 (An American Translation)<br /> -- 1 (Twentieth Century New Testament)<br /><br /><hr>Bible-Corpshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17183625411077537070noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2791381177792305131.post-73963545083673875242010-08-11T10:08:00.003-05:002011-11-04T13:56:08.969-05:00Light vs. Pride<b><center>Christ Was Not Proud</center><br /><br />16 Take a strong hold on the Word of Life.<br /><br />15 In that way, you can prove yourselves to be without blame. You are God's children and no one can talk against you, even in a sin-loving and sin-sick world. You are to shine as lights among the sinful people of this world. <br /><br />14 Be glad you can do the things you should be doing. Do all things without arguing and talking about how you wish you did not have to do them. <br /><br />13 He is working in you. God is helping you obey Him. God is doing what He wants done in you. <br /><br />12 My Christian friends, you have obeyed me when I was with you. You have obeyed even more when I have been away. You must keep on working to show you have been saved from the punishment of sin. Be afraid that you may not please God. <br /><br />11 And every tongue will say Jesus Christ is Lord. Everyone will give honor to God the Father. <br /><br />10 So when the name of Jesus is spoken, everyone in heaven and on earth and under the earth will bow down before Him. <br /><br />9 Because of this, God lifted Jesus high above everything else. He gave Him a name that is greater than any other name. <br /><br />8 After He became a man, He gave up His important place and obeyed by dying on a cross. <br /><br />7 He put aside everything that belonged to Him and made Himself the same as a servant who is owned by someone. He became human by being born as a man. <br /><br />6 Jesus has always been as God is. But He did not hold to His rights as God. <br /><br />5 Think as Christ Jesus thought. <br /><br /><center>A Christian Should Not Be Proud</center><br /><br />4 Do not always be thinking about your own plans only. Be happy to know what other people are doing.<br /><br />3 Nothing should be done because of pride or thinking about yourself. Think of other people as more important than yourself. <br /><br />2 Then give me true joy by thinking the same thoughts. Keep having the same love. Be as one in thoughts and actions. <br /><br />1 Are you strong because you belong to Christ? Does His love comfort you? Do you have joy by being as one in sharing the Holy Spirit? Do you have loving-kindness and pity for each other? <br /><i> -- Philippians 2:15->1 (NCV)</i></b><br /><br /><hr><br />Normally I have something to write after a Word reversal to explain or expand the meaning to the current point of view. This time I don't. Pride puts out your light. <br />Read this passage forward and then reversed and ask yourself "Are you strong because..?" <br /><br />In this reversal, there are a few points that the meanings seem slightly impaired by the reversal. This is a draft version, and likely to change. for now these notes should be taken carefully with the reversal. <br /><br />1. In verse 15, the words "In that way" should still be highlighting verse 13-15, not verse 16. It is misleading to have these specific words present as they imply verse 16 (reading the Bible) is "that way" instead of 'shining' and letting God work in you. <br /><br />2. In verse 9, the 'Because of this' refers to vs 5-8 and not 12-10. <br /><br />I eventually will have to repost this with various versions due to specific copyright rules on percentages of content (this post is over 50% NCV at the moment..) but the words here are so much clearer than a rehash, I'm compelled to leave this draft viewable.Bible-Corpshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17183625411077537070noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2791381177792305131.post-83280498154775909132010-08-10T09:05:00.005-05:002011-11-18T10:53:00.069-06:00Paul on Spiritual Covering II: Beware of "Safe Harbor"<b>Now, brothers and sisters, we don’t need to write to you about times and dates. You know very well that the day the Lord comes again will be {a surprise} like a thief who comes at night. People will say, “We have peace and we are safe.” At that time destruction will come to them quickly. Destruction will come like the pains of a woman who is having a baby. And those people will not escape. But you, brothers and sisters, are not living in darkness (sin). And so that day will not surprise you like a thief. You are all people who belong to the light (goodness). You belong to the day. We don’t belong to the night or to darkness (evil). So we should not be like other people. We should not be sleeping. We should be awake and have self-control. People who sleep, sleep at night. People who get drunk, get drunk at night. But we belong to the day (goodness), so we should control ourselves. We should wear faith and love to protect us. And the hope of salvation should be our helmet. God did not choose us to suffer his anger. God chose us to have salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus died for us so that we can live together with him. It is not important if we are alive or dead {when Jesus comes}. So encourage each other and make each other stronger {in faith}. And you are doing that now. <br /><i> --- 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 (ERV)</i></b><br /><br /><hr><br /><br />In this passage, Paul again refers to the Armor of God as protection, and here further warns against claims of safety by men. He shows that the light is our protection and we become the light by letting go of earthly passions: greed, hatred, anger (but only anger is mentioned specifically). We (any one of us) cannot provide blanket 'cover' for others. We can only help others protect themselves by shining our own light and encouraging them to do the same. <br /><br />Read here clearly, hiding (in darkness) from the enemy is a good way to invite darkness into your life. Shining your light brightly is the promised way to keep darkness out of your life. The brighter your own light gets, the easier it is to see the dark.Bible-Corpshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17183625411077537070noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2791381177792305131.post-30046778918795125932010-08-06T17:52:00.003-05:002010-08-10T08:11:09.447-05:00Light unto My Path<b>Music: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSZlIVP9u0Y" target="_blank">Amy Grant - Thy Word</a></b> (<a href="http://www.lillyofthevalleyva.com/worshipmusic-thywordisalampuntomyfeet.html" target="_blank">lyrics</a>)<br /><br /><hr><b><br /> "Nun"<br /><br /> Your word is like a lamp for my feet<br /> and a light for my path.<br /> I will do what I have promised<br /> and obey your fair laws.<br /> I have suffered for a long time.<br /> Lord, give me life by your word.<br /> Lord, accept my willing praise<br /> and teach me your laws.<br /> My life is always in danger,<br /> but I haven't forgotten your teachings.<br /> Wicked people have set a trap for me,<br /> but I haven't strayed from your orders.<br /> I will follow your rules forever,<br /> because they make me happy.<br /> I will try to do what you demand<br /> forever, until the end.<br /><i> -- Psalm 119:105-112 (NCV)</i><br /></b><hr><br /><br />When you face challenges the best way to keep your light shining is to find direction in the Word. <br /><br />The way to shine your light for others Is to encourage others in the Word and in the reading of the Word.Bible-Corpshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17183625411077537070noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2791381177792305131.post-82306941895766646062010-08-06T03:19:00.004-05:002010-09-17T23:02:49.213-05:00Light in the Law<b>" I tell you the truth, nothing will disappear from the law until heaven and earth are gone. Not even the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter will be lost until everything has happened. Whoever refuses to obey any command and teaches other people not to obey that command will be the least important in the kingdom of heaven. But <i>whoever obeys the commands and teaches other people to obey them</i> will be great in the kingdom of heaven. I tell you that if you are no more obedient than the teachers of the law and the Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.<br /><br />" You have heard that it was said to our people long ago, 'You must not murder anyone. Anyone who murders another will be judged.' But I tell you, if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be judged. If you say bad things to a brother or sister, you will be judged by the council. And if you call someone a fool, you will be in danger of the fire of hell."<br /><i>-- Matthew 5:18-22 (NCV)</i></b><br /><br /><br /><hr><br /><br />This passage is clear enough, but it is taken very literally sometimes, when the spirit is far more symbolic than specific to murder or just the ten commandments. <br /><br />As Jesus describes above, the SIN (the barrier that comes between you and God) in murder is not the physical act, but in the kernel of hatred that enters into you. That barrier between you and God is not specific to 'hard crimes'. This barrier forms the kernel of thought that comes before any sin. You separate yourself from God not by touching someone in adultery, but just by thinking too fondly of someone. <br /><br />How To Be the Light: We teach the law through our actions and thoughts. By exercising restraint of our own thought, we not only keep the barriers of separation from forming between us and God, but we can break down the barriers that exist between us and others.Bible-Corpshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17183625411077537070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2791381177792305131.post-84101242851707242152010-08-03T09:53:00.004-05:002010-08-10T08:23:11.715-05:00Paul on Spiritual Covering<strong>Pray at all times (on every occasion, in every season) in the Spirit, with all [manner of] prayer and entreaty. To that end keep alert and watch with strong purpose and perseverance, interceding in behalf of all the saints (God's consecrated people).</strong> <br><i> --Ephesians 6:18 (Amplified Bible) </i><br /><br /><strong>Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is God's word.</strong><br><i> -- 17 (Holman Christian Standard Bible)</i><br /><br /><strong>In addition to all these, take the Christian faith as your shield. With it you can put out all the flaming arrows of the evil one.</strong><br><em> -- 16 (GOD’S WORD Translation)</em><br /><br /><strong>On your feet wear the Good News of peace to help you stand strong.</strong><br><em> -- 15 (New Century Version)</em><br /><br /><strong>Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,</strong><br><em> -- 14 (English Standard Version)</em><br /><br /><strong>So put on God's armor now! Then when the evil day comes, you will be able to resist the enemy's attacks; and after fighting to the end, you will still hold your ground.</strong><br><em> -- 13 (Good News Translation)</em><br /><br /><strong>For we are not struggling against human beings, but against the rulers, authorities and cosmic powers governing this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realm.</strong><br><em> -- 12 (Complete Jewish Bible)</em><br /><br /><strong>Put on the armor of God so that you may be able to stand firm against the tactics of the devil.</strong><br><em> -- 11 (New American Bible)</em><br /><br /><strong>And that about wraps it up. God is strong, and he wants you strong. So take everything the Master has set out for you.</strong><br><em> -- 10 (The Message)</em>Bible-Corpshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17183625411077537070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2791381177792305131.post-63417514411659009042010-08-01T22:00:00.002-05:002010-08-10T08:20:34.427-05:00Logos<b>Music: <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Caedmon%27s+Call/_/Before+There+Was+Time" target="_blank">Caedmon's Call - Before there was time</a></b> (<a href="http://www.worshiparchive.com/song/before-there-was-time" target="_blank">lyrics</a>)<br /><br /><hr><br /><br />RE: <a href="http://www.studylight.org/desk/?l=en&query=John+1&section=0&translation=mnt&oq" target="_blank">John 1:1</a> in the Daniel Mace New Testament<br /><br />Background:<br /><br />In a recent discussion on theology (that will be apparent, but I don't want to really get into, as will be seen) The first chapter of John came up. <br /><br /><hr><br /><br />I've got a long list of English Bible translations, and when I'm confronted with an issue, I like to research what the various translations have said through the years. <br /><br />Discussion:<br /><br />From the earliest English Versions through the beginning of the 20th Century, John 1 is fairly uniformly translated with a few exceptions. While some variations in John 1 seem to be controversial, one translation in the 18th Century caught my eye as uniquely different. <br /><br />In 1729, Daniel Mace Translated John 1:1-4 by using a fonetic spelling of the greek word "Logos" instead of translating it to an English word. His Translation appeared in parallel collumns to the actual Greek text, so this made me wonder what he was trying to get across. <br />Why transliterate instead of translate if the goal is to improve understanding? What did <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Logos" target="_blank">Logos</a> mean in 1729? For that matter, what did LOGOS mean in AD40-100 when the Gospel was written.<br /><br />The work by Daniel Mace is not a consensus work that represents a large body of people's ideas about what the Bible should say in English. It is a work by a single person. As such, I do not endorse it as a primary source of scripture. However, to fully understand what the Bible in English is telling us, studying the variations does help to understand what the bible doesn't say, and it does sometimes illuminate things that are lost.<br /><br />If you study Greek mythology at all, and even if you haven't, you probably are aware that in the time of Jesus, the Idea of a single 'God' was not popular. Back then, gods weren't almighty beings, but were just powerful humanoids that could be tricked by humans. However, There was in the time of Jesus an awareness among Greek contemporaries that Everything on the planet seemed to fit into a grand scheme. Life was not best explained by stories about the gods. Everything seemed to be ordered into a grand scheme, a grand plan. everything on the planet seemed to have a place, and everything fit together too well for it to be a random collection of events. Today scholars call this idea 'intellegent design'. In the time of Jesus, in Greece, this idea was referred to as "Logos". That idea of "Logos" is best represented today by the "LOGIC" rules we use in Geometry. <br /><br />As John wrote the Gospel for the Greek Polytheistic world, He didn't try to declare the Almighty was actually Zeus or Prometheus. He declared right up front that God wasn't a god (an object in the world with special powers, affected by other beings), but was in fact Logos (the plan by which the world came into existence, and by which the whole world continues.) The idea of "Bible" was still 200 years in the future. Scriptures in Jesus days were known as "the Law", "the prophets", and "the writings", so if John had been referring to the scriptures in John 1:1, He likely would have used the plural of Logos, since there were many volumes involved. <br /><br />Today, "Word" is The standard English translation used for Logos in the first chapter of John is "Word". This goes back to the first English Translation by Wyclif's group. I strongly suspect that in 1380, "The Word" was at that time not understood to mean strictly the canonized Bible, but was understood to mean something closer to what John originally wrote. Words weren't cheap in 1380, 50 years before the press was invented. You planned carefully what you would write and spent TIME on each single letter. <br /><br />If in John 1, Logos is Translated as Plan: <br /><br /><b> 1. Before there was time, there was The Plan. The Plan was with God, and God was The Plan. <br />. . . <br />14. The Plan became flesh and dwelt among us... </b><br /><br />It would represent the meaning of What John intended as well or better than the grandfathered-in "Word". <br /><br /><br />I'm still developing this idea... and would like your feedback. Please feel free to comment.Bible-Corpshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17183625411077537070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2791381177792305131.post-70439331087251396542010-07-19T18:27:00.005-05:002010-08-10T08:18:52.022-05:00Do It!To Be the light: <br /><br />o Don't EVER make promises about what you will do (Matt 5:33-37)<br />o Don't do your acts of righteousness in a way that attracts attention (Matt 6:1-5)<br />o Don't hide your light away where noone will ever find it. (Matt 5:14-16)<br />o Just do it. (Matt 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-18; Luke 24:46-49; Revelation 22:16-17) <br /><br />That's being the lightBible-Corpshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17183625411077537070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2791381177792305131.post-66538336598300584892010-07-19T18:10:00.006-05:002010-08-10T08:14:37.925-05:00Your Light Shines Forth<b><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matt%2015:1-11&version=WE" target="_blank">Matthew 15:1-10</a></b><br /><br /><i><b>And Jesus called the people to Him and said to them, Listen and grasp and comprehend this: It is not what goes into the mouth of a man that makes him unclean and defiled, but what comes out of the mouth; this makes a man unclean and defiles [him].</b></i><br /><br />Matt 15:10-11 (World English Bible)<br /><br /><hr>Bible-Corpshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17183625411077537070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2791381177792305131.post-66762625829264720982010-06-05T11:41:00.003-05:002010-08-10T08:23:11.716-05:00What Faith Gets You<b>Music: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MzOeKAnt-lM" target="_blank">Shania Twain - I'm Outta Here</a></b> (<a href="http://www.bestlyrics.org/print/S/0/If-You_0_re-Not-In-it-For-Love-%28I_0_m-Outta-Here%29/Shania-Twain/" target="_blank">lyrics</a>)<br /><hr><br />Re: <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews%2011&version=NIV" target="_blank">Hebrews 11</a> (Paul on Faith)<br /><br />. . .<br /><br />All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. People who say <b>such things</b> show that they are looking for a country of their own.<br /> Hebrews 11:13-14 (NIV)<br /><br />(<span style="font-style:italic;">To understand this blog, the whole chapter needs to be read, not just the verses I list here.</span><br /><br />. . .<br /><br /><hr><br /><br />If you read through the Bible, true faith is almost always accompanied by a severe trial, and in most cases the person being tried loses most of what they have besides their faith in God. <br /><br />There is no promise that faith brings (earthly) rewards in our human standard of time. The evidence in the Bible shows quite the opposite, that Faith isn't about immediate earthly rewards, and any expectation of earthly rewards is evidence of a lack of faith. <br /><br /><b><a href="http://www.ccel.org/f/foxe/martyrs/home.html" target="_blank">Fox's Book of Martyrs</a></b> Discusses the best known accounts of Faith in the lineage of American History. This is faith in action.Bible-Corpshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17183625411077537070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2791381177792305131.post-7221382405029085702010-05-30T14:46:00.008-05:002010-08-10T08:18:52.023-05:00Built on the Rock<b>Music: <a href="http://66.228.115.186/listen/player.asp?station=897power-fm&" target="_blank">Power FM</a> </b><br /><br /><hr><br />Matt 4:24-5:2<br /><br />News about (Jesus) spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed, and he healed them. Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him. Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them saying " . . . <br /><br /> | | | |<br /><br />Matt 7:24-29<br /><br />" THEREFORE: <br /><br /><b>Everyone who hears these words of mine</b> and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. <br /><br /> BUT: <br /><br /><b>Everyone who hears these words of mine</b> and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash."<br /><br /> When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.<br /><br />(NIV)<br /><br /><hr><br /><br />Maybe I'm over-simplifying the Gospel of Christ here, but to me... for me, any ministry that represents Jesus Christ must (at it's minimum) represent these three chapters of Matthew. If I want to spread the Gospel of Christ, I need to read the Mountain Message as a to do list and make the verbs action verbs. Any ministry that takes the core message contained here and starts explaining it with old testament history and radical interpretations of epistles is risking being in group 'I-never-knew-you' at the last day.Bible-Corpshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17183625411077537070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2791381177792305131.post-48706800057807734492010-03-30T11:17:00.003-05:002010-08-04T19:54:05.941-05:00Making room in the Temple<b>Music :<a href=http://www.theriver1023.com/cc-common/ondemand/player.html?world=st target="_blank">KPEZ - The River</a> </b><br /><br /><hr><br /><B>Cleansing the Temple</b><br /><br /> <br />And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all those who were buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling doves. And He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer’; but you are making it a robbers’ den.”<br /><br />And the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them.<br /> <br />But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that He had done, and the children who were shouting in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they became indignant and said to Him, “Do You hear what these children are saying?” <br /><br />And Jesus *said to them, “Yes; have you never read, ‘Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies You have prepared praise for Yourself’?” And He left them and went out of the city to Bethany, and spent the night there.<br /><br />(NASB) Matthew 21:12-17<br /><br /><hr><br /><br />There is nothing inherently evil about buying and selling. In fact most of the merchants present were providing aids to the worship and giving for the many many pilgrims passing through Jerusalem on Passover week. So what did Jesus mean by the example of the cleared temple?<br /><br />When we let things crowd out the core values of the Church, of Christianity, and of what it means to be serving the LORD; then we've fallen into the den of thieves. They've already successfully stolen your faith and replaced it with religion. <br /><br />If we truly believe the gospel of Christ, we will make room for the important stuff, the healing, the prayer, the children. If you find money changers and merchants taking up more and more of your church, get a whip. There are only so many minutes in our lives and we give so few to church. Make room in your house for the lord. Make room. <br /><br />This week at <st>my</st> Church, we are replacing our communal meal on the first week of the month with a bazaar to include gambling, selling, and games. In all the planning I didn't hear much about healing, prayer, or spreading the word (unless you call praying for big turnout at the bazaar prayer, and printing lots of flyers advertizing the rummage sale spreading the word.)<br /><br />I pray I'll have a better report soon.Bible-Corpshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17183625411077537070noreply@blogger.com0