Saturday, August 17, 2013

The Ripple Effect




 Romans 11:22

(22) Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off.
New King James Version   Change Bible versions
Paul admonishes us to consider both God's goodness and severity. Both of these characteristics are part of what He is, and therefore we must respect both.
We can make the contrast between them very sharp: Until Adam and Eve sinned, they received all goodness from God. After their sin, it appears that His severity hit them immediately; they were ushered out of the Garden.
In Genesis 4, Cain sinned by killing Abel. At first, Cain received goodness from God in that he was permitted to live, but he also received severity in that he had to live as a marked vagabond.
In these two early examples, both sides of God's judgment appear, and a pattern has become especially clear: Severity results because of sin.
Whether we are immediately aware of it is not the issue. For instance, when Adam and Eve sinned, their decline into death began immediately, regardless of whether they were physically aware of any deterioration of their health. Cain immediately became a vagabond separated from his family roots. The only real difference between the carrying out of the death penalty between Adam and Eve and Nadab and Abihu is the effect God desired to create by His immediate, shocking display of severity.
We who draw near to God must know that the God we serve is to be served as a holy God—especially because He is a holy God. He permitted no opportunity for them to repent because they should have known better. The wages of sin is always death.
In the days of Noah, the goodness of God spared only eight souls, but His severity terrifyingly destroyed the remainder of humanity. In a matter of a few days, perhaps billions of people, even innocent unborn and newborn babies, died because of sin.
Following King Saul's paranoia-driven reign, God showed His goodness to Israel by raising up David, a man after His own heart, to rule over Israel. Yet, then David committed a disastrous double sin by entering into adultery with Bathsheba and deliberately bringing about the death of the loyal Uriah. God mercifully forgave the sins, but that does not mean there was no painful punishment laid on David and his family. God's severity against David and his family was hard and long. First, the son born of that illicit union died shortly after its birth. Later, David's firstborn son, Amnon, raped his own half-sister, Tamar. Tamar's brother, Absalom, seeking revenge, killed Amnon and fled from David, not seeing him for two years.
Then Absalom revolted against David in his desire to take over the throne. Absalom arrogantly proceeded to defile David's concubines in the sight of all Israel. Several thousand were killed in this revolt, and eventually, Absalom himself was killed by Joab. The family's pain did not stop even then, washing over into Solomon's reign when he put Adonijah to death because he sought political power by asking for Abishag's hand in marriage.
David was a man of blood, as God Himself mentions, but his children carried a moral cancer until death stopped them. Have we ever noticed how much deceit and illicit sex was involved in David's family's sins? God was not present in that family's life as He had once been. He could have stepped in at any time and stopped the holocaust ripping through David's family, but He did not. Living as they did, despite being the progeny of a man God greatly loved, they felt the severity of His judgments.
Deeply consider how long God's severity lasted! He did not simply let David off the hook. He had been chosen to draw near to God. Much was required of him.
— John W. Ritenbaugh

Friday, August 16, 2013

The Discipline of Discipleship the Lord's COMMAND

The Discipline of Discipleship the Lord's COMMAND

 

Jesus

 
 
    
"16 Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them.
17 And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted.
18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen."  (Matthew 28:16-20 KJV)


     Now there are those Christians out there who will dispute the Word of the Lord and His command in this passage.  They will tell you this is Israel's command, they will say it doesn't apply to YOU Christian, some will even say this is fulfilled by Jesus on the cross, despite the commandment coming after the Lord's rising.  The Lord of Heaven's Armies clearly gives a command here.  Marching orders to His disciples, as clearly illustrated in verse eleven shows to whom He is addressing.  "
1.)  DISCIPLESHIP: one who accepts and assists in spreading the doctrines of another: as
a : one of the twelve in the inner circle of Christ's followers according to the Gospel accounts
b : a convinced adherent of a school or individual 
 
     Now for the LUDICROUS FALLACY, that if Jesus, IF BIG IF, was only speaking to the Hebrews, let's take a look at a Greek or Hellenistic recorded Gospel which says the SAME EXACT THING. 
 
"46 And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:47 And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
48 And ye are witnesses of these things.
49 And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.
50 And he led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them.
51 And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven.
52 And they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy:
53 And were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God. Amen"  (Luke 24:46-53 KJV)
     Did you notice He the Lord, Jesus, the Risen Lord preaches repentance and remission together.  And repentance being a change of mind, attitude, behavior, not just an intellectual choice to believe, but faith belief that changes the attitude, mind, and behavior of an Holy Spirit regenerated soul.  The Disciples were witnesses of this and Jesus' teachings, for three years they walked with the Master, the learned Who He is, they heard His teachings, teachings on Adultery, Greed, Pride, Anger, Hate, Murder, Divorce, Marriage, and nowhere did He teach that grace made it acceptable to willfully disobey one jot or tittle of His teachings, rather, He taught and commanded that we, as disciples (those who choose His way of living) teach others to observe His teachings.  This is the reality because of a grace changed heart, that isn't condemned position wise yet still able to sin, and yes be chastised according to the Book of Hebrews and the of' course applicable rest of the Word of God.  We are empowered by He, the Holy Spirit to make the choices Jesus did.  The problem comes when we pick and choose which parts to obey, not in any attempt to receive grace, BECAUSE OF GRACE, BECAUSE OF GRACE, BECAUSE OF GRACE.  LEST WE TRAMPLE THE SON OF GOD UNDERFOOT AND MAKE A MOCKERY OF HIS SINLESS LIFE, AND SELFLESS CRUSHING AND SACRIFICE ON GOLGOTHA.  He arose to MAKE us free, set is a bad translation, its weak and lacking, we are New Creations IN CHRIST, THEREFORE, we are MADE free.
Again, here is another account, again by the doctor, Luke who wrote both of his accounts descriptively as to leave no room for debate.  In the following passage, in Acts chapter 1, notice the words command.  Again speaking to His disciples, again to tarry for He, the Holy Spirit, to EMPOWER the child of God, In Christ, to obey His commands post salvation.  This is not legalism, this is obeying a command of Jesus, POST SALVATION, ACCOUNTABILITY, WITNESSES, CONSECRATION, SET APART, AND PHYSICAL AND TEMPORAL HOLINESS, NOT JUST POSITIONAL. 

    
"1 The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach,
Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen:
To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:
And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me.
For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.
When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?
And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.
But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.
10 And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;
11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven."  (Acts 1:1-11 KJV) 
     Let me put this in simple human, 2013 jargon.  As a former soldier, and a Marine I understand the doctrine of discipline.  At boot camp, in Marine boot camp, everything is done purposefully too instill a discipline, a obedience to commands, to function as designed.  We learned to do close order drill (marching with weapons) to obey orders on command, instill unity, brotherhood, mission completion.  Things ranging from how we held our trays at chow, to how we held the cup at chow, how we scrubbed the deck (floor) were all designed for this purpose.  Not for killjoy, not for displeasure, but for Esprit De Corps or UNITY.  This unity is an allegory to the phileo that every true Christian shares with other Christians.  A Marine from Parris Island, can be placed in a platoon or unit with other Marines of varying years of service, from Parris Island or San Diego, without a hesitation march the same and obey the same commands on the same timing.  Imagine church, if we Christians would be disciplined in the Word of God, the COMMANDS OF JESUS, THE WORD HIMSELF, THE POWER THE CHURCH WOULD UNIFIED WOULD UNLEASH AGAINST THE GATES OF HELL!  Love in Christ, Jason!
 

Thursday, August 15, 2013

Afterlife
 
 
 
 
 
    
The first law, also known as Law of Conservation of Energy, states that energy can not be created or destroyed; it can only be redistributed or changed from one form to another.  This is a scientific "law" which has been proven by many scientist, physicists, and such.  Now let us talk about the human brain, and what humanity has discovered in the last century, as for the "functioning" operation of the brain, the part of our body, that seats our will, cognitive will that chooses, seats our personality and regulates our thinking, speech, reading, sight, and our interaction with the world outside the human body.  The part that makes me Jason Bryant, and the part that make you who you are. 

What are nerve impulses?

"A nerve impulse is an electrical signal that travels along an axon. There is an electrical difference between the inside of the axon and its surroundings, like a tiny battery. When the nerve is activated, there is a sudden change in the voltage across the wall of the axon, caused by the movement of ions in and out of the neuron. This triggers a wave of electrical activity that passes from the cell body along the length of the axon to the synapse." 

How do nerve impulses code information?

Nerve impulses are a way of coding information, in a similar way to FM radio, allowing information to be transmitted both quickly and accurately. Each impulse is the same size so it is the frequency that carries information about the intensity of the signal. For example, as you turn up the dimmer switch on your bedroom light, the size of the nerve impulses from your eye stays the same but the rate at which they are generated increases.
 
Now let use go back to the original definition the human soul in the Bible.  H5314 Strong's give's soul from Genesis' definition of the what God said: " soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion
a) that which breathes, the breathing substance or being, soul, the inner being of man
b) living being
c) living being (with life in the blood)
d) the man himself, self, person or individual
e) seat of the appetites
f) seat of emotions and passions
g) activity of mind"
Now let us look at another Biblical definition for soul: G5590-psyche:
1) breath
a) the breath of life
1) the vital force which animates the body and shows itself in breathing
a) of animals
b) of men
b) life
c) that in which there is life
1) a living being, a living soul
2) the soul
a) the seat of the feelings, desires, affections, aversions (our heart, soul etc.)
b) the (human) soul in so far as it is constituted that by the right use of the aids offered it by God it can attain its highest end and secure eternal blessedness, the soul regarded as a moral being designed for everlasting life
c) the soul as an essence which differs from the body and is not dissolved by death (distinguished from other parts of the body).

Now Christian, we KNOW where the soul goes when the flesh dies.  Those of us saved, well... we go to the Father, which is in line with the laws of thermodynamics.  Though man has recently discovered (last century) the operation of the brain, God already told us where the seating house of the soul goes, the electrical impulses, the energy, the soul must go somewhere. Science has only given description to what God has already said thousands of years ago.  Love in Christ, Jason.


Saturday, August 10, 2013

The Beauty of The Rose Garden

The Beauty of The Rose Garden

 
 
 
 
 
For the child of God in Christ, we are not promised a "rose garden" well... yes we are in a way. Roses are beautiful to the smell and sight, yet to the touch they can pierce the body, by the thorns that follow up the stem to the beautiful blossom. So in the beauty of the "rose garden" there is pain or always the possibility of pain. Beside the Man of Sorrows, Isaiah, and Jeremiah, King David was well experienced in the trials, pain, distress, loneliness, disappointment, death of sons, brother (Jonathan), betrayal of a King he was faithful to. David a faithful servant of God, a man after God's heart, faced spiritual battles, and David was successful, and David made mistakes, but David's position did NOT make him immune to the battles of this life. Christian, lonely parent, divorced spouse, widower and widow, you understand all too clearly David's woes, and Jesus understands them too. He carried them all to the cross, the full weight causing Him to cry out, " My God...My God...Why hast Thou forsaken me?" I speak FROM EXPERIENCE of having a soon to be decade of hard, difficult battles, but they were always the most painful and difficult when I tried to stand on my own, they became light and lighter as I fell own my knees and cried out. Here is a passage for when the flesh (EMOTIONS and ATTITUDES) start screaming in your head:
"144 Blessed be the Lord my strength which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight:
2 My goodness, and my fortress; my high tower, and my deliverer; my shield, and he in whom I trust; who subdueth my people under me.
3 Lord, what is man, that thou takest knowledge of him! or the son of man, that thou makest account of him!
4 Man is like to vanity: his days are as a shadow that passeth away.
5 Bow thy heavens, O Lord, and come down: touch the mountains, and they shall smoke.
6 Cast forth lightning, and scatter them: shoot out thine arrows, and destroy them.
7 Send thine hand from above; rid me, and deliver me out of great waters, from the hand of strange children;
8 Whose mouth speaketh vanity, and their right hand is a right hand of falsehood.
9 I will sing a new song unto thee, O God: upon a psaltery and an instrument of ten strings will I sing praises unto thee.
10 It is he that giveth salvation unto kings: who delivereth David his servant from the hurtful sword." (Psalms 144:1-10 KJV)  Love in Christ, Jason


Monday, August 5, 2013

Jesus Teaches On Marriage and Divorce

Jesus Teaches On Marriage And Divorce

Jesus

 

 

Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers
God will judge. - Hebrews 13:4 (KJV)

He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to
put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so. And I say unto you,
Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry
another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit
adultery. - Matthew 19:8-9 (KJV)

Before proceeding to answer the questions below, let me lay out some fundamental
biblical principles that relate to questions concerning divorce and remarriage.

Principle #1

Marriage is a Divine institution that is honorable among all people (whether, Jew
or Gentile, believer or unbeliever) according to Hebrews 13:4. Thus, if the civil
magistrate wickedly redefines what God declares to be a lawful marriage (e.g. same-sex
"marriage"), or tyrannically redefines what God declares to dissolve a marriage
(e.g. divorce upon the ground of "irreconcilable differences"), such civil laws
are null and void.

Principle #2

Although Christians are commanded not to be unequally yoked and although to do so
is a grievous sin (1 Corinthians 7:39), nevertheless, the union of a believer and
unbeliever (or a union of two unbelievers) does not make a marriage null and void
(1 Corinthians 7:12-13).

Principle #3

It is not a lawful "second marriage" that is contracted (but rather an unlawful
and adulterous relationship), when a previous lawful marriage has not been dissolved
upon scriptural grounds (Matthew 5:32; Matthew 19:9; Mark 10:11-12).

Principle #4

When a previous lawful marriage is dissolved upon scriptural grounds, a lawful second
marriage may be contracted upon scriptural grounds (Deuteronomy 24:1-4).

Principle #5

The biblical grounds upon which a marriage may be lawfully dissolved (thus allowing
a lawful remarriage) are the following: (1) Death (Romans 7:2-3); (2) Fornication
(Matthew 5:32; Matthew 19:9); (3) Willful Desertion that cannot be remedied (1 Corinthians
7:15).

Principle #6

When civil magistrates overturn Divine institutions (like marriage), it is the duty
of church courts not to comply with such wicked laws, but to uphold the institutions
that God has established and to render ecclesiastical judgments to individuals,
couples, and families that are soundly based upon God's Law (Mark 7:9).

Upon the basis of these biblical principles, I proceed to answer the following questions.
It should be noted that in the responses below, the term "lawful" means "scripturally
lawful" i.e.  agreeable to the Law of God as revealed in Holy Scripture.

Question #1

If Spouse A pursues and obtains a civil divorce that has no biblical grounds, is
Spouse A considered (by God) to be committing adultery in all future sexual relations?

Greg Price's Response

If Spouse A pursues and obtains a civil divorce that has no biblical grounds, there
is no lawful dissolution of the marriage according to Scripture. Spouse A (being
the guilty party in obtaining an unlawful civil divorce) has no biblical right
to dissolve the marriage; therefore, the bonds of marriage lawfully continue. Any
sexual relations outside of that marriage (on the part of Spouse A or Spouse B)
are adulterous in nature, because the marriage has not been lawfully dissolved on
biblical grounds.

However, a lawful dissolution of the marriage occurs if Spouse A or Spouse B should
die. Moreover, a lawful dissolution of the marriage may occur if Spouse B (being
the innocent party, who did not consent to the unlawful civil divorce) obtains
through the ecclesiastical court a judicial ruling that recognizes sincere attempts
to have been made over a period of time to urge Spouse A to return to the marriage
(yet without success), and that rules that Spouse A has deserted Spouse B (without
remedy). Then Spouse B may seek an "ecclesiastical judgment" that recognizes the
dissolution of the marriage on the biblical ground of a desertion that cannot be
remedied. In which case, since the marriage is now lawfully dissolved on biblical
grounds, either party may be lawfully remarried.

In addition, if Spouse A after separating from Spouse B or divorcing Spouse B (without
biblical grounds) should engage in sexual relations, this is adultery (for the marriage
has not been lawfully dissolved), and this also becomes a ground for a lawful divorce
and remarriage, which Spouse B may likewise pursue with an ecclesiastical court.

Question #2

Would this remain the case if Spouse A gets married again (in the eyes of the state)
to someone other than the spouse B who was unlawfully (in the eyes of God, according
to the Bible) divorced through a civil divorce?

Greg Price's Response

It would yet be the case that Spouse A was committing adultery (even if a civil
divorce is obtained), for without biblical grounds (namely, death, fornication,
or willful desertion that cannot be remedied), a divorce is unlawful, null, and
void. Since the marriage is not dissolved upon biblical grounds, any sexual relations
outside of that marriage between Spouse A and Spouse B are adulterous sexual relations.

Question #3

If spouse A repents and believes in the Lord Jesus Christ, at a future date, and
becomes a Christian (if spouse A was not a Christian previously), would a new marriage
(in the eyes of the state) then be lawful in the eyes of the Lord -- or would spouse
A still be considered to be committing adultery on an ongoing basis (even though,
according to the state, spouse A would be considered as being married a second time)?

Greg Price's Response

Marriage is neither constituted nor dissolved based upon the state of a person's
soul, for marriage between a man and a woman is honorable among all people (Hebrews
13:4). There are indeed biblical grounds upon which a marriage is lawfully constituted
(whether one is a believer or unbeliever), and there are biblical grounds upon which
a marriage is lawfully dissolved (whether one is a believer or unbeliever). Since
marriage is a Divine institution for all human beings (regardless of the state of
their soul), the same Divine regulations apply to believer or unbeliever alike (whether
in regard to lawfully establishing a marriage or lawfully dissolving a marriage).
Thus, if Spouse A becomes a Christian, a new "marriage" (even one that the civil
courts would recognize) would still be an adulterous relationship, if the previous
lawful marriage between Spouse A and Spouse B has not been lawfully dissolved.

Question #4

If the second marriage noted above is not lawful in the eyes of the Lord, would
a new Christian be required to get a divorce to avoid further adultery? If not,
why not?

Greg Price's Response

If the lawful marriage between Spouse A and Spouse B has not been lawfully dissolved,
they are yet lawfully married. A "second marriage"(even one that the civil courts
would recognize) is then not lawful, but is adulterous. If the "second marriage"
(between Spouse A and Spouse C) was hypothetically to be considered a lawful marriage
without having lawfully dissolved the marriage between Spouse A and Spouse B, Spouse
A would then be married to Spouse B and to Spouse C at the same time (a clear violation
of Mark 10:11-12). Thus, as long as the actual, lawful marriage between Spouse A
and Spouse B remains, there cannot be a lawful marriage between Spouse A and Spouse
C. Consequently, the "second marriage" cannot continue, because it is not a lawful
marriage, but is rather an adulterous relationship. In order for there to be a lawful
second marriage constituted on biblical grounds, one of the two following possible
scenarios must occur: (1) Death to one of the spouses would dissolve the previous
lawful marriage; (2) Spouse B (the innocent party in the actual lawful marriage)
must lawfully dissolve the marriage through a church court (on either the ground
of Spouse A's fornication or on the ground of Spouse A's willful desertion that
cannot be remedied).

Question #5

If the second marriage noted above is lawful in the eyes of the Lord, if Spouse
A becomes a Christian (or even if Spouse A was a backsliding Christian who repents
after a second marriage), by what biblical teaching is the new marriage considered
lawful in the eyes of the Lord, and how does Spouse A go from committing adultery
before being a Christian (or repenting, as a backsliding Christian), in the second
marriage, to not committing adultery in a second marriage?

Greg Price's Response

The "second marriage" cannot be a lawful marriage, unless one of the two scenarios
mentioned above in Question #4 occurs. Without one of the two scenarios mentioned
above being followed, the "second marriage" is not only null and void (because spouse
A cannot be lawfully married to Spouse B and Spouse C at the same time, according
to Matthew 19:5-6; 1 Corinthians 7:2), but is also an adulterous relationship (Matthew
19:9), even if the civil courts recognize the "second marriage". Why? Because the
previous lawful marriage has not been lawfully dissolved on biblical grounds established
by the God who created and instituted marriage.


Looking In The Mirror

Looking In The Mirror

James

 

 

    
"Therefore, to him who KNOWS to DO good and does NOT DO it, TO HIM it is a SIN." (James 4:17 KJV)

"James the half brother of Jesus, was slow to affirm the ministry of Jesus [Hebrew of all Hebrews] his controversial brother (John 7:5). Eventually he did come to believe in Him and became one of the leaders of the church at Jerusalem after Jesus' resurrection (Acts 15:13). And WHAT a leader!... Once James got IN STEP WITH JESUS' MISSION, he became zealous for righteousness. His one epistle is the most like the Old Testament prophets of ALL New Testament epistles and Gospels.

James wrote in a black and white thinker style of letter. DON"T approach James to discuss compromise or the fallible possibility of NOT DOING WHAT GOD EXPECTS. First, James says that if you KNOW what is the right thing to do but don't do it, it is a sin! (James 4:17). Second, he says if you do all the right things except one, it is the same in God's sight as having not done any of them. (James 2:10) Any questions? BUT James also appreciated the grace of God. In cases where we don't KNOW the right thing to do, he says ask God for wisdom, which God will give "liberally without reproach." (James 1:5) .

GRACE DOES NOT MEAN WE DO NOT HAVE TO DO THE RIGHT THING. NEITHER DOES IT MEAN WE CAN'T ASK TO BE SHOWN."
Donald Grey Barnhouse

"19 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:
20 For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.
21 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.
22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:
24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.
25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed." (James 1:19-25 KJV)