Gone Fishing

Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

“Papa! Help me!” I screamed. When I was about 4 or 5 years old my grandfather made me catch my first fish. That’s right, I said “made.” He had taken me fishing since I was able to stand and had helped me catch many, many fish but this was the first time he wouldn’t help me. The fish on my line was so large that it was about to pull me in! As I cried for help he just laughed and said, “You can do it.” Finally, the fish was subdued. I was the champion. That was the biggest 2 pound fish I ever caught!

The Bible says that when God forgives our sins He sends them to the bottom of the ocean.

Micah 7:19 - You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.

We shouldn’t be fishing them back out. We are called to be fishers of men, not fishers of sin. Stop punishing yourself and/or others for past sins. You may have a difficult time accepting God’s forgiveness because what you have done was especially shameful or detrimental to yourself and others. There may be constant reminders like consequences, negative thoughts or the reproach of others. Here’s what God says about that: if you are in Christ Jesus, there is now no condemnation for you. None. Listen to some of the terms used by God to describe you now: free, glorified, delivered, and loved by God.

All of these apply to you… and to other brothers and sisters in Christ. Not only do you need to trust in God’s forgiveness for yourself, but also for them. Jesus shed His blood to pay for their sins and we need to accept that, honor that and set them free just like He did.

Galatians 5:1 – It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

We need to uplift one another, encourage one another! The Bible says that our love for each other will be one of the things that attracts the lost to Christ. Isn’t that great? When Jesus called us to be fishers of men that’s the bait He wanted us to use – LOVE. If you feel a tug on your line and it’s something bad from your past just tell that stinky old fish what God says about you now and you’ll have that sucker for dinner! And if it’s about someone else, you need to throw that fish back in the sea and never reel it in again. Give that person a hug and tell them you love them and appreciate them. You’ll be amazed at the healing power that comes from forgiveness.

God’s favor and blessings to you my brother or sister – you are free! Now, what’s for dinner? Fish???

To Judge or Not to Judge - That is the Question

Question: "What does the Bible mean that we are not to judge others?"

Answer: This is an issue that has confused many people. On one hand, we are commanded by the Lord Jesus, “Do not judge, or you too will be judged” (Matthew 7:1). On the other hand, the Bible also exhorts us to beware of evildoers and false prophets and to avoid those who practice all kinds of evil. How are we to discern right from wrong and who these people are if we do not make some kind of judgment about them?

To judge: to pronounce an opinion concerning right & wrong.

Prov. 31:9 Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy.

1 Cor. 6:2-3 Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you incompetent to try trivial cases? Do you not know that we are to judge angels? How much more, then, matters pertaining to this life!

The first section of chapter 7 (vv. 1-5) is a continuation of statements Jesus made in chapter 6 as part of the Sermon on the Mount (ch. 5-7). The issues Jesus was addressing were the following: giving to the needy (ch. 6:2), praying (ch. 6:5&7), fasting (ch. 6:16) and judging (ch. 7:1). In each of these statements Jesus is making the same comparison – we are supposed to do these things but not like the hypocrites. He doesn’t say don’t give to the needy, don’t pray, don’t fast, don’t judge, he says don’t do it for the wrong reasons. Each should be done out of love for God and others.

Christians are often accused of "judging" whenever they speak out against a sinful activity. However, that is not the meaning of the Scripture verses that state, "Do not judge." There is a righteous kind of judgment we are supposed to exercise—with careful discernment (John 7:24 Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment). When Jesus told us not to judge (Matthew 7:1), He was telling us not to judge hypocritically. Matthew 7:2-5 declares, "For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye." What Jesus was condemning here was hypocritical, self-righteous judgments of others.

In Matthew 7:2-5, Jesus warns against judging someone else for his sin when you yourself are sinning even worse. That is the kind of judging Jesus commanded us not to do. If a believer sees another believer sinning, it is his Christian duty to lovingly and respectfully confront the person with his sin (Matthew 18:15-17). This is not judging, but rather pointing out the truth in hope—and with the ultimate goal—of bringing repentance in the other person (James 5:20) and restoration to the fellowship. We are to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15). We are to proclaim what God's Word says about sin. 2 Timothy 4:2 instructs us, "Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage — with great patience and careful instruction." We are to "judge" sin, but always with the goal of presenting the solution for sin and its consequences—the Lord Jesus Christ (John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me).

Isaiah 5:20 Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!

If we don't warn someone in error to turn from evil, we are partly responsible.

Ezekiel 33:8-9 If I say to the wicked, O wicked one, you shall surely die, and you do not speak to warn the wicked to turn from his way, that wicked person shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. But if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way, that person shall die in his iniquity, but you will have delivered your soul.

We are not to judge people in an effort to elevate ourselves or to persecute and condemn them.

Please Accept My Apologia - the rapture

The Rapture

And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. (John 14:3)

Two essential rules for studying the end times:

1)      Don’t Americanize bible prophecy

2)      Don’t worry – God is in control and wants us to stay on mission

The rapture is a specific point in time when God physically removes both the living and dead in Christ from the earth; Christ gathers his bride to himself. This event is not the same as Christ’s return to establish his kingdom on earth by overthrowing the anti-Christ. To study the rapture, we must also understand God’s promise of a time of tribulation as prophesied in Daniel 9:24-27. The tribulation is the final 7 years of Daniel’s timeline after the fulfillment of Messiah. During this time the anti-Christ (the abomination that causes desolation, the beast) will make a seven-year covenant of peace with Israel but will break it half-way through (3 ½ years). The final half is also called “the great tribulation.”

·         Jesus removes the church (all believers) from the earth

·         The rapture will be instantaneous

·         Our bodies (both the dead and living) will be changed into everlasting bodies

Revelation 6-11

·         7 seals – these appear to be spread throughout a long period of time, possibly across the 7 years of the tribulation; the four horsemen of the Apocalypse (the first is the anti-Christ); martyrs during the tribulation

·         7 trumpets - the seven trumpets are the “contents” of the seventh seal; the seventh trumpet ushers in the 7 bowls of wrath (this seems different than the “last trumpet” sounding at the rapture, ref. 1 Cor. 15:42)

·         7 bowls of wrath – includes 7 plagues upon mankind; the battle of Armageddon

1 Thessalonians 4:13-5:11

1 Corinthians 15:50-54

Revelation 3:10

Daniel 9:20-27

Joel 2

Revelation 6-22

Three views on the rapture (in relation to the Great Tribulation):

1)      Pre-Trib: The rapture takes place immediately before the tribulation (the rapture is the catalyst for the commencement of the tribulation). Once the church is taken to heaven, the anti-Christ is revealed and the 7 years of tribulation commence to be immediately followed by Jesus returning to reign on earth for 1,000 years. According to this view, the church does not experience any of the tribulation.

Strengths: According to this view, the church does not experience any of the Tribulation. 1 Thess. 5:9 - For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. The church of Philadelphia was promised to be kept from “the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world” (Revelation 3:10). The word “church” appears nineteen times in the first three chapters of Revelation, but, significantly, the word is not used again until chapter 22. In other words, in the entire lengthy description of the Tribulation in Revelation, the word church is noticeably absent. Pre-Trib is the only theory which clearly maintains the distinction between Israel and the church and God’s separate plans for each. The seventy “sevens” of Daniel 9:24 are decreed upon Daniel’s people (the Jews) and Daniel’s holy city (Jerusalem). This prophecy makes it plain that the seventieth week (the Tribulation) is a time of purging and restoration for Israel and Jerusalem, not for the church. This view also matches other biblical examples of God’s salvation including Noah, Lot and Rahab.

Weaknesses: One perceived weakness of pre-trib is its relatively recent development as a church doctrine, not having been formulated in detail until the early 1800s. Another difficulty facing the pre-trib view is the fact that there will obviously be saints in the Tribulation (Revelation 13:7; 20:9). It is also unclear at which stage during the tribulation that the nation of Israel will recognize Jesus as the Messiah.

2)      Mid-Trib: The rapture occurs half way through the tribulation (3 ½ years into the 7 years of great tribulation). At that time, the seventh trumpet sounds (Revelation 11:15), the church will meet Christ in the air, and then the bowl judgments are poured upon the earth (Revelation 15–16) in a time known as the Great Tribulation. In other words, the Rapture and Christ’s Second Coming (to set up His kingdom) are separated by a period of three-and-a-half years.

Strengths: the body of Christ (the church) is present during the first half of the tribulation but taken up before God’s wrath is poured out (as seen in the bowls of wrath judgment in Revelation 15-16); this would match 1 Thess. 5:9 which states that God has not destined us for his wrath. This view also matches the chronology of 2 Thess. 2:1-3 (1) apostasy, 2) the revelation of the Antichrist, and 3) the Day of Christ). In Matthew 24, Jesus mentions the beginning of the great tribulation and his return for the elect after the abomination of desolation foretold in Daniel (the midpoint of the 7 years of tribulation).

Weaknesses: the 7^th trumpet of the judgments in Revelation may not be the same as the last trumpet sounded at Christ’s return. The questions remain about the interaction of “the church” and the nation of Israel during the end times.

3)      Post-Trib: The rapture occurs at the end of the 7 years of tribulation, coinciding with the return of Christ physically on earth. At that time, the church will meet Christ in the air and then return to earth for the commencement of Christ’s Kingdom on earth. In other words, the Rapture and Christ’s Second Coming (to set up His Kingdom) happen almost simultaneously. According to this view, the church goes through the entire seven-year Tribulation.

Strengths: Jesus’ declaration of the rapture of the elect occurs after his description of great tribulation; the book of Revelation mentions only one coming of the Lord and that after the tribulation; there will be saints alive during the tribulation; Rev. 20:5 (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection).

Weaknesses: the chapters in Revelation that describe the Lord returning to earth clearly describe his return as King to reign on earth; many people will come to faith in Christ during the tribulation including the nation of Israel (specifically 144,000); 1 Thess. 5:9 states that God has not destined us for his wrath, which would seem to contradict the wrath of God poured out during the great tribulation.

Please Accept My Apologia - lesson 3

The Church

"Make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose," (Phil. 2:2).

What is the church?

Many people today understand the church as a building. This is not a biblical understanding of the church. The word “church” comes from the Greek word ekklesia which is defined as “an assembly” or “called-out ones.” The root meaning of “church” is not that of a building, but of people.

The church is the body of Christ, of which He is the head. Ephesians 1:22-23 says, “And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.” The body of Christ is made up of all believers in Jesus Christ from the day of Pentecost (Acts chapter 2) until Christ’s return. It is comprised of those who have been saved and redeemed by the True and Living God, based upon the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus upon the cross.  Inclusion in the Body of Christ is not by membership in a denomination, nor by baptism, nor or by dedication.  It is not received by ritual, or by ceremony, or by natural birth.  It is received by faith (Rom. 5:1; Eph. 2:8).

It is much more than a gathering of believers who profess the true and living God and attend weekly worship meetings.  The church is the bride of Christ.  It is a living temple of the True God.  It is not the building, the meeting place, an organization, or a denomination.  The church is the totality of all true believers regardless of denominational affiliation.  The entire body of believers is the church and as such, it is the dwelling place of the Holy and Infinite God.

The body of Christ is comprised of two aspects:

1)      The universal church consists of all those who have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. “For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink” (1 Corinthians 12:13). This verse says that anyone who believes is part of the body of Christ and has received the Spirit of Christ as evidence. The universal church of God is all those who have received salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.

2)      The local church is described in Galatians 1:1-2: “Paul, an apostle … and all the brothers with me, to the churches in Galatia.” Here we see that in the province of Galatia there were many churches—what we call local churches. A Baptist church, Lutheran church, Catholic church, etc., is not the church, as in the universal church—but rather is a local church, a local body of believers. The universal church is comprised of those who belong to Christ and who have trusted Him for salvation. These members of the universal church should seek fellowship and edification in a local church.

It is all right to have differences of opinion on the non-essential matters that do not affect salvation. Yet far too many Christians use these non-essential differences as justification for division.

What are some examples of non-essential matters that people have different opinions about?

Bible Trivia

Which popular saying is NOT in the bible?

1)      You are the apple of my eye

2)      Cleanliness is next to Godliness

3)      Eat, drink and be merry

Additional Resources

http://www.gotquestions.org/what-is-the-church.html

Bible Study Schedule:

                April 10^th (team 1 & 3) & 12^th (team 2), 24^th & 27^th

                May 9^th & 11^th, 22^nd & 24^th

                June 5^th & 8^th, 20^th & 22^nd

Our study can be found online at: http://catfoodandcoffee.blogspot.com/

Feel free to print or forward to others that would benefit from our topics

Please Accept My Apologia - lesson 2

SIN vs SINS

Die (verb): To stop sinning suddenly. ~ Elbert Hubbard

Is there a difference between SIN and SINS?

SIN is literally the condition of being spiritually dead and separated from God, under “the curse” (Rev. 22:3). It is the disease. Sin = Death. When God created Adam and Eve, there was no sin in them. They were in a perfect, intimate relationship with him. Sin originated with Lucifer who was the first to rebel and entered the world through Adam who likewise chose disobedience. Even though sin was a moral, spiritual corruption, it consequently affected the physical world as well (Gen. 3:16-17, Rom. 8:22). Adam’s disobedience brought condemnation for all mankind because it separated us from God. We are born with the disease (Ps. 51:5, Ps. 58:3). Jesus’ sinless atonement for sin restores that relationship and gives life to all that believe (Rom. 5:10-19). “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Cor. 5:21).

SINS are individual acts. They are the symptoms of the disease. A sin is the breaking of God's law by choosing to do or think anything that is against his holiness. Committing a sin does not make you a sinner. We sin because we are sinners by nature. Why does a dog bark? It barks because it is a dog. Barking does not make you a dog. Not only was Jesus the cure for the disease of sin, he took upon himself the sins of the world, providing forgiveness for each and every act (Eph. 1:7, Acts 13:38).

What is the most common objection to sin?

“I’m a good person. I don’t do horrible things, so I don’t need forgiveness.”

Why is being a good person not enough to get you into heaven? Because no one is a ‘good’ person; there is only one who is good, and that is God himself. “Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins” (Eccl. 7:20). The Bible says that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). The Bible also says that the wages of our sin is death (Romans 6:23). We are not judged by weighing our good deeds vs. our bad deeds. We are judged by God’s standard of “no-sin,” called holiness, which means we would have to be perfect and pure to pass judgment (Rom. 3:12). “But we are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteous deeds are like filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6).

Some believe it’s a matter of degree or amount: “Only evil people like murderers or child molesters go to hell,” or “I try my best to do what’s right. I’m sincere.” God does not judge based on sincerity, he judges based on his holiness. Imagine a glass of pure, clean water. How many drops of poison would you allow to be put in the glass and still drink it? 10? 5? 2? How about 1? A glass of water with only 1 drop of poison in it would still kill you. “For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it” (James 2:10). This is because we are all under the curse of SIN. We are either lost and separated from God or saved by his grace alone.

"The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God" (2 Corinthians 4:4).

Please Accept My Apologia - lesson 1

The Holy Bible

Is the bible really God’s word?

In 2 Timothy it says that “All scripture is God-breathed” – revealed, inspired from the Holy Spirit.

There are both internal and external evidences that the Bible is truly God’s Word. The internal evidences are those things within the Bible that testify of its divine origin.

1) One of the first internal evidences that the Bible is truly God’s Word is seen in its unity. Even though it is really sixty-six individual books, written on three continents, in three different languages, over a period of approximately 1500 years, by more than 40 authors who came from many walks of life, the Bible remains one unified book from beginning to end without contradiction. This unity is unique from all other books and is evidence of the divine origin of the words which God moved men to record.

2) Another of the internal evidences that indicates the Bible is truly God’s Word is the prophecies contained within its pages. The Bible contains hundreds of detailed prophecies relating to the future of individual nations including Israel, certain cities, and mankind. Other prophecies concern the coming of one who would be the Messiah, the Savior of all who would believe in him. There are over three hundred prophecies concerning Jesus Christ in the Old Testament. Not only was it foretold where He would be born and His lineage, but also how He would die and that He would rise again. There simply is no logical way to explain the fulfilled prophecies in the Bible other than by divine origin. There is no other religious book with the extent or type of predictive prophecy that the Bible contains.

3) A third internal evidence of the divine origin of the Bible is its unique authority and power. This authority and power are best seen in the way countless lives have been transformed by the supernatural power of God’s Word.

There are also external evidences that indicate the Bible is truly the Word of God.

1) One is the historicity of the Bible. Through both archaeological evidences and other writings, the historical accounts of the Bible have been proven time and time again to be accurate and true. In fact, all the archaeological and manuscript evidence supporting the Bible makes it the best-documented book from the ancient world.

2) Another external evidence that the Bible is truly God’s Word is the integrity of its human authors. As mentioned earlier, God used men from many walks of life to record His words. In studying the lives of these men, we find them to be honest and sincere. The fact that they were willing to die often excruciating deaths for what they believed testifies that these ordinary yet honest men truly believed God had spoken to them.

3) A final external evidence that the Bible is truly God’s Word is the indestructibility of the Bible. Because of its importance and its claim to be the very Word of God, the Bible has suffered more vicious attacks and attempts to destroy it than any other book in history. From early Roman Emperors like Diocletian, through communist dictators and on to modern-day atheists and agnostics, the Bible has withstood and outlasted all of its attackers and is still today the most widely published book in the world.

There are presently 5,686 Greek manuscripts in existence today for the New Testament. If we were to compare the number of New Testament manuscripts to other ancient writings, we find that the New Testament manuscripts far outweigh the others in quantity.

Author	Date Written	Earliest Copy	Approximate Time Span between original & copy	Number of Copies	Accuracy of Copies
Lucretius	died 55 or 53 B.C.		1100 yrs	2	----
Pliny	61-113 A.D.	850 A.D.	750 yrs	7	----
Plato	427-347 B.C.	900 A.D.	1200 yrs	7	----
Demosthenes	4th Cent. B.C.	1100 A.D.	800 yrs	8	----
Herodotus	480-425 B.C.	900 A.D.	1300 yrs	8	----
Suetonius	75-160 A.D.	950 A.D.	800 yrs	8	----
Thucydides	460-400 B.C.	900 A.D.	1300 yrs	8	----
Euripides	480-406 B.C.	1100 A.D.	1300 yrs	9	----
Aristophanes	450-385 B.C.	900 A.D.	1200	10	----
Caesar	100-44 B.C.	900 A.D.	1000	10	----
Tacitus	circa 100 A.D.	1100 A.D.	1000 yrs	20	----
Aristotle	384-322 B.C.	1100 A.D.	1400	49	----
Sophocles	496-406 B.C.	1000 A.D.	1400 yrs	193	----
Homer (Iliad)	900 B.C.	400 B.C.	500 yrs	643	95%
New Testament	1st Cent. A.D. (50-100 A.D.)	2nd Cent. A.D. (c. 130 A.D.)	less than 100 years	5600	99.5%

There are dozens of known fragments from manuscripts dating to the 1^st and 2^nd centuries AD. Most people that try to disprove the bible’s authenticity state that the writings of the NT did not occur until the late 3^rd or early 4^th centuries. Some recent examples include parts of Mark’s Gospel, Paul’s letters and an early sermon based on Hebrews 11 from the 2^nd century. This shows the church’s early recognition of the NT books as authoritative scripture (only those were allowed to be read in church).

While there was undeniably some debate in regards to the Old Testament canon, by A.D. 250 there was nearly universal agreement on the canon of Hebrew Scripture. The only issue that remained was the Apocrypha, with some debate and discussion continuing today. The vast majority of Hebrew scholars considered the Apocrypha to be good historical and religious documents, but not on the same level as the Hebrew Scriptures. Very early on, some of the New Testament books were being recognized. Paul considered Luke’s writings to be as authoritative as the Old Testament (1 Timothy 5:18 ref. Luke 10:7). Peter recognized Paul’s writings as Scripture (2 Peter 3:15-16 “And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures”). The first “canon” was the Muratorian Canon, which was compiled in A.D. 170. The Muratorian Canon included all of the New Testament books except Hebrews (which is about to be disproven), James, and 3 John.

One false point that the book and movie The Da Vinci Code contends is that the Council of Nicaea, led by Emperor Constantine in 325 AD, hand-picked which books would be in the NT canon. Their purpose in writing the Nicene Creed was to dispel the false gnostic teachings that Christ was only a man. The Council of 325 had nothing to do with forming the bible.

The bible is full of contradictions:

A difference is not a contradiction. It is only an error if there is absolutely no conceivable way the verses or passages can be reconciled. Even if an answer is not available right now, that does not mean an answer does not exist. Many have found a supposed error in the Bible in relation to history or geography only to find out that the Bible is correct once further archaeological evidence is discovered. So, what are we to do when someone approaches us with an alleged Bible error? 1) Ask if they can show you what they are talking about. Many are going on hearsay alone. Prayerfully study the Scriptures and see if there is a simple solution. 2) Do some research using some of the fine Bible commentaries, “Bible defense” books, and biblical research web sites. 3) Ask our pastors/church leaders to see if they can find a solution. 4) If there is still no clear answer, we trust God that His Word is truth and that there is a solution that just simply has not been realized yet.

The bible has been translated so many times that it isn’t the same as the original:

The fact that there are so many English Bible translations is both a blessing and a problem. It is a blessing in that the Word of God is available to anyone who needs it in an easy-to-understand, accurate translation. It is a problem in that the different translations can create controversy and problems in Bible studies, teaching situations, etc. The differences between the translations can also be a subject of great division within the church body.

For example, the KJV and NAS attempted to take the underlying Hebrew and Greek words and translate them into the closest corresponding English words as possible (word for word), while the NIV and NLT attempted to take the original thought that was being presented in Greek and Hebrew and then express that thought in English (thought for thought). Many of the other translations attempt to "meet in the middle" between those two methods (ESV).

Bible Trivia

66 books in the bible; 39 in OT, 27 in NT (3x9=27)

Psalm 118 is the middle chapter in the bible, 117 is the shortest, 119 is the longest

Middle verse in bible is Psalm 118:8 “It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.”

Additional Resources

http://www.christianexaminer.com/Web%20News/Webnews_Headlines07.html

http://www.gotquestions.org/questions_Bible.html

carm.org

The Reason for God by Timothy Keller

Jesus and the Eyewitnesses by Richard Baukham