Question of the Week: Is Scripture infallible?

answersingenesis.org | newsletter archives | contact us July 9, 2011 a weekly look at answersingenesis.org
In this issue . . . Q&A: Is Scripture infallible? Video On Demand: Astronomy and the Bible, Part 2 (Sidebar) Ken's Blog (Sidebar) Special alert: Watch Ken Ham live this Sunday News to Note Quick Look Biblical Authority Devotionals Answers ... with Ken Ham After Eden Network with Us! Job Opportunities at Answers in Genesis (Sidebar) Q: Is Scripture infallible? A: Let's start by understanding what we mean when we talk about the Bible as "inspired" because that word may mislead us. The term is an attempt to translate a word that occurs only once in the New Testament, and it's not the best translation, even though William Tyndale introduced it back in 1526. The word is found in 2 Timothy 3:16 and is made from two Greek words, one being the word for God and the other referring to breath or wind. It is significant that the word is used passively in this case. God did not "breathe into" (inspire) all Scripture, but it was "breathed out" by God (expired). Thus, 2 Timothy 3:16 is not about how the Bible came to us but where it came from. The Scriptures are "God-breathed." If "inspired" really means "God-breathed," then the claim of 2 Timothy 3:16 is that all Scripture, being God-breathed, is without error and therefore can be trusted completely. Since God cannot lie (Hebrews 6:18), He would cease to be God if He breathed out errors and contradictions, even in the smallest part. So long as we give theopneustos its real meaning, we shall not find it hard to understand the full inerrancy of the Bible. Continue reading to learn more about how God's Word came to us and why we can trust it 100 percent. Watch Ken Ham live this Sunday This Sunday, Answers in Genesis President Ken Ham will be speaking at the morning and evening services of First Baptist Church Woodstock (near Atlanta, Georgia). You can view all his talks (the morning messages will be the same) on the live media page of the church website, www.fbcw.org (service hours are listed). The senior pastor is Johnny Hunt, outgoing president of the Southern Baptist denomination. By the way, if you haven't seen it yet, be sure to watch Dr. Hunt's YouTube video endorsement of our Ark Encounter project. (Some content on YouTube is not representative of Answers in Genesis' views.) News to Note Quick Look Mega marsupial: A nearly complete skeleton of the world's biggest marsupial, the Diprotodon, was unearthed at Floraville Station in Queensland. This specimen, 6.5 feet tall and 11 feet long, is estimated to have weighed three tons. Read more. Panzee and Nim: Voice changers don't fool her! Panzee, a 25 year old chimp, has been impressing psychologists at Georgia State University with her language skills. Another chimp will be getting publicity this summer with the release of the movie Project Nim. Nim Chimpsky was the subject of an experiment by Columbia University psychologist Herbert Terrace. Read more. Also: Big black hole Bungled baraminology The critical computer And Don't Miss . . . Biblical Authority Devotionals Why Is It Not All About Me? How Should I Mourn Sin? Where Can True Comfort Be Found? How Must I React to My Sin? What Is the Result of Spiritual Bankruptcy? Answers ... with Ken Ham radio program Plants—but they're not "nephesh!" Comets—they disintegrate too quickly! Refuting compromise—God and the big bang! Stars—really created on the fourth day? Genesis—it's worth division! After Eden Network with Us! Answers in Genesis Answers in Genesis Creation Museum Creation Museum Ark Encounter Ark Encounter Answers Magazine   Note: Facebook and Twitter are both social networking sites with user-contributed content. Children should not visit the sites without parental supervision.  Free app for iPhone / iPod Touch / iPad	This Week . . . Feedback: Theistic Evolution (Jul 08) The Early 19th Century Social and Religious Milieu (Jul 07) The Source of All Wisdom (Jul 06) Why Should We Believe in the Inerrancy of Scripture? (Jul 05) Dependence Day (Jul 04) Darwin—Unwittingly a "Creationist" (Jul 03) Video On Demand Astronomy and the Bible, Part 2 Watch Video Ken's Blog Astonished at Research and Publications Renowned Scientist Visits Creation Museum More Young People on Fire for Creation Apologetics It's Almost Here! Will You Be, Too? On Independence Day, Make Sure You Can Call It "Dependence Day" Previous entries Prayer Requests View the current prayer requests to keep track of and pray for current ministry needs. Resources Answers Magazine Subscription: United States Body of Evidence (8-DVD/Book Combo) Into the Amazon: One Lost World, Thirty Men, Seven Mysteries CHECK THIS OUT (6 animated mini-videos on 1 DVD) More current bestsellers Upcoming Events Georgia Sunday Speaking at FBC Woodstock, July 10 Kentucky 2011 Apologetics Mega Conf, July 18–22 Arizona Arizona Families for Home Education Convention, July 22–23 Louisiana Answers in Genesis Conference, August 7–8 Indiana Answers in Genesis Conference, August 21–22 More events Job Opportunities Application Developer I Constituent Data Administrator (CDA) Grounds Manager Security Console Operator Warehouse Specialist Web Developer—Python Web Interns
This information graciously provided by: Answers in Genesis 2800 Bullittsburg Church Road, Petersburg, KY 41080 Customer service: 1-800-778-3390

How to Be Heard

 

II Kings 22:18-19  ". . . As touching the words which thou hast heard; Because thine heart was tender, and thou hast humbled thyself before the LORD, when thou heardest what I spake . . . I also have heard thee, saith the LORD." Perhaps this scenario has happened to you: you dial a phone number, the line rings, a voice answers, and either a) you think it is a voicemail recording when it is actually a person; or b) you think you are speaking to a person when, in reality, it's a recording.  I can't tell you how often I've called a church or cell phone and really thought I was speaking to the voice I heard, only to quickly find out that I was having a conversation with myself!  You can't have a two-way conversation with someone's voicemail! Instinctively, we want to be heard.  We want our prayers to be heard by God.  King Josiah reminds us in II Kings 22 that to be heard, it is imperative to hear God.  We have a wonderful advantage over believers in the Bible; we have the complete Word of God.  Josiah had to go to a central place where a single copy of God's Word was kept.  Most of us only have to go a few feet in our house to find one of the many copies of the Bible we own! If we are going to hear God, we must have humility of heart.  Verse 19 says, "Because thine heart was tender, and thou hast humbled thyself before the LORD. . . ."  And humility of heart only comes after hearing what God has said.  So many times we are hard of heart because we are hard of hearing!  It sounds simple, but you cannot hear God if you are not reading His Word.  Reading the Bible takes time, but there is nothing spiritual about reading a passage yet missing the point of what you are reading.  We all could probably use a lot more thinking (the Bible word is meditation) in our daily Bible reading. It will be amazing what God has to say to you in His Word when you take time to actually listen!  Humble yourself and hear what He is saying to you.  To be heard, you must hear God.  God's nature never changes, so what you find true of Him in the Bible will be true today and tomorrow.  In the busyness of life, don't forget to hear from God! Camp Quotes... "Our testimony for Christ ought to be the motivation for every action and attitude." -Pastor Mike Edwards Prayer Requests:  1. Safety for families traveling home from camp today. 2. Groups traveling to camp this weekend from Maryland, Tennessee, Florida, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Indiana, Alabama, Louisiana, North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio, New Jersey, and Georgia      Looking for more devotionals? Visit the archives here

Bill Rice Ranch | 627 Bill Rice Ranch Road | Murfreesboro | TN | 37128

Christ the Son of God

Christ the Son of God     "And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead." (Romans 1:4)   The opening verses of Paul's epistle to the Romans stressed that the gospel of Christ was actually the fulfillment of that "which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures" (v. 2). This promise was centered in God's eternal Son who had promised to redeem the world from sin and death.   To do this, He must become a man, "made of the seed of David according to the flesh" (v. 3), yet He also must be sinless in both nature and practice before He could become God's perfect sacrifice for sin. He must be perfect man--man as God intended man to be. He must be a "second Adam," created without sin, yet He must not fail as did the first Adam, being "in all points tempted like as we are, yet without or by a sin nature genetically inherited from His parents. Then, for nine months, His body would grow, finally to be born of the virgin and to live a life "holy, harmless, undefiled" until that perfect, sinless man could be made "one sacrifice for sins for ever" (Hebrews 7:26; 10:12). But how would the world ever know that all of this was really true? How could lost sinners be assured that their Creator had now become their Redeemer? By His resurrection from the dead--that's how! He has been "declared to be the Son of God with power . . . by the resurrection from the dead" (today's text). Jesus Christ is "that man whom he hath ordained;" and of this we can be sure, because "he hath raised him from the dead" (Acts 17:31). HMMsin" (Hebrews 4:15).   He must, therefore, be miraculously conceived. "A body hast thou prepared me" (Hebrews 10:5)--a perfect body unblemished either by inherited mutations   Print this article | More Days of Praise articles     Institute for Creation Research | 1806 Royal Lane | Dallas | TX | 75229

 

THE EVIL EYE

MARK 7:14-23

Pastor Rick Jackson

I. IT’S ORIGIN [Dt. 28]

1. It Begins with Simple Disobedience [v. 1-2, 14-15,

2. It Continues with Sinful Dissatisfaction [v. 45-48]

3. It Culminates with Self-Deification [v. 49-58]

II. IT’S MANIFESTATION

1. Selfishness [Dt. 15:9ff]

2. Short-sightedness [Proverbs 28:22]

He that hasteth to be rich hath an evil eye, and considereth not that poverty shall come upon him.

3. Small-Mindedness [Mt. 20:1-15]

III. IT’S MISTAKES [Lk. 11:28-36]

1. Undervalues Living By Faith [v. 28-29]

2. Undervalues the Lord’s Person [v. 30-32]

3. Undervalues the Significance of being Single-minded [v. 33-36]

John the Baptist didn’t - John 3:30 He must increase, but I must decrease

Jesus didn’t - Matthew 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Paul didn’t - Philippians 3:13-15 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.
Galatians 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

Without the Camp

Without the Camp July 5, 2011   "And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet with God; and they stood at the nether part of the mount." (Exodus 19:17)   Most of the vital activities of Israel as they were camped in the wilderness took place at the tabernacle in the midst of the camp. On the other hand, there are in the Scriptures about thirty references to things that had to take place "without the camp." The event described in our text is the first of these. The people had not yet come into covenant relationship with God, but were just about to encounter Him at Mount Sinai.   Once they had committed themselves to the covenant of law, the only events required to take place outside the camp had to do with keeping intact the holiness of the camp itself. For example, lepers were made to remain "without the camp" (Leviticus 13:46), because of both the infectious nature of the disease and also the fact that leprosy is used in the Bible as a type of sin. Those who were convicted of blasphemy against God were stoned "without the camp" (Leviticus 24:14), and this was also done in the case of those who ignored God's Sabbath rest day (Numbers 15:35). All the bodies of animals slain as sin-offerings had to be "burned without the camp" (Hebrews 13:11).   All of these were also types of the Lord Jesus Christ, the ultimate sin-offering for the sin of the whole world. "Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate" (Hebrews 13:12). In Jesus' time on earth, there was no camp as such, so He was taken outside the city walls for execution.   As a result of the willingness of the Lord Jesus to die for us, we are exhorted to die to self and live unto Him. "Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach. For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come" (Hebrews 13:13-14). HMM   Print this article | More Days of Praise articles     Institute for Creation Research | 1806 Royal Lane | Dallas | TX | 75229

Quotes of the Week

We have room for but one flag, the American flag... We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language... and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people. - Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt

The policy of the American government is to leave their citizens free, neither restraining nor aiding them in their pursuits. - Thomas Jefferson

You can't always have friends, but you can always be one. - Evangelist Bill Rice III

I don't want to stand before God as a crownless Christian. - J. Don Jennings

If we ever forget we are a nation under God we will be a nation gone under. - Ronald Reagan

Wisdom is not a bigmouth. - Jimmy Winburn

POWER PLANTS

LUKE 1:1-15

Pastor Rick Jackson

I. THE POWER OF INSPIRATION [v. 1-4]

1. Better Than Eyewitnesses [v. 1-2, II Peter 1:15-21]

2. Better Than Earthly Understanding [v. 3, anothen Jn. 3:31, 19:11, James 1:17, 3:15-17]

3. Better Than Erstwhile Education [v. 4, I Jn. 5:9-13]

II. THE POWER OF PRAYER [v. 5-7]

1. Greatest Access involves Being Saved [v. 5-6a, James 5:16]

… The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

2. Greatest Access involves Being Surrendered [v. 6b, walking = went, in Matthew 21:6]

And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them,

3. Greatest Access involves Being Specific [v. 7, 13]

III. THE POWER OF PURPOSE [v. 8-25]

1. God Uses Busy Imperfect People [v. 8-10]

2. God Uses Angels [v. 11-20, Hebrews 1:14]

Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?

3. God Uses His Plan [v. 15-25, Jeremiah 29:11]

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
Philippians 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

THE LORD, THE NATION, THE HOME

PSALM 127

Pastor Rick Jackson

I. THE LORD BUILT THE HOUSE [v. 1]

Contrary to what revisionist historians would have you believe, America was founded as a Christian nation.

1. The Continental Congress- on Sept. 11, 1777 recommended and approved that the Committee of Commerce “import 20,000 Bibles from Holland, Scotland, or elsewhere,” because of the great need of the American people and the great shortage caused by the interruption of trade with England by the Revolutionary War.

2. Benjamin Franklin- At the Federal Convention of 1787 said:

I have lived, Sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth, that God governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without his aid? We have been assured, Sir, in the Sacred Writings, that "except the Lord build the House, they labor in vain that build it." I firmly believe this; and I also believe that without His concurring aid we shall succeed in this political building no better, than the Builders of Babel: We shall be divided by our partial local interests; our projects will be confounded, and we ourselves shall become a reproach and bye word down to future ages. And what is worse, mankind may hereafter from this unfortunate instance, despair of establishing governments by human wisdom and leave it to chance, war and conquest.
I therefore beg leave to move that henceforth prayers imploring the assistance of Heaven, and its blessings on our deliberations be held in this Assembly every morning before we proceed to business, and that one or more of the clergy of this city be requested to officiate in that service.

3. John Quincy Adams said on July 4, 1821, "The highest glory of the American Revolution was this: it connected in one indissoluble bond the principles of civil government with the principles of Christianity. "


II. THE LORD MUST KEEP THE CITY [v. 1]

1. The Nation Must Maintain Relationship [Psalm 33:12]

Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance.


2. The Nation Must Maintain Righteousness [Proverbs 14:34]

Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.
Proverbs 16:12 It is an abomination to kings to commit wickedness: for the throne is established by righteousness.

3. The Nation Must Maintain Revival [2 Chronicles 7:13-14]

If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people; If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

III. THE LORD MUST KEEP THE HOME

1. The Folly of Labor Without the Lord [v. 2]

2. The Folly of Family Without Faith [v. 3-5]

3. The Folly of Going Without God [v. 1-5]

Question of the Week: Did Moses write Genesis?

 

answersingenesis.org | newsletter archives | contact us July 2, 2011 a weekly look at answersingenesis.org
In this issue . . . Q&A: Did Moses write Genesis? Video On Demand: Astronomy and the Bible, Part 1 (Sidebar) Ken's Blog (Sidebar) News to Note Quick Look Biblical Authority Devotionals Answers ... with Ken Ham After Eden Network with Us! Job Opportunities at Answers in Genesis (Sidebar) Q: Did Moses write Genesis? A: One of the major attacks on the Bible in the past 300 years has been directed against Moses and his authorship of the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Old Testament (Genesis–Deuteronomy). Such attacks on these foundational books of the rest of the Bible come both from non-Christians as well as professing Christians. Seminary courses, theology books, introductions to the Pentateuch in Bibles, and the secular media have promoted the man-made idea that Moses did not write the Pentateuch (also known as the Law or Torah). Instead, it is claimed that at least four different authors (or groups of authors) wrote various portions of these books over many centuries and then one or more redactors (editors) over many years combined and interwove everything together into its present form. However, there is abundant biblical and extra-biblical evidence that Moses wrote the Pentateuch during the wilderness wanderings after the Jews left their slavery in Egypt and before they entered the Promised Land (about 1445–1405 BC). Contrary to the liberal theologians and other skeptics, it was not written after the Jews returned from exile in Babylon (ca. 500 BC). Christians who believe Moses wrote the Pentateuch do not need to feel intellectually intimidated. It is the enemies of the truth of God that are failing to think carefully and face the facts honestly. Continue reading to learn how Scripture and other evidences support Moses as the author of Genesis. News to Note Quick Look How to take a dino's temp: Warm-blooded, cold-blooded, or none-of-the-above? Read more. Multicellularity missing the mark: Selecting for snowflakes or evolution of multicellularity? Read more. Also: Solar surprises Flapping up the wrong (evolutionary) tree Speciation's secrets And Don't Miss . . . Biblical Authority Devotionals What Is the Result of Spiritual Bankruptcy? Who Are the Poor in Spirit? Are You Truly Blessed? Are You Ready to Sit and Listen at the Feet of Jesus? Which Comes First from God's Perspective—Faith, Love, or Hope? Answers ... with Ken Ham radio program The Ark—was it big enough? The Book of Genesis—is it simplistic? The week—where did it come from? Rocks—you can make them yourself! Genesis—could it be a metaphor? After Eden Network with Us! Answers in Genesis Answers in Genesis Creation Museum Creation Museum Ark Encounter Ark Encounter Answers Magazine   Note: Facebook and Twitter are both social networking sites with user-contributed content. Children should not visit the sites without parental supervision.  Free app for iPhone / iPod Touch / iPad	This Week . . . Feedback: Why Do Men Have Nipples? (Jul 1) Reinterpretations of Genesis (Jun 30) Five Years of Answers—in One Issue (Jun 29) Did Moses Write Genesis? (Jun 28) Letter from Ken, June 2011 (Jun 27) Answers summer issue sneak peek: Was Child Sacrifice Condoned in the OT? (Jun 26) Video On Demand Astronomy and the Bible, Part 1 Watch Video Ken's Blog Five Year Old Gets It—In a "Humongous" Way A Changed Life, and a Life That Needs Changing Less Christian Every Day—What Is Wrong with the Church? Severe Case of Intellectual Schizophrenia An Eleven-Year-Old Has the Correct Answer! Previous entries Prayer Requests View the current prayer requests to keep track of and pray for current ministry needs. Resources Body of Evidence (8-DVD/Book Combo) Answers Magazine Subscription: United States Answers Book for Kids Complete Set (The) Dragons: Legends & Lore of Dinosaurs More current bestsellers Upcoming Events Georgia Sunday Speaking at FBC Woodstock, July 10 Kentucky 2011 Apologetics Mega Conf, July 18–22 Arizona Arizona Families for Home Education Convention, July 22–23 Louisiana Answers in Genesis Conference, August 7–8 Indiana Answers in Genesis Conference, August 21–22 More events Job Opportunities Application Developer I Constituent Data Administrator (CDA) Grounds Manager Security Console Operator Web Developer—Python Web Designer Web Interns
This information graciously provided by: Answers in Genesis 2800 Bullittsburg Church Road, Petersburg, KY 41080 Customer service: 1-800-778-3390

No Complaints

No Complaints   "And when the people complained, it displeased the LORD: and the LORD heard it; and his anger was kindled; and the fire of the LORD burnt among them, and consumed them that were in the uttermost parts of the camp." (Numbers 11:1)   The Lord is not pleased when we complain about our circumstances, no matter how grievous they may seem to us. Our example is Christ, always. "For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps" (1 Peter 2:21).   The children of Israel complained once too much. Forgetting all of God's blessings in miraculously freeing them from slavery and providing all their needs, they repeatedly complained about their lot, one thing after another. "But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness. Now these things were our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. . . . Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer" (1 Corinthians 10:5-6, 10).   God may not deal with a complaining Christian as severely as He did with His chosen people, Israel, but we can be sure He is displeased when we, who have received the blessing of eternal salvation by His gracious gift through Christ, forget His benefits and complain about His testing. "Do all things without mumurings and disputings," He has commanded (Philippians 2:14)--that is, without complaining and arguing about our treatment.   We can be confident that He is allowing these difficulties for some good purpose in preparing us for our service for Him in eternity. We should not forget what happened to the complainers in ancient Israel. "Now all these things happened unto them for examples: and they are written for our admonition" (1 Corinthians 10:11). HMM   Print this article | More Days of Praise articles     Institute for Creation Research | 1806 Royal Lane | Dallas | TX | 75229

THE TRUTH ABOUT BEING THANKFUL

PSALM 100:4

Pastor Rick Jackson

I. WE AREN’T THANKFUL BY NATURE

Anything we have to be taught to do is NOT part of our nature. Fish swim because it is their nature to do so.

1. Belief in God is Inherent, Thankfulness is Not [Romans 1:21]

Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

2. Heaven is Thankful that God is God, Earth is Not [Rev. 11:16-18]

3. Unthankfulness is a Characteristic of the Last Days [2nd Timothy 3:1-5]

A woman gave a boy some cake to which he replied, “Thank you very much.“ She said, “I like to hear little boys say thank-you.“ He said, “If you give me some ice cream to go with the cake I’ll say it again.“

II. THANKFULNESS INVOLVES RECOGNITION

1. God’s Kindness is Not Always Realized [Luke 6:35]

Matthew 5:45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

2. God’s Kindness is Not Always Remembered [Ps. 103:1-2]

3. God’s Kindness is Not Always Recognized [James 1:17]

III. THANKFULNESS IS AN ATTRIBUTE OF THE SPIRIT-FILLED LIFE

1. The Power [Eph. 5:18-20]

2. The Potential [Rm. 8:28]

3. The Pattern [Ps. 116:12-19]

Matthew Henry was once robbed of his wallet- he wrote in his journal that he was thankful for 4 things. “I thank Thee first because I was never robbed before; second, because although they took my purse they did not take my life; third, because although they took my all, it was not much; and fourth because it was I who was robbed, and not I who robbed.”

Quotes of the Week

Dr. Faulkner used to tell me, "Don't ever pass a water fountain up." - Bob Circeo

A wise man listening to a fool will learn more than a fool listening to a wise man. -Woodrow Kroll

It is the fear of man that enslaves us. It is the fear of God that frees us. - Pastor John Weaver

Don't let your learning lead to knowledge; let your learning lead to action. - Jim Rohn

The most powerful things on the earth can kill; the Bible is so powerful that it can give life! - Evangelist Troy Carlson

Our standing before God is not based on our performance; it is based on our position in Christ. - Evangelist Chris Miller

You cannot ignore your heart and expect to have fellowship with God. - Evangelist Billy Ingram

God didn't make you, only then to lose interest in you. - Evangelist Richard Coyle

SIN’S SECRETS

I KINGS 3:16-28

Pastor Rick Jackson

I. THE SAD STORY OF SIN [v. 16-22]

1. It is a Story of Degradation [v. 16-18]

God never intended humans to have to live in sin.

2. It is a Story of Disaster [v. 19, Rm. 5:12]

3. It is a Story of Deception [v. 20-22]

II. THE SELFISHNESS OF SIN

1. Willing to Steal [v. 20]

2. Willing to Lie [v. 22]

3. Willing to Murder [v. 26]

III. THE SOVEREIGN SOLUTION TO SIN [v. 23-28]

1. The Sword of Justice [v. 23-25,Proverbs 5:3-4]

For the lips of a strange woman drop as an honeycomb, and her mouth is smoother than oil: But her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a twoedged sword.

2. The Revelation of the Hearts [v. 26-27, Hebrews 4:12]

For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

3. The Testimony of the Believer [v. 28, Acts 4:13]

Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.

ISRAEL, GOD, & AMERICA

HOSEA 4

Pastor Rick Jackson

I. GOD’S CONTROVERSY WITH THE LAND [v. 1-2]

1. No Truth [look at the laws being passed]

Zechariah 8:16 These are the things that ye shall do; Speak ye every man the truth to his neighbour; execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates:

2. No Mercy [think of the millions aborted] Hosea 6:6

3. No Knowledge of God [ the proliferation of cults, isms, and heresies] Hosea 6:6

Malachi 2:7 For the priest's lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth: for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts.

II. SIN’S CONSEQUENCES TO THE LAND [v. 3-19]

1. Languishing [v. 3-5, Isaiah 24:4]

The earth mourneth and fadeth away, the world languisheth and fadeth away, the haughty people of the earth do languish.

2. Rejection [v. 6-11, 9:17, 1 Samuel 15:23]

For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king.
2 Kings 17:15, 20 And they rejected his statutes, and his covenant that he made with their fathers, and his testimonies which he testified against them; and they followed vanity, and became vain, and went after the heathen that were round about them, concerning whom the LORD had charged them, that they should not do like them. And the LORD rejected all the seed of Israel, and afflicted them, and delivered them into the hand of spoilers, until he had cast them out of his sight.

3. Shame [v. 12-19, 10:6, Zephaniah 3:11]

In that day shalt thou not be ashamed for all thy doings, wherein thou hast transgressed against me: for then I will take away out of the midst of thee them that rejoice in thy pride, and thou shalt no more be haughty because of my holy mountain.

III. GOD’S PERSONAL & NATIONAL PRESCRIPTION [5:15]

1. Acknowledgement of Sin [Confession] Proverbs 28:13

He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.

2. Forsaking the Sin [2 Chronicles 7:14]

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

3. Seek The Lord [Isaiah 34:16]

Seek ye out of the book of the LORD, and read: no one of these shall fail, none shall want her mate: for my mouth it hath commanded, and his spirit it hath gathered them.
Isaiah 55:6 Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:

Fred Afman speaks out on the question of the day...

Dr. Fred Afman, one of my seminary professors, told us once, "Anyone who thinks Genesis 1-3 is Hebrew poetry doesn't know Hebrew and doesn't know poetry."