Category Archives: Bible

The Holy Bible vs. the Qur’an – How to treat others?

In this short blog, we will compare and contrast some statements from the Christian Holy Bible and the Islamic Qur’an on the subject of how to treat others who are outside “the faith” or who do not believe the faith. There are many other facts, such as History, development, broad-scope, etc, that might be compared, contrasted, or explained, but this post will not discuss all those items at length. What we want to know is this: “How do these two books teach people to regard and deal with those who are outside of the faith and who do not believe in the same way?” Direct quotes will be shared from both texts, on various points of the basic question at hand. Continue reading →

Building a Sturdy Character: A Mystery?

“Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like: He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock. But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great.” -Luke 6:47-49

Most people, if you asked them, would say that they would love to have a better character. Wouldn’t you? Some disagree about how to do that. Some doubt if it were even possible. Others wonder how to achieve such a thing, if it were possible. Jesus tells us that it is possible and He tells us how. It’s actually quite a simple recipe that He gives us. It’s no mystery. Continue reading →

Learning to Fear the Lord through His word

“And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life: that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them:” -Deuteronomy 17:19

We are to read and meditate in God’s word all the days of our life! I would submit that we cannot learn to “fear the Lord” our God without diligently studying and respecting His word! We must hear it and study it much. We must learn about the God who can turn waters into blood, who can drive back oceans, who can call the dead to life, who can create creatures from nothing and humans from dust. Continue reading →

Who can understand the Bible anyway? (11-29-2012)

“11 The whole vision has become to you like the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one who is literate, saying, “Read this, please.” And he says, “I cannot, for it is sealed.” 12 Then the book is delivered to one who is illiterate, saying, “Read this, please.” And he says, “I am not literate.” 13 Therefore the Lord said: “Inasmuch as these people draw near with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, But have removed their hearts far from Me, And their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men, 14 Therefore, behold, I will again do a marvelous work among this people, a marvelous work and a wonder; For the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, And the understanding of their prudent men shall be hidden.” (Isaiah 29:11-14).

Haven’t so many people in this world just thrown up their hands and said, “O who can even understand the Bible?!” Some said it was only the clergy (church leaders) who could understand it. Others among the educated and various church leaders have said, “It’s just too high for a man to grasp it fully and let us just be certain that our own opinion of the Bible is not the only right one, perhaps everyone is right.” Sadly, while men treat the Bible with disrespect, God is mocked! The Bible, in many places is simple enough for a child to understand it! What we need, is to NOT think that we cannot understand it. We should not shirk our spiritual duty to diligently search out, read, and study it’s pages. We should not try leaving it to only the “educated,” nor should we think that someone is too “uneducated” to understand it’s truths!

Jesus said the Holy Spirit would be our teacher in all spiritual matters (See John 14:26). What we need is to pray for the Holy Spirit to give us understanding, and then to actually read and study what is written in the Bible, for ourselves, with a prayerful and humble heart! The Apostle Paul stated, “…spiritual things…are spiritually discerned” (1 Corinthians 2:13,14). God will help us to understand His word if we would simply ask in prayer, and then humbly search for His truth! Remember also, “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (1 Peter 5:5). Come humbly to the Lord, search diligently, and ask for His understanding! He will surely give it! (Check out His promise in Proverbs 2:1-6).

David said, “I have more understanding than all my teachers: for thy testimonies are my meditation” (Psalm 119:99). If we would simply make the word of God our prayerful and daily meditation then we too would see such rewards of heavenly wisdom coming from our meditation time in the Scriptures!

In the days of Jesus, the “literate,” or the educated Pharisees quibbled back and forth over the meaning of the Scriptures! They trusted only in the interpretations of men and were left very confused. They had a reputation for not being able to teach the word of God with any kind of authority or power. They were like dead ducks sitting behind the pulpit every week talking about thin air! (See Mark 1:22). The people, on the other hand, who were “illiterate” had been taught to believe that they were too stupid to rightly understand the Scriptures and therefore many of them didn’t hardly even try. They simply left that work of understanding the Scriptures up to those who were the PhD certified religious leaders of the day! It was so sad that Jesus had to state, it was like the blind leading the blind, and BOTH were going to fall into a ditch (See Matthew 15:14).

Jesus on the other hand was different! It was said of Him, “No man ever spoke like this man!” (John 7:46). “He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes” (Matthew 7:29). The people were amazed and the religious leaders were baffled!!! This was the very thing that the Prophet Isaiah spoke about in Isaiah 29:11-14! While all the educated leaders and the uneducated people were throwing up their hands and saying “Who can really understand the Bible?,” merely honoring God with their lips, having a religion based upon the rules taught by men (religious forms and traditions of men) rather than the pure word of God, and having hearts that were far away from God, the Lord sent someone to rebuke them! God sent His Son with the straight teaching of the Bible itself to cut through the religious dinge of the day, and to put to shame the earthly and foolish “wisdom” of their “prudent men.”

The religious leaders were shocked among themselves as they heard His wisdom and marveled at it, even from his young age (ref. Luke 20:26; 2:46,47). None them could dare to “gain-say” his words for they were straight Bible truth and the leaders of Christ’s day were often forced to hold their tongues in silence as they listened to Him. He spoke the words of truth that came from the Holy Spirit (See Matthew 10:19,20). The religious leaders were compelled to say, with amazement upon their lips, “How can this man know letters, having never learned?” (John 7:15). Though he had never attended their formalized schools, he was not too ignorant to pick up a book and learn how to read it!

Jesus once remarked in thankfulness to God, a praise for His heavenly wisdom! “21 In that hour Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit and said, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight” (Luke 10:21). Truly, God reveals the truths of His word, even unto babes (in understanding, etc.). The truth of Heaven is given to those who humbly and prayerfully seek God for it in faith (Hebrews 11:6). “And you shall seek me, and find me, when you shall search for me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:12,13). Will you seek the Lord, to know His truth?!

[original old CCM blog post was on Nov. 29, 2012]