God the Son from Genesis to Revelation

 Jesus Christ the Son of God, one of the three members of the Trinity, the triune Godhead.

 The significance of His birth to become the sacrificial lamb for the sins of man may be remembered by those that he died for.  Are those same people aware that the Son of God has been a part of history since the beginning and will be the catalyst of the End? 

He can be followed from the Beginning to the end.  From Genesis in the Old Testament to His Birth in the New Testament

From His Crucifixion to His return and Second Coming at the End Times.

Glimpses of the Son of God radiate throughout the Bible.  The book cannot be opened without following Him through scripture.

He would be given the name of Jesus at His birth in Bethlehem. Until that time, the Son of God was not only in existence as a member of the Trinity but was involved in the affairs of His Father’s kingdom.

GENESIS

God created the world in Genesis 1 and then said “let’s make man in OUR image”.  Who is the “our”?  The trinity, God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  God the Son was there in Chapter 2. 

After Satan used the serpent to tempt Eve, God stated that it would be crushed by the “seed of the woman”. 

Jesus was that seed…the virgin birth.

After the garden and the fall of man. Satan thought he had it all in his control until God brought the flood to destroy it all with the exception of the righteous man Noah to begin replenishing the earth.  In time, God choose Abraham to be the avenue for which God would bring redemption for mankind.

Through Abraham the promise was given and Abraham not only accepted it but believed in it. Jesus himself in the book of John (8:56)

Stated that “…Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad. …”

Abraham “saw” the day of Jesus and it made Abraham glad.  Did he actually physically see that day? Did he just understand it was coming in the way that no man ever did?  What we do know is what is recorded in Genesis 18-19 when Abraham entertained and hosted the divine being at his home. Other than the recorded conversation regarding the eventual birth to come for Sarah and then the events surrounding Sodom and Gomorrah, what conversation went on amongst them?  We often do not consider anything else other than what we have seen documented and recorded for our eyes. 

Abraham had a meal with his guests and spent time together.  There was no need for social conversation regarding stock prices in town or where the best watering holes were, when you are eating dinner with the power that created you and the universe!

Melchizedek

Genesis 14:13-16 Abraham rescues his nephew Lot and is met by Melchizedek who is listed (18-24) as “the priest of the most high God”.  Tithes are given and the priest brought forth bread and wine.  Much has often been made of this man Melchizedek.  He is not Christ or anything more than a mere human.  He however is a genuine “model” of Christ in many ways beyond the scope of this current topic.  Simply to mention the use of the elements that would be instituted by Christ for the Lords Supper shows the understanding by Abraham and Melchizedek of the need for “atonement”. (Luke 22:14-20)

EXODUS

God makes a covenant with Abraham in Genesis 15 that his descendants would number as the stars of the sky (vs 5) and the land that will be theirs (vs 18).  He even foretells the captivity and exodus (vs 13-14) from Egypt and the timeframe for its ending.  Which is confirmed in Exodus 12:41!

It would be hoped that most believers would know the Exodus story and its impact on the theme of scripture.  As part of the last plague that initiates the exodus out of Egypt, blood is spread on the doorposts (chapter 12) and will become remembered and celebrated as Passover.  The sacrificial lamb representative of the perfect lamb sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

In Exodus 3:14, Moses is told that he is to tell the Israelites that “I AM THAT I AM” is who sent Moses to deliver them.

In John 8:58, Jesus who had come to deliver us, told the Jews that He was THE “I AM”

God speaks to the Israelites through Moses.  A nation of millions that must learn to follow a belief in the Creator. Throughout their tenure in the desert, Moses pens the rules (Leviticus – Deuteronomy) that God has provided for them to live by.  The sacrifice of the lamb continues to be their offering to God. Until they reach the land that God promised Abraham and under the leadership of Joshua head in and are to claim the land.

CANAAN

After the Israelites came into the land of Canaan, they were a group of lose knit tribes trying to coexist with one another. Unfortunately, they also tried to coexist with their neighbors which they had been told to stay away from by God. This mingling of culture and belief led to the loss of any spiritual qualities that identified them as separate and unique.  They not only took on the evil practices of pagan gods they also became enticed with being like them and eventually wanted a king. God had foreseen this and provided rules for the king in Deuteronomy 17:14-20.

Samuel was a transition for the Jews from their isolated individual tribes to the point of their unification under a king. God had intended for them to serve Him as the only king but this did not happen.

Samuel “did let none of his words fall to the ground”. (1 Samuel 3:19-20) He only spoke what God told him to say. Giving only advice that was God driven and inspired. He became known as a man in tune with the will of God and not man.

Turning to earthly kings

In 1 Samuel 8, the people rejected God for an earthly king and the history of the nation is changed yet again.  The nation would spend most of the next 500 years going down the path of rule by wisdom of man and not God. 

King DAVID

David was the king that was called a man after God’s own heart.  As with Abraham God made a covenant with David (2 Samuel 7:1-17).

He was promised that his House, Throne, and kingdom would last forever.  It is out of his lineage that the Messiah would come.

David himself wrote many more than the 73 Psalms that have his name on them and many have direct references to the coming Messiah.

Including: Psalms 16:10; 22:13-18; 30:3; 34:20; 41:9-10; 55:12-14; 69:21; 118:17

There were a few kings like David that chose to follow God.  However, the number that chose to turn their back on God greatly outnumbered the Godly.  Each time God would speak to them through men of God called Prophets who were called to remind the king and the people of their need to return to the God of their fathers.

The Prophets

The Prophets all saw the coming of the Messiah.  Many of them also saw visions and were given information concerning the future.  They did not always understand what they were seeing, some seeing the first coming of the Messiah and others seeing His Second Coming.  They were seeing “mountain peaks” in the coming history.  Clarence Larkins has a diagram that depicts this well.   Each seeing different events.

Daniel gave them the exact time of the coming Messiah and his death. Daniel 2:44; 9:25-26

Isaiah and Malachi told of his coming being proceeded by a messenger. Isaiah 40:1-5; Malachi 3:1; 4:5-6

Prophets declared His birth of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14), born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2), the massacre of the children (Jeremiah 31:15).

Zechariah the prophet was even told specifically that there was going to be an end of the old covenant and start of a new covenant.  He not only saw the betrayal of Judas but He saw the return of the Messiah at His Second Coming to build the Temple.

Isaiah 53 is very well known as descriptive of the Messiah.

The fulfilled prophecies in scripture regarding Jesus are numerous. How can anyone doubt the prophecies yet to be fulfilled.

THE ARRIVAL OF MESSIAH

The Gospels record the Birth, Death and Resurrection of the Messiah – Jesus.  His fulfillment of prophecy is documented and lineage confirmed by the writers that were there with Him.

Gospel of Matthew does two things.  It begins by documenting the lineage of Christ but it also recounts the words of Jesus in regards to the End Times and what Jesus states in regards to his Second Coming.

The Second Coming of Christ and the Revelation of God

From the words of Jesus himself to the teachings of Paul in Thessalonians; the teaching of the prophets such as Ezekiel and Daniel are reaffirmed.  The end of the book is only the beginning as the Apostle John shares the vision he received from God in the book of Revelation. John elaborates on the foundations established by Daniel.  Daniel laid out the 70 weeks as given to him by God. Daniel detailed the first 69 and John details week 70 as provided to him by God.

The story of the Messiah transcends the length of scripture and time.  God is not limited by our time structure (2 Peter 3:8).  His plan has been there from the beginning to the end.  Both Daniel and John saw God himself and soon we will as well.  Eternity is His domain (Isaiah 57:15) and it is our choice whether or not to be there.

K a l e i d o s c o p i c AMERICAns

 K a l e i d o s c o p i c   AMERICAns

React to Names of Sport Teams

There is another minority in America that is not getting any attention in the midst of all the current propaganda so  it is time for them to speak up.  This group is called the Kaleidoscopic. There are too many different ethnic backgrounds in just one person in this group to label them anything other than Kaleidoscopic AMERICAns.

There are millions of you out there!  You know who you are.  Here is a description of members of this forgotten class. People with an Ancestor who came from country A.  This ancestor met a spouse getting off the boat at Ellis Island who had come over from country B.  They went and did what couples did…had children!

Their son married a girl who was daughter of immigrants from country C. Their second son crossed the river and married the girl whose family had just come up the river from “down under”. The youngest child; a girl; ran off with that traveling salesman who said he was from the “continent”.

A few generations go by.  There are now twenty different lines of descendents scattered across the country.  Not one of those descendents has any clue that the blood of ancestors from at least three other continents is running through their veins! 

With all those variations in the blood type of one individual person; why are those various blood types not killing each other?

Consider this: Country A hates Country C.  Country B would get along with Country F, if it was not for the relationship with Country J.  So instead of killing each other, they get offended at people, monuments and athletic teams that make some kind of reference to their heritage.  Consider the current trend with Professional Sports for an example, let’s see….

There is that blood type “E”. That bloodline starts screaming at what it perceives as the misuse of the terms “Redskins, Indians, Braves and Chiefs”.  That can be fixed when last years football Super Bowl Champion gets renamed.  Why stop renaming teams with the Washington Redskins?  The Washington Football team is an offending name.  It is a reminder that the team is supposed to be from Washington.

Now let’s look at blood type “H”.  It gets offended EVERYTIME religion comes up.  Every time the “Saints or Padres” are mentioned.  How unholy! What a headache every time some band plays “When the Saints…” or “Take me out to…” during the 7^th.

Let’s not mention what happens when one of the bloodlines hears the term Pirates, Buccaneers, or Vikings!  Boy oh Boy, that blood “R” from Great-Great-Great Uncle Jack wants to go do some pillaging and raiding. Shiver me timbers, blood starts boiling enough to make someone walk the plank!

Then there are other names that conjure up memories from ancestors that really get someone thinking of the past!  We do not want to be reminded of the past, do we? Shame on them.

Marching of the “Panthers”.  Was that the 60’s? That has to go.  How about “Patriots”?  Too much blood shed during the 1770’s….blood, blood, blood…  Don’t recall, did we learn anything about that decade while in school?

49ers? Were they not the ones that tore up and destroyed landscape, selfishly looking for Gold? Destroying the environment, how rude!  Got to change that.

What about all those “BIRDS”?  The hunter blood type from “down under” has a real fear of them. Get rid of them!  Eagles, Falcons, Seahawks, Blackhawks, Jayhawks, While-Yellow-Green-Pink BIRDS!

Oh…..I got a vision of Gregory Peck being chased by a huge Raven…I’m shaking in fright at the thought.

Solution?  Hear is the EASY solution.

Add up all the years of accumulated “wisdom” from ALL those generations of intelligent ancestors. How many decades of education and experience among them all?  Maybe not much, but THAT group of Kaleidoscopic AMERICAns, from EVERY land mass on the planet came up with this plan. It is the most logical, sure fire, perfect, alternative to fix all these so called issues from ever happening again!  Want to hear it?  Too bad.  After all, you are the one reading this, so here it is anyway.

EVERY ATHLETIC SPORT TEAM has to change their name!  That’s it.  Nothing more.

Start on the West coast and go North to South and then West to East.  Professional Sport teams are renamed.  They change the name to:  Football Team A – the next one is called Football Team B – etc. Baseball teams will become: Baseball Team A – the next one is called Baseball Team B.  Go through each sport the same way.  This plan is fool proof.  It can be done for Professional and Collegiate!

Wow, is that not the SIMPLIST idea to come along since sliced bread?  Oops, better retract that last analogy, it may be offensive to peanut butter or bologna.

Of course that is, it is fool proof until….

Until, it offends those suffering from Grammaphobia! Then the best choice is using numbers.

Oops, that would offend those suffering from Numerophobia.

Looking out for one’s own selfish desires, means that…SOMEONE WILL ALWAYS GET OFFENDED

Oh well, guess YOU CANNOT PLEASE EVERYONE!

Isn’t that where this all started?  Trying to please everyone?

Revising The Three R's - Part 1: RESPECT

There was a time when the emphasis on instruction was a focus on teaching the three R’s:  Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic.  At our point in history those three R’s have now changed but we need to get back to stressing their importance. The Three R’s that need to be emphasized:

RESPECT – RESPONSIBILITY – REVERENCE

Do these three exist in our world today?  What are they and why are they of any importance?

RESPECT

What is Respect?

Society puts high importance on Academia, so let’s see what their definition of the word is.  Two well established dictionaries define the word as follows.

From Merriam-Webster dictionary:

“An act of giving particular attention: CONSIDERATION”

“To consider worthy of high regard: ESTEEM”

From Oxford dictionary:

“A feeling of deep admiration for someone or something elicited by their abilities, qualities, or

achievements.”

“Due regard for the feelings, wishes, rights, or traditions of others”

Those definitions are great stand alone statements which do not appear to bring up any issues in themselves.  With that reasoning, then there should be no issue with the single word that those statements define.   Somewhere along with the passage of time, the definition has come to be broaden to include some other words: desires, wishes, sin and immorality.

Just because respect can be defined as “regards for the feelings, wishes, rights, or traditions of others”. Does that mean that all morality and sense of correctness is tossed aside? Items that are detrimental to the life, safety and well-being do not need to be allowed in order to provide respect.  Decline in morality today stems from the huge importance placed decades ago on defending “the feelings, wishes, rights, or traditions of others”.  Tolerance and Deference have both been misrepresented in attempts to provide respect.

Tolerance

Respect is often tied to the word tolerance.  Society screams for tolerance for opposing view points and ideas.  In order to provide for tolerance, society has made an allowance for blatant sinful living. When tolerance allows items that affect others in a manner that is unnatural to the laws of God; it has become a shield for making sin permissible when needed in order to respect the “…feelings, wishes, rights, or traditions of others.”

On the subject of respect; tolerance does not dictate an allowance for disrespect being shown to people or things that should automatically receive that respect.  There are many examples of this, but let’s deal with a simple example that is far too common today.  That is respect or the lack of it being shown to the flag of a country.

By definition a flag is a representation or symbol for a country.  Regardless of personal beliefs or political opinions; as a citizen of a country RESPECT is owed to the flag.  It is a symbol to represent the country.  Lives are lost fighting to defend it.  There is also a REVERANCE when offering RESPECT to the flag.  The “awe” of what has taken place to enable its citizens to stand there in FREEDOM to view that flag.  The prices paid in life and liberty does not give an allowance for disrespect.

In many cultures that disrespect could lead to the loss of liberty and even life. Disrespect for a flag gives the appearance (intended or not) of disrespect for what that flag represents and the millions who have died to defend it.  To not salute is an act of childish rebellion and is no different than a child telling a parent they refuse to do something.

This is but a small example to illustrate how tolerance has destroyed respect.  With more respect being shown there becomes less dependence upon tolerance.

Deference - Respect for others

Deference is a huge portion of Respect.  Deferring to others in an attitude of humbleness that places the other person FIRST IN EVERYTHING regardless of how it may inconvenience you or interfere with what you are doing at that very specific moment.  It is the act of placing that individual in highest esteem regardless.  Esteem others higher than yourself.  If there is a question, the other person always comes first in every action or reaction during the course of the day.

This can be seen in the simple illustration of the act of opening a door for someone.  Regardless of the individual’s sex, age or gender there is a statement being made.  The other person SHOULD be BEFORE me.  I will step to the side in humility and let them proceed uninterrupted in their busy day.  Allowing someone to go ahead of you in a waiting line creates the same effect.  By doing this, the other individual is being elevated to show how important they are.  Not doing so shows an indication of how little others are esteemed and in how high regard we hold our self above the other person.

There are examples every day.  Watch vehicle drivers cutting one another off in traffic instead of practicing patience and waiting.  Pedestrians walking into the path of vehicle traffic without concern because they are busy on an electronic device.  The attitude being displayed is “traffic will stop for me, if not I’ll sue them”.  Where does the attitude originate?  It comes from a lack of respect for another individual.  Placing more importance upon ones self without any amount of humility. 

It is seldom, but we do see respect in some areas of society.   There is the quiet or hush that happens moments before an “important person” steps to a microphone.  Respect is often displayed from a crowd at a sacred monument or service. However, it has all but disappeared in other areas of life. Where has it gone? It belongs in all areas of daily life.  All interactions of the day that involve another human being demands and dictates RESPECT being shown to others.

What does God think of Respect?

Genesis 4:4-5 - God showed “respect” for Abel’s offering but not for Cain’s

Why did God have respect for Abel’s and not Cain’s?  Abel did what was due to the “God of Creation” and out of respect he gave his best in offering.  Cain instead offered second rate gifts as something he had to do.  He was wrong!  He would ultimately pay for that decision to disrespect the offering due to the Almighty!

Today, we do the same thing as Cain.  We do not offer our best.  We give second rate effort in everything.  We do not have any respect for the fact that God or any other individual deserves it simply because of who they are. Then our attitude even turns to one that expects to be protected from any results of our laziness and doing wrong.  We then; like Cain, will take our vengeance out on those that did what was correct or proper.

Romans 12:10 (NIV)  “Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.”

(KJV) - “….in honor preferring one another.”

Philippians 2:3  “…in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.”

According to God, others are MORE IMPORTANT than ourselves!  So why do anything to promote self or personal agenda?   That would be the most foolish, self-centered, hypocritical, sinful thing to accomplish  while living on this planet.

1 Peter 2:13-17 says:

“Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme, or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well. For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men.  As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God.  Honour all men.  Love the brotherhood.  Fear God. Honour the king.”

(continued on Part 2) (all verses King James unless noted)

Get the Churches Back to the Basics

What happened to the Basics?

I remember in the early 1980’s; the many warnings received of the path the Christian church was taking.  Everything done as a church body, whether it was a program or initiative of some type, was geared toward being “more friendly” in order to attract the masses.  A slow migration began toward becoming not only more “like them” but losing originality.  The slower the change, the less like the original model the church became.  The church body slowly kept making so many changes, that over the next couple decades it never saw how far it had slid from its original purpose it was intended for.

Churches for the last 40 years have followed and modeled the world.  Whatever was popular in society was allowed to creep into the church.  After all, the church wanted to get people into the building.  So, to lure them in, it allowed methods and ideas into the building, which never would have been in the past.  The rationale being that these are the things that would entice them in.  Incorporating the world into the church caused standards to be lowered to conform to the worlds. 

Holiness, morality, self-denial, and many other topics had been lessons originally taught in Christian education in church related “schooling”.  The subtlest change occurred when the church stepped out of the education of children.  This was at a time when Americas Education system was doing everything it could for the removal of God. The standards and problems that plaque the schools are also the responsibility of the church.  The lack of education standards in schools also exists in our churches.  No one bothered to ever measure it!  What happens in Education, happens in church. What happened as they lowered school standards?  Look at the church, it happened here too.  Standards were lowered in both places.  The church stopped having Sunday school.  When forced to compete with football, Sunday evening services were also discontinued.  The problems seen in society today are the results of those decisions. Generations are going to continue to suffer the price for it.

Generations of church goers are uneducated in their knowledge of the Bible.

The level of illiteracy in America is often mentioned in the media.  The question usually centers on the fact that there are so many adults lacking basic skills in English, Math and History.  That problem is being repeated in the church.  There are illiterate congregations.  The general population of church congregations can not identify characters of the Bible.  Often they do not know the stories that teach the foundations of truths and beliefs of the denomination that they attend.

There was a time when a foundation was laid by teaching done in Sunday School.  The minister would then build upon that foundation with the sermon.  In churches today a different situation is occurring.  Often during a sermon or teaching, a speaker will make a reference to a Biblical story or character.  The speaker will then make the following statement: “…you all know the story, so I won’t go into it, but remember when ….”.  The speaker will proceed to use the moral or biblical truth learned by the Bible character or taught in that particular story as a precedent for the point in the sermon.  This is done in the belief that “everyone knows the story”.  How is this possible?  No one has heard the story in decades!  Are the stories being read at home?

Entire generations have been raised without these principles.  Generations have come and gone with no foundations in Biblical principles or morality. The church continues to be left in the hands of the next generation and then the next one.  When was the last generation that had any foundation? What should be expected when they are left running churches?

It started when the teaching stopped.  It continued to spiral downward when the textbook was removed.

No need for the Bible

(The following quote is from the Barna Group website at https://www.barna.com/research/state-of-the-bible-2018-seven-top-findings/ in an article titled:  “State of the Bible 2018: Seven Top Findings Research Releases in Faith & Christianity July 10, 2018”)

“Overall, about half of Americans are “Bible users”—that is, they engage with the Bible on their own by using, listening to, watching, praying or using Bible text or content in any format (not including use at a church service) at least three to four times a year (48%). Bible use has remained relatively consistent since 2011. Adults who use the Bible daily account for 14 percent of the total adult population, followed by 13 percent who use it several times a week, 8 percent who do so once a week, 6 percent about once a month and 8 percent who use it three to four times a year.”

People do not read the Bible and are unfamiliar with it.  This has occurred because there is no need to carry Bibles.  The lack of needing to carry them leads to the lack of ever opening them.  Books do not get read if they are not touched. If you want to stop the Word of God, do not get rid of the Church, get rid of the Bible.  Step into the church service of any religious denomination.  How many will be visited before there is a need to get out the Bible?  How many will you even find a Bible in attendance?

How does an author of a book or producer of a movie sell copies of their work?  Get it into the hands of the people.  Churches need to make an EMPHASIS on the USE of the BIBLE.  Satan’s goal is to do everything possible to remove the Bible from the hands of people.  Has he been accomplishing that!  Think about it.  You don’t need it.  With the use of electronics now, it has become even more prevalent.

Losing people in the Masses

People are missed within the masses.  Everything is about how big the crowd is.  The more people in attendance at the event or service, the more successful it is deemed. Today’s audience looks for a crowd to go and hide in.  Can an individual hide in the crowd?

Church organizations count the numbers in attendance.  Do they ever count the numbers that are repeated attendees?  There is no retention.  With so many people coming and going, the same people are never seen.  People need to be trained in the Word as much as possible.  Give them as many opportunities to do so as possible.  It is up to them what they do with the opportunities.

Return to the Basics

Basic – As an Adjective means “forming an essential foundation or starting point; fundamental. Certain rules must be obeyed”

Getting back to what was taught in Sunday School and Bible classes.  Is this a suggestion that there should be a total reversal of what churches are currently doing?  No, not necessarily. Some may need to be totally overhauled; however, some simply need to redefine what is labeled as “bible teaching”.  There was a time that teaching came directly from the pages of the Bible.  This was a “good study”.  There was no need for anyone else’s book. Not another person’s opinions on some topic from the Bible.  People can read those at home and discuss them in a book club. Somewhere along the line the church began using the teaching opportunity as a tool to promote and sale books written by various popular authors.  The opportunity was quickly lost to establish and develop Biblical morality and standards.

The church in America needs to get back to teaching the mass population nothing but PURE scripture. Teach Bible passages containing Biblical stories.  Churches should always have a class being taught that is teaching from the Bible, even if it is only the teacher that shows up.  Is that not the responsibility of the church?  What material does the teacher of that class need to prepare?  That class should be set up to do nothing more than read the text, discuss what happened and then apply it, and move on to the next story.  Simple, BASIC!  The simplicity of such a class is overwhelming.  Class planning:  There is none.  Not someone’s planned “pre-pared” study.  Someone has to “lead” but nothing more.   All that is required is a willing body, to keep the reading going.

The purpose of the class time together is to examine the verses.  Talk about them as the readers find something insightful reading it together.  This should be offered every opportunity that the churches can get the doors opened.  Would it not be nice if the doors of the church had to be kept open all the time because people wanted to be able to come in just for somewhere to discuss what God’s Word says?