SKILLS NEEDED FOR UNDERSTANDING BIBLE PROPHECY

Do you have trouble understanding passages in the Bible?  Particularly those that may appear to be prophetic in nature?

Let us look at it from how a person may approach other forms of literature.  As a reader, why do you read books that fit into a particular genre, such as horror, mystery or western theme books? Or, do you read items written only by a particular author?  If you do so, why?

You read a particular genre or particular author’s books because you understand his/her style when you read it.  Have you ever noticed that you can tell when your author has not written it and it was written by a ghost writer?  That was because something is different.  The same is true in scripture. You can not pull out the books of Revelations, Daniel or Ezekiel without having read any other books of the Bible.  You will not understand any of it without a total comprehension of the context of the entire Bible.

Another problem occurs attempting to read books you are not capable of understanding.  In that manner, to read particular books of the Bible you need understanding that comes after developing particular skills.

Ten Skills Needed:

You need to be a believer in God.

You need to be a follower of His Son Jesus.

You must believe that they both exist.

You must have a personal relationship and have submitted control of your life to God.

You must be living under submission to God’s authority.

Without submission you cannot accept the truths laid down in scripture as being the word of God.

You must be able to acknowledge that the Bible (as written) is the literal word of God.

You need to have the anointing of the Holy Spirit in your life in order to process the simplicity of His word.

The anointing does not come without the Baptism in the Holy Spirit.  It is the Holy Spirit who gives the discernment and guidance needed when reading the words of God.

You need daily time with God in prayer if you are attempting to understand His Words. If the time is not

spent communicating with Him, how can there be any understanding of what he says?

You need daily time reading of the Bible.  Do you understand any book in which you have read only the first and last pages?  Likewise it is foolish to have the mentally that says to God: “Okay, I have an hour today, what are you going to show me?”  Why waste His time?  Approaching the study of scripture in this manner leads to man inserting his opinion and interpretation into a passage.

You need an open mind and heart.  Be prepared to throw away EVERY preconceived idea, thought and

opinion.  Those are all items that belong only to you and are not the Lord’s.  

The following rules are mandatory requirements in order to understand

ALL SCRIPTURE stands together.  There are no theological debates or interpretations.  His word is what it is.  All scripture is part of the entire package, no one verse stands alone.  If it is not supported by other scripture then it is the idea of man and not God.

God does not need another new revelation of His Word.  It is complete in itself from Genesis (the Beginning) to the end of the story the Book of Revelation.  It can stand alone without man’s extra books of interpretation and self helps.

DO NOT ever attempt to make a passage “fit” into your understanding. If you must try to make or find scriptures to prove a theory or interpret it; then it is just another good theory.  Throw it out!

At some point in history men decided that we must be able to explain things in a manner similar to the way we have for the past 100 years.  This is a fallacy in understanding scripture.  Deciding that something described must be equaled to something today does not have any place in God’s Word.

Example, one writer in the 1960’s wrote that Russia has to be destroyed because the territory they control needs to be broken up. Why write that? Of course he could not imagine the possibility that 30 years later the USSR would fall without a war. 

In order to understand scripture, you must understand that you are not the center of the universe.  God’s Word, centers on a chosen and specific group of people.  This group is to be the focus of His Plans for the past, present and future.  You need to be able to accept the following regarding who the Chosen People are.

The “chosen people” are not Christians. It is not the “church” of any form.  It is the Jews!  Jews are those that are of the seed of Abraham and no one else.  God has had and will always have a special place for the “seed of Abraham”.  The scriptures and all its words are focused/centered on that group of people. All prophecies are focused on or involve them.  You must understand and accept that.  If not you will have trouble understanding anything in the Bible. It is ONLY a privilege that the rest of the world (non Jews) will be allowed to be a small part in the story from beginning to end of the Bible.  How we honor and respect that privilege will determine how we understand it. 

Be-ATTITUDES

Every preacher has probably preached on the Beatitudes at some point in their time in the pulpit. There are probably a few people who can even quote them.  A lot of people reading the Gospel of Matthew probably skim over these nine verses just to get past them since the passage is so familiar.  The verses can even be found on knick-nacks at a discount store. Nothing here to waste time on.  HOLD ON a minute, turns out Jesus had a lot to say about the ATTITUDES prevalent in our society right now. There are more solutions in this passage than in any other media available.  What? Well, take a better look at it ONE VERSE AT A TIME.

Matthew 5:3-11 are the BE - ATTITUDES…

1) BE POOR IN SPIRIT – Theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven

How do you think of yourself?  In humility or pride? If in humility, then what form of humility?

There is vanity when one considers how much was sacrificed in giving.  Being proud of how much offering was given or how wonderful it was of us to give those groceries to the needy.  Being proud of how “un-wealthy” we are is just as bad as King Midas counting every one of his gold coins.

Be poor but not proud.  Job was as thankful for the “taking away”; as he was for “the giving”!

Be humble and lowly.  Matthew Henry puts it this way:  “accommodate ourselves to our poverty…not in pride or prejudice….not throwing away what God has given us…be as little children in our opinion of ourselves…”

2) BE MOURNFUL – Receive comfort

Has this verse ever been used for anything other than during the occasion of the death of someone?

We are to be mournful.  Not the sorrow of life in this world but mournful over sin.  We must feel the sorrowfulness for our sins.  Sins which were paid for by the high cost of a blood sacrifice.  Mournful enough that we are apologetic for our sinful nature. Life must be lived in repentance.

There is a second reason for being mournful.  We need to have sorrow for the sins of others.  Do you feel the sorrow watching your fellow man wallow in his depravity?  Jesus did.  That is why he blessed those who mourn.  In Luke 19:41, Jesus wept over Jerusalem and its “state/condition”.

3) BE MEEK - and inherit the earth

This word IS NOT even a part of our vocabulary today.  What does it mean?  You have heard the expression: “Google it”.  Well do that and you will find this definition:

 “quiet, gentle, and easily imposed on; submissive”

That entire definition is so opposed to what is broadcasted from every angle of culture and society.  Look for an example of a person around that fits this description of being meek.  How many can you list?

For a follower of God, this one should hit them in some sensitive areas of their lifestyle and attitudes. What a directive on how a child of God should live and conduct themselves daily. It is also a VERY SIMPLE answer from God on how we should be reacting to the strange chaos we are finding ourselves living in today.

Then there is submissive.  An entire paper can be written on that.  Submission is expected to both authority here on earth and in heaven.  We are expected to be submissive in our homes, marriages, jobs, and authorities.

This is “Quiet Submission” to God and man. Not boastful about that submission or humility.  Calling attention to the fact that you are being submissive is false humility.  Titus 3:1-2 dictates that we are to be gentle in dealings with the evil of men.  Not allowing ourselves to being provoked.  OUCH, does that mandate what our reaction is to look like?

4) BE HUNGRY AND THIRSTY FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS – and you will be filled

Thriving constantly for purity.  Not for perfection.  When are you hungry?  Have you ever missed more than one meal?  Your stomach starts talking to you.  When you have that kind of desire for God’s Word and for being in the presence of God you are getting closer.  Unlike eating food, you will never reach a full “stomach” until you are standing before the throne of God.  Our goal is to be as much like Jesus as possible without the self-righteousness displayed by the Pharisee in scripture.

5) BE MERCIFUL – and you will obtain mercy

How quick are we to snap a response at the actions of those we see on media today? We are very quick at pronouncing our judgment.  This does not mean or dictate we condone a sinful life style.  A sinful life will send the soul to Hell. Period, end of story!  BUT, there is NO SOUL THAT IS NOT ABLE TO BE SAVED! 

How much do we assume the afflictions, problems or needs of others?  To little time in our seemingly busy schedule to bother with them.  Where is the compassion and care for our fellow man?  Scripture is filled with examples of mercy.  There were those who lowered their friend through the roof just to be healed.  Boaz allowed Ruth to get food from his fields.  It is also filled with those who treated lepers as outcasts and did not show mercy.  Which form of mercy do you display?

6) BE PURE IN HEART – and you will see God

Cleanliness of the heart.  If your heart has never made a commitment to Christ, then none of this will mean anything to you.  The first thing needed is a heart that has been totally surrendered to God and has agreed to Him being the master of everything.  Once that has happened, priorities begin to change and these Be-Attitudes begin to make sense.

7) BE A PEACEMAKER – to be called the children of God

Are we striving to obtain peaceful solutions or are we always an instigator to say or do something to cause dissention or unrest.

8) BE RIGHTEOUS AND PREPARED FOR PERSECUTION

This covers both blatant persecution and the suffering that comes as a result of standing for the righteousness of God. Persecution WILL COME for adherence to righteousness!

Those living in America have not known true persecution. Are they prepared for it?  There are those who have given their lives for the Gospel.  Persecution can come in many forms from simple name calling and false accusations. However, are you prepared for persecution that results in not having food on the table or a home to live?  How about the loss of a job to pay the bills UNLESS you agree to a lifestyle or organization that denies Biblical principles?

Remaining true to convictions and righteousness is the most difficult of all these.  Being rooted in God’s word will be the greatest weapon available to the children of God.

Each of these BE-ATTITUDES builds upon one another. They were not spoken by Jesus to be used as just another common liturgy or as a cute plague on the wall of an office. Better read them slowly again and pay more careful attention to them before quoting them.

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?