The Scripturist

Who Wrote The Dead Sea Scrolls?

2009-03-16T15:19:00.003-04:00

It should be noted that the article below is nothing new. Many scholars have questioned the essenes authorship of the dead sea scrolls since they were found. I have read these theories many times. This is not some new theory that "rocks the world of Biblical scholarship." This is an overhyped rehashing of a common theory. It may be true but the important thing is to remember it doesn't change the fact that we have copies of hundreds of prophecies fulfilled by Jesus written and stored in caves hundreds of years before his birth. It doesn't not change the date nor the accuracy of the dead sea scrolls which is well established.

Josephus himself never says the dead sea scrolls were written by the essenes. In fact, he didn't know of the dead sea scrolls existence because they were buried some 200 years before his life and were not discovered is until 1900 years after his death. He merely mentions the essenes living near where they were found and people have assumed they wrote the scrolls. We don't know for sure who wrote them.

The title to the article below is a misleading lie. Notice that the scholar doesn't claim the authors never existed. She says the priests following Zadok authored them. She merely claims that the authors were not the Essenes as many claim. In fact, she beleives the Essenes never existed. But she DOES NOT believe the authors of the Dead Sea Scrolls never existed. This is an example of the misleading titles almost always placed on articles about the historicity of the Bible.

The title makes it sound like the dead sea scrolls are unreliable because who wrote them is questioned. Unless you read the entire article (which most people wont) you would think it draws doubts on the scrolls authenticity which is not questioned by any scholar. I believe this is done purposely to discredit the Dead Sea Scroll in peoples minds so that this great evidence of the reliability of scripture will be doubted. Don't fall for their manipulative titles, guess work and supposed earth shaking theories which are a rehashing of old theories.

Scholar Claims Dead Sea Scrolls 'Authors' Never Existed

By TIM MCGIRK

Biblical scholars have long argued that the Dead Sea Scrolls were the work of an ascetic and celibate Jewish community known as the Essenes, which flourished in the 1st century A.D. in the scorching desert canyons near the Dead Sea. Now a prominent Israeli scholar, Rachel Elior, disputes that the Essenes ever existed at all - a claim that has shaken the bedrock of biblical scholarship.

Elior, who teaches Jewish mysticism at Jerusalem's Hebrew University, claims that the Essenes were a fabrication by the 1st century A.D. Jewish-Roman historian Flavius Josephus and that his faulty reporting was passed on as fact throughout the centuries. As Elior explains, the Essenes make no mention of themselves in the 900 scrolls found by a Bedouin shepherd in 1947 in the caves of Qumran, near the Dead Sea. "Sixty years of research have been wasted trying to find the Essenes in the scrolls," Elior tells TIME. "But they didn't exist. This is legend on a legend." (This is a guess. There is no outside proof that it is legend or not legend).

Elior contends that Josephus, a former Jewish priest who wrote his history while being held captive in Rome, "wanted to explain to the Romans that the Jews weren't all losers and traitors, that there were many exceptional Jews of religious devotion and heroism. You might say it was the first rebuttal to anti-Semitic literature." She adds, "He was probably inspired by the Spartans. For the Romans, the Spartans were the highest ideal of human behavior, and Josephus wanted to portray Jews who were like the Spartans in their ideals and high virtue." (This is pure unsubstantiated speculation 1900 years after the fact)

Early descriptions of the Essenes by Greek and Roman historians has them numbering in the thousands, living communally ("The first kibbutz," jokes Elior) and forsaking sex - which goes against the Judaic exhortation to "go forth and multiply." Says Elior: "It doesn't make sense that you have thousands of people living against the Jewish law and there's no mention of them in any of the Jewish texts and sources of that period." (That is the same argument they used to say Hittites didn't exist until they dug up entire cities built by Hittites)

So who were the real authors of the Dead Sea Scrolls? Elior theorizes that the Essenes were really the renegade sons of Zadok, a priestly caste banished from the Temple of Jerusalem by intriguing Greek rulers in 2nd century B.C. When they left, they took the source of their wisdom - their scrolls - with them. "In Qumran, the remnants of a huge library were found," Elior says, with some of the early Hebrew texts dating back to the 2nd century B.C. Until the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, the earliest known version of the Old Testament dated back to the 9th century A.D. "The scrolls attest to a biblical priestly heritage," says Elior, who speculates that the scrolls were hidden in Qumran for safekeeping. (This may be true and is just as good a theory as the Essenes theory. )

Elior's theory has landed like a bombshell in the cloistered world of biblical scholarship. James Charlesworth, director of the Dead Sea Scrolls project at Princeton Theological Seminary and an expert on Josephus, says it is not unusual that the word Essenes does not appear in the scrolls. "It's a foreign label," he tells TIME. "When they refer to themselves, it's as 'men of holiness' or 'sons of light.' " Charlesworth contends that at least eight scholars in antiquity refer to the Essenes. One proof of Essene authorship of the Dead Sea Scrolls, he says, is the large number of inkpots found by archaeologists at Qumran.

But Elior claims says these ancient historians, namely Philo and Pliny the Elder, either borrowed from each other or retailed second-hand stories as fact. "Pliny the Elder describes the Essenes as 'choosing the company of date palms' beside the Dead Sea. We know Pliny was a great reader, but he probably never visited Israel," she says. (More speculation)

Elior is braced for more criticism of her theory. "Usually my opponents have only read Josephus and the other classical references to the Essenes," she says. "They should read the Dead Sea Scrolls - all 39 volumes. The proof is there."

Islam... religion of peace.

2009-02-19T20:26:00.001-05:00

God Bless North Dakota's House of Representatives!!!!!

2009-02-18T12:35:00.000-05:00

North Dakota's House of Representatives has passed a bill effectively outlawing abortion.

The House voted 51-41 this afternoon to declare that a fertilized egg has all the rights of any person.

That means a fetus could not be legally aborted without the procedure being considered murder.

Minot Republican Dan Ruby has sponsored other bills banning abortion in previous legislative sessions - all of which failed.

He also sponsored today's bill and says it is compatable with Roe versus Wade - the Supreme Court decision which legalized abortion.

(Rep. Dan Ruby, -R- Minot) "This is the exact language that's required by Roe vs. Wade. It stipulated that before a challenge can be made, we have to identify when life begins, and that's what this does." VO CONTINUES But Minot Democrat Kari Conrad says the bill will land North Dakota in court, trying to defend the constitutionality of a law that goes against the Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion.

(Rep. Kari Conrad, -D- Minot) "People who presented this bill, were very clear that they intended to challenge Roe versus Wade. So they intend to put the state of North Dakota into court defending Roe vs. Wade"

Psalm 37

2009-01-20T17:45:00.001-05:00

Do not fret because of evil men
or be envious of those who do wrong;
for like the grass they will soon wither,
like green plants they will soon die away.

Trust in the LORD and do good;
dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.

Delight yourself in the LORD
and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Commit your way to the LORD;
trust in him and he will do this:

He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn,
the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.

Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him;
do not fret when men succeed in their ways,
when they carry out their wicked schemes.

Refrain from anger and turn from wrath;
do not fret—it leads only to evil.

For evil men will be cut off,
but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land.

A little while, and the wicked will be no more;
though you look for them, they will not be found.

But the meek will inherit the land
and enjoy great peace.

The wicked plot against the righteous
and gnash their teeth at them;

but the Lord laughs at the wicked,
for he knows their day is coming.

The wicked draw the sword
and bend the bow
to bring down the poor and needy,
to slay those whose ways are upright.

But their swords will pierce their own hearts,
and their bows will be broken.

Better the little that the righteous have
than the wealth of many wicked;

for the power of the wicked will be broken,
but the LORD upholds the righteous.

The days of the blameless are known to the LORD,
and their inheritance will endure forever.

In times of disaster they will not wither;
in days of famine they will enjoy plenty.

But the wicked will perish:
The LORD's enemies will be like the beauty of the fields,
they will vanish—vanish like smoke.

The wicked borrow and do not repay,
but the righteous give generously;

those the LORD blesses will inherit the land,
but those he curses will be cut off.

If the LORD delights in a man's way,
he makes his steps firm;

though he stumble, he will not fall,
for the LORD upholds him with his hand.

I was young and now I am old,
yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken
or their children begging bread.

They are always generous and lend freely;
their children will be blessed.

Turn from evil and do good;
then you will dwell in the land forever.

For the LORD loves the just
and will not forsake his faithful ones.
They will be protected forever,
but the offspring of the wicked will be cut off;

the righteous will inherit the land
and dwell in it forever.

The mouth of the righteous man utters wisdom,
and his tongue speaks what is just.

The law of his God is in his heart;
his feet do not slip.

The wicked lie in wait for the righteous,
seeking their very lives;

but the LORD will not leave them in their power
or let them be condemned when brought to trial.

Wait for the LORD
and keep his way.
He will exalt you to inherit the land;
when the wicked are cut off, you will see it.

I have seen a wicked and ruthless man
flourishing like a green tree in its native soil,

but he soon passed away and was no more;
though I looked for him, he could not be found.

Consider the blameless, observe the upright;
there is a future [b] for the man of peace.

But all sinners will be destroyed;
the future [c] of the wicked will be cut off.

The salvation of the righteous comes from the LORD;
he is their stronghold in time of trouble.

The LORD helps them and delivers them;
he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
because they take refuge in him.

The "W" in Christmas

2008-12-19T16:23:00.002-05:00

This was forwarded to me and I pass it on to you:

Each December, I vowed to make Christmas a calm and peaceful experience.

I had cut back on nonessential obligations - extensive card writing, endless baking, decorating, and even overspending.

Yet still, I found myself exhausted, unable to appreciate the precious family moments, and of course, the true meaning of Christmas.

My son, Nicholas, was in kindergarten that year. It was an exciting season for a six year old.

For weeks, he'd been memorizing songs for his school's "Winter Pageant."

I didn't have the heart to tell him I'd be working the night of the production. Unwilling to miss his shining moment, I spoke with his teacher. She assured me there'd be a dress rehearsal the morning of the presentation.

All parents unable to at tend that evening were welcome to come then.

Fortunately, Nicholas seemed happy with the compromise.

So, the morning of the dress rehearsal, I filed in ten minutes early, found a spot on the cafeteria floor and sat down. Around the room, I saw several other parents quietly scampering to their seats.

As I waited, the students were led into the room. Each class, accompanied by their teacher, sat cross-legged on the floor. Then, each group, one by one, rose to perform their song.

Because the public school system had long stopped referring to the holiday as "Christmas," I didn't expect anything other than fun, commercial entertainment songs of reindeer, Santa Claus, snowflakes and good cheer.

So, when my son's class rose to sing, "Christmas Love," I was slightly taken aback by its bold title.

Nicholas was aglow, as were all of his classmates, adorned in fuzzy mittens, red sweaters, and bright snowcaps upon their heads.

Those in the front row- center stage - held up large letters, one by one, to spell out the title of the song.

As the class would sing "C is for Christmas," a child would hold up the letter C. Then, "H is for Happy," and on and on, until each child holding up his portion had presented the complete message, "Christmas Love."

The performance was going smoothly, until suddenly, we noticed her; a small, quiet, girl in the front row holding the letter "M" upside down - totally unaware her letter "M" appeared as a "W".

The audience of 1st through 6th graders snickered at this little one's mistake. But she had no idea they were laughing at her, so she stood tall, proudly holding her "W".

Although many teachers tried to shush the children, the laughter continued until the last letter was raised, and we all saw it together.

A hush came over the audience and eyes began to widen.

In that instant, we understood the reason we were there, why we celebrated the holiday in the first place, why even in the chaos, there was a purpose for our festivities.

For when the last letter was held high, the message read loud and clear:

"C H R I S T W A S L O V E"

What if Starbucks sold coffee like a church

2008-11-25T19:19:00.002-05:00

Very Very Funny video for those in ministry

2008-11-24T11:12:00.001-05:00

This is what liberal "tolerance" looks like....

2008-11-24T01:15:00.004-05:00

About 13 Christian young people who had gone to 18th and Castro streets Friday night, November 14, to sing praise songs soon were escorted out of the neighborhood by police after dozens of angry homosexuals confronted and surrounded them.

The Castro has been a gathering spot over the past couple of weekends for people rallying against the passage of Proposition 8, but there apparently hadn’t been any large protests in the neighborhood that night.

Missy Huff, a 21-year-old with Promised Land Fellowship, said she and about 13 other young people gathered at the intersection only to play guitar, sing, and worship, something they’ve done many other times over the past three years without incident.

Huff said they were singing "Amazing Grace" and "Oh, the Blood of Jesus" and hadn’t said anything to anyone when two men - members of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence - approached them and "started getting pretty upset."

The Sister took out a large, dark green cloth and put it around the young people so people couldn’t see them, said Huff.

Huff said the Sister, who apparently was Timothy Ryan, also known as Sister Mary Timothy, approached another of the group and said things like, "We don’t need to be saved. How dare you come out here."

Ryan told the Bay Area Reporter in an e-mail what he said was, "We do not need to be saved and we are not a ’broken’ community!"

Ryan, who helped alert others to the Christian teen's presence in the neighborhood, wrote that he and his husband, Michael Medema, took his sari, "and shielded the community from their hate..."

Huff said Medema was telling people the young people were there regarding Prop 8, which Huff said wasn’t the case. Angry people started gathering around them, Huff said, and yelling and screaming. She said there was eventually a mob of about 200 people screaming "Shame on you!" and "Go home to where you came from!"

Huff said the cloth was still wrapped around them when a man she couldn’t see dumped hot coffee on the faces of her and another woman. "It was pretty scary," she said.

Medema eventually removed the sari from around the young people. Then, Huff said an unidentified man picked up one of the group’s Bibles and started walking away with it. The man hit Cloud over the head with the Bible, shoved her to the ground, and started kicking her legs, Huff said. A couple people from the crowd pulled the man off Cloud, she said. Cloud said, "I was really scared" when the man attacked her. "I just didn’t want things to get worse ... I was afraid he was going to go crazy." She said she felt safe after the man was pulled off of her.

Huff said a police officer grabbed the man and asked Cloud if she wanted to press charges, but she declined. The officer let the man go and told him not to come back that night, said Huff.

Ryan said he did see a woman, probably Cloud, get knocked down. The young people stayed in a circle singing while "tons of people," many of them coming out of bars, shoved the group and continued yelling things, Huff said. She said one man threatened their team leader, saying, "I’m gonna kill you."

Huff said a police officer confronted the men. At this point, she said, people surrounding the group had gotten whistles and were getting as close to them and as loud as they could, but the group kept singing. One of the men in her group had called police, Huff said, and 15 to 20 officers arrived wearing riot gear.

Around that time, she said, people in the crowd started assaulting the men in the Christian group, trying to pull their pants dawn and grabbing them inappropriately. The men put the women in the middle of the group to protect them, said Huff.

The police made a line between the Christian group and the crowd while people continued to scream and yell, Huff said, and at least one officer told the group the police feared for the young people’s safety, and they would need to escort them out. The police continually asked the crowd to keep a few feet between themselves and the young people, and the police intervened every time someone got too close to them, he wrote.

Huff said by 8:30 the officers surrounded her team and escorted them to their van, which was parked at 20th and Eureka streets, as a crowd followed them.

WATCH THE VIDEO...

Asked if they’d had any idea something like this could happen, Huff said her group had "considered it would be a little more intense than normal" and that’s why they had decided just to sing, rather than approach people as they would normally do. But "we didn’t think anything like this would happen," Huff said. She said she got a knot on her head and a bruise on her leg, but it was "nothing very serious at all." Huff said she believes her group will return to the Castro at some point.

"We go to the Castro all the time," she said. "We have friends there. We love the people who live in the Castro, and in no way hold what happened Friday night against them."

Eric Smith, 51, who lives near where the group’s van was parked, said he witnessed a portion of the incident. Smith said people were shouting things like "Get out of our neighborhood!" and he saw a crowd - still blowing whistles - follow as police escorted the young people to their van. Once they got there, he said the police stopped the crowd.

New Gay Agenda: Persecute the Church

2008-11-12T09:39:00.005-05:00

MICHIGAN. - A gay rights group, Bash Back, is claiming responsibility for a protest Sunday at Mount Hope Church in Delta Township.

If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. - Jesus

Protesters who entered the Creyts Road church along with worshippers surprised the congregation when they stood up during the service, threw fliers at churchgoers and shouted slogans such as "It's OK to be gay," and "Jesus was a homo," according to David Williams, communications director at the church. His father, Dave Williams, is the church's longtime pastor. He was not preaching at the church Sunday.

Another group of protesters demonstrated outside the church at the same time as the indoor protest. The Eaton County Sheriff's Department responded to the scene Sunday but no arrests were made. In a released statement, David Williams said churchgoers were unclear as to the purpose of the outside demonstration.

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. - Jesus

A Lansing group affiliated with a radical gay organization known as Bash Back, formed to protest the Republican and Democratic national conventions earlier this year, put out a call on the Internet on Oct. 7 for activists to come to a "radical queer convergence" in Lansing on Nov. 7-9. A posting on its MySpace page declared the convergence a "fierce success."

According to a report on the Bash Back group's news site, protesters inside the church pulled a fire alarm, unfurled a banner from the church balcony, shouted pro-gay anti-Christian slogans and threw fliers to the worshippers. Outside the church, protesters carried picket signs and an upside-down, pink cross.

Remember the words I spoke to you: 'No servant is greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. -Jesus

Mount Hope Church teaches followers that homosexuality is a sin. However, "Mount Hope Church strives to follow Jesus' example of loving the sinner but not the sin," Williams said. The Eaton County Sheriff's Department got a call regarding the protest at about noon Sunday, said Lt. Jeff Warder. No arrests were made.

In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted - 2 Timothy 3:12

Coming Soon To Christians Everywhere...

2008-11-11T18:09:00.004-05:00

A little old lady stood up for her faith. They tore the cross from her hands and stomped on it till it broke. Then they attacked her.

For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.

Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.

Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.

Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.

Coming To Your Church Next...

2008-11-09T22:17:00.001-05:00

Preach against homosexuality and your church is next....

Proverbs 28:12 says:

2008-11-04T23:18:00.002-05:00

"When the wicked rise to power, men go into hiding."

THE ZEITGEIST MOVIE REFUTED

2008-10-16T11:26:00.004-04:00

If someone comes to you with doubts about Christianity found in the Zeitgeist movie, be ready with an answer. Watch the above movie.

Below are more links for true seekers:

Did Jesus Even Exist?

REASONS I DO NOT ACCEPT THE LOST TOMB OF JESUS HOAX

The Da Vinci Code is based on a hoax and lies

Nehemiah's Wall Found

Agnostic Abarberist

Where did you conscience come from?

Why They Don't Believe

Let's Talk Science

Herods Tomb

Giants on the Earth

From one of our readers....

2008-03-19T17:34:00.004-04:00

Celebrating Three Years of Scripturist

Tell a friend about the SCRIPTURIST today.

A Scripturist Read writes.... Long way back, I read the evangelists posting on tithing. I was a bit hesitant because it seems to lump offerings and tithes together. Nevertheless I heeded his warnings and immediately changed our family's tithing habits. So now, we tithe to the church we attend. And we don't hoard the tithe in a savings account for months. We give it weekly. We never miss a service. Good things started happening in our walk with the Lord following this. So I'm thankful for the Scripturist's post on tithes. I do think this changed my outlook on a few things. He should know he made a positive difference in our lives and in the Kingdom of our Lord.

Read the post on tithing by clicking here

Praise God for His word and using flawed people like us to deliver his message of truth, repentance, righteousness, forgiveness, hope and joy.

Has the Scripturist been a blessing to you? Let us know how. Is there are way we could serve you better? Let us know how. Do you have a Bible question? Let us know.

scripturist@hotmail.com

Let the reader understand....

2008-03-11T05:55:00.001-04:00

Click on the Pic

Run to win the prize!

2008-02-04T18:15:00.000-05:00

You may disagree with me but I thought last weeks super bowl was one of the best in NFL history. Watching the Patriots get beat and watching Eli Manning join is brother in football immortality was almost as exciting as when the Colts won the super bowl. Did you see it?

Here’s what got me. They presented Eli with the keys to a brand new Cadillac Escalade. Now a loaded Escalade prices out at $69,515. I know that because I looked it up.

But did you notice Manning’s response? Exactly! There wasn’t one……at least not much of one. Not that he was rude. He acknowledged the gift but his mind was on a greater prize. He saw the Vince Lombardi trophy and the joy of being the Super bowl MVP. Besides with his salary and bonuses and his newly found advertising appeal….he could have a dozen Escalades if that’s what he wanted. Who cares about a free car when the real rewards are there for the taking?

Get the picture? You have an inheritance that the Holy Spirit guarantees. Why get wrapped up in the glitz of this world. Paul even makes an athletic distinction in Corinthians. Athletes compete for a perishable wreath but we an imperishable one. Who cares about earthly windfalls when eternal treasures are there for our inheritance?

1 Corinthains 9:25 Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.

-copied. This was sent to me by a Scripturist reader and I pass it on to you. If you missed the thrilling ending to the superbowl feel free to click on the pic and watch the game winning drive.

Can They Steal Your God?

2008-02-04T12:05:00.000-05:00

Tales of corruption, looting and religious rivalry are swirling around the spot where Buddha is said to have gained enlightenment in eastern India some 2,500 years ago, sullying one of Buddhism's holiest sites.

Priests and monks allege that thousands of dollars in temple donations have mysteriously vanished, that a thick branch of the ancient holy Bodhi tree was lopped off and sold in Thailand in 2006, and that ancient gold idols have disappeared.

Charges have been brought against the powerful former secretary of the Bodhgaya Temple Management Committee, a Hindu, as well as the committee's former public relations officer and the former Buddhist chief priest of the temple.

Clad in white robes, the barefoot and bearded Brahmachari excitedly points out the spot where the branch was chopped off, as well as empty niches around the temple grounds where he says statuettes of Buddha stood until recently.

Can Your God Be Stolen?

We "enlightened" westerners often cast a condescending eye upon those who worship idols, mere objects created by man. We laugh at people worshiping creation rather than the creator. But in all our arrogance many westerners don’t realize our own forms of foolish idolatry. We laugh at the idea that someone could steal your God. We read the story of Laban in the book of Genesis and laugh at the idea that his own daughter stole his gods (Genesis 31:19). A god is no God that can be stolen.

But could someone stop us from worshiping by stealing some items from our church? I know a Christian church that has an old catholic Bible in the auditorium. One of their past preachers wanted to remove the catholic Bible because it had the extra inter-testamental books, but the elders were concerned that many of the older members would be upset because that Bible was donated by their ancestors to the church years ago. It was a sacred cow.

I have also seen a picture of Jesus worshiped. This picture of a blond haired blue eyed Jesus in a eastern meditation pose adorned the wall behind the pulpit since the 1950s through three different auditoriums. Once it was taken down for a Christmas play and some people threw a fit. No one dared consider the idea of removing it permanently. It was sacred to some. If they came to church and it was not there, they would not have been able to worship. God's men always destroy sacred cows. Moses did.

I have also seen this idolatry with music. If some young people go to a service and hear hymns rather than modern worship music, they can’t sing. They can’t worship. The style of worship has become their god. Likewise, I have heard traditionalist say when new worship songs were introduced, “When they took away my hymns, they took away my worship.” If you have to have a certain type of music to worship, isn’t the music style what you are worshiping rather than God?

Can someone steal your music like the Hindus stole the Buddhists idols? Can they steal your God?

I knew a church that sold their building to another congregation and built a new bigger building down the road. One lady refused to leave the old building. When the other congregation that didn’t even share her beliefs on core doctrines moved in the old building she stayed worshipped with them. Her father helped build that building and she went there all here life and she wasn’t leaving. The building was more important than what she believed, saving souls or who she fellowshipped with. The building was her god.

Could someone sell your God like this woman’s god was sold? What is the sacred cow at your church or in your life? Moses melted the golden calf and made those who worshipped it drink it to their own demise. Idolatry is a sin. For many in American their god is money. Greed is their god. Others worship pleasure. As the Bible says of these false teachers, their god is their stomach?

All of those gods can be stolen. But the one true God can’t be stolen. You can take away a building, a picture, pleasure or music but the true God will be worshipped by faith no matter what. You can take away possessions, homes, money or even lives, and true worshipers will worship in spirit and in truth. First, true worshipers love God with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength. Secondly they love their neighbor as themselves. They are not bound to buildings, pictures, music styles or money. They love God first and others second and themselves last. They love God and long to do His will. And they know his will is that they love others and lead them to salvation found only in him. Their loyalty is to God and His will not buildings, pictures, music styles, or money. The Christian has a Kingdom that cannot be stolen or taken away. The gates of Hell cannot prevail against it.

Hebrews 12: 26-29 At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, "Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens." The words "once more" indicate the removing of what can be shaken— that is, created things— so that what cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our "God is a consuming fire."

Again I ask you, can someone steal your god?

The Storm Is Coming. Are You Ready?

2008-01-30T05:42:00.000-05:00

Years ago, a farmer owned land along the Atlantic seacoast. He constantly advertised for hired hands. Most people were reluctant to work on farms along the Atlantic. They dreaded the awful storms that raged across the Atlantic, wreaking havoc on the buildings and crops.

As the farmer interviewed applicants for the job, he received. A steady stream of refusals. Finally, a short, thin man, well past middle age, approached the farmer. "Are you a good farm hand?" the farmer asked him. "Well, I can sleep when the wind blows," answered the little man.

Although puzzled by this answer, the farmer, desperate for help, Hired him. The little man worked well around the farm, busy from dawn to dusk, and the farmer felt satisfied with the man's work. Then one night the wind howled loudly in from offshore. Jumping out of bed, the farmer grabbed a lantern and rushed next door to the hired hand's sleeping quarters. He shook the little man and yelled, "Get up! A storm is coming!

Tie things down before they blow away!" The little man rolled over in bed and said firmly, "No sir. I told you, I can sleep when the wind blows."

Enraged by the response, the farmer was tempted to fire him on the spot. Instead, he hurried outside to prepare for the storm. To his amazement, he discovered that all of the haystacks had been covered with tarpaulins. The cows were in the barn, the chickens were in the coops, and the doors were barred. The shutters were tightly secured. Everything was tied down.

Nothing could blow away. The farmer then understood what his hired hand meant, so he returned to his bed to also sleep while the wind blew.

Matthew 7:24-27 "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash."

Put the words of Jesus into practice. That is wisdom. That is the only way to be ready for the inevitable storm. Will all you have built withstand the storm? Are you wise or foolish?

Luke 8:22-25 One day Jesus said to his disciples, "Let’s go over to the other side of the lake." So they got into a boat and set out. As they sailed, he fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger. The disciples went and woke him, saying, "Master, Master, we’re going to drown!" He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. "Where is your faith?" he asked his disciples.

Is you faith ready for the strom. Are you prepared for the stroms of life? Can you rest easy and sleep during the storm?

-Author Unknown

Who Should Ordain New Elders?

2008-01-01T10:10:00.000-05:00

Question: Our church just voted on putting in some new men as elders. Our preacher is going to ordain them. Is that biblical? When I was a boy our elders would ordain the elders. Which is right or does it matter?

Answer: The Bible clearly teaches that Evangelists (preachers) should ordain Elders. Here are the reasons your Preacher (Evangelist) should be the one ordaining your Elders.

1. Because that is what the Apostle Paul commanded Evangelists (preachers) to do:

Titus 1:5 “The reason I left you in Crete was that you might straighten out what was left unfinished and appoint elders in every town, as I directed you.”

1 Timothy 5:22 “Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, and do not share in the sins of others.”

2. Because Evangelists and not Elders are the ones given the qualifications for Elders (see 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-8)

3. Because we don’t have any example of or command for Elders to ordain Elders.

4. Because Elders ordain Evangelists (Preachers) and Evangelists (Preachers) ordain Elders creating a checks and balance of mutual doctrinal accountability.

Titus 1:5 “The reason I left you in Crete was that you might straighten out what was left unfinished and appoint elders in every town, as I directed you.”

In 1 Timothy 4:14 Paul tells the young evangelist “Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through a prophetic message when the body of elders laid their hands on you.”

5. Both Elders and Evangelists have the responsibility to hold the other mutually accountable to follow Biblical doctrine.

In Titus 1:9 the Elder is told that “He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.”

Timothy, the young evangelist is told rebuke a sinning elder publicly in 1 Timothy 5:19-20 it says, “Do not entertain an accusation against an elder unless it is brought by two or three witnesses. Those who sin are to be rebuked publicly, so that the others may take warning.”

The young evangelist, Timothy is also commanded by the Apostle Paul in 1 Timothy 1:3 “stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain men not to teach false doctrines any longer.” And we know that Paul had prophesied to the elders at Ephesus years earlier that the false teachers would be some of the elders (see Acts 20:30). So Timothy was told to command some false teachers at Ephesus not to teach anymore and we know some of them were elders.

It is clear from scripture that…

Preachers are commanded in multiple places to ordain elders

Preachers are given the qualifications for Elders in multiple books

There is no example or command for Elders to ordain Elders

Elders ordain preachers and preachers ordain elders

There is to be mutual doctrinal accountability between elders and preachers creating a checks and balance against false doctrine.

Below are two objections I have heard to Evangelists ordaining Elders:

Objection #1
They say, “Yes, Titus is told to ordain elders but that was because they didn’t have any elders yet at the in those churches to do it. Once elders are in place, the elders not evangelists should ordain future elders.”

Answer:
Where is the scriptural command or principle written that would lead us to believe that once elders are in place they should do the things scripturally assigned to the preacher? If Elders are to take over one task assigned to preachers, why shouldn’t they take over all things assigned to the preacher to do? By this logic, there is no longer any need for preachers at all.

It is an assumption, that there were no elders in Crete. How do we know that Titus was not just ordaining more elders? There may not have been elders on Crete or there may have been. We don’t know. Insisting there were not any is an assumption.

If elders once in place are to be the ones who ordain new elders, then why is Timothy, the young evangelist told not to be quick to ordain elders (1 Timothy 5:22), when there were already elders at the church in Ephesus for at least a decade before Timothy came (Acts 20:17)? Churches with elders still need preachers.

Objection #2
They say, “The bible says in 1 Timothy 5:17 ‘The elders who rule well are to be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching.’ See, elders are to rule the church and therefore they should ordain new elders not the evangelist”

Answer:
The word translated “rule” in 1 Timothy 5:17 means “to stand firm before.” It does not mean to be Lord over. In fact elders are told NOT to “Lord it over” their fellow Christians. Elders should “stand firm before” others in teaching the Bible.

In Luke 22: 25-26 Jesus said to them, "The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors. But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves."

1 Peter 5: 2-3 Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as overseers— not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.

In the NASV the word translated “rule” in 1 Timothy 5:17 is used nine times in the New Testament and only translated “rule” in this one verse. It is never used of kings, government rulers, or slave masters. It is used of husbands toward wives, fathers toward children, church leaders toward members, individuals toward their own moral behavior, and of an inanimate object, rain (James 5:7). It means to “stand firm before” in teaching and preaching not to “Lord over” flock by assuming authority given to the preacher. It does not give Elders permission to set aside Biblical doctrine in order to ordain other Elders.

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Top Ten Reasons We Know Santa Clause Is Evil

2007-12-25T00:00:00.000-05:00

Top Ten Reasons We Know Santa Clause Is Evil
10. Uses Midgets as slave labor
9. Takes credit for all the gifts that parents really give
8. Was adapted from a pagan God called Joulupukki
7. He discriminates against Jewish and Muslim children
6. Ran over some goof ball singers grandma
5. Sees you when you are sleeping
4. Breaks into children’s houses at night
3. Greedily licensed his image out to thousands of commercials
2. Santa has the same letters as Satan
1. Causes Children to forget who the first six letters in Christmas are for

What is important this Christmas?

2007-12-19T10:59:00.000-05:00

Check out what Christmas should be about but isn't for far too many.

Agnostic Abarberist

2007-12-17T09:24:00.000-05:00

A man went to a barbershop to have his hair cut and his beard trimmed. As the barber began to work, they began to have a good conversation. They talked about so many things and various subjects.

When they eventually touched on the subject of God the barber said: "I don't believe that God exists."

"Why do you say that?" asked the customer. "Well, you just have to go out in the street to realize that God doesn't exist. Tell me, if God exists, would there be so many sick people? Would there be abandoned children? If God existed, there would be neither suffering nor pain. I can't imagine a loving God who would allow all of these things."

The customer thought for a moment, but didn't respond because he didn't want to start an argument. The barber finished his job and the customer left the shop. Just after he left the barbershop, he saw a man in the street with long, stringy, dirty hair and an untrimmed beard. He looked dirty and unkempt. The customer turned back and entered the barber shop again and he said to the barber: "You know what? Barbers do not exist."

"How can you say that?" asked the surprised barber. "I am here, and I am a barber. And I just worked on you!"

"No!" the customer exclaimed. "Barbers don't exist because if they did, there would be no people with dirty long hair and untrimmed beards, like that man outside." "Ah, but barbers DO exist! What happens, is people do not come to me."

"Exactly!"- affirmed the customer.. "That's the point! God, too, DOES exist! What happens, is, people don't go to Him and do not look for Him. That's why there's so much pain and suffering in the world."

Nehemiah's Wall Found

2007-11-30T05:02:00.000-05:00

JERUSALEM (AP) - A wall mentioned in the Bible's Book of Nehemiah and long sought by archaeologists apparently has been found, an Israeli archaeologist says.

A team of archaeologists discovered the wall in Jerusalem's ancient City of David during a rescue attempt on a tower that was in danger of collapse, said Eilat Mazar, head of the Institute of Archaeology at the Shalem Center, a Jerusalem-based research and educational institute, and leader of the dig.

Artifacts including pottery shards and arrowheads found under the tower suggested that both the tower and the nearby wall are from the 5th century B.C., the time of Nehemiah, Mazar said this week. Scholars previously thought the wall dated to the Hasmonean period from about 142 B.C. to 37 B.C.

The findings suggest that the structure was actually part of the same city wall the Bible says Nehemiah rebuilt, Mazar said. The Book of Nehemiah gives a detailed description of construction of the walls, destroyed earlier by the Babylonians.

"We were amazed," she said, noting that the discovery was made at a time when many scholars argued that the wall did not exist.

"This was a great surprise. It was something we didn't plan," Mazar said.

The first phase of the dig, completed in 2005, uncovered what Mazar believes to be the remains of King David's palace, built by King Hiram of Tyre, and also mentioned in the Bible.

Ephraim Stern, professor emeritus of archaeology at Hebrew University and chairman of the state of Israel archaeological council, offered support for Mazar's claim.

"The material she showed me is from the Persian period," the period of Nehemiah, he said. "I can sign on the date of the material she found."

Warning: May be to graphic and creepy for small children.

2007-10-31T05:20:00.000-04:00

I always get this question every year so "Should I let my kids do Halloween?" So click on the creepy picture above to read what the Bible has to say about it. Or click here!

The Power of Christ

2007-10-08T05:56:00.000-04:00

Colossians 2:15 "And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. "

Romans 6:20-22 "When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life."

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