Christ's First Coming—Prophesied in Detail!

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Christ's First Coming—Prophesied in Detail!
When Jesus Christ fulfilled all the Bible prophecies regarding His life, death and resurrection, that proved absolutely that He was the promised Messiah, Son of God and "Savior of the world" (1 John 4:14).

The Bible foreshadowed the sacrifice of Jesus Christ two thousand years in advance in the true story of Abraham and his son Isaac:
Abraham loved his son Isaac as much as any parent could love a child. Abraham and his wife Sarah had longed for a child, but Sarah was "barren"—unable to conceive. However, God promised them that they would have descendants, and after a 25-year-long wait, when Abraham was 100 and Sarah was 90, they had a son together whom they named Isaac. This miraculous birth was a type of the future miraculous birth of Jesus Christ.
Then when their pride-and-joy was an older teenager or young adult, God shocked Abraham with a command to sacrifice his son as a burnt offering at the top of Mt. Moriah (at the present-day Jerusalem). God was testing Abraham's faith and obedience and giving us a picture of what He would go through in giving His Son for us. As grief-stricken as Abraham was, he agreed to carry out God's command because he believed that God would resurrect Isaac in order to fulfill His promises regarding descendants.
The journey lasted three days, so in Abraham's mind, his son was as good as dead for three days. Isaac could have resisted but apparently did not. At the last second, God stopped Abraham from slaying Isaac. Abraham's faith had been proven. As a substitute for Isaac, God provided a ram.
The willingness of Abraham and Isaac to carry out God's command illustrates the willingness of God the Father and His Son to make the ultimate sacrifice because of their love for all the world. The substitution of the ram was a type of Jesus suffering the death penalty in our place. And the sparing of Isaac was a type of Jesus' resurrection from the dead. See Genesis 22 and Hebrews 11:17-19. This poignant story gives us a deeper appreciation and sympathy for the sacrifice by the Father and Son for all of us.

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The Essential Purposes for Christ's First Coming

The heavenly Father and the Son, also called the Word, are both God (John 1:1). They planned "before the foundation of the world" that the Word would one day temporarily give up His glory and power in heaven, be born as a human being and set a perfect example for mankind of how to live a godly life (1 Peter 1:20; John 1:14; Philippians 2:5-11; 1 John 2:4-6).
Jesus Christ revealed God's amazing plan for enabling mankind to receive eternal life as children in the Kingdom of God (Romans 8:14-17). Jesus, as God in the flesh, then allowed Himself to be killed in order to pay the penalty of sin for all (John 3:16; Romans 5:6-10).
His resurrection and return to His former glory in heaven were the final proofs that He was God and had become mankind's Mediator, Lord and Savior (1 Timothy 2:5; Acts 5:30-31; 2 Peter 1:11). In fact, the entire Bible points directly and indirectly to the past, present and future work of Jesus Christ.
Let's now take note of several important prophecies and their fulfillments.
Was the Messiah to be a descendant of King David?

Isaiah 11:1
There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots.
Jeremiah 23:5
"Behold, the days are coming," says the Lord, "That I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness; a King shall reign and prosper, and execute judgment and righteousness in the earth."
Matthew 1:1
The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham…

Note that Jesse, mentioned in Isaiah 11:1, was the father of Israel's greatest king, David. During Jesus' ministry, some people quickly became convinced that He was the promised "son of David." Then during Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem several days before He was crucified, "the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying: 'Hosanna to the Son of David!'" (Matthew 21:9).
Was the Messiah to come from Bethlehem?

Micah 5:2
"But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler in Israel, whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting."
Matthew 2:1
Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem…

There were two Bethlehems, one in the region of Ephrathah in Judea and the other to the north, in the region of the biblical tribe of Zebulun. But Micah's prophecy is clear. Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea as Micah foretold.
Would the Messiah be born of a virgin mother?

Isaiah 7:14
Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.
Luke 1:26-35
Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary.
And having come in, the angel said to her, "Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!"
But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was.
Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end."
Then Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I do not know a man?"
And the angel answered and said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God."

An angel appeared first to Mary to tell her that she would conceive a child by the Holy Spirit. The angel appeared later to Joseph to explain to him that Mary's conception was a fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy (Matthew 1:20-23).
Did the biblical sacrifices point prophetically to Jesus' sacrifice?

Hebrews 9:11-12
But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.
Hebrews 10:11-12
And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God…

The book of Hebrews explains how the animal sacrifices and temple rituals required of ancient Israel were a physical type of the perfect sacrifice of Christ. They pointed to the future "Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29). The sacrifice of the lamb for Passover dramatically pointed to "Christ, our Passover [who] was sacrificed for us" (1 Corinthians 5:7). As a fulfillment of prophecy, Jesus died on the very day of Passover. The lamb's blood on the doorposts of the Israelites' houses symbolized the shed blood of Christ who died so we can be forgiven and saved (Romans 5:9).
Would the Messiah be crucified?

Psalm 22:16
For dogs have surrounded Me; the congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me. They pierced My hands and My feet.
Luke 23:33
And when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left.
John 20:25, 27
The other disciples therefore said to him, "We have seen the Lord." So he said to them, "Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe."…
Then He said to Thomas, "Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing."

Crucifixion is the only form of execution likely to cause a piercing of hands and feet. Yet amazingly, this prophecy was stated about 800 years before the Romans started using crucifixion for condemned criminals!
Would any of the Messiah's bones be broken?

Psalm 34:20
He guards all his bones; not one of them is broken.
John 19:32-33, 36
But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs...
For these things were done that the Scripture should be fulfilled, "Not one of His bones shall be broken."

In spite of all the brutal and cruel torment that Jesus received, God made sure that none of His bones were broken in order to fulfill this prophecy!
Would the Messiah be betrayed by a trusted friend for 30 pieces of silver?

Psalm 41:9
Even my own familiar friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted up his heel against me.
Zechariah 11:12
Then I said to them, "If it is agreeable to you, give me my wages; and if not, refrain." So they weighed out for my wages thirty pieces of silver.

When Jesus indicated it was Judas Iscariot who would betray Him, He said this was a fulfillment of the prophecy of Psalm 41:9 (John 13:18, 26). And Judas was indeed paid 30 pieces of silver for his traitorous act (Matthew 26:14-15).
In fact, no fewer than 29 prophecies were fulfilled in the 24-hour period leading up to Jesus' death. In a sermon by the apostle Peter, he said, "But those things which God foretold by the mouth of all His prophets, that the Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled" (Acts 3:18).
For more proof that Jesus Christ was God as well as human, that He lived a perfect life and then died to pay the penalty of sins for you and all mankind, please read our free booklet Jesus Christ: The Real Story.

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Consider that with all the prophecies of His own suffering and death, Jesus knew in detail what He would have to go through. No wonder He prayed, "Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done" (Luke 22:42). Luke 22:44 explains that "His sweat became like great drops of blood" through the mental agony He experienced. Yet He was willing to do all this to pay for our sins so we can be forgiven!
Read Acts 2:36-38 and consider the response God wants from us for that great sacrifice. Take some time today to talk with God about Christ's sacrifice and the response He wants from you.
Next Lesson: Jesus Christ—The Greatest Prophet
Questions about this lesson? Feedback about this lesson?
Related Resources:
Jesus Christ: The Real Story
Jesus Christ's Life and Death in Prophecy
Was Jesus Christ the Messiah?
Jesus' Amazing Fulfillment of Prophecy
The Bible Prophesied the Exact Year the Messiah Would Appear

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Auschwitz: 70 Years Later

A survivor called this death camp "the world's biggest cemetery". Do we remember and have we learned the lessons?

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[Darris McNeely] You see the sign over the entrance to this camp? It says, “Arbeit macht frei” – “Work makes free”. It’s the deceptive sign, famous, over the entrance to the German concentration camp in Warsaw called Auschwitz. Today (January 27, 2015) marks the 70th anniversary that Russian troops entered the camp and liberated the surviving Jewish members of this particular death camp which is one of the most famous of the many that the Nazi Germans conducted during World War II and the infamous Holocaust, where more than six million Jews lost their lives during that time. World leaders are gathered there today. Yesterday, many survivors came in and were there, and many for the first time coming back into that camp since they were teenagers and barely survived with their lives in the horror of what was taking place at that particular time.
Auschwitz, by one, was called “the world’s biggest cemetery”, because of the thousands and thousands of people who died there in crematoriums. It’s a sobering situation. Those who went back yesterday certainly did go back wanting not only to revisit where they were in their youth, but to also make a point that the world should not forget, and that they should remember what took place there. And that is very interesting because we don’t want to forget – for many, many reasons – the evils that were perpetrated upon a group of people during this particular period of time. It’s particularly important to remember because right now in Europe, with terrorist threats that have been taking place, especially in France, and other events – the specter of anti-Semitism has once again reared its ugly head in Europe. In fact, some are saying that in France today, it is the most unsafe spot in Europe for Jews because of attacks on synagogues, and Jews in particular, even as recently as a few weeks ago with the Islamic terrorist attacks upon the French newspaper, that a day later also included an attack upon a Jewish market and people being killed there. And so it is very unsafe and that attention is being drawn to the problem of anti-Semitism from many different quarters against Jews in Europe and other parts of the world, as well. The problem has not gone away. And so it is true that while this particular event, the Holocaust of World War II, should be remembered, never forgotten, we should also remember that the world has moved on a lot since then. And frankly, in some parts of the world, the lessons have not been learned. And this is not remembered in the same way that I’m trying to do it here with this particular Daily. There is still evil, there is still hatred against Jews and against other ethnic groups of people, and the evil that mankind can know has not yet stopped.
I also have a particular interest in this because I recognize some of the roots of anti-Semitism being far deeper than just against a group of people. The hatred that is expressed historically against Jews also reflects a hatred against God, and any who would try to worship God in spirit and in truth, according to the Scriptures. And when I say that it hasn’t been forgotten, it’s because I read a scripture such as Revelation:12:17And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ., where it shows a time in the future prophetically where the powerful spiritual forces of evil that unleashed this particular Holocaust and other holocausts of history will once again be unleashed against those who seek to keep the commandments of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. And that’s sobering because that transcends any ethnic group. That transcends the – that comes to the people of God. And that’s important as we recognize what the scripture tells us and what the nature of evil is as it is inspired by powerful, evil spiritual forces in this world today.
So let’s remember this particular event, the Holocaust of World War II, seventieth anniversary of Auschwitz, but let it also remind us of something deeper in terms of the costs that are there, as we obey God and we worship Him in spirit and in truth today.
That’s BT Daily . Join us next time.

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This Is the Way... A Walk In the Snow: Character Counts In a Nation's Leaders

article by Robin Webber

Today, during and after the recent impeachment hearings and trial, there is talk of "compartmentalization"—the notion that all the parts of one's life do not necessarily have to connect, that moral character and job competency do not have to be in one man. This is simply not the original American equation of republican ideal and it is certainly not biblically founded.

Historical episodes are much like a snowfield. Someone has to go first through the dual challenge of wonderment and danger. There comes a time in the human experience in which people, tribes and nations are confronted with this proverbial field of snow. I would like to share with you one man's walk in the snow on behalf of his nation. But before I do, let's understand who lays the field before us.
Long ago, God stated to Abraham that, "in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed"(Genesis:12:3And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.). It is to be understood that first and foremost this is speaking of spiritual salvation for all humanity through the birth of Abraham's descendant, Jesus Christ. But there is also an added aspect of historical note regarding the physical descendants of Abraham that should be considered. It is found in Genesis:48:19And his father refused, and said, I know it, my son, I know it: he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great: but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations.. In speaking of Abraham's grandchildren, the Bible says, "He also shall become a people, and he also shall be great; but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his descendants shall become a multitude of nations."
This verse spells out a prophetic blessing upon Abraham's descendants that defines a role of historical greatness.These verses speak of a people who would become "great" and a kindred people who would become a "multitude of nations." We see spelled out verses that depict the modern rise of the special relationship communities of the United States (Manasseh) and the famous alliance of nations known as the British Commonwealth (Ephraim).
But greatness does not just occur. God utilizes men and women throughout human history to bring about His will and purpose. God intervenes in the human chronicle through the hearts and minds of people. Romans:13:1Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. exemplifies God's finger on the pulse of history by stating, "For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God."
Throughout the biblical narrative we think of Pharaoh, Nebuchadnezzar, Cyrus, Tiberius and Herod. What about George Washington? No, he is not biblically mentioned by name, but can we consider that he was directly used by God? Was he "appointed" by God to a role in His plan of establishing the "greatness" of modern day Manasseh? A "greatness" that would be molded by his personal walk through the historical fresh snow laid before him at the dawn of the American Revolution? Let's peek back in history and understand the tracks that Washington laid for future generations to follow.
The Man Behind the Picture
Today, many people when confronted with George Washington, think of the man with the stern face painted by Gilbert Stuart that appears on America's one dollar bills. As a landed gentleman, he would become first a general and later the first president of the United States. This is indeed a limiting picture, and to limit Washington is to limit ourselves. Rather than being stuck with the visual picture of the colonnades of Mt. Vernon, let's understand that Washington was born in humbler surroundings, being born into a much lower rung of Virginia gentry. We might say towards the bottom.
At his father's early death, in accordance with the British custom, most of the inheritance of family domain went to his half-brother Lawrence. Washington's formal education was over at age 15. But he did an amazing thing. He wrote out a collection of European maxims which he titled "The Rules of Civility and Decent Behavior in Company and Conversation." This exercise would instill in him a moral fabric in relating to other human beings. It would be his shining star to guide him. This is not too unlike the writing exercise the ancient kings of Israel were to perform. The instruction of Deuteronomy:17:18-20 [18] And it shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book out of that which is before the priests the Levites:
[19] And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life: that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them:
[20] That his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and that he turn not aside from the commandment, to the right hand, or to the left: to the end that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he, and his children, in the midst of Israel. states, "Also it shall be, when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write for himself a copy of this law in a book, from the one before the priests, the Levites. And it shall be with him, and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God and be careful to observe all the words of this law and these statutes, that his heart may not be lifted above his brethren, that he may not turn aside from the commandment to the right hand or to the left, and that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he and his children in the midst of Israel."
God's law was more than just rules for rules' sake, but more about relationships. Relationships that would not separate men, but bring them together on the equal plane of "brethren." Washington's list is in no way holy writ, but it contains a lot of wisdom pertaining to personal dealings with others. Let's read a few of the rules he wrote:
"In the presence of others, sing not to yourself with a humming noise, nor drum with your fingers or feet." "Sleep not when others speak, sit not when others stand, speak not when you should hold your peace, walk not on when others stop." My favorite is, "Spit not in the fire, nor stoop low before it, neither put your hands into the flames to warm them, nor set your feet upon the fire especially if there be meat before it."
What is interesting is the sense of value placed on outgoing concern towards others. These "proverbs" of the classical era would offer Washington a sensitized moral compass of "justice, judgment and equity;" as mentioned in the Bible and offer "to the young man knowledge and discretion-A wise man will hear and increase learning"(Proverbs:1:4-5 [4] To give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion.
[5] A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels:). At a time when colonial America was still inventing itself, this young man was likewise self-examining and personally inventive. He recognized that if he were to succeed and be a person of worth he would have to establish standards and values. Values that would work later in life for him-recognizing that you do not find your values in a trial or situation, but you take them into the arena with you. The common self invention of the man and the nation would cross paths on the snow field of history 40 years down the line.
Prepared For Future Battles
As a young man, Washington had burning ambition and a self-importance that moved him through the ranks of the colonial militia. His time spent in the French and Indian War would both prepare him for future battle and place a curb on his ego, as he experienced both triumph and failure. After the war, he married well, having taken Martha Custis to wife. At the outbreak of the Revolutionary War, he became commander of the Continental Army. As an interesting part of focused leadership, he had the Declaration of Independence read aloud to every soldier so that he might know what was at stake.
This would be very important in the bumpy road to independence from the British Empire. Early on, he would be chased from Brooklyn, lose Manhattan, flee across New Jersey, and pick up a couple of victories at Princeton and Trenton. But always his biggest victory would be keeping the army together. Imagine an army composed of merchants, farmers, backwoodsmen, including every ethnic and racial group in America (still in some cases speaking their native tongue), all from 13 different sovereign states. Yankees from New England, Dutch from New York, Germans from Pennsylvania, Scots-Irish from the South, Swedes from Delaware, and African-Americans seeking a piece of the dream for liberty .
But all this would come to a grinding halt in the snows of Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, in the winter of 1777. Washington despaired, "The game will be pretty well up!" The British General Howe was outside Philadelphia, Congress had fled to Baltimore, and there before him in the snow was the sight of "men, without clothes, to cover their nakedness; without blankets to lay on; without shoes, by which their marches might be traced, by the blood from their feet." His army had shrunk to 3,000 men, and more were deserting daily. What had happened to that bright and wondrous picture of liberty? What had happened to the pure and glistening wonderment of government not based upon birth, but government based upon personal ability?
Like the snow, Washington now had to step out and make tracks where no man had gone before. Encouragement would come from a young, French nobleman, the Marquis de Lafayette. It is said that at one particularly low point the Marquis reminded his general that "the eyes of Europe are upon you!" Every step was being watched, every footprint in the snow was being analyzed by a world which had never known anything other than kings, emperors, czars and khans. Proverbs:29:18Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he. says, "Where there is no vision, the people perish." Sometimes we need to remind one another exactly "why are we here?" In his book The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, Steven Covey calls it "beginning with the end in mind." Herbert Armstrong called it "keeping the big picture." Remember, you don't find your values in a trial, you take them in with you. First Corinthians 3:13 vividly reminds us, "Each one's work will become clear: for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is."
The Most Famous Man in the World
The "greatness factor" of this one man's personal walk through the snow was yet to come a few years down the line. It came in 1783. The war was won and the long drawn-out peace accord was finally ratified. What Washington did next would astound the world. He simply got off his horse and went home to his beloved Mt. Vernon. This made him the most famous man in the world. The greatest victory he accomplished was letting go of power. This had rarely been done before. The snow was fresh and Washington carefully and surely laid a great print for others to follow. He was the modern day Cincinnatus, the Latin farmer of Roman lore. According to history as it comes down to us, Cincinnatus had victoriously defended Rome against her enemies at her gate and was invited to become ruler. But, he went back to his farm saying only that he had done his duty. What would you have done?
In English history, having disposed of King Charles, Oliver Cromwell stayed on his horse at the head of the New Model Army and became Lord Protector. Napoleon a few years down the line would stay on his horse and go from being "first citizen of the republic" to Emperor. In the course of the American Revolution as sole commander, Washington had outlasted eight presidents of the Continental Congress. On December 23, 1783, at Annapolis, Maryland, Washington ceremoniously handed back to the president of Congress the parchment commission he had received in Philadelphia on June 15, 1775. He had never lost the vision. For this man, giving up power was more ennobling than winning a war. It is said that King George III asked the American painter Benjamin West what General Washington was likely to do when peace came. Would he stay with the army, would he become head of state? West replied, "Washington will probably return home to his farm." King George responded, "If Washington does that, he will become the most famous man in the world."
Rather than merely comparing Washington's example to Cincinnatus, let's focus on Christ's words in Matthew:20:25-28 [25] But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them.
[26] But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister;
[27] And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant:
[28] Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.. "But Jesus called them to Himself and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave-just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."
Whether or not Washington fully recognized it, he was following someone else's tracks that had been laid out long before his.
For the remainder of his life, George Washington realized he would have incredible responsibility in how he conducted himself and used his fame and notoriety. He would be called on again and again to "walk through the snow." In 1785, two years after the final peace treaty had been signed, with the country tottering in its disunited infancy under the Articles of Confederation, he stated, "I can foresee no evil greater than disunion." Here were 13 loosely confederated states of America now more afraid of one another than the nearby lingering shadow of the British Empire. How could they ever unite? As he would state, "the fate of unborn millions" would rest on their deliberations. Here was an individual of growth and invention that would spend his life in transformation from a British subject, to a man of the South from Virginia, to a Nationalist.
Character Does Count
But as all the wrinkles were slowly ironed away at Philadelphia's Constitutional Convention, a lingering nerve of contention remained before the delegates. Having cast off (in Colonial eyes) a tyrant, would they ever again dare invest authority in an executive power? Washington's powerful life example spoke louder than any good arguments. It would not be by his grasp for power or intellectual wit that he would ascend to the presidency—but simply by "quiet tracks in the snow" laid over a lifetime.
Pierce Butler, of South Carolina, thought the president's powers were "full, great, and greater than I was disposed to make them. Nor do I believe they would have been so great had not many of the members cast their eyes towards General Washington as President; and shaped their ideas of the Powers to be given a President by their opinions of his virtue." From the beginning America's concept of the presidency, was the idea of virtue—let's put it plainly—character. The standard would be—not simply what you do—but what you are. This was the only way a young and frightened nation could come to terms with trusting an executive leader. Washington's lifetime of self invention based upon his "Rules of Civility" had served him and the nation well.
Today, during and after the recent impeachment hearings and trial, there is talk of "compartmentalization"—the notion that all the parts of one's life do not necessarily have to connect, that moral character and job competency do not have to be in one man. This is simply not the original American equation of republican ideal and it is certainly not biblically founded. Notice the power of cause and effect as outlined in Proverbs:29:2When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn.: "When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice, but when a wicked man rules, the people groan."
Washington's stepping off his horse, and later his stepping away from the executive office after his second term, set forever the mode of America's greatness of being gallant enough to conquer the problems that lay in her path, but also to have the ability to muster the "right stuff" and go back home when the task was accomplished.
Snow is a wondrous attraction. So are the revolutions of history. What appears wondrous can take a sharp turn towards disaster. Many revolutions would follow the American experiment. Hope would turn to despair as tyrants of royal blood would be replaced with demagogues with radical blood flowing in their veins. Much of Latin America would devolve for nearly two centuries into military dictatorships. The great revolutions of France and Russia would go through stages of moderation to radicalism-ending with much of their citizenry losing their lives, because of the lack of a galvanizing example of moderation like Washington's. Imagine a "modern day Manasseh" whose civilians would report to the military or whose chief executive maintained total power for a lifetime. Then, think again of one man's influence as he walked in the snow for a nation to follow. WNP

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World News and Trends: Saudi oil and U.S. dependency

article by Jerold Aust, John Ross Schroeder

With the Middle East holding the majority of the world's oil, what's to come when conflicts boil over?

The recent death of King Fahd of Saudi Arabia created some concern from those nations that are dependent on Saudi oil. A top Saudi diplomat reassured all oil-dependent countries that the Saudis would pump oil "to the best of our capability, with a reasonable price" (CNN, Aug. 2).
"Saudi Arabia holds a quarter of the world's known oil supplies, and crude futures set a new record of $61.57 a barrel after news of Fahd's death. 'I would like to reassure you of our government's pledge to continue King Fahd's legacy of providing the world with a stable and secure source of energy,' Rihab Massoud, the Saudi charge d'affaires in Washington, told reporters" (ibid.).
On March 24, 30 prominent Americans wrote a letter to President George W. Bush about an impending oil crisis. Former National Security Adviser Robert McFarlane, former CIA Director James Woolsey, former Assistant Secretary of Defense Frank Gaffney and others, including 12 retired generals and admirals, five former secretaries of defense and several retired senators and representatives signed the letter.
Oil is critical for the future of the Western world. Yet the Middle East, rich with that lifeblood of the world's economy, is a boiling stew of conflict of almost every kind. Bible prophecy tells us that it will eventually boil over, igniting a horrendous end-time conflagration that will bring the human race to the verge of extinction.
The only thing that will spare us, in fact, is Jesus Christ's return to earth to save us from ourselves (Matthew:24:21-22 [21] For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
[22] And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.). If you'd like to learn more, request or download our free booklet The Middle East in Bible Prophecy . (Source: CNN.)

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The Supreme Court Decision on Sodomy: Answerable to a Higher Court

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The Supreme Court Decision on Sodomy: Answerable to a Higher Court

 

A commentary by Melvin Rhodes

Posted July 9, 2003

Sodomy is now legal all over America, following a decision of the U.S. Supreme Court that struck down anti-sodomy laws in 13 states. Other states had already changed laws that went back centuries...

Sodomy is defined in Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary as "carnal copulation in any of certain unnatural ways." Clarke’s Standard Reference Dictionary (UK, 1982) defines it as "any sexual intercourse held to be abnormal, as between a person and an animal or between two persons of the same sex."

When most people think of sodomy, they think of sexual acts between people of the same sex, but the legal definition is clearly broader than that. The Bible also shows us that the sins of Sodom were many. The Old Testament prophet Ezekiel described them as "pride, fullness of food, and abundance of idleness; neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. And they were haughty and committed abomination before Me . . ." (Ezekiel:16:49-50 [49] Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.
[50] And they were haughty, and committed abomination before me: therefore I took them away as I saw good.
). Certainly, sexual sins were included among these.

The word sodomy comes from the biblical city of Sodom, notorious for its vice and corruption. Sodom, along with its sister city Gomorrah, were destroyed by God because of the sinfulness of its people.

You can read an account of the circumstances that led up to this destruction in Genesis 18 and 19.

When Abraham realized that God had determined to destroy the twin cities "because their sin [was] very grave" (Genesis:18:20And the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous;), he appealed on their behalf, bargaining with God's messengers. He asked: "Would You also destroy the righteous with the wicked?" (verse 23). "Suppose there were fifty righteous within the city; would You also destroy the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous that were in it?" Abraham was assured that if there were 50 righteous left in the city, the city would be spared.

On second thoughts, Abraham realized that there might not be 50 righteous inhabitants left, so he asked again, this time wondering if the city would be spared if only 45 God-fearing citizens remained. He was assured the city would be spared. Eventually Abraham got down to 10. And the Lord said, "I will not destroy it for the sake of ten" (verse 32).

In the next chapter we see the cities destroyed. Clearly, there were not even 10 righteous people left.

The incident that preceded the final destruction of Sodom involved homosexual rape. When the two messengers from God were staying with Lot, "the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both old and young, all the people from every quarter, surrounded the house. And they called to [Abraham's nephew] Lot and said to him, 'Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us that we may know them carnally [sexually]". Rebutted, the men "pressed hard against the man Lot, and came near to break down the door" (verses 4-9).

Immediately after this incident, God took action to destroy the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah (read the rest of the chapter). After witnessing their sin for a very long time, His patience had run out and He chose to remove them from the face of the earth.

Could the same fate befall the United States of America?

Since the "sexual revolution" of the 1960s, America and other Western nations have progressively moved further and further away from God and His standards of morality as defined in His Word, the Bible.

The sexual reforms of the '60s and subsequent decades have contributed greatly to the breakdown of the family, the increased spread of sexually transmitted diseases, millions of HIV/AIDS infections, an epidemic of drug-taking and increased crime and violence. Despite this fact, the greatest legal authorities in the land have reacted with yet another "reform" that takes the country further away from God’s laws for mankind.

As with Sodom and Gomorrah, when will God pull the plug on our immoral society?

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Silencing God's Children

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article by Tom Robinson

A major part of the war against God and godly values is the scourge of abortion—the murder of the most helpless.

Source: iStock/Thinkstock

The ancient prophet Ezekiel thundered these words: "You took your sons and your daughters, whom you bore to Me, and these you sacrificed to [false gods] to be devoured . . . You have slain My children and offered them up to them by causing them to pass through the fire" (Ezekiel:16:20-21 [20] Moreover thou hast taken thy sons and thy daughters, whom thou hast borne unto me, and these hast thou sacrificed unto them to be devoured. Is this of thy whoredoms a small matter,
[21] That thou hast slain my children, and delivered them to cause them to pass through the fire for them?).
The thought of sacrificing precious infants, burning them on an altar to a pagan god of stone, would strike most people today as abhorrent. But are we not guilty of the same crime when we sacrifice millions of innocent babies to the modern idols of selfishness and convenience?
Since the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court decision on Roe v. Wade, more than 56 million abortions have taken place in America—an unconscionable slaughter of innocents in a professing Christian nation. Yet even this pales beside the ghastly figure of 40 million abortions every year worldwide (estimating low)—meaning that at least 1.2 billion children have been aborted since 1980 (numberofabortions.com).
Sadly, America has become a supporter of the broader killing. In one of his first acts in office, U.S. President Barack Obama "lifted restrictions on U.S. government funding for groups that provide abortion services or counseling abroad" (Reuters, Jan. 23, 2009)—meaning U.S. taxpayers are forced to fund abortions and abortion promotion in other countries.
On Feb. 26, 2014, the president told his pro-abortion political group Organizing for Action that they are doing "God's work." On April 26 of the previous year, he spoke at a gala for Planned Parenthood, the nation's largest abortion provider, concluding with, "Thank you, Planned Parenthood. God bless you. God bless America" (emphasis added throughout).
Such words strain our credulity. It borders on blasphemy that anyone, let alone the leader of a nation, would expect God to bless an organization that is in the business of destroying His creation—killing more than 300,000 unborn babies a year, about one every 94 seconds. What God is he referring to? Clearly not the God of the Bible!
As Fox News radio commentator Todd Starnes notes in his new book God Less America: "We ask God to bless America, but we silence his children. God bless America? We should be on our knees asking for His mercy instead" (2014, p. 210).

Killing the unborn is big business

But America is far from that. For abortion providers, the slaughter of the unborn can be a lucrative business. A former abortion provider has explained how she was on her way to becoming a millionaire by selling abortions to teenage girls.
The marketing began in kindergarten and grade school sex education. The goal for fifth and sixth grade students, according to Carol Everett, "was to get them sexually active on a low dose birth control pill that we knew they would get pregnant on . . . That pill did not work, and we could accomplish our goal of 3-5 abortions between the ages of 13 and 18" (quoted by Peter Baklinski, LifeSiteNews.com, May 12, 2014).
Government has now mandated abortion insurance coverage for the whole country through President Obama's health care legislation, the Affordable Care Act, commonly called Obamacare. Starnes points out: "The Obama administration is trying to force religious organizations to provide insurance for birth control and abortion-inducing drugs in direct violation of their religious beliefs . . .
"The Internal Revenue Service launched investigations into pro-life organizations, demanding to know the contents of their prayers. They ordered a Wyoming church to turn over its membership rolls. This is happening right here, right now, in the United States of America. We are under attack from within" (p. 209).
Another pro-life group was told by the IRS that "they could not picket or protest abortion clinics. An attorney representing the pro-life groups called the IRS actions 'intimidating' and 'heavy-handed.' One IRS agent went so far as to tell a pro-life group it had to remain neutral on the issue of abortion and lectured the group's president about forcing its religious beliefs on others.
"'You have to know your boundaries,' IRS agent Sherry Wan can be heard saying in a recording. 'You have to know your limits. You have to respect other people's beliefs'" (p. 8). Remember that this refers to beliefs about what is in fact murdering unborn children!
Thankfully, the Supreme Court ruled on June 30—in the case brought by the arts and crafts retailer Hobby Lobby—against government attempts to impose employer-provided coverage for abortion-inducing drugs when it's against the employer's religious beliefs. But this was by a narrow margin of 5-4, and time may see it overturned. In fact, Senate Democrats have already attempted to circumvent it. In any case it remains disturbing how rabidly the government has pursued the pro-abortion agenda and persecuted those who stand for life!

Overlooking infanticide

The media has been complicit in this, as it has in most aspects of the liberal-progressive agenda. Commenting on the failure of the news media to report last year on the trial of Pennsylvania abortion doctor Kermit Gosnell over late-term abortions and infanticide—ostensibly because it would draw negative attention to abortion—liberal political analyst Kirsten Powers wrote in USA Today:
"Infant beheadings. Severed baby feet in jars. A child screaming after it was delivered alive during an abortion procedure. Haven't heard about these sickening accusations? It's not your fault . . . There has been precious little coverage of the case that should be on every news show and front page . . .
"None of the news shows on the three major national television networks has mentioned the Gosnell trial in the last three months [as of the time Powers wrote this] . . . The deafening silence of too much of the media, once a force for justice in America, is a disgrace" ("Philadelphia Abortion Clinic Horror," April 11, 2013).
Meanwhile, the indoctrination of the younger generation continues. Officials at a high school in Tacoma, Washington, decided "to allow posters and events for a 'gay'-straight alliance while refusing to allow similar posters and events related to the local Students for Life . . .
"[The pro-life] group wanted to put up two posters. The first reads 'Since Roe v. Wade 1⁄3 of our generation has been aborted' . . . The second poster quotes President Ronald Reagan: 'I've noticed that everyone who is for abortion is already born.' But school officials said the posters might 'offend'" ("School: 'Gay' Is OK, But Pro-Lifers Must Go," WND.com, Feb. 19, 2014). Yet of course they allowed the pro-gay messages.
Where is the outrage over the ongoing mass murder of helpless babies? In the approximately five minutes it's taken you to read this short article, about 375 abortions have been performed around the world (see the counters at numberofabortions.com).
God warns in Numbers:35:33So ye shall not pollute the land wherein ye are: for blood it defileth the land: and the land cannot be cleansed of the blood that is shed therein, but by the blood of him that shed it. that "blood defiles the land, and no atonement can be made for the land, for the blood is shed on it, except by the blood of him who shed it." That includes all who bear responsibility. Clearly the whole world is facing judgment over this global atrocity!

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Abortion

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Abortion

 

This Teen Bible Study Guide is designed to help you learn what God thinks about abortion.

Abortion

Introduction

In the United States alone, over 3000 babies are aborted every day. The vast majority of these terminated pregnancies are due to “convenience” issues of the child’s parents. They didn’t want a child at this point in their lives, so they simply chose to eliminate the problem. About 4 of every 10 women will have an abortion in their lifetime. What about cases of rape or when the mother’s health is in danger? Are abortions appropriate in these cases? These questions illustrate how controversial this subject has become in today’s society. This guide is designed to help you learn God’s mind on the matter.

Definition

Webster's Collegiate Dictionary defines - "abortion" - as "the termination of a pregnancy after, accompanied by, resulting in, or closely followed by the death of the embryo or fetus…." The issue of abortion has to do with the morality of a person's choice to "terminate" the pregnancy, not a miscarriage that happens naturally. Abortion stops the natural process of human maturation within the mother's uterus (or womb). The purpose of abortion is to empty the mother's womb which results in the death of the tiny human being in its development.

When Does a Human Life Begin?

A major area of debate about abortion is whether the fetus is human. Let's see what the Word of God reveals concerning this question.

MATTHEW 1:18: "Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit."

JOHN 1:14: "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father…."

1. When did God become flesh? Was it at conception? Was it at birth? Was it at a point in time between conception and birth?

COMMENT: The Holy Spirit carried the divine nature, so Jesus was God in the flesh from conception when the Holy Spirit impregnated Mary. Just as Jesus was God from conception, a human being begins life at his conception. The “miracle of life” certainly is a miracle. A human being is formed from 2 single cells fusing together in a female. The cells divide and differentiate forming tissues and organs. After only 18 days of growth, a heartbeat can be detected. After 21 days, the eyes, spine and digestive system become visible. After 40 days, brain waves can be detected. At 8 weeks, the toes and fingers are formed. At just 18 weeks, the baby can move on it’s own. Abortions are performed even after all of these things have occurred.

LUKE 1:44: "For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy."

2. What does this verse reveal about the unborn having human feelings and emotions?

JEREMIAH 1:5: "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations."

3. How early in our lives does God know us? When does He devise a purpose for us?

God's Law

EXODUS 21:22: "If men fight, and hurt a woman with child, so that she gives birth prematurely … he shall surely be punished accordingly as the woman's husband imposes on him; and he shall pay as the judges determine."

1. For the ancient, Israelites, what was the penalty for accidentally causing the "termination" of a pregnancy?

2. What does this judgment reveal about God's desire to protect pre-born children?

3. How does this situation compare and contrast with abortion?

EXODUS 20:13: "You shall not murder."

4. Do you think this commandment applies to unborn human beings? Why?

5. Are other commandments broken by choosing to have an abortion? If so, which one(s)?

MARK 9:42: "But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea."

6. How does God feel toward those who harm His new, young believers?

7. If God says those who bring spiritual harm to His fleshly children are worthy of capital punishment, by analogy what do you think would be His attitude toward those who end the life of children in the womb?

Our Bodies?

Those who favor the legality of abortion assert that a woman has the right to complete authority over her body. If a woman is carrying a child inside her, and she doesn't want him there, then the woman, so they say, has the right to remove him -- that is, abort him.

JOB:31:15Did not he that made me in the womb make him? and did not one fashion us in the womb?: “Did not He who made me in the womb make them? Did not the same One fashion us in the womb?”

1. Who is said to be at work in the womb?

PSALM 127:3: "Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward."

2. To whom does the psalmist give credit for his children?

GENESIS 29:31: "When the Lord saw that Leah was unloved, He opened her womb; but Rachel was barren."

GENESIS 30:2,22: "And Jacob's anger was aroused against Rachel, and he said, 'Am I in the place of God, who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?' (22) Then God remembered Rachel, and God listened to her and opened her womb."

3. What role does God have in every child conceived? Are children totally the result of the desire of their parents?

4. Do children from conception belong to God or his human parents? Consider Ezekiel:18:4Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die..

5. Is the growing child in the womb a part of his mother's body or a separate person?

COMMENT: From the time of conception the human embryo is distinct from his mother. The mother's body would reject the fetus as foreign tissue and abort the baby except for the existence of the placenta, which separates the child from his mother while in her womb. If the life growing in the mother doesn't belong to her, what right does she have to take innocent life?

1 CORINTHIANS 6:19-20: "Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's."

6. Explain why we don't have the absolute right to do whatever we wish with our bodies.

GALATIANS 6:7: "Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap."

7. Who is accountable for the consequences of our actions?

COMMENT: Many people will argue that the decision to have a baby is up to the parents... and they are right! The decision is theirs. But once they decide to have an intimate relationship, the decision has been made and if a child is conceived, parents become stewards of their child. They must be prepared to accept the consequences of their decisions. Unfortunately, many people do not take appropriate responsibility for their actions. A lot of people who are against abortion will still support special cases when the mother has been raped or when her life is endangered by the pregnancy. But an abortion is still ending the life of a human being. In the case of rape, the baby can be given up for adoption after birth, or can still be raised by the mother with the support of her family and friends. In the case of the mother’s life being in danger, we must realize that God allows things to happen for a purpose, and we should not cut off His plan in progress by taking matters into our own hands. A great deal of prayer and a close relationship with God can ensure wise decision making for such matters.

8.What are the emotional/spiritual effects of having an abortion?

Summary Questions

1. How do your peers view the issue of abortion?

2. When does a human being begin life?

3. What is God's will concerning the lives of all human beings from conception?

4. How does God view abortion?

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