April 30, 2012

“Big Picture”

Blessings Folk!

Have you the desire to get a “big picture” of the Word of the Most High God?

We know some.
Some of the grand stories, events, principles.

We even know some of the detail.

But, all too often we miss how is all fits together.

Oh, we are strong on our particular “distinctive” pushed by man, but, what is the Lord saying overall?

We are beginning a time together that I think will help.

A new Bible study begins locally this week…
Mondays, 5:30 p.m. or
Tuesdays, 9:00 a.m.
(contact me for location)

It is titled “Cookies on the Lower Shelf”.
Yep.
That’s the name.

This study is a three-part overview of the entire Word of God.

Each part is 10-weeks in length.

Part 1 covers Genesis-Ruth.
Part 2 the balance of the Old Testament.
Part 3 the New Testament.

The study is part of a new product line from Precept Ministries...a “flexible inductive study”. This simply means that you do the amount of homework that you can during the week. No condemnation. No guilt. You will like the format and options.

Effectively it is a product designed around how we do things.

So, come and join us locally.

If you live outside the local area we will also be providing this study online beginning Tuesday evening, May 22.

The Precept online courses are still in a “private-beta” development.
In other words, this is not being advertised, etc.
We are learning how to implement things.

To join an online class...

First, register at http://connect.precept.org/ (Registration is free)
Then, search for the class you wish to join.
Join!

The online classes are limited in size, so hurry.

There is another class that we are making available online.
This is a 40-minute version, no-homework course called “Fatal Distractions”
Here is the promo…

Is Sin Threatening Your Spiritual Progress? Any type of sin can undermine a believer's effectiveness, but certain sins can become so deeply rooted in our lives—even without our realizing—that they become fatal to our spiritual growth.

This study looks at six of the "deadly" sins that threaten spiritual progress: Pride, Anger, Jealousy, Gluttony, Slothfulness, and Greed. You'll learn to identify the subtle ways in which these fatal distractions can invade your life, and you'll be equipped to conquer these destructive temptations so you can mature in your journey with Christ.

Hummm!

“Fatal Distractions” will be meeting at noon C.D.T. beginning Tuesday, May 22.

Registration process is the same as above.

So, to conclude.

Immerse yourself in the Word.
Seek the Lord.
He will be found.


“Cookies on the Lower Shelf” http://store.precept.org/c-212-cookies-on-the-lower-shelf.aspx?utm_source=PMI_Homepage&utm_medium=SmallAd&utm_campaign=Cookies_Series_Apr12

“Fatal Distractions” http://store.precept.org/p-1448-fatal-distractions-conquering-destructive-temptationsbr-40-minute-study.aspx

April 23, 2012

“Word”

Blessings Folk!

Here is a sad truth.

Most professing Christians know little of the Word of God.

They know “what they think”.
They know “what I’ve been taught”.
They know “denominationalism”.
They know “what I believe”.

Yet, they do not know the Word.

Worse yet, they have no desire to know the Word.

I question the salvation of such.

If one is truly save, then they will have a desire from God to know Him more completely.

To know The Word - written, Spirit, Body - is foundational to the life of the Kingdom.

John 1
 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
 2 The same was in the beginning with God...
14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

This is not new…

Hosea 4
6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.
 7 As they were increased, so they sinned against me: therefore will I change their glory into shame.

Those of the New Covenant are exhorted…

2 Timothy 2
 14 Of these things put them in remembrance, charging them before the Lord that they strive not about words to no profit, but to the subverting of the hearers.
 15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
 16 But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness.

Believers are instructed to handle the Word of Truth correctly.

We are blessed.
Blessed beyond measure.

You can read this - what a blessing.
Then why are not reading the Word?

You can hear - what a blessing.
Then why not listen to the Word? - listen via computer or phone - free
http://www.bible.is

You have the time - more than any society has ever had - to study the Word.
Then why are you not studying/meditating?

We would be spared many of the “problems” that we have if we would abide in the Lord - The Word.

Psalm 119
 104 Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way.
 105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
 106 I have sworn, and I will perform it, that I will keep thy righteous judgments.

Psalm 119 reveals the wonder and glory of the Word of the Lord.
You can listen to the entire Psalm in less than 17 minutes…

http://www.biblegateway.com/audio/mclean/kjv/Psa.119

So, determine in your heart to abide in the Lord and His Word.

If you would like to share a study time with fellow believers, join us.
We currently have some 6-7 times of gathering.
Some are closed.
Some are open.
Some meet locally.
Some meet online via computer/smart phone or regular ole phone.

We are about to begin a new study next week.
A slightly different format. New. Just released.
We will cover the entire Bible in 30 weeks.
Three courses of 10-weeks each.
Obviously it will be an overview and will pull many things together.
Email for more info.
dale@dalemoore.tv

Online versions of this course will begin the end of May, but are very limited in the number that can participate. Overseas and distant participants receive preference.

Folk, we must know the Truth that the Lord has given us.
You will not get all you need in a Sunday School class…
You will not get all you need in a weekly series of sermons…
You will receive what the Lord has for you if you will immerse yourself in The Word.

(These gatherings can assist in the immersion. )

People are crying for Truth.
Are you a Truth-Bearer?
Are you a Truth-Proclaimer?

Blessings!

April 3, 2012

“The Lord Believes…”

Blessings Folk!

The Lord has equipped True Believers with all that we need - through His Word, His Spirit, His Body.

We are not powerless.

Something struck me years ago.
I mention it frequently, but think it is good to “pull it all together.”

The Truth of the Word of God is often accosted by the world...and even “believers”, especially academia within religious institutions.

How are we to respond?

This is useful...

“The Lord Jesus believes it.”

The Lord believed the fish story of Jonah…

Matthew 12
 39 But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas:
 40 For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
 41 The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here.

The Lord believed the story of Noah…
The Lord believes He will return...

Matthew 24
 37 But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
 38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
 39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

The Lord believed in man/woman marriage…
The Lord believed in the Genesis creation account...He quotes Genesis 1
The Lord believed in Adam and Eve...

Matthew 19
 4 And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female,
 5 And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?
 6 Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

The Lord believed Daniel was a prophet…

Matthew 24
 15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand)

The Lord confirms/affirms/acknowledges/verifies the Word.

To recap, the Lord believed/believes…

• Jonah
• Noah
• Adam/Eve
• Creation ex nihilo
• Sodom/Gomorrah
• Marriage
• Demons
• Angels
• Heaven
• Eternity
• Lake of Fire
• His Return
• etc. etc.

Many/Most of these are denied by a large number of those who profess to be christian.

If the Lord believes, why do we believe not.

April 2, 2012

“‘Holy Week’”

Blessings Folk

This is the week that the organizational-christian-church celebrates the death, burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus.

I am definitely a “esteemeth every day alike” guy…

Romans 14
5 One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.
 6 He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks.
 7 For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself.
 8 For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's.
 9 For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living.

In the life of the true Believer every day is a celebration of the resurrection.

There is nothing inherently wrong in given special emphasis on a particular day, but we would do well to remember that no where in Scripture are we instructed to “celebrate”….

• “Easter”
• “Good Friday”
• “Maundy Thursday”
• “Christmas”

Now that I’ve been mutually offensive...LOL...think on these things.

Consider “Good Friday.”

The Word is clear.
Jesus was not crucified on Friday.

Why does that sound so heretical?

The truth is that for centuries the Truth has been denied, though it is clear in the Scripture.

Here is the pivotal passage that clarifies.

Jesus, in response to the demand that He produce “a sign” said…

Matthew 12

38 Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee.
 39 But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas:
 40 For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

Jesus said that He would be 3 days and 3 nights in the heart of the earth.
Not part of 3 days and part of 3 nights.
3 days
3 nights

A Friday death does not allow for this.

“But,” it is rebutted, “the next day was the Sabbath”!

True.
But not the weekly Sabbath.

Jesus died on Nisan 14th as the sacrificial Lamb.
He was/is the Passover Lamb.
Nisan 15th was the first day of the feast of Unleavened Bread, a Holy Convocation (Sabbath) as directed by Scripture.
The Sabbath referenced is not the weekly Sabbath, but the Holy Convocatin of Nisan 15.

Leviticus 23
5 In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the LORD's passover.
 6 And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread unto the LORD: seven days ye must eat unleavened bread.
 7 In the first day ye shall have an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein.
 8 But ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD seven days: in the seventh day is an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein.

Now, hear me carefully…

There is nothing wrong with a “Good Friday” service and the like...we do well to remember and reflect upon what the Lord did for us.

But, we do wrong in not accurately handling the Word of Truth.

2 Timothy 2
15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

We do wrong in communicating something that is not true - such as “wise men at the manger” in a creche scene - when we know otherwise.

So, when did Jesus die?

At 3 p.m on Nisan 14th - Wednesday afternoon.

Another element.

Jesus did not observe the “Passover” meal at the “Last Supper.”

Huh?

We call it the “Last Supper” because it was His last meal on earth.

Reason with me.

The Hebrew day begins at sunset.

The disciples had asked the Lord what the plans were related to the Passover.
Jesus told them how to find a room.
They did.

They were gathered in that room on the evening of Nisan 14th...the “day of preparation”...later in the day the Passover lamb would be prepared...at 3 p.m. it would be killed, “between the evenings”. Then the meal prepared. At sunset, the beginning of Nisan 15th they would sit for a meal.

The meal that Jesus had with His disciples was simply a meal.
He did establish/initiate a “new covenant”.
But, it was not Passover proper.
It did have “passover” elements.
Jesus told His disciples that He wanted to share this Passover with them, but it was not Passover proper because the Lord would be the Lamb.
Jesus did not “do it early” as some commentators state.

We also see that the religious accusers did not want to enter the pagan court…

John 18
28 Then led they Jesus from Caiaphas unto the hall of judgment: and it was early; and they themselves went not into the judgment hall, lest they should be defiled; but that they might eat the passover.

Jesus was arrested in custody.
Yet Passover was yet to come.

All these things are questions that many have had for years, yet were “fearful” of asking.

I’ve gone too long...so…

Jesus died at 3 p.m., Nisan 14th, our Wednesday afternoon.
Night/Day - Thursday
Night/Day - Friday
Night/Day - Saturday

3 Days/3 Nights

At sundown Saturday it became Sunday.

I believe that at some point shortly after sundown on Sunday the Lord was resurrected.

Later, hours later, the women came to the tomb just before daylight.

They found the stone rolled away.

Some would object and say that the stone had just been rolled away.

True.

But, the stone was not rolled away so that Jesus could get out.
The stone was rolled away that we could see that the tomb was empty.

Do not let all this distract you.
Do let it drive you to know the Truth that the Lord has revealed in His Word.

Then, determine to simply rejoice in and speak of the resurrection.

It is the power of God unto salvation!

Philippians 3
8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
 9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
 10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
 11 If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.