WHAT'S IN A NAME?

“What’s in a name?” That’s part of a famous quote from the popular play, Romeo, and Juliet, by William Shakespeare. The full quote says, “What’s in a name? that which we call a rose, by any other name would smell as sweet.” I’ve heard the first part of that quote from time to time as long as I can remember. I’ve never really thought about it for more than a few minutes each time though, until recently.

It got me to thinking about all the names I’ve had over the years. Other than all the sweet names my wife calls me, I’ve been called Daddy, by my children, Fred, by my friends, Ted, Teddy, Teddy Ruxpin, Tetty Theodore, Bobby Q, Christopher, and occasionally, a few other names I’d rather not mention.

I’ve always been fascinated by names. Names have the ability to define us. In Bible days a name actually meant something. For example, Abraham means “Father Of Nations.” We see several examples of people having their names changed because of something they did. For example, God changed Abram’s name to Abraham and Simon’s name to Peter. We also see name meanings change to reflect something someone did, like Judas, which now means Traitor.

In thinking of all the names I’ve had over the years, I started thinking of all the names of Jesus we see in the Bible. It’s amazing how many names and titles he has.

I think “Jesus” is his most popular name in Christianity. The angel Gabriel told Mary she would give birth to the Son of God, and she was to call him Jesus (Luke 1:31). He also told Joseph to call the baby, Jesus and added: “because he will save his people from their sins” (Mathew 1:21). The name Jesus means “salvation.”

The New Testament writers often refer to him as Jesus Christ or Christ Jesus, and sometimes just Christ. The word Christ is the English translation of the Greek word Messiah. It means “Anointed One.” So saying “Jesus Christ” and “Jesus, the Messiah” is the same thing. Jesus is the Messiah.

In the New Testament, he is called the Son of God. He is also referred to as the Son in the Old Testament (Psalm 2:12). In Isaiah 9:6, he is called “Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Other names include Shiloh, Emmanuel, Lord, Master, Rabbi, The Word, the Lamb of God, The Son of God, the Son of David, The Son of Man, Savior, King of Kings, Rose of Sharon, Redeemer, and many more.

That’s a lot of names and titles, and each one reveals a different aspect of his character. So, what’s in a name? A lot, but no matter which name he is called, he is just as sweet.

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OUR 33 YEAR OLD MIRACLE

A little more than 33 years ago, my wife informed me that she was having strange pains. I was concerned of course, but I didn’t think it was too serious. After all, she was pregnant, and discomfort comes with the territory. Right? Right. It couldn’t be labor pains because she was barely seven months along.

As day turned to night, the pain got worse, so we headed to the hospital, over fifty miles away. When we arrived, we found out it was labor pains, after all. The doctor said it was way too early, and the baby was way too small. He wasn’t due for almost three whole months, so they had to try to stop the labor.

They gave my wife medication for hours, and then hours turned into days. After a few days, the doctor decided he couldn’t stop the labor with the medication. To try any longer could harm the baby if it hadn’t already. He was going to come out.

We knew he was a boy and had already named him Zakary; with that weird spelling. It doesn’t seem that weird to me at all, though. It’s a better way to spell the name than ZACHARY, which I’ve never really liked at all. I guess that’s why I wanted to spell it differently. His mother wanted to name him after Zach from the TV show we loved called Saved By The Bell. She said we could name him Zakary, and call him Zak, which she never did. I got the spelling for the name from a baseball card I had of Zakary Taylor.

For months, we had been anticipating his arrival, and we were so ready to hold him in our arms, but now we were worried; really worried. It’s too early. He’s too small. He may not survive, and if he does, he may have lots of problems.

Wanting to prepare us for the worst, the doctor said, “his lungs are not developed yet. We need to give him a few rounds of steroids to help them develop. Even then, there’s no guarantee. He’ll have to stay in the hospital for a good while. He only weighs about three pounds.”

Frightening news, but we were praying, and begging God to let our son be alright. We knew God could make everything okay. He had so many times before. But, there had also been times I had prayed when things hadn’t gone well, so I was still worried.

After a few more days, and some more steroids, the doctor said he couldn’t hold back the labor any longer. We would just have to deal with whatever problems the baby would have as a result of being premature. So the next step was to go ahead and let him come out, and start working on him to ensure his survival. So, they broke the water, and we waited.

Not long into our wait, the nurses ran into the room and started checking the machines. The machines were working properly. The baby’s heart had stopped. It started back, but his heart rate kept dropping back down. After his heart stopped a second time, they rushed us down to the operating room and began a C-section to get him out as soon as possible. In no time, the doctor had him out and held him up. He was alive and breathing on his own, and he soon let everyone in the room know for sure that his lungs were well-developed. We were so happy to hear him crying.

What a miracle! The premature baby with undeveloped lungs, which the doctor said only weighed three pounds, turned out to have great lungs, and weighed over seven pounds. Praise the Lord! Thank you, Jesus.

As I held my firstborn son in my arms, I was filled with joy and awe. God had given me my heart’s desire; a son. The Bible tells us that children are a blessing from the Lord (Psalm 127:3-5). That day, that blessing was bestowed on me, and I thanked God for giving me a son.

Today, we're celebrating Zakk’s 33rd birthday. That’s over a quarter of a century. It sounds like a long time, but in some ways, it seems like only yesterday when I first looked into the eyes of that beautiful blessing from God. He’s grown into a fine young man, and I’m so proud of him. He reminds me so much of me when I was his age. I love him so much, and I thank God for him, and for the awesome miracle he performed for us 33 years ago.

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STUCK - PART 1

When I was really young I remember an incident where I was playing with several of my cousins. The adults were all gathered on the porch of my grandparents’ house. While the other kids were running back and forth jumping in and out of the road ditch, I looked into the culvert that went under the road and saw the light coming from the other end. Believe me, I don’t know what possessed me to do it, but I crawled in and headed for the other side.

I didn’t get far at all until I couldn’t go any further. I tried to back up, but no luck there either. I was stuck. I got scared and started screaming. Thank God someone heard me. My mother came and somehow managed to pull me to safety.

Well, you would think I would have learned my lesson, but no. A few short years later I found myself in almost the same situation again. We were on a school field trip, at the city park in the next town over. There was a real jet airplane there for children to play in. For some reason, I decided to crawl inside one of the wings. Once again, I came to the point where I couldn’t go forward, nor backward. I was stuck again. All I could do was cry for help. The teacher came and got me unstuck.

A few years later, I was messing around with a survival knife my grandmother had bought for me. I was so proud of it. It was awesome. The handle was a green camouflage color. It had a compass on top, which screwed off, revealing a hollow inside where all kinds of survival things were stored. Again, for some reason I can only venture to guess at now, I stuck my finger into the hole in the handle.

Once again, I was stuck. I began to panic. What could I do?! This time, out of the blue, it came to me. I had an idea. Just relax, and pull your finger out, slowly. It worked! I was so relieved. I was so happy. Did I learn my lesson? No, but I did learn something very important. Looking back at these, and other incidents, I see how God has watched over me. How he has always provided help for me, and when no one was around to help, he told me what to do to get out of the situation I was in.

Many times we think we had an idea when it was actually the Holy Spirit talking to us. We don’t always realize it, but he speaks to us all the time. That quiet voice we hear that tells us we shouldn’t do certain things, or sometimes it’s just a feeling. That’s the Holy Spirit. That’s how he speaks to us. The closer we get to him, the easier it is to recognize his voice. Don’t wait until you need help to talk to God. He has more to tell us than just how to get out of a jam. He’s the ultimate Father, and the best friend you’ll ever have. He always has time for us, so make time for him. You’ll be glad you did.

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WHILE WE WAIT FOR JESUS

Well, another year has passed. Can you believe it? Last year flew by so fast. I’ve always heard “Time Flies When You’re Having Fun.” Well, if that’s true, we must be having a blast. But, really, we should be. The Christian life should be one of joy and peace and happiness. I know things aren’t always good, but the Bible says, “All things work together for good to those who love God…” (Romans 8:28).

The Bible also says, in Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” These two verses from God’s word should fill us with hope, and give us determination, and strength to live life while we wait for Jesus to come back and rescue us from this sinful world. With everything that’s going on in our world, we need all the hope we can get. Jesus said, “Those who endure until the end will be saved” (Matthew 24:13).

There are many other promises in God’s word to give us hope while we wait for him, if we will just read the Bible, and believe that he is faithful. We can have “unspeakable joy” just as the Apostle Peter said in verse eight of his first letter to God’s people.

Many people ask others, “Are you a Christian?” The answer is usually “Yes” here in the South where I live. Many people consider themselves to be Christians just because they believe there is a God, but the Bible says that’s not enough. James said, “The devils also believe, and tremble” (James 2:19). The question is not “Do you believe, or Are you a Christian?” The question is “Have you been born again?”

Jesus said, “You must be born again” (John 3:7). He also said, “Unless you are born again you can not see the kingdom of God (John 3:5).”

Believing is the first step, but that alone will not save us. We must be born again. Those who are born again have been given the promise of eternal life, and an eternal home with our Lord, and Savior, Jesus, the Messiah. Someday he’ll return in the clouds to rescue the faithful, “and so we will be with the Lord forever” (1 Thessalonians 4:17-18).

Think about that; Forever. That’s a long time. The pains and sorrows of this present age will soon pass away, and we’ll live in a perfect world with our perfect new bodies, forever and ever. No more crying, no more pain, and no more death. I’m looking forward to it more and more each day. How about you? Are you ready? If not, it’s time.

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DREAMS FROM GOD

I’ve had many dreams in my lifetime. Some, I didn’t remember at all when I woke up, and some faded soon after I awoke, before I could think too much about them. But, many of them, I still remember, like it was yesterday.

I remember some dreams that I really don’t think meant anything, and I’ve had several where it was pretty clear why I dreamed them. I’ve had many dreams that I’m sure came straight from Satan, or at least from his evil forces, and I’ve had several dreams that I know for sure came straight from God.

If you’ve been following my blog you know that I was raised in church. When I was sixteen years old, I quit going to church and began a three-year romance with alcohol and drugs.

One night I had one of those dreams that I know came from God. I remember it in great detail. In the dream, it appeared to be mid-afternoon in late Spring or early Summer. It was a lovely day, and everything was so green and beautiful. The sun was bright and warm, but there was a nice calm breeze. I was standing outside near a big oak tree, next to a field connected to the wood line. The wind started blowing a bit harder and quickly grew. It soon became so windy that the big oak tree was being blown back and forth like a small bush.

I heard the long blast of a trumpet. At that point, I knew exactly what was happening. Jesus was returning for his people. As I looked up, the sky changed color, and I saw the Face of God filling the sky. Then I saw Jesus descending from heaven.

I fell on my knees and cried out to God. I said, “No! Please, not now, God! I’m not ready! I’m not ready!”

That’s where the dream ended. I’m sure no one needs a degree in dream interpretation to understand what God was telling me.

Then, one day cousin invited me to go to church with him, so I did. Later that year I met Jesus and gave my life to him, and then I received another dream from God.

This time the sky was clear and everything was calm and so quiet. I was walking over some big white rocks beside a body of water. Jesus was walking with me, holding my hand. I could feel his love for me, and I felt so peaceful and happy. It was the best feeling I had ever felt. That was the dream.

Many years have passed since I had that dream, and Jesus has never left me to walk alone. At times, I’ve let go of his hand, but he’s always been there to pick me up and dust me off when I’ve fallen. He’s always there for me; when things are going well, and when the road gets rough. Things are not perfect, and I know they never will be here in this sinful world, but someday the troubles of this world will be over, and we’ll live in a perfect world with no more tears, no more pain, and no more death. I’m longing for that time, more and more each day.

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SELF-PITY

Have you ever heard of something called Self-Pity? Have you ever experienced it? Have you ever had a pity party? Webster’s dictionary says self-pity is “a feeling of pity for yourself because you believe you have suffered more that is fair or reasonable.” *

We don’t realize it when we’re feeling sorry for ourselves, but pity parties are very destructive, not only to ourselves but to everyone around us. Here’s why.

Self-pity drains us of our physical energy. It slows us down, and we lose motivation. It affects us emotionally and often leads to depression. It affects us spiritually as well. We don’t have the energy, or the desire to do the things God wants us to do. When we’re focused on ourselves we’re not thinking about others, so our relationships suffer.

I remember a day, several years ago, I started having pains in my chest. I also had trouble breathing. I didn’t know what was going on so it scared me to death. In a few minutes, I began feeling better and in a little while, it was like it never happened. A few days I experienced the same thing again. I thought I was having heart problems, so I went to the doctor. After a thorough examination and a stress test that I thought was going to kill me, I found out it wasn’t my heart at all. I was having anxiety attacks. When I better understood my condition, I was able to deal with it differently and the attacks became less frightening and easier to handle, and soon they were coming less often. Being informed about something helps us to deal with it more effectively.

Self-pity is something that everyone can and should live without. It’s really a tool of the devil. Not just a tool, but a weapon. The sooner we realize that fact, the sooner we can be on our way to deliverance from the oppression of Satan and his evil forces.

If you ever end up in a situation where you’re feeling sorry for yourself and throwing a pity party, here are a few things that will help get you back on the right track.

Think about Jesus and the sacrifice he made so we could be free from the power of sin and oppression. Don’t allow that sacrifice to be for nothing in your life. Both God, and Satan want our allegiance, and contrary to what some believe, we have to choose one or the other. It’s a daily choice, too, not just a one-time thing. Self-pity takes our minds off this fact and puts it on ourselves. Get your mind back on God.

Change your attitude about self-pity. Ask God to help you to stop feeling sorry for yourself. Ask him to make you sick and tired of it. Ask him to deliver you from it. Recognizing where self-pity leads, and what the end results can be, we must refuse to go down that road.

Refuse to dwell on bad thoughts and feelings. That’s a hard one, but once again, the answer is found in God’s word. Philippines 4:8 tells us to think about things that are true, things are honest, things are just, things that are pure, things are lovely, things that are of good report, and things that are worthwhile and worthy of praise.

When we do this, we will not have time for self-pity. We won’t even be thinking about ourselves and our problems when we give it all to Jesus. Kick self-pity to the curb. You know you need to. Just do it. You’ll be glad you did.

* http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self-pity

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ON WHAT DAY WAS JESUS CRUCIFIED?

This is a subject that has been debated for many years, and today the church is still divided on this doctrine. The majority of Christians today believe Jesus was crucified on Friday. That’s why many celebrate Good Friday, every Easter weekend. Still, there are many who believe he died on Wednesday, while a few think it was Thursday. Which was it? Does it even matter?

Well, some say it doesn’t matter because it’s not an issue of salvation. It bothers me when people say something in God’s word is not important. Everything in the Bible is important or God would not have inspired holy men to write it down.

Bible doctrine is like a chain. Each subject is a link to another. If we have a wrong understanding of one subject, then the chain is broken, because that link doesn’t fit. Then other connected doctrines are harder to reconcile or understand properly when some information is missing or misunderstood. That’s one reason we have so many denominations today. As you know, I believe the Bible is the inspired word of God, and it can be trusted.

2 Timothy 3:16 says, "ALL scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness:"

If you doubt that the Bible is God’s word, go read the article entitled “Is The Bible Really God’s Word?” Now, let’s see if the Bible is specific about which day Jesus was crucified.

The Bible says Jesus died about the ninth hour which would have been between three and four in the afternoon (Luke 23:44-46) and he was buried just before sundown the same day (Mark 15:42-47). The Bible says he rose early on the first day of the week (Mark 16:9). The first day of the week is Sunday. 

If he had died and was buried on Wednesday, three days would have ended just before sunset on Saturday, not Sunday morning as the Bible says. He would have been in the tomb longer than seventy-two hours. If he was buried just before sundown on Thursday, three days would have ended just before sundown on Sunday, not on Sunday morning as the Bible says. Still more than three whole days. 

If he was buried Friday evening, Sunday morning would not have been three whole days. So, no matter which day we believe Jesus was crucified, there’s no way to calculate it to where he was in the tomb for exactly seventy-two hours. So, let’s all drop that argument and look at what we can actually prove from God’s word.

In Mark 15:42 we see that Jesus was crucified on the PREPARATION DAY. That same verse also says it was the day BEFORE the SABBATH. Then, a few verses later, in Mark 16:1-2 we see the NEXT DAY was the FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK. That’s three consecutive days in a row from his death to his resurrection. The PREPARATION DAY, the SABBATH DAY, and the FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK. We’ll see this same evidence in the next few passages. Again, it’s not a full seventy-two hours, but the rest of the study will explain that.

Look at Luke 23:52-56 continuing on into chapter 24:1-3.

Luke 23:52-Luke 24:3
52 This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. 
53 And he took it down, and wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a tomb that was cut in stone, where no one had been buried before.  
54 And that day was the PREPARATION DAY, and the SABBATH drew near. 
55 And the women also, who came with him from Galilee, followed after, and saw the tomb, and how his body was laid. 
56 And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments, and rested the SABBATH DAY according to the COMMANDMENT.

Luke 24-1-3
1 Now on the FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK, very early in the morning, they came to the tomb, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them. 
2 And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb. 
3 And they went in but did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.

In Luke 23, we see again that Jesus was crucified on the PREPARATION DAY. That was the day before the SABBATH. It’s clear this was the weekly Sabbath because the Bible plainly says, they “Rested the Sabbath Day According To The Commandment” (the 4th of the 10 Commandments).

In Mark 15:42-16:2, and in Luke 23:52-24:3 we can see the timeline very clearly, from the death of Jesus to his resurrection. It spans only three days. Again, they are the PREPARATION DAY, the SABBATH DAY, and the FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK which is Sunday. Most Bible believers agree he rose from the grave on Sunday morning. That’s why many Christians celebrate Easter Sunday. We also celebrate GOOD FRIDAY two days before Easter Sunday. Clearly, these are the 6th day, the 7th day, and the 1st day, or Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Jesus was crucified on Friday (the Preparation Day), rested in the grave on Saturday (the Sabbath), and rose on Sunday (the First Day of the week). If that’s not clear enough, we’ll look at a few more scriptures to cement the argument.

Before his death, Jesus had said he would rise again ON the third day after his death.

Matthew 16:21
21 From that time forth Jesus began to show his disciples, that he must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders, and leading priests, and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.

Matthew 17:23 
23 And they will kill him, and the third day he will be raised again.

Matthew 20:19
19 And they will deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to beat, and to crucify, and the third day he will rise again.

Mark 10:34
34 And they will mock him, and beat him, and spit on him, and kill him, and the third day he will rise again.

Luke 9:22
22 Saying, The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and leading priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.

Acts 10:40
40 God raised him up the third day, and showed him openly;

1 Corinthians 15:4
4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

Again, Jesus said he would rise from the dead ON the third day and he did.

Another thing of interest is recorded in Luke 24:13-21. It happened late that Sunday afternoon, the same day Jesus was resurrected. Cleopas and another disciple were on the road to Emmaus when Jesus joined them. They didn’t recognize him, so they brought him into the conversation they had been having about the death of the Messiah. Notice carefully what they said.

Luke 24:21
21 But we trusted that it had been he who would have redeemed Israel, and besides all this, TODAY IS the THIRD DAY since these things were done.

There it is, plainly. Sunday was the THIRD DAY since he was crucified, and he rose from the grave ON the third day. Saturday would have been the SECOND DAY since his death, so clearly, Jesus was crucified on Friday.

We can even be more specific than that. In Daniel chapter 9 we have the prophecy of four hundred and ninety years. This time period stretched from the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem, all the way down to the time of the Messiah. It foretold that he would die for others, and he did. This prophecy tells the exact year of the death of the Messiah. Jesus fulfilled this prophecy in every detail over five hundred years after it was written down. 

By using this prophecy, and the gospel accounts of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, along with the dates of the Jewish feast days, we can pinpoint the exact year, month, day, and hour that Jesus died. He died in the hour between 3:00 and 4:00 pm on Friday, April 3rd, AD 33.

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BITTERNESS

Allison was four years old and was complaining about a stomach ache. This went on for a few hours as her parents tried several things to alleviate her pain. When their efforts had failed, and Allison was not feeling any better, they took her to see a doctor.

After a few tests and X-Rays, the doctor came and told the parents what he had found. It seems that Allison had swallowed a few things she shouldn’t have. She had swallowed some toy beads, a dog’s chew bone, a deflated balloon, eight coins, some birdseed, and several leaves.

As I read this news story, I thought to myself, “Kids do the dumbest things.” After thinking about it for a few minutes, I concluded that adults do some pretty dumb things sometimes, too. We may not swallow strange things like Allison did but, we do a lot of things that bring pain and suffering on ourselves. I call this “Self-Inflicted Suffering.”

There are many things we do that bring us pain and suffering. One of them is to allow BITTERNESS to take over our lives. Bitterness is a result of keeping a record of wrongs done to us. Bitterness comes over a period of time as we refuse to forgive those who have wronged us. We relive those wrongs over and over. We hang on to them, and they grow and grow until we become bitter. I’ve been there, and it’s not a happy place to live.

Unwillingness to forgive comes from our pride. We’re not willing to humble ourselves and forgive others. Studies have shown that people who are forgiving have less stress in their lives. Bitterness causes stress, which causes emotional problems, and that can cause us physical pain, and can even lead to diseases, like high blood pressure, strokes, and heart problems. Our emotional wellness is directly linked to our physical wellness.

Our emotional and physical wellness are also connected to our spiritual wellness. When we suffer in either one of these areas, it affects us in the other two as well. So bitterness affects our relationship with God. The Holy Spirit cannot live in a heart that is full of bitterness.

Bitterness changes us. It changes us in several different ways. It even changes our physical appearance. Did you know that? A bitter person ages more quickly. They look tired and unattractive. Bitterness actually makes a person ugly. You can see the effect that holding grudges has on them. It’s sad to see a person in that situation.

Bitterness also ruins relationships. Bitter people are no fun to be around. Whatever we focus on all the time, comes out in our daily conversions. When bitter people talk, they talk about what they have been focusing on. Their anger, hatred, and whatever bad feelings they have for others. It’s not pretty.

Ephesians 4:31 says, “Put away all bitterness, hate, anger, crying, evil speaking, and all vengeance. Be kind and compassionate to each other. Forgive each other, just as God forgave you because of Christ.”

The Bible tells us to “Put bitterness away from us.” So let’s do that. Let’s put it as far away from us as we possibly can. To be bitter, or to not be bitter, is a choice. God has told us, in Hebrews 10:20, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay.” If someone hurts us, we should leave it in God’s hands, and get some rest. After all, we need our beauty sleep.

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UNDERSTANDING BIBLE TRUTH

I’ve been reading the Bible since I was very young. I’ve known it was God’s book for a long time, but I didn’t really understand exactly what that meant. When I got older and learned how to properly study the Bible, it came alive to me. I realized that what I once thought was a big book of collected stories from many different writers, is actually one big book containing one story about God and his people, and although the words were written down by over forty different men, it all came from one source, God himself.

It’s not only a history book, but a book of promises for us, now, and for the future. It’s an instruction book on how God wants us to live and treat each other. As anyone can see, many who don’t follow God’s instructions, contained in the Bible, do whatever they want, violate every command given by God, and cause countless innocents to suffer.

What’s even worse, there are many who claim to follow biblical teaching, but often have the same mindset as those who don’t. Part of the problem is the interpretation, or should I say, the “misinterpretation” of scripture. This leads to all kinds of problems; from simple disagreements, to split congregations, new denominations, split families, and even total rebellion against God.

Everyone thinks their interpretation is right, and that’s understandable, but most will not even consider the possibility they might be wrong, even when shown from the holy word of God. Almost every denomination believes it’s the only one who has the truth.

In giving Bible studies, I’ve studied with and talked to many people over the years. I’ve studied different denominations and what they believe, and I’ve arrived at one conclusion. No denomination that I know of has all the truth. Most of them have some true doctrines, and some have mostly true doctrines, but they all teach something that is contrary to the Bible. It seems the Truth is scattered throughout the earth.

Before I go any further, let me say that I’m not a Bible scholar, and I don’t know everything there is to know. I’m not claiming to be perfect, nor to have divine wisdom. I’m a sinful wretch saved only by the grace of God. I have believed strongly in certain Bible teachings only to discover I was wrong, and as I continue learning, I expect to find more things in God’s word that I didn’t know or maybe even misunderstood. I’m not claiming to be smarter than anyone else, but when the Bible clearly teaches something, and a church or an individual is doing and saying something totally opposite, it doesn’t take a scholar to see the contradictions.

So what should we do, stop going to church? No. The religious leaders in Jesus’ day didn’t have everything right either, but that didn’t stop him from going. Sometimes it may be serious enough that we have to move to a different congregation or even change denominations, but we have to realize that God’s true Church is not a certain building, or denomination anyway.

The true church is made up of believers all over the world who have been born again; Those who follow God wherever he leads, and obey his Commandments (Luke 17:21). They pray and study his word every day. That’s the key. Bible Study; Not just reading, but studying; Treating the entire Bible as one book, comparing scripture with scripture (Isaiah 28:10), and being willing to change our minds when we see we are wrong. That’s called growing.

There’s only one Truth, and it’s there in God’s word for all of us to see. There are so many denominations today because there are so many different interpretations of God’s word. Too often, people will develop their own views, and when they come to the Bible, they look for evidence to support their beliefs. This is the wrong way to study the Bible.

Another mistake we make when studying God’s word is one that we often ignore because we don’t really think about it. When we read something, we understand it based on how we think and what we’ve learned. Even our understanding of word definitions color our thought process.

When reading the Bible, there are several things we need in order to understand it properly. One is a desire to know the truth. The other is an understanding that there are words and phrases in the Bible that meant something different when they were written than what they mean now. A good Bible Concordance will help with this. I also recommend the Free computer program called e-Sword, which has a Concordance, and a ton of other helpful Bible Study tools, including many free versions of the Bible. There’s also an app for iPhones and Androids which does cost a few dollars, but it’s worth every penny.

The Bible usually interprets itself, and the King James Version has a built-in dictionary. The more you study, the better you understand. We should always come to the Bible as little children, with humble, teachable spirits, and again, we must be willing to change our beliefs when they are different from God’s Truth. We should always pray and ask God to guide us in our understanding of scripture. Who better to help us understand the word of God than the One who inspired the men who wrote it (2 Peter 1:21).

When we do this we’ll see the Truth more clearly. The Bible will become to us the book that God intended it to be from the beginning, and we’ll join the ranks of those who make up the true church scattered throughout the entire world; The ones who know the Truth, and have been made free by it.

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