The last few days have been interesting. So much snow, that my gas furnace and on demand water heater both had their roof-top exhausts covered completely with snow. I didn’t want frozen pipes or a frozen house, so I had to get the exhausts cleared and call some professionals to get the over 3 ft. of accumulated snow off my roof. Thanks Arturo Martinez for all your hard work. If anyone needs some snow removed from their roof, message me and I’ll send you his number. The next morning of fun was realizing the pets could not go outside to do their business. I began to dig them a patch of ground out and wrenched my back. It gave me time to ponder deep topics like, “Will it get better or worse? Will I be able to get to work Monday? How many ibuprofen have I already taken?” One thing is for sure, is that the will of God will be done. This brings me to the inauguration. 4 and 8 years ago, I trusted in the will of God when the pro-abortion, (a.k.a. baby killing) perversion promoting, (LGBT nonsense) Barry Soetoro a.k.a. (Barack Obama) took office and kept it. Even while I wondered how people could condone the evils of perversion, (LGBT) perverse marriage, (Gay Marriage… no such thing) abortion, and socialist totalitarianism, I was comforted by the knowledge that God is sovereign and in control of all things, including the political leadership of this country. I honestly believe we were getting the leaders we deserved as an unrepentant people. We have been calling good evil and evil good for far too long to keep on experiencing the blessings of God. Instead, for 8 long years or corrosive evil leadership, we were under the discipline of God. I hope that the people have repented, and we will be experiencing a reprieve. God willing, may America be blessed once more. I would ask all of you to repent of your sin, put your faith in the finished work of Christ, and seek God’s glory and will first and foremost in the years to come.
Category: Uncategorized
Struggling With Doubt, or Not a Care in the World?
None of us are sinlessly perfect. Everyone of us is aware of a specific sin in our lives. Some of us wonder if we are even saved because of that specific sin that is in our lives. Some of us are at war with the sin, while others are complacently allowing for it. Which group are you in?
We are endangered when we count on our own efforts to fight the sin, and then failing time and time again, only to have doubt come in and rob us of our assurance, or we justify our sin away as if it is only a trifle, no big deal, everyone does it, and we allow for it instead of fighting against it. We count on grace to keep us safe. Both ways of thinking are wrong. We should be at war with our sins, knowing that Christ has won the war against sin once and for all. It is our lot to stand in front of the enemy before us and engage in the fight with all we have, resting in the knowledge that the outcome of the war has already been secured even if we fail in our battle time and time again, but with practice and provision from the Holy Spirit, and God’s word, we should be strengthened. God will sanctify us, and mature us out of that fight into another fight. We will keep fighting sin until we die, and are resurrected into a glorified body, that will only do that which is pleasing to God.
If you find yourself in the other group, using grace as a license for sin, sitting back in defeat, without a hope of ever growing, don’t give in. Now is the time to stand up and fight. Don’t prove you were never saved at all. Don’t harden your heart to the calling of the Holy Spirit to get in the fight. Don’t have a false assurance of your conversion. “Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you—unless indeed you [a]fail the test?” 2 Cor 13:5 You might experience a pleasant surprise. If you get back in the fight, repent and ask Christ to forgive you, He will. You can have assurance of your salvation. You can know you are saved. You can know through the fight, successes and failures, that drive you back to the cross again and again for grace. Don’t focus on you and your fight. Focus on Christ and His fight. Focus on His victory over sin, death and the grave. Focus on His victory imputed to you by faith and enjoy the peace between you and God in the midst of the violent war against sin in your life.
The Deity of Christ from the Old Testament for our Jehovah’s Witness, Mormon, and Muslim friends, part 2.
Today we are going to pick up where we left off from the last article you can read it here. Earlier we examined Genesis 15:1-2 to see that the Word of the Lord is God. We also connected these verses with John 1:1-18 to see that the Word is Jesus. Today we are going to look at Genesis 15:3-7 which will reinforce our previous assertion that the Word of the Lord is God, Jesus is the Word, and Jesus is God. [The text in the brackets is mine.] The blue text indicates who is doing the action and the red is what is being done.
Genesis 15:3-7 (NASB) 3 And Abram said, “Since You have given no offspring to me, one born in my house is my heir.” 4 Then behold, the word of the Lord came to him, saying,
[If you notice, the person doing the talking is identified as “the word of the Lord.” You can tell he is a person because he is, “saying.” The word of the Lord is speaking to Abram.]
“This man will not be your heir; but one who will come forth from your own body, he shall be your heir.” 5 And He took him outside and said,
[Notice the Word is referred to as, “He.” What did He do? He, “took him outside and said…” How can anyone look at these verses and not come to the conclusion that the Word of the Lord is God, and how can they, in light of John 1:1-18 not see that Jesus is the Word and He is God?]
“Now look toward the heavens, and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.” 6 Then he believed in the Lord; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness. 7 And He said to him, “I am the Lord who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to possess it.”
If this isn’t enough, I’ll post some more later on. Study the word, to know the Word, and His intent. Knowing Him is knowing God. To know God, and be known by Him, to be His adopted child and heir, is to be saved by this Triune God’s grace according to His sovereign will, regenerating and indwelling by His Spirit, and the justifying work on the cross of His Son.
The Deity of Christ from the Old Testament for our Jehovah’s Witness, Mormon, and Muslim friends.
I don’t know how many times I’ve heard the same accusation from Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormons (LDS), and Muslims. They claim that Jesus is not God, but a god, good man, prophet, teacher, and so on. I think it is great that we can always go to the word of God to let it make the defense. Charles Spurgeon was quoted as saying, “The Word of God is like a lion. You don’t have to defend a lion. All you have to do is let the lion loose, and the lion will defend itself.” I agree with him.
With that being said let’s take a look at Genesis 15:1-2, and John 1:1-18.
In Genesis 15:1-2 we see that the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision. Now, you don’t hear a vision. You see it. Some people would insist that this is just Abram hearing God speak to him, but this is actually the preincarnate Christ appearing to Abram in a vision, and speaking to him. Abram said, “…O LORD God…” or אֲדֹנָי ’ăḏônây; an emphatic form of âḏôn; or (shortened) אָדֹן ’adon; from an unused root (meaning to rule); sovereign, i.e. controller (human or divine): — lord, master, owner. Compare also names beginning with “Adoni-”.; the Lord (used as a proper name of God only): — (my) Lord. In this section of God’s word ăḏônây is used in conjunction with יְהוָֹה yhwh; (the) self-being aseity or Eternal; name of God: — the Lord. So essentially he is saying, Adonai YHWH or Sovereign eternal self-being, was being, is being, always is, one and only true God. It is obvious that Abram believed the word of the LORD to be the one true, eternal, and self-being God.
We can look at John 1:1-18 and see who John said the Word of God is. Again, it is obvious that Jesus is the Word.
John 1:1-18 (NASB) 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. 5 The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
The Witness John
6 There came a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness, to testify about the Light, so that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the Light, but he came to testify about the Light.
9 There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 11 He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
The Word Made Flesh
14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 John *testified about Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.’” 16 For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace. 17 For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him.
Jesus is not a god like the Mormons say. He was not Michael the angel transfigured like the Jehovah’s Witnesses would tell you. He was not just a prophet like Muslims claim. If there is any doubt now that Jesus is the Word, and the Word is God, it is not due to lack of evidence. It is due to disbelief. May God grant you true and saving faith in the Savior, Jesus Christ our Lord and God.
A Review of, “God The Trinity” by Malcom B. Yarnell the III.
Today on SnydersSoapbox we will be reviewing a book dealing with the Trinity. I know that as Christians we desire to understand the Trinity better. It is a topic that is often speculated on, and many times people just give up. Don’t feel too bad. The book and the works of the men cited by the author are all very scholarly. Some very intelligent men have been contemplating the Trinity for a very long time, and haven’t really come up with any better explanations or understandings than many of us. They just sound a lot more intelligent when they talk about it 🙂
In the field of Christian books, I am always looking for books that will add value to my library, books that will not be a waste of my time to read. This was a pretty good book overall. It was definitely NOT for laymen. It was a scholastic work. The author assumes that the reader has read, or is familiar with the works of the other men he has cited in this book. If you are not familiar with those works you can still read this book and get something out of it. It is well bibliographed, and indexed. The author throws in some Greek, not to worry, he explains what it says. He also uses several big words that you might need to grab a dictionary and look up. Do not be afraid of heady books. These things help you learn and grow. Don’t run from the challenge of education.
As far as the content of the book goes, I appreciated his explanation of the economic Trinity. This helped me understand how we are in Christ, He is in the Father, and He is in us, as well as the Holy Spirit indwelling us. It is one thing to know the words, it is another to get a better grasp on the mechanics of how that works. If you are like me, you are not satisfied until you can see all the steps, or processes of the behind the scenes workings of something. He also delved into the ontology of the Trinity. I might not of understood everything he wrote when dealing with this topic, or maybe I did, and just disagreed with him on one of his conclusions. Even so, If you are patient, and willing to do some work, I think you could learn from this book.
Yarnell also explains some non-Trinitarian heresies, defends the orthodox trinity, deals with some of the concepts of being eternally begotten, and what that looks like. He explains how Christ accepted worship from people, and he demonstrates how the Bible equates Christ with God the Father. If you take the time, this will help you with your apologetics when talking with non-Trinitarian heretics.
You can pick up your copy from Christianbook.com, Amazon.com, or Lifeway.com.
ISBN-13: 978-1433680748
How to Add Ribbons to your Bible.
I have been asked by friends in the past how to add ribbons to their Bibles. I thought I’d take a moment to share the two easiest methods I’ve employed for doing this. There are two ways most people do this. One way is pretty easy, and the results are pretty good. The other way is a bit trickier with slightly better results.
FYI, the ribbons in the Bible pictured above are stock. They are in my R.L. Allan NASB Reader’s. This is what most of us are are trying to emulate. High quality ribbons, and more than just one. Most mass produced Bibles these days come with one, low quality ribbon marker. I like to have at least three ribbon markers. One for my daily Old Testament reading, one for devotional or current study, and one for my daily New Testament reading.
The first way is to get an acid free glue that will hold fabric to paper.(I use a book binding water based glue.) Open the Bible up all the way to make the cover over the spine open up. Then, measure out some pieces of ribbon so that there will be about 2 to 2.5 inches of the ribbon in the spine, with the rest in between the pages, with about 2 to 4 inches hanging out the bottom. That last one is whatever your preference is. Then have a popsicle stick or butter knife handy. With your finger, smear a good dab of glue on the first ribbon to go in. Keep it to just the part that is going to be attached to the spine. Then, carefully slide it down to where you want it. Then, press it firmly to the spine. Repeat the process for additional ribbons.
Keep in mind the more ribbons you want, the more narrow they will have to be. You don’t want to go too narrow, because they could tear your pages when you use them to open your Bible. You also don’t want them to be too thick or thin. Thick ones will make imprints on the pages. Too thin, and they will curl up, and wrinkle or fold on you. They also don’t last as long.
After you’ve put the ribbons in, use some heat to sear the edges where the ribbons were cut to stop them from fraying. I don’t generally worry about the end inside the Bible as the glue will keep it from fraying as well as the fact that it is inside the spine. You can also heat up a butter knife on the stove to use as an iron to put a fold in the ribbon at the top of the Bible, so it folds the way you want it. This method ends up with the ribbons covering the head band. For some people this isn’t acceptable.
If you want to put them under the headband so the Bible looks more professional, you have to use an exacto blade or some other thin bladed knife to put it between the head band and spine. You have to pry it up from the spine without tearing it or cutting it. Once you have removed it, glue the ribbons into place. Let them dry. Put more glue on the head band. Slide it into place. Press it down and find some way to keep it pressed onto the spine until the glue can hold it. Then don’t mess with it until it has all dried overnight. Give it a good 12 hours to dry, and be carefull with it for a couple of days. The glue takes awhile for maximum adhesion.
One final word on ribbon selection. I like satin or silk ribbons the best. I think they look, and hold up better.(Berisford in the U.K. is one of the prefered manufacturers.) Find a color that complements your Bible’s cover. If you search Amazon, you’ll see a pretty big selection of silk ribbon. You can also try Joann’s fabric store or Hobby Lobby.
Finally, watch this video that my Facebook friend, and fellow Bible lover, Paul Tanca made to help you.
Keep in mind, if you plan on keeping your original ribbons in the Bible and just want to add more, do not cut your old ones out. Also, he is using the second method.
A Brief Lesson on Biblical Interpretation and Application from Hosea 10:11-5.
First, let’s read the section of scripture;
“11Ephraim is a trained heifer that loves to thresh,
But I will come over her fair neck with a yoke;
I will harness Ephraim,
Judah will plow, Jacob will harrow for himself.
12Sow with a view to righteousness,
Reap in accordance with kindness;
Break up your fallow ground,
For it is time to seek the LORD
Until He comes to rain righteousness on you.
13You have plowed wickedness, you have reaped injustice,
You have eaten the fruit of lies.
Because you have trusted in your way, in your numerous warriors,
14Therefore a tumult will arise among your people,
And all your fortresses will be destroyed,
As Shalman destroyed Beth-arbel on the day of battle,
When mothers were dashed in pieces with their children.
15Thus it will be done to you at Bethel because of your great wickedness.
At dawn the king of Israel will be completely cut off.”
Now, let’s just look at verse 12 all by itself.
“12Sow with a view to righteousness,
Reap in accordance with kindness;
Break up your fallow ground,
For it is time to seek the LORD
Until He comes to rain righteousness on you.”
If someone had put this verse up all by its lonesome on social media with an eye catching little picture, most people would be inspired by it. They wouldn’t have any idea that it was really part of a larger narrative about God’s punishment of Israel for their sins. There are many folks today who would have no trouble pulling this verse out of context and applying it to themselves today. As you can see, that would be a mistake. I would be very leery of a Pastor who did such sloppy work in a sermon. I’m sure many of you have sat through a sermon wondering, “How on Earth did he get that out of this verse?” Israel was not trusting in God. They were trusting in military might, worldly resources, idols, lies, and deceit. God was about to lay down some serious punishment on them. Remember what Hosea’s kids were named? Lo-ruhamah meaning, “not pitied” and Lo-ammi meaning, “not my people.” They were born to him and his wife. Remember her? She was a whore. He was told by God to marry her. God used his wife and children to illustrate to Israel at the time, and future believers how adulterous they were and we are in our relationship with God.
Taking a verse out of context with complete disregard for the intent of the author is a horrible practice. We wouldn’t want people to do this with our last will and testament, but we are fine with doing it to God’s word? I never like it in a Bible study when the person who is supposed to be leading asks, “What does that verse say to you personally?” I don’t care what it says to every individual in the room. They should be taught what God’s intent was. What was God saying, not what you think He was saying. People shouldn’t be coming up with multiple and contradicting meanings for scripture.
***Giveaway of a JOT Journal Happening***
Hey folks, just in time for Christmas the fine people at www.jotbiblelifenotes.com are giving away a copy of their fine leather bound journal. If you want to take a look at it, read the review I did here. All you have to do to be considered is to make a comment on this post expressing your desire to be put in the running for a free copy of this journal. The winner should be announced 12/10/16.
Review of the Zondervan NASB Classic Reference Bible in Black Genuine Top Grain Leather ISBN-13:9780310931294
I had to buy this one folks because Zondervan doesn’t send me free ones. I hope you appreciate it. 🙂 I was looking for an Ultrathin to replace my black Lockman NASB in genuine leather. I came across this one from Zondervan. Now, it is not marketed as an Ultrathin, but it is almost exactly the same dimensions as my Lockman. The Lockman I reviewed here is burgundy, but it is the same as my black one that I kept in my lunchbox for a few years until I wore it out. I really loved the size, layout, cover material, binding, and of course the NASB translation, but it had thin paper. I was hoping that I would love this Zondervan as well, but there are a couple of areas where it falls down. First, the cover material is advertised as, “top grain leather.” It may be top grain leather, but not from a cow. I don’t know, but it looks and feels like the cheap pigskin leather marketed as, “genuine leather” on less expensive Bibles. Pigskin leather is shiny, and usually has a grain stamped into it. The binding tape they used for this Bible also fights against you. It should loosen up a bit as it gets broken in. Combine that with the cover material, and it is kind of a let down considering the price. It is also not as supple, or flexible as top grain cowhide leather. I really like Vachetta calfskin leather. It is so soft to the touch, it makes you want to pick up and hold your Bible. Here is a review I did of a Cambridge Cameo in Vachetta. The Zondervan borders on false advertising, and relies on the consumer’s ignorance, as well as a lack of industry standards.
The Zondervan does have a sewn spine.
This is a necessity as far as I’m concerned. I won’t purchase Bibles with glued bindings. I think we should respect that we aren’t purchasing just some book. We are purchasing a copy of God’s word, to be studied and daily utilized. The amount of wear and tear daily use, along with travel, will cause is incomparable to a novel. So why in the world would publishers think it acceptable to print Bibles as if they are some story book? Well, we all know the answer to that, money $$$.
While this Bible isn’t extremely expensive. The cover is made from a genuine hide of some kind.
I have had this Bible for a little while now. The cover is softening up a bit. The binding is also getting broken in. It lays flat now when I put it on the table to read from it.
There is a presentation page in the front.
The standard notes from Lockman about the NASB translation are present as well. This Bible is printed in China according to the publisher’s information in the front.
The page edges are gold gilt, with rounded corners and a rounded spine. The pages are printed well. It would be a bit better if they had utilized a bolder font. As it is, the text is clearly printed and uniform.
It is laid out in a double column, verse format, with center column references, and footnotes. There are pilcrows, or paragraph markers noting the start of new paragraphs. This is a helpful feature when you are using a verse format Bible like this one.
The paper is acceptably opaque. Ghosting is not bad considering this is a less expensive Bible. The ghosting on this Zondervan is not near as bad as it is on the Lockman. So in that category it is a win for the Zondervan.
The Zondervan is on the right, with the Lockman on the left.
The words of Christ are in red, making this a red letter edition. The red is not too bright.
The Lockman is lacking something this Zondervan has, brief book introductions. They might not seem that important, but they are a welcomed addition to any reference Bible. You get an introduction and concise outline. The introduction consists of, title and background, author and date of writing, and the theme and message.
This Bible also includes decorative head and tail bands, decorative gilt line around the perimeter of the inside cover, a perimeter groove on the outside cover, and one black ribbon marker.
In the back of the Bible we have a useful double column concordance, Promises from the Bible, Perspectives from the Bible, and 8 color maps.
Overall, this is a great little Bible. If you are after a verse format, ultrathin reference Bible in NASB with a leather cover, this has got you covered. There are more expensive Bibles. There are better built Bibles, but this one is in the sweet spot. It is better than your regular cheap bargain bin Bibles, and better than the value line Bibles. This would make a great gift for the Christian on the go, who wants a full reference Bible in a thin package. You can pick one up on Amazon.com, or Christianbook.com You can read more about it on Zondervan’s product page. If you would like, go to my flickr page and look at all the pictures of this Bible. As always, thanks for reading and have a great Christmas.
Scared, Stay Safe? What in the World are they Scared of?
I’m sure many of you have seen the Facebook posts from your liberal friends and family. You know the ones I’m talking about. The ones that say, “Scared” or “Stay safe.” What is it they are supposedly afraid of? Do they actually think that conservatives are going to boldly go out and hunt them down? Do they think that we are going to pass laws to take away the rights they share with us? Nope, they aren’t afraid of anything.
It is insulting, passive aggressive, victim stance propaganda. We need to handle it the same way we need to handle the other idiotic accusations these lost people make. Think about how they operate. They are intolerant. They accuse us of being intolerant. They are violent. They accuse us of being violent. They are racists they accuse us of being racist. Do you see the pattern? So when they say, “Scared” or, “Stay Safe” what they are really saying is that we are the ones who should be scared, and take measures to ensure our safety.
With that being said, pack your sidearms if you’ve got them. You never know when you’ll run into a roadblock full of nice pacifists protestors who are going to yank you out of your car and beat you to death for just being white, or having a Christian bumper sticker. Heaven forbid you were one of the millions of people who voted for Trump. Then they will hunt you down, follow you back to your house, or your work, so they can break your windows and loot your business. They are so loving and tolerant… if you are one of them. If you are not, look out.
Just remember, the Bible says it will be your loved ones turning you over to the government to be martyred. These lunatics actually think they are doing good. Trump isn’t the person I would have lead our country, but I voted for him, because he was not as pro-abortion as Hillary. So if that makes me a person they are afraid of, so be it. Abortion is not a right, no matter what the supreme court says. They invented that right in 1973 with Roe vs. Wade. Our real rights are God given. They aren’t created by courts. I don’t expect any of these slaves of satan to understand that though.
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures. Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error. And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.
(Romans 1:18-32 NASB)
Snyder's Soapbox 