A True Witness

Everyone looks at what we do and not what we say. Scripture says, ["You are to be a witness unto all," Acts 1:8], not just to friendly people, but also to unbelievers. For witnesses aren't meant to persuade those who already know, but those who don't know.

Let us be trustworthy witnesses. How can we be trustworthy? By the life we lead. The Jews assaulted Christ and our passions assault us. They tell us to reject our testimony. But we must not obey them. We are witnesses from God. But He has sent us to testify of Him.

Let us testify and persuade those who need to decide who He is. If we don't testify, then we also have to answer for their mistake. If people wouldn't accept an exceedingly wicked witness in an earthly court, much less would they accept one here when considering such great issues.

We say that we have heard Christ and that we believe the things He has promised. Then, they say, show it by your works. For you life testifies of the opposite -- that you don't believe. . . . We and not just the martyrs will be witnesses for Christ. They are called martyrs because they endured everything to speak the truth when told to reject the faith. So, we must not be overcome when our passions tell us we are to reject Him.

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Chrysostom, "Bear Witness," Day by Day with the Early Church Fathers, eds. Christopher D. Hudson, J. Alan Sharrer, and Lindsay Vanker (Peabody: Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., 2000), 23.

The Devil's Strategy

In Genesis 3 we read the account of the first temptation of Adam and Eve by Satan.1 The strategy of the devil was successful and led to our first parents’ disregard of God’s Word to them and their rebellion against God Himself. Today Satan continues to use the same tactics, which produce the same result, namely, the disregard of mankind for the Word of God, and the rebellion of mankind against the authority of God. These tactics are:

An excellent article. Read the rest on Creation Ministries International.

Some Notes About Hell

Hell

Some thoughts from a Dr John R. Rice article in "Sword of the Lord", 3 September 10

A1 Sheol

B1 Objection: sheol does not mean "hell"; it always means "grave".

B2 Objection #2: Luke 16 is a parable, not true history

B3 Answer:

C1 Means: the place of the unseen, the place of the dead

D1 For unbelievers: sheol means hell

C2 The word sheol is never used in reference to any grave or sepulcher in the Bible

D1 OT Examples of grave

E1 Rachel's (Genesis 35:20)

E2 Abner (2 Samuel 3:32)

E3 Barzillai's father (2 Samuel 19:37)

E4 Josiah's (2 Kings 22:20)

E5 All use the word "qeber" or qeburah"

D2 NT examples of grave

E1 John 5:28: "...all that are in the graves shall hear his voice...". The word here is "mnemeion".

E2 John 11:17, 31, 38: grave of Lazarus. The word here is "mnemeion".

E3 Matthew 27:52-53: "...many graves were opened and many bodies came out of the graves..." after resurrection. The word used is "mnemeion".

D3 Examples of the use hell

E1 In the OT

F1 Deuteronomy 32:22: "...For a fire is kindled in mine anger, and shall burn unto the lowest hell..."

G1 Does God's anger burn into the lowest hell?

G2 Or does God's anger burn into the lowest grave?

F2 Psalm 86:13: "For great is thy mercy toward me: and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell."

G1 Was David's soul delivered from the lowest hell?

G2 Was David's soul delivered from the lowest grave?

F3 2 Samuel 22:6 and Psalm 18:5: hell is a place of sorrow for many

G1 Do many have sorrows in hell?

G2 Or do many have sorrows in the grave?

D4 Hell fire

E1 Matthew 5:22; 10:28; 13:40-42, 49-50; 23:33; 25:41, 46: Mark 9:43-49.

E2 "All them speak of eternal torment, and most of them speak of fire. If Jesus said that Hell is a place of torment, then it is; and it doesn't matter whether the word "hades" or "gehenna" is used in the original Greek manuscripts."

D5 Luke 16:19-31

E1 Not parable

E2 True history, because:

F1 Definite name--Lazarus.

F1 No parable any where does that.

F2 Prodigal son or his father were nameless.

Fathers Teaching the Bible

The Israelites did forget all too often, but so do many Christian fathers today. Our specific command today is: "And, ye fathers . . . bring up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord" (Ephesians 6:4). Our whole American culture once was structured on biblical principles, but no more. We can blame the schools and activist courts, but a more basic cause is parental (especially paternal) failure. We again need to remember and apply in our own homes God's testimony to ancient Israel.

Henry Morris wrote the above words. It is so true. Where are the faithful fathers who read and teach the Bible daily to their families?