Posts tagged ‘Notes On The Holy Bible’

Homosexuality Was Not Sodom’s Only Sin, But It Was Most Definitely The Tipping Point

By LaVrai, 20 June, 2009, 5 Comments

I came across (another) post today declaring that homosexuality was not why Sodom was destroyed (although the blogger concedes that it was most definitely one of the many sins that contributed to their destruction). Let me say off the bat — any and all sin will lead to destruction, that’s the way of the LORD. HE IS Holy and those that seek HIM must also live holy. But let’s keep it real, Sodom was ultimately destroyed because of their sexual sin and perversion — that was the tipping point.

In Ezekiel 16 we read:

49Behold, 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. 50And they were haughty, and committed abomination before me: therefore I took them away as I saw good.

We’ve just read that the people of Sodom practiced numerous sins, including “abomination” and what is this abomination? Based on supporting passages, we know that this “abomination” was sexual sin. Out of all the sexual sins GOD gives to Moses in Leviticus, homosexuality is the only one the LORD calls an abomination. And it is the only explicit example given of Sodom’s wickedness in the Holy Bible. What else are we to believe if the very last thing that happens before Sodom’s destruction is the men of the whole city attempting to get their hands on Lot’s angelic visitors (who are male)?

GOD didn’t have Moses record examples of their pride, gluttony, prosperous ease, lack of love for the poor and needy nor their haughtiness. For some reason, GOD thought it best to have Moses record what happened in that city just before they were destroyed — which was wishing to fulfill their sexual desires by violence on members of HIS angelic hosts.

The Trouble With Pslam 110, ‘The Day Of Wrath’ And Melchizedek

By LaVrai, 6 June, 2009, No Comment

I was going through Psalm 110 today (in the NKJV) and thought about the Judaic interpretation of so-called Messianic prophecies. Psalm 110 is oft cited by Christians as telling of Jesus the Christ being told by the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY that HE would share HIS throne. Scholars who practice Judaism, however, refute this claim, saying instead that Psalm 110, titled “A Psalm of David,” is indeed about GOD’s promise to King David (the second “Lord” in the passage).

Based on the “Christianized” translation I was reading (NKJV), I found the Judaic interpretation unsatisfactory. I have written on this passage before, but focused more on the inconsistencies of the JPS use/translation of “Lord/lord/LORD.” This time, I am more concerned with what the passage says about Melchizedek, whom I will explain below.

Looking at verse 4 of Psalm 110 as translated by the Jewish Publication Society, it seems impossible that the passage is about King David, a man blessed by GOD.

Video Update: ESPN On Athletes & Prosperity Gospel (Ka-Ching!)

By LaVrai, 20 April, 2009, No Comment

The prosperity “gospel” teaches that God wants to bless HIS people in every way. There’s nothing very wrong with that, for it is quite true (it is HIS desire to give us the Kingdom, Luke 12:29-34Luke 12:29-34
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
29 And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind. neither...: or, live not in careful suspense ³⁰ For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things. ³¹ But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you. ³² Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. ³³ Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth. ³⁴ For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

WP-Bible plugin). The problem is when one type of blessing gets superimposed over another and essentially takes precedent in a believer’s life — and among the prosperity pimps, money’s the bottom line. And sadly, money is their god and they teach others (usually desperate, just-getting-by people) to worship money as well. If you call yourself a preacher and claim you’ve got the degrees to back it up… then you clearly know what you do and the price you have to pay (Matthew 23:14Matthew 23:14
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
14 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.

WP-Bible plugin). You may have once truly known the Word but the deceitfulness of riches has choked the Word out of your heart.

grassley_six Does GOD want you to be poor? …Perhaps. Jesus Christ said the poor will be with us always, and GOD the FATHER instructed the Hebrews (and us) to never close our hand to the poor. Does GOD want you to be rich? Yes, this wealth, however, is not measured in dollars, cars and homes. Jesus Christ said not to chase mammon, that is, worldly possessions and status, but to pray and trust the FATHER to provide our daily bread (Matthew 6:25-34Matthew 6:25-34
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? ²⁶ Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? ²⁷ Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? ²⁸ And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: ²⁹ And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. ³⁰ Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? ³¹ Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? ³² for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. ³³ But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. ³⁴ Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

WP-Bible plugin).

Here is an 11-minute clip from ESPN’s recent program on athletes (who make too much a lot of money) and evangelists who preach prosperity like their lives depend on it. In Outside the Lines’ “Televangelists And Athletes” reporter John Barr takes a look at Creflo Dollar, T.D. Jakes, Joyce Meyer and Randy White (who used to be number one in bringing the athletes into church, according to Barr, and says he couldn’t have purchased his current church without sizable donations tithes and offerings from athletes).

Bible Notes: Did Jesus Really Love Judas Iscariot?

By LaVrai, 6 April, 2009, 1 Comment

1 John 4:7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 9 In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

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Bible Notes: How The Righteous Can Intercede For A Nation Under A Rebellious King

By LaVrai, 15 March, 2009, No Comment

holy_bible I have been reading through the Old Testament recently, specifically the history concerning the beginning of Israel’s monarchy, when the people rejected the LORD as KING and begged instead for a flesh and blood prince to rule over them like all the other nations around them (1 Samuel 8). This rebelliousness lead them down a path of turbulent times, as most of the kings who ruled over them were not very much interested in obeying GOD.