Janet Weaver Smith – copyright 2013 gardenminstries.org

[Authors note: This article may sound a little strong at points but the strength of language is intended to counter underlying accusations from those who process and conclude that disasters prove that the character of God is ultimately not good and cannot be trusted. The author of this article honors and accepts that there are people who are honestly struggling to believe that God is good and are still in the process of discovering this truth.]

The merciful God who judges is first and foremost Love. God is full of mercy, compassionate, patient, enduring, suffers long, and is faithful to His Word and His promises. And because God is Love and operates exclusively in Truth, He can be trusted in every decision He makes because everyone of His decisions are rendered from His heart of goodness, mercy, love, humility, and holiness.

Whenever anyone thinks that God has NOT done enough for him or her, or for others in this world, they are speaking from a state of presumptuous entitlement. They do not believe that God can be trusted, nor do they believe that God operates out of absolute Truth from a heart of perfect justice. They believe their own opinion of what God should or shouldn’t do is above what God’s Word says is True about God. They are refusing to surrender their opinion of God and accept God’s Word as their standard for Truth.

Yet from the onset of creation, God has revealed over and over that He is a Redeemer and a Restorer. Jesus is living proof of this truth. God’s free gift of eternal life, through receiving and believing in Jesus Christ, denounces any accusation that God has not done enough for mankind. Romans 2:4: Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?

When God’s judgments are manifested in earthly disasters, God may simply have lifted His hand of prevention and given humanity the answer they cried out for in their sinful choices that rejected Him and His Word. The testimony of the Holy Bible tells us that throughout history, God always calls for repentance long before and/or soon after He lifts His hand of prevention or deliberately sends disaster upon the land He is judging. Every person has the freedom to choose whether or not we believe that God can be trusted as perfect and just in all His ways.

Throughout the Holy Scriptures we find testimony to God’s character; that God is always faithful to warn of upcoming judgments. God gives multiple invitations to repent and find forgiveness and many times, even relief from consequences to sin. God is patient and endures the willful rebellion and suffers long before He calls forth judgment for sin and rebellion.

God exercises great patience upfront and is faithful to prepare us to receive Him without being “taken out” by the severity of His holiness when He comes. When God’s holy presence comes to dwell and inhabit His people in fullness, the Spirit of the Fear of the Lord come first to prepare us. Since the story of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5 show us that lies and deception cannot exist in the fullness of God’s holy presence, we have His Word and this story to warn us ahead of time what we can expect when God comes and dwells with us.

“The fear of the Lord – Reverence for God; respect for his law, his will, his government, himself; the fear of offending him, which will lead us to do right. This fear is not that of a slave; it is not mere dread; it is not terror. It is consistent with love, and springs from it. It is consistent with calmness of mind, and promotes it. It does not produce terror, but rather delivers from it, and preserves the mind from alarms. The word here rendered “fear” is a noun of the same origin as the word rendered “reverend” in the previous verse. The suggestion to the mind of the psalmist that the “name of the Lord” was “reverend,” or was to be venerated, introduced this thought that such reverence is the very foundation of wisdom.” [Barnes' Notes on the Bible]

Deuteronomy 32:4: He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he.

Psalm 18:30: As for God, his way is perfect: The LORD’s word is flawless; he shields all who take refuge in him.

Psalm 145:17; The LORD is righteous in all his ways and faithful in all he does.

2 Chronicles 34:14-33: esp. vss. 26-28: 26 Tell the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the Lord, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says concerning the words you heard: 27 Because your heart was responsive and you humbled yourself before God when you heard what he spoke against this place and its people, and because you humbled yourself before me and tore your robes and wept in my presence, I have heard you, declares the Lord. 28 Now I will gather you to your ancestors, and you will be buried in peace. Your eyes will not see all the disaster I am going to bring on this place and on those who live here.’” So they took her [the prophetess' Huldah's] answer back to the king.

2 Chronicles 7:12-18: The Lord appeared to him at night and said: “I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for myself as a temple for sacrifices. 13 “When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, 14 if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. 15 Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place. 16 I have chosen and consecrated this temple so that my Name may be there forever. My eyes and my heart will always be there. 17 “As for you, if you walk before me faithfully as David your father did, and do all I command, and observe my decrees and laws, 18 I will establish your royal throne, as I covenanted with David your father when I said, ‘You shall never fail to have a successor to rule over Israel.’

The book of Jonah, esp. Jonah 3:10: When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened.

Psalm 103:8-13: The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. 9 He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; 10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. 11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; 12 as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. 13 As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him;

Psalm 136 the entire chapter, esp. verse 1: Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever.

James 2:10-15: For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. 11 For he who said, “You shall not commit adultery,” also said, “You shall not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker. 12 Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, 13 because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

The book of Obadiah: You should not gloat over your brother in the day of his misfortune, nor rejoice over the people of Judah in the day of their destruction, nor boast so much in the day of their trouble. 13 You should not march through the gates of my people in the day of their disaster, nor gloat over them in their calamity in the day of their disaster, nor seize their wealth in the day of their disaster. 14 You should not wait at the crossroads to cut down their fugitives, nor hand over their survivors in the day of their trouble. 15 “The day of the Lord is near for all nations. As you have done, it will be done to you; your deeds will return upon your own head.

Ezekiel 18:21-32, esp. 25-29: 25 “Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ Hear, you Israelites: Is my way unjust? Is it not your ways that are unjust? 26 If a righteous person turns from their righteousness and commits sin, they will die for it; because of the sin they have committed they will die. 27 But if a wicked person turns away from the wickedness they have committed and does what is just and right, they will save their life. 28 Because they consider all the offenses they have committed and turn away from them, that person will surely live; they will not die. 29 Yet the Israelites say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ Are my ways unjust, people of Israel? Is it not your ways that are unjust?

Habakkuk 3:16-19: I heard and my heart pounded, my lips quivered at the sound; decay crept into my bones, and my legs trembled. Yet I will wait patiently for the day of calamity to come on the nation invading us. 17 Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, 18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior. 19 The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights.

“Habakkuk ministers during the “death throes” of the nation of Judah. Although repeatedly called to repentance, the nation stubbornly refuses to change her sinful ways. Habakkuk, knowing the hardheartedness of his countrymen, asks God how long this intolerable condition can continue. God replies that the Babylonians will be His chastening rod upon the nation—an announcement that sends the prophet to his knees. He acknowledges that the just in any generation shall live by faith (2:4), not by sight. Habakkuk concludes by praising God’s wisdom even though he does not fully understand God’s ways. Habakkuk’s name probably means “One Who Embraces” or “Clings.” At the end of his book this name becomes appropriate because Habakkuk chooses to cling firmly to God regardless of what happens to his nation (3:16-19).” [NKJV commentary]

Matthew 10:29-31: Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. 30 And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

Isaiah 11:2: The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him—the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the LORD—and he will delight in the fear of the LORD.

Psalm 19:9: The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever. The decrees of the LORD are firm, and all of them are righteous.

Proverbs 9:10: the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

Proverbs 14:27: The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, turning a person from the snares of death.

Psalm 111:10: The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise.

Psalm 40:3: He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear the LORD and put their trust in him.

Psalm 36:1: I have a message from God in my heart concerning the sinfulness of the wicked: There is no fear of God before their eyes.

Psalm 34:11: Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD.

1 Corinthians 13:1-8: If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. 4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.

1 John 4:8: Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.

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Janet Weaver Smith – copyright 2013 gardenministries.org

Conscience is an inner feeling or voice viewed as acting as a guide to the rightness or wrongness of one’s behavior.

Humans have a conscience that holds them accountable to their belief system. Whatever or whomever you believe as “right,” “wrong,” or “unsure” is exactly where your conscience regarding that matter throws down its anchor. It is upon the foundational anchors of what we believe (and for some, are told to believe), that we base and support our daily decisions.

Ultimately, what our life produces is the sum total of all of these everyday decisions—big and small. Consider for a moment your lifetime from a beginning-to-end perspective. What anchors your belief system? Does it show a history of proven success? Can you honestly rely on it to promote good character and establish moral well-being? The definition of “moral” is: “concerned with the principles of right and wrong behavior and the goodness or badness of human character.” Moral literally means the matters of conscience.

The anchoring principle of Christianity is simply put: Be like Jesus. The basis of Christianity is centered on Jesus Christ, the crucified-resurrected-and-ascended Son of the living, triune God. Even if people choose not to personally believe in Jesus as our Savior and Lord, what’s not to appreciate about His example of how to live life honorably and successfully? Jesus is selfless, full of forgiveness, compassion, truth, empowered by God’s grace, and is utterly loyal to His family.

If we look at the list of characteristics that describe who Jesus is, we can see how anchoring our belief system in Him and emulating Him ensures that we will be living within a belief system to which our conscience will actually feel anchored. By “feel,” we mean that we literally get to feel the benefits of believing Jesus through “feelings” of love, joy, peace, patience, self-control, etc. With such solid anchoring, we can begin trusting our conscience to prompt us positively or negatively when we are making our daily or major life decisions. Having this kind of inner guidance is priceless—especially in a world of ever-escalating problems and confusion.

Jesus can be trusted to base our belief system upon. His life reflects why.

I Peter 2:21-24; to this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.” When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.” For “you were like sheep going astray,” but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

Romans 14:12; So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God.

Even believing Christians need to be regularly reminded of Who they are called to emulate, and that is Jesus. When believers lose track of and stop believing Jesus and His Word, and become self-protective, self-righteous, and entitled, they become “veiled” and prejudiced and quickly lose clarity of conscience. That’s when their decision-making can go awry. But 2 Corinthians 3:16-18 points the way back, “But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.”

God’s grace ensures that every believing Christian will become more and more like the One whom they rely upon—their Savior and Lord—Jesus Christ.

The following is a list from God’s word, the Bible. It describes what Jesus proved as true about Himself, and by His grace, calls believers in Him to emulate:

Characteristics of Jesus for us to emulate

• Love (John 13:1; 1 Corinthians 13:3-7)
• Joy (Nehemiah 8:10; John 15:11)
• Peace (Matthew 5:9; Philippians 4:7)
• Patient (I Corinthians 13:4; Hebrews 6:12, Romans 12:12)
• Kind (Colossians 3:12, 2 Timothy 2:24)
• Good (Galatians 5:19)
• Faithful (Matthew 25:21; 1 Thessalonians 5:24)
• Gentle (Isaiah 40:11; Philippians 4:5)
• Self-Controlled (Proverbs 16:32)
• Forgiving (Luke 23:34; Ephesians 4:32; Colossians 3:13)
• Humble (1 Peter 5:3–5; Luke 22:27; Philippians 2:8)
• Courageous (Deuteronomy 31:6)
• Great friend (John 13:1-5)
• Honest & Truthful (Proverbs 16:13)
• Thankful (1 Thessalonians 5:18)
• Responsible (Romans 14:12)
• Content (Philippians 4:10–13; 1 Timothy 6:6–9)
• Generous (Psalm 112:5)
• Pure & Holy (Matthew 5:8; Philippians 4:8; Hebrews 12:14)
• Confident (Philippians 4:13; 1 John 5:14)
• Encouraging (Psalm 119:28; 1 Thessalonians 5:11–14)
• Available (Mark 1:17–18; Acts 16:10)
• Attentive (Hebrews 2:1)
• Wise (1 Kings 3:9; Psalm 119:97–98)
• Compassionate (Mark 1:41; 1 Peter 3:8)
• Enthusiastic (Colossians 3:23, 2 Corinthians 9:6-8)
• Excels (Proverbs 22:29; Philippians 3:14)
• Diligent (Proverbs 10:4; Rom. 12:11; Colossians 3:23)
• Thoughtful (Philippians 2:4)
• Efficient (Psalm 90:12; Ephesians 5:15–16)
• Optimistic and Hopeful (John 16:33; Romans 8:25)
• Obedient (John 14:23-24; 2 Corinthians 10:5)
• Respectful of those in government (1 Peter 2:13–14)
• Agreeable (Amos 3:3)
• Honoring of others (Romans 12:10)
• Manages anger (James 1:19)
• Good Example (I Peter 2:21-24)
• Childlike Faith (Matt. 18:2–4)
• Commitment (1 Timothy 6:20)
• Good Communicator (1 Timothy 4:12)
• Conviction (Daniel 1:8)
• Seeks Unity (Eph. 4:3)
• Creative (1 Timothy 4:14)
• Diligence (Colossians 3:23)
• Dependable (Colossians 1:10)
• Determined (2 Timothy 4:7,8)
• Deferring (Romans 12:10)
• Devotion (1 Corinthians 7:35)
• Discernment (1 Samuel 16:7; Proverbs 19:2)
• Discreet (Proverbs 2:11)
• Disciplined (Colossians 2:5)
• Decisive, Acts in God’s Will (Romans 12:2)
• Speaks truth, not slander (Ephesians 4:15)
• Endurance (Romans 15:5)
• Fearless (2 Timothy 1:7)
• Take the High Road (Colossians 3:2)
• Godly Priorities (Matthew 6:33)
• Godliness (3 John 1:11)
• Grace (James 4:6)
• Guidance (Proverbs 27:9)
• Honest (Proverbs 22:20-22)
• Hospitable (Romans 12:13)
• Integrity (Psalm 78:72)
• Just (2 Thessalonians. 1:6)
• Loyalty (Proverbs 17:17)
• Meek (Matthew 11:27-29)
• Merciful (Luke 6:36)
• Persevering (Galatians 6:9)
• Purposeful (I John 3:8)
• Respectful (1 Thessalonians. 5:13–14)
• Submissive (John 5:19)
• Self-Acceptance (2 Corinthians 12:9–10)
• Selflessness (Titus 2:14)
• Sensitivity (Romans 12:15)
• Servant Leadership (Luke 22:26)
• Suffering (1 Peter 4:1-2)

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Here is what we are encouraging ourselves with today:

Sinful humanity and a deeply compromised Church must own their wrongs as the reason the glory lifted from our land long ago and has not yet returned. We share in Jesus sufferings when we “own” our country’s irresponsibility as if it were our own and bear the grief of iniquity before the Lord, asking for forgiveness for our land.

Let us wake up and realize that God does not owe us a single thing more. In Christ, He has given us everything for life and godliness. Why do we (Americans—especially) feel entitled and complain when God calls us to endure hardship? When He squeezes us, provoking us to trust Him more? Some days we act like He owes us a different life than the one we have been dealt.

A grateful, forgiving, faithful heart, in the midst of intense squeezing, moves God’s heart because it reveals His Divine nature within us—that we are getting the point of all this squeezing; that we have learned to respond as Jesus did in His hour of great need, “not My will but Yours be done.” God does not treat us in America as our piled-up sins deserve. He is good and His love endures forever. Great is His faithfulness. Give Jesus your all today. Run the race set before you. Don’t stop short of the finish line.

Don’t hold back in this critical hour. Yield into Him and continue waiting on Him with a grateful, faith-full heart. Press into Jesus who loves you with His all! He who has promised is faithful. He will complete the good work He started.

Psalm 60:2-4

2 You have shaken the land and torn it open;
    mend its fractures, for it is quaking.
3 You have shown your people desperate times;
    you have given us wine that makes us stagger.
4 But for those who fear you, you have raised a banner
    to be unfurled against the bow.

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Sexual preference can only exist as long as humans exist. Therefore, preserving a healthy, reproductive humanity takes precedence over protecting their sexual preferences.

As long as it exists and remains sexually functional, the human race will always have freedom to choose its sexual preference and thus, their sexual preference never needs protection from extinction of this right. However, the human right to exist does need protection. Thus the need to protect human’s ability to reproduce is warranted but the right to prefer one sexual experience over another is not grounds to alter the institution of marriage that was set up to help facilitate the human body’s reproductive functioning.

A physically and emotionally healthy, married, one-woman-one-man relationship is setup to reproduce an unbroken DNA human bloodline—all the while, promoting opposite gender diversity and thus, innately provides for sturdy, holistic leadership roles of relationship within a family structure. Holistic means: characterized by comprehension of the parts of something as intimately interconnected and explicable only by reference to the whole.

Without investing in expensive major health workarounds such as sperm implantation, hormonal therapy, organ transplants, and diversity counseling for any children born to same-sex parents, the reproductive capacity and social responsibilities of same-sex relationships are more likely to contribute to a decline of human reproduction and facilitate a non-holistic “sameness” (i.e., less gender diversity) in the leadership roles of relationship modeled within the family structure.

Marriage between one man and one woman, equally loving and honoring each other, facilitates stable human procreation because children are naturally reproduced within the context of a preset physical norm and a diverse, holistic, leadership/parenting relationship. Within a loving marriage of one-woman and one-man, there is an increased chance of humans being responsibly procreated and brought to maturity.

In the United States of America’s Declaration of Independence signed on July 4th, 1776, we read:

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

• That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed,
• That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.

Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed.

But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.” (“Despotism” is a form of government in which a single entity rules with absolute power.)

Constitutional considerations:

When the constitution of the United States of America was drafted, representatives from 12 of the 13 states met in Philadelphia in the middle of a hot summer for the Constitutional Conventions. Most wore wool vests and sweltered in the heat of a non-air conditioned rooms for 4 months as they relentlessly hammered away at all the issues that would best provide for the individual state’s identity as they joined together to form a federally unified government without forming an overly centralized or overly distant entity. A chief aim of the Constitution as drafted by the Convention was to create a government with enough power to act on a national level, but without so much power that fundamental rights would be at risk. From this 4-month sequester of sorts, the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branches of our government were formed.

When the judicial branch of the U.S.A. is forming decisions that affect the nation about a matter so important that it directly impacts American’s human bloodline potential, the process of due diligence that discovers and upholds the provisions of the Declaration of Independence must be conducted. An all-encompassing, scientific and moral study, a public review of all the collected evidence, and an all-inclusive discussion between representatives from all sides, must be conducted in order to comprehensively determine “Prudence” and what constitutes “Despotism.” This due diligence process should be conducted before an overarching federally mandated law of the land affects the basic right of humans to exist.

Questions and answers to consider:

• Does a person’s sexual orientation and sexual preference need federally mandated, Supreme Court protection from discrimination and potential extermination OR

• Does the preservation of the human bloodline and its resulting ethnicities require equal or greater protection and preservation? No matter who ends up raising a child, the act of bearing human children will always require a male and female contribution. Thus, the sexual orientation and preference of a male-female reproductive marriage should hold a greater priority in our setting of precedence, and receive an equal-or-greater amount of protection, than same-sex sexual preferences.

• A person’s sexual orientation and sexual preference forms a personal preference, but this preference is not an ethnic bloodline issue, it is a personal preference issue.

• The Gay and Lesbian agenda positions most of their argument for right of protection within an “ethnic bloodline” discussion.

• Within the context of a reproductive marriage, does a male/female sexual preference facilitate procreating and forming a bloodline ethnicity? Yes it does. The life of a body is in its blood. Ethnicity and human bloodline is the result of the human body’s male-and-female physical reproduction cycle.

• Does a male-with-male or a female-with-female, same-sex marriage naturally provide for the potential of perpetuating a bloodline ethnicity? No. The actual bloodline will always be formed by the male-and-female egg-sperm contribution.

• How many same-sex permanent relationships can and will invest in the major health investments needed to reproduce?

• How many same-sex parents will provide their children with an understanding of the benefits of a diverse-gender parental structure?

• Has the U.S.A. done its homework over the long term to prove that same-sex parents are equally or more beneficial to children than one-man and one-woman parents?

• Does the U.S.A., who is renown for its science and medical innovation, want to set a global standard on this subject without performing the scientific and medical due-diligence proving the long-term benefits of dramatically changing the ground rules for such an important institution?

Again, as long as it exists and remains sexually functional, the human race will always have freedom to choose its sexual preference and thus, their sexual preference never needs protection from extinction of this right. However, the human right to exist does need protection. Thus the need to protect human’s ability to reproduce is warranted but the right to prefer one sexual experience over another is not grounds to alter the institution of marriage that was set up to help facilitate the human body’s reproductive functioning.

To take this point a little further down the road, have we thought about these questions?

Will those who want to marry a sibling or a close, blood relative also need this right federally mandated as legal and acceptable?

Would an incestuous marriage form a bloodline ethnicity? Not a healthy bloodline with an unbroken DNA.

What about those who want to marry their dog or their sheep or their goat? Why should they be denied the right to legally marry their beloved animal? Would a bestial marriage form a bloodline ethnicity? No.

Humans are created with 3 dimensions. They have a body (visible flesh exterior), a soul (invisible personality interior), and a spirit (invisible navigator).

To bring the Bible into this discussion, I Thessalonians 5:23 describes the 3 dimensions of humanity, “May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” The Apostle Paul refers in this scripture to man as a triune being.
1. Body = the bloodline, ethnicity, and gender of a person.
2. Soul = the personality and diverse nature of a person who has individual and personal preferences.
3. Spirit = the wisdom and revelation that the person uses to guide their body and soul. James 3:13-18 describes two kinds of wisdom: A heavenly, pure wisdom and an earthly, evil “wisdom.”

The triune nature of humanity comes into play as the Supreme Court of the United States of America considers where to draw the line when making federally mandated decisions for the institution of marriage. Indeed, the Supreme Court of the U.S.A. must be able to discern and divide what rights and freedoms belong to the human body, what rights and freedoms belong to the soul, and what rights and freedoms belong to the human spirit without afflicting any of the other dimensions in the process.

Marriage is an institution that is set up to ensure that the reproductive components necessary for human survival and continuance reach their maximum potential. Through respect and commitment, marriage is designed to provide a stable environment between a man and a woman who, according to the Bible, are created to represent the equally male, equally female nature of God, who lives in perfect union and harmony, and is engaged in an eternal love covenant that reproduces after it’s own kind. From his heart of love, God created male and female and gave them the power to do the same. That is, from love, procreate more males and females.

Whether we acknowledge the God of the Bible or not, we must acknowledge that nature’s intimate design teaches us that holistic human inter-connectivity and reproductive qualities require a male and a female contribution and that every other form of facilitating reproduction is a “work-around.”

And even if we choose to ignore God, the 66 books of the Bible, or forget about nature itself, human technology still teaches us that strong, holistic inter-connectivity happens best when a male light bulb screws into a female socket.

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By Janet Weaver Smith – ©2012 Gardenministries.org

Why does a good God allow anyone to murder young, innocent children?
Could-should God have prevented the Sandy Hook school shooting or other random, public shootings? Why doesn’t God protect our children from these unspeakable acts of harm? And furthermore, why is a massacre of 20 children and 7 adults in a middle-to-upper-class American neighborhood any more horrendous and reprehensible than when a single child or adult or a small group of people are killed in an inner city ghetto? Doesn’t everyone—rich, poor, and middle-class—deserve to grow up in a safe town, a safe school, and a safe neighborhood?

Why do the big massacres get more of our attention than single murders?
Murder is a horrendously villainous crime whether it happens to a single child or adult or a group of people, of any ethnicity, any social status or gender—in any American or non-American small town or big city neighborhood. When shock and trauma occur, anyone who believes, or wants to believe that God exists, may ask these kinds of questions.

What one person can do to affect change and why more laws are not the best way to affect change.
Let’s ask these questions responsibly. Let’s look for answers that call each one of us to a greater level of responsibility and look for answers that give each of us a legitimate course of action to follow to affect change instead of just looking for some one, some law, or some policy to point our finger at and blame for all of our problems. Laws don’t change people’s hearts and character. They only serve to draw a line in the sand and describe what happens to people who cross that line. We need the kind of change that grows people up from the inside out into responsible, compassionate citizens who aren’t attracted to breaking the law to get attention and using evil to make their mark in the world.

So why doesn’t God protect our children from these heinous acts of harm?
The Bible makes it clear that taking an innocent life is murder and anyone who commits murder is to be justly punished. God is against murder. His Word, the Bible, makes that clear. So how can a good and just God “allow” murder in the first place? And if He is against it, why doesn’t He prevent it from happening—especially the large-scale massacres and holocausts?

God is not a coercive Dictator. He is a loving God who gave us free will.
The answer lies in the realm of sin, evil, and free will. When God created human beings, He gave us a free will. This means that we have the freedom to accept or reject His invitation to believe in Him and to obey His moral directives. If God did not allow humanity freedom to choose or reject Him, He would have to govern as a coercive Dictator, and not as the loving, servant-hearted God He is. God originally created earth with the intent that mankind, who was created in His image, would righteously govern the earth in union with His heart and in step with His goodness and loving kindness.

People either love God or they don’t.
By giving humanity the ability to freely choose God and His goodness, or to choose selfish and evil indulgences, God takes into account that there will be those who exercise their free will to indulge sin and evil and He relates to all of us within this context—that some are with Him and some are against Him. That some are His people (His family) and some don’t want to be His people.

There is a bigger picture to God’s plan. There is hope for our future.
The good news is that ever since sin and evil entered humanity when Adam and Eve (Genesis 3) used their free will to disobey God’s moral directives, God fully implemented His plan to redeem and restore humanity. He declaratively prophesied that His Divine Redeemer would come to earth as a human man, would die, and would be raised from the dead, and thus, by this act of profound love and sacrifice, this Redeemer would serve as humanity’s Savior and Restorer.

We can live in a world where good things happen more than bad things.
The Bible says that until the end of time or until the end of a person’s life, God provides redemption and restoration to all those who accept God’s Redeemer, who believe in Him and obey Him; that those who receive God’s gift of redemption are given a way to stop sinning and indulging evil and are forgiven and cleansed from the evil effects of sin—like receiving a renewed mind. The Bible also tells us that this Redeemer’s name is Jesus and through the wonderful, working power of His indwelling Holy Spirit, we will become more and more like Jesus—who conquered all evil, lived a sinless life, who is good, truthful, righteous, deeply caring, and compassionate. God also gave us His Word, the Bible, to help lead and guide us with instructions on how to live an upright life, filled with good, life-giving choices.

The simple truth isn’t too good to be true.
It may sound too simple or too good to be true, but it really isn’t. The truth is that if more and more people ask God to forgive and cleanse them from the evil effects of sin, and begin to love God by reading His Word, the Bible, and obeying His commands, and then love people as they love themselves; and if less and less people indulge in less and less sin and evil, hideous acts such as these terrible school shootings and large-scale public-space shootings will slowly decrease. Evil escalates when people choose to sin and indulge evil instead of choosing to love God back.

We either release God’s goodness or we release sin and evil. We choose.
Throughout history, it has been proven that every time anyone chooses to love and follow God and act in accordance with His principles as they are laid out in His word, the Bible, they release more of God’s goodness in the earth and the land that they live in moves toward healing and restoration. Conversely, history has also proven that every time anyone chooses to reject God and follow sin and evil, they release more evil in the earth. Which do we prefer?

Scriptures:
• Psalm 10
• Psalm 9:12
• Ephesians 2
• John 10
• Galatians 1:1-4
• II Chronicles 7:14
• Exodus 20:1-20
• Numbers 35
• Mark 10:19
• I John 3:12
• James 2:11
• Matthew 7:24-27
• Matthew 25

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By Janet Weaver Smith ©2012 – gardenministries.org

The Bible, especially in the book, The Song of Songs, describes God’s design for sexual intercourse as the physical, emotional, and spiritual expression of the deep and intimate union of a man and a woman, who have first covenanted to love and cherish each other exclusively and permanently by becoming married. Beyond the joy and ecstasy of the physical, emotional, and spiritual exchange experienced during intercourse, God also designed the effects of this expression to “bear fruit.” Reproduction is a common result from this loving exchange.

The Bible says that God created male and female in His Image. Within the covenant-strong boundaries of marriage, God intends the physical and emotional exchange of passion, desire, and love to be another wonderful way His beloved creation can symbolically experience and express His very nature. A wife and her husband, in physical union and faithful in love, uniquely and symbolically express the deeply intimate love relationship and spiritual union within the Godhead: the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Jesus said in John 17:22, “…as We [filled with the Holy Spirit, Jesus and the Father] are One.”

God’s careful design
This is why God is particularly careful to define the contextual boundaries of this most wonderful gift that represents His intimately loving and faithful nature; the gift of sexual union. And this is why any evil that hates God, and seeks to misrepresent and twist all perceptions of God’s goodness, would be especially intent on perverting God’s intended design for marriage, sexual union, and reproduction. In short, Satan hates God’s Love. Satan hates and seeks to defile all aspects of God’s created order and all forms of God’s covenant-strong Love. Satan is a traitor and a betrayer of God—he is completely unfaithful to a faithful, loving, and unchanging God. And Satan seeks to rob, kill, twist, pervert, and destroy everything attributed to God’s unfathomable beauty—especially the beauty that intimately reveals God’s heart—the beauty of intimate love and faithfulness as it is exemplified in the act of sexual union.

It is this ulterior motive that drives Satan to especially exploit and destroy one of humanity’s most important purposes: to love as God loves, from a committed heart of covenant love and to reproduce after our own kind, both physically and spiritually, in love. Not every human being is called to or desires to marry, and instead, may choose to love God and others through their gift of celibacy, which provides extraordinary insight into intimacy without engaging in sexual intercourse. People don’t need to get married to learn about intimacy with God. But for those who choose to employ the gift of marriage and enjoy the joy of married intimacy through sexual union between a faithful female wife with her faithful male husband, their insights are equally extraordinary.

Ephesians 5:21-23 describes this nurturing, mutually honoring love relationship, and further describes the intimately precious gift of sexual union, between a (male) husband and his (female) wife, as “a great mystery,” a mystery that symbolically represents the intimate union between Jesus Christ and His Bride, the Church. To protect the integrity of the symbolic representation and to protect the hearts and lives of all those impacted by this union, God set boundaries around sexual union and defined the requirements of relationship before the benefits of the relationship could be spiritually and lawfully enjoyed. By
putting these requirements in place, God also protected and provided for the children born out of a male-husband and his female-wife’s covenant love. Children born of or adopted by a married, loving, faithful, male-husband and female-wife receive a true and holistic view of the mother-father, male-female heart of God. Bethel Church’s Kris Vallotton teaches in his “Living in Covenant” messages that intimacy starts with the covenant. God wants us to birth children out of intimacy with Him and that the Church is called to live in relationship as a family.

Sexual intercourse is so defining that before public ceremonies or weddings became the norm, just the act of sexual union between the man and woman served as the event that “performed” the marriage covenant and was recognized as such before God and man. Once the couple joined in sexual union, they were married. Genesis 2:22-24 makes it clear “who, what, when, and how” men and women, made in His image, are to enter into the covenant relationship of marriage before enjoying its benefits; sexual union, “Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib He had taken out of the man, and He brought her to the man. The man said, ‘This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,’ for she was taken out of man.’ That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.”

Sexual union is the seal of faithful love within the marriage covenant. When two people join in sexual union, they join and gain strength (or lose strength) from the other person’s spiritual condition. In the Biblically defined relationship of marriage, and if the male-husband and female-wife’s spiritual conditions are strong in Jesus, it is more likely to feel strengthening for both of them. Sexual union outside of Biblically defined boundaries is immorality and is likely to open the people involved to unhealthy spiritual activity. Some people experience heightened fear and insecurity, bad dreams, and/or depression after engaging in sexually immoral activity and they didn’t think to connect their immoral activity to the unhealthy spiritual results. Jesus offers forgiveness for sin and cleansing from all unrighteousness for those who come to Him, believe in Him, and receive His free gift of forgiveness and eternal life. I Corinthians 6:16-20, I John 1:9, John 3:16

What does the Bible say about sexual morality and immorality?
The Bible says that sexual union is only to be exchanged between one man and one woman who are exclusively and permanently covenanted in marriage. This defined boundary ensures an accurate representation in bearing God’s image. It points toward the intimate nature of Jesus. He is our wild and clean, exotic and pure, beautiful and sacred Bridegroom-Husband. Upon preparing His Church to be His pure and spotless Bride through the work of the Holy Spirit, Jesus will ultimately fully join and be One with her. And she, the Church, will be given by the Father to Jesus as His beloved wife forever. This spotless and radiant wife of Jesus replaces and receives what Lucifer enjoyed before he fell—the song of the Morningstar (Job 38:7, Revelation 2:28). Satan will forever be displaced, replaced, and justly condemned to the eternal lake of fire along with all who agree with his lies and refuse to believe in Jesus as their Savior and Lord and obey God’s commands. Romans 3, Romans 6:23, Revelation 21:6-8

That is why God put boundaries around the act of sexual union. And that is why breaking this boundary is called sin and immorality in the Bible and requires forgiveness and repentance to be set right with God. The Bible says that sexual immorality is engaging in any form of sexual union outside the defined boundaries of a marriage relationship between one man and one woman. Perverting and going outside of God’s boundary lines is sin because it rebels against God’s specifically designed order and His commands, as they are clearly defined in His Word, the Bible.

What happens when we break God’s boundary lines?
Now that we understand the wonderful reasons why God put a boundary around the intimate act of sexual union, it is equally important to understand what happens when we break those boundaries and reject God’s prerequisites for sexual union. Breaking God’s boundaries is considered immoral because it perverts what God intends as “sexually moral,” that is, sexual union between a male-husband and his female-wife.

The following is a list of Bible references about sexual union and sexual immorality

1. From the very beginning, God designed the male husband and his female wife to utilize their perfectly designed bodies to naturally “be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth,” i.e., enjoy sexual union and reproduce after their kind, and fill the earth! Within the context of a one-man-one-woman marriage, God created the act of sexual union to create life, not death. Life is the result of the intimate joining of a man and a woman. God is affirming His nature as the God of Life. His intent is clearly revealed in the design itself. “…So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.’” Genesis 1:26-28, Genesis 2:18-25, Mark 10:6, Ephesians 5:21-23, Acts 15:29, I Corinthians 10:8

2. In the Bible, God judges and calls all same-sex, i.e., homosexual intercourse as sexual immorality and sin. Instead of believing in God’s commands and turning away from homosexuality, many who practice it project their need for acceptance upon social circles, expecting what is simply a sexual preference to be treated the same way as ethnicity or gender should be. This projection spins a storyline that implies an outcast mentality. The social pressure from this projected storyline demands acceptance and inclusion based on a private matter that has turned public; their sexual preference. Name-calling has become the norm to enforce this demand. People who are “for” heterosexuality and a one-man-one-woman marriage and who are “not for” homosexuality are automatically mass-labeled and judged as “homophobes.” Romans 1:18-26. Leviticus 18:22, Leviticus 20:13, I Corinthians 6:9-10, I Timothy 1:9-10, Jude 1:7, “We also know that the law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, for the sexually immoral, for those practicing homosexuality, for slave traders and liars and perjurers—and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine.”

3. God judges any sexual intercourse between a man and a woman who are not married to each other as sexual immorality and sin. Hebrews 13:4, “Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and the sexually immoral.” Hebrews 12:16, Leviticus 18:20, I Peter 4:1-3, I Thessalonians 4:3-7, Deuteronomy 22:22, I Corinthians 6:9,10,16-20, Galatians 5:19, Ephesians 5:3, Exodus 20:14

4. God judges any sexual intercourse involving animals (bestiality), non-consenting adults or children as sexual immorality and sin. Leviticus 18:23-30, Leviticus 20:15-16, Deuteronomy 22:25-27, Deuteronomy 27:21, Exodus 22:19, Romans 2:14-15, ” Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending them.”

5. God judges any sexual intercourse involving immediate family members as sexual immorality and sin and does not allow immediate family members to marry each other. Incest is more widespread than people may realize. Incest victims and perpetrators may tend to stay trapped in their pain and sin due to heightened levels of shame and secrecy surrounding the subject. Breaking the power of secrecy, shame, and silence and finding a safe place to get help is necessary for families affected by incest. Incest between siblings or parents, aunts, or uncles who affect children in this way deny the truth and are saying, “I will sexually ‘consume’ my own children or sibling to please myself, even when I am hurting them by doing this.” Leviticus 18:6-17, I Corinthians 5, Deuteronomy 22:30

6. The Bible says that those who commit sexual immorality and do not seek forgiveness and repentance will not inherit the kingdom of God. 1 Corinthians 6:9–20, Revelation 21:8, I Corinthians 5, 2 Corinthians 12:21, I Timothy 1:8-11, Colossians 3:5, 1 Thessalonians 4:3-8, Galatians 5:19-22, Leviticus 18:24-30, Ephesians 5:3, Revelation 22:14-15.

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IN REVIEW:

Why is sexual union outside of a one-man-one-woman marriage considered immorality and sin?
Because having sex outside the context of a one-man-one-woman marriage is a perversion of God’s designed order. To pervert means to alter (something) from its original course, its meaning, or its natural state to a distortion or corruption of what was first intended. As we read previously, in Genesis 1:26-28 we are shown what God intended when He created them “male and female.” Mark 10:6 echoes God’s intent.

Furthermore, the Bible warns us not to pervert God’s commands; that calling “good” what God calls evil provokes God’s judgment. “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.” Isaiah 5:20. Sexual immorality begins in our thought life. And so does sexual purity. The mind, will, and emotions of our “thought life” house the starting point within which we either continually choose to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus and maintain sexual purity out of our devotion to Jesus and His Word. Or, we divert our “thought life” by focusing on our own physical and emotional desires—aside from Jesus and His Word. This diversion makes us vulnerable to temptation to indulge sexually immoral behaviors. Jesus pinpoints the “thought life” as a starting point when He said in Matthew 5:27-28, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”

There’s always hope! Jesus offers forgiveness and freedom from sin to all who receive Him
“But thanks be unto God who always causes us to triumph!” 2 Corinthians 2:14. When we get a fuller understanding of what God requires for sexual purity and learn that we have crossed His lines and need to “back up,” God has graciously provided all who believe in Jesus, a way back to feeling sexual pure again. Through His forgiveness, cleansing, and freedom from the sin and dark power of sexual immorality, Jesus can and will fully restore us to the truth of who we are to Him and in Him. I John 1:9 says, “if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Romans 8:1,2 says, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.”

We may have some emotional and physical consequences that linger as the residual negative effects of breaking God’s law(s) are cleansed away, however, our hope in Jesus Christ gives us a sure anchor that holds our soul in peace because we know that He has the power and the desire to completely restore our heart and soul—and even our body—to a point where we can literally feel sexually pure again. The Holy Spirit in us, through faith in Jesus, is faithful to lead us into right choices and acts of repentance that completely restore us to Him—spirit, soul, and body.

Here is the short list describing what the Bible calls “sexual immorality”
(Bible references to support this list are found in the previous list in this article):

1. Homosexual (i.e., same-sex) sexual union seeks to redefine and pervert God’s fixed and created order of a man and a woman becoming one flesh upon becoming covenanted in marriage. This attempt to “redefine” God’s divinely created order is an act of rebellion that the Bible calls perversion. All sexual perversion is sexual immorality.

2. Sexual union with anyone else outside the bounds of a male-husband and his female-wife marriage also rebels against God’s design and commanded order and is thus, a perversion. This attempt to “redefine” God’s divinely created order is an act of rebellion that the Bible calls sexual immorality.

3. Sexual intercourse with an animal dishonors both the animal and the human. This attempt to “redefine” God’s divinely created order is perversion and an act of rebellion that the Bible calls sexual immorality.

4. Sexual intercourse with an immediate family member defies God’s order and perverts His command for marriage: “leave mother and father.” This attempt to “redefine” God’s divinely created order alters and distorts the original intent of the relationship and is an act of rebellion that the Bible calls sexual immorality.

IN CONCLUSION

“What Does the Bible say about Why, When, and with Whom a Person may have SEX?”

THIS ARTICLE WAS WRITTEN FOR THE FOLLOWING SIX REASONS:

1. To describe what the Bible teaches us about the Creator God, Giver of all Life, and His beautifully designed intention for male and female humans to represent Him on earth. How sexual coupling between a female-wife with her male-husband bears witness to the coming eternal union of Jesus Christ, the Bridegroom King with His Wife, the Bride, the Church, forever displacing and replacing its former occupant, Lucifer, the morningstar. How this intimate act was created to directly reflect God’s image and order, and thus, has boundaries to protect its resulting Life, i.e. the children born from the act of love.

2. To better understand why Satan hates the act of sexual union between a believing Christian married female-wife and her male-husband and seeks to pervert the incredible beauty and integrity of the one-man-one-woman marriage relationship that symbolizes Jesus Christ and His Bride, the Church.

3. To take a stand in love for God and His design and say to those who say they are Christians and believe in Jesus Christ as their Savior but reject or dilute the truth of the 66 books of the Bible and willfully and without repentance engage in sexual union through the means of practicing homosexuality, non-marital sex, sex with another person who is not their spouse, bestiality, or incest. This article intends to say to those so engaged, who’s conscience no longer condemns them and who are not struggling to get free of such behavior, that the Bible clearly warns that such people will not enter the kingdom of heaven and are in fact, in danger of eternal separation from God. I Corinthians 6:9, Revelation 21:27, Revelation 9:21, Revelation 21:8, Romans 1:18-32

4. To provide information on the reliability of the Bible’s authority to address such practices and to provide the Biblical references for the reader to search the scriptures and be informed.

5. To call all who believe in Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord to remember their First Love—Jesus, to obey all of His commands in the Bible and turn away from sexual immorality with the understanding that Jesus is able to heal the wounds we have incurred against our bodies through sexual immorality. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” I John 1:9

6. To know what the Bible says in this matter and to correctly handle the Word of truth from Love and not from contentious quarreling. II Timothy 2:14-19 says, “Keep reminding them of these things. Warn them before God against quarreling about words; it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen. Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly. Their teaching will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, who have wandered away from the truth. They say that the resurrection has already taken place, and they destroy the faith of some. Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.”

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By Janet Weaver Smith ©2012 – gardenministries.org. Janet and her husband George Co-pastor a House Church in Minneapolis, MN U.S.A.
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ADDENDUM BIBLE STUDY

THE BIBLE IS A RELIABLE SOURCE FOR DETERMINING MORAL STANDARDS

The article entitled, “What Does the Bible say about Why, When, and with Whom a Person may have SEX?”
Written by Janet Weaver Smith ©2012 – gardenministries.org, references the Holy Bible as a reliable source for determining moral standards and defining sexual immorality.

The Bible says that the gift of sexual union is exclusively for a (male) husband and his (female) wife to enjoy. But why should anyone believe and follow what the Bible says?

Why is the Bible reliable source for the Word of God?
If you are not authentically convinced that 1.) God exists and 2.) evidence of His existence includes His Word, the Bible, and 3.) all of the 66 books of the Holy Bible are the inerrant and inspired Word of God, then just pick your starting point from the list of questions provided below. If you answer “No” to any of the first 3 questions listed below then this is where your search will either begin or end. (Note: starting with #4 below, informational teaching is provided to help you in your search. Also note: this article assumes its readers are in search of either a “Yes” or a “No” to the first 3 questions, therefore “maybe” is not included as an answer.)

1. Does God exist? Yes or No

2. If “Yes,” has God provided evidence of His existence? Yes or No

3. If “Yes,” does evidence of God’s existence include His Word—the Holy Scriptures of the 66 books of the Bible? Yes or No

4. If “Yes,” Do you know why the 66 books of the Bible are accepted as Holy Scripture and are considered God’s Word? Yes or No

a. If “No,” consider watching the 3-part video from British theologian and Bible teacher Brian Edwards, entitled, “Why 66? Parts 1-4” found on answersingenesis.org.

b. If “No,” consider reading this article: The Bible: The Holy Canon of Scripture found on Bible.org.
i. An excerpt from “6b” of this article, “The Bible: The Holy Canon of Scripture”: “The books of the Bible were canonical [i.e., sacred] the moment they were written. It was not necessary to wait until various councils could examine the books to determine if they were acceptable or not. Their canonicity was inherent within them, since they came from God. People and councils only recognized and acknowledged what is true because of the intrinsic inspiration of the books as they were written. No Bible book became canonical by action of some church council.”

ii. A second excerpt from “6b.”
“The following summarizes [one of] the tests used to discern which books were canonical.
(1) Authentication on the Divine side—Inspiration. Did the book give internal evidence of inspiration, of being God breathed? Was it of proper spiritual character? Did it edify the church? Was it doctrinally accurate? … The book should bear evidence of high moral and spiritual values that would reflect a work of the Holy Spirit.”

c. If “No” to question #4, consider: The Bible itself claims to be the living and inspired Word of our Creator, God. The Bible credits God as its Author who used writers to compose what He spoke to them. 2 Timothy 3:16, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.” 2 Peter 1:20-21, “no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.”

5. Why do we need God and His Word, the Bible, to define our identity and to standardize morality?

a. Read Parts 1 and 2 of the article entitled, “Why Do We Need God and His Word, the Bible, to Define our Identity and to Standardize Morality?” found on gardenministries.org.

6. Can I take the 66 Books of the Bible literally or are they more figurative and symbolic in nature?

a. Read the article entitled, “The Bible is the Inerrant Word of God – We Can Take the Bible Literally” found on gardenministries.org.

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I am not afraid of the God who calls His people to moral absolutes. I am not afraid because God makes every provision to attain and hold to such absolutes. Provision such as salvation and forgiveness through faith in Jesus Christ, God’s Son; provision such as His indwelling Holy Spirit to lead and to guide us, and provision such as grace and mercy for struggle. – Janet Weaver Smith

I John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

II Chronicles 7:14, “if My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

Titus 2:11-15, “For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you.”

Hebrews 4:14, “Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

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By Janet Weaver Smith, ©gardenministries.org – 2012

PART 1
(Scroll down for PART 2: How Do We Know that the 66 Books in the Bible are the Inspired Word of God and Can be Taken Literally?)

Who’s to say who determines what constitutes morality and immorality?
Why do we need to believe in God and obey His commands in the Bible anyway? Why can’t humans, apart from the God of the Bible, create and define their own effective and eternal moral standards and then live by them?

The quick and simple answer is this: after thousands and thousands of years, humanity has hands-down proven its propensity toward depravity and its desperate need for a Divine Arbitrator. There is no question that humanity needs an independent authority, above and outside the scope of human limitations, whose moral character is proven, whose laws are firmly established in love and goodness, and who has the timeless wisdom and power to justly settle disputes.

Because humans are stuck in a body suit that is confined by time and matter and because humans, by our very nature, are naturally limited to “self-is-my-center” motivations, none of us can objectively serve (individually or collectively) as a perfectly just Arbitrator for all humanity. In order to be a just Arbitrator, humanity must have someone externally bigger and outside of our individual or collective scope of authority who can transcend time, and who is exclusively and objectively motivated by perfect love for every one of us—not just certain ones.

Fortunately for us, one such a Person exists, has proven He exists, and has freely and lovingly given Himself to all of humanity as a free will offering for us to accept or reject. And even though God created us to live in union with Him and in the end, that is what our Divine Arbitrator lovingly seeks to restore, He still gives us the choice to believe and receive Him as our Father and His Son Jesus as our Savior and to obey His commands as they are laid out in His Word—the 66-books of the Bible.

We can believe and receive His terms (Jesus) for restored relationship or not. We can call Him “Creator” or not. We can call Him a Great Prophet or not. No matter what we call Him or how we relate to Him, there is no way to get around the facts that prove that we still need His eternal provisions to exist. We need His moral laws. We need His wisdom. We need His love, and we especially need His powerful natural resources to hold and rescue us from our natural bent toward depravity and self-centered, narrow-minded wasteful ways.

But let’s not settle for just a quick and simple answer, let’s dig a little deeper into the subject of morality. What is morality?

Morality houses the principles concerning the distinction between right and wrong or good and bad behavior. It’s a particular system of values and principles of conduct, esp. one held by a specified person or society. It is the extent to which an action is right or wrong. Moreover, morality is behavior or qualities judged to be good—virtue, goodness, good behavior, righteousness, rectitude, uprightness; morals, principles, honesty, integrity, propriety, honor, justice, decency; ethics, standards/principles of behavior, mores, standards. Plain and simple, morality is goodness. It is the quality of being good, in particular virtue and moral excellence.

If morality is the result of people engaging in making right decisions and employing commonly understood values (or principles) of goodness, then it follows that there are also wrong decisions that can be made that lead to bad and damaging results, i.e., immorality. When bad choices have been made, in order to restore peace, health, harmony, or bring justice, these bad behavior decisions and their negative consequences always require some sort of rectification and resolve through laws or rules that are ironically and guess what? Founded upon moral principles.

It is highly optimistic or just plain unrealistic to think that we humans created our own morality and can, by ourselves manage our ultimate destiny. If that were the case, we should have made a lot more headway in creating a good and sensible world by now shouldn’t we have? Who must we then blame for our ever-increasing moral instability? God or humanity? Who must we look to for moral reconstruction? Humanity or God? Who can we credit for the goodness in our world? God or humanity?

Since the goodness of morality provides great benefits that most people really enjoy, the real question is, why do we human’s, who want all the benefits of moral excellence, still make immorally wrong or bad decisions that reap negative and destructive consequences? Why is it so hard to believe that we need God and His strength to follow His moral commands? When we actually think about it, it is harder to believe that humanity can be its own moral trendsetter than to believe that God is our very competent moral Overseer. So why do we want to believe in people more than God?

It is simply this: we don’t want to believe God! We don’t want to answer to God and His Word and follow His commands. Our self-as-center compass inherently hates being led away from itself in submission to another. We want to go our own way, have our own way, and live our life as we see best. At some point however, we will have to face the fact that even if we don’t want to follow God, we still have to employ many of His ways to survive and thrive in this life.

Without employing God’s obvious moral laws (“God’s” because He was the first to record them in His Word), we cannot expect the long-term benefits of His morality. Everyone “doing their own thing” and “going their own way” always culminates in chaos and anarchy. Morality from a secular perspective is arbitrary and meaningless. There is no sure-anchor-to-the-soul that rings true and no solid ground within the conglomeration of aggregated humanistic perspectives and subjective opinions. Whether they realize it or not, non-Christians or people who call themselves Christians but don’t believe that the 66 books of the Bible are God’s inerrant and irrefutable Word still have no choice but to borrow from a biblical worldview to make sense of morality.

Like it or not, we need God’s worldview and moral standards, at least to borrow from, in order to live the life we want to enjoy. And with or without realizing it, we are living by and benefiting from God’s standard’s of moral excellence every day. Unless we choose willful blindness, it is easy to find these moral guidelines within the pages of the 66 books of the Bible.

PART 2: How Do We Know that the 66 Books in the Bible are the Inspired Word of God and Can be Taken Literally?
By Janet Weaver Smith, ©gardenministries.org – 2012

The 66 books that make up today’s Holy Bible form the reliable and irrefutable Word of God. People who were divinely inspired and “breathed upon” by the Holy Spirit wrote all 66 books. Every one of the 66 books in the Bible can be read and received as God’s literal Word to humanity. But don’t just take someone else’s word for it, do your own study and decide for yourself if the Bible is what it claims to be. To learn what the Bible claims to be, read these scriptures: 2 Timothy 3:15-16, 2 Peter 1:21.

Throughout the centuries, many have attempted to diminish, discredit, or dispute the 66 books of the Bible as God’s living Word. Perhaps they think that by doing so they can abdicate their responsibility to accept or reject an obedient, dependent relationship with God. Challenging the process of canonizing the 66 books or writing fictitious novels that influence cultures are just a couple of methods used to discredit the authenticity and accuracy of the Bible. Still somehow, undaunted, the Word of God survives all threats to its validity and since it’s inception, is the single-most highly demanded book in the world for all time.

When asked, “Why then has the Bible been so bitterly attacked?, acclaimed British theologian and Bible teacher Brian H. Edwards answers, “It’s because the Bible is what it claims to be. It is the reliable, inerrant revelation of God whose message is demanding. It must be destroyed or else obeyed. There is no other alternative.”

Here is a good resource to watch and learn about the historical background of how and when the 66 books of the Bible were canonized and compiled: Brian H. Edwards teaches “Why 66? How Do We Know the Bible is True?” Parts 1-4.

Another informative message on this subject from Brian H. Edwards can be found at this link

“If we believe we are created in the image of God, we will seek to behave accordingly. If we believe that we came from monkeys, likewise we will behave accordingly.” – Brian H. Edwards

If we accept the 66 canonized books of the Bible as the true Word of God and His gracious gift to humanity, we can more fully enjoy the benefits of His truth starting right at the beginning of the Bible.

The following is an excerpt from HCSB Study bible notes found at www.mystudybible.com:

“The opening verse of the Bible, Genesis 1:1, contains seven Hebrew words, which establish seven key truths upon which the rest of the Bible is based.

1. First, God exists. The essential first step in pleasing God is recognizing His existence (Heb 11:6).

2. Second, God existed before there was a universe and will exist after the universe perishes (Heb 1:10-12).

3. Third, God is the main character in the Bible. He is the subject of the first verb in the Bible (in fact, He is the subject of more verbs than any other character) and performs a wider variety of activities than any other being in the Bible.

4. Fourth, as Creator, God has done what no human being could ever do; in its active form the Hebrew verb bara’, meaning “to create,” never has a human subject. Thus bara’ signifies a work that is uniquely God’s.

5. Fifth, God is mysterious; though the Hebrew word for God is plural, the verb form of which “God” is the subject is singular. This is perhaps a subtle allusion to God’s Trinitarian nature: He is three divine persons in one divine essence.

6. Sixth, God is the Creator of heaven and earth. He doesn’t just modify pre-existing matter but calls matter into being out of nothing (Ps 33:6,9; Heb 11:3).

7. Seventh, God is not dependent on the universe, but the universe is totally dependent on God (Heb 1:3).

—————————————————–
Garden Ministries affirms the inerrancy and absolute authority of the Bible. We also believe that though some English versions of the Bible have a few translation issues, those issues have been clarified by Bible Scholars and are easily discoverable if they are searched out. Furthermore, these “issues” do not support the big leap that many take in invalidating the dependability of Scripture and/or any trend toward distancing the stories and writings of the Bible by making them figurative rather than literal. In other words, we firmly hold that the Bible is to be read and taken literally in all aspects and when symbolism or figurative speech is used poetically, it is obviously figurative and even then, usually points toward some level of literal application.

The Truth “who sets us free” is Jesus. If we really want freedom, we will want the truth that sets us free, who is Jesus, not humanism. John 14:6, “Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life.”

For centuries, many attempts have been made to distance people from believing that the Bible is the literal Word of God and can be taken literally. If I am to discover the truth of who God is, who Jesus is, who the Holy Spirit is, and who I am in relationship to God, I must have access to this information and view it as infallible truth. The Bible provides me with just such information. To test this out, I simply look at the results. When I act out of the truth of God’s Word does the promised “fruit” bear witness to its realness? Are the promised outcomes of freedom, forgiveness, love, unity, hope, peace, joy, goodness, and patience happening in my heart and my life?

According to the Bible, I can expect, that in union with the Holy Spirit and the Word of God, I can make definitive moral choices and I can experience an ever-increasing release of the fruits of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness”) and I will also feel more “free.” John 8:32, “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

Conversely, in order to give humanity the upper hand over believing in God as the ultimate authority, humanistic liberalism must first undermine the authority of the Bible, which commands a believer to fully surrender “their all” to their loving Creator God. Thus, much of the world’s philosophies, coined as “liberal,” are somewhat oxymoronic in that they are rooted and grounded in humanism which ironically leads humans into the ultimate bondage of self-centered helplessness. The moral compass of humanism has few absolutes and leaves people without a trusted “authority” who they can depend upon when a line must be drawn between opposing sides. Humanistic liberalism says it provides for such but in fact, when conflict arises, only “the squeaky wheel gets the grease.” The “fruit” of peace, joy, patience, goodness, etc. is at best, sporadic and temporary, and lasts only until the next squeaky wheel rises up.

If someone does not want to live their life surrendered to Jesus Christ and submit to the authority of His Word—the Bible—they must deal with His call for surrender by rejecting His credibility and rejecting His resources for learning. Thus, attempts to reduce or strip the authority of God’s Word are the result of attempts to elevate humanistic “morality” over God’s Biblical morality. In order to elevate something, something else must be put down.

In the end, with all things considered, we are either experiencing good fruit or bad fruit. For those of us who hold to the Bible as the inerrant Word of God and who are walking in union with the Holy Spirit, we can expect to know the Truth, who is Jesus, and who we are in Him. We can expect to experience an ever-increasing amount of the lasting fruits of peace, joy, patience, goodness, and kindness. We will walk in a life that is pleasing to God because our faith, hope, and love for Him and for people is ever-increasing.

Authority, truth, and morality are directly related to each other. Thus, when the Bible’s authority is questioned and compromised we must adjust our worldview of authority, truth, and morality. When we reject or reduce the authority of the Bible, we are also changing our worldview. We must then answer our *4 basic world-view shaping questions (see below) based on our changing belief system. In essence, if a person no longer takes the Bible literally, then they are no longer subject to its literal authority and are no longer directly and completely accountable to the writer of the Bible, Jesus, as Lord and Creator. Apart from this moral accountability, a person can live their life as they see fit or as the pressures or pleasures of their accepted social, philosophical, and religious beliefs allow them.

We live in a time of ‘authority crisis.’ – Dr. Chuck Missler, http://www.khouse.org/

There are *4 basic world-view shaping questions:

1.) Who am I?
2.) Where did I come from?
3.) Where am I going?
4.) To whom am I accountable?

Mike Bickle (Mikebickle.com) says (and I paraphrase him below) in his article, “Why is the Bible so Important to You?”

“Jesus is the Living Word and is completely unified with the written Bible. The Bible is the holy transcript of Jesus’ soul, imparted to people who were inspired by the Holy Spirit to receive His words by revelation and write them down. II Timothy 3:14-17, “But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

The Bible is God’s plumb line of truth. The Bible provides boundary lines that align our moral compass with God’s “True North.” These boundary lines provide insight and wisdom in:

• How we live our life
• How we get clarity and understand God and His love
• How we can stand on solid ground during difficult times
• How we receive and process revelation
• How we build our family and community life
(end of Mike Bickle paraphrased quote)

In the future, when questions arise, it can help to take a look at their long-term outcome. Look at the “fruit” of a “belief” and ask yourself, “Does this belief lead me to a closer love-and-trust relationship with Jesus Christ or does it lead me away from trusting and loving Him and His Word as the sure anchor for my soul?”

—————————————————–
Janet Weaver Smith and her husband George Smith co-pastor their home-church family in Southwest Minneapolis. ©gardenministries.org – 2012

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Recently a friend asked us the following two questions:
1.) Is the book of Genesis written figuratively or literally?
2.) Or is it a mixture of both?

This is our reply letter to their questions:

We commend you for challenging yourself to search out the Truth behind what you believe or don’t agree with. Developing your moral compass is vital to solid spiritual growth and maturity. The foundation of personally knowing Jesus through the study of His Word is what will hold you through many of life’s storms and will give you the power to stand in times of need.

We will answer your questions and include some weblinks for further research.

First, in our Garden Ministries online article, How to Know a Good Bible Teacher, I describe how we look for good Bible Teachers who we can point people to when their important questions arise. Acts 17:11 tells us to be open and receive the Word but just as importantly, we are also to “search the scriptures daily to prove whether the words be true.” It comes as no surprise that continual attempts to undermine our confidence in the truth of God’s Word will be launched. The result of this is that we may be more “open” to receive teachings without “grounding” them through Scripture because we question whether the “grounding materials” (i.e., the Scriptures) are actually grounded.

Secondly, rather than asking, “is the book of Genesis written figuratively or literally? Or is it a mixture?” we suggest that you ask and search out the overarching question, “How do we know that the Bible is the Word of God and can be taken literally?”

To answer that question, George and I (and Garden Ministries) affirm the inerrancy and absolute authority of the Bible. We also believe that though some English versions of the Bible have a few translation issues, those issues have been clarified by Bible Scholars and are easily discoverable if they are searched out. Furthermore, these “issues” do not support the big leap that many take in invalidating the dependability of Scripture and/or any trend toward distancing the stories and writings of the Bible by making them figurative rather than literal. In other words, George and I firmly hold that the Bible is to be read and taken literally in all aspects and when symbolism or figurative speech is used poetically, it is obviously figurative and even then, usually points toward some level of literal application.

The Truth “who sets us free” is Jesus. If we really want freedom, we will want the truth that sets us free, who is Jesus, not humanism. John 14:6, “Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life.”

For centuries, many attempts have been made to distance people from believing that the Bible is the literal Word of God and can be taken literally. If I am to discover the truth of who God is, who Jesus is, who the Holy Spirit is, and who I am in relationship to God, I must have access to this information and view it as infallible truth. The Bible provides me with just such information. To test this out, I simply look at the results. When I act out of the truth of God’s Word does the promised “fruit” bear witness to its realness? Are the promised outcomes of freedom, forgiveness, love, unity, hope, peace, joy, goodness, and patience happening in my heart and my life?

According to the Bible, I can expect, that in union with the Holy Spirit and the Word of God, I can make definitive moral choices and I can experience an ever-increasing release of the fruits of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness”) and I will also feel more “free” (John 8:32 says, “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free”).

Conversely, in order to give humanity the upper hand over believing in God as the ultimate authority, humanistic liberalism must first undermine the authority of the Bible, which commands a believer to fully surrender “their all” to their loving Creator God. Thus, much of the world’s philosophies, coined as “liberal,” are somewhat oxymoronic in that they are rooted and grounded in humanism which ironically leads humans into the ultimate bondage of self-centered helplessness. The moral compass of humanism has few absolutes and leaves people without a trusted “authority” who they can depend upon when a line must be drawn between opposing sides. Humanistic liberalism says it provides for such but in fact, when conflict arises, only “the squeaky wheel gets the grease.” The “fruit” of peace, joy, patience, goodness, etc. is at best, sporadic and temporary, and lasts only until the next squeaky wheel rises up.

If someone does not want to live their life surrendered to Jesus Christ and submit to the authority of His Word—the Bible—they must deal with His call for surrender by rejecting His credibility and rejecting His resources for learning. Thus, attempts to reduce or strip the authority of God’s Word are the result of attempts to elevate humanistic “morality” over God’s Biblical morality. In order to elevate something, something else must be put down.

In the end, with all things considered, we are either experiencing good fruit or bad fruit. For those of us who hold to the Bible as the inerrant Word of God and who are walking in union with the Holy Spirit, we can expect to know the Truth, who is Jesus, and who we are in Him. We can expect to experience an ever-increasing amount of the lasting fruits of peace, joy, patience, goodness, and kindness.

Authority, truth, and morality are directly related to each other. Thus, when the Bible’s authority is questioned and compromised we must adjust our worldview of authority, truth, and morality. When we reject or reduce the authority of the Bible, we are also changing our worldview. We must then answer our *4 basic world-view shaping questions (see below) based on our changing belief system. In essence, if a person no longer takes the Bible literally, then they are no longer subject to its literal authority and are no longer directly and completely accountable to the writer of the Bible, Jesus, as Lord and Creator. Apart from this moral accountability, a person can live their life as they see fit or as the pressures or pleasures of their accepted social, philosophical, and religious beliefs allow them.

That said by George and me, we will also point you to two of our favorite Bible Teachers to further answer your important questions:

1.) Dr. Chuck Missler, khouse.org
2.) Mike Bickle, mikebickle.org

To paraphrase some of what Dr. Chuck Missler says in, How to Study the Bible and
How Do We Really Know the Bible Is the Word of God?

“We live in a time of ‘authority crisis.’”

There are *4 basic world-view shaping questions:

1.) Who am I?
2.) Where did I come from?
3.) Where am I going?
4.) To whom am I accountable?

———————

Mike Bickle says (and I paraphrase him below) in Why is the Bible so Important to You?

Jesus is the Living Word and is completely unified with the written Bible. The Bible is the holy transcript of Jesus’ soul, imparted to people who were inspired by the Holy Spirit to receive His words by revelation and write them down. II Timothy 3:14-17, “But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

The Bible is God’s plumb line of truth. The Bible provides boundary lines that align our moral compass with God’s “True North.” These boundary lines provide insight and wisdom in:

• How we live our life
• How we get clarity and understand God and His love
• How we can stand on solid ground during difficult times
• How we receive and process revelation
• How we build our family and community life

In the future, when questions arise, it can help to take a look at their long-term outcome. Look at the “fruit” of a “belief” and ask yourself, “Does this belief lead me to a closer love-and-trust relationship with Jesus Christ or does it lead me away from trusting and loving Him as the sure anchor for my soul?”

We hope this helps answer your questions and inspires you to ask many more!

Love,
George and Janet

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We are writing this article to answer questions about our (George Smith and Janet Weaver Smith’s and Garden Ministries) position on end time’s (i.e., eschatological) teachings. We feel we would better serve the question by describing our position on excellent Bible teachers who hold differing eschatological (end-time teaching) views and then direct you toward their teachings.

The Biblical calling of Teacher (I Corinthians 12:27) has strict accountability (James 3:1) and thus requires Bible teachers to have a certain spiritual keenness and corresponding humility, i.e., the teacher must have a passion for and discernment of sound doctrine, while possessing in himself or herself, a teachable spirit.

That means that whoever is called to teach theology concerned with death, judgment, and the final destiny of the soul and of humankind, (i.e. eschatological or end times teaching), understands their important role and great responsibility to the Body of Jesus Christ. Equally, it is critical that those of us being taught also consider it our Acts 17:11 “Berean” responsibility to “receive the message with great eagerness and examine the Scriptures every day to see if what [the Bible Teacher] said was true.”

In John 14:26, Jesus told his Disciples that the Holy Spirit is our Teacher. “But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” As we daily abide and grow in relationship with the Holy Spirit, we are taught by him. “As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit–just as it has taught you, remain in him.” I John 2:27

In other words, at the same time we are listening to Bible teachers teach, we are also engaging the Holy Spirit within us and looking for his “tuning fork” of truth to resonate with what we are hearing. By “tuning fork” resonance, we mean that we can spiritually recognize and receive truth through the power of the Holy Spirit who is guiding us and bearing his testifying fruits of peace, joy, wisdom, counsel, and understanding as we hear his Word spoken through men and women of God. As you listen, ask yourself: Does this teaching resonate? Does my spirit “bear witness” to the truth of it? If not, why not? If so, how does it fit with other resonant Bible teachings on the same subject?

George and Janet personally believe (but do not say that others should agree with them) that God has purpose in placing teachers of the Bible in the Body of Christ who hold differing eschatological views. It places equal responsibility on the teacher and on those being taught, to depend upon the Holy Spirit to “resonate” with what is from him, while we humbly love and accept each other in our process of learning.

George and Janet also believe that when the Holy Spirit releases greater revelation on a particular subject, greater clarity happens which leads to greater integration and unity. We believe that a good Bible Teacher may hold strongly to their eschatological view while their godly character humbly accepts that because we “know in part,” (I Corinthians 13:12), we may be “further taught” on any subject in the Bible. When spiritual revelation occurs that is scripturally grounded, and the teaching of this revelation resonates with our spirit and causes a change of our current view, we are willing to adjust our teaching curriculum to reflect our “growth” in this area.

Over the years, George and Janet have recognized that the character quality of Bible teachers directly affects the quality of fruit produced in their teaching. Good, godly character releases sound doctrine that the Holy Spirit blesses with his fruits of peace, joy, love, gentleness, etc. Conversely, immature Christian character, not rooted and grounded in faith, hope, and love, will presumptuously release teachings that promote self-centeredness, fear, and division rather than God-centeredness, love, peace, and the unifying effects of a servant heart that prefers others to themselves and “lays down their life for a friend” (John 15:13). “For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.” 2 Timothy 4:3. “But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves.” 2 Peter 2:1.

That being said about Bible teaching and teachers, George and Janet can easily and whole-heartedly recommend two Bible teachers with good and godly character who hold some same and some differing end-times views. They are Dr. Chuck Missler (www.khouse.org) and Mike Bickle (mikebickle.org). We recommend that you ask the Holy Spirit to impart to you a hunger for his Word on this subject and then take the time to listen to both of these teachers and populate your information base with their teachings.

While drawing from their teachings, and as you personally study the Scriptures, you can trust the Holy Spirit to teach you in all things on these subjects.

As of the date of this article, 2/22/2012, Americans enjoy the right to religious freedom. When the Harlot religion comes to America, religious freedom will not be the law of the land. So right now, it is extremely important that we utilize the vast teaching resources that are freely available to us and learn all that we can from these hard-working teachers of the Word.

May God bless you as you hear his Word. “Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” Romans 10:17

Yours in the faith, hope, and love of Jesus Christ,
George Smith and Janet Weaver Smith, ©gardenministries.org
——————————————————————
For your convenience, we have compiled a list of web links from god.tv that connect you to Dr. Chuck Missler’s teachings on the Book of Revelation and a list of web links from mikebickle.org that connect you to Mike Bickle’s teaching on the Book of Revelation.

Our Recommended End-Times Bible Study Learning Strategy:

1.) Start by clicking on and reading this online Bible study

2.) Next, watch this video of Mike Bickle giving an Overview of the Book of Revelation

3.) Then listen to Dr. Chuck Missler (Dr. Missler holds a pre-tribulation viewpoint) (see web links below)

4.) And end with Mike Bickle (Mike Bickle holds a post-tribulation viewpoint) (see web links below)

————————————————————————-

Recommended End Times Teaching by Dr. Chuck Missler (Dr. Missler holds a pre-tribulation viewpoint)

STRATEGIC TRENDS 2011
A Planet In Jeopardy

ISRAEL
Will Israel Stand Alone?

THE BOOK OF REVELATION (40 posted videos)
#1: Introduction-Part 1
#2: Introduction-Part 2
#3: Introduction-Part 3
#4: The Book of Revelation: Chapter 1-Part 1
#5: The Book of Revelation: Chapter 1-Part 2
#6: The Book of Revelation: Chapter 1-Part 3
#7: The Letter to Ephesus – Part 1
#8: The Letter to Ephesus – Part 2
#9: The Letter to Smyrna – Part 1
#10: The Letter to Smyrna – Part 2
#11: The Letter to Smyrna – Part 3
#12: The Letter to Pergamos – Part 1
#13: The Letter to Pergamos – Part 2
#14: The Letter to Thyatira – Part 1
#15: The Letter to Thyatira – Part 2
#16: The Letter to Thyatira – Part 3
#17: The Letter to Sardis – Part 1
#18: The Letter to Sardis – Part 2
#19: The Letter to Sardis – Part 3
#20: The Letter to Philadelphia – Part 1
#21: The Letter to Philadelphia – Part 2
#22: The Letter to Philadelphia – Part 3
#23: The Letter to Laodicea – Part 1
#24: The Letter to Laodicea – Part 2
#25: The Letter to Laodicea – Part 3
#26: The Throne Room of Heaven – Part 1
#27: The Throne Room of Heaven – Part 2
#28: Opening the Seals
#29: Sealing the 144,000
#30: The Seven Trumpets
#31: The Two Witnesses
#32: The Woman and Man-child
#33: The Two Beasts
#34: Prelude to the Bowls
#35: The Seven Bowls of Wrath
#36: The Mystery of Babylon
#37: Return of the King
#38: The Millennium
#39: Eternity

————————————————————————-
Recommended End Times Teaching by Mike Bickle
(Mike Bickle holds a post-tribulation viewpoint)

The Book of Revelation-A Verse-by-Verse Overview of the Book of Revelation by Mike Bickle

“This series by Mike Bickle is an in-depth exploration of the person of Jesus and the events surrounding the second coming as revealed in the book of Revelation. The major conflict at the end of the age will center around defining the truth of who Jesus is. The Father commissioned Jesus to reveal His majesty, personality, and power as the Bridegroom King who judges all that hinders love. Through the book of Revelation, God unveils His action plan for preparing the Church to participate with Jesus in releasing His glory throughout all the nations. This “end-time book of Acts” was given to us so that we may walk unified, never wavering in our faith, as the judgments of the Lord are poured out on the earth.”

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