Why Do I Believe The Bible?

There are a lot of people who want to put the Bible in the same category as any other collection of religious writings found throughout the world. But, there are HUGE differences.

First, every religious writing in the world teaches that utopia, nirvana, oneness, heaven, etc. can be obtained by following their teachings. Second, these writings teach that God, godhood, or oneness is waiting for man to achieve his ultimate glorification where man and God can unite and be as one.

The Bible teaches just the opposite.

First, the Bible teaches that man can never enter heaven because man is a flawed and sinful creature unable of achieving heaven via his own actions. Nothing man can ever do will make him good enough to enter the gates of heaven. Second, the Bible teaches man will be judged for his sinfulness and be judged harshly for it.

But, amazingly God has given man a "Get out of jail free" card in the person of Jesus Christ. While all the worlds religions teach that man must strive to achieve his goal (heaven, nirvana, etc.) the Bible teaches that man can't do it, so God had to...in the person of Jesus Christ. In the OT, Jesus is represented throughout the temple with the building, the ornaments and the sacrifices. He is represented in the OT symbolically just as He is represented symbolically in the NT with baptism and communion.

Therefore, the judgment of God is handled via sacrifice. The OT shows the Jews that their sins must be blotted by sacrifice. The Christian learns that Jesus is the "suffering servant" of Isaiah 53 that takes the sins of the world upon Himself.

Unlike the other religious writings, God and His judgment are written about from Genesis all the way to Revelation. The Bible consists of two testaments (wills, covenants) that God has made with man. The Old Testament (OT) and the New Testament(NT) teach about God's outreach to humanity. Herein, lies the big difference between the Bible and all other writings.

If you go throughout the world you will find that all known cultures have particular rituals in place. Among these are marriage, adoption, bequeaths upon death and some even continue with a ritual the American Indians called blood brothers. Or, as the Bible calls it, the oath of the Lord.

Marriage, adoptions, blood brothers and death bequeaths (last will and testament) are all legal arrangements called wills, testaments, agreements or covenants. Each of these testaments is made about death. In marriage (death til us part), adoption (you make someone your legal heir in the event of your death), your will (lists your bequeaths upon your death), blood brother (similar to marriage but between two members of the same sex). Whenever I think of blood brothers I think of David and Jonathan (King Saul's son) or, to be honest, the Lone Ranger and Tonto.

Throughout history, excluding modern history, in all these ceremonies (weddings, adoptions, blood brother) animals were killed and eaten. The animals were representative of the "death" that was implied in these ceremonies. When you entered into one of these "covenant agreements", you were quite literally pledging your life. Meaning that should you violate this agreement, you will be put to death. That is why committing adultery got you the death penalty in the OT. The same held true for the one with whom you made the agreement. Remember, animals were killed representing the death of the participants should they fail to keep the covenant.

The OT is about the covenant God made with Abraham (Genesis 15). God and Abraham are essentially blood brothers brought together for a common bond (I will be your God and you, and your descendants, will be My people). The NT is about the covenant God made with Jesus Christ. In Genesis 15 you have ritual where God and Abraham became blood brothers and, of course, you have the death on the cross in the NT where Jesus' last will and testament goes into effect as the sacrificial Lamb of God.

Except for Judaism and Christianity, no other religions have these legally binding contracts between man and God.

Only in the Bible do you have God legally binding Himself to His creatures. Only in the Bible do you have God wanting His people, His children to know Him legally. You actually have a legal right to contact God, via prayer, and have Him listen and answer. No other religions in the world offer that.

Is Jesus a communist?

Communism is the belief that there shouldn't be any private property. Communists hold to the belief that everything (land, resources, possessions, etc.) should be shared in equal quantities so that no one has more or less than anyone else.

Of course, that does away with the freedom of capitalism. Capitalism states that whatever you create, purchase, trade for, etc. is yours and you are free to buy, sell or trade it to anyone you so choose. Communism doesn't allow that because it leads to "inequality". Someone will have more and others less.

Jesus believed in freedom. He believed in private property. He believed in paying/ working for what you wanted or needed. But, Jesus believed in charity and some confuse this with communism. Jesus never forced anyone to give up their property, money, land, etc. under the rule of law as communists propose.

Charity is the free giving of your goods, money, labor, etc., without thought of getting in return, to the benefit of others. In the King James bible, charity is the word used to describe the love of God in 1st Corinthians 13.

Jesus promoted capitalism and charity via personal freedom.

Therefore, Jesus is NOT a communist.

Do Christians Tithe?

Do Christians tithe or should they tithe?

Tithing is mentioned in the OT and the Gospels. Officially, Christianity doesn't start until the book of Acts. Jesus lived and taught under the OT laws. Christianity didn't start until the death and resurrection of Jesus and that's where the gospels ended.

Tithing is not mentioned in the letters to the church, because they didn't have to tithe. Tithing was given to the Jews as a way of recognizing God as their landowner. They were the "tenant farmers" living off the land that God had assigned each family. Their tithes were "payment" to God for the use of His land.

Christians are the adopted children of God and children don't pay their father for the use of the family land, tools, animals, etc. that belong to the family.

Children, however, are supposed to share what they have with family, friends and those who are less fortunate. It's definitely correct for the church to collect gifts, offerings, etc. for the support of the church community and the local community as a whole.

Differences Between Old and New Testaments

The Jews were given a system of sacrifices, temple ceremonies, tithes, commandments, priests, etc. that made this system (physically) very burdensome but also very beautiful. When you realize that everything in the Old Testament (Torah) points to Jesus you really begin to see a regal beauty to it.

The commandments, all 416 of them, outline laws for just about everything. It's no wonder the Levites (priests) had to make this a full-time job. Trying to remember all that and then instruct others would keep you too busy to do anything else.

Probably the most confusing commandments, for Christians, is one of the Ten Commandments. "Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy!" has been a real hotbed of discussion. The Sabbath was created, for the Jews, not Christians. Jews were given the Sabbath as a day of reflection and rest. You give your "employees" (see the previous post) time off from their work. You don't need to give your children time off. They can take off whenever they want.

Christians have two commandments and they can be found in I John 3:23 "And these are His commandments, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and love one another as He gave us commandment." Does this sound familiar? How about "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, strength and mind and love your neighbor as yourself!" They are basically the same thing.

Christians can learn a lot from the Old Testament as many things taught in the NT refer back to it. But, there are many things in the OT that do not apply to the NT.

1. We do not have priests as in the OT because Jesus is our High Priest (after the order of Melchezidek who was a priest of God before the Levites).
2. We do not need sacrifices because Jesus was our sacrifice (the sinless Lamb of God).
3. We do not have a Sabbath or day of rest because Jesus is our Sabbath (our rest of trying to live up to God's perfection while we are yet sinners).
4. We do not have a temple because our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit.
5. We do not have to pay tithes. Tithes are actually fees paid by the workers to the landowner for the fruits, vegetables, animals they farm throughout the year on his land. We are children of the landowner (God) therefore we don't pay tithes from land we own through our Father. (See my previous post).

Old Testament vs. New Testament

There are a lot of people that get crazy trying to interweave the Old Testament with the New Testament.

Stop it!

The Old Testament and the New Testament are too different wills (testaments) created by God to do separate things. There are many similarities because because they are both wills (legal documents) created by God. Both of them work through men (first, Abraham and the second, through Jesus). God is the same in both of these agreements.

The Old Testament (the Torah) was created to give God a group of people He could work through to bring salvation to the world. That's why the Jew's are referred to as God's people. Today we could humorously refer to them as his "crew", "entourage", "posse", "employees",etc.
The Jews are God's people and He has created an everlasting (or eternal) bond with them. Nothing is going to stop that, including the New Testament.

So anyone who claims the New Testament changes or abolishes the Old Testament is absolutely wrong. And here's why!

The New Testament, unlike the Old, is a binding document not of God and sinful man (Abraham) but between God and His sinless Son, Jesus Christ. While the Old Testament gave God "a people", the New Testament gives God "children"!

The Jews always claimed to be the "children of Abraham". Their special relationship with God was through God's covenant (will) with Abraham.

You treat children different than you treat friends or employees. Children have different access to you than do your friends and associates. Children can walk right up to you or walk right into your house. Others have to ring the doorbell, knock on the door or have to be introduced.

Jesus called God "Father" and told His followers that is "Our Father". While Jesus is the only-begotten Son of God, believers are now "adopted" children of God! We have been given the spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba (Father). Romans 8:15; Galatians 4:6

What is meant by Son of God?

Many people have had problems with the term "Son of God"!

It was Jesus referring to Himself this way that caused the religious leaders and zealots of His time looking to stone Jesus for blasphemy. Why is this term so divisive?

At the time Jesus lived, the Jewish community was held together by one thing: the Law of Moses. The Torah, or Old Testament, was the glue that made the Jews the special people of God. The Torah told the Jews that God had made a legally binding contract with their father, Abraham, and that through Abraham, the people had a special relationship with God.

The Jews during the time of Christ referred to themselves as the "children of Abraham". Also, during this time, sons were known by the names of their fathers. Simon Peter, the apostle is often referred to as Simon barjona or Simon the son of John. Barabbas, the criminal released by Pilate, his name means "son of Abbas" or son of a father.

The name implies that, using Simon for example, that Simon is heir to all that his father, John, has legally. Remember at this time, the law of Moses was in effect as law of the land. Children, especially sons, were legal extensions of their father. All the father had, such as possessions, money, political power, standing in the community, etc. became the son's when the son became of legal age. If there was more than one son, the sons would split the inheritance with the eldest son getting a "double portion". Meaning, if a man had three sons the inheritance would be split split four ways with the oldest getting two shares and the rest getting one share each.

But, for the only son, he would have, own, control, become everything his father is, legally.

So, when Jesus claimed to be the only-begotten (or only son born with God's DNA as opposed to an adopted) Son of God, Jesus was claiming to legally be and have everything God is and has....or to put it simply....Jesus claimed to be God with all God's power and authority!

As the disciples marvelled when Jesus calmed the seas and stopped the storms,"Who is this man that even the seas and winds (the forces of nature) obey Him?"

Who Is Jesus Christ?

In modern history, there has probably been no question asked more than "Who is Jesus Christ?"

One of the biggest magazines of the modern age reported that one person above all others has had the biggest effect on the world and that person is Jesus Christ. Not too shabby for an itinerant, self-taught preacher from an occupied country and what is considered to be the most-hated race on the planet.

Considering His background, the particular time in history, his race and the fact there was no real method of mass communication, why is it that the teachings, life and the man Himself are still one of the most discussed topics of the modern age?

Many people believe that Jesus is simply a fictional character. Others believe He is one of the world's greatest teachers and philosophers. Some believe He is the creator of the one of the world's largest religions. The teachings of some groups say He is a special creation of God who came to earth to do God's will. But, to millions of "believers", like myself, Jesus Christ is the only-begotten Son of the living God.