Botts Home Bible Study - 10.24.11

Tonight we studied the Holy Bible by looking at John Chapter 1, the fourth book found in the New Testament, focusing on the first 19 verses. Please review this presentation at your own pace and feel free to post comments or questions. I hope you find this inspirational and beneficial. Peace and Blessings.

MTC Quote

"Children look at a challenge and see all the opportunities for success,
Adults look at a challenge and see all the opportunities for failure." Jesus instructed his disciples to "become as little children" (Matthew 18:3) otherwise they would not enter the kingdom of heaven. I am more than a conqueror because I can exercise the faith of a child.

Abomination

The word abomination appears 76 times in the KJV; of the 76 uses of the word abomination it is only used pertaining to homosexuality twice - Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13. Deuteronomy 22:5 says a woman that wears something pertaining to a man or vice versa is an abomination. 1 Samuel 13:4 describes an occasion when Saul order his son Jonathan to betray a treaty Israel made with the Philistine in order to gain a military advantage; that betrayal is described as an abomination. The sons of Korah write in Psalm 88:8 that God has made them to be an abomination because of their current afflicted state. Proverbs 6:16 -19 describe seven things that are an abomination before the Lord; homosexuality is not listed among them. In Deuteronomy 25:15-16, Proverbs 11:1, 20:10 and 23 using divers measures is considered an abomination. Divers measures refer to dishonest and unjust business practices, fraud and dishonesty. The bible contains more scripture describing dishonest business practices as an abomination than it does homosexuality. Does this mean that homosexual relationships are acceptable to the Lord, no it does not. Romans 1:26-32 and 1 Corinthians 6:9 make it clear that same sex relationships are considered a sexual sin, however it is not something that in and of itself is so wicked that is worthy of special consideration, not more so than for example emphasis on the absolute need to be completely honest and forthright in our business practices and the management of our finances. God is as concerned with us not cheating on our taxes as he is the purity of our sexual relationships. As it pertains to abominations by far the two categories of sin characterized more than anything else in the Bible as an abomination are idolatry and eating that which was previously considered unclean, nothing else even comes close. God spends more time, particularly in the Torah or Old Testament, describing the need for a proper diet and avoiding the consumption of unclean things more than He does describing proper human relationship. Is this because God is not concerned with proper human relationship, certainly not, God is extremely concerned in fact He was so aware of our needs for community that after he created Adam, realizing that he would not do well on his own and there did not exist a proper companion for him amongst the animal kingdom God created a wife for Adam from Adam’s body to symbolize God’s desire to be intimate with humanity. There is no doubt that proper human relationship; the only environment for physical intimacy is between one man and woman, married to each other. However, before there can be proper and effective relationship with another person, there must be proper relationship between the created and the creator, between each individual and God. That is why idolatry and diet are so important to God. We must honor God and honor ourselves before we can hope to honor someone else. Our focus as the body of Christ should be on helping people establish an intimate relationship with God first and then to respect and honor their own mind, body and spirit.

More Than A Conqueror Devotional #18

John 3:14 – 15 “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: that whosever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.”

The Old Testament tells a story of a curse that befell the people of Israel due to their sin. In the book of Numbers the 21st chapter we read the story of the Israelites traveling through the wilderness by way of the Red Sea, encompassing the territory of Edom. The Israelites are having a difficult time with the journey and are growing weary of the travel and are desirous of more variety in the diet, other than the manna the Lord has provided. The people of Israel begin to complain and speak vile of both God and Moses. As a result of their sin and rebellion the Lord sent many serpents into the camp of Israel and these serpents bite and kill many Israelites. The people humble themselves before Moses and beg him to beseech the Lord on their behalf to save them from the serpents. The Lord instructed Moses to fashion a brass serpent and place it on a pole and everyone that looks upon it will be saved and healed from the bite of the serpent; to say it another way they will be spared the penalty of death as a result of their sin. Moses obeys the Lord command and as a result everyone that was bitten who also looked upon the serpent was healed. (Number 21:5-8)

What an interesting illustration that Jesus would use during the course of his dialogue with Nicodemus. Having read the other three books of the Gospel that serve as the beginning of the New Testament we can conclude that when Jesus refers to the “Son of man being lifted up” that he is referring to his pending crucifixion and resurrection. However, to draw a parallel between himself and a brass statue that Moses constructed in the wilderness is a very curious illustration. Partly we can gleam that because of Nicodemus’ theological pedigree, being that was a Pharisee Jesus knew he would right understand the comparison. In order for the Israel to not be destroyed entirely they had to look upon this serpent that was raised up in the wilderness for their salvation and therefore in order for the world to be saved from the sin that has entered into it Jesus Christ must be raised up that all those that “look” upon him and believe will be saved from their sin. It wasn’t the brass statue that brought about the healing and salvation in the wilderness it was the belief the people of Israel had in their God to save them through whatever means He would see fit. Similarly Jesus being raised was is an awesome miracle and showed forth the awesome power of the Lord God Almighty, however many of have died in sin since Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection, the power of salvation is not only in the miracle, but our belief in Jesus and his power to save.

We are more than conquerors today because God loved us all so much that he would come to earth by taking on the personhood of his only son, Jesus Christ that if we would only believe in the miracle of Jesus, the God man that was and only man to be fully God and fully man at the same time to be the propitiation for our sin. Jesus came for no other than to suffer a brutal death at the hands of those he came to save and to be raised up before the entire world so that if we would look upon him we could be saved. Jesus Christ, the savior of the world, will you choose to believe.