Ideas From Above

The Divine Inspiration of the Bible, THE WORD OF GOD
2 Timothy 3:16 – All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,
- v. 17 – that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

The absolute authority of the Bible over our lives is based in our conviction that this Book does not merely contain the Word of God, but that it is the Word of God in its sum and in its parts. This text testifies to this, describing the actual process of this inspiration (which means inbreathing of life):

1) It is the word of the Holy Spirit. Theopneustos (Greek), translated “inspiration of God,” literally means “God-breathed.” This describes the source of the whole Bibles’ derivation (that is, “all Scripture”) as transcendent of human inspiration. The Bible is not the product of elevated human consciousness or enlightened human intellect, but is directly “breathed” from God Himself.

2) 2 Peter 1:20, 21 (see below for reference) elaborates this truth and adds that none of what was given was merely the private opinion of the writer (v. 20) and that each writer involved in the production of the Holy Scriptures was “moved by” (literally, “being borne along”) the Holy Spirit. This does not mean that the writers were merely robots, seized upon by God’s power to write automatically without their conscious participation. God does not override those gifts of intellect and sensitivity that He has given His creatures. (Beware of all instances where individuals claim to “automatically” write anything at any time, for the Holy Spirit never functions that way.)

3) 1 Corinthians 2:10-13 (see ref)
Expands on this process by which the revelation of the Holy Scriptures was given. V.13 says that even the words used in the giving of the Bible (not just the ideas, but the precise terminology) were planned by the Holy Spirit, who deployed the respective authors of the Bible books to write, “comparing spiritual things with spiritual” (literally, “matching spiritual words to spiritual ideas”). This biblical view of the Bible’s derivation is called the plenary verbal inspiration of the Scriptures, meaning every word is inspired by the Holy Spirit of God.

References:
2 Peter 1:20 – knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation,
21 – for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit
1 Corinthians 2:10 – But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.
11 – For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God
12 – Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.
13 – These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches, but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual

Additional:
John 8: 26 – “I have many things to say and to judge concerning you, but He who sent Me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I heard from Him.”
John 8:31, 21 – Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are my disciples indeed. “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

This is taken from page 1714-1715 of the New Spirit Filled Life Bible, NKJV under a section called KINGDOM DYNAMICS. (Pls refer to post on Aug 1 to see explanation)

These are references for yesterday’s post:

Matthew 5:17-19 – “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfil. “For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. “Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great I in the kingdom of heaven.
John 10:35 – “If He called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken),

Matthew 24:35 – “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.

John 5:39 – “You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.

Matthew 19:4, 5 – And He answered and said to them, “Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’ “and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’?

Mark 6:11 – “And whoever will not receive you nor hear you, when you depart from there, shake off the dust under your feet as a testimony against them. Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgement than for that city!”

Luke 17:29, 30 – “but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all.

Matthew 24:37, 38 – “But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. “For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark,

Matthew 24:15 – “Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand),

Matthew 12:39, 40 – But He answered and said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. “For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights I in the heart of the earth.

John 3:14 - Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up

John 6:31, 32 - Our forefathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’ Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven.

Jesus and the Holy Scriptures, THE WORD OF GOD
Luke 16:17 – “The law and the prophets were until John. Since that time the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is pressing into it. “And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one tittle of the law to fail.”

As the Resurrected King, God’s Messiah and our Saviour, our Lord Jesus Christ has given us some of the most important statements concerning the authority and nature of the Word of God:
1) Jesus confirms the truth that every word of the Scriptures is given by God. He goes so far as to make direct reference to the smallest letter (“jot,” literally yod, the Hebrew counterpart to our letter “I” or “j”), and the smallest punctuation point, “tittle.”
There is no room for debate: Jesus believed and taught the plenary verbal inspiration of the Bible – that is every word is God-breathed (2 Tim. 3:16).
2) Jesus also contends that every truth the Bible teaches is to be held inviolable. In Matt. 5:17-19 He insists that anyone who teaches anything running at cross-purposes with the Scriptures is not in harmony with His kingdom order.
3) Jesus attests to the indissolubility of the Scriptures (John 10:35). When He says “the Scripture cannot be broken,” He literally describes the utter inviolability of God’s Word from man’s side (do not try to diminish its truth or meaning) and the utter dependability of it from God’s side (He will uphold it – His Word will not dissolve or be shaken). Matt 24:35 is the verse most quoted in this regard. All creation may dissoluble: God’s Word will stand forever!
4) Jesus affirms the credibility of the OT in general (John 5:39), but also of the miracles of the OT. He did not see them as superstitiously held beliefs, which He tolerated among those He addressed. Rather, He was the Incarnate Truth; and as the embodiment of truthfulness, His testimony is decisive. Thus, note that Jesus believed the biblical record of:
(a) Adam and Eve as the first pair (Matt. 19:4, 5);
(b) The literal destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (Mark 6:11; Luke 17:29, 30);
(c) The actuality of Noah and the Flood (Matt. 24:37, 38);
(d) The trustworthiness of Daniel’s prophecy (v. 15);
(e) The truth of Jonah’s being swallowed by the great fish (12:39,40); and
(f) The miracle of the manna as well as other miracles during the wilderness journey of Moses’ time (John 3:14; 6:31, 32).

Finally,
5) Jesus forecast and authorizes the writing of the NT Scriptures. In both John 14:26 and 16:12, 13, He indicated that the coming ministry of the Holy Spirit would include His bringing to the apostles’ minds the things that should afterward be recorded. His anticipation of that ministry not only places His endorsement upon that facet of their apostolic mission, it also indirectly effects His closure of the canon of Scripture following the completion of this task.

This is taken from page 1421 of the New Spirit Filled Life Bible, NKJV under a section called KINGDOM DYNAMICS. (Pls refer to post on Aug 1 to see explanation)

The Gospel of Luke

Purpose for writing:
Luke clearly states that his purpose in writing this Gospel is to present “an orderly account” (1:3) “of all that Jesus began both to do and teach” (Acts1:1), so that Theophilus may have historical evidence of the teachings he had received (1:4). While the Gospel is specifically addressed to one individual, apparently a high official, its intent is to give all believers the assurance that Christianity is not one of many speculative systems searching for theological or ethical values, but that this movement is bound up with an event in history. Luke substantiates the certainty/accuracy of his work with four reasons: 1) his concern with early origins, with priority given to eyewitnesses (v.2); 2) his aim to be comprehensive, “all things”; 3) chronological, “an orderly account”; 4) accurate, “the certainty” (v.4).
In achieving his purpose, Luke traces in his two volumes the Christian movement from its beginnings with Jesus of Nazareth to its development into a worldwide fellowship transcending the limits of Jewish nationality and embracing Jews and Gentiles impartially. Luke presents Jesus not as a mere Jewish Messiah, but as the world Saviour.

footnote: Before every book(in the Bible), there is written (in the New Spirit Filled Life Bible, NKJV) some notes about the atuhor of the book, the DATE and PURPOSE of writing the book, some special notes on the CONTENT of the book, how CHRIST is REVEALED in this book, and how the HOLY SPIRIT is AT WORK, and also some suggestions on PERSONAL APPLICATION of the book. This excerpt was taken from the “PURPOSE” section. All of these were written only after careful research and prayer.

The Content of God’s Word is Completed, THE WORD OF GOD
Proverbs 30: 5 – Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him.

The word “canon” is the term used to describe the completed number of the books of the Bible – the closed canon of the 66 books of the Holy Scriptures. It is derived from ancient words meaning “measuring stick” and is applied here to designate those books that meet the requirements of being acknowledged as divinely inspired.
Because there are many books that claim to be divinely given, a casual or gullible attitude toward them can result in confusion and eventual destruction. It is interesting to note that even in Jesus’ time, several books held (believed) by some today to be intended for the Old Testament were in existence then. Yet, in the 64 times Jesus quotes from the Old Testament, not once does He quote from any of those books. The Bible is complete, completely trustworthy, and sufficient to completely answer anything we need to know for eternal salvation or practical wisdom concerning our relationships, morality, character, or conduct.

This is taken from page 838 of the New Spirit Filled Life Bible, NKJV under a section called KINGDOM DYNAMICS. (Pls refer to post on Aug 1 to see explanation)

hey all,
i actually prepared this for a friend, but more than once ppl have questioned the Bible’s trustworthiness. i got this from my bible (Spirit Filled Life Bible, NKJV), and hopefully it will serve to answer some of u all’s questions. since it’s more than one article, i’ll split it into a few days’ series.

Enjoy!

The Complete Trustworthiness of the Bible, THE WORD OF GOD

Psalm 19:7 – The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul;
The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.

That the “law of the Lord is perfect” is direct reference to the absolute, complete, and entire trustworthiness of the Holy Scriptures, which constitute the Bible. The Word of God is perfect in its accuracy and sure in its dependability. Two terms are generally used to describe these features of God’s Word:
1) Inerrant (perfect) means that in the original copies of each manuscript written by each Bible book’s respective author, there was nothing mistaken or tinged with error. (Further, the excellence of the Holy Spirit’s protection of the Scriptures over the centuries has insured that the copies delivered into our hands from generations past are essentially the same. Even literary critics who claim no faith in the truth of the Bible attest to its being the most completely reliable of any book transmitted from antiquity, in terms of its actually remaining unchanged and dependably accurate.)
2) Infallible refers to the fact that the Bible is unfailing as an absolutely trustworthy guide for our faith (belief in God) and practise (life and behaviour). This is so because God is true (John 3:33; 17:3), because His Word reveals His truth (17:17), and because God cannot lie (Num 23:19; Titus 1:2; Heb 6:18).

References:
John 3:33 – “He who has received His testimony has certified that God is true.
John 17:3 – “And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent.
John 17:17 – “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your Word is truth.
Numbers 23:19 – “God is not a man, that He should lie,
Nor a son of man, that He should repent.
Has He said, and will not do?
Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?
Titus 1:2 – in hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began,
Hebrews 6: 18 – that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us.
Psalm 33: 4 – For the Word of the Lord is right, and all His work is done in truth.

Note:
This is taken from page 699 of the New Spirit Filled Life Bible, NKJV under a section called KINGDOM DYNAMICS. This term is derived from abounding biblical and experiential evidence that verifies proven biblical principles and values as essential for the dynamic spread and effective advance of the “gospel of the kingdom” Jesus commissioned to be “preached in all the world as a witness” (Matthew 24:14).
There are 41 themes referred to as “Kingdom Dynamics” in this Bible. Wherever one of these timeless topics is mentioned in Scripture, it is highlighted (keyed with a fove symbol and grey-screened to set it apart from the Bible text).

hey all
this is so frustrating. i already typed it all up and it disappeared! anyway, wanted to make this in the day but was too busy with packing and throwing things out. got the recipe from www.joyofbaking.com. will upload the pic once i’m in m’sia.

Ingredients:
6 large eggs, separated plus 1 additional egg white
2 1/4 cups (225 grams) sifted cake flour
1 1/2 cups (300 grams) superfine white (castor) sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (120 ml) vegetable oil or safflower oil
3/4 cup (180 ml) freshly squeezed orange juice (2 - 3 large Navel Oranges)
2 tablespoons (10 grams) orange zest
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

Instructions:
Separate the eggs and place the whites in one bowl and the yolks in another. Cover with plastic wrap and bring them to room temperature (about 30 minutes).
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (170 degrees C) and have ready a 10 inch (25 cm) two piece tube pan (ungreased).
In the bowl of your electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, place the flour, sugar (minus 3 tablespoons (42 grams)), baking powder, and salt. Beat until combined. Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture and add the egg yolks, oil, orange juice, orange zest, and vanilla extract. Beat about one minute or until smooth.
In a separate bowl, with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and continue to beat until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in the remaining 3 tablespoons (42 grams) of sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. With a large rubber spatula or wire whisk, gently fold the egg whites into the batter just until blended (being careful not to deflate the batter).

Pour the batter into the ungreased tube pan and bake for about 55 to 60 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. (When lightly pressed the cake will spring back). Immediately upon removing the cake from the oven invert the pan and place on a bottle or flat surface so it is suspended over the counter. Let the cake cool completely before removing from pan (about 1 1/2 - 2 hours).

To remove the cake from the pan, run a long metal spatula around the inside of the tube pan and centre core. Invert onto a greased wire rack.

Can store in an airtight container for a few days at room temperature or for about a week in the refrigerator. This cake can also be frozen for a couple of months.