The Truth of the Bible

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Are you asking what this is? You are saying, it looks familiar, but it is hard to read. You are correct. This is what John 1:1-5, looks in the English version of the Old Greek text. Looking at it in your own language seems hard enough, but trying to translate this from it's original language and text into your native tongue is a lot harder.

That being said, we are here to discuss the cannonicity of the Biblical texts. Starting with the Old Testament, we will examine how accurate our Bible is, and whether or not, it contains the word of God. Now the first five books of the Old Testament were written by Moses; from Genesis through Deuteronomy. They are accepted as God's own words as given to Moses and passed down to His children. Basically, they entail; the history of man; man's fall from Grace; the enslavement of the children of God, and their exodus from captivity. Finally, we are also given the Law's of God; The 10 commandments, and the Torah or Talmudic Laws.

The rest of the Old Testament Books were decided with the following requirements:

• Authority- Does the book speak with authority? Mk 1:22 Thus sayeth the Lord.
  
• Prophetic- Was the book/letter written by a Man of God? 2Thes. 2:2 , Heb 1:1
  
• Authentic- Does the book/letter teach the truth about God? Acts 17:11 , 1John 4:1-6
  
• Dynamic- Does the Book/Letter come with the power of God? Heb 4:12, 2Tim 3:15-16
• Accepted by the people of God? Ex.17:14 , 1Sam10:25, Dan. 9:2. quoting from another book or letter.
  

With these basic questions, the Israelites set the cannonicity of their texts. This moved several texts into a secondary role as historical, not canonical, as some churches use them for today. Today, however, there are several variations from the original texts and even from some of the translated texts.

The oldest texts still in existence date back to only 4-600 A.D. The oldest single text available is dated to 200-250A.D. That is almost 200 years from the original writings in the New Testament alone. The Old Testament was even older, since the last of the O.T writings was 400 years before Christ. During that time, you would think that many variations could sneak into the writings. This was a major concern until recently, when the dead sea scrolls were found. When they were compared to current writings of the O.T. they were accurate to within 2%. The only variances being more modern spellings of some words. The message of the text was 100% intact. Also found was the method of transcribing the texts. When the time came there were 16 basic tenants that were followed. The skins had to be prepared by a Jew, of the same size, only certain threads used to bind them, letters the same size, rows and columns the same, even the dress they wore, and cleansing of the flesh before writing the name of the Lord. Over a period of at least 2,400 years, the variances were almost non-existent.

The same is not completely true about the New Testament. Even though the gap between the original writings and current canon is only about 400 years, there have been many alterations to the texts. Most of this is attributed to the fact of the rapidly development of languages during this time period. With the expansion of the Roman Empire, occurring at about the same time as the spread of Christianity, the church found itself unable to keep track of the various viewpoints and customs that all these new converts brought with them. The Apostolic practices and teachings faded rapidly when more and more pagan believers came to the church. The writings of the Apologists show a defense of Christianity, by equating Jesus and God as Separate entities, since the pagans of the time, had no concept of just One God. Now others, also had differing points of view on Jesus, His deity, and exactly what was written in the scriptures. The Gnostic's had a belief system of a one on one relationship with God, and that all power would be given them when they fully understood His power. Others believed Jesus to be a blessed man of God, and his physical son (ref: Zues and Hercules from mythology). Still others separated God's spirit as a third entity, all three being one God. The original Byzantine monks that found the oldest scriptures did the best they could in trying to translate what they found. However, there were numerous scratch outs and alterations. Some were left, others were omitted or changed to what they thought was correct. The variations, however, have remained stable for several hundred years,now. As for some obvious alterations: Mat.28:19, is the most glaring. Both grammatical and logical progression, show that this scripture should read like this: " Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in my name: 20.- Teaching them to observe all thing whatsoever I have commanded you:and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world." Grammatical diction of the time demands this be written this way. The writings of Tartillian, which date to this period also refer to Mat. 28:19 as saying in my name. However, the oldest texts available show part of that verse as being blacked out and written over in a newer ink at a later time with the words , "In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost". Without proof of who changed the scriptures and why, they were left as they were. Other scriptures have also been altered, some to espouse the trinitarian point of view, others to delete Gnostic teachings which filtered into some of the texts.

The oldest of the translations is the Greek Septuagint. It was translated for the Hebrews of the time and worded for their edification. As the number of translations grew, so did the variances that would exist. All totaled, in the New Testament alone, there are 13,281 total variances. Now, even though this sounds like a lot, it actually isn't. Here is the break down of the different types of variances and what changed:

OMITS ADDS SUBSTITUTES MODIFIES TOTAL TRANSPOSES TOTAL

3704 2213 2121 1772 9810 3471 13281

These figures do not include spelling changes. They also do not break down differences purposely placed in the scripture due to a particular belief system.
If we were to examine the Gospels alone we would find this even more shocking. There are 3778 verses in the 4 Gospels. Verses, words, or entire verse changes or omissions were changed like this:

Matthew Mark Luke John Total

656 791 791 1022 3036

Since there are 3778 verses and 3036 variances (does not include spelling), we can see that most verses in the New Testament do not have and most likely, never will have full agreement. These figures are based on the original received texts or oldest texts available for review. It is the consensus, however, that the basic message of the Gospels is not compromised, even with the seemingly large number of variances. God's word is still true, and relevant today, as it was at the time of the original writings. Other historical texts, from authors such as Tartillian, Justinian, Josephus, Sylubius and others help us to see the original writings and their meanings and applications in our lives.

My the Lord bless you and keep His word forever burning in your heart.
Be Blessed. Be a Blessing.

Definition of a Leader

Definition of a Leader

In his 9/11 interview, former President Bush, stated, that after the attacks and he was at his first security meeting, he wanted to know why the secret service did not disseminate the information they had about Al Queda before the attacks took place. He could see there was a definite lack of communication going on. Did he go around hollering at them saying "You should have known" or "this attack was your fault ! ". No, he had them focus on getting intel that would lead to those personally responsible for the attacks and how to get them to justice.

He would say that as president, he had a job to do. The first job of a leader is to project calm to the people. Then they needed to see comfort, then determination. You don't get any of that by looking back or blaming others. A plan was formulated, then put into place and acted on, with the overwhelming approval of congress.

Well into the war, and after the invasion of Iraq, This president did something no one had ever done before. President Bush directed his people to form a covert operation that would take him to the battle zone itself, in the middle of occupied Baghdad. He did this to have Thanksgiving dinner with the troops and to tell them thank you for all of their work. He did this without television crews, or reporters hanging around to grandstand the event. He did it to thank those who gave so much.

There are a lot of politicians today who need to take a lesson from this. These things were done from a man with convictions. All of the problems we are facing today, come not from having convictions, but from having agendas. Too many in Washington have lost that perspective.

For the Children

Now, I normally don't post videos here, but this one just takes my heart. This is a five year old little girl worshiping and praising the Lord. Are your children in church? Are you attending a church?
http://www.godvine.com/Cute-5-Year-Old-Kaitlyn-Maher-Sings-Above-All-219.html

All You Need Is Love and Other Lies

All You Need is Love & Other Lies

“All you need is love,” sang the Beatles in 1967. A pretty sentiment to be sure, but a poor roadmap for life as proven by the young and confused of that generation whose lives were shaped by a fateful summer of love two years later. Love is wonderful but alone, it is hardly adequate.

One thing we all need in addition to love is a real sense of time. The young... girl foolishly infatuated with the utterly unsuitable boy is living only in the present. She has no sense of time; no sense of the future when she will be ready for marriage and no sense of the past—the parents and grandparents whose values she is betraying.

The young boy who goes into debt in order to purchase a fancy car is living only in the present. If he could feel the future and know the pleasure of a growing savings account, he’d make different choices. If he knew anything of past cycles of tough economic times, he’d make wiser decisions.

Makeup and provocative clothing for five year-old little girls reveals time illiteracy. Sexually aggressive adolescent boys lack a time sense as do leeringly concupiscent retirees.

Men who abandon wives and families in exchange for a woman the age of their daughters; corporate executive who sell assets to bolster this quarter’s figures; city and state governments that sell off parking meters, bridges, and toll roads to solve this year’s financial crisis and career women who continually defer marriage – none of these possess that sense of time so vital for successful living.

The worthy moral advice from Leviticus about loving another, “…as you love yourself,” appears twice. (Leviticus 19:18 & 34) However, few bother to read the crucial final phrase of both those verses—“I am the Lord.”

In the Lord’s language, Hebrew, there are many names for God. The four letters used in the phrase, “I am the Lord,” in those two verses are not accidental. They are the same letters whose appearance is used to signify past, present, and future. This is intended to indicate God’s ability to transcend time. God was, He is, and He will be. Without that final phrase mentioning God, loving your neighbor could mean loving only in the present.

In fact, by invoking the specific Lord’s name that possesses time connotations the Torah is asking us to love others in the past and future as well. For instance, betraying the memory of long dead parents or grandparents is prohibited as is doing away with the unborn or for that matter, letting them live but saddling them with a crushing debt burden.

Most young children quickly develop an intuitive sense of dimensions such as length and weight. When they reach out to grab or lift something, even toddlers quickly learn how far to extend their hands. They soon learn to gauge how heavy an object is likely to be. Children also develop a sense of temperature, but understanding time not only eludes youngsters, it also challenges most adults.

It is only too easy to live in and for the present. It is far harder and less intuitive to integrate the past and the future into the decisions of the present. Scientific development depends upon knowing what happened yesterday and where we are attempting to reach tomorrow. Life depends on exactly the same.

How do we teach time sensitivity to our children? The same way we teach it to ourselves. I know of few more effective tools than regular, serious study of the Bible. The Bible is not a list of proscriptions neither is it a picture book or a volume of mathematical equations. It is a pivot point around which past, present and future revolve.

A fine place to begin studying is with the Ten Commandments, or more accurately the Ten Statements. They present principles which always have been and always will be vital for successful living.

Prayer for President Obama

Prayer for President Obama. He needs this, let us all pray: Psalms 107:1,2 - then Psalm 109:8.

Ps 107:1 -O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good; for his mercy endureth forever,
2 - Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy.

Ps 109:8 - Let his days be few; and let another take his office.

And they all said "AMEN"

The President of Deceipt and Coveteousness

During his campaign for the office of president, Obama, made fun of and ridiculed the words of the bible. Well the Bible is well able to defend itself, as you will see. This is a response to his rant against the Bible.

Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt notcovet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour’s.

(Genesis 20:177

Neither shalt thou desire thy neighbour’s wife, neither shalt thou covet thy neighbour’s house, his field, or his manservant, or his maidservant, his ox, or his ass, or any thing that is thy neighbour’s. (Deuteronomy 5:21)

For the wicked boasteth of his heart’s desire, and blesseth the covetous, whom the LORD abhorreth. (Psalms 10:3)

Incline my heart unto thy testimonies, and not to covetousness (Psalm 119:36)

20-21 And Achan answered Joshua, and said, Indeed I have sinned against the LORD God of Israel, and thus and thus have I done: When I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them, and took them; and, behold, they are hid in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it.

It would seem that our leadership including the one in highest office, are sewing discord, and greed among the people he has sworn to serve. He is making them covet what is not theirs. So therefore he is reaping what he has sewn. The very people he has sworn to protect, are being left open to the judgment of God, by his deceitful acts. By the lies, class baiting, and warfare against that which is righteous, he has shown his true allegiance and that is Not to God. Therefore, be wary of him that deceives. Listen not to his words, and pray to the Lord for strength in defeating this enemy of the Lord.

The president of this country, has deceived a great many and they are breaking the commandments of the Lord. This must be stopped now, before God's judgment falls on this whole land, we call free and let it become, once again, the land of the brave.

Children of the Antichrist

Without going into details of quoting scriptures that most of us know by heart let me just refer you to Matthew 6 and Jesus answering questions about the end-times. In the end-times men will become lovers of themselves rather than lovers of God. That is a bold statement our Saviour spoke that day. He would also go on to describe the anti christ and what he would do. Now this is the scary part. The word christ translates to "saviour". Think about what has been going on the past few years.
We now have elected officials who got into office with the promises that they (or he, as the case may be) are the only ones who can save us from our troubles. We were promised "Salvation" from the demons in office before them. All of the people who continue to believe and worship those who preach this lie are the children of the anti-christ. They may not be willing participants in his plan, but they do have one common factor joining them together. They are lovers of themselves rather than lovers of God. They constantly think about what they can get from the Government as a hand out or freebie, rather than do what is best for themselves and God. I
This is not to say that our elected officials are the anti-christ. It does say that they are his followers, or children. By extension, all those who follow these leaders are also children of the anti-christ.
Let us look at some of the current events in the world around us at this time. The E.U. is on shaky ground and the euro (the european monetary system) is falling to pieces. Countries like Greece, Spain, France, and Great Britian are in dire economic times due, in large part, to decisions made only a few years back. It won't be too long before the United States falls into the same hard times as Europe. The government has adopted the same policies that have all but bankrupted most of Europe and is agressively trying to make this country like them. It has taken just 50 years to turn this country from a God fearing country of the majority to one that is controlled by the minority of it's population. This all started when God and prayer were no longer allowed in our schools. Man's wisdom soon replaced God's word and the indoctrination into our present mindset began.
One of the first things that man's wisdom noticed was that as young women graduated from High School, they were getting pregnant. Their solution was to teach sex education to the Juniors and Seniors to stop this growing problem. It didn't take long for the students to start getting pregnant in High School. The solution? Start teaching them at a younger and younger age. Now, it is common for 11 and 12 year olds to be sexually active. Just visit the maternity ward at any hospital and see how many 12 year old mothers there are, in the course of just one week. Their solution today is to start sex education as young as pre-k or kindergarten. Not only that, the children are being tought the try it, you might like it method, including gay relationships.
Where is God's word in all of this. Where are the moral standards that were taught to the children from a young age by their parents. Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot. Moral upbringing often times requires correction (punishment). That used to include a good, old fashioned spanking. Today, however, if you spank your child, you are guilty of assault and subject to a fine, jail, and the removal of your child, to the custody of the state.
I do have a solution to all of these problems. It isn't hard, but it does require a complete change of mind in some of the people of this country. The answer is a revival, a growing closer to the Lord. A renewal of the spirit in each and every one of us. If we do not return to our faith in the Most High, then we will most assuredly turn to faith in the most low.

More later
Bob