Archive for the ‘Interesting Facts’ Category

Is Our Copy of the Bible a Reliable Copy of the Original?

Tuesday, August 30th, 2011 by Greg

Is Our Copy of the Bible a Reliable Copy of the Original?

by Rich Deem

Introduction

Many skeptics believe that the Bible has been drastically changed over the centuries. In reality, the Bible has been translated into a number of different languages (first Latin, then English and other languages, see History of the Bible). However, the ancient manuscripts (written in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek) have been reliably copied over the centuries – with very few alterations.

Old Testament

How do we know the Bible has been kept in tact for over 2,000 years of copying? Before the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, our earliest Hebrew copy of the Old Testament was the Masoretic text, dating around 800 A.D. The Dead Sea Scrolls date to the time of Jesus and were copied by the Qumran community, a Jewish sect living around the Dead Sea. We also have the Septuagint which is a Greek translation of the Old Testament dating in the second century B.C. When we compare these texts which have an 800-1000 years gap between them we are amazed that 95% of the texts are identical with only minor variations and a few discrepancies.

New Testament

There are tens of thousands of manuscripts from the New Testament, in part or in whole, dating from the second century A.D. to the late fifteenth century, when the printing press was invented. These manuscripts have been found in Egypt, Palestine, Syria, Turkey, Greece, and Italy, making collusion unlikely. The oldest manuscript, the John Rylands manuscript, has been dated to 125 A.D. and was found in Egypt, some distance from where the New Testament was originally composed in Asia Minor. Many early Christian papyri, discovered in 1935, have been dated to 150 A.D., and include the four gospels. The Papyrus Bodmer II, discovered in 1956, has been dated to 200 A.D., and contains 14 chapters and portions of the last seven chapters of the gospel of John. The Chester Beatty biblical papyri, discovered in 1931, has been dated to 200-250 A.D. and contains the Gospels, Acts, Paul’s Epistles, and Revelation. The number of manuscripts is extensive compared to other ancient historical writings, such as Caesar’s “Gallic Wars” (10 Greek manuscripts, the earliest 950 years after the original), the “Annals” of Tacitus (2 manuscripts, the earliest 950 years after the original), Livy (20 manuscripts, the earliest 350 years after the original), and Plato (7 manuscripts).

Manuscript Evidence for Ancient Writings Author Written Earliest Copy Time Span # Mss.
Caesar 100-44 B.C. 900 A.D. 1,000 yrs 10
Plato 427-347 B.C. 900 A.D. 1,200 yrs 7
Thucydides 460-400 B.C. 900 A.D. 1,300 yrs 8
Tacitus 100 A.D. 1100 A.D. 1,000 yrs 20
Suetonius 75-160 A.D. 950 A.D. 800 yrs 8
Homer (Iliad) 900 B.C. 400 B.C. 500 yrs 643
New Testament 40-100 A.D. 125 A.D. 25-50 yrs 24,000

Thousands of early Christian writings and lexionaries (first and second century) cite verses from the New Testament. In fact, it is nearly possible to put together the entire New Testament just from early Christian writings. For example, the Epistle of Clement to the Corinthians (dated 95 A.D.) cites verses from the Gospels, Acts, Romans, 1 Corinthians, Ephesians, Titus, Hebrews, and 1 Peter. The letters of Ignatius (dated 115 A.D.) were written to several churches in Asia Minor and cites verses from Matthew, John, Romans, 1 & 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus. These letters indicate that the entire New Testament was written in the first century A.D. In addition, there is internal evidence for a first century date for the writing of the New Testament. The book of Acts ends abruptly with Paul in prison, awaiting trial (Acts 28:30-31 (1)). It is likely that Luke wrote Acts during this time, before Paul finally appeared before Nero. This would be about 62-63 A.D., meaning that Acts and Luke were written within thirty years of ministry and death of Jesus. Another internal evidence is that there is no mention of the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. Although Matthew, Mark and Luke record Jesus’ prophecy that the temple and city would be destroyed within that generation (Matthew 24:1-2 (2),Mark 13:1-2 (3), Luke 21:5-9,20-24,32(4)), no New Testament book refers to this event as having happened. If they had been written after 70 A.D., it is likely that letters written after 70 A.D. would have mentioned the fulfillment of Jesus’ prophecy. As stated by Nelson Glueck, former president of the Jewish Theological Seminary in the Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati, and renowned Jewish archaeologist, “In my opinion, every book of the New Testament was written between the forties and eighties of the first century A.D.”

With all of the massive manuscript evidence you would think there would be massive discrepancies – just the opposite is true. New Testament manuscripts agree in 99.5% (5) of the text (compared to only 95% for the Iliad). Most of the discrepancies are in spelling and word order. A few words have been changed or added. There are two passages that are disputed but no discrepancy is of any doctrinal significance (i.e., none would alter basic Christian doctrine). Most Bibles include the options as footnotes when there are discrepancies. How could there be such accuracy over a period of 1,400 years of copying? Two reasons: The scribes that did the copying had meticulous methods for checking their copies for errors. 2) The Holy Spirit made sure we would have an accurate copy of God’s word so we would not be deceived. The Mormons, theological liberals as well as other cults and false religions such as Islam that claim the Bible has been tampered with are completely proven false by the extensive, historical manuscript evidence.

Source: http://www.godandscience.org/apologetics/bibleorg.html

365 Messianic Prophecies Jesus Fulfilled

Thursday, August 4th, 2011 by Greg

365 Messianic Prophecies

The following is a list of prophecies in the Jewish scriptures that Jesus fulfilled.

1. Genesis 3:15…..Seed of a woman (virgin birth)…..Luke 1:35, Matthew 1:18-20
2. Genesis 3:15…..He will bruise Satan’s head…..Hebrews 2:14, 1 John 3:18
3. Genesis 5:24….The bodily ascension to heaven illustrated….Mark 6:19
4. Genesis 9:26-27…The God of Shem will be the Son of Shem…Luke 3:36
5. Genesis 12:3…As Abraham’s seed, will bless all nations…Acts 3:25,26
6. Genesis 12:7…The The Promise made made to Abraham’s Seed…Galatians 3:16
7. Genesis 14:18…A priest after Melchizedek…Hebrews 6:20
8. Genesis 14:18……..A King also……..Hebrews 7:2
9. Genesis 14:18…The Last Supper foreshadowed…Matthew 26:26-29
10. Genesis 17:19…….The Seed of Isaac…….Romans. 9:7
11. Genesis 21:12 …Seed of Isaac…Romans 9:7, Hebrews 11:18
12. Genesis 22:8…The Lamb of God promised…John 1:29
13. Genesis 22:18…As Isaac’s seed, will bless all nations…Galatians 3:16
14. Genesis26:2-5..The Seed of Isaac promised as the Redeemer..Hebrews11:18
15. Genesis 49:10…The time of His coming…Luke 2:1-7; Galatians 4:4
16. Genesis 49:10…….The Seed of Judah…….Luke 3:33
17. Genesis 49:10……Called Shiloh or One Sent……John 17:3
18. Genesis 49:10…To come before Judah lost identity…John 11:47-52
19. Genesis 49:10…To Him shall the obedience of the people be…John 10:16
20. Exodus 3:13,14……..The Great “I Am”…….John 4:26
21. Exodus 12:5…A Lamb without blemish…1 Pet. 1:19
22. Exodus 12:13…The blood of the Lamb saves Romans wrath…Romans. 5:8
23. Exodus 12:21-27…Christ is our Passover…1 Corinthians 5;7
24. Exodus 12:46…Not a bone of the Lamb to be broken…John 19:31-36
25. Exodus 13:2…Blessing to first born son…Luke 2:23
26. Exodus 15:2…His exaltation predicted as Yeshua…Acts 7:55,56
27. Exodus 15:11…His Character-Holiness…Luke 1:35; Acts 4:27
28. Exodus 17:6…The Spiritual Rock of Israel…1 Corinthians 10;4
29. Exodus 33:19…His Character-Merciful…Luke 1:72
30. Leviticus14:11…The leper cleansed-Sign to priesthood..Luke5:12-14; Acts 6:7
31. Leviticus16:15-17…Prefigures Christ’s once-for-all death…Hebrews 9:7-14
32. Leviticus16:27…Suffering outside the Camp…Matthew 27:33; Hebrews 13:11, 12
33. Leviticus17:11…The Blood-the life of the flesh…Matthew 26;28; Mark 10:45
34. Leviticus17:11…It is the blood that makes atonement…1 John 3:14-18
35. Leviticus23:36-37…The Drink-offering: “If any man thirst.” ..John 19:31-36
36. Numbers 9:12…Not a bone of Him broken…John 19:31-36
37. Numbers 21:9…The serpent on a pole-Christ lifted up…John 3:14-18
38. Numbers 24:8… Flight to Egypt…Matthew 2:14
39. Numbers 24:17…Time: “I shall see him, but not now.”…Galatians 4:4
40. Numbers 24:17-19…A star out of Jacob…Matthew 2:2, Luke 1:33,78, Revelation 22:16
41. Deuteronomy 18:15…”This is of a truth that prophet.”…John 6:14
42. Deuteronomy 18:15-16…”Had ye believed Moses, ye would believe me.”…John 5:45-47
43. Deuteronomy 18:18…Sent by the Father to speak His word…John 8:28, 29
44. Deuteronomy 18:19…Whoever will not hear must bear his sin…John 12:15
45. Deuteronomy 21:13-23…As a prophet…John 6:14; 7:40, Acts 3:22,23
46. Deuteronomy 21:23…Cursed is he that hangs on a tree…Galatians 3:10-13
47. Ruth 4:4-9…Christ, our kinsman, has redeemed us…Ephesians 1:3-7
48. 1 Samuel 2:10…Shall be an anointed King to the Lord…Matthew 28:18; John 12:15
49. 2 Samuel 7:12…David’s Seed…Matthew 1:1
50. 2 Samuel 7:14a…The Son of God… Luke 1:32
51. 2 Samuel 7:16…David’s house established forever…Luke 3:31; Rev. 22:16
52. 2 Samuel 23:2-4…would be the “Rock”…1 Corinthians 10:4
53. 2 Samuel 23:2-4…would be as the “light of the morning”…Revelation 22:16
54. 2 Kings 2:11…The bodily ascension to heaven illustrated…Luke 24:51
55. 1 Chronicles 17:11…David’s Seed…Matthew 1:1; 9:27
56. 1 Chronicles 17:12, 13a…To reign on David’s throne forever…Luke 1:32, 33
57. 1 Chronicles 17:13a…”I will be His Father, He…my Son.”…Hebrews 1:5
58. Job 19:23-27…The Resurrection predicted…John 5:24-29
59. Psalms 2:1-3…The enmity of kings foreordained…Acts 4:25-28
60. Psalms 2:2…To own the title, Anointed (Christ)…Acts 2:36
61. Psalms 2:6…His Character-Holiness…John 8:46; Rev. 3:7
62. Psalms 2:6…To own the title King…Matthew 2:2
63. Psalms 2:7…Declared the Beloved Son…Matthew 3:17
64. Psalms 2:7, 8…The Crucifixion and Resurrection intimated…Acts 13:29-33
65. Psalms 2:12…Life comes through faith in Him…John 20:31
66. Psalms 8:2…The mouths of babes perfect His praise…Matthew 21:16
67. Psalms 8:5, 6…His humiliation and exaltation…Luke 24:50-53; 1 Corinthians 15:27
68. Psalms 16:10…Was not to see corruption…Acts 2:31
69. Psalms 16:9-11…Was to arise from the dead…John 20:9
70. Psalms 17;15…The resurrection predicted…Luke 24:6
71. Psalms 22:1…Forsaken because of sins of others…2 Corinthians 5:21
72. Psalms 22:1…Words spoken from Calvary, “My God…” Mark 15:34
73. Psalms 22:2…Darkness upon Calvary…Matthew 27:45
74. Psalms 22:7…They shoot out the lip and shake the head…Matthew 27:39
75. Psalms 22:8..” He trusted in God, let Him deliver Him “…Matthew 27:43
76. Psalms 22:9……Born the Savior……Luke 2:7
77. Psalms 22:14…Died of a broken (ruptured) heart…John 19:34
78. Psalms 22:14,15…Suffered agony on Calvary…Mark 15:34-37
79. Psalms 22:15……..He thirsted……..John 19:28
80. Psalms 22:16…They pierced His hands and His feet….John 19:34,37;20:27
81. Psalms 22:17,18…Stripped Him before the stares of men…Luke 23:34,35
82. Psalms 22:18…..They parted His garments…..John 19:23,24
83. Psalms 22:20,21…He committed Himself to God…Luke23:46
84. Psalms 22:20,21..Satanic power bruising the Redeemer’s heel.. Hebrews 2:14
85. Psalms 22:22…..His Resurrection declared…..John 20:17
86. Psalms 22:27…He shall be the governor of the nations…Col 1:16
87. Psalms 22:31……”It is finished”……John 19:30
88. Psalms 23:1….”I am the Good Shepherd”….John 10:11
89. Psalms 24:3……His exaltation predicted……Acts 1:11; Phil. 2:9
90. Psalms 27:12…Accused by false witnesses…Matthew 26:60,61, Mark 14:57,58
91. Psalms 30:3……His resurrection predicted……Acts 2:32
92. Psalms 31:5…”Into thy hands I commit my spirit”…Luke 23:46
93. Psalms 31:11…His acquaintances fled from Him…Mark 14:50
94. Psalms 31:13…They took counsel to put Him to death…John 11:53
95. Psalms 31:14,15…” He trusted in God, let Him deliver him”…Matthew 27:43
96. Psalms 34:20…..Not a bone of Him broken…..John 19:31-36
97. Psalms 35:11….False witnesses rose up against Him….Matthew 26:59
98. Psalms 35:19…He was hated without a cause…John 15:25
99. Psalms 38:11…..His friends stood afar off…..Luke 23:49
100. Psalms 40:2-5…The joy of His resurrection predicted…John 20:20
101. Psalms 40:6-8….His delight-the will of the Father….John 4:34
102. Psalms 40:9….He was to preach the Righteousness in Israel….Matthew 4:17
103. Psalms 40:14…Confronted by adversaries in the Garden…John
104. Psalms 41:9…..Betrayed by a familiar friend…..John 13:18
105. Psalms 45:2…Words of Grace come from His lips.. Luke 4:22
106. Psalms 45:6…To own the title, God or Elohim…Hebrews 1:8
107. Psalms 45:7…A special anointing by the Holy Spirit…Matthew3:16; Hebrews1:9
108. Psalms 45:7,8…Called the Christ (Messiah or Anointed)…Luke 2:11
109. Psalms 49-15…His Resurrection…Acts 2:27; 13:35, Mark 16:6
110. Psalms 55:12-14…Betrayed by a friend, not an enemy…John 13:18
111. Psalms 55:15…Unrepentant death of the Betrayer…Matthew 27:3-5; Acts 1:16-19
112. Psalms 68:18…To give gifts to men…Ephesians 4:7-16
113. Psalms 68:18…Ascended into Heaven…Luke 24:51
114. Psalms 69:4…Hated without a cause…John 15:25
115. Psalms 69:8…A stranger to own brethren…Luke 8;20,21
116. Psalms 69:9…Zealous for the Lord’s House…John 2:17
117. Psalms 69:14-20…Messiah’s anguish of soul before crucifixion…Matthew 26:36-45
118. Psalms 69:20…”My soul is exceeding sorrowful.”…Matthew 26:38
119. Psalms 69:21…Given vinegar in thirst…Matthew 27:34
120. Psalms 69:26…The Savior given and smitten by God…John 17:4; 18:11
121. Psalms 72:10,11…Great persons were to visit Him…Matthew 2:1-11
122. Psalms 72:16…The corn of wheat to fall into the Ground…John 12:24
123. Psalms 72:17…His name, Yinon, will produce offspring…John 1:12,13
124. Psalms 72:17…All nations shall be blessed by Him…Acts 2:11,12,41
125. Psalms 78:1.2…He would teach in parables…Matthew 13:34-35
126. Psalms 78:2b…To speak the Wisdom of God with authority…Matthew 7:29
127. Psalms 88:8…They stood afar off and watched…Luke 23:49
128. Psalms 89:26…Messiah will call God His Father…Matthew 11:27
129. Psalms 89:27…Emmanuel to be higher than earthly kings…Luke 1:32,33
130. Psalms 89:35-37…David’s Seed, throne, kingdom endure forever…Luke 1:32,33
131. Psalms 89:36-37…His character-Faithfulness…Rev. 1:5
132. Psalms 90:2…He is from everlasting (Micah 5:2)…John 1:1
133. Psalms 91:11,12…Identified as Messianic; used to tempt Christ…Luke 4;10,11
134. Psalms 97:9…His exaltation predicted…Acts 1:11;Ephesians 1:20
135. Psalms 100:5…His character-Goodness…Matthew 19:16,17
136. Psalms 102:1-11…The Suffering and Reproach of Calvary…John 21:16-30
137. Psalms 102:16…Son of Man comes in Glory…Luke 21:24
Revelation 12:5-10
138. Psalms 102:25-27…Messiah is the Preexistent Son…Hebrews 1:10-12
139. Psalms 109:4…Prays for His enemies…Luke 23:34
140. Psalms 109:7,8…Another to succeed Judas…Acts 1:16-20
141. Psalms 109:25…Ridiculed…Matthew 27:39
142. Psalms 110:1…Son of David…Matthew 22:43
143. Psalms 110:1…To ascend to the right-hand of the Father…Mark16:19
144. Psalms 110:1…David’s son called Lord…Matthew 22:44,45
145. Psalms 110:4…A priest after Melchizedek’s order…Hebrews 6:20
146. Psalms 112:4…His character-Compassionate, Gracious, et al… Matthew 9;36
147. Psalms 118:17,18…Messiah’s Resurrection assured…Luke 24:5-7;1 Corinthians 15:20
148. Psalms 118:22,23…The rejected stone is Head of the corner…Matthew 21:42,43
149. Psalms 118:26a…The Blessed One presented to Israel…Matthew 21:9
150. Psalms 118:26b…To come while Temple standing…Matthew 21;12-15
151. Psalms 132:11…The Seed of David (the fruit of His Body)…Luke 1:32
152. Psalms 138:1-6…The supremacy of David’s Seed amazes kings… Matthew 2:2-6
153. Psalms 147:3,6…The earthly ministry of Christ described…Luke 4:18
154. Psalms 1:23…He will send the Spirit of God… John 16;7
155. Proverbs 8:22-23…The Messiah would be from everlasting…John 17:5
156. Proverbs 30:4…Declared to be the Son of God…John 3:13, Romans 1:2-4, 10:6-9, 2 Peter 1:17
157. Song of Solomon 5:16…The altogether lovely One…John 1:17
158. Isaiah 2:2-4…Repentance for the nations…Luke 24:47
159. Isaiah 4:2…Messiah reigning
160. Isaiah 5:1-6…Son of God’s vineyard: a parable of judgment
161. Isaiah 6:1…When Isaiah saw His glory… John 12:40-41
162. Isaiah 6:9-10…Parables fall on deaf ears…Matthew 13:13-15
163. Isaiah 6:9-12…Blinded to Christ and deaf to His words…Acts 28:23-29
164. Isaiah 7:14…To be born of a virgin…Luke 1:35
165. Isaiah 7:14…To be Emmanuel-God with us… Matthew 1:18-23
166. Isaiah 8:8…Called Emmanuel…Matthew 28:20
167. Isaiah 8:14…A stone of stumbling, a Rock of offense… 1 Pet. 2:8
168. Isaiah 9:1,2…His ministry to begin in Galilee…Matthew 4:12-17
169. Isaiah 9:6…A child born-Humanity…Luke 1:31
170. Isaiah 9:6…A Son given-Deity…Luke 1:32; John 1;14; 1 Tim. 3:16
171. Isaiah 9:6…Declared to be the Son of God with power… Romans. 1:3,4
172. Isaiah 9:6…The Wonderful One, Peleh…Luke 4:22
173. Isaiah 9:6…The Counselor, Yaatz…Matthew 13:54
174. Isaiah 9:6…The Mighty God, El Gibor…Matthew 11:20
175. Isaiah 9:6…The Everlasting Father, Avi Adth…John 8:58
176. Isaiah 9:6…The Prince of Peace, Sar Shalom…John . 16:33
177. Isaiah 9:7…To establish an everlasting kingdom…Luke 1:32-33
178. Isaiah 9:7…His Character-Just…John 5:30
179. Isaiah 9:7…No end to his Government, Throne, and Peace…Luke 1:32-33
180. Isaiah 11:1…Called a Nazarene-the Branch, Netzer…Matthew 2:23
181. Isaiah 11:1…A rod out of Jesse-Son of Jesse…Luke 3:23,32
182. Isaiah 11:2…The anointed One by the Spirit…Matthew 3;16,17
183. Isaiah 11:2…His Character-Wisdom, Understanding, et al….John 4:4-26
184. Isaiah 11:4…His Character-Truth…John 14:6
185. Isaiah 11:10…The Gentiles seek Him…John 12:18-21
186. Isaiah 12:2…Called Jesus-Yeshua (salvation)…Matthew 1:21
187. Isaiah 16:4,5…Reigning in mercy…Luke 1:31-33
188. Isaiah 22:21-25…Peg in a sure place…Revelation 3:7
189. Isaiah 25:8…The Resurrection predicted…I Corinthians 15:54
190. Isaiah 26:19…His power of Resurrection predicted…John 11:43,44
191. Isaiah 28:16…The Messiah is the precious corner stone…Acts 4:11,12
192. Isaiah 29:13…He indicated hypocritical obedience to His Word…Matthew 15:7-9
193. Isaiah 29:14…The wise are confounded by the Word…I Corinthians 1:18-31
194. Isaiah 32:2…A Refuge-A man shall be a hiding place…Matthew 23:37
195. Isaiah 33:22…Son of the Highest…Luke 1:32; 1 Timothy 1:17 6:15
196. Isaiah 35:4…He will come and save you…Matthew 1:21
197. Isaiah 35:5…To have a ministry of miracles…Matthew 11:4-6
198. Isaiah 40:3,4…Preceded by forerunner…John 1:23
199. Isaiah 40:9…”Behold your God.”…John 1:36;19:14
200. Isaiah 40:11…A shepherd-compassionate life-giver…John 10:10-18
201. Isaiah 42:1-4…The Servant-as a faithful, patient redeemer… Matthew12:18-21
202. Isaiah 42:2…Meek and lowly… Matthew 11:28-30
203. Isaiah 42:3…He brings hope for the hopeless… John 4
204. Isaiah 42:4…The nations shall wait on His teachings… John 12:20-26
205. Isaiah 42:6…The Light (salvation) of the Gentiles…Luke 2:32
206. Isaiah 42:1,6…His is a Worldwide compassion… Matthew 28:19,20
207. Isaiah 42:7…Blind eyes opened… John 9:25-38
208. Isaiah 42:13-25…Messiah’s actions at His second coming…Revelation
209. Isaiah 43:11…He is the only Savior… Acts 4:12
210. Isaiah 44:3…He will send the Spirit of God… John 16:7,13
211. Isaiah 45:23…He will be the Judge… John 5:22;Romans. 14:11
212. Isaiah 48:12…The First and the Last…John 1:30;Rev. 1:8,17
213. Isaiah 48:17…He came as a Teacher…John 3:2
214. Isaiah 49:1…Called from the womb-His humanity…Matthew 1:18
215. Isaiah 49:5…A Servant from the womb…Luke 1:31;Phil. 2:7
216. Isaiah 49:6…He is Salvation for Israel…Luke 2:29-32
217. Isaiah 49:6…He is the Light of the Gentiles…Acts 13:47
218. Isaiah 49:6…He is Salvation unto the ends of the earth… Acts 15:7-18
219. Isaiah 49:7…He is despised of the Nation… John 8:48-49
220. Isaiah 50:3…Heaven is clothed in black at His humiliation… Luke 23:44,45
221. Isaiah 50:4…He is a learned counselor for the weary… Matthew 11:28,29
222. Isaiah 50:5…The Servant bound willingly to obedience… Matthew 26:39
223. Isaiah 50:6a…”I gave my back to the smiters.”… Matthew 27:26
224. Isaiah 50:6b…He was smitten on the cheeks… Matthew 26:67
225. Isaiah 50:6c…He was spat upon… Matthew 27:30
226. Isaiah 52:4-5…Suffered vicariously…Mark 15:3,4,27,28; Luke 23:1-25,32-34
227. Isaiah 52:7…To publish good tidings of peace… Luke 4:14,15
228. Isaiah 52:13…The Servant exalted…Acts 1:8-11; Ephesians 1:19-22
229. Isaiah 52:13…Behold, My Servant… Matthew 17:5; Phil. 2:5-8
230. Isaiah 52:14…The Servant shockingly abused… Luke 18:31-34; Matthew 26:67,68
231. Isaiah 52:15…Nations startled by message of the Servant… Romans. 15:18-21
232. Isaiah 52:15…His blood shed to make atonement for all… Rev. 1:5
233. Isaiah 53:1…His people would not believe Him… John 12:37-38
234. Isaiah 53:2a…He would grow up in a poor family…. Luke 2:7
235. Isaiah 53:2b…Appearance of an ordinary man… Phil. 2:7-8
236. Isaiah 53:3a…Despised…. Luke 4:28-29
237. Isaiah 53:3b…Rejected… Matthew 27:21-23
238. Isaiah 53:3c…Great sorrow and grief… Luke 19:41-42
239. Isaiah 53:3d…Men hide from being associated with Him… Mark 14:50-52
240. Isaiah 53:4a…He would have a healing ministry… Luke 6:17-19
241. Isaiah 53:4b…He would bear the sins of the world… 1 Pet. 2:24
242. Isaiah 53:4c…Thought to be cursed by God… Matthew 27:41-43
243. Isaiah 53:5a…Bears penalty for mankind’s transgressions… Luke 23:33
244. Isaiah 53:5b…His sacrifice would provide peace between man and God… Col. 1:20
245. Isaiah 53:5c…His back would be whipped… Matthew 27:26
246. Isaiah 53:6a…He would be the sin-bearer for all mankind…Galatians 1:4
247. Isaiah 53:6b…God’s will that He bear sin for all mankind… 1 John 4:10
248. Isaiah 53:7a…Oppressed and afflicted… Matthew 27:27-31
249. Isaiah 53:7b…Silent before his accusers… Matthew 27:12-14
250. Isaiah 53:7c…Sacrificial lamb… John 1:29
251. Isaiah 53:8a…Confined and persecuted… Matthew 26:47-27:31
252. Isaiah 53:8b…He would be judged… John 18:13-22
253. Isaiah 53:8c…Killed…. Matthew 27:35
254. Isaiah 53:8d…Dies for the sins of the world… 1 John 2:2
255. Isaiah 53:9a…Buried in a rich man’s grave… Matthew 27:57
256. Isaiah 53:9b…Innocent and had done no violence… Mark 15:3
257. Isaiah 53:9c…No deceit in his mouth… John 18:38
258. Isaiah 53:10a…God’s will that He die for mankind… John 18:11
259. Isaiah 53:10b…An offering for sin… Matthew 20:28
260. Isaiah 53:10c…Resurrected and live forever…. Mark 16:16
261. Isaiah 53:10d…He would prosper… John 17:1-5
262. Isaiah 53:11a…God fully satisfied with His suffering… John 12:27
263. Isaiah 53:11b…God’s servant… Romans. 5:18-19
264. Isaiah 53:11c…He would justify man before God… Romans. 5:8-9
265. Isaiah 53:11d…The sin-bearer for all mankind… Hebrews 9:28
266. Isaiah 53:12a…Exalted by God because of his sacrifice… Matthew 28:18
267. Isaiah 53:12b…He would give up his life to save mankind… Luke 23:46
268. Isaiah 53:12c…Grouped with criminals… Luke 23:32
269. Isaiah 53:12d…Sin-bearer for all mankind… 2 Corinthians 5:21
270. Isaiah 53:12e…Intercede to God in behalf of mankind… Luke 23:34
271. Isaiah 55:1…Every one come who is thirsty…New Testament
272. Isaiah 55:3…Resurrected by God… Acts 13:34
273. Isaiah 55:4…A witness… John 18:37
274. Isaiah 55:5…Foreign nations come to God…Acts
275. Isaiah 59:15-16a…He would come to provide salvation… John 6:40
276. Isaiah 59:15-16b…Intercessor between man and God… Matthew 10:32
277. Isaiah 59:20…He would come to Zion as their Redeemer… Luke 2:38
278. Isaiah 60:1-3…Nations walk in the light…Luke 2:32
279. Isaiah 61:1-2a…The Spirit of God upon him… Matthew 3:16-17
280. Isaiah 61:1-2b…The Messiah would preach the good news… Luke 4:17-21
281. Isaiah 61:1-2c…Provide freedom from the bondage of sin and death… John 8:31-32
282. Isaiah 61:1-2…Proclaim a period of grace… John 5:24
283. Isaiah 62:1-2…Called by an new name…Luke 2:32, Revelation 3:12
284. Isaiah 62:11…Thy King Cometh, Entered Jerusalem on Colt…Matthew 21:7
285. Isaiah 63:1-3…A vesture dipped in blood…Revelation 19:13
286. Isaiah 63:8,9…Afflicted with the afflicted…Matthew 25:34-40
287. Isaiah 65:9…The elect shall inherit…Romans 11 5-7, Hebrews 7:14, Revelation 5:5
288. Isaiah 65:17-25…New heaven/New Earth…2 Peter 3:13, Revelation 21:1
289. Isaiah 66:18-19…All nations come to God…New Testament
290. Jeremiah23:5-6a…Descendant of David…Luke 3:23-31
291. Jeremiah 23:5-6b…The Messiah would be God… John 13:13
292. Jeremiah 23:5-6c…The Messiah would be both God and Man… 1 Tim. 3:16
293. Jeremiah 30:9…Born a King…John 18:37, Revelation 1:5
294. Jeremiah 31:15…Massacre of infants…Matthew 2:16-18
295. Jeremiah 31:22…Born of a virgin… Matthew 1:18-20
296. Jeremiah 31:31…The Messiah would be the new covenant… Matthew 26:28
297. Jeremiah 33:14-15…Descendant of David… Luke 3:23-31
298. Ezekiel17:22-24…Descendant of David… Luke 3:23-31
299. Ezekiel 21:26,27…The humble exalted…Luke 1:52
300. Ezekiel34:23-24…Descendant of David… Matthew 1:1
301. Daniel 2:34-35…Stone cut without hands…Acts 4:10-12
302. Daniel 2:44,45…His Kingdom Triumphant…Luke 1:33, 1 Corinthians 15:24, Revelation 11:15
303. Dan. 7:13-14a…He would ascend into heaven… Acts 1:9-11
304. Dan. 7:13-14b…Highly exalted… Ephesians 1:20-22
305. Dan. 7:13-14c…His dominion would be everlasting… Luke 1:31-33
306. Daniel 7:27…Kingdom for the Saints…Luke 1:33, 1 Corinthians 15:24, Revelation 11:15
307. Dan. 9:24a…To make an end to sins… Galatians 1:3-5
308. Dan. 9:24b…He would be holy… Luke 1:35
309. Dan. 9:25…Announced to his people 483 years, to the exact day, after the decree to rebuild the city of Jerusalem… John 12:12-13
310. Dan. 9:26a…Killed… Matthew 27:35
311. Dan. 9:26b…Die for the sins of the world… Hebrews 2:9
312. Dan. 9:26c…Killed before the destruction of the temple… Matthew 27:50-51
313. Dan. 10:5-6…Messiah in a glorified state… Rev. 1:13-16
314. Hosea 3:5…Israel restored…John 18:37, Romans 11:25-27
315. Hosea 11:1, Numbers 24:8…Flight to Egypt…Matthew 2:14
316. Hosea 13:14…He would defeat death… 1 Corinthians 15:55-57
317. Joel 2:28-32…Promise of the Spirit…Acts 2:17-21, Romans 10:13
318. Joel 2:32…Offer salvation to all mankind… Romans. 10:12-13
319. Micah 2:12-13…Israel Regathered…John 10:14,26
320. Micah 4:1-8…The Kingdom established – place of Birth Bethlehem…Luke 1:33, Matthew 2:1, Luke 2:4,10,11
321. Micah 5:2a…Born in Bethlehem… Matthew 2:1-2
322. Micah 5:2b…God’s servant… John 15:10
323. Micah 5:2c…from everlasting… John 8:58
324. Haggai 2:6-9…He would visit the second Temple… Luke 2:27-32
325. Haggai 2:23…Descendant of Zerubbabel… Luke 3:23-27
326. Joel 2:28-32…Promise of the Spirit…Acts 2:17-21, Romans 10:13
327. Amos 8:9…The Sun Darkened…Matthew 24:29, Acts 2:20, Revelation 6:12
328. Amos 9:11-12…Restoration of tabernacle…Acts 14:16-18
329. Habakkuk 2:14…Earth filled with knowledge of the glory of the Lord…Romans 11:26, Revelation 21:23-26
330. Zechariah 2:10-13…The Lamb on the Throne…Revelation 5:13, 6:9, 21:24
331. Zechariah 3:8…God’s servant… John 17:4
332. Zechariah 6:12-13…Priest and King… Hebrews 8:1
333. Zechariah 9:9a…Greeted with rejoicing in Jerusalem… Matthew 21:8-10
334. Zechariah 9:9b…Beheld as King… John 12:12-13
335. Zechariah 9:9c…The Messiah would be just… John 5:30
336. Zechariah 9:9d…The Messiah would bring salvation… Luke 19:10
337. Zechariah 9:9e…The Messiah would be humble… Matthew 11:29
338. Zechariah 9:9f…Presented to Jerusalem riding on a donkey… Matthew 21:6-9
339. Zechariah 10:4…The cornerstone… Ephesians 2:20
340. Zechariah 11:4-6a…At His coming, Israel to have unfit leaders… Matthew 23:1-4
341. Zechariah 11:4-6b…Rejection causes God to remove His protection.. Luke 19:41-44
342. Zechariah 11:4-6c…Rejected in favor of another king… John 19:13-15
343. Zechariah 11:7…Ministry to “poor,” the believing remnant… Matthew 9:35-36
344. Zechariah 11:8a…Unbelief forces Messiah to reject them… Matthew 23:33
345. Zechariah 11:8b…Despised… Matthew 27:20
346. Zechariah 11:9…Stops ministering to the those who rejected Him… Matthew 13:10-11
347. Zechariah 11:10-11a…Rejection causes God to remove protection… Luke 19:41-44
348. Zechariah 11:10-11b…The Messiah would be God… John 14:7
349. Zechariah 11:12-13a…Betrayed for thirty pieces of silver… Matthew 26:14-15
350. Zechariah 11:12-13b…Rejected… Matthew 26:14-15
351. Zechariah 11:12-13c…Thirty pieces of silver thrown into the house of the Lord… Matthew 27:3-5
352. Zechariah 11:12-13d…The Messiah would be God… John 12:45
353. Zechariah 12:10a…The Messiah’s body would be pierced… John 19:34-37
354. Zechariah 12:10b…The Messiah would be both God and man… John 10:30
355. Zechariah 12:10c…The Messiah would be rejected… John 1:11
356. Zechariah 13:7a…God’s will He die for mankind… John 18:11
357. Zechariah 13:7b…A violent death… Matthew 27:35
358. Zechariah 13:7c…Both God and man.. John 14:9
359. Zechariah 13:7d…Israel scattered as a result of rejecting Him… Matthew 26:31-56
360. Malachi 3:1a…Messenger to prepare the way for Messiah… Matthew 11:10
361. Malachi 3:1b…Sudden appearance at the temple… Mark 11:15-16
362. Malachi 3:1c…Messenger of the new covenant… Luke 4:43
363. Malachi 3:3…Our Sins Are Purged…Luke 1:78, John 1:9; 12:46, 2 Peter 1:19, Revelation 2:28; 19:11-16; 22:16
364. Malachi 4:5…Forerunner in the spirit of Elijah… Matthew 3:1-2
365. Malachi 4:6…Forerunner would turn many to righteousness… Luke 1:16-17

And for leap year, you can have Psalm 21 as a Messianic Hymn and David’s praise.

Source: http://www.bibleprobe.com/365messianicprophecies.htm

What Does Worshipping the Image of the Beast (Revelation 13:15) Mean?

Thursday, July 28th, 2011 by Greg

What Does Worshipping the Image of the Beast (Revelation 13:15) Mean?
by Greg Loucks

Revelation 13:15 “And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.”

We today are bombarded by images everywhere. In one of my email accounts I get spam about X Rated links. Many of us do today! I choose not to click on them. But, if I did click on them and viewed the image. There is an emotional connection made to the image, when one views a pornographic image.

People need their emotions fulfilled. Some fill it with lust such as pornography. Some fill it with drugs and alcohol or cigarettes. Which, yes, I’m sorry, are another form of drug. Not everything may be a “drug” but everything and anything can be a drug to someone. Like pornography or sex.

We are also bombarded by ads everywhere. Subliminally they are proven to give us some form of emotional value to want to go buy the item. Movies and tv and music also have an emotional value. We are bombarded by images of violence, and sex and drug use, to name a few through movies and tv.

I believe the media has played a major role in the slow decline of our morality of our society. We are more accepting then we used to be of things. At one time in the 1960s, people had a fit that the tv show “I Dream of Genie” showed the main character’s belly button. In the tv show of the 1950s “I Dream of Genie” even though Desi and Lucy were married they slept in two different beds in the same bedroom.

I’m not saying we should go back to that, however tv shows and movies portray homosexuality as acceptable behavior, like “Will and Grace” and “Queer Eye For the Straight Guy” for example.

And it’s not just homosexuality we have embraced as a whole as a society, it is also many other numerous sins. Sex outside of marriage aka fornication, murder, lying, etc.

Many things, many, many, many things give us an emotional feeling, this is why so many things are popular today. And it has made us lose focus on things of God, things that really matter, that have eternal value. Our flesh is weak and our mortal bodies want to be fulfilled emotionally. Anything that has an emotional value to you, do you get pulled towards. I believe this is one of the ways in the future in Revelation and even now the enemy is using his schemes to trick us and lose our focus on God and the things of God. I also believe one day the anti-Christ will use the same tactics, but it is already happening today!

Romans 13 & Unlimited Subservience to the Government: Where should a Bible Believing Christian Draw the Line?

Monday, July 18th, 2011 by Greg

Romans 13 & Unlimited Subservience to the Government: Where should a Bible Believing Christian Draw the Line?
It seems that every time someone such as myself attempts to encourage our Christian brothers and sisters to resist an unconstitutional or otherwise reprehensible government policy, we hear the retort, “What about Romans Chapter 13? We Christians must submit to government. Any government. Read your Bible, and leave me alone.”
Or words to that effect.
No doubt, some who use this argument are sincere. They are only repeating what they have heard their pastor and other religious leaders say. On the other hand, let’s be honest enough to admit that some who use this argument are just plain lazy, apathetic, and indifferent.
And Romans 13 is their escape from responsibility. I suspect this is the much larger group, by the way.
Nevertheless, for the benefit of those who are sincere (but obviously misinformed), let’s briefly examine Romans Chapter 13. I quote Romans Chapter 13, verses 1 through 7, from the Authorized King James text:
“Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake. For this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God’s ministers, attending continually upon this very thing. Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor.”
Do our Christian friends who use these verses to teach that we should not oppose President Bush or any other political leader, really believe that civil magistrates have unlimited authority to do anything they want without opposition? I doubt whether they truly believe that.
For example, what if our President decided to resurrect the old monarchal custom of Jus Primae Noctis (Law of First Night)? That was the old medieval custom when the king claimed the right to sleep with a subject’s bride on the first night of their marriage. Would our sincere Christian brethren sheepishly say, “Romans Chapter 13 says we must submit to the government”?
I think not. And would any of us respect any man who would submit to such a law?
So, there are limits to authority.
A father has authority in his home, but does this give him power to abuse his wife and children? Of course not.
An employer has authority on the job, but does this give him power to control the private lives of his employees? No.
A pastor has overseer authority in the church, but does this give him power to tell employers in his church how to run their businesses? Of course not.
All human authority is limited in nature. No man has unlimited authority over the lives of other men. (Lordship and Sovereignty is the exclusive domain of Jesus Christ.)
By the same token, a civil magistrate has authority in civil matters, but his authority is limited and defined. Observe that Romans Chapter 13 clearly limits the authority of civil government by strictly defining its purpose: “For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil . . . For he is the minister of God to thee for good . . . for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.”
Notice that civil government must not be a “terror to good works.” It has no power or authority to terrorize good works or good people. God never gave it that authority. And any government that oversteps that divine boundary has no divine authority or protection.
Civil government is a “minister of God to thee for good.” It is a not a minister of God for evil. Civil magistrates have a divine duty to “execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.” They have no authority to execute wrath upon him that doeth good. None. Zilch. Zero. And anyone who says they do is lying.
So, even in the midst of telling Christians to submit to civil authority, Romans Chapter 13 limits the power and reach of civil authority.
Did Moses violate God’s principle of submission to authority when he killed the Egyptian taskmaster in defense of his fellow Hebrew?
Did Elijah violate God’s principle of submission to authority when he openly challenged Ahab and Jezebel?
Did David violate God’s principle of submission to authority when he refused to surrender to Saul’s troops?
Did Daniel violate God’s principle of submission to authority when he disobeyed the king’s law to not pray audibly to God?
Did the three Hebrew children violate God’s principle of submission to authority when they refused to bow to the image of the state?
Did John the Baptist violate God’s principle of submission to authority when he publicly scolded King Herod for his infidelity?
Did Simon Peter and the other Apostles violate God’s principle of submission to authority when they refused to stop preaching on the streets of Jerusalem? Act 5:29 Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.
Did Paul violate God’s principle of submission to authority when he refused to obey those authorities
who demanded that he abandon his missionary work? In fact, Paul spent almost as much time in jail as he did out of jail.
Remember that every apostle of Christ (except John) was killed by hostile civil authorities opposed to their endeavors. Christians throughout church history were imprisoned, tortured, or killed by civil authorities of all stripes for refusing to submit to their various laws and prohibitions. Did all of these Christian martyrs violate God’s principle of submission to authority?
So, even the great prophets, apostles, and writers of the Bible (including the writer of Romans Chapter 13) understood that human authority–even civil authority–is limited.
Plus, Paul makes it clear that our submission to civil authority must be predicated on more than fear of governmental retaliation. Notice, he said, “Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake.” Meaning, our obedience to civil authority is more than just “because they said so.” It is also a matter of conscience. This means we must think and reason for ourselves regarding the justness and rightness of our government’s laws.
Obedience is not automatic or robotic. It is a result of both rational deliberation and moral approbation.
Therefore, there are times when civil authority may need to be resisted. Either governmental abuse of power or the violation of conscience (or both) could precipitate civil disobedience. Of course, how and when we decide to resist civil authority is an entirely separate issue. And I will reserve that discussion for another time.
Beyond that, we in the United States of America do not live under a monarchy. We have no king. There is no single governing official in this country. America’s “supreme Law” does not rest with any man or any group of men. America’s “supreme Law” does not rest with the President, the Congress, or even the Supreme Court. In America, the U.S. Constitution is the “supreme Law of the Land.” Under our laws, every governing official publicly promises to submit to the Constitution of the United States. Do readers understand the significance of this distinction?
This means that in America the “higher powers” are not the men who occupy elected office; they are the tenets and principles set forth in the U.S. Constitution. Under our laws and form of government, it is the duty of every citizen, including our elected officials, to obey the U.S. Constitution.
Dear Christian friend, the above is exactly the proper understanding of our responsibility to civil authority in these United States, as per the teaching of Romans Chapter 13.
Furthermore, Christians, above all people, should desire that their elected representatives submit to the Constitution, because it is constitutional government that has done more to protect Christian liberty than any governing document ever devised by man..
As a result, Christians in America (for the most part) have not had to face the painful decision to “obey God rather than men” and defy their civil authorities.
The problem in America today is that we have allowed our political leaders to violate their oaths of office and to ignore, and blatantly disobey, the “supreme Law of the Land,” the U.S. Constitution.
Therefore, if we truly believe Romans Chapter 13, we will insist and demand that our civil magistrates submit to the U.S. Constitution.
Now, how many of us Christians are going to truly obey Romans Chapter 13?

FAITH BASED 501-c-3 Churches are part of HOMELAND SECURITY NOW!

Monday, July 18th, 2011 by Greg

FAITH BASED 501-c-3 Churches are part of HOMELAND SECURITY NOW!
The old cliché “Come shekels, Come shackles” had never been more apparent than on March 7, 2006 when President George Bush gave Executive Order 13397, which literally turned the churches that have taken Faith Based Funds over to the clutches of the Department of Homeland Security.
Following is the order in its entirety with a brief comment at the end by Barbara Ketay, of Melbourne, Florida, who is the Legal Associate of the Biblical Law Center and the President of the United States Bar Association.
In a subsequent article we will analyze this Order and its consequences further.
Executive Order 13397 “Church as a Governmental Agency.”
For Immediate Release Office of the Press Secretary March 7, 2006
Executive Order: Responsibilities of the Department of Homeland Security with Respect to Faith-Based and Community Initiatives
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, and in order to help the Federal Government coordinate a national effort to expand opportunities for faith-based and other community organizations and to strengthen their capacity to better meet America’s social and community needs, it is hereby ordered as follows:
Section 1. Establishment of a Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives at the Department of Homeland Security.
(a) The Secretary of Homeland Security (Secretary) shall establish within the Department of Homeland Security (Department) a Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives (Center).
(b) The Center shall be supervised by a Director appointed by Secretary. The Secretary shall consult with the Director of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives (WHOFBCI Director) prior to making such appointment.
(c) The Department shall provide the Center with appropriate staff, administrative support, and other resources to meet its responsibilities under this order.
(d) The Center shall begin operations no later than 45 days from the date of this order.
Sec. 2. Purpose of Center. The purpose of the Center shall be to coordinate agency efforts to eliminate regulatory, contracting, and other programmatic obstacles to the participation of faith-based and other community organizations in the provision of social and community services.
Sec. 3. Responsibilities of the Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives. In carrying out the purpose set forth in section 2 of this order, the Center shall:
(a) conduct, in coordination with the WHOFBCI Director, a department-wide audit to identify all existing barriers to the participation of faith-based and other community organizations in the delivery of social and community services by the Department, including but not limited to regulations, rules, orders, procurement, and other internal policies and practices, and outreach activities that unlawfully discriminate against, or otherwise discourage or disadvantage the participation of faith-based and other community organizations in Federal programs;
(b) coordinate a comprehensive departmental effort to incorporate faith-based and other community organizations in Department programs and initiatives to the greatest extent possible;
(c) propose initiatives to remove barriers identified pursuant to section 3(a) of this order, including but not limited to reform of regulations, procurement, and other internal policies and practices, and outreach activities;
(d) propose the development of innovative pilot and demonstration programs to increase the participation of faith-based and other community organizations in Federal as well as State and local initiatives; and
(e) develop and coordinate Departmental outreach efforts to disseminate information more effectively to faith-based and other community organizations with respect to programming changes, contracting opportunities, and other agency initiatives, including but not limited to Web and Internet resources.
Sec. 4. Reporting Requirements.
(a) Report. Not later than 180 days from the date of this order and annually thereafter, the Center shall prepare and submit a report to the WHOFBCI Director.
(b) Contents. The report shall include a description of the Department’s efforts in carrying out its responsibilities under this order, including but not limited to:
(i) a comprehensive analysis of the barriers to the full participation of faith-based and other community organizations in the delivery of social and community services identified pursuant to section 3(a) of this order and the proposed strategies to eliminate those barriers; and
(ii) a summary of the technical assistance and other information that will be available to faith-based and other community organizations regarding the program activities of the agency and the preparation of applications or proposals for grants, cooperative agreements, contracts, and procurement.
(c) Performance Indicators. The first report shall include annual performance indicators and measurable objectives for Departmental action. Each report filed thereafter shall measure the Department’s performance against the objectives set forth in the initial report.
Sec. 5. Responsibilities of the Secretary. The Secretary shall:
(a) designate an employee within the department to serve as the liaison and point of contact with the WHOFBCI Director; and
(b) cooperate with the WHOFBCI Director and provide such information, support, and assistance to the WHOFBCI Director as requested to implement this order.
Sec. 6. General Provisions. (a) This order shall be implemented subject to the availability of appropriations and to the extent permitted by law.
(b) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by a party against the United States, its agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
GEORGE W. BUSH
THE WHITE HOUSE

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2006/03/20060307-5.html

Comments by Barbara Ketay: In case you missed it, the separation of church and state is gone with the stroke of a pen. As of March 7, 2006, our nation’s illustrious leader signed another Executive Order, which tied the Department of Homeland Security to our leader’s “faith-based” churches. Wake up, all you non-profit churches – you now serve the federal government’s primary spying agency. That is now your primary function.
How stupid and positively corrupt can you possibly be to take money in exchange for manipulating your flocks of idiot sheep to the national slaughter? And will you also spy on your flock and provide reports to your new master? Remember that faith-based churches are now governmental agencies – just like public schools, mainline media, and all mass communication, etc. – nothing more and nothing less.
In exchange for money, have you agreed to pacify and organize your flock in the event of a national emergency? You certainly have, for you have been ordered to do so. You are being told what to do when more “crises” hits the nation, and we know more disasters will hit our nation, as all is now planned right down to our “weather emergencies.” All of this is providing the training and relocation exercises for the real crisis to come – the one that permanently collapses Constitutional America.
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IRS WARNS CHURCH MAY LOSE TAX EXEMPTION

Monday, July 18th, 2011 by Greg

IRS WARNS CHURCH MAY LOSE TAX EXEMPTION
Tuesday, November 08, 2005 – FreeMarketNews.com Free speech and the right to oppose policies you consider unjust may be even more at stake than we had thought under the present Administration. According to a Los Angeles Times story cited on What Really Happened, one of Southern California’s largest and most liberal churches could be losing its tax-exempt status, merely because of an anti-war sermon its now-former rector delivered, two days before the 2004 election. The Internal Revenue Service has warned the All Saints Episcopal Church in Pasadena, California, that it may be losing its tax exemption, citing a sermon by the Rev. George F. Regas, on Oct. 31, 2004. In his lesson that day, Regas (who had previously opposed from the pulpit both the Vietnam War and 1991’s Gulf War), imagined Jesus in a political debate with then-candidates George W. Bush and John Kerry. According to the story, he did not take sides or tell parishioners who to vote for, but he did criticize the war in Iraq, stating that Jesus would have called Bush’s pre-emptive war “a failed doctrine,” and that “Forcibly changing the regime of an enemy that posed no imminent threat has led to disaster.” Regas was rector of All Saints from 1967 to 1995, and was a guest speaker at that particular service. The response from the IRS was far from immediate, but the church received a notice on June 9 that “a reasonable belief exists that you may not be tax-exempt as a church,” citing an LA Times account of the Regas sermon. Perhaps most ironic is the fact that the IRS cited the Times’s coverage of the sermon, and not the sermon itself, as its basis for the decision; the Times went beyond quoting from the sermon’s text and characterized it as a “searing indictment of the Bush administration’s policies in Iraq,” which also described “tax cuts as inimical to the values of Jesus.” The IRS letter specifically cited these news report characterizations of Regas’s words. Meanwhile, current Rector J. Edwin Bacon was quoted as saying, “We are so careful at our church never to endorse a candidate. One of the strongest sermons I’ve ever given was against President Clinton’s fraying of the social safety net.” Phone calls by the Times, attempting to reach IRS officials in Washington, D.C. and Los Angeles for comment, were not returned. A further consideration is that churches all over California have been taking stances on both sides of the controversial Proposition 73, which would ban abortions for minors without parental notification. Some at All Saints believe they are being singled out in spite of the tolerance for this widespread political activity. Bacon said the church had retained the services of a Washington law firm with expertise in tax-exempt organizations, and told his congregation: “It’s important for everyone to understand that the IRS concerns are not supported by the facts.” In an October letter to the IRS, Marcus Owens, the church’s tax attorney and a former head of the IRS tax-exempt section, said, “It seems ludicrous to suggest that a pastor cannot preach about the value of promoting peace simply because the nation happens to be at war during an election season.” – ST staff reports – Free-Market News Network

Is Tax Exemption Modern-day Baal Worship?

Monday, July 18th, 2011 by Greg

Is Tax Exemption Modern-day Baal Worship?
By Dr. Don Boys
Many people have confused the tax issue as it relates to churches. And there is no comparison with personal taxes. That is a different subject altogether. The issue relating to churches and taxes is two-fold: Should churches pay taxes and do churches have a right to demand that all gifts be deductible from a contributor’s income tax? That is the issue before us today.
The Bible nor the Constitution speak to this issue of tax deduction. The fact that we have been permitted to deduct from our taxes what we give to the church is simply a benefit that we have had since the income tax was foisted upon us in 1913. I believe that benefit is coming to an end – and maybe it should!
Should churches be willing to bow to Baal in order to have the privilege of tax deduction by its members? Remember the principle that if you get a benefit from government, you willingly put yourself (or church) under its authority while at the same time losing some autonomy.
The Bob Jones decision (where the Supreme Court twisted the Constitution and reality like a pretzel) will haunt us for decades. If a church stands for anything contrary to “public policy” it will be said to be in violation of the Constitution. What is “public policy”? If you preach against perversion, abortion, welfare, etc. then you are going against “public policy” and may lose your tax exemption.
Should a church have tax exempt status especially when you realize the price that must be paid to keep it? The price? Obedience to Federal regulations. If a church did not have the benefits of tax exemption, there would be no “sword” over it. A pastor could preach about any moral issue and could support any political candidate without fear of losing that tax exempt status since the church would not have it to lose.
Another question: Suppose you knew a candidate for office were another Hitler who would do irreparable harm to our nation and wreak havoc with our churches. Under the law your church cannot help defeat him and help elect his opponent. Why? Because that is part of the “contract” you have with the government. Is it worth it? Is it now past time for churches to declare themselves totally independent of government coercion by surrendering their tax exempt status?
Frankly, I think the issue is moot because I believe the government will “cut the cord” between us in order to collect more personal taxes from each of us. Of course, concerned pastors will ask: Will church members continue to give the same amount if their gifts are not deductible from their tax returns? Wise pastors should start preparing their people NOW for that day.
We have bowed the knee to Baal for too long, and while government has its legitimate place, it is not at church! Maybe it is time to tell public officials to keep their grubby hands off the Church of Jesus Christ and keep them out of church coffers. And as for tax exemption, we will trade it for our freedom. Not a bad deal when you come to think about it, and I hope you will.
Don Boys, Ph.D

Church Organization Refuses To Divulge If Pastors Are On FEMA Payroll

Monday, July 18th, 2011 by Greg

Church Organization Refuses To Divulge If Pastors Are On FEMA Payroll Paul Joseph Watson Prison Planet.com Monday, February 2, 2009
A large church organization has refused to divulge how many of its pastors are on the FEMA payroll, after a member expressed concerns about religious leaders being used to condition their congregation to accept the declaration of martial law. In a May 2006 story we first broke the shocking news that FEMA was training pastors and other religious representatives to become secret police enforcers who teach their congregations to “obey the government” in preparation for a declaration of martial law, property and firearm seizures, and forced relocation. Despite debunkers and urban myth websites claiming the story was a hoax, it was confirmed in triplicate by mainstream news outlets over a year later. A KSLA news report confirmed that Clergy Response Teams are being trained by the federal government to “quell dissent” and pacify citizens to obey the government in the event of a declaration of martial law. Concerned about such developments, a member of the California-based Worldwide Church of God, an organization that boasts 64,000 members in 860 congregations in about 90 countries, asked if any of the church‟s pastors were involved in the FEMA program. “The head office quickly replied hastily within an hour by telling me, “Sorry, that is privileged information”, the man states. “The reply was in big bold script like I‟ve never seen before in emails. I was also a bit put off by the word “privileged.” “I responded to the stated email and reworded my request slightly by demanding, “are there ANY of our pastors on the payroll of FEMA , YES or NO.” Their first response came after about an hour. But, it has been almost 24 hours and I am still waiting for my church‟s second response to my second request,” he adds. It seems that church groups are reticent to let slip any information concerning the issue of pastors being trained to help manage a state of martial law following the controversy stirred up by the exposure of the program in 2006. Indeed, the pastors that took a risk by first divulging the information to us were later threatened by Homeland Security and told to keep their mouths shut. With new legislation in Congress pending that will mandate the set-up of a network of FEMA camp facilities to be used to house U.S. citizens in the event of a national emergency, along with the announcement that tens of thousands of active military personnel are to be placed inside the United States under Northcom, partly for purposes of dealing with “civil unrest” and “crowd control”, fears about a state of martial law being prepared are no longer the fantasies of paranoid conspiracy theorists, but an all too real possibility as we move towards the end of the first decade of the 21st century.

http://www.infowars.com/church-organization-refuses-to-divulge-if-pastors-are-on-fema-payroll/

L.A. ministers asked to spread the word about digital TV – Los Angeles Times

Monday, July 18th, 2011 by Greg

L.A. ministers asked to spread the word about digital TV – Los Angeles Times By Nathan Olivarez-Giles February 10, 2009 Federal regulators shepherding the U.S. digital television transition visited Los Angeles on Monday and asked for divine assistance. Broadcasters turn off their analog signals in just over four months, and Federal Communications Commission staffers can’t make sure that people buy and set up the converter boxes they’ll need for their older TV sets that are hooked up to antennas.Who can? Ministers. “We need people to take up leadership in their community and make sure nobody gets left out in the switch,” FCC Commissioner Jonathan S. Adelstein said during a public forum at the Mount Moriah Baptist Church in South Los Angeles. “Churches already have the infrastructure in place to do that.” Standing at the church pulpit, Adelstein asked the Baptist Ministries Conference of Los Angeles, nearly 50 African American preachers who meet once a month, to include information on the June 12 digital TV switch in their sermons.L.A. County has the largest number of over-the-air viewers in the country, Adelstein said, and those viewers are concentrated in the minority and elderly communities. “It’s sort of an ad-hoc approach to handling this situation, but the next four months will fly by and we need to be ready,” he said. Adelstein and five local FCC field officers handed out applications for $40 coupons for digital-to-analog converter boxes. They also dispensed a few pieces of advice: There isn’t much difference between a $40 converter box and a $70 model; and cable and satellite TV customers don’t need one at all. Adelstein and the field officers spent their morning at a senior center in West Covina, where they explained the upcoming switch and showed how to connect a converter box to a TV. After the midday stop at the church, the group headed to Cal State L.A. to reach out to the Latino community. The transition, originally scheduled for Feb. 17, was delayed last week by Congress until June 12. FCC field officers are planning more meetings in schools, churches and neighborhood centers before the switch, Adelstein said. The Monday meeting at Mount Moriah was organized by the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights. Woodie Ramsey, a deacon at Southern Missionary Baptist Church of South East Los Angeles, said the ministers were prepared to spread the word. “It’s incumbent upon each church to take care of the needs of its ministry, and this is just one more need for our people,” he said. “We’ll do our part.”

http://www.latimes.com/technology/la-fi-digitaltv10-2009feb10,0,4225388.story?track=rss

Unincorporated Associations are Not Unregistered New Testament Churches

Monday, July 18th, 2011 by Greg

Unincorporated Associations Are Not Unregistered New Testament Churches
By Dr. Greg Dixon–The subject that we are dealing with, in my opinion, is the most confusing subject among preachers and church lay folks and even attorneys that we have to deal with constantly at the Biblical Law Center. For instance, often preachers say to us, “Our church isn’t a 501(c)(3) church because we aren’t incorporated.” We will ask, “Does the church have a bank account, EIN #, trustees, Constitution and By-laws, conduct an annual business meeting, give tax deductible receipts, file tax-exempt forms, file for mercantile permits, support missionaries through an incorporated missions board, or is the church listed in a Denomination or Incorporated Fellowship Directory, etc.?” If the answer to any of these is “yes,” then even if the church is not incorporated, it has the trappings of a corporation; and besides this, by its very existence it is considered a tax-exempt organization by the Internal Revenue Service according to Publication 1828 – Tax Guide for Churches and Other Tax-Exempt Organizations. We do not have the space in this article to try and prove to the skeptics that all of the above are the trappings of corporate activities, and that there are many court cases and examples to give evidence of these facts. Many of them are in my book The Trail of Blood Revisited (Faith Publications – 4th Printing). The next error that we keep hearing is the erroneous idea that churches are automatically tax-exempt. Well, this isn’t true, either. Let’s examine this issue further. The IRS considers the unincorporated church to be a legal entity called an “unincorporated association” or “religious society,” to be treated as any other non-profit organization or “public charity” under Section 501(c)(3) of Title 26 of the Internal Revenue Code at 508.
508. Special rules with respect to section 501(c)(3) organization
(1) Mandatory exceptions. – (a) and (b) shall not apply to-
(A) churches, their integrated auxiliaries, and conventions or associations, or . . . First you will notice that all churches, whether incorporated or not, are considered to be 501(c)(3) tax-exempt public charities according to the IRS. Churches, regardless of doctrine, whether incorporated or unincorporated, are treated the same by the IRS. They do not have to file any forms for “tax-exemption.” But it does not say that they have a “Mandatory Tax- Exemption.” Under (1) it says “Mandatory exception.” Now there is a big difference between “exemption” and “exception.” For one, exemption is not mandatory, only the exception is mandatory. But before we look at the difference, let’s notice the status of the “association.”
1. The unincorporated church is considered a legal entity 501(c)(3) at 508 IRS State Church Defined IRS Publication 1828; pg. 1 Churches and religious organizations may be legally organized …under state law, including as un-incorporated associations, non-profit corporations, corporations sole and charitable trusts. But the problem is, if the church does any of the things mentioned above, they are involved in legal enterprises and are or have operated as a legal entity. It’s called entanglement.
2. The Association is one of the four recognized IRS Approved Churches mentioned above. Churches, organized in the four ways mentioned above, including the association, are exempt from corporate taxes at the federal and state level on what is called normal religious activities if they meet the preponderance of a 14 point criteria that was first officially announced by IRS Director Jerome Kurtz in January of 1978, which was the first time in America that this IRS State Church was defined. Beginning at that point all churches, to be tax exempt, must meet this definition in America today. See Pub. 1828 Pg. 1 – “CHURCH – Certain characteristics are generally attributed to churches. These attributes of a church have been developed by the IRS and by court decisions. [Editors note: not by the Bible] They include: a) A distinct legal existence (which includes one of the four mentioned in paragraph one above), b) A recognized creed and form of worship, c) A definite and distinct ecclesiastical government, d) A formal code of doctrine and discipline, e) A distinct religious history, f) A membership not associated with any other church or denomination, g) An organization of ordained ministers, h) Ordained ministers selected after completing prescribed courses of study, i) A literature of its own, j) Established places of worship, k) Regular congregations, l) Regular religious services, m) “Sunday schools” for the religious instruction of the young, n) Schools for the preparation of its ministers. “These characteristics, together with other facts…are used to determine whether an organization is a church for federal tax purposes.” (Emphasis mine) Now compare all of this drivel to the clear, simple language of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” The churches have traded 16 simple words of liberty for the quicksand of the 501(c)(3) trap that has polluted the pure flow of the gospel of grace from flowing throughout our land and even the entire world through the world wide missionary effort.
3. The difference between a Religious Organization and a Church We hear people say constantly at the Biblical Law Center that churches don’t have to be incorporated because churches have mandatory tax-exemption. This is not what the IRC says. It says a “mandatory exception” not “exemption.” There is a vast difference. Churches have a “mandatory exception,” but religious organizations do not, such as non-profit ministries like the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, Inc. Para-church organizations do not have a “mandatory exception.” Neither do they have a “mandatory exemption.” First, if they want to be a non-profit organization, they have to file Form 1023 with the IRS. If they are accepted, then they have to file Form 990 annually. Not only are they exempt from corporate taxes, but they can also file for state property and sales tax exemptions. They can also receive tax deductible gifts from donors. But churches have these benefits automatically without having to file Form 1023 and the annual
990, and the pastor gets big time benefits too, but just hold on, the plot gets thicker.
4. Religious Organizations, including churches, have to meet strict rules to maintain their Tax Exempt Status – IRS Pub. 1828; pg. 1 “This publication explains the benefits and the responsibilities under the federal tax system for churches and religious organizations.” The IRS makes no distinction between churches and religious (parachurch) organizations. “No substantial part of its activity may be attempting to influence legislation,”
(Substantial is totally subjective on the part of the IRS) “The organization may not intervene in political campaigns.” “No part of the organization’s purpose or activities may be illegal or violate fundamental public policy.” Abortion, sodomy, unjust wars are all now a part of the federal “public policy” frame work of our nation. Back when the “fundamental public policy” reflected a Christian world view, the preachers were happy to accept these benefits, never considering the old adage, “Come shekels, Come shackles.” But the principle was still the same. Also, the organization and church, if it has minister “employees,” must collect and pay taxes to the federal and state government, which makes the church a collector and payer of taxes contrary to the scriptures. “And he said unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which be Caesar’s, and unto God the things which be God’s.” – Luke 20:25
5. The difference between Exception and Exemption Note: IRS Pub. 1828; pg. 1 IRC: Section 501(c) (3) describes charitable organizations, including churches and religious organizations, which qualify for exemption from federal income tax and generally are eligible to receive tax deductible contributions. You will notice that the exemption isn’t automatic. The church must qualify by meeting and maintaining the standards set up for tax-exempt organizations. IRS Pub. 1828; Page 2 “Churches that meet the requirements of Internal Revenue Code (IRC) Section
501(c)(3) are automatically considered exempt. And are not required to apply for and obtain recognition of tax exempt status from the IRS. However, even though churches are generally eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions, to qualify for tax exemption, such organizations must meet the following requirements:” Note: Churches are automatically considered exempt and are not required to apply for tax exempt status but they still have to meet “the following requirements.” So churches do not have automatic tax exemption. There is a vast difference between these two words. Just because a church, even if it isn’t incorporated, doesn’t have to file for tax-exempt status, it still has to “qualify” and maintain its tax-exempt status by meeting all of the standards that tax exempt organizations meet. Applying for Tax Exempt Status: Employer Identification Number
(EIN) Pub. 1828 Continues “Every tax-exempt organization, including a church, should have an EIN, whether or not the organization has employees. An organization that does not have an EIN should file Form SS-4 Application for Employer Identification ry! A better analogy might be lifting the sheepskin and finding long yellow teeth connected to a very hungry tummy. I thank God for allowing us to go through this trial and gain the knowledge to help expose this terrible tyranny. I am also thankful for the wisdom and perception of Judge Davis and the appeals court in rendering and upholding a ruling that would not license the plunder of untold Christian congregations across our land. Pastor Duane Cleghorn New Covenant Baptist Church Campbellsburg, Indiana Joshua 1:8, 9 – This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. Jos 1:9 Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest. There has been no repentance or acknowledgement of wrong doing on the part of Lewis in this whole sad spectacle. To him, everyone is to blame but him. This preacher is to blame because he says we influenced a church “split” to rebel against him, which is untrue. The
Ecclesiastical Council, a group of Baptist pastors, who at the request of the Shepherd Group examined all of the evidence and came to the basic conclusion of the secular courts in December 1999, is to blame, because they have no authority over his church and are a “Romish, Popish authority,” etc. The courts are to blame because they are crooked, etc. Now this is the strangest of all. In an email dated Dec. 14, Lewis admits that he lied in the Shepherd case in the following words: Sure I don’t confess to a stinking Marxist or Prostituting cop or lawyer/ judge something that they say is unlawful, if I have done nothing to break the laws of God! I am happy to “lie” like the Hebrew midwives did in Exodus 1:15-21; or like Rahab did in Joshua 2, James 2:25; and Hebrews 11:31.” This was in reference to Judge Davis’ excoriating accusations against him in his findings that said:
1. Trespass – By entering the property of Shepherd’s without permission and building fences within the boundaries of her land.
2. Conversion – By knowingly or intentionally exerting control over Shepherd’s property.
3. Lewis attempted to steal and attempted the offense of committed theft of Shepherd’s real estate.
4. Theft and Conversion – The Court finds that Lewis intentionally retained Shepherd’s real estate after he had by fraudulent and deceptive means convinced her to have it titled in Old Paths Baptist Church temporarily.
5. Fraud – Lewis intended to defraud and obtain title to Shepherd’s real property.
6. Deception – The Court specifically finds Lewis knowingly or intentionally deceived with the intent to obtain the proceeds of Shepherd’s dead husband’s life insurance. How do you think Judge Davis feels about this kind of treatment? Lewis is the one who asked the court to determine who was right. He is the one who subjected His church to a worldly court. He is the one who said by going to the court that he would abide by the court’s decision – and now he is saying that the court is “crooked?” Please see the article Unincorporated Associations Are Not Unregistered New Testament Churches on page 2 Number, in accordance with the instructions.” Again, we see the mind games they play. The word “should” as well as “may” are not imperatives in law, but rather are suggestions. However, in such an august setting as the IRC, it is given the color of law. Therefore, to be on the safe side, attorneys, CPAs, tax preparers, etc., because of a cowardly fear of “Big Brother,” recommend compliance. Banks then wade into the equation by demanding an EIN as if it is embedded in law. Then over time, the general practice becomes respectable, and then anyone who refuses to go along with the majority is looked upon as a misfit in society and is persecuted by the majority. Then the liberal news media finishes off the mass brainwashing job, aided by government, and heaps scorn on those non-conformists until judges and juries, through the courts, force the conduct into the respectability of law, bypassing the Legislative branch of government. Once the issue finally gets before a jury, generally in tax cases, either the judge instructs the jury to find the defendant guilty or the jury does it on their own. If it gets to the appeals courts, the justices then pick the corpse clean. This is the way a democracy – or rather a mobocracy – works. What we now have is an IRS recognized and controlled church in America, and without their approval and number, the Lord’s true churches cannot exist without a great deal of difficulty. This IRS approved State church includes weird religious cults of all kinds, witches covens, Jewish synagogues, mosques, Mormon Stakes or Buddhist Temples. The Supreme Court even allows the Babalu’s, a strange cult that cuts the heads off chickens in downtown Hialeah, Florida, to have their tax-exemption in spite of their violating the health laws of the city, because THEY HAVE THE NUMBER. When the Biblical Law Center aids in the organizing or reorganizing of a church using its methods, the church makes a Declaration that it is not one of these IRS “legal entities”, but rather a New Testament church recognizing the Lord Jesus Christ as its only Lord and Head.
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