BLB SCRIPT TAGGER

I have added new feature from Blue Letter Bible website. It's called "Script Tagger". In addition to having the best resources available for the bible student, the BLB has added this feature which I think you will like. When I list a verse from the bible from my Blog, when you hover over the  verse or chapter even, it will put up the entire verse or chapter in a window in the easy to read New King James Version for you to read! Try it out now on the verse above in my header (Deuteronomy 6:5-6,9) and notice it shows verse 5 and 6 in one box then verse 9 opens in second box. Psalm 119:105.

SHELLS

I’m walking the beach, getting exercise. I pass a few people here and there, and then I find myself on a lonely but beautiful stretch of beach. I turn around and head back the other direction. I notice a colorful shell partly in the sand. I pick it up and find that it is not perfect. It has a hole in it. That hole represents what killed the bivalve in the first place. A few more steps and I see a similar shell. I pick it up, and I see it is lacking a hole but it has barnacles on part of it. I throw it to the side. A few more steps and I find another. This time there are no imperfections. No holes, no barnacles. No chips or cracks. Even though I am supposed to be walking for exercise, I have to stop and take the time to pick up and keep hold of this magnificent creation.

I then realize there are innumerable shells everywhere along that stretch of beach. People have bags and are picking up shells. I see them picking some up and then discarding them to the side. They are chucking the imperfect ones as I did.

This struck me as a comparison of how if Jesus walked this beach He would look for the most perfect of shells. Even though shellfish are not kosher, Jesus has opened salvation up to the Jew and the Gentile. After His sacrificial death on the cross, both Jew and Gentile can believe on the Name of Jesus and be saved. These that believe that Jesus took on their sin at the cross become born again. They form the true church. They are believers, saints, new creations in Christ Jesus,

In order for that shell to show up on the beach, the animal inside of it had to die. This usually happens when its protective shell is compromised by an attacking foe drilling a whole into it and eating the animal. If we find the side of the shell that has this hole in it, we reject it. We chuck it. If we find the perfect side of the shell, we keep it as a treasure.

We can see how Jesus sees us as this perfect side of the shellfish. Washed clean in His blood that He shed, we are beautiful in His sight. The sinful nature is still there, just like the imperfect side of the shell is still on that beach. Jesus just sees the beautiful side, the new creation side. If we sin, as we do, He cleanses us of that sin as we confess it to him.

To even get up on that beach, the creature had to die. When we believe on Jesus, we are born again. We become a new creature.  He had to die on the cross to be raised up on the third day. That is what gave us the hope of being on that beach when He arrives. Otherwise we would be in the sea drowning in our sin. He is coming back for His own soon.

Be a shell that is worthy of being picked up on that beach so that we may hear the words of our Master, Jesus Christ say: “well done good and faithful servant”.

Ron Butts

 11/17/2011

Be a Berean

"And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming [thither] went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so." Acts 17:10,11.
The most important thing. Know the bible for yourself. Don't trust others to teach you what in God's Word. We need to learn the bible for ourselves. The Holy Spirit will give us direction to what the meaning of His Word is. Knowledge, anyone can obtain. Wisdom and Understanding are from God.
Many of the podcasts I have listened to lately emphasize this: Know the Word for yourself...no one needs to teach you, you have the Holy Spirit to teach you if you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.

I know I have learned many concepts from bible teachers in the past that I took for granted. Many of these concepts had flaws that I overlooked. Reading the bible on my own with the Spirit and prayer as my guide has been an eye opener. I will blog about some of these concepts in future blogs. The book of Daniel says that as we approach the end of days, the wise will shine light on things that were hidden. The wise are those that are reading their bibles and looking at the signs of the times around us.

No one has all of the answers. No one person has it all down pat. Many have vaious pieces of the puzzle. The picture on the box is getting into focus. The puzzle pieces are being put together. I have been reading and listening a lot lately to Jacob Prasch at Moriel.org. Jacob is a believer/Jew. His insights are amazing. His teachings on Midrash and Types are invaluable. I highly recommend reading some of his materials. Thanks for listening and God Bless. Maranatha! -Ron

Psalm 83

Most of us know of the great Gog-Magog war predicted in Ezekiel 38 and 39. Some believe that this war will either occur during the beginning of the 70th week of Daniel (7 year tribulation) or just preceeding it. The confederacy includes Turkey, Russia, Iran and Libya. Bill Salus in his book Isralestine points out that there is another war that occurs prior to that one. Look at the areas mentioned in Psalm 83. The names are the ones used at the time, but include Syria, Jordan, Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, and Saudi Arabia along with the factions such as Hamas and Hezbollah that are actually inside the so-called "occupied territory". These peoples come together and attack Israel with the intent of driving it into the Sea. Who wins this one? Who miraculously came out on top in 1948, 1967, and 1973? Israel! You will notice that the Ezekial 38-39 countries attack Israel when they are at peace, unwalled and in a properous state. Sheba and Dedan(Saudi/Yemen etc) ask if they are there to plunder. In light of the so-called "democratic uprisings" as of late, we may be seeing the scenario of Psalm 83 unfold before our eyes. Libya especially has captured everyone's attention. Libya is not in the Psalm 83 confederacy but is in the Ezekial 38,39 scenario. We may expect Libya to come out of the uprisings differently than the other countries in Psalm 83. Note the flags of these countries. Most have the crescent moon and star symbol. Most contain the same colors: red,green,black and white. These are the symbols and colors of a religion. When the dust has settled, look for a common goal among these countries. Look for a common enemy. The epicenter is Israel. Jerusalem is the apple of God's eye. Selah.

Hello and Welcome

I do not often have the opportunity to let my family and friends know what is really going on inside my head. With this blog I hope to express what is the most important issues that I am concerned with. There is so much happening in today's world and it is unfolding at an incredibly fast and exponential pace. I will use this blog to inform my friends and family of what I consider to be important events taking place that are not only affecting our lives now, but also and most importantly how these unfolding events are what is written in the Bible and are there for our benefit.
Of utmost concern to me is Biblical illiteracy among many that consider themselves Christians. As many of you know, I have been a student at Koinonia Institute, which is an on-line, non-denominational ministry headed up by Chuck Misssler. I have been taking courses offered at KI for a few years now. I fervently believe that many Christians are unaware of the impact of today's events and are being caught up in many movements that are going in the wrong direction, or even do not see these current events relating to Biblical prophecy due to the fact of Biblical illiteracy. I believe we are entering a time that the Bible has more to say about then when Jesus walked on the earth at His first coming. I am paraphrasing Chuck Missler here. More than one-third of the Bible is prophecy. A portion of those prophecies concerning Yeshua's first coming have already been fulfilled exactly as they were written in scripture. Many of these yet to occur prophecies may very well be fulfiilled in our lifetime. So let's look at what is going on in our world in this prophetic light that the Lord has given us and start to get excited!  We owe it to the people we are in touch with every day that are wondering what is going on in the world to have some answers.  I'm excited about this blog.