Spiritual Nuggets (Schechem)

Ok, I’m at it again. As many times as I read the Bible, I am always finding nuggets of knowledge that makes the Scriptures and history come alive in my mind.

So while I am enjoying my morning quiet in the Word, I just happen to be reason through the book of Joshua; and the chapters I am covering are 13- 21. These are some of those chapters that many consider boring, because they cover peoples names and geographical places being divided between the tribes after Joshua had conquered most of the promised land.

He Has Risen, Come See and Go Tell

(Today I am sharing an Easter outline I put together for my Bangladesh ministry)

[Click here if you wants a clean copy to download]

Matthew 28:5-7

The Message of Easter is 

"COME SEE, GO and TELL!"

"Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him. Behold, I have told you."

I Published My Book

I recently self published my first book, and I posted this to FreeRepublic out of respect for
the many FReepers who have been part of my growth, which has led to my ability to write.

I've been a Freeper for 25 years come February 20, 2023, and I must admit my knowledge and understanding of things has been immensely effected by the many great minds who are part of that great forum. Whether it's about politics, science, history, or religion, FreeRepublic has been to me, what many Colleges used to be. I have witnessed many a great mind debate other great minds, and I have also witnessed my share of knock down, drag out, leave no prisoner, fights between Freepers who would die on their cross of beliefs. Probably the biggest was the battle of the long-knives. This is not an insult, but rather a compliment to the way that forum has truly effected me, and many like me, in our understanding of the world throughout the last 25 years.

Let Go Of The Anger (Romans 12:18-21)

by Chuck Ness

Anger is an acid that can do more harm to the vessel in which it is stored than to anything on which it is poured. Paul tells us to;

Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking
be put away from you, with all malice. Ephesians 4:31

Anger and rage do more harm to those those who practice it, than it does to the person the anger is targeted at. How many times have we witnessed someone so full of anger and rage that they end up doing something that only hurts themselves. How many times has that happened to you?

The Lord our God gave us a free will. The ability to choose which road to take in our daily journey. We can choose to walk in peace with The Lord, or we can choose to walk in anger with the enemy. One is grace the other is not, one is obedience the other is sin.

Notes On Baptism

Baptism is a sacrament we do in the manner Jesus Himself was baptized. It should be done in “the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.” We are instructed in such a fashion as described in the Scriptures, but unlike the Old Testament we do not only do it for the clergy, because under Christ we are all in the priesthood, so all believers need to be baptized. What follows is a short summary of things to understand about baptism. Followed by an outline which can be used in a bible class on Baptism from

And John tried to prevent Him, saying, "I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?" But Jesus answered and said to him, "Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he allowed Him.
Matthew 3:14-15

And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
Matthew 28:18-20

Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection,
Romans 6:3-5

The Sower & Faith

As most will agree, when the Israelites entered the promised land, it was not a picture of us entering heaven, but rather the beginning of our trials in the World as a believer. We also agree that the Israelites leaving Egypt were a shadow of us accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior.

All that being said, I am of the belief that the years in the desert are a representation of our first days, or Months of being a new Christian. For this is the time when most new Christians fall away, which are represented by the first two of the four seeds in the parable of the sower.

Searching For Nuggets

As I prepare my next outline for the students in the Bangladesh Ministry I support, a few thoughts came to me I would like to share. Just so you understand where I am coming from, I'm concluding my study on the seven parables of Matthew chapter thirteen. Specifically the final three parables which culminate with two examples of those willing to give up everything , and a final sobering point about the day of reckoning when mere pretenders will be separated out from the true believers and cast into hell. 

Like the the theological giants who came before us, we too look at the teachings of Jesus in order to better understand HIS wisdom. Yet after 2000 years of scrutiny by uncountable theologians, I still find a rich storehouse of treasures awaiting those who are patient seekers. Throughout his Gospel, Matthew unearths some of these nuggets of treasure for some to see while seemingly concealing others for those who have trained their minds to hear the scriptures in light of the reality of the kingdom of heaven. Throughout his Gospel, Matthew is trying to train us how to properly read Scripture in the light of how Jesus taught and shared wisdom. He does this in order too give us a treasure map, if you will, of how to locate the storehouse of treasures that include the pearls of exceeding value.

Handling Adversity Well

Take heed, do not turn to iniquity, for you have chosen this rather than affliction. Job 36:21 

We all face adversity and affliction in our lives, the difference is how we handle that adversity and affliction. Are you responding to it in a negative fallen human way? Or are you taking it to Jesus?

How many times have you heard a person say, I was afflicted, and the stress became to much, so I turned to drugs or excessive drinking to forget my problems. My parents raised me terribly, so I turned to a life of crime and sin. After all, it’s not my fault it’s someone else’s fault. If they had not sinned against me, or if a calamity had not happened upon my life, I would not be the loser in life I am.

In the discourse of Job and his friends, the fourth man, Elihu, is the youngest. Yet he is the one who’s wisdom is the most profound. Follow what he tells Job and his friends about handling affliction.

Who Created Evil?

by Chuck Ness

The debate about who created evil is an important one since atheists and skeptics use the existence of evil in their arguments against theism. It is incumbent upon all Christians to understand what the Scriptures say about the God they worship and the existancxe of evil in the world. If God created everything, and if evil is in the world, does it follow that God created evil? We are told as Christians to believe what the Bible says. Even the popular children's song, “Jesus Loves Me”, has in its lyrics,

 

“Jesus loves me, this I know for the Bible tells me so”.

So, let us read what the Bible says.

In (Genesis 1:1) we read,

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”

The New Testament says in (John 1:3),

“All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.”

So, we now know that God made everything through Christ, but are there any Scriptures that specifically say God is the author of evil? The closest we can get is (Isaiah 45:7),

“I make peace and create calamity”,

and (Amos 3:6), 

Would You Like To Hear About My Best Friend Jesus?

When you give your life to Jesus, HE should become everything to you. Your strength, your joy, your comfort, and the insatiable desire of your heart. Everything we learn about our Savior offers us more satisfaction, more faith, more rest. Jesus is a never ending, never exhausted banquet of Mana that will fill our souls. HE is the water of life that will quench our thirst forever. Nothing tastes better to our hearts than him, and because of the Gospel we can keep eating of HIS goodness for all of eternity.

What Is Life About?

The post at the end of this commentary has been making its round on Facebook. It is about Steve Jobs thoughts on life as he is ready to die. He tells us that he finally learned what life was all about. Well, I offer it, with this truth.

Not one time did Job mention anything about GOD, Christ, his salvation or anything of an after life. While he claims he learned something about wealth, and what life is truly about, he truly did not learn what the meaning of life is. That's because when it comes down to it, life is not about this world, and as Jesus said when his family came to take him away,

""""Who is My mother, or My brothers? Here are My mother and My brothers. Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel's. If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. """" Paraphrased from accounts in Matthew, Mark & Luke

Books of The Prophets / Chronological Timeline Chart

When you open the Bible to read the books of the Prophets, you will notice they are not listed in chronological order. I have stated time and time again that while I believe every Word in the Bible is inspired by the Holy Spirit, I do not believe the divisions of chapters nor verses are inspired. Like the division of chapters and verses, I also do not believe the placement of where all the books themselves are located was inspired.

If Anyone Thirsts

The Feast of Booths, also known as the Festival of Tabernacles, was a week-long celebration when the Jews remembered the intervention of God during their wandering in the wilderness, as described in the book of Exodus. (Exodus 17:1-7)

As part of this holiday, the priests would carry water from the Pool of Siloam to the altar, remembering God's provision of water from the rock. The last day of the feast is the culmination of the festivities, when the priests would recite Psalm 118:25 while making seven circuits around the altar. This backdrop is crucial for understanding why Jesus spoke these particular words, at this particular time.

The Women Of Jesus' Genealogy

Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba

Judah begot Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez begot Hezron, and Hezron begot Ram. Ram begot Amminadab, Amminadab begot Nahshon, and Nahshon begot Salmon. Salmon begot Boaz by Rahab, Boaz begot Obed by Ruth, Obed begot Jesse, and Jesse begot David the king. David the king begot Solomon by her who had been the wife of Uriah.
Matthew 1:3-6
It is without a doubt that Matthew's desire was to present Jesus to a Jewish Christian audience as a Jewish royal figure. Not just the Son of Abraham, but rather the Son of David as mentioned in the very first verse. Thus the legal heir of King David's throne. This is why he had to incorporate the genealogy that traced his lineage back to David. However, something that has intrigued theologians since the early years of Matthew's Gospel, is his inclusion of four gentile women. Women who, with the exception of Ruth, possessed no exemplary character. To modern readers this might not seem so out of place, but for a first century Jewish scribe to include women in a record of ancestry was unheard of. The World of the first century was based upon Patriarchal systems where women had no rights to speak of. They were but possessions of the men who controlled the World.

Rumors Of Wars

We are most definitely living at a time in history the Prophets of old warned us about.

I can imagine how those great Prophets trembled at the thought of living in the future when this time would come amongst us. Oh it is not the ultimate end, but rather the very beginning of what is to come.

I do not have a good feeling about the near future, and nothing we do from here forth will change what is about to happen.

Palace intrigue is at the point where kings and queens of the past have trembled over the fear of assassination, revolt, and empire changing events.

Our Lord's Prayer

Matthew 6:9-13

Our Father in heaven,

Hallowed be Your name.

Your kingdom come

Your will be done

On earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our debts,

As we forgive our debtors.

And do not lead us into temptation,

But deliver us from the evil one.

For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen

I am of the belief that repeating the Lord’s prayer out of memory only, truly takes away from it's value to us. There is so much involved in the Words our LORD used. One should study this prayer, and  say it slowly phrase by phrase and really think and meditate upon it. But basically, JESUS is  giving to us a model prayer. One must understand that a prayer is always dependent upon relationship one has with our FATHER, and thus it is significant that the prayer opens expressing relationship. This how JESUS teaches us to start. Not just this prayer, but every time we pray we need to know that we are speaking to the Creator and lover of our very soul. What follows is what I understand each phrase of the prayer to truly mean.

Distance From Jerusalem in Miles

Below is a chart I put together to give you an idea of the distance all the towns Jesus visited are from Jerusalem. Often times while reading my Bible, I find myself wondering how far away one place is from another. Seldom do we consider how far they had to travel on foot from place to place. Most people back then either walked or road a donkey. No cars, no busses, nop plabnes, just you feet and maybe a donkey pulling a cart. Next time you read any of the accounts in the Bible, consider how far you are from the next city, and how long it would take you to walk, instead of drive.

Christ Is The Dark Matter Scientists Are Looking For

I first wrote about the topic of "Dark Matter back in 2009, but it was scrubbed from the files of the Chico Enterprise Record Newspaper I wrote for and lost to history, after I was unceremoniously let me go. Well, I just found it in a file I was going through which someone sent me a few years ago. I lost the email address of the person, since I changed internet companies, even at that the person who sent it to me preferred to remain anonymous. Anyway, I updated this article with some new information and this is what I now have.

by Chuck Ness

In their never ending attempt to explain away GOD as the Creator and Master of the universe, secular scientists come  up with all kinds of explanations to convince young and old brains full of mush that we, and the universe, came into being by pure chance. One of those yet to be proven theories is the presence of Dark Matter. However, many decades and billions of tax dollars later, astrophysicists still have yet to prove Dark Matter even exists.

I first read about the search to prove Dark Matter exists back in 2006 at space.com.  I was shocked when I read that a scientist actually said you need to believe it exists. I thought, "Wait a minute, did I just read a scientist use the phrase, “you must believe” something exists that has not yet been detected? Sounds a lot like religion doesn't it?  The article was posted in space.com way back in September 2007. In case the article in question is ever removed from space.com's website, I have learned that the Wayback Machine is holding many copies of their article. So they can never say I'm sharing false information. Hear that DHS?

Speaking Of Schisms

by Chuck Ness

As I was enjoying a picture commentary about the time king Saul attacked David, I was given an insight I had never previously considered. It's a connection that ties Saul's attack on David and our Lord Jesus being confronted by the religious leaders for plucking kernels of grain to eat on the Sabbath. Jesus used the moment in history when David was fleeing Saul to teach the religious leaders about the true nature of the Sabbath as meant by GOD. Yet, when you consider all the factors involved in the two moments in history, you will learn that there is much more involved than just a lesson on the Sabbath. Like many portions of the Scriptures, GOD has hidden nuggets for us to find, and in this lesson we uncover the connection of two schisms and the fulfillment of a 20 year old prophecy.

A schism is a division between people, usually belonging to an organization, movement, or religious denominations. Weaved into the incidents of David and Jesus are two schisms where the ones in control lash out at God's anointed. Thus causing a schism that puts the very lives of GOD's chosen in jeopardy, while ultimately culminating in GOD's plan for mankind's salvation.

The Scarlet Thread

(L) Crimson worm caccooned in hard shell protecting her eggs (R) larvae feeding on Syrian hom-oak leaves

by Chuck Ness

Every Christian understands that we are saved by the blood of Christ, because HE was the perfect Lamb which was sacrificed for our sins from the beginning of time. (Revelation 13:8). Every infirmity HE healed, every pain HE helped us overcome, every dead person HE brought back to life, and every sin HE forgave, HE carried to the cross so that our sins could be forgiven. All HE asks of us is to believe, and follow HIM. Isaiah tells us that,

He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed ............. He was numbered with the transgressors, And He bore the sin of many, And made intercession for the transgressors.
Isaiah 53:8 and 12