Bethlehem Seminary & Church

Bethlehem Seminary & Church We are Bible based teaching Seminary and Church.

Every believer needs to understand the Scriptures by means of exposition as the only means by which the Heart of God and His Will is made known.

08/20/2023

JUDGE NOT - a series (Discernment).

1 Corinthians 12:7-11

But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills (NKJV).

Reading through this list, we may think, “I don't have any of these!” Quite frankly, we may have seen few of these actually exercised over our years attending the church. We may have never even seen a miracle or a healing with our own eyes or heard anyone get prophecy right, at least not yet. How about the word of wisdom or the word of knowledge? We may have witnessed a little more of those than we realize, not being “tuned in” enough to recognize it!

What about the gift of discernment, or as it reads in the passage, “discerning of spirits”? The New Testament in Modern English by J.B. Phillips paraphrases Paul's expression as “the ability to discriminate in spiritual matters.” This latter phrasing seems to be a more precise expression of what Paul means—not just the ability to detect evil spirits but to distinguish between the spiritually positive and negative.

Dictionaries like Wikipedia (not a good source) define discernment as

the ability to obtain sharp perceptions or to judge well. In the case of judgment, discernment can be psychological, moral, or aesthetic in nature. . . . Christian spiritual discernment can be separated from other types of discernment because every decision is to be made in accordance with God's will. The fundamental definition for Christian discernment is a decision making process in which an individual makes a discovery that can lead to future action.

This description of discernment emphasizes making correct decisions that proceed to wise actions.

Of the verb form (diakrino, Strong's #1252) of the word Paul uses in I Corinthians 12:10, Strong's Concordance comments, “to separate thoroughly, i.e. (literally and reflexively) to withdraw from, or (by implication) oppose; figuratively, to discriminate (by implication, decide), contend, discern, doubt, judge, be partial, stagger, waver.” Discerning is a matter of separating, discriminating, evaluating, and judging, and once done, a person either approves or opposes the subject of his discernment.

In our society, words like “discriminate” and “judge” are considered almost taboo, but the truth is that we must make judgments all the time. What would be the point of discernment if it does not lead to a judgment? In Solomon's prayer before God in I Kings 3:9, he asks for discernment between good and evil so he could judge God's people. God, pleased with both the humility and good sense of his prayer, rewarded Solomon immensely.

Grace to you

Next:
Romans 5:9-13

Grace to you.

05/24/2022

"Which gives you the most anxiety? Your sins or your misfortunes in life? That is a good test for all of us called Christians." Examine yourself and know whether you are still in the faith or gone to pursue material things which the devil offers.

Grace to you.

10/14/2021

COVID - 19 and the Mark of the Beast.

I have been asked about this several.times and I feel it is best I share what I believe here for others to understand and not be afraid - we do not have the Spirit of fear.

Facts:

1: If you believe in the theology/eschatology of rapture; more specifically the pre-tribulation capture that Christ will return and take away believers before the tribulation (then believers will not be around for the mark of the beast). So, Covid-19 is not the mark of the beast. We will be long gone before the final anti-Christ and the mark of the beast will reign on earth.

2. The Mark of the beast is something people will make a conscious choice to take, and not something they will be tricked or duped into taking without them knowing it. Rev. 20:4. Those who will take the mark of the beast must willingly pledge allegiance and worship to the beast (the final-antichrist), with full consciousness. The final antichrist is not here yet and Christians are still on earth. So, don't be afraid of the Covid-vaccine. Rev. 19:20

3. The Antichrist must first be revealed before people can worship his image. The Antichrist will not be revealed until one major event in eschatology happens - 2 Thessalonians 2:4. As of today, there is not a single temple in Israel and so there is no abomination yet in the temple of God in the holy land -Israel.

4. The Mark of the Beast will be a mark, imprint or a stamp - Rev. 13:16. Take this literally. The Greek word here is the "charagma" which means a mark, imprint, stamp, or some sort of image printed on someone like tattoos. It is not a chip

5. The Mark of the beast will determine who buys or sells. Rev. 13:16-17. Today, everyone is buying and selling even the unvaccinated.

6. Our salvation is not determined by whether we take a vaccine or not, but by our faith in Jesus the Christ - Romans 8:38-39.

Nothing can take your salvation away as long as our God is unchanging in His promises. Finally, don't be afraid to take the vaccine. It is not the mark of the beast and not tied to the mark of the beast.

Blessings

08/24/2021

Ecclesiastes 7:19-25

WISDOM GIVES STRENGTHENS.

"Wisdom strengthens the wise more than ten rulers of the city. For there is not a just man on earth who does good and does not sin. Also do not take to heart everything people say, lest you hear your servant cursing you. For many times, also, your own heart has known that even you have cursed others. All this I have proved by wisdom. I said, "I will be wise"; but it was far from me. As for that which is far off and exceedingly deep, who can find it out? I applied my heart to know, to search and seek out wisdom and the reason of things, to know the wickedness of folly, even of foolishness and madness."

In verse 19, following the paragraph containing the paradox (Ecclesiastes 7:15-18), he writes, “Wisdom strengthens the wise more than ten rulers of the city.” So Solomon made the accumulation of wisdom a major goal in his life, saying in verse 23, “I will be wise.” He wanted to be strong and able to confront all circumstances that beset him. He sought to be prepared.

In verse 25, he expands on his goal: “I applied my heart to know, to search and seek out wisdom and the reason of things.” This is a goal all of us should have. Wisdom does not stand alone. It is a result, built on true knowledge and understanding that a person accumulates along the way to attaining wisdom. All of these will serve us well in life, not only spiritually, but also in family life, business, and civic responsibilities in our communities.

It is interesting that in his search for wisdom, what he discovered may have also included insight into his personal defects. One of these may be revealed in verse 20, “For there is not a just man on earth who does good and does not sin.” Another may appear in verses 21-22, “Also do not take to heart everything people say, lest you hear your servant cursing you. For many times, also, your own heart has known that even you have cursed others.” We can take these statements as encouragement not to allow what we discover in our search for wisdom to deter us from continuing on, despite how it affects us personally.

In the rest of the chapter, Solomon touches on a few things he learned that can help us in setting our expectations. However, he says other things that, while not negatives, we should also understand as we search, for instance, writing in verse 23, “But it was far from me.” The search for wisdom is a lifelong endeavor, requiring diligent and continuous effort. In verse 24, he asks, “As for that which is far off and exceedingly deep, who can find it out?” He is gently informing us that we will never find answers to some things.

Seek Wisdom, seek Christ.

Grace to you

05/20/2021

Your Salvation is Irrevocable - if you are saved!

On good days, God is our focus from morning till night, and everything seems to go well. But on bad days, we keep God in the background and feel battered by sin at day's end. If you are going to question the legitimacy of your salvation, undoubtedly it is on one of those "bad days." But while what we think and feel about salvation may change, salvation itself does not - it's irrevocable!

Grace to you

04/05/2021

Beloved, may the Grace of God be with you all. We are accepting Biblical questions and doubts to strengthen your faith and be sure you are listening to the right gospel. We have a whatsapp group of young men getting prepared for pastoral ministry. If you are interested, simply click on the Whatsapp link and introduce yourself. Grace and Peace to you.

03/02/2021

Let us study Revelation together

02/28/2021

The Revelation - A tour of the Book

The first three verses of Revelation are a whirlwind of introductory material. Verse 1 and 2 make it clear that God wants to reveal Christ in His exaltation - whereas the gospel unveil Him at His first coming in humiliation. He sends His message through an angel who delivers it to the apostle John, who in turn bears witness to that message to the rest of the church.

There is a sense in which the revelation John witnesses in the fulfilment of a preview he received at Christ's transfiguration (Mathew 17:1-7). On the mount of transfiguration, he saw only a glimpse of Christ in His full, second-coming glory. Now that same glory is dramatically unveiled to him again, graphically and extensively revealed in the angel's prophecy. And verse 3 follows by bestowing God's blessing on those who read the book, making it clear this prophecy is not just for John's personal benefit.

And starting in verse 4, John gives a more formal introduction to those original recipients. He addresses his book to the seven churches spread throughout Asia Minor - or, for our purposes, modern-day Turkey. In 1:1:4-5, John greets the believers in those congregations on behalf of each member of the Trinity (another unique feature of Revelation). He writes, "Grace to you and peace, from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, and from Jesus Christ." God the Father is the One "who is and who was and who is to come," but the idea of the "the seven Spirit who are before His throne" does give us cause for exegetical pause.

Obviously there is only one Holy Spirit, so what is John indicating with this vivid imagery? It's most likely a reference to an Old Testament prophecy, about either the sevenfold ministry of the Holy Spirit in Isaiah 11:2, or the depiction of the Spirit as a golden lampstand with seven lamps in Zacharia 4:1-10. In either case, the point ia the same: John is illustrating the Spirit in all His glory and fullness as the Spirit of grace (Hebrew 10:29) and the producer of peace (Gal. 5:22).

In verse 5, John says grace and peace also flow from "Jesus Chrisy, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. Christ was and is a faithful witness in terms of His integrity and truthfulness, as well as in His accurate depiction of the character and nature of God. Furthermore, describing Him as "the ruler of the kings of the earth"recognizes His absolute sovereignty over the affairs of this world.

some readers struggle with what John means by the statement that Jesus is the "the firstborn of the dead" (1:5). Obviously there were resurrections before Christ's - in fact, Christ Himself had raised others during His ministry. But John is not using the word firstborm (prototokos) to indicate sequence, but preeminence. He is saying that of all who have ever been or ever will be resurrected, Christ is the premier one (Psalm 89:27).

What is more, John indicates the book "to Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood - and He has made us to be a kingdom, priests tp His God and Father - to Him be glory and the dominion forever and ever (Rev. 1:5-6). The apostle reminds his readers that Christ is indeed coming again and His return will be unmistakable, and he reasserts that Christ is in fact one in essence with the Father (1:7-8).

Together, those first eight verse set forth an astoundingly unique book - one that was authored by the Trinity, delivered by an angel, dedicated to revealing the full glory of the risen Christ and His imminent return, and gives rich blessings to the readers. Great introduction to the of Revelation.

John us throughout this month of March as we take a tour of the book - briefly explaining to the lay Christian.

Grace to you and peace from God the Father. To Him be glory, forever and ever. Amen.

12/02/2020

GEHENNA?

I was listening to Rev. Father Mbaka (Catholic Priest) and he made a statement about "Gehenna," which I felt was improperly used as a place where power is derived to break chains on bo***ge. So, I decided to share this about Gehenna.

What Is Gehenna?

Another Greek word that is translated hell is "Gehenna." This word is used twelve times in the New Testament with Jesus employing it eleven times. Gehenna is derived from the Hebrew ge hinnom or the "valley of Hinnom." Hinnom was probably the name of a person in ancient Israel. The valley of Hinnom is a deep narrow glen just outside of Jerusalem. It was also called Tophet, or the valley of dead bones. Jeremiah wrote.

The whole valley where dead bodies and ashes are thrown, and all the terraces out to the Kidron Valley on the east as far as the corner of the Horse Gate, will be holy to the LORD. The city will never again be uprooted or demolished (Jeremiah 31:40).

Place Of Child Sacrifices
In Old Testament times this had been the scene of the practice of child-sacrifice under some of the godless kings of Israel. The prophet Jeremiah wrote.

"And they have built the high places of Tophet, which is the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire, which I did not command, nor did it come into My heart" (Jeremiah 7:31).

To Molech
The children were sacrificed to the false god Molech. The image of Molech had the head of a bull with outstretched arms. A fire burned in the stomach of the idol while the child was placed in the arms and then sacrificed.

Ahaz
Speaking of the evil king Ahaz, the Bible says.

"And he made offerings in the valley of the son of Hinnom, and made his sons pass through fire, according to the abominable practices of the nations whom the LORD drove out before the people of Israel" (2 Chronicles 28:3).

He made his own sons pass through this horrible place of human sacrifice.

Abominations Stopped By Josiah
During the reign of Josiah the sacrifices were stopped. And he defiled Topheth, which is in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, that no man might make his son or his daughter pass through the fire to Molech (2 Kings 23:10).

Place Of Burning Refuse
The valley became the dumping ground for the sewage and refuse of the city. It was a place of crawling worms and maggots. By defiling this place with refuse, Josiah stopped the child sacrifices. Fires burned continually to destroy the garbage and impurities. Hence the name Gehenna came to be used as a symbol of punishment. The prophet Isaiah wrote:

"And they shall go forth and look upon the corpses of the ones who have transgressed against Me. For their worm does not die, and their fire is not quenched. They shall be an abhorrence to all flesh" (Isaiah 66:24).

From this valley a terrible and putrid smoke arose continually. Topheth has long been prepared; it has been made ready for the king. Its fire pit has been made deep and wide, with an abundance of fire and wood; the breath of the LORD, like a stream of burning sulfur, sets it ablaze (Isaiah 30:33).

Jesus And Gehenna
Jesus used the symbolism of Gehenna to describe the place of everlasting punishment. It is better for you to enter into life maimed, than having two hands, to go to Gehenna into the fire that shall never be quenched (Mark 9:43).

"Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into Gehenna" (Luke 12:5).
He spoke concerning Gehenna, not only to warn people, but to condemn the hypocritical religious leaders. Jesus said.
"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, to make him twice as much a son of Gehenna as yourselves"(Matthew 23:15).

Outside The City
The symbolism of Gehenna is also found in its location. Gehenna is a place outside the city of Jerusalem. The ultimate fate of the wicked is suffering outside of the gates of the New Jerusalem.

Comparison To Hades
Gehenna is not Hades. Hades is a temporary place of the dead where only their souls exist. In Gehenna, wicked dead exist in both body and soul. The suffering in Gehenna is eternal while the suffering in Hades is temporal.

Presently Unoccupied
Gehenna, or hell, is presently unoccupied. In the future, when God judges the wicked angels along with evil humanity, then hell, or Gehenna, will become inhabited.

Summary
Gehenna, or the valley of Hinnom, is an actual valley in the city of Jerusalem. In Israel's past, it was used as a place of child sacrifice. From the reign of Josiah onward, it was used as a garbage dump where the fires burned the refuse continuously. Jesus used it as an illustration of the final judgment of the wicked. Gehenna is the permanent place where both the body and the soul are reunited to spend eternity apart from God. It is located outside the new Jerusalem, the place where believers will be with the Lord.

By. Don Stewart.

Peace to you

11/01/2020

Psalm 119:165

"Great peace have those who love Your law, And nothing causes them to stumble," (NKJV).

Human nature is enmity against God, and it rejects God's law (Romans 8:7). The result is continual warfare with God and between men. No one who breaks God's law as a way of life can have peace, at least not the kind of peace God gives. Jesus says in John 14:27, "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you."

The world can produce a level of tranquility from time to time, but it is not the peace of God. When a person sins, it seems as though there is a feeling, a natural fear, that wells up. Even before the sin occurs, one invariably seeks to make sure no one else sees it happen. This does not display a mind at peace. Immediately following a sin, the fear of exposure arises, and the sinner begins justifying, at least to himself, why he has done such a thing. If caught, he justifies himself as Adam and Eve did before God.

In simple terms, God is showing us the consequences of breaking His laws. If one were at peace with God, he would have no need to hide himself. With a clear conscience, he need not lie, justifying and shifting the blame on to others. No one who breaks God's laws can have peace. However, one who loves God's law will not only keep the peace he already has but will add to it as its fruit and reward.

Psalm 119:165 promises another wonderful benefit: Nothing causes those who love God's law to stumble. "To stumble" indicates faltering along the path to the Kingdom of God or even to fall completely away from God. This provides great encouragement and assurance regarding security with God, meaning that we will not be turned aside by the difficulties along the way.

Instead of fear of exposure and a guilty conscience, we will be assured because God's Word says so, as I John 3:18-19 confirms: "My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him." What a confident life we can live by following God's way!

Another New Testament passage, I John 2:8-11, parallels the psalmist's thought:

Again, a new commandment I write to you, which thing is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away, and the true light is already shining. He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now. He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him. But he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

Consider these verses in relation to the meal offering, representing the devoted keeping of the last six commandments. Hating a brother would be breaking those commandments in relation to him. It might involve murdering him, breaking the marriage bond through adultery, stealing from him, lying to or about him, or lusting after him or his possessions.

Verse 10 parallels Psalm 119:165 exactly when it says, "But he who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him." I John 5:3 defines love: "For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome." The New Testament strongly affirms that loving one's brother is keeping God's commandments in relation to him, and this provides us strong assurance and stability along the way.

I John 2:11 then shows that the blindness of darkness envelops the eyes of one who hates his brother, that is, breaks God's commandments in relation to him. This blindness produces stumbling and fighting, and thus he has no peace.

It is particularly disturbing if the brother spoken of in these verses also happens to be one's spouse, father, or mother. Old people today stand a high chance of being shunted off into a convalescent or old-age home, if only for the convenience of the adult children. Is that honoring a parent, or is it in some way contemptuous? Are the children unwilling to make sacrifices even for those who brought them into the world? Will this course of action produce peace? Will it produce a sense of well-being in either party?

John says, "He who loves his brother abides in the light" (verse 10), implying that love produces its own illumination. Illumination is what enables a person to see in the dark. Light contrasts to the darkness, blindness, and ignorance of verse 11, which result in stumbling. Illumination indicates understanding and the ability to produce solutions to relationship problems. The difficult part is laying ourselves out in sacrifice to express love. If we fail to do this, we may never see solutions to our relationship problems.

Happy New Month

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