Thursday, December 19, 2013

The Book of Mormon


In case any of you were on the fence about whether to see The Book of Mormon or not, I have an excerpt from a review that will make any born-again Christian's blood curdle. Please read the last paragraph, as I don't even want to repeat what it reveals.

Excerpt from Lauren Yarger's review, New York theater critic...

If you are a Mormon and your religion and its history are important to you, stay home—there isn’t any part of it that isn’t mocked. Protestants aren’t immune either, even if this is the Book of Mormon. Jesus has a cameo. He calls one of the missionaries a derogatory name, and the crucifixion is depicted in a song as an example of “manning up.”
Probably the most difficult part of the show for me was a song called “Nasa Diga Eebowai,” in which the villagers express their philosophy of life. Translated, it means “F*** You, God,” and the rest of the lyrics are even worse. It wasn’t funny to me, and I did feel offended as the actors repeatedly sang the chorus while gesturing to the heavens with their middle fingers to the utter delight of an audience that roared with laughter.

Remember this, that the enemy hath reproached, O LORD, and that the foolish people have blasphemed thy name. -Psalms 74:18


Wednesday, December 18, 2013

The Book Of Mormon Review continues...


It has been brought to my attention that my criticism of the blasphemy in The Book of Mormon was out of context. Apparently the people in the play saying and gesturing to our Creator the most blatant rejection imaginable were Ugandan natives sought out by Mormon missionaries. My response was that it was wrong in ANY context where people are being that incredibly blasphemous among onlookers roaring with laughter. You wouldn't catch me at this show to save my life.  
Here is where it gets even worse…the person correcting me said that he came out of the show with a good message: That it doesn't matter what religion you are in as long as you are a good person and live a good life. YIKES! The show is even worse than I thought. I wish it would have left off as just a blatant rejection to God's saving grace. Instead it had to sneak in the greatest lie ever told - that being good gets you to heaven.
It is not our good works but the one great work of Jesus that sets us free. If it were not true, he would not have told us so!
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. -Ephesians 2:8-9

Lastly I would like to point out that I by no means mean to judge any one of you who have chosen or will choose to go see the play. I am just warning those who may be offended if they go. Apparently, even though "God's favorite musical" (NOT!) has been out for several years, there is such a high ticket demand for it that it will be running through September! 

Sunday, December 1, 2013

There's an Ocean Deep Inside the Earth - Is this News?

Every once in a while you run into a piece of news that just makes you smile. This article put out just over two weeks ago did just that for me. They have found a diamond that looks to prove that there is a large body of water under the earth. I’m afraid these scientists are ‘at sea’, and have yet to read Exodus 20:4. In another article (http://your-story.org/new-found-water-deep-beneath-earths-surface-mean-future-water-supplies-412884/)  Graham Pearson commented on the look of the gem and said that “It’s a fairly ugly diamond. It looks like it’s been to hell and back.” That’s probably because it has! And their last comment amuses as well… "And now we can imagine oceans beneath the oceans, where fantasy beings could exist.” As for me, in obedience to Exodus 20:5, I will leave these fantasy beings alone!

God Bless all of us!

Tamara

"Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;" -Exodus 20:4&5
THERE'S AN OCEAN DEEP INSIDE THE EARTH
This story came from Motherboard, our tech website. Read more at Motherboard.tv. Ringwoodite was found within this tiny brown diamond. Image: Richard Siemens/University of Alberta
In what sounds like a chapter from Journey to the Center of the Earth, the chemical makeup of a tiny, extremely rare gemstone has made researchers think there's a massive water reservoir hundreds of miles under the earth.
The gemstone in question is called ringwoodite, which is created when olivine, a material that is extremely common in the mantle, is highly pressurized; when it’s exposed to less pressurized environments, it reverts into olivine. It has previously been seen in meteorites and created in a laboratory, but until now it had never been found in a sample of the earth’s mantle. 
Diamond expert Graham Pearson of the University of Alberta came across a seemingly worthless, three-millimeter piece of brown diamond that had been found in Mato Grosso, Brazil, while he was researching another type of mineral. Within that diamond, he and his team found ringwoodite—and they found that roughly 1.5 percent of the ringwoodite’s weight was made up of trapped water. The findings are published in Nature.
That water had to get in there somehow, and using analyses of its depth and its water makeup, Pearson suggests that there's water deep under the earth's surface—a lot of it. 
The finding “confirms predictions from high-pressure laboratory experiments that a water reservoir comparable in size to all the oceans combined is hidden deep in Earth’s mantle,” according to an analysis of Pearson’s findings by Hans Keppler of the University of Bayreuth in Germany. 
The earth’s crust, including the deepest parts of the oceans, reach depths of roughly 100 kilometers. From there, the upper mantle takes up about another 300 kilometers. Between there and the lower mantle is where this piece of ringwoodite was originally from—an area between 410 and 660 kilometers beneath the earth’s surface known as the “transition zone.” 
Scientists have long been divided about what, exactly, is in the transition zone. We’ve known that much of the upper mantle is made up of olivine, and as Keppler said, scientists have long thought that Earth contained reservoirs of water deep beneath the crust. But they weren’t sure whether the water existed as low as the transition zone—the area between the upper and lower mantles. While some say that much of the oceans’ water may have originated there, others have said it is likely completely dry.
Image via University of Alberta
Pearson’s finding changes that. In the paper, he says that there are two possible explanations for water within the ringwoodite.
“In one, water within the ringwoodite reflects inheritance from a hydrous, diamond-forming fluid, from which the inclusion grew as a syngenetic phase. In this model, the hydrous fluid must originate locally, from the transition zone, because there is no evidence that the lower mantle contains a significant amount of water,” he wrote. Essentially, the extreme pressure and chemical makeup at those depths spontaneously creates water. 
“Alternatively, the ringwoodite is ‘protogenetic,’ that is, it was present before encapsulation by the diamond and its water content reflects that of the ambient transition zone," Pearson wrote. In that model, the water and the ringwoodite are already there, and the ringwoodite absorbs some of the water. Either way you slice it, there is a lot of water in the transition zone: “Both models implicate a transition zone that is at least locally water-rich,” he wrote.
So how does a piece of ringwoodite that’s from at least 410 miles beneath the surface get up to a riverbed in Brazil? According to Keppler—and the fact that Pearson was looking for volcanic rocks—suggests that something, probably a volcanic eruption, quickly pushed it up to the surface. It was just a coincidence that Pearson was able to analyze it before the ringwoodite turned back into its non pressurized form. 
“It was a piece of luck, this discovery, as are many scientific discoveries,” Pearson said. 
And now we can imagine oceans beneath the oceans, where fantasy beings could exist.


Thursday, February 14, 2013

The Gospel of Saint John


Among the diverse jobs I have been blessed to have held over the years was being a sketch artist at Cedar Point, the 'Best Amusement Park in the World'. Frequently, customers would ask the cashier to draw their caricature. Her response was always, "I'm just Joni, the cashier". Joni became endearingly known to us as "Just Joni". Ironically, she was one of the most creative of all of us. I would bet that her caricatures would have illustrated more insight into who people really were than any of our artist's renditions did. 

There is a Christian song that plays on the radio that has in it the lyrics, I'll give you the Gospel of St. John. Hits me like a wake up bomb. My initial thought when I heard it was, "Just John? What's the deal with his Gospel? I thought Paul was our guy, not to mention Jesus! " As God would have it, our Bible study recently announced that it was moving on to the inspired writing of John. I couldn't wait until the study to read it, so I didn't. 

Apparently, John knew a few things about opening statements…his grabs you by the collar and pulls you right in! He writes in John 1:1, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The word was God…that takes my breath away! This makes sense. How many times has a verse that previously meant nothing to us suddenly make perfect sense? What about when we stumble instantly upon a verse we weren't even sure we were looking for, yet it answers a question we didn't even ask yet desperately needed to?  And isn't it breathtaking when we can quote a verse and name it when we cannot even remember such things as the name of our favorite song?

After reading just John's first verse, I had to find out more about the author. John, one of the first apostles chosen, was the only apostle who was at the cross with Jesus. He was a loyal friend who Jesus loved, and entrusted to care for His beloved mother. When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son! (John  19:26) John was the last apostle to die and the only one that was not murdered. 

So many of the verses that believers and unbelievers alike are most familiar with are from our Apostle John. Here are a few of them…

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (John 14:6) 

Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. (John 8:12)

I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. (John 10:11) 

This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. (John 15:12-13)

And then there is this verse, if you are in your lifetime to read only one… For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)
What a blessing God's vessel John was to us. He preached the Gospel again and again into his nineties with so much vigor that the Roman emperor exiled him to an island called Patmos to quiet him. But God was not finished with him yet. This is where He gave John the great prophecy mystery, what is now the last book of the New Testament. The Revelation of Jesus Christ…Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy…And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. (Revelation) 

It is by no means my recommendation to read only a portion of the Bible. In fact, not only should we read it in it's entirety, but study it in depth. Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. (2 Timothy 2:15) In fact we are even encouraged to become addicted! I beseech you, brethren, (ye know the house of Stephanas, that it is the firstfruits of Achaia, and that they have addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints) (1 Corinthians 16:15) In any event, if you are one of many who do not have the patience or time to spend reading God's word (or are simply too bullheaded to fit it in, like I was) just John will give you the gist.

Please remember, BIBLE BAIT is written by a novice Bible study student, not a Bible scholar. If something doesn't look quite right to you, dig into God's word. The one thing I promise you is that you won't get bored! Many thanks to my friend Renee Driscoll, who helps me keep Bible Bait Biblically correct.

Blogger Alan Wilhelm said...
If it wasn't for God directing John to write the Book of Revelation we would be ignorant of the spiritual impact of national and int'l events today.
Additionally, Rev 1:19 is the key to the book of Revelation.
19 "Therefore write the THINGS which you have SEEN, and the THINGS which ARE, and the THINGS which will TAKE PLACE AFTER these things.

thank you Tamara and thank you Apostle John.
Bearcat al
January 1, 2013 3:19 PM
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Monday, January 28, 2013

How do I get to Heaven?


Have you ever wondered what God really wants of us in order to live out our eternity with Him? Sure, He wants us to be good people, but there is nothing we can do good enough to get into heaven, and nothing we can do bad enough to keep us out! He wants us all to believe on and trust in His one true son, Jesus. Please take two minutes to watch this video of 20 people joyfully confessing "The Prayer of Salvation", or "The Sinner's Prayer", and another minute to pass it on to someone you love.

Click HERE or on IMAGE to view 2 minute video.

"Amazing Grace" by Josh Wilson and Jeff Pardo Copyright: 2009 Meaux Hits (ASCAP) / Simple Tense Songs (ASCAP) admin. by Simpleville Publishing, LLC. 2009 Sparrow Records. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

Please remember, BIBLE BAIT is written by a novice Bible study student, not a Bible scholar. If something doesn't look quite right to you, dig into God's word. The one thing I promise you is that you won't get bored! 

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

It's not too late to Cast your Vote!

When the polls open on any given election day, every citizen of the United States over the age of 18 is able to cast a vote. This is an absolute fact that everyone believes in. One can proudly say, "I have the right to vote." However, if you don't take the action to actually do so, your vote is not counted. You have given up, or lost your right. Believing in your right alone is not enough to cast your vote. 

The same goes for our salvation. We can truly believe that Jesus died on the cross for all of mankind's sins, but if we don't take the action to accept it for ourselves, it is lost. Jesus told Nicodemus, "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." (John 3:3) He later says, "Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again." (John 3:7) Don't you just love Jesus? I think He's funny sometimes, like here saying, "Marvel not"… or, don't be so flabbergasted. But this is no laughing matter. Jesus goes on to say, "That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." (John 3:6) If we do not accept Jesus as our savior, we remain only flesh; flesh that dies. When we accept Him, we receive his Holy Spirit, which lives on forever. 

The apostle Paul tells us, "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." (Romans 10:9-10)

If you haven't cast your vote for your salvation yet, what could you possibly be waiting for? God has made it very clear that he will close His polls unannounced. "For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night." (1 Thessalonians 5:2) This very second, read this line out loud: "Jesus, I accept your death on the cross for full payment of my sins, and I look forward to being with you in heaven!" Salvation is indeed God's free and unmerited gift to everyone, as long as we take the action to claim it. 
Please remember, BIBLE BAIT is written by a novice Bible study student, not a Bible scholar. If something doesn't look quite right to you, dig into God's word. The one thing I promise you is that you won't get bored! 

Blogger Alan Wilhelm said...
Hey, fat guys vote too and I vote for Yeshua Hamaschiach to come back this evening.
Gee, Adonai I was hoping your Son would come during Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights.....WOW that would have been a great LIGHT SHOW!

Merry Christmas and not Happy Holidays

Bearcat Al aka The Watchman on the Wall aka The Baghdad Phantom aka Muqi
December 11, 2012 6:39 PM
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Saved by Grace But Judged by Works

It's His Party 
And You Can Bring Gifts 
If You Want To
The invitation to the party of a lifetime reaches your door. The person to whom this party is given is the most amazing and highly respected person you know. Everyone but everyone is invited. It's free; all you need is do is accept the invitation. You get there and see that only a handful of people showed up. Many of them are lined up in great anticipation to give the esteemed guest of honor their gifts that took them their entire existence to cumulate. "Wait!", you exclaim in panic, "I didn't know you could bring gifts!" Ouch. To make matters worse, you found out there was a gift registry.

The Bible tells us that there is nothing you need to do to get into Heaven other than to accept Jesus as your Savior. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9) Thinking that we have to do anything in addition to believing insults our Lord by telling Him that the cross wasn't enough.

That being said, this does not mean that we cannot do good works for Him. This is great news, as there is nothing we should want to do more than to honor our Savior. Conveniently, we don't even have to guess what He might like; His wish list is scattered throughout the pages of the New Testament. For each wish granted, our King will give us a crown.

1. The Incorruptible Crown (1 Corinthians 9:24-25)
This imperishable crown is given to believers who have answered and successfully completed a call from God, and in doing so have sacrificed the money, possessions and life style they could have had otherwise. The apostle Paul compared it to running an extraordinary race, only the rewards of winning this race are everlasting.
2. The Crown of Rejoicing (1 Thessalonians 2:19-20. & Daniel 12:3) 
This crown is for God's soul winners, who have faithfully witnessed to others His saving grace. We may doubt our ability to do such a powerful thing, or think we have no time, but our God is omnipotent. He can bend time and events in our favor to fit opportunities for us to witness and work for Him if we allow Him to.
3. The Crown of Righteousness (2 Timothy 4:7-8)
This crown is for those who have lived a good and righteous life for God, and longed and loved for His return. They have lived 'right' by not only talking the talk, but walking the walk even when no one was looking. Only the good…get the crown of righteousness!
4. The Crown of Life (James 1:12 & Revelation 2:10)
Also known as the martyr's crown, this crown is given to those believers who endure trials, tribulations, and severe suffering, even unto death. This is the greatest act of bravery, courage and love that we could possibly show God our Father.
5. The Crown of Glory (1 Peter 5:1-4)
Also known as the pastor's crown, this crown is for all who serve and shepherd God's people. God did not make the Bible easy to understand, but he did place among his people those who have studied and grasped His Word. These teachers will be given the crown of glory!

So, will people be walking around with crowns in Heaven? Weren't we talking about gifts we could give to Him? In Revelation 4:10 it says that when we receive our crowns we will cast them before Him, professing to Him that He should receive the glory and honor and power, that He created all things, and that for His pleasure they were made. Yes, these are the gifts that we can give to our Jesus on Judgement Day!

One of the unexpected joys of adding the Bible to my repertoire is that so many of the songs I have been singing in church all my life now have more substance. I feel sorry for the person who sits in front of me the next time we sing "Crown Him with Many Crowns!" I get all pitchy when I sing too loud.


Please remember, BIBLE BAIT is written by a novice Bible study student, not a Bible scholar. If something doesn't look quite right to you, do some digging. One thing you won't get is bored!


Monday, December 10, 2012

Just say Merry Christmas!

As I write this, we have 07 days, 12 hours, 42 minutes and 05 seconds until Christmas. (Maybe I should get rid of my countdown-to-Christmas ornament!) Regardless, I wonder how many more times someone will wish me a happy holiday rather than a Merry Christmas. People say this to me even when I am wearing my jacket that has 'Jesus Saves' embroidered on the front. Sadly, I admit that many times I just say, "Thanks" and walk away with a lump in my throat. 
I believe the tightness I feel in my throat is telling me something. So is my increased heartbeat. For tugging at my flesh is the very Counselor and Comforter that I deny. The apostle Paul was inspired by God to explain it this way: For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. -Galatians 5:17 It makes perfect sense then that our Savior, who's birth and more importantly death and resurrection it is that we are celebrating during Christmas, would physically remind us not to deny Him! 
As not to grieve my King and Savior when the world attempts to dismiss Him, I have decided to say, "You can say Merry Christmas to me - I celebrate my Savior's birth!" Additionally, if the Lord tarries another year, next Christmas I am going to make buttons that say just that.
God sprinkles all kinds of promises for us throughout His word. Some are lovely, some are not! This one encompasses both, and is quite relevant as well as motivating… Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven. -Matthew 10:32-33
Please pray that we all have the courage to boldly proclaim what Christmas, in spite of it's pagan synthesis, means to us as Christians. 
I wish you all a very Merry Christmas, and leave you with the lyrics of my new favorite Christmas song, "Welcome to our World" by Chris Rice…

Tears are falling, hearts are breaking
How we need to hear from God
You've been promised, we've been waiting
Welcome Holy Child
Welcome Holy Child

Hope that you don't mind our manger
How I wish we would have known
But long-awaited Holy Stranger
Make Yourself at home
Please make Yourself at home

Bring Your peace into our violence
Bid our hungry souls be filled
Word now breaking Heaven's silence
Welcome to our world
Welcome to our world

Fragile finger sent to heal us
Tender brow prepared for thorn
Tiny heart whose blood will save us
Unto us is born
Unto us is born

So wrap our injured flesh around You
Breathe our air and walk our sod
Rob our sin and make us holy
Perfect Son of God
Perfect Son of God
Welcome to our world

Please remember, BIBLE BAIT is written by a novice Bible study student, not a Bible scholar. If something doesn't look quite right to you, dig into God's word. The one thing I promise you is that you won't get bored! 


Sunday, November 11, 2012

Preach the Gospel to Every Creature


On my refrigerator, nestled among family snapshots and a list of foods to avoid,  I have a clipping that reads, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few." I do love it. For me, it answers the question, "Why I am here?" and acts as a 'to do' list every single morning. The quote comes from Matthew chapter 9… "And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest."  

Earlier in Matthew (chapter 4) we have this…"And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. And they straightway left their nets, and followed him." 

Have you ever wondered what you might have done had you been around when Jesus walked the earth? I would like to believe my answer would have been "Whatever He told me to do!"  If He told me to pray for laborers to preach the gospel to His lost sheep, I would have straightway dropped everything to do so!  Why then, should it be any different two thousand years later? Is everyone saved? I think not. If you are, then I would give my life savings on the fact that I know exactly what Jesus would tell you to do if you asked Him today…preach His gospel. This very day we can be the laborers Jesus told His twelve disciples to pray for!

If you are a believer in Christ, you have been given the authority to preach the Gospel to everyone, everywhere. The Holy Spirit has given us each our own special gift to do so. This is what the Apostle Paul was talking about when he explained that we are all different parts of the body of Christ, each of us as important as the other, each depending on the other. For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teachingOr he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.  -Romans chapter 12

What is your gift? Twenty-five years ago I was studying in one of the nations most prestigious art colleges. Regularly I prayed, "God, why did you give me this talent, yet not the desire to use it?" I was good at what I did, but I could hardly bear sitting down to do it. Now that I am using it for His ultimate purpose, the hours fly by.  I couldn't imagine a more well-suited gift, and am ever grateful that He has given it to me.

What if we fail to get the lost to believe? Failure is not ours to worry about, just as success is not ours to boast about. The actual act of saving was done by Jesus on the cross. We are simply planting seeds; only God can help them to grow. Jesus told the disciples in Matthew 10:  "And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand….And if the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it: but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you. And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet….Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves."

The National Association of Pastoral Musicians conducted a national online survey called “Songs That Make a Difference.” Coming in at number two was Dan Schutte's "Here I am Lord". It has my vote. For many years this was one of those songs I simply could not sing. A funny thing happens to your throat when God tugs at your heart. The lyrics are based on Isaiah 6:8... "Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me."

"And he said unto them, 
Go ye into all the world, 
and preach the gospel to every creature. 
                                                                           -Mark 16:15

Not sure how to start witnessing? 
This book from Mark Cahill can help!
Please remember, BIBLE BAIT is written by a novice Bible study student, not a Bible scholar. If something doesn't look quite right to you, dig into God's word. The one thing I promise you is that you won't get bored! Many thanks to my friend Renee Driscoll, who helps me keep Bible Bait Biblically correct.

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