Living 900 years has GOT to be a bit boring

And God said, Let an expanse be in the midst of the waters, and let it be dividing between the waters and the waters. And God made the expanse, and He separated between the waters which were under the expanse and the waters which were above the expanse. And it was so. (Genesis 1:6-7) In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, in the seventeenth day of the month, in this day all the fountains of the great deep were risen, and the windows of the heavens were opened up. And the rain was on the earth forty days and forty nights. (Genesis 7:11-12) I have set My bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of a covenant between Me and the earth. And it will be when I gather the clouds on the earth, then the bow shall be seen in the clouds. (Genesis 9:13-14) And all the days of Noah were nine hundred and fifty years. And he died. (Genesis 9:29) These four scriptures, I believe, tell us volumes about the earth upon which Adam and Eve walked. The earth of The Garden of Eden was like a greenhouse, heavily overcast, with no direct sunlight. Genesis 1: 6-7 tells us that God separated the waters above from the waters below and called that thing in between "heaven" (or "sky" as Hebrew and modern English both use the word heaven to refer to that which we see when we look up, as well as to refer to the abode of God) As we read thru the various geneologies in the early chapters of Genesis, we see lifetimes spanning centuries. How can this be? While I believe God created an "old Earth" I also beleieve God did not create geneticaly faulty creatures. If we were able to look at the genetic material from Adam or any of the creatures that populated the earth of his day we would seee NO mutations, and because of the heavy cloud cover there would be no damaging solar radiation to start the process of genetic mutations. so it was not untill after the flood, when God opened "the windows of heaven" and released the "waters above" to flood the earth, creating mostly clear skies, and exposing mankind and flora and fuana alike to essentially unfiltered solar radiation. Further proof of this is the fact that the Rainbow appearing in the clouds was a new thing. Why and how was this a new thing? To see a rainbow the air must contain water molecules AND DIRECT SUNLIGHT. therefor; beasue there had been no direct sunlight before teh flood a rainbow had never been seen And finally we see through the various geneologies that after Noah the lifespans reduced with each generation: Gen 9:29 And all the days of Noah were nine hundred and fifty years Genesis 11:10-11These are the generations of Shem: Shem was a son of a hundred years and fathered Arpachshad two years after the flood. And after he fathered Arpachshad, Shem lived five hundred years. And he fathered sons and daughters. Gen 11:12-12 And Arpachshad lived thirty five years and fathered Salah. And after he fathered Salah, Arpachshad lived four hundred and three years. And he fathered sons and daughters. Gen 11:18-19 And Peleg lthirty years and fathered Reu. And after he fathered Reu, Peleg lived two hundred and nine years. And he fathered sons and daughters. And so it goes ... until Abraham, who "only" lived for 175 years

Do We Live by Law or by Grace?

IF we are to live by the Law, what Law are we to live by?
Are we under the Law God gave to Moses, in the first five books of the Old Testament?
Moses was the leader of a nation sovereignly created by God. God gave Moses a set of laws to govern that nation, the nation of Israel. These laws included everything from how to worship to how to cook dinner, how to plant crops, how to hold trials. All the laws a nation needs. It governed the Nation of Israel just as the Constitution Governs the U.S. Just as any nation does; over the years more laws were written that added detail and complications to those original laws. Jesus was a Jew, living in Israel, under the Laws of Israel as were Peter, John, Paul and most everyone mentioned in the New Testament (Tho not all). This is partly why there is so much mention of the Law of Moses; because that was the Religious, Criminal & Civil law under which they lived (also Roman law, of course).

Are we subject to the Law God gave Moses? No
(unless you live in Israel).
This issue was addressed early on (in the Book of Acts, chapter 15) when various Jews who were following Jesus' teachings taught that one must FIRST become a Jew, following Jewish Law, before one could become a follower of Jesus. The leaders of that first congregation ruled that there was NO REQUIREMENT for Christians to follow Jewish Law.

In Romans; Paul calls for all believers to submit to authority, because the originator of law, the ultimate authority is God. The Law which we are to submit to is that Law established by the Authority under which we live, the Law of your Country, Province, City, Village, whatever. Peter pointed out to the rulers of Israel that when Man's laws CONFLICT with God's law we are bound to obey God.

What the exactly is the Law of God, from which all other law is derived?
Jesus taught; “ You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. ... You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” and then He said;”On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”

Paul expands on this in Romans Chapter 9.
In Paul's letter to the Christians in Rome he discusses the issue of Law in great detail. He acknowledged that we all live under various systems of Law. Paul even discusses those that live under NO law and will be judged by that inward law that they understand naturally, absent of any government.

Jesus preached that God's judgment is much broader than man's. That not only can one be condemned for breaking a law, but even for DESIRING to break a law, without the opportunity to do so. In His “Sermon on the Mount” in Matthew 5,6 and 7, Jesus repeatedly says “You have been taught...” “But I say...” thereby expanding the definition of sin beyond the details that the rabbis used when teaching the Law of Moses.

The best example of this is;
Mat 5:21 You have knowledge that it was said in old times, You may not murder; and, Whoever murders will be in danger of being judged: But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be in danger of being judged; and he who says to his brother, Raca, will be in danger from the Sanhedrin; and whoever says, You foolish one, will be in danger of the hell of fire.

Jesus was trying to make it clear to the Jews that ALL were guilty of Sin, that NONE were innocent. And therefor... ALL needed Jesus. All of us need a sin sacrifice, and Jesus Himself was that final Sacrifice. This is why He says “Do not think I came to DESTROY the Law or the Prophets,. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.” His sacrifice on the Cross was the Final sacrifice for sin, called for under the Law of Moses.

One thing Jesus did not teach was a NEW LAW. His every reference to the Law was to Moses' Law, that which governed the Nation of Israel. When God set out to give a law He made it quite clear what He was doing. Read those first books of the Old Testament, esp; Exodus, Leviticus and Deuteronomy. God not only clearly stated the Law, but also made it very clear to WHOM they applied.

There is no such Law in the New Testament, beyond the two basic commandments; “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. ... You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” The New Testament teaches Grace, based on Christ's sacrifice. We are taught to guide our actions not by threat of God's anger and condemnation but by our LOVE for Jesus.

So, what happens when (not if) we violate GOD's law?
What happens when we sin?
Sin has natural consequences as well as criminal and civil consequences (that defines sin). However our ultimate judge is God. Jesus told us not to fear those that can only hurt our bodies, but to fear the One that can destroy both body and soul in hell!

Every one of us from Adam through to the last man standing at the end of Armageddon and beyond will one day stand at the Judgment Seat of heaven. Two things will happen that day, either we will have to answer to our creator for breaking HIS law, or we will be declared innocent because the record books of Heaven show that we belong to the Lamb of God; Jesus Christ. The Lamb's Book of Life is the record of those who have accepted Jesus as their Lord and Saviour. That one single decision, to accept Jesus, to Believe, is the ONLY thing that allows you to escape the requirement of answering for your own crimes against Heaven.

For this reason, for our sin, Jesus came to earth.
The Son of God, divine, and eternal CHOSE to lower himself to the place of mankind, to walk without sin for over thirty years, and to offer Himself as the ultimate sacrifice for the sins of all mankind. By this God offers us His Grace, a free gift, the ultimate “Get-Out-of-Hell-Free-Card.”

So... Do we live by Law, do we hope to prove ourselves to God by our own good works, avoiding any and all sin, or do we accept God's free gift, and be declared innocent, sanctified, made pure and Holy because, and only because of the Blood that Jesus Christ shed on that ugly cross?
Do we live in fear, under the Law, or in Love under God's Grace. Jesus said that if we Love Him we demonstrate this by keeping His commandments. Do you see the contrast there; Obedience based on Love Vs Obedience based on fear of punishment.

God's Grace covers our sin, declares us innocent.
Jesus freed us from the bondage of sin and guilt. Does this mean then that we can go through life sinning as we please? Paul ask the obvious question: WHY WOULD WE DO THAT! Sin causes pain and suffering to ourselves and others, Sin has bad consequences.

DO we Sin? Yes.
Why? Because we still live on this earth captive to our physical limitations, subject to our physical desires and such. For this reason, God, knowing we would fail, sent His Son to die for our sins... God did this while we were still sinners. He did not wait for us to clean up our act and deserve this free gift.

In the three years or so that Jesus preached, He made clear what SIN was, how God viewed it, and what HE came to do about it. He also taught a better way to live, not based on perfection, but based on the principals of Love of God and love of our fellow men.

After Jesus died, resurrected and ascended back into Heaven his followers wrote various letters addressing various issues in the various congregation they established, all based on the teachings of Jesus. They were giving practical application to the principals that Jesus taught.
Please understand however... These letters(epistles) are NOT a New Testament Law, they are simply advice and direction as to how best to live one's life as a follower of Jesus.

When we fail, when we sin, WE ARE NOT CONDEMNED. We repent (we change our ways), God forgives, and we move on.

We study the Old Testament to understand God, how he deals with men and women; to learn of the prophecies that prove Jesus was the Promised one. We do not study the Old Testament because we are required to live by that Law. Jesus teaches about the Old Testament Law to show the futility of sin, to show that everyone sins, either by violating the letter of the law or by DESIRING to do so. And, all of these types of sins are Covered by the Sacrifice that Jesus made on the Cross. Covered by the Grace, the free gift of forgiveness, from God.

Let me give three examples:

Lying; We tell a lie, and then tell another lie to cover the first lie, and then another, and another... Under Grace when we tell a lie, we simply admit the lie, seek forgiveness, God forgives and we move on.

Murder; To kill a person in anger or without legal sanction puts us under the condemnation of the law, we are judged, convicted and punished. Jesus taught that even just the anger puts us under the same condemnation. God judges more harshly, but forgives completely.

Divorce; Most countries laws allow divorce, some require a reason, most no longer do. God said “What therefore God hath joined together, let not put asunder” so then when a couple divorces their remarriage is considered adultery in God's courtroom, and what does HE do? He forgives.

In each case the outcome is the same, under Grace, no matter what Man's law says.... God forgives the followers of His Son, who are covered by the price Jesus paid (death) on the cross.

So, when you ask; “ is _______ a sin?”
I answer; “Yes” and God forgives

This Is Just Not Right!

Seen at K-Mart checkout counter in New Orleans

Hmmm........................

The Freedom Tower is out. One World Trade Center is in. The Port Authority, the agency that owns the building at Ground Zero, said Thursday that the signature skyscraper replacing the Twin Towers destroyed on Sept. 11, 2001, will be more commonly known as One World Trade Center.The reason for the name swapping? One World Trade Center is more marketable, said Steve Sigmund, a spokesman for the Port Authority."We believe there's been a good response in the marketplace toward it," Sigmund said Thursday.

Bible in One Year (Pros and Cons)

The Bible is not a single document. It is a collection of documents, with a central theme, all and each Inspired by God's Holy Spirit.

In order to Understand and remember/internalize these one must read each as a separate document.

Chapters and verses are artificial bookmarks added to the scriptures 1000 or more years after the origins of the documents. (Psalms is the exception)

Chapter and verse numbers assist our study by providing us a simple way to refer to portions of Scripture, but are otherwise meaningless. In many cases Chapters actually break up concepts in the wrong places; and verses almost always chop up paragraphs, and often even splitting sentences.

I personally prefer a Bible that displays the text in normal paragraphs, adding in the verse numbers in small print.

That being said; I believe daily Bible study should stick to one book at a time (few of them are very long).

Some books need to be read in chronological order: Luke & Acts is a good example.

Some books parallel one another:

the four Gospels, Matthew, Mark Luke & John in the New Testament;

in the Old Testament 1st & 2nd Chronicles (starting in 1st Chronicles 10) parallels: 1st & 2nd Samuel, 1st & 2nd Kings (BTW: The Jewish tradition names these 1st, 2nd, 3rd & 4th Kings).

Each of the Non-Chronological books was written during or about the time frame covered by the Chronological books (2 exceptions). For example; many of Paul's letters to the various Churches were written during his various mission trips recorded in Acts, the rest were written from Rome, after his arrival recorded in Acts Chapter 28. In the Old Testament the various books of the Prophets were mostly written during the time frame of the chronology starting with 1st Kings.

Needless to say, I'm all for reading the entire Bible in One Year, or any other reasonable time frame. This concept offers a certain discipline to the reader.

For Bible in One Year plans that present the scriptures in a rational order look here: BlueLetterBible.org/ (Notice the options on the lower half of the page)

Of course there are other ways to study scripture; Word studies and subject studies are two examples.

I once had a copy of the Old Testament that showed a supposed date for the events and references in every Chapter.

There are also various charts that illustrate these relationships:
BibleStudy.org
BibleLights.com
BibleDiagrams.com

It is possible, using the Genealogies and various scriptural references to the passage of time to place the Fall of Adam and Eve at about 4000 years before the advent of our Lord.

I know there are documents tracing this. If you find one before I post it here, please send me a note: Pastor@MarkElliott.org.

Bible Study

Paul wrote to Timothy; "Give diligence to present yourself approved to God, a workman unashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth." We study the Word, in order to obtain God's approval. He has given us His Holy Spirit to guide us in our study.
Jesus taught that His Holy Spirit would remind us ("bring to remembrance") His Word. How can we be reminded of something that we do not first know?

Have you ever thought what it must have been like to sit among The Twelve, being taught by Jesus Himself? Four of His followers (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) have shared with us that very experience. For that reason I recommend that every follower, every Disciple, of Jesus get a plain language, red letter edition of the Bible. Spend some time "sitting at Jesus' feet." Study His Words (the words printed in red).

In my opinion Jesus' teachings are the heart, the central point of all Scripture. The Bible exist to Showcase the Good News that Jesus taught; The simple message of our universal guilt ("for ALL have sinned") and His redemptive sacrifice on the Cross. Jesus taught that salvation comes ONLY through Him.

People asks; "Which version, which translation, is best? is it the KJV or the NIV or the NKJV or some other?" My answer is that the Word written in YOUR HEART is the best version. The Good News that has changed your life. The message that your friends, neighbors and co-workers see in your daily walk... THAT is the scripture that counts.

So let me lay out a framework for the Believer's Bible study.

First, as I said above; there are the teachings of Jesus, the Good News, the Gospel.

Second, there's the context of those teachings; the four Gospels; Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. These tell of the life of our Lord.

Third, the story told by Luke in the book of Acts. Here is a history of that first few years showing us how Jesus' followers (disciples), guided by His Holy Spirit, applied those teachings.

Fourth, you study the various letters ("epistles") written by these same disciples. The address the day to day issues found in the daily life of those first congregations.
This includes the 13 letters written by Paul to 7 churches and 3 friends, as well as 8 letters written by various leaders of the early church to deal with various doctrinal and congregational issues.

Finally, in the New Testament, we have the monumental book of prophecy: The Revelation given to John, the last survivor of the Twelve.

So then what of the Old Testament?
The Jewish Bible, the collection of writings which they call the "Law and the Prophets."

Well, at first look, one cannot ignore the fact that the early Church was primarily a Jewish Church. In fact this is an issue dealt with repeatedly by the leaders of those first congregations.
More importantly; your Savior, Jesus Christ, was a Jew. He preached to the Jews. The Twelve were all Jews. So to fully understand the New Testament you need to understand the Old Testament.

Keep in mind that when Jesus or His followers refer to "Scriptures" they are talking about the Old Testament. When Jesus said to satan " it is written..." He quotes the Old Testament.

Just as in the New Testament; the Old Testament begins with a chronological/history.

Genesis covers the first 2000 years of mans history (from Adam & Eve in The Garden of Eden to Joseph in Egypt)

Then there is a 400 year gap while Jacob's (now named Israel) family, twelve sons, their wives and kids and kid's kids, etc, hang out in Egypt.

Exodus begins at about 1500BCE with Moses leading Israel out of Egypt towards the "Promised Land"

The first 5 books of the Old Testament are called the "Torah" by the Jews. This is their Law, found specifically in the last part of Exodus and includes Leviticus & Numbers, then is recapped in Deuteronomy.

There is a pattern throughout these books of a series of Covenants, legal agreements between God and various people. Many of the covenants are promising the arrival of Jesus as a descendant of Abraham who will save the world. The remainder of these covenants can be summed up in the concept: God says Obey my laws and things will go well with you, ignore them and you will suffer.

The chronological history continues thru the Book about Esther

Jesus, in His teaching, makes many references to the Jewish Law.
He also refers to various prophecies (mostly about Himself) that can be found throughout the Old Testament.

The Story of Job has no chronological reference. It is generally considered a book of wisdom, illustrating God's interaction with mankind.

Psalms is a collection of Poems and songs, mostly written by King David.

Proverbs, Ecclesiastes(Sermons) and the Song of Solomon were written by the last ruling monarch of United Israel; King Solomon.

The remaining books of the Old Testament are the records of the various Prophets who served in the period Covered by the Books of Samuel, Kings and Chronicles.

The last Prophet(Malachi) wrote approximately 400 years before the birth of Christ

A word about prophets;

Prophets are spokesmen of God. They say whatever God tells them to say. SOMETIMES their messages foretell future events, other times they bring words of Correction or comfort. It is important to understand the difference between a prophet and a preacher. The preacher speaks from his knowledge and understanding of God and God’s word. The prophet is simply a mouth-piece, speaking whatever God puts in his mouth. I call this Speaking by revelation (i.e.; speaking what God has revealed).

You may hear of the terms “Major Prophets” and “Minor Prophets” This terminology is bogus, it simply refers to the SIZE of the book recording the ministry of a particular prophet. NO prophet of God is more or less than any other, as they ALL speak from the same source; Revelation from the One True God.


The things that can be learned from the Old Testament;

• Prophecies of Christ Coming
• History of God’s Chosen People, Israel
• God’s Law given to govern Israel
• God’s interaction with People
• The Old Testament Law, specifically the system of sacrifices,
  is a fore-shadowing of Christ and the Church era.
• Wisdom of Godly men (primarily; King Solomon and King David)

It is also useful as a reference, because the writers of The New Testament
frequently refer to the Old Testament, that being the only “scriptures” they had

Biblical Truth Vs Church Traditions

When studying Doctrines (Teachings of your Church) it is important to separate Scriptural truth from Church Tradition. ESPECIALLY in areas of right and wrong.

Some traditions, widely accepted, have no bearing on sin or salvation; Such as Moses being the writer of the Torah, or Peter having dictated the Gospel to a man named Mark.

Other scriptural truths are contradicted by some church traditions; such as the claim that Mary was a virgin for her entire life, when the Bible clearly refers to the brothers and sisters of Jesus (one of which is thought to be the author of the Book of James)

In my viewpoint, the ultimate test of any Doctrinal Teaching is the Words of Jesus, Himself. If Jesus taught it then WE should teach it.

I realise this may be considered an over-simplification, but as I see it, Jesus walked the streets of Galilee, teaching common people. He said exactly what He meant to say, and He generally expected to be understood by those to whom he preached

The Good News preached by Jesus was MEANT to be simple, to be easy to understand.

Memorize Scripture

"These words, which I command you this day, shall be on your heart; and you shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them for a sign on your hand, and they shall be for symbols between your eyes. You shall write them on the door-posts of your house, and on your gates." (Deuteronomy 6:6-9)


We need to make the Inspired Word of God an integral part of our thinking.
We are what we read, what we watch, what we hear and what we study. Yes?

I feel that every Believer should memorize Scripture,
and memorize certain basic facts concerning the Holy Bible:

Admittedly this is something I find extremely difficult (memorizing).
Songs, on the other hand are easy to remember,
so; if you have trouble memorizing look for songs to help you.

Basics of scripture that every Believer should know from memory:

Books of the Bible

1. Name
2. Author; known or attributed(some books name their author, some do not)
3. Type; History, Prophecy, Epistle(letter), Wisdom
4. Subject; Life of Christ, History of Israel, end times prophecy, etc

The Full Armor of God (I’ll let you find the verses)

Roman Road; 5 verses in Paul’s letter to the Roman Church which lay out the way to salvation

The Beatitudes; The Opening to Jesus’ sermon on the mountain Found in Matthew 5 verses 3-12

The Ten Commandments (I’ll let you find the verses)
Oddly enough there’s some disagreement over which exactly is the fourth commandment

Works of the Flesh (I’ll let you find the verses)

Fruits of the Spirit (I’ll let you find the verses)

Spiritual Gifts (I’ll let you find the verses)

5 ministries God has given to the Church (I’ll let you find the verses)

Names of The Twelve

Names of the Tribes (there’s several list, some of which differ a bit)

The Seven Churches of Revelations Found in the first 3 Chapters
Know the Name and Nature of each

There are 3 portions of scripture, a sermon, the last class Jesus taught The Twelve, and His last Prayer, which are Very important to know and understand, and if we do so, we will understand almost all of Jesus’ message to His followers

1. Sermon on the Mount: Matthew 5,6 &7 (there’s a similar sermon in Luke 6)
2. Jesus Last teaching: John 14-16
3. Jesus’ Final Prayer; John 17 in the garden the night of his capture

Paul’s Sermon on Mars Hill in Athens; (I’ll let you find the verses)
Here he preached to pagans with no knowledge of Scripture. It is a masterful sermon!

Also; Stephen's sermon in Acts chapter 7 gives an excellent outline of the Old Testament history of Israel.

There are MANY lists of verses you can use. (one example)
AND, be sure to memorize any verse that you find to be especially meaningful

As I’ve said elsewhere; the best version of the Bible is the one in your heart and mind, the one that your friends and neighbors SEE in your daily life.