Bible Studies 18 (newest bible study added 3/12/2022 - see below)
Atheist ... (added 8/22/2021)
Patty and I watched a movie the other day. It is about Lee Strobel. He was a reporter for the Chicago Tribune in the 70s & 80s. He broke a lot of big stories and was very well-respected in Chicago, and among his peers. Lee was a true investigative journalist. Once he got ahold of a story, an idea, a lead he did not give up. He would research (Remember, this was long before google and the internet.) and go to great lengths to verify his sources and get to the very truth of the story. He was tenacious.
One day his wife came home and told him some news. This news was so drastic it floored him. He was devastated. He was upset. It shook him to the very core of his being. What his wife Leslie told him that day was going to change her life, their marriage, and possibly their future forever.
You see Lee Strobel lived his life as an atheist. So too did Leslie. Neither of them believed in God and they certainly did not believe in Jesus. He was happy being an atheist. He knew for a fact God was a myth and Jesus was just a made-up figure to help the masses feel good and give them hope (albeit, a false hope). So, when Leslie told him she became a Christian he was furious. He thought his wife delusional and sucked into this false religion. He felt she betrayed him and their marriage. As time went by, Lee saw how his wife changed into a different person as she began to put her trust and faith in Jesus. And he did not like it. He felt as though he had lost his wife. They fought for months and months. And she was also teaching their young daughter about Jesus too. He eventually got to the point where he gave her an ultimatum: Either she would renounce her faith or he would leave her. However, if Lee was going down, he was going to go down fighting! He felt Leslie needed to be rescued from this cult she was in. And he was prepared to do just that. He was going to get his wife back!
Lee knew it was time to debunk this whole Christian thing and he was singularly prepared for this task. So what does an investigative journalist do when he wants to prove or disprove something? He investigates. Lee talked to a trusted friend about how best to prove there is no God. This friend told him the best, most direct path to proving Christianity was nothing more than another false religion was to prove the Resurrection of Jesus did not happen. His friend told him the whole faith rests on that one event. Christianity stands or falls on the Resurrection of Jesus.
Now Lee went into action. He spent months putting together solid evidence concerning the Resurrection. He so desperately wanted to prove it did not happen. Lee spoke with experts in every field: medical doctors, psychologists, archeologists, professors, pastors, experts in languages, etc. He did not leave one stone unturned. He tried to prove Christ did not overcome death and walk out of the grave. Although Lee was unapologetic in his stance against this religion, and wanted nothing more than to prove he was right, he began to realize something. As his research began to pile up, and he began to logically examine all of the evidence he had collected, he had no other recourse than to admit that the evidence, the proof of the Resurrection was so overwhelming he could not ignore it: Jesus did indeed walk out of the tomb. He proved Jesus Christ (Jesus the Anointed One) or Yeshua Hamashiach (in Hebrew: Jesus the Messiah, "the one anointed with oil") is the Son of God and that He is the Savior.
And once he accepted this truth he did the only logical thing: He gave his life to Jesus – Lee Strobel – a devout, assertive atheist put his trust and faith in Jesus, He became a Christian. And he and Leslie are still together.
So tell me again: what is still holding you back? Why do you refuse to admit the evidence which is so overwhelming? Jesus did walk out of that tomb. Come to Jesus now before it is too late. Repent of your sins (turn away, change your thinking), put your faith in Jesus now, and become saved and washed clean by His redeeming blood.
If you do not know Jesus as your Savior and Lord, simply pray the following prayer in faith and Jesus will be your Lord! "Heavenly Father, I come to You in the Name of Jesus. Your Word says "And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved" and "If you declare with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." (Acts 2:21; Romans 10:9). You said my salvation would be the result of Your Holy Spirit giving me new birth by coming to live in me (John 3:5-6, Romans 8:9-11) and that if I would ask, You would fill me with Your Spirit (Luke 11:13; Acts 2:4). I take You at Your Word. I confess that Jesus is Lord. I ask that you forgive me of all my sins and cleanse me from all unrighteousness. I believe in my heart that You have raised Jesus from the dead and I am a "New Man" (or Woman) in Christ. Thank You for coming to live in my heart, for giving me Your Holy Spirit as You have promised, and for being Lord over my life. Amen."
When you say the prayer of salvation, and put your trust and faith in Jesus, you become a new person. You should want to change from being the sinful person you were, to a new person in Jesus. If you don't feel an intense desire to change, and turn away from your sin and your old sin-nature, then you ARE NOT SAVED. I beg you to search your heart and really turn to Jesus and ask for forgiveness and TURN AWAY FROM YOUR OLD SIN LIFE. If you said that prayer would you please contact me and tell me if I can help you in any way? I want to rejoice with you in your salvation. Please don't hesitate to email me if there is anything I can do to help you.
If you want to read his book, and see how far-reaching, how long, and to what depths Lee went to discount the Resurrection (and thereby discredit Christianity and prove Jesus did not die on the cross and raise up the 3rd day) you can read his book or find it on Pure Flix: “The Case for Christ: A Journalist's Personal Investigation of the Evidence for Jesus”, Lee Strobel
Yoga. Not for Christians. (added 9/12/2021)
With love and concern I feel I must write this. I know that “Christian Yoga” has become widely accepted by the church and that allot of churches even offer some kind of yoga class on-site or sponsor yoga in some way. People are being told, and unwittingly lied to, that you can do yoga and it is ok because you’re only doing it to improve your health and mind. It gets you closer to God. I completely disagree. A Christian should never submit their minds or bodies to spiritualism that is not of God. EVERYTHING about yoga is designed to attain “self-realization” or enlightenment. You cannot separate out parts of an eastern occult practice rooted in paganism, rename it, and make it a “Christian” practice. Just because it is relabeled and maybe some of the words are changed does not make it acceptable to God. “Spirituality” is not the goal of the Christian faith. Feeling good is not the goal of a Christian. Christians do not need to seek out new ways to “find God” or “find peace” or “find” whatever it is they think they need. A Christian only needs to develop his/her relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ and to God. The way to do that is by prayer, worship, reading the Bible (And not “The Message” version of the Bible. That version and many others are garbage, but that’s a whole different topic.), spending time with other believers, and submitting to the Holy Spirit. It is not through some re-purposed pagan worship practice.
And one other thing while I’m on a roll. Meditation is also not of God. Meditation, using a mantra (even if it is a bible verse or the name of Jesus, or some other word) and being in a trancelike state is not Biblical. It also is an eastern pagan worship practice.
Some of you may be saying, “But Jim, all we do is the some exercises and talk about God while we’re in class.” “Yoga has entered the Christian church through the notion that it is all right to adapt the Hindu practice of Yoga by using Christian terms and concepts; as long as only the exercises are practiced without meditation, Yoga is safe. Neither notion could be further from the truth. Former Hindu guru Rabi Maharaj, in his autobiography “Death of a Guru”, states, “No part of Yoga can be separated from the philosophy behind it.” Hinduism is totally incompatible with genuine, biblical Christianity–the two cannot be absorbed into one. There simply cannot be any such thing as “Christian Yoga.” (https://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/blog/?p=1446)
“CHRISTIAN YOGA IS NOT CHRISTIAN AT ALL
Christian Yoga is a lie! Those who are caught up in it are deceiving and being deceived. The ultimate goal of yoga is “Self-realization” – to realize ones own divinity. This is the lie Satan gave to Eve: “And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil” (Gen. 3:4-5).
Christianizing Yoga is pure chicanery. This is exactly what Christian Yoga is. It is “deception by artful subterfuge or sophistry”. Christian Yoga is a form of satanic deception masquerading as “a deeper form of Christian spirituality.” These things ought not to be so. We urge: “Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.” (2 Thess. 2:3)
Yoga’s goal is “Self-exaltation”, “Realizing” ones own “divinity” and “yoking with the Universal Consciousness”. These things have nothing to do with Jesus Christ and everything to do with Satan. Christian yogi’s it is time to repent!” (excerpt from CHRISTIAN YOGA: Rooted in Hindu Occultism, Part 1 By Chris Lawson http://www.spiritual-research-network.stirsite.com/f/christianyoga_rootedinhinduoccutlism_pt1.pdf)
Here are some links to other articles detailing this dangerous practice:
https://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/blog/?p=28725
https://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/blog/?p=2631
https://christiannews.net/2018/08/22/concerns-raised-after-serita-jakes-posts-photos-of-yoga-session-at-the-potters-house-church/
Who’s On Your List? (added 3/12/2022)
I was sitting in Man Challenge (Men’s Bible study at my church) today and we were talking about sinners. And the question was put to us “Who are the people you struggle with most, if you learned they turned to God and repented of their lifestyle, God forgave them and now they are Christ-followers?” We weren’t allowed to give a “Sunday school answer” so I really had to think about it. After some thought I came up with a person who did severe damage to some people I love and that was the person I chose – I had to admit I really did not want that person to go to heaven. Then on the way home from there the Holy Spirit really started working on me. I began to think about others who I would exclude from heaven if it were up to me (WOW - Hard to admit that!!!). So, I came up with a list. I could name them here and most of you would know some of the people I name: some famous people and quite a few false preachers and teachers who are leading millions straight to hell (false prophets: see Matt 7:5, 2 Peter 2:1, 1 John 4:1). Yes, my list would be quite extensive. Basically, I would allow most of my family, some friends (not all probably) and some others who I deemed were “good enough” to be in “my heaven”. I know that each of us have a list of those we would invite and those we would not allow, or want, in our heaven.
So, I had to ride my train of thought further: If there are some who I would exclude from my list, I can be 100% certain there are people who would exclude me from their list. I would be lying to you (and to myself) if I tried to make you believe I have never wronged another or treated someone badly. I have treated others with contempt, hatred, and cruelty. I have been mean, petty, jealous, prideful, uncompassionate, selfish, and unloving. So, looks like I’m not making it in either.
But God.
But God is the one who gets to make the list and His list is the only one that matters. Matthew 9:9-13 tells us “As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office, and he said to him, ‘Follow me,’ and he got up and followed him. While he was reclining at the table in the house, many tax collectors and sinners came to eat with Jesus and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, ‘Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?’ Now when he heard this, he said, ‘It is not those who are well who need a doctor, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means: I desire mercy and not sacrifice (from Hosea 6:6). For I didn’t come to call the righteous, but sinners.’”
But God.
But God’s list includes the sinners. In Romans 5:6-8 Paul tells us “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” So God’s list includes all of us: the beaten down and the downtrodden; the abused and the neglected; the hated and the reviled; the rich and the powerful; the murderer and the abuser; the liar and the thief; the undeserving and the unlovable – God’s list covers every single one of us.
So, God’s list includes me too. And God’s list includes you too. And God’s list includes everyone not on my list. So, what’s my next move? I need to ask God to forgive me for trying to pick and choose who is worthy enough to go to heaven. I need to ask God to forgive me for pounding on my chest and saying how great I am because I’m not like that sinner over there (Luke 18:9-14). I need to add their names to my prayer list and pray for their salvation. And I need to live with intentionality, compassion, love, kindness, and concern for every person I come into contact with because we are all numbered among “the least of these” (Matthew 25:31-46). Now, about your list…
Patty and I watched a movie the other day. It is about Lee Strobel. He was a reporter for the Chicago Tribune in the 70s & 80s. He broke a lot of big stories and was very well-respected in Chicago, and among his peers. Lee was a true investigative journalist. Once he got ahold of a story, an idea, a lead he did not give up. He would research (Remember, this was long before google and the internet.) and go to great lengths to verify his sources and get to the very truth of the story. He was tenacious.
One day his wife came home and told him some news. This news was so drastic it floored him. He was devastated. He was upset. It shook him to the very core of his being. What his wife Leslie told him that day was going to change her life, their marriage, and possibly their future forever.
You see Lee Strobel lived his life as an atheist. So too did Leslie. Neither of them believed in God and they certainly did not believe in Jesus. He was happy being an atheist. He knew for a fact God was a myth and Jesus was just a made-up figure to help the masses feel good and give them hope (albeit, a false hope). So, when Leslie told him she became a Christian he was furious. He thought his wife delusional and sucked into this false religion. He felt she betrayed him and their marriage. As time went by, Lee saw how his wife changed into a different person as she began to put her trust and faith in Jesus. And he did not like it. He felt as though he had lost his wife. They fought for months and months. And she was also teaching their young daughter about Jesus too. He eventually got to the point where he gave her an ultimatum: Either she would renounce her faith or he would leave her. However, if Lee was going down, he was going to go down fighting! He felt Leslie needed to be rescued from this cult she was in. And he was prepared to do just that. He was going to get his wife back!
Lee knew it was time to debunk this whole Christian thing and he was singularly prepared for this task. So what does an investigative journalist do when he wants to prove or disprove something? He investigates. Lee talked to a trusted friend about how best to prove there is no God. This friend told him the best, most direct path to proving Christianity was nothing more than another false religion was to prove the Resurrection of Jesus did not happen. His friend told him the whole faith rests on that one event. Christianity stands or falls on the Resurrection of Jesus.
Now Lee went into action. He spent months putting together solid evidence concerning the Resurrection. He so desperately wanted to prove it did not happen. Lee spoke with experts in every field: medical doctors, psychologists, archeologists, professors, pastors, experts in languages, etc. He did not leave one stone unturned. He tried to prove Christ did not overcome death and walk out of the grave. Although Lee was unapologetic in his stance against this religion, and wanted nothing more than to prove he was right, he began to realize something. As his research began to pile up, and he began to logically examine all of the evidence he had collected, he had no other recourse than to admit that the evidence, the proof of the Resurrection was so overwhelming he could not ignore it: Jesus did indeed walk out of the tomb. He proved Jesus Christ (Jesus the Anointed One) or Yeshua Hamashiach (in Hebrew: Jesus the Messiah, "the one anointed with oil") is the Son of God and that He is the Savior.
And once he accepted this truth he did the only logical thing: He gave his life to Jesus – Lee Strobel – a devout, assertive atheist put his trust and faith in Jesus, He became a Christian. And he and Leslie are still together.
So tell me again: what is still holding you back? Why do you refuse to admit the evidence which is so overwhelming? Jesus did walk out of that tomb. Come to Jesus now before it is too late. Repent of your sins (turn away, change your thinking), put your faith in Jesus now, and become saved and washed clean by His redeeming blood.
If you do not know Jesus as your Savior and Lord, simply pray the following prayer in faith and Jesus will be your Lord! "Heavenly Father, I come to You in the Name of Jesus. Your Word says "And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved" and "If you declare with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." (Acts 2:21; Romans 10:9). You said my salvation would be the result of Your Holy Spirit giving me new birth by coming to live in me (John 3:5-6, Romans 8:9-11) and that if I would ask, You would fill me with Your Spirit (Luke 11:13; Acts 2:4). I take You at Your Word. I confess that Jesus is Lord. I ask that you forgive me of all my sins and cleanse me from all unrighteousness. I believe in my heart that You have raised Jesus from the dead and I am a "New Man" (or Woman) in Christ. Thank You for coming to live in my heart, for giving me Your Holy Spirit as You have promised, and for being Lord over my life. Amen."
When you say the prayer of salvation, and put your trust and faith in Jesus, you become a new person. You should want to change from being the sinful person you were, to a new person in Jesus. If you don't feel an intense desire to change, and turn away from your sin and your old sin-nature, then you ARE NOT SAVED. I beg you to search your heart and really turn to Jesus and ask for forgiveness and TURN AWAY FROM YOUR OLD SIN LIFE. If you said that prayer would you please contact me and tell me if I can help you in any way? I want to rejoice with you in your salvation. Please don't hesitate to email me if there is anything I can do to help you.
If you want to read his book, and see how far-reaching, how long, and to what depths Lee went to discount the Resurrection (and thereby discredit Christianity and prove Jesus did not die on the cross and raise up the 3rd day) you can read his book or find it on Pure Flix: “The Case for Christ: A Journalist's Personal Investigation of the Evidence for Jesus”, Lee Strobel
Yoga. Not for Christians. (added 9/12/2021)
With love and concern I feel I must write this. I know that “Christian Yoga” has become widely accepted by the church and that allot of churches even offer some kind of yoga class on-site or sponsor yoga in some way. People are being told, and unwittingly lied to, that you can do yoga and it is ok because you’re only doing it to improve your health and mind. It gets you closer to God. I completely disagree. A Christian should never submit their minds or bodies to spiritualism that is not of God. EVERYTHING about yoga is designed to attain “self-realization” or enlightenment. You cannot separate out parts of an eastern occult practice rooted in paganism, rename it, and make it a “Christian” practice. Just because it is relabeled and maybe some of the words are changed does not make it acceptable to God. “Spirituality” is not the goal of the Christian faith. Feeling good is not the goal of a Christian. Christians do not need to seek out new ways to “find God” or “find peace” or “find” whatever it is they think they need. A Christian only needs to develop his/her relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ and to God. The way to do that is by prayer, worship, reading the Bible (And not “The Message” version of the Bible. That version and many others are garbage, but that’s a whole different topic.), spending time with other believers, and submitting to the Holy Spirit. It is not through some re-purposed pagan worship practice.
And one other thing while I’m on a roll. Meditation is also not of God. Meditation, using a mantra (even if it is a bible verse or the name of Jesus, or some other word) and being in a trancelike state is not Biblical. It also is an eastern pagan worship practice.
Some of you may be saying, “But Jim, all we do is the some exercises and talk about God while we’re in class.” “Yoga has entered the Christian church through the notion that it is all right to adapt the Hindu practice of Yoga by using Christian terms and concepts; as long as only the exercises are practiced without meditation, Yoga is safe. Neither notion could be further from the truth. Former Hindu guru Rabi Maharaj, in his autobiography “Death of a Guru”, states, “No part of Yoga can be separated from the philosophy behind it.” Hinduism is totally incompatible with genuine, biblical Christianity–the two cannot be absorbed into one. There simply cannot be any such thing as “Christian Yoga.” (https://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/blog/?p=1446)
“CHRISTIAN YOGA IS NOT CHRISTIAN AT ALL
Christian Yoga is a lie! Those who are caught up in it are deceiving and being deceived. The ultimate goal of yoga is “Self-realization” – to realize ones own divinity. This is the lie Satan gave to Eve: “And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil” (Gen. 3:4-5).
Christianizing Yoga is pure chicanery. This is exactly what Christian Yoga is. It is “deception by artful subterfuge or sophistry”. Christian Yoga is a form of satanic deception masquerading as “a deeper form of Christian spirituality.” These things ought not to be so. We urge: “Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.” (2 Thess. 2:3)
Yoga’s goal is “Self-exaltation”, “Realizing” ones own “divinity” and “yoking with the Universal Consciousness”. These things have nothing to do with Jesus Christ and everything to do with Satan. Christian yogi’s it is time to repent!” (excerpt from CHRISTIAN YOGA: Rooted in Hindu Occultism, Part 1 By Chris Lawson http://www.spiritual-research-network.stirsite.com/f/christianyoga_rootedinhinduoccutlism_pt1.pdf)
Here are some links to other articles detailing this dangerous practice:
https://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/blog/?p=28725
https://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/blog/?p=2631
https://christiannews.net/2018/08/22/concerns-raised-after-serita-jakes-posts-photos-of-yoga-session-at-the-potters-house-church/
Who’s On Your List? (added 3/12/2022)
I was sitting in Man Challenge (Men’s Bible study at my church) today and we were talking about sinners. And the question was put to us “Who are the people you struggle with most, if you learned they turned to God and repented of their lifestyle, God forgave them and now they are Christ-followers?” We weren’t allowed to give a “Sunday school answer” so I really had to think about it. After some thought I came up with a person who did severe damage to some people I love and that was the person I chose – I had to admit I really did not want that person to go to heaven. Then on the way home from there the Holy Spirit really started working on me. I began to think about others who I would exclude from heaven if it were up to me (WOW - Hard to admit that!!!). So, I came up with a list. I could name them here and most of you would know some of the people I name: some famous people and quite a few false preachers and teachers who are leading millions straight to hell (false prophets: see Matt 7:5, 2 Peter 2:1, 1 John 4:1). Yes, my list would be quite extensive. Basically, I would allow most of my family, some friends (not all probably) and some others who I deemed were “good enough” to be in “my heaven”. I know that each of us have a list of those we would invite and those we would not allow, or want, in our heaven.
So, I had to ride my train of thought further: If there are some who I would exclude from my list, I can be 100% certain there are people who would exclude me from their list. I would be lying to you (and to myself) if I tried to make you believe I have never wronged another or treated someone badly. I have treated others with contempt, hatred, and cruelty. I have been mean, petty, jealous, prideful, uncompassionate, selfish, and unloving. So, looks like I’m not making it in either.
But God.
But God is the one who gets to make the list and His list is the only one that matters. Matthew 9:9-13 tells us “As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office, and he said to him, ‘Follow me,’ and he got up and followed him. While he was reclining at the table in the house, many tax collectors and sinners came to eat with Jesus and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, ‘Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?’ Now when he heard this, he said, ‘It is not those who are well who need a doctor, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means: I desire mercy and not sacrifice (from Hosea 6:6). For I didn’t come to call the righteous, but sinners.’”
But God.
But God’s list includes the sinners. In Romans 5:6-8 Paul tells us “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” So God’s list includes all of us: the beaten down and the downtrodden; the abused and the neglected; the hated and the reviled; the rich and the powerful; the murderer and the abuser; the liar and the thief; the undeserving and the unlovable – God’s list covers every single one of us.
So, God’s list includes me too. And God’s list includes you too. And God’s list includes everyone not on my list. So, what’s my next move? I need to ask God to forgive me for trying to pick and choose who is worthy enough to go to heaven. I need to ask God to forgive me for pounding on my chest and saying how great I am because I’m not like that sinner over there (Luke 18:9-14). I need to add their names to my prayer list and pray for their salvation. And I need to live with intentionality, compassion, love, kindness, and concern for every person I come into contact with because we are all numbered among “the least of these” (Matthew 25:31-46). Now, about your list…
