**BIBLE STUDY** Finding Meaning in Leviticus

Trigger warning: I am going to make a couple of statements in this post that I am sure will offend some people. My intent is not to offend. My intent, as always with my posts, is to share information and my viewpoint and opinions. But because I do want to share in love, please do read and think about anything I say before you dismiss it.

I will be honest and admit that I have trouble reading through books like Leviticus and Numbers. It's so tempting for me to skip over these "drier" books. 

Every word in the Bible is there for a reason, though so I refuse to take any shortcuts this time around. I have been taking notes and try to find something to think about for each section of the chapters I read. With Leviticus, I mostly have questions which means I have to look for answers. That's how I came up with so many links in my last post.

I have just struggled through chapter 7 in Leviticus. It wasn't until I got halfway through chapter 4 that something dawned on me.

We commit so many sins - intentional, unintentional; "small" sins, and "large" sins. I couldn't possibly even attempt counting how many times a day I sin in thought. If I lived during the Mosaic era, I'd have worn a hole in the path to the priest's door. 

When I started thinking about all those sacrifices people had to offer back then, I became ever so much more thankful for the Lord's sacrifice on the cross. His once-and-for-all sacrifice takes on more and more meaning as I think about my sins. People, I don't sin daily, I sin from moment to moment. On some days, my thoughts are a blur of sin.

So, I started paying attention to the types of offerings in Leviticus. Because of the repetition, there seem to be hundreds mentioned but I realized there were five of them. I still had trouble understanding them though so I was thrilled to come across this wonderful chart by Raymond K. Campbell on *Bible Centre:

Cambell (who has other contributions shown on Bible Centre) gives a sketch explanation of each offering type. I have printed this out to study while I skim back over chapters 1-7.

By the way, I found it interesting that a wave offering (ex: Lev 7:30) is a portion of a sacrifice waved in the air indicating that it is for the Lord. When I read that, I immediately thought of how music fans are often encouraged to wave their hands "in the air and wave 'em like you just don't care". A Redditor might tag this as being mildly interesting. Of course, when I got to Leviticus 10:2 and started reading about Aaron's sons offering up "strange fire" so I did a quick search for any lyrics and found something by The Indigo Girls (never listened to their music before) and they have a song called "Strange Fire" with this as the starting lyrics (my emphasis added):

I come to you with strange fire
I make an offering of love
The incense of my soil is burned
By the fire in my blood
I come with a softer answer
To the questions that lie in your path
I want to harbor you from the anger
Find a refuge from the wrath

Because I never heard their music or knew anything about this duo, I did some cursory Wiki lookups. I am surprised that they are gay but seem intertwined with ministries. Sort of like if I was a  proud and professional liar who claimed to follow Christ - who died for my sins as a liar, cheat, adulterer, etc. I am not proud of my sins and don't live unrepentant of them and I, for the record, would be afraid of the fire of God's wrath. Just saying so don't come for me with wagging fingers and the shaming. This is not a statement about hate for gays. This is a statement about my understanding of sin and repentance and salvation through Christ. I don't hate gays or anyone else for their sin but I do pray they find salvation.

Anyway, I just wanted to share that. I hope this helps anyone else reading through Leviticus.

Peace

--Free

*I have not visited Bible Centre before now and have not perused the site. I have not read their Statement of Faith. Please use discernment when visiting any linked site.

Direct Links for Bible Study

 It dawned on me that sometimes it's hard to find your way back to a particular online resource. I use several things to help in my daily Bible reading and study but I had to save some links for myself because I couldn't always get to the right place when I needed to. I wanted to share these with any of you who are interested. 

Of course, all the links are courtesy of wonderful sites I have found useful so a big thanks to all of them. Here we go.

• To check various parallel Bibles here or...
• or here from Bible cc or...
• here at Bible Resources
• See a comprehensive list of online parallel Bibles
• Study the Hebrew Interlinear text or...
• ...the Greek Interlinear text
• Use Strong's Greek and Hebrew Concordance and Lexicon (either use the Lookup Strong's Number box at the center of the page above the Preface or go to top left of page to enter a Scripture reference or keyword and select the Bible version to view)
• Do an advanced Bible search on the Study Bible site
• Some Bible concordances
• Some very interesting resources for history relevant to believers.
• An ongoing list of Bible Q&As
• Ask questions at Got Questions. Just type in a question here. You can also ask from any search engine and just add "got questions" & it usually pulls up a link to the site. You can also check their New  Questions or click the Random button to... see a random question and answer. And don't forget that you can also donate to them. If just browsing, you can look at a category of their content.
• If you need to check the Thomas Chain Reference (by topic)
• See the Vine's Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words , Berry's New Testament Synonyms,  or Trench's New Testament Synonyms (don't ask me, it's the first I'm seeing these!)
• See a chart of the Bible books with brief descriptive headings for each. Also, the books are linked so you can navigate to them from the chart.
• Links to various Bible commentaries.
• Peruse various devotionals
• Check some Bible encyclopedias
• Additional resources, including Spanish language bibles.
• Old Testament Hebrew Lexicon
• New Testament Greek Lexicon
• Link list of classic Christian essays & other literature (including works by Bunyan). And a list of authors here.
• A site of lots of Bible history stuff - maps, timelines, etc.

Just wanted to say that I loved finding out the Dummies.com has a Bible page as a sort of cheat sheet reference.  I will be looking that over when I get the chance!

I added quite a few things to my original list. In doing so, I ran across some resources I am unfamiliar with. I will do a future post explaining (if I can) the usefulness of those resources. 

Also, I will be adding to this link list as I find more resources.

Peace

--Free

**BIBLE STUDY** Mandela Effect, Moses' "Horns" and Other Details I Missed

 There are a lot of benefits to studying the Bible regularly. I am fast learning that. Personally, I am getting some relief from my chronic depression and anxiety. Focusing on the Word of God is a reminder of His promises. That is pure medicine. But there are a lot of wider practical benefits. 

Have any of you been hearing about the Mandela Effect (ME) For some, it's thought of as a sort of false memory syndrome. For others (including myself) it will sometimes cause confusion and stress. Without getting into specifics, some examples of what the Mandela Effect affects changes/supposed changes in re:

• Song lyrics changed or parts omitted
• Names of people - spellings or variations, products, TV shows, and movies.
• Lines from popular movies and shows 
• Iconic emblems for vehicles 
• Dates of various events - Nelson Mandela's death being one of the most famous

It goes on and on. People remember Mandela's being much earlier than others remember it. The same goes for Billy Graham. In some cases, people who are alive are remembered as having died long ago.

I myself have gotten caught up in this confusion more than once. I remember very clearly certain things being one way when, obviously they are not - or at least no longer are that way. I don't want to send anyone down the rabbit hole of links to various ME but there are several out there. 

At first, I found the ME to be kind of curious and mildly amusing. Then one day, it touched close to home and I saw examples of where parts of the Bible were supposedly Mandela-effected. This is before I had started to seriously do any regular Bible study and I have to admit that I was shook. To my core.

The first 2 MEs that scared me were that one, Moses suddenly had horns and, two, the "lion and the lamb" lying down together was now "the wolf and the lamb". 

What?

For a couple of days, I walked around feeling very concerned and upset. Confusion, fear, anxiety. That really should have been a red flag to me but I was too busy being freaked out to stop and think clearly.

I called a few people and emailed a few people, telling them about these 2 strange things. They reacted much as I had:  with disbelief, then with confusion.

Eventually, it dawned on me that I was not as fully familiar with the Bible as I should be. Thankfully, I was familiar with warnings about who could be the source of my confusion. Bible Reasons sums it up like this:

Satan is the author of confusion.

Satan seeks to cause chaos, disorder, death, and destruction.

B.R. goes further, pointing out specific:

 1. 1 Corinthians 14:33 “For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.”

2. 1 Peter 5:8 “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”

3. 2 Corinthians 2:11 “in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.”

I always struggled with certain books of the Bible, wondering why I needed to read or study them. Well, what I ran across while studying chapters 33-35 in Exodus reaffirms that every word of the Bible is useful and details matter.

The reason that some artworks portray Moses with horns is because of the translation of certain words. If you check the Strong's Number H7160 you see this given for the word "shone" in Exodus 34:29

And it came to pass, when Moses came down from mount Sinai with the two tables of testimony in Moses' hand, when he came down from the mount, that Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone while he talked with him.

This is what the page looks like in the KJV+ of eSword:

Source: eSword's KJV+ Bible on my computer

 

Source 

I got the above image from the wonderful Study Bible site. Please do check out Study Bible where you can search Strong's from within the text. Truly a wonderful source.

By the way, I never did know before now how to use Strong's but there's a KJV with Strong's numbers included with the incredibly useful eSword I've told you about. I highly recommend learning to check Strong's just as much as you refer to commentaries. 

Once I figured out where the idea of horns came from, I was relieved. I should know better by now than to get so easily caught up in foolishness. Had I not been studying the Bible and if I had not been checking the underlying lexicon, I might still be confused and anxious.

Another way this round of Bible study is blessing me is with greater attention to detail. I have real problems with focus and concentration but I am keeping detailed notes of everything I learn as I read - especially when I start going deeper into commentaries, dictionaries, and word studies. 

One detail that I have picked up on is that many names in the Bible include God in them. The angels Michael and Gabriel, for example, both have "el" included. Micha-el and Gabri-el. I knew that but never knew that, if you get what I mean.

Chuck Missler once pointed out that when God changed Abram's and Sarai's names he added breath to them. Abraham and Sarah. I forgot to take notes on that one but it has something to do with the sound of the letter? I will find out and get back with better information.

My point is that there is so much detail and complexity to the Word of God. It's simple but deep. And I am learning that when I get anxious or confused, there is an answer in the Word. 

Not to beat you over the head with him, but something else Chuck Missler once said comes back to me now. He mentioned that when we find something in the Bible that we don't understand, we should make a note of it. When we get our answer or understanding, we will have something else to be thankful for. I

I am going to get back to my reading and, in the meantime, let's all remember our source of blessings.

Peace

--Free

SUMMARY of sources used here:

eSword Bible from which you can:  "study the Bible in an enjoyable and enriching manner. All Bibles, commentaries, dictionaries, … everything is just a click away!" (And, I would add, FREE)

Study Bible (online). As mentioned on their site, this is what you can use it for:

• Read and Search the Bible in Greek, Hebrew, English, Latin, and other parallel versions.
• Study online Hebrew and Greek interlinear translations and Bibles with Strong's Greek and Hebrew Lexicon numbers attached.
• Easily lookup 340,000 hyperlinked cross references in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
• View scripture in the original languages of Greek and Hebrew as well as ancient translations such as the Greek Septuagint and Latin Vulgate.
• Compare the KJV with Old English, Wycliffe, Tyndale, Coverdale, Bishop's, Geneva, Doughy-Rheims, and American Standard Bibles.
• Find the meanings of Greek and Hebrew words in Strong's Lexicon, Thayer's Lexicon, Brown-Driver-Briggs' Lexicon, Vine's Expository Dictionary, Berry's New Testament Synonyms, and Trench's New Testament Synonyms.

**UPDATE** The Amazing eSword Bible Resource

UPDATE: I am an idiot. I didn't think of showing the screens using the Gamebar recording feature on Windows. If you scroll to the bottom, I have included some video showing the app in action as I use some of the features.

Remember when I was trying to find a good NKJV study Bible? I still haven't found one but I might not need to. Long ago, I had downloaded the free eSword Bible Study Resource. And forgot about it when my old laptop died. 

The other week, I put eSword on the new laptop and, seriously, I can't even tell you what a great resource it is!

I know that a lot of people use the Blue Letter Bible resource and I use it a lot when I am online. The problem with BLB is that I can't find an easy or safe way to download it to my PC. I could order the disc - which I don't think is free - but I don't have a way to use a disc on this computer. eSword is everything I need. Would I still like to have an NKJV study Bible? Yep. But I'm not having a hard time without one for now. 

For those who aren't going to check the eSword link right now, here are some of my favorite features - and keep in mind that, though I will be donating asap, I haven't paid for anything yet:

• I currently am using 6 versions of the Bible and the Parallel and Compare features.
• There are so many commentaries I won't bother the count the ones I am using but here is a screenshot of what I was using recently:
• 
  
  
  
  
• I can adjust the screen colors (within limits), change the font settings (with a LOT of options), and more.
• I can easily set up verse lists and copy things right into the Notes feature.
• There are tools for doing searches by parameters such as just the O.T., N.T, specific book, or range of books.
• It is very easy to print. I print a lot of search results. 

Those are just the features I can name off the top of my head because I use them so much.

What I love, love, love are the commentaries. One of the reasons I am so picky about buying a Bible is because I like a lot of notes and commentary included to expand on or help explain certain passages. Now that I am using eSword, I have just about every kind of commentary right there on my PC. 

Here are some screenshots of 

toolbar offerings

I have really gotten a lot from reading the various commentaries. For instance, I happened to be doing my daily reading (in Exodus) and ran across a comment that was credited to Aben Ezra and something called "Targums of Jonathan, Jarchi, and R. Jeshua". What??? Right. I went online to figure out what that was about and was led to the Talmud and other writings and writers. So now I have on my Reading To-Do List Philo the Jew, Targums, the Talmud, and others. This is how a long time ago, I discovered Flavius Josephus and The Antiquities of the Jews (which, by the way, is free via most podcast players).

So, yes, I highly recommend using eSword. I also would encourage people to donate to the project. I was going to pay upwards of forty dollars for a Bible so I can surely scrape together money for eSword.

Now, are there some issues I have with eSword? Sure. Actually, I've only had one problem to date: I tried saving my Notes and they disappeared. I could find the files on my computer but not a program to read the files. I solved that problem by going back into the Notes feature and doing Control-Z and they reappeared. I now copy all notes to a Notepad doc just in case.

You can click on the screenshots I've scattered through this post to enlarge them and see some of the features I mention. Or you can check this page on the eSword site where there are plenty of visuals. In the meantime, here are some additional links I thought you might be interested in. These include some of the things I mentioned in this post and a couple of things I have run across lately:

• I will be visiting the Jewish Virtual Library when I can savor it. I think some of us tend to forget that our Savior was born a Jew.
• Overview Bible is a neat resource for catching some quick facts. I have not looked at a lot of the site but what I glanced through looks solid. As always, be discerning.
• Wikipedia on Philo
• You can read The Targums at Judea Christian Research (JCR). I had a link for a PDF copy but lost it. Got Questions helped me better understand what it is.
• I found this when trying to understand the Talmud and what exactly it is and what it means for Christians. Got Questions is the Google of Christians queries!

I hope this is all a blessing to you.

Peace

--Free

This is using the Graphics viewer. 

I can look at a variety of maps and timelines & control the size with the + and - buttons

This next one shows using the Bible to view commentaries, verse by verse & 

how to select the Editor (for Notes) and pin it to screen or 

move it off screen.

The same can be done with the dictionaries. 

I will add more screen captures when I have more time and brain function!

Why I Returned the Wiersbe Study Bible NKJV

I was originally going be doing this big review of the Wiersbe Bible. As it turns out, I will mostly be reviewing my KJV Study Bible and what I look for in a study Bible. And I might as well tell you now that I packed up the Wiersbe Bible back up the same day I got it. I only needed to look at a couple of pages to know that it is not the study Bible for me. 

These are the photos I snapped quickly (because I didn't want to crease any pages):

It is a beautiful Bible but, other than a soft and pliable cover, I am not picky about the outside of them.

Comes with two ribbons, btw

Not tabbed at all

Now, this is the first important part...

The font is lighter & more difficult to read.

That was the first thing that put me off. Remember, this was supposed to be in LARGE PRINT. Nope. It wasn't. And because I sent this back and am expecting a refund, I made sure to save this:

As I said in another post, I wanted the NKJV because I hoped to get something easier on my brain than my KJV Study Bible. It's been my companion book for over 16 years, but I no longer have the ability to deal with the old English pronouns. I love my NASB Study Bible for bedtime reading but I prefer the poetic flow of the NKJV. 

This is my old Bible and some of what I love about it. For one thing, those thumb tabs...

The Wiersbe has no thumb tabs but I knew that. However, like I mentioned, not only was the print not "large" but it is also much fainter than that in my KJV as you saw in that previous photo. Since it's hard to imagine how that looks to me in person, let me emphasize it:

Is it me or is the Wiersbe's font even smaller???

Now, my KJV Study Bible is not featured as having large print. When I got it way back in 2004, I wasn't wearing glasses or contacts. I can see it much better than I could the Weirsbe. So, back it went. UPS picked it up this morning, thank goodness

I am still on the hunt for a Study Bible (NKJV) but for now, I am using my other Bibles.  Here are the ones I have that I will be comparing in my next post.

• King James Study 
• Amplified Bible
• New American Standard Study
• One-Year NIV

After you see the next post, I would love to know if any of you know of a Bible that meets my needs. I am sure you won't because I also need the Bible to be in the under-$50 range.

Peace

--Free

Bible Study for Beginners (Like Me)

Good evening, all. I'm Trudy - long-time Christian, first-time student...

Since I started my doing more Bible study, I am picking up on things like a baby picks up on learning to walk and talk. Now that I have started reading and studying, I can't seem to get enough. However, I really am like a child who is learning to take one wobbly step at a time. I want to keep sharing what I pick up on from day to day.

I recently talked about discovering the "Helps" at the front of my KJV Study Bible (Thomas Nelson 135BG). Let me tell you, those are truly helpful. Since I kind of went over those in that post, in this one, I wanted to cover a couple other things.

Now, I have the KJV Study Bible that I am talking about here and I have a NASB Study Bible that does not have nearly as many "Helps" as does the KJV.  Tomorrow, the Wiersbe NKJV Study Bible should be delivered. I will review that one in a separate post. What I want to point out is that not all Study Bibles have the same "Helps" and notes, of course. But by telling you about the ones I am seeing in different Bibles, you can at least go look up the information online. For instance, this next "Help" I am going to tell you about is something I never even thought to Google or ask about. So, here goes.

 Introduction to Doctrinal Footnotes

This is a screenshot from online of exactly what is shown in that section in my own Bible - down to the page numbers. You can find the text and read some of it here on Google Books so credit to them. 

I was almost ready to advise you to Google the various sections but too much information from questionable sources out there. I don't want to have an SDS or JW follower showing me anything about biblical doctrine. However, if you don't have a study Bible, you can use resources from:

1. Blue Letter Bible - there is a "Study" tab that leads to various free resources. 

They have free  Blue Letter Bible Institute courses in a range of categories that I can't wait to explore for myself. (That link might redirect you to the course page.)

2. Bible Study Tools has a place on the site where you can compare various translations. 

3. On Bible Gateway you can look up passages from a selection of translations for free and a paid membership gives you more access. The free resources are plentiful and I like that there is a selection of reading plans and Bible apps for reading and for audio.

4. Got Questions has a search engine where you can ask almost anything and get good results. Try it when you can't find a resource elsewhere. I love that, for almost every answer, they include other sources to check out.

5. YouTube - As mentioned, be discerning when searching for resources, but YouTube has so many useful videos and channels to choose from. I like John Ankerberg, John Kostik (who does a lot of Hebrew word studies) and, of course, the dear late Chuck Missler of Koinonia House. By the way, there is a channel that has many playlists of Missler's teaching videos. 

6. Speaking of Missler, Koinonia House has Bible Study arm called Koinonia Institute. Fair warning: The K.I. is for serious study. VERY serious. For those just wading in and want to get an idea of how intense these study lessons are, first check out some of the videos I just linked to.

 I would also like to mention that my blog post here points to a lot of resources.

When I was searching for a good study Bible, I came across the Foundation Bible. I am only going to provide the Amazon link because of their handy "Look Inside" feature. It comes in various translations and I found it online also at Walmart for a bit cheaper in price. One reviewer mentioned that he thought it was perfect for "beginners" because the notes are "very basic". This is a snippet of the way it's set up:

The one thing I look for in a Bible - whether for studying or just daily reading - is the font size. That's is so important. If you are like me and have "aging" eyes, look for something called "comfort print". I learned that Zondervan uses it too but I first noticed it on the Thomas Nelson site showing a comparison.

My KJV Study Bible is from Thomas Nelson and it must be comfort print because it's really easy on the eyes. I can't wait to see the Wiersbe Bible which is supposed to be in "Clear and readable 10.5-point NKJV Comfort Print®", thank heavens.

As I think I mentioned, I will try to review the Wiersbe Bible in a later post - with photos - but I hope that, for now, this post was helpful. The important thing about Bible study is to start somewhere. And always pray before reading or studying. That's key.

Peace

--Free

P.S.: Forgive any errors. I was trying to get this written and done with so I can explore the new study Bible when it comes tomorrow. Can't wait to review that one for you all!

Romans (A Bible Study)

I want to mention something before I get to the main part of this post. I think it's pretty relatable. 

The global situation and stresses have been wearing on me lately. On top of everything, I went and hurt my back (or that could just be my old age!). At any rate, the other day, my best friend was feeling as stressed and disheartened. We felt better after reading Psalm 139 to each other aloud over the phone. It was like the fastest-acting medicine for the blues. Chuck Missler suggested once in a video Bible study to try reading your Bible passages out loud because you could get a deeper meaning of what it says. It works for me. Now, whenever I am reading for comfort, I will be reading out loud. Now, on to the main event.

My current Bible study is on the Book of Romans. I am using the Bible (of course) and a video series with Chuck Missler leading the study group. 

I wanted to share a couple of things from the Bible study and my thoughts on the comforts of the Bible in general. Here are some of the highlights from the first part of the study:

• Christ didn't come to make bad men good; he came to make dead men live. (Missler ties this into the Prodigal Son parable so I have made a note to go back and study that again). He makes the point that the gospel is not to make dumb men smart of for progress or development, etc, but that it is simply for those of us who are lost.
• The theme of Romans (which is a letter not to the church but to the believers - aka you and me) is "the grace of God revealed". 
• The gospel is not as complicated as we sometimes make it. The definition is given in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4:
• That Jesus died for us
• That he was buried
• That he rose on the 3rd day
• That when we think of Paul's letters to believers and to the churches, he is "preaching". Notice that he doesn't rely on theatrics or great oration. Church architecture and size is not important. Paul doesn't rely on awesome choirs or fancy robes and throne-like seating. He simply shares encouragement and teaching.

As I was going through the first couple of videos, I had to pause often to think of how complicated we make everything. Christ loves us and offers forgiveness and salvation but we have to parse and dissect what that means. We get so far past the simple love and forgiveness that we get confused with rules and methods. Romans is a guide to what we are offered and to remind us that we cannot earn our forgiveness because, one, it's not for sale and, two, we couldn't afford it. It's freely offered. That's it.

In my daily life, I will forget the redemption Christ has blessed me with and start worrying. I worry that I'm not "doing Christianity" the right way or that I am failing at being a believer. I worry about my weaknesses and trespasses and forget to be thankful and know that I am forgiven. I am not willfully or gleefully sinning. I am not telling the Lord to take back his love and forgiveness; I am just being human.

So, this study is good for me in a "daily walk" kind of way. I was thinking of the Lord's Prayer and how the mention of the "daily bread" part ties into God feeding the Israelites manna. I am reminded to live the moment I breathe in because the next moment, the next breath is not promised.

Keeping it simple is a reminder I needed and this study helps. It dawned on me that most people who reject Christianity do so based on very complicated ideas or reasons. Every non-believer I know gets me into these conversations of "If" and "Then why" and "But" and want complicated answers. The answer isn't complicated. Jesus died, he was buried, and he rose on the third day - for us. He died so that we may live. Simple.

I just wanted to share this sort of stream of consciousness moment with you. Maybe this will encourage you in your own Bible study. 

Peace

--Free

God Is In the Details

When I am doing Bible study, I often forget that everything in that collection of books - prophecies, parables, incidents - is all tied together in a way that would be impossible without divine intention. As Chuck Missler points out, "every detail in the Scripture is there by design".

In my recent Bible study, I was listening to the audiobook of "Heaven and Hell" by Missler. I am never disappointed by one of his sessions and it's because he always points out details other teachers miss. One of those intentional details.

In one part of the session, he spoke about how when God promised to give back double what Job has lost. I have studied the book of Job so many times (because I tend to turn to that book when I am going through trials myself), but I missed an important detail.

Everything Job lost was replenished two-fold - except for his children. He started with 7 sons and 3 daughters and after his testing, he had 7 sons and 3 daughters.

This has always stumped me and it's been used by scoffers to explain their disbelief. Missler teaches in other studies that we should take notes of anything like this - things that we cannot understand - so that we can look back on it later. (I'm paraphrasing badly, but...)

The children Job lost are alive in Heaven so when he gained another 7 sons and 3 daughters, he had his two-fold share of them.

Once Missler pointed this out, I realized that, as usual, I had been isolating my study of Job from the rest of the Bible. The situation of Job's children having been replaced is tied together with other promises in the Bible.

I just wanted to share that little tidbit with you. I'm sure that we all run into things that stump us when we are studying the Bible. For sure, things like this are thrown at us by people contesting the truth of the Bible. I hope that we Christians remember to use these incidents to strengthen ourselves and our witnessing to others.

When it comes to the Bible, to salvation, and to faith, it's God the Father in the details. He owns the details.

Peace
--Free

 I am listening to the study on an audiobook available from my library. 

You might find it in yours via the Libby, Hoopla, or Overdrive apps.

I thought I would include this for anyone who has not seen it before now:

Unanswered Prayers & Hidden Blessings

I often grab onto a specific thing from reading or studying the Bible. That thing - a particular passage or a piece of a lesson - will stay on my mind for days. Something in one of my recent Bible study sessions left me reflecting on the spiritual realm that exists around us - the angels we may have unwittingly entertained and demons we have been protected from. This stayed on my mind for days and I would just have to stop whatever I was doing to reflect on it for a moment. Sometimes, whatever I am meditating on will touch upon something in my life.

I was posting a review on Being Free the other day and, as I've been doing lately, I attached an INXS "The Stairs" music video at the end. Though it's not a Christian song (and the band's artwork was anything but Christian), it has lyrics that are so true to our everyday lives so I will post it here because it prompted the thought I want to talk about here.

For those who don't know, Hutchence, the vocalist and main songwriter for the band, died at a young age (37) from what most people think was a suicide while others speculate that it was something sordid that I won't mention. He had suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI) a few years before and it apparently affected his mood and outlook on life. Suicide seems the more plausible cause of death, in my uneducated opinion. He was found deceased and alone in a hotel room in a busy Australian city. It looks as if he hanged himself. I remember hearing the news when it happened back in 1997 and thinking how sad it was.

As you can see from the video, the lyrics are haunting and a cause for reflection. On the video page, another viewer commented on how eerie it was that Hutchence's "Stairs" lyrics were similar to the way he died. I hadn't thought of that before but it's true.

(By the way, you are about to find out that I spent way too much time thinking about the celebrity crushes of my youth...)

Now, because this band was such a huge success back when I was in my thirties - Hutchence would now be about my age - and still keeping up with all things music, fashion, and celebrity, I knew a lot about his public life. For all his charm and politeness, Hutchence seemed to be a  very actively sexual womanizer. Women loved him - I and all my friends sure thought he was the hottest thing since Tobasco and would have been thrilled to have five minutes of his attention. He must have been nice to the women in his life because, even after he dumped them, they apparently kept up friendships with him. I never read of any woman badmouthing him. He was still the best of friends with his first serious girlfriend - to the point that she was the last person he called before he died.

I know one more thing about INXS. They, at one early point in their group life, almost became a Christian band. I think that had to do more with someone's idea of potential marketing than with any of the guys' spiritual leanings. I can only speculate. Again, I am in no position to comment on anyone's religious life. So, this is the part where I get back to my meditations on my Bible studies.

As I said, I had been thinking a lot about the unseen spiritual realm - our protections and potential predators. And I thought about all the times, I desired something that was never granted - aka unanswered prayers. Prayers for things I should never have been praying for in the first place.

INXS worked extremely hard and from young ages for their eventual success. It was often reported that Hutchence had from the beginning told his bandmates and family that he had his heart set on "world domination" as a performer. He loved fame and its trappings. ('Trappings'. What a curiously appropriate word in this context, right?) He loved all things sensual - women, food, wine - and he loved being a rockstar. He seemed to have gotten all that he wanted. Answered prayers.

I think about all the things my young and foolish heart prayed for. If I had been given everything my physical self used to want so badly, I don't know what condition my soul would be in now.

I am not making any judgments about Hutchence or anyone else. I don't know what his final moments were like or what last prayers he offered up. I don't know about anyone's soul but my own. I do pray that Hutchence, in his pain and heartache, managed to breathe out some kind of plea to God.

What I am musing on is how thankful I might should be that so many of my foolish prayers were not answered. There have been times when I tried to force the answer I wanted for my life or situation. That has never turned out well. Whenever I have tried to live my life on my strictly human and finite terms, whatever happiness I gain only lasts until it doesn't. And it never lasts forever.

So I know that sometimes when I don't understand why my way to something seems so blocked, there is a reason. I know that God watches over and protects my foolish human self from some of my own desires because He loves me.

If I'd had my way, I would have ended up in a relationship with at least 3 of the worst people I could be with. I actually did end up with the fourth one of those people. Even now, there are times when I don't like the right choice about things and I am tempted to try to find another way - my way. I have mostly learned though that my way usually leads me in the wrong direction. I am learning to pray and listen.

It's been said and sung about before, but the unanswered prayer is often the biggest blessing we can get. 

**BOOKS** "Hidden Treasures: In the Biblical Text"

This is a post that I was originally only going to publish on Free and Faith. I decided that it's one of those books that could be of interest to everyone - whether Christian or not.

By the way, I am always astonished at people who will devote a lot of time studying secular subjects such as philosophy but never think to look seriously at the Bible. It might surprise even Christians to know how much of human history and secular history is corroborative. I have one acquaintance who, like myself, loves the Matrix movies. He can discuss the philosophies and mythologies of that series until the cows come home. When I once mentioned to him how the Bible runs deeper and is more complex than that work of fiction, he basically snorted at me. It was a friendly snort and done with love but, in his view, the Bible is a simple book of fables. If he only spent a little time exploring the book, it's languages, and its complexities, his mind would be truly blown. He's a very intelligent man and so curious about all things - except the Bible. And that is kind of ignorant.

I have been doing a lot of Bible study for the past couple of years. I have read the Bible many times but I have only recently been going deeper into the study of it. I have some trouble sorting and keeping information straight but I don't mind repeating lessons.

The study I started a while back is one by Chuck Missler - Learn the Bible in 24 Hours, which can be found in video format on a YouTube playlist and on Amazon Prime Video. It can also be found in audiobook form through Audible and via local library media streaming services like Overdrive and Hoopla Digital. I think the last time I mentioned it was when I was posting about my news-fatigue. I kept getting as far as Hour 9 and having to go back to the beginning. I have now ordered the book so that I can make notes as I go through the video lessons.

The Chuck Missler book I wanted to mention to everyone today is called Hidden Treasures: In the Biblical Text. And if you wonder why I study so many lessons by the same teacher, that's because I am very careful who I study under. Not every teacher is godly or has good intentions.

Anyway, this current book is one that I want to recommend to my friend the next time I see him. I have listened to his detailed thoughts on various philosophers and teachings so I want to challenge him to think about things from where I sit. Another Missler book on angels would probably be extremely interesting to students of physics. I was no genius in school but Angels Volume 1: Cosmic Warfare introduced me to quantum physics in an exciting way that I could relate to. Trust me when I tell you that while I had heard of Max Planck, I had no clue before why he won a Nobel. I am forever fascinated now! And my friend will be interested in learning that Missler shows why he believes we live in a digital universe. Wha-??? How Matrix-like is that?

I will do a post on the Angels series another time. Back to Hidden Treasures...

One of the most interesting lessons in this little book gives the reader an assignment to design a genealogy with 14 very specific criteria. Once you attempt to do this and realize how difficult (if at all possible), you are presented with how it was completed in the Person of Christ.

The first of 14 criteria

Another thing I am enjoying about this study is that I get to delve more into the Greek and Aramaic languages and history. I  have been able to study some common world history right alongside that shown in the Bible. It's fascinating stuff.

Like I said, I wanted to post this here because I wanted people who may not be Christian to know about the book. I want to challenge some of you to not just sit back and snort at the idea of a belief in Scripture but to at least know what you are scoffing at. Like any serious thing, the Bible is not something to be glossed over. In order for us Christians to confidently believe in the Gospel, we have to know it. The same goes for those people who may want to deny it. How can you deny what you don't know?

Anyway, I hope that this post encourages more people to study the Bible and the history it comes out of. It won't hurt that you will learn something about world history in the process. I was stunned by how much of the history I learned in school has to do with the history of the faith I profess.

By the way, that challenge to design a genealogy? You will get to study for yourself how all the criteria were met in the genealogy of Christ in the first 11 verses of the (Greek language) Gospel of Matthew.

Peace
--Free

And, instead of music today, I thought this was more appropriate

Resources for the Learning Christian

Here are some suggested resources for anyone interested in Bible study and apologetics. I am not personally endorsing sites in particular; I provide these links as springboards to information focused on the Christian faith. I've worked on this off an on for a while and will be updating it as often as I can. Please, share and enjoy.

Apologetics & Tough Questions 

• Apologetics Press  (on YouTube)
• Tough Questions Answered
• Got Questions      (YouTube)
• Cross Examined   (YouTube)
• CARM                 (YouTube)
• Creation.Ministries (YouTube)
• Bethinking
• John Ankerberg Show (YouTube)

For Nerds (Sci & Tech & Gaming interests)

• Reasons to Believe (Hugh Ross/Astronomer)
• Answers in Genesis (Jason Lisle/Astrophysicist)
• Article "Can You Be a Scientist and Believe in God?" (from RZIM0
• Hacking Christianity 
• Geeky Christian 
• Geeks Under Grace 
• Christians in Science
• Believing Scientists Respond: Why Are You a Christian? from BioLogos
• "The Rich, Historic Roll Call of Great Christian Thinkers and Scientists" from Cold Case Christianity
• "Christianity and Science" from All About Worldview

(By the way, the Wikipedia listing of Christians in the science arena is rather incomplete)

Social Media People, Accounts, and Stuff

• https://www.instagram.com/godcaresbro/
• https://www.instagram.com/goodnewsfeed/
• https://www.instagram.com/sharejesusdaily/
• https://www.instagram.com/realchristians/
• Christianity tag on Tumblr
• Christianity Now on Tumblr
• Christians on Facebook

(Search social media platforms for tags of things you're interested in)

Bibles and Bible Study Tools

     **Bibles & Translations**

• "What are the different English Bible versions?"

• answered by Got Questions
• List of English translations (Wikipedia)
• Bible Translation differences (ebook/pdf)
• Overview of best-known translations

     **Online Bibles**

• The very shocking "slave" Bible was a real thing. Just FYI
• Bible Gateway has a selection of translations. Also has other study aids.
• Bible Study Tools has a lot of... study tools. Also Bible lookup.
• From the same site as above, the Complete Jewish Bible** is available.
• Church Tech Today's list of  "5 Best Bible Study Programs on the Market Today" and their...
• ..."10 Best Simple Bible Study Apps" from last year.
• World Messianic Bible
• Downloadable Bible from eSword

     **Bibles for your phone & tablet

• My Sword
• Tecarta Bible

Blue Letter Bible

Communities and forums

• True Christian subreddit on Reddit (42k members -at time of writing)
• Christianity subreddit (194k members)
• The Theology (a place to ask questions and have discussions)

Miscellaneous and random

• Core Christianity
• The late Dr. Walter Martin's YouTube channel and website. He was a frequent guest on the John Ankerberg Show and was known for his debates and for authoring The Kingdom of the Cults.
• The book by Pastor G. Craige Lewis The Truth Behind Hip Hop is eyeopening for parents and lovers of music. Lewis' EX Ministries and his ABC Church have regular podcasts and online presentations of some materials.

You can also search out podcasts that deal with Christian issues. I have the iTunes app on my computer but use the Podcast Addict app on my phone. Most of the above-listed resources have phone apps. Just search the Android or iPhone apps stores. 

I have provided these links for you to peruse but you're responsible for what you do with them. I will warn you to scan everything before downloading files and programs. 

Peace

--Free

** Jewish and Orthodox Jewish Bibles (OJB) are called "Messianic" Bibles and sometimes labeled as Hebrew Names Versions (HNV).



 NOTE that I can not personally endorse all information provided in these links. It's best to check sources to see if they fit your own statement of faith. As always, be prayerful and Spirit-led when ingesting ideas and information from any source.)

**Cross posted** Can't See For Looking

This is a post from my other blog, but it definitely belongs here.

Okay, folks, I'm going to "go religious" on you but, hang with me because there's something in here that even atheists might like.

How do you picture Jesus? I'm sure people of all faiths (or none) would be interested in knowing what he actually looked like. I have started reading other versions of the Bible in my personal studies. This weekend, I read passages from some of the Messianic Bible versions.

Years ago, my mother regularly watched a show called Zola Levitt Presents. Every now and then, I would sit and watch with her. That was the first time I ever thought seriously about the fact that Jesus was Jewish. As silly as it sounds, up until then (and I had to be at least 22 or 23) in my mind's eye, Jesus looked like this:

That's not Jesus.
That's Robert Powell

The actor Robert Powell isn't a savior but he played one in Jesus of Nazareth. Such a beautifully done movie with an amazing cast. Before that movie came along, I had imagined Jesus looking like the classic painting that was hung somewhere in the homes of most black families. You might remember the ensemble of paintings your grandma gave pride of wall space to - Jesus, MLK, and JFK.

 However, my mind's eye (and the movie and paintings and so many church fans) got it wrong.  Jesus was a Jewish man so he most likely did not have those brilliantly blue eyes and I'm pretty sure he didn't have the whole rock star look. Looking back on that movie now all I can think is that the late Michael Hutchence would've wished to be that fine. I'm not being flip. Just look at that photo again.

According to the Bible “He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to Him, nothing in His appearance that we should desire Him.” (Isaiah 53:2 NIV) It's been opined that based on his racial makeup and manual labor occupation as a carpenter, he was probably of a darker complexion and had some sun damage to his skin. Along with the Bible identifying him as being not very handsome (whatever that means), he may have looked more like this:

Source: Popular Mechanics

That's more plausible, right?  The article at Poplar Mechanics makes a lot of good points. Our minds are so polluted with stereotypes about people that we want to think good people must be physically attractive. Just think of that so-called black doll/white doll syndrome - as true or untrue as that might be. Or the fact that attractiveness can play a huge role in our lives.

Listen, I am not pointing fingers at anyone else's ignorance here but my own. Not only did I have the wrong idea about Jesus's appearance, but I just about had heart failure when I heard the Lord's Prayer spoken in the languages Jesus used.

Uh, why doesn't he sound British!?!?!? I'm just kidding. Some filmmakers aren't kidding.

Now, it had at some point in my much younger life occurred to me that we Westerners had the wrong impressions of Jesus. And some people were just completely stupid on the subject. I can remember some kind of anti-semitic rally or demonstration taking place near wherever my family was living back in the mid-'70s. My mother and her friends stood in support of the Jewish people. What was so silly is that there were only about 6 Jewish people in that community. Maybe the racist idiots just wanted something to rally about. Who knows? But I remember my mother shaking her head in disgust at the people carrying crosses while they chanted about "dirty Jews". Much like the Klan and other so-called 'Christians' who hate just to hate or judge in hate, these people forgot, I guess, that their Savior was Jewish. (And, by the way, the saying is not "Judge not" with a period at the end. It is "Judge not lest you be judged."  People always forget that last part. So, you can judge others if you're free of sin. Anybody? Go ahead. I'll wait. I'll just be over here taking this plank out of my eye.)

My whole point is, I have never fully appreciated everything about the Lord I serve. Like most people (I'm assuming), I tend to think only in flavors I know of. Now that  I have it in the forefront of my mind that Jesus talked, walked, ate, prayed, and lived Jewish, I get it. I can see a little deeper into my study of what he said and did while on Earth.

Just like I did in seeing Jesus in my shallow and one-dimensional way, I do the same thing in other areas of my life. I have got to work on that. I need to start viewing people as they are and not how I want or imagine them to be. Same goes for life and situations in general.

One of the sayings I remember from my childhood in Texas was "Can't see for looking." It was your response when you saw something shocking and someone asked if you "saw that". I apply it to my life in other ways. Sometimes, when I make an immediate judgment about a person or situation based only on shallow information, I later realize I missed the bigger picture. Can't see for looking and sometimes, can't hear for listening.

I'm not the only one with this weakness. This is the reason that a lot of us have shallow and ever-changing standards of beauty. It's why we assume intelligence based on slick looks or words. It's why we so often don't see the full worth of people and life. We're too busy looking at the cover to read the book. Because that takes time, doesn't it?

At any rate, I'm really enjoying my Bible studies now more than ever. By the way, for those of you who may not own a Bible - or a lot of Bible study resources - you might want to check out eSword or My Sword  Both have a variety of Bible versions, concordances, commentaries, and other help. Both are free (with expanded options for purchase). I've been using eSword and I'm amazed at the number of tools available in both the app and pc versions.  Usually, when studying my Bible, I have to sit by my computer with 20 browser tabs open to all the different resources. A single app or program is more productive. Actually, the modules for the two 'sword' products are somewhat interchangeable and updates are being made all the time. Check out both no matter which operating system you use. I'm currently using eSword on both my Windows pc and Android phone. Here are the links:

• eSword for phone and computer
• MySword app and for computer

By the way, there are huge selections of language options in both programs. There's a slight learning curve but, hey, I managed to figure it all out so...

That's it for now. I hope that at least some of this information is useful to you guys out there. Even if you're not "religious", information is always good to have.

Peace

--Free

Sharing a few of the songs I've been listening to this evening

Amazing, amazing, amazing grace

I have loved this song for years

Oh, blessed Prince of peace

"Stop fighting a fight that's already been won."