Prostate Biospy

Posted on 2025/11/11 by JimR, Chaplain

Biopsies. It’s a simple word. But behind that word comes a story of something happening in the body that doctors want to be more definitive about. It can be ominous or it can be benign. Have you ever had one?

I did today. My third prostate biopsy was performed early this morning. I’ve had two others. The first one was negative for cancer. Then the summer of 2024 I had a TURP done. That’s a term for rotor rooting the prostate to allow for better urine flow. Why would I share such a thing? Well, it is something I’m open about because I worked in a military hospital for almost thirty years and I saw a lot. In all that time I found a lot of people were not knowledgeable about their bodies and what happens when medical intervention is required. So, I will use myself as an example.

After the TURP the prostate tissue was examined and found to have cancer in it. That was over a year ago now. The doc told me on a scale of one to five this type of cancer is a one. It is the type that can take up to ten years to develop into something serious. So for the time being in lieu of treatment he felt nothing more that monitoring was the best course to take. So today was my third biopsy.

They prepping required an enema before going in for the procedure and I was to take two Valium two hours prior and one hour prior and then they would administer a local. The local consisted of lidocaine. It is uncomfortable to say the least, but not so much painful. It was done in a matter of minutes and I was released without complications back to normal daily functions.

With it being Veteran’s Day my wife and I went to IHOP for breakfast since I had not eaten. Veteran’s and their wives got a free breakfast with a short stack of pancakes. The only thing I had to pay for was our coffee. We enjoyed it and went about our way to go home. The procedure was done in another town 38 miles away and I was not fit to drive, so I laid my head back and went in and out of a nap. We were home in no time it seems. However, when we got home the lidocaine was wearing off and my backside was starting to hurt. I was still kind of out of it from the meds, so I went directly to bed and slept for about an hour, but the pain woke me up. I went to my recliner and rejoined my nap and when I woke up this time the pain was subsiding. The previous two times I’d had this done I don’t remember this kind of reaction.

So here I sit now, relatively in little pain. I am still quite drained from the meds early on, so I’m ready for bed. I have an early start in the morning. Fortunately, I work about three hours at a time in the morning and afternoon, so I will get to come home and rest some in between till the afternoon when I go back for about another three hours. I drive a school bus. This procedure was the worst of the three I’ve had done. I don’t think I will like the idea of it being done again in another year, but it’s a necessity to keep things in check.

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Posted on 2025/10/13 by JimR, Chaplain

There will not be a perfect “government” till the Kingdom of God is fully established. Understand something. It’s a Kingdom, not a democratic republic, dictatorial or any other form of government.

It will be when the subjects have fully committed their lives to the King. The selfish nature of man will have to die and align with the mind of Christ. It will have to become a “want to”, not a “have to”. Every day that I wake up, I become more accustomed to the idea that God is above all and knows what’s best for me, and I have crossed a line from my selfish self to allowing God to take over because I have begun to realize He knows what’s best for me. That, my friends, takes a load off of me trying to figure out how to forge ahead on my own steam.

I look back at all He has done for me over my lifetime and realize He’s been orchestrating every turn I’ve made despite myself. So why should I fight against His will for me? If we all come to this point and surrender entirely to His will for us and let Him take the helm, we will see evil disappear. It is really happening on Earth now. The major news networks don’t see this happening. His coming is in motion even now. I see it. Do you? Even as evil raises its head, God raises His even more.

Friends, as Acts 1:10-11 states: They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. who also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.” I don’t know when, nor do I predict. I just know He is already here in spirit and also coming again physically, as the scripture states. There’s nothing secret about it.

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Are You Really Saved?

Posted on 2025/10/05 by JimR, Chaplain

This is a long post, but worth reading to those with questions about their salvation.

The pastor posed a statement this morning at the end of his message that simply saying the sinner’s prayer and saying you’re saved doesn’t necessarily equate to a defining moment in one’s salvation. I have to agree. I know God woos people by the Holy Ghost to draw them near to Him. Not everyone who claims to be saved is indeed saved. I would urgently request of that everyone who professes their salvation take a look inside themselves and examine their intentions and hopefully change (repentance). There will be fruit in your life that shows change.

Now, as for the fact of having experienced salvation, search yourself for what motivated you to make this confession. I remember at the age of 13, God started working on me to come to Him. Many times over the next three years, I felt that calling to the depths of my soul. I even fought against it, because I feared taking that step out of my pew to walk to the altar, because of what people may think. I also feared I would not be able to live up to the standards that I heard the Baptist preacher speak from the pulpit.

But at the age of sixteen, during a revival on a Friday evening in June 1967, the power of God calling me was so strong I made that step from my pew, and I only remember the first step. I think I floated the rest of the way to the altar, where I found myself in front of the evangelist. I remember him asking me why I was there. I said I wanted to be saved. That was a life-changing moment for me that indelibly marked my life from that very day. I also remember asking God that night from my bed as I looked out the window, begging God to come that night, because I knew I was going to fail Him. What a long way I have come from that night.

I managed to attend church until I was drafted at nineteen into the Army. The Army was demanding and I believe I attended Chapel one Sunday during my entire enlistment. I came home and did not set foot in the doorway of a church again until God started reminding me I was called according to His purpose and He wanted me back from the worldly nature I had become accustomed to. By that time I was married and had two sons. I was suffering from depression, although I did not know this was the problem until I was in my sixties, looking back. But the calling of God overtook my depression and I said to God I wanted to return.

One evening in a service I was attending and an altar call was given for salvation. I started to step out, but God stopped me with a question. “Didn’t I save you when you were sixteen? There is no need to do this.” He had something better for me.

He then put a hunger in me to test the waters to further my walk. I had been attending an Assemblies of God church and the Baptism of the Holy Ghost with speaking in tongues was available to my walk, so I asked God if this was real I wanted it. Then on March 13th around two o’clock in the morning after I had ceased crying before God, I looked up and I heard words I did not know start to coming out of my mouth and I was astounded. It was real.

I called my pastor the next morning to report my nightly encounter with the Holy Ghost and he was overjoyed and came over immediately to sit with me and share what had happened to me.

I know beyond all shadow of doubt that I was saved and sixteen and baptized in the Holy Ghost at twenty-seven years old. Then came a whole new level of understanding when I would study the Bible. I could barely get through a verse without it expanding on me.

Then came the testing of God to perfect me and mold my way of thinking to have the mind of Christ. Believe me I have not matured to the level of perfection, but I strive to do so. In the latter years since Libby and I have been married I find she has giftings that have helped me so much to calm myself and I feel she was instrumental in helping me understand one important thing, that being unconditional love. I can still be a totally difficult person, but she still looks at me with that love and it melts my heart. I then realize God loves me all the more.

God has truly saved me. God has baptized me in the Holy Ghost and the blessing of God have never been more evident in my life as in the last sixteen years. I can’t be everything to everyone, but I can be my best. I can’t attend every church service, but I still love all those God has placed me amongst. There are still trials. I’m still being perfected (matured), so bear with me.

If you doubt your salvation I adjure you to exam yourself and talk with God. It’s more than a simple statement of faith. It’s a life-long endeavor to the end. Anyone who is studious will find salvation is a starting point with a continuing progression ending only when you take your last breath.

At my age now I have a fascination of what I will be doing in the eternal realm. I feel God told me. Call me crazy, but I’m going to be a musician in the coming life. I’m not sure, but some of you may have just lost me, but count me crazy.

Posted in Biblical teaching, God's Calling, God's direction, God's Guidance, Love, Ponderings, Priorities, repentance, Salvation, Sobering Thoughts | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

I’m Staying

Posted on 2025/09/14 by JimR, Chaplain

Isn’t this earth a beautiful place? I could live here forever. In fact, I think I will.

Matthew 5:5 KJV “Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.”

God does not intend for us to abandon the earth in any shape or form. He created it for us to live and take dominion over it. That means the earth is here for us to care for. Some interchange it for “world”, but that’s a story for another time.

Christians were never told we would leave here. We are told to occupy. We think too lowly of ourselves to think we can’t overcome the evil in this earth. God gave us the power to do just that. Look at Noah. God cleansed the earth and left Noah to occupy.

John 14:12 – Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.

Mark 16:17-19 – And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God.

We see Jesus saying this. I’m not advocating we pick up snakes and drink poison for the sake of it all, but I do believe His Words. We live so far below what He says we can do.

In my early years I had my bags packed ready to leave any minute. Folks, that isn’t happening. I unpacked, and I’m staying. Christians have been duped into believing we are going. I’m not running from a good fight to take dominion over the evil on this earth. I intend to live here forever.

The Lord’s Prayer (traditional words to the Our Father) Our Father, which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy Name. Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, As it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive them that trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, The power, and the glory, For ever and ever. Amen.

Read more at: https://www.lords-prayer-words.com/lord_traditional_king_james.html

Let’s bring heaven here as we are told to pray. If we pray for His will to be done here as it is in heaven, we will see it. Not only that but in the resistance of evil He will deliver us in the midst of it.

God is with us. If you believe that, who can be against us?

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DWELLING

Posted on 2025/09/05 by JimR, Chaplain

This morning I chose to look at Psalm 15:1-5. (1) LORD, who may abide in Your tabernacle? Who may dwell in Your holy hill? (2) He who walks uprightly, And works righteousness, And speaks the truth in his heart; (3) He who does not backbite with his tongue, Nor does evil to his neighbor, Nor does he take up a reproach against his friend; (4) In whose eyes a vile person is despised, But he honors those who fear the LORD; He who swears to his own hurt and does not change; (5) He who does not put out his money at usury, Nor does he take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things shall never be moved.

The phrase “Who may DWELL”? The study summation says. . . the Hebrew of the phrase “who shall dwell” does not suggest “living in,” but rather “visiting with”—that is, being acceptable to come into God’s presence.

I have to take issue with this train of thought by the Berean, John W. Ritenbaugh.

I am a word study person. The word for DWELL in this verse is:

shâkan, shaw-kan’; a primitive root (apparently akin (by transmission) to H7901 through the idea of lodging; compare H5531, H7925); to reside or permanently stay (literally or figuratively):—abide, continue, (cause to, make to) dwell(-er), have habitation, inhabit, lay, place, (cause to) remain, rest, set (up).

The word SHAKAN does not indicate the idea of visiting. It says without a doubt that the DWELL here is indicative of residing or permanently staying. Not a VISIT mentioned anywhere in the definition.

The question at hand asks “Who may dwell”. The rest of the verses tell who they are. There is a people that will meet this criteria and go into and permanently stay in God’s presence. Enoch was one such person of human origin who did.

Gen 5:24 – And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.

I firmly believe we that follow the guidelines in the text of “Who will” will in fact go to dwell permanently. Not just visit.

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Gift of Infallibity

Posted on 2025/08/20 by JimR, Chaplain

I have recently come to find the Catholic church has a supposed Biblical gift I was not aware of. The Gift of Infallibility. I tried to look up the validity of it, and all I got in my searches refers to Catholic websites. This comes as an authority from the magisterium.

First Vatican Council, 1869-1870: Pope Pius IX leading his cardinals across a plank of wood placed on the ice, watched by Mr Punch.;

The magisterium of Roman Catholicism is the special teaching authority of the Church itself. According to Catholic doctrines, this teaching authority resides only within the Pope and Catholic bishops. This implies that only those doctrinal statements that proceed from the Roman Catholic Church (RCC) can be true. It also means that, at times, the teaching authority of the RCC is uniquely free from error, a property called “infallibility.”

The question is whether the idea of papal infallibility agrees with Scripture. The Roman Catholic Church views the papacy and the exercise of infallible teaching authority as essential to guide the church and prevent it from error. But we should examine Scripture:

1) Scripture nowhere declares that Peter was in authority over the other apostles or over the entire church (see Acts 15:1–23; Galatians 2:1–14; 1 Peter 5:1–5).

Scripture shows that Peter’s authority was shared by the other apostles (Ephesians 2:19–20) and the “loosing and binding” authority given to him was shared by the local churches, not just their leaders (see Matthew 18:15–19; 1 Corinthians 5:1–13; 2 Corinthians 13:10; Titus 2:15; 3:10–11). Thus, the foundation of papal infallibility—the existence of the papacy itself—is not scriptural.

Nowhere does Scripture state that the authority of the apostles was passed on to those they ordained (the Roman Catholic teaching of apostolic succession). Paul does not call on various churches to receive Titus, Timothy, and other church leaders based on their authority as bishops, but rather on their being fellow laborers with him (1 Corinthians 16:10, 16; 2 Corinthians 8:23). What Scripture does teach is that false teachings would arise even from among trusted church leaders. The written Word of God is our infallible guide. Not the Pope with some supposed gift of infallibility. Nowhere in Scripture is the magisterium of bishops taught and treated as of equal weight with Scripture. What history has shown is that, when any other source of authority is given equal weight with Scripture, that second authority always supersedes Scripture in the end (such is the case with the Mormons’ other accepted writings and the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ Watchtower). Catholic catechisms include many doctrines that are not found in or based on Scripture. The Immaculate Conception of Mary, for example, was declared official dogma by Pope Pius IX in 1854, although Scripture says nothing about the circumstances of Mary’s birth. For Roman Catholics, it is the church that has final authority, not Scripture. In contrast, the Bible teaches that Scripture itself is sufficient to guide and train and equip for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16–17). What’s important is not who is teaching but what is being taught (Galatians 1:8–9).

There is no need for Roman Catholicism’s teaching of apostolic succession and papal infallibility, for Scripture states that God has provided for His church through the following:

a) Infallible Scripture (Matthew 5:18; John 10:35; Acts 17:10–12; 20:32; 2 Timothy 3:15–17; 2 Peter 1:20–21; Isaiah 8:20; 40:8; etc.),

b) Christ’s unending high priesthood in heaven (Hebrews 7:22–28),

c) The Holy Spirit, who guided the apostles into truth after Christ’s death (John 16:12–15); who gifts believers for the work of the ministry, including teaching (Romans 12:3–8; Ephesians 4:11–16); and who uses the written Word as His chief tool (John 17:17; Psalm 119; Hebrews 4:12; Ephesians 6:17). In summary, the Bible speaks of only one abiding, infallible guide left by God for His church. It is the written Word of God, not an infallible leader (2 Timothy 3:15–17). And, as the Holy Spirit carried holy men along in the writing of that Word (2 Peter 1:19–21), so He indwells, fills, guides, and gifts members of the church today (1 Corinthians 12 and 14; Ephesians 4:11–16).

With the exception of the first paragraph above, all of the information to this point was obtained from the following site: https://www.gotquestions.org/papal-infallibility.html

Now, for my take on this supposed gift. Catholicism is not Christian. It is a false “religion” set up to control the masses. Such doctrines set up by the church were to keep the people in ignorance of scripture, as is seen in the above research. I must insert here that I’m not Catholic, nor Protestant. I’m a follower of Christ. Religion doesn’t play in my thinking. Relationship with Christ is the key to being a follower.

Matthew 7:21-23 – Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

Knowing God equates to our personal relationship with Him. Personal relationships are born of personal experience. In the last chapter, Job responded to God with:

Job 42:5–6 – I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear; But now my eye sees You; Therefore, I retract, And I repent in dust and ashes.

Job didn’t know God as well before his ordeal as he did after, through his personal experience. He did not know why he was being afflicted, but in the end God revealed Himself to Job in ways Job had not known before. Their relationship grew. The verses above delineates the difference.

Since the day Martin Luther posted the 95 Thesis on the door of the church, and Gutenberg’s invention of the printing press, the veil the Catholic church put up (I equate to the veil in the Temple, which was rent when Jesus was crucified) has been rent as well, exposing the fraudulent Catholic church.

There is no such thing as the assumed gift of infallibility that the Catholic church posed over its followers.

Posted in Absolute(s), Biblical teaching, Christian, Christian Mission, Common Sense, False teaching, Follow God, God's Guidance, Maturity, More of God, Ponderings, Righteous alarm, Sobering Thoughts, Spiritual, Spiritual Gits | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A Book’s Cover

Posted on 2025/08/16 by JimR, Chaplain

I’ve “seen” people every day when working at NHCL, and didn’t know if I wanted to get to know them because I wasn’t attracted to the way they looked. I got to “know” them and found them to be good people. From this, I learned that one should not judge a book by its cover. Some of the best “book covers” don’t have a story inside worth telling. It is best to engage with everyone before deciding how to view the person as a whole.

I copied this from a Facebook post as a prime example.

At a High School Reunion, a group of successful alumni—now doctors, lawyers, business owners—decided to visit their favorite teacher. They chatted about their careers and families, but soon the conversation shifted to life’s pressures, stress, and constant chasing after more.

After listening for a while, their teacher smiled and said, “Hold on a minute. I’ll go make us some coffee.”

He came back with a large pot and a tray full of cups—none of them matching. Some were fine porcelain, others were plain ceramic, a few were chipped glass mugs, and one even looked like it came from a diner.

As everyone reached for a cup, the professor watched in silence. Once they all had coffee in hand, he said:

“Notice what just happened. Most of you instinctively reached for the nicest cups—leaving behind the simpler ones. It’s normal to want the best for ourselves, but that’s often where the stress begins.”

He gestured toward the cups.

“The cup doesn’t make the coffee taste any better. What you really wanted was the coffee. But you still focused on the cup.”

Then he paused.

“Life is the coffee. Your job, your house, your income, your status—those are just cups. They help contain life, but they don’t define it. And the trouble is, the more we focus on the cup, the more we miss out on the coffee.”

He smiled.

“Remember, happy people don’t always have the best of everything. But they know how to make the best of what they have.

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The Petrine Doctrine

Posted on 2025/08/14 by JimR, Chaplain

Just a quick study today. I’d never heard of the Petrine Doctrine. So, of course I’m going to find out what it’s all about. Here’s a brief definition. This post is a bit long, but if you’re a student of the Bible, it is worth the read.

What is the Petrine theory in Roman Catholicism?

The Petrine theory asserts the legitimacy of the Pope’s ministry and primacy as leader of the Roman Catholic Church. It states that the apostle Peter was the first pope, and his ministry was passed to his successors as bishops of Rome.

The foundation of the Petrine theory is from the Bible or is so assumed. The first source is Jesus’ words: “And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church”. The second is Christ bestowing the “keys of the Kingdom” on Peter. The Pope’s office is the link between the church’s apostolicity and its universality.

Several historical milestones affirm the Petrine principle. By the time of Leo I the Great, the pope was viewed as the “heir of Peter” and “Peter’s vicar,” as Peter was vicar of Christ.

There are four viewpoints on and around this statement that Peter is the rock upon which the church was built.

Number one is the view that Jesus was declaring that Peter would be the “rock” on which He would build His church. Jesus appears to be using a play on words. “You are Peter [petros] and on this rock [petra] I will build my church.” Since Peter’s name means “rock,” and Jesus is going to build His church on a rock, it appears that Christ means to link Peter with the founding of the church. God indeed used Peter greatly in the foundation of the church. It was Peter who first proclaimed the gospel on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:14–47). Peter was also the first to take the gospel to the Gentiles (Acts 10:1–48). In a sense, Peter was the rock “foundation” of the church.

Number two is another popular interpretation is that the rock Jesus was referring to is not Peter, but Peter’s statement in Matthew 16:16: “You are the Christ, the son of the living God.” In this view, the “rock” is the truthfulness of that statement—the church is built on the rock-solid truth that Jesus is God’s Chosen One and the eternal Son of God. In confessing Jesus as the Christ, Peter, the “rock,” was demonstrating his own stability as he stood on that truth. He was, in a way, showing his character and why Jesus nicknamed him “Cephas” or “Peter” (see John 1:42).

Number three says Jesus had never explicitly taught the disciples the fullness of His identity, and so it was God who had sovereignly opened Peter’s eyes to that revelation. Jesus marks the source of that truth in Matthew 16:17. Peter’s confession of Jesus as the Messiah and Son of God poured forth from him as a heartfelt declaration of personal faith. Since personal faith in Christ is the hallmark of the true Christian, those who place their faith in Christ, as Peter did, are the church. Peter, writing to believers dispersed through the ancient world, likens them to stones used to build the church: “As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him—you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:4–5). The faith of believers is what makes them “living stones” able to be built into the church.

Number four says after Jesus declares that God the Father had revealed the truth to Peter, He says, “You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church” (Matthew 16:18). The word for “Peter,” Petros, is a masculine noun that means “a detached stone, a stone that might be thrown or easily moved” (Zodhiates, S., The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament, AMG Publishers, 1992, p. 1,154). The word for “rock” next mentioned is a different Greek word, petra, a feminine noun that means “a mass of rock” or “a cliff” and therefore something foundational (ibid.; see also Matthew 7:24–25). The difference in the two terms may suggest that Jesus was contrasting Peter with Himself. That is, Jesus was saying, “You are the small rock, but I am the foundation of the church.” This view finds support in other passages that present Christ, not Peter, as the foundation of the church (1 Corinthians 3:11) and the life-giving rock (1 Corinthians 10:4).

Of course, the apostles played a foundational role in the building of the church, but the role of primacy is reserved for Christ alone. So, Jesus’ words in Matthew 16:18 are best interpreted as a simple play on words: a boulder-like, foundational truth came from the mouth of one who was called a small stone.

Christ Himself is called the “chief cornerstone” (1 Peter 2:6–7; cf. Matthew 21:42). The chief cornerstone of any building was that upon which a building is anchored. If Christ declared Himself to be the cornerstone, how could Peter be the rock upon which the church was built? Believers are the stones that make up the church. They are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets (not just Peter) and anchored to the Cornerstone (Ephesians 2:20). “The one who trusts in [Christ] will never be put to shame” (1 Peter 2:6).

The Roman Catholic Church argues that Peter is the rock upon which Jesus built His church, confers upon Peter the title of pope, and claims to be the one true church. As we have seen, however, identifying the rock as Peter is not the only valid interpretation of Matthew 16:18. Even if Peter is the rock upon which Jesus promised to build His church, it does not give the Roman Catholic Church any authority. Scripture nowhere records Peter being in Rome. Scripture nowhere describes Peter as being supreme over the other apostles. The New Testament does not describe Peter as being the all-authoritative leader of the early church. The origin of the Catholic Church is not in the teachings of Peter or any other apostle. If Peter truly was the founder of the Roman Catholic Church, it would be in full agreement with what Peter taught (Acts 2, 1 Peter, 2 Peter).

Source: https://www.gotquestions.org/upon-this-rock.html

My take away from this is that the revelation was not about Peter, but about what he recognized as Jesus being the Son of God. That was the primary focal point.

The second and fourth interpretations of this revelation tends more to the revelation, not Peter, although he facilitated much of the establishment of the church. His work made it foundational, but without that revelation he had nothing upon which to build.

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The Chapter of Noah

Posted on 2025/08/12 by JimR, Chaplain

I am still studying the Book of Enoch I. I’m now in the chapter concerning Noah and the building of the Ark. What I see is things that are hidden from view in the Protestant Bible. For instance, there is no mention of Noah having help building the Ark other than his sons and himself. But in the Book of Enoch, there is mention of Angels that helped build the Ark.

The book also states that on that day, God waited till all the righteous people had died except for Methuselah and Noah. Perhaps Lamech, Noah’s father, was around, but I cannot say. There were giants (Nephilim) who poked fun at Noah. They had been warned of a great deluge that would destroy the inhabitants of the earth. They mocked him, saying they were too tall to become submerged and that the geysers could be stopped by simply placing their feet on the mouth of it to stop it from erupting. One instance says they tried to do so, but God caused the geyser to spew hot water, burning their feet. In all their taunting, they did not or could not stop Noah from his task, because God had ordained it to be built. There is also mention that nothing like it had ever been built, so Noah didn’t know what to call the Ark in an ocean-going way upon water.

This is my third reading of the Book of Enoch, and each time it has become clearer to me. I am getting the understanding of this book, and it has enlightened me to mysteries that are left unanswered in the Canon of Scripture. Understanding has become real to me in how it meshes with the Holy Bible of the Protestant faith. Those who read this may consider me errant in my studies. I take any thought of God’s plan into consideration. There are too many writings out there in the world that tie together with the commonly known scriptures.

The whole plan of salvation is a part of the whole. God wants a people who love Him simply because of who He is. I don’t love Him for what He can do for me. That becomes self-centered and selfish on my part. I can’t deny that He does things for me, but it comes out of my knowledge of Him and my love for Him. For God to take care of me is an extended benefit of loving Him for who He is to me. I don’t say this to disguise or mislead anyone. I’m still learning to lean on Him as my Father. Without Him none of the other things in this life matter. So I want to know all I can about Him. I won’t let men stop me by hiding writings from me or telling me what I read isn’t for me to know or believe.

Posted in Absolute(s), Abundant life, Biblical teaching, Christian, Common Sense, God's direction, God's Guidance, Hope, Love, Maturity, More of God, Ponderings, Priorities, Salvation, Sobering Thoughts, Spiritual Growth | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

How Do I Study?

Posted on 2025/08/07 by JimR, Chaplain

When someone reads the Bible, we must interpret scripture not only for what it seems to say, but also to understand the cultural setting in which the scripture was written. We often overlook much of what the Bible says by applying our Western thought to it. I discussed this with someone recently who has no concept that the Bible was not originally written in Western terms.

I have access to Hebrew studies from the Israel Bible Center. I listened to Dr. Schaser, who gave a short explanation of the value of understanding scripture through the eyes of the Jewish mind.

I adopted the “word study” method of learning as my primary way to understand scripture that falls back to the cultural setting and mindset of the day the scripture was written in or about. I look at the typical Christian today and shake my head at the lack of overall understanding of who they are in relationship with God.

This simple method of learning will revolutionize a person’s concept of God and their worth. Self-worth is not an option. It’s all based on how God looks at us. He created a way to mold a people in His image who would love Him just because they want to. Not because they are scared into Heaven and kept there by fear. It’s a love that makes you want to give Him a great big hug and thank Him for who He is to us. Our Father, our Savior, and our way to live in total peace. To totally understand this, try the method I use. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

Posted in Biblical teaching, Christian, Christian Mission, Common Sense, Follow God, More of God, Ponderings, Salvation, Spiritual Growth | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment