BIBLE WATCH

Someone asked, "Since Jesus sits at "the right hand of God" in heaven, who sits on God's left hand?  Many people are asking similar question because they have had this erroneous picture in their mind that when the bible says that Jesus sits at the right hand of God it was taking about the right-hand side of God. Notice that the bible never said the "right-hand side of God".  The Right Hand of God is not the same as the Right-Hand Side of God.  The bible was not talking about the sitting arrangements of their chairs or being in a certain location. That is probable the reason why  there's no such place mentioned in the bible as the "left hand side of God". The Right Hand Is Symbolic Biblically, the right hand symbolizes authority, power, and strength (Genesis 48:14 - 19, Exodus 15:6, Isaiah 23:11, 41:10, 45:1, Revelation 1:16 - 17 etc).  Like other figurative language, the “right hand” and “arm” are often symbolic, as we can see ...

Does this mean pastors are infallible? Does it mean believers should not test what a pastor or other leader says or writes? Psalms 105:14-15 "He suffered no man to do them wrong: yea, he reproved kings for their sakes; Saying, Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm." When do we first hear of God's intervention in protecting one of his anointed? Genesis 12:17 "And the LORD plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai Abram's wife." Again in Genesis 20:3 Sarah was divinely protected by God from defilement, this time she was protected from Abimelech. "But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, Behold, thou art but a dead man, for the woman which thou hast taken; for she is a man's wife." Now look at Genesis 20:6-7 as God speaks to Abimelech. God identifies Abraham as a "prophet". "And God said unto him in a dream, Yea, I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart;...

In the New Testament, there are two key parameters for judging sin. The first one is love, the second one is faith. We will begin by taking a close look at these two parameters. Firstly, let’s read Romans Chapter 13 verse 8: (Romans 13:8-10 KJV) Owe no man anything, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandments, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. Did you read that? “He that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.” In other words, anything that is outside love is sin (i.e. has transgressed the law) because love is the fulfilling of the law. By walking in love, you walk in God. Secondly, I recommend you read the entire chapt...

There are two places in the King James Version of the Bible where specific reference is made of the phrase "double portion". Deuteronomy 21:17 But he shall acknowledge the firstborn . . . by giving him a double portion of all that he has, for he is the firstfruits of his strength. The right of the firstborn is his”. 2 Kings 2:9 “What can I do for you before I am taken from you?” Elisha answered, “Please let there be a double portion of your spirit on me”  The term simply refers to the right of the firstborn as seen in the expression in Deuteronomy 21:17. What Elisha asked for was to be treated as the firstborn among the sons of the prophets. Here are excerpt from notable Bible Commentaries: Elisha asks to be treated as the firstborn among “the sons of the prophets,” and so to receive twice as great a share of “the spirit and power” of his master as any of the rest. “Let me be the firstborn among thy spiritual sons;” “Make me thy true spiritual heir;” not “Gi...

Matthew, Mark and Luke record one instance of Jesus clearing out the temple. Then John Chapter 2 records a different instance where Jesus clears out the temple. This is something that he did twice and the thing about that is when something is recorded in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, it must be pretty important to get that kind of emphasis where all four gospels deal with it. Matthew 21:11-13. And the multitude said, "This is Jesus, the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee. Jesus went into the Temple of God and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple and overthrew the tables of the money changers, and the seats of them that sold doves, and said to them, It is written my House shall be called the House of Prayer, but ye have made it a den of thieves." Mark 11, Verse 15, 16 & 17, "And they come to Jerusalem and Jesus went into the temple and began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and t...

The issue of Catholics praying to saints is one that is full of confusion. It is the official position of the Roman Catholic Church that Catholics do not pray TO saints or Mary, but rather that Catholics can ask saints or Mary to pray FOR them. The official position of the Roman Catholic Church is that asking saints for their prayers is no different than asking someone here on earth to pray for us. However, the practice of many Catholics diverges from official Roman Catholic teaching. Many Catholics do in fact pray directly to saints and/or Mary, asking them for help - instead of asking the saints and/or Mary to intercede with God for help. Whatever the case, whether a saint or Mary is being prayed to, or asked to pray, neither practice has any biblical basis. The Bible nowhere instructs believers in Christ to pray to anyone other than God. The Bible nowhere encourages, or even mentions, believers asking individuals in heaven for their prayers. Why, then, do many Catholics pray to...

(Prob 3:9-10)  Give honour to the Lord with your wealth, and with the first-fruits of all your increase: So your store-houses will be full of grain, and your vessels overflowing with new wine.   Should I give my whole first month’s salary to my church as ‘first-fruit’? Usually when I am asked this question, my answer is straightforward. “It is your money and you can do anything you like with it.” I mean that simply! Now, if the question is “did the Lord command that Christians should surrender their whole January salary (income) to their church as first-fruits?” Then I give another unequivocal answer:  No, He never did . There is no such thing in the whole Bible, not even under the Law of Moses. Yes, many churches ask their members to do it, but it is a decision of the elders of the church and is not the commandment of God or the Lord Jesus to Christians. God doesn’t have any special blessings attached to it, and so I hope the elders can pray a special blessin...

Scripture has much to say regarding the drinking of alcohol (Leviticus 10:9; Numbers 6:3; Deuteronomy 29:6; Judges 13:4, 7, 14 Proverbs 20:1; 31:4; Isaiah 5:11, 22; 24:9; 28:7; 29:9; 56:12). However, Scripture does not necessarily forbid a Christian from drinking beer, wine, or any other drink containing alcohol. In fact, some Scriptures discuss alcohol in positive terms. Ecclesiastes 9:7 instructs, "Drink your wine with a merry heart." Psalm 104:14-15 states that God gives wine "that makes glad the heart of men." Amos 9:14 discusses drinking wine from your own vineyard as a sign of God's blessing. Isaiah 55:11 encourages, "Yes, come buy wine and milk"" There is only one group of people who are explicitly told in the Bible to never drink wine/alcohol, and that is the Nazirites (Numbers 6:1-4). Jesus was not a Nazirite; He was a "Nazarene," a native of the town of Nazareth (Luke 18:37). Jesus never took the Nazirite vow. Christ...