Christian Bible Study Blog (CBSB)

Online: Book: Trail Of Blood

2011-04-09T13:52:00.000-07:00

I love this little book by J. M. Carroll. It gives a concise church history starting from the time of Christ and his apostles and traces it from how Christ set it up to the variety of churches we have today. If you were to buy this book online it would typically cost about $2.00 and it would come as a small pamphlet with tiny writing. But guess what? It's online now and I wanted to share it with you. Visit this link HERE to read it online.

For the most part this book follows closely the history of Ana-Baptists (Baptists) but also loosely follows other church histories, including persecution done to the Baptists through the ages by many denominations.

J.M. Carrol dedicated his life to researching church history (and wasn't a Baptist when he started), and does a fantastic job, even giving you many of his references at the end of the book so that you can try to find some of the original materials for yourself to look up the info. Of course some of these materials are probably not available, but many of them are, such as Fox's Book of Martyrs.

I hope you enjoy this read. Once again, here is the link.

Blessings!

Donations To Buy Chick Tracts and Spread the Word

2011-04-09T11:47:00.000-07:00

I've written about Chick Tracts before, and I'm going to do so again now, because I believe these little tracts are an amazing tool for witnessing to people. They say things in just the right way and are great for leaving behind at restaurants, in library books, on bus stop benches, in a grocery isle, or just to hand out to people on the street or when you go door knocking.

One of my favorite ways to send out tracts is at Halloween at the front door. I set tracts in the bowl with the candy and before I can even stick candy in the kids' bags they're asking me, "What are those? Are those comic books? Can I have one of those instead of candy?" What a great way to witness to children and even their families.

Chick tracts are small and easy to carry in a purse or pocket, they're cheap (currently 16 cents per tract, or $4 for a package of 25 tracts), and they're easy to hand out. People are curious when they see them sitting on a table or bench somewhere, and pick them up to read. This may be the one time in their life that they get witnessed to.

When I lived in the dorms at my school I found a Chick tract one day on a table in the school library and took it back to my room. I was a Student Success Mentor at the time so I had a pin board outside my door in the hallway, and I pinned it up. Every day I would come back to my room to find the tract gone, and later it would reappear again. Who knows how many people were witnessed to by that one tract, and who knows how many people you can witness to by even passing out one little tract... they're small and they do travel from person to person!

My personal favorites because of their simplicity are the following tracts which you can view online for free:

Charlie's Ants - Great for kids or adults

One Way - So simple, and can be given to someone who speaks another language

Set Free - This one is my personal favorite

Something in Common - Another simple and easy to read tract

For a complete list of tracts you can view them all HERE. Some can even be ordered in Spanish, Chinese, and many other languages.

I would very much like to be able to order these every month and hand them out year long, not just on Halloween or random other times throughout the year, but unfortunately am unable at present due to lack of finances.

I would like to ask then for donations to my PayPal account for any amount so that I can go online and purchase these tracts and start spreading the Word. Remember, one tract only costs 16 cents, so if 16 people donated a penny, that's a tract to spread the gospel, and you'd be a part of that even though I'd be the one handing them out with my husband, daughter, and our Bible study group.

Donations are made via the little donate button below, through PayPal. PayPal is secure and you can donate with mastercard, visa, or other methods. There is also a section for you to write us a note if you so desire so that you can specify that the money is for the purchase of Chick tracts.

The four types of tracts I will be purchasing are listed above, but again are Charlies' Ants, Set Free, One Way, and Something in Common, but if you prefer that your donated money only go to one of these titles, then you can let me know that also in the note area when making a donation. Example note: "Please use this $4 to purchase a pack of the 'Charlie's Ants' tracts and hand them out for me."

We will be keeping you updated via the blog with how many tracts we purchase via donations to the PayPal, how and when they've been handed out, and to whom (general, such as: handed out on Monday to College Students, or our Bible group handed them out while door knocking on Saturday, or Bible group handed them out at the fourth of July fair to families).

We appreciate any and all help you can give us. All tracts will be labeled on the back with the CBSB website address, and optionally your first name if you let us know via the donation box. Example of what the back of the tracts would say: "Visit our website at http://www.christianbiblestudyblog.blogspot.com. This tract given to you in love by Peter"... or Sue, or Bob, or whatever you wish us to put.

Don't be afraid to buy some tracts for yourself as well, and hand them out to people or leave them around town.

Thanks again for your love and support!

Blessings!

Scholar Contest 1 Winner Announced!

2011-03-27T10:33:00.000-07:00

Congratulations Jessi for winning our first ever scholar contest and the book, "The Answer Book: A Helpbook For Christians," by Dr. Samuel C. Gipp, Th.D.

Jessie, you have one week to contact me via comment to this post with details on how I can ship this book to you. Please note: All comments are moderated by me, which means that when you post a comment, it doesn't go to the site immediately... I get to look at it first. When you post a comment with your address to this post, I will not publish it to the site, so your privacy will be protected, and information will remains safe. If you prefer to talk via e-mail instead, post your e-mail below. Don't forget to sign in with your name to Blogger before you post.

If Jessie doesn't respond to me in one week, I will draw another name for the prize.

Thanks to all who participated. You gave us some great ideas for the site!

Look out for our next Scholar Contest soon!

Blessings!

Reaching the College Population

2011-03-21T10:01:00.000-07:00

Jessie asked us to write an article to answer this question: “Maybe [you could write] ideas on how to get college aged people involved in the Church. Ways to make Bible studies into something people in their 20s can relate to after growing up in a secular world.”

As we write this, my husband reminds me that we are in a unique position to answer this question because we currently run a weekly Bible study where the majority of members are college students. My husband works at the college in our city and I attend it, so we are surrounded by college students daily. We will try to describe a number of ways to get college age people involved, as well as how to keep them in a Bible study and make things interesting.

1) Immerse yourself in college life

2) Make things fun

3) Give them some responsibility

4) Making it something people who grew up in a secular world can relate to

5) Organize events outside of Bible study

6) Provide food if possible

7) Make the study space comfortable

8) Make the study space accessible

9) Advertise

10) Make everyone welcome

1) Immerse yourself in college life

You don’t have to be a student, or staff member of a college to do this, but it does help. In our case we have many co-workers, classmates, and other friends from the school, both students and other college staff that we know and are able to invite to our Bible study. Once people decide to come on a regular basis, they begin inviting other people on their own. To encourage this we purchase prizes such as devotionals and run contests for the prize. People get points for coming to the study, points for memorizing scriptures, and points for bringing new people. Whoever has the most points at the end of the allotted time wins the prize.

On the other side of things, there are at least three Christian groups based on our college campus: Campus Crusade For Christ, Christian Fellowship, and Chi Alpha the Campus Church (run by a local church). CCC is run by students, CF is run by an elderly couple who have immersed themselves in college students lives, and Chi Alpha is run by a pastor who immersed himself in college life.

Even before Chi Alpha was up and running, it’s pastor was in the residence hall playing games with students, he was there in time of crisis for students, and he was there being their friend. Once it was time to start up their church he had such a strong presence at OIT as a friend and role model that it wasn’t difficult to get people to come to his services.

2) Make Things Fun

When I was a freshman I attended a college group study on Sunday nights at a local church. Some friends were going and invited me, and though I was not yet saved I went partly because it was fun. The night always started with snacks and possibly an impromptu basketball or volleyball game at the church, followed by Bible study (which consequently was sometimes lead by our college professors who attended the church), and ended the night worshiping with song, and fellowshipping with each other. A break down of the night was Snacks, Games (fellowship), Bible study, Singing, Fellowship again.

I never once saw the pastor who lead the college group at the campus, but I would imagine that he started that way. As the group grew however, people invited their friends on their own because it was fun, and people came back because it was fun.

3) Give them some responsibility

People are likely to stick around if they have some responsibility. Ask college age members if they’d like to get involved in the church. Ask them to help with younger groups (high school) or other church activities. In our Bible study we’ve delegated things like planning group get-togethers outside of study nights to other members, and have asked other members to help with lessons on occasion.

4) Making it something people who grew up in a secular world can relate to

Remember, people in college are still people. They’re reading textbooks that are sometimes very technical and difficult, so don’t think for a moment that if you do a certain lesson, that they won’t understand it. Teach the Bible like you would to any other adult.

If you wanted you could do some topical studies that you believe they would find relevant or fun such as we have done on this site (Christian Survival Skills for example), but in general you should also be teaching the gospel, the way to heaven, how to resist temptation, etc. Teach the Bible as it is and they will come. Growing up unsaved in an secular world I can tell you from experience that this is the way to go. When I met my husband I was unsaved, and just by reading through the Bible together I was lead to the saving knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

5) Organize events outside of Bible study

Organize board game nights, video-game tournaments, scavenger hunts (around the city), trips to the movies, trips to do things like going caving or hiking, etc. When people are able to fellowship and bond outside of service as well as inside, they are more likely to feel a connection and desire to keep coming back.

6) Provide food if its possible

It might not be possible to provide snacks at an actual church service, but for Bible studies it can be done fairly cheaply. Providing things like coffee, soda, cookies, cake, a veggie platter, or the all favorite pizza, you are going to draw students in and keep them coming back. It is recommended that whoever is running the Bible study provides food and drinks for the first few meetings, and then if people want to bring food they can, but do not make it required. Not everyone can afford to bring food. Just remember, Jesus fed the multitudes.

7) Make the study space comfortable

Have plenty of comfortable seating available, and a clean space to study in (no one wants to study where there’s trash on the floor or dirt all over the place).

8) Make the study space accessible

Not everyone has a car to get to the study. You have two options here: organize and study on campus where everyone can come, or be sure to help organize carpools for those who don’t have a ride. If necessary, transport people yourself.

9) Advertise

Once you have plenty of regular members, you might want to advertise around the college campus. Make attractive looking fliers advertising the study or whatever current topic you’re studying on. Be sure to have date, time, address, an e-mail address, a phone number and something like, “Bring a friend.” Be sure to get these fliers approved by whatever authority on campus you need to, or they will just rip them down.

You can also advertise via e-mail. Many colleges have a campus-wide daily or weekly e-mail that you can advertise in for free.

Be sure to advertise if you have snacks. Saying something on the fliers such as “Free Pizza!” will go a long way.

10) Make everyone welcome

Our final point in answer to this question is to make the study one that welcomes everyone, even the unsaved. People are not going to come to any group that is prejudiced, or that does not welcome people based on their sin, the way they dress, where they’re from, or previous religious experiences. While the Bible study that we run is Baptist in doctrine, we have many non-denominational members, and on occasion friends who are Catholic or of another denomination that study with us.

Include many elements into your Bible studies that we have outlined above. While we’re sure there are other ways to get college age people involved, these are the ones we’ve learned by experience. Our Bible study lasts 2 hours and is outlined as such: 7-7:30 snacks and fellowship while people arrive, 7:30-8:30 Bible study, 8:30-9 fellowship and snacks while people leave. Sometimes people stay longer, and they are welcome to.

We hope this answered your question Jessie.

Blessings!

- RJTomlinson and JATomlinson

Chinese Symbols Prove the Bible

2011-03-20T14:55:00.000-07:00

Often when people struggle with questions of faith such as, "Is God real?" we as Christians don't know where to direct them except the Bible, which is our final authority. When someone isn't even sure if God is real however, it may be hard for them to trust the Bible at that point. Where else can we direct them then? How about historical evidence?

Check out this site HERE that shows how the Bible can be proven through Chinese symbols. This site claims that Chinese is the oldest language (possible not) but even so it is old, and Chinese write with symbols that have meaning rather than with letters that spell words. Some of their symbols show creation, God, the fall of man, and much more that you will find in God's Word. Very cool, so take a look!

http://students.washington.edu/cbsf/cool/Chinese.swf

Blessings!

Spam on the sight

2011-03-13T11:38:00.000-07:00

When looking through comments on this blog you may notice that quite a few have now been deleted. The majority of the comments that have been deleted were spam. We do not accept comments on this site whose sole purpose is to put out their own link to their own product. If you have something useful to say, please do leave a comment, we love to hear from you. Some comments have also been deleted for cursing or other inappropriate content, or because they were off topic, rude, or more aimed at disrespecting Christians and the blog in general.

Please note: While we love to hear from you, comments are now moderated, so all comments must be approved by blog admin before getting posted to the site. We usually look a few times a week to moderate comments, so if your comment doesn't post to the page right away, don't worry.

We ask politely once again that no spam, cursing, or inappropriate content go into comments, as this is a family friendly site.

Thank you for your cooperation. We love to hear from you, so get commenting!

Blessings!

Scholar Contest!

2011-03-12T18:01:00.000-08:00

It's time for another giveaway!

This month we're starting a scholar contest. What's a scholar contest? The name we've decided to give to any contest where we give away books on the Bible or Christianity that will help you learn and grow as a Christian. Cool huh?

This being the first scholar contest, it will be the easiest. The prize? Check out the blue book in the picture. A brand new, sealed copy of The Answer Book: A Helpbook For Christians, by Th.D. Samuel C. Gipp.

Personally I love Gipp's books. They're always clear, concise, easy to understand, enjoyable to read, and full of factual information with references so you can look up the information he gives you.

This particular book has 62 common questions and answers new and sometimes seasoned Christians ask about the King James Bible and controversy surrounding it. Examples of a few of the questions answered in the Q & A format are:

#4 What about the archaic words?
#8 Where do Bible manuscripts come from?
#29 Can a translation be inspired?
#38 Is the New King James Version an improvement?
#40 Is the NIV trustworthy?
#48 Wasn't the Textus Receptus named after 1611?

What to do to win?
Simple, just post a comment below to this post and tell me three things you'd like to see a study or article on in the future of this site. Ideas could be a specific set of scriptures, a certain book, a specific topic, something in Christian news, something in Christian life today, or anything else having to do with the Word of God.

This contest is twofold. One: somebody wins this awesome book just by giving their opinion. Two: people who leave a comment below are telling us what they want to see written about on this blog in the future.

This contest runs until Saturday March 26, 2011 at 11:59 pm. Whoever has posted 3 ideas below will be entered into a drawing. The first person who's name is drawn wins.

P.S. Be sure to post after you've signed into your Blogger or Google account so that I know who to give the prize to. I will post the winner on March 27, 2011, and that person has one week to contact me with details of where to send the book, or else the next person drawn will get it.

** RECAP **

The Prize is: A brand new copy of "The Answer Book" by Dr. Samuel C. Gipp, Th.D.

To win: Sign into your Google or Blogger account, and post a comment below with 3 things you'd like to see written about on this blog.

Watch: for the winner to be posted on Sunday March 27, 2011.

Please note: We can only ship the book to an address within the USA. Winner must be able to receive the prize in the US. Thanks.

Looking forward to seeing your answers in the comment below!

Until then, blessings!

Tsunami 2011 - Let's Pray

2011-03-12T15:41:00.000-08:00

There are more than 630 reported deaths and at least 10,000 people reported missing since the earthquake and Tsunami on March 11, 2011. People's homes have been swept away and burned down, their economies damaged, their livelihoods destroyed.

It's events like this that the devil uses to make people say, "Why would God do this?" The devil wants to lead people away from the Lord and cause Christians to falter. But this can be used to God's glory.

Pray for the people lost to this disaster, the people affected by the devastation, and that their lives can be rebuilt on the foundation of God. Let's pull together as God's people and pray for healing, rebuilding, and the glory of God to shine through this all. Glorify God through your prayers for these people and with your actions. It may not be possible to go to Japan and help clean up, or go to the other nations hit and help rebuild, but just like Haiti, there will be orphaned children that need help, and there will be places to send funds to to get clean food and water, first aid and missionaries into the field to help those affected.

Dear Lord, please help all of those affected not only in Japan but also around the world. Please help them to rebuild their lives on the rock that is Christ, to heal after their losses, to rebuild their economies. You know more than we do what their needs are Lord, please help them and help us all to glorify your name Lord. In your holy name Jesus, Amen.

The prayer doesn't stop there. Keep praying, keep doing whatever we can to help.

Blessings.

New Layout

2011-03-12T14:15:00.000-08:00

So you might have noticed the new look of CBSB. Our hope is that it will look and feel more professional, and at the same time be easier to navigate.

Features of this new layout include:

Our same background
A new logo
Drop down menus for easier navigation
A Featured Article Slideshow
Clean, light design
New ways to favorite or follow us such as Digg and Facebook

What do you think? Comment below!

Christian Merch

2011-03-10T17:29:00.000-08:00

NOTW - Not of This World Apparel
CBSB - Christian posters, skateboards, shirts, bags, and more.
Kerusso - Christian apparel, jewelery, hats, etc.
Teen Bibles - Teen KJV Bibles from the KJV store.

Teen Social Networks

2011-03-10T17:23:00.000-08:00

Teen Grace - A social network just for teens. Similar to Facebook, but for Christian Teens only!
Christian Teen Lounge - Advice, prayer, forums, arcade games, and more.

Teen Webzines

2011-03-10T17:17:00.000-08:00

Online Christian Webzines (magazines) geared towards teenagers.

Boundless Webzine - Young Adult and Teen. Dating, marriage, college, school, advice.
Christianity Today Teens - Dating, God, Advice
Dreaminsoul
Lily Girls - Teen Christian Magazine for Girls

Christian Music

2011-03-10T17:11:00.000-08:00

Where to listen to Christian music online

Air1 Radio Online - Christian Rock/Alternative
KLove Radio Online - Christian Contemporary
WayFM - Christain Contemporary/Rock

Other Music Resources

Christian Guitar Tabs
Jesus Freak Hideout - Jesus, faith, music
Christian Music: God Honoring? - Article

Evolution

2011-03-10T17:02:00.000-08:00

Here are a few links to give a new perspective on Evolution. Be sure to check out the video series below!

Evolution: A Scientist's Religion
Carbon Dating: Doesn't Prove An Old Earth
The Decay In The Speed of Light And the Truth About Red Shift
Evolution: Fact or Fiction?
Institute for Creation Research
Science and the Bible

Evolution mini-series (see below)

Questions and Answers

2011-03-10T16:56:00.000-08:00

About Heaven
About Hell
About God
About Prayer
About Sin
About Other Religions
About Salvation
About the Bible

Reference Resources

2011-03-10T16:47:00.000-08:00

Websters 1828 Dictionary (Tells what words in the KJV mean)

Strongs Concordance

Bible Maps

To see more study tools, click HERE.

New Look and Feel

2011-03-03T11:28:00.000-08:00

I have been trying to find a new theme for this blog for some time that will allow the blog to grow. I believe I have finally found one. What I want to know from you is if you like the new theme I have chosen. This theme has drop down navigation, a featured content slideshow, and an all around professional look and feel.

Here is the sample of it (keeping in mind the slideshow images, and links have not yet been changed, only the logo has been changed.

If we do go with the new theme, our web address will still be the same, and our content will be the same, but the look will be different.

Post in a comment below which one you like better... the theme our blog has now, or the new theme.

New Theme (tested on a fake address)

Homeschool Resources Building Up

2011-02-28T11:04:00.000-08:00

Our home school site is starting to bulk up with fun activities, games, and resources! Check it out HERE!

Also, are you a teacher? Are you a home school parent or grandparent? We want to know about your free resources, your lesson plans, and your fun activities. If you have a personal experience being a home school parent, feel free to share with us below!

You can help contribute to our home school site and make it better for everyone!

Blessings!

Psalms 23 - KJV

2011-02-26T06:00:00.000-08:00

Psalms 23... the psalm that I'm betting most every person in America has heard, even the atheists. This is the one they say at funerals on TV shows and in the movies. Now I want to revisit this psalm with you and look at some of the ramifications of it.

Psalms 23:1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

By definition want means to lack something. If we look at the role of a shepherd with sheep, the shepherd is the caretaker of the sheep. He looks after them, feeds, them, protects them, and helps them when they're in need. Here we see God is our shepherd, and he will make it so that we shall not be left wanting for those things we need.

Housekeeping - Site Changes

2011-02-25T11:47:00.000-08:00

We've been working hard here at CBSB to make the site more user friendly. Today we've included a new feature using the linkwithin application for this blog. You will now notice at the end of each article, 4 articles that may be of interest to you.

Read more »

Psalm 121 - KJV

2011-02-25T11:07:00.000-08:00

I really wanted to share Psalms 121 with you today (KJV as always). I love this psalm as it is always very uplifting to me. As you may know, the Song Praise You In This Storm by Casting Crowns is somewhat based off of this Psalm with the chorus lyrics of: "I lift my eyes unto the hills, where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of Heaven and Earth."

Psalms 121:1 I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.
Psalms 121:2 My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.
Psalms 121:3 He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber.
Psalms 121:4 Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.
Psalms 121:5 The LORD is thy keeper: the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand.
Psalms 121:6 The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.
Psalms121:7 The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.
Psalms 121:8 The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.
Read more »

Surprise!

2011-02-25T06:00:00.000-08:00

Mom... dad... surprise! I'm a sinner and I did it again! Are you mad?

Being a parent now I have come to appreciate many things from growing up, and I try to take everything in a positive light to better myself as a parent. All those times when my mom said, "I hope someday you have a child who makes you want to pull your hair out," (yeah, and now my mom's laughing), I can appreciate how hard my siblings and I made things on her.

I can also now appreciate some of those times when one or both of my parents weren't as nice as I would have liked them to be to me when I messed up, as children and as all people do. Why? Because the way I take this in a positive light is to learn from it and promise myself not to copy any negative aspects I endured as a child. I hated it when I got that look, or the angry comments like, "I can't believe you did that." Why not? Why couldn't they believe it? I was just a child after all.

I came across a great post on the blog The Blazing Center, and wanted to share it with you. Stephen Altrogge shares in this post how his father was never surprised when he sinned as a child, and through his attitude was able to give Stephen an outlook on life that allows him to share some grace with others. Check out the article HERE. I thought it was a wonderful little read worth sharing, especially in light of Romans 3:10 "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one.

This is one of those positive things I will take into my parenting style with my children, even if it's a lesson learned from someone else's parent.

Blessings!

Note: I do not endorse any material on the blog The Blazing Center, aside from the article linked to above.

Childhood Baptism - Yay or Nay?

2011-02-24T19:47:00.000-08:00

I came across an interesting and thought provoking article over at the Kingdom People blog, about baptizing children before they are even able to make the decision for Christ. Check it out HERE.

To go along with the article I've linked to, here are some scriptures on Baptism to think about:

Acts 8:12 "But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women."

Read more »

Food for thought: The Hedge Words We Use

2011-02-23T20:59:00.000-08:00

What is a hedge word? It's a word or phrase that makes statements less forceful or assertive. Examples: I think, maybe, I could be wrong, etc.

With that in mind, read the following quote by Stanley Hauerwas, and comment below to let me know what you think about this issue.

----------------------------------------------------

Question from reporter:
How should Christians make their mark on society?

Answer by Stanley Hauerwas:
By telling the truth. I think that one of the problems has been that Christians have often accepted the speech habits that characterize general assumptions about America that have not done us any good in terms of how we should be witnessing to what we think is true. (For example, to say) I think Jesus is Lord, but that is just my personal opinion.

Above quote taken from Trinity Pastor. Note: I do not endorse any material on Trinity Pastor. I just pulled the quote to get opinions and give some food for thought.

----------------------------------------------------

God the Parent

2011-02-21T12:03:00.000-08:00

Since becoming a parent for the first time almost two and a half years ago (three if you count from the time of conception), I have often wondered, does God ever feel the way I do?

Example: When potty training our daughter, I am often frustrated when she gets it for a week at a time, and then all of a sudden she seems to have forgotten that the toilet even exists, and I spend the day cleaning up accidents from the floor, the couch, the car, and out of laundry. Then I stop and wonder, does God ever feel frustrated that he has shown us time and again what he want's done, and then we just don't get it?

New Sister Site! CBSB Home school!

2011-02-14T18:08:00.000-08:00

We've launched a new sister site to CBSB devoted completely to free home school resources!

Visit the page leading to the new site HERE.

Blessings!

My Pastor Said...

2011-02-11T17:21:00.000-08:00

My Pastor Said
A Poem by JATomlinson
2-11-2011

Her pastor said that you can count the stars,
And that all women are supposed to wear skirts and dresses,
And she believed him.
She told her friends what her pastor said,
And they did an unkindness to her,
Letting her think it was ok to believe everything "my pastor said".

Read more »

Who Are The Least of These?

2011-02-10T15:45:00.000-08:00

Matthew 25:42-45 Jesus said, "For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me."

Read more »

First 2011 Contest! $25 Zazzle gift certificate!

2011-01-27T15:09:00.000-08:00

CBSB Review Contest

You've read some posts, hit the follower button, perhaps made a comment here or there. So what's next? A free gift certificate to zazzle.com perhaps? That's right, you can win a free zazzle gift certificate for $25, good towards any item on zazzle in just a few simple steps!

Introducing CBSB's first contest of 2011!

Read more »

Book Review: This Is Your Brain In Love by Earl Henslin

2011-01-27T12:32:00.000-08:00

Perhaps you're looking to improve your troubled relationship? Or maybe put some fire into your love life? Or you might possibly be one of the "blessed few" who are already happy and just want to stay that way. Whatever your motivation, "This is your brain in love" by Dr. Earl Henslin is one of those books that is informative and enjoyable to read alone, or better yet with your spouse.

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Make a difference in somebody's life

2011-01-17T12:00:00.000-08:00

Have you ever wanted to make a positive difference in somebody's life, but you weren't sure how? What about donations? Perhaps you've been scared to donate in the past because you just didn't know who to donate to or which organizations were trustworthy. Well, you're in luck, and so is the person on the receiving end of your future donations. Below is a list of trustworthy organizations to donate to as well as what they do.

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New Teen Page!

2011-01-16T11:33:00.000-08:00

CBSB has expanded and now has a page just for teens! This page has resources that have been separated to serve the interest of Christian teens. It includes music links, webzines, teen social networks, study tools, and more! Check it out HERE.

Blessings!

Christian Survival Skills: Surviving As A Christian In Today's World

2011-01-15T18:23:00.000-08:00

By now you're probably asking yourself, why would Christian's need to learn to "survive" in today's world? There's actually a good number of reasons. Every day in our world Christians face:

Social Persecution
Physical Persecution
Temptation
Oppression
Confusion
Uncertainty

The Virtuous Woman

2011-01-14T11:54:00.000-08:00

Who is a virtuous woman? Does she skip the job and stay at home to take care of the kids and her husband? What does God want women to do in this day and age where many families feature both a husband and wife ‘bringing home the bacon’? I would like to present a study straight from the Bible of the good wife and virtuous woman in order to answer some of these questions that modern Christian wives seem to have.

2011 Challenge

2011-01-13T18:22:00.000-08:00

A friend said to me once, "No Bible no breakfast, no Bible no bed." I had never heard that, and had never lived by it. This year I have a challenge for you, as well as one for myself. I challenge us to read the Bible before breakfast, to start our day, and read it before bed to end it. What better way to start and end a day than by the Word of the Lord our God? This year, let yourself walk closer to God.

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Church Service Online

2011-01-10T14:45:00.000-08:00

Are you in a remote area where you are unable to attend church? Perhaps you just haven't found a church home yet, or there are other reasons that you are unable to attend. So why not spend Sunday morning watching an church service online?

HERE is a link to a Bible believing church that broadcasts all of their services. This link takes you to an archive of services where you can watch a video of the full service (and I mean full, from music and greeting to message). On their home page is a button entitled: "Watch Sunday Service" where they broadcast more recent services from beginning to end. Obviously you can fast forward through music service and announcements if you feel the need to.

As always, it is still important to read and study your bible, but it is also nice to attend services, even if online, for in depth Bible study.

Enjoy, and blessings!

Hate or Love

2011-01-09T17:26:00.000-08:00

There has been some controversy recently over certain churches and people who call themselves Christian, but confess open hate for people who are not like them. They stand at funerals and on the streets, and make videos on YouTube telling people how God hates them for being sinners, or simply for being different. Lyrics from one of their music videos say “Stupid Jews, God hates you and you know it, God hates you and you know it.” This is not the only group of people that does this, but I will be using the Westboro Baptist Church as an example since they have been in the media recently and often for their hate attitude towards others.

I would like to present then a study of love and hate in the Bible. Using scriptures straight from the KJV bible, we will look at the following questions:

New Resources

2011-01-08T12:38:00.000-08:00

Check out some of our new resources!

We know how hard it is to find a good King James Bible, even in a Christian book store. Check out the official KJV store online, where all they sell are KJV's and KJV related material! Check it out HERE. This link is also on our resources page.

Even more exciting is
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New Banner

2011-01-08T12:15:00.000-08:00

So you may have noticed the new wooden banner at the top of the page. This was the first among some necessary changes here at CBSB. While the old green banner was awesome, it was also very large and pushed the site content too far down the page. So we redesigned it as carved wood. We chose wood because of the wooden cross. You will also see some of the letters are red, and this is symbolic of the blood that Christ shed for us.

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5 Years and going strong!

2011-01-07T15:37:00.000-08:00

Wow, I can hardly believe it's been five years since CBSB was started! We have some awesome articles and other developments planned for this year, including a Bible Trivia board game, the opening of our store on zazzle.com, and many other great things! We are also looking to add 1-2 new staff members to CBSB this year, which means more great resources, articles, studies and more!

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Psalm 98:4 Poster

2011-01-06T16:36:00.000-08:00

Personally, I like having Christian products around the home. I also like creating them to share with others. Whether it is a t-shirt to remind me of a favorite scripture, a re-usable grocery bag, or an inspirational poster. To me these are all part of my walk with God, especially when they remind me of who I am and what I want to do in my life for God.

Below are a few products I have created on Zazzle.com to share with you. When you purchase these products, you are not only getting a high quality item, you are also helping to support myself, my family, and this site.

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Homeschool resources - Toddlers

2011-01-02T11:51:00.000-08:00

Below are some playlists of learning videos aimed at pre-schoolers and kindergardeners. This playlist gets updated every once in while with new videos. Feel free to use it. It contains ABCs, phonics, counting, spelling, shapes, feelings, colors, and a variety of other learning videos. The best thing is, that the kids think they're getting a break from school by watching cartoons, but these cartoons are very educational!

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Kent Hovind - Free Seminars Online

2010-11-09T08:15:00.000-08:00

I love watching Kent Hovind's Creation Science Evangelism Seminars. They have them to watch for free without download on their website drdino.com. These are great messages and he gives good information to put in your evangelism arsenal.

http://www.drdino.com/seminar-part-1-the-age-of-the-earth

Science in the Bible

2010-10-24T15:14:00.000-07:00

You've heard it before... scientists and atheists alike saying that the Bible is made up, and written by men. Yes, science is the only truth we can trust in because it has been proven. I've heard this over and over not only from non-believers, but in school from grade school all the way through college. This a problem with the assumptions people are making though because the Bible has been scientifically accurate time and again, even before man had certain scientific things right. For instance, back when men were saying that the earth was the center of the universe, the Bible said it was the other way around. So if the Bible was really written only by men, wouldn't they have the same thoughts as the popular teachings of the time? Most of these men were after all only peasants, not scholars.

Books of the Bible by Type

2010-10-20T16:59:00.000-07:00

Here are the books of the Bible by type. Click on book name to view book online, or view the whole Bible (KJV) HERE.

Old Testament

Law

Genesis
Exodus
Leviticus
Numbers
Deuteronomy

History

Joshua
Judges
Ruth
1 Samuel
2 Samuel
1 Kings
2 Kings
1 Chronicals
2 Chronicals
Ezra
Nehamiah
Esther

Poetry

Job
Psalms
Proverbs
Ecclesiastes
Song of Solomon

Major Prophets

Isaiah
Jeramiah
Lamentations
Ezekial
Daniel

Minor Prophets

Hosea
Joel
Amos
Obadiah
Jonah
Micah
Nahum
Habakkuk
Zephaniah
Haggai
Zechariah
Malachi

New Testament

Gospels

Matthew
Mark
Luke
John

History

Acts

Paul's Epistles

Romans
1 Corinthians
2 Corinthians
Galatians
Ephesians
Philippians
Colossians
1 Thessalonians
2 Thessalonians
1 Timothy
2 Timothy
Titus
Philemon
Hebrews

General Epsitles

James
1 Peter
2 Peter
1 John
2 John
3 John
Jude

Prophecy
Revelation

About the Old Testament (from the Free Bible program found HERE): The Bible is not really a single book, but a collection of books and letters, almost like a library. It is divided into two parts, the Old Testament and the New Testament. Separating these two parts of the Bible is Jesus Christ. While all of the Bible is very old, the Old Testament refers to the testaments or covenants God made with man before Jesus Christ came, and the New Testament contains the covenants God made with man after Jesus came. The 39 books of the Old Testament can be divided into five logical groups; the books of Law, History, Poetry, Major Prophets and Minor Prophets. Knowing what type of book is being read will greatly aid in understanding the message of that book. The Old Testament was written over a period of 1,400 years by about 32 writers, covering over 3,600 years of man’s history. It was penned by men of vastly different backgrounds, living in different countries and in different ages. Many did not know each other and some did not even know what the others had written. Yet when their writings became one book, each perfectly harmonized with the others - an indication that this Book of many writers has only One Author, the Holy Ghost. "For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost" (2 Peter 1:21).

About the New Testament (from the Free Bible program found HERE): Four hundred years separate the writing of the last book of the Old Testament and the beginning of the New Testament. John the Baptist broke the prophetic silence of these four hundred years with his bold preaching and baptism of repentance. As with the Old Testament, the 27 books of the New Testament can be divided into five logical groups; the Gospels, History, Paul’s Letters, General Letters and Prophecy. Knowing what type of book or letter is being read will greatly aid in understanding the message of that book. The New Testament was written by 8 writers over a period of only a 100 years. The early Church did not have the New Testament scriptures as we know it today. They quoted from the Old Testament scriptures, with every new teaching based on the authority of Jesus Christ as directed through the apostles. The first New Testament books to be written were actually some of Paul’s letters, which he wrote to Churches he had founded on his missionary journeys. The necessity of having a written account of Christ’s life was not urgent while the personal eye-witnesses were alive, but few were still living toward the end of the first century. Then Mark wrote his Gospel, followed by Luke, Matthew and John. The book of Revelation was the last book of the New Testament to be written.

The Chronology of Jesus Christ

2010-10-20T16:15:00.000-07:00

The following "Chronology of Jesus Christ" was taken from the "Free Bible" program found for free online HERE.

4 BC
Jesus is Born

AD 8
Jesus in Temple

AD 26
Jesus Baptized
Jesus Tempted by Satan
Jesus' first miracle

AD 27
Jesus and Nicodemus
Jesus talks to the Samaratan Woman
Jesus heals the nobleman's son
The fishermen follow Jesus
Matthew decides to follow Jesus

AD 28
Jesus chooses his 12 disciples
Jesus preaches the sermon on the mount
Jesus travels through Galilee
Jesus tells parables about the kingdom
Jairus' daughter returned to live by Jesus
Jesus sends his disciples to preach and heal
John the Baptist is killed by Herod

Spring AD 29
Jesus feeds 5,000 men
Jesus walks on water

Fall AD 29
Jesus feeds 4,000 men
Jesus predicts His death
Jesus is transfigured
Jesus pays His temple tax

October AD 29
Jesus attends the feast of the tabernacles

Winter AD 29
Jesus returns Lazarus to life

Sunday AD 30
The Triumphal entry

Monday AD 30
Jesus cleanses the temple

Tuesday AD 30
Authority of Jesus questioned

Wednesday AD 30
Plot against Jesus

Thursday AD 30
The last supper
Gethsemane

Friday AD 30
Jesus' trial
Jesus' crucifixion
The burial of Jesus

Sunday AD 30
Jesus rises from the dead
Jesus appears to the 10 disciples

The next week AD 30
Jesus appears to 500 people

AD 30 (40 days after the resurrection)
Jesus ascends to Heaven

From the mouths of the translators (of the NIV NKJV)

2010-10-07T08:56:00.000-07:00

There is a book called "Selecting a Translation of the Bible" written by Lewis Foster (the man who helped translate the NIV and NKJV). In his book there are some disturbing things that show us the mindset of the translators of these false translations. Just to show you an example:

In a section titled "How to make a Bible Translation" Foster says "In this day of specialists, it is difficult to find individuals adept in knowledge of the Bible, knowledge of the Greek or Hebrew, and use of the English language. To be safe, the work of the Biblical scholars should be submitted for further refinement by an expert in English. Grammatical slips, awkward phrases, ambiguous expressions, unnecessary words, offensive terms - all tend to clutter the translation of God's Word. Help can also be found in another direction. After all the experts have done their work, still one cannot be sure what the reaction will be from the average reader. It is helpful to know what he appreciates and what he finds objectionable, troublesome, or lacking," (Foster, p19).

So let's just put what Mr. Foster said into perspective, (remember, this is the man who translated the NIV and NKJV)! Not only does he believe that God wasn't smart enough to know grammar (obviously God needs an English lesson), but he also believes in not putting anything into the Bible that people find objectionable, troublesome, or lacking!

Looking through the eyes of an average athiest for just a second here, what would we see? "Oh, that whole Bible is objectionable! I'm offended! I don't like what it says, it's troublesome to me and lacking all common sense!" Therefore Mr. Foster would be in need to change everything in the Bible from the original... this leaves him free to change anything he wants to whatever views he sees fit, whether or not they are consistent with God's word or not. When you read the NIV or NKJV then, you are reading Mr. Foster's views and opinions on what he thinks should be and should not be in the Bible, rather than reading God's Word. This is something serious seeker's of God's Word should consider then when choosing a Bible. Do you want the whole, unedited, unadulterated word of God? Or do you want the views of a translater like Lewis Foster?

To read more about the KJV versus other Bible translations, click HERE.

To read more about having confidence in God's word click HERE.

To take the acid test with your NIV or NKJV click HERE.

Forum contest!

2010-10-05T08:03:00.000-07:00

Head over to our forums and join in the contest! The first 2 people to gain 200 activity points, get two people to join, and upload an avatar get a "Friend of IFB" award! See the official contest rules HERE. Good luck!

Do you use the NIV? Take the acid test!

2010-10-02T10:18:00.000-07:00

Do you use the NIV? The NIV claims to be translated better than the KJV and off of better manuscripts. If you use the NIV, why not take the "acid" test, and compare it to the KJV? Click HERE and fill in the blanks by using your NIV. Quick and easy!

In the News - Teacher's hide in closet to pray

2010-10-01T11:40:00.000-07:00

According to the article: 'ACLU-crafted court order criminalizes Christianity', any prayer, discussion of the Bible or God inside or even outside of school in one's own home, can be punishable by law in the state of Florida for teachers and staff in the Santa Rosa county school district. Two students sued the school anonymously when teachers were caught praying outside of school hours, and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) jumped in to craft a 'Consent Decree' to affirmatively ban all prayer or religious talk inside or outside of school, even in one's own home. Teachers are not even allowed to reply to parent e-mails if the parent e-mail in any way refers to the Bible, God, or scripture, even in the signature. Two teachers took to hiding in a closet to pray for fear of being punished and taken to jail. The 'Consent Decree' is in clear violation of the first amendment, and is currently being fought in court for violation of first amendment rights. If this is not overturned, it may set a precedent as to what new laws will be set against Christianity, Bible study, and prayer in other states, in a public institution, or in one's own home. To read the full article visit HERE.

Website Changes

2010-09-30T09:30:00.000-07:00

You may have noticed that there have been some big changes at CBSB. Fear not! All of the resources that used to be on the main page are still here, but are now categorized at the tabs at the top of the page! This was an effort to make the website nicer to look at, as well as easier to browse! God bless, and please check back for new articles and studies often!

Salvation Tracts

2010-09-30T08:34:00.000-07:00

Want to read comics about salvation? These chick tracts lay out the plan of salvation in an easy to read manner with scriptures from the Bible. Some are pictures only, and do not have words.

Salvation 1
Salvation 2
Salvation 3
Salvation 4
Salvation 5
Salvation 6
Salvation 7
Salvation 8
Salvation 9
Salvation 10
Salvation 11

About Different Religions

2010-09-30T07:48:00.001-07:00

About Different Religions:

Q. What is the definition of Christianity?
A. (Taken from dictionary.com) of, pertaining to, or derived from Jesus Christ or His teachings: a Christian faith. Of, pertaining to, believing in, or belonging to the religion based on the teachings of Jesus Christ. Exhibiting a spirit proper to a follower of Jesus Christ; Christlike. A person who believes in Jesus Christ. A person who exemplifies in his or her life the teachings of Christ. A member of any of certain Protestant churches.

Q. What is the definition of Protestant?
A. (From dictionary.com) any Western Christian who is not an adherent of a Catholic, Anglican, or Eastern Church.

Q. Tell me about the different religions.
A. Scroll halfway down the page HERE and find the heading: About Other Religions. Here you can read various Chick Tracts about various religions and the differences between them and Christianity.

Q. Are Catholics Christian?
A. No, there is a difference. The Catholic and Christian religions have too many differences to be the same thing. Just by the definition of "Christian" in the dictionary (seen in a Q above) Catholicism does not meet the definition.
Some of the major differences are:
Christians believe salvation is through Jesus Christ alone. Catholics believe that Salvation is achieved through a number of steps including: The sacrament of baptism, the sacrament of penance, taking communion (sacrament of the holy Eucharist), the sacrament of confirmation, the sacrament of the anointing of the sick, going to purgatory. Read THIS Chick tract to learn more about the differences between the Catholic and Christian church.

Another point to this is that Christians don't persecute other Christians. The Catholic church has a long history of persecuting the Baptist's and other Christian faiths because they didn't believe in the same things as the Catholic church.

Q. Did Catholicism or Christianity come first?
A. Christianity. Before Christ there was Judaism and Idol Worship. When Christ came to the earth and started his ministry (about 27 AD at the time he started his ministry at the age of 30) there was Christianity (people who followed Christ and His teachings). Acts 11:26 says "26: And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch." (around 30 AD). Notice the words "Catholic" never actually appear in the bible at all. There are church names given by city... the church of Ephesus, the church of Corinth, etc. Catholicism didn't show up until the church was set up in Rome between 40 and 50 A.D.

Q. Are Jehova's Witnesses Christian?
A. No, there is a big difference. HERE is a brief Chick Tract on Jehova's Witnesses.

Q. Are Mormon's Christian?
A. No, there is a big difference. HERE is a brief Chick Tract on Mormons.

Interested in reading about different religions? Check out the comic tracts below that are fun and easy to read, with many scriptures!

Reincarnation
Buddhism
Idol Worship
Catholocism
Catholocism 2
Catholocism 3
Catholocism 4
Catholocism 5
Catholocism/Purgatory
Jesuits involvement in the Holocaust
Catholocism 8
Masonry
Masonry 2
Masonry 3
Judaism
Witchcraft
Witchcraft 2
Witchcraft 3
Astrology
Jehova's Witnesses
Mormonism
Muslim
Muslim
Muslim 2
Muslim 3
Muslim 4
Muslim 5
Muslim
Atheism

About Praying (Adult version)

2010-09-30T07:47:00.001-07:00

About Praying:

Q. What is prayer?
A. Prayer is when you are talking to God. You can pray to God alone, or with other people. You can pray at home, in the car, while walking, in church, at school, wherever and whenever you like.

Q. How do I pray?
A. Praying is pretty simple. There really is no set way to do it. You can get on your hands and knees if you want, you can pray standing up, sitting down, laying down, driving, or walking, you can close your eyes, you can keep your eyes open, you can clasp your hands together, or you can pray with your hands at your side. You can pray by yourself, or with other people. The easiest way I've found to pray is to talk to God like you're talking to your best friend. He already knows everything about you, including your every thought and action, so there are no secrets with Him. Praying to God is having a conversation with him. Don't expect a direct answer or reply from him, and don't expect him to be your personal genie. Remember, God does things in his own time, and he doesn't always give you what you want, but he will give you what you need. God may not give you what you need exactly the way you think you need it either. Also remember that you can pray for anything, but sometimes God answers no.

To read more about prayer and how to pray, please click here.

Q. Are there any tips for praying?
A. Prayer shouldn't be a burden to us because hearing our prayers is not a burden to God. God wants to hear from us. A good tip would be that you don't always just pray when you are sad or unhappy or want something from God. It's good to pray to God when you are happy too to thank him for all the good things he's given you in life, and to tell him what a great and awesome God he is. While I sometimes pray to myself around other people, I often find it distracting to do so because other people will ask you something and you have to pause in your prayer to answer them so as not to seem rude. I find it helpful to do most of my praying while I'm alone. To read more about praying, and to read about how Jesus taught us to pray, please click here.

Q. What kind of prayers are there?
A.

Prayers for the salvation of others (Sometimes it helps to ask God to go into the heart of somebody who is not saved and just show them that he is there. I think it also helps when you go to talk to somebody about God to save them to ask God to give you the right Words to say).
Prayers for your own salvation
Prayers for things people need
Prayers for something you need
Prayers praising God
Prayers asking for God's help with anything

Q. Can I pray someone out of hell?
A. No. Some religions teach that if you pay your pastor or church father money every week he will be able to pray your family and friends out of hell. The Bible does not say anything about praying your friends and family out of hell, but does say if you don't go to heaven, you go to hell, and the only way to heaven is through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. To learn more about going to heaven, please click here.

Q. What does the Bible say about prayer?
A. If we pray God will listen, and if we ask for help, He will be there for us:
Psalm 6:9
The LORD hath heard my supplication; the LORD will receive my prayer. (God will always receive our prayers).

Psalm 4:1
Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness: thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress; have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer. ("thous hast enlarged me when I was in distress," to me this says it all. God is always there for us in our time of need even if nobody else is. God will always be there to help. We need to pray to him to ask for that help though. Prayer shows that we are serious about the things we want and need, and if we are dedicated enough to take that time to talk to God and ask for his help, then he will listen).

Psalm 102:17
He will regard the prayer of the destitute, and not despise their prayer. (God doesn't see our prayers to him as a burden, so why should we see praying as a burden?)

Matthew 21:22
And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.

To read more about what the Bible says about prayer, please click here.

About the Bible

2010-09-30T07:46:00.001-07:00

About the Bible:

Q. What is the Bible?
A. The Bible is the whole, inerrant (without error), Word of God. The Bible cannot be improved upon because it is God's Word, and trying to improve on God's Word would be like saying you know better than God does.

Q. Who wrote the Bible?
A. The Bible was written by over 40 authors! Not only is it written by over 40 authors, but it is written over a period of 1,600 years! Each author agreed on: history of the world, their idea of what God is like, their rules for living, prophecies for the future, and man's sinfulness. Because there are so many authors and the books were written over such a vast amount of time, there is no possible way that all of these authors could have gotten together and talked about writing the same thing over and over and over again. I like to think about it this way: If you look at a painting by Divinci, you can tell that he did it. If you look at another one of his paintings, you can still tell by the style of painting that Divinci painted it, and not another artist. We're supposed to compare spiritual things to spiritual things in the same way. In each book of the Bible, we can see God's brush strokes. Yes, he used men to write and preserve the Bible, but He (God) is still the author. He inspired the men he used to write what he needed them to write, and promised us that He would preserve His word for all time.

Q. How was the Bible made?
A. The church founders got together and collected all of the writings and scriptures concerning God. They compared them to each other (comparing spiritual things with spiritual), and included the books that were found to meet the standards set for the Bible. Books that did not meet the standards were found to be scripturally inaccurate and were not included. To read more about the history of the Bible, please click here.

Q. What is the difference between the King James Version (KJV) Bible and other versions of the Bible?
A. The King James Bible (KJV) is translated from a different manuscript than other versions of the Bible. The KJV is translated from the Textus Receptus ("received text") while other versions of the Bible are translated from the Critical Text. The Textus Receptus is the oldest manuscript. A man named Origen took the Textus Receptus and changed it around to meet his views of the world and religion, and this "revised" manuscript became known as the "Critical Text". Please click here for a more detailed overview of the differences between the KJV and other versions of the Bible.

Q. Where can I get a free version of the KJV Bible?
A. Click here to read the KJV Bible for free online.

Q. Is there a place I can read the KJV Bible online?
A. There sure is! http://etext.virginia.edu/kjv.browse.html. You can click on the book, and then the chapter of the book. This is the King James Version of the Bible.

Q. Are there books to help me read and learn the Bible?
A. There are many books available to help you learn about the Bible, but be careful about which books you lead, because some of them can lead you astray. The best way to learn about the Bible is to read it for yourself, and decide for yourself what it says.

The main type of book there is to help you learn the Bible is called a Commentary. J. Vernon McGee's commentaries are some of the best. Basically a Bible commentary will take you through the Bible verse by verse with a detailed explanation.

Q. Are there any websites that can help me learn the Bible?
A. Of course! We hope that you will find lots of useful information on CBSB (this site). On the top of this page there are many links including "tools" and "resources" that are there specifically to help you learn and understand the Bible.

Q. Are there any tips for reading the Bible?
A. Of course! One thing I always like to have handy when reading the Bible is a Bible highlighter... these are highlighters made specially for Bibles so that they don't soak through the thin pages. As I'm reading the Bible, I like to highlight passages that are meaningful to me, and sometimes I also write notes with a ball point pen or pencil in the margins of the Bible so that when I read through it again I will remember what I learned about.

It's a good idea to read the Bible with other people, in a type of study group, but it is also a good idea to read your bible in a quiet place where you feel comfortable, and will be able to concentrate on God's Word.

Another good thing to do before reading your Bible is to pray to God to give you wisdom while reading His Word, and to open your heart and mind to His Word, and help you understand. Ask Him in prayer to reveal things to you.

About God

2010-09-30T07:45:00.003-07:00

About God:

Q. What is God like?
A. As stated in the scriptures below, the Bible tells us that God is light and has no darkness (evil) in him at all. God is love. God cannot lie, and God is not the author of confusion (he will not try to confuse us in his Word the Bible), but is the author of peace.

1John 1:5 "This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all."

1John 4:8 "He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. "

Titus 1:2 "In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began."

Hebrews 6:18 "That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie..."

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

Q. What are God's other names?
A. God is also known as:

Abba (meaning "daddy" or, "father") Romans 8:15,
Almighty God Deuteronomy 10:17,
Alpha & Omega ("the beginning and the end") Revelation 21:6, Calmer of Storms Psalms 107:29,
Comforter Isaiah 66:13,
Compassionate Lamentations 3:22,
Conqueror of Our/My Enemies Psalms 108:13,
Counselor Isaiah 28:29,
Creator Genesis 1:1,
Director of My/Our Path Proverbs 3:6,
Disciplinarian Psalms 89:32,
Doer of Wonders Psalms 77:14,
El Shaddai (God Almighty) Exodus 6:3,
Emmanuel Isaiah 8:8,
Eternal God Deuteronomy 33:27,
Everlasting God Isaiah 40:28,
Everlasting Strength Isaiah 26:4,
Faithful Lamentations 3:23,
Father Isaiah 63:16,
Father of the Fatherless Psalms 68:5,
Feeder of the Hungry Psalms 146:7,
First & Last Isaiah 41:4,
Forgiving Numbers 14:18,
Gentle Isaiah 40:11,
Gift Giver James 1:17,
Giver of Good Things Matthew 7:11,
Glorious Lord Isaiah 33:21,
Good Psalms 145:7,
Gracious Psalms 145:8,
Great Psalms 145:3,
Healer Exodus 15:26,
Healer of Broken Hearts Psalms 147:3,
Holy One Isaiah 12:6,
Holy Leviticus 19:2,
The Great I Am Exodus 3:14,
In Us All Ephesians 4:6,
Infinite Understanding Psalms 147:5,
Jehovah Jireh (will provide) Genesis 22:14,
Jehovah Nissi (our banner) Exodus 17:15, Jehovah Shalom (our peace) Judges 6:24,
Jehovah Shammah (is there) Ezra 48:35,
Jehovah Tsidkenu (our righteousness) Jeremiah 23:6,
Judge Genesis 18:25,
Just Isaiah 45:21,
Keeper Psalms 121:5,
King of Glory Psalms 24:10,
King of All the Earth Psalms 47:7,
Lawgiver Isaiah 33:22,
Lifter of Our/My Head Psalms 3:3,
Light Psalms 27:1,
Lord Genesis 15:2,
Lord God Omnipotent (all powerful God) Revelation 19:6,
Lord of Hosts Psalms 24:10,
Lord of Lords Deuteronomy 10:17,
Lord of the Sabbath (Lord of the seventh day) Exodus 20:10,
Lord on High Psalms 93:4,
Majesty Psalms 145:5,
Maker of Heaven & Earth Psalms 115:15,
Merciful Ephesians 2:4,
Mighty Luke 1:49,
Mighty in Wisdom Job 36:5,
Miracle Worker Matthew 19:26,
Most High Daniel 7:27,
Never Changing James 1:17,
Omnipresent (everywhere) Psalms 139:7-10,
Peacemaker Proverbs 16:7,
Perfect Matthew 5:48,
Powerful Psalms 66:7,
Promise Keeper Isaiah 46:11,
Provider Matthew 6:31 33,
Ready to Forgive Psalms 86:5,
Reconciler 2Corinthians 5:18 19,
Redeemer Isaiah 54:5,
Refiner Malachi 3:3,
Refuge Psalms 46:1,
Rescuer Daniel 6:27,
Righteous Psalms 5:8,
Rock 2Samuel 22:32,
Rock of Our/My Refuge Psalms 94:22,
Rock of Our/My Salvation Psalms 89:26,
Salvation Psalms 91:16,
Satisfier of Desires Psalms 145:16,
Satisifier of the Longing Soul Psalms 107:9,
Saviour Psalms 106:21,
Shadow from the Heat Is 25:4,
Shepherd Psalms 23,
Shield Psalms 3:3,
Steadfast Daniel 6:26,
Strength to the Needy Isaiah 25:4,
Strength to the Poor Isaiah 25:4,
Our/my Strength Psalms 46:1,
Strong Psalms 89:8,
Sustainer Psalms 3:5,
Teacher Psalms 119 ,
Trustworthy Psalms 144:2,
Truthful 1Samuel 15:29,
Upright Psalms 25:8,
Wisdom Daniel 2:20,
Worthy Revelation 4:11

Q. What is the Holy Ghost?
A. The Holy Ghost is part of the Holy Trinity (see question below). The Holy Ghost is the part of God that lives within us after we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior. The Holy Ghost takes our souls to heaven if we are saved.

Q. What is the Holy Trinity?
A. God is a three part being: the Father, the Son (Word), and the Holy Ghost. 1John5:7-8 clearly states this. In Genesis 1:26 and Genesis 3:22, God makes reference to himself as "us" and "our image." "Us" and "our" meaning more than one. Some people think of God (the Holy Trinity) as God having multiple personalities. God's different parts allow him to be in many places at the same time however, unlike a human with multiple personalities.

1John 5:7-8 "For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness in earth, the spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one."

Genesis 1:26 "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth."

Genesis 3:22 "And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever..."

Personally I like to think of God (the Holy Trinity) like this: As a human, you and I have many body parts, all of which work together at the same time to make us live. Our three most important body parts are our brain, our heart, and our soul (consciousness). God the father is the brain (He created us and can speak things into existence with His Words... he hears all things, sees all things, and knows all things).

Jesus Christ (aka the Word/our Saviour) is like our heart. Without him we cannot get to heaven. It is through Christ that we can have eternal life.

The Holy Ghost is that part of God that comes and attaches itself to our soul once we accept Jesus as our Saviour, so that when we die, while our bodies and flesh remain here on earth, our soul can be taken to Heaven.

Q. If God is our creator, then who created God?
A. Nobody created God. While it is hard for us to wrap our brains around, God was always there, and always existed before time and space. God created us, the Heavens and the earth, and everything within. Many people don't understand how God can exist if nobody created him, but that's ok if we don't understand. Just because we don't understand something completely yet doesn't mean it's not real. Even today, scientists are still pondering and trying to understand things in science, that they don't have a clear grasp on.

Q. Are God, Allah, and Buddah the same?
A. No, definitely not. God is our only Lord and Saviour. He is the one God of creation (the one who created us). The Bible clearly tells us that there are no other Gods, only God himself, and the Lord of the Bible is the only one that claims that he died in order to cleanse you of all your sins so that you could go to Heaven. Allah and Buddah were men, not Gods.

About Jesus Christ:

Q. Who is Jesus Christ?

A. Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He is God. Jesus Christ was sent to earth as a baby, lived among humans, taught people about God, left us a perfect example of how to live life with every step he took and every word he spoke, and then died on the cross unjustly for sins he did not commit, so that he could take our place in death so that we could have eternal (everlasting) life with him in Heaven. To learn more about the sacrifice Jesus made for us, and how to get to Heaven, please read the article HERE.

Q. What does Christ mean?
A. Christ means "Son of God." It is not simply Jesus' last name, it is his title: Jesus Christ = Jesus Son of God.

Q. Why did Jesus Christ die for us?
A. "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Romans 6:23

The punishment for our sins is eternal death, but God loved us so much, that he gave his one and only son, Jesus Christ, to pay the punishment for our sins so that we wouldn't have to. To learn more about accepting Christ as your saviour and going to Heaven, please click HERE.

Q. Will Jesus Christ ever come back to earth again?
A. Yes. According to the book of Revelation (the last book in the Bible) Jesus will soon come back to earth to cleanse it and to reclaim his Kingdom. He will reign for a thousand years, and then cast death and hell into the lake of fire, along with disease and the devil, and then he will continue to reign forevermore, with those who have accepted him at his side.

Q. Are Jesus and Satan brothers?
A. No. Jesus Christ is NOT the brother of Lucifer/Satan, as this is never ever said any place in the Holy Bible of God. Furthermore, the Bible says that Jesus is not created, but that Lucifer is created (an angel... God created all angels). How can they be brothers if Jesus is one with God and is not created, and God created Lucifer? That would mean that if they were brothers, Jesus would have had to create his own brother ( "...God, who created all things by Jesus Christ..."Ephesians 3:9)... Jesus and Satan are NOT brothers.

Q. Are there any prophecies about Jesus Christ before he was alive?

A. Yes. Jesus fulfilled around 60 prophecies told by many prophets over many years. To see a list of those prophecies that Jesus fulfilled, click here.

Q. How did Mary give birth to Jesus if she was a virgin, and how was this important?
A. Mary gave birth to Jesus even though she was a virgin because God made her pregnant with Jesus. It is important that Mary was a virgin because of prophecy about the Christ being born to a virgin. A child being born to a virgin was supposed to be a sign that the son of God had arrived. If you think about it, it wouldn't be much of a sign if a young woman gave birth... lots of young women give birth, but a young virgin woman giving birth is not something that has ever happened before or will ever happen again, making it a clear sign.

About Hell

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About Hell:

Q. If I don't go to heaven, do I go to hell?
A. Yes. Clear and simple. When you die there are two places to go: Heaven, and Hell. If you don't go to one, you go to the other.

Q. Is hell eternal?
A. No. Surprising huh? I too was shocked to find out that heaven and hell are not eternal. Heaven and hell are waiting places. When you die, you will go to heaven if you have accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, if you do not, you go to hell. The thing is, your future does not end there. As said before, heaven and hell are where you go to wait until the return of Jesus Christ our Lord. Sometime in our future Jesus Christ will come back to essentially clean up the earth. He will get rid of death (people will live forever), he will get rid of violence, and he will get rid of poverty and disease. People who have died in the past and gone to heaven will help Jesus reign on earth upon his return, in glorified bodies. People who have died in the past and gone to hell will go to be judged before God, and then cast into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is eternal, and is much worse than hell. The lake of fire is where Jesus will send death, violence, poverty, and disease, along with the devil, and all who have gone to hell. It really is your choice where you go though... you can accept Jesus Christ's free gift to you (salvation), and go to heaven, and then live forever once Jesus Christ comes back to his kingdom on earth, or you can deny Jesus Christ is the son of God and deny that he died on the cross to cleanse you of your sins, and go to hell, and then be cast permanently into the lake of fire along with Satan. To read more about becoming saved (going to heaven) please click here.

Q. Can I get out of hell once I'm there?
A. No. No matter what any person tells you, the Bible clearly states that once you are in hell, you cannot get out until Judgment day, when you will be judged by God and then cast into the lake of fire. The lake of fire will ultimately be your permanent and final destination (see above question and answer to learn more about the lake of fire). To read more about going to heaven, please click here.

Q. What about Purgatory? Can't I work my way out of hell once I'm dead?
A. No. Purgatory is a made up concept and is not found anywhere in the Bible. Accepting the free gift Jesus Christ offers you is the only way to go to heaven, because it is the only way to cleanse you of your sins. You cannot work your way to heaven on earth, and you cannot work your way to heaven once you are in hell, because salvation is through grace (the free gift of Christ), and not through works. To read more about going to heaven, please click here.

Q. Can't I pray my relatives and friends out of hell? Can my friends and family pray me out of hell once I'm there?
A. No. Some religions teach that if you pay your pastor or church father money every week he will be able to pray your family and friends out of hell. The Bible does not say anything about praying your friends and family out of hell, but does say if you don't go to heaven, you go to hell, and the only way to heaven is through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. To read more about Christ and going to heaven, please click here.

Q. God is full of mercy... if he loves me so much, won't he let me out of hell once I'm there?
A. No. The truth is, in your lifetime God will give you every chance you need to accept Jesus Christ as your Savior (including this chance). God loves you so much that he sent his one and only son to die for your sins so that you wouldn't have to suffer for your sins. When you don't accept Jesus as your Savior, you are denying him and His free gift. Think of Jesus' gift like this: if I offer you your favorite candy bar because I like you so much, and I'm holding it out to you for free, what do you have to do to get it? You have to reach out and take it, right? It's free, there is no charge, all you have to do is accept that gift. God gives you the chance to accept His free gift your entire life, and by denying it you are putting yourself in hell. There must be punishment for your sins. You can choose to let Jesus take that punishment for you so that you can get to heaven, or you can deny Jesus and take the punishment yourself, and go to hell.

About the Devil:

Q. What is the devil like?
A. According to the Bible the devil hates God, and because you are God's creation, he hates you also. The Devil knows he can't hurt God, so he will try to hurt us as God's creation instead.

How does the devil hurt us? There are a lot of obvious ways the devil can hurt us, but the main way he does this is by dragging you down with him in your sins. The devil will try to keep you away from God's Word, and he will try to keep you away from being saved and going to heaven. The devil wants as many people to burn and suffer in hell as possible.

According to the Bible the devil is tricky... he can trick us into thinking a certain way, just as he tricked Adam and Eve into disobeying God and bringing sin into the World. The devil's main way of tricking us is by questioning God's Word and by trying to get us turned around and confused, just like he did Adam and Eve. God told Adam and Eve they could eat of any fruit in the garden of Eden accept for fruit from the tree of good and evil. He provided them with everything they needed, and only gave them one rule to follow: Don't eat from the tree of good and evil. Then the devil came along and asked Adam and Eve, "Did God really say that? Doesn't he want you to be happy and didn't he say you could eat any fruit in the garden?" Satan works by closing our eyes and leading us away from God's Word. He tempts us to make us sin even more, and is happy to see any of God's creations (especially us) suffer.

Q. Are Lucifer and Satan the same person?
A. Yes. They are one in the same. The devil goes by many names, including Satan, Lucifer, the Devil, Beezlebub, Baal, and "the old snake".

About Heaven

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Getting to Heaven:

Q. How do I get to heaven?
A. To get to heaven, all you need to do is believe in your heart that Jesus Christ is the son of God, that Jesus Christ died on the cross unjustly to wipe away your sins, and that after three days Jesus Christ rose from the dead. You should pray and ask Jesus to come in to your heart.

To read more about getting to heaven, please click here. If you follow the link it will lead you to an article by CBSB with scriptures to tell you about the life and death of Jesus Christ and how you can get to heaven.

Q. Once I go to heaven, can I lose my salvation?
A. No. The Bible says:

"For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, if they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance, seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame." -Hebrews 6:4-6 (Jesus died once for our sins... not over and over and over again, meaning that once is good enough for eternity. You can't lose your salvation because if you did and then got saved again, it would mean Jesus would have to die again on the cross for you).

"And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life." 1John 2:25 (Eternal means forever... if something is forever, it means you can't lose it).

"And this is the record that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life." -1John 5:11-12 (Once again, eternal life. If you accept Jesus as your savior you will have that eternal life with God, and if you don't accept him, than you will not have that eternal life).

Click here to read more about Salvation (going to heaven) and living an eternal life with Christ.

Q. Do I have to stop sinning to go to heaven?
A. No. Once you have accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, you should try to repent of your sins (try to stop sinning). God wants us to stop sinning, and once you are saved you should want to stop sinning too because you should want to do good things for God. The great thing about Salvation through Christ however is that it is by faith, and not by works. The Bible clearly tells us that you are saved (your sins are wiped away) by believing in Jesus Christ, not by doing good things to get into heaven. It would actually be impossible to repent of every sin you have ever committed because we have committed so many of them we would never remember every one of them.
Click here to learn more about going to heaven.

Q. Do I have to be baptized to go to heaven?
A. You do not need to be baptized by water (this is where the preacher dunks your head under water for a moment in church) to go to heaven. The great thing about Salvation through Christ is that it is by faith, and not by works. The Bible clearly tells us that you are saved (your sins are wiped away) by believing in Jesus Christ, not by doing good things to get into heaven. Baptism by water is simply a symbolic gesture to show that you are ready to give your life to Christ. When you accept Jesus Christ as your savior and Lord of your life, and pray and ask him to come into your life, you are then baptized by the holy spirit. This is a yes and no question. No, you do not need to be baptized by water in a church by a preacher to go to heaven. Yes, you do need to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, and be baptized by the holy spirit in doing so to go to heaven.
Click here to learn more about going to heaven.

Q. Do I have to speak in tongues to go to heaven?
A. No. Being able to speak in tongues is supposed to be a gift from God, but you do not need this gift to become saved and go to heaven. The great thing about Salvation through Christ is that it is by faith, and not by works. The Bible clearly tells us that you are saved (your sins are wiped away) by believing in Jesus Christ, not by doing good things to get into heaven.
Click here to learn more about going to heaven.
Click here to learn more about speaking in tongues.

Q. Can't I get into heaven just because I'm a good person?
A. Unfortunately not. Many "good people" will go to hell because they never accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. The great thing about Salvation through Christ is that it is by faith, and not by works. The Bible clearly tells us that you are saved (your sins are wiped away) by believing in Jesus Christ, not by doing good things to get into heaven.
Click here to learn more about going to heaven. If you really, truly believe that you are a good enough person to get to heaven by yourself, without the help of Jesus Christ, then why not click here, and take the "Good Person" test? Compare your answers to what the Bible (God's Word) says.

Miscellaneous about Heaven:

Q. What is heaven like?
A. "Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field." Matthew 13:43-44

"...rejoice, because your names are written in heaven. " Luke 10:20

"And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away." Revelation 21:4

While we don't know what exactly heaven is like, we know there will be no pain and suffering, no sadness, no sorrow, and no death there. We know we will be near to God because Heaven is where God lives. We know from Revelations that God has made us mansions to live in in heaven. We know that only those who are saved (those who accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior) will be in heaven. If you are saved your name will be written in the book of life in Heaven. Heaven is a place where you can store your spiritual treasures.

Q. What happens to my stuff when I go to heaven or hell?
A. The Bible says that one day all things on earth will be burned, including all of your stuff. Instead of worrying about what things you have here on earth (money, a new car, a big house, a big TV, etc...) the Bible talks about laying up your treasures in heaven. "Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me. And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions. And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!" Mark 10:21-23

If you think about it, all of your material possessions will be gone eventually, but the life you lead on earth will determine the life you lead in heaven. The Bible says that when we are in heaven God will have things for us to do. We will also be awarded crowns based on certain things that we have done in our life on earth. "...and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created." Revelation 4:10-11

"Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven." Matthew 5:12

Q. Where do angels come from?
A. God created angels (also known as Cherubims) just as He created all things. The first book of the Bible, Genesis, tells us about God's creation of the heavens and earth, and of all things within. Some people mistakenly believe that when a person dies and go to heaven they become angels. The Bible however never says that when you die you become an angel. What it does say is that people who go to heaven will receive glorified bodies. While there is a lot of question about what exactly a "glorified" body is, it is believed to be the body you will have that will be free of death, disease, pain, and aging. Some people also believe that having a glorified body will mean having special powers, such as the power to heal, fly, etc...

Q. Are heaven and hell eternal?
A. No. Heaven and hell are only waiting places. When a person who is saved dies, they go to heaven to wait for the eternal reign of Jesus Christ. When people who are not saved die they go to hell to wait for judgment day. The Bible says there will be a day of judgment when those who are unsaved will be taken through all of their transgressions and then cast into the lake of fire for eternity... the lake of fire is also where Jesus will cast death and disease and Satan. If your name is found written in the book of life you will wait in heaven until the eternal reign of Christ, at which time you will help Christ rule over his kingdom. You can find this information in the book of Revelation.

Prayer for kids

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Prayer:
Did you know, that when you pray, you are actually talking to God? That's right, every time you pray, you and God are having a conversation... he might not speak back to you like you are speaking to him, but God always listens to our prayers, and he always answers them. What we need to realize about God and prayer is three things:

1) Sometimes God answers our prayers with "no."
2) God is not our personal genie... he can make anything happen, but he is not there to do every little thing we ask of him.
3) God loves us, and will always hear our prayers no matter what.

Sometimes God gives us the power to answer our own prayers. Now, God does make miracles happen sometimes like in the Bible, but most of the time God gives us the answers to our prayers through us. What does that mean? If you ask God to make your room clean, he answers your prayers by giving you the power to clean your room... sometimes God also answers our prayers by providing us with the knowledge we need to get things done (he gives us knowledge (answers) through His Word the Bible).

Praying can bring you closer to God... you don't always have to pray for things you want or need... sometimes you should pray about how good God is. I know that I always like it when a friend or family member tells me how good I am doing, so why wouldn't God like it if we praised Him? Everybody likes being praised. Take a look below at a few of the other types of prayer there are:

A few types of prayer:

Prayers for the salvation of others (Sometimes it helps to ask God to go into the heart of somebody who is not saved (somebody who does not know Jesus Christ as their personal savior) and just show them that he is there. I think it also helps when you go to talk to somebody about God to save them to ask God to give you the right Words to say).
Prayers for your own salvation
Prayers for things people need
Prayers for something you need
Prayers praising God (telling God how good He is)
Prayers asking for God's help with anything

If you don't know what to pray for it's definitely ok to ask God for help in knowing what to pray for. Just as God knows what's best for us, he knows what's best for us to pray for (and he may show us by bringing things and people that we need to pray for to mind).

So, what does the Bible say about praying? Take a look below!

Here are a few things about prayer straight from the scriptures:

*If we pray God will listen, and if we ask for help, He will be there for us:
Psalm 6:9
The LORD hath heard my supplication; the LORD will receive my prayer. (God will always hear our prayers).

Psalm 102:17
He will regard the prayer of the destitute, and not despise their prayer. (God doesn't see our prayers to him as a burden, so why should we see praying as a burden?)

Matthew 21:22
And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.

*The Lords Prayer:
Below Jesus Christ (God's Son) shows us how to pray. If you don't understand the prayer, read below it for an explanation.

Matthew 6:5-15
And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him. After this manner therefore pray ye: 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 debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

What this means is: Don't go around shouting your prayers so that everybody else hears them and sees you praying (this only makes you look good, and does not make God look good). Instead make your prayers in private (it's still ok to pray with other people though).

Also, God knows everything you need before you ask him. You don't need to pray the same thing over and over again the same way every time... The Bible clearly tells us not to do that.

It's ok for your prayers to be short or long, and they don't have to be worded perfectly. God knows what you need... just speak to him like a friend.

Now, notice how Jesus shows us to pray to God: "Hallowed be thy name" this is basically praising God by saying, "God, you are holy." When he says, "Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven," Jesus is basically saying, "God, the earth and the heavens are your kingdom... you created them and everything in them. We will do what you want here on earth as your will is done in heaven."

"Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors."
To me this says: "Please give us what we need for the day (notice that's not what we want but what we need). And please forgive us of our sins... just as you want us to forgive others of their sins."

"And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen." Here the prayer asks for God to keep evil things and temptations away from us, and asks God not to tempt us with sinful things. And again the prayer ends with a praise to God.

Sounds like a pretty awesome prayer to me that Jesus has just shown us, and Jesus would know.

*Never stop praying (or praising God):

Luke 6:12
And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. (This means that its ok to pray all the time, never stopping... And we sometimes think that praying for five minutes is tough).

Acts 6:4 But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word. (Continually in prayer... which means never-stopping. It's ok to walk around praying all the time, this is not something to be ashamed about, but in fact something the Bible tells us is a good thing)!

Psalm 56:4
In God I will praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me. (God makes it so we don't have to fear what other people will do to us. We know that whatever happens to us in this world, that if we are saved he will not let anything happen to our soul... sounds like a pretty good reason to praise God to me).

Psalm 28:7
The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him. (Look at all of the things God does for us! He deserves to be praised! And not just praised once a day or once a month, or once a year either but all the time)!

Psalm 35:28
And my tongue shall speak of thy righteousness and of thy praise all the day long. (Its good to tell God how good He is, even all day long)!

Psalm 34:1
I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. (Again, it's a good thing to praise God in prayer a lot)!

*We should pray for the salvation of others:

Romans 10:1
Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.

*Pray for others in general:

James 5:15
And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. (We should pray for people who need help, like those who are sick. If we pray for them, God will help them. If we pray for God to forgive other people's sins, He will help them).

*In thanksgiving give our prayers:

Philippians 4:6

Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. (In thanksgiving... in other words, know that whatever you have that is good is because of God, and we should always remember to be thankful to God for those things that we have... our friends, our family, our house, food, our clothes, our toys, our salvation... God gave us these things, we should praise and thank him for it).

*Praying for good vs. bad:

Proverbs 15:29
The LORD is far from the wicked: but he heareth the prayer of the righteous. (To me this verse says: If you pray for somebody to be murdered, or die in an explosion unjustly God is probably going to ignore your prayer, but if you are praying for something righteous and good, he will listen... pray for good things, not harmful things).

Now we know:
1) God hears our prayers
2) How to pray (the example Jesus gave for us in the Lord's Prayer)
3) How not to pray (Don't pray for bad things to happen to people)
4) What to pray for (Pray for salvation, pray for help, pray for things you need, pray for God to show you the way, pray to say how good God is)
5) Who to pray for (Everybody)
6) How long to pray for (Pray all the time!)

(For the full version of this article, please click here)

The Body of Christ

2010-08-23T08:59:00.000-07:00

Listen to song in the video embedded below. Then continue on to the Bible study below to gain some deeper understanding of it from the scriptures.

Romans 12:5 “So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.” This verse is telling us that ALL believers… all people who are saved by Jesus, are considered one body with each other, and are called the “Body of Christ.” In the next scripture we see how the word "members" means a body part.

1Corinthians 12:27 “Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.”

Let’s look at this verse this way: Can your foot kick a ball? Yes. Can your hand kick a ball? No. What about the hand, can it catch a ball? Yes. Can a foot catch a ball? No. We are members of Christ’s body… in other words we are one body part or another, but not all the body parts, and together with other believers we make up the whole entire body of Christ. Some people might be a foot, or a hand, or the heart, or the mouth, or the ears. Each body part has it’s own part to play. The feet walk, the hands do, the eyes see, the ears hear, the mouth speaks… you may not be as good at some things as other people are, but you will be good at something, and God will use you to do good things with the things you are good at. If you are good at comforting people, he might use you to do that. If you have a way with words, he might use you to spread the Gospel. If you have a talent in healing people, then he might use you to do that. So don’t worry if you’re not good at everything, you are a single body part of Christ, and what you aren’t good at, other body parts (other people) will be good at. It’s up to you to let God use you and what you’re good at for His will. In Romans 12:5 (above) we saw that we are all "members one of another." This would suggest that when we become part of Christ's body we also become part of other believer's bodies, and should then do our best to help them in whatever way we can with whatever talents or gifts we have. If we serve as their foot, then help them walk. If we serve as a hand, then help them do.

Philippians 1:20 “According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.”

Whatever we do we need to do it as if we are a part of Christ’s body… a hand, a foot, whatever, we need to do as Christ would do. Jesus would comfort people, heal people, help people, and give his time to people among other things, and we need to do these things too. We should never ever be ashamed of what we do in Christ, but be bold in Christ. Whatever we do that is right in God’s eyes gives glory to God, and ‘magnifies’ God… it builds him up and puts the spotlight on him. If people see you doing good things in the name of the Lord, the spotlight will get put onto Jesus so he can do His work. If you let him, Jesus will do His work through you, but you have to open up your heart to him, and be willing to let him use you to help others.

Ephesians 4:11-12

“And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

Remember how we just talked about the foot doing what a foot does best, and a hand doing what a hand does best? This scripture is talking about the same thing. God makes some people feet, some people hands, some people mouths… he makes some people apostles, some prophets, and some evangelists, some pastors, and some teachers, etc… all of it is for the work of the Ministry, and all of it is to edify Christ and the entire body of Christ. Even if you’re not doing the same thing as somebody else is doing, so long as you are doing God’s work, it will edify all believers… it will edify God. It will shine the spotlight on God and give God the glory. Remember, that you should be doing good things in God’s name. That means that if you go do some charity work for poor people, and they say thank you, you should shine the spotlight on God, and say, “This is what God wants me to do,” or, “I’m doing this for God because it’s what He would do,” or you could say anything like this that would give the glory to God. Even though you did the work, it was really God working through you, and therefore God should get the glory, not us.

To me, this song is asking us: If we as Christian's are the body of Christ, then why aren't we doing as Christ did, and continues to do? Why aren't we showing compassion, why aren't we spreading the Word of God, why aren't we helping others, even those who aren't Christians? Today an air of self-righteousness has come upon many Christians, making them believe they are better than everybody else, and should not spend their time helping others. Self-righteous Christians won't even sit by a poor person or be friends with an unsaved sinner. But Jesus loved the poor and spent his time with all manner of people, whether they believed or not. You can't spread the Word if you're not out among the unsaved.
-CBSB

New Look

2010-08-23T00:31:00.000-07:00

You may have noticed our little blog took on a new look recently. Blogger has revamped it's design abilities and we have taken advantage to make our blog sleek and nice to look at. We have also added many new studies and posts, and there are more to come! For a while studies were getting posted on another blog, but I am beginning to upload them here for you to enjoy.

A Note to Commentors:
Please keep in mind that we like comments, but are not here to argue and do not want hate mail or spam listing your website. All comments should be kept child friendly as we aim to have a child friendly site. Any comments with spam, hate mail, or cussing will be deleted immediately. Recently we have been bogged down with hate mail especially. To those of you wish to leave hate mail, let me say this: I respect your right to disagree with my opinion, the Bible, or any other Christian values or beliefs I post here. However, I do not need to hear your disagreement of my values, my God, or the things contained in the Bible. If you don't want to read Christian articles, then please go to another site instead of coming around our blog aimed at Christians, and trying to sway our beliefs by telling us how wrong and ignorant we are. I don't go to your blog and hate on your material and try to sway you.

Sorry that the rest of you had to read that bit about commenting, but it gets tiring trying to respond to hate mail every day.

I hope you all enjoy the new look and the new posts! Many more articles will soon be on their way!

Have a blessed day!

A Study in Marriage Part 2 - How It All Started

2010-08-23T00:07:00.000-07:00

Sometimes people get a little confused knowing just what marriage is about. Since God started marriage, let’s look in the Bible to see just what marriage is and what the relationship between a married man and his wife ought to be like. (Note: All following scriptures taken out of the KJV).

1) Marriage started with Adam and Eve

Marriage was very different in the Bible. In the beginning, Marriage was solely between a man, a woman, and God. There was no ceremony preformed by a pastor or other government official, and there was no contract with any kind of government such as a “marriage license” which gives you rights to tax benefits, etc. How then were people considered married? In Genesis, God gives you His definition of marriage. Let’s take a look:

Genesis 2:24 “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.”

The key words in this passage are “cleave” and “one flesh”. First a man leaves his father and mother. Next he cleaves to his wife and they become one flesh. When the KJV was translated “cleave” meant: “To unite or be united closely in interest or affection; to adhere with strong attachment,” (Websters 1828 Dictionary). “One flesh” is defined at the time as “intimate relations,” (Websters 1828 Dictionary under “Flesh”). So we see the Biblical version of marriage is also composed of three parts: 1) Leaving the father and mother. 2) Man and woman “cleaving” together, otherwise committing to stick together. 3) Man and woman becoming “one flesh” (or having intimate relations, aka sex.). There was no ceremony, there was no contract, there was no preacher there to marry them. Adam and Eve, the first man and woman were married, and there was no other human there to marry them. Instead God brought them together as husband and wife.

Gen 2:23 “And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.”
Gen 2:24 “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.”
Gen 2:25 “And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.”

The above passage is clearly talking about Adam and Eve, and refers to them in Genesis 2:25 as “man and his wife,” after they have been “one flesh” in Genesis 2:24.

We also see how God performs the marriage ceremony himself in Matthew:

Matt. 19:6 “Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.”

“What therefore God hath joined together…” this is very important. When a man and woman become “one flesh” together, God joins them together. Essentially God is marrying them just as a pastor or justice of the peace would do today.

We also see the same thing in Mark 10:6-9:
"But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife; And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder."

So now that we’ve established what “biblical” marriage is compared to today’s “government” marriage, let’s take a look at how marriage first started.

Genesis 2:18-25
“And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof. And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him. And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.”

God created Adam, the first human being. God said that it wasn’t good for Adam to be alone. God created all animals, and still, they weren’t good for keeping Adam company or being a “help meat” for him… in other words a “helper”. So God took one of Adam’s ribs and from that made a woman, Eve, the first woman in existence. Just as God gave Adam the right to name every living creature created, he also let Adam name the other sex “woman” which means “from man.” The fact that God gave man dominion over all animals in another passage, and that Adam named all animals, and then he named women, and Eve, tells us that Adam was given some kind of ownership over Eve. (Now, not to hear nasty comments over that remark, but this is how the Bible says it. Not to say that we women are pets, or anything of the like, but it’s like if we get a pet turtle and name it Joe… that pet turtle is ours, yes? This is how it was with Adam. Recall it says “the man and HIS wife…” Today the pastor marries people and says, “I now pronounce you husband and wife,” but in the Bible it was “man and his wife.”

So quick recap… Eve was made from Adam’s rib. Adam named her. Eve was created to be a “help meat” for Adam as his wife, and was created so that he wouldn’t be alone. Again, not to get any nasty comments from women out there, but this is how it is from God’s own word. And if any women out there feel demeaned by this in any way, think about it this way: God thought it so important that Adam have a helper and have company that he went to all the trouble of creating women. Therefore, women are very important. We have an important job to do, and play an important role in marriage. Remember, if it wasn’t all that important, God wouldn’t have gone to the trouble at all.

2) The Marriage Relationship

So now that we’ve established what a “biblical” marriage is, and how marriage started, let’s look at the marriage relationship itself. How are husband and wife supposed to act towards each other? It’s all in the scriptures:

1 Corinthians 7:3-5
"Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband. The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife. Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency."

Let’s start with that word benevolence. When the KJV was translated benevolence meant: “The disposition to do good; good will; kindness; charitableness; the love of mankind, accompanied with a desire to promote their happiness,” (Webster’s 1828 Dictionary). We see the Bible telling us that the husband should promote the wife’s happiness, and the wife should promote the husband’s happiness.

We see that the wife doesn’t have power over her own body, but the husband does, and the husband doesn’t have power over his own body, but the wife does… this means, if one wants sex, the other shouldn’t go and say, “oh, I have a headache,” etc etc, among other things just to get out of it like you see on the sitcoms today. This also goes along with the next sentence: “Defraud ye not one the other…” from the Websters 1828 Dictionary “defraud” means: “To deprive of right, either by obtaining something by deception or artifice, or by taking something wrongfully without the knowledge or consent of the owner; to cheat; to cozen; followed by of before the thing taken; as, to defraud; a man of his right.” So don’t deprive each other, and don’t cheat each other of something… although I am positive this is talking about sex because of the rest of the sentence. The only time it says to withhold sex is if it’s for an agreed upon amount of time to engage in fasting in prayer, otherwise if you withhold from your spouse Satan will tempt your spouse.

Deuteronomy 24:5
“When a man hath taken a new wife, he shall not go out to war, neither shall he be charged with any business: but he shall be free at home one year, and shall cheer up his wife which he hath taken.”

This is kind of awesome ladies. The Bible commands men to take an entire year off after marriage just to bring cheer and happiness to their new wife. How cool is that? This is obviously a really important thing if God commands husbands to take an entire year off to do it. Making the spouse happy is very important in God’s eyes for a successful marriage.

Ecclesiastes 9:9
“Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life.”

Here we see the husband is told to “live joyfully” with his wife… not just to live joyfully with her sometimes, but“all the days of the life.” Joyfulness is happiness… not grief, sorrow, or misery. This goes right along with promoting your spouse’s happiness. You want to stay away from things that will promote unhappiness or grief or sorrow in the life of you and your spouse… why on earth would you want to do things to grieve your spouse anyway?

Proverbs 12:4
“A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband.”
“Virtuous: Being in conformity to the moral or divine law; as a virtuous action; a virtuous life,” (Webster’s 1828 Dictionary). So a wife who has good morals and follows the Bible “divine law” is a crown to her husband. A crown is like a precious jewel… more than that a crown is something a king wears on the top of his head to show off to everybody. If a wife is a crown to her husband, he’s going to not only love her, but want to show her off so to speak… he will be proud enough of her to not hide her away from the world. A crown isn’t something a king sticks in a closet under a pile of dirty socks, it’s something he wears where everybody can see it.

Malachi 2:14-15
"Yet ye say, Wherefore? Because the LORD hath been witness between thee and the wife of thy youth, against whom thou hast dealt treacherously: yet is she thy companion, and the wife of thy covenant. And did not he make one? Yet had he the residue of the spirit. And wherefore one? That he might seek a godly seed. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth."

According to the Webster’s 1828 Dictionary, Treacherously means: “Violating allegiance or faith pledged; by betraying a trust; faithlessly; perfidiously; as, to surrender a fort to an enemy treacherously; to disclose a secret treacherously.” So to deal with his wife treacherously, he would have betrayed her, or been unfaithful, violating his pledge to be faithful to her. This passage tells us that GOD himself has been a witness of the commitment made between the husband and his wife. A man’s wife is his companion, and he has made a covenant (or a deal) with her, and should not break it.

Ok, so another quick recap: In all things, husband and wife should strive to make each other happy in the relationship. This is so important that it is repeated over and over in the Bible, and God even tells the man to take an entire year off to get the relationship stronger by making his wife happy, and visa versa (because obviously if he is there at home making her happy then she is going to be making him happy). A husband and wife should not “withhold” from each other, because after marriage they have become “one flesh” and are as one, and therefore do not have control over their own body, but of each other’s body. Spouses should strive to live“joyfully” together, rather than doing things intent on harming each other’s well being and living unhappily together. A “virtuous” wife will make her husband proud (this includes staying faithful), and a husband should not betray the covenant with his wife (this means he should stay faithful).

Just another quick note about the scripture taken from Malachi, it says the LORD was witness of the covenant between the man and wife, not another human being… just another indicator that there weren’t any ceremonies and government “witnesses” as there are today… marriage was all done by God.

3) Submitting

So here’s the part where most people (especially women) have a problem with the Bible. The part where it tells the wife to submit to her husband. Let’s talk about that for a minute after reading a couple of scriptures.

Ephesians 5:20-22
“Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God. Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.”

First we see “submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.” This includes the husband. Next we see “Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.” Not, wives submit yourselves to ALL men, just to your own husband, and you do it as you would submit yourself to God. Why? Why do we do this? Read on:

Ephesians 5:23-24
“For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.”

We submit ourselves to our husbands, because it is the place God has given us as women. Remember how Adam was allowed to name Eve, therefore being given some sort of ownership? It’s like, your parent’s name you when you are born, and you are your mother and father’s child… this is the same thing. God named Adam, Adam named Eve, etc. God has put us all in a hierarchy of order. This doesn’t make men better than women or visa versa, it is just the place we are given for now. God is the head of Christ, Christ is the head of the church, which is head of the man, and man is head of the woman. Remember that women are made to be a help meat for man. We are given an important job to do. If it wasn’t important God wouldn’t have created us at all.

Let’s talk about something else for a minute too. The Biblical marriage between a man and a woman represents the marriage between Christ and the church later on after Chris’s return (and you’ll see that it represents that in a moment). “… even as Christ is the head of the church…” Jesus will be the husband and the church the wife (which we see in other scriptures throughout the Bible, but we won’t go into just now). If a Biblical marriage represents the marriage between Christ and the church (the body of believers), and Christ is over the church, and the church is submitting to Christ, then we can begin to make sense of why the husband is over the wife and why the wife submits to her husband. This is the Biblical order of things.

Lets look at some more from Ephesians.

Ephesians 5:24-30
"Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones."

This tells men to love their wives just as Christ loved the church (his future wife). Christ loved all people so much that he DIED for them. Literally, he was nailed to a cross and left there until he died. He knew what he was doing. He himself was blameless and without fault or sin, but he did it so that we could be found blameless and without sin… he took the place for OUR sins… he took our punishment because he loves us THAT much. The Bible tells man to love his wife THAT much, just like Christ loves us THAT much. Remember, a husband and wife are “one flesh” and it says that a man that loves his wife loves himself. Just as Jesus nourishes and cherishes the church (his future wife), so should a man do this for his wife. Just as a man and wife are “one flesh” like Adam and eve, all believers (the church) are members of Christ’s body, flesh, and bones. We can begin to see now how a biblical marriage is representative of the future marriage between Jesus and the church which He died for.

Let’s finish this chapter of Ephesians.

Ephesians 5:31-33
“For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.”

Again this speaks about the connection between a biblical marriage and the marriage of Christ and the church, and tells the man to love his wife as he loves himself. It also tells us though that a wife should “reverence” her husband. She should have respect and affection for him, and see him as an authority figure (taken from the definition from Webster’s 1828 Dictionary).

Collosians 3:18-19
"Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them."

“Fit” means: “Suitable; convenient; meet; becoming,” (Webster’s 1828 Dictionary). It is what God meant for wives to submit themselves to their husbands, and it is also “becoming.” Again husbands are told to love their wives and not be bitter to their wives.
“Bitter” means: “Cruel; severe; as bitter enmity. Sharp, as words, reproachful; sarcastic,” (Webster’s 1828 Dictionary).

So let’s do one last recap about what the Bible has to say about the subject of marriage (and keep in mind this is not ALL that the Bible has to say about it):

1)Marriage started with Adam and Eve.
2)Eve and women were made for man to be a help meat and to be company for them.
3)Biblical marriage did not consist of a ceremony, human witnesses, marriage licenses, or any other government contracts. There were no preachers or pastors to marry Adam and Eve, only God.
4)The three parts to a biblical marriage are: A) Man and woman leave their parents, B) Man and woman “cleave” together (aka commit to each other), and C) become one flesh with each other. After these things have taken place God “joins” them together.
5)In all things husband and wife should strive to make each other happy.
6)Spouses should not withhold from each other unless it is agreed upon to do so for a small amount of time for fasting and prayer.
7)Spouses should strive to live “joyfully” together, and should not try to do things to make each other unhappy.
8)Both husbands and wives should honor the “covenant” made with each other and remain faithful to one another.
9)Women are commanded to submit to their husband, not all men.
10) Women submit themselves to their husbands because it is the place God has given them. God is head over Jesus, Jesus is head over the church (his future wife), man is head over his wife.
11) Biblical marriage is a picture of the marriage of Christ and the body of believers (the church) when Christ returns.
12) Husbands are not to be “bitter” (cruel or sarcastic) to their wives.
13)Wives are to submit themselves to their husbands as they would to God.

This study has taken all scriptures from the Authorized KJV. All definitions are taken from Webster’s 1828 Dictionary because that particular dictionary has the correct definitions for words used during the translation of the KJV.

This study is meant to inform, not to offend.

Thanks,

-CBSB

A Study in Marriage Part 1 - Marriage Then And Now

2010-08-22T23:59:00.000-07:00

Today people get confused about what marriage really is, and don’t even know it. In the beginning, marriage meant something completely different than it does today. First let’s take a look at what marriage is today:

Today marriage is an agreed upon union between a man and a woman (or a man and a man, or a woman and a woman, although today this is still debatable in society), along with a contract between the man, woman, and government, finalized in a ceremony preformed by a preacher or justice of the peace. The “contract” is the marriage license. Without a marriage license the government does not recognize a couple as married and the couple can then not get government benefits for being married such as tax breaks. Often times without a marriage license a couple cannot even get insurance together with “married” benefits. The government contract has become such an important part of marriage today, that even most regular US citizens do not consider you and your spouse married if you do not have a marriage license. So the three parts of marriage today consist of: 1) A contract between the couple and the government. 2) An agreed upon union. 3) A ceremony preformed by a pastor or justice of the peace.

Now let’s take a look at marriage in the beginning according to the Bible (KJV of course). Marriage then was very different. In the beginning, Marriage was solely between a man, a woman, and God. There was no ceremony preformed by a pastor or other government official, and there was no contract with any kind of government. How then were people considered married? In Genesis, God gives you His definition of marriage. Let’s take a look:

Genesis 2:24 “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.”

The key words in this passage are “cleave” and “one flesh”. First a man leaves his father and mother. Next he cleaves to his wife and they become one flesh. When the KJV was translated “cleave” meant: “To unite or be united closely in interest or affection; to adhere with strong attachment,” (Websters 1828 Dictionary).“One flesh” is defined at the time as “intimate relations,” (Websters 1828 Dictionary under “Flesh”). So we see the Biblical version of marriage is also composed of three parts: 1) Leaving the father and

mother. 2) Man and woman “cleaving” together, otherwise committing to stick together. 3) Man and woman becoming “one flesh” (or having intimate relations, aka sex.). There was no ceremony, there was no contract, there was no preacher there to marry them. Adam and Eve, the first man and woman were married, and there was no other human there to marry them. Instead God brought them together as husband and wife.

Gen 2:23 “And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.”

Gen 2:24 “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.”

Gen 2:25 “And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.”

The above passage is clearly talking about Adam and Eve, and refers to them in Genesis 2:25 as “man and his wife,” after they have been “one flesh” in Genesis 2:24.

We also see how God performs the marriage ceremony himself in Matthew:

Matt. 19:6 “Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.”

“What therefore God hath joined together…” this is very important. When a man and woman become “one flesh” together, God joins them together. Essentially God is marrying them just as a pastor or justice of the peace would do today.

We see examples of this in the Bible:

Genesis 24:67 "And Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah's tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved her: and Isaac was comforted after his mother's death."

While Gen 24:67 doesn’t explicitly say that Isaac and Rebekah had sex, it does imply it by saying that he“took” her, together with the fact that he brought her into his mothter’s tent (a private place) to do so. This passage says that she became his wife after the fact of sex (“and took Rebekah, and she became his wife;”).

Today churches preach about not having “premarital sex,” and say that if you have ANY sex whatsoever before the traditional "man-made" wedding occurs, that it is "pre-marital." But if you look at the scriptures straight from the Bible and read them as is with no interpretation, you see that so long as you have left the parents, committed to one another, and had sex, you are married by God, even if you haven't been married by "man" in a man made ceremony. While what most churches teach about “premarital sex” is not Biblical at all, I can see why they started giving messages on it. Today you get the kids having sex without the commitment or without leaving the parents, or you get the adults who have left the parents, but have no comittment to their boyfriend/girlfriend. Sex has become a casual thing worldwide.

Marriage has changed into a sort of unholy union between a man, a woman, and the government rather than a man, a woman, and God. If the union was really between a man, his wife, and God, then the man and wife would forsake the government and not enter into a contract with it to declare their marriage valid.Unfortunately in the society we live in today, we must enter into this government contract to get the government benefits we deserve as a married couple.

Today marriages break up all the time and end in divorce. In Biblical times it wasn’t all that common to see divorce, but now divorce rates soar higher every year, not only because of problems in the marriage, but because of lack of commitment (cleaving together) on the couple’s part. Because marriage today is really only a contract with the government, people throw away marriages like a piece of trash and start over. Now don’t get me wrong, there are definitely reasons to divorce, but most couples in the US today enter into marriage thinking, “well, if it doesn’t work out I can always get divorced, no big deal.” In the Bible divorce was a very big deal and was only allowed under certain circumstances, because marriage was a union between man, woman, and God, and God put them together into marriage. Matt. 19:6 “Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.” What God has joined together, let no man put asunder… including the husband himself or the wife… it was a holy union not to be thrown away so lightly, even if there were major problems. It was also not entered into so lightly as it is today. Today people flock to Vegas to get married spur of the moment… young teens get married only because they got pregnant, not because they are truly willing to “cleave” to each other for better or for worse, and other times people get married because they are pressured to by society because it is the “normal” thing to do to get married at a certain age and settle down and start a family. All of these things along with other factors have contributed to high divorce rates (essentially man putting asunder what God has joined together).

Now I’m not saying that all divorces occur because of lack of commitment or lack of having a union between the man and wife and God, but the above factors I have described have definitely contributed to a large percent of the divorces in recent years in the US. In a country that continually strives to move away from God and toward unholy unions with the government, it does not surprise me that churches started preaching on not having sex before the “government” marriage, in an attempt to stem the flow of divorces.Again, when they teach about not having premarital sex, there is no such thing provided you have left the parents, cleaved to your spouse, and then joined to become one flesh, but because “marriage” has changed and is something different today to man, premarital sex would occur before the “contract” is entered into with the government.

In conclusion, there are definitely two different kinds of marriage: 1) God’s definition of marriage, and 2) Man’s definition of marriage. Straight from the Bible we see God’s definition of marriage is when two people have sex and become “one flesh” and God joins them together. Man’s definition of marriage is some sort of ceremony preformed by a justice of the peace or man of the cloth along with a government contract and a high likelihood of divorce somewhere down the road.

NOTE: This post was not meant to offend anybody (as I’m sure it will) but is instead meant to inform. I am in no way saying that if you got a divorce that it was because of lack of commitment, or that if you were married with a government contract that you did not mean the marriage to be between you, your spouse, and God. If you feel like commenting on my post feel free, but before you do I ask that you simply read the scriptures as is without “interpreting” them your own way. We believe in taking God’s Word literally with no interpretation. Why? Because God won’t try to confuse us. It makes no sense for God to write one thing, and then mean something different than He wrote. God wants us to understand and there are very few things in the Bible up to interpretation. (Revelation for example, because John himself said he didn’t understand the things he saw, and was only writing them down to the best of his ability describing the things he saw the best he could). Like I said, read it literally, and then post any comments you may have.

A NOTE ON THE DEFINITIONS: I have given you definitions from the Webster 1828 dictionary because some words mean different things now than they did when the KJV was translated. The 1828 dictionary tells us what most words in the KJV meant when it was translated. I have heard people interpret the above scriptures differently because they did not know or understand the meaning of some of the words, which is why I have provided definitions.

Thanks!

-CBSB

New Recommended Reading

2010-08-22T23:49:00.000-07:00

I've been reading a lot lately, mostly Christian novels, but also a few other things, and I have some new recommendations for you.

First we'll start with any book by Jane Kirkpatrick. This is an inspiring Christian author who writes Christian novels, mostly centered around women, and marriage. All have a historical basis, and most are set in the pioneer days. Each book will leave you satisfied, and yet, craving more. I recommend starting with "A Sweetness to the Soul." Be sure to also read her Memoir "Homestead" as well. You are sure to be touched and lifted up by all of her works. You can view her website here: http://www.jkbooks.com/

Next we'll move on to "What Hath God Wrought?" by William P. Grady. This is one of those wordy books that takes a little while to understand, but is well worth the effort! This book gives a detailed history of America's beginnings and how the values America holds today, including the Constitution, are founded deeply in Christian beliefs and Biblical values. This book takes us into the edgy world of the truth. We learn about persecution of varying faiths, the values our founding fathers and pioneers held, what was once right in America, and what has gone wrong since then. We have traveled a very slippery slope since the beginning of our country, and Grady takes us down a well documented path to the truth, one that you won't be likely to find in the history books of most public schools.