Sunday, November 20, 2011

(Bible) Did you know...?

I have compiled some nice-to-know facts from my Bible study time. Thought of sharing.

...that Daniel and John who wrote the apocalyptic books of Daniel and Revelation respectively were referred to as "beloved" of God? (See Daniel 10:11 and John 19:26)

...that Adam was not created in the Garden of Eden but was led him to it by God? (See Genesis 2:15)

...that Adam was led alive to the garden (of Eden) but Jesus was laid dead in a garden tomb? (John 19:41,42)

...that Adam first exercised his speech not to talk to Eve but to name the animals that God had created? (See Genesis 2:20)

...that Eve may have probably thought that her first-born Cain was the "seed" that God had promised He would send to crush the head of the serpent. (Genesis 4:1)?

...that The foundations of biblical marriage were first stated by the first Adam and confirmed by Jesus Christ (the last Adam). (See Genesis 2:24, Matt 19:5, Mark 10:7)

...that God initially intended for man and other creatures to be plant and fruit eaters. (See Genesis 1:29,30)?

...that the first vocation assigned to Adam by God was for him to be a gardener. (Genesis 2:15)?

...that Adam added to God's command of not eating the fruit to include refraining from even touching it. (Genesis 3:3)?

...that the serpent and the donkey are the only animals in the Bible that speak to humans. (Gen 3:1 and Num 22:28)?

...that during the fall, God did not allow the serpent to depose before Him unlike the opportunity to present the case given to Adam and Eve (Gen 3:11-14)?

...that Adam did not not name his wife, Eve until after the fall. (Gen 3:20)?

...that the first instance of sacrifice mentioned in the Bible is when God provided coats of skin for Adam and Eve. (Gen 3:21)?

...that the main reason for God driving out Adam and Even from the garden was so that he (Adam) would not take from the tree of life and live forever (in his sin) (Gen 3:21)?

...that the reason for God accepting Abel's offering is revealed in the book of Hebrews - in the faith hall of fame chapter in the Bible. (Heb 11:4)?

...that apparently Cain was so fond of his son that he built a city and named it after his son Enoch (Gen 4:17)?

...that polygamy in the Bible is first mentioned when Lamech (Cain's great-great-great grandson) took 2 wives for himself - Adah and Zillhah (Gen 4:19)?

...that the second murder mentioned in the Bible is that of an unknown young man by Lamech. (Gen 4:23)?

...that it could be possible that Lamech used a weapon made by his son Tubalcain to kill the unknown young man. (Gen 4:22, 23)?

...that men began to call on God's name (prayers and worship) when Seth's son Enosh was born (Gen 4:26)?

...that Enoch had a change in heart only around the time his son Methuselah was born. He started walking with God at the age of 65. (Gen 5:21)?

...although the name of Noah's father was Lamech, this is not the same polygamist, murderer mentioned in Gen 4:23 (Gen 5:28)?

...that the most wicked incident after which God decided to destroy the earth with the flood was the consummation between angels and women. (Gen 6:2, 6:5)?

...that Noah is the first person mentioned in the Bible  who finds "grace" in the eyes of the Lord (Gen 6:8)?

...that the meaning of Methuselah's name was "when he dies it will come" referring to the flood. What is more significant is that Methuselah is the longest living person recorded in the Bible and indicates God's forbearance in delaying the flood.

...that Noah took 7 pairs of clean animals and 1 pair of unclean animals in the ark. (Gen 7:2)?

...that the gospel according to Matthew is the only gospel in which OT quotes are taken from original Hebrew and not the Septuagint?

...that the Tabernacle of David represents the New Testament and the Tabernacle of Moses represents the Old Testament?

Saturday, November 12, 2011

A suggested technique for Interceding

It is hard to pray for someone you do not know enough. The following acrostic is a suggested way of praying for a person.

Faith is the subtance of things hoped for and the evidence of things unseeen - Heb 11:1

Faith: Pray for the salvation of the person you are interceding for. Pray that the person may come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

Answers to prayer: Pray that the person's prayers be answered.

Idols: Pray that the person's idols be demolished. A nice way to identify idols is by identifying what IDOLove.

Trials: Pray for the person's deliverance from trials that the person is currently going through.

Health: Pray for the physical health of the person.