Bible Study Seattle

“One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” Luke 23:39-43

“Some time later, the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt offended their master, the king of Egypt. Pharaoh was angry with his two officials, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker, and put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, in the same prison where Joseph was confined. The captain of the guard assigned them to Joseph, and he attended them.

After they had been in custody for some time, each of the two men—the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were being held in prison—had a dream the same night, and each dream had a meaning of its own.

When Joseph came to them the next morning, he saw that they were dejected. So he asked Pharaoh’s officials who were in custody with him in his master’s house, “Why do you look so sad today?”

“We both had dreams,” they answered, “but there is no one to interpret them.”

Then Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell me your dreams.”

So the chief cupbearer told Joseph his dream. He said to him, “In my dream I saw a vine in front of me, and on the vine were three branches. As soon as it budded, it blossomed, and its clusters ripened into grapes. Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand, and I took the grapes, squeezed them into Pharaoh’s cup and put the cup in his hand.”

“This is what it means,” Joseph said to him. “The three branches are three days. Within three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your position, and you will put Pharaoh’s cup in his hand, just as you used to do when you were his cupbearer. But when all goes well with you, remember me and show me kindness; mention me to Pharaoh and get me out of this prison. I was forcibly carried off from the land of the Hebrews, and even here I have done nothing to deserve being put in a dungeon.”

When the chief baker saw that Joseph had given a favorable interpretation, he said to Joseph, “I too had a dream: On my head were three baskets of bread. In the top basket were all kinds of baked goods for Pharaoh, but the birds were eating them out of the basket on my head.”

“This is what it means,” Joseph said. “The three baskets are three days. Within three days Pharaoh will lift off your head and impale your body on a pole. And the birds will eat away your flesh.”

Now the third day was Pharaoh’s birthday, and he gave a feast for all his officials. He lifted up the heads of the chief cupbearer and the chief baker in the presence of his officials: He restored the chief cupbearer to his position, so that he once again put the cup into Pharaoh’s hand— but he impaled the chief baker, just as Joseph had said to them in his interpretation.” Genesis 40:1-22

Just as there were two criminals beside Jesus, there were two criminals beside Joseph. In both cases, one was punished, and one was rewarded.

The other day I noticed a rash on my daughter’s arm. I asked my wife what it was. She said she didn’t know. As it turns out, she was lying. She got her a shot without telling me. Four years ago the same thing happened. Abby’s personality instantly changed, she had a huge rash all down her leg, and she developed serious constipation. My wife told me then that she was sorry and she wouldn’t lie to me again. NOT! Evidently she feels that her daughter’s health is more important than her marriage. She told me she had to go behind my back because she “feels I can’t have a conversation with you about it.” Maybe… except that for six years I’ve been trying to get her to read both sides of the debate. She won’t. She barely listens to me, and she won’t read any of the several books I have or DVDs. She’s not honest. She reasons: if 97% of the population is doing something, how could it be bad?

Yet, Jesus says enter through the narrow door – be in the minority. For broad and wide is the gate that leads to destruction.

I have had several discussions with the pediatrician. She keeps telling me she’s going to show me studies proving the efficacy of vaccines. She never does. I can out debate her every time. Isn’t that sad? I do not have an MD.

So now that my wife has proven to be an obstinate lier who only wants to follow the crowd, what am I to do? I pray for judgment. For God wants everyone to come to a knowledge of the truth.

Joseph’s handling of his brothers is instructive. He met their basic needs during the famine. Yet he put Simeon in prison. Why? Because Simeon was probably the one to treat Joseph the worst as they left him for dead in the pit. What goes around comes around! It appeared that Joseph was being harsh on Simeon, and he was. Yet he still fed him. It was not until the brothers were completely undone and repentant that Joseph revealed himself. So it will be with my wife. Fake apologies are worthless. Actions speak louder than words. She will be shown the results of her actions, perhaps In the second life. She will be given all the self awareness she may currently lack. And God will be as hard and unrelenting as he needs to be to hammer home the truth, while not destroying her spirit. Notice how God rebuked Job. He was very stern yet always edifying.

Health Condition Prevalence in Vaccinated Children Prevalence in Unvaccinated Children
Allergies 36.71% 11.25%
Asthma 14.23% 2.26%
Hay fever 17.86% of German children 3%
Neurodermatitis (an autoimmune disorder) 23.9% 7.5%
Attention deficit disorder (ADD) 14.94% 1.28%
Middle ear infections 20.84% 7.5%
Sinusitis 12.14% 2.5%
Autism 7.43% 0.49%

A great biblical discussion:
http://www.tetrahedron.org/articles/vaccine_awareness/Vaccination_UnGodly_Practice.html

“I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things. Isaiah 45:7, KJV
“Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? shall there be evil in a city, and the LORD hath not done it?” Amos 3:6, KJV
“Out of the mouth of the most High proceedeth not evil and good?” Lamentations 3:38

The word translated evil should read calamity or disaster, and judgment in the Amos verse. There are more numerous scriptures clearly stating that God is not the author of evil. However, God has allowed evil at times to fulfill a higher purpose later.

Why does God allow bad things to happen? Of course, we do not know. But it is like childhood. We grow up, occasionally thinking mom or dad is mean. But when we grow up and have children of our own, we understand and have much greater appreciation for what they did. And all the while, our parents try to protect us from outside evil influences that they don’t have control over.

So it will be at the resurrection. We will all come back to life and we will have new appreciation for what happened in the first life. Those things that remain a mystery for us we will ask of the King, and no question will be too hard. Why did Aunt Sally die of cancer? Why was uncle Rick so mean? Why did my brother have to go off to war? For in that Millennial Day:

“Now when the queen of Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the Lord, she came to test him with difficult questions. So she came to Jerusalem with a very large retinue, with camels carrying spices and very much gold and precious stones. When she came to Solomon, she spoke with him about all that was in her heart. Solomon answered all her questions; nothing was hidden from the king which he did not explain to her. When the queen of Sheba perceived all the wisdom of Solomon, the house that he had built, the food of his table, the seating of his servants, the attendance of his waiters and their attire, his cupbearers, and his stairway by which he went up to the house of the Lord, there was no more spirit in her. Then she said to the king, “It was a true report which I heard in my own land about your words and your wisdom. Nevertheless I did not believe the reports, until I came and my eyes had seen it. And behold, the half was not told me. You exceed in wisdom and prosperity the report which I heard. How blessed are your men, how blessed are these your servants who stand before you continually and hear your wisdom. Blessed be the Lord your God who delighted in you to set you on the throne of Israel; because the Lord loved Israel forever, therefore He made you king, to do justice and righteousness.” 1 kings 10:1-9

No question will be too hard!! The Queen of Sheba did not believe the reports, and isn’t that true of us? We do not really believe in heaven, or that Jesus will raise us from the dead. But when it comes true, we will be overwhelmed and awestruck.

It’s amazing the hints God has given us in creation regarding the future. Sleep is one. Given that the Hebrew day starts at sundown, some people go to sleep after the day has begun, while it is dark. If Sundown is early, some may be asleep at the beginning of the day. Most rise after the sun has dawned. A few rise before dawn. This matches the resurrection. Most are asleep (dead) at the dark beginning of the Millennium. By the time the sun rises, most are awake again (alive). A few rise early, before sunrise. Notice what Jesus says,

“But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’” Matthew 25:6

Midnight is a quarter of the way through the Hebrew day, or 250 years out of 1,000. This shows the church being resurrected to meet her bridegroom well before dawn. Dawn occurs 500 years into the 1,000.

“Beware, that you perform not your religious duties before men, in order to be observed by them: otherwise, you will obtain no reward from that father of yours in the heavens. When, therefore, thou givest alms, proclaim it not by sound of trumpet, as the hypocrites do, in the assembles and in the streets, that they may be extolled by men. Indeed, I say to you, they have their reward. But thou, when giving alms, let not thy left hand know what your right hand does; so that thine alms may be private, and that father of thine, who sees in secret, will recompense thee. And when you pray, you shall not imitate the hypocrites, for they are fond of standing up in the assembles, and at the corners of the open squares to pray, so as to be observed by men. Indeed, I say to you, they have their reward. But thou, when thou wouldst pray enter into thy private room, and having closed the door, pray to that father of thine who is invisible; and that father of thine, who sees in secret, will recompense thee. And in prayer, use not foolish repetitions, as the hypocrites; for they think that by using many words that they will be accepted.” Matthew 6:1-7

Foolish repetitions – I love that term! Here is described people whose prayers are all about themselves. Have you ever known someone whose prayers are theatrical? Or someone whose prayers drone on and on? Isn’t that irritating? It’s as if they’re only saying, ‘look at me, look at me!’ But The Lord judges the heart. Praying as these hypocrites do fits in with those whose religion is merely empty rituals and rules taught by men.