Faith Bible Ministries Blog ~ An Online Study of the Bible

Welcome

I welcome you to Faith Bible Ministries’ Blog site.  It is my greatest desire that within this ministry outreach, as in all things, “Yeshua be glorified.”

As indeed through Him all things we’re created, and all things are held together, as seen in Colossians 1:17, which states:

“And He is before all things, and by him all things consist.”

This blog ministry was begun by myself and a friend in order to glorify Jesus Christ keeping Him as preeminent, while maintaining the absolute authority of God’s Word, with a focus on Biblical faith.  It is these three areas wherein we pay particular attention.

My Approach
I Utilize an approach based mainly upon the Greek language which is exact and detailed, while also exhaustive; all of which is meant to serve as research regarding God’s Word (I am not a very good writer, so please bear with my infirmities – and if any of what I present seems to a blessing, this proves God’s grace in using such a broken vessel), and what it really has to say, as opposed to what many think it means solely based upon the English translation, which many times appears misleading.

Type of Articles
My articles are long and tedious, and a majority of believers will not be able to stand the exhaustive nature I pursue.

For years now Satan has been moving to dumb down the presentation and in-depth handling of God’s word by dumbing down individuals in the secular manner, which is also fed by the immediate gratification that our technology and lifestyles now seem to demand.

It is because of this that this blog site will attract few individuals which utilize it fully.

One at a Time
As a teacher in his youth that became excited seeing the responses of groups of individuals who perceived the treasures that are buried deep in God’s word, God has moved me to a place is an old man of seeking to teach one person at a time.

Bigger is better, newer is better than older, and faster is better than slower; are part of the mindset that we all are inundated with which goes against God’s way of dealing with life in reality.

Narrow is the way that our master spoke about, validating that few therein would enter.

God’s Ways vs. The World’s Way’s
Wisdom and consistency are far more spiritually valuable than innovative, flamboyant and expedient pursuits where impetuousness and impulsiveness is valued over stability, and where happiness Is taught many times as the goal of Christianity, rather than sacrificially dying to self in order to maintain the preeminence of Jesus Christ, while serving others as the gospel communicates.

There is a price that must be paid to unearth some of the precious treasures that are found in God’s word, wherein tenacity, commitment, and sacrifice are mandated.

Biblical Faith
One of the major areas wherein this ministry spends an excess amount of time concerns the subject of Biblical faith, understanding that faith concerns establishing and maintaining a relationship of trust with God (not simply a tool of petition – and there is always a place for petition), that it is one of the virtues that we inherit in the image and a son of God wherein all of our relationships are built upon a foundation of faith, or they are destroyed by disobedience in the case of God, and a lack of faithfulness in the case of humans.  

You see faith is more than just a vehicle, it is a necessity of life in regards to human relationships.  This is part of the image and a set of God, not that God needs faith; but God mandates that we have faith in him in order to establish a relationship with him (this was the first violation, Adam did not trust God – the text is not indicate that he was angry or feeling rebellious, he was sinless at the time.  His issue was he did not trust that God could give him a replacement for Eve when she chose to break her relationship with God I not trusting Him).

This explains why it is impossible to please God without faith, as stated in Hebrews 11:6,

“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”

Not only because we come to God based on faith that He exist, but that those that seek Him, He rewards in a relationship where He takes care of us.  God desires those that exercise faith as a free will action in placing their trust in God, which grants us access to God’s grace to become His children through faith, which is the greatest reward man could ever receive.

There is no other value or personal character trait which pleases God, but faith; at least not in this special way according to God’s Word.

Faith Comes from the Bible
The place we gain Biblical faith is God’s Word, as stated in Romans 10:17,

 “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.“

1 Peter 1:23 says

“Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.”

Biblical faith is created and grown wherein as a person reads the Bible, and the Holy Spirit opens their spiritual eyes to perceive that which is laid out, it is a logical reasonable process of coming to the conclusion that this book could not have been written by mortal man (2 Timothy 3:16), because:

1) There are prophecies given in Old Testament, that are fulfilled in the New Testament.
2) There are prophecies given within the Bible as a whole, which are fulfilled since it’s closing.
3) There are scientific and natural insights presented in the Bible, which were once considered completely false; which in time, science has caught up with the Bible proving that it was correct in the first place, and that it is beyond human insight.
4) There is deep wisdom that is written between its pages, which are far beyond the capacity of a human being to create.
5) There are internal evidences found in the Bible, which when crossed-referenced within itself present in such a way that it is obvious that 40 different men could not have utilized the exact same type of “Figures of Speech.”

Including: typology, such as seen in metaphor, similes, models; along with prophetic symbols as seen in even the use of numbers, colors, events, material and substances, dates, mathematics, names, roles, and even people’s personality and lives; all done to portray a shadow (Colossians 2:17; Hebrews 8:5; 10:1) of things to come rather in heaven, or in the particular case of Jesus, the fulfillment of the Messiah; as witnessed in His First and Second coming – as well as Last Days events – all done in such a way that the only explanation is that God orchestrated the creation of this Book, and it is thus worthy of our complete trust, all pointing to Jesus the Christ as the Creator and Saviour of the world, the King of Kings, Lord of Lords, the center of God the Father’s kingdom, preeminent in ALL things, GOD.

Indeed it is God who inspired and orchestrated this book, not written by man, but written through men, by a God that is outside of our time domain, who can see the ending from the beginning (Isaiah 46:9-10); who is all-powerful, and in total control of His creation (Isaiah 45:5-7), and therefore worthy of our complete trust and faith in what He has said, and what He will do (Isaiah 46; Jeremiah 29:11).

Unfortunately, many Christians have been taught to focus on faith as a tool to acquire the things sought, rather than understanding that faith is a relationship with God, to trust whatever He has allowed or guided to be in our lives, and that God is trustworthy and in total control of all of our lives, no matter what it appears to be from the human vantage point.

Of all the qualities that our current generation LACKS, perspective (Discernment) and fidelity (Latin for “Faith,” as in: trusting God no matter what, and being trustworthy) are perhaps the greatest, hence the reason that this subject needs to be studied in great depth regaining a biblical understanding of faith, which many in this generation have seemed to have lost.  

Job said in presenting his case: “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him” (See Footnote #1).  And as the greatest example of faith said the night before he would be executed, “Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.” (Luke 22:42 ~ KJV)

Faith Defined
“Trusting commitment of one person to another, particularly of a person to God. Faith is the central concept of Christianity. One may be called a Christian only if one has faith.“

Our English word ‘faith’ comes from the Latin fides, as developed through the Old French words fei and feid. In Middle English (1150-1475) ‘faith’ was replaced by a word that eventually evolved into ‘belief.’

Faith came to mean ‘loyalty to a person to whom one is bound by promise or duty.’

Faith was fidelity. ‘Belief’ came to be distinguished from faith as an intellectual process having to do with the acceptance of a proposition.

The verb form of ‘faith’ dropped out of English usage toward the end of the sixteenth century.“ (Holman Bible Dictionary)

A Word of Explanation
Regarding My Writing Style

My writing style and teaching method is unusual in that it seeks to teach many different subjects, in diverse areas, while presenting information on a singular topic.

Rabbit Trails
It has been described as going down a road which has many rabbit trails during the course of the journey, taking many diversions before arriving at the destination.

There is a thought within Christian philosophies of education, that the human mind is so ingeniously created, that it can learn many different things, while addressing a primary focus on a singular subject (This  is not multitasking, which may be problematic for some; yet is multi-subject oriented, which can seem confusing at times).  This is the premise behind most of my presentations.

Concerning the Physical Presentation of Text in these Articles
Within this writing style, wherein one of the tools to convey indirect information on the subject, as well as to give more detailed information; the author utilizes parentheses that are colored light gray, as well as words which are colored as well, such as:

1) PARENTHESES: (The parentheses are presented in a light gray font, such as this; so that the reader, as they are reading information concerning the subject matter in the black font, can continue reading by skipping over the gray font, and not lose your train of thought. Then if they choose they can go back and read the inserted parentheses text which gives further information or references. If the font color within the parentheses were black, all the information would be presented homogenized, and become overwhelming to the reader).

The light color gray is meant to separated text so that the reader does not lose the main text. I have produced hundreds of articles this way, and have been advised that when the parentheses text is too long, that individuals have a hard time reading it (Therefore, I am in the process of darkening the gray fonts, such as this; within parentheses where these inserted text are large in volume in order to make them easier to read).

(Also as within the parentheses, there may be a second level inserted parentheses of information, more in-depth; [which would appear with brackets, with the color been a violent – such as this], information).

2) GRAMMATICAL TERMS: When grammatical terms, words, and codes, are used such as: verbs, adverbs, nouns, verbal nouns, adjectives,  prepositions, conjunctions, participles; as well as: tense, mood, voice, person, gender, number, case, etc., they are identified by non-italicized and non-bold light blue font.

3) FOREIGN LANGUAGES: Foreign language words (Hebrew, Greek, Aramaic, and Latin) are shown in italicized and bold light blue fonts).

Full Circle
Some people are put off by what seems to be my preoccupation with rabbit trails, however this is done on purpose.

Therefore, it may be helpful if the reader is mindful of the fact that these divergences are intentional and temporary, as I will return to the original topic.

This teaching style is not for everyone.

And many times the subject matter I cover seems strange or abnormal; therefore, those that are more easily offended by this may find this ministry is not the best fit for them.

Becoming Comfortable with the Uncomfortable
To indulge in controversies, folklore, curiosities, or other tantalizing subjects for the sake of enticing those with itching ears is wrong.

However, humans become far too comfortable when things are always uniform or standardized.

God does not do things according to what we are comfortable with, and many of God’s dealings are beyond our comprehension, and in fact when examined closely they appear quite unusual.

Becoming Dull of Hearing
How hard is it to explain God’s demand for Abraham to sacrifice his own son?

We become dull of hearing, concerning this story, yet in reality if we put on a fresh perspective, this story should become very uncomfortable.

It was the pagan false religions that practiced child sacrifice, which God Himself abhorred and condemned.

Was God being a hypocrite?

The obvious answer is no, because He stopped Abraham from completing the act.

God did this to exercise (Which is the process to grow faith) the faith of Abraham, which caused his faith to grow in the process.

God does things according to His own choosing, as He interacts with man, and especially as He chooses how to exercise / grow man’s faith.

Faith only grows when it is stretched by tribulation (Which are: problems, tribulations, hard-times, difficulties, calamities, trials, and testing; they’re all synonymous concerning the “trying of our faith”).

Faith can only grow incrementally, as more and more is demanded of it.

This is because trust is a process contingent upon experience, and as someone proves they are trustworthy situation after situation, we trust them more and more.

In this way faith is analogous to a muscle which must be torn before growth can occur.

Therefore, we must always realize and therefore understand that testing is NOT done simply as a process whereby God attempts to validate the existence of our faith, or its degree, which might appear cruel on the surface.

No these trials are necessary for faith to grow, and that without these trials, it is impossible for faith to mature (See: James 1:2-4; 1 Peter 1:7; 4:12), and please God (See: Hebrews 11:6).

These trials are not meant in the same way that the English word is understood where an individual is either proved innocent or guilty.

God does not place us in trials in order to find out if we are potentially guilty, only to prove up the fact that we are innocent – but trying of our faith is not meant to be a proof, it is a matter of purifying.

When gold is tried in the fire of tribulation, it is not to prove that the gold is pure.

The trying of the gold is where fire is used to burn away the impurities in to make the gold more pure, of greater value.

It is not to prove in the sense that we normally use the word, it is too purify and to make of greater value.

When God puts us through a trial, it is for our good,

“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28, KJV)

Being Fresh
God has a habit of not repeating Himself too often in the way He may do something, or the types of trials He places us in so that we do not become used to the form, style, system, or way that He does things.

This would be synonymous with changing the test questions concerning a subject that is repetitively taught, in order to guarantee that the student really learns new aspects of the lesson, and not just what the answers are on the test sheet.

God seems to be doing the same thing concerning the types of trials He places us in so that we do not simply respond to Him according to that type of trial, but that we display that we truly do trust Him.

It is also obvious that God has a tendency to not just change the type of trials He places us in, but has a propensity to change the way He does things within His own creation.

God Will Not be Put in a Box
How often have churches or whole denominations become dead in their worship and ministry because their perception of God which places Him in a box, and have systematized their responses to what God would have them do, or go through, as opposed to trusting Him in faith, and therein keep fresh their relationship with Him.

A Story
There is an old story that concerned Jesus speaking to a man, and the man becoming healed, and those that witnessed this miracle started the “Speak and be Healed” ministry.

Later, Jesus touched a man, and the man became healed, and those that witnessed that miracle started the “Touch and be Healed” ministry.

And even later, Jesus spit upon some dirt, made mud and placed it on a man’s eyes, with the man becoming healed; and those that witnessed this last miracle started the “Spit and be Healed” ministry.

The point is all three groups had witnessed miracles at the hand of Jesus and were correct in understanding that Jesus could use all three different methods in healing people.

Yet when they placed Jesus in the box by demanding that it was only the way for Jesus to heal because it was the only way that they had witnessed a healing, they deviated from the truth.

This is a constant problem for believers, and maybe one of the reasons there are so many denominations.

The Potter has no responsibility to function according to what the clay considers to be orthodox (Romans 9:21).

Consider the Unfamiliar
Therefore, it is our willingness to color outside the lines (Review and even overturn man’s traditions ~ Matthew 15:3,6; Mark 7:8-9), to consider the unusual, to go where the evidence takes us, and to see what God would say to us in spite of our own objections because the subject matter is uncomfortable.

But we must also remember that God never violates His Word.

So this is the key, and yet another reason to study and understand the God’s Word; especially the grammar of the Greek.

Because as we dig deep into God’s Word, we should stay alert to the diversity in which our God chooses to act – He is the Potter.

With this in mind, I teach on subjects which are even strange to me, in order to remind myself that God cannot be put into a box.

Yet, I do so vigilantly in checking God’s Word, in context; both Scriptural and Biblical as a whole (God repeats Himself across the wide spectrum of His Word, validating doctrine with doctrine; “For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:” ~ Isa. 28:10.  The Bible is a singular volume wherein context must be maintained across all 66 books – textual isolation can devastate doctoral understanding), because many have compromised the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and His Word by not following the Biblical principle of using to scripture to interpret Scripture.

The Bible is its own best commentary.

To conclude, it has wisely been said:

“Because all of us are subject to the limitations imposed by the presuppositions
we bring to a topic.  It may be essential to step back out from time to time
and reestablish a fresh perspective.”

Because:

“The only certain barrier to truth is the presumption that we already have it.” 
(Thank you Chuck Missler for this expression)

May all who venture within blog site, our website, and video site be blessed with a deeper understanding of who Jesus Christ is – the author and finisher of our faith.  (Heb 12:2)..

This blog site is an outreach ministry of “Faith Bible Ministries“, a teaching  ministry and division of “Faith Video Ministries, Inc.” (as of 04/19/2004, a 501(c)(3) religious non-profit Private Operating Foundation / dissolved on 04/18/2020 for Biblical reasons, though still teaching). which is the parent corporation of all its outreach ministries.

Shalom!

Brent

Footnote.
1.  Warren Wiersbe states concerning Job:

In order to do justice to Warren’s remarks concerning Job 13:15, I presented his complete discourse concerning this section of his review of the book of Job.  What I desire to present is what is seen in subsection D with this same maroon font concerning the passage in question.

I. Job’s Accusers
Job’s three friends came to comfort him, but they ended up criticizing him! Each of them used the same argument in one way or another: (1) God blesses the righteous and afflicts the wicked; (2) God has afflicted Job; (3) therefore, Job must be wicked. Of course, their thinking seemed logical, but it was not spiritual. Mortal human beings are far too ignorant to understand fully the ways of God. For us to fit God into our own little “theological boxes” is to limit Him and make Him less than God. We must keep in mind that these friends did not have the full revelation that we have in the NT, showing more fully that suffering is not always caused by sin, and that, through our faith in Christ, we can turn suffering into glory. It is a dangerous thing for believers to “explain the ways of God” to other believers if they do not understand God’s Word and God’s ways.

In his first speech, Eliphaz argues that Job is a sinner (Job_4:7-11). He bases his thinking on a special vision he once experienced (Job_4:12-21), so we might say that Eliphaz argues from personal experience — the hard “facts of life.” Bildad picks up the argument in Job_8:1-7 and very bluntly states that God does not do things unjustly. In Job_8:8-10, Bildad argues from tradition, and then quotes a series of “old sayings” to support his argument. Zophar rebukes Job in Job_11:1-20 and tells him he needs to repent and get right with God! All three “friends” make the same mistakes: (1) they fail to enter into Job’s sorrows and sympathize with him; (2) they have a rigid concept of God and His works, one that is not fully true; and (3) they are too dogmatic and proud to listen to Job and honestly examine their own beliefs.

The problem of human suffering is too deep and complex for the simple answers the three friends gave. Jesus never sinned, yet He suffered more than any person! Neither Job nor his friends knew about the conference in heaven, that God was using Job as “Exhibit A” before Satan and the angels to prove that people will trust God even when they do not understand what God is doing. The friends called Job a “hypocrite” (Job_8:13; Job_15:34; Job_20:5; Job_34:30); God called him “a perfect and an upright man” (Job_1:8; Job_2:3). Job would not bargain with God just to regain his material prosperity, for his greatest asset was his personal integrity.

In Job_2:3 God makes it clear that He had no cause for afflicting Job, that Job was not a hypocrite or a sinner. This is why God rejected the speech of Elihu (Job_38:1-2) and the speeches of the three men (Job_42:7).

While the three friends argued that Job’s suffering was a punishment for sin, Elihu had a different idea (chaps. 32-37): God sends suffering to chasten us and teach us (Job_33:9-20; Job_35:10-16). Elihu shows a higher view of God, and in his speeches he beautifully points out the power and wisdom of God; read Job_37:1-24 especially. But he fails to help Job, and God Himself rebukes Elihu for his “dark counsel” (Job_38:1-2).

II. Job’s Arguments
After each man spoke, Job replied, except in the case of Elihu, where God Himself stepped in to answer. Job’s argument went something like this: (1) I believe God is just and powerful as you do; (2) But I am not a hypocrite — I know of no sin between me and God; (3) I would argue my case with God but I cannot find Him; (4) Nevertheless, I will trust Him, for He will vindicate me either in this life or in the life to come. It took a great deal of faith for Job to argue this way in the light of his circumstances. No wonder Jas_5:11 points to the endurance of Job.

The three friends argued that God always afflicts the wicked, but Job pointed out to them that the wicked seem to be prospering! In Job_18:1-21 Bildad pictures the awful doom of the wicked like a light going out (Job_18:5-6), a bird being trapped (Job_18:7-10), a criminal being chased (Job_18:11-13), a tent torn down (Job_18:14-15), and a tree dried up (Job_18:16-17). Then in Job_20:1-29, Zophar argues that the seeming prosperity of the wicked is only brief. Job rejects their arguments in Job_21:1-34 and points out the obvious health and wealth of the wicked. In Job_24:1-25 Job asks, “Why doesn’t God intervene and do something about sin?” He lists the sins of the wicked, and in Job_31:1-40, he recounts his own godly life. The three friends are silenced because they know Job’s arguments are right. Elihu’s wordy speech adds little to the solution of the problem.

III. Job’s Appeals
The most important verses in this section are those that state Job’s heart appeals to God and to his friends.

A. He appeals for sympathy
His friends did not show love and understanding; to them Job was a theological problem, not a suffering saint (see Joh_9:1-3). In Job_6:1-30 Job states he has lost his taste for life (Job_6:6-7) and wants to die (Job_6:8-13). He compares his friends to a brook that dries up just when thirsty travelers need water (Job_6:14-20). Job_7:1-21 gives us several pictures of life with its trials and its brevity: a warfare (Job_7:1, where “appointed time” means “warfare”); a slavery (Job_7:1-5); a swift weaver’s shuttle (Job_7:6); the wind (Job_7:7-8); a cloud (Job_7:9-10; and see Jas_4:13-17). In Job_9:25 he compares life to a swift messenger (“post,” see Est_8:9-14), and in Job_9:26 to a swift ship.

B. He appeals for a chance to confront God
In Job_9:1-35 Job complains that he has no way to present his case before God, because he cannot find Him. Note in Job_9:33 his appeal for a “daysman” or umpire to stand between him and God. “How should a man be just with God?” (Job_9:2) means, “How can a man ever plead his case with God?” Thank God for the Mediator, Jesus Christ, who represents us before God! See 1Ti_2:5; 1Jn_2:1-2; and Zec_3:1-10. See Job_16:19-22; Job_23:3.

C. He appeals to his basic integrity
In each of his speeches, Job denies that he is secretly a sinner. He knows his own heart and he confesses that his friends have cruelly misjudged him. At the end of the book, when God reveals Himself to Job, the man does bow in dust and ashes and confess his worthlessness (Job_40:3-5; Job_42:1-6); but this was not a confession of sins. Rather, it was a humbling of himself before God as he realized his own ignorance and worthlessness in the presence of the Almighty. God never does accuse Job of sin. He accuses him of not realizing the greatness of God and of trying to fit God into the confines of a little argument, but He does not judge him for the sins that his friends accused him of committing. See Job_31:1-40 for Job’s defense of his godly life.

D. He appeals to his faith in God
This is what created the problem: Job trusted God, yet God seemed to have abandoned Job. Had Job once denied God or cursed God, the problem would have been solved, for the friends would have known that God was punishing Job for his unbelief. But Job had faith. “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him!” (Job_13:15) “I know that I shall be justified [vindicated, proved true]” (Job_13:18). So great was Job’s faith that he states that God will vindicate him in the resurrection in the next life, if not in this life (Job_19:25-29; Job_14:1-14). Job knew that God would work out some purpose, but he thought God should tell him what He was doing (see Job_23:1-17). Of course, if Job had known about the conference in heaven between God and Satan, there would have been no need for faith.

E. He appeals to die
From his first complaint in Job_3:1-26 to the end of the argument, Job asks to die. Read Job_6:8-12 and Job_7:15-21. Do not be too critical of Job for wishing to die. He was suffering great physical affliction; friends and neighbors were abusing him (Job_30:1-31); and it seemed that God had abandoned him. Moses, Elijah, and Jonah fell into the same error.

The ways of God are above and beyond the mind of mortal men and women. Even Bildad admitted, “Lo, these are parts of His way,” literally, “these are but the outskirts of His ways, the hem of His garment.” God is greater than man’s theology. When we cannot understand, we can worship and trust Him.