Notes – La Vista Church of Christ

Inerrancy and Figurative Language

Jeffrey Hamilton — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 17:15:46 +0000

by J. M. Boice
via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 21 No. 3, September 1995

"Some people say, 'If you believe in inerrancy, you have to take every statement in the Bible literally. (You must believe] that God has a heart, perhaps even that God has wings’ (Ps. 17:8). This is foolish... It is based on the error of supposing that for something to be true, it must be expressed in non-figurative language. This is just not so. The Bible uses poetical language at times, just as we do. We do not err just because we use it, nor does the Bible. Everyone understands the language to be poetical. In the same way, some biblical expressions are adaptations to the limits of human language, as, for example, those parts of the Bible that refer to the emotions of God...how can the Bible adequately tell us that we are deeply loved by God unless it tells us that his heart is moved, and uses other similar expressions?”

[Does Inerrancy Matter? p. 11]

Extrabiblical Mentions of Biblical Characters

Jeffrey Hamilton — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 21:39:09 +0000

by Stuart Steinberg

Here is a list of inscriptions discovered that mention various figures in the Hebrew Bible.
There are several dozen inscriptions—mostly seals, ostraca, plaques, and royal stelae—that mention individuals named in the Hebrew Bible. Below is a concise list of the key inscriptions and the biblical figures they mention, with approximate dates.

Key Hebrew Bible Figures in Inscriptions:

Merneptah Stela (Egypt)

Date: c. 1208 BCE

Mention: “Israel” as a people in Canaan (not a named person, but the first clear extrabiblical reference to “Israel”).

Mesha Stela (Moabite Stone)

Date: c. 840 BCE

Mention: “Omri, king of Israel” and “house of David”; strongly associated with King Omri (I Kings 16) and David.

Tel Dan Inscription

Date: late 9th–early 8th century BCE

Mention: “house of David” and a king of Israel, widely read as “Jehoram son of Ahab” and “Ahaz” (of Judah).

Kurkh Monolith (Shalmaneser III)

Date: c. 850 BCE

Mention: “A‑ha‑abu Sir‑ila‑a‑a” (Ahab of Israel) at the Battle of Qarqar.

Black Obelisk of Shalmaneser III

Date: c. 825 BCE

Mention: “mIa‑ú‑a mar mHu‑um‑ri‑i” (interpreted as “Jehu son of Omri”), often taken as King Jehu of Israel.

Hazael inscriptions (Assyrian texts)

Date: mid‑9th century BCE

Mention: “Hazael of Damascus” (II Kings 8–13) in several Assyrian inscriptions under Shalmaneser III.

Tiglath‑Pileser III inscriptions (Kulb or Kalhu)

Date: c. 740–735 BCE

Mention: “Pekah king of Israel” and “King Ahaz of Judah” (2 Kgs 16; 2 Chr 28).

Sargon II inscriptions (Khorsabad)

Date: c. 710–707 BCE

Mention: “Hanunu of Gaza” and “Kammusu‑naddubi of Ashdod” (Isaiah 20 identifies Ashdod‑ruler Azuri/ Yamani; Ashdod‑names are probably typos or variants).

Sennacherib’s Annals (Prism and Inscriptions)

Date: c. 690 BCE

Mention: “Hezekiah king of Judah” (2 Kgs 18–19; Isa 36–37).

Nebuchadnezzar Chronicle

Date: c. 550–400 BCE (copying events of 597 BCE)

Mention: Nebuchadnezzar’s siege of Jerusalem and capture of King Jehoiachin (II Kings 24:12).

Nabonidus Cylinder

Date: c. 550 BCE

Mention: “Belshazzar” (Balthazar) as crown‑prince of Babylon (Daniel 5).

Cyrus Cylinder

Date: c. 539 BCE

Mention: Cyrus king of Persia and his policy of allowing exiled peoples to return, paralleling Ezra–Nehemiah.

“House of Baal” / “House of David” graffiti and seals

Date: 8th–7th centuries BCE

Several Hebrew seals and ostraca bear the dynastic formula “belonging to the servant of ...” linked to Judahite officials (e.g., Shema, Elishama, Ahazaryahu) mentioned in II Kings 22; II Chronicles 34; Jeremiah 39).

Lachish Ostraca (letters from Lachish)

Date: c. 588 BCE (late 7th century)

Mention: names of Judean officers such as “Hoshaiah” and “Ya’ush,” which are not directly named in the Bible but come from the same context as Jeremiah, Zedekiah, and Nebuchadnezzar.

Prism of Esarhaddon (Sherifflet)

Date: c. 670 BCE

Mention: “Manasseh, king of Judah,” and other vassals of Assyria (II Kings 21; II Chronicles 33).

Notes on Light

Jeffrey Hamilton — Wed, 04 Mar 2026 16:07:24 +0000

by Terry Wane Benton

"The LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear?" (Psalms 27:1).
"Unto the upright there arises light in the darkness; He is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous" (Psalms 112:4).
"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path" (Psalms 119:105).
"The entrance of Your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple" (Psalms 119:130).
"O house of Jacob, come and let us walk in the light of the LORD" (Isaiah 2:5).
"The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, upon them a light has shone" (Isaiah 9:2).
"In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it" (John 1:4-5),
"That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world" (John 1:9).
"For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God" (John 3:20-21).
"Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, 'I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life'" (John 8:12).
"I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness" (John 12:46-47).
"I now send you, to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me" (Acts 26:17-18).
"If our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them. For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus' sake. For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ" (II Corinthians 4:3-6).
"For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), finding out what is acceptable to the Lord" (Ephesians 5:8-11).
"But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy" (I Peter 2:9-10).
"And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts" (II Peter 1:19).
"This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin" (I John 1:5-7).

Notes on False Teaching

Jeffrey Hamilton — Tue, 24 Feb 2026 04:47:51 +0000

Psalms 119:29 "Remove from me the way of lying, and grant me Your law graciously."
Psalms 119:104 "Through Your precepts I get understanding; Therefore I hate every false way."
Psalms 120:2 "Deliver my soul, O LORD, from lying lips And from a deceitful tongue."
Proverbs 4:2 "For I give you good doctrine: do not forsake my law."
Proverbs 12:22 "Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD, but those who deal truthfully are His delight."
Isaiah 30:9 "That this is a rebellious people, lying children, children who will not hear the law of the LORD."
Jeremiah 5:31 "The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule by their own power; and My people love to have it so. But what will you do in the end?"
Jeremiah 7:8 “Behold, you trust in lying words that cannot profit."
Jeremiah 10:8 "But they are altogether dull-hearted and foolish; a wooden idol is a worthless doctrine."
Jeremiah 14:14 "And the LORD said to me, 'The prophets prophesy lies in My name. I have not sent them, commanded them, nor spoken to them; they prophesy to you a false vision, divination, a worthless thing, and the deceit of their heart.'"
Lamentations 2:14 "Your prophets have seen for you False and deceptive visions; they have not uncovered your iniquity, to bring back your captives, but have envisioned for you false prophecies and delusions."
Ezekiel 22:28 "Her prophets plastered them with untempered mortar, seeing false visions, and divining lies for them, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD,’ when the LORD had not spoken."
Matthew 7:15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves."
Matthew 15:9 "And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’”
Matthew 16:12 "Then they understood that He did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees."
Matthew 24:4 "And Jesus answered and said to them: 'Take heed that no one deceives you.'"
Matthew 24:11 "Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many."
Matthew 24:24 "For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect."
Mark 7:7 "And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men."
Mark 13:22 "For false christs and false prophets will rise and show signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect."
Luke 6:26 "Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for so did their fathers to the false prophets."
John 8:44 "You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it."
Acts 13:10 "And said, 'O full of all deceit and all fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease perverting the straight ways of the Lord?'"
Acts 20:28-31 "Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears."
Romans 16:18 "For those who are such do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple."
Romans 16:17 "Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them."
II Corinthians 2:17 "For we are not, as so many, peddling the word of God; but as of sincerity, but as from God, we speak in the sight of God in Christ."
II Corinthians 11:3-13 "But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted—you may well put up with it! For I consider that I am not at all inferior to the most eminent apostles. Even though I am untrained in speech, yet I am not in knowledge. But we have been thoroughly manifested among you in all things. Did I commit sin in humbling myself that you might be exalted, because I preached the gospel of God to you free of charge? I robbed other churches, taking wages from them to minister to you. And when I was present with you, and in need, I was a burden to no one, for what I lacked the brethren who came from Macedonia supplied. And in everything I kept myself from being burdensome to you, and so I will keep myself. As the truth of Christ is in me, no one shall stop me from this boasting in the regions of Achaia. Why? Because I do not love you? God knows! But what I do, I will also continue to do, that I may cut off the opportunity from those who desire an opportunity to be regarded just as we are in the things of which they boast. For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ."
Galatians 1:6-9 "I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed."
Ephesians 4:14 "That we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting."
Ephesians 5:11 "And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them."
Philippians 3:2 "Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the mutilation!"
Colossians 2:4 "Now this I say lest anyone should deceive you with persuasive words."
Colossians 2:8 "Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ."
Colossians 2:18 "Let no one cheat you of your reward, taking delight in false humility and worship of angels, intruding into those things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind."
Colossians 2:21-23 "'Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle,' which all concern things which perish with the using—according to the commandments and doctrines of men? These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh."
II Thessalonians 2:10 "And with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved."
II Thessalonians 3:6 "But we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw from every brother who walks disorderly and not according to the tradition which he received from us."
I Timothy 1:3 "As I urged you when I went into Macedonia—remain in Ephesus that you may charge some that they teach no other doctrine,"
I Timothy 1:7 "Desiring to be teachers of the law, understanding neither what they say nor the things which they affirm."
I Timothy 1:10 "For fornicators, for sodomites, for kidnappers, for liars, for perjurers, and if there is any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine."
I Timothy 4:1 "Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons."
I Timothy 6:3-4 "If anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which accords with godliness, he is proud, knowing nothing, but is obsessed with disputes and arguments over words, from which come envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions."
II Timothy 3:5-6 "Having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts."
II Timothy 4:3 "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers."
Titus 1:10-11 "For there are many insubordinate, both idle talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole households, teaching things which they ought not, for the sake of dishonest gain."
Hebrews 13:9 "Do not be carried about with various and strange doctrines. For it is good that the heart be established by grace, not with foods which have not profited those who have been occupied with them."
II Peter 2:1-3 "But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber."
II Peter 2:17-22 "These are wells without water, clouds carried by a tempest, for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever. For when they speak great swelling words of emptiness, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through lewdness, the ones who have actually escaped from those who live in error. While they promise them liberty, they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into bondage. For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them. But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: “A dog returns to his own vomit,” and, “a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire.”
I John 2:3-4 "Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him."
I John 2:18 "Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour."
I John 3:24 "Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us."
I John 4:1 "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world."
II John 7 "For many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist."
II John 9-11 "Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him; for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds."
Jude 3-6 "Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.
But I want to remind you, though you once knew this, that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe. And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day."
Jude 11-13 "Woe to them! For they have gone in the way of Cain, have run greedily in the error of Balaam for profit, and perished in the rebellion of Korah. These are spots in your love feasts, while they feast with you without fear, serving only themselves. They are clouds without water, carried about by the winds; late autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, pulled up by the roots; raging waves of the sea, foaming up their own shame; wandering stars for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever."
Revelation 2:14 "But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality."
Revelation 2:15 "Thus you also have those who hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate."
Revelation 2:20 "Nevertheless I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols."
Revelation 2:24 "Now to you I say, and to the rest in Thyatira, as many as do not have this doctrine, who have not known the depths of Satan, as they say, I will put on you no other burden."
Revelation 12:9 "So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him."
Revelation 20:10 "The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever."

Notes on Why God’s Judgment Through the Bears Was Righteous

Jeffrey Hamilton — Fri, 06 Feb 2026 21:12:15 +0000

by Terry Wane Bento
(based on an AI-generated list)

The “children” were not little kids

The Hebrew word נְעָרִים (na'arim) can refer to: young men, servants, military trainees, adolescents, or adults (e.g., Joseph at 17 is called a na'ar). The same word describes Ishmael as a teenager, David as a warrior, and Solomon as a grown man at the beginning of his reign.

These were not toddlers mocking a prophet — they were a large group of hostile young men, old enough to pose a threat.

Their mockery was not harmless teasing

They shout: “Go up, you baldhead!” This is not playground humor. It is: a rejection of God’s prophet, a rejection of Elijah’s ascension (“Go up” is basically saying, “Why don’t you die like Elijah?”), a rejection of God’s authority. In the ancient world, to attack a prophet was to attack God Himself (cf. Numbers 16; I Samuel 8:7). This was covenant rebellion, not childish mischief.

The location matters: Bethel was a center of idolatry

Bethel was the headquarters of Jeroboam’s golden calf worship, a place where prophets of Yahweh were hated and persecuted, and a city known for violent hostility toward God’s messengers. This group likely represented the anti‑Yahweh culture of Bethel rather than random passersby.

The size of the group shows it was a mob

The text says forty‑two were mauled. This means that the group was large, the atmosphere was threatening, and Elisha was likely surrounded. This was an intimidating, potentially violent mob, not a handful of kids.

The judgment came from God, not Elisha’s temper

The text states that Elisha cursed them in the name of the LORD— meaning that he invoked God’s covenant authority, that the judgment was God’s decision, not Elisha’s anger, and that the bears were God’s response, not Elisha’s revenge. Prophets do not have magical powers; they act as God’s representatives. This was divine judgment, not personal retaliation.

The covenant background explains the severity

Leviticus 26 warns Israel that if they reject God and despise His word, wild beasts will come, children and young men will be attacked, and judgment will fall on covenant‑breaking communities. Bethel was deep in covenant rebellion. This event is not random — it is exactly what God said would happen to a nation that rejects Him.

The purpose was protective, not arbitrary

Elisha had just been appointed the new prophet of Israel. If the first public response to him is mockery, rejection, mob intimidation, and denial of God’s authority, then the entire prophetic ministry is undermined.

God’s judgment defended His prophet, warned a rebellious nation, and protected the unfolding of His redemptive plan. This was not cruelty — it was justice in the face of violent rebellion.

The righteousness of God’s action

When all the pieces are put together: a hostile mob, in an idolatrous city, rejecting God’s prophet, rejecting God’s revelation, fulfilling covenant warnings, threatening God’s messenger and opposing God’s redemptive work, God’s judgment is not only righteous — it is consistent with His holiness, His covenant, and His protection of His people.

Notes on Foreigners

Jeffrey Hamilton — Thu, 22 Jan 2026 18:47:18 +0000

The Resident Alien

The Hebrew word is gerim. These are people who live within Israel's borders, often as refugees or laborers.
Leviticus 19:33-34 "When a stranger resides with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. The stranger who resides with you shall be to you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt; I am the LORD your God."
These people were granted legal rights equal to those of native-born Israelites.
However, they were required to follow the laws of the land.

The Hostile Foreigner

The Hebrew words are zarim and nokrim. These are people with political ties to other nations or who came as invaders.
II Samuel 22:45-46 "Foreigners pretend obedience to me; As soon as they hear, they obey me. Foreigners lose heart, and come trembling out of their fortresses."

Limited Immigration

Some groups were barred or treated with extreme caution due to historical risks.

Ammonites and Moabites:

Deuteronomy 23:3-4 "No Ammonite or Moabite shall enter the assembly of the LORD; none of their descendants, even to the tenth generation, shall ever enter the assembly of the LORD, because they did not meet you with food and water on the way when you came out of Egypt, and because they hired against you Balaam the son of Beor from Pethor of Mesopotamia, to curse you."
Nehemiah 13:1-3 "On that day they read aloud from the book of Moses in the hearing of the people; and there was found written in it that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever enter the assembly of God, because they did not meet the sons of Israel with bread and water, but hired Balaam against them to curse them. However, our God turned the curse into a blessing. So when they heard the law, they excluded all foreigners from Israel."

Military Response

Ammonites

I Samuel 11 - Saul repelled the Ammonites who besieged Jabesh-Gilead

Marital Restrictions

Worshipers of false gods were forbidden to marry Israelites to prevent corruption (Deuteronomy 7:1-6; Ezra 9:1-2; Nehemiah 13:23-29)

Walls and Borders

Most large cities and many smaller ones had fortified walls.

Daily Verses for Overcoming Lust

Jeffrey Hamilton — Sat, 08 Nov 2025 21:42:34 +0000

by Jeffrey W. Hamilton

A young man was struggling with pornography and called me to discuss how to deal with it. He mentioned that he did better when he was a part of a program that had him read a daily passage and discuss how it applied to his problem. The problem was that a denomination ran it, and they were clearly using Scriptures out of context. He got tired of it and quit. However, I thought the basic idea was sound, so we started having daily call-ins where we would discuss the previous day's passage and question, and then I would give him the next passage and question. Most of the call-ins lasted between five and ten minutes, although a few triggered longer discussions. Each day, I would ask him if he could "survive" without looking at porn for one more day. No impossibly long commitment. Just an honest attempt to make it one more day.

I hope the list gives you a way to help others. There is no particular order to the verses or questions.

Psalms 119:67, 71, 75 - How do these verses apply to your situation?
Hebrews 3:13 - List ways lust and pornography deceive you.
I Corinthians 9:25-29 - How can you better exercise self-control?
Matthew 5:27-28 - What is the difference between acknowledging someone is pretty or handsome and looking with lust? How can you avoid looking with lust?
Proverbs 24:16 - How should you respond to failing?
II Peter 3:1 - Why are reminders needed?
I Timothy 6:12 - Why is being a Christian like a fight?
I John 1:9 - How do you deal with failures?
Philippians 3:13 - When should you consider that you have succeeded?
II Timothy 2:5 - What excuses have you given yourself for not following God's commands?
Luke 9:62 - What is the danger of longing for what we have left behind?
Philippians 4:11-13 - How does pornography show a lack of contentment?
James 1:13-16 - List the progress of sin from start to finish? At what point can we first do battle against sin?
Proverbs 5:15-23 - Explain this passage in detail.
Philippians 3:18-19 - What is meant by "their god is their belly"? How would this apply to pornography?
Hebrews 13:4 - What is meant by the "bed is undefiled"? Is it right to enjoy watching other people sin?
Mark 7:18-23 - Why is it important to stay away from lust and pornography?
Romans 1:24 - How did the Greek society decay?
Philippians 4:8 - Which of these qualities does pornography fail to represent?
Proverbs 9:17 - Why are people secretive about their pornography viewing?
I Timothy 4:1-2 - What happens, over time, when you repeatedly sin?
Romans 14:7-8 - Who does a Christian live for?
Galatians 5:24-25 - How do you choose what to do?
Proverbs 4:14-17 - Most sins start by getting close but not giving in. Why doesn't this work?
Ephesians 2:3 - What happens when you indulge the flesh and mind?
Colossians 3:5 - Define each term. Why do these things amount to idolatry?
I Thessalonians 4:3-5 - Describe why lust is to be avoided.
Matthew 6:22-23 - What happens when you focus on good or evil?
I Corinthians 10:13 - What three ways does God help us in our struggles against sin?
I John 3:9-10 - What shows the difference between a child of God and a child of Satan? Does this mean a Christian never sins?
Ecclesiastes 7:16-18 - How can a person be overly wicked? How can he be overly righteous? What is the danger of being overly righteous or overly wicked?
II Corinthians 7:10-11 - What does godly sorrow produce? Define the terms given in verse 11.
I Timothy 1:12-16 - How did Paul deal with his past sins?
James 5:16 - How does talking to someone about your struggles with lust help?
Galatians 5:19-21 - Why are deeds of the flesh evident? What is the difference between immorality (fornication), impurity (uncleanness), and sensuality (lewdness)?
Proverbs 4:20-27 - Why is it important to guard your heart?
Galatians 5:22-23 - How vital is self-control? Why is there no law against it?
Galatians 6:7-8 - If a farmer plants a seed, does he get one seed back at harvest? What do you get back from sowing to your flesh?
I Peter 4:1-4 - Why do worldly people think it strange that you don't join them in various lusts?
II Samuel 11:1-5 - What mistakes did David make that resulted in Bathsheba getting pregnant? What mistakes did Bathsheba make?
Proverbs 2:10-19 - What is the seductress's primary weapon? What protects you from it?
I John 2:15-17 - What are the three ways Satan can tempt us? Give examples of each.
Job 31:9-11 - What would be the lustful crime that Job referred to?
Romans 6:12 - How is sin able to reign in your body?
Proverbs 5:1-6 - Why does Solomon emphasize the end result of giving in to a seductress?
Romans 13:12-14 - How do you not provide for the lusts of your flesh?
Proverbs 6:20-35 - Explain this passage in detail.
Ephesians 4:22 - How do lusts deceive?
Proverbs 7:1-27 - What mistakes did the young man in Solomon's story make?
II Timothy 2:22 - What should be pursued instead of youthful lusts? Why are lusts associated with youth?
Proverbs 9:13-18 - Why is the woman of folly loud and pretends to be naive?
Titus 3:3 - How can lusts and pleasures enslave a person?
I Peter 2:11 - What do lust wage war against? How can lust wage war?
I Peter 1:14 - What does ignorance have to do with lusts?
II Peter 1:4 - How can you escape the corruption of lust?

Profile of the New Age Movement

Jeffrey Hamilton — Fri, 26 Sep 2025 15:46:25 +0000

by Warren E. Berkley
via Guardian of Truth

Definition

Built on the assumption that we are all divine beings with supernatural potential, the New Age Movement asserts that through knowledge, enlightenment, and meditation, we can discover our own divinity. Then, in concert with other "enlightened ones," we can create a new world and usher in a new age.

Historical Roots of Influence From:

Hippie Counterculture of the 1960s;
Eastern religions (Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Zen);
Pagan heresies (Gnosticism);
the occult;
Secular Humanism.

The New Age Movement draws on these diverse sources and often filters them through American sensibilities (Dictionary of Christianity in America, p. 809). "It's a shifting kaleidoscope of beliefs, fads and rituals... (Chandler, Understanding the New Age).

Teachers Are Called:

Mentors,
Gurus,
Swamis,
Spiritual Leaders,
Shamans,
Ascended Masters,
Avatar.

Roster of Well-Known Believers:

Linda Evans ("Dynasty"),
Joyce DeWitt (formerly of "Three's Company"),
Sharon Gless ("Cagney & Lacey"),
Shirley MacLaine,
John Denver,
Ted Turner,
Phalicia Rashad,
Yoko Ono,
Loretta Lynn,
Sylvester Stallone,
Willie Nelson.

Notable Quotations:

Atlanta broadcaster Ted Turner is so closely aligned with the New Age Movement that he has stated that America needs to elect a New Age president if it is to survive through the year 2000 (Documentation in Understanding the New Age, by Chandler, cited below).

Jack Underhill says, "You are God. Honest. I know your driver's license says differently, but what does the DMV know?"

Leaders:

Marilyn Ferguson,
Shirley MacLaine,
Ram Dass (Dr. Richard Alpert),
Fritjof Capra,
J.Z. Knight,
Matthew Fox,
Dr. Beverly Galyean,
Alice Bailey,
Helena Petrovna Blavatsky,
Benjamin Creme,
Donald Keys,
Kevin Ryerson,
David Spangler,
John Walsh.

New Age Organizations:

Association for Humanistic Psychology,
Association for Research and Enlightenment,
Association for Transpersonal Psychology,
Chinook Learning Center,
Esalen Institute,
FINDHORN,
The Forum (founded by Werner Erhard of EST fame),
Global Education Associates,
Greenpeace, USA,
Lifespring,
Life Training,
Karios Foundation,
Tara Center (headed by Benjamin Creme),
The UNITY-IN-DIVERSITY Counsel,
Windstar Foundation (founded by John Denver).

Assumptions:

All human ills stem from an inability to perceive that you are god.
A spirituality based on awareness of the oneness of all living forms and of their cyclical rhythms of birth and death.
"God, of itself, is wholly without goodness or evil" (Ramtha).
The belief that everything in the universe is a vast, undifferentiated, impersonal unity.
"The basis of peace is understanding our relationship with nature" (Diane Dreher).

Political Outlook:

Feminine Rights;
strong environmental consciousness;
Decentralized civil government, but their primary political message is globalism: one world government, which involves a merging of all the different ideologies. Many New Agers work to hand over power to a single-world government, similar in structure to the United Nations.
The UNITY-IN-DIVERSITY Council is a New-Age "metanet-work" of over 100 networks and gaps, rallying for global cooperation and interdependence.

Fields of Influence:

Medical,
Educational,
Political,
Corporate,
Religious,
Entertainment,
Literary,
Financial,
Science,
Ecology.

Religious Relatives:

The Unity Churches of Christianity;
Christian Science,
The "Faith Movement" among Neo-Pentecostals.

R. Chandler observes: "Mormonism's attachment to an essentially magic worldview - together with its teaching that men may become gods and, with many goddess wives, populate an infinity of spiritual plants - smacks of New Age esotericism rather than orthodox Christianity" (p. 79, Russell Chandler, in work cited below).

After Death:

The law of rebirth,
Karma,
Reincarnation - the cyclical evolution of a person's soul, as it repeatedly passes from one body to another at death. This process allegedly continues until the soul reaches a state of perfection.

Note - Christians believe men will be resurrected, not recycled (see Jn. 5:28,29).

View of Christ:

"Edward was not always king and Lincoln was not always president, and Jesus was not always Christ. Jesus won his Christship by a strenuous life" (Levi, The Aquarian Gospel).

"And that which is called Christ is within your being" (Ramtha).

"I took his being the Son of God with a grain of salt, and, in fact, by the time I was in my late teens, had decided for myself that God and religion were definitely mythological and if people needed to believe in it that was okay with me, but I couldn't" (Shirley MacLaine).

Distinctively Un-Biblical Views:

The essence of God and the essence of man are the same. See Romans 1:25-26; Ecclesiastes 5:2; Ezekiel 28:1,2; Deuteronomy 4:35; I Corinthians 8:6.
Unlimited potential. See Proverbs 3:5; Jeremiah 10:23.
No absolutes. See Jeremiah 10:23; Galatians 1:6-12.
Reincarnation. See Hebrews 9:27-28; John 5:28-29.
Pantheism. See Isaiah 6:3; Romans 1:23,25; Psalms 83:18.
General statements against new age beliefs: Isaiah 2:6; 8:19-20; John 14:6; Colossians 3:17; Acts 13:4-12; Revelation 21:8.

Typical New Age Vocabulary or "Buzz Words":

Open to new levels of experience
Exploring and transcending your belief system
Creating your own reality
Visualization
enhancement
Spiritual awakening
Self-esteem
Synergy
Nirvana
Higher Self
Spirituality, without moralizing
Consciousness Revolution
Cosmic Consciousness
Crystals
Harmonic Convergence
Human Potential
Psychokinesis
Guided Imagery (monism, Globalism)
Channeling
One World Auras
Overstatement and emphasis on the right-left brain
Confluent Education
Values Clarification
Yoga
Age of Aquarius
Astral Body
Clairvoyance
Karma
Levitation
Mantra
Parapsychology

The Church in Two Senses of the Word

Jeffrey Hamilton — Sat, 25 Jan 2025 19:14:15 +0000

based on charts by Scott Mann
via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 9, No. 11, November 30, 1983

Universal Church

The Relationship of Saints with God

Members are enrolled in heaven (Hebrews 12:23; II Timothy 2:19)
Consists of all saints, everywhere, living or dead (Ephesians 3:15; 5:27-29)
Only the Lord adds to their number (Acts 2:47)
Entrance is by obedience to the Gospel, including baptism (I Corinthians 12:13)
One Shepherd (Matthew 23:8; John 10:11)
Only one church in the universal sense exists (Ephesians 4:4-6)
Only God can discipline its members (Revelation 22:19)
All in it shall be saved (Ephesians 5:27-29)
There is no collective function or organization

Local Church

The Relationship of Saints with Saints

Members in a specific locality are enrolled by human judgment (Romans 16:5; III John 5-10)
Consists of saints who are currently living (Philippians 1:1, 23-26)
Members join themselves together (Acts 9:26)
Members enter by fellowship (II John 10)
Multiple lesser shepherds (I Peter 5:1-4)
Many local churches (Romans 16:16)
Men discipline members according to the Scriptures (I Corinthians 5:1-5; II Thessalonians 3:6, 11-15)
God saves only those members found faithful (Revelation 2:14-16; Matthew 21:28)
It has organization and function (Philippians 1:1; 4:15)

Early House of Worship

Jeffrey Hamilton — Sun, 01 Sep 2024 20:08:06 +0000

Source: "Christians didn't worship in houses? New study drops bombshell on religious archaeology," StudyFinds.org, 30 August 2024.

Early Christians "may have been more intentional in creating distinct sacred spaces than previously thought."

"One of the most striking findings was the removal of key features that defined Durene houses, such as the building’s cistern and food preparation area. These elements were essential for daily life in a home, and their absence suggests the structure was no longer meant to function as a residence. The researchers also discovered unique architectural elements, like low-level windows, that were not found in other domestic structures in the city."

"These findings challenge the idea that early Christian worship spaces were simply houses with minor modifications. Instead, they suggest a more deliberate and significant transformation of space, possibly indicating a desire by early Christians to create distinct, recognizable places of worship within their communities."

"It suggests that rather than following a universal pattern, early Christians may have been more influenced by local architectural traditions and may have been more intentional in creating spaces that stood apart from typical domestic structures."