The Bible-Ahead of Its Time!

Over the centuries, people have scoffed at the Bible and have pointed out how unscientific it supposedly is.
This is not unique to our times. Since the earliest days of history, people have laughed at the Bible.
Some mocked the Bible because it says the stars are uncountable (see Genesis 15:5). They said the Bible could not be true, because although there are a lot of stars, you most certainly can count them. With the naked eye, one can count several thousand stars. But as time passed and technology improved, men invented telescopes that allowed them to see further into space. Today, with our extremely powerful telescopes, we have concluded that the stars are indeed innumerable—billions upon billions of stars.
The Bible also declares that the earth hangs upon nothing (see Job 26:7), reminding us of pictures from space that show it gleaming blue and beautiful in its solitary orbit around the sun. It was the Bible that said, “So that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible” (Hebrews 11:3 NASB), predating by centuries the discoveries of modern science that show the direct connection between visible matter and invisible energy. It was the Bible that said the earth was round (see Isaiah 40:22), but for years people laughed at the absurdity of the statement; everyone “knew” the earth was flat.
Still, we should understand that it is not the purpose of the Bible to tell us how the heavens go, but rather how we can go to heaven.
The Word of God instructs us how to know God and how to live for Him in this troubled and confused world. And it is the only book that speaks with authority in this realm.

Messages From Heaven: Today's Bible Reading May 29 Romans 5; 1 Samuel 14...

Messages From Heaven: Today's Bible Reading May 29 Romans 5; 1 Samuel 14...: 1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 throu...

Today's Bible Reading May 29 Romans 5; 1 Samuel 14; Psalm 59 NAS

1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; 4 and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; 5 and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. 6 For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. 11 And not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation. 12 Therefore , just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned - 13 for until the Law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. 14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come. 15 But the free gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many. 16 The gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned; for on the one hand the judgment arose from one transgression resulting in condemnation, but on the other hand the free gift arose from many transgressions resulting in justification. 17 For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. 18 So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. 19 For as through the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous. 20 The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, 21 so that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord .

1 Samuel 14

1 Now the day came that Jonathan, the son of Saul, said to the young man who was carrying his armor, "Come and let us cross over to the Philistines' garrison that is on the other side." But he did not tell his father. 2 Saul was staying in the outskirts of Gibeah under the pomegranate tree which is in Migron. And the people who were with him were about six hundred men, 3 and Ahijah, the son of Ahitub, Ichabod's brother, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the priest of the LORD at Shiloh, was wearing an ephod. And the people did not know that Jonathan had gone. 4 Between the passes by which Jonathan sought to cross over to the Philistines' garrison, there was a sharp crag on the one side and a sharp crag on the other side, and the name of the one was Bozez, and the name of the other Seneh. 5 The one crag rose on the north opposite Michmash, and the other on the south opposite Geba. 6 Then Jonathan said to the young man who was carrying his armor, "Come and let us cross over to the garrison of these uncircumcised; perhaps the LORD will work for us, for the LORD is not restrained to save by many or by few." 7 His armor bearer said to him, "Do all that is in your heart; turn yourself, and here I am with you according to your desire." 8 Then Jonathan said, "Behold, we will cross over to the men and reveal ourselves to them. 9 "If they say to us, 'Wait until we come to you'; then we will stand in our place and not go up to them. 10 "But if they say, 'Come up to us,' then we will go up, for the LORD has given them into our hands; and this shall be the sign to us." 11 When both of them revealed themselves to the garrison of the Philistines, the Philistines said, "Behold, Hebrews are coming out of the holes where they have hidden themselves." 12 So the men of the garrison hailed Jonathan and his armor bearer and said, "Come up to us and we will tell you something." And Jonathan said to his armor bearer, "Come up after me, for the LORD has given them into the hands of Israel." 13 Then Jonathan climbed up on his hands and feet, with his armor bearer behind him; and they fell before Jonathan, and his armor bearer put some to death after him. 14 That first slaughter which Jonathan and his armor bearer made was about twenty men within about half a furrow in an acre of land. 15 And there was a trembling in the camp, in the field, and among all the people. Even the garrison and the raiders trembled, and the earth quaked so that it became a great trembling. 16 Now Saul's watchmen in Gibeah of Benjamin looked, and behold, the multitude melted away; and they went here and there. 17 Saul said to the people who were with him, "Number now and see who has gone from us." And when they had numbered, behold, Jonathan and his armor bearer were not there. 18 Then Saul said to Ahijah, "Bring the ark of God here." For the ark of God was at that time with the sons of Israel. 19 While Saul talked to the priest, the commotion in the camp of the Philistines continued and increased; so Saul said to the priest, "Withdraw your hand." 20 Then Saul and all the people who were with him rallied and came to the battle; and behold, every man's sword was against his fellow, and there was very great confusion. 21 Now the Hebrews who were with the Philistines previously, who went up with them all around in the camp, even they also turned to be with the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan. 22 When all the men of Israel who had hidden themselves in the hill country of Ephraim heard that the Philistines had fled, even they also pursued them closely in the battle. 23 So the LORD delivered Israel that day, and the battle spread beyond Beth-aven. 24 Now the men of Israel were hard-pressed on that day, for Saul had put the people under oath, saying, "Cursed be the man who eats food before evening, and until I have avenged myself on my enemies." So none of the people tasted food. 25 All the people of the land entered the forest, and there was honey on the ground . 26 When the people entered the forest, behold, there was a flow of honey; but no man put his hand to his mouth, for the people feared the oath. 27 But Jonathan had not heard when his father put the people under oath; therefore, he put out the end of the staff that was in his hand and dipped it in the honeycomb , and put his hand to his mouth, and his eyes brightened. 28 Then one of the people said, "Your father strictly put the people under oath, saying, 'Cursed be the man who eats food today.' " And the people were weary. 29 Then Jonathan said, "My father has troubled the land. See now, how my eyes have brightened because I tasted a little of this honey. 30 "How much more , if only the people had eaten freely today of the spoil of their enemies which they found! For now the slaughter among the Philistines has not been great." 31 They struck among the Philistines that day from Michmash to Aijalon. And the people were very weary. 32 The people rushed greedily upon the spoil, and took sheep and oxen and calves , and slew them on the ground; and the people ate them with the blood. 33 Then they told Saul, saying, "Behold, the people are sinning against the LORD by eating with the blood." And he said, "You have acted treacherously; roll a great stone to me today." 34 Saul said, "Disperse yourselves among the people and say to them, 'Each one of you bring me his ox or his sheep, and slaughter it here and eat; and do not sin against the LORD by eating with the blood.' " So all the people that night brought each one his ox with him and slaughtered it there. 35 And Saul built an altar to the LORD ; it was the first altar that he built to the LORD . 36 Then Saul said, "Let us go down after the Philistines by night and take spoil among them until the morning light, and let us not leave a man of them." And they said, "Do whatever seems good to you." So the priest said, "Let us draw near to God here." 37 Saul inquired of God, "Shall I go down after the Philistines? Will You give them into the hand of Israel?" But He did not answer him on that day. 38 Saul said, "Draw near here, all you chiefs of the people, and investigate and see how this sin has happened today. 39 "For as the LORD lives, who delivers Israel, though it is in Jonathan my son, he shall surely die." But not one of all the people answered him. 40 Then he said to all Israel, "You shall be on one side and I and Jonathan my son will be on the other side." And the people said to Saul, "Do what seems good to you." 41 Therefore, Saul said to the LORD , the God of Israel, "Give a perfect lot." And Jonathan and Saul were taken, but the people escaped. 42 Saul said, "Cast lots between me and Jonathan my son." And Jonathan was taken. 43 Then Saul said to Jonathan, "Tell me what you have done." So Jonathan told him and said, "I indeed tasted a little honey with the end of the staff that was in my hand. Here I am, I must die!" 44 Saul said, "May God do this to me and more also, for you shall surely die, Jonathan." 45 But the people said to Saul, "Must Jonathan die, who has brought about this great deliverance in Israel? Far from it! As the LORD lives, not one hair of his head shall fall to the ground, for he has worked with God this day." So the people rescued Jonathan and he did not die. 46 Then Saul went up from pursuing the Philistines, and the Philistines went to their own place. 47 Now when Saul had taken the kingdom over Israel, he fought against all his enemies on every side, against Moab, the sons of Ammon, Edom, the kings of Zobah, and the Philistines; and wherever he turned, he inflicted punishment. 48 He acted valiantly and defeated the Amalekites, and delivered Israel from the hands of those who plundered them. 49 Now the sons of Saul were Jonathan and Ishvi and Malchi-shua; and the names of his two daughters were these: the name of the firstborn Merab and the name of the younger Michal. 50 The name of Saul's wife was Ahinoam the daughter of Ahimaaz. And the name of the captain of his army was Abner the son of Ner, Saul's uncle. 51 Kish was the father of Saul, and Ner the father of Abner was the son of Abiel. 52 Now the war against the Philistines was severe all the days of Saul; and when Saul saw any mighty man or any valiant man, he attached him to his staff.

Psalm 59:1-18

1 Deliver me from my enemies, O my God; Set me securely on high away from those who rise up against me. 2 Deliver me from those who do iniquity And save me from men of bloodshed. 3 For behold, they have set an ambush for my life; Fierce men launch an attack against me, Not for my transgression nor for my sin, O LORD , 4 For no guilt of mine, they run and set themselves against me. Arouse Yourself to help me, and see! 5 You, O LORD God of hosts, the God of Israel, Awake to punish all the nations; Do not be gracious to any who are treacherous in iniquity. Selah. 6 They return at evening, they howl like a dog, And go around the city. 7 Behold, they belch forth with their mouth; Swords are in their lips, For, they say, "Who hears?" 8 But You, O LORD , laugh at them; You scoff at all the nations. 9 Because of his strength I will watch for You, For God is my stronghold. 10 My God in His lovingkindness will meet me; God will let me look triumphantly upon my foes. 11 Do not slay them, or my people will forget; Scatter them by Your power, and bring them down, O Lord , our shield. 12 On account of the sin of their mouth and the words of their lips, Let them even be caught in their pride, And on account of curses and lies which they utter. 13 Destroy them in wrath, destroy them that they may be no more; That men may know that God rules in Jacob To the ends of the earth. Selah. 14 They return at evening, they howl like a dog, And go around the city. 15 They wander about for food And growl if they are not satisfied. 16 But as for me, I shall sing of Your strength; Yes, I shall joyfully sing of Your lovingkindness in the morning, For You have been my stronghold And a refuge in the day of my distress. 17 O my strength, I will sing praises to You; For God is my stronghold, the God who shows me lovingkindness.

Messages From Heaven: Is Love Enough to Make Marriage Succeed?

Messages From Heaven: Is Love Enough to Make Marriage Succeed?: If you and your spouse really love each other, won't that hold you steady when the storms come? Not necessarily--and certainly no...

Is Love Enough to Make Marriage Succeed?

If you and your spouse really love each other, won't that hold you steady when the storms come?

Not necessarily--and certainly not if you are thinking of love as a romantic feeling. Feeling wonderful about one another does not make two people compatible over the long haul. Many couples assume that the excitement of their courtship will continue for the rest of their lives. That virtually never occurs! It is naive to expect two unique individuals to mesh together like a couple of machines and to remain exhilarated throughout life. Even gears have multiple cogs with rough edges to be honed before they will work in concert.
That honing process usually occurs in the first year or two of marriage. The foundation for all that is to follow is laid in those critical months. What often occurs at this time is a dramatic struggle for power in the relationship. Who will lead? Who will follow? Who will determine how the money is spent? Who will get his or her way in times of disagreement? Everything is up for grabs in the beginning, and the way these early decisions are made will set the stage for the future. The apostle Paul gave us the divine perspective on human relationships--not only in marriage, but in every dimension of life. He wrote, "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves" (Philippians 2:3).

That one verse contains more wisdom than most marriage manuals combined. If heeded, it could virtually eliminate divorce from the catalog of human experience. It will give you stability when the storms begin to howl.

Messages From Heaven: What Must Change And What Never Will!

Messages From Heaven: What Must Change And What Never Will!: Virtually every week, I come across people who long for the simple life of yesteryear. But I've learned that one's perspective ...

What Must Change And What Never Will!

Virtually every week, I come across people who long for the simple life of yesteryear. But I've learned that one's perspective makes all the difference.
Some look back and remember the best of times—an easier pace, closer ties, cleaner movies, and deeper, more honest relationships. Others remember only the worst of times—inconveniences, prejudices, and inefficiencies. When you stop long enough to think objectively, though, you realize that no time is ideal. The times are what they are, and either we learn to flex and thrive or we become rigid and irrelevant.
I mention the word flex, which makes some people cringe. Others resist, planting their feet firmly in the status quo. But because God is in control of our times, change is not to be feared or fought. If we truly believe that our times are in God's hand, changes would not be so difficult to accept. Nor would they cause us such anxiety. Everything from modern inventions to global upheavals could be taken in stride because He—our faithful God—is in control. Nothing surprises or threatens Him. Nothing! No president takes the oath of office without God nodding and saying, "That is My will." No advancement in technology or science catches Him off guard. God is sovereign; He is never out-of-date. He is still in touch, always in control, and fully aware.
As I've thought about the reality of God's sovereignty, I can't help but ponder His work at Insight for Living Ministries over the past 36 years. If there's ever a context that required flex, our ministry is it. Just imagine the changes in technology we've seen in the past 36 years!
However, at the same time, there are some things that we refuse to flex on. Let me give you a couple of thoughts.
First, times may change, but our message never will. I think about that each time Cynthia and I journey to the Holy Land. Modern-day Jerusalem looks SO different than it did in Jesus' day. But the message that Jesus shared in the Holy City is the same message we share today. The buildings of century-one Jerusalem are long gone, but the Word of God remains as alive as it ever was. Moreover, God's truth, the Bible, is our foundation. If that collapses, everything is lost. David lamented:

The foundations of law and order have collapsed.
What can the righteous do? (Psalm 11:3)

The foundations set down by people will indeed collapse, but God's foundation will never crumble. Earthquakes may rock our cities, but there will never be a "truthquake." There will never be a day when God will say, "You know, I've been rethinking My Book. . . . Some of those truths I preserved about Jesus, well, I need to have someone rewrite them. Also, a few of the character traits about Me and some of those doctrines in My Book need to be updated." NO! He will never do that! His truth is more solid than a ten-thousand-ton mound of granite. At Insight for Living Ministries, we refuse to flex on the unchanging truths of Scripture.
Second, the possibilities that change brings are thrilling. Think of the excitement and efficiency of a missionary in a remote jungle using a palm-sized computer to record spoken syllables and then translating them into a tribe's first written language. Think of the possibilities for the instant transmission of the gospel through the Internet. In the first century, apostles had to travel for days (sometimes weeks) to preach about Christ to a handful of people. Not today. We can post the teaching of God's Word on our Insight for Living Ministries Web site, and folks all over the world can access it at their convenience—instantly.
For the last few years, Cynthia and I have focused our attention on laying the groundwork for the future of Insight for Living Ministries, which we base onMatthew 28:19–20: "Make disciples of all the nations. . . . Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you." We're excited beyond words to begin what we call Vision 195. Our passion is to fulfill the Great Commission in this generation just as Jesus' disciples did in the first century. We will broaden our borders with the message of God's majesty, the authenticity of His Word, and the power of the cross, woven into a tapestry of God's amazing grace, in all 195 countries of our world. This will be accomplished by modeling the life of Christ and mentoring disciples through the new Charles R. Swindoll Search the Scriptures Training Centers, our daily broadcasts, translations of our broadcasts and published resources, the latest technology, and international pastoral internships. Vision 195 is the mission that God has given us for all generations. The technology of today helps us accomplish tremendous things for Christ. Keeping that in mind, it is our goal to stay open to the need to flex our methods of communication. In all my years of serving God, I've never been more excited about life and ministry!
Some things change, for sure. They must—otherwise, we get myopic and become out of touch. But remember . . . no amount of technology or innovations gives us permission to change God's message. That must never happen! God's timeless truths don't flex with the times. His truths remain our sure foundation.
They always have been . . . they always will be.