The Significance of Nahshon as Leader of the Tribe of Judah

As December starts tomorrow, Christmas can either be viewed spiritually or worldly. I think the Puritans were wrong to have that ban on Christmas. Arthur W. Pink, though he disliked Christmas, actually wrote in Practical Christianity that there’s still the freedom to celebrate it. I would like to have some “Christmas spirit” by digging into the genealogy of Jesus Christ. Matthew 1 records the legal qualifications which list Abraham down to Joseph, Jesus’ adoptive father. Luke 3:23-38 records it differently and we read David had a son named Nathan. 1 Chronicles 3:5 records that David had other children with Bathsheba aside from the firstborn who died in infancy and Solomon. The record is also in 2 Samuel 5:14 and 1 Chronicles 14:4-7. We can read that there was a son named Nathan. David named one of his sons after his encourager and accountability partner, the prophet Nathan. Then going backwards, we find another important person named Nahshon from the very lineage of David.

The Problem of Developing Eschatomania Over Pope Francis’ Age-Related Health Problems

Back then, I remember hyping on the late John Paul II’s health, the late Benedict XVI’s health, and now Pope Francis himself (portrayed above and is in a wheelchair after a knee injury). It’s often said you’re blessed to reach 80. Benedict XVI reached up to 95 in spite of the speculation that he would only reign for a year or two. Benedict XVI was able to reign for more than two years. Francis was elected in 2013 and it’s his tenth year now. Francis was able to reach 85 while John Paul II passed away at 84. At 84 years old, John Paul II was suffering from a lot of old-age-related complications.

The Doctrine of Election and Christian Schools

It’s a tragedy that so many people grew up in a Christian school since pre-school or grade school. I started off school in a secular environment before I moved to a Christian school. A Christian school can have many students but more than half aren’t saved or from saved family backgrounds. It’s sad to know that a Christian school can have alumni who grew up in the school but never got saved. It’s sad how I read that some people graduate from a Christian school, they heard the Gospel for most of their lives, but they’re not saved. I always wondered why that happened. I even had relatives who tried attending graduation ceremonies in Bethany Christian School, where a Baptist pastor preaches the message of salvation during the baccalaureate and the graduation ceremony. A Baptist pastor, I last remember, preached about salt and light. Another showed the basic ABCs of salvation and what it means to have a personal relationship with Jesus. The big question is why is it that so many of the students didn’t get saved, even after growing up in a Christian school? Why is it that some people who didn’t grow up in one, got saved?

The Pharisees as Lovers of Money and Their Love of Popularity More Than the Truth

As I opened the Tecarta Bible application, I found a topic that would be worth writing about now. It’s about the end of the Pharisees, after hearing the parable of the unjust steward. As Christmas draws near, reading one chapter of Luke (or studying it) becomes a tradition for some until Christmas Eve. Too bad that Typhoon Odette ruined my initial plans but by God’s grace, I was able to blog through Luke eventually even if there were delays. I’d like to point out Luke 16:13-15 which is the key verse for today. The KJV uses the word covetous while the ESV translates it as “lovers of money”. I think the ESV users probably used whatever footnotes were available in later editions of the KJV. Even any decent KJV Only (who still befriends non-KJV brethren) would admit that the KJV has been revised over time until 1769.

The Northern Kingdom’s Downfall

It’s a shame that the Northern Kingdom of Israel really wasted God’s mercy. Just think of how the mercy of God was shown even during the reign of Jeroboam the son of Nebat. God could’ve obliterated the kingdom so easily when Ahab, the most wicked king ever, sat down. Now, it’s time to read that of Hoshea the son of Elah, who became the final king of the divided period. The sour note in 2 Kings 17 is in verse 2. It says:

And he did what was evil in the sight tof the LORD yet not as the kings of Israel who were before him.

Ahaz’s Ungodly Regime and Foolish Dealings with Assyria

After Jotham’s compromised reign, it can be seen how Ahaz became a wicked king. We can read the cycle of good kings and bad kings in Judah. The account of Ahaz can be read in 2 Kings 16 and 2 Chronicles 28. Ahaz was 20 years old when he became king and he ruled for only 16 years. Ahaz followed in the ways of Israel. It may not necessarily mean that Ahaz followed in the ways of Jeroboam the son of Nebat. However, we can know for sure that Ahaz was a degenerate man. Ahaz himself even sacrificed one of his sons in the fire. This would be most likely an offering to Molech where children were thrown into the fire. In other words, Hezekiah may not even be the oldest son and may have lost an older brother due to Ahaz’s wickedness. To think that according to the MacArthur Study Bible Ahaz supposedly was a co-regent to his righteous father Jotham. Jotham, like many good kings, failed to raise good sons.

A Reflection on Psalm 100 This Thanksgiving Day

As I was opening the Tecarta Bible application, I read Psalm 100:4-5 was the verse for the day. I usually use the verse of the day as a guide on what to read for the day, when I’m skipping the Bible study routine. It’s easy to read the Bible but not to fully study it. With Psalm 100, I realized that every last Thursday of the month is Thanksgiving Day. Psalm 100 is captioned by several Bible translations as “A Psalm for giving thanks”. The captions are usually written by translators for easier reference. The KJV version writes “A psalm of praise” while an asterisk says “thanksgiving”.