Welcome to the JRE blogpost for June.
♦♦♦♦♦♦
Obama recently voted 5th best US President ever
In a recent poll of legal voters to rate all 44 US Presidents, Obama came in as 5th best president ever.
The poll results were as follows:
• Reagan, Lincoln, and 8 others tied for first,
• 15 presidents tied for second,
• 17 other presidents tied for third,
• Jimmy Carter came in 4th,
• Obama came in fifth
♦♦♦♦♦♦
Great advice for students of the Bible
“It shall greatly help ye to understand Scripture if thou mark, not only what is spoken and written,
but of whom,
and to whom,
with what words,
at what time,
where,
to what intent,
with what circumstances,
considering what goeth before
and what followeth.”
- Miles Coverdale, in the introduction to his 1535 Bible translation
♦♦♦♦♦♦
Honor in wartime
Look carefully at the WWII B-17 and note how shot up it is—one engine dead, tail, horizontal stabilizer and nose shot up. It was ready to fall out of the sky. (This is a painting done by an artist from the description of both pilots many years later.) How did they make it back to their base in Britain? The answer may surprise you.
Charlie Brown was a B-17 Flying Fortress pilot with the 379th Bomber Group at Kimbolton, England. His B-17 was called ‘Ye Old Pub’ and was in a terrible state, having been hit by flak and fighters. The compass had been damaged and they were flying deeper over enemy territory instead of heading home to Kimbolton. Then they realize there is a German ME-109 fighter flying next to them.
After flying the B-17 over an enemy airfield, a German pilot named Franz Steigler was ordered to take off and shoot down the B-17. When he got near the B-17, he could not believe his eyes. He had never seen a plane in such a bad state. The tail and rear section was severely damaged, and the tail gunner wounded. Debris was all over the top of the fuselage. The nose was smashed and there were holes everywhere.
Despite having ammunition, Franz flew to the side of the B-17 and looked at Charlie Brown, the pilot. Brown was struggling to control his damaged and blood-stained plane.
Aware that the B-17 pilots had no idea they were heading deeper into Germany rather than back to Britain, Franz waved at Charlie to turn 180 degrees. Franz escorted and guided the stricken plane to, and slightly over, the North Sea towards England. He then saluted Charlie Brown and turned away, back to Europe. Charlie was able to land the plane safely.
When Franz landed he told the CO that the plane had been shot down over the sea, and never told the truth to anybody. Charlie Brown and the remainder of his crew told all at their briefing, but were ordered never to talk about it.
Forty years later, Charlie Brown wanted to find the Luftwaffe pilot who saved the crew. After years of research, Franz was found. He had never talked about the incident, not even at post-war reunions.
They met in the USA at a 379th Bomber Group reunion, together with the crew members who were still alive—all because Franz never fired his guns that day.
There is a sermon in there somewhere.
Let’s never forget our military men and women on Memorial Day!
♦♦♦♦♦♦
Just the way it is
“If the Arabs put down their weapons today, there would be no more violence.
If the Jews put down their weapons today, there would be no more Israel.
-Benjamin Netanyahu
♦♦♦♦♦♦
♦♦♦♦♦♦
Is the Word of God being attacked?
Of course it is being attacked by liberal elements of academia, but they have hammered on it for 2000 years. The press and the media are joining in today, but the Word of God will still be around after they are gone and forgotten.
Some of the most troublesome and divisive rhetoric, however, primarily comes from extremist elements of the Baptist faith. Why use such language as “the contemporary Bible translators/publishers are attacking the Word of God” because the NKJV, HCSB, NASB, RSV, NET, ESV, and other major Bible translations omit [or bracket] Luke 17:36? Such rhetoric is damaging to the search for biblical truth. Virtually no textual scholar accepts that verse as a legitimate part of Scripture. It wasn’t in Erasmus’ or Stephanus’ Textus Receptus editions, not in Tyndale, not in Luther’s Bible. The translators of the 1611 King James Bible admitted in the margin that this verse was lacking in Greek texts. This game of “such and such word [or verse] is not in contemporary Bibles,” suggesting some conspiracy, is inane and damaging to the unity of the body of Christ. Does anyone care to know why certain words or verses in the KJV do not appear in modern translations? Those who choose not to know are the poorer for it.
Applying the same standard to the KJV, the King James translators have “omitted” ten words from Luke 21:25 that were in Tyndale’s Bible, as well as Coverdale’s, Matthew’s, and Whittingham’s English Bibles—all of which preceded the KJV. Should the KJV be condemned because the translators applied textual criticism and “omitted” those words “from the Bible”? Consistency should be a goal for all serious textual critics. What about other renderings that the KJV translators made that have no basis in Greek manuscripts? When some say that the newer versions are leaving something out to dilute or change a doctrine, are they speaking from fact or from rumor and assumption? This is not said to denigrate the KJV, but to appeal for fairness, truth, and credibility in our assessment of Bible translations.
What really is going on here? Honesty about Bible translations is imperative. Hiding truth with catchy clichés and wild accusations that cannot be substantiated is deceptive. And deception is not the Apostolic way.
This topic is too extensive to deal with exhaustively in this format, but if you are interested in serious research on this subject, you may order our ebook Searching the Scriptures: Looking for Truth in and about Bible Translations at advanceministries.org/store.
♦♦♦♦♦♦
Speaking of truth…
Girls when they went out to swim
Once dressed like Mother Hubbard.
Now they have a bolder whim
They dress more like the cupboard.
-U.S. Navy’s Scuttlebutt
What a difference a hundred years can make! The swimsuits at right were worn in the early 20th century.
♦♦♦♦♦♦
Founded by geniuses, run by idiots
Once in a while someone will send something that really makes sense. Let me share one:
If you can get arrested for hunting or fishing without a license, but not for being in the country illegally—you might live in a country founded by geniuses but run by idiots.
If you have to get your parents’ permission to go on a field trip or take an aspirin in school, but not to get an abortion—you might live in a country founded by geniuses but run by idiots.
If you have to show identification to board an airplane, cash a check, or check out a library book, but not to vote who runs the government—you might live in a country founded by geniuses but run by idiots.
If the government wants to ban stable, law-abiding citizens from owning gun magazines with more than ten rounds, but gives 20 F-16 fighter jets and Abrams tanks to the crazy new leaders in Egypt—you might live in a country founded by geniuses but run by idiots.
If, in the largest city, you can buy two 16-ounce sodas, but not a 24-ounce soda because 24-ounces of a sugary drink might make you fat—you might live in a country founded by geniuses but run by idiots.
If an 80-year-old grandmother can be virtually strip-searched by the TSA but a Muslim woman in a hijab is only subject to having her neck and head searched—you might live in a country founded by geniuses but run by idiots.
If a seven year-old boy can be thrown out of school for saying his teacher is “cute,” but hosting a sexual exploration or diversity class in grade school is perfectly acceptable—you might live in a country founded by geniuses but run by idiots.
If your government believes that the best way to eradicate trillions of dollars of debt is to spend trillions more—you might live in a country founded by geniuses but run by idiots.
If children are forcibly removed from parents who discipline them with spankings while children of addicts are left in filth and drug infested “homes”—you might live in a country founded by geniuses but run by idiots.
If hard work and success are met with higher taxes and more government intrusion, while not working is rewarded with EBT cards, WIC checks, Medicaid, subsidized housing and free cell phones—you might live in a country founded by geniuses but run by idiots.
If being stripped of the ability to defend yourself makes you more “safe” according to the government—you might live in a country founded by geniuses but run by idiots.
♦♦♦♦♦♦
More questions for my philosopher friends about the idiosyncrasies of English
If a deaf child signs swear words, does his mother wash his hands with soap?
Where do forest rangers go to “get away from it all?”
One nice thing about egotists: they don’t talk about other people.
What do you do when you see an endangered animal eating an endangered plant?
Would a fly without wings be called a walk?
Is it wrong for vegetarians to eat animal crackers?
What was the best thing before sliced bread?
I know…I know. Don’t say it!
♦♦♦♦♦♦
BooksBooksBooksBooksBooks
Ideas for Gifts for Father’s Day
Cyclopedic Theological Dictionary
The reference volume based on the biblical, apostolic viewpoint! Compiled and written by J. R. Ensey.
When you want to know the meaning of a theological term, or the description of a religious movement, or the definition of over a thousand words that are found in reference works and the Bible…turn to The New Cyclopedic Theological Dictionary!
Contains:
• Over 1000 entries
• Definitions and descriptions of many Bible words, theological
terms, and religious movements
• 486 pages of easy-to-read, easy-to-use information
• The only reference volume of its kind! Written from a conservative, Apostolic viewpoint, this classic work has enhanced the study habits of thousands of ministers and laymen.
“This dictionary is far more than a word study; it is replete with the background and history of many doctrinal positions and teachings. It also serves as a standard for testing the validity of different theories…an invaluable tool!”
-Dr. Marvin Treece
AM Price $16.99
Apostolic Theological Forum Set of Five
The Apostolic Theological Forum was established in 2002 to provide a colloquy where papers on theological subjects could be presented and discussed. A variety of papers dealing with doctrinal issues, church, government, prophecy and history have been presented each year in the Forum. Visit our web store to see the topics addressed in each book.
AM Price $9.95 each or Set of Five $44.95
♦♦♦♦♦♦
A way of escape
Paul shared an important bit of information with us in I Corinthians 10:13 – “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”
After the last space shuttle disaster, the designers of the craft began to think of ways that the astronauts 
could have escaped with their lives. The next time the shuttle lifted off the pad at Cape Canaveral, new features were in place that would have given the astronauts a fighting chance of being spared if a similar disaster had occurred. That is smart, because those people in the shuttle were far more valuable than the shuttle itself! More trustworthy than the shuttle’s escape mechanism is the means God prepares for us when we are being tempted.
God has indeed given us “great and precious promises” (II Peter 1:4)! Not the least of which is that when temptation comes, He makes a way around, through, over, under—some way of escape! Our responsibility is:
1) Look for that way of escape! It is there somewhere. Be honest. If you want to, you will find it! God never puts on us more than we can bear. That means that there will never be a temptation challenge us that we cannot overcome!
2) Take it! Joseph needed that way of escape in Potiphar’s home. He took it and made his place in the Faith Hall of Fame. In fact, more space is given to Joseph than just about any other character. He was a winner.
So, as a principle to remember: You don’t have to succumb to temptation. God has made a way of escape for you. When you get in trouble, watch and pray! And suddenly you will see it—the way of escape! We are thereby partakers of the divine nature, “having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust” (II Peter 1:4
♦♦♦♦♦♦
Kids don’t always “get it”
When our 3-year old great grandson, Peyton, wanted to sing a chorus he had heard, he began with “Peas, peas, wonderful peas; coming down from….”
Other parents’ submissions:
3-year-old Reese :
“Our Father, Who does art in heaven,
Harold is His name.
Amen.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A little boy was overheard praying:
“Lord, if you can’t make me a better boy, don’t worry about it.
I’m having a real good time like I am.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A Sunday school teacher asked her children as they
were on the way to church service,
“And why is it necessary to be quiet in church?”
One bright little girl replied,
“Because people are sleeping.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A mother was preparing pancakes for her sons, Kevin 5, and Ryan 3.
The boys began to argue over who would get the first pancake.
Their mother saw the opportunity for a moral lesson.
“If Jesus were sitting here, He would say,
‘Let my brother have the first pancake, I can wait.’
Kevin turned to his younger brother and said,
“Ryan, you be Jesus!”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A father was at the beach with his children
when the four-year-old son ran up to him,
grabbed his hand, and led him to the shore
where a seagull lay dead in the sand.
“Daddy, what happened to him?” the son asked.
“He died and went to Heaven,” the Dad replied.
The boy thought a moment and then said,
“Did God throw him back down?”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
♦♦♦♦♦♦
Parting Shots
Nothing is ever gained for truth by lack of candor. – Ecclesia, p. 36
There must come with decision for truth a corresponding protest against error. – Charles Spurgeon
The worst thing that can befall any cause is not to be skillfully attacked, but to be incompetently defended. – John Robbins
Preachers who will not study or think for themselves become slaves to the opinions of men. – John Cereghin
words for President Barack Obama—words that are typically reserved for church sermons and personal prayers. At the annual Soul Train awards on Sunday, November 25, the Oscar winner opened with this appeal: “First of all, give honor to God [pause] and our lord and savior Barack Obama.” The audience, almost all African-Americans, cheered, clapped and squealed.
In verse 7 in the KJV English rendering, he sends greetings to “Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen, and my fellowprisoners, who are of note among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me.” Some assume from the wording that the persons named here were a man and a woman, both of whom served the early church as apostles.
U.S. are to unwed mothers. That figure drops to 52% in the Hispanic community, and to 29% among whites. It is simple to see what such statistics will do to our nation. Why does it seem that many Washington politicians actually wish this kind of pox on our Republic?
the statutes to legalize same sex marriage and marijuana—waving signs on the streets and highway overpasses. After both passed, someone sent me the new interpretation (perhaps a very “free translation”) of Leviticus 20:13. Seems that according to this interpretation, what Washington did was in line with the Scripture:
have a generation of idiots.” – Albert Einstein
an original Brotherhood front in the U.S. She later worked at the Institute of Muslim Minority Affairs, which was funded by Abdullah Omar Naseef, a financier not only of the Brotherhood but of al Qaida as well.
and adjusted to fit the changing moral and political climate in America.
But what is gopher wood? Many Bible scholars have speculated on this, but the truth is, no one really knows. Jokingly at Answers in Genesis, we have a theory: when Noah was ready to build the Ark, he called his sons together and said, “Okay, boys, I need you to go for wood.”
of wood or a method of processing wood, but like so much of the pre-Flood world, the secrets remain a closed book, opened mainly by dreamers and philosophers.
At left is one of the many proto-Elamite texts from the capitol at Susa (biblical Shushan). No one yet can read it. The vast majority of the proto-Elamite texts come from the capitol at Susa (Biblical Shushan), a city that played a major role proto-Elamite, Elamite, Mesopotamian, Persian and Parthian history over the course of several millennia. Shushan is well known from the Hebrew Bible; Esther becomes a queen there before saving the Jews, and Nehemiah and Daniel both reside there during the Babylonian exile. The Book of Jubilees (8:21 & 9:2) connects Susa to the earlier Elamite population, who are mentioned in earlier Biblical narratives. According to the Bible, the Elamites are descendants of Elam, one of the sons of Shem and grandson of Noah.
everywhere, author and scholar Doug Kutilek broke the news that the document is a forgery. Here is part of his report:
‘unprovenanced,’ that is, its time and place of discovery—its historical context—as well as the name of the discoverer were unstated and presumably unknown. This is always a red flag, especially with sensational discoveries. It doesn’t necessarily mean the find is bogus, but it screams ‘proceed with caution.’ Second, the scrap of papyrus, smaller than a standard business card, had remarkably neat edges. Fragmentary papyrus documents from antiquity all but invariably have jagged edges, at least on two or three and usually on all four edges. Red flag number two. And then when the Coptic writing was examined by scholars expert in ancient Coptic, they declared that the shape of the letters was decidedly non-standard Coptic, and the language, vocabulary and sentence structure were definitely not those of someone who used Coptic on a regular basis. Red flag—I might say, strike—three. A later critique noted that a line of the text had been copied from the text of the pseudepigraphal Coptic Gospel of Thomas as posted on a website, complete with a modern copying error! As quickly as the sensational find was announced, it was dismissed and discredited as a forgery, and not a very good one at that.”
Patricia O’Meara exploring the epidemic of suicides in the military and the correlation to dramatic increases in psychiatric drug prescriptions to treat the emotional scars of battle. The second installment covers psycho-pharma’s disastrous chemical experimentation within the military ending in sudden unexplained deaths, including those of Marine corporal Andrew White and Senior Airman Anthony Mena who were prescribed a total of 54 drugs between them. In this article, O’Meara writes:
the National Center for Constitutional Studies, it contains the blueprint for the American Republic. It outlines and describes the Founders’ 28 basic principles of constitutional government. It is not a heavy, hard-to-read document written in legalese. U. S. Senator Orrin Hatch said, “It is the kind of stimulating book I should like to see being studied in all our high schools and universities.”
Not everyone in public service is on that bandwagon, but not everyone in Germany was a Nazi, either. Like other socialist experiments, power is being placed in the hands of a few corrupt, puppet bureaucrats while other facets of traditional government are demoted and scorned. Anyone with the trappings of wealth whatsoever become targets of the minions of appointed government officials. Circumvent the Constitution. Go to the streets to mobilize radical constituents. Preach hate and dissension. That is why our president is already returning to the stump to rally his voter base behind his policies rather than sitting down with the duly elected representatives of the people and working on the business of government.
man who is better off than you are. Never under any circumstances admit that his success may be due to his own efforts, to the productive contribution he has made to the whole community. Always attribute his success to the exploitation, the cheating, the more or less open robbery of others. Never under any circumstances admit that your own failure may be owing to your own weaknesses, or that the failure of anyone else may be due to his own defects—his laziness, incompetence, improvidence, or stupidity. Never believe in the honesty or disinterestedness of anyone who disagrees with you. This basic hatred is the heart of Marxism. This is its animating force. You can throw away the dialectical materialism, the Hegelian framework, the technical jargon, the ‘scientific’ analysis, and millions of pretentious words, and you still have the core: the implacable hatred and envy that are the raison d’être for all the rest.”
Don’t worry…be happy.
Ideas for Gifts this Christmas
