Tag: sin

  • Nehemiah 9 – The People Confess Their Sins

    Nehemiah 9 – The People Confess Their Sins

    Today’s Short Take on Scripture focuses on confession.

    Yesterday this personal conviction came to mind from imprinted corporate confession of the church. (You’re church may not use such a confession, but should they lead us in this way?)

    Confession of Sin Before Communion

    Have mercy upon us.. Corporate Prayer including confession of sin, praise and petition to God
    Corporate Confession of Sin by the Church
    From the Anglican BCP [Book of Common Prayer] (public domain, source not secure)

    Minister and People

    Almighty God,
    Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
    maker of all things, judge of all men:
    
    We acknowledge and bewail our manifold sins and wickedness,
    which we from time to time most grievously have committed,
    by thought, word, and deed, against thy divine Majesty,
    provoking most Justly thy wrath and indignation against us.
    We do earnestly repent,
    and are heartily sorry for these our misdoings;
    the remembrance of them is grievous unto us,
    the burden of them is intolerable.
    Have mercy upon us,
    have mercy upon us, most merciful Father;
    for thy Son our Lord Jesus Christ's sake,
    forgive us all that is past;
    and grant that we may ever hereafter
    serve and please thee in newness of life,
    to the honor and glory or thy Name;
    through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

    Excerpts Nehemiah 9:

    New King James Version; Неемія 9
     Ukrainian Bible; Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition; נחמיה The Westminster Leningrad Codex; Неемия 9 New Russian Translation
    Nehemiah and the jews rebuild the temple as they guard Jerusalem then offer a confession of prayer about their sins at its dedication

    A corporate Confession of Sin after the jews rebuild the second temple

    9 Now on the twenty-fourth day of this month the children of Israel were assembled with fasting, in sackcloth, and with dust on their heads. Then those of Israelite lineage separated themselves from all foreigners; and they stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers..

    And they stood up in their place and read from the Book of the Law of the Lord their God for one-fourth of the day; and for another fourth they confessed and worshiped the Lord their God..

    “You came down also on Mount Sinai,
    And spoke with them from heaven,
    And gave them just ordinances and true laws,
    Good statutes and commandments.

    “But they and our fathers acted proudly,
    Hardened their necks,
    And did not heed Your commandments.

    They refused to obey,
    And they were not mindful of Your wonders
    That You did among them.
    But they hardened their necks,
    And in their rebellion [They].. [sinned: a long list of confession]

    Nehemiah 16-17a – Corporate Confession of Sin by the people prior to rededication to worship of the Lord God

    30 Yet for many years You had patience with them..

    But we have done wickedly.
    34 Neither our kings nor our princes,
    Our priests nor our fathers,
    Have kept Your law,
    Nor heeded Your commandments and Your testimonies,
    With which You testified against them..

    “Here we are, servants today!

    Nehemiah 9:36a NKJV

    For You are God, gracious and merciful.

    32 “Now therefore, our God,
    The great, the mighty, and awesome God,
    Who keeps covenant and mercy:
    Do not let all the trouble seem small before You
    That has come upon us,
    Our kings and our princes,
    Our priests and our prophets,
    Our fathers and on all Your people,
    From the days of the kings of Assyria until this day.

    “And because of all this, We make a sure covenant and write it;

    Our leaders, our Levites, and our priests seal it.

    9:38 [NKJV] (WLC 10:1)וּבְכָל־זֹאת אֲנַחְנוּ כֹּרְתִים אֲמָנָה וְכֹתְבִים וְעַל הֶֽחָתוּם שָׂרֵינוּ לְוִיֵּנוּ כֹּהֲנֵֽינוּ׃

    My question for your COMMENT is:

    How should the people confess OUR SINS?

    Roger@TalkofJESUS.COM

  • Did God really say..? – DOCTRINE of the BIBLE – 2

    Did God really say..? – DOCTRINE of the BIBLE – 2

    Bible and theology picture of Bible
    Did God really say ‘ALL SCRIPTURE?

    What DOCTRINES do you choose?

    Do you choose what God said selectively from among scriptures?

    I am a theologian; that is, I study God. Yet how? And where do I seek answers about God? Which books of the Bible? What verses?

    Who should I believe in my choices about the Doctrine of Scripture?

    You won't want to miss some definitions and important church history in Part 1 linked below 
    or our first doctrinal post on the holiness of God.
    {These links may also be found in the talkofJESUS.com menu & will open in a new tab.}

    Introduction to Doctrine of the Bible – Part 2:

    Questions about God

    Imagine for a moment that YOU are the only man (adam) or woman, if you will.

    I suppose the best place to meet the LORD is in Paradise — and here in the HOLY Presence of The Other, YOU are a man WITHOUT SIN!

    Of course you recognize from Genesis in the LAW of Moses this Paradise you have never seen. Here you stand in Eden in the Presence of the LORD!

    Observe this illustrative truth from the Holy Bible:

    The LORD GOD is HOLY and until MAN (adam) sins, so were we.

    Therefore we began this series with the Doctrine of the Holiness of God.

    So here you imagine yourself — in Eden – walking with the Holy Lord God.

    In the beginning, The LAW

    (Do you believe the entire Creation narrative of Moses?)

    אַף כִּֽי־אָמַר אֱלֹהִים

    “Did God really say, ‘You can’t eat from any tree in the garden’? ”

    Genesis 3:1b CSB

    Of course most of us will recognize what seems to be a legitimate question from near the beginning of the Bible when the serpent hissed against the LORD, ‘Did God really say..’

    Yes, it would have been a legitimate question IF the questioner had not already known the TRUTH of the command of the LORD God. But Scripture records Satan’s cunning in Genesis . (He knew, but twisted truth.)

    Sin is turning away from God

    Adam and Eve forced to leave Eden by Angel with sword

    YOU questioned God’s truth.

    temptation of Eve offering fruit to Adam
    Temptation of Eve

    On behalf of all mankind for perpetuity, YOU crossed the line of obeying God’s commands.

    Here you now wander into the darkness beyond Paradise .. continually asking, ‘DID GOD REALLY SAY..?’

    And do not think, my fellow fallen saint, that you will choose what is TRUE without seeking the Lord.

    Do not ask the one who hisses against Jesus Christ, any tempter who doubts what God said, since the LORD’s command to obey is what they will not do.

    SO WHERE DO WE FIND TRUTH?

    Do you really believe that? doctrine - a line in the sand [picture of Jesus kneeling down to draw a line with his finger
    DOCTRINE – What do you believe?

    Do you choose what God said?

    Where do you draw your line in the sand about believing the Doctrines of the Bible?

    Some preachers don’t believe in Satan or some truths about Christ. (What else won’t they believe from Holy Scripture?)

    Roger@talkofJesus.com

    ALL of these TRUTHS are witnessed in Scripture. They give mortals many glances at Paradise and eternal life with the LORD God.

    You just imagined yourself to be in the Presence of the Lord in Eden on behalf of the generations, but you crossed the line and wandered into the darkness of sin.

    O man! I have asked myself, “Did God really say? Then I made excuses to the LORD for my sin.”

    What is the ONLY BOOK where one made in the image of God can discern the TRUE words of WHAT GOD HAS SAID?

    girl reading Bible - God's Personal Love

    The HOLY Bible

    To be continued...
    NEXT: More in Doctrine of the Bible – 3
  • JOHN 2020 Good News for A.D. 2020

    JOHN 2020 Good News for A.D. 2020

    Intro to the Gospel of John

    IN THE BEGINNING: λόγος logos

    Intro to talk of Jesus .com

    in A. D. 2020

    talk of Jesus .com shared the Gospel of John

    in the context of A.D. 90, with application to A.D. 2020,

    rather than chronologically, culturally or by chapter & verse..

    ..while during recent months:
    • some sought to stream the stage of worship
    • some sent seeker-friendly scripture into our homes
    • some church communities disintegrated while others diminished & distanced (like our 2020 remote office meetings complete with slides).

    To review the Gospel of John, simply click on any link in the outline below & it will open in a new window.

    Roger – author of A.D. 2020 series on the Gospel of John

    I hope you were blessed by the secure links to reliable sites for further study of Scripture, as well as insight into the 1st century church of John’s Gospel (written ~A.D.- 90).

    Scripture encourages us to a more mature faith.


    John’s Prologue – Good News!

    IN THE BEGINNING was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.

    ALL THINGS came into being through Him, and apart from Him not even one thing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of

    MANKIND.

    And the Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not grasp it.

    14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us; and we saw His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

    talkofJesus.com Again Jesus said, "Follow Me."

    No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God [Son] who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him.

    John 1:18 NASB

    The Book of the Prologue

    John’s Prologue [1:1-18], from which the Apostle next proceeds to the testimony of John the Baptist and the Messiah’s calling of the Twelve, states many important theological themes & along with his Epilogue [21:1-25 {linked below}] provides additional depth of purpose of John’s Gospel.

    John’s Prologue & Epilogue

    “Follow Me

    In A.D. 2020, this is where we began our deep dive into the Good News of John.

    Signs – Jesus IS the Messiah

    painting of Hebrews in the wi

    Unless the Father draws you – Signs

    John 3: “Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.” …

    Teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ

    Gospel of John

    “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! – John 1:29b

    As Jesus passed by, He saw a man who had been blind from birth. – John 9:1

    Are you greater than our father Abraham who died? And the prophets died. Who do you claim to be?” – John 8:53

    “But you do not believe because you are not of My sheep. My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. – John 10:26-28

    Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise from the dead.” .. “I am the resurrection and the life; the one who believes in Me will live, even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?” – John 11:23,25

    two men in discussion behind this building is closes sign in a large church

    The Hour Is Come

    “Indeed, an hour is coming, and has come, when each of you will be scattered to his own home..

    .. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world.”

    • John 16:32-34 excerpt CSB
    • “Take heart,” the Lord Jesus encourages disciples, I have overcome the world.”

    And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book:

    John 20:20 KJV

    Unrelenting Bad NEWS of A.D. 2020

    What must I do with the GOOD NEWS

    of Jesus Christ?

    Good News for A.D. 2020 – A.D. ∞

    Hear all the unrelenting bad news of yesterday or today.

    For followers of Jesus, His death diminished life’s hope in eternal life; that is until the Gospel of the Lord’s resurrection reached the eyes and ears and touch of His dearly beloved friends.

    John and the Disciples witnessed the Lord Jesus in His Risen Flesh many times after His resurrection.

    “Peace be with you.”

    And when He had said this, He showed them both His hands and His side. The disciples then rejoiced when they saw the Lord.

    John 20:20

    Their sorrow had turned into joy and so must ours; for in Christ Jesus his disciples of every generation have eternal life through His sacrifice for our sins. This is our Gospel, His Good News to those who would believe.

    NEWS of A.D. 2021

    SEE what follows JOHN 2020 in JOHN 2021.

    “Peace to you,” yet also a command of the risen Christ Jesus.

    & without Him:

    EXPECT MORE BAD NEWS

    John 20:20

    John’s Epilogue

    John 20:30 Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples that are not written in this book.

    But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

    John 20:21 CSB

    I pray that the Lord has blessed you through the Gospel of John in A.D. 2020

    Roger – Roger@talkofJesus.com
    May our Lord Jesus Christ 
    draw you into His grace, 
    giving you new hope of Eternal Life
    in the YEAR OF OUR LORD 2021,
    in the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,
    AMEN.