Bible Teaching from Generation Word

Things a Christian "Must Know"

2010-04-08T15:59:00.001-05:00

(Visit my new blog at http://galynwiemers.blogspot.com/)

This is a list of the basic Bible information and Christian doctrine that I think a believer must know. There is other important information that is not included on this list, but this contains the core. If a believer has a general knowledge of these things they will be in a very good position to gain understanding of Christian doctrine and Christian character as they mature as a believer in Jesus Christ.

I call this the BIBLE CORE. I wrote this down today and this is still the very first draft. This, of course, needs to undergo a second, third, fourth, . . . and final draft. I plan on developing a basic 15-25 minute lesson on each of the 79 points and typing up the information. This will then be made available at GenerationWord.com. The lessons will be recorded on 79 ten minute videos and uploaded onto YouTube.

I have seen Christian adults and Christian youth (including entire youth groups) who do not know what I consider to be simple Sunday school flannel graph information. If anyone has been a Christian for more than 36-60 months (the length of time needed to pay off the loan for a new car) THEY SHOULD KNOW this information. If you do not know this information, fear not, because, here it is! In just a few weeks I will provide this teaching for you and anyone else who is tired of being an illiterate Christian. Communication of information as is found in the BIBLE CORE is both the foundation for the revival of the church and the means by which we will bring stability to our time. Obviously, that bit of insight is the first thing today's church leaders need to learn.

Bible Core Curriculum (BCC)

Old Testament

Creation – universe, man
Adam – creation, fall
Noah
Abraham
Isaac
Jacob and Twelve Sons
Joseph
Moses and Exodus
Joshua
Judges – Gideon
Judges – Samson
Samuel and Saul
David and Goliath
David as King
Solomon
Rehoboam and Jerobaom
Kings of Israel – Abah, Jezebel, Elijah, Assyria
Kings of Judah – Jehoshaphat, Hezekiah, Isaiah
Last days of Judah – Manasseh, Josiah
Babylonian Captivity – Jeremiah, 605, 597, 586
Daniel
Return from Babylon – Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther

Gospels

Old Testament Prophecy of Messiah – Gen. 3:15; Psalms 22; Isaiah 53; Malachi 3:1-2; 4:4-6
Jesus’ Birth – Bethlehem, shepherds, wise men, Herod, virgin birth
Baptism and Temptations
First Passover – clears temple, Nicodemus, Samaritan woman
Tour of Galilee #1 – Nazareth, Capernaum, Sermon on the Mount
Second Passover – Pool of Bethesda
Tour of Galilee #2 and #3
Rejection – Matthew 12, Parables, feeding 5,000
Withdrawal – Tyre, Decapolis, Caesarea Philippi
Last 6 months
Last Month
Last Week
Crucifixion
Resurrection – physical resurrection
Commission

Acts

Ascension
Pentecost
Jerusalem Church
Paul
Antioch Church
First Journey
Second Journey
Third Journey
Visit to Jerusalem – Caesarea imprisonment
Journey to Rome – shipwreck, Roman imprisonment

New Testament Letters

Romans
First Corinthians
Galatians
Philippians
Ephesians
First Thessalonians
First Timothy
Hebrews
James
First Peter
First John
Revelation

Doctrine

Apologetics – ten points
Hermeneutics – ten points
Theology – Attributes of God
Trinity
Deity of Christ – eternal second member of Trinity
Bibliology – inspiration, inerrancy
Sin Nature – depravity
Divine Judgment – in time, in hell
Grace
Imputation and Substitution
Salvation by Faith
Regeneration
Justification
Repentance and Confession
Holly Spirit
Church
Israel
Second Coming
End Times and Eternal State
Eternal Rewards

Galyn Wiemers
http://www.generationword.com/

Jeremiah 3:15

2010-03-04T09:24:00.002-06:00

God promised to Israel through Jeremiah:

I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding." (Jeremiah 3:15)

I would assume Jesus was referring to this line of thinking when he told Peter:

Feed my sheep. (John 21:17)

Galyn Wiemers
http://www.generationword.com/

Philosophical Atheism

2010-02-08T22:53:00.003-06:00

For the past 15 years I have rested comfortably in my faith holding to facts and convictions that supported the Scriptures. In January of 1996 I responded to an article that attacked Christianity on 16 points by writing a 100 page booklet. I then used this booklet to teach a couple of classes. Challenges of skeptics, atheists and evolution were resolved in my mind. Eventually, I lost interest in debating the topic.

Both atheism and humanism lost ground in the later 1900's. Even Antony Flew, the champion of atheism who debated C.S. Lewis, renounced atheism in favor of deism. Now, with the emergence of the new-atheist, who are emboldened by men like Richard Dawkins, atheism and humanism are attempting to make a comeback. I have been drawn back into the debate and have began reading some of their books. Yesterday I told my wife that I felt compelled to research and write a book in the next few months to address atheism's new strategies. This book would also speak to some of the other issues that can be addressed with apologetic evidence. I am now continuing to read and decide if I really want to extend the effort debating and researching something I could quickly loose interest in. There are already many very good sources available, yet it would be interesting to search out and address all the skeptic's questions and challenges. I know I would sleep better if I did.

One book I have been reading again is Dinesh D'Souza's What's So Great About Christianity. In chapter fourteen he discusses atheism's scientific methodology. There is a bias in science towards materialism and naturalism which is understandable on one level, but very dangerous on the other. This materialism manifests itself in two forms of atheistic science. One form is acceptable and necessary. The other is an ideology and a religion.

D'Souza calls the first type procedural or methodological atheism because it means that scientists go about their work presuming that we live in a natural, material world. Which, of course, is true. These scientist are not looking for God nor are they going to resolve difficult problems by saying, "Well, then this must have been a miracle or supernatural intervention." None of us want our scientists, doctors or, even, our car mechanics to give us an answer that sounds like that. We want facts. So, science uses the materialistic and natural scientific methodology. These scientists are not saying there is no God, there is no supernatural, or there is no soul. They are simply saying the scientific method does not measure these areas. So, we do not comment on those areas.

The second form of atheism is philosophical atheism. These scientist believe "that material and natural reality is all that exists. Everything else must be illusory." They hold to the conviction that because God cannot be measured or proven with an experiment then there is no way of discovering God. They tend to present their views as if one of their greatest discoveries was the discovery of not finding God. Thus, there is no God and anyone who says differently is unscientific and ignorant according to their doctrine.

D'Souza writes:

If you were to ask a scientist, "Why is that water boiling?" he or she would answer in terms of molecules and temperatures. But there is a second explanation: the water is boiling because I want to have a cup of tea. This second explanation is a perfectly valid description of reality, yet it is ignored or avoided by the scientific account. The reason for this is that science is incapable of answering questions about the nature or purpose of reality.

Philosophical atheism is narrowly dogmatic because it closes itself off from knowledge that does not conform to materialism and naturalism. . . By contrast, the theist is much more open-minded and reasonable. The theist does not deny the validity of scientific reasoning. On the contrary, the theist is constantly reasoning in this way in work and life. The theist is entirely willing to acknowledge material and natural causes for events, but he also admits the possibility of other types of knowledge.

Galyn Wiemers
http://www.generationword.com/

Oldest Hebrew Inscription Found (1000 BC)

2010-01-21T11:45:00.007-06:00

Professor Gershon Galil (Department of Biblical Studies, University of Haifa) has deciphered an inscription on a pottery shard dated from the 10th century BC. This is now the earliest discovered Hebrew inscription. This broken piece of pottery was discovered provincial town in Judea in the Elah Valley which is in the hill country of Judah. This location is important not because it the location of David's battle with Goliath but because of its remote area away from Jerusalem. This means that if their writing was this developed in the Valley we can know they could be writing at the literary level used in the books of Judges or Samuel in Jerusalem at this time. The significance of this find is that we now have evidence supporting the earlier date for the writing of these scriptures.

Prof. Galil explains, “It can now be maintained that it was highly reasonable that during the 10th century BCE, during the reign of King David, there were scribes in Israel who were able to write literary texts and complex historiographies such as the books of Judges and Samuel.” He also noted that "the complexity of the text discovered in Khirbet Qeiyafa, (a fortress town) along with the impressive fortifications revealed at the site, refute the claims denying the existence of the Kingdom of Israel at that time." The existence of the nation of Israel and a kingdom of Jews at this time as proclaimed in the Bible is now confirmed. (The excavation of Khirbet Qeiyafa has recently revealed it had two gates, a unique feature compared to other towns. The two gates most like mean we should identify this site as the biblical Sha’arayim since this name means "two gates.")

Many liberal scholars have tried to rewrite the history of Israel without using the Bible and have only used archaeological evidence, i.e. based on archaeological evidence only. They are called minimalist since they claim very little of the Old Testament is historical. Minimalist often deny the existence of a Jewish state or kingdom and assign David and his kingdom to the realm of myth or legend. Finds like these force them to reconsider the Bible's historicity based on their own standard of validation. This archaeological find is evidence that the Bible is true and the theories that come against it are unfounded.

See the process of study of the potsherd HERE

A couple of articles: ONE . . . TWO

Photos of the Khirbet Qeiyafa Archaeological Dig

Deciphered on January 7, 2010 by Professor Galil. The text lines say:

1 you shall not do [it], but worship the [Lord].

2 Judge the sla[ve] and the wid[ow] / Judge the orph[an]

3 [and] the stranger. [Pl]ead for the infant / plead for the po[or and]

4 the widow. Rehabilitate [the poor] at the hands of the king.

5 Protect the po[or and] the slave / [supp]ort the stranger.

Galyn Wiemers
http://www.generationword.com/

A List with Links of Previous Blogs

2010-01-20T11:07:00.001-06:00

Where is God?
Firmly Resist
Pathetic Churc h
C. S. Lewis on Theology
George Barna on Remnants
Blame Pastors and Parents
Strong vs. Foul Language
Truth
Church's Role in America
Government Schools
Get Focused! Spare the Drama
Do Not Fear Truth
Calvin Was Not Tulip
Why Do We Need to Pray?
Examining John 6:44
Calvinism: Reasonable Doubt!
Exegetical Fallacies
An Email from Pakistan
Start Teaching to Learn
Have You Read 2 Sam. 18-20?
America! Your King is Coming!
Would Calvin Tolerate Me?
Athanasius' Timely Observation
Secret Things & Revealed Things
Hadrian's & Antoninus' Statues
Biblical Illiteracy Excuse?!
People Need to Leave Church!
Application?
Persevere and Teach Truth
David's Palace
Running Aimlessly or for Prize?
Theology- Shattered Windshield
Scriptural Secrets of Marriage
First Save the Vessel
Six Tests for Spiritual Man
Techniques for Faith
Cross Before the Crown
God's Word for Jeremiah
Eternal Rewards
'Heavenlies' of Ephesians 1:3
Quadrants of Life
Paterology
Confusion is Not an Excuse
The Apocrypha
OT Prophetic Chain
Transcendence, Immanence

Galyn Wiemers
http://www.generationword.com/

Are Atheists more Academic Than Theists?

2010-01-15T11:08:00.012-06:00

I have spent some time this week responding to a self-proclaimed atheist who began making comments on one of my online sites. His accusations towards me centered around my incompetence, even calling me an intellectual vandal. Later in the discussion, an "intellectual vandal" was basically described as a person who takes from the facts the information they need to make a presentation that they want. I agreed that I was not an academic nor educated at a level I can boast about. (I very often experience inner shame at my lack of knowledge in many fields of study.)

I admitted I did not understand quantum physics, Einsteins' theory of Relativity or how science arrives at Planck time. The challenge atheists often throw towards me is that I should not comment or defend the existence of God until I have a full grasp of these concepts. At the same time these critics give the impression that atheists not only think on the level of Einstein and Hawking, but have also wrestled to the mat difficult concepts like evil, human self-awareness, and time.

After several exchanges our online conversation began to become civil and the atheist asked me if I agreed that it seems that atheists are more academically developed than theists. I thought that was a very good question and one that could serve my purposes very well. In response to how the atheist framed the question I would have to answer, "Yes, atheists are more academically developed than theists." I have to say this because of my experience and my own level of knowledge. Typically, if an atheist is an atheist they know and understand the basic term "atheist." But, over the last many years when I teach believing Christians I have to explain the term "theist" to them. Although most Christians know what an atheist is, they do not know what a "theist" is. And, they would not describe themselves as one. The one thing Christians do know is who God is. And, this leads me to my next point.

One of the reasons an atheist may be more academically developed than a theist is that an atheist is trying to disprove what a Christian has already accepted - the existence of God. A Christian engaging in a debate about the existence of God would be like gathering evidence and engaging in a debate about the existence of the earth or the physical universe. Who wants to prove the obvious?

Atheists need to use science to prove God does not exist. They spend hours, even careers, pouring through information to build their case against the existence of God. The problem with this effort is that it really can not be done. Why? If science and material evidence can not be used to prove God does exist, then it must also be true that science and material evidence can not be used to prove God does not exist. What are they looking for? No foot prints of a nonexistent being? Are they hoping to find no corpse of a nonexistent god who has not been murdered? Any material evidence they find only proves more and more the likelihood of a being who did leave his footprints in creation and the reality of a God who is not dead but living.

Atheists attempt to use science to prove that God does not exist. Because of this atheists seek knowledge and information about higher, abstract theories and merely speculate with the pieces of evidence that God has provided. This is contrary to Christians. Christians not only know God exists, they also know God. Christians know God and seek knowledge and information about him. The Christian has a relation with the living God and is focused on developing that relationship, not focused simply on proving the existence of a being known as God. Knowing God - this is the labor of a theist. An atheist labors to prove there is no God. A theist labors to know the God that exists. This labor of the theist must, of course, involve seeking information about all the works of God including all his creation - the physical universe, man, philosophy, etc. The difference then is the atheist studies to prove the non existence of God, while the Christian studies to seek the God they already know.

It is no wonder then the atheists mock my pursuit and the One I am pursuing. Trying to keep up with the latest theory can become a distraction. If you are undecided then maybe you need to continue. If you are trying to "answer a fool according to his folly" then maybe you need to delve into the abyss of science. Nothing wrong with that. I decided about 10 years ago that the issue of evolution is settled for me. How much more the question of Gods' existence? I am now pursing knowledge of God and experiencing a life changing relationship with God - the Eternal One. I am not questioning his existence.

Galyn Wiemers
http://www.generationword.com/

Where Is God?

2009-12-30T09:57:00.007-06:00

People often ask, "Where is God?" or, "Why would God allow this to happen?" There are a variety of answers for these questions, but we often do not understand the depth of a question like this. We do not perceive the colossal transformation a simple, uninformed request like "I wish God would do something," would unleash on earth and on human history were it met with a divine reply. It would be epic. A new epoch. Malachi wrote:

You have wearied the Lord with your words.

"How have we wearied him?" you ask.

By saying, . . . "Where is the God of justice?"

". . . Suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant whom you desire, will come," says the Lord Almighty.

But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears?

For he will be like a refiner's fire or a launderer's soap. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver." (Malachi 2:17-3:2)

The world we live in is filled with evil. God knows this and God wants to change it. God longs to change it. But, understand, God is not just going to come and resolve the evil you are currently campaigning against. God is going to change human history when he comes. Do not consider God to be unconcerned, distant or none existent. Instead, consider God to be patient! Peter wrote:

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." (2 Peter 3:9)

God's wrath is currently burning against the great evils done by the vile, corrupt perverts scattered among humanity. We want action now!! But, God is also concerned about the deep rooted evil within my heart and yours. I would not consider either of us to be "vile, corrupt perverts." In fact, if I were God, I would go after the desperate sinners with the "refiners fire" mentioned by Malachi and grade the rest of us on the curve giving extra credit for effort and church attendance. But, this is not divine reality. God is holy, pure and sinless. We are closer to the vile and corrupt then we are to the holy and pure. Remember Jesus' words:

-Mass Murder: "I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment." (Matt. 5:22)
-Sexual Deviant: "I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart." (Matt. 5:28)

Clearly God is watching and wanting to set the world right. But, he knows that when he does make his move to fix things he will first have to deal with the sin that is in every man's heart.

So, we continue to long for God's intervention. We pray for needs, hurts and injustice in our communities and around the world knowing that God hears and that God answers prayer. But, we also must realize, as Malachi warned us, that the Lord will appear to set things right, but each of us must personally be ready for that day before it comes, because:

Suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant whom you desire, will come," says the Lord Almighty.

But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears?

Right now God is waiting patiently for you to repent. He is not unconcerned. He is patient. He does not want to destroy you when he does come to judge those sinners you are so concerned about and to fix the evil in nature you are so quick to cry out against by saying, "Where is the God of justice?"

Now you know . . . the God of justice is waiting patiently so you can be spared when he does appear . . . when he suddenly appears!

Galyn Wiemers
www.generationword.com

People Who Know Thier God Will Firmly Resist

2009-12-29T12:12:00.003-06:00

Writing prophetically in 536 BC of events that would occur in 168 BC, Daniel writes,

"With flattery he (Antiochus Epiphanes IV) will corrupt those who have violated the covenant (Jews who followed the ways of worldly Hellenism and liberal scholarship), but the people who know their God will firmly resist him."

This was a time when the world powers of Syria and the Seleucid kings in the North plus Egypt and the Ptolemies in the South pressed Judah for taxes, political support and cultural conformity. These demands of politics and society eventually crossed a line that forced the Jews to compromise their commitment to the Lord who was their creator and savior.

Those that "know their God" found an inner strength, or commitment, to hold to the Truth. This strength resulted in action. Knowledge of God will produce an inner resolve which will lead corresponding action such as Godly decisions and deeds. Knowledge leads to understanding which produces the wisdom to act in line with the truth.

The New American Standard translation reads:

"And by smooth words he (Antiochus) will turn to godlessness those who act wickedly toward the covenant, but the people who know their God will
display strength and take action."

The English Standard Version reads:

"He (Antiochus) shall seduce with flattery those who violate the covenant, but the people who know their God shall stand firm and take action."

If the Ptolemies or the Selucid kings were allowed to define God for the people then religion would have had no reason to resist politics. Or, if the people accepted the knowledge of God as taught by the liberal scholars of the day there would not have been a conflict. There would have been no display of strength, nothing to stand firm on and, most importantly, no reason to take action or to resist.

If you are not taking some kind of action, then you probably do not know God. If you are not resisting at some level, then you probably do not know God as well as you would like to think.

(The image on the coin above is that of Antiochus IV Epiphanes.)

Galyn Wiemers
http://www.generationword.com/

Online Quiz from Generation Word Facebook Page - "Jesus"

2009-12-26T18:16:00.003-06:00

Take our first online quiz designed with the Facebook Fans of Generation Word in mind. The quiz is 10 questions about Jesus. It will be graded online. Go to the site and enter your name, then click "START NOW". If you do not want to enter your name just go to the site below and click "START NOW."

Begin Quiz Here: http://www.quia.com/quiz/2091194.html

You can also become a Facebook fan of Generation Word at our Facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/generationword

Galyn Wiemers
http://www.generationword.com/

New Generation Word Search Engine

2009-12-26T09:56:00.002-06:00

We have set up a site search engine that will search through our site, our blogs, our online sermons and other pages with Generation Word information. It works pretty good, but we need to get it linked into more of the details. You can try it here:
http://www.generationword.com/search-engine.html

Galyn Wiemers
http://www.generationword.com/

Dr. Martin Luther German Book Cover 1918

2009-12-25T15:18:00.004-06:00

Here is a book cover I have from 1918 with Dr. Martin Luther on it. The writing is in German and I can not make out many of the words. Click on the image for a larger image.

Galyn Wiemers
http://www.generationword.com/

Generation Word Facebook Page

2009-12-24T13:18:00.002-06:00

We have started a Facebook page and advertisement on Facebook for Generation Word worldwide. You can become a fan and keep up with our audio, video, notes and radio programs.
Generation Word

Promote Your Page Too
Galyn Wiemers
http://www.generationword.com/

Another Pathetic Church

2009-12-20T15:44:00.008-06:00

I assume many will not agree, and most will not understand my frustration and anger, but that is what makes this post necessary . . . so, man-up, or go back to your children's Christmas program . . .

(First, a note of qualification: I think children's programs, plays, musicals, etc. are very good and should be performed in churches. We had the children sing and do the hand motions to a couple of Christmas songs this morning in our church. It was cute. The children were animated and sang loud. The songs were biblical and had a message. Parents smiled and grandparents took photos. Some documented the event with video. But, then we had a message that was focused on teaching the scripture to the believer.)

I didn't think anything about it, until I called four of my sons who I had left at home to attend, what had been reported to me as, a "Bible teaching church" in Waukee. I drive 81 miles one way to get to the church I preach at. We have been doing this for over six years. Two of my boys were home from college for the holidays and a couple of them needed to be at work by noon to wait on tables. Leaving our house for my church at 9:00 AM and getting home about 3:00 PM was not an option for them this week. I told them just to skip going with me. Instead, I'd like to have them visit this new, Bible teaching church in Waukee. I had heard good things about it from a couple of pastors involved with the church. So, the four of them willingly agreed to go. (Yes, really, they don't mind attending church and learning the word of God).

Now, at my church this morning we had a brief time after the announcements for the children to sing a couple of songs. There were a few extra people that came to hear their children sing. I know that is why these adults came, because when the children were finished singing the adults of some of the children (parents, grandparents, guardians, or whoever) just stood up and left. I have no problem with that. It shows integrity on their part. It shows they are not intimidated by social standards and are not going to feel guilty about walking out of a church service. It's the American way. Freedom! It did not bother me that they left before I spoke. Not at all. I would have bored them and made them emotionally, morally and physically (since, I spoke for about an hour) uncomfortable. I do not mind. I do that four times a week.

At the same time this was going on, my boys found themselves in Waukee in an advertised "Bible Teaching Church" sitting through over an hour long children's program with no Bible teaching. When I heard this I was ticked (meaning in the English "greatly upset" or "to the point of anger," also "mad" or "peeved"). I already consider most churches in the USA as worthless, a waste of spiritual energy and, often, deceitful to the point that we need Wycliffe, Zwingli, Calvin and Luther for another Reformation. I do not understand how a pastor could allow the Sunday morning service with the second largest attendance of the year be dedicated to the worship of little children singing and people doing skits. In my mind it is wrong. It is corrupt. It borders on idolatry. It makes me want to vomit when I hear this. But, what really irks me the most is that I sent four of my boys (ages 14, 17, 19 and 21) to visit this church because I had heard, that compared to the other churches, this one was a "Bible teaching church." Next week I am going to send them all back to this church again and ask for a report concerning the teaching of the word. My guess is that, at best, this church is going to be a church that flashes a verse on the big screen, tells a couple of storys, and then makes some pseudo-application to the Christian life.

Well, anyway, Merry Christmas. If you hurry you can still catch a Sunday evening Christmas program . . .

Galyn Wiemers
http://www.generationword.com/

Generation Word Apparel & Stuff with Our Logo

2009-12-10T12:13:00.007-06:00

Click HERE to see our selection of "stuff" with our logo, slogan, or book covers. These items include t-shirts, hats, mouse pads, mugs and all the typical promotional items people use to promote their projects, businesses, causes, or, in this case, their Bible teaching ministry. I should say here that these items make great Christmas presents, but I really can't imagine that being true, since I don't know anyone who would want a hat or a sticker with the Generation Logo on it for Christmas! But, seriously, you might want to request one of our FREE books: "Framework for Christian Faith" and "Hope for America's Last Generation." If youwant a copy of a book send me a shipping address to gw@generationword.com. If you want a magnet with our logo or the image of the book cover on it then go to this provided link and pay for it at our online store.

Galyn Wiemers
http://www.generationword.com/

Today's Email Concerning "Framework" Textbook

2009-12-09T08:25:00.005-06:00

We have sent over 20,000 audio CDs of sermons into Africa and 100's of Bibles and books (Hope for America's Last Generation and Framework for Christian Faith). This summer we made contact with a person in Maryland who frequently ships 20 foot containers to Rev. Clement Owusu Sarpong and his Word Alive Revival Church in Accra, Ghana filled with supplies, Bibles, etc. It was costing us over $20 to mail one "Framework" book into Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa, etc. We can now ship a box of twenty books to Maryland at media mail rate of about $18. That figures out to be less than a dollar a book for shipping to Maryland. From Maryland the box of books is put in the container and the container is put on a freight ship. The delivery time is about 4-6 months, but the savings is worth it. Rev. Clement Sarpong has just emailed us letting us know he has received the books. He sent a list of the names of the people to whom he distributed the "Framework" textbook. Today we have also began to receive thank you emails from those who received our books. Below are a couple of today's emails. The first is from Rev. Sarpong:

We have taken delivery of the 20 FRAMEWORK Books. Thank you and God Bless you. We have distributed them to some needy Pastors and some Bible Schools in Ghana.

The recipients are:
1. Word Alive Bible Institute - 2 copies
2. Visions Ministerial Academy - 2 copies
3. Alive Evangel Bible Institute - 2 copies
4. Gospel Light Bible Institute - 2 copies
5. Liberty Outreach Ministries of Pokuase - 2 copies
6. International Trinity Christian College - 2 copies
7. Bible Way School of Ministry - 2 copies
1 copy each to:
- Rev. Johnson Adamu of Rural Outreach Ministries;
- Pastor Listowell Appiah of Faith Foundation Ministries;
- Rev Gare Atimpane a Deliverance Minister in the Muslim North of Ghana
- The Youth Ministry of Central University College.

The last 2 copies are left in the Library of Word Alive Revival Church
We told all the recipients to send a 'Thank You' note to. God bless you for the donation. God bless Mrs. Akyea for shipping the books to us freely and God bless Word Alive Revival Church for sponsoring the Customs clearance and Free distributions.

Sir, We pray that we can use this great opportunity of Mrs. Akyea's help to assist the needy, not only in Ghana, but in the West African sub region.

She is prepared to ship up to a 20ft Container of Bibles and/or any ministry tool from the USA to us.

She has visited us in Ghana and can testify of the great work we are doing for the Lord. We are therefore asking you for at least 300 copies of the Framework books through her.

A thank you email from one of the recipients:

Thank you for the great book you sent to us through Rev Clement. We are students of Central University College ministering to the needy and organizing Christian Fellowships. Our only regret is that the one book is not enough for us and plead for about 10 copies. We know that in the very near future your book will become an official Text Book in our University which is a christian institution.

Yours Truly,
The President of The Youth Ministry

And, one more email from today. This one is from Nigeria:

I have gained access to your book'FRAMEWORK', I have seen the great work you have done to simplified the the bible. Sir, as a student of theology, I found the book important to me. I am using this medium to seek for your help by sending me a copy of the framework and all other materials you can let out for a pastor in tranning. I pray that God will continue to widen your your horizon. I will be glad to seing from you soon.

Galyn Wiemers
http://www.generationword.com/

Galyn Video Tapes an Off-Road Race While He Runs It

2009-11-22T15:36:00.003-06:00

This is a video of Galyn and four of his sons running a 7.5 mile off road cross country race over muddy fields, creeks and hills. Galyn finished the course in 63 minutes.

Here is a video of the same race with the highlights and post race activities with Team Wiemers:

Zac, Jacob, Galyn, Hawkeye, Benjamin

Galyn Wiemers
http://www.generationword.com/

Triangulation Education Model

2009-11-19T17:44:00.006-06:00

I am currently in the process of identifying and structuring the triangulation model of education. Key words and concepts are:

1. Teach (done by teacher)
2. Learn (done by student)
3. Potential (set by limits of realty)

(I will call it the TLP Triangulation Education Model. It can be referred to as TLP-TEM in professional journals. Now, if I can just find that perfect balance of complicating the obvious and over emphasizing the tangents then TLP-TEM might just sweep through the educational world. Wait, I need to get a job at a university and find some research money . . .)

Here is my article:

Any learning environment has unexplored growth potential that is never fully activated, but at the same time it is confined by the student's shadowy limitations set by reality. The three corners of the learning triangle are all powerful contributors to the extent of the educational process. They are:

teacher and the instructional process,
the student and their freewill (desire, motivation, interest, etc.), and
the natural biological and psychological ability of the student.

To ignore this triangular alignment (or, one of it's corners) is to entertain a vain educational view that strains the other corners beyond the point of logical expectations. For examples:

To ignore the importance of the instructional quality will eventually flatten out the student's corner and demand the student do the illogical and teach themselves.
To ignore the importance of the student's responsibility will eventually bring pressure on the teacher's corner which burdens it with an endless series of demands, expectations, strategies and staff inservices that can never replace the student's need to care about their own education.
To ignore the natural ability of the student means the student and teacher will be thrust into an imaginary world that, in theory (and, before qualifying statements are unleashed), claims that all students can learn everything.

In the correctly balanced model all three corners must be acknowledged and responsibility assigned and expected. An equilateral triangle must be maintained. Foolish educational theories laced with post-modern values will not only be frustrating for the student, the teacher, the school and the community, but they will prove to be educationally fatal.

Each of the corners has ability to improve its contribution to the educational process. Teacher's can always improve. Always. They can find new strategies, become more acquainted with their subject matter, use different mediums to communicate, bring alongside themselves specialist in techniques or knowledge, ect. Students can find motivation or desire by realizing the importance of education, the satisfaction of education, or simply, the expectation of education. Although, potential, in this theory is a set variable, the opportunity of expansion (therapy, interaction, etc.) up to that set variable from the current available potential is possible.

Galyn Wiemers
http://www.generationword.com/

Hanegraff's Hermenutics

2009-11-14T14:52:00.006-06:00

The list below is taken from Norman Geisler's Article HERE.

Hank Hanegraff, and other amillennialist, can allegorize away the literal truth of Scripture. The examples Geisler lists are:.

The plain meaning of the Bible into a so-called “deeper” meaning
Literal promises into spiritual ones
Unconditional promises into conditional ones
Jewish tribes into Gentiles
A thousand years into eternity
A literal resurrection into a spiritual one
Land Promises for National Israel into spiritual life in Christ
A literal mark of the Beast into a mere symbol of identity with him
Physical clouds into mere symbols of judgment
A literal earthly throne of David into a heavenly reign of Christ
Two literal witnesses into literary representatives of the Law and Prophets
Cosmic judgment into the destruction of a small city (Jerusalem)

Geisler writes:

All of this Hank is fond of calling “Reading the Bible for all it is worth.” Well, for all it is worth, this is not reading the Bible; it is a serious misreading of the Bible. So serious a misreading it is that were it a reading on an essential doctrine of the Bible – like the virgin birth, the sacrificial atonement, the bodily resurrection, or the second coming–it would be a rank heresy!

I do not desire to attack amillennialism or postmillennialism (I disagree with their interpretation, but not their love of God and pursuit of the truth), but I certainly want to defend historical premillennialism, and even more, dispensational premillennialism. I want believers to have a chance to analyze the scriptures and consider the Bible from a dispensational premillennial position with out having to academically succumb to the label "heretic" as is applied to them by Reformers, Covenantalist (Supersessionists), or their younger counterparts found among the Evangelicals and Emergers.

Galyn Wiemers
http://www.generationword.com/

CS Lewis Comments on Theology

2009-11-13T16:17:00.004-06:00

On our way to and from school each day (total of 50-60 minutes) Jacob and I have been listening to the writings of CS Lewis. We reached chapter 23 of "Mere Christianity" today on the way to school. I have read this book many years ago and listened to it a few years ago. But, it is always amazing to hear Lewis apologize for being a layman, and then, in the next breath make profound statements using simple illustrations and language that cause me to hear things again for the first time. It is as if I know everything he is going to say, but yet, at the same time, know nothing at all. Each time I hear him everything is new information.

Today Lewis introduced the topic of theology. What he said is quoted below:
(From: BOOK FOUR: BEYOND PERSONALITY : or FIRST STEPS IN THE DOCTRINE OF THE TRINITY
CHAPTER 23--MAKING AND BEGETTING)

Everyone has warned me not to tell you what I am going to tell you in this last book. They all say `the ordinary reader does not want Theology; give him plain practical religion'. I have rejected their advice. I do not think the ordinary reader is such a fool. Theology means 'the science of God,' and I think any man who wants to think about God at all would like to have the clearest and most accurate ideas about Him which are available. You are not children: why should you be treated like children?

In a way I quite understand why some people are put off by Theology. I remember once when I had been giving a talk to the R.A.F., an old, hard-bitten officer got up and said, `I've no use for all that stuff. But, mind you, I'm a religious man too. I know there's a God. I've felt Him out alone in the desert at night: the tremendous mystery. And that's just why I don't believe all your neat little dogmas and formulas about Him. To anyone who's met the real thing they all seem so petty and pedantic and unreal !'

Now in a sense I quite agreed with that man. I think he had probably had a real experience of God in the desert. And when he turned from that experience to the Christian creeds, I think he really was turning from something real to something less real. In the same way, if a man has once looked at the Atlantic from the beach, and then goes and looks at a map of the Atlantic, he also will be turning from something real to something less real: turning from real waves to a bit of coloured paper. But here comes the point. The map is admittedly only coloured paper, but there are two things you have to remember about it. In the first place, it is based on what hundreds and thousands of people have found out by sailing the real Atlantic. In that way it has behind it masses of experience just as real as the one you could have from the beach; only, while yours would be a single glimpse, the map fits all those different experiences together. In the second place, if you want to go anywhere, the map is absolutely necessary. As long as you are content with walks on the beach, your own glimpses are far more fun than looking at a map. But the map is going to be more use than walks on the beach if you want to get to America.

Now, Theology is like the map. Merely learning and thinking about the Christian doctrines, if you stop there, is less real and less exciting than the sort of thing my friend got in the desert. Doctrines are not God: they are only a kind of map. But that map is based on the experience of hundreds of people who really were in touch with God-experiences compared with which any thrills or pious feelings you and I are likely to get on our own are very elementary and very confused. And secondly, if you want to get any further, you must use the map. You see, what happened to that man in the desert may have been real, and was certainly exciting, but nothing comes of it. It leads nowhere. There is nothing to do about it. In fact, that is just why a vague religion-all about feeling God in nature, and so on-is so attractive. It is all thrills and no work; like watching the waves from the beach. But you will not get to Newfoundland by studying the Atlantic that way, and you will not get eternal life by simply feeling the presence of God in flowers or music. Neither will you get anywhere by looking at maps without going to sea. Nor will you be very safe if you go to sea without a map.

In other words, Theology is practical: especially now. In the old days, when there was less education and discussion, perhaps it was possible to get on with a very few simple ideas about God. But it is not so now. Everyone reads, everyone hears things discussed. Consequently, if you do not listen to Theology, that will not mean that you have no ideas about God. It will mean that you have a lot of wrong ones - bad, muddled, out-of-date ideas. For a great many of the ideas about God which are trotted out as novelties to-day are simply the ones which real Theologians tried centuries ago and rejected. To believe in the popular religion of modern England is retrogression - like believing the earth is flat.

Thank you C.S. Lewis.

(Read the whole text here. Read all of "Mere Christianity" from 1941-1944 by C.S Lewis here.)

Galyn Wiemers
http://www.generationword.com

Geroge Barna on Remnants

2009-11-08T08:39:00.003-06:00

The question and answer below was taken from an interview with George Barna concerning his 2009 book "The Seven Faith Tribes":

Question for Geroge Barna: With the Casual and Captive Christian tribes cumulatively reflecting more than 80% of the adult population, do non-Christian tribes have any real hope of influencing the nation if those two tribes concur on a matter?

Barna: One of the beauties of living in a democratic republic is that everyone has a chance to influence the development of the nation. A group that is small in numbers but has big ideas and internal unity can have amazing success at shaping the will of the public. We have repeatedly experienced this in recent decades. The sexual revolution of the sixties was driven by a minority. The establishment of equal rights for blacks was accomplished by a tiny minority. The movement toward gay rights is being driven by a segment that is just 3% of the population. The urgency and intensity required to introduce seminal change is often accessible only to tightly-knit, manageable, finely focused bands of vision-driven comrades – what the Bible refers to as a remnant.

Galyn' comment:It is ridiculous that the Christian's have let themselves fall away from God. As a result the nation has lost direction. My generation inherited a Christian culture that was more than 80% Christian. If American history were divided into four quarters and compared to a basketball game, then we are the players on the floor for the fourth quarter. We took the floor in a blow out game ahead 90-10 with 8 minutes to go. In a matter of moments we have managed to blow an 80 point lead. Point: We are emotionally and intellectually (but, not numerically) the remnant now. But, historically smaller remnants than us have turned the tide for the nation. We can make a difference: 1) if we care, 2) if we are not driven by selfishness, 3) if we educate ourselves in areas such as history, worldviews, culture, constitutional government, etc. and our specific areas of influence. The Truth will set you free.

Galyn Wiemers
http://www.generationword.com

Blame Pastors and Parents, Not Schools and Sitcoms

2009-11-01T06:53:00.009-06:00

Pastors and parents often try to blame the government and public schools for the cultural decline of our American society. They also throw sitcoms and Hollywood into the boiling cauldron of responsibility. But, the truth of the matter is our children have been lost long before sitcoms, schools and socialism got a hold of them.

Only 19% of a group who call themselves born again have a Christian worldview? (See Barna Research) If pastors were actually teaching the Bible maybe people would believe in absolute truth, a creator, biblical principles of society, sin, the sin nature of man and the existence of evil. Read this except from Barna's report and maybe you can see how far gone we are as a society. If you do not understand this ask your pastor to explain it. He will not be able to and, most likely, will disagree with it, which is why you can kiss your way of life as you know it good-bye!

The research data showed that one pattern emerged loud and clear: young adults rarely possess a biblical worldview. The current study found that less than one-half of one percent of adults in the Mosaic generation – i.e., those aged 18 to 23 – have a biblical worldview, compared to about one out of every nine older adults.

0.5% of people ages 18-23 believe in absolute truth, a creator, sin nature, the existence of evil, marriage, family, etc. Now, the argument would be that they once did before they graduated from our public schools, went to our morally corrupt universities and started seeing Hollywood movies. But, you do not have the numbers to support this. These kids are lost before their parents are done with them.

Research shows that 89% of Christian children do not have a Christian worldview when they leave their Christian home for college. But, don't blame the public schools because 40% of children from Christian homes do not have a Christian worldview when the leave elementary school. This means that the secular universities only have to tear down a Christian worldview in 11% of their students because "christian" parents in their "christian" homes have already trashed 89% of the "christian" children.

The failure of our society is the result of incompetent pastors and irresponsible parents. Pastors and parents provide the loudest voices of complaint as they daily lay the blame at the door of the school, the ticket box of Hollywood and legislative hall of a representative government. Experience and research indicates that these numbers are instead the result of the failure of pastors and parents.

Fix the pulpit and the parent and you will fix society.

A corrupt pulpit and a compromised parent will end a Christian culture.

The pulpits and the parents will blame the public school, television and government, but what else would you expect from irresponsible people with no Christian perspective.

More Barna Research

Galyn Wiemers
http://www.generationword.com

Justin Anchors the Marine Iwakuni, Japan Update

2009-10-24T16:44:00.001-05:00

Galyn Wiemers
http://www.generationword.com

Justin and Marine News Station

2009-10-24T16:41:00.001-05:00

Galyn Wiemers
http://www.generationword.com

Justin Wiemers, US Marine Reporter

2009-10-16T21:59:00.001-05:00

Galyn Wiemers
http://www.generationword.com

Iowa Christian Alliance

2009-10-04T16:28:00.010-05:00

I have given up on the Republican Party ever being able to represent Christian values and Constitutional principles. At the national level I figure that is probably still true. But, last night at the Iowa Christian Alliance meeting I heard bold testimony, powerful conviction and strong words concerning biblical values and Constitutional integrity. Ralph Reed and David Barton both spoke of American Exceptionalism that comes from America's original commitment to living and governing according to God's natural and revealed laws. There were good presentations from candidates running for governor. I know at my level, or the grass roots level, here in Iowa people are tired of "change" and want a restoration to Constitutional government and a revival to biblical standards. Maybe we can begin to restore some Truth into a political party that I had given up for spiritually dead.

Senator Grassley spoke of his personal faith in Jesus Christ and mentioned how difficult it was in the Washington DC area for the Christian faith to be taken serious. Ralph Reed clearly presented the case that the principles of Christianity are the pillars of our society. David Barton applied the founding father's words and the Constitution to Iowa's issues of marriage and abortion.

We, the people, need to know the truth and let our leaders know that we expect nothing but adherence to the truth 100% of the time. We agree with what Steve Deace has been sending out every afternoon on WHO: it is time to reject the 80-20 principle. Accepting a little bit of evil instead of a lot of evil is still not goodness. It is similar to calling a little bit of darkness light because it could be darker. Darkness is still dark no matter how much darker it could be and evil is still evil no matter how much more evil it could be.

I shook hands with Senator Grassley and do appreciate him commenting on my book "Framework for Christian Faith" and allowing me to put his name on the back cover.

Revival of our politics begins in Iowa. We are witnessing historical and biblical movements in our society and in our world. Know the truth and be ready!

View David Barton website http://www.wallbuilders.com/

Galyn Wiemers
http://www.generationword.com

Visit Iowa Christian Alliance

Foul Language vs. Strong Language

2009-09-19T09:49:00.006-05:00

In our Ephesians study on Tuesday nights we came across this verse last week:

"Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths." (4:29)

As we read on we are encouraged to build others up by giving them helpful words that will be a benefit.

A few verses later Paul writes:

"Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place." (5:4)

Destructive, obscene, vulgar, slanderous and contemptuous speech is forbidden because it is not the nature of God, and thus, not the nature of the people recreated in his image.

But, no where are we forbidden to use "strong language". The apostles, Jesus and the Word of God itself use strong language. Our challenge, if we are to follow suit, is to know what we are talking about and what we are saying. The power of strong language is the Truth that it communicates. Language is not "strong" just because it is loud, or shocking, or makes people feel uncomfortable. Strong language contains and communicates Truth. Indeed, in our culture it may need to be loud and it will most likely shock the hearers and make them uncomfortable. Remember, just because language is shocking and uncomfortable doesn't mean it is unwholesome, obscene, vulgar or inappropriate.

Speak the Truth with Wisdom!

Galyn Wiemers
http://www.generationword.com

Truth (from "Defending the Faith" series)

2009-09-19T09:40:00.003-05:00

What makes me worthy to identify the Truth and expose the lie?

It is not my own righteousness, but the simple fact that the Truth exists. This portion of the debate is not about my character, but about the existence of Truth. My character (at this point of the argument) has nothing to do with identifying Truth.

Both, those who say there IS a standard of Truth and righteousness and those who say there IS NO standard of Truth and righteousness, find themselves sinning and doing wrong. The difference is that the first group has a standard to compare themselves to, but the second group really can not say they are sinners. They can not even say the first group is wrong since in their own philosophy they claim there are no standards. Thus, only the first group (those who hold to an absolute standard of Truth and righteousness) are logical.

Watch Video HERE (RealPlayer)

Galyn Wiemers
http://www.generationword.com

Response to the Church's Role in America

2009-09-12T23:25:00.004-05:00

Here is an email question I received. The answer is below:

Galyn, Here is a one response I received from a man that I have been debating with over the role of the church in this nation. I have heard this in the past from other Christians and feel that this may be a common attitude in the Evangelical church today. What would you say to this man?

"The Church is not about America. The Church is not about changing a nation or culture. Its about saving souls individually and standing as the pillar and support of the truth! It is delusional to think that God is going to change this country when SCRIPTURE clearly says the world, including America, is going to continue to get worse. The Church is simply following suit. We need to make sure we are thinking theocentrically instead of anthropocentrically. Otherwise we do get the majority of the church that has embraced a nonbiblical worldview and is biblically illiterate. Thus Christ asked if He would even find faith on the earth when He returns."

Here is my response:

I would agree with him, but you don't have to choose between being a godly American and being a godly Christian. He sounds like he wants to be Reformed as in Calvinist, but has too much Evangelicalism, or too little Scripture. Its like saying that because you have two sons you can't love them both. Can't a man have several children and love them all? Do you have to chose? How can he be truly theocentric for more than ten minutes without becoming anthropocentric? (as in "For God so loved the world . . .") The two greatest commandments: 1) Love God, 2) Love your neighbor. The prophets of the old testament were clearly focused on saving the nation of Israel and the nation of Judah, while at the same time advancing the revelation of the kingdom of God. (Of course, if a person is Reformed they don't consider natural Israel, but spiritualize it, so this point would make no sense to them.) In the Epistles there is talk of the spiritual kingdom and our position in Christ, but in the second half of most of the letters the writer begins to talk about how these spiritual truths will effect our walk, our families, our communities and our societies. I would agree that the world ends in darkness but when this man writes "it is delusional to think that God is going to change this country" the Calvinistic tone switches to sound like a rapture ready Tim LaHaye fan. The Bible teaches clearly that "Righteousness exalts a nation." (Proverbs 14:34) Indeed, I do agree that the church must be theocentric first (as in the Greatest Commandment of Jesus). Many churches today are unscriptural. Those who try to please man are unbiblical, ungodly, and are not helping preserve the United States. If churches were to embrace truth, seek their God and live righteous lives they would see a change in this county. To disagree with this statement is ludicrous and delusional. Are we going to see churches turn to truth and seek God in our culture? Probably not, but when I was coaching and losing by 20 points in the fourth quarter I still expected my players to execute the offense and play aggressive defense until the buzzer sounded, or in this case, the trumpet was blown. Jeremiah continued to proclaim his message and encourage social change until Nebuzaraden, commander of Nebuchadnezzar's imperial guard, lit the fire (Jeremiah 52:12-13). This man is apparently upset that his church isn't growing while churches with great programs have full parking lots. Many people like to nurse their failure to engage their community by taking this illusional "high road" of "loving God" and not "bowing to humanism" to explain their lack of productivity. It sounds good until they read the parable of the sower, and other examples from the Bible, that expect God's people to be productive and not blame all their failures on other people's sin nature. I agree with half of what he says, but think he is probably mad about something else.

One more point: What's up with this statement that he makes - "SCRIPTURE clearly says the world, including America, is going to continue to get worse." - America clearly got, not only better, but came into existence 1600 years after "SCRIPTURE" was written? So, the world, including America, did get better! Why? Because of the church and a nation embracing God's natural and special revelations. It is a principle attested to in the Scriptures from Genesis through Revelation. The church did make the world better and Jesus indicated it would. It could happen again. I do think we are at the end of the age, but, again, the Bible warns us not to give up until the game is over. I'll follow Scripture. Maybe he wants to follow "some prophecy, report or letter . . . saying that the day of the Lord has already come. Dont' let anyone deceive you in any way . . . the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed." We are close, but we aren't there yet. That is why there is still "Hope for America's Last Generation." (available in a bookstore near you, but only if you live in Des Moines, Iowa.)

Galyn Wiemers
http://www.generationword.com

Government Schools

2009-09-07T10:00:00.001-05:00

The failure primarily is not in the schools but in the homes and in the churches. The schools can not undue the solid foundation if it has been set in place. The gov't schools provided my senior son a classic example of reinforcing my teaching when a teacher took him out in the hallway last year and chewed him out for writing on his psychology paper that he would not want his son to be gay. Hawkeye was threatened with being sent to the office for a hate crime!! After listening to me as a father and a pastor warn of this kind of perversion, propaganda and persecution he came home with first hand experience that strengthened his own personal resolve to fight the good fight of faith and continue to proclaim the truth to his generation. . . . Don't even ask me how completely worthless most youth groups are . . .

Galyn Wiemers
http://www.generationword.com

Christians Get Focused! Spare the Drama!!

2009-08-29T21:50:00.004-05:00

As the northern kingdom of Israel stumbled through their 210 year history which ultimately ended in the Assyrian dispersion in 721 BC, their kings were continually recorded as never having repented of the sin of Jeroboam, the very first king of Israel in the north. This sin included Jeroboam's re-writing Israel's history, introducing new gods and establishing a new philosophy to live by. With out the road map of history Israel could never return to where they had derailed from God's plan. Thus, they could never really identify their sin and repent. History, that is correctly recorded and taught, is the truth that is necessary for a nation to judge itself by. Incorrect history is not truth. Re-written history is a lie and will lead to wrong conclusions.

Some modern errors in the church need to be identified with a little more precision. I am thinking about churches and Christians, including my church and myself, who are quick to point out the sin of homosexuality, the blaspheme of public schools as they forbid prayer while claiming to be non-religious and the failure of our government to honor the constitution while American citizen's race into social error, ignorant of American history and world history. But, these are not the heaviest pivotal points for our society!

How can churches blame homosexuality when adultery and divorce are what actually destroy marriage, families and children? How can churches accuse public schools of not praying when we do not hear prayers of repentance and intercession from the church itself? How can the church accuse politicians of forsaking the Constitution and bemoan the ignorance of public knowledge of our history when the vast majority of churches have forsaken the Scripture and the average Christian's knowledge of the Bible is so pathetic that they would fail an entrance exam into a fifth grade Sunday school class, let alone a college entrance exam.

We, the church, have "redefined" marriage and are destroying children, the next generation!
We, the church, are the one's who refuse to pray, even when we are allowed to pray!
We, the church, are forsaking the Bible and are ignorant of its contents.

Indeed, homosexuality is a sin against God, against man and against natural law. Public schools do oppress Christianity, our Constitution is forsaken and the public is ignorant. But, don't you think it is time for the church to take the beam out of its own eye before they attempt to surgically eradicate evil in human society?

Galyn Wiemers
http://www.generationword.com

Do Not Fear Truth

2009-08-15T13:55:00.003-05:00

This is my response to a good blog by Shane Vander Hart.

I agree there is a problem with the evangelical mind of today that is somehow connected back to the revivalism of the 1800’s. This revivalism and the “disestablishment” that followed would be the obvious result of the Reformation. The Reformation was good. The Revivals of the 1800’s were good. Also, the Fundamental movement of the 1920’s was good. Heck, I even enjoyed the Jesus Movement and the Charismatic movement in the ’60’s and ’70’s. Who would complain about the Great Awakening that we saw in the 1700’s? The problem with the Revivalism was not the movement but man’s nature. Free enterprise is good even when dealing with the truth. I mean, start a church, preach the truth and those with ears to hear will come. But, man’s nature (as in preachers and church people) doesn’t want to deal with the failure of being rejected by those without ears to hear. Fear of failure leads to compromise and is followed by the establishment of some form of institutionalism to defend against further challenges and growth. Thus, as foreseen in your quote above, “pragmatic concerns would prevail over principle” (simply put, “fear stifles truth”). For me it is as simple as “Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct , rebuke and encourage – with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine.” To be truly successful in ministry we must follow the principle of the cross before the crown even in the midst of potential church growth and revivals. In other words, you can not be afraid of failure and rejection which must occur when teaching the Word of God and the orthodox theology found in scripture. Jesus and Paul promised that if you teach truth you would be met with rejection and failure, but credited with being faithful. I believe when enough people reject institutionalized evangelicalism and once again seek the truth as found in the Scriptures they will themselves experience reformation, great awakening, revivalism, and what is more, they will find THE TRUTH DOES WORK. Put truth first, and functionality follows. (I enjoy your blogs.)

Galyn Wiemers
http://www.generationword.com

White House Collects Disinformation Sources?

2009-08-08T01:49:00.007-05:00

What is this? The White House website is asking citizen's to report other citizen's who are spreading "disinformation"? What are they going to do with all the news papers and TV news stations that get reported? Here is a quote from the web page:

There is a lot of disinformation about health insurance reform out there, spanning from control of personal finances to end of life care. These rumors often travel just below the surface via chain emails or through casual conversation. Since we can’t keep track of all of them here at the White House, we’re asking for your help. If you get an email or see something on the web about health insurance reform that seems fishy, send it to flag@whitehouse.gov.

Isn't disinformation based on what you think is true information? I think atheist teach disinformation. Atheist think I teach disinformation. Can you see that this can only lead to a huge change in our culture? We are finding out that those who teach us tolerance really mean accept and submit. This is why you have to practice true tolerance (respecting others with different opinions) but always debate the definition when someone uses it.

Read the White House page HERE and watch the crazy little video they provide. How dumb do they think we are?

Galyn Wiemers
http://www.generationword.com

Excavation on Western Wall Plaza

2009-08-06T21:13:00.008-05:00

Excavation just to the west of the Western Wall in Jerusalem began in 2007, soon after we left Israel after having taken classes at the Jerusalem University on Mount Zion. Some of the finds include:

a portion of the lower aqueduct which brought water from Solomon's Pools to the Temple Mount during the days of Herod.
another mikva (ritual bath) from the time of the Second Temple (built by Herod)
a colonnaded street which most is most likely the eastern connection to the Cardo, a Byzantine main street
a covered stoa
a row of shops

In the photos below (found at bibleplaces.com blog and the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs) we can see an ariel view of the Old City of Jerusalem showing the location, a view of the Western Wall Plaza looking east, and some of the details of the excavation.

The above photo is marked by the yellow box in the view in the top photo. I remember arriving in Jerusalem late one night in June of 2007. Toni, Ryan and myself left our things in our rooms and headed out into the streets of the Old City of Jerusalem around 10:30 pm. We walked through the winding stone streets and quickly arrived at the stairway leading down to this Western Wall Plaza. It was a stunning view lit up and still active at 11:00 at night. I remember standing there taking in this amazing view of the ancient Temple Mount's western wall which was surrounded with the sounds and motions of the modern worshipers and pilgrims. Today this view is interrupted by the excavation as seen in the photo above. If we were take this same view today we would be looking over the green walk way across the lower part of the photo and over the excavation to view the Western Wall.

This photo is of the Byzantine Cardo located in the red box above.

The excavations are being conducted by the Israel Antiquities Authorities at the request of the Western Wall Heritage Foundation who are planning on building the Western Wall Heritage Center here once the excavations are completed.

View live cam of the Western Wall Plaza here

Galyn in front of the Herodian blocks of the Western Wall

Galyn Wiemers
http://www.generationword.com

Calvin Was Not a TULIP Calvinist

2009-08-04T11:42:00.007-05:00

The fact that John Calvin did not believe or teach "Limited Atonement" is well known among certain people. But, among others, there is, like always, great confusion. (The "L" of TULIP which is taught by Calvinist and the Reformed crowd stands for "Limited Atonement". This false doctrine believes that Jesus only died for those who would be saved, not the whole world.) On the issue of "Limited" vs. "Unlimited" atonement the Calvinist and the Reformed theologians may be dismayed to see John C. and me standing in the same corner of this debate. (We quickly part ways, though, on the issue of election, human will, Israel, and eschatology.)

Here some statements made by Calvin in his writings, commentaries or theological works that clearly indicated that he believed that Jesus' death on the cross paid for all the sins of the world, for all the sins of mankind including those who will suffer eternal damnation. This is called unlimited atonement and forces the Reformed followers of Calvin to abandon TULIP and instead consider TUUIP. I myself would be a TRURP (Total depravity, reject election, unlimited atonement, resistible grace and perseverance of the saints.)

Here is what John Calvin said in favor of unlimited atonement for the whole world and against limited atonement:

From Calvin's Commentary on Isaiah, page 131, Isaiah 53:12,

Yet I approve of the ordinary reading, that he alone bore the punishment of many, because on him was laid the guilt of the whole world. It is evident from other passages, and especially from the fifth chapter of the Epistle to the Romans, that 'many' sometimes denotes 'all.'

From Calvin's Commentary on the Gospel According to John, page 64, John 1:29,

When he says, the sin of the world, he extends this favor indiscriminately to the whole human race.

From Calvin's Commentary on the Gospel According to John, page 50, John 12:46,

The term whosoever, appears to have been added on purpose, partly, that all believers, without exception, may enjoy this benefit incommon, and partly, to show that the reason why unbelievers perish in darkness is, that, of their own accord, they forsake the light.

From Calvin's Commentaries on the Epistle to the Romans, page 211, Romans 5:18,

He makes this favor common to all, because it is propounded (note: this means - 'to put forward or offer for consideration or acceptance') to all, and not because it is in reality extended to all; for though Christ suffered for the sins of the whole world, and is offered through God's benignity indiscriminately to all, yet all do not receive him.

From Calvin's Commentary to the Hebrews, page 125, Hebrews 5:11,

The Apostle means that its benefit shall come to none but to those who obey. But by saying this he recommends faith to us; for he becomes not ours, nor his blessings, except as far as we receive them and him by faith. He seems at the same time to have adopted a universal term, all, for this end, that he might show that no one is precluded from salvation who is but teachable and becomes obedient to the Gospel of Christ.

From Calvin's Commentary to the Hebrews, page 220, Hebrews 9:28,

To bear, or, take away sins, is to free from guilt by his satisfaction those who have sinned. He says the sins of many, that is, of all, as in Romans 5:15. It is yet certain that all receive no benefit from the death of Christ; but this happens because their unbelief prevents them.

From Calvin's Institutes,

The first thing to be attended to is, that so long as we are without Christ and separated from him, nothing which he suffered and did for the salvation of the human race is of the least benefit to us (3.1.1)

. . . God, who will have all men to be saved. By this he assuredly means nothing more than that the way of salvation was not shut against any order of men; that, on the contrary, he had manifested his mercy in such a way, that he would have none debarred from it. (3.24.26)

I agree with Calvin, but against Reformers, that Christ did die for the sins of every man in the entire world. I do believe in perseverance (once saved, always saved) because the work of salvation is the work of God and can not be reversed. I agree with total depravity, except I believe man still has a will to accept the offer of salvation when illuminated by the ministry of the Holy Spirit. I reject irresistible grace because I do believe man can reject the ministry of the Holy Spirit. I reject the concept that God elected only some people for salvation based solely on His choice and not on His foreknowledge. So, I am not a Calvinist, but really, neither was Calvin.

Next, I want to discuss the early Augustine position vs. the later Augustine position which changed from his earlier writings because of his debate with Pelagius and the Donatist. Even Augustine, who the Reformers also claim, contradicts TULIP. It is going to be easier to call TULIP a false teaching than it will be to call me a false teacher.

Galyn Wiemers
http://www.generationword.com

Prayer: Why Do We Need To Pray?

2009-08-02T17:53:00.007-05:00

People often ask . . .

"Why do we pray?"
"If God knew how my life would turn out before
I was born, why should I pray?"
"Will it change the outcome?"
"Is praying a step of obedience?"

The following verses can make a person wonder this very thing: "Why pray?"

Matthew 6:32-34, "For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."
Matthew 6:8, "Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him."
Isaiah 65:24, "Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear."
Luke 1:13, After maybe as long as forty years of prayer for a son to be born Zechariah hears the angel tell him, "Zechariah, your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son. . . "

Some people answer the question, "Why pray?", by simply saying we should be obedient. But, praying just to be obedient is a very weak and a non-motivating answer. At least, for me it is not a satisfactory answer. But, of course, that is why a lot of Christians do a lot of things, such as, go to church, read their Bibles, get baptized, etc. They have no idea what they are doing or why it is important. They just know we are supposed to do it. The Christian life is much more than just being obedient. There is a game plan and God wants you to understand "Why" we do things.

Human Will and Responsibility

God originally created man to rule and to have authority (Genesis 1:26)
Man is not an animal, he was created in God's image and was God's representative on the earth.
Man was given free will, told what was right or wrong, and told of the consequences for his actions. (Genesis 2:16)
When Adam sinned it effected him, his world and all of mankind (Romans 5:12)
The Exodus Generation, for example, was given a promise, but chose not to follow God's plan. They did not want what God wanted. (Deut. 1:26)
The second generation after the Exodus had the choice of blessing and cursing set before them. They could chose which one they wanted. (Deut. 11:26)
They were also told to chose between life and death. (Deut. 30:19)
Man is unique, then, because he can make decisions that effect his sphere of operation or his realm of authority.

God's Ultimate Sovereignty and Man's Responsibility/Authority

Imagine God's Absolute authority (sovereignty) being a large circle or bubble.
Everything is in this bubble and under the authority of God. It includes time, history, angels, material, humans, etc.
Inside this large bubble are much smaller bubbles (or, kingdoms) which represent each of our own spheres of control, operation, responsibility or authority.
God has ultimate responsibility but inside his bubble (realm, kingdom) he has granted individuals to have their own bubble.
This bubble is our lives, the things we can control and influence.
We do have responsibility and we do make a difference. We can control what comes in and what goes out of our lives to a very great extent.
God wants to place his truth, his salvation, his promises into our lives, but we have the authority. If we do not want his plan, like the Exodus generation did not want his plan, we can reject it. But, if we do want his will or his promises we are the one's to allow it into our bubble.
If there is something we need, God has already made a way for it, but we must ask.

God Makes Promises and Plans; We Seek Him and His Promises

James 4:2, "You do not have, because you do not ask God."
James 4:1-2 describes people wanting things (food, provision, education, etc.) but they covet, fight, quarrel and kill to get it. God says they don't have because they have not asked him. They weren't asking for bad things, but they went about getting what they needed and wanted in their lives (their bubbles) with out walking in God's ways, trusting God's promises and asking God for what they wanted.
2 Corinthians 1:20, "For no matter how many promises God has made, they are 'Yes' in Christ. And so through him the 'Amen' is spoken by us to the glory of God."
Every promise (that applies to us) is available to you as a believer in Christ. So, our position is to speak the 'Amen' or, the 'so be it'. Our job is to ask for it, seek for it, to want it and allow it into our lives.
Notice:
1. It is "in Christ," or "through him" which means "in Jesus name."
2. We speak the "Amen", or the prayer, request. We open the door to our realm of authority for God's promise.
3. This is "to the glory of God." When we receive God's promises through prayer God is glorified.

God's Promise to Elijah and Elijah's Prayer for God's Promise

James 5:13-18 - these verses include "Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops."
This verse is true but in both cases (no rain, and lots of rain) God had already made a promise. Elijah's job was to hear, proclaim and pray for the promise.
1 Kings 18:1, God promises he will now send rain on the land
1 Kings 17:41-44, Elijah prays seven times before the promised rain comes.

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find;
knock and the door will be opened to you.
For everyone who asks receives;he who seeks finds;
and to him who knocks, the door will be opened."
Matthew 7:7-8

"Yet you have not called upon me, O Jacob,
you have not wearied yourselves for me, O Israel."
Isaiah 43:22

During the next few weeks in church we will be discussing the basics of prayer. I will be attempting to make prayer more understandable so that it is more natural to pray and more productive for our lives. You need God in your life. We need God in our nation.

Watch this sermon in RealPlayer here
Listen or download the .mp3 here

Galyn Wiemers
http://www.generationword.com

Examining John 6:44

2009-08-01T14:24:00.005-05:00

John 6:44-47, "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day. . . Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from him comes to me . . . I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life."

"draws" is the same word used in John 12:32, "But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself."
"draw" (" 'elko" or actually "helko") is the key word here for Calvinist. Please listen to R.C. Sproul discus this word in his book "Chosen by God" and then read the text directly from Kittel's Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (vol. 2 of 10).

Sproul writes concerning the word "draw", or Greek "helko", in John 6:44:

"The key word here is draw. What does it mean for the Father to draw people to Christ? I have often heard this text explained to mean that the Father must woo or entice men to Christ. Unless this wooing takes place, no man will come to Christ. However, man has the ability to resist this wooing and to refuse the enticement. The wooing, though it is necessary, is not compelling. In philosophical language that would mean that the drawing of God is necessary condition but no a sufficient condition to bring men to Christ. In simpler language it means that we cannot come to Christ without the wooing, but the wooing does not guarantee that we will, in fact, come to Christ."

Sproul now continues:

"I am persuaded that the above explanation which is so widespread, is incorrect. It does violence to the text of Scripture, particularly to the biblical meaning of the word draw. The Greek word used here is "elko". Kittel's Theological Dictionary of the New Testament defines it to mean to compel by irresistible superiority. Linguistically and lexicographically, the word means "to compel." To compel is a much more forceful concept that to woo. To see this more clearly, let us look for a moment at two other passages in the New Testament where the same Greek word is used. In James 2:6 we read: "But you have dishonored the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you and drag you into the courts?" Guess which word in this passage is the same Greek word that elsewhere is translated by the English word draw. It is the word drag. Let us now substitute the word woo in the text. It would then read: "Do not the rich oppress you and woo you into the courts?" The same word occurs in Acts 16:19. "But when her masters was that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to the authorities." Again, try substituting the word woo for the word drag. Paul and Silas were not seized and then wooed into the marketplace."

Sproul has told you what he wants you to know about the word "draw" or "elko" (actually " 'elko" or "helko"). Now, I would like to tell you the rest of the story concerning the Calvinist "key word" from their pivotal verse found in John 6:44.

First, Sproul doesn't tell you all that Kittles TDNT says about the word "helko." Quoting now from volume 2, page 503:

"The basic meaning is to "tug" or "draw." In the case of persons (Acts 16:19; 21:30; James 2:6, [notice all three of these verse were used by Sproul to get the meaning "drag"] ) it may mean to "compel" . . . It may also mean to "draw" to a place by magic . . . It is used of a magnet . . . (drawing the hungry as by a magnet to the Cyprian loaves) . . . of the inner influence of the will . . . More comparable with the Johannine usage is that of Porphyrius Ad Marcellam. . . the beauty of the good . . . . In the OT helkein is used of powerful impulse. The obscure heilkuksan se of Song of Solomon 1:4 is somehow meant to express love. The word is used of mother love in 4 Maccabees 14:13; 15:11 . . . The original refers more to patience. The Septuagint is thinking, not so much of drawing out in deliverance but of drawing to oneself in love. This usage is distinctively developed by John . . . Force or magic may be discounted, but not the supernatural element."

Second, Sproul is correct in his use of the samples from the New Testament but he is once again selective and avoids using these:

Song of Solomon 1:4, "Take me away with you - let us hurry! Let the king bring me into his chambers." Which in the Greek Septuagint says, "Draw me after you - we will run. The king has brought me into his chambers."
Jeremiah 31:3, "The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying: 'I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness."
John 12:32, "But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself."

A couple of things need to be pointed out as we go past these verses above.

How do you think the bride was being taken into the king's chamber? Drug by her husband? Sproul would seem to think so if he would have continued.
In Jeremiah the Lord is telling the nation that had rejected him and who were on their way to a national over throw that "I have drawn you." Yet, they did not respond. Also, notice the "drawing" came from an "everlasting love" from eternity past. Yet they rejected it.
Jesus said he would "draw all men to" himself." If that was irresistible why do they not all come? The determining factor is each man's response.

Another factor to consider is that there is another word in the Greek NT used for "drag" which is the Greek word "suro." It is used for "dragging in a more violent and aggressive sense. It never means "draw." The difference can be seen in John 21:6, 11 (helko) and John 21:8 (suro). In John 21:6 and 11 the fishing net is first attempted to be "drawn" to the disciples on the boat, but the attempt fails. Then in 21:11 Peter "draws" the net to himself up on shore. The difference is seen between verse 8 when the net could not be drawn to the boat and later when it was drawn by Peter on the shore. Since the disciples could not "helko" (draw) the net to the boat they instead "suro" (dragged) the net behind the boat as they made their way to shore. If John had wanted to record Jesus saying in John 6:44, "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me drags him," he could have used the word "suro." He did in John 21. Instead the word "helko" is used which has a rich history of not meaning to "drag". Once, again, Mr. Sproul doesn't go here.

One more thing concerning "helko" in John 6:44. The verb "draw" is in the subjunctive mood, the aorist tense and the active voice.

The active voice means God, the subject, will do the action of the verb.
The aorist tense conveys a point of action in the past.
But, most interesting, is the subjunctive mood which is not the mood of reality (indicative mood) nor the mood of command (imperative mood), nor the mood of desire or wish (optative mood), but instead it is the mood of potential which indicates the verb could potentially happen.

Luther says concerning this word in this passage of scripture: "The drawing is not like that of the executioner, who draws the thief up the ladder of the gallows; but it is a gracious allurement, such as that of the man whom everybody loves, and to whom everybody willingly goes."

Augustine says, "If a man is drawn, says an objector, he comes against his will. But we answer if he comes unwillingly, he does not believe; if he does not believe, he does not come. For we do not run to Christ on our feet, but by faith; not with the movement of the body, but with the free will of the heart . . . Thank not that you are drawn against your will; the mind can be drawn by love."

Chrysostom says, "This expression does not remove our part in the coming, but rather shows that we want help to come."

John Phillips says concerning John 6:37: "God does not act in an arbitrary way nor in defiance of the human will when he draws people to Christ. Someone once tried to persuade me that God has chosen some people for salvation and chosen other people for damnation. Such an idea is monstrous. God does not arbitrarily and sovereignly damn the greater part of the human race into an existence they did not seek, on terms they did not select (so-called "total depravity"), under impossible handicaps they did not choose (depraved in will and 'dead in trespasses and sins'), dominated by forces they cannot control (the world, the flesh, and the devil), into a ruined family (Adam's) they did not themselves plunge into original sin, just in order arbitrarily to send people to hell for not choosing a salvation offered only to the 'elect.' That may be some people's idea of God and some people's view of salvation, but such concepts make God out to be a tyrant worse than any in the history of the human race. However, such is not the God of the Bible and such is not the kind of 'salvation' offered us." (The John Phillips Commentary Series, "Exploring the Gospel of John")

Galyn Wiemers
http://www.generationword.com

Calvinism? Reasonable Doubt! (part one)

2009-07-31T18:33:00.006-05:00

Comparing Calvinism with Reality and Scripture

"I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please."
-Isaiah 46:10

In a universe of created beings with freewill, God knows the details of history and fulfills his purpose. God does not need to override freewill because in his power and wisdom he will do all that he pleases. Since God knows the end from the beginning, his eternal council had already decided all his counter moves before time began. The God of scripture has more wisdom, power, patience and love than the divine tyrant of Calvinism.

Basic Calvinism (Reformed Predestination)

The five major tenets of Calvinism are easily remembered with the acronym TULIP.

T = Total Depravity

U = Unconditional Election

L = Limited Atonement

I = Irresistible Grace

P = Perseverance of the Saints

Total Depravity means that humans are incapable of doing anything good concerning their own salvation. Calvinism teaches that because of this totally fallen state we can not even respond to God's offer of salvation. Thus, in Calvinism, God must give man faith before man can accept God's grace.

Unconditional Election means that there are no reasons (or, conditions) why certain men have been chosen (elected) by God to be saved. The men who are saved where elected by God based only on God's will. This also means God did not look into the future and chose to save those he knew would except his offer of salvation. Some people are elected for salvation, others are not.

Limited Atonement means that Jesus died on the cross only for the sins of those he unconditionally elected (or, those he chose for no reason). Jesus' death was enough to pay for everyone's sins, he just bore the sins of those he had chosen.

Irresistible Grace means that when God calls the elect men that he died for they can not resist. If you are elect, then Jesus paid for your sins, God will give you the faith and you will respond to his call. If God calls you, you will come. If he hasn't elected you, he didn't pay for your sins and he won't call you, because you can't be saved. Everyone hears the call of the gospel with their natural ears, but only the elect hear the inward call of God and respond.

Perseverance of the Saints means, obviously, you can't lose your salvation since God elected you, called you, gave you the faith and made you accept his grace. The Father elected you, the Son died for your sins, the Spirit has applied salvation and you are eternally secure.

Scriptural Balance and Refutation of TULIP

T= Total Depravity: Balance and Refutation by Scripture

Scripture shows that total depravity does not mean men do not have a free will or that they do not have the ability to respond to God, or that they can not hear God, or understand God. Total depravity means that men can do nothing to save themselves and their whole nature (spiritual, physical, mental, emotional, will, etc) is corrupted (not destroyed) by sin.

1. Fallen men have free will

2. Fallen men can respond to God

3. Fallen men can hear God

Genesis 3:10, After Adam fell he could still hear God, "I heard you in the garden and I was afraid . . . so I hid."

Genesis 4:6, God spoke to Cain, "Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast?" and Cain heard and responded to God when God spoke, "Am I my brother's keeper?" (4:9)

4. Fallen men can understand God

Romans 1:18-19 - ". . . the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them

Romans 1:18-19 - ". . . being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God, nor gave thanks to him (1:20,21) . . since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to depraved mind." (1:28)

U= Unconditional Election: Balance and Refutation by Scripture

The error of unconditional election goes in two directions. One, it claims that some people are elected by God, others are not based only on God's choice. Two, this election is not based on anything man can do, including man's willing acceptance of salvation. Unconditional election means God did not respond to man's faith in time or in eternity past through foreknowledge, but instead God chose some people for salvation and rejected others before time began.

1. The Bible makes it clear that faith is a necessary condition for receiving salvation:

Ephesians 1:13, "You also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit."

Romans 5:1, "Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."

Acts 16:3, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved."

Romans 3:30, "There is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith."

2. Faith is not a work. Belief in the truth is non-meritorious. Faith is a response of the will. Faith with the heart is no more a work than seeing with the eyes is a work.

John 3:14, "Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life." (Israelites were healed by "looking" at Moses' snake, just like anyone who "believes" in the Son of God will be saved. No effort, just results.)

Romans 4:5, "To the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness."

Romans 3:27, "Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. On what principle? On that of observing the law? no. but on that of faith. For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law."

3. Election, choosing, predestination is based on God's foreknowledge of our free will response to the offer of salvation and the ministry of the Holy Spirit:

Romans 8:29, "For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son."

1 Peter 1:2, ". . . who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father"

4. Notice the full process of salvation from eternity past to the application of the blood of Christ in time. First Peter 1:2:

Eternity Past:
" . . . who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father. . . "

Testimony of the Holy Spirit in time offering salvation:
". . . through the sanctifying work of the Spirit . . . "

The response of faith ("obedience of faith" Romans 1:5):
" . . . for obedience to Jesus Christ . . ."

Receiving of Salvation by the individual believer:
" . . . and sprinkling by his blood."

L= Limited Atonement: Balance and Refutation by Scripture

God loves all people, not only the elect. Jesus died to save all people, not only the elect.

1. God loves all people

Romans 2:11, "For God does not show favoritism."

Matthew 5:45, "He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous." (Would it not be ironic if God would give everyone sunlight and rain, but only a few the offer of eternal life?)

2. God calls all people

Matthew 22:14, "For many are invited, but few are chosen." (Read the parable before this which basically means the Jews were invited but few accepted the invitation, so additional invitations were sent out to the Gentiles. Refusing the invitation in this parable results in that person not being chosen.)

3. God is love and love does not force its will, but instead is patient, kind. Love is not rude, it is not self-seeking. (1 Corinthians 13:4-7)

2 Peter 3:9, "The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance."

4. Jesus died for all people in all the world through out all time.

Matthew 23:37, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, . . . how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings but you were not willing."

John 1:29, "Look, the lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!"

John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

Romans 5:6, "You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, . . . But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Matthew 5:46-48, "If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect." - I would assume this means the perfect God would die for every one's sins, not just the elect. Jesus would go to the cross for those he knows will never be his brothers.)

1 John 2:2, "He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world."

2 Corinthians5:14-19, "For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. . . All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them."

1 Timothy 2:3, 4, "This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth."

1 Timothy 2:6, "The man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men."

Hebrews 2:9, "He suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone."

2 Peter 2:1,"They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them."

I= Irresistible Grace: Balance and Refutation by Scripture

Scripture shows that God's grace, or calling, or drawing, to salvation is not irresistible.

1. Scripture shows that mankind has the free will to reject God's grace.

Matthew 23:37, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, . . . how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings but you were not willing."

John 3:19, "This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light."

John 5:39, 40: " These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life."

John 8:24, "I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am you will indeed die in your sins."

John 12:37, "Even after Jesus had done all these miraculous signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him."

Acts 13:46, "Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we not turn to the Gentiles."

Acts 14:2, " But the Jews who refused to believe stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers."

2. Scripture shows that mankind has the free will to accept God's grace:

John 1:12, 13: "Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God - children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God."

John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

John 6:37, "Whoever comes to me I will never drive away."

John 6:40, "For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal live."

John 6:47, "I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life."

John 12:42, "Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him."

Revelation 22:17, "The Spirit and the bride say, 'Come!' And let him who hears say, 'Come!' Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life."

P= Perseverance of the Saints: Balance and Refutation by Scripture
This refers to once saved, always saved. The main problem with Calvinism is the issue of man's free will in response to God's offer of salvation. Once salvation has been secured there is no reversing the process. Salvation is eternal. The believer has been given everlasting life. At this point of TULIP, the scriptures and logic agree with "P".

2 Corinthians 5:17, "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come."

Ephesians 1:13, 14, " . . . the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession."

Scripture supports a form of "T" (total depravity; corruption of the will, not destruction) and scripture absolutely teaches "P" (Perseverance), but "U" (unconditional election), "L" (limited atonement) and "I" (irresistible grace) require a manipulation of scripture that distorts the clear reading of the text and the consistent witness found through out scripture.

Galyn Wiemers
http://www.generationword.com

The End of the World According to Islamic Theology

2009-07-25T11:21:00.004-05:00

Watch this short 2:22 YouTube video to understand the Islamic view of the end of the world. It appears their first trumpet by the angel Rafael causes a mild breeze to blow around the world causing a type of "rapture" of the faithful before the second trumpet brings destruction on those who remain. Take a look:

Galyn Wiemers
http://www.generationword.com

What Are They Saying in the Arabic Blogosphere?

2009-07-25T11:13:00.008-05:00

Information concerning the practice and topics of Arabic bloggers has been researched and reported by Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University. Here is part of their report:

Personal life and local issues are most important: Most bloggers write mainly personal, diary-style observations. But when writing about politics, bloggers tend to focus on issues within their own country, and are more often than not critical of domestic political leaders. Foreign political leaders are discussed less often, but also more in negative than positive terms. Domestic news is more popular than international news among general politics and public life topics. The one political issue that clearly concerns bloggers across the Arab world is Palestine, and in particular the situation in Gaza (Israel’s December 2008/January 2009 military action occurred during the study). Other popular topics include religion (more in personal than political terms) and human rights (more common than criticism of western culture and values). Terrorism and the US are not major topics. When discussing terrorism, Arab bloggers are overwhelmingly critical of terrorists. When the US is discussed, it is nearly always critically.

Galyn Wiemers
http://www.generationword.com

Exegetical Fallacies

2009-07-15T15:11:00.002-05:00

To help me learn, remember and become more familiar with the teaching of D.A. Carson I would like to summarize his book Exegetical Fallacies. (Baker Academic, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2006, copyright by D. A. Carson 1996, ISBN 10:0-8010-2086-7).

As I read through this book I was made keenly aware of errors that I have made in my own exegetical work and assumptions. The second thing I realized was that many of the scholars I trust and study from make some of the errors Carson identifies. I feel it is important not to just read his work, but to be able to understand it and avoid the errors that he identifies.

In the introduction Carson says:

A critical interpretation of Scripture is one that has adequate justification - lexical, grammatical, cultural, theological, historical, geographical, or other justification.

Chapter One, Word-Study Fallacies, Carson lists the following examples of exegetical errors or assumptions. Some of these I have made in the past:

Root Fallacy - the etymology or the root of the word does not always determine the meaning of a word. An English example is the Latin root for "nice" is "nescius" which means "ignorant. "Servant" translates the Greek "hyperetas" which comes from "eresso" which meant "to row" in Homer's 700's BC. How many of us have used that to explain the meaning of "servant"? I did on the top of page 228 in my "Framework" book. Carson is not saying this does not give us insight but does say:
I am simply saying that the meaning of a word cannot be reliably determined by etymology or that a root, once discovered, always projects a certain semantic load onto any word that incorporates that root.
Semantic Anachronism - this occurs when a late use of a word is read back into earlier literature. The best example of this is the word "episkopos" or "bishop". The bishop of the New Testament is not the same as the bishop in 45o AD. Carson also uses the Greek word "dunamis" which means "power" and is the basis for our word "dynamite." But, the Greeks were not thinking of blowing things up when they said "dunamis."
Semantic Obsolescence - this is when the word in the text is assigned a meaning that was used in the past but had ceased to be used when the text was written. Carson refers to an English dictionary of his entitled: Dictionary of Obsolete English. Homers Greek is no longer the Greek of the Septuagint or of the New Testament. I have Kittle's Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (10 vol.) and Colin Brown's Dictionary of New Testament Theology (4 vol.) which provide the classical meaning of the Greek word. This is interesting, and at times useful, but Carson warns that these meanings of classical Greek are 700 years old when Paul uses the same words in the New Testament. The example he uses is the word "martus" which means "to give evidence" but developed into a word which meant "to give evidence of personal convictions and die for it". Thus, our word "martyr".
Appeal to Unknown or Unlikely Meanings -
Careless Appeal to Background Material -
Verbal Parallelomania -
Linkage of Language and Mentality -
False Assumptions About Technical Meaning -
Problems Surrounding Synonyms and Componential Analysis -
Selective and Prejudicial Use of Evidence -
Unwarranted Semantic Disjunctions and Restrictions -
Unwarranted Restriction of the Semantic Field -
Unwarranted Adoption of an Expanded Semantic Field -
Problems Relating to the Semitic Background of the Greek New Testament -
Unwarranted Neglect of Distinguishing Peculiarities of a Corpus -
Unwarranted Linking of Sense and Reference -

I have to go teach class right now so I will fill in the details of my study of Carson's book later . .

Galyn Wiemers
http://www.generationword.com

Global Education or Global Propaganda?

2009-07-09T22:20:00.003-05:00

The percentage of Christians in Pakistan is 1.6% (some say 2%), yet Muslims burnt a Christian village on 6-30-09 in Pakistan. The percentage of Muslims in the USA is only 0.6% (according to Newsweek 4-13-09), yet we are afraid to simply teach history to our children. Who are we afraid of? or, are we just clueless? Why does "global education" only result in "global propaganda"? Read this blog and then check your local school's libraries for wonderful books about Islam (there should be several) and grab a textbook while you are there. Is it education or propaganda? Are we afraid or are we just stupid?

Read this article concerning Islam in American textbooks. Remember, the Muslim world is known to be removing facts such as the Holocaust's occurrence and the Jewish Temple's existence from their student's textbooks. To the victor go the spoils which includes the privilege of recording history. We are clearly playing the part of the loser in this battle.

http://www.csmonitor.com/2009/0422/p09s01-coop.html

Galyn Wiemers
http://www.generationword.com

Also note, the Pakistan government has already began paying for damages to the Christians caused by the Muslims on last week on June 30, 2009. Read it here:
http://www.ucanews.com/2009/07/08/government-compensates-attacked-christians/

An Email from Pakistan

2009-07-07T08:31:00.010-05:00

I have three times put comments on Facebook and then deleted them concerning an email I received from Pakistan. I tried to comment after I opened an email from a man from Pakistan who has received Generation Word material and is familiar with our website. I will now try to express myself in this blog and hopefully will let it set here in cyberspace. (Our website, and a previous blogsite, has been under attack from the Middle East, Turkey, for about three years now. I don't need their virus or their hackers.) This email from Pakistan contains the details of what this man witnessed:

The attack took place on Tuesday (June 30, 2009) in the village of ______ near ______. Radical Muslims allegedly went on the rampage after a local Muslim cleric accused Christians of blaspheming against Islam’s holy prophet Muhammad and encouraged local Muslims to kill them. Around 100 homes were petrol bombed or demolished, while others were looted and vandalized. The mob assaulted many of the women and young girls in the village, throwing acid at some of them. Christians continue to face persecution in Pakistan . . . other women and girls who have been traumatised by this acid attack and the destruction of their homes. Muslim People cut the electricity and they don’t giving water and food material Christian people of that village they are crying for help. Burnt Houses Can not Be Record Because Of Muslim People Occupied The Area. And They Did Not Allow Anyone To Go There, Even Big News Channels Are Silent. And government too silent. Please tell this news to all people of your country and if it possible convey this message to your government we have video of this incident. This incident was preplan. Muslim want to threat the Christian people here in Pakistan. This Is Real Islam. Please its our request to your people needy try to help them and pray for them they are waiting the miracle. Local people try to help them but this time they need lots of help because they have no home no shelter no food no water no electricity. Must try to help them. Because we have no hope on others here in Pakistan.

My heart is torn with compassion and fierce anger. What can I do? Send them another copy of the "Framework" book? Maybe a CD about "Questions and Answers" from Bible class? Reply with an email of support? Tell them I will pray? All of this has its place and time, in fact, I will continue with these very practices. But, what can I do about a girl who has been splashed with acid? or, the community has been burnt with fire? Even the Muslim hospitals turned these people away and let them suffer.

These are the violent acts of a people who worship an impotent god (allah) and a false prophet (mohammad). They have no power and they have no truth. This is why the followers of this wicked religion must provide their own acid and their own fire and bring judgment with their own sword. Just like in the days of the Judges and in the days of Elijah the false god's and false prophets had no power themselves.

Remember Gideon? He tore down the altar of Baal and all of the Baal worshippers wanted to kill him but the leading priest of Baal said, "If Baal really is a god, he can defend himself when someone breaks down his altar." That day the community changed Gideon's name to "Jerub-Baal" which means "let Baal contend". Gideon began using the name Jerub-Baal himself and was proudly called by a name that reminded everyone, including Baal, that Gideon was still alive and waiting for Baal to avenge himself. Baal never did. Gideon grew old and died an old man never having met with Baal's wrath. Why? Because Baal is a false God. He has no power unless his deceived followers act for him. Baal has no hell to send the unfaithful to because he has no fire of his own. (Judges 6) So, Jerub-Baal lived long and died old of natural causes.

Remember Elijah on Mt. Carmel? (1 Kings 18) Four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal assembled to pray for fire to come from their god. They prayed, they sang, they danced, they offered sacrifices which included cutting themselves but nothing happened. Elijah taunted them saying, "Shout louder! Surely he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or on a trip or in the bathroom ('busy' in the NIV is the translation of the Hebrew which means 'relieving himself' which refers to a bathroom experience.)" Then Elijah offered a simple prayer to YHWH and fire fell from the sky and burnt up the sacrifice, the altar and the dirt around it. The Christian God has his own fire!

"Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: 'It is mine to avenge; I will repay,' says the Lord. On the contrary: 'If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink . . . Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." (Paul writing in Romans 12:19-21) We serve a God who is Real, He is Powerful, He does See, He will Judge, and He has his own Fire in Hell. Jesus said, "Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell." (Matthew 10:28)

In the fifth century AD the barbarians invaded the Roman Empire, but the ultimate result of these events was that the barbarians came in contact with the Christian faith. The barbarians were converted and Europe was saved from itself when it accepted Christianity. Even Rome persecuted the Christians from 70-312 AD and without lifting a sword, setting a fire, or pouring acid on the Roman children, the Christian faith overcame the Roman persecution. Rome itself became Christian.

islam must spread its empty, dead religion by force. You submit or you die. Christianity has Truth and with Truth comes power and authority. We do not convert the unbelievers by force; that would be oppression not conversion. We convert the heart by confronting it with Truth. This Truth does not violate the human will, but speaks to it. Jesus said, "The Truth will set you free." It is not our job to bring the sword, the fire (or, the acid!?), but to speak and live the Truth. Many, many of the muslims are and will continue to flee islamic oppression, impotent allah and lying mohammad as they hear and see the Truth of the Living God and of the Savior Jesus Christ. Jesus is pursuing the muslim world with Truth, Love and Grace. And, we speak and live for Jesus. There is revival among the muslim. They can only respond with fire, sword and acid since they have no truth to reply with.

Our God will provide his own fire and his own Hell. I do not fear the fire of islam or the hell of allah since they do not exist. This fact has been proven by the muslims themselves since they have to provide their own fire (and, acid?!) to convert or punish the Christians. Pouring acid on woman and children!??! What is that prove? They are the deceived cowards.

(Now that I have posted this blog, I anticipate some form of cyber-fire or internet-acid. My boys who are in the US Marines and a computer engineer in the US Air Force have explained clearly to me that nothing on the internet is "protected" and everything is accessible to those who want it. I assume that the cowards of allah can see this if they want, so why hide it. Why fear those who can only burn the body but can't touch the soul, when I know the God who can throw both body and soul into Hell.) My God brings his own fire. I speak his truth.

Galyn Wiemers
http://www.generationword.com

If You Want to Learn, Start Teaching

2009-07-04T15:03:00.004-05:00

Many times people have asked me where I received my Bible training. Then they wait to hear the name of some familiar, prestigious seminary and hope they are doctrinally aligned with it. I have seen the hope in their eyes as they ask the question because if I say I was educated at "(fill in name of great school here)" they will be relieved to know someone, somewhere told me everything I know and that I am simply parroting information. The basic assumption is that if you go to a great school with great teachers then you will attain their great knowledge. That is how, it is assumed, people learn. Well, this is not the best way to learn, in fact, it is very, very slow and ineffective, thus, the pathetic condition of Bible knowledge and Christian understanding today (we could throw the public schools into that same pile, but they already have standardized testing to humiliate them.)

Teaching and learning go together.

The best way to learn is to teach.
The best way to understand is to explain.
The best way to know is to help somebody else know.
The best way to study for a test is to write the test.
The best way to know the truth is to debate against someone who disagrees with "truth"

This has been proven over and over in studies and in experience. When people ask me where I received my Bible education I tell them it began in the fifth grade Sunday school classroom as a teacher. I learned so much there I began to teach whenever and wherever I could. Obviously, I have read a lot of great authors/books (including God's best seller, the Bible), listened to a couple (there are not many) great pastors, and sat up late into the night arguing with friends and foes about "truth" and doctrine. But, the greatest place of learning for me was in front of people while I was teaching. Why is this true? Well here is some information from another writer (Armen, 5/25/2009):

Memory Retention Percentages Are Based On Pressure
You learn 90% of what you teach to others because big pressure is on you at that time to not seem clueless while explaining the content. There is pressure on you here, since you would appear foolish if you offered to teach something and didn't have the concept understood. You learn 80% of what you experience because you do it on the spot, and have to correct errors during the process or it won't work out. The pressure is on you there to continue through until you complete the procedure. You remember 70% of what you discuss with others because you have solid comprehension to be able to respond to others and their possible arguments or comments. This goes on for the other points. The more pressure there is on you to know the material, the higher the probability that it will be encoded into your cognition.

So, create pressure when you want to learn. I have always referred to this pressure as a concentration level. My students are concentrating on the information, but not nearly as diligently as I the teacher am. I discovered this back in 1986. While the students were learning 10-30% of what they heard me say (I use a lot of animation, scribbling on the board, etc. to push into the 30%), I was learning and remembering 90% (on a good night, of course.)

A popular quote by William Glasser says “We learn… 10 percent of what we read, 20 percent of what we hear, 30 percent of what we see, 50 percent of what we see and hear, 70 percent of what we discuss with others, 80 percent of what we experience, and 95 percent of what we teach to someone.” The percentages might be somewhat off, but they are close enough to actual values to internalize this information for future learning.

If you seriously want to learn the Scriptures, church history, theology, apologetics, or whatever, then start a class, find a class, start an arguement or find someone who disagrees with you and start talking. It may be painful at first. My wife remembers me coming home from class in 1986 and crying as I sat in our living room because I could not effectively teach a 20 minute Bible class. It was very, very painful in many ways, but after a few weeks I learned some things and found a groove. Since then I have easily taught well over 4,000 hours of Bible classes. (That would be the same amount of time as verbally instructing a group non-stop, 24 hours a day from January until July.) Of course, I didn't teach non-stop because for every hour of teaching I probably spent three hours in study and research because I was under pressure to perform intelligently and communicate efficently.

If you want to learn start teaching.

Galyn Wiemers
http://www.generationword.com

Have You Ever Read Second Samuel 18-20?

2009-07-03T12:17:00.013-05:00

I am going to try to communicate quickly the week of chaos and confusion in David's kingdom when Absalom, his son, claimed the throne of Israel.

Absalom and his general, Amasa, march into Jerusalem with the support of people from all twelve tribes. Israel proclaims Absalom as their king. David is out.
David flees leaving behind the priesthood, the ark of the covenant, and some of his best advisers in Jerusalem. David's personal body guard and the military forces with Joab flee with David.
The next day David's forces engage Absalom's forces. General Joab kills Absalom. (So far so good. This is fairly simple: General Joab and King David have defeated General Amasa and Prince Absalom. The kingdom is secure . . . but, now it gets confusing, even for David's military . . . )
David is upset when he is told Joab had killed Absalom to end the civil war despite the fact David's military had won the battle securing David's kingship.
David fires General Joab for killing Absalom (the enemy) and replaces him with Amasa, the defeated rebel general of Absalom.
The tribe of Judah, David's tribe, rushes to welcome David back to his throne with out inviting the other eleven tribes to join them. The other tribes were ready to welcome David back, but were upset that the tribe of Judah did not involve them in the "ticker-tape" parade welcoming David back.
The northern tribes (Israel) express their disappointment to the southern tribe of Judah who "responded even more harshly than the men of Israel" (2 Sm. 19:43).
This causes Sheba, a troublemaker from the tribe of Benjamin in Israel, to sound a trumpet and challenge the legitimacy of David as king. All of the northern tribes (Israel) join with him and a second civil war in less than 72 hours now breaks out.
David orders his new general, Amasa, to organize his troops within three days to pursue Sheba. Now remember, Amasa was leading a civil war against David and fighting David's military less than 48 hours earlier. Now Amasa is to organize and lead David's troops into this second civil war.
Israel is still trying to figure out who is king: David or Absalom?
The military is trying to figure out who the general is: Joab or Amasa?
Nobody really knows who the enemy is or who the good guys are anymore. (The Philistines, Moabites, Edomites, Amelekites, Ammonites, even the Arameans, all the way up to the Euphrates River, have been subdued by David.) The enemy that was just defeated was the king's own son who was supported by members of David's own royal staff. Now David's faithful military have been placed under the command of the rebel general Amasa and ordered to attack Israel. All this has occurred in about 72 hours.
When David's troops are assembled (3 days later) under the leadership of Amasa, the former General Joab shows up and secretly kills Amasa. As David's forces begin marching under the leadership (they think) of the rebel General Amasa against their own land of Israel they march by Amasa's corpse. Groups of soldiers continue to stop in the road by Amasa's corpse in confusion since he is suppose to be the general who is up front leading them into the battle. They do not realize Joab has regained his position.
David's troops are now marching for David against Israel under the leadership of a general David had fired but they think they are following the rebel general they had just defeated in a civil war earlier in the week.
Amasa's corpse is removed and hidden in the ditch and David's men march to the northern border of Israel to attack an Israelite city where Sheba fled.
Joab, the fired general who murdered David's general to regain his position, begins to besiege the northern city of Abel-Beth-Maacha. While in the process of battering in their walls a wise women looks down from the wall and asks, "What are you doing?" When Joab responds by saying they are fighting the rebel forces of Sheba, the wise woman says, "Give me a minute," and soon returns to the wall with Sheba's head. When she throws the head down to Joab this civil war ends and the men return home.
General Joab went back to King David in Jerusalem and they lived happily ever after . . . until David ordered Solomon to kill Joab after Joab had made Solomon's older brother, Adonijah, king before David had died . . . but, that is a story from First Kings.

So, what's the application of these verse? We live in a great land of the United States of America. Throughout time and around the world there are some crazy things happening. Thank God for his mercy on us today in America.

Galyn Wiemers
http://www.generationword.com

Early Christian "Church"

2009-07-02T20:54:00.007-05:00

The early church had no holy buildings or sacred objects. The people were simply believers in the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the truth that had been revealed by God. Because of Christ the people themselves were holy, they were the sacred, they were the priests. The people were the church. They met in homes to worship, learn and fellowship. A home in Dura-Europos (Fort Europos) near the banks of the Euphrates River still shows frescoes of Biblical scenes: Peter walking on the water, paralytic being healed, women at the grave, plus David and Goliath. A wall had been removed in this house to open up room for up to 70 people to meet. This private home that doubled as an official meeting place of believers (the church) dates to around 232 AD. Christians were meeting here in a Roman fortress city right next to an active synagogue which has also been excavated.

Galyn Wiemers
http://www.generationword.com

Paul and the Ark of the Covenant

2009-06-29T22:45:00.004-05:00

Paul's tomb appears to have been authenticated. This is not surprising:
http://www.facebook.com/ext/share.php?sid=101410036559&h=t0XR6&u=O_yFs&ref=mf

But, the announcement about revealing the Ark of the Covenant last Friday was retracted today. Something is going on . . . or, then again, maybe not . . . this is both surprising and confusing:
http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=102532

Galyn Wiemers
http://www.generationword.com

America, Your King is Coming!

2009-06-24T10:14:00.006-05:00

While I was running today I began to pull some thoughts together from the last couple of weeks of Bible school. The Old Testament book of Judges records some of the most ridiculous episodes recorded in biblical history. In those days people seemed to have no idea what God's will was or who the true God was. Indeed, they were very spiritual or religious. They feared curses and went out of their way to keep the ignorant vows they had made, but, as 1 Samuel 3:1 says,

"In those days the word of the Lord was rare."

The book of Judges ends by saying,

"In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit."

The government in the days of the Judges was the government Moses and Joshua had set up under God's direction. It was a representative form of government based on local leadership. Each family was represented in a clan and each clan was represented in the tribe. The leadership of the 12 tribes would then make national decisions. But, within 3 and 4 generations after Moses the people had wandered from God's truth and embraced the philosophies (called "idols" or "false gods") of the Canaanites.

The book of Judges is filled with unbelievably stupid decisions by individuals. This culminates in some of the most un-taught chapters of the Bible. In these chapters the national leadership can only be described as pathetically incompetent. The political and military decisions that the leaders of the tribes of Israel made would consistently take a very bad situation and manage to make it unbearably worse.

The only answer for an ignorant people who can not make the right decision to govern their own families, clans and tribes is to find someone to think for them. The people asked Samuel for a king. Samuel resisted by saying God doesn't want you to have a king because he wants you to govern yourself and follow him. But, the situation is obvious and God agreed with the people's diagnosis of their own incompetence and said:

"Listen to them and give them a king." (1 Samuel 8:22)

When people at the personal, local and national level prove to be so ignorant and undisciplined in governing themselves, God will provide a king to lead the people in their private, local and national lives. The failure of our national "group-thinking" ability proves that our representatives have no idea what to do which reflects on us as local governments and as individuals. America, behold, your king is coming!

Galyn Wiemers
http://www.generationword.com

Would Calvin Have Tolerated Me?

2009-06-18T11:55:00.010-05:00

John Calvin will continue to be in the news for the next month as we approach the 500th anniversary of his birthday (July 10, 1509). John Calvin was a brilliant and insightful interpreter of Scripture who advanced the reformation and laid the foundation (if not the entire structure) for protestant theology. Since that time he has been ushered into a reformed state of sainthood that places his person and his teaching above reproach by common men such as myself. Calvin was clearly one of the most gifted thinkers and writers of church history and I would be utterly speechless in an attempt to defend a contrary theological position in his presence. All though I am aware of this, and have his books, including his 22 volume commentary set, I often find myself wondering, "What was Calvin thinking?" Some of his ideas, interpretations and applications miss the context of the Scripture. By saying this I know many will think I have just blasphemed and committed the unforgivable sin. But, that leads me to my main point. I do not think I could have sat through a Calvin lecture in Geneva in the 1500's (or, a Calvin-parrot-preacher in 2009) with out wanting to debate at least one of his positions. Likewise, I do not think I could have been an honorable citizen in his city.

First, a doctrinal example: His commentaries on the Old Testament prophets consistently replace the historical references to Israel with a spiritualized reference to the church. Thus, all meaning is lost. This interpretation error is recovered with the hermeneutic principal: One correct interpretation and then, and only then, you have many applications. But, if you miss the correct interpretation you are forced to error in your application, also. This is why Mosaic law of Israel replaced the Canon Law of the Catholic church in Geneva during this time.

Second, some church, or civil issues: Calvin attempted to set up a church state in Geneva, Switzerland in 1536 but was rejected by the citizens. He returned in 1541 and during the next 14 years he worked to impose his version of liturgy, doctrine, morality, church organization and civil obedience on the city. These are some of Calvin's regulations for Geneva and its surrounding villages in 1542:

There were four positions established for governing the church - pastors, teachers, elders, and deacons. The elders (or presbyters) were laymen appointed to watch over the morals of their fellows.
The office of the elders was to watch over the conduct of every individual, to admonish lovingly those whom they saw doing wrong or leading an irregular life. . . they were distributed in each quarter of the city, so that they could have an eye on everything.
The elders would assemble once a week with the ministers, on Thursday mornings, to see if there be any disorders in the Church and discuss together such remedies needed . . . . If any one in contempt refused to appear before them, they would inform the council, who would then supply a remedy.
"The whole household shall attend the sermons on Sunday, except when some one shall be left at home to tend the children or cattle."
"If there is preaching on week days, all who can must come, - unless there be some good excuse, - so that at least one from each household shall be present . . . . Should any one come after the sermon has begun, let him be warned. If he does not amend, let him pay a fine"
"Let the churches be closed except during service, so that no one may enter them at other hours from superstitious motives. If anyone be discovered engaged in some superstition within or near the church, let him be admonished. If he will not give up his superstition, let him be punished."
"Those who are found to have rosaries or idols to adore, let them be sent before the consistory, and in addition to the reproof they receive there, let them be sent before the council. Let the same be done with those who go on a pilgrimage. Those who observe feasts or papistical fasts shall only be admonished. Those who go to mass shall, besides being admonished, be sent before the council, and it shall consider the propriety of punishing the offenders by imprisonment or special fines, as it judges best."
"If any one sings indecent, licentious songs, or dances, he shall be kept in prison three days and then sent to the council." Indecent singing could be punished by piercing the singers tongue. (A penalty in the 1500's is now fashionable in 2009.)
Sins were dealt with as crimes (no pleasure on Sunday, no work on Sunday, no extravagance in dress) and punishments included excommunication from church followed by banishment from the city.
Blasphemy could be punished by death. This occurred to John Servetus, (photo below) a theologian and physician, who disagreed with infant baptism (Calvin did not) and did not believe in the Trinity (Calvin did). (Servetus was the first to discover pulmonary circulation which refers to the blood circulating through the lungs and changing color as it picks up oxygen.) Servetus was tried and found guilty of heresy and burned alive. A negative account of the trial is here. According to church historian Philip Schaff (History of the Christian Church Volume VIII, page 692 ) John Calvin had said seven years before this execution:

"Servetus lately wrote to me, and coupled with his letter a long volume of his delirious fancies, with the Thrasonic boast, that I should see something astonishing and unheard of. He offers to come hither, if it be agreeable to me. But I am unwilling to pledge my word for his safety; for if he does come, and my authority be of any avail, I shall never suffer him to depart alive." (a letter to Farel, Feb. 13, 1546)

Nine years after the execution Calvin said (Philip Schaff, VIII, page 690) :

"Servetus suffered the penalty due to his heresies, but was it by my will? Certainly his arrogance destroyed him not less than his impiety. And what crime was it of mine if our Council, at my exhortation, indeed, but in conformity with the opinion of several Churches, took vengeance on his execrable blasphemies? . . . posterity owes me a debt of gratitude of having purged the Church of so pernicious a monster."

Servetus died in the fire praying, "Jesus, Son of the Eternal God, have mercy on me."

Happy Birthday, John! Today I'll read your books, but if I were in Geneva around the 1550's I would have been a blasphemer, a heretic and a criminal. Today, in 2009, I consider you a very brilliant tyrant. (P.S. - I believe in the Trinity. Don't light the fire yet.)

Galyn Wiemers
http://www.generationword.com

Athanasius' Timely Observation

2009-06-16T13:00:00.005-05:00

I am continuing to write the Generation Word's Online Bible School tests and am working in chapter 31 of the Framework for Christian Faith book on as test that will cover the years 313-590 AD of church history. I have again come across a quote by Athanasius from the time of Constantine's son Constantius. It was a time of Christian oppression and pillage of the Heathen. Athanasius, the bishop from Alexandria, Egypt, said:

Satan, because there is no truth in him, breaks in with axe and sword. But the Savior is gentle, and forces no one, to whom he comes, but knocks and speaks to the soul . . . For the truth is not preached by sword and dungeon, by might of an army, but by persuasion and exhortation.

According to Athanasius, those who spread their religion by using the sword instead of free will and faith are agents of Satan. Can you make your own application of this to historical and contemporary world situations?

Galyn Wiemers
http://www.generationword.com

Books and a Series of Book Reviews

2009-06-14T18:14:00.007-05:00

I would like to do a brief review of fifteen books written between 1513-1963. My blogs will actually be reviewing the work of Benjamin Wiker, PH.D. and his book 10 Books that Screwed up the World. I think many people wonder how did we ever learn to think and reason in modern Western Civilization in a way that is so contrary with reality. I hope to categorize some of these thoughts and expose the radical contradictions that exist between these ideas themselves, not to mention the contradiction they have with truth and reality. You may not agree with me, but I certainly wish you didn't agree with Machiavelli, Descartes, Hobbes, Rousseau, Marx, Mills, Darwin, Nietzsche, Lenin, Sanger, Hitler, Freud, Mead, Kinsey and Friedan. Several of these I have addressed in my own book Hope for America's Last Generation. Some of you may agree with the basic premise of some of the fifteen authors mentioned above. That is fine, . . . OK, whatever. But, others may not realize how dangerous a bad idea is. If ideas have consequences, then bad ideas have bad consequences. Wiker writes a quote from Thomas Carlyle who said,

There once was a man called Rousseau who wrote a book containing nothing but ideas. The second edition was bound in the skins of those who laughed at the first edition.

I am not against reading these books, in fact, I own copies of most of them. I recently purchased and read the 1912 edition of A Civic Biology by George William Hunter, PH.D. (Google it. I will eventually blog about the contents in this book.) Most do not know this book by its title, although most have heard of turmoil it caused. Very, very few people actually know what is contained in this (clue) high school text book:

. . . epilepsy, and feeble-mindedness are handicaps which it is not only unfair but criminal to hand down to posterity. The science of being well born is called eugenics . . . If such people were lower animals, we would probably kill them off to prevent them from spreading. Humanity will not allow this, but we do have the remedy . . .

To stop our decline we must read these books, understand them, and be able to identify their perverted, malignant logic when we hear it roll out of the mouths of politicians, religious leaders, educators and others who claim to know the way to the Land of Utopia.

Here are some critics and few supporters of the book 10 Books that Screwed up the World. Many do not like it and mock the authors values, education and world view. I disagree with those who mock this book and disregard their insults:

See Benjamin Wiker discuss his book on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNy5hO-ylM4

Galyn Wiemers
http://www.generationword.com/

Secret Things and Revealed Things

2009-06-13T13:57:00.002-05:00

This is my response to a Facebook (www.facebook.com/galyn) question:

The Satan question is a tough question. It goes back before the beginning of time. (It may be part of Satan's accusation against God before the world as we know it.) The answer again has to do with free will and with God revealing who he is. It is an abstract answer and we will never fully wrap our minds around it. For God to reveal who he is he created free agents (in this case) who would then respond to God's nature. Satan chose to rebel which simply moved God's plan forward. Independent of my answer being correct or making sense, God is still in control and God is still good. There will always be questions (I have questions and some apparently conflicting ideas) but we know enough about God and about Truth to place faith in God and move on in faith. Indeed, to have any faith at all you must have some questions answered and something to believe in. But, eventually we all run into a wall that we can no longer see past or understand. This is where we say with the Apostle Paul, "We live by faith, not by sight."

"The SECRET THINGS belong to the Lord our God, but the THINGS REVEALED belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law." Deuteronomy 29:29

Galyn Wiemers
http://www.generationword.com

Hadrian's and Antoninus Pius' Statues from 135 and 138 AD

2009-06-10T23:31:00.011-05:00

I mentioned tonight in class a stone fragment in the southern wall of the temple mount in Jerusalem. This photo is the southern gate that contains the stone fragment from the base of a Roman statue. I did not realize this stone was there when I was photographing the gate. The stone and the inscription is in the blue box in the photo below.

The very top stone in the very upper right corner of this photo is a piece of stone from the base of a statue of Antoninus Pius that stood on the temple mound. The stone contains an inscription. Hadrian would have had the statue set on the temple mount along with the Temple of Jupiter that he built after his defeat of the Jews in 135 AD.

Hadrian’s inscription reads:
TITO AEL HADRIANO
ANTONINO AUG PIO
P P PONTIF AUGUR
D D

Translation of Latin:
To Titus Ael[ius] Hadrianus
Antoninus Aug[ustus] Pius
the f[ather] of the f[atherland], pontif[ex], augur.
D[ecreed] by the D[ecurions]

The Roman Temple of Jupiter was torn down by Constantine. The stones were used later by the Muslims to build the Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqsa Mosque. This inscription was found and placed upside down to replace a broken stone above this gate.

Hershel Shanks (archaeologist and editor of Biblical Archaeology Review) says:

"Hadrian erected an equestrian statue of himself on the Temple Mount. The anonymous fourth-century pilgrim known only as the Bordeaux Pilgrim reports that he saw two statues of Hadrian on the Temple Mount when he visited the site. The Bordeaux Pilgrim probably mistakenly identified the second statue; Hadrian's successor, Antonius Pius (138-161 AD), probably added an equestrian statue of himself, which the Bordeaux Pilgrim saw. . . It is quite possible the the Bordeaux Pilgrim saw this inscription when it was part of a statue on the Temple Mount. But he misread it. Antonius had been adopted by Hadrian and named as his successor in 138 A.D. Thus, Antoninus's name included the name of Hadrian. The Bordeaux Pilgrim apparently looked only at the first two lines and concluded that it was a second statue of Hadrian. Both had a thick beard and looked much alike when they were older. (Notice the images of their statues below). Some modern scholars have made the same mistake and read the same inscription now in secondary use as referring to Hadrian instead of Antoninus. They apparently focused on the name Hadrianus, ignoring the following name, Antoninus.

Hadrian . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Antoninus Pius

For more information or to see the photos I took of the southern side of the temple mount go to http://www.generationword.com/Israel/jerusalem_sites/southern_wall.html

Galyn Wiemers
http://www.generationword.com

A Human Savior?

2009-06-09T18:31:00.004-05:00

Here is a basic principal of humanity: Whenever people turn to a simple human to be the savior of mankind they set the stage with a misconception and unleash the vehicle for the most infamous form of evil. A mere human savior can only bring evil. Does anyone teach or understand world history anymore?

Did you hear the one about the editor of Newsweek and Chris Matthews? Google it. I do not want to type it here for obvious reasons . . .

I remember when John Lennon said the Beatles were more popular than Jesus. The nation reacted by burning Beatles' albums. Let's see what happens this time . . . I guess, nothing.

Galyn Wiemers
http://www.generationword.com

Seven Times a Day?

2009-06-08T17:41:00.003-05:00

I am reading "The Crisis of Islamic Civilization" by Ali Allawi and "Inside the Revolution" by Joel Rosenberg. I have many thoughts, but right now I wonder what would happen to Christianity and the church if we prayed seven times a day. Daniel only prayed three times a day and prophecy still revolves around his revelations.

Galyn Wiemers
http://www.generationword.com

The Boys are Back

2009-06-02T22:44:00.006-05:00

Jacob, Zac, Ben, Galyn, Justin, Hawkeye, Paul

My boys were all back for Hawkeye's graduation. Justin came back from Ft. Mead before he leaves for 2 years in Japan with the Marines. Paul was back from Colorado after his third winter as a snow board coach. He works at Steamboat. Ben was back from college and his Air Force training in computer engineering before he leaves for training in North Carolina. Hawkeye graduated from Valley High School and is headed to UNI with a Jazz trumpet scholarship to major in economics and real estate. He was voted best dancer in a class of 550 seniors. (Shawn Johnson, gold medalist and Dancing with the Stars winner, is a junior at the same Valley High School so she was not included in the voting.) Zac is just finishing his sophomore year and Jacob has finished seventh grade. It was a lot of fun to have them home and a great honor to be able to tell them each how proud I am of them.

Galyn Wiemers
http://www.generationword.com

Biblical Illiteracy: Pastor's Excuse #1

2009-04-25T20:29:00.010-05:00

Biblical Illiteracy: Pastor's Excuse #1 -

"The people who attend my church are not ready for in depth Bible teaching. They would not understand the details since they do not have a biblical background."

Fallacy of Pastor's Excuse #1 -

The above response (or, excuse) for biblical illiteracy in a church gives the impression that there are many new people attending the Sunday morning church services who have not yet been orientated to the Scriptures. This answer is camouflage since statistics show that church attendance is down nationally (21% of people ages 21-45 attend church in 2009, down from 33% in the early 1970's, WallStreet Journal 3/13/09) and the number of self-professing Christians has declined from 86% to 76% since 1990 (Newsweek, "The End of Christian America", April 13, 2009).

This means that the vast majority of people in church have been there for years. So, why are the people still biblically illiterate? The pastors failed to teach the Bible for many years. Maybe the pastors don't believe the Bible? Maybe the pastors don't know the Bible? Maybe the pastors are afraid the people will leave? We do know that is true - the people are leaving but it is not because the pastors are teaching too much Bible.

Even if a church is receiving large numbers of new people each week the statistics still show they are people who are simply moving from another church. This week they will be in this church, but soon they will be moving on to an other church. It is almost as if they are looking for something.

So, the reason people are biblically illiterate is NOT because:
1. The church is being flooded with new converts.
2. The church has not had time to teach the basics.

The pastors have had years to cover the basics of Bible and theology from the pulpit but have almost universally and across denominations decided not to. The people have been sitting there in the pews for years available for Bible teaching, but they have received so little that it is easy to label Christians of today as biblically illiterate.

In a wide variety of Christian circles I have heard pastors ridicule the public school's performance on standardized tests or mock the test performance of United State's students when compared to other nations. It is time to turn the focus on the utter failure of the educational ability of the modern church itself. I do not want to hear the sickening excuses, explanations and justifications of pastors when they have to face the fact that standardized testing of basic Bible literacy in their congregations would show they are this generation's educational failures.

Our Christian generation inherited a large percentage lead over any other religion in the world. In our nation Christians (76%, down from 86% in 1990) still have a large lead over atheists (4%), Judiasm (1.2%) and Muslims (0.6%). Imagine going into a baseball game as a pitcher with a lead of 76-4 and losing the game!? Today's pastors are walking the bases full and then throwing the high, hanging curve ball out over the plate time after time. (That means they are giving up four-run homers Sunday after Sunday. Which is not good if you want to win.) This pitcher needs to start throwing good, low strikes or be replaced.

Pastor, how much time do you need before your people are ready to handle the Word of Truth? Is 5 years long enough? 10 years? 20 years? You have had some people sitting in your churches their entire life who are still "not ready to handle Bible teaching." In the ancient world, when the sheep starved, the shepherds were called "worthless" and fired. When sheep starve in modern USA the farmer is fined and could get jail time for neglegence and animal abuse.

Galyn Wiemers
http://www.generationword.com

First, We Need More People to Leave the Church

2009-04-09T11:30:00.006-05:00

15% of Americans now claim no religious affiliation. (Newsweek: The Decline and Fall of Christian America - April 13, 2009 )This is an increase from 8% in 1990. You can wring your hands and ask, "What are we going to do," or you can face the facts that churches ignored in Barna's 2001 research that indicated the lack of biblical literacy. The lack of Christian knowledge proclaimed from the pulpit and taught in churches was destined to result in a decline in religious affiliation.

Understand and remember this:

Biblical illiteracy is the disease that results in the symptoms our churches and our society are now trying to deal with.

You can fix a civil symptom (gay marriage) with legislation and you can fix a church symptom (low church attendance) with a program (free doughnuts), but the disease of biblical illiteracy will still be eating away at the soul of your churches and society.

In 2001 researcher George Barna told us that America was immersed in a crisis of biblical illiteracy. At that time half of incoming freshman in college who called themselves Protestants could not list Moses, Isaac, King Saul and the Babylonian exile in chronological order. It was at this same time the most familiar Bible verse was:

God helps those who help themselves.

The above "Bible verse" is not a Bible verse. Here are some examples from Barna's 2001 research that flashed the big yellow warning lights telling us people would soon consider our religion irrelevant:

Mainline denominational churches: 35% believe Jesus was sinless and 34% believe the Bible is totally accurate.
Conservative churches: 55% believe Jesus was sinless and 66% believe the Bible is totally accurate.
Non-denominational churches: 63% believe Jesus was sinless and 70% believe the Bible is totally accurate.

Here is an interesting thought. If pastors would start teaching the Word of God those numbers would go up. Guaranteed!

First, if the people heard the truth they could then believe the truth which would increase the percentage of people in the church who believe that Jesus was sinless and the Bible is accurate.
Or, second, if the people heard the truth they could reject the truth and leave the church which would also increase the percentage of people in the church who believe that Jesus was sinless and the Bible is accurate.

In other words, we do not have enough people leaving the church yet! Let's get started!!

Galyn Wiemers
http://www.generationword.com

Application?

2009-04-08T09:06:00.003-05:00

I keep getting feedback from believers who have handed the "Framework" book to their local church pastor. First, the book is not written for pastors. It is written for believers who want to build a framework of understanding concerning the Christian faith. It is targeted at believers who are not being taught the word of God in church. It is not intended for the pastors who are already not teaching the word of God.

The consistent comment used by local (Des Moines, Iowa) church leaders to dismiss the "Framework" book, and the entire Generation Word Bible Teaching Ministry, is that I do not make application in my teaching. The complaint is I simply teach the Bible. The people get nothing but the word of God. They have no discussion time, no opportunity to express how it makes them feel and are not given three points or five steps on how to live for God. Nothing but verse by verse teaching.

This is true. I agree with this description. This is what I do and I do it on purpose. I teach the Bible. I do not labor to come up with sermon illustrations or dream up ways to be relevant. I teach the Bible exegetically, verse by verse and try my best to provide expository teaching. It is not that I am forgetting to make application. I don't even care about the application. Pastors must think I missed that class in seminary. . . but wait, that is an understatement, . . . I skipped all my classes because I didn't even go to seminary. I missed that entire phase of preparation.

This ministry is called Generation Word Bible Teaching Ministry because we provide Bible teaching. Why do you think James Dobson called his ministry Focus on the Family? Do you think it was because he was focused on the family? The clue is in the name of the ministry.

Here are a few thoughts concerning Bible teaching and application:

How can there not be application already in the text of scripture? Read First Corinthians, or the last chapters of Ephesians, Romans. It is all application! So, when a local pastor asks, "Does Galyn make any application when he teaches?" What do you think the answer is? Can you teach verse by verse through Galatians without making application? I can't. It is in the text!
I am not teaching morons. The people I am teaching are believers who have the Spirit of God, who carry a Bible to class and pay attention when I talk. They even write their own notes with out having to use the little fill in the blank statements on the back of their bulletin. They come to class and they listen online because they want to learn. They are intelligent enough to make their own application of the Word of God.
"My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge." (Hosea 4:6) It is not unusual to provide God's people with information. Ephesians 4:13 clearly links knowledge and maturity. (Read the verses that follow "My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge" in Hosea 4:6-9. Application in this verse is clear and simple when the words spoken to Israel's priest are applied to many modern pastors. Believer, apply that on Sunday morning!)
Some verses do not have, nor should they have, application for the modern reader. They are simply to provide information or knowledge. For example Genesis 15 is the recording of God establishing the Abrahamic Covenant. What does this chapter mean? It means God chose Abraham and Israel. To teach this chapter for application purposes means you are missing the point of the chapter. All Scripture is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training, but not all Scripture has to be watered down to find modern meaning and application. The plan of God is bigger than a Sunday morning application. The very word "exegesis" means to let the meaning come out. When you force an application into the verse you are practicing eisogesis. Eisogesis is a problem.

There are many more things to say concerning this subject but I think I have made my point.

Galyn Wiemers
http://www.generationword.com

Persevere and Teach Truth

2009-04-05T11:36:00.003-05:00

In light of current civic events and the state of the church in America I have tried to capture my thoughts in these following points. All of them could use some explanation and commentary but for now here is a list:

Elijah and 7,000 – there are many people and groups today ready to side with the truth if we do not give up and run away. You need to persevere.
Teach Truth, not answers – truth will lead to correct thinking and decision making. Opinions will be abandoned because people do not have a foundation to understand why they are important. You need to teach toward understanding.
Do Not Respond to Winds – preach the word in season and out. Issues change like seasons. When the issue changes the word/truth will prepare people for the next issue.
Do Not Seek Government Assistance – The church can stand alone. If you lean on the government it can control you. The early church grew even as an illegal religion. You don’t need help.
Schools are not Divine Institutions – Fix the family. Good families make good public schools and good private schools. Corrupt families ruin both public and Christian schools.
Rapid Change and Polarization Will Help – The shock value of rapid change and the clear contrast of extremes is on the side of truth. The frog in the boiling water will jump out. You are the frog and the water has been getting gradually hotter for years. Do you feel it now?
Heathenism Can’t Survive – Heathenism can not survive without governmental support (evolution, atheism at public schools, state universities). When faced with survival the Truth of the church will always win (see point 4). This is the point of Gates of Hades in Mt. 16.
Teach Truth in Hardship – The early church continued to proclaim the truth in the face of death and eventually converted the Roman Empire. We are still free and Christianity is not yet illegal. You do not yet know what hardship is in the United States.

Galyn Wiemers
http://www.generationword.com

Daily Archaeology Update

2009-03-18T10:54:00.001-05:00

Here is a link to a daily archaeology update from Biblical Archaeology Review:
http://www.bib-arch.org/news/dailynews.asp

Galyn Wiemers
http://www.generationword.com

David's Palace

2009-03-14T15:56:00.012-05:00

When we were in Israel during the summer of 2007 I took the following slide show of photos of the excavated eastern wall of the ancient City of David, or the original Jerusalem. Excavation and these photos reveal:

the Jebusite wall (1100 BC) of the city that David and Joab took from the Jebusites around 1003 BC
dwelling places, or residences, on the outside of the city wall (1000-600 BC)
the southern and northern towers on the wall built during the time of the kings of Judah (1000-600 BC)
portions of the wall that Nehemiah rebuilt (445 BC)

I was excited to see that in this month's issue of Biblical Archaeology Review there was an article by Eilat Mazar who discovered David's palace in 2005. She is a third-generation Israeli archaeologist and granddaughter of the legendary Benjamin Mazar. In this article she describes some of the finds from her work in and around the ancient royal palace of Judah's kings:

A section of Nehemiah's wall
Seal impressions featuring scenes and names of some people mentioned in the Bible
A building now called the Large Stone Structure with walls between 7-11 feet thick at the high point of the City of David believed to be David's palace.
Two towers, the Southern and Northern Towers, which sit just a few feet away from David's palace.
A bulla (an impression made in clay with a seal) that bears the name Yehuchal ben Shelemyahu, or Jehucal son of Shelemiah, found in David's royal palace mentioned in Jeremiah 38:1 and 37:3. In Jeremiah 38 Jehucal accused Jeremiah and helped lower and confine Jeremiah in a cistern. In Jeremiah 37:3 Jehucal was sent by the King along with a priest to ask Jeremiah to pray for the crumbling nation.
A bulla found underneath the northern tower that bears the name Gedalyahu ben Pashhur or Gedaliah son of Pashhur, who is also mentioned in Jeremiah 38:1 as assisting in Jeremiah being confined to a cistern in the courtyard of the guard. In Ezra 2:38 the family of Pashhur returns to Jerusalem from Babylonian captivity and is listed with the names of the priests. (Note: these two men, Jehucal and Gedaliah, are mentioned in the same verse in Jeremiah 38: 1 and are described as working together in the royal palace against Jeremiah. Now,sometime during the last few months, since I was in Jerusalem and had a chance to look at Mazar's excavation, bullae with the names of these same two men impressed along with their family names have been found within a few feet of each other in the same royal palace the Bible says they worked!)
Bronze and iron arrow heads from the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BC where mixed in with stone weights, clay figurines and bullae (clay seal impressions).
Pottery from a stratum from the Babylonian period between 586-538 BC
A seal carved in a shiny black stone engraved with a Babylonian religious scene with the name Shelomit engraved in Hebrew . Shelomit was the daughter of Zerubbabel. Zerubbabel was the heir to the royal throne of Judah who returned to Jerusalem to serve as governor under the Persian Empire. He would have taken up residence in a rebuilt royal palace.

These are interesting finds that help confirm the historical accuracy of the Old Testament. I refer to the value of finds like this in my latest book Framework for Christian Faith on page 21:

When there is not much evidence to support an event recorded in Scripture, then negative evidence is of small account. For example, if there is little physical evidence to prove or disprove that Noah built an ark, the fact that we do not physically have Noah's ark does not prove that it did not happen. When evidence and information on a subject is lacking, the smallest amount of support will carry great weight. If we were to find an ancient inscription that included Noah's name or made some geological or archaeological discovery that supported the Flood story of Genesis, these would support the validity of the Flood narrative, and the whole book of Genesis.

Skeptics will claim, "Archaeologists have shown the Bible to be a legend at best." With discoveries like the finding of David's palace, Nehemiah's wall, bullae with the names of biblical personalities, remains of the Babylonian destruction and much more the critics have to admit that archaeology continues to be on the side of proving the validity of the Bible.
The "Shelomit" Bulla, daughter of Zerubbabel
Gedaliah' Bulla; he confined Jeremiah to a cistern
Galyn Wiemers
http://www.generationword.com/

United States Air Force Award

2009-03-01T07:49:00.001-06:00

Saturday night we went to Iowa State University to the US Air Force ROTC Detachment 250 Dining Out event and award ceremony. Our son, Benjamin, received the National Sojourners Award and was recognized for his attributes of Americanism, Leadership and support of the United States. Benjamin is majoring in computer engineering with an emphasis in computer security for the military. Here is a brief video of him receiving his award.

Galyn Wiemers
www.generationword.com

Church Involvement

2009-02-28T15:31:00.002-06:00

In response to a recent email concerning meeting as a family for a church service at home I wrote:

I think home church for family Bible study, worship, prayer, etc. is very, very good. I do think that we are designed to be in fellowship with a local church body. The gifts within the church are for the "common good" which means we need each other to grow and develop. The church's mission can not be fulfilled with out the functioning of a body. I would encourage you to develop your home church while at the same time find a local church to plug into. I am not a big believer in "being under a pastor" or "under the authority" in a local church but I do believe their is strengthen in numbers and their is a level of accountability in a local church. The New Testament gives us no examples of a private, family church. The NT churches always held some form of public meetings and included these things:

practicing baptism
practicing the Lord's Supper
Evangelizing
Honoring the Lord with worship
Edification of believers
Giving
Being salt and light to their generation.

I would encourage you to continue in a family worship setting but at the same time locate a church (and their are many) to be plugged into, grow in and be a blessing in.

Galyn Wiemers
http://www.generationword.com

Galyn's New Education Blog

2009-02-06T20:43:00.003-06:00

Often times what I learn in the ministry I take to my secular job and vice versa. Well, I began blogging for Generation Word a little over a year ago. This week I finally began an education blog. There is no real reason for doing this blog except the fact that I can, so I did. You can find this blog called Mr. Wiemers' Shop - a blog about education from the perspective of a shop teacher, at http://mrwiemersshop.blogspot.com/

Galyn Wiemers
http://www.generationword.com

Running Aimlessly or Running for the Prize?

2009-01-28T22:04:00.001-06:00

Solomon cried out “Meaningless! Meaningless! Everything is meaningless! While, Paul says, “I do not run like a man running aimlessly” and then tells the Corinthians to run in such a way as to get the prize. Both men had a view of life that conflicted with the other. What caused the difference between these two? One believed there was a personal purpose for their existence and found it; the other did not.

Paul had an understanding that he had a purpose for being alive. Think about this: Is anything ever created by man without there first being a purpose for man to create it? No one spends time designing and producing something only to say when they are done, “I wonder what this is good for?” Everything man designs has a reason before it is created. This same principle is true for God and you, his creation. There has never been a person on the earth that did not have a special purpose assigned to them when they arrived. God only creates people he plans on using.

We must first believe that this logical concept applies to us individually to gain the hope and strength we need to live as Paul: “I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.” Once we believe we have a purpose, we will begin to discover what it is.

Galyn Wiemers
http://www.generationword.com

The Theology of the Shattered Windshield

2009-01-25T22:46:00.002-06:00

Paul writes to the Ephesisans “I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them.” (4:17)

The life of a believer is to be lived focusing on the truth and the reality of God. A believer needs to hold to the knowledge that God is the creator and sustainer of our lives. God is supreme and his wisdom surpasses our understanding. His standard of righteousness is absolute and unchanging through all generations.

A believer must live in this world but not allow the things or the ways of the world to distract them from the big picture.

When a person drives a car they are focused on the road and the activity outside the car. The driver looks through the windshield, not at the windshield. The safe driver can not look inside the car for very long without having some major problems outside the car.

So it is in comparison with the life of the believer. A believer is inside the world but must be viewing life through the windshield of God’s revelation to man as found in the scriptures.

Paul says we must “no longer live as the Gentiles do” who have no view outside the windshield. They spend their entire lives trying to find direction and avoid accidents but they never look outside the car. Their whole focus is on the interior of the car as they speed through life. They have no perspective of God, eternity, truth, or reality. They are living in “the futility of their thinking.” It is easy to understand why, though. They have never seen or believed anything else. It is as if they are driving at night with the dome light on and the headlights off.

This is important to the believer for two reasons. Although we have accepted the reality of God and have, at least for a moment, looked up through the windshield long enough to realize we are speeding through life on very busy spiritual highway, we too often continue to “live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking.” We, too, spend the majority of our lives focused on the inside of the car and not on the highway. We are not looking through the windshield at the more serious issues.

Paul says, that he “insist on it in the Lord” that we live by looking through the windshield as we make decisions and evaluations.

One of the biggest challenges for the sincere believer who has lived their life looking at God through their windshield is when something strikes our windshield causing it to shatter. A disaster, a situation, something unexpected and undeserved comes from outside the car. It hits our windshield, disappears and leaves a fragmented, shattered windshield filled with distracting lines and breaks. This presents a new challenge for the believer who has been looking through this clear windshield at God.

Up until now the challenge was to either look through the windshield or look inside the car. This new challenge forces the believer to either focus on the shattered windshield or to continue to look through the fragmented pieces of the windshield at God.

We must realize, and know by faith, that your shattered windshield has not changed anything outside the car. The only thing that has changed is your ability to see it clearly and focus on it through the advantage of a crystal clear windshield. A crack in your windshield does not represent a crack in the kingdom of God. A shattered windshield is not a true representation of everything outside the car. A broken windshield is simply a distraction from the reality that is still outside your car and bigger than your life. Do not allow a shattered windshield to pull your attention back inside the car where you are forced once again to live in the futility of your thinking.

Galyn Wiemers
http://www.generationword.com

Order Galyn's New Book Framework for Christian Faith HERE

Scriptural Secrets for Marriage

2009-01-20T22:21:00.002-06:00

1) Words Make a Difference
Proverbs 12:18, “Reckless words pierce like a sword.”
What you say to your spouse is creating in them images and attitudes. This can be good or bad. People who ridicule or use their spouse as a source of jokes are wrong. Proverbs 11:13, “A gossip betrays a confidence.” Certain information about the marriage relationship does not belong in daily conversation with other people. If you are having a disagreement with your spouse you should talk about it with your spouse.

2) My wife is my best friend Genesis 2:24, “they will become one flesh” speaks of the unity of the couple’s soul and body. Spending time together and sharing conversations will enhance a relationship. It is sad when men need to have men’s night out to get away from their wife, the very person they should want to share their life with.

3) Guard your Heart because Love is not Magical. The phase “falling in love” gives the impression that falling in love with someone cannot be helped. Our culture gives the impression that love is an outer force beyond our control. No! We need to guard our hearts. If a man “falls in love” with another woman while he is married this is not magical, it is wrong. A married person cannot allow a relationship to grow outside of marriage. Don’t be deceived; guard your heart.

4) Learn how to Argue Ephesians 4:26, “In your anger do not sin.” Anger and disagreements are not sin, nor are they wrong. Some things should make us angry. Sin occurs when the argument begins to focus on destroying the other person and not resolving the problem.

5) Love begins with the Husband Ephesians 5:25, “Husbands love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.” A wife will respond to a love like that.

Galyn Wiemers
http://www.generationword.com

Cease Fire, Inaguration and now this . . .

2009-01-18T23:01:00.002-06:00

"Three massive offshore oil reserves discovered off Israel's coast."
"Discovery of the natural gas field 90 km. offshore from Haifa."

From the business section of Sunday's Jerusalem Post:
Jan 18, 2009 10:54 Updated Jan 18, 2009 23:49
Huge gas reserves discovered off Haifa

News Video

Article in the online edition of the Jerusalem Post

The Jerusalem Post reports:

"A historic natural gas reservoir found offshore from Haifa is poised to meet Israel's natural gas demand for about 15 years and reduce the country's dependence on gas imports from Egypt and offshore from Gaza. "
"If the Tamar site opposite the Haifa coast succeeds in producing the significant quantities of natural gas predicted, we are talking about a revolution which will have an impact on the Israeli economy for the coming generations."
"The vast reservoir is poised to bring down electricity prices, reduce the country's dependence on gas from foreign countries, in particular from Egypt, and thereby turn Israel from a gas importer into a gas exporter."
"Big celebrations are still premature. It needs to be remembered that the drilling is complicated and production possibilities are not yet completely clear. In addition, gas transportation is a much more complex and expensive process compared with oil transportation."
Shares of Delek Drilling, which holds 15.6% of the Tamar prospect, jumped 41.7%.
Shares of Avner Oil Exploration, which holds another 15.6%, surged 21.4%.
Shares of fuel exploration company Isramco, which owns 28.7%, leaped 123.8%

We have been talking about an event like this happening before Russia invades with the terrorist states for several years. We will wait and see. A cease fire, Obama and now, Israel's own natural gas.

Galyn Wiemers
http://www.generationword.com

First, Save the Vessel

2009-01-15T23:15:00.004-06:00

If a ship with valuable cargo had sprung a leak would it be better to move the cargo to a higher level on the ship or fix the leak in the ship? Is the cargo safe at a higher level of a sinking ship? If the leak is not fixed is the plight of the ship inevitable? Is not the cargo going to be destroyed eventually if the leak continues to be ignored?

The answers seems simple. The crew’s efforts to save the cargo to the upper deck of a sinking ship is wasted effort. The only fruit of their labors is a false sense of security and the temporary satisfaction of being busy.

Every crew member is going to realize that there is a problem when water starts to leak into their ship. How each individual crew member responds will depend on their perspective. A shortsighted crew member may try to rearrange the cargo or move it to a safer place on the sinking ship.

The best action would be to repair the damage to the ship. When the vessel is secure then the freight is safe.

Most churches and believers see problems in our world, our nation, our homes and our lives. Like the crew we rush around trying to preserve our world, our society, our marriage, our kids, our finances, even our lives. Churches and believers often fail to secure the vessel. The vessel is the Word of God. The Word of God is the foundation for every area of our lives and every decision we make. The Scriptures reveal God, his plan, his ways and his Son, Jesus Christ. For situations in God's creation to have meaning and to make sense we must have the correct perspective.

Indeed people and societies are frantically looking for answers just like the crew is frantically moving cargo. But, until the people understand God’s revelation to them in the Scriptures they will not have understanding or insight. All of our attempts to rearrange their lives will only be rearranging the cargo before the disaster.

Galyn Wiemers
http://www.generationword.com

The Six Tests of a Spiritual Man

2009-01-14T06:16:00.002-06:00

The use of the term “spiritual” in some groups may describe someone who does not dress like the world, or appears to live absent from reality, or speaks in tongues, or feels close to God. Galatians is about this very issue.

Judiazers had come to make believers “spiritual.” The Judiazers’ favorite method of obtaining a superior spiritual status was circumcision and other outward signs of the law. Paul explains that true spirituality is not found in methods or rituals. It can only come from God. If a person is trying to produce an imitation spirituality, the result will always be a work of the flesh such as jealousy, selfish ambition, factions and envy. (5:19)

Paul stresses the need for a person to become a “new creation” (6:15) and then to express that new nature (5:6) by producing the fruit of the spirit (5:22-23).

Since our new life is from the Spirit we need to “keep in step with the Spirit.”(5:25)

In Galatians 6:1-6 Paul tells his readers six things a spiritual person will find themselves doing.

First, “if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently.” “Restore” is used to refer to setting a broken bone. The spiritual person will be able to correctly diagnose and fix a spiritual “broken arm” of sin. In contrast, the unspiritual believer might tell the fallen brother to simply stop having a broken arm or give them a list of exercises to strengthen it or kick them out since they are useless with a “broken arm.”

Second, “Carry each other’s burdens.” “Burdens” is the word that refers to a load that is naturally too heavy for one person. We all have times in our lives where emotionally, financially, physically or spiritually our burden is more than one person could ever carry. The spiritual believer meets needs, they do not create needs.

Third, “take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else.” Each of us has a gift we use. We can know we are doing it successfully without comparing ourselves to the “lesser” believers. Nor do we feel inferior due to the “great” believers.

Fourth, “Each one should test his own actions.” With a mind renewed to the word of God we can judge and correct our own hearts and attitudes.

Fifth, “each one should carry his own load.” This is a different word than “burden” used above. This is the weight of the supplies and equipment of a soldier. We each have been equipped to do our job. Do not expect someone else to carry your spiritual backpack of responsibility in the body of Christ.

Sixth, “share all good things with his instructor.” The spiritual person realizes the value of the sources that cause spiritual growth. Food, cars and possessions do not cause spiritual growth. The things that lead to spiritual growth will be defended and supported by the spiritual man.(6:1-6)

Galyn Wiemers
http://www.generationword.com

2,000 More Books Delivered Before a Blizzard

2009-01-12T20:41:00.008-06:00

We had the last 2,000 copies of Framework for Christian Faith delivered today. School had been let out due to an approaching blizzard and I had just finished shoveling the 4 inches of snow that fell this morning. The truck pulled up and we packed the boxes inside. Tonight I packaged and addressed boxes of books to Finland, Pakistan, London, Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa and a few here in the United States. Before the driver arrived at our place he had spent two hours digging his truck out of the snow at his last stop. I gave him a book which he was glad to take. He had been reading Purpose Driven Life. Now, if we could just get a copy of Framework to everyone who has a copy of Purpose Driven Life we would have to . . . well, first, we would have to order some more books.

Galyn Wiemers
http://www.generationword.com/

"Framework" Book is Here

2009-01-09T17:12:00.011-06:00

The first 1,000 copies of Generation Word's new book Framework for Christian Faith has been delivered. 2,000 more copies will arrive in the next day or so. We have shipped out the first wave of request coming from the United States and hope to ship to foreign countries early next week. We are burning the CD that is found on the inside of the back cover and placing the sealed, self-adhesive vinyl case in each of the 3,000 books. The response has been positive if not very positive and giddy. People get a twinkle in their eye and a look of amazement on their faces when they see this book for the first time. I think the potential for this book is tremendous. It is now just a matter of getting it into the hands of as many people as we can. This book has been described as a college textbook written for the common man. The two bookstores that I personally contacted took the books immediately and placed them on display in two different locations in each of their stores. Generation Word, of course, continues to hand the book out at no charge upon request realizing that people will continue to support our efforts to bring spiritual revival to America. Our goal is to empower believers with biblical literacy which will result in the renewing of their minds and the renewing the soul of our nation.

Here are some pictures of Ben, Hawkeye, Zac and Miku unloading the books. Miku took most the pictures since the boys enjoyed being in the pictures. I was still at work at the DCG middle school shop when the semi pulled up in front of our house. Please contact me if you want a copy.

Ben and Hawkeye

Miku

Zac

Ben and Zac

Hawk, Toni and Zac

Ben Preaching

Hawk checks out the new book

Toni and Zac with the new book

Hawkeye

Toni

Galyn Wiemers
http://www.generationword.com/

Book Delivery

2009-01-05T15:28:00.002-06:00

I received a call this morning from the truck company delivering the Framework for Christian Faith books. They were still in a warehouse in Buffalo, New York as of 9:30 this morning. Since they left the printers in Maryland last Tuesday, I was hoping they would be here by today or tomorrow. The shipping company said they would be delivering them on Wednesday. I was disappointed since we planned to begin mailing the books on December 23.

The truck company wanted to know if we had a forklift at our facility. I explained to them that our "facility" was my home, our "warehouse" was my garage and our "forklift" was my sons and any friends they could find to carry the books.

So, we will start filling request for the book on Thursday. If you want a copy of this 556 page "encyclopedia" send me your mailing address. I can also send you a copy of last years book Hope for America's Last Generation.

According the latest statistics and this article (you must read this) there has never been a better time for a book like Framework for Christian Faith. The extent of biblical illiteracy is unbelievable. I hope to comment on this article later.

Galyn Wiemers
http://www.generationword.com

MP3, Projectors and the Bible School

2009-01-04T22:52:00.006-06:00

Thanks to my friend Tim Vaniman the conversion of audio messages from .wav into .mp3 is going fast. Tim is converting them faster than I can get them uploaded. So far we have together converted about 320 messages in about two weeks. Tim is converting the Isaiah series and the Book of John now. He has already finished Genesis, Revelation, Romans, Eschatology and probably more by the time I finish posting this. All these mp3 audios can be found on a growing list at http://generationword.com/mp3.html .
Another advance we are trying to make in the ministry is the use of a projector for the Bible School classes. I am thinking that projecting some of the images in the book onto the wall during class will be an advantage both for the on-site class and the online classes. I am thinking of having a LCD projector on my left side with pre-designed charts, maps, etc. and an overhead projector on the right to scribble on while I teach. The white board just doesn't communicate to a larger group nor on the web videos. My son Ben has gone shopping for a computer screen that I could write on to replace the overhead projector. Here also, things are moving faster than I can keep up.

If you are waiting for the new book, Framework for Christian Faith, then this may be the week. Delivery of the first 1,000 copies is scheduled for Monday or Tuesday. Another 2,000 copies will follow later. We will get them in the mail as soon as we get them. We have had requests for this book from 10 countries so far. Email your shipping address to gw@generationword.com and I will make sure you get a copy at no charge.

Galyn Wiemers
http://www.generationword.com

Techniques for Faith

2009-01-03T09:49:00.002-06:00

Telling yourself to have more faith is like a little league coach telling his players, “hit the ball, hit the ball!” but never teaching them the grip, the stance, the follow through, etc. Being told game after game, “You’ve got to hit the ball, son!” is not going to develop a great batting average.

Believers need to exercise faith in times of disaster but also, in times of success. A person of faith should respond to situations by using the three techniques of effective faith.

FAITH FOCUS: This is where you apply 1 Peter 5:7, “Cast all your anxiety on God” and focus on a promise such as “all things work together for good.” (Rm. 8:28) This step by itself is not faith anymore than a good looking batting stance is a home run. The purpose of the faith focus technique is to reverse your concentration away from the distraction and toward God so that you can enter His rest.

FAITH REST: By holding on to a promise of God you have cast your anxiety on God and are ready for Hebrews 4:10, “He who enters God’s rest also rests from his own work.” In this place of faith rest you have peace in the midst of problems or success (“the worries of this Life” or “the deceitfulness of wealth” Mt. 13:23). Here you rest from your “own work” (schemes, plans, etc.) and wait to hear God. You can not hear God If you remain frantic or distracted.
David writes in Psalm143:8: “Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go."

FAITH EXECUTION is what you do after God reveals his plan for you. You handle the situation God’s way. You heard his word while in the place of rest, now you are ready to emerge to fight the giant, flee to the mountains, build the ark, wait for the promise, or endure patiently in hope. You will have the strength to do whatever God wills because you are living in faith.

Galyn Wiemers
http://www.generationword.com

End of the Holidays/A New Beginning

2009-01-02T05:12:00.002-06:00

I just got back from dropping off one of my sons at the airport. Justin's flight back to the Marine base leaves at 6:00 am. He was home for Christmas. Our house has been a non-stop revolving door. Five of our six sons were home, along with girl friends visiting, which brought by other friends of all ages. It has been an intense two weeks with memorable moments occurring so fast it is difficult to keep them from slipping into the sequence of time without being noticed. Taking Justin to the airport was the first sign that things are heading back to normal which is both sad and refreshing. The holidays give way to the refreshing hope of a new start and a second chance to accomplish goals, touch dreams and recall the memories.

Galyn Wiemers
http://www.generationword.com

The Cross Always Comes Before the Crown!

2008-12-30T08:18:00.004-06:00

There is clear scriptural distinction between today which is the time before the manifestation of the kingdom of God, and that day in the future when the kingdom of God will be revealed. (2 Tm.4:1,8; 1Tm6:14) Indeed the Kingdom of God has always existed, (Dan.4:3, 34;7:14,27) and we become members of that kingdom at the time we place faith in Jesus Christ and are born again. (Col.1:13) We spiritually become members of that kingdom and are called citizens (Phil.3:20-21), but we remain in time, here on earth, surrounded by the kingdom’s of this world, serving as ambassadors to the people of the worldly kingdoms. (2 Co.5:20; 4:5; 2:14) The kingdom of God is not here yet, nor can it be until the King comes. Jesus said himself:

"My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place." (John 18:36)

Paul lived as though the kingdom would be manifested later (Rm.8:18f; 2 Co. 4:17; also, 1 Pt.4:13; 5:1) and rebuked those who confused today’s kingdoms with the Kingdom that will come. (1 Co.4:8; 1 Tm. 6:5; also, Rev.3:17) The reason this becomes an issue is that our view of the Kingdom will:

determine our attitude toward our role as a servant today (John13:12-17; Matt.20:25-28)
influence the significance we place on material possessions today(1 Tm.6:5, 9, 11)
determine how we assess circumstances (Phi.3:7-12;4:11-12) (good and bad) today

To have a wrong view of the kingdom could derail our purpose and God’s calling on our life (2Tm4:10; 1Tm1:19) because, simply put, we will resist the truth and purse a lie (2 Tm3:8) . We could turn from God’s will to follow a fantasy.

Today we are servants of an unseen kingdom. (Rm6:22; Titus2:13) Paul, James, Peter, Jude and John called themselves servants in time, (Rm.1:1;Jm.1:1; 2 Pt.1:1, Jude 1;Rv.1:1) but recognize themselves as kings when the Kingdom comes. (1 Co. 4:8; 15:49; 1 Pt.2:9,11;1 Jn.3:2; Rv.2:26) To live as a king today and reject the position of servant hood is to subject yourself to Jesus’ warning that when the Kingdom comes “there are those who are last who will be first, and first who will be last.” (Lk. 13:29-3) We may not be willing to sacrifice today what it takes to become the type of king God has planned for us in eternity. (Mk.10:29-31)

Jesus was tempted by Satan to take the kingdom before he took the cross. (Mt.4:8-9) In the same way, the people wanted Jesus to take the kingdom of the Jews from Rome on Palm Sunday, but instead “he humbled himself and became obedient to death.” (Ph.2:8) Even his disciples’ first major concern after the resurrection was not obedience but “restoring the kingdom.” (Acts 1:6)

God is not restoring us to Adam’s position. Adam was “the earthly man.” (1 Co.15:48) God is changing us into “the likeness of the man from heaven,” (1 Co. 15:49) and we will see it! (1 Jn.3:1-3)

Galyn Wiemers
http://www.generationword.com/

God’s Personal Word to Jeremiah

2008-12-29T09:16:00.001-06:00

Like all of us, the prophet Jeremiah became confused and discouraged when things did not work out like he had expected. Jeremiah told God,

“When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart’s delight.” (15:16)

Soon, the cost of having received the sweet word of God brought bitterness. Jeremiah complains of the isolation and affliction the word brought into his life when he says,

“I sat alone because your hand was on me. Why is my pain unending? (15:17)”

He then accuses God of being deceptive and failing him. (15:18)

The Lord had told Jeremiah when he called him,

“Get yourself ready! Stand up and say to them whatever I command you. Do not be terrified by them, or I will terrify you before them.” (1:17)

Twenty-four years later Jeremiah is complaining and God answers by telling him to repent of these things:

Fearing Men— In 15:10 Jeremiah had complained to God that no one liked him. He described himself as, “a man with whom the whole land strives and contends!” He says, “everyone curses me.” God’s reply was, “If you repent, I will restore you that you may serve me” (15:19)

False Doctrine—Jeremiah was to bring the sinful people back to God. But in 14:7 Jeremiah prays false doctrine, “Although our sins testify against us, O Lord, do something for the sake of your name.” He was asking God to overlook sin and bless the people. God rebukes him for his false doctrine when he says, “If you utter worthy, not worthless words, you will be my spokesman.” (15:19)

Following Messages of Men-Jeremiah told God, “the prophets keep telling them, ’You will not see the sword. . .I will give you lasting peace’. (14:13) God replied, “Let this people turn to you, but you must not turn to them.” (15:19)

Galyn Wiemers
http://www.generationword.com

Eternal Rewards

2008-12-28T16:14:00.000-06:00

The Bible teaches that rewards are available to the believer from God as recognition of that believer’s faithful service.

Some Christians question the existence of these rewards and others consider it selfish to even discuss them. In order to begin to clear up confusion and establish doctrine we need to identify the differences between the issue of eternal salvation and eternal rewards.

Four basic differences exist concerning salvation and rewards: God offers the lost salvation through faith in Christ.
1) God offers the believer rewards for faithful service.
2) Salvation is described as a free gift. Rewards are earned by works.
3) Salvation is a present possession now in time. Rewards will be possessed in the future and given at the Lord’s return.
4) Salvation can not be lost. Rewards can be lost.

From this list you can begin to see how people can get Bible verses about salvation and rewards confused and develop some of these false concepts:
A) Salvation is worked for or maintained by faithfulness
B) There is equality in heaven. Everyone receives rewards.

Our rewards will be determined by our actions on earth. It is possible to spend your life thinking you are serving the Lord only to find out you have few rewards. (1 Cor.3:15; 9:27) Receiving rewards is based on:
1) Pure or sincere motivation.
2) True and right actions.

To be sincere and pure in motive but to do the wrong thing equals zero. To do the right thing for the wrong reason brings the same, zero. Rewards are a matter of the heart and the head.

Rewards are based on knowledge of God’s will and a heart committed to that will. Rewards are distributed after a judgment before God. There are seven judgments recorded in scripture: 1—Believers from the church age,
2– Old Testament saints,
3—Martyrs of the Tribulation,
4—Jewish survivors of the Tribulation,
5– Gentile survivors of the Tribulation,
6—Satan and fallen angels,
7—The unsaved people of all time.

Romans 14:10-12 describes judgment for the church age believer: “For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat. . So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.”

“Stand before” is a technical Greek term meaning to stand before a judge. The word “account” is the Greek word “logos” and means “a word or a rational expression.” We will not only be evaluated individually for our faithfulness, but we will also have to respond to the Lord with a rational expression of our lives.

Galyn Wiemers
http://www.generationword.com

"Heavenlies" in Ephesians 1:3

2008-12-24T12:15:00.003-06:00

The phrase "heavenly realms" in Ephesians 1:3 (NIV) is from one Greek adjective ἐπουρανίοις or epouraniois. This adjective that stands alone without a noun at the beginning of the longest sentence in all of known ancient Greek (verses 3-14) means "above the sky, celestial, in heavenly, high." Nouns like "realm", "places", "world" are often added in the English translations to make sense of this Greek adjective so it say "heavenly realms" or "heavenly places."

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.

A little study and investigation of this word gives us insight into the spiritual dimension that so often we dismiss or are unaware. In the Jewish understanding of the "the heavens" there was an upper part of this earth's atmosphere (as they understood the atmosphere or the sky) that was the realm of spiritual activity concealed from human view but directly involved in it. This may be similar to many ancient theologies that understood the upper levels of the sky to be the home of the gods. The gods were believed to be aware and involved in human events.

Paul refers to the "heavenlies" five times in Ephesians. In fact, this adjective is only used in Ephesians.

In Ephesians 1:3 we are said to be blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies. Paul is saying that in Christi the believer has every spiritual advantage available in this spiritual dimension. Remember, this spiritual dimension is not future but currently active and effecting the natural world.

In Ephesians 1:20 we are told that Jesus was seated at the right hand of God who is himself seated in the "heavenlies." Paul then says that Jesus' position at the right hand of God in the heavenlies is far above all the other spiritual forces (or, gods) that occupy the heavenlies. This verse identifies these spiritual beings in four classes: rule, authority, power, dominion.

In Ephesians 2:6 we are told that believers have been seated with Christ in the heavenlies. This once again demonstrates an incredible truth concerning the depth and extent of our complete salvation in Christ.

In Ephesians 3:10 God's intention for the church is that his wisdom should be made known to the spiritual powers (rulers and authorities) in the heavenlies. God is demonstrating his varied and multi-dimensional wisdom today to these spiritual beings who occupy the heavenlies.

In Ephesians 6:12 we are told that our struggle today is not against the natural realm "but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenlies." Because this is our struggle we are told to put on the armor of God.

From these verses we see that the heavenlies is the location of spiritual forces and oppostion to God who himself is seated with in the heavenlies but at the head of all the powers in the heavenlies. Jesus is seated with God and we are seated with Christ. In this position (with Christ or in Christ) we have been blessed with every spiritual advantage available in the heavenlies. During our time on earth God is demonstrating his wisdom to these powers in the heavenlies through our lives and the evil spiritual forces in the heavenlies are opposing us as God continues to demonstrate his wisdom through our lives (the church) in our times.

With this understanding Ephesians 2:2 receives some light for understanding:

. . . in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.

And, also in Daniel 10:12-13 when the angel Gabriel said:

Do not be afraid,Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia. Now I have come to explain to you what will happen . . .

Join us for our Tuesday night Bible study through Ephesians in West Des Moines or online.

Galyn Wiemers
http://www.generationword.com

Essays for Bible School

2008-12-20T11:34:00.001-06:00

There is a new site for the Generation Word Bible School students to respond to essay questions. The new site is set up as a blog with 61 entrees or posts. Each post corresponds to a chapter in the textbook Framework for Christian Faith. Each post is titled after a chapter and is followed with an essay question to respond to in the comment box. At this time about fifteen of the questions are ready, but all 61 posts are set in place. Take a look at Generation Word's Online Bible School Essay Blog page.

Galyn Wiemers
http://www.generationword.com

New Quiz Site for New Textbook

2008-12-19T00:10:00.006-06:00

I have just established a location on the internet to create, host and evaluate online tests and quizzes that will correlate with our new Bible school textbook, Framework for Christian Faith. I have had three people email just this week to sign up for the Generation Word Bible School. The material is ready but the sign up, evaluation and certification process are being assembled as we go. The first chapter test is complete and can be accessed here:

Introduction to Apologetics - Section A, Chapter 1

There are sixty one chapters in the book, and some of them are monster chapters.

Please take this test. It is free for the students and you do not have to register your name to take the test or to have it graded. Give me some feedback if you have time. I can rewrite the test questions, but I can not rewrite the book until the second printing which will occur after we have distributed 3,000 books (or, about 3 1/4 ton of paper.)

I am planning on adding to the assessment segment of the Bible school a blog page with a few essay questions. We envision having at least one essay question for each chapter. Students around the world can comment on the essay answers posted on the blog. This could simulate a classroom environment with feedback, motivation, a variety of perspectives, along with the negative features, such as fear, peer pressure and classroom bullies. There will also be additional reading assignments available.

Here is the Generation Word Bible School profile page which will serve as an index to all the tests that we create. You can see this first quiz at the bottom of that profile page.

The text and information from chapter one can be found here.

Galyn Wiemers
http://www.generationword.com

Audio Christmas Card

2008-12-18T00:10:00.005-06:00

There are several things I need to add to this blog including responses to the rapture discussion and the atheistic crimes/violence. Also, I want to add a couple of blogs which include a brief teaching on Paul's intention for the Greek adjective translated "heavenlies" in Ephesians 1:3 and my plan to add online tests, an essay blog and online reading opportunities (or, assignments) for the Generation Word Bible School. But, for today I would like to give you a link to Toni's and my audio Christmas card. I hope you enjoy it and we wish you a Merry Christmas!

Click here to go to our audio Christmas card

Galyn Wiemers
http://www.generationword.com

Spilled Walnut Stain

2008-12-17T06:35:00.007-06:00

Yesterday in my 8th grade shop classes the students were staining their oak end tables. We spent three days staining 100 of these tables. Finally on the third day the inevitable happened. As one student was repositioning his end table he knocked another student's one quart can of dark walnut wood stain on the floor. The stain splattered everywhere and on everything in a 10 foot radius. If this ever happens to you the first response is to prevent the students from walking away from ground zero which would result in stain being tracked through out the shop. The student whose stain was spilled quickly escaped ground zero to get something to begin cleaning up the mess before the wrath of Mr. Wiemers was released. After having left walnut foot prints all the way to the sink and back, she returned to ground zero with two paper towels.

It was at this point I realized I was observing a future sermon illustration. This poor student was going to try to hold off my anger, disappointment and frustration by bringing two inadequate paper towels to clean up a quart of walnut stain pooled up on the floor and splattered in every direction. Not to mention, in her attempt to help, she had tracked the stain across the shop and back and others were preparing to follow her. The usefulness of this illustration is enormous and its application will surely be used some Sunday morning.

It did remind me of the time a friend of mine cut his thumb off on the table saw in high school. With the student's thumb laying on the table saw the teacher that day said, "I'll go get a band-aid," and then left to locate a bandaid!? Both paper towels and band-aids are useful but not when we are dealing with a quart of walnut stain and a severed thumb.

Galyn Wiemers
http://www.generationword.com

Quadrants of Life

2008-12-15T23:07:00.003-06:00

Through out the scriptures we are told that God is good. When we hear this we tend to describe the word good in terms of immediately recognizable “good.” Our definition of the term “good” could alternately use synonyms like “pleasant, pleasing, desirable, pain-free, or sought-after.” When we study the verses that often surround the praise “God is good,” we see that part of God’s “good” activity towards us is not within our definition. Things like “testing,” “trying,” “examining,” and “sacrificing.” In Psalm 107, which begins and ends with statements attesting to the “goodness” of God, forty-three verses are laced with real life situations where the goodness of God is manifested to people. Some of these people were lost and wandering, some had been subjected to bitter labor by God, others where caught in a storm sent by God, some of them were suffering in divine discipline for their rebellion. Although each group was in a different situation and for a different reason (some had rebelled, some had obeyed, some were guilty, some were innocent), they all were in the goodness of God.

The truth that God is doing something in our lives to change us is so obvious it goes without saying, but yet it is one of the things we must be taught so we do not go to extremes.

In Philippians 4:12-13 Paul says he has “learned the secret of being content in any and every situation.” With the phrase “learned the secret” he uses a technical term that refers to the process of initiation. The initiation would include more than knowledge but a sequences of life experiences. The situations in life are then listed by Paul forming a quadrant. Paul says he has learned to be content when “well fed,” “hungry,” “in plenty,” or “in want.” These four may seem redundant in the English Bible as if saying “prosperity or poverty, or prosperity or poverty.”

The tenses of the verbs that Paul uses in the Greek text develops the quadrants that can categorize every situation in life.

The first prosperity phrase (“well fed”) is passive. Meaning Paul was the recipient and not the doer of the verb. In other words he did not cause it to happen. This is true of the last phrase (“in want”) indicating there were times that Paul was in need that were out of his control. Paul did not deserve or cause the lack in this situation, it was given to him. The other two phrases (“hungry” or “plenty”) are in the active tense meaning Paul did or created both of these in his life at some time.

All of these serve a purpose and is the manifestation of the goodness of God in our lives. You may be suffering undeserving like Joseph or deserving like Samson. You may be prosperous undeservingly like Solomon or deserving like Abraham. But, one thing is true, God’s goodness will eventually take you to all four quadrants and through his initiation you can be content in any of them.

Galyn Wiemers

http://www.generationword.com

2008-12-15T06:39:00.002-06:00

Three areas that cause us to sin:

Pride
Self-preservation
Lust

Five things we need to avoid sinning:

Fear of God
Trust in God
Be Humble Before God
Learn of God
Walk with God

Galyn Wiemers
http://www.generationword.com

Connxions - Event Center and Bookstore

2008-12-14T08:02:00.005-06:00

Last night Toni and I had the privilege of attending Jerry Chiaramonte's grand opening reception for his new bookstore/event center in Urbandale. It has been a forty year dream for Jerry who began writing down ideas and drawing images of this project as a 20 year old college student. He told me he was going through a folder the other day containing pages of plans he had collected over the years and came across a forty year old sketch he had made of the layout of the store with a baby-grand piano in the center. Then he pointed right behind where I was sitting at the new baby-grand piano. Every detail of the store had been in the process of development over all these years. This is an inspiration for all of us who have dreams and plans. Abraham waited 25 years for a son, Moses spent 40 years in the wilderness before delivering Israel, and now, Jerry Chiaramonte has built his bookstore after forty years of planning and waiting.

One of the many features of Jerry's bookstore is the classroom he has set up right across the hallway from the event center. Beginning in January I will be teaching a weekly class in this classroom at Connxions beginning at 7:00 PM. (We are still discussing which night.) We will be handing out copies of our new 550 page book called Framework for Christian Faith and teaching through this Bible School material in a year.

Visit Connxions website

Download the .pdf files here for the new Framework for Christian Faith book which will be available in print in about a week.

Galyn Wiemers
http://www.generationword.com