Waiting time came, the anger and resentment to his father buried by Anto dilampiaskannya outside the home. He was hanging out with neighborhood kids who are not good, dirty, and naughty. His days filled with drunken-mabukkan. According to him, this is a community that accepts him. Families are supposed to be the closest person to him in fact are the people will never believe him. This is what took happy living in sin.

Anto deeds and his friends were becoming increasingly brutal and very disturbing people in the surrounding environment.

“There were cars passing by, I intercepted, I beat that car, my car was broken so many people are worried there. Nothing had thoughts of people want to be like this or like this, “he said.

Anto did not believe the words coming out of the mouth of her own mother when he was heading to her room praying. “He said, ‘God quickly took my child’s life because she was disturbing enough people’ Instead of change, but he’s exactly the same. He does not like me, so why again I live right if everybody did not like me. ”

She was devastated, Anto increasingly wild. Because it’s so popular with mischief, Anto invited in a party drug.

“That day I remember the night a week. The party begins at 8 tonight. On the table there’s drugs, drinking and the number is quite a lot. I immediately took eight nih because I Pingin called super that day. Special Kan come from Bandung. Drinking a diteguk aja counted so without anymore. Take again, ya … nih .. Maybe because there are too many to consume it within a short straight drink or swallow, I fainted, not conscious. ”

One drunken fellow with Anto, go left because of the confusion. They are so ketakukan because she thought had died so they hide themselves on the edge of the sofa where they were having a party when alcohol and drugs to be separated from responsibility.

For four days unconscious Anto, even been considered dead. But he seemed not to care about the death and increasingly worsen.

“Instead of repentance, in fact I am getting into. I kept getting drunk with drinks more than the previous days. I crashed that day at the front door of my room because in the pavilion. I was no longer able to open the door. I woke up in the afternoon, open the door, then moved to the inside, I continued my sleep there and I just woke up in the afternoon. “Ungkapya.

Anto was so surprised when he woke up there was someone sitting at his bedside. Men whose age was younger than she was even invited him to repent and turn to God.

“I was shocked, why there is this guy here. Then he said ‘it’s time to talk to my brother, “Bang, I think today is the right brother for repentance. My brother just wanted to pray, so brother do not reject ‘And he was praying for me at that time. This guy really loves me, this guy really paid attention to me, these people really care about me. Unlike my family yesterday. There is no one who does not care about me. No one loves me ”

For two years he was faithful to guide Anto. Through the love of the man, Anto can recognize and feel the love of God. Love and forgiveness she had received from God was finally enable him to do something previously unthinkable.

“When I see my father who was in Borneo, I was homesick. I used to hate to see him, now I’m longing to see him. Longing that I wrote in the letter. I say, ‘I miss you. When are you coming home? I want to meet with you because I’ve forgiven him. No more of him as a cruel father for me, but really what I need from dad he is. From the letters he’d sent it to me, I feel the affection he. Alas, he proved he’s incredible dad loves me ”

To correct a previous life he had destroyed himself, Anto decided to go to college. Armed with income as hawkers at red lights, he can pay the tuition at that time.

His efforts were not in vain, Anto graduated from college with a brilliant achievement and a pride for his family. Currently, Anto has been a director at his own company, has a duck restaurant, car rental, and has a foreign language institute, but it remains a humble person.

“I used tuh Life is like a bad toad, which have no value, does not like people, yes even shunned her presence in disgust. Because the love of the Lord Jesus, I am no longer an ugly frog, but a prince, “said Rismanto terminate testimony. (This story aired February 22, 2010 in Life Solutions event in O’Channel).
Testimony Source:
Rismanto
Are you blessed by the article above? You want to experience it? Follow the prayer below:
Lord Jesus, I realize that I am a sinner who can not save myself. I needed you. I recognize that I have sinned against you. Today I ask that Your blood eradicate all my fault. Today I invite you, Lord Jesus, come into my heart. I accept You as my Lord and Savior the only one in my life. I believe that You are Lord Jesus died and rose to save and memulihkanku. Thank God, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray. Amen!

Taken from: Jawaban.Com / GBI Aletheia

by Noel Horner

Nearly two millennia ago the disciples of Jesus of Nazareth asked Him a question that has intrigued people ever since: “What shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?” (Matthew 24:3, King James Version).

People in every generation since have wondered about this. Will the world literally end? If so, how? Why? And when? What does the Bible really say about this crucial and disturbing question?

Religious people aren’t the only ones asking these questions. In recent decades people from many walks of life have expressed concern about the possibility of the end of the world as we know it. Politicians, educators and scientists foresee the potential destruction of our world from a number of causes—including nuclear warfare, environmental disaster, planetary pollution, overpopulation, killer diseases and collision with a comet or asteroid.

Potential devastation from the sky

Although some of these possibilities are unlikely, others present a real threat. Based on the increasing number of gigantic impact craters discovered in recent years, scientists believe that a collision between earth and a killer asteroid is inevitable.

What would be the result of such a violent encounter? “An asteroid only a kilometer across would create cosmic havoc by impacting on the earth,” writes Michio Kaku, professor of theoretical physics at City College of New York. “. . . The shock wave would flatten much of the United States. If it hit the oceans, the tidal wave it created could be a mile high, enough to flood most coastal cities on earth” (Visions: How Science Will Revolutionize the 21st Century, 1997, p. 317).

In 1908 a meteor or comet exploded over a remote area of Siberia. Though it was relatively small, with an estimated diameter of only about 50 yards, it flattened 1,000 square miles of forest, felling 80 million trees. The energy released by that celestial missile is estimated to be about equal to that of a large hydrogen bomb. The resulting tremors were recorded as far away as London. (To learn how such events might tie in with Bible prophecy, see “Will Civilization End in Global Cataclysm?“)

The increasing nuclear threat

Experts generally agree that, of all possible means of destroying humanity, nuclear weapons pose the greatest threat.

And the genie cannot be put back in the bottle. Austrian theologian Ulrich Kortner put it this way: “The nuclear threat . . . constitutes not a temporary, but rather an irrevocable global threat. The actual possibility of an end to all life is now a constituent part of our reality” (The End of the World: A Theological Interpretation, 1995, pp. 229-230, emphasis added).

Some sober scientists go even farther, saying that nuclear annihilation is inevitable. The late Carl Sagan, perhaps the world’s best-known scientist before his death in 1996, wrote that “the development of nuclear weapons and their delivery systems will, sooner or later, lead to global disaster” (Cosmos, 1980, p. 328).

With the Cold War ended, the probability of all-out nuclear war between countries has lessened for the time being, but the continuing addition of more nations to the nuclear club ratchets the threat back upward.

If North Korea has successfully developed nuclear weapons—as it has strongly hinted it has done—the nuclear club of nations now totals 10. More than 50,000 nuclear weapons exist in the world, many in dangerously unstable places. No one dares dismiss the idea that terrorist groups, if they can get their hands on nuclear devices, will use them in pursuit of their deadly aims.

Optimistic scientists believe that, thanks to continuing discoveries in science and technology, the nations will realize they must cooperate and work together to develop a unified global civilization. However, admits Dr. Kaku, “in the background always lurks the possibility of a nuclear war, the outbreak of a deadly pandemic, or a collapse of the environment” (p. 19).

Is time running out?

Reagan expressed concern that Armageddon may occur in our generation. His defense secretary, Casper Weinberger, observed: “I believe the world is going to end—by an act of God, I hope—but every day I think time is running out” (quoted by Reginald Stackhouse, The End of the World, 1997, p. viii).

Former French president Valery Giscard d’Estaing commented on the state of humanity: “The world is unhappy because it doesn’t know where it is going and because it senses that, if it knew, it would discover that it was heading for disaster” (ibid.).

Former U.S. vice president Al Gore speculated on the longevity of the world: “Two world wars, the Holocaust, the invention of nuclear weapons, and now the global environmental crisis have led many of us to wonder if survival . . . is possible” (Earth in the Balance, 1992, p. 366).

Indeed, experts from many fields share the concern that we could see the end of civilization as we know it. These concerns have created an age of anxiety, especially in a world where so little seems certain anymore.

Many others, however, say there is no need to be concerned about the world ending. They point to epidemics of end-time panic that have raged in the past. They list many failed past predictions regarding the end of the world.

Such criticism is justified to a point. Doomsday predictions have abounded for centuries; date-setters have been wrong many times. The problem with most of these prognostications was that, though well intentioned, the specific chronological details were the ideas of men who badly misinterpreted information in Scripture.

Is there a source to which we can go for reliable information? There is! That one reliable source is the Bible—what it really says. Many people today have a vague idea that the Bible says something about the end of the world. Does it? Most certainly!

The end of an age

Although we do not know the time, one thing we know for sure is that the Bible prophesies the end of the world as we know it. But what does that mean?

When Jesus’disciples asked Him about “the end of the world,” they weren’t talking about “world” in the sense of our physical planet, the earth. The Greek word translated “world” is aion, from which we get the English word eon. The two mean essentially the same thing—an age, an epoch, an era .

Christ’s followers well knew the many prophecies of the Old Testament that foretell the coming age of the Messiah. Our present time, the time of human rule on earth under the deceptive sway of Satan (1 John 5:19), is described by the apostle Paul as “this present evil age” (Galatians 1:4).

Another Greek word translated “world” in the New Testament is kosmos, which denotes the ordered world around us—that is, not the physical planet we live on but man’s society and geopolitical dominion. This is what will end.

Paul and the other apostles understood that, at the end of this age, man’s corrupt civilization will be swept away and a new era will dawn at the return of Christ. Peter described this change as one in which “times of refreshing” will come from God the Father through Jesus, who will return from heaven when “the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets” (Acts 3:19-21, New International Version).

This transition from man’s misrule—which is, in reality, the unrecognized rule of Satan—to Christ’s divine reign in the Kingdom of God was at the heart of the messages of the biblical prophets as well as the gospel Jesus taught. (For more information, request our free booklets The Gospel of the Kingdom and Is There Really a Devil?)

Scripture proclaims that the present age—the civilization and societies we know today—will terminate in a cascade of unimaginable destruction and violence that will climax at the return of Christ. In the New Testament alone, more than 300 verses refer to these events.

Signs of the end time

When Jesus’ disciples asked about the end of the age (Matthew 24:3), He responded by listing several warning signs. The first would be massive religious deception, including religious teachers who, while claiming to represent Him, would not follow His teachings but would deceive many through a counterfeit Christianity.

He also said there would be many wars and other conflicts between nations and ethnic groups. He also spoke of famines,massive disease epidemics and earthquakes.

The problem with trying to precisely predict the end from these signs is that these trends and conditions have been with us in varying degrees from the first century until now. This helps explain why end-time fervor has arisen repeatedly for two millennia.

Many believe that man’s development of modern weaponry with the ability to annihilate human life is a sure sign of the last days. As for this destructive potential being a sign of the end, Jesus did say that “if that time of troubles were not cut short, no living thing could survive” (Matthew 24:22, Revised English Bible, emphasis added throughout).

Our awesome scientific and technological advancements have bequeathed to this and future generations a heritage over which hangs the ultimate sword of Damocles. Indeed, without miraculous intervention from God the human race has no assurance of survival.

However, we should realize the sobering fact that, no matter when the end of the age comes, people will be living at that time who will dispute the possibility of the world ending. Under inspiration of God, the apostle Peter tells us that “scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, and saying, ‘Where is the promise of His coming?’” (2 Peter 3:3-4).

Regardless of when it occurs, there will be people who express disdain even as the very time approaches. No matter how difficult things look, some will assure everyone that man has everything under control. Tragically, such assurances will do nothing but provide a false sense of security, leading people to foolishly continue to trust in human ability rather than in God.

As the end approaches

However long it is until the actual end of the age, one theme the biblical writers emphasized is that it draws nearer every day. Paul warns us that “now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed” (Romans 13:11).

And salvation is certainly important to keep in mind as everything falls to pieces around us. The end of the world as we know it, though it includes many catastrophes on a scale never seen in history, is not all bad news for mankind. It includes good news too. God will intervene before it is too late (Matthew 24:21-22). The alternative is not only the destruction of human civilization but the annihilation of the human race itself.

The only wise action for anyone who understands what is coming is to turn to God with repentance and obedience (Acts 3:19). Indeed, “now [God] commands all people everywhere to repent. For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed [i.e., Jesus Christ]” (Acts 17:30-31, NIV).

When Jesus comes in power and glory, He will rebuke the world for its sins. This is part of the message proclaimed from the beginning of the true Christian Church. On the day of the Church’s founding, the apostle Peter exhorted his audience, “Be saved from this perverse generation” (Acts 2:40).

This is the message the Church is still commissioned to proclaim. How were the people to be saved? Peter urged them to repent—to turn from their own sinful, selfish ways and to seek God’s ways—and to be baptized (Acts 2:38). At His second coming Christ will reward those who do so.

Focus not on timing but preparation

It is not a question of whether the world—man’s corrupt civilization—will end. God’s Word says it will. Our chief concern should not be when it will end. Jesus said it would be impossible for men to precisely calculate this ahead of time (Matthew 24:36, 42, 44).

Instead, our main focus should be to seek God to be spiritually prepared for the times that are coming. “But keep on the alert at all times,” said Jesus, “praying in order that you may have strength to escape all these things that are about to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man” (Luke 21:36, New American Standard Bible).

The Bible describes believers as living in a state of expectancy, in a state of tension, between two worlds. We live in the present world, which we know will end, while we look for the world to come with the return of Christ. “So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him” (Matthew 24:44, NIV).

We need to seek God in heartfelt repentance and faith, leading to baptism by God’s true ministers so we can receive God’s Spirit (Acts 2:37-39). Then we are to remain faithfully obedient while awaiting Jesus’ return. For “he who endures to the end shall be saved” (Matthew 24:13).

Jesus never said the Christian calling would be easy. On the contrary, He said it would be challenging (Matthew 7:13-14). The reward, though, is great, far beyond anything we can imagine. GN

Even with all the signs that are taking place, there are many people who scoff at the idea that this world will come to and end. There is even popular song, “It’s The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)”, by REM, that mocks at the idea of the end of the world and being prepared for it.

The Bible gives us the truth about what is really happening, it says that Angels are even now restraining the winds of strife, that they may not blow until the world shall be warned of its coming doom. But there is a storm is gathering, ready to burst upon the earth; and when God shall tell His angels loose the winds, there will be a scene of strife that no pen can picture.

The Bible, and the Bible only, gives us the correct view of these things. In it are revealed the great and final scenes of the history of our world. The events taking place today are a precursor to the final events which even by their approach cause the earth to tremble and men’s hearts to fail them for fear.

“Behold, the Lord maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof. . . . They have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant.

End of the World Prophecy #1

“And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. ” Matthew 24:14

The great protestant reformation was helped by the development of the printing press, finally people could have a copy of the holy scriptures and read the Bible for themselves in their own language. Today, in our time, the everlasting Gospel is being preached around the world via Radio, Television, Internet, DVD’s, CD’s, Missionaries, and more.

End of the World Prophecy #2

“And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,

The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: ” Revelation 14:6-10

The gospel message that is to go through out the world at the very close of earth’s history contains the strongest warnings ever given to man. These warning messages are being given around the world today, they can be found in Revelation 14:6-10. You can learn more about these warnings here: http://www.BibleUniverse.com.

End of the World Prophecy #3

“But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, [even] to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.” Daniel 12:4

This prophecy refers to the fact that at the time of the end many people will understand the prophecies in the books of Daniel and Revelation. Today many people do have a greater understanding of these prophetic books especially since most of the prophecies have already been fulfilled. For more information please visit the website: http://www.BibleProphecyTruth.com

End of the World Bible Prophecy #4

“Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as [they were] from the beginning of the creation.” 2 Peter 3:3-4

Even though the end of the world signs are being fulfilled on every hand multitudes of people scoff at the Bible and the idea that the end of the world as we know it is just about here.

End of the World Signs #5

“And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.” Luke 21:25-26

Signs have been occuring one after the other, people are truly afraid, and the governments and politicians are at a loss for what to do about all of the problems. Yet at the same time multitudes are saying that everything has gone on as it always has. But this is not true, even the director of FEMA, James Lee Witt, has said that weather related disasters have been increasing.

“Natural Disasters are getting more frequent and more severe, Federal Emergency Management Agency Director James Lee Witt said Tuesday, preaching a gospel of preparation and prevention for Americans.” by Associated Press Writer Randolph E. Schmid on Wednesday May 24-2000.

ADRA is one the very best disaster relief angencies. A VERY HIGH percentage of your donation will actually make it to the intended cause.

Infact, according to an independent charity ratings company, Charity Navigator, more than 95 percent of private donations are used for direct humanitarian services, among the highest percentages in the humanitarian industry. Learn more about ADRA by visiting their FAQ page.

ADRA is on the Ground in Haiti as well as many other parts of the world which need help. We recommend this charity as one of the best and safest to donate to. Go to the ADRA website.

End of the World Bible Prophecy #6

“This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.” 2 Timothy 3:1-5

Wickedness abounds, even in the largest ‘professedly’ Christian churches.

“Thus saith the Lord God; Remove the diadem, and take off the crown: . . . exalt him that is low, and abase him that is high. I will overturn, overturn, overturn, it: and it shall be no more, until He come whose right it is; and I will give it Him.” Ezekiel 21:26, 27.

The final overthrow of all earthly dominions is plainly foretold in the word of truth. In the above prophecy the sentence from God was pronounced upon the last king of Israel.

The crown was removed from Israel and passed successively to the kingdoms of Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome. God says, “It shall be no more, until He come whose right it is; and I will give it Him.”

End of the World Bible Predictions #8-18

“And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?

And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.

For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.

For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.

All these are the beginning of sorrows.

Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake.

And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.

And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.

And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.

But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.

When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)” Matthew 24:3-15

Last Days Prophecy #19

“Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as [they were] from the beginning of the creation.

But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.” 2 Peter 3:3-7

The Bible predicted that even though God has left us abundance evidence of the world wide flood during Noah’s day, people would be “willingly ingnorant” of that it happened. They are also ignorant of the fact that God’s great love for us has caused Him to grant us a little more time to repent of our sins before He destroys sinners off of the earth the second time.

“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

End of the World Bible Prophecy #20

How do the beasts groan! the herds of cattle are perplexed, because they have no pasture; yea, the flocks of sheep are made desolate. O LORD, to thee will I cry: for the fire hath devoured the pastures of the wilderness, and the flame hath burned all the trees of the field. The beasts of the field cry also unto thee: for the rivers of waters are dried up, and the fire hath devoured the pastures of the wilderness.” Joel 1:18-20

Droughts and Fires are predicted for the last days! For evidence of fullfillment see your local newspaper.

by John Quade

The question of the trustworthiness of the Bible is one that requires both careful investigation and genuine humility. At the very outset it must be confessed that Christians believe that the Bible is the Word of God, a revelation that the Father has in His love and grace given to men through the patriarchs, prophets, and apostles. In a very real sense, Christians are not judges of the Word as much as the Word is their judge. On the other hand, Christians are aware that God does not ask anyone to close his eyes to the character of the written Word, for it is the function of that Word to make them “wise unto salvation” as they read and ponder its precious pages. As they read those pages they do so with the knowledge that God did not hand His Word down from heaven in a basket; rather, He moved His prophets to write as they were “borne” of the Holy Spirit. The Bible does not, from beginning to end, read like a pure oracle from God; it contains more than lust the declaration, “Thus saith the Lord.” The Bible contains all kinds of literature: historical narratives such as the lives of the patriarchs; beautiful poetry in which the writers bless their God, or confess to Him their doubts and fears; prophecies of that glorious Day when God will reconcile men to Himself by the substitutionary death of His Servant; wisdom literature such as the Proverbs, and the book of Ecclesiastes; four portraits of the Lord Jesus in the days of His flesh; an account of the further life of Gods people after the Day of Pentecost had fully come; a score of letters for the guidance of the early church; and a glorious drama, the Book of Revelation or the Apocalypse. The man who goes to the Bible expecting t to read as if it came only from God, and as if it possessed no evidence of its human authors, is in for a surprise! We may therefore summarize our first observation: the Bible is, paradoxically, both the word of man and the Word of God. It is rot partly human and partly divine; it was all written by human beings, and it is all the very Word of God.

In the second place, it cannot be forgotten that the Bible is a religious Book, Take the beautiful account of the creation, for example. The Babylonian myths of creation contain, to be sure, various points of similarity to the Mosaic account. And yet the differences are even more striking. Whereas the myths of the ancient Near East are full of imaginary details, and are saturated with polytheism, the Genesis account is sober, chaste, and monotheistic. If a university professor of today were to write an account of the creation it is likely that sooner or later he would get around to the scientific details of the earth, the solar system, and our galaxy. He would tell us of the size, shape, and mass of the earth, of the size and shape of its orbit, of its relation to the sun and to the other planets of our sun, of the moons of the various planets, of the elements which make up the crust of the earth, and of the plants and animals and their modern classification as to kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, species, and sub-species! Now if the Bible must contain classifications which were devised by scientists within the last two centuries, or face the charge of being “unscientific,” we are destined to be disappointed! But surely that would be unfair to the Bible. How could we demand that a collection of books which were written from possibly 1,500 B.C. to around 100 A.D. should contain viewpoints which were still undreamed of in 1,500 A.D.? The Bible has a far more important task than to record the scientific theories of either B.C. 1,500 or A.D. 1,500. It was written with a religious purpose in mind. And although it does contain more than just religious truth, its whole orientation is religious. Genesis 1, for example, looks at earth, sea, and sky; at plants, trees, and animals; at sun, moon, and stars: and declares simply that God made it all. And He did it in an orderly manner, in six creative, divine “days.” And at the end He “rested,” that is, He desisted from further labor, thus giving to Israel a theological basis for her holy day of rest.

In the third place, it is not the primary concern of the Bible to write history, although the Bible contains much history. But that history-writing is in Scripture not an end in itself, never! Rather, the history which the Bible gives is to provide a framework for the redemptive acts of God. Here again we have a major difference between the essentially non-historical myths of the ancient Near East and the solid historical consciousness of the prophets of Israel. God did call Abram. He did lead Israel out of Egyptian bondage by “the hand of” Moses. He did make a covenant with His people at Sinai, and give them His law. He did allow His disobedient children to go into foreign captivity, and with a mighty hand He brought them back to their land of Canaan: cured forever of their fascination for idols. The Lord God did effect a mighty miracle in the Holy Spirit conception and virgin birth of our Lord. He did allow wicked men to crucify the Son of God, and on that cross of Golgotha He did reconcile the world unto Himself, not imputing to them their trespasses. On the third day after Good Friday He did raise His Son from the dead, and ten days after His ascension to glory, He did send His blessed Helper, the Holy Spirit. The Bible is surely a book of history. But that history is written only to provide the framework for the redemptive acts of God. It is rot “scientific” history, always dating each event in terms of an Egyptian or Assyrian or Roman calendar, with footnotes, verbatim quotations from secular authorities, etc. And although is not cluttered with the trappings of scholarship, those simple narratives may be depended upon to lead us into a true understanding of who the Lord of history is, and what He has been doing. Furthermore, the archaeologists are now telling us that the very portions of the Bible, which wee formerly scoffed at by “scientific” historians, portray precisely the conditions of the period involved: the patriarchal narratives, for example. Finally, it must be pointed out that the greatest verities of the faith cannot be “proved” by secular research, For example, the Genesis accounts of Abraham do ring true to the life of that place and period. But most important truth about Abraham was his call from God to leave Ur and become God’s pilgrim, and that truth we must accept by simple faith.

Sometime ago I was in conversation with Leonard Verduin, a minister in the Christian Reformed Church, and the translator of the complete writings of Menno Simons. Verduin commented that the Bible is written in such a way that it does not make research in any area of humor learning unnecessary. A bit of reflection will substantiate this observation. As a result of archaeological research, we now know more about the history of Israel’s neighbors than can be picked up from the references to them in the Bible. We now know much more about the various plants and animals of the world than we can learn from the Bible. We know the numerical value of pi much more accurately than did the writer of I Kings 7:23 (diameter times 3 is the circumference of the “molten sea” temple lover). 3 1/7 would have been more precise, and today we sometimes write 3.14159265-although even that s not quite perfect! But I Kings 7:23 was not written to help us find the exact formula for pi, it was written to tell us the approximate size of the lover 15 feet across, 7 1/2 feet high, and 45 feet around. All Biblical data (weights, measurements, distances) is given in the rough approximations of common people. It is often so stated: “about” a Sabbath day’s journey, “twenty or thirty” furlongs, and the like, We may therefore stand on solid ground by stating that the Bible tells us who made this world, who is sustaining it, who is its ultimate Ruler, and who will bring history to its great consummation: but scientists must engage in research to unlock many of the secrets of this amazing creation of our God.

No matter how many yardsticks of human measurement we apply to the Bible it always measures the same: an ancient book with many of the characteristics of ancient books: ordinary language, the observations of honest but common witnesses (not modern scholars), the vocabulary and viewpoints of ancient men and women of faith. Even what might crudely be called a Hebrew accent shows up! Tiglath-pileser sometimes is written the way a Jew would have been inclined to pronounce it, Tilgath-pilneser (I Chron. 5;6)!

God also allowed the later copyists the freedom which gave us a text which is remarkably accurate but not infinitely perfect. Slips were most often made in the transcription of numbers was it 700 or 7,000 Syrian charioteers who fell in battle (II Sam. 10:18; I Chron. 19:18)? Certain letters were sometimes mistaken for each other, especially D and R. With a D a certain word means Edom, and with an R it means Syria (I Chron. 18:11; II Sam. 8:12). A few mistakes of the ear got into the text: one Hebrew word pronounced “Lo” means “not”, while a quite different word, “Lo”, means (roughly) “his” (see the text and the margin, KJV, of Psalm 100:3). *

If then the Bible has certain human characteristics in common with ancient books, wherein does its unique value as the Word of God lie? The answer is, In the disclosure it makes of God’s nature, will, and plan of salvation through Christ. Our Lord Himself rebuked the Jews of His day for making the Bible an end in itself, He told them that they searched the Scriptures, thinking that in them eternal life was to be found, whereas it is the true intent of the Scriptures to point to the Lord’s Christ, and the Jews, alas, were for the most part unwilling to come to Christ and to find eternal life in Him (cf. John 5:39, 40). After His resurrection from the dead He rebuked the two disciples on the way to Emmaus for being foolish and “slow of heart’ to believe the full witness of the prophets. It was, Christ declared, the intention of God that His Messiah (Christ) was thus to suffer “these things,” and to enter into “His glory.” There upon, He began with Moses and all the prophets and expounded to them in all the Scriptures, the things concerning Himself. All three divisions of the Old Testament (Law, Prophets, and “Psalms”) witnesses to Jesus Christ (Luke 24:25, 26, 44one involving the term “ordained,” from tetagmeno from tasso, which was once used with a meaning close to election.47). The highest value of the Scriptures is therefore to bring men to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ (II Tim. 3:15, 16. This requires more than the letter; t calls for the Holy Spirit to shine into the dark human heart and bring that illumination which enables men to see Jesus in all the Scriptures (II Cor. 3, 4:6). With the blessing of the Spirit the Scriptures are therefore a trustworthy guide to the Saviour.

source : http://www.bibleviews.com/bibletrustworthy.html

The principal sources of information regarding Jesus’ life and teachings are the four canonical gospels, especially the Synoptic Gospels,^[9][10] though some scholars argue such texts as the Gospel of Thomas and the Gospel of the Hebrews^[11][12] are also relevant.^[13]

Most critical scholars in biblical studies believe that some parts of the New Testament are useful for reconstructing Jesus’ life,^{[14][15][16][17]} agreeing that Jesus was a Jew who was regarded as a teacher and healer, that he was baptized by John the Baptist, and was crucified in Jerusalem on the orders of the Roman Prefect of Judaea, Pontius Pilate, on the charge of sedition against the Roman Empire.^{[18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29]} Aside from these few conclusions, academic debate continues regarding the chronology, the central message of Jesus’ preaching, his social class, cultural environment, and religious orientation.^[13] Critical scholars have offered competing descriptions of Jesus as a self-described Messiah, as the leader of an apocalyptic movement, as an itinerant sage, as a charismatic healer, and as the founder of an independent religious movement. Most contemporary scholars of the historical Jesus consider him to have been an independent, charismatic founder of a Jewish restoration movement, anticipating an imminent apocalypse.^[30] Other prominent scholars, however, contend that Jesus’ “Kingdom of God” meant radical personal and social transformation instead of a future apocalypse.^[30]

Christians predominantly believe that Jesus is the “Son of God” (generally meaning that he is God the Son, the second person in the Trinity) who came to provide salvation and reconciliation with God by his death for their sins.^[31]:568-603 Christians traditionally believe that Jesus was born of a virgin,^[31]:529-532 performed miracles,^[31]:358-359 founded the Church, rose from the dead, and ascended into Heaven,^[31]:616-620 from which he will return.^{[31]:1091-1109} While the doctrine of the Trinity is accepted by most Christians, a few groups reject the doctrine of the Trinity, wholly or partly, as non-scriptural.^[32] Most Christian scholars today present Jesus as the awaited Messiah^[33] and as God.

Judaism rejects Jesus’ prophethood, arguing that he did not fulfill the Messianic prophecies in the Tanakh^[34] whereas in Islam, Jesus (Arabic: عيسى‎, commonly transliterated as Isa) is considered one of God’s important prophets,^[35][36] a bringer of scripture, the product of a virgin birth, and a worker of miracles. Jesus is also called “Messiah,” but Islam does not teach that he was divine. Islam teaches that Jesus ascended bodily to heaven without experiencing the crucifixion and resurrection,^[37] rather than the traditional Christian belief of the death and resurrection of Jesus.

source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesus