jstaplz Podcast

Looking Back and Forward

Happy New Year!
 
The only thing that has changed is the number on the calendar. Your life and my life will continue to remain the same if we choose to live the same way that have been living.
 
This is why its important to look forward but also look back. When I was a boy, my mother and I would go to the mall and there would be a map of where we currently were located in the mall and we would need to trace our path to the next store we were going to.
 
Life is like that. We need to be self-aware to know how we got to this point of our life, and wise enough to course correct.
 
We all have areas of our life that we are wise in and other areas that need improvement.
 
As for me in 2023, I have accomplished some things I’m proud of. So far I…
 
Grew YouTube by 200 subscribers 
Started JSP
Learned a new department at work
I agreed to my second year of Highway
I’m coming up on my second year of service at Edward Jones
I turned 30 years old
I learned what healthy boundaries are and practiced them in my personal relationships
I forgave my parents
I made peace with not arguing my point
I overcame shyness 
 
By God’s grace, I have other things I’m working on, such as…
 
Eat more beans and vegetables
Get 1200 ranking in Chess
Read the Constitution 
Read the Quran
Read the Church History in Plain English 
Exercise regularly
Write Bible Studies for YouVersion 
Finish writing books I’ve started 
Pick up poetry again
Practice my aim shooting 
Plan more dates with wife 
Wake up at 5am / Go to bed at 9am (no later than 10pm)
Perfect metrics and material at work
Take on a leadership role at work 

12 Gifts From God That Empower Christians

12 Gifts From God That Empower Christians To Be Ministers Of The Gospel Who Serve The Church and the Community
 
Based from Romans 12:6-8; 1 Corinthians 12:4-31; Ephesians 4:7-16
 
Apostleship. An apostle is someone who is sent to deliver a message or complete a task. Perhaps a modern word that captures the meaning well is an emissary. This word also connotes a diplomatic representative. In other words, not only are we sent to preach the word and act on behalf of Jesus, but as we do those things we represent our King.
Prophecy. God speaks, revealing his will to his children through his words that are recorded in the Bible. These words give us the big picture of our worldview. Prophecy points to the past and has severe warnings about the future. This is a severe mercy, as it is meant to shake us awake spiritually, and get our mind in alignment with God’s will when we see how God sees and feel how he feels. Every time the Bible is opened, God speaks through it. Prophecy also includes words of knowledge. These words are given, not because the biblical record is incomplete, but because God often has more specific, personal, and situational prophecy that pertains to a particular person, time, and place. This also includes the gift of tongues, the ability to speak and interpret a language they have not studied. Some would also argue that their are heavenly languages as well.
Miracles. God backs up what he says by what he does. Often, people will not be persuaded by arguments so God persuades many by the miraculous, Perhaps they got healed, or spared from death. Miracles happen so that people will trust Jesus, not so they can be impressed by the miracle. This is why miracles are often called signs.
Knowledge. Sometimes, God reveals things to us that we would otherwise not know. For example, some pastors have shared stories of abuse victims who would refuse to talk about their abuse and so the only way they would be helped is if God revealed what was happening to the person that could help them, or get them help.
Wisdom. Knowledge and wisdom work together in tandem. Knowledge is the collection of facts we have and wisdom is using that information in the right way, at the right time, for the right reasons. The Holy Spirit of God guides us in our every day decision making.
Discerning of spirits. Along with knowledge and wisdom comes the inevitable outcome - you become a great judge of character. The book of Proverbs, for example, is a case study in wise, foolish, and evil people. This is very important if you’re going to be a spiritually healthy person who sets boundaries. This is crucial if you’re going to protect the ones you love from evil people. You first need to be able to identify who they are. This is not passing judgment on others, but rather simple observation.
Giving. Jesus taught that it is more blessed to give than receive (Acts 20:35). Frankly, God’s people are often poor and need help. When the church acts like a family, it provides for its members. Those who have extra money and resources are blessed to give back to those who are financially struggling. Everybody is supposed to give, and with this mindset, nobody will be in need, like it was in the early church of Jerusalem.
Exhortation. People don’t like being preached at, but within a loving church community, or friendship, exhortation is necessary when you care about people. Exhortation appears in 3 ways in the Bible - as consolation, exhortation, and entreaty. We exhort people to comfort, encourage, and plead with people for their good. This is often thought of as the gift of teaching. Pastors have this gift and operate out of it by default. This also includes the evangelism.
Service. Ministering to others looks like simple acts of kindness. Before people listen to us, they watch what we do. This is the example of Jesus and Dorcas (Acts 9:36).
Showing mercy. Many Christians are easily able to empathize with hurting people. They are able to practice the ministry of presence and hold off on preaching at people. They are able to display the character of Jesus to people who don’t know him. Mercy is a powerful way for people to enter the kingdom of God.
Ruling. Contrary to what many Christians think, we are not doormats. We are to aspire to excellence so that we can bless those around us, and we can practice for eternal life, where we will judge angels (1 Corinthians 6:3). God’s people are not perfect, but those who know God’s ways are responsible for holding up that standard of truth. In contrast, lawless people are not capable of even handling God’s law correctly because everything is warped to them.
Faith. Faith is a gift itself. Without faith, people despair of hope and give up.

7 Calls From God On A Christian’s Life

7 Calls From God On A Christian’s Life
 
1. The call to salvation (Romans 8:28-30)
2. The call to sanctification (1 Thess 4:3)
3. The call to service (John 15:16; Eph 2:10)
4. The call to separation (2 Corinthians 6:14-18)
5. The call to sonship (1 John 3:1)
6. The call to subjection (Romans 13:4-5)
7. The call to suffering (John 16:33; Acts 14:22; Phil 1:29). 

The Only Correct Understanding of the Bible: 12 Stages Of The Biblical Story

EP 30 | The Only Correct Understanding of the Bible: 12 Stages Of The Biblical Story
 
People often claim that they have their own interpretation of the Bible. But when you read the Bible, you will see one story unfold as these 12 stages have outlined. There is only one story and one interpretation.
 
The Creation Stage (Gen 1-11)
The Patriarchal Stage (Gen 12-50; Job)
The Exodus Stage (Exodus - Deuteronomy)
The Conquest Stage (Joshua)
The Judges Stage (Judges - 1 Samuel 1-7)
The United Kingdom Stage (1 Samuel 8 - 1 Kings 11)
The Chaotic Kingdom Stage (1 Kings 12 - 2 Kings 25)
The Babylonian Captivity Stage (Daniel, Ezekiel)
The Return Stage (Ezra - Esther)
The Gospel Stage (Matthew - John)
The Early Church Stage (Acts)
The Epistles Stage (Romans - Revelation)
 
Anyone who doesn’t walk away with this understanding of the story is proof texting random stories from it and appropriating it to a context contrary to the Bible, making it say something it does not say.
 
The story of the Bible is about a perfect, holy, and unique God who moves toward sinful people in love as they reject and rebel against him. This understanding gives us a view of the world that explains why there is pain and suffering, where we came from, and where we are going.
 
The central message of the Bible is the gospel - the good news that God sent Jesus to be sacrificed for our offenses against God so that we might be saved from God, for God, to God.

Why Read Commentaries and Christian Living Books?

EP 29 | Why Read Commentaries and Christian Living Books?
 
https://www.amazon.com/Grasping-Gods-Word-Fourth-Hands/dp/0310109175/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1702912940&sr=8-1
 
The gap in our understanding of the Bible isn’t because the Bible is unclear, but because we are cultural outsiders.
 
There is book called Grasping Scripture by Scott J Duvall and Daniel J Hayes, all about crossing the bridge from our town to theirs to understand what is in the Bible.
 
Time, distance, and language make it harder to understand the cultures that the Bible talks about. Also, the way they wrote is also different than they way we write and think.
 
For example, we don’t care about genealogies because they are full of names that we don’t care about, but the ancient reader would go nuts as they rediscover their family history. We care about the exact timing of events when the biblical authors care more about the right timing or season of the event. Some events are rearranged to emphasize a theological point over the story. Gospels are thought of as biographies when they are really gospels - accounts of an important person highlighting some key accomplishes and then how they died.
 
My point is that you need commentaries and books from faithful Bible teachers that have devoted their lives to studying the Bible, the original languages, the archeology, and the culture. Catholic and Evangelical scholars are the best people to learn the Bible from because they are the ones that take it the most seriously.
 
Compare that with the average content creator who hasn’t earned the qualification or spent the time to really grasp what the Bible says. You can have an opinion, just remember that not all opinions are equal. Most of you have uneducated, uninformed opinions, and then you post your ignorance online. My opinion is that you shouldn’t have the internet!
 
Why Christian living books? They help us apply what we have read in the Bible. Sometimes specific topics require more attention based on the amount of commands or principles in the Bible concerning it, like marriage or money. Not everything written in them is true. Quite frankly, there’s a lot of garbage, like the old book, the Shack. Resources created by Christians who love Jesus and have devoted their lives to obeying Jesus have many things to teach us.
 
The best thing you can do is to visit many books but live in the Bible. Keep a humble attitude as you’re reading it. Two ditches lay on either side of the road to understanding - one is assuming that the Bible is a myth and cannot be understood. The other ditch is assuming you know everything. Both are wrong. Acknowledge how far you’ve come to understand the Bible and keep learning.
 
See you next time.
 

9 Reasons for Studying Biblical Doctrine

It will help settle us. (Eph. 4:14)
It will help save us from theological food poisoning. (1 Tim 4:13-16)
It will help us reflect God. (2 Tim 2:15)
It will help us equip ourselves. (2 Tim 3:13-17; Eph 6:10-17)
We will understand the history of Israel. (1 Cor 10:1-5)
We will understand the restoration of Israel. (Rom 11:25)
We will understand spiritual gifts. (1 Cor 12:1)
We will understand the return of Christ. (1 Thess 4:13-17)
We will understand the destruction of this earth. (2 Peter 3:8, 10)

13 Examples of Antichrist Behavior

The term “antichrist” could mean either “against Christ” or “in place of Christ.”11 Morrison, Daniel I. “Antichrist.” Ed. John D. Barry et al. The Lexham Bible Dictionary 2016: n. pag. Print.
 
Cain murdered his righteous brother (Gen 4:5-14; 1 John 3:12).
Nimrod built Babylon and the tower of Babel (Gen 10:8-12; Rev 17-18).
Pharaoh enslaved God’s people (Ex 1:8-22; Rev 12).
Korah rebelled against Moses’ leadership (Num 16:1-3).
Balaam tried to curse Israel (Numbers 23-24).
Saul intruded into the office of the priesthood (1 Sam 13:9-13; Matt 24:15).
Goliath spoke defiant words against God and his people (1 Samuel 17:23-24).
Absalom tried to steal his father’s kingdom away from David (2 Sam 15:1-6; 2 Thess 2:3-4, 9).
Jeroboam created a false religion (1 Kings 12:25-31; Rev 13:15).
Sennacherib tried to destroy Jerusalem (2 Kings 18:17; Zech 14:2).
Nebuchadnezzer made a golden statue (Dan 3:1-7; Rev 13:15).
Haman tried to commit genocide against the Jews (Esther 3; Rev 12:13-17).
Antiochus Epiphanes defiled the temple (Dan 11:21-35; Matt 24:15).

Five Ways Skeptics Often Misread The Bible

Scripture Twisting: 20 Ways the Cults Misread the Bible (1980) 
https://a.co/d/9JFXswW 
 
Inaccurate Quotation
This is how Satan tricked Eve.
Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” (Genesis 3:1, NIV)  
And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.” (Genesis 2:16–17, NIV) 
Inaccurate Translation
NWT (Jehovah’s Witnesses) “The Word was in the beginning with God and was a god.” (John 1:1)
NRSV Update: “Do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived! The sexually immoral, idolaters, adulterers, male prostitutes, men who engage in illicit sex,” (1 Corinthians 6:9).
Inaccurate Context
Worldview - progressives reading their values back into an ancient text.
Biblical narrative - critics don’t know the story arc of the Bible, so they focus on smaller distractions
Ancient culture and language - the meaning of words are decided by their culture, not ours (e.g. baptism).
Inaccurate Emphasis
Parables have multiple meanings
Proverbs are promises
Inaccurate Genre
Confusing figurative and literal 
Misreading genres by applying the interpretive rules of a different genre