So as usual I had way more material than TIME!  Every week I battle with the idea that there just isn’t enough content hence the usual 1 hour plus teaching.  This week as I told you I did some study concerning the reasons that we can believe the bible we have is the inspired Word of God. I want to first list the resources I used for this study to perhaps prod you to go a bit deeper in knowing why and what you believe.  SO the books I used and would highly recommend are as follows:

1. Evidence For Christianity, Josh Mcdowell  The old school version for you flower childs, and baby boomers is a book called Evidence that demands a verdict.  The new version is twice the size.  Great stuff though!

2. The 10 most common objections to Christianity, Alex McFarland  Alex does a great Job dealing with much of the same content that Mcdowell used, only catering it to this next generation.

I hope these 2 resources help!

Here are some of my notes that I flew through today.

EARLY CHURCH HISTORY- Not modernism- shows reverence for the inspired Word of God

The early church Fathers believed that the Scriptures where inspired

CLEMENT OF ROME- (30-100)

he described the sacred scriptures as the true utterence of the HS

Polycarp 65-155 called them the oracles of God

Iraneaus 120-202  claimed that when writing scripture biblical writers where incapable of a false statement-

Origen 185-254- the sacred volumes are fully inspired by the HS there is no passage in the law or the gospel or the writings of apostles which does not procedd from thje inspired source of DIVINE TRUTH

AUGUSTINE 354-430 I have learnt to ascribe to those books which are of the canonical rank and only to them such reverence and honor that I firmly believe that no single error due to the author is found in any other….

U might say SO WHAT LOREN—

SO the bible says its inspired,

So a bunch of men thought it was inspired-

IF I WANTED I COULD DRESS UP LIKE SUPERMAN WRITE A CLAIM THAT I WAS SUPERMAN- PHOTOSHOP PICTURES OF ME AS SUPERMAN HAVE FRIENDS VALIDATE MY CLAIMS-

BUT THAT DOESN’T MEAN I change my clothes in phone booths FLY around the city with sweet red boots or Hang With LOIS LANE

SO How do I know it is Inspired-

HOW can I really believe that it is from GOD- INSPIRED BY GOD-

This morning I want to give you 7 more reasons why I am totally convinced that the The Bible is the only INSPIRED WORD OF GOD

1. Complete UNITY

THE scriptures which are comprised of 66 books

It was written over a period of 1500 Years by more than 40 dif authors Spanning 3 Different Continents of ASIA Africa and EUROPE—

WRITTEN by men that could not have been more DIFFERENT-

Moses was a political leader trained university of EGYPT

Amos Herdsman Josh a General Nehemiah a cupbearer

David Was a musician poet- That right there should tell u something Musicians there just different

Dan Prime minister Luke- Doctor Peter Fisherman

Mathew tax collecter Paul rabbi

WROTE in really Different Places,

MOSES WILDERNESS, Jeremiah dungeon, Daniel hillside palace, Paul Greek towns, or Roman prisons….

THE WORD WRITTEN IN 3 different languages

OT- primarily Hebrew- Some Aramaic

Then NT- written in Greek

They Addressed hundreds of Hot Topics TAXES Marriage, divorce, remarriage homosexuality adultery Idolatry Sin,

The nature and Revelation of GOD

yet from GEN to rev they are all in COMPLETE HARMONY-

In spite of the DIVERSITY of authors and places and languages and time periods the bible presents a single unfolding STORY—

THE STORY OF GODS REDEMPTION of Human beings…

Paradise Lost in GENESIS—Regained in REVELATION

TREE OF LIFE IS CLOSED in Genesis- Opened in revelation

Why because the leading HERO JESUS CHRIST IS SEEN

FROM GEN TO REVELATION as the one that has made it

possible for our redemption— EVERY SECTION about HIM

Law-lays foundation for CHRIST

Historical books show the Preperation for CHRIST

Poets Aspire to CHRIST

Prophets Give expectation of CHRIST

GOSPELS Show manifestation of Christ

Acts SHOWS propagation of CHRIST

EPISTLES give interpretation of CHRIST

REVELATION Gives the Consumation of CHRIST—

Even though the Bible has 66 books—

It reveals that it is all one book-  IN TOTAL UNITY without a single Contradiction in its original form

from book to book author to author COVER TO COVER—

DO YOU Understand the improbablility that a book that spans that amount of TIME—with that many authors

WOULD all be in total harmony and UNITY…..

That would be like if we Decided that we wanted to build a CASTLE here in bend— WHY A CASTLE- because its cool all-right—

We wanted the whole world to be involved so we asked if every country would give us a rock—So we brought in all of our rocks— Start FORMING IT and without having to make a single change they all fit together perfectly— amazingly rooms, dining area, outer arches and gates— amazing THAT’S YOUR BIBLE

Bible is in complete harmony despite its extreme diversity of WRITERS— I would challenge anybody to find 10 people with the same educational background speak the same language from the same culture and have them all go find quite place and write about a controversial subject like MEANING OF LIFE-

and see how harmonious they ARE—-

Make it easy 10 college guys most beautiful woman is

The UNITY of the Bible is MIRACULOUS-

know why-INSPIRED BY GOD—

2. Validated Archeologicaly

Jesus Said in Luke 19:40 that if My disciples remain Silent EVEN THE STONES WOULD CRY OUT…. Guess what—

The Stones DO Cry out.. What Stones- The Stones that continue to  be discovered at the hands of Archeologists over the Last 200 years.

a.In 2003- archeologist Found a inscription that Identified

the buriel place of Zacharias, john the Baptists FATHER

Archeology continues to validate biblical names and Places

of MANY cities thought to simply be made up by the Jewish writers-

Some of the OT Cities discovered include-

b. Ninevah, UR, Sodom and Gamorah- ARTICLE

c. IN Babylon a clay fragment was uncovered with a description of a Ziggarut or large tower… it was said that it Offended the gods, was destroyed at night… people scattered speech made strange

d. meggiddo- Solomons horse stables where located that where long thought to be a legend because of how large the bible said they where… horse stables could hold up to 450 horses each….

e. The tomb of Joseph has been found gen 50

f. On the Zeno Papyri and Elaphantine Papyri both are dated within 40 yrs of time of Nehemiah… it says sanballat gov samaria

Tobiah Gov amman—

In the 1930s Dr. John Gerstang one of the Primary Excavators Of Jericho was amazed with what he found when analyzing the walls

THE WALLS fell outwards.. this was unusual because walls do not fall outwards they usually fall inwards.. Because they fell outwards it would allow for the Isrealites to go into and take the rest of the city-

Gerstang quoted as saying it was as if someone on the inside was shoving the walls out… called this force an invisible hand—

Archeology in itself Does not prove the bible is inspired but it does prove that it is a Historically ACCURATE BOOK….

Up until now Archeology Verifies biblical accuracy and in no case has there been any contradiction

Nelson Gluick a Jewish archeologist said it may be categorically stated that no archeological discovery has ever contradicted a single biblical reference—–

4.Accurate-Scientificly

Did you know that many of the facts of nature were recorded in the bible long before scientists confirmed them experimentally

For example- and this is for you science nerds ok….

a.       Is 40:22 Mentions that the earth is Round…

b.      2 Peter 3:7 deals law of conservation of mass and energy

c.       Ecc 1:7 Hydrologic cycle

d.      Jer 33:22 vast number of Stars

e.       Ps 102:25-27 law of increasing entropy

f.       Lev 17:11 Paramount importance of Blood in the life process

g.      Ecc 1:6 atmospheric circulation

h.      Job 26:7 Gravitational field

None of these things are stated in those verses in there technical terms of modern science… but rather they are understood in the basic world view of mans every day experience….

The bible never claims to be as science book—

Bible is about Gods creative and redemptive work on behalf of mankind… It doesn’t explain everything about the world he created for His word is intended for our salvation…

yet when it touches on issues of science it is absolutely infallible..

5.                  The bibles Indestructibility

From the beginning in the Garden The word of God has always been hated and under attack…. No sooner was the word given to the world than it met the hatred of men, and they tried to stamp it out.                 Jesus Was the WORD MADE FLESH— THEY KILLED HIM

In ad 303 Diocletian with all the power of the Roman empire ordered all bibles to be destroyed; but he failed.  Only 20 yrs later Constantine offered a reward for any remaining bibles… 50 complete copies in 24hrs…. 1199 pope innocent the 3 ordered all bibles burned and anyone that tried to hide them would face house arrest

Joseph Stalin in 1920s ordered all bibles to be purged from USSR This he did ironically despite the fact that one of the most valuable OT Documents was housed in the state run library at Leningrad even one of the most brutal dictators could not fully eradicate the bible.

SO For over 20 centuries including anti Christian nations today, and the Guy I saw on You TUBE DEMONSTRATING BIBLE BURNING man has tried to devise schemes and plans to destroy Gods Word, but the opposite has happened and the bible continues to flourish

amazingly The bible is the #1 selling book of all time—Gods Word cannot be squelched and His word will bare testimony for EVER-! “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my word shall not pass away.”

6. Fulfilled Prophecy-

The Bible is the Only Holy Book that dares To have Prophecy-

Not only does it dare to have prophecy… In the OT alone there are  over 2000 prophecies within its pages- Over 20% of Your bible Deals with Bible Prophecy, much of that has already been fulfilled,

and yet more that is TO COME-

Wait a minute Loren—In the KORAN Mohammad Prophesied that before he die I will go to Jerusalem… Listen that is like me saying Before I die I will Go to Portland.. There is a great Probability that will happen-no other so called holy book dares to address prophecy…

Ezekial 26:3-6—

In other words God says I am Going to make you flat TYRE—

What happened- 586 Neb  After the destruction of Jerusalem and the carrying away of her king Zedekiah into captivity, “Nebuchadnezzar took all Palestine and Syria and the cities on the seacoast, including Tyre, which fell after a siege of 13 years. The inhabitants of Tyre fled to a rocky island half a mile offshore. The walls on the landward side of the island were 150 feet high. “The channel between Tyre and the mainland was over twenty feet deep, and frequently lashed by violent south-west winds. Their fortifications, they believed, would resist the strongest battering-ram yet devised. The city-walls stood sheer above the sea: how could any army without ships scale them

Fast Forward a couple hundred years Alexander the great

Do to a Sacrificial disagreement- slaying of his embassadors ALEXANDER CAME AFTER THEM

Alexander determined to build a bridge to get his troops from the mainland to the island. The bridge was said to have been at least 200 feet wide. It was constructed from stones and timber from the old city of Tyre on the mainland. In fulfillment of Ezekiel’s prophecy, the very foundation stones, timbers and dust of the city was cast “in the midst of the water” (Ezek. 26:12). After 7 months from January to July 332 B.C., the battle was over. although the city scraped clean the prophecy was not fully fulfilled – remnant of TYRE

1290 when the crusader came to free the land from the muslims they moved into the city of tyre which was now connected to the mainland.  8 years later when the crusaders where driven back to England the muslims said the city was defiled so they took every stone and threw it into the sea.. If you go to Tyre today do you know what you see—NOTHING Its flat like a rock it’s a place where fisherman park there boats.. like top of rock .. a place to spread nets…

NOW Because there is a spring in tyre that produces 100,000 gallons of water every 6 hrs the area should be a huge city—its not WHY because the people believe the place is cursed…What God said he would do HE DID it-                                       

How about the prophecy in Isaiah 44:28, 45:1 Isaiah writing in 700bc  predicts the NAME OF KING CYRUS as the one that will say to Jerusalem that —temple foundation laid—        At the time Isaiah wrote that the city wasn’t even destroyed and the temple was fully active— 100 yrs later Neb destroyed Jerusalem and the temple-539 Cyrus gave decree to rebuild temple- 160 yrs later.. Isaiah said a man named cyrus would rebuild temple 100 years before he was even born—

Now Lets talk about JESUS-

More than 300 prophecies fulfilled by JESUS at HIS first Coming

Ch 7 Isaiah tells us the manner of His birth

Dan 9 Declares the TIME OF HIS BIRTH

Micah 5  names the town of His birth

Zach 11 tells us sold 30 pieces of Silver  would be thrown on floor of temple used to purchase a potters field….

Genesis said- Heal would be Bruised Crush satans head

Ps 22 reveals the manner of His death—

Take just those 8 – probability of those

fulfilled in one man 1 10 17 power

Thats more zeros then Obamas Stimulas package

State cali 3 ft deep nuts paint one blue gets it…

That’s only eight—

48 prophecies 1 times 10 157 power—

Those are just the prophecies concerning JESUS—

WHY IS PROPHECY SO IMP IS 46:9-10, Is 48, 3, 5

Prophecy in and of itself reveals the Inspiration of God

upon the scriptures                                                                  

7. Christs CREDIBILITY

Have you ever thought about The people that Jesus Chose to talk about and mention in the Gospels WHY r they so intriguing

because Jesus validated the craziest most controversial stories in OT

IN luke 17:32 Jesus talks about Lots wife Turning into a pillar of salt

Matt 12:40 Talks about Jonah and the great fish

Luke 17:27 Talks about noah and the flood

Matt 24:15 He mentions daniel and His prophecies

Mark 7:6 Mentions Isaiah…believed be 3 Isaiahs

Jesus talks about Abraham, moses and Elijah—

As The Son of God His treatment of these men and there stories renders them true….

Well I don’t believe Jesus is the Son of GOD—

so that does nothing for me—

Jesus Like God the Father made prophetical statements-

Matt 24 what the end of the earth will be like—

He told Jews not one stone would be LEFT from the temple-

He also said John 2:18-19 destroy this temple body 3 days rise again

They killed him— Jesus rose from the dead—

Resurrection Proves that he was the son of God, If he is the son of God- Then His words must be true and If His words are true—

Then those stories, and all of Scripture is The inspired word of GOD

Really the Whole argument concerning your bible really

Comes down to WHAT DO YOU DO WITH JESUS-

DO YOU RECEIVE HIM OR DO YOU REJECT HIM—

Well how can we believe The Ressurection—

I’ve been there tombs empty—

Disciples stole body- Really watched sons daughters killed, wives raped crucified upside down stoned with stones sawn in half for a hoax….

Pharisees— if they stolen it all they would have had to do was produce it to stop The influx of Christianity

Romans—Romans desperate to put down Christianity-

Wrong tomb— yeah somebody would have checked that-

Maybe he wasn’t dead— really could you have gone through what he went through and not been dead—

THE PROOF SHOWS THAT Jesus Rose from the Dead—

finished what he set out to do—

Redeem us from our Sin Redeem us from death—

SO the next time someone looks at you and says

DO YOU REALLY BELIEVE THAT???

LISTEN You can trust the Word—IT IS GODS WORD—

That is why we have such a high appreciation for Gods Word—-