Welcome Two Resources

Hello again friends,

In this video we show examples of how one might use bible tools in a diligent examination of scripture.

We can not overemphasize the importance of approaching The Word of God with a humble heart, while persistently praying to the Father for wisdom, that He may give us understanding through the “Helper”, which is the Holy Spirit.

After you’ve installed the e-Sword app on your apple or android device, click on the upper left of the app and scroll all the way down to the tutorial.  

This video represents an Android phone, but the iPhone will look and behave in a similar manner.

The e-Sword tutorial is easy to follow and it should not take long for you to customize your display, download bibles, and more.

If you plan to be a part of this bible study it may be helpful for you to customize the first 8 categories shown here and also shown in the Video Text Description.  

Now let’s look at a practical example of the accuracy and efficiency of e-Sword with KJV plus.

We are looking at John 15 verse 2 and reading from the ESV, while also displaying the KJV plus at the bottom which synchronizes to the selected verse above.

The ESV reads, every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.

The ESV rendering here lines up well with KJV.

Remaining in verse two, we notice in KJV plus that the second branch in the verse is italicized. This means that when the English translation was made from the original Greek manuscript, the second word branch was added by a translator.  

For now let us assume that John means exactly what he wrote in Greek, nearly 2,000 years ago, and go without that second branch.  This would now translate as “everyone”, or “all” instead of every branch.

But of course, this makes us wonder, why didn't John record Jesus using the word branch the second time?

That question draws our interest to the word, “branch.”   Let’s click on that word directly below in KJV plus and take a look at Strong’s G2814.

Well that’s interesting.  A limb or a chute, as if broken off?  A young twig?  Maybe the first part of the verse should read, Every ‘young’ branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away.

This may make us want to tap on “he taketh away”, G142.

Well, that is also interesting, it can be used in a couple of ways.  G142 is a primary verb, to lift, by implication to take up or away.  And we can see that the word, G142 is used more than one hundred times in the New Testament.

If we were to scroll through and note the context of these verses, we would see that it is used in both ways, to take away, and to lift up or support.

At this point, we might translate verse two as: Every “young” branch in me that does not bear fruit, he ‘lifts up’. And all that bear fruit, he prunes that they may bear more fruit.

Perhaps, just like a new believer because this branch is “young” or underdeveloped it is not yet capable of producing fruit until it matures a bit more.

Some bible teachers deem this “young” branch in verse 2, an unbeliever.  However, we do not. 

There is more to explore in John 15, verses one through six, and we will follow up with this soon.

It’s important to remember that our source for truth is The Word of God, as taught by the Holy Spirit.

In Ecclesiastes, Solomon warns us of anything beyond the source, beyond the wise words, of one Shepherd.

And he warns us that there is no end to the many books that weary the flesh.

Many books have the potential to distract us.  

And they often lead us away from truth, because they are not the words of one Shepherd.

In any bible study, we should strive to keep our focus on the source, which is The Word of God.     

Brothers and sisters, let’s pray persistently, and keep a humble heart, that we may be available to learn from one Shepherd.

This video is designed to illustrate the Bible Search function on the e-Sword app.  We are using the ESV bible translation.  Search results may vary depending on the bible translation that you are using. 

Let’s type “Noah” into the Bible Search.  It returns 51 verses and 57 matches from the Bible.  This means that some verses had the word “Noah” in it more than once.

We can see that selecting the Old Testament yields 43 verses, and that selecting the New Testament yields 8 verses.  And, because we initiated the search from the book of John, we can also select that book, which shows zero results.

The first return, Genesis 5:29 looks promising.  Let’s click on the verse to confirm the context. It’s Noah’s father, Lamech, and he is prophesying that his newly born son will bring us relief from our work and from the painful toil of our hands.  And in the next verse we see that Noah’s father lives 595 years after fathering Noah.

We can select “view all” and scroll through the next eleven verses of the “Noah” search. God is telling Noah that He has determined to “end all flesh” because “the earth is filled with violence”.  

And we learn that Noah is a righteous man, and that flood waters came upon the earth when Noah was 600 years old, and that Noah and his family went into the ark to escape the flood.

The words of Noah’s father, Lamech, are on my mind.  They are encouraging words.  It’s possible that Lamech was supporting his son during the 100 years of constructing the ark. 

Also, if we scroll down past the ...... Wait a minute!  I just thought of something.  If Lamech lived 595 years after fathering Noah, and Noah was 600 years old when the flood waters came, then Noah’s father must have passed away 5 years before the flood. I find comfort in that, and I believe that we will see Lamech in the Kingdom! 

Ok, back to this Bible Search Illustration let’s scroll past the rest of the flood until we arrive at the prophets.  Isa 54:9 speaks directly to God’s sovereignty, but let’s continue to the next two verses which are in Ezekiel.  

Noah, Daniel, and Job are being referenced together, in both Ezekiel returns.

We can look at the “Word Reference Diagram” for orientation, and find Noah and the flood, and we can also locate Daniel and see that he is associated with the start of the “Age of the Gentiles” and Babylon. 

To find Job on a timeline we could visit the resources page and click on “Timeline of Biblical History”.  There he is.  It looks like he may have been born about the time that God initiated His covenant with Abraham.

Let’s click on Ezekiel 14:14 and look at the commentary.  I have found commentary helpful for context and orientation, but insight and understanding, that is, truth, is usually found at the source, which is the Word of God, as revealed by the Holy Spirit.  

Back at Ezekiel 14:14 if we scroll up two verses we see a Section Heading: “Jerusalem Will Not Be Spared”. 

You probably know that bible “section headings” are not part of scripture, but rather they were added by translators to help organize the Bible into manageable sections.

Also known as “pericope” these section headings can be useful today for locating scripture. 

For example, if you want to find “The Lord’s Prayer” in Matthew but can’t remember the chapter and verse, select Matthew, and at the bottom of the screen select pericope and scroll down until you see the section heading that you're interested in, and click on it. 

Before we get side-tracked any further, I’ll use the history option to return our focus to Ezekiel 14:14.  

As we read the last 12 verses of Ezekiel 14, God clearly states that He is about to desolate His beloved Jerusalem, leaving only some survivors.

The last two verses of Ezekiel 14, are somewhat encouraging, but of course we may be left with many questions. 

This is yet another example of God’s sovereignty, because He said that He would desolate Jerusalem, and He does.

When it seems that God is being harsh or unfair, we may pray to Him, and ask God,  “Why are you doing this?”  The next study, Seeds, may help us better understand God’s seemingly unfair treatment of the flesh. 

Although we don’t always understand His ways or His thoughts, we can see that God is sovereign over His creation.  And God is good.

Brothers and sisters, The Word of God is speaking.  Let’s continue to listen. 

Hello again my friends,

How does scripture address the questions, “who are we?”, and “how did we get here?”

Let’s start at the beginning and picture what scripture has to say about the path of a seed. 

In the Seed study we learned that a seed can be either a good seed, or a weed, and both types represent a combination of body, soul, and spirit. 

Depending on which seed type we look at, and “where in time” that it falls, the paths will vary.  

Both the good seeds, and the weeds, are formed in Eternity, where they each begin a journey that ends in two very different places.

God dwells in Eternity, which scripture also refers to as the 3rd heaven.  

There we will find His Throne, Paradise, and The Father’s House. 

Before the foundation of the earth, God “foreknew” us, creating each soul uniquely.  And then the heavens and earth are created.

God sows His good seed, the sons of the kingdom.

The devil comes in the night and sows his weeds, but more on that in the Sanctification study.

We will follow one good seed, and it lands right here, in the last days of the Church Age.

The seed sprouts and inherits the sinful flesh in the mother’s womb and is born into this world.  

One day, by faith, this soul becomes a believer and receives the Holy Spirit as a guarantee of the inheritance God has promised him. 

So now this seed represents God’s perfect Spirit, and a unique soul, contained in a temporary body of flesh.

We can consider the soul as a battleground for the struggle between God’s perfect Spirit, and our sinful flesh.   

And this battle ends when we die.  The body remains in the ground while God’s perfect spirit, and our soul, proceed directly to paradise, and rest comfortably. 

At the resurrection, in the twinkling of an eye, the flesh will be raised imperishable and meet the Lord in the clouds to receive an eternal body and face the judgment seat of Christ. 

This seed now represents God’s perfect spirit, an eternal and sinless body, and a unique soul.  

In Eternity, this seed is before God’s throne, worshiping the Father and the Lamb. The seed also witnesses Tribulation, and partakes in the marriage supper of the Lamb, as part of the bride of Christ. 

The seed follows King Jesus back to earth, who brings an end to the Tribulation.

This also brings an end to the Age of the Gentiles.

Over the next 75 days the earth is restored and this seed, which again is God’s Spirit, an eternal body, and a “unique” soul, moves into the Kingdom.

This seed will hold some position in the Kingdom government.  For 1,000 years.  The assignment will reflect what the seed did while in the flesh, whether good or evil.

Many parables speak to this.

Sin still exists in the Kingdom, but it is tightly controlled, and Satan has been chained in a bottomless pit for 1,000 years.  

And after 1,000 years Satan is released for a little while, and he deceives the nations and they march on the beloved city, but fire comes down from heaven and consumes them.

Satan is thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur, and is tormented day and night forever and ever.

The Earth and the sky flee away from the face of Him who is seated on a Great White Throne.

At this Great White Throne, anyone's name that is not found written in the “Book of Life”, is thrown into the lake of fire. 

The journey is complete as the seed returns to The Father’s House in Eternity.

We believe this illustration is an accurate picture of scripture, but it is important that each of us ask God for wisdom as we examine His Word.  

Some scripture and search suggestions are listed in the video description, but we each should yield to the Holy Spirit as He directs.

And please remember to approach The Word of God with a humble heart, and to pray, persistently.

Bye for now friends.