Our verse: Prov 16:25 There is a path before each person that seems right,
but it ends in death.

Text:
Our Mountain friend Ted recounts his story with a lesson:

“Alto! Alto!” the officer shouted, pointing at the sign indicating a one way street. I had not noticed the sign, but had seen my final destination from a side street before making the wrong way turn. ”De sentido único”, he said standing by my vehicle. One way only!
Newly married, and on our honeymoon, I was mortified. I tried to explain I only had a short way to go, and there wasn't any traffic. I also told him that I wasn't aware it was one way until he stopped me. As he stood in front of my vehicle motioning me to turn around, it was clear I wouldn't reach my destination going “my” way. Happy to avoid any other consequence (like a fine), I immediately complied.

All of us are sincerely mistaken at times. We really think our way is the best way. It goes against our pride to admit that we are going the wrong way. If you continue in the wrong direction, you end up farther and farther from your destination. And, you may face penalties. Thankfully, the policeman helped him go the right way. God sometimes takes that policeman's role with us. He says “Stop, not this way, a different way.

This is why Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life..” Following His way is the true direction. Life is a whole lot better when we follow his instructions.

Our discussions here on The Mountain are designed to help you understand God's instructions. The fact is his instructions are not bad, they really are good. So, if you're hearing Alto, Alto! pay attention, stop. You will be much happier when you do. Many of our Mountain friends listened to God and life is good. Join us on trek to the Mountain of the Lord!

Our Verse: Mt 7:12 “Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets.”

So just where does the Golden rule come from, and what does it mean? Some quote the Golden Rule without any idea of where it originated. It is not just a warm fuzzy adage, but a statement from our Lord Jesus Christ when He walked the earth.
Jesus explained the rule and many other things in Matt 5, 6, and 7 in the New Testament. It is a wonderful read.

Here's what it says: “Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets.”

It is a simple but profound statement. The Lord Jesus explains in crisp terms how you can best live in the world among often difficult people.

Here's what the rule means:
First, Jesus challenges us to act. “Do” to others. The Golden Rule is action not feelings.
Second, ask and answer the implied question- What would I like others to do for me? I want people to treat me kindly, respect me and help me with my challenges and problems.
Now, take your answer and apply it to your neighbor (family, friend or acquaintance).
Be Kind, be respectful and offer them/ the kind of help you want.

Notice the second part of Jesus statement- The Golden Rule is the essence of all ancient Biblical writings. This means “doing” the Rule helps you grab the essence of truth, the very heart of it. The knowledge and instructions of the Old Testament are reduced to their essence by Doing to others.

You now have the pulsing hot core of what love is all about. Less selfishness. More kindness. Doing to others is the best possible thing you can do to improve your life and help others. Press on Dear Friends! Mtn Ed.

Our Verse: Phillipians 3:14 I press on to the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

You're trying to read your Bible. You read, but you don't seem to get anything out of it. Nothing seems to click. What's this all about? Some days, some weeks, every word seems to jump right off the page, but not today. What's up?

Every God follower has times like this. It's not abnormal. Think of it as a winter season.

As you look at those winter trees, it looks like nothing is happening. But actually there's a lot happening. It's just that the action is not visible. Deep underground the tree is prepping for springtime. It is gathering strength for the time of growth.

It's the same for a Christian. There are times of big action and growth and also times of apparent inaction when God is preparing you for new adventures.

We can be strategic during these times. First, recognize the slow time for what it is.
Dedicate special time for prayer. It's our Mountain concept of getting away from screens and noise to a quiet place to hear from God and tell him how you feel. He may tell you about things you need to change as His follower. Try reading other parts of your Bible. The Psalms is always a good place when you're having hard times. Often the writers of the Psalms are having tough times themselves. You will relate to their struggles and God's answers.

For sure you will come out of that dry time. I have! God will send times of refreshing, newness, when hope returns and Scripture crackles with energy!

This is one of the cycles of life- Dynamic action times and times to wait. Out in front of you, in time and space, God is there setting things up. People and events are being arranged and He will lead you to them at just the right moment. Press on, as our verse says, to the high calling of God in Christ Jesus!

Our Verse: Isa 46:10 Only I (God) can tell you the future before it even happens.

God knows the end of time from the beginning of time. It is a part of His nature to know all things. Our human term for this is omniscient- all knowing. This means that every fact from all time is known to God. Bible study, as explained in the prior two episodes, helps us understand this phenomenon about God.

Today, let's focus on one element of our Bible data analysis– Prophecy. The entirety of God's Word, Old Testament and New, is an amazing matrix of knowledge. Included in that matrix is the foretelling of events in human history. Events are foretold years or even centuries before they happen.

The key prophetic events foretold in the Bible relate to Jesus of Nazareth. History is actually His story.

Here is a great example:
Isa 9:6 “For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he shall be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace”

This foretelling of Jesus life was written over 600 years before his birth.
Many other facts, including his birthplace, were foretold hundreds of years before He arrived.

God simply knew these historical dates and events and communicated them into the minds of prophets like Isaiah long before they happened. No one but God can tell us the future before it happens.

Now... that is only the events in the past! There are also future events foretold in the Scriptures. That is a future episode! Maybe more than one!

God wants us to have confidence in Him and His words. Get right to your work- comparing different verses, and your confidence in God will grow.

Our Verse: Acts 2:21 Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

God really is wise in handling His creatures. Some of them just don't get what He is saying. This is the story on one such creature.

Some years back, man named John started working with a loud, disrepectful kid. It took a lot patience...and prayer! The kid was a smart aleck. John just kept talking about Jesus, all the time! Trusting that God could change his heart.

He kept telling him to “accept Jesus”. John was different and challenged the kid's lifestyle. He told John, “I just want to live my life my way. I have a plan and no body and no Thing is going to get in my way”. John just kept praying, alone and with friends at church.

Through some crazy circumstances, the kid's plan got interrupted! Jesus made Himself real to the kid. One day, John and him bowed their heads and prayed. Jesus came into their prayer and gave the kid a brand new life- right on the shop floor!

And... you have probably guessed who that kid was.

Don't resist God however He approaches you, maybe through a person or any one of a hundred different ways. He knows the perfect way to talk with you!

To “receive or accept Jesus” means to entrust your life to Him. It is to believe in your heart and speak with your mouth words something like this: “Lord Jesus forgive my sins and come into my life. Be my Master, my Lord!

When you “receive Jesus”, your whole life changes, it becomes new. You yearn to know more about God, and... you begin to understand His words... the Bible. Don't resist Him like the kid, it can be painful. You get a new life no more fear, no more guilt, free to love God and help your world!
Once again- “...all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.” John 1:12
PS Your friend can bow his or her knee...Keep praying!

Our Verse: Isa 28:10 God tells us everything over and over—one line at a time,
one line at a time, a little here, and a little there.

As you remember, the first part of Bible study is getting the data. You do this through “regular reading” Now let's tackle Part 2- Comparing different verses.
That verse in the last episode said, “rightly dividing the word of truth”.
That means comparing different verses to understand God better.

Like a spiritual cryptologist you are analyzing and decrypting God's data in the Bible. You begin to review different passages, “one line at a time” as described in the verse above. The first century Christians did the same thing. They only had the Old Testament, and had heard it since they were little kids. Some of the verses they had memorized suddenly made sense to them as followers of Jesus. They “compared different verses” of the Old Testament with what Jesus did and said “It's true!” They got it. They realized the truth of Scripture by what they had experienced with the Lord Jesus.

Today we have the New Testament, a record of Jesus life. We compare the many promises in the Old Testament with the New Testament story of Jesus and discover the same thing- It's True! It just makes sense! “Comparing different verses”, the second part of Bible study, helps us understand the Bible is true!

Here's an example: Isaiah 7:14 The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel, meaning ‘God is with us.
We connect this Old Testament prophecy about Jesus with it's New Testament fulfillment in Matt 1:20 and Luke 1:35. These two passages and others validate the birth of Jesus as God's Son.

Here's the Summary:
Gather data about God through “regular reading”.
Analyze that data through “comparing different verses”.
The result? Your faith, your trust in God will grow!

Next on the Mountain: Prophecy. What's that?