#Doctrine and Covenants 66

[trberman]

CFM | Exploring Doctrine and Covenants 64-66 - “The Lord Requireth the Heart and a Willing Mind”

Welcome to Mindful Latter-day Saint Christian Living and Apologetics, where this week’s Come Follow Me Study of the Doctrine and Covenants and Church History focuses on sections 64-66. In these sections, we dive deeper into the teachings and revelations that guide our journey as followers of Christ. My heart and purpose is to provide insight, understanding, clarity, and ways to liken and apply…

[biblegumchewontheword]

Books of the Bible

Here is a detailed list of the 66 books of the Bible, divided by the Old and New Testaments, along with their divisions and categories:

**Old Testament:**

**Pentateuch (5 books):**

1. Genesis

2. Exodus

3. Leviticus

4. Numbers

5. Deuteronomy

**Historical Books (12 books):**

6. Joshua

7. Judges

8. Ruth

9. 1 Samuel

10. 2 Samuel

11. 1 Kings

12. 2 Kings

13. 1 Chronicles

14. 2 Chronicles

15. Ezra

16. Nehemiah

17. Esther

**Poetry/Wisdom Books (5 books):**

18. Job

19. Psalms

20. Proverbs

21. Ecclesiastes

22. Song of Solomon

**Major Prophets (5 books):**

23. Isaiah

24. Jeremiah

25. Lamentations

26. Ezekiel

27. Daniel

**Minor Prophets (12 books):**

28. Hosea

29. Joel

30. Amos

31. Obadiah

32. Jonah

33. Micah

34. Nahum

35. Habakkuk

36. Zephaniah

37. Haggai

38. Zechariah

39. Malachi

**New Testament:**

**Gospels (4 books):**

40. Matthew

41. Mark

42. Luke

43. John

**History (1 book):**

44. Acts

**Pauline Epistles (13 books):**

45. Romans

46. 1 Corinthians

47. 2 Corinthians

48. Galatians

49. Ephesians

50. Philippians

51. Colossians

52. 1 Thessalonians

53. 2 Thessalonians

54. 1 Timothy

55. 2 Timothy

56. Titus

57. Philemon

**General Epistles (8 books):**

58. Hebrews

59. James

60. 1 Peter

61. 2 Peter

62. 1 John

63. 2 John

64. 3 John

65. Jude

**Apocalyptic (1 book):**

66. Revelation

This list represents the traditional order and grouping of the books of the Bible in most Christian denominations.

These are the 66 books that make up the Bible.

Title: The Significance of Each Book of the Bible

Introduction:

The Bible is a collection of 66 books that together form the inspired Word of God. Each book has its own unique message, themes, and significance that contribute to the overall story of God's redemption and love for humanity. Let's explore the importance of each book of the Bible.

Lesson Points:

1. The Old Testament:

- Genesis: The book of beginnings, detailing creation, the fall, and the establishment of God's covenant with His people.

- Exodus: The story of the Israelites' liberation from Egypt and the giving of the Law at Mount Sinai.

- Psalms: A collection of songs and prayers that express a range of human emotions and provide a guide for worship.

- Proverbs: Wisdom literature that offers practical advice for living a righteous and wise life.

- Isaiah: Prophecies about the coming Messiah and God's plan of salvation.

2. The New Testament:

- Matthew: Emphasizes Jesus as the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies and the establishment of the kingdom of God.

- Acts: Chronicles the early spread of the Gospel and the growth of the early church.

- Romans: Explains the doctrine of justification by faith and the implications of salvation through Christ.

- Corinthians: Addresses issues within the church and provides practical guidance for Christian living.

- Revelation: Offers apocalyptic visions of the end times, the victory of Christ, and the establishment of the new heaven and earth.

3. Themes and Messages:

- Each book of the Bible contributes to the overarching themes of God's love, redemption, forgiveness, and salvation for all humanity.

- Together, these books provide a complete narrative of God's work in the world and His plan for His people.

Application:

- Take time to explore and study each book of the Bible, seeking to understand its unique message and significance.

- Reflect on how the themes and stories in the Bible can impact your own life and faith journey.

- Consider how the teachings and examples in the Bible can shape your beliefs and actions as a follower of Christ.

Conclusion:

The books of the Bible are not just separate entities but are interconnected parts of the larger story of God's redemption and love for humanity. Each book has its own importance and contributes to the overall message of God's plan for salvation. May we approach the study of the Bible with reverence and openness to the wisdom and guidance it offers for our lives.

[educationalguideraustralia]

Discovering Biblical Theology: How Tracing God’s Story Brings the Bible to Life

Have you ever wondered how the Bible fits together as one big story? With 66 books written by dozens of authors over centuries, it can sometimes feel like a collection of disconnected events. That’s where Biblical Theology comes in—it helps us connect the dots and see the Bible as one unfolding story of God’s relationship with humanity.

What is Biblical Theology? Tracing God's Story from Genesis to Revelation

Biblical Theology is the approach that follows how God reveals Himself throughout Scripture, starting in Genesis and building all the way to Revelation. Instead of organising biblical truths by topics, like salvation or prayer, Biblical Theology focuses on how these themes develop over time. It respects the historical and literary setting of each book and helps us read the Bible the way it was written—as a divine narrative.

When we practise Biblical Theology, we follow the storyline of Scripture as it unfolds. We begin to see how God’s promises, covenants, and plans for redemption gradually take shape through the lives of real people in real places.

Key Features of Biblical Theology: More Than Just History

Here are some key characteristics that make Biblical Theology unique and powerful:

Historical Development: This approach recognises that God didn’t reveal everything at once. His message was shared gradually through different eras, each building on what came before.

Narrative Focus: Instead of isolating verses, Biblical Theology follows overarching themes like covenant, kingdom, creation, fall, redemption, and restoration, threaded from the Old to the New Testament.

Author-Centred: Every biblical writer contributes their own voice and insights. Biblical Theology pays attention to each author's unique emphasis and how it fits into the big picture.

Contextual Understanding: It takes historical and cultural settings seriously. Understanding the context helps us grasp what God was saying to His people then—and what it means for us now.

This method isn’t about cherry-picking verses to support a doctrine. It’s about honouring the flow of Scripture and discovering how every part fits into God’s redemptive plan.

Final Takeaway

Is Biblical Theology just for Bible college students? Absolutely not! It’s for anyone who wants to read the Bible with clarity and purpose. When you view Scripture as a single, unified story, it deepens your understanding and builds your faith.

You start to see how the promises to Abraham connect to Jesus, and how the story of Israel points to the Church. You realise that your own story is part of this bigger narrative—and that changes how you live and trust God today.

So next time you open your Bible, ask yourself: Where does this passage fit in the grand story of redemption? That’s the heart of Biblical Theology—and it’s a journey worth taking.

[eli-kittim]

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Debunked

Eli Kittim

The Latter Day Saint movement is a Christian Restorationist movement that was founded by Joseph Smith in the early 19th century. Currently, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (aka “LDS Church”) boasts 17 million members.

There is a theme in the Old Testament that is echoed in the New Testament's Book of Revelation 22:18-19. It effectively nullifies all extra-biblical sources of interpretation or additions to scripture, including Talmudic hermeneutics and 3 out of the 4 Standard Works of the LDS Church. Deuteronomy 4:2 reads:

“You must neither add anything to what I command you nor take away anything from it, but keep the commandments of the Lord your God with which I am charging you.”

Yet the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have added additional material, such as the noncanonical Book of Mormon, which is neither authorized nor accepted by mainstream Christian Churches. According to Latter Day Saint tradition, the so-called golden plates are the original source from which Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon (which is now called Another Testament of Jesus Christ). Paul writes in Galatians 1:8:

“But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse!”

As the story goes, Smith allegedly found these plates in the 1820s after an angel named Moroni directed him to a buried stone box. He claimed that the angel instructed him not to show the plates to anyone until they had been properly translated from their original "reformed Egyptian" language.

However, there are several problems with these claims. The notion of “reformed Egyptian” comes from a narrative in the Book of Mormon, in which it is described as the language employed to inscribe the text on golden plates. And yet, historians, linguists, archaeologists, and egyptologists have not found any substantiated examples of such a language in the historical or archaeological record. In other words, the claim that the golden plates were written in a language called "reformed Egyptian” is bogus because such a language is basically unknown to linguists and egyptologists. Besides, there’s no linguistic, historical, or archaeological evidence of the use of Egyptian writing in Pre-Columbian America!

There are many other problems with Joseph Smith’s claims. He mentioned that he received his revelation from an Angel named Moroni. The said angel is mentioned in the Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants, another LDS book, but not in the Bible. According to the Book of Mormon, the said angel added information to the teachings of Jesus. In fact, the Book of Mormon is more about Moroni than Jesus because the word "Mormon" itself is actually derived from the name of the angel Moroni! The fact that this angel substitutes itself for Christ by giving its name to a book——and given that the name Moroni is never once mentioned in the 66 canonical books of Holy Scripture——suggests that it is probably not on God’s payroll. Joseph Smith’s account reminds us of another so-called prophetess and channeler, namely, Esther Hicks, who currently claims to receive revelations from a non-physical spirit named Abraham. Thus, the LDS movement——featuring a spirit-guide who offers a new or alternative teaching THAT IS NOT IN THE BIBLE——has all the hallmarks of a cult!

It is important to note that Joseph Smith and his close associates were practicing folk magic, scrying, second sight, and divination, practices that are strictly forbidden in the Old Testament (Lev 19:26; Deuteronomy 18:10-12)! Both Smith and another seer named Samuel T. Lawrence reportedly used a seer stone to view the golden plates. What is more, eyewitnesses reported that Smith translated the golden plates not by looking directly at them but by looking through a transparent seer stone in the bottom of his hat! So, Smith allegedly translated the Egyptian not based on any scholarly knowledge or expertise but rather on psychic messages that were channeled to him.

There were allegedly 11 men who claimed to have seen the plates, aka the so-called Book of Mormon Witnesses. Then, after the translation process was completed, Smith claimed that he returned the plates to the angel Moroni, thereby conveniently making them magically disappear from sight so that they could not be investigated or re-examined.

However, there are various discrepancies and contradictory accounts. Some of Joseph Smith’s close associates accused him of being a fraud and of having “filthy” adulterous relationships. Moreover, Martin Harris, one of the alleged Three Witnesses to the golden plates, recounted his witness as a visionary experience. John Gilbert, the printer of the first edition of the Book of Mormon, asked Harris if he had seen the plates with his own eyes, to which Harris replied "No, I saw them with a spiritual eye.” In 1837, Joseph Smith excommunicated 28 members. A year later, in 1838, Smith said the following about the Three Witnesses (Cowdery, Harris, and Whitmer): “too mean to mention; and we had liked to have forgotten them." So much for the eyewitness reports!

In the same year (1838), Harris publicly confessed that "he never saw the plates with his natural eyes, only in vision or imagination." In fact, Harris openly denied that any of the Witnesses to the Book of Mormon had ever seen or handled the golden plates. As a result, Harris's announcement convinced several key members to leave the church. Over 30 years later, Harris’ account never changed. He gave another interview in which he admitted "I never saw the golden plates, only in a visionary or entranced state."

The Pearl of Great Price is part of the canonical books of the LDS Church. It was originally written as a pamphlet published in England in 1851, and was later revised and canonized by the LDS Church. The current version of the Pearl of Great Price contains several sections. One section is called the Book of Moses, which includes Smith's own revisions (i.e. the “Joseph Smith Translation” of the Bible, aka JST) regarding the first 6 chapters of the Book of Genesis, which include two extraneous chapters of "extracts from the prophecy of Enoch.” So, Joseph Smith is essentially rewriting the Bible according to his own private interpretations.

Another section in the Pearl of Great Price is the Book of Abraham. Joseph Smith produced it in 1835, and claimed that it was based on Egyptian papyri that were purchased from a traveling mummy exhibition. According to Joseph Smith himself, the book was "a translation of some ancient records... purporting to be the writings of Abraham, while he was in Egypt, called the Book of Abraham, written by his own hand, upon papyrus". What a story! It has all the earmarks of occultism! This book also maintains that God did not create the universe ex nihilo (out of nothing) but rather through a reorganization of eternal, pre-existing elements. Not to mention that Joseph Smith retranslated portions of Matthew’s gospel, a work which contains significant changes and additions to the original biblical text.

In summary, Joseph Smith added another book to the Bible which was based on a discovery of certain golden plates that no one ever saw. This was a book translated from a supposed reformed Egyptian language that doesn’t exist in the historical or archaeological record, let alone in ancient America. And later, it magically disappeared so that it could not be examined. The witnesses themselves did not actually see the plates with their own eyes. And some of them even called Smith a fraud. Joseph Smith and his companions were all involved in divination and magic, which often attracts demonic spirits. As a matter of fact, the Spirit who introduced Smith to these extra bible additions is a suspicious familiar spirit who is never once mentioned in the Bible. Taken together, the evidence strongly suggests that the LDS Church is a heretical cult that has very little to do with Christianity! Not to mention their theology which is completely bogus (e.g. that God has a physical body of flesh and bones, that God was once a man on another planet, that just like him we can all become gods, that there exist many gods, that Jesus is the spirit brother of Lucifer/Satan, etc.)!

[dfroza]

A link to my personal reading of the Scriptures

for the 31st of december 2024 with a paired chapter from each Testament (the First & the New Covenant) of the Bible

[The Book of Acts, Chapter 11 • The Book of 1st Kings, Chapter 13]

along with Today’s reading from the ancient books of Proverbs and Psalms with Proverbs 31 and Psalm 31 coinciding with the day of the month, accompanied by Psalm 11 for the 11th day of Astronomical Winter, and Psalm 66 for day 366 of the year (with the consummate book of 150 Psalms in its 3rd revolution this year and “resetting” tomorrow for the first day of 2025)

A post by John Parsons:

The Meaning of Life...

Every human culture engages in the art of storytelling to explain its origin, its values, and its destiny. Ancient myths, fables, and folklore were devised to serve that purpose, as were various religious dramas, legends about saints, and other sagas. Since art imitates reality, however, this implies that people everywhere intuitively understand that their individual roles find meaning in the context of a larger story of which they are part... In other words, people invariably tell stories because life itself is a great story, namely, God's story (i.e., His-story), and they sense a profound need to "find themselves" in the story line. Without an ultimate story about the meaning of life as revealed in the Scriptures, however, people are left to their own imaginations and will be unsure about who they really are, why they exist, and where they are inevitably going…

Since people need to find the meaning of life in order to cope with the chaos, suffering, and apparent pointlessness of this world, they invent stories to help them find some provisional comfort. However, the story we tell ourselves - namely, where we come from, who we are, and where we are ultimately going, has profound yet very practical consequences for the development of our inner character. For instance, to instill courage we must find meaning in suffering, but that implies that we see our personal suffering as part of a larger story. Even the pagan philosopher Nietzsche said that he could withstand any "how" in life as long as he had a "why," or a reason. The heart of faith takes this a step further, however, as when the Berditchev Rebbe prayed, “O God, I don’t ask you to tell me why I suffer, but only whether I suffer for Your sake.” If we fail to find any real purpose for our lives, or if we are unable to believe there is a "cosmic story" behind all things, namely, God's own story, then we will surely lose heart, because the suffering we experience will seem irredeemably pointless...

Over 40% of the Bible is composed of stories and narratives -- and these all weave together into a “transcendental story” about the meaning and purpose of human life. Another 30% of the Bible is written in prophetic poetry, much of which references the other stories found in the Scriptures, from the story of the creation, the fall of mankind into sin, the subsequent judgment upon the earth and the call of Abram and the patriarchs of Israel, the story of the great Exodus from Egypt with its numerous vignettes, and so on. The grand or “meta-theme” of the Bible is the story of God’s love, redemption, and his ultimate healing of humanity from the sickness of “spiritual death” by the coming of Yeshua the Savior of the world... It is the story of the Gospel message itself, and the remainder of the Bible concerns explicating the theological implications and doctrines of our faith.

As I’ve written about before, our hearts speak the language of "poetry," using poetic expressions of truth, since declarative words are never enough to convey the heart of the matter. When God created the heavens and the earth, he "sang" them into being - the words he used composed a song - and its melody resounds with the emotional weight of his grace and his glory. Likewise it was said that God created people in order for them to sing of His glories and love forever. Therefore we can speak of the "poetry of creation" - its meaning, form, sound, rhythm - expressing the artistry of God as the Creator (Psalm 19:1-4). The various psalms of the Bible are also musical and lyric (i.e., to be accompanied with a lyre), because prayer, meditation, and worship are expressed in the hue and color of emotional feelings, or the language of the heart... These include expressions of praise, cries of lament, sighs for deliverance, and so on. In fact, poetic language is found throughout the Scriptures. Consider the various metaphors, similes, hyperboles, symbols, allusions, equivocations, parables, allegories, prophetic signs and visions - all formed from words of the heart.

The Hebrew prophets often used poetic expression in their messages: "Let judgment run down as the waters / and righteousness as a mighty stream!" (Amos 5:24). Moreover dirges (kinnot) and lamentations are expressed poetically in the Scriptures. For example, the Book of Lamentations is an acrostic poem chanted using a rhythmic formula of a long line followed by a shorter line to evoke feelings of sorrow and woe.

We sometimes want to talk about God "theologically," using language of fact or "objectivity," though it's important to remember that God is a Person, a Subject, and the Bible often uses anthropomorphic language to help us connect with him. The sages said “Torah is written in the language of men.” The words of God are often emotional, passionate, and vibrate with meaning and feeling - words of the divine pathos for us. The message of the gospel, the "story" of God's astounding love for us, is a message from his heart to ours... It is the greatest story ever told, full of mystery, suspense, romance, heroism, sacrificial love, the very depths of sorrow, the ecstasies of joy, and so on.

Our secular world today is irrational, heartless, and spiritually bankrupt because godless people in power have systematically inculcated a “world view” (i.e., grand narrative of humanity’s “evolution” from the primordial ooze) that relegates, denigrates, and censors the Biblical account of God's great redemptive story. In the intellectual wasteland of the postmodern age, there is no “grand narrative” that we are allowed to tell ourselves, there is no objective truth about what is objectively right or wrong, and there is no personal God that directs the history of the universe toward an end -- unless it is a grand narrative based on the illusions of "scientific" humanistic thinking. Because of this rank suppression of the Bible and modernist propaganda, people today have lost the ability to discern between good and evil, and therefore they are unable to see any real difference between righteousness and unrighteousness, between villains and heroes, and consequently they are devoid of moral fiber, ethical strength, and honor of soul. Contrary to the spirit of this depraved and benighted age, as followers of Messiah we must be resolute regarding our identity as God's redeemed children. We are in the midst of a great spiritual war, called to fight the good fight of faith, and we will overcome the world by the blood of the lamb and the word of our testimony.

To ask for the “meaning of life” is to ask for the means to life, for the way to find its purpose and significance... According to the Torah of Yeshua, there is a supreme “end of life,” an overarching reason for all things, a superlative purpose for the existence of the universe and all that is in it, and that end is found in the greatest story ever told, namely, the story of the glory of God and His redemptive love for us all. This is the true message of Christmas: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). Let's not miss the point of the story - that God chose to enter this space-time as "one of us" so that we could be touched by Him, healed by Him, saved by Him... That's the real miracle, and it's a real miracle for every day of our lives. Amen.

[ Hebrew for Christians ]

Isaiah 41:4 reading:

https://hebrew4christians.com/Blessings/Blessing_Cards/isa41-4-jjp.mp3

Hebrew page:

https://hebrew4christians.com/Blessings/Blessing_Cards/isa41-4-lesson.mp3

12.30.24 • Facebook

from Israel365

Today’s message (Days of Praise) from the Institute for Creation Research