Tag Archives: Jews

THE BIGGEST RUSE

Apologetics, ,

So, what English word can one use to describe the most ruthless, cruel, and destructive trick the devil has ever pulled on the people of the world?

A farce…? A farce is a ludicrously improbable situation. No, this word doesn’t fit.

A ruse…? An action intended to deceive? Perhaps.

A hoax…? A malicious deception? I think this is the most apt word to describe what I am about to disclose.

From where did he, this arch-deceiver, pull this hoax that the world is divided by race? Are humans grouped according to a variety of different kinds of bodies, basic shapes, or ways of functioning? What do we see when we peel the skin off an African, an Asian, an Australian, a European, an American, or anyone from a remote island somewhere in the middle of the ocean? Are we so different inside that we do not all belong to one race, the human race? Does the inside differ so much from one group to another, one continent to another, that we are unrecognisable as one race on the inside? Do we have differing hearts, kidneys or any other organs inside our skin?

Imagine trying to organise an international sports event between “races” that look and function differently, like tigers versus giraffes!

Can you see how ridiculous racism is! Racism isn’t about fact. It’s a way of artificially driving us apart, creating divisions between us that we cannot heal, that foster hatred, bitterness and even war.

We must turn to the one reliable source of information to find the truth.

Acts of the Apostles 17:26 NLT
[26] “From ONE MAN he created all the nations throughout the whole earth. He decided beforehand when they should rise and fall, and he determined their boundaries.”

Did you get that? “From one man..”! Nations, yes, but not races. God’s plan was to create a unified race from one man, divided into nations, not skin colours, to populate the earth. So, where are the races that are supposed to make us all different?

Until humans decided to rebel against and defy God, there were no nations. They were all one race with one language.

Genesis 11:1-2, 4-9 NIV
[1] “Now the whole world had one language and a common speech. [2] As people moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinar and settled there…
[4]… Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth.” [5] But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower the people were building. [6] The Lord said, “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. [7] Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.” [8] So the Lord scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city. [9] That is why it was called Babel—because there the Lord confused the language of the whole world. From there the Lord scattered them over the face of the whole earth.”

It’s a lie, a hoax, and those who pull the race card use it to justify the lie and to hide the hatred, prejudice, and hypocrisy, not colour, that are in their hearts and that separate people from one another. They are liars because they base their arguments, even their policies, values, and beviour on a lie, creating artificial boundaries that don’t exist.

Why is the racist lie so devilish? People believe it because it’s the narrative used to get what they want. In my country, as in many, those who rule hide behind “the injustices of the past” of the white “race” to excuse and justify their evil desires…the power to control and even to possess what is not rightfully theirs. Why not just evil and misguided people?

So, what is the answer to the artificial boundaries human dishonesty has spawned? In Jesus’ day, the great divide was Jew and everyone else bundled together under the omnibus title of “Gentile”. Greeks, Romans, Samaritans, and anyone else who was regarded as their enemy, fell under the category. Even the use of the word “Gentile” was like a red rag to a bull.

After his arrest for supposedly taking a Gentile into the temple, Paul told his story to the hostile Jewish mob who had apprehended him.

Acts 22:1-2, 21-22 NIV
[1] “Brothers and fathers, listen now to my defense.” [2] When they heard him speak to them in Aramaic, they became very quiet. Then Paul said… “

… and Paul told his story until he mentioned the word” Gentiles”…

[21] “Then the Lord said to me, ‘Go; I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’ ” [22] The crowd listened to Paul until he said this. Then they raised their voices and shouted, “Rid the earth of him! He’s not fit to live!”

Such was their hatred for Gentiles that the Jews disregarded their own Scriptures which predicted their Messiah’s role to bring the
Gentiles into God’s salvation covenant.

Isaiah 49:6 NIV
[6] “…He says: “It is too small a thing for you to be my servant to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept. I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.”

Jesus came to redeem and restore the whole world to fellowship with the Father. How would He accomplish so great a task in the face of such bitter hatred and division? How would He overcome the artificial boundaries caused by so-called racism?

In a nutshell, Paul gives us the answer. “Race” was not the problem. Hatred, enmity, hostility in the heart was!

Ephesians 2:11-18 NIV
[11] Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision”…
[12] remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world.

[13] But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. [14] For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, [15] by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, [16] and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. [17] He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. [18] For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.”

The cross of Jesus dealt the death blow, not to racism but to the sin in the heart that uses racism as its expression. No laws or policies, no education, not efforts to eradicate the so-called “culture of racism”, can cure the evil in the heart.

Jeremiah 17:9 NIV
[9] “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?”

Jesus did it by living to fulfil the law and dying to take our penalty for not fulfilling the law.

Colossians 2:13-15 NIV
[13] “When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, [14] having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. [15] And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.”

Racism is a phantom, a ghost that does not exist except in the minds of evil people. There is no cure and never will be for racism, which is an invention of evil hearts, outside of the cross. No law or education can change that!

When Jesus changes the heart, racism fades like the morning mist, from thought and action.

2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV
[17] “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! “

Faith in Christ changes hearts, destiny, and citizenship.

Ephesians 2:12-13 NIV
[12]”…Remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. [13] But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.”

Galatians 3:26-28 NIV
[26] “So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, [27] for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. [28] There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

Black and white, Jew and Arab, East and West, are reunited as one in Christ. We have a new identity regardless of clan, tribe, or nation. We are all children of God. We have a new culture as citizens of heaven…

Galatians 5:6 NIV
[6] “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.”

Beloved children of God, God’s Word is truth. Let us who are His children cancel the lie by living by the truth.

“I AM HE” – 25

Bible Study, ,

John 18:1-6 NIV‬
[1]”When he had finished praying, Jesus left with his disciples and crossed the Kidron Valley. On the other side there was a garden, and he and his disciples went into it. [2] Now Judas, who betrayed him, knew the place, because Jesus had often met there with his disciples. [3] So Judas came to the garden, guiding a detachment of soldiers and some officials from the chief priests and the Pharisees. They were carrying torches, lanterns and weapons. [4] Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to him, went out and asked them, “Who is it you want?” [5] “Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “I AM HE ,” Jesus said. (And Judas the traitor was standing there with them.) [6] When Jesus said, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground.”

Once again, only John recorded this extraordinary detail. Perhaps only John, under inspiration of the Holy Spirit, understood the significance of of the mob’s reaction to Jesus’ words, “I am He!”

Picture the scene. In the pre-dawn darkness, a crowd of men descend on Jesus carrying burning torches and brandishing swords and clubs. Who were these people? The gospel records convey the idea that no one knew for certain who they were.

Matthew…

‭Matthew 26:47 NIV‬
[47] “While he was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived. With him was a large crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests and the elders of the people.”

Mark…

‭Mark 14:43 NIV‬
[43] “Just as he was speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, appeared. With him was a crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests, the teachers of the law, and the elders.”

‭Luke 22:47 NIV‬
[47] “While he was still speaking a crowd came up, and the man who was called Judas, one of the Twelve, was leading them. He approached Jesus to kiss him…”

Only John identifies them, Romans and Jews, soldiers and religious leaders. Obviously, the soldiers would do the arresting but they were not familiar with Jesus. Someone would need to identify Him in the dark. Who better than Judas, who knew Jesus and the most obvious place to find Him… Gethsemane! The Jews would call the shots since they were the initiators in this plot.

Jesus’ response is also highly unusual but in keeping with His nature. Who was in charge in this entire saga? Not the Jewish leaders! Not the Roman overlords! Of course, Jesus was in charge!

This was Jesus’ stance throughout His public ministry and His arrest, trial and death. Enemies and friends alike had heard Him predict,

‭John 10:17-18 NIV‬
[17] “The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. [18] No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”

How would His prediction play out in these dangerous circumstances? Based on His foreknowledge, “The hour has come,” He stepped forward to hand Himself over but something stopped the soldiers from grabbing Him….His identity. I AM.

“I AM” was the name by which He introduced Himself to Moses at the burning bush in the desert. Yahweh!No wonder the soldiers were knocked to the ground when He uttered His name!

‭Exodus 3:4-6 NIV‬
[4] When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!” And Moses said, “Here I am.” [5] “Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.” [6] Then he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.” At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God….
[13] Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?” [14] God said to Moses, “I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I am has sent me to you.’ ”

Only once before had Jesus purposely identified Himself to His enemies as Yahweh, I AM.

‭John 8:54 NIV‬
[54] “Jesus replied, “If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me.
[56] Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad.” [57] “You are not yet fifty years old,” they said to him, “and you have seen Abraham!” [58] “Very truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I AM !” [59] At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds.”

To His disciples, Jesus, the I AM, was everything they needed, bread, shepherd, the way, the truth, and the life, etc., but to His enemies, He was Yahweh, the Elohim who had power and authority.

So, it was impossible to arrest Him, let alone accuse Him, try Him, and crucify Him without His permission. He had to hold His power in check for them to subdue Him, and voluntarily submit to their cruelty and injustice, to be crucified as a convicted criminal.

His behaviour throughout His trial was also mystifying without the utterance of His name. How could He remain silent under the weight of all the false accusations against Him if He were not Yahweh, veiled in human flesh?

So, what is the evidence saying?

‭John 18:7-8 NIV‬
[7] Again he asked them, “Who is it you want?” “Jesus of Nazareth,” they said. [8] Jesus answered, “I told you that I am he. If you are looking for me, then let these men go.”…
[12] Then the detachment of soldiers with its commander and the Jewish officials arrested Jesus. They bound him [13] and brought him first to Annas, who was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest that year.”

‭John 18:11 NIV‬
[11]” Jesus commanded Peter, “Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?”

‭Matthew 26:59-64 NIV‬
[59] “The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for false evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death. [60] But they did not find any, though many false witnesses came forward. Finally two came forward [61] and declared, “This fellow said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days.’ ” [62] Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, “Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?” [63] But Jesus remained silent.

‭‭John 19:7-11 NIV‬
[7] The Jewish leaders insisted, “We have a law, and according to that law he must die, because he claimed to be the Son of God.” [8] When Pilate heard this, he was even more afraid,
[9] and he went back inside the palace. “Where do you come from?” he asked Jesus, but Jesus gave him no answer. [10] “Do you refuse to speak to me?” Pilate said. “Don’t you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?” [11] Jesus answered, “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin.”

The unified witness of the gospel writers is that Jesus only responded to one question, “Are you the Messiah, the Son of God?”

Matthew 26:63b-64 NIV

“The high priest said to him, “I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God.” [64] “You have said so,” Jesus replied. “But I say to all of you: From now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.”

Paul’s conclusion accurately sums up Jesus, the I AM.

‭Philippians 2:6-11 NLT‬
[6] “Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. [7] Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, [8] he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. [9] Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, [10] that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, [11] and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

Peter adds,

‭1 Peter 2:23-24 NIV‬
[23]”When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. [24] “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.”

No one but the Son of God, the great I AM of holy Scripture, Yahweh, could live and die perfectly, to be the Saviour of all people, everywhere, for all time. We can make this sublime Saviour our own by faith in Him.

THE BOOK OF ACTS – ASSUMING IS LYING!

Bible Study, ,

ASSUMING IS LYING!

“When the seven days of their purification were nearly up, some Jews from around Ephesus spotted him in the Temple. At once they turned the place upside-down. They grabbed Paul and started yelling at the tops of their lungs, ‘Help! You Israelites, help! This is the man who is going all over the world telling lies against us and our religion and this place. He’s even brought Greeks in here and defiled this holy place.’ (What happened was that they had seen Paul and Trophimus, the Ephesian Greek, walking together in the city and had just assumed that he had taken him to the Temple and shown him around).”  Acts 21:27-29 (The Message).

Well now, here’s an interesting situation! Seeing Paul in the city with a Greek was a far cry from seeing him in the temple with the same man. They assumed that Paul had taken him into the temple, and acted like hooligans on their assumption.

Assuming without listening is a dangerous thing to do. By assuming, these men were doing exactly what they were accusing Paul of doing — telling lies! Because they had not listened to Paul’s message in Ephesus and had even possibly been part of the riot there, seeing the whole city was in an uproar, they had certainly not grasped the truth of his preaching or his credibility as a servant of God.

They assumed that Paul was trying to discredit the Jews and their God; they assumed that he was trying to turn the Gentiles against the Jews; they assumed that he had turned against their God himself, and of course they assumed that he was a dangerous man and needed to be eliminated. From where did these assumptions come? From the “father of lies” of course! Anyone is open to these kinds of assumptions if he does not have a heart for the truth.

These Jews were in the grip of both tradition and religion that had turned them into bigots and potential murderers. It was they, not Paul, who were misrepresenting the God they were supposed to be worshipping. It was their agenda, not God’s, they were fighting for because, if they had understood the God who had revealed Himself to them through their history with Him and His law, they would have known Him to be a God of mercy and compassion who had a heart for all people, including the Gentiles.

Their own Scriptures foretold a time when Messiah would come and change everything; when the nations would stream to Jerusalem to be part of the universal worship of God.

“In the last days, the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established as chief among the mountains; it will be raised above the hills and peoples will stream to it. Many nations will come and say, ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us His ways, so that we may walk in His paths.’ The law will go out from Zion, the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.” Micah 4:1-2 (NIV).

If these men, who were so zealous for their religion, had done more listening and less assuming, they would have recognised that they were uniquely privileged to be a part of a new era of God’s grace.

The tragedy is that people get hurt when we assume without verifying our facts. Our assumptions are often based on our inborn desire to be one up on other people. How often do we assume things that are to the detriment to ourselves and the advantage of other people?

If we are to be true followers of Jesus, we must cultivate a generous and honest heart that assumes nothing but gives people, even those we don’t like, the benefit of the doubt. To take the trouble to be sure of our facts will offset a whole lot of pain, for other people as well as ourselves, and contribute to peace instead of conflict, which is the life we are called to live.

THE BOOK OF ACTS – HE COULD SEE AGAIN

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HE COULD SEE AGAIN

“But the Master said, ‘Don’t argue. Go! I have picked him as my personal representative to Gentiles and kings and Jews. And now I’m about to show him what he’s in for — the hard suffering that goes with this job.’

“So Ananias went and found the house, placed his hands on blind Saul and said, ‘Brother Saul, the Master sent me, the same Jesus you saw on the way here. He sent me so you can see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.’ No sooner were the words out of his mouth than something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes — he could see again! He got to his feet, was baptized and sat down with them to a hearty meal.” Acts 9:15-19a (The Message).

Jesus does not make mistakes. Sending Ananias to Saul was no guess-work. He had the inside story and His plan was right on track! Ananias took a little persuading and no wonder because he was aware that Saul was a dangerous man. Once he was convinced that Saul’s conversion was genuine, he no longer hesitated to obey the Master

The way he addressed Saul was touching. “Brother Saul!” Saul desperately needed acceptance in this crisis. What if he had become an outcast, rejected by the religious party he represented as a turncoat, and under suspicion by the group he needed so desperately to connect with? Ananias was the link and he did not fail the Master in his assignment. Perhaps this powerful moment prompted the apostle Paul to write:

“Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you in order to bring glory to God.” Romans 15:7 (NIV).

What a powerful experience! “Something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes.” This was much more that a miracle of physical healing. Paul knew what it was like to be spiritually blind. Was it Ananias’ act of brotherly love that was the final piece in the puzzle for him? Whatever happened in that moment, his sight was restored both outwardly and inwardly.

Paul must have drawn from his own experience over and over again as he poured his heart out in his letters to his many converts and fellow believers all over the Roman Empire. We are blessed to have the written record of his interpretation of the life and message of Jesus, filtered through his own mind and experience.

Speaking of his people and his state before he met Jesus, he wrote: “But their minds were made dull for, to this day, the same veil (of unbelief – writer’s comment) remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away. Even today, when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. But when anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.” 2 Corinthians 3:14-16 (NIV).

Like the blind man of John 9, his unshakeable testimony was “‘One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!'” John 9:15 (NIV). The inward blindness of his heart was gone. The insight he received of the glory of Jesus and the kingdom of God so lit up his soul that he became as fiery a witness for Jesus as he had been an antagonist.

Nothing could put that fire out — not slander, persecution, suspicion, betrayal or even the threat of death could cool the passion of his heart for the Jesus who was alive, whom he had seen on the Damascus road and who had forgiven his misguided zeal and given him a new life.

One Small Step Backwards…

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ONE SMALL STEP BACKWARDS...

“We who are Jews by birth and not sinful Gentiles know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So, we too have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law because, by the works of the law no one will be justified.” Galatians 2:15, 16.

This sounds like a bit of a tongue-twister, doesn’t it? What is Paul saying?

Peter and his fellow disciples, in their association with Jesus, had experienced a rude awakening. As part of a religious system that relied heavily on their performance for acceptance with God, they thought that their law-keeping was what He demanded to satisfy His requirements. Jesus taught them that the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob was actually their Father, and that He was calling them into a relationship of intimacy with Him as their sons, just as Jesus was His Son, and the model of sonship they were to follow.

Sin had alienated them from the Father, and no amount of trying to do the right thing by observing rules and carrying out rituals could undo their sinful behaviour or change their sinful nature. They were not “sinful” Gentiles, those who worshipped idols and engaged in depraved behaviour but that didn’t make them any better than those who did. Everyone fell short of God’s perfection and they could do nothing about it.

Jesus’ untimely death on a cross, which they thought was a terrible tragedy, turned out to be the opposite. It was God’s pre-ordained way of dealing with the sin they could not get rid of by rule-keeping. Jesus died in the place of sinners to satisfy God’s righteous demand for the payment of a huge debt. He died as an atoning sacrifice for all people for all time so that God could accept as not guilty everyone who submitted to Jesus as their rightful Lord.

What, then, was Peter thinking when he slipped back into his old pattern of behaviour, thinking he was better than the Gentile believers and withdrawing from fellowship with them? It was a backward step, and would have serious repercussions if it was what he really believed. Even his temporary lapse into the fear of man affected his standing before God.

Everyone who takes the step from confidence in his own efforts to satisfy God’s holy requirements to trusting in Jesus for acceptance with God, has a standing in God’s grace which enables him to approach the Father with confidence. Because of Jesus, he has been declared “not guilty”. His sin has been removed; he has been washed clean of sin’s pollution and he had been given a new nature, one that makes him a son, not a slave. He is indwelt by the Holy Spirit and, through Him, has been restored to oneness with the Father and able to call Him “Abba”.

One small step backwards for Peter was actually a huge fall from standing in the grace of God to standing in his own righteousness which God declared was like filthy rags in His sight. The great Apostle Peter was unwittingly in danger of disqualifying himself by being afraid to stand up for what he believed.

Thank God for Paul’s boldness and for his clear understanding of the gospel. Without it we would not have the letters his wrote to the Roman and Galatian churches which give us a clear explanation of what God did through Jesus Christ to reconcile us to Himself. It was through trial and error, struggle and debate that the truth of the gospel began to emerge in the early church. We are blessed to share in the great heritage passed down to us from the church of the past.

Thank God we learn from our failures as much as from our successes. Peter must surely not have forgotten the lesson, and become stronger for it. Of course it all depends on whether he received Paul’s rebuke or not. We have a clue to his attitude in his second letter which we have preserved for us in the Bible. He obviously held Paul in high esteem because he wrote this:

“Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures to their own destruction.” 2 Peter 2:15, 16.

Acknowledgement

Scripture taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.