Pictures of the Boys from Fall 2013 to Spring 2014

Every boy's gotta make his own volcano...

And yes, we put fireworks in it and blew it up.

This little guy's gonna stick around.

Takin a bath for Jonny is like water off a duck's back.

Morning person vs. not a morning person. Can you relate?

Our very own little web slinger.

We've got a real Spidey fan here.

"Everyone stand back! I've got a real toy sword and I'm not afraid to swing it around."

"Mom, I'm ready to go play."

We had a great snow this past winter!

The only way to make sure Jonathan keeps up.

Moms. So good at bundling up their kiddos.

James and the Giant Snowman.

Dude. We had a blast!!!

Hiking in the Spring.

Bible Interpretation- The Flow of Thought

To understand the Bible correctly we must realize that the “meaning” of a passage flows from the larger groups to the smaller groups, from the larger context to the smaller specifics. And so, if you’re reading a Bible verse and a certain word doesn't make sense then you need to understand that word in light of the verse and the surrounding verses. And if a certain verse doesn't seem to make sense then you need to read the whole paragraph and context of the passage. If you read the entire context of a passage you are likely to discover the “flow of thought” being developed by the author. By understanding the flow of thought you should be able to figure out what certain verses and words mean.

The “flow of thought” has priority over the fine details. If your understanding of the details does not support the whole flow of thought of a particular passage then you are misunderstanding the meaning and the reason for the specific details. The details of a passage are there to point to the flow of thought not take away from it. The details color the main point, they don't change it.

Through carefully reading a passage and outlining the "flow of thought" you will find that all kinds of problems or difficulties begin to disappear. You must correctly understand the whole context if you are to correctly understand a verse, word or thought.

And remember, just because someone can quote the Bible correctly does not mean they are going to interpret or apply it correctly. The devil quoted the Bible to Jesus perfectly in Luke chapter 4. But he misinterpreted and misapplied the very passages he quoted. And if we're not careful, we too can be deceived or deceive others by taking a cavalier approach to interpreting the Bible.

So, the next time you read your Bible and you get confused about a certain word or verse or passage, just take a moment to read and consider the entire context and the "flow of thought" being developed by the author in a book, chapter or paragraph. Always interpret the verse or word in light of the larger context. And never interpret or reinterpret the larger context and flow of thought within a passage by a single verse or word.  We should be careful to allow the Bible to explain itself to us. And it will if we pay attention to the flow of thought.

May God continue to bless your understanding of Him, yourself and others as you faithfully study His word!

"The entrance of Your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple." Psalm 119:130


Below are some links to a few other related blogs I've written:

Developing a Better Biblical Interpretation

Do you take the Bible literally?

F.A.C.E.S.M.A.P. "Evidence the Bible is Trustworthy"

The Dishonest Skeptic

The Gospel

Developing better Biblical Interpretation

No one starts out a skilled and mature interpreter of the Bible just like no one starts out a great driver, or cook or skilled craftsman. Skill is developed over time and practice. Even so, a person grows in being better at interpreting the Bible. If they mature, they'll approach interpreting the Bible more contextually and seriously. They will be less likely to throw verses around flippantly or apply a personal or private interpretation to the text or passage.

Those who correctly interpret the Bible have given more thought and time and study to the Scriptures than those who don't interpret the Bible correctly. Just like any skill can be taught, correct Bible interpretation is also a skill that can be taught to others to help them mature in this area faster.

In the Book of Acts, chapter 17:11 it says that the Thessalonians were considered "more noble or fair-minded" than others because they took the time to really study the Scriptures and test the things that they were hearing by the Word of God. The implication here is that there are also those who are "less noble" and "less fair-minded" because they do not take the Bible seriously.

Just as people can be trained to interpret the Bible honestly and contextually, people can also be trained to misinterpret the Bible and handle God's Word loosely. We've all worked with people who "cut corners" or do a sloppy job, and we've seen the damage that can be done. Whether its with the explosion of the space shuttle Challenger in 1986 or the 2010 BP oil spill, great damage can be caused when corners are cut. It is no different with interpreting the Bible. You can interpret it correctly and help people or interpret it incorrectly and cause great harm. The choice is yours, but remember we will all give an account to God for how we read, interpret and apply God's word. It is so important that we not just repeat what someone tells us just because it sounds good, but because we've tested it to be true according to sound Biblical interpretation and not the passing religious fads of the day.

And so when it comes to learning the Bible it is so important to sit under good Bible teaching because not only does it feed you a healthy meal of truth as opposed to spiritual junk food, hearing good Bible teaching also teaches you how to interpret the Bible correctly and prepare a healthy meal for yourself and others.

I must conclude in saying that honest, mature biblical interpretation never discounts the role of the Holy Spirit in illuminating, clarifying and even correctly applying God's Word.

Ultimately the power behind the teaching, hearing and applying of God's Word rests in God Himself. Nevertheless those who know us and hear us ought to be able to observe a maturing in how we interpret and apply the Word of God as any craftsman ought to progress in their skills.

May God help us to be humble enough to change our perspective should we receive greater light regarding sound Biblical interpretation. May we always be teachable and willing to hear and understand views other than our own. May we be discerning enough to know when we must remain resolved and unwavering having discovered through much study the very best interpretation of any passage or topic in the Bible. And finally, may we be gracious towards those who have come to different conclusions than our own.

"Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." -2 Timothy 2:15


Some other related blogs I've written that may be of interest:
Do you take the Bible literally?

F.A.C.E.S.M.A.P. "Evidence the Bible is Trustworthy"

Bibliolatry and Dogma

G.P.S. "God's Positioning System"

The Dishonest Skeptic

The Gospel

A Scandalous Christmas and its CHRIST

Who would have even thought that a story like this would ever get off the ground? But it did. And some people actually believe it.

Once upon a time, 2000 years ago, the invisible, eternal, Creator God entered into time and space and became a fetus inside of an unmarried poor Jewish peasant girl named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a blue collared carpenter named Joseph. Mary claimed the child in her womb was from God and that she had not been sleeping around but was still a virgin. No doubt in that highly conservative and religious community she was instantly rejected as a dirty sinner who had gotten pregnant outside of wedlock and really deserved death or desertion. Her reputation in that community would forever be that of an adulteress and fornicator. And Joseph, who could’ve easily found another wife decided to marry this pregnant Mary and become father to a child that was not his own. His reputation likewise would forever be tarnished having taken such a disgraceful woman to be his wife and an illegitimate child to be his son. And this was just the beginning of the perfect reputation of the earthly parents of the “divine” baby Jesus, who would eventually be born in front of an audience of animals; goats, donkeys, sheep, and oxen and all the wonderful smells that accompany such a sanitized environment as his mommy goes into labor. An illegitimate birth in an illegitimate place to a couple of poor Jews. But I thought Jesus was a King! This kid is at a huge disadvantage before He’s even born! Right? Shouldn't He be born in a palace, in a popular town somewhere, to some wealthy noble couple of great religious and political reputation? And yet, here you have a couple Jewish nobodies, who claim their Son is literally from God, but they give birth to this “Special Child” in an animal cave, a barn practically, in the middle of backwoods Bethlehem. Then they run from Bethlehem because Herod the King has commanded mandatory post-birth abortions on all boys 2 years old and younger hoping to kill Jesus before He grows up and threatens his career.  Joseph and Mary raise Jesus in hated Egypt for a few years which is not kosher, and then they take him up north to grow up in a neighborhood in nowhere Nazareth where they have other sons and daughters. 

Well, Jesus grows up in silence for nearly 30 years alongside brothers and sisters who don’t believe He’s anything super-special. He works as a blue collared carpenter alongside his dad Joseph as a young adult. Sometime when He’s around 30 years old he pops up on the scene near Jerusalem, following the crazy open air preaching ministry of His cousin John the Baptist, who dresses like an animal, eats bugs and yells at people to stop sinning. Jesus then does what every parent hopes their child will do, He leaves the hammer and nails career of a carpenter to be a homeless Gospel preacher. Except this Gospel preacher actually claimed to be the Son of God and Savior of the world. Kinda bold don’t you think? 

Well, He carefully gathered an elite group of 12 followers that many actually considered to be losers; a motley-crue mix of fishermen, tax collectors, religious and political zealots, brothers, cousins; two handfuls of nobodies. And for the final 3 years of His short life He travels with these knuckle-heads, preaching in the streets, teaching in the Jewish synagogues, and on the countryside, healing sick people of diseases, casting demons out of people, and teaching His followers to love God, love people and follow Him sincerely. 

Eventually this circuit preacher became a real threat to the “establishment” of the day. He ends up angering the religious and political leaders so much that they decide to have Him executed for being a blasphemous cult leader, who claimed to be God, but they were certain He was really demon possessed, practicing sorcery and leading a heretical rebellion against the nation and the true religion of Israel. This guy was causing problems for the status quo! He wasn't politically or religiously correct as far as they were concerned. He needed to be censored, even if it meant killing Him. He offended both sides of the isle. He wouldn't fit into their box and refused to play their games. Jesus offended both the religious and the rebellious. With His words He afflicted the comfortable and comforted the afflicted. Jesus always acted as if He was in total control, even when they were killing Him. He said He came from heaven to earth to die for sins, to save from hell, to rise again. He predicted His death, who would kill Him, how He’d die, and how He’d rise again on the third day. But even His disciples who lived with him for nearly 3 years didn't understand or believe it. He wasn't fitting into their box either. What is it with this guy? Why is He so different from every person that has ever lived? He washed the feet of His disciples as a slave would wash the feet of their master. When He hung on the cross naked He prayed for those who were killing Him. And then He died…

If the story ended there we would be fools to believe it. But on the third day, early in the morning, the tomb of Jesus was empty. Did someone steal the body? Did He even really die? Maybe they went to the wrong tomb? I mean, the documents say He rose from the dead and revealed Himself first to three women. And of course we know how valued a woman’s testimony was in that culture, right? Obviously I speak sarcastically. Why would He rise from the dead and show Himself to women first in a community that didn’t even regard a woman’s testimony as valid as a man’s. This story is backwards in every area! Who would have the hero first die for the villains, the sinners, and then rise from the dead to be seen by a few women in a man’s culture?  Did a bunch of women conspire to make this thing up? But wait, then He appears to His own disciples and they don’t even recognize Him at first. And when they see Him, they think it’s a ghost, and Jesus has to ask them to touch Him. He even eats a meal with them to show them He’s not a ghost. So you mean to tell me that even the “believers” didn't believe Him at first? Who’s writing this? Someone needs to doctor this thing up so that the disciples don’t appear to be so skeptical and unbelieving. Right? I mean who’s actually going to believe this stuff if the disciples come off sounding like your average, everyday ordinary people? But that’s what it says. The documents also say that after He rose from the dead He walked the earth 40 days, revealing Himself to people, telling them to go and tell others He is risen from the dead. It says He appeared to over 500 people at one time. Jesus’ own brothers, James and Jude, who were skeptics His whole life and thought He was crazy, became believers immediately after they saw Him risen from the dead. Doubting Thomas thought the other disciples were lying to him when they told him Jesus was alive from the dead. And finally even some of His own enemies saw Him alive after He had died and became followers. These nobodies, these losers, these skeptics, critics, cynics, these doubters became believers and eventually wrote down their eye-witness accounts of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We have bound together their stories in what is now called, the Bible. And within its pages you can read the original Christmas Story, which is even more wonderfully scandalous because it’s historically true! That God became a baby to die for you!  

Christmas is about CHRIST!      Do you know Him? 

This Christmas season, as you receive all kinds of gifts from people that probably won't change your life in any major way, why don't you receive the gift of eternal life from God by putting your faith in Jesus Christ. This will change your life and eternity!

Jesus told a man, "Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of things he possesses." -Luke 12:15

Jesus also said, "What shall it profit a person to gain the whole world and lose their soul?" -Mark 8:36

Merry Christmas.



Some other blogs I've written that may be of interest:
The Gospel
The Dishonest Skeptic
Do you take the Bible literally?
F.A.C.E.S.M.A.P. "Evidence the Bible is Trustworthy"

How could a Loving God send someone to Hell?

How would you respond to those who say,
"A loving God would never send someone to hell"?

I would start with a question,
"How do you know that God is a loving God?"
A lot of people believe that God is loving but how do they know that's true?
People often assume that God is loving without really thinking about how they know that.
How do you really know that God is loving?
Creation and nature do not tell you this. You cannot learn that God is loving by looking at the planets and stars, animals or people.
So how can we really know that God is loving?
Well, to know that God is actually a loving God rather than evil or indifferent you would need special, specific revelation about Him.
You would need information about God from God or from someone who truely knows Him.

The Scriptures claim to be God's special and specific revelation to mankind. These Scriptures written by God through men and women who knew God are a special revelation that God is in fact a very loving.
The world around us does not reveal specifically that God is loving but the Word of God does.
The Bible from beginning to end reveals that God is infinitely loving and good.

We also have another special and specific revelation that assures us that God is loving.
Jesus Christ of Nazareth, was a unique Messenger from God in that He claimed to be God Himself.
You cannot ask for a better witness of the character and love of God than God Himself.
Jesus not only claimed to be God, but He also believed and taught that the Scriptures were an accurate revelation from God, the actual Word of God.

And so we know that God is a loving God though the pages of Scripture, The Bible, and through the Person of Jesus Christ, God Himself.

In light of our innitial question the Scriptures and Jesus both tell us 2 very important things about God:
1-God is loving
2-God does send people to hell.

God's love for righteousness and His hatred for evil has led Him to both save people from hell and send people to hell.

As I mentioned before, Jesus actually claimed to be the loving God revealed in the Scriptures, and believe it or not we get the mass majority of our teaching about hell from the mouth of Jesus Himself.
If you want to learn about hell just go straight to the teachings of Jesus, the God of Love, and read for yourself.
Actually, contrary to popular belief, Jesus taught more about hell than He taught about heaven.
You can read the New Testment and see for yourself.

After teaching the world about the reality of heaven and hell, Jesus Christ then gave up His own life, dying on a cross for our sins in order to save us from the very hell He warned us about.
This was the ultimate demonstration of God's love for people.
If you want to learn all about the love of God just go straight to Jesus in the Bible and read for yourself.
"But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." -Romans 5:8

Only in the Bible does the Hero die for the villains!

It is the climax of God's LOVE that saves us from the depths of God's HELL.

And so, in Jesus Christ, you actually have the God of Love in human form dying on a cross for sinners in order to save them from the hell He warned us about.
Jesus rose from the grave and offers a "get out of hell free card" to anyone that turns from sin and trust in Him for salvation.
I can't think of anything more loving that God could do.
"Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends." -John 15:13

Let's summarize:
"How could a loving God send someone to hell?
1-We only know that God is loving through the Bible and the person of Jesus.
2-The Bible and Jesus both clearly teach that God sends people to hell.
3-God became a Man in Jesus Christ and died on the cross to save sinners from hell.
4-The death of Jesus Christ is the greatest demonstration of God's love.
5-A loving God sends people to hell who reject His love and salvation offered in Jesus Christ.

"He who believes in the Son has everlasting life, and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him." -John 3:36

God's forgiveness is not automatic. Come to Jesus!

Other related blogs I've written that may be of interest:
Hell
The Dishonest Skeptic
Why did God order the killing of the Canaanites?
Do you take the Bible literally?
The Gospel

Family Pics October 2013

Well, we're overdue again in sending out 

an update and pictures of the family.

A lot has gone on this year and we hope to give 

greater details in the future. 

But in the meantime here's a few pictures.

We finally had to say good bye to Angela's trusty Acura this year.

And we got to say hello to a new (used) family minivan.

This has been a huge blessing for us!

Someone gave us the yellow Jeep, but it was broken. 

I was able to fix it so James can drive it,

 and now Jonathan can have the smaller one.

New rides for everyone!!!

Jonathan isn't old enough to drive, but he sure can ride!
James is becoming a good driver.

I guess Jonathan called "shotgun!"

We thought we needed our official "rock-band" picture.

Jonathan's the drummer, he loves them!

James learned how to drive the boat around the lake this summer.

Dudes.

James riding the rides at the carnival near the beach.

Jonathan in his man-cave.

Beach boys.

Jonathan was old enough to enjoy the beach this year.

James loves playing at the beach.

Say What!

He's growin' up quick.

No baby "Super-heros" were hurt in the taking of this picture.

Cheerio-Nose.

Pray for our Soldiers.....in the Lord's Army!

We love you guys! Thanks for all your prayer and encouragement!

The Stephens Family 2013

Pics of Kids 2013

I thought we'd post a few pictures of the kids 

for those of you would like to see.

These are from this past Winter and Spring.

James started soccer this Spring and loved it.

This is James and his good friend Aiden who also lives in our neighborhood.

Jonathan was chillin watching his big brother play soccer.

James Robot.

Hey! Raise the roof I just turned 1!

Got a slide for my birthday.

James at the zoo just hangin out.

Bath time.

Got a little snow this past winter.

First winter and snow experience.

James is good at building castles.

He's built this one all by himself.

Super Saturday church event where he could ride a horse.

The boys.