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  Nov 28 2023
Views: 40

Giving Tuesday


Subject: Join us in funding the mission of Biblestudycompany.com this Giving Tuesday

Dear Everyone,

In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, we hope this email finds you well.

Today is Giving Tuesday, and we invite you to join us in funding the mission of Biblestudycompany.com. As you may know, Biblestudycompany.com is an online Bible study site with a social media community. Our mission is to study Scripture to live a praiseworthy life, and our vision is to have a "Company" of believers studying Scripture to live a praiseworthy life. We hope pew-sitters move to disciple and then to disciple teachers, bearing fruit for Christ.

Please consider donating: https://biblestudycompany.com/#

We have many projects in the pipeline to increase the tools available to our users. However, we need your help to achieve our goals. Here are some of our needs:

1. Prayer for increased funding for Biblestudycompany.com and growth in people wanting to study Scripture.
2. Keeping Biblestudycompany.com free to use. If you consider funding a small amount each month, it alleviates the cost of running the website.
3. Several tool enhancements require funding:
   a. Updating the databases for the Bibles.
   b. Creating a note-gathering format so that Bible teachers using Biblestudycompany.com have a format for presentations that will help pastors in sermon preparation.
   c.. In the long term, we hope the Lord will allow us to have a teaching center that will allow classes to learn the proper Bible study methods.
   d. Development of online courses.

We hope you will consider donating to this valuable goal of training people how to study the Bible correctly. Our list of needs is short-term, mid-term, and long-term, and even small recurring donations are a big help.

We are a 501c3 nonprofit, and therefore, you are tax-exempt. We want to wish you well during this Thanksgiving and Holiday Season. We hope all will consider sharing the Gospel of Christ, as it is hard for people during these times. If you have prayer needs, please let us know.

Thank you for your consideration and support.

Blessings,

Ric and Mary Joyner rj@biblestudycompany.com
Dylan and Houston Browning. db@biblestudycompany.com

Please consider donating: https://biblestudycompany.com/#

Subscribe to our YouTube channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_3pnTpA_cgzJ1eO6JIQdDA

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giving tuesday Posted by Ric Joyner
  Sep 13 2023
Views: 608

Do we have the same authority as the apostles?

#Jesuschrist #Jesus #Bible #biblestudy

In this episode, Bible Study Company will discuss if we have the same authority as the Apostles. Are spiritual gifts still available for believers today, and can we operate in the power of the Holy Spirit? Join us for a valuable discussion on the spiritual gifts of the believer.

MP3 DOWNLOAD ONLY

#biblestudy #jesus #healing #pentecostal #holyspirit #charismatic #faith #speakingintongues #baptismoftheholyspirit #falseprophets #falseteachers #jesusheals

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podcast Posted by Ric and Mary Joyner
  Sep 05 2023
Views: 451

Charismatic Theology and the Holy Spirit

#biblestudy #jesus #holyspirit #baptismoftheholyspirit #speakingintongues #pentecostal #charismatic #bible #bibleverseoftheday #bibleverse #jesus #biblestudy #jesuschrist

You will be confronted with the Baptism of the Holy Spirit by someone. Watch two former Charismatics wrestle with the "preset doctrines" of Charismatic and Pentecostal theology. But what does the Bible say? That is all we care about.

You could be taught to speak in tongues as evidence of the Holy Spirit for you to be saved. Did you catch that? Taught how to speak in tongues. Wasn't that gift a supernatural sign gift? Are there private prayer languages that some people have and others do not? And if so, what was the answer to your prayer if you do not know what you are praying? "Well, Ric, what about 1 Cor 14:2 says that people speak mysteries? There is another interpretation.

BTW, please do not dismiss us as anti-Holy Spirit because we disagree with what you were taught. Many of the promises of charismatic theology of hearing from God and using our gifts and hope for revival have all happened outside of the Charismatic theology. Join us.

Here are some of our other videos: https://youtu.be/tgdMgoLyS4E   https://youtu.be/jQCG2HJu9-8

To donate to help make more videos: https://biblestudycompany.com/#

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charismatic Posted by Admin 2
  Aug 10 2023
Views: 715

Why Speaking In Tongues Is A Charismatic Pentecostal Practice

#biblestudy #bible #charismatic #pentecostal #loveisreal #loveisrael #speakingintongues #baptismoftheholyspirit #baptism #holyspirit

Ric Joyner of Bible Study Company discusses topics on whether speaking in tongues is scriptural and should be in our life? Is it prayer if we have no idea what we are praying? What is the answer to this prayer? Can the enemy deceive millions of people? Can the enemy deceive Adam and Eve who were sinless? Yes. Listen as Ric explains an overview of Pentecostal and Charismatic influence on God's people and how it can set you on the wrong path biblically. 00:00 Introduction 01:36 Starting down the road of performance based Christianity 02:25 How I learned to speak in tongues 04:05 Getting both sides of the story to avoid deception 05:50 How to learn to speak in tongues 12:20 Apostles today? 13:15 Is the Bible our foundation? 15:10 Owning charismatic experience 21:26 AntiChrist and Signs and Wonders

Help our channel by subscribing and sharing. Donate to help fund more videos. https://www.biblestudycompany.com/#  

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charismatic Posted by ric joyner
  Dec 01 2022
Views: 259

Erv Puckett's Funeral Notice

#ervpuckett #funeralservice #jesus #jesussaves #jesuschrist #jesuslovesyou

Hi Everyone,

May the peace of the Lord rest with you all. Erv Puckett's funeral notice is posted here. You may watch it online. If you have not heard Erv's wonderful testimony, it is here. https://youtu.be/LkqL4FZLP8E

The Lord stepped into Erv's life, and Erv stepped into our lives as well, and we want to celebrate his going home to be with the Lord. We want him with us, and that is our sadness. We celebrate what he has meant to us all at the funeral. Come join us! Please share.

Click the picture to watch the funeral on Saturday the 10th 11:00 am, of December. Or here is the link https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL4Cz4kjxtia_suKjtUdtxh8_SuhVej6IA

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Erv Puckett Posted by Ric and Mary Joyner
  Oct 04 2022
Views: 1,478

Trinity

#loveisrael #baruch #baruchkorman #trinity #jw #jw.org #jehovahswitnesses #bible #biblestudy #jesus #jesuschrist #biblestudycompany

Do we see the Trinity in the Old Testament? Let's find out with Dr. Baruch Korman of loveisrael.org

This is a video short and podcast:

MP3 AUDIO DOWNLOAD 

WEB AUDIO 

To watch the full video: 

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trinity Posted by Admin1 Joyner
  Jul 29 2022
Views: 289

Calvary University interviews Ric Joyner about biblestudycompany.com

#Jesus #jesuschrist #bible #bibleverse #bibliophile #calvaryuni

Folks, 

Some of you may know or not that I am going to seminary for my Masters's in Biblical Theology at Calvary University (calvary.edu) with Mary's blessing. I think I am 3/4 of the way through. It is hard work. That is why Bible Study Company posts and podcasts are lower. "Why, Ric, are you going to seminary?". "And shouldn't we just study the Bible any way we want?" Calvary University asked me to do a YouTube interview about why I am going to Calvary. It was an honor, and I hope you enjoyed the video. This video should answer, Who, What, When, How? Let me know your thoughts. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_qJpgLQYxA

 

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bible Jesus Jesus Christ Posted by Ric and Mary Joyner
  Dec 24 2021
Views: 757

Christmas: Celebrating the Birth of Our Savior

Christmas: Celebrating the Birth of Our Savior, or is Christmas Pagan?

By Biblestudycompany.com Ric Joyner

We will state upfront that Christmas is not a biblical holiday. But it is not unbiblical to celebrate the birth of Christ. We should also not equalize Christmas with the advent of our Savior. The Old Testament prophesized over the birth of the Savior to come. The current secular traditions of Santa, with almost God-like qualities and manipulating kids to "further fantasize" a jolly old man who can give all children on earth toys and an "elf on the shelf" that watches how they behave, is unbiblical. Still, some feel it is acceptable to create a myth around Santa Clause while children are young. We disagree. Our view is that it is always best to be honest with children about Santa. Giving presents at this time of the year is not wrong because the Magi gave Christ's family gifts in worship to the young boy Messiah which helped the family with expenses to flee to Egypt. Consumerism and greed are wrong and an issue of sin, but only the Holy Spirit can lead you to that truth and He knows your heart. 

Frustration mounts as we approach this time of year in the Christmas season. Screams of "Christmas is pagan" escalate into a crescendo with arguments against Christmas on social media and by some bible teachers. Could this be a veiled attack on the Gospel in the name of "we don't want to be idolators"?

Let's take a look. Will you please reread these scriptures prayerfully as we begin our biblical study?

Matthew Chapters 1-2 highlights

  • Jesus Christ's genealogy to be the King of Israel
  • Angel's perspective on why Joseph should marry Mary.
  • Many prophecies were fulfilled. The time for Messiah is here.
  • Why did God's Son come? "To save the people from their sins." Paul defined the Gospel in 1 Cor 15:1-4. The Pharisees interpreted scripture that the Messiah would come and rescue Israel from Rome. The real problem was Adam's sin, which infected us, and God planned to fix sin and death. God dealt with the eternal consequences for both Jews and Gentiles. We don't want to miss this distinction.  
  • His name announced is "God with us." How interesting! Because in Judaism at this time (second temple), a man could rise to become the Messiah (the Lord's anointed) but not be "God with us" in the form of a man. Simeon's prophecy in Luke 2:25-35 expresses the Gospel to us, and the Gospel begins here at the birth of Christ.

"30 For my eyes have seen Your salvation, 31 Which You have prepared in the presence of all peoples, 32 A LIGHT OF REVELATION TO THE GENTILES, And the glory of Your people Israel."

Luke Chapters 1 and 2. Pay attention to what the angels say a couple of times: "good news," translated as the same word… Gospel. The birth of Christ is good news for Jews because their long-awaited Messiah was finally here, and the prophecy was fulfilled. We write this paper 2,000 years later for gentiles, grateful that the apostles preached the Gospel to us: Good news: Christ came as a child to break the back of sin and death and allowed us gentiles an eternal "home" and become children of God! Gentiles are not part of the nation of Israel, but we are part of God's family! (Eph Chap 1-4)

We celebrate the birth of Christ because of the Gospel!

Read John 1 for a view from heaven of why Christ came.

9 There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 11  He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, 13  who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the intention of man, but of God. 14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us. We saw His glory as the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 John testified about Him and cried out, saying, "This was He of whom I said, 'He who comes after me has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.'" 16 For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace. 17 For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ. 18  No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him.

Is Christmas pagan?

If it is, then are you a pagan for celebrating the day of Christ's birth? The historical proof that Christmas is pagan is thrown at you with overwhelming emotional authoritarianism. Is emotionalism based on biblical truth? How about historical facts? We know the origin of Christmas (birth of Christ) is biblical. The story of our Savior starts with His birth because the prophets mentioned He was coming. We suspect the anti-Christmas vehemence is agenda-driven. We ask this question because born-again believing Christians are not worshipping pagan deities by participating in the birth of Christ called Christmas today. I spoke to a Torah Keeping brother who said, "Yes, Christmas is pagan." I asked how that could be, and he shared, "when you put a present under the tree, you are 'bowing' down to the tree." I was stunned. The logic he displayed defied logic. Yeah, no. Worshipping a pagan deity requires one to engage the diety knowingly.

In our research, there were pagan celebrations that started around the time of 274 AD, but they appear to be in response to Christians in Rome celebrating the birth of Christ! We then ask what came first, the "chicken or the egg?"

"However, it has also been argued that, on the contrary, Emperor Aurelian, who in 274 instituted the holiday of the Dies Natalis Solis Invicti, did so partly as an attempt to give a pagan significance to a date already important for Christians in Rome.[76]

Is the nearness of a pagan holiday make Christmas pagan? When I sift through the concerns of 'Christmas is pagan,' people, did you know there was a pagan holiday at this time? We will deal with this later, but does that make celebrating the birth of Christ pagan today? Let's ask another question: Is Hanukkah pagan? The answer is no. Yet, Hanukkah is square in the middle of this pagan holiday called Saturnalia. The true church pushed hard against these wicked holidays, and to assume born-again believers were participating in pagan festivals doesn't make much sense since Christians had to live outside of society for several hundred years because of severe persecution.

Calling Christmas pagan because of the nearness of the same period of a pagan holiday would be the same as calling Easter (the resurrection of Christ) and Passover pagan. The proximity does not work because a pagan spring festival may happen around the same time.

We can confidently say that born-again believers would not have observed a pagan holiday and dishonored our Lord Jesus Christ, who rescued us from sin and death. Born-again believers do not participate in pagan rituals today, and Christmas is about the birth of Christ.

When was the birth of Christ?

  • According to Luke, the shepherds were in the fields with their sheep, which some scholars say can happen twice yearly. Here are some clues.
    • No crops would be in the fields because sheep can devastate crops: Winter is likely due to cold and rain and is free of crops but can be miserable. According to Luke, the shepherds were staying in the fields. However, shepherds could still be in the areas during winter with good tents. I will link a video below of William Federer's excellent research, which I found just after writing this piece, which shows the shepherds were out most of the year because the shepherds were raising sheep for the temple sacrifices. 
    • Another time the shepherds may be in the fields is early summer after the wheat harvest, which is late April to  June.
    • The Roman Caesar may not call for a worldwide census in the winter, thus making travel difficult.  
    • Dr. Baruch Korman of loveisrael.org indicates a definite break between verses in the Greek language in Luke 1:26. That "in the sixth month" of the Jewish year, the angel Gabriel visited Mary. He has a video and believes the time of the Lord's birth is at the beginning of the summer. Baruch's view is that the sixth month of the Jewish year. He says that the 6th month is Elul and that Jesus was born in the month of Sivan. Here is his video. Judaism has two "firsts of the year" with different focuses; thus, there are two sixth months, Adar and Elul.
    • Our research from Jewish sites shows that the sixth month of the Jewish calendar is Adar, which corresponds to February and March of our calendar. This may be why early Christians thought December to early January was the date of birth of our Lord. 
    • However, the plain reading of scripture in Luke 1:26 and beyond is the text's focus on the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy. The contextual reading is focused on Mary's pregnancy also. The conclusion may be why scholars say "we don't know" the date of birth of Christ. Dr. Daniel Goepfrich of Theology is for Everyone confirmed my study on this matter. And this makes sense since the whole concept is not about a date but about a Who! 
    • Before 400 AD and after, many early Christians viewed March 25 as Christ's conception date (in the month of Adar); thus, nine months later was December 25. Is December 25 the actual date? Not sure, but are we focused on dates or the birth of Christ? Some anti-Christmas people concentrate on the dates because pagan holidays appeared around those dates in December. Thus, they need to link the celebration of Christmas with pagan holidays to bolster their claims that Christmas is pagan and call you a pagan for celebrating Christmas.
  • Are "near" dates of pagan holidays worshiping the return of the sun synonymous with the birth of Christ? No. Why? Because we are not pagans and we are not celebrating pagan deities, we are celebrating the birth of Christ, and neither were the early Christians.

Conclusion. We will focus on the birth of Christ currently and not conflate the past to today. 

"Certainly today, the mix of consumerism (AKA Santa Claus) can take people's eyes off Christ, but our job is to bring them back to the salvation message of the Gospel. Will you join us?"

 

Christmas is a Roman Catholic tradition and is celebrated around the pagan holiday of Saturnalia; thus, Christmas is pagan.

Note: In our extensive research, we stumbled upon a Wikipedia article. We usually would bypass Wikipedia as higher education frowns on the use of Wikipedia; however, this article has stood the test of time (2001) and is updated continually, even in 2021. Once you dive into the article, you will see the extent and expanse of the research on Christmas. Those who are "anti-Christmas" will find information to support their premises. 

"Got you, Biblestudycompany…see, Christmas is pagan". Well, no, and not so fast. This Wikipedia article is excellent on Christmas and is thorough for a balanced perspective.

Here are some highlights:

  1. What does the name Christmas mean? For example, we celebrate the birth of Christ, and that is our focus. However, some insist on focusing on Christmas as a Roman Catholic tradition. From this article is the definition of the origins of the name Christmas:

"Christmas" is a shortened form of "Christ's mass." The word was recorded as Crīstesmæsse in 1038 and Cristes-messe in 1131.[22] Crīst (genitive Crīstes) is from Greek Khrīstos (Χριστός), a translation of Hebrew Māšîaḥ (מָשִׁיחַ), "Messiah," meaning "anointed";[23][24] and mæsse is from Latin missa, the celebration of the Eucharist.[25]”

  1. Christians celebrated the birth of Christ long before the Roman Catholic Church formally began. The first few hundred years after Christ, the Christians did not celebrate birthdays of any kind, and thus, the logic goes, would not have celebrated Christ's birth. The first record is from Saint Augustine.

"December 25 was the winter solstice date in the Roman calendar.[16][53] A late fourth-century sermon by Saint Augustine explains why this was a fitting day to celebrate Christ's nativity: "Hence it is that He was born on the day which is the shortest in our earthly reckoning and from which subsequent days begin to increase in length. He, therefore, who bent low and lifted us chose the shortest day, yet the one whence light begins to increase." [54]

We conclude by the historical facts that the Roman Catholic Church was not in existence at the beginning of Christian recognition of the birth of Christ.

  1. When was the Roman Catholic Church founded? Why do we ask? One argument against Christmas is that Christmas is Roman Catholic, and our research shows this is incorrect. Several sources agree with this website.

"The Roman Emperor Constantine established himself as the head of the church around 313 A.D., which made this new "Christianity" the Roman Empire's official religion. The first actual Pope in Rome was probably Leo I (440-461 A.D.), although some claim that Gregory I was the first (Pope) (590-604 A.D.). This ungodly system eventually ushered in the darkest period known to man, called the "Dark Ages" (500-1500 A.D.). Through popes, bishops, and priests, Satan ruled Europe, and Biblical Christianity became illegal."

Conclusion: Catholicism was not the leading purveyor of Christmas traditions.

  1. A thorough reading of the Wikipedia article, which is well-sourced, shows many conflicting beginnings for Christmas celebrations. A prominent theme in the report is the worldwide trajectory of celebrations of Christmas. Today, the traditions hobbled and wobbled through history and today are celebrated in their current form. We marvel at the sticking power of the Gospel contained in the birth of Christ to a predominantly gentile world. Is this God ordained for the opportunity to share the Gospel with the church? We think so. Or are some who focus on getting people not to celebrate the birth of Christ missing an opportunity for the Gospel? Yes.
  2. Atheist countries tried to "stomp" out Christmas. The current attacks by believers on Christmas as pagans remind us of atheist countries. We wonder about the agenda of those who attack the Christmas celebration, and we think there is an anti-church and anti-Gospel sentiment buried within.
  3. What about the "Christmas tree is pagan"? No. Some will point to Jeremiah 10 as proof that Christmas trees as pagan. However, a contextual reading of scripture shows this is false, and one must "read into" the scripture that the Christmas tree is pagan. Besides, the Christmas tree is relatively recent in its current form. We are serious about interpreting scripture correctly instead of twisting scripture.
  4. Are we celebrating a pagan holiday today? No. Regardless of historical narratives by anti-Christmas, anti-birth of Christ people, they are not presenting the history correctly. The nearness of the celebration of the birth of Christ to ancient pagan holidays has no bearing on our celebration today.
  5. What about the mistletoe, yule log, etc. didn't the pagans use them? But what about today? Are they used to worshiping deities? No. Valentine's day was a horrible pagan festival, and the Christians turned it into a worldwide romance day. Believe me; if I find a mistletoe and my wife is under it, she will get kissed!
  6. Could the celebration of Christmas give us the one-month opportunity each year to share the Good News of Jesus Christ and what He has done for all of humanity? Is the entire world's focus on Christ at this time of the year a gift from God for the Gospel? We think so. Indeed, today, the mix of consumerism (AKA Santa Claus) can take people's eyes off Christ, but our job is to bring them back to the salvation message of the Gospel. Will you join us?
  7. William Federer's video has an excellent history of Christmas traditions from ancient times to today.
  8. Celebrating birthdays is pagan. No. Many ancient cultures did not celebrate birthdays, but many did. And no, celebrating birthdays is not pagan. We are honoring a person. Where are the deities?

Christmas is not a biblical holiday.

"And therefore, we should not celebrate the birth of Christ." To that, we would say, "tell that to the angels engaging the shepherds because heaven celebrated the birth of God's Son!" Luke 2:2-14

"And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were frightened. 10 But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; 11 for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 "This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." 13 And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 14 "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased."

Note: the words Good News are translated from Greek

Original word: εὐαγγελίζω
Transliteration: euaggelizó
Definition (short): preach
Description (complete): to announce good news

Yep, evangelize during Christmas. There are hurting hearts at this time of the year, and many blindly celebrate a holiday not connected to Christ's birth. Let us help people relate it to Christ, our Savior.

If not Christmas, what should we celebrate instead? Some would say we should celebrate Hanukkah to return to our Jewish roots. Hanukkah was not part of the Gospel, and the birth of Christ IS part of the Gospel.

We encourage everyone everywhere to ask God whether one should participate in the celebration of the birth of Christ. We say YES! We can confidently push back on anti-Christmas and anti-birth of Christ people with correct historical and biblical facts.

Worldwide focus on Christ

During this time of the year, people are open to the Gospel for nearly one month. Do we let this opportunity slide through our fingers? In Matthew 28, our commission is to go and make disciples. To make a disciple, we must present the Gospel first. Will we waste our time arguing over the birth of Christ, whether it is pagan or not? To this, we say that people saying Christmas or the celebration of the birth of Christ is pagan are avoiding the Gospel! Why? Who in the spiritual realm attacks the Gospel and wants it destroyed? Satan. Think about this tidbit. Imagine a worldwide focus on Christmas, even in Buddhist countries. Why not present the Gospel at this time of the year? As Paul said, his focus was on getting people reconciled to God. (2Cor 5:18-21)

 God promised by the first prophecy in Genesis 3:15 that a Savior would come:

"15 And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel."

The Accuser is bound and determined to use people, even with good intentions, to stop the message of the Gospel of Salvation. We use the word accusation intentionally because people who celebrate traditional Christmas are called pagans. A severe charge but, fortunately, untrue.

God is a God of prophecy. He wants us to know what is coming. He answered His word and has "healing in His wings" to "reconcile us to God." There are no other holy books that contain prophetic words fulfilled!

Let's celebrate the Birth of Christ and spread the Gospel this season!

Every Christmas season is a literal miracle that this holiday (holy day) is focused worldwide on Jesus Christ, our Savior. Even the Wikipedia article acknowledges this undeniable fact.

Let us turn aside from the poor handling of scripture and agenda-driven history "facts" and focus on the birth of Christ and sharing the Good news of His coming to rescue us from our sin, thus giving us eternal life without works and fear; in the blood of Christ!

What can you and your family do to share the love of Christ with a hurting world this Christmas season? Here is one video that touches our hearts when we watch it.

Feel free to share the resources.

Bibliography

Melton, James. "The Plain Truth about the Roman Catholic Church." biblebelievers.com. Bible Baptist Publications, 1998. https://biblebelievers.com/jmelton/Catholic.html.

Wikipedia Contributors. "Christmas." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, October 31, 2001. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas.

———. "Christmas." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, October 31, 2001. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas

 

Sources for further research

William Federer: There is a Santa Claus - History of Saint Nicholas & Christmas Holiday Traditions
by Amazon.com Learn more: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0965355748/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_QVM4MJF835RK35KMWAHR

Christmas has nothing to do with paganism: Red pen logic 

Was December 25 the date of Christ's birth? The Greek Orthodox church thinks so. 

Mike Winger on Christmas:

1. Is Christmas PAGAN? In defense of Christmas

2. Debunking Christmas Myths

3. Stop Twisting Jeremiah 10 Because It's Not About Christmas Trees

4. Alisa Childers on Christmas

5. For the extensive history of Christmas with the discussion of the dates for the birth of Christ, God Became Incarnate James Quiggle by Amazon.com
Learn more: https://www.amazon.com/dp/149918669X/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_AR6NEZ6XB0TPZ5N1VB90

6. The star of Bethlehem is an excellent movie on the astronomical view of the star. https://youtu.be/55VRdLnkvDw

 

 

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Jesus Christmas Torah Keeping torah observant Posted by Ric and Mary Joyner
  Jul 31 2021
Views: 1,309

Video Course on how to study the Bible and other resources

Playlist  of videos that will go step by step

Article  On how to study the Bible from BSC step by step

Article by Dr. Baruch on how to study the Bible

Article on how numbers play a role in Bible Study

Blog article and podcast on how we learned to study the Bible with Dr. Baruch

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Bible Study Posted by Ric and Mary Joyner
  Apr 30 2018
Views: 1,306

Salvation: Having a relationship with God on His Terms

This prayer is a guide and biblically based. All a person needs to do is cry out to God in their own words. If you are not sure how to pray, please use this as a guide.

To have a relationship with God versus religion, pray this prayer sincerely and in your own words. 

Dear Heavenly Father, (Matt. 6:9) I want a relationship with You...not a religion. I come to You and open my heart. (John 3:16) I will be honest and sincere with You. (John 4) I am running my life and need Your help. (Matt. 6:10) I am made in Your image (Gen 1:26, 27), and I won't be happy until I am in a relationship with you. (Gen. 3) Most of my behavior does not please You. (Romans 3:23) I know I am a sinner, so please forgive my sins because of Jesus Christ, Your Son, Who came to die for my sins. (John 3:16) His death on the cross is the punishment I should receive, but You were gracious to die in my place through Christ. By faith, I place all of my past, present, and future sins on Christ. I believe Jesus Christ is my Savior, and salvation is a gift! I know I cannot earn my way to heaven by being good through good works. (Eph. 2:8) You did this so I can be in a relationship with You on earth and for all eternity. (Romans 10:9-13) And I will forgive those who have sinned or hurt me because you have forgiven me. Take away any bitterness or resentment I carry toward You or other people. (Matt. 6:13-14) Please show and teach me how to live a praiseworthy life on earth to You starting today. (Matt. 6:33, Acts 9 and 10) I ask you to be in my heart, as Paul said in Ephesians 3:17. I know that You love me, Father, and I want to love You and that you have a purpose and plan for my life. I accept You as my Lord and Savior. Lord, because You gave me breath in my lungs and Savior, because you paid my sin debt. Please teach me to pray. (Matt. 6:9) Thank You, Jesus, for saving me to Yourself (Ex. 19:1-8) and making me a new person! (2 Cor. 5:17) In the name of Jesus, I pray, Amen! 

 Learn to grow at www.biblestudycompany.com,  Grace Bible Church, and Christ Community Church. 

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Jesus Christian Disciple Jesus Christ God Yeshua Slave Bible Bible Study Bible Study Company Jacob sin salvation sinner Posted by Ric and Mary Joyner
  Aug 01 2021
Views: 481

Intro to new series: Should Christians Keep the Law?

#hebrewroots #yeshua #Messianicjudaism #keepthelaw #lawkeeping #performancebased 

Coming to a Church or Fellowship near you. "Christians must keep the law!"

Mary and I are introducing a new Podcast and Video series based on movements that seek to make "Christians keep the Mosaic law" called the: TORAH.  Is this true? Is this the right biblical understanding? We explore these options. 

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Our series will include:

A. Our introduction for what is in the series and updates about Biblestudycompany.com  

B. Next week: Dr. Daniel Goepfrich from Theology for Everyone will discuss the covenants and how the church should look at the New Testament covenant. His viewpoint is helpful to know why churches say, "The law was nailed to the cross." He debunks and clarifies for us.  

C. The week after, Dr. Baruch Korman of Loveisrael.org gives excellent balance and answers tough questions  

D. The final podcast will be Mary, and I am recapping our way forward and gives us tools from a proper biblical study process.  

So why do this series? Some in this Mosaic law-keeping movement are referred to as the: Hebrew Roots Movement (HRM). However, law-keeping is also in some legalistic churches as well, usually called performance-based to get God to "move" on their behalf, if we do the "right things in the right way".  Or we develop traditions and regulations that are not biblical but unique to our group. The problem with these views is the subtle shift away from a focus on Christ. Our eyes must be on Him as Paul said in 1 Cor 2:2 For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.

The Torah was part of a covenant with Israel after God miraculously created a nation from Egypt to keep His promise to Abraham. The Sinai covenant is detailed for the daily life the Israelites were to live in the promised land. The "promised land" can be a symbol of the Bible we have today. As Christian, we can submit our hearts and will to the Word of God to live praiseworthy to God in our daily lives. Why? Because we have the entire Bible at our disposal from Genesis to Revelation and the Holy Spirit to search out our motives where sin resides. 

We were in Charismatic groups that were focused on "doing something great for God". We were part of Messianic Judaism which focused on worship-like services of Judaism and that is where we heard of TorakhKeeping groups and people. "You must keep the sabbath, you must eat Kosher, and those that do not, are all lawbreakers and many more rules apply. How do we find our way through this morass and pressure to conform? These are our questions too. But all of this changed as we learned proper biblical study principles to please God. 

The extraordinary thing about people caught up in these movements is that we all have several things in common:

1. A love for God, and they wish to please Him and thus do not want to miss anything He has to offer, and least of all, disobey Him. Obeying the Mosaic law can set people up to a type of bondage based on someone's (a leader's) interpretation of the Bible. Keeping the Mosaic law will depend on the group and leader's interpretation of what to do.  But is our walk with God about what we "do" or is it about Him working through us?  Have we taken our eyes off of Christ and onto the Torah that is pointing to Christ? Yes. Do we learn and study from all of the Bible? Yes. Shall we keep our eyes on Christ? Yes! 

2. A misunderstanding of proper biblical study methods by taking the Bible in the Old Testament and applying it to obey today rather than the principles Scripture is trying to teach us. Suitable Bible study methods can help us sort this out. Today we are focused on learning lessons from the law (the whole Bible) to please God. Here is a course link for how to get started studying the Bible with proper methods: https://biblestudycompany.com/blog/article/207

3. Nearly everywhere in the Bible, even in the New Testament, the word "law" is interpreted as "Mosaic law," thus, a bias is created TO OBEY THE MOSAIC Law when none exists. By stating this comment many will get their "hackles up" but we ask you to watch and pray through the whole series before coming to a conclusion. Christ referred to the "Law and the Prophets." However, the Samaritans were only focused on the Torah as mentioned in John 4 which we think is interesting. And Torah Keepers are bound to keep the Torah that the Jewish people could not. Why? It was done in our effort not the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit was only given after Christ rose from the dead. We now can keep all of God's Holy Word through Him because we are in Him. Eph 1-2.

4. A disdain for current Christian churches and practices, which they assume are anti-Law and even pagan! We will sort through this as well. ​We are the body of Christ. All those who call themselves by Christ's name and are saved. We best be careful to not go against "His Body" on earth. Criticism of a local body is fine if done in love but let us be careful with the logical fallacy of "sweeping generalizations". 

5. A misunderstanding of the Grace of God as a license to sin. If one preaches the grace of God that is interpreted as approving sin. When in reality, Titus 2:11-12 shows us that the Holy Spirit will "teach" us away from ungodliness. How do we know what is ungodly? Through the Whole Counsel of God (Bible). The New Testament, written by Christ's direct representatives, the Apostles, gives us an interpretation of the Old Testament! If you are in the Grace of God, you are turning FROM sin...not TO sin BY HIS CHANGING POWER, not our performances to do the law or a program.  

6. Today, or in this particular time, after the Cross of our Lord, we are under His blood and have forgiveness of our sin. We can now give Him a gift. We can offer, at the feet of His Throne, our will and our life. He is our Creator and Savior. Read Ephesians Chapter 1, 2, 3 for some hope and change of our position from doing to being. 

7. Are you in a group like this? No worries. Remember, always follow the Holy Spirit's leading not men. Put all the teaching you hear against the Word of God. He will lead you. Psalm 23.  Feel free to ask God questions and to contact us. We will be happy to help you sort this out.  

We will explore these areas of concern that have caused many to become ensnared. None of what we write or say should offend anyone. If we do, please remember that we were caught up in some of these groups, as well. But because we wanted to study Scripture to live a praiseworthy life to God, He led us to correct Biblical study principles. Join us for this podcast. Please share!

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Hebrew Roots Yeshua TORAH Law keeping Posted by Ric and Mary Joyner
  Jun 26 2021
Views: 211

Live Bible Study with Erv Puckett. The secrets of the Voice of God?

#bible #biblestudy #cancer #cancerfree #God #Biblestudycompany #voiceofGod #Jesus #JesusChrist #illumination

Two good friends have a live podcast/video of a bible study the way Bible Study Company studies. Grab your Bible, your beverage, Biblestudycompany.com, and your friends to join us for this engaging study.  

Is the wilderness going into the desert to be with God? Are we called "out" of the world (Egypt) but still be in it? We discuss these topics and why knowing what "dabbar" means is crucial in our bible study. One of the names of God is YHVH (Jehovah) Dabbar which translates to Jehovah Speaks. And when God speaks...we need to listen. But is there a difference between a casual conversation (amar) that indicates a relationship with God and God's revelation (dabbar)? Yes, there are differences! 

Then we need to ask: "Lord, what is the difference between God's revelation and God's casual conversation with us?" Do we receive "new" revelation today? No, because we have complete Scripture called the Bible, which has Genesis to Revelations. But we do have a relationship with God, and He does speak to us and He does illuminate to us Biblical truths.  

Let's find out the differences! Join us! Please share your thoughts, and please share. 
 

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God's voice revelation illumination prophecy for today read the bible online bible verses about love bible verses about hope books of the bible will of god daily bible devotions jesus jesus christ bible study god bible false prophecy yeshua covid 19 biblestudycompany.com daily bible reading the holy bible bible verse of the day ric joyner plan of god where to get vaccine Posted by Ric Joyner
  Jun 16 2021
Views: 180

Are there any doubters in the crowd? Interview with special guest Kedar Joyner

#apologetics #Christian #doubt #skeptic #atheist #biblestudy #God #DoubtofGod #podcast

Experience doubt? "When in doubt..." they say. Let's ask God questions. God is our Creator, and we cannot see into a spiritual realm, but we can *hear*, *see*, and *experience* a relationship with Christ; doubts come with the territory. Even the disciples doubted in more instances than we typically realize.  

Our special guest is Kedar Joyner, our daughter, artist, techie, Trekkie, and User Experience Designer for the University of Wisconsin. Together we discuss growing up in a Christian home but finding her way through doubt and developing our assurance of faith in Christ through understanding sound biblical study principles.  

Is doubt accepted in the church or "frowned-upon"? Who can you go to with your doubt questions? Did you know doubt is connected to anxiety? Did you know that at the heart of doubt are questions? For those with doubt, please let us know in the comments below. We would love to walk with you!   Please comment and share. Don't forget to subscribe. 

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Here is a link to Kedar's art:
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Kedar's UW talk on Anxiety and tech

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mary joyner ric joyner kedar joyner prophecy for today read the bible online bible verses about love bible verses about hope books of the bible will of god daily bible devotions jesus jesus christ bible study god bible false prophecy yeshua covid 19 biblestudycompany.com daily bible reading the holy bible bible verse of the day plan of god where to get vaccine Posted by Ric and Mary Joyner
  May 28 2021
Views: 179

Bible Study Ephesians 1 part 2 TO BE OR TO DO that is our question

#Jesus #JesusChrist #Bible #biblia #ephesians #dependentongod #Jesuslovesyou #inchrist

To be v.s. to do.

Did we just define our struggle in our life? We start our second Bible Study of Ephesians with the biblical study principles on what Paul is communicating what we "are" in Ephesians 1. So we are to "be" in GOD's POWER v.s., not to "do" IN OUR POWER and strength. But this is where we live, in our heads, emotions, and our will. How can we change to "be" in His will? Easy to say, hard to accomplish. But not complicated in His power. Let's see.
 
Our podcast and video are the practical applications of our DEPENDENCE ON GOD, not on our strength. Did you know Adam and Eve were to have God's help daily to carry out God's will while they were in the Garden? Yes, our lives were never meant to be lived without God's help. Paul explains we are IN Christ now. Yet, our struggle continues. 

Adam and Eve decided to do their own will, and this rebellion caused them separation from their CREATOR. Christ came as a sinless man, and also God Almighty, the same One in the Garden, Who was to help Adam and Eve carry out God's will. Through the blood of Christ, even though we are in our sinful flesh, we have the Holy Spirit given to us to help us carry out His will, with "every spiritual blessing," which is HIM!   

We can get excited about this and worship our Creator. He wants us to be dependent on Him. How do we practice this principle? By having our hearts submitted to His Word and be in personal fellowship with Christ and realize we are to "be" in Christ. Join us for this revealing podcast!  

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prophecy for today read the bible online bible verses about love bible verses about hope books of the bible will of god daily bible devotions jesus jesus christ bible study god bible false prophecy yeshua covid 19 biblestudycompany.com daily bible reading the holy bible bible verse of the day ric joyner plan of god Posted by Ric and Mary Joyner
  May 21 2021 (edited)
Views: 167

Ephesians 1 Part 1 Do you come pre-loaded with software?

#Jesus #Bible #Biblestudy #Ephesians #Israel #rockets

Episode Summary
Ric and Mary Joyner discuss our "pre-loads" of beliefs and ideas, which cause us hindrance in our biblical study. How do we clear out these programmed biases? Our podcast will discuss exactly how we can change our mindsets by beginning our study in Ephesians. 

Ephesians Bible Study with Bible Study Company

Computers come with what we in IT call "bloatware." This pre-loaded software, although meant to be helpful, is biased toward the computer maker. However, this pre-load can seriously slow down the performance of a computer.  Ric goes through each computer we buy and unchecks the software to prevent it from starting up and causing the computer to slow down. It uses computer resources we need, such as memory, to perform daily tasks. It has to go. 

We are similar to a computer. We can come with preloaded software (ideas and beliefs) that include; bias towards how we grew up. For example, Mary was Catholic and had a bias caused by being in the Catholic church. We discuss the particular quirks of growing up in different mindsets. We can say we are almost pre-programmed toward a certain group, denomination, or religion. For example, in charismatic circles, there are all sorts of denominational beliefs and doctrines (pre-loaded software beliefs) that never get sorted out? These "pre-loaded biases" can split churches. 

We explore how we can be willing to "clear the deck" and build a new foundation based on proper biblical study patterns. Then we can eventually add back in the beliefs we hold in a  particular denomination or doctrines or toss them out for a foundation based on biblical principles.  Are you willing to toss out cherished beliefs if they don't match up to Scripture? The disciples were faced with this pre-loaded teaching as well. Christ changed it all.  He even said, "don't build your house on the sand, which is man's opinion, but the Rock is Christ. 

Ric and Mary Joyner discuss our "pre-loads" and the type of hindrance they can become. How do we clear out these programmed biases? Our podcast will discuss exactly how we can change our mindsets by beginning our study in Ephesians. 

Remember to share with a friend. This helps us grow and get the word out.

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prophecy for today read the bible online bible verses about love bible verses about hope books of the bible will of god daily bible devotions jesus jesus christ bible study god bible false prophecy yeshua covid 19 biblestudycompany.com daily bible reading the holy bible bible verse of the day ric joyner plan of god where to get vaccine Posted by Ric and Mary Joyner
  May 14 2021
Views: 204

What is YOUR Exodus Part 3 How do you "exit" this world while still living in it?

 #Jesus #JesusChrist #Bible #biblestudy #Godlovesyou #Godislove #exodus #podcast #israel #hamas #rockets

Mary and I reviewed this podcast to take notes, and it is the first one we watched through to the entire end. You may say: "Ric, so what, you did the podcast." Fair comment, but strangely we learned from our *own* podcast!    

These principles are what we learned from studying Exodus. Exodus is a picture of our Christian walk, according to Dr. Baruch Korman of loveisrael.org.   

If so, what truths did we learn?  
1. We learned about His Character.  
2. We learned His purposes for us and his wonderful intentions. 
3. We learned we could depend and lean on Him. 
4. That we should not be grumblers in our tents (homes) 
5. That tents represent an eternal perspective vs. "being invested" in the world 
6. God will meet our needs. 
7. Suffering is part of the package because we are in a dying world.
8. Fear is a waste when the God Who parted the Red Sea has our back.  

These truths are what Mary and I rewatched and were amazed at what God revealed to us as we looked back. And we all desperately need God's revelation!   

We are taking God's word seriously, and it shows by what He shared with us. We became more and more hungry for these truths and principles, and based on proverbs 1; we can see that God wants to speak to us...if we're going to listen.  

Please take time to share in the comments what your Exodus is? And give us a "like".  Will you join us? Will you please share? Please subscribe.   

Biblestudycompany.com is a free bible study tool 

Here is our podcast library: https://biblestudycompany.simplecast.com/  

Here are our study notes: https://bit.ly/3broQo5
 

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Bible Study Jesus Jesus Christ Exodus Israel Rockets Hamas BIble Posted by Ric and Mary Joyner
  May 07 2021
Views: 167

The Chickens are coming! Big News for Joyner's and Biblestudycompany.com 

#biblestudycompany #JesusChrist #biblestudy #wherearetheyjoyners #becomingadisciple #ricjoyner #loveisrael #baruchkorman #Ocalafl #ocala #Ocalaflorida

News about where Ric and Mary are now living. What Biblestudycompany is up to and how you can help. 


We are experiencing growth in our youtube channel and podcasting. We hope you will consider sharing and subscribing and recommending to your friends. 

We are working on creating short videos on many topics of interest to our walk with Christ. If you have ideas of what topics you would like to have us research pls let us know. 

We also want to produce a course for people on "the proper methods to study the Bible for yourself without all the fluff". If your church or fellowship would like us to come and share on how we study to be pleasing to God and what we learned from Loveisrael.org let us know. 

Join us for our podcasts and videos!

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  Apr 18 2021
Views: 163

What is your Exodus? Part 2 Bible Study That Matters!

The Amalekites are coming! We need a new foundation!  Mary and Ric continue the podcast/video on what it was like to start to study the Bible together. We all need an Exodus from the world system (Egypt) and Church doctrines we learned and absorbed. But what if these are what "men" have taught us? We need an Exodus in our hearts that includes wanting the will of God in our lives. Christ, Whom we are to follow based on His command to us, IS the Word of God. (John 1).   

When the Amalekites attacked the Israelites, we learned a valuable lesson: Satan uses people. And he can use us if we are not careful. Our reactions to people matter. Anytime anger is involved or if people treat you poorly, make sure you worship the Lord rather than reacting.  

Ric and Mary discuss how they could obtain a new foundation in Christ by setting aside what they had previously learned and allowed the Lord to lay a new foundation as they studied the Word with a fresh perspective. 

If we ask Him in our study to show us His will, He delights in our new attitude, and based on Proverbs 1; we can be sure of this promise that; The God of the Universe will give us revelation. If we are seeking knowledge, then we must ask ourselves: Is it for Him or us? Our mission is to study the Bible to find out how to please the Lord and perpetually ask Him how we can respond to His Word correctly. 

Join us for this authentic and candid podcast of our learning to study the Bible. 

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Jesus Christ free online bible study Podcast Bible study Posted by Ric and Mary Joyner
  Apr 17 2021
Views: 129

You will find all of our podcasts in order. Latest to the oldest here at this link.

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podcast Posted by Ric and Mary Joyner
  Apr 17 2021
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