Samuel Crees and his Thoughts

  Idols and How We Live, Shows Our Inner Self, and Sin The narrative of the Israelites in the wilderness serves as a profound archetype of the human struggle with desire, discipline, and idolatry. In the biblical account, the people, having been miraculously delivered from the systemic oppression of Egypt, quickly grew weary of the manna provided by God. Their discontentment was not merely a physical reaction to a repetitive diet; it was a spiritual rebellion that prioritized the familiar comforts of their past slavery over the transformative, albeit challenging, freedom offered by God. The systematic nature of this behavior lies in the human tendency to equate comfort with security. In the wilderness, the Israelites looked back at the "fleshpots of Egypt" with a distorted memory, romanticizing their former bondage because it offered a predictable, albeit oppressive, supply of food. This psychological phenomenon, often described in theological literature as the "slavery ...

  All Governments of this World are Attributed to God According to the King James Bible, the establishment of governing authorities is attributed directly to God rather than to the independent will of man. Romans 13:1 provides the foundational text for this theological position: "Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God." This doctrine of divine sovereignty over political structures is a consistent theme throughout the biblical narrative. In the Old Testament, the prophet Daniel explicitly declares that God "removeth kings, and setteth up kings" (Daniel 2:21), emphasizing that the ultimate authority to install or depose rulers resides with the Creator. This perspective is further supported by the assertion in Proverbs that "By me kings reign, and princes decree justice" (Proverbs 8:15). Within the context of the New Testament, even when Jesus stood before the Roman governor P...

  Proverbs 15:1 A Soft answer, Handling difficult conversations is one of the most practical applications of biblical wisdom. The Wisdom Literature—primarily Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Job—provides a framework for navigating conflict by prioritizing self-control, timing, and the intent of the heart. The first principle of handling difficult conversations is the mastery of one’s own spirit. Proverbs 15:1 famously states, "A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger." This teaches that the outcome of a conversation is often determined not by the facts of the argument, but by the tone and emotional state of the speaker. When you feel the heat of a conflict, wisdom suggests that you pause. As noted in Proverbs 17:27, "He that hath knowledge spareth his words: and a man of understanding is of an excellent spirit." In a heated moment, the most "wise" thing you can do is often to listen more than you speak, preventing the escalation that l...

  Proverbs 18:21 Your Life in Words “Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.” Think of this verse as a manual for the most powerful tool you own: your voice. In the book of Proverbs, which is part of the Wisdom Literature of the Bible, the authors often use "parallelism"—a way of balancing two ideas to show a deeper truth. When Proverbs 18:21 says, "Death and life are in the power of the tongue," it is teaching us that our words are not just empty sounds that disappear into the air. Instead, they are like seeds. If you plant a seed of kindness, encouragement, or truth, you eventually "eat the fruit" of that harvest—meaning your life becomes filled with the results of what you spoke. Imagine your tongue is like a steering wheel in a car. A car is a massive, heavy machine, but it is controlled by a small piece of metal. Your life is the car, and your words are the steering wheel. If you constantly sp...

 All Governments of this World are Attributed to God According to the King James Bible, the establishment of governing authorities is attributed directly to God rather than to the independent will of man. Romans 13:1 provides the foundational text for this theological position: "Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God." This doctrine of divine sovereignty over political structures is a consistent theme throughout the biblical narrative. In the Old Testament, the prophet Daniel explicitly declares that God "removeth kings, and setteth up kings" (Daniel 2:21), emphasizing that the ultimate authority to install or depose rulers resides with the Creator. This perspective is further supported by the assertion in Proverbs that "By me kings reign, and princes decree justice" (Proverbs 8:15). Within the context of the New Testament, even when Jesus stood before the Roman governor Po...

  What is Context? To understand the necessity of context, one must first recognize that language is not a static code but a dynamic system of relationships. In its most fundamental sense, context refers to the circumstances, setting, or surrounding discourse that frames an event, statement, or idea, allowing it to be fully understood. As noted in authoritative linguistic studies, the meaning of a word is often determined by the "company it keeps"—the words, phrases, and sentences that precede or follow it. People often judge others by the company that they keep, so why should the words and stories we write be any different? Without this context, human communication becomes ambiguous, as many English words have multiple definitions that shift with usage. For example, consider the sentence, "The bank was closed." Without context, the reader cannot determine if the speaker is referring to a financial institution or the side of a river. Similarly, the word "run...

  The Bible Word, ‘Hate’ In the King James Version (KJV), the word "hate" (base form) appears 87 times. Variants add more: "hated" ~60 times, "hateth" ~31 times, plus smaller numbers for "hatest," "hateful," and "hating." Total usage of related forms exceeds 180. It appears across both Testaments, with notable frequency in Psalms, Deuteronomy, and Proverbs. The English word in the KJV translates words from the original languages (primarily Hebrew in the OT, with some Aramaic; Greek in the NT). Biblical "hate" often carries a stronger emotional or active sense than modern casual usage, but it frequently functions relatively (e.g., "love less" or "reject/turn away from" in comparison) rather than always meaning intense personal malice or emotional loathing. Context is essential. Old Testament (Mainly Hebrew) The dominant Hebrew word is שָׂנֵא (sānêʾ / sane', Strong's H8130), a primitive root...

  The Great Commandment Matthew 22:37-40 The passage of Matthew 22:37–40 , often referred to as the "Great Commandment," represents the theological apex of Jesus’ teaching regarding the Mosaic Law. When Jesus declares that "all the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments," He is asserting that the entirety of the Old Testament—its moral, civil, and ceremonial requirements—finds its ultimate purpose and interpretive key in the dual mandate of love for God and love for neighbor. In the context of first-century Jewish thought, the "Law and the Prophets" served as the comprehensive designation for the Hebrew Scriptures. By distilling these into two commands, Jesus does not suggest that the other commandments are abolished; rather, He provides a hierarchy of values that explains why the law exists. The first commandment, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind," is drawn from the ...

  1 Corinthians 2:14, “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” The concept presented in 1 Corinthians 2:14—that the unregenerate or "natural" human mind lacks the capacity to perceive divine truth without spiritual illumination—finds significant thematic resonance in the Old Testament. While the New Testament provides a specific theological framework for the "Spirit of God," the Old Testament frequently addresses the limitations of human wisdom, the hardening of the heart, and the necessity of divine revelation for true understanding. A primary parallel is found in Deuteronomy 29:4, which states: "Yet the Lord hath not given you an heart to perceive, and eyes to see, and ears to hear, unto this day." This verse highlights that spiritual perception is not merely a function of human intellect but a gift bestowed by God. Similarly,...

  Questions People Refuse to Ask, but Think About: How many Christians are there in the world? There are approximately 2.3 to 2.6 billion Christians worldwide as of 2025-2026, making Christianity the world's largest religion. Christians comprise 29%-32% of the global population, with the highest concentration of adherents in the Global South (Africa, Asia, and Latin America). Key Statistics and Demographics * Total Followers: Estimates vary from 2.3 billion to over 2.6 billion, depending on the source. * Major Branches: The largest group is Catholics (approx. 1.3–1.4 billion), followed by Protestants and Orthodox Christians. * Fastest Growth: Pentecostal and Evangelical movements are experiencing the fastest growth. * Regional Distribution: By 2050, roughly 4 out of every 10 Christians are expected to live in sub-Saharan Africa. * Largest Christian Countries: While Christianity is widespread, countries with the greatest numbers of Christians include the United States, Brazil, Mexic...

  Many Do Not Believe Jesus/Messiah is seen in the Old Testament. Jewish scholars generally do not read those passages as proofs that Jesus is present in the Old Testament, and they do not interpret Elohim as a hidden reference to a Trinity. Instead, they read the texts in terms of strict monotheism, Hebrew grammar, prophecy, or divine speech to angels, How the Jewish reading is different In Judaism, Elohim is usually understood as a title for the one God of Israel, while plural wording like “let us” is often explained as God speaking to His heavenly court or using a royal style of speech rather than revealing multiple divine persons. Jewish interpretation also strongly resists the idea that God would have a body or be divided into persons, so passages Christians read as Trinitarian are usually read non-literally or as idiomatic Hebrew. Passage by passage - Genesis 1:26 (“Let us make man”) is often explained as God addressing angels or His heavenly council, not the Messiah. - Genes...

  In the KJV, Elohim appears about 2,606 times as the translation of Strong’s Hebrew H430, though the exact count can vary slightly by text base and counting method. In most places, it means “God” when referring to the one true God, but it can also mean “god,” “judges,” “mighty,” or even “angels” in a few contexts. What it means Elohim is a Hebrew noun that is plural in form, but when it refers to the God of Israel, it usually takes singular grammar and functions as a singular title. Its basic idea is power, majesty, or deity, so it emphasizes God as the mighty Creator and supreme ruler. Is it always the same sense? No. The word is not used identically every time. Most often, it refers to the true God, but in some verses it refers to false gods, human judges, or other exalted beings, so context determines the meaning. Does it include Jesus? In the Old Testament, Elohim is usually a title for God without directly naming Jesus. But Christians commonly connect Old Testament references...

  Understanding Sanctification In the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible, the words sanctify, sanctified, and sanctification appear a total of 167 times.  Here is the breakdown: Sanctify: 73 times Sanctified: 63 times Sanctification: 31 times Why, is this word in the Bible so many times, if it were not important? What does it actually mean? If you look up "sanctify" in a dictionary, you might see words like "consecrate" or "hallow," which sound like old-fashioned, confusing church language. To make it simple, think of it in terms of "Setting Apart" and "Purpose." Here are three ways to understand it: 1. The "Special Use" Concept Imagine you have a plain, ordinary glass cup in your kitchen. You use it to drink water every day. But then, imagine your parents have a fancy, crystal glass that is only brought out for special holidays or celebrations. That crystal glass is "set apart." It isn’t used for everyday, messy ...

Is God, or His Word, of a Socialist Nature? The question of whether Jesus or God the Father can be categorized as "socialist" is a subject of intense debate among theologians, historians, and political theorists. Because "socialism" is a modern political and economic construct (emerging in the 19th century), it does not exist in ancient biblical texts. I will take a closer look at why people want to think as a Socialist, or a Capitalist; just bugs me Why? However, scholars often look for "socialist-adjacent" themes—such as communal living, the critique of wealth, and the mandate to care for the poor—within the Bible and Jewish tradition. 1. The Early Church (Acts of the Apostles) The strongest biblical argument for a socialist-like structure is found in the New Testament book of Acts (2:44–45 and 4:32–35). The Text: "All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need." T...