Pulpit of the Last Days

Links for the Basic Discipleship Course:

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The Foundational Modules

103. The Gospel Ceremonies Module

104. The Pre-Evangelism Module

105. The Evangelism 1 Module

106. The Evangelism 2 Module

107. The Foundation 1 Module

108. The Foundation 2 Module

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The Elementary Modules

201. The Oracles of God - Part 1

202. The Oracles of God - Part 2

203. The Prayer Module

204. The Faith and Grace Module

205. The Holy Spirit Module

206. The Gifts of the Spirit Module

207. The Ministry Module

208. Resurrection and Judgment Module

To Begin the Basic Discipleship course, please click here.

Our Vision

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The End-Time Reformation

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.... The Bible foretells a reformation that will occur in the church of the Last Days, to be centered on the Person of Jesus Christ. As such, it will be the great defining event of church history and of the ages. This reformation will spring from a hermeneutic called ‘The knowledge of the Son of God’ or, ‘the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord’ (Ephesians 4:13; 2 Peter 1:2).

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.... A ‘hermeneutic’ is a method for interpreting the Bible. The end time herme- neutic, first of all, will seek the testimony of who Jesus is: His heart, mind and Divine nature, as shown to us through the Scriptures; and secondly, it will apply those concepts to us as we abide in Him. The entire concept is highly relational as opposed to being merely religious. For a fuller description of this reformation, please click on the break-out module for the The End Time Church.

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.... But how does a reformation begin?

Berry’s Vision

.... Berry Alvis is my work fellow and a major inspiration behind this site. He envisions blogging as a catalyst for the end time reformation, and uses an interesting example to explain his concept:

.... "Who created the Linux software?" He asks, "Or who created Mozilla Firefox?" These are the popular OS and browser softwares that are available free online.

.... The answer is that nobody created them - and everybody! Both programs were the product of an online, relatively open collaboration. Someone began with a basic template and other software engineers added new capabilities as their contributions.

. .... In a similar way, the basic lessons of this course should be viewed as a template, and each lesson remains open for discussion in the ‘comments’ section. Through thoughtful insights, challenges, questions and the examples of sincere Christians everywhere, a better ‘feel’ for each lesson will emerge. This will make them far more effective for discipling new believers. Also, through the best of these comments, the basic course itself will be subject to future revision.

.... (note: the entire basic discipleship course has now been posted online, and we are currently on our third round of revisions. These lessions can be viewed under the Table of Contents, and we will be updating these articles as future insights warrant.)

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Rules for Participation

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.... In the same passage that foretells the end-time reformation, the rules for participation are given:

.... "but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head-- Christ."
(Ephesians 4:15)

.... The discipleship course on this blog is open for the suggestions of authors, editors, theologians, evangelists, psalmists, pure-hearted zealots, and most importantly, for new Christians who tend to ask the most piercing and pertinent questions of all. Questions, in fact, are completely open, and no subject is off limits as long as it’s not too much of a rabbit path. There is no such thing as a stupid question if sincerely asked. But making comments, suggestions or other insights requires special consideration:

.... First, any comments or suggested revisions must be based on Biblical truth. This is not a course in worldly philosophy, medieval church tradition or new age liberalism, but in who Jesus is, as the Scriptures portray Him.

.... Second, everything in the basic template was authored for the purpose of pointing us to Jesus more clearly, and the aim of each comment and suggested revision must always be the same. So if you want to suggest a change, let’s think about this. If it already points to Jesus, why would you want to change it? So we are looking for a clearer perspective than we have seen, an improved explanation, correction where necessary, or viable alternate perspectives. These entries will be very earnestly considered, for the truth is in Jesus and in our heart-of-hearts we are seeking to learn of Him (Ephesians 4:20-21)

.... Third, the truth must be spoken in love. Even in disagreements, our love and respect must be shown to others so a bond of good will, and a basis for a new consensus, can be promoted.

.... Finally, if you wish to participate, you may comment on the main postings or in relation to the comments of other participants. But in the event of a disagreement, please site Scriptures to explain why you think a point that was offered was wrong. Then offer in it’s place what you believe to be the true perspective, again supported by Scriptures, and explain how it points us to Jesus more clearly. If this is done in love, no one should have a problem considering it fairly.

.... Through comments, and possibly through additional break-out modules, help from other sincere Christians is needed and appreciated. Please pray about joining us and tell a friend who may also be interested. And if you lead someone to the Lord, please think about sending them here for their most basic lessons.

Yours in Christ,

Loren D. Bishop

For further information on the structure and use of this basic discipleship course, please click here.

About the Basic Discipleship Course

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.... The Apostle Paul received a special grace from God for laying the foundation of our Christian learning, and his writings contain the clues for creating a proper discipleship course: one that is firmly founded on the Person of Jesus Christ:

.... ". . . According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ."
(1 Corinthians 3:10-11)

.... In constructing this online course, the Scriptures have been searched for every subject that is described as ‘basic’, ‘elementary’, ‘foundational’, ‘the first thing I taught you’, or by similar wording. These are the subjects that a truly basic course must include, and within them we must always focus on Jesus Himself; for in finding their testimony of Him, these subjects show us how to abide in Him (2 Corinthians 1:20). This is the heart of the New Testament's meaning, transforming our beliefs from religion into a relationship.
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.... A Christ-centered teaching is like Christ Himself, in that it is always a little different from the standard beliefs of the day. But like Christ again, that difference is spirit and life. For many of us, moving toward this perspective requires both learning and some unlearning, but a genuine focus on Jesus will always win the allegiance of true-hearted Christians over time (Ephesians 4:13). Therefore, it makes sense for new Christians to pursue this emphasis from the very beginning:

.... ". . . till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ . . ."
(Ephesians 4:13)

.... Within those most basic lessons, attention must be given to the sequence in which they are introduced. Certain lessons are truly primary. For example, how does one dig down to the rock to lay the foundation? What is the foundation itself, and it’s cornerstone? Which lessons should come next, and in what order, as the whole structure ascends? A Scriptural, thoughtful and even practical sequence must be considered.

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.... Over time these lessons will interconnect with each other, making their content and sequence even more important. So comprehensive is this effect in its scope that everything else we learn as Christians may arise from these core concepts. Therefore our wise master builder (who is ultimately the Holy Spirit, through the Scriptures), must be carefully consulted at each step. And according to His own ministry, He will constantly guide us into seeing Jesus in all that He teaches us (John 15:26).

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.... The material in the basic discipleship course is the result of more than twenty years of study, proving and discovery. It is our sincerest hope that the Lord will connect with you here and use this material in your life, for His glory, and for your eternal benefit.

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The Structure of the Course

. .... The truly primary lessons of this course are contained in modules 101-108, for a total of 95 daily lessons. The rest of the basics follow in modules 201-208, in the order that a new Christian is most likely to encounter them (which is the same way they were presented in Hebrews 6:1-3.)

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.... If you will look in the right-hand column, you'll see an intermediate level of discipleship contained in a series of break-out modules; and over time, additional modules will be added. They include a significant apologetic element to provide living applications for these lessons.

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.... With every lesson, basic or intermediate, please take careful note of the perspective that emerges and the potential that it offers. For the Scriptures foretell a Christ-centered reformation that will occur in the end time church, and this course has envisioned that goal from the outset (Ephesians 4:13). Even a reformation (and especially this one,) must start with the basics, and so in hindsight the connection with that goal will become more apparent. For further information on the end-time reformation, please click here

Benefits and Limitations of this Course

.... Research for this discipleship course began in 1982, and it first appeared on this blog in a daily series from March 2005 to February 2006. It was designed as a forum for discipleship in which the thoughts of many sincere Christians could be exchanged. This would provide new Christians (or older ones who were never taught the basics) with a place to build their foundation in Christ through online discussions. But it also introduced a limitation:

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.... In the background of such a course, and especially for the sake of new Christians, a local pastoral element is always needed. The 'blog' format allows for the exchange of ideas so questions are likely to rise that require discussion and counseling. Friendships are often made this way and often, for unchurched persons, this can lead to a new church home. Yet the members of a single, world-wide community may never have the opportunity to meet each other in person, which puts those interpersonal benefits at risk. Furthermore, a single blogmaster/pastor might soon be overwhelmed by the scale of response and find themselves unable to minister effectively.

..... Because of these limitations, a discipleship blog is much better tailored for local communities, just as churches themselves are designed for a local outreach. So wherever possible, the vision of this discipleship course must join itself with sincere churches in their own vision and calling.

.... If your church is interested in it’s own version of this discipleship course, please contact the author at: ldbishop@cox.net. If you would like to see an example of how this course can be adopted to a local church, please click here.

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Profile of the End Time Heresies

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Source of Doctrine
http://aspoteth.blogspot.com/2005/05/source-of-doctrine.html
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Characteristics of the End Time Heresies
http://aspoteth.blogspot.com/2005/05/characteristics-of-end-time-heresies.html
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False Teachings about Jesus
http://aspoteth.blogspot.com/2005/05/false-teachings-about-jesus.html
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False Teachings about the Holy Spirit
http://aspoteth.blogspot.com/2005/05/false-teachings-about-holy-spirit.html
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Profile of a False Teacher
http://aspoteth.blogspot.com/2005/05/profile-of-false-teacher.html
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Victims of Choice
http://aspoteth.blogspot.com/2005/05/victims-of-choice.html
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Mediation in the End Time Heresies
http://aspoteth.blogspot.com/2005/05/mediation-in-end-time-heresies.html
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Links for the Spiritual Warfare Revisited Module

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Links for the Sufferings and the Glory

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Links for the Soteriology of Christ Module

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Links for the End Time Church Module

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Overview of the End Time Church
http://pold2.blogspot.com/2006/05/overview-of-end-time-church.html

Denominations in the Last Days
http://pold2.blogspot.com/2006/05/denominations-in-last-days.html

The Parable of the Ten Virgins
http://pold2.blogspot.com/2006/05/parable-of-ten-virgins.html

To begin the End Time Church Module, click here

Links for the Letters on Assurance Module

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The First Letter - March 24, 1990
http://assuranceletters.blogspot.com/1990/04/letter-1-march-24-1990.html
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The Second Letter - April 13, 1990
http://assuranceletters.blogspot.com/1990/04/letter-2-april-13-1990.html
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The Third Letter - April 13, 1990
http://assuranceletters.blogspot.com/1990/04/letter-3-april-13-1990.html

Links for the Doctrine of the Trinity Module

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Links for the Basic Discipleship Course

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The Foundational Modules

101. Introduction to Discipleship

102. The Gospel Module

103. The Gospel Ceremonies Module

104. The Pre-Evangelism Module

105. The Evangelism 1 Module

106. The Evangelism 2 Module

107. The Foundation 1 Module

108. The Foundation 2 Module

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The Elementary Modules

201. The Oracles of God - Part 1

202. The Oracles of God - Part 2

203. The Prayer Module

204. The Faith and Grace Module

205. The Holy Spirit Module

206. The Gifts of the Spirit Module

207. The Ministry Module

208. Resurrection and Judgment Module

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Links for the Intermediate Discipleship Course:

The Apologetics Modules

301. The Doctrine of the Trinity

302. Letters on Assurance

303. The Soteriology of Christ

304. Response to Dispensationalism

305. Response to Catholicism

306. The Pretender of Mormonism

307. Letters to Mordechai

308. The Sufferings and the Glory

The End Time Heresies Modules
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401. Profile of the End Time Heresies
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402. The Anatomy of 'Another Gospel'
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403. Perspective on Psychology
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404. Perspective on Deliverance
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405. Perspective on Iniquities & Curses
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406. Other End Time Heresies
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407. Spiritual Warfare Revisited
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408. Essays on the End Time Church

The End Time Church

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.... If God brought you down through the ages, through a corridor of time, to the church of the last days, what would you find? How would the true Christians of those days conduct themselves? What would be their focus, and what challenges would they face from the adversary? Most importantly, what would be the teachings you would actually hear being taught from the pulpit in the final days before Christ returned to the earth?
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.... The Bible foretells those teachings in detail, both good and bad. Here we will find the last, great movement of the Holy Spirit leading up to the time of the end; and tragically, the last great challenge of the enemy will emerge as well, leading to the great falling away.
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.... In this module we present the ‘big picture’ of the true church and its vision, but the foundational teachings of this church are contained here, on Pulpit of the Last Days. To begin a discipleship course in their wat of thinking, please click on the Table of Contents,or simply click here. To read more about the vision for this blog, click here.
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.... To read the Module on The End Time Church, please click here.

Letters on Assurance of Salvation

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.... Pulpit of the Last Days offers a systematic, open discipleship forum with a very intentional focus on Jesus. But between these basic sub- jects, or as occasion allows, we invite you to investigate our break-out modules, which can be accessed through links in the right-hand column.

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.... This week’s module ex- plores an issue that has divided Christian opinion for centuries. Can a Christian lose their salvation, or can they never lose their salvation? . . . Or could some third thing possibly be true on this subject?

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.... The module consists of a series of three letters, written in 1990, to address the issue. Comments may be added at the bottom of the module if desired.

To access the module Letters on Assurance of Salvation, please click here.

The Christmas Story in Prophecy

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.... The familiar Christmas Story is the second-most heavily prophesied event in history. Through the birth of Jesus, including the references to His genealogy, more than 80 prophecies were fulfilled.
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.... In this special new Christmas module, the story is retold with reference to the Old Testament prophets, that we may view the same events through prophetic eyes.

.... To view The Christmas Story in Prophecy, please click here.

Spiritual Warfare Revisited

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.... This module re-examines our adversary the devil, who is called the deceiver. In modern times, an entire ‘mythology’ has formed around who he is, where he came from, and his position in the world, giving him an unfair advantage through a cloud of ignorance, disinformation, diabolical lies and deception.
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.... Are demons really the lost souls of a pre-adamic race? Did man really lose dominion of the world to Satan in the garden? What is the ‘legal’ situation in the ‘earth realm’, by which both the adversary and the Lord must operate? What are the enemy’s true powers and limitations? How does he fight against us, and how are we, through Christ, able to prevail against him? Those are the questions this study will address.
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.... To access the module on Spiritual Warfare Revisited, please click here.

The Truth on Tithing

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.... This module investigates everyone’s favorite subject: tithing. Did Jesus command us to tithe? Is tithing under the law? Or should we give as we feel God leading us? Are Christian leaders ‘peddling’ the word of God when they receive a tithe, or do they have the ‘right’ to receive it?
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.... The answers to these questions and more are found in Jesus Himself, who is the living embodiment of the truth.

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.... To access The Truth on Tithing Module, please click here.

The Sufferings and the Glory

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.... This module brings a unique perspective to the passion narrative. As most of you know, Jesus remained silent throughout His suffer- ings; yet in His heart He was musing, and His thoughts were passionately searching:

.... "I was mute with silence, I held My peace even from good; and My sorrow was stirred up. My heart was hot within Me; while I was musing, the fire burned . . ." .
(Ps 39:1-3)

.... The passion of our Lord was recorded by the apostles as eye witnesses, but the Old Testament prophets foretold the same things in first person (as in the quotation above). This inner perspective makes it possible to harmonizes the prophecy into actual story form, to re-tell the passion from the Lord’s own point of view, in a level of detail that is stunning. In this module the silence of the ages unfolds, and the result is deeply moving, passionate and searching.
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.... The Messianic perspective does contain a few surprising insights, so we are very interested in your thoughts and feedback. You’ll find just enough steerage to walk you through the events as they occur, Scriptural references and important explanations are contained in the ‘comments’ section of each entry, and your own comments can be added to the last entry in the module.

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.... To access The Sufferings and the Glory module, please click here

The Soteriology of Christ

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.... This module offers a very Christ-centered perspective on soteriology – the most important subject in the world. Soteriology is the study of salvation and it’s related topics, such as election and pre- destination, as we are drawn into a saving relationship with God through Christ. It helps us understand who will be saved, how, and why, as the Lord works in our lives to obtain this result.

.... Historically, Calvinism and Arminianism have been the two major systems to address this subject. But when we look for the testimony of Jesus at each point, a better perspective emerges (Eph 4:13). Rather than a Plan of salvation, we find a Person of salvation; rather than a system we find a Savior. Rather than an arrangement, we find an abiding relationship as sons. This module is a work in progress and uses an open commentary format.

.... To access the module on The Soteriology of Christ, click here.

The Lost Ministry of Amphipolis

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.... Pulpit of the Last Days offers a systematic, open discipleship forum with a very intentional focus on Jesus. But between these basic subjects, or as occasion allows, we invite you to investigate our break-out modules, which can be accessed through links in the right-hand column.

.... This module portrays a ‘lost chapter’ from the Book of Acts. Paul came to Europe in response to God’s calling, first to the city of Philippi, and then to Thessalonica. But somewhere in between those cities an important event took place that would drastically change the shape of his ministry for years to come; and for the rest of his life he remained passionate, defen-sive, and even reactionary when he spoke about this change.
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.... The evidence points to an undescribed incident that could only have occurred in the city of Amphipolis. By gleaning the clues from Paul’s own letters, the story of this controversy emerges at last: a conflict sinister and troubling, the effects of which have transcended the ages to plague the church to this day.
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To access the module on The Lost Ministry of Amphipolis, please click here.

Profile of the End Time Heresies

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.... The End Time Church Module is about the teachings we will hear in the church in the final days before Christ returns to the earth. On one hand we’ll see the most Christ-centered teachings the church has ever known, but on the other we’ll see the end time heresies. The rest of that module built a framework for the former, but what about those other teachings?
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.... This module offers an overview of the end time heresies, complete with a description of false teachers and their ministry. It also discusses their victims of choice. Some of the things described in this module may even sound familiar, so as you are reading, bear in mind any ministries over which you've had doubts and see if they match this profile.
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.... To read the Module on The End Time Heresies, click here.

The Parable of the Sheep Dog

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.... There once was a very great man who owned the sheep on a thousand hills (in fact, he owned the hills); and having so many flocks, he set shepherds over them. One large flock had more than 2,000 sheep and he set several shepherds over those.
.... The shepherds knew that the secret to an easy life was in keeping the flock content. They were easier to control that way. So they led them forth, fed them and always sang to them, saying: "Peace, peace, have no fear; all is peace and safety here."
.... Then one day, a wolf drew near the edge of the fold and the shepherds saw it. Suddenly it snatched away a lamb and drew it into the woods to devour it. The rest of the sheep never realized what had happened; they only thought of the wolf as another sheep and went about their business. But the shepherds knew.
.... So the shepherds reasoned among themselves, saying: "We really should try to save the lamb; but if we do, there will be a fight with a great deal of noise and the whole flock will know that something is wrong. They’ll become frightened and suddenly we’ll have 2,000 scared sheep on our hands."
.... Therefore, knowing that intervention would make their jobs more difficult, the shepherds decided to do nothing. So from time to time the wolf returned and another lamb was taken. The shepherds closed one eye and turned away while continuing their songs of peace -- whereas in reality, peril stalked the fold.

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.... Time passed, and the master sent the shepherds a present: a sheep dog, whom he had bred for the purpose of tending sheep. The dog made the shepherds tasks easier: he cared for the sheep, found them when they went astray and licked their wounds. Everyone loved the sheep dog.
.... Then one day the wolf returned and the sheep dog saw it. His eyes sharpened as the wolf drew near and fell upon a lamb to carry it away. The dog ran quickly to the shepherds, barking furiously in beckoning them to come; but the shepherds only calmed the dog and bid him silence, for he was scaring the sheep with all of his noise.
.... Two days later, the wolf returned. Again he took a lamb, and when the sheep dog saw it he ran to the shepherds as before. Again they rebuked him and bade him silence, and the sheep dog became confused. For the master had trained him both to trust the shepherds and to protect the sheep, so he was torn.
.... Yet again the wolf returned; but this time as it approached the fold, the sheep dog drew near to it in a crouch. As the wolf stretched out its paw for the lamb, the sheep dog suddenly attacked it, nipping its flanks so that it yelped loudly with pain. A scuffle followed with loud barks and yelps as the dog chased the wolf back into the woods.
.... The sheep dog returned, scratched and panting. The lamb had been saved but a tremor of fear passed through the fold: What had just happened? And in the background, the shepherds began to scowl.

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.... As time went by and the wolf returned, the sheep dog always fought with it. Sometimes he was able to deliver the lamb but sometimes not. And through it all, everyone’s attitude was changing:

.... The shepherds could not stop the dog because they knew he was doing the master’s work rightly. Yet they hated him because he made it harder to calm the flock, and he was making them look bad.
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.... The sheep were better at ‘feeling’ than thinking, but if their feelings could be translated into words they would go like this: "We used to love the dog because he cared for us, found us when we went astray, and licked our wounds. But look at how he treats that other sheep now!" (The wolf, in sheep’s clothing). "See what a vicious dog he has become! So now we hate the sheep dog!"
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.... The wolf, of course, hated the sheep dog most of all.
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.... And the sheep dog himself began to feel isolated, lonely and miserable; no one loved him any more, everyone seemed to hate him though he was laying down his life for them daily. And even though he was hated for it, he knew that he still had to do his master’s bidding.

.... Then one day came the finale as the sheep dog and the wolf squared off for a final battle. Tooth and nail flashed with cutting fury, hair and hide were flying, barking and yelping filled the air. The last pretense of peace was shattered as the sheep came bleating to the shepherds in fear.
.... Also other shepherds, who were visiting from another flock, seized the shepherds by their arms and said to them, "Do you not know a wolf when you see one? When are you going to help your sheep dog?" The shepherds were greatly ashamed and ran to the place where the wolf had been cornered. They seized it and bound it, and cast it out for ever.
.... Now the other shepherds congratulated them, and the sheep crowded around them with joy. They loved their shepherds who had protected them from the wolf. The sheep dog, too, came limping back to them, cut and torn from the battle and whimpering softly. But the shepherds only looked at him with disdain.
.... "Every wound on that animal is a testimony against us, and bandages would be like flags to proclaim it. Are we supposed to help him? No, but rather, we hope he dies!" So they ignored him, and the sheep dog limped away to lick his own wounds.
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.... Gradually the dog recovered strength and he tried to be useful as before, but the shepherds had effectively shut him out. They would only have him chasing sticks or even chasing his tail. When the sheep dog saw this, he tucked his tail between his legs and quietly left them.
.... But fortunately for the sheepdog, the master found him on the road and took him in, bound his wounds, and nurtured him again. And the master made a note to himself that he would soon have a word with those shepherds about all of this. But in the meantime he would find a new home for the sheepdog, where he might be appreciated.
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....Hear another parable:
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.... A shepherd led his sheep, gently guiding those with young as he nurtured and cared for them. But then came a wolf, and he lit into it with savage fury. The same man! It was also the same reason. Because he loves the sheep.

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.... He who has ears to hear, let him hear.

Discussion with a New Age Philosopher

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... Some people are athiests (I'm sorry to say), simply because they are fools (Ps 14:1). But intellectual athiests, who disbelieve from their head and not necessarily from their heart, can be a little different.

.... These persons are often very insecure in their unbelief, especially at first, before their hearts become hardened and their conscience seared. Because of this insecurity they'll feel the need to argue their points frequently. Often, they will do this with a sense of crudeness or rage (Karl Marx would be a good example), because, deeper down, their apprehension needs constant reaffirmation from others. Persuading others to join in their doubts helps them reassure themselves, like a vote of confidence and agreement to keep their shaky anti-faith alive for another day. This makes them worthy of our pity, though not of our sympathy.

.... In your efforts to share the gospel you may eventually be confronted by new age philosophers, many of whom follow the writings of men like Feuerbach, and who love to argue. As we've just described, they may insist on debating you on the terms of their own philosophy. Even though the Bible thoroughly equips you and would enable you to win this debate (2 Tim 3:16-17), there is never a way that they can win it in the sense that really matters, that is, in the sense that would bring them to the Lord:

.... "For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect."
(1 Cor 1:17)

.... The gospel cannot be mixed with worldly wisdom if it is to save anyone, so arguing on the premise of their philosophy defeats the purpose of sharing the gospel at all. Therefore, even if you argue with them and their tables are turned, and you convince them on their own philosophical terms, and even if they turn completely around and believe and call on the Lord as a result, they will remain unsaved:

.... "For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe."
(1 Cor 1:21)

.... In a situation like this, the best you can do is plant a seed that will defeat their worldly thinking over a longer period of time; and then, just maybe, at the end of that process, it will bring them to a place of starting over with the gospel, to approach the Lord correctly (see the special notes in the 'comments' section).
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.... I recently had a chance to do this through an online discussion with a person named Matt. Below is an example of what you might tell such a person. (I’ve added scriptural references for the benefit of the reader):

Hi Matt,
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.... I’ve read your entries and part of your blog. You seem like a person who is searching pretty intensely for meaning and truth, but you also seem to be frustrated with your discoveries on a fairly frequent basis (which is too bad). If you’ve read my entries, you know that we disagree on many things, but let me meet you halfway with some ‘ifs’. I mean these objectively, so I would like you to think about them sincerely too, and not just look for how many ways you can find holes in them.
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.... First of all, if there is a God, what would that mean? By definition, He would be in a class by Himself (Ps 71:19; Job 40:7-14). His way of thinking and everything else about him could very well be far, far higher than we, as humans, could even begin to grasp -- like an earth worm trying to figure out Einstein (Is 55:8-9). This means that searching for him by using our own, human intellect may be an entirely futile hope (1 Cor 1:21). It could very well mean that we could never know him at all, ever, unless He is the one who took the initiative to make Himself known to us in some way (Matt 11:27).
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.... And here is another side to the same scenario. If he is God, original and uncreated, and everything else was made by him, then he himself becomes the ‘standard’ by sheer default. This is because everything else owes its form and state of existence to his thoughts and decisions -- including abstract concepts.
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.... For example we might ask, What is truth? Who is to say what is true or untrue? But if God is the source of everything, then the bottom line is that He is the truth. Truth is not a concept in its own right; truth is an expression of God himself, reflected in His creation (John 14:6). In other words, the concepts we hold as ‘true’ are true because they reflect his way of thinking. The closer they match this, the truer they are. The more they deviate, the more untrue they are.
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.... Like you, I’ve studied the philosophers to some degree. I’m sure you’ll agree that almost all of them were very interested in explaining the nature of God. The problem is that, as a premise, they rejected the ways he had already expressed himself to man. Instead, essentially, they sought to re-define him according to their own thoughts and ideas of what he must be like. So most of them ended up as atheists. But why?
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.... When someone is so interested in defining God by their own intellect, however brilliant they may be, their ‘god’ ends up as a mere reflection of their own thoughts. He becomes a figurehead who conforms to their suppositions, happens to agree with their conclusions, and who allows for all of their vices. In the end they find he is very faulty, and not worth believing in at all. And I agree! Because, beneath that fig leaf, their real ‘god’ was simply themselves the whole time.
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.... This brings us back to the point we started with, in the analogy between the earthworm and Einstein. Their version of ‘god’ was merely a self-deluding veneer because their thoughts never took them any higher than the ceiling; they never broke out of the realm of human logic and into the realm where God might actually be known. No wonder it ended in frustration for them. Why should anyone worship a god who is no better than themselves? Because the whole time, that’s all it was.
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.... I mean this very sincerely, so please think about this. Nietzsche said that God is dead, but the truth is that Nietzsche is dead. But Jesus is alive forevermore. So what does that mean? Who could Jesus be? Where did he come from? What kind of life did he live? Why did he die? Why could death not hold him? Where did he go after his resurrection? And why did those who saw him, alive from the dead, devote their lives to him even though many (if not most) ended up gladly giving their own life in order to remain loyal to him?
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.... If you’ll think about those questions, you’ll do something that none of those famous philosophers was ever able to accomplish: you’ll break out, and see an understanding that is higher than they could ever obtain.
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.... One more ‘if’. The case that I've made is perfectly fair, but you must think about it objectively to see what you come up with. So it will only help you 'if' you put aside your pre-suppositions and consider this fairly and objectively, otherwise it will be a waste of time.

Church is Where You Find It

2007-10-31T01:59:00.000-03:00

.... As we drive to church each Sunday, most of us pass a dozen other churches along the way. So let’s think about what that means! Different churches exist because their teachings vary, yet most of those differences are fairly small. As long as our doctrine agrees on the vital subjects of Father, Son and Holy Spirit (and thus, between them, the doctrine of the Trinity,) faith, grace, and the gospel, our differences are not nearly enough to break fellowship over. We still have more than enough unity to recognize each other as part of the body of Christ, and to remain brethren and co-pilgrims in the kingdom of God.

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.... Now let’s bring this understanding back to our opening thought. Does ‘church’ occur inside an official building, like the ones we pass on Sunday mornings, or does it simply appear when Christians come together? In truth, church can occur just as easily in the home, in the market, in the neighborhood or even in the work place. It emerges spontaneously whenever and where ever Christians meet. Therefore, in it’s truest sense, church is where you find it:

.... "For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them."
(Matthew 18:20)

.... Based on this understanding, in each of my last three jobs, I’ve had a heart-to-heart talk with the other Christians who were there. We agreed to talk to each other about the Lord openly rather than privately, especially at breaks and at lunch, to openly show that we were Christians (Matthew 5:14-16). We would talk from a Christian perspective on any subject that might come up, and live out our beliefs with absolute sincerity. If others overheard us, we were always friendly, invited their comments, and tried to include them in our conversations. This cultivated a basic rapport which could lead to a gospel presentation:

.... "By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."
(John 13:35)

.... To the post-modern mind, this sort of community is an essential witness. Their minds have been poisoned against the faith through a perception of hypocricy, which has been amplified (often unfairly) through the bias of the popular media. So we must often build a bridge based on good fruits before we can earn a place for discussing the gospel with them.

.... Sometimes, we will just have to be patient. But remember that not everyone you meet will be in this 'wait-and-see' category, so please don’t allow this exhortation lull you into a false complacency. Others will be ready to hear the gospel at once so we must always be alert, ‘in season and out of season’ for any opportunity that the Lord may bring our way (2 Timothy 4:2). Because at other times the opportunity to share will come in an instant, and completely unlooked for.

To proceed to the next lesson, click here

Daily Bible Reading: Mark 16

Evangelistic Attitudes

2007-10-29T02:40:00.000-03:00

..... In the course of evangelism, our attitude and persona can become inhibiting factors, even in ways that we may think of as being ‘good’. For example, if you have a flashy or an eloquent personality and you share the gospel that way, someone might hear you and believe – partly because of what Jesus did for them on the cross, and partly because you have so skillfully talked them into it. So is that a good thing, or a bad? Let’s consider the answer from a heavenly perspective:

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.... In order to save us, God’s only Son was put to an open shame. The concept in His sufferings is of deepest humility. He is the senior partner in evangelism and we are the junior partners, His ambassadors, so our attitude should carefully reflect His lead (Matthew 9:38). Therefore, when our evangelism becomes mixed with personality-driven antics, it frets against God's whole purpose in presenting the cross. Put another way: when Jesus received slaps and men spit in His face, are we representing Him truly by projecting 'cooleness', dazzling with flirtatious smiles, dressing to impress, or using other forms of personal showmanship?

.... " . . . that no flesh should glory in His presence . . . that, as it is written, 'He who glories, let him glory in the Lord.'
(1 Corinthians 1:29-31)

.... When we present the gospel in such ways, we make ourselves way too much of a factor and God will not compete with us for the glory of our hearer's salvation (1 Corinthians 1:29-31). In fact, one of the reasons He follows up on our evangelism with miracles is to quickly skip past the evangelist, and establish a direct relationship with each person (1 Corinthians 2:5). He wants us to point to Him as best we can, without inserting ourselves in between!

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.... Let’s use Paul as an example of this truer concept. In the natural, his bodily presence was weak and his speech was contemptible. When he spoke, some of his listeners would even mock him: ‘What does this babbler want to say?’ (2 Corinthians 10:10; Acts 17:18). Nevertheless within his mission team, Paul was the chief speaker (Acts 14:12).

.... Therefore, if anyone believed in Jesus through his word, it was because they listened to what he was saying, and believed in the One he was talking about. And since this was the Lord’s ultimate goal as well, He began working through Paul mightily:

.... "I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God."
(1 Corinthians 2:3-5)

.... So be a good junior partner and defer to the Lord in the first place, by remaining humble of spirit and by keeping a servant’s attitude, both to Him and toward man. If you won’t do this, it's true, He may still use your words to plant a seed, and He may try again to save this person in a future effort (see Philippians 1:18). But on the other hand if you are really unwilling to bend, you'll find God working in this area of your life to enforce a little more humility in the future -- and beyond any contradiction, you would not find this pleasant (1 Corinthians 1:29-31; Hebrews 12:11).

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.... So remember that in Christ the Lord, we must always decrease and He must increase; and those who exalt themselves will be humbled, but those who humble themselves will be exalted in due time (John 3:30; 1 Peter 5:6).

.... "Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament, and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever."
(Daniel 12:3)

To proceed to the next lesson, click here

Daily Bible Reading: Mark 15

Witnesses of the Resurrection

2007-10-26T01:29:00.000-03:00

.... After Jesus rose from the dead, He showed Himself alive to many persons by many infallible proofs (Acts 1:3). He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, then to the women who were with her, on the same morning that He arose (Mark 16:9; Matthew 28:9). After this He appeared to two of His disciples on their way to Emmaus, a city near Jerusalem, as they talked of His death three days earlier. And as they spoke He opened their eyes, to show them how the Messianic Prophecy foretold these things (Luke 24:13-32).

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.... On the same day He appeared to the apostles, showing Himself first to Simon Peter, and then to the others later on the same evening. Once again, He traught them and opening their understanding of the ancient prophecies, to show how He'd fulfilled them (Luke 24:33-45). With this information in place, and matched to their own experience in the life they shared with Him, the testimony of the prophets and the witness of the apostles could be fully compared:

.... "Search from the book of the LORD, and read: not one of these shall fail; not one shall lack her mate. For My mouth has commanded it, and His Spirit has gathered them."
(Isaiah 34:16)

.... After this, Jesus appeared to over 500 people at once; then to James, again to the apostles a number of times, and finally to Saul of Tarsus, who would later be known as the Apostle Paul (1 Corinthians 15:5-8). Thus He appeared, not to all the people, but to special witnesses chosen beforehand by God, who ate and drank in His presence and handled Him with their hands after He had risen from the dead (Acts 10:41).

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.... The fact that Jesus was seen after His resurrection by many witnesses is staggering in its scope. But it sometimes seems that we do not appreciate this element of the gospel as fully as we should, so please try putting yourself in the place of those witnesses in those days:

.... They had known Jesus in His lifetime and had actually seen Him die on the cross. They saw His broken body taken down and laid in the tomb, and watched as the stone was rolled in place. They knew for certain that He was dead – beyond any doubt dead, as dead as a man could possibly be, having suffered such a horrific death before their very eyes. Yet three days later, this very Person whom they had seen killed, whom they knew to be dead because they had seen the burial of His corpse, stood before them alive again – and He offered them perfect peace (Romans 1:4; Psalm 16:9-11).

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.... Picture yourself among them, trembling and greatly amazed, as this man whom you knew to be dead showed you the nail prints in His hand and feet, and the place where they had pierced His side. As their fingers explored those nail prints, they touched the solid evidence that our sins were forgiven forever; and as they embraced Him and handled Him with their hands, they touched a tangible, living promise that we, too, would be raised again from the dead one day, to enjoy eternal fellowship with God through Him:

.... "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life– the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us – that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ."
(I John 1:1-3)

.... When we share the gospel with others, we may not be able to say that Jesus appeared to us personally. We cannot say that we saw Him die, describe how He was laid in the tomb, or recount His ascension into heaven. But here is one thing we can say. That there were people alive at the time who actually saw these things, who left us a record that we might believe in Him. And their writings have been gathered together today in a book called The New Testament.

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.... So if they want to see the testimony of those who actually knew Jesus and were witnesses to His resurrection, they may find it there. Because every writer in this book, except Luke, actually knew Jesus after He was raised from the dead, and saw Him in His glory. And Luke, the only exception, was like a reporter who gathered the eyewitness accounts of the others (Luke 1:1-4):

.... "But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name."
(John 20:31)

To proceed to the next lesson, click here

Daily Bible Reading: Mark 14

Seed Time, or Harvest?

2007-10-24T02:53:00.000-03:00

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.... In our previous posting we discussed the need for purity in a gospel presentation, because the gospel will not be able to save anyone if it is mixed with worldly wisdom such as philosophy or psychology (1 Corinthians 1:17). But someone will object to this and say, "That’s not fair to the listener! The evangelist may have known better, but how was the listener supposed to know? At least they were trying, which shows that they wanted to get saved!"

.... Neither is this point lost on the Lord, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2:4). So how would Jesus handle a situation like this?

.... The Bible contains an example in the life of a man named Nicodemus. He came to Jesus on the basis of reason and logic, rather than a heartfelt belief in the gospel, and he came by night because he was apprehensive. Faith was obviously lacking in his appraoch and Jesus did not accept this, but neither did He abandon him. Instead, He corrected the situation and provided an example for the rest of us, including some literal applications of the spiritual truths involved:

.... "There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, "Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him."
(John 3:1-2)

.... Nicodemus came to Jesus (both literally and spiritually) with a confession in his mouth. He and some friends had reasoned it out: "We know that this man comes from God and here are our reasons; here are the reasons – and who can blame us?" Like Pascal, they had added things up. And in their heads, they had actually gotten it right! But their hearts were still not there, and faith requires a heartfelt response. Also, they needed a better focus on the gospel message itself (Romans 10:9).

.... To answer the whole group (of which Nicodemus was the spokesman), Jesus began by gently backing them away again. "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." (v 3). And then, in speaking to Nicodemus personally, He added, "Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again’." (v 7). In other words Jesus was telling them, "Your type of approach will not bring you to salvation."

.... Nicodemus was confused. "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?" (v 4). At this point, whatever else may be true of the same passage, he is no longer relating to Jesus through head knowledge, and Jesus even points this out to him: "Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things?" (v 9). He then shifts the discussion to the four points of the gospel, with an emphasis on trust and a connection from the heart:

.... "11. Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness. 12. If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13. No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven. 14. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15. that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. 16. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved."
(John 3:11-17)

.... Jesus was telling Nicodemus, ‘You cannot come to Me through mere human logic; you must back away and approach Me again, but this time come through faith in the gospel alone. Here is My heart toward you in this matter; come, let us have a meeting of the hearts." and He personally saw to it that Nicodemus had this opportunity.

.... Nicodemus did not respond at this time, but he remained quietly interested. Later he made a rather judicial stand for Jesus, though he did not seem to do very well with that either (John 7:50-52). It was not until Jesus was crucified that Nicodemus finally made a proper stand for Him, identifying himself with Jesus in His death -- and in His resurrection to come -- as an act of love and devotion to Him (John 19:38-40). So once again we see a literal application of the truth in his life.

.... In a similar way, if someone mixes the gospel with human wisdom (even if the listener is the one who introduces this information) then our senior partner in evangelism, the Lord Himself, will not abandon them. He will still try to work with them, for Jesus told us "the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out." (John 6:37). But He will probably start by backing them away again, to try again for a purer approach on another day. So if this seems to occur during your evangelism, and you have the opportunity to explain it politely, then in doing so you might find that the other day is today after all.

To proceed to the next lesson, click here

Daily Bible Reading: Mark 13

Evangelistic Purity

2007-10-22T10:58:00.000-03:00

..... As discussed in an earlier posting, God is the senior partner in evangelism and we are by far the junior partners, so let’s explore a further dimension of this partnership. In addition to the need for focus in our gospel presentation, there is a need for purity in the message itself. Jesus said that anyone who is not with Him is against Him, and those who are not gathering with Him are scattering abroad (Matthew 12:30). And this has a particular application in presenting the gospel message:

.... "Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect."
(1 Corinthians 1:17)

.... In modern times it has become customary to mix a gospel presentation with logic, philosophy, psychology, scientific or archeological evidence, or other forms of worldly wisdom, though Paul expressly warned us not to do this. In such cases, we might expect God to honor the preaching anyway for the sake of the gospel that was included, but in fact the opposite is true. Because of the worldly wisdom we have mixed in, the preaching of the cross will be no effect instead. In other words, no one will be saved through hearing a message of this sort (Romans 1:16). It’s not that those other forms of wisdom are more powerful than the gospel; but rather, it's that the power of the gospel is in it’s purity.

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.... As an example of a message that is mixed with worldly wisdom, you may have heard a mathematical approach to evangelism called ‘Pascal’s Wager’. Blaise Pascal (1623-1662) examined all the possible responses to the gospel and their consequences. Basically, he stated that if God really exists and you believe in Him, you win everything; but if He didn’t exist and you believed, you lose nothing. Therefore, running the odds as a Las Vegas style bet, the safest response was to believe in Him.

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.... As one may readily see, ‘hedging our bets’ is anything but a faith response to the gospel, and the gospel is the power of God to salvation for the one who believes (Romans 1:16). In this example, the gospel has been mixed with worldly wisdom so it will be ineffective for the listener’s salvation. Even if they ‘bet on God’ they will remain unsaved:

.... "Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture, "Behold, I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone, elect, precious, and he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame."'
(1 Peter 2:6)

.... Or perhaps you’ve heard similar logic through a popular catch-phrase: "He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose." Clever sayings like these seem to offer the listener an intellectual appeal for believeing the gospel:

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.... "You should believe the gospel because it’s the ‘wise’ thing to do. Your friends won’t laugh at you that way. They’ll think you're really smart." But an intellectual response is not a faith response either, so a person responding intellectually will remain unsaved as well (1 Corinthians 1:18-25). And arguments based on ‘scientific support’ fall into a similar category.

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.... Or perhaps an evangelist may preach the gospel, but at the same time he'll introduce the listener to Christian psychological counselling in order to address their personal problems. In so doing he may explain that "Sometimes these things take a while." But this whole approach betrays his lack of confidence that the gospel itself is able to address their woes:

.... "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new."
(2 Corinthians 5:17)

.... Either we believe that God transforms us through receiving Jesus Christ, or we don’t; either we believe Him or we’re calling Him a liar (1 John 5:10). Has God’s arm been shortened? Has He spoken, and He is not able to bring it to pass? Why then would we not trust Him to fulfill His word? Because faith is the response He requires, and this means we must believe with all of our heart (Hebrews 11:6; Romans 10:9).

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.... In each of those examples, an evangelist’s own doubt is being revealed. They are hedging their bets every bit as much as Paschal, but in the opposite direction. And in truth, deep inside, most of them are probably ashamed of the gospel. They are afraid that people will laugh at them for believing; they are ignorant of the true power that the gospel of Jesus Christ contains (1 Corinthians 1:18). Yet a true evangelist would answer them by saying:

.... "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek."
(Romans 1:16)

We will continue this discussion in our next lesson. To proceed to the next lesson, click here

Daily Bible Reading: Mark 12

Focus Leads to Miracles

2007-10-19T04:23:00.000-03:00

.... In our previous postings, we discussed how teachings and miracles go together in preaching the gospel: "the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs." (Mark 16:20). They are designed to correlate in a direct cause-and-effect relationship, so let's think about this correlation carefully:

.... If God supplies signs and wonders as a confirmation to the gospel, then our own role must include an initial, clear presentation of the gospel in order to lay the groundwork so a match-up can follow (Mark 16:15-20). If we actively set the stage in this way, then God will find the stage set to act upon. Therefore an evangelist must anticipate the Lord in all he is sharing to insure that his message stays on track:

.... "For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified."
(1 Corinthians 2:2)

.... In this passage, Paul kept his preaching of the gospel very focused. He tried to exclude all other topics from the same discussion if possible, which kept his message pure. Thus, when God responded with miracles, it was perfectly clear what testimony He was responding to. With such a clear correlation to God's glory, the result was a flood of miracles as He confirmed the gospel of Jesus Christ through the matching signs:

.... "And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God."
(1 Corinthians 2:4-5)

.... Through these miracles, God quickly drew the listener’s attention beyond the evangelist and directly to Himself, to establish a very personal relationship at the heart of their salvation – which is the greatest miracle of them all.

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.... Yet sharing the gospel is not inflexible, so we don’t need to become robots about it. For example, it’s only fair to answer any questions your listener may have, especially in response to the immediate situation. Or we can discuss associated topics such as righteousness, self-control, or judgment to come (See Acts 24:25). There is a fair degree of flexibility, just try not to overdo it. Remember that if you discuss too many other things along the way, the gospel may become lost in the clutter and it may no longer be clear, in the mind of the listener, what God is responding to. So if you do have an opportunity to share the gospel and your listener starts to wander too far off subject, please do them a favor and try to gently steer the conversation back on course again.

To proceed to the next lesson, click here

Daily Bible Reading: Mark 11

The Signs of the Gospel

2007-10-17T12:21:00.001-03:00

.... In our previous posting we introduced the concept that miracles carry a testimony, to prove that an associated teaching is true. But let’s be more specific and discuss how God confirms the gospel itself through the accompanying signs:

.... And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover." So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen.
(Mark 16:15-20)

.... Signs always point to something, and the signs of the gospel point us back to the gospel to serve as an example and a testimony to it's power. For example, let's say you've presented the gospel and you've mentioned the stripes that Jesus received during His sufferings. You have also claimed, in accordance with the Scriptures, that "by His stripes we are healed" (Isaiah 53:5). The stage has been properly set for a 'sign' to follow this word, and point back to it.

.... If your listener responds with faith, you may lay your hands on them and pray for their healing. God will then confirm your word with a 'sign following', as a powerful, direct, miraculous healing occurs -- and when this mircale takes place, their faith will soar! For the kingdom of God is not in word only, but in power (1 Corinthians 4:20).

.... In fact, let’s discuss this testimony further. Their healing came through the stripes you just told them about. It confirms that Jesus really did receive those stripes, so it proves that your message to them was true (see Matthew 9:5-8). And not only that, it shows that Jesus cares for them individually, and that He is personally reaching out to share His life with them now. Through this, He demonstrates His desire to start a direct relationship in which He may show Himself strong on their behalf.

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.... Or again, let’s say that you are sharing the gospel and someone cries out with a loud, guttural voice as a demon manifests itself. In the name of Jesus you command it to come out, and it quickly obeys. Great power has been shown through Jesus’ name – but another truth, in the context of the gospel message, has also been confirmed:

.... ". . . And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it."
(Colossians 2:14-15)

.... Jesus defeated the enemy through the cross, so the miracle we’ve just seen proves that He died to achieve this victory. It also proves that He lives again now to apply it – just like you preached to them! Since the same power was at work in the miracle, it proves that your message was true. (Do you see how it works?) In fact, the miracle is a natural result of the gospel being true – it’s the ‘fruit’ that grows naturally on this tree. We’ll discuss this further in the ‘comments’ section.

To proceed to the next lesson, click here

Daily Bible Reading: Mark 10

Teachings and Miracles

2007-10-15T11:39:00.000-03:00

.... In the course of reading the Bible, you may have noticed a correlation between teachings and miracles. Together they promote a testimony of who God is, and of what He is like. For example, Jesus fed 5,000 men (plus women and children, about 20,000 people in all), with just five loaves of bread and a few small fish. Then He followed up by teaching:

.... "I am the bread of life . . . the living bread which came down from heaven."
(John 6:48,51)

.... When He fed so many people with just five loaves, then claimed to be the Bread of Life, we had to stop and think about this seriously! A Person who can perform such a miracle certainly knows what He's talking about when it comes to bread! Maybe He is the Bread of Life! And that's an illustration of the miracle's purpose. For the kingdom of God is not in word only, but in power, and the miracle contained a testimony to verify that the word was true (1 Corinthians 4:20). It was a God-given ‘proof’ of the teaching's validity.

.... Other examples could be sited very easily. "As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world," said Jesus; and suddenly a man who was born blind was able to see very clearly (John 9:5). The correlation in this case is obvious; for in addition to granting sight to the blind man, Jesus opened our own eyes in revealed a deeper truth about Himself.

.... Or again Jesus said, "I am the resurrection and the life" and in conjunction with His word, Lazarus, who had been dead for four days, came forth from the grave (John 11:25). Can you see the correlation, and the life that is contained in this testimony? For the teaching and the miracle complement each other again, to show us who Jesus is.

.... The LORD is known by the judgment He executes; the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands. Meditation. Selah.
(Psalm 9:16; see Psalm 75:1)

.... Every time God performed a miracle, something of His character was being expressed -- even if it was His sense of equity in judgment. The Hebrew word 'Selah', used above, means 'Let's think about this!' For by His miracles and His judgments we may know and understand Him better:

.... "But let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight," says the LORD. '
(Jeremiah 9:24)

.... Jesus uses miracles to confirm the words He gave (Psalm 75:1; 1 Corinthians 4:20). In each case, the underlying concept of the miracle matched the essence of the teaching, making the miracle a ‘proof’ that the teaching was true (John 14:10-11). The signs that follow the gospel are no exception for they confirm the truth of the gospel, and we will discuss them in our next posting.

To proceed to the next lesson, click here

Daily Bible Reading: Mark 9

The Relay Runner (a parable)

2007-10-12T12:25:00.001-03:00

.... In evangelism God works through us, and in the hearts of those who hear us, to confirm the gospel message that we are sharing (Philippians 1:28). In every way He is the senior partner and we are the junior, so we must learn to speak when we feel Him prompting us and to keep our message pure . . . and in other areas, we must even learn to stay out of His way. Evangelism is the great adventure and now it begins.

.
.... Think of God as a relay runner who has labored long and hard in the life of the person we are about to share the gospel with (Psalm 19:5). He has prepared their way and made their path straight – and now He is handing the baton to you, to assist in their effectual calling. The prize is their salvation; and on behalf of this person you must run in such a way as to obtain it:

.... "Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air."
(1 Corinthians 9:26)

.... Like our relay runner, you must compete according to the rules and try to keep your message on track (2 Timothy 2:5). You must be a team player, which we'll discuss in a moment. Furthermore your attitude in evangelism must always be humble, in deference to God Himself, so that you are never found to seek your own glory. If you’re out there running and pumping your arms, you had better not be doing it for a personal show, because God allows no flesh to glory in His presence (1 Corinthians 1:29).

.... In all of this, you must set your sight on the runner ahead of you and guide every step toward him with a sense of purpose, so the hand-off will be perfect. That relay runner will be God again, and a large part of the progress He makes afterward will depend on your matching stride with Him now, as you are still approaching, as on you give Him something to run with. So you must anticipate Him in this sense, and keep His next steps in mind.

.
.... When we share the gospel, the hour is quietly dramatic. The candidate’s whole purpose in life, and all that they’ve experienced with God to date, will come to it’s moment of truth. The role that we play is incredibly vital yet it is also intrinsically weak, and here is why:

.... To some extent the candidate will believe the gospel, at first, simply because they are taking your word for it. God allows this as a first step but He wants to go beyond it very quickly, to draw their faith directly to Himself and establish His own relationship with them:

.... "that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God."
(1 Corinthians 2:5)

.... This is the situation we must anticipate from the beginning. It brings us to the signs that will follow the gospel and their purpose in helping new Christians establish a direct relationship with God. Here is where your teamwork plays a vital role because it prepares the way for miraculous manifestations in their lives. Miracles are an awesome topic, and we will address them further in our next posting.

To proceed to the next lesson, click here

Daily Bible Reading: Mark 8

The Effectual Calling

2007-10-10T11:56:00.000-03:00

. .... In our previous module we discussed God’s efforts in drawing people to Himself, as He prepares their hearts to receive Jesus. To this point, He has generally worked alone in their lives; but now it will come full circle as He involves other Christians in their lives. This is where evangelism begins.

.
.... Evangelism is actually the most crucial stage of God's effort. It links all of His preparation to an actual conversion experience through a gospel presentation. This crucial event is sometimes referred to as our ‘effectual calling’; and for the person who is hearing the gospel it is the supreme moment of truth of their entire life. So before going further, let’s recap the four basic points of the gospel, which we will need to share with them:

1. An understanding of who Jesus is (see Romans 10:9)
2. Jesus died for our sins, according to the Scriptures.
3. Jesus was raised again on the third day, according to the Scriptures.
4. Jesus was seen, after His resurrection, by many witnesses.

.... Sharing the gospel can take place very spontaneously, perhaps during a chance encounter with a person you’ve never even met before. For this reason, Paul tells us to "Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season." (2 Timothy 4:2). But not all evangelism will take place on the spur of the moment. Especially if you are trying to reach family, friends and co-workers, time will play more of a role and it will allow another dimension to grow in significance.

.... In short, words are cheap. Those who have an opportunity to observe your life over an extended period of time will be far more convinced by the fruit they see; and only then might some of them open their hearts for you to share the gospel with them. So in a whole further sense, as our very lives speak of Jesus constantly, they must see Jesus Himself written in our hearts:

.... "Clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart."
(2 Corinthians 3:3)

.... During the Discipleship Introduction Module, everyone was encouraged to begin a significant Bible Study Routine of their own. There is really no replacement for this discipline, so how are you doing? Allow us to encourage you anew, that your light may shine before men and that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven; and that you may adorn the gospel of God -- which you are sharing with them -- with praise (Matthew 5:16; 1 Peter 2:12).

To proceed to the next lesson, click here

Daily Bible Reading: Mark 7

Predestination (Phase 3)

2007-10-08T12:15:00.000-03:00

..... God works in the life of every person in a sincere effort to bring them to Christ, for He is not willing that any should perish but that all come to repentance and the knowledge of the truth (2 Peter 3:9; Ephesians 1:11-12). He makes a sincere and, depending on the degree of need, even a very powerful effort to reveal Himself to all men, in order to offer this relationship effectively. In Scripture, this working is called ‘predestination’, which we have divided into three ‘phases’ for discussion purposes.

.
.... Predestination Phase 1 may be considered the ‘introduction’ as God reaches out to each one of us, in helping us identify with Jesus in His humility. If we respond with an initial humility of our own and glorify Him, He will 'call' us, and move us on to Phase 2. This is the transition phase, which will prepare our hearts for actually coming to Christ and move us from sinner to saint. We discussed this in our previous article. When it is fulfilled we will actually be saved, and 'Phase 3' will follow as an ongoing work of the Lord in our lives.

.... Even though we have described ‘phases’ in a strictly practical sense, the reader should not lose track of the real heart of this matter: We are talking about a budding relationship as we become acquainted with God through Jesus, and as we are drawn closer to Him over time, leading to a covenant relationship (John 6:44). And therefore, once we've actually become saved, ‘Predestination Phase 3’ is about making that relationship deeper and deeper:

.... "For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren."
(Romans 8:29)

.... The crucial link between ‘Phase 2’ and ‘Phase 3’ is the gospel presentation and the individual response, which is sometimes referred to as the ‘effectual calling’. At this stage God works through someone who is already a Christian in order to reach the candidate and bring them to a place of committment. He has truly been the senior partner in this entire effort, the Lord of the Harvest, and now He is giving us a relatively small but very crucial role. And as we become His junior partners in evangelism, He wants to work very closely with us as well. We will begin this discussion in our next posting.

.
.... Once again, we know that some will consider this whole ‘background’ of election and predestination a major rabbit path from the true basics. But those who are just coming to the Lord will relate to it very strongly because it will help explain the mystical elements that they have experienced in bringing them to this point. Thus, for them, it can offer a powerful insight with a profound and very personalized effect in helping them believe, and in firmly grounding them in their new faith. So we wanted to include a basic discussion in this special module for their sakes.

You have now completed the Pre-evangelism Module. To begin the Evangelism 1 Module, click here

Daily Bible Reading: Mark 6

Predestination (Phase 2)

2007-10-05T10:59:00.000-03:00

.... Through "Predestination Phase 1", God chooses certain people whom He will draw to Himself through Christ, but this also presents them with a formidable new challenge. Since all have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory, they are still reluctant to face the Light of Jesus because it would also mean facing the truth about their own sinfulness:

.... "For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God."
(John 3:20-21)

.... Yet the same passage offers them hope as God undertakes additional works for the purpose of drawing them near. This is "Predestination Phase 2". Because He prepares their hearts in this way, it will change them just enough to be able to face the light of Jesus without turning aside. In fact, when they eventually do come to Him, they'll look back on it all and see how His handiwork had helped prepared them for this hour.

.... "However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth . . . He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment . . .."
(John 16:7-13 )

.... God sent the Holy Spirit to convict the world of sin, righteousness and judgment in relation to Jesus Himself. Through this Divine effort, works of truth are initiated in the life of those who are called, that ‘he who does the truth’ may soon approach the light of Christ, and be saved. This is the step between their calling and their salvation. But still, in a practical sense, what will this effort actually look like, or what form will it take?

.
.... The answer came to me one day as I was reading John 1:6-7, and one of those ‘unthinkable thoughts’ popped into my head. The passage spoke of John the Baptist:

.... 'There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe.’

.... "That’s almost sounds like a Divine characteristic." I caught myself thinking, "but of course, John was not Divine." But with that stray thought my understanding was suddenly opened, and a crowd of supporting Scriptures came rushing in. .

.... In those early days, before the Holy Spirit was given, people came to Jesus because of the ministry of John the Baptist. In other words, he was a forerunner of the Holy Spirit’s own ministry, a human representation of that ministry, which is an almost indescribable honor. And for this reason Jesus would say of John:

.... "For I say to you, among those born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist."
(Luke 7:28)

.... John prepared the way of the Lord and made His paths straight by turning the disobedient to the wisdom of the just (Luke 1:17). Like the Holy Spirit Himself, he would teach them of sin, righteousness and judgment, in relation to Christ who was about to come. In a practical sense he taught the fear of God, the need for repentance, truthfulness, a willingness to share, and the need for basic honesty (Psalm 15:1-5; Luke 3:6-18).

.
.... Of course, no one was actually saved through John’s ministry. Nor was that the intention in itself. But by following the ‘works of truth’ that he preached, the listener's hearts was reshaped just enough to be able to face the Light of Christ when He came. Thus, when John saw Jesus and cried out, "Behold, the Lamb of God!" Immediately they were able to follow Him. (John 1:36-37).

..... So how might this working appear in our own time, now that the Holy Spirit has suceeded John and brought the fullness of this intention in being, and perhaps even personalized it?

.... To begin with, those who are ‘called’ (though not yet saved) will begin to see a more focused emphasis on truth in their lives. Truth and it's sister, justice, will become increasingly important concepts to them, for in learning to appreciate truth they will feel inclined to act accordingly (John 5:33; 16:13).

.... For some of us, this may be a long, subtle process, perhaps owing itself to a religious background in their lives, culture or family. For others, who grew up in a different environment, the change may be more pronounced. But as they seek to improve their behavior, their own, sincere pursuit will also demonstrate their personal limitations in achieving what is right, and thus their further need for Jesus:

.... "For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find."
(Romans 7:18)

.... Righteousness and sin will become subjects they think about too, and thoughts of an eventual judgment will sometimes worry them (John 16:8-11). But this will not occur with a sense of hopelessness. They will begin, instead, to feel the need for a change, with a growing sense of urgency. Often, during this period, they may try to feel better about themselves through avenues they already understand such as dieting, fitness clubs, trying to stop smoking, new forms of studies, or generous forms of social involvement. These and many other such initiatives may be telltale signs of the discomfort they are feeling due to the underlying conviction of sin in thier lives.

.... Can you think of occasions like those in your own life, before you came to the Lord? Or have you seen these signs in your family or friends? (If so, please add some examples in the 'comments' section). All of these deep, moody impressions are designed to get us thinking, and hopefully to respond, to prepare our hearts for receiving the gospel – which we will discuss in our next posting.

To proceed to the next lesson, click here

Daily Bible Reading: Mark 5

Results of Predestination (Phase 1)

2007-10-03T12:08:00.000-03:00

.......Through predestination (phase 1), God begins an extensive, multi-layered outreach to each one of us in an effort to see us saved (We're assuming you’ve read the previous postings). Then He'll watch patiently to see our response. If we answered humbly and acknowledge Him, and are thankful, we will be ‘called’ us at that point, and God will begin a further work to actually bring us to Jesus (which we call 'Predestination Phase 2').

.
.... Through this ‘evaluation’ at the end of Phase 1, the truth behind God’s calling will appear. To be chosen by God never carried an actual criteria on our part – nothing at all – but rather, almost a lack of it, as we humbly trust in Him rather than ourselves. And this was His intention all along:

.... "For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence. But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God-- and righteousness and sanctification and redemption– that, as it is written, "He who glories, let him glory in the Lord."
(1 Corinthians 1:26-31)

.... Thus, no one is called or refused because of their own works, will, or efforts, whether good or bad. God has mercy on them because of the humility He sees in them – and even that is the result of His own efforts in teaching them, drawing them, working through their circumstances – and yes, even humbling them. But even so, this understates what is actually happening because it omits the crucial, personal connection:

.... Remember that Jesus Himself was crucified in weakness (2 Corinthians 13:4). In every way, He emptied Himself of reputation and took the form of a servant both to God and to man, when He came into the world (Philippians 2:5-11). And in response to His humility, God has highly honored and exalted Him (Isaiah 42:1):

.... "The stone that the builders re- jected became the chief corner- stone; this was the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes."
(Psalm 118:22-23)

.... In like manner, those who are chosen by God have identified with Jesus in His humility, and this becomes the basis of a relationship that will allow them to draw close to Him:

.... "Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, you also, as living stones . . ."
(1 Peter 2:4-5)

.... In the ‘comments’ section below, we’ll discuss what happens for those who do not respond with humility, and in our next posting we’ll address Predestination Phase 2. But for now, please think of those occasions that God ordained in your own life in order to draw you near to Him. Isn’t it true that you responded with humility at some point and glorified Him, and afterward things began to change for you?

To proceed to the next lesson, click here

Daily Bible Reading: Mark 4

Predestination (Phase 1)

2007-10-01T10:02:00.000-03:00

.... Before meeting Jesus, every person has a problem with sin. Therefore, when we are faced with the light of Jesus Christ for the first time, we will always find it difficult responding to Him. We will desire, instead, to withdraw from Him and avoid the whole issue. This reluctance is so universal in its scope and so crippling in its effect that none of us would ever approach the Lord on our own (Romans 3:10-12); yet God so passionately desires to save each person that He generously makes another, initial effort in reaching out to each one of us. This effort may be called ‘Predestination Phase 1'.

.
.... Predestination occurs in three phases, and this initial phase is the oddest of the three. First, it applies to everyone, whereas the latter two phases apply only to those who have responded to the phase one, who are thereafter referred to as 'called' (Acts 17:27).

.... Second, this phase of presdestination pertains, not to the people themselves, but to their outward circumstances as special occasions are predestined in their lives.

.... And third, those circumstances offer a hope that each person might seek the Lord and find Him, but they do not guarantee this result (Romans 8:24). That part will depend on the individual's own, free-will response (Revelation 22:17).

.... Let’s have a closer look at this phase in the Scriptures, going back to the original Greek to obtain a slightly more conceptualized rendering:

.... "He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has ordained their pre-appointed occasions, and the limits of their conditions, so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, 'For we are also His offspring'. Therefore, since we are the offspring of God . . ."
(Acts 17:26-29)

.... Predestination Phase 1 nudges individuals toward seriously considering God for the first time because of the situations God brings to pass in their lives. In a fateful hour, an initial connection will be made that will cause them to stop to think about Him seriously. Perhaps there will be a narrow escape from death, a rescue unlooked for, or some other form of deliverance; or perhaps a blessing beyond all possible hope, in which they will see His hand (Psalm 68:20; Romans 2:4).

.... For others of us, in a less dramatic way, the same result may spring from a persistent religious culture or background that gradually influences our thoughts. However it may come to pass, each person will finally perceive that God knows them and cares for them personally, and that He seems to be reaching out to them (Acts 17:26-27).

.
.... Furthermore let's remember that God teaches us both inwardly and outwardly (as described in an earlier posting), so this, too, plays an influential role. Jesus said that we shaill ‘all be taught by God’; but in the same pasage He warns that only some of us will humble ourselves enough to hear Him and actually learn from Him (John 6:45). Through this effort our great moment of truth has arrived, and by it the Lord begins to draw all men to Himself (John 12:32; 6:44).

.
.... In Predestination Phase 1, God takes a lot of initiative on our behalf, but then He awaits our response to see where we’ll go from there. We'll discuss that further in our next posting. But for now, please think back on your own life before you came to the Lord. What were some of the events that shook you awake, and made you stop to think about Him? If your friends participated in those same events, maybe God was reaching out to them at the same time? Or maybe they’ve told you of some other events of a similar magnitude? Those events may very well contain the clues you need, in giving you something to talk to them about.

To proceed to the next lesson, click here

Daily Bible Reading: Mark 3

Phases of Predestination

2007-09-28T21:23:00.000-03:00

.... God loves each of us with an everlasting love. As a loving Father, He wants every person to come to repentance and to the knowledge of the truth as the truth is in Jesus. He passionately desires that we all be saved for He is not willing that any of us perish without Him. And that brings Him to an important, practical decision in each of our lives (Jeremiah 31:3; 1 Timothy 2:4; 2 Peter 3:9; Ephesians 4:21).

.... Being a God of purpose, God predestines all things according to the counsel of His will; and since He is not willing that any of us perish, He predestines certain events in the life of each one of us in an attempt to save us, if only we'll respond by trusting in Him:

.... "In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory."
(Ephesians 1:11-12)

.... Predestination is a subject wrought with controversy, chiefly because it is has been viewed presumptuously. So let's return to the most basic level and ask some fundamental questions about it. What, exactly, is being predestined? Outward circumstances, or inward decisions? Does predestination offer a hope, or does it ordain a result? And if God is controlling something in our lives, how does our own response play a role? In other words, what is predestination really meant to accomplish?

.... Over the next few postings we’ll examine three separate and distinct types of predestination that are outlined in the Scriptures. They apply to different people in different stages of a relationship with God, and they are intended to accomplish different things. Furthermore they seem to be divisible on a time line, having the overall appearance of phases, so we will address them in that manner (Phases 1, 2 and 3). Think of them as an introduction leading to a warming acquaintance, with the hope that a committed friendship will emerge. This, in turn, will deepen into love as we respond with interest at each step.

.... By its very nature, we will have to address this subject in broadest terms. The specifics are so personalized that we can do no better (though there may be some examples in the 'comments' section, and you are welcome to add more of your own). But showing a basic 'pattern' that God seems to follow would help our evangelistic efforts tremendously. By understanding someone’s degree of progress within this pattern we might help them relate to God’s overtures of the past, understand where they are now and what it means, and even anticipate what their next step might be. And hearing the thoughts of their heart revealed in this manner would testify to them very strongly, demonstrating that God is talking to them again even now through one of us (as in 1 Corinthians 14:24-25).

To proceed to the next lesson, click here

Daily Bible Reading: Mark 2

The Election

2007-09-26T00:00:00.000-03:00

. ... Let’s begin this posting with some basic terminology. In the Scriptures, Christians are often referred to as ‘the elect’ (or, based on the same underlying Greek word, as ‘the chosen’). But what does this phrase mean, and how should we understand it?

.... The ‘Election’ of God was a decision that He made from before the foundation of the world, by His own foreknowledge, that would eventually open the door for our salvation. But this decision has been very widely misunderstood and has lead to confusion.

.... The most commonly held view is that God, by His foresight, chose certain persons to be saved. This was done in an arbitrary manner, without regard to who they were or what they would ever do, whether good or bad. It was simply God's own, personal decision to save them, without further reason or criteria. For some people, this would work out great! But of course, if you happened to be on the other side of that choice, it meant you were destined for hell by default!

.... Over the centuries, this doctrine has been received in an odious way. Even non-Christians seem to know that it cannot possibly be right (see John 1:9). And indeed, it isn’t right! While it’s true that God knew each one of us by His foresight, He kept a distinct criteria in mind the whole time in deciding whom He would call. His benchmark was higher than the heavens themselves, and absolutely staggering in its scope. So high was His requirement that winning His favor in the election required absolute merit, and as such it resulted in the choosing of only one person: Jesus Christ, the righteous:

.... "Behold! My Servant whom I uphold, My Elect One in whom My soul delights! I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles."
(Isaiah 42:1, Matthew 12:18)

.... Please note that in this passage, Jesus is referred to as the ‘Elect One’ of God. For Jesus Christ is the one and only, and not simply one of many (See Galatians 3:16).

.... The event described in this passage may perhaps be referred to as ‘the election proper’. Before mankind was even created, as the veil of the ages was drawn aside, the majesty of Christ in God’s election was revealed, for He had this testimony from of old: that God delighted in Him. (For further details, click here).

.... God chose Jesus before the world began; and in later years, when we would come to believe in Him, we would be joined together to become one spirit with Him, just as a bride becomes one flesh with her husband (1 Corinthians 6:17). Thus, Jesus becomes the champion of all who love Him and cling to Him (John 14:6). And it is through our abiding in Jesus, the Chosen One of God, that we, too, become chosen in Him:

.... "just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love"
(Ephesians 1:4)

.... So our own election does not pertain to our works, whether good or bad – that part was true. But rather, it depends on Christ alone, and the standing we obtain through being united with Him in our lives. In other words the traditional understanding of the election must be turned on its head: rather than being saved because we are chosen, we are chosen in Him because we are saved (Colossians 3:11-12).

.... So in your evangelism, please keep this in mind and never pre-judge someone because you think they may or may not be the sort of person "that God would have chosen". Believing in Jesus changes everything; and God, through the wonderous merit of Jesus Christ, can save anyone who will respond to Him by faith: "For whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved." (Joel 2:32; Romans 10:13).

.... We will discuss this further in the following postings.

To proceed to the next lesson, click here

Daily Bible Reading: Mark 1

God’s Preparation for Evangelism

2007-09-24T00:04:00.000-03:00

... As discussed in our previous posting, God pre- pared our redemption in Jesus before time began, and He enlightened us with the light of Christ when we came into this world (Revelation 13:8; John 1:9). Every man who is born has this hope hidden within him. But God also works outwardly, in the world itself, to reveal Himself in ways that will speak to us further.

.
.... God has shown us His invisible attributes through the witness of creation, through the moods of the weather or in the bounty of nature, if only we will stop to reflect on them (Psalm 19:1-4; 107:23-31; Romans 8:22-23; Acts 14:17). All it takes is a little humility and thoughfulness on our part. In fact, these natural forms of witness are so instructive that He considers us without excuse if we fail to perceive their message (Romans 1:20).

.
.... God’s testimony within us and around us is bountiful, majestic and enlightening. So why would anyone not receive Jesus when they heard of Him? It’s because man has a basic problem with sin:

.... "There is none righteous, no, not one; there is none who under- stands; there is none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside; they have together become unprofitable; there is none who does good, no, not one."
(Rom 3:10-12)

.... Left to ourselves, our sins will always make us reluctant to seek God: "For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed." (John 3:20). Passages like these pertain to every last one of us, for not one single person on earth would stir themselves up to seek God (Isaiah 64:7). Therefore, He must always begin another major work simply to draw us closer over time, in order to overcome our human reluctance (John 6:44).

.... ". . . so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us."
(Acts 17:27)

.... In the passage above we see a complete turn-around from our original attitude, as a result of God's preparation in drawing us closer, which He performs in the course of each person's life. In Scripture this working is called predestination -- a subject that is widely misunderstood. But when examined properly, it can help us navigate through an evangelistic opportunity and speak to someone’s heart in leading them to the Lord effectively.

.
.... Some may argue that exploring this process of preparation is not a ‘basic’ subject at all, but a rather complex one. Yet in a paradoxical way, new Christians can usually relate to it extremely well – possibly even better than they can relate to the gospel – because it will match their recent past, recap the steps that brought them to Jesus in the first place, and confirm their new faith in Him through their actual experience.

.... Furthermore we may see the same preparation underway in our family and friends who are still unsaved, and find encouragement to reach out to them more effectively. For our friends who are not yet Christians, who have not yet tasted of the fullness itself, this is as real as it gets, and it's witness can be extremely powerful. With that in mind, we’ll touch upon this testimony further in our next postings.

To proceed to the next lesson, click here

Daily Bible Reading: Matthew 28

The Lord of the Harvest

2007-09-21T00:37:00.000-03:00

.... Evangelism is about sharing the gospel with unsaved persons, and leading them into a saving relationship with God through Jesus Christ. For the would-be evangelist, the most basic lesson is to understand this effort as a partnership, in which God Himself is the senior partner and we are, by far, the junior partners. For we may be the laborers in the field, but He Himself is the Lord of the Harvest (Matthew 9:38). The whole endeavor is His very own handiwork, and we are joining Him a very late stage. In fact, let’s start by examining what He accomplished long before we even became involved:

.... From before the foundation of the world, God chose His only Son Jesus to be the savior of all mankind (Isaiah 42:1; Ephesians 1:4; 1 Timothy 4:10). This event is called the ‘election’, which we will discuss in detail in a posting soon-to-come. As the Lamb of God in heaven, Jesus was slain for our sins before time began, before mankind was even created, before there was ever a need (Revelation 13:8). So when man was created and later fell into sin, the way of our redemption was already prepared. This was done so that God might be glorified in Jesus alone, as we all came to God through Him (Romans 11:36).

.... And to insure that we would one day connect with Jesus, when we heard of Him, God hid something of the knowledge of Christ deeply inside each one of us:

.... "That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world"
(John 1:9)

.... Thus in the days to come, when we would first hear the good news of Jesus Christ, that message would touch deeply on this hidden knowledge that was already within us, match it, and confirm it to us in an eerie way. From deeply within ourselves we’d know that we had just heard the truth (1 Corinthians 2:13; see 1 Corinthians 14:25). And this would be so, even if we did not receive Jesus at the time (see Proverbs 25:21-22).

.... So when the Lord uses you in evangelism, realize that your message is always getting through to your listener at some level, even if it is not acknowledged at once. God may bring your words back to them in quiet, thoughtful moments in the days to come. And if you've shown a humble confidence in the Lord the whole time, He will add a special testimony above all, and it's something each of you will understand from deeply within yourselves:

.... "Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ . . . not in any way terrified by your adversaries, which is to them a proof of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that from God."
(Philippians 1:27-28)

.... Through this added testimony (which comes through your confidence in God) you will both know that you are saved, but they are still in their sins; and you will both perceive that this understanding has come to you from the Lord Himself. But the intention is not to condemn anyone. Your listener can be saved, if only they will humble themselves and repent, and seek Him as you have done.

To proceed to the next lesson, click here

Daily Bible Reading: Matthew 27

Introduction to Evangelism

2007-09-19T00:19:00.000-03:00

.... In our previous module we discussed a series of proper responses to the gospel, but one type of response deserves a series of it’s own. It has to do with evangelism. For just as someone shared the gospel with us, we should be willing to share it with others.

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.... In a sense, new Christians can be natural evangelists anyway. Even if they don’t yet know very much about the faith, they at least know how to become a Christian, and that’s enough to show someone else the way. They are also well connected. Many of their friends and family members may still be unsaved, but our new Christian has long ago earned a place for speaking with them -- and they will usually feel an urgent need for doing so. As a special bonus, they are a living example of their own message, providing a ‘before-and-after’ picture of the Lord’s work for those who had known them previously.

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.... In many ways, a 'golden period' will emerge at this time as new Christians reach out to their old acquaintances to include them on the journey. They are still just a few steps ahead of them; it would be easy for them to catch up, and then they could still explore their new beliefs together. They are family members and long time friends; they would be at the same place in life, understanding each other’s backgrounds, questions, hopes and trials, which could only be of greater benefit to them all. And just as they were friends before their conversion, they could now become co-pilgrims on the road to eternal life.

.... "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!"

(Psalm 133:1)

.... In fact, the problem can sometimes be that our new Christian friend is a little too zealous, and despite some excellent intentions they might end up trampling their old friends instead of helping them. Years later, as they mature in Christ, they’ll look back on those early episodes with regret, wishing they’d know a little more at the time and fearing that those golden opportunities were lost. The following lessons will help them capitalize on their personal experience and enthusiasm, while avoiding some of those early mistakes, that they may learn to share the gospel correctly.

To proceed to the next lesson, click here

Daily Bible Reading: Matthew 26

Foot Washing

2007-09-17T02:30:00.000-03:00

.... Jesus had a problem with His disciples. For years, He had taught them to be servants both to God and to men, but the irresistible lure of ambition kept clouding their minds. Repeatedly, He'd caught them arguing amongst themselves as to which of them should be the greatest (Mark 9:33-34; 10:37; Luke 9:46); and on each of those occasions He had given them examples in correcting them:

.... "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."
(Mark 10:45)

.... Jesus had told them plainly; He had corrected them on each of those occasions, yet they always seemed to come back to this argument. And even now, at the last supper, He had caught them in the argument again (Luke 22:24).

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.... Something about a person’s dying words carry a special weight, and there were several lessons that Jesus saved for the context of this final hour. Now He would do something to settle this argument in their hearts once and for all. Arising from the table, He gird Himself with a towel and began to wash the apostle's feet: a way of honoring another person that is very humbling, personally (John 13:13-17).

..
.... The apostles were dismayed that the Lord Himself would wash their feet! And finally His example of servanthood got through to them:

.... "You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you."
(John 13:13-15)

.... The apostles were mortified with humility and understood His lesson at last. It was the very essence and concept of the life He had lived. Never again would this argument arise among them, as the true focus of servanthood prevailed.

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.... The ceremony of foot washing takes the motivation of Jesus, in His dying hours, and translates it into an application. But should foot washing be considered an ordinance? Jesus offered it as an example that should be repeated, so technically we would have to say ‘Yes’. But the heart attitude behind foot washing, that we should serve each other without selfish ambition, is the true lesson and should be employed in every application of our lives and at all times.

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.... A foot washing ceremony is something you may rarely see as a Christian. There is no prescribed interval, nor is it driven by outward events, but it seems to emerge only on occasions when the Lord’s own heart may prompt us to do so. But when this does happen, it is one of the most humbling things you will ever see and it seldom fails to bring tears, appreciation, and restoration. For by it, the issues of our pride are humbled before Jesus’ own example of humility in the very hour of His death is called again to our remembrance.

Congratulations, you have now completed the Gospel Ordinance Module! To proceed to the Pre-evangelism Module, click here

Daily Bible Reading: Matthew 25

The Double Meaning of Communion

2007-09-14T03:00:00.000-03:00

.... In our previous posting we discussed the meaning of the Lord’s supper. It is a memorial to our Lord Jesus who gave Himself on the cross for our sins. The sacrament of bread represents His body which was broken, and the wine represents His blood which was shed (Matthew 26:26-28). But because the bread represent His body, it actually gives the Lord’s Supper a double meaning. For in a secondary sense, ‘the body of Christ’ represents all Christians; so as often as we partake of this bread we are also partaking of one another:

.... "The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread."
(1 Corinthians 10:16-17)

.... In this passage, the Lord’s Supper is referred to as ‘communion’. It is a time for reflecting on what Jesus has done, and repenting if we need to do so; but it is also a time for reflecting on the needs of others around us who call on the name of Jesus, who may be sharing in the same ceremony. For in loving one another, the love of Jesus Christ, that was shown in the gospel, is fulfilled, and the testimony of His love may be seen by the rest of the world (John 13:35).

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.... In the first century church, communion often took place in the context of a larger church gathering known as 'the love feast’ (2 Peter 2:13; Jude 12). This was like a Christian ‘pot luck’, which took place on at least a weekly basis (as in 1 Corinthians 16:2) or even, in some households, on a daily basis (Acts 2:46; 6:1). Though this event was centered around providing a meal, in all likelihood, in the same general spirit, it was an occasion to insure that the other needs in the body were met as well (in the spirit of Acts 2:44-46).

.... Therefore when you partake of the Lord's supper, be mindful and thankful for His covenant, sealed by the His love and by the shedding of His blood; but also be mindful of those around you -- for in a very practical sense His body is represented in them as well. Further discussion may be found in the 'comments' section.

To proceed to the next lesson, click here

Daily Bible Reading: Matthew 24

The Lord’s Supper

2007-09-12T04:07:00.001-03:00

.... In our last few postings we've discussed baptism which, if done correctly, need never be repeated. It is designed as a one-time event because it marks the beginning of a life-long covenant. If we do sin again, we should repent rather than being re-baptized (1 John 1:9; Galatians 5:1). But this is not to say that the meaning of our baptism is fleeting. The same understanding is constantly recalled through another ceremony called "The Lord’s Supper". This ongoing ceremony is entirely symbolic in nature, for the purpose of reminding us that Jesus died for us all:

.... "For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, ‘Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.’ In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.’ For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes."
(1 Corinthians 11:23-26)

.... Again we should emphasize that the Lord’s supper is entirely symbolic. It is not a re-sacrifice of Jesus, an additional increment of His sacrifice, nor anything of the sort, since then He would have needed to suffer often from the beginning of the world (Hebrews 9:25-28). But rather, it is to recall that He was offered once to bear the sins of many, and by this He has put away our sins forever (1 Peter 3:18). It calls to mind the very covenant we sealed with Him through water baptism. Jesus Himself described this ceremony as a ‘memorial’ of the life He gave, and as often as we partake of it we are to remember Him. Thus through the Lord’s supper, as in baptism, we show our continued faith in the gospel.

.... "But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup . . . for if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged."
(1 Cor 11:28,31)

.... The Lord’s supper is a time for checking ourselves anew in our walk with God, to make sure we are still on track with Him. Like baptism, partaking of this ceremony should demonstrate, within ourselves, the answer of a good conscience toward God (1 Peter 3:21). If not, we'll need to take a moment to confess our sins and repent of them, but afterward we should still partake.

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.... Here, another question presents itself. How often should the Lord’s supper be observed? There are many opinions, but perhaps the immediate context is the most correct: that it should be done simply in the context of eating a meal -- any meal -- so that it is done very frequently, as a part of our lifestyle.

.... Most Christians have learned to bless their meals before eating, and Jesus Himself blessed His meals in this way -- including the last supper (Luke 9:16; 24:30). So if we take a moment to focus on Jesus before partaking of the bread, to be thankful for what He has done, it would be entirely appropriate. Thus He would be in constant remembrance lest we become shortsighted, even to blindness, and forget that we were cleansed from our old sins (2 Peter 1:9).

To proceed to the next lesson, click here

Daily Bible Reading: Matthew 23

Baptismal Timing

2007-09-10T00:48:00.001-03:00

.... Acts 16 recalls the amazing story of the Philippian jailer, whose conversion holds many lessons for us all. In the beginning of this passage, Paul and Silas were under guard, locked within the inner prison and bound in the stocks for their faith -- yet they were singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening.

.... Suddenly, at midnight, the whole prison was shaken and everyone’s bonds were loosed! The Philippian jailer, supposing that the prisoners had fled, was about to kill himself when Paul cried out to him with a loud voice and said: "Do yourself no harm, for we are all here!"

.... Trembling, the jailer came inside with a light and asked the apostles, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"

.... "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household."
(Acts 16:31)

.... The jailer brought them out of prison and washed their wounds; the apostles shared the gospel and washed away his sins. For when the jailer and his household heard the gospel, they all believed and were baptized at once.

.... In Scripture, everyone who believed the gospel was baptized immediately and this was no exception – even though the prison was shaken at midnight, the family was gatherered, and the gospel preached and received, so by this time it must have been at least one or two in the morning! Yet the jailer was gladly baptized , and he was still back at work the next morning at daybreak! (v 35). What a contrast with the lazy attitude of so many Christians today!

..... In 1998, I attended a church with several hundred members. The pastor spoke one morning on water baptism, and humbly called for every member who had not yet been baptized to come forward and do so during the evening service. Seventy-five persons came forward in response: a large percentage of the entire congregation.

.... Most of these persons had been Christians for many years! So what had been holding them back? And when I realized the truth, I found it disturbing. It was because, in their hearts, they were ashamed of the gospel of Christ; ashamed to humble themselves publicly in taking their stand for Him:

.... "For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels."
(Mark 8:38)

.... It was especially heartbreaking to compare the two sides of this equation. On Jesus' side of baptism, He took our sins on Himself, and all of their reproach, through the most brutal death imaginable. Yet in this process, He was not ashamed to call us His ‘brothers’ (Hebrews 2:11). So how could it be that on our own side of His death (which baptism represents), we are ashamed to take up His reproach? And after all, what is His reproach? Let us remember whose sins those were, that brought Him to such shame!

.... On that same evening, as I watched the long line of candidates make their way to the baptistry, the Lord brought another story to mind that dovetailed into this. In Mark chapter 5, Jesus was approached by Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue, whose young daughter was dying. But as He went to heal her, a woman with an issue of blood pressed through the crowd and touched the hem of His garment, and was immediately healed. She received of His goodness; yet like those persons I mentioned, who had received His salvation so long ago, she quietly withdrew into the crowd and did not come forth to give Him glory. .

.... "And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, 'Who touched My clothes?' "
(Mark 5:30)

.... When she withdrew, Jesus stopped in His very tracks. Even though a young girl’s life was in the balance, He refused to go further. For He knew that virtue had gone out of Him, and He looked around in the crowd to see who had done this thing. Finally the woman, fearing and trembling, came and fell down before Him and declared the whole truth, publicly glorifyng God for the virtue she'd received from Him. And when she did, He allowed her to go in peace.

.... In a similar way, when we receive the virtue of salvation from Jesus, He requires us to come forward and glorify God through water baptism. Do not His eyes search our congregations still, for those who have held back so long and refused to come forward, who have hemmed and demurred for as long as they could, like those seventy-five on that night?

.... In Mark 5, as Jesus waited for the woman to glorify God, everything else was put on hold. The young girl who needed His ministry actually did die. Does this speak of how important it is to glorify Him properly, say, in following salvation with baptism? Might it explain some of the tragedic delays we have faced in our own churches, when we've needed the Lord’s hand, yet He seemed to tarry? But when the glory was given properly, healing broke forth and the young girl was raised from the dead.

.... So if you still have not been baptized, please think about this story and its testimony carefully, and humbly search your heart about it. And do not be like those others, who came in a group of seventy-five, to hide themselves in a crowd even then.

To proceed to the next lesson, click here

Daily Bible Reading: Matthew 22

Baptism: Substance or Symbolism?

2007-09-07T03:11:00.000-03:00

.... In the days before the Protestant Reform- ation, the Catholic church taught salvation, essentially, through maintaining a regement of good works (Ephesians 2:8-9; 2 Timothy 1:9). It was an attitude of earning one's salvation by sticking with the program. Then came Martin Luther, who proclaimed salvation by faith alone (sola fide), saying that it was a gift from God rather than something we earn from Him (Ephesians 2:8-9). A clear battle line seemed to be drawn.

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.... Now, if you were a Catholic in those days, how would argue with a Protestant? You would probably try to find a hole in his beliefs that pointed to a need for works after all: "What about water baptism?" you might say. "Wouldn’t you say you would have to do something in order to be baptized?"

.
.... The alarmed Protestant would immediately sense a march on his premise. Holding up his palms defensively he would say. "Look, we are saved by faith alone," and would probably leave it at that. He'd be fearful of putting a feather in the Catholic’s cap. So from his point of view, the battle line is not so clear after all.

.... " . . . baptism . . . not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God -- through the resurrection of Jesus Christ."
(1 Peter 3:21)

.... Since the time of the Protestant Reformation, a vast theological no-man’s land has emerged between faith and works. Within this realm struggles every form of legitimate response to God, including such admirable qualities as loyalty, devotion, obedience and (in the case of water baptism,) ‘the answer of a good conscience toward God’ (1 Peter 3:21). Baptism, in particular, has been downplayed and reduced to an ‘optional’ status by many Protestants, who now seem to portray it as quaint ‘symbolism’ in order to dismiss it’s significance – to the shame of those who have done so.

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.... Since the Protestant Reformation has been well under way for almost 500 years now, it is probably safe to assume that it is no longer too fragile to bear re-examination in such gray areas. In fact, there is good reason why we should do so. Because, in addition to forming a 'response' to God, those areas represent our side of building a relationship with Him, and this is something we shoudl not dismiss so easily.

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.... So in this posting, let’s consider a simple yet controversial point. Is baptism merely symbolic, or does it actually serve a functional purpose? Opinions are widespread and, honestly, of no consequence, so let’s look at what the Scriptures have to say. We have listed a few below, then we’ll offer some elaboration in the ‘comments’ section, where I hope a lively discussion will follow:

.... "He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned."

(Mark 16:16)
.... "And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord."
(Acts 22:16)
.... "For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ."
(Galatians 3:27)

To proceed to the next lesson, click here

Daily Bible Reading: Matthew 21

The Testimony of Jesus in Baptism

2007-09-05T23:19:00.000-03:00

.... Water baptism is a very important step for every new believer, but we should especially understand God’s own perspective, beginning with the baptism of Jesus Himself. As John the Baptist said: "I did not know Him; but that He should be revealed to Israel, therefore I came baptizing with water." (John 1:31). So water baptism carries an important testimony of who Jesus is.

.... The baptism of Jesus was one of the most heavily prophesied events in the Old Testament, and to help us explore it's meaning Peter used some extensive ‘picture prophecy’ in an allegory:.

.... ". . . when the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through the water. And corresponding to that, baptism now saves you-- not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience-- through the resurrection of Jesus Christ."
(1 Peter 3:18-21 NAS)

.... In the days of Noah, the wickedness of man was very great on the earth, and the world was full of violence. And the Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men and saw that the way of all flesh had corrupted itself, for every intent of the thoughts of their heart was only evil continually. And the Lord said:

.... "I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them."
(Genesis 6:5-12)

.... Yet in His mercy, God spoke to Noah and warned him. Noah and his family would be spared from the wrath to come because they'd found grace in the eyes of the Lord – just as we ourselves would one day be saved by grace in Christ (Genesis 6:8; Ephesians 2:8).

.... God provided Noah with instructions for building the ark, the great vessel of His deliverance, which would represent Jesus Himself (see Joel 2:32). Their lives would be sealed within to separate them from the world by death, and to bring them safely through to a new beginning (Genesis 7:16; see 2 Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 1:13; Colossians 2:11-12).

.... "In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the fountains of the great deep were broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened."
(Gen 7:11)

.... At this point it is important to understand the meaning of the flood waters in our parable. The Bible declares that ‘the wages of sin is death,’ and the destructive waters were the result of man’s sin (Romans 6:23). As they prevailed and rose, they represented the destruction of sin that had filled the whole earth, as in this very similar passage from the Prophet Isaiah:

.... ". . . for the windows from on high are open, and the foundations of the earth are shaken. The earth is violently broken, the earth is split open, the earth is shaken exceedingly. The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall totter like a hut; its transgression shall be heavy upon it, and it will fall, and not rise again."
(Isaiah 24:18-20)

.... As the flood waters -- the destruction of sin -- mounted higher than the highest mountains, let us perceive this allegorically as the great weight of man’s transgressions on the earth, enveloping all and sinking all life within it. Yet the ark prevailed, bouying higher, and preserved their souls alive, till the end of many days when it rested on the mountains of Ararat:

.... "Then God remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all the animals that were with him in the ark. And God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters subsided."
(Genesis 8:1)

.... And it came to pass that Noah opened the window of the ark and sent forth a raven, which flew about continually and never returned to him. The raven represented the world that had been, which would not return but would also, in another sense, remain.

.... Again, Noah sent forth a dove, to see if the waters had receded from the ground. But the dove found no resting place for the sole of her foot and returned to him in the ark, for the waters still remained on the face of the earth. In this very sad passage, Noah put out his hand again and took her, and drew her into the ark to himself – The Lord signifying by this that the destruction of sin remained in the earth, and that true rest would not be found in Noah’s own days.

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.... After seven days, Noah sent forth the dove again. This time it came back to him in the evening, having a freshly plucked olive leaf in her mouth. And when Noah saw the dove, he knew that the waters had receded, that the destruction of sin had abated from the face of the earth:

.... Now, when Jesus was baptized, the Holy Spirit descended in the bodily form of a dove, and the meaning in our parable is the same. For in Jesus Christ, the destruction of sin has abated from off the face of the whole earth (John 1:29-33). For He is that true and great vessel of God’s deliverance, and in Him the sign of the prophet Noah was fulfilled.
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.... Yet seven days more, and Noah sent out the dove again, and this time it did not return to him. The Lord signifying by this that one day He would return to take us away forever.

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To proceed to the next lesson, click here

Daily Bible Reading: Matthew 20

Our Attitude in Baptism

2007-09-03T02:45:00.001-03:00

.... In most of our churches today, a candidate for water baptism will receive appropriate instructions in advance. He'll be told what baptism means in relation to the gospel, and he'll be told to bring a towel and a change of clothes. But baptism is also referred to as the ‘answer of a good conscience toward God,’ so more should be said about searching our hearts in our preparation (1 Peter 3:21).

.... To demonstrate this concept, let’s consider the example of the penitent thief, who was crucified along side of Jesus:

.... "Then one of the crimi- nals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, ‘If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us.’ But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, ‘Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.’ Then he said to Jesus, ‘Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise’."
(Luke 23:39-43)

.... The penitent thief recognized Jesus as Lord, and humbly called on Him for mercy (Romans 10:13). In the fear of God, he repented of his sins; he knew that he was the one worthy of death, rather than Jesus, and he confessed his sins to Him. In fact he did all of this publicly, taking his stand for the Lord before the entire world – and in so doing, he obtained the promise of eternal life. In this story we are actually seeing a complete response to the gospel message. But what about the thief's water baptism? That is the most interesting facet of all:

.... We know that water baptism is symbolic of a spiritual reality: that we have been joined with Jesus in His death, burial and resurrection. And that is exactly what the thief was doing through the promise he obtained. For this man could have said quite literally:

.... "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."
(Galatians 2:20)

.... And when the prophet foretold this thief, by mentioning him in passing, he said that Jesus would "make His grave with the wicked." The important point was that they made their grave together. So again, in his story, we find the literal application of Biblical symbolism that we are ‘buried with Him through baptism’ (see Isaiah 53:9; Romans 6:4).

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.... Since water baptism is symbolic of the thief’s reality, we may argue that he had no need of the symbolic version. Rather than going through death alone, he made his grave with Jesus and would now be joined with Jesus in His own death and resurrection -- and in this manner he would pass from death into life with Him (John 5:24).

.... Should not this man's experience speak to us all about our own attitude and thoughts in water baptism? For in that sense he becomes a model for us all. Therefore let all baptismal candidates consider his example wisely and in like manner reckon themselves dead indeed to sin, but alive to God, through their faith in the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ and the act of our joining together with Him, for the Scriptures say we were baptized "into Christ" (Romans 6:3,11).

To proceed to the next lesson, click here

Daily Bible Reading: Matthew 19

The Ceremony of Water Baptism

2007-08-30T02:47:00.002-03:00

.... In this posting we'll discuss a very special response to the gospel that will tie all of its implications together. It is the ‘official ceremony’ of our covenant with Jesus, the outward seal of the faith we’ve gained in our hearts, and our open declaration to the world of the same. It is the testimony of water baptism.

.... Water baptism represents the four points of the gospel, and it allows us to relate to them through an open, personal application. This begins with our recognition of Jesus as our Lord. Through baptism we are then lowered into the water, as into a grave, in the likeness of His death (the Greek word baptisma literally means ‘immersion’), then we are quickly raised again in the likeness of His resurrection.

.... The whole ceremony signifies that we have been joined with Jesus in what He has done for us, because we have believed the testimony of His witnesses. And in this we, too, will become witnesses of His resurrection:

.... "Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life."
(Romans 6:3-4)

.... Baptismal ceremonies are performed by persons who have already believed in Jesus, who are now acting as His representative (John 4:1-2; Acts 2:38). As such they will baptize in the name of Jesus, meaning that they will baptize by His authority. But the new Christian themselves will be baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost:

.... "And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, 'All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.'"

(Matthew 28:18-19)

.... Therefore, a proper baptismal statement may go something like this:
.... "By the authority of Jesus Christ, I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."

To proceed to the next lesson, click here

............................................................... Daily Bible Reading: Matthew 18

Our Response to the Gospel

2007-08-27T02:08:00.000-03:00

.... If you’ve followed this online discipleship forum over the last several postings, you should know the four points of the gospel by now. Here they are again, for your review:

1. An understanding of who Jesus is (see Romans 10:9)
2. Jesus died for our sins, according to the Scriptures.
3. Jesus was raised again on the third day, according to the Scriptures.
4. Jesus was seen, after His resurrection, by many witnesses.

.... In one previous posting we discussed how deeper truths could be derived from the same four points, and this posting will begin with something similar. Based on those same four truths of the gospel, what might be an appropriate response on our part? Because this will be our side of turning the gospel into a relationship. Below is sample question, along with some possible answers and their corresponding Scriptures:

1) Given that Jesus died for our sins, how might we show that we understand the magnitude and implications of this truth?

A. We should confess ours sinful deeds to Him. This humble application will help us appreciate what He has done for us (Psalm 51:4; Mark 1:5; 1 John 1:9; 1 Corinthians 15:54-57).

B. It is also appropriate to confess that we were sinners by our nature, so we would probably have kept on sinning without Him. Thus, our need for Him is continual (Ephesians 2:3).

C. Since our sins separated us from God, we should express our regret by repenting of them. In a reciprocal way, if our sins made us farther, this would make us closer, and would also help us set a new course in life (Matthew 3:2; Luke 15:7, 10; James 4:8).

D. Since Jesus died to redeem us from sin, the form of our debt has changed. We are no longer indebted to God for our sins, but for the life of His Son. We should therefore respond by committing our own lives to Him in believing (John 3:18; 2 Corinthians 5:14-15).

E. Just as Jesus took His stand for us publicly, to bear our sins, we should publicly make it known that we’ve accepted the gospel (Romans 1:16; Acts 2:41; Mark 8:38)

.... Once again we see how a little thoughtfulness and meditation, in a prayerful attitude, can reveal some further truths that are easily within our reach! In Christ, the truth is dynamic in his way because it mirrors a living Person rather than a religious system or code of beliefs, and it is interactive because it reflects our relationship with Him (John 14:6; 1 John 2:27).

.... This list above is by no means exhaustive. Below are three more prompting questions for you to think about. In the ‘comments’ section you will find some possible answers, but please try to come up with some implications on your own before checking. And if you happen to come up with some new ones, please feel free to add them in further comments!

2) Given that Jesus rose from the dead to give us a new life, what should be our resolve as we follow Him?

3) Given that Jesus saves us through the preaching of the gospel, what should be our general attitude in receiving this message?

4) The motive behind Jesus’ death and resurrection was His love for us. What would be an appropriate response to this love? .

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Daily Bible Reading: Matthew 17 .

The Meaning of ‘Born Again’

2007-08-23T02:46:00.000-03:00

... Jesus has always existed in heaven with the Father, even before His birth in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2). In the fullness of time He entered our world, being conceived by a virgin as the prophets foretold of Him (Genesis 3:15; Isaiah 7:14; Jeremiah 31:22). Thus, through His mother, He obtained a human nature like our own, though He remained fully Divine as well (Romans 1:3; Micah 5:2). According to the flesh, He was born of the descendants of Adam, and this is referred to as His 'Adamic' life (Luke 3:23,38). But when He was crucified for our sins, that Adamic life came to an end.

.... When He was raised from the dead on the third day, Jesus appeared to us with a new life that was no longer descended from Adam (for that life, remember, had ended on the cross). Instead, He had become the first of a new race of mankind, being called 'the firstborn from the dead' (1 Corinthians 15:45-47). We might even say that He was ‘born again’, if that helps us to understand the phrase (Acts 13:33). And in like manner, those who believe in Him will die to themselves to live through Jesus, to become children of God through His resurrection. In other words we, too, will be ‘born again’ through our faith in Him (John 3:3).

.... "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God."
(John 1:12-13)

.... To understand the implications of our rebirth in easy-to-understand terms, let’s consider a natural division that is formed between Jesus' own death and resurrection, and see how it is reflected in us:

.... Just as Jesus' old (Adamic) life ended on the cross, everything that He accomplished through His death pertained to our old man (our original life,) and was done in relation to our past, to settle our account with God in that regard. His death offered a just conclusion to our lives, allowing God to 'close the books' on our case. Thus, through His death comes the forgiveness of our sins, justification, reconciliation, peace with God, and many other things, all having to do with settling the old score which was contrary to us, that we may leave our old, broken, hurt, and sinful ways behind us forever (Colossians 1:14; 1:20-22).

.... And just as Jesus returned with newness of life through His resurrection, everything that was accomplished through His resurrection provides for our new, future state: Salvation, a new creation, our own resurrection, our inheritance in heaven, the adoption as sons, and many other things that speak of a new, ongoing life that we may share with Him (Romans 5:10; 2 Corinthians 5:16-17; 1 Peter 1:3-4; Romans 6:5; 8:13-15).

.
.... Between ourselves and Jesus, through what He has done, a sharing of life, of death, and of life anew has taken place. Through our faith in this gospel message, our lives become completely bound up in His as one. Each of the ‘benefits’ we've mentioned are actually facets of the death and new life that we will begin to share with Him, coming only through the gospel, and are not attainable in any other way (Galatians 1:1-4).

.... Like Jesus Himself, we have become children of God through His resurrection, and members of the same new race of mankind:

.... "Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure."
(1 John 3:2-32)

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Daily Bible Reading: Matthew 16

The Exaltation of Christ

2007-08-20T02:21:00.000-03:00

.... Before He was born in Bethlehem -- before time itself began -- our Lord Jesus enjoyed a natural glory that He shared with our heavenly Father (John 17:5). Yet He willingly surrendered this equality, took the form of a servant as He came into this world, and making Himself of no reputation; Jesus came in the likeness of sinful flesh that He might live among us as one of us, and ransom sinful man by dying in our place (Romans 8:3; Hebrews 2:9).

.... Therefore God has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, and that every tongue should confess that He is Lord to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:9-11).

.... "Behold! My Servant whom I uphold, My Elect One in whom My soul delights! I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles."
(Isaiah 42:1)

.... After His resurrection and ascension, Jesus regained the glory He had with the Father before time began. So this raises a question. If His glory at first and His glory as the end were the same, what did He gain through His death and resurrection, and all of that suffering?

.... In the end, what He gained was us.

.... So this brings us to the question of His motive. The Scriptures tell us that Jesus is the One "who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood." (Revelation 1:5). His motive in suffering so greatly was His everlasting love for us all; and when we hear the gospel proclaimed, God is asking for our faith in response:

.... "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."
(John 3:16)

.... It is not that we first loved God, but that He loved us; and if, while we were enemies because of our sin, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life (1 John 4:19; Romans 5:10). It is all about the relationship that forms through believing in God's Son Jesus who loves us so much, and by learning to cling to Him in return by our abiding in Him, that God might be glorified in us.

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Daily Bible Reading: Matthew 15 .

The Gospel in the Heavenlies

2007-08-16T02:25:00.000-03:00

.... How does God view the good news of Jesus Christ, in applying it to man? His perspective is simple yet overwhelming -- and the Book of Revelation offers an illustration for expressing it:

.... In the beginning of this book, the Apostle John is caught up into heaven where God is seated on the throne of His glory. The Prophet Isaiah describes a similar scene in which smoke fills the temple and four living creatures, each having six wings, praise God night and day without ceasing:

.... "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come! The whole earth is full of His glory!"

(Isaiah 6:1 with Revelation 4:8)

.... So powerful is their praise that the very foundations of heaven are moved at the sound of their voices! And when they give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever, twenty-four elders fall down and worship Him, casting their crowns before His throne and saying: "You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created." (Revelation 4:9-11).

.... These are the high praises of God in His very presence forever, and even the apostles and prophets are overwhelmed before it. But the next thing they notice is themselves in their sinfulness, and this produces a contrast that is staggering: .

.... "Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts."
(Isaiah 6:5)

.... In this passage the prophet is overwhelmed, and something similar happens to the Apostle John. For as the vision continues, God holds up a scroll that is sealed with seven seals; and a strong angel proclaimes with a loud voice, saying, "Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals?" (Revelation 5:2). In contrast to the ear-splitting praise, the sudden silence is deafening. And John weeps greatly, because no one in heaven or on earth is found worthy to open the scroll or even to look at it (Revelation 5:3-4).

.... Through this illustration, the underlying concept of the gospel begins to emerge. For on one side of this great separation is God Himself in all of His holiness, and on the other side is every person who has ever lived, each in their own sinfulness, all put together in one place at one time for God to look upon. The contrast is staggering! What a huge gulf has formed between us! "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). And Who is able to bridge such a gulf?

.... God sought for one worthy man, a mediator, who could stand in this gap on behalf of us all (Isaiah 63:5). If we allow our minds to race through history and we search as diligently as we can, we too, will weep as one potential champion after another falls short. But even from this historical perspective, our search will suddenly end as we happen upon a man who walked the shores of Galilee long ago. From out of the depths of time, our champion could only be the man known as Jesus of Nazareth. And so it was said to John:

.... "Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals."
(Revelation 5:5)

.... Into the immeasurable gulf between God and man stands Jesus Himself, as a lamb that was slain, and He takes the scroll from the One who sits on the throne. And the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fall down before Him, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense which are the prayers of the saints. And they sing a new song, saying:.

.... "You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals; for You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and have made us kings and priests to our God; and we shall reign on the earth."
(Revelation 5:9-10)

.... Please consider these lyrics carefully. It was not ‘given’ to Jesus to open the seals, nor was it said that He opened them ‘for the glory of God’ or by some other concession. But in the very presence of God, whose holiness is forever proclaimed, it is said of Jesus, "You are worthy to open the scroll . . . you have prevailed to do so." And this statement is made in the context of His humanity, having lived on the earth as a man!

.... Now let's understand what their song actually means. In order to ‘redeem’ something, the price that is offered must be equal to or greater than the object that is being redeemed. This is why we had to understand the huge contrast between God’s holiness and our own sinfulness. For when it is said of Jesus, "You are worthy . . . for You have redeemed us . . ." essentially they are saying of Him, "You are more HOLY than all of us, put together, are sinful."

.... How holy Jesus must be!

.... Beloved, each of us knows the sins we’ve committed in our lifetime and how ugly they must be, if put together in one place at one time for God to look upon. To understand that Jesus was holy enough to redeem each of us from all of our sins is a staggering thought! Nevertheless, it is so. To consider that He was able to redeem not only us, but every person in the entire world, from the beginning of time until the day He returns – it must be more than any person could ever fathom. But for now, it is enough to understand this:

.. If Jesus Christ is the One died for your sins – if He is the one who died for your sins – then He truly was enough. No matter what you’ve done in your lifetime, God's great champion has given His own, holy life in your place, so that your ransom is truly complete and you have been fully, utterly redeemed:.

.... "Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him."
(Hebrews 7:25)

.... And this is why we have to understand that the good news is found in a Person. Our salvation is found in the One who died on the cross, who rose again, who loved us and washed us in His own blood, and not simply in a plan or a procedure. Or had it been one of us who died, we could not even have redeemed ourselves. God’s illustration is simple, yet it conveys more than words ever could.

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Daily Bible Reading: Matthew 14 .

The Glorified Savior

2007-08-13T10:58:00.002-03:00

.... In our previous posting we began a discussion on the gospel concept, but its main point always seems to need elaboration. Jesus saved us from our sins, but who is Jesus Himself, and why is He able to accomplish all of this?

.... To explain this most important of truths, we should examine the good news of Jesus Christ from God’s own perspective. To do this, let’s turn to the final book of the Bible, which is aptly called The Revelation of Jesus Christ:

.... " . . . Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood . . ."
(Revelation 1:5)

.... In the opening of this book (the premise), which is quoted above, you'll see the four points of the gospel that we have been discussing in our previous articles, but from God’s own point of view. He is telling us who Jesus is, that He died for our sins, that He was raised from the dead – and in this case, that Jesus Himself is the faithful witness (see 1 Corinthians 15:1-5). But we cannot help noticing that Jesus is also far more than this:

.... "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End," says the Lord, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty."
(Revelation 1:8)

.... "Then I turned" said John, "to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band. His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire; His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters; He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength." (Revelation 1:12-16).

.... Here was a glimpse of Jesus as He appeared before the ages, and the true picture of His glory as He appears today: here is the Christ unveiled, the persona of our Lord Himself as we should perceive Him now in all our devotion to Him (2 Corinthians 5:16; Hebrews 10:20). Even John, who knew Him so well, was utterly overwhelmed in His Divine presence and fell at His feet as one dead (v 17).

..
.... In like manner Saul of Tarsus, on the occasion of his conversion, had approached Damascus ‘at about noon,’ as the mid day sun filed the eastern sky. Then suddenly Jesus appeared, and that sun became the second brightest object in the sky: "for along the road I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me." (Acts 22:6; 26:13). He, too, was overwhelmed and fell to the ground, trembling.

.... We often think of Jesus as He was in this world, walking among us in a veil of flesh. And indeed, He was fully human during that time. Yet He never ceased to be fully Divine as well, and we must grasp this more fully in our relationship with Him today:

.... "Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer."
(2 Corinthians 5:16)

.... Through the breaking of His flesh on the cross, the veil has been removed, so that a new and living Way has been consecrated for us to enter the holiest place of all (Hebrews 10:20). And the true power and glory of His person provides a stunning context for the gospel as the Book of Revelation unfolds (which we will continue is our next posting).

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Daily Bible Reading:Matthew 13

The Gospel Concept

2007-08-09T02:10:00.000-03:00

.... In our previous postings we've explored the message of the gospel, beginning with an actual definition of the term. As a recap, the gospel includes four basic points:

1. An understanding of who Jesus is (see Romans 10:9);
2. That He died for our sins, according to the Scriptures;
3. That He was raised again on the third day, according to the Scriptures;
4. And that He was seen, after His resurrection, by many witnesses.
(1 Corinthians 15:1-5)

.... In this posting we'll go a little deeper to explore the underlying gospel concept. Concepts are the middle step between head knowledge and a true, spiritual understanding. With help from the Holy Spirit, they can move us from knowing to applying, from understanding to appreciating, from believing to transforming, when the Lord’s perfect work is done in us.

.... In a classroom setting, this concept can be presented in the form of a drill that will get the class thinking. We’ve already discussed the four points of the gospel, but further truths can be derived from these same points if we’ll meditate on their meaning. This is the sort of approach Paul liked to use, beginning with easy points, then finding evidence of deeper truths within them. For example, if Jesus died for our sins we see evidence of a deeper truth that the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23).

.... To bring out these underlying lessons, the class may be promtped with leading questions, such as: "What does it mean that Jesus died for our sins?" putting emphasis on certain points on which they are invited to elaborate. When this has been done, here are some of the answers that earlier classes have come up with:

- Jesus died for our sins; so the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23).
- Jesus died for our sins, so we are the ones who really deserved the penalty of death (Ezekiel 18:4)
- Jesus died for us, which means He did not die for Himself; He was not in the same situation as we. In other words, Jesus Himself was sinless (John 8:46).
- Jesus died for us, which means He loved us and cared for us (Revelation 1:5).
- Jesus died for our sins; so without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins (Hebrews 9:22).

.... As you can see, a little meditation in a prayerful attitude, with the encouragement of Christians who are learning together, based on things they may already know, can bring some life-changing revelations! But several more implications have been added in the ‘comments’ section. If we may ask this of you, please think about this on your own and try to reach some further conclusions before comparing your thoughts to the rest of the items on the list; and if you come up with further items that we’ve missed, please add them in additional comments and include a brief explanation.

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Daily Bible Reading: Matthew 12 .

The Cross and the Mystery of God

2007-08-05T02:20:00.002-03:00

.... As we’ve discussed in our previous postings, Paul’s definition of the gospel contains four elements, which were included each time the gospel was proclaimed:

1. An understanding of who Jesus is (see Romans 10:9)
2. that He died for our sins, according to the Scriptures;
3. that He was raised again on the third day, according to the Scriptures;
4. and that He was seen, after His resurrection, by many witnesses.
(1 Corinthians 15:1-5)

.... Whenever we see the term "the gospel" used in the epistles, it will always bear the specific meaning of this definition. It is not simply a generic term for all Christian teaching! In fact, each time this term is used, the entire passage will make much more sense if we purposely associate this meaning with the term, and read it into our flow of understanding. For example, in 1 Corinthians 4:15, Paul uses the term ‘the gospel’ to describe the message that allows believers to be born again.

.... Conversely, when we see the Bible addressing any aspect of the death or resurrection of Christ, we may readily associate the term ‘gospel’ with that passage and it will help us understand the intention better. For instance, Paul outlined the gospel in Galatians 1:1-4, then used this position to reprove the Galatians, who had started to follow ‘another gospel’. (Do you catch that flow a little more clearly now?)

.... "The gospel" is interchangeable with another Biblical term, "the cross", which carries the exact same meaning unless it refers to the actual, wooden cross on which Jesus was crucified. For example, when Jesus foretold His death and resurrection, He proclaimed the gospel to the apostles (Matthew 16:21). He then showed them that they must follow Him with the hope of the gospel in their hearts – and in this case, He referred to the gospel as ‘the cross’:

.... ‘Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.’
(Matthew 16:21-24; see also Colossians 1:23)

.... Furthermore, when the Bible speaks of ‘the mystery of God’ or ‘the kingdom of God in a mystery’, or something with similar wording, this, too, is a synonymous term for the gospel. In fact, it is used even more frequently than ‘the cross’ (see Romans 16:25). We hope this insight will prove helpful in your future Bible studies.

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Daily Bible Reading: Matthew 11

The Gospel Proclaimed Boldly

2007-08-02T02:10:00.001-03:00

.... In 1 Corinthians 15:1-5, Paul defined the gospel message to include four elements, which were always present when the gospel was proclaimed. Those elements were as follows:

1. An understanding of who Jesus is (see Romans 10:9)
2. That Jesus died for our sins, according to the Scriptures;
3. That He was was raised again on the third day, according to the Scriptures;
4. And that He was seen, after His resurrection, by many witnesses.
(1 Corinthians 15:1-5)

.... In the passage below, God worked through the apostles to heal a lame man at the temple. This episode brought them into conflict with the Sanhedrin, the religious governing body of Israel -- the very same group who had that earlier condemned Jesus, and had Him crucified. The apostles have just been allowed to speak for themselves, so they have boldly proclaimed the gospel to these men (Acts 4:8-13,20). Please read their message and see if you can locate the four points of the gospel within the apostle's words. The answers and some further commentary will appear in the ‘comments’ section:

8. Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, "Rulers of the people and elders of Israel: 9. If we this day are judged for a good deed done to a helpless man, by what means he has been made well, 10. let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole. 11. This is the 'stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.' 12. Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." 13. Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus . . . 20. "For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard."

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Daily Bible Reading: Matthew 10

The Gospel at Pentecost

2007-07-30T03:00:00.003-03:00

.... In 1 Corinthians 15:1-5, Paul defines the gospel message. It includes four elements, which were always present when the gospel was preached in every example from the Book of Acts. Those elements were as follows: .

1. An understanding of who Jesus is (see Romans 10:9)
2. Jesus died for our sins, according to the Scriptures.
3. Jesus was raised again on the third day, according to the Scriptures.
4. Jesus was seen, after His resurrection, by many witnesses.

(1 Corinthians 15:1-5)

.... In the passage below, the gospel was preached for the first time after the coming of the Holy Spirit, as Peter spoke out on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:22-36). Please read his message and see if you can locate those four points within it. The answers and some further commentary will appear in the ‘comments’ section:

22 "Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know-- 23. Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death; 24. whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it. 25. For David says concerning Him: 'I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for He is at my right hand, that I may not be shaken. 26. Therefore my heart rejoiced, and my tongue was glad; moreover my flesh also will rest in hope. 27. For You will not leave my soul in Hades, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption. 28. You have made known to me the ways of life; you will make me full of joy in Your presence.' 29. Men and brethren, let me speak freely to you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. 30. Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, He would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne, 31. he, foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that His soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption. 32. This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses. 33. Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear. 34. For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he says himself: 'The Lord said to my Lord, "Sit at My right hand, 35. Till I make Your enemies Your footstool."' 36. Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ."

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Daily Bible Reading: Matthew 9

The Gospel Defined

2007-07-26T11:12:00.000-03:00

.... A person’s final words carry special significance, and Jesus’ final commandment on the earth was to preach the gospel (Mark 16:15). The mystery of God, foretold through the ages, would be revealed through it. Our souls would be redeemed by it. Signs and wonders would follow it, and every nation on earth would hear it before the end. Yet in modern times, the meaning of ‘the gospel’ has become obscure and its preaching has become vague. In the sleepiness of time, it has evolved into a generic term for all Christian teachings. But is that how God intended it?

.
.... In fact, Paul gave an actual definition of the gospel to tell us the information this message contains. It includes four basic parts, of which the knowledge of Jesus is chief:.

.... "Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand . . . For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve . . ."
(1 Corinthians 15:1-5)

.... So Paul’s definition of the gospel includes these four elements:

1. An understanding of who Jesus is (see Romans 10:9)
2. Jesus died for our sins, according to the Scriptures.
3. Jesus was raised again on the third day, according to the Scriptures.
4. Jesus was seen, after His resurrection, by many witnesses.

.... Each time the gospel was preached in the book of Acts — whether by Peter on the day of Pentecost or by Paul in a synagogue somewhere in Asia Minor — those four elements were included (Acts 2:22-36; 3:12-19; 4:8-13,20; 10:36-43; 13:23-38). Together, they represent the heart of the gospel message. This is the specific information one must hear and take to heart in trusting Jesus, in order to be saved from their sins by Him. We will continue this discussion in our next posting,

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Daily Bible Reading: Matthew 8