Be Swift!

Sometimes there are random verses that stick out to me while reading my Bible. It is amazing how God can take a verse that I’ve read hundreds of times before and still reveal truths!

“Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.” - Ecclesiastes 8:11

I saw this verse and immediately saw its application to parents, leaders, and individual Christians.

For Parents
The Bible tells us how important it is to train up our children in the Lord (Prov. 13:24, 22:6, 29:15; Eph. 6:4).

Be quick to correct your children, be quick to show them mercy and grace, be quick to pray for your kids, but do not make the mistake of believing that disciplining your child is the solution 100% of the time.

Let’s say that your daughter is starting puberty and is experiencing menstrual cramps and raging hormones for the first time. Wouldn’t that be a perfect time to pronounce a sentence of grace? Wouldn’t that be the right time for a mother to talk to her daughter and help her control her emotions during this frustrating time?

We, as parents, often ask God for mercy and grace but how often do we show that same mercy and grace to our children? We want God to swiftly show us mercy. Do we do that for our children? 

There is a time for speedy discipline and a time for speedy forgiveness. Which route do you take? 

“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.” - James 1:5

For Leaders
Using the example of a business owner, imagine that one of your employees was doing something that made their co-workers uncomfortable. By not acting swiftly, you are sending the message that your employees do not matter to you. 

No matter the course of action that you decide, make sure to execute the sentence promptly for the sake of your employees and your business. You do not want your company’s reputation to be tarnished by your lack of decision. You do not want your valued workers to leave because you, as a leader, failed to act.

For Christians
“For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.” - 1 Corinthians 11:31

The context of this verse is righting a wrong. This is not a verse about salvation. First and Second Corinthians were written to saved believers. The Apostle Paul was stating that it is better for us to discipline ourselves before God disciplines us.

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” - 1 John 1:9

If we are quick in our removal of sin, we are quick to restore fellowship with the Lord. Don’t linger in your decision-making. Make haste in “redeeming the time, because the days are evil” (Eph. 5:16) and speedily judge your sin!

Being Christlike

Back in January, an acquaintance of mine posted on social media their New Year's resolution was to be more Christlike. I wondered what that person meant and sat back these past few months and watched to see if their goal matched the Bible.

You can easily find thousands of books, websites, YouTube videos, etc. on how to be Christlike. I've read/watched many of these and they can be summed up with "be more loving".

If you are going to be more like somebody, no matter who it is, you have to know them intimately or else you are just copying certain attributes which is simply taking that person's nature out of context.

To be more Christlike means to be hated. Are you prepared for that?

"If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. But all these things will they do unto you for my name's sake, because they know not him that sent me." - John 15:18-21

Most people have a misconception of Jesus Christ. When they say that they want to be more Christlike, they tend to equate that with tolerating anything that anybody does. Was that the same Jesus Christ of the Bible?

Jesus Christ abhorred the activities of the people making profit off of those seeking atonement for their sins. Twice He physically attacked these people. The first time was in the beginning of His ministry:

"This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him. After this he went down to Capernaum, he, and his mother, and his brethren, and his disciples: and they continued there not many days. And the Jews' passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting: And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables; And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father's house an house of merchandise. And his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up." - John 2:11-17

The second time was after His triumphal entry into Jerusalem before His crucifixion:

"And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest. And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this? And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee. And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves, And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves." - Matthew 21:9-13

Jesus Christ wasn't afraid of name-calling. Jesus Christ called false prophets ravening wolves in Matthew 7:15. He called the religious leaders of the day fools, blind, hypocrites, serpents, vipers, and killers in Matthew 23. He called the unsaved, children of the Devil in John 8.

Beyond these attributes of Jesus Christ, there is one that stands out far more. If a person truly wants to be Christlike, they must be a lover of souls. They must have a hunger for sharing the Gospel (1 Cor. 15:1-4) to get people saved.

Jesus Christ came to save the lost (Lk. 19:10) and gave Himself as a ransom (Matt. 20:28) that we didn't deserve or earn (Rom. 5:6 and 8).

Do you ever share the Gospel with people individually?
- Andrew told his brother, Simon Peter, about Christ (Jn. 1:40-42)
- Jesus spoke directly to Philip (Jn. 1:43)
- Philip told Nathanael about Christ (Jn. 1:45)
- Jesus spoke directly to Nicodemus (Jn. 3)
- Jesus spoke directly to the Samaritan woman (Jn. 4)
- Jesus spent time with the blind man (Jn. 9)
- The last thing Jesus did before dying was saving a thief:

"And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise. And it was about the sixth hour, and there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. And the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was rent in the midst. And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost." - Luke 23:42-46

Do you love people enough to show them how to get to Heaven? There is only one way and that is through Jesus Christ. He was either a liar or He was telling the truth when He said:

"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." - John 14:6

Do you love people enough to tell them that by rejecting Jesus Christ, they are going to Hell? Again, Christ was either a liar or He was telling the truth when He said:

"He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." - John 3:18

The only way to be CHRISTlike is to be a CHRISTian. Are you saved? If you were to die today, are you 100% certain you would go to Heaven?

The Apostle Paul made it clear in Ephesians 2:8-9 that it is by faith alone in His grace. Christ made it clear in John 3:16-18 that it is putting your faith solely in Him for salvation. The Apostle Peter stated that Christ died to take us to Heaven in 1 Peter 3:18.

When you get saved, you become new (2 Cor. 5:17) and your sins are washed away by the blood of Jesus Christ (Rom. 5:9). You have eternal life (Jn. 3:16) and are sealed by the Holy Spirit (Eph. 4:30).

"These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may KNOW (emphasis mine) that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God." - 1 John 5:13

Trying to Help God Out

The biggest problem that Christians have is the failure to completely trust God. That is a part of our fleshy nature that Paul says we are to "mortify" (Rom. 8:13). We spend too much time trying to figure out why God wants us to do something instead of just trusting Him and obeying the command.

When you and I decide to "help God out", which is really nothing more than saying "I don't fully trust you, God, so I am going to take control", we lose fellowship with God. That is the very first consequence of our actions.

Abram is a wonderful illustration of this point.

”And Abram was fourscore and six years old, when Hagar bare Ishmael to Abram. And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.” - Genesis 16:16-17:1

Abram was 86 years old when he fathered Ishmael. One verse later, Abram was 99 years old when God spoke to him again. Do you realize what you just read? Abram and Sarai, by choosing to commit consensual adultery and not trust that God would give THEM a child, lost thirteen years of fellowship with God! If you’ve ever taken the time to study the number thirteen in the Bible, you’ll find that it is connected to rebellion.

We Christians try to walk by sight and not by faith which is contrary to 2 Corinthians 5:7. Christians aren't walking in blind faith: God tells us in His Book that He will never forsake us (Heb. 13:5), what the rewards will be (lesson) and when we will get them (1 Cor. 3:13), and that they will last forever (Matt. 6:19-21). Our faith is in what the Bible says based upon provable history.

Imagine if Abram’s first son was Isaac instead of Ishmael. Abram’s firstborn son would have been the promise of God fulfilled before his eyes and he wouldn’t have lost thirteen years of fellowship with God. When we try to “help God out” we lose the joy of discovery and we lose the joy of receiving what God had for us.

Your Thought Life

“Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts shall be established.” - Proverbs 16:3

On the surface, this proverb may seem backwards. Shouldn’t we have the right mentality in order to properly work for the Jesus Christ? 

The key to understanding this verse can be found in Ephesians 2:8-10.

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”

In order to commit your works to the Lord, you must be born again (Jn. 3:3 and 1 Cor. 15:1-4). Once a person is saved and is a new creation in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17), they can begin to do works that are pleasing His sight. Until that point, a person’s works are nothing but garbage to the Lord (Is. 64:5-6).

Christians do and will always struggle with our thoughts until the moment we go to Heaven. That is just reality. Unfortunately, we Christians tend to try and get our mentality right before we do anything for the Lord… and sometimes years pass before we get the right “feeling”.

The more you pray (a work) and read your Bible (a work) and share the Gospel with others (a work) and spend time with other Christians (a work) and worship God (a work), the more your thought life will match your physical life.

Pay close attention to what the Apostle Paul said in Ephesians 2:8-10 and you will see that the only thing that is not counted as a work is faith.

It is work putting away your fleshly desires. It is a struggle and it isn’t easy. However, the more you work towards focusing more and more on your Savior Jesus Christ, His Word promises to establish your thought life in a way that is pleasing to the Lord.

Feminism

We recently celebrated Mother's Day in the U.S. and I've been thinking a lot about how God views women. This led me to recall many conversations that I've had with women claiming that the Bible belittles women and that feminism is the route that all women should take.

This morning, I was reading from Proverbs (I read the chapter that corresponds to the date) and one of the verses was this:



"A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband: but she that maketh ashamed is as rottenness in his bones." - 12:4

Anytime that I read about a virtuous woman my mind immediately goes to Proverbs 31. Proverbs 31 is often used as a Mother's Day sermon, but it is really much more than that. Proverbs 31 gives us a powerful insight into how God views women.

From this one chapter alone we can see that God created women to be:

Designers and craftsmen - v13, 19, 21, 22, and 24

Farmers - v16
Entrepreneurs - v18 and 24

Volunteers - v20

Mothers - v28

Christians - v30

Pay close attention to the Bible telling us that these are the qualities of a virtuous woman. God created women to be so powerful that they have the ability to have ALL of these skills.

God Himself said in Genesis:



"And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him." - 2:18

Women are not to be dependent upon men, but helpers. God did not make women to be dependents. A Godly woman is simultaneously a Christian, a mother, a wife, a volunteer, a business-owner, a farmer, a designer, and a craftsman.

What to do After Leading a Person to Christ

Sharing the Gospel is the most important act of service. Sometimes, though, we often wonder what we should do next.

There will be instances when we cannot follow up with the person that just got saved, but there will also be many times when we can such as with co-workers, friends, family, etc. If you watched the How to Study the Bible series on my YouTube channel, you’ll know that the very first place every believer should begin is by memorizing 1 Corinthians 15 because that lays the groundwork for our faith. Encourage the new believer to start there.

Every book of the Bible is important, but we must not tell a new believer to just read the Bible. That is incredibly overwhelming and can set them up for failure as a Christian. When a person does not know how to rightly divide the Bible per 2 Timothy 2:15, you cannot expect that person to understand the differences between the four Gospels and the epistles of Paul.

The first entire book of the Bible that a new believer should read is 1 Thessalonians. This letter was written to newly saved men and women. This epistle is easy to understand and it lays the groundwork for the main theme of the Bible: the return of Jesus Christ. 1 Thessalonians will not confuse the new Christian with deep doctrines such as election or the history of Israel because the audience is new Gentile believers.

I hope that this short blog is helpful to those that love witnessing, but were worried about not knowing what to do next. You should definitely go above-and-beyond by gifting the new believer with a King James Bible and inviting them to your church. However, please keep in mind that the new Christian will be looking to you for guidance. That person will have a unique connection with you. Take advantage of that opportunity to help your new brother or sister in Christ not make the same mistakes you and I did when we first got saved.

When I Sin...

We all sin (Gal. 3:22). Even after we believe the Gospel for the salvation of our souls (1 Cor. 15:1-4), we still struggle with sin. The Apostle Paul still struggled with sin:

"For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me." - Romans 7:18-20

For a lot of Christians, we struggle with the belief that we should be perfect because we have accepted Christ as our savior. This is something that I battled with for many years. I would fast and weep and question whether or not I was truly saved. I was a very miserable Christian.

The Great American Solar Eclipse of 2017 was a wake up call for me. I don't know exactly why, but that event jolted me into truly studying God's Word. When I would read the Bible, I wouldn't rightly divide per 2 Timothy 2:15 which led to me not really understanding what salvation truly means.

There are important truths found within God's Word that we must know if we are to live a joyful Christian life. When I am counseling believers that are struggling with a particular sin or discipling a new believer, I teach them five facts that will help them grow in their faith.

#1 - Certainty of Salvation
The first thing that every single blood-bought, born again believer needs to realize is that we cannot lose our salvation. One of the first lessons that I wrote on this site was on the topic of Dispensationalism which covers the permanency of our salvation during the Church Age. The Apostle John wrote to believers "these things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life..." (1 Jn. 5:13). Paul said in Romans 8:1, "there is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." This was what King David longed for (Ps. 32:2, Rom. 4:8)!

#2 - Your Soul is Saved
It can be confusing (especially to a new believer) that it was only our souls that were saved when we believed the Gospel. When a person dies, their body is buried, but their soul goes either to Heaven or Hell. The Bible calls us a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17), but this can be confusing when on the outside we look the exact same as we did before we got saved. When you read 1 Corinthians 15:42-54, you will see that the purpose of the Rapture is to change our corruptible bodies into glorified bodies that cannot sin. What an amazing day that will be!

#3 - We Have Help
God did not leave us helpless as believers:

1. We have God the Holy Spirit residing in us (1 Cor. 3:16, 6:19).

2. We have God the Son in us (Gal. 2:20, Eph. 3:17-19, Col. 1:27).

3. We have fellow believers to lean upon (Rom. 15:1, Gal. 6:1-2).

4. We have the Bible and Godly music (Col. 3:16).

#4 - We Can Restore Our Fellowship
When we sin, we grieve the Holy Spirit (Eph. 4:30). However, when we confess our sins to God, He will forgive us (1 Jn. 1:9). We are no longer slaves to sin and are free to walk away from it (Rom. 6) which means our fellowship with Christ can be easily restored!

#5 - God Intercedes for Us
This specific point is a combination of #3 and #4. The Bible tells us that the Holy Spirit who resides in us intercedes for us to help when we don't know what to say to God (Rom. 8:26-27). Jesus Christ Himself also makes intercession for us (1 Tim. 2:5, Heb. 7:25).

Hope
Until we die or are raptured, we will struggle with sin. It is a fact that we must accept (Rom. 7:18-20). However, the Bible says that we ultimately have the victory:

”But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” - 1 Corinthians 15:57

Christ will also reward us for overcoming the temptations of the Devil and our sinful nature (see lesson). Think about that. Not only did Christ die for our sins when none of us deserved it (Rom. 5:8), but He also wants to give us crowns and treasures when we stand before Him at the Judgment Seat of Christ (2 Cor. 5:10)! None of us have to live a defeated life. We are to be joyful and have much to be joyful over. Our sins have been forgiven!

Debunking Common Expressions

The entire purpose of the Truth Unchained ministry is to help Christians read the Bible for themselves. In one area that I personally believe the Church is failing at is ensuring believers do not accept every pleasing phrase. There are many statements that we hear inside and outside of church that sound beautiful, but if they are not Biblical, then we should discard them so that we do not succumb to false teachings.

In this blog post, I want to go over just a few common expressions that we’ve all heard and see if they are truly Biblical. It is easy to accept phrases from people that we both love and trust, so this isn’t meant as an attack, but rather, a reminder that the sole authority should always be the Word of God.

Expression #1: We are all God’s children
This is a phrase that I’ve heard from some of the nicest people that I’ve ever met. They are loving men and women that want to see the good in people. Unfortunately, not everybody is a child of God.

When Jesus confronted the Pharisees in John chapter 8, He drew a line in the sand so-to-speak. Jesus made it clear to these Jewish leaders that even though they believed in God, they were not His. They rejected the Messiah which meant that they rejected God Himself. God knows our hearts (Jer. 17:9-10). Jesus said:

“Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not. “ - John 8:44-45

They rejected the truth. The truth is that Jesus is the only way to the Father (Jn, 14:6). When a person becomes a Christian by believing the Gospel (1 Cor. 15:1-4), they become a child of God (Jn. 1:12, Gal. 3:26).

The Apostle John said in his first epistle, “if we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (1:8). Jesus is the truth (Jn. 14:6). If a person is not saved, then they are not a child of God.

Expression #2: The Old Testament saints looked forward to the cross, the New Testament saints look back at the cross

This is a commonly repeated phrase in churches. On the surface it sounds nice, but when you read the Bible, you will see that this isn’t the case at all. The Apostle Paul addressed this in his letter to the Corinthian church:

“Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought: But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.” - 1 Corinthians 2:6-8

Nobody fully understood God’s plan of salvation. The prophet Daniel pointed to the exact day in Daniel 9:25, and yet, nobody from the layman to the religious leaders recognized what was taking place. The Apostles did not understand either (Lk. 18:34, Jn. 18:10-11). Furthermore, when you study Dispensationalism, you will see that there were two dispensations before the Law was even given!

Do New Testament saints look back at the cross? I hope that isn’t the only thing a believer looks at! Remember that the Gospel is the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ - not just his death (1 Cor. 15:1-4). Sadly, the only time this is the focus is on Easter at many churches.

Expression #3: Christians must always forgive

The first time that I ever heard this was right after 9/11 happened. One of my co-workers said that we should not go after the Taliban because Jesus said that we must always turn the other cheek. Over the years, I heard other people say that God will not forgive us unless we forgive those that have done us wrong - no exceptions.

It is definitely important to forgive, however, we must always allow Scripture to speak instead of taking verses out of context. Many times, the person will go straight to Matthew 5. The problem with that is they take verses 39-41 out of context. The subject of chapter 5 is the Kingdom of Heaven - which is the 1,000-year reign of Jesus Christ upon the Earth. Last I checked, He hasn’t returned yet.

Another verse that people will turn to is Colossians 3:13 which states “forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye”. When did Christ forgive us? When we asked for it. We definitely should forgive others and not be bitter towards them, however, we are to do that when a person asks for forgiveness and not because we feel strong-armed by God as if He were holding His forgiveness hostage.

Christians are to be wise, not ignorant. Christians are to be humble, but not doormats.

Always search the Scriptures for truths. Never allow a finely-dressed opinion to persuade you.

We All Have a Purpose

Have you ever asked God to use you? Most of us have prayed this prayer with something grandiose already in our minds. However, God’s Word has already told us that He has given us a purpose in life and that is to be an ambassador for the Lord Jesus Christ (2 Cor. 5:20). God, in His infinite grace and wisdom, has chosen not to allow us to see our individual futures. He does not want to rob us of the joy of discovery (Prov. 25:2).

The greatest task that we can perform as His ambassadors is to share the Gospel. God’s Word frequently gives the illustration of farming when it comes to witnessing (Matt. 9:37-38, 1 Cor. 3:7-9). When we witness, we are fulfilling our primary purpose.

I’ve shared witnessing techniques with many people and I have been asked “how do I know if I am supposed to be the one to witness to that person?”. Simply put: you don’t. But does that mean that we shouldn’t witness because we are unsure? Of course not! Again, God has given us the joy of discovery and part of that discovery is seeing first-hand how God is using us to fulfill His plan.

Is it far-fetched to believe that the Apostles were not continuously amazed at discovering how all of our paths cross for the glory of God?

In Acts chapter 8, the Apostle Philip was told to head south from Jerusalem (Acts 8:26). It was there that he ran into an Ethiopian eunuch reading from Isaiah. That man had a hunger for God’s Word and to know God, but instead of giving the eunuch a vision or sending an angel to speak to him, God gave the honor to Philip to show the eunuch, Jesus Christ in the Old Testament. The Ethiopian eunuch then got saved.

In Acts chapter 10, we meet a man named Cornelius that revered God, but did not know His salvation. Cornelius was a gentile that continually prayed to the God of Israel and gladly gave donations (Acts 10:1-4). Unlike the Ethiopian eunuch, this man did speak with an angel. However, again, He gave the honor of leading this man to Christ to the Apostle Peter.

When you look at these two examples, you can understand what Peter was saying in Acts 10:34-35. God will send somebody to witness of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ which is the Gospel (1 Cor. 15:1-4) to those that desire to know Him.

Frequently throughout the classic work My Utmost For His Highest by Oswald Chambers, the author spoke of reckless abandon. It is easy for us to get so caught up in the planning and the details that we don’t actually get anything done. If you are spending time obeying God’s command to study the Bible (2 Tim. 2:15) and have enough trust in what God’s Word says when it comes to salvation, then give into the reckless abandon and do what God says: be a witness for Christ.

If God has inspired you to write, then write. If He has inspired you to teach, then teach. Just do it and stop worrying. None of us knows what the outcome will be for these works. We don’t know how many people we will lead to the Lord and we don’t know how many people we will inspire to stop backsliding. What we do know, however, is this:

”For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad." - 2 Corinthians 5:10

AND

”Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.” - 1 Corinthians 3:13-15

One day, every believer’s works (not their salvation!) will be judged by Christ. Do you have any works to be judged? With all due respect and with all sense of encouragement I say this: get over yourself and just do it! Stop making excuses. It does not matter if we are afraid or uncertain because the Bible says that “… we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose” (Rom. 8:28).

Click here and here for more studies on the Judgment Seat of Christ.

Where to Start When Reading the Bible

If you spend a few moments in a Christian Facebook group, you’ll find that one of the most frequently asked questions is “where do I start in the Bible?”. The most popular answer that I have seen is the Gospel of John. While there is no doubt that the Gospel of John is filled with wonderful treasures, I’d like to challenge that idea for two reasons:

1) The gospel of salvation is not in the book of John
2) The Gospel of John does not adequately help a new believer understand their faith

The place that I send a person that is reading the Bible for the first time is 1 Corinthians chapter 15 for the following reasons:
Salvation is found in verses 1-4
1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;

2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.

3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;

4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

Proof of Christ’s resurrection is found in verses 5-8
5 And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve:

6 After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.

7 After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles.

8 And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.

The reason for our faith is found in verses 12-19
12 Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead?

13 But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen:

14 And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.

15 Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not.

16 For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised:

17 And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.

18 Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.

19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.

The Rapture was revealed in 51-54
51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,

52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.

If a person is not saved, then they are given the Gospel upfront (which is what we are called to share). If a person is curious why we believe what we do and why we have hope, this chapter answers those questions. If a person is wondering why there is a Rapture of the Church, this chapter answers that as well.

1 Corinthians chapter 15 is for both the unbeliever and the believer!

Witnessing to Other Religions

Sharing the Gospel is the most important thing any believer can do. At one point, we didn't know Christ until somebody told us about the death, burial, and resurrection as the only means of salvation (1 Cor. 15:1-4). That person loved you enough to tell you how to go to Heaven. As the saying goes "pass it on".

Sharing the Gospel should be pretty easy, right? We show them what the Bible says and let them decide whether or not they want to believe. If only things were that simple!

When Jesus sent out His 12 Disciples, He told them to be "wise as serpents, and harmless as doves" (Matt. 10:16). That is the mentality we need to have when telling people about what Jesus did for us on the cross.

What I'd like to do in this blog is give some tips on how to witness to people of other faiths. Going through every religion would not be practical, so it would be wise (there is that word again!) to study other religions, denominations, and arguments on your own.

No matter who you witness to, you should only rely upon the Word of God. The Bible is what discerns the intentions of our hearts (Heb. 4:12). Do not rely upon your own intellect or charisma. You cannot talk anyone into believing in Christ, and you will eventually come upon somebody smarter that will put you to shame.

MORMONISM
If you ask a Mormon whether or not they are a Christian, you will most likely get a response along the lines of "Mormons are Christians. We just know more because God chose to reveal more information to the prophet Joseph Smith".

A common tactic that many people use is persuasion. They will try to convince the Mormon that Joseph Smith was a fraud... and they will fail. The counter argument is quite simple: look at the Apostle Paul. He was a murderer that God revealed Himself to. Don't go that route because you will focus on a man instead of Jesus Christ.

Think about it logically. Would you enjoy somebody telling you that what you believe is wrong and that you don't know the truth? Of course not. Only focus on what the Bible says.

Notice what the cover says: Another Testament of Jesus Christ. Show the individual that you are speaking with what the Bible says a testament is.

"For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth." - Hebrews 9:16-17

Ask the person "when did Jesus die again?" Then show the individual these two verses to show that Christ only died the one time and there remain no more sacrifices for our sins:

"For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit." - 1 Peter 3:18

"For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins." - Hebrews 10:26

Each testament dealt with the issue of salvation and the remission of sins. The Bible states that there is no more atonement for sin.

JUDAISM
Jews, similar to Catholics, have become so caught up in traditions and rituals that they have lost the meaning behind them. However, the most important aspect of Judaism has been lost: the remission of sins. Remember that the Jews believe that they are still under the Mosaic covenant; this covenant requires sins to be covered.

"For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul." - Leviticus 17:11

Most likely the Jewish person that you are speaking with will respond with something along the lines of "we cannot offer a sacrifice because we no longer have the temple". That is when you can ask them where they will go when they die.

Some Jews do not believe in a literal Heaven or Hell. Before showing them Old Testament verses on Hell (Lesson on Hell), have them question the purpose of sin atonement if there isn't an afterlife.

From there, you can tell them that the temple was destroyed in 70 A.D. by the future-Roman Emperor Titus just as Jesus stated in Mark 13. Then, you can walk the person through that chapter and its ties to the book of Daniel to show that the New Testament is connected with the Old Testament and for a reason: to show that Jesus Christ is the Messiah.

By taking this route, you've made the person truly think about what the Bible says about sin and the afterlife. You've shown them that the Old Testament teaches Hell. You've shown them that the New Testament states what the Old Testament says. Finally, you've shown them that Jesus is the Messiah and shared the Gospel with them.

CATHOLICISM
Witnessing to a Catholic is probably the most frustrating group of people to witness to. Hollywood has done an amazing job at putting forth the Catholic Church as the face of Christianity. The Catholic Church has done an incredible job at emitting such authority that it is rarely questioned. A typical Catholic building will have a statue of Christ crucified, there is prayer and Communion, worship songs, and an authoritative figure speaking about the Bible. On the surface and combined with decades of film influence, it would seem that going to a Catholic church would be wise.

In addition to wading through the stereotypes of Christianity that the Catholic Church displays, they also do teach the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The problem, which is where the difficulty comes in, is that Catholicism puts faith in works over the blood atonement of Jesus Christ.

Here is an article where the Pope placed baptism over belief for salvation: click here

The Bible states clearly that it is solely through His grace that we are saved and not by any single work (Eph. 2:8-9). Works include going to church, baptism, tithing, etc. The Bible states that we are solely justified by His blood (Rom. 5:9) and that we did nothing to earn His work on the cross (Rom. 5:8).

The Catholic Church has done an amazing job at being a trusted voice which is why it is so difficult to break through that voice and lead someone to salvation. The normal mentality of life is for us to work for what we want. The Bible states that we cannot do good works to get into Heaven. None of us are good enough (Ecc. 7:20, Lk. 18:19).

CONCLUSION
I hope that these tips help you in your witnessing efforts. Never stop grounding yourself solely in God's Word and you will not fall victim to damnable heresies. Knowing what the Bible says will allow you to help a person become a Christian through faith in the blood of Jesus Christ - not just Christian in name.

Our God Understands!

In my previous blog post, I mentioned that God is not just “good enough”. That belief should cross into all areas when we reflect upon our Lord. Not only did He take our sins upon Himself at the cross (Is. 53:5-6, Jn. 19:30, and Rom.5:8), but the Bible says that He also understands our sins.

God is righteous and holy (Ps. 145:17) and the only One that is good (Lk. 18:19), when He became a man (Jn. 1:1-14) it was at that point that we could truly make the claim that our God loves us enough to understand us.

Matthew 4:1-11 and Luke 4:1-13 tell us that Jesus endured temptation from the ultimate tempter for 40 days. We have all had struggles in our lives. We’ve all been tempted to sin in different ways. Can any of us claim that Satan was in our presence for 40 days and 40 nights trying to strip away every ounce of faith and morality that we have? Jesus can. Luke 4:3-12 gives us a few glimpses of the temptations that the Devil placed before our Saviour. Personally, I can only relate to those temptations on a superficial level. I’ve never lacked food or water to the point of begging God for help nor have I been in a position where earthly power and authority were within my grasp. So why am I claiming that He can understand all of our struggles then? The answer is in these two verses:

”Being forty days tempted of the devil…” - Luke 4:2
”For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” - Hebrews 4:15

The Bible tells us that Satan was able to show Jesus the glory of every kingdom of the world (Matt. 4:8). I do not know for certain how he accomplished this - perhaps it was through a vision. What I do know is that it must have been very realistic and something that Jesus felt since the Bible says that He was tempted. It is hard for me to imagine Jesus being tempted by merely standing on a cliff looking at a few cities. If Satan was able to inflict harm upon Job’s physical body (Job 2:7), can control the weather (Job 1:19), give false dreams and visions (Zech. 10:2), and perform miracles (2 Thess. 2:9) then it shouldn’t be difficult to imagine both the awful and pleasurable temptations he put Jesus through.

The Bible does not tell us how each temptation looked and felt, but since the Bible says that He was tempted in “all points”, that means ALL THINGS!

We can cast our cares upon the One that knows exactly what we are feeling. We can pray to the One that knows the pain and agony we feel mentally and physically. There is not one single thing that Jesus cannot relate to us on!

No matter what you are going through, please hide in your heart this verse:
”For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” - 2 Timothy 1:7

If you are saved through the Gospel (1 Cor. 15:1-4), then you have the mind of Christ (1 Cor. 2:16). No depression, fear, anxiety, anguish, or agony be it physical or mental can overcome the one true God of all creation (Col. 1:16)!

Suicide

The following is from a speech I gave to my church during our annual Christmas party:

During the Christmas season, churches throughout the world celebrate the birth of our Savior. Some 2,000 years ago Jesus Christ, God Himself, became a man of flesh and blood like us (John 1:1-4).

Scholars will tell us that Jesus was a good man that served as an example of how we should live. They are half-right. What they are leaving out is that we can never fully live as Jesus lived. We can ostracize ourselves from every temptation, but we will still sin. We will sin against God, our fellow man, and even ourselves.

The Bible says in 1 John 4:8 that God is love. Christ loved every one of us enough to take the wrath of a just and righteous God upon Himself (Is. 53:5-6). Christ gave Himself as a ransom (Matt. 20:28), so that we may be with our Heavenly Father in Heaven (1 Peter 3:18).

The Christmas story and the life of Jesus Christ are beautiful. If the Bible ended with the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ it would be good enough. But our God is not a God that is "good enough". He is perfect! He is our Father!

This season has the highest suicide rate of the year and the most common reason for suicide is a lack of purpose. This should not be the case for any believer. Our Pastor shared a story from about a member of an affiliated church that attempted suicide. She claimed to be a believer in Christ, but didn't feel that she had a purpose in life. I was saddened when he told us that story. Not just because she tried to end her life, but because it told me that she did not read God's Word faithfully.

Our Father is so good that He not only gave His Son so that we may have eternal life (Jn. 3:16), but He gave every believer a calling. The Bible tells us in 2 Corinthians 5:20 that we are ambassadors for Jesus Christ.

The role of an ambassador is to serve as the representative of a nation, state, government, etc. The ambassador is to conduct himself or herself with professionalism, to know the laws and policies of their homeland, and to know the will of the leader that he or she represents.

The Bible says that we are to study His Word to show that we approved by God Himself (2 Tim. 2:15). 2 Timothy 3:16-17 tells us that God's Word perfects us so that we can do good works. Ephesians 2:8-10 tells us that works cannot save us, but once we are saved through the Gospel (1 Cor. 15:1-4), we were made to do works for God.

We were once mere men and women destined for a life separated from God. Once we became believers through the finished work of Jesus Christ, we became new creations. The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 5:17 that that old man is dead. We are new. We went from ordinary people that were dead inside to ambassadors representing the Almighty God and His Kingdom!

God saved us from Hell by giving us eternal life, but He also gave us gifts as members of the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12). We are all different, but as ambassadors, we all have the same purpose.

During this season, let us not only glorify Jesus Christ for His finished work on the cross, but for going above and beyond what any of us deserve: life with a purpose.

I'd like to end with quote from Kent Hovind who is also known as Dr. Dino. If you are unfamiliar with his work, he is a man that shows that science proves creation and not evolution. He was once asked if God told him to start his ministry. He responded with "no". The audience member then asked him "how did you know this was what you were supposed to do with your life?" Kent Hovind responded with "I saw a need, so I began working to meet that need". Find a need and meet it. All of us can do it. God is not going to give us step-by-step instructions. He told us in Proverbs 25:2 that "it is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter".

He is our Heavenly Father and every good parent loves watching their children experience the joy of discovery. Embrace your purpose as a blood-bought ambassador of Jesus Christ!