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Give Me Something To Believe In! – The Holy Scriptures

01 Aug

I had the worst job in the world!  You see, when I was 23 I was enrolled in the Pace program at Oklahoma Christian University.  I was also working as a part time youth minister, a substitute teacher, and working a few hours each week at a Marriott hotel.  It was never my preference to juggle all of these tasks at once but it was done out of necessity.  You see, I was making $24,000 a year between ministry and working at the hotel which was barely enough funds to pay all my bills except my groceries.  Therefore, I substituted at Hubbard Elementary roughly 4 days per week during the school year to keep my head above water.  However; one summer I has several unexpected expenses occur and I was in dire financial straits.  There was no substituting available and I didn’t know what to do.  A good friend of mine at the time told me about an “easy job” that “paid well” which would work around my other responsibilities.  His solution…telemarketing!  I wasn’t excited about the job going in but thought, “It is a job and will help put food on my table.”  Therefore, I signed up.  After 3 days of training I was finally put on the floor to begin selling a credit card with an interest rate of 23%.  One Saturday, I began making my calls at 9am.  I began bugging; I mean calling people, one after the other trying to get them to agree to obtain one of these cards.  Let me tell you.  I made it 3.5 hours before I called the manager over to my booth and told him this wasn’t for me.  He asked me a question that has stuck with me.  He inquired, “Why do you want to quit?”  The idea of quitting or being viewed as a quitter stills leaves a sour taste in my mouth.  However; my answer to him was simple…I didn’t believe in what I was promoting.

Spiritually speaking, can the same be true in regards to the gospel?  We are not “selling” the gospel however; we are called to share it with “all the world” (Matt 28:18-20).  Yet every statistic I read reveals Christians as a whole are doing a very poor job of evangelizing the lost.  Why is that?  Why are we not willing to reveal to those who are lost their greatest need (forgiveness of sin) and share with them the only remedy (obedience through the gospel of Jesus Christ)?  I believe part of the reason is due to the fact that fewer people are not only READING their Bibles but STUDYING or even MEDITATING upon God’s Word.   The Bible has lost it place of prominence within their home and life.   Once again, why is that?

I am of the opinion, until we personally learn to abide with Jesus (John 15) we will never tell others about Him.  When we come to know someone and fall in love with them, we cannot but help tell others about it.  If we never tell others about Jesus, sadly all humanity will be lost (2 Thess. 1:5-10; Romans 3:23; 6:23).  We must believe in the gospel we are called to promote!

So where do we begin?  I encourage everyone to start with the basics.  Romans 10:17 – “Faith comes by hearing and hearing through the Word of God.”  We must become people of THE BOOK once again.

Sadly, there are many in mainstream media that are doing their best to destroy the once wide-held view that the Bible IS the inspired Word of God (2 Tim 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21).  Allow me to ask, “Do YOU really believe the Bible is the INSPIRED WORD OF GOD?  If so why or why not?

There have been numerous sources which has aided me in my study of this vital subject.  The following information are taken from Stafford North’s book, “How to Explain”,  Josh McDowell’s book, “Evidence That Demands a Verdict” and Tony Hall’s manual, “The Gospel for the World”.

I Know The Bible is the Word of God because:

Archaeology shows the Bible to be True

In Isaiah 20:1, the Bible mentions a king of Assyria named Sargon.  For hundreds of years the Bible was the only book that had any record of King Sargon.  In 1843, Emile Botta found, near the ruins of the ancient city of Nineveh, the remains of a palace surrounded by many other buildings.  Hundreds of ancient documents and records were found and they showed it to be the city of Khorsbad, King Sargon’s imperial city.  From 600 B.C. to 1843 (over 2400 years) we had nothing that documented King Sargon, except for the Bible, which told his story accurately.  (Stafford North, How to Explain)

The Bible mentions another Assyrian King in 2 Kings 18 and 19.  The Bible says that King Sennacherib of Assyria conquered many cities in Judah and that he even surrounded the city of Jerusalem, but that he did not conquer it because God sent a plague upon his army.  In 1849, an archaeologist found a clay prism, which Sennacherib left as a record of his own deeds.  On it he claims to have conquered 48 cities of Judah and says he surrounded Jerusalem, but makes no claim to have captured it.  The Bible recorded this event accurately thousands of years before any other historical proof was discovered.   (Stafford North, How to Explain)

In Ezra 1:1-2, we find that Cyrus allowed Jews in captivity in Babylon to return to their own land and rebuild their temple.  In 1880, an archaeologist found an ancient clay cylinder on which Cyrus has recorded the important acts of his reign.  The cylinder states that Cyrus also had the captive peoples return to their own lands to rebuild temples to their gods.  (Stafford North, How to Explain)

During the six-year excavations of Jericho (1930-1936), an archaeologist named Garstang made an amazing find.  It was so amazing that he had a statement of what was found prepared and signed by himself and two other members of the team.  In reference to these findings Garstang says: “As to the main fact, then, there remains no doubt:  the walls fell outward so completely that the attackers would be able to clamber up and over their ruins into the city.”  Why so unusual?  Because the walls of cities do not fall outwards when they are attacked.  They fall inwards.  However, in Joshua 6:20 we read “…The wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city every man straight ahead, and they took the city.”  The walls were made to fall outward.  (Josh McDowell, Evidence that Demands a Verdict.  San Bernardino CA; Here’s Life Publishers, 1979).

Fulfilled Prophecies of the Bible

Jeremiah 51:32-64, written in 595 B.C., and Isaiah 13:19-21, written in 712 B.C., both predict that the city of Babylon will become desolate and will never be rebuilt.  What was once the center of the Babylonian Empire still today lies in ruins and has no human inhabitants.

Ezekiel 29:14-15, written in 589 B.C., predicts that Nebuchadnezzar will conquer Egypt and that it will never again rise to a major world empire.  Today Egypt is still considered a “third world country.”

Ezekiel 35:1-19, predicts that the descendants of Esau, the Edomites, will cease to exist as a people and their cities will be desolate.  All of this was fulfilled.  Today there are no Edomites and their cities lie in ruins.

Deuteronomy 28:26-37 and 63-66 predict that the Israelites will continue as a people, but will be scattered among many nations and will be persecuted.  Today we see that the Jewish people are scattered all over the world and that they are one of, if not the most persecuted groups of people.

These and literally hundreds of other prophecies raise the question… “How did these writers know what would happen to entire nations and different people centuries before it actually happened?”

 Scientific Evidence

Do you realize that every year there has to be revisions to all of the science textbooks that are printed because of the newest, latest findings in the scientific world?  However, the Bible makes numerous statements that have to do with science.  Man has always been a creature of learning.  The interesting thing is, while man was learning, God was telling.  The writers of the Bible were recording things that were completely different from the ideas that those who were considered to be the “leaders of thought” believed.  It is amazing to compare what the Bible says to the thoughts of men.

During the time the Bible was being written…

Man thought – The world rested on the shoulder of a Greek god, sat on the back of a giant turtle, or was supported by huge pillars.

The Bible Said – the “earth hangs on nothing” (Job 26:7)

Man thought – The earth was flat.

The Bible Said – It speaks of the “circle of the earth.” (Isaiah 40:22)

Man thought – There were only 3,000 stars

The Bible Said –The stars are numberless. (Genesis 15:5 and 22:17)

The Bible also records facts within the scientific world that man did not discover for a long time!  In fact, in some cases it was the Bible that led man to find it.

Oceans have natural paths in them – Discovered in 1854 – Psalm 8:8

Most seaworthy ship design is 30:5:3 ratio – Discovered in 1860 – Genesis 6

Early in existence, water covered everything (Ice Age) – Modern Science – Genesis 1:2

George Washington died because of a practice called “bloodletting.”  They believed that if they drained blood, they were draining the infection.  However, 3500 years ago, Moses wrote, “…the life of the flesh is in the blood” (Leviticus 17:11).

Harmony of the Bible

There are 66 books in the Bible: 39 in the Old Testament and 27 in the New Testament.  40 different authors wrote these 66 books over a period of 1600 years.  Yet none of the writers (some writing hundreds of years apart with no access to one another) contradict one another on any issue!

The writers of the Bible come from varying backgrounds.  There were kings (David), prophets (Jeremiah), tent-makers (Paul), doctors (Luke), fishermen (Peter), tax collectors (Matthew) and other common men.  Despite all of the different backgrounds of the writers, every written word in the Bible is in complete agreement.  There are NO contradictions!!

The writers of the bible used different languages (mainly Hebrew and Greek) and lived in different countries, but they presented one central theme without variation!!!

There are different types of writing in the Bible including prophecy, history, poetry, proverbs, parables and personal letters.  These were all written during a time of myths, superstitions and general scientific ignorance.  Yet everything written in the Bible has been proven true!!!

When we begin to examine Scripture and come to a level of understanding our whole perspective changes.  Instead of viewing Biblical truths as other’s opinions we begin to understand and become convicted of these truths.  Therefore molding and shaping our Biblical worldview.  At this point, I am convicted that Christians will long to abide with Christ and therefore be more willing to tell others about the lifesaving relationship found only in Christ.

 
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Posted by on August 1, 2012 in Uncategorized

 

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The Power of the New Birth – John 3

06 Jul

“Mr. Langford, you may come back now.”  I took a deep breath, said a quick prayer and followed the nurse into the operation room.  As I entered the room, I saw my wife lying on her back with a large blue surgical sheet concealing our view of her, from her chest down.  There I was in my blue hospital gown with the word, “Coach” in really large letters across my back anxiously awaiting the delivery of my little girl.

I had been in this situation once before but this time was different.  You see the first time I was here; they were trying to save my son.  This time, there was a much more relaxed atmosphere.  But then something came over me.  I had a desire to watch every bit of the surgery.  I asked the doctor if it would be ok and she said, “If your stomach can handle it”.  Therefore, I stood by the head of my wife and watched the doctors and nurses methodically perform a C-section on my wife.

I will spare you the graphic details (even as cool as they are) and tell you how amazing it was to see every aspect of my daughter’s birth.  Watching each and every procedure, it amazed me at what an incredible miracle was unfolding before my eyes.

A few days later as I was reflecting on this experience, I began to meditate on the power of a spiritual birth.  That moment when a penitent believer decides to put their faith and trust in the Lord Almighty and submit to His plan of salvation.

In John 3:1-8 we learn about a ruler of the Jews by the name of Nicodemus who approaches Jesus by night.  It is not known why he came to Jesus by night but we do know he address Jesus as “Rabbi,” which is a title of respect for a recognized Jewish teacher.  Nicodemus said the miracles Jesus performed established him as a teacher that had come from God.

Notice with me; Instead of explaining to Nicodemus further about “signs.” Jesus instructs him concerning the new birth.  “Truly, truly I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3).  The Jews were looking for the kingdom.  Jesus seeks to show the spiritual nature of the kingdom and the true way of entrance into it.  Just as man comes into the world by physical birth, he is to come into the kingdom by a spiritual birth.

Nicodemus asks a very interesting question.  How can a man be born when he is old?  Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?  Nicodemus understood Jesus to say he needed to be born again.  He wondered if Jesus meant he was to experience another physical birth.  Jesus answered, “Truly, truly I say to you, unless one is born of water and the spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.  That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.  Do not marvel that I say to you, ‘You must be born again’” (John 3:5-8).  Jesus explains to Nicodemus that in order to get into the kingdom of God, one must experience a spiritual birth.

Today there is much debate and disagreement as to how one undergoes this birth. Sadly, far too many are mislead and confused about the clear method and means for one to be born again.  Let’s examine the physical birth.  To begin, there must be a begetting when the woman and man come together.  After the begetting, it takes nine months for the birth process to develop.  The brith takes place when the child is born.  The spiritual birth process begins when one believes in Jesus as the Son of God (James 1:18; 1 Peter 1:23; John 1:12).  One does not become a child of God when he only believes, but the process has just begun.  The next step is to repent (Acts 17:30; Acts 2:38).  After repenting, one must confess his faith that Jesus is the Christ the Son of the Living God (Acts 8:37; Matthew 10:32-33).  When one has done these things he/she is ready to be born again by immersion in water for the remission of sins.  The physical aspect of the new birth is immersion in water in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 19:5).  The spiritual aspect of the new birth is by the Spirit.  The sinner comes into contact with the blood of Jesus when he is baptized into Christ (Romans 5:9; 6:3-4) and his/her sins are washed away (Acts 22:16).  They become a new creature (2 Corinthians 5:17), a saint (1 Corinthians 1:2; Colossians 1:13), theirs sins are washed away and they have a right relationship with God.  They become a child of God (Galatians 3:26-27; Acts 2:41,47) and the Holy Spirit dwells in their body (Acts 5:32, 1 Corinthians 6:18-19).  When all this transpires, the individual is born again (Titus 3:5).  Every Christian is born again if they have been born spiritually in the manner described above.  He is then added to the Lord’s church; the family of God, by the Lord (Acts 2:41, 47).

Jesus emphasizes there are two births.  When one is born physically, he is a member of the human race.  When one is born spiritually, he is member of God’s family, the church.

There is so much anticipation and excitement when a new child is born into a loving family.  The same is true when a sinner comes to obey the gospel of Christ.  I pray you will consider your own salvation and the means by which you became a child of God.  Continue to study the Scriptures.  The gospel message is clear and available to all.  May God bless you richly!

 
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Posted by on July 6, 2012 in Uncategorized

 

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The Importance of Hearing God’s Word – Part 2

28 Jun

Last week we examined ways we can learn more about our Father in heaven.  We saw in Scripture where we can learn about Him by spending time in His Word, studying the actions and behaviors of Jesus, examining the evidence from nature, and by sitting and learning from Godly teachers.

In our second part it is my intent to try and share with you three blessings I have received by spending time in the Word of God.

Spending Time will help us come to KNOW!

You can do this with any passage of Scripture.  Notice with me what Paul shares in Philippians 3:7-11 – “But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith– that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.”

Notice I have underlines certain words.  Go back and look at these words.  In this short passage are some powerful actions/promises we need to come to know and understand.  Every one of these words is vital to our relationship with God; with our peace with man, and to our example to the lost!  For example, how different would you be if you became focusing more upon the “power of his resurrection”?  How would your family be different if each one of you began to “become like him”?  Spend time understanding the context and the meaning of each word and you will come to KNOW Him on a deeper; more personal level!

Spending Time will help us to GROW!

Paul writes in 2 Timothy 2:15 – “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.”  Peter states in 2 Peter 3:17-18 – “You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.”  God wants each and every one of us to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus.  The only way to do that is to spend time with the Word.

I have been blessed with the opportunity to be part of a team at over 40 different camp sessions.  As I reflect back I find myself wondering, “Whatever happened to _________?  Where are they now?  What caused a former staff counselor to walk away from the Lord?”  I believe the answer is simple.  Instead of doing the things necessary to maintain and grow their faith they allowed other things to lure them away.  Paul is very clear in Romans 10:17, “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.”  If we really want a strong faith, be in the Word!  If you want to remain faithful unto death, be in the Word!  If you want your family to be in Heaven, be in the Word!  If you want to finish strong, be in the Word!

Spending Time will help us to SHOW others our faith!

James gives us a clear challenge in James 1:21-25.  He writes, “Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.  But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.   For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror.   For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like.  But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.”  Each time I consider this verse, I find myself wondering how different my life would be if I actually APPLIED all of God’s Word instead of allowing it to go in one ear and out the other.  We must not forget what we have heard rather put God’s Word into action in our lives.

Putting God’s Word into action will bless you richly.  Far too many people who profess Christ long to receive the blessings without putting in the work necessary for those blessings to be manifested within our lives.

The Importance of Eliminating Distractions.

I have spoke with too many Christians who want to know Christ but have allowed the things of this world to preoccupy their time and focus.  Thus, not allowing the Word of God to take its place of prominence in their lives.  As portrayed in the parable of the sower (Mark 4:18-19), we can be the thorny ground, full of thorns and thistles which represent the cares of the world and which choke out the Word and cause it to become unfruitful within our lives.

Proverbs 22:17-19 – “Incline your ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply your heart to my knowledge, for it will be pleasant if you keep them within you, if all of them are ready on your lips. That your trust may be in the LORD, I have made them known to you today, even to you.”

Point – We must listen so we can learn to trust the Lord.  To fail to eliminate distractions will hinder our listening ability.

What is needed for us to be able to effectively listen to God?  What can we do to prepare our hearts so we are in a position to hear what the Lord wants to reveal/communicate to us through His Word?

The Importance of a Bible Study Plan

Read the text. – This should probably go without saying, but I would recommend reading the text upwards of 10 times. And reading in such a way as to enter it. To smell, see, and taste what is happening in the text. This should take about half an hour.

Question the text. – I take a blank sheet of paper and ask every single question I can think of about the text, even if I know the answers. I ask about the names of people, what they mean, where else they appear in Scripture, who their family is, what their nationality is, and so on. Do this with every element, including what specific words mean, where else they are found in the Bible, and what different biblical authors mean by them. Don’t worry about answering the questions at this point; just raise them.

Learn the text. – This is where your study tools come in as you try and answer those questions. Everybody might not have access to Bible dictionaries, word studies, encyclopedias or commentaries, but there are some pretty good online tools you can use.

Find the 3 AM statement of the text. – It’s called the 3 AM Statement because if someone woke you up at 3 am the night before you’re going to teach and asked, “What is your talk about?” you would be able to answer them in one, short, easy-to-remember sentence.

Personally reflect on the text. – This is where you take some time to ask the question: “What does this text mean for me?” Not, “What does this text mean for them?” You journal your answer, after several hours of prayer. In short, you choose to deeply encounter the text yourself before you try and help others do the same.

Be Open. – Psalm 119:18 – Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.  Psalm 139:23-24 – Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!  1 Corinthians 11:28 – Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup.

We Need a Biblical Perspective – Acts 17:11 – “Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for the received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily, to see whether these things were so.”  We must block out our preconceived notions and opinions and allow God’s Word to speak for itself.

We Need Physical Preparation – Luke 22:7-14, we find that the Lord sent Peter and John to make preparations for the Passover meal that they might observe it according to its meaning and significance.  The word prepare is used 3x in these verses.  Without physical preparation, the best spiritual preparation accomplishes little.

May we all be diligent in our reading, studying, and meditation of God’s Word.  It will change your life in ways beyond all comprehension.  May God bless you richly.


 
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Posted by on June 28, 2012 in Uncategorized

 

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“True North” by Peter Nelson

15 Feb

From where you are sitting, do you know which direction north is?  As an illustration to this question in the past, I have asked a small group of people to close their eyes and point north.  The outcome was very interesting.   Some people immediately and confidently point a direction, while others seemed unsure and thought about it before reluctantly pointing a direction.  After everyone decided which way to point, I asked them to open their eyes and look around the room while still pointing to the direction that they believed was north.  The room soon was filled with giggles and comments.  As I looked around the room, people were pointing in every direction, and I think there may have even been some pointing up, towards the sky.  The truth was, not many knew which direction true north was when asked, unprepared, to demonstrate by pointing the direction they thought or understood it to be.

True north is a constant.  It does not change.  It is a measurable fact, a physical property of the magnetism of our planet, and is not a matter of opinion.  It has been used for centuries as a way to gauge where you are and how to get where you want to be.  It is used to help redirect you when you get lost and can’t find your bearings.  If early explorers closed their eyes and pointed which direct they felt, or understood in their own minds, was north, there would be fewer stories of successful explorers because they would have been lost and never heard from again.

How often do we close our eyes and rely solely on our own understanding of this world and our lives?

Proverbs 3:5-8 reads

5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, 
and do not lean on your own understanding.
6 In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths.
7 Be not wise in your own eyes;
fear the LORD, and turn away from evil.
8 It will be healing to your flesh
and refreshment to your bones.

God provided for us a compass.  It is our Bible, God’s Word.  It tells us which way the Truth is, and gives us our bearings.  It is an unchangeable, inerrant truth that we can rely on to find our way in this life.  He gave us His compass so that we would not have to rely on our own understanding.  He gave us His compass so we could find hope when we are lost.  He gave us His compass so we could gauge where we are in His eyes and where we need to be.  He gave us His compass so we could find our way home.  He gave us His compass so that we could find our way back to Him.  He gave us his Word so that we could be saved from our sins.

The GPS is the newest technology that helps us find our way around.  It not only tells you which way is north, it tells you where exactly you are at and where to turn to reach a destination.  It has its flaws though, sometimes telling to head down wrong streets or dead ends.  This technology is nothing new to God, though.  His GPS (aka God’s Positioning System, or God’s Plan Saves) has been around since man was made, and doesn’t steer you down a dead end street like the current devices do.  Rely on God’s word, trust God, do not spend your time closing your eyes and pointing which direction you think is true north.  Study your Bible, it is the compass that you need to guide your life.

This article was written by Peter Nelson.  Peter may be contacted at peter.j.nelson@jacobs.com.

 
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Posted by on February 15, 2012 in Uncategorized

 

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