Pete Beck III ministered as a pastor and Bible teacher in Burlington for over 34 years. He is married to Martha, with whom he has four children, ten beautiful grandchildren, and four amazing great grandchildren. He ministers in his local church as a Bible teacher and counselor. He has published two books - Seeing God's Smile and Promise of the Father - as well as a wide variety of Bible-related articles which he has compiled into books in PDF form.
The Old Testament points to Jesus. It is important for us to include in our gospel presentation how Jesus fulfilled promises made in the Old Testament.
And now we are here to bring you this Good News. The promise was made to our ancestors, 33 and God has now fulfilled it for us, their descendants, by raising Jesus. This is what the second psalm says about Jesus: ‘You are my Son.Today I have become your Father.’34 For God had promised to raise him from the dead, not leaving him to rot in the grave. He said, ‘I will give you the sacred blessings I promised to David.’ 35 Another psalm explains it more fully: ‘You will not allow your Holy One to rot in the grave.’ 36 This is not a reference to David, for after David had done the will of God in his own generation, he died and was buried with his ancestors, and his body decayed. 37 No, it was a reference to someone else—someone whom God raised and whose body did not decay. Acts 13:32-37 (NLT)
The Old Testament points to Jesus and can only be properly understood in reference to him.
The birth, life, death, resurrection, ascension, and Second Coming of Jesus the Messiah is the goal of God’s interactions and promises made in the Old Testament. Jesus’ resurrection caused verses that seemed mysterious or unclear to come into sudden bold relief, such as the ones quoted by Paul above.
So a time was set, and on that day a large number of people came to Paul’s lodging. He explained and testified about the Kingdom of God and tried to persuade them about Jesus from the Scriptures. Using the law of Moses and the books of the prophets, he spoke to them from morning until evening. Acts 28:23 (NLT)
Once Paul’s eyes were open to Jesus’ true identity, the entire Bible came to life for him. Jesus is the focus and goal of the entire Bible. Eventually all things will be summed up in him.
For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. 17 He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. 18 He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything. Colossians 1:16–18 (NASB95)
It is important for everyone to ask him or herself, “How have I responded to the gospel?” Paul summarized the gospel message in a paragraph.
“Brothers—you sons of Abraham, and also you God-fearing Gentiles—this message of salvation has been sent to us! 27 The people in Jerusalem and their leaders did not recognize Jesus as the one the prophets had spoken about. Instead, they condemned him, and in doing this they fulfilled the prophets’ words that are read every Sabbath. 28 They found no legal reason to execute him, but they asked Pilate to have him killed anyway. 29 “When they had done all that the prophecies said about him, they took him down from the cross and placed him in a tomb. 30 But God raised him from the dead! 31 And over a period of many days he appeared to those who had gone with him from Galilee to Jerusalem. They are now his witnesses to the people of Israel. Acts 13:26-31 (NLT)
Paul told his listeners and us that Jesus is the one promised by God in the Old Testament, who was rejected by the Jewish leaders, put to death, buried, rose again from the dead, and appeared to many. All that remains is to explain what this means to those who believe and receive it: forgiveness of our sins and being restored to a right relationship with God.
The gospel is a spoken or read message that requires a response.
We can hear it and believe. We can hear and reject it, or we can simply ignore it. Only one of these responses results in salvation. How have you responded?
Prayer
Jesus, I finally “get” it. You died for my sins and rose again. I receive you as my Savior and my Lord. I receive your forgiveness and give my life to you. Holy Spirit, come live in and through me. Thank you for eternal life. Help me to tell others about this amazing gift. Amen.
God promised Israel a Messiah who would save the entire world. On his first missionary journey, Paul the apostle preached the gospel to Jews living in Antioch of Pisidia. He correctly assumed that they were familiar with the promises God earlier made to King David, that one of his descendants would sit upon the throne of Israel forever. (2 Samuel 7:12-13)
“And it is one of King David’s descendants, Jesus, who is God’s promised Savior of Israel! 24 Before he came, John the Baptist preached that all the people of Israel needed to repent of their sins and turn to God and be baptized. 25 As John was finishing his ministry he asked, ‘Do you think I am the Messiah? No, I am not! But he is coming soon—and I’m not even worthy to be his slave and untie the sandals on his feet.’ Acts 13:23-25 (NLT)
When we share the gospel with those who are not as familiar with the Bible, we have an opportunity to explain how Jesus came in fulfillment of promises made to Israel long ago.
The gospel only makes sense when we understand its historical context. God promised that one day a Savior would defeat Satan and deliver us from his dominion. This began in the Garden of Eden, continued with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, was reiterated to Moses, amplified with King David, and prophesied by Isaiah and others.
What was not understood until God revealed it to Paul was that the Messiah was sent to save the entire world, not just Israel.
He says, “It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant To raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also make You a light of the nations So that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth.” Isaiah 49:6 (NASB95)For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. John 3:16 (NASB95)
By referring to this, when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5 which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit; 6 to be specific, that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel, Ephesians 3:4–6 (NASB95)
One day in the not so distant future, the very real historical person named Jesus, the glorious resurrected Son of Man prophesied by Daniel, will return in the clouds with great power to judge all mankind.
At that point in time, all the earth will come to realize that the gospel is a wonderful announcement of mercy to those who believe it which is based on the historical facts relating to Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. It is also a narrative of the historical fulfillment of God’s promises to Israel.
Therefore, it is important for gospel preachers to familiarize themselves with the the Old Testament and how it points to Jesus and the glorious gospel that is offered to every person in the world, regardless of ethnicity, gender, age, or socioeconomic status. That is how the early church presented Christ, and so should we!
If you are inclined to learn better how to do this, I suggest Scot McKnight's masterpiece, The King Jesus Gospel. I wrote a summary, which you can access by clicking here.
Water baptism and the baptism in the Spirit are distinct. When Cornelius spoke in tongues, Peter arrived at an obvious conclusion. God accepted the Gentile Cornelius in exactly the same way he had the Jewish apostles!
The Jewish believers who came with Peter were amazed that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles, too. 46 For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God. Then Peter asked, 47 “Can anyone object to their being baptized, now that they have received the Holy Spirit just as we did?” 48 So he gave orders for them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ... Acts 10:45-48 (NLT)
The Bible promises that Jesus will baptize his followers in the Spirit. (Luke 3:16) The evidence of this outpouring or baptism is speaking in tongues, as first experienced by the Jewish believers on Pentecost. In Acts 10 it happened again with Gentiles, which astounded the ethnocentric Jews, who imagined that they alone were eligible.
The giving of the Spirit is a proof of our acceptance into God’s heavenly family.
Only born-again children of God are given this amazing evidence of God’s love. (Luke 11:13)
When we share the gospel, we should inform our hearers that the Holy Spirit will be given to those who put their faith in Christ, both as the indwelling source of life and identity and as an outpoured source of power and boldness.
These two experiences with God’s Spirit are distinct: the first is a result of being born again, and the second from being baptized in the Spirit. Believers are to submit to water baptism as a public testimony of allegiance to our Savior and Lord and then receive the baptism in the Spirit.
Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are!
Up above the world so high,
Like a diamond in the sky.
Stars should cause wonderment, just like the rest of creation. All of it was designed by God to reveal his glory and power to us. King David wrote the following song of praise long ago.
The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork. 2 Day unto day utters speech, And night unto night reveals knowledge. 3 There is no speech nor language Where their voice is not heard. 4 Their line has gone out through all the earth, And their words to the end of the world. In them He has set a tabernacle for the sun, Psalm 19:1–4 (NKJV)
The apostle Paul echoed these words in his letter to the church in Rome.
For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. Romans 1:20 (NASB95)
Shhh! Don’t tell anyone, or they will think you are crazy, but Paul was right. There is a conspiracy to hide God’s glory from everyone who lives on the earth. Knowing that a true knowledge of creation will lead people to God, powerful people have conspired to obscure that knowledge in order to bring God’s wrath on humanity.
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. Romans 1:18–19 (NASB95)
Governments, scientists, educators, and even religious powers decided long ago that they would embrace an anti-biblical explanation of creation in order to hide God’s glory. This is rooted in a web of deceit derived from the false doctrine called evolution. What began as an explanation of how living things came to be has “evolved” and spread into almost every “scientific” discipline. Now we have evolutionary sociology, astrophysics (otherwise known as the Big Bang), politics (the Constitution is a living, evolving thing), philosophy (existentialism), and morality. Once God is hidden from our sight by a false interpretation or explanation of creation, anything goes.
People don’t wonder what stars are anymore. Now we “know” they are gigantic balls of gas at incalculable distances from us. But are they? Not if we believe the Bible and actual photographs.
The Bible says that stars are not so far away at all and are not suns, but “lights” in the dome of the firmament.
Then God made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. He made the stars also. 17 God set them in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth, 18 and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19 So the evening and the morning were the fourth day. Genesis 1:16–19 (NKJV)
Anyone who believes the above words understands that they destroy any definition of stars proposed by modern astronomers. These amazing creations only came into existence after God had already created the earth and light itself. Actual photographs of stars and planets (“wandering stars”) look like lights shining through water, which is exactly what God says exists above and below the solid dome of the firmament.
The inverse square law of light is a physics law that states that light diminishes in intensity as a square of the distance we are from the source. If stars were as far away as modern astrophysicists say, we could not see them unless they were indescribably huge and bright.
However, Jesus said that the stars will fall to the earth.
But in those days, after that tribulation, THE SUN WILL BE DARKENED AND THE MOON WILL NOT GIVE ITS LIGHT, 25 AND THE STARS WILL BE FALLING from heaven, and the powers that are in the heavens will be shaken. 26 “Then they will see THE SON OF MAN COMING IN CLOUDS with great power and glory. Mark 13:24–26 (NASB95)
Either NASA is wrong or the Bible is. Such huge things could not fall to the earth. You choose for yourself, but I am siding with Jesus. He created it all.
We should expect the Holy Spirit to draw people to Christ. Something unanticipated and wonderful occurred while Peter was sharing the gospel with the Roman Centurion and Gentile named Cornelius and the people gathered in his home.
Even as Peter was saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who were listening to the message. Acts 10:44 (NLT)
When we share the gospel with people, most of our listeners probably will not erupt in spontaneous tongues as did Cornelius, but we should expect to see some evidence of the Holy Spirit’s operation.
The preaching of the gospel relies upon the hidden work of God’s Spirit inside our listeners if we are to see results.
Jesus spoke about this.
At that time Jesus prayed this prayer: “O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank you for hiding these things from those who think themselves wise and clever, and for revealing them to the childlike.26 Yes, Father, it pleased you to do it this way!Matthew 11:25-26 (NLT)
Paul taught us that God uses the “foolishness of preaching” (1 Corinthians 1:21-24) to bring people to Christ. Preaching works because there is power in the words of the gospel and because of the hidden operation of God’s Spirit in those who hear. If we do our part, we can depend on God to do his by drawing people to Christ and opening their hearts to the message.
Jesus said:
For no one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them to me, and at the last day I will raise them up.45 As it is written in the Scriptures, ‘They will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from him comes to me.John 6:44-45 (NLT)
Me: I can say at least one phrase in every known language, except for Greek.
Other Person: Okay, say something in Swahili?
Me: It’s Greek to me.
When my kids were small, sometimes we would play cops and robbers. They pretended to shoot me, but no matter how close they were, I would move my eyes as if following their bullet right around me. They could never hit me. That may be humorous in such situations, but when we do the same thing as adults when confronted by unwelcome truth, it is not funny at all.
In my previous article, I introduced the idea of a “black swan,” which represents contradictory evidence to a stated truth. But what if a person with whom I am talking says every time that the black swan is not really black. It’s just covered with oil. No matter how many black swans I may present, each time I am rebutted with the same argument. They are all covered with oil. Even if I closely examine the black swan to show that it has no oil on it, my friend may say, “Well, it was covered with oil, which dyed its feathers black. There are no black swans.” One would soon realize that there is no point discussing the matter any further.
This has been my experience when I share flat earth evidence. No matter how convincing my proof, it is always dismissed as being “doctored” video or, in the case of seeing farther than the globe model would allow, refraction or lensing. The refraction argument has been used ad infinitum to try to explain away everything from seeing the Chicago skyline from 65 miles away to selenelion eclipses.
Refraction is a real thing, but it does not explain away flat earth evidence, as so often claimed. Below is an excellent video on the subject by Ben at Taboo Conspiracy.
When we dismiss clear evidence that refutes a previously believed position, it shows that we are brainwashed.
Part of the reason we have such difficulty accepting that the earth is not a globe is because we cannot believe that institutions and people we trust could be actively deceiving us, especially on such a grand scale. We think that surely the truth would have been “outed” by now. Let me assure you that deception on a grand scale exists everywhere, but the whistleblowers are either eliminated, isolated, ridiculed, or dismissed.
Most people are more comfortable believing a lie that confronting one.
Peter concluded his gospel presentation to Cornelius with the good news that God will forgive the sins of those who believe in Jesus.
He [Jesus] is the one all the prophets testified about, saying that everyone who believes in him will have their sins forgiven through his name.” Acts 10:43 (NLT)
Once we believe and confess that Jesus is the glorious Lord who is risen from the dead, God wants us to understand that he does not hold our past sins against us.
We may not have been the ones who actually drove the nails into his hands and feet, but we all have participated in the sin of turning our backs on God. He died for all of us because we all had an impossible debt to pay to God. Only he could settle accounts on our behalf, and he did!
After his resurrection, Jesus told his disciples:
...“Yes, it was written long ago that the Messiah would suffer and die and rise from the dead on the third day.47 It was also written that this message would be proclaimed in the authority of his name to all the nations, beginning in Jerusalem: ‘There is forgiveness of sins for all who repent.’48 You are witnesses of all these things.Luke 24:46-48 (NLT)
If someone makes a claim that all swans are white, finding a black one would disprove the statement. I well remember my “black swan” moment. It came in a flash, a moment of realization that all my life the “establishment” had been lying to me!
From childhood I believed what was was taught and reinforced almost daily – that the earth is a rotating sphere that revolves around the sun and hurtles through space at incomprehensible and complex speeds under the control of the pull of “gravity” from multiple sources. We are rotating at around 1000 mph at the equator, traveling at 66,600 mph around the sun, moving at around half a million mph along with our solar system through the galaxy, and flying at an even faster speed through the larger universe due to residual expansion from the “Big Bang.” I likewise accepted that gravity, which is weak enough to allow me to move about freely on the earth, is also strong enough to hold trillions of gallons of water to the surface of our sphere, which is rotating so amazingly fast.
I did not really think too much about the fact that no one is aware of this supposed motion. Nor did I consider that, if this rotational speed is true, airplanes must fly with reference to that rotational speed and calculate it when landing, taking off, and navigating. I also did not consider what is the supposed curvature of the earth. In fact, it had never occurred to me to test it. And this brings me to the black swan moment.
I do not think I will ever forget watching a clear demonstration that we can see much, much farther than we are supposed to see if the globe theory of the earth’s shape were actually true.
Earth Curvature Formula
Most people do not know how much the earth’s surface is supposed to curve. There are websites that calculate the required amount of curvature over distance using spherical trigonometry, such as the Earth Curvature Calculator. For simplicity’s sake, the following parabolic formula works well up to a distance of about 2000 miles. After that, there will be some slight discrepancies from the trig formula, but not enough to cause concern.
Easy Formula: The Earth's Predicted Curvature = 8 inches times the distance in mileage squared.
Here are some sample distances with the calculated required curvature, if the earth were indeed a globe. 8 inches equals .66 feet.
Distance
Formula
Expected Curvature
1 mile
8″X1X1
8 inches
2 miles
8″X2X2
32 inches
3 miles
8″X3X3
72 inches
4 miles
8’X4X4
10.66 feet
5 miles
8″X5X5
16.66 feet
10 miles
8″X10X10
66 feet
20 miles
8″X20X20
264 feet
100 miles
8″X100X100
6600 feet
Perspective vs Curvature
When objects move away from us, because of optical perspective related to shape of our eyes, they appear to disappear from their base up. Aristotle believed this was proof of the earth’s curvature. Bill Nye the Science Guy says the same thing, much to his shame, because he knows better. Thanks to the power of telescopes and zoom cameras, we can bring objects back into view that have disappeared due to perspective, all the way down to the hull in the water for boats. Of course, eventually everything disappears when moved far enough away, due to limitations of vision, air quality issues, and perspective.
There are many different empirical proofs that the earth does not curve, and I have placed several of them on the Resource Page connected to this series. I encourage you to check them out. Below is a very short video demonstration to whet your curiosity. Below is some information about the author of the video.
Taboo Conspiracy (aka Ben) is happily married and a homeschooling father of four children (one more is on the way). He is currently a lawyer and an entrepreneur setting up a remarkable business in Las Vegas, Nevada where he currently resides. Ben has a bachelors degree, a Juris Doctorate, and a Masters…
In March 2015, Ben began his new life as a flat earther when he, with his Nikon P900, filmed his wife across a bay holding a mirror reflecting the sunlight at 6.3 miles distance (globe model “hidden” height of 12 feet). Defying the globe model, Ben’s wife placed the mirror into the water and Ben filmed the entire event 6.3 miles away. Since then, Ben and his patient wife have conducted many tests to demonstrate the flat and stationary earth and his YouTube channel (now called “Taboo Conspiracy ii”) has thereafter been devoted to sharing these and many more flat earth proofs with everyone.
Although a Bible-loving Christian, Ben’s flat earth conversion was based only on the substantial scientific, observable and repeatable, evidence of the flat earth. Ben only asks that you objectively test the flat earth and weigh the evidence yourself with an open mind – only then will you learn the hard truth – that we were all lied to and only together can humanity throw off this mental and physical tyranny.1
When I saw that it can be demonstrated that the formula for calculating the curve of the earth is wrong, it was my black swan moment. Instead of curving like a sphere, it is flat!
What a moment that was. I did not want to be a “flat earther,” but there it was. My life forever changed that day. My big mistake was assuming that, if I showed people this information, they would immediately arrive at the same conclusion as I. Was I ever wrong!
In my next article, I will share about my amazing knowledge of languages. I can speak at least one phrase in every known language, except Greek. Perhaps you would like to test me?
At the time of this writing, for about a year I have held a view of the earth and heavens that I believe corresponds to Genesis, rather than to the generally accepted position of modern astrophysics. This means that I am no longer a heliocentrist or believe that the earth is a rotating globe hurtling through space at enormous speeds in compound directions.
Some of my friends and family have come to believe as I, but others think I am “crazy” or deceived. Perhaps I have become an embarrassment to some. I have been mocked and a recipient of angry rebuttals and sly smiles. I mistakenly thought that my years as a Bible teacher would give me some credence, but I discovered that is often not true. It appears that this issue is a “sacred cow” that is best left undisturbed.
I began to wonder if this is a hill to die on or something to be left alone for a while. My relative silence may have been misinterpreted as a surrender to heliocentric “orthodoxy,” especially after what has been labeled “The Final Experiment,” but I have not changed my stance. I still hold firmly to what I believe the Bible teaches and have observed mountains of evidence to support my faith. Perhaps my stand will help others think again about what they believe and come to a knowledge of the truth.
I have come to believe that it is quite impossible to be a heliocentrist and accept the clear teachings about where we live that are found in Genesis and elsewhere in the Bible.
We must choose whether we will make the Biblical position our starting point in our quest for truth. If we begin with the generally accepted heliocentric model, as do most Christians, we will discover that we must reject a literal rendering of Genesis. Most do this in a way that might seem plausible but is nothing more than self-deception. I should know. I unwittingly did it for years.
We make an end run around the truth by claiming that Genesis is not intended to be accepted as literally true. In other words, God told us a lie because he figured we were too ignorant to comprehend the truth. If this is so, it means that nothing in the Bible can be regarded as absolutely true, which is exactly what the devil wants us to conclude. We cannot have it both ways. The Bible cannot be true, but Genesis be untrue.
Nevertheless, most Christians seem to feel quite comfortable in doing this, while at the same time affirming that they believe that every word of the Bible is infallibly true. The devil must be laughing at our duplicity. How easy we are to fool.
If we decide that the Word of God the sole arbiter of truth, we will end up in an entirely different place.
We will question what is called “science” instead of the Bible. We will believe that the Bible means what it says and says what it means. If the sun was created on the fourth day, we understand that the Big Bang and heliocentrism is a lie. It really is that simple.
The reason that so many Christians have great difficulty accepting the biblical position is because we have been brainwashed since infancy to believe the heliocentric model. It takes great courage to go against what the masses accept as obviously true and settled science. No other stand for truth has cost me as much as this one, which indicates to me how important this truth is.
Many say that it makes no difference whether we believe in heliocentrism and the globe or in the biblical model. The only reason a person would say that is because they believe the biblical model is false. Once a person sees through the lie, it becomes clear how important this truth is.
One has to ask why this deception has been propagated for the last five hundred years. It is because it is a lie upon which hinges so many other deceptions. It hides the Creator who can more perfectly be known by comprehending his actual creation, not some imaginary distortion. It breeds other lies such as our relative insignificance in the vast universe. It makes man and the earth seem almost inconsequential, when the truth is that we are the center of God’s creation and purposes. It has led to many rejecting God’s existence altogether. It also sets the stage for us to believe that we are in constant danger from being obliterated by a random comet or asteroid, or of being invaded by aliens from “deep space.” Those who seek to enslave us want us to be afraid so they can convince us to surrender our freedoms to them.
Once we understand that we are in an enclosed environment overseen by the Most High God, the Creator, these fears disappear. Those who see the Creator in his creation are encouraged to know him, love him, and serve him.
Adopting a biblical cosmology is perhaps one of the most important things we will ever do, aside from putting our faith and allegiance in Christ.
I encourage you to be willing to lay aside your long held presuppositions about the nature of the earth and heavens and open your heart to receive what the Bible teaches, even if it contradicts what we previously believed – especially if it does. If we ask the Holy Spirit to instruct us, I am sure he will. He promises to guide us into all truth.
Prayer
Holy Spirit, I ask you to guide me into the truth regarding the earth and the heavens. Amen.
If someone makes a claim that all swans are white, finding a black one would disprove the statement. I well remember my “black swan” moment. It came in a flash, a moment of realization that all my life the “establishment” had been lying to me!