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Gospel in a Minute: Jesus Is Alive and Communicates with Us

Gospel in a Minute

Because Jesus actually rose from the dead, he is alive and communicates with us. The Star Wars series of movies presents its version of god in a Buddhist way as an impersonal force that includes both good and evil. That is not the God of the Bible.

The Bible reveals that God is a Person who is good and loving and who communicates with people.

The Bible records the history of God’s interactions with men and women in which he clearly communicated with them through direct words, visions, angelic visitations, prophets, the scriptures, and last, but certainly not least, by his indwelling Holy Spirit.

The eternal Logos became a human named Jesus who lived for some thirty-three years, interacting with his family, friends, neighbors, disciples, and even his enemies. He spoke as no one else had. (John 7:46) His personality and spirit magnetically drew those whose hearts were open to God, but repelled those who were hardened. When he met people, he often called them by name, as with his disciples and Zacheus. When Mary Magdalene searched for his body after the crucifixion, he appeared to her in a risen bodily form she did not immediately recognize until he spoke her name, “Mary.” Instantly she knew him and was overjoyed, running to tell the other disciples that he was indeed risen from the dead. Because Jesus is alive, he is still able to communicate with his disciples. Later, after his ascension into heaven, he appeared and spoke personally to the apostle Paul, bringing about his dramatic conversion.

He also visited me some fifty-three years ago. I was a seeker, who was not at all convinced in the truth of the resurrection, but I wanted to know. After I observed someone I loved and respected, now my wife, transform from being a standard Roman Catholic to becoming a “born again” follower of Christ, I asked the Lord, if he were real, to come into my life and reveal himself to me, too. That is just what he did.

Paul said that if we turn to the Lord, he will remove the veil that hides Christ’s identity from our eyes. (2 Corinthians 3:16)

Because I opened myself to him, the risen and living Jesus communicated with me via his Holy Spirit that he is indeed who the Bible says he is. I am not sure how he did it, but I sensed his presence so strongly that I was instantly transformed inside and filled with joy. My life was changed, moving me from doubt to faith in an instant. I now know that he is truly alive, and knowing and believing that gave me eternal life, too.

I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life. John 5:24 (NLT)

You, too, can know the risen Lord. He is no respecter of persons. Anyone who comes to him will be received by him. He will not turn you away. (John 6:37) Will this be your day? Will you open your heart to the risen Lord and ask him into your life as I did some 53 years ago? Will you ask him to reveal himself to you so that you too can believe and be saved?

Prayer

Jesus, I want to know you. I ask you to come into my life and reveal yourself to me so that I can believe and be saved. I want to be forgiven for my many sins and experience what it is like to be in right standing with my Creator. I want to experience your love and life and be with you forever. I give myself to you. Amen.

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Don’t pin your hopes on the rapture.

Many think we may be on the brink of a long awaited event, the Second Coming of Christ preceded by a time of great suffering and persecution called the Great Tribulation. The futurist and often Dispensational view of the end times also teaches that sometime before this time of suffering those who believe in Christ will be “raptured.” Even though this is not actually a biblical term, it is means a “catching up” of the Body of Christ which is definitely scriptural.

Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 1 Thessalonians 4:17 (ESV)

The Greek word is harpazo, which means to seize, catch up, or snatch away. The idea is that God’s people will be removed before it gets really bad here on earth, leaving unsaved humanity to endure the atrocities of the Antichrist’s rule. But does this teaching conform to the Bible’s clear instructions on the end times? Might it be a false hope which could leave the church unprepared to endure suffering?

Corrie Ten Boom, a Christian woman who miraculously survived the Nazi death camps after being betrayed by a neighbor for harboring and protecting Jews, toured the world in her old age warning Christians that suffering is part of God’s plan to transform us and prepare us for glory. I quote her below.

 

There are some among us teaching there will be no tribulation that the Christians will be able to escape all this. These are the false teachers that Jesus was warning us to expect in the latter days. Most of them have little knowledge of what is already going on across the world. I have been in countries where the saints are already suffering terrible persecution.

In China, the Christians were told, ” Don’t worry, before the tribulation comes you will be translated- raptured.” Then came a terrible persecution. Millions of Christians were tortured to death. Later, I heard a Bishop from China say, sadly,

“We have failed..
We should have made the people strong for persecution,
rather than telling them Jesus would come first.
Tell the people to be strong in times of persecution,
how to stand when the tribulation comes,
to stand and not faint.” (Women of Christianity)

We do well to seriously consider Corrie’s warning, but what the Bible says is even more important. What, if anything, did Jesus and Paul say about the rapture? Not surprisingly, they said quite a lot about the end times, and some of it directly relates to the rapture theory. I begin by quoting our Lord’s words regarding the very end of things.

Then, leaving the crowds outside, Jesus went into the house. His disciples said, “Please explain to us the story of the weeds in the field.” 37  Jesus replied, “The Son of Man is the farmer who plants the good seed. 38  The field is the world, and the good seed represents the people of the Kingdom. The weeds are the people who belong to the evil one. 39  The enemy who planted the weeds among the wheat is the devil. The harvest is the end of the world, and the harvesters are the angels. 40  “Just as the weeds are sorted out and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the world. 41  The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will remove from his Kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. 42  And the angels will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43  Then the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father’s Kingdom. Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand! Matthew 13:36-43 (NLT)

Here Jesus explained that the first group that will will be taken is composed of the wicked, not the righteous. This is the very opposite scenario posited by rapture enthusiasts. In another passage, Jesus reaffirms that this is how things will end.

“When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah’s day. 38  In those days before the flood, the people were enjoying banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat. 39  People didn’t realize what was going to happen until the flood came and swept them all away. That is the way it will be when the Son of Man comes. 40  “Two men will be working together in the field; one will be taken, the other left. 41  Two women will be grinding flour at the mill; one will be taken, the other left. 42  “So you, too, must keep watch! For you don’t know what day your Lord is coming. 43  Understand this: If a homeowner knew exactly when a burglar was coming, he would keep watch and not permit his house to be broken into. 44  You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected. Matthew 24:37-44 (NLT)

Once again Jesus words work against having an expectation of the rapture of the church. Instead, those who will be taken or swept away are the wicked, just as during the flood of Noah’s day. Noah’s family was left behind to inherit the earth, not the wicked.

Where did the doctrine of the rapture come from then? John Nelson Darby was probably the first person to fully articulate this relatively modern doctrine sometime between 1832 and 1845. (John Darby: Pretribulation Rapture Theory) It can be argued that such a theory could only find traction in a land and time that was free from intense persecution. I doubt if it could have been developed during the persecutions that attended the early church or the one going on in Communist China right now. Many areas of the world have already experienced or are currently experiencing great tribulation.

By the way, the Greek word translated tribulation is thlipsis, which essentially means “pressure.” Pressure explodes weak containers and refines coal into diamonds. How we will be affected by pressure will depend on what is inside us.

The Bible clearly warns us to expect suffering, which God’s grace will help us endure.

"Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name. 10  "At that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another. 11  "Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many. 12  "Because lawlessness is increased, most people's love will grow cold. 13  "But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved. Matthew 24:9-13 (NASB)

Jesus encouraged us to endure suffering for the gospel, not pin our hopes on a “great escape” called the rapture.

When people believe they will be pulled out of the coming troubles, it can demotivate us from actively preaching the gospel and working to expand the kingdom of God. Instead, we may end up “forting up” in our churches, waiting for the rapture.

Removing believers when intense suffering is about to arrive does not conform to God’s shepherd heart. Jesus told us that the Good Shepherd will not flee when he sees the wolf coming. Watchman Nee lived and ministered in China before it fell to communism. He had the opportunity to escape but chose to remain with the people under his care. His church was among those who did not capitulate to the demands of the Communist Party. He endured great suffering as a result of his choice and languished for years in prison, but he was faithful to God and those under his care.

Is it not more in line with Christ’s love that he would raise up his church to be his fearless witness during such a time? Is that not what actually happened during previous persecutions? The church grew exponentially during Roman tribulation and has expanded victoriously during the modern persecution in China. Would we expect Christ to rejoice in a weak and fearful bride hiding in hopes of being rescued or in one who is gloriously confronting the enemies of the gospel? What if the period we hope to escape will end up being the most glorious and victorious era for the church?

I have a growing suspicion that most of our end time theology will be seriously rearranged in the coming days as we approach the Second Coming of Christ.

The prophet Habakkuk promised that the glory of the Lord will fill the earth.

"For the earth will be filled With the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, As the waters cover the sea. Habakkuk 2:14 (NASB)

Could a Spirit-filled victorious church participating in a massive outpouring of the Spirit as prophesied in Joel be part of that process before the Second Coming? Many, including myself, think so.

Jesus taught that his Second Coming will precipitate the resurrection from the dead, the last judgment, and the final state of things. Not only will the wicked be removed and burned with unquenchable fire; all the dead will be raised, judged and assigned to their eternal destinies.

“Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. 26  For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. 27  And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man. 28  Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice 29  and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment. John 5:25-29 (ESV)

Those who have already died as believers will be the first ones caught up to meet the Lord when he comes to judge the world. After that those believers who are still alive physically will join them.

For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. 15  For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16  For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17  Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. 18  Therefore comfort one another with these words. 1 Thessalonians 4:14-18 (NASB)

Putting all this together, it appears that the Lord’s Second Coming will be immediately preceded by a removal of the wicked, followed by a resurrection of the dead and a catching up of the righteous to join the descending Lord. This agrees with what Paul wrote about the resurrection in the fifteenth chapter of his First Letter to the Church in Corinth.

Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53 For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. 1 Corinthians 15:51–53 (NASB95)

Jesus will come again at the last trumpet, the dead will be raised, and those who are still alive will be instantly transformed by receiving their glorified bodies. This is what is called the rapture.Then a glorious and fearful final reckoning will take place which will be administered by the Divine Son of Man, the risen Lord Jesus.

"But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. 32  "All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; 33  and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left. Matthew 25:31-33 (NASB)

God has not given us all the details of how it will be at the end, only what we need to know. Hardly anyone figured out how Jesus would arrive on planet earth the first time. Why should we expect that we will succeed the second time?

As we await his sure return, let us hold on to our ideas of what will be with an open mind and heart, realizing that we may need to adjust our thinking as we watch events unfold.

In the meantime, let us take seriously the apostle Peter’s words of encouragement.

Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. 9  Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are. 10  In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation. 11  All power to him forever! Amen. 1 Peter 5:8-11 (NLT)
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Chapter 69: The Gospel Presented as Three Calls from God

God issues three basic calls to people, each of which resonates deeply in the hearts of those who love him. Each call draws us into a deeper experience of God’s love and to a new level of commitment reflected in three baptisms. Each is tied firmly to God’s eternal purpose to glorify his Son through us, and each is a doorway into personal joy and fulfillment. Each is an integral part of the gospel.

Jesus combined all three calls in one beautiful sentence.

...“Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!”  Matthew 4:19 (NLT) 

Come… Follow… Fish. Each of the three calls invites us into a deeper relationship with God, and each has a higher personal cost associated with it. Many are called, but few embrace all three.

Come: The Call to Know Jesus as Savior
And you... have been called to belong to Jesus Christ. Romans 1:6 (NLT)

The initial call we receive from God is the call to come to him to be loved, forgiven, reconciled, and become part of God’s family through the new birth.

Because sin alienated us from God and broke our spiritual lifeline, before we hear and respond to this call, our biggest problem, deepest fear, and loneliest prospect is a life and an eternity separated from God. We were spiritual orphans in the universe. Here is how Paul put it.

In those days you were living apart from Christ. You were excluded from citizenship among the people of Israel, and you did not know the covenant promises God had made to them. You lived in this world without God and without hope.  Ephesians 2:12 (NLT)

Father God looked upon our lost condition with great compassion and sent his only Son to suffer the judgment our sins deserved so that we might be fully restored to him.

For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.  John 3:16 (NLT)

God’s loving call to come to Christ the Savior and belong to his family satisfies our deepest longing and answers our identity question, making us children of God.

Becoming part of God’s family through the new birth automatically makes us belong to everyone else in the family, too. The Holy Spirit spiritually baptizes or immerses us into the body of Christ.

Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit.  1 Corinthians 12:13 (NLT)

Father God must open our spiritual understanding and give us the ability to hear this call. Our Lord personally issued this call to belong to all who can receive it.

...“Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29  Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30  For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 (NLT)

The first and most fundamental call anyone can receive from God is the gospel call to know Jesus as Savior and become sons and daughters of God through the new birth.

When we put our faith and allegiance in Christ, Jesus shares his relationship with Abba Father with us.

And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.” 7 Now you are no longer a slave but God’s own child. And since you are his child, God has made you his heir.  Galatians 4:6–7 (NLT)

If you have never done so before, now is the time to respond to the gospel call to become a child of God. Jesus did the hard part on the cross, but we have our own responsibility in the matter. His hand is extended to offer us the gift of life. Our part is to reach out and receive that gift and rest in the knowledge that we are loved.

But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13  who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. John 1:12-13 (ESV)
 
Follow: The Call to Know Jesus as Lord

Being loved and part of God’s family is deeply satisfying but it is not all there is. Jesus knew the joy of doing the things that pleased his Father.

but so that the world may know that I love the Father, I do exactly as the Father commanded Me. Get up, let us go from here.  John 14:31 (NASB95)

The second call from God is the call to love and obey Jesus the Lord. It challenges us to return the love God poured out on us through being faithful and dedicated to his beloved Son.

Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.”  John 14:21 (NLT)

When we respond to this call to show allegiance to Jesus, it will fulfill another fundamental desire we all have – to experience the joy of doing what pleases God.

We must first discover who we are through the new birth before we can move forward to learning to please God through our thoughts, words, and deeds. As important as resting in God’s love is, our Lord did not create us merely to exist. He also intends for us to properly represent him to the world through doing good works of faith and love.

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. Ephesians 2:10 (NASB)

We cannot earn God’s approval and favor, which are gifts. Our approval by God is first and foremost based on Christ’s performance on our behalf. He kept the law of God perfectly and served his Abba Father without deviation all the way to the cross. When we accept Christ as our Lord and Savior, his right standing with God and the approval attached to his perfect obedience are credited to our spiritual “bank account”. This is called justification, the judicial act of God’s imputing or crediting Christ’s righteousness to those who believe.

God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.  Ephesians 2:8–9 (NLT)

Because we are new creations in Christ, who have been given a right standing with God and his approval, we (super)naturally desire to do good works. The indwelling Holy Spirit inspires and enables us to carry them out.

For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him. Philippians 2:13 (NLT)

The Holy Spirit works inside us so that we can begin to act in agreement with what he did inside us through justification.

He works to translate our inner identity into outward performance.

Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.  Galatians 5:25 (NLT)

In other words, through what is called sanctification or transformation we start to think and act more like who we are, new creations in Christ. We participate in this process by consecrating, dedicating, or surrendering ourselves to Christ’s lordship and the inner work of God’s Spirit. This is a “work” of faith on our part.

When some of his disciples asked Jesus what works God wanted them to do, here is what our Lord said.

..."This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent." John 6:29 (NASB)

The Greek verb pisteuo, which is translated “believe,” also carries the fundamental idea of allegiance. It is a lot more than mere agreement with a set of doctrines or belief that Jesus lived, died, and rose again. Faith or belief in Jesus that does not include faithfulness or allegiance to him and his Word is mere lip service and is not biblical faith. Jesus’ call to follow him is a call to show allegiance to him above all else.

This requires us to surrender our will to him.

The Holy Spirit helps us to enter an experience of Christ’s allegiance to his heavenly Father.

By coming into alignment with Christ’s obedience through the Spirit’s help, we gain a deeper experience of God’s approval that previously was simply a gift to us. In other words, God imputes (credits to our account) Christ’s righteousness, but he also wants us to experience living out that righteousness. Some say this is when what was imputed becomes imparted.

Our allegiance to Christ is also demonstrated when we declare his lordship publicly before others.

Following Jesus means we attach ourselves to him personally and follow his teachings. It means we seek to be continually “led by the Spirit.” It means we no longer belong to ourselves: we belong to God.

Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, 20 for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.  1 Corinthians 6:19–20 (NLT)

This is much different from merely being a “Christian” or a “church goer.” It means we seriously commit ourselves to Christ and are not ashamed to be known as one of his disciples.

Water baptism is a formal public declaration of allegiance to Jesus. In it we lay aside our past self-directed way of living and launch ourselves into a life on mission.

Receiving Jesus as Savior can be done privately, but the call to follow requires a public identification with our Lord. He wants us to unashamedly declare our allegiance to him.

I tell you the truth, everyone who acknowledges me publicly here on earth, the Son of Man will also acknowledge in the presence of God’s angels. 9  But anyone who denies me here on earth will be denied before God’s angels. Luke 12:8-9 (NLT)

Water baptism is the perfect setting for us to do this. We should encourage any new convert to publicly declare allegiance to Christ by being baptized in water.

Fish: The Call to Know Jesus as the Baptizer in the Holy Spirit

No matter what our mission or job in life has been up to this point, Jesus gives his followers a new one – fishing for people.

Jesus’ mission was multi-faceted. He was and is the perfect representation of what Father God is like. He lived in an exemplary way to illustrate what a God-directed and God-glorifying life looks like. He also came to die for our sins as God’s Lamb and to rise again as the exalted Lord of Lords. Finally, as the ascended Lord of the harvest, his continuing mission is to add large numbers of people to God’s family through the church’s preaching the gospel message and making new disciples. He accomplishes this by pouring out his Spirit upon his people and sending us to keep working at what he began until the day he returns as the glorious Son of Man, who will judge the world in righteousness.

Responding to God’s first two calls, receiving our Savior’s love and demonstrating our love for him by surrendering to his lordship, propels us into the mission to love those who are currently outside of God’s family.

When we respond to the call to know Jesus as Savior, we experience what it means to belong to God and his family. When we obey the call to serve Jesus the Lord, we experience the joy of acknowledging him publicly and serving him wholeheartedly.

The call to become fishers of men is a call to experience the joy of being an important and significant representative of Christ.

When God the Father told people to listen to Jesus, he let everyone know that his Son is supremely significant. We participate in Christ’s significance through being actively on mission with him.

God created Adam and Eve to love him and fellowship with him and gave them a job to do – to be fruitful and multiply and rule over his creation. The church has the same mandate. Our mission is not simply to go to church and eventually get to heaven. In between being born again and the death of our bodies, we have a responsibility – to go and make disciples.

Most missional activity takes place outside the church building and is a 24/7 calling.

The call to make disciples provokes us to look on our neighbors and community with new eyes, those of a compassionate shepherd.

When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 He said to his disciples, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. 38 So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.”  Matthew 9:36–38 (NLT)

Being on mission challenges us to be alert to the prompting of the Spirit, who is always on mission, and the needs of those living around us, in the expectation that God will open doors of opportunity for us to meet and influence people toward God’s kingdom every day. God gave us new life so we can join him in his worldwide mission to fish for, catch, and disciple people.

Jesus formally announced the call to mission just before he ascended into heaven, when he gave his disciples and us what we now call the Great Commission.

And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19  "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20  teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Matthew 28:18-20 (NASB)

The call to belong to God’s family is relatively pain free for us, but it cost Jesus everything. For us, it is mainly about discovering how much God loves us. The greatest number of people who call themselves Christians respond to this call. The call to loyally follow Christ introduces the cost associated with identifying with our Lord publicly and keeping his commandments, and fewer accept this call. It is an invitation to die to ourselves and live for our Lord and God’s glory. There usually are more people who identify themselves as Christians than as loyal followers of Christ.

The call to mission is the costliest of all, and fewer still embrace a Great Commission lifestyle. The call to mission invites us to expend ourselves for others for Jesus’ sake, those who are currently God’s enemies in many cases. It is also our call to have great and lasting significance.

Those who are wise will shine as bright as the sky, and those who lead many to righteousness will shine like the stars forever.  Daniel 12:3 (NLT)

Because Jesus was God’s own son, and because he always did what pleased his Father, he was most significant. His words are to be heeded, just as the Father said when he spoke from heaven.

He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” Matthew 17:5 (ESV)

When we share the good news of the Gospel, we become extremely significant, too. People should listen to us because we speak for God.

The devil will resist our responding to the gospel’s call to belong because he wants you and me to be eternally lost. He will also resist our responding to the call to surrender our lives to Jesus’ lordship because he knows that will make us dangerous people with respect to his kingdom of darkness. He most firmly and fiercely resists any person or group who commits to being on mission because he knows that such a commitment will bring many others into the kingdom of God.

One of the first steps to embracing the call to mission is to receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit, which equips and empowers us to proclaim the Gospel boldly with signs following.

…he commanded them, “Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you the gift he promised, as I told you before. 5  John baptized with water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” ... 8  But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:4-8 (NLT)

If you have never asked for this gift, right now is the perfect time. Like all of God’s gifts, it is received by faith. It is for all his children, and its purpose is to enable and empower us to fulfill the Great Commission. When we share the gospel, we should tell our hearers that as disciples they are called to be on mission and invite them to receive the baptism in the Spirit.

Calling for a Proper Response

As any good salesman knows, closing is critical. A great presentation means nothing without a sale.

We should never try to coerce or manipulate our hearers into a response, but we should give them an opportunity to make one.

It is a good idea to communicate the urgency to respond since no one is guaranteed a tomorrow. Procrastination could decide their eternity in a very negative way. Paul said that today is the right time to respond to the gospel.

For God says, “At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you.” Indeed, the “right time” is now. Today is the day of salvation.  2 Corinthians 6:2 (NLT)

We should remind our hearers that one day we will all stand in judgment before God. Only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life will be safe and not suffer God’s wrath against the world’s sinful rebellion against his rule.

And anyone whose name was not found recorded in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire.  Revelation 20:15 (NLT)

We should urge them to save themselves from this perverse generation that is hurtling toward the abyss. In conclusion, let’s give our hearers specific steps to take, just as Peter did on Pentecost when he said the following.

Peter said to them, "Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39  "For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself." Acts 2:38-39 (NASB)
  • Repent – The Spirit works in us to convict us of our root sin of trying to be the lord of our own lives. True repentance takes place when we acknowledge our sins, turn away from them, ask for and receive forgiveness, and surrender to Christ’s lordship. Faith is required for us to repent. We are not simply sorry for our sins. Rather we receive God’s amazing provision for us in Christ and commit to a lifetime of service to his Lordship.
  • Be Water Baptized – Water baptism is a public demonstration of our repentance, faith, surrender to Christ, and our commitment to serve him for the rest of our lives.
  • Receive the Baptism in the Holy Spirit – This baptism equips Christ’s followers to fulfill the Great Commission. We cannot adequately serve the Lord of the harvest without it.
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Chapter 68: Gospel Paradigms

There are as many ways to present the good news about Jesus as there are unique individuals with their own specific needs. The more adept we become at sharing the gospel, the better we will be able to adapt it to any situation.

Our goal is to present the gospel in such a way that our hearers understand that Jesus is the One for whom they are searching.

One paradigm for describing Christ’s finished work is viewing our Lord as “Christ the Victor.” He defeated Satan and his evil powers, sin, death, sickness, and every other form of bondage and evil. Even though we do not see his victory fully displayed yet, it is real and can be experienced by those who put their faith and allegiance in him.

Victory over Guilt and Judgment

The gospel paradigm with which we in the West are most familiar contrasts our guilt versus God’s righteousness. In this way of looking at things, we understand that all people will one day stand before God to be judged for our thoughts, words, and deeds. Our lives will be weighed on the scales of God’s holy standard. God imposed that way of thinking by giving Moses the Law, which is a detailed list of requirements by which God demands that we live. The inherent problem with the Law is that we are incapable of keeping it. If therefore someone takes God’s Law seriously, he or she may labor under a heavy sense of condemnation.

As the Scriptures say, “No one is righteous— not even one. 11 No one is truly wise; no one is seeking God. 12 All have turned away; all have become useless. No one does good, not a single one.”  Romans 3:10–12 (NLT)

God uses the Law to expose our utter helplessness so that we will conclude that we desperately need a Savior.

But those who depend on the law to make them right with God are under his curse, for the Scriptures say, “Cursed is everyone who does not observe and obey all the commands that are written in God’s Book of the Law.” 11 So it is clear that no one can be made right with God by trying to keep the law. For the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.” 12 This way of faith is very different from the way of law, which says, “It is through obeying the law that a person has life.” 13 But Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. When he was hung on the cross, he took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing. For it is written in the Scriptures, “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.” 14 Through Christ Jesus, God has blessed the Gentiles with the same blessing he promised to Abraham, so that we who are believers might receive the promised Holy Spirit through faith.  Galatians 3:10–14 (NLT)

The genius of God is revealed in his sending his Son Jesus to become the embodiment of a new covenant which is completely different from the covenant based on Law.

If God kept us under the Law, we would all be doomed to be judged for our sins and cast into the lake of fire. The only way out for us was for God to send a substitute who would take our place in judgment after completing a life of perfect dependence upon and obedience to God.

A great exchange took place upon the cross and at the resurrection. By a great miracle that C.S. Lewis calls “deep magic” in his classic book, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, Father God placed us in his son when he was crucified and rose again. That means that when he died, so did we, and when he rose, so did we. Theologians call this identification. Therefore, we are already dead to sin and alive forevermore in righteousness. As Jesus put it, we have passed from death to life.

Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.  John 5:24 (NASB95)

The New Covenant provides us with Christ’s righteousness so that we no longer must worry about somehow being good enough to merit God’s love and blessing.

We have been given a right standing with God and included in his forever family as a gift.

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.  Romans 6:23 (NASB95)

Using this paradigm, we call people to believe that Jesus has given us a new way to relate to God based on faith in his perfect work of redemption.

My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21 I do not treat the grace of God as meaningless. For if keeping the law could make us right with God, then there was no need for Christ to die.  Galatians 2:20–21 (NLT)

We call people to accept their freely given right standing with God by faith in what Christ has already accomplished for them.

This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.”  Romans 1:17 (NLT)

We also explain that faith includes giving our allegiance to the risen Lord.

Victory over Fear, Powerlessness, and Death

Fear is a universal problem, and for some people deliverance from it is their greatest felt need. People are afraid of all sorts of things – the devil, evil, change, the unknown, the unseen, people they view as powerful enemies, judgment, sickness, pain, death, and even God before they find out how loving and kind he is.

Jesus came to deliver us from fear and give us peace.

Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.  John 14:27 (NASB95)

Our Lord absorbed our fears on the cross. All our guilt, shame, and condemnation fell upon him as he took the judgment and punishment that we rightly deserved. Part of that judgment was death, since that is what our sins earned. By submitting to death and afterward rising again, Jesus set us free from the power of the fear of death and eternal separation from God.

Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.  Hebrews 2:14–15 (NASB95)

Many people who have been abused in some fashion suffer from a deep sense of powerlessness, which leaves them fearful. Death is the ultimate form of powerlessness. At death, we lose all ability to defend or save ourselves and are cast completely upon the mercy of God. Because Jesus absorbed our sentence of death on the cross, we have life eternal. By so doing, he rendered the devil powerless to harm us.

If we put our faith and allegiance in Christ, we have nothing to fear regarding death or Satan’s evil power.

In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross.  Colossians 2:15 (NLT)

Look, I have given you authority over all the power of the enemy, and you can walk among snakes and scorpions and crush them. Nothing will injure you. 20 But don’t rejoice because evil spirits obey you; rejoice because your names are registered in heaven.”  Luke 10:19–20 (NLT)

If we use this paradigm for sharing the gospel, we are able call the hearer to believe in and receive for themselves Christ’s victory over fear through his finished work on the cross and his subsequent glorious resurrection. We encourage them to make themselves available to serve our magnificent Lord.

If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  Romans 10:9 (NLT)
 
Victory over Shame and Spiritual Uncleanness

For people who grow up in a culture or religion that majors on ritual cleanness, such as Islam and strict Judaism, fear of being cut off from God because of uncleanness is a major issue.

We can present Jesus as the one whose touch makes the unclean pure again.

There are several examples of this in the Bible, such as when Jesus healed the woman with the issue of blood and the leper. Jesus touched a dead body and raised it to life again without being himself defiled. This is because he absorbed and conquered our uncleanness and shame on the cross.

And a leper came to Jesus, beseeching Him and falling on his knees before Him, and saying, “If You are willing, You can make me clean.” 41 Moved with compassion, Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, “I am willing; be cleansed.” 42 Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cleansed.  Mark 1:40–42 (NASB95)

Since the Holy Spirit indwells us, as Christ’s representatives, we too can also minister healing and restoration without fear of being contaminated.

Sin brings shame, and certain types of sin, such as sexual perversion, tend to make people feel dirty inside. When Jesus forgives and restores us, the dirtiness is removed along with the shame. Jesus did this for the woman caught in adultery in John Chapter 8.

Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?” 11 “No, Lord,” she said. And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.”  John 8:10–11 (NLT)

The general verse we can use to show can God cleanses us is the following.

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9 (NASB95)

We can lead our hearers to admit and repent of their sins and receive forgiveness and cleansing for the Lord.

Demons oppress people and seek to make us unclean, self-destructive, and shameful. That is why Jesus sometimes called them “unclean” spirits. When Jesus and we drive them out, it allows people to experience God’s cleansing and restorative power. In place of the unclean spirit, God offers to indwell us with his pure Holy Spirit if we place our faith and allegiance in the Lord Jesus. When God sets us free from shame and defilement, our natural response should be gratefulness and a desire to follow Christ and tell others about what he has done. This is what took place with a man whom Jesus set free from demonic oppression.

As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon possessed [demonized] begged to go with him. 19 But Jesus said, “No, go home to your family, and tell them everything the Lord has done for you and how merciful he has been.” 20 So the man started off to visit the Ten Towns of that region and began to proclaim the great things Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed at what he told them.  Mark 5:18–20 (NLT)
 
Victory over the Slavery of Addiction

Sin enslaves people and leads to all sorts of addictions.

Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin.  John 8:34 (NASB95)

Jesus came to redeem us, which means to buy back from slavery and set free.

Our redemption includes our Lord’s victory over sin and all other forms of enslaving addiction.

So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.  John 8:36 (NLT)

Jesus promised that if we continue to live according to his word, we will be set free.

Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. 32 And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”  John 8:31–32 (NLT)

Paul taught that putting our faith and allegiance in Christ will result in our being set free from all forms of enslavement over which self-effort and religion have no power.

Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through Him forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, 39 and through Him everyone who believes is freed from all things, from which you could not be freed through the Law of Moses.  Acts 13:38–39 (NASB95)

Jesus fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy that the Messiah would set the captives free.

The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives, And recovery of sight to the blind, To set free those who are oppressed, 19 To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.”  Luke 4:18–19 (NASB95)

When we share the good news of Christ the liberator who sets the captives free, we invite people to believe in his victory and receive it for themselves.

We should encourage them to surrender themselves to Christ so he can use them to help free others.

Victory over Striving to Be Good Enough

Many suffer from a chronic sense of worthlessness or invalidation, which is different from guilt for specific sins.

A sense of worthlessness is a deeply rooted lie that strikes at the very essence of our being. It hinders our ability to receive God’s love and his blessings.

Some have been invalidated through hurtful words of key people in their lives and have internalized them. A child may have heard his parents say, “You’ll never amount to anything.” “You’re stupid.” “I never wanted you.” These words tend to go deep into the psyche and become lie-based strongholds that carry over into adulthood and influence how we see ourselves and relate to others. Depending on our personality, we will handle invalidation differently. Some will accept these words and give up on ever overcoming them. Others will fight to prove them wrong. If the Lord does not set us free with his loving truth, however, we will still be affected by this stronghold of lies.

People who have this stronghold in their minds may give themselves over to all sorts of self-destructive behavior, thinking they are unworthy of anything else. Others strive for perfection, believing that is the only way for them to be accepted.

Perfectionism is built on a lie that our worth is based on our performance or what other people think about us.

It produces an intolerable burden that eventually wears us out. We can only keep up the façade for so long before it cracks.

When Jesus calls us to himself, it is the highest form of validation.

God himself declares that we are worthwhile. The value of a thing is based on what someone would pay for it, and Jesus paid his own priceless blood to purchase us and restore us to God’s family. God the Father adopted us to be his beloved children. There is no higher measure of worth than that.

When we encounter a person who suffers from invalidation, we can tell them that Jesus took our worthlessness upon himself when he hung on the cross all alone with his detractors and enemies gloating over his demise. He died for us because he loved us and wanted us to be part of God’s family, the highest honor.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love 5 He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. 7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace 8 which He lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight 9 He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him  Ephesians 1:3–9 (NASB95)

When we understand that we have nothing more to prove, no standard to which we must achieve, we can enjoy the rest provided by God.

For this kind of person, our gospel presentation can center around Jesus’ invitation to all of us to come to him and receive his promised rest.

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.  Matthew 11:28 (NLT)

This rest is a source of joy to us and motivates us to tell others.

Victory over Hopelessness and Confusion

Many people suffer from a deep sense of hopelessness. This can stem from feeling powerless to change negatives in our lives. It can also stem from confusion, not knowing what to do or if there is anything to be done. People who are born into deep poverty often have no role models to show them how to move into greater prosperity. People who are surrounded by temptation, crime, and the degradation brought by sinful life choices, sometimes feel there is no way out. People who lose loved ones sometimes believe life no longer has purpose or meaning.

In such cases, we can present Jesus as the one who imparts direction to the confused, meaning to life, and hope to the hopeless.

Our Lord told us that he is the Way.

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.  John 14:6 (NASB95)

We do not need to understand everything to escape confusion. We were never meant to know everything. We only need to know our Lord and trust him to guide us each step of our way.

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 your paths straight.  Proverbs 3:5–6 (NASB95)

The devil wants to paralyze us with confusion and fear. The way out is to let these things go and surrender our lives and future to the one we can safely trust to guide and care for us.

If powerlessness is the main issue, Jesus promised us that all authority belongs to him and Satan and his servants cannot ultimately harm us.

Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you.  Luke 10:19 (NASB95)

If we surrender to the Good Shepherd who has all authority and power, we are safe in his hands, and no one can snatch us away.

My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; 28 and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. 29 “My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.  John 10:27–29 (NASB95)

One of my favorite titles for the Lord is “Keeper.” He is our protector who never sleeps or fails to maintain careful watch over our lives.

My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth. 3 He will not allow your foot to slip; He who keeps you will not slumber. 4 Behold, He who keeps Israel Will neither slumber nor sleep.  Psalm 121:2–4 (NASB95)

Confusion and powerlessness often create a sense of hopelessness that can be very dangerous. Hopeless people sometimes do crazy things because their lives can seem pointless, and their anger may escalate to violence. Jesus came to give hope to the hopeless.

The biblical meaning of hope is confident expectation. The Holy Spirit imparts faith to those whose hearts are open and helps us understand and receive God’s promises found in the Bible. No matter how difficult our current situation may be, God has given us the promise of better things ahead.

When Jesus began his public ministry, things were very dark in the world. The Jewish people were in a difficult situation and the rest of the world had no hope at all. Jesus began to shine as the light of the world.

Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.”  John 8:12 (NASB95)

Paul said that we Gentiles were without hope before we believe the gospel.

In those days you were living apart from Christ. You were excluded from citizenship among the people of Israel, and you did not know the covenant promises God had made to them. You lived in this world without God and without hope. 13 But now you have been united with Christ Jesus. Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to him through the blood of Christ.  Ephesians 2:12–13 (NLT)

Those who put their faith in Christ have a reason to live and a reason to expect a glorious future. This gives us hope to live in the present with a sense of purpose and joy. We should encourage our listener to release their sense of confusion, powerlessness, and hopelessness to the Lord and receive him as the Way, the Truth, and the Life!

I hope these examples of various ways to present the gospel depending on the greatest felt need of our hearer will inspire you to think of how you can present Jesus to those who desperately need a saving encounter with his love and mercy.

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Disunity Can Be a Sign that God Is at Work

 

 

 

 

 

Unity is important in the church, family, nation, or really any group, but disunity often, maybe always, accompanies any important new activity or truth coming from God.

When Jesus presented himself to Israel as their long awaited Messiah, he attracted the malevolent criticism of those who held power and benefited from maintaining the status quo. He polarized the community by forcing people to make a decision to be either for him or against him.

There was a lot of grumbling about him among the crowds. Some argued, “He’s a good man,” but others said, “He’s nothing but a fraud who deceives the people.” John 7:12 (NLT)


So a division occurred in the crowd because of Him. John 7:43 (NASB95)

Those who tried to hold to a “middle ground” to avoid being caught up in the controversy were either uninformed, uncaring, or cowardly.

Whenever God is doing something important, it brings about a crisis of faith in those who witness it.

Those whose hearts are open receive God’s truth with joy. The devil hates God and truth with a passion, and anyone who is still under his influence will offer vehement resistance. The “lukewarm” will not care because they refuse to be players on the grand stage of life. Every great movement is carried out by a relatively small percentage of people who passionately believe. They will be resisted by those who ardently disbelieve, while the uninvolved watch the drama unfold.

The psalmist taught that unity carries a blessing.

Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brothers to dwell together in unity! Psalm 133:1 (NASB95)

Jesus taught on its importance, too.

The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; 23 I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me. John 17:22–23 (NASB95)

Our unity as believers is based on what God has done for his church in Christ.

He has taken Jew and Gentile, men and women, slave and free, and rich and poor from all races and nations and fashioned us into “one new man.” (Ephesians 2:15) We who believe are now part of the body of Christ. Our unity in the Spirit is already accomplished. Our challenge is to believe and act in accordance with this great truth.

However, unity in the Spirit does not mean we must refrain from proclaiming truth that some find divisive.

Jesus and truth have always produced contention because not everyone is willing to receive them. The gospel is often passionately rejected by some who later become believers. That was certainly the case with the apostle Paul. Others never see the light and remain opposed for life. The early church was wracked with disunity from the start in the matter of grace versus the Law. The Judaizers insisted that Gentile believers keep the Law of Moses including circumcision, but Paul and company stood their ground insisting the opposite in the face of great hostility. Though the matter was officially settled in the Jerusalem conference, this controversy still exists.

Truth will always be resisted by those who do not understand or receive it.

When God restored the truth regarding believer’s baptism during the Reformation, both Catholics and Protestants violently opposed the Anabaptists who held to this “new” and “divisive” doctrine. Some of those brave men and women died rather than be moved away from this revelation from God. Today almost everyone in the churches with whom I fellowship believe this doctrine. The baptism in the Spirit was restored in the early 20th century, but not without controversy that still exists. When I was first baptized in the Spirit in 1971, the dominant campus ministry where I attended university opposed our little charismatic group’s meeting by ourselves. They wanted us to join them to preserve unity, but at what cost to what God was doing in our midst? We were trying to grow in our experience and use of the gifts of the Spirit, but, if we only met with the larger group, the Spirit would be quenched by those who disbelieved.

Many times a call to unity is an attempt to silence and control the opposition. Unity between opposing factions cannot happen unless liberty of belief and practice is granted.

When my Dad launched his home meeting in the early 1970s, many Catholics attended, including nuns. After a while, the local Catholic Church tried to “rein in” what he was doing by insisting that the meeting had to be accompanied by a Mass. My father refused to comply with this attempt to quench the freedom of the Spirit. Eventually we departed from the Catholic Church in pursuit of freedom to practice the truth of God’s Word.

Where there is no unity regarding truth, there can be no unity in practice or assemblage.

Interestingly, Paul wrote that disunity is sometimes God’s way of revealing those who are approved by God.

For there must also be factions among you, so that those who are approved may become evident among you. 1 Corinthians 11:19 (NASB95)

Martin Luther did not set out to depart from the Catholic Church. His intention was to reform it, but that was not possible because the Catholic leaders wanted none of it. They wanted to quash the “revolt” and kill its leader. This is exactly what our Lord’s enemies tried to do with him, but they failed as did Luther’s opponents.

Satan and unredeemed humanity will always rebel against and try to subvert what God is doing.

Sometimes even God’s people push back because of our natural human propensity to resist change. The old established way of seeing and doing things always seems better. Sadly, any new move of God is usually resisted by those who experienced the previous one. Jesus said it like this.

“But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins. 39 “And no one, after drinking old wine wishes for new; for he says, ‘The old is good enough.’ ” Luke 5:38–39 (NASB95)

St. Augustine is credited with saying, “In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity.”

Our Lord does not want us to allow our stand for truth to snuff out our love for those in opposition.

Jesus said to love our enemies, including those who oppose God and truth. However, we are never to back down from our stand for truth because of push back from those who do not understand or receive it. If the truth in question is “non-essential” to salvation, we can agree to disagree, but we cannot abandon our convictions for the sake of a false kind of unity.

Any call to unity that asks us to lay down strongly held convictions is just a veiled form of oppression.

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Have You Been Born Again?

 

 

 

 

 

 

According to Jesus, we cannot enter the kingdom of God unless we are born again.

Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. John 3:5 (NLT)

Many commentators understand that Jesus’ phrase “being born of water” refers to our natural birth. Those who are only born physically only have ordinary human understanding. We remain blind and insufficient to comprehend the things of the Spirit of God.

We must be born again to become aware of God’s kingdom.

Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.” John 3:3 (NLT)

It is only after the “wind” of the Spirit blows upon us and causes our spirits to come alive that we are able to see and experience the realities of God’s kingdom. The Hebrew and Greek words for “spirit” also can mean breath and wind.

The wind blows wherever it wants. Just as you can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can’t explain how people are born of the Spirit.” John 3:8 (NLT)

God breathed upon Adam imparting spirit to his lifeless body causing him to become a living soul. (Genesis 2:7)

The Holy Spirit “blows” or “breathes” upon us when we are born again, reconnecting our dead spirits to God from whom we receive his never ending life.

After experiencing this divine wind or breath from God, our eyes are opened to the things of God. We see who Jesus is more clearly. We begin to grasp some of the beauties and glories of God. It is not uncommon for people to say that everything seemed new and different after being born again. It certainly was for me.

The new birth is the gateway into the path of a lifelong journey of learning to follow Christ.

This new birth is not anything that we can accomplish on our own. It comes from God in a most mysterious way. Jesus said that we cannot explain how it happens any more than we can control the wind. We cannot make it happen for ourselves or anyone else. We can only lead them to God with whom that heavenly transaction must take place. It is out of our hands; yet we can make ourselves available. Jesus said that if we seek God, we will find him. If the Spirit is nudging you to seek God, by all means obey, as King David did.

My heart has heard you say, “Come and talk with me.” And my heart responds, “LORD, I am coming.” Psalm 27:8 (NLT)

Jesus promised that he will not turn away anyone who seeks him.

However, those the Father has given me will come to me, and I will never reject them. John 6:37 (NLT)

Those who are merely born the natural way will die twice. The first death is the natural end to physical life that we must all experience. The second death is the lake of fire, God’s punishment for those who rebel against him.

Then death and the grave were thrown into the lake of fire. This lake of fire is the second death. 15 And anyone whose name was not found recorded in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire. Revelation 20:14–15 (NLT)

Those who are born twice, naturally and from heaven, will only die once. We escape the fiery wrath of God when we put our faith and loyalty in Jesus, who paid the price for our sins already and promised that we will never come into judgment again.

For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. 17 God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. 18 “There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son. John 3:16–18 (NLT)

If you are not sure if you have been born again, it is a good chance that you have not.

If what I have written in this article seems foreign to your experience, it means that God has so much more for you if you will seek him with all your heart. Don’t let the day go by without inviting Jesus into your life and receiving all he has to give. In exchange he asks for all that you are. It’s called the New Covenant, the great exchange in which we give him ourselves, complete with our sin and guilt, and receive all that he is, including his right standing with God the Father and eternal life!

Prayer

Jesus, I don’t think I have been born again. You said we cannot enter your kingdom without this happening. You also said you will never reject anyone who comes to you. I come to you now. I want this new birth. I want to have my spiritual eyes opened to see your kingdom. I want to be part of the family of God. I ask you to come into my life and forgive all my sins. I give you myself and acknowledge that you are my Lord. Come, Holy Spirit, do your unseen work inside of me. Amen.

If you prayed this sincerely, hold on to your hat! God is going to do something amazing in your life. Wait for it. It is on the way.

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Has Jesus Called You?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jesus personally calls every disciple, just as he called Philip.

The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Come, follow me.” John 1:43 (NLT)

In his letter to the church in Rome, Paul wrote these encouraging words.

For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory. Romans 8:29–30 (NLT)

Christianity is not a religion devised by men as a way to reach God. It is a relationship initiated by God who came looking for us. God knows each of us by name and has personally called us to belong to his family.

I recently attended a funeral of a dear friend at which a song was played that touched the hearts of many there. The chorus was repeated over and over again: “God is watching us from a distance.” It seemed to bring comfort to those present, probably because it is nice to consider that God cares, but its theology was poor. If God is watching us from a distance, it is because we don’t know him.

God is not distant. He is very much present in the lives of those he called.

One of the most recurrent phrases in the Bible is God’s telling us, “I am with you.” One the titles given to our Lord by the angel who appeared to Mary was Immanuel, which means God with us.

“BEHOLD, THE VIRGIN SHALL BE WITH CHILD AND SHALL BEAR A SON, AND THEY SHALL CALL HIS NAME IMMANUEL,” which translated means, “GOD WITH US.” Matthew 1:23 (NASB95)

But God is not with everyone. He remains at a distance from those who do not acknowledge him. He does not know them in a saving way at all. Jesus uttered these sobering words about the last judgment when he will separate those who know him from those who do not.

But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’ Matthew 7:23 (NLT)

How do we move from the “not known” into the group with whom God dwells and knows by name? We must be called by God and then respond to that call. Those who respond prove that they are among the chosen. Jesus said that many are called, but few are chosen.

Many hear the gospel message, but few respond by asking Jesus to be their Lord and Savior.

Have you heard the Lord calling you to become his follower, or are you content to know him from a distance, which amounts to not knowing him at all?

Prayer

Jesus, I want to be among those who know you and are known by you. I feel the tug of the Holy Spirit upon my heart; so, I come to you now, asking you to come into my life and reveal yourself to me. Open the eyes of my heart that I might see you for who you truly are. I want to be your follower. I want to hear you call my name, just as Philip did. Forgive my sins and send your Holy Spirit to live inside of me. Thank you that you said you will never turn away anyone who comes to you. Amen.

Everyone whom the Father gives me will come to me, and the one who comes to me I will never send away. John 6:37 (NET)
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Revelation Goes Both Ways

 

 

 

 

 

Revelation not only opens our eyes to Jesus’ true identity but also gives us the amazing realization that God knows who we are, too. Many people believe they are insignificant blips on God’s radar. They think he is much too busy governing the universe to take any notice of them and their unremarkable daily routine.

When we are confronted with the astounding revelation that God knows us intimately and cares about even the smallest details in our lives, it has a life-changing effect.

When Jesus met Nathanael, he told that man things about himself that only God would know, which moved him from skepticism to faith.

Jesus saw Nathanael coming to Him, and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!” 48 Nathanael said to Him, “How do You know me?” Jesus answered and said to him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” 49 Nathanael answered Him, “Rabbi, You are the Son of God; You are the King of Israel.” John 1:47–49 (NASB95)

I have a friend whose wife had just gotten a terrible diagnosis and prognosis regarding cancer. He heard God say, “I know about this.” He told me that when he heard the Lord say that, his faith in a good outcome went through the roof. In fact, God completely healed her of stage four cancer afterward. Knowing that God knows us and our situation is transformative.

When Jesus met Peter, he let him know that God knew all about him, too.

One of the two who heard John speak and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. 41 He found first his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which translated means Christ). 42 He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John; you shall be called Cephas” (which is translated Peter). John 1:40–42 (NASB95)

When Jesus spoke prophetically to Peter, it was not some “parlor trick” designed to awe him into being a disciple. God does not do things that way. The words Jesus told Peter were important at the moment and would be in the future. By changing his name, Jesus altered his destiny. He would become a rock of faith eventually, which was important for him to know later. When God tells us who we are, it supersedes every other thing ever told us.

Only God has the right to tell us who we are because only he truly knows us.

When the Holy Spirit reveals Christ’s identity to us, it not only transforms us through what is called the new birth, but it also marks us as one of God’s chosen ones.. When Peter confessed that Jesus is the Messiah, this is what Jesus told him.

And Jesus said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. 18 “I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. 19 “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.” Matthew 16:17–19 (NASB95)

Jesus looked for those who would respond in faith to his message and identity. He knew that his heavenly Father had chosen certain ones to belong to him. When our Lord saw faith spring forth in a person, he recognized them to be part of that group his Father gave to him.

My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; 28 and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. 29 “My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. John 10:27–29 (NASB95)

Revelation therefore reveals Christ to us and shows who we are, too.

Any blind person who came to Jesus requesting that his eyes be opened received what he requested. Should we think God would do any less for us? If you have yet to see Jesus in a way that opens your eyes to his true identity and makes you want to worship and serve him, you can ask the Lord to open your spiritual eyes. That is what I did over fifty years ago. God revealed Jesus to me in a life transforming way. He will do the same for you.

Prayer

Jesus, I want to know you as John the Baptist and Peter did. I ask you to open the eyes of my understanding so that I can truly see Jesus. Holy Spirit, come into my life and change me on the inside, Make me a follower of Jesus. I surrender my life to you. Amen.

If you prayed this prayer and meant it, God will surely do his part to open your spiritually blind eyes. Please let me know when this happens for you.

For it is my Father’s will that all who see his Son and believe in him should have eternal life. I will raise them up at the last day.” John 6:40 (NLT)

 

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There Are Two Kinds of People

 

 

 

 

 

 

There are only two kinds of people in the world – those who acknowledge and love God and those who refuse to do so.

The essence of sin is when we try to live independently from God. We try to create for ourselves a world without God. This is what the media does continually in its many movies and TV shows. The actors generally portray life without any reference to God at all. This is a fantasy with enormous consequences.

Ayn Rand said that we can ignore reality but we cannot ignore the consequences of ignoring reality.

John Chapter One makes an insightful comment about this condition of mankind in general that wants nothing to do with God.

He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 11 He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. John 1:10–13 (NASB95)

Before Jesus was born to a virgin to fulfill an ancient prophecy, he existed as the eternal Logos, or Word of God, through whom everything that exists was created. He was and is the source of life, and everything that lives owes its existence and sustenance to him. But Adam and Eve made a fateful choice to turn their backs on their Creator which implanted in the human soul an antipathy toward God. Their descendants, which include us, are born into this world with a default condition called a hardened heart that produces spiritual blindness and deafness.

In spite of there being abundant evidence of the Creator all around us, we refuse to recognize or honor him. Instead we live with an inborn hostility toward God.

Why would God care about such rebellious inhabitants of the world that had been so beautiful in every way when he first created it? It is quite impossible to fathom the depths of love that motivated our Creator to send his only Son to come into this world as a human and give away his life to provide forgiveness for our sins and reconciliation to God.

When the Creator in human form arrived on the planet, only a very few recognized and honored him. The same is true today. Those who through revelation from God see him for who he is and surrender their hearts and lives to him will receive eternal life. Those who refuse him remain in a perilous condition of spiritual blindness and are hurtling toward an eternity without God, which is called hell. There will be no one in hell who did not choose to go there. Those who opt to live without God here on earth will be sentenced to do so forever. The big difference will be that before going there they will finally understand the truth. There is a God who made it possible for us to know and love him and to live forever in the joy of his presence. This understanding will no doubt make hell unbearable, a continual gnawing at the soul.

The choice is ours, an eternity of joy or one of painful regret.

Perhaps you are like I was. I did not know God, but I wanted to know him if he were really there. I asked this supposed God to come into my life and reveal himself to me, if he were real. Amazingly, he did just that. That happened over fifty years ago, and I have never regretted becoming a follower of Christ. There is nothing more important than knowing, loving, and serving God. Ask yourself to which group of people do I belong? If you are still among those who are trying to live without any reference to your Creator, isn’t it time to turn this ship around? Here is a sample prayer you can use right now.

Prayer

God, I have tried to live without you long enough. Forgive me for being a rebellious sinner. I come to you now, Jesus, and ask you to come into my life and reveal yourself to me. I want to know you. I want to be forgiven. I want to be in right relationship with Father God. I want the Holy Spirit to live inside me. I want to know what it is like to experience the joy of your presence and the kind of peace that passes understanding. I give you my life in return. I choose to live the rest of my days for you. Amen.

Here is a verse from the Bible with which you are no doubt familiar. Think about its significance for you now that you have asked Jesus into your life.

For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 (NLT)
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Chapter 67: The Gospel’s Old Covenant Context

This lesson will help you understand how to present the gospel in the context of God’s promises to Israel. One of the best ways to study the key components of a good gospel presentation is to examine how the first apostles preached. Paul opened his letter to the church in Rome with the following paragraph that briefly summarizes the gospel.

This letter is from Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, chosen by God to be an apostle and sent out to preach his Good News. 2  God promised this Good News long ago through his prophets in the holy Scriptures. 3  The Good News is about his Son, Jesus. In his earthly life he was born into King David’s family line, 4  and he was shown to be the Son of God when he was raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit. He is Jesus Christ our Lord. 5  Through Christ, God has given us the privilege and authority as apostles to tell Gentiles everywhere what God has done for them, so that they will believe and obey him, bringing glory to his name. Romans 1:1-5 (NLT) 

Due to attempts to streamline and mass-market the message, we run the risk of reducing the Gospel to a stripped-down presentation of what some call the “plan of salvation,” or “The Four Spiritual Laws,” or perhaps the “Roman Road.” None of these are “bad,” and many people have come to faith in Christ through their use, but we should not confuse them with the full gospel.

The gospel is a magnificent true story about Jesus that is rooted in the history of God’s interactions with Israel.

He is the eternal Son of God, the Logos, the Son of Man, the Messiah King, Lamb of God, Baptizer in the Holy Spirit, and the Coming Judge.

If we reduce the gospel to a mere explanation of how our sins can be forgiven and we can be restored to fellowship with God, we shortchange our listeners by turning the glorious Jesus story into a consumer-oriented promotion.

When Paul preached to the synagogue at Antioch of Pisidia in Acts Chapter 13, he gave a classic presentation of the Gospel. I have copied it below.

Paul stood up, and motioning with his hand said, “Men of Israel, and you who fear God, listen: 17 “The God of this people Israel chose our fathers and made the people great during their stay in the land of Egypt, and with an uplifted arm He led them out from it. 18 “For a period of about forty years He put up with them in the wilderness. 19 “When He had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, He distributed their land as an inheritance—all of which took about four hundred and fifty years. 20 “After these things He gave them judges until Samuel the prophet. 21 “Then they asked for a king, and God gave them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years. 22 “After He had removed him, He raised up David to be their king, concerning whom He also testified and said, ‘I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My heart, who will do all My will.’ 23 “From the descendants of this man, according to promise, God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, 24 after John had proclaimed before His coming a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. 25 “And while John was completing his course, he kept saying, ‘What do you suppose that I am? I am not He. But behold, one is coming after me the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to untie.’ 26 “Brethren, sons of Abraham’s family, and those among you who fear God, to us the message of this salvation has been sent. 27 “For those who live in Jerusalem, and their rulers, recognizing neither Him nor the utterances of the prophets which are read every Sabbath, fulfilled these by condemning Him. 28 “And though they found no ground for putting Him to death, they asked Pilate that He be executed. 29 “When they had carried out all that was written concerning Him, they took Him down from the cross and laid Him in a tomb. 30 “But God raised Him from the dead; 31 and for many days He appeared to those who came up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem, the very ones who are now His witnesses to the people. 32 “And we preach to you the good news of the promise made to the fathers, 33 that God has fulfilled this promise to our children in that He raised up Jesus, as it is also written in the second Psalm, ‘You are My Son; today i have begotten You.’ 34 “As for the fact that He raised Him up from the dead, no longer to return to decay, He has spoken in this way: ‘I will give you the holy and sure blessings of David.’ 35 “Therefore He also says in another Psalm, ‘You will not allow Your Holy One to undergo decay.’ 36 “For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep, and was laid among his fathers and underwent decay; 37 but He whom God raised did not undergo decay. 38 “Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through Him forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, 39 and through Him everyone who believes is freed from all things, from which you could not be freed through the Law of Moses. 40 “Therefore take heed, so that the thing spoken of in the Prophets may not come upon you: 41 ‘Behold, you scoffers, and marvel, and perish; For I am accomplishing a work in your days, A work which you will never believe, though someone should describe it to you.’ ” 42 As Paul and Barnabas were going out, the people kept begging that these things might be spoken to them the next Sabbath. 43 Now when the meeting of the synagogue had broken up, many of the Jews and of the God-fearing proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who, speaking to them, were urging them to continue in the grace of God.  Acts 13:16–43 (NASB95) —

I am going to break the gospel into three parts, the first of which is covered in this lesson – the Old Covenant context, the New Covenant fulfillment, and the closing, in which we seek to drive home the significance of the gospel and what it demands from its hearers.

After being asked to share a word of encouragement with the congregation, Paul began his speech by reviewing the history of God’s dealings with Israel. Why did he do this?

Paul knew that the Gospel can only be properly understood by framing it in the context of God’s historical relationship with Abraham and his descendants.

He chose to begin with the exodus from Egypt because he knew his Jewish audience would immediately identify and find common ground with this recollection of their history. It is always a good idea to try to find some sort of common ground with our listeners.

We should seek to present Jesus as the answer to people’s deepest spiritual desires. Every person is a little different. If the Holy Spirit shows us the key to a person’s heart, it will enable us to tailor the gospel message to touch them deeply.

Jesus is not some New Age guru that suddenly appeared out of nowhere giving us mystical metaphysical insights. He was firmly rooted in the history of Israel and the promises God made to his people, beginning in the garden of Eden. The most significant ones were made to Abraham and King David, as far as the gospel is concerned, but many others can be included. It depends how much time we have and how well versed in the Scriptures we are.

John the Baptist presented Jesus to Israel by telling his listeners that he was the Lamb of God, the Baptizer in the Holy Spirit, and someone Great (the Lord and Messiah). These titles only make sense if we understand something about the history of Israel’s relationship with God.

Jesus did not come in a vacuum. He arrived as the fulfillment of specific promises that God made to Abraham and his descendants.

Therefore, it is always a good idea to include some sort of historical context to make the Gospel’s claims understandable.

At Pisidian Antioch, Paul’s goal was to recount Israel’s history to get to King David, because from this man God promised to raise up the Messiah, a ruler who would sit on David’s throne for eternity. Since he spoke to Jews, he presumed they fully understood this claim and needed no Scripture reference. When we share the Gospel, however, most of our listeners will need to hear a reference, and the following will do nicely.

When your days are complete and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, who will come forth from you, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 “He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 2 Samuel 7:12-13 (NASB)

This passage is acknowledged to be a Messianic promise. David’s son, Solomon, despite being a great and glorious king, eventually died. Neither he nor his kingdom endured forever. Therefore, for this promise to be fulfilled, another king must arise, one whose kingdom will last forever. Only one person fills the bill – Jesus, the glorious Son of Man, whose kingdom will destroy every other and endure forever!

I kept looking in the night visions, And behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming, And He came up to the Ancient of Days And was presented before Him. 14 “And to Him was given dominion, Glory and a kingdom, That all the peoples, nations and men of every language Might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion Which will not pass away; And His kingdom is one Which will not be destroyed.  Daniel 7:13–14 (NASB95)

It is significant that Jesus referenced this passage during his unjust trial before the Sanhedrin, enabling us to make a definite link between the promise to David, the prophecy of Daniel, and our Lord Jesus.

But Jesus kept silent. And the high priest said to Him, “I adjure You by the living God, that You tell us whether You are the Christ, the Son of God.” 64 Jesus said to him, “You have said it yourself; nevertheless I tell you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.” 65 Then the high priest tore his robes and said, “He has blasphemed! What further need do we have of witnesses? Behold, you have now heard the blasphemy;  Matthew 26:63–65 (NASB95)

Jesus left no doubt as to his identity. He made sure that he was crucified for the right reason, his claim to be the Messiah King and coming Son of Man.

Other verses can be used, such as God’s promise to Abraham that through his “seed” – our Lord Jesus – all the earth will be blessed.

And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.”  Genesis 12:3 (NASB95) —

We can also reference God’s promise to Moses that God would raise up a prophet like him to whom the nation would be accountable. Here is how the apostle Peter referenced this promise from Deuteronomy 18:18-19.

“Moses said, ‘The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brethren; to Him you shall give heed to everything He says to you. 23 ‘And it will be that every soul that does not heed that prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.’ 24 “And likewise, all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and his successors onward, also announced these days. 25 “It is you who are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant which God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’ 26 “For you first, God raised up His Servant and sent Him to bless you by turning every one of you from your wicked ways.”  Acts 3:22–26 (NASB95) —

The prophets can also be used to give background for understanding who Jesus is. Matthew referenced Isaiah 7:14 in the following passage that we too can use when we share the gospel.

But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. 21 “She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” 22 Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: 23 “Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which translated means, “God with us.”  Matthew 1:20–23 (NASB95) —

Each Gospel writer starts at a different place. Matthew begins with Abraham. Mark starts with a prophecy from Isaiah. Luke launches with an account of the births of John the Baptist and Jesus before giving us Jesus’ genealogy all the way back to Adam. John hits a home run by taking us all the way back to the creation of the universe by the eternal Logos, who became a human being named Jesus!

Each gospel narrative uses some form of an historical context to inform the reader who Jesus is.

These writings are called “gospels,” and they are our template for understanding and presenting the good news properly. Any disciple of Jesus, who wants to be able to share a strong biblical version of the Gospel, should familiarize himself or herself with the Old Covenant scriptural context of the good news about Jesus in order to properly show how he came as the fulfillment of God’s specific promises to provide a Savior and Messiah King. In the next lesson, we will see how Jesus, the historical person, fulfilled several Old Covenant promises and sacrificed his own blood for us. He died and rose again, in fulfillment of the scriptures.

For further study, I recommend The King Jesus Gospel by Scott McKnight.

Questions for Further Study and Discussion
  • Does it make sense that a proper presentation of the gospel benefits from our providing the historical context of God’s relationship with and promises to Israel?
  • Can you think of any potential hazards of presenting the gospel without giving any historical context?
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