Who is like the God of the Bible???

"Among the gods there is none like You, O Lord; Nor are there any works like Your works." Psalm 86:8


This is part of a prayer of the great king David of ancient Israel who acknowledges the uniqueness of God and his works throughout human history. If these words spoken by king David were ever needed during a time of human history it is definitely during our time, though I suppose that these words were of great value during the time of David as well. In a time when the nations in the Middle East worshipped many gods, David's own nation was also exposed to these gods, so it would have been all too easy to count the God of Israel as one God among many and to consider his power equal to all the rest. Today a similar comparison is being made, but not so much among those who worship different gods but rather by those who don't believe in any god. Often times the God of the Bible is compared to the Norse gods, or the Roman, Greek, and Egyptian gods to conclude that he is no different or that he was made through someone's imagination. Some even foolishly say that they are God. These are false comparison being made. When we take David's thought and apply it to this type of thinking are there truly any God's like the God of the Bible? Are there any that are like him in character, or are there any who have done the exact same works as him? Do any of the gods have the same perfection, love, or justice as the God of the Bible himself? Are there any gods who are said to have created everything in existence? Are there any gods who can control nature, create life, and guide individuals and nations to accomplish his purposes? Which god can predict the future and tell mankind the events that are to come? Finally, which God took on the form of a human being to serve us, love us, and suffer for us when we were hostile toward him in our works? Is there any god who fits this criteria? None but the God revealed to us in the pages of the Bible.

Lets consider again the words of king David: "Among the gods there is none like You, O Lord; Nor are there any works like Your works".

The Miracle that we can see.

Have you ever found it difficult to accept the Bible as a supernatural book inspired by God, or found it difficult to believe the Bible's claims about miracles? Perhaps you say "I don't accept Jesus as the Son of God", "I don't believe that Moses parted the Red Sea", or "I cannot accept that Jesus walked on water". I assume that these are doubted because you haven't personally seen these types of miracles yourself or any miracle for that matter! However, I want to inform you that there are miracles that point to the fact that the Bible is a supernatural collections of books, that Jesus Christ really is the Son of God, that Moses parted the Red Sea, and yes, we can all see these miracles! So which miracles am I referring to?

See what the Apostle Peter wrote on the issue in 2 Peter 1:16-21:

16 For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty. 17 For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” 18 And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain.

19 And so we have the prophetic word confirmed,[a] which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts; 20 knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation,[b] 21 for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God[c] spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.


Notice in verses 16 and 17 that Peter says he was an eyewitness of Jesus Christ and heard the voice of God when He said "This is my beloved Son". He then says in verse 18 that he was with Jesus on the holy mountain when he heard this voice. Here is where the miracle that we can all see comes in: In verse 19 he says "so we have the prophetic word confirmed", and concludes the passage in verse 21 by saying that prophecy never originated from man, but from the Holy Spirit who moved men to speak. So what is Peter saying here and what's so special about it? Peter is telling us that prophecies in the Bible didn't originate from man's imagination or guesswork, but from God himself. The Spirit of God through man spoke the words of the Bible and specifically the prophecies of the Bible (though all scripture comes from God), and these are "a light that shines in a dark place". Lights are meant to give guidance, they are meant to illuminate, allow us to see truth, and which path to take! The prophecies in the Bible are just that, a guide for us to discern truth and the work of the true God. So, how do we know that Bible has been inspired by God? By looking to its prophecies. When we "Heed" or follow these then we will be lead to the truth that Jesus is the Son of God who died for our sins according to prophecy in the Bible, and rose from the dead three days later. The Bible is true because it's a book from God, and it has proven itself to be a book from God.

For examples please see: Psalm 22, Isaiah 53, Psalm 16:10, Psalm 110, Deuteronomy 18:15, Zechariah 12:10.

Compare these with the life of Jesus as recorded in the New Testament. Also read the Books of Isaiah and Jeremiah to see how Biblical prophecy unfolded in history.

Atonement and the Abrahamic Faiths.

If you've been intentional about sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ with others then chances are you have come across individuals who are of the Jewish faith or Islamic faith which are called the Abrahamic faiths. You've proceeded to tell them that Jesus died for their sins and rose from the dead, and that they can have complete forgiveness for their sins by trusting in Him. You tell them that they can be reconciled to God because their sins have separated them from Him. But they respond with the idea that they don't need someone to die for their sins because they receive forgiveness by praying to God directly, by fasting, doing good deeds, or by God arbitrarily forgiving them because He is merciful. No doubt if you've spoken with someone of the Jewish faith or Islamic faith then you've heard one of these objections thrown out to you so as to exempt them from their need of the gospel! It's also quite possible that you didn't know what to say at all when you had the opportunity for conversation.

However, we know from the Bible that there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12), and that the gospel is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes (Romans 1:16). So, how do we as Christians respond when an objection like this comes out from a Jewish person or a Muslim? One effective way is to look for some common ground between you and your Jewish and Muslim friend. One of those common ground areas is Moses the prophet. Both Jewish and Muslim people believe that Moses was a prophet, and they both believe his words and consider them as words from God. When an objection like this comes up it might be good to say, "You believe in Moses as a prophet, right? Do you know what He said about how to be forgiven for your sins?" And proceed to show the person you're talking with the following verse:

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

These words were spoken by God through the prophet Moses, and they inform us that God has designated a means of atonement for the soul or life of a human being. In this context he is speaking to the nation of Israel, but this theme appears all through out the Old and New Testaments, and was practiced and affirmed by various writers and individuals in the Bible. God says that it is the blood that makes atonement, payment, or reparation for the soul, meaning that it is a direct transaction for any offense that a person commits toward God. It is meant to cleanse and cover ones sins. This was an integral part of Moses' revelation that he spoke to the people about how one receives atonement in the eyes of God. Yet, today Muslims and many Jewish people hope to atone for themselves by living a righteous life. Remember however, that followers of both faiths revere Moses and believe that he spoke the very words of God. When you show the person whom you are speaking with this verse, hold them to this point and then tell them about Jesus Christ who is the one who shed his blood for the world!

"For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?" Hebrews 9:13-14

If you are reading this and are a follower of the Jewish or Islamic faith, where is your atonement?

Keys to Unlocking The Cage of Fear and Hesitation.

When I go to the mall to do evangelism by myself it can be a very intimidating experience! There are thoughts that run through my head such as, "This person on the bench is going to think it's strange if I approach them", "They aren't going to want to talk about religion", or "They'll be frightened off if I approach them with my question about eternity!" Many times these types of thoughts prevent me from approaching anyone at all about the gospel, and I end up walking around in circles (Silly, I know!) battling fear, intimidation, and hesitation. Perhaps these fears could actually happen, and indeed I have seen responses from some people that were perfectly in line with these fears. However,these are not the typical responses that I get when I approach a random stranger to talk about eternity. More than half of the people I approach are intrigued and want to speak further on the matter, or they are appreciative that someone showed an interest in their spiritual state. Even still, these types of thoughts almost run constantly through my head when I make a deliberate attempt to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with others. There are some keys that I've found that help me to get over these fears almost instantly, and I would like to share those keys.

Key # 1 : Initiate Immediately.

As soon as you have it in your mind to speak with someone about the gospel of Jesus Christ, do it and don't hesitate! The longer you hesitate and stall on trying to decide who you approach, the more opportunity your fears, intimidation, and hesitation have to hold you back. Don't let them. Proverbs tells us that the fear of man is a snare. As soon as you make that first approach it will kill or alleviate your fears, and help you to become bolder.

Key # 2 : Initiate Indiscriminately.

Don't judge a person's receptiveness to the gospel based on their age, sex, skin color, clothing or body art. It is easy for me to think that older men who are in their 40's or 50's will not be receptive to the gospel at all, but it turns out that I have had some of my best conversations with older men. In the parable about the farmer Jesus failed to tell us that the farmer inspected all of the soil before scattering the seed!! Just go for it! The gospel message is for everyone. Let God work on the growth and receptiveness!

Key # 3 : Trust The Message's Impact.

The gospel is not a message that needs to be made palatable, acceptable or believable before anyone will embrace it folks! It's also not our responsibility to make someone accept and believe its claims (I know that's a temptation in our context). That is God's Job! It is written somewhere that "to those who are called..... it [the gospel] is the power of God and the wisdom of God". The message is powerful in of itself, and all we have to do is communicate it clearly, deliberately, and with conviction. God will do the rest!

Key # 4 : Rejoice In Rejection.

Lets face it. Rejection will come when we attempt to share the gospel with strangers, and even family and friends for that matter. Remember that rejection can encourage us to persevere in spreading the message and challenges us to trust God more in our efforts. Not to mention, that Jesus also tells us that we are rewarded in heaven when we are rejected for his name. This should give us plenty of reason to be happy when we experience rejection. It comes with the territory of those who follow Jesus. You also will find that rejection oftentimes doesn't hurt as bad as you think it will. Be happy when rejected and keep going!

We of course cannot forget prayer which is one of greatest keys in breaking through our fears, but I thought it was best to emphasize some of the other practical things we can do get past our fears.

Until Next Time!

Scripted or Unscripted? Yes!

How do we communicate the gospel clearly and effectively? How do we communicate it in such a way as to reach the person whom we are speaking with? Afterall, no two people who are alike, right? There are all sorts of people with different mindsets, worldviews, beliefs, objections, convictions, and education levels, so how can we speak the gospel of Jesus Christ so as to reach people from many different backgrounds? I recently listened to a series of messages on evangelism from a Pastor in the U.K. who said that we shouldn't use a set method of evangelism or a "one size fits all" approach to evangelism because the people with whom we speak are all different. We must be pliable and ask a series of questions in order to make a clear diagnosis on the person we are speaking with. Only then can we address the individual where they are at and meet their current need. This makes sense. I'm not going to talk to an atheist like I would talk to someone who is eager to know how to have eternal life am I? I wouldn't address a Hindu in the same way I would address a Muslim right? No, I dont think so. Does this mean that we can't run every single person with whom we speak through the same memorized script of the gospel? It would seem so, BUT in my experience I've found that it is helpful to be scripted and unscripted in my verbal presentation of the gospel. You might ask, "what do you mean by that?" Allow me to explain.

If you don't at least have some type of memorized script or outline you can run the risk of getting lost in a conversation, forgetting your point, getting caught in an argument, or not making something clear as you present the gospel to someone. If you have a script then you will know where to begin, where to go, and where to get back to if your conversation gets off track. Plus, it gives you a logical flow and consistency so that the listener can better understand the gospel message. For example, one of my favorite evangelism scripts is from a ministry called "The Way Of The Master" in which the acronym W.D.J.D. is used when speaking with every person you're seeking to share the gospel with. "W" stands for "Would you consider yourself to be a good person?", "D" stands for "Do you think you've kept the Ten Commandments?", "J (Judgment)" is "If God judges you by that standard would you be innocent or guilty?", and finally "D (Destination)" stands for "Would you go to heaven or hell?". Through a series of questions the person is lead to admit that he or she has sinned against God and is headed for hell if they are not a Christian. Once the person admits this, then it is your que to share the goods news that Jesus has died on the cross for our sins and was raised from the dead. You always ask those questions, it keeps you on track, and it provides a logical consistency to the presentation. The presenter feels equipped and always know where to go in the conversation.

With that being said, it is also helpful and necessary from experience to be unscripted and pliable as well in our conversations because individuals have different difficulties and objections that keep them from believing the gospel. For example, when talking to a Muslim I'm going to emphasize different facts than I would with an Atheist. With a Muslim I would emphasize the fact that the prophets of the bible which they claim to believe in spoke about Jesus in the Old Testament and told us that he would suffer for our sins and rise from the dead. I would use the same script as above, but I would mention that God revealed the Ten Commandments to the prophet Moses, and then ask them if they've kept the Ten Commandments because Muslims believe that Moses was indeed a prophet of God. I take my script and make it pliable and maybe even use terminology that is familiar to them if I can. I would talk indepth about the justice of God against sin because ultimately in Muslim thinking one is forgiven based on God's choice and one's good works. Sin can be completely ignored by God. However, with an Atheist right off the bat I would ask how the individual knows that God doesn't exist, and I would show them the evidence that the bible provides for the existence of God (creation, conscience, prophecy, changed lives, etc.). I would also take them through the Ten Commandments but also refer to it as "God's standard of right and wrong", and emphasize that God has also revealed Himself in the person of Jesus Christ.

Basically, I challenge and provided answers for the objections that come up with the person I speak with. This is the UNSCRIPTED part of the conversation. When I swing to the acronym W.D.J.D. mentioned above, THAT is the SCRIPTED part of the conversation. I will also try to use terminology that will connect with the hearer if I can and I will emphasize areas of the gospel that speak to what the other person's worldview lacks. I take the SCRIPT and MAKE IT PLIABLE! If you are new to sharing the gospel don't worry because this will come with practice. As you encounter many different ideas and kinds of people your knowledge will deepen and so will your PLIABLITY! So, as of now I have concluded that it is helpful to be both SCRIPTED and UNSCRIPTED in your message!

Until Next Time!

The problem with believing that Jesus was just a created being.

There are certain groups today who would say that the Jesus Christ of the Bible is not God in the Flesh. They assert that He is merely a created being whom God used to create the entire world. Texts such as "He is the firstborn over all creation" and "The Father is greater than I" are used to support this view. Dare not anyone say that Jesus Christ is God in the flesh or that He is Yahweh or Jehovah! Why this would be disservice and a dishonor to the one true God Almighty! Besides, how can The Father be the Son and the Son be the Father?! This doesn't make sense....It's not logical!

For many this is indeed a stumbling block to the Christian faith, but this is such an important issue to figure out because an entire religion holds this view as a major doctrinal point. Jesus was just a great prophet of God, but by no means was He an angel or God himself this religion says. Another group says that Jesus was the Archangel Michael, one of God's prime creations, but not God Himself. Yet another group asserts that Jesus was a spirit child of God his Father and the brother of Satan. While many people who say that Jesus Christ was just a created being use logic, certain verses in the Bible, or their own religious text I submit the idea that these views are not consistent with the complete revelation of God as found in the Bible. Thus I write this blog today to help set the record straight because there are many out there who hold the view that Jesus was merely a created being, a prophet or an angel, but the problem with these views is that the Bible simply doesn't teach them. Now before I proceed I must say one thing. We must submit our logic to scripture, not scripture to our logic. This is where many people get themselves into trouble and error. God's Word goes first, then my logic second, for who can fully know the mind of God?

There are certain parts of the New Testament that quote verses from the Old Testament describing God creating the world. Now what's interesting about the verses is that they are used to describe the activity of the Son of God, Jesus Christ. Why are the writers of the New Testament using verses that describe God's hands creating world, His eternal existence, and title being used in the New Testament to describe Jesus? Lets take a close look.

12 “Listen to Me, O Jacob,
And Israel, My called:
I am He, I am the First,
I am also the Last.
13 Indeed My hand has laid the foundation of the earth,
And My right hand has stretched out the heavens;
When I call to them,
They stand up together. Isaiah 48:12-13 (NKJV)

And

8 "But to the Son He says......" Hebrews 1:8a (NKJV):

10 “You, Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth,
And the heavens are the work of Your hands...." Hebrews 1:10 (NKJV)

Notice that in the passage in Isaiah it says that God laid the foundation of the earth and stretched out the heavens with his right hand, while the writer of Hebrews takes the same idea and applies it to the Son of God, Jesus. Now I didn't include the full contexts of both, but a clear reading of the passages will show that Isaiah is referring to God and Hebrews referring to Jesus (Also calling Him God). This strongly shows that Jesus is the creator God, He is God in the Flesh. I agree wholeheartedly as well as the scriptures when Paul says this about Jesus:

5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God. Philippians 2:5-6 (NKJV)

and again,

9 For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. Colossians 2: 9 (NKJV)

So, believing that he was just a created being or a Prophet is erroneous even just based on these verses. There are many more verses that teach that Jesus is God in the Flesh. So if you say that Jesus was just a created being how do you explain the previous verses? They clearly teach that he is much more.

The Death of a Pharisee.

This idea came as a result of a time spent reading the bible a few weeks ago. It is based on the Apostle Paul's testimony concerning sin and the law in Romans chapter 6 in comparison to his self righteousness under the law found in Philippians chapter 3. I could give you a summary of what Paul says in each passage of scripture, but I would like the scripture to speak for itself so I will post the passages below:

Philippians 3:5-6

5 "I was circumcised when I was eight days old. I am a pure-blooded citizen of Israel and a member of the tribe of Benjamin—a real Hebrew if there ever was one! I was a member of the Pharisees, who demand the strictest obedience to the Jewish law. 6 I was so zealous that I harshly persecuted the church. And as for righteousness, I obeyed the law without fault."


Paul here says that he obeyed the law without fault. Some translations say that he was blameless. He is boasting in his flesh or his own efforts as an example of someone who could boast about himself because of his credentials. Paul appears to be very devout in these two passages even to the point of fully obeying the law of God as a Pharisee, meticulous in the Jewish religion. No doubt Paul was striving to obey the moral dictates of God's Law and had a great awareness of right and wrong under the law. However lets take a look at what he testified about elsewhere concerning his experience under the law of God.


Romans 7:7-13

7 "Well then, am I suggesting that the law of God is sinful? Of course not! In fact, it was the law that showed me my sin. I would never have known that coveting is wrong if the law had not said, “You must not covet.”[c] 8 But sin used this command to arouse all kinds of covetous desires within me! If there were no law, sin would not have that power. 9 At one time I lived without understanding the law. But when I learned the command not to covet, for instance, the power of sin came to life, 10 and I died. So I discovered that the law’s commands, which were supposed to bring life, brought spiritual death instead. 11 Sin took advantage of those commands and deceived me; it used the commands to kill me. 12 But still, the law itself is holy, and its commands are holy and right and good.

13 But how can that be? Did the law, which is good, cause my death? Of course not! Sin used what was good to bring about my condemnation to death. So we can see how terrible sin really is. It uses God’s good commands for its own evil purposes."

We see in this passage that Paul was shown his sin by the law, and as a result his covetous desires were aroused, and these desires brought spiritual death to him. Is Paul contradicting himself when he says that he experienced death by sin under the law in Romans 7, and that he was without fault under the law in Philippians 3? I don't think so! In his effort Paul was without fault. He was very zealous under the Jewish law and for the traditions of his fathers. He paid careful attention to observe the law of Moses, doing everything. Not only did he do everything, but according to zeal he stood out from amongst his fellow Jews! When Paul was exposed to the commandment that forbade coveting his desire for it was aroused and he was found to be covetous. He was found to be guilty under the law and condemned because his heart had transgressed it though outwardly he was faultless! Even when a person seems very religious, very devout, faultless, and zealous.

We know the truth about man from the bible, Amen? Romans 3:23 says "For all have sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standard." And Jeremiah 17:9 says "The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?" Even with the outward religious devotion, the law of God exposed the covetousness in Paul's heart and he realized that something was very wrong. Later on in Romans 7 Paul says that the answer do this problem is in Christ! Jesus died to pay the penalty for our sins and to free us from sin's dominating power!

There have been times when I have shared my faith with someone who is very religious in that he or she is careful to follow a certain set of moral laws or ritual. I particularly remember talking with Muslims who are like this. In some of them I have seen a great awareness of moral law (in their faith at least) and an understanding of sins (at least outwardly). However as I have talked with these people I have found a great reliance in themselves. They rely on their own efforts and ability to please God and remain right with God through observance of a moral code. This sounds like Paul and the Jewish people of Paul's day as he talks about in Romans 10:3. People trying to get right with God through their own works! What showed Paul that he couldn't do this? It was the law of God!! What will show the self righteous person that he or she can't do this? The law of God! It arouses sin within a person and that sin brings death! It shows the observer that there is something wrong with his or her heart! It brings the knowledge of sin according to Romans 7:7. The self righteous Pharisee was made aware of his own shortcoming by the commandment in the law, and he therefore saw his need for the Savior, Jesus!

Here is the application. When preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ to someone, use God's Ten Commandments so that they can see how they have fallen short before God. Use it especially on those who believe that they are right with God through their own moral life! No person can do this! If it slew one of the most religious people in the bible, it will sure work on those who rely on their own efforts. Use the Ten Commandments on Muslims, Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses, Hindu's, Buddhists, Religious Church goers, and any person who is trusting in their own goodness. Watch them become aware of their sinfulness and see that there is no hope in their own effort to be right with his maker! This is a good tip for increased evangelistic effectiveness.

All scripture quotations are from the New Living Translation of the Bible.

Until next time!

Update.

I have not posted in a while but soon I will be posting another couple of posts titled "The Death of a Pharisee" and "The harsh Tutor". Keep checking for updates.

"You're talking in 1D and I'm talking in 3D".

This is what was said by a a grad student that I talked with about the gospel of Jesus Christ earlier today. I shared with him about what the Bible says about the afterlife, and that we are all accountable to God after death (Hebrews 9:27). I told him about the Law of God, how we have broken that Law, and that we are deserving of eternal punishment. Through out the conversation he was telling me that our afterlife is chosen, based on the collective thoughts and emotions of the people in the world. So, whatever the world is thinking or feeling at a particular time, that is what our afterlife will take the form of. He did not believe in the dichotomy of heaven and hell as described in the Bible. When I was talking to him I felt like we were on two totally different planes, and we kept missing each other when we were talking. I understood what he was saying, but there seemed to be no connection or much mutual understanding.......almost like talking past each other. He referred to himself as a Spiritual Moonie ( I don't know what that is.....). By God's grace I did talk to him about Sin, Judgment and the cross of Christ. He seemed to be set in what he believed, and it had no similarity to what I was telling him. As I said earlier, he told me that I was talking in 1d and he was talking in 3d. This confused me. Maybe what I was saying was too black and white? I don't know.
As I think back, I wonder if I should have spent more time on talking about sin and our need for Christ. There was not trembling or concern over the fact that we have sinned against a Holy, Righteous, God. He didn't even believe in right and wrong, but God has given us a conscience. Maybe I should have spent more time there..... We'll see! Until next time!

Scripture Wars!!

I was out last Thursday with a friend doing evangelism on the University of Florida campus and we saw a guy sitting under a tree with a black T-shirt on. I approached him and asked him the question, "If you were to die today, are you 100% assured you would go to heaven?" He immediately answered "no" and that "it is a sin of presumption to say that you are". All of a sudden we knew that we were talking to a Catholic. He began to explain to us to what the Catholic church believes about assurance of salvation, and to my knowledge the Catholic church does not believe in the assurance of salvation. A person can never be sure if he or she is going to go to heaven after death, but what is interesting is that the Bible says that we can know what for sure that we have eternal life (1 John 5:12-13). He continued to explain that a person must continually confess their sins to God to stay in His grace. In other words, a Christian can have eternal life and lose that eternal life! I get a free gift from God and lose that gift if I mess up! That's not actually a gift. It's works righteousness in disguise, and the Bible says that we are saved by grace through faith, not works(Ephesians 2:8-9).
The guy's friend came over and joined in the discussion, and we began to bring up opposing scriptures to one another about salvation. My friend and I thought of Titus 3:5, Romans 4, John 3:16, Romans 11:6, and Colossians 2 to show that salvation is not earned. We also used Ephesians 1:13-14 to show that it cannot be lost. They brought up James 2:24 to show us that we are saved by our works as well. We spent a good twenty minutes debating with scripture about biblical salvation ( being saved from God's wrath and sin). I have to admit that scripture always confuses me a little and Catholics and Cults love to bring this verse up to argue for a works based salvation, fully or in part. However, I have come to realize however that the Bible cannot teach salvation by faith and salvation by works at the same time... It does not contradict itself even though both verses seem contradictory. I believe that it teaches that a person who is saved will have works that result of that salvation that justifies us in the sight of men. True faith will show in the life of a believer through his or her works, but these works do not save a believer. It is the work of Christ on the cross that will save a person.

John 6:28-29 says,

Then they said to Him, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?”
Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.”

Our work for salvation is this..... trust Christ!

People who are too open?

Lately I have had the privilege to spend more time out on campus giving the gospel of Jesus Christ to students. Last Friday I had the opportunity to talk with three freshman students at the plaza of the Americas ( large field at the University of Florida). I was with another student and we approached them and asked them this question: "What do you think happens after someone dies?". They were immediately interested in the question and all three of the students began to give their thoughts. I don't exactly remember what they said about the afterlife but I remember trying to swing the conversation to what the Bible says about the afterlife. I had a bit of a bumpy start to getting there because one of the students had a phone call. After he got off of the phone I began to explain about heaven and hell, God's Judgment, the Ten Commandments and so on. As soon as I got into the Ten Commandments the students began to ask many questions about the commandments themselves and more about the afterlife. I was beginning to feel derailed from the point which I wanted to reach. It felt like a question or a thought would just continually come up when I was trying to talk about the need for God's forgiveness. These students were very open and so open that it was hard to get my point across about Jesus Christ, His death, and His resurrection. It seemed like they kept asking questions! But I wanted to be courteous, and listen to them. Finally I was able to go into the gospel, and what the bible says about the afterlife. The students wanted to justify themselves and say that they were good, but I reiterated the fact that we are not good (Romans 3:10) and that all of our good deeds are filth to God (Isaiah 64:6). The conversation lasted about 1 hour, and they told us that they learned a lot in our conversation.
I looked back at this and see that it is good to get people who may seem "too open" and want to talk a lot during the conversation about Christ. It is wise to be careful to listen to them to see where they are coming from out of love, and so that you can better address the person's need for Christ! However, be careful that you don't let the conversation be taken too far off course with religious speculation or thoughts about what might be out there when we die. Keep the conversation on course about our need for the gospel and the gospel itself!

I will put up some more encounters soon! Until next time!

M and M's

I have chosen to title this blog M and M's because I have recently had interesting encounters with Muslims and Mormons. Did you know that both groups lay claim to a prophet who has supposedly brought a message from God by an angel? Did you also know that both groups believe in Jesus? So what's the problem? The problem is that both belief systems bring a message that is radically different from the message that Jesus actually brought according to the records in God's Word. Both religions also make the claim that God sent a messenger with a new revelation after the Biblical Jesus Christ. Islam claims that the prophet Muhammad brought a message from God to a pagan Arabia to worship one God, and that one can reach paradise by living a good life and following the five pillars of the faith. Mormonism claims that the true gospel of Jesus Christ was lost in the great apostasy shortly after the apostles died, and that Joseph Smith in the 19th century brought back the gospel message. His gospel however does not completely line up with the biblical gospel however, but it incorporates the idea that a person must work for their salvation by keeping the commandments and ordinances of the Mormon church, and also be baptized as a Mormon. Whose truth do we follow? Did God actually send prophets after the biblical Jesus Christ to bring a new revelation about salvation? No!

For the scriptures say,

"God who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds" Hebrews 1:1-2

We see from the scriptures that in the last days God has spoken to us through His Son Jesus Christ. And Christ spoke about His own death and resurrection and believing upon Him for the forgiveness of sins. No other prophet who comes after Christ with a message contrary to the one Christ gave is valid. Watch out for anyone who brings a different message than the one that the biblical Jesus has brought to us.

The Philosopher in the Grass

This encounter particularly sticks out to me because it reminds me of the logic that God's word contains. It is even logical to those who do not believe in its validity.
I was with a friend about a month in a half ago talking to people about Christ, and we saw a guy and a girl laying in the grass. We approached them and I asked, "If you died tonight are you 100% sure you would go to heaven?" The guy then told us that he did not believe in heaven and that he was into philosophy. In the conversation my friend told him this from John 14:6, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." The guy began to argue that all of the religious figures such as Muhammad, Buddha, Jesus, and others were the same. He meant that they all were able to figure out how to use their brain in a greater capacity than the average person.
He then asked a question about the destination and judgment about those who have never heard of Jesus Christ. I could tell that he wanted to argue about it, but I was determined not to get sucked in, so I pulled out my Pocket New Testament and began to read from Romans 2:12-15 about the Law written on the hearts of the Gentiles. Surprisingly, he agreed with the passage of scripture and said that it made sense. However he still wanted to argue about Jesus Christ not being the only way to Heaven and God. Eventually we had to end the conversation because the guy was hardened.
One thing that stuck out to me about this encounter is that the Word of God (The Bible), is logical and it makes sense even to the mind that cannot discern spiritual things as was the case for the young man in the grass. When you are trying to proclaim the gospel to someone who is argumentative don't get sucked into the argument but remain calm and giv'em scripture! :)

...Coming Soon.... M and M's...

Update: Evangelistic Encounters

I have not written in this blog in a while, but I am going to continue with evangelistic encounters and things that I have seen the Lord do. Some of the encounters are ones in which rejection occurred, and some are them are full gospel conversations. I want to blog them in order to reflect on what has happened and record the things that God has done for your encouragement and mine!

Breaking the silence

It's been a while since I have posted. About four months to be exact. A good amount of things have happened in these four months. I know that last sentence doesn't really explain a whole lot ("Oh well). I just wanted to put down a few thoughts that I want to share. I am still pursuing God, and spreading his gospel on campus, though I still get a bit fearful for some reason while thinking about doing it! I believe that God has made me an evangelist even though I do not like to admit it. Others say that I am and am gifted. Eh! I still do not like to say, but I guess I must admit that this is the case.

I feel like God has challenged me to uses His word more often in sharing the gospel because it is powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword (Heb 4:12). It is powerful and sufficient for us (2 Tim 3:16).

Evangelistic encounters on UF's campus

I have been continually challenged by God to bring the gospel of Jesus Christ to the students on the campus. I have embraced the challenge through one to one sharing about three times a week, and I have a few encounters that I would like to mention from earlier today.

I left my room this afternoon at about 1:30pm to get started with evangelism. I was walking next to the Murphree dorms toward the Racquet club when I saw a guy from my floor studying a calculus book. I noticed that this was someone that the Lord had laid on my heart to speak to. As I was walking, I reasoned to myself that he was probably too busy to talk, so I walked passed him saying to myself, "I will talk to him another time", but I stopped myself and turned around. I approached him and told him that I had a question for him that I have been wanting ask. I then asked him if he was going to heaven when he died. He said that he was because he believed that Jesus Christ could save us. He then admitted that he was not in fellowship nor did he read his Bible, so I probed further about what he meant about salvation, and believing in Jesus Christ. He seemed to have a basic understanding of salvation, though the articulation of his faith could have used some improvement. I then shared my testimony with him of how I got saved my freshman year in college. I encouraged him to get involved in fellowship, accountability and to desire the pure milk of the word (1 Peter 2). He said that it was interesting that I approached him because something happened to him that really caused him to turn back to God from wandering. I encouraged him a little more and invited him out to Gator Christian Life and my small group. He was not comfortable with coming out to the small group but said that he would check out the Sunday service.

Next, I approached a girl sitting on a bench reading a book next to Pugh Hall. I walked up to her and told her that I was asking students if they would go to heaven if when they died. She replied, "I don't want to talk about this". I then replied to her, "are you a Christian?" "Yes, Catholic", she said. I then ended with, "I want to encourage you that if you are not sure where you are going, please think about this because this is one of the most important things in life". She smiled, nodded, and I was on my way to speak with another person about their soul.

I then took a walk through Turlington Plaza to see if I could spot a friend who preaches with a pvc pipe cross, but he was not there, so I walked over next to Chik-Fil-A and Einsteins Bagels. I saw two guys chatting with one another at a picnic table. I approached and told them that I was asking students if they would go to heaven when they died. They both quickly answered, "no" and I said "why is that?" They told me that they were atheists and that the they did not have sufficient evidence for the existence of God. They said that the one making the statement needed to provide the proof. So, I gave them my proof for God's existence with a simple creator/creation argument and order/orderer argument. They did not agree, but I objected with the fact that something cannot come from nothing. They admitted that science did not have the answer of where everything came from. I then found out that they both had an exposure to Christianity growing up. I asked them if they would consider themselves to be good people, they both thought so. One of them even said that he would have a chance of getting into heaven if it was real! So I walked them through God's Law, the Ten Commandments. They both admitted they were guilty, not good according to that standard and that they would go to hell if it was real! However, I did not directly proceed to the gospel because they had absolutely no concern, and did not think that it was true. They then began to question me about the validity of the Bible, and the reasonableness of the existence of the God of the Bible versus the existence of the Greek gods. We went off on a huge tangent about the books that did not make it into the Bible and the Justice of God. I indirectly shared the gospel with the two guys while explaining the difference between the old and new covenants. After about 20 minutes of conversation they had to go to class. They told me that it was one of their hobbies to talk about this subject.

I then saw a guy sitting under a tree eating and studying. I walked past him and thought myself ("I shouldn't approach him because he is studying

After I talked with them, I continued to look for another person to proclaim the gospel to. I went in front of Chik-Fil-A and saw a guy sitting a concrete wall smoking a cigarette. I got really excited and approached him. When I got close to him I saw that he was a guy that I talked to a few weeks before. He is not a Christian, but I can tell that he is in a mini-search mode. I talked with him for a little while about class and how he was doing. I then asked him his opinion about Jesus Christ. He then had to leave to get on a bus that he was waiting for. I got his email address, and I will try to talk to him further about these things.

Satan's Water Hose!

I wanted to post this thought that I have had for a while and it is something that I have experienced myself, and to be honest it causes discouragement from time to time! It is something that I believe that the devil uses to quench the zeal of the Christian who wants to work for his master. We know that Satan is the Father of lies (John 8:44), and he uses lies against Christians to make them ineffective in their service and weak in their walks with God. I have noticed, especially since I have started witnessing regularly for Christ that Satan likes to throw out lies to me which hinder me from what I am doing and cause me to second guess what the Lord has commanded and put on my heart. This just recently happened on Friday afternoon when I was out witnessing with another brother in Christ, and him and I approached a couple of guys sitting on a brick wall. One of the guys got up and went to talk to someone so we began conversation with one of the guys about his spiritual beliefs. After about two minutes the other guy came back and we asked him about his belief in the after life. The other guy had no religious convictions, and this guy said that he did not like to think about the afterlife. So we began to take them both through the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20) to show them their need for a Savior.

After we had took them through the Law the guy who did not like to think about the afterlife quickly responded with the fact that Christ died for our sins, so that we are all forgiven. We replied that we must receive Christ through faith and we are not all automatically forgiven. He then said that he was saved through Christ, but he was living for himself at the moment. We then challenged him to take up his cross and follow Christ with his life (Luke 9:23-24), and he replied that this is not relevant to us today, and that he was comfortable with his own faith. He then looked at the brother that I was with and said to him, "Are you trying to make me feel bad? You are taking your own interpretations of the Bible and shoving them on me". On the inside I kind of felt a since of rejection, and then the following thought came, "Maybe I am just pushing people away with my zeal, maybe this is a bad approach, maybe I won't be effective with this, maybe I should back off from this". At this point I felt like my enthusiasm and excitement were lessening, but soon after I thought about it and saw that of course this guy isn't going to agree with what we are saying because what we are saying condemns the state that he was in. Of course he will accuse us of this because his own heart was not right! However, Satan wanted to use that encounter to discourage us and make us think that it was our fault that he did not receive the Word of God. We were just doing what God had sent us out to do. We had a holy fire to do the will of God, but Satan pulled out his water hose to put out that fire so that we would be discouraged for the rest of the day. I am happy to inform you that afterwards I kept pressing on and had a some good conversations.

My encouragement to you is not to let Satan discourage you from service in ministry, no matter what that may be. But especially in reaching out to the lost with the gospel of Jesus Christ. He will try to use subtle ways to discourage you if the blunt threat of fear does not work. Keep hold to the promises and commands of God. If you find that what you're thinking or feeling is in contradiction to what God has promised or commanded then there is a problem. Do not let the devil use negative thinking to discourage you from ministry and a healthy relationship with Jesus Christ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Watch the thoughts!

Now the following is a story of the evangelist D.L. Moody in one of his evangelism encounters where he was met with a threat and discouragement because of his approach. Read and be encouraged!

Taken from "Why God Used D.L. Moody" by R. A. Torrey.

"One night Mr. Moody was going home from his place of business. It was very late, and it suddenly occurred to him that he had not spoken to one single person that day about accepting Christ. He said to himself: "Here's a day lost. I have not spoken to anyone today and I shall not see anybody at this late hour." But as he walked up the street he saw a man standing under a lamppost. The man was a perfect stranger to him, though it turned out afterwards the man knew who Mr. Moody was. He stepped up to this stranger and said: "Are you a Christian?" The man replied: "That is none of your business, whether I am a Christian or not. If you were not a sort of a preacher I would knock you into the gutter for your impertinence." Mr. Moody said a few earnest words and passed on.

The next day that man called upon one of Mr. Moody's prominent business friends and said to him: "That man Moody of yours over on the North Side is doing more harm than he is good. He has got zeal without knowledge. He stepped up to me last night, a perfect stranger, and insulted me. He asked me if I were a Christian, and I told him it was none of his business and if he were not a sort of a preacher I would knock him into the gutter for his impertinence. He is doing more harm than he is good. He has got zeal without knowledge." Mr. Moody's friend sent for him and said: "Moody, you are doing more harm than you are good; you've got zeal without knowledge: you insulted a friend of mine on the street last night. You went up to him, a perfect stranger, and asked him if he were a Christian, and he tells me if you had not been a sort of a preacher he would have knocked you into the gutter for your impertinence. You are doing more harm than you are good; you have got zeal without knowledge."

Mr. Moody went out of that man's office somewhat crestfallen. He wondered if he were not doing more harm than he was good, if he really had zeal without knowledge. (Let me say, in passing, it is far better to have zeal without knowledge than it is to have knowledge without zeal. Some men and women are as full of knowledge as an egg is of meat; they are so deeply versed in Bible truth that they can sit in criticism on the preachers and give the preachers pointers, but they have so little zeal that they do not lead one soul to Christ in a whole year.)

Weeks passed by. One night Mr. Moody was in bed when he heard a tremendous pounding at his front door. He jumped out of bed and rushed to the door. He thought the house was on fire. He thought the man would break down the door. He opened the door and there stood this man. He said: "Mr. Moody, I have not had a good night's sleep since that night you spoke to me under the lamppost, and I have come around at this unearthly hour of the night for you to tell me what I have to do to be saved." Mr. Moody took him in and told him what to do to be saved. Then he accepted Christ, and when the Civil War broke out, he went to the front and laid down his life fighting for his country."

Dinosaurs, Pride, and Rebellion

It has been a while since I have blogged here. A few months actually, but I wanted to just post an evangelistic adventure that I had at the Tallahassee Mall in July. I do not do much evangelism in the mall, but the times that I have done it have been enjoyable. It makes me nervous when I think about but It is a great place to proclaim the gospel of Jesus as long as the authorities do not try to throw you out ;).

Back in July I went to the Tallahassee Mall with a Pastor do spread information about church services and to do some evangelism. We prayed in the car and then proceeded to head into the mall. As soon as we got to the entrance we approached a young woman smoking a cigarette and invited her to church. I wanted to ask her if she would go to heaven if she died that night, but I did not muster the courage to do so. She was friendly however, said that she was looking for a church. After we talked with her a bit we walked into the mall and saw four teenage boys talking amongst themselves. My Pastor began a conversation with them, and almost immediately one of the boys said that he was an agnostic one of the others said that he only goes to church during the holidays. My Pastor started to explain to him about the main theme of the Bible. the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ and why we believe that it is true. The Agnostic then brought up dinosaurs and questioned whether or not they are written in the Bible, but it seemed to us almost like a smoke screen. Then he said that he did not want to be controlled by anything. He wanted to be in control of his own life and did not want the Bible of God dictating the way that he lives his life. That seemed like the root of his unbelief. We reasoned with him some more and told him to consider the things that were spoken to him.

We then continued to walk through mall and approached a jeweler. He said that he already went to a church, so I asked him if he would go to heaven if he died, to which he quickly responded, "I can't talk about that on my job". We courteously said goodbye and told him to have a good day. He seemed like a nice man. Next we saw a man dressed in bicycler's clothing sitting on a bench. I extended to him an invitation to the church service and he refused it saying that he did not have any pockets. Then I asked him if he would go to heaven if he died and he looked at me with a prideful stare and he burst out with laughter. He said that the Bible was a myth and I spent the next 45 minutes trying to reason with him and the gospel was declared to him as well. He was full of pride and said that he used to believe what we believed until he got educated. I continued to patiently reason with him with a smile on my face and with gentleness, but he kept insisting that what we believe is foolishness! I eventually proclaimed the gospel to him and our conversation ended.

So why did I call this post, Dinosaurs, Pride, and Rebellion? Because that is what we came across at the mall. However, my time there reinforced the fact that we can witness anywhere and most of the time people are willing to talk to us about spiritual things. We must make ourselves available and step off in faith and initiate. God is faithful, He will be with us, and He will empower us (Acts 1:8)! Trust Him and go!

It's eating me!

I just woke up this morning and the pervading thought of my heart was this.......... speaking to the souls of people about Jesus Christ! It is eating at me day after day and it is distracting me (Is this really a distraction? This seems like almost an insult!). It is burdening me more than any ministry than I am involved in at the moment yet I cannot seem to continuously follow through it. Oh sure, I go out twice a week for evangelistic outreach and have experienced mild results, but there is more and I feel as though the Lord is wanting to push me further! My motivation is not merely results, but it is all-out obedience to the heavenly burden given by Christ! How do I know that this is from heaven?! Am I 100% sure? I walk by faith and the most convincing evidence are my journal entries of the past three years! I talk about evangelism and gospel preaching frequently. Through seeking the Lord and reading His word this is still something that permeates me! I am scared to death though, and I can come up with many excuses as to why I should not reach the world around me with the gospel. I do not like to say this but I believe it to be the truth: I am an evangelist at heart. If you know me and are reading this then this probably comes to no surprise to you, but I blush when I admit this for some reason...

Because of these things, I live in almost constant discomfort everyday. I am disobedient to the burden which I believe is from the Lord, but I have found a way to suppress it with other thoughts about school, life, and personal comforts. This has kept me from being driven crazy. This sounds bad and it is but I value my humanity, earthliness, reputation, and comfort. What a wretched man I am! I cannot escape from it even with all of the power that I can muster! I am tied to the wharf of self will as I strenuously paddle my small boat. I paddle and paddle and paddle tiring myself out only to see that I have not gone anywhere because I am tied to the wharf! Oh Lord help me cut it, the seas may be dangerous but the wharf of inactivity is not where you want me to be! There is a dying world out there going to hell and all I can say is I'm scared and uncomfortable! I cannot love the lost properly or say that I do without their eternal destiny at the forefront of my mind. If I am too afraid to speak about the Savior Jesus Christ then I will not speak too much at all. I will withdraw myself and push down the urge, showing no love whatsoever! I must speak, I must speak, I must speak!

Jeremiah 20:8-9- 8:

For whenever I speak, I cry out,
I shout, "Violence and destruction!"
For the word of the LORD has become for me
a reproach and derision all day long.
If I say, "I will not mention him,
or speak any more in his name,"
there is in my heart as it were a burning fire
shut up in my bones,
and I am weary with holding it in,
and I cannot.

Until next time, God bless you!

Four Keys to growing in maturity as a disciple

Hey, here are four keys for becoming a stronger disciple of Jesus Christ. This is from Jaeson Ma's blog, http://jaesonma.com/index.html . Jaeson Ma is an on fire believer for the Lord and I thought that I would keep what he posted for my own records. Here are the four simple keys:

Dear Bros and Sis,

I pray each of you will grow into strong and mature disciples of Jesus Christ by keeping these 4 key Biblical principles below active in your life. This is what the early Christians committed to in the New Testament and the Church grew in power and their lives changed the world. We must also commit to the below. I have done the four following things in my life since I was born again 10 years ago, and by practicing these four keys I have become a stronger and stronger disciple of Jesus Christ.

Click to go to the Wheel Illustration

"And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers." Acts 2:42

1. Pray Continually

Talk to God and let God talk to you. Everyday, every moment, pray continually. Find a specific time daily to be quite and pray with the Holy Spirit. Then talk to the Holy Spirit and listen to His voice throughout the day.

2. Love & Live the Word of God

Be committed to studying God's word like your life depended on it. Without it, we cannot know God's will. All success goes back to how obedient we are to knowing and doing God's will found in His Scriptures. Love the Word and Do it!

3. Share Christ w/ Someone Daily

Everyday, ask God to give you the opportunity to share the Gospel with someone. Look for open doors to share the Gospel with everyone you meet.

4. Fellowship with other Believers

You must be committed to a local church. People are like elevators they either take you up or take you down. You must be consistently in fellowship with other disciples of Christ in order to be held accountable, to be encouraged and to grow in your walk.

If you practice these 4 keys daily and continually in your life, I guarantee you that you will grow into a strong disciple of Jesus Christ. Ultimately, we must all be surrendered to His Lordship and follow Him at whatever the cost. Amen.

A prayer a friend sent me recently, let it challenge and inspire you to pursue Christ with your all.

The Wesleyan Covenant Prayer
I am no longer my own, but yours.
Put me to what you will, rank me with whom you will.
Put me to doing, put me to suffering.
Let me be employed for you or laid aside for you,
exalted for you or brought low for you.
Let me be full, let me be empty.
Let me have all things, let me have nothing.
I freely and heartily yield all things to your pleasure and disposal.
And now, O glorious and blessed God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
You are mine, and I am yours.
So be it.
And the covenant which I have made on earth,
let it be ratified in heaven.
Amen.