Kingdom of God

Should We Make The Gospel Easier To accept?

English: Illustration of the Parable of the Un...

English: Illustration of the Parable of the Unjust Judge from the New Testament Gospel of Luke (Luke 18:1-9) by John Everett Millais for The Parables of Our Lord (1863) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Certainly.

A majority of today’s preachers and teachers of the gospel is stuck in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries and even earlier. Their style and presentation are bland, unattractive and out dated. Many of them consistently use terms and jargon most people do not understand. Some of them even fail to recognize that sinners do not need courses in theology and Christology. Sinners need alternatives; solid concrete reasons why they should turn from their way of living and stand up for Jesus. Let’s face it, the gospel is adaptable. Whether we use music, art or any other method; the gospel should be easy to accept. Jesus used parables to get His audience’s attention.

A parable is a short story that illustrates a universal truth, one of the simplest of narratives. It sketches a setting, describes an action, and shows the results. It often involves a character facing a moral dilemma, or making a questionable decision and then suffering the consequences.

Parables appear in both the Old and New Testaments but are more easily recognizable in the ministry of Jesus. After many reject him as Messiah, Jesus turned to parables. When His disciples asked, “Why do you use parables when you speak to the crowds?”

Jesus replied, “Because they haven’t received the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but you have. For those who have will receive more and they will have more than enough. But as for those who don’t have, even the little they have will be taken away from them. This is why I speak to the crowds in parables: although they see, they don’t actually see; and although they hear, they don’t actually hear or understand. What Isaiah prophesied has become true for them:.

You will hear, but never understand; and you will certainly see but never recognize what you are seeing. And they’ve become hard of hearing.

And they’ve shut their eyes so that, they won’t see with their eyes or hear with their ears or understand with their minds, and change their hearts and lives that I may heal them. “Happy are your eyes because they see. Happy are your ears because they hear. I assure you that many prophets and righteous people wanted to see what you see and hear what you hear, but they didn’t.

The unfathomable power of John 3:16

 

John 3:16

Without a doubt, the greatest and the most popular text in the Bible is John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him, should not perish but have everlasting life”. This text is so powerful and appealing, many people wear it on their bodies as fashion.

Yet, non-Christians and Jesus bashers find this statement troubling. They think it is naive to believe that anyone would allow his or her innocent son to die a violent death for his friends. Frankly, I do not blame them because what Jesus did on the cross at Calvary transcends the human thought process. Furthermore, humans in general like to compare events. but there is no precedent for such a gracious act. It was never done before. Therefore, it is understandable that people with atheistic tendencies have doubts.

Nevertheless, to the true believer, there is nothing dubious about Jesus Christ of Nazareth, dying for sinners. However, many of us have never stopped and think about it. We accept it for what it is. It was a remarkable demonstration of God’s love, which was prompted by His desire to reconcile a condemned people back into the sheep fold.

Still, it was not Jesus’ wish that He died for sinners. He was following orders from God the Father. Jesus was the only man on earth worthy to stand in the gap, but He showed His humanness when the pain and agony became unbearable. He sorts a way out. “Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me; still, let not my will but yours be done” (Luke 22:42). God the Father denied Jesus’ request because the Scripture must be fulfilled. It was preordained that Jesus should die for the sins of the world (Read Isaiah 53:1-12).

Today, because of one man’s willingness to stand in the gap and endure the agony of a rugged cross, Salvation is full and free. Yet, many of us take it for granted. But make no mistake friends; He that spares not His Son, but delivered Him up for us, will judge and reward us according to our work.

God never turns His back on anyone

“I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who turns to God from his sins than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need to repent” (Luke 15:7).

The story of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32) is an example that God never turns His back on anyone . Even a rebellious child is welcome back into the family, if she decides to return home. That is exactly what happened to Lynda Alsford of the United Kingdom.

English: Parable of the Prodigal Son Jan Sande...

After months of wallowing in the filth of swines and nothing to eat, she realized there is no place like home.

“When she came to her senses, she said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your daughter; make me like one of your hired servants’. So she got up and went to her father.
(Luke 15:17-20)

Lynda Alsford of the UK was a devout Christian for 27 years. She spent the last six months of 2009 as a church Army evangelist. Nevertheless, her faith in God wavered, and she quit the church, but not forever.

Here, is how she describes her aboutface in her book: “He Never Let Go: The true story of a prodigal evangelist: “I had come to a major crisis in my faith. Doubts about God had been building up over the previous few months and had come to a head while I preached that sermon“. “It is a lie. It is all a lie. Do not believe a word of it”. These are not the words you would expect a Church Army evangelist to be thinking while preaching at a carol service. However, that is what I was thinking on 20 December 2009 as I preached the most evangelistic sermon I have ever preached”.

“By Christmas 2010, I’d realised that if God couldn’t be reasoned into existence then faith had to be involved. Faith, I realised, was an act of my will. It was not a feeling. It was a decision I made.

So, one day in January 2011, I made that step of faith. I prayed to God, telling him that I believed he existed.

All the peace and joy of believing came flooding back. I knew once more that there is a God.

Within a few months, I’d had a dream about Jesus. It led me to wake up knowing God’s love in a far deeper way than I have ever known it.

My faith is now far stronger than it was before – it’s more real, and I am finding freedom from things that have held me back for years. I now know beyond all shadow of doubt that God never lets us go”.

Five essential characteristics of an Authentic Christian?

Apparently many of us who call ourselves Christians are not authentic at all. Jesus implies this crucial point in Matthew 7:21-23 when He tells His disciples the following: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord’, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we, not prophesy in your name? Did we not cast out demons in your name, and did many powerful deeds in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness’”.

According to Greg Laurie of Jesus.org, there are five essential characteristics which a person must display before he or she can call them self an authentic Christian.

Firstly, an authentic Christian confesses Jesus Christ as Lord (1 John 4:15). Christianity must begin with a verbal acknowledgment of Jesus Christ as the Lord of your life. The Bible says that even the demons believe and tremble (James 2:19). True Christians should be able to say that Jesus Christ is their Lord.

Secondly, if a person is a true Christian, one will be unhappy or miserable when one is sinning (1 John 3:9). This does not means Christians are immune to sin. (1 John 1:8). A true child of God will have a sense of discomfort when he or she sin; because you know in your heart of hearts that what you are doing is wrong.

Thirdly, an authentic Christian enjoys fellowship with other believers. (1 John 5:1). A true Christian will want to be around other Christians. Those who isolate themselves from other believers do so at their own peril, because the Bible tells us that it is important to get together, encourage one another, and correct one another (Hebrews 10:24-25).

Fourthly, an authentic Christian obeys the commands of Jesus Christ. If you are a true believer, then you will obey the commands of Jesus Christ (1 John 5:3). The person who blatantly and continually breaks the commandments of God simply does not know Him.

Finally, an authentic Christian loves and obeys the Word of God (1 John 2:5). You cannot effectively live the Christian life without a love for, and obedience to, God’s Word. All true disciples of Jesus Christ will be students of Scripture and will walk according to its teaching. This is vital to authentic Christian living, because the Bible is indeed the very textbook of life (2 Timothy 3:16).

Should the Church shut out sinners?

Church of the Holy Spirit in Dúbravka

Church of the Holy Spirit in Dúbravka (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

“The church has to shut out sin, even if it meant shutting out sinners.” Those are the words of the Revernd Woodrow kroll of Back to the Bible. Mr. Kroll who is a Biblical scholar and arthor, is doing a radio series, titled “Journey through Revelation”.

In his latest episode he talked about the toleration of the post modern Church. He compares such toleration to that of the Church in Thyatira, one of the seven Churches in Asia John writes about in the book of Revelation. Mr. Kroll referred to the Church in Thyatira as the “Universal Church of toleration”. (Revelation 2:18-29). “Here is what I (Jesus) command you (John) to write to the church in Thyatira.

Here are the words of the Son of God. He is the One whose eyes are like blazing fire. His feet are like polished bronze. He says, I know what you are doing. I know your love and your faith. I know how well you have served. I know you don’t give up easily. In fact, you are doing more now than you did at first.

But here is what I have against you. You put up with that woman Jezebel. She calls herself a prophet. With her teaching, she has led my servants into sexual sin. She has tricked them into eating food offered to statues of gods.

I’ve given her time to turn away from her sinful ways. But she doesn’t want to. She sinned on a bed. So I will make her suffer on a bed. And those who commit adultery with her will suffer greatly. Their only way out is to turn away from what she taught them to do. I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am the One who searches hearts and minds. I will pay each of you back for what you have done.

I won’t bother the rest of you in Thyatira. You don’t follow the teaching of Jezebel. You haven’t learned what some people call Satan’s deep secrets. Just hold on to what you have until I come.

I’ll give authority over the nations to all who overcome and who carry out my plans to the end. It is written,

He will rule them with an iron rod.
He will break them to pieces like clay pots.”(Psalm 2:9)

I have received this authority from my Father. I will also give the morning star to all who overcome.

Those who have ears should listen to what the Holy Spirit says to the churches.

Mr. Kroll said, “If we (the Church) tolerate what goes on in the world around us, rather than point it out in love as sin, we only aid the enemy”. When asked, “What is it going to take to get us get over feeling uncomfortable to stop looking the other way and just take some action? He replied, “Backbone”. “It is going to take the Church having a lot more backbone than it shown in the last quarter of a century”.

You may listen to the episode here: http://www.oneplace.com/ministries/back-to-the-bible/listen/thyatira-the-universal-church-of-toleration-299721.html