Bible Ballistics: Cancer? Pt 2 09/22/13 Vol. 2 No.19

As we continue our discussion about “spiritual cancer” we have looked at the cancer of sin that leads to death and the deliverance that Jesus bought at Calvary.  We also looked at real men and women who boldly shared the ‘good news’ of salvation in Jesus.  Let’s continue by looking at some others and see what we can learn from them to help stop this “spiritual cancer”, and the death that it brings.

Let’s continue by looking at an evangelist and father named Phillip.

• Acts 8:26-36, “And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert. 27 And he arose and went: and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship, 28 Was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet. 29 Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot. 30 And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest? 31 And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him. 32 The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth: 33 In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth. 34 And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man? 35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus. 36 And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?”  

We see several things about Phillip;

• 1)He heard and obeyed the voice of the Lord ( now most of us don’t hear from angels but we do have the indwelling Holy  Spirit who is there to lead us in all we do),

• 2) he was ready to share as God gave him opportunity,

• 3) he ran to share and listened to what was going on before he spoke!!!,

• 4)  he asked questions appropriate to the situation,

• 5) he waited for good questions from his audience,

• 6) he then proceeded to share the “answer”—Jesus, using the information that his audience was familiar with.

We can utilize these six elements of sharing in our own efforts

1) listen to God.

2) watch for opportunities.

3) First be an eager listener.

4) Use questions to see where your audience is.

5)  Help them to ask questions and don’t answer before they finish.

6) Then share the truth of Jesus at the level of understanding of your listener.

Yes, Phillip was a “preacher/evangelist” but he was also a faithful father at home (as well as one of the first deacons).   In Acts 21:8-9 we find that his children were faithful proclaimers of the good news,  

• “And the next day we that were of Paul’s company departed, and came unto Caesarea: and we entered into the house of Philip the evangelist, which was one of the seven; and abode with him. 9 And the same man had four daughters, virgins, which did prophesy.” 

Oh that we would share a living and vibrant faith with our children and grandchildren.

What kind of example are we being to those who are watching us?

What do our children and grandchildren see in us?

Do they see in us a life devoted to Jesus and others?

Are we living truth before them in such a way that they want to know the Lord?

Leading them to not only know Him but to also have the courage to share what they know?

My favorite passage in regard to sharing truth, especially  with our children, is Deuteronomy 6.  Let’s look at a progression that is revealed in this chapter, we won’t have time to look at all of the chapter but we will look at selected verses that give us a good view of the principles presented.

• Deut. 6:4-6,  “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord: 5 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. 6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:”

This first instruction is to “parents”.  We must have the Lord in our own hearts before we can share it with anyone else, especially our family.

Verses 7-9 continue,

• “And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. 8 And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. 9 And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.”    (them and they being the “words” of God mentioned in verse 6)

Once we love God ourselves (have been born again) then we are to pass this on by:

• 1)Teaching diligently,
  • 2) talking about God’s ways/commands,
    • 3) Using “teachable” moments when we are at home, on the go, resting, when we arise,  with all we do with our hands, our minds and have scripture pervade our homes.

Sripture in our lives—

in our hearts,

in our minds

in our homes.

• Verses 17-18a, “Ye shall diligently keep the commandments of the Lord your God, and his testimonies, and his statutes, which he hath commanded thee. 18 And thou shalt do that which is right and good in the sight of the Lord………”   

We are to live what we believe—to “ that which is right and good in the sight of the Lord:”  In front of our loved ones!!!  In front of the world!!!

Then God goes on to tell us what will come of our faithful practice of these principles in verses 20-21,

• “And when thy son asketh thee in time to come, saying, What mean the testimonies, and the statutes, and the judgments, which the Lord our God hath commanded you? 21 Then thou shalt say unto thy son, We were Pharaoh’s bondmen in Egypt; and the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand:”.   

In other words, if we will live faithfully before our children they will eventually ask us “why” we live like we do?  And when they do, we are to tell them what God has done for us.  Not just what He’s done for others but what He has done and is doing for US.

To help others avoid the cancer of sins penalty we must share the “good news” — the cure.  The “gospel” of Jesus that heals and delivers us from sin.

• John 10:10b, ” I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”  

Jesus came to give us deliverance from sin –

• Col 1: 13-14  “Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: 14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:”  

We have the cure.  Let’s not keep it to ourselves.  We must avoid the cancer of sin in our personal lives but just as importantly, we must share the “good news” of the Cross of Christ with others–

• 1 Cor. 2:1-2 “And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. 2 For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.”  

Salvation alone in Christ alone—let’s get out the good news—the cure!!!

Bible Ballistics: “BBs”  #9

I found a most profound thing happening on my cell phone lately.  When I try to type “praying”, if I’m not careful it comes out “spay ing”.   Well at first it just annoyed me and then as I kept making the same error (because my fingers are bigger than the keys….haha) it dawned on me that this is a great play on words for our consideration.

Spaying means to “sterilize a female animal”, in other words, to make it infertile or unproductive.  Wow!!!  Praying on the other hand refers to our communication with God, which is always productive. Am I being productive or unproductive, praying or spaying?

Let’s see if we can make a Biblical case?

• Mark 4:19, “And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.” –- Unproductive

• James 5:15-16,  “And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. 16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”-–Productive

• James 1:26,  “If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain.” —Unproductive

• Acts 12:5,  “Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.”—Productive  (see verse 11+ for the God’s answer to this prayer…Wow!!!)

So?  Here’s our shot for the day—?????

• Let’s be prayerfully productive!!   
  • Praying not “spaying”!! 
    • Never barren
      • but always fertile- faithful & diligent to
        • ask, seek, and knock!!!

• YOU can do it—through HIM.

• Phil 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”

So?  ??????   Pray on and keep looking up!!!

Bible Ballistics: Cancer? 09/15/13 Vol. 2 No.18

Cancer!  A term we all dread hearing.

• ‘Cancer: the disease caused by an uncontrolled division of abnormal cells in a part of the body…..a malignant growth (malignant: very virulent or infectious) or tumor resulting from such cells…early English word was canker.’

Why would we want to talk about cancer in our Bible Ballistics this week?  What does cancer have to do with Biblical principles?  Can we learn anything helpful as we consider the subject of cancer?  These are questions I think we can begin to answer today.

Paul says in 1 Timothy 2:15-18,

• ” Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 16 But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness. 17 And their word will eat as doth a canker: of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus; 18 Who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some.”

Paul is referring to a spiritual problem here.  And that problem is false teaching which leads to  “SIN”.  All forms of sin can eat like a cancer.  Cancer, as we mentioned, is an ‘uncontrolled division of abnormal cells’, that which is not ‘normal’ (conforming to a standard).  What is sin?  It is not conforming to God’s standard.  As we have seen in recent weeks, Romans 3:23 reminds us that

• ‘…all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God….(not conformed to the standard)”
• And Romans 6:23, “….the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life …”.

Why are we all so afraid of hearing the word “cancer”? Because it almost always leads to death.  God has told us that “sin” does the same thing.  It leads to death. James 1:14-16, says,

• “But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. 15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is  finished, bringeth forth death.”  

Yet we need not die, because God has made a way for us to have not only life, but “eternal life”.  Remember

• John 3:16? “….whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life”.

Jesus died so that we won’t have to die.  Yes, we’ll go through the

• “valley of the shadow of death” (Ps 23)
  • physically,
  • but we will live forever with Jesus.
  •  And have a new body to boot!!!
  • A perfect one!!!

• Only this temporary body of flesh will die—
• our soul and being will live forever with Christ
  • if we have committed our lives to Him in faith
  • and trusted to His grace to save us through His cross.

Cancer is so devastating to this life.  We all have family and/or friends who have suffered through this terrible malady.  We have seen some overcome for a time, and others we have lost to death because of cancer.  But what about those around us who are perishing to the death sentence of sin?  While we’ll spend hours, dollars and all of our energy fighting physical cancer, when will we come to be so impassioned about delivering people from the “spiritual” cancer of sin?  It should be our most ardent desire to see those around us come to Jesus.

• Matthew 28:18-20 says,  ”And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” 

Now, I’m not talking about going around beating folks over the head with a Bible, but being ever ready to share in love, grace and humble gratitude the “good news” of the “Gospel of Jesus”.  As Peter says in 1 Peter 3:15,

• ” But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:” 
• • Be ready?
  • Are we ready to give an answer?
  • Peter calls us to ALWAYS be ready.
  • To live in a way that will cause people to ask why we live for Jesus in all that we do.

Let’s look at a few ordinary folks who shared their faith.  Aquila and Priscilla were a couple who worked with Paul making tents, sharing the gospel, and even hosted a church in their home.  We see them in Acts 18:24-28,

• “And a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man, and mighty in the scriptures, came to Ephesus. 25 This man was instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in the spirit, he spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord, knowing only the baptism of John. 26 And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue: whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly. 27 And when he was disposed to pass into Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him: who, when he was come, helped them much which had believed through grace: 28 For he mightily convinced the Jews, and that publicly, shewing by the scriptures that Jesus was Christ.” 

They helped this young man know the truth of salvation by sharing Jesus, and he then shared with the world what he learned about Jesus from these two. 

We also see a grandmother and mother named Lois and Eunice who taught Timothy about the scriptures and made him ready to receive the gospel.

• 2 Timothy 1:5, “When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.” 

• What kind of parent or grandparent are we being?
• Have we shared our faith in Jesus with those under our care?
• Sharing with our lives and with the scriptures as we have opportunity?

We are compelled to share a vibrant and living faith with the generation following us.  If we do not, how will the next generations possess and flourish in a vibrant faith?

• If we don’t share with them,
• teach them
• and lead them to follow Jesus,
• who will become the future leaders in God’s kingdom?

As there are several other examples I’d like us to discuss, let’s continue this next week.

May you have a good week thinking about the things we’ve shared today.

• Let’s be  sharing what we know
• about the ONE we know—Jesus!!!

Remember

“…study to show thyself approved….”

And share what you learn!!!!!

• Let’s stop the spiritual cancer!
• Now!!!

Bible Ballistics: “BBs”                   September 10, 2013

• “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.”  Genesis 1:1

A good place to start is always at the beginning!!  Let’s spend some time today looking at our God, the creator, the one who was there in the beginning—our beginning not HIS!!

• 1 John 4:7-9 says, “Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. 8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. 9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.”

• Our creator God loves us.
  • He loves us even when we sinned (original sin then & personal sin now).
    • He redeems us (buys us back) because of that love,
      • redemption that cost His son’s life on the cross.

Because, He wanted us to be right with HIM….(see Ro. 5:1-10)

• 2 Corinthians 5:21 “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” 

Our creator so loved us that he planned for our redemption even before sin came into our world.  He loved ME and YOU that much,

• 1 Peter 1:18-20 says, “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, …….. 19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: 20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you.”

So??????  Here’s our shot for the day—!!

• God loves you.

• HE created you—special YOU.

• HE provided His son a sacrifice for our sin.

• All before we were ever born….

How special are YOU?

• Special enough to have God’s love—available in Jesus.

So??????  Remember you are LOVED.  Keep looking up!!!

Bible Ballistics: Genuine or Imitation? 09/08/13 Vol. 2 No.17

It’s good to be home in Oklahoma and even with scorching heat we are very grateful and glad that the Lord has brought us safely home.

So much is going on around us, so many claims, so many stories.  What is true?  What is not?  John 8:32 & 36 tell us,

• “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free…..36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.”

Jesus is the truth—we can know Him and He will make us free.  Free from the lies of the world.  Free from the bondage of sin and the world’s ways.

• Are we free or bound to the world?
• Are we wearing a “hypocritical” mask or
• are we the “real deal”?

2 Corinthians 13:5 says,

• “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?” 

Paul calls us to examine our OWN selves to see if we are really ‘in the faith’.  How do we do that?  How do we ‘prove’ ourselves?  This verse also asks if we ‘know …..that Christ is in you?”.  Can we know?  Well, as usual, let’s look at the Word.

1 Corinthians 15:1-5,

• “Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; 2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. 3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: 5 And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve:

Paul declares here that the only way to salvation is through the cross.  He also calls the Corinthians to be sure they have not believed in vain.

• Vain means, ‘producing no result; useless;…..having no meaning or likelihood of fulfillment’.

Is my faith ‘real’ or ‘vain’?  This is the question that we will ponder this week.  Do I know the truth of Col 1:27

• “To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:”

Is Christ in me? Do I have the “hope of glory”?  1 John 5:13 reminds us,

• “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.” 

• We can know.
  • I can know.
    • YOU can know.

What does real faith look like?  Hebrews 11:1,6 says,

• “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen….6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”

Real faith is defined in ‘Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary’ as including………

• ”1) a firm conviction, producing a full acknowledgement of God’s revelation or truth…..
• 2) a personal surrender to Him….
• 3)a conduct inspired by such surrender….”

To paraphrase, total confidence in the God who is God, not just in what He does but who HE IS—GOD, and submission to Him for “LIFE”.  Eternal Life.  Because as we see above in Hebrews 11,

• “without faith it is impossible to please him….”, and “he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”

Substance not blind trust, evidence not “pie in the sky”. Are you convinced?

Jesus tells us in Matthew 7:20-21,

• “Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. 21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.”

He tells us that those who do the will of God are the ones who will enter the kingdom.  Just saying so doesn’t make it so!!! He states it even more clearly in John 3:3

• “Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”   

We must be born again. 

• And John 1:12-13,  “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God”.   

BORN OF GOD!!!  We receive the new birth from GOD!!!

• It is not something we inherit from our family,
  • nor is it something that we can produce by our own strength or determination,
    • nor even by the good will of others who may love and care for us.

It’s only when we “repent” and turn to Jesus in faith that we receive this gift of salvation from God.

In John 8:24 Jesus makes it very plain—“

• I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.”

Matthew 1:21, reminds us why Jesus came—

• “ And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins.”

Jesus came to save us from our sin.  If we never see our sin we’ll never repent, and if we never repent we’ll never look to Jesus to be saved by that faith we are speaking about.  (See John 11:25 & 14:6—Jesus is the ONLY WAY)

We could list many scriptures that tell us to “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved”.  But suffice it to say that we must repent and believe to receive.  Praise God, He hears and answers.  Even the cry of the penitent tax collector in Luke 18:13

“And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.”  

Two men—one who had no need for salvation (he thought), and one who saw his need for salvation and called on the only one who could save him.  God answered his prayer.   As Romans 3:23 declares,

• “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” “ But praise God he also reveals in

• Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” 

• Have we seen our own sin?
  • Turned from it to God?
    • Received HIS new birth?

That is the question.

Who will pay your debt? Jesus? Or yourself? 

• In Deut. 30:19 God said,  “I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:”

Examine, prove and check your heart to see if you are in the faith.  Choose you this day “whom you will serve” (see Joshua24:15).  Not sure?  Ask God, He’ll reveal truth to you.

• James 4:8 &10 “ Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded …….10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.”

Bow before HIM—He will lift you up.