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why follow Jesus? BACK TOTHEBIBLE.CA
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A L L A B OA R D FE B R UA RY 7 - 16 , 2020
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BONAIRE, ARUBA, AND CURACAO Featuring Back to the Bible Canada's Dr. John Neufeld, Laugh Again’s Phil Callaway and special musical guest, The Wiebes. An amazing vacation while experiencing great Bible TO REGISTER, CALL C H R I S T I A N C R U I S E S A T 1 . 8 7 7. 2 2 9 . 6 1 5 5 OR VISIT BACK TOTHEBIBLE .C A /CRUISE PRICES START FROM $1,452.19 CAD BASED ON DOUBLE OCCUPANCY 2
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What's Inside A P R I L + M AY 2 0 1 9
PG. 9
DR. JOHN NEUFELD'S DAILY BIBLE READING PLAN
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Why I Follow Jesus Dr. John Neufeld PAG E 6
Why Follow Jesus? Dr. John Neufeld PAG E 1 0
Follow for Contagious Joy Phil Callaway PAG E 1 6
Restoring an Unthankful Heart Isaac Dagneau PAG E 1 8
What's in Your Hand Krista Penner
DR. JOHN'S CORNER
Why I Follow Jesus
Dr. John Neufeld Well known internationally for his excellence in expositional Bible teaching, Dr. Neufeld is passionate about bringing the truth of God’s Word to life across Canada and beyond.
I
was eighteen when I gave my life to Christ. I think it would be honest to say that my life was in crises and I desperately needed a saviour. I had very narrowly escaped what could have been a fatal car accident and I couldn’t help but think to myself that, if I had died, I would have gone to hell. I had fallen in with a bad crowd and was not in control of my life. God had spared me from eternal torment, at least for the moment. And so – out of fear of hell – and out of conviction that my life was out of control, I surrendered my life to Christ.
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I must say that my motivation for coming to Christ is hardly commendable. It wasn’t the action of someone who made a decision that was morally praiseworthy. What is virtuous about someone who doesn’t want to go to hell? Nothing. When I surrendered to Christ, even my act of surrender was neither upright nor honorable. I can’t look back at my conversion and say I chose in a more superior way than someone else. No glory goes to me for my conversion, none at all. God’s
compassion on me is a reflection of his condescension and of his loving mercy, not on my self-concerned decision. As I think back on my conversion, I do know that I thought that heaven and hell were real things. And so, I was concerned about myself far more than I was concerned for the glory of God or for the loveliness of Jesus. That God was full of glory had never even occurred to me. As the years have passed a change has occurred. The loveliness of Jesus has impressed itself deeply into my soul and I see in him everything worthy of praise. I now know there is nowhere else to go for he, Jesus, has the words of eternal life and He is the only one worthy of a lifetime of devotion. It may not be why I came to Christ in the first place, but that is what I have found in Christ. I came to Christ, initially, for selfish reasons. Period. When I make a list of all my blessings, I usually conclude that Christ has made me into a rich man. My sins are forgiven and I am freed from condemnation. I find I am loved by God and enjoy a personal relationship with the creator of the universe. I have the promises of eternity, and I have hope. I know that right now I am in training to rule and reign with Christ for eternity. I know that I have been adopted as a son of God and am a joint heir with Christ. I have a Bible which are the
very words of God which I still read with passion and joy. Other things have become a part of my life and it is directly connected to the fact that I have been saved. I have a wife, Kathy, who also loves Christ and she is both my lover and my fellow soldier in Christ. I am learning to love her, as Christ loves his church, and she is learning to submit to me, as the church submits to Christ. I have children who love Christ, as well as grandchildren. I am blessed that I still have a place in ministry. This is grace. I am a rich man in the riches that truly count. I have come to the same conclusion as King David did in Psalm 16:5-6. “LORD, you have assigned me my portion and my cup; you have made my lot secure. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance.� Some of you have the same experiences. Some of you are struggling right now, but the struggle doesn’t mean that your hope and your future is not as rich and as deep as mine. Christ is our treasure chest of holy joy. My, oh my, what a rich salvation.
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DR. JOHN'S CORNER
why follow Jesus? Dr. John Neufeld
Well known internationally for his excellence in expositional Bible teaching, Dr. Neufeld is passionate about bringing the truth of God’s Word to life across Canada and beyond.
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he Gospel of John challenges a new generation to reexamine what it means to live a faith-based life built upon the truths taught by Jesus. John begs to ask this generation of believers what it means to truly believe and how essential their faith is. The Gospel of John is different from the other gospels, Matthew, Mark and Luke, though it covers much of the same ground. It directs its attention to a unique audience, a new generation of believers, and an emphasis on unique challenges. John 6 is particularly pointed as it begins with the account of the feeding of the five thousand. One can only imagine the palpable enthusiasm this public miracle generated among the people. Interestingly, as the chapter concludes, we find many of these same people (would-be disciples) actually abandoning Jesus. In the
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drama of the moment, Jesus turns to the twelve (the disciples), as he might to you or I, and asks deeply probing and clarifying questions. What would you say? Do you ask yourself ‘Why would I follow Jesus?’ As I examine my own heart, I would likely be asking that very same question. Is it because of what appears to be an advantage in this world or have I authentically discovered in Him a hope that transcends this moment, a moment that extends into eternity? That question drives this ministry — why would someone follow Jesus? A question certainly worth providing an answer for! We have been given an incredible privilege to respond to this opportunity, to speak the truth of the gospel, and to answer that question to a world-wide audience desperate for life-saving truth. This month, we are asking you to
“After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. So Jesus said to the twelve, ‘Do you want to go away as well?’ Simon Peter answered him, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.'" JOH N 6: 66 - 69
join us in sharing the gospel and to help make clear the answer to the question, ‘Why would I follow Jesus?’ Over the next few months, we will be given opportunities to increase the reach of our daily Bible teaching program across northern Canada to an extent that we’ve never had in the past. The prayers of many have made this possible. Embracing and sustaining this opportunity will depend upon those people, like you, who would consider sharing the fiscal demand. Your gift makes all of our ministry programs available on radio, online streaming, podcasts, and mobile apps. These tools are accessible in your community, but also allow the Bible teaching programs of Back to the Bible Canada to be available in communities and regions beyond your own. Your gift this month would mean so much as we move to northern Canada and then, hopefully, across our great nation.
We’d also like to offer you a gift this month to help support you in your journey with Christ. For April only, we’d like to send you a free copy of my new study on the Book of John on CD called Why Follow Jesus? and, as an added bonus, also send you a copy of the Gospel of John for yourself or to pass on to someone who might also be asking the question, “Why would I follow Jesus?” Thank you in advance for joining us in ministry. Together, the Good News of Jesus will continue to be shared through the ministry of Back to the Bible Canada locally, nationally and globally.
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Dr. Neufeld's Daily Bible Reading Plan M AY 2 0 1 9
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
1 Kings 10-11; Luke 21:20-38 1 Kings 12-13; Luke 22:1-30 1 Kings 14-15; Luke 22:31-46 1 Kings 16-18; Luke 22:47-71 1 Kings 19-20; Luke 23:1-25 1 Kings 21-22; Luke 23:26-56 2 Kings 1-3; Luke 24:1-35 2 Kings 4-6; Luke 24:36-53 2 Kings 7-9; John 1:1-28 2 Kings 10-12; John 1:29-51 2 Kings 13-14; John 2 2 Kings 15-16; John 3:1-18 2 Kings 17-18; John 3:19-36 2 Kings 19-21; John 4:1-30 2 Kings 22-23; John 4:31-54 2 Kings 24-25; John 5:1-24 1 Chronicles 1-3; John 5:25-47 1 Chronicles 4-6; John 6:1-21 1 Chronicles 7-9; John 6:22-44 1 Chronicles 10-12; John 6:45-71 1 Chronicles 13-15; John 7:1-27 1 Chronicles 16-18; John 7:28-53 1 Chronicles 19-21; John 8:1-27 1 Chronicles 22-24; John 8:28-59 1 Chronicles 25-27; John 9:1-23 1 Chronicles 28-29; John 9:24-41 2 Chronicles 1-3; John 10:1-23 2 Chronicles 4-6; John 10:24-42 2 Chronicles 7-9; John 11:1-29 2 Chronicles 10-12; John 11:30-57 2 Chronicles 13-14; John 12:1-26
JUNE 2019
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
2 Chronicles 15-16; John 12:27-50 2 Chronicles 17-18; John 13:1-20 2 Chronicles 19-20; John 13:21-38 2 Chronicles 21-22; John 14 2 Chronicles 23-24; John 15 2 Chronicles 25-27; John 16 2 Chronicles 28-29; John 17 2 Chronicles 30-31; John 18:1-18 2 Chronicles 32-33; John 18:19-40 2 Chronicles 34-36; John 19:1-22 Ezra 1-2; John 19:23-42 Ezra 3-5; John 20 Ezra 6-8; John 21 Ezra 9-10; Acts 1 Nehemiah 1-3; Acts 2:1-21 Nehemiah 4-6; Acts 2:22-47 Nehemiah 7-9; Acts 3 Nehemiah 10-11; Acts 4:1-22 Nehemiah 12-13; Acts 4:23-37 Esther 1-2; Acts 5:1-21 Esther 3-5; Acts 5:22-42 Esther 6-8; Acts 6 Esther 9-10; Acts 7:1-21 Job 1-2; Acts 7:22-43 Job 3-4; Acts 7:44-60 Job 5-7; Acts 8:1-25 Job 8-10; Acts 8:26-40 Job 11-13; Acts 9:1-21 Job 14-16; Acts 9:22-43 Job 17-19; Acts 10:1-23
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Follow for Contagious Joy
Phil Callaway Phil is an author and host of Laugh Again. He has five grandchildren. They wear name tags.
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ne Sunday afternoon when our kids were small, my son’s friend, Joel, came for a visit. Like all small boys who know that this is a time when stressed out adults may be resting, Joel attacked the door with both fists. Me: “Hi, Joel. Can I get something for you? Like a hammer?” Joel (holding a sharp stick): “Mr. Callaway, can I play with Stephen?”
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Me (looking at the stick): “Sure.” Joel (poking an ant with the stick): “Where is he?” Me (trying to gently confiscate the stick): “He’s up on the roof eating a banana.” Joel (after backing up far enough to see that Stephen isn’t on the roof): “I don’t see him.”
Me: “He’ll be down in a minute. Watch. He’ll slide down on the peel.” Joel (dropping the stick and backing onto the road to watch): “I STILL DON’T SEE HIM.” Stephen (standing behind me now): “Hi, Joel!” Joel (picking up the stick): “Mr. Callaway, you were just joking me.” Of course, a sense of humour can be carried too far. My wife gets the biggest laughs out of things that aren’t funny at all. Like, the time I pulled into the yard on my bike and my front tire got caught between the lawn and the sidewalk, catapulting me unceremoniously into the bushes. Moments later, the one who loves me more than life itself stood over me, laughing and gasping for air. “You okay?” she asked as she began to hyperventilate. “Oh, I’m fine.” I replied. “The doctor can set the bone. And the teeth…we can get crowns.”
this particular brand of humour, but I do know this: a house filled with laughter will never be empty. Laughter is contagious. It draws people in. Do you want your kids to hang around? Then laugh lots. You might just find them bringing friends over, too. When God moves into a house, laughter is certain to follow. Isaiah 12:6 says this:
“Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion, for great is the Holy One of Israel among you.” We have no guarantee that our children and grandchildren will choose to follow Jesus, but we can show them the contagious joy God brings. So smile widely today. And if that smile tries to turn to a laugh, don’t be surprised and don’t try to stop it. A stifled laugh will turn inward and go straight to the hips.
From inside the house, three children were watching, their runny little noses pressed against the window pane. “Ha, Daddy funny,” one of them said. I’m not sure I want them to inherit BACK TOTHEBIBLE.CA
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Apps, books, and other great biblical content from Back to the Bible Kids will ensure children start their Christian journey on a strong foundation!
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F A I T H .
L I F E .
C U LT U R E .
B I B L I C A L T R U T H . E N G A G I N G C U LT U R E .
What is indoubt? Through engaging and thoughtful discussion with leaders around the world, indoubt’s mission is to help young adults strengthen their beliefs and views of life, faith, and culture through a biblical perspective.
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RESTORING AN UNTHANKFUL HEART Isaac Dagneau Isaac is the former minstry manager of indoubt and currently a lead pastor in Mission, BC.
We forget. We forget to thank God. We forget His constant faithfulness supplying us with our daily bread. We forget His never-failing promises that give us hope. We forget to thank God not because we don’t know what he does; we forget to thank Him because we don’t believe. We know God’s grace, His faithfulness, and His promises, but do we believe them? Do we live by them? Do we dwell on them? It’s this very reason why many Christians have an unthankful heart towards God. Sin’s goal in our lives is to decrease our belief in God and increase our belief in self and the world. Even though we may say we believe in God and His grace, faithfulness, and promises, our hearts prove otherwise. God has become so small in our world that we don’t recognize Him anymore. This happens subtlety and quietly 16
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within our hearts. We begin to confuse His work with our work and the world’s work. We begin to exchange His purpose for us with a purpose we’ve given ourselves. Our value isn’t found in the fact that we’re made in His image and bought with a high price, but becomes our own achievements, success, and prosperity. It’s incredible what unbelief can make you believe. John the Baptist famously said those seven words, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” (John 3:30) This is the attitude we must have, but we will never get there without truly believing God and following Jesus. John was baptizing people in preparation for the Messiah who was to come. He didn’t know who the Messiah was going to be or what He was going to look like. But when John laid eyes on Jesus for the first time, he proclaimed “Behold, the lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). He
believed. And because he believed in the truth of Jesus, he wasn’t irritated when people started going to be baptized by Jesus instead of himself. His purpose, meaning, and value were put in God, and because he believed that Jesus was the Messiah, his joy became complete when he began to follow Christ. When it comes to our belief, the closer we get to Jesus the bigger (and more real) He becomes; and as He becomes magnified in our sight, we become smaller and smaller.
and what He will do in the future, we will proclaim with David, “I will praise the name of God with a song; I will magnify him with thanksgiving” (Psalm 69:30).
“I believe; help my unbelief!” shouts a man in Mark 9:24.
So, if you’re forgetting to thank God it might not be a mental issue – it’s most likely a belief issue. We need to believe that God is who He says He is, so that we acknowledge His grace, faithfulness, and promises in our life.
We must keep pursuing Him, keep drawing near, keep submitting to Him; your belief will restore your unthankful heart. The key to restoring an unthankful heart is to believe in God and His work. When we truly believe in Him and what He’s done for us in the past, what He’s doing for us now,
We’ll begin to “offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving” from a pure heart, knowing that “The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies [God]” (Psalm 50:14,23). We’ll no longer forget to thank God, because we’ll recognize that nothing in our lives is accomplished without Him.
The only response to this acknowledgment is pure thankfulness and to follow Him completely.
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what's in your hand? Krista Penner A speaker and writer, Krista works for Fellowship Pacific in Leadership Development and loves to connect people to Jesus.
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hat do you consider valuable? What are you grasping onto so tightly that you don’t want to let it go? Would you be willing to give it up for something better? Last October, I asked myself these very questions as I took a huge step out of my comfort zone and travelled to Ethiopia. I wondered what I had gotten myself into as the sights, sounds, and smells that confronted me in Addis Ababa assaulted my senses. Jet lag and the hotel room made me question the wisdom of this adventure, yet my purpose in coming was directly tied to the questions that I asked initially. What do you think Jesus’ disciples asked the young boy on the grassy knoll between Galilee and Jerusalem where 5,000 people gathered? "Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?” John 6:8-9
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I don’t know what the boy said when his lunch was offered to the people, but if his response was anything like my boys, he may have answered, “I don’t have much… just this small lunch my mom packed for me and she forgot to put in a granola bar and the sandwich is the same kind she packed yesterday and it is not on my top 10 list, but it is MY lunch; YOU CAN’T HAVE IT!” But, it was so much more than just a lunch. The food was multiplied and more than 5,000 people ingested enough protein and carbs to sustain them. Often we look at our open palms and we sigh. We shrug and assume that nobody would be interested in our offering. Or, we experience the urge to hang on to what we deem as too valuable to give up and our response signifies that we view our handful necessary for our own survival. God had a plan to help me let go of what was in my hand. On day two of my adventure, I decided to do something with my unkept hair. I had packed my prized blow dryer, along with the appropriate wattage converter,
so I had everything needed for beautification. As I turned my hair dryer on, there was a sudden, sharp spark and my prized beautification amenity blew up! This was somewhat tragic as I had brought the blow dryer for myself and my friend. She had the flat iron which effectively singed off a large chunk of her hair thanks to an unforeseen power surge. I purposefully took in a deep breath and told myself that I would survive without a blow dryer and for certain someone would have one I could borrow. The hotel had a contraption that blew semi-warm air, so all was not lost. Two days later, we were up in the mountainous area of a place called Gojo. There were no blow dryers attached to the wall of the room I was staying in, so I borrowed one from a member of the team. I promptly killed that one, too. That is when the light bulb went on. I recalled the significant moment in my youth when, at fifteen, I had surrendered my life to Christ. I had symbolically placed a stick in a fire indicating my desire to belong to Him and serve Him with my life no matter what He asked of me. And now, all these years later, I came to the realization that I was holding out on my commitement. I had an overwhelming fear that God would require me to be a missionary in Africa… somewhere I was certain there were no blow dryers. I had shared my story of saying yes
to Jesus when I was fifteen countless times and here I was in Africa at the age of fifty-one and it was as if God was saying, ‘Krista, with that blow dryer in your hand, were you really serious about what you said when you were fifteen?’ Much like our young friend with the loaves of bread, I had no idea that what was in my hand was anything of significance. The life I live is safe and comfortable. I suddenly realized the value and importance I had placed on this insignificant appliance was appalling, embarrassing, and freeing. When I look at my open hands and recall the account of this little boy, it helps me see the connection of God using whatever is in my hand as he expands my capacity to see beyond my own needs as I view life through a different lens. Often times the thing that stops us from offering our gifts is our misguided belief that we have nothing of importance to give. We do not realize that the things we cling to or hold dear could potentially be holding us back from so much more. What is in my hand is not so much about what’s in my hand as it is about my willingness to let it go. My worth is not tied to stuff or a worldly definition of value. My worth is complete and perfect because of Jesus and He helps me loosen my grip and free up my hand. So now I ask you – What is in your hand? BACK TOTHEBIBLE.CA
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