AUGUST + SEPTEMBER 2019
T H E
Invisible Wa r
BACK TOTHEBIBLE .CA
BACK TOTHEBIBLE.CA
|
1
A L L A B OA R D FE B R UA RY 7 - 16 , 2020
9 NIGHTS, STOPPING IN:
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. Enjoy an amazing vacation while experiencing great Bible teaching, laughter, fellowship and special music. 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
|
AUGUST + SEPTEMBER 2019
WHAT'S INSIDE AUGUST + SEPTEMBER 2019
Our Unseen Armour page 4 Ben Lowell
A Struggle of Cosmic Proportions page 6
page 8
Dr. John Neufeld
GET DR. JOHN'S LATEST CD FREE!
From Hollywood to Iowa page 10 Phil Callaway
What Are You Fighting For? page 16 Isaac Dagneau
We Have An Enemy page 18 Joshua Scott
page 9
DR. JOHN'S DAILY BIBLE READING PLAN
Our Unseen Armour BEN LOWELL Ben is the CEO of The Good News Broadcasting Association of Canada.
D
efeated, overwhelmed, and hopeless. These are just a few words shared with us from listeners that describe the valleys of life that quite honestly, we all experience. I remember a particularly disruptive time in my life when a combination of extended family turmoil, difficult health challenges, and rocky roads in ministry all seemed to create an overwhelmingly perfect storm. Truthfully, none of us are immune to the challenges of life, and we shouldn’t expect to be. We live in a fallen world, surrounded by fallen people, of which the vast majority are trying to get through it all on their own. We are surrounded by darkness, and yet the light of God’s love shines clear in scripture. It pierces the
4
|
darkness. It offers a hope found in no one else but Christ. This truth is what sustains me. The ministry of Back to the Bible Canada has been given the privilege and responsibility of presenting the God of the Bible. The ministry also shares and proclaims the reality of an active Holy Spirit who empowers and equips God’s people to overcome and live this life with confidence, looking forward in great anticipation! In his latest series, The Invisible War, Dr. John Neufeld says; “Everyone knows something about the physical world, but there is also a spiritual world. This world is normally not accessible to our physical senses. And yet it’s as real as
AUGUST + SEPTEMBER 2019
the physical world, indeed it predates the physical world. Furthermore, the spiritual world is the arena of a great struggle. The Biblical picture of this world is frightening. But that doesn’t mean that believers are helpless. We
have been given armour and the ability to resist.” The teaching of God’s Word empowered by His Spirit is transforming, strengthening, and energizing lives.
to Canadians, but through the use of technology we are also able to reach the furthest corners of the planet. Most recently, we were privileged to visit India and our hearts leapt with the knowledge that pastors, churches, and individuals were being impacted by faithful Bible teaching - teaching supplied by Back to the Bible Canada. To say it simply, your prayers, encouragement, and gifts are reaping Kingdom dividends around the globe. If you believe, as we do, that the kind of Bible teaching we’ve described is critical please support the ministries of Back to the Bible Canada this month.
The ministry of Back to the Bible Canada is a global ministry. Our home is Canada, and we love our nation and have a deep heart to minister
If you are in a dark place, please let us know how to pray for you. Prayer is powerful, and it would be a great honour to lift you up in prayer.
Everyone knows something about the physical world, but there is also a spiritual world.
BACK TOTHEBIBLE.CA
|
5
A Struggle of Cosmic Proportions DR. JOHN NEUFELD Dr. John is the Bible Teacher at Back to the Bible Canada.
F
or those of us who have never been on a battlefield, it might be hard to imagine the intensity that goes on during war. The gravity of life and death, the crushing weight of fear that must be overcome with courage, the roar of battle, the cries of dying men, the desperation for victory, and the misery of defeat are all very present in battle. We have all heard stories, but most of us have never experienced an actual battlefield. For those who have experienced battle, their lives have been completely changed. Experience in battle transforms their perspective. Wars change the flow of human history. The rewards of victory are, in the eyes of many, too large to ignore. The cost of war is just a price that warriors pay in order for reward to follow. The Bible is filled with various accounts of battle. From Abram gathering his 318-
6
|
man militia, to Moses standing on top of a hill, arms raised to God as the Israelites battled in the valley below, and to King Zedekiah, who faced defeat to the Babylonians. The wars in the Bible were savage and horrifying. And there’s one battle going on that puts the others to shame. It is a battle so great that the entire world is taking part. The cost? Human souls. The reward? Eternity. So where is this battle being fought? If it’s the biggest battle in human history, why isn’t it being aired on every news station around the globe?
We don’t hear about this war because it can’t be seen. The greatest battle ever fought is not one of swords, guns, or technological warfare. This battle is not fought on a field on in a desert. It is being fought in the heavenly realms, and it is a battle for your soul.
AUGUST + SEPTEMBER 2019
I want to change your worldview. I want to open your eyes to see a world that you’ve heard about, but most Christians tend to ignore. It is the world of angels, demons, and warfare. Paul writes in Ephesians 6:12 that we struggle not against flesh and blood, but against the evil rules of the unseen world. This might seem wrong to some of us. Aren’t things like abortion, and the government policies that follow, made by men? Aren’t the philosophies of sexual immorality taught by professors and politicians? Isn’t our struggle with governments that seek to demean life and pass laws to prevent the proclamation of the Gospel, and not
with things we can’t see? Paul insists that our great struggle is not with the flesh and blood of human beings. We are locked in a struggle of cosmic proportions, with a great unseen realm of God-hating spiritual beings who seek to deceive the whole world, and ultimately kill the entire human race, defaming the glory of God. The story may sound like it’s over and that the battle has been lost, but it’s far from over. There’s hope, so much hope, and a promise that Christ and His Kingdom will prevail.
To listen to Dr. John’s 10-message series, The Invisible War, and get a free copy of the series on CD, head over to backtothebible.ca
BACK TOTHEBIBLE.CA
|
7
T H E
Invisible Wa r
USE C
ODE
I B LE "
" I NVI S OU R FO R Y
FREE ! COPY
USE COUPON CODE “INVISIBLE” TO GET YOUR FREE COPY! ADDITIONAL COPIES $15 (INCLUDING SHIPPING + TAXES)
In this 10-message series, Dr. John Neufeld discusses this great, unseen war. Listen along as we learn about who inhabits this unseen realm, why it exists, and the warfare that is presently engaged there. There is an invisible war going on, and we must learn how to respond in the present hour.
To order, visit www.backtothebible.ca/store 8
|
AUGUST + SEPTEMBER 2019
Dr. Neufeld's Daily Bible Reading Plan S E P T E M B E R 2 019
OC T OB E R 2 019
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
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
Psalms 135-136; 1 Corinthians 12 Psalms 137-139; 1 Corinthians 13 Psalms 140-142; 1 Corinthians 14:1-20 Psalms 143-145; 1 Corinthians 14:21-40 Psalms 146-147; 1 Corinthians 15:1-28 Psalms 148-150; 1 Corinthians 15:29-58 Proverbs 1-2; 1 Corinthians 16 Proverbs 3-5; 2 Corinthians 1 Proverbs 6-7; 2 Corinthians 2 Proverbs 8-9; 2 Corinthians 3 Proverbs 10-12; 2 Corinthians 4 Proverbs 13-15; 2 Corinthians 5 Proverbs 16-18; 2 Corinthians 6 Proverbs 19-21; 2 Corinthians 7 Proverbs 22-24; 2 Corinthians 8 Proverbs 25-26; 2 Corinthians 9 Proverbs 27-29; 2 Corinthians 10 Proverbs 30-31; 2 Corinthians 11:1-15 Ecclesiastes 1-3; 2 Corinthians 11:16-33 Ecclesiastes 4-6; 2 Corinthians 12 Ecclesiastes 7-9; 2 Corinthians 13 Ecclesiastes 10-12; Galatians 1 Song of Solomon 1-3; Galatians 2 Song of Solomon 4-5; Galatians 3 Song of Solomon 6-8; Galatians 4 Isaiah 1-2; Galatians 5 Isaiah 3-4; Galatians 6 Isaiah 5-6; Ephesians 1 Isaiah 7-8; Ephesians 2 Isaiah 9-10; Ephesians 3
Isaiah 11-13; Ephesians 4 Isaiah 14-16; Ephesians 5:1-16 Isaiah 17-19; Ephesians 5:17-33 Isaiah 20-22; Ephesians 6 Isaiah 23-25; Philippians 1 Isaiah 26-27; Philippians 2 Isaiah 28-29; Philippians 3 Isaiah 30-31; Philippians 4 Isaiah 32-33; Colossians 1 Isaiah 34-36; Colossians 2 Isaiah 37-38; Colossians 3 Isaiah 39-40; Colossians 4 Isaiah 41-42; 1 Thessalonians 1 Isaiah 43-44; 1 Thessalonians 2 Isaiah 45-46; 1 Thessalonians 3 Isaiah 47-49; 1 Thessalonians 4 Isaiah 50-52; 1 Thessalonians 5 Isaiah 53-55; 2 Thessalonians 1 Isaiah 56-58; 2 Thessalonians 2 Isaiah 59-61; 2 Thessalonians 3 Isaiah 62-64; 1 Timothy 1 Isaiah 65-66; 1 Timothy 2 Jeremiah 1-2; 1 Timothy 3 Jeremiah 3-5; 1 Timothy 4 Jeremiah 6-8; 1 Timothy 5 Jeremiah 9-11; 1 Timothy 6 Jeremiah 12-14; 2 Timothy 1 Jeremiah 15-17; 2 Timothy 2 Jeremiah 18-19; 2 Timothy 3 Jeremiah 20-21; 2 Timothy 4 Jeremiah 22-23; Titus 1
BACK TOTHEBIBLE.CA
|
9
From Hollywood to Iowa
W
hen I was a kid, I didn’t have much use for prayer. My mother taught me to pray, “If I should die before I wake?” and I thought, Hey, I’m four. What’ll I die of? A heart attack? Kidney failure? Stress? Ulcers? Then my older brother threatened to kill me. And my prayers took on new urgency, mixed with fear. This fear continued on when my kids became teens. There were countless sleepless nights knowing they were out there, driving around in cars being steered by boys who not long ago were driving tricycles through mud puddles. So we pray. William Cowper said, “Satan trembles when he sees the weakest saint upon their knees.” God is not a vending machine, of course. We don’t pop in prayers, push the right buttons and get what we want. But the Bible invites us to talk with God. Years ago, we journeyed to Iowa where I spoke at a camp called Hidden Acres. The director, Earl Taylor, told us a bit about the camp. Located on 660 acres in Central
10
|
Iowa, Hidden Acres had recently experienced significant growth. They badly needed money to build a sewer so that frightened campers wouldn’t have to hike past bears and wolves to use the facilities in the middle of the night. The staff prayed often, but they needed an impossible amount of $10,000.
One day, a semi-truck crawled up the gravel road and a gentleman climbed out. “Mind if I park my rig here?” he asked. Earl said, “Sure.” “We’re filming a little movie, and there are more of us. You know,
AUGUST + SEPTEMBER 2019
trailers and equipment. Oh…and helicopters, too. Is it okay if we park here?” Earl said, “No problem.” “We’re filming a movie. Could we scatter a little straw in your field? Blow it around? We’ll pay you to clean things up.” Earl said, “Sure, no problem.”
I don’t know about you, but I need a reminder today that God is sovereign. The enemy is active, but our Saviour has the final move. Romans 8 says, He “causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them.” We are invited to trust this God, to put our children in His hands, no matter who’s driving the car. Earl agrees. Ask him if God answers prayer and he’ll smile and tell you a story. “When I got that cheque,” Earl told me, “I knew what we’d build with it. And we’d do it in memory of Hollywood. They’ve built their share of sewers, why not build one in their honour out here in Iowa?” We will keep you up-to-date when Phil Callaway’s new book Laugh Like a Kid Again (Harvest House) is released.
A helicopter landed and a bearded man named Steven and his personal chef climbed out. The crew called him Mr. Spielberg. Warner Brothers stayed 36 hours on the property filming Twister. Before the trucks and helicopters departed, Earl was handed a cheque. It was for $10,000.
PHIL CALLAWAY Phil is an author and host of Laugh Again. He has five grandchildren. They wear name tags.
BACK TOTHEBIBLE.CA
|
11
Apps, books, and other great biblical content from Back to the Bible Kids will ensure children start their Christian journey on a strong foundation!
Visit BACKTOTHEBIBLE.CA /KIDS to download our Bible teaching apps for kids!
12
|
AUGUST + SEPTEMBER 2019
We thought that Estate Planning wasn’t for us You may think that Estate Planning is only for the wealthy but decisions about every resource you have such as your home, life insurance and retirement savings will have to be made someday. We have partnered with Advisors with Purpose to help you get started. Their trained estate specialists will meet with you by phone, listen to your wishes and hopes for future generations and then provide you with information and a plan that will help you make the best decisions for you and your family. Because of our partnership with them, this service is free and confidential and there is no obligation to you — and they will never sell you any product. Contact them today to speak to an estate specialist. 1.866.336.3315 | plan@advisorswithpurpose.ca
89 Auriga Dr. | Ottawa | ON | K2E 7Z2 1.866.336.3315 ADVISORSWITHPURPOSE.CA
HELPING GOD’S PEOPLE MANAGE GOD’S ASSETS
Subscribe to Truth and Life Today on YouTube to watch and listen as Dr. John Neufeld answers questions about life and culture from a biblical perspective.
Visit TRUTHANDLIFETODAY.COM for more details or visit YOUTUBE.COM/BACKTOTHEBIBLE to subscribe today!
14
|
AUGUST + SEPTEMBER 2019
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.
Follow indoubt
Stay Connected
Get the FREE indoubt app for all our resources on-the-go.
@indoubtca /indoubt F A I T H .
L I F E .
indoubt.ca
C U LT U R E .
BACK TOTHEBIBLE.CA
|
15
What Are You Fighting For? ISAAC DAGNEAU Isaac is one of the hosts of indoubt at Back to the Bible Canada. He serves as the lead pastor of North Valley Baptist Church in Mission, BC.
I
f peace means freedom from distress, then we, as Christians, should be fighting for peace every day. We should be spending our time, energy, and money to bring peace to as many people as we can. The peace we have in Christ needs to be shared in our world, but how do we do it?
The phrase “bringing peace” sounds like such a big task. Bringing peace to our world, a world filled with as much unrest and upheaval as it is, seems unattainable. In light of all the sorrow, anxiety, and pain we see today, achieving peace in our time appears impossible. When we think about peace in our world, our minds often jump to the horrors of terrorism, disunity within governments, and even enslavement. We think about how perfect life would be without these 16
|
earthly struggles. While these are not invalid thoughts and concerns, have we stopped to think about if this is as far as peace can go? Is peace limited to earthly things? Is blindly adopting our culture’s idea of peace the best kind of peace to seek after? It’s important to understand that the peace that is culturally acceptable isn’t wrong. The peace that culture has deemed as acceptable would eliminate the violence, lies, bondage, and manipulation we see today. And that’s very, very good. But there’s a deeper peace that we as Christians need to be fighting. This is a peace not only has everything to do with life here on earth, but also has everything to do with life in eternity. The peace I’m talking about is the peace between God and humanity.
AUGUST + SEPTEMBER 2019
The reality is that the God of the universe is a God of justice (Deuteronomy 32:4, Psalm 89:14). This God of justice can never go against His character (2 Timothy 2:13), which means that He will not excuse sinners of their sin, and every human is a sinner from birth (Psalm 51:5, Romans 3:9). Because of the countless sins from humanity that are against God’s righteousness, His wrath is coming (Romans 1:18, Colossians 3:5-6).
took upon Himself each sinner’s debt and paid it in full (Hebrews 10:12-14). His death eliminated the distress that exists in each of us, sinners, as we relate to God.
Naturally, there is no peace between God and humanity.
This is the peace that we, as Christians, ought to be fighting for with all of our strength.
But, our God of justice is also a God of love (Psalm 145:8, 1 John 4:8). Purely based on His own initiative, He chose to make a way for sinners to be saved from His wrath (Romans 3:23-26). Through the sacrifice of Jesus, any sinner who believes in Him will be saved because Jesus
We have peace. True, real, everlasting peace. Peace that extends far beyond mere human reconciliation. Peace that enables a once human sinner to be accepted by an incomprehensibly righteous God.
BACK TOTHEBIBLE.CA
|
17
We Have an Enemy
JOSHUA SCOTT Joshua is one of the hosts of indoubt. He also serves as the Young Adults Pastor at Maple Ridge Baptist Church in Maple Ridge, BC.
18
|
AUGUST + SEPTEMBER 2019
T
here’s a truth we know that we are very quick to forget: We have an enemy. And we’re at war with him.
In the last chapter of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, he writes to them of this war that every believer is a part of. This is what he says; "Put on the whole armour of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. (Ephesians 6:11) As much as we may struggle with unbelievers who reject our belief in God, as much as we might experience physical pain and suffering, Paul says that our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but that it’s against things of a spiritual nature. What we need to see is that if the struggle is against the spiritual forces, then the victory is of a spiritual nature. Even if we’re able to “be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might” (Eph 6:10), we shouldn’t assume that all of our life situations will resolve themselves. We may continue to be subject to the pain and suffering we experience now. This brings us to the question at hand. How do we defend against the attacks of the devil, and what will success even look like? Let’s take a look at the passage in Ephesians 6. Paul describes each piece of
armour as a significant element of salvation. The belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of the readiness given by the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. When Paul teaches us to put on this armour, he doesn’t mean it as a one-time deal. We don’t send up a prayer in the morning that covers us all day. We must continually put it on. What does that even mean? Well, put on righteousness, faith, truth, and the Word of God. Put them on daily. These things define the way we think, the way we talk, and the way we live. All of these pieces of armour are linked to an element of our salvation. To put the armour on is to walk in salvation, it’s to walk “… in a manner worthy of the calling to which we’ve been called.” (Eph 4:1) Success, then, isn’t deliverance from all of our struggles in the world. Success is being formed into the very likeness of God (Eph 4:24), to the very image of Jesus (Rom 8:29), who, though He was God Himself, was subject to the most significant suffering ever experienced on this world. Success is achieved by Him in us so that each victory is remembered as His. So how do we defend against the schemes of the devil? Walk in salvation, imitate Christ, and put on the full armour of God. And just as Paul ends his teaching about this armour, we can’t forget to pray “at all times” (Eph 6:18) BACK TOTHEBIBLE.CA
|
19
Get on-demand Bible teaching in your pocket. These free Bible teaching apps are provided at no cost to you to allow Bible teaching that encourages and engages people in God's Word across Canada and around the world. Visit backtothebible.ca/apps for more details.
Available in the App Store and Google Play
TRUTH + LIFE Magazine is published bi-monthly by The Good News Broadcasting Association of Canada, Box 246, STN A Abbotsford, BC V2T 6Z6. All content is copyright © The Good News Broadcasting Association of Canada unless otherwise indicated. BACKTOTHEBIBLE.CA
20
|
AUGUST + SEPTEMBER 2019