TRUTH + LIFE Magazine for February-March 2016 | Back to the Bible Canada by Back to the Bible Canada

FEBRUARY 2016

Dr. Neufeldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Daily Bible Reading Plan INSIDE! PG. 15

FEBRUARY 2016

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For full details visit www.backtothebible.ca or call Premiere Journey’s at 1-877-277-2122 FEBRUARY 2016 2

TABLE OF CONTENTS FEBRUARY 2016

Welcome to our new TRUTH + LIFE magazine! We are excited to bring you a fresh new look, but more importantly, a publication that speaks directly to the relevant issues of life and faith. Every issue will contain the solid Bible teaching of Dr. John Neufeld, encouragement from author and humorist Phil Callaway, plus a variety of engaging articles, an inside look at the ministries of BTTBC, and much more. It’s our goal that this new magazine will encourage, disciple, and strengthen you in your daily walk with Jesus.

ARTICLES 4 THIS IS OUR GOD DR. JOHN NEUFELD

6 BLUE MONDAY BEN LOWELL

10 GOD ISN’T CHEAP PHIL CALLAWAY

12 A STRONG FOUNDATION ISAAC DAGNEAU

16 GOD’S CHARACTER KRISTA PENNER

18 THE MEANING OF HOPE SCOTT TOLHURST

FEATURES 2 NEW TESTEMANT GREECE BY LAND AND SEA

8 MINISTRY UPDATES

CHRISTMAS TOUR + ISRAEL TRIP

14 INDOUBT

TRUTH + LIFE Magazine is published bi-monthly by the Good New Broadcasting Association of Canada, Unit A 31087 Peardonville Rd, Abbotsford, BC V2T 6K4. All content is copyright © Good News Broadcasting Association of Canada unless otherwise indicated. BACKTOTHEBIBLE.CA

FEBRUARY 2016

THIS IS OUR GOD BY DR. JOHN NEUFLED

f Tozer is right – that nothing is of greater importance than what we think when we think about God – then we can hardly overestimate the importance of the study of God. Consider the 10 commandments. The very first command God ever gave Israel, and in fact, the first command He gave the entire human race was this: “You shall have no other gods before me.” (Exodus 20:3) The one true God will not tolerate the worship of other gods, nor will He allow false ideas about Himself. Then the second command follows: “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.” Later, in Deuteronomy 4:15-16, this command is further explained: “Therefore watch yourselves very carefully. Since you saw no form on the day that the LORD spoke to you at Horeb out of the midst of the fire, beware lest you act corruptly by making a carved image for yourselves, in the

form of any figure.” Not only does God forbid a false conception of Himself, God is also not to be compared to anything. The reason God so abhors the making of an idol is because it does not depict Him rightly as He is. God simply will not tolerate it! On numerous occasions, God describes Himself as jealous, meaning He is jealous that we should love or worship anything but Him! And it is right here that we find the chief problem in our thinking about God. One theologian said that the “human heart is an idol factory.” We have a 24-hour sweatshop in our inner imaginations. Left unchecked, we never stop producing one idolatrous concept of God after the other. But how do we stop our inclination for idolatry and replace it with a worship of the one true

“What comes into our mind God is the most important FEBRUARY 2016

God? And more so, how do we fill our minds and hearts with a true and accurate picture of the one true God? I think the place we must begin is with a confession – that left to our own imaginations, we will never conceive of the true God as He genuinely is. If God is infinite in his being and unlike all other things, how can we who are finite even begin to conceive of God? Part of the answer is found in found in Isaiah 55:8-9: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” In other words, the greatest thought we have ever had regarding God falls far short of the most basic insight we can have of God. How

ds when we think about thing about us.” FEBRUARY 2016

then shall we come to know him? The answer is that God, in an act of condescension, has chosen to reveal himself to us in language we can understand. The one expert on God is God himself! I would like to invite you to know more about our great God in my series “This is our God”. Take a journey of discovery as we survey the pages of Scripture to get an accurate portrayal of God as He describes Himself. And in the process, perhaps you will find that it is a discovery of delight, as we seek to know our God as never before! You can listen to the entire series at backtothebible.ca, or by downloading our mobile app for free on the Apple or Google Play stores

Dr. John Neufeld is the Canadian Bible Teacher of Back to the Bible Canada, and is well known both nationally and 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.

lue Monday is the term used to describe the third Monday in January, reported as being the most depressing day of the year. The “science” behind the recognition of this day is based upon a quite complicated set of criteria including: weather, day light, debt level, failure of New Year’s resolutions, and low motivation. According to the criteria, this is the day where we’re most likely to descend to the lowest depths. Has it really come down to this, that we have somehow found value in creating and promoting a day called Blue Monday? To me, just this fact alone makes me depressed. But the sad reality is that this generation – despite all of our technology, cyber social interaction, advances in health and science, the new enlightenment of tolerance and self-expression – is perhaps the most depressed and anxiety filled generation in human history. I won’t go into detail, but current statistics on the sad state of mental health in our society is simply epidemic,

particularly among young people. The issues of mental health are complex, but I believe there’s hope for the follower of Jesus who can rely on God during tough times. The Bible points us to the God who is knowable and one we can trust! John 16:33 says, “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

The greatest gift as a fo and true joy in Tribulation is part of life. It impacts us all. We are not unique, nor should we consider ourselves weak when we are confronted by difficult times and even personal disappointment. (Psalm 40:1-3) We have a place to turn. For the follower of Jesus we should never feel alone. He is waiting for us to cry out to Him, for He is faithful to FEBRUARY 2016

blue monday BY BEN LOWELL

lift us up. He will replace our sorrow with a song. (Psalm 37:23-24) He walks closely. Ensuring our walk with the Lord is consistent – that we find our hope and joy in Him – ensures that even when we stumble, He is close enough to hold us up. (Deut 31:8) He is always with you. The Lord surrounds you; there is no place or no circumstance where the follower of Jesus is without His presence.

ollower of Jesus is pure n knowing Him! He will never leave you and he will never abandon you. Keep your mind set on the things of God. Keep your mind set on the good. Don’t let the world or Satan steal your thoughts, or feed you lies. Whatever is praiseworthy or excellent, keep your mind set on those things. And remember you are His workmanship and he delights in you. (Phil 4:8) FEBRUARY 2016

Take time to comfort others. One of the obsessions in this generation is fixation on self. The Holy Spirit of God has been given to us to comfort us in our time of need, but as the Bible verse says, not simply to be comforted, but to comfort others. Loving others sooths the soul. (2 Cor 1:3-4) Hold tight to the joy of knowing the Lord. Even in the most difficult of times, our walk with the Lord produces an inner joy that strengthens us in the most difficult circumstances. The greatest gift as a follower of Jesus is pure and true joy in knowing Him! (Neh 8:10) By the way, just in case you didn’t know it, the happiest day of the year has been designated as occurring between June 20 – 24. But there’s no need to wait! Instead, make your joy complete by trusting in Him today! Ben Lowell is the CEO of the Good News Broadcasting Association of Canada

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT, HEREâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S A RECA A

LAUGH

2014

Phil Ca l & Frienlaway ds

CHRISTMAS

Starting on Friday, November 27 and ending Sunday December 6, Laugh Again (along with Phil Callaway) completed a tour of the country across nine cities. Hosted by Ben Lowell, these evening events brought a unique message of hope, healing and encouragement from Phil, as well as some amazing instrumental Christmas music from guitarist Jay Calder. The Tour was held in cooperation with our partner, Compassion Canada. Our goal for the tour was to bring a sense of hope and joy during the Christmas season that focused on our walk with Christ, and to bring awareness of those children around the world that we could bring hope for today and for eternity in partnership with Compassion Canada. Get ready for next year, and if your church would like to partner with us for Laugh Again Christmas Tour 2016 from Nov 25 - Dec 8, give us a call or drop us an email. TOTAL ATTENDANCE 2,885

Total number of children sponsored through Compassion Canada 238 We were privileged to visit the following communities:

KELOWNA, BC

EMMANUEL CHURCH

ABBOTSFORD BC C ASC ADE COMMUNIT Y CHURCH S U R R E Y, B C PEOPLES FULL GOSPEL CHURCH O KO T O K S , A B E VA N G E L I C A L F R E E C H U R C H WINNIPEG, MB GR ANT MEMORIAL CHURCH WINKLER, MB EMMC WINNIPEG, MB E AS T VIEW COMMUNIT Y CHURCH S A S K AT O O N , S K W E S T P O R TA L C H U R C H B R A N T F O R D, O N E VANGEL CHURCH

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AP OF TWO MAJOR EVENTS FROM 2015 ISRAEL EXPERIENCE From October 31 - November 9, we were privileged to have 135 ministry friends from across Canada join us for our Israel Experience. For many in attendance this was a life altering experience in their journey with Christ not to mention a time of building new and lasting friendships. Not only did the event have a spiritual impact on all who were in attendance, but it provided an important opportunity to share the ministry and mission of Back to the Bible Canada. Together we share the common passion for the faithful teaching of Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Word, and that became apparent as many who travelled with us have since then provided both their generous prayer and financial support. On behalf of the entire ministry team, including Bible Teacher Dr. John Neufeld and Phil Callaway of Laugh again, thank you for joining us in this once in a life time experience of the Holy Land. We anticipate many more adventures to come!

FEBRUARY 2016

GOD ISN’T CHEAP BY PHIL CALLAWAY

like to ask audiences goofy questions. Sometimes I ask, “Is anyone here cheap?” A couple of brave and honest souls raise their hands. Then I ask, “Is anyone seated beside a cheap person?” Suddenly there are hundreds of people happy to introduce me to their cheap friends. I tell my wife, “I’m not cheap, I’m frugal.” Frugal is when you say no to the three pound heart-attack-on-aplate dessert in a restaurant because you’re saving for your college tuition. Cheap is when you don’t use hair gel, but bacon grease instead. How can you know if you’re cheap? Well, you just might be a cheapskate if: • You find yourself haggling at the thrift store • Your glove compartment is stuffed with napkins from fast food joints • You refill your drink whenever you leave McDonald’s • You watch online movies with a friend’s password

• You stand guard over your ceramic piggybank fourteen hours a day • You put the car in neutral when going downhill • You ask for doggy bags at a buffet • One of your rubber boots has a bread bag in it • You shop for an engagement ring at a pawn shop • You’ve taken to stuffing chopsticks and ketchup packages in your purse at restaurants

Creation is extravagant. So is God’s love. Well, I’m cheap. I admit it. I suffer from low-grade “chintzyness.” The so-called world’s cheapest man was on TV recently. He pulls grapes off the stem at the supermarket before buying them. Every penny counts. He once gave his wife flowers, which took her by surprise, until she saw a sympathy card inside and he admitted he got FEBRUARY 2016

them from a dumpster behind a funeral home. Aren’t you thankful that God isn’t cheap? We live on an astounding planet surrounded by the infinite variety of an extravagant creation. Every snowflake, fingerprint and zebra stripe is unique. There are 9,000 kinds of birds and 200,000 varieties of flower. God made gorillas that sleep 14 hours a day, hens that lay 19 dozen eggs a year, and dogs with better eyesight than yours and mine. Female lions hunt while male lions rest. (Ah, I tell my wife, that’s the way it should be. She doesn’t find this funny.) Psalm 19 says, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.” Psalm 95 echoes, “In his hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are his also. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land.” On a clear night you can see 2,000 stars. Astronomers haven’t a clue how many there are, but believe there are 100,000 million stars in our little Milky Way FEBRUARY 2016

galaxy alone. Beyond that, there are millions upon millions of other galaxies. Creation is extravagant. So is God’s love. Psalm 36:5 says, “Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies.” Deuteronomy 7 reminds us that, “the Lord your God is...the faithful God who lavishes his unfailing love on those who love him and obey his commands.” Sometimes I have a chintzy mentality when it comes to my faith. I think God is up there hoarding stuff. And then I read in Romans 8: “Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else?” That doesn’t mean God is a vending machine, but he alone knows our needs and has promised to supply them according to his riches in glory. Tell me, what would keep you from trusting a God like that?

Phil Callaway is an author, speaker and host of the hit radio show Laugh Again.

A STRONG FOUNDATION: Thoughts on God’s Righteousness and Justice BY ISAAC DAGNEAU

o you remember the wonder you felt as a child as you began to see the diversity in other people? As a child I remember being fascinated with the culture of ancient Egypt. As my mind began to stretch to comprehend different cultures, different races, and different times, I loved investigating to find out more. How did they talk? What language did they use? What did they eat? What was their history? Looking around, it’s easy to see the diversity in people. We see differences because God wanted it that way. For example, we read in Acts 17:26 that He made every nation on purpose. God made every nation – and every nation is different. But at the same time, every nation is the same. They’re all made up of humans, and every human has the same basic nature. We are all made in God’s image – made up of body, soul, and spirit – and we are all born in sin. It’s this last idea that needs

attention. The fact that we are all born with the sin and guilt of our first father Adam means that nothing we do or say is ever perfectly good. The Scripture is clear in describing sin, its origin, and how it affects every person’s nature. As much as we may try to act righteously and justly on our own, we will always fall short.

GOD MADE EVERY NATION – AND EVERY NATION IS DIFFERENT. Our nature, our very foundation, is not righteous. It’s been marred by sin. Now, it’s not difficult to understand that a broken foundation is unreliable and awaiting destruction. FEBRUARY 2016

The same goes for our lives. Our very core nature is diseased with sin, which means that our thoughts, words, and actions all come from an unreliable foundation. This is why the incredible truth that God is righteous and just is so important to humanity. In fact, it’s essential for humanity’s survival. If it weren’t for God’s righteous and just nature, no one would see Him face to face. Let’s look at some biblical truth about God’s righteousness and justice found in the Psalms, then come back to our dependence on Him. We read in Psalm 9:8: “He judges the world with righteousness” and “the peoples with uprightness.” Psalm 33:5 says how God “loves righteousness and justice.” In Psalm 36:6, the psalmist declares that His “righteousness is like the mountains of God ” and His “ judgments are like the great deep.” We also know that “righteousness and justice are the foundation of [His] throne” (Psalm 89:14). The foundation of God’s throne is FEBRUARY 2016

an important truth that demonstrates one of the core characteristics of God: His righteousness and justice. Unlike us, God has a foundation that’s pure and perfect. Everything that God has commanded, willed, said, or done, has all been right and just. We are a broken people, trying to live good lives, but failing miserably over and over again. That’s why we are dependent on the righteousness and justice of God. Through His Son Jesus, we have the ability to step onto His foundation. Jesus stepped off His throne to redeem humanity – all so that we could be made righteous and just. So, every human may be different and unique, but everyone is born on a broken foundation that only God can restore. How? Through His righteousness and justice. Issac Dagneau is the leader of indoubt, a ministry of the GNBAC that seeks to bring God’s Word into the lives of youth and young adults through creative media arts.

indoubt

The 2nd generation of indoubt is now here! Featuring a brand new weekly podcast, Bible-based articles + creative videos Check it out + listen to the indoubt podcast at indoubt.ca

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2016

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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

APRIL 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

To view the complete Daily Bible Reading Plan, please visit our website at backtothebible.ca

J.I. Packer, Knowing God

Knowing about God is crucially important for the living of our lives... The world becomes a strange, mad, painful place, and life in it a disappointing and unpleasant business, for those who do not know about God. FEBRUARY 2016

GOD’S CHARACTER BY KRISTA PENNER

ell, let’s face it, the late night popcorn feast I just partook in does not support my desire to lose five pounds. Parking as close to the mall as possible does not speak to my vow of getting more exercise this year.

it makes one stop and re-phrase the sentence for clarity. Thus, “Am I acting in a way that is going to bring about the results that I am after?” This is really a question of my character, integrity, resourcefulness,

“Am I behaving like what I really want?” And certainly, hollering my head off when the people that I love don’t clean up after themselves does not sync with my desire for a peaceful family life that boasts mutual respect and healthy conversation. This is a question I was recently confronted with during a two-day interactive seminar that I attended called “Crucial Conversations” (the seminar teaches people how to have hard conversations well). Before one can answer this question, it’s necessary to ponder it for a minute, to wrap one’s head around what the question actually insinuates. The awkwardness of the question seems to be intentional as

and maybe even my grit. So often there is a disconnect between what I really want from my career, relationships, self-care, and dreams on the one hand, and the behaviour that I exhibit on the other. Therefore, it is most fortuitous that God has set up a “plumb line” for my behaviour. His character is the gold standard for my actions. Throughout the Bible, we catch glimpses of God’s character front and centre as we watch His story of redeeming the world unfold. We see His Mercy when He led the Israelites out of Egypt. His Faithfulness is seen in the interaction of Naomi, Ruth and FEBRUARY 2016

Boaz. His great Love for us is revealed in His willingness to envelope Himself in the fragility of human flesh and die in our place for our sins. In Philippians 2:6-8, it says that, “Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.” The fact that we are given glimpses of God’s character is a great privilege that we truly do not deserve. In His loving kindness He has shown us by example how we are to conduct ourselves. Our behavior? Well, that is our responsibility. We just need to decide that what we want and how we act lines up with the example given to us by our Creator.

FEBRUARY 2016

He is our ultimate example of flawless character, intact integrity, and unconditional love.

Krista Penner currently serves as the Director of Women’s Ministries for the Fellowship of Evangelical Churches of the Pacific.

The Meaning of Hope I

n my church foyer, I hear many conversations about faith and the sanctuary echoes with songs about love. But hope receives scant attention. When it is pushed to the front of the platform, it feels like a facsimile shaped into the tune of a Little Orphan Annie song. So, I should refine the first sentence here. Perhaps hope is not so much neglected, as it is misunderstood. And that’s regretful. If there is anything we need, it is a biblical understanding of hope. Hospital wards, counselling rooms, business ventures, newly weds, congregations and nursing homes all need hope in unending measure. So, what is hope? The dictionary paints hope as an attitude of expectation coupled with desire. Linguistically then, hope refers to something that we want to happen – like a trip to Disneyland, a clean doctor’s report, or a teenager returning home. Not only does hope revolve around something we want,

BY SCOTT TOLHURST

but also we believe it will happen! We wrap ourselves in optimism. That may be the normal expression of hope, but it quickly runs into problems. I wanted the Seahawks to win the Super Bowl and I was convinced it would happen! The sting

Between faith, h hope is the negl of hope turning into disappointment runs deep. So is hope simply the random hit and miss of our own powerful wishes? Not according to the scriptures. Theologically, hope is linked to faith. We know that “ faith is the assurance of things hoped for.” Since faith is the trust we place in God’s Word, hand and heart, it gives a foundation for hope. God is our reason for optimism! Whenever hope is detached from faith, it FEBRUARY 2016

becomes simply a wish. There is much in my life I may want (again, a Seahawks win!), but if it falls outside the scope of God’s promise and plan, it remains a personal preference. Conversely, the faith we hold in the promise of God feeds a

hope and love – lected triplet. spirit of excited expectation. The Scripture offers Abraham as a model of faith and hope. This patriarch was promised a great land and a huge family to populate it. But, he spent most of his days as a nomad staring at an empty cradle. There were times he almost settled for a diminished dream (“What about Eliezer as my heir?”) Other times he tried to manufacture the promise on his own (“What about Ishmael as my heir?”) Ultimately, he was magnetized to God’s Word FEBRUARY 2016

and in faith, “he hoped against hope.”(Rom.4:18) So what does that mean for us at the start of each day? Just this. Hope is the future tense of faith. Since we trust in God, can you imagine what tomorrow will look like? In the doctor’s office, church boardroom, maternity ward or new neighbourhood, our anticipation is less about our wishes or cheery demeanor. Our smiles are rooted in God. His love has taught us to trust Him. That trust opens the door to hope. Hope is the goose bumps faith creates when I think of God’s love for me.

Scott Tolhurst resides in White Rock to watch tides and sunsets with his bride of 40 years. His calling is shaped by a love for the Father, likeness to the Son and life by the Spirit. He’s delighted to coach others toward the same end.

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FEBRUARY 2016

What comes to mind when you think about God? Or more specifically, what kinds of words would you use to describe Him? Loving, patient, kind, just, holy, righteous... the list could go on from here. Perhaps a more important question is this: do you have a biblical, accurate portrait of who God really is? We must ask ourselves how much of our views have been shaped by the culture, people and world around us today? In his classic book, “The Knowledge of the Holy”, A.W. Tozer writes, “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.” What a powerful statement! And it’s one that we as a ministry believe to be ever true in our time. After all, Back to the Bible Canada exists to proclaim the uncompromised truth about our glorious God who has come to redeem a broken humanity. It’s only together as we partner in fellowship for the gospel that we can bring hope to thousands across the country by making solid Bible teaching widely available every day. Your continued gifts and your prayers are so meaningful in helping us to bring the knowledge of God to so many – believers and non-believers alike! So, please consider how you can be part of our mission in leading countless others in a closer walk with Jesus today!

Dr. John Neufeld, Bible Teacher

Visit backtothebible.ca or call 1-800-663-2425 to donate FEBRUARY 2016

feature series this month In this 3-week series, Dr. Neufeld helps us discover the ATTRIBUTES of GOD, and what we need to know about His nature and character as revealed in His Word. The series also includes one week focused on the doctrine of the Trinity. These great timeless messages will educate as well as inspire believers in the pursuit of knowing the one TRUE GOD. SPECIAL FEATURE PRICE OF $18 Includes taxes + S & H CALL 1.800.663.2425 OR VISIT BACKTOTHEBIBLE.CA TO ORDER

S I S I H T OUR GOD

UFELD HN NE LE.CA O J . R D THEBIB BACK TO

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FEBRUARY 2016