What’s So Special About the Bible? Page 16 Pray for Your Enemies? Oh Really! Page 27 Find God In The Floods Of Life Page 30
Barb Yoder
General Manager
barb@salemtampa.com
ph - 813-349-8232 f - 813 639-1272 5211 W Laurel St. Tampa, FL 33607
Greetings FaithTalk Friends, Have you ever felt the need to ask the question – “Why, God?” or “Why me, God?” I know I have. And at the hardest times, I felt as though my pain or question was an original…like this has never happened to anyone but me. I felt isolated and alone. Maybe you’ve felt that way too. During those times of questioning though, I realized that I was focusing inward and not looking to the One that has all the answers. And no, I don’t mean Google! Though I did search to see what Google’s answer would be to the question – “how many answers to life’s questions are in the Bible?”. I found out that at least 100 answers are in the Bible because there’s a book - THE BIBLE’S ANSWERS TO 100 OF LIFE’S BIGGEST QUESTIONS. I’m confident that there are thousands of answers to life’s questions written within the text of God’s Word and we at FaithTalk want this issue to help draw you to the Bible to find those answers. Our scripture theme is 2 Timothy 3:16-17, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” If you want a path to get closer to God, get into His Word. Find a Bible teaching church fellowship. Hear God’s Word from our radio ministries. As Radio Host Bill Bunkley mentions in his article later in this issue… “Always remember above all, you are a child of the living God, bought with a precious price. You were born for a divine purpose.” Thanks for listening to FaithTalk 570 AM, 910 AM & 102.1 FM and for reading FaithTalk Magazine… Many Blessings,
BARBARA J. YODER GENERAL MANAGER FaithTalk 570 AM, 910 AM and 102.1 FM
7 True For You, But Not For Me
by Jim Daly
10 What Difference Does A Future Heaven Make In My Life Today? by Robert Jeffress
14 It’s Personal
by Philip De Courcy
16 What’s So Special About The Bible?
by Charles F. Stanley
23 From Head To Heart
by David Jeremiah
27 Pray For Your Enemies? Oh Really!
by June Hunt
30 Finding God In The Floods Of Life
by Bill Bunkley
32 God’s Truth Is The Only Truth Pastor to Pastor
by Michael Youssef
36 The Agonizing Ordeal Of Eugene Peterson – You Might Be Next by R. Albert Mohler, Jr.
38 Why Expositional Preaching?
by John MacArthur
Inspiration behind the theme for this edition of FaithTalk Magazine All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work 2 Timothy 3:16-17(NIV) 4
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SALEM MEDIA GROUP TAMPA-SARASOTA
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BARBARA YODER barb@salemtampa.com
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General Manager BARBARA YODER barb@salemtampa.com
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Email letters to Barb Yoder barb@salemtampa.com *Any comments sent to us shall be subject to and governed by Salem Media Group for any use at its discretion. Comments may be edited for length and clarity.
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By Jim Daly
A few summers ago, my wife Jean and I took our boys to a water park for a day of fun in the sun. Trent and Troy especially enjoyed the giant wave pool. If you’ve never seen one, they’re large enough to hold dozens of people at once, and they create waves strong enough to knock a grown man backward about ten feet.
Hollywood and the music industry to the pervasive influence of social media, an ocean of voices is conspiring against our children to believe that ultimate truth doesn’t exist.
Atheist German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche said, “There are no facts, only interpretations of events people agree My boys were a lot younger then, so I upon.” In other words, truth is relative, like told them we’d have to stay further back witnessing a car accident – what’s actually for safety. Even there, the waves packed a true depends on your viewpoint. punch. Without me shielding them, my boys would have almost certainly been knocked The popular way it’s said these days is, off their feet and pulled under the current. “That may be true for you, but it’s not true for me.” It was after the third or fourth wave walloped us that a thought occurred to me: But what if two plus two had a different “This is a metaphor for parenting.” answer every time? Or what if gravity worked only at random? What if the meaning of a I hear from a lot of moms and dads who green traffic signal changed from moment feel like they’re being tossed around in a to moment? Without the consistency and giant wave pool. The culture’s destructive structure of truth, even a simple trip to the values crash into our families like walls of grocery store would be impossible. water, wave after wave after wave. From
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There is such thing as truth. And reshaping the boundaries of truth truth matters. that enable us to distinguish between right and wrong. The result Remember the name Ivan Pavlov? has been an epic shift in values He was the Nobel Prize-winning that has left recent generations physiologist best known for his increasingly confused about life’s experiments involving ringing bells most fundamental values. and salivating dogs. He conducted other scientific tests as well. One, in We now question whether a father particular, illustrates what happens or a mother is necessary to a child’s when we believe ultimate truth can well-being. Marriage has been change into whatever we’d like. redefined. Gender differences are being erased. And more and more The experiment worked like this: people refuse to accept responsibility Pavlov trained his dogs to distinguish for personal behavior. And why not? between circles and ovals drawn on If there’s no set of eternal values the floor. When they pointed their that shape our lives and to which nose at a circle, they received a we’re ultimately accountable, why reward. When they selected an oval, shouldn’t we do as we please? they suffered a penalty. Can America restore its moral But as the experiment continued, compass? I have hope that it can. Pavlov gradually made the oval more Revival has happened before – in and more round and the circle more England in the 1830s and in the and more elliptical. It soon became United States in the 1930s. difficult for the canines to discern which was the circle and which was To get there, we need prayer first the oval. and foremost. But we also need to speak moral truth into the murky The impact on the dogs’ behavior shadows relativism is leaving behind was telling. Because the clear for our children. The culture isn’t boundaries between the shapes were going to equip our children with the blurred, the dogs grew confused, discernment they need to sift wheat showed obvious signs of distress, from chaff. It’s up to us as parents. and their behavior became erratic and unpredictable. That will take courage. Researcher James Davison Hunter says science Is this not a picture of our nation? is now the only language allowed in the public square. In other words, For decades, America has been don’t say what you believe unless
you’ve got a scientific explanation for it. Merely suggesting that such a thing as moral truth exists can lead to mockery or accusations of hate. As important as science is to our society, like every discipline, it has its limitations. Science tells us whether or not something can be done and how to do it well. But science can’t tell us whether or not something should be done. That’s a question only moral truth can answer. Only moral truth can properly determine where the boundaries should lie between bringing about the greatest good for the greatest number of people and the protection of individual freedom. Only moral truth can distinguish between the circle and the oval. Only moral truth can shield us from the waves of relativism crashing into our homes and families. Our society can only flourish if we uphold the moral truth of 1 Peter 1:25 as our forefathers did: “The word of the Lord remains forever.” John Adams once said, “Our constitution was made only for a moral and religious people.” Social chaos is reversed, in part, when voices throughout society appeal to the eternal values God has woven into our hearts and say with both compassion and conviction: This is right, and this is wrong.
Jim Daly is the president and host of the National Radio Hall of Fame broadcast, Focus on the Family. Focus on the Family airs weekdays starting at 2:30, 7:00 am and 7:00 pm on FaithTalk 570 AM, 910 AM & 102.1 FM. 8
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By Dr. Robert Jeffress
Excerpted from the new hard-cover book, A Place Called Heaven
you’ve ever travelled overseas, you now there are some important things you should do before boarding the plane: stop your mail, exchange some currency, and make sure your cell phone can make international calls. But most importantly, you need to make sure you have a passport. Without one, you aren’t allowed into the country.
“Lord, make me to know my end, and what is the extent of my days; let me know how transient I am.”
One day, every one of us is going to make an enternal trip to a distant land. For Christians—and Christians alone—that destination is heaven. I wonder, are you ready to make this trip? Here are four ways—four reasons to think about heaven—to help you prepare for that inevitable journey.
Jesus commanded us in Matthew 7:13–14, “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.” I see three truths about judgment from this passage:
1. THINKING ABOUT HEAVEN REMINDS US OF THE BREVITY OF LIFE Both my parents died relatively young. Their early departures remind me how brief our time on Earth is. 1 Peter 1:24 says, “All flesh is like grass, and all its glory is like the flowers of grass. The grass withers, and the flowers fall off.” In Psalm 39:4, King David said, 10
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Like David, we need to remember how short life is so we make the best use of the time. 2. THINKING ABOUT HEAVEN PREPARES US FOR CERTAIN JUDGMENT
One Path Leads to Eternal Death. Isaiah 53:6 says, “All of us like sheep have gone astray. Each of us has turned to his own way.” How can you make certain to go to hell when you die? Do nothing. We all begin life on the road leading away from God toward hell. One Path Leads to Eternal Life. To exit the road leading to death you must make a spiritual U-turn
onto the narrow road. We call this U-turn “repentance.” Repentance is a change of mind that leads to a change of direction. You must change your mind about who Jesus is and you must place your trust in Him alone for salvation.
nobody would see it. But over this undergarment people wore an outer tunic that was visible for everybody to see. In the same way, we Christians wear two tunics. The inner tunic represents our right standing before God—our judicial righteousness.
Each Path Ends at a Different Gate. The two gates represent two different judgments. Non-Christians will be judged at the “Great White Throne,” described in Revelation 20:11–15. God will judge unbelievers based on their works because they refused God’s forgiveness and grace. And no one is good enough by their own works to deserve heaven.
We receive our inner tunic the moment we realize that we cannot save ourselves and we place our trust in Jesus for salvation. God then forever clothes us in Christ’s righteousness. But nobody wants to run around heaven in his underwear. We want proper clothing.
But Christians face an entirely different judgment. In 2 Corinthians 5:10, Paul writes to believers: “We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.” Salvation is a gift. But our deeds done after salvation determine our heavenly rewards. 3. THINKING ABOUT HEAVEN MOTIVATES US TO PURITY Recently I traveled to Houston to preach at a Bible conference. Late that afternoon I also had to tape an interview. All day, I focused on keeping my suit clean until the shoot. I knew the studio lights would reveal any dirt or stain to millions of viewers. One day, our lives (which the Bible compares to clothes) will come under the harsh glare of God’s judgment. He, and everybody else, will see our actions for what they truly are. 1 Corinthians 3:13 says, “Each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it.” In Biblical times, people wore two types of clothing—an inner tunic and an outer tunic. An inner tunic was basically undergarments—
The outer tunic represents our ethical righteousness— our right acting before God. Revelation 19:7–8 tells us that when Christ returns, we are going to join Him for The Marriage Supper of the Lamb: “His bride [the Church—you and me] has made herself ready. It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.” Just as a bride wants to look radiant, so we too want to clothe ourselves with the best: that obedient life befitting a Christian. And once dressed, we want to avoid staining our good deeds with short-sighted immorality. 4. THINKING ABOUT HEAVEN MOTIVATES US TO PURITY In 2 Corinthians 4:17–18, Paul (who certainly had his share of suffering) wrote, “For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” Paul describes his own suffering as “momentary” and “light.” Paul had suffered for decades. But his suffering was mo-mentary compared to the eternal blessing God has for him. And his pain was light compared to the weight of his glorious future. The same is true for us.
Dr. Robert Jeffress is Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church, Dallas, and the Bible teacher on Pathway to Victory. He is also the author of the brand-new book, A Place Called Heaven: 10 Surprising Truths About Your Eternal Home, from which this article is adapted. Pathway To Victory airs weekdays starting at 7:30 am and 6:30 pm on FaithTalk 570 AM, 910 AM & 102.1 FM. LETSTALKFAITH.COM
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WEEKDAYS MORNINGS WITH BILL CARL 12:00 am 1:00 am 2:00 am 2:30 am 3:00 am 3:30 am 4:00 am 4:30 am 5:00 am 5:30 am 5:45 am 6:00 am 6:30 am 7:00 am 7:30 am 8:00 am 8:30 am 9:00 am 9:30 am 10:00 am 10:30 am 11:00 am 11:30 am 12:00 pm 12:30 pm
Hope In The Night with June Hunt iWork4Him with Jim & Martha Brangenberg Jay Sekulow Live Focus On The Family with Jim Daly, Juli Slattery, & John Fuller Verse By Verse with Pastor Steve Kreloff In Touch with Dr. Charles Stanley Leading The Way with Dr. Michael Youssef Turning Point with Dr. David Jeremiah Family Life Today with Dennis Rainey Joni And Friends with Joni Eareckson Tada Just Thinking with Ravi Zacharias Verse By Verse with Pastor Steve Kreloff Grace To You with John MacArthur Focus On The Family with Jim Daly, Juli Slattery, & John Fuller Pathway To Victory with Dr. Robert Jeffress Moving Forward with Dr. Stephen Rummage Turning Point with Dr. David Jeremiah Living Truth with Pastor Ken Whitten Know The Truth with Pastor Philip De Courcy Bibleline with Pastor Ralph “Yankee” Arnold Just Thinking with Ravi Zacharias In Touch with Dr. Charles Stanley Leading The Way with Dr. Michael Youssef Jay Sekulow Live A.R. Bernard Daily
MID-DAYS WITH CASEY BELL 1:00 pm 1:30 pm 2:00 pm 2:30 pm 3:00 pm
Fresh Wind Radio with Jomo Cousins Turning Point with Dr. David Jeremiah Know The Truth with Pastor Philip De Courcy Verse By Verse with Pastor Steve Kreloff iWork4Him with Jim & Martha Brangenberg
WEEKDAY EVENINGS
4:00 pm 6:00 pm 6:30 pm 7:00 pm
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The Bill Bunkley Show Living Truth with Pastor Ken Whitten Pathway To Victory with Dr. Robert Jeffress Focus On The Family with Jim Daly, Juli Slattery, & John Fuller Adventures In Odyssey with Whit & the Gang Spiritual Oxygen with Pastor Trevor Wallace A.R. Bernard Daily Sound Of Faith with R.G. Hardy The Eric Metaxas Show Moving Forward with Dr. Stephen Rummage Leading The Way with Dr. Michael Youssef Bibleline with Pastor Ralph “Yankee” Arnold Grace To You with John MacArthur
WEEKENDS SATURDAYS
SUNDAYS
12:00 am 1:00 am 2:00 am 2:30 am 3:00 am 3:30 am 4:00 am 4:30 am 5:00 am 5:30 am 7:00 am 7:30 am 8:00 am 9:00 am 9:30 am 10:00 am
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11:30 am 12:00 pm 1:00 pm 1:30 pm 3:30 pm 4:00 pm 4:30 pm 5:00 pm 5:30 am 6:00 pm 9:00 pm 11:00 pm
Hope In The Night with June Hunt iWork4Him with Jim & Martha Brangenberg Jay Sekulow Live Focus On The Family with Jim Daly, Juli Slattery, & John Fuller Verse By Verse with Pastor Steve Kreloff In Touch with Dr. Charles Stanley Leading The Way with Dr. Michael Youssef Turning Point with Dr. David Jeremiah Paws & Tales Grace To You with John MacArthur Jay Sekulow Live Turning Point with Dr. David Jeremiah Ask An Attorney with Joe Pippen Family Life This Week with Dennis Rainey Jene’s Tropicals Health From Within with Dr. Raul Serrano & Dr. Suzanne Foley Leading The Way with Dr. Michael Youssef Faith Answers with Pastor Gary Roy Grace To You with John MacArthur Fresh Wind Radio with Jomo Cousins Verse By Verse with Pastor Steve Kreloff Gaining Ground with Pastor Evan Burrows This Day In The Word with Pastor Jon Couch The Universe Next Door with Dr. Tom Woodward Jene’s Tropicals Higher Praise with Pastor Stephen Nunn Baldwin McCullough Live with Kevin McCullough & Steven Baldwin Steve Brown Etc.
6:00 am 7:00 am 7:30 am 8:00 am 8:30 am 9:00 am 9:30 am 10:00 am 10:30 am 11:00 am 12:00 pm 1:00 pm 1:30 pm 2:00 pm 5:00 pm 6:00 pm 6:30 pm 7:00 pm 8:00 pm 9:00 pm 10:00 pm 11:00 pm
In Touch with Dr. Charles Stanley Turning Point with Dr. David Jeremiah Focus On The Family with Jim Daly, Juli Slattery, & John Fuller Jay Sekulow Live Moving Forward with Dr. Stephen Rummage Keep The Faith with Keith Stevens & Donna Cruz Townhall Weekend Journal Family Life This Week with Dennis Rainey The Crucified Message with Dr. Tony B. Young Leading The Way with Dr. Michael Youssef Road To Reality with K.P. Yohannan Heart Of Messiah with Rabbi Steven Weiler Moving Forward with Dr. Stephen Rummage Bibleline with Pastor Ralph “Yankee” Arnold Grace To You with John MacArthur Faith Answers with Pastor Gary Roy Focus On The Family with Jim Daly, Juli Slattery, & John Fuller Ministry Spotlight with Bill Carl Gaining Ground with Pastor Evan Burrows The Eric Metaxas Show Best Of Ask An Attorney with Joe Pippen Family Life This Week with Dennis Rainey Grace To You with John MacArthur The Bill Bunkley Show Focus On The Family with Jim Daly, Juli Slattery, & John Fuller The Christian Outlook with Don Crowe Townhall Weekend Journal Late Night with Pastor Al Davis
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It’s Personal by Philip De Courcy I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. (John 10:14) In the thick of the American Civil War, Senator Charles Sumner, who was consumed by the great idea and ideal of the abolition of slavery, was asked by Julia Ward Howe to meet some friends of hers who had been victims of the scourge of slavery. Julia Ward Howe was the writer of “The Battle Hymn of the Republic”. To her surprise, he refused and in a condescending manner said, “Really, Julia, I have lost all interest in individuals.” She answered, “Why, Charles, God hasn’t got as far as that yet!” Julia Ward Howe was right! Despite the fact that God dwells in heaven, He is sovereign over all living things, and has a plan for the ages, He has not lost interest in the individual. With God it’s personal. Jesus, speaking of His love for His people through the metaphor of the shepherd, says: “I know My sheep” (John 10:14). In fact, He knows them individually by name (John 10:3). Did you realize the personal nature of the relationship between the Middle Eastern shepherd and his sheep? It is still seen to this day in the shepherd’s uncanny ability to divide flocks that have blended at a well or during the night, by simply calling his sheep,
whereupon they separate from the other sheep and begin to follow their shepherd. In the Middle East shepherding is personal. There is a closeness between the shepherd and his flock. We know from elsewhere in the Gospels that if a sheep gets lost, the loving shepherd leaves the others in an open field to find it, and when that sheep is rescued, he calls his friends to celebrate the fact that one individual sheep has been returned to the fold (Luke 15:3-7). Likewise, with God it’s personal! His love is tailored, His care is focused, His patience is particular, and His grace is measured to each of us in unique ways. David knew that with God it’s personal! He begins his famous twenty-third psalm with “The Lord is my Shepherd” (Ps. 23:1). To God, David was not one among many, but one to whom God pays particular attention. David never felt lost amongst the crowd. If, as Martin Luther notes: “True religion is a matter of personal pronouns,” then this psalm is an outstanding example of that. This psalm is fifty-seven words in the Hebrew Bible and 118 words in the English text of the New King James Version. Of note is the fact that 25 percent of the psalm is made up
of twenty-eight personal pronouns. David knew that God knew him! David was not just a number to God, but a real name! God knew all about him (Ps. 139:1-6). And that is why Psalm 23 is so universally loved because it is so individual and so personal. Everybody is somebody to God. The personal pronoun “my” means that all of God is interested in all of me. I can be sure of His time all the time. I can be sure of His love as if I were the only one. I may be part of His flock, but I am a one-of-a-kind sheep to Him. When Prince Albert died, Queen Victoria sadly said, “Now there is no one to call me Victoria.” In the midst of life’s losses and crosses, it is a blessing to know that God will always call us by our name. He knows us! He knows the way we take (Job 23:10). He knows our frame (Ps. 103:14). He knows our needs (Matt. 6:8). He knows where we dwell (Rev. 2:13). God never loses sight of who we are, what we need, or where we are. With God it’s personal! God, I praise Your name that You know my name and care about my life. In Jesus’ Name, amen.
Philip De Courcy is the senior pastor of Kindred Community Church in Anaheim Hills, California, and speaker on the daily radio program, Know The Truth. Know The Truth airs Monday - Friday starting from 2:00pm to 2:30 pm on FaithTalk 570 AM, 910 AM & 102.1 FM. 14
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[What’s]
So Special About The By Charles Stanley
If you are like most people, there is probably a Bible somewhere in your home. Though it may look like any number of volumes on your shelf, no other book in history compares with it. Have you opened the cover and looked inside recently? The Word of the living God is the most important piece of writing in existence; its wisdom and content are unmatched—and remain as appropriate and applicable today as they were centuries ago. The Bible is God’s remarkable gift to mankind, given to guide, govern, and guard us throughout life. Men and women who believe and live by this book understand what peace and joy are all about. It doesn’t matter whether they are facing trials or triumphs, hardships or happiness; the message of Scripture sustains them through any circumstance. Although the Bible is one of the most widely owned books, it is one of the least read, in part because many people simply do not understand what Scripture is. They somehow never learned that this is God’s revelation of Himself—His love letter to humanity. Even some people who claim to be Christians misunderstand 16
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how valuable the Bible is as a guide but knowing different men’s for life. background, experiences, personality, vocabulary, and style, He carefully There is another reason people chose human “authors” to write down overlook God’s Word: They wrongly His message for us. assume that it lacks authenticity. In their opinion, the Old and New Consider God’s inexhaustible Testaments are collections of myths wisdom and knowledge. He knows and stories written by men and are, absolutely all there is to know about at best, partially true. That is the every single thing in the universe. Yet case because they are not personally out of that infinite body of knowledge, acquainted with the actual Author. He chose to give us a finite number of Once you know Him, this book books that make up the Old and New suddenly takes on an entirely new Testaments—which means that in the significance. mind of our omniscient, all-wise God, this must be all we need. WHO WROTE THE BIBLE? Think about the preeminence of the Second Timothy 3:16-17 is what Author of this book. There is simply I consider the Bible’s “golden text” no one who can compare with God, about itself: “All Scripture is inspired not even among all the fine writers the by God and profitable for teaching, for world has produced. It is interesting reproof, for correction, for training in that in the very first verse of the first righteousness; so that the man of God chapter of the first book, the Bible’s may be adequate, equipped for every author identifies Himself as the good work.” In these two verses, we Creator of everything that has ever learn who the Bible’s author is, why it been in existence: “In the beginning, was written, and what it accomplishes. God created the heavens and the earth” Verse 16 tells us “all Scripture”—every (Gen.1:1). word in both Testaments—has been divinely inspired, or “God-breathed” Furthermore, the Hebrew word (NIV). In other words, God Himself for God—Elohim—is plural in form, is the true author of Scripture. He which not only indicates the fullness planned every detail to be included, of His power, grace, and mercy but
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also implies the plurality of the Godhead. Verse 26 supports this idea: “Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness . . .’” Who is “Us”? The word must refer to persons able to create, since the context is the making of man. In other words, right in its opening chapter, the Bible gives us our first glimpse of the Trinity, which is composed of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
is the appropriate help for you. How can that be possible for any need? Because our omniscient, omnipotent, infinite God, who has the power to do all things, chose the truth we would need from His limitless knowledge. Though many other things could have been included, the Lord decided this was sufficient to guide us and guard us. Then He compressed all of that wisdom and knowledge into a book small enough for us to carry! If God can do all that, He can certainly also HOW DID GOD PROVIDE keep it free from error. People often THE BIBLE? accuse the Bible of inaccuracies, but I’m still waiting for someone to point By writing that everything in out a genuine mistake. Scripture is “God-breathed,” (2 Tim. 3:16 NIV), Paul was saying the Bible WHY IS THE BIBLE is the inspired, infallible, inerrant NECESSARY? Word of the heavenly Father—not some mixture of history, poetry, and On his own, man is incapable of narrative tainted by human error. discovering who God is. We can Second Peter 1:21 emphasizes the read a lot of books containing human divine origin and reliability of the philosophies and ideas about the Bible: “For no prophecy [that is, no Lord, but they are nothing more than word given by God] was ever made by distortions of the truth. The reason is an act of human will, but men moved simply that it’s impossible for a finite, by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.” sinful human being to formulate a It wasn’t a matter of God scattering concept of God that fits the way he ethereal thoughts that certain people naturally wants to live. No man has somehow grabbed out of space. ever dreamed up a god even remotely Instead, the Spirit of God came upon like the true Lord of this universe, the men whom He chose for the task, who is completely different from our and He spoke His words of truth to fleshly nature. What He requires and and through them. He governed provides is totally unrelated to the them and used their individuality to world’s expectations. express His message exactly as He desired. In other words, John does God’s Word is the unfolding not write the same way as Paul does, revelation of His love for us. Every but we need them both. story, detail, and principle from the Old Testament verse to the last word There is nothing missing from the of the New Testament fits a single Word of God. Whether you need overriding theme—the Creator’s wisdom, encouragement, conviction, redeeming love for lost mankind. or warning, somewhere in this book God’s purpose in giving us this
special book was to make it possible for us to have a loving, intimate relationship with Him. That, in fact, was His reason for creating mankind. If we are to please God, we must immerse ourselves in His Word, studying and meditating on it so our thinking starts to mirror His. As a result, we will be convicted of sin and repent of our wrongdoing, which has separated us from Him. We will also be drawn to Jesus, who came to earth to be the visible expression of the heavenly Father (John 14:9). Then, as our faith matures, we will increasingly become like our precious Savior (Rom. 8:29). What a tragedy that some people reject the sacrifice our Savior made on their behalf; they die without God and missthe very purpose for which they were created. Many religions put forth ideas about how to reach God—saying prayers, doing good works, and supporting worthwhile causes are all valuable, but those things cannot earn us salvation. If we desire an everlasting relationship with God, the only thing that makes sense is to find out what He says is the way to Him. No human ideas can substitute for the only authoritative source—namely, God Himself! So let me ask you once again: Have you looked inside the Bible recently? I encourage you to start right now, before the day gets busy and you become distracted from thinking about it. And don’t let yourself be discouraged by the size of the book— remember that every word is divinely inspired, and God is ready to speak to you from any passage.
This article is reprinted with permission from In Touch Magazine, the bimonthly publication of In Touch Ministries. To receive a free subscription, please visit intouch.org/magazine. Tune in weekdays at 3:30 and 11:00 am to hear the teachings of Charles Stanley on FaithTalk 570 AM, 910 AM & 102.1 FM. LETSTALKFAITH.COM
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HOW SHOULD A CHRISTIAN DEAL WITH PTSD? WHAT DO I DO IF I’M STRUGGLING WITH SIN? CAN I STILL SERVE GOD IN A SECULAR CAREER? HOW CAN GOD BE GLORIFIED IN THE MIDST OF TRAGIC LOSS?
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ife is messy. Accidents happen, sickness shows up uninvited, financial struggles and family issues arise out of nowhere, and it can leave us feeling alone, frustrated, and confused. We believe that God’s Word has an answer for every question we encounter in this life. God promises to provide for His children, to never forsake them, and to redeem any situation that sin harms. While it is true that Scripture is sufficient to provide all that we need in times of trouble, the Lord often uses others to remind us of those precious promises. There is power in a trusted testimony of God’s faithfulness. There is much comfort to be found in the words, “me too.” The Word of Life Podcast allows listeners to experience their faith through stories of life change, practical ministry advice, and biblical discussion that is accessible anytime, any place. With new episodes every week, listeners can connect with others while addressing life’s questions through stories of redemption.
One of those featured stories belongs to Matt Maher. Matt was a professional soccer player whose life was drastically turned upside down after a LETSTALKFAITH.COM
Listen Now You can listen to episodes of the Word of Life Podcast on iTunes wol.org/podcast or online at wol.is/podcast
career ending injury. Through a series of poor choices, Matt found himself at rock bottom, facing charges of first degree aggravated manslaughter after a DUI. In this episode, he shares how the Lord put back together the pieces of his life and how prison became his mission field. Matt’s is just one of the many stories of life change featured on the podcast. Other episodes address real life issues; everything from abuse, loss, and suicide to choosing a career, raising children with disabilities, and sharing the Gospel boldly. The questions and trials of life often show up at the least convenient times. Difficult seasons don’t wait to be scheduled; they simply appear. Things like podcasts, Christian blogs, and fellowship with other believers, when paired with Scripture, can help strengthen and prepare us for when we find ourselves dealing with life’s difficult questions. The Word of Life Podcast helps answer these questions by being a reliable source of biblical insight and encouragement that anyone can quickly reference with the push of a button. Listen on your mobile phone, laptop, or iPad for effortless encouragement and insight as you go about your day.
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What Does Th
Political in
By Dr. Rick Scarborough Over the past 20 years I have become known as a “preacher who is involved in politics,” as if that were a negative. The funny thing is that for the first 20 years of my public ministry I was known as an evangelist. In fact, before accepting a pastorate, I was a full-time itinerant Southern Baptist evangelist, conducting over 500 crusades across the country and around the world, and was twice elected by my peers as the President of the Conference of Southern Baptist Evangelists.
“We too must realize and cherish that as American Christians, we have dual citizenship just as Paul had.”
time, three went on to serve in the Texas Legislature, and one, Randy Weber, is now a U.S. Congressman.
To explain my answer to the second question, allow me to provide a theological foundation for what I believe. Throughout the Scripture, there are numerous examples of God’s men engaging political leaders—from Moses and Daniel in the Old Testament to Peter and John in the New. In fact, one would be hard-pressed to find a single character of note in the Scripture So how is it that I became so involved who did not interact or confront in politics? And more importantly, appointed leaders in the course of should a preacher of the gospel, or conducting their ministries. any believer, be involved in politics? My answer to the second question is One of most instructive encounters a resounding “YES!” and my goal is is recounted in the book of Acts. Paul to convince every pastor and believer and Silas embark on Paul’s second that our nation’s survival depends on missionary journey to encourage the Christians getting politically involved. new believers who embraced Christ during his first journey. But in the To answer the first question, I became middle of the night, Paul is awakened involved in politics when as a pastor from his slumber to see a vision of a I was forced to confront an ungodly Macedonian man who pleads with high school assembly at our local high Paul to bring his message of hope to school. Once I recognized that evil had the region of Macedonia. arrived at our doorstep I took steps to It is clear that Paul is not politically respond, and before long, members driven, as his only passion is to please of our church held majorities on the Christ and to share the gospel. That school board and the city council. In must always be the primary focus of
Dr. Rick Scarborough is the founder and former president of Vision America, a non-profit organization focused on informing and mobilizing pastors and their congregations to be “salt and light” in the political arena. He served as a pastor for 27 years. Dr. Scarborough continues to serve and speak to pastors across the country with Vision America alongside its new president, John Graves. John founded Acts 20:28 Pastors to equip, engage, and empower pastors to lead God’s church and impact the culture through political involvement.
For more information about Acts 20:28 Pastors, email info@2028pastors.com or visit www.2028pastors.com. 20
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nvolvement?
he Bible Say About a pastor or believer. The impact of Paul’s obedience is immediate: After his arrival in Philippi (the chief city of Macedonia), Lydia, a prosperous and influential citizen, is saved. She offers her home as Paul’s headquarters and from there he begins to preach to anyone who will listen. A young woman is saved and delivered from a demonic spirit, which apparently empowered her to tell fortunes. What is clearly the best thing to ever happen to her, is the worst thing that could happen to the men who profit from her, and they are furious. When told of how Paul’s preaching has thus affected her, these powerful men summon the authorities and accuse Paul and Silas of sedition and heresy, and have them beaten. Just as Paul is not politically driven, here we see he is not politically connected, but rather powerless before the civil magistrates. He and Silas are thrown into prison and chained, where from man’s perspective, their hope of seeing God work in Philippi is over. We now discover Paul and Silas are not politically dependent. They are dependent on God and turn to Him. Soon they are praying and singing praises to their Lord, whom they know is more than able to work good out of this tragedy. God comes to their aid and sends a mighty earthquake that shakes the town, causing fear to grip the city. God even releases their chains and opens every jail cell! The jailor is so fearful for his life, believing the prisoners he was guarding have escaped, that he is prepared to take his own life until Paul shouts to the jailor, “Fear not, we are all here!” The jailor and his whole household then come to faith in Christ. LETSTALKFAITH.COM
God’s rescue also causes a change of heart among the officials, who decide that Paul and Silas are bad for the city, and therefore send word that they should be released immediately. But here we find that Paul and Silas are not politically ignorant. Instead of grabbing their things and heading home, Paul informs the authorities that he is a Roman citizen, and as such, he has rights which they have denied. He redresses his grievances, and, rather than leaving, returns to the city and strengthens the new believers. The church in Philippi were ardent supporters of Paul’s ministry until his death, and arguably became one of the strongest churches in the New Testament. And all because Paul was “politically active”—speaking the truth in love as God directed. We too must realize and cherish that as American Christians, we have dual citizenship just as Paul had. His was a heavenly citizenship and a Roman citizenship, and he used his Roman citizenship with skill and reason to advance the gospel. We are citizens of heaven and citizens of the freest nation the world has ever known, but we are in danger of losing this freedom because most Christians don’t even exercise their most basic right to vote. Among the minority who do, seldom do they take the time to get educated on the issues and vote Biblically. We are in danger of losing our freedoms because the church so often fails to show up or hasn’t known how to unite as one powerful voice to our culture. In one generation, we have witnessed degradation unmatched by previous generations, and it will not stop until Christians return to the public arena—running for office, voting for righteous candidates, and speaking up for our values on opinion pages and in courts of law. Like Paul, we have rights, but we will lose them if we don’t stand up, speak up, and refuse to give up! FALL 2017
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Head Heart
From
to
By David Jeremiah
It’s possible to have
“HEAD KNOWLEDGE” of God and His Word without its filtering down into
“HEART KNOWLEDGE.” LETSTALKFAITH.COM
Let’s start with a riddle: What two partners live less than two feet apart but never meet? They’re both CEOs of vast organizations with overlapping jurisdictions; they communicate instantly, and work in perfect coordination. One would perish without the other. One specializes in intellectual pursuits all day while the other pumps iron. These two allies work tirelessly for a lifetime without ever taking a vacation or a day off. Even the slightest interruption of their labors would be catastrophic, so they never sleep. They’re both the same age, inhabit the same territory, and never rest. Their combined efforts keep us alive and well.
circulatory system. From before our birth until the moment we go to be with the Lord, they’re on the job. But the relationship between head and heart isn’t just physiological. The Bible speaks of the brain as the center of our thinking and has much to say about the condition of our minds. The heart represents our affection, emotion, and personality. Sometimes it is hard to get the message from our heads to our hearts. It’s possible to have “head knowledge” of God and His Word without its filtering down into “heart knowledge.” We are reminded in Proverbs 4:23 to “Keep your heart with all I’m talking, of course, about diligence, for out of it spring the your brain and your heart. They issues of life.” both oversee complex systems that are necessary for life— We read about joy in the Bible, the nervous system and the but we meander throughout FALL 2017
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the day with low spirits. We hear a sermon about patience; but before the day is out, we’ve lost our temper. We become engrossed with the study of biblical prophecy about the End Times, but somehow we don’t share the Gospel with those in our neighborhood should He come today. We read a book on Christian parenting, but we can’t find time to read the Scriptures to our children or pray with them at bedtime. We teach a Sunday school lesson about stewardship and tithing, and then overspend on our credit card for something that we’ve been wanting. In Matthew 23, Jesus censured the scribes and Pharisees for studying the Law without applying it to their lives. In verses 27-28, He said graphically, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones . . . you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.” THREE CONNECTIONS To avoid the trap of the Pharisees, we’ve got to guard the interconnection between our thoughts and our attitudes. That takes full-fledged Bible study. Whenever you read a passage in the Bible for your own nourishment or to teach others, your study must
include observation, interpretation, and application. In other words, always approach every passage in Scripture with three questions: (1) What does it say? (2) What does it mean? (3) What does it mean to me? Application requires meditation. Take the time to contemplate specific verses, pondering them and ruminating over them until they transform your thinking and your perspective. It also takes prayer. Suppose you’re reading through Proverbs and come to chapter 15: “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” One of the most effective ways of getting that verse circulating through your system is by turning it into a prayer: “Lord, teach me the secret of the soft answer. Keep me from overreacting today, from speaking with irritation. Remind me in advance that harsh words increase the anger in the one with whom I’m speaking.” It also takes commitment. Salvation must be experienced— make that commitment first. Then put the Bible into practice and commit to trust its promises and obey its commands. The Holy Spirit wants to convert the words of Scripture into transformed personalities. Head knowledge without heart knowledge is worse than useless; but when head and heart join forces, it changes lives forever.
Dr. David Jeremiah is the founder of Turning Point for God Radio and Television Ministries and senior pastor of Shadow Mountain Community Church in California. Tune in weekdays at 4:30 am, 8:30 am and 1:30 pm to hear the teachings of Dr. David Jeremiah on FaithTalk 570 AM, 910 AM & 102.1 FM. 24
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By June Hunt
Have you had an assortment of difficult people in your life? If so, I understand! Many years ago, I felt deeply hurt by a family member whose tongue and tartness were consistently cruel. I simply prayed, “God, I don’t know what to do.” A short time later, I saw a Scripture I had never noticed before: I Samuel 12:23 … “As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by failing to pray for you.” The truth is, I had not been praying for her – nor had the thought even crossed my mind. Yet motivated by this verse, I began praying … and eventually healing started to happen, both in our relationship and in my heart. If I were to pick a “companion passage,” it would have to be the often-quoted … “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44). While most people feel drawn to these merciful words of Jesus, many feel resistant when challenged to actually do it. “You want me to do what? Pray 26
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for the person who hurt me? That’s person.” The “highest good” for those asking too much!” who are genuinely wrong is that their hearts become genuinely right. I understand that rationale. I used to chafe against the very notion So the intent is not for us to pray myself. It runs counter to our that our offender would receive nature. From a human standpoint, tangible blessings from God – more genuinely praying for our enemies money, more power, more prestige seems impossible. But realize, the and all the rest. No, we are to pray Bible says … “With God all things for that person’s highest good, which are possible” (Matthew 19:26). God first of all means salvation through often asks us to do things that go Christ for an unbeliever … and, if against our natural way of thinking that person is already a believer, to and feeling. be transformed into the character of Christ. Praying for your enemy is not optional – it is commanded by This means we should pray Christ. But what did He really mean not for the Lord to prosper our by these words? enemies, but rather to persuade them to repent, change, grow and WHAT DOES IT MEAN… mature. Obviously, there must be AND NOT MEAN? some unmet need in their lives – or they would not cause us so much If you assume praying for your pain. Therefore we can pray for our enemy means “desiring good things enemies to see their need for the to happen to them,” then you have a Savior … and then to let the Lord major misunderstanding. When we meet their unmet needs. (He is read, “Love your enemies,” the Greek willing – they need to be willing to word agape, translated here as love, let Him.) We pray for our enemies intrinsically means “a commitment to allow the Lord to heal what is to seek the highest good of another broken.
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WHAT ARE BENEFITS OF PRAYING FOR OUR ENEMIES?
in turn have a peace that passes all power over us. When we are in understanding before others. the presence of our offender, we “Lord, I pray that (name) will be filled react emotionally – and even with Your steady patience – and in physiologically. Therefore, our There are many reasons God enemies are still controlling us! turn be steadily patient with others. commands us to pray for those However, we can turn control of “Lord, I pray that (name) will be filled who’ve wronged us. our lives over to the Lord. … We with Your constant kindness – and in can begin to pray and then forgive, turn give constant kindness to others. Prayer Insulates Us from even when we don’t feel like it. Bitterness. “Lord, I pray that (name) will be filled There is tremendous freedom with Your moral goodness – and in turn display moral goodness before When we look at our enemy’s when we allow Christ, rather than others. need instead of the fault, God people, to control our thoughts and begins to change our own heart. emotions. “Lord, I pray that (name) will be filled Firsthand, I have experienced that when I pray. … Even if my enemy WHAT, EXACTLY, DO I PRAY? with Your loyal faithfulness – and in turn be faithful to others. doesn’t change, I change. Through prayer, our hearts and minds are One way to pray for those who “Lord, I pray that (name) will be filled aligned with God’s heart and mind. have hurt you is to consider the with Your tender gentleness – and in fruit that should be growing in turn will be gentle with others. You can’t pray for someone our lives: “The fruit of the Spirit is consistently – and the key word is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, “Lord, I pray that (name) will be filled consistently – without developing goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, with Your inner self-control – and in compassion for that person. self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23 turn show self-control before others. Through prayer, the Holy Spirit ESV). Take each fruit and turn it In the name of Jesus I pray. Amen.” softens the hardened pieces of our into a prayer. … hearts. … Hatred is turned to love. Going the extra mile to pray for … The bitter is turned to sweet. “Lord, I pray that (name) will be filled We begin to see even our enemies with Your unconditional love – and in our enemies may seem like a tall turn faithfully love others. order – and it is. But God never through His eyes. asks us to do anything without “Lord, I pray that (name) will be filled supplying the strength to do it. If Prayer Allows Us to Be with Your deepest joy – and in turn praying for those who persecute Controlled by the Spirit, bring deep joy to others. you seems too hard, just remember Not by the Offender. Jesus’ words in Matthew 19:26 … “Lord, I pray that (name) will be “With man this is impossible, but When we refuse to pray for our filled with Your inner peace – and with God all things are possible.” enemies, we give them illegitimate
June Hunt is an author, counselor and also the founder of Hope For The Heart. She hosts two national radio programs, including Hope In The Night, featuring live call-in counseling. Hope For Night airs Tuesdays - Saturday starting at midnight on FaithTalk 570 AM, 910 AM & 102.1 FM. Adapted from: How to Forgive…When You Don’t Feel Like It by June Hunt Copyright © 2007 by Hope For The Heart, Inc. Published by Harvest House Publishers, Eugene, OR. Used by permission www.harvesthousepublishers.com For more information on Hope For The Heart, visit www.HopeForTheHeart.org or call 1-800-488-HOPE (4673). Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. LETSTALKFAITH.COM
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Finding God in the Floods of Life by Bill Bunkley
good, and sends rain on the righteous God’s intentions this side of Heaven. and unrighteous.” A big overwhelming flood in my These words of Jesus rang true life was when I was 16, and my young from Texas when I witnesesed one father, in his early 50’s, unexpectedly precious senior being interviewed, died of a stroke a couple of days after totally drenched, having stepped off Christmas in 1971. For years I sought a rescue boat moments before in a an answer from God as to why he steady drizzle. took dad away from me. It was many years after his passing that I would still In the midst of these manifestations, And how was she processing the dream that dad and I were out together we look to God to extract us out of disastrous flood that was overtaking doing some activity, only to wake up our pain and suffering at His earliest her life? and realize it was just a dream. opportunity. We cling desperately to the false hope that surely only good She was beaming with joy in testifying To this day Christmas is still a season things are going to happen to us who about how blessed and thankful she a little less joyful than others. follow Christ with all of our hearts. was that the National Guard would venture out in a boat to come to her It took a long time to get a peace How wonderful it would be if only flooded house to bring her to safety. about the fact that God doesn’t always it was true, but unfortunately it is not. As much as the interviewer tried his reveal to us why He does what He does. Bad things do indeed happen to good best to get her to detail the tragedy and Only years later could I begin to see people, God’s people in fact. And travails of having her home destroyed that losing dad was part of my journey sometimes it’s not just bad things, but by the flood, she would not have any in learning how to trust Him. terrible things. of it. Her compelling testimony spoke volumes to me about walking with Flood events offer us tough This truth played out recently God even when the floods of life are challenges. In the midst of a flood, we as I watched the early hours of the overtaking us. can choose to embrace His character “all hands on deck” water rescues building or retreat from it. necessitated by the arrival of Hurricane How she responded bore witness to Harvey in Texas. I was thinking about her worldview. How we as Christians But how do you find God at the the teaching of Jesus in the latter half respond in the midst of whatever flood moment when the waters of life come of Matthew 5:45 “For He causes His sun is set to overcome us bears witness as rushing in on you? to rise on the evil and the well to our true worldview. The first question to ask of God We all can remember our personal when your world is falling apart is metaphoric “flood,” or floods, that simply what He is up to? That’s right have defied our understanding of just ask Him! The circle of life is a series of mountain top exhilarations, lowland valley disappointments, and time outs between the two extremes. Since the fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden paradise, humanity has had to endure the harsh realities of sin in a fallen world, in all of its pervasive manifestations.
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We know that nothing takes Him by and our timing, his patience, and our surprise. Whether our challenge is a impatience, often collides in times of result of His direct will or permissive big challenges. will, there is a purpose for every flood we go through. Always remember above all, you are a child of the living God, bought with Conversely, in our personal flood a precious price. You were born for a he may be creating a set of events to divine purpose. You were born to push stop us dead in our tracks. Trusting through the floods of life. Give thanks that He always has a purpose for our in all things, especially the times of challenges keeps us in a constant quest your toughest challenges. to be in the center of His will. Truly understanding that God’s Often one of the purposes behind ways are not our ways is the first big our metaphoric flood is that God step in finding God when the waters may either be telling us to speed up of life are about to overtake you. While or to slow down. It is important not to in your personal trial there’s always a walk too far ahead of God or to drop fork in the road before you. Down way back behind Him. His timing one lane is the world’s road of despair,
disillusionment, and defeat. It’s the road many people take. It’s the road, if chosen, that can scar you emotionally for the rest of your life. The other road is God’s avenue of hope, optimism, purpose, and determination. Trusting Him along His road will lead you to the life he always wanted you to experience. And when you see and hear Him clearly in the middle of your flood, you’ll have the same sweet countenance as that precious senior, as she gave her testimony of gratefulness for being alive and rescued from the flood she will never forget.
Bill Bunkley comments on local, state, national and international issues of the day from the lens of a Christian worldview perspective. Tune in to The Bill Bunkley Show weekdays at 4:00 pm on FaithTalk 570 AM, 910 AM & 102.1 FM, AM 860 and 930 The Answer. His commentary “Something to Think About” can also be heard daily on these stations.
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Living Truth with Ken Whitten Weekdays at 9:00 AM & 6:00 PM Dive deep into the Bible as Pastor Ken eloquently brings the exciting word of God to life in a way that few teachers do. His great understanding of history and Scripture allows him to build a portrait in the minds of hearers and bring great clarity to biblical passages.
A.R. Bernard Daily Weekdays at 12:30 PM & 8:30 PM Pastor Bernard preaches from the Christian Cultural Center in Brooklyn, New York. CCC’s mission is to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ, help spiritual seekers become transformed believers, and demonstrate the love and compassion of Christ to the world, through humanitarian works and social engagement.
Fresh Wind Radio with Jomo Cousins Weekdays 1:00 PM A ministry of Love First Christian Center a bible based, bible teaching, non-denominational love first seeking ministry located in Riverview Florida. Pastor Jomo teaches listeners to be hearers as well as doers of God’s Word.
Spiritual Oxygen with Pastor Trevor Wallace Weeknights at 8:00 PM It’s Time to Breath Again... Pastor Trevor Wallace is the founding pastor of Jesus Team Ministries. His life is dedicated to living by example and encouraging others in how to live up to their full potential in Christ.
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By Michael Youssef
God is the author and source of all Truth. Some churches, however, are flying the banner of man-made theology, and it is attracting hordes of people by delivering a message that is careful to not offend. The message is intentionally kept ambiguous in order not to alienate anyone who might find Biblical teachings challenging to their lifestyle. But the Gospel is offensive to human nature; it tells us we are sinners in need of salvation. So when churches adapt the Christian faith to culture instead of calling the culture to repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, they are preaching a lie. God does not tolerate creative tampering with His Word. There is no Truth but His Truth. Satan is working overtime trying to destroy the church from the inside out. First Timothy 4:1 says that “in later times, some 32
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God’s Truth Is The Only Truth
holiness, and a God who is not the father of Jesus Christ. They reject the authority and sovereignty of God, refusing to submit to His perfect will and wisdom (see Romans 1:18-25). So, as God’s ambassadors, we must be aware of the false teachings that are threatening our church today so we can stand firm in God’s Word and Naturally, believers who have point people to the Truth of Christ. confessed, repented, and accepted Jesus Christ as the only means of Second, we must not fall for atoning for sin will not lose their the idea that we can have a do-itsalvation. Still, Satan can fill their yourself religion. False teachers lives with pain, confusion, and will tell you there are many roads to grief if he is allowed to creep into God. One popular lie is that one of the church through these spiritual the roads to eternal life is through terrorists. Thankfully, God gives living a life of humanitarian service. us clear clues for identifying and While Christians have been leaders defeating spiritual deception. in caring for the sick, hungry, and abandoned and we are called to First, beware of false teachers humbly serve in this world, we know who preach redemption without that the only way to acceptance the cross, peace without by the Father is through the shed repentance, happiness without blood of Christ. will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons.” Matthew 7:15 tells us that false prophets are wolves in sheep’s clothing, sent by Satan to trip up the faithful. God’s Word sounds the alarm, urging believers to fight against the invasion of lies seeping into the church.
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Third, we must be aware that the enemy likes to play on our emotions; he uses this strategy to pull people away from the Truth. If your basis of preferring a halftruth over God’s Truth is that the former just feels better, then you do not have a solid basis for your beliefs. Only God’s version of the Truth counts.
hope, love, and righteousness of God’s Truth. Paul said, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
If we know what the Bible teaches, we can recognize when deception is at work in the church and fight back Discernment comes from living by proclaiming the Truth in love. each day guided by God’s Word. When we surround ourselves with Whatever trials we face in the glory of Scripture, lies are easily this world, we can find wisdom, detected because they are empty guidance, and comfort in the and lifeless, holding none of the Bible. When we share the Good
News, the Bible will equip us with the Truth. When we experience rejection, the Word of God will comfort and soothe our wounds. When we fear persecution, God’s promises will give us the strength to overcome our anxieties. When we begin to succumb to the world’s influence, the Word of God will transform and renew our minds. Through God’s Word we will find the encouragement we need to continue following Him in faith and obedience, for Jesus has promised, “I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).
Michael Youssef is the senior pastor of the Church of the Apostles, and the executive president of Leading The Way. Tune in weekdays at 4:00 am, 11:30 am and 10:30 pm to hear the teachings of Dr. Michael Youssef and his radio ministry Leading The Way on FaithTalk 570 AM, 910 AM & 102.1 FM.
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Pastor to Pastor
By R. Albert Mohler, Jr.
Was he against it, before he was for it? Is he really against it now? The ordeal experienced by popular author Eugene Peterson was agonizing to observe, largely self-inflicted, and virtually inevitable. You should pay close attention to it, for you might very well be next.
responding to two straightforward questions about homosexuality and same-sex marriage. Jonathan Merritt of Religion News Service referenced homosexuality and same-sex marriage and then asked Peterson if his view on the morality of same-sex relationships The ordeal began with Peterson, had changed. Peterson was pastor one of the most influential authors of Christ Our King Presbyterian among evangelical pastors, Church in Bel Air, Maryland for 29 34
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years, before retiring in 1991. In his answer, however, Peterson said, “I haven’t had a lot of experience with it.” An earlier congregation where he served as associate pastor, included “several women who were lesbians,” but didn’t “make a big deal about it.” The congregation he served as pastor was much the same: “I don’t think we ever really made a big deal of it.”
They had a gay musician, but, “nobody made any questions about it. And he was a really good musician.” His answer was convoluted, but he concluded, “it’s not a right or wrong thing as far as I’m concerned.”
So, within 48 hours of the original interview, Eugene Peterson had issued a statement retracting his “yes” to a same-sex wedding ceremony. He now affirms marriage as “one man to one woman.”
Peterson was then asked, “If you were pastoring today and a gay couple in your church who were Christians of good faith asked you to perform their same-sex wedding ceremony, is that something you would do?” Peterson answered simply, “Yes.”
The brushfire then switched directions. Now, folks displeased with Peterson’s RNS interview were at least partly comforted by his retraction, while those who had been comforted by his “yes” were hurt and infuriated by his subsequent “no.”
That “yes” blew up the evangelical world like a signal flare. The RNS headline on the interview stated that Peterson had changed his mind on the question. A significant number of evangelicals responded with immediate shock and disappointment at Peterson’s answer. The largest Christian bookstore chain said that it was considering whether to continue selling Peterson’s many books, including The Message, his best-selling paraphrase of the Bible.
Jonathan Merritt ran a story at RNS within hours of Peterson’s retraction, noting that in 2014 Peterson had already told a conference in which he indicated his evolution on LGBTQ issues and looking back on his tenure as pastor, he said “I started to change my mind.” He also spoke of talking to parents whose children had come out as gay saying, “they’ve finally accepted that this is not a bad thing, that this can be a good thing. This can be a flourishing thing.”
But, almost as quickly as his “yes” appeared, it was retracted. The very next day, Peterson released a long statement, published in full at The Washington Post. He retracted his “yes” and said that he would actually not perform a samesex wedding ceremony. “That’s not something I would do out of respect to the congregation, the larger church body, and the historic Christian view and teaching on marriage. That said, I would still love such as couple as their pastor.” He also stated: “To clarify, I affirm a biblical view of marriage: one man to one woman. I affirm a biblical view of everything.” LETSTALKFAITH.COM
quickly. Those do not exhaust the possibilities. I have enjoyed many of Eugene Peterson’s writings. He is an elegant literary stylist, and he seems never to forget a pithy quote—saved just for the right paragraph. He also knows how to deploy the English language with powerful simplicity. Just consider these sentences from his pastoral memoir, The Pastor: “I was astonished to learn in one of these best-selling books (on church life) that the size of my church parking lot had far more to do with how things fared in my congregation than my choice of texts in preaching. I was being lied to and I knew it.”
He even pulled off what might be the greatest (and shortest) literary achievement of my lifetime, using a quote from Friedrich Nietzsche, no less, to redefine Christian discipleship as “a long obedience in the same direction.” His turning of the words of Nietzsche into a definition of what it means to follow What is really going on here? Christ was brilliant, clarifying, and What does Eugene Peterson really unforgettable. believe about LGBT relationships and behaviors or about same-sex Thus, Eugene Peterson understands marriage? We really don’t know. We the stewardship of words. In another will probably never really know. of his books, he stated: “We cannot be too careful about the words we use; His retraction allows his books we start out using them and they end to be sold, but the ordeal has done up using us.” Indeed. massive damage to his reputation. One of the best-selling authors in Several thoughtful evangelicals the evangelical world is now, in e x p r e s s e d concern and effect, a giant Rorschach test. You discouragement that Peterson had can read him as fully open to LGBT basically “shrugged” or “sighed” in his relationships, but forced by political answers, concealing more than he and economic pressure to act as if he revealed — and about an issue that isn’t. Or you can read him as basically really did require a yes or no answer. a traditionalist on the question, who felt under pressure to affirm sameBut there should have been no sex marriage and succumbed to the surprise. Eugene Peterson has never pressure, only to regret and retract been very clear about controversial FALL 2017
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questions, or on many crucial biblical and theological questions. His writings were categorized as “pastoral theology,” and there is little explicit doctrine in his books. His background was Pentecostal as a boy, and according to his memoir, he basically became a Presbyterian by accident. “I was not aware of choosing to become a Presbyterian. I didn’t go over the options available to me, study them, interview representative men and women, assess the pros and cons, pray for discernment, and then apply for membership. The Presbyterians needed a coach for their basketball team. I knew how to do that and I did it. . . . I was never self-consciously a Presbyterian. I am still not.” That says a lot about Eugene Peterson, but it probably says more about the denomination of which he is a minister, the liberal Presbyterians known as the PCUSA. One of that Presbyterian denomination’s most famous pastors says he was never even “self-consciously a Presbyterian.” That just about says it all. In The Message, Peterson’s bestselling paraphrase of the Bible, he avoided dealing with same-sex behaviors or relationships directly, even when addressing texts like Romans 1:26-27 or 1 Corinthians 5:9-13, where he translates same-sex behaviors simply as promiscuity in general.
clear answer on this question, even now. His “retraction” was devoid of any engagement with the Bible. His concern, he said, was for his congregation and the “historic biblical Christian view and teaching on marriage.” There was really nothing about the morality of LGBT behaviors and relationships at all. Would anyone really be surprised that Eugene Peterson holds to the PCUSA’s LGBTQ-affirming positions on these issues? If so, why? Matthew Vines, a prominent LGBTQ activist and author, is absolutely right, by the way, when he argued that Peterson’s answer on the question of same-sex marriage is far less significant than his position on normative morality: “The main dividing line in the church is not whether Christians support same-sex marriages. It is over the more basic question of whether they believe all same-sex relationships are sinful in the first place.” But Eugene Peterson is also 84 years old. The interview with RNS was actually a valedictory event, of a sort. He announced that he would not be doing any more public speaking or teaching. Peterson had every reason to expect that he would conclude his public ministry without having to answer these questions. Until that final interview…
and power. He almost made it home without answering the question, but then it happened. Consider these lessons from Eugene Peterson’s ordeal. First, there is nowhere to hide. Every pastor, every Christian leader, every author — even every believer — will have to answer the question. The question cannot simply be about same-sex marriage. The question is about whether or not the believer is willing to declare and defend God’s revealed plan for human sexuality and gender as clearly revealed in the Bible. Second, you had better have your answer ready. Evasive, wandering, and inconclusive answers will be seen for what they are. Those who have fled for security to the house of evasion must know that the structure has crumbled. It always does. Third, if you will stand for the Bible’s clear teachings on sexuality and gender, you had better be ready to answer the same way over and over and over again. The question will come back again and again, in hopes that you have finally decided to “get on the right side of history.” Faithfulness requires consistency — that “long obedience in the same direction.”
That is what it means to be a Peterson has made his reputation Most of his generational colleagues disciple of Christ, as Eugene Peterson as someone who does not deal are either dead or safely retired. has now taught us—in more ways with controversial questions. He Peterson’s longevity is a testament than one. also seems to be incapable of a to his continued literary production
R. Albert Mohler, Jr. is an American historical theologian and the ninth president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. He has been described as “one of America’s most influential evangelicals”. This article originated from AlbertMohler.com and reprinted with permission from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. 36
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Pastor to Pastor
Why Expositional Preaching? By John MacArthur
Prior to the Reformation, personal Bible study would have been a foreign concept to all but the religious elite. Churchgoers didn’t have individual access to God’s Word, much less a Bible in their own language. Only the Roman Catholic clergy were able to view Scripture, and even then it could only be read in Latin.
it multiple times each week. Over those decades, my enthusiasm for the truth has only increased as I become more and more aware of the glory of the God of Scripture and His awesome works. God’s people recognize that kind of enthusiasm in their leaders because it inevitably spills over into the preaching each Lord’s Day. It prompts and The Reformers were instrumental encourages their personal study in translating God’s Word into the throughout the week and stimulates language of the common man. In their spiritual growth. doing so, they reintroduced the centrality of biblical exposition Expositional preaching also and encouraged personal Bible teaches people how to interpret the study. Today we enjoy the fruit of Scripture in their own study. As a their labor and sacrifice without biblical preacher, you are a living much regular thought. But with demonstration of hermeneutics. the abundant blessings of easy When you preach effectively, you access to Scripture also comes the take people through the process responsibility we have to faithfully of unpacking the text that yields study it. the true interpretation. You are teaching your people a method of For more than four decades, careful examination of the text so God has given me the privilege of that they can be like the Bereans, studying His Word and preaching who tested everything by a true
understanding of the Word (Acts 17:10-11). Show me a church where there is strong Bible teaching over an enduring period of time, and I will show you a congregation who are studying the Word of God on their own, applying the very principles of interpretation that have been modeled for them by their pastor. On the other hand, show me a church where the Word of God is not taught faithfully and thoroughly, and I’ll show you a congregation in which biblical illiteracy, doctrinal confusion, and spiritual apathy at the personal level are rampant. The people will not rise to a level higher than that of their teacher. They will follow the example of his leadership. So if we love God’s Word, our people will too. If not, neither will they.
John MacArthur is founder and featured teacher of Grace To You. You can hear him daily on “Grace To You,” half-hour radio program dedicated to Jesus Christ and the teaching of the Bible, airing on FaithTalk 570 AM, 910 AM & 102.1 FM weekdays at 6:30 am, 1:00 pm and 11:30 pm. 38
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