December 2018
Just a quick note to say I am sorry we have not had August – November 2018 issues launched. Time has just got away from me with the other duties I have as Administrator of Grace International Bible University and my Inspired Creations Publishing Company. Also, please see the 2-page advertisement in this issue for World Bible School University, which we hope to open on January 7! If you wold like to be a part of this TUITION-FREE University, send us a quick email and let us know. We can send you the application that must be submitted before admittance is given.
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL OF YOU! Thank you for reading this magazine. And thank you for those of you who let me know when you enjoy an article and if it is a blessing to you!
Dr. Faye, Publisher and Editor
Publisher & Editor Faye Hanshew
Co-Publisher & Co-editor Dr. Bill Hanshew
by: Pastor Kyle Butler, Bishop Derrick Day, Bishop Dr. Bill Hanshew, and Dr. Faye Hanshew
Picture this, God the Father, Jesus the Son and the Holy Spirit are huddled together carefully and lovingly holding something in their hands. This loved object that they are holding they are also gazing upon it with the most loving gaze ever seen. But in a moment Jesus recognizes a look on His Father's face. A look He had never really seen before, so He asks his father what's wrong and without the Father saying a word Jesus instantly knows what the issue is. This precious treasure they are holding (humanity) will one day forget who the Father really is and what they mean to the Father. One day they would become darkened in their understanding and they would become dead to the truth. Jesus, not being able to stand the thought of this happening He decides that He would one day go down into their darkness and reveal a light that had always been there. He knows that by going down into our darkness to reveal the light in us, that we would become reborn, alive again to who we really are and who our Father really is. He also knows that in order to do this he must die in order to get into our darkness. He knows that we will reject Him, beat Him and then kill Him in the most brutal way imaginable. But He says I'll go.. I'll do it because we love them, and I can't bear the thought of them not knowing you the way that I know you. The Father nods and He and the Spirit agree together that this is going to happen, and they say to Jesus "hey we're going with you ... we will all do this together." The time has arrived. The fullness of time has come. The world is ready (although we didn't know it) to see God face to face. There is a celebration in Heaven. The party spills over into the earth when a few angels who were so full of excitement charge down to the earth and found someone close to the place where Jesus would be born. They announced to these men "good will and peace to all men... a saviour, redeemer is born in Bethlehem." And there it is, Jesus is born and the world would never be the
same. Jesus grows up and at the right time he begins to walk out His purpose. Mission possible. Show humanity just how loving, gracious and kind our Father really is. He knows some have tried but they were only working with glimpses. Glimpses of visions. Glimpses of understanding. Glimpses of revelations. But Jesus had more than a glimpse. He knew the Father, His heart, His thoughts, his emotions towards us. So, he went about teaching, healing, loving, caring, redeeming, revealing, and proving this great, vast unconditional love. He went into the highways and the byways. He talked with good people, bad people. He helped the young and the old, the rich and the poor. The upper class, middle class, under class and any class under that. He partied and celebrated. He washed, and He cleaned. He built, and He exalted. He uplifted and encouraged. He loved, and He loved some more right up to the very day it was time for Him to enter His decent into our darkness. This was it... it was time. Jesus knew it. One more time though Jesus needed the Father to remind Him of their commitment. And there in a garden (kinda like how this all started) God the Father, Jesus the Son and the Holy Spirit would huddle together look at each other face to face and say, "Let's do this.” Shortly after this Jesus is arrested, tried and convicted for being innocent. Innocent? Yes innocent. He innocently laid down His life to get entrance into our darkness. What followed was one of the most horrific beatings mankind has ever imagined. You see we (humanity) had become so darkened that we didn't even realize that our wrath, hatred and anger had become so fierce against God our Father. There on hill after he had been beaten and left with just a few breaths of life Jesus says to the Father "the plan we put together before we laid one foundation of this world is finished" and with that Jesus, who God the Father and the Holy Spirit was fully and complete in Him died the human death (but wait the party is really just starting) What happened next was nothing less than spectacular. As Jesus goes into the darkness of death and into the depths of every grave and He opens the eyes of every single person who has ever lived and will ever live. Not one single eye wasn't opened. The light shined into all darkness and death and it was no more. Darkness and death were no longer the barrier to seeing and knowing our Father. Knowing His great love in which He has always loved us with. The indescribable, incredible, unconditional love which had been freely poured out over that loved object they held so preciously in their hands (all of humanity) before the foundation of the world. Jesus then is resurrected by the Father and the marker we need, the one thing we would always have to look back at as a sign of his great love was forever established. Over 2,000 years since we are still coming into the light of His great unconditional love. And in all of the millennia’s to come that light will continue to shine and become even brighter…. Love is one of the greatest motivators, promoters, influences, and persuaders in the world. When someone loves you, it gives you hope and strength. There is nothing humanly possible that you feel you can’t do! However, when you feel unloved or rejected by someone you love, it can be overwhelming, devastating or shattering!
Although human love is wonderful, God’s love is far greater. It is the most lifechanging force in the universe! We see in Ephesians 3:17b-19 (NKJV), Paul prayed: 17 that
you, being rooted and grounded in love, be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— 19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. 18 may
Our job on earth is to speak about this unfathomable love of God in Christ to the extent that your eyes are open to His love. Let me start with 1 John 2:29 which says, “ 29 If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him. Picture this: John spent 3 years as one of the closest disciples of Jesus. He heard Jesus’ intense and powerful teaching. He had seen the powerful miracles Jesus preformed. And John also witnessed Jesus alive from the dead and stand transfixed as He ascended into the glory cloud! Now picture him as an old man and you are talking to him. You ask, “John, as you think back over your familiar life, what stands out? What motivates you and gives you hope?” His reply astonishes you! 1 John 3:1 was his reply, “See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are.” His words show us that…The Father’s great love has made us His children! His love for us is the kind of experience that should grow stronger over the years. It should consume our thoughts and control our behaviour. It should motivate us to want to share His love with everyone around us! It should fill us with awe and worship that He, the holy sovereign of the universe, would set His love on a darkened world as it was! As we understand Father God’s love toward us, we should take His example and show that same love to His people. All people. As we read in 1 Cor 13:4-8a: 4 Love
suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not [a]puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never fails. What if we could substitute our name in the place of love? Can I say that Faye suffers long and is kind? That Faye does not envy, does not parade herself or gets puffed up, does not behave rudely, or does not seek her own, is not provoked and that Faye thinks no evil? Can I say that Faye does not rejoice in iniquity but that I rejoice in truth? That I bear all things, believe all things, hope all things, and endure all things? Can I say that Faye never fails? Wow! Can we say those things about ourselves in the way we treat others? Those who we see as not just the best of the best, but the worst of the worst? Those that show no love or compassion to their fellow man? Those that do not believe like we do or have
the same thoughts as us? What about those who live totally against the life “we” think they should live? Can we be that love to them? Many times, it is easy to blame that “lack of love” on those we are supposed to love because of their actions. If someone truly treats us wrong, do we have the right to treat them wrong? Where would we be if this were God’s behaviour? Instead, we need to imitate HIS love to those who are insensitive, cruel, and unloving toward us, just as he does! Oh, and did you know that the word “bestowed” is, literally, “given?” That means that Father God’s love is not earned! It is purely a gift that comes from His favour, or grace! Mankind has an obsession with history — there is a strong desire to reflect on the past to either recall glory days gone by or to resurrect past hurts. This is sadly true with modern Christianity. Far too much time is spent on deciphering the shadows of an event that has already manifest. The Gospel is all about the advent of Jesus — His life, His teaching, His death, and His resurrection. The culmination of all this is the revelation of the unfettered Liberty that comes from the manifestation of His unconditional Love and unlimited Grace. Everything before Jesus leads up and points to Him — everything after the cross further illuminates him. Let’s talk about illumination for a second. In the beginning, God said, “light be” and it was. God fully illuminated his creation; he left nothing in the dark. This light is the light of Creation. It is the energy released by the Word of God — which is Jesus, by the way, not the Bible. And energy never dissipates, it is merely transformed. This means the creative force that brought everything into being never changed! But man exercised his will in a negative way that created a block to the light. Notice, this doesn’t stop the light; only how it’s perceived. So God, being perfect light, now had to deal with shadows cast by men. Because of this shadowing, the perfect light is obstructed and obscured. Man created these impediments to the light first by sin — that is, failing to agree with God — and then by religion — that is, man’s attempt to see the light through himself. Man is like Puxatawny Phil (the groundhog famous for “Groundhog Day”) — afraid of his own shadow. Clever men know this and have learned to manipulate this fear. Instead of removing the causes of the shadows, they have learned to dwell in them and even how to use them to control others in fear. The shadows of our own shortcomings (sin) are amplified by the manipulation of religion, and the combination of these two conspire to keep us in bondage. But along comes Jesus. He shows up saying bold things like, “If you’ve seen me, you’ve seen the Father,” “The Son only does what He sees the Father do,” and “I and the Father are one.” In all that He did, Jesus literally smashed every understanding of who
God is. Jesus showed that the Father is perfect Light and perfect Love. He showed us that a lot of who man believed God to be was obscured by shadows. Jesus demonstrated that the Father not only had empathy and compassion for our shortcomings but wanted to eradicate them. Jesus shows us that it is the Father’s will for us to walk in the light. This is how the Psalmist was able to say the Word was a lamp unto his feet. He wasn’t speaking of the written word, he caught a glimmer of the Living Word breaking forth past the shadows. Here’s where many are going to stop reading but if you can catch this, it will bless you. Our walk in Christ is not all about getting to the foot of the cross because the cross is but another shadow-caster. Our walk is not even about walking out of a borrowed tomb because the tomb represents the valley of the shadow of death. No — our walk is all about being brought from death to life, seated in heavenly places, at the right hand of the Father, with all power in our hands, and all things under our feet. Our walk is all about being as Jesus is — right now, not in the “sweet-by-and-by.” Our walk in Christ is all about emerging from the shadows and bringing the light of Jesus — the Love and Grace of God — into clear focus for all the world to see. We need to stop living in the shadows and be the light we are created to be. “THE REST OF THE STORY!” John 19:30 (NKJV) says, “So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.” We have all heard the words, “and now the rest of the story” as stated by a famous news commentator by the name of Paul Harvey. Well, the rest of this story has no end to it in terms of how it is still impacting the understanding of individuals today. But also, there was an end of the story when Jesus said, “It is finished.” And in His finished work, all things have been set right again. John 19:30 (The Passion Translation) says, “When he had sipped the sour wine, he said, “It is finished, my bride!” Then he bowed his head and surrendered his spirit to God.” Here we have a clearer understanding of why Jesus sacrificed His life for all mankind. From the Hebrew word, “kalah” {kä–lä’} we find a homonym that can mean “fulfilled [completed],” and “bride.” The reality is that Jesus finished the work of our salvation, knowing that it was for His bride. It is through the completed work of our salvation that was finished on the cross, that He continues to work through His creation today. And the purpose of His workings is to extend the realm of God’s kingdom throughout the earth and in all humankind. John 1:16 says, “And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace.” This is now as clear in its wording as I’d like it to be, so let’s look at The Passion Translation”
which says, “And now out of his fullness we are fulfilled! And from him we receive grace heaped upon more grace!” It is important to recognize the “fullness” and that what mankind received from the finished work of Jesus was in fullness. In other words, the container of what you received is not half full. It is full to the brim and even overflowing. His fullness is self maintaining and never runs dry. Out of His fullness, we are fulfilled. We have received grace for grace, or as The Passion Translation says, “grace heaped upon more grace.” And it simply means, one gift after another. God’s grace never runs out. Colossians 2:9-10 says, “9 For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; 10 and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.” In other words, we are filled with the same fullness that is in Christ. Everything that He is, is also within us. We could say that we are full of Him. These same verses in “The Passion Translation” says, “9 For he is the complete fullness of deity living in human form. 10 And our own completeness is now found in him. We are completely filled with God as Christ’s fullness overflows within us. He is the Head of every kingdom and authority in the universe!” So, when did the rest of the story concerning, “It is finished” really take place? For that answer, we need to read one of the most popular and well-known verses of scripture among mankind. John 3:16 (TPT) says, “For this is how much God loved the world—he gave his one and only, unique Son as a gift. So now everyone who believes in him will never perish but experience everlasting life.” When Jesus came into this earthly realm, He did it out of or because of the Father’s love for His creation. This verse should read, “God loved the whole world!” It is in my opinion that this is the most neglected and yet, the most important missed piece of information left out of every billboard, television ad, and or a sermon preached today, which is the acknowledgment of the Father’s love for the whole world. So, to give you “the rest of the story,” we know that “It is finished” was a statement made by Jesus declaring that salvation was now complete. Think about that phase by itself. If salvation is complete for the WHOLE world, then that would say to me that the WHOLE world is not without God. So, if that is true, then the question would be asked, “why doesn’t the whole world respond to the finished work of Jesus?” I think the answer is simple. Having come from a very religious background, I find that most of the “world” is just as confused as most of the church is when it comes to knowing about God’s unconditional love. So, if the cross was the setting all things right with God for all humankind, then the only problem existing today is that we have not told them the truth. Remember in our opening verse from The Passion Translation, it said, “When he had sipped the sour wine, he said, “It is finished, my bride!” Then he bowed his head and surrendered his spirit to God.” God continues to work in us to accomplish a full understanding of what the work of the cross and the resurrection have purchased for us. Christ’s finished work has made mankind His bride.
The commentary says that “His cross fulfilled and finished the prophecies of the Messiah’s first coming to the earth. There was nothing written that was not fulfilled and now offered to his bride.” So, the rest of the story is that Father God loves you and Jesus saved you in His finished work. Now for me, I will continue to teach all and tell all this wonderful truth. Merry Christmas 2018. …Think about it!
Photo by: Genice Fulton
Photo by: Genice Fulton
Photo by: Alissa Meier
Photo by: Genice Fulton
by: Bishop Dr. Bill Hanshew
John 10:1-5 says, “1 Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. 2 But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 5 Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” If you were to admit to hearing any voice other than the one speaking to you audibly, society just might say that you are “insane.” But once you hear God speaking, you now are able to know that voice for yourself, which is confirmed in the scriptures above.
Hearing God is not necessarily hearing His audible voice, but within the mind of your soul, you hear Him speak. And if you thought those words you were hearing did not line up with the Word of God, that voice could be from an enemy, also known in scripture as “the voice of strangers.” It is important to properly interpret scripture, therefore the first thing we must know here is the “audience relevance” aspect of scripture. Who was Jesus speaking to here? He was talking to His disciples. But who was He referring to when it comes to “strangers” or “the thief” or “the enemy” or even “robbers” just to name a few? We must understand that the “voice of strangers” refers to the Pharisees. They were the ones who were the “pushers” of the law, just like those in our day who are known as “drug pushers.” While many Jews were beginning to follow Jesus, it was the Pharisees who came against Jesus, where the same who pushed the importance of the Jews following the law. And many people who began to understand how to know the voice of the God, but only by hearing the law. When you hear a voice that lines up with God’s Word, it is the voice of the Holy Spirit. Any other voice that does not come through the sheepfold, by way of the door, is called “a thief and a robber.” The important thing to know is that Jesus is the door or the One that we come through. What that means to me is that hearing the voice of God starts with being in fellowship with Jesus. Now everyone can be related or in a relationship with God, but not all fellowship with Him. So, to fellowship means to talk to the Lord, to study the Word, and spend time in prayer, which I have defined as “communication between two people in love.” John records that when the doorkeeper opens the door, the sheep, who are followers of Jesus, hear His voice. John says that Jesus calls His own sheep by name and He leads them out. The place Jesus was trying to lead them out of was the legalism produced by Judaism. And He told them that when Jesus brings out His own sheep, He goes before them; and the sheep follow Him, for they know His voice. When it comes to hearing the voice of God, do not get up tight about other voices. Simply understand that any other voice than the voice of the Good Shepherd, you just do not follow. You will learn to flee from the voice of strangers. And the voice of strangers refers to feeing from the voice of the law. No one can successfully preach law can grace. The two just do not mix. There are many voices out there today, but remember, the sheep of Jesus only follow His voice because they have come to know His voice. And once you decide to make understanding the Word of God as your final authority in your life, hearing God’s voice will become easier to recognize. One of the most important things is that God’s voice will ALWAYS line up with His Word. His voice always brings a sense of peace, which is not what you feel or sense when you hear the voice of an enemy, strangers, or thief. Those voices will ALWAYS be in opposition to God’s Word. 2 Corinthians 10:5 says that we are to “cast down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,” which means that we train our own thoughts to hear God’s voice and then to obey what He says. So, if we are going to hear and obey Christ, then we must bring all of our thoughts,
and including other voices under the judgment of the Word and in alignment with the nature of God we have learned. Finally, at first, Jesus used this illustration to try and teach His disciples, as well as others around. But they did not understand what He was talking about. So, He made it clear that in this story, He was the door of the sheep. And Jesus says, “All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them.” So, He establishes that anyone who enters by Me will be saved, and will find pasture. Jesus says that the thief in this story only comes to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. In the Greek language, this “thief” refers to the Pharisees. The law was fulfilled in Jesus and at Passover, Jesus said, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this, all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35) The bottom line is that walking in God’s unconditional love for your fellow man or woman, will open up the ear-gate of your soul, which is your mind, will, intellect, and emotions, enabling you to hear the Father’s voice clearly. This is why Jesus said, “…the sheep follow Him, for they know His voice… for they do not know the voice of strangers or any enemy. Listen, He is speaking to you today, …Think about it!
Photo by: Alissa Meier
by: Apostle Dr. Frank Dupree For too many Christians prayer is a joyless task. For so many it is something that is too hard to do. But the Lord wants us to have Joy in the House of Prayer. Follow me and see how you can make your prayer life a joyful one. Revelation 5:8-10 “And when he had taken the book, the four living beings and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each of them had a harp and golden vials full of incense which are the prayers of saints. {9} And they sang a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open up its seals because you were slain, and have redeemed us to God by your blood out from every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; And You have made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.”
The four living beings represent the Overcomers. The 24 Elders represent the 12 tribes of Israel and the 12 Apostles. They also represent the Overcomers of both dispensations. These 24 Elders can’t represent only the Old and New Testament Elders because they were all Jews. These sing about being redeemed from every “kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation” and so they represent the redeemed: both Jew and Gentile. These are also “kings and priests” who will one day “reign on the earth”. We need to look at a second group who are very similar but are not the same. Revelation 7:9-17 “After this I beheld a great multitude which no man could number of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues standing before the throne, and
before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palm branches in their hands; {10} And they cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation is from our God who sits upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. {11} And all the angels stood round about the throne, and the elders and the four living beings, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God, {12} Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honor, and power, and might unto our God for ever and ever. Amen. {13} And one of the elders spoke and asked me, Who are these which are arrayed in white robes? And where do they come from? {14} And I said unto him, Sir, thou know. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. {15} Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. {16} They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. {17} For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.” 1. Both groups are from “every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation” 2. The first group sings while the second group cries out. 3. The first group “reigns” while the second group “serves” 4. And, it is the second group that has their tears wiped away…
The difference is that the first group represents those who were Saved and became Disciples and Overcomers. The second group represents those who were Saved but never went on with God. They never continually “took up their cross” and “followed” Him. That’s why the tears are wiped away. Their tears are because they could have become and Overcomer because “many are called”. But they never were chosen because they did not chose the “straight and narrow”. If you want to be an Overcomer and reign with Christ one day then you have to allow Him to wipe your tears away now and become His servant now. We need to die to self and live unto Him. We are all given the opportunity to become Overcomers; Kings and Priests. Isaiah 56:7-8 “Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people. {8} The Lord GOD which gathereth the outcasts of Israel saith, Yet will I gather others to him, beside those that are gathered unto him.” To many people prayer is very difficult. God wants it to become a joyful thing. But people wonder how can they offer joyful prayers during times of hardship and suffering? What if you lost everything you owned? What if you lost a loved one? Have divorced? See your children’s lives falling apart? How can you have “Joy in the House of Prayer”? We must learn to offer to God the Sacrifice of Praise!
A Priest offers a sacrifice. In the OT, the priest offered up the blood of bulls and goats, etc. They received the sacrifices of the people and offered that unto God also. The people brought the fruit of their fields or their labors. As New Testament Priests we no longer offer the blood of animals. Christ shed His blood once for all time. But we offer something else. The Word tells us to offer unto God the “sacrifice of praise; the fruit of our lips.” In the OT Hebrew that’s the word Tehillah and it means “songs of Glory.” The word Tephillah, a word that has only one letter different, means “songs of Glorious Prayer.” The Overcomer learns to sing a “new song.” They can sing a song of thankfulness even while suffering. They have learned to be “content in whatever state they are in”. That means to have “joy”. This is something that takes time to become a part of you. But it can! Through Christ, we can do all things. Even though things happen that Satan means for evil, God can turn them for good! Even though we are saddened by circumstances, we are still Saved and are going to Heaven! Hallelujah! He will never leave us or forsake us! These statements from the Word of God give us something to be happy about even in times of trouble. So, the opportunity to become an Overcomer is before you. Do you want to serve Him faithfully now and reign later on? Then learn through experience to offer Him Songs of Glorious Prayers and be to have Joy in the House of Prayer!
By: Dave Kachele “The Harvest is abundant; but the workers are few. Therefore, pray to the Lord of the Harvest to send out workers into His Harvest.” (Jesus as quoted in Matthew 9:37-38) This article is for Pastors and any who lead other Christians. Let me ask you: • Why are so many Christians reluctant to share the Gospel message? • What if every believer in your community was planting seeds? • What if every believer in your community was watering? • What if every believer in your community was enjoying the harvest? First, clarity: There is no “Gift of Evangelism” in the Bible. There is the gift of the evangelist, one of the equippers of the Body. (Eph 4:11-16) Yet, on every Spiritual Gift survey, Evangelism is listed as a gift. On online Spiritual Gift survey from ChurchGrowth.org reveals that only about 3 ½ % of laity have this “gift,” and only a little over 5% of pastors. The survey also reveals that most of us have non-verbal gifts like “Mercy” and “Helps.” Yet, the Great Commission is for all of us. I am an evangelist. My calling and vision is to inspire and equip any and all believers to share the Gospel with confidence and peace whenever one of those “God moments” occur. And when is that? Many times, it’s after some non-verbal demonstration of God’s love. Why are so many Christians reluctant to share the Gospel with words? Why isn’t the Living Water Flowing? I’m convinced that it’s because Christians aren’t Feeding the Spring! How many believers really understand their priceless value, that they’re partakers of the very nature of God? How many know their own spiritual gifts. How many Christians know how to focus their spiritual gifts on fulfilling God’s purpose to be in relationship with everyone on the planet? Finally, how many are adequately equipped to share the Gospel? Pastor, isn’t this what you’re trying to help them understand every time you get before the saints to teach and preach? It can be frustrating! Not long ago, Win and Grow Ministries had the privilege to come along side precious Body of Believers. They were doing so much that
was right! The pastor asked me, “Dave, what are we missing?” As we prayed and sought God together the answer came. Individual members were not sharing the Gospel with their friends, family, neighbors, co-workers, and acquaintances. So, we made it our focus to help every believer become personally and actively engaged in the Great Commission! His slogan became, “Each One ~ Reach One,” and what an impact they are making in their community! Win and Grow has developed a tool to help, and I’m sending it free to pastors all over the world. It’s a 50-day journey called, “THE RELUCTANT EVANGELIST: Embrace Your Gifts and Fulfill God’s Purpose.” I’m receiving amazing testimonies! Congregations are coming alive with passion to win and grow disciples! Most of these pastors can’t even access Amazon to purchase my book. It’s cheap to buy here in the states, but many oversees pastors simply can’t afford it. Perhaps this is you. Or, you know a pastor who could use a tool like this to train his or her people to share the Gospel freely with confidence and peace. If they have access to email, and especially if they have a reasonable way to copy it, I will send it to them for free. They only must promise not to resell the book for profit, and to send me testimonies of how it’s helping the work. I love working with Christian groups here in the states. It’s a joy to come alongside a body of believers and to help further inspire and equip the saints. Our message has been well-received everywhere we’ve ministered, and whole congregations are being positively impacted for Christ. I can’t afford to go to Africa, Pakistan, the Philippines, and India. And these pastors cannot afford to bring me. But, my book can go! And I am honored and blessed to send it. As an evangelist, my whole being burns with the desire to equip the Body for the work of the ministry, so I hope you’ll allow me to help. May every believer say, “I will ‘set apart Christ in their hearts as Lord, and always be ready to give an answer to everyone who asks about the hope that they have, and may they learn to do this with gentleness and respect.’” 1st Peter 3:15
RELUCTANT No More!
Photo by: Alissa Meier
“…if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.” Proverbs 2:3-5 (NIV)
by: Pastor Jo Bruns Sometimes in the ash-heap of yesterday’s memories, there lies a tarnished treasure that, once uncovered, shines like silver. Until we search through the layers of charred rubble, though, that treasure often remains untouched and forgotten. It is only when that still, small voice of God whispers, “Go back,” to those first encounters with Him that these treasures will begin to surface. Oftentimes, “going back’ requires sifting through painful memories and seeing them from God’s point of view for the very first time. One such incident involved my cousin, Rose Marie, and me. For reasons beyond understanding, we no longer have contact with one another, but it hadn’t always been this way. Growing up we had been rather close in age and had shared many good times together. Our grandmother’s diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease changed all that and it strained our parents’ relationships to the breaking point in dealing with it. Rose Marie and I became mere casualties in a war of words. As time went on, it had become easier to hide my feelings about it rather than to talk. God has a way, however, of uncovering all that is hidden, even when we’ve buried it deep within the soil of our hearts. It was just a bird. And we buried it. We found an old shoe box, laid the dead bird in it, covered it with a layer of grass, put the lid on the box, dug a hole in the ground, and buried it. And after
we buried it in the cold ground and said a few words about God, we went back down the hill into her yard. Why we buried that particular bird, I don’t remember; yet, I have often looked back to its “funeral service’ as a turning point—a crisis point—in my relationship with God. It was as if I had been pushed out of my comfortable nest and had been forced to “fly’ with wings of faith long before I was ever ready. My wings had been bruised in such a way I thought they would never be mended. God was there that day when we buried that bird and in the following years; yet, just like the icy wind that blew that day, my soul had begun to freeze along with the hope I had once known. In some ways, I had buried “God” in that box and walked away believing that He really didn’t care. I had gone through the motions of religion in burying that bird; but it wasn’t until later that I realized how far away from God I had tried to run. Yet the real truth is: there is nowhere in the world that we can hide that He will not pursue us with his everlasting love because He really does care for you and for me. At the same time, I was that sparrow, that bird in the box, who had died on the inside. And, until I realized that no matter where I’ve been, no matter how far I have fallen, no matter what my needs are, God cares and He knows everything. There is nothing hidden from God, not even in the charred remains of our past. Even today, He knows exactly where that bird is buried. He knows, too, where our families’ nests are planted. We, like the sparrows, can fly all over the world; but God knows our every move and our very worth. Sometimes discovering the truth about ourselves and knowing God begins with our return to the place where we first encountered Him. Jacob, after running from a broken relationship with his brother, Esau, found a deeper intimacy with God when He returned to Bethel where his past didn’t change but his heart and his name did. “And God said to Jacob, Arise, go up to Bethel and dwell there. And make there an altar to God Who Appeared to You (in a distinct manifestation) when you fled from the presence of Esau, your brother…Then Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, Put away the (images of) strange gods that are among you, and purify yourselves and change (into fresh) garments. Then let us arise and go up to Bethel, and I will make there an altar to God who answered me in the day of my distress and was with me wherever I went…So Jacob came to Luz, that is Bethel, which is in the land of Canaan, he and all the people with him. There he built an altar, and called the place El-Bethel (God of Bethel) for there God revealed Himself to him when he fled from the presence of his brother. Genesis 35:1-3; 6-7 (AMP) Are you the sparrow that God has his eyes upon? Do you have that reassurance that God cares for you? Are there hidden things in the shadows of your memory that you keep overlooking? Do you need to come to God’s dwelling place so He can cover you with His grace and His mercy? Today is your tomorrow’s yesterday. Are you willing to look at yesterday’s ash-heap for the treasures you have need of today? Don’t overlook what God has in His storehouse of treasures for His outstretched hand holds the power to make your memories shine like new.
by: Matt Deves I hear this phrase so often one would think that It must be in the bible. I still can’t find it… “If you do your part, God will do His” Oh the heartache this cute, but the lie-infused phrase has caused for so many people who are going through hard times. When the well-meaning preacher encourages you to, “Do your part so God can do his,” they might be unaware of how folks perceive that instruction. Here are some of the destructive ways it comes across: Your problems will be fixed by God if you would just… You can do this yourself. As long as you do things right, God will bless you. God reacts to you following all the rules by doing something for you, like a treat. Like a puppy dog on a system of rewards and punishment. You should straighten up, and God might answer your prayer. Everyone else at church must have this figured out. It’s just me. You can’t figure this out, so you must be worthless. Lies, Lies, and more Lies. The truth is, God already did His part. He set you up to receive before you ever knew it. You have been given, “ALL THINGS!” For His divine power has bestowed upon us all things that [are requisite and suited] to life and godliness, through the [full, personal] knowledge of Him Who called us by and to His own glory and excellence (virtue). 2 Peter 1:3 Amplified
If you look up the phrase “all things” in the Greek dictionary, you will find the word, pas. It is an all-encompassing primary word that not only means all, any, and everything but includes the whole thing. It means all manner of and all means of. Always. Anyone. Any day. Whatever. Everyone and every way. As many as needed. Plus nothing. Thoroughly, whatsoever, and whosoever. Do you think that will take care of anything you might need? The King James version says, “hath given” and when we look at the original Greek language, a beautiful picture emerges. Wuest Word Studies reports that the phrase, “Hath given” is dōreō, a stronger and more expressive word than didōmi, "to give." It means "to grant or bestow." Strachan says, t”his word and its cognates always carry a certain regal sense describing an act of large-handed generosity.” It is a perfect participle, speaking of the past completed act of presenting the gift with the present result that it is in possession of the believer with no strings tied to it. It is his permanent possession, having been given by pure grace.” Large-Handed generosity completed before you were born that now lives in you! Instead, immense in mercy and with an incredible love, he embraced us. He took our sin-dead lives and made us alive in Christ. He did all this on his own, with no help from us! Ephesians 2:4-5 Message Bible No help from you! You do not need to do God’s part for Him. He already did it. He calls that Grace. Here are the same verses from the Mirror Bible. 'None of this could distract from the extravagant love of God; he continued to love us with the exact same intensity. This is how grace rescued us: sin left us dead towards God, like spiritual corpses; yet in that state of deadness and indifference, God co-quickened us together with Christ. Sin proved how dead we were (the law confirmed it!) Grace reveals how alive we now are (the gospel announces it!) Before anyone but God believed it, he made us alive together with him and raised us up together with him. " Even when we were dead (slain) by [our own] shortcomings and trespasses, He made us alive together in fellowship and in union with Christ; [He gave us the very life of Christ Himself, the same new life with which He quickened Him, for] it is by grace (His favor and mercy which you did not deserve) that you are saved (delivered from judgment and made partakers of Christ’s salvation). Ephesians 2:5 AMP Did you read that? Before you ever knew Him? Before you ever thought there was a “to-do” list! You have been delivered from judgement. You are judged righteous. Verse 5 in the KJV says, "Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;). Again, let’s see how Wuest’s expands our understanding with the original intent.
"Now comes the interjection, "by grace ye are saved." We have here in the Greek what is called a periphrastic construction. This is used when the writer cannot get all of the details of action from one verbal form. So, he uses two, a finite verb and a participle. The participle here is in the perfect tense, which tense speaks of an action that took place in past time and was completed in past time, having results existent in present time. The translation reads, "By grace have you been completely saved, with the present result that you are in a saved state of being." The perfect tense speaks of the existence of finished results in present time. But Paul is not satisfied with showing the existence of finished results in present time. He wants to show the persistence of results through present time. So he uses the verb "to be" in the present tense which gives durative force to the finished results. Thus, the full translation is, "By grace you have been saved in past time completely, with the result that you are in a state of salvation which persists through present time." The unending state of the believer in salvation could not have been put in stronger or clearer language. The finished results of the past act of salvation are always present with the reader. His present state of salvation is dependent upon one thing and one thing only, his past appropriation of the Lord Jesus as Saviour.” Sorry, that was so long, but I feel you needed to read it. Would you have looked it up yourself? That’s why I had to quote the whole section. Here’s how Wuest renders the same verses from Ephesians: But God, being wealthy in the sphere of mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, and we, being dead with respect to our trespasses, made us alive together with the Christ; by grace have you been saved completely in past time, with the present result that you are in a state of salvation which persists through present time, and raised us with Him and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, in order that He might exhibit for His own glory in the ages that will pile themselves one upon another in continuous succession, the surpassing wealth of His grace in kindness to us in Christ Jesus. If you have been trying to re-do God’s part for him, please take a deep-breath and relax. The present result of Salvation is living in you. Your salvation is not a reward for good behavior! It was a grace thing from start to finish; you had no hand in it. Even the gift to believe simply reflects his faith! Eph. 2:8 Mirror Bible God completed His part and gifted it to you ahead of time. His belief in you started it. No conditions. Enjoy!
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Photo by: Genice Fulton
By: Dewanshu Ahlawat Hello and welcome back to one and all. Let me hug all my readers and thank you for your valuable time. How are you all? In this month, we are going to discuss some amazing facts about India. Since it August is the month of India’s Independence from the foreign rule. Let me tell you some amazing things about the country I live in. I am not promoting any particular nation. GOD made this world and His every place is beautiful whether it is India or USA or Kenya or whatsoever. Let’s get started. 1. Mangoes: India holds 40% of the world’s production of mangoes. In the summer season, Indians are fond of enjoying mango fruit. 15 million tonnes of mangoes are produced in 35 varieties annually. 2. Movies: India makes more number of films than any other country. India’s film industry is termed as Bollywood. Indians love movies. 1602 movies were made in 35 different languages in India in the year 2015. 3. Highest Bridge: India has the highest bridge of the world. It is the Baily Bridge. It was built by the Indian Army in the year 1982 in Ladakh region. 4. No Plastic Bags: There were no plastic bags in India before 1985. One must not use plastic bags. They take 300 years to degrade. They harm the aquatic animals. They even contaminate soil and water. 5. Bank with No Doors: Yes you read it correct. The only Bank in the world without any doors is in India. UCO Bank was opened in Shani Shingnapur area of Maharashtra state in the year 2011. It is a small religious village. No homes in this village have doors. It is a believed custom that if any thief or robber does any illegal activity here then God punishes him. 6. Cursed River: There is a Karmanasa River having total length of 192 kilometres. It is believed that touching its water would ruin one’s progress. There is hardly any development along the river.
7. Kabaddi World Cups: It is very interesting to note that India has won all the Kabaddi world cups in both men and women teams. Kabaddi is a sport that can be played anywhere and by anybody. All it requires is a whittle and a ground. 8. Vegetarian People: India has the largest number of vegetarian people in the whole world. 9. Second Largest Mobile Phone User: India is the second largest mobile phone users in the world. The first country in this race is China. 10. Maximum No of Mosques: India being a Hindu majority nation has the maximum number of mosques in the whole world. There are 3,00,000 mosques in India. India is truly a multi-cultural country. I hope you found this article interesting. I will meet all my readers again in the forthcoming month with another interesting article. This is Dewanshu Ahlawat, M.Tech (Structures) and having 27 certifications signing off. I would like to express my thanks to the respected Editor Mrs. Faye G Hanshew and Co Editor Dr. Bill Hanshew for publishing my article in their esteemed magazine. Have a good day everyone. God loves us all.
Photo by: Genice Fulton
by: Genice Fulton
If you are filled with light, with no dark corners, then your whole life will be radiant, as though a floodlight were filling you with light. (Luke 11: 36, NLT) We moved in Alaska in 2014 making the Land of the Midnight Sun our home. To some, Alaska is extreme. Some areas of our state experience darkness twenty-four hours per day in the winter months. In our area, we don’t have that much darkness. In our area, we have approximately four hours sunlight in the winter. The light peaks through the clouds around 11:00 AM and starts to set around 3:00 PM. This past weekend I was in a conversation with someone about living in Alaska and they asked if the darkness in the winters bother me. I explained the winter darkness doesn’t bother me because I focus on the light. We plan our winter days around the light and insure we are outside during the brightest times of the day in order to maximize the light as much as possible. We are home schoolers, so we work on assignments and household chores waiting for the light. We talk about the light, we
plan for the light, and the moment the light peeks through the clouds, we drop everything and spend as much time as possible in the light.
We spend as much time in the light as is possible as often as possible. (1 Thessalonians 5:17) During this conversation, it suddenly occurred to me we have never had issues with the darkness because our focus is on the light. (Matthew 6:33, Hebrews 4:12) We fill ourselves with The Light because it is our heart’s desire for our whole life to be radiant glorifying Him! (Luke 11:36, Matthew 5:16) Independent of where we live and independent of what surrounds us, we are given the ability to choose Light! (Deuteronomy 30:15) Now this is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you--that God is light and in Him there is no darkness at all. (1 John 1:5-7, TLV) But if we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another and the blood of His Son Yeshua purifies us from all sin. (1 John 1:7, TLV) And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, and it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness. (Genesis 1:3-4, NLT) If you are filled with light, with no dark corners, then your whole life will be radiant, as though a floodlight were filling you with light. (Luke 11: 36, NLT) We moved in Alaska in 2014 making the Land of the Midnight Sun our home. To some, Alaska is extreme. Some areas of our state experience darkness twenty-four hours per day in the winter months. In our area, we don’t have that much darkness. In our area, we have approximately four hours sunlight in the winter. The light peaks through the clouds around 11:00 a.m. and starts to set around 3:00 p.m. This past weekend I was in a conversation with someone about living in Alaska and they asked if the darkness in the winters bother me. I explained the winter darkness doesn’t bother me because I focus on the light. We plan our winter days around the light and insure we are outside during the brightest times of the day in order to maximize the light as much as possible. We are home schoolers, so we work on assignments and household chores waiting for the light. We talk about the light, we plan for the light, and the moment the light peeks through the clouds, we drop everything and spend as much time as possible in the light.
We spend as much time in the light as is possible as often as possible. (1 Thessalonians 5:17) During this conversation, it suddenly occurred to me we have never had issues with the darkness because our focus is on the light. (Matthew 6:33, Hebrews 4:12) We fill ourselves with The Light because it is our heart’s desire for our whole life to be radiant glorifying Him! (Luke 11:36, Matthew 5:16) Independent of where we live and independent of what surrounds us, we are given the ability to choose Light! (Deuteronomy 30:15) Now this is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you--that God is light and in Him there is no darkness at all. (1 John 1:5-7, TLV) But if we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another and the blood of His Son Yeshua purifies us from all sin. (1 John 1:7, TLV) And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, and it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness. (Genesis 1:3-4, NLT)
Photo by: Genice Fulton
Photo by: Genice Fulton
Immersed in the Father’s Presence By: Author/Speaker Larry Thompson Looking at what has been described as the Great Commission, we can discover exactly how Jesus states to disciple others. One thing I have noticed is that He told His disciples to… “teaching them observe all that I have commanded you.” In this whole discourse these are things to teach others how to observe, such as baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Taking a closer look at just the one word, “baptizing” we might momentarily state that as the word immersing. We should be teaching others how to observe being immersed in the Father’s presence. When Adam and Eve had sinned, they knew they were naked and hid themselves from the Father’s presence. The Father had clothed them with animal skins after their fallen state. We, however, are blinded to the state of His glory when it comes to being clothed with Him. Mostly, the eyes of our understanding have not been enlightened to detect anything concerning His glory. We are to teach others how to observe how to detect when they are clothed in His glory, and when they are not. We have taught others when they received Christ, that they became a new creation and all things have become new. However, all that truly had taken place is that Christ is in us, the hope of glory. When we are IN CHRIST, as the Scripture has stated, then we are a new creation. We are created for glory. He forms us, and He makes us. The one place in Scripture that uses this phrase, “Father of glory” is found in Ephesians 1:17. That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the
spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him. Take note of these three different words that reveal insight on the Father of glory–wisdom, revelation, and knowledge. Wisdom is the truth and framework found in Scripture. Revelation is every word that the Holy Spirit reveals to us. Knowledge is the permanent residency within us that Jesus described as,”…His words abiding in us.” His glory is invisible, and to be clothed with that which is invisible, the Father has given to us many images that are designed purposely to capture the revelation of when we are clothed and when we are not clothed in His glory. Hence, the direction by the Holy Spirit given in Scripture, “Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalted itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5). Those imaginations or images that are not in alignment with the knowledge of the glory do not clothe us with His glory. Only those images that come from the throne of glory truly clothed us in His glory. For instance, from the throne of glory comes perfect peace. Anything that is not perfect peace is an image that will not clothe us in His glory. Those images that are associated with ripples on the pond are to be cast down.
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by: Evg Ernest Kweku Nanor
And David said to Saul, “Let no man's heart fail because of him. Your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.� (1 Samuel 17:32, ESV) On several occasions the Philistine whose name was Goliath, stood before the people of God speaking his evil and swelling vain words on the very elect and anointed people of God. His motives were to frustrate the children of God with his swelling words; and his physical body structure alone gave him that pace and power to think himself to be something that he is not. Blasphemous language was nothing to him as long as he was concerned, and the children of Israel at that moment could not speak a word to him. Yes, the King himself was terrified by his physical structure. This reminds me of those professional fishermen who were frustrated by the nature of the storm that erupted at the sea in the course of their outreaches. Peter, James and John together with the rest of the disciples applied every experience they knew, but yet they failed. But when they reached out to Jesus Christ, the number one question He asked them was, where is your faith! At that time, we could all discern that their faith had been stolen away by the severe nature of the storm which had erupted. They had all forgotten that the fact that the Creator of the whole heavens and earth, was the same person who was in the boat with them.
Like these three disciples of Jesus Christ in the midst of a serious storm, the children of Israel, together with King Saul had forgotten what God was capable of doing; and when Goliath stood to blaspheme against the Holy name of their God, they all choose not to speak a word. Their faith had been stolen, killed and destroyed by those swelling words Goliath was spitting on them. This passage reveals the reason why many in the church today have allowed satan to steal away their faith in God's word with many challenges and frustrations. According to 1 Samuel 17, we see that the moment David got to the scene, he saw the challenge and was provoked and made a great difference, which Saul himself was unwilling to make. And David said to Saul, “Let no man’s heart fail because of him. Your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.” (1 Samuel 17:32, ESV) Under this Old Covenant concept, many Medical Doctors, Bible Teachers, Lawyers, Carpenters, Bankers, Gold Miners, Drivers, Managers, Accountants, Computer Scientists, and even Ministers of the Gospel would fall short when they encounter challenges like this. Only a few in these categories might be able to call out to the name of the Lord; especially when they have applied every experience, skill and knowledge they have to a specific matter. We all know that you do not need a pair of spectacles to see when people are committing what is sinful or what is not sinful; or what is a righteous act or what is not a righteous act. Many at times we have seen the same thing in our offices, churches and societies, and we might be tempted to cover up an individual’s wrongful act without confronting them about it. However, when the person is not informed about what he or she has been doing wrong, they may keep doing the same offensive action. Some of these various things can be the reason of the break-up of many God ordained relationships and or marriages. Many churches today have declined greatly and continue to decline because of the challenge in human relationships. How can a patient refuse to attend to a specified medical officer because of his personal difference with them, which has nothing to do with his or her profession? The Teacher and the Prophet are not going along because one thinks he or she hears directly from God and the other person thinks that he knows every revelation in the Bible better than all the others. Why can't we move together with our specialized giftings to the benefit of the entire body? While others have a strong challenge with money and the handling of money, others are very good with money and the handling of money. However, due to personal differences, one might want to do everything by themselves which will eventually could lead to their fall by a misappropriation of funds, or mismanagement of resources.
This is the time to say “no” to every storm that seems to confront you. It is time for the church to collaborate at the highest level and remember our position as children of God. When there are problems in the leadership or management or administration, then definitely the entire body will be affected by it. Today, many church buildings have been closed-down due to Pastors not having people to preach to, due to a decline of attendance. It seems that people no longer receive ministers who can help by instructing them about the issue of selfcenteredness, ego and pride. We see many messages have been propagated out of the unrenewed mind. There are messages from the circular human points of views that claim that there is no God, and that everyone is his own god and can do anything that pleases him; whether it is good or bad. Many individuals believe that there was never a Creator. Only that everything occurred by evolution, and that human beings came from chimpanzees. With these types of teachings in the minds, even many men and women have chosen lifestyles that have no motive to marry in accordance to the divine pattern shown in Genesis 2. Many in the church today have propagated most of these teachings and are working their way out to remove God from his throne and Christ from his church; if that were even possible. Some also think that heaven and hell are not real, without realizing that God has made His heavenly abode in us even through a world of people today are living in a hell from day to day. You cannot take these things away from scriptures, but we must gain a more accurate interpretation of what they mean to us. Jesus Christ is alive, and even now, the blood of Jesus is active, and alive in the heavenly realms on our behalf. Jesus said to His disciples, I will build my church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. Here Jesus did not mean that the gates of hell will not fight it, but he said that the gates of hell, however length, weight and height it was will not prevail against it. And in that day, the law was constantly fighting against that which Christ was about to establish. Today, our hope is in the finished work of Jesus. Our hope is to trust in the Lord and His word, which is our ultimate position to stand in. Just as it is written in the book of John chapter one; “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (John 1:1, ESV) The Word is referring to Jesus. “1 Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, 2 just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, 3 it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, 4 that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught.” (Luke 1:1-4, ESV)
“1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life- 2 the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us- 3 that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. 4 And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.� (1 John 1:1-4, ESV) Evg. Ernest Kweku Nanor Author: Revealing Jesus, Amazon Youth Leader: The Church of Pentecost, Ghana. Team Leader: Fire Evangelism