End Times Myopia
During the 40-day post-resurrection ministry of Jesus to His disciples, He progressively prepared them for what they would face after His departure. By the time of their last meeting with Jesus, they had received the Great Commission. We pick up the narrative in the Book of Acts.
“And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.“
Acts 1:4,5
In the latter days of the private ministry of Jesus to His disciples, He told them of the Promise of the Father, which would be essential for them to fulfill their mission.
“And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever;“
John 14:6
“But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.“
John 14:26
“But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:“
John 15:26
“Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.“
John 16:7
It is certainly clear that Jesus was preparing His Church to fulfill its purpose of reaching out to the whole world with the Gospel. When Jesus meets them in Jerusalem, we are told,
“When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, ‘Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?’“
Acts 1:6
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They Want Your Child!
From the first family to your family, a threat lurks for every child. Genesis 4 fails to record the reaction of either Adam or Eve upon hearing that one son (Cain) killed another son (Abel). Several months later, upon the birth of a third son, Eve named him Seth saying, “For God has appointed another seed for me instead of Abel, whom Cain killed.” Surely her pain endured, and her questions lingered. The attack on the family persists to this day. Is it a coincidence that Paul when writing to the church at Ephesus preceded his teaching on Spiritual Warfare with teaching on family relationships? From fratricide to fiat, control and consequences abound regarding the welfare of your child.
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The Duty to Define
“There are two burdens every aspiring critical thinker must consider when making or evaluating an argument—the evidentiary burden and the persuasive burden.“ Underlying these burdens are several duties necessary to meet them—in this article, we will consider what I call “the Duty to Define.“ Words and phrases form the foundation of any argument and when their meaning is ambiguous or duplicitous, so is the position that relies on these words or phrases.
Have you ever said, “Jesus bless you“ rather than “God bless you“ to a stranger or even to an acquaintance? For the Christian, Jesus is God and God is Jesus. Consider what Jesus said about Himself, “I and the Father are One.“ John’s Gospel begins with the concept that, “The Word was God. The Word dwelt among us.“ And yet, even though the believer would agree that the two phrases are synonymous, the lack of specificity of the phrase “God bless you“ can be a more comfortable salutation. (Come on, admit it! Or better yet, try it and see what you think!)
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Defending the Family
The attack on the Biblical family unit has never been greater. The pervasive influences of secular philosophy, psychology, and sociology have driven the traditional family unit to the brink of extinction. Like a spiritual tsunami, the influences of modern moral relativism are rapidly eroding the confidence of many Christians in Biblical foundational truths concerning marriage, family and parenting.
In writing to the church at Ephesus, the apostle Paul warned that “you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind.” Sadly many Christians are still looking to the “broken cisterns” of the world to find answers for their domestic challenges. Jesus said, “If the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch.” Therefore, taking instruction from the blind guides of this world destines you to failure.
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K-House for Kids
For years I have explored the idea of creating material for kids that taught them critical thinking skills. While living in England in 1995, I was given a chance to make a Bible presentation to the local middle school students during one of their morning assemblies. That gave me the chance to try and create something that had been swirling around in my head for a long time. That opportunity birthed the first of a series of “You Decide” presentations. I began the presentation by telling the children, “You are a Scientist. You must decide which came first; The Chicken or the Egg.” The excitement that was generated in the hall that day sparked a passion in me to prepare this young generation of future adults with a skill that was not, in my estimation, being taught.
Over the years of ministry partnership with Chuck Missler, I have witnessed the benefit of not just teaching people the Bible but also teaching them how to learn for themselves. The motto of Acts 17:11 stands as a core belief and practice within Koinonia House. Therefore, teaching people how to think is as important as teaching them what to think.
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