Evangelistic Education Ministries

RO 12:1 Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.
RO 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect

“….to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice…” Rom12:1. In what way are you willing to serve God? Serving God can be in many forms. It could be your witness for God in your work place. It could be just making yourself available to God to do whatever He asks. What does God indicate to you to do – helping those in need physically or spiritually, praying for those who may be sick and needing comfort, is it teaching the character of God? If you make yourself available there is much you can be do for the glory of God.

“…which is your spiritual service of worship…” Ram 12:1 Serving God may also include your worship of God. The often asked question – what is worshiping God? Is it attending a church worship service? Is it being completely devoted to God serving Him in the way He is leading? Could it include being a faithful witness for God in your daily life? Devotion to God in a reasonable way free from sin may be your form of worship. Worship of God is more than just attending church services, Bible studies or any other church function. Doing what you can for God’s Glory.

Being there for God is just as important as God being there for us.

“…And do not be conformed to this world…” Rom 12:2 If you work in the world or are involved in any community activities one must have to be very careful that you do not become conformed to worldly thinking or worldly things. Most everyone has heard of the NFL Super Bowl. The Super Bowl this year (2012) will be in Indianapolis, IN. The Super Bowl game is on Sunday February 5, 2012 and that is what many think of when the Super Bowl is discussed. The Super bowl game is for the NFL championship of the season. But the celebrating and playing in the host city begins at least 10 days before game is actually played. The host city and other companies spend millions of dollars preparing for that one game. You just cannot imagine the amount of dollars that are spent to entertain and play for a week. Commercial companies and the NFL spend millions of dollars entertaining providing ways for people to play for that 10 days leading up to the Super Bowl. This is an extravagant way that one can be involved in the world. But what about what is happening in your daily world? What about the gossip, the social activities in your work world?

Make the distinction and separate yourself from the world?

“…be transformed by the renewing of your mind…” Rom 12:2 One has to constantly in personal study to continue to grow and to develop an understanding of God. One has to be willing to change to learn and develop a more personal relationship with God. This transformation can only come by prayer, study and serving God with a whole heart and mind. It has to be a spiritual thing. The renewing of your mind is something that is never fully achieved. It is something that is constantly ongoing and growing.

“…you may prove what the will of God is…” Living Rom 12:1-2 then the will of God in your life will be evident to all especially yourself. Those to whom you are with will notice the transformation in your character to be more like God. This will be evident to all you know and meet.

All of this in Rom 12:1-2 is available only if you have gone before God to ask for forgiveness of your sins. Seeking total forgiveness is the only way to have a relationship with God. God expects a total surrender to him. MT 6:33 “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you”

It has been observed there are many uses for the Holy Bible. Some use the Bible to teach a false doctrine inserting personal preferences when interpreting the word of God. Some use the Bible to fit their predetermined thinking. They have a preconceived idea before they even begin to apply the Word. Some will interpret the Bible to fit their lifestyle thus supporting their selfishness and sin. Some will use verses to support doctrines omitting verses that do not support their theology.

Some may carry their Bible to church then place it in the back seat of the car until the next time. Some may have a Bible on the coffee table in their living room. There it sits until it is dusted. Both situations give impressions, they think, that they are religious people. These people rarely open the Bible to understand the character of God.

Some people read the Bible but do not study the Bible for a determination of God’s character and God’s position on sin. They just do not seem to understand the Bible so they still live or meddle in sin while proclaiming to be Christians. They think they can still live the sinful lifestyle regardless of the words in the Bible. Evidently the Bibles does not mean anything to them as they continue in sin despite what they read. They don’t understand.

The Bible should be the guide to understand the character of God. God uses the Bible to teach about Himself and His Son Jesus and about the creation. The Bible is full of truths. Truths one should understand. God teaches about His creation and the relationship man is to have with the creation and to one another. (Gen 1:28-31) God also expresses His great sadness of the choices and the life style of man (Gen 6:5-7).

How often did God in the Bible warn or regret the decisions man has made. God promised the sons of Abraham they would occupy the Promised Land. God brought the Sons of Israel out of slavery in Egypt through the desert to the Promised Land providing for their needs and protecting them but what did they do when they got to the promised land. They did not trust God. Several years later when they went into the Promised Land God through His prophets warned the Israelites of the sinfulness. How the prophets did attempted to persuade the children of God to turn from their selfishness to a glorious relationship with Him. They were given the best but they lost it to other countries. God withdrew His protective hand from them because they did not trust in Him and Him alone. They loved selfishness and the world – sin.

The Sons of Israel came under the control of Babylon and Rome because of the sin. God became frustrated with the Sons of Israel He then established the New Covenant through the birth and ministry of His Son Jesus. Through the ministry of Jesus God established a New Covenant that included the Gentiles in this New Covenant. Through the death of Jesus on the Cross, the burial in a grave, the resurrection from the grave after 3 days, and the eventual ascension to the right hand of God the New Covenant was established.
In the New Covenant God expected man and woman to live a life free from sin – to live a life in harmony with the character of God. (Rom 12:1-2) Matthew, Mark, Luke and John teach Jesus and His establishment of the New Covenant and how man and woman are to live within this New Covenant. Paul, the gospel writers, James, Peter and John explain to the specific audiences they were addressing to live in an upright and obedient manner before. Nowhere does it allow for mankind to live selfishly or in sin.
God through Paul taught the consequences of not living in a personal relationship with God. Man cannot continue to live for self with little or no regard for God. There are consequences to all decisions.
Sin is destroying mankind. Mankind living selfishly is destroying each other. Mankind is of the belief they can do whatever they chose no one will get hurt. They believe there are no deadly consequences to their sinful choices. To them sin is ok. But is it ok? Revelations has much to say concerning sinful choices. There are consequences. What is the outcome of these choices? Can sin and righteousness coexist? (Rev 3:15-16, Rev 22:12-13)

Psalm 23

PS 23:1 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want.
The shepherd of a flock of sheep is responsible for the well-being, protection and guidance of the sheep. The shepherd watches over the sheep being sure to keep them safe from predators. God watches over His people giving guidance wisdom and protecting them from sinners. God watches giving direction and wisdom through his Holy Spirit. God does provide for needs.
JN 14:16 “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever;
JN 14:17 that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know
Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.
JN 14:26 “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and
bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.

PS 23:2 He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters.
The image of a green pasture and tranquil waters brings the thoughts of quietness, peacefulness,
restfulness. This image should portray to us comfort and peace of mind. God will provide, while in
Him, an atmosphere of contentment – an escape from the troubles of the world.

PS 23:3 He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.
God gives salvation – restoring to a right relationship with Him. The Holy Spirit will give guidance
that there may be a righteous life in Him. Because He is God and wants all His people to be in Him.

PS 23:4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
The valley of the shadow of death – this could be the work place or anywhere there would be those
who do not have a spiritual relationship with God. If one allows themselves to become involved in
fellowship with groups of the world this could lead to involvement in the very same sins of the world.
Work places are places of gossip, bickering, and other forms of conflicts and discontent. Places of sin
can be found in almost all social groups.

PS 23:5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil;
My cup overflows.
In the image of the table of the last supper all was provided for the meal. God provides for the needs
of His people even in the surroundings of a sinful world. Anointing with oil brings the idea of God
providing physical well-being. God will provide blessings, more blessings than expected. God
will provide physical and spiritual blessings more than one can imagine.

PS 23:6 Surely goodness and loving kindness will follow me all the days of my life,
And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
As one maintains a spiritual relationship with God there will then follow the ability to do good for
others. One will do for others out of concern and care for the person. There is a need and the person
of God will provide for that need through God.
Coming to a personal understanding and relationship with God realizing the things of the world do not
provide eternal peace and comfort so one must do all they can to be sure they are in a correct and full
relationship with God.
There is a life there with God that will give all that one could imagine – needs, spiritual contentment, protection from the sinful world. Spiritual peace is the big reward for obedience of God.

by J. W. Jepson, D.Min.

During a college psychology class a discussion turned to the subject of constructs. In psychology a “construct” is a group of mental impressions put together in a specific form to aid the imagination in its speculation. A construct does not exist in objective reality. It is only a mental form. It is useful only as a mental scaffold to help build more concrete understandings. Once it outlasts its usefulness, it can be discarded.

During the discussion a student asked the instructor, “is God a construct?”

The instructor replied that the existence of God is beyond the scope of science. Science deals with physical observations and experimentation. Being nonphysical and nonobservable as to His person. God is outside the jurisdiction of science.

The instructor was correct.

Does this mean that God has not made himself known? No. On the contrary. God has provided a full range of compelling evidences of himself-His existence, His nature, His will. When properly considered, to the honest inquirer these will be conclusive.

“But I must have absolute proof” the skeptic demands.

This is presumptuous, unfair, and futile. The Creator will not surrender His sovereignty or authority to any man. (and will not climb onto anyone’s laboratory table, squeeze into anyone’s test tube, slide under anyone’s microscope, and play specimen for any mortal who insists on being a validator of Deity.

More than any other challenge to the human mind, this search requires humility in the inquirer. But it is the one that elicits the most untempered pride. Often humility, objectivity, and diligence are most lacking. The reason is that the search confronts the person himself or herself most directly and totally-the ego, the value-system, the lifestyle, the issue of who shall be supreme. The unbeliever wants to avoid an honest encounter with the truth of God and the God of truth. The bias is not merely intellectual: it is moral.

On this subject, man cannot arrive at the truth by starting from himself. But the very nature of the inquiry, if we are to know God, God must reveal himself to us and we must honestly accept His self-revelation. We must follow God’s rules, including the indispensable conditions of humility and faith-reasonable faith-demanded by the evidence.

When we consider honestly the full testimony that God has given to us concerning himself, we must ask: What more can God say to us without shouting at us? What more can He do without forcing himself on us? Does the agnostic want God to come and forcibly crush all his cavils? Will additional evidence convince the person who refuses to give due consideration to the evidences now available examine further evidence?

Are most unbelievers giving this quest the diligence it deserves? No. They are not seeking after God. They are looking for a reason to avoid Him.

In her book, God Is No Fool, Lois A. Cheney wrote:

“I once knew a young man who was searching for God. And I was touched by his search; and I prayed for his search; and I loved his search.

“He read a lot of books. He thought and thought about their ideas. He talked to many people, in pairs and in groups; they matched their minds with his and they furthered his search. He walked and sought God in the rain. He climbed and sought God on the mountain. He closed himself off from the world and sought God in his soul.

“He would describe his searching and travels for truth. He would explain how he had meticulously and prayerfully sorted, rejected, and accepted.

“As the years went on, I changed from anticipating the recounting of his searches, to simply receiving them; to being bored with them: to avoiding them; and him. You see, he had fallen in love with his search.

“God just isn’t that hard to find”*

Yes, God has revealed himself to us. In a myriad of ways He is telling us things about himself, communicating so everyone who will listen can hear. For that reason the Bible does not attempt to prove the existence of God. He needs no proof. His own testimony is proof enough for the honest heart.

“He is not far from each one of us” (Acts 17:27,NIV). The moment you come to Jesus Christ, you will meet Him.

And what kind of proof is required? The answer of course is physical, empirical proof. The evidence must fit the unbeliever’s own specifications in order to meet a certain criteria for belief. In other words, the unbeliever tries to set the rules of inquiry and demands that God follow them. Making himself sovereign, the secularist proceeds to dictate the boundaries of acceptable information. Instead of considering the existing evidence, he insists on having other information as a precondition for personal faith.

All rights reserved, including the right to grant the following permission and to prohibit the misuse thereof:

The Author hereby grants permission to reproduce the text of this article, without changes or alterations*, as a ministry, but not for commercial or non-ministry purposes.

Life In Christ Center, 3095 Cherry Heights Road, The Dalles, Oregon 97058

ISA 9:6For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. ISA 9:7There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this.ISA 7:14“Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name ImmanuelISA 53:4Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted. ISA 53:5But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed. ISA 53:6All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him.ISA 55:6Seek the LORD while He may be found; Call upon Him while He is near. ISA 55:7Let the wicked forsake his way And the unrighteous man his thoughts; And let him return to the LORD, And He will have compassion on him, And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon. ISA 55:8“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD.ISA 55:11So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.    Because of the disobedience of the Sons of Israel approximately 700 B. C. God prophesized He was going to send His Son Immanuel or Jesus.  There was going to be a tremendous responsibility and burden for the Son of God.      The Son of God was going to have authority in the government of God.  Jesus was going to have a part in the process God had planned for the forgiveness of sin.  Jesus was going to be an integral part in the forgiveness of sin.  Isaiah 53    Because the sons of Israel were disobedient to the word of God, God was establishing a new government in His Kingdom and Jesus was going to be of extreme importance in this new government.  This new government was going to be much different.  This new covenant was even going to include the Gentile people.    The people of the 700 B.C. time were involved in the pursuit of selfishness. Thus God prophesized the grief and the burden Jesus was to bear for the sins of the people.  There would be forgiveness of sin – true forgiveness. “And by His scourging we are healed”    Because Jesus had authority over God’s creation and the fact that Jesus was able to bring forgiveness of sin with his death on the cross, the resurrection and the ascension to the right hand of God the government of God rested upon Jesus. “And by His scourging we are healed”    It was prophesized by Isaiah Jesus was going to suffer much for the selfishness of man and woman. “He was crushed for our iniquities” “But He was pierced through for our transgressions”.    Even though this time of year has become so commercialized – a sign of selfishness – there are many in the CHURCH who still understand the celebration we have this time of year. “For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us;”     “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel”    JESUS IS BORN    God in his infinite wisdom prophesized 700 BC that he would send His Son to bring forgiveness of son. ISA 53:6All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him.God understood the state of mankind in there selfishness.  The system God established with the sacrifices was not working.  God understood the needto be a systemof forgiveness of sin through Jesus