Bruchko

 

If you are looking for an incredible story of God's power to read for yourself or to your children or for one of your teens to read, I highly recommend Bruchko by Bruce Olson. It is the story of Bruce Olson's experiences among the Motilones, a "head-hunting" tribe of people in Columbia with whom Bruce, named Bruchko by the tribal members, shared the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. I highly recommend it! 

Here is a summary, from Forerunner about him which is very encouraging. It's awesome to see God's hand at work!!!

Missions Report: Bruce Olson's and Colombia's Motilone Indians

By Jay Rogers

Published October 1992

Since 1961, missionary Bruce Olson has labored for the gospel of Jesus Christ among the Motilone Indians deep in the jungles of Colombia’s high Catatumbo region. But today Olson’s most exciting missionary work still lies ahead.

In the past thirty years, Olson has founded bilingual schools, medical clinics and agricultural centers among the Motilones. His Christ-like humility and work of service to the Motilones has earned him the status of a tribal member. Indian chiefs throughout the region representing 50 tribes and half a million tribe members look to Olson with great awe and respect. He has become a friend of five Colombian presidents; has spoken before the United Nations; and has received educational awards from the Colombian government. Although he completed college only through correspondence schools, his work on translating the Scriptures into the native Indian dialects has earned him honor among linguistics scholars.

Nineteen-year-old Olson first travelled to South America with only a one-way plane ticket and $70 in his pocket. A young person with a deep burden for Colombia’s hidden people, Olson set out in in search of the Motilones: a fierce, primitive tribe that no white man had ever encountered and lived. Olson’s adventures in Colombia brought him face to face with the Motilones when he was shot through the leg with a three foot arrow. He was brought as a prisoner to their camp to recover. “Bruchko” – the name the Indians gave him (the Motilones were not able to pronounce Bruce Olson) – eventually won over the hearts of these tribal people. Today the Motilones are almost universally converted to Christ.

Three years ago (1989), Bruce Olson was kidnapped in the mountain jungles of Colombia and detained for nine months as a political prisoner by communist guerillas. Hoping to win him as a valuable communist leader, the communists attempted to indoctrinate him through daily political dialogues. “Papa Bruchko” – as they called him – became a source of fascination among the young recruits in training. Many of them began to join Olson in prayer and Bible study. As many as 60 communist guerillas eventually gave their lives to Christ. His refusal to join ranks with the communists earned him death threats and he narrowly escaped execution by a firing squad.

Fearing the reprisal of a united war effort of 50 jungle tribes, the guerilla leaders released Olson in the summer of 1989. The Indian tribes of Colombia had united against the guerillas in a war-pledge to defend Olson’s cause if he was executed. The unity of the Indian tribes behind one white man was unprecedented in Colombia’s history.

After his release, Olson found that he had become a national hero in Colombia. In the major cities, articles demanding Olson’s release had appeared almost daily in the newspapers. Olson’s courageous stance against the guerillas was one of the key factors which inspired the common citizens of Colombia to take a bolder, tougher stance against the drug cartels.

Since this time, the openness of the Indian tribes of Colombia to the gospel has become phenomenal. Many tribal leaders have requested that Olson begin to set up clinics, schools and agricultural centers. Some tribes have asked specifically to be taught about Jesus Christ. Olson reported recently: “In August, I was among the Cogi Indians in the mountains adjacent to Santa Marta. I baptized more than 40 adult believers. Several Motilone pastors accompanied me.”

In America, the story of Bruce Olson’s captivity brought unprecedented financial support for the work of Christ among the Motilones. For 28 years, Olson had operated with no official sponsorship, relying on only the contributions of friends, but when Charisma magazine ran a two part series: “Bruce Olson’s Nine Month Colombian Captivity” (November & December 1989), donors gave $100,000 to help “Bruchko” continue his humanitarian efforts and evangelism among the tribes of Colombia.

In addition to providing clinical supplies, scholarships and agricultural development, Olson has built several centers for the Motilones. In a recent letter, Olson explained the uses for one of the structures he is building: “Our Tibú Community House of Twelve Cultures, which we have named in Motilone: ‘Axdobaringcayra,’ is well on the way to completion. … The house will provide lodging for visiting Motilones. Tibú is the principal port of commerce for the growing tribal economy and it is the seat of government. Here we will organize Colombia’s first native language regional newspaper and house staff personnel for the northeast Colombian indigenous cultural publications.”

The cultural center he is now building will be a base from which to reach many of the tribal groups of Colombia. Olson reports that he still needs about $60,000 to complete this center.

Bruce Olson and the Motilone believers are the key to fulfilling the Great Commission in this area of the world. Jesus Christ has commanded us to go and “make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:18-20). Many of the nations – referred to by missiologists as the ETHNE, or “peoples groups” – in this area of Colombia are completely unreached with the gospel. We have an exciting opportunity to reach half a million people who have become miraculously open to the gospel in the past three years.

Eternity in their Hearts

  

Who were the Magi who brought gifts to the baby Jesus, and how did they know that a Messiah was coming?

Who was Melchizedek, the contemporary of Abraham, who was a priest of the one high God?

How did a fifteenth century Peruvian king named Pachacuti, recognize that there was only one true God, before the coming of the Europeans? In his own words, Pachacuti described the one true God, they called Viracocha: "He is ancient, remote, supreme, and uncreated...He manifests himself as a trinity when he wishes...otherwise only heavenly warriors and archangels surround his loneliness. He created all peoples by his 'word.'"

God has "made every nation of men...so that men would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us" (Acts 17:26-27) Think about that for a moment...every nation of men...not just the Jews or the Americans or the Europeans or the Chinese, but every nation. Paul tells us that God has made them in such a way that men from every nation would seek Him.
But do they? Is there any proof that when missionaries enter a new culture/nation with the Gospel of Jesus, that they may find a people who are already prepared to hear and receive the Gospel? The answer is an astounding YES!!!

I read a book called Eternity in their Hearts by Don Richardson. Don Richardson and his late wife, Carol, spent 15 years among the Sawi, a Stone Age tribe of Irian Jaya, Papua New Guinea. Don designed an alphabet suited to the Sawi language, authored 19 primers, taught the tribesmen to read in their native tongue and translated the entire New Testament. More than half of the Sawi accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior!

The premise of his book is that in every culture God has preserved for Himself a testimony. In His mercy, He has permitted every culture in the world to retain a portion of the truth. If a missionary goes into a region, searching the culture for its grains of truth, and then affirms that these ideas ARE true, and then presents the Gospel as the REST of the truth, he and the Gospel will quite often be received. The book is heavily documented with specific examples of missionaries finding and utilizing these culture keys, and seeing large numbers of people become Christian.

I'd like to share some of the many examples of this. I pray they will encourage any of you, including me, who agonize over the question of God's justice in regard to people who have never heard the Gospel.

In 1867, a Norwegian missionary named Lars Skrefsrud found 2.5 million people called the Santal living in a region north of Calcutta, India. Once Lars learned the language and began proclaiming the Gospel to the Santal, he wondered how many years it would be before he saw converts. "To Skrefsurd's utter amazement, the Santal were electrified almost at once by the Gospel message. At length he heard Santal sages, including one named Kolean, exclaim, 'What this stranger is saying must mean that Thakur Jiu has not forgotten us after all this time!'" Kolean then went on to explain that their forefathers had taught them that "Thakur is distinct. He is not to be seen with fleshy eyes, but he sees all. He has created all things. He has set everything in its place, and he nourishes all, great and small." These were people who had never met a Christian or Jew nor had seen any part of the Bible, yet their understanding of God was Biblical! Once Lars explained the Gospel to them, they began to experience "eighty baptisms per day (which) signified that young Santal churches in 'Hindu India' were growing more than 500 times as fast as churches in 'Christian Europe.'"

Before I share a couple more examples, I must admit that reading this book shattered a belief that I held. I believed that the folk religions (the native religions of a people group, distinct from the major world religions - Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hindu, etc.) of the world were almost entirely pagan and held very little hint or understanding of God. But according to Richardson, "We have been wrong. In actual fact, more than 90 percent of this world's folk religions acknowledge at least the existence of God. Some even anticipate His redeeming concern for mankind."

"The Chinese call him Shang Ti - the Lord of Heaven...In Korea he is known as Hananim, The Great One. Belief in Shang Ti/Hananim predates Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism by an unknown number of centuries." When missionaries entered China and Korea, they discovered this ancient belief in Shang Ti/Hananim and used it to explain a further revelation of God. Just as Paul pointed to the altar to the "unknown god" in Athens (Acts 17:22), the missionaries pointed to Shang Ti/Hananim. Today, "more than 3 million Koreans belong to Protestant churches...and Seoul contains the world's two largest Protestant churches." I can attest to this fact after living in Seoul for two years...there are crosses on the tops of churches everywhere! And in China, more than 23,000 people come to Christ a day!

The Karen of Burma were another group of people magnificently poised to receive the Gospel with open arms when it was presented to them. They had been searching for centuries for a "white brother who was supposed to bring them a book...(whose) author is Y'wa-the Supreme God...that the white brother, having given them the lost book, will thereby set them free from all who oppress them." Their folk religion's hymns bear striking resemblances to God's character and "the Karen story of man's falling away from God contains stunning parallels to Genesis chapter 1: Y'wa formed the world originally. He appointed food and drink. He appointed the 'fruit of trial.' He gave detailed orders. Mu-kaw-lee deceived two persons. He caused them to eat the fruit of the tree of the trial. They obeyed not...they believed not Y'wa...when they ate the fruit of trial they became subject to sickness, aging and death." Wow! This was a remote group of people who had never come in contact with Jews or Christians before, yet their own religion, thousands of years old, had an incredible witness of the Lord! The Karen nation was thus poised like an 800,000 member welcoming party, ready for the first unsuspecting missionary who approached them with a Bible and a message of deliverance from God." When missionaries finally brought the Gospel to the Karen in the early 1800s, thousands accepted Christ almost immediately and "almost as quickly as Karen were converted and baptized, they became missionaries to spread the good news still further among their own people" and neighboring tribes!

There are so many more examples of people groups with prior knowledge of God, being prepared and ready to accept Jesus as Savior, once He was presented to them. It is truly amazing and so very comforting. It is our job to do all we can to bring them the Good News.

Malachi 1:11  says, says "'My name will be great among the nations, from the rising to the setting of the sun. In every place incense and pure offerings will be brought to my name, because my name will be great among the nations,'the LORD Almighty." May this be our prayer:

Lord, You are the true and living God, You rule over all things visible and invisible. The nations belong to You, and you have woven into the fabric of every culture a testimony to Your name.

I bring the unreached people groups of the world before you now, and I ask Lord that You would reveal those things in their culture, that reflect who you are and Your son Jesus. Cause the hidden treasures of Your truth to be brought up and displayed for all to see. Lord use these keys of insight to ignite a curiosity and hunger among them to know more about who You are. Give Your servants wisdom and strategy to use these keys to promote the Gospel among this people group. In Your name we pray, Amen.

A Canaanite Woman and the Caucasus People

 

Chechen children in Caucasus mountain region

This email is from a good friend of mine who is a missionary to the Caucasus people (formerly Russia) who are mainly Muslim. A good lesson for today can be derived from this Bible story!

Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly.” Jesus did not answer a word. 
So his disciples came to him and urged him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.” 
He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.” 
The woman came and knelt before him. “Lord, help me!” she said.
He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.” 
“Yes it is, Lord,” she said. “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.”
Then Jesus said to her, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” 
And her daughter was healed at that moment.   Matthew 15:21-28

"We pray more women will be like the Matthew 15:21-28 Canaanite woman.  Though from a nationality outside the house of Israel, though an enemy of Israel, she wanted healing for her demon-possessed daughter. She knew just enough of Jesus to go find him.

She pestered the disciples to get through to see him. She rebutted with clever wit Jesus's test where he used a usual, expected ethnic slight against the Canaanites [We just learned they make these ethnic jokes/slights all the time in Dagestan]. Like one from any powerless ethnic group or nationality, she endured the deep humiliation hearing such publicly accepted denigration of her people; but her canny wit blasted through Jesus' word play and she demonstrated her faith.

Imagine the features on her face, looking towards Jesus, perhaps directly in his eyes (which would break culture code too). "You can say what you want to me to test my resolve, but I know I need YOU and I'm not moving until YOU do what I KNOW you can do."

Doubtful that the disciples caught the whole message here, but wasn't Jesus showing just how much shame and humiliation some must endure to come to Him (and soon Jesus would be the one enduring deep shame and humiliation for ALL). Her faith was great indeed! The disciples were privileged that Jesus chose them. Here, the Canaanite woman, against strong social barriers, is Choosing Jesus.
       
So we ask God to move these Caucasus women, men and families in great faith to GO FIND Jesus; to step past the mental, social, historical walls developed from 1000 years of reasons not to seek Jesus and to pester Christ's church for mere "crumbs which fall from their masters' table."

We pray Christ's Russian speaking churches and Global Church will awaken and begin sincerely INVITING Caucasus Peoples to authentically meet Jesus. He's the only one who will complete their customs and cultures towards a Biblical tapestry of faith and worship. We pray the "bread of Jesus" will be offered, not as crumbs and leftovers, but from the meal table itself [through fellowship groups they can call home]!"

Prayer: Rebellion Against the Status Quo

  

 

  I believe that the most important thing you can do, right now, in obeying the Great Commission, is to pray. You don't have to leave your home, spend any money, make any sacrifices (except some time)...just pray! The Bible is very clear that prayer changes things. Jesus, God in the flesh, prayed. If Jesus, who had only three years on earth to do all that He had come to do, took time out of His incredibly busy schedule to pray (Lk. 6:12;  Matt. 14:23; Lk. 3:21, 9:28-29; Mt. 26:36-45) then He obviously wants us to pray frequently.  
   
So, why is prayer often seen as the last resort, rather than the first response? Why would we rather take some sort of action to fix a problem rather than go to God first. I believe one of the reasons is that we often don’t believe that prayer will make any difference.
   
That fatalistic view of prayer comes from our ultimate view of God. Do we truly believe the words of the Bible? Do we believe that He is concerned and involved in every aspect of our own lives and the lives of the lost? Do we believe He has a plan for this world? Do we believe He is still in control, despite the things we see around us that would tell us otherwise?
   
It really comes down to one essential decision that Adam and Eve were asked to make in the Garden and that we are asked to make every day in our own lives...do we believe the truth of God, as shown to us in the Bible, or the lies of Satan? For every truth of God, Satan counterfeits that with his own lie.
   
Many people, including many Christians, look at the world around them, even at their own lives, and take on a fatalistic view...that nothing can change; the lies of Satan seem too powerful, too persuasive; that they must quietly accept the way things are, the status quo. Yet, the status quo in our world today is not how God first created our earth or how He desires it to be functioning today. God’s perfect way, that He created, does not include war, killing, divorce, abuse or slavery. Although He allows it, in His sovereignty, to accomplish His good purposes, while He was on earth and today through the Holy Spirit, He battles evil and asks us to join Him.
   
Jesus shares the story of a widow, in Luke 18:1-8, who was seeking justice. She continued to persistently ask the judge for justice, until finally He gave her what she asked. Jesus shared this story to show that we, as His disciples, "should always pray and not give up," (Lk. 18:1).  This type of praying is called petitionary prayer.
   
Petitionary prayer is “rebellion - rebellion against the status quo, the state of the world in its sin and fallenness. It is the absolute and undying refusal to accept as normal what is completely abnormal. It is the rejection of every agenda, every scheme, every opinion that clashes with...God...a declaration that Evil is not a variation on Good but its very opposite,” (David Wells).
   
It is prayer that 1) believes that God does not want the current evil status quo to continue on earth, 2) believes that God can change things for the better through His power and 3) believes God will change things in response to the prayers of His people.
   
"Prayer is not magic; it is not something we do, but a response to what God is already doing within us and the world. Our prayers are the necessary opening that allows God to act without violating our freedom. Prayer is the ultimate act of partnership with God" (Walter Wink). It is recognizing that God is in control, He is acting, He will be faithful to our prayers and He is asking us to join Him through prayer.
   
While we were living in Seoul, South Korea, attending Jubilee Church, our pastor did something that I had never seen in a church before. After He was finished with his sermon each Sunday, he would ask that we pray, as a congregation, about what we had just heard. He would pick out four or five main points from the sermon. For each point, he would first pray about it and then he would have us, out-loud, pray and talk to God about how we would have Him work in our lives and in the lives of others. This would go on for about 15 - 20 minutes. I can not tell you how thrilling it was to stand amongst my brothers and sisters in Christ as we were all verbally and at the same time, pouring out our hearts to the Lord. I believe it pleased the Lord greatly. And His blessings and use of Jubilee Church are very evident. Pastor David ensured that prayer was not just something that was done quickly at the beginning and the end of the service, as a sort of duty, but that it was an essential part of our time together. And I could almost see the smile on the face of God when He heard our times of prayer.

Prayer is effective and so very necessary...it moves the hand of God!


Colossians 4:3-4 And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should.
 

New Heaven and New Earth!

 

When the Great White Throne Judgment, as we read about in our last lesson, is complete, God will create a new heaven and a new earth.

Revelation 21:1-4:

1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.

2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be His people, and God Himself will be with them as their God.

4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

It is interesting to see several things written here which have been ideas held by people throughout history. For example, the idea of the earth being the center of the universe will be true in the New Heaven and New Earth because God will set up His throne here on earth. And even though no person on earth throughout history (except Adam and Eve) has ever experienced a perfect world, that idea exists in our hearts and makes us yearn for it. It will exist in this New Heaven and New Earth.

There will be no more tears, no death, no sadness, no crying, no pain. We sometimes think no tears and no sadness and no crying are the same as no pain. But have you ever cried because something was so beautiful it brought tears to your eyes, or have you ever cried because you were so happy? Even perfect beauty and perfect joy will not bring tears because we will have bodies capable of expressing our pure joy.

Revelation 21:5-8:

5 And He who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also He said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

6 And He said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment.

7 The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be My son.

8 But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”

Why would God bring into this perfect picture a reminder of those who will not be there? It is a warning to us who believe to purify ourselves (1 John 3:1-3) so we can be used of Him to witness to those who do not believe before it is too late. We cannot know what the next day or hour holds, and we want to stand before Him without the shame of unconfessed sin in our lives. People have only this life to accept Him as Lord and Savior (Hebrews 9:27), and we who already believe have only this life in which to store treasure in Heaven.

Prayer: Our loving Heavenly Father, thank You so much for the hope You give. Help us to be faithful witnesses for you to all those we know, until You call us to Your side forever. In Jesus' name, Amen. 

From Global Media Outreach 

Hagar and God's Plan for the Arabic People

I have always loved the story of Hagar found in Genesis 16. She is the Egyptian slave that Sarah gave to her husband Abraham in order to try to fulfill God's promise of a child to them in their old age. Well, Hagar did have a son by Abraham but it was not according to God's plan and it caused tremendous stress and upheaval in the home; so much so that Sarah kicked Hagar out. Hagar ended up wandering in the desert alone, pregnant and unsure of what to do next. 

But then...the Angel of the Lord (most likely a pre-incarnate appearance of Jesus Christ), spoke to her and made this promise, “Go back to your mistress and submit to her authority. I will multiply your descendants exceedingly; there will be so many that it will be impossible to count them.” And the Angel of the LORD said to her:

“Behold, you are with child,

And you shall bear a son.

You shall call his name Ishmael, (it means God pays attention)

Because the LORD has heard your affliction.

He shall be a wild man;

His hand shall be against every man,

And every man’s hand against him.

Living his life at odds with all his kinsmen.” (Gen. 16:11-12)

So what do these promises mean? And are they important in our world today? 

a. I will multiply your descendants exceedingly: God not only implied a promise of protection, He also gave a clear promise of staggering blessing. The unborn son of Hagar would be the father of uncountable descendants. As the promise was fulfilled, Ishmael became the ancestor of the Arab people, just as his later half-brother Isaac would become the ancestor of the Jewish people. This makes the centuries old conflict between Arab and Jew even more tragic: they are brothers and share a common father in Abraham.

b. You shall call his name Ishmael: Ishmael was given a great promise, not only in the number of his descendants, but also in that he was the first one in the Bible given his name before he was born. God had a plan for this boy and his descendants. God doesn’t give a name if He doesn’t have a plan. Now, some people today may think they know God’s plan for the descendants of Ishmael, the Arabic people: God wants to wipe them out because of their hatred of Jews and their persecution of Christians. This reaction is not rooted in the Bible, especially in this passage of Genesis 16. Consider:

· God could have allowed Hagar and her unborn child to die in the wilderness – He didn’t allow it. God specifically intervened so that wouldn’t happen.

· God could have allowed Hagar to live, but to disappear from the life and household of Abraham and Sarah, but He didn’t allow that.

· One may argue that Ishmael’s conception was because of sin and unbelief; but God could have erased him from the story, and God chose not to. This part of the story is God’s doing, not man’s doing.

· God specifically commanded Hagar to go back, to stay in the story. We can know that God’s story for the Arabic people is not finished.

- We should also remember that angelic visitations, Jesus visitations, continue to this day among the descendants of Ishmael. The Angel of the LORD was not done visiting Ishmael.

c. You shall call his name Ishmael, because the LORD has heard your affliction: The name Ishmael means God will hear. We may take this as a prompting to pray for revival and spiritual awakening among the Arab peoples, because when they cry out to Jesus, God will hear.

Taken from Enduring Word Bible commentary 

God's Word

i. God’s word brings true health, fruitfulness, prosperity and success to what we do. (Psalm 1:3)

ii. The word of God has healing power and the power to deliver from oppression. (Psalm 107:20, Matthew 8:8, Matthew 8:16)

iii. God’s word cleans us. If we take heed according to God’s word, our way will be cleansed. (Psalm 119:9, John 15:3, Ephesians 5:26)

iv. The word of God, hidden in our hearts, keeps us from sin. (Psalm 119:11)

v. God’s word is a counselor. When we delight in God’s word, it becomes a rich source of counsel and guidance for us. (Psalm 119:24)

vi. God’s word is a source of strength. (Psalm 119:28)

vii. God’s word imparts life. It is a continual source of life. (Psalm 119:93, Matthew 4:4)

viii. God’s word is a source of illumination and guidance. When God’s word comes in, light comes in. It makes the simple wise and understanding. (Psalm 119:105, Psalm 119:130)

ix. God’s word gives peace to those who love it. They are secure, standing in a safe place. (Psalm 119:165)

x. When the word of God is heard and understood, it bears fruit. (Matthew 13:23)

xi. The word of God has inherent power and authority against demonic powers. (Luke 4:36)

xii. Jesus Himself – His eternal person – is described as the Word. When we are into the word of God, we are into Jesus. (John 1:1)

xiii. Hearing God’s Word is essential to eternal life. One cannot pass from death into life unless they hear the word of God. (John 5:24, James 1:21, 1 Peter 1:23)

xiv. Abiding – living in – God’s word is evidence of true discipleship. (John 8:31)

xv. God’s word is the means to sanctification. (John 17:17)

xvi. The Holy Spirit can work with great power as the word of God is preached. (Acts 10:44)

xvii. Hearing God’s word builds faith. (Romans 10:17)

xviii. Holding fast to the word of God gives assurance of salvation. (1 Corinthians 15:2)

xix. The faithful handling of the word of God gives the ministers of the word a clear conscience. They know that they did all they could before God. (2 Corinthians 4:2, Philippians 2:16)

xx. The word of God is the sword of the Spirit. It is equipment for spiritual battle, especially in the idea of an offensive weapon. (Ephesians 6:17)

xxi. The word of God comes with the power of the Holy Spirit, with “much assurance.” (1 Thessalonians 1:5)

xxii. The word of God works effectively in those who believe. (1 Thessalonians 2:13)

xxiii. The word of God sanctifies the very food we eat! (1 Timothy 4:5)

xxiv. The word of God is not dead; it is living and active and sharper than any two edged sword. The word of God can probe us like a surgeon’s expert scalpel, cutting away what needs to be cut and keeping what needs to be kept. (Hebrews 4:12)

xxv. The word of God is the Christian’s source of spiritual growth. (1 Peter 2:2, 1 Corinthians 2:1-5)

The Great White Throne Judgement

 

At the close of the Millennium, when unbelievers again make war against God, the war is ended by God destroying the world and the universe, as we read in Revelation 20:11-15: “Then I saw a great white throne and Him who was seated on it. From His presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.”

This is also the judgment Jesus talked about in Matthew 25:31-46 where we see the separation of people to His right and left. Everyone in the history of the world will stand before Him at this judgment – everyone, except the believers in Jesus of this time which we call the Church Age. We will have been judged for our works during the Tribulation (after we met Him in the air in the Rapture).

The judge on this throne will be Jesus – see John 5:19-29. No one who stands before this judgment throne will ever be able to say the judgment was unfair because the judge did not know what the individual had been through in their life.

One of God’s purposes for all of history and this creation in which we live today, is to make an end of all sin. We read this in several places in Scripture, but one we have already seen in a previous lesson is Daniel 9:24. God allowed sin to enter His creation when He decided to give us free choice. While this free choice did not include everything in our lives, it does give us the choice for where we will spend eternity – with God or not with God. We cannot choose HOW we can please God – that is His choice, and He chose to make Jesus the only way to Himself. We also cannot define what sin is and what is not sin – God says HE is the standard, and anything which does not meet His standard is not good enough (called sin, or missing the mark).

The first sin ever committed was the statement “I will” from one of God’s creations. Our greatest sin is also “I” in some form. Anything we try to do for ourselves is always leaving God out, and therefore is sin. God told Daniel that a certain time was set for all transgressions to be finished and then all sin to be ended.

Prayer: Dear Jesus, help us to understand that time is short and You want us who believe in You to be at work for Your kingdom rather than for ourselves. Give us hearts that are broken for the lost and may we go out into Your harvest fields to bring them the truth of how You are Lord Jesus. In Your name we pray, Amen. 

From Global Media Outreach 

Millennial Kingdom

 

When Jesus has conquered the entire world on His return to earth, He will set up His kingdom on earth as He has prophesied in many Scriptures. Much of Zechariah chapters 8-14 are about either the Tribulation or about the Millennial Kingdom. There are many other prophesies about this time as well.

In this lesson we will review only a few of the basic prophesies. First, the time frame for this kingdom is stated as being a thousand years. Revelation 20:1-6 tells us about the beginning of this period. It begins with Satan being caught and imprisoned in a bottomless pit for a thousand years. Then there is a promise that those who reign with Jesus will do so for a thousand years.

Revelation 20:7-10 describes the end of the thousand years when Satan is released and war again comes to the earth. But Satan is again caught and this time his judgment is eternal – he is thrown into the lake of fire forever.

What will this kingdom be like? We see many promises:

Isaiah 11:6-9 “The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze; their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder’s den. They shall not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.”

See also Isaiah 2:2-4 and Micah 4:2-5.

This kingdom will be one of enforced peace – see Revelation 12:5 and 19:15.

Throughout history mankind has given many excuses for why we cannot be perfect. Rather than believing we are born with sin in our hearts, we have always argued that forces of evil have influenced us or that circumstances have caused us to sin. One after another our arguments have been shown to be wrong, and this Millennial Kingdom will be the last of our arguments to be thrown out. We believe that if we lived in a perfect world where Satan did not tempt us, we could be perfect – and in this thousand years people will truly live in a perfect world…except they cannot be perfect because they still have the root of sin in their hearts. At the end of this kingdom, people will rise up against Jesus, the perfect King, with hatred and anger and try to destroy Him. Jesus’ answer will be to destroy the earth and the universe He created.

We continue with what comes next in the next lesson.

Prayer: Dear Jesus, help us to see that sin is in our hearts and not only in our actions. Help us to understand only You can remove this sinful nature as You create a new heart in us. Thank you for dying and conquering death to remove our sinful nature. We love you Jesus! In Your name we pray, Amen. 

From Global Media Outreach 

Jesus' Second Coming

 

As we learned a few lessons ago, there are two events in prophecy which are sometimes called by the same name – Jesus’ return. They are very different in purpose and in completion. The Rapture is Jesus meeting His Church – the believers of this time between His ministry on earth until this event – in the air. Jesus does not appear to anyone on earth at the Rapture; He calls His people to Himself, meeting us away from earth.

At His Second Coming, Jesus will actually stand on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem, at the exact place from which He left as described in Acts 1. This is also one of the clearest prophecies of this event – the angels declared to those watching Him ascend that He would return in the same way they had seen Him go.

It is also interesting to note that the first prophecy recorded of this return was made by Enoch when Adam was still alive, as we find in Jude 1:14-15: “It was also about these that Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His holy ones, to execute judgment on all and to convict all the ungodly of all their deeds of ungodliness that they have committed in such an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things that ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.”

In Revelation 19:11-21 we find a description of Jesus’ Second Coming, a description speaking of war and judgment, blood and wrath. The scene in these verses is the end of the Tribulation period, where the armies of the world are gathered to finally and utterly destroy all that is left of Israel. And, as we read in verse 19, they are also gathered to make war against Jesus Himself. We see another description of this battle in Revelation 14:14-20 which tells us that the people gathered for this war will be packed into a valley which runs from Bozrah up to Meggido – a distance of about 180 miles (almost 290 km), and when this army is destroyed, the blood of people and animals will run up to three feet deep (about one meter). The devastation will be terrible.

But this has been God’s promise from the beginning for those who stand against Him. God has said from the beginning that sin means death. Yet, people insist they do not want to follow Him; in the end He will destroy those who have chosen not to turn to Him.

The answer is, as we read in Hebrews 4:7 “… Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts.” There is a day coming when Jesus will again stand on the earth, and the day for making a choice to follow Him or not will be gone.

Prayer: Righteous Father, we come to You today grateful for this chance to choose to be Yours, to follow You, to obey You, to stand with You, to believe You. Help us today to also be true and pure witnesses for Your love and encourage those around us to accept You as their Savior and Lord. We look forward to Your return Lord Jesus. In Your name we pray, Amen. 

From Global Media Outreach 

The Tribulation

 

The time of the Tribulation, the seven years described in many prophecies in the Old Testament and in the book of Revelation, is a time of God’s judgment for the earth. Now, as this study is being written, before the Rapture, we see God’s forgiveness through His grace for mankind. We may even begin to believe God will always restrain His judgment, but this is not true. God could not be the God of truth and justice if He forever held His righteous judgment in check. While there are many other Scriptures which talk about this, we will study two in this lesson.

Psalm 103:6-9 “The LORD works righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed. He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the people of Israel. The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. He will not always chide, nor will He keep His anger forever.” Here we clearly see the warning that God’s mercy is not always the way He will deal with our sin.

Romans 2:6-11 “He will render to each one according to his works: to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, He will give eternal life; but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury. There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek, but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek. For God shows no partiality.” This passage says everyone will be judged according to their works with complete justice – justice based on God’s standards rather than ours.

The Bible also says that judgment begins with the household of God, so we who are His children will be the first to be judged for our works – and this takes place during the Tribulation, but not here on earth. This is described in 1 Corinthians 3:10-15, which clearly states this judgment does not include a sentence of death. Every believer’s judgment of life and death has been forever completed in Jesus’ death on the cross. The judgment in these verses only determines whether we enter Heaven with treasure or without treasure.

The judgment of God during the Tribulation is mostly for nations of the earth. Of course, a nation cannot be judged without its people feeling the effects. From earth’s current population of about eight billion, so many will die in God’s judgments that perhaps only about five hundred million or so will survive till the end.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, we thank You today for the opportunity to believe in You so the judgment of death for our sin is completed and we do not need to face Your wrath in that day of terrible Tribulation. Help us always to remember that You are a God of love and justice. May we share this truth with others so that as many as possible might be saved. In Jesus name, Amen. 

Taken from Global Media Outreach 

The Rapture of the Church (part 3)

 

How will the Rapture happen? We look at several verses to tell us. As we read in the last lesson from 1 Thessalonians 4:16, Jesus will come to the clouds above the earth. In John 14:2-3 Jesus says, “…I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will [receive] you to Myself...” Please note, this is Jesus calling us away from the earth. Every government that cares about its people serving in other countries, will call their people home when they know war is about to happen. We are Jesus’ ambassadors here on earth, and He loves us too much to leave us here when the real war of evil is about to begin – Revelation 3:10 and John 17:15.

In our last lesson, from 1 Corinthians 15 and 1 Thessalonians 4, we have already read there will be a great shout and the sound of a trumpet to call us.

1 Thessalonians 4:14-15 tells us that all believers in Jesus who have died will rise first, and then we who are still alive here will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet Him.

How do we know such a Rapture is possible? God has given us examples of them in the Bible.

Enoch - Genesis 5:24 “Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him.”

Elijah - 2 Kings 2:11-12 “And as they still went on and talked, behold, chariots of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. And Elisha saw it …”

Philip - Acts 8:39 “And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing.”

Jesus - Acts 1:9-11 “And when He had said these things, as they were looking on, He was lifted up, and a cloud took Him out of their sight.”

The promise of this Rapture, before we enter the terrible time on earth as Jesus judges the nations of this world, is a “blessed promise” for us who believe. 2 Thessalonians 2 gives us a great picture of what these last days before the Rapture look like – and all we need to do is set the Bible alongside our newspapers or news programs to see how accurately Jesus has told us ahead of time what to look for. This chapter also warns us about the powerful deception coming, which we can already see all around us. The deception of the one-world government and one-world religion are knocking loudly at our gates. The world’s cry for peace at any cost is roaring at us from governments and schools and even many churches. We who are believers must cling to the truth and keep praying against the evil forces we see.

Prayer: Almighty Father, as You have prophesied, evil is nearer than ever before. But we choose not to fear, for You have promised You are greater than this enemy in the world is; so we join You in prayer to hold back the evil that wants to destroy. Purify us so we can stand with You whole-heartedly until You are ready to call us to Your side. We say with Your Spirit, “Come Lord Jesus!” In Your name we pray, Amen. 

From Global Media Outreach 

The Rapture of the Church (part 2)

 

As we read in the last lesson, the importance of understanding to whom a prophecy is given has much to do with how well we can understand the prophecy. For us, in our study of the Rapture of the Church in this lesson, this is very important. The seven years of Great Tribulation are part of Daniel’s prophecy of the 70 weeks – a prophecy specifically stated to be about Daniel’s people, the nation of Israel. 

Daniel 9:24: “Seventy weeks are decreed about your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to put an end to sin, and to atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal both vision and prophet, and to a most holy place.”

Therefore, the prophecies of the terrible things happening in Revelation do not seem to be about us, the Church. This makes it easier for us to understand the two appearances of Jesus prophesied in the end times – the Rapture, and His Second Coming.

The Rapture happens in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye (1 Corinthians 15:51-52)

The Second Coming happens as every eye on earth sees Him coming (Revelation 1:7 and Acts 1:11)

Rapture – Jesus meets His saints in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18)

Second Coming – Jesus sets foot on the Mount of Olives (Zechariah 14:4)

Rapture – He rewards us for our deeds (1 Corinthians 3:10-15)

Second Coming – He comes to judge the unrighteous (Revelation 19:13-16)

Rapture – we don’t know when it will happen, there is no prophecy to tell us when

Second Coming – Daniel 12:11 tells us the number of days from a specific event till Jesus comes

How will the Rapture happen? We read in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18, “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words.”

Who will be raptured? We read the answer from Paul, speaking to believers in 1 Corinthians 15:51-52: “Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.”

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for Your promise to come to get us one day very soon. We long for You to come, and say with the Spirit of God in us, “Come!” Help us to purify our hearts and lives so we are ready for this moment. And until that day, may we be about Your business...calling sinners to repentance and living in obedience and love. In Your name we pray, Amen. 

From Global Media Outreach 

The Rapture of the Church (part 1)

  

The rapture of the Church – it being taken out of this world to be with Jesus – is something easily misunderstood when we misunderstand some of the central issues of the Bible. Just as parents treat their children differently as they grow through different stages of childhood into adulthood, so God has treated humanity differently as He has given us information about Himself. The more information He has given us, the greater is our responsibility to Him for what He has revealed. In 2 Timothy 2:15 we read that we are to study and handle the Bible rightly so we can follow Him faithfully.

There are four different kinds of people in earth’s history from God’s point of view:

* All those who do not believe in God/Jesus

* Three groups in history of those who believe in God/Jesus:

- Israel

- Church

- Believing Gentiles

It is these three groups of believers we need to understand in order to understand God’s prophecy program. In the Old Testament time, the Church did not exist. God’s work was with Israel, even though there are notable believers who were not of the nation of Israel. Melchizedek (Genesis 14:18-20), Job and his friends (book of Job), and the Queen of Sheba (1 Kings 10:1-13) are just a few of these. But God’s prophecies center on Israel because it was through Israel He would bring salvation. This lack of prophecy about these Gentile believers does not change the fact of their believing in God nor does it change His love and care for them.

In the New Testament, all believers become part of the Church. Galatians 3:28 says, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

Prophecy in the New Testament is either about the Church or about Israel, and this is where we need to be discerning to know how to understand it correctly. For example, Matthew 24 is Jesus’ answer to His disciples’ questions about the Kingdom which had been prophesied in the Old Testament – so Jesus’ answer is about this coming Kingdom in which Israel is the main subject. The event around which this focuses then, is His second coming when this Kingdom on earth will be established.

The promises contained in John chapters 13-16, however, are promises which contain prophesies for the Church. In this last evening before He knew He would die, He was preparing His disciples for this new group in which they would become the leaders. Much of His ministry to them after His resurrection was also concerning the Church – for example, His charge to Peter to feed His sheep (John 21:15-19). His disciples did not understand then, but later did, that building His Kingdom was not all about Israel; it was about Gentiles as well. We will continue this in our next lesson.

Prayer: Father, teach us by Your Spirit how to rightly handle Your word of Truth. Thank you for giving us some indication of what will happen in the future so we can always be watching and ready for Your return. We love you Jesus! In Your name we pray, Amen 

From Global Media Outreach 

A Coming War - Ezekiel

 

Ezekiel chapters 38 and 39 give a prophecy about a war coming and names the countries which will be coming against Israel to destroy her. While there is some disagreement, most Biblical historians believe the countries named are Gog, Rosh (Russia), Persia (Iran), Cush (Ethiopia or Sudan), Put (Libya), Meshech, Tubal, Gomer and Togarmah (Turkey).

This war is described in some detail. In verse 38:8 it says this war will come after the people are gathered from many nations – telling us it is a war which follows the prophecies of chapters 36 and 37. In the following verses we see several statements that the people of Israel are living in peace, and these nations are coming to take something of value. The remainder of chapter 38 describes how God alone will protect Israel. Chapter 39 continues with a description of the end of this war on the very day it is set to begin.

God also tells the way in which this army will be destroyed. In verses 17-23 of chapter 38, He says a great earthquake will come. Mountains will come down, and there will be fire and brimstone – perhaps a volcano with the deadly poisonous gasses will kill many of these people. The people of the earth will know it was God who destroyed this army.

In our world today, we see for the first time in history a pact between these major nations – Russia, Iran, and Turkey. It is, however, not a peaceful pact, as each of these countries has a definite personal gain it wishes to achieve. It is easy to see how these armies will fight against each other when survival will be in question (verse 21).

Why would God destroy an army in this way? He will do so to show the entire world that He is God and He protects His people. He will also demonstrate His power over what will be one of the greatest armies to ever be united against Israel. He wants people to know there are consequences when they turn away from Him. His judgment of sin, by the death of Jesus on the cross, is the only way to escape His curse for sin. Anyone who does not accept Jesus’ payment must face God’s judgment for themselves.

We can see in our world today how these nations are already in place, and since the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel by Hamas and the subsequent war, they are uniting even more in their hatred for Israel. As the world has seen in the last few months, the tides of war can sweep suddenly. This should never be a cause for fear for anyone who trusts in Jesus, because He will care for every one of His own. Our responsibility today is to make sure we are one of His, and then to tell as many others about Him as we can.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, if we did not know Your love, we would shake in great fear for what is coming. But we trust You to keep every promise You have made, and You have promised to bring us to Your side when our life here on earth is done. Thank You for Your great faithfulness. We love You Jesus. In Your name we pray, Amen. 

From Global Media Outreach

For further reading on this topic go to https://comfortoneanother.com/2019/05/07/why-would-russia-turkey-and-iran-invade-israel/ 

Israel Born in a Day!

  

In Ezekiel 37 we read the prophecy of a valley filled with dry bones which are scattered, but God brings them back together, restores muscle and skin, and then breathes life back into these people to make them live again. Anyone who has seen pictures of the Jewish people who were rescued from Hitler’s death camps during World War II can clearly see in these people the images of this valley of dry bones.

God has always loved the Jewish people, even in those times when it has seemed as if He has forgotten them. This prophecy, in verse 14, tells of Israel’s return to their land – and was fulfilled in the years following the close of World War II. 

Isaiah 66:8 says: "Who has ever heard of such things? Who has ever seen things like this? Can a country be born in a day or a nation be brought forth in a moment? Yet no sooner is Zion in labor than she gives birth to her children." This was exactly fulfilled when, on one day...May 14, 1948...the country of Israel was established. 

They are truly, as also prophesied in Ezekiel 37:15-22, a united nation of all twelve tribes as they had not been in thousands of years since after Solomon was their king.  ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will take the Israelites out of the nations where they have gone. I will gather them from all around and bring them back into their own land. I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel. 

Part of verse 22, There will be one king over all of them and they will never again be two nations or be divided into two kingdoms, has not yet been fulfilled – that they will have one king over them again. This will be fulfilled when Jesus physically returns to this earth in the near future. There is still a time of judgment coming, which Jesus called the time of Great Tribulation in Matthew 24:21. This day when Jesus will return is also the time, stated in Romans 11:26, when all Israel will be saved.

Israel still has a powerful enemy, Satan. And Satan still stirs up other nations in this world to try to destroy Israel. But God is protecting, and will continue to protect Israel with His hand – just as He also protects us, His Church, from things which are not in His plan. His protection does not mean we cannot die at the hand of someone who hates us, or that we will succeed in everything we set out to do in this life on earth. After all, His plan for us is not that we are successful in this earthly kingdom – His plan for us is for our far greater success in His heavenly kingdom.

There is also, still in the future, a great judgment coming for the nations which have oppressed Israel through the centuries. As the hatred for Israel grows in our world today, so God’s judgment for those who hate Israel will also be great – see the promise/prophecy in Genesis 12:3 - "And I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse [that is, subject to My wrath and judgment] the one who curses (despises, dishonors, has contempt for) you. And in you all the families (nations) of the earth will be blessed.”. While this promise can be seen demonstrated in many incidents throughout history, it will be brought into full completion during this time of Great Tribulation.

Prayer: Our Father in Heaven, help us to see clearly how the events of our world today are a warning from You that this judgment on the nations which have hated Your people is coming just as You have given prophecy and promise over thousands of years. Help us who are Your people, whether Church or Israel, to be faithful to You and Your kingdom in these days – faithful without fear. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. 

From Global Media Outreach