Читать книгу Abba's Own - David R. Lumsden - Страница 15

Evil of this world works against the building of God’s Church and His children, ABBA’s OWN, in their Christian life, but God (Elohim) is sovereign, and He prevails and has overcome evil, (1 Jn 4: 4).

Salvation is the greatest gift God (Elohim) has sent to earth. Also, salvation is the most desperate need of sinful man for eternal life (good news). God has left the duty of spreading the good news worldwide up to His children (ABBA'S OWN).

Some people who call themselves Christians believe there are many ways to get to Heaven. Some people think that if you believe in God, that makes you okay to get to Heaven; you do not need Jesus Christ. God’s requirement for you to return to Him and live in His ‘big house’ in Heaven is through repentance from sin and turning to faith in Jesus Christ. By this repentance from sin and turning to faith in Christ you approach God (Elohim, Jehovah).Some people teach that you may be saved, but you need a second blessing. Others teach you that Jesus is the Christ, but you need to be a member of the right church to be saved. God's requirement for you to return to Him and live in His big house in Heaven is through repentance from sin and turning to Jesus Christ by faith. This is the only way you can approach God (Elohim, Jehovah), no matter if you think there might be many ways.

True Christians know that God’s salvation is complete in Jesus Christ alone by grace through faith and not of works, not the church you attend, but you as a believer want to attend a Bible-believing church for your personal growth in Christ, spiritual well-being, and to learn about outreach and evangelism for the sake of others. They know that God teaches His children to be ready to give a reason for the hope that lies within them an answer for their faith in Jesus Christ. Not all Christians are prepared and committed to doing so. They do not study the Scriptures, nor do they seek to understand soteriology (salvation), and the language to be able to communicate to others about God’s business of salvation. They are not disciples nor seek out a church that disciple followers of Jesus by the Scriptures. Many Christians may be saved, but that seems to be as far as it goes in their lifestyle; they forget to live the Christian life by yielding to the power of the Holy Spirit. There is living at peace with God and the brethren and reaching out to the lost out of a heart of compassion as led by the Holy Spirit, Who is involved in righteous living.

Remember, God sometimes proves the faith He gives a believer and the fitness of one, through Christ, for Heaven, and at other times, He chastens those He loves. One needs to examine oneself to be sure they are in the faith of Jesus before they defend a personal philosophy or possibly, lead others away from God. One may prepare to witness for God. for example, Take a firm course like “Christianity Explored” to be grounded in the fundamentals of the faith of Jesus Christ; then by preparing a “1-minute elevator presentation,” based on the “Good News of Jesus Christ” (a course free of any form of false teaching). Such preparation helps, when speaking to anyone, that all humankind to whom a disciple speaks, as the Holy Spirit leads them may come to know how to believe in and accept Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. Through the Word of God, the Holy Spirit influences an individual’s mind, attitude, heart, and decision for a person to receive Christ (i.e. be born-again; find new life in Christ at the point of salvation). It was alarming when one pastor came and admitted he did not know how to lead another person to repent of sin, to receive Jesus Christ, and explain what it is to be complete in Him; saved, known by God now, and in Judgment Day.

Furthermore, I am concerned about another pastor, who does not soul-win because he is afraid his church would grow beyond what he could handle. What is the primary criteria for calling a competent, God-ordained pastor to the church’s pulpit, or any other responsible spiritual leadership in the church? Should they not have personal knowledge of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ and how to lead another person to salvation? The Scripture teaches that God gives all believers a ministry of reconciliation. How do some pastors think they are somehow exempt? A pastor/soul-winner must first be born-gain to be given the Holy Spirit at the same time as salvation to properly lead someone to approach God by faith in Jesus Christ, (Jn 3: 3) thus, to see the kingdom of Heaven in eternity. Selection committees need to consist of members with sound biblical theology.

Another point of frustration for the author is when a spiritual leader presents false teaching, which intentionally or otherwise misleads seekers, giving them no opportunity to hear and believe God’s Word of truth, thus putting trusting souls at risk of hell. I am concerned about pastors who have not read and accepted the Bible, taken it literally, and developed a conservative evangelical theology concerning God and eternity in the same way you would be concerned about your medical doctors having not read their anatomy texts on matters concerning your health and wellness. Pastors need to develop their theological foundation for biblical ministry, reconciliation to God, salvation, and soul-winning, not falsely taken for granted but assured when engaging in and influencing the lives of others. In the thesis, the lack of preparation of pastors and their congregations in soul-winning and spiritual warfare leaves Christianity and Christians weak and in some cases like soldiers sent into war without training or defense systems and strategies. This thesis discusses these matters.

The author has conducted research and writes this thesis so that spiritual leaders, pastors, teachers, counselors, apologists, Sunday school teachers, Christian life-coaches, and educated lay people may be active soul winners; that they are not to be faulted, but are equipped and encouraged to know the truth of God so well, as to defend the faith in Jesus Christ. The objective is to show compassion, so some souls are saved from the pit, and thereby converts are added for the real growth of the Church. Some may have this knowledge but fail to discern between truth and false teaching. Christian education for preparation of leaders seems to be weak. Spiritual leaders need to be able to lay out biblical truth, hold a foundation of sound conservative evangelical theology, and confessions of Jesus Christ, indeed, and personally realized for effective soul-winning and converts added to the church. Many seekers are at risk for eternity if the leadership is building the spiritual house for their neighbours on an unstable ‘sandy’ foundation. You may find this book useful for teaching ‘Fundamentals of the Faith’ and ‘Soul Winning.’

The author’s task is not to brow-beat, nor ridicule, but to encourage ministers in the service of our Lord, so they are not ignorant nor afraid of winning others to faith in Jesus. If they win people to Christ, the people won are assured of life in the presence of God for eternity. If you have eternal life yourself, why would you not want eternal life for others? That is the meaning of God’s ministry of reconciliation. True? Are ministers not to be leaders, shepherds? How to communicate the Gospel of Jesus Christ as led by the Holy Spirit in the name of Jesus, is imperative in right service unto God and His desire to build His Kingdom. "For the sake of others and an expression of God's love" is an expression of His character in and through believers. The compassion shown toward one's neighbour is not in man’s power, but the power of God for a sinner to be saved. It is Jesus, who saves. It is the Holy Spirit who gives new birth. But God calls all true Christian spiritual leaders to be examples, shepherds, soul-winners (labourers in the fields white unto harvest) and disciplers, teaching others to participate in the building of God’s Kingdom. He is delighted and glorified. God promises to be in and with every believer to be engaged in making disciples of every nation, (Matt 28: 16-30). God loves the whole world. Paul not only won Timothy to faith in Christ. His love of Christ did not stop there with Timothy, but also Paul taught him and prepared him for ministry. God gives all believers the ministry of reconciliation (leading others into a meaningful relationship with Jesus Christ). Ask God what it is He would have you do. There is nothing more fulfilling and rewarding than when you choose to serve God in the Ministry of reconciliation in His power. The fulfillment, joy, and peace He gives are worth more than money can buy.

At the beginning of the church, evangelism had its' challenges, but compared to today, those challenges seemed natural. The truth was fresh in their minds. However, now in the age of digital information, the “selfie,” “post-truth” and, a wide range in diversity of religions, challenge knowledge and preparation for Christians in a massive way. Ask yourself if the selfie is a sinful social disorder.

Alternative truth (i.e. A lie) is becoming a famous voice. Why should the Truth of God not be the popular voice if we want to see the world influenced in the righteousness of God? People need to hear God. That depends on you and me. One of the factors that caused stumbling in the subject’s faith was the hypocrisy of the leadership in churches, causing confusion and unrest for many seekers besides himself.

A minister needs to know God and knows God knows him or her, understands God's rightly divided Word of Truth for one’s Christian life. Some people who are Christians attend non-Christian, non-Bible teaching churches. One needs to know the truth about the Creation, the Fall, sin, repentance, the need for the power of the Gospel to save anyone from sin and death by grace, that one is a recipient of Jesus Christ as his Savior and Lord, born of God the Holy Spirit, Who places the new believer in Jesus Christ. One needs to know one is called and given the ministry of reconciliation to share Jesus with others for their salvation. Know of what you are talking, so you do not lead seekers to a false faith. Study the Holy Bible daily. Pray to seek God's control and guidance in the service to which He has called you to do. God will reward you for your availability

The minister must have God-given discernment received by faith in Jesus, then exercised by faith in Jesus. There is no getting away from it; you cannot mouth anything you like about your philosophy or a magazine article, entice people to repeat a prayer, then announce "You are saved." You and they need to know the mystery of Jesus Christ in ‘jars of clay,’ by faith, and then make that faith of the Lord Jesus Christ known to the world of willing hearers. People need to know God, be known by God, and led to the salvation of God, which is why it is necessary that one to understand soteriology (salvation) personally to be effective in soul-winning. Ministers need to know in their mind and heart that they do not just have Jesus ‘with’ them, as some pastors teach, but that they have ‘Jesus in’ their heart and that they are ‘in Jesus, made complete in Him.’ They must know in whom they believe, understand what they think, and understand why they need to find and trust the true God.

A spiritual leader’s historically-proven Christian biblical foundation must be firm. Sound theology originates in the first 15 chapters of Genesis. Check it out.

The primary individual subject in the author's case study was introduced to Jesus by a pastor who did not have time to discuss how that person could accept Jesus Christ. At a later point in his life, he reports being told by two brutish pastors that he may be saved, but he does not have the Holy Spirit in him. At one time, he was sharing a quote from Scripture that whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, (1 Jn 5: 1), the pastor of a Presbyterian church said to him that it sounded like mystical paganism, which startled the subject. As a Spirit-led life coach and a soul-winner, the author heard of an individual in a church who was forced to pray against his will. Finally that night, he left the church. The fellow went home and typed a message on social media, naming the church; and saying that he would rather be an atheist than attend that church. The fellow’s action is not the result, desired of true biblical soul-winning (evangelism), i.e. Soul-winning through which God has chosen to add souls in the building of His Church. In this thesis, the author asks and answers the question of ‘ how do you accept Christ,’ that if you do not know how to be saved and understand, you will know at the end of this study, Lord willing.

A Standard Christian Systematic Theology for Soul-Winners is written to assist spiritual leaders in developing their theological foundation. It is written for the edification of pastors, teachers, and educated laity to aid in biblical soul-winning and to answer questions that the soul-winner or seeker may have. In addition, the author includes appendices that are of valuable information that go beyond the contents of the thesis, but serve as helps for the reader in understanding one’s own faith, and for doing evangelism in a day when the grace of God for social health in relationships is needed desperately to resolve issues for sinful mankind.

I trust this work will be beneficial to all readers for confidence in salvation, assurance, and allegiance to God the Father, through Jesus Christ the Lord, by His Holy Spirit, that souls know they may look forward to a delightful eternity in Heaven, not one of punishment. Yes, it is imperative to believe God (Elohim) for the Righteousness of God, a gift of His grace, complete in Jesus, to have eternal life in Heaven. Know the true God as the object of your worship. There is only one true God. The case study considers several components of Marvin's life, spirituality, the discovery of Jesus as the Great I Am and Savior, eternal security and God as his Heavenly Father.

On Feb. 2, 2017, Marvin believed God, Jn 1: 12, Jn 3: 16, Eph 2:8-1, Heb. 2: 10, 1 John 1: 9, 1 John 5:1, 1 John 4:4, 1 John 5: 12, and Rev 3: 20, that these verses were right about him, but doubts always perplexed him in his Christian life until later in life. (See events in subject’s life where you may identify with him in some of the facts and find solutions, Chapter 5 – Qualitative Data Collection). God gave him confirmation that his sins were forgiven, that he would see the Kingdom of Heaven for God spoke words of comfort to him, “He that hath the Son hath the Life,” (1 Jn 5: 12), God the Father, Jesus, and God the Holy Spirit are real. Marvin comes to know that God knows him. That marked my work as a soul-winner done, after many years, but to love him and his family and remain their friend and brother in Christ forever remains my God-given, joyful task, especially since his stroke and need to understand the why of the stroke. On March 20, 2017, during his morning devotional in Lamentations³, God showed Marvin, why he was allowed to have a stroke: to learn the statutes of God and how to worship God in spirit and truth. Marvin began praising God for His goodness and mercy toward him. The Holy Spirit stirred the fire to serve God in winning souls to faith in Jesus. God took evil and, turned it into good for His glory.

On March 30, 2017, He realized he was through a door along with his spiritual journey and on a critical path; the road of holiness to Heaven. On April 17, 2017, he realized that not only was God real, but He is the God of miracles and revival, even in this day and age. On April 30, 2017, he came to understand the answer to the question “how to accept Jesus Christ,” why one must believe God, know and be known by God, and how to know that one is complete in Christ. Marvin asks, “If we are taught the true historical, biblical Christian conservative, evangelical theology of the Living Bible in the first place, why then would we need reformed theology for being complete in Jesus, which is at the center of true Christianity?” Yielding to God is vital. Every other theology has something or someone else to assure, supposedly, allowance into Heaven. That is not true. For example, Mormons do not need the book of Mormon, just Jesus and His work on the Cross, alone, for them to have eternal life in Heaven.

If you and others are interested in knowing and being known by God, you better understand what Biblical salvation is, which is central to knowing one is redeemed, and for good soul-winning for leading other souls to the real assurance of a place in Heaven for eternity. Every individual, couple, family, social group, church, educational system, legal system, political system, nation, and country must heed the Call of Lord God Almighty (Elohim, Jehovah), who says "Return To Me," to escape the collision course to an imminent catastrophic event.

Are you sure that the spiritual leader whom you are following is not leading you to Hell?