4/20/14

From Gary... This too shall pass

Late last summer, Lizzie, myself and the dogs went for a walk and Lizzie snapped this little jewel. There had been quite a powerful rainstorm, which seemed to last FOREVER, but then it cleared. And although there wasn't much day left, it became better and better.  The sky finally turned that bright blue that you see in the upper left of the picture and the purples and greys of sunset soon followed. I remember that all I could think about was "this too shall pass" and THAT is worth remembering!!!  Life is a connected series of constant changes and the best is yet to come...


Romans, Chapter 5
  1 Being therefore justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ;  2 through whom we also have our access by faith into this grace in which we stand. We rejoice in hope of the glory of God.  3 Not only this, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering works perseverance;  4 and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope: 5 and hope doesn’t disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.  6 For while we were yet weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.  7 For one will hardly die for a righteous man. Yet perhaps for a righteous person someone would even dare to die. 8 But God commends his own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.


In the upcoming years, I see the trend towards a growing animosity toward Christians gaining speed.  It seems to me that tough times are ahead for those who try to follow Jesus.  But, along with that there is the realization that even those times will change as well.  Life is full of cycles and so is our progression as a Christian. From suffering to hope, we need to always remember that God loves the unlovable.  This means myself and everyone who reads these words.  Every single one of the storms of life will pass and at the sunset of our lives something marvellous awaits.  This is a great comfort to me and I hope you say the same thing!!!

PS- Thanks for the picture, Lizzie!!!

From Mark Copeland... Letters To Theophilus (Acts 1:1)

                          "THE BOOK OF ACTS"

                      Letters To Theophilus (1:1)

INTRODUCTION

1. The New Testament is a collection of 27 books...
   a. Containing gospels, history, epistles, and prophecy
   b. Some written to people at large, others to individual Christians
      and churches

2. It may surprise some that over one fourth of the NT was written to
   one individual...
   a. Luke and Acts contains more than 27% of the total words in the NT
   b. Both were addressed to a man named Theophilus - Lk 1:1-4; Ac 1:1-3

[With much of the New Testament written to just one man, it may be of
interest to further examine the relationship between the author and his
recipient, and the two letters between them...]

I. THE AUTHOR OF THE LETTERS

   A. THE GOSPEL OF LUKE...
      1. Though unnamed, church tradition supporting Luke as the author
         is both early and unanimous - ESV Study Bible
      2. Luke was a physician, thought to have been a Gentile, possibly
         from Antioch - Co 4:14; cf. Eusebius' Ecclesiastical History,
         3.4.7

   B. THE BOOK OF ACTS...
      1. Also unnamed, but obviously the same author as Luke's gospel 
         - cf. Ac 1:1 with Lk 2:1-4
      2. The "we" sections require a companion of Paul, and Luke is
         mentioned in Paul's epistles - Col 4:14; 2Ti 4:11; Phm 24 

[The "beloved physician" who often accompanied Paul in his travels had
ample opportunity to collect the information shared in the gospel of Luke
and the book of Acts.  As for...]

II. THE RECIPIENT OF THE LETTERS

   A. THE GOSPEL OF LUKE...
      1. Was written to "most excellent Theophilus" - Lk 1:3
      2. Theophilus means "loved of God"
      3. The appellation "most excellent" suggests a government
         official - cf. Ac 23:26; 24:3; 26:25
      
   B. THE BOOK OF ACTS...
      1. Was written to "O Theophilus" - Ac 1:1
      2. Note that the honorific title "most excellent" was dropped,
         about which we will comment later

[Not much more is known about the identity of Theophilus, but what is
said about him has led to some interesting possibilities about...]

III. THE PURPOSE OF THE LETTERS

   A. THE GOSPEL OF LUKE...
      1. "that you may know the certainty of those things in which you
         were instructed" - Lk 1:4
      2. Theophilus had undoubted heard many things about Jesus and his
         followers - Lk 1:1; cf. Ac 17:6-7; 28:22
      3. There is evidence that Luke composed his work partially to
         prove that neither Jesus nor his followers were politically 
         dangerous to the Roman government - ISBE, "Theophilus"

   B. THE BOOK OF ACTS...
      1. To continue the story begun in the gospel of Luke - Ac 1:4
      2. Some have concluded that Theophilus was the magistrate who
         heard Paul's case in Rome and that Acts (and Luke) was a legal 
         brief in Paul's defense - ISBE, "Theophilus"
      3. The abrupt ending of Acts prior to Paul's trial before Caesar
         lends support to the idea that it may have initially served as a
         "legal brief" in Paul's behalf - cf. Ac 28:30-31

[Luke's purpose in writing these two letters to Theophilus was to inform
him about the life of Christ and the growth of the early church.  How
were these letters received by Theophilus...?] 

IV. THE EFFECT OF THE LETTERS

   A. THEOPHILUS' CONVERSION...
      1. We noted that Luke dropped the honorific title "most
         excellent" in his second letter - Ac 1:1
      2. This has led many to conclude that Luke's relation to
         Theophilus had changed, that receiving Luke's gospel resulted in
         Theophilus' conversion
      3. For Christians did not use honorific titles to address one
         another - cf. Mt 23:8-12

   B. PAUL'S RELEASE...
      1. There is evidence that Paul's first appearance before Caesar
         led to his release
      2. After which he had time to travel, according to his plans
         written in his prison epistles - Php 2:24; Phm 22
      3. During which he wrote his first epistle to Timothy, and the
         one to Titus

[Even if the letters were originally intended for Theophilus, may have
even served as a "legal brief", their inspiration by the Spirit of God
has long been acknowledged.  Leading one to inquire about...]

V. THE VALUE OF THE LETTERS

   A. FOR CREATING FAITH IN CHRIST...
      1. Many have used Luke's gospel to introduce people to Jesus
         Christ
      2. It is the most extensive of the four gospels, written in
         chronological order - Lk 1:3
      3. Penned by a professional man (physician), with a view toward
         historical accuracy - Lk 1:4; 2:1-2; 3:1-2

   B. FOR OBEYING THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST...
      1. Luke records many examples of conversion in the book of Acts 
         - e.g., Ac 2:36-41; 8:30-38
      2. We read of the evangelistic methods and message of the early
         apostles and preachers
      3. For assurance of our own salvation, we can compare our own
         conversion experience with those in Acts; were we told the same
         gospel, did we respond in the same way?

   C. FOR UNDERSTANDING THE CHURCH OF CHRIST...
      1. Acts contains the only record of the first thirty years of the
         early church
      2. It describes establishment, growth, organization, and worship
         of the church - e.g., Ac 2:42; 14:23
      3. Comparing Luke's record in Acts with the religious world
         today, we can see how far people have drifted from following 
         Jesus as the Way

CONCLUSION

1. Two letters, written to one man, sometime in the early 60s A.D....
   a. Who would have thought a simple correspondence would have the
      impact it did
   b. Of course it is due to their inspiration and preservation by the
      Spirit of God!

2. Have you given yourself the opportunity to read these two letters? 
   Do so, and you...
   a. Already have read one fourth of the New Testament!
   b. Will have the opportunity to learn much about Jesus, His
      salvation, and His church!

Along with the rest of the New Testament, you can "know the certainty of
those things in which you were instructed"...

Executable Outlines, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2012

From Jim McGuiggan... Miracles: See that jacket?


Miracles: See that jacket?

God sent a deliverer to Israel in Egypt; a reluctant deliverer who was sulking and bitter over a past rejection.“What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, ‘The Lord did not appear to you’?” Moses wants to know (Exodus 4:1). Though the problem, at this point, is more in Moses than in the people, it isn’t an irrational request. The “God of their fathers” had been around a long time and yet they were murdered and enslaved. If one comes with promises of a new future, it would hardly surprise us that they would have their doubts (Exodus 6:9).

So God offers him credentials (Exodus 4:2-9). Turning the staff into a snake and back again was “so that they may believe that the Lord...has appeared to you” (Exodus 4:5). If that wasn’t enough, there were two more signs (Exodus 6-9). Someone met and was with Moses. Whoever he was, he had power over the Nile, serpents and disease—power to create and cure.

I know philosophers and philosophical theologians debate the credential power of miracles but you only do that in your study or lecture hall. You only do that when you calmly abstract the events from reality and reason on logical relations. We’ve heard enough about Lessing’s ugly ditch and how that miraculous power doesn’t “prove” this or that. Yes, yes, but when you meet the real thing in a real setting where the event is contextualised and invested with meaning, all those arguments seem like vapour.

G.K. Chesterton’s poem on Lazarus sums it up well. Lazarus dies and is called back to life by Jesus the Christ. He wanders down the road, stops by a group of wise men that are matching words, laying out syllogisms, rattling out reason through a sieve that holds the chaff and lets the wheat go free. And what are they proving? That men cannot be raised from the dead! Lazarus listens to their arguments for a while then walks off saying, “But all of this is less than dust to me—for I am Lazarus, and I live!”

But we’re not very impressed with a school of thinkers that is so good with words that it can’t condemn and call “evil” what the Nazis or Stalin or ten thousand other tyrants have done! The man or woman that stands to say there is no way to “prove” the right or wrong of what such people did to hundreds of millions should be wondered at. Should we be surprised that they see no proof in the biblical miracles of what they are said to support? The word ‘proof’ is not the problem any more.

For those who wish to believe, said God, these signs are proof enough. Ah, but a real miracle would compel faith. No sir! The rich biblical notion of faith is more than mere belief, more than simply “the acceptance as true any given proposition”; it includes trust and commitment. And trust can’t be compelled! Self-serving critics had seen miracles all over the place but wouldn’t believe and so the Messiah would work no signs for them; but he did believe in their credential power (John 15:24). To the strugglers who were not hard of heart but needed help at a critical time, Jesus offered his works as proof (John 14:11; 20:24-31).

In a house in Troy, Ohio many years ago I was in the company of a boy called Tad Powers. I had spoken at the nearby building and he and I came on home ahead of the rest. He followed me around, as boys are apt to do with a visiting speaker. I don’t know what got into me but I turned to him and taking off my glasses I said to him, “Do you know who I am?” “Yes,” he said, not especially impressed, “You’re a preacher!” I looked at him solemnly and said, “I’m Superman!” Quick as a flash he said, “Prove it!” Here’s this, what? eight or nine-year old boy, and he knew the difference between an ordinary claim and an extraordinary one. Had I said, “I’m Jim McGuiggan” he might have said, “You’re secret safe with me.” Since I made an extraordinary claim, one that the circumstances made more than hard to believe, he made an understandable response.

I had made a “power” claim and he asked for “power” evidence. So I gave him one. I must have been out of my head but I looked around and there on the stair-post of the banister a jacket was hanging. I think it was mine but I can’t remember. “See that jacket?” I asked. He grunted assent. I said, “Watch it!” He watched it for a few seconds and saw it fall. It nearly floored him (nearly floored me too). He turned with eyes like organ-stops and whispered, “Do some more!” At that point others were coming in and I whispered to him that I didn’t want everyone to know who I was. He watched me even more closely for the rest of the evening. (I even made a quick visit to the bedroom to check under my shirt for the big S.)

The biblical credentials are not just raw acts of power, of course. They have a moral and contextual fitness to them though there are a few which must be taken up in the larger context of the entire biblical corpus if we are to see them at their best.

From Kyle Butt, M.A. ... The Web At Work

 http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=12&article=3794

The Web At Work

by  Kyle Butt, M.A.

Last week we received a call from a distraught mother whose 26-year-old son has turned to unbelief. She explained that he was raised understanding that God exists, but that due to material he viewed on YouTube, he had declared himself an agnostic/atheist. She related several of the questions that her son was having about evil, pain, and suffering, slavery and the Bible, and the alleged immorality of the God of the Old Testament. I assured her that we have answers to all of the questions that she mentioned and we would be more than happy to open up a dialogue with her son.
Out of curiosity, I asked her how she found our phone number. She said that one of the main issues her son was struggling with was his understanding of slavery and the Bible. She related that she went to the Internet, typed in slavery and the Bible and our Web site popped up. She went to the article and at the bottom found our contact information. Apparently, she had never before heard of Apologetics Press, but our article on the Bible and slavery pulled her to the site.
This is an excellent example of the importance of making sure the truth is presented on the Web. Error clutters the Web like old junk in an attic. There is no way to avoid its influence. But there are millions of honest-hearted truth seekers out there who are willing to do the work to wade through the garbage and find the truth. It is imperative that we as Christians take our mission of evangelism seriously and do our very best to ensure that the truth is presented in an attractive, concise, easily accessible format that truth seekers can obtain.
That is why we are so excited about what the Lord is doing through Apologetics Press on the Web. Last month (March 2011), we had over 700,000 page hits. That is almost twice the amount that we have received in any single month. Each month, we continue to add new articles, materials, and multimedia resources. Is there something you could do to help promote the site so that more people would have easier access to the truth? Could you encourage your congregation to link to the site? Could you send an e-mail to your friends with a link to the site and a brief paragraph encouraging them to check it out? We have the truth, let’s make it as easy as we can for those who are seeking it to find it.