E100 Challenge

Join us December 18 thru May 12, 2012 for the E100 Challenge. The E100 Challenge is a commitment to read 100 passages from the Bible (50 from the Old Testament and 50 from the New Testament). The challenge will last for 20 weeks. So that is five readings per week and also allows time to catch up if you miss a day or two. You can obtain the E100 Planner as a PDF download here (e100_planner)

We also have a limited number of bookmarks and daily planners that we ordered from Scripture Union. We will mail those out (US and Canada) – first come, first served. To request one send your address to btc@bezeugen.org

You can also track your progress online with the E100 Challenge reading plan on YouVersion. With this you can read the Bible on your computer, phone, tablet, etc…

In Matthew 4:4, Jesus said, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” Make daily Bible reading a habit. Please join us as we read through scripture together!

We have created two Facebook events to join for this event. You can join those groups to show your commitment to participating in the E100 Challenege.

Posted in Bible, Discipleship | 1 Comment

Dallas Children’s Parade

On Saturday, four of us attended the Dallas Children’s Parade to hand out Gospel tracts and witness with people one on one. This was my fifth consecutive year to attend this parade – which is one of the (if not the) largest events in Dallas. Each year some 400,000+ people attend. This year the attendance might have been a little less since the forecast was for rain. The worker at the DART told me they were expecting 350,000.

Randy, Carl, Wally and Joseph

Fortunately, the rain held off until after the parade. We handed out over 3,500 Gospel tracts in the two hours leading up to the parade. Lord willing, we will do it again next year!

It is interesting to look back. Here are the reports from 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010.

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The power of God’s word

We have a monthly outreach at a local community college on the second Thursday of each month. Each month we bring bottles of water to hand out. We have large signs that say “free water” to let the students know that they can get some water. We hand out the water with a booklet, tract, DVD or some other resource. Each month we normally will use some specific resource for that month.

This month we were handing out ESV New Testaments along with the Bible Bookmark. The bookmark provides a simple way to share the Gospel with someone by asking a sequence of questions and then providing one or two Bible verses to lookup to answer the question.

We handed out about 200 New Testaments and bookmarks in about two hours.

One student that received a New Testament received a lot more. He received eternal life! Once I handed him the New Testament I asked him if he was a Christian. He said, “no, not yet.” So I asked him what he was waiting for. He told me that he is in a Bible study at another one of the community college campuses. I asked what he knew about the Bible and he said that he did not know much. Actually, he did not even know how to look up a book, chapter and verse. I don’t mean this in any kind of condescending way. It turns out that many people we meet these days have never had or read the Bible.

The New Testaments (and Bibles for that matter) that we give out at outreaches have both a table of contents in book order as well as a table of contents in alphabetical order. I like to show people both of these.

I show them how to find the book of the Bible in the alphabetical table of contents. Then turning to the book, I show them that the larger numbers are called chapters and the smaller numbers are verses.

My new friend looked on intently as I showed him how to look up a verse in the Bible. We turned to Hebrews 9:27 and I asked him to read it. He did. And then I asked him the question from the bookmark “what happens when you die?”

Judgment – he said!

Very good. I explained to him that the questions were not hard. We proceeded to through the next questions until we got to the chase. Will you go to Heaven or Hell? He immediately said he would go to Hell if he died right then. I asked him if he thought that God wanted him to go to Hell and he said no. I then back up his answer from 2 Peter 3:9.

He knew that Jesus had died for the sin of the world. But he had never personally responded to Christ. I shared the Good News with him that Jesus had lived a perfect life, died on the cross and rose from the dead. I told him about repentance and the need to receive Jesus as savior. He said he wanted to do that.

I told him that if he wanted to pray to the Lord then I would pray for him. After some silence and then discussion again what it meant to recgonize his sin, have remorse for his sin, repent of his sin and then receive Jesus he prayed an amazingly beautiful prayer in his own words and then I prayed for him.

I gave him my business card and invited him to call me, email me and come to church with me. I hope to hear from him again soon!

Posted in Bible, Brookhaven, Repent and Believe Stories, Salvation | Comments Off on The power of God’s word

Saved by a tract

In July we got a new tract club member in Georgia. Over the next couple of months he and

Football Trivia Tract

I spoke on the phone a few times and over time have become friends. He has a strong desire to share the Gospel and has requested additional tracts a couple of times. We were able to meet that need and sent tracts to him. Last month he called me and said that he and a few others were going to go out to the Georgia vs Georgia Tech football game. He asked if I could send some college football trivia tracts. Since we still had a number of these tracts on hand, we mailed about 500 of them to him.

A couple of weeks ago, a gentleman called out 80-BEZEUGEN phone number and told me that he was a new believer, had received one of our tracts and was interested in receiving some materials to help him grow in the faith. We talked a bit and I found out that he is already connected to a Bible teaching local church and that he has his own Bible. I told him that I’d send him some resources and we ended the phone conversation.

I prayed about what to send him and asked for input from a couple of others. We agreed that the best resource for him was to read the Bible. I wrote him a letter suggesting that he read the Bible regularly. I found a couple of Bible reading plans online and included those in the materials I sent along with a couple of CD’s.

Since others may be interested in the Bible reading programs, when discipling other believers, I am providing links to them here.

  • Scripture Union E100 Challenge takes you through 100 Bible passages – 50 from the Old Testament and 50 from the New Testament. I found the planner online and you can also download the e100_planner as a PDF.
  • Navpress has a 5x5x5 New Testament reading plan to take you through the New Testament in one year reading five minutes a day, five days a week. You can get the planner online, or download a PDF.

The new believer called back several times and we had some more good discussion. In addition to the resources he also asked for some information on the Holy Spirit. CARM had an interesting article on the Holy Spirit, so I printed it out and mailed it to him as well. This was really interesting because about two weeks earlier another friend and I were talking about how Gospel tracts rarely mention the Holy Spirit and we had a long discussion about how the Holy Spirit is involved in evangelism. As I was discussing this with yet another friend today, we came back to the fact that the Holy Spirit is involved in the conviction of sin:

And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they do not believe in Me; (John 16:8-9)

As he continued asking me questions about growing in Christ I suggested to him that if he really wanted to grow in Christ, then he could go and share the Gospel with others. I told him about our tract club and said that when he was ready he could join. He asked me to sign him up! I did that. The welcome pack of tracts went out to him on Saturday.

On Monday, someone asked me if I would include stories of people being saved when we mail out the letters for the Bezeugen Tract Club. I thought that would be a good idea so set out to document some of these stories. Little did I know I was right in the midst of one of the stories as it was.

On Wednesday, this new believer called me again. He asked me to send him some tracts. I told him that they had already been sent. He was excited about that. As we were talking I got to thinking that maybe I could connect him with someone locally. I got to thinking (or God told me) about the first brother in Christ whom I had sent the college football tracts to and asked him how far he lived from that brothers town. He told me that he lived only 15 or so miles away. So I told him about this brother and asked if he would like me to give him his phone number. He said yes.

Later on Wednesday evening I called the first brother, told him this background about the new believer and asked if he would be interested in calling him. He agreed to call.

Well, it turns out that the first brother actually had given the tract to the new believer at that George vs Georgia Tech football game. The tract played a role in the mans salvation. He received the Lord as savior the next day (three days before he first called me).

I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent. (Luke 15:7)

We are just seed planters telling people about Jesus as we go. God saves people. And sometimes like this time we get to know about the salvation so that we can rejoice along with the angels in heaven.

Please join me in praying for these two guys out in Georgia. They are planning to do some witnessing together, probably as soon as this Saturday!

 

 

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Free Christmas Tract

One of my friends designed a Christmas tract that you can print out yourself at home. Why not print 10, 20 or even 50 pages and go hand them out to people you meet? You can download the PDF of the ChristmasTract. You are welcome to make as many copies as you like!

 

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December Logistics

Each month on the First Thursday of the month we gather at the flag poles in Carrollton (TX) and pray for our nation, leaders and revival. We use the ACTS model for prayer. This month the suggested verses are:

Adoration: 2 Samuel 7:22-23
Confession: Leviticus 5:5
Thanksgiving: 1 Chronicles 16:34-36
Supplication: Psalms 27:7-10

Even if you can’t join us in Carrollton, please join us in prayer at your own city hall near you or even at your place of business. Can’t make it at noon on the first Thursday? Could you pray sometime over that following weekend?

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Witnessing about Jesus Christ

At Christmas time it is a great time to go and share the Gospel. Here are some ideas to share with people about the true meaning of Christmas and the birth of Jesus.

Verses on the Birth of Jesus:

For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. (Luke 2:11)

But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS1, for He will save His people from their sins. (Matthew 1:20-21)

1 Of Hebrew origin or a transliteration of the Hebrew “Joshua” meaning “Jehovah is salvation” or Jehovah-saves (Jehoshua). [Sources: Vine’s Expository Dictionary and Strong’s Concordance]

A Selection of Eight Prophecies Fulfilled by Jesus’ Birth:

  1. Jesus would be born of the seed of a woman. Written by Moses (Genesis 3:15) as early as 1400 BC. See reference in Galatians 4:4.
  2. Jesus would be a descendant of Abraham. Written by Moses (Genesis 12:3) as early as 1400 BC. The New Testament books of Matthew and Luke trace back Jesus’ genealogy to Abraham.
  3. Jesus would come from the tribe of Judah. Written by Moses (Genesis 49:10) as early as 1400 BC. Jesus’ ancestry is traced back to Jacob’s son, Judah, in Luke 3:23-34 and in Matthew 1:1-16.
  4. Jesus would also come from Egypt. Written by Hosea (Hosea 11:1) between 755-710 BC. See Matthew 2:13-15.
  5. Jesus would be born in Bethlehem. Written by the prophet Micah (Micah 5:1-2) between 750-686 BC. See Luke 2:11.
  6. Jesus would be born of a virgin. Written by the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 7:14) between 701-681 BC.
  7. Jesus would be a descendent of King David. Written by Jeremiah (Jeremiah 23:5) between 626-586 BC and Isaiah (Isaiah 9:7). The New Testament books of Matthew and Luke trace back Jesus’ genealogy to King David.
  8. Jesus birth would trigger a slaughter of children. Written by Jeremiah (Jeremiah 31:15) between 626-586 BC. See reference in Matthew 2:16-18.

Compound Probability

Jesus fulfilled over 300 prophecies in his life. The reason all these prophecies are important is something called compound probability. When we consider having a great many requirements fulfilled by the same person, the likelihood of finding such a person decreases with every requirement. And the more unusual the requirement, the less likely we are to find such a person. The prophesies concerning Jesus Christ are so specific, with such a number of distinct features given, that, apart from Divine foreknowledge, the probability of fulfillment as a matter of accidental coincidence is reduced to a fraction too small to comprehend. The probability of only 8 prophecies being fulfilled are one in 10^17 (a figure with 17 zeros). [Sources: One Heartbeat Away written by Mark Cahill, and Peter Stoner, Professor Emeritus of Science at Westmont College]

About the Bible

The Bible is comprised of 66 Books written over a period of about 1,500 years by over 40 authors from all walks of life. It was written in three languages on three continents. Yet, it fits together into one cohesive story with an appropriate beginning, a logical ending, a central character, and a consistent theme. [Source: generally accepted knowledge]

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McKinney Trader Days

On Saturday I had the opportunity to join Wally at the Trade Days in McKinney to do some witnessing at the booth that he rents there on a monthly basis. I really appreciate that Wally is out there every month sharing the Gospel with the people who go to the trade days. Brian and Skip along with Brian’s two sons went with me on Saturday afternoon. We were there at the booth for about two and a half hours.

There was a good amount of foot traffic coming by the booth. Wally had set up the white board with the question “Do you consider yourself to be a good person on it?” By the end of the day there were about 40 “yes” and “8” no votes. A couple of people marked halfway between yes and no. We had some discussion about how most people we talked to did not even register an answer.

Jake handing out a tract

At the booth we were able to hand out hundreds of Gospel tracts. Brian’ssons were great at handing out tracts. They had tracts with them. When they gave them all out, they would come to me and I’d give them another one. They go hand that tract out and come back for the next one. People that might not have taken a tract from one of us adults almost always took one from the kids. I can only

Tristen handing out a tract!

recall one adult that did not take a tract from Tris and that about broke his heart in disbelief that someone would say “no thank you” and not take the tract. I am sure that we handed out at least 400 or 500 tracts in the couple of hours that we were there. Many people would stop and talk to us. We had many good one on one conversations with people.

Having fun between tracts!

Brian had the chance to share the Gospel with Katie, Justin, Justin and Amir as well as others. I had a conversation with a woman who did not have a Bible. I gave her a Bible along with one of our Bible bookmarks. She was very appreciative and said she would look up the verses.

You may like to check your area to see if there are any trader days type events around. Renting a booth at the trade days for the weekend costs under $100. That is a pretty good price to have an open venue to share the Gospel with 1000’s of people. I found that it is also a good training ground for “as you go” evangelism because there are many people out just doing their thing – shopping!

 

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What the Bible says about itself

My friend Roy emailed me a document that he was working on with a list of scriptures about what the Bible says about itself. I was really encouraged by this list of verses and asked him if I could post it on the BLOG. He agree. Here is what he wrote about what he was researching:

As I ponder questions about the bible, is it true, is it accurate, is it reliable, and how did we get this book, I also looked in the Bible to see what the Bible says about the Bible.

Enjoy the verses of scripture.  They will lead you, guide you, encourage you, and yes even correct you, but all done in much love.

Peace and grace as you ponder the words of God.

I believe that these verses will be helpful as you share the Gospel with people. One thing that comes up is how do you know that the Bile is true. Being able to tell people what the Bible says about itself is helpful. Remember, that even telling people these things, because God’s word does not return void, can be helpful to their understanding of the Bible and Gospel.

105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

106 I have sworn, and I will perform it, that I will keep thy righteous judgments.

107  I am afflicted very much: quicken me, O LORD, according unto thy word.

Psalm 119:105 – 107


“Forever, O LORD, your word is firmly fixed in the heavens.”

Psalm 119:89 (ESV)

 

1 My son, keep my words and store up my commands within you.

2  Keep my commands and live, and my law as the pupil of your eye.

3  Tie them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart.

Proverbs 7:1-3 (Literal Translation of the Holy Bible, – LITV – by Jay P. Green, Sr.)

 

 

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. – And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

John 1:1-5, 14 (ESV)

 

“The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.”

Isaiah 40:8 (ESV)

 

“Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; for ‘All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains forever.'”

1 Peter 1:22-25 (ESV)

 

“Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

John 14:6 (ESV)

 

4 And when a great crowd was gathering and people from town after town came to him, he said in a parable:

5 “A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell along the path and was trampled underfoot, and the birds of the air devoured it.

6 And some fell on the rock, and as it grew up, it withered away, because it had no moisture.

7And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up with it and choked it.

8 And some fell into good soil and grew and yielded a hundredfold.” As he said these things, he called out, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

9 And when his disciples asked him what this parable meant,

10 he said, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God, but for others they are in parables, so that ‘seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.’

11 Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.

12 The ones along the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved.

13 And the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe for a while, and in time of testing fall away.

14 And as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature.

15 As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience.

Luke 8:4-15 (ESV)

 

[Jesus said] “A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher.”

Luke 6:40 (ESV) [the following verses are about the plank and speck in the eye – to help keep us from hypocrisy and judging others unjustly, and then the good tree cannot produce good fruit and a bad tree cannot produce good fruit]

 

“I solemnly implore you, in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus who is about to judge the living and the dead, and by His Appearing and His Kingship: proclaim God’s message [preach the word], be zealous in season and out of season; convince, rebuke, encourage, with the utmost patience as a teacher. For a time is coming when they will not tolerate wholesome instruction, but, wanting to have their ears tickled, they will find a multitude of teachers to satisfy their own fancies; and will turn away from listening to the truth and will turn aside to fables.”

2 Timothy 4:1-4 (Weymouth New Testament – WNT 1912)

 

“For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, 5because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction.”

1 Thessalonians 1:4-5 (ESV)

 

“For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.”

Romans 15:4 (ESV)

 

“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.”

2 Timothy 3:16-17 (ESV)

 

2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God.

3 For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.”

13 For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith.

22 That is why his faith was “counted to him as righteousness.” 23 But the words “it was counted to him” were not written for his sake alone, 24 but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord…

Romans 4:2, 3, 13, 22, 23, 24 (ESV)

 

“And we have something more sure, the prophetic word, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”

2 Peter 1:19-21 (ESV)

 

“Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. Do not add to his words, lest he rebuke you and you be found a liar.”

Proverbs 30:5-6 (ESV)

 

John wrote in the book of Revelation: “I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.”

Revelation 22:18-19 (ESV)

 

 

“This is my comfort in my affliction: for thy word hath quickened me.”

Psa 119:50 (KJV)

(Quickened Strong’s 2421 chayah)

to live, whether literally or figuratively; causatively to revive: – keep (leave, make) alive, give (promise) life, (let, suffer to) live, nourish up, preserve (alive), quicken, recover, repair, restore (to life), revive, save (alive, life, lives), be whole, to sustain life, to live on or upon, to cause to grow

 

1 Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers;

2 but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.

3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.

Pslam 1:1-3 (ESV)

 

9 How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word.

10 With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments!

11 I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.

Psalm 119:9-11(ESV)

 

“I rise before dawn and cry for help; I hope in your words. My eyes are awake before the watches of the night, that I may medicate on you that I may meditate on your promises.”

Psalm 119:147-148 (ESV)

 

“In the way of your testimonies I delight as much as in all riches. I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways. I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word.”

Psalm 119:14-16 (ESV)

 

(Jesus prayed this before He was betrayed in the Garden of Gethsemane)

13 But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves.

14 I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.

15 I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.

16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.

17 Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.

18 As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.

19And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.

John 17:13-19 (ESV)

 

(After Jesus rose from the dead and visited with the disciples)

“Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures and said to them, Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.”

Luke 24:45-47 (ESV)

 

 

“The Law and the Prophets were until John; since then the good news of the kingdom of God is preached, and everyone forces his way into it. But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one dot of the Law to become void.”

Luke 16:16-17 (ESV)

 

“Do not think that I came to annul the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to annul, but to fulfill. Truly I say to you, Until the heaven and the earth pass away, in no way shall one iota or one point [jot or tittle – KJV] pass away from the Law until all comes to pass.”

Matthew 5:17-18 (ESV)

 

“And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.”

Luke 24:44 (KJV)

 

“Jesus said to them, ‘Have you never read in the Scriptures:’ ‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?”

Matthew 21:42 (ESV)

 

“Jesus said to them, “Haven’t you read in the Scriptures what David did when he and his companions were hungry?”

Matthew 12:3 (NLT)

 

“Jesus answered him, ‘If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me.'”

John 14:23-24 (ESV)

 

“And he said to them, ‘Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written,’ “This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.'”

Mark 7:6-8 (ESV)

 

“As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:”

1 Peter 2:2 (KJV)

 

(Noble Bereans)

“The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived they went into the Jewish synagogue. Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. Many of them therefore believed, with not a few Greek women of high standing as well as men.”

Acts 17:10-12 (ESV)

 

“You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God that I command you.”

Deuteronomy 4:2 (ESV)

 

 

“Everything that I command you, you shall be careful to do. You shall not add to it or take from it.”

Deuteronomy 12:32 (ESV)

 

“For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.”

Hebrews 5:12-14 (ESV)

 

“This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”

Joshua 1:8-9 (ESV)

 

“Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.”

James 1:21 (ESV)

 

“But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God’s word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God.”

2 Corinthians 4:2 (ESV)

 

“Of these things put them in remembrance, charging them before the Lord that they strive not about words to no profit, but to the subverting of the hearers. Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

2 Timothy 2:14-15 (KJV)

 

1 “Now this is the commandment, the statutes and the rules that the LORD your God commanded me to teach you, that you may do them in the land to which you are going over, to possess it,

2 that you may fear the LORD your God, you and your son and your son’s son, by keeping all his statutes and his commandments, which I command you, all the days of your life, and that your days may be long.

3 Hear therefore, O Israel, and be careful to do them, that it may go well with you, and that you may multiply greatly, as the LORD, the God of your fathers, has promised you, in a land flowing with milk and honey.

4 “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.

5 You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.

6 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. .

7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.

8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.

9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

Deuteronomy 6:1-9 (ESV)

 

 

1 “You shall therefore love the LORD your God and keep his charge, his statutes, his rules, and his commandments always.

13“And if you will indeed obey my commandments that I command you today, to love the LORD your God, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul,

14 he will give the rain for your land in its season, the early rain and the later rain, that you may gather in your grain and your wine and your oil.

15 And he will give grass in your fields for your livestock, and you shall eat and be full.

18 “You shall therefore lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.

19 You shall teach them to your children, talking of them when you are sitting in your house, and when you are walking by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.

20 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates,

21 that your days and the days of your children may be multiplied in the land that the LORD swore to your fathers to give them, as long as the heavens are above the earth.

22 For if you will be careful to do all this commandment that I command you to do, loving the LORD your God, walking in all his ways, and holding fast to him,

23 then the LORD will drive out all these nations before you, and you will dispossess nations greater and mightier than yourselves.

Deuteronomy 11:1, 13-15, 18-23 (ESV)

 

 

FIINAL VERSE —-

“Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience. For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”

Hebrews 4:11-13 (ESV)


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Most Wonderful Time

Have you noticed that Christmas season seems to start earlier and earlier this year? At the malls near us, they went directly from Halloween to Christmas completely skipping over Thanksgiving. The day after Halloween, they already had Santa’s Village set up at a local mall. Now, a week before Thanksgiving, that same mall is decorated for Christmas!

As we walked around the mall at lunch the other day, I noticed that people had lot’s of bags from shopping at toy stores. I asked “are you shopping for Christmas?” Time and time again the answer was yes. So I asked a simple question, “why do you celebrate Christmas?”

For me, the answer is simple – it is a celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, savior of the world.

However, you might be surprised, that asking at least a dozen people this question at the mall, only one gave an answer that had anything to do with Jesus and Him alone being the savior of the world.

It got me thinking that while most would agree that this is the “most wonderful time of the year” that for the Christian, it really is. Consider the song by watching this video and reading the lyrics (from STLyrics.com) below that follow:

It’s the most wonderful time of the year
With the kids jingle belling
And everyone telling you “Be of good cheer”
It’s the most wonderful time of the year
It’s the hap-happiest season of all
With those holiday greetings and gay happy meetings
When friends come to call
It’s the hap- happiest season of all

There’ll be parties for hosting
Marshmallows for toasting
And caroling out in the snow
There’ll be scary ghost stories
And tales of the glories of
Christmases long, long ago

It’s the most wonderful time of the year
There’ll be much mistltoeing
And hearts will be glowing
When love ones are near
It’s the most wonderful time of the year

There’ll be parties for hosting
Marshmallows for toasting
And caroling out in the snow
There’ll be scary ghost stories
And tales of the glories of
Christmases long, long ago

It’s the most wonderful time of the year
There’ll be much mistltoeing
And hearts will be glowing
When love ones are near
It’s the most wonderful time
It’s the most wonderful time
It’s the most wonderful time
It’s the most wonderful time of the year

As you read those lyrics, do you see anything about Jesus? Nope! But you see just about everything else. Yet, as a Christian, I submit that this is the most wonderful time of the year.

Why?

Because it is so easy to talk to people about Jesus. The motto of Bezeugen Mnistries is “As You Go”. What do we mean by that? We man to share the Gospel “as you go”. Whether it is going to work, the store or school, look for opportunities to share the Gospel “as you go”. At Christmas time this is so easy. As people questions like

Do you celebrate Christmas?

Why do you celebrate Christmas?

Does Christmas have any spiritual meaning to you?

Why do you think Jesus had to be born?

All of these questions help to understand the persons spiritual condition and lead to an opportunity to share the Gospel. In the last week, I’ve meet Muslims, Hindu’s, Bhuddists and Athiests who all admitted that they celebrate Christmas. So it is interesting to hear why they celebrate Christmas and then have the opportunity to share with them the true meaning of Christmas.

that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures (1 Corinthians 15:3-4)

In order for Christ to die according to the scriptures, he had to first be born. He had to be born to fulfill the prophecy of the Old Testament.

As You Go” this Christmas season, make it the most wonderful time of the year by sharing the Gospel with everyone you meet!

 

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