Month / October 2017

by In Light Of The Cross

Faith Does All the Work


 I am writing today from the beautiful Tampa Bay area. 

I want to share two passages, that many claim contradict each other. 

Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law. Romans 3:28 NKJV

You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only. James 2:24 NKJV

When I run into apparentcontradictions in the Bible, I eventually realize I was reading something into one of the passages that wasn’t there, or was missing something that was there. Verse 22 of James 2 offers something that may have been missed.

Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? James 2:22 NKJV

Did you catch it? It is not man that is working in James 2:22. Faith is working! This idea goes along with Galatians 5:6 which tells us faith works by love. Again it is faith that is working. 

 In Galatians 2:20, Paul tells us that it is not him working but Christ who is working in him. While He lives by faith Christ lives and works in him.

I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. Galatians 2:20 NKJV

James tells us,

Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? James 2:21 NKJV 

James says Abraham was justified by works, but he does not say it was Abraham who was working. James 2:22 says it was faith that was working.

The faith the justified Abraham was not faith in his own works, but a faith that God would perform His own works through him.

He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He [God] had promised He was also able to perform. Romans 4:20-21 NKJV

So when Abraham had Isaac it was God working through him and performing His own work through faith. It was God who worked through Abraham taking Isaac to the altar. Abraham’s works did not take Isaac to the altar, it was God’s faith working through Abraham that took Isaac to the altar. Remember Galatians 2:20 “Not I, but Christ.” 

James and Paul do not contradict each other. They both realize it is faith doing all the work. Neither James or Paul preached faith and works. They both preached a faith that works by love. 

For the love of Christ compels us…2 Corinthians 5:14 NKJV

You may study this week’s Sabbath School lesson at ssnet.org. 

by In Light Of The Cross

Saved by His Life

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I am writing tonight from the beautiful Tampa Bay area.

Sunday’s section of this week’s lesson asks,

How successful have your efforts in law-keeping been? What should that answer tell you about the futility of trying to be saved by keeping the law?

What if I told you that just as assuredly as you already sinned in Adam, you have also already lived a perfect life in Christ?

For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous. Romans 5:19 NKJV

Paul is not merely saying Adam’s sin caused us all to sin. He is saying we all sinned in Adam when Adam sinned. It’s the same idea Paul was using in Hebrews 7:5 when he said Levi paid tithes in Abraham since he was in Abraham’s loins when Abraham paid tithe. Likewise, we were all in Adam when Adam sinned, causing us all to sin in Abraham. Romans 5:19 goes on to say that we are all made righteous by one man’s obedience.

How so? After we all sinned in Adam, Jesus became one with our flesh,

Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh…Romans 1:3 NKJV

Since the wages of sin is death, (Romans 6:23) Jesus took our sinful flesh to the cross, where we all died the death we deserve in Christ.

by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh…Romans 8:3 NKJV

What has happened so far? We all sinned in Adam, and deserved death. Jesus took our sinful flesh and went to the cross. Therefore our sinful flesh was crucified with Christ. The wages of sin is death, and I died that death with Christ.

knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him…Romans 6:6 NKJV

So I have died the death I deserve in Christ. I still need a perfect life but fall short of God’s glory. See Romans 3:23.  Here is the good news! Just assuredly as I died in Christ I have also lived a perfect life in Christ. Jesus did not only die for me, He died as me. Jesus also did not only live a perfect life for me, He lived a perfect life as me! I am not only saved by His death. I am saved by His life!

much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. Romans 5:10 NKJV

I don’t have a perfect life to offer, but Jesus’ perfect life counts as my perfect life! Jesus is not cheating when He credits His perfect life as my perfect life, because He took my flesh and lived a perfect life with my flesh, just as Abraham paid tithes with Levi’s flesh.

The good news is, when I accept Jesus I am accepting way more than just forgiveness. When I accept the life of Jesus the power of His life becomes the power of my life!

…reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. Romans 6:11-12 NKJV.

Thus Jesus’ life is my justification and sanctification! I am saved by His life!

You may study this week’s Sabbath School lesson here. 

by In Light Of The Cross

“Send us Infinity People!”

St.Pete With Curtis

I am writing today from the beautiful Tampa Bay area.

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God Romans 3:23 NKJV

One night I was lamenting to God, about all the apostasy, and outright rebellion going on even in Christian cultures. As I was “interceding” for the “fallen” I felt the Holy Spirit tap me on the heart, and ask,

What if I told you some of the people you are praying for are actually better Christians than you?

Often, we are concerned about others when we should be more concerned about ourselves. Fact is, we have all sinned. Fact is, there is hope for all of us!

For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous. Romans 5:19 NKJV

How many are made righteous? The many who were made sinners was a staggering amount, so since the same word is used for those who are made righteous, I figure that must be a staggering amount too. I just checked my concordance, and found that both times the word “many” is used in Romans 5:19, it is the word “polus.” Definitions for “polus” include, large, abundance, plenty, and even “most.”

When we see evil all around it is easy to get discouraged. We read,

you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked…Revelation 3:17 NKJV

We lament the sins going on in our Christian circles, and think there is no hope. We doubt God will even be able to save 144,000 since in Noah’s day God only saved 8. Be careful! We often project our faults onto others. See Romans 2:1. If I think the church is dead, there is a good chance I am dead.

After reading the sobering message in Revelation 3, I need to heed the warning myself. I need to open my heart to Jesus. I need to realize that amid all the dire things Jesus has to say about me, He still plans on me overcoming!

To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. Revelation 3:21 NKJV

Notice the contrast brought about by God’s grace. The one church that Jesus had absolutely nothing good to say about, is the one church that Jesus expects to not just overcome, but to overcome as I overcame!

While we wonder how many will be saved, while we wonder if the number will be closer to 8 than it is to 144,000 John sweeps our skepticism and criticism away with a staggering number who overcome!

After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, Revelation 7:9 NKJV

 

“Which no one could number?” “Of all nations?” Is John telling me there will be more people saved from the most hopeless situations than I can even count? Why yes, yes he is! When things look hopeless and we think a sinner is out of reach of God’s grace, remember,

Often we regard as hopeless subjects the very ones whom Christ is drawing to Himself. –Ellen White, Christ Object Lessons, Page 71 

My Wednesday prayer meeting group was praying for some upcoming evangelism meetings. People were praying for God to send us several people or even a lot of people, but then a 9 year old girl prayed, “Send us infinity people!” We all chuckled inside. Doesn’t she know that’s impossible? Doesn’t she know that will never happen, especially when you look at the shape our world is in? Well, turns out she knew what she was praying about after all. One day this little girl and Jesus will be walking together hand in hand, and He will thank her for praying a prayer that made His dream come true: “A great multitude which no one could number.”

You may study this week’s SS lesson here.

by In Light Of The Cross

Sharing Jesus Door to Door

I am writing today from the beautiful Tampa Bay area.

Jesus knows us individually, and is touched with the feeling of our infirmities. He knows us all by name. He knows the very house in which we live, the name of each occupant. He has at times given directions to His servants to go to a certain street in a certain city, to such a house, to find one of His sheep. –Ellen White, Desire of Ages, Page 479. 

On a summer evening in 2008, Wes knocked on the door of a home in Tampa Florida, and offered Larry, the man who opened the door free Bible studies. Larry accepted the studies and before the summer was over, Larry and his wife Janice were baptized members of the Tampa First Seventh-day Adventist church. A church they did not even know existed, before Wes knocked on their door. Today Larry is a very active deacon in the church. Janice shares inspirational literature with people she finds everywhere she goes. More than this, I have had the privilege of studying with and baptizing two more members of their family, and studying with some of their uncles, cousins and nephews. By knocking on Larry’s door, Wes not only brought love and hope to Larry’s heart, but also to the hearts of his family.

While there are many ways of reaching people these days, especially with social media, it appears God continues reaching people through door to door evangelism.

So how does one reach people through door to door evangelism? When I was 15 I went knocking on doors in my neighborhood, just flat out asking people if they wanted Bible studies. A couple of people said “yes” and one family visited my church with me one Sabbath.

Of course there are different ways to reach people door to door, and Bible studies and baptism don’t necessarily need to be the goal of each visit. The goal is to meet the needs of the people. Many churches have what they call a community needs survey. Ministries offered varies from church to church, but you can click on the link to get an idea. The purpose is to find ways to minister to the community. Sometimes one of the offers will be Bible studies as swell as other ministries such as health, cooking, divorce care, grief recovery and so forth. What I like to do instead of offering Bible studies on the survey is to offer them at the end of the survey as a free gift for taking the time to do the survey. These are the most popular door to door surveys these days.

Wes used a community religious survey when he knocked on Larry’s door. These can generate some very interesting discussions, and the answers people give to the surveys will help you know how to reach them during your course of study.

The Michigan Conference of Seventh-day Adventists have a page full of sample surveys which I have found to be very handy.

When going door to door, remember to always be polite even when the people you visit are not. A Christlike life will win people over winning and argument. Also be encouraged that if they are not interested, that you are only one of many opportunities God will send their way. Also Jesus said, in Matthew 24:14 that the Gospel will go into all the world before He comes, and so every decision people make, whether “yes” or “no” is one decision closer to Jesus coming. Of course we want everyone to be ready!

Remember, God may be sending you to a certain house to find one of His lost sheep, or possibly many of them!

by In Light Of The Cross

My Fall Open Newsletter to my Contributors

Preston

Many exciting things have happened since my last newsletter! Here is a picture of Preston getting baptized at Tampa First SDA Church.  God has also blessed with two

baptisms from my studies at Tampa Adventist Academy, as well as Maretta joining the Plant City SDA Church on profession of faith.

Preston CS

After studying and being baptized, like many others, Preston wasted no time getting busy in service for Jesus and His Church. Preston has joined the Community Service Center at Tampa First, helping others in need.

Maretta

In Plant City Maretta has found one friend and one family member, who are now studying with us to be baptized.

Summer Study

So many of the students and Tampa Adventist Academy enjoyed our Bible chain referencing classes and Bible studies, that they wanted to continue studying during together during the summer! On the left Isa, who was in my evangelism class at TAA, is giving the study on the hope of eternal life to our summer Bible study group, which included kids from the community as well as the church school. A few of the other kids from TAA also presented studies during the summer class.

Rose

Last Spring, Rose, who was in my Bible chain referencing class, shared the Gospel presentation with her cousins, and Harold made his decision to be baptized! I am currently following up with him and his family.

I also have several small study groups going on every week. One group is on Friday nights with several people who have no church affiliation. Recently four of them made their decision to be baptized into the Seventh-day Adventist Church! We are now doing baptismal studies.

At Plant City, the pastor and I are both teaching a New Believers class with 8-12 seekers every Sabbath. I am also helping some families from Plant City who are reaching their family and friends.

While God is opening all kinds of doors right here in Tampa and Plant City, I am also very thankful he is allowing my ministry to spread across Florida. I also have a Bible chain referencing class in St. Petersburg with about 10 students.

Last week I completed a week of prayer at the New Port Richey Seventh-day Adventist school,  I had the privilege of bringing the message of the cross to 75 students every day. On Friday 23 of those students asked for baptism and Bible studies! The principal, Mr. Keith Nelson, has invited me back to study and prepare these students for baptism!

As well as preaching and conducting personal and group Bible studies all over Florida, my online ministry continues with Inlightofthecross.com as well as the Sabbath School Net.

I want to thank my contributors for the awesome privilege of sharing the gospel with hundreds of people in Florida and thousands around the world. I am also thankful for the privilege of coaching others to share the gospel, as we fulfill Jesus’ commission to take the Gospel into all the world! Thank you for your continued support and new supporters are needed and welcomed!

Monthly and one time contributions are welcomed at

Plant City SDA Church

PO Box 5379

Please mark for Bible Worker Fund

Plant City, FL 33653

THANK YOU!