Tag / Tampa

by In Light Of The Cross

My Most Precious Memories

Tampa 003

I am writing today from the beautiful Tampa Bay area.

This morning I got a call from my doctor. He sounded very cheerful and told me he had good news! Immediately I thought he must have just saved a bunch of money on his car insurance by switching to Geico. He laughed and told me no, that he had better news than that! My CPK blood count which had been as high as 1400 over the weekend was now at a perfect 78! He told me all of my blood work was perfect and that I have totally recovered. My hand is even writing good now or at least as good as it did before all this started.

 

Again I can’t begin to thank everyone for all their prayers and concerns! As I have stated in a previous blog from a few weeks ago I have always enjoyed good health and have rarely been sick. Having been so sick I now have a greater sympathy for those who are sick. While this sickness came and went very fast (Thank God!) it has left me with several lessons which I shall not soon forget and the first one is sympathy towards others. I hope to be more caring and sympathetic with those in pain.

 

I have also been very humbled at the calling God has given me to share the gospel. Many of you have shared with me that your concern was not for me alone but even more so for my ministry and the gospel. I have been very touched and humbled by people’s appreciation of the gospel ministry and their earnest desire for me to share the gospel with others. This is a trust that I have always treasured but now I treasure and cherish this calling ten times more than I ever have before.

 

Ever since I was four years old I knew I would be preaching the gospel. I grew up seeing myself as a public speaker. In the darkest hours of my sickness I had a personal revelation. Of course now that I have recovered I laugh at myself now for thinking that I may not recover, but there were a few hours there where I was not sure what was going to happen and when I thought the worse may occur, what I was most afraid to say goodbye to was not publicly preaching but rather all the families and individuals I have made friends with in personal one on one Bible studies. I have always enjoyed those personal studies, and the people I have met doing them, but I had no idea just how precious they were to me. In my darkest hour those moments in people’s homes, with our Bibles open were the most precious memories I had!! Thank God by His grace there will be many more precious moments to come!!!

By the way, the doctor says it was most likely a bug bite.

by In Light Of The Cross

A New Look at Life

Sunsets St.Pete 011

I am writing from the beautiful Tampa Bay area today.

 

After spending the weekend in the Emergency Room I am feeling much better! I was not sure what I had, but my muscles were very weak and extremely painful. It took me five minutes to get the tab off a new orange juice carton. I about never got dressed for church, but had to since I have not missed a service in 20 twenty years.

 

The ER said my CPK count got up to over 1400 and is suppose to be less than 300. CPK is a chemical your body puts out when the muscles are shutting down. Thanks to much prayer my count is down to 700 and I feel great! My hand is writing a lot better too. I have been back to work the last three days now. I see the doctor again on Monday. We are still not sure what happened but need to find out. I love mysteries but not when they involve my health!

 

I want to thank those who have brought over food, visited, called and most of all prayed for me. While this has been a very painful ordeal it has also been very eye opening to see all the love that is out there. I appreciate it very much.

 

Friday night and Saturday night were very rough nights for me. Very painful and wondering what is wrong? Times like these call for much prayer and even some deep soul searching. Here are some conclusions I have made in the middle of those painful, prayerful nights.

 

It is foolish to ask God why bad things happen to good people for the simple fact that there are no good people for bad things to happen to. Psalms 14:3 When I wake up in the morning feeling good I praise my God who makes good things happen to bad people just like me! Romans 2:4, Ephesians 2:8-9.

 

I am going to take my health much more seriously. I thought it was frustrating when my computer or cell phone was not working right. Now I could care less how those things work or don’t work. I just want my body to work right and I need to take care of it!

 

I used to think that some people thought I over did the sunset and Florida scenery pictures. I don’t think God’s beauty in nature can be over appreciated now. If someone thought I was crazy for taking so many pictures I have news for them, I think you are crazy for not being out there taking pictures with me. I may have taken a million pictures and I plan on taking millions more.

 

Again, while some wonders get old to some people they never get old to me. I used to think I was silly when the airplane would be taking off and everyone was relaxing with their head sets on and eyes closed or their nose buried in a book, while I was looking out the window thinking “This is so cool!” even though its my 50th plane ride. Well guess what? On my next plane ride I will have a window seat and will be looking out the window thinking “This is so cool!” even though it will be my 51st plane ride. Life is too wonderful and precious and I don’t think I can over appreciate it.

 

I am going to let people know I love them no matter how corny it makes me look or how awkward it makes them feel. I am not going to worry if they love me back or not. Life is short and I only have time to love!

 

Love ya!

by In Light Of The Cross

Thoughts on Loved and Loving: John’s Epistles Lesson 9

Adam's Birthday 018

I am writing tonight from the beautiful Tampa Bay area. (notice alligator by the river bridge)

Thursday’s section of this week’s SS lesson asks the question, “What about folk who have never had the opportunity to hear the gospel presented in a clear manner? Are they all automatically lost? As you think about your answer, don’t forget to take into account God’s universal love for all humanity. How can you learn to better trust the Lord on this difficult question?”

 Sometimes I don’t think we realize how legalistic we are even when we think we aren’t. We just can’t imagine salvation being as easy as the Bible says. We dwell on the thousands who were lost at the flood while only eight were saved, forgetting that dumb animals were saved who simply did not resist the draw to the ark. The Bible never told us salvation was hard or is suppose to be hard. It is the way of the transgressor that is hard. Proverbs 13:15. 

We think we have left legalism and the works of the flesh when we tell people they can be saved if they understand and believe the steps to salvation. However in that case all we have done is transferred the legalism from the works of the flesh to the works of the brain. We quote Ephesians 2:8 and tell people we are saved by our faith, but that is not what that verse says. It says we are saved by grace. So many of us have things backwards. We look at Ephesians 2:8 and think that if we have faith God will recognize it and then give us grace. “Oh they believe in me so I will be graceful and save them.” Wrong! Our faith is in response to God’s grace, NOT God’s grace in response to my faith! At the cross Jesus saved us and gave us our free choice back. 

A few weeks ago I was sharing a verse in my Revelation Seminar from Acts 4:12, “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” A beautiful verse for sure but so many of us read that verse with a legalistic slant. We think that we must know that name and if we know it then we can be saved. That is not what the verse is saying. The verse is not saying that our salvation depends upon us knowing that name. We are saved by that name knowing us! There is no other name that knows or will save us other than Jesus Christ. I have had people lament to me that their wife or brother doesn’t believe in God. I tell them don’t worry, God believes in your wife and brother! 

In closing consider this passage from The Desire of Ages p. 638 “ Those whom Christ commends in the judgment may have known little of theology, but they have cherished His principles. Through the influence of the divine Spirit they have been a blessing to those about them. Even among the heathen are those who have cherished the spirit of kindness; before the words of life had fallen upon their ears, they have befriended the missionaries, even ministering to them at the peril of their own lives. Among the heathen are those who worship God ignorantly, those to whom the light is never brought by human instrumentality, yet they will not perish. Though ignorant of the written law of God, they have heard His voice speaking to them in nature, and have done the things that the law required. Their works are evidence that the Holy Spirit has touched their hearts, and they are recognized as the children of God. How surprised and gladdened will be the lowly among the nations, and among the heathen, to hear from the lips of the Saviour, “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these My brethren, ye have done it unto Me”! How glad will be the heart of Infinite Love as His followers look up with surprise and joy at His words of approval!”

You can find more studies and devotionals on my personal website at http://www.InLightOfTheCross.com

by In Light Of The Cross

Thoughts on Loved and Loving: John’s Epistles Lesson 7

Tampa Skyline

I am writing today from the beautiful Tampa Bay area.

 

This week’s SS lesson asks the question, “Some people are afraid of the idea that we are saved only by what Jesus has done for us. They say, if our salvation rests in Christ’s righteousness and not in our own, what’s to stop us from continuing in sin? How would you respond to that concern?”  

The solution is to find what it is that Jesus has saved us from. In other words, the Bible makes it clear we are saved by God’s grace alone, but what is it we are saved from? While it is true that God’s grace saves us from the grave it also saves us from a sinful lifestyle. However many times people only refer to God’s grace saving us from the grave even in cases where the context is not about the grave but plainly about a sinful lifestyle. Please allow me to share three examples.

 The first verse that is often used for this subject is Ephesians 28-9 which beautifully reads, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” There you have it. Now works but God’s grace. Yet this does not mean that we can continue in sin without a changed life. The very next verse reads, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” So it is by God’s work, in other words borrowing from the question in the SS lesson it is “Only by what Jesus has done for us” that we now have good works. Also let’s examine the context of what Paul is talking about. Here is Ephesians 2:1-10 in its entire context:

 “And you [hath he quickened], who were dead in trespasses and sins: Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.     But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised [us] up together, and made [us] sit together in heavenly [places] in Christ Jesus:That in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in [his] kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.    For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”

 The context is very clear that Jesus has saved us from a sinful lifestyle by grace and not by works, but too many times we take the “saved by grace” and apply it only to being saved from hell when that is not even a part of the subject at all.

  Paul uses the word ‘grace” in Romans 1:5 when he says, “By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name.” The context here is grace giving us the power to obey. Nothing here about escaping death, Paul here is clearly talking about escaping a sinful lifestyle.

 In Titus 2:11-12 Paul writes, “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world.” Again Paul is not limiting grace to saving us from death. As a matter of fact he is not talking about death at all. He is talking about grace saving us from a sinful lifestyle and empowering us to live a victorious life in the here and now. 

I read just recently in The Great Controversy when Martin Luther became a priest it bothered him how so many of the other priests professed piety, while practicing the most basest of sins and conversation.  While Martin Luther recognized that works do not save a man, he recognized too that the grace of God which alone we rely for salvation is what saves us from the power of sin as well as the penalty of sin. In other words, while our works will not save us from a sinful lifestyle, the grace of God will. 

Here is a previous post with promises from the classic book The Desire of Ages guaranteeing us victory! I have posted this before but every time I do someone writes who sees and appreciates it for the first time. I invite you to take a look! I also invite you to check out my personal website with Christ centered studies and devotionals.

by In Light Of The Cross

Thoughts on Loved and Loving: John’s Epistles Lesson 6

Small group Spring Break 033

I am writing tonight from the beautiful Tampa Bay area.

Friday’s section of this week’s SS lesson asks the question, “What are ways that we can manifest the spirit of antichrist toward others?”  

I think there are several ways, all of which boils down to pride. For example, many understand Paul is speaking of the anti Christ in 2 Thessalonians 2:4 “Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.”  

 Do we take God’s place in the temple when we sit in condemnation of our brother? Jesus Himself says in John 5:22, “For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:” If we decide to condemn a brother are we not trying to sit in Christ’s judgment seat? Are we not making ourselves a “Christ”? 

 It is pride and the spirit of anti-christ that makes us think we can condemn a brother. It is the same foolish pride that makes us think we can save ourselves, or that others must be saved by our standards. In Revelation John writes about the anit-christ and Babylon. Many Adventists recognize the anti-christ as the leader of Babylon. We recognize Babylon as a false system of worship. This is true, but Babylon is more than a system of worship, it is an attitude. 

The attitude of Babylon and the anit-christ is, “I can save myself by my works.” It all started at the tower of Babel when man decided not to trust God anymore and relied on their own efforts to build a tower of salvation. They did not trust God to not destroy them and thought they could work their own way to heaven. Later in the book of Daniel we read where God gave the kingdom into the king of Babylon’s hands. Instead of recognizing this as a free gift, he looks out over his dominion and says, “is this not great Babylon that I have built.” The king of Babylon had to learn that all he had was a gift of grace and not the efforts of his works. In Revelation 14 we read about the fall of Babylon in the second angel’s message. The first angel tells us about the everlasting gospel of grace and uses language which reminds us of the Sabbath. The Sabbath is a sign of rest. We rest our faith in God as our creator and redeemer. By giving our allegiance to the gospel and the Sabbath we humble ourselves in recognizing that we did not make ourselves nor redeem ourselves. The Sabbath truth destroys our pride, works, and anti-christ attitudes. Thus Babylon falls, as we realize no man made system of worship is going to save us. Nothing man made can save us whether it is a tower or a day of worship. 

Cain had the attitude of Babylon when he presented the works of his field as a sacrifice. God could not accept any form of worship that had the print of self on it. He could only accept the sacrifice and worship Abel presented which pointed to the Lamb of God, our only hope of salvation.  

 In Galatians 2:20 Paul shows us the pure gospel is “not I but Christ”. Anytime pride tries to make it a combination of our ideas with Christ’s ideas or our works with Christ’s works, we have the spirit of anit-christ and Babylon.

 

You can find more studies and devotionals on my personal website, In Light of The Cross.

by In Light Of The Cross

Thoughts on Loved and Loving: John’s Epistles Lesson 5

Conner Baptism 002

I am writing today from the beautiful Tampa Bay area.

Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.  Matthew 5:13

I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.  John 17:5-17. 

In Friday’s section of this week’s SS lesson it states: “Some people, heeding the call against loving the world, isolate themselves from the world as much as they can, moving into monasteries or communities that are radically separate from the norm. Is this a good idea?” 

Some people try to take themselves out of the world to become “godly”. However Titus 2:11-12 promises us holiness in this present world. “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world.”  

Fact is Jesus says we are the salt of the earth. In order for the salt to save or preserve the food it must be mixed with it. Here are some passages I have found in the Spirit of Prophecy that may help us be a blessing to the world without becoming “worldly”. 

Hearts that respond to the influence of the Holy Spirit are the channels through which God’s blessing flows. Were those who served God removed from the earth, and His Spirit withdrawn from among men, this world would be left to desolation and destruction, the fruit of Satan’s dominion. Though the wicked know it not, they owe even the blessings of this life to the presence, in the world, of God’s people whom they despise and oppress. But if Christians are such in name only, they are like the salt that has lost its savor. They have no influence for good in the world. Through their misrepresentation of God they are worse than unbelievers.–The Desire of Ages, p. 306. 

 

  And he went forth unto the spring of the waters, and cast the salt in there, and said, Thus saith the Lord, I have healed these waters; there shall not be from thence any more death or barren land. 2 Kings 2:21 

     In casting salt into the bitter spring, Elisha taught the same spiritual lesson imparted centuries later by the Saviour to His disciples when He declared, “Ye are the salt of the earth.” The salt mingling with the polluted spring purified its waters and brought life and blessing where before had been blighting and death. When God compares His children to salt, He would teach them that His purpose in making them the subjects of His grace is that they may become agents in saving others. . . . 

     Salt must be mingled with the substance to which it is added; it must penetrate, infuse it, that it may be preserved. So it is through personal contact and association that men are reached by the saving power of the gospel. They are not saved as masses, but as individuals. Personal influence is a power. It is to work with the influence of Christ, . . . and to stay the progress of the world’s corruption. . . . It is to uplift, to sweeten the lives and characters of others by the power of a pure example united with earnest faith and love. . . . 

     The polluted stream represents the soul that is separate from God. . . . Through sin, the whole human organism is deranged, the mind is perverted, the imagination corrupted; the faculties of the soul are degraded. There is an absence of pure religion, of heart holiness. The converting power of God has not wrought in transforming the character. . . .       The heart that receives the word of God is not as a pool that evaporates. . . . It is like a river constantly flowing and, as it advances, becoming deeper and wider, until its life-giving waters are spread over all the earth. . . . So it is with the true child of God. The religion of Christ reveals itself as a vitalizing, pervading principle, a living, working, spiritual energy. When the heart is opened to the heavenly influence of truth and love, these principles will flow forth again like streams in the desert, causing fruitfulness to appear where now are barrenness and dearth.  – Conflict and Courage, p. 224 

  “We as a people do not believe it our duty to go out of the world to be out of the fashion. If we have a neat, plain, modest, and comfortable plan of dress, and worldlings choose to dress as we do, shall we change this mode of dress in order to be different from the world? No, we should not be odd or singular in our dress for the sake of differing from the world, lest they despise us for so doing. Christians are the light of the world, the salt of the earth. Their dress should be neat and modest, their conversation chaste and heavenly, and their deportment blameless.  – Testimonies for the Church Vol. 1, p.424 

Now I would just like to share a thought of my own. While serving as a lay pastor in Texas I was always troubled by the several dark counties that we had there. I often prayed for opportunities to enter those dark counties and evangelize them. However, I  had so much to do in my own county I could never do that. Then a thought occurred to me. Maybe it is not my responsibility. Maybe rather than having thousands of Adventists congregate into one little Adventist community like Keene or Collegedale, God would rather have those people move out into these dark counties and plant new churches. Just a thought I would like to throw out before I go back to minding my own business now.

by In Light Of The Cross

I Have not Missed a Church Service in Twenty years!

The beautiful Tampa First SDA Church in beautiful Tampa Florida.RB5

Thursday’s section of this week’s SS lesson asks a question, “What has been your own experience regarding Christian fellowship?” This question comes as close as I am going to get for an opportunity to share something. As of this Summer I have not missed a church service in twenty years! Sorry if it sounds like I am tooting my own horn, but I thought it was pretty cool and just wanted to share it. 

Back in the mid 1990s Cal Ripken Jr. broke baseball’s record for most consecutive games played.  His streak lasted 2,632 games from 1982 to 1998. Back when Ripken was breaking this record people were talking about other streaks that people had going in all facets of life. It got me to wondering what streak I might have going, and that’s when I realized I had not missed a church service since some time in the summer of 1989. I remember I was a Sabbath School teacher at the Owasso Seventh-day Adventist Church in Oklahoma. I was sick and had to call to have someone cover my class. That is the last time I have missed a church service. The closest I came to missing a church service since then was in 2000 or so when I was invited to Tulsa to speak for a vespers service at the First Tulsa Seventh-day Adventist Church. After I got to Tulsa on Friday from Fort Worth, a snow storm hit and First Tulsa cancelled their services for that Sabbath. Fortunately the South Tulsa Adventist Church was having services so I went there.

While serving as a Lay Pastor in Fort Worth I would often preach at two or three churches on the same Sabbath, which means I have actually attended more church services than there are Sabbaths for this time period. For example in 1995 I preached 73 times in 52 Sabbaths. It is also why I say I have not missed a church service in twenty years, because I have missed several Sabbath School classes due to the fact that I would be preaching at one church while the other church was having Sabbath School, thus getting two worship services but no Sabbath School for that Sabbath. Also I have preached in and attended both first and second church services at Tampa First on numerous occasions. 

I am a statistics buff, so just for the sake of sharing useless trivial statistics, during this streak I have attended over 50 different churches in two countries and six different states. In addition to Adventists churches, I have also preached in and attended Seventh-day Baptist and Seventh-day Pentecostal churches during this period. 

I praise God for my health. I rarely get sick and can count on one hand the number of sick days I have used in my entire work life. I thank God that He has always been there to cheer me and give me a good attitude. I seldom get discouraged. In 1998 my fiancé dumped me and the following Sabbath I did not feel like going to church, but made myself go anyway because I knew I needed Christian fellowship. That is the only Sabbath I ever remember not wanting to go to church because of discouragement. 

I realize this streak does not make me a better Christian or person than anyone else. It’s just a piece of trivia I thought would be fun to share! Thanks for letting me share this with you.

by In Light Of The Cross

Happy Father’s Day!

Baseball 004

 The fearless Franklin Hotrods baseball team of 1978. My Dad is the coach on the far right and I am the second kid from the right on back row.

My Dad and I go way back to when I was first born. I don’t really have any memories before that time. My parents have always been there. I remember my parents taking me to the Tulsa Oilers (Cardinals Triple A team) baseball games back in the late 60’s early 70’s. As a matter of fact these games may have been the first sign that my mind does not work quite like everyone else’s. First, when I was around four or five I thought there were three teams. I thought the outfielders were a team, the infielders were a team, and the catcher, pitcher and batter were a team. I also was very fascinated by the fact that the umpire would throw out a new baseball when one got knocked over a fence or lost. I remember sitting there trying to wrap my little brain around the fact that it was still the same game but a different baseball.  After all we played a hundred games at home with the same ball.

 

When I was twelve I decided I wanted to play baseball. I wanted to knock the ball out of the park like Reggie Jackson, or throw a no hitter like Nolan Ryan. Problem is everyone else decided they wanted to play baseball when they were six, not twelve. My Dad called around and got me a spot on the team of the nearby public school, Franklin Elementary. I was so proud to be on a real team, the Franklin Hotrods! After a meeting of the parents, my mom and dad brought me home my uniform. I was so proud but the number I was assigned did turn out to be prophetic. My number? 00.

 

Not only did I become a member of the Franklin Hotrods but my Dad became a coach. Let me tell you, My Dad is the only one of us who did the team any good. He was a good coach but I played terrible. I struck out all the time, hit into a fielder’s choice once, laid down one good sacrifice bunt, and got only one base hit in my entire little league career. Granted everyone else had been playing for five or six years already. After our last game of the year, a play off loss, that was the end of my baseball career and dreams.

 

Funny I still have so many little league memories. My parents going to every game and cheering for me, and never letting me know how embarrassing it was for me to strike out all the time. My Dad and the other coach would often take us to Tastee Freeze after a practice or game. A time or two we all went out for pizza. At the end of the year we celebrated by taking the whole team to Six Flags over Texas. My parents helped organize the trip which was a huge success.

 

A few nights ago on my way home from a Bible study I drove by a little league park with a game going on. I noticed something, the stands were empty. I know many parents have to work extra these days to provide for their families, but it made me sad that these kids were playing with no one cheering in the stands for them. I am so glad my father and mother have always been there for me. Now when I look back at my little league days what I remember most is not all the strike outs, but my parents always cheering for me, not just in baseball but in everything. When I think about my baseball career or just life in general, I realize, its not whether you win or lose that counts, but who you have cheering for you in the stands!

I love you dad! You too mom! Thanks for always being there for me.

By the way, I have since grown up and given up my silly dreams about being a baseball star. I am going to be a golf star now! And once again, Dad is with me on this.Golf and Picnic 002

by In Light Of The Cross

Why Its a Blessing to be Hungry

Sunsets St.Pete 011

I am writing tonight from the beautiful Tampa Bay area.

 

After reading this passage tonight in Early Writings something dawned on me. Here is what I read, “I was shown a time when Satan especially triumphed. Multitudes of Christians were slain in a dreadful manner, because they would preserve the purity of their religion. The Bible was hated, and efforts were made to rid the earth of it. The people were forbidden to read it, on pain of death; and all the copies which could be found were burned. But I saw that God had a special care for His Word. He protected it. At different periods there were but a very few copies of the Bible in existence, yet He would not suffer His Word to be lost, for in the last days copies of it were to be so multiplied that every family could possess it. I saw that when there were but few copies of the Bible, it was precious and comforting to the persecuted followers of Jesus. It was read in the most secret manner, and those who had this exalted privilege felt that they had had an interview with God, with His Son Jesus, and with His disciples. But this blessed privilege cost many of them their lives. If discovered, they were taken to the headsman’s block, to the stake, or to the dungeon to die of starvation.” {EW 214.2} 

We often talk about all the modern conveniences we have today. Cars, microwaves, washers and dryers, cell phones in our pockets, even the Internet in our pocket phones and on our laptops. However when we get to heaven and meet with people who have lived in every age of Earth’s history none of them will be in awe of our Facebook privileges or fancy sports cars. In heaven, while talking to someone who lived during the dark ages what will impress them the most is, we had Bibles! I love the Internet and Facebook because it keeps me in touch with all of my friends, but those who treasure God’s Word see the Bible as an “interview with God!” How cool is that! 

Our mothers told us there were kids starving in Africa when we did not eat our physical food, but blessed is the mother who reminded us of those starving spiritually when we did not want to eat the Bread of life. I look at the world today and I pray, no I beg God to create a hunger in us all for God’s Word. In Matthew 5 Jesus says, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.” While millions starve to death in Africa where there is famine and no food there are also millionaires who have starved to death right here in America. Why? Not because they had no money or food but because they had no appetite! Certain diseases robbed them of their appetite and they starved to death right here in America where food is everywhere. Likewise millions are starving not just from the dark ages but in today’s age with Bibles all over the place. They are starving to death because they have no desire for God’s Word. They are not hungry for God’s Word. See why Jesus said hungry people are so blessed, they will eat! They will do something about their situation. 

A while back I was talking with a man who I was supposed to be having Bible studies with. That is what he invited me over for. Yet he never wanted to study, jus talk. He told me about his uncle who really knew the Bible. His uncle actually had some crazy ideas but my friend thought he was a Bible Scholar. Finally I asked my friend how he knew his uncle knew so much about the Bible without knowing it himself. Friends the Bible must be studied personally. We must study it for ourselves. It is like a personal interview with God, not a group interview. No one can study it for us for the simple fact that we can never know who really knows it unless we know it too! The only way I can know if you know the Bible or not, is if I know it too. 

I am praying tonight for God to make us all hungry for His Word. I am praying that we will treasure our Bibles more than our computers or anything else!

by In Light Of The Cross

In Light of the Cross Bible Study Guides

You can download a printable copy of the complete set of In Light of the Cross Bible Study Guides for free here. You can purchase a copy for your Kindle here

Newly Revised In Light of the Cross Bible Study Guides

Prepared by William Earnhardt, 2005, Revised 2009

The sacrifice of Christ as an atonement for sin is the great truth around which all other truths cluster. In order to be rightly understood and appreciated, every truth in the Word of God, from Genesis to Revelation, must be studied in the light that streams from the cross of Calvary. I present before you the great, grand monument of mercy and regeneration, salvation and redemption–the Son of God uplifted on the cross. This is to be the foundation of every discourse given by our ministers.–Gospel Workers, p. 315. 

Introduction

Why “In Light of the Cross” Bible study guides? Our salvation is found in the love of God alone (Ephesians 2:1-9). Since Satan realizes this fact, he only has one purpose in spreading lies and false doctrine-to make us misunderstand God’s love so that we do not appreciate or accept God’s love that brings salvation. Every false doctrine is more than just an attack on truth. It is an attack on the very character of God. False doctrines skew and misrepresent the character of God. Jesus tells us in John Chapter 8 that He more than just has the truth, He is the truth. If truth equals Jesus and Jesus equals God and God equals love then truth must equal love. The purpose of these study guides is to help us find God’s love in His truth. Doctrine is only helpful as it aids us in understanding the love of God which saves us. We are not saved by doctrine. We are saved by God’s love. Hence, the In Light of The Cross Study Guides which are prayerfully designed to help us understand and appreciate the love of God which saves us.

How to use the In Light of the Cross Study Guides

These study guides are designed as supplements with references following for deeper study. You may use the supplied references for your study or just use the supplements with your own favorite study guides. Power Point presentations are also available.

Table of Contents 

Salvation  

Scriptures

Death  

Punishment of the Wicked 

Health and Temperance 

The Sabbath 

Stewardship 

The Sanctuary

The Gift of Prophecy 

The Second Coming 

Christian Living 

Baptism 

Click here to find simple solutions for hard to understand Bible texts.

Click here to find more studies and devotionals on my website “In Light of The Cross”.