Bible Quiz: Each week this blog will begin with two questions. The answers are at the end of the blog. Have fun!!
According To the Bible…
1. The definitions of the measurements given in the Old Testament are supplied to us by God the Holy Spirit, not just the terms. As a result, we can convert them into modern day measurements. Examples: “cubit” in Genesis 6:15; “omer” and “ephah” in Exodus 16:36
2. The expressed motive of mankind in building the Tower of Babel was to reach the throne of God and dethrone or replace Him with man (or some such scenario).
Dear Prayer Warriors,
I feel that it is imperative to spend a moment debunking some myths on evangelism concerning our brothers and sisters in Christ in Russia.
Myth #1 - The church is made up of women and children. This is completely false. I have visited many vibrant churches with strong male attendance and leadership. It is true that feminine-oriented churches, which emphasize emotional worship and activities that appeal primarily to women, have more women than men - but this reality is true in any culture. I visited a thriving ministry in Moscow which had about a 5 to 1 ratio of women to men. Their primary outreach tool was a Christian tea house. The lights were dimmed, gentle worship music was played, and the service was filled primarily with women visiting with each other and hearing the gospel. This was the primary outreach tool that fed into the ministry. I visited a similar ministry in St. Petersburg where the ratio of men to women was about 5 to 1. This ministry’s primary outreach event was basketball and football. After the sporting event, attendees sat around in the weight room of the gym, drinking sports drinks and hearing an evangelistic presentation. The simple fact is that when men share the gospel in a masculine environment, men come, hear the gospel and come to Christ, no matter the culture. I feel it is an insult to the Russian culture and to the power of the gospel to say that only women come to Christ in Russia.
Myth #2 - People are so hardened by sin that only miraculous events such as the appearance of Jesus in a dream brings people to Christ. This lie of satan is repeated all over the world. The fact is that no one comes to Christ through a so-called angelic appearance or apparition. For someone to come to Christ, they must have specific knowledge which no experience can supply. The power of the Gospel lies in a clear presentation of the facts from the Word of God as empowered by the Holy Spirit, accompanied by an appeal to repent and accept Christ as Lord and Savior. Satan would like you to believe that he has such power that the power of the gospel is rendered impotent. This deception is also handy for the believer because it frees him from presenting the gospel. This, of course, is a lie belched from the council chambers of satan. The gospel, the blood of Christ and the effectual call of God need nothing to empower them. The fact is that people in some cultures are not receiving Christ because Christians are ashamed of the gospel and are not asking them to receive Christ.
Pastor Oleg Pastor Oleg recently introduced me to a young man who had come to Christ. I was not surprised. Pastor Oleg regularly shares the gospel with those with whom he comes into contact. He met this young man in the subway. As they come to Christ, he disciples them and they join the church.
Pastor Ravil “I believe Ephesians 2:10” – Pastor Ravil was quoting me back to myself. He had his Four Spiritual Laws ready, he had the information on his church ready and he was sharing Christ with the man in line with him at the grocery store. Pastor Ravil and his wife Yulia believe in the power of the gospel, and they share Christ at every opportunity.
A couple completed in Christ This January we visited in the home of a couple completed in Christ. The wife was Yulia’s hairdresser; the man was a successful businessman. (How successful is revealed in his answer to a question I use in evangelism. I try to illustrate the difference between knowing about someone and knowing someone. I said to him, “You know who the President is, don’t you?” He replied, “Yes.” Then I said, “But that is different from the President knowing you. You could not introduce me to him, could you?” He replied, “Do you want to meet him? I can try to arrange it.” Not quite the answer I expected.) Pastor Ravil and I shared the Four Spiritual Laws with this businessman. When we asked him for a decision, he shared with us that a Ukrainian businessman at a trade conference had shared the Four Laws with him and he had prayed then but knew he needed to get back on track with God. His wife said that she needed to pray this prayer to become one with her husband. That night this couple was completed in Christ.
The testimony of a changed life - wife The church in Tyumen has had to move nine times in ten years but remains alive and vibrant. The unbelieving husband of one of the women in the church kept waiting for the church to fold. Instead, it kept growing. Not only this, but his wife in her application of I Peter 1:1–6 had such a strong testimony that his heart was softened. The impact of the Marriage Covenant Seminar on their marriage was such that he donated warehouse space from his furniture company for the church to use as a permanent meeting place.
Home evangelistic meetings The church in St. Petersburg and Tyumen are active in home evangelistic meetings. I told both churches that when I came, I expected to have at least one meeting each week. Time after time, members invited their friends for tea and to hear the American. We shared the gospel, and it was never received with hostility. God is at work in Russia, and the Russian church is actively sharing the gospel. It is a simple event - no bells and whistles - a table, a tea set, some cake and cookies, the Bible and the Four Spiritual Laws. I pass them out, each person reads a page until we come to the point of receiving Christ, then we give an invitation. You don’t need to be a miracle worker, an evangelist or a famous author/conference speaker to do this. All you have to be is “not ashamed of the gospel,” and I praise God the churches in Tyumen and St. Petersburg are “not ashamed of the gospel.”
An appeal to reason I sat across from the successful Russian businessman and asked him if I might speak frankly. This was the third time I had been in his home to share the Four Laws with him in as many years. He replied that I might. I pointed out to him that at one time his wife was an alcoholic, his oldest son a drug addict and his middle son an alcoholic. I pointed out that his wife had come to Christ and was a sober godly, loving wife – to which he agreed. I pointed out that he had given her permission to raise their youngest son in the faith and that he was a sober, loving son, stable, a church member and completing graduate school. He agreed. I pointed out that his oldest son, the drug addict raised as an atheist, was now clean, returned to his wife and children, working hard and active in the Baptist Church that had led him to Christ. He agreed. I then said to him that if I was him, even if I did not believe in Christ, the difference in success and lifestyle was so clear, the obvious failure of evolutionary atheism so clear, the impact of Christ so clear, that I would be in church every Sunday next to my wife and sons simply for their safety. His face turned red, he got up and left the room. Thirty minutes later he returned embraced me and told me as I left that he would like me to return and hear more. The clear presentation of the gospel, the call to repentance and the testimony of changed lives cannot be overcome by satan, the world nor the flesh.
Speaking up – Karil and Sofia Karil and Sofia are a young couple in the church. They have been raising their children by the biblical principles as taught in the Family Discipleship Seminar. There is such a radical difference in the behavior of their young children in comparison to their peers that they constantly hear comments. “You are so lucky to have such good children.” Karil decided that they could no longer keep silent and began sharing that it was the Bible, not genetics. After one such comment at their children’s skating lessons, Sofia shared that she remained silent, then she said, “I realized I must say something and chased after the couple and found them getting into their car.” She told the couple about the impact of the Bible, and they agreed to an evangelistic tea in Sofia’s home. It is blatantly dishonest to present to the world the changed life that only Christ brings about and not accompany this changed life with the truth of the gospel. I praise God for Karil and Sofia – for their integrity to give the gospel whenever praise is given to them for the light of Christ which shines through them.
At the first Marriage Seminar, we had over 50 in attendance in Tyumen. This is because Pavel (a young businessman) and Olga (a Christian wife) set the pace in aggressively inviting others to come. It is because of the testimony of church members, not my speaking ability, that the room was filled. From these couples will come many home visits.
The church in Tyumen and St. Petersburg uses many avenues to share the gospel – holiday evangelistic parties, home teas, men’s sports events, outdoor cookouts and more. The simple truth is that churches that share the gospel see conversions.
When I was in college, I spent one summer selling Bibles door-to-door. The sales team leader impressed upon me how important it was to get at least a 25% down payment in order for the sales to stick. The first two weeks I was a leader in sales but had no down payments. He took me around to the leaders in down payments and asked them a question with me standing next to him, “How do you get down payments?” They all answered the same thing, “Ask.” I began to ask, I began to get down payments and I received several awards at the end of summer conference for high sales, down payments, etc.
It is my experience that few people come up and ask you the question, “Would you please pray with me so that I might receive Christ as my Lord and Savior?” In fact, I have never heard of this happening. It is our responsibility to ask the question, “Would you like to pray now to receive Christ as your Lord and Savior?” Most Christians will do anything but ask this question. You ask me, “How can I be more fruitful in seeing lasting fruit?” I reply, “Ask the question.” I praise God that the churches in Tyumen and St. Petersburg are not ashamed of the gospel.
By His mercy, II Corinthians 4:1 Rev. John S. Mahon Director – Grace Community Int. Tyumen, Russia (deep in the heart of Siberia)
Answers to this week’s Bible Quiz… 1. F - The Bible gives no measurement equivalents for these terms (i.e. the length from the shoulder to the hand). No primary source equivalents exist for the conversion of measurements from the Old Testament to those used today. The correct answer to the question, “What is an omer in today’s measurements?” or “What is a cubit in today’s measurements?” is “We don’t know.”
2. F - The expressed motive of mankind in building the Tower of Babel was to unify themselves in power and make a name for themselves. There is not mention of reaching into heaven in order to dethrone God (Genesis 11:4).
Now ask yourself – what other things about the Bible do I believe which are, in reality, false? From now on, when something is taught about the Bible, your first questions will be – “Which book, chapter and verse establish this?”
Older
Top
