Musing – Why is the “Great Commission” not being taught?

Hebraic Musing – Why is the “Great Commission” not being taught?

Did you know that according to a recent survey more than half of U.S. churchgoers have not heard of the Great Commission?*  And many don’t recognize which well-known passage typically goes by that name!  What does that say about (a) sermon content, (b) engagement of “Christians”, (c) biblical literacy, or (d) their acceptance of Jesus as their LORD?

However, part of the problem could be that the words “Great Commission” are not specifically stated in the Bible?  There are a number of verses which could be called a “Great Commission”.  Examples:

·      Matt 28:19 “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them…” NIV

·      Mark 16:15 "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.”

·      Luke 24:47-49  “and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.  You are witnesses of these things.  I am going to send you…” 

·      Matt 9:38  “Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field."

·      John 20:21  "Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you."

·      John 4:38  “I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. …”

·      Acts 1:8  “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

·      Luke 10:1-3  “…the Lord … sent them … "The harvest is plentiful,… Go! I am sending you out…”

And there are similar messages in the Epistles and an example from the calling of a Prophet:

·      Rom 10:15  And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!" 

·      Acts 28:28  “…God's salvation has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will listen!" 

·      Acts 2:16-21  Peter speaking – “… this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: 'In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people … And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.'”

·      Isa 6:8  Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me!"

How fast would the church grow if we simply obeyed Jesus?  How can a Christian not feel a calling to spread the Good News considering all the ‘red letter” instructions from Jesus quoted in the bible? 

And what is the Good News we are commissioned to deliver?  “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16 

Points to ponder

Why are Christians reluctant to tell to the world what John 3:16 is about?

If a church feeds the poor as their service to God;
                          the people they feed might still be going to hell!

If a “Christian” does not feel like sharing, what is his/her problem?

How many “worship” songs are about Outreach or Evangelism?

Do we “love our neighbor as ourselves” if we do not share Jesus?

♫  Go, tell it on the mountain, Over the hills and everywhere; … That Jesus Christ is born. ♫

Yosef   a.k.a.  Joe Brusherd                          April 30, 2019  

Author: “Hebraic Insights – Messages exploring the Hebrew roots of our faith” 
“Biblical Marriage (by Yosef)”   Weekly “Hebraic Musings”   “insightsbyyosef.blogspot.com”

*  Source - Inspired by and excerpted from a recent Barna Group study (available on request).

Musing – Does America know what War is really about?

Hebraic Musing – Does America know what War is really about?

I started in grammar school during WWII, and as I walked the eight blocks home I saw little flags in the front windows of homes with 1, 2, 3 or even 4 stars representing the sons serving in the Armed Forces.  And I vividly recall seeing some of those stars turn from Blue to Gold (a son who would not be coming home!).  Even then, I knew what that meant.

In 1987 I visited Fort Bonifacio, a U.S. WWII Military Cemetery in the Philippines (center of the Pacific theater”).  It was a literal sea of neatly arranged grave markers with crosses, or a star of David, on each.  And there were walls upon walls of names of those lost in the Pacific theater and mosaics of the sea battles with tonnages and lives lost.  I was surprised at how many of the battles I remembered hearing about from my childhood!  One section of the wall had a listing of those lost from the State of Illinois, my home state.  As I realized those names all represented the Gold Stars I observed as a kid, and I wept, and wept, and wept!  The price we paid to preserve our Nation and our God-given beliefs!!!

Jews had to deal with the Babylonian exile; and the war to take back Jerusalem in 1967; and then the Holocaust war.  They held to their freedom of beliefs and it cost them their lives.  “War(s)” is mentioned 146 times in the Bible;  And “rebellion” is referenced 42 times.  And “Battle” appears 207 times!  Here’s an example in red letters  “The time is near.' Do not follow them.  When you hear of wars and revolutions, do not be frightened.  These things must happen first, but the end will not come right away."  Luke 21:8-9  NIV

My concern is that today we have e-games and e-sports replacing the reality of a life and death war.  This generation is Warring and Fighting for personal pride of “winning”; with no risk to our lives!

Is “Stealth Jihad” a war?  Who are the combatants?  How are they invading?  Are we at risk of losing our freedom of worship?  Do people care?  Do we care?  BTW – Those who are not familiar with “Stealth Jihad” are like the Jews in Europe in the ‘40’s!  Did “normalcy” (It won’t happen to me) allow the Jews to become complacent, then lose freedoms, then suffer persecution which resulted ultimately in the Holocaust?

If Jesus is only known as loving and peaceful, why did He say “I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.”  in Matt 10:34?   And why did Paul have to explain this to us?   “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,…”  Corinth. 10:4 NKJV   Why do we have so many Christian worship songs about battles and wars?
  ♫ Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord (Battle Hymn of the Republic)
  ♫ The Battle belongs to the Lord…
  ♫ Victory in Jesus
  ♫ Onward Christian soldiers!  Marching as to war,  With the cross of Jesus, Going on before.

Let’s take back our God-fearing nation that Satan is stealing from us.  And this came to mind – ♫  I went to the enemy's camp and I took back what he stole from me… ♫

Why do I need to say all this?  “But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet to warn the people and the sword comes and takes the life of one of them, that man will be taken away because of his sin, but I will hold the watchman accountable for his blood.  Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me.” Ezekiel 33:6-7   NIV

Points to ponder

Is “Stealth Jihad” a war?  Who are the combatants?  Do we personally care?

Do people have to lose their lives in a war? 
What if we just lose our freedoms?   And then our lives!

Are we ready, willing and able to fight for what we believe?

 “if the trumpet does not sound a clear call, who will get ready for battle?”   1 Corinthians 14:8-9 

Yosef   a.k.a.  Joe Brusherd                                      April 23, 2019  

Author: “Hebraic Insights – Messages exploring the Hebrew roots of our faith” 
“Biblical Marriage (by Yosef)”   Weekly “Hebraic Musings”   “insightsbyyosef.blogspot.com”

Musing – What made Jesus a Successful Leader?

Hebraic Musing – What made Jesus a Successful Leader?

Our men’s group was asked “What is the difference between a ‘boss’ and a ‘leader’?  The answers boiled down to “A boss is someone you have to work for; but a leader is someone you want to work for.”   The next question - “Who are men you recognize as great leaders?”  Answers started flowing – “Churchill, Roosevelt, Lincoln,… etc.”  All these great leaders had a purpose and an acknowledged mission we all easily recognized. 

Then I mentioned Jesus and they all agreed!  But what made Jesus an example of the ultimate leader?   Why is Jesus the one we want to follow and work for?  Quick answer – He knew where He was going; He had a Life’s Mission to accomplish. 

What was Jesus’s mission?  He revealed it in his first recorded synagogue message.  “The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him.  Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:…”  And he proceeded to quote familiar verses from Isaiah 61:1-3 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.  He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." Luke 4:17-19  NIV

And we have many pictures in our heads of Jesus going through grain fields with his disciples walking along and observing the challenges Jesus faced i.e. “The Pharisees said to him, ‘Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?’" Mark 2:24 The disciples observed Jesus’ answers, and they always fit His mission!

How many times did Jesus challenge His disciples?  And He did not always provide the answers; and yet, years later they were faithful to death.

·      "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." Mark 1:17   
Did they know what that meant, but they dropped their nets and …

·      “Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven.
Then come, follow me."

Did the people recognize all the truths immediately? 

·      "No," said Peter, "you shall never wash my feet." John 13:8 

·      And note the new-found boldness of a “secret follower” – “Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jews.” John 19:38

Our men’s group then processed a double question – Have you ever worked for a boss you could not respect or like?  And what did you do about it?   Jesus was working in a similar environment.  The people had a boss – the crooked, oppressive, wayward Sanhedrin priesthood.  Jesus consistently pointed out the truth and solutions; and people wanted to learn more.  How do you learn more?  A – By following (as a disciple).  And the disciples eventually came to recognize and adopt Jesus’ mission.  We know that ultimately the disciples devoted their lives to Jesus, the Messiah, even to death after they caught His vision!

Satan wants us to look back, but Jesus wants us looking forward.  When the Angels helped Lot and his family flee Sodom they were told "Flee for your lives! Don't look back…”.  
What are we to do?  “but we are looking for the city that is to come.” according to Heb. 13:14

Points to ponder

Who are some great leaders you have chosen to follow in life? 
Mentors?  Disciplers?  Champions?    What drew you to them?  

When you accepted Jesus as your Lord, did you leave your old boss?

What vison would you like to cast?  Do you know your mission, your purpose in life?

What do you want the epitaph on your gravestone to say?

♫  I have decided to follow Jesus; …  Tho' none go with me, I still will follow,…  ♫

Yosef   a.k.a.  Joe Brusherd                          April 16, 2019  

Author: “Hebraic Insights – Messages exploring the Hebrew roots of our faith” 
“Biblical Marriage (by Yosef)”   Weekly “Hebraic Musings”     “insightsbyyosef.blogspot.com”

Musing – When, Where & How did we become known as Christians?

Hebraic Musing – When, Where & How did we become known as Christians? 
(A weekly “Greek Insight” from Kurt Johnson, available on request from  johnsonks@cox.net )

Acts 11:25-28 – “Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch. During this time some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch.  One of them, named Agabus, stood up and through the Spirit predicted that a severe famine would spread over the entire Roman world.” NIV  This was early in Paul’s ministry, when he was still called ‘Saul.’

‘…were called Christians’ is from χρηματίσαι Χριστιανούς (chraymatisai Christianous). This is the name “under which one passes” or the name that reflects who the person is…temperament, occupation, affiliation, etc. [1]  Who would have first pronounced the name ‘Christian?’ According to Vincent, not the disciples; they referred to themselves as “believers, disciples, saints, brothers, or ‘those of the Way.’” Not the Antiochian Jews, who by and large considered those who followed Christ to be apostate. Rather, they referred to Christians with the derisive term ‘Nazarenes.’ Most likely the name ‘Christian’ was coined by the Gentiles of Antioch, Greek speakers who would have known the title ‘Christ’ but not the title ‘Messiah.’ Nevertheless, ‘Messiah’ means ‘Anointed One’ and therefore ‘Christ’ conveys the same meaning. Thus those who were called Christians were being called Anointed Ones, though no doubt unintentionally.

Antioch was thought of by some as a city whose people were witty and sarcastic, creating the possibility that the designation ‘Christian’ was intended as a term of ridicule. More probable is the notion that the name simply developed as a way to refer to people who professed faith in Jesus Christ.

The common modern understanding is that a prophet is someone who foretells future events. A prophet is either a Mosaic prophet, meaning one who is opened to God’s Word operating through him/her just as Moses was in his time, or someone who claims the title of ‘prophet’ as occurs in some denominations and in some cults.[2]  Such people could also be known as seers. The difference between a Mosaic prophet and a seer is that the seer concocts whatever futuristic visions happen to form in the chemistry of his/her brain, while the Mosaic prophet is the conduit of God’s pronouncements given to men. In fact, according to Vincent the word ‘prophet’ is a technical term meaning “interpreter of a divine message.”

The role of a Mosaic prophet was more than foretelling what was to come. They would also provide clarity to the will of God, function as instruments of God’s communication to his creation, and be submitted carriers of God’s judgment against whatever was going on at the time. The gift of prophesy refers more to the foretelling of events than to the broader role of the O.T. Mosaic prophet.

Agabus would have prophesied in mid-first century AD. Some say his prophesy was fulfilled immediately during the reign of Claudius Caesar. That famine was narrower than “the entire Roman world.” Nevertheless, it prompted Christians in Antioch to send financial relief to Judean believers via Barnabas and Paul. Others say it was the great famine of Western Europe (the Roman Empire) when it fell and was sacked by the Visigoths. In this case Agabus’ prophesy was fulfilled beginning in 400 AD. During the following 400 years Rome’s population fell by 90% due to famine and plague.

Blessings, Kurt

Points to ponder

What does the world think “Christian” means?

Why do Christians on the mission field prefer to go by “Believer in Jesus Christ”?

♫ And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love…  ♫

Yosef   a.k.a.  Joe Brusherd                               April 9, 2019  

Author: “Hebraic Insights – Messages exploring the Hebrew roots of our faith” 
“Biblical Marriage (by Yosef)”   Weekly “Hebraic Musings”   insightsbyyosef.blogspot.com

 [1]   Examples: Bruce Johnson = Bruce, son of John; William Carpenter = William who worked as a carpenter; Arthur (of) Beckham = Arthur who lives in Beckham.

[2]  There is also the false prophet which, in the Biblical context, is anyone who is not a prophet of God in the Mosaic tradition.  The key indicator is the source of the prophesy, not the accuracy.

Musing – Are there Unbiblical Messages/Beliefs in Today’s Church?

Hebraic Musing – Are there Unbiblical Messages/Beliefs in Today’s Church?

Has the Salvation message been watered down?  Is it now taught that all you need to do is “Answer the altar call, say a prayer and your sins are forgiven and you have eternal life with Jesus”?  Such a deal!  BUT has the person been encouraged to read the Bible and understand what is biblically defined and/or required? 

Let’s take a closer look and examine some other common but questionable beliefs.

Salvation is attained by making a decision for Christ at an altar call.  If a person repeats "the sinner's prayer" are they "saved"?  Might we be giving false hope to the respondent?  Does the Bible say we are saved by saying a prayer?  What does it say?  “That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Rom 10:9-10  NIV  Did that say “are” or “will be”?   John clarifies this later in 1 John 3:9-10  “No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God.  This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother.” Seems we need to validate our repentance with deeds according to Acts 26:20b “I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds.”    Maybe we need to become “fruit inspectors”?

Worship simply consists of singing songs.  True worship includes blessing the Lord with all your soul. “Bless the Lord, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name!”  Psalm 103:1 NKJV   And Jesus told us the difference in red letters in Mark 7:6-7 "'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.” NIV

Is Repentance as simple as crying at the altar?  The word "repentance" has to do with a mindset change, a change of behavior, more than an emotional experience.  It sounds to me that real change needs to take place.

We are taught to “Say Prayers”, but the Bible emphasizes we should seek Him “at all times”!  “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.”  Eph. 6:18

We can satisfy God by simply tithing.  Sometimes it sounds like God only wants 10% to prove our faithfulness!  Don’t we realize it is all His!?  How did Jesus answer the rich man?  “Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." Luke 18:22 

Do we go to church?  Or do we belong to a church?  1 Cor. 3:16 says “Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple…”  The building merely houses the body of Christ for corporate activities.

Ministers are the ordained people in the church?  Aren’t we ALL called to minister with God-given gifts?

Eternal life begins when we die.  But “whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16 says it starts when we first believe!  Or do we already have eternal life?  Where will we spend it?

Christians no longer need to confess their sins.  You hear that expression in “Hyper-Grace” circles!  Then why does John tell us to confess?  “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9-10   And James tell us “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.” James 5:16 

Points to ponder

Is it true that the influence of a church depends on its size?

Are these the only un-Scriptural beliefs you hear?  i.e. “God helps those who…”; etc.

How did so many twisted beliefs sneak into the “beliefs” of “Believers”?
Do they read the Bibles they carry to church?  …or the one on their phone apps?

Am I saying all this with tongue in cheek?   Or only half in my cheek?

I love y’all

Yosef   a.k.a.  Joe Brusherd                                                   April 2, 2019  

Author: “Hebraic Insights – Messages exploring the Hebrew roots of our faith” 
“Biblical Marriage (by Yosef)”   Weekly “Hebraic Musings”     “insightsbyyosef.blogspot.com”

Source – Charisma, 10 Common Unbiblical Beliefs in the Contemporary Church  by Dr. Joseph Mattera, 1/17/2019