Musing – What is the Heart of the Gospel?

Hebraic Musing – What is the Heart of the Gospel?

Have you ever felt while reading the Bible that you are lost in a forest of ideas, principles, laws, etc.?  What is at the heart of the Bible?  What is the critical essence of the Gospel?  What should be our key takeaways?  I’ve found many lists saying the same thing with differing words; so allow me to propose this list as the essential basics at the Heart of the Gospel, or CENTRAL THEMES:

1.      God is the creator

2.      The universality of sin

3.      Jesus Christ as the son of God and Lord of all; while also being both fully human and fully divine

4.      Jesus is the Savior through his atoning death and his resurrection life

5.      The necessity of personal conversion

6.      The coming and the presence of the Holy Spirit and His transforming power 

7.      The fellowship and mission of the Christian church

8.      The hope of Christ’s return

A seeker asked me recently “why are there so many churches and denomination out there?”  Could it be that individual church fellowships and denominations have downplayed some of these, and/or created and stressed additional themes?  And could those additional themes or tenets become the source of confusion -- distractions weakening the power of the Gospel?  Can extra rules and customs (Like clothing, music, etc.) hinder acceptance and compatibility of the Good News when presented to a distinctly different culture?  

More important – Missionaries to foreign cultures are finding that many past efforts have failed.  Why?  Because preaching the need for pipe organs, denominational rules, proper dress codes, etc. became unnecessary distractions when presented to a foreign culture.  In a recent study of missiology I read of many success stories where the initial missionary team preached from the Bible and stressed CENTRAL THEMES like the above; then they let local indigenous leaders build the local church by building on those themes.  Those churches changed the culture only as needed to comply with the CENTRAL THEME of the Bible.

When leading interdenominational Christian men’s groups, I had a friendly custom of fining anybody who mentioned their church or denomination because “we are here to preach Jesus Christ and Him crucified.”

 Points to ponder

I agree with all 8 points above.  If we add “The inerrancy of the Bible”
we have the challenges of making timely, meaningful and relevant translations available.

Do we always need to change cultures in order to make the Bible relevant?

Do all who claim to be Christian accept these as the central theme of their faith?
Or, can a “Christian” ignore any of these themes and still be called “Christian”?

Does it all start with Believing, Repenting and Believing Jesus? 
Then the rest should follow.    What think you?

♫   My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness; I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus’ name.  On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand; …♫

Yosef   a.k.a.  Joe Brusherd                                      May 22, 2018

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

Note -- Excerpted from “PERSPECTIVES on the World Christian Movement”  4^th ed.,  The Willowbank Report.  p. 512

Musing – What did Jesus mean by “Go into all the world…”?

Hebraic Musing – What did Jesus mean by “Go into all the world…”?

As I study a book on missions – “Perspectives”* –  I am puzzled by questionable concepts that seem to permeate typical Christian thinking, like…

·      Are Missionaries & Pastors super Christians with special callings? Peter calls all of us a “Royal Priesthood.”

·      Do you have to get on a plane, sacrifice vacation time and encounter a drastically different culture in order to be a missionary?  The world is all around us, every day!  “The light that shines the farthest, shines brightest close to home.” – Garmond Mindt

·      Is evangelizing at “work” robbing your employer, or can divine opportunities come up?  Does “work” take away from “Ministry”?  There is a lot of social time available for witnessing spontaneously. 

·      Is there a difference between “Sacred” and “Secular”?  Not in God’s Hebrew-think!  It is all about Him!

·      Does the Bible say we can only talk about Jesus if our company is a “Not-for-Profit”?

Personal experiences tell me that there is a plethora of opportunities to be a missionary 24/7 as we are already “in the world”.  Here is just a sampling of everyday witnessing and discipling:

·      A Chicago diesel mechanic was sent by GM to Guinea, Africa, as a trainer.  He was loved and he witnessed.

·      Irene and I dine out frequently and we make it a point to learn the server’s name.  When he/she brings the meal, they always ask “Is there anything else I can do for you?”  We say “We are going to pray for our meal, would you like to join us?”  Responses vary but 90% say “Yes”.  And afterward we ask if there is any special need they would like us to pray for.  Frequently they reveal their serious need and a relationship develops – sometimes including salvation.  Everyone is carrying a prayer need deep down inside.

·      Flying to an out-of-town job site, a friend asked if we could have dinner some night that week.  Long story short; he accepted Christ a few months later.  For 30+years he’s been an active Christian leader in LasVegas.

·      A consulting colleague in England was practicing saying “Jesus Christ” as a guttural swear word.  So, risking persecution, I sang ♫ Jesus is the sweetest name I know…♫.    No persecution, but 10 other colleagues in that board room found out where I stand.

·      While working as a consultant for three years in Europe, I was able to also serve as president of an evangelical organization, Business Men’s Fellowship, and conducted monthly dinner meetings.

·      As a coach, I prayed to Jesus with my youth soccer team before the game, and then realized there was a Jewish boy on the team.  After the game, the Holy Spirit again prompted me to thank Jesus for being with us in the game, and the Jewish boy chimed in “There were times out there I thought Jesus forgot us!”

·      Made two company owners who claimed to be atheists come to a Full Gospel meeting to hear my testimony.

·      My nephew traveled to China on business with two suitcases, one with personals and the other with Bibles.

Key – Businesses and businessmen can and do have access to the “Unreached” and “Hard to Reach” corners of the world.  Businesses and businessmen are welcomed everywhere, especially those of us from the U.S.

 Point to ponder

How many times have “Divine Opportunities” come up in your daily walk?

When Jesus said “Go into ALL the World” didn’t He realize we were already there?

If being a Christian was a crime, would there be enough evidence to convict you?

Does evangelism require a calling, a theological degree, a special gift…or a willingness?

 ♫ Go tell it on the mountain over the hills and everywhere…♫

Yosef   a.k.a.  Joe Brusherd                                      May 15, 2018

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

*   Inspired by “PERSPECTIVES on the World Christian Movement” –  4^th ed., Chapter- “Restoring the Role of Business in Mission”  Steve Rundle  p. 757

Musing – What Should a New Christian be Expected To Do?

Hebraic Musing – What Should a New Christian be Expected To Do?

I’ve been reading amazing documentaries relating successful missionary experiences when starting churches in foreign lands.  Here is a theme that caught my attention.  As a follow-up to the traditional “Sinner’s Prayer” they would ask three questions and expect answers:

1.      Are you ready to follow the path of Jesus the Messiah?  Or, have you made Jesus your Lord, your Boss, your King?

2.      Are you willing to obey Jesus’ command to repent and to be publically baptized?

3.      Will you call others to follow this path?    Will you tell and encourage your family and others to also give their hearts to Jesus as you did?

The exact words may vary, but these three points seem to prevail in the stories of successfully explosive church growth accounts.

Are we discipling new believers in these three points after we hear them recite the “sinner’s prayer”? 

Remember when you first accepted Christ?  Were you excited and wanting to share your new-found faith in Jesus with friends, family and anyone who would listen?

 Point to ponder

How many self-proclaimed “Christians” in our churches today
have not proclaimed their new-found faith by…
Being publically baptized?
or
Sharing their faith with others?

 ♫ There’s a new name written down in glory…♫

Yosef   a.k.a.  Joe Brusherd                                            May 8, 2018

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

Musing – Does the Bible say anything about Abortion?

Hebraic Musing – Does the Bible say anything about Abortion?

I have heard people say that the Bible does not say anything about abortion or fetus.  And they point out that the words “abortion” and “fetus” do not appear in the Bible.  I did a word search and that is true.  However, in doing that word search I also noticed that “womb” appears 56 times and with recognition that the womb is a special place where offspring are created, developed, nurtured and recognized.

In Mosaic law God deals with the issue of injury to the baby in a pregnant woman’s womb.  "If men who are fighting hit a pregnant woman and she gives birth prematurely but there is no serious injury, the offender must be fined …  But if there is serious injury, you are to take life for life,…” Exod. 21:22-23 NIV

And the murderous crime of “ripping open the pregnant women” is condemned during the era of Kings:

·         In Amos 1:13  The Lord says: "For three sins of Ammon, even for four, I will not turn back [my wrath].  Because he ripped open the pregnant women of Gilead…” 

·         2 Kings 8:12   "Because I know the harm you will do to the Israelites, … kill their young men with the sword, dash their little children to the ground, and rip open their pregnant women." 

·         2 Kings 15:16   “At that time Menahem, … attacked Tiphsah and everyone in the city … because they refused to open their gates. He sacked Tiphsah and ripped open all the pregnant women.”

Pregnant women are said to be “with child”; i.e. “As a woman with child and about to give birth” Isa. 26:17

Matt 1:23   "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel…"   This is referencing Isaiah 7:14  “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.”      Note that there is a child in the womb that later comes forth as a son. 

The most profound recognition of a life in the womb occurs when Mary’s cousin, Elizabeth, refers twice to John, the Baptist, as the baby in her womb -- “When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.  …  As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.’”   Luke 1:41 & 44   NIV

One of the classic commandments is “Do not kill, or murder”.  Why is it not surprising that murder has become acceptable for our own pleasure and convenience when we have a thriving entertainment culture built on the feeding of a love of murder and killing?  Do we get upset about our culture ignoring “Biblical Marriage” and resorting to the fleshly pleasure of free sex, which created the underlying justification for those supporting abortion?

 Point to ponder

What other plans of Almighty God are we ignoring? 
Like Biblical Marriage?
Like the sin of Sodom & Gomorrah?

 “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb.” Ps 139:13 

Yosef   a.k.a.  Joe Brusherd                                            May 1, 2018

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