Disciples or Pharisees?

Attacked From Within

Christians tend to get a bum rap from outsiders. We hear it on all fronts that we are backwards, fanatical, deceived, hypocritical, bigoted or ignorant, or a number of other unsavory descriptions.

Let me illustrate this point with a question: What do Mormons, atheists, liberal activists, and Muslims all have in common? Answer: They all believe Christians are wrong. I can accept that kind of criticism because I think they're wrong also. Not because I hate them or think I'm better. But because I simply believe in a Truth which contradicts their claims and arguments.

However, the opposition that is most frustrating and hurtful (yet amusing at the same time) comes from other Christians! It is those who use the Bible and turn it against us so as to attack our teachings, motives, and lifestyles that give ministers the most gray hairs! If you've been saved for more than a year, you should know exactly what I'm talking about!

Maybe you've been in conversations such as these:

Christian A: When Jesus mentioned people who did things in His name, but He says to them, "Depart from me I never you," He's really talking about people like you because of "a, b and c."

Christian B: No, I think he's talking about you in that passage because of "x, y and z."

Christian A: Well, you're being like the Pharisees because of Jesus said to love, and you're not loving because "this and that."

Christian B: I am being loving! It's you who's being an unloving Pharisee because "that and this."   

Christian A: Oh yeah? Jesus said to be "such and such", but I heard you say "this and that."

Christian B: Well, Paul said to do "so on and so forth", and you don't do anything like that.

These conversations can go on and on, and often they go nowhere, because one or both people are unwilling to humble themselves and listen to the other.

When these arguments arise it can cause even the most sincere and godly people to question, "Am I doing the right thing?" or "Is my heart right?" and can be a source of  great discouragement. And while it is good to have God examine your heart at times, you should never feel condemned for standing by God's Word the best way you know how.

"Those" People

Now these sorts of conflicts are usually stirred up by "those" people. There are types who, when faced sound doctrine, correction or rebuke, will always create a mess. I shall break this down categorically:

• Liberal Loonies: These are pastors and Bible teachers who have placed themselves outside of historic Christianity, often because of their affirming sinful behaviors such as homosexuality. Liberal Leaders must essentially deny the authority of Scripture and interpret it in such a way so as to give license to sinful living. Their greatest accusation to us that we're not "tolerant" and "loving" like Jesus was.
• Rogue Rebels: This type tends to believe in much of historic Christianity, except the parts that deal with Biblical authority. Whenever corrected, rebuked, or asked to submit to another leader, they retaliate like a she-bear robbed of her cubs, and call them "legalistic". Rogue Rebels don't usually last long in churches and ministries, because of their ambition to lead without being led themselves.
• Compromising Cowards: These are well intentioned church going people that are probably genuinely saved. They believe in historical Christianity, belong to a church, and try to live holy. Often the issue with Compromising Cowards is the fear of man. The definition of cowardice is, "the perceived failure to demonstrate sufficient mental robustness and courage in the face of a challenge." When they encounter street evangelists and hear sermons about God's righteous judgment, they become uneasy for fear of offending sinners. They are marked by being the ones to discourage such preaching, saying that it's "not loving" or that overemphasize the grace message.
• Wacky Weirdies: These are the kind of people that teach weird beliefs and practices (such as "snorting the Holy Ghost") because they received it as a "special revelation." These teachings aren't necessarily unbiblical, but they are always extra-biblical, and have the tendency to go off into heresy. Somehow these Wacky Weirdies have had experiences "in the spirit" that give them authority to override, not only other leaders, but the Bible itself. When such error is confronted, they will make themselves out to be like Jesus, and you as the Pharisee who opposes them.
• Cooky Cultists: These are the "turn or burn", King James only preachers that believe everyone is going to hell except for them. You have liberals and sissies tell you are unloving and don't understand grace, then you have the Cooky Cultist tell you you're not preaching hell enough, therefore you're going there! 

Who Are You?

Have you ever been told you're a Pharisee? A hypocrite? The religious establishment? A legalist? With so many different groups using the Bible to prove their arguments, it is important to know how the Bible defines a pharisaic heart, and to know who Jesus called His true disciples.Allow God to test you and search your heart as you read the following descriptions with the accompanying verses:

Pharisees live for the praise of man (Mat. 6:1-2, 5, 16-17; 23:2-7: Lk. 6:26)
Disciples live only to praise God (Mat. 5:10-15)
__________

Pharisees see sinners as nonredeemable and therefore despise them (Lk. 7:36-48, 15:1-2)
Disciples see sinners as redeemable and therefore invent them to repent and live holy (Mat. 4: 17; Mk. 1:15; Lk. 5:32; Jhn. 5:14, 8:11)
__________

Pharisees exalt traditions over God’s Word and refuse to change (Mk. 7:1-15)
Disciples submit traditions to God’s Word and change them when necessary (Mat. 9:14-17, 13:52)
__________

Pharisees are know-it-alls, unwilling to be taught (Mat. 22:15-22; Mk. 8:11-12)
Disciples, by definition, are learners, and are called to be childlike (Lk. 18:1-4)
__________

Pharisees use the Kingdom for money (Lk. 16:13-14)
Disciples use money for the Kingdom (Lk. 16:1-12)
__________

Pharisees abuse authority to exploit others and exercise privileges (Mat. 23:2-4, 23)
Disciples use authority to serve others and give up their rights (Mat. 20:20-28)
__________

Pharisees impose their own standards on others  (Mat. 23:13-15) 
Disciples teach others to obey everything Jesus commanded (Mat. 28:18-20)
__________

Pharisees manipulate, intimidate and lie to win against their enemies (Mk. 14:55-59)
Disciples win over their enemies by reasoning, forgiving and restoring (Mat. 18:15-20)
__________

Pharisees will lie and deny the truth to save their own lives (Mat. 28:11-15)
Disciples will give their lives for the truth (Mk. 8:34-38)

Go On! Live Like Jesus!

Hebrews 12:2-3, Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

When Jesus hung on the cross, people tried to make Him ashamed of doing His Father's will. They hurled insults at Him "If He's really the Messiah, let Him come down and save Himself!" It looked to everybody else like Jesus has lost. For all the hype and all of the bold claims He'd made, it appeared to be over. But Jesus always knew who He was and what He was accomplishing! For the joy set before Him-- for the many redeemed souls He'd bring into His Father's presence-- Jesus didn't care for the negativity of the crowds! Jesus died on that cross, but He rose again and made a fool of the devil and everyone who thought He was beaten!

In the same way people will come along with discouragement, telling us we're wasting our time and tempting us to give up the fight of faith or forsake our calling. It is a very lonely journey to want to change the world for God. Sometimes it feels like there’s only a few people in the whole world who even understand the calling. And then there are others who take the easy way and seem to blow past us. But a good soldier doesn’t sit and mope—he gets up and fights, and he fights to the very end!

Hebrews 12:12-13, And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through his own blood. Let us, then, go to him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore.

Go on, Christian friend! Live like Jesus! Preach like Jesus! Pray like Jesus! Serve like Jesus! Obey like Jesus! Be reproached like Jesus! Suffer like Jesus! Die like Jesus! Rise like Jesus! Walk in victory like Jesus! And don't let the unbelieving world or critical brothers take that from you!

Real Hope For America: VOTE "JESUS" in 2012

America's Greatest Need                                                       

This morning I read the heartbreaking account of a Texas teen, Bridgett Frisbie, 17, murdered "execution style" by Alexander Olivieri, 19.* This murder was part of an apparent cover-up for a previous drive-by shooting that was committed by Olivieri at the behest of Frisbie. (This all happened in April of this year.) Perhaps the most disturbing aspect of the story is reflected in Olivieri's mugshot. It was said of him during his trial, "He tries and fails to hold back a grin."

The irreverent countenance of this teen killer is reminiscent of 24 year-old James Holmes, as he stood trial for the recent shootings in an Aurora, Colorado movie theater. Holmes, like Oliveiri, displayed no remorse for his crimes, but rather a distant, entranced expression. Stories such as these, and many others, are symptomatic of America's greatest problem today. No, its not Iran's nuclear weapons initiatives, its not the struggling job market, its not even same sex marriage-- the greatest problem facing Americans is that we are a people without a conscience. Or a more biblical way to put it, America needs the fear of God.

Proverbs 16:6, "Through love and faithfulness sin is atoned for;
    through the fear of the Lord evil is avoided."

Hosea 4:6a, 14b, "...My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge...  a people without understanding will come to ruin!"

"Most Christian to Post-Christian"                                       

The United States is, by and large, a post-Christian nation. That is to say, there has been a regression from post-WWII days when Billy Graham Crusades aired on national television and "In God We Trust" was first printed on currency in 1957-- a time when America had somewhat of a "Christian golden age".**

From that time on-- somewhere between the 1960's Counterculture, coupled with with the Sexual Revolution, which gave rise to the Feminist and Gay Rights movements; somewhere between prayer being removed from schools and the Ten Commandments removed from courthouses and other public places; somewhere between the popularization of Eastern religions and relatvisim creating for religious pluralism, which values tolerance over truth; somewhere between Catholic Priests molesting young boys and Evangelical leaders stealing money from their people-- we as Americans went from most Christian to post-Christian.

The following is a breakdown of how these changes have shaped the average American mindset:

• Our identity is derived from New Age / Eastern religions that tells us we are God.
• Our ethics are founded on secular humanism / naturalism that tells us there is no god and we are merely evolved primates, the outcome of a cosmic accident.
• Our worship is directed at the gods of entertainment who present us with more sex and violence than we can shake a stick at.

Romans 1:21-23, "For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.  Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles."

Do you see a pattern here? In rejecting God's Word, we have disintegrated our foundations of truth, morality, and the value of human life. Is it any wonder that a James Holmes can walk into a crowded place and shoot with no regard as to whether he is killing someone's husband, mother or child? Granted, not nearly everyone is a James Holmes, but the rise of senseless violence in our nation is undeniable. I said all of this without mentioning the rates of divorce, STD's, drug use, depression, white collar crime, and fatherless homes. Behind all this is the underlying issue: America has a God problem.

Proverbs 29:18, "Where there is no revelation, people cast off restraint; but blessed is the one who heeds wisdom’s instruction."

Finding the Real Problem                                                      

Conservative Christians are often accused of majoring on the minors. It is said that we are so obsessed with whether gay people marry or whether or not women choose to abort their children, as if those things have any bearing on the struggling economy or the threat of nuclear war. And, while I'm sure there can be arguments made for the correlation between those things, I appeal as a person of faith to this one premise: God will not bless what He promised He would curse.

Proverbs 14:34, "Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin condemns any people."

God cannot smile on a people who have slaughtered over 50 million of their own young. God will not wink His eye while gross immorality is broadcasted on prime time television and is the theme of so much top selling music. God cannot impart wisdom or peace in schools and courtrooms where He has been evicted. I believe Anne Graham Lotz said it well in an interview on CBS' "The Early Show" shortly after 9/11:

"I say God is also angry when he sees something like this. I would say also for several years now Americans in a sense have shaken their fist at God and said, God, we want you out of our schools, our government, our business, we want you out of our marketplace. And God, who is a gentleman, has just quietly backed out of our national and political life, our public life. Removing his hand of blessing and protection. We need to turn to God first of all and say, God, we’re sorry we have treated you this way and we invite you now to come into our national life. We put our trust in you. We have our trust in God on our coins, we need to practice it."***

If we are honest with ourselves, with the facts, and with God and His Word, we must admit that we as a people deserve God's wrath. In fact, it is evidence of God's huge mercy that we haven't suffered complete economic collapse, that Iran has not yet nuked us, and that the Gospel is still being preached here.

Where Does Your Hope Lie?                                                 

As a Christian and a Chicagoan, I was very hopeful a few months back to hear that Mayor Rahm Emanuel had been meeting with pastors on an ongoing basis, and that he'd even attended the churches of some of those pastors. My hopes were deflated, however, when Emanuel recently opened his mouth, rebuking a Christian wanting to do business in his city, saying that "their values do not reflect Chicago's values." But that should not have come as a surprise, after all was I really hoping in a liberal politician to bring about godly change in our city?

Let's look at another example of misplaced hopes. When Barack Obama was elected to the presidency in 2008, many black Christians and leaders were outspoken that he would be fulfillment of Martin Luther King's "dream."  In point to fact, black communities are still struggling with the same setbacks they had during Bush's presidency. In point to fact, Obama has done more to abort black babies than any other president before him!****

Well, Mitt Romney surely is not Obama. He identifies himself as being Conservative and having strong faith values, but is Romney what America needs? That remains to be seen. What I can tell you with confidence, however, is there is no such thing as a political savior.

Listen, I love Reagan as much as the next guy, but Reagan didn't bring revival! And nobody is saved in the name of Reagan! Who are really looking to?? Jesus! And guess what? Jesus did not run for office, nor He did not kiss up to Pilate, and He didn't lobby with the Pharisees and Sadducees! Jesus came as a Servant and when He was on trial by this godless world He said:

John 18:36, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.” 

As a practical exhortation, I would encourage the reader to exercise their rights to vote and to free speech in the political arena. But know that the battle for a nation is fought on our knees! This nation needs nothing more and nothing less than a move of God! Let us appeal to Him who is sovereign, wise and merciful to heal our land!

Proverbs 29:26, "Many seek an audience with a ruler, but it is from the Lord that one gets justice."

In closing, I will leave you with Leonard Ravenhill's "Ten Commandments of Revival" that he adapted from Joel 2:15-17,

1. Blow the trumpet in Zion
2. Sanctify a fast
3. Call a solemn assembly
4. Gather the people
5. Sanctify the congregation
6. Assemble the elders
7. Gather the children, and those that suck the breasts
8. Let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet
9. Let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep.
10. Let them say, "Spare Thy people, O Lord."

Endnotes, Works Cited:

*Article taken from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/30/alexander-olivieri-killing_n_1721127.html?icid=maing-grid7|maing6|dl1|sec1_lnk3%26pLid%3D186249 on July 31, 2012.

**That is not to broad brush this era as though absolutely perfect and without turmoil. It is duly noted that the 1950's saw racism and segregation at a fever pitch, the Cold War, and other controversies.

*** Quote taken from an atheist web site which called Lotz an "insane preacher." They by no means represent the author's point of view. Taken from http://francoistremblay.wordpress.com/2006/07/29/piece-of-propaganda-1-ann-graham-lotz/ on July 31, 2012.

****It is well documented that the vast majority of abortions take place in black communities. Also Obama's voting record reflects a strong pro-abortion stance. For more info visit: http://blackgenocide.org/black.html

Why Sound Doctrine Is Important

Choosing the Right Foundation

          Perhaps you have heard the saying, “If you don’t stand for something, you will fall for anything.” This rings very true in our culture today. By the time most people reach college age they will have been exposed to many different opinions and worldviews. Internet, television, movies, music, school curriculum, and the latest bestselling books are constantly pushing many different ideas and values upon us, whether we ask for them or not. They seem to have answers for all of life’s questions—Who am I? Why am I here? Is there a God? What do I do with my life? How can I know right and wrong? But with so many different views being presented, we often find ourselves very lost and very empty.

          About 2,000 years ago, Jesus walked the earth and gave some of the most profound and clear teachings about life. The things He taught and the example He set for mankind is like no other prophet or religious leader—Jesus changed the world. As Christians, it is very important for us not to take His words casually as if we can take it or leave it, or just pick out the parts we like. He did not give us that option. Read what He said after giving one of His most powerful sermons:

Matthew 7:24-27, “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

         What was Jesus saying? His teaching is a solid foundation for life—if you live by it, you will do well. If you don’t obey it, your life will crumble. He said elsewhere in the Bible:

John 8:31b-32, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

          Jesus said His teaching was the truth, and that by following Him as His disciples we would be free! The sad truth is that, today, many people are not living by His teachings, even many Christians. We don’t obey the teachings of Christ, because we really don’t believe in Christ. If we did, we would live differently, and we would be free. But as it stands, Christian and non-Christian alike, Americans look to prescription medications and other drugs, nightlife, self-help books, spiritual gurus, work, education, sex and relationships to find fulfillment in life. We don’t look to Jesus or the plain teaching the Bible and so our lives and families are falling apart.

What Do You Believe?

          This blog is meant to inform you and encourage you to stand for Jesus Christ and His Word. There are certain foundational truths that Jesus’ first disciples gave their lives to defend. Do you remember Peter, James, Matthew and the other apostles? They all died as martyrs because they firmly believed in Jesus’ words, His death on the cross, His resurrection, and that He was and is the Son of God. And it did not end with them—courageous men and women throughout the ages, and to this day, have worked tirelessly and been persecuted because they hold to these truths.

          What do you believe in? Is what you’re living for worth Christ dying for? Does the way you live reflect that you have strong convictions about anything? I believe one of the reasons God requires us to have faith in Him, is that if someone truly believes in something, they will live according to those beliefs. In the 20^th century, two of the largest nations on earth, Russia and China, became Communist regimes because a small group of people truly believed in it. On 9/11, a handful of men committed a horrendous act of war, changing the world for evil’s sake, because of their deeply held beliefs.

          What about you? Your faith in Jesus should be changing your life and the world around you for the good everyday. Faith in Jesus Christ ought to produce a life marked by personal integrity, love and self-sacrifice, courage, earnest prayer, hard work, humility, joy and every other good and perfect thing you can think of. Instead, many Christians sorely lack these things, and some are being swayed to eastern religions, atheism, and Islam. It’s not that they tried Christianity and found it wanting, but they never believed it to begin with. And they haven’t believed because they never understood it. To gain a proper understanding of the Christian faith, let’s start with the basics.

The “Once For All” Faith

          A brief look of Church history would confirm that these fundamentals we hold to today did not just fall from heaven, but were carefully discovered, and rediscovered, over the centuries through prayer and study, and in the midst of church splits, false doctrines, and reformations.

These truths were called by Jude in the Bible, “the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints” (Jude 1:3). Or to interpret the author of Hebrews, God had gradually revealed himself to mankind before, but “in these last days has spoken to us in His Son” (Heb. 1:1-2). This most basic and pure faith did not fall from heaven at Pentecost, but was permanently revealed to God’s people when the Word of God (Jesus) became flesh and made his dwelling among us (John 1:14).

God’s last word was given, and in Christ there was no longer uncertainty of who is God among the gods, or how we might be saved. Even the earliest disciples understood this as is reflected in the creeds of the Bible. Creeds are simply statements that are meant to clearly define a set of beliefs. To name a few that affirm foundational beliefs: 

• Mark 12:29: the shema, a confession of faith in only one God (as handed down from our Hebrew forefathers).
• 1 Corinthians 15:3-7: a testimony of the resurrection of Christ before many witnesses.
• Philippians 2:6-11: a proclamation of Jesus’ dual nature: fully God and fully Man.
• Matthew 28:19: a blessing to Christ’s disciples to baptize new believers in the name of the Triune God.

These creeds were memorized by the earliest disciples, and recorded in Scripture, and reflect the non-negotiable elements of the “once for all” faith (Jude 1:3); they are the deep truths of the faith which Paul required church elders to hold to (1 Tim. 3:9), the elementary teaching of Christ (Heb. 6:1), the full purpose of God (Acts 20:27), the form of teaching to which [the believers] were entrusted (Rom. 6:17). And they were faithfully passed on; as Paul wrote to his apprentice Timothy, “And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others” (2 Tim. 2:2).

          From the New Testament times until now men like Ignatius (50-117 AD), John Hus (1369-1415) and William Tyndale (1492-1536), among countless others, have been put to death by both religious and secular authorities for declaring the truth that Jesus is Lord and God, salvation is by repentance and faith, and the authority and inspiration of the Bible. Today, Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani has spent over 1,000 days apart from his family in an Iranian prison for his refusal to deny the truths of Christianity. When asked to deny Christ, he said “I cannot.”

          This “once for all” faith has been under sever attack these past 2,000 years and those who sought to preserve it have paid a heavy price. You have heard it said “Freedom isn’t free,” but I tell you “The truth isn’t free.” Jesus paid with His blood to make God’s truth available to all nations. And, following in the Master’s footsteps, Christian martyrs have paid with their blood to bring God’s truth to the ends of the earth. The abundance of Bible knowledge and resources we have, and the freedom of religion we enjoy was handed to us—we didn’t work for it, we didn’t fight for it, and we didn’t suffer for it. The truth is precious! How much does it mean to you? You may not have to die for it, but will you at least learn it and live by it?

The Fundamentals                                                                  

          The fundamental Christian teachings have been passed on in different countries and in different languages. In recent years, Christian leaders have condensed these truths into Seven Fundamentals. They did not invent them, but simply recognized what the Bible teaches and what Christians, from the New Testament until now, have always believed. There are certain sideline issues such as the gifts of the Spirit, and the role of women in the church, that not everyone agrees on. The fundamentals, however, unite all Christians in all times in all places. The fundamentals are what the Apostles taught; it’s what Chinese Christians risk their lives for. Baptists, Methodists, Pentecostals and Messianic Jews all affirm these truths and can thusly call each other brothers and sisters in Christ. The Seven Fundamentals are as follows:

1)    The Bible is God’s inspired Word—it is inerrant, infallible, and authoritative for faith and conduct (see 2 Tim. 3:16-17; 2 Pet. 1:20-21).

2)    There is one true God who is revealed in three persons –the Father, Son and Holy Spirit (Mat. 28:19; 2 Cor. 13:14).

3)    Jesus is God—100% human and 100% divine (Jhn. 1:1, 14; Phil. 2:5-11).

4)    The Fall of Man—God made the world good, but sin and evil entered in through man’s disobedience (Gen. 3; Rom. 3:9-20).

5)    Salvation—By grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone (Rom. 5:1; Eph. 2:8-10).

6)    Communion and Baptism—Two practices instituted by the Lord Himself (Mat. 28:19; Luke 22:14-20).

7)    Final Judgment—All mankind will be held judged by God for what they did in life to eternity in heaven or eternity in hell (Mat. 25:31-46; Rev. 20:11-15).

Do Your Homework

          This blog will help give you a basic understanding of each of the fundamentals, but these teachings are very deep and can be controversial. There have been many books written, and debates over, the teachings of Christianity. With that said, there is a good chance that you may still have some questions about these things. What will you do when your faith is challenged? Here are some situations to think about:

• What if you witness to an atheist only to have him point out errors in your Bible and call it a book of myths?
• What if a Muslim or Jehovah’s Witness uses your own Bible to try to demonstrate that Jesus is not God?
• What if you hear a famous Christian leader deny the teachings about God’s judgment and hell?
• What if you yourself just can’t figure out the concept of the Trinity?

          You WILL have your faith challenged, and you WILL have difficult questions about God and the Bible, BUT NEVER EVER GIVE UP ON THE FAITH! Just because you haven’t figured out something, doesn’t make it untrue. And just because someone makes a convincing argument, it does not make them right. There is a saying that goes, “Truth will always hold up against all criticism.” If the Bible is the Word of God, then it will always be proven true when all the facts are presented (see Prov. 18:17). If you find yourself struggling with one or more the fundamentals of the Bible, here are a few steps to help you along:

1. Pray—Ask God to help you understand His Word (see Jas. 1:5).
2. Study—Read the Bible passages you may be struggling with. Make sure you read it in its biblical context—that is, the whole chapter and book where the verse is found. Also check out commentaries by scholars who know the language and history of the Bible (see 2 Tim. 2:15, KJV).
3. Ask—Talk to your leaders and people who you trust to know the Bible and get their thoughts. You are probably not the first person to face such difficulties; allow others to encourage you with their experience and insight (see Prov. 13:20).

          When Paul came and taught the Jews in Berea about Jesus, they were excited to receive the message, but still had some questions. These questions did not cause them to reject the teachings, but only to study and dig deeper! Let’s take an example from some people in the early church that had a passion and desire to know the truth of God:

Acts 17:11, Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.