Always Be Ready, Part 2of2, Evans Olang

1Peter 3:15, says “15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, AND ALWAYS BE READY to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;”

One day, two JW’s (Jehovah witnesses) visited our home. My wife and I  gave them an opportunity to share about their faith and why they believe what they believe. After they were done, having known some of their positions especially on who Jesus is, we took time to ask them tough questions about their worldview and in that process also shared the gospel with them. We now pray that the Holy Spirit will awaken them, convict them and lead them to the true light.

Always Be Ready, Part 1of2, Evans Olang

Daniel 3:17&18, “If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up”.

There is an ongoing war between Relative and Absolute statements. We get caught up in the middle many times. Let’s tackle a few questions.

First question, “What do you believe?” This question is broad until you add more words to it to identify what the question is specifically targeting. Can we say that facts can negate beliefs? of course we can. If I was to say that trucks don’t kill, I would have to be 100% sure as a fact, that would be considered an absolute statement, in this case this statement is not true. We all know that trucks can kill so my belief that it cannot will not affect or change facts.

The Sure Foundation Is Christ, Part 2of2, Evans Olang

1Corinthians 3:1-23, vs. “11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ” NIV

We defined foundation and looked at how possible it is to look at men’s foundation rather than God’s foundation. At Corinth, Paul had laid a good foundation “Jesus Christ and Him crucified“, instead of them building on THIS foundation, they started trying to redefine it which moved them from the spiritual growth to become carnal minded. Thank God that Paul came back to correct their understanding and thank God He is correcting the understanding of those who missed it.

The Sure Foundation Is Christ, Part 1of2, Evans Olang

1Corinthians 3:1-23, vs. “11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ” NIV

Foundation is the defining moment if anything is expected to succeed. The process and the outcome is traced back to the foundation. How the foundation is laid will determine the basis on which things will stand. Foundation defines what we are made off. Parents try to lay a foundation for their children; husbands and wives try to establish a foundation for their marriage; and are churches, corporations, schools etc. If the foundation is wrong, anything built on it may be crooked, may not survive for long and is very dangerous. This is the whole reason builders take time to lay strong proper foundation. From looking at how foundations are laid especially in buildings, it has to go down first before it comes up.

His Righteousness Is Your Foundation, Evans Olang

Romans 10:3, “For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God”.

The foundation of our salvation is crucial in the sense that, it defines it and sets in place everything that will be built on that foundation. If your understanding is that Christ died on the cross to make you happy, then all you will seek is ways to be happy and build your life on happiness. The message of the Gospel, Christ did not come to make us happy, He came to make us righteous, right with God. Everything else is filtered through the eyes of the gospel. 2Corinthians 5:21, “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him”, not righteousness for a season but for a life time. The book of Proverbs tells us what does not profit in the day of wrath, Proverbs 11:4, “Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, But righteousness delivers from death”.

Clothed In Righteousness, Evans Olang

Genesis 3:21, “The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them”

God in all His wisdom created us beings with free will. He created us beings with the ability to make choices. Adam and Eve had been given that ability in the garden of Eden when God planted it with all trees and had all the fruits they needed. Genesis 2:9, “And out of the ground the LORD God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil“. The bible is full of dichotomies, life or death, sheep or goat, right or wrong, true or falls etc. and each of them have explanations as to what happens if you choose any of them. God gave the Israelites two choices and explained the outcome of each choice, Deuteronomy 30:19, “I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live;”. God in His sovereignty has allowed us to choose but not blindly. With this, every choice we make, we make it with understanding.

Light Without Heat, 1of2, Evans Olang

Acts 19:11-15, “11 Now God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul, 12 so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them. 13 Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “We exorcise you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches.” 14 Also there were seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, who did so. 15 And the evil spirit answered and said, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?” 

I have been moved in the last few years seeing a generation of young Christian men and women going back to the rock from which we were cut. By that I mean going back to sound biblical teaching. That the current fads in the land are not moving them, in fact they are refuting those who contradict the word of God including big names. I have listened to radio programs, read blogs, listened to sound teachings and I am amazed at the depth of knowledge. And while this is good and most necessary, I am concerned that little is wrote, mentioned or encouraged concerning praying. The danger I foresee in my judgment is becoming a generation that has light (the word) but no heat (prayer) and you cannot separate the two. You cannot separate heat and light from the fire.

Light Without Heat, 2of2, Evans Olang

Acts 19:11-15, “11 Now God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul, 12 so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them. 13 Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “We exorcise you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches.” 14 Also there were seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, who did so. 15 And the evil spirit answered and said, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?”

I recently spoke of the importance of prayer at an evangelism class. What I hammered the most was how light and heat cannot be separated from the fire. You can have light to show the way, however you need the heat to melt the hearts. Paul in 1Corinthians 4:20, makes it clear, “For the kingdom of God is not in word but in power”. He is not disqualifying the Word, he is showing that the word is incomplete without the power.

Romans Chapter 1 Study, Part 1of12, Evans Olang

Romans 1:1-31, “16 I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. 17 For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”

One of the books in the bible I ever struggled to understand was the book of Romans. When I finally understood it’s message and application, it has become one of my favorite books. I wonder if you have ever spent some time studying it. I hope to share from the first chapter which lays a foundation for the entire book.