Closed Country

This is a guest post... enjoy!

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The Closed Country

There are places in our world where the name of Jesus Christ is not to be preached. These places are commonly referred to as "closed countries". To speak the name of Christ is forbidden by the government and rejected by the people. Many United States Christians fear to step into these places for a number of reasons. They may experience isolation from the love and fellowship they know and desire. It requires that they must leave the comfort of their home. They may not be fluent in the language and religion of the local people. Christians may see people dressed exotically or even inappropriately. Some may worry about the unknowns and unusual circumstances they may encounter. Their children may not grow up with even one Christian friend. Their children may be forced to forfeit a Christian education from a bible-trained scholar who teaches the foundations of the Christian religion. Sounds difficult?


“For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them."
- Matthew 18:20

I look around and I feel as if I am only one Christ-follower in my closed country. Many United Stated Christians are fearful to enter my country. The government forbids me to speak the name of Jesus. The people here do not want my ways forced upon them. I have to wait for the few opportunities for God to open someone’s eyes to see and ears to hear. I do not speak the native language of half the people and I feel alone each day and long for a fellow believer to share my struggles.
I have seen the oppression of the demonic forces in this world and I have watched as they attack the innocent because they are weakest. The children of God are the minority here. They are not allowed to learn about the Bible from me and it is unlikely to find someone who will tell them.

"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."
- Matthew 28:19-20

“I have made you a light for the nations, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.”
- Acts 13:47

Go. That command doesn’t require that you purchase a plane ticket to a far away land (although please do if you feel led!)
I am personally inviting you into my closed country. Please come and bring your children so that we can be two or more gathered in His name.
Don’t hide your light from the nations. Especially ours.

Sincerely,
Public School Teacher
Northwest Arkansas
United States of America
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I'm thankful God is so good and personal and that he leads each of us in the best way for our unique circumstances.
-Jesse

Identity

Below I've listed truths about what it means to be a Christian. Unfortunately, many Christians don't live this way or take these truths to heart and it is evident in our churches and our world.

I personally want to read and re-read these truths until I move past comprehension to application. I want to know it in my heart and show it in my life. So, I am going to try to read a few of these each day. Please join me in this if you'd like. Maybe print them out or bookmark this post and read a handful of them every day or every week. 

As you start to internalize these truths from God's word, they will absolutely change your life.

Each time you read them, you will be brought to worship, as you are reminded how great our God is.

This list is taken from Neil T. Anderson's "Victory over the Darkness".

(roll your mouse over the scripture references to see the text)

 

	John 1:12	I am God's child.
	John 15:15	As a disciple, I am a friend of Jesus Christ.
	Romans 5:1	I have been justified.
	1 Corinthians 6:17	I am united with the Lord, and I am one with Him in spirit.
	1 Corinthians 6:19-20	I have been bought with a price and I belong to God.
	1 Corinthians 12:27	I am a member of Christ's body.
	Ephesians 1:3-8	I have been chosen by God and adopted as His child.
	Colossians 1:13-14	I have been redeemed and forgiven of all my sins.
	Colossians 2:9-10	I am complete in Christ.
	Hebrews 4:14-16	I have direct access to the throne of grace through Jesus Christ.
	Romans 8:1-2	I am free from condemnation.
	Romans 8:28	I am assured that God works for my good in all circumstances.
	Romans 8:31-39	I am free from any condemnation brought against me and I cannot be separated from the love of God.
	2 Corinthians 1:21-22	I have been established, anointed and sealed by God.
	Colossians 3:1-4	I am hidden with Christ in God.
	Philippians 1:6	I am confident that God will complete the good work He started in me.
	Philippians 3:20	I am a citizen of heaven.
	2 Timothy 1:7	I have not been given a spirit of fear but of power, love and a sound mind.
	1 John 5:18	I am born of God and the evil one cannot touch me.
	John 15:5	I am a branch of Jesus Christ, the true vine, and a channel of His life.
	John 15:16	I have been chosen and appointed to bear fruit.
	1 Corinthians 3:16	I am God's temple.
	2 Corinthians 5:17-21	I am a minister of reconciliation for God.
	Ephesians 2:6	I am seated with Jesus Christ in the heavenly realm.
	Ephesians 2:10	I am God's workmanship.
	Ephesians 3:12	I may approach God with freedom and confidence.
	Philippians 4:13	I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me.

Wow. Praise God. Seriously, how can you read these and not....

"The more you reaffirm who you are in Christ, the more your behavior will begin to reflect your true identity!"

(From Victory Over the Darkness , by Dr. Neil Anderson)

Shout out to Freedom in Christ Ministries for having these on their website when I Googled for them...

CH 3 - The Canon of Scripture, Part 2

(This is one post of a large series where I will copy down the key points of each chapter as I read through Wayne Grudem's Systematic Theology. I will be copying many lines word-for-word and also shortening and summarizing some points in my own words. I hope that this can be useful for others as a quick reference but it is not meant to in any way substitute the personal study and investigation of the Bible and these important topics.)

B. The New Testament Canon

The writing of Scripture primarily occurs in connecting God's great acts in redemptive history.

Apostles are given the ability from the Holy Spirit to recall accurately the words and deeds of Jesus and to interpret them rightly for subsequent generations.

John 14:26

John 16:13-14

Those who have the office of apostle in the early church are seen to claim an authority equal to that of the Old Testament prophets, an authority to speak and write words that are God's very words.

2 Peter 3:2

Paul

1 Corinthians 2:9

1 Corinthians 2:13

1 Corinthians 14:37

Paul claims that his directives to the church at Corinth are no merely his own but a command of the Lord.

The apostles have the authority to write words that are God's own words, equal in truth status and authority to the words of the Old Testament Scriptures. They do this to record, interpret, and apply to the lives of believers the great truths about the life, death, and resurrection of Christ.

We have most of the New Testament in the canon because of direct authorship by the apostles.

But 5 books, Mark, Luke, Acts, Hebrews, and Jude, were not written by apostles.

Mark, Luke and Acts were commonly acknowledged very early.

Probably because Paul was close with Luke, the author of Luke and Acts and Peter was close with Mark. Jude also had the virtue of his connection with James and the fact that he was the brother of Jesus.

The intrinsic qualities of Hebrews must have been a big part of convincing the early readers, as they continue to convince believers today, that whoever its human author may have been, its ultimate author can only have been God himself. The majestic glory of Christ shines forth from the pages of the epistle to the Hebrews so brightly that no believer who reads it seriously should ever want to question its place in the canon.

It shouldn't surprise us that the early church should have been able to recognize Hebrews and other writings, not written by apostles, as God's very words. Had not Jesus said "My sheep hear my voice" (John 10:27)?

It should NOT be though impossible that the early church would be able to use a combination of factors, including

-apostolic endorsement,

-consistency with the rest of Scripture,

-and the perception of a writing as "God-breathed" on the part of an overwhelming majority of believers,

to decide that a writing was in fact God's words and therefor worthy of inclusion in the canon.

In A.D. 367 the Thirty-ninth Paschal Letter of Athanasius contained an exact list of the twenty-seven New Testament books we have today. This was the list of books accepted by the churhes in the eastern part of the Mediterranean world. In A.D. 397, the Council of Carthage, representing the churches in the western part of the Mediterranean world, agreed with the eastern churches on the same list.

(The final part of CH 3 is coming soon....)