Christian Life Series

Truth is the accurate and complete representation of reality. We do not perceive reality. We only perceive a small fraction of all that is real - a representation of reality. Truth helps us avoid two great errors in life: rejecting truth as error (Type 1 error) and accepting error as truth (Type 2 error). Both types of error can result in adverse consequences to ourselves and to those around us. We can improve the quality and length of our lives by reducing how often we make these errors and how badly we misperceive the truth. We align our lives through trust. We trust that our perception is accurate enough and complete enough that we may align our lives with it and that we will not suffer adverse consequences Our only other option is to trust a guide - and then trust that their perception is accurate and complete enough. We trust our perception of truth, or trust a guide. Jesus sent the Spirit of truth to guide us into all the truth. The Spirit of Truth is unlimited in his perception of all truth: physical - temporary and spiritual - eternal. He is completely trustworthy, faithful, and reliable. He knows the will of God and knows the will of God for us specifically. He knows the path God has for us, what our next step is, and when we are to take it. We must  make the choice of who we will trust to guide us into truth: ourselves or the Spirit of Truth.

God says that if we will train up a child in the way they should go, even when they are old they will not depart from it. Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it (Proverbs 22:6) Many of us with children sought the blessing of that promise and raised children in the way we thought they should go. Much of the time that was to do the things we thought had worked well for us and to avoid doing the things we thought had caused problems to us or those around us. And some of our children grew up and stayed on the path we trained them to follow: they did the things we thought were good and avoided the things we thought were bad. How many of us, however, thought to seek God and teach our children to go the way he says they should go? To submit themselves daily to God and have him show them what to do and how to do it, what to be, and how to become and be it, to guide, direct, and order their steps? Go the Way You Should Go is written for parents seeking to train up their children in the way God says they should go. It is written for those who may counsel others on the way they should go. Finally, it is written for anyone who is seeking to go the way they should go and to be the manner of person they should be.

The Bible does not give us a definition of prayer. It does, however, give us many examples of prayer. From these examples we may gain understanding of what prayer is, the kinds of results to pray for, and how to pray. In addition to these examples, the Bible also contains a number of declarations that tell us what is required of us to pray effective prayer. Even though there are many different types of prayer, we find a number of common elements. All prayer involves a verbal communication with God and the power of God (Word of God and faith). All prayer also works to produce a result. The application of the Word of God through faith and the results produced are constrained by the requirements declared in scripture. The application of physical power is governed by physical law. It should not be surprising to find that the application of spiritual power is governed by spiritual law and that the requirements declared in scripture correspond to the spiritual laws that govern prayer. Effective Prayer looks at what the Bible tells us about prayer and shares insight into why we pray, what prayer is, the process of prayer, how we grow and strengthen faith, complying with spiritual law in prayer, getting the path of the prayer, applying the power of God in prayer, measuring progress and results in prayer, and receiving and keeping the results of our prayer.

In his first letter Peter declares that Jesus bore our sins in his body so that we may cease from sin and live for righteousness. He followed that by saying that some people had ceased from sin. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we may cease from sinning and live for righteousness. (1 Peter 2:24) Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for corrupt human desires but for the will of God. (1 Peter 4:1-2) Peter says that there were people who had ceased from sin. Moreover, he tells how they became people who had ceased from sin: they suffered in the flesh. He also gives us a glimpse into how such people lived: no longer controlled by corrupt desires, but by God's will. The real possibility of ceasing from sin should be of great interest to those who love Jesus (John 14:15, 21, 23, 24) seek to be controlled by God's will (1 Peter 4:1-2) seek to live for righteousness (1 Peter 2:24) seek to be free from sin seek the spiritual growth and fruitfulness that comes with being free from sin seek eternal life (Matthew 5:29-30, 18:8-9, Mark 9:44-47) seek fellowship and union with God (John 14:15, 21, 23) Satan is interested in keeping people from ceasing from sin. He is seeking to rob Jesus and us of the results of his sacrifice through one of the greatest deceptions in history: causing people to believe that it is impossible to cease from sin.

God is king, judge, and redeemer of heaven and earth.   As king, God's primary goal is the complete and eternal reunification of his kingdom. Reunification of his kingdom will come when he has destroyed his enemies: Satan and all of the people aligned with him. In Matthew 13:24-50, Jesus says that the people aligned with Satan will be destroyed at the end of the age in which we live. The people who are righteous – who are what they are required to be and do what they are required to do – will go into the next age. The people who are unrighteous – who are not what they are required to be and do not do what they are required to do – will not go into the next age. The path they follow will end in death.   As judge, God must do what is just (Genesis 18:25; 1 Peter 2:23). Before the end of the age, God will test us and weigh our hearts to determine if we are righteous. At the end of the age God will judge and determine who may enter the thousand year age of his kingdom and who must be destroyed.   As redeemer, his goal is to save as many people as possible. Before the end of the age God will warn us that the end is approaching and call us to prepare. His tests help us prepare and work as signs to warn us that we are approaching the end of the age. These are signs we may see long before the beast, false prophet, etc. so that we can be prepared when those things happen.   Prepare for the End of the Age will share that there will be an end of this age how to prepare for the end of the age what we are required to be to survive the end of the age what we are required to do to survive the end of the age how to become what we are required to be how to do what we are required to do how God will determine if we are what we are required to be signs of the end of this age

 The issue of eternal life – where and how we will spend eternity – is the most consequential issue we will face in life. The difference in the consequences to us, if we receive eternal life or fail to receive it, are as extreme as they could possibly be. Moreover, we will have to live with the consequences forever.  Jesus tells us that entering into eternal life is difficult: many will seek to enter and will not be able to. Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. (Luke 13:24) The cost of failing to enter eternal life is so great that we would be beyond foolish not to seek the truth about eternal life with commensurate diligence. The Truth About Eternal Life is written to help in that search.   A: Eternal Life We significantly help ourselves find the path leading to eternal life by seeking out what eternal life is. This simple step is easily overlooked. A good understanding of what eternal life is helps us find the path leading to it, perceive our status relative to that path, and perceive our status relative to eternal life itself. There is a type of life available to  us that we are not born with. This life is characterized by shalom – love, peace, truth, and freedom – including freedom from fear and anxiety. This is eternal life and we may partake of it now during our temporal life. God gives us eternal life through his Word.  B: Our Current Condition We are born with a type of life characterized by corrupt desires. These desires bring forth death and are incompatible with eternal life. To receive eternal life we must remove the corrupt desires from our being.  C: God's Provision God has given us provision to help us remove the corrupt desires, become compatible with eternal life, and receive it. God sends his Spirit of Truth to guide us into all truth. If we ask him he will send him to guide us into the truth of eternal life. God has also given truth to us in 1 John that helps us know if we have received eternal life.  D: What Must We do? We must enter into a new covenant with God through which he helps us remove corrupt desires, become compatible with eternal life and receive it. We must be cleansed from the sin caused by the corrupt desires and sow God's Word into our hearts so it can produce eternal life in us.

We wrestle against the spiritual forces of evil. This includes everyone: man, woman, and child. This isn't just believers. It includes people who are not believers and do not become believers. We are at a significant disadvantage fighting a spiritual war against a spiritual enemy. We usually align our lives by what we perceive through our physical senses. Our physical senses are useless in a spiritual war. Jesus, the Word of God, and the Spirit of Truth reveal the spiritual war to us. They tell us how the enemy fights against us and how to resist and overcome him. Their teaching is essential to help us win the spiritual war and walk the path that leads to life. We are part of this war. Spiritual Warfare: Sowing will examine the details of God's teaching on the sowing aspect of spiritual war. These details will help us align our lives with God's sowing of his Word into our hearts. They will also help us align our lives resisting Satan's sowing of his seed into our hearts and his attacks against the Word God sows into our hearts.

Spiritual growth is the change and growth of the spiritual nature of our being. It involves spiritual transformation and growth to maturity and completion.   Spiritual maturity has two key characteristics: discernment and self-control. Discernment is necessary for self-control.   When we are spiritually mature, we will no longer be infants tossed about by deception.   And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. (Ephesians 4:11-14).   The mature person has their senses trained to discern both good and evil.   Solid food is for the spiritually mature, the person who by constant use has trained their senses to discern good from evil. (Hebrews 5:14).   So, spiritual growth involves the transformation to a new way of discerning and the maturation of that new way.   A spiritually mature person has self-control.   If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a spiritually mature man, able also to bridle his whole body. (James 3:2)   So, spiritual growth also involves the transformation to a new way to control ourselves and the maturation of that new way.   A spiritually mature person has all of the spiritual attributes necessary for life and godliness. Spiritual growth involves the addition and maturation of those attributes.   To grow spiritually we must do two things. We must sever our connection with the flow of corruption that sustains and strengthens our corrupt spiritual nature. We must form a continuous, eternal connection with the flow of incorruptibility that will form, sustain, and strengthen a new spiritual nature in us.   Spiritual growth is very important. God commands us to be spiritually mature. (Matthew 5:48). Spiritual growth is necessary to sustain our connection with the flow of incorruptibility. It is necessary to truly love our neighbors. We contribute to the lives of those around us according to the nature and measure of our spiritual growth. If we are connected to the flow of corruption, then corruption will flow through us and bring corruption to those around us. If we are connected to the flow of incorruptibility, then incorruptibility will flow through us and bring incorruptibility to those around us.

Jesus taught his disciples, guided them into truth, and showed them what they should do.   When Jesus ascended to heaven, he asked the Father to send the Holy Spirit to take his place: teach his disciples, guide them into truth, and show them what they should do.   The departure of the teacher is a critical time in the life of a disciple. Who are they to follow when the teacher leaves? It is also a problem for those who make disciples. Who are the new disciples to follow?   The Holy Spirit is God's solution to the problem of Jesus leaving. Disciples are to follow the Holy Spirit and make new disciples who also follow the Holy Spirit.   This book will look at   disciples the problems when the master departs God's solution to the problem of Jesus leaving the disciples we should be how to make the disciples we should make

Jesus told his disciples to proclaim the Good News. Paul said that the Good News is how God saves people.   What is the Good News? Is our understanding of the Good News accurate and complete enough to produce salvation for ourselves and others?   The Good News begins when Zechariah prophesies that the promised blessing and kingdom have come. Zechariah's son, John the Baptist, continues this message.   Jesus adds to the Good News. He teaches the Good News of the Word and announces that he is the promised good shepherd. Near the close of his temporal ministry, Jesus reveals the coming of the promised new covenant and outpouring of the Spirit.   The Good News is the message that God has redeemed us, delivered us from the power of our enemies, and provided a way for us to serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness. It tells us how God did this and how we are to align our lives with God's deliverance and his provision for holiness and righteousness.   God's Good News declares deliverance in the present age, from destruction when God sweeps the wicked from the earth, and from eternal punishment in the future age.