Broadcasting Your Sins/Giving Testimonies

I can't be too dogmatic on this subject because there are earnest, sincere believers who beg to differ. When testimonies are given, some redeemed sinners glorify their past to make it sound like they are the worst sinner since Paul.   I don't see any biblical precedent for this.  But they may be quoting Psalm 107:2 in the TNIV which says, "Let the redeemed of the LORD tell their story."  I don't want to hear about someone's dirty past or graphic illustrations (some people have "virgin" ears and don't need to hear your sins!);  these sins aren't fit for the mixed company or polite society.

The verse actually says, "Let the redeemed of the LORD say so...." Let them have the opportunity to speak up for Jesus and stand up for the Lord.  "Stand up, stand up for Jesus!"   God has thrown all of our sins into the depths of the sea and behind His back, never to be remembered again--why remind God of them?  Don't keep dredging them back up every time you tell your testimony.

We can tell our testimonies without getting specific and naming our sins (this opens the door to gossip and judging in the body).   We do this by describing the way our life was before Christ, upon meeting Christ, and after Christ.  (E.g.,  I had an empty, confused, aimless life until I had peace and purpose in living I found in knowing Christ as my Lord and Savior!)  I don't want to discourage someone from "coming clean" but this is more a step in redemption and salvation than in giving testimony.  We should remain on a positive note and explain how others can find Christ and know Him for real themselves--the window of opportunity or open door doesn't stay that way for long.            Soli Deo Gloria!

Why I Believe the Bible

Did you know that there are twenty-six books in the world that claim to be Holy Scripture (the Brahman Vedas, the Buddhist Canon of Sacred Scripture, the Qur'an, the Bhagavad Gita (The Song of the Blessed One), the Pearl of Great Price,  the Book of Mormon, the Zoroastrian Zend-Avesta, et al. However, the Bible is the only one with predictive prophecy!  Remember, Deut. 18:18 says that the test of a true prophet is 100 percent accuracy or the death penalty!  "If they speak not according to this Word, they have no light in them" (Isa. 8:20).  Note that there is something very peculiar and unique about Jesus:  He doesn't quote the authorities but relies on His own authority and spoke like no man had ever done!   The Qur'an has one instance of a self-fulfilling prophecy when Mohammad predicts he'll return to Mecca!  Only God can predict the future and God (in Isaiah) challenges any other "god" to tell the future.  There are over 2,000 fulfilled prophecies in the Bible, not just a few lucky guesses.  Jesus Christ Himself fulfilled over 300!

Archaeology has repeatedly confirmed the OT tradition and many have set out to disprove the Bible and with over 25,000 sites recovered there still is no contradiction.  Like Jesus said, "The rocks cry out!"   Historically, the Bible has been verified, and even though secular historians are usually given more credibility than the Bible, they have yet to disprove anything in the Scriptures!  For example, Luke has been discovered to be one of the best historians of antiquity.

Also, science has failed to contradict the Bible, even though the French Academy of Science declared fify-one scientific facts that controverted the Bible in 1861, now not one of the so-called facts is believed--the Bible was right!.  There is no contradiction between the science and Scripture and where the Bible does make a scientific statement of fact, it is correct, even if ahead of its time.  The Bible is not a scientific textbook, said Galileo, but a book of salvation--however, where it does state a scientific statement it is correct and never proven wrong.

The Bible is self-attesting,  (over 3,000 times it says, "Thus says the LORD" or its equivalent) [no other sacred writing does this--they don't dare!]  Scripture is its own Supreme Court, its own interpreter, and commentator.   It is believed because it is believable unless you have the presupposition that miracles just don't happen! Ancient peoples didn't doubt the reality of miracles, just what they meant.  The writers are not inveterate or consummate liars, but credible witnesses--the credibility of a demon is not to be established and this only stands to reason!  The test of their veracity was they the Apostles went to their death without recanting--death was their test!  "For we did not follow cleverly devised myths or fables when we made known to you the Word of Truth but were eyewitnesses of His majesty"  (2 Pet. 1:16).   "Thus saith the LORD" or its equivalent) which means it assumes you believe it and doesn't appeal to some higher power or authority.  It proves and verifies itself.  If you appealed to science, for instance, science would have higher authority than God!

The Bible is inspired by the Holy Spirit and is therefore inerrant and infallible in its original manuscripts.  None of these are extant--we rely on copies.   An interesting fact is that there are over 5,000 Greek manuscripts available to test the veracity of Scripture, while we only have ten good copies of Caesar's Gallic War or of the History of Herodotus.  There is no comparison, yet no one doubts the authenticity of these documents.  There is more proof for the resurrection of Christ than for any other fact in antiquity.  It is the most attested and variously supported fact if the era!  Doubting Jesus' historicity is unsound and yet scholars don't dare doubt the historicity of Caesar or Alexander the Great.

The Bible is like a caged lion--you don't have to defend it, it can take care of itself.  People who criticize it usually haven't read it!   The Bible can convict a person if he has an open mind and is willing to do God's will he shall know whether it is of God.  Jesus said, "If a man is willing to do His will, he shall know whether the doctrine is of God or whether I speak on my own authority" (John 7:17).

D.L. Moody said, "I know the Bible is inspired because it inspires me."  The works of Shakespeare can be entertaining and educating, but only the Bible can transform the soul. The proof of the pudding is in the eating:   "The Word of God is alive and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of joints and marrow, of soul and spirit, and it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart" Hebrews 4:12).  Soli Deo Gloria!

Why Study the Bible?...

 "Great peace have they who love your law, and nothing shall cause them to stumble" (Ps. 119:165).
"If your law had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction" (Ps. 119:92).
"I rejoice in your promise like one who finds great spoil" (Ps. 119:162).


The discipline of teleology is the study of the purpose or design of things and unbelievers don't like to hear that there is a purpose behind the universe or creation, but that it is just a big cosmic accident of the forces of nature.  For instance, the so-called design of earth (Anthropic principle) is perfectly fit for human habitation--is that an accident?  This is one of the proofs for the existence of God, that it seems obvious to the objective person that there is a purpose for everything--telos, or purpose, is anathema to the secularist.  Case in point:  the purpose of dirt is to grow grass; the purpose of grass is to feed cattle; the purpose of cattle is to nourish man--this is where the equation breaks down, because we can't agree on the purpose of man without religion entering the picture and then we see the big picture.  The three questions:  where did we come from? Why are we here?  And where are we going?

Now, the question at hand, why study the Bible?   It should not be an academic issue or discipline to entertain us (like in a trivia game) or increase our knowledge, but to change our lives.  During the Enlightenment gentlemen used to have the hobby of discussing theology, the queen of sciences,  among themselves to pass the time--it was assumed everyone had a working knowledge of the Bible and could take part.  Having a great knowledge about the Bible is not necessarily a compliment, because the Pharisees did too--it's what you apply that counts with God!  Knowledge about the Bible is a prerequisite to knowing the Bible; it is necessary, but not sufficient to know God--the goal.

"Knowledge puffs up, but love [is what] edifies," according to 1 Cor. 8:1.  But this is the kind of knowledge that doesn't contain discernment or wisdom, knowledge of God (cf. Hos. 4:1,6)  "A people without discernment ["understanding" in NIV]   perish" (Hos. 4:14).   One of the worst sins is knowledge without character, according to Indian leader Mahatma Gandhi, because it is a fact that knowledge can be dangerous and a little knowledge is worse than none.  Half-educated people are more dangerous than illiterate ones. What you know ought to be so!   Some people know just enough to be dangerous.  Don't get me wrong--ignorance is not bliss, but we must be careful to see Bible knowledge as a means to an end, and not the end itself.  It's not a contest to see who the most about the Bible--knowing the Bible is different and knowing and loving the Author is the paramount goal.  More knowledge equals more responsibility too!

We are not to compare or commend ourselves with others because accumulated knowledge can be a byproduct and just because someone knows a lot doesn't mean that is the goal.  Knowledge is a tool for the preacher and part of his trade and he is to teach others to become independent of him and learn to fend for themselves, as it were, and someday know how to study on their own--because they love the Bible, not because they want to get smart.  The Bible is sufficient to teach us everything we need to know to live a victorious Christian life and grow into a mature believer, producing much fruit.  The Bible is also known for its clarity because its main message is clear to the simple-minded and hidden from the "wise" out of the wisdom of God, because of the condition of their heart and will.

You can't teach someone to love the Bible--he must practice it and apply it himself to learn this and he will learn gradually to appreciate it.  He has to grow into this.  One should learn to study the Bible so that he can get "Aha!" moments or epiphanies  (I can remember the exact day when God opened the Scriptures to me and I couldn't stop reading them)  One can then sense  God is speaking to Him, because this is the way God has promised to reach out to us and speak to our needs.  "Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth"  (2 Tim. 2:15, KJV).

With the privilege of interpreting Scripture, comes the responsibility to do it right and not to fabricate our own truths!  The Word also "equips" us for every good work (2 Tim. 3:17)!  We should all be able to say with the psalmist,  "O, how I love Thy Law, it is my meditation all the day"  (Ps. 119:97).   Soli Deo Gloria!

Making Time For God...

The Navigators taught me about setting a specific time each morning to hear from God, through prayer and Bible meditation.  They taught me that God would keep His part of the appointment but I must keep mine.  If we fail to find God during the day it is not His fault--we must seek Him early to find Him ("O, that I knew where I might find Him [says Job 23:3]") or you may not find Him all day!
When you wonder about the whereabouts of God, it is you that moved!

That's the secret--start your day off with Jesus.  Martin Luther would pray for hours to open his day, and if he was busy, he would pray all the more.  Prayer is a reliable time-saver and investment. This is the joy of abiding in Christ and being in fellowship with Him through the day, but there are other factors to consider and enter into the equation that may trip us up and they are as follows:

We all seem to live hectic schedules and sometimes people seem to be an interruption of "our" time (words like "interruption" and "bother" shouldn't even be in our lingo).  I don't think Jesus ever felt interrupted but made time for people in their time of need.  We don't want to disoblige someone on purpose, of course, but it is nice to know that they affirm their friendship by saying they can be "bothered" 24/7 if we ever need them.  We don't want to give God the leftovers of our money, and this is a way that we don't give Him the leftovers of our time.  We have decided to drop all and follow Jesus, as sit were, and this is an application to that.  Love is spelled T-I-M-E and a person feels wanted and loved when we give them our time, a valuable commodity and resource.

Being busy is not a virtue, in fact, if the devil can't make you bad, he'll make you busy.  We shouldn't relegate others to our convenience but should be willing to make a sacrifice.  Love is sacrificial.  We should seek another's audience, for instance, at their convenience, not ours, to be polite--"Please return the call at your leisure!"  It's one thing to take advantage of some one's generosity, and another to be in sincere need.  I like to give the benefit of the doubt and would rather err on the side of letting me be taken advantage of.

We all have priorities in our relationships, but Jesus said to love our neighbor (the person in need)--He didn't think He'd have to tell us to love our family, which is only normal, and even the heathen do that.  When we shrug a person off and refuse to give him attention we can make him feel like a persona non grata.  That means they can feel like a nobody and it affects the self-image of a person, among other things as a natural consequence.  Sometimes God puts an unlovely person or challenging person in our path to see if we really do love--this is real "tough love."

In conclusion, I'm not saying we should be a doormat or let ourselves get taken advantage of on purpose, but be apologetic, courteous, and humble in declining any opportunity that we cannot meet, since, in view of Providence, God allowed this to happen and there must be a time and purpose behind it.   Soli Deo Gloria!

Do You Belong?

Many believers or nominal believers attend or go to churches and think that is all there is.  God wants you to belong, not just attend, and there is more than a subtle difference!  Members, not just attendees (people committed to the body and having taken the leap of faith publicly).  You must realize first that the church is a family and must have committed members who need and rely on each other as a family who is there for each other.  Actually, our church family should be closer than our physical family, if they don't believe it.  I, myself, never felt that I belonged (though I did feel I belonged to my former church as the church greeter) until I was inducted into my church and went through the initiation process (accepting the authority of the leadership, even giving my personal testimony to the body. (I think of Paul telling Timothy that he gave a good testimony in the presence of  many witnesses).   I was given the "right hand of fellowship" and felt an acceptance that I couldn't express in those words before.

Many people go to a mega-church which is more of a "crowd" than a church--you can be invisible (not what is meant by the "invisible church")  in that kind of church and nobody knows you are there or not  (how can you make an impact like this?) if you don't make some extra effort to make friends, that is. It is more difficult, if not impossible to have the sort of "family orientation" or feelings that should represent the body of Christ.

Many mega-churches are that way because of the reputation of a preacher (ironic since Christ was more interested in quality than quantity)  and the church can be, but isn't always mind you, a personality cult, that will fade away after the preacher passes on.   The church I go is not dependent on the preacher to hold it together--it is the fourth or fifth oldest church in Minnesota and has withstood six church splits and has survived, even as a Baptist church, which has a lot of negative connotations to us Minnesotans--those legalists and backsliders!

You must ask yourself, "Do you just attend?" or "Do you belong?" because there is a difference.  The church is an organism, not an organization and that means it should be alive and interactive, and not just people following the leader or taking orders like in a corporation or military outfit.  The church is not a dictatorship but a union of believers who need each other and work together as a body with Christ as the head, not any one person (Christ is in all believers!).  Try to think of the progression as follows: believe, belong, become!  If you want to become what Christ wants you to be, you must first be a believer, then you must belong.

To sum it up in a sentence:  Only in a family can you have what the church aims to do:  Have accountability, intimacy, unity, common goals, growth, and bonding or fellowship.  Soli Deo Gloria!

Do You Love The World-system?

Note that "God so loved the world [its people]," but I'm talking about the evil world-system dominated and controlled by Satan and what it has to offer in competition with God, not a blessing of His, for all good things come from the Father.

Watchman Nee wrote a famous book Love Not the World, and he was right if you want to be spiritual and walk with Jesus if you do love the world, the love of Father is not in you!  John said, "Love not the world, neither the things of the world," in 1 John 2;15 (this is a command, not advice or a suggestion!).  What is he talking about? The big three:  the pride of life, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of life.   The world, or should I say, Satan, has a lot to offer to compete with what God has to offer.  Mainly, power, prestige, fame, fortune, entertainment, popularity, security, and many other things that a person may get (though not wrong in themselves, but can be misused).  If you love money, you will never have enough and that goes for any idol too, if you love it, you won't have enough.  When you've had too much of the devil's delicacies, you lose your appetite for the things of God!  The mindset on the flesh is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life!  (Cf. Rom. 8:6).

It's all right to watch TV, for example, if one has priorities (and one follows Paul's principles or standards laid down in Phil 4:8: "Whatever is true, noble, right...think on these things..." and doesn't let it rule or dominate his time or energy and become a god or what is really an idol, breaking the first of the Ten Commandments.  "Thou shalt have no other gods before Me!"  If you don't feel in the mood to pray after watching too much TV, perhaps the devil has done his damage and won over your heart, which should belong to God--He wants you, and to be number one in your life--God is a jealous God and will tolerate no rivals.  This doesn't mean other things don't have importance in your life, but that God is of first importance.  That's why Paul says a soldier doesn't get involved in civilian affairs, because of a conflict of interest.  The closer you walk with Jesus, the more perceptive you get to the devil trying to trip you up with what he has to offer and to get your attention--he knows your weaknesses too.

Now, let me make a point, that the more mature you get, the more responsible you are and God requires more of you.  He doesn't expect a child to be as discerning as an adult.  "Just a closer walk with Thee" should be our prayer.  The goal, according to Richard of Chichester, is to "love Christ more dearly, to know Him more clearly, and to walk more nearly!"  The more we feed our soul and spirit, the more sensitive it becomes--the nature that you feed (your carnal or your spiritual one) is the one that will dominate your thinking and behavior--the dog that gets fed the most usually wins the dogfight.

Sin is addicting as well as alienating and it enslaves just as it estranges.  It is like smoking making people dislike you and you being addicted to something you cannot stop--nip it in the bud and you won't be tempted.  It is far easier to resist the initial temptation to sin than all the consequences and results that follow suit when it spirals out of control.  Don't let your habits become gods, but ask God to set you free--"If the Son shall set you free, you shall be free indeed" (John 8:36).  What do you think Jesus was talking about when he said people would "die in their sin?"

Just don't neglect feeding your spiritual self, because the consequences of neglect are severe and tragic.  Note that "[God] who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment" (1 Tim. 6:17) means there are blessings from God and every good gift comes from God (cf. James 1:17).   Every day the battle starts all over and we must die daily and rededicate the day to Him--Live one day at a time, as it is written, "This is the day that the LORD has made, let us be glad and live today" (Ps. 118:24).  Soli Deo Gloria!

Tough Act to Follow?

I know what it is like to have to speak after a great performance or Spirit-led testimony:  The question I ask myself is whether I can equal or even surpass his achievement; then I realize that we are on the same side and that God is in control--we both possess the same Spirit, but different gifts. The key is not to be competitive but be yourself and let them accept you.   Different manifestations of the Spirit for the common good, Paul elaborates in 1 Corinthians.  My pastor says that the body of Christ has many parts that are very diverse and we should celebrate our differences--viva la difference! Welcome diversity because a healthy body has it.  The lesson again is:  BE YOURSELF!  God accepts you, so accept yourself and have faith that others will too!

The eye cannot say to the ear that it has no use of it, for instance.   Paul warns us against commending ourselves with each other or comparing ourselves to one another--we are all unique in Christ and God has a different purpose for each one of us.  We should find our spiritual niche, as it were, and fervently and zealously serve God therein.  I cannot read like my pastor and never will be able to or be able to tell a story like he does, but I have a knack for writing (I did not judge this but have been told this) and I sense God with me doing that.

By way of example:  Some people are better with words than others, and some people are better at speaking to the average Joe on the street; note that the common people heard Christ gladly--He was not pompous or flamboyant in his words, but, nevertheless, articulate, fluent, eloquent, and glib I'm sure--saying what He means, and meaning what He says!  We all need each other and the happiest people in the body are those who realize their place and each other's importance, respecting authority, if need be.

My testimony is completely different from my brother's and God has other people I can reach that perhaps he can't with his.  "...But they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise"  (2 Cor. 10:12).  Let's not play the game "Let's compare!"  That's why I believe we should bloom where we are planted and that God doesn't plant us somewhere by accident--but has a purpose!  We all have our own sphere of influence, circle of friends and acquaintances, and the little world to call our own that we can greatly influence faithfully in God's service.  Soli Deo Gloria!

MY TESTIMONY ABRIDGED AS GIVEN

My Journey of Faith, by Karl W Broberg



This is a first-hand account of my spiritual pilgrimage without glorifying my sins.

I was baptized as an infant in a Lutheran church and the pastor was my sponsor--we corresponded for years.  Some of my earliest memories are of listening to my grandmother telling Bible stories.  My parents made sure I was confirmed.  I can remember as a youth making a scrapbook of Jesus' life and the pastor showing it to the church, teaching vacation Bible school, and inquiring whether I should go into the ministry.  I also went to Summer camp and believed I knew the Lord, because I was preoccupied with The book of Revelation and Billy Graham's book World Aflame.

I recall no particular moment of surrender or spiritual awakening, but my faith was very important to me and I loved the Bible--I recall the habit of underlining favorite verses.

I made the leap of faith, realizing my sin and Christ dying for me, and then dedicated my life to Christ during a Billy Graham crusade at age 15 and subsequently got involved in a Seventh-Day Adventist Church Bible study.  Being counseled by my pastor, he told me to study Martin Luther's Commentary on Galatians.  I then wrote a paper debunking the study and defending the faith.

Later, at Augsburg College I was exposed to "liberal theology," and found out I didn't know all the answers!  Being disoriented in my faith, I dropped out,  did some soul searching, and tried to "find myself" as they said back then.

I enlisted in the Army and heard another Billy Graham crusade.  The missing link--I needed to repent (my church never mentioned this!)  I was under grave conviction and rededicated my life--it was then that I felt I "found Christ."  I called my mom and told her she would like the "new me," but she said she liked the "old me."  It seemed like I had done this before, but this time it was for real.  I guess I had to get to the end of my rope!

Back at the base, I hooked up with the Navigators and was mentored or "discipled," as they term it.  "Once you've experienced it, you want to pass it on," and so I got the bug to witness.  Gradually I matured doctrinally, and I got interested in eternal security or "Once saved, always saved"--even writing Billy Graham to get his stand.

Upon discharge I became convinced of "believer baptism," and was officially "dunked"--the pastor knew me personally and didn't give me a hard time--it was then that I first took my stand for Jesus in church.

Later I became concerned about my beliefs and "keeping the main thing the main thing."  I didn't want to "major on the minors."  I had to learn grace toward those I disagreed with without splitting hairs.  I've learned when not to be dogmatic--and never to be divisive or quarrelsome--we can disagree without being disagreeable or contentious!

Now I have a rewarding relationship with the Lord that manifests itself in many ways, including:  Having inner peace, purpose for living, being on the same page as other believers, understanding the Word, seeing the Light, and assurance of salvation.

In conclusion, I am not what I ought to be, but thank God, I am not what I used to be!  I don't believe in perfectionism--God isn't finished with me yet!  When I see  lost sinner, I say, "There,  but for the grace of God, go I."

My assurance is simply this:  "God said it in His Word, I believe it in my heart, and that settles it in my mind."

My favorite verse is:  "The LORD knows the way that I take, when He has tried me I shall come forth as gold."

[Note that part of my problem was that I was never exposed to sound doctrine in a church that answered all my problems,  I knew something was awry, so I heard I should repent, raise my hand, come forward,  receive Christ, commit my life to Christ, be baptized, or this or that, ad infinitum.  You can be born again without assurance of salvation (it's not an automatic fruit of salvation--no one's faith is perfect, but it must be sincere) or have doubts and insecurities--my journey took me a long way to where I am now understanding the assurance of salvation and the eternal security of the believer in Christ.]