Bible Zone: Enter with wonder!

Our dedication is to Jehovah our Salvation, Jesus the Christ our Lord and our God. This same dedication is by HIS work in us as we move at HIS direction in Zambia, Africa. Holiness by HIS Grace, the gift of eternal life in Jesus, is our desire for the Tribal People of Africa; that they may turn to HIM receiving forgiveness, remission of sin, just as we have received according to the Scripture.

Phil and Melody Stephens, Servants of Jesus the Christ

Thursday, August 21, 2014

Lessons Learned

In year 2000, I came to Zambia twice to visit then work with the Tribal Village people of Southern Province. By 2002 I was working here on my own staying at the home of missionary absent for medical and family reasons. This was a time in 2002 of starvation as drought had plagued the nation of Zambia. As I moved that year and then years to follow on short term trips, we had crowds of people, sometimes more that 400. I preached the Gospel then called on people to receive Jesus. This they did by the hundreds in some meetings. By my last short term trip in 2005, I realized the same people were coming forward in meetings to receive Jesus at events where we fed them. But at the same time, found when we came for a Sunday meeting, of the hundreds professing only a few were faithful unless food was served...especially when we showed up without notice. Where were these hundreds? Where were the collective 1000s? Did we ever have a faithful number profess to receive Christ and they continued? Yes one place 54 professed to believe and receive Christ, all of them came to teaching on what the testimony of Baptism is and were Baptized and a Baptist Church was founded and they were faithful. But that was like Acts 2-5 and rarely seen in other area (God brought that revival for salvation of many, not man generated by glamorous enticing event)! That Church I know continued faithful under a sincere Zambian Pastor who the Lord had allowed me to disciple to Jesus in faith the follows HIM. My point?

NOW: ....See attached below the complete commission of Jesus Christ and realize our part begins with the peace that Jesus gave and then continues to proclaim clearly from Scripture who Jesus is , who HE is in all power in Heaven and earth, what HE has done for us, what true faith is and what the confession of the true Faith by testimony of Baptism is: that we are delivered from sin to serve HIM by HIS death burial and resurrection to live unto God, HIS own Person in Spirit, Heart, Mind, Jehovah, and so we Live by HIS righteous eternal Life in us as we learn to obey HIS commandments for us! Ask these question of ourselves, are we sure the ones we are reaching to believe in Jesus, to the saving of their soul, know who HE is in eternity? Do we make it clear that real faith will change their life to follow Jesus? Do they understand it is not the words they say but the repentant obedient Faith (Jesus is saving Faith, He is Salvation from sin to serve the most high God) of their very heart that believes and receives Jesus to be their Life? Do we let the LORD convince them that they are truly HIS by HIS Life in them that changes them day by day to be in the image of Christ? Do we look to see if there is evidence of hunger and thirst after HIS righteousness and then continue to build on that from Scripture that they grow in this merciful grace once delivered to the saints (true believers)? These basic questions must be answered lest we leave them with a false confidence in a ritual or prayer coerced by that does not bring New Life of regeneration which comes in knowing Jesus, denying self and following HIM is faith believing from the heart unto HIS righteousness for them, in them and seen through them by others. Luke 9:23, Romans 10:9-13, Hebrews 10:38-39, Galatians 2:20,  Colossians 1:9-23!!! King James Version for clarity!
 
 Commission of Christ to His Church
and Every Believer in the Church

And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations and preach the gospel to every creature; baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day. Ye are witnesses of these things,that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth, Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, [even] unto the end of the world. Amen.
 
Taken From:  Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15;
Luke 24:46-48;  John 20:21; Acts 1:8

Til we meet again soon, speaking of Mephibosheth,
Phil n Africa
 

Friday, August 8, 2014

FOR WHAT PURPOSE?!


How are you this day, in Christ Jesus, Lord Eammuel? I surely pray you are well. Thanks for joining me here; may this be a blessing. This morning, as I was in the Oracles (sayings) where our great God and our Savior, Jesus Messiah (see Letter to Titus 2:13-14) SAID THIS RECORDED BY JOHN THE BELOVED DISCIPLE, CHOSEN APOSTLE: John 1:51 "...verily, verily I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man." Oh my friends, I have heard all manner of explanations of this saying of Lord Jesus. Let me try to help you see it in light of Scripture...the vision of this in the records  written by Moses and confirmed thus by Jesus Himself, is found in the Holy Writ of Genesis 28:12 and verses following when Jacob foresaw this event in a dream. The Vision of this event! Then Jesus gave The Promise of this event as shown above. Finally John the beloved Disciple recorded the event in Fulfillment: Revelation 11:15-19 at the 7th (last) trumpet when "...The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ; and HE shall reign forever and ever....vs 19 And the temple of God was opened in heaven..."! NOW this is the key...open in John and Revelation is NO BARRIERS, NO CLOSURE, NO RESTRAINT, when Jesus returns to take over finally; therefore Heavenly abode of the most high God becomes one with this new earth, at HIS return... and messengers, angels, will have full access to all of original creation renewed in HIS KINGDOM. Are these angels only the created hosts of the Beginning...I think not, for the definition of "angel" in its entirety is simply "messenger". Context of Scripture defines if it is one of heaven by creation or one born on earth and redeemed by blood of Jesus to be a messenger to those who also need new birth. THUS "For what purpose" do we deny ourselves and follow Jesus to the lost in sin, teaching them also to be messengers of GOSPEL...at all and any cost! JESUS WILL HAVE A KINGDOM FROM HEAVEN TO EARTH AND WE BY MERCY DELIVERED BY GRACE RECEIVED BY FAITH MAY DECEND AND ASCEND UPON JESUS FOR ETERNITUY...OH WHAT PURPOSE WE ARE SERVANTS OF HIS! See this photo of those God has chosen and are surrendered to follow Jesus as believers and messengers to their own people here in Zambia and who the LORD has allowed me to walk with them in this process.  After while crocodile, Phil n Africa