It is always a joy to have the privilege to teach a class of hungry hearted believers each year as we have been working out of Mexico. It is also always a challenge every single class. The greatest challenge for me always seems to simply abide in Christ and be sensitive to His leading Spirit to guide. Funny how easy it can be at times to teach the class that the most important thing is to abide in Christ through faith and while teaching that very thing you yourself can slip into a disposition of self confidence or control.
At the end of last week, I finished the class on the Bible overview. This class, though it is an “overview” of the Bible, is unique as it relentlessly focuses on the main point of it all, constantly returning to Christ in all things from Genesis to Revelation. At the culmination of the class is the “great work of Christ” through His death, burial, descension, resurrection and ascension being seated on high. It is always exciting to see how students receive the spiritual truths of God’s work not only for them, but with them… “God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself”. This means you and I, before we were ever born, God knew us and we were reconciled to Him. What a mystery how timeless God’s work is. “What the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did!” What did God do? He baptized you into Christ’s death and you went along with Christ from then all the way into heaven “in Him”. The salvation you received when you first believed was already done and waiting for you the whole time you walked in an aimless dead condition prior to your hearing about it and believing it. What settling news. How finished is your salvation, for it is Christ who died, was buried and rose. How righteous and secure is Christ? The answer to that question answers also the question of how righteous and secure you are.
On Monday, we began the second class I teach which is “How to interpret the Bible”. It’s a lot of fun to relay the basic tools of Bible exegesis which have been my job for the past 27 years or so. After about 5 classes on basic principles of the Bible (i.e. where it came from, original languages, manuscripts and texts, translations, culture, context, etc.), the main point of this class is to exercise your inner senses to above all these things “hear what the Spirit” is saying. After teaching all these tools, it’s fun then to spend the a few weeks actually studying the Bible together with no agenda other than to read what it says and listen to the Lord seeking to put these things into practice.
I took this small video this morning of the class with you in mind.
I’ve been pondering that all this work is meaningless if it is not the Lord who teaches us what He wants to and so, I was hoping you may pray for these people as the Spirit leads you to. Maybe there is one person that stands out to you. It’s is certainly a mystery how that one prayer could completely change a life, which could completely change the world around that life.
Thanks so much. I’ve stayed away from tennis or exercise for now and no more migraines. I want to understand what’s happening in my neck before I continue to do the things which may aggravate it.
t.
“All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.”
Matthew 11:27