The End

Well, CBT just wrapped up as we had our final get-together. I am truly grateful for the people who made this year one of the best years for our group. Throughout our time on campus, we had many visitors join our Monday night Bible talks and End of Month discussion nights. We added new members to our group and formed friendships that will doubtless outlive the school year. But as with most everything in this life, it must come to an end. Not a permanent end, I hasten to add, but an end nonetheless. It is also an ending point for me, as I move down to America this summer and will no longer be able to participate in CBT on a regular basis. Such is life.

In fact, our lives on this earth are punctuated with ending points. Seldom do we begin a task without
having the end in mind. Years ago (perhaps less than you realize!) you came to an end of grade school.

But is that not the very reason you started? When going to class, starting a new grade, was it not your
goal to finish that grade? We begin with the end in mind. "Eyes on the prize," as the expression goes.
Currently, if you are reading this blog, you are probably in university. And as you continue your studies, you are constantly thinking about the end. You go to university to get a degree; you go to reach the end.

After you get your education, you will likely get a job. Or perhaps you have had, or currently hold, a job. But you understand that your first job will likely, or already has, come to an end. This is how life goes. Your first car? It will end. Your first computer, cell-phone, pair of shoes? It will all come to an end. Eventually, you will reach the end of your career, typically called retirement. But these are all steps along the way. Things as these are merely check-points to our final destination. Each of us will ultimately come to the end of our lives on this earth.

The Bible is not ignorant of this fact. To the contrary, it faces our death with square shoulders. Listen as Paul writes in his first letter to the Corinthians:

“Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed— in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: ‘Death is swallowed up in victory.’ ‘O Death, where is your sting?  O Hades, where is your victory?’  The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Cor. 15:51-58).

We are all coming to the end of our lives. We are all, at this very moment, dying. Some are dying slower than others, but dying nonetheless. 100% of people now living will die. Do we live our lives in recognition of this truth, or in denial of this truth? Are we keeping our “eyes on the prize”? Or are we wandering, not aware that God has called us to live our lives in conformity with His will? There is a reason that we must live our lives for God. Paul says again, as recorded by Luke, “Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.” In other words, God has an expectation for your life. Further, everyone has failed to live up to that expectation (Rom. 3:23).

Therefore, when Jesus comes on the appointed day to judge the world in righteousness we will be found guilty in His sight. Therefore, God commands all people everywhere to repent. He calls you and me to turn away from our lives of aimlessly walking in darkness and draws us into His light that we should serve Him (Rom. 6:20-23).

Life is full of ending points, but there is a time when your life will come to its ultimate end. In light of this fact, Jesus says “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it” (Matt. 7:13-14). Will we not fear at this warning? Are we to presume upon our pride that Christ could not possibly condemn us on judgement day? Listen attentively. Many people will die while walking the broad path. What makes you different from them?   Jesus said the narrow path was difficult and that few would find it. Are you keeping your eyes on the prize?

As CBT comes to a close, and as you continue to work through the degree, let us never lose sight of The End. “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.”

~ Aaron Johnson
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I agree with Aaron; it has been a great academic year with the CBT.  Our last meeting day was April 4, 2016 - apologies for not mentioning this earlier on our blog.  But next year, Lord willing, we will continue our CBT meetings in September.  Looking forward to it!  If you would like to join us, feel free to write us at campusbibletalk@gmail.com, check out our Facebook page, or visit our studies when we start up again.  God bless and have a great summer!

~ Christian Basar

No CBT on Monday, March 28, 2016

Please note that there is no Campus Bible Talk this Monday, the 28th. We will resume on April 4th.

What am I to do while I am waiting?

We all know that in the big scheme of things, our lives are short.  So we do not have infinite amounts of time to fulfill our dreams and do what we set to accomplish.  Nonetheless, there are times when we have to be patient and wait for things to happen.  As we finish our education, we are waiting to be skilled enough in our chosen fields to work in them professionally.  At other times we are waiting for relationships to develop, feedback on plans or submitted projects, and the list goes on.

As can be expected, the Bible talks about patience and waiting.  At various points in the Word, we are called to "wait on God."  "Be still before the Lord, and wait patiently for him...." (Psalm 37:7); "...wait continually for your God" (Hosea 12:6); "but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength..." (Isaiah 40:31).  One of our blog posts from December 2015 spoke about "Being Still and Knowing...," which can be related to this idea of waiting on the Lord.  You can read it here.

Being patient is a good thing whenever we are waiting for something to happen.  It is a good character attribute.  But what else can we do while we wait on God?  Here are some things we can do:

1. Think about how waiting can help us grow
Exercising patience can be hard if we are waiting for something that is very important to us.  We may fret about the result, fearing that things will not go the way we hope.  But patience is part of the "Fruit of the Holy Spirit," which can be read about in Galatians 5:22-25.  By learning to be patient (which is sometimes a learned thing), we are practicing a Christian, godly trait.  Also, if our faith is being tested through waiting, we can keep in mind the words of James: "My brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of any kind, consider it nothing but joy, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance; and let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing." (James 1:2-4)

2.  Keep serving God
As Christians, serving the Lord is our ultimate priority, no matter what our circumstances.  While you are waiting, keep on living your Christian life.  Whether you are happy or sad, carefree or anxious, keep your sight focused on God and keep obeying Him as you grow through your experience of waiting.  And keep praising and giving thanks to God.  As is said in the Psalms, "I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth." (Psalm 34:1)

3.  Take action
Despite the fact that we are talking about waiting, "waiting" does not always mean sitting on your laurels and doing nothing.  Yes, sometimes we cannot do much about the situation.  But other times we can do things while we wait for something.  For example, if we have completed one step of a process and need to wait for it to finish, we could get started on the next step in the meantime.  Of course, one must be wise and use good judgment in order to discern if taking action (and what action) is necessary.

4.  Pray
Prayer is vital to the Christian life.  It is literally communication with God - the God Who created you and this universe.  1 Thessalonians 5:16-8 says, "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."  There is the principle of persistent prayer, about which Jesus told two parables.  These can be read in Luke 11:5-13 and 18:1-8.  I will not repeat them here, but they are certainly worth reading.  Essentially, Jesus says here that God loves those who come to Him in prayer.  He also tells us to pray and not lose heart and not give up.  Some preachers suggest that God sometimes makes us wait so that we will show faith by constantly coming to Him in prayer regarding that thing we need and wait for.

Also, knowing that God hears our prayers, knowing that He will act in accordance with His will, and knowing that He loves us and wants the best for us, is a great comfort while we are tumultuously waiting for something from Him.  So keep praying and keep faith.  God is in control.  Also, ask Him to help you learn the lesson you need to learn.  One time I had to go through a period of waiting.  It was not easy, but it taught me the value of persistent, constant prayer to God about it.  Although I had already known about the idea of persistent prayer, this experience really taught me its value first-hand.  And I am thankful for that aspect of the experience.

~ Christian Basar

Faith

I do not know the original source of this picture, but I saw it originally posted by John Thompson.  I think it is worth sharing and thinking about.

The original poster commented thus, "Faith and victory or Doubt and failure...  Heb 11:1

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen."

Faith in God is vital for any Christian.  If we wish to draw near to God, we must have faith in Him - faith that He exists (Hebrews 11:6), faith that He loves us (John 3:16), and faith that He cares (1 Peter 5:7).

~ Christian Basar

Don't Quit Praying!

Jesus knows us. He knows our weaknesses and tendencies. He knows our strengths and successes. A warning from the mouth of one who knows us so well should carry much weight. So what does Jesus warn us about in times when we "lose heart"? "Men ought always to pray and not lose heart"(Luke 18:1). Don't quit praying!

Jesus tells a parable to illustrate the principle (Luke 18:2-5). A widow requests justice from a judge, who for a while refuses to act. However, the widow's persistence finally leads him to avenge her "lest by her continual coming she weary me"( Luke 18:5). We must learn the lesson well from this determined widow: don't quit praying!

Don't quit praying because God hears! Often our discouragement stems from a feeling of inadequacy in our prayer: God hasn't helped me, and I'm not even sure my prayers go higher than the ceiling. Never forget that as long as we are living as we should (1 Pet 3:12), God hears our prayers! There is no question this judge heard the widow's request-the text says he simply "would not for a while"(v. 4) do what she asked. Further, when Jesus applies this parable to our prayers to God, He asks, "And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them?". God always hears the cries and requests of His children! Though we may think God has forgotten about us when our prayers are not immediately answered the way we'd like, we must never lose heart! God speaks directly to such a mindset and says "men ought always to pray and not lose heart" (v. 1)! Don't quit praying; God hears!

Don't quit praying because God rewards persistence! What finally got the judge to act? "yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me" (v. 5). The continual, persistent asking of this widow got her what she desired. Can the same be said of our prayers? Her persistence made this woman more powerful and influential than the greatest of men, whom the judge had no regard for (v. 2, 4). Making the application, Jesus speaks of the elect of God "who cry out day and night to Him"(v. 7), adding that as a result God "will avenge them speedily" (v. 8). An earlier parable of Jesus tells of a man going to his friend at midnight to ask for food, and only receiving it because of his continued asking. Of that man, Jesus says, "I say to you, though he will not rise and give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will rise and give him as many as he needs" (Luke 11:8). Like the characters in these parables, God rewards persistence in prayer! Please understand that God is not saying that we can nag Him into giving us whatever our heart desires. Rather, when we genuinely need something and continually trust that He is the way to receive it, He is more likely to give it to us. If we ask for something from God once, then forget about it, do we really need it or truly trust He will provide it? Remember, "The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much"(James 5:16), but the occasional, haphazard prayer of a lukewarm man accomplishes little. Don't quit praying! God rewards persistence!

Don't quit praying because God desires faith! Isn't it faith that buoys us through the times when we lose heart and strengthens us to keep looking to the Father? Despite the fact that our prayers might not be answered-or answered in a way we prefer-can we keep asking and trusting? Jesus, having told the parable, laments, "Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?"(Luke 18:8). Faith is God's desire. When cancer has taken our loved one, can we pray that God will heal someone else with cancer, truly believing He can and will? When we have failed in temptation so many times, can we ask Him for help and forgiveness, truly believing we can overcome with His help? When life is hard, when money is tight, when people are angry, when we can't see our way, do we trust and look to our God? "But without faith it is impossible to please Him"(Heb 11:6). God knows about all that life contains, but still desires us to trust Him! Take your problems to the Lord. [sic] "casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you"(1 Pet 5:7). Whatever you do, don't quit praying! God wants you to believe!

Remember that stubborn widow-a character Jesus used to illustrate our stubborn devotion and trust to God. A dogged determination to appeal to our Father will be rewarded. Jesus knows us better than anyone, and His prescription is more prayer. Don't lose heart! Don't quit praying!

~ By Jacob Hudgins, submitted by Christian Basar

Why do that?

I remember reading a story that took place in the Soviet Union.  I’m not sure exactly when this happened, but essentially Communist Party people came to some peasants.  The Communist state, of course, was anti-religious, but the peasants had traditionally been quite religious for a very long time.  So these Communists started “preaching” to the peasants, saying (and I paraphrase), “Why pray to God for your crops?  It is the tractor that makes your crops prosper.”  Okay, but what happened when the tractor arrived on the farm?  The peasants came to it, praying in thanksgiving and putting crucifixes on it.  It did not work out the way the Communists might have expected!

Today, we may come across those who wonder why we do what we do as Christians.  Sure, they may respect our activities; I do not wish to paint every non-Christian with the same brush.  But they may still ask “Why?”  I would imagine that giving money to the Church is one of these things that people in the World will look at and go, “Why are they giving away their hard-earned cash?”  Well, for someone asking this kind of question, I suppose you’d first have to convince him or her of the Gospel before they’d understand why we give our money and effort to the Church.  We do it because we believe it is good to physically help the Church in its spiritual work.  And we believe it is pleasing to God when we give and serve with a cheerful heart.

But think about what else our giving does.  A few months ago, we had a giving opportunity through the Church in order to help Middle Eastern refugees in Europe and to help European congregations cope with the sheer numbers of people coming in.  I do not know how much money was raised for that ministry, but however much it was, I am confident it was put to good use.  That’s a ministry with, may I say “tangible,” visible results.  Because of this, how could anyone, spiritual or non-spiritual, argue against helping such an effort?  And that goes for any other ministry we may support as a congregation.  In my view, with our giving and our prayers for that giving, God can work His will through it all, no matter how much or little we may be able to contribute.

~ Christian  Basar

Scars

The human body’s capacity to heal amazes me.   I find it crazy how flesh and bone can rebuild to fix an injury or wound.  I can’t explain the science, but I don’t need to understand it to see how powerful the body’s healing process is.  Unfortunately, as fascinating and complete as healing can be, it does not always heal everything.  We still carry scars from past injuries.  I have a scar on my left hand from an “axe”-ident last summer.  Another on my right wrist was from a Costco cookie container – seriously.  Plastic is deadly.  And, though I think it has pretty much fully healed, my left eyelid got scratched when my glasses were broken.  If you play soccer, wear contacts.

And then there are the so-called “spiritual wounds” we all carry.  We get these when we have been lustful, proud, told lies, or when we’ve done any other bad thing.  Not only do these wounds mark ourselves, but they hurt others, too.  We don’t see these scars on our bodies, but we sure feel them.  They torture our consciences and break our relationship with God.

But, as a hymn tells us, “there was One Who was willing to die in my [our] stead.”  The Son of God went to the Cross and died for our forgiveness.  We can read about this in Isaiah chapter 53, an Old Testament passage that tells us a lot about Christ’s role in our salvation.  Verses 4-5 say “Surely He [Christ] has borne our infirmities and carried our diseases; yet we accounted him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted.  But He was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the punishment that made us whole, and by His bruises we are healed.”

The New Testament book of Hebrews continues with this line of thought.  In Hebrews 10 we read about how Christ became the final sacrifice – the only one necessary for our salvation.  Then, starting at verse 19: “Therefore, my friends, since we have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain (that is, through his flesh), and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us approach with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.”

Communion, or the Lord's Supper, of which we partake of every Sunday, is a testimony to Jesus' sacrifice.  As we participate in it, we are to remember Christ and His earthly Body, which was broken and wounded.  And we remember His Blood which washes us clean from those “spiritual blemishes” I mentioned earlier.  We will fall short of God’s standard, even after we become Christians.  But remember always that there was One willing to take your sins upon Himself, healing you and forgiving you.

~ Christian Basar