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Presenting John 1:1 at ETS John is presenting a paper on John 1:1 at the ETS Conference later today. You can read the paper here: ETS John 1:1 Paper. I Will Come in to Him (Revelation 3:20) Many incorrectly view Rev 3:20 as a message for unbelievers, but Revelation 2–3 addresses churches of believers. Even the Laodicean church (Rev 3:14-22) consisted of believers. Note v 19: As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten (paideuō). Therefore be zealous and repent. Chasten refers to a parent disciplining a child (paidion). This is familial discipline. These are believers, children of God, our heavenly Father. Those who fail to see that Rev 3:20 is for believers, often unwisely challenge unbelievers to ask Jesus into their heart. Though they are misguided, do not pointedly say, “That’s wrong, as the Greek of Rev 3:20 shows.” A kinder way to approach this exists. Ask the person to spell: into. He may say: I-N-T-O. Then ask how Rev 3:20 spells it. Most Bibles say: come in to him. (A few alternates exist, but no recognized translation renders it as one word: into). Then ask, “Why is it two words here? What does that imply?” At this point most people are all ears. If John wanted to say, “I will enter him),” he would use a future of eiserchomai eis auton, e.g., (eiseleusomai = “I will enter;” eis = “into;” auton = “him”). Greek would repeat eis (meaning into). Similarly, my rendering has enter and into (enter and into are related words). However, Rev 3:20 does not repeat eis. Instead, it says eiseleusomai = “I will enter;” pros = “toward;” auton = “him.” The nuance is significantly different. Compare: eiseleusomai = “I will enter;” eis = “into;” In Mark 15:43 Joseph went in to Pilate (eisēlthen pros); he did not enter into the Roman. The vocabulary forms are eiserchomai and pros, as in Rev 3:20. He entered (eisēlthen) the Praetorium, the procurator’s headquarters, coming toward (pros) Pilate’s presence. Coming in to (eiseleusomai pros) is not synonymous with coming into (eiseleusomai eis). Similarly, Revelation 3:20 pictures assembled Laodicean Christians. If one of those gathered opens (figuratively) the meeting room’s door, Jesus will join him at a table for fellowship. The verse says: I will come in [the room] unto him and will sup with him and he [will sup] with Me. This is table fellowship. Jesus does not here enter an unbeliever’s heart. Rather, Jesus enters the meeting room to fellowship with any believer who accepts His invitation. Noting that the English says in to (not into) is friendlier and more persuasive than saying, “The Greek shows . . .” Denver Supply-Depots Recently, Colorado Springs friends (planning a Central American missions trip) stopped by to pick up Living Waters a week before flying. Our stockpiles at Bennett, CO, and at Englewood (CO) Bible Church (in English, Spanish, French, and Russian) help us meet such requests. Please make prior arrangements (john@mol316.com), so our schedules coincide. Independence Day in Spokane, WA Message of Life will be an associate sponsor of the Fourth of July Festival at Spokane, WA. A number of people will man a booth in which we will distribute Living Waters. We will incur costs for the booth ($750.00), buying bottled water for free distribution, and fuel for getting to Spokane. A large quantity of English Living Water booklets are already in Spokane, but we will bring Spanish Gospels of John to Spokane. We will distribute Living Water booklets in Colorado, Oregon, Washington, and Montana. Some costs are already covered, but we will incur travel expenses. The Lord wants us to offer Living Waters to those He brings across our path and to train believers to share the message of life. Funds designated for Spokane Fourth of July is an investment in this opportunity. The Promotion of Diane’s Mother Diane and I rushed to Oregon in May, because her mother (Connie) was not doing well. She recognized the many family members and friends who came. She entered the Lord’s presence in her sleep on May 24. Marriage sixty-two years ago brought Connie to Silver Lake, OR. Diane’s parents have been pillars there ever since. Medical facilities were eighty miles from town, so Mom (a R.N.) provided emergency medical services for years. She taught Sunday School and gave Diane a love for the Scriptures. We will miss her, but she is with the Lord she loves. My graveside message was on John 11: Jesus is the resurrection and the life. He guarantees resurrection and everlasting life to all believers. Please pray for Diane, her father (Earl), and her brother (Hugh). Upcoming Travel and Speaking Besides the following speaking engagements, we will stop along the way to make Living Water deliveries along the road on each trip. June 26: Redmond (OR) Community Church: Morning message Current Projects The introduction for Zane Hodge’s commentary on Romans is complete. We continue working on remaining technical notes for it. One note has become a major study, not because the reading is particularly controversial, but because it allows clarifying finer points of Majority Text theory. Our Gospel of John commentary and Hebrew vocabulary projects continue to progress. John is advising a Th.M. student writing a significant thesis on John’s Gospel. Details to follow. Prayer Requests Pray for opportunities to distribute Gospels of John. Pray for Diane, Earl (her father), and Hugh (her brother) after homegoing of her mother (Connie) Pray for current writing projects. Pray for the Lord to continue to provide for Message of Life. Pray for continued safety while traveling and good health to carry on ministry. Pray for opportunity to present a second paper at ETS (one was accepted; another is on standby) Let This Cup Pass from Me Jesus repeatedly predicted His crucifixion and resurrection, starting with John 2:19. Note Matt 12:39-40 as well as the following trio of predictions common to each synoptic: First synoptic passion prediction: Matt 16:21 // Mark 8:31 // Luke 9:22 Second synoptic passion prediction: Matt 17:22–23a // Mark 9:20–31 // Luke 9:43b–44 Third synoptic passion prediction: Matt 20:17–19 // Mark 10:32–34 // Luke 18:31–34 Furthermore, Matthew 20:22-23 // Mark 10:38-39 use the imagery of drinking the cup to refer to Jesus’ crucifixion. This language anticipates the prayers at Gethsemane. In light of this, one would not expect Him in the Garden of Gethsemane to request not to face the cross. Yet, that is exactly how most interpreters approach the Gethsemane prayers. In Gethsemane Jesus prayed three times that the Father would remove the cup from Him. Italicized references say that He prayed the same thing as before without recording His words. First prayer: Matt 26:39 // Mark 14:36 // Luke 22:42 Second prayer: Matt 26:42 // Mark 14:39 // Luke 22:44 Third prayer: Matt 26:44 (Placing // between two passages designates them as parallels.) Let us consider the Jesus’ first prayer as recorded in all three Synoptics: Matt 26:39 O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will. Mark 14:36 Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will. Luke 22:42 Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done. The wording in Matthew and Luke use conditional statements (if it is possible; if it is Your will), but both are first class conditions. Thus, in Matt 26:39, it is assumed as possible for the cup to pass from Christ. Luke 22:42 assumes that it is the Father’s will to take the cup from Him. Mark 14:36 explicitly says that all things (including taking away the cup) are possible for the Father. Indeed, Jesus’ first prayer asserts the expectation that it is not only possible to take away the cup, but that it is the Father’s will to take it away. Unfortunately, our finitude causes us at times to prematurely reject the right solution, because we imagine a difficulty that is really not there. Our imagined difficulty is as follows: If it were possible to take the cup from Jesus, would not the cross become optional? No, that is an imaginary conundrum. All we need is a little patience to consider Jesus’ second petition, that clarifies how and when the cup would be taken away. Matt 26:42 O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done. Matthew 26:42 clarifies that Jesus expects the cup to be taken away after He drinks of it, not beforehand. While Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane, it was as if He were holding the cup, without yet drinking of it. When He went to the cross, He drank of it, as Matt 20:22-23 // Mark 10:38-39 use the imagery of drinking the cup for His crucifixion. Yes, it was the Father’s will to take away the cup, after He went to the cross. In essence, we can understand the prayers in Gethsemane to say: Father, please expedite the cross, so that cup can be quickly taken from Me, but do all things on Your timetable, not mine. This interpretation lines up nicely with John 12:27-28a. Less than a week before His crucifixion (cf. John 12:1) Jesus indicates that He would not ask to be spared from the hour. Now My soul is distressed, and what shall I say—“Father, save Me from this hour”? But for this reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify Your name! The common understanding of Jesus’ Gethsemane prayers disagrees with what He says in John 12:27-28a. We should, instead, understand Jesus to request that He be allowed to drink the cup as soon as possible. The sooner He would face the cross the sooner it would be over. As Hebrews 12:2 says: for the joy that was set before Him [He] endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Independence Day in Spokane, WA Message of Life plans to be an associate sponsor of the Fourth of July Festival at Spokane, WA. A number of friends plan to come to man a booth in which we will distribute Living Waters. Recent Travel and Ministry The season of icy roads is past, so we started traveling beyond Colorado. While at the Grace Evangelical Society conference in Fort Worth we gave away 20,000 English Living Waters and 2,500 in Spanish. Each year the interest grows, so we plan more for next time. Some who tentatively took a few last year confidently took a larger quantity this year. We heard some touching stories. South American missionaries told of an acquaintance who had learned how to sound out Spanish words, but never became a proficient reader. Many years later, he sounded out the whole text of the Agua Viva (Spanish Living Water), to learn to read. On his third time through he believed in Christ. Subsequently, he became quite involved with the mission. We also spent some time with George Bryson at the conference. He and his wife distribute Russian Living Waters extensively in the former Soviet Union. We always enjoy meeting long-time friends and making new ones at the conference. Mar 1: Denver Rescue Mission: all day seminar in John’s Gospel for the ministry staff Apr 10: Victor Street Bible Chapel (Dallas, TX): morning and Lord’s Table services Apr 11-14: GES national conference, Fort Worth, TX: Plenary message and two workshops Apr 13: Free Grace Bible Church, Sachse, TX: Wednesday evening service Apr 17: Vista Ridge Bible Fellowship, Lewisville, TX: morning message Apr 17: Countryside Bible Church, Stillwater, OK: evening message Until May 4: Englewood (CO) Bible Church (Wed evenings): Gospel of John Upcoming Travel and Speaking Summer is around the corner; the semester has ended. Our stock of Living Waters is sufficient. Our slogan is: Have John; will travel. This Fourth of July will be a wonderful opportunity to think outside the box. Message of Life will be a sponsor for May 7: Rocky Mountain Bible College and Seminary, Englewood, CO: Commencement June 26: Redmond (OR) Community Church: Morning message June 30-July 1: Fairfield and Great Falls, MT: Conference and rescue mission July 4: Spokane, WA, Living Water distribution at a Fourth of July celebration July 10: Midvalley Bible Church, Bluffdale, UT: Sunday School and a.m. worship service July 17: Jansen (NE) Bible Church: Sunday school, morning and evening services August 6: Coast Bible Church, San Juan Capistrano, CA: Teaching sessions August 7: Grace Chapel: morning service; Church of Hope, Laguna Hills, CA: afternoon services August 14: Living Word Bible Church, El Cajon, CA: morning worship service Relay Distribution Occasionally, distribution of Living Waters resembles a relay race. A man in Washington State acquainted a pastor-friend near Chicago, IL, with the Living Water. He, in turn, wanted 3,000 more by summer. We delivered those boxes (and many more) to Iowa. Then, people traveling between Iowa and Illinois carried them the rest of the way. We will drop off boxes in Grand Junction, CO (destined the four-corners region) as we head west in June. Current Projects The introduction for Zane Hodge’s commentary on Romans are complete. We continue working on remaining technical notes for it. Our Gospel of John commentary and Hebrew vocabulary projects continue to progress. Prayer Requests Pray for opportunities to distribute Gospels of John. Pray for current writing projects. Pray for the Lord to continue to provide for Message of Life. Pray for continued safety while traveling and good health to carry on ministry. Sermons On The Road Updated The Sermons on the Road page has been updated with sermons John has recently taught (including a series on Canonicity and a class on the Gospel of John held at Englewood Bible Church), including the first video sermon on this website (courtesy of Tabernacle Baptist Church in George, Iowa). The Legacy of Scripture Distribution Christianity has always devoted much effort to the distribution of Scripture. The following will overview a few crucial developments in publishing technology: The transition to codices and the invention of the printing press. The codex. Prior to the first century A.D., all books were scrolls. The codex, the modern leaf-style book with a central binding seems to have originated late in the first century A.D. The codex offers several advantages over scrolls. One benefit was reducing the cost for books. The following explains how the codex lowered expenses. Until the fourth century A.D., scribes wrote in their laps, not on writing desks. The scribe needed to position one arm to hold the two rolled-up ends to prevent unraveling, while writing with the other. Such a writing posture made writing on the reverse-side of a scroll difficult. Thus, the scroll written on both sides (an opisthograph) in Rev 5:1 was highly unusual. On the other hand, the codex allows use of both sides of the page. The codex would double the utilization of writing space, except that binding requires some space. Ancient documents say that a commercial scroll (capable of holding half of Mark) cost a day’s wage at a laborer’s minimum wage (twelve hours at our current minimum wage is about ninety dollars. The writing material for a scroll of Mark would cost $180, but for a codex would be about $100. Binding and scribal work would be additional. Despite the high costs, about 5000 Greek and about 8000 Latin manuscripts (from before the printing press) of the NT have been found. Many others survive, but have not been discovered. Countless others have not survived. Something else is interesting when we consider early texts. All but a handful of Christian manuscripts of the first four centuries are in codex form, but hardly any secular ones are in codex form. Christians were motivated to distribute countless copies of Scripture. The tremendous expense of widespread distribution of Scripture motivated them to adopt cost-cutting measures, like the codex. (Much of the foregoing appears with documentation in my Ph.D. dissertation). The printing press. The first book Gutenburg printed on his press was a Bible. Printing drastically reduced the cost of producing copies of Scripture. The best-selling book of all time is the Bible. We salute those, such as The Gideons, who seek to distribute the Bible to those in need. Gospels of John. Many people in our country have at least one Bible. We all have heard of someone who picked up a Bible in a motel and began reading. Occasionally, people in such circumstances find their way to passages presenting Jesus Christ and His promise of everlasting life to believers. Unfortunately, one can only imagine how many others did not discover this simple truth. Giving someone a Gospel of John amounts to saying, “Start here.” John is the book that God designed for the unbeliever. It is wonderful to give away whole Bibles, but we like to give away John’s Gospel as a gentle way of suggesting, “Start here.” A couple of years ago, a friend passed along a Living Water to a man who promptly put it in his glove compartment. Several months later, his car broke down in the desert. While awaiting the tow truck, he found the Living Water and began reading. By the time the tow truck came, he was captivated by John’s Gospel. He believed in Jesus Christ for the gift of everlasting life. Then, one evening at a restaurant, he saw my friend who had given him a Gospel of John and told him his story. Now, this man is giving away Living Water booklets. Why not join in this legacy? Christianity has always been motivated to distribute Scripture to Christians in need of Bibles. Let us put Gospels of John into the hands of unbelievers and into the hands of believers who will share them with unbelievers. Recent Travel and Ministry The Lord blessed us with good roads for our 4000 mile December–January trip. Despite going across mountain ranges and high desert throughout the western states, we drove between storms. We only had 200 miles of icy roads the whole trip. We saw family and friends, spoke at several churches, taught a seminary module, and delivered 10,000 Living Waters, so they could reach the Philippines before the arrival of a missions team to distribute them. Dec 5: Colorado Springs, CO: North East Bible Chapel: evening message Dec 12: Colorado Springs, CO: North East Bible Chapel: evening message Dec 29: Federal Way, WA: Lakeland Bible Church: evening message Jan 2: Bremerton, WA: Grace Covenant Church: morning message Jan 6: Costa Mesa, CA: emergency 10,000 Living Water delivery (bound for the Philippines) Jan 6–15: Orange County, CA: Short course for Rocky Mountain Seminary: “NT Introduction” Jan 9: Orange, CA: Grace Chapel: morning message Jan 9: Laguna Woods, CA: Church of Hope: afternoon messages Jan 19–May 4: Englewood (CO) Bible Church (Wed evenings): Gospel of John Feb 20: Colorado Springs, CO: North East Bible Chapel: morning and evening messages Upcoming Travel and Speaking Mar 1: Denver Rescue Mission: all day seminar in John’s Gospel for the ministry staff Apr 10: TBA Apr 11-14: Fort Worth, TX: speaking and giving Gospels of John at GES national conference Apr 17: Countryside Bible Church, Stillwater, OK: evening message Until May 4: Englewood (CO) Bible Church (Wed evenings): Gospel of John May 7: Englewood, CO: Commencement, Rocky Mountain Bible College and Seminary Current Projects Now that winter has arrived, we are staying closer to home, but are awaiting Living Water shipments. We anticipate a busy spring. The introduction and many of the endnotes for Zane Hodge’s commentary on Romans are complete. We continue working on the remainder of the notes. Our Gospel of John commentary and Hebrew vocabulary projects continue to progress. Prayer Requests Pray for opportunities to distribute Gospels of John and for workers in the harvest, who will share Jesus’ message of life from John. Pray for current writing projects. Pray for the Lord to continue to provide for Message of Life. Sermons on the Road John is teaching on the road now. We created a new section on the Sermons page called "Sermons on the Road" which will feature sermons he preaches at churches around the nation. Since, John has a lot of upcoming speaking engagements, this page will fill up rapidly. John 6:47 in Context To whom did Jesus address John 6:47 (Whoever believes in Me has everlasting life)? Many view everyone at a Capernaum synagogue as the intended audience. If so, few of those to whom He aimed it had seen Him on the other side of the Sea of Galilee feed 5000 a day earlier (John 6:1–14). The common view is that most of the prior context happened on the seashore (not in the synagogue), so Jesus would essentially drop a bombshell verse on a largely unprepared audience. Instead, they were well prepared. The verse is near the end of a lengthy dialogue. Determining the intended audience for John 6:47 is crucial. Another way to see this is to ask: Where did John 6:25 (They found Him on the other side of the sea) occur. (Having John’s Gospel open may help). John 6:22–25 shows that those who sought Jesus had been fed by Him the previous day. They went by boat to find Him. Most people assume that they found Him on the seashore and that Jesus later made His way to the synagogue. John’s Gospel paints a different picture. The searchers found Jesus in the synagogue, not the seashore. John presents those searching for Jesus as the intended audience for John 6:47, as the following will show. John 6:47 occurs within 6:43–51, a short speech by Jesus with no intervening speakers. The introduction to this speech is in verse 43: Therefore Jesus answered them. Who are the people that He answered? Verse 41 says they were Judeans who grumbled at Him saying, I am the Bread that came down from Heaven. Verse 42 quotes their grumbling. Thus, verses 43–51 is Jesus’ response to their grumbling, so He addresses verse 47 to the grumblers. John further identifies these grumbling Judeans. They grumbled over His claim to be the Bread from Heaven (a reference to 6:35), “I am the Bread of Life,” Jesus told them. In other words, the grumblers addressed by 6:47 were present for verse 35. Note that 6:35–40 answers what they said in verse 34, “Sir, give us this bread always!” In turn, verse 34 responds to what Jesus said to them in 32–33. Similarly, verses 30–31 led Jesus to utter verses 32–33. Introductory words in verse 30 show it as a reply to verse 29. In turn, verse 29 answers verse 28. Verse 28 was their retort to 26–27, which was His answer to verse 25, Rabbi, when did you get here? Thus, John 6:59 (He said these things while teaching in a synagogue in Capernaum) means that all of John 6:25–58 occurred in the synagogue. Those who searched for Jesus found Him in the Capernaum synagogue, not at the seashore. Those searchers (not the worshippers in general) were the addressees of 6:47. They had crossed the sea, because He slipped away after feeding the crowd. The searchers may well include ones who sought to make Him king (John 6:15). One who could feed an army would certainly seem capable of defeating the Romans. Why is it important to know that John 6:47 concludes 6:25ff? Consider John 6:47–51, Amen, amen, I tell you, whoever believes in Me has eternal life. I am the Bread of Life. Your forefathers ate manna in the desert, and they died. This is the Bread that came down from Heaven so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living Bread which came down from Heaven. If anyone eats of this Bread he will live forever. And the Bread which I will give is My flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. Jesus articulates that (as the Bread of Life) He gives everlasting life to believers. They are to believe in Him as the lifegiving Bread of Life. Time and time again John’s Gospel shows Jesus presenting His promise of everlasting life as the reason one should believe in Him. Moving and Travel Soon after Zane Hodges’ death, Diane and I concluded the time for returning to the seminary classroom and writing was drawing near. Meanwhile, in December 2006 I had become Grace Chapel’s primary Teaching Elder. The transition needed to be smooth. Ultimately, the elders decided on an eighteen month timetable. Gradually, my role diminished and Ricardo Campos’ role increased. On May 1, Grace Chapel gave us a wonderful going-away party. July 14 was my last Grace Chapel message in an official capacity. We have many friends in Southern California, not to mention our younger son, Joseph, and his new bride, Missy. It is hard to move, when we have family (church and by blood) in Orange County, but we shall return—for visits. On Fathers’ Day our home in California sold. A few days after our anniversary, we drove to Colorado. This was the first trip for our trailer after adding graphics. The trailer not only can hold thousands of Living Waters, but it is a moving billboard for them.
House hunting has occupied much time, but we found one. We are scheduled to close on it in mid-September. Praise the Lord! Before arriving, we hesitated to schedule speaking engagements, but are starting to do so. Travel will focus on a 500 mile radius of Denver this fall. I spoke on John’s Gospel at Church of Hope, Laguna Hills, CA, on July 11, and at Fort Rock Community Church in Fort Rock, OR, on August 8. The trip to Oregon was memorable in several ways. We visited Diane’s parents in Silver Lake, OR, at the same time that Joseph and Missy came up from California. Early in the visit, the two young folk hiked to the top of Hager Mountain (7178’), just south of town. Joseph proposed and Missy accepted. A week later, after a long courtship and a short engagement, they married. The whole family is pleased and wishes them the best. Another memorable feature of this trip is how some diesel was paid. We transported a LeTourneau D-4 Tournapull and Q carryall scraper from Oregon to Colorado for a friend. Forty years ago, I hauled backhoes for my father, but this was my first LeTourneau load. Going through weigh stations, we tipped the scale at 19,500 pounds. Yank Tank was up to the task. The Tournapull attracted attention and even gave opportunity for distributing some Living Waters.
September marks my return to the seminary classroom on a part time basis. My focus will be upon New Testament Greek exegesis. Of course, we will give attention to clarifying the message of life in the classroom, in writing, at conferences, and at local churches. We seek to change to the ministry of Message of Life as little as possible. Let’s see how the Lord works. Please pray for us as we transition to Colorado (including timely closing on the home). Please pray for our finances. Over the long haul, a Colorado location will reduce expenses for MoL, but the move has temporarily tightened finances somewhat. (To clarify a financial issue, teaching at Rocky Mountain Seminary will not affect my income. Honoraria from the school will go to Message of Life. Message of Life remains the avenue through which my income derives.) Pray for growing opportunities for Message of Life to clarify the Word. A Cosmic Guessing-Game? At age 19, I read Hal Lindsay, The Late Great Planet Earth. The fact that the Bible accurately predicts future history convinced me of its divine inspiration. This same Bible says that unbelievers will spend eternity in the Lake of Fire. No longer did I doubt this. Church was a regular part of my life since childhood. I had long believed in the Trinity, the deity of Jesus Christ, His virgin birth, that He died for the sins of the world, that He rose on the third day, that He ascended into heaven, and so forth. Despite believing these truths, it was not clear to me whether I had ever believed “the right thing in the right way,” so an eternity in the Lake of Fire was a real concern to me. I started attending a Bible believing church and talked with pastors, staff of various campus ministries, and fellow students. My main question boiled down to: “How will I know when I have believed the right thing in the right way?” Invariably, they would query me about issues relating to being saved from hell. Before long, they would seek to guide me through a tract. At the end, they would want me to pray a prayer, invite Jesus into my heart, or something like that. I would respond, “You haven’t answered my question. How will I know when I have believed the right thing in the right way?” A number of people gave me an answer like this: “Pray this prayer and see how you are doing twenty years from now.” After hearing that several times, I came up with a standard reply: “That doesn’t sound like the God of the Bible. The Bible showed me that I needed a Savior. Shouldn’t it also show me when I have a Savior?” During October 1972, my quest ended. In a movie, a black college student said something like this: “I always thought it was hard to become a Christian, but then found out how easy it was. Jesus died on the cross to pay for my sins and He promised that I would be with Him forever, if I believed in Him. I believe in Him, so I know that He will do what He promised.” What he said met my expectation: That the Bible would show me when I have a Savior. Prior to that point, I had believed many wonderful truths about Jesus, but had never believed that He would give me everlasting life. Jesus gives an assuring promise: Amen, amen, I tell you, whoever believes in Me has eternal life (John 6:47). When one believes Him for His promise of everlasting life, that individual passes from death into life (John 5:24). 1 John 2:25 says, And this is the promise that He has promised us—eternal life. Jesus does not play a cosmic guessing-game. One need not wonder whether he has believed the right thing in the right way. A person receives everlasting life the moment he believes in Jesus Christ for His irrevocable promise of everlasting life. On the basis of who He is and what He has done—He promises everlasting life to believers. He who promised is faithful. Believing an assuring promise was a satisfying solution to my dilemma. There is no cosmic guessing game when we focus on the promise of everlasting life given by the Messiah, the Son of God. Travels and Distribution of Living Waters Much of our travel relates to our upcoming move to Denver. We have made three trips to Denver already this year. One final load will finish the process. Our home is for sale. Since our timetable is unpredictable, most of our travel is related to our move. In February, John held a one-day workshop with the chaplains at Denver Rescue Mission. He also delivered a main session and two workshops at the GES conference in Fort Worth. We gave away 10,000 Living Waters at the conference. We also sent 21,600 to Perth, Western Australia. We arranged a shipment of English and Spanish Living Waters to Denver Rescue Mission. This will meet their needs as well as giving us an initial stockpile for our arrival in Denver. Prayer Requests Pray for the sale of our home, our move to Denver, and for preparing to teach at Rocky Mountain Seminary. Pray for our writing projects for Message of Life. Pray for our son, George, who has already moved to Denver and is looking for work. Pray for our son, Joseph, who is completing his education in Southern California.
The Yank Tank and our recently acquired trailer are taking things to Denver in preparation for the move next summer. We used a public scale to determine that the total weight and the weight on each axle is within safe limits. The truck has been serviced. Weather reports are good. John used to haul heavy equipment. Both John and Steve are used to driving in snowy Minnesota. We leave California on Thursday, February 4. John will minister at Denver Rescue Mission on Monday, February 8. The return trip starts on Tuesday, February 9. Part of the payload includes several thousand Living Waters, bound for distribution in Denver. By the way, after our move, this trailer will allow us to handle even larger volumes of Living Waters. Please pray for John and Steve Mahoney for safety as they travel. Travel Update On 5 July, Diane and I started our summer trip. So far this summer, we have given away 17,000 Living Water booklets. I spoke at the following locations that were announced previously.
In addition, I spoke twice on Minnesota’s Iron Range, a few miles from where my parents were born at the church led by Joshua Madison, one of my students. Truth and Liberty Fellowship, Evelyth, MN Diane and I left our truck in Denver and flew home, to speak at Grace Chapel while my fellow elders traveled (Ricardo Campos was in Australia; Frank Tyler was in the northwest). I returned to Denver to teach a module at Rocky Mountain Bible College and Seminary: “Seminar in John’s Gospel.” Diane will fly out to join me before we take in the sights on a leisurely drive home. Before leaving Denver, I will teach for Dr. Stephen Lewis in his Sunday school class at Foothills Bible Church in Littleton, CO, on 24 August. On 25 August, I will participate in a seminar on John’s Gospel for the chaplains at Denver Rescue Mission. Our upcoming travel plans presently include the following:
Be sure to check for updates. We will have further reports about the trip and pictures. The Homegoing of Bob Thieme Last Sunday, Robert B. Thieme, Jr., went into the presence of Jesus Christ. He lived from 1 April 1918 to 16 August 2009 and pastored Berachah Church in Houston, TX, for over fifty years. While I attended University of Minnesota in the early 1970s, he was one of two pastors who had a formative impact upon me in my early years as a believer. George Meisinger (who was my pastor then) was the other. Their combined teaching prevented me from straying into strong Calvinism. Even more importantly, they both solidified my commitment to a grace gospel.They also led me to change my educational focus. One of my goals in college was, initially, improving my Finnish language skills to become a missionary in the nation of my ancestry. Thieme and Meisinger helped me to see that Greek and Hebrew were even more foundational than Finnish to my intended ministry. In the course of time, my focus shifted from learning Finnish to preparing to teach Greek and Hebrew. Eventually, that led me to seminary and to teaching the languages. I have always appreciated the positive impact that Thieme had in my early days. It helped me remain committed to the grace gospel and to the importance of the original languages. In turn, my position on those two issues led Dr. George Meisinger in 1995 to invite me to chair the Hebrew and Greek departments at Chafer Theological Seminary. I was on faculty there for eleven years and represented the school across the United States and overseas. The school attracted students whose contact with Thieme meant that they were already sold on the languages and worked hard to learn them. It was a privilege to teach such students who could see the importance of the languages and recognized the freeness of God’s grace. I lacked personal ties with Colonel Thieme and did not keep up with his ministry after beginning seminary studies. It is sad to hear of the passing of a champion of the grace gospel. Not only did he have a formative impact upon me, but helped many others to understand faith alone in Jesus Christ alone for everlasting life and the importance of the original languages. He is now with the Lord. John 3:16 For God loved the world thus: That He gave His only begotten Son, so that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (Author’s translation) This beloved verse has been used by the Lord to bring many from death into life everlasting. Many years ago a believer challenged a friend of mine to read the verse. Then he was asked, “Do you believe it?” Upon answering, “Yes,” he received a follow-up question, “So, what do you have?” This process was repeated several times before realization hit him. Then his answer to “So, what do you have?” was, “Jesus Christ has given me everlasting life.” At that moment my friend was not ready to give a defense of the deity of Christ. Neither was he prepared to explain all that God accomplished for him in Jesus’ crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension. Even so, at that moment he was born again and was guaranteed everlasting life. Gratitude to his Savior led him to seminary and to a lifetime of proclaiming Jesus’ promise of everlasting life to believers. Though well known, we should take a little closer look at the verse. Note that the translation says For God loved the world thus, not For God so loved the world. When we see the word so, we think so much. However, the Greek word is houtō (pronounced like the English words who + toe). It is an adverb of manner. It raises the question: How did God love the world? He loved the world thus: by giving His Son, so believers would live forever, rather than continually perishing forever. In other words, the way that God loved the world was by giving His Son, who gives everlasting life to believers. John would have spoken truth, if he had said, “God loved the world so much,” but that was not his point in John 3:16. Another clarification is important. Many evangelicals shy away from saying that a person receives everlasting life at the point of belief. They prefer terms like saved. Some who resist John’s favored terminology do so, because they encounter a theological problem and do not know how to solve it. Specifically, many evangelicals would affirm that unbelievers will live forever in the Lake of Fire. From such an affirmation, they conclude that unbelievers have everlasting life. If someone says that unbelievers have everlasting life, it is not hard to see why they balk at statements in John that Jesus gives everlasting life to believers. Actually, John 3:16 (all by itself) gives the answer: the one who believes in Him does not perish (forever), but lives forever. Unbelievers will exist in a constant state of perishing forever. It is misguided to say that unbelievers live forever in the Lake of Fire. Rather, they will be in a constant (conscious) state of perishing forever. Neither Jesus nor John would speak of unbelievers possessing everlasting life. John wrote Revelation 20:14, which uses phrase the second death to describe the plight of unbelievers in the Lake of Fire. Life everlasting is Christ’s gift to every believer. An Article in Grace in Focus The November–December 2008 issue of Grace in Focus contains my article: “Who Is Able to Guarantee Everlasting Life?” (http://www.faithalone.org/news/y2008/Who%20is%20Able.htm) Controversy has arisen over the degree to which a person must believingly understand about the deity of Jesus Christ in order to receive everlasting life. This article shows that we really do not need to become complicated. The unfortunate result of unnecessary complication is that it moves us further away from John. On the Road This is our present travel itinerary. July 12: Grace Christian Church, Kendallville, IN Our Newsletter The July 2009 Newsletter has been mailed out and e-mailed. If you wish to be added to our mailing list for future newsletters please e-mail us at john@mol316.com. Dr. Hoehner It was only last November that my mentor, Zane Hodges, went to be at home with the Lord. On February 12, 2009, Harold Hoehner, my Doktorvater also went to be with the Lord. (Doktorvater literally in German means, the doctor’s father. It is the term for one’s doctoral dissertation advisor). Besides being my advisor, he was the one who convinced me that Mark was the last synoptic Gospel to be written (Matthew, Luke, then Mark). Last year, I told him that rewriting my dissertation for publication is one of my current projects. I had hoped that he would see it. Dr. Hoehner contributed so much to me personally in terms of exegetical methodology, biblical chronology, and New Testament Introduction. It is my goal to carry on his legacy. It was through his recommendation that I was able to contribute chapters to Three Views on the Origins of the Synoptic Gospels, ed. Robert L. Thomas (Grand Rapids: Kregel, 2002). He also invited me to join a committee overseeing a Ph.D. dissertation on the Synoptic Problem. It was a privilege to serve as the third reader a committee with Dr. Hoehner and Dr. Lowery of Dallas Theological Seminary. I will miss him, but he is with the Lord. He is in a better place. Springtime Travels An opportunity came up for LeTourneau research in my hometown (Stockton, CA) and at the first university I attended (University of California, Davis) during the last week of January. (LeTourneau started his company in Stockton). On February 2, I presented a paper: “Is John’s Gospel Anti-Semitic?” to the Honor’s Forum at San Diego Christian College at the invitation of Dr. Brian Moulton (a classmate of mine at DTS in master’s and doctoral studies in New Testament). On April 17, I will present a modified form of the same paper at the same school for the regional meeting of the Evangelical Theological Society (ETS). On March 26–27 will be a time for research on LeTourneau’s early equipment at LeTourneau University in Longview, TX. On March 29, I will speak at Victor Street Bible Chapel (Dallas, TX), both services. The Grace Evangelical Society national conference will be at the Southwestern Baptist Seminary in Fort Worth, TX. I will present a main paper and a workshop. Then, on April 4, in Silver Lake, OR. Diane’s parents will celebrate their sixtieth anniversary. I will lead them in saying their vows again. Longer-Range Plans From 1995–2006, my main ministry was as a seminary New Testament professor. Circumstances at Grace Chapel late in 2006, required a change in direction. I accepted the role of primary teaching elder. Now, another elder, Ricardo Campos, one of my former seminary students, has shown readiness for increased teaching responsibilities. His teaching role will gradually increase and mine will decrease. By the summer of 2011 the transition will be complete. We plan to move to Denver, so that my teaching role at Rocky Mountain Bible College and Seminary will increase from teaching two-week modules to teaching during regular semesters. From Denver, it will be easier for us to travel further east as we spread the message of life through John’s Gospel.
A Tribute to Zane Hodges My mentor has gone home to be with His Savior. Zane Hodges lived on this earth from June 15, 1932, until sometime over the weekend of November 22–23, 2008. Now he is with the Lord. He is also reunited with his parents and his only brother, David. He never married. The Lord used him powerfully in his twenty-seven years of teaching at Dallas Theological Seminary. It was wonderful to attend his courses. The last lecture he gave at DTS was also my last course of the last day of my Th.M. program. Years later, we brought Zane out to teach a module in Majority Text Theory. It was moving to return to the seminary classroom with my professor. The Lord also used his writings to clarify grace. He defended grace graciously. As time passes, my appreciation has grown for his graciousness under fire. Many who aim at truth express it harshly; many who aim at grace allow truth to slip. The Lord taught Zane much about expressing truth with grace. The Lord also used him pastorally. Three generations of my family worshipped the Lord together at Victor Street Bible Chapel. It was there, under Zane’s tutelage, that my appreciation for the message of life in John’s Gospel started to take shape. For more than twenty-six years Zane has been a friend and mentor. He has never been more than a phone call away. I will miss him. He is with the Lord. What a comfort it is to know that Jesus Christ guarantees everlasting life to all believers. Greetings, 30,000 Living Waters came to us on July 30. We sent 20,232 to Australia and took 11,600 to the Midwest with our Dodge Dually Diesel (Yank Tank in Australian). We delivered them all around the countryside and proclaimed the Lord’s message of life at: GES Regional Conference Omaha, NE: Aug 1–2, Believers’ Bible Church: Omaha, NE: Aug 3, Cresco (IA) Community Chapel: Aug 7 (visited Pastor Mike Simiele briefly), Bible class at Tabernacle Baptist Church, George, IA, Aug 8, Believers’ Bible Church: Omaha, NE: Aug 10, Jansen (NE) Bible Church: Aug 10, Rocky Mountain Bible College & Seminary (NTI course) : Aug 11–22, Northeast Bible Chapel in Colorado Springs: Aug 17, Brown Bag lunch with chaplains of the Denver Rescue Mission. We returned with only a handful of Living Waters. Believers everywhere we went welcomed John’s Gospel as a God-given book for sharing the message of life. It is an encouragement to see the booklets going out into the world and to hear reports of God’s faithfulness. His Word does not return void without accomplishing what He sent it to do. It is great to be back at Grace Chapel! Some puzzle-pieces in John’s Gospel have come together in John 9 and 10. George, our son, has posted those messages on this website. A friend in Perth would say, “Have a listen.” We will soon travel to the Pacific Northwest for ministry and to visit family. This is a tentative itinerary. A few more speaking opportunities are still being worked out. Emmanuel Baptist Church, Olympia, WA: Lakeland Bible Church, Auburn, WA: Oct 12 - A.M., Spokane (WA) Bible Church fall conference: Oct 13–15, Endicott, WA Bible class: Oct. 16 – P.M., Alberton (Montana) Community Church: Oct 19 - A.M., (possible evening service further west on Oct. 19: details to follow) (possible evening service in central Oregon: Oct. 22: details to follow). Two short trips will precede Christmas-time with family in Oregon. They are: 1. Retreat with chaplains of Denver (CO) Rescue Mission: Nov. 5–6. 2a. Victor Street Bible Chapel, Dallas, TX: Dec. 7 – A.M., 2b. Pre-trib Conference, Dallas, TX: Dec. 8–10. We proclaim the message of life wherever we go. Our lost and dying world needs to know that Jesus died and rose to guarantee life to believers. We should emphasize what Jesus says in John more than our own (uninspired) words. To that end, we make an abundance of Living Waters available as we travel In keeping with the Living Water imagery, what we do is to prime the pump. For staying supplied with Living Waters, we encourage staying supplied via Absolutely Free, Inc., in Glide, OR. John August 7th - Over this past year, Grace Chapel has partnered with
Fountain Ministries to distribute Gospels of John in Australia. Grace Chapel has just shipped over 20,000 Gospels of John. Below are pictures of both crates that have been shipped. The first was shipped in January, and the second is the most recent shipment.
John is currently on his trip throughout the midwest. The schedule is listed below.
July 5th - The ministry of Message of Life is a team effort with many unsung heroes. Our two sons, George and Joseph, as well as Clay Harrill and Jack Billelo monitor digital audio recording of teaching at Grace Chapel. Once the digital master has been produced, my wife, Diane, patiently edits out pauses, extraneous noises, etc. At this point, George (also the webmaster) does further editing and posts it on the website (usually within three days after the class occurs). Both Steve Mahoney and John work on John’s PowerPoints. Even those not attending Grace Chapel often see the slide (with their ears). In his messages, John seeks to create a verbal image of visual aids. After church, people sometimes seek clarification or may raise questions. This can and does assist John in presenting the text in subsequent sermons. It does cost money to make messages available on the Message of Life website. It is not underwritten by Grace Chapel. MoL receives freewill financial support. The main thrust of Message of Life is to give out the life-giving Word of God, so we offer teaching without charge. The same God whose Word does not return void without accomplishing what He pleases (Isaiah 55:11) is the God who sends rain and snow to earth that it may bring forth to give seed to the sower and bread to the eater (Isaiah 55:10). We do thank those that support this ministry financially and all who pray for us. Yes, the Lord has brought together quite a team. Some are quite visible; others are in the background, but each contributes to the team. For that, we are thankful. July 4th - Getting John’s Gospel into people’s hands is a high priority for our ministry. John is the one book of the Bible dedicated to presenting the message of life to unbelievers. A Godsend for our ministry has been the fact that Absolutely Free, Inc., Glide, OR, publishes the Living Water: The Gospel of John, a booklet that we recommend highly. Our work in Australia since last November may illustrate our passion for reaching out with John’s Gospel. Diane and I brought about 1400 Living Water booklets to Perth in November. While there, plans were hatched for returning in six months. Meanwhile, our shipment of 9000 LWs arrived in March, just as they were running out. In May, Steve Mahoney (of Grace Chapel) and I brought 1200 more LWs. The focus of the more recent trip was to present the Gospel of John evangelistically at three conferences and to offer practical tips on using the Living Water for evangelism. A highlight was the conference at Looma, an Aboriginal community in the northern part of Western Australia. We showed the Gospel of John film and accompanied by teaching sessions. The context of an entire book unfolds the message of life. The power was not in what a couple of white blokes from America might say, but in what God says in John’s Gospel: Jesus Christ guarantees everlasting life to those who believe His promise of life.. Both ordinary folks and ministers from various churches became clear on this issue. The exciting thing now is to see how our Aussie friends at Fountain Ministries (www.fountain.org.au) are distributing Gospels of John down under. Of the more than 11,000 Living Water booklets that they received from us since November 2007, they have about 3,000 left. We are in the process of shipping almost 16,000 more. Our ministry resembles that of the woman at the well (John 4). She invited people of her village to see whether Jesus is the Christ (John 4:28–29). They came and gave Him a hearing. Many believed. Some thanked the woman, “We no longer believe because of what you said [when you met us in town], since we’ve heard Him ourselves and know that this really is the Savior of the world, the Christ” (John 4:42). Like the woman, we invite people to come and meet the Savior—by investigating John’s Gospel. We acquaint believers and unbelievers alike with the Living Water. Unbelievers can learn that the cross took away sin’s death sentence and that Jesus guarantees everlasting life to believers. Believers can learn to share John’s Gospel with unbelievers. Thus, Diane and I will carry at least 10,000 Living Water booklets on our August trip to the Midwest. Arrangements for speaking are as follows: GES Regional Conference Omaha, Aug 1–2 Believers’ Bible Church: Omaha, NE, Aug 3 - A.M. Bible classes Roger Lamfers’ home, George, IA, Aug 3–4 To be finalized, Aug 10 - A.M. Jansen (Nebraska) Bible Church, Aug 10 - P.M. Rocky Mountain Bible College & Seminary (NTI course), Aug 11–22 Northeast Bible Chapel in Colorado Springs, Aug 17 - A.M. + P.M. We might travel to the Pacific northwest in September, but have scheduled a trip there in October. Again, we will have a stock of Living Waters for distribution. Lakeland Bible Church, Auburn, WA, Oct 12 - A.M. Spokane (WA) Bible Church fall conference, Oct 13–15 Alberton (Montana) Community Church, Oct 19 - A.M. (Please check back to see any additions to the schedule) March 5th - The Genesis & John Series pages have been updated. We apologize for the delay in an update but our "staff" has been on the road. The Genesis Series (Chapers 1-11) is concluded for the time being. John will continue to teach through the Gospel of John. Our Wednesday services at Grace Chapel will be lead by Tim Nichols. He will be teaching a series which you can listen to through the Grace Chapel website. John is currently in Dallas at the Grace Evangelical Society's National Conference. We will post his papers under Publications when he gets back. January 30th - The past thirteen months have afforded many opportunities for serving both Grace Chapel and the universal church. Grace Chapel is willing for me to travel on behalf of Message of Life Ministries, so we seek to strike a balance between time here and time on the road. As Paul requested in Ephesians 6:18–20, pray that, in regard to the mystery of the gospel, we may speak boldly as we ought to speak. As Teaching Elder at Grace Chapel, it has been possible to make progress in teaching several books from the pulpit. The books of Ruth, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Philemon, James, and 3 John are complete. Currently, we are teaching a series on Genesis 1–11 and another on John. We usually post new messages only a few days after teaching them from the pulpit. Message of Life has focused much attention on clarifying the message of life in John. To that end, we have passed along many boxes of the Living Water booklets to churches around the United States and Australia and have spoken on Johns Gospel (John’s Testimony) in many places. Since March 2007, I have spoken at churches in Australia (Rockingham Bible Church and Perth: Cross-Roads Church); California (Church of Hope, Laguna Hills); Montana (Alberton Community Church); Nebraska (Jansen Bible Church and Omaha: Believers’ Bible Church); Oregon (Fort Rock Community Church and Manning Bible Church); Texas (Victor Street Bible Chapel); Washington (Bremerton Evangelical Covenant Church; Endicott Bible Church; Bothell: Evergreen Baptist Church; and Auburn: Lakeland Bible Church); and Wyoming (Sheridan: Big Horn Church). I presented main sessions for Grace Evangelical Society conferences (Colorado Springs, Dallas, Omaha, San Juan Capistrano, and Seattle); for the Pre-Trib Research Society; and for the Spokane (WA) Bible Church fall conference. Together with Tim Nichols, I co-taught a course in exegetical methods at Rocky Mountain Bible College and Seminary. In the coming months, I will speak at Free Grace Bible Church, Garland, TX (March); the Grace Evangelical Society conference in Fort Worth (March); Perth, Australia (May); Looma, Australia (May). I will also teach New Testament Introduction at Rocky Mountain Bible College and Seminary (August). We will be scheduling several trips this year. In addition, we are working on some publication projects. These include projects on the Gospel of John, the synoptic problem, and Hebrew vocabulary. The Lord has been good. Let me thank each of you for praying for this ministry, for telling others about it, for extending opportunities to speak, and for financial support. We look forward to walking through the doors that the Lord is opening. By His Grace, John January 7th - We've caught up the audio sermons page up to today. John has started a new series on the Testimony of John (AKA The Gospel of John). He will continue the Series through the Book of Genesis on Wednesday nights. In addition, John taught a sermon on Revelation 5 this past Wednesday. You can find that sermon on the Sermons page as well. Message of Life has a new sister website. It features sermons from all of the elders at Grace Chapel as well as guest speakers. December 20th - The trip to Australia was very busy and very successful. John taught multiple times nearly every day he was there. We have a sister website now. Grace Chapel of Orange (where John is a teaching elder) features a more complete selection of sermons. Please check out the website. October 24th - John just returned from presenting papers at the GES Regional Conference (in Seattle) and the Spokane Bible Church Conference. Additionally, he delivered 8 messages to churches in the Northwest. Most importantly, he handed out 60 boxes of Living Water to pastors and conference attendees. We have added a new page to the website, the Missions Page. Afterall, our mission is to present the Message of Life and to promote the understanding that the Gospel of John is a perfect evangelistic tool. The purpose of this new page is to prove that we're actually accomplishing this mission and not just enjoying the scenery (LeTourneau or otherwise). We encourage all of you to peruse it. This afternoon, it will feature pictures from John's latest trip. John is continuing his series in Genesis for the next couple weeks. He will then be headed to Australia for a month to teach Greek as well as to participate in Peter Beringer's ordination. September 4th - We've posted most of the papers John has done this year for the GES Conferences in the Publications page. Either use the menu that falls from the "Please Select a Publication" button or click to enter a table-based page. All of these papers are available in MP3 form and DVD (for the National Conference) through GES' bookstore. We're trying to get all of John's publications up this week, so expect many more additions very soon. September 3rd - Hope everyone's having a great Labor Day. Today, we've made a couple additions of interest to the website. First, the Sermons & Teaching page is much more compact and will be easier to load. This is part an anticipation of how many books John plans on going through in the future. In addition, Sunday's sermon is up and thus starts a new series on the Book of Genesis. And finally, some of the evangelism sermons given by John as well as Frank Tyler are up now. August 31st - John is back from a very successful and productive trip. Spending nearly 8,000 miles on the road, he taught 5 services, a 2-week long Greek class and presented 3 conference papers at the GES Omaha Regional Conference. These papers will be available this upcoming week under the Publications page.
John also presented 3 conference papers at the GES Southern California Regional Conference this past weekend. The papers by all the speakers were fantastic. We had a great time of learning and fellowship.
John finished the Book of Ruth; all of these sermons are available under the Speaking & Teachings page. He will be starting a new series on Genesis 1-11 this coming Sunday. Some new exciting updates are coming to this website. Included among these will be series DVDs. While these audio sermons are already provided on this website, these will provide a much more presentable format. As of now, the DVDs available will be "The Ruth Series", The Galatians & Philippians Series" and "The Ephesians Series". John has a number of upcoming speaking engagements. His tentative itinerary is: Sept 28th & 29th - GES Seattle Conference Sept 30th - TBA Oct 7th - TBA Oct 14th - Alberton Community Church - Alberton, Montana Oct 14th - Endicott Bible Church - Endicott, Washington Oct 15th & 16th - Fall Spokane Bible Church ConferenceIf you have any questions regarding John's itinerary, Contact John (or e-mail him at John@mol316.com). June 20th - It's been a while since the last update. The Sermons & Teachings page features all the series John has done and is up-to-date as of today. John is currently teaching through the Book of Ruth and James. As new messages are delivered, we will put them on the website. John recently attended a conference in Salem, Oregon where Frank Tyler delivered a mission's presentation on the Gospel of John as a basis for confidence in evangelism. Until the calendar is up, this is the most logical place for announcing upcoming engagements. Over this upcoming month, John will be teaching at a number of different locales around the nation. July 15 - Preaching at Dayton, WY July 16-27 - Co-teaching a Greek Course with Tim Nichols at the Rocky Mountain Bible Seminary - Denver, CO July 22 - TBA July 27-28 - GES Regional Conference - Omaha, NE July 29 - Preaching at Believers' Bible Church - Omaha, NE July 29-30 - Preaching an Evening Service and a Men's Group at Tabernacle Baptist Church - George, IA August 5 - TBAIf you have any questions regarding John's itinerary, Contact John. May 26th - The James Series is up now. As a series, it is still in progress, so it will be updated every week until its completion. Soon to come: Philippians and better quality Ephesians mp3s. Again, if you encounter any difficulties, please Contact Webmaster, with details of the problem, your browser information and operating system (Windows XP/2000/Vista, Mac OS X, etc.). May 19th - The Message of Life Ministries Website has been up for just over a month now. Thank you for your continued support of this very young website. We've thoroughly enjoyed the positive feedback thusfar and do appreciate your willingness to test new content as it comes out. May 2nd - GES Regional Conference: Colorado Springs (belated announcement) We had a great time of fellowship at Fellowship Bible Church. John presented three papers at the GES Regional. He taught a main session ("Is the Resurrection for Those Who Have Done Good?") and two workshops ("Dead Man's Faith" and "A New Look at Old Saint Nic' (Nicodemus)"). All of these papers will be available on the "Publications" page in a couple days. April 15th - Message of Life Ministries has a webpage at last. As with any webpage, it is a work in progress. Much more is soon to come. While many of the links aren't active yet, please take a look at the sermons already posted under the "Sermons & Speaking" tab. If you are interested in receiving e-mails regarding upcoming events and website updates, please sign-up for our newsletter. |
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