HOW NOT TO WINTER Ephesians 6:10-18 THE INSTITUTE UPDATE IN THIS ISSUE. Volume 20 December, January, February

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1 U B L I L B E B T e IN h T WINTER Volume 20 December, January, February Training for Ministry THE Issue 3 Rightly Dividing God s Word HOW NOT TO INSTITUTE UPDATE Ephesians 6:10-18 Dr. Robert Nix, BBI President Pastor Dan Wolgast, BBI Dean of Students KEEP US IN YOUR PRAYERS In 1967, deciding to do my part for my country, I enlisted in the U.S. Army. As a lost man with no hope, my intentions weren t all that honorable. I joined up more for the attention and respect I believed it would bring, and to keep from being placed in the infantry. I was sent from Detroit, Michigan to Ft. Knox, Kentucky for basic training and on to Ft. Leonard Wood, Missouri for advanced training. As I look forward to the upcoming months there are several areas that need much prayer and support. First, we are in the process of working with an architect to put together a plan to replace the steps that run along the side of our building. This will be no small task because there are well over 100 feet of concrete stairs along with iron railings that need to be replaced. This, as you might imagine, will be an expensive project but one that is much needed. Our goal is to receive bids after the first of the year and then have the work done sometime this summer. The Army prepared me to go to war. My instructors taught me how to kill people and break things. They taught me how to protect myself and those I fought with and for. The enemy at the time was communism. The communists wanted control of the world (they still do) and at that time Vietnam was next on the list. I knew a lot about communism as they were still teaching of its evils while I was in school. This atheistic type of government wanted to enslave everyone in a world without God. I did not know the Lord at the time, so the fact that communism was an atheistic form of government had no bearing on my decision to fight against it. (continued on page 7) IN THIS ISSUE The Institute Update...1 How Not to Fight...1 Mail Received at Box No Fear...2 Truth, Truth, What is Truth?...5 (continued on page 3) Berean Bible Institute PO Box Kettle Moraine Dr. S. Slinger, WI Phone: (262) Fax: (262) bbi@bereanbibleinstitute.org Web: 1

2 FROM INDIANA: Thankful for your regular newsletters which I use often in Bible Studies held at assisted living facilities. It s exciting to see the expressions on people s faces when they see Scriptural proof that they ve been clinging to untruths for 50+ years. FROM CALIFORNIA: Giving thanks for you who are faithful in making known the riches of His marvelous grace. What peace, joy and thankfulness in knowing all that we have in Him and all because of blessed Calvary. At 90 I find this world's fast pace grows more foreign to me but I'm still with mind to function in it. I know it is all by His grace. I was in my early 30's when I heard the Word rightly divided. How dear it is to my heart. FROM ILLINOIS: May you be blessed as you have blessed so many others. FROM WASHINGTON: Mail Received at Box 587 Dr Bedore: Thank you again for the excellent teaching and guidance through Bible Answers to Bible Questions with the Interesting Facts about the Word of God! May our Lord continue to bless and keep you all safe and the ministry and Institute prosperous! Only one life; twill soon be past. Only what s done in Christ will last. by Dr. Robert E. Nix, President One summer morning as Ray Blankenship was preparing his breakfast, he gazed out the window and saw a small girl being swept along in the rain-flooded drainage ditch beside his Andover, Ohio home. Blankenship knew that farther downstream the ditch disappeared with a roar underneath a road and then emptied into the main culvert. Ray dashed out the door and raced along the ditch, trying to get ahead of the floundering child. Then he hurled himself into the deep, churning water. Blankenship surfaced and was able to grab the child s arm. They tumbled end over end. Within about three feet of the yawning culvert, Ray s free hand felt something possibly a rock protruding from one bank. He clung desperately, but the tremendous force of the water tried to tear him and the child away. If I can just hang on until help comes, he thought. He did better than that. By the time fire-department rescuers arrived, Blankenship had pulled the girl to safety. Both were treated for shock. On April 12, 1989, Ray Blankenship was awarded the Coast Guard s Silver Lifesaving Medal. The award is fitting, for this selfless person was at even greater risk to himself than most people knew. Ray Blankenship can t swim. Paul Harvey, Los Angeles Times Syndicate I enjoy this account because we see a man who saw the seriousness of the moment and did not let his fear stop him from doing what needed to be done. There is even a greater crisis that faces all mankind. It is the crisis of sin and the need for salvation. Scripture teaches us that mankind is lost in sin and separated from God (Eph. 2:1-5). Many are hoping that when they die they will be accepted into heaven based on their good works. Scripture is clear that good works do not bring about forgiveness of sins (Eph. 2:8,9). It is only when one personally trusts in the finished work of Christ s death, burial and resurrection that man is saved and no longer facing eternal death in the lake of fire. (continued on page 3) 2

3 (NO FEAR continued from page 2) The crisis is clear. Unless an individual is saved and receives the salvation that only Christ can offer he/she is condemned. Like Ray Blankenship, we must realize the gravity of the situation and jump into action. God has called each believer to be His ambassador. We are not only called to represent Him in the way we live, but we also have the only message that can save a soul from eternal damnation. There are three principles that we need to remember as we deal with the issue of sharing the gospel. First, we cannot save anyone, only God can forgive sins. We are called to be faithful in presenting the way of salvation. Second, we must keep our focus on God and by faith allow Him to work through us. When we take our focus off of God, fear creeps in and we succumb to excuses and timidity. Finally, even a new believer has a testimony. We can share how Christ has made a difference in our lives. Tell others how we came to the decision to trust Christ as Lord and Savior and how that decision changed our lives. This plants a seed in the mind of the unbeliever. There are also wonderful booklets and tracts that explain clearly how one can receive Christ as Savior and Lord. We can simply give one to a friend and let him or her know that the message in the tract changed our life. Ray Blankenship s decision to jump into action demonstrates on a physical level what needs to take place in our lives when it comes to sharing the gospel. The crisis is real and the consequences are frightening. We must step out by faith and see God work in and through us so that others may understand the joy of forgiveness and the assurance of eternal life. Maybe in the end, when we stand before the Judgment seat of Christ, we will receive a reward for those we have introduced to the Savior. What a joy that will be! 3 (HOW NOT TO FIGHT continued from page 1) Upon arriving in Vietnam, I was issued equipment for fighting. I was even given a certain amount of armor, a steel pot for my head and a flak jacket. I was trained as a heavy equipment engineer, so my call wasn t to fight on the front line, but I was prepared to stand and defend myself if need be. In my 14 months in Vietnam, I never saw the enemy in combat, and wasn t called on to defend myself. The base I was stationed at, however, was a regular target of the enemy. The last 6 months I was there the base was bombarded quite frequently with mortar and 122mm rocket rounds. Interestingly, the Apostle Paul used military terms in his writings, such as putting on God s armor in Ephesians 6. People knew about war and armor in those days as well, and there are many connections between spiritual and physical warfare. Much of this I can see from my own experience. Similar to how I didn t see the enemy in Vietnam, we don t see our spiritual enemy either. In fact, we can t see the enemy at all. When the attack comes, we tend to fall back on our senses and see people as the enemy. I have a book titled, People are Never the Problem by Robert Watts, and his premise is basically that people aren t the problem, but that people have problems. The Apostle Paul also taught that people have problems not believing God, but instead believe lies about Him. They have been influenced by the enemy. Ephesians 6:12 states, For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood. We don t fight against people. It is against the devil and his willing allies that God s armor protects us. We wrestle against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places (Eph. 6:12). We had a Vietnamese civilian as our barber in my unit in Vietnam. His shop was a military tent set up near us and the base s ammunition storage. One day he was caught pacing off the position of this ammunition storage, and was turned over to the Vietnamese army. From what I understand, they questioned him and then shot him. I ve often wondered if he was truly a member of the enemy or if, like so many others, his life and that of his family were threatened with torture and death if he did not do the Vietcong s bidding. Was he the real enemy? (continued on page 4)

4 (HOW NOT TO FIGHT continued from page 3) In the Lord, we know people aren t the enemy and our passage in Ephesians emphasizes this truth. Instead, people are used by the enemy to attack and undermine the truth and those who will take a stand for the truth. Paul understood this when he told Timothy, in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will (2 Tim. 2:25-26). Since our enemies are not people, but are spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places (Eph. 6:12), we as humans have no power against them. Our battle is always a spiritual battle in which God has already given us victory. That means that we have to let God do what He alone can do. The armor passage in Ephesians starts out with be strong in the Lord and the power of His might (Eph. 6:10). This reveals that we are to have faith in the only One who can protect us through the battles of life. Paul continues to emphasize this truth in Ephesians 6:16 when he writes, above all, taking the shield of faith. He is reminding us that the armor is to be put on through faith, believing God s Word and trusting Him alone to do what He says He will do, in this case protecting us from spiritual wickedness. Earlier in Ephesians Paul prayed that these mature saints would be given the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him (Eph. 1:17). Herein lies the power of living a life of faith. It is all about knowing God. The more we know God through His Word, and the more we experience His faithfulness to His Word in our daily walk, the more we are able to trust what His Word says. Part of this process is seeing the progression of God s revelation in His Word and understanding His will for us today in this dispensation of the grace of God, which was given to and through the Apostle Paul. The more that we know Him, the more we trust Him, and the more settled we can become in the Word rightly divided (2 Tim. 2:15). By knowing Him and trusting Him, we are able through His power to possess His armor and be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. Notice that in light of being strong in the Lord and the power of His might (Eph. 6:10), we read about taking the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God (Eph. 6:17). In the Army I was taught to never take another man s weapon and fight with it unless I didn t have one and he couldn t use it anymore. We have to be careful not to grab the Spirit s weapon and go charging in to battle. It is His weapon, and He alone can truly wield it in battle. I recently had an appointment with my doctor where he noticed the Berean Bible Institute logo on my shirt and started to ask questions about BBI. He knew a lot about the Bible and asked me several questions. We discussed what we do at BBI, whether we are Baptist, water baptism, Jesus baptism, Jesus ministry to Israel, the cross and God s eternal purpose, Paul not being one of the 12, Paul being given another message, the need to understand the Bible dispensationally, and ending with me promising to bring him some books. I believe I followed the Spirit s leading in taking this opportunity. I also believe that I let Him wield His sword instead of forcing the issue. In this situation, the Holy Spirit was victorious and the door was left open at the end to share more truth with my doctor. That obviously wasn t a battle, but we are to go through spiritual battles in the same way. If a person is open to listening to the truth and wants more, we give him more. But if a person is closed to the truth, we must realize that a man s heart is not changed against his will and let God lead us through it. As our passage of Scripture on the armor of God so clearly states, the armor is there to protect us in our stand for the truth. It does not say put on the armor and charge, it says put on the whole armor and stand. Regardless of the lies thrown at us, we are to stand in the truth. Regardless of how many might choose to believe unscriptural truths, we are to stand, not compromising the truth of what we have been given and who we are in Christ. The passage on the armor of God ends with the importance of prayer. Ephesians 6:18 states, praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints. The attitude of prayer is an attitude of depending upon the Lord alone for His armor and protection through the ongoing battle. The armor of God is all about being empowered to stand, and that only comes through our Lord. The Bible is the means to know God and, as we grow in our knowledge of God and who He is, we learn we can trust Him in every area of life. The armor of God is His power in our lives as we remain dependent upon Him in faith. 4

5 Truth, Truth, What is Truth? Dr. W. Edward Bedore, Editor The world system recognizes that individuals often struggle in the area of healthy personality development. The humanistic mindset encourages people to develop their personal identity through experimentation with different roles, values, and beliefs. It is taught that through questions, selfdoubts, and self-discovery, young people should confront any disharmony within the various concepts found that the world offers, be it through competing interests, their peers, teachers, religious leaders, or family. In doing this, they can blend the best ideas of the various ideologies, values and belief systems found in the world into their own thinking, resulting in a self-achieved identity in terms of cultural preferences, purposes, life goals, sexual orientation, and a self-determined worldview based on whatever presuppositions they have developed or accepted as relevant to themselves. In other words, they build their worldview, how they view life and its meaning, by an eclectic process by which they pick and choose what they will believe according to how they feel. While this currently popular manner of developing a personal identity and corresponding worldview may appear to the postmodern thinker to be a reasonable way to find one s identity and place in the world, it has two serious flaws. First is that it assumes that each individual will make the right choices for themselves as they sift through the various ideas and concepts that the world has to offer. The faulty thinking behind this is that it doesn t really matter what a person chooses to accept as truth because whatever they choose will be right for them, and thus it is their personal truth. Truth for them, then, is thought of as being relative rather than absolute. The second problem is the notion that each individual has a right to choose their own identity and their own truth; that each one is the captain of their own destiny and deserving of being recognized by others as a sovereign being. The trouble with this system of identity building and discovery and its resultant worldview is that it does not work. It does not now, and it never has produced the desired harmony of existence and tranquility of mind for individuals, or society as a whole, that it promises. It actually helps to produce more of the 5 psychological distress that it is purported to relieve. The problem is that their search for their identity (or the discovery of self) and the development of a compatible worldview is really an effort to justify their own faulty concept of truth. They simply attach themselves to whatever concepts and life orientations that seem right to them, deeming them relevant to their life and all others are dismissed as irrelevant to them. In other words, they deny the existence of any absolute truth and claim that they can determine for themselves their own truth to live by. For them, everything is built on a sliding value system that they can adjust to fit whatever truth they decide they want to believe at any given time. The trouble with all this is that it is in direct conflict with the idea that there is actually anything that is right or wrong. It is a subjective system by which a person decides for themselves what truth is, which sets them free to choose whatever standard of right or wrong they want to live by. It promotes the belief that each man and woman is their own god. This way sounds like the path to a personal freedom that would produce peace and harmony in one s life. But, alas, it is actually a road to bondage, discord, uncertainty, and destruction. The more this kind of thinking is integrated into our culture as normal, the more twisted and convoluted the cultural norms of our society become. Drug and alcohol abuse, sexual abuse and promiscuity, dishonesty, political corruption, the disintegration of the family, the disregard for the sanctity of life, and a host of other societal problems are symptoms of this kind of thinking. Thinking such as this can only produce a humanistic worldview that exalts man and rejects the Living God who created him. When objective truth is discarded and replaced with subjective feelings, the boundaries of civil decency disappear, as we are witnessing today. While He was on trial before Pontius Pilate, the Lord Jesus Christ said to him; for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth, Everyone that is of the truth heareth My voice (John 18:37). Pilate responded by asking; what is truth (John 18:38) after which he went out to the Jews and offered to release the Lord Jesus as he had found no fault at all in Him (see John 18:38-39). But the Jews cried out all the more for Jesus to be crucified and (continued on page 6)

6 (TRUTH, TRUTH, WHAT IS TRUTH? continued from page 5) that Barabbas, a known robber and murderer, be released (see John 18:40; cf. Matt. 27:19-23; Mk. 15:6-14; Lk. 23:13-23). Then Pilate, having found Jesus not guilty of any of the charges brought against Him, gave in to the demands of the religious leaders and the incited multitude and ordered an Innocent Man to be put to death by the torturous means of crucifixion (John 19:1-18ff; cf. Matt. 27:24-50; Mk. 15:15-38; Lk. 23:24-46). Pilates s question what is truth indicates that he doubted that man can actually know what truth is, at least in an absolute sense anyway. He was willing to sacrifice a man s life for the sake of political expediency, in this case to placate the Jewish leaders and avoid a possible riot by the people (see Matt. 27:15-26; Mk. 15:9-15; Lk. 23:20-24). Giving an innocent person over to be killed at the insistence of a mob is, in truth, nothing less than murder, but Pilate seems to have justified, in his own mind anyway, doing so in this situation as it was the politically correct thing to do at the time. You see, situation ethics, or whatever one wants to call it, was not an invention of modernism in the twentieth century, but has lurked in the heart of man ever since Adam brought sin and death into the world (Rom. 5:12; Gen. 3:17-19). Neither Pilate, the Jewish religious leaders, nor the multitude crying out for Jesus to be crucified had any real interest in justice being done according to what is true, but were willing to kill an innocent man for their own benefit. As we have seen, Pilate feared a riot that could cost him his position as governor of Judea. In similar fashion the Jewish leaders feared that if Jesus Christ gathered too large a following, the Romans would come and take away both [their] place and nation (John 11:48; see John 11:43-48). And, of course, the demands for the Lord Jesus to be crucified by the stirred up crowd serves to show us how easily those of the human race, Adam s progeny, can be influenced to reject truth and champion evil in its place. No doubt they would have denied it, but the truth is that Pilate, the religious leaders and the mob clamoring for Jesus blood were, in fact, deserving of death. The reality is that the whole world, every son and daughter of Adam s fallen race, are sinners worthy only of death, both physical (of the body, i.e. the first death) and spiritual (of the soul, i.e. the second death). The only person who ever lived a sinless life is the virgin born Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who willingly allowed 6 Himself to be crucified for all sinners including those who demanded His death, those who falsely accused Him, and those who illegally tried and crucified Him. God demonstrated His great love for the lost in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Rom. 5:8). The night before He was brought before Pilate, He identified Himself as the Only Way to the Father, the Only One whose message about the Father is True, and the Only One through whom anyone can have eternal life (see John 14:1-7; cf. John 1:17-18; 5:19-26). While there are distinctions between the prophetic Kingdom Message being proclaimed during Christ s earthly ministry and the Gospel of the Grace of God that is to be preached during the present Dispensation of Grace that we are currently living in, these three points of truth about the One who is The Truth are eternally true. Rather than embracing the truth, Pontius Pilate tried to evade the truth by flippantly asking what is truth. But, whether we like it or not, the truth is and always will be the truth. This is as true for the spiritual realm as it is for the physical. Just as gravity is a constant in the world we live in, so is the fact that our world is cursed by sin and all men and women are sinners by nature and in practice (see Gen. 3:17; Rom. 3:26; 5:12). Unlike Pilate, none of us will ever be called on to sit in judgment of the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ as he was. Yes, men and women can, and do, express their ideas, theories, etc. about Him to one another, some believing on Him, others rejecting Him. However, believe it or not, Jesus Christ is not subject to us in any way. Instead we will all one day give an account of ourselves to Him; some as believers, as children of God, to be rewarded for service (Rom. 14:10-12; I Cor. 3:10-15). All others, unbelievers, as condemned prisoners who will be justly sentenced to the Lake of Fire for their sinful works where they will suffer the torment of God s wrath forever and ever (Rev. 20:10-15). Have you acknowledged the fact that you are lost, personally separated from God by your sins and that you can only be saved from God s wrath through faith in Jesus Christ who died for [your] sins according to the Scriptures; and that He was buried, and that He arose again the third day according to the Scriptures (I Cor. 15:3-4)? Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved (Acts 16:31). This is the truth about the One who is The Truth.

7 (THE INSTITUTE UPDATE continued from page 1) GRACE - SAVED TO SERVE On March 29-30, 2019 we will host our annual Missions Conference at BBI. Each year we choose a theme that we focus on throughout the year. This year's theme is GRACE- Saved to Serve. So many misunderstand the concept of Grace and make the mistake of believing that Grace is a license to sin. However, in reality, it's just the opposite. The more we understand the grace of God, the more motivated and empowered we are to serve. We are saved by grace and we serve by grace. If you are in the area, make plans to attend and be blessed and challenged by what God is doing all around the world. Second, we ask that you pray for us in the area of finances. Last year we only had two months where our income covered our expenses. Thankfully we were able to draw on our savings to cover those shortages. However, as you well know, that trend cannot continue. While BBI continues to add students and expand our outreach into other countries, our support base has not expanded at the same rate. When BBI was founded it was determined that if BBI was to successfully accomplish its purpose it had to be supported by those who believe in its mission. This is important because it allows us to maintain our focus and not be forced to deviate from that focus to attract more students to pay the bills. It also allows us to keep our tuition at a manageable rate. We remain committed to training Pastors, Missionaries and Christian Leaders for the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ and the proclamation of the Gospel of the Grace of God given to and through the Apostle Paul. ISRAEL TRIP FILLING UP FAST May 7-16, 2019 Berean Bible Institute, and Berean Bible Society will be co-hosting a 10 day Best of Israel tour through Pilgrim Tours. There is limited space available. If you are interested in going on this trip, it is essential that you immediately contact Pilgrim Tours to inquire if there is still space available. January 26 is our cut-off date for registration so you will need to act fast. CONSIDER TAKING A CLASS FROM HOME Have you ever considered taking a course at BBI? There are several ways you can do this without leaving home. We offer distance studies courses through our selfdirected format and our online format. Each delivery system allows you to work from home to accomplish your ministry goals. Our self-directed format allows you to take courses that best fit your schedule over sixteen weeks. Because you work independently, you can begin these classes at any time. Our online format allows you to work from home, but you are required to be online with an instructor once a week. These classes run from eight to sixteen weeks in length depending on the course. Please call us at Berean Bible Institute and get started training for ministry today. Third, with the regular addition of new students, we will be needing to add new faculty and staff in the not so distant future. Please pray that God would give us wisdom and direction as we grow and expand the ministry of Berean Bible Institute. All of us enjoy growth (except around the waistline) but with positive growth comes new challenges. We are blessed by what God is doing and has done and look forward to seeing Him meet these needs. Finally, please keep Dr. Bedore in your prayers. He has started his stem cell treatment and is waiting to see if this treatment will have its desired effect. Please also pray for Linda Bedore as she supports and cares for Dr. Bedore as he meets these health challenges. Dr. Bedore continues to serve as Managing Editor for our publications and is a blessing to me personally. YOUR FEEDBACK IS A BLESSING TO US I am continually blessed by the positive notes and letters I receive from those who receive our publications. While our main goal is to train for ministry, there is another goal that I don t want to see overlooked and that is encouragement. With that said, we hope when you receive our publications you are both stimulated and grow in God s truth, as well as encouraged in your daily walk. We all need encouragement and we hope BBI plays a small part in your lives. A YEAR OF CONTINUED BLESSING Not all numbers that cross my desk are exciting. However, when I received a report showing that in the calendar year of 2018 we had received 41 new applications, I was extremely encouraged. This is up from 28 in Of the 41 new applicants, all but three have been completely accepted and have or are currently taking courses at BBI. Eleven of these new applicants are either from a foreign country or are serving in a foreign country. We rejoice in what God is doing at BBI. Serving together, Dr Robert E. Nix, President, Berean Bible Institute 7

8 The BBI Bulletin is the official newsletter of the Berean Bible Institute Inc., and is sent free of charge to any that request it. Berean Bible Institute exists as a college level school of adult education, which endeavors to provide advanced Biblical and doctrinal studies in accordance with the Biblical principle of right division and the revelation of the mystery along with practical training in ministry and leadership skills, in order to help individuals become prepared to do the work of the ministry in local churches, the mission field, at home or abroad, with the overall goal of making the Gospel of Jesus Christ known to the lost throughout the world, the edification of believers, and the promotion of personal Bible study. President & Executive Editor: Robert E. Nix, Ph.D. /Managing Editor: W. Edward Bedore, Th.D. Associate Editor: Matthew Ritchey, M. BS./ Layout: Jessica Sadler BEREAN BIBLE INSTITUTE 116 Kettle Moraine Dr. S. PO Box 587 Slinger, WI Phone: /Fax: bbi@bereanbibleinstitute.org/web: Berean Bible Institute, Inc. admits students of any race, color, and national or ethnic origin. BEREAN BIBLE INSTITUTE 116 Kettle Moraine Drive S. PO Box 587 Slinger, WI Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Slinger, WI Permit No. 37 8