Viewpoint Sample -- See JESUS (Part 3)

Last updated on **1/1/99**
Part 3 of Viewpoint Brief Bible Study #000.
		JESUS calls US to be members of His church



The Christian religion is the worship and service of Jesus Christ. It’s not Mary we worship, but her Son. We worship neither saints, angels, a law code, nor even God’s Spirit. It’s JESUS who is to be honored. The Bible is our guide.

Sample Viewpoint Brief (?) Bible Study

SOME do want to see JESUS!

    MAX LUCADO, a well-known Texas Christian, writes: "Christianity, in its purest form, is nothing more than seeing JESUS." Paul says, "There is ONE God, and ONE mediator between God and men -- the man Jesus Christ (1 Timothy 2:5)."
    Ray Downen suggests, "Alone and together, we Christians should make it our primary goal to learn of and imitate JESUS! This is sure to please His Father, who is also our Father. We want to see Jesus. And then we want to show HIM to the world! In this way did We Want To See JESUS start and end."
From: "Gene Lockling" <glocklin@netins.net>
-- To: "Ray Downen" <outreach@sofnet.com>
Subject: Re: We Want to See Jesus
-- Date sent: Sat, 21 Mar 1998 10:44:25 -0800
Dear Ray, -- We have met once that I recall. It was at the Restoration Forum in Joplin, Mo. about 5 years ago, I think. I just read your article on e-mail entitled "We Would See Jesus." I agree with your viewpoint about God, Christ and the Holy Spirit. Anyway that is what I have been preaching and teaching.
Lately I have been studying Acts 2:33, where we read about Jesus being exalted to the right hand of God, receiving from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, and then by the Holy Spirit bringing about what they were hearing and seeing happen on that Pentecost day in Jerusalem. Jesus was the one directing all that was happening and all that was being said by the apostles. He had been given all authority, made Lord and Christ, appointed to be the head of the church and on that day of Pentecost He brought His church into existence.
It is now up to us who are alive to extend the creation of His church wherever we can. Our first priority is to present Jesus as He was presented in that first gospel sermon by the apostle Peter. That He was:

A man approved of God;
Crucified and put to death by lawless men;
Raised from the dead; then raised into heaven;
Exalted to God's right hand;
Giver of the promised Holy Spirit;
The one who will reign on God's throne untill all His enemies are made His footstool;
The one whom God made to be both Lord and Christ.

When anyone becomes persuaded of this they will be affected in their heart, want to know what to do and will gladly repent and be baptized for the remission of their sins. Then, of course, they will receive the Holy Spirit as a gift from God by the direction of Jesus Christ who is the only one who can declare that our sins are forgiven and direct that we are to receive the Spirit as a free gift from God.
May God bless you as you use your talent, knowledge, strength and finances to extend the creation of the church of Christ wherever you can. -- Sincerely serving the Saviour, -- A brother in Christ, Gene Lockling
And an anonymous dissenter --
> Date: Sat, 21 Mar 1998 11:52:30 -0600
> From: One who disagrees
> To: Ray <outreach@sofnet.com>
> Subject: Holy Spirit
Dear Ray, -- Every time I write you I think it will be my last, then you say something else that demands a reply. Your study on the Holy Spirit is WAY off base, and I do not have time to address all the issues right now- Let's just look at one passage, Romans 8:9-11.
Now, I'm freely willing to grant that the Bible doesn't use the word "trinity" though it does use the word "godhead" (Acts 17:29; Romans 1:20; Colossians 2:9 KJV). However, the concept of "trinity" is certainly evident in many passages and the word "trinity" was coined to represent this concept. Romans 8:9 -11 equates the spirit of God, of Christ and the "Spirit who lives in you" that is, the Holy Spirit as partners in salvaton and holy living. This is certainly the doctrine of the "trinity" without, of course, using the word "trinity."
I intend to continue to direct my worship Biblically:

To the Father
Through the Son
In the Spirit.

I will continue to lift praise to the One God in three persons, the holy "trinity."
> Respectfully, (name omitted here) <><
> By the way, you do NOT have the right to publish, reprint, pass along or "trash" this email on your web site!
I replied -- Dear dissenting brother, Thanks for sharing your thoughts with me and my readers. I do wonder why you think you have control over a letter you've sent to someone else. I surely don't intend to "trash" it, however that might be done. But I'm sure I have every right in the world to share it with any one or all of my e-mail friends (and in fact with anyone, including Seth Wilson who has a computer but chooses to not use e-mail for correspondence). I see little correlation between your complimentary close (respectfully, you say) and your pugnacious post script.
(It appears this brother doesn't think anyone has a right to disagree with him. I think we all MUST think for ourselves! It would be strange if we each reached exactly the same conclusions.) A quick reply from this brother said only -- " Please remove me from your mailing list(s)." I did do so, and sent him this final message --
Date sent: Sun, 22 Mar 1998 07:48
Dear brother, -- "It's good that you want to walk with God. I had thought of asking why the redundancy ("How does the current message differ from the previous one?") but wasn't sure you would realize that both said the same thing. It's good that you want to walk with God. Some can best walk the way they prefer by listening only to those who fully agree with them. Jesus spoke of this in connection with blind persons. Some are blind because of choice rather than physical disability. I wonder if you actually are on the path to glory. It's good that you want to walk with God." (I wonder if he will think I've "trashed" his note?)
A PhD replied -- "I think you should stop sending me this stuff." Educated brothers DO need complicated words to express their thought. He also apparently doesn't want to take time to think WHY a brother might disagree with what he has decided is right.

A college president differs with the last two responses:
From: "Lloyd M. Pelfrey" <lpelfrey@cccb.edu> --
To: outreach@sofnet.com
Date sent: Sat, 21 Mar 1998 13:11
Subject: Re: We Want to See Jesus
Thanks, Ray, for the two studies: one on worship, and the other on Biblical attitudes toward the Holy Spirit! You hit the mark! I confess: I did not read it word for word, but skimmed it at times. The reference in John 16:13, 14 could be added: "When the Spirit of truth comes . . . He will glorify me . . . ." That is His purpose....
-- Yours and His, -- LMPelfrey

And another dissenter --
From: Msv unity <Msvunity@aol.com>
Date sent: Sat, 21 Mar 1998 19:15 -- To: outreach@sofnet.com
Subject: Re: We Want to See Jesus
Hey Ray, -- I think you are hung up on details such as the Pharisees were. We don't have to be disectors of details and theories to be in Christ Jesus. Spend your time winning others to Christ with the simple Gospel of Christ and forget all your negative junk. Time is short and your Pharisaical disection of the Word is Long. God wants us to win the lost, not to show people how Perfect our understanding of the word is. -- In Christian love,
Ken McFelea.
I replied -- Brother Ken, In appealing to brothers to return to honoring the Lord Jesus, I failed to recognize that pointing out what the Bible says would appear to some people as "negative junk." Well, I didn't really not know that. But even though I knew it, I felt I should speak up for the truth even if some people might not want to hear it. Is it "Christian love" to refer to a differing view as "negative junk?" I didn't recognize the love, or the Christian either!

=== From: Given O. Blakely <GivenB@aol.com> Date sent: Tue, 17 Mar 1998 21:20:03 EST Subject: THOUGHT--Where We Have Come, #1 WEDNESDAY -- March 18th, 1998 -- Devotion 1 of 13 From The Word of Truth Publication -- Joplin MO 64801
A THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
by Brother Given O. Blakely
Where We Christians Have Come
For you have not come to a mountain that may be touched and to a blazing fire, and to darkness and gloom and whirlwind, and to the blast of a trumpet and the sound of words, which sound was such that those who heard begged that no further word should be spoken to them. For they could not bear the command, "If even a beast touches the mountain, it will be stoned."
And so terrible was the sight that Moses said, "I am full of fear and trembling." But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels, to the general assembly and church of the first-born who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks better than the blood of Abel (Hebrews 12:18-24, NASB).
The habitation of God is characterized by unparalleled beauty. Of old time, this was called "Mount Zion," where divine activities were localized upon the earth. For Israel, that was Jerusalem, the city of the Great King. Those with insight treasured even the thoughts of this place. It was blessed by God, and the envy of all peoples. The forty-eighth Psalm expresses it well. "Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of His holiness. Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King. God is known in her palaces for a refuge" (Psalm 48:1-3).
While it is true that the Psalmist was exulting in the recollection of a blessed city, these words were also prophetic.
They point forward to the glorious reign of Christ, when God would make His abode among those "redeemed . . . from the hand of the enemy" (Psalm 106:10). The most blessed place is found "in Christ." Here we are "blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places" (Ephesians 1:3). Being "justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (Romans 5:1). With consciences purged, hearts made pure, and strength renewed, the saints can be confident that our situation is "beautiful," the envy of the whole earth.
Our names are "written in heaven," God Himself is our Father, and Jesus Christ our elder Brother. Because of our situation, everything belongs to us (1 Corinthians 3:21). Having fled to Christ for refuge to "lay hold on the hope set before" us, we "rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory" (Hebrews 6:18; 1 Peter 1:8). The tragedy of our time is the general ignorance of these things that pevails among professed believers.
Multitudes are more familiar with news and athletic events of the day than with their standing in Christ Jesus. Satan has inundated us with distractions which are cannily calculated to pull us down into the quagmire of flesh and blood (the "world"). Those whose minds are on "earthly things "cannot inherit the kingdom of God" (1 Corinthians 15:50).
Those who teach and preach must be bold to counteract the aggression of the powers of darkness. This is best done by shining the light on the very things our adversary seeks to obscure. The perception on these things will charge the spirits of the redeemed, enabling them to be "steadfast in the faith," thereby resisting the devil (1 Peter 5:8,9).
Recognizing our true situation in Christ sheds light upon every facet of life. As it is written, "For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light" (Psalm 36:9). When we cannot see where we are in Christ, we really cannot see anything as it is. As our Lord said, "The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!" (Matthew 6:22,23).
The purpose of this study is to delineate where we have come in Christ. Stated another way, it is where God has brought us. Still another way, it is perceiving where the Spirit has led us. This is the place our faith has brought us. It is the position in which God in His Sovereignty and Mercy has placed us. And, it is the place where the Lord Jesus keeps us.
This truth is involved in Jude's marvelous synopsis: "Jude, a bond-servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to those who are the called, beloved in God the Father, and kept for Jesus Christ" (Jude 1). I personally like the language of the King James Version on this passage; "Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called."
However you may view our situation, Deity has made a great investment in us, providing a salvation that is undeniably "great." It cannot be to our advantage to be deficient in our understanding of our redemption. You will find the comprehension of where we have come is a key element in your spiritual progress. You will not make much advance toward something you cannot see!
PRAYER POINT: Father, I joyfully acknowledge You have brought me where I am in Christ Jesus. I make no claim to anything but your matchless grace, and delight in doing so. In the name of Jesus Christ, show me more of this blessed environ where you have brought me! -- TOMORROW: WHERE WE HAVE NOT COME --
_____   In joyful expectation of glory, Brother Given O. Blakely
To move on to Viewpoint Study #1, click here.
Or go to additional comments. For Ray's concluding remarks, click HERE.

SOME do want to see JESUS!
MAX LUCADO, a well-known Texas Christian, writes: "Christianity, in its purest form, is nothing more than seeing JESUS." Paul says, "There is ONE God, and ONE mediator between God and men -- the man* Jesus Christ* (1 Timothy 2:5)." Ray Downen suggests, "Alone and together, we Christians should make it our primary goal to learn of and imitate JESUS! This is sure to please His Father, who is also our Father. We want to see Jesus. And then we want to show HIM to the world! In this way did We Want To See JESUS start and end." From: "Gene Lockling" <glocklin@netins.net> -- To: "Ray Downen" <outreach@sofnet.com> Subject: Re: We Want to See Jesus -- Date sent: Sat, 21 Mar 1998 10:44:25 -0800 Dear Ray, -- We have met once that I recall. It was at the Restoration Forum in Joplin, Mo. about 5 years ago, I think. I just read your article on e-mail entitled "We Would See Jesus." I agree with your viewpoint about God, Christ and the Holy Spirit. Anyway that is what I have been preaching and teaching. Lately I have been studying Acts 2:33, where we read about Jesus being exalted to the right hand of God, receiving from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, and then by the Holy Spirit bringing about what they were hearing and seeing happen on that Pentecost day in Jerusalem. Jesus was the one directing all that was happening and all that was being said by the apostles. He had been given all authority, made Lord and Christ, appointed to be the head of the church and on that day of Pentecost He brought His church into existence. It is now up to us who are alive to extend the creation of His church wherever we can. Our first priority is to present Jesus as He was presented in that first gospel sermon by the apostle Peter. That He was: A man approved of God; Crucified and put to death by lawless men; Raised from the dead; then raised into heaven; Exalted to God's right hand; Giver of the promised Holy Spirit; The one who will reign on God's throne untill all His enemies are made His footstool; The one whom God made to be both Lord and Christ. When anyone becomes persuaded of this they will be affected in their heart, want to know what to do and will gladly repent and be baptized for the remission of their sins. Then, of course, they will receive the Holy Spirit as a gift from God by the direction of Jesus Christ who is the only one who can declare that our sins are forgiven and direct that we are to receive the Spirit as a free gift from God. May God bless you as you use your talent, knowledge, strength and finances to extend the creation of the church of Christ wherever you can. -- Sincerely serving the Saviour, -- A brother in Christ, Gene Lockling And an anonymous dissenter -- > Date: Sat, 21 Mar 1998 11:52:30 -0600 > From: One who disagrees > To: Ray <outreach@sofnet.com> > Subject: Holy Spirit Dear Ray, -- Every time I write you I think it will be my last, then you say something else that demands a reply. Your study on the Holy Spirit is WAY off base, and I do not have time to address all the issues right now- Let's just look at one passage, Romans 8:9-11. Now, I'm freely willing to grant that the Bible doesn't use the word "trinity" though it does use the word "godhead" (Acts 17:29; Romans 1:20; Colossians 2:9 KJV). However, the concept of "trinity" is certainly evident in many passages and the word "trinity" was coined to represent this concept. Romans 8:9 -11 equates the spirit of God, of Christ and the "Spirit who lives in you" that is, the Holy Spirit as partners in salvaton and holy living. This is certainly the doctrine of the "trinity" without, of course, using the word "trinity." I intend to continue to direct my worship Biblically: To the Father Through the Son In the Spirit. I will continue to lift praise to the One God in three persons, the holy "trinity." > Respectfully, (name omitted here) <>< > By the way, you do NOT have the right to publish, reprint, pass along or "trash" this email on your web site! I replied -- Dear dissenting brother, Thanks for sharing your thoughts with me and my readers. I do wonder why you think you have control over a letter you've sent to someone else. I surely don't intend to "trash" it, however that might be done. But I'm sure I have every right in the world to share it with any one or all of my e-mail friends (and in fact with anyone, including Seth Wilson who has a computer but chooses to not use e-mail for correspondence). I see little correlation between your complimentary close (respectfully, you say) and your pugnacious post script. (It appears this brother doesn't think anyone has a right to disagree with him. I think we all MUST think for ourselves! It would be strange if we each reached exactly the same conclusions.) A quick reply from this brother said only -- " Please remove me from your mailing list(s)." I did do so, and sent him this final message -- Date sent: Sun, 22 Mar 1998 07:48 Dear brother, -- "It's good that you want to walk with God. I had thought of asking why the redundancy ("How does the current message differ from the previous one?") but wasn't sure you would realize that both said the same thing. It's good that you want to walk with God. Some can best walk the way they prefer by listening only to those who fully agree with them. Jesus spoke of this in connection with blind persons. Some are blind because of choice rather than physical disability. I wonder if you actually are on the path to glory. It's good that you want to walk with God." (I wonder if he will think I've "trashed" his note?) A PhD replied -- "I think you should stop sending me this stuff." Educated brothers DO need complicated words to express their thought. He also apparently doesn't want to take time to think WHY a brother might disagree with what he has decided is right. A college president differs with the last two responses: From: "Lloyd M. Pelfrey" <lpelfrey@cccb.edu> -- To: outreach@sofnet.com Date sent: Sat, 21 Mar 1998 13:11 Subject: Re: We Want to See Jesus Thanks, Ray, for the two studies: one on worship, and the other on Biblical attitudes toward the Holy Spirit! You hit the mark! I confess: I did not read it word for word, but skimmed it at times. The reference in John 16:13, 14 could be added: "When the Spirit of truth comes . . . He will glorify me . . . ." That is His purpose.... -- Yours and His, -- LMPelfrey And another dissenter -- From: Msv unity <Msvunity@aol.com> Date sent: Sat, 21 Mar 1998 19:15 -- To: outreach@sofnet.com Subject: Re: We Want to See Jesus Hey Ray, -- I think you are hung up on details such as the Pharisees were. We don't have to be disectors of details and theories to be in Christ Jesus. Spend your time winning others to Christ with the simple Gospel of Christ and forget all your negative junk. Time is short and your Pharisaical disection of the Word is Long. God wants us to win the lost, not to show people how Perfect our understanding of the word is. -- In Christian love, Ken McFelea. I replied -- Brother Ken, In appealing to brothers to return to honoring the Lord Jesus, I failed to recognize that pointing out what the Bible says would appear to some people as "negative junk." Well, I didn't really not know that. But even though I knew it, I felt I should speak up for the truth even if some people might not want to hear it. Is it "Christian love" to refer to a differing view as "negative junk?" I didn't recognize the love, or the Christian either! === From: Given O. Blakely <GivenB@aol.com> Date sent: Tue, 17 Mar 1998 21:20:03 EST Subject: THOUGHT--Where We Have Come, #1 WEDNESDAY -- March 18th, 1998 -- Devotion 1 of 13 From The Word of Truth Publication -- Joplin MO 64801 A THOUGHT FOR THE DAY by Brother Given O. Blakely *Where We Christians* Have Come** For you have not come to a mountain that may be touched and to a blazing fire, and to darkness and gloom and whirlwind, and to the blast of a trumpet and the sound of words, which sound was such that those who heard begged that no further word should be spoken to them. For they could not bear the command, "If even a beast touches the mountain, it will be stoned." And so terrible was the sight that Moses said, "I am full of fear and trembling." But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels, to the general assembly and church of the first-born who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks better than the blood of Abel (Hebrews 12:18-24, NASB). The habitation of God is characterized by unparalleled beauty. Of old time, this was called "Mount Zion," where divine activities were localized upon the earth. For Israel, that was Jerusalem, the city of the Great King. Those with insight treasured even the thoughts of this place. It was blessed by God, and the envy of all peoples. The forty-eighth Psalm expresses it well. "Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of His holiness. Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King. God is known in her palaces for a refuge" (Psalm 48:1-3). While it is true that the Psalmist was exulting in the recollection of a blessed city, these words were also prophetic. They point forward to the glorious reign of Christ, when God would make His abode among those "redeemed . . . from the hand of the enemy" (Psalm 106:10). The most blessed place is found "in Christ." Here we are "blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places" (Ephesians 1:3). Being "justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (Romans 5:1). With consciences purged, hearts made pure, and strength renewed, the saints can be confident that our situation is "beautiful," the envy of the whole earth. Our names are "written in heaven," God Himself is our Father, and Jesus Christ our elder Brother. Because of our situation, everything belongs to us (1 Corinthians 3:21). Having fled to Christ for refuge to "lay hold on the hope set before" us, we "rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory" (Hebrews 6:18; 1 Peter 1:8). The tragedy of our time is the general ignorance of these things that pevails among professed believers. Multitudes are more familiar with news and athletic events of the day than with their standing in Christ Jesus. Satan has inundated us with distractions which are cannily calculated to pull us down into the quagmire of flesh and blood (the "world"). Those whose minds are on "earthly things "cannot inherit the kingdom of God" (1 Corinthians 15:50). Those who teach and preach must be bold to counteract the aggression of the powers of darkness. This is best done by shining the light on the very things our adversary seeks to obscure. The perception on these things will charge the spirits of the redeemed, enabling them to be "steadfast in the faith," thereby resisting the devil (1 Peter 5:8,9). Recognizing our true situation in Christ sheds light upon every facet of life. As it is written, "For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light" (Psalm 36:9). When we cannot see where we are in Christ, we really cannot see anything as it is. As our Lord said, "The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!" (Matthew 6:22,23). The purpose of this study is to delineate where we have come in Christ. Stated another way, it is where God has brought us. Still another way, it is perceiving where the Spirit has led us. This is the place our faith has brought us. It is the position in which God in His Sovereignty and Mercy has placed us. And, it is the place where the Lord Jesus keeps us. This truth is involved in Jude's marvelous synopsis: "Jude, a bond-servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to those who are the called, beloved in God the Father, and kept for Jesus Christ" (Jude 1). I personally like the language of the King James Version on this passage; "Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called." However you may view our situation, Deity has made a great investment in us, providing a salvation that is undeniably "great." It cannot be to our advantage to be deficient in our understanding of our redemption. You will find the comprehension of where we have come is a key element in your spiritual progress. You will not make much advance toward something you cannot see! PRAYER POINT: Father, I joyfully acknowledge You have brought me where I am in Christ Jesus. I make no claim to anything but your matchless grace, and delight in doing so. In the name of Jesus Christ, show me more of this blessed environ where you have brought me! -- TOMORROW: WHERE WE HAVE NOT COME -- _____ In joyful expectation of glory, Brother Given O. Blakely To move on to Viewpoint Study #1, click here. Or go to additional comments. For Ray's concluding remarks, click HERE.