EvangelismRSA: CHRISTIANITY: KEEPING THE FAITH

Saturday, 12 November 2022

CHRISTIANITY: KEEPING THE FAITH

PUBLISHING DETAILS

TITLE: Christianity: Keeping the Faith

FORMAT: Paperback

CHAPTERS: 52

PAGES: 212

WORD COUNT: 47 341

PUBLISHER: Amazon. PJ Stassen Author Page

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Christianity

Keeping the Faith

An Easy Reader for Busy People on the Run

P.J. Stassen

Centurion

SOUTH AFRICA

PART ONE: CREATION

1. YHWH (Jehovah) Of Moses and Mt. Sinai: Maestro of Maestros!

2. Cosmos or Chaos?

3. Thumbs-Up for The Grand Designer

4. Biblical Creationism vs. Darwinian Creationism

5. The Problem with Darwinian Creationism

6. Why Was There Nothing Instead of Something?

7. With God All Things Are Possible.

PART TWO: CHRISTOLOGY

8. Christ and the Great Commission

9. Where Christians Come From

10. The Prophetic Integrity of Jesus Christ Affirmed

11. The Resurrection of Jesus Christ: How Credible?

12. The Triple Guarantee of Jesus Christ as The Son of God

13. The Ultimate Scientist

14. The Words of God

15. They Are Crucifying Our LORD All Over Again!

16. Three Things That Would Nullify the Sacrifice of Christ at Calvary

17. What Are We to Make of Jesus Christ?

18. What Jesus Christ Probably Is Doing Today

19. Who Is Jesus Christ?

20. Who Really Killed Jesus Christ?

21. Why Did Jesus Christ Do So Many Miracles?

22. Why the Authorities Were Afraid of Jesus Christ

23. Wise Men Still Seek Jesus Christ

PART THREE: EVANGELISM

24. How to Say No to Communism

25. No Demilitarised Zone in The War of Ideas

26. Softly and Tenderly Jesus Is Calling

27. The Dogs Bark but This Great Gospel Caravan Just Keeps Rolling Along!

28. Yankee Stadium and The Foursquare Gospel

PART FOUR: ESCHATOLOGY

29. The Day the Wicked Cursed the Faithful

30. Dream of The Second Coming of Jesus Christ

31. Global Warning!

32. A New Heaven and A New Earth

33. Armageddon: A Clash of Civilisations

34. Behold He Comes ... Riding on A Cloud!

35. Capitalism vs. Socialism

36. Christians: The Best Is Yet to Come!

37. Are the Days Being Shortened?

38. Here Comes the Real Reality Czar

39. In the Father's House of Many Mansions

40. Just as In the Days of Noah

41. Perspectives on The Rapture of The Church

42. Planet Earth at The End of Days (Prophecy)

43. The Crazy March to Mars

44. The End of The Age

45. The Pilgrim's Progress: Fast and Furious!

46. The Sands of Time Are Running Out

47. The Second Coming: Is It Still On?

48. The Ultimate Space Programme

49. There's A New World Coming!

50. What Is the Spirit of Antichrist?

51. Zero Hour!

52. Read the Last Chapter!

Acknowledgements

Grateful for/to:

1. Bible translations interchangeably consulted:

King James Version (KJV/KJV+) & Modern King James Version (MKJV) unless otherwise indicated e.g., Young’s Literal Translation (YLT) & Hebraic Roots Bible (HRB). The reader may find that, occasionally, I have inserted capitals (in brackets) into Scripture references for the purpose of clarity.

2. E-Sword.net: The Sword of the Lord with an Electronic Edge (Free Bible Study for the PC). Online 2021.

3. All the sources, scholars, historical figures and authors I have been allowed to mention, quote or use as examples in the course of writing.

4. Cecilia Stassen, for her ongoing assistance, encouragement and invaluable help.

Foreword

An informative book, I believe, should be like a sumptuous dinner … lavish, interesting, easily digestible and to be remembered for years afterwards, and with this book I have aimed to accomplish exactly that, for what could be more interesting and memorable than the persona, life and ministry of a man who has changed the history of the world to the matchless extent that Jesus of Nazareth (the Christ) had done?

Unlike many postmodernists, who have so superficially dismissed the historical Jesus (for all intents and purposes) as nothing more than a deluded first-century religious fanatic and rabble rouser of a charlatan who was arrested by the authorities, not as political zealot or aspiring messiah, but as a common, albeit charismatic public nuisance who disingenuously passed off cheap street magicians’ illusions as Biblical quality miracles, i.e., postmodernists who today, like pagan sorcerers and derelict, toothless oriental mystics, dare to determine the measure of a man and his words by (of all things!) the application of coloured beads.

I, instead, insist that only a carpenter-rabbi of His divine origin, moral stature and matchless wisdom could have transformed this 1970s runaway freight-train and weirds-mobile of a cynical, suburban hedonist and amoral agnostic into a person so enamoured with this Messiah that I, in the sunset season of my life, have aspired to write not only one book about His sacred cause and merciful gospel, but several.

Today, when I read the popular atheists of our times, or debate a seasoned agnostic about the existence of God, I can only heartily agree with the wise theologians who, upon hearing people say that the character of the first-century Jesus of history was so remarkable that He must have been ‘forged’ (and should be considered a ‘fake’) instead have so aptly retorted (among others) as follows (my paraphrasing):

“The man Jesus of Nazareth was so unique, gifted, remarkable and special that only a real Jesus Christ could have forged a Jesus Christ; furthermore, if the Bible really were only a collection of fairy tales, then why is it either banned or severely persecuted in at least 52 countries?”

PJ Stassen

Centurion, South Africa.

December 2021.

Introduction

I wrote this book, not as a theologian (which I am not), but as a sinner saved by grace and a social commentator concerned with the cause and future of Christianity in the world. This book comprises the following themes:

Part 1. Creation: Reaffirming the worldview of the intelligent design of the Cosmos by an Intelligent Designer (Creator) and Biblical Creationism exactly as the Bible teaches.

Part 2. Christology. Reaffirming the persona, ministry, teachings, moral gravitas, character and divine stature of Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ (‘Anointed One’).

Part 3. Evangelism: Emphasizing the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ (of salvation by faith and the gift of Everlasting Life through Jesus Christ) to all those who would accept Him as Saviour and Lord irrespective of race, skin tone, nationality, age, gender, current religious affiliation & political persuasion and socio-economic status … offered to all but forced on none.

Part 4: Eschatology: The study of the ‘end times’ or ‘last things’ as precursors to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ and, eventually, the Great White Throne Judgment.

The story of the Bible and God’s designs for man; the Commandments of Moses and the Gospel of Jesus Christ, can, for all intents and purposes, miraculously integrated to be summarised by a single Scripture reference:

“For as by one man's disobedience [THE FIRST ADAM] many were made sinners, so by the obedience of One [THE LAST ADAM, JESUS CHRIST] shall many be made righteous.”

[Romans5:19MKJV].

I am reminded of what C.S. Lewis has said (my paraphrasing):

“There are only two kinds of people, i.e., those who say to God, ‘Thy will be done!’ and those to whom God must say, “Okay then … have it your way!”

The lot and final destiny of every (fully informed & evangelised) person that ever lived will, in other words, be decided on this, i.e., a choice between Good and Evil, Light and Darkness, Jesus and Barabbas, Christ and Satan.

With those who object that anyone could exercise such a critical choice still wrongly from pure ignorance, or from cultural and/or religious biases, I can only in sympathy say that I fully concur, and although I insist that there is no other name but the Name of Jesus Christ by which we are saved, we probably should leave such metaphysical judgments (i.e., in respect of the ‘inadequately informed and poorly evangelised’) for God to decide and deal with.

There is a huge difference between being a ‘sinner’ and being ‘ungodly’/’wicked’. All the ‘ungodly’ and ‘wicked’ are sinners, but not all ‘sinners’ are necessarily ‘ungodly or ‘wicked’ … they are simply lost and must be found. God has said:

“And He [GOD] said, I will make all My goodness pass before you [MOSES], and I will proclaim the name of Jehovah before you. And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will have mercy on whom I will have mercy.”

[Exodus33:10MKJV].

Bon voyage!

Chapter 1

YHWH (Jehovah) Of Moses and Mt. Sinai: Maestro of Maestros!

1. The God of Moses (YHWH) is:

1.1 An ADVOCATE.

[1John2:1].

1.2 An ARCHITECT (DIVINE).

[Genesis1:1; Isaiah45:12; Romans1:20].

1.3 An ARTIST.

[Psalm8:1; 19:1; 29:3; 48:2; Ecclesiastes3:11].

1.4 An ASTROPHYSICIST.

[Genesis1:1; Psalm19:1-6; 147:4;

Isaiah45:12; 2Kings20:9-11; Job26:7].

1.5 A BIOLOGIST, BOTANIST & ZOOLOGIST.

[Genesis1:24-31;

Psalm36:6; 50:10-11; 104:14; Psalm107:38].

1.6 A COSMOLOGIST.

[Isaiah55:8-11; Psalm147:4-5].

1.7 A CREATOR.

[Genesis1:1; Isaiah40:26; 42:5; 45:8,12;

Psalm148:4-5; Hebrews1:1-4].

1.8 An EDUCATOR.

[Job28:28; Psalm119:66; Proverbs1:7; 2:5,6; 3:19-20; 9:10; Proverbs8:1-36; Job40:1-2; Job38:1-41; 39:1-30; & 41:1-34; Ecclesiastes2:26].

1.9 A HEAVENLY FATHER.

[Matthew5:45,48; 6:1,14; 6:26,32; 7:11,21; 10:33; 12:50; 15:13; 16:17; 18:10; 18:14,19,35; 23:9; Mark11:25,26; Luke11:13].

1.10 A JUDGE.

[Genesis16:5; 18:25; 31:53; Job23:7;

Psalm9:8; 10:18; 50:4,6].

1.11 A (THE) MESSIAH.

[Daniel 9:25-26; John1:41; 4:25-26].

1.12 A MILITARY COMMANDER.

[Joshua5:14,15; 1Samuel17:45;

2Chronicles13:12; Matthew26:53].

1.13 A MUSICIAN/MUSICOLOGIST.

[Genesis4:21; Exodus15:1-2;

Deuteronomy31:19, 30; 1Samuel18:6; 1Chronicles15:16; 2Chronicles5:13; 34:12; Psalm144:9; 149:1-3; Amos6:5; Isaiah12:2; 42:10-13; Revelation5:9; 14:3; 15:3.

1.14 A PASTORAL COUNSELLOR.

[Psalm34:18; 147:2-3; Isaiah61:1].

1.15 A PHILOSOPHER.

[Job40:1-2; 38:1-41; 39:1-30; 41:1-34;

Proverbs8:1-30].

1.16 A PHYSICIAN.

[Psalm147:2-3; Isaiah53:5;

2Kings20:7; James5:16; Matthew8:7; 12:13].

1.17 A PROJECTS MANAGER.

[Genesis1:1; Hebrews1:1-4; Luke14:28-30].

1.18 A PROPHET.

[Genesis13:16; Job8:7; Ecclesistes3:11; Isaiah46:9-10,; 48:3; Matthew13:57; 14:5; 21:11,46; Mark6:4,15; Luke13:33; John4:19,44; Acts7:37].

1.19 A PROVIDER.

[Genesis13:16; Genesis22:8,14 (Jehovah-Jireh); Psalm65:19; Job38:41’ Proverbs6:8; Matthew6:28; 10:29,31; 12:27; Luke12:6-7; John1:29].

1.20 A QUANTUM PHYSICIST.

[Job32:8; 33:4; 34:14-15].

1.21 A (THE) SAVIOUR.

[2Samuel22:3; Psalm17:7;

Isaiah43:3; 45:15,21; 49:26; 63:8; Jeremiah14:8; Hosea13:4; John4:42; Act5:31; 13:23; Ephesians5:23; Philippians3:20; 1Timothy1:1; 2:3-4; 2Timothy1:10; Titus1:3,4; 2:10,13; 3:4,6; 2Peter1:1,11; 3:2,18; 1John4:14; Jude1:25].

1.22 A SPACE TRAVELLER.

[Deuteronomy33:26; 2Kings6:17;

Psalm68:17; 104:13; Isaiah66:15; Daniel 7:13; Ezekiel 1:1-28; Matthew24:30-31; Mark13:26; 14:62; John14:1-3; 1Thessalonians4:16-18; Revelation1:7].

2. WHAT GOD HAS ACCOMPLISHED. The Bible says:

“For He [GOD THE FATHER] has delivered us from the power of darkness and has translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son [JESUS CHRIST]; in whom we have redemption through His blood, the remission of sins. The Pre-eminence of Christ who is the image of the invisible God, the Firstborn of all creation.”

[Colossians1:13-15MKJV].

3. THE WISDOM OF GOD.

“With Him is wisdom and strength; He has wisdom and understanding.”

[Job12:13MKJV].

“I will bless Jehovah, who has given me wisdom; my heart also instructs me in the nights … “To Him who by wisdom made the heavens; for His mercy endures forever … He appoints the number of the stars; He calls them all by their names. Great is our LORD, and of great power; There is no limit to His understanding.

[Psalm16:7; 136:5; 147:4-5MKJV].

“For Jehovah gives wisdom; out of His mouth come knowledge and understanding … He lays up sound wisdom for the righteous; He is a shield to those who walk uprightly … Jehovah has founded the earth by wisdom; by understanding He has founded the heavens.

[Proverbs2:6-7; 3:19MKJV].

“For the preaching of the cross is foolishness to those being lost, but to us being saved, it is the power of God. For it is written, "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and I will set aside the understanding of the perceiving ones. Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the lawyer of this world? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world by wisdom did not know God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save those who believe. For the Jews ask for a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block, and to the Greeks foolishness. But to them, the called-out ones, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God.

But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned

. [1Corinthians1:18-24; 2:14; 3:19-20MKJV].

“O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out!”

[Romans11:33MKJV].

Chapter 2

Cosmos or Chaos?

1. Defining Cosmos & Chaos.

1.1 Cosmos:

“The word is generally used to suggest an orderly or harmonious universe, as it was originally used by Pythagoras in the 6th century B.C.”

[Merriam-Webster].

1.2 Chaos:

“A confused mass or mixture … A state of things in which chance is supreme especially: the confused unorganized state of primordial matter before the creation of distinct forms … the inherent un predictability in the behavior of a complex natural system …”

[Merriam-Webster].

2. What Christians believe. Christians believe in Life-after-Death and that God (i.e., the ‘YHWH’ of Moses and Mt. Sinai) created, maintains and manages the Universe (i.e., the ‘orderly and harmonious Cosmos’):

“Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and measured out the heavens with a span? And who has shut up the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance? … I have made the earth and created man on it; I with My hands have stretched out the heavens; and all their host have I commanded.”

[Isaiah40:12; 45:12MKJV].

3. What Atheist-Evolutionists ('Scientific Pantheists') believe. Atheist-evolutionists (scientific pantheists) ‘believe’ (!) in Death-after-Death and that the Universe (the ‘Chaos’, they should say) was created and is managed and maintained by the sheer serendipitous accident and random chance of ‘natural forces’ without any specific intelligently-designed reason or purpose in mind and without the help of any so-called ‘Intelligent Designer’ or ‘Almighty Creator’ (God).

4. Biogenesis vs. Spontaneous Regeneration. Christians thus support the idea of biogenesis i.e. (perishable) ‘BIOS’ life driven and upheld by God’s pre-existing (imperishable) ‘ZOE’ Life. Thanks to God’s ‘ZOE’ life, Jesus Christ was raised from the dead within only three days, whereas evolutionists, after millions of years of so-called ‘evolution’ and centuries of the study of ‘Darwinism’, can still (at best) only promise us:

(i) Death-after-death.

(ii) a 100% mortality rate for all forms of life for every generation alive on earth and with no better promise forthcoming; and

(iii) a membership card from your nearest atheist association or secular humanist society.

AUTHOR PROFILE

P. J. Stassen, born in 1947 in Randgate, South Africa, holds a B.A. degree in Industrial Psychology & Sociology (Industrial) from the University of South Africa. A former businessman who, after mandatory military conscription, spent the first 12 years of his life in 1966 in the field of retail (Textiles & General Dealer) in a family business begun by his father in 1964, thereafter worked at various other jobs eventually arriving in the fulfilling position of a corporate trainer with Kumba Resources (formerly Iscor Iron Ore Mine) in the Bushveldt region of South Africa during the years 1986 and 1997. At the time of his retirement in 2013 he was engaged in Occupational Health & Safety Training in the corporate environment on a contract basis for a Johannesburg company.

P.J. Stassen and his wife are both retired and live in Centurion, South Africa after having also served in their capacities as gospel musicians (pianist & organist respectively) in churches in some of South Africa’s nine provinces, e.g., in places like Vanderbijlpark, Bloemfontein, Thabazimbi, Sinoville and Centurion.