Do We Know the Scriptures and the Power of God?

In Matthew 22, the Sadducees confront Jesus with theological (and irrelevant) questions...

Do We Know the Scriptures and the Power of God? Dear Friends,   Do we know the Scriptures and the power of God?   In Matthew 22, the Sadducees confront Jesus with theological (and irrelevant) questions. They ask Him about the resurrection, and whose wife a woman would be in the resurrection if she had been the wife of seven different husbands on earth. Obviously, their motive was to trick, or trap, Jesus in order to discredit Him.   It is interesting that Jesus answers them with this statement: "You are wrong."   Pastor Richard Wurmbrand taught me an important lesson. He said that we often struggle with answers to difficult questions—but he posed the question: how often do we challenge the question itself? If we ask the wrong questions, we surely will have issues with the answer.   Jesus goes on to tell the Sadducees that they are wrong because they "do not know the Scriptures nor the power of God." (Matt. 22:29, ESV) I personally find this very convicting. How often do I struggle with a question, only to realize that if I understood the Bible and the power of God, I would not even have to ask? Or, better yet, I would have already known the answer! How often do I struggle with a question, only to realize that if I understood the Bible and the power of God, I would not even have to ask? Or, better yet, I would have already known the answer! The Sadducees erred in two ways. First and foremost, they looked at eternity through human eyes. History teaches us that they did not even believe in the resurrection, so their deceptive intentions were clear. Second, they did not recognize the Son of God standing before them, nor the power of His Father! We see a similar example in John 20. Peter and John enter the empty tomb of Jesus and believe that someone took His body. Of this event, the Scriptures say:   "For as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead." —John 20:9   In each of the two cases above, the Gospels refer to the Old Testament, or what is called the "Tanakh," the Hebrew Bible. I have often stated that I believe the most evangelical book in the world is the Old Testament.   When I was a young Christian, I called myself a "New Testament Christian." I was happy to focus on Gospels and other books of the New Testament. I enjoyed reading Genesis, the Psalms, and Proverbs. I enjoyed sermons and movies on the popular Bible stories, but I hadn't really delved into the incredible narrative of the Old Testament yet.   In the illustration above concerning the Sadducees, surely they knew the text of the Tanakh. They knew the laws and traditions. They were even assigned to tend to the Temple. Yet, they were also guilty of not looking at the Scriptures through the lens of the power and redemptive plan of God. Throughout the Old Testament, we read the prophesies and promises of God. And, when we see God's plan, it becomes clear that every event revealed in the narrative points to JESUS! When we see God's plan, it becomes clear that every event revealed in the narrative points to JESUS! I have spoken to multiple front-line mission workers who have confirmed that their mission's biggest threat is not persecution—it is lack of teaching, and the ability for false teachers and prophets to quickly confuse and deceive new converts.   We can hand someone a tract and explain the four spiritual laws. We can share our own testimonies, and lead someone in the prayer of salvation. But the fact remains, if they are not well-versed in the Scriptures, we leave them as babes among the giants of this world. When I started working on iBIBLE, I was excited to provide the world with an animation of the entire Bible. Little did I realize how critical it is to give a tool like iBIBLE to the mission field, and to our own children, for that matter.   Imagine being able to engage with and understand the overarching Biblical narrative in only 18 hours. Even if a new believer only watched iBIBLE for one hour a day, they would be educated on the entire Bible in less than 3 weeks! Even if a new believer only watched iBIBLE for one hour a day, they would be educated in the entire Bible in less than 3 weeks! Many church leaders in the US have encouraged people to discard the Old Testament, or at least not worry about it. Now, if a person reads the Bible simply to debate, or only for the sake of completing it in a year, I would agree. However, if we encourage people to rediscover the Old Testament as seen through the eyes of God's plan to restore mankind, it is the most exciting and life-changing book in history! Those leaders encouraging others to discard it could not be more wrong.   The challenge, or rather, the opportunity is to provide a presentation of the Scriptures in a way anyone can understand and engage with. Every day as I work on iBIBLE, I become more excited about the Bible and more eager to reach the world with a free visual and interactive Bible. It's a massive project, to say the least, but if we don't take up the call to produce it, who will?   Thank you for taking a few minutes to read our emails and engage with the many movies we have distributed for free. Most importantly, thank you for your prayers and support of iBIBLE. Together, we will produce a visual and interactive presentation of the entire Bible, and make it available to translate into any language, free to the world!   Have a blessed Sunday. Steve Cleary CEO/Founder RevelationMedia LEARN MORE ABOUT IBIBLE Join the iBIBLE Team   iBIBLE is the first of its kind. When completed, iBIBLE will reveal the entire Biblical narrative in chronological order in one cohesive story. Join us today as an iBIBLE Producer and help bring God's Divine narrative to life. To learn more and support iBIBLE, visit www.i.BIBLE. SUPPORT THE PRODUCTION OF iBIBLE Copyright © 2021 RevelationMedia, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you opted in via our website. Our mailing address is: RevelationMedia PO Box 850005 Richardson, Texas 75085 Add us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can *update your preferences or *unsubscribe from this list Subscription Information This email was sent to Webmaster220 Bible Study Blog  *the blog owner has deleted the hyperlink intentionally