It has been 56 years since my life was first changed by an encounter with the resurrected Lord Jesus Christ. It has been 56 years of trial and error, successes and mistakes, study and experience, and looking to Jesus with who I am and with what I am. After all my life to this point, it settled within me that God has an answer for us today, and my question to him was this: “God, what is your answer, I mean the real, overall answer, for us today, personally, and as multiple diverse cultures and societies?” Over a period of time I began to see that the simple and forthright answer had already developed in me over a period of time. It was clear. The answer for the world today with all its complexities and advanced technology, and diversity and different cultures is this: Basic New Testament Christianity. So I started a men’s Bible study at our church. It is called “Basic New Testament Christianity, God’s Answer for the World Today. Let’s Go Fishing”.
In a nutshell, what is basic New Testament Christianity and how can it be the answer for us today? Basic New Testament Christianity consists of people having LIFE-CHANGING ENCOUNTERS with God through Jesus Christ that comes from a personal spiritual re-birth (John 3). In these encounters with God we are to become empowered by the Holy Spirit to be filled with and led by God’s supernatural ability to accomplish his work in the earth. This work is that we are governed and guided by his love and faith in daily life and relationships, bringing help, hope, and healing to the world around us. It is living of such a character to reflect the holy life of Jesus Christ in order to walk with a holy God pleasing him in every endeavor of life. It is realizing our place of authority through the name of Jesus, not only living in the liberty of God’s love ourselves, but also setting others free from bondage so they can live in his pure love. It is recognizing God’s plan and committing our lives to live out his vision and passion to reach all people with the good news of Jesus. To do this not only do we live it out personally, but we give ourselves to train others to follow him, and train them to train others to follow him wholly. We are to live daily in the same power in which he lived. We do that by living by the same Word of God by which he lived, and walking in the same Spirit in which he walked. If all people follow Jesus in this manner, we are changed into his likeness, and influence the people around us with that change. This is Basic New Testament Christianity. This is God’s answer for the world today. As we follow Jesus, he makes us fishers of men, to duplicate his life over and over. When this happens, The Answer is activated.