Heathen To Heaven In Four Stages

Joseph Ng, elder son of my church's late founding pastor came up with four stages of preaching the good news. Instead of the "God loves you and have a wonderful plan for you" stuff as the beginning, he replaced it with the introduction of the creator God and his coming judgement.

Stage 1

Then I saw another angel flying in mid air, and he had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth - to every nation, tribe, language and people. He said in a loud voice, "Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water." (Revelation 14:6-7 NIV)

For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead." (Acts 17:31 NIV)

You frightened the unbeliever sufficiently with God and judgement until he cried out, "What must I do to be saved?"

Sign of change:

Fear. Human growth equivalent - none that I can think of.

Stage 2

They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved - you and your household."  (Acts 16:31 NIV)

At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his household were baptized. (Acts 16:33 NIV)

You say, "Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved." and he replied, "I believe!" and you get him baptized.

Sign of change:

Baptism. Human growth equivalent - birth of a baby.

Stage 3

Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, instruction about cleansing rites, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. (Hebrews 6:1-2 NIV)

You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things. Farewell. (Acts 15:29 NIV)

You feed him with 6-point milk and 4-don't porridge until he matures.

Sign of change:

No single significant moment. Human growth equivalent - reach puberty, voice change, grow hair, grow big.

Stage 4

A fully grown adult.

Others
These are some other things I wrote in this blog on Christian Living:
Bringing Up the New Man
Do
What Every Christian Must Do - 1 Overview
What Every Christian Must Do - 2 Read
What Every Christian Must Do - 3 Pray
What Every Christian Must Do - 4 Grow
What Change When One Becomes A Christian
How Should Christians Live
Christian Living Summary For April 2019

The Saving Truth

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9 KJV)

We are saved by the grace of God.
We are saved by the grace of God through faith.
We are saved by the grace of God through faith in the truth.
And this is the truth that saves - Christ died for our sins (1 Corinthians 15:3).

After he had suffered, he also presented himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. (Acts 1:3 CSB)

Many people have faith in things that are not true or in things that are not provable. Religions are actually the biggest scam in the world because the solutions provided by religions do not have grounding in truth. Many religious leaders popped suddenly into history claiming to be somebody and having a solution that saves without proving that the solution is true. But Jesus proved that He is truly the Son of God and that He is able to save by His resurrection.

And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied. But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. (1 Corinthians 15:17-22 NIV)

The Bible never teaches that doing good will save you. The Bible teaches that you are saved by believing in the truth, the saving truth, the historical event that Christ had died for our sin.

Adam did not go to hell for being a murderer, or a robber or a rapist. He was never any of those. He was a much much better person than many of us. He went to hell for not believing in the truth. Where he is, you will be, if you also do not believe in the saving truth.

And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. (John 8:32 KJV)

Worshipped And Stoned

While they were at Lystra, Paul and Barnabas came upon a man with crippled feet. He had been that way from birth, so he had never walked. He was sitting and listening as Paul preached. Looking straight at him, Paul realized he had faith to be healed. So Paul called to him in a loud voice, "Stand up!" And the man jumped to his feet and started walking.
When the crowd saw what Paul had done, they shouted in their local dialect, "These men are gods in human form!" They decided that Barnabas was the Greek god Zeus and that Paul was Hermes, since he was the chief speaker. Now the temple of Zeus was located just outside the town. So the priest of the temple and the crowd brought bulls and wreaths of flowers to the town gates, and they prepared to offer sacrifices to the apostles.
But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard what was happening, they tore their clothing in dismay and ran out among the people, shouting, "Friends, why are you doing this? We are merely human beings - just like you! We have come to bring you the Good News that you should turn from these worthless things and turn to the living God, who made heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them. In the past he permitted all the nations to go their own ways, but he never left them without evidence of himself and his goodness. For instance, he sends you rain and good crops and gives you food and joyful hearts." But even with these words, Paul and Barnabas could scarcely restrain the people from sacrificing to them.
Then some Jews arrived from Antioch and Iconium and won the crowds to their side. They stoned Paul and dragged him out of town, thinking he was dead. But as the believers gathered around him, he got up and went back into the town. The next day he left with Barnabas for Derbe. (Acts 14:8-20 NLT)

The apostles were worshipped for their miracles and stoned for preaching the Gospel. The people only wanted to worship gods they created but hate the real God, who is also the truth.

Undeserved Gift

But the gracious gift is not like the offense. For if by the offense of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many. (Romans 5:15 NASB)

I gave you a land you did not labor for, and cities you did not build, though you live in them; you are eating from vineyards and olive groves you did not plant.' (Joshua 24:13 CSB)

The reality of Israelites gaining land is actual a shadow of our salvation.

The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming - not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. (Hebrews 10:1 NIV)

Read God's Word

Your command makes me wiser than my enemies, for it is always with me. I have more insight than all my teachers because your decrees are my meditation. I understand more than the elders because I obey your precepts. (Psalm 119:98-100 CSB)

Read the Word. It is good for both kings and commoners.

"When he sits on the throne as king, he must copy for himself this body of instruction on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests. He must always keep that copy with him and read it daily as long as he lives. That way he will learn to fear the Lord his God by obeying all the terms of these instructions and decrees. This regular reading will prevent him from becoming proud and acting as if he is above his fellow citizens. It will also prevent him from turning away from these commands in the smallest way. (Deuteronomy 17:18-20a NLT)

The Kingdom Of God in Four Stages

The Kingdom Of God goes through four stages.

Stage 1: Israel
And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel." (Genesis 3:15 NIV)
This stage began from the first prophecy by God to the serpent through His promise to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. It officially started with establishment of Israel through Moses.
The end of this stage came when Judah was destroyed by Babylon. At that moment, it seems that the God of Abraham had lost. Marduk (i.e. Baal), the chief god of Babylon had won.

Stage 2: Unobserved Growth (now)
Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them, "The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed, nor will they say, 'Look, here it is!' or 'There!' for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you." (Luke 17:20-21 ESV)
The kingdom of God in the current age is spiritual, existing within the hearts of believers (Luke 17:21). It began when Jesus preached the Kingdom and will end when He returns as the King.

Stage 3: Restoration of Israel
Stage 3 will start when Jesus will come again as King to rule the world after the Great Tribulation. The end of this stage will come when the current heaven and earth is destroyed and the new heaven and earth is created.

Stage 4: Eternal existence on the new earth
Actually stage 3 and 4 is considered as the eternal kingdom from Isaiah's point of view (Isaiah 65:17-25). Stage 4 will begin will the new heaven and new earth and will not end.

King Immanuel

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14 ESV)

While Jesus was born of a virgin, His name was not Immanuel. So, if Matthew 1:23 had not quote Isaiah 7:14 as a fulfilment of the virgin birth prophecy, we may not be so sure. Wouldn't it better if Isaiah 14:7 is "the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Jesus"?

So, what about the name Immanuel? I think when Jesus comes back again to be the King, He may take the name Immanuel to fulfil Isaiah 7:14 completely and literally. since when He will be ruling as a King on earth, He is literally with us.

See, the virgin will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and they will name him Immanuel, which is translated "God is with us." (Matthew 1:23 CSB)