Volume 28 Issue 4
A publication of Focus Evangelistic Ministries, Inc
Winter 2018/19
THE COMMUNICATOR
Focus Evangelistic Ministries, Inc. PO Box 498 Danielsville, GA 30633
To Answer a Skeptic
Even Though he is Rude
In headlines this week, a college professor rudely posted that God was immoral in His actions toward Mary, a teen girl, by impregnating her. We should expect self-righteous skeptics like this professor, but we should answer with truth and love. We don’t need to get down in the mud with such people, as some did; we should just be ready to give a solid answer from the Bible while advancing our matchless gospel.
What Did Happen With God and Mary?
Mary asked the angel how she could bear a child since she had known no man intimately (Luke 1:34). The angel answered Mary that the Holy Spirit would do two things for her that would cause her to bear a baby. He would “come upon” her and His power would “overshadow” her.
Neither of these two actions were unclean. The two actions are found in Luke 1:35:
“And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.” – Luke 1:35
#1 “Come Upon.” The exact phrase “come upon” is used in several other places in scripture. “Come upon” never refers, in any of the scriptures, to any sexual act. For example, in the book of Acts, the Holy Spirit “comes upon” a whole group of men. It simply means that He appeared to them powerfully. Here is the text:
“But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” – Acts 1:8
#2 “Overshadow.” The second act of the Holy Spirit towards Mary was that His power would “overshadow” her. This word is also found in several places in scripture and neither does it describe a sexual act. For example:
“While he thus spake, there came a cloud, and overshadowed them: and they feared as they entered into the cloud.” – Luke 9:34
We need not be concerned that any actions of the Holy Spirit or the Lord Jesus Christ were unclean. The Holy Spirit simply, but miraculously, came to Mary and used His power to place a growing baby inside her womb, the everlasting Son. The Lord Jesus Christ was not begun in Mary’s womb; He is forever God. Mary’s womb was simply the place where the Holy Spirit placed Christ’s body, by His overshadowing spiritual power.
Why is it Important that Mary was a Virgin at the Birth of Jesus?
The fact that Mary was a virgin when Jesus was born is important because it verifies the foretold miracle of how the Savior would come.
This is an awesome and tender expression of the greatest love ever known, that God became man in order to mediate between God and man. Christ was not tainted by the sinful seed of man, through Joseph. If so, Christ would be conceived in Adam. Rather, Christ was shepherded by the Holy Spirit from His preexistent spiritual state into the tender body of a baby boy inside the innocent womb of a virgin.
Why would eternal God take on a human body that would be subject to hunger, thirst, and nerve endings that would cause Him pain? Here is why. He was driven by His love for us to die for the penalty of our sins. In order for God to die, He must possess a body.
“For He hath made Him to be sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.” – II Corinthians 5:21
Don’t be discouraged by skeptics. Those who knew the most, who were on the scene, who heard angels, and were eyewitnesses of it all, testified that Jesus is holy God, and that he had come that all people could be saved from their sin. Those who had far more knowledge than we possess spread the story abroad and left their witness in the pages of inerrant scripture so that we too might believe in Him. Our belief in Christ, and nothing else, moves God to give us eternal life.
From the Mail Bag…
“I love your camp and your mission as I have seen the great outreach you do and all the places you go.”
“Thanks for your faithfulness to the gospel and your friends…”
“Grace Farm has had such an impact on my spiritual life and has encouraged me so much through the years and made my love for Christ stronger.”
Grace Farm Wish List
The following items are current needs at the Grace Farm Project.
Tools of all kinds for tool shop (shop and garden, hand and electric)
Flower bulbs and seeds
Kitchen equipment: Dishwasher
Tractor (40 h.p or larger preferred)
Haying equipment (cutter, rake, square baler, hay conveyor)
Tractor implements: rollover blade, plows, pulverizer
Hay trailer
Grandpa’s 2-horse wagon
Video projector
MacBook Pro laptop computer
Adobe Creative Suite Software
Paintball equipment
“Heatilator” Fireplace Unit
F.E.M.I. is a non-profit organization. All gifts are tax deductible. Freddie is supported through the financial support of churches and families who love him and believe in the ministry that God has entrusted to him. All bookings are handled through the ministry office on a first come basis. Freddie does not charge a fee for his speaking ministries but trusts the Lord’s people to care for and support him.
Gifts or Contact by mail: FEMI PO Box 498 Danielsville GA 30633 Phone: 762-218-3060
To Fathers and Grandfathers, Respectfully
Spiritual leadership for your family has been given to you. The best way to make sure your children, grandchildren, and others in the family know the good news of Jesus is to use this formula:
Special Event + Honor = An Opportunity to be Heard.
There is something deep inside us that appreciates order and recognizes authority. When you use authority for the good and right, it will usually be respected and earn a hearing. So, when the family is together, whether around the Christmas tree with little ones or an extended family feast, use the honor and responsibility assigned to you in the family as the patriarch.
Step up! Draw attention to the Bible you are holding, showing that you are ready to read a special passage from it. Call attention to your words as you simply explain the most important thing in your life, your faith in Jesus Christ. Explain how important it is to you, personally, that everyone in the family trusts in the Lord. Be short. Be sweet. Be intentional. Fear nothing except that some around the room might die without having eternal life.
Call on them to believe in Christ for salvation. Call on those who know Christ to live for Him.
Donating to our Ministry is Easy!
Merry Christmas to you!
“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.” – Luke 2:11
“For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.” – II Timothy 2:5,6
