Hello or Greetings,
Dear Friend,
We are
most happy to have you join with us in this beginning I.B.S. lesson series
called “Good News”.
We
sincerely wish the best to you and your loved ones. This study may well be the most important one
in your life. We will be looking deeply
into a message that has brought new life to millions and millions of people
since it first became known. We cannot
personally greet you at this time but hopefully that time will come.
These lessons
are about the ‘good news’ that has come to us in our world from our God in
heaven. The ‘good news’ is contained in
the Bible. It has been called the
most priceless possession of the human race.
Millions of copies of it are printed each year.
There is a clear difference between this message and all other
messages. Many people were used by God
to put it into words and into print.
But, behind this ‘good news’ message is God, the actual author.
You will find much in this series of studies to think about. We believe you will be blessed by the message they have for you. We look forward to hearing from you and answering your questions. We want to help you understand and accept this ‘good news’ message.
These
lessons will only open the door to what can really make life great. Our goal is to share with you that which has
been a blessing to many, many others.
May God bless you on your
way . . .
INTERNET, Correspondence Bible
Studies
The
#1. www.internationalbibleschool
#2. www.internationalbibleschool.info/Englishadvanced/
We partner with others who
can refer you to IBS lessons.
#1. www.white-fields.info/ go to> Our Mission > Teaching Tools
#2. www.latm.info/ go to> IBS::Partners and Teaching Ministries.
#3. www.abarc.org go to> ABARC > Many Other Great
Why
Take This Basic IBS Course if you have not yet done so?
We believe the Bible has
the answer to life’s most important questions.
And, we want to help you, and others you are reaching out through this
beginning IBS correspondence course to . . .
1. Better understand what life should
be all about.
2. Know what it means if
we live our lives without Christ.
3. Face the fact that the
world cannot meet all of our needs.
4. Find out what God’s
greatest desires are for you.
5. Find out how forgiveness
from God can be yours through Christ.
INSTRUCTION FOR ALL STUDENTS
Welcome to
First, read and
complete the Introductory Lesson if you have not done so. Be sure to use the Bible as you study if you
have one. If you see a Bible reference
like John
Directions for studying lessons #1 through #6:
a. Read each lesson carefully. Please look up the references in the Bible each time one is given.
b. After you have studied a lesson, go to the Lesson Questions.
c. Open the Lesson Questions. Cut and paste the questions in e-mail.
d. Answer the questions for each lesson, one lesson at a time.
e. Send the Lesson Questions including your completed answers to the email address as shown.
How we will help you:
a. Review your answers received by e-mail.
b. Make recommendation (including additional information) to help you understand or correct any questions where you chose wrong answers.
c. Answer your questions. Space has been provided at the end of the Lesson Questions for you to ask your teacher any questions you have about the lessons. Be sure to list which lesson and which page in the lesson is the source of your question.
d. E-Mail you your Certificate of Completion. To receive a certificate, you must complete all 7 Good News Lessons.
e. Make recommendations for further study or personal contacts.
Also, you will
find space at the end of the Lesson Questions to give the names of your friends
who might also want to study the Bible with
Beginning
Correspondence Course:
Lesson 1 – Life Without
Christ
Lesson 2 – Forgiveness from God through Christ
Lesson 3 – Jesus is Lord
Lesson 4 – Faith
Lesson 5 – Repentance
Lesson 6 – Baptism
Instructions For This Lesson Series
This opening page is very important. Read it carefully.
Welcome! This course is called GOOD NEWS. It is about God, his son Jesus and how to
accept God’s offer of the forgiveness of your sins and eternal life with God
after your life here on earth has ended. You are urged to take this IBS course before
you take the advanced IBS courses called, THE BOOK and NEW LIFE. These lessons will help you know what
Christianity is and how to become a Christian.
The lesson questions are in a separate attachment that includes
questions for all courses.
1. Before
studying the advanced courses you need to complete this Introductory International Bible
School (IBS) Lesson and the Six-Lessons
that come with it. Then you will be ready to take the advanced
IBS lessons called THE BOOK and NEW LIFE.
2. Pray to
God, your spiritual Father, before each study time. Ask him to help you
understand what he has to say to you in the Bible. Pray about what these lessons can be
teaching you.
3.
Study each lesson carefully. Looking up the pages of Scripture in the
Bible each time they are given.
Sometimes it will be very helpful to read more of what the Bible says
than just the verses listed in the lesson.
Each time you read from the Bible you need to ask yourself: who is
speaking and who is the writer speaking to so you will know if it applies to
you.
4. Answer the questions for
each lesson
before going on to the next lesson. Questions
to the Lesson pages are on a separate webpage that includes questions for all
courses.
5.
Study all the lessons. Answer all
questions for each lesson. You are
encouraged to e-mail the Questions to the Lessons pages for
one or two lessons at a time so your teacher-helper can give you extra help if
you need it..
6.
Mail in just the Questions to the Lesson pages.
Do not e-mail the whole lessons back to your teacher-helper. Your
answers will be corrected by your teacher-helper and returned to you. Include any of your own comments, questions,
or observations and send them at the same time. Be sure to write down the
lesson, page and question number you are referring to for each comment,
question or observation.
7. Print
out the questions page with your answers . Use it to check your answers when the corrected answer pages
are e-mailed back to you. Also, use it
to help you in future Bible studies and as you become a teacher of others.
8. Include
the names and address of all your friends who wish to study the Bible with
IBS. E-mail the names and addresses to your teacher-helper with your answers on
the Questions
to the Lesson pages.
May God bless you as you
study.
The “Good News” Lesson Series
--All Scripture quotes are from
the New International Version (NIV) of the Bible--
Are you looking for the truth? The world's greatest teacher, Jesus, said, … "If
you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth and the truth
will set you free." (John 8:31-32)
The Bible, your road map to follow for your adventure, is far more than a
doctrinal guidebook. It is God's message to this world. God's
Word generates life, creates faith, produces change, frightens the Devil,
causes miracles, heals hurts, builds character, transforms circumstances,
imparts joy, overcomes adversity, defeats temptations, infuses hope, releases
power, cleanses our minds, brings things into being, and guarantees our future
forever! Always remember that the Bible was not given to increase our knowledge
but to change our lives.
The Bible is divided into two
major parts. One major part is called the Old Testament
and the other part is called the New Testament. These titles are often
abbreviated as OT and NT. Parts of the OT apply only to the Hebrew (or Jewish)
people up to the time of Jesus. But the OT also contains many unchangeable
truths that still apply today.
The OT is made up of 39 separate books and they begin by telling of the beginnings
of our universe, of man, and of sin. The
OT also predicts (or foretells) of God's way of salvation in Christ.
The NT part of the Bible is made
up of 27 separate books. The first four
books, often called the Gospels, tell us about the birth, life, teachings,
death, and physical resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. The next book,
called the Acts of the Apostles, is about Jesus' return to heaven and the
beginning of Christ's kingdom or church. When people become Christians, God
adds them to his church. The very same faith in Christ and obedience to Christ
that makes them Christians also makes them members of the church.
The rest of the New Testament is made up of actual letters (the word
"epistles" means “letters”), written under God's guidance, to
individual Christians or to groups of Christians called churches. The New
Testament closes with a book about the future of the church and this present
world. It is called, Revelation.
Jesus Christ has now returned to heaven to be
with God, his Father. God has made him the head of his church. He is now the
king reigning over this church, his spiritual kingdom. The NT is especially for
those interested in becoming Christians as well as those wanting to know
more about Jesus Christ. It is a daily guide for those of us who live
today.
YOU CAN GET TRANSLATIONS OF THE BIBLE IN SIMPLE ENGLISH at www.biblegateway.com. Enjoy your study. Ask any questions you may have about this lesson. Your teacher-helper will reply. The other lessons will give more detail about Jesus and what he taught. He can meet and fill the needs of your life.
THE WORLD CANNOT MEET ALL OF MAN'S NEEDS
1. Having
Food, Clothing, and Justice. The Bible says in the OT in Ezekiel 22:29: "The people of the
land practice extortion and commit robbery; they oppress the poor and needy and
mistreat the alien, denying them justice."
2.
Having Happiness. The
Bible says in the OT in Proverbs 14:12, 13: "There is a way that seems
right to a man, but in the end it leads to death. Even in laughter the heart
may ache, and joy may end in grief."
3. Being Loved and Cared For. The Bible says
in Psalms 142:4: "Look to my right and see: no one is
concerned for me. I have no refuge; no one cares for my life." And in
Psalms 102:7 it says: "I lie awake; I have become like a bird alone on a
roof." Job
4. Feeling
Good About What One Has Done. The Bible says in the OT in Ecclesiastes 2:11: "Yet when I
surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve,
everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under
the sun."
5. Having
a Satisfying Purpose For Living. The Bible says in Ecclesiastes 5:10:
"Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never
satisfied with his income. This too is meaningless.” Eccl. 9:3 adds this, “This
is the evil in everything that happens under the sun: The same destiny overtakes
all. The hearts of men, moreover, are full of evil and there is madness in
their hearts while they live, and afterward they join the dead." Not very encouraging is it.
6. Having
Security. The Bible says
in the NT in
7. Having
Deliverance. The Bible
says in the NT in Romans 7:22-25: "For in my inner being I delight in
God's Law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war
against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work
within my members. . . . Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God - through Jesus Christ our Lord!" (The three
dots [ . . .] mean that part of the sentence or
paragraph has not been printed)
8. To
Overcome Failures. The
Bible says in Psalms 40:12: "For troubles without number surround me; my
sins have overtaken me, and I cannot see. They are more than the hairs of my
head, and my heart fails within me."
9. Living
a New Life of Hope and Acceptance. The Bible says in the OT in Psalms 142:4: "Look to my right and
see; no one is concerned for me. I have no refuge, no
one cares for my life." But in the NT in Ephesians 2:11-13 it says:
"Therefore, remember that... you who are Gentiles by birth . . . that at
that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in
GOD'S GREATEST DESIRES ARE . . .
1.To have a personal relationship with
all people.
2. To meet the deepest of our human needs completely and fully.
Question: "Who is this God that is being spoken of?" He is best known through his love letter called the Bible. Let us take a look at what it says
a. He is the creator of the universe. At the very beginning of the Bible in Genesis 1:1, it says: "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."
b. He is a concerned God who is personally involved with us, his creation. Psalms 34:18
says: "The Lord
is close to
the brokenhearted and
saves those who
are crushed in spirit."
c. He is God, the only one, who has unconditional love for all of people, … whoever!
John
d. He gives us a choice. In Isaiah
1:18, God says through the prophet Isaiah, "Come now, let us reason
together,' says the Lord. 'Though your sins are like
scarlet, they shall be white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they
shall be like wool."
GOD DESIRES AND IS ABLE TO MEET AND FILL ALL HUMAN NEEDS
But he wants us to be more concerned about the
spiritual and eternal than our present, physical cares.
1. Food
And Clothing -
2. Real
Happiness - Psalms
144:15; Psalms 16:11: "Blessed are the people of whom this is true;
blessed are the people whose God is the Lord." "You (God) have made
known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with
eternal pleasures at your right hand."
3. Acceptance - God accepts all people but does not approve
of the conduct of all people. Acts
4. Being
Loved and Cared For --
Romans 5:8 "But
God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners,
Christ died for us." 1 John 3:1
("1 John" is a small book at the end of the NT.) "How great is
the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of
God! And that is what we are!"
5. Having
an Adequate Purpose For Living -- 1 Corinthians 6:19-20: …"You are not
your own; you were bought with a price. Therefore honor God with your
body."
6. Having
Security - Romans
8:35-39: "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or
hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or sword? As it is written: 'For your sake we face death all day long: we are considered
as sheep to be slaughtered!' No, in all these things we are more than
conquerors through him who loved us. For I am
convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor
demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither
height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate
us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
7. Having
Deliverance -- 2 Timothy
4:18: "The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me
safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for
ever and ever. Amen."
8. Overcoming
Failures -- Philippians
3:13-14: … "But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining
toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God
has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."
9. Hope -- Romans 5:5: "And hope does not
disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy
Spirit, whom he has given us." Ephesians 2:13: "But now in Christ
Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of
Christ."
IT'S YOUR CHOICE
Isn't is great that God himself would give you the
opportunity to make your own choice about which way of life you prefer to live
and experience. The world's way of life never completely fulfills nor offers a
personal relationship with God our Creator and Father. If your choice is
accepting and living for God, God explains through his Bible how you can come
into this great relationship with him.
1. The way to live in unending fellowship with God has already been provided for you. You can't buy your way into it. You can not do enough good deeds to receive it. It is a GIFT, a gift from God he lovingly wants you to receive. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, "For it is by GRACE you have been saved, through faith - and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast."
2. Receiving this wonderful new life of fellowship with God is simple
but it involves your whole life. It
involves a FAITH in God that trusts him to save you from the
penalty of your sins and to restore you to fellowship with him. Hebrews 11:6
says, "And without faith is impossible to please God, because anyone who
comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly
seek him."
It involves an inner change of mind called REPENTANCE--a change about God, ourselves, and our life on earth. The
idea is to give up your will to do as you please and rebuild your life
around doing what pleases God. Jesus said in Luke 13:3 and 5, "But unless
you repent, you too will all perish."
It involves a change that must come from the
center of our being and result in a changed way of life. Your publicly
spoken CONFESSION of your faith in God and trust in Jesus
Christ is a beginning part of making this total change. Romans
This wonderful change process comes to its
climax with what God calls BAPTISM in the Bible.
Here our old life under sin's consequences ends and our new life that is
eternal and everlasting begins. Here we demonstrate
our faith, totally depending on God's offer of his FREE GIFT. We bury the past
by being baptized (immersed in water) into Christ. We are
now his and God's free gift of salvation from
sin (plus God's personal fellowship with us) begins. "Repent and be
baptized, (immersed) every
one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of your sins. And
you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit" (Acts
3. TODAY,
you have studied a small portion of God's wonderful love letter, the Bible.
God's desire is that you choose him as Lord of your life. Then he will come one
day to take us home to heaven to be with him. We pray your choice today will
be for the one true God and his son, Jesus Christ. Do not be left out of
heaven when God through Christ returns to take his children home.
Isn't it great! But, God has left the choice up to you! Please let your teacher-helper know if you would need further assistance in accepting and receiving God's free gift of salvation to you.
Click here to go on to Lesson One.
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