In this episode, Steve and Greg Harris discuss the innovative strategies undertaken by Through the Bible to spread the word globally through digital platforms. Discover the groundbreaking use of Bible apps, Press Bible technology, and how mobile devices are replacing traditional media players in resource-limited settings. Dive deep into 1 John 2 with Dr. McGee, unraveling the mysteries of walking in light versus darkness and the essence of Christian maturity.
The foundation, ye saints of the Lord, is laid for your faith in God.
SPEAKER 04 :
Welcome to Through the Bible. I’m your host, Steve Schwetz. And I got the doors of the Bible bus held open as you hop aboard, so get on board. And we’re off to 1 John 2, where our teacher, Dr. J. Vernon McGee, continues with our theme of God is love. So as you find your spot in your copy of God’s Word, Greg Harris and I have got a quick update on how God is at work through His Word around the world.
SPEAKER 03 :
And Steve, today we want to take a few minutes to talk about something we reference a lot, which is our commitment to reaching people through digital tools. And we have a little bit of time to explain the whole strategy today. So I hope that by the end of this few minutes, all of us will be more excited that we are getting closer and closer to the true mission of Through the Bible, which is the whole word to the whole world, the whole world.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah. And the way we’re going about it, I think, is unique. And Greg, I do give you a lot of credit for developing the strategy for us. I think it’s important. We’re not simply taking the five-year teaching of Dr. McGee, translating it, and then putting it out on an app. Yes, that is the foundation, the cornerstone of the ministry, but the way we roll it out is unique. So why don’t you share a little bit with us?
SPEAKER 03 :
Thank you. And it’s been an amazing journey, and we could give all the credit to the Lord. But our strategy is this. We’re partnering with a wonderful ministry that is an expert in the whole Bible world, and they are getting us Bible apps. Because guess what, Steve? More people are interested in the Bible than in hearing through the Bible. And we’re okay with that. We’re okay. with that. In fact, if you think of it in fishing terms, it’s like you could throw a bigger net to reach people with the Bible. But here’s the good news. Every Bible app has the TTB teaching embedded in it already. And so people who want the Bible will say, oh, look at this. There’s wonderful teaching for the whole Bible.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah. Now, we’ve also implemented, and I believe… We acquired it, yes. …acquired functionality. Tell us about that.
SPEAKER 03 :
It’s called Press Bible technology that we did acquire, and now we own it. And it’s really cool. You think of you’re reading a Bible on your phone or your tablet. You press and hold any verse in any Bible, in any language, and we bring up the associated through the Bible teaching. So, for example, if you’re in Matthew 1, verse 7, and you touch it, you’re going to hear that radio program of Dr. McGee teaching that whole passage of Scripture.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah, and you may be listening in the English, and you think, oh, well, that’s kind of cool, because I can go right to Dr. McGee’s teaching. But just think, if you downloaded a Bible, and you happen to touch it, and you’re listening to, I don’t know, the Fungbe language, and suddenly someone in your language is explaining what you’re reading. I mean, it is the Ethiopian eunuch in digital form.
SPEAKER 03 :
Yes, yes.
SPEAKER 04 :
coming through the Through the Bible app as a Bible app.
SPEAKER 03 :
Absolutely. And the most exciting part of this technology is that we love to talk about this. We now can reach language speakers literally anywhere on the planet. And radio was great. And we love radio. And we’re using tons of radio. But radio is geographically limited, whereas digital is not.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah, there’s another thing that I think we as we’ve talked about our home groups, those of you that are listening know that the home group strategy for us in South Asia and in other parts of the world is just booming. Well, one of the challenges with that is these things called media players and the tension of how much do they cost? And if you buy them too cheap and the life expectancy of them and they’re coming out of China and they don’t always last really long. So in 90 days, these things fall apart. You know, that’s a problem. So talk about the strategy of how we’re looking to replace that.
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, in addition, you and I have both been to Ethiopia and we have heard in different places, Bangladesh, India, we often hear the leaders say, you gave me seven players and I have 12 groups, which means two things. One is they struggle to get a player to each group, obviously. But the secondary and maybe even more significant issue is the seven or eight or nine or 10 people in that group can’t listen every day. But the strategy is everybody has a phone. You and I have seen this in the poorest of the poor nations, people have smartphones.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yes. You know, and what you said about, hey, you’ve given me three players and whatever. I got eight groups. And what am I going to do? Well, I think about the time I was in Liberia and suddenly we were having a conference with a bunch of people and they got rumors started within that group that there were media players available and they literally started a human stampede to try and get to those media players. It’s like, OK, not only is this dangerous, yes, but we’ve got to fix this.
SPEAKER 03 :
And the way we fix it is to say, you’ve got a smartphone. Here’s the app. And you can download all of the content. Particularly, this is another important part of the strategy, is that you will be able to listen offline. Because many people, as you and I have seen, come to the city and they can get Internet or cell coverage. They can download the teaching from the Book of Mark. They can download audio Bibles, too. And then they can go back and listen offline. And so basically, everybody’s cell phone becomes a unique part.
SPEAKER 04 :
player yeah it’s so exciting and we’ve got we got to have a longer format to talk about all the stuff that’s new because we’re literally just scratching the surface of what the lord is doing in this ministry opening doors for us and we’re seeing so much fruit so much good come out of this because people are turning to christ believers are being built up it’s an encouragement obviously i hope you’re excited as we are we are certainly ministry let’s pray Heavenly Father, we just pray that you would continue to bless this ministry. And above all, Lord, that you would drive people to yourself, that they would engage with your word, and that they would trust Christ for their salvation if they haven’t already, and that you would strengthen believers in their faith. In Jesus’ name, amen. Let’s dive into 1 John 2 as we make our way through the Bible with Dr. J. Vernon McGee.
SPEAKER 01 :
Now, friends, we come back here today to the ninth verse of this very wonderful second chapter of 1 John. And he’s been talking about the fact that if we today are walking in darkness, it’s because we hate our brother. And that means that it’d be impossible as a child of God to walk in light and hate your brother. Friends, if you do, why, it means that there’s something radically wrong with your confession of faith. Now, it doesn’t mean that they’re not some people, that their manner and their habits are very objectionable to you. And there are some people you don’t care to be with that are believers. They have certain habits that you do not approve of, and that is understandable. But the hatred, That is something that reveals that you’re actually in darkness. Now, let me come to this again. He says here, and I’m going to pick up at verse 8. Again, a new commandment. I write unto you which thing is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing. That is the better expression here. The darkness is passing. You can look around you today. It hasn’t passed yet. but it is passing. The fog of ignorance of God’s Word is still much in evidence today. The darkness has passed, and the true light now shineth. That is, the true light, which is the Lord Jesus Christ, is breaking into this world today. He still is the most controversial person that’s ever lived on this earth. Now, verse 9, He that saith he is in the light And hateth his brother is in darkness even until now. Now, loving a fellow believer is the test of genuine faith. And hatred of a fellow believer is evidence that a person is not in the light. And that is something that we need to keep in mind. Now, we need to recognize here that this is the natural darkness in which all men are born. That is the thing Paul talked about in Ephesians 4, 18, when he says, “…having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them because of the blindness of their heart.” Now, that’s the condition of man by nature. But our condemnation is not because of what we are by nature. This is the condemnation that light is coming to the world and men love darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. Now, this is something that is very important. Don’t let this slip by you. You are not responsible because you’re a sinner by nature. But you are responsible if you reject the Savior. You are not responsible because you were born in darkness, because your understanding is dark. But you are responsible if you reject the light that comes to you through the Word of God. Now, this light, which today will chase away all the darkness if you walk in it, instead of turning from it, searching rays, let it search your heart. Now, if man will just keep on rejecting light, there may come a day when God will withdraw the light. Or they’ll become sunburned. Esau was that kind of man. It means red. He was sunburned. And he was sunburned not just physically. He was sunburned spiritually. Do you see what is sunburned? It means that the skin will absorb all the rays of the light except one particular ray. And that’s what burns. And the soul that will not accept Jesus Christ, the light of the world, he’s sunburned, just as Esau was. Now, there is a picture that’s given to us here, and that is, what is the test that you’re in darkness? He that hateth his brother is in darkness. He walketh in darkness, and he knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes. Now, Jesus says, I’m the light of the world. He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. Now, have you truly trusted him? Is he your light? Is he your life today? Is he the one that is guiding you so that you are not hating your brother? Now, you may have a dislike for his habits, a distaste for some of his expressions. And there are some people that our personalities, we just clash with them. And there’s nothing you can do about that. But it doesn’t mean you hate them. I remember when I was in seminary and I roomed with a fellow. And he had some of the meanest habits for a Christian. He could start singing at night after I went to bed and was asleep. He could just start singing and he wouldn’t sing all day long. But by 11 o’clock at night, he’s ready to tune up. And he had a lot of mean habits like that. And so I told him one day, I said, you know, you are the greatest proof to me that I’m a child of God. He says, what do you mean? Well, I said, to me, you are the most nauseating. You are the most sickening Christian that I’ve ever met. But I said, you want to know something? I love you. And, you know, he looked right at me and he said to me, he says, I want you to know that you are the most abominable Christian I’ve ever met. And I want you to know that you’re the hardest person in the world to love. But I love you. And you know, that fellow got in some trouble years later. And I made a trip over to see him. Or I’d help him out if I could. And when I got there, he wasn’t any more lovely than he was in our room with him. He was more objectionable. And I think I was to him. But you don’t have to hate him. That fellow was a child of God. And God marvelously used that young fellow in the ministry. And he was a great fellow. I don’t know why today Christians, when they find out they don’t like somebody, they think the only alternative is to hate them. You don’t have to hate them at all, but you’re to love them. And you can love them as a child of God. But that doesn’t mean you’d like to be around a Christian that sings at 11 o’clock at night when you’re asleep. You don’t care about rooming with a fellow like that. That is for sure. And I think that is what he’s talking about. Now, here is just a little bit of poetry that sets this before us. I heard the voice of Jesus say, I am the dark world’s light. Look unto me, thy morn shall rise, and all thy days be bright. I looked to Jesus, and I found in him my star, my sun. And in that light of life I’ll walk till traveling days are done. This is a tremendous statement, you see. He that hateth his brother is in darkness, walketh in darkness, and knoweth not where he goeth, because darkness hath blinded his eyes. Today, that’s a test of whether you’re a child of God or not. Hating your brother is dwelling in darkness. Loving a brother is dwelling in light. Now, the Christian life is actually a triangle. And it’s a triangle like this. And here’s a triangle that’s good. Draw a straight line across the bottom of the page, horizontal with the bottom of the page. Then up at the top of the page… Put the name God in these light and love and light. Then draw from one end of the straight line at the bottom of the page. Draw another straight line up to God. And then put your name right there at that corner. And you see God is up at the top. And the light of God comes down into your heart and life. And then the love of God also comes down. But your love for him goes up because we love him because he first loved us. Now, at the other end of the baseline. Draw a line from there up to God, a straight line. Well, light has come down and love has come down to this other believer because that’s another believer at that end of the triangle. Now, if you are walking in light down here, it means also you’re going to love your brother. You can’t say you love God and hate your brother. That is impossible, as John’s going to make it very clear a little later on. He’ll come back to this. But now, it seems to me, we have more or less of a departure from the theme that he’s been following, and he begins now to talk about the three different classes of believers. Now, in verse 12, let me read, “…I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name’s sake.” Now, these little children here, and the word is technia, it means dear children, are little born ones again. And I think that means all believers, regardless of their age or their maturity as believers, That’s the basis on which all of us rest. Our sins are forgiven us on the basis of the shed blood of Christ. And notice that. That’s important. I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name’s sake. Now, some stay in that position of little children and don’t move out of that area. Now, we move to another group in verse 13. He says, I write unto you fathers, because ye have known him that’s from the beginning. Now, the fathers are these saints that have known the Lord Jesus for many years. And they’ve grown. They have matured. And they are mature saints who’ve walked with God for years. Now, personally, I think David wrote the 23rd Psalm after he was an old man. David could never have written that psalm as a young man when he was a shepherd. Because this is a psalm that grows out of an experience and of a life that can back it up. A life that’s been through all sorts of vicissitudes, has faced all kinds of problems, been in all kinds of dangers. And it’s a life that has been lived in fellowship with God. And when David wrote the 23rd Psalm, he is a mature child of God. And friends, I mean, by that time, he was really a mature child of God. He had grown up. He could be truly said to be a father. I have called it the psalm of an old king. David, I think, was sitting on the throne. He’s an old man now. And he looks back over his life. And he remembers that shepherd boy that was out there on the hillside at Bethlehem. And how that shepherd boy would take the flock out. How he would protect it from a bear and a lion. And how he would take care of the sheep. And how he protected the sheep. And then he’s made king. And he’s now a shepherd of a people. He’s king over them. And as he sits there on the throne, he looks back over that life. Oh, that checkered career. The time that he had such a wonderful friendship with Jonathan. And the time that he fled from Saul. And then how he became king. And for seven years down yonder in Hebron, he reigned as king. That’s right south of Bethlehem. And how God delivered him and gave him all of the 12 tribes. And he ruled over them. And then David committed that awful sin and how God forgave him when he came back in confession. And then David had trouble in his home because God took him to the woodshed. And this man had nothing in the world but trouble the rest of his life. Now his own son. rebels against him. And he loved that boy. He wanted him to be the next king, but not to rebel against him. David fled from Jerusalem, had to hole up again in the rocks. And then that boy and his followers were slain. And it broke David’s heart. But now David is an old man. He’s sitting on the throne. And he looks back over his life. And he says, now the Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want. Now, he didn’t say, I have not wanted. He could have said that. But this man, now a mature child of God, can say, I shall not want. Then he gives those experiences of how he was led down by green pastures and down by still waters and how God had watched over him. May I say to you, John now is writing to little children, but he’s also writing to fathers. These are mature saints of God. And there are a lot of those around today, and I always thank the Lord for them. And then he says something else here in verse 13. I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one. Now, the young men, they’re not as mature as the fathers. That is, they haven’t had the experience the fathers have, but they’ve learned the secret of overcoming the enemy by the blood of Christ. They have learned how to live for God, and they’re strong. They’re strong. But they’re a young man. They’ve overcome the wicked one. Don’t tell me that a young person can’t live for God today. Then he goes on to say it in verse 13 again. I write unto you little children because you have known the Father. Now, you can’t say much for the little children. These are hidey-eye, immature little folk. They’re those who know they’re the sons of God. But you know that’s all they know? Well, I guess some of them feel like that’s all they want to know. But how many children of God there are today? Immature, little babies. Why, at some churches today, you think you’re in a spiritual nursery. So many little babies around. Oh, they’re full grown, some of them with gray hair on top of their heads. Some of them know her at all, but they’re little babies. They never did grow up. They accepted Christ. I’m not going to argue they’re not God’s children. Now, will you notice he says, verse 14, now, I have written unto you fathers because you have known him that’s from the beginning. Now, the fathers have reached spiritual maturity over a long period of time. They knew the Lord Jesus from the time he was here on the earth. That’s the beginning. And then he says here to the young man, he says, I’ve written unto you, young man, because you’re strong and the word of God abideth in you and you’ve overcome the wicked one. You see, the young men are strong because they know the word of God. And that’s the only way in the world you will ever be strong. Now, you can go to the gymnasium and do setting up exercises and watch TV and do them in your living room. And you may be able to develop a few muscles, but you’ll never be strong in the Lord until you get into the Word of God. There’s nothing but the Word of God, friends, that can make you strong. And we need to be exercised by the Word of God. And they can handle the sword of the Spirit because that’s the only way you can overcome the wicked one is with the sword of the Spirit. And what is the sword of the Spirit? Paul says the sword of the Spirit is the Word of God. And until you are able to handle the Word of God, My friend, you’ll never be strong in the Lord. No wonder so many of us stumble and fall, and it’s because of that. Now, he comes back to this subject about the love of the believer. But, you know, his love is not to be something that is saccharine sweetness. It’s not something that is to slop over on every side. There are certain things he’s not to love. And so we have here in verse 15, love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that’s in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life is not of the Father, but is of the world. Now, we’re going to have to save that till next time. But just let me say this. The word for world here is cosmos. It means what we would call the civilized world today. It would be right now our contemporary culture, our governments, our societies. The way we live today, that is the thing that we need to hate. This world today that’s organized against God. Now, the word does not refer to the physical earth where beautiful roses can grow and tall trees can grow and there are wonderful mountains and there are falls and there are running streams. That’s not what we’re to hate. That is something we can love and relish and enjoy. But now that which we’re to hate is this civilization that’s as corrupt as it possibly can be. We want to talk about that next time. May God richly bless you, my beloved.
SPEAKER 04 :
To deepen your personal study of God’s Word, just visit ttb.org or call 1-800-65-BIBLE if we can help you find a resource by Dr. McGee. I’m Steve Sweats, and I’ll meet you back here next time for the next leg of our trip through the Bible.
SPEAKER 02 :
All to him I owe. Sin had left the prison safe. He washed it white as snow.
SPEAKER 04 :
Well, ride the Bible bus for five years and you’ll be amazed at what God teaches you from his word about what it means to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved. It’s a blessing that keeps on going. That’s what we believe at Through the Bible.
