General Discipleship 100 will enable you to observe God's relationship with man since creation. The Old Testament depicts Israel's failures to overcome sin, self, and Satan by keeping the Law. Israel's history will help us understand why we struggle in our relationship with God. Through this book, we will discover God's solution to our dilemma as hidden within the prophecies of the Messiah. Ron joined the military at the age of seventeen with the hope of adventure. On the flight to boot camp, he heard God's voice: "Ron, are you going to live the rest of your life for yourself, or are you going to live for Me?" By the time the plane landed, Ron had made Jesus both his Savior and Lord. During his time in the military, he was nicknamed "reverend" because of the radical change in his attitude, behavior, and character. After an honorable discharge, Ron endeavored to serve his Lord Jesus Christ in instant, absolute obedience. Christians first recognized Ron's prophetic gift while he was working in the inner city. His heart was broken by the church's apathy to the poor and by their conformity to the world. The Bible defines the gift of prophecy:
And if I have the gift of prophecy and know all mysteries and all knowledge; ...but do not have love, I am nothing. (1Co.13:2 NIV)
The gift of a prophet is used to reveal God's truth and will to man. Ron wished that he could relive the past with the knowledge he now has. He would appreciate avoiding all those difficult times in which he struggled with life. However, these were the negative events that shaped his character--like being hammered on the anvil of life.
Ron's study of the Old Testament allowed him to grasp that humanity experiences evil because mankind rebelled against God, which placed them under Satan's control. Thankfully, God restrains man's evil intent to be within His will. With an understanding of the Old Testament, Ron not only identified with Israel but also came to understand why he failed at times and how Jesus could enable him to overcome sin. The focus of this book is to share the lessons he learned from the Old Testament in the hope that you too can identify why you sin and find freedom to live a life pleasing to God.
keywords: Old Testament, origin, Israel's history, discipleship, spiritual, sin, evolution, legalism, Messiah, prophesy, new covenant, Judaism
