FOFA Show Notes and Blog

10-13-24 EP 15 The First Letter

In the latest episode of Forgiven Once for All, Shannon delves into the rich tapestry of 1 Thessalonians, one of the earliest writings of the New Testament. This ancient letter, penned by Paul, serves as a beacon of hope and resilience for the fledgling church in Thessalonica, and its timeless wisdom continues to resonate with us today. As we explore the transformative power of community, faith, and prayer, we are reminded of our unique purpose and the fervent love of God, even amidst life's trials.

1 Thessalonians stands as a testament to the enduring power of community and faith. Written between 45 and 52 AD, this epistle is considered by scholars to be the first book of the New Testament. Paul's heartfelt connection with Sylvanus and Timothy not only anchors this letter in history but also exemplifies the importance of supportive relationships in spiritual growth. As Paul expresses his prayers for the Thessalonians, he underscores the critical role that prayer plays in strengthening the bonds within a faith community.

The opening verses of 1 Thessalonians are a profound exploration of faith, love, and hope. Paul praises the Thessalonians for their work of faith, labor of love, and perseverance of hope, highlighting their identity as God's chosen ones. This powerful triad of virtues serves as a foundation for spiritual resilience, enabling believers to navigate life's storms with grace and purpose. By reflecting on these virtues, we are encouraged to consider how they manifest in our own lives and how they can guide us through adversity.

One of the central themes of this episode is the assurance of God's call and love for each of us. Paul reminds the Thessalonians—and by extension, us—that we are set aside for something extraordinary. Despite the challenges we face and the lies the enemy may whisper, we can rest in the certainty of God's love and His special purpose for our lives. This assurance is a source of strength and motivation, empowering us to persevere in our spiritual journey.

As Shannon guides us through the first chapter of 1 Thessalonians, she emphasizes the importance of reading scripture in its entirety. While it is valuable to study individual verses, it is equally important to understand the broader context of the letter. By reading the book as a whole, we can better grasp the continuous thought and intention behind Paul's words, enriching our understanding and appreciation of the message.

The episode also encourages listeners to reflect on how the teachings of 1 Thessalonians resonate with their personal spiritual journey. By contemplating the first four verses, we are invited to consider how God is speaking to us and how we can apply these insights to our lives. This reflective practice not only deepens our connection with scripture but also enhances our awareness of God's presence and guidance.

In conclusion, this episode of Forgiven Once for All offers a compelling exploration of 1 Thessalonians, providing valuable insights into the power of community, faith, and prayer. Through Paul's teachings, we are reminded of our unique purpose and the enduring love of God, inspiring us to face life's challenges with resilience and hope. As we journey through this ancient letter, we are encouraged to embrace the wisdom of Thessalonica and find purpose in trials, supported by the prayers and love of a community that stands with us.

 

7-3-24  Welcome!

Greetings! Thank you for checking out the FOFA website! I am excited you are here. I created FOFA because of an issue I personally struggled with, an issue I see many others suffering from everyday. I came to a place in my Christian life where I was at a dead end. I had been a Christian for more than 20 years, and I found myself in a place where I did not want to go to Church anymore. I was doing all the right things I had been taught, reading my Bible and prayer. There was something missing, I loved God but was getting a confusing picture of His love for me from what is being taught as Christianity today. I seen God the Father as the Angry Dad that was always disappointed with my performance, no matter how hard I tried, how much I prayed, I was never sure He was ever pleased with me. I saw Jesus as the one who loved me, because He gave his life for me. I was taught that is was Jesus who took the brunt of the Father's anger at the cross. Jesus was the only reason I was acceptable to God. Jesus kept God's wrath from coming down on me as in the sermon by Jonathan Edwards "Sinners in the hands of an angry God". The weight of this struggle for acceptance was crushing. I would tell people "God loves you" but deep inside I did not really feel loved by Him. I came to a place where I was spiritually spent. Was this all there was to Christianity? Is it a trudge through uncertainty and a constant struggle to be better? Here we are, several years later and I can tell you I have found the answer, NO! Jesus promised abundant life and I have found it! Real Christianity is exciting, and leaves you fulfilled. Best of all, I learned that The Father was not disappointed or angry with me but the exact opposite! I learned the Father was madly in love me. So I created Forgiven Once For All to help share what I have learned. Dig into the podcast, check out the resources I post from time to time. Learn about the amazing love The Father has for you!

 

7-4-24 EP 1 Show notes

 

In Episode 1 I spoke about the Good News, the Gospel. We explored the fact that today, the message we preach is not in fact the same message that Jesus or the early Church preached. We are missing the power and dynamic of the original message. Even though we live in an age where the Bible and christian teaching is available everywhere. If our gospel is not moving us with compassion for those who are hurting then we need to look at our beliefs. Are we recalling the abundant life Jesus promised? Is that abundant life flowing from us to others who are lost and hurting. We cab be a beacon of hope radiating Good News! The Gospel Jesus, The Apostles and early church leaders was not about getting people out of hell. The message the church called the gospel changed after the teachings of Augustine around 340-430 AD. As the church expanded, there were 2 different parts of the Church, East (Orthodox) which spoke Greek and West (Catholic) which was Roman and spoke latin. Augustine was a western church leader who played a key part in forming the theology of the Catholic Church. All our Protestant Denominations derived their doctrine is some for or fashion from the Catholic Church. The Catholic Church dominated Christian thought and teaching for the next 500 years. the Bible was kept in Latin only, and the common people were illiterate but even if they could read they were not allowed to read Scripture. In 1517 Martin Luther started the Protestant movement when he left the Catholic Church. the Bible began to be translated into English and other languages. 

We have lost the meaning of The True Gospel of abundant life and have traded it for one where we are waiting in misery for Jesus to return and make it all better. We have missed the point of the Good news. We are missing out on the sweet rivers of living water flowing out from us and on us ready to heal and bring joy and peace from the throne of a loving Father.

 

7-4-24 EP 2 Show Notes

 

We looked at the History of the Church and how the Gospel Was passed down and How over time we added our own beliefs and traditions to the original message. Consequently we have lost the pizzaz of the true message and traded it for a cheap substitution. The Gospel is not a 12 step program, not a self help guide, not a religion or denomination. It is not a set of rules, or a moral standard or mental high ground which we can achieve. It is something that should change the way we think, the way we act, the way we speak, and the way we live our lives. The true Gospel was so powerful that it shook the world at the time it was first preached. If we were to share the same Gospel that Jesus gave us it would have the same results. The true Gospel message is simple, Jesus came, died and rose again. He completely defeated death hell and the grave. By his blood Jesus has purchased forgiveness for all sin for all men for all time. He has established his kingdom on earth and it is called the Church. We have been reconciled to God, we are at peace. When God looks at us he sees us as His son is, blameless. The true Gospel is not a call to action but a proclamation. When we hear, and believe the Gospel message it changes how we live and act. We now believe we are forgiven, and that confidence in the power of the blood causes us to see the Father in a different light. We live our lives in power and abundance. We can live as we were truly meant to, at peace and unity with the Father. Unfortunately we like rules, because it gives us something to do to be better. We feel there is something we can add to the work of Christ at the Cross. Today we have changed the Gospel into one where we have to work as well. We have changed the true message into one of works to fit our need for rules. The True Gospel was changed slowly over Church history. From the early Church to the Catholic Church The Gospel was reduced to a system of penance and buying your way out of purgatory. Martin Luther mad a stand and started the Protestant Reformation. the Bible was once again accessible to the people. After several years many denominations and beliefs were formed. This is where we are at today. The True Gospel is still not the message of today. We have once again made the Gospel about us. If we make the Gospel about anything other than Jesus then it is not the Gospel, but something different. This false gospel we have accepted has lead to futility and disappointment. It was the living water that caused the disciples leave everything for the sake of this life changing message. The true Gospel, the one of freedom, grace, power and forgiveness will change our generation. It will change our world, if we would preach it instead of the cheap second we have settled for. The pre planned lessons we teach every Sunday instead of spirit led teaching. We have created another system where men must do penance and perform action to get forgiveness and favor from God. We have done the same thing again, the same thing as the Catholic Church had done. We have got to bring back the heartfelt, Spirit filled, life changing Gospel back if we want to change this world. If we want our neighbors to cry out “ what must I do to be saved?” Then we are going to have to show them Jesus. 

 

7-5-24 EP 3 Show Notes

History of the New Testament 

The purpose of this study is to explain the time line and importance of scripture to the church over the last 2000 years 

Did the church always have a bible?

How did the Church grow

What or Who was the source for revelation to the early church fathers

First 200 years after christ was resurrected the church exploded across the known world

It did so without a complete collection of  The New Testament cannon.

2 Tim 3: 14-17

14You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them, 15and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 16All Scripture is [i]inspired by God and beneficial for teaching, for [j]rebuke, for correction, for training in righteousness; 17so that the man or woman of God may be [k]fully capable, equipped for every good work.

Order of authorship of the NT books is widely disputed

Dates range is from 45 AD - 125 AD

Paul was referring to the Old testament which had been well established by this point. The New Testament was still being written. 

315 AD Athanasius, the Bishop of Alexandria, identifies the 27 books of the New Testament which are today recognized as the canon of scripture.

500 AD: Scriptures have been Translated into Over 500 Languages by hand. 

600 AD: LATIN was the Only Language Allowed for Scripture in the Western Church.

1384 AD: Wycliffe is the First Person to Produce a (Hand-Written) manuscript Copy of the Complete Bible; All 80 Books. 

1455 AD: Gutenberg Invents the Printing Press; Books May Now be mass-Produced Instead of Individually Hand-Written. The First Book Ever Printed is Gutenberg's Bible in Latin.

1522 AD: Martin Luther's German New Testament. 

1526 AD: William Tyndale's New Testament; The First New Testament printed in the English Language.

1560 AD: The Geneva Bible Printed; The First English Language Bible to add Numbered Verses to Each Chapter (80 Books).

1611 AD: The King James Bible Printed; Originally with All 80 Books. The Apocrypha was Officially Removed in 1885 Leaving Only 66 Books.

At 500 Ad the Bible had been translated into 500 languages

We have a large gap between 600 - 1384 where the Bible was locked up in only latin, enforced by the western church

It is good to note that the Eastern Church, The Byzantine Church read their Bible in Greek

The KJV was translated  into English in 1611

The Geneva translation was the Bible the puritans brought with them to the Americas

From the Mid 17th to the 20th Centuries The KJV was the standard

The Denominations we have today were based of the teachings and translations of the Western church. 

Catholic to Protestant to Denominational

We now have access to the oldest greek and Aramaic Translations of the NT

The problem is in all this is that we do not speak 2000 year old greek

We do not have the culture of the ancient Mediterranean people

We have lost much in the translation , this is why it is easy for us to mis translate or mis use a verse

Where does this leave us today

the Bible is inspired by God, well preserved, and a source of our faith.

What did the Church do in the first 200 years? They had Christ, who is THE WORD

Let me ask you this, if you had no access to Scripture, could you be a christian?

Does our faith come only from a book? Or are we filled with the spirit of the Living God who inspired that book?

When Paul left Damascus he went to Arabia, he said he was taught the Gospel by Jesus Christ

Gal 1: 11-17

11For I would have you know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel which was preached by me is not [f]of human invention. 12For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.

13For you have heard of my former way of life in Judaism, how I used to persecute the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it; 14and I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries among my [g]countrymen, being more extremely zealous for my ancestral traditions. 15But when [h]He who had set me apart even from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace was pleased 16to reveal His Son in me so that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with [i]flesh and blood, 17nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went away to Arabia, and returned once more to Damascus.

The true Gospel is revealed by God not flesh and blood

Matthew 16:17

Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by My Father in heaven.

Scripture is valuable, it is the written word of God, it is inspired but it does not replace Jesus

 

The Gospel is revealed by the Word, Jesus

The NT was compiled at 315 AD

At around 600 AD, The Written word was locked up in Latin by the Catholic (Western) church for 784 years

World literacy rate by 1400’s was an average of 8.6%

The real Church kept growing, it thrived wether they had scripture or not because they had Jesus, The Word

Jn 1:1

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2[a]He was in the beginning with God. 3All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him [b]not even one thing came into being that has come into being. 4In Him was life, and the life was the Light of mankind. 5And the Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not [c]grasp it.

 

7-7-24 EP 4 Show Notes

In Episode 4 of the Forgiven Once for All podcast, Shannon invites listeners on a transformative journey to rediscover the Bible by balancing the living and written word of God. This episode is a treasure trove of insights on how to approach the Bible in a way that breathes new life into your faith journey. One of the central themes discussed is the importance of understanding the true essence of the Bible. Shannon emphasizes that the Bible is not just a historical text but a living revelation that can profoundly impact our faith when read with the right approach. The Bible's unparalleled historical preservation, with over 5,600 fragments and copies, stands as a testament to its authenticity. However, Shannon reminds us that historical accuracy is only one piece of the puzzle. To truly unlock the Bible's power, we must understand its original context, audience, and cultural background. A key point made in the episode is the distinction between the living word and the written word of God. While the written word is an invaluable resource, Shannon argues that the living word—Jesus Christ—must flow through our reading to bring true revelation and inspiration. This balance is crucial for a genuine grasp of Christianity. Shannon warns against the dangers of taking verses out of context or using scripture as a weapon, as this can lead to misinterpretation and the creation of distorted versions of Christianity. The episode also delves into practical advice on how to read the Bible effectively. Shannon offers several tips to avoid common pitfalls, such as reading verses in isolation or assuming that every verse applies directly to us. Instead, she recommends reading entire chapters and books to grasp the full context and using multiple translations to get a well-rounded understanding. Shannon also stresses the importance of identifying who the scripture was written to and understanding the cultural and historical context in which it was written. One of the most enlightening aspects of the episode is the discussion on reading the Bible from a Christocentric lens. Shannon advises listeners to remove the lenses of denomination, tradition, and preconceived notions and instead focus on what the scripture says about Jesus. By doing so, the Bible will open up to new meanings and revelations, making our faith journey richer and more profound. The episode also touches on the different covenants in the Bible—the old covenant before the cross and the new covenant ratified at the cross. Understanding this distinction is vital for interpreting scripture correctly. The old covenant was based on law and works, showing us our need for a savior, while the new covenant, established through Jesus' sacrifice, is based on grace, love, and redemption. Another important point Shannon makes is the need to communicate with the living word while reading the written word. The Bible testifies and points us to Jesus, and it is through this communication that we can gain true understanding and inspiration. Shannon encourages listeners to see the Bible not just as a set of rules but as a guide that leads us to a deeper relationship with Jesus. In summary, Episode 4 of the Forgiven Once for All podcast is a must-listen for anyone looking to deepen their understanding of the Bible and strengthen their faith. Shannon provides practical tips and profound insights on how to read the Bible in a way that balances the living and written word of God, ensuring that our faith journey is both grounded and inspired.