Discipleship 101: The Battle of Wills

By R. J. Bartholomew

Discipleship 101 The Battle of Wills

For false Christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. Matthew 24: 24 NKJV


Two thousand years ago, a series of events took place that radically changed the hearts and minds of many persons. This change of heart occurred in those who were exposed to, and believed in, the teachings of a man named Jesus. Since then many groups (de-nominations) have risen up. Each claim to have exclusive knowledge and authority that others should surely acknowledge and follow. As a result, a lot of wild growth flourishes along the true pathway making it difficult to walk on. Throughout this book Ive attempted to show many irrefutable truths using scripture and documented history where it seemed appropriate. My purpose has been to try to get people to think critically about what they believe and why they believe it. What Ive tried to do is cut through the briers and underbrush so that you can see the pathway more clearly and move ahead to new heights. Its a beautiful view up there. I invite you to walk along so that you can see it for yourself. If youre an atheist, I know how you feel. Thirty one and a half years ago I was an atheist as well. Back then, there was a lot I didnt know that I now know to be true. I hope youll open your mind and come along too. What youll see will surprise you.


Look among the nations and watch and be utterly astounded. For I will work a work in your days which you would not believe, though it were told you. Habakkuk 1: 5 (NKJV)

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: May 30, 2012
• ISBN: 9781477208328

R. J. Bartholomew

Like many others, I found the doctrines and traditions of different denominations very confusing. Eventually, this confusion led me to quit believing in God altogether. That changed in the fall of 1980. Using scripture and documented history, this writing exposes the many false teachers Jesus and the apostles predicted would arise leading many astray. A must read for atheists and Pastors alike.

Book preview

© 2012 R. J. Bartholomew. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 05/24/2012

ISBN: 978-1-4772-0834-2 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4772-0832-8 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2012909201

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Contents

Introduction:

Chapter 1: Train up a child…

Chapter 2: So they won’t stray…

Chapter 3: Close encounter of the third kind.

Chapter 4: In the beginning, God???   

Chapter 5: Religious Extremism, Superstitions, Vain Imaginations.

Chapter 6: Some Martyrs of the faith.

Chapter 7: A Disciple called Peter.

Chapter 8: Transformation Theology, Transformed Lives or Proselytes?

Chapter 9: Sanctification, set apart for sacred use.

Chapter 10: Review and closing.

References:

Introduction:

Some years back some intellectual thinkers came out with the notion there’s no such thing as absolute truth. Of course, if you asked them if that were absolutely true, they were dumb-founded.

Truth is truth. Whether you believe it or not cannot and does not change it. For example, you cannot change the law of gravity therefore it is wise to operate within that law.

My hope is to convey some meaningful food for thought that will help you and others better understand the need for discipleship training and how to achieve it. Whether you believe in God or not, I hope you’ll agree that freedom and inner peace are goals worth pursuing. True freedom and peace requires each of us to accept personal responsibility for ourselves. That requires honesty, integrity and discipline.

In the following pages I share how a lack of truth and discipline led to a dead end in my life. That changed when….well, I’ll let you take it from there.

I want to thank those who reviewed the original text and offered their honest comments and suggestions. Faithful are the wounds from a friend.

R. J. Bartholomew

This book is dedicated in loving memory of my kid brother Franklin who went to meet the bridegroom January 22, 2007.

Chapter 1: Train up a child…

I don’t like the idea of saying much about myself however it seems needful to give you some background. After all, most of what we learn comes from our own personal experiences and observations especially those learned in childhood.

I was born in 1940 in a tiny village in central PA called Seven Points. There was a one-room schoolhouse at one end of the village and a place of higher learning (a church) at the other end. Both still stand today although the schoolhouse is no longer used as such. We lived in a dilapidated rented farmhouse on the outskirts of the village. It had no electricity or running water and disappeared many years ago. My younger brother Frank was born some nineteen months later though I don’t remember his entrance. He was the seventh child in our growing family that eventually grew to eight.

Of course, I didn’t know there was a war going on nor did I know that the nation had come through a depression not many years before. We were a church going family. We were Lutherans whatever that meant. And we were dirt poor but I didn’t know that either. Somewhere about the age of two we moved to another farmhouse owned by my Mom’s father who lived on the adjoining farm. Like the place we’d just moved from, our new home had no electricity or running water. Since I didn’t know what those were I naturally didn’t miss them.

When I was about five years old, Dad and Mom bought a small house with four acres of land. We finally had something that was ours. We owned it! Though it’s hard to describe, there was a decidedly new sense of freedom. I didn’t realize it at the time but we even had electricity. Eventually, we even got an indoor bathroom. No more Saturday night baths in the old washtub. I guess it must have seemed rather crowded to some what with four brothers and three sisters. Our Mom and Dad occupied the only bedroom. My three older brothers slept in the unheated sun-porch. And my sisters and younger brother and I slept in the attached garage. Although the house has seen many renovations since, it was home for many years until I enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1960.

For the most part, I thoroughly enjoyed those childhood experiences. I wouldn’t trade them for the world. One of the things that sticks in my mind from early childhood had to do with church. I was about five or six at the time. The preacher must have preached a pretty good sermon that day. Maybe I was just listening pretty good for a change. Whichever the case, I remember sitting there in church feeling real close to Jesus. It was like He knew me and cared about me even though I wasn’t always the best behaved kid most of the time. For some brief moments He was like a hero to me along with Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny of course. I guess when I learned that Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny didn’t really exist, my little mind figured this Jesus fellow fell into the same category.

As with many kids back then, I started earning my own money about the age of ten. Whether it was picking beans for the local cannery or delivering newspapers or working on local farms the opportunities seemed endless. And at twenty-five cents an hour I was able to buy my own school-clothes as well as other stuff. The first seeds of independence were taking root. I can’t help but feel sorry for many kids today who aren’t taught to fend on their own.

Eventually, that quest for financial independence resulted in a real ‘business’ venture for my brother Frank and