New Life for the Walking Dead

By Oliver E. Rogers

Are you just another one of todays living dead, trudging through the muck and mire of a joyless, meaningless existence? What if you could be born again into a new lifeone with purpose, direction, and a sense of peace unknown to your previous life?

New Life for the Walking Dead will direct you to God, our Creator, and to Jesus Christ, our Savior and Redeemer, who is the resurrection and the life following physical death. Author and minister Oliver E. Rogers hopes to lead you to the Christian life and explain the necessary steps to assure abundant living. And not only will you learn how to personally cultivate a relationship with the Lord and discover the most transcendent, freeing power in the universe; you will also find out how to share this power with others and be a witness to the spread of Christs church throughout the world.

Life is a story with a beginning and an end, but our physical death is not the last chapter. When life ends here, Jesus will welcome us into heaven, where we shall enjoy eternal life with God, Jesus, and faithful Christians who walked this earth as we haveforever. Truly a comforting, glorious conclusion to the story!

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Jun 26, 2018
• ISBN: 9781973630074

Oliver E. Rogers

Oliver E. Rogers grew up on a farm in Jeffersonville, Kentucky, and he graduated from Morehead State University before being drafted into the US Army to serve in the Korean War; it was at this time he committed his life to the ministry, and he would go on to later receive his masters degree from Harding University and complete major studies toward the PhD in New Testament and early Christian literature at the University of Chicago. For forty years he served as senior minister for two congregations of the Church of Christ, and he has received numerous public honors for service to his community and state. Oliver is also the author of The Faith of Christ, and he and his wife of sixty-three years, Norma, have four children, nine grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.

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Copyright © 2018 Oliver E. Rogers.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This book is a work of non-fiction. Unless otherwise noted, the author and the publisher make no explicit guarantees as to the accuracy of the information contained in this book and in some cases, names of people and places have been altered to protect their privacy.

NIV: Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.

NASB: Scripture quotations taken from the New American Standard Bible® (NASB), Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. www.Lockman.org

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ISBN: 978-1-9736-3005-0 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-9736-3006-7 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-9736-3007-4 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2018906659

WestBow Press rev. date: 06/22/2018

Endorsements

It is refreshing to read a book where the author has a heart for Jesus, for heaven and for helping others find their way to both. Oliver Rogers is a man of the Word and writes in a simple, straight forward manner so only those who refuse the simple teachings of scripture may be inclined to disagree.

Demonstrating great perception on familiar texts, Oliver has an in-depth biblical understanding of the church and what we should look like today. Ending with a plea that Unity is Possible, Oliver draws readers back to the Word and challenges each of us to be obedient followers.

Louis F. Butterfield

Ed. D., Professor Emeritus

Harding University, Searcy, Arkansas

The Mission of Jesus Christ, by Oliver Rogers, is a must read and study for every student of the Bible. Rogers provides an excellent panoramic overview of Christ’s mission here upon the earth, and he masterly develops the interwoven relationship between the Kingdom and the Church.

Rogers concludes with Christ’s prayer for unity and encourages us to strive for this goal by applying the principles of the Golden Rule.

Toney M. Bucchi

Vice Admiral, retired

United States Navy

[e-mail]

Oliver Rogers has reached into his decade of study to summarize the high points of the themes of the New Testament. It is difficult if not impossible to think of any major topic he has left untouched. The book is both a great doorway into New Testament studies for the novice and an insightful review for the long-time Christian.

Gayle Crowe

Doctor of Ministry

V.P. of Programing

World Christian Broadcasting

Dedication

To my children, Carolyn, Marilyn, Melanie and Sherman who have been very supportive of my ministry from the time they were old enough to sit and listen to a lesson until this book was complete.

We have always been a close family. The children have enjoyed coming home to spend time with mom and dad. It’s true, they have their own families to care for and support, but mom and dad are precious to them and this provides great satisfaction and comfort to us.

I love them dearly and want them to be there "when the role is called up yonder."

Dad, Oliver

Acknowledgments

Two people who have devoted hours to reading this manuscript are my sister, Dorma Rainey, and her husband, Dr. Gene Rainey. Dorma was looking at sentence structure while checking for grammatical errors. Gene focused on content and arrangement of materials. Both are excellent students of the Scriptures. Their contribution is greatly appreciated.

Dr. C. Philip Slate, who has written the Foreword, has critiqued the book with care and offered a number of very helpful suggestions. His insightful thoughts have helped me to give greater attention to emphasizing the spiritual change essential to living the abundant life that Jesus promised his followers. His thoughts are greatly appreciated.

The final reading has been done by my wife, Norma. Her evaluation is very important because she, unlike others, is courageous enough to tell me when something needs to be changed, stated in a better way or left out. I pay careful attention to her suggestions because she is generally right. Thank you Norma.

To all of these I express my sincere appreciation for their efforts to help make the final draft a better book.

Contents

Section One:     The Mission of Jesus Christ

Chapter 1:     God’s Eternal Plan Completed in Jesus

Chapter 2:     Unique Events Regarding Jesus Christ

Chapter 3:     Why Did Jesus Christ Come Into the World?

Chapter 4:     Jesus, the Master Teacher

Chapter 5:     Miracles Performed by Jesus

Chapter 6:     Events Covering Death and

Resurrection of Jesus

Section Two:     The Kingdom And The Church

Chapter 7:     The Prophecy of Daniel Regarding the Kingdom

Chapter 8:     Celebration of Pentecost

Chapter 9:     Unity and the Church

Chapter 10:   The Purpose of the Church

Section Three:     That We all Might be One

Chapter 11:   Resolving Disagreements

Chapter 12:   Appeal for Unity

Chapter 13:   The Ultimate Reward, Eternal Life in Heaven

Conclusion

Endnotes

Bibliography

Foreword

People are often prone to make the Christian way seem simpler than it really is. Dr. James D. Bales once told about a friend of his who typed the text of John 3:16 on a card and stuck it to a wooden post in his warehouse, declaring, Bales, there is my Bible! Bales quipped, It’s a little one, isn’t it? Of course, Scripture has the quality to appeal to both young and old, to the simple and the brilliant. Gregory the Great once commented that Scripture is like a stream in which the lamb may wade and the elephant swim. Both experience are valid, but there are great advantages in seeing the Christian way in its broader biblical context. Numerous biblical concepts and institutions are best understood and best appreciated when they are viewed in the overall context of Scripture.

In the 19th century Robert Milligan wrote the useful work, The Scheme of Redemption, in which he used the entire biblical story-line as the context for understanding salvation. More recently, Everett Ferguson produced the helpful work, The Church of Christ: a biblical theology for today, in which he placed the church or the people of God in the broader context of the biblical story-line. As the title indicates, Oliver Rogers’ book deals chiefly with the mission and ministry of Jesus, with special reference to the reign of God. The thrust of Jesus’ work, however, is seen more poignantly against the broader background of the Old Testament themes of the kingdom of God. It is a good, mid-level presentation of the antecedents of the reign of God and the Christian response under the new covenant.

Toward the end of the book Rogers stresses the importance of unity among people who sincerely and seriously seek to follow Jesus, to live under the reign of God. This is a word in season. The modern ecumenical movement that began in the early 20th century had its roots in the non-Western mission fields. Missionary efforts were hindered by the multiplicity of churches with strange names and bickering leaders. An entire century of thought, meetings, and writings on unity, however, has revealed some great divides among the broader Christian world. Rogers does not seek to appeal to those big divides, like Roman Catholicism, Orthodoxy, and Reformed churches. His appeal is more to those who hold a high view of Scripture; and his appeal is timely since, especially in North America, many people who still want to say Yes to Jesus are saying No to the churches they know. The literature on the Nones is quite large and growing. By nones I mean those who may regard themselves as Christians or spiritual who pray and read Scripture, but who when asked about their church affiliation check None. They perceive the churches with which they are familiar as shallow and unrelated to their positions, failing to answer convincingly and substantively many of their basic questions of life. It is easy to castigate that shallowness, but Rogers desires to take a higher road and make a positive appeal for people to follow the essentials, throw away the trivial, and strive together to honor God in his world.

This book comes from many years of ministry from among a diverse group of people from and within the context of a local church. Rogers is one of those thoughtful preachers who combine studiousness with warm application to the human situation. His book will serve well those who want to move beyond their necessarily elementary beginning in Christ. Fowler and others have pointed out various stages of faith development, and while it takes more than intellectual activity to grow, deepening one’s understanding of the Christian’s place in the story-line of Scripture can make a notable contribution to faith development. I commend this book as a helpful mid-level treatment of one of the great themes of Scripture, the rule of God in human life.

—C. Philip Slate. Retired professor, author of Missions Handbook for Local Churches, Lest We Forget: Mini-biographies

of Missionaries of a Bygone Generation, and (with Stan Granberg) Reaching ‘Russia’.

Introduction

These are critical and troubled times for people of every age. Thousands of our bright young teens and adults are dying as a result of overdosing on opioid drugs. Why? They have no sense of purpose for living and are unable to find peace and comfort. Think of the misery and anguish this is causing their family!

This book provides answers to questions that offer a genuine sense of purpose for why we are living. They are: Where did I come from? Why am I here? Is there life after death? If so, where? How can I know if or where I will live eternally after I die? What must I do to get forgiveness of my sins? Does God really care about me?

Jesus Christ came down from heaven and lived as a human being for a little more than 33 years. Think of it—he did more to change the course of history and the true meaning of life than all of the great intellectuals combined! He said, I came that they may have life, and have it more abundantly (John 10:10, Confraternity).

The apostle John wrote that Jesus did many more miracles while with his disciples than the ones recorded in his gospel, but the ones included had one purpose, to convince the reader that Jesus was who he claimed to be, the Christ, the Son of God (John 20:30-31). Jesus stated emphatically: I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me (John 14:6).

His ministry frequently provided an opportunity to perform miracles. For example, he turned water to wine at a wedding feast in Cana of Galilee when the wine ran out; he fed 5000 people from the little boy’s lunch consisting of five loaves and two fish; he walked on water while going to his disciples who were in the boat; he opened the eyes of a man who was born blind; he raised dead Lazarus who had been in the grave four days; and there is more. His miracles provided evidence of his supernatural power and authority.

Unless and until we come to know God through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, we are all walking around dead in our sins. (Ephesians 2:1-10). Examples are included in the book explaining what we must do to receive forgiveness of our sins, and ultimately eternal life in heaven.

Are you just another of today’s living dead, trudging through the muck and mire of a joyless, meaningless existence? You can break that cycle! Here’s how you can be lifted up through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

What are you apart from God but a spiritual zombie, a member of the walking dead who doesn’t even realize that you are dead? Discover the transcendent, freeing power in the universe. It’s the love of God. You can have it and it won’t break the bank.

The story doesn’t end here but continues with Jesus explaining that he was going away to prepare a place for his people (John14:1-11).

Luke, the physician, was given the honor of recording the account of Jesus telling his disciples they were to be his witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight (Acts 1:9). Suddenly, two men dressed in white asked: why are you standing here looking into the sky? This same Jesus who has gone to heaven will return in the same way you have seen him go into heaven (vv. 10, 11).

The following Pentecost miraculous events began to take place that required help from the apostle Peter for the people to understand. A complete explanation is given in Acts chapter 2, including the beginning of the kingdom and the church. The sudden growth created division between the Jewish leaders and the apostles. Churches began to spring up so rapidly that the Jewish leaders felt compelled to take action against the apostles. They arrested Peter and John and had them put in jail. From this point, Judaism begins to decline and Christianity flourishes.

This is where the Lord chose Saul of Tarsus, soon to be known as Paul, the apostle of Christ Jesus. (Acts 26:15-18). Under his leadership, Christianity spread rapidly throughout the entire Roman world. The Lord’s commission was then and is now:

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age (Matthew 28:19, 20).

He is coming back to take us home to heaven. Will you be ready?

Section One

The Mission of Jesus Christ

Who Then Can Be Saved?

A certain ruler asked…’ Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life? "Why do you call me good?’ ‘Jesus answered.’

No one is Good—except God alone. (Luke 18:18,19).

Those who heard this asked, Who then can be saved? (v-26)

Jesus replied, What is impossible with men is possible with God" (Luke 18:27).

CHAPTER 1

God’s Eternal Plan Completed in Jesus

For what will a man be profited, if he gains the whole world, and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? (Matthew 16:26)¹

Every thing written from this comment forward has purpose only in light of what Jesus Christ stated in this passage. If we are living only for what can be gained from this life, then Solomon’s message in Ecclesiastes 2:10, 11, is most appropriate:

I denied myself nothing my eyes desired;

I refused myself no pleasure.

My heart took delight in all my work,

And this was the reward of all my labor.

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.

Solomon was reminding us that if our life consists of nothing more than what we gain or add to our bank account today; if there is nothing more to life than what is experienced here, then is it really worth the effort? Jesus offers us a better life than all of the world’s wealth gained under the sun.

My sincere desire is that as you continue to read, the words of Jesus in the above quotation will keep returning to your mind and make an impression that cannot be erased. I hope you will keep reading until you reach the grand finale in the last chapter where you will find that joyful refrain, "Well