Hidden In Plain Sight

HIdden In Plain Sight: The Heart of the New Covenant by Bruce Scott Bertram

According to studies, confirmed by general experience, only 1 in 10 Christians believe the Bible is absolute truth. Consequently, the whole Word of God is simply not being taught like it should. The results are that the church does not look much different than the world with all of its problems. We need to forsake ‘seeker friendly’ and ‘spiritual but not religious’ teachings and consume His body and blood, which is the whole of the Word. ‘Hidden in Plain Sight’ presents an alternative called ‘whole Bible Christianity’ which takes the reader back to one God, one Lord, one Body, and one Faith. People who wear His name need to repent and return to the Word as absolute truth, read it, and heed it. Including and especially, what is known as The Law.

Below is a list of chapters in the book 'Hidden In Plain Sight: The Heart of the New Covenant.' Each link is to a pdf file. You can read them online, or you may print each chapter for personal use only. No fair trying to make money off of Bruce's hard work. Each chapter is around 30 pages, which means the book is a little over 300 pages at the moment. The section headings from the book are listed so you can get an idea of what is included, but the headings do not have hyperlinks to the book.

What Will 'Hidden In Plain Sight' Do For You?

Hidden in Plain Sight simplifies walking with God and producing the fruit of the Spirit. It will strengthen faith with the best discipleship system ever devised, which is God’s Living Oracle. Bruce shows how to easily connect with God in more intimate ways on a minute-by-minute basis, simply by trading all of His heart for all of yours. 'Hidden In Plain Sight' clears up the cracked picture of God and His Word by showing the unity of the Bible message, with over 700 verses directly quoted along with keys to understanding and walking the Word as a whole.

Searching people will want this book because it is in contrast to unsatisfying modern church teachings. There are lots of people (George Barna estimated 20 million at one point) who are Christians but do not go to church. They’re turned off by hypocritical soft-soaped seeker friendly social justice teachings contrary to the Bible. They’re hungry and thirsty and wandering in a desert of ear-tickling messages. They are looking for the real thing. ‘Hidden in Plain Sight’ will reassure them that the Bible is the real thing, and all they have to do is read it and do it.

In an age when the constant hammering on the authority and absolute truth of God’s Word has become deafening, ‘Hidden in Plain Sight’ takes a stand against the ‘spiritual but not religious’ teachings current in the church, and decries the false idea of ‘social justice’ that is replacing biblical truth for many. Bruce advocates reading and heeding the whole of the Word as the body and blood of Jesus, including the Law with its feasts and helps for daily living.

About The Author

Bruce Scott Bertram, rebel without a pause, was in and out of foster homes, had six stepdads and was adopted at 14. He’s been through 15 churches in 10 denominations, from Catholic to Protestant to Messianic. Still married to his beautiful (and long suffering) wife Susan after 31 years, he has two kids, four grandkids and he has built three businesses from scratch. Self-educated through college level, he helped grow two churches, was a youth leader twice and an elder once. He’s been told he could pass ordination exams but prefers to stay free so he can keep asking the questions that need to be asked.

His continuing studies took him to seminars with Josh McDowell and Bruce Wilkinson (Walk through the Bible) in the late 1970’s, and he later self-studied his way through a college-level education with books such as ‘Chafer Systematic Theology’ by Lewis Sperry Chafer (the founder of Dallas Theological Seminary) and ‘Christianity through the Centuries’ by Earle E. Cairns in the early 1980’s. Most recently he spent a few years evaluating the Messianic movement through writings, seminars and congregation visits. At the present time he and his family are not part of a particular church, but not by choice. After you read his book you might understand why.

More about the author can be found on the About page of this website. Feel free also to browse more of his writings in Berea, or go to the Articles by Bruce Scott Bertram page.

Help Us With Publishing If You Can

If you'd like to help with the costs of getting the book self-published, please use the Contact Form to get our address for sending any donations or offers of other kinds of help. We need to have the book professionally edited, for instance, which will probably cost $1,500.00 or more. We also need cover art, for which Bruce has some ideas. Those who help will receive a copy of the whole file with table of contents that has hyperlinks to each section, as well as a number of free printed copies.

If you'd just like a copy of the whole file, please consider sending us a donation if you can. If you can't afford it, just let us know and we will send you a copy of the whole file anyway.

Keep in mind that the text may, and probably will, change after we get it edited. In the meantime, if you spot logical inconsistencies, or fuzzy connections, or boring sections, or places where you didn't quite understand the point, please let us know. We might sometimes be too close to the project and need a fresh perspective.

Introduction to Hidden In Plain Sight

Some background and introduction.

INTRODUCTION

 

Chapter 1 The Whole Picture

Most Christians don’t believe the Bible is absolute truth. The Church is reeling from the effects. We need to return to the whole of His Word by eating His body and drinking His blood, which includes the Law.

1 THE WHOLE PICTURE

THE SHAPE WE’RE IN 7
The empty Ark 8
Absolute truth 11
Law is the key. 13
The new covenant. 14
MAN’S EFFORTS 17
Organized failure 18
Fetch, dogma 22
Feeling for truth 24
Falling to pieces 27
Rearranging the Furniture 29
GOD’S SOLUTION 30
Eat His body, drink His blood 30
Faith alone, not alone faith 33
Law AND grace 35
Whole Bible Christianity 35
DO YOU REALLY WANT TO FIND HIM? 36
NO ORIGINAL THOUGHTS 38

Chapter 2 A Whole God

God is one, and the Christ is God. Their will, and their words, are the same. Biblical definitions of the character of the Christ, salvation, grace and faith along with related terms.

2 A WHOLE GOD 40

GOD IS NOT TWO 41
JESUS IS GOD 42
JESUS IN THE OLD TESTAMENT 44
OLD, JEWISH GOD? 46
SIN 48
IDOLATRY 49
MIXING 51
THE FEAR OF GOD 53
HUMILITY AND PRIDE 55
SALVATION 58
GRACE 65
CHEAP GRACE 66
UNCONDITIONAL LOVE AND TOLERANCE 67
REPENTANCE 69
HAVING JESUS 70

Chapter 3 A Whole Body

There is only one undivided Body that has existed since the Beginning, unaffiliated with visible organizations or bureaucracies.

3 A WHOLE BODY 73

THE CHURCH 73
ISRAEL IN THREE 77
THE MIXED MULTITUDE 79
STRANGERS IN THE MIX 80
THE REMNANT 82
THE KINGDOM OF GOD 84
THE OLIVE TREE 85
THE PRESENCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT 86
REPLACEMENT 87
THE JEWS? 88
Judaism 89
The Messianic Movement 91
ROOTS 91
GROWING PAINS 92
THE NICOLAITANS 94
TRADITION 97
THE OTHER ANOINTING 99
IT’S A GOD THING 102

Chapter 4 A Whole Faith

The foundation and framework for body life is the undivided absolute truth of the Word of God centered on the Promise of the Messiah.

4 A WHOLE FAITH 104

AN ANCIENT MESSAGE 104
GENERATIONAL HAND-ME-DOWN 105
LAW BEFORE LAW 108
THE PROMISE 112
THE FOUNDATIONAL TESTAMENT 116
ALLOW THE WORD TO USE YOU 118
RELEVANCE 120
BURRITO THEOLOGY 122
GOD’S WORD THE HIGHEST AUTHORITY 124
GOD’S WORD REVEALS 125
GOD’S WORD IS CLEAR 126
GOD’S WORD MEANS WHAT HE INTENDS 127
Meaning versus application 128
Spiritualizing 130
GOD’S WORD INTERPRETS GOD’S WORD 131
GOD’S WORD REQUIRES A RESPONSE 132
CAN TRANSLATIONS BE TRUSTED? 133

Chapter 5 A Whole Heart

The new covenant with its universal applicability for believers: what it is, what it was, and what it shall be.

5 A WHOLE HEART 136

THE HEART OF THE NEW COVENANT 136
WHAT IT IS 137
WHAT IT WAS 139
WHAT IT SHALL BE 140
THE NEW TESTAMENT SYNAGOGUE 142
FREE WILL 144
BIBLICAL MATH MADE EASY 145
ALL FOR ONE, ONE FOR ALL 149
LOVE 150
GRACE AND LAW 153
THE GOSPEL 154
MAN’S LABELS 155
WHAT ABOUT THE TEMPLE 156
GOD’S BARBECUE 158
THE ORDER OF MELCHIZEDEK 160
THE TEMPLE REBUILT 162
THE TEMPLE MEANINGLESS 163
CHOOSE LIFE 163 

Chapter 6 Whole Bible Objections

19 objections to living the Law and why they are not biblical in the least.

6 WHOLE BIBLE OBJECTIONS 166

ALL I COMMANDED YOU 166
ONLY THE MORAL 168
PAUL TELLS US IT IS OKAY 169
CAN’T DO THE LAW 170
IT’S A CURSE 171
NAILED TO THE CROSS 172
IT’S LEGALISM 174
WORKS OF THE LAW 175
WE DON’T GET PUNISHED 179
WE DON’T GET PAID ENOUGH 180
IT’S JUDAIZING 181
THE CRUCIFIXION CHANGED EVERYTHING 182
IT’S A SHADOW 183
IT’S ALL GOOD 184
FREEDOM IN CHRIST 186
SALVATION IS ENOUGH 187
I DON’T HEAR JESUS 188
LIFTING JESUS UP 188
IT’S NOT RESTATED 190

Chapter 7 Law In The New Testament

How the Law is taught in the New Testament.

7 LAW IN THE NEW TESTAMENT 193

THE (SECOND) SERMON ON THE MOUNT 193
EXAMPLES OF FULFILLING 195
Murder, adultery and divorce, vows, and hating enemies 195
THE TESTING OF JESUS 196
Signs, signs, everywhere signs 196
Divorce 198
Paying taxes 199
greatest command 200
Stoning the adulteress 200
THE ACTS 15 COUNCIL 203
THE TEACHINGS OF PAUL 205
Stepmother relations 205
Passover 206
Circumcision 207
Opinion - Romans 14 208
The teachings of men – Colossians 2 210
Galatians 212
The enmity of the dividing wall 213
SPIRIT AND LAW 214

Chapter 8 The Whole Purpose of the Law

24 blessings from the Law.

8 THE WHOLE PURPOSE OF LAW 216

CONNECTS SPIRIT AND PHYSICAL 216
JUSTICE 218
PROTECTION 220
GETS US MOVING 220
STRAIGHTENS PERVERSITY 221
PERFECT PRACTICE 222
IT’S UNIVERSAL 223
IT STABILIZES 224
IT MARKS HIS CHILDREN 225
THE BEST DISCIPLESHIP METHOD EVER 226
TEACHES CHILDREN 227
ESTEEMS GOD 228
TOUCHES GOD 230
STILL A TUTOR 230
PRODUCES THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT 232
HE’S IN THERE 233
AN EFFECTIVE MIRROR 234
OUR FOUNDATION 235
IT’S LOVE 236
IT’S WORSHIP 238
TRAINS OUR HEARING 240
HELPS PRAYER 241
PUTTING ON CHRIST 242
RESTORES THE INTEGRITY AND CENTRALITY OF GOD’S WORD 243
WHAT’S THE BIG DEAL? 243

Chapter 9 Whole Bible Instruction

Rules from the Bible on applying the Bible.

9 WHOLE BIBLE INSTRUCTION 245

READING AND DOING 245
ADDING AND SUBTRACTING 250
GUIDELINES FROM JESUS 253
It is written – man lives by every word 254
It is written – no testing God 255
It is written - worship God only 257
MOSES’ SEAT 259
EVERY JOT AND TITTLE 260
DON’T BE A PIKER 262
A THOROUGH INVESTIGATION 262
WEIGHTS AND MEASURES 265
BALANCE THE WORD 267

Chapter 10 Whole Bible Applications

Living the Law for Christians. Bringing it all together and what it means to the truth-seeking believer.

10 WHOLE BIBLE APPLICATIONS 271

A NEW DEFINITION OF CULT 271
THE FEASTS OF THE LORD 274
Sabbath 274
Passover 276
Pentecost 277
Trumpets 277
Atonement 278
Tabernacles 278
CALENDAR 278
PORK AND SHELLFISH 279
TASSELS 280
TITHE AND MONEY 281
CIRCUMCISION 282
CLEAN AND UNCLEAN 285
SEX 287
VOWS 288
STUFF THAT IS NOT COMMANDED 289
Head coverings 289
Christmas and Easter 290
Two Sacraments 291
Meat and dairy 292
Drinking alcohol 292
BAD THINGS AND GOOD PEOPLE 294
OUR TRUE IDENTITY 298
BE GENTLE BUT FIRM 300
Distinguish between your opinions and meaning 302
TORAH TYRANTS 303
REST ON THE ROCK 303