Our Victory and Our Rest

“So we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts.” (2Pe 1:19)

Journal,

Its been about three weeks since my last journal entry. Sorry about that. I’ve been out of the country on a ministry trip to Mexico. So, I’ll begin this entry with a synopsis on a Youth Conference held in Las Choapas, Veracruz, Mexico.

The Beautiful People of Mexico

The Mexican Youth Conference was well attended and well blessed. Our team spoke to the youth on various subjects. (Large turnout. No parents allowed.)

Nathan began the Youth Conference in speaking to the youth in Spanish, on the subject of ‘Walking in the Spirit.’ The young people responded like sponges. You could see expectancy on their faces. Lori had a special meeting with the women. 

As the conference progressed, one of our team members spoke from a Satanist background. Another was molested as a youth. Another was deeply involved in pornography and was introduced into it by a youth leader. And another spoke on purity of life. 

What made everything even more telling is that none of the team members knew how and what the other members would be sharing. The entire event was under the influence of the Holy Spirit. (There were times I was simply overwhelmed and could only weep.)

Sunday morning was for general attendance. The building overflowed with several hundred. The royal anointing of God rested upon every part of the service. 

Once again I caught myself weeping. When their worship group began, it was like a river that began flowing from the platform. The Lord of glory was meeting with us. 

I was honored to address the congregation. My ministry was on, ‘The Children of the Cross.’ God gave me insights to share about the kingdom of God, how each church is an embassy for the government of God, and how the Lord sent Pastor Pedro as an Ambassador of the kingdom to raise up their church as an embassy in Las Chaopas. 

I don’t know how many came forward for first time salvation or re-dedication. I estimate at least 60-70. Pastor Pedro later said that they had never had a service like that. Actually, I don’t recall having been in a service of that order. It was all the Lord’s doing. I believe it will be awe-inspiring as to what comes out of all this. (Like the ripple effect when a stone is thrown in the water.)

Other highlights will be shared this Sunday by our ministry team. However, there is one very important point I need to make. We could have done nothing without Nathan. Nathan did an outstanding job in having to translate for so many speakers, and yet he never complained about his own physical difficulties.

Thank you son. I am so proud of you. And I’ve also very proud of our team. What a bunch of troopers.

So now we come to the issue of …

Man’s Restless Heart

Humans are born with a restless heart. Wars are continually fought over this restlessness. Religions are created out of this restlessness. There seems to be no fix. Drugs-alcohol can’t fix it. Popularity, power, wealth, want to be someone special can’t fix it.

But why, why do we have such restless hearts? Augustine said it best, ‘Our hearts were made for You, O Lord, and they are restless until they rest in You.’

This brings us to man’s place with God and …

Partaking of the Divine

Ever since the fall of Adam, there has been a vacancy in the hearts of all humankind. David and Solomon spoke to this longing of our heart.  Listen:

[Solomon] “[God] has made everything appropriate in its time. He has also set eternity in their heart, yet so that man will not find out the work which God has done from the beginning even to the end.” (Ecc 3:11)

We are eternal creatures made in the image and likeness of God. Adam’s fullness of life could only be met in God Himself. Hence Solomon tells us that ‘eternity’ itself dwells in the deepest part of our human makeup, and can only be awakened by God.

David was a prophet. In Psalm 139, David calls attention to the mystery of God’s relation to His human creation

“You [God] scrutinize my path and my lying down, and are intimately acquainted with all my ways. Even before there is a word on my tongue, behold, O LORD, You know it all. You have enclosed me behind and before, and laid Your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is too high, I cannot attain to it.” (Psa 139:3-6)

In another place David says,

“What is man that You take thought of him, and the son of man that You care for him? Yet You have made him a little lower than God, and You crown him with glory and majesty!” (Psa8:4,5)

And so we come to the purpose of the cross. The purpose of the cross was and is about…

Our Victory and Our Rest in Christ

The term Christian carries various meanings such as, Christ like, belonging to Christ, followers of Christ, and even ‘the anointed ones.’ [Jesus Christ is the Anointed One.]

This is why Jesus describes the believer as having a divine outflow of life from within.

“He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’

 “But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.” (Joh 7:38-39)

In the new covenant, the Holy Spirit enters a believer’s heart with the fullness of our restoration to the heavenly Father. Both the apostle Peter and the apostle Paul said that we now partake of the divine life. It all took place at the cross.

This is why you find so many terms of victory in the New Testament writings, such as, ‘more than conquerors’, ‘seated with Christ in heavenly places’, ‘entered His rest’, ‘heirs and joint heirs with Christ’, ‘triumph in Christ’, ‘all things are yours’, ‘glory of the children of God’, ‘the law of liberty’, ‘no condemnation to those in Christ Jesus’, ‘passed out of death into life’, and myriads of other related statements.

Oh yes, we’ve managed to make a mess out of things by creating religions in place of relationships. I think there is no greater need than for a child of God to come to the knowledge of what being restored in Christ truly means.

Through Christ we are brought to our rightful place in God’s created order. This reflects on what Peter was talking about when he wrote,

“So we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts.” (2Pe 1:19)

And remember well that the best is yet to come.

While you think about these things, take time to listen to this wondrous older chorus, ‘Blessed Assurance, Jesus is Mine.’

In Christ,

Buddy

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