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22
Mar
2011

A Study of the End Times

“For nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in various places; there will also be famines. These things are merely the beginning of birth pangs.” (Mar 13:8)

“… and on the earth dismay among nations, in perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the waves, men fainting from fear and the expectation of the things which are coming upon the world …

“…when these things begin to take place, straighten up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” (Luke 21:11, 25-28)

 

Journal,

Jesus is describing the events that lead up His second coming. The rapture will be the major keynote that precedes the great tribulation. When the rapture occurs the planet will undergo horrors that have never been known. Jesus said…

“For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will. Unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.” (Mat 24:21-22)

In a study of the end times it is important to distinguish between the 1st and 2nd coming of Jesus. It is also important to differentiate the rapture from the Lord’s actual return to the earth. While I remain pre-trib in my beliefs I don’t take an exception with other views. Who knows it all anyway?

So, whether a person is pre-trib, mid-trib, or end of tribulation view, the evidence is overwhelming that we are in that place in time that precedes the return of Jesus Christ.

In addition to the beginning Scriptures here are other Scripture indicators that figure the end-time era of redemption history. Take time to study these Scriptures. Allow the Holy Spirit to fill in the blanks. (This is a good guide for anyone doing a Bible study.)

Place your cursor over the Scripture reference and it will appear.

  1. Can a land be born in one day? Cf. Isa66:8. (Compare this to the ‘beginning of birth pangs’ of Mark 13:8 Also see Acts 1:6, 7.)
  2. The things of Daniel 12:1-4. (Leads to the great tribulation and the final judgment.)
  3. As in the days of Noah. Cf. Luke 17:24-30; 1Pet1:18-22; Gen6:1-5.
  4. Corruptions of the race. Cf. Rom1:25-32; 2Tim3:1-5.
  5. The focus of Jerusalem.  Cf. Zech12:1,2,9,10; 13:1-6 (Wounds? – Psa22:16); John19:37.
  6. Placement of God’s people. Cf. Eph2:1-9; 4:30-32; Col3:1-4; Hosea 6:1-3.
  7. The rapture. Cf. 2Th2:1-13; 1Th4:14-18; 1Co15:51-58.
  8. 2nd coming. Cf. Mat24:29-37. (Parable of fig tree is Israel. Cf. Mat21:9-20; Luke13:34-25)
  9. Final prayer of God’s people. Cf. Rev22:17-21; 2Tim4:7,8  — Do you love his appearing?

 

What does all this mean to God’s people? I’m glad you asked. Let’s talk a bit about…

 

The Covenant of the Spirit

What distinguishes the new covenant from all the former covenants is that at the moment of believing in and receiving Jesus as Lord and Savior, the Holy Spirit enters the heart of the believing one. Every believer thereby becomes a Christ possessed person.

“… the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His saints, to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” (Col 1:26-27)

This means that in our walk with the Lord each believer can learn to judge for himself or herself that which is of God and that which is not of God. It is this discerning and judging of all things by the Spirit that develops in the believer over time. This is crucial when it comes to end time happenings.

“Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God, which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.” (1Co 2:12-13)

The issue is that in the new covenant while the Lord does place us in a body of believers according to His will and purpose, yet He does not deal with us as groups. In the new covenant there is no need for a certain body of prophets or ‘special’ spokesmen to represent God in the earth.

All the apostles emphasized this. John says,

“As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides (permanently), and you have no need for anyone* (Greek word ’tis’ means a special single someone, or a guru) to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him.” (1John2:24-27 Please read the reference.)

John’s point is that God’s new covenant people are never to be in bondage to anyone, and especially to someone who sets himself up as the spokesman for God. Does this mean we should not listen to others? It doesn’t mean that at all. God gives us pastors for a purpose.

My main point is that new covenant believers should never become movement chasers, prophet chasers, or group chasers. Listen to the Lord with your heart. Do your own praying. Study for yourself. The new covenant walk opens up in a powerful way when we get personal with the Lord. (The Lord is much more involved in your life than you realize.)

Yes, these can be scary times but not so for the child of God. Our instructions will never change. Listen to the Lord:

“Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. “In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.” (Joh 14:1-3)

 

The apostle Paul said that the Lord was coming after a people who ‘love His appearing.’ Do you love His appearing? Do you long for His appearing? This is one of the preeminent signs of a true believer.

Jesus said it this way:

“He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal. If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also; if anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.” (Joh 12:25-26)

Here is your song. Take time to listen to, ‘How Great is Our God.’


 

Always in love with Jesus,

Buddy

 

 

 

 

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15
Mar
2011

There is a New Age Coming

“And I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding the key to the abyss and a great chain in his hand. And he lay hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; and threw him into the abyss, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he could not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were completed; after these things he must be released for a short time.

“Then I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of the testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshipped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their forehead or on their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed. This is the first resurrection.” (Revelations 20:1-5)

 

Journal,

Some time back I was asked to offer a study that would include documentation from early Christian writers showing that the early Christians believed in a 1000 year reign, or the kingdom age of Messiah.

In the afore beginning Scriptures the term “a thousand years” is used four times. John seems pretty clear on the issue of a thousand-year period where Satan is placed in captivity. But the question that we want to answer is how did other early believers look at this idea of a thousand-year reign? Did they accept a literal one thousand-year reign, or did they simply place this teaching in Revelation as symbolic as some people are known for doing?

The answer is that nearly all the earliest Christian writers believed in a literal thousand-year reign. When I speak of the earliest writers, I am including second and third generation disciples. This would take in those who were nearest to the times of the apostles.

Perhaps we should address why writings of the earliest believers are important to us today. When we read writings of those who immediately followed the apostles, it lets us know how these disciples understood the apostolic teachings. Who would know more about what the apostles taught than those who were first and second generation believers?

For example, Papias, Polycarp, Irenaeus, Ignatius, along with others, are considered sub-apostolic writers. The reason is that these men were born in the first century. Some of them knew the apostles personally. Papias actually sat at the feet of the apostle John. How can we discount a man who sat at the feet of the apostle John himself?

While there are only fragments of the writings of Papias available today, there are a number of early writers who quote from Papias. The importance in this is that Papias was not only a student of John, but he had friendships with a great many other early disciples who had known the Lord and his apostles.

 

Early Church Writers

Here are some quotes from the writings of some early Church writers:

#1) Papias was a disciple of the Apostle John and a friend of Polycarp; 60-130 ad); Papias is cited by Eusebius:

“Among these things, Papias says that there will be a millennium after the resurrection from the dead, when the personal reign of Christ will be established on this earth.”

#2) Justin Martyr (c. 160);

“There was a certain man with us, whose name was John, one of the apostles of Christ, who prophesied by a revelation that was made to him, that those who believed in our Christ would dwell a thousand years in Jerusalem.”

#3) Irenaeus (c. 180);

“The predicted blessing, therefore, belongs unquestionably to the times of the kingdom, when the righteous will bear rule, after their rising from the dead. It is also the time when the creation will bear fruit with an abundance of all kinds of food, having been renovated and set free. … And all of the animals will feed on the vegetation of the earth. They will become peaceful and harmonious among each other, and they will be in perfect subjection to man. And these things are borne witness to in the fourth book of the writings of Papias, the hearer of John, and a companion of Polycarp.”

#4) Hippolytus (c. 205);

“The Sabbath is the type and symbol of the future kingdom of the saints, when they shall reign with Christ after He comes from heaven, as John says in his Revelation. For ‘a day with the Lord is as a thousand years.'”

#5) Tertullian (c. 207);

“We do confess that a kingdom is promised to us upon the earth, although before heaven. Only, it will be in another state of existence. For it will be after the resurrection for a thousand years in the divinely-built city of Jerusalem ‘let down from heaven.'”

#6) Victorinus (c. 280);

“The true Sabbath will be in the seventh millennium of years, when Christ will reign with His elect.”

#7) Lactantius (c. 340);

“Back then a mortal and imperfect man was formed from the earth, so that he might live a thousand years in this world. So, now, from this earthly age is formed a perfect man. And, being quickened by God, he will bear rule in this same world through a thousand years.”

#8) Commodianus (240);

“The Amen sends flames on the nations. And the Medes and Persians burn for a thousand years, as the apocalyptic words of John declare. After a thousand years, they will be delivered over to Gehenna. And he whose work they were is burned up with them.”

 

The Age to Come

That there was to be an age to come that precedes the eternities of God is very much described in the Scriptures. Isaiah is replete with descriptions of that age. Rather than go through the many references, let’s consider this one;

“The wilderness and the desert will be glad, and the Arabah will rejoice and blossom; like the crocus. It will blossom profusely and rejoice with rejoicing and shout of joy. The glory of Lebanon will be given it the majesty of Carmel and Sharon. They will see the glory of the Lord, the majesty of our God.” (Isaiah 35:2)

Then we have the teaching of Jesus. In the beatitudes, the Lord said,

“Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.” (Matthew 5:5)

This is a near quote from the book of Psalms;

“But the humble will inherit the land and will delight themselves in abundant prosperity.” (Psalm 37:11)

An important point to keep in mind is that the Bible of the early believers was simply the writings of Moses, of David, and the prophets, along with whatever apostolic writings had been collected. There was no need to rewrite all that God had to say about an age to come. The Hebrew people very much believed in a Messianic age. Their Bible was filled with descriptions of that certain age.

The Lord had the kingdom age in view, when he said,

“The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage, but those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage; for they cannot die anymore, because they are like angels, and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.” (Luke 20:34-36)

 

There is so much more to be known –

Yes, Jacob’s troubles are on the horizon. Yes, the world is facing horrific struggles. Yes, there are judgments to come. Yes, there will be the removal of the Church. And yes, Satan is going to have his day before the Lord brings him into the chains of darkness.

And yes, we the people of Jesus Christ have a great work to do. We are to shine forth with the gospel of God’s Lamb.

In the meantime listen to the Isaacs sing, ‘That’s All That Matters To Me.’

 

 

In love with Jesus,

Buddy

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08
Mar
2011

It’s All In The Name

“Now when Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, ‘I am God Almighty; walk before Me, and be blameless. I will establish My covenant between Me and you, and I will multiply you exceedingly.’

“Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying, ‘As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you will be the father of a multitude of nations.

“‘No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; For I have made you the father of a multitude of nations. I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make nations of you, and kings will come forth from you.’” (Gen 17:1-6)

 

 

Journal,

Every letter in the Hebrew language is full of meaning. Hebrew is a language of pictures and symbols. This especially carries over into names. For the Hebrew people a name was meant to convey the nature, essence, history, and reputation of the one named.

Consider the name Jesus. When the angel Gabriel appear to Joseph, he said,

“Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus [Yešhûa, or, Y’Shua], for He will save His people from their sins.” (Mat 1:20-21)

 

Jesus is Yeshua in Hebrew. The name Yeshua means Savior, or by extension, ‘Yahweh saves,’ or, ‘Yahweh is salvation.’ The Lord’s name is derived from the verb which means, ‘to save.’ Gabriel gives the meaning of the name Yeshua, by saying, “He will save His people from their sins.”

What makes it even more interesting is that when you see the word ‘salvation’ as an impersonal word in the Old Testament, it is the very name of Jesus, or, ‘Yeshua’. So, depending on its usage the Hebrew for salvation and the Hebrew for Jesus is the same.

If you mentally transpose where you see the term ‘salvation’ in the former testament to ‘Jesus’, you will see prophetic pictures of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Now let’s talk about one of God’s revelation names in the Old Testament and see how it unfolds in Jesus. We’ll talk about God’s Name – El Shaddai.

But before we do that please take time to listen to Amy Grant as she sings El Shaddai:

 

The God of Abraham

God’s names are revelations of His person. The first time that God reveals Himself by name to Abraham, the Lord says,

“I am God Almighty; walk before Me, and be blameless [made full or complete].” (Gen17:1)

The term ‘God Almighty’ is El Shaddai. It is easy to miss what this name means because English does not convey the expressions of Hebrew. The word El is masculine and speaks of might, power, or strength. The term Shaddai is also masculine. It speaks of fullness, or, ‘more than enough.’

Shaddai is said to relate to the Hebrew ‘shadaim’ which speaks of ‘breasts.’ To cut it further, ‘sha’ means who, and ‘dai’ means enough. The imagery is of a mother and her infant where her full breasts are more than enough for her baby. It is in this sense that Shaddai relates to fullness.

We see an echo of shaddai (Almighty) and shadaim (breasts) when Jacob prophesies over his sons.

“Joseph is a fruitful bough, a fruitful bough by a spring; its branches run over a wall. The archers bitterly attacked him, and shot at him and harassed him; but his bow remained firm, and his arms were agile, From the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob (From there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel), from the God of your father who helps you, and by the Almighty [Shaddai} who blesses you with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lies beneath, blessings of the breasts [shadaim] and of the womb.” (Gen 49:22-25)

Everything that Jacob speaks over this son has to do with fullness, with blessings, with protection and with an overflow of life. This is what Jesus came to give us. Amy Grant singing ‘El Shaddai’ relates to this very well.

 

Jesus came to give us fullness of God’s life

Listen with your heart to the following Scriptures. They all carry the idea of El Shaddai:

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.” (John 10:10-11)

“For of His fullness (or, ‘out of His fullness) we have all received, and grace upon grace.” [Grace upon grace speaks of an overflow of ‘all that you need.’] (John 1:16)

“I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” (Php 4:12-13)

“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling.” (Mat 23:37)

 

There is so much more to be said. This will give an idea of just our rich and wonderful our salvation is through the Lord Jesus. We are the children of God’s presence. He is with us in every circumstance and situation. Even in our sufferings, God says, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in your weakness.”

Just some things to think about.

In Christ always,

Buddy

 

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18
Feb
2011

The Mysteries of the Ages

Journal

There are a number of hidden mysteries in God’s Word. For example the Lord Jesus can be seen throughout the prophetic writings and yet He is declared to be a mystery. The Church is in the writings of the prophets, but is also declared to be a mystery. Then we have the unfolding mystery of redemption.

In this entry I will deal with the mystery of our redemption in Christ Jesus, and how that the believer’s salvation was set forth from the foundation of the world. The entry is a bit lengthy but well worth the reading. It will help my readers understand why Jesus tells us not to be troubled when we see the nations in an upheaval.

Place your cursor over a Scripture reference and it will appear.


Take time to meditate on the following Scriptures where you will see some of the wonder and mystery of redemption.


A Word from the Prophets


[Moses] “Give ear, O heavens, and let me speak; and let the earth hear the words of my mouth. Let my teaching drop as the rain, my speech distill as the dew, as the droplets on the fresh grass and as the showers on the herb. For I proclaim the name of the LORD; ascribe greatness to our God! The Rock! His work is perfect, for all His ways are just; a God of faithfulness and without injustice, righteous and upright is He. They have acted corruptly toward Him, They are not His children, because of their defect; but are a perverse and crooked generation.” (Deu 32:1-5)

“You neglected the Rock who begot you, and forgot the God who gave you birth. … Then He said, ‘I will hide My face from them, I will see what their end shall be; for they are a perverse generation, sons in whom is no faithfulness.’ … Would that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would discern their future!” (Deu 32:18-20)

[This is from the Song of Moses; 1400 years before Christ. Cf. Rev15:3. The Song of Moses is a prophetic outline of Israel, including her rejection of Jesus Christ. ‘The Rock’ is Christ. ‘His work is perfect’ speaks of the new creation. ‘They are a perverse and crooked generation’ speaks to the Christ rejecters. Peter quoted from this. Cf. Acts 2:40]


[Isaiah] “A voice says, ‘Call out.’ Then he answered, ‘What shall I call out?’ All flesh is grass, and all its loveliness is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades, when the breath of the LORD blows upon it; surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever. Get yourself up on a high mountain, O Zion, bearer of good news, lift up your voice mightily, O Jerusalem, bearer of good news; lift it up, do not fear. Say to the cities of Judah, ‘Here is your God!’” (Isa 40:6-9)

[Isaiah wrote this 700 years before Christ. Here we see John the Baptist’s call to the people, that God’s Word is true. The gospel message begins in Jerusalem with, ‘Do not fear, here is your God!’]


[Hosea] “I will go away and return to My place Until they acknowledge their guilt and seek My face; in their affliction they will earnestly seek Me.” (Hos 5:15; John 6:62; 7:33,34; 8:21)

[Hosea the prophet also wrote about 700 years before Christ. He sets forth the rejection of Jesus until the time of the second coming. In Israel’s tribulation they will seek the Lord and find Jesus. Cf. Zech12:8-10. Hosea 6:1-3 includes the second coming


[Jesus] “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, just as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not have it! Behold, your house is left to you desolate; and I say to you, you will not see Me until the time comes when you say, ‘BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD!'” (Luk 13:34-35)


[Daniel] “Those who have insight will shine brightly like the brightness of the expanse of heaven, and those who lead the many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever. But as for you, Daniel, conceal these words and seal up the book until the end of time; many will go back and forth, and knowledge will increase.” (Dan 12:3-4)

The book of Daniel sets forth both the first and the second coming of Jesus. Written 500+ years before Christ. The later rabbis placed a curse on anyone who attempted to calculate the time of Messiah by the use of Daniel.


All the Treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge

Paul said that all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are found in Christ Jesus Himself. This can only mean that these Christ-treasures were not to be hidden from us. They have been hidden for us. In writing the Colossian believers, Paul said…

“… that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God’s mystery, that is, Christ Himself, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” (Col 2:2-3)

It is because of these hidden treasures that the apostle prayed for the Church …

“That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him.” (Cf. Eph1:15-23)

And this also is why we should learn to pray the prayer of David, when he said,

“Open my eyes, that I may behold Wonderful things from Your law.” (Ps119:18)


From the foundation of the world

When David ask the Lord to open his eyes so he could behold Wonderful things from His ‘law’, we need to understand that the Hebrew word for law does not simply mean the Law of Moses. The word ‘torah‘ in Hebrew is a feminine noun. It speaks of instruction and direction.

David is asking the Lord to open his eyes to divine instruction and to the divine things of God. He wants to see into the eternity of God. David also uses the word ‘Wonderful‘ in a unique way. It has to do with the Man called Wonderful. (Isa9:6)

This is a very personal request. It is the kind of prayer we should take to heart.

The Bible has much to say about the things of eternity. The term ‘from the foundation of the world’ is used several times in the new covenant writings to express the eternity of God. Let’s look at them: (Caps are for emphasis only.)

(1) Concerning Messiah, it says, “I will open My mouth in parables; I will utter THINGS HIDDEN SINCE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD.” (Matt13:35)

This reflects back on Deu29:29; “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, that we may observe all the words of this law.”

When we stop to consider that the Torah of Moses, that is, the first five books of the Bible, are filled with the ‘secret’ treasures of Christ, it gives us pause to consider just how rich the revelation of Jesus Christ is in the Old Testament writings. The entire Bible wraps itself around Jesus as a cloak. He said, “In the scroll [volume] of the book it is written of Me.” (Psa40:7)


(2) As to one phase of the kingdom of God, the King says to those on his right, “Come, you who are blessed of my Father, INHERIT THE KINGDOM PREPARED FOR YOU FROM THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD.” (Matt25:34)

Did you catch it? The kingdom of the beloved Son was prepared long before the world was created. This would certainly mean that all of creation was planned for Christ and for the people of Christ.


(3) Of the Christ-rejecting leadership, the Lord said, “The blood of all the prophets, shed since the foundation of the world, may be charged to this generation.” (Luke11:50)

The Greek term ‘generation’ [genea] can express more than a meaning of time. It includes the idea of a multitude of contemporaries. Hence it speaks to an affinity of communion, or a grouping of people who share the sameness of character. We need to understand that there has always been a wicked element in the earth that has set itself against the Lord and against His Christ.

Moses spoke of this group; “They have acted corrupted toward Him, they are not His children, because of their defect; but are a perverse and crooked generation.” (Deu32:5) — This is part of the song of Moses, which Revelation calls ‘the song of Moses, the bond-servant of God, and the song of the Lamb.” (Rev15:3)


(4) Jesus prayed, He said, “Father….YOU LOVED ME BEFORE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD.” (John17:24)

Jesus said that He experienced the Father before the world was.


(5) Paul says of all believers, “HE CHOSE US IN HIM BEFORE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD, that we should be holy and blameless before Him in love.” (Eph1:4)

What is left to be said on this one? God determined to gives us His own holiness. All the guilt of our sins would be placed upon Jesus.


(6) The book of Hebrews speaks of God’s rest in the Messiah, in saying that, “HIS WORKS WERE FINISHED FROM THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD.” (Heb4:3)


(7) Of Christ’s pre-existence in eternity, and with regard to our salvation, it says,

“He would have needed to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now once at the consummation of the ages He has been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.” (Heb9:26)


(8) Peter says the Christ, “Was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you, who through Him are believers in God…” (1Pet1:20,21)


(9) Both Rev13:7 and Rev17:8 speak of the names of the saved written in the Lamb’s book of life, “from the foundation of the world.”

Wow — How did God know what your name was going to be? Have you ever considered just how deeply involved the Lord has been in your life from here to yon?


(10) The apostle said, “But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren, beloved by the Lord, BECAUSE GOD CHOSE YOU FROM THE BEGINNING for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth.” (2Th2:13)



The seal of sanctification

Every believer has a seal of sanctification upon his or her heart. Satan knows it. The angels know it. The seal belongs to God. The seal means,‘This child is Mine.’ It can only be broken by God and He promised that nothing would ever be able to separate us from His love.

Thus we hear God say of Jeremiah,

“Before I formed you in the womb I KNEW you, and before you were born I consecrated you…” (Jer.1:5)

The Hebrew word for ‘knew’ is quite interesting. Yada (yaw-dah’) means to know, to learn, to perceive, to discern, and to experience. It carries more thoughts, but this gives an idea of the strength of what God is saying. He ‘knew’ and even ‘experienced’ Jeremiah before the prophet was formed in his mother’s womb.

David talked about this very thing, and then confessed,

“Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is too high, I cannot attain to it.” (Ps139:6)

How about you? Do you feel that such knowledge is too high for you? To say that God knew and experienced us before the foundation of the world is an awesome thing to say. This is God thing, a treasure hidden in Christ.

The issue in all this that all believers need to have their conscious life filled with assurances of their salvation. This is what moves our salvation out of the emotional realm, and even the intellectual realm, into the very heart of new covenant salvation.

Jesus Himself said that His sheep walked with Him in a ‘knowing’ relationship. This can only mean that the people of the Lamb have an intuitive knowing about God that is far beyond anything this present world can offer. We have come to ‘experience’ God Himself in the deep of our inward man. We found Him in Christ.

It was Jesus who said,

“I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants.” (Matt11:25)

Paul said the new covenant experience is based upon a believer’s conscious relationship with the Father. This relationship is brought into reality by the Spirit of God. He said,

“The Spirit Himself testifies [bears witness] with our spirit that we are children of God.” (Rom8:16)

In another place Paul says,

“Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba! Father!'”

The Abba Father cry is not merely our cry, even though we feel it deep in our spirit life. It is actually the cry of Sonship. It is our birthing cry made by the Spirit of Jesus. This cry speaks of a joining of our life to the Father of eternity.

This cry of sonship speaks of God’s eternal redemption that was set in place from the foundation of the world. The prophet heard God say it this way;

“Thus says the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker, ‘Ask Me the things to come concerning My sons, and you will commit to Me the work of My hands.” (Isa45:11)


The Children of Eternity

We are the children of eternity. We are the work of His hands. We carry in our hearts an eternal perspective. We long for eternal things. We have a grasp of eternal things even when we are unable to put them down on paper. That is just the way we are. Yes, we are sinners saved by grace, but saved we are. We are the children that God’s removes from the earth as part of our redemption in Jesus.

It is wonderful to think about.

Here is a song for your heart, – I’m Redeemed I Am Saved – (By Sounding Joy).


In Christ’s Love Always,

Buddy

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22
Jan
2011

The Old Time Preacher Man

Question #1

Please help me with a question I have been trying very hard to understand. If a man is called into the ministry is his wife also called? If not, how can a man and his wife care for a congregation? Thank you very much.


Response

A call to the ministry affects the entire family. In this sense it is a shared calling. To put it in its proper place, the wife is the man’s companion by covenant. So it makes good sense to say that when the Lord calls the man, surely he will help the wife to be in accord with her husband. If the calling is the truly of the Lord, He will see to it. God is not into breaking up homes.


Question #2

How do you know if you are called to the ministry?


Response

A call to the ministry is not something that can be ignored. It will rest upon the heart continually. Plus, when a person is being called by God, the call invokes a response. This means that a call to the ministry will result in a person entering the ministry. This is why there is an old saying, which goes something like this; “If a person can resist a call to the ministry, there was no call to begin with.”

*Original questions modified for clarity


Journal,
The afore questions are examples of the some of the kinds of questions that I receive on my ‘Ask the Pastor’ site. In this instance the questions have to do with a call to the ministry. For the sake of simplicity I’ll only deal with certain issues that are particular to the call to preach the gospel in the full-time ministry. These called stewardships come as a lifetime assignment from God. But a call to the ministry will always have its resting place of the heart of the person called.

In dealing with a call to the ministry, there are qualifiers that should be understood. First is this — All believers are called to a holy priesthood. It is part of our ‘born from above’ relationship with God the Father. Thus all believers are accorded the privilege of sharing the gospel wherever and with whomever the opportunity may present itself. This is the general calling.

However, there are certain callings that involve a stewardship of responsibility from the Lord. Two of the primary callings are that of a pastor and that of the evangelist. The apostle Paul gives a basic summary on the purpose of these stewardships:

“And *He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ…” (Eph 4:11-15)


“*He gave some” – Jesus had over 500 disciples. Some of these believers were assigned roles as apostles, some would serve as prophets, others as evangelists, etc. (Cf. 1Co15:3-6) Notice the purpose for these special servants: “For for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ…”

*Place your cursor over a Scripture reference and it will appear.

It is important to understand that no one takes these callings to themselves. These stewardships will have rested in the background of the ‘called’ minister’s life from the time of childhood. (Even before.) The apostle said that God had separated him from His mother’s womb. The proper time came and with it came a special grace anointing to fit the minister to his calling.

Sure its a mystery. And this is why it is said that if a person can avoid a call to the ministry it is because there was no call to begin with. Cf. Gal1:15-17; Jer1:5; Acts 9:15; 13:2; Rom1:1


Scriptural mandates

For the sake of time here are a few references that bring out what a stewardship of ministry from God entails:

“Of this church I was made a minister according to the stewardship from God bestowed on me for your benefit, so that I might fully carry out the preaching of the word of God, that is, the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His saints, to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” (Col 1:25-27)

“For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for I am under compulsion; for woe is me if I do not preach the gospel. For if I do this voluntarily, I have a reward; but if against my will, I have a stewardship entrusted to me.” (1Co 9:16-17)

“Let a man regard us in this manner, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. In this case, moreover, it is required of stewards that one be found trustworthy.” (1Co 4:1-2)

“Do you not know that those who perform sacred services eat the food of the temple, and those who attend regularly to the altar have their share from the altar? So also the Lord directed those who proclaim the gospel to get their living from the gospel.“ (1Co 9:13-14)

“I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service, even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor. Yet I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief; and the grace of our Lord was more than abundant, with the faith and love which are found in Christ Jesus.” (1Ti 1:12-14)

 

Personal Insights on the Call

Ever since childhood I’ve had this consciousness of a call of God on my life. There have even been times when I sought to bargain with God over my call. I remember as a teen when I was facing trouble, in a prayer to the Lord, I said, “Lord, if you will get me out of trouble I will preach your word.” Well, the trouble passed. But why would I even think to bargain with God about preaching the gospel?

I can’t tell you why except that in the deep of my heart was an imprint, ‘Called to preach’. What makes this even more odd is that I wasn’t raised in a church environment. Actually I had more than my share of troubles as a youth.

I joined the Navy at age eighteen. Spent considerable time in the Orient and aboard ship. I did all the things that sailors are noted for doing. Yet deep in my heart was this continuous ache. Nothing I did brought satisfaction. The ache became so pronounced that I even interviewed with a Catholic priest aboard my ship, hoping he could help me with this ache. He gave me a book to read. The book didn’t help. There was something deeper.

Let me skip a few months forward in time. Yes, I did surrender to a call to the ministry at age 24. But rather than continuing with this part of my story on the call, you can read my testimony at: http://buddymartin.net/blog/testimony/

My purpose thus far has been to give my readers an idea how the call to the gospel ministry cannot be ignored. What I want to do now take it a step further and share about my wife. Betty had been raised in a ministers’ home. And here we come back to the question…


Does the Wife Share the Call of Her Husband

Let me keep this on a personal testimony level. You can fill in the blanks and make your own decision about the wife’s call to serve with her husband.


Your God Shall be My God


It was April, 1965. We were living in Montrose, Colorado, and had just brought our first-born son home from the hospital. As we placed Nathan between us in the bed, our talk went to the future, and to other children that we would have. I had already accepted my call to the ministry. That scene is forever set before me. I can’t explain the joy of having a son. And this joy comes with each child born to the family.

But for some reason I felt this need to take our new born son home to Louisiana, to be around my dad. I struggled with my own thoughts; ‘How can I ask my wife to move so far away from her parents?’ I came up with a plan. I got a map and drew a line between Montrose, Colorado, and my home in Louisiana. Then I would suggest to Betty and we find a place half way between the two points. That would be fair. And that was about as close to being fair as I knew to go.

When I shared my thoughts with Betty, she simply reached for her Bible. This is what she read to me:

“Do not urge me to leave you or turn back from following you; for where you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God. Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. Thus may the LORD do to me, and worse, if anything but death parts you and me.” (Rth 1:16-17)

She stunned me. At that moment I knew that my Betty was a special person and a special gift to me. Its been that way in our forty-seven years of marriage. Betty had been joined to me and to my call. She had been fashioned by God to have her place in the gospel ministry. Yes, I believe that the wife shares equally in her husband’s call to the gospel ministry.


God uses frail human vessels

Have I ever wondered about my call to the ministry? I’ve never wonder if I have a call, but I have often wondered why the Lord would choose me. I don’t see one thing in me that I would call a qualifier for the ministry. But that was God’s plan from the beginning. The Lord isn’t looking for those who seem to have achieved in life. He chooses those who can best testify to His grace and His glory.

Paul lays this out very well:

“For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness, but to those who are the…

“… called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and

“…God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that no man may boast before God.” (1Co 1:22-29)


The Old Time Preacher Man

Some of the best preachers in the world are not necessarily found on TV. They are often found simply tending their flocks in small country churches. With that in mind here is a song by my cousin Alwyn Willis, about the old-time preacher man. Let it speak to your heart….


Buddy

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19
Jan
2011

Standing Still is Hard to Do

“When you come to the edge of the waters of the Jordan, you shall stand still in the Jordan.” (Joshua 3:8)

Journal,

One of the terms used to express the walk of early believers was simply ‘The Way.’ (Greek ‘o hodos.’) The term is rooted deeply in the prophetic writings. Because of its Messianic overtones it was taken up very early by the Jewish believers with regard to their walk with the Lord. (You find references to ‘the Way’ in Acts 9:2; 19:23; 24:22)

Note: Place your cursor over a Scripture reference and it will appear.

Jesus walked into our world to meet us, to take us by the hand, and to walk us into His world. This is where the footsteps of the Lord can be seen in the walking out of our Christian experience. This is the yoke experience that Jesus spoke of.

“Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Matt11:29)

Notice that Jesus says that we will “learn from” Him. This can mean no less than Jesus walking with us through our lifetime journey of faith. Note His final promise to the disciples;

“I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matt28:20)

 

Death to the old meaningless life

The footsteps of Jesus carried Him to the cross. He was taken down and placed in an empty tomb. He walked out of the grave. He departed from the earth and ascended to His heavenly throne of glory.

And God made His footsteps into a way. The way is a way to live by trusting in the Lord, by knowing that He is continually guiding us through life. The new life we are given in Christ is a life full or meaning and purpose.

Listen to David as he shares a prophetic picture of our salvation in Jesus:

“Surely His salvation is near to those who fear Him, that glory may dwell in our land. Lovingkindness and truth have met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other. Truth [Jesus] springs from the earth, and righteousness [Heavenly Father] looks down from heaven. Indeed, the LORD will give what is good, and our land will yield its produce. [The Father’s] Righteousness will go before Him [Jesus] and will make His footsteps into a way.” (Psa 85:9-13)

 

Jesus said,

“I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” (John 14:6)

In God’s work of salvation we pass through the cross and in due course on to our final destination and placement in His heavenly and eternal kingdom. Every child of God has imprinted in his or her soul, ‘the Way.’ It is this imprint that keeps us longing for our final destination.

The heavenly imprint also carries in it the very presence of Jesus Christ. The Spirit of the Lord seals us, sanctifies us, delivers us, guides us, preserves us, and presents us in due course before the throne of God. We are the eternal children of the cross.

 

What does Standing Still really mean?

Standing still means there will be many times in our Christian walk when we are to do nothing of ourselves. Our instructions are to stand still and see the salvation of the Lord. [Salvation includes the thoughts of preservation and deliverance.]

Standing still is something that we learn to do. Some believers do not realize that the work of salvation is God’s work from alpha to omega. No one is accidentally born into the kingdom of God. The apostle said he was convinced the good work that God began in us, He would perfect until the day of Jesus Christ. God alone is the author and the finisher of our faith. He alone is the perfecter of His work. (Cf. Phil 1:6)

Standing still means that the Father has a plan for our life. Standing still means to learn to listen to the Lord, receive your instructions from Him, and then follow through with obedience to His directives. Many times our instructions are simply to ‘Stand still!’

Here is a personal story –

It was 1974 – I had resigned from my former church affiliation. The following morning a cloud of darkness settled over me. I felt an aloneness that I was not accustomed to. What will I do? Where do I go? When I fell to my knees I reached for my Bible. My eyes instantly fell upon Php 1:6, where the apostle said,

“Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.”

The ‘Sun of righteousness’ had risen over me. No more fear. No more uncertainty. I knew in my heart everything was alright. God had spoken. The cloud vanished. It was in a moment of ‘stillness’ that I received me instructions. (This is one of hundreds of times the Lord has granted me fresh instructions.)

The point is that some Christians see the strength of their walk in how strong their grip is on God. This is not what Jesus teaches us. The safety for a child of God does not depend on his or her grip on God. It rests entirely in the hands of the Lord. Jesus said,

“No one will snatch them out of my hand.” (John10:27-29)

Here is another example from my own walk:

 

Expect the Unexpected

 

It was August 6, 2007. I had been in cancer treatment for awhile. The findings were not good. Lymphoma had spread throughout my chest area and was now into my bone marrow. Our local hospital could do no more for me. They were sending me to M. D. Anderson in Houston. Everything pointed to a marrow transplant. (Pretty invasive procedure.)

Everything was alright between me and the Lord. I had told the church that it was a win-win situation. The only concern I had involved which kind of bone marrow transplant would I have to go through.

Back to the story – That day I am having my morning devotion on a hill behind the church. While reading In the book of Isaiah, the Lord speaks to my heart and says, ‘Expect the unexpected.’

When I looked up at the high wire directly over my head there sat a beautiful dove. I sat there just looking at her. The dove would look at me. She remained there until I stood up to walk home. Then she flew ahead of me towards the house.

It has always amazed me how of the Lord will speak to my heart while I am reading the Scriptures. That morning I was taking my devotion from the New Living Translation. Here is the portion where the Lord spoke to me:

“Oh, that You would burst from the heavens and come down! How the mountains would quake in Your presence! As fire causes wood to burn and water to boil,

“Your coming would make the nations tremble. Then Your enemies would learn the reason for Your fame!

“When You came down long ago, You did awesome deeds beyond our highest expectations. And oh, how the mountains quaked!”(Isa 64:1-3 NLT)

I shared with the church what the Lord had said. I did not know what ‘expect the unexpected’ meant. I thought perhaps I would receive the less of the two invasive stem cell transplant procedures. After all that was the purpose of sending me to Houston.

At M. D. Anderson I was put through a battery of tests. They gave me a thorough work through. Betty and Nathan were with me.

Here is what happened. When we met with my primary physician, he went down the line on each test that M.D. Anderson had made. With each test he said, ‘No cancer.’ (Something along that line.)

At some point between Pineville, Louisiana, and Houston, Texas, the Lord had granted me a sovereign miracle of grace. It’s been three years now. Every checkup I’ve gone to since shows me clear of cancer.

And that is the story of my healing from the Lord

 

I don’t share these stories to gain attention for myself. I share them as a way of encouragement. What did I do to gain a healing from the Lord? I did nothing. All I did was receive my instructions from the Lord.

I wish that all believers would come to this understanding. God doesn’t heal us or give us miracles because we deserve them, or because we have earned them, or because we worked some spiritual law, or because we became good enough. It’s all a matter of God’s love and of His sovereign grace.

The love of God is a Divine outflow of His own heart. It flows from God to His children. God then wants His love to flow out from His children to those who are without Christ, and also to other struggling believers. So He gives us testimonies of His grace and of His love.

 

Paul gave some insight into this area, when he said,

“We have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to [God’s] purpose who [always] works all things after the counsel of His will.” (Eph1:11)

Notice that Paul said that it is God’s will that is at work. The apostle John agrees. He said that our birth from heaven was not a thing of our will. He says,

“[We] were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” (John 1:13)

 

Sure, standing still can be hard at times. And yet this is one of the greatest secrets to a life of faith. Standing still does not mean do nothing. It means to get your instructions from the Lord. Jesus said that everyone who asks, receives. Every one who knocks, the door will be opened. Every one who seeks, will find.

Think about it. I hope this entry has ministered to your heart. Please take time to listen to this wonderful song about ‘Standing Still.’

 

 

Much love to be found in Jesus,

Buddy

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10
Jan
2011

About the Gentle Man


“SAY TO THE DAUGHTER OF ZION, ‘BEHOLD YOUR KING IS COMING TO YOU, GENTLE, AND MOUNTED ON A DONKEY, EVEN ON A COLT, THE FOAL OF A BEAST OF BURDEN.'” (Mat 21:5)



Journal,

If you really want to know the kind of man Jesus was, read the gospels. The trait that describes Him most of all is found in the word ‘gentleness’. Jesus was gentle and compassionate and kind to all. About the only time you see Jesus at odds with anyone is with hardened hearts of religious leaders, or if He needed to make attitude adjustments in His disciples.

It’s all there. Jesus loved children. He would gather them in His arms. The Lord associated with the lowly. He allow lepers to touch Him. He responded to any who called out to Him. One thing that always stood out for me is how the Lord interposed so often in the lives of women who were being mistreated. Jesus cared for everyone with respect. The Lord expects no less from us.

My point is simple – Jesus came into our world to bring redemption and to undo the works of darkness. But He also came to provide example of life. The term Christian means to be Christ-like.

The apostle Paul said it this way:

“Now we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of those without strength and not just please ourselves. Each of us is to please his neighbor for his good, to his edification. For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, ‘THE REPROACHES OF THOSE WHO REPROACHED YOU FELL ON ME.'” (Rom 15:1-3)

The most beautiful picture of Christ and the footprints He leaves in our lives is found in this Psalm:

“Surely His salvation is near to those who fear Him, that glory may dwell in our land. Lovingkindness and truth have met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other. Truth springs from the earth, and righteousness looks down from heaven. Indeed, the LORD will give what is good, and our land will yield its produce. Righteousness will go before Him and will make His footsteps into a way.“ (Psa 85:9-13)

Did you catch it? Jesus left His footsteps with us as a way that we are to live.



This week I was privileged to read a letter sent to my son Nathan…

… from a dear lady in our congregation. She is a single mom raising children on her own. Her letter was so heart warming that I asked permission to share portions of her letter on my blog. It spoke highly of the men in our congregation. Actually Lynn has not been a member of Christian Challenge very long. But what she had to say about our ministry touched me deeply.

Here goes…


About the Manly Man

Snippets from a letter to Nathan by a single mom – Used by permission


… One of the things I really enjoy about Christian Challenge is that, per capita, we have more men in attendance and involved than any other denomination … or church that I have ever seen.

… What the world is missing today is it’s men. The family not only requires its physical needs to be met, but its spiritual needs.

There’s a lot to meeting those needs. The leader has to be a prayer warrior and receive and give instruction in God’s Word and His will; learning and teaching to hear His voice and live your life according to His ways.

… It was so refreshing to see men who want this for their own families. I know that the world doesn’t do this and it is a forgotten art for men as the leaders of their families. But, I see an active desire and pursuit of this at Christian Challenge.

… You and your father display that manly role as an example to the other men. I think the men in the church stay because they see God’s intention for a husband and father in you and your dad. They know that it’s right even though they may not exactly why they are drawn to you both.

It was encouraging for me as a mom, as I struggle to help my son be a man, to bring him to a place where he sees other men seeking God. He’s spent his younger years with mostly women who usually run Sunday school for the younger kids and VBS. Not so at CCI.

As a Christian woman, I see the role of the men and women much more clearly. I don’t see myself as that “independent, I rule the world” kinda woman any more. It’s much different now.

I am thankful for you and the other men in the church, especially my sweetheart.

Lynn

 


Mistaken ideas of manliness

Thank you Lynn.

Some frame the idea of manliness in terms like, be tough, be in charge, let no one see you cry, be a man, be the head of your family, command respect, show no weakness, discipline with a firm hand, be a fighter, and so on. Those are terms that speak to the warrior side of our nature but in themselves they don’t truly set forth Biblical manliness.

It is without question that the man should be both the protector and the provider for his family. Yet protector and provider are not merely warrior terms. They speak of love and endearment.

For example the Biblical way of being head of the family means to love your wife and children the way that Jesus loves the church. It means to treat your wife as an equal heir of the grace of life. It means that the same way that Jesus provided love and grace for all around Him, we are to do likewise. Jesus showed us how the power of life is bound up in the word gentleness.

What many don’t realize is that gentleness is not a sign of weakness. In a Biblical sense it is a sign of strength. Gentleness reveals the ability to control power and to use strength in a proper manner.

Notice how David links salvation, victory, and manliness with God’s gentleness:

“The God who girds me with strength and makes my way blameless? He makes my feet like hinds’ feet, and sets me upon my high places. He trains my hands for battle, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze. You have also given me the shield of Your salvation, and Your right hand upholds me; and Your gentleness makes me great.” (Psa 18:32-35)

Pay close attention to how Isaiah describes Jesus in His second coming:

“Behold, the Lord GOD will come with might, With His arm ruling for Him. Behold, His reward is with Him and His recompense before Him. Like a shepherd He will tend His flock, in His arm He will gather the lambs and carry them in His bosom; He will gently lead the nursing ewes.” (Isa 40:10-11)

To appreciate more fully the idea of God’s men being gentle, we also need to understand…


God’s gift of maleness and femaleness

This brings us back to God’s original plan for the human family. The Bible says both Adam and Eve were created in the image of God. But Adam was created first and as such, had covenant responsibility for the family of man. In his relationship to Eve, Adam was not to be without Eve, and Eve was not to be without Adam. Each were given nature traits that belonged to them alone.

With this in mind there is a sense in which the woman can serve as a type of the Holy Spirit and the man as a type of God’s Word. Both are needed for life. The Word without the Spirit can produce legalism. The Spirit without the Word can produce instability.

Jesus said,

“It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.” (John 6:63)

Finally, when it comes to covenant issues, there is no stronger spiritual working power on this planet than a man and his wife who are in spiritual union. All the promises that relate to ‘two’ people doing something, find their greatest impact in the godly marriage.

Consider this promise:

“Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven.” (Matt 18:19)

Where would this promise work any better than in that of the godly married?

 

May I leave this with you. We all have room to grow. We have all failed in many things. If you are struggling with any that I have shared, please take time to listen to this special song – ‘I Believe, Help Thou My Unbelief.’   — I shared it in an early blog. It still rings true —


Love you more than much,

Buddy

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05
Jan
2011

The Unpardonable Sin

“Why, what evil has this man done?” – Pilate


“Therefore I say to you, any sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven people, but blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven. Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come. Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for the tree is known by its fruit. You brood of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak what is good? For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart.” (Mat 12:31-34)



Journal,

An issue that believers sometimes find themselves grappling with has to do with what blasphemy against the Holy Spirit means, and if this ‘unpardonable’ sin has a bearing on a believer.

Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is one of the least understood of all Biblical teachings. Because of this it has been a cause of pain for the uninstructed child of God. This is especially true when a child of God ‘senses’ that a thing being done in the name of Jesus, may not be of the Lord. But someone then warns him or her to be careful, ‘You might blaspheme the Holy Spirit.’

The short side of the story is that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is not a believer’s sin. It has never been, not today, nor any other time. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. This sin comes from darkness. It comes from a continual Satanic warfare against God Himself. And this is what we need to determine from the Scriptures.

It is important to understand that the sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit was placed at the front door of a certain element of the Jewish leadership during the time of Christ. It was against that particular element that the charge was made and not at all against all the Jewish people at large. Keep in mind that the early church began fully as a Hebrew believing people. To help understand this element view these Scriptures: (Place cursor over any Scripture reference and it will appear.) Gen3:15; Mat3:7; Mat12:34; Mat23:33; John8:44; Rev2:9; Rev3:9.

This charge of blaspheming the Holy Spirit goes along with this statement made by the Lord,

“Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets, and it was your fathers who killed them. So you are witnesses and approve the deeds of your fathers; because it was they who killed them, and you build their tombs. For this reason also the wisdom of God said, ‘I will send to them prophets and apostles, and some of them they will kill and some they will persecute, so that the blood of all the prophets, shed since the foundation of the world, may be charged against this generation, from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who was killed between the altar and the house of God’, yes, I tell you, it shall be charged against this generation.” (Luk 11:47-51)

The term ‘generation’ comes from two Greek words that suggest the idea of a multitude of contemporaries. It is also used as a special reference to the moral circumstances of a particular time or people. Jesus is addressing a class of people in Judaism who did the work of the devil. As a nation group Israel’s purpose was to bring forth the Messiah for all the nations. However, Satan had his place in Israel and especially in the leadership. This is why John the Baptist and Jesus spoke of this group as being of Satan. Whereas the gospel is for all people of all nations, Jews and otherwise, this particular element comes under a different banner. They are not simply non believers. They are active agents of Satan. It is one thing to be an active agent and another to be caught in the chords of ignorance such as was Paul. Cf. 1Tim1:12-15

Lets begin by examining a Scripture in its context. Jesus said,

“Everyone who confesses Me before men, the Son of Man will confess him also before the angels of God; but he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God. And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him.” (Luke 12:8-10)

Notice that the believer who confesses Jesus is placed out of the picture on the issue of blasphemy. The one doing the blasphemy is against Christ. The primary reason for the charge of ‘unforgivingness’ is because this sin is against God’s work of redemption in Christ. Thus we can readily guess who was the inspiration behind this sin.


A sin of defiance against God Himself

When you read the Scriptures where the sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is noted, in nearly every case the leadership has openly defied Jesus before the people. It was the leadership that contributed the work of Jesus as being of the devil. So the sin was in reality a sin of defiance against God Himself. The Holy Spirit has always been reckoned as the Spirit of the Almighty God. It is without question that the testimony of God Himself rested upon Jesus.

We need additional background for this. In Isaiah 63, God brings a charge against those of Israel who turned from Him. Listen carefully;

“In all their affliction He was afflicted, and the angel of His presence saved them; in His love and in His mercy He redeemed them, and He lifted them and carried them all the days of old. But they rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit; therefore He turned Himself to become their enemy, He fought against them.” (Verses 9,10)

Did the Jewish leadership in the day of Christ rebel and grieve the Holy Spirit? The point was that Jesus was doing things that only God Himself could do. He resurrected the dead. He opened blind eyes. He walked on water, multiplied loaves and fish, healed deformed bodies, healed lepers, and did all the things that the ancient sages said would be the signs of Messiah.

Carry this over to Acts 7:51,52, where Stephen makes his defense against the same Jewish element that had Jesus crucified. He says,

“You men who are stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears are always resisting the Holy Spirit; you are doing just as your fathers did. Which one of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? They killed those who had previously announced the coming of the Righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become.”

I hope that this gives you an idea on what the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is. It is an open defiance against God, and it is done with a degree of knowledge. The blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is the sin where Satan seeks to maintain his warfare against the Lord of glory.


What is it that makes this sin unpardonable

What makes the sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit unpardonable is that it actually aligns itself with Satan. But it is very important to understand that this is a sin against knowledge. Paul was ignorant of his role. Not all are innocent in this regard. This level of blasphemy is a sin that blatantly denies and defies and defiles all the evidence of the work of the cross in Jesus Christ. It is a sin where one’s conscience can become seared. It is a sin against the Light of God. It is the sin of Antichrist. This is why Jesus said,

“If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. He who hates Me hates My Father also.” (Joh 15:22-23)

Listen also to John:

“Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son. Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father; the one who confesses the Son has the Father also.” (1Jn 2:22-23)

The Lord very carefully lays this issue out. Listen carefully to the language:

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

“This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.” (Joh 3:16-21)

Is the same spirit of antichrist at work today

There is no question that the antichrist spirit is in the world. It manifests in many forms. One of its most belligerent forms is found in Talmudic or Rabbinic Judaism. When the temple was destroyed in 70 a.d., the Pharisees took on the mantle of Judaism and set about to establish their authority over all Israel. In their Talmudic writings the Lord Jesus is treated as a sorcerer and a deceiver.

This is how Jesus is treated in the Talmuds:

1) He and his disciples practiced sorcery and black magic, led Jews astray into idolatry, and were sponsored by foreign, gentile powers for the purpose of subverting Jewish worship (Sanhedrin 43a).

2) He was sexually immoral, worshipped statues of stone (a brick is mentioned), was cut off from the Jewish people for his wickedness, and refused to repent (Sanhedrin 107b; Sotah 47a).

3) He learned witchcraft in Egypt and, to perform miracles, used procedures that involved cutting his flesh, which is also explicitly banned in the Bible (Shabbos 104b).

 

Now for the good news. Jews by the multiplied thousands are turning to Jesus Christ today. Why are they turning? Because of the power of the gospel. The apostle said that there was nothing that could be done against the truth. AntiChrist, you are on the way out. Enjoy hell!

Here are examples from the untold hundreds of Jewish people who have come to discover new life in Jesus…


In Christ always,

Buddy



 


 

 







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01
Jan
2011

Breaking the Chains of Sin…


“If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it.”
(Gen 4:7)

“For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace.” (Rom 6:14)



Journal,

Here it is, January 1, 2011, the first day of a new year. And here we are setting out once again with making new year’s resolutions. And here we are once again with our little traditions that supposedly will set the tone for a prosperous year to come. (Sharing a meal of cabbage and black-eyed peas, etc.)

I’ve never been one for making a list of resolutions although I do consider in my heart things that I wish to have a fresh start on. Oh yes, we all struggle. However, the problem goes far beyond making resolutions. The greater issue is how to gain a hold on life itself, and how to live a life of victory over our many struggles and failures.

I woke up this morning wondering how to begin my first journal entry for 2011. My mind kept going back to the email I had just received from a young Christian soldier concerning his struggles with sin issues. I was impressed that sharing my exchange with this young man would be an excellent way to help others who may be facing the similar struggles.

In sharing my exchange with this young soldier I’ll make adjustments for the sake of confidentiality and privacy. I’ve also reworded some of my responses for additional clarification. In the following exchange place your cursor over the Scriptures references. They will appear while you are reading. If you are a woman, transpose this exchange to suit your own life.

Here goes…

 


 

The Struggle Over Thoughts


Young soldier: “How can I stop having these bad thoughts and stop asking, why God did this and that? And sometimes make jokes about things I see in church?”

 

Response: “The thoughts of the heart determine our life at that moment. This is why Jesus dealt with sin as an issue of the heart. I want to encourage you to meditate on Pro4:23; “Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs (issues or forces) of life.” (Read all of Proverbs 4.)

“Another thing that can help you is to stop questioning God and start trusting Him for all the issues of life. God is far greater than you and I. His understanding is inscrutable. Here are some more Scriptures that you should consider: Isaiah 40:25-31; Isaiah 45:6-11; Romans 11:33-36.

“You really need to ask the Lord to open your understanding with regard to life and to His ways.”

 

Note: A temptation is not a sin of itself. Jesus was tempted in all measures just as we are. A temptation is an allurement or solicitation to do evil. It is the enemies attempt to gain control over part of our life by way of our thinking and our imagination. The Lord supplies strength and power to overcome the enemies solicitation. Here are our instructions: Isaiah40:28-31; 2Co10:3-5; Col3:1-5; Phil4:6-9.

 

Young soldier: “…I can be in church and serving and praising the Lord and in such a great feeling. But then there are times that in my mind I start looking around and having thoughts on how nice this lady looks. I’m a little ashamed to say but while in church I have thoughts of actually seeing myself going out with other women besides my wife. Then I catch myself and in my mind I ask God to please forgive me for such thoughts and to help me stop thinking of things like that. But it happens again and it scares me because I know this is the house of God and I shouldn’t be thinking of being with other women or on how silly such person looks or how nasty that men is!”

 

Response: “Keep in mind that temptations are common to all men and to all women. The fact that you are able to judge things while they are still in your heart is a major plus. Also that you do pray about these things is another major plus. The Lord is going to help you work this through. Some of this is habitual. Bad habits can be replaced with good habits. (Even spiritually)

“Another thing that can help is to keep your marriage before you. Think about your wife. She is your companion for life. Then think about this — How would you feel if you knew your wife had those same thoughts running through her mind about other men? (Lustful thoughts.) Would it please you if you knew your wife wondered what it would be like to take so-and-so to bed for a sexual encounter? Would you not be very displeased.

“You need to start thanking God for your marriage and for all that He has given you. Did you know that the Bible says the wife is a gift from God. One of the greatest gifts that a man can receive from the Lord is his companion for life.

“Here are some more Scriptures for you to meditate upon: Prov5:15-23; Prov19:14; Eccl9:9; Mal2:13-16; 1Co7:2. (Take time to meditate on all the Scriptures that I am sharing. They will help strengthen your spiritual and mental life.)

 

Young soldier: “It Is not only in church but basically everywhere I go. I try to not make fun of people but then I catch my self doing it again! It really concerns me because I want to do the right thing. I even accepted Jesus Christ as my savior, but I’m so scared that God gets tired of me asking him to forgive me because of what I was thinking or what I said!”

 

Response: “God will never tire of you asking for forgiveness. It is when you stop asking for forgiveness that the Lord will need to bring a different correction in your life. (Punitive judgment.)”

 

Young soldier: “I grew up visiting the church. Then as a teenager I started going in other ways and use to do drugs and dated many, many women and cheated on many of them with other women, but I have changed my ways. My tour in Iraq made me appreciate many things so decided to come back to God and here I am. I pray every day and even at work while working. I’m asking God to forgive me and to take me through his path so that I can learn more of his ways. But all these thoughts keep coming to my mind. And I just fear because I know that Jesus is coming soon and we should all be in the right track!”

 

Response: “You are doing the right thing in keeping this before the Lord.”

 

Note: God gives us His own Spirit to help us maintain a strong walk before Him. There no way that we can walk in victory if we depend on our own power. The Lord knows that. Every child of God has in the deep of their heart what the Bible calls ‘a fountain of life.’ One of our greatest needs is to learn to draw from God’s fountain. Cf. Psa36:7-9; John4:14; John7:37-39; Rev22:17

 

Young soldier: “I hope this wasn’t too much but I’m really concerned. I love Jesus and I know he is the way but it seems so hard to earn your way to heaven and so easy to fall, I’ll still keep fighting but still wonder what God would think!  Thank you and God bless you!!!”

 

Response: “You do not have to earn your way to heaven. You are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. He took all your sins to the cross, past, present, and future sins have already been judged in Him. Does this mean we are free to sin? Not at all. It means that sin can never again Lord over us or be our Master.

“That you love the Lord and continue to wage a fight against the issue of ungodliness is proof in itself that you belong to the Lord. A sinner sins by nature and feels no remorse. (Unless caught.) A child of God sins by temptation but sin in itself is contrary to the nature of a child of God. This is why you struggle. It is not in your Christian nature to maintain a life of sin.

Think about these things. And let me know how you are doing.

May the Lord richly reward you with a full victory in all areas of your life.

In Christ always,

Buddy”

 

Note: I realize there is much more that I could share with this young man. Hopefully he will continue to write me. What I wanted to do was keep my response simple and leave it open for further discussion. Also — To any of my readers. Feel free to write me by using the ‘Questions’ at the top part of my blog.

 

 

Here is an update on class schedules for the 46th CCI School for Christian Workers

 

May the Lord richly bless you in 2011. Why not set aside time to invest in your spiritual future. It is as the apostle Peter said:

“Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart, for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God. For, ‘All flesh is like grass, and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls off, but the Word of the Lord endures forever.’ And this is the word which was preached to you.” – (1Pe 1:22-25)

 

Always your friend in Christ,

Buddy

 



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22
Dec
2010

Make Disciples of all the Nations

 

“The Lord GOD has given Me the tongue of disciples, that I may know how to sustain the weary one with a word. He awakens Me morning by morning, He awakens My ear to listen as a disciple. The Lord GOD has opened My ear; and I was not disobedient nor did I turn back.” (Isa 50:4-5)

 


This is your heads up invitation to prayerfully consider our forthcoming

Christian Challenge International


46th School for Christian Workers

Classes begin January 23rd, 2011

‘Preparing Servants for the Nations’

 

– I gained more spiritual value in the ‘Disciple’s Heart Training Program’ than I did in two years of bible college. – Common like statements from various graduates.



The Lord’s call to discipleship

The four gospels complete themselves in what is commonly called ‘the great commission.’ The commission is summarized in the gospel of Matthew —

“When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some were doubtful. And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Mat 28:17-20)

In the original Greek the imperative is solely on the term, ‘make disciples’. Everything else the Lord says has its center on this imperative. Thus we are to make disciples from all the nations under the authority of Jesus Christ.

The disciples knew exactly what the Lord was saying. During the time of Christ, disciples were called talmidim. (Greek is mathetes.) A talmid would sit at the feet of a Master teacher. Jesus was the Master Teacher and the disciples sat at His feet. They themselves would later become Master teachers and provide instructions from the Lord. Thus the making of disciples was to continue through out the church age.

Jesus said,

“A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a slave above his master. It is enough for the disciple that he become like his teacher.” (Matt10:24)


The uniqueness of the CCI School for Christian Workers

The CCI School for Christian Workers is neither a Bible College nor a Seminary. Our entire focus is on opening up the world of the disciple for the student. Every course we offer serves to that purpose.

– Classes Offered –

  • The Disciple’s Heart Training Program*
  • The Disciple’s Heart II
  • The Shepherd’s Heart
  • Bible Survey
  • Conversational Spanish

*DHTP is our premier training program where accreditation is provided. Other classes are electives and branch out of this course.

“One thing that makes our training programs so unique is that the classes meet only once a week. Aside from that there are other things the students involve themselves in on a daily basis in learning how to walk with the Lord in the land of the faithful disciple.” – Buddy Martin


The school is nondenominational in orientation and trans-denominational in purpose. Believers from all denominational backgrounds have passed through the CCI School for Christian Workers. We’ve had pastors and missionaries take our courses just for the spiritual benefit of what we have to offer. What we can promise you is that your world will begin to change with the very first class of ‘The Disciple’s Heart Training Program.’

It is also important to understand that when it comes to the Biblical disciple, this term does not limit itself to men. We have both men and women instructors on staff. With our primary course, ‘The disciple’s Heart Training Program,’ you can select either a male or a female instructor. (Depending on when the class is offered. All our instructors serve under the authority and oversight of the CCI pastoral ministry.)

“‘And it shall be in the last days,’ God says, ‘That I will pour forth of My Spirit on all mankind; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; even on My bondslaves, both men and women, I will in those days pour forth of My Spirit and they shall prophesy.'” (Act 2:17-18) – To prophesy means to flow forth or to speak for God.


Class schedules will be provided shortly. We may offer courses in addition to the ones above. Pre-enrollment is required. Registration forms are available at the Christian Challenge office, 300 Pearce Road, Pineville, LA. (71360) Telephone: 318 640-4300


Special note: Sorry. We do not offer online classes. As a mentoring school there is a need for actual student participation.


A bit of  history…

While considering your future with the CCI School for Christian Workers, here is a bit of background on Christian Challenge and the School.

Founding Pastor…

Lawrence “Buddy” Martin and his wife Betty are co-founders of Christian Challenge International. They have served the Lord in the ministry since the mid-1960s. They began Christian Challenge in 1976 with a stewardship from the Lord. The stewardship was to raise up a training center in Central Louisiana based on the School of the Prophets in the Old Testament. (A mentoring society.)

The ministry began as a ‘School for Christian Workers’. It was Brother Buddy’s vision for missions that has led a number of graduates of the school to enter the ministry as pastors or missionaries. Several hundred believers from all walks of life have been trained under the auspices of the School for Christian Workers. Bro. Buddy serves as the General Overseer of Christian Challenge.

Nathan Martin is Lead Pastor. Nathan grew up in Christian Challenge. He acknowledged the call to the ministry at a very young age and was licensed to preach at the age of 16. Nathan served in Mexico a number of years and was instrumental in raising up thirteen churches in that nation.

To further acquaint you with Christian Challenge here is a video that covers some of our history. It is titled ‘Through the Years With Christian Challenge.’



Always in Christ,

Buddy

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