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Nov

2010

The Corinthian Dilemma – The Demise of a Church

Every kind of honor and happiness was bestowed upon you, and then was fulfilled that which is written, ‘My beloved did eat and drink, and was enlarged and became fat, and kicked.’ Hence flowed emulation and envy, strife and sedition, persecution and disorder, war and captivity.

“So the worthless rose up against the honored, those of no reputation against such as were renowned, the foolish against the wise, the young against those advanced in years. For this reason righteousness and peace are now far departed from you, inasmuch as everyone abandons the fear of God, and is become blind in his faith, etc.” – The First Epistle of Clement to the Corinthians

Journal,

The purpose of this entry is to provide a bit of education on the issues that Paul had to deal with concerning the church at Corinth. It is well worth the reading.

Let’s begin with Clement. The afore quote is from a letter of Clement to the Church of Corinth. Scholars are in favor that this letter was written by the traveling companion of the apostle Paul. When Clement wrote this letter both Paul and Peter had been martyred not too many years prior.

Paul speaks of Clement and other workers who helped him;

[They] have shared my struggle in the cause of the gospel, together with Clement also and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.” (Phil4:3) [Clement lived A.D. 30-100]

This letter by Clement was written either following the destruction of Jerusalem, or just prior. It was only one of several letters written by those who knew the apostles, that were read in the Churches. Clement along with Barnabas, and a couple more writings, were given consideration with regard to being placed in the New Testament canon of Scriptures. The church historian Eusebius held Clement in high esteem. (Clement is in the 1st volume of ANF and is found in the Alexandrian manuscripts.)

What were the problems at Corinth?

There were so many that it would take too much effort to try to address them all. However, there was one very serious situation that called for special concern by the apostle Paul. It had to do with the gifts of the Spirit and in particular the gift of speaking in foreign or other languages.

There is much more to this story. The City of Corinth was less than 50 miles across the Corinthian Gulf from Delphi. To the Greeks, Delphi was considered the center of the earth. There was a stone set in place that was called the navel of the earth. Delphi had the Delphic oracle, which belonged to the Earth goddess, and was supposedly guarded by a serpent, Python. (Keep the serpent Python image in view.)

At the Delphi temple they practiced a pagan glossolalia or speaking in tongues, but not in any language that could be understood. This influence of the pagan glossolalia was strongly felt not only in Corinth, but also in the entire Grecian world. (You can study this in most encyclopedias.)

The way the oracle worked was that a male prophet at the temple would receive a question from an inquirer. The question could be personal, or about government affairs, or whatever. The inquirer would be brought into the presence of a young woman priestess of Apollo who was said to have a “pythonic spirit.” The young woman would speak in unintelligible utterances, often fall out in a frenzy, supposedly through the spirit of Apollo in her, and the prophet would interpret the message.

It seems that Paul encountered this pythonic spirit at work in Philippi.

It happened that as we were going to the place of prayer, a slave-girl having a spirit of divination [puthõna] met us, who was bringing her masters much profit by fortune-telling.” (Act 16:16 NASB)

The issue of gifting

It is important to understand that Paul never took away from their being a gifting from God concerning speaking in other languages. The problem seems to be that certain ones who had been to the Delphic priest were beginning to show up in the congregation, and very likely, even some of the priests and priestesses were entering.

The Christians would have been considered a threat to the Delphic oracle. In addition the Corinthian believers may have felt like they were in competition with the Delphic oracles. This was probably why Paul had to deal so much with the issue of speaking in tongues with the Corinthian church. You don’t find it in any of the other churches.

If you read the Corinthian letters with this background in mind, it will help you appreciate some of the things Paul is addressing. Listen carefully to the language:

Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware. You know that when you were pagans, you were led astray to the mute idols, however you were led.” (1Co12:1,2.)

From this we can assume that some of the Corinthian believers had taken part in the Delphic oracles. It was the spirit of divination that had led them astray. (Keep in view the term, ‘led
astray’. We are going to see it again in Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians. )

Again:

Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, ‘Jesus is accursed’; and no one can say, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ except by the Holy Spirit.” (1Co12:3)

Someone was speaking by a spiritual power that declared Jesus was accursed. Paul’s contention was that the Holy Spirit would most certainly not say that Jesus is accursed. There is a vast difference between Jesus being accursed and Jesus taking the curse of the Law upon Himself at the cross. But these false outbursts of prophecies were leading the people astray.

Can a person confess the wrong Jesus?

For someone to truly make the confession that Jesus is Lord, would be an act of the Holy Spirit.

Anwk cross - Egyptian godsHowever, can someone say that Jesus is Lord and it not be of the Holy Spirit? Yes, if there is a occultic spirit involved. Paul addresses this issue in his second letter. He says it is possible to preach a Jesus who is not the Jesus of the Bible. (See the book 'The Beautiful Side of Evil by Michaelson.)

Listen to Paul:

But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.” (2Co11:3)

Remember the term ‘led astray.’ There it is again. Paul used it in both letters. In this second letter, Paul is coming even more strongly against the people being led astray.

Notice the background of being led astray is still the ‘serpent.’ The inference may possibly be to the pythonic spirit again. ‘Led astray’ is the Greek word phtheiro, which means to corrupt or spoil. The corrupting is a spiritual deception.

This word is used in Rev19:2, where it says,

He has judged the great harlot who was corrupting (phtheiro) the earth with her immorality, and He has avenged the blood of His bondservants on her.”

Paul shows how this corrupting influence works. He said,

For if one comes and preaches another Jesus who we have not preached, or you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted you bear this beautifully” (2Co11:4)

The Corinthian group was coming under the influence of the occult. There is no other way to explain an involvement with a different Jesus, a different spirit, and a different gospel. You may think this is hard to do, but Church history has proven that this has always been a real danger for believers.

Clement has more to say.

Let’s come back to Clement’s letter which was written after the passing of Paul and Peter. I want to share a few notable quotes from his letter. It gives an idea of what happened to the church in Corinth, and what can happen in a church today if a spirit of occultism enters the scene.

Your schism has subverted the faith of many, has discouraged many, has given rise to doubt in many, and has caused grief to us all. And still your sedition continues.”

“The height to which love exalts is unspeakable. Love unites us to God. Love covers a multitude of sins. Love beareth all things, is long-suffering in all things. … Love admits no schisms.”

“All the generations from Adam even unto this day have passed away; but those who, through the grace of God, have been made perfect in love, now possess a place among the godly.”

“Through envy and jealousy, the greatest and most righteous pillars of the Church have been persecuted and put to death. … Peter, through unrighteous envy … Paul also obtained the reward of patient endurance, after being seven times thrown into captivity … Thus was he removed from the world and went into the holy place…”

Did the Church at Corinth ever revert itself? Who knows. We do have a promise that the Lord will not lose any that belong to Him. It is possible that the Lord simply removed His people to a place of His choosing. But this is speculation

Historically speaking…

Historically there is no evidence that ‘glossais lalein’ [speaking in another language] played a continuing role in the advance of early Christianity. There have been resurgences in this area but they almost always proved to be of the occult. Paul gives the only Scriptural explanation that we can find as to why. Some find this a difficult Scripture, but it needs to be considered.

Paul said,

Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part; but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away with.” (1Co13:8-10)

Paul doesn’t say when these things will happen. Some think he is speaking of heaven. Others think he is speaking of the apostolic era. But there is a word that Paul uses that may be the key. It doesn’t speak of heaven or of the apostolic era perse.

Listen carefully. Paul said,

But when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away.” (v10)

If we stopped there, it could easily mean heaven. But Paul continues;

When I was a child, I use to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things.” (Vs11)

Paul is using a word here that he only uses one way. It has regard to maturity. He said,

But when the perfect (teleois) comes, the partial will be done away.”

I can’t emphasis enough the usage of this word. It is never used with regard to heaven. It means when something reaches its desired goal, or a state of maturity. What did Paul mean by perfect? It is possible that he had the transition of covenants in view.

The new covenant taking its place

Listen to this statement in Hebrews 8:13;

When He said, ‘a new covenant,’ He has made the first obsolete. But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to disappear.”

The old covenant had not disappeared as long as the temple was visible. As long as the temple sacrifices were in place the former covenant was still visible for all to see. This was a special time in the changing of covenants. Many of the people were still thinking on an old covenant level. They did not have the spiritual maturity that would replace entirely the old.

The temple sacrifices offered no atonement for sin. Yet a great many of the priests had received Jesus as Lord, and still involved in temple sacrifices. (Cf. Acts 6:7)

The book of Hebrews was written not long before the destruction of Jerusalem. It was like a final warning to the Jewish people.

The prophets testimony

This brings us back to the prophet’s testimony concerning the purpose of ‘glossais lalein’, that is, speaking in other languages. God speaking in Isaiah 28:11,12, said,

Indeed He will speak to this (Jewish) people through stammering lips and a foreign tongue … but they would not listen.”

Follow through with Isaiah 28:13;

… they may go and stumble backward, be broken, snared and taken captive.”

This is exactly what happened in 70 a.d. The temple was destroyed, Jerusalem burned to the ground, and the people were taken captivity into the nations. In addition, there was no longer any visible evidence of the former covenant in place. The transition was over.

What had happened? The superior covenant was fully in place. This is likely what Paul had in mind, when he said that prophecy would be done away with and tongues would cease. These things would be replaced by something superior, that is, a mature spiritual walk with the Lord, where each child of God is able to hear from the Lord for himself.

And this is where believers today need to learn to live their life on a new covenant level. When Paul speaks of prophecy, it is likely he was speaking of a prophet sharing from the voice of God. Yet in the new covenant experience, that is not God’s best. One of the defining marks of the new covenant is that every person hears God personally. Jesus said,

My sheep know My voice, and another they will not follow.”

Notice how the book of Hebrews begins;

God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world.” (1:1,2)

God now speaks to His people through the voice of His Son. The Old Testament prophetic ministry had come to a close. We see this on the Mount of Transfiguration. When Moses and Elijah disappeared we hear a voice from heaven,

This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; LISTEN TO HIM.” (Caps for emphasis only.)

Did not Jesus say that the law and the prophets were until John?

In the new covenant every true believer has the attending voice of Jesus speaking into his or her life. This is one of the validating factors that we have entered the kingdom of the beloved Son.

In the former covenant, you had to seek out a prophet. Not so in the covenant of Christ. God spoke through the prophet, and said,

For all will know Me, from the least to the greatest of them. For I will be merciful to their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more.”

Time for a check up

And here is where we need to use caution. Paul did not say that these elements of prophecy and speaking in other languages would be ‘destroyed.’ What he said was that they would be rendered useless, or, ‘idled.’ Paul was simply telling the Corinthians, not to get over-focused on these particular gifts. There is no question that the Lord can speak to us through others. But to go about seeking a prophet today can do much damage to a believer’s walk with the Lord.

I realize everyone has their own thoughts, opinions, and experiences. But in the study of Scriptures, it is important not to let our experiences determine what we believe. We must learn to be true to the Scriptures.

Everything I have shared in this entry is for educational purposes. My advice to believers today is to remain on guard against any form of occultism. Familiar (pythonic) spirits love to enter into congregations and play off as being from the Lord.

Here is your song for today. Please listen to it. It is titled, ‘In Christ Alone.’

May the Lord’s blessings rest upon you and all that is yours,

In Christ always,

Buddy

Oct

2010

The Christian Hebraist – The Religion of the Bible…

“For some men, straying from these things, have turned to fruitless discussion, wanting to be teachers of the Law, even though they do not understand either what they are saying or the matters about which they make confident assertions. But we know that the Law is good, if one uses it lawfully….” (1Tim1:6-8)

Journal,

Why would Paul say the Law is good if one uses it lawfully? The apostle is saying
that the Law of Moses has to be viewed through the lens of the new covenant. Therefore the Law of Moses can serve as a text-book in many respects, but it cannot be used in place of the covenant of Christ. Each covenant is distinct in itself.

Paul’s point is that while the Law of Moses contained wonderful truths of God, yet much of the Law of Moses is simply not applicable to the covenant of Christ. The reason is that both Laws are marriage contracts. We are espoused to the resurrected Lord of glory. Israel of the Old Testament did not have that privilege.

Paul speaks with regard to those in Israel who rejected Jesus, as Israel after the flesh. The King James Version says it this way: 1 Corinthians 10:18;

But Israel after the flesh; are not those which eat the sacrifices sharers in the altar?” (1Co10:18)

The covenant of the husband…

Let’s go to the prophet Jeremiah, where the Lord explains the new covenant;

Behold, days are coming, ‘declares the Lord,’ when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not like the covenant which I made with their fathers … My covenant which they broke, although I was a *HUSBAND* to them.” (Jer31:31,32 Caps for emphasis.)

Notice God says that the new covenant would not be like the covenant of Moses. Why? There would be a death of Israel’s husband, which would nullify the former marriage contract. (The Man on the cross was the God of Israel manifest in the Son.) From the cross would come a new creation. This new marriage covenant would be a marriage between the Messiah and His elect. (Holy begotten ones.)

This new order will take up the name Christian, which means, ‘belonging to Christ.’ (Isaiah 65:15 speaks of a new name to be given God’s people.)

This new order would have its own marriage contract that would be suitable to it. Jesus said we cannot put new wine into old wine skins. The covenant of Moses was never intended for a new creation people. It was designed for an earthly people until the Christ should come.

Now continue with Jeremiah;

“But this is the covenant which I will make … I will put MY LAWS within them and on their heart I will write it…” (Vs33)

Each covenant contained a heart issue. In the new covenant each person born from above receives into their heart the very Spirit of Christ, who, in turn, works and writes new covenant laws into their heart. It is the imprinting God’s wonderful truths that helps us to process life as we should. In the covenant of the Law, God wrote on stone tablets.

Again notice the Lord did not say He would put the Law of Moses within His new covenant people, rather He would write His Laws or His instructions in them. (The Hebrew word ‘torah’ often translated as ‘law’ simply means ‘instructions’ or ‘teachings.’)

I need to repeat this for the sake of understanding – The law of Moses was the law of the husband given at Sinai. In the new covenant we are under a new law, which is called ‘the law of Christ.’ It is a new marriage contract, without any curses. And yet, both the law of Moses and the law of Christ contain eternal laws (truths) of God.

The song of Moses and the Lamb.

The covenant of Moses did not have the spiritual love factors built into it that are contained in the new covenant. Love was commanded, but it was not fulfilled. Why? Because the defect of Adam’s sin still rested upon the people. Before the cross, no person could attain the spiritual expressions that are found in the new covenant.

This is why Peter said,

And though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory.” (1Pe1:8)

Listen to Moses as he sings this song over Old Testament Israel;

They have acted corrupted toward Him, they are not His children, because of their defect; but are a perverse and crooked generation.” (Deu32:5)

Peter alludes to this song on the day of Pentecost. The song of Moses and the Lamb is a prophetic song. It reaches across the generations and fulfills itself in the Lord Jesus Himself. In the book of Revelation it is called ‘the song of Moses and the Lamb.’

And they sang the song of Moses, the bond-servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, ‘Great and marvelous are Your works, O Lord God, the Almighty; Righteous and true are Your ways, King of the nations!’” (Rev 15:3 NASB)

The defect of Adam…

What did Moses mean by their ‘defect?’ This reflects on the fall of Adam. All humans on this planet inherited that defect. The best religion in the world, and Israel had the best, could not remove the defect. Only the cross could do that.

This is also why the new covenant cannot essentially be classified as a religion. It is a living union between God and His people. This is a love union. However, if we wish to call Christianity a religion we must reckon it as ‘the religion of the Bible.’ (We have far too many manmade synthetic ‘sectarian’ religions.)

This is also why God’s people began to tire of religion. When believers go from Church to Church, it isn’t necessarily that they are being rebellious. Often they just don’t understand that what they are looking for cannot be found in any religion. Find the truth, and God will flock you where you belong.

Paul was a Christian Hebraist

Let’s return to Paul’s teaching on Law. One problem we have in the study of Scriptures is our distance from the writers. We are not familiar with the thought form, with the customs, or with the word usages, along with many other things that belonged to the early Church, or to the new covenant. Because of this, we tend to lose sight of distinctions being made.

When we see the term ‘the Law of God’ in New Testament writings, we automatically think ‘Law of Moses.’ In many cases the Law of Moses is in view, but not always.

Let’s see the distinctions. Paul puts three distinct Laws together in one portion of Scriptures. Listen carefully to the language that Paul uses in 1 Corinthians 9:19-21. (The numbers (1), (2), etc. will be explained.)

To the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might win the Jews; to those who are under the Law(1), as under the Law(1) though not being myself under the Law(1), so that I might win those who are under the Law(1); to those who are without law(4), as without law(4), though not being without the law of God(2) but under the law of Christ(3), so that I might win those who are without law(4).

Do you see the distinctions? Read it carefully in your Bible and these four law usages stand out.

(1) Is a reference to the Law of Moses. (2) Is with regard to the law of God. (3) Is to the law of Christ. And, (4) is to those with no regard to any law.

Now compare this to Romans 2:14,15, says,

For when Gentiles who do not have the Law(1) do instinctively the things of
the Law(1&2), these, not having the Law(1), are a law(2) to themselves, in that they show the work of the Law(1&2) written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness…”

The (1&2) is used to show that the Law of Moses had encoded in it God’s eternal laws. And yet, the Law of Moses itself is not in itself the eternal Law of God. The Law of Moses was for that moment, and for that marriage.

The curse is removed in Christ.

And so, it wasn’t the Laws of Moses that was written in the hearts of these Gentiles. It would have been God’s eternal laws, or the Law of God. (God would not write into the hearts of the Gentiles a covenant that had to do with Israel alone.)

Again we come to the fact that the Law of Moses was essentially a marriage contract between Israel and God. No other nation had a part in that contract. A great portion of the Law of Moses had to do with the land, with temple worship, with blessings and curses of the marriage. Understand this and it will help you understand the new covenant better.

And so what did Paul mean, when he said,

But we know that the Law [of Moses] is good, if one uses it lawfully?”

Or, what did Paul mean, when he said, “…the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life?”

The apostle is showing that in much of the Law of Moses you will find wonderful things that pertain to the Lord Himself. But the Law of Moses cannot be used as an instrument of righteousness because it was written for an earthly people. The covenant of Christ is purposed for a heavenly people. (Those who are born of God’s Spirit.)

Listen carefully:

Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God, who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” (2Co 3:5-6 NASB)

The Law of Moses was a covenant of the letter. The new covenant is entirely a covenant of the Spirit. Each covenant served a different purpose.

Hear it from two of our apostles:

John – “For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace. For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.” (John 1:16-17 NASB)

Paul – “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death [Law of Moses]. For what the Law [of Moses] could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, so that the requirement of the Law [of righteousness] might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” (Rom 8:2-4 NASB)

Removing the bruise

Is it any wonder that so many Christians are being bruised by those who do not understand the covenant of Christ, or the love of Christ, or the forgiveness of Christ; those who keep reaching back into the Law of Moses and use it as a whipping post to bring condemnation upon God’s children.

And so we need to hear it again:

For some men, straying from these things, have turned to fruitless discussion, wanting to be teachers of the Law, even though they do not understand either what they are saying or the matters about which they make confident assertions. But we know that the Law is good, if one uses it lawfully….” (1Tim1:6-8)

The Lord Himself said,

And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise him on the heel.” (Gen3:15)

The prophet Isaiah painted the picture:

But he was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.” (Isa 53:5-6 KJV)

My word to any minister who is using the Law of Mose to beat up on God’s people is simple –

Stop bruising God’s people. They have been bruised enough by the world. Jesus took their place. If you have been led astray in your on teachings, take your heart to the Lord for forgiveness and cleansing. (Both Paul and James said that ministers would receive a stricter judgment.)

Think about it.

Please take time to listen to the message in this video:

Always your servant in Christ,

Buddy

Oct

2010

Are we having fun yet…

“For the waywardness of the naive will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them. But he who listens to me shall live securely and will be at ease from the dread of evil.”

(Pro 1:32-33 NASB)

Journal,

The soul of every sinner is the same. Yes, I’m talking about everyone, including we who have found Jesus Christ as our own Lord and Savior. We were sinners by nature and by birth.

We walked in the ways of the world. We lived in the ways of the world. Our life was flesh driven and self-centered. We sought pleasures to our own making. And we were locked in chains of darkness and did not even realize it.

This is why Paul said,

“Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.” Eph2:3

The apostle is saying that it doesn’t matter if we were of a Jewish or a Gentile background. We all had the same kind of souls, the soul of sinners.

David understood this issue. He said,

“Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me.” Psa51:5

David was speaking of his natural life.

Paul takes it further;

“Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?” Rom7:25

Both David and Paul knew the answer. David looked ahead and saw the resurrection of Christ. This is why he said,

“The Lord is my light and my salvation; who shall I fear? The Lord is the defense of my life; whom shall I dread?” Psa27:1

David had seen the beauty of the Lord. He saw Jesus of the cross. He saw Jesus of resurrected glory.

What of the Christian soul?

There is a certain wonder that takes place when a person is born of heaven. It is almost too wondrous for words. Peter said that it is joy, inexpressible, and full of glory.

When a person is born again a number of things happens. First the Christian is given a Christ like nature. The Christian becomes a spiritual being. Where there was darkness, there is now light. Where there was endless searching for fulfillment, the fulfillment has arrived. Jesus completes our life. That missing part is no longer missing. The search is over.

The Psalmist said it this way –

“The Lord is the portion of my inheritance and my cup; You support my lot. The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places; indeed, my heritage is beautiful to me.” Psalm16:5,6

Reshaped for life.

When a new believer first enters the realm of salvation, there is a burst of spiritual life. There is joy! There is peace! There is wonderment! Grace flows like a river. Then somewhere along the way something happens and this feeling of joy begins to wane. Some of the old sinful patterns try to reappear. What is happening!

It could be a number of things. Very often it is self-assertion. We are replacing the Spirit with the flesh.

Then there is the issue of truth. In the Scriptures, the term ‘truth’ does not refer simply to a doctrine. The Greek term is used in the new covenant for our experiencing the realities of Christ. Sometimes a Christian gets bogged down in legalism and letterism. Paul said the letter kills whereas the Spirit gives life.

What did Paul mean? It would seem that we need all the laws we can get! Not really. Paul understood the new covenant as well as it can be understood. He knew that every person who is truly born again is under the life supervision of the Holy Spirit. If we try to live for the Lord in our own strength we will surely find ourselves weakening.

The apostle said that he had found the secret to living a full life of victory. Listen:

“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.” (Phil4:12,13)

The lesson is simple – It is the Spirit of God who births us, seals us, tutors us, educates us, places us where we need to be, refreshes us, turns our trials into victories, helps us escape bad teachings, keeps the glory of Jesus before us, and many such things. Our final presentation in heaven is a thing of the Spirit.

In the new covenant this all centers on sonship. Paul said,

“Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba! Father!’” Gal4:6

Our relationship with the Father is not that of a servant. We are sons and daughters of the living God. Angels know the Divine seal upon God’s children. And so our inward life is being reshaped by the Spirit of God.

Living Out Our Life in Christ

Yes, the believer can very well find himself drifting back into old life styles. This does not mean that he isn’t saved. What it means is that ‘the’ lesson is yet to be learned. This lesson will be taught to the believer under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. It often comes through necessary trials in the believer’s life. (Trials are not punishments from God. They are designed to give true purpose in our walk with Him.)

The point is that the life that Jesus came to give us is unlike anything the world has ever known. We are heavenly born people in earthly bodies. This is why we often struggle within ourselves. This is also why true believer’s carry in themselves a longing for their final transformation. And this is why we can only be happy when we are living a Spirit-filled life.

Paul speaks to this in saying,

“As is the earthy, so also are those who are earthy; and as is the heavenly, so also are those who are heavenly. Just as we have born the image of the earthy, we will also bear the image of the heavenly.” (1Co15:48,49)

The second lesson to learn is that we actually carry in us the life and power of Jesus. We can draw on His life and on His power. We reaffirm our life on a daily basis by remembering our unique role on planet earth. We also affirm our life in Christ when we learn our need to gather as the people of God. It is in our gatherings we share a very unique promise of God’s presence.

And so the question remains, ‘Are we having fun yet?’ You can decide this for yourself. It really depends on whose camp you are in.

Here is a song that will bless you – ‘I Can’t Even Walk,’ by Jessy Dixon, David Phelps, and Guy Penrod.

Love you in Christ,

Buddy

Oct

2010

Our Father who is in heaven…

“And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words. So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him. Pray, then, in this way: ‘Our Father who is in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.’ (Mat 6:7-13 NASB)

Journal,

The prophets spoke of God’s work of creation in two senses. One had to do with the original creation. The other had to do with a new creation to come. This new creation would deeply affect all of humanity. Out of the fallen race of Adam would come a new heavenly race, the family of God. These are the children who will inherit a new heaven and a new earth.

John wrote,

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband.” (Rev 21:1-2 NASB)

It is so important for believers to understand that the work of the cross was not to produce a new religion in the earth. What held Jesus to the cross was the promise of the heavenly children. It says,

“…for the joy set before Him, [He] endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Heb12:2

What was the joy set before Jesus? Hear again;

“Behold, I and the children whom God has given Me.” Heb2:13

The joy of the cross was the Father’s eternal children.

God promised Abraham that his descendants would be as the sand of the seashore and as the stars in the heavens.

The Lord spoke through Isaiah, saying,

“Therefore thus says the Lord, who redeemed Abraham, concerning the house of Jacob; Jacob shall not now be ashamed, nor shall his face now turn pale; but when he sees his children, the work of My hands in his midst, they will sanctify My name, indeed they will sanctify the Holy One of Jacob and will stand in awe of the God of Israel.” (Isa29:22,23)

The Lord again spoke through Isaiah;

“Thus says the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker, ‘Ask Me about the things to come concerning My sons, and you shall commit to Me the work of My hands.’” Isa 45:11

The new creation would be the work of God’s hands. No man would have a part in it. Here is how it happened. Paul said,

“[God] raised us up with [Christ], and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness towards us in Christ Jesus.” Eph2:6,7

And again,

“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” (Eph 2:10 NASB)

The heavenly children are given the name Christian.

It is from Jesus Christ that we derive our name ‘Christian’. Twice in Isaiah, God says His servants will be “called by another name.” Depending on the context, the Hebrew word for ‘called’ [qàrà] addresses a prophetic element; it means to be summoned, to be called, or, to be named. It often speaks of a divine oracle or a prophetic utterance.

We find its fulfillment in Acts 11:26, which says,

“For an entire year they met with the Church and taught considerable disciples; and the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.”

Some like to say that the term ‘Christian’ came as a derision. I totally disagree. The name Christian came by way of an oracle of God. The name Christian signifies that God is in this person’s life in a very personal way.

Peter gives us insight into that name:

“If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. Make sure that none of you suffers as a murderer, or thief, or evildoer, or a troublesome meddler; but if anyone suffers as a Christian, he is not to be ashamed, but is to glorify God in this name.” (1Pe 4:14-16 NASB)

The early Christians had several designations to begin with, but the term Christian became the proper name for the new heavenly children of God. Christ was the firstborn from the dead. True Christians are born out of death and thus take upon themselves the name Christian. Christian means ‘belonging to Christ,’ ‘followers of Christ,’ ‘like Christ,’ and even the ‘anointed ones.’ We are anointed with the life that Jesus came to give us, heavenly life.

Take up your heavenly life.

When Jesus described the new covenant children of God, He explains them as a prophetic people. He said,

“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.”John 7:37,38

The new covenant children of God were all to be anointed with the Spirit of Christ. This anointing would reveal itself as ‘life’ flowing from their hearts. Children of sin would have death flowing from their lips.

So, we now have on this planet two kinds of humanity. There are the Adam-ites, and there are the Christ-ites. The latter group are the Christians. The former group needs to hear the good news sent from heaven, that they, too, may become Christ-ites.

Sometimes a picture story can illustrate truth as well as anything. Let me share once again the story of the eaglet who thought she was a chicken.

The Call of the Eagle’s Heartx

Somehow an eagle’s egg became mixed with a number of chicken eggs that had been set aside to be hatched. The little eaglet hatched right along with a brood of chicks. The eagle looked a bit different, but for all she knew she was just another chicken.

Yet something deep in the little eaglet’s heart was restless. She had this tugging in her heart that could not be explained. The eaglet kept stretching her wings. It made the other chicks look at her as an odd ball. But since chickens do very limited flying, the eaglet simply had to accept things as they were.

But it wasn’t just the stretching of her wings. For some strange reason she didn’t like the food that all the chickens were eating. (Sometimes this is what our religions sectarian chicken pens feed us. We were designed to feed on heavenly food.)

Now that was a real problem. All the other chickens continuously looked at the ground for bugs or corn or whatever they could find. But this growing young eagle just couldn’t keep her eyes off the sky.

So it happened. As was her habit, one day while looking up at the sky, behold the young eaglet saw some majestic birds soaring on the air currents. She couldn’t explain her feelings. Tears filled her eyes. Her heart strings were being tugged at. Who are those birds? They sure don’t look like chickens.

She could not get her mind off of the majestic birds. What kind of chickens were they? None of the chickens she knew could fly. In fact the farmer kept their wings clipped so that they could not fly. And it was getting close to the time for the young eagle’s wings to be clipped.

And that is when it happened. One of the majestic birds spotted the young eagle and flew down to check things out. The great eagle said, ‘What are you doing in that chicken pen?’ The young eagle said, ‘This is where all the chickens that I know, live.” The great bird said, ‘You are not a chicken. You are an eagle.’

Something just went off inside the young eagle’s heart. It was like an eruption of all her pent up emotions. She thought to herself, ‘Is it possible that I am not a chicken?!’

She began flapping her wings as hard as she could. Her feet lifted off the ground but not enough for flying. The majestic eagle said, ‘You are doing it wrong. Come here. Climb on my back. I’ll show you how its done.’

Boy was she nervous. On the majestic eagle’s back she climbed. He spread out his mighty pinions and with a lifting of his wings, off they soared, higher, and higher. The wind flushed through her feathers. How wonderful it felt.

The eagle spoke to the young eaglet and said, ‘Don’t be afraid. Its your turn. You were designed to fly.’ The majestic eagle suddenly did a backward flip and off into nothing went the young eagle. ‘I’m falling! I’m falling!’

‘No you aren’t. Just spread out your wings! You’ll see.’

She spread out her wings and instantly the wind beneath her wings began to lift her up, and fly she did. Upward and upward she flew. She soared and soared and soared. The young eaglet could not believe how easy it was to fly. And, oh the view. She could see forever. The young eagle could not get enough flying. On top of everything else, the eaglet had also found a great family of eagles to be with. They were just like her.

OK, so now you know the story of the eaglet who thought she was a chicken.

No, she never went back to the chicken pen. After all, she was an eagle and eagles are birds of majesty. They are designed to soar in the heavenly places.

That’s often the way it works. Heaven’s children don’t always realize just who they are in Christ, that they are heaven’s children. They get caught up in the vortex of some religion. Then along comes an eagle Christian and the stirring of the heart begins.

My advice – Don’t get trapped in a chicken coop. Rise up with the wings that the Lord has given you. God wants to fulfill the deepest longing of your heart.

God spoke through the prophet, saying,

“Yet those who wait [qavah – eager longing] for the LORD will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary.” (Isa 40:31 NASB)

And it all has to do with God being your heavenly Father. Jesus did not pray rote prayers. Neither was He teaching us to pray rote prayers. He was teaching us Father consciousness.

Jesus did pray to His Father who is in heaven. Listen:

“Jesus spoke these things; and lifting up His eyes to heaven, He said, ‘Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son, that the Son may glorify You.'” (Joh 17:1 NASB)

Why not lift your eyes to heaven and learn to pray the way Jesus taught us to pray. (Not just a rote prayer but a prayer of acknowledging that God is your very own Father.) Ask Him to be glorified in your life. Tell Him how much you love Him and how much you love His Son.

Here is a song for your meditation and inspiration

Always in Christ,

Buddy

Oct

2010

Whispers of the Heart

“Your ears will hear a word behind you, ‘This is the way, walk in it,’ whenever you turn to the right or to the left.” Isa30:21 NASB)

Journal,

One way I know to testify to the goodness of the Lord is to share stories of how the Lord has often sustained me through the years. After all I am now seventy years on the pathway of life. As you read this entry I hope you will be able to look over your own life and remember just how oftentimes the Lord has blessed you. It could have been in the midst of a trial. Yes, we are all the same. We all have trials. We serve and love one Master.

This is why I wanted to call this entry, ‘Whispers of the Heart.’ There is something very special that happens between the Lord and His people. Jesus said that His sheep know His voice and would not follow another. Most of God’s speaking in our lives will be like whispers of the heart. And in those whispers comes His peace. Yes, we do know the Shepherd’s voice.

Jesus is a living Savior.

Living by faith is a life of discovery. It begins with a call upon our heart. It completes itself with our entrance into heaven. And in between there will be many points of reality where the Lord shares something very special with us. With each sharing we acquire a renewing of God’s s goodness. Most of these sharings will be like whispers in our heart.

The Bible calls our walk with the Lord, ‘the path of life’.

“You will make known to me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; in Your right hand there are pleasures forever.” (Psa 16:11)

Fruitfulness in the Kingdom.

God makes known to us the path of life. Everything in a believer’s journey of life has in its setting the working of the Lord. It is important to understand this aspect of our journey. What the Lord may tell one believer, He will not necessarily tell another believer. Our walk will always be deeply personal. Every situation is different. And how the Lord works in each situation will be different. Everything wraps around the word ‘trust.’

I well remember when the Lord began to open my understanding to how fruitfulness works in the kingdom of God. Fruitfulness is basically a product of sowing and reaping. This principle affects everything that we do in life. It is one of the greatest of all the spiritual laws.

Paul shared some insight with Timothy:

“The hard-working farmer ought to be the first to receive his share of the crops. Consider what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.” (2Ti 2:6-7 NASB)

Notice that Paul said the Lord is the one who gives us the understanding. Sowing and reaping isn’t merely about finances although this is certainly a key to financial blessings. Sowing and reaping is about everything in life. You want to be loved, be a lover of others. You want friends, become a friend to others. It is no different from natural sowing. If you wish to grow corn, you have to plant corn.

This is why Paul said that whatever a man sows, this is what he would also reap. Yes, financial well being is a real part of this great law. This is something that Betty and I learned. Every believer needs to learn this lesson in life. If you are not a sower don’t expect to be a reaper.

Let’s hear it from the apostle:

“Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed.” (2Co 9:6-8)

Now listen carefully to what Jesus said,

“Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure–pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.” (Luk 6:38)

This was only a beginning place.

My heart was stirred. But it was only a beginning place for us. Not only did I repent of making debts but I soon saw where I was not to be signing notes for others when they make debts. I decided to never co-sign a note for anyone at any time. I was learning the ways of the Lord.

“The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower becomes the lender’s slave.” (Pro22:7)

What does this have to do with whispers of the heart? Very much indeed. When we saw that sowing ‘according to the Spirit’ was a vital key in living a fruitful life, Betty and I ask the Lord to guide us in our sowing. We began sowing in new ways. It was during this time the Lord spoke to my heart. He said, “Because you have believed Me, in six months you will be out of debt.”

Six months later we were completely out of debt. We were back into full time ministry. And we have lived on that level of life ever since. It has been well over 35 years since we’ve had a car payment or any other kind of debt. We don’t borrow. We don’t make debts. We don’t sign notes for others. And we learn to sow by the Spirit.

I will remain forever grateful and humbled for how the Lord taught me this wonderful truth of sowing and reaping. And it all revolves around living according to the Spirit.

But walking down the path of life isn’t simply about finances. The real key is to learn to live a life under the influence of the Holy Spirit.

This brings me to ….

A word on healing

It is important to remember that God knows what we need at each point of our life journey. With regard to healing, oftentimes the Lord will use doctors to help us in our walk. At othertimes He can provide a healing miracle. The important thing is that the Lord is always in the background of our life, guiding us, providing for us, and arranging circumstances in a way that is according to His will and purpose.

The Lord has blessed me through physicians. He has also blessed me with direct healing from His hand. My latest healing was from cancer. The Lord prepared me for this when He spoke to me, saying, “Expect the unexpected.”

(For this testimony see: http://buddymartin.net/blog/2010/09/a-dove-on-the-wire.)

I well remember another case when the Lord gave me something to do. It happened in March, 1978. Here is the story. I’ll title it…

Run for Your Life

It was March, 1978. In closing the seminar in Garland, Texas, I began to feel a weakness in my body. On my way home from Garland, the weakness became more pronounced. The two times that I stopped along the way, when I stepped out of the car I would stumble. This was really strange. (Once for a snack. Another time to fill up.) I was getting concerned.

The weakness worsened. I had never experienced anything like it. After I made it home the weakness became worse. I could barely walk without falling. I had no strength in my arms or hands. Finally I was talked into seeing a doctor. Blood work and all the minor tests were made. They couldn’t find anything wrong.

The doctor said that he suspected multiple sclerosis (MS) and wanted to do further tests. That’s when I said no more tests. I felt that it was a spiritual attack and not simply something physical. (There is so much more to the story. This is a shortened version.)

Then it happened. I’m at my desk at home when I have this impression that I was to run. How could I possibly run? It was difficult to walk without tripping over. The impression was strong. I stepped out the kitchen door, and made a vain attempt to run. If anyone could see me they would think I was crazy. Every few steps I would stumble and fall.

Now I’m back at my desk, sweaty and puzzled. It came again. It was a whisper of the heart. I’ve learned to trust those impressions of the Spirit. I was to run. Once again I stepped out the kitchen door. This time something different was in play. As I began to run I literally felt a strengthening in my body. I picked up speed and ran around the house without stumbling. My strength was returning. Next thing you know all the weakness has left.

And that is the story of my healing from whatever it was. Do I believe it was spiritual? Yes, I do. Would I recommend that anyone do what I did? No, I would not. Living by faith is too personal a thing to go around trying to mimic others.

While there is more to the story I will share something the Lord said to me. It left me in tears of thankfulness. The Lord said, “I delivered you out of the mouth of the lion.”

Is that all?

I could go on and on. For instance there was the time that a tornado was racing towards the church and our parsonage. Betty and the children were in our trailer home. (Church parsonage.) It had just hit a store up the road. The lady had walked to the center of the store and all four walls flattened out. She was unscathed.

The tornado was on a straight path towards the church and the parsonage. I was outside in the church yard. I saw the trees were whipping and snapping off. I began running towards the trailer home. That is when I heard the Lord speak to my heart, “Satan would like to destroy you, but he can not. I have you in the palm of My hand.”

It hit and knocked me to the ground. I watch the front porch of our trailer parsonage rip through the woods. Along with it went our storage building. Yet the trailer did not even tremble. Betty and the children were safe.

Oh yes, I have stories to tell. They are all true. And they are all about my walk down the path of life. But they are not hero stories on my part. I am not a hero. These stories are all about the goodness of the Lord.

The greatest story of all is that Jesus Christ is truly my Lord and Savior. Had He never provided any sort of miracle for me, I could never thank Him enough.

How about you? Do you have stories you could tell? Feel free to share them. (If you like you can use the comment portion of the blog.)

That’s all for now.

May you discover all of God’s goodness for your life.

In love with Jesus,

Buddy

Oct

2010

Walking through life with Psalms

“How blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit!” (Psa32:2 nasb)

Journal,

We may wonder what place the book of Psalms has in our lives. The short response is, ‘Very much indeed.’ In this study we will do an overview on a Psalm that Paul quotes from in the New Testament.

The apostle wrote,

“Blessed are those whose lawless deeds have been forgiven, and whose sins
have been covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will not take into
account.” (Rom4:7,8 nasb)

In the book of Psalms you will find certain Psalms that are designated as a ‘miskil,’ or
what the ancients called a, ‘Psalm of enlightenment’. A miskil is the Lord’s call for His people to contemplate deeply on how He works in their lives. Such is the case with Psalm 32.

Before I share more on Psalm 32, let me relate an experience that I had many
years ago, 1976 to be exact.

What Am I Doing Here?

Here we were on our own. We had just begun our pioneer work of bringing Christian Challenge into existence. What a venture. Our rented house was not much to look at. We had no outside source of income, no denomination to back us up, and, a tiny little congregation, mostly my family. (The story of Christian Challenge is a tale to be told.)

Anyway, I’m in bed and my mind is beginning to fill with troublesome thoughts. “What am I doing here?” “How will I take care of my family?” “How will we make it?” “How will we live?” “Are we going to make it?” That is when I had this nudging in my spirit to get up, that the Lord wanted to have a word with me. (Yes, God does speak to His people.)

I went to our kitchen table with my Bible. When I sat down my Bible opened to the book of Psalms. As I looked at the pages before me, I began to hear in my spirit some instructions from the Lord. He spoke to my heart about this book, that the book of Psalms was placed in the sacred Scriptures for a reason. The Psalms teach us how to think, how to pray, what to believe, how to prosper in the Lord, how to worship, and on and on and on.

As the Lord was speaking to my heart I felt this wonderful refreshing. I got up from the table and was thoroughly reinvigorated. All doubt had disappeared. And from that moment on I’ve held a deep love for the book of Psalms.

Now for a look at Psalm 32 –

“How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered! How blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit!

“When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; my vitality was drained away as with the fever heat of summer. Selah.

“I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I did not hide; I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the LORD’; and You forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah.

“Therefore, let everyone who is godly pray to You in a time when You may be found; surely in a flood of great waters they will not reach him.

“You are my hiding place; You preserve me from trouble; You surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah.

“I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you. Do not be as the horse or as the mule which have no understanding, Whose trappings include bit and bridle to hold them in check, Otherwise they will not come near to you.

“Many are the sorrows of the wicked, but he who trusts in the LORD, lovingkindness shall surround him. Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you righteous ones; and shout for joy, all you who are upright in heart.”

The joy in forgiveness

In Psalm 32, we find ourselves moving from the joy of having our sins forgiven, to the promise of divine guidance. What makes this Psalm extra special is that Paul quotes from it. Now we have direct relevance.

And what makes this so enlightening to new covenant believer is that our sins were atoned for at the cross. Of course this does not mean that we have permission to live sinful lives. Quite the contrary. The other side of the cross has to do with the implanted nature of Christ in the believer.

Yes, believers do sin. Yet sin is contrary to our new Christian nature. When a true child of God sins he hurts to the deep of his heart. A child of God is painfully aware of any sin in his life.

With that in view, David addresses the agony one can experience when we fail to account for our sins to the Lord. And forgiveness comes when we stop blaming others for our own short comings. The blame really belongs to us.

What sorrow and pain we would escape by simply being honest about our failings. The very key is to learn that forgiveness of our sins is but a breath away. John said that if we will confess our sin, the Lord is faithful to forgive us and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Forgiveness is only the beginninge

Thank the Lord for forgiveness and cleansing. But it doesn’t end with forgiveness. When forgiveness is in place, the Lord then appoints us to a walk of righteousness. For a walk to be righteous, it has to be under His guidance. David said,

“He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.” (Psalm 23:3 nasb)

And so in Psalm 32, we clearly hear the Lord say,

“I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you. Do not be as the horse or as the mule which have no understanding, whose trappings include bit and bridle to hold them in check, otherwise they will not come near to you.” (Psalm 32:8,9 nasb)

Don’t be a mule headed believer

Notice we are not to be like the mule or horse? A major problem some believers have is with bull headedness. The great struggle is with their own thought life. This is why in the new covenant God provides for the renewing of our minds.

Peter also tells us to gird up the loins of our mind, that is, we are to keep our thoughts in check. There is a saying – ‘If Satan can control your thought life, he can control all your life.’

Where do we begin?

God said through Isaiah,

“Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts.” (Isa55:7 nasb)

We were all wicked at one time. God forgave us. Now it is time to forsake our past way of doing and thinking. Now we must learn to follow the Lord in paths of righteousness. And this brings us to the mainstay of guidance.

When a person truly meets Jesus, something wonderful happens in the human spirit. This happening is so powerful that Paul calls it ‘a new creation.’ In this new creation the term ‘peace of God’ takes on a deeper meaning.

He says,

“And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Php4:7 nasb)

God’s governing grace

This supernatural peace is God’s governing peace. It is this peace that keeps us flowing in the path of righteousness. In one place the prophet said, “He makes peace your borders.” In another place we are told to let peace be the umpire in our hearts.

“Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful.” (Col 3:14-15 NASB)

So when the apostle Paul speaks of our training in righteousness, he was addressing a makeover of both our spiritual and our thought life. We learn to apply God’s Word to all situations. We learn to think God’s thoughts, and speak God’s Word, and walk in God’s ways. We learn the flow of peace. It is in this walk of righteousness that we begin to have formed in us “covenant consciousness.”

Remember what the Lord said in Psalm 32:

“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go.”

A true covenant walk, works around a relationship. Jesus said,

“I am the door of the sheep; if anyone enters through Me, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.” (John10:9 nasb)

To go in and out speaks of a covenant walk. It speaks of the leading of the Shepherd. And so we have…

Doors of faith and gates of life

The paths of righteousness includes “doors of faith.” I see these doors as ‘life gates.’ In the new covenant, Jesus personally leads each believer, each marriage, each family, and each flock in paths of righteousness that is in accordance with His will and purpose, agreeing to the need of each situation. This is what the Lord was teaching David in his Psalm of contemplation.

Some believers struggle because they’ve not yet learned to trust the Lord completely to lead their life. Others struggle because they fear that following the Lord will mean suffering. Certainly to walk with the Lord can include suffering, but sufferings are usually trying situations. Yet even in the trying circumstances the promise remains. Isaiah said,

“The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace, Because he trusts in You. Trust in the LORD forever, for in GOD the LORD, we have an everlasting Rock.” (Isa 26:3-4 nasb)

Well, are you ready to become steadfast in mind? Are you ready to take the trappings off? Are you ready to learn how to live a life of faith. Learn to walk through life with the Psalms.

Did you know that Psalms is the only book mentioned in the New Testament that has a direct relevance to living a life of the Spirit. The book of Psalms was the praise book of both the Jews and the early Christians. Listen to Paul:

“And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord.” (Eph 5:18-19 NASB)

Think about it. And while you are thinking about it here is a song that will minister to your heart…

In love with Jesus,

Buddy

Oct

2010

The gospel of the earliest believers…

“Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures. … Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.” (Luke 24:27,45)

Journal,

It goes without saying that the study of Biblical Christianity cannot be completed without the prophets. Why? Because Christianity fulfils itself in the ancient promises and prophesies given through God’s Old Testament servants. It was the Spirit of Christ that spoke in the prophets by which building materials in the form of God’s Words would be used in the new community of Christ. This community would be realized after the cross.

This is why Peter said,

“As to this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you made careful searches and inquiries, seeking to know what person of time the Spirit of Christ *within them* was indicating as He [the Spirit of Christ] predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow.

“It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven – things into which the angels long to look.” (1Pet1:10-12)

The main point is that if you want to better understand Biblical Christianity, you have to study the prophets. There is no short cut. There is nothing more important to the believer than to know what the Scriptures actually teach. Jesus Christ is the heart theme of the entire Bible.

This brings up a crucial issue with regard to studying the Scriptures Hebraically. To appreciate many things that are taught in the New Testament, you have to become acquainted with the ancient ways of God’s people. You need to become acquainted with the Hebraic thought forms that undergird the New Testament writings.

The apostles were Hebrew men. The prophets were Hebrews. Jesus was a Hebrew. (I’ll use Hebrew in the place of Jew, since the term Jew or Jewish has varied meanings. Even Israel today is leaning more towards the use of Hebrew.)

In this Bible study I want to challenge you to think about how you would be able to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with someone if all you had were the Old Testament Scriptures. The purpose of the challenge is to get you familiar with how the early Jewish believers could see Jesus in all the former writings.

Let me give you an early church picture.

Here is the scene…

It is 45 A.D. Pentecost was 12 years ago. The primitive church is still made up almost entirely of Jewish peoples, but it is causing no small stir everywhere. The synagogues in Judea are being pulled to and fro with a strange new message.

A sect of Jews called the Nazarenes are preaching that the man crucified under the rule of Pilate was the Messiah of Israel, and that He has resurrected from the dead. And they are preaching that this Man was the Son of God, and that He was also God manifest in the flesh. It is a disturbing message.

To make matters worse, something dreadful has just happened in Jerusalem. A young Jewish man named Stephen has been stoned. He was one of these new preachers. You would think that would slow things down a bit, but these preachers can’t be stopped. They are scattering everywhere, and everywhere they go they keep preaching Jesus as the Messiah. They are even saying that we must worship Him.

You find them boldly speaking in the synagogues debating from Moses that Jesus is ‘the’ prophet. Thoughts are racing through the minds of the peoples. “Who are these Jews?” “Where did they get the right to preach this message?” “Did the prophets teach any such thing?”

And the God fearers are beginning to feel deep stirrings in their hearts. “What about all these Gentiles who are asking about this new message?”

“And this rumor. Surely it is not true!?” A report is making the rounds that one of Gameliel’s star disciples has joined up with these Jewish folk, and he himself is now preaching that Jesus is the Messiah. His Hebrew name is Saul.

There you have it.

Keep in mind that no apostolic writings were available just yet. Everything being preached is coming right out of Moses, David and the prophets.

Listen carefully to Paul’s defense as he stands before King Agrippa.

“So, King Agrippa, I did not prove disobedient to the heavenly vision, but kept declaring both to those of Damascus first, and also at Jerusalem and then throughout all the region of Judea, and even to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds appropriate to repentance. For this reason some Jews seized me in the temple and tried to put me to death.

“So, having obtained help from God, I stand to this day testifying both to small and great, STATING NOTHING BUT WHAT THE PROPHETS AND MOSES SAID WAS GOING TO TAKE PLACE, that the Christ was to suffer, and by reason of His resurrection from dead He would be the first to proclaim light both to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles.” (Acts 26:19-23 – Caps for emphasis only.)

Notice carefully that Paul said he preached nothing but what the prophets and Moses had said was going to take place. Why did Paul limit his preaching to Moses and the prophets? Why not draw on other great men from other nations. The reason is because of all the peoples on the earth, there was one people group alone that God had entrusted with the message of redemption. (Divine oracles or God speaking)

God’s gift through the Hebrews.

Paul explains this to the Roman Church. He said,

“Then what advantage as the Jew? Or what is the benefit of circumcision? Great in every respect. First of all, that they were entrusted with the oracles of God.” (Rom3:1,2)

The oracles of God have to do with the divine revelations. Have you ever wondered why our Bible from Genesis to Revelations is written by Semitic men? The apostle just explained why. (Think about it.)

Now listen to Paul as he cautions preachers and teachers concerning their sources for preaching and teaching:

“Now these things, brethren, I have figuratively applied to myself and Apollos for your sakes, so that in us you may learn NOT TO EXCEED WHAT IS WRITTEN, so that no one of you will become arrogant in behalf of one against the other.” (1Co4:6)

Paul’s point is that no matter how popular a minister may be, if he is not preaching according to what has been written, we are not to become enamored over him. No one has the right to preach a message that is not in accordance with the sacred oracles. (Of course the sacred oracles now take in all the writings from Genesis to Revelation. The apostles completed the writings of the prophets.)

We are wonderfully blessed to have the New Testament writings. The apostles were given the task of completing the sacred canon. (Remember that they were Hebrew men.) Never in a thousand years are we to take away from this wonderful book called the New Testament.

So what about the challenge? The purpose of the challenge is to get you to thinking Hebraically; to get you to search for the gospel that the prophets preached and that the earliest Jewish Christians preached.

Listen to how the prophets described the ever-increasing life that belongs to the child of God.

“But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, that shines brighter and brighter until the full day.” (Prov4:18)

The full day is likely what Peter had in mind 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 our hearts.” (2Pet1:19)

Think of the possibilities…

Think of the possibilities when we return to studying the Bible the same way the early Christians studied. What did they study, you say? They studied Moses and the prophets, the memoirs of the apostles and the directives to the Churches.

The Bible of the early Church was the same Bible that was used by the Jewish peoples. Until the teachings of the apostles were collected, the earliest believers simply studied Moses and the prophets. They did this in light of the new covenant.

But even when the memoirs of the apostles were being collected, Paul still admonished believers to never exceed what had been written by Moses and the prophets. (1Co4:6)

His point is that everything that is taught in the Christian Church must agree with what had been set forth in the former testament. Thus we have the statement, ‘The new is hidden in the old, and the old is revealed in the new.’

The theology of the early Church did not have the complexities that later came to dominate the Christian faith. Their beliefs were simpler. For one thing the early believers never departed from the ancient creed of Israel. Paul says,

“Yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him.” (1Co8:6 – Paul is drawing on the sh’ma of Israel. Cf. Deu6:4)

Think about it. The world would not have known where the Messiah would be born, and when He would be born had it not been for the prophet Micah and Daniel. Men from the east would not have journeyed so far to find the infant Jesus, had they not studied these ancient oracles.

The prophet said,

“On that day the deaf will hear the words of a book, and out of their gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind will see. The afflicted also will increase their gladness in the Lord, and the needy of mankind will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.” (Isa29:18,19)

Oh the wonders of the ancient writings. How our hearts burn within us while the Holy Spirit walks us through those sacred pages. What a wonder it is to behold Jesus in every book and on every page, to see Him as the Lion of Judah and as the Lamb of Abraham. To see Him as the bright morning star. Is it any wonder that the earliest Jewish believers could preach Jesus from Moses, David, and the prophets.

What do you think? Could you share with a Jewish person the gospel from his own Tanach. It is said that when an Orthodox Jew reads the New Testament he hears a Hebrew voice? Why is that? Its because the New Testament completes the divine oracles of God. Jesus is the God of all humanity and that includes Israel.

Just some things to think about.

Now for a song of meditation. Listen with your heart to ‘Praise Adonia’ …

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In love with Jesus,
Buddy

Sep

2010

Learn to live a focused life…

“…in [Christ] are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I say this so that no one will delude you with persuasive argument. … Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him.” (Col 2:2,6 NASB)

Journal

Our salvation begins the moment we truly believe in Jesus Christ and receive Him as our Lord and Savior. It is in this moment that the Holy Spirit enters our heart with God’s eternal seal of redemption. Every true believer is sealed for eternity.

From this moment on the Spirit of the Lord is in our lives to help process life according to the will and purpose of God. Listen carefully to the apostle:

“So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.” (Php 2:12-13 NASB)

Far too often the afore statement is cut off in mid stream with the words, ‘work our your salvation with fear and trembling.’ This is a grave mistake. The focus is not on ‘fear and trembling.’ Rather the emphasis is on ‘God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.’

Keep in mind that the Greek word for salvation carries into English in the sense of preservation and deliverance. Thus the Holy Spirit is always at work in our life with deliverances and preservations. (Sometimes we need to be preserved from ourselves.)

It can be said that the Lord saved us, is saving us, and will save us. (Positionally our salvation has already been secured eternally in Christ.)

So then, what is our need? Our need is to learn to trust the Lord in all the affairs of life. Walking according to the spirit is a trust issue. We must learn to trust the Lord in all circumstances of life and not simply lean on our own understanding. (This is one of those ‘relax and let go’ things.)

The apostle said,

“In everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1Th5:18)

Trusting in the Lord requires that we humble our own hearts and recognize our special need for spiritual guidance. This is where the idea of ‘fear and trembling’ come in. These two words have to do with deep respect and awe for the Lord and for His Word. Jesus told the apostles, “Without Me, you can do nothing.”

Listen to what God said through the prophet Isaiah:

“Thus says the LORD, ‘Heaven is My throne and the earth is My footstool. Where then is a house you could build for Me? And where is a place that I may rest? For My hand made all these things, thus all these things came into being,’ declares the LORD.

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“‘But to this one I will look, to him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word.’“ (Isa 66:1-2 NASB)

If you wish to know how to pray a prayer that deals with this aspect of walking with the Lord, pray what David prayed:

“Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my anxious thoughts; and see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way.” (Psalm 139:23,23 – It would do you well to meditate on the whole of Psalm 139.

A walk in reality

Another issue of living from the Spirit is to understand that ‘walking in the Spirit’ means to walk in the very reality of the living God.

Jesus explains it this way:

“But when He, the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and disclose it to you.” (John 16:13,14)

True believers know the reality of God in their lives. The word ‘truth’ (aletheia) addresses what is true in itself, in opposition to either an error or a falsehood, or even a misguided perception about a thing.

Jesus shared with the disciples how a walk of truth and of salvation would play itself out in the lives of believers. Follow this incident:

“Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, He was asking His disciples, ‘Who do people say that the Son of Man is?’ And they said, ‘Some say John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; but still others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.’

Let me touch briefly on a belief held by the Jews. The Jews believed in what is called ‘the transmigration of the soul.’ They believed that the soul of a person could transmigrate forward in time and become the soul in a person in the future. Similar in many respects to reincarnation. This is why the people identified Jesus with one of the prophets.

“He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’

Here it begins to get very interesting. Something was going to happen that would show how the Holy Spirit would work in the new covenant.

Notice what Peter says:

“Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’

Why did Peter say this and not speak to the transmigration idea? The answer is given. Listen carefully and you will see it:

“And Jesus said to him, ‘Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.’

Did you catch it? The reality of who Jesus really is came as a revelation from the heavenly Father. Peter did not come to this conclusion on his own. Thus you have how the Spirit of revelation works in the life of every true believer. It all has to do with the opening of the eyes.

Jesus continues,

“I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.’

So many get confused over this statement. Jesus was not calling Peter ‘the rock’ upon which He would build His church. The rock was Jesus and the church would be built upon the revelation of who Jesus really is.

“’I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.’” (Mat 16:13-19 NASB)

The short side of this is that the keys would be the revealing of Jesus through the preaching of the gospel. The door to heaven is Jesus Himself. (There is more to be said about apostolic authority but you get the idea.)

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Learn to live by the instructions…

This is also where the Bible itself plays an important role in our learning to walk in the Spirit. There is no book on this planet like our Bible. It carries in it the very presence of the Lord. It carries between its covers the very voice of God.

Look at your Bible as a garden of delights. Don’t read it like a newspaper. Read it like you are looking into the eyes of God. Read it for the pure joy of discovering the things of the Lord. Read it for the joy of hearing.

David gave some insight into this when he said,

“Open my eyes, that I may behold Wonderful things from Your law.” (Psa 119:18 NASB)

When David spoke of God’s law, he is not limiting this to the letter of the law of Moses. The term translated Law in Hebrew, Torah, simply means ‘instruction.’ When David said ‘Wonderful things’, you can be sure He included God’s Messiah. But he was also asking for spiritual instructions from God.

David was a man after God’s heart, and the heart of God is His Son. The faith we live by originates in and is written in our hearts by the Holy Spirit. A true new covenant spiritual faith walk wraps itself around the Lord speaking into our hearts.

Thus we hear the Lord say,

“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.”(John 10:27)

Here is where we need to see the very heart of the new covenant. The prophet Jeremiah had this to say about God’s new covenant in Christ:

“‘This is the covenant I will make with them after those days,’ says, the Lord; ‘I will put My laws [instructions] upon their heart, and on their mind I will write them.’ He then says, ‘And their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.'” (Heb 10:16-17 NASB)

Isn’t the new covenant wonderful! God writes both His love and his life instructions in our own hearts and minds.

While you think on these things, here is a song. Perhaps the Lord would like to speak something into your heart.

Revelation Song by ‘Phillips, Craig, and Dean.’

Always in love with Jesus,

Buddy

Sep

2010

The theology of a child…

“And the wolf will dwell with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child will lead them.” (Isa 11:6 NASB)

Journal,

The disciples tried to discourage the mothers from bringing their little ones to Jesus. The Lord said,

“Permit the children to come to Me; do not hinder them; for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.

“Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all.” (Matt10:14,l15)

One of my dear pastor friends shared the following with me. It was written by a 8 year-old from Chula Vista, California, as a third grade homework assignment, to explain God.’ (Thanks Art)

By the way, if you think you can improve on this lad’s theology please let me know.

Explanation of God

‘One of God’s main jobs is making people. He makes them to replace the ones that die, so there will be enough people to take care of things on earth. He doesn’t make grownups, just babies. I think because they are smaller and easier to make. That way he doesn’t have to take up his valuable time teaching them to talk And walk. He can just leave that to mothers and fathers.’

‘God’s second most important job is listening to prayers. An awful lot of this goes on, since some people, like preachers and things, pray at times besides bedtime. God doesn’t have time to listen to the radio or TV because of this. Because he hears everything, there must be a terrible lot of noise in his ears, unless he has thought of a way to turn it off.’

‘Atheists are people who don’t believe in God. I don’t think there are any in Chula Vista. At least there aren’t any who come to our church.’

‘Jesus is God’s Son. He use to do all the hard work, like walking on water and performing miracles and trying to teach the people who didn’t want to learn about God.

‘They finally got tired of him preaching to them and they crucified him. But he was good and kind, like his father, and he told his father that they didn’t know what they were doing and to forgive them and God said O.K!’

‘His dad (God) appreciated everything that he had done and all his hard work on earth so he told him he didn’t have to go out on the road anymore. He could stay in heaven. So he did. And now he helps his dad out by listening to prayers and seeing things which are important for God to take care of and which ones he can take care of himself without having to bother God. Like a secretary, only more important.’

‘You can pray anytime you want and they are sure to help you because they got it worked out so one of them is on duty all the time.’

‘You should always go to church on Sunday because it makes God happy, and if there’s anybody you want to make happy it’s God!’

‘Don’t skip church to do something you think will be more fun like going to the beach. This is wrong. And besides the sun doesn’t come out at the beach until noon anyway.’

‘If you don’t believe in God, besides being an atheist, you will be very lonely, because your parents can’t go everywhere with you, like to camp, but God can. It is good to know He’s around when you’re scared, in the dark or when you can’t swim and you get thrown into real deep water by big kids.’

But…you shouldn’t just always think of what God can do for you. I figure God put me here and he can take me back anytime he pleases.

‘And…that’s why I believe in God.

Note: Someone decided to publish this assignment. Miracles do happen.

How Jesus related to children carries a message for all ministers…

It needs to be understood that before the Lord puts anyone into any kind of ministry role, He is going to test that person to see if they will be faithful. Above all, He wants to know how that person will relate to His sheep. The apostle speaks to this:

“I thank Jesus Christ 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…” (Cf. 1Ti1:12,13)

Later Paul says,

“But we proved to be gentle among you, as a nursing mother tenderly cares for her own children.” (1Th2:7)

Did you catch it? The one who would serve as a shepherd under Christ must have a tender spirit. Paul compares this spirit to a nursing mother.

There is a prophecy that fully describes the Lord’s care for his flock. Listen:

“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 NASB)

Is there a more tender scene than this? A true under-shepherd will have the heart of Jesus, be tender towards God’s people, and yet vigilant against the enemy. (This links to the lamb-lion nature of Christ.)

I share these particular Scriptures because I want you to see the heart of one of God’s true shepherds. We see this again when Paul instructs young Timothy on his pastoring role. The apostle says,

“The Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, …

“…if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.” (2Ti2:24-26)

Keep these ideas in view — gentleness, watchman, guardian, feeder, tenderness, not quarrelsome, kind to all, able to teach, and patient when wronged. All these ideas are incorporated into what a true Biblical pastor is to exhibit. Why is this? Because these are the spiritual traits in the Great Shepherd. They are communicated to each of His under-shepherds by the Holy Spirit.

Where can we find such shepherds?

I believe they are out there by the hundreds of thousands. These watchmen on the wall are true shepherds. They care for their flocks. They are not after money or fame. They are not oppressive or domineering or overpowering or condemning or controlling. They can even rebuke in love. Yet they tenderly care for those assigned to them as a mother cares for her little ones.

Yes, sheep are assigned to shepherds. As for where you should assemble, we must leave that to the Lord. Some groups can be discounted up front. Even when home groups sound like a good thing, there are cautions to be taken. Some groups begin out of a root of bitterness. Bitterness especially in leadership has a way of defiling the group.

So — Can you know where you belong? I believe you can. As a long-time pastor I can just about tell every time if a person or a family is being assigned to our ministry. It is a thing of witness. And the family will know soon enough. If our church is the flock of their assignment, they will not be able to stay away. They may wander a bit, but they’ll come home in time.

Here is a song that will speak to your heart. I’ve shared it before. It remains one of my favorites. Maybe it is time for you to stand still. Think about it.

‘Stand Still’ by the Isaacs.

Always in love with Jesus,

Buddy

Sep

2010

A Dove on the Wire…

“And He has said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.’ Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2Co 12:9-10 NASB)

Journal,

It is fairly common for people to ask me how I am doing. The word was out some time back that I had cancer. But the word had not gotten out to everyone that I had received a healing from the Lord. It was an unusual healing. So once again the story needs to be told. Let me reach back to eight years ago…

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. It pointed to a bone marrow transplant. (Pretty invasive procedure.)

But 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)}

The Lord had spoken into my life. His promise of ‘expect the unexpected’ made residence in my heart. (That is the way a promise from God works.)

I shared with the church what the Lord had said. But I yet didn’t 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. Then it came time to evaluate where I stood. 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

A work of God’s love

What did I do to gain a healing from the Lord? It wasn’t about anything I did. It was the work of God. To Him belongs the glory.

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 become good enough. Its 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.

This is what my healing testimony is all about. Paul said,

“The love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf.” (2Co5:14,15)

But there is a problem. Before believers can effectively touch the lives of others, they need to know the love of God for themselves. This means that the believer has to get away from this, ‘I must become good enough’ before God can save me, or heal me, or bless me. Nobody gets good enough in themselves. It is a matter of understanding our relationship to God through His Son Jesus Christ.

It is only after the believer comes to know and understand the love and the grace of God for themselves, that they are able to minister positively and effectively to others.

With regard to God’s love, here is the place to begin.

All who believe the message of the cross and receive Jesus Christ as their Savior, are special to the Father’s love. He loves you just as you love your children. He wants the best for you just as you want the best for your children. (Be sure to place your cursor over each of the following Scripture references.)

This means that every true believer is…

1. …accepted in Christ. (Eph. 2:4-7)

2. …a gift to the Son. (John 6:37-40; Heb. 2:11-13)

3. …the beloved of Christ. (Eph. 5:25; John 17:24)

4. …represented by Christ in heaven. (1 John 4:17,18)

5. …loved eternally. (John 16:25-27; Rom. 8:37-39)

So where do you begin? Begin with yourself.

God loves you. You must learn to love yourself. But He also loves the Church, and He loves the lost man. You too are to love these things. Love is a key to reaching the person without Christ in their life. Learn to hate the sin but love the sinner. (Rom5:5-8)

Where does sovereign grace fit the picture…

Some like to argue over the issue of free will. It is really a poor argument when you put it in its proper Biblical perspective. Think about your own family. Your children have free will but they need to learn that there is a greater will that they should look to.

Yes, we have free will. But God also has free will. He is our loving Father. He always knows what is best for us. This is what the Lord was telling Paul. Listen again:

“Concerning this [whatever Paul’s struggle was] I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me. And He has said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.’

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“Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. … For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2Co 12:8-10 NASB)

Paul had learned a lesson. He was learning to yield Himself to the grace and to the will of the heavenly Father. God had a plan for his life, just as God has a plan for each of His children.

Hear from the prophet:

“‘For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.'”(Jer 29:11 NASB)

Do you want God’s will in your life? There is only one issue to deal with. You must learn to trust in both the love and the grace of God. Let your heart rest in the grace of a loving Father.

And yes, you have a dove in your life. It is the same dove of the Holy Spirit that came to rest on Jesus at the river Jordan.

Why not take time to talk with your heavenly Father. Why not open your heart to Him and get to know Him better. Why not ask the Father speak some promises into your life. In my 50+ years in the ministry, the greatest lesson that I have learned is the lesson of trust.

Here is your song for today. Listen carefully. The Lord has something to say to you.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3usXFCh56iA[/youtube]

In Christ always,

Buddyx

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The Corinthian Dilemma – The Demise of a Church

The Christian Hebraist – The Religion of the Bible…

Are we having fun yet…

Our Father who is in heaven…

The Call of the Eagle’s Heartx

Somehow an eagle’s egg became mixed with a number of chicken eggs that had been set aside to be hatched. The little eaglet hatched right along with a brood of chicks. The eagle looked a bit different, but for all she knew she was just another chicken.

Whispers of the Heart

Walking through life with Psalms

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Learn to live a focused life…

A walk in reality

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