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Jun

2010

Stages in the Journey of Life…

A lesson from Billy Graham –

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Doctor Graham was responding to the following inquiry:

“…I just can’t get over my fear that [God] will punish me if I do anything wrong. I’d like to think that God loves me but I can’t.”

Billy Graham’s response –

“Have you ever asked yourself what it would take to convince you that your emotions are lying to you, and that God really does love you?

“I say this because we need to realize that our emotions don’t always tell us the truth. God gave us our emotions, and life would be very dull without them – but sometimes they get confused and make us believe things that aren’t really true. There may be all sorts of reasons for this, including the way we were raised or our childhood experiences – but whatever the reason, our emotions aren’t always dependable guides.”

Billy Graham later adds,

“How do I know God loves us? I know it for one reason: because God sent his only Son into the world to die for our sins.”

Readers,

Billy Graham’s response to this person was to show how our emotions can easily misguide us in our walk of faith. Believers who depend largely on their emotions always have the greatest ups and downs in their spiritual life. Their real problem has to do with spiritual immaturity.

And this brings me to an important issue with regard to a believer’s maturing in the Lord.

There are actually stages all believers go through in growing in the Lord. We find several places in the new covenant that speak to these stages of maturing. For example Paul said of the Corinthian Church,

“And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to men of flesh, as to infants in Christ.” (1Co3:1)

The word for infant here is ‘nepios’ and speaks of a small child above the age of an infant, probably around the age of three or four years old. It is a term used for simple-mindedness or for an immature person.

Paul later uses this same term, in saying,

“When I was a child (nepios), I use to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man (aner), I did away with childish (nepios) things.” (1Co13:11 – ‘Aner’ is an adult male at the age of marriage.)

There are several places in the new covenant writings where a stress is placed on becoming a mature believer. However, there is only one place that appears to give the various stages of growth in a believer’s life. It is this portion of Scriptures I’ll draw from in this study.

John said,

“My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” (1John2:1)

Then John follows up with the descriptions of the age patterns for believers. He says,

“I am writing to you, little children, because your sins have been forgiven you for His name’s sake. I am writing to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning.

“I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I have written to you, children, because you know the Father.

“I have written to you fathers, because you know Him who is from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.”

While John does not list these levels of maturity in the order they would be found, he does give the levels. He also gives the essential trait that is found at each level.

Without being too technical, here are the Greek words in the order of the natural progression in spiritual maturity.

(1) “Little children.” – The term is ‘teknoin.’ This word has extensions of meanings, but in the New Testament it is always used affectionately. Technically it is a nursery term for very small children.

(2) “Children.” – The term is ‘paidion.’ This reflects on a young boy or girl who is older than teknoin. Possibly pre-adolescence.

(3) “Young men.” – The term is “neaniskos.” This is a young man who is beyond the age of puberty, but usually before marriage.

(4) “Fathers.” – The term is ‘pater.’ This term is used for a male parent.

At this point it is important to note the characteristic traits that John places with each age of spiritual maturity. Understand this and you will have insight into spiritual grown patterns. There are other terms that could be brought in, but we are going to stay with John for the present study. (There is even an ‘at the breast’ level, but John doesn’t include it in his writing here. The context has to decide on how a term is being used.)

The LITTLE CHILDREN stage.

This stage is the beginning of our journey. Little children need unconditional acceptance and affection. Their world revolves around parentage. What is the word to the little children?

“I am writing to you, little children, because your sins have been forgiven you for His name’s sake.” (Vs1 and vs12.)

For a new believer there is no greater need. This is the age where the pastor and those who helped birth him or her into the kingdom must be very cautious to seeing to their care. They live strongly by their emotions. Their security is the parent. They identify salvation with the Church they attend. It is sad to see some believers get stuck at this level.

The CHILDREN stage

The little children stage is the next natural progression where the believer begins to learn the authority of the father. Here love is coupled with discipline. It is at this stage that the believer learns that he can no longer get by with things he use to get by with.

The level of discipline that is required depends greatly on the child. What the child is now learning is the that the world doesn’t revolve around him. Every little whimper doesn’t bring, “That’s alright honey.”

The child has to learn that there are consequences to bad behavior. This is often the age where believers experience the greatest difficulty in transition. (Feelings get hurt. They think they know more than they actually know, etc.)

But what is the purpose behind this changing time? Hebrews 12:11, says,

“All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; ye to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.”

The training produces the proper way of living the Christian life. The Biblical walk of faith is a walk of righteousness, peace, and joy.

The YOUNG MAN stage

This stage of spiritual maturity is where the believer becomes an overcomer. He has learned that the true walk of faith consist of taking a stand on the Word of Truth, and not on his emotions. The character trait for this level is overcoming:

“I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.” (Vs14)

Finally the FATHERS (and mothers)

This is the ‘deepening’ of God. The fathers don’t just know that their sins have been forgiven. They are deeply acquainted with ‘Him who has been from the beginning.” (Vs14)

This may sound like a peculiar statement, but it has to do with the Person of Jesus Himself. Whenever John uses the term ‘from the beginning,’ he has the mystery of the Messiah and of God’s Eternal Word in view. The mature factor here has to do with understanding.

The word ‘know is ‘ginosko‘ and speaks of personal acquaintance. It relates to understanding and perception.

The fully mature believer perceives things as they really are. This is the highest level of our spiritual life. It is this ‘knowing’ that is the crown of a believer’s life.

Terms vary with usage

Again we have to use caution. The context itself has to determine how a term is being used. For example we hear this from Jesus,

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

“Yes, Father, for this way was well-pleasing in Your sight. All things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.” (Matt11:25-27)

Jesus customarily uses the term ‘nepios’ as a term of endearment, but not necessarily as a level of maturity. However, we all begin as ‘nepios’.

With regard to spiritual maturity, it is important to understand that all believers know the Lord on the spiritual level where they are. For this reason most of us tend to think we know God better than we really do. We just haven’t advanced in our ‘knowing’ experience yet. This is why we get so adamant in doctrinal debates. But knowing God is not a doctrine. It is an experience of the heart.

Keeping an humble heart

And this is why all believers need to keep an humble heart when it comes to discovering the things of the Lord.

Can we get to know God better? Oh yes, indeed. We can get to know the heart of God better and better all the time. This is really what spiritual growth is about. It is about maturing in Christ. And this is what Paul has in mind when he encourages believers on to maturity.

Paul said,

“Yet we do speak wisdom among those who are mature; a wisdom, however, not of this age nor of the rulers of this age, who are passing away; but we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory.” (1Co2:6,7)

Then Paul says something that is so often misunderstood. He speaks of the things which have never entered the heart of man. The misunderstanding comes from projecting this to, ‘when we all get to heaven.’ This is not what Paul is referring to in this particular setting. Paul is addressing the spiritual dynamics of the new covenant experience, where the Holy Spirit takes the things of Christ and presents them to us. A little reading of the context will show this to be true.

Listen carefully as the apostle explains the wonders of our Christian experience:

“But we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory; the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory;

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“…but just as it is written, ‘Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, and which have not entered the heart of man, all that God has prepared for those who love Him.’

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“For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God.

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“Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God, which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.” (1Co 2:7-13 NASB)

If you will meditate on these Scriptures you will see something wonderful. Paul is describing our present life. There is no question that our greater life is yet future and heavenly, but our present life in this world can be wondrous beyond words.

The moral is as Billy Graham put it;

“We need to realize that our emotions don’t always tell us the truth.”

There is nothing greater in a Christian’s life than to learn to walk in God’s love. While thinking on these things take time to listen to ‘Loving God. Loving Each Other.’

Much love is yours in Jesus,

Buddy

Jun

2010

Most Active Journal Entries…

Friends,

The following is a listing of journal entries that have received the greatest number of readers of late. You may be interested in previewing these studies to see why they are so popular. Who knows, perhaps there is something the Lord would like to share with you.

Entries with top readership are:

(1) The Pilgrim’s Journey –

http://buddymartin.net/blog/2010/06/the-pilgrims-journey/

(2) For Love of the Lamb –

http://buddymartin.net/blog/2010/06/for-love-of-the-lamb/

(3) Mercy Triumphs Over Judgment –

http://buddymartin.net/blog/2009/11/mercy-triumphs-over-judgment/

(4) Passing Through the Valley of Baca –

http://buddymartin.net/blog/2010/01/passing-through-the-valley-of-baca/

Just another pilgrim,

Buddy

Jun

2010

For love of the Lamb…

“Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, ‘My father!’ And he said, ‘Here I am, my son.’ And he said, ‘Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?’ Abraham said, ‘God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.’ So the two of them walked on together.” (Gen 22:7-8 NASB)

Readers,

In Bible hermeneutics (Bible interpretation) there is a rule that is called ‘the law of first mention.’ This rule has to do with doctrinal studies or Bible teachings. The emphasis of this rule is that when a doctrine or Bible teaching first appears in the Bible, the fundamental meaning in that occurrence will carry through to its greatest fulfillment in Christ Jesus.

A good example for the law of first mention is where we find the term righteousness first used in the Old Testament. The first time the word righteousness appears has to do with the Lord appearing to Abraham. Here are snippets of that meet as found in Genesis 15:

“After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, ‘Do not fear, Abram, I am a shield to you; your reward shall be very great … And He took him outside and said, ‘Now look towards the heavens, and count the stars, if you are able to count them.’ And He said to him, ‘So shall your descendants be.’

“Then he [Abraham] believed in the Lord; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness.”

Notice that Abraham’s right standing with God depended on one thing alone, that he truly believed in the Lord. How then does this find its fulfilling in the new covenant? Listen to Paul:

“Therefore [Abraham’s believing in the Lord] was also credited to him as righteousness. Now not for his sake only was it written that it was credited to him, but for our sake also, to whom it will be credited, as those who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.” (Rom4:23,24)

And so the fact of how a a believer attains righteousness before God never changes. Righteousness has always been a matter of faith. It is now perfectly fulfilled in a person’s faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul again draws attention to this faith cause by calling it ‘the law of faith’.

“Where then is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith. For we maintain that a man is justified [declared righteous before God] by faith apart from works of the Law.” (Rom 3:27-28 NASB)

This doctrine of the Lamb

There are many other new covenant doctrines that can be found in embryo form in the Old Testament. The one I want to draw special attention to has to do with the term ‘Lamb.’

The very first time the word Lamb is used in the Scriptures also has to do with Abraham. It is where Abraham says to Isaac,

“‘God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.”

The doctrine of the Lamb is at the very heart of the Christian experience. What makes a Christian a Christian has to do with an intrinsic love factor. This love factor encompasses itself around Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God.

The doctrine of the Lamb is the underlying truth of what redemption entails. This doctrine speaks to the faith of the Old Testament saints, to the spiritual freedom of the new covenant children of God, and to a redemption love that becomes the outflow in a believer’s heart.

The Lamb becomes the whole of our life. Love for the Lamb fills out the heart of that one who has come to personally know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

The apostle said,

“But the one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him.” (1Cor 6:17).

The Lamb is called the Father’s glory.

Not only is the doctrine of the Lamb a doctrine of progressive revelation, but the doctrine of the Lamb is also about the people of the Lamb. The doctrine of the Lamb is about ‘beholding.’

The apostle John wrote,

“For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.” (Joh 6:40 NASB) — Beholding Jesus is an activity of the heart. We behold Him with our heart.

From out of the ‘beholding ‘ the Lamb will come forth a people. The Lamb and the people of the Lamb will be eternally linked. This why we hear Paul say,

“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).

To discover life is to discover the Lamb.

To discover the Lamb means that you belong to the Lamb. To discover the Lamb is to fall deeply in love with Him. But it isn’t a love that is common to man. It is actually the Father’s love filling out our hearts.

The discovery element is a key issue in the Christian walk. This is why Paul said that in Christ “are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”

In another place he says that as we gaze upon the glory of Christ through the Scriptures, our inward man experiences spiritual transformations. It is the glory of Christ that fills our hearts. While this may sound mystical, it is a spiritual reality to those who are partakers of the new covenant.

The testimony of the blood.

The clearest picture of the redemption Lamb in Genesis is when God directs Abraham to the mountains of Moriah. The ‘testing’ of Abraham was to show God’s real purpose in the test. The test was about the Lamb. On the Mountains of Moriah we are given our first composite picture of God’s redeeming program.

When it came time for Israel to be formed as a nation there were two particular sacrifices to be offered. The Lord’s instruction to Moses was,

“The one lamb you shall offer in the morning and the other lamb you shall offer at twilight.” (Exo 29:39)

The lamb offerings were to be perpetuated throughout their generations. Their minds were to think on the lamb offering every morning and every evening.

In the minds of the Old Testament saints the picture of God’s Lamb was being painted, or, as our metaphor goes, they were seeing the sculpture as it was being sculptured.

The Exodus out of Egypt was based upon the lamb sacrifice and its blood placed upon the homes. Moses wrote his song, which is referred to in Revelation as, “The song of Moses, the bond-servant of God, and the song of the Lamb.”

A voice crying in the wilderness.

Then we hear a voice crying in the wilderness,

“Make way the way of the Lord, make His paths straight.”

The cry gets louder, and the people come by thousands to be baptized by John. Then one day, they hear him shout,

“Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” (Cf. Rev 15:3; John 1:29)

Listen! Do you hear the voice still crying in the wilderness. The Lamb who takes away the sin of the world is with us.

The apostle Peter said it this way,

“For He [the Lamb] was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you who through Him are believers in God.” (1 Pet 1:20,21)

The Lamb upon the throne.

But just who is this Lamb of God? No less that twenty-nine times the phrase ‘the Lamb’ is used in the book of Revelation. In all these references the Lamb is directly associated with God. As Revelation begins its closure we are looking at a picture of God fully manifest as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. It says,

“Then he showed me a river of the water of life (Holy Spirit), clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God (the Father) and of the Lamb (Son of God).”

John is using archetypal images found through the Old Testament to describe God in His awesomeness. Notice carefully that there is only one throne.

The Father’s throne has become the Son’s throne.

John’s gospel draws attention to the vision of Isaiah, where the prophet writes,

“In the year of King Ussiah’s death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with His robe filling the temple.”

John tells us that Isaiah actually saw King Messiah, that is, the Lord Jesus Himself. (Cf. Isa 6:1; John 12:41)

For love of the Lamb

And so to love the Father unseen, is to love Jesus the only begotten Son. He is called the image of the invisible God. In fact Jesus was very plain in saying to one group,

“If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and have come from God, for I have not even come on My own initiative, but He sent Me.” (John 8:42)

But how can we possibly love someone we have never seen? When we embraced the cross, that is, when we truly believed in Jesus Christ, it was then that the Father pours His own love into our hearts. Jesus simply said,

“The Father loves the Son.”

Here it gets quite mystical. We love the Son with the Father’s love. Jesus said,

“So that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.” (John 17:26)

The mystery doesn’t stop here. Out of this we can actually call God our very own Father because the Spirit of His Son cries in us, ‘Abba! Father!’ Thus all believers carry in themselves a Father consciousness. Jesus said,

“This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” (John 17:1)

It is the Lamb of God who gives us our freedom.

Every person born from above is made alive in the Lamb. And because our lives have been perfectly joined to God’s Christ, this allows our hearts to overflow with themes of life. (By the way, this is what the Spirit filled life is really all about.)

The Spirit-filled life is about the power to show ourselves as a testimony to Christ. We witness to Him by our love. Jesus said that when the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples, they would become His witnesses. He wasn’t simply speaking of them giving verbal testimony. He was speaking of what they would become. They would become the people of the Lamb, out of whose hearts would flow a love that was not common to man. It would be God’s love.

This love for the Lamb is so powerfully felt in believers that Christians through the ages have literally given their lives for Him. The Scriptures take note of this, in saying,

“And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death.” (Rev 12:11)

How about you – Do you love the Lamb? Would you really like to behold the Lamb? You can, you know. Just open your Bible. The Holy Scriptures wrap themselves around the Lamb of God.

Take time to listen to ‘Ancient Words’ by Michael W. Smith.

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

Much love coming your way in Jesus,

Buddy

Jun

2010

The Pilgrim’s Journey …

“… having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. … they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them.” (Heb 11:13-16 NASB)

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Readers,

In writing to Timothy, Paul instructed him to flee from worldly attractions, especially that of a love for money. He must always pursue those things that to do with our heavenly life. He then said to Timothy,

“Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.” (Cf, 1Tim6:11,12)

Two things stand out. First is ‘the’ confession. Did you know that the early Christians were also called ‘the people of the great confession.’ This is because new covenant salvation is based on the Lordship of Jesus Christ. And a confession made from the heart concerning Jesus as Lord is what introduces us to the kingdom of God’s beloved son. Listen to the background:

“Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven.” (Mat10:2)

“And I say to you, everyone who confesses Me before men, the Son of Man will confess him also before the angels of God.” (Luke 12:8)

“For not knowing about God’s righteousness and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God … for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.” (Cf. Rom10:1-11)

The second thing that stands out in what Paul said to Timothy, has to do with the fight of faith.

There are things we must always remember. First of all we are not of this world. We are pilgrims on a journey. But we must also learn to fix our eyes on Jesus. He is the author and the finisher of our faith.

So, let’s talk about ‘the Pilgrim’s Journey.’

The best place to begin is with…

The struggle of temptation

Satan’s primary battle plan against believers is to disquiet their walk with the Lord. He does this by searching for something in our life that he can provide a temptation against.

Satan knows well how to stir our earthly passions with worldly allurements. His attacks are generally towards the mind, but he also uses our senses. (This is why we have to train our own senses to discern good and evil. Cf. Heb5:14)

For a temptation to work it has to be something that is quite alluring to our senses and to our thought life. Otherwise it would not be a temptation.

James says it this way:

“Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am being tempted by God’; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone [with evil.]. But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed [baited] by his own lusts [desires].” (James 1:13,14)

— The Bible language for temptation carries two thoughts, a solicitation to evil, or a testing from the Lord with a purpose of strengthened our faith, such as was the case of Abraham;

“By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was offering up his own begotten son.” (Heb 11:17. Relates to Gen22)

A temptation can be powerful

A temptation is quite real and can be overpowering, especially when the temptation is towards something that we desire. The point is that Satan is using something of our own desire to bait us. This is why Jesus said to the disciples,

“Keep watching and praying that you may not enter into temptation; for the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Mat26:41)

There you have the key. The flesh is weak. This means that most temptations will center on our own human nature and as an attraction to our fleshly life.

But a temptation is also very subtle. This is the reason God’s people need to be cautious when it comes to modern-day prosperity teachings. Most prosperity teachings are earthly focused and worldly minded, and yet are well wrapped in Bible language.

Does this mean that God is against prosperity? Quite the contrary. David had this to say:

“Let them shout for joy and rejoice, who favor my vindication; and let them say continually, ‘The Lord be magnified, who delights in the prosperity of His servant.’” (Ps35:27)

Satan’s prosperity message will always have a worldly attachment to it. True Biblical prosperity is an outflow of a heart relationship with the Lord.

Listen to these promises:

“Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness. Delight yourself in the Lord; and He will give you the desires of your heart.” (Ps37:3,4)

— I would encourage every believer to meditate on the whole of Psalm 37. It explains God’s philosophy of life. Philosophy means a love of wisdom.

Then we have this from the Lord:

“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Matt6:33)

Seeking God’s kingdom was a Hebrew way of saying, ‘Seek the direct rule of God in your life.’ Seeking His righteousness speaks of seeking His way of doing things.

Also keep this in mind – A temptation by its very nature should alert a believer that he is under attack. The enemy is checking to see how far he can get with attracting the believer into an area of failure.

Wow, this sounds like we have little defense. This is not the case at all. We have a number of defenses. Here is one in particular:

“No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide a way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.” (1Co10:13)

Paul’s point is that the Lord will never stop providing means and ways for you to overcome Satan’s attempts to draw you away from the Lord Himself. The Lord never stops overseeing our life in this world.

Now let’s talk about…

The Realness of Life

Christians who struggle the most are always those who live compromised lives; sort of one foot in the world and one foot in the kingdom. (As if such a thing were possible.)

Jesus came to give us real life! To enjoy true life we have to become single-focused. No more double-mindedness.

James said,

“But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.” (Jas 1:5-8 NASB)

Double-mindedness is the number one cause of spiritual instability in a believer’s life. Jesus adds to this in saying,

“The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.” (Mat 6:22-24 NASB)

Where Jesus said the ‘eye is bad,’ this was a Hebraism for ‘an evil eye,’ that is, an eye fixed on greed. You cannot be worldly and spiritual at the same time. When our eyes become fixed on worldly pursuits and pleasures of the world, the result will always be darkness in our lives. We are called to live as children of the light.

Jesus said,

“I am the light of the world. He who follows Me will not walk in the darkness but will have the Light of life.” (John 8:12)

The point is that all true blessings come from our walk with Jesus. These are directed blessings. And this is why David said,

“The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake … Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” (Cf. Psalm 23)

— Lovingkindness is a covenant expression that speaks of God’s very character, that is, His faithfulness to those in covenant relationship with Him. It speaks a reality that God’s love and kindness are eternal. Paul drew on this word when he said, Nothing would ever be able to separate is from the love of God that is found in Christ Jesus. —

Now for a closer look at…

The Path of Separation

We are instructed by the apostles to see our life in this present world as a a pilgrimage. Where the world lives in a cycle of birth to death, believers are to live as a people of destiny. We must never lose this focus.

This means in part that every trial we will ever face has a single goal in mind. The purpose of the trial is to keep us moving on the highway of sanctification (separation to God) and in the keeping power of God’s love.

We need to understand that we have been forever sanctified to Jesus through the blood of the eternal covenant. (This is a once-for-all eternal sanctification. To sanctify means to make holy. It speaks of anything that solely belongs to God.) The path of sanctification has to do with learning to live in our separation to the Lord.

The path of our separation to God will have struggles and temptations. But its greater spiritual feeling of the heart will be found in its joy. Why is this? It is because someone greater is walking with us every step of the way. His presence in our lives is a constant reminder that we belong to Him.

Jesus adds to this:

“These things I have spoken to you so that My joy have be in you, and that your joy may be made full.” (John 15:11)

“Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full.” (John 16:24)

The joyful heart is a hallmark of our walk with the Lord. We know Him. We love Him. He is our joy of life.

There is so much more to be said about our pilgrim life. I hope what I have written here will bless you.

As a final thought, always keep before you that we believers are saved by grace. Here is a song I pray will minister to your heart.

It is titled, ‘A Sinner Saved by Grace.’

Be encouraged. It won’t be long before our journey is completed.

Love always in Christ,

Buddy

Jun

2010

The Garden of the Heart…

“Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life.” (Pro 4:23 NASB)

Readers,

This journal entry will include three songs. I selected these songs because they speak to the very heart of what I want to share with you. As you read please take a moment to listen to each song. The Lord wants to speak to your heart. He often speaks His heart to us by way of a song.

I had shared the story of the four poplar trees that Betty and I planted a few years ago. Three of the trees grew tall and strong. But one of the four trees couldn’t make it. It remained small and weak. Even after I transplanted it, I still could not get it to grow. It was too late. The little tree was simply too stunted and weak to make it.

The reason I transplanted the little tree hoping that it would help it grow was because of some research. What I found is that a poplar should never be planted in clay. It needs good soil and plenty of sunshine to grow. Clay keeps water from reaching the roots. That was why our little poplar tree could not survive.

Through this venture with the poplar trees I gained a bit of instruction. In the Bible, the term clay is often symbolic of a troubled life or of a hardened heart. David speaks to this:

“I waited patiently for the LORD; and He inclined to me and heard my cry. He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay, And He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm.

“He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God; many will see and fear and will trust in the LORD. How blessed is the man who has made the LORD his trust, and has not turned to the proud, nor to those who lapse into falsehood.” (Psa 40:1-4 NASB)

Did you catch it? The Lord brought David out of the miry clay of destructive surroundings. He then settled David’s feet firmly on the Rock of His salvation. Notice what David said:

God blesses the man who makes the Lord his trust and has not turned to the proud.

And, God blesses the man who does not lapse into falsehood.

Turning to the proud and living in falsehood are very much intertwined. They both bring nothing but troubles into a believer’s life. Before I say any more take a moment to listen to my first song. It is based on Psalm 40, ‘He Brought Me Out.’

The Miry clay of life…

Israel was unable to continue in the blessings of the Lord because of these things. She became proud in heart, thinking the Lord had to bless her because she was descended from Abraham. It was from this heart of pride that Israel took up a life of falsehood.

One of the greatest signs of a hardened heart is self-righteousness. The Pharisees were so bound up in religious pride, in their own self-righteousness and self-importance, that their whole world had become a world of falsehood. They were so blinded by self-righteousness that they were unable to recognize who Jesus really was.

What does the Bible have to say about this issue of our heart? Listen carefully to Proverbs 4:20-23 –

“My son, give attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your sight; keep them in the midst of your heart. For they are life to those who find them and health to all their body. Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life.” (Pro 4:20-23 NASB)

The Hebrew word for springs speaks of determinations, forces, boundaries, etc. What is in our heart determines the boundries of our life.

It is so important to understand this. An uncontrolled heart is open ground for the enemy to sow seeds of sinfulness and destructions. Satan’s goal is to create such despair in our lives that repair seems impossible.

The Bible gives us the picture of the heart that is filled with thorns and thistles. This description is also given to the Christ-rejecting Israel:

“I passed by the field of the [spiritual] sluggard and by the vineyard of the man lacking sense, and behold, it was completely overgrown with thistles; its surface was covered with nettles, and its stone wall was broken down.

“When I saw, I reflected upon it; I looked, and received instruction. ‘A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, then your poverty will come as a robber And your want like an armed man.” (Pro 24:30-34 NASB)

What is the answer?

The answer is that we need a watchman over our hearts. We don’t do a very good job on our own.

Here is the beginning place – If you knew that God could give you a brand new heart and a total make over of Life, would you want it?

Sure you would. And this is the promise of the new covenant.

When Peter said to the Hebrew people, “For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself”, the people knew exactly what Peter was speaking of.

The promise of a new heart and of a watchman for their hearts was written throughout the Old Testament, from Moses and on to the prophets. Let’s pick up the trail beginning with Moses, then Ezekiel, and finally Jeremiah:

“The LORD your God will bring you into the land which your fathers possessed, and you shall possess it; and He will prosper you and multiply you more than your fathers. Moreover the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, so that you may live.” (Deu 30:5-6 NASB)

“For I will take you from the nations, gather you from all the lands and bring you into your own land. Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.” (Eze 36:24-26 NASB)

“‘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 in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt …x

“They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,” declares the LORD, for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.” (Jer 31:31-35 NASB)

The promise – A new heart. A new watchman. A new love.

The new covenant would not be a religious covenant. It would be a covenant of life where each believer would know and enjoy the Lord on a personal and an intimate basis. (Lord, please deliver us from our religions.)

It would be a life of ‘Come to the waters’

For my second song listen carefully to ‘For Those Tears I Died.’

Do you recall what Jesus said when he stopped the priestly procession on its way to the pool of Siloam? Listen carefully where Jesus describes a life that is an outflow of the Spirit:

“Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, ‘If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. 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 7:37-39 NASB)

Did you know that Jesus was speaking from the promise made in Isaiah 55. Once again listen carefully. (If you learn this you will never get caught up in religious-idolatry again.)

“Ho! Every one who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have no money come, buy and eat. Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy?

“Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and delight yourself in abundance. Incline your ear and come to Me. Listen, that you may live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, according to the faithful mercies shown to David.” (Isa 55:1-3 NASB)

What is the keynote in this prophecy? Listen! Listen to Me! Come to Me! Learn to have a heart like David’s! Incline your ear!

Jesus did not come to give us a religion.

I am going to say this until it begins doing its work in the hearts of believers.

Men create religions. Religion is all about control. Jesus came to give us a wonderful relationship with the heavenly Father. This relationship will flower out and build itself up as we learn to walk with the Lord Himself.

None of this is about not gathering with other believers for worship and instruction. It is all about who you are gathering with. Paul said to Timothy:

“Now flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.” (2Tim2:22)

What kind of heart do you have? Is it a religious heart where you are into church-idolatry? Or is it a heart that has learned to listen to Jesus.

Take time for this third and final song. ‘Change My Heart O God.’

Do you need help? Help is on His way. Just call upon the Lord Jesus. He is very near to you, as near as your heart and your mouth. Jesus is only a breath away.

You see, our little poplar tree could not grow because of the miry clay around its roots. Did you know that some legalistic religions can serve as miry clay in our lives. What can you do about it? Do what Mary told the wine servers, “Whatever He tells you to do, do it.” Just ask Him!

Yes, I did grieve over the little tree. Can’t help it. I have always had a very tender heart. But it also grieves me when I see God’s people sometimes treated like sinners, and see sinners treated like dogs. Makes me wonder how God feels about all our religions.

What then is God’s message to the world? It never changes.

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

“For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.” (John 3:16-17 NASB)

Think about it.

Much love to be found in Jesus,

Buddy

Jun

2010

Is it One, Two, or Three…

Readers,

This study takes us back to the early Jewish Christians. How could the early Jewish Christians hold claim to absolute monotheism while worship could be directed to Jesus Christ as well as to God the Father?

A large part of our problem with the study of Christ comes from having set aside the early Jewish believers theology of Christ. Everything for the Jewish church centered on divine identity.

We’ve managed to take terms like, ‘And the Word was with God,‘ or, ‘He existed in the form of God‘, away from their Hebrew thought form. These expressions are deeply embedded in ancient Judaism. They are Hebrew reflections on a great mystery to be found in God Himself.

Identity was the hallmark of Jewish Christianity

The earliest believers saw Jesus Christ as intrinsic to who God really is. Jewish believers were schooled in the Scriptures and in the ancient sages. God is one! That’s all they needed to know. At the same time they believed that in the one true God was this mystery they called the ‘Word,’ or, the ‘Form‘, or the ‘Image‘, or the ‘Glory‘, or the ‘Shekinah.’

So, were the early Jewish Christians Oneness believers, Twoness believers, or Threeness believers.

The truth is that none of these beliefs would accord entirely with the theology of the early Jewish church. While the earliest Christians were absolute monotheist, they also believed that Jesus Christ originated in and came forth from the Father, that is, without becoming separate from Him in His spiritual being. And this was part of the mystery.

It should also be noted that the early Jewish believers generally saw the Holy Spirit in connection with either the Father or the Son. In Judaism itself the Holy Spirit was often reckoned as the spirit of the Messiah and/or as the emanating power and presence of God.

However, the Jewish rabbis did begin to accuse the Christian Jews of believing in two powers in heaven. (Not three.) They had become familiar with the book of Hebrews as well as with the gospels. The rabbis used the book Hebrews as a backdrop in their accusations against the Christian Jews, and especially where it says,

“In these last days [the Father] has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world.” (He1:2)

— This statement pretty much qualifies the earliest theology of the Jewish church. It says that in the last days God has spoken to us (or speaks to us) in His Son, and that it was through His Son that the Father made the world. Such a mystery, this. –—

Looking again at Godhead theology

A great many scholars today are beginning to set aside the notion that the trinitarian doctrine is intrinsic to Christianity and that to be a Christian you must accept this form of theology. They are reaching back to the pre-Constantianian beliefs of the early church, that is, to a more Hebraic form of theology. The result is a less complicated theology held by the early church, yet not without its own mysteries concerning the Father and the Son.

The problem is that neither the trinitarian nor the oneness doctrines can be accredited as the final stages of true theology. They are both departees from an already fully divine Christology of Biblical Christianity. The early believers fully accepted Jesus Christ as Yahweh of the former testament, and yet they believed in a Father-Son view of God.

Paul Himself brings this forth in reaffirming the sh’ma of Israel. He said,

“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)

Where Paul says ‘Lord’ he is using the ancient ‘She’ma’ creed of Israel.

“Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one!” (Deu 6:4 NASB)

Jesus said that He and the Father were one. Thus Paul is expressing a very ancient belief in Israel. Jesus was looked at as the ‘eikon‘ (divine image) of the invisible God. Judaism believed that you had the invisible God who could not be seen, and God who makes Himself visible across history and across time. Or, as one early Christian writer said, “God brought forth from Himself a beginning.”

The point is that for the early Jewish believers, Jesus did not become for them a second god or another deity. Paul explained Christ as the hidden mystery of God. The apostle wrote,

“To me, the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ, and to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God who created all things.” (Eph3:8,9)

Note. My readers may wish to review additional Hebraic studies. Go to:

http://www.christianchallenge.org/hebraic-foundations/index.html

Check these studies:

Regardless of how difficult this may seem to us, the groundwork had already been laid for this mystery to be revealed.

For instance how is it than an orthodox one-God, Jewish man could fall down before Jesus, and say, “My Lord and my God?” And how is it that everything Jesus did in His earthly walk reveals that He was intrinsic to the very identity of God’s person? Jesus did God things.

The most Jewish of non-Jewish religions

And so we must agree with the Jewish author who said that Christianity is the most Jewish of all the non-Jewish faiths. I would go further to say that Biblical Christianity fills out the Jewish faith in that the God of the Hebrews came into the earth as a man to fulfill His own program of redemption.

Did the early Jewish believers worship the Father and Son as one God? Absolutely. They did this with a true monotheistic faith.

John said it well enough;

“Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God; the one who abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son.” (2Jn1:9)

Do we still have a mystery? Sure we do. It is a mystery that is wondrous indeed. What we know is that the origins of Jesus lies within God Himself. And when we worship Jesus we are not worshipping a second deity. We are worshipping the Father in the Son.

And so I return to the premise of this study — A large part of our problem with the study of Christ is our failure to understand that the early Jewish Church already had the perfect godhead theology.

So the study does have a point. Where you see that God is one, believe that God is one. Where you see the Father and the Son, believe in the Father and the Son. And where you see the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, believe in the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Just be a Biblical believer.

The terms oneness, twoness, or threeness don’t really matter. We know there can only be be one true God. While we may view Him through different glasses, the story remains unchanged. God sent His Son into the world to be the Savior and Redeemer of humanity. Does this mean that God had a Son before time began? (Wow – Now that is a question. Think about it.)

What think ye?

Blessings,

Buddy

Jun

2010

God’s undisturbed resting place…

“And the work of righteousness will be peace, and the service of righteousness, quietness and confidence forever. Then my people will live in a peaceful habitation, and in secure dwellings and in undisturbed resting places.” (Isa 32:17-18 NASB)

Readers,

There are a number of prophecies that speak of the peace and rest to be found in God’s Messiah. Paul likely had these prophecies in view when he said that the kingdom of God is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. (Romans 14:17)

In this journal entry I want to share about the rest that is promised to those who truly trust in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

First of all let’s hear from Jesus Himself:

“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Matthew 11:28,29)

The prophetic background.

We need to reach back into the Messianic promises for a look at the ‘rest’ that was promised to believers in Christ Jesus. When Jacob prophesied over his son Judah, he said,

“The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until Shiloh comes, and to Him shall be the obedience of the peoples.” (Genesis 49:10)

The Targums (Aramaic translations. Aramaic was the language of Israel during the time of Jesus) have ‘Messiah’ in place of ‘Shiloh.’

The ancient Greek translation (LXX) ends the prophecy with, “and he [Messiah] is the expectation of the nations.” The belief in a coming Messiah is easily noted among all nation groups

The ending can also be translated, “Until he whose it is comes.”

The heart of this prophecy is found in the statement, “to Him shall be the obedience of the peoples.”

The Hebrew word for obedience is ‘yaggahah’. This word speaks of an inner submission of the soul, or the resting heart. The obedience results in a tranquility of the inner man.

The resting heart.

The resting heart is what happens when a person truly comes to know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Peter describes this when he says,

“Your adornment must not be merely external . . .but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God.” (1 Peter 3:3,4. “Quiet” is the Greek ‘hesuchios’, which literally translates as ‘tranquil’.)

When Noah was born, his father prophesied over him, saying,

“This one will give us rest from our work and from the toil of our hands arising from the ground which the Lord has cursed.” (Genesis 5:29)

But Noah wasn’t the rest giver. That would belong to the Lord alone.

When Moses complained to the Lord about his having to care for the peoples, the Lord said, “My presence shall go with you, and I will give you rest.” (Exodus 33:14)

Why does this sound so familiar? Jesus spoke these exact words.

He said, “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)

The Voice that spoke to Moses is heard again in Jesus Christ. (Wondrous mystery the incarnation.)

He will speak to this people.

Then we have a prophecy that can be misunderstood if we don’t understand what the prophecy is really about. Isaiah 28:11,12, says,

“Indeed, He will speak to *this people through stammering lips and a foreign tongue, *He who said to them, ‘Here is rest, give rest to the weary,’ and, ‘Here is repose,’ but *they would not listen.” (Pay particular attention to the words noted with an *.)

The emphasis of this prophesy is to a specific people. It is not simply on a ‘foreign tongue.’ It isn’t the ‘languages’ that cause the rest. The rest as to do with the Messiah.

This prophecy gets turned on its head when an improper emphasis is placed on ‘stammering lips and a foreign tongue.’ The prophecy has a direct fulfillment on the day of Pentecost, 33 A.D.

The purpose of speaking in other languages on the day of Pentecost was to draw attention to the Rest Giver, that is Jesus Himself.

Notice again how the Isaiah prophecy directs itself to *this people. The “this” people were the Jewish peoples who gathered in Jerusalem during the festivals of Passover and Pentecost. These gathered Hebrews spoke a great many languages.

The Isaiah 28 prophecy tells us who the prophecy will be about. The day of Pentecost was to draw attention to the Rest Giver. It was about, “*He “who said to them, ‘Here is rest, give rest to the weary.'”

Jesus is the one who said, “I will give you rest.” And the prophecy has to do with receiving Jesus Christ as Lord and Messiah.

Where then is the rest…

Where can the rest be found? The rest has to do with the finished work of the cross. The picture broadens when we understand that the rest has more than one factor to it. First of all, the rest actually comes from the rule of Christ in our hearts. This is why Paul said that we are to let the “peace of Christ rule” in our hearts. (Colossians 3:15)

This ruling peace is the sure sign that Christ is in charge of the affairs of our heart. When we lose our peace, this means that something needs to be brought back under the rule of the Prince of Peace. (Reaches back to the Genesis 49:10 prophecy of the ‘tranquil’ heart.)

Is there more…

There is a second and an even more important factor to the rest that is found in Jesus. The reason it is more important is because the second factor speaks of our identification with Christ Himself.

The Scriptures tell us that Christ has taken His place in the heavens, far above all rule and authority, and that He rules over all. The Scriptures tell us that He is waiting until all His enemies are made a footstool for His feet. The Scriptures tell us that there is no more work to be done with regard to the redemption program of God. When Jesus said from the cross, “It is finished”, that meant that God’s salvation work was finished at the cross.

How does this relate to us? When a person turns from their sins and turns to Jesus, there is a spiritual dynamic that takes place in which God places this person positionally in Christ Jesus, that is, where He is now seated at the right hand of the Father. This means that the victory and rest that Jesus now enjoys, is the rest that is given to believers.

The writer of Hebrews says that we enter into His rest. (Heb4:10) Paul adds to this in saying that we have been “made complete” in Him. (Colossians 2:10)

It is not our work.

This is where the term ‘the finished of the cross’ has its deepest meaning. The work of redemption is finished. There is nothing to add to it, there is nothing to take away from it. But we have to understand that the work of the cross is not our work. It is God’s work. God has taken all the human effort out of His salvation in Christ.

This is why there is only one thing left for men to do in order to be saved. It is summed up in the statement, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved.” (Acts 16:31)

But a problem remains.

God’s salvation in Christ strikes at the deepest part of the human psyche, which is pride. Man is so use to making his own ‘fig leaf’ garments, that he is often unable to accept the covering that God has provided in Christ. (Our fig leaf garments are often our religions that we’ve formed for ourselves.)

It smarts when man can’t contribute to his own salvation. But the Lord left nothing undone. God provided a covering. The clothing of skins in the garden of Eden was a picture of the covering to be provided for us in Christ.

Put these two factors together, that is, the rule of Christ in our heart, and our full identification with Him in the finished work of the cross, thus you then have what is called ‘the Rest.’ The rest is the full victory of the cross inscribed in our hearts. We have already been seated with Christ in the heavens.

When Paul said that we have been seated with Christ in ‘heavenly places’, he was not talking about a wonderful spiritual service. Paul was addressing our completed salvation.

Our salvation is so complete on God’s side that He has already seated us in heaven in Christ Jesus. There is nothing that can change that picture. To remove us from heaven, God would have to remove Christ Himself.

Listen to Paul:

“For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.” (Col 3:3-4 NASB)

The conclusion of the matter is simple –

The rest that is found in Jesus is the most awesome part of our salvation. This is what puts works-righteous religions out of business. Understand the gospel properly and you will never again find yourself fettered to a religion that seeks control over your life.

Learn to live your life in Christ and you will enjoy the full freedom in Christ.

And so we hear again,

“And the work of righteousness will be peace, and the service of righteousness, quietness and confidence forever.” (Isaiah 32:17)

So, why not take off your religious garments and take to yourself the clothing in Christ. Listen:

“For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Gal 3:26-28 NASB)

While you think about this things, take a moment to listen to Elvis as he sings, ‘Without Him.’

Love always in Christ,

Buddy

Jun

2010

This mysterious thing called grace…

“Now these are the last words of David. David the son of Jesse declares, the man who was raised on high declares, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel,

‘The Spirit of the LORD spoke by me, and His word was on my tongue. The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spoke to me, He who rules over men righteously, who rules in the fear of God, is as the light of the morning when the sun rises, a morning without clouds, when the tender grass springs out of the earth, through sunshine after rain. Truly is not my house so with God?

“For He has made an everlasting covenant with me, ordered in all things, and secured; for all my salvation and all my desire, will He not indeed make it grow? But the worthless, every one of them will be thrust away like thorns, because they cannot be taken in hand; but the man who touches them must be armed with iron and the shaft of a spear, and they will be completely burned with fire in their place.'” (2Sa 23:1-7 NASB)

Readers,

God’s promise to David was that the Messiah would to come directly from his lineage. It was this great promise that gave David a unique role as a prophet of God. Many of David’s prophecies were relational to Christ. He experienced Jesus long before the incarnation. David often spoke by the Spirit of Christ and for the Christ of God.

Here are examples of David’s visionary experiences with Jesus:

“Thus I have seen You in the sanctuary, to see Your power and Your glory.” (Psa 63:2)

“Do homage to the Son, that He not become angry, and you perish in the way, for His wrath may soon be kindled. How blessed are all who take refuge in Him!” (Psa 2:12 NASB)

“The LORD says to my Lord: ‘Sit at My right hand Until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.'” (Psa 110:1 NASB)

— New Testament accords Psalm 110:1, as the Father speaking to the Son at the ascension of Jesus to the throne of heaven.

Understanding David’s unique visionary relationship with Christ, helps us to see the wonderful prophecy that begins with, ‘Now these are the last words of David’ as recorded above. Every statement in the ‘last words of David’ have a direct bearing on the eternal covenant of Christ.

David provided a description of the finished work of the cross.

In David’s last words we are seeing how that the new covenant would unfold itself in the mysteries and wonders of grace. This is an area were some believers have their greatest struggle.

The key is in understanding the finished work of the cross. Salvation in the new covenant is entirely a matter of what took place in the death, burial, resurrection and ascension of Jesus, and how these things accrue to those who truly believe in Jesus. It is all about grace. Paul addresses this:

“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Eph 2:8-9 NASB)

And again,

“He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior.” (Tit 3:5-6 NASB)

Most often we think of grace as in terms of ‘unmerited favor.’ Of course this is true. But what does that mean? Renewing grace is what places beauty to the life of a believer. Grace is also God’s strengthening power.

The prophet said,

“He gives strength to the weary, and to him who lacks might He increases power.” (Isaiah 40:29)

Paul heard it this way:

“My grace is sufficient for you, for [My] power is perfected in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9)

The Spirit of grace.

In the New Testament, the Holy Spirit is called ‘the Spirit of grace.’ A primary role of the Holy Spirit in the new covenant is to minister grace to those who have been to the cross. John 1:16 draws on this:

“For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace.” (Joh 1:16 NASB)

The Greek is expressing a picture of grace taking the place of grace, even before the prior grace is exhausted. This supplying of grace is always from the finished work of the cross. The cross is both our dying place, and our living place. At the cross our entire lives were judged in Christ. At the cross Jesus exchanged lives with us. He took our place in order to gives us His place. And in the resurrection we were made one with Him.

The Greek emphatic in John 1:16, is on two words, ‘His‘, and, ‘fullness‘. John is saying that we need to realize the force of this truth. The truth to be realized in our faith walk is that all Jesus became in his ascension and glorification, has been placed on the account of every true believer. It is this fullness of Christ that we draw from continually.

This is why John could later write,

“As He is, so also are we in this world.” (1 John 4:17)

This is also why the apostle Paul said,

“[He] raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” (Ephesians 2:6)

Under the new covenant the Holy Spirit brings us to the cross and thus passes us through the cross. In this passing we are made one with Jesus in His death, burial, resurrection, and ascension.

The message of the cross does not limit itself to the death of Jesus. And the cross is not something we merely come to for forgiveness of sins. We actually pass through the cross. We pass out of death into life. We have been made holy in the sacrifice of Christ. The cross now becomes our altar of grace.

Listen once again to the apostle John:

“He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” (Joh 3:18 NASB)

And again,

“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.“ (Joh 5:24 NASB)

We pass out of death and judgment into the eternal life of the Son. And so the Holy Spirit is always ministering the glorified Christ into our hearts. We might speak of this as ‘throne grace.’ The writer said,

“Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16)

The beauty of the Lord.

Once again, grace is what adds beauty to our walk with the Lord. It is the beauty of the Lord that the Holy Spirit ministers into our lives. It is the fountain of His grace that we drink from. It is His grace that gives us songs to sing when we are beyond singing. And grace is the upward impulse of our hearts that causes us to long for righteousness.

Psalm 45 has long been considered a Psalm of the Messiah by both Christians and Jews. Notice how it speaks of grace:

“You [Jesus] are fairer than the sons of men; grace is poured upon Your lips; therefore God has blessed You forever.” (Psa 45:2 NASB)

Grace always flows from the lips of Jesus. Even when we’ve done wrong and come trembling to the Lord in repentance, what is it we hear from His lips? We receive from Him grace for our need. John addressed this issue:

“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears [punishment] is not perfected in love [Or, does not understand God’s perfect love.” (1Jn 4:18 NASB)

Living in the outflow.

But as I said earlier, what gives grace its power is that we are living in the outflow of the finished work of the cross. This is where we need to understand the real distinction between how the Holy Spirit worked before the cross, and how the Holy Spirit now works as a result of the cross.

The one Scripture that sets this forth is John 7:37-39. Jesus said,

“If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scriptures 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.”

What happened after the cross, is that the Holy Spirit now comes into the heart of a believer, as the Spirit of the glorified Jesus Christ. No person on this planet, of any age, has ever had the Holy Spirit in residence as the Spirit of the glorified Jesus Christ. This is essentially what the “Abba! Father!” experience is referring to.

The apostle says,

“For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, ‘Abba! Father!.'” (Romans 8:15)

The covenant of Christ is about God’s family. The grace we draw from is sonship grace. The grace we draw from is unlimited. This is why we sing, ‘Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound.’

Make no mistake in what I am sharing. We are worthy of nothing on our own. We are all sinners saved by grace. But saved by grace we surely are. There is no other way to be saved. The apostolic writer said that Jesus saves us to the utmost.

John said that we weren’t saved because we loved God. We are saved because God loved us. What a great mystery is God’s love. What a great mystery this thing called ‘Grace.’

Are you struggling over something in your life that went wrong? Do you feel like you made a mess of things. The Lord knows all about it. He has His arms outstretched. He will help you see things through. Always remember that nothing will ever be able to separate you from the love of God that is found in Jesus Christ.

While thinking about all this take time to listen to ‘Why Me, Lord?’

Much love found in Jesus,

Buddy

Jun

2010

It’s a matter of the heart…

Readers,

The word Christian means a follower of Christ. It also includes the idea of an anointed one. Christ in Greek is Christos, which means ‘the anointed One.’ Christianos is the Greek for Christian, or the anointed of Christ.

The word anointing by itself is the word chrisma. All these words share a common root. The anointing that Christians have in their hearts is the Spirit of Christ. Paul says it this way,

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

And so, it really is a matter of the heart.

The blessed of the Lord

The anointing carries its influence in the life of every believer. It is here that we can draw from another word. Grace is the word charis. Charis means kindness, mercy, or, unmerited favor. It especially speaks of God’s divine presence.

The anointing therefore is God’s influence upon and within and over the heart and soul of a believer. From this divine heart anointing the believer shows himself as a child of God. God’s grace is what puts beauty into the life of the believer. Even in our repentances there will always be a flow of grace in our lives.

In the Old Testament the term, blessed of the Lord, spoke of someone who carried divine favor. This idea is seen in the new covenant in a special way. Paul said,

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.” (Eph 1:3)

So, is there a special manifestation of the anointing of Christ in our life? Most certainly there is. Notice the various cognates of the word grace, or, charis. To rejoice is chairo. Joy is chara. Synchairo means to rejoice with.

This anointing in our heart carries a Godly essence of joy, of peace, and of spiritual wellbeing. Jesus said that the joy to be given to us, no man could ever take away. It is this anointed life that we are called to live in.

The prophet Isaiah spoke of the joyful heart that would come with the new covenant;

“Then you will say on that day, ‘I will give thanks to You, O LORD; for although You were angry with me, Your anger is turned away, and You comfort me. Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; For the LORD GOD is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation.’

“Therefore you will joyously draw water from the springs of salvation. And in that day you will say, ‘Give thanks to the LORD, call on His name. Make known His deeds among the peoples; make them remember that His name is exalted. Praise the LORD in song, for He has done excellent things; Let this be known throughout the earth. Cry aloud and shout for joy, O inhabitant of Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.'” (Isa 12:1-6 NASB)

Garnering insights…

Let’s see if we can garner insights on the inner-life of the person we call ‘Christian.’

The patriarchs and the prophets were called God’s anointed ones. A special anointing oil was made to anoint the priests, and for use in the incense lamp of the holy place. This oil was not to be duplicated or used for any other purpose on penalty of death. The oil was called ‘a fragrance incense.’ Psalm 133 is a description of the priestly anointing.

“A Song of Ascents, of David. Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brothers to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious oil upon the head, coming down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard, coming down upon the edge of his robes. It is like the dew of Hermon Coming down upon the mountains of Zion; for there the LORD commanded the blessing–life forever.” (Psa 133:1-3 NASB)

Now compare this to the Christian life in 2 Cor 2:14-17.

“But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place.

“For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; to the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life.

“And who is adequate for these things? For we are not like many, peddling the word of God, but as from sincerity, but as from God, we speak in Christ in the sight of God.” (2Co 2:14-17 NASB)

The Life manifested.

John calls the anointing the Life. He is speaking of eternal life, which refers to the very life of God that was present in Jesus Christ, and has now been given to the saints. (Saints are believers in Jesus.) Follow this with 1 John 1:1-4.

“What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life– and the life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us– what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ. These things we write, so that our joy may be made complete.” (1Jn 1:1-4 NASB)

The Christians that John was writing to were being undercut by the Gnostics. Gnostics were heretics who pretended to be the only ones who had God’s special life in them. Believers were suppose to come to the Gnostics in order to receive anything from the Lord.

Now compare 1 John 5:10-13.

“The one who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself; the one who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has given concerning His Son.

“And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.” (1Jn 5:10-13 NASB)

One of the great needs of any new believer is to be made aware of their new life in Christ. They already have eternal life. The apostle John said,

“The one who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself; the one who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has given concerning His Son.

“And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.” (1Jn 5:10-13 NASB)

Realizing the Life anointing

The life anointing first expresses itself as peace in our hearts. The Bible calls Jesus, ‘the Prince of Peace.’ This peace in a believer’s heart is governmental peace. It is the spiritual sign that you are living under the Lordship of Jesus. The peace of God carries with it that inward feeling of joy or of wellbeing. Paul instructed the Colossians believers concerning the peace of God. He said,

“Let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful.”

The issue is simple. To be a Christian means that Jesus Christ resides in your heart. His life has become your life. Christians are to live in such a way as to bring glory to Christ Jesus. We are not to defame His name by living a worldly life-style. At the same time we are to express His life by living in the joy and peace of His kingdom. We are to be vessels that flow forth with His life.

Paul explained it this way:

“I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.” (Gal 2:20 NASB)

How is your heart today? Do you need peace from God. Let the Lord minister to your heart with ‘Peace Be Still’; by Candy Hemphill Christmas.

Much love coming your way,

Just a brother in Christ,

Buddy

May

2010

An education on Jewish-Christian things…

Readers,

Not everyone will have an interest in what I have to share in this journal entry. Its design is primarily for those who have a deeper interest in ancient Judaism and how Jesus Christ has been seen by the Jews since ancient time. For you who do have this interest, you will be greatly blessed with what I have to share. My forte of study and research for the past 45+ years has been on the Hebraics of the Christian faith. I believe in a short time there will be a great turning in the nation of Israel to Jesus Christ.

In the following study each item of interest is numbered. Take time to read through that which appeals to you.

With that in mind lets further title this study …

Education on Jewish-Christian Things

Ancient Judaism – Targums, etc.

by Lawrence E. (Buddy) Martin

x

1)      T. N. K. (pronounced Tanach) is an acronym for Tora “law,” Nevim “The prophets,” and Ketuvim “the writings.” These are the three divisions into which Jews divide the Old Testament.

2)      Modern Judaism generally sets forth Christianity as a Gentile religion. They say it is alright for Gentiles to accept Jesus as Messiah, but for Jews it would be idolatry. Judaism does not necessarily condemn the doctrine of the trinity as idolatry as long as those holding the belief are not Jews. That Jesus and the apostles were all sabras, that is, native born Israelis, has been a well kept secret from the Jews. In spite of this the modern Israelis are rediscovering Jesus. [Yeshua is His Hebrew name.]

3)      Ancient Judaism once taught that a suffering Messiah would appear, disappear for a time, and would then reappear. The disappearing Messiah was known as Messiah ben Joseph. He would suffer as Joseph did when sold as a slave in Egypt. Messiah ben Joseph would die and be resurrected. His return would then be as Messiah ben David. When Jesus was rejected by the rulers of Israel this ancient Judaic teaching became shrouded to the Jews. Few Jews realize that Judaism today is far removed from what ancient Judaism taught. What evangelical Christianity teaches concerning the Messiah fulfills the ancient sages.

4)      The famed rabbi of the twelth century known as Rambam/Maimonides, once said: “…one should…not expatiate about the midrashim…” The midrashim are ancient Jewish commentaries on the Bible, which in many cases authenticate the Christian belief that Jesus is the Messiah.

5)      Commentary Midrash Ruth Rabba clearly illustrates two comings of Messiah: “R. Berekhia in the name of R. Levi: ‘The Last Redeemer [Messiah] will be like the First Redeemer [Moses]. Just as the First Redeemer was revealed and then again was hidden from the children of Israel…so the Last Redeemer will be revealed to them and then will be hidden from them…’”

6)      The Jewish Talmud speaks of Him [Messiah] coming on “a donkey” (Zech. 9:9) and “coming on the clouds of heaven” (Dan. 7:13), in its Sanhedrin 98a section. “R. Alexandri said: ‘R. Y’hoshu’a ben Levi explained:…’If they will be righteous, [the Messiah will come] on the clouds on heaven (Daniel 7:13); if they will not be righteous, [he will come] as a poor man riding upon an ass (Zech 9:9).’”

7)      Biblical Archaeology Review, December 1992 – Hebrew scholars Michael Wise and James Tabor state: “Our Qumran text, 4Q521, is astonishingly, quite close to this Christian concept of Messiah. Our text speaks not only of a single messianic figure…but it also describes him in extremely exalted terms, quite like the Christian view of Jesus as a cosmic agent.”

They further say, “…The Messiah of our text is thus much closer to the Christian Messiah, in this regard, than in any previously published text and requires us to reexamine the previously, rather restricted, views of messianic expectations at Qumran.”

Again they say, “…there was the belief among the Qumran community that the Messiah would suffer initial defeat, but that he would ultimately triumph at the end of days.” [The Qumran community reflects accepted messianic beliefs in ancient Judaism at the time of Jesus.]

8 )      Archaeological Discovery – The newly released Dead Sea Scroll fragment 4Q246, gives indisputable proof that the idea of the Son of God is an authentic ancient Jewish belief. In this ‘Son of God’ fragment it says, “he shall be called the Son of the God; they will call him the Son of the Most High…He will judge the earth in righteousness…and every nation will bow down to him…with (God’s) help he will make war, and…[God] will give all the peoples into his power.” (This is important since post 70 a. d. Judaism absolutely denies any room for a Messianic Son of God. It is also important because the Dead Sea discoveries are revealing a belief system very near Christian.)

9) “In the future God will seat the King Messiah at his right, for it is said: ‘The Lord said unto my Lord, ‘Sit thou at my right hand,’” Midrash on Psalm SVIII, 35 – Ancient Rabbinical Commentary.

10) “I have examined and searched all the Holy Scriptures, and have not found the time for the coming of MESSIAH, clearly fixed, except in the words of Gabriel to the prophet Daniel, which are written in the ninth chapter of the prophecy of Daniel.” Rabbi Moses Abraham Levi

11) “Behold, My Servant, the Messiah, whom I bring near, My chosen one, in whom My Memra [Word] takes delight; I will place my holy spirit upon him, and he shall reveal My law to the nations.” Targum Jonathan

12) “Behold, my servant, the Messiah shall prosper; he shall be exalted, etc. ‘Behold my servant shall deal prudently.’ This is King Messiah. ‘He shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high.’ He shall be exalted more than Abraham; for of Him it is written, ‘I have exalted my hand to the Lord’ (Gen. XIC.22). He shall be extolled more than Moses…(Num. XI 12) – Targum

13) “Come and see the mystery of the word YHVH: there are three steps, each existing by itself: nevertheless they are One, and so united that one cannot be separated from the other. The Ancient One is revealed with three heads, which are united into one, and that head is three exalted. The Ancient One is described as being three: because the other lights emanating from him are included in the three. But how can three names be one? Are they really one because we call them one? How three can be one can only be known through the revelation of the Holy Spirit.” Zohar

14) “In the week when the Son of David comes, they will bring beams of iron and put them like a yoke on his neck until His stature is bent down. He cries and weeps, and his voice ascends to heaven, and in God’s presence He will say: ‘Sovereign of the world, how long will my strength last, how long my breath, my soul, and my limbs? Am I not flesh and blood?’…Then the Holy One—blessed be He!—says to Him: ‘Ephraim, my righteous Messiah, you took all this upon yourself from the six days of creation…’” Pesiqta Rabbati, Friedmann’s edition, chapter 36

15) “The Patriarchs will one day rise again in the month of Nisan and will say to the Messiah…You have been a laughing-stock and a derision among the peoples of the world, and because of you they jeered at Israel, as it is written (Psalm 22:6). You have dwelt in darkness and in gloominess, and your eyes have not seen light, your skin was cleaving to your bones, and your body withered like wood. Your eyes became hollow from fasting, and your strength was dried up like a potsherd, as its is written (Psalm 22:15,16). All this happened because of the sins of our children, as it is written: ‘And Jehovah laid on him the iniquity of us all’ (Isaiah 53:6).” Pesiqta Rabbati

16) David Flusser an orthodox Jewish professor at Hebrew University in Jerusalem writes concerning the New Testament: “Early Christian literature thus reflects the world of the Sages at an earlier stage than its reflection in the Jewish sources. It reflects Jewish life in the Hellenistic diaspora, details of which we otherwise know chiefly from the writings of Philo of Alexandria….

“Take an example: The Jewish custom of giving a boy his name during his circumcision ceremony is not known in our Talmudic literature, but in one of the Gospels (Luke 1:59-64) we are told that John the Baptist’s father gave him his name during this ceremony.

“Or another example: the custom of passing around the glass of wine during the Kiddush (the blessing on the wine ushering in Sabbath and Holy Day Meals) is unknown in Talmudic sources, but the New Testament tells us that during the Last Supper Jesus asked that his cup should be passed among his Apostles (Luke 22:17 and parallel passages).” — Jewish Sources in Early Christianity.

17) Learned Jews are startled by a Jewish Commentary that mentions a “cross on his shoulders” in Isaac’s ancient ordeal: “…and Abraham took the wood and he put it on his son as a person who carries a cross on his shoulders.” Midrash Shimoni’s commentary (Saloniki edition)

18) “When the time of the advent of Messiah will be near, then the blessed God will say to him: With him I will make a new covenant. And this is the time when he will acknowledge him as his son, saying ‘This day have I begotten three.’” Midrash Tehelim

19) “Our Rabbis taught, The Holy One, blessed be He, will say to the Messiah, the son of David (May he reveal himself speedily in our days!), ‘Ask of me anything, and I will give it to thee’, as it is said, I will tell of the decree etc. this day have I begotten thee, ask of me and I will give the nations for thy inheritance. (Ps. II, 7,8).

“But when he will see that the Messiah the Son of Joseph is slain, he will say to Him, ‘Lord of the Universe, I ask of Thee only the gift of life’. ‘As to life’, He would answer him, ‘Your father David has already prophesied this concerning you’, as it is said, He asked life of thee, thou gavest it him even length of days for ever and ever]. (Ps. XXI, 5.)”

20) Pinchas Lipide, a highly respected scholar in the Jewish religious community, wrote a book supporting the resurrection of Jesus, though he himself does not accept Jesus as Messiah and does not follow other Christian claims. In his book, The Resurrection of Jesus, A Jewish Perspective, he states: “…according to my opinion, the resurrection belongs to the category of the truly real and effective occurrences…a fact of history…’”

21) Dr. Kac notes of Professor Pinchas Lapide: “According to Lapide a ‘Jesus wave’ is now passing through Judaism. In proof of this he states that in the first twenty-seven years following the reconstitution of the present State of Israel 187 Hebrew books, research articles, poem, dissertations and essays have been written about Jesus. More has been written in Hebrew about Jesus in the last twenty-five years than in all the eighteen previous centuries.” Arthur W. Kac, The Messiahship of Jesus

22) “In the first century, the rabbis at Yavne changed Jesus’ Hebrew name from Yeshua to Yeshu. Nearly all rabbis today still use this despicable name, especially in Israel. (Yeshu means ‘may his name be blotted out.) It is worth noting, however, that not only does the Hebrew edition of the New Testament call Jesus Yeshua, Rabbi Abarbanel, a famous Jewish sage who did not believe in Jesus, also called him Yeshua.”. Philip Moore. [Yeshua means salvation.]

23) Note this condemnation of James the brother of John in the Talmud: “A man shall have no dealings with the heretics (Jewish Christians), nor be cured by them, even for the sake of an hour of life. There was the case of Ben Dama nephew of R. Ishmael, whom a serpent bit. There came Jacob [The Apostle James of the New Testament] the heretic of the village of Sechanya to cure him (in the name of Jeshu ben Pandera); but R. [Rabbi] Ishmael would not allow him. Ben Dama said to him, R. Ishmael, my brother, do allow him, that I may be cured, and I will produce a text from the Law to prove that this is permitted. But hardly had he finished his discourse when his soul departed, and he died.” The Talmud, Abodah Zarah [The fact that Jacob is James is documented by Dr. David Flusser, Professor Emeritus, Hebrew University, Jerusalem. Jewish Sources in Early Christianity.]

24) “I don’t think there are many Jews—fanatics and ill-informed excepted—who are not fascinated by the Person and Teaching of Jesus. Perhaps much more so than many Gentiles and so-called ‘Christians.’ I might add that the approach of Jews to Christianity can only be made via the Message of Jesus…

“There is now a growing sense of inquiry here [in Israel], concerning the things of Jesus and Christianity. The reasons being that prejudices are dying down…there is a growing tendency within Christendom to make room for the rise of the Antichrist. He will be an imitator of Christ, of Jesus, whose teachings he will twist and pervert.” Israeli professor of Jewish studies, David Flusser.

25) “In the Diaspora Jesus looked alien to the Jew, an outside, an interloper. But in Israel he is seen as the Jew from Nazareth, a native of this country, a Sabra, with claims to the land as strong as any. He cannot be brushed aside as a foreign influence…When the Jews left their land two thousand years ago, the land was holy for them alone; when they returned, the land was holy also to more than half of the world.

“The land had become sanctified in the meantime to millions and millions of non-Jews. The same applies to the Bible which had been a book holy to the Jews alone and which has become a holy book for millions of non-Jews. Both the Book and the Land have become sanctified to the world and this was not the work of the Diaspora Jews who, in spite of the injunction, did not become ‘a light to the Gentiles,’ but was the work rather of a single Jew and his band of Jewish followers, all of them Sabras. They were all born and bred in the Land, which is in this sense the most fruitful land on earth.” English scholar and professor, Ferdynand Zweig

26) “If you’re a Jew who believes that Yeshua is the Messiah, you’ve returned to Judaism, to the kind of Judaism the Bible teaches. You haven’t converted to another religion. If you are a Gentile believer you have come to the faith of Abraham through the Messiah.” Second generation Messianic Jewiss, Ruth Fleischer, Ph.D.

27) In the 1880’s, Arno C. Gaebelian and Ernest Stoeter established ‘The Hope of Israel’, a Messianic missionary outreach. They published an article in their quarterly, Our Hope, entitled, “Christian Judaism,” proclaimed: “…Christian Judaism was ‘not a nineteenth century invention,’ but was ‘as old as the days of the apostles, yea as old as the Psalms of David and the prophecies of Isaiah and Zechariah. Its roots lie in the Oath-bound covenants of God with Abraham…’”

28) “The word Judaism comes from Judah in the Old Testament, one of the twelve sons of Israel, and is connected with praising God. When Leah, Jacob’s wife, gave birth to her son, Judah, she said: “…Now will I praise the Lord…” Thus, the word Judaism, in reality, is a very broad generic term that does not necessarily describe only today’s Jewish culture, it describes a true biblical faith as well, which includes that of Christians who fundamentally believe the Old and New Testament in their praise to the God of Israel through His Messiah Jesus.” Philip Moore, Jewish believer. (Research for Hal Lindsey)

29) “My friend, Grant Livingston, told me of the testimony of Golda Mier’s radiologist, Dr. Larry Samuels. He was treating her just before her death from cancer. Grant said: ‘…he was her doctor administering radiology to her at Hadassah Hospital in 1977. Dr. Samuels said Golda had prayed with him to receive Christ [Messiah Jesus].’ We all think about what is really important and true when we know we are going to die. The Prime Minister of Israel, Golda Meir, knew she was dying of cancer! Her doctor was a believer in Jesus and, according to his testimony, she died a true believer in Jesus as Messiah, although it was never shouted from the rooftops or made public in the world press.” Philip Moore

30)A 1989 article by Susan Birnbaum entitled, ‘The Numbers of Messianic Jews is said to be Growing,’ reports: “Some 350,000 Jews already believe in Jesus as their Savior, and the number may swell to half a million by the year 2000…The results were reported by the Jewish Community of Relations Council of New York…Barret writes that of the 350,000 Jews…about 140,000 have continued to identify as Jews and have chosen to affiliate with ‘Messianic synagogues…’”

Special note: According to more up-to-date research, most Jews who believe in Jesus today prefer to identify with Christian Churches rather than with Messianic synagogues. Stan Telchin, a dominate early Jewish leader and speaker, who was greatly involved in the forming Messianic movement explains in his book, ‘Messianic Judaism is Not Christianity,’ how the Messianic movement has for the most part become cultish in nature, and that the movement is made up mostly of Gentiles and not Jews.

31) Dahaf Polls [Israel] show “seventy-eight percent of the Israeli population welcomes Messianic (Christian) Jews as new immigrants to Israel.”

32) Ancient Rabbinical Commentary on Zechariah 12:8-11: “What is the cause of this mourning? In this Rabbi Dosa…said it was for Messiah, the son of Joseph, who is to be slain…If the cause will be the violent death of Messiah, the son of Joseph, one can understand that which is written, ‘And they shall look to him whom they have pierced.’”

33) Dead Sea Scroll text 4Q521 bears a closely resemble things written about Jesus: “Surely the Lord shall visit the pious and shall call the righteous by name. His spirit shall hover over the poor; by his strength he shall renew the faithful. He shall glorify the pious upon the throne of the eternal kingdom. He shall release the captives, restore sight to the blind, make straight those who are bend double…He shall heal the wounded, resurrect the dead, preach glad tidings to the poor.” Richard N. Ostling, contributor, “Is Jesus in the Dead Sea Scrolls?”

34) “Elijah said: ‘I see a beautiful and great city descend from heaven, built up, as it is written, Jerusalem that art builded as a city that is compact together (Ps. 122:3). Build up and embellished, and her people dwell in her midst…and every ris comprises twenty-five thousand cubits of smaragds and precious stones and pearls…I see the houses and gates of the pious. Their lintels and sideposts are of precious stones, and the treasuries of the Sanctuary open right unto their doors. And Tora and peace are among them…’” Sefer Eliahu (Compare to book of Revelations.)

[LEM1] Some information for this list is derived from The End of History MESSIAH CONSPIRCY by Philip N. Moore (Researcher for Hal Lindsey)

Blessings,

Buddy