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Mar

2010

The Children of Eternity…

“…just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.” – (Eph 1:4-6 NASB)

Journal,

Have you heard the story about heaven’s gate? It goes like this – When we get to heaven we will see a great gate, and over the great gate a sign will read, “Whosoever Will, Let Him Come and Drink Freely.” When we pass through the gate, and look back, the sign over the great gate will read, “Saved from the Foundation of the World.” Of course this is just a story. But what a wonderful mystery is this our salvation.

Yet the question remains – Is there anything to the matter of a believer having been saved from the foundation of the world? Oh yes indeed. Whereas God is God, and we are limited in our understanding of divine things, this wonder of our salvation has to remain in the realm of the divine mystery.

Actually the Scriptures do have a dual focus on salvation. The Bible teaches both the free will of man, but it also teaches predestination by God. Where we get in trouble is trying to concentrate on one aspect at the expense of the other. Both disclosures have to go hand in hand.

Yet the Bible does speak of things that took place from the foundation of the world This expression is used several times in the new covenant writings.

Let’s look them over:

(1) Concerning Messiah, it says, “I will open My mouth in parables; I will utter things hidden since the foundation of the world.” (Matt13:35)

(2) As to one phase of the kingdom of God, the King says to those on his right, “Come, you who are blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” (Matt25:34)

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

(4) When Jesus prayed, He said, “Father….You loved me before the foundation of the world.” (John17:24)

(5) Paul says of all believers, “He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him in love.” (Eph1:4)

(6) The book of Hebrews speaks of God’s rest in the Messiah, in saying that, “His works were finished from the foundation of the world.” (Heb4:3)

(7) Of Christ’s pre-existence in eternity, and with regard to our salvation, it says, “He would have needed to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now once at the consummation of the ages He has been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.” (Heb9:26)

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

(9 and 10) Both Rev13:7 and Rev17:8, speak of the names of the saved written in the Lamb’s book of life, “from the foundation of the world.”

All these Scriptures involve the eternity of God. They are hard for our finite minds to grasp. But in the eternity of God, time is of no essence. This is why the Lord could say of Jeremiah, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you…” (Jer1:5)

Could it be that what was said of Jeremiah could be said of us all? I think so. David thought so. He wrote, “Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; and in Your book were all written the days that were ordained for me, when as yet there was not one of them.” (Ps139:16 – Take time to read the whole of Psalm 139.)

"Behold the Lamb" Print x

What is the issue in all this?

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

The old timers referred to this continual witness of salvation as, ‘the divine assurance.’ But to our loss, some religions have managed to equate salvation with an emotional experience. Salvation is much deeper than the emotions. Peter spoke of it as our partaking of the divine nature. (2Pet1:4) Paul said, “The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God.” (Rm8:16)

In the born-from-above experience there is an actual change of nature, along with a spiritual imprint upon the heart of a believer. This imprint cannot be denied. The Bible speaks of it as the seal of redemption.

Jesus Himself said that His sheep walked with in in a ‘knowing‘ relationship. He actually leaped for joy in expressing the wonder of our salvation. Listen to what He said; “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants.” (Matt11:25)

Paul said the new covenant experience is based upon a believer’s conscious relationship with the Father. This relationship is activated by the Spirit of God. In another place Paul says, “Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba! Father!.'”

The Abba Father cry is not our cry, though we feel it deep in our inward life. It is the cry of Sonship. It the birthing cry made by the Spirit of Jesus. This cry speaks of a conscious call to the Father of eternity. It is the cry of eternities children to their heavenly Father.

This is why new covenant children of God cannot simply feed on the trappings of religion. Their hunger is too deep. It is a God hunger. Every true believer has eternity written in their heart. Paul spoke of this, when he said, “We look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” (2Co4:18)

The cry of redemption.

This cry of sonship speaks of God’s eternal redemption that was set in place from the foundation of the world. We are the children of eternity. We carry in our hearts an eternal seal. We have a longing for eternal things. We realize eternal affairs with our hearts.

Yes we are the children of eternity. We are the children of the cross. We are the children of the resurrection. And this is just the way we are.

Can we explain it? Afraid not. All this remains a great mystery even to the children of God.

Take time to listen to this song, ‘Who Am I,’ by Casting Growns:

In love with Jesus,

Buddy

Mar

2010

Faith and prayer working together…

“I, the LORD, am your God, who brought you up from the land of Egypt; open your mouth wide and I will fill it.” – (Psa 81:10 NASB)

Journal,

There was a man in England named George Muller who cared for thousands of orphans. He kept a prayer diary. Muller recorded over 50,000 specific prayers that had been answered. The strange part is that Muller never took up offerings. He would only accepted unsolicited free-will offerings for his care of the orphans. He felt that these gifts had to be from the heart or he did not want them.

It was not always that way. Before he met Jesus, George Muller was a drunk, a liar, a thief, and spent time in jail. Naturally the Lord was not pleased with his life. And so Mueller was brought to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ as his own Lord and Savior.

But why did George Muller decide to never let his needs for the care of the orphans be made known to anyone other than his staff? It was because Muller took God at His word. He was what we would call a radical believer.

On a personal note, it was George Muller who gave me inspiration to raise up a ministry to be called Christian Challenge International, on the same basis of taking God at His word. The ministry would be built on prayer and faith alone. Here it is thirty four years later and we still do not take up offerings. I have found that God is the God of His Word.

Let’s talk about how prayer and faith work together.

Notice carefully what Jesus had to say about prayer:

“When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.

x

“But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words. Pray then in this way…” (Matthew 6:5-9 nasb)

Jesus gave a simple prayer model. The whole sum of the prayer is based upon a personal relationship with the Father. And this is the very thing that George Muller grounded his prayer on. Actually Muller based his prayers on a single Scripture, where Psalm 81:10 says, “I, the Lord, am your God, who brought you up from the land of Egypt; open your mouth wide and I will fill it.”

Sometimes it only takes one verse to change our whole course of life.

The point is that as sons and daughters of the new covenant, our interchanges with heaven should always be on a heart level and deeply personal. It is to be One on one. The reason is because the new covenant is filled with rich promises that are made literal between the heavenly Father and his children, One on one.

For every believer, the real issue is singleness of heart. And this brings me to the most important element in prayer. It is important to understand that God is not to be separated from His Word. How can a believer have a rewarding walk of faith if he knows so little about God Himself? Faith is believing what God says is true. But if we don’t know what the Word of God says, then our prayers will lack a foundation.

God doesn’t answer our prayers simply because we pray loud and long. Some people have the idea that we have to ‘pray through’ to God, as though our long prayers will eventually obtain God’s attention. That is a sad note on prayer. We are the very children of God. We have His full attention every moment of every day.

The whole purpose of Jesus coming into the world was children!

Paul said,

“For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; …

x

“…and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.” (Eph3:14-21 nasb)

I realize that the foregoing is a lot of reading but it truly lays out the very heart of our childhood in Christ and of prayer. We have a loving Father who has caused us to be born of His very Spirit, and who desires to have true spiritual interchanges with us. The prophet of old said that our Father God longs to be gracious to us. (Is30:18)

And this was the secret that George Muller came to understand.

The second issue with regard to God’s Word and prayer is that the prayer itself is divine communication. We speak to God in prayer. He speaks to us largely through His Word. This is why David said, “Open my eyes, that I may behold wonderful things from Your LAW.” [Torah means instructions.]

It is on the basis of divine communication that we begin to understand where our faith really comes from. Paul said that our faith is the result of Christ communicating to our hearts. Jesus said it thus, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” (Jn10:27)

The faith we are called to live by is not something that we conjure up. It is not a matter of working five principles of this or seven principles of that. We have a living faith and this living faith is a matter of divine communication, that is, from the heart of God to our heart.

Let me share three reason why we should be devoted to prayer.

First of all, prayer is balm for the soul. It is not merely a matter of who you are praying for. The one who receives the greatest benefit is the person praying. Balm speaks of God’s healing medicine. It is in prayer that our souls become settled with God’s peacefulness.

A second issue is that prayer actually gives the believer power over temptation. This is the major reason Satan does not want believers to pray. The point is that a simple prayer under the Holy Spirit guidance is worth more than a thousand rote prayers. Jesus said to the disciples, “Keep watching and praying that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Mt26:41)

Then the third reason for prayer, is that prayer puts us on God’s page. And this is where I need to tread lightly. In all our teachings on our security in Christ, and of God’s love for us, we must take care that we do not neglect our part in the walk of faith. Knowledge by itself can cause a person to lose their spiritual bearing and become prideful. This was the the major accusation against the church of Laodicea.

Jude said, “But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life.” (Jude 1:20,21)

This brings me to a great key with regard to prayer in the new covenant.

Where Jude says, “Praying in the Holy Spirit,” he is telling us to pray under the auspices or direct influence of the Holy Spirit. This kind of praying simply speaks of Spirit guided prayers.

Were it not for the Holy Spirit we would be left drifting about in the land of prayer with little knowledge of what we should be praying for. Nor does this mean as some teach, that praying in the Holy Spirit means to pray in an unknown language. That is a grave misteaching of what praying under the influence of the Spirit really means.

God sent the Holy Spirit into the church to be the divine administrator of all that pertains to God’s family and to kingdom business. This is why Paul said, “For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” (Rm14:17)

Having the Spirit of the Lord in our hearts is the awesome treasure of the new covenant. Jesus said, “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.” (Jn14:26)

From this the Lord gave us a basic model of simple prayer. He wasn’t give us a rote prayer as some suppose. He was telling us how to honor God in our prayers.

It seems that George Muller found the secret of prayer. Have you found the secret? Just something to think about.

In Christ always,

Buddy

Mar

2010

Holiness to the Lord…

“For God has not called us for the purpose of impurity, but in sanctification. Consequently, he who rejects this is not rejecting man but the God who gives His Holy Spirit to you.” – 1 Thess. 4:7,8 nasb

Journal,

One of the scariest words in the Bible for many people is the word holiness. And even though believers are children of God, there are times we don’t really feel very holy. We are all aware of our failings and our weaknesses.Yet there is something that believers need to understand. Regardless of our feelings, believers have been made holy in Christ

"Head of Christ, circa 1890" Giclee Print Our holiness in Christ is known as ‘positional’ holiness. Positional holiness is a foundational building truth of the Christian walk.

Positional holiness means that our life cannot be separated from Christ Jesus. This is why the apostle said that we have already been raised up with Christ, and seated with Christ in the heavenly places. Jesus fully represents all who truly believe in Him. Because He is holy, we are also holy.

God planned for holiness to be the centerpiece of His work of salvation. Adam lost his holiness before God. Thus the human family became what Adam became. Christ Jesus went to the cross so what we could be joined to Him forever. From Adam we inherited sin. From Christ we inherit holiness and righteousness.

Now let’s consider what holiness really means.

HOLY IS WHAT GOD IS.

When applied to God, the word holy is equivalent to divine. When applied to persons or to things, to be holy means the person or thing has been set apart from common usage for divine use. For a thing to be holy implies that it is exclusively God’s. (1 Pet. 1:16)

The first time the word holy is used in the Scriptures is at the burning bush. The Lord said to Moses,“Do not come near here; remove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” (Ex. 3:5) What made the ground holy was the presence of the Lord

And this is what makes every born again person holy. The new birth is a holy birth; “In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation – having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise.” (Eph. 1:13) (See also John 3:7,8)

Every child of God carries in his or her heart the divine presence. The problem, however, is that while we carry in our hearts the presence of the Lord Jesus, we are yet in earthly bodies, and in these earthly bodies we are subject to temptations, to failures, to stumbling, and even into a relapse into an area of sin.

The answer is that Jesus said that He would be with us always. He isn’t just with us when we are good. The apostle carefully pointed out that nothing could ever separate us from the love of God that is ours in Christ Jesus. Jesus is even present in our badness. Paul said that we are sealed for the day of redemption. He also said that we can cause the Holy Spirit to grieve when we fail to walk as we should.

And this brings us to one more aspect of holiness.

Experiencing Holiness

We need a power in our lives that can help us to live a life that is truly worthy of the Lord. This is where experiential holiness comes in. Experiential holiness is the work of the Holy Spirit. Experiential holiness is where we experience the power and presence of Christ in our lives. The Holy Spirit is continually at work in each believer, helping the believer to process his or her life from the cross. Thus He empowers us to walk in a way that is pleasing to God. (The perfection of holiness takes place in heaven.)

Is there nothing we can do to facilitate experiential holiness in our lives? Yes there are things we can do. There are certain things all believers can do. These things include giving ourselves over to Jesus daily, being devoted to prayer and the study of God’s Word, learning to live a life that is sensitive to the prompting and guidance of the Spirit, and, finally, learning to live with an attitude of repentance. Song of Mary - Stacy Lee

Oh yes, repentance. Many don’t realize how very important repentance is in the walk of holiness. In the ancient Hebrew tradition, repentance was considered to be an act of worship. It spoke of a daily, or a moment-by-moment adjusting of our life to the will of God.

Think about it. What does it mean to repent? To repent means to change one’s mind, to change one’s actions, to change one’s attitude. In repentances we are making adjustments to come into line with the will and Word of God.

Most of the time repentance is simply an adjustment of the heart. The Spirit of the Lord is always present to help us make these adjustments. In fact the Holy Spirit is the One who brings us to repentance and thereby helps us humble our hearts in making these spiritual adjustments in our lives.

So, if you’ve had a stumbling in your life, bring it to Jesus. Let Him heal your heart and your life. And let Him provide both the cleansing from your failure, and let Him empower you for your future journey.

Here is a song by Sandi Patty. This is what Jesus did for you. (Via Dolorosa)

Love to you in Christ,

Buddy

Mar

2010

God’s Call to Faith…

“And He took him outside and said, ‘Now look toward 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 believed in the LORD; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness.” (Gen 15:5-6 NASB)

Journal,

You will never find in Scripture where a believer is told to live his or her life by reason and logic. Why is that? It is because the Lord is limitless in what He can do.

Our walk with the Lord is not to be built upon what we can do. Our life is to be built upon what God can do. This is the great lesson of faith.

When the Angel of the Lord promised Abraham and Sarah they would have a son at the appointed time, Sarah said to herself, “After I have become old, shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?”

Sarah didn’t realize that the Lord could hear her heart. He turned to her, and said, “Is anything too difficult for the Lord?” (Gen18:14)

Hundreds of years later we hear the Lord say the same thing to the prophet Jeremiah, “Behold, I am the God of all flesh; is anything too difficult for Me?” (Jer32:27)

Biblical faith has always been an issue of the heart.

Believing in the Lord Jesus is an issue of the heart. Learning to trust in the Lord is an issue of the heart. Seeking to hear from the Lord is an issue of the heart. The issue at hand is that we actually live from our heart. This is why the sage said, “Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs [borders, outgoings, forces] of life.” Pr4:23

It isn’t that the Lord is against our reasoning with Him. In one place, He says, “Come now, and let us reason together, though your sins are as scarlet, they will be white as snow; thought they are red like crimson, they will be like wool.”

However, it is one thing for the Lord to reason with us, it is altogether another to let Satan chip away at our faith. The Lord reasons with us to build up and increase our trust in Him. Satan reasonings are to tear us down, to cause us to doubt, and to eventually bring us to a place of unbelief.

Paul reached into this issue of reasonings when he wrote, “We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.” (2Co10:5)

A realm without limitations.

Believers are called to walk in a realm that is without natural limitations. The faith realm is a knowing realm. The realm of faith is ‘the Lord speaking into our lives’ realm. The governing principle of our faith walk is the Word of the Lord. Jesus said, “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.” (John6:63)

To appreciate God’s call to faith we need to reach back to the beginning. Adam was created to live in harmony with the divine will of God. When he rejected the way of the Lord, Adam lost his true spirituality. He became a world-minded man. The new birth reverses that process.

A born from above person now participates in the kingdom of God, and is well able to live a spiritual life. [The word ‘spiritual’ comes from two Greek words that speak of invisibility and power.] Living a true spiritual life means living in and under the direct influence of the Holy Spirit.

The call to live by faith is a call to trust in God and to live from your access to Him. Paul said, “For the kingdom of God is not eating or drinking, but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.” (Rom14:17)

When a person is born again, the heart fills with the presence of the Lord. This means that our faith is now in-breathed by the Holy Spirit. Paul explains 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.” (Gal2:20)

This is why Paul placed such a stress on believers not being ‘worldly-minded.’ This is because the realm of faith is also the realm of the Spirit. A worldly-minded person is unable to walk on the level of pure faith. It is foolishness to him. Cf. Rom. 12:1,2; 1Co3:1-3; Eph 4:17-24.

A Summary on Biblical Faith

In Mark 11:22, where Jesus says, “Have faith in [ek] God,” the stress is on the faith that originates from God.

A good example of what the word ek means is in John 7:38. Jesus said, “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From (ek) his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water.”

Bible faith is a spiritual reality. The only way to live by faith is to live in communion with God. The fact that a person has faith is evidence in itself that he or she has been with God. (Or belongs to God.) Cf. Rom10:17; Eph4:17-21.

This is why New Testament faith is couched in spiritual terms. In 1Co4:13, it says, “But having the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, ‘I believe, therefore I spoke,’ we also believe, therefore we also speak.” Jude 23, says, “But you beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit.”

A primary distinction between spiritism and the true realm of faith is that in spiritualism, man wants to be in control. And so spirits accommodate him. In true spirituality you find loving submission to the will of God. A truly spiritual person seeks to please God, and seeks to live according to the Holy Spirit. Cf. Eph 5:6-10, 15-21.

Here is the portion of Scriptures that puts Biblical faith on the right page. Pay close attention to the words that refer to God speaking into our lives:

“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.

So, there it is….

Think about it. How is your walk with Him. Be encouraged. Just let Jesus be in charge. Here is your song for today. It is titled ‘I’m Not Gonna Worry.’

Much love in Christ Jesus,

Buddy

Mar

2010

How secure are you in Christ…

“Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth does not become weary or tired. His understanding is inscrutable.” (Isa 40:28 nasb)

Journal,

Did you know that the book of Isaiah is often spoken of as the ‘fifth’ gospel. This is because from beginning to end you will find Isaiah calling attention to God’s Messiah. And like all God’s prophets of old, Isaiah is recording history before it happens.

The Bible holds vast treasures of wisdom and knowledge. These treasures can be found in the Old Testament from Genesis to Malachi. They then continue in the New Testament from Matthew to Revelation. The treasures are not hidden from us. They are hidden for believers. This is why David said, “Open my eyes, that I may behold wonderful things from Your law.” Psalm 119:18

Did you also know that the entire Bible wraps around the Lord Jesus like a garment? Oh yes indeed. This is why it is so important when reading the Scriptures, to look for Jesus.

You see, Jesus is not only ‘the’ Word of God, Jesus is the very heart and soul of the Bible. The story of redemption is the underpinning message of the entire Bible. Try to make it something else and you miss the very essence of God’s Word. Paul is careful to tell us that all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in Christ. (Cf. Col2:3)

Jesus said to certain Jewish leaders,

“You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me; and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life.” (John 5:39-40)

The apostle Peter also allows us to understand that it was the Spirit of Christ resting upon the prophets of old, that gave the prophets what they were to speak and to write. Peter says,

“As to this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you made careful searches and inquiries, seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow.” (1Pe 1:10-11)

What does any of the afore have to do with the believer’s security in Christ. It has everything to do with it. God spoke through Isaiah, saying…

Do you not know? Have you not heard?

The message is that God finishes the work that He begins. God had a plan in place for the redemption of the human race before creation began. And this is where our security lies.

The apostolic writer says that Jesus Christ is both the author and the finisher of our faith. If Jesus is the author and the finisher of our faith, this tells us that our salvation rests entirely upon what Jesus has done, is doing, and will do. Jesus is the architect to our salvation. What the Lord began, He also finishes.

Thus we hear from the cross, “It is finished!”

Paul bears witness to this, in saying, “For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Php 1:6)

Again lets hear God speak to us from the prophet Isaiah:

‘Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’ (Isa 41:10)

Well, we’ve seen God’s part in our salvation walk. What then is our part. Listen very carefully to…

The credo of the believer’s walk.

It is wonderful indeed to explore the writings of the Old Testament prophets. But now lets find out what can be summarized as the creed of a believer’s walk. The apostle Paul lays it out as he writes:

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; …

“…as it is written, ‘BUT THE RIGHTEOUS man SHALL LIVE BY FAITH.'”(Rom 1:16-17)

Paul is quoting from the prophet Habakkuk. In fact the apostle tells gospel ministers to never exceed what has been written by the prophets. The New Testament takes up from the prophets and completes itself in the finished work of the cross.

The issue is that the walk of faith has a single focus. It is never an issue of feelings, or of faith in faith, or other strange messages that seem to make their way through the ranks of Christendom. The walk of faith has always been about trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ to carry out His purposes in our lives.

Jesus Christ by AshraFekry. Our faith is an out-walking of the message of our redemption in Jesus. Righteous men and women are able to rest entirely in this message of our great Savior, from whose love we can never be separated.

It is also true that our faith is able to enlarge itself as the truths of God’s Word unfolds. The Word of God is the very channel through which faith flows.

Not only that – God says He is going to do something extra, extra special to make sure our journey home is secured. He says, ‘I am going to place My own Spirit in each and every one of My children.

And Jesus says, ‘Not one of them is missing!’

Well, by now you’ve discovered my favorite gospel singing group. Yep, you guessed it, ‘The Isaacs.’

So here is your song for today. Listen to ‘Sweet Holy Spirit,’ by the Isaacs.

Much love coming your way,

Buddy

Mar

2010

Top Eight Journal Entries…

Journal, Sun Bible! by Denis Collette...!!!.

Periodically I provide an update on my journal entries that are receiving the highest readership. For those who would like to catch up, here is the most recent list beginning with the top entry:

Potentials of the Human Spirit http://buddymartin.net/blog/2010/03/potentials-of-the-human-spirit/
Mercy Triumphs Over Judgment http://buddymartin.net/blog/2009/11/mercy-triumphs-over-judgment/
Finding Your Way Home http://buddymartin.net/blog/2010/03/finding-your-way-home-2/
The Call of the Eagle’s Heart http://buddymartin.net/blog/2010/03/finding-your-way-home-2/
Speaking in Other Languages http://buddymartin.net/blog/2009/12/speaking-in-other-languages/
Where is the God of Israel http://buddymartin.net/blog/2010/02/where-is-the-god-of-israel/
Which Bible Translation is Best http://buddymartin.net/blog/2010/01/which-bible-translation-is-the-best/
Honoring God with First Fruits http://buddymartin.net/blog/2009/12/honoring-god-with-first-fruits/

Blessings,

Buddy

Mar

2010

Potentials of the human spirit…

x”When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained; what is man that You take thought of him, and the son of man that You care for him? Yet You have made him a little lower than God, and You crown him with glory and majesty!” (Psa 8:3-5 nasb)

Journal,

When David says, “What is man that You take thought of him, and the son of man that You care for him,’ place in your thoughts that the term ‘Son of Man’ is also a unique designation for God’s Messiah, that is, the Son of God.

The statement ‘son of man’ has so many reflective truths in it. By extension it speaks of the first Adam. And by extension it also speaks of the last Adam. But it also includes God’s original design and purpose for the whole of the human family.

Oh my, how the human race has fallen. Yet, in Christ we have been redeemed and restored to our rightful place as the sons and daughters of God Most High. And in our unique spectrum of relationship to God Himself, the potential of the human spirit is now beyond measure.

Through our connect to Christ Jesus, and in our learning to live under the auspices of God’s Holy Spirit, the limit of what the children of God can accomplish for God’s kingdom cannot even be fathomed.

Paul called attention this in his letter to the Ephesians:

Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.” (Eph 3:20-21)

Does Satan know about all this potential?

Of course Satan knows this. This is why he does all he can to tap into the unredeemed human spirit. Satan goes about to provide the world with a Hitler, and many such like, with false prophets, with false messiahs, with false religions, and finally with an antichrist. According to the Scriptures the antichrist will actually rule the world during a time until he is overthrown at the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Satan in Red, Orange, or Any Old Light by A Quinn Martin Production.

Why is Satan shown with horns? Horns are a Bible symbol of power.

No Satan is not to be feared. However, neither is he to be ignored. Believers are always to be conscious of how the enemy works. And though Satan has already been judged, that full judgment has yet to be carried out. Thus Satan is still called ‘the god of this world’, and, ‘the prince of the power of the air’, and other such titles remain his during this stage of God’s redemption program.

But let’s not be so concerned with Satan in this writing that we lose the essence of what our aim is. Our aim is to talk about…

The potential of the human spirit.

In this case I am directing attention to that child of God who will fully align his heart and life with the Son of God. This is where our potential for kingdom work can be unleashed. And this is where I cannot help but think of two very young men, with their very young wives, who some many years ago set out to become missionaries in Old Mexico. Such faith!

And now this very moment my son, Nathan and Joel Dyke are in south Mexico as speakers of a leadership conference for at least 400 ministers and untold others. Who would have thought that two green boys from small towns in Louisiana, boys who would take their young wives into Mexico many years ago to raise up churches, would be seeing the fruit of their labors to become one of the wonderful branches in God’s Vine that wraps around the world. How great their service to God’s kingdom has become.

Not only did they began new churches among the Indian tribes in South Mexico, but the last church Baptism 17 by yospyn. Joel and Nathan established has now grown to great numbers, has branched out with daughter churches, is sending out their own missionaries, and all the while looks to Nathan and Joel as their spiritual fathers. Such human potential for God.

Is it any wonder that the world hates Christian missionaries? Is it any wonder that the world hates Christians? This is why Jesus instructed us not to be amazed when we find that the world hates us.

Listen:

Just then there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit; and he cried out, saying, ‘What business do we have with each other, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are–the Holy One of God!'” (Mar 1:23-24)

Note: Did you know that in the Bible, Christians are also called ‘holy ones of God’? What message do demons have for is? ‘Leave us alone!’ ‘Go away!’ ‘We are just doing our job of killing, stealing, and destroying.’ ‘Go to a movie. Go play some games. Don’t get involved with us. Leave these lost souls with us. We aren’t bothering you. Leave us alone! –

Don’t forget to mark these dates…

Don’t miss out on another CCI Jubilee? Jubilee is on its way.

Friday, Saturday, Sunday, March 19 through 20.

The Christian Challenge International 34th Homecoming Jubilee is fast approaching. Friday evening and Saturday morning will be two session in a marriage seminar, titled, ‘Marriage Unleashed!’ Open to anyone but without children.

Sunday is Jubilee! If you have never been to a Christian Challenge Jubilee, you do not know what you are missing. Worship, special singing, testimonies, skits, Joel Dyke as our special speaker, dinner-on-the-grounds. Who knows what else.

Last but not least.

Do you want an example of the human spirit unleashed. Take time to view this video of a five year old blind Korean girl playing the piano. She was taught by God. And listen to her sing as she speaks of God Himself. The subtitles will be in English.

Don’t let life pass you by!

Decide this very moment that you are going to align your heart and life with the kingdom of God’s beloved Son. Let Him know it. Tell Him, ‘Lord, I am beginning today! No more living in the mess of this world. I’m moving up on the high road of a sanctified life!’

What potential to be had between you and the Lord.

In love with Jesus,

Buddy

Mar

2010

Finding your way home…

“For God, who said, ‘Light shall shine out of darkness,’ is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves.” (2Co 4:6-7 nasb)

The Light of the World by John P.C.. x Journal, The apostle Paul said that all believers in Jesus Christ have ‘surpassing [divine] power’ in their hearts, and that we must learn to live by that power and not by our own soulish self powers. Each apostle tell us the same thing, John says, “Greater is He who is in you and he who is in the world.” The apostle Peter said, “[We] are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”

Living with a glow for Jesus…

But before I go further I want to give a better perspective on why Paul called attention to the opening of Genesis, where God said, “Let there be Light.” Paul is saying that it is this, ‘in the beginning Light’ that is now shining in the heart of a believer. What Paul is doing is drawing on an ancient belief among God’s people that when God said,“Let there be Light,” the original Light that shown forth was the light that creation was to live by. The ancients called this Light, ‘the Light of Life’. Jesus Christ by AshraFekry. The Hebrew people had other names for the original Light. They said that ‘Light’ is one of the names of Messiah, that God Himself is called ‘the Light of the world.’ Even the term ‘sun’ was sometimes metaphorically used to speak of God and His Messiah. You hear a bit of this from the Prophet Malachi:

“But for you who fear My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings; and you will go forth and skip about like calves from the stall.” (Mal 4:2)

God’s ancient people fondly held to Isaiah, where the Almighty speaks of His Messiah:

“I am the LORD, I have called You in righteousness, I will also hold You by the hand and watch over You, and I will appoint You as a covenant to the people, as a light to the nations, to open blind eyes, to bring out prisoners from the dungeon and those who dwell in darkness from the prison.” (Isa 42:6-7)

Now let’s take this on and talk about… x

The Light that shines in the darkness.

Jesus Christ by AshraFekry. When Jesus said, “I am the Light of the world,’ His words did not fall on unknowing ears. Many of the Jewish leaders knew exactly what Jesus was drawing from, and they did not like it. His words fell on those unbelieving ears that loved the darkness. But they also fell on believing ears. Those in Israel who believed in Jesus were being prepared to enter into God’s new world of creation. Jesus called His kingdom, ‘a kingdom not of this world.’ It would be a world of pure grace. It would be a world of unqualified love. This new world life would have its beginning stages in this present life but would culminate in the life to come. This life would be a journey of life. We are on our way home. This is why the apostolic writers said that true believers today are actually partakers of the powers of life that belong to the age to come. Paul said that we have this treasure in earthen vessels. Listen to the apostle John:

“The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. There came a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to testify about the Light, so that all might believe through him. …

“He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him.

“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” (Cf. John 1:5-14 NASB)

What does this have to do with ‘finding our way home? Good question. This brings us to… s The Redeemed Believer When a person is born again a number of things happens. As the Light of Jesus enters into the human Spirit, the new Christian is given a Christ like nature. But a problem remains. It is not Jesus Christ by AshraFekry. our soul that is born again. It is that part of us that is called ‘spirit.’ The Christian becomes a spiritual being. Yet his or her personal life (soul) has to be redeveloped with spiritual values. When a new believer first enters the realm of salvation, there is a burst of spiritual life. There is joy! There is peace! There is wonderment! Grace flows like a river. Then somewhere along the way this feeling of joy may start to wane. Temptations begin to cloud the mind. The struggle of life becomes more difficult. A stumble. Another stumble, and then? What is happening? Paul said that believers must learn to draw on that ‘surpassing power’ that is part of our inheritance in Christ. Whatever may be the case, the believer looking to himself rather than to Christ, is going to have many mistakes, misdeeds, and extra bits of misery in life. And this is why it is so important to understand this principle of ‘Greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.’ By the way, this principle doesn’t just disappear because you had a failure or a hundred failures. It is a truth that needs to become an active principle in each believer’s walk with the Lord. The Old Testament writer said:

“But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, That shines brighter and brighter until the full day.” (Pro 4:18)

In the Scriptures, the term ‘truth’ does not refer simply to a doctrine. The Greek term is used in the new covenant for our experiencing the realities of Christ. But it is easy for a Christian’s life to get bogged down in letterism. Paul said the letter kills whereas the Spirit gives life. No believer can live in victory by trying to live by the letter.

Letterism says we need all the laws we can get to get saved and to stay saved! Bad thinking. Paul said that every person born of God’s Spirit remains eternally under the life supervision of the Holy Spirit. This means that every failure we make is attended to by the Spirit of God. It is the Spirit of God who births us, seals us, tutors us, educates us, places us where we need to be, refreshes us, turns our trials, temptations, and failures into victories, helps us escape bad teachings, keeps the glory of Jesus before us and in us, and many such things. Our final presentation in heaven is a thing of the Spirit. x The Redeemed person is a son or a daughter Our relationship with the heavenly Father is not that of a servant. We are sons and daughters of the living God. Angels know the Spirit’s seal upon God’s children. The seal says, ‘Sealed for the day of redemption.’ (Eph4:30) The Holy Spirit is to present us safely before the throne of God. This work of the Holy Spirit is so powerful, that He can and does take every situation of our life, and turn it into part of our reshaping in Christ. This is why the apostle said,

“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” Paul explains God’s purpose as our final glorification together with Christ.” Rom8:28-30

Paul also says,

“But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image (inward spiritual likeness) from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.” 2Co3:18

x The question is not ‘How to we find our way home?’ Yes, the title of this blog could be challenging. That was simply to get your attention. No believer has to find his way home. You are on your way home. You are already guaranteed an entrance into heaven. Believe it or not, your name was recorded in the Lamb’s book before the foundation of the world. So when God said, ‘Let there be Light,’ that statement reached across prophetic history and at the right moment, that Light entered into your heart. And inside you were given a shining heart. Now, can you let your soul relax in the knowledge that Jesus is going to see you through? Can you let go of bitterness? Can you lay your past failures and mistakes where they belong? In the sea of forgetfulness. Can you be quiet in His rest? Can you take to heart what David said in this ascending Psalm? Listen:

O LORD, my heart is not proud, nor my eyes haughty; nor do I involve myself in great matters, or in things too difficult for me. Surely I have composed and quieted my soul; like a weaned child rests against his mother, my soul is like a weaned child within me. O Israel [Christian], hope in the LORD from this time forth and forever.” (Psa 131:1-3)

Think about it.

Buddy

Feb

2010

Where is the God of Israel…

Jesus Christ by AshraFekry. Journal,

Did you know that the greater part of the citizenry of Israel is secular and not religious. How can that be?

We know that Israel fulfilled prophecy in becoming a nation among nations in 1948. The prophets foretold the gathering of the Jewish people in the latter days. Since all this was written beforehand, how can it be that so many Jews in Israel are either secular, and with a great many who are either atheists or agnostics?

Does that surprise you that many Jews are atheists? According to statistics a full 37% of the people of Israel are either atheists or agnostics. This makes Israel fourth on the list of nations with the highest percentage of atheists.

It is not as if the Bible leaves all this unsaid. The Bible is the only book in existence that records history before it happens. It would not be difficult to give an extended list of Scriptures to show just how relevant all this is to the days that we live in. Rather than do that, we can pick up a Scripture here and there that will make that point well enough. Heroes of Israel by Templar1307.

Now for another surprise. There is a Rabbi in Jerusalem who is very much anti-missionary. Rabbi Tovia Singer of Jerusalem often places an ad in the Jerusalem Post to try to sell his anti-missionary tapes. Listen carefully to the following statement that is part of his ad.

“What Are We Doing Wrong, and What are They doing right? Why Have more Jews Converted to Christianity in the Last 19 Years than in the Last 1,900 Years?”

Now, if I were a Jew in Israel and read such a statement by a noted Rabbi, it would not make me want to buy Tovia’s tapes. It would make me want to look into WHY so many Jews were coming Christian.

The time clock of redemption was set in Jerusalem, 2000 years ago

It began with the rejection of the Lord Jesus, the Messiah and the King of Israel. When they rejected Jesus, they lost citizen rights to being the people of God. There is no kingdom without a king. The Jews who rejected Jesus, became a people without God. This does not mean that the people of Israel no longer figured into God’s plan for the ages. Quite the contrary. Their rejection of Jesus and God’s rejection of them as His people is well noted in Scripture. But also noted in Scripture is their coming to know Jesus as their Messiah.

I realize that the first thing that is thrown at anyone who would place the Jews in a bad light, is the term ‘anti-Semitic.’ But anyone who reads and studies the Scriptures knows how ridiculous that statement is. If someone like me is anti-Semitic, then Moses, the prophets, the apostles, and even Jesus would have to be called anti-Semitic. The very things that I share come from the writings of the Old Testament prophets, and the new covenant apostolic writers.

Actually it all goes back to the first books of the Bible, that is, to the writings of Moses. Moses wrote Genesis.

When Moses was about to leave the earthly scene, he sang a prophetic song over Israel. In this song Moses called attention to the falling away of Israel, of Israels wandering through the nations, of their peril of life, and of Israel’s return. Moses actually lays out the history of Israel. (Found in Deu32),

In his song, Moses says, “They have acted corrupted toward Him, they are not his children, because of their defect; but are a perverse and crooked generation.” (v5) Peter quotes from this verse of the song of Moses on the day of Pentecost.

Moses goes on to call them a foolish and an unwise people from whom He will hide His face. He says that God will make Israel jealous with a people who were not a people. He also says, “Would that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would discern their future.”

When God hid His face

The fact that God would hide His face from Israel is a theme that trances its way through the Bible. God speaks through the prophet Hosea, saying,

I will go away and return to My place until they acknowledge their guilt and seek My face; in their affliction they will earnestly seek Me.” (Hosea 5:15)

Recall what Jesus said over Jerusalem? “You will not see Me until you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.”

Yet there is something else I need to share about Moses. Moses wrote the first five books of the Bible. Did you know that the rest of the Bible including the New Testament actually work out from the books of Moses? If there were no Genesis, the book of Revelation would make little sense, and thus and so.

I wish I had time to take my readers through the entire song of Moses. Hopefully many of you are already picking up on the prophetic elements in this song. But that is not the end of the story of Israel. Paul said,

For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?” (Rom11:15)

Does any of this tell us why Israel is so secular with so many atheists and agnostics among here citizenry? Yes, there is a lot to be said. There are two elements that help to understand this dilemma. For one thing, the Jews are only of late rediscovering Jesus for themselves. For the most part the Jews never knew that Jesus was Jewish and that He and the apostles were ‘sabras.’ (Of the land.) They were led to believe that Jesus was some kind of Roman or Greek God. They are now intrigued with Jesus.

The people are turned off

A second issue is that their rabbis have misled them so often that the people by and large are turned off by the Jewish religion. The Bible also told us this would happen. God spoke through Isaiah, saying,

Therefore behold, I will once again deal marvelously with this people, wondrously marvelous; and the wisdom of their wise men [rabbis] will perish, and the discernment of their discernment men will be concealed.” (Isa 29:14)

But one major fact remains — In the heart of the Jew is a vacancy that can only be filled by the God of Israel Himself.

This is why so many Jews are finding Jesus as their Messiah. And this vacancy will be the turning point of the nation. Keep in mind what Jesus said, “Until you say, ‘blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.’

The prophet Zechariah told us how this would happen. Israel and Jerusalem are going to face a war in the not too distant future that will bring about this cry for Jesus. I would encourage my readers to read the whole of Zechariah 12.

Listen to this one verse:

I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of Grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn.” (Zech12:10)

What will happen to Israel? Paul said that all Israel would be saved. Listen:

For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery–so that you will not be wise in your own estimation–that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written, “THE DELIVERER WILL COME FROM ZION, HE WILL REMOVE UNGODLINESS FROM JACOB. THIS IS MY COVENANT WITH THEM, WHEN I TAKE AWAY THEIR SINS.” (Rom 11:25-27)

Friends, it began in Jerusalem. It has to end in Jerusalem. And remember the church cannot be fully completed without Israel. Yes it is an enigma. The apostle said, “From the standpoint of the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but from the standpoint of God’s choice they are beloved for the sake of the fathers; for the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable.”

Think about it. Here is your song by the Hoppers – ‘Jerusalem’

Much love to be found in Jesus,

Buddy

Feb

2010

The Call of the Eagle’s Heart…

Journal,

The apostle speaks of an upward call that all true believers share in Christ Jesus. It is our heavenward call. But the call also speaks to believers about learning how to live in their upward life.

Let me share a story that best describes this aspect of our heavenly life. Let’s see if you can identify with the eagle’s heart. (The is an old story that has taken many forms. I’ll give it one more form.)

Let’s tag this story…

The Call of the Eagle’s Heartx

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

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

But it wasn’t just the stretching of her wings. For some strange reason she didn’t like the food that all the chickens were eating.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

How about you – Do you have the heart of an eagle?

If you are one of those who has an eagle heart, then this story has already resonated deep within you. In fact I really don’t need to fill in many blanks. You know full well what the eagle story is about. It is about you and you know it. x

A certain thing happens when a person is truly born again. This certain thing is a discernible awareness that a change has taken place in life. It’s not merely an emotion. This change has a permanent effect. The newly born person now has what can be called ‘God awareness.’ And the interesting thing is that the God awareness doesn’t go away. It is a constant reminder that you were designed for something better. Something higher. You know that there is something missing in your life.

Paul explains it this way,

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.” He then says, “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.” (1 Cor. 2:12,13)

As for the testimony that cannot be refuted, the apostle said,

The Spirit Himself testifies (bears witness) with our spirit that we are children of God.” (Romans 8:16)

Think about it. Is it time for you to learn to fly? Listen to what the prophet had to say about the wings of an eagle:

Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth does not become weary or tired. His understanding is inscrutable. He gives strength to the weary, and to him who lacks might He increases power.

“Though youths grow weary and tired, and vigorous young men stumble badly, yet those who wait for the LORD will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary.” (Isa 40:28-31)

What else can I say that the eagle story doesn’t already address

Read the story again. Listen to its message and its music. The Lord has something to say to you. I am going to leave that between you and Him. After all, I too am an eagle. Why not ask the Lord to teach you how to fly. That is what I did.

If the eagle story has spoken to your heart, please send me a response. I really want to hear from you. Maybe there is something I can share that will help you with your higher-life journey.

In the meantime, listen to this song. It too will speak to your heart. It is titled, ‘The Power of Your Love.’

From one eagle to another, ‘Lift your wings. It is time to fly.’

Forever in Christ Jesus,

Buddy

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The Children of Eternity…

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Holiness to the Lord…

God’s Call to Faith…

How secure are you in Christ…

Top Eight Journal Entries…

Potentials of the human spirit…

Finding your way home…

Living with a glow for Jesus…

The Light that shines in the darkness.

Where is the God of Israel…

The time clock of redemption was set in Jerusalem, 2000 years ago

When God hid His face

The people are turned off

The Call of the Eagle’s Heart…

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