children of God

Jul

2010

When the Nations Shutter and Shake…

“And His voice shook the earth then, but now He has promised, saying, ‘YET ONCE MORE I WILL SHAKE NOT ONLY THE EARTH, BUT ALSO THE HEAVEN.’” Heb12:25,26)

Readers,

The eyes of the world remain focused on the Middle East. We are seeing an uncontrolled fire storm that began working its way out from the environs of ancient Babylon. The fire continues to break out here and yon. Right now the fire is burning intensely in Afghanistan. Break outs continue in Iraq, Lebanon, Israel, Somalia, not to speak of all the ‘***istan’ nations of the former Soviet Union. The fire in Iran continues to smolder.

What’s it all about? Believe it or not, the final thrust of anti-Christ Islam will be on Jerusalem. It all ends in Jerusalem. That is where the story of redemption had its beginning and that is where it has its ending. Jesus Christ is returning to Jerusalem.

As I have often said, the Bible is the only book under heaven that records history before it happens. As for Christians, we have our instructions. Jesus said that men’s hearts would began to fail because of the things coming on the earth. Not so with God’s people.

Jesus said,

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

And again,

“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful. You heard that I said to you, ‘I go away, and I will come to you.’ If you loved Me, you would have rejoiced because I go to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. Now I have told you before it happens, so that when it happens, you may believe.” (Joh 14:27-29 NASB)

The war over souls

You can be sure that all the wars fought on this planet have a spiritual backdrop to them. From time immemorial warfare has always been about the minds and souls of men and women. So while believers are told to remain focused on Jesus, the fact remains that we are engaged with spiritual forces. In the midst of all this we are told to keep ourselves aligned with the victory of Christ.

With this in mind I want to share part of a counseling session I had with a brother in Iraq. The enemy was playing with his mind. I was able to help him regain his footing.

Bob: I know the enemy is the “prince of the air” and I try to keep myself covered in prayer because of all the Muslim prayers that are broadcast over P.A. systems all around me 5 times a day.

Buddy: You are most correct that the enemy is called ‘prince of the air.’ Your situation is unique because of where you are. Islam is actually antichrist. Most people do not realize this. Satan has been preparing his antichrist armies for 1400 years in preparation for the count down.

I don’t mean to begin on a negative note, but it is very important that you understand this. Where you are, the ‘thoughts’ of darkness will be everywhere. This is why you are having battles in your mind. To ‘hear’ Muslim prayers 5 times a day is certainly a downer.

Bob: Lately I’ve started having troubling questions pop into my mind, even when I’m in prayer or reading the Bible. Basically, I find myself thinking, “How can this be true? Does God really exist? Is Christ a reality?” Now, mind you, this all happens while I am in fervent prayer to God or reading about Christ. I try to tell myself “If you didn’t believe you wouldn’t be praying to Him so intensely and talking to Him so much.”

Buddy:You are describing the battle of ‘thoughts’ perfectly. Two things are going to be very important for you in this regard. Foremost, recognize where all these doubts are coming from. (Remember Eve’s battle.) Knowing this is the key to knowing how to do spiritual warfare correctly. Here is your foundation Scripture:

“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing [thoughts, etc.] raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.” (2Co10:4,5)

The second thing is going to come straight from you. This is the time to make quality decisions. I cannot stress this enough. Until you make a consistent, firm, and resolute decision that Jesus Christ is Lord of your life, and that God’s Word is true, regardless, your whole thinking process will be honeycombed with doubts. Indecision is the path of failure. This is why you find so much in the Bible about making choices. The Lord does not remove our ability to choose for Him. Also keep in the background of your faith that the Lord will reinforce every decision you make for Him.

Bob: I’m troubled by even entertaining these questions. God has been so merciful to me and blessed me so greatly. Jesus has redeemed me from the darkness into the Kingdom of Light by paying for my sins by His sacrifice upon the cross. I do NOT like these troubling thoughts.

Buddy: If you are going to doubt anything, doubt your doubts. Do not allow even for a moment any thought to remain that speaks against your faith in Jesus.

Other things you can do are:

(1) Each morning as soon as you have time, reach for your Bible and pray the prayer of David; “Open my eyes, Lord, that I may behold wonderful things from Your Law.”

(2) Join yourself to another believer and began to extend your fellowship circle. Ask the Lord to lead you in this.

(3) Keep writing me. I will support you in all that I can. Ask questions. Share your thoughts. I will never stop being your friend.

…. End of Exchange….

Consider this news report from Washington (Military brief. July 26, 2010): “Suicides among Army and Air National Guard and Reserve troops have spiked this year, and the military is at a loss to explain why. … Suicides among military personnel and veterans are at an epidemic rate, and it’s getting worse,” said Tim Embree, a former Marine who served two tours in Iraq and is now a legislative associate for Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, an advocacy group.” – Don’t think for a moment that there isn’t a spiritual component behind this.

The intricacies of endtime events

Now let’s continue on with the study on the shuttering of the nations. The intricacies of endtime events go much further than this study can cover and certainly beyond my own limited understanding. But there are some things in the Scriptures that speak pretty conclusive to what we can expects as the days of redemption grow shorter.

Jesus was accosted by the Pharisees and Sadducees in their asking Him for a sign. He said,

“Do you know how to discern the appearance of the sky, but cannot discern the signs of the times?” (Matt. 16:3)

The Lord was saying that while they claimed to understand the elements of nature, they were blind in regard to what was happening before their very eyes. The Messiah was present. Redemption had come and they did not recognize it.

Does this have any relevance to the church today? Most assuredly. The church is now in a very special phase of redemptive history. As a relevant sign in the count down God give us a fixed point. Both Jesus, the prophets of old, and the apostles all pointed to the rebirth of the nation of Israel as a prominent fixture that the times of the Gentiles was closing. That sign was fixed May 14, 1948.

The apostle Peter told the Jewish peoples that Jesus had been received into heaven and would remain there, but would send ‘refreshing(s)’ [special moves of the Holy Spirit] until the period of restoration of all things.

“Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord; and that He may send Jesus, the Christ appointed for you, whom heaven must receive until the period of restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time. “ (Act 3:19-21 NASB)

What did Peter mean by the term restoration? The Greek term ‘apokatastasis‘ means a restitution of a thing to its former condition. This expression denotes the times spoken of as ‘the fullness of the Gentiles,’ and would then include conversion of the Jews to Jesus.

This was a primary concern for the Lord’s Hebrew apostles. In Acts 1:6, they asked Him,

“Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?”

Jesus responded,

“It is not for you to know the times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority.”

Thus while we cannot know the exact moments for the unfolding of events, we do have one fixed sign. This is why May 14, 1948 is so important to redemption history.

Israel who had lost her nationhood in the year 70 a.d., was brought forth again as a nation among other nations. Thus we have Isaiah 66:8, fulfilled;

“Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Can a LAND be born in one day? Can a NATION be brought forth all at once? As soon as Zion travailed, she also brought forth her sons.” (Caps always for emphasis only.)

Then we have this from the Lord:

“And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and will be led captive into all the nations; and Jerusalem will be trampled under foot by the Gentiles [other nations] until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.” (Luke 21:24 – Until the gospel has gone into all the world. Cf. Mat24:14)

Point at hand is that the nation of Israel today is not the nation she is going to be. Jews returning to the land is at the heart of Old Testament prophecy. Israel today is largely secular, with Talmudic Judaism in charge of her religious affairs. The fact that Israel is largely secular is not a bad thing in comparison to the Christ-hating Talmudic religion.

The spirit of grace

Now let’s combine two Scriptures, one from the old and the other from the new. Both with the same objective.

First Zechariah 12:10:

“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 [This is Yahweh speaking] whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him [Jesus the crucified One], and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him [Jesus] like the bitter weeping over a firstborn.”

Now Romans 11:25-27:

“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 [the Christ-rejecting nation group] until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; and so all Israel will be saved [nation group looks to Jesus]; 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.'”

The sins of the Christ-rejecting Israel can only be taken away when they come to faith in the atonement of Jesus Christ.

The coming restoration

Let’s come back to what Peter said about the times of restoration:

“…that He [the Father] may send Jesus, the Christ appointed for you, whom heaven must receive until the period of restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time.” (Acts 3:20,21)

The Greek term for ‘period’ is chronos. It speaks of a particular time or space or season of events. This takes in various things that belong to the season of restoration.

The Greek term for ‘restoration’ is a double compound. It is only used here. Interestingly enough it is also used by the Jewish historian, Flavius Josephus, for the return of the Jews from captivity, and for the restoration of the year of Jubilee. That is the how the term was understood during the time of Christ.

Of course the Jewish people in the time of the apostles would understand this much better than the ‘Johnny-come-lately’ folk of today’s western Christianity, who think they have the answers for everything.

The period of restoration has a dual focus. I believe it includes the Church restored to her lost heritage in preparation for her departure. More and more Christians today are breaking free of sectarian separations and from religious yokes of bondages, and are rediscovering their true freedom in Christ.

The second focus is the land of Israel. (As I’ve already shared.)

What makes the period of restoration so unique is the overlap of focus in the kingdom of God. At the same time the Church is being prepared for her departure, the Jewish peoples are being gathered to the land of Israel to fulfill her prophesied purposes. In this sense God is working with the Jews and with the Christians. The Jews are being prepared for their Messiah.

A time of special insight

The prophet Daniel was told that there would be a time of special insight given God’s people in the latter days. This would certainly apply in part to the Christian church, but it would especially apply to Jewish peoples during the tribulation. (That insight was to be locked up until the time came. I see it as belonging to the book of Revelation.)

As for the Christian portion, Paul elaborates on this in 1 Thess. 5:1-3,9-10 and 2 Thess. 2:1,5-13. (You may wish to view these Scriptures.)

For the Jew there is a period of tribulation they must endure before the Savior comes out of Zion. The Bible also gives place for a pseudo-Church during the final hours of this age. (Pseudo refers to something that appears to be true but is not. A false pretender.)

The true church refers to those who are inborn of the Spirit of truth and will not follow anyone other than Jesus, in spite of signs & wonders. However, the pseudo Church will follow after lying wonders.

Let’s listen to some of the final words that Jesus spoke over Jerusalem.

“When He approached Jerusalem, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, ‘If you had known in this day, even you, the things which make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. For the days will come upon you when your enemies will throw up a barricade against you, and surround you and hem you in on every side, and they will level you to the ground and your children within you, and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation.” (Luke 19:41-44)

And again,

“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling. Behold, your house is being left to you desolate! For I say to you, from now on you will not see Me UNTIL you say, ‘Blessed is He [Jesus] who comes in the name of the Lord.” (Matt23:37,38)

So, will the kingdom of God be restored to Israel? Will Israel really turn to the Lord Jesus and become part with His people? Can it be proved by the Scriptures? I believe it can. For your extra study consider these Scriptures: (Isa1:26; Jer23:3-6; Hos3:4,5; 5:15; 6:1-3.)

Yes, it is all there. But the point remains as I said at the beginning of the study, Christians are not to let their hearts become troubled over all these things. Our eyes are to remain focused on Jesus alone.

Can nature be speaking

Have you considered the oil situation in the Gulf of Mexico. China is fighting the same thing. In addition to the anti-Christ armies making their way towards Jerusalem, you have hurricanes, tsunamis, earth quakes in various places, along with weather doing strange things.

Consider these Scriptures:

“…and a third of the creatures which were in the sea and had life, died; and a third of the ships were destroyed.” (Rev 8:9 NASB)

“When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be frightened; those things must take place; but that is not yet the end. For nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in various places; there will also be famines. These things are merely the beginning of birth pangs.” (Mar 13:7-8 NASB)

“For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now.” (Rom 8:19-22 NASB)

The shuttering and shaking

Are the nations beginning to shutter? What do you think? Is the time of giving birth close at hand?

Consider once again this warning from the book of Hebrews concerning a shaking to come:

“See to it that you do not refuse Him who is speaking. For if those did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape who turn away from Him who warns from heaven. And His voice shook the earth then, but now He has promised, saying, ‘YET ONCE MORE I WILL SHAKE NOT ONLY THE EARTH, BUT ALSO THE HEAVEN.’

“This expression, ‘Yet once more,’ denotes the removing of those things which can be shaken, as of created things, so that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe; for our God is a consuming fire.” (Heb 12:25-29 NASB)

OK children of the Lamb. Here is your song…

x
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCxU8QGCFX0[/youtube]

Much love in Jesus,

Buddy

Jul

2010

The voice of the blood…

“And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, ‘KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.'”

(Rev 19:16 NASB)

Readers,

David often spoke of the Lord as his God and as his King. He also identified the coming Messiah in terms of a King, and also as Lord and God.

Consider just a few statements from David:

“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) — This Psalm is quoted from by the apostles in Acts 4, with regard to Jesus as the anointed King. —

“The LORD says to my Lord: ‘Sit at My right hand until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.’ The LORD will stretch forth Your strong scepter from Zion, saying, ‘Rule in the midst of Your enemies.'” (Psa 110:1-2 NASB) — Quoted by Peter with a view to Jesus being exalted to the Father as King —

“Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter of uprightness is the scepter of Your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, Your God, has anointed You With the oil of joy above Your fellows.” (Psa 45:5-7 NASB) — Quoted in the book of Hebrews with regard to the exaltation of Jesus. —

“Who is the King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O gates, and lift them up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in! Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, He is the King of glory. Selah.” (Psa 24:8-10 NASB) — With a view to the second coming of Jesus as the King of glory —

A King is exactly who Jesus is

While we readily acknowledge Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we must always keep before us that He is a King and has a kingdom. A King is exactly what Jesus is. And in order for a king to rule, he must have a kingdom.

The term kingdom (basileia) in Greek speaks of sovereignty, or power. In an abstract sense it refers to the power exercised by a king. So the kingdom of God refers to God’s direct ruling power. The kingdom of God is a kingdom of great power.

Now we turn to Jesus. Follow carefully the conversation between Pilate and Jesus. In questioning Jesus, Pilate becomes frustrated. His wife had had a dream about Jesus and warned Pilate not to do Him any harm.

Pilate says,

“Are you the King of the Jews?”

Some think that Pilate asked this in jest. I don’t believe this is the case. Pilate is too disturbed to be joking around.

The Lord responds,

“Are you saying this on your own initiative, or did others tell you about Me?”

Pilate is confused. He responds,

“I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests delivered You to me; what have You done?”

It is here that Jesus begins to explain His kingdom. Listen carefully;

“My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm.”

Jesus says His kingdom is not an arrangement or an adornment to be seen with the eyes. It is not a worldly kingdom.

Then the Lord adds,

‘My kingdom is not of this realm.’

The word ‘enteuthen’ (realm) means His kingdom is not from here, or, on this side.

Pilate responds,

“So You are a king?”

What Jesus says next puts His kingdom rule into its spiritual essence.

“You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.” (Cf. John 18:33-37)

A kingdom not of this world

Now we come to the crux of the matter. If the kingdom of Jesus Christ is not of this world, then His subjects must not be of this world.

The Lord points out that only His subjects are able to hear His voice.

And the Lord says His kingdom is all about truth.

Now we have all the elements that describe the Lord’s kingdom.

(1) His kingdom is not of this world.

(2) His subjects are not of this world.

(3) Only His subjects hear His voice.

(4) His subjects do not fight. (Not in the sense of worldly kingdoms. Their weaponry is not of the flesh.)

(5) His kingdom is about Truth.

What does this tell us up front? It tells us that the kingdom of Jesus Christ cannot be put in religious terms. Religion is what man does. Relationship and reality is what God does for us in Christ.

Hence the dilemma —

If His kingdom is not of this world, and His subjects are not of this world, and only His subjects can hear His voice, and His kingdom is about Truth, and His subjects do not fight, how can we ever expect to recognize His kingdom? How can anyone find it? How can anyone enter into it?

Every born again person knows the answer to this or they would not be born again. The only way to enter into what Paul calls ‘the kingdom of His Beloved Son,’ is to have a personal invitation from the King. And the only way to be born again is to take to yourself Jesus Christ as your own Lord and Savior and King.

Thus we have the gospel message. Many people are not aware of just how powerful the gospel really is. The gospel is an official message from God’s heavenly kingdom and in the gospel is a personal invitation from the King to His kingdom. The gospel carries in it the voice of the King.

I Have a Message from the King

We were on our way to a village in Honduras near the border of Guatemala. As we were nearing the village, I asked the Lord what He wanted me especially say to the people. He placed on my heart to begin my message by saying, ‘I come to you as an ambassador of the kingdom of God, and I have a message for you from the King.’ That was the first thing that came out of my mouth. A stillness settled over the crowded building. I began sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ. Then it happened – An old Indian stood up and began to make his way towards me. Once again I stood amazed at the power of the gospel. The old Indian heard the voice of the King. He was making his way to accept God’s invitation to enter the kingdom of His beloved Son. He was ready to give his heart to Jesus.

This brings us to the blood of the King

To enter into the kingdom of the beloved Son, you must have an invitation. This is the job of the servant of God and of the Holy Spirit. The invitation is sent through God’s servants in the gospel message.

Jesus said,

“And He [the Holy Spirit], when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment.” (Joh 16:8 NASB)

In the gospel comes God’s invitation to the kingdom of His beloved Son. And here comes the issue of the blood. The blood speaks to the throne of God. First, as a person turns from their former master Satan, and thus receives Jesus Christ as Lord, and Savior, and King, something marvelous takes place in their heart.

Listen very carefully to Peter:

“…according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” (1Pe 1:2-5 NASB)

Every statement that Peter makes is without measure. Let me paraphrase just a bit —

Our salvation is in accordance with God’s divine plan and foreknowledge. The Holy Spirit separates us apart to Jesus. The moment we gazed upon Jesus with our heart, the moment we hear Him calling to us, the moment we respond and acknowledge Jesus as our Lord, Savior, and King, at that very moment the Holy Spirit takes of the divine blood of Jesus, sprinkles it on our heart, and we through this sprinkling become born-from-above people who are not of this world. We become the born-of-the-blood children of God, blood bought, blood sprinkled, blood sealed, and forever under the presence of the blood of the King. This is why Peter said that we are of a royal priestly. (Kingly priests are a family of royalty.) Paul said that the one joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with Him.

What does the blood of the King speak over us? It speaks mercy and grace. You may be concerned with the idea of the blood of Jesus speaking. Listen:

“But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks better than the blood of Abel.” (Heb 12:22-24 NASB)

Abel’s blood cried our for vengeance against his brother Cain. The blood of Jesus speaks from the finished work of the cross. It speaks of mercy and truth and grace and forgiveness and love and acceptance.

This is why we sing,

‘What can take away my sins? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. What can make me whole again? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.’

A invitation of life.

The world has a standing invitation.

John says,

“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.” (John 1:11,12)

The word ‘receive’ in Greek, is ‘paralambano.’ It means to take someone to yourself or to your heart. We get the idea from the wedding vow, where the minister says, “Do you, Bill, take Susan to be your wedded wife, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, etc.”

The minister is asking Bill if he will take Susan to his heart and life in holy union. This is what receiving Jesus means. It is a thing of the heart. It is a thing of union. It does require a confession of faith. It has to be stated. This is why the early Christians were known as, ‘The people of the great confession.’

It is important to understand what John says about believing. Our salvation is not based on some emotional experience. It is based on an open declaration of faith in Jesus Christ. Believing in the Bible is something you do with your heart and nut just with your mind.

John says,

“Even to those who believe in His name.”

The Greek word for believe, that is, ‘pisteuo’, means to put faith in a person, to rely on, to trust in, to adhere to. (It is the Greek word that we get our English word ‘glue’.) To believe in His name means to accept who Jesus really is, that is, to believe in the full message of the gospel, and in His authority. We actually believe into life.

What happens when a person takes to themself Jesus Christ? They are born into the kingdom of God’s Son. Paul says a kingdom transfer takes place;

“For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son.” (Col 1:13)

What about the truth part and the voice part?

Well, I’ve covered this quite a bit. The gospel is a message from heaven. It carries all the authority and power that is needed to cause a person to be born again. This is why Paul said,

“Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.”
(Word, or rhema, speaks of a living voice.)

The word ‘Truth’ in Greek, speaks of the reality that is behind an appearance. To realize truth is to become fully cognizant of the Person and Presence of Jesus Christ. Jesus said,

“I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but through Me.”

When a person is born from above, that birth brings a new spiritual reality into their life. The realness does not go away. It will be there from day, to day, to day.

His voice also speaks of the Lord’s Kingly ministry. The issue of Jesus being our King is very real to a believer. And hearing His voice is also very real. Jesus explained it this way;

“I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd.”

And again,

“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand.” (Cf. John 10)

Where do we go from here?

How about a song. I always love to finish each of my entries with a special song.

Much love,

Buddy

Jul

2010

Crucified to the world…

“But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. For neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. And those who will walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God. Amen.” (Gal6:14-16)

Readers,

I want to draw attention to the essential issue of the new covenant. The cross of Christ resulted in a new creation. Every person of the new creation is sealed in Christ with the seal of redemption. That seal can only broken by God and this He will not do. Paul says that we cannot be separated from God’s love. All who belong to Christ have an eternal seal.

When Paul says, “But may it never be that I should boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ,” he is giving a summation of true Biblical Christianity.

I like the way it is translated in the NLT:

“As for me, may I never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of that cross, my interest in this world has been crucified, and the world’s interest in me has also died.” (Gal 6:14 NLT)

The summing up of those who have been to the cross is two fold:

(1) Our interest in the world has been crucified.

(2) The world’s interest in us has died.

That City on Mount Zion

This is why so many of our Christian songs are about the cross and about heaven. We sing as pilgrims on a journey. We sing with longings in our heart for the city of God.

Our confession is that we are not of this world. And with the saints of old we are reaching forward to what lies ahead.

We bear witness in our heart to the cross.

Paul was a pilgrim. Abraham was a pilgrim. David was a pilgrim. Buddy Martin is a pilgrim. How about you. Are you a pilgrim?

Hear what the Bible says about God’s pilgrims:

“…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 11:16 NASB)

Before reading any further take a moment to listen to one of our pilgrim songs. It is titled, ‘When I Reach That City’.

The Seal of Eternity

The new creation has been sealed in Christ for eternity. This is why the Bible accords our salvation as an eternal redemption. The Bible speaks of salvation as eternal life.

Paul addresses our redemption in Christ:

“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, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.” (Eph 1:13-14 NASB)

Did you notice that heaven’s seal is based on one premise alone? It is the premise of believing in Jesus Christ. The word ‘believe’ in the Bible involves a heart connection that cannot be broken. It is with our hearts that we connect with Jesus.

“Having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise.”

The covenant of Christ…

The covenant of Christ supersedes and does away with the Law of Moses. The new covenant is for a distinct people.

The Jews outside of Christ based their salvation upon two things: being lineal descendants of Abraham, which leaves much to be desired, and doing the works of the Law, which no one ever did or could do or can do.

You can’t just pick one part of the law that you want to keep and leave the rest untouched. The Law carried a requirement and a curse. The requirement pertained to keeping the whole law. Failure to do so places one under the curse of the law.

The Judaisers followed behind Paul wherever he went, attempting to destroy his gospel message of grace. This is what Paul is referring to when he called for a curse upon those who preach a gospel other than that which the apostles had been given to preach, that is, the gospel of grace. If you don’t know for certain what the apostles actually preached, then note these Scriptures:

“But what does it say? ‘The Word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart’–that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Rom 10:8-9 NASB)

“But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed!” (Gal 1:8 NASB)

Did you make the connection?

The Judaisers of Paul’s day were telling Gentile believers that they had keep the law of Moses, which essentially meant they must become Jews through circumcision in order to be saved. They were distorting God’s grace message to the world.

Grace is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help us God

There is no way under God’s blue heaven than a person can merit salvation. The apostles made this very plain. The prophets made this very plain. The apostle says,

“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.” (Eph2:8,9)

Isaiah said,

“For all of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment; and all of us wither like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.” (64:6)

This brings us to the cross.

Listen to those awful words.

“Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” (My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”)

Finally we hear in the final gasp of the Lord,

“It is finished!”

Those words made heaven and earth tremble. The skies darkened. The curtain in the temple ripped in two. The sins of the whole world were now laid on Jesus.

What was finished? The cross fulfilled God’s work of redemption. The sacrifice was offered! From the cross they carried Jesus to the tomb. From the tomb He resurrected and ascended into glory. Out of this would come our completed salvation. This is true gospel.

This is our completed salvation. God made no mistakes. He has saved forever all who have come to faith in Jesus. No one can be any more saved that what the Scriptures tell us.

Listen with your heart:

‘But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” (Eph 2:4-6 NASB)

Here is another ‘did you catch it’?

Even when we were dead in our transgressions…

He made us alive together with Christ.

(By grace you have been saved)

And raised us up together with Him

And seated us with Him in the heavenly places.

Notice that all of this is past tense. Believers are not merely going to be saved. We are already as saved as saved can be. This is what ‘seated with Him in the heavenly places’ means.

God is at work

And this is why the term ‘new creation’ is the center piece of God’s new covenant in Christ. It is all God’s work. The new creation has already been raised up. We are a heavenly people, adorned in earthly bodies. One day all that will change.

Now take note of how the book of Hebrews begins its closure:

“Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, equip you in every good thing to do His will, *working in us* that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.” (Heb13:20,21)

Notice who is doing the works in the believer? God works in us that which is pleasing in His sight. God Himself equips us to do His will. This is why it is so important to give your brother and sister breathing room to do what the Lord has for them to do.

And this is where we must be careful with our language, our accusations, or our condemnations. No one can condemn those for whom Christ died. Paul said we are to walk by this rule.

Remember the rule?

“For neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision (religious works), but a new creation. And those who will walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them.”

Paul’s point is that a person is either born from above as part of God’s new creation, or they are not part of God’s new creation. If they are part of God’s new creation, then you will see heaven’s influence in this person. When Paul says, “Neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision,” he is stating that the former covenant has no jurisdiction over anyone in the new covenant.

The reason for this great change is that in the new covenant every born again person is given the nature of Christ. God deals directly with our nature. Certainly believers can sin, but sin is contrary to their nature. When we sin, we have this grieving in our spirit. What is it that grieves in us. It is the Holy Spirit, by whom we were sealed for the day of redemption.

The work of the cross is to remove believers from their former state of being, to place them into a new state of being, and to cause believers to know the Lord personally.

Are you carrying the imprint of the cross —

True believers cannot give up their testimony of faith. We are His witnesses. Our life began at the cross. We are a new creation. There is no witness on earth greater than this, and Satan knows it. We bear witness to the power of the cross.

So I guess the only questions left are these —

Has your interest in the world been crucified?

Has the world’s interest in you died.

Just something to think about.

Always in Christ,

Buddy

Jul

2010

The Doctrine of New Covenant Life…

“John testified about Him and cried out, saying, ‘This was He of whom I said, “He who comes after me has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.”’ For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace. For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.” (Joh 1:15-17 NASB)

Readers,

One issue that continues to bother me to this day is when I see so many of God’s people trying to live new covenant Christianity on an old covenant level. This concern especially includes placing faith in so-called modern day prophets. Hopefully I can provide some insight into this issue.

Before I deal directly with the prophecy issue, let me direct attention to the one matter that is crucial to new covenant understanding. It has to do with who Jesus really is and how this applies to Gods new creation. There has never been a covenant like the new covenant. We need to know why.

Paul said that in Christ,

“All the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form.” (Col2:9)

This expression simply means that Jesus is fully God. The word for fullness is the Greek term ‘pleroma.’ [play’-ro- mah]. It speaks of the fullest measure. Therefore in Christ is the absolute fullest measure of all that God is. Theologians refer to this fullness as, ‘the plenitude of the divine perfections’.

Sure it is a mystery to be understood with the heart but not always fully with the mind. So, while Jesus was and is fully man, He also was and is fully God. To know what God is exactly like, we look to Jesus. Hebrews 1:3, says,

“He [Jesus] is the radiance of His [the Father’s] glory and the exact representation of His nature.”

Now let’s see how this affects new covenant believers. Listen again to John the Baptist:

“This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has a higher rank that I, for He existed before me.’”

Then the apostle John adds,

“For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace.” (Cf. Jn1:14-18.)

Did you catch it?

The apostle said of His ‘pleroma‘ we have all received.

John is not saying that each of us is a little Jesus. Nor is he saying that we have become gods. John is saying that the full measure of Christ’s Spirit, that is, the full measure of the finished work of the cross now belongs to, and abides in every believer. It is because of this full measure of the cross that grace continues to follow grace in our lives.

The point is that no believer gets just a bit of Jesus and then goes on to another experience to receive a fuller measure. Every believer receives the full measure of the Spirit of Christ the moment of their birth from above. Failure to understand this is the platform for all kinds of ‘never-quite-arriving’ doctrines.

No believer in the new covenant is told to measure up to Christ. We have already received the full measure. We have the ‘plenitude of the divine perfections’ placed on our account. What is left is for believers is to grow up in the wisdom and knowledge Jesus Christ.

Paul said that in Christ are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. And this is what growing up in Christ speaks to. No believer can get more of Jesus that we already have. We have His fullness. Paul said we are to grow up in all aspects into Him. (Cf. Eph4:15)

Someone may ask, “Does this mean that we can do all the things that Jesus did?” The answer is, “Only if you learn to live the way Jesus lived.”

However, that misses the point in what I wish to get across in this journal entry. I realize how easy it would be to twist this out of shape.

So, the next question is simple…

Do you hold the testimony of Jesus—

All of God’s children share in the same full measure of Christ in their lives. There is nothing left over that we must later receive. It is this understanding that becomes the underpinning for a fruitful new covenant walk. And it is this understanding that keeps believers from needing to find a prophet to give them a word from the Lord. (Such as was the case in the former testament.)

In the new covenant there are no prophets of the same order as of the former covenant prophets. The need for that kind of prophet no longer exists. Christ is now resident in the lives of all His people.

Today the heavenly Father speaks to each of His children in His Son. This does not mean that the Lord cannot address us through the speaking of others. He does that often. Yet all of God’s born-from-above children have the same indwelling spirit of Jesus in their hearts. This indwelling even includes a life-flow in our speaking.

There is one Scripture that expressly defines the heart or the very essence of prophecy in the new covenant. When the angel told John not to fall down before him, he told him why;

“Do not do that; I am a fellow servant of yours and your brethren who hold the testimony of Jesus; worship God. For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” (Jn19:10)

The Greek for testimony is ‘marturia‘ [mar-too-ree’-ah] This word means ‘the evidence given.’ The evidence given is in the heart and in the speaking of all true believers. Paul said that the Spirit testifies to our own spirit that we are children of God. John said that we have the testimony in us. Thus when we are speaking for and about Jesus, our very speaking carries in it the spirit of prophecy.

So do you hold the testimony of Jesus? Jesus describes this idea of the flowing forth of new covenant prophecy:

“He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’” (Or, ‘From his innermost being will flow the spiritual and living testimony of Jesus Himself.’) Cf. Jn7:38,39)

The fact again is that the Holy Spirit enters the heart of the believing person as the spirit of the resurrected, ascended, and glorified Jesus. Thus the finished work of the cross becomes a present reality in our hearts. Our salvation is complete.

Out of the shadow into the Light…

Paul says that we have already been raised up and seated together in Christ in the heavenly places. You cannot get more saved than that.

Which brings us back to the issue of new covenant prophecy — The book of Hebrews begins with,

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

Notice that the Old Testament prophetic ministry is a thing of the past. It is no longer required. We have passed out of the shadow of God into the very reality of a direct experience with the Father through His Son, Jesus Christ. We can now hear Jesus for ourselves.

The redemption revelation in the Old Testament came in bits and pieces, by way of the prophets. What they had in part, we now have in fullest measure. The Father no longer speaks to us by way of the Old Testament prophet. He speaks to all His children in and through His Son. Thus we hear Jesus say to unbelievers,

“But you do not believe because you are not My sheep. My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish.” (Jn10:26-28)

We need to press it a bit further. Paul said in the latter times many would depart from the faith [a full faith one-on-one relationship with Jesus], giving attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of devils. Peter adds,

“But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies … in their greed they will exploit you with false words…”

This begs a question —

Why would any believer need to depend on someone else for a prophetic word from the Lord, when we all know the Lord Jesus Christ in a personal way? It isn’t that God can’t speak to us through someone else. But if this is what our life is centered on, we are missing the very heart of a new covenant walk.

They will all know Me.

Is Jesus not your personal Lord and Savior? Listen to how the prophet Jeremiah describes the new covenant that was to come. (Note the terms in bold):

“’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, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them,’ declares the LORD.

“But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,’ declares the LORD, ‘I will put My law [instructions] within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.

“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 31:31-34 NASB)

Now hear it from Ezekiel:

“Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh [tenderness]. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes … so you will be My people, and I will be your God.” (Cf. Ezek36:25-28)

None of what I have shared precludes the gatherings of God’s people into flocks. The gathering of flocks is first of all a gathering to Jesus. He is always in the midst of the gatherings of His flocks. Actually the Lord has ordained the flocking of His people for the purpose of their own growth, fellowship, and protection.

God spoke through the prophet saying,

“Then I will give you shepherds after My own heart, who will feed you on knowledge and understanding.”(Jer 3:15 NASB)

This may sting a bit, but it needs to be said. Those who continually seek out a prophet to give them ‘a word from the Lord’ are still trying to live in the new covenant on an old covenant level. They continue to look for modern day prophets who can go behind the veil and bring to them a word from God. How sad. How little to they realize that they are ignoring their own spiritual heritage from God.

This in itself is not my only concern. My greater concern is with those believers who ‘love it that way.’

Jeremiah gave a warning about this:

“An appalling and horrible thing Has happened in the land: The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule on their own authority; and My people love it so! But what will you do at the end of it?” (Jer 5:30-31 NASB)

Does what Jeremiah warned have any relevance today? Yes. I could share a number of Scriptures. But here is a simple example —

Some time back a person shared with me what took place at an apostle-prophet meeting. The prophets made four or five lines so all the people could get their personal word from the Lord. This person made it their business to go through all five lines. As I listened, I thought, ‘When are you ever going to grow up?’ (Of course the prophecies are always generic. They only become personal when the receiver reads their own thoughts into them.)

What about proper ministry…

Does any of this do away with offices of ministry? Not in the least. The offices of ministry are placed by God, and serve a unique purpose for God’s people. The primary duty of a God-called minister is to help equip the saints for the work of service in God’s kingdom. Paul says,

‘Until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature that belongs to the fullness of Christ.” (Cf. Eph4:11-13)

The unity of the faith and to a mature man in Christ relates to all believers realizing their own uniqueness in the family of God. It speaks to every believer coming to the place of being able to allow the life-flow of Jesus. The goal is for each believer to become a conduit of heaven.

But this also calls for a caution. Even when a believer feels he or she has reached a high level of spiritual maturity, no believer should take to himself the idea of being superior to other believers. Even when Paul was forced to defend his apostleship, he carefully spoke to this;

“For if I wish to boast I will not be foolish, for I will be speaking the truth; but I refrain from this, so that no one will credit me with more than he sees in me or hears from me.” (2Co12:6)

Did you catch it? Paul knew that the Lord’s purpose for all believers was for their growth in spirituality, and that every believer was uniquely a child of God. And while he indeed had the calling and the authority of an apostle, Paul also knew that his role was not to call attention to himself, but to call attention to the Lord Jesus. It is in this sense that Paul wanted the people to see the gospel in him, but not to see him as someone special above themselves.

The apostle said,

“Not that we are adequate in ourselves as to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God, who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” (2Co3:5,6)

So, dear believer, we are all to become God’s love letters to a dying world. We are not simply to preach the gospel. We are to become the gospel.

And please listen to me — Stop trying to live your Christian walk on an Old Testament level.

How about it? Take time to listen again to one of my favorite songs by my favorite group, the Isaacs, entitled, ‘Stand Still.

Always in love with Jesus.

Buddy

Jul

2010

Faith in God’s Word…

“…it is impossible for God to lie … This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil…” (Heb 6:18-19 NASB)

Journal,

One of the greatest changes in my walk with the Lord can be traced to a decision I made in Los Alamos, New Mexico, in 1971. Without going into detail as to why I made this decision, it is enough to say that a decision needed to be made.

I decided that if the Scriptures were absolutely true then no person or institution had the right to make them mean something that they don’t mean. From that moment on I would take God’s Word fully as my guide. I made a covenant with my heart to find out for myself what God’s Word had to say about whatever, and that I would do my best with God’s help to order my life accordingly. It was that decision that put me on the high ground of a faith journey far beyond anything I had ever known. That was almost forty years ago. And yes, I can truly say with David,

“For it is You who blesses the Righteous man, O Lord, You surround him with favor as with a shield.” (Psalm 5:12)

It is amazing how a quality decision concerning God’s Word can absolutely revolutionize a person’s life. From the moment of that decision I found myself entering into a new spiritual domain of adventures and vistas. I also discovered what it meant to have an Abraham-type walk with the Lord. (One-on-one; wholly separated and consecrated to the Lord.)

Yes, I had found the key to life. Jesus said that many will not find it. But it really isn’t that hard to discover. The issue is in application. The key involves the full Lordship of Jesus and in learning to live from the mouth of God.

This was the great lesson behind Israel’s wilderness wanderings. All their trials had a single focus. It is this same focus that God has been trying to teach His people in ages gone by.

Listen carefully and see if you can pick up on the key of life:

“He humbled you and let you be hungry, and fed you with manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you understand that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the LORD.” (Deu 8:3 NASB)

Are you ready to understand? That is what I want to talk about in this journal entry.

So let’s began with...

Instructions from God

The one thing Satan must do to disrupt a Christian’s life is to cast doubt on God’s Word. This is ‘bottom-line’ spiritual warfare. You will find it in play in the garden of Eden. Notice the issue that Satan challenged Eve on —

“Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, ‘Indeed, has God said, “You shall not eat from any tree of the garden”‘?” (Gen 3:1 NASB)

Did you catch it? Has God said?

Satan begins by putting a twist on God’s Word. His goal is to undermine the truth of God. He does this by twisting and turning, by adding to and by taking away, by distorting and by making crooked the straight ways of the Lord.

This is Satan’s primary footing for deception. Satan is called in the Scriptures both a liar and a deceiver. Eve was deceived!

Satan is the source behind sorcery. Sorcery is spiritual rebellion against God by the use of occultic forces. Sorcerers are spiritualists or mediums who work under the false anointing of demons. This very much includes the false prophet. Little do some realize that sorcery includes astrology and other forms of fortune telling, or anything else that seeks to govern our lives aside from faithfully trusting in Jesus Christ.

Sorcery is about control. It is strongly linked to prideful flesh. Paul brings this out when Elymas the magician tries to turn a governing official away from the message of the gospel.

Notice:

“But Saul, who was also known as Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, fixed his gaze on him, and said, ‘You who are full of all deceit and fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease to make crooked the straight ways of the Lord?'” (Act 13:9-10 NASB)

When Jesus was confronted by Satan in the wilderness what was the battle about?

“Then the devil took Him into the holy city and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, ‘If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down…

“…for it is written, “He will command His angels concerning You; and “on their hands they will bear You up, so that You will not strike Your foot against a stone.”‘” (Mat 4:5-6 NASB)

Satan sets about with manipulation of God’s Word. He is doing much the same as he did with Eve; take things into your own hands rather than listen to the heavenly Father. How often have we fallen for this trick.

However, there is a distinct difference. With Eve there was no written Words. Just the direct instructions from the Lord. Over time the Lord gave us His written Word as an added protection in our walk of faith. It is also in the written Word that we become better acquainted with the Shepherd’s voice. Christian maturity has much to do with learning to hear from God for yourself.

The point is that God has given us words to live by. Join the book to Jesus and you have the keys to living a victorious Christian life. We find this in Paul’s instructions to Timothy:

“…and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

“All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” (2Ti 3:15-17 NASB)

And this brings us to a closer look at…

Distinctions on the Bible

The Bible is a book of redemption but it is also a living book. Genesis actually answers all the fundamental questions concerning God and man. It opens with, “In the beginning [absolute beginning of created things] God created the heavens and the earth.”

The Hebrew word for create is bara. It is never used in any way other than with divine activity. Genesis tells us about God, about the origin of universe, about the creation of man, and the origin of soul. It introduces the issue of sin, and gives us the promise of salvation.

It sets forth the out-calling of Israel and tells of the Messiah who will be the Savior of all mankind. Genesis is the source book from which all the Scriptures flow.

What about Revelations? This book completes God’s holy writ. If you take away Genesis you lose all explanation of heaven, the first earth, the first Adam and the fall. Take away Revelations you lose the completed truth, which is the new heaven, the new earth, man redeemed, and the last Adam.

This is why the book of Revelations concludes with,

“And if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book.”

The Bible is a living book. It is the only book on this planet that can prove it is from God. It is the only book that records history before it happens. It is the only book that sets forth thousands of prophecies and allows man to see those prophecies fulfilled. It names nations that will rise and fall. It proves its origin in the millions of lives that are radically changed.

Note the following:

“Remember the former things long past, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things which have not been done, saying, ‘My purpose will be established, and I will accomplish all My good pleasure'” (Isa 46:9-10 NASB)

Also,

“He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth. In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will.” (Eph 1:9-11 NASB)

The most wonderful thing about the Bible is that it tells it just like it is. It doesn’t brag on human flesh. It tells of a great fall. It tells of a great love. It tells of a great Savior.

But the Bible is especially a living book. You will literally find God speaking to you from the pages of the Bible.

Consider this prophecy that concerns Jesus and those being called out of darkness:

“On that day the deaf will hear words of a book, and out of their gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind will see. The afflicted also will increase their gladness in the LORD, and the needy of mankind will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.” (Isa 29:18-19 NASB)

So, what do we have left? It all has to do with…

The Believing

The most important thing a person can do in life is to take the message of the Bible to heart. There are many voices clamoring for our faith. The voice we must listen to is the same voice that dictated what was to be placed in the written Word. Paul tells us to learn to never exceed what is written.

If we believe wrong, we will receive for the wrong of our beliefs. Destruction always begins where the Word of God is rejected. The prophet said,

“For when the earth experiences Your judgments the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.” [Isa26:9]

What we are to believe has been clearly defined in God’s written Word. Interestingly enough, the written Word can be likened to a path that leads to God’s living Word, which is Jesus Christ Himself.

Just some things to think about. Here is a song that will speak to the deep of your heart. Take time to listen to ‘Glorious Impossible.’

In love with Jesus,

Buddy

Jul

2010

Remember friend as you pass by…

“Every day I will bless You, and I will praise Your name forever and ever. Great is the LORD, and highly to be praised, and His greatness is unsearchable. One generation shall praise Your works to another, and shall declare Your mighty acts.” (Psa 145:2-4 NASB)

Journal,

Nathan began his July 4^th sermon with reflections on the American Revolution. As I listened to an awe-inspiring sermon by my son, my mind traveled back to our family archives. Later at lunch I reminded Nathan of his direct connection with the War of Independence. The first Martin of our line to come to Louisiana was a Revolutionary soldier. He came with his Indian wife. That was 1803 thereabouts.

Billy Martin and his Indian wife, Elizabeth, are buried at Mitchell Cemetery in Anacoco, Louisiana. There is a large double stone with genealogical information on the reverse side. It reads:

Martin, Elizabeth – ca 1790/ca 1849

Martin, William (Billy) – 1766/ca 1840, American Revolutionary Soldier

Came to LA in 1803 from VA-KY area, [married] 1805 – Their children

1. John (Jack) [married] 1831 Rachel Miers;

2. Thomas [married] 1833 Elizabeth;

3. David [married] 1833 Catherine;

4. Wm. (Billy) Jr. [married] 1834 Mary Ann Miers;

5. Charles [married] 1842 Sarah Ann Miers;

6. Isaac [married] 1854 Mary Bass;

7. Benjamin [married] 1845 Evelina Miers

8. Elizabeth

9. Levi (1830) [married] 1850 Jane Wingate

It is interesting how I descend from two of Billy Martin’s sons; William (Billy) Jr., and Charles Seth. My grandfather and grandmother were from the two lines and were cousins. In those days it wasn’t altogether uncommon for cousins to marry.

To take it a step further I have to bring you to our community/family cemetery. Buried at Campbell Creek Cemetery in Sharp, Louisiana are my forebearers all the way back to Charles Seth Martin. Laid out in a line are the graves of our son, David Lynn, my father, Lawrence Bert, my grandparents, John Allen and Frances Ella, my great grand-parents, James Erwin and Mary, and my great, great grandfather, Charles Seth Martin, the son of the revolutionary soldier.

Of course I realize that all of this has little interest for most readers. So let me get to my point. When my great grandfather, James Erwin Martin, died in 1905, my grandfather prepared a homemade headstone for him. On the front of the head stone he encased behind glass a paper which read,

“Remember friend, as you pass by,
As you are now, so once was I.
As I am now, you soon shall be.
Prepare my friend to follow me.”

Due to a broken edge of the glass and the weathering over the years, the paper is now barely readable. I’m one of the few people to know what it says. Very often when I do a funeral, I’ll call attention to those words. And more often than not, someone will want me to show them my great grandfather’s grave. Of course I’m always happy to do that. It gives me a chance to share the gospel from his headstone.

Did you get the message?

The message is that one generation replaces another.

So it might be said of my great grandfather, ‘Though he is dead, he still speaks.’ And if nothing else he is still speaking through his great grandson, yours truly, and his great-great grandson, Nathan Eric Martin.

But it wasn’t simply my great grandfather who speaks to future generations. His father, and his father’s father were believers. According to family sources, Billy Martin was a Methodist.

Their faith in God’s Christ was passed on to their children. And I have passed their faith in Jesus Christ on to my children and they to their children. That’s how it is to the be with God’s people.

In the Bible record of the righteous, we often simply read, “And he died.”

“So all the days of Seth were nine hundred and twelve years, and he died.”

“So all the days of Enosh were nine hundred and five years, and he died.”

“So all the days of Noah were nine hundred and fifty years, and he died.”

But they died in faith.

The Bible says elsewhere,

“All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.” (Heb11:13)

God’s people have always known that greater things await them in the future. It is this hope that undergirds our faith walk.

The apostolic writer went on to include this statement;

“Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.” (Vs16)

One of the promises God gave the righteous in ages gone by, was the promise of a heavenly and holy city. Part of Abraham’s travels included looking for that city.

What had God promised the righteous in generations gone by? He promised them a Redeemer. He promised them that one day the righteous would inherit a transformed earth. He promised them a holy and heavenly city.

It is these promises and many more that have rested in the hearts of God’s holy people from ancient time. We as new covenant believers have the same promises resting in us. We anxiously await the wonders that are reserved in heaven for us.

And this is why God’s people look at death through a different set of glasses. When the Spirit of Jesus enters the heart of a believing one, the atmosphere of heaven makes its home in the deepest part of our spiritual make-up. Jesus said that was how it would be. He said,

“If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word [instructions]; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him.” (John 14:23)

The Spirit of Jesus

What does the Spirit of Jesus do in a believer? The Spirit goes to work casting out fear. Not just some fear, but all fear. Once God’s perfect love has completed its work, the only fear that remains is that wondrous fear called ‘the fear of the Lord.’ This fear is holy. It connects is to a holy God. The fear of the Lord becomes our treasure. It is filled with love, respect, and reverence for our heavenly Father.

Probably the greatest fear that the Holy Spirit dispels is the fear of death. I’ve known people who are so afraid of death that they will not attend a funeral, including the funeral of a loved one. Perhaps it is because looking at the body of the deceased leaves them with too many questions. They are bewildered. To them it represents the end. It may also remind them of a judgment to come. And for those who do attend a funeral, the wailing is heart rending. This is why at every funeral I try to minister the gospel with the love of God.

Death has lost its power

You see, the fear of death actually loses its power over a child of God. In fact in the heart of every believer is an upward longing for those things that lie ahead. Paul said it best,

“Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Phil3:13,14)

For many years I’ve had a habit of visiting cemeteries, especially those where some of my forebearers have been laid to rest. Don’t think it strange. When you do as many funerals as I do, cemeteries have much to say. Sometimes I get my children to accompany me. When I talk with them about their ancestors, I try to point out something of their Christian nature. I’ve done this since my now grown children were quite small.

It has been my deepest desire to instill in my children eternal values. Some of my sweetest memories have been those of talking with my children about Jesus, the heavenly Father, and all that belong to him.

Tell your children and your children’s children

“You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up.” (Deu 6:7 NASB)

Some year ago when my daughter was very young, I was in my study and heard a small knock on my door. There she was. Shana looked at me, and said,

“Daddy, I don’t have anybody to hold me.”

Quickly I scooped her up, sat her in my lap, and the two of us looked out my French doors. Then I began talking with her about God’s birds, and His creation, and of His love for us.

But I did the same with my sons. We would be out raking the yard, when I’d have all three of my children sit down with me under a tree. Usually the boys would get quiet. There we would let the heavenly Father love us in His quietness. Once again I’d hear my youngest say,

“Daddy, everybody needs a hug, huh? Even God.” “Yes, baby, everybody needs a hug, even God.“

Isn’t it amazing how a child can speak such wonderful things.

Does God need a hug? I think so. Does God love to hold us? I believe He does. How much does God love us? We are unable to measure of even fathom such a love. But He loved us enough to give His own Son as a sacrifice for our sins. As the writer said,

“One sacrifice for all sins for all time.” (Heb10:12)

God doesn’t want his children to be afraid. I think this is what my grandfather wanted to say when he wrote the inscription for my great grandfather’s head stone. It wasn’t written to cause fear, but to cause those who walked by to think a bit on the eternal.

I don’t remember that much about my grandfather Martin. I do remember him playing his guitar and singing in the old country church that we attended. Wish I had more memories of him but I’ll just have to cherish the very few.

And so the apostolic writer said,

“And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to died once and after this comes judgment….”

But isn’t it interesting when folk quote that verse, they forget to look at the rest of the sentence. The rest of the sentence says,

“…so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him.” (Heb9:27,28)

Notice it says “without reference to sin.” The sin problem has been settled for eternity for all who receive Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. These are the believers who eagerly await Him. Only those who refuse to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior will appear for judgment.

In the meantime we walk in our testimony to the Lord. We are His living proof (witnesses) of the reality of Jesus Christ.

And thank you granddaddy for writing those words. They sure have done well for my preaching.

Please take time to listen to this song. The Lord may have something to speak in your heart.

Think about it,

Much love in Jesus,

Buddy

Jul

2010

Learn to Live From Heaven’s Wisdom…

“Does not wisdom call … ‘To you, O men, I call, and my voice is to the sons of men. O naive ones, understand prudence; and, O fools, understand wisdom. Listen, for I will speak noble things; and the opening of my lips will reveal right things.

“For my mouth will utter truth; and wickedness is an abomination to my lips. All the utterances of my mouth are in righteousness; there is nothing crooked or perverted in them. They are all straightforward to him who understands, and right to those who find knowledge.

“Take my instruction and not silver, and knowledge rather than choicest gold.

For wisdom is better than jewels; and all desirable things cannot compare with her.” (Pro 8:1-11 NASB)

Readers,

This is an entry where you would do well to follow all the Scriptures given. There is nothing more important to believers than to learn to draw on their heavenly life. This heavenly life is set forth in the Scriptures as ‘wisdom from above.’

There are five books in the Old Testament that are called ‘Wisdom books.’ These books are Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Solomon.

To God’s ancient people ‘wisdom’ was a mystery. Wisdom not only meant skillful living, but it meant directives from God. Very early on the sages saw a close connection between God’s wisdom and Light, God’s power and His Word, and with a special view to the coming Messiah.

We see this in David’s prophetic writings.

“For with You is the fountain of life; in Your light we see light.” (Psa 36:9 NASB)

In this Scripture we see the hidden Christ as the fountain of life. We also see a reflection on this, when Jesus said,

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

David knew that the true wisdom for life could only be found in the heart of God. This is why it is said that David was a man after God’s heart. Actually there were certain things hidden in God that could only be revealed after the cross. David also knew this. And Wisdom was one of the things that was hidden in God.

A Closer Look at Wisdom in the Old Testament

God’s ancient people always connected wisdom with rightness of life. Righteousness to them was defined as ‘right-wise-ness’. Yet wisdom still remained such a mystery.

Follow this reading from Job:

“But where can wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding? Man does not know its value, nor is it found in the land of the living. The deep says, ‘It is not in me’; and the sea says, ‘It is not with me.’ Pure gold cannot be given in exchange for it, nor can silver be weighed as its price. It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir, in precious onyx, or sapphire.

“Gold or glass cannot equal it, nor can it be exchanged for articles of fine gold. Coral and crystal are not to be mentioned; and the acquisition of wisdom is above that of pearls. The topaz of Ethiopia cannot equal it, nor can it be valued in pure gold.

‘Where then does wisdom come from? And where is the place of understanding? Thus it is hidden from the eyes of all living and concealed from the birds of the sky. Abaddon and Death say, ‘With our ears we have heard a report of it.’ God understands its way, and He knows its place.” (Job 28:12-23 NASB)

Did you catch it? The wisdom of God is not an earthly wisdom. It is a wisdom that is hidden in God Himself. It is a heavenly wisdom.

Keep the term ‘hidden wisdom’ in view. This heavenly hidden wisdom is going to reappear in the new covenant writings.

The wisdom of God was also connected with creation.

“The LORD by wisdom founded the earth, by understanding He established the heavens.” (Pro 3:19 NASB)

To the ancients this wisdom from God also spoke of salvation and the coming Redeemer:

“The LORD is exalted, for He dwells on high; He has filled Zion with justice and righteousness. And He will be the stability of your times, a wealth of salvation, wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the LORD is his treasure.” (Isa 33:5-6 NASB)

Now see where Job speaks of the coming Redeemer:

“As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last He will take His stand on the earth. Even after my skin is destroyed, yet from my flesh I shall see God; whom I myself shall behold, and whom my eyes will see and not another. My heart faints within me!” (Job 19:25-27 NASB)

It is important to keep in mind that Wisdom in the Bible always connects with the very life of God.

Which brings us to the issue of…

Jesus the ‘hidden wisdom’ of God

When Adam sinned against the Lord, he forfeited his life & his wisdom connection with God. Mankind would enter a world dominated by darkness & death.

In the Targums, the sages taught that the original light of creation was to provide wisdom for mankind to live by. When Adam rejected God’s command, the light of wisdom was hidden. It would only come back with the Messiah.

This is where the New Testament writings open up. Most Hebrew people would have understood what John was writing, when he said:

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.“ (Joh 1:1-5 NASB)

To a Jewish reader all these statements about the ‘Word’, spoke to them of the Messiah.

New covenant believers are Children of Light.

The terms ‘light’ and ‘darkness’ are expressions that distinguish between those born of heaven and those who are yet in sinful darkness of this present world.

It would do you well to take note of the following Scriptures:

“At that time Jesus said, ‘I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise [worldly wise] and intelligent and have revealed them to infants.’” (Mat 11:25 NASB)

“… giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light. For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” (Col 1:12-14 NASB)

“…rescuing you [Paul’s commission from the Lord] from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you, to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.” (Act 26:17-18 NASB)

“Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them; for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light.” (Eph 5:6-8 NASB)

“To me, the very least of all 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; so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places.” (Eph 3:8-10 NASB)

“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; 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.” (1Co 2:6-8 NASB)

God’s people are to learn to

Draw on our heavenly wisdom

James describes our heavenly wisdom this way:

“But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.” (Jas 3:17-18 NASB)

Paul explains that maturity in Christ actually involves learning to live from the wisdom that comes from above. The moment a person is born again they become a citizen of heaven. This means that all our resources in life, all our directives in life, and all our wisdom and skill in life are to come from a heavenly source.

Take note of these Scriptures:

“Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” (Col 3:1-3 NASB)

“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Mat 6:33 NASB)

“For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Php 3:20 NASB)

“Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.” (Eph 5:15-17 NASB)

Don’t live beneath your privileges.

Many of God’s children are so caught up in a religious world that they let others do all their thinking for them. They are living far below what a walk with the Lord is all about. .

You will often hear me say this but it is worth repeating…

– Jesus did not come to give us a better religion. He did not come to give us a religion at all. Jesus came to give us a direct relationship with the heavenly Father. Jesus came to teach us how to live from our heavenly life. –

How do I learn to live in my heavenly life? You do this by taking the yoke of Christ upon yourself. Do it as an act of faith. Make a quality decision where you can say without condition, ‘Father, not my will but Yours be done.’

Learn to walk step-in-step with the Lord. This is how we actually draw on His strength and on His wisdom for life.

Here is a song for your meditations – ‘You are the Light of the World.’

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-hgd-9r56k[/youtube]

In Christ always,

Buddy

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;

x

“…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.’

x

“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.

x

“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

May

2010

Do we share kinship with God…

“Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.” (Act 20:28 NASB)

Journal,

Among the Semitic people the term covenant carried the idea of ‘kinship’ with the god of the covenant. The god supposedly would adopt the people as his people. This idea carries over in the history of Israel as being the adopted people of the Lord God.

In the new covenant the idea of ‘kinship’ with the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob changes. In the new covenant we become ‘blood kin’ of God, through the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus. This sprinkling of the blood is a work of the Holy Spirit. It gives all believers both a spiritual kinship to God, and a blood guarantee of a future resurrected body. This is why Paul said,

“The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are [right now] children of God.” (Rom 8:16)

And why John said,

“Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.” (1Jn 3:2 NASB)

Back to the Old Testament idea of covenant.

Among the Semitics, it was the tribal fathers who would make covenant. Cutting a covenant usually included taking a substitute sacrificial animal, splitting it in two, with both parties passing between the pieces. The fathers and their descendants were then considered to be one together. If aggression was made against either covenant partner, it was an aggression against both. If one transgressed the covenant, then what was done to the sacrificial animal was to be done to the transgressor.

Substitutional ‘blood kin’ can be seen in the tabernacle of Moses. Note Hebrews 9:19-22:

“For when every commandment had been spoken by Moses to all the people according to the Law, he took the blood of the calves and the goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, saying, ‘This is the blood of the covenant which God commanded you.’ And in the same way he sprinkled both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry with the blood.”

The sprinkling of blood signified oneness with the God of Israel. Thus if anyone touched Israel, they touched the God of Israel. But if Israel transgressed the covenant, then judgment would be had.

The idea of adoption.

The people of Israel were not the spiritual children of God. They were adopted children. Until the sin of Adam could be dealt with there could be no spiritual children and most certainly no true blood kinship to God.

Moses calls attention to this:

“The Rock! His work is perfect, for all His ways are just; A God of faithfulness and without injustice, righteous and upright is He. They have acted corruptly toward Him, they are not His children, because of their defect; But are a perverse and crooked generation.” (Deu 32:4-5 NASB)

What was their defect? It was the fallen nature of Adam. All of humanity shared in Adam’s fall from the glory that was originally his.

Peter draws from what Moses said in his message on the day of Pentecost:

“‘For the promise [of the new covenant] is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself.’ And with many other words he solemnly testified and kept on exhorting them, saying, ‘Be saved from this perverse generation!'” (Act 2:39-40 NASB)

And so the sprinkled blood of the sacrificed animal could only be a symbol. When the blood was sprinkled the people ‘came under’ the blood of the covenant. The people themselves were adopted. They were still not by nature God’s own spiritual children. Their nature was unlike His.

Paul further explains the issue of adoption.

“Who are Israelites, to whom belongs the adoption as sons, and the glory, and the covenants and the giving of the Law and the temple service and the promises.” (Romans 9:4)

When Paul speaks of ‘the adoption as sons,’ he precludes any idea of a spiritual birth. No one in the Old Testament could be born of God until the Lamb of God came on the scene.

Peter also calls attention to the blood of the new covenant in saying that our redemption is with ‘precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.’ He also calls attention to the futile way of life that was their inheritance from their fathers. (Speaking of the forms and shadows of the former covenant that could never remove sin or bring the people close to God. Cf. 1Pet1:16-25)

When Peter speaks of a “futile way of life inherited from your fathers,” he is not disparaging the patriarchs of Israel, nor is he drawing attention to the wickedness of their forefathers. He is simply calling attention to the same thing that Moses called attention to. The term ‘futile way of life’ fits every class of the lost family of Adam, and not simply the Jews.

This issue of salvation must never be overlooked.

The Jewish peoples during the time of Christ believed that they could not be lost because of their blood line to Abraham. John the Baptist and Jesus, and all the apostles came against any such notion. This is why John said that God could raise up stones to be children of Abraham.

Here Peter makes an even stronger case for the sprinkled blood of Jesus:

“Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who reside as aliens, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, who are chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ [repentance and faith] and be sprinkled with His blood:

“May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, …

…”to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” (1Pe 1:1-5 NASB)

The whole human race has been contaminated by sin.

We were all of a ‘crooked and perverse’ generation. This came from our father Adam. The bloodline of Abraham was no exception.

But now through Christ Jesus we have the reality of what the Old Testament types could only point to. The blood that Moses sprinkled on the people could only speak of their adoption to God, but it could not remove their sins, nor could it actually make them true spiritual children of God. No animal blood could do that. Only the blood of Jesus could make our kinship a reality.

The apostle Paul puts everything in place when he says that the blood running through the veins of Jesus was literally God’s blood. So when the blood of Jesus is sprinkled on the human spirit, that human being becomes a totally new creature, born of heaven.

This responds to the promise given to Abraham, when the Lord 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.’” (Genesis 15:5)

So – Are you kin to God?

Yes, you are kin to God if you have a heavenly birth. This means that you are born of His blood and His Spirit. You are His very child, nature of His nature, blood of His blood, and seed of His seed. It is our ‘blood of the Lamb’ that gives us the promise of a future resurrection of glory. We are marked out as the very children of God. We have a destiny that is beyond anything to be imagined.

Just something to think about.

In the meantime listen to this wonderful song that puts the gospel to music. (By Adrenne Liesching and Geoff Moore – Originally by Stuart Townend and Keith Getty.)

In Christ always,

Buddy

Mar

2010

Of His fullness we have received…

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

Journal,

A difficulty we have in interpreting Scripture is the tendency to read our own belief systems into the text. This is called eisegesis, or ‘reading into.’ The proper way to interpret Scripture is called exegesis, or ‘reading out of.’ (Most doctrinal failure is a problem of eisegesis.)

To properly understand what a Biblical writer means when he uses a certain term, we have to understand how that term was used during his time. When John says, “For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace,” we need to know how the term ‘fullness‘ was used at that time.

The Greek word ‘pleroma‘ means ‘that which fills,’ and it comes from ‘pleroo’, or, ‘ to fill with a content.’ As used by the gospel writers, pleroma had a two-fold meaning. It meant that believers have been brought to fullness in Christ’s sphere of life.

In this case there is nothing we need to do to be any closer to God, than being ‘in Christ.’ This fullness of our sphere of relationship takes place in the new birth. It is not some later added spiritual experience.

The term also means believers are filled absolutely by the person of Christ as the Giver. No believer has more of Christ than another believer. If of His fullness we have all received, then there is nothing else we need to receive. It is here that we get the idea of Christ living out His life in us. Paul had this idea in mind, when he said,

“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 life in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.” (Gal2:20)

Then you had the nonliteral use of pleroma or pleroo by the gospel writers which was, “to fill up to a specific measure.” or, “to fulfill a divine demand or claim.”

We see this when Jesus speaks to the rejecting Jewish leadership…

… saying, “Fill up (pleroo), then, the measure of the guilt of your fathers.” (Matt23:32) This meant that they would become completers of all those who killed the prophets in times past. He goes on to say,

“Upon you will fall the guilt of all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel, to the blood of Zechariah.” (V35)

In coming back to how this term applies to the new covenant, let’s go another step. Paul says,

“Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled (pleroo) the law.”

Paul is saying that the love of God that is poured out in our hearts in the new birth, is now the governing principle of the new covenant, and that by walking in the Spirit of love we automatically fulfill, or reach the full goal of the Law of Moses.

Paul’s point is that Christ has removed any need for performing rituals. Anyone can perform a ritual, but only those truly born of God’s Spirit have the capacity to fulfill the love walk.

There is a final sense in the word ‘pleroma’ which has to do with completeness, or to finish up a thing.

This is a very important concept, since it relates back to our original reference Scripture. Listen again;

“For of His fullness (pleorma; or, ‘completeness’) we have all received.”

Again listen carefully to Paul;

“For in Him [Jesus] all the fullness [pleroma] of Deity dwells in bodily form, and in Him you have been made complete [pleroo], and He is the head over all rule and authority.” (Col2:9,10)

Paul’s emphasis is our completeness in Christ. Completeness means there is nothing you can add to make it any more complete.

Children of the Great I AM.

At the very moment of the new birth, a believer is made complete in Christ. No one can take from that. Nor is there anything to add to that. All the apostles agreed on this issue of our completeness. This is the sum and substance of the new covenant. And it is because of this sum and substance, that John said we are given “grace upon grace.”

Grace upon grace means that at no time in a believer’s life will he or she be able to get beyond God’s redeeming grace. Is that what it means? Hear again the apostle;

“In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our sins, according to the riches of His grace, which He *lavished* on us, in all wisdom and insight.” (Eph1:7,8)

The key word is ‘lavished.’ Perisseuo means a super abundance, or be over and above anything needed or required. God can lavish grace on all His children because we have received the fullness of Christ. We are children of the Great I AM.

The struggle

This continued to be a struggle for the early believers just as it is for many today. With them you had the judaisers on one hand, who said you must fulfill the law of Moses, and, on the other hand, you had the gnostics and philosophers who had plenty of additions. These kinds of systems have always been around.

In coming against the gnostics who were troubling the young believers, John had this to say;

“Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.”

He then says, “By this, love is perfected (brought to completion) with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He [Christ] is, so also are we in this world.“ (1John4:15,17)

John is bringing out another view of our relationship to God. He says that Christ perfectly represents every believer in heaven. And this is where our salvation lies. You can also refer to this as the life exchange of the cross. Christ took our life to Himself in His death on the cross, and, He, in turn, gave us His perfect life to be our standing with heaven.

There is so much more to be said but I hope you are getting the picture. But here are a couple more just for good measure:

“There is no fear in love; but perfect casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears [punishment] is not perfected in love.”

Then how about this one:

“For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days … For I will be merciful to their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more.” (Heb8:10- 11)

Well, have you received the fullness of Christ? Think about it. In the meantime listen to this beautiful song, ‘It Is Finished!’

There you have it.

Keep looking up.

In love with Jesus,

Buddy

children of God

When the Nations Shutter and Shake…

The war over souls

The intricacies of endtime events

The spirit of grace

The coming restoration

A time of special insight

Can nature be speaking

The shuttering and shaking

The voice of the blood…

Crucified to the world…

The Doctrine of New Covenant Life…

Faith in God’s Word…

Remember friend as you pass by…

Learn to Live From Heaven’s Wisdom…

Stages in the Journey of Life…

Do we share kinship with God…

Of His fullness we have received…

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