Now would be a good time to share a story with you that may speak to your life. Actually I’ve shared this story before. But now I want to take another look at it. This time let’s call it…
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The Parable of the Poplar Trees
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Each morning in my walk to church I pass by four poplar trees that Betty and I planted some time back. Every time I look at these four trees I get the feeling that these trees have a story to tell.
What was so unusual about these trees? Well, for one thing we planted them in a row of about 10 feet apart. They were all the same height as saplings. Yet now the further up the hill the tree was planted, the taller the tree had become. The highest tree is easily 40 feet tall. The next about 25 feet. The third 15 feet. The last one at the bottom of the hill about 4 feet tall.
That tiny tree that is at the lowest part of the hill looked so frail. It made my heart sad for it. On a search I went. Why were the trees so different in height? This is what I found: ‘Do not plant poplar trees in clay, the trees will die.’
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That was it! Poplar trees must have good soil to grow properly. Clay keeps water from the roots of the trees. That bit of information fit the picture of our poplar trees. The higher up the hill, the better the soil. It was a water and a soil issue. Further down the hill the ground had more clay in it.
So now — What was the lesson in this? Let me add another clue. Someone pointed out that the higher up the hill the tree was planted, this also put the tree closer to the church. (Christian Challenge.) That by itself is a spiritual lesson. Believers who distance themselves from the body of Christ, actually become weaker in their faith. (The lesson here should be obvious.)
The Lord began to show me how these trees can easily represent spiritual growth in a believer’s life. The soil in which the tree grows speaks to two things. It can point to the condition of our hearts. But the soil can also represent the place where we attend church. Are you catching the gist about now?
What is it that stunts growth in any child of God’s life? If the believer is under the kind of teaching that genders to fear and condemnation, that believer’s life will began to wither and wilt. No one can grow in a fear dominated atmosphere. Those believers who are under the kind of teaching that continues to build them up in Christ, they will become strong fruit-bearing Christians.
OK, so much for the parable. A parable isn’t much good if someone has to fill in all the blanks for you. Think about it. Perhaps the Lord will share something special with you from the poplar trees.
What an awesome moment in time. Yesterday we baptized three of my family members. You might ask, ‘So, what’s so awesome about that?’ Glad you asked. Over forty years ago I began a prayer list of my family, my dad, mom, sisters, nephews, nieces, uncles, aunts, and cousins. Every morning I would lay the list on my open Bible, and ask the Lord to save my family. (At the time I was the only one on the list serving the Lord.)
One by one by one I saw them come to the Lord. Most I baptized. I baptized my dad thirty days before he passed over. Baptized my mom, my sisters, nephews and nieces, uncles, aunts, and cousins, not to mention a long list of many others.
Here it is some forty something years later. And the joy continues. Please note the first picture. Yesterday I baptized my dad’s youngest sister, Aunt Vallie Paul. (84 years young.) There are only two of my father’s siblings left this side of heaven. The rest have gone on. What a great honor to get to baptize Aunt Valley.
Oh no, the story doesn’t end there. This next picture is my cousin, Lane Fletcher, baptizing his sister, Martha Jane Duncan. Both Lane and Martha are children of my first cousin, Gus Fletcher. (Gus has already made the journey home.)
So the story of the list continues. Of course it has gone far beyond the original list that I made.
Is that it? No, there is one more. The last picture is my first cousin’s wife, Bernette Fletcher. Bernette is Lane’s and Martha Jan’s mother, wife of Gus Fletcher. I got to baptize her yesterday.
Is that it? No way! I’ve long since misplaced my original list, but that’s alright. I fully intend to stand in the gap for my family and for whoever else the Lord will place on my heart. Life is too short to get sidetracked.
The fact of the matter is that the business of the kingdom of God is souls. And when I stand before the Lord, I want to hear Him say to me, “Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things … enter the joy of your Master.”– Matt 25:21 nasb
The big question remains. Perhaps you are asking, ‘Whats the big deal on water baptism?’ Stay with me as I share a short Bible study. Let’s call it…
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Bodies Washed With Pure Water
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“Let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.” Hebrews 10:22 nasb.
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When the writer speaks of our ‘bodies washed with pure water,’ this was a Hebraic expression for water baptism.
Notice the writer first draws attention to the heart being sprinkled clean from an evil conscience. The inference here is to the application of the sprinkled blood of Jesus upon the repentant sinner. Peter speaks of this in saying, “By the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled by His blood.” (1Pet1:2 in part.)
In our initial Scripture reading the background for the washing of the body with pure water is the tabernacle plan. In approaching the holy tent, you must first come to the altar of the blood sacrifice. Then you came to the laver of washing. Then you were able to enter the tent of communion. In our conversion experience the Holy Spirit first brings us to the blood and then to the water and then into full communion with Christ. (The Holy Spirit is involved in the full work of sanctification and conversion.)
For some additional background let me take a moment to draw on the ancient Jewish ritual of the proselyte baptism. This is very much in line with Christian baptism. In the law of the proselyte desiring to be joined to Israel, three things were required; a sacrifice at the temple, circumcision, and then water baptism.
Lightfoot gives this explanation: “As soon as he grows whole of the wound of circumcision, they bring him to Baptism, and being placed in the water they again instruct him in some weightier and in some lighter commands of the Law. Which being heard, he plunges himself and comes up, and, behold, he is an Israelite in all things.” The proselyte was not a completed Israelite until his or her body had been washed by full immersion.
Paul explains this as the old man (including the old master) being cut off and put away, and a newly created life now being presented. Early Christian baptism was very similar to the Jewish proselyte baptism. The sacrifice was Jesus Christ, circumcision was of the heart, and water baptism was the cutting off of the old life.
Baptism was always a full immersion. Lightfoot adds; “Every person baptized must dip his whole body, now striped and made naked, at one dipping.” He went on to say, “Wheresoever in the Law washing of the body or garments is mentioned, it means nothing less that the washing of the whole body.”
Ebersheim says that women were attended by their own sex and the rabbis stood outside the door.
The point is that for the Jews and early Christians, baptism was always a full washing of the body. And this issue of full immersion continues today in the Greek Church. Wherever the Greek Church is found in the world today, baptism is full immersion. This has been an unbroken practice from the early Jewish Christians. [Pouring water on a candidate began to make an appearance in the 2nd century and thereafter.]
The early Christian writers show that immersion was employed in baptism. Barnabas is an example. He says, “We go down into the water full of sins and filth, and we come up bearing fruit in the heart.” Sounds very similar to what Ananias said to Paul; “Now, why do you delay? Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name.”(Acts22:16)
To the early Christians, water baptism related to the cutting the covenant, or cutting off the old master, or cutting off the old life. Because of this water baptism was not a thing to be toyed with. A careful reading of the Acts of the Apostles will show that a great emphasis was placed on water baptism.
In Acts, while people could be born again before water baptism, the act of water baptism was still made an issue of immediate importance. The question is why? There must be a reason that is not always understood today. For many today, water baptism has almost been nullified in importance. I believe water baptism is one of the most misunderstood doctrines of the Christian experience.
Let me share an example. Paul used the issue of Israel crossing the Red Sea in regard to baptism. He said, “Our fathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea; and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea.” (1Co10:1,2) Here we begin to see the issue of water baptism.
Let’s go back to Egypt. Remember the judgements of God? Do you recall the purpose of the blood being applied to the homes? The blood singled out and protected the Hebrew peoples from the judgments of God. How does this fit our experience? It is the blood of Jesus that saves us from the judgement of God.
Paul said, “Much more then, having been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.” (Rom5:9) What the blood did was to reconcile us to God. We now have peace because of the blood.
Follow me here – Now while the blood on the doors of the Hebrew homes saved them from God’s judgement, why did it not protect them from Pharaoh trying to keep them in slavery? Do you recall how that Pharaoh chased after them up to the Red Sea?
The reason Pharaoh kept after them was because they were still in his domain, or jurisdiction. He was their old master and he had no intention of letting them go. What happened at the Red Sea? The old master was cut off. The Hebrew nation took up a new life on the other side. They were now under a new master.
There is an old song that says, “The water, spirit, and the blood, agree if we but understood, in making sinners pure and good, and take their sins away.” John tells us the blood, the water, and the Spirit are all involved in the outworking of our salvation. (1John5:6)
Just some things to consider.
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How about a song about the water. Here it is, ‘Step Into the Water,’ by Kingdom Heirs and Kirk Talley.
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Of course you know that water baptism has to do with fulfilling righteousness.
“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)
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Journal,
Sometimes believers have a hard time finding a balance in their walk with the Lord. This is not uncommon. We begin as babes in Christ, and thereafter have to grow in all areas of our walk with Him. Then there is the problem of unbalance. Unbalance usually tends towards extremes.
One area of unbalance is the belief that God is not really concerned about our life in this present world. We are to be so focused on heaven that life in this present world has no relevance. And so the less you have in worldly goods the more in tune with heaven you are. Of course this is an unbalanced view of our walk with the Lord.
The opposite extreme of this is when we are taught that we can measure our Christian faith and our relationship with God by the things we accumulate. This again another error. This view can even gender to greed. Jesus said, “Be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions.” (Luke 12:15)
So, where is the balance?
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The balance is in the Lordship of Jesus Christ.
Jesus gave a gauge that is to set the tone for our new covenant walk with Him. It has to do with ‘seeking’ two things, seeking first His kingdom, and seeking His righteousness. These seeking’s are interrelated. Kingdom seeking has to do with the rule of God in our life. Seeking His righteousness has to do with finding the path that the Lord would have us travel.
When Jesus spoke of seeking the kingdom of God and His righteousness, His disciples had a concept of what this meant. They had been taught that Israel was the kingdom of God on earth, and that keeping the Law of Moses was the determining factor of righteous living. What they didn’t realize at the time is that the spiritual dynamics of the kingdom of God were about to change. The new dynamic would come out of the cross.
This is where the ‘sermon on the mountain’ enters the picture. This sermon was the staging place for preparing the Lord’s disciples for kingdom living under the new covenant. In this teaching, Jesus calls attention to the former way of living under the law of Moses, by making room for the experience of the new covenant. This new phase of God’s kingdom in the earth would be called ‘the kingdom of His beloved Son.’ (Col1:13)
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This concept of God’s kingdom wasn’t entirely new.
The prophets had long spoken of the Messiah’s kingdom to come. It was this very knowledge that the Lord used to cause discomfort with the Jewish religious leaders. Various groups began throwing questions at Jesus, hoping to trip Him up. The Lord disarmed each question with an answer that could not be refuted. Finally it says of these leaders,“They did not have courage to question Him any longer about anything.”(Luke 20:40)
It is at this juncture that the Lord asks them a question. He said,
How is it that they say the Christ is David’s son? For David himself says in the book of Psalms, ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, until I make your enemies a footstool for Your feet.”‘ Therefore David calls Him ‘Lord,’ and how is He his son?” (Luke 20:40-44)
What a provoking question. Jesus is quoting from Psalm 110. What caused them concern, however, was that all the people accepted that Psalm 110 was about Messiah. They also knew that Messiah was to be David’s son. Yet in this Psalm, David calls the Messiah his Lord. The question? How can Messiah be David’s son, and yet also be David’s Lord? They had nothing to say.
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But that isn’t all that David said about Christ.
David laid out God’s redemption program through His Son in the second Psalm. He writes,
I will surely tell of the decree of the Lord: He said to Me, ‘You are My Son, today I have begotten You. ‘Ask of Me and I will surely give the nations as Your inheritance.”
David further says,
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!” [Here David points to the second coming of Christ, i.e., the day of wrath.]
So, when Jesus said, “Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you,’ is another way of saying that to enter into the kingdom of God’s beloved Son you have to call upon Him as Lord.
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The decree of the cross.
By the way if you aren’t familiar with the decree of the cross, here it is –“And it shall be that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Act2:21; Rom10:13)
But there is something more at hand. Since Jesus is talking to disciples in the sermon on the mountain, He is laying out a kingdom principle. To seek first His kingdom, the word for kingdom is ‘besileia’. This word translates over into English as royal power, kingship, dominion, rule.
Jesus is not speaking of a kingdom that can be measured by borders. Jesus said that His kingdom was not of this world. What we are to seek for is the royal rule of the King in our lives. This is the essence of kingdom Life.
Paul has this in mind, in saying,“As you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him.” (Col2:6) Here Paul is telling us to live out our lives in the sphere of the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Jesus said we were not only to seek His kingdom rule, but also to seek His ‘righteousness.’ The issue here is not the righteousness we are given when we are born again. Every believer is given perfect righteousness before the throne of God when they are born again. However, the issue here is ‘pathways.’ (How to live out our life.)
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Seek the pathway of the Lord.
This matches up with something David said in Psalm 23;
He [the Lord] restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.” (Psalm 23:3)In this case, our seeking ‘His righteousness’ means we are to seek the Lord’s directives and His will for our lives. And this is what gives distinction to the new covenant.
In the new covenant every person has direct access to the throne of heaven, any time, all the time, wherever and whenever. And if you will notice Jesus places our kingdom-righteous walk in the care of our loving Father. He said,
Your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.”The point is that as we seek to live under kingdom rule, that is, by directives from the Lord Jesus, every need in our life will be met. Jesus said, “All these things will be added.”
Peter later elaborates on this, when he says,
Seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.” (2Pet1:3)
Paul says much the same;
So then let no one boast in men. For all things belong to you, whether Paul or Apollos or the world or life or death of things present or things to come; all things belong to you, and you belong to Christ; and Christ belongs to God.” (1Co3:21,23)
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Don’t get caught up in just seeking blessings.
Have you ever noticed that as a person begins to serve the Lord, their lot in life also begins to improve. This is because the Lord sees to both to our spiritual needs and our temporal needs. This means more than having needs met. Seeking first His kingdom and His righteousness means we have an obligation to see where we fit in the Father’s business. The most miserable Christian on earth is that one who gets caught up in seeking blessings, but does not seek his or her place of service.
What often happens is that as some seek the Lord’s will they do not want their comfort zone to be disturbed. This is why many of God’s people never discover the true joy of a Biblical disciple’s walk. It is only when we are able to say with Jesus, “Abba! Father! Not what I will, but what You will.” (Mark 14:36) Everything in a disciple’s life must revolve around applying his or heart to seeking and doing the will of God.
With this in mind let me share a personal story. Let’s call it…
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The Gate to Miracle Land
Some many years ago I left the full time ministry for a season. I had experienced burn out. Over a period of three years I went through a spiritual restructuring of my life. Then the time came when I once again found myself able to say, “Lord, I’ll go anywhere you want me to go. I’ll do anything you want me to do. All I ask is that You tell me Yourself what you want me to do. Don’t send someone to tell me.” (Pretty close to exact words.)
In a few short weeks the Lord offered me an invitation to walk through what I can only term, ‘the gate to miracle land.’ It happened Friday, January 19, 1975. That morning I was playing my guitar and singing to the Lord. I heard in my spirit, “Go home!” We were living in South Louisiana and home was Central Louisiana.
I shared with Betty what the Lord said. We took our children out of school and headed north. I kept trying to figure out what the Lord had in store. I began making plans to visit a number of churches that I had held revivals in. I thought the Lord wanted me to share my testimony. Was I ever wrong. That wasn’t what the Lord had in store at all.
We took our children to my sister’s home. Across the road from her house was a church I had held my first revival in. The lights were on. I found odd since it wasn’t a church night. Cars were everywhere. I thought this must be where I am to begin.
A service was in progress. Betty and I sat quietly in the back. I waited, but the Lord said nothing else. When the minister recognized me, he said, “Brother Martin, do you have anything you would like to share.” By that time I didn’t know what to say. I simply stood, and said, “Brother, I don’t know why the Lord sent me, but I am here.”
When I spoke those first words, I heard weeping in the congregation. What I didn’t know was they had lost a pastor, and they had been praying for the Lord to send them ‘their’ pastor. At that moment the Lord gave them a witness that their pastor was standing in their midst.
Anyway, that was my initial venture into miracle land. And that was the beginning of my venture into the world of a disciple.
I could share story after story of how the Lord has provided for us, and especially how He taught us principles of discipleship. It is a never-ending story. But walking through that gate was the best thing that had ever happened to my wife and me. It brought us to where we are today. As for tomorrow, who knows?
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What is the level of your walk with the Lord?
Is there a gate the Lord would have you walk through?
Rather than add anything else at this point, let me simply point out that the level of our walk with the Lord will always be measured by how we respond to the principles of His kingdom. I only shared one principle. The Sermon on the Mountains is filled with instructions for the disciple.
You may want to read through the sermon again. Do it like it is a first time. Listen to the Spirit of the Lord. Just put your disciple ‘glasses’ on as you read it.
In the mean time take a listen to Lynda Randle as she sings, ‘Walk With Me, Lord.’
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Remember, there is much love to be found in Jesus.
“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my rock and my Redeemer.”(Psa 19:14 nasb)
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Journal,
Some time back I had a discussion with one of our students about the words that we speak. I felt it would be good to provide a study in this area. The only problem, however, is that this subject is so vast that I’ll have to narrow things down to a digestible level. It is amazing at how much the Bible has to say about how our life has a direct connection to our speaking.
Let’s take a look at this great subject of the words of our mouth. (By the way, this is not one of those hyper-confessional teachings that you find in the Word of Faith movement.)
In the world of words what we speak does affect our lives in a deeply sobering way. What we say about Christ really is a matter of life and death. This is where the confession of Christ determines our salvation.
In speaking to His mockers, the Lord said,
The good man brings out of his good treasure what is good; and the evil man brings out of his evil treasure what is evil. But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” (Matt12:35-36)
Let’s put these Scriptures into their proper setting. The ‘evil’ man in this case is the blasphemer. There were those who contributed the work of the Holy Spirit in Jesus to Beelzebul. Beelzebul was one of the names given to Satan, as lord of the demons. The later Talmudic writers did exactly that. They contributed the works of Jesus to sorcery. The Talmudic writers will have to give an account for their words in the day of judgment. (Jesus calls them a brood of vipers. Their words are full of poison.)
What about the good man? The good man is that person who confesses Jesus Christ for who He really is, that is, as Savior and Messiah of Israel. Thus we hear the Lord say, “For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”
Listen carefully to what Jesus said about our confession of faith in Him:
Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven.”(Mat 10:32-33)
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Let’s carry this into some basic issues of life.
Now that we have that sobering issue of salvation before us, we also need to take a closer look at why some believers have so many spiritual problems in their life. One reason believers get into trouble spiritually is because they’ve either been snared by their own words, or they’ve been snared by the words of someone else. Do you find that strange? This is a Biblical truth. And this is one reason we need the Holy Spirit to help guide us through the process of life.
Words have the power to change us for good or for bad. Words carry messages and images. Words affect our thinking. They can capture our heart. They create memories. Words have molding power. The very words we speak to our children can make a contribution to how they perceive themselves. This is why it is so important that we learn to speak the truth in love. We should never speak damaging words to our children.
My mom and dad divorced when I was rather young. A few years later they remarried. But my earliest childhood memories are of my mom. The memories that stand out the most are from things she shared with me. Mom often spoke into my life with affirmations. She gave me a image of myself that helped to strengthened me for my future role in life as a minister of the gospel. There is a sense in that my mom empowered me for the future by the words she spoke.
However, this goes far beyond a mother speaking to her child. It is an issue that governs life itself. This is why Paul said that we should never let a ‘rotten’ word proceed from our mouth, that we should only speak words that will minister grace to the hearer. Rotten words produce rottenness. Words of grace fill the heart with truth and love.
Paul was not alone. James gives a detailed explanation on this issue of how our words will determine our very future. He begins his teaching on words by saying, “Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment.”
Then he said, “For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well.”
The word for ‘perfect’ in Greek speaks of something that has reached its goal, thus it generally refers to a spiritual maturing. A spiritual mature believer knows how to walk in the ways of the Lord, and knows how to speak in a way that is proper.
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A tongue set on fire.
James has much more to say. He says the tongue is the member of our body that will direct our flow of life. Then he concludes this area of thought by drawing attention to the wisdom that comes from above. Rather than expand on this portion, I would encourage the members to read all of James chapter 3.
We know there is a positive side to this and a negative side. But sometimes we have to look at the negative in order to accentuate the positive. David spoke of the man who refused to speak blessings to God’s people. He said,
He did not remember to show lovingkindness … He also loved cursing, so it came to him; and he did not delight in blessings, so it was far from him. But he clothed himself with cursing as with his garment, and it entered into his body like water and like oil to his bones.” (Psa109:16-20)
It would be easy to say that this is Old Testament and does not apply to the covenant of Christ, but that is error. The laws that govern life don’t change. Peter picks up on this in the New Testament by quoting from David. Peter said,
The one who desires life, to love and see good days, must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit.” (Cf. 1Pet3:10)
It is so easy to think this issue of ‘words’ isn’t really very important. The truth is that there is nothing more important to a child of God. The minister in the pulpit must learn to speak from wisdom. To this very day I still find the pulpit a trembling place. I realize that people are listening carefully to what I have to say. And I also know that the Lord is holding me accountable for speaking truth to His people.
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It isn’t simply a matter of the pulpit.
But it isn’t simply in the pulpit that we need wisdom. The spiritually matured person will know how to speak out of wisdom, with a spirit of gentleness. Have you ever noticed how the apostles could bring a rebuke where a rebuke was needed, and yet leave the person fully intact? This is because the Lord had given them authority to build up, but not to tear down. (Cf. 2Co10:8) The sage said, “Better is an open rebuke than love that is concealed.” (Pro27:5)
Even when we have a message to deliver that contains strong corrections and even rebukes, we must deliver that message in a way that we are not damaging those of whom Christ loves. God loves His people and does not take lightly their being mistreated.
Think about it — Two men can speak on the same subject. One can turn the people off, no matter how knowledgeable he may be. The other can become a blessing to the people, no matter how little education he may have. What made the difference? The sage said, “The tongue of the wise makes knowledge acceptable, but the mouth of fools spouts folly.” (Pro15:2)
Does this issue of the tongue speak to all our words? Yes! We must train our tongue to speak only that which will profit the kingdom of God and reach the souls of men and women. This is why there are such strong warnings against gossip and slander.
Its not that we can never disagree over a teaching that does not seem to accord with the Scriptures. When Jesus warned the disciples to beware of the teachings of the Pharisees, he left us an example to follow. We can warn concerning bad teachings. What we cannot do is judge or slander a brother or sister in the Lord, or become a talebearer where we are speaking to something that we have no business speaking to.
Nor is it an issue of never rebuking sin or sinners. Jesus often did this. Yet the bottom line is to keep in mind that the gospel itself means, ‘good news.’ Our job as believers is to bring good news to those who are hurting.
Isaiah said it this way:
How lovely on the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who announces peace and brings good news of happiness, Who announces salvation, And says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns!'” (Isa 52:7)
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Where does it all begin?
It all begins in the heart. This means that we have to set a watch in two areas. We must set a watch over our heart. We must set a watch over our lips.
The sage said,
Watch over your heart with all diligence, from it flow the springs (issues/forces/determinations) of life. Put away from you a deceitful mouth and put devious speech far from you.” (Pro4:23,24)
David adds,
Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips.” (Psa141:3)
Finally we have this very stern warning to those who would claim covenant privileges, and yet ignore how they should be speaking and acting:
“What right have you to tell of My statutes and take My covenant in your mouth? For you hate discipline, and you cast My words behind you. … You let your mouth loose in evil … You sit and speak against your brother; you slander your own mother’s son…” (Psa50:16-21)
So, do our words have a way of coming home to live?
“Now before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had come that He should depart from this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.”
(Joh 13:1 nasb)
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Journal,
John chapter 13 through 17 is a stand alone portion of the gospels. There are no crowds. No blind men. No lame men. No woman at the well. No John the Baptist. No debates with Pharisees and Sadducees. There are only a handful of Hebrew men chosen to be the apostles of the Lamb. It is now time for the Lord to pour His heart into these men. His journey to the cross is near at hand.
It is in these chapters that we hear the heart of the new covenant. Thus when we read John 13:1, we hear, “Now before the Feast of the Passover, Jesus knowing that His hour had come that He would depart out of this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.”
Did you catch it? “He loved them to the end.”Did you know that this statement applies to every believer. The apostle said that nothing would ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is found in Jesus Christ. Let’s talk about it.
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What began as a fledgling movement…
… in a tiny country in the eastern Mediterranean Sea mushroomed into the largest in-gathering of people this planet has ever known. Even in all its diversity, there is one thing that makes Christianity unique in the world. The love of God is the secret to the phenomena of Christianity. To discover Jesus Christ is to discover God’s love.
Most believers can quote John 3:16, which says,
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”
But John 3:17 is equally important. It says,
For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.”
But can we leave it there? John 3:18 continues with,
He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”
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The apostles were given a message.
So the apostles were given a message to carry into all the world. The message was a message of love. This is why the subject of ‘love’ is found so much in their writings. Paul says it best when he wrote,
“For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom8:38,39)
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So the great mystery of the Christian faith is really the mystery of God’s love.
He loved us before we ever knew Him. He never stops loving us. This is why our faith can rest firmly on John 13:1, which says, “He loved them to the end.” God’s love is an eternal love.
We catch a tiny reflection of God’s love when we think of our love for our children. Stop and consider. Did you love your baby the first time you saw him or her? Why? The love was in your heart. This baby belonged to you. Did you love your baby before it was actually born? Sure you did. And how about when you and your spouse were talking about having a baby? Did you love the very thought of having a baby? The answer to all these questions is ‘yes.’
These thoughts are miniature reflections on God’s love for us. The Bible says that God is love. The apostle said that we were not saved because we loved God, but because He loved us. All of this belongs to the mystery of God’s love.
When Paul said that nothing can separate us from the love of God, he may have been reflecting off of something the prophet said. The prophet Isaiah gives us a glimpse into the very heart of God. The Lord said,
Can a woman forget her nursing child and have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, but I will never forget you.” (Isa49:15)
Notice that the Lord said His love far exceeds the love that a mother has for her nursing child. There is no greater picture of love than that of a mother for her child. In fact it is so strong a picture that it eventually evolved into a form of worship among many. (Mariolatry)
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Such knowledge is too wonderful for me.
The more you study the gospels the more your understanding will be opened to the love of God and to the wonders of redemption. Not only were we chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world, but our entire life was set before God at that time. And not only that, but our times on earth – where we would be born, what our nationality would be, and many many more factors – were determined beforehand. And behind all this stands the love of God.
The Lord gave David insight into this awesome area of spiritual realities. What is said by David is to be said by every child of God. David said,
Even before there is a word on my tongue, behold, O Lord, You know it all. You have enclosed me behind and before, and laid Your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is too high, I cannot attain to it.” (Psa139:4-6)
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A love that is incomprehensible.
Paul concurs in saying that God’s love for us is incomprehensible. Incomprehensible simply means that the mind cannot grasp it. Believers soon come to realize that there are things we can perceive with our hearts, that cannot be fully expressed to others. Why? They are things of the heart, incomprehensible things. Paul said,
“Who 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.”
Things of the heart are things that God opens our hearts to perceive. They are instilled within us by the Holy Spirit.
But what is it about God’s love that is so incomprehensible? We know the answer to that only so well. We have all found that God’s love is not static. His love surrounds us. God’s love reaches into our pits and draws us out. How often have we been ashamed of a misdeed, wondering how God could ever love us still, and yet, in our turning to Him, we found Him ever there.
I have never met a Christian who could not look back on their childhood, and say, “Lord, You were there even then.” Not even the prophets understood this. And even when they were issuing stern pronouncements, in a moment of time a love song would burst forth. This song was about God and His children.
A good example is with the prophet Micah. After dealing with issues of judgments, the prophet writes,
“Who is a God like You, who pardons iniquity and passes over the rebellious act of the remnant of His possession? He does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in unchanging love … You will give truth to Jacob and unchanging love to Abraham…” (Micah 7:18-20)
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God’s unchanging love in Christ Jesus.
Unchanging love to Abraham is the catch phrase. All true believers have been made children of Abraham through our faith in Jesus Christ. Paul says that we are the children of promise.
Then we have this from Jeremiah, which again speaks of God’s love for His people;
The Lord appeared to him from afar, saying, ‘I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have drawn you with lovingkindness.'” (Jer31:3)
Again we hear a call of eternity. Jesus expresses this eternal call in saying,
Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you, abide in My love.” (John 15:9)
Did you know that the single greatest testimony that God is your very own Father is the testimony of your love for Jesus Christ? Jesus said to certain of the Jews,
If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and have come from God, for I have not even come on My own initiative, but He sent Me.” (John 8:42)
Now couple this with how the apostle Peter described the heart of a true believer;
And though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory.” (1Pet1:8)
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The greatest love story ever told.
And so the gospel is actually the greatest love story ever told. This is why Christians sing love songs to Jesus. We sing love songs to the Father. We sing of His love to us. We sing, “Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world.” We sing, “Love lifted me. Love lifted me.” We sing, “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.”
But why? Why do we Christians have such passion over the love of God. After all, you don’t hear Muslims singing, ‘Mohammed, lover of my soul.’ It can be summed up in the cry of the human heart. This cry can only be met in an encounter with Jesus. Paul describes it as the ‘Abba! Father!’ cry. We have found our Father.
Abba, Father, is an expression of true sonship. It speaks of intimacy. It is a cry of recognition. It is a cry that goes far beyond religion. It is the cry of a child’s whose heart has been filled with ‘Father consciousness.’ But it is a cry that goes both ways. We say, “My Father.” God says, “My beloved child.”
Did you know that more and more Jews are discovering the Father’s love in Jesus. I must not leave this journal entry without a song from the heart of the Hebrew believer, Jonathan Settel. Listen as he sings, ‘Amen.’ It carries the heart of the gospel in Hebrew. (Subtitled in English.)
So we ask, ‘How much to you love us, Jesus.’ He stretches out His arms, and says, ‘This much.’ So, does He love us to the end?
“How blessed is the man whose strength is in You, in whose heart are the highways to Zion! Passing through the valley of Baca they make it a spring; the early rain also covers it with blessings. They go from strength to strength, every one of them appears before God in Zion.” – (Psa 84:5-7 NASB)
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Have You Been Through the Valley of Baca?
Sure you have. Every human has been there. The Valley of Baca is the valley of weeping. The Valley of Baca is part of our journey of life. My wife and I are very familiar with this valley. Almost forty-six years ago we stood by the grave of our nine month old son. We were passing through the valley of weeping. How our hearts filled with sorrow.
But the valley of Baca isn’t simply about tears. Believe it or not the valley of Baca is also the valley of strength. It is in the valley of Baca that a believer finds himself being renewed in the Lord. Betty and I knew that we would see David Lynn again. There was no question in our minds about that. That knowing has become one of the trail markers on our journey of faith.
There is an explanation for this idea of Baca also being the valley of strength The truth of the matter is that…
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We are on our way home
No matter what else Psalms 84 may speak to, it also carries its own spiritual significance for our journey of life. And so Psalm 84 begins with,
How lovely are Your dwelling places, O Lord of hosts! My soul longed and even yearned for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God.” (Vv1,2)
Psalm 84 opens with the longings of the heart. And while the Psalm has in view the earthly Jerusalem and the tabernacle, its deeper spiritual inference is for those who have been born from above. Its spiritual lessons go far beyond an earthly Jerusalem.
To be born again means to be born from above. In this ‘heavenly’ birthing we actually become children of God, or, heaven’s children. In the heart of every born-from-above person, God places the seal of the ‘Holy Spirit’. Paul calls this seal the ‘pledge’ of our inheritance.
The seal cannot be broken. It is a seal of ownership. It is also a seal that carries with it the very essence of heaven. We can think of it as our ‘going home’ seal. The seal lets us know that we are pilgrims in this life. It is because of the seal we can say with Paul,
For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For indeed in this house we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven.” (2Co5:1,2)
See the connection? The Psalmist said, “My soul longed and even yearned for the courts of the Lord.”
But in the meantime, we groan. We all have these groaning times in this life. Paul uses the same language as the Psalmist.
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The tell-tale sign
The book of Hebrews tells is that this ‘longing’ is one of the signs of God’s people through the ages. It is applied to the Old Testament saints who longed for Messiah and for a country that was to be their own. It says that Abraham, “was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.” (He11:10)
Then it speaks of all the holy ones who were before Christ. Of them it says,
[They] confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth … But as it is, 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.” (Cf. He11:13-16)
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When Birds Preach the Gospel
Psalm 84:3,4 continues with,
The bird also has found a house, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young. Even Your altars, O Lord of host, My king and My God. How blessed are those who dwell in Your house! They are ever praising You. Selah.”
The issue here is that heaven’s children are able see the goodness of the Lord in everything. Even the swallow has a lesson to teach us about God. Perhaps she knows much more than we realize. Did not the Lord say,
Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?” (Matt6:26)x
I’ve had a couple of unique experiences that involved birds. One was when we pastored a former church. For a good while each morning when I showered I would hear a bird outside the window. One day I caught a glimpse of her. She was on a limb right outside the shower.
Coincidence? Perhaps. But I like to think that she was sent as an encouragement. Yes I know. I’m a dreamer.
Another time was when the Lord spoke to my heart to ‘Expect the unexpected.’ This was when the Lord gave me a miracle healing from cancer. I was sitting on the hill behind Christian Challenge during a time of devotion and meditation.
When the Lord spoke to my heart, I glanced up and right above my head on the high line was a beautiful dove. She didn’t move a feather. I looked at her and she looked at me. When it came time to leave, the dove flew before me to our home. Coincidence? Not for me.
Well, let’s continue, Psalm 84:5 says,
How blessed is the man whose strength is in You, in whose heart are the highways to Zion!”
Again we can reflect on Jesus. The highway to heaven’s Zion is the path of Jesus. The Psalmist said in another place that God would make the Messiah’s footsteps “into a way.” (Ps85:13)
So where are the highways to Zion? Are not the highways to Zion in our hearts?
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And Where is Our True Strength?
It is in Jesus.
The Psalmist said, “How blessed is the man whose strength is in You.” Did you know that most burn out in a believer’s life is a burn out of the flesh. There is no burn out in the Spirit. The Spirit refreshes. But if we are doing our work in the flesh, we will wither with weariness.
Let’s now look at the path that leads us home. After all we live in the nasty now-and-now.
The Psalm continues,
Passing through the valley of Baca they make it a spring; the early rain also covers it with blessings.” (V6)
How many times have we been through the Valley of Baca? I’ve been there often. There is no use in me telling you about all my “Bacas.” You’ve been there. It is a place of deep sorrow. But it is in the valley of Baca that we come to know the Lord in a even more intimate way. Thus we hear in another place, “Weeping may last for the night, but a shout of joy comes in the morning.” (Ps30:5)
One day the Lord may pull back the veil of our life and allow us to see all the ways He intervened in those moments of deep sorrow.
And what may amaze us the most, is when He shows us His intervention in our lives before we came to a conscious knowledge of Him as our Lord and Savior. It is very much like the song which says, “He was there all the time.”
Here is another story of my Baca.x
It was 1961. I was in Manila bay with a group of sailors and marines. In tossing a beach ball around, the ball got away, and I began swimming to retrieve it. What I didn’t realize was that the tide was carrying me out. On top of that, every time my fingers touched the ball, it sprang forward. When I finally realized that I couldn’t get the ball, I turned to swim back. But I had been carried far out into the bay. And as hard as I tried, I couldn’t fight the tide. It was pulling me further out. (Manila bay is part of the South China Sea, and is known for its shark activity.)
The short side of this is that I became so exhausted that I began to lose hope. I felt that the sea wanted to drag me down. Then I heard this thumpa, thumpa, thumpa, thumpa. A Filipino fisherman saw my distress and he headed his banka boat straight for me.
That non-English speaking fisherman became my savior that day. But to this day I believe the greater Savior was behind the scene. My Baca valley turned to rejoicing.
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Every one of them appears before God
The Psalmist continues,
They go from strength to strength, every one of them appears before God in Zion.” (v7)
Listen to the language. Every one of them! Every one of them! Why does this sound familiar? Jesus said,
For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.” (Jn6:40)
This is Jesus saying, “Every one of them will appear before God in Zion.”
In another place He says, “Behold, I and the children whom God has given Me!” (He2:13)
It is like Jesus is saying, “Here we are Father. They are all here. I haven’t lost a one of them. I have kept them in Your name. The family is home.”
Salvation is an awesome and wondrous thing. But it only becomes truly awesome when we realize that our salvation is never based on anything we can do. Jesus alone saves us. He saved us. He is saving us. He will save us. He intervenes in our lives constantly. He intervened before we came to know Him. And He is ever present in our lives afterwards to help us process every struggle.
Is it any wonder that our path goes from strength to strength, from grace to grace, from blessing to blessing, and yes, even from baca to baca.
Lets end our study with the ending prayer of Psalm 84. No need for me to explain prayer. Just listen with your heart:
O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer; give ear, O God of Jacob! Selah. Behold our shield, O God, and look upon the face of Your anointed. For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand outside. I would rather stand at the threshold of the house of my God than to dwell in the tents of wickedness. For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord gives grace and glory; no good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly. O Lord of hosts, how blessed is the man who trusts in You!” (vv8-12)
What say ye — How are you doing on your way home?
While you think about your journey of life, take time for this song, ‘He Was There All the Time.’
“…in the midst of the congregation I will sing Your praise; and again, ‘I will put My trust in Him.’ And again, ‘Behold, I and the children who God has given Me.'” (Heb 2:11-13 nasb)
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Readers,
Do you need a refreshing from heaven? Why not take time to listen to Dallas Holm, as he sings, ‘Here We are.’ Or, you may wish to simply click on the video to listen while you continue reading the rest of my journal entry. Whatever your preference just relax and let the Lord fill your heart with His love.
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Did you notice the bold portion of the above Scriptures? It is where we hear Jesus say, ‘Behold, I and the children who God has given Me.'”
This statement is rich in its prophetic emphasis. It draws on a redemption promise that God gives through the prophet Isaiah. Note the following:
“And I will wait for the LORD who is hiding His face from the house of Jacob; I will even look eagerly for Him. Behold, I and the children whom the LORD has given me are for signs and wonders in Israel from the LORD of hosts, who dwells on Mount Zion.”(Isa 8:17-18)
The signs and wonders reach forward into the covenant of Christ. Also note,
“Therefore thus says the LORD, who redeemed Abraham, concerning the house of Jacob: ‘Jacob shall not now be ashamed, nor shall his face now turn pale; but when he sees his children, the work of My hands, in his midst, they will sanctify My name; indeed, they will sanctify the Holy One of Jacob and will stand in awe of the God of Israel.”(Isa 29:22-23)
When Paul writes about God’s new creation family in Christ, he is drawing on Isaiah, as well as on other prophets. Paul says that we are God’s workmanship in Christ.
Now listen carefully to Jesus:
“All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds [looks to] the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.” (Joh 6:37-40)
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What about the security of God’s children?
God doesn’t want his children to be afraid. Did you know that one day the Lord Jesus will actually say to the Father, “Behold, I and the children whom God has given Me.”
Believers who lack knowledge in how salvation works will always battle insecurities. But the problem isn’t simply with the believer. It is a problem of the pulpit. Jesus Christ is being presented in a manner that is not in full accord with the gospel message.
The work of salvation is God’s work from alpha to omega. No one is accidentally born into the kingdom of God. Every birth is planned. The apostle said he was convinced the good work that God began in us, He would perfect until the day of Jesus Christ. God is the author and the finisher of our faith. He is the perfector of His work. God began the work and God finishes the work
Here is a brief testimony to help put a face on my first step in realizing what the security of the believer means:
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It was 1974.
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I had just resigned from my former church affiliation. The following morning at my office it was like a dark cloud had settled over me. I felt an aloneness that I was not accustomed to. What will I do? Where do I go?
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Falling to my knees, I instinctively reached for my Bible. The pages fell open to Philippians 1:6, where I read,
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“Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.”The ‘Sun of righteousness’ had risen over me. The cloud vanished. No more fear. No more uncertainty. I knew in my heart everything was alright. The Spirit of the Lord came to my aid. My future was well cared for. Hallelujah!
Of course I’m not telling you something that you don’t know. Jesus has come to my aid untold myriads of times on my pilgrim journey. But He does the same for all who belong to Him. Did He not say, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you.” That, dear friend, is an unconditional promise.
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This is where we need to understand Biblical promises.
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Conditional promises are based upon some action on our part. Unconditional promises are based upon something God has promised with no aid from us. These are the “I will” promises of God.
There are many conditional promises. A good example is Luke 6:38, where the Lord says, “Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure — pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.”Notice that it is ‘our’ standard of measure that is the gauge for the ‘pressed down’ blessings.
However, unconditional promises are different. Unconditional promises are generally summed up as redemption promises. These kinds of promises are ‘from God, through God, and to God’ promises. They cannot be broken by believers simply because we have no role to play in them. They are based entirely on the sovereignty of God.
These ‘never-ever’ promises serve as the bedrock of our walk with the Lord. One of the very last things Jesus said to the disciples was, “I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matt28:20)
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Another one that some folk try to unwind is the John 10:27,28 promise, where the Lord said, “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.”
Many Christians see the strength of their walk in how strong their grip is on God. This is not what Jesus is saying. The safety for a child of God does not depend on his or her grip. It rests entirely in the hands of the Lord. Jesus said, “No one will snatch them out of my hand.”
Here are a few more of these ‘never-ever’ promises:
“…whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.” (John 4:14)
“…everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:26)
“[God’s] Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away.” (1Co13:8)
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“For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom 8:38-39)
Each of the afore promises has its own doctrinal platform.
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The point being that these promises are based upon something God says He will do. These unconditional promises actually relate to God’s redemption plan in Christ, a plan that was set forth before the beginning of time. To try to even understand it is beyond our grasp. To say that God is unjust or unfair is not true in the least. It is merely that we are unable to understand things that are finite. God is perfectly just in all His ways.
Paul gave some insight into this area, when he said, “We have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to [God’s] purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will.” (Eph1:11)
Notice that Paul said our will does not figure in the picture. It is God’s will that is at work. This is why you can be sure that nothing happens in a believer’s life by chance. The apostle John certainly agrees. He said that our birth from heaven was not a thing of our will. He says, “[We] were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” (John 1:13)
When we were born again, it is because God opened our ears to hear, and placed in our heart to respond. We see this being worked out in a lady named Lydia. It says, “A woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple fabrics, a worshipper of God, was listening; and the Lord opened her heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul.” (Acts 16:14)
We also see this being worked out in the life of a man called Peter. If you recall, Peter actually denied the Lord three times. Was that the end of the story? No indeed. Jesus sought him out, restored him fully, and gave him the privilege of preaching the gospel at the very place where Peter became fearful of his life.
Recall what the Lord said to the 70 who returned and were rejoicing over all the miracles that took place through the name of Jesus. What was the Lord’s response? He said, “Do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice because your names are recorded in heaven.” (Luke 10:20)
Have you caught the point in all this?
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— Regardless of how well we think we understand the mystery of our salvation, the fact remains that God’s unconditional promises do not rest upon how well we are able to perform or how much we understand. They are not performance promises. Each of these promises rest upon God Himself. When He says that He will never desert us or forsake us, that promise cannot be broken.
Yes, we all struggle over this. How can God give such promises? After all, I am such a bummer of a person. There is no good in me. So we ask, “Why me, Lord?” Wish I could answer that. About the best any of us can do is write songs about all this.
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We write:
“I don’t know why Jesus loved me. I don’t know why He cared. I don’t know why He gave His life for me. Oh, but I’m glad. So glad He did.”
Or,
“Jesus loves me, this I know. For the Bible tells me so. Little ones to Him belong. They are weak, but He is strong.”
Or,
‘All hail the power of Jesus name! Let angels prostrate fall…”
Or,
“I am weak but Thou art strong, Jesus keep me from all wrong…”
Or,
“So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross, … Till my trophies at last I lay down; I will cling to the old rugged cross, and exchange it some day for a crown.”
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Well, it is songs without end. And we will continue to write them.
But the message from heaven never changes. While we love the Lord with a love that cannot be measured, John wants us to understand something very special when he writes, “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” (1Jn4:10)
Think about it.
Don’t you just love Dallas Holm’s song, ‘Here we are.’
I just found out that my blog has not gone out to a number of readers since December 12, 2009, when I sent, ‘Is Prosperity Knocking at Your Door.’ Don’t know what happened. Somehow in the upgrading of my blog my subscriber list was inadvertently lost. (Thank you Rose. And thank you Jenni for holding on to my list.)
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My apologizes to everyone. I’ve sent several entries since December. (You can look them over at my blog. (Or click on the links below)
44th School for Christian Workers – February 21, 2010
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To my Readers,
Have you ever wondered what the world of a disciple is really like? If so, then you will want to take a look at our upcoming Christian Challenge International School for Christian Workers. The CCI School for Christian Workers offers training programs that are unique to Biblical discipleship.
The focus of the school is not on academics or scholastics, or even on religion. The total focus of the school is on teaching the believer how to live and function in the world of the Biblical disciple. If this is where your heart is, then this is the school you should consider.
Our 44th school will begin Sunday, February 21, 2010. Classes are held on Sunday and Monday evenings.
This is the graduate course of the CCI School for Christian Workers. It is foundational to both the Disciple’s Heart II and the Shepherd’s Heart programs. The purpose of this training program is to open up the world of the Biblical disciple. The course will absolutely revolutionize a believer’s spiritual life. It is required training for anyone who wishes to serve in a ministry role or a leadership placement with Christian Challenge. – Sunday evenings 5 p.m.
Instructor: Rich Carlisle
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The Disciple’s Heart IIx
This course takes the believer into the next step of the world of the disciple. The course sub-title is, ‘Learning to walk with God.’ The class concentrates on a more personal level of discipleship by taking the believer into the very heart of our walk with the Lord. The student will learn much about himself and his own personal calling in life. – Sunday evenings 5 p.m.
The primary focus of this course is on providing skills that have to do with the teaching or preaching ministry. The course includes sermon and teaching preparation to Bible interpretation. The student learns forms of speaking. While its focus is on a teaching ministry, it would benefit any believer who would like to know better how to study Scripture. – Sunday evenings 7 p.m.
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Instructor: Lawrence “Buddy” Martin
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Old Testament Bible Survey
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This class provides the student with a better understanding of the Scriptures by bringing history, places, peoples, and festivals in the Old Testament together in a way that the students can see God’s plan of redemption working through the ages. This is an excellent course for anyone who would like to take a journey through the Bible itself. – Monday evenings 6 p.m
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Instructor: Robert Hazmark
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Vision For The Nations
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This course analyzes the World Christian Movement based on the Perspectives study program produced by the US Center for World Missions. Its focus is on Biblical and historical foundations for missions. Training includes video presentations by leading missiologists and missionaries from around the world. A great course for those who have a heart for missions. – Time open
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Instructor: Nathan Martin
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Conversational Spanish
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The focus of this course is to give the student a working knowledge of spoken Spanish. It is a perfect introduction to the world of Spanish and is great for those planning short-term mission trips. Opportunity is given for the student to have a testimony translated for use on a mission’s trip. – Monday evenings 6 p.m.
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Instructor-Spanish I: Jonathan Martinez
Instructor-Spanish II: Nathan Martin
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Tuition and Class Information
Tuition is $35.00 per course (some courses require additional textbooks). The School runs 13 weeks and concludes with a graduation banquet. It is recommended that students use the New American Standard Bible since most Scripture references are taken from this translation. A completed registration form (with tuition) must be turned in before School begins.
The 34th CCI Homecoming Jubilee – March 19 – 21, 2010
The weekend of March 19th through the 21st, 2010, will be our Christian Challenge 34th Homecoming Jubilee. Joel Dyke is our special speaker. He and his wife Angel will also lead a ‘Couple’s Retreat’ on Friday evening and Saturday morning.
Jubilee is always a special event for Christian Challenge, with worship, special singing, preaching, drama, and dinner-on-the-grounds. All I can tell you is to be ready to,‘expect the unexpected.’
There they were, a boy and a girl hitchhiking. It was 1971, and I was on my way to Lafayette, Louisiana. We had just completed our last revival. My former company asked me to come back to work with them. Off I went to scope out everything.
It never bothered me to pick up hitchhikers if my family wasn’t with me. After all I had hitchhiked all across the country from California to Louisiana. The two young people got in the car. I asked, ‘Where are you going?’ ‘To the Maranatha House across from USL.’ (University of South Louisiana.)
And thats where our friendship began. These kids were part of the tail end of the Jesus movement of the 60s. The Maranatha House was an unofficial sorority for campus kids. (It was known earlier as the Mustard Seed.)
How I fell in love with these young people. They were so idealistic in their antiestablishmentism. But their love for Jesus was refreshing and even a bit disarming. It wasn’t long before they ask me to share Bible studies with them. What a joy. They would sit around me on the floor in rapt attention. They were all like sponges.
Now I must tell a precious story. At that time I was still involved in a very conservative Pentecostal church group. As things went a number of the Jesus kids asked me if I would baptize them. Checking with the pastor to make sure it was alright to use the church Baptistry, he gave his OK. It was on a Saturday. Several of the church people wanted to see the baptism. They heard of my work with these young people. But there was a problem that I had not prepared everyone for. In fact I hadn’t even thought about it.
I had failed to tell the Jesus kids how to dress. Here they came with their swim suits, some two-pieced for the girls and shorts for the guys. You should have seen the faces. Chins began to drop and eyes were wide open. It was certainly a new experience for everyone. The Jesus kids got to meet the church kids. (By the way the Jesus kids were often mocked at with the term ‘the Jesus freaks.’)
And, yes, the Jesus kids had their own struggles and failures just as we do. But they could make beautiful music. Their love for Jesus radiated. I guess you could compare them to diamonds in the rough. Aren’t we all? Oh how I could tell some hilarious stores about these kids. Maybe some other time.
Well, if you would like to see what the Jesus kids looked like back in the 60s and the 70s, here is a clip you will truly enjoy. Just look at their faces and the sincerity in their worship.
Children of the Day. ‘For Those Tears I Died.’
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Sometimes a song will reach deeper into our heart than anything else. Let’s move forward a number of years and listen to another group who loves Jesus dearly. This song is entitled, ‘He Understands My Tears.’ It is by the Jewish Christian group, the Isaacs.
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Jesus gave the most important object lesson to be had about life’s struggles…
The point is that we all sin. We all miss the mark. We all have issues where we’ve been the cause of our own failings. It is like the apostle wrote,
“There is none righteous, not even one; there is none who understands, there is none who seeks for God; all have turn aside, together they have become useless; there is none who does good, there is not even one.”(Rom3:10-12 nasb)
Did you catch it? There is not a person on this planet who can claim personal righteousness before God. Did you know that Paul called himself the chief of sinners?
So, what is the object lesson that Jesus gave us. It is found in this simple statement, “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” (John 8:7 nasb)
What does this mean? It means to stop pointing your finger at others when you yourself have your own struggles and failings and sin issues.
The Lord was not excusing sin. He was dealing with two very important issues. His first words were to the accusers of the lady caught in adultery. Those who dragged her before Jesus were guilty of a sin that can be very damaging to our own lives. The sin of self-righteousness.
What about the lady? Her sin was not self-righteousness. Jesus also had words for her. See if His words tell you anything:
“Straightening up, Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?’ She said, ‘No one, Lord.’ And Jesus said, ‘I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more.'” (Joh 8:10-11 nasb)
Again did you catch it? The only one who could have condemned her was Jesus, and He would not. He did not come to condemn her, but to save her. Jesus came to help her get her life straightened out.
Our job is not to go about condemning people. We are in the business of helping to save people. It is like the preacher who said, ‘We preach best when we preach out of our own wounds.’
John wrote,
“For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. He who believes in Him is not judged…” (John 3:17,13 nasb)
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Lord, save us from ourselves…
We need someone who can reach into our lives and save us from ourselves, from our foolish mistakes, from our own self-destructions, as well as from all the destructive forces at work in the world. We need grace! We need a mighty Savior. And that is what Jesus came to give us. Jesus saves eternally.
This is what Paul was talking about when he said that the letter kills, while the Spirit gives us life. The Lord give us His Holy Spirit to help us walk the journey of life. There are too many situations in life where only the Spirit of the Lord can help us to maneuver correctly. Our problem is that we tend to beat each other up with the letter, or even beat ourselves up, rather than allow the Lord to bring healing where it belongs.
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So, does God understand our tears?
Yes He does. He actually weeps with us. He knows our heart, our pain, our struggles. But He also knows our future. The Lord decided in eternity past that He would be our Savior. And He decided in eternity that He would give us the victory of the cross, and that no weapon ever formed against us would ever prosper.
He decided to take our place in this sin filled world, and to share with us His place in His eternal kingdom.
This is why I often make the statement, ‘Jesus saved us. Jesus is saving us. Jesus will save us.’
What about the Jesus kids?
Well, we are those kids. People will always be the same. Maybe it is a good sign that the world calls us ‘Jesus freaks.’ We should consider it a great honor.
I will never lose my love for ministering to those the world sees as misfits. Seems I will always have the heart of an evangelist.
earthly Jerusalem and the tabernacle, its deeper spiritual inference is for those who have been born from above. Its spiritual lessons go far beyond an earthly Jerusalem.
