Christian Challenge

Jan

2010

Which Bible translation is the best…

“For wisdom moves more easily than motion itself … Like a fine mist she rises from the power of God, a pure effluence from the glory of the Almighty … She is the brightness that streams from everlasting light, the flawless mirror of the active power of God and the image of his goodness.” ^{(Wisdom of Solomon 4:24-27 NEB)}

Journal,

There is no question that some translations are more right to the original text than are others. My favored translation is the New American Standard Bible. We’ve used it at Christian Challenge as our primary Bible for a great many years. In fact all our courses draw from the NASB.

That being said there is an issue about God’s Word that needs to be understood. When the Scriptures speak of the Word of God, they aren’t referring to a translation. Word of God has a number of meaning. While it can speak of the Scriptures, we know that ‘Word of God’ is a primary designation for Jesus Christ Himself. The term Word of God has another primary meaning that takes note of a message from heaven, that is, the gospel, as well as the very speaking of God into our hearts and lives.

This understanding is crucial to the study of which translation is the best. But before we go to that issue let me share a couple of stories about my venture with the book we all love so well, the Bible. I’ll begin with…

The Saga of the Yellow Stripe.

It happened forty years ago. The story begins July 19, 1971. We were on our way to Los Alamos, New Mexico, to raise up a mission work for our denomination. I was 29 and full of vim and vigor. (Better known as idealism with a strong mixture of ignorance. Look closely at the yellow stripe in the picture and you’ll get the story together. I’m 72+ now and a bit wiser.)

I’ve always loved books. On our way to Los Alamos we happened upon a Christian book store. (They were a rarity in those days.) Simply out of curiosity I purchased a New English Bible. I was well acquainted with the knowledge that all other translations were faulty and inferior to the King James Bible. But being the studious person that I am, my curiosity got the best of me. (Tongue-in-cheek humor.)

One day I’m reading this new Bible and my thoughts began to stir. ‘This is so interesting. Why haven’t I seen this before?’ The more I read the more intrigued I became. Then it happened. I looked at the top of the page were I was reading and saw the word ‘Ecclesiasticus’. It hit me! ‘Oh no! There is no Ecclesiasticus in the King James Bible! I’m reading the Apocrypha.’

I shut the Bible, secured me a yellow marker, and ran a broad stripe around the Apocrypha part of my New English Bible. I wanted to make sure that I never made that mistake again. And that’s the story of a young man who had so much to learn about the Word of God.

Please be assured that I would never place the Apocryphal writings on par with the accepted Old Testament Scriptures that both Jews and Christians have treasured from forever. Nor would I urge the reading of just any kind of religious literature. All believers should be cautious in their source of reading. My point is simple. Why limit how God can speak to us.

God is well able to speak into our hearts and lives in many ways. He can even use a donkey. He can use a book. He can use the voice of a child. He may even rebuke us through the voice of a sinner. Nature itself carries a message from God.

David said,

“The heavens are telling of the glory of God; and their expanse is declaring the work of His hands. Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night reveals knowledge.”^{(Psalm 19:1,2 nasb)}

Now for the second story. Let’s call it…

Expect the Unexpected.

This time it happen August 6, 2007. I had been in cancer treatment for a while. The findings were not good. Lymphoma had spread throughout my chest area and into my bone marrow. Our local hospital was sending me to M. D. Anderson in Houston. Everything pointed to a marrow transplant. (Pretty invasive procedure.)

Well, everything was alright between me and the Lord. That particular morning I’m having my devotion on a hill behind our church. And as I am reading from the Scriptures, the Lord speaks to my heart and says, ‘Expect the unexpected.’ I looked up and there was a dove on the high line over my head.

Guess where I was reading my devotion from that morning. I was reading from the New Living Translation. Here is the part where the Lord spoke to me:

“Oh, that You would burst from the heavens and come down! How the mountains would quake in Your presence! As fire causes wood to burn and water to boil, Your coming would make the nations tremble. Then Your enemies would learn the reason for Your fame! When You came down long ago, YOU DID AWESOME DEEDS BEYOND OUR HIGHEST EXPECTATIONS. And oh, how the mountains quaked!”^{(Isa 64:1-3 NLT)}

I shared with the church what the Lord had spoken to me. However, I really didn’t know what the ‘unexpected’ would mean. I thought perhaps I would receive the less of the two invasive stem cell transplant procedures. That was not to be.

At M. D. Anderson I was put through a battery of tests. Betty and Nathan were with me. When me met with my primary physician, what he shared set our hearts on fire. He reviewed test after test and with each one, ‘No cancer.’ At some point between Pineville, Louisiana, and Houston, Texas, the Lord had granted me a miracle healing. This August will be three years ago that the Lord told me to expect the unexpected.

Now the question, – Which translation really is the best.

Here is a short study:

The Best Bible Translation

A lesson in life that most believers eventually acquire is the lesson about truth. Truth itself cannot be limited merely to a doctrinal position, or to a denomination, or to which Bible translation should we use. Truth is about life. It is in this sense that truth is a person. Thus we hear Jesus say, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” (John 8:31,32)

This brings us to Bible translations. The following information will avoid the technical jargon about Bible translations. Only a brief review will be made on the various types of translations. The primary emphasis of the study will be on the issue of Truth itself.

First let’s talk about Bible translations in general. Are there some Bible translations that are more accurate to the original Scriptures than other translations? Absolutely. This is where it helps to understand the various forms of translation.

There are essentially three categories of Bible translations: literal translations, paraphrases, and what is called dynamic equivalency. let’s take a brief look at what these terms refer to.

A paraphrase is a translation that seeks to give the original Hebrew or Greek into the common language of the reader. Good News for Modern Man is an example of a paraphrase. Many paraphrases begin as the work of one man. While they are made for easy reading, paraphrases are not intended for the serious student of the Scriptures. They are more designed for the person who has little to no knowledge of the Bible.

The most popular paraphrase in use today is called the ‘New Living Translation’ (NLT). It is much more right to the Scriptures than most translations of this sort. The original work upon which this translation is based, that is, the Living Bible, was the work of one man, Kenneth Taylor. But as paraphrases go, it could not be depended upon for accuracy.

Here is a good example where a paraphrase can be misleading. In the Living Bible, Acts 13:48 reads, “When the Gentiles heard this, they were very glad and rejoiced in Paul’s message; and as many as wanted eternal life, believed.” Most folk would not catch the problem area here. The problem with this is that it sets aside the sovereignty of God.

The NASB is a more correct rendering. It reads, “And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord; and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.” There is a vast difference between ‘wanting’ eternal life, and being ‘appointed’ to eternal life.

Because of this sort of misinterpretation, the Living Bible was called into question. It underwent a through revision into what is now called ‘The New Living Translation’ (NLT). The New Living Translation (NLT) is a vast improvement over the Living Bible. The verse in the NLT now reads, “When the Gentiles heard this, they were very glad and thanked the Lord for His message; and all who were appointed to eternal life became believers.”

A dynamic equivalency translation is also called a ‘thought-for-thought’ translation. The dynamic equivalency translations have become the most popular translations today. The premier case in view is the New International Version. (NIV)

This form of translation seeks to translate ‘ideas’ rather than ‘words.’ But there is a problem that cannot be avoided. In attempting to translate ‘meanings’ into the language of today’s reader, what happens is that many ‘exact’ meanings cannot be translated beyond the intent of the original Bible language. It is often impossible to translate exact meanings without translating ‘exact’ words.

What often happens with dynamic equivalency translations is that the Scriptures can become simplified beyond what is meant in the original text. Thus the Scriptures can be diluted from their intended meaning. Once again we are dealing with an issue of accuracy to the original text.

Now we come to the ‘literal’ translations. In a literal translation there is a genuine attempt being made to be as accurate to the original wording of the Scriptures as possible. For this reason literal translations will generally have less translational bias. This is why a literal translation should always be part of the serious Bible student’s library.

Is there a disadvantage to a literal translation. This is a yes and no answer. A literal translation will not always flow as easily as a paraphrase or a dynamic equivalency. Some folk like to use the term ‘wooden.’ But is this really a disadvantage? Not necessarily. The plus side is that in doing personal research on the Biblical terms, the reader often discovers treasures that are not obvious in a less literal translation.

This is why Paul instructed Timothy to ‘take pains’ in that which concerns the Scriptures so that his progress would be made obvious to all. (Cf. 1Tim4:13-16) So where the easier translations or paraphrases seem to take a lot of work out of the study of the Scriptures, this may sometimes be a disservice to the serious student of the Scriptures. (Think about it.)

Some of the ‘literal’ translations include the KJV, NJKV, NASB, and the NRSB. (My personal preference is the New American Standard Bible.)

And so, which Bible should the believer use? The quaint saying is that the Bible you should use is the one you will read. But on a personal side I would recommend that the believer have both a literal translation and one or more of the easier reading translations. You will find that they work well together.

Now let’s come to the lesson behind the lesson. Have you ever noticed that when the new Testament writers quote from the Old Testament, the quote they use does not always seem to be the same as the reading in the Old Testament? This is because the most popular Bible used by the early Church was the ancient Hebrew text translated into Greek, or the Septuagint. (Usually referenced as LXX.)

Why does it differ? It differs because the Old Testament that we now use is based on the Hebrew text, whereas the favored Bible of the earliest Christians was mainly the LXX, which was a Greek translation. There was a reason for this. The LXX made the clearest of references to God’s Christ. Because of this the LXX was eventually discarded by the Jews. (It remains the Bible of the Orthodox Greek Church today.)

There is much more to be said about translations but lets simply talk about the issue of truth itself. It should go without saying that truth is not an issue of which translation a person prefers. Truth is the reality of Jesus Christ in a person’s life. And this is where many folk tend to stumble over which translation is best.

The apostle Paul gives us insight into this issue. As a former Pharisee, Paul was from the strictest sect in Judaism. It was this sect that prided themselves on letter accuracy of the Scriptures. They became the guardians of the sacred text. The problem was that the Pharisees had a tendency to ‘deify’ the Scriptures themselves.

Jesus addresses this in saying, “You do not have His word abiding in you, for you do not believe Him whom He sent. You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; but it is these that testify about Me; and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life.” (Cf. John 5:38-40)

The apostle Paul also addresses this when he writes, “Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God, who made us adequate as servants of the new covenant, NOT OF THE LETTER but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” (Cf. 2Co3:5,6)

Paul came from a religion of the letter. That is to say, at one time he thought that the Scriptures by themselves, that is, with no regard to the One of whom the Scriptures wrap themselves around, contained the very essence of life. But the One of whom the Scriptures wrapped themselves around is Jesus Christ. (I’ve seen this same problem with KJV only believers.)

The point at hand is that if we are reading the Scriptures and cannot see Jesus, then all we have is dead letter. This is exactly what Paul is addressing when he says, “Beholding in a mirror the glory of the Lord, [we] are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.” The mirror that Paul is speaking of is the Scriptures themselves.

The Bible is designed to show forth the glory of Jesus Christ. Without Him the book is simply dead letter and should be placed on the library shelf among other great history books.

Now listen to the apostolic writer as he sets this forth in the book of Hebrews. Quoting from Psalm 40, he begins, “When He [Jesus] comes into the world, He says, ‘Sacrifice and offering You [Father] have not desired, but a body [in the womb of Mary] You have prepared for Me; in whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You have taken no pleasure, “Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come, (In the scroll of the book it is written of Me) to do Your will, O God.”‘” (Heb10:5-7)

Here is where words are so important. Where Jesus said, “In the scroll of the book it is written of Me,” both the Hebrew and the Greek term for scroll speaks of the knob or the head that was at the top of the spindle around which the entire scroll was wrapped. This is why the term is sometimes translated as ‘volume.’ This means that the volume of all the Scriptures wrap themselves around Jesus Christ.

Again the point in view is that Jesus alone is the One who gives life to the book. And this is what happened when He came into our world and performed the work of the cross. Out of the cross comes life. This life that Jesus gives is spoken of throughout the book.

Here is another example of the book coming alive with Jesus. Listen carefully to this prophecy in Isaiah: “The entire vision will be like the words of a sealed book, which when they give it to the one who is literate, saying, ‘Please read this,’ he will say, ‘I cannot, for it is sealed.'” (Isaiah 29:11)

Then it says, “This people draw near with their words and honor Me with lip service, but they remove their hearts far from Me, and their reverence for Me consists of traditions learned by rote.” (Verse 13)

Finally, “On that day [The Lord’s revealing] the [spiritually] deaf will hear words of a book, and out of their gloom and darkness the eyes of the [spiritually] blind will see. The afflicted also will increase their gladness in the Lord, and the needy of mankind will rejoice in the Holy One [Jesus] of Israel.” (Verses 18,19)

Where do we find a place to stop? Perhaps the best place is simply for me to end where I began, which is…….

I hope this study will help you.

Much love is found in Jesus.

Your servant and brother in Christ,

Buddy

Jan

2010

The Way of Eternity…

“What profit is there to the worker from that in which he toils? I have seen the task which God has given the sons of men with which to occupy themselves. He has made everything appropriate in its time. He has also set eternity in their heart, yet so that man will not find out the work which God has done from the beginning even to the end.” (Ecc 3:9-11)

I read an article in the LA Times entitled, ‘Searching for the Divine.’ Scientists were doing research into why in an age of reason, people still insist on believing in God. After considerable research they finally reached a conclusion: “You can’t simply think God out of existence.”

Isn’t that interesting. A simple reading from the Scriptures would have given them that answer. According to the Bible, man is spiritually wired to believe in the reality of God. This is why people have all sorts of spiritual experiences. And this is why the Bible says, ‘The fool has said in his heart ‘There is no God.'”

Solomon wrote,

“[God] has made everything appropriate in its time. He has also set eternity in their heart, yet so that man will not find out the work which God has done from the beginning even to the end.” – Ecc 3:10-11 NASB

Paul had this to say on Mar’s Hill,

“… and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we also are His children.” – Act 17:26-28 NASB

Let’s take a closer look at the issue of eternity as a matter of the heart.

Don Richardson wrote a book called ‘Eternity in Their Hearts.’ In this book he shows how the cultures of the world have been prepared beforehand for the gospel of Jesus Christ. Even the various religions of the world have in them a stage set for God’s message of His Son. The key in true missionary work is to find this ‘setting.’ (I recommend Don’s book to anyone considering mission work.)

Actually the Biblical word for religion literally means ‘dread (fear) of the gods.’ The world is filled with religions of all stripes. India is a prime example with her millions of gods. But this in itself speaks to the ache of the human heart.

Of course Satan knows how far the human race has fallen from its original glory. He sets about to create replacement religions. He takes a little from here and a little from there to create an additional new religion. This is what new age is about. Islam is also a classic example. The religion of Islam combines elements of Talmudic Judaism with forms of Christianity, along with pagan elements, and from this comes a religion that has captured a quarter of the world’s population.

But in each of these religions, whether new or old, there is a setting aside of Jesus Christ as the only way to the Father. What many may not realize is that while Islam accepts Jesus as one of the five major prophets of Islam, one of its basic tenants is that God has no Son.

What’s the problem with that? Take note:

“Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son. Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father; the one who confesses the Son has the Father also.” – 1Jn 2:22-23

This brings us to…

The Message sent from Heaven.

It doesn’t matter how many books the world’s religions offer, there is only one message that can bring healing and peace to the aching heart. This is the message that God has a Son, and that His only begotten Son took the place of humankind, and that His Son took away our sins by the sacrifice of Himself on the cross.

Out of the cross would come the message of heaven. This is why Jesus could speak to the aching heart of a fallen woman, and say,

“If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.” – John 4:10

Here is the message of eternity in its simple form, and it will never change:

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. “For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.” – John 3:16-17

So now we have a message to bring to the whole world.

It isn’t hard to share the message. All you need to do is make yourself available to God. Here is a short story. I’ll title it…

Sabes tu que Christo te ama?

I’ve been in and out of Latin America on mission trips a number of times. This time we were among the Mayan Indians in the mountains of Belize. Walking down a mountain trail with some of our group, I noticed that an old Indian gentleman had stopped at the side of the trail to let us pass. He was carrying a bundle of wood. That’s when it happened.

I stopped and said to the old Indian, “Sabes tu que Christo te ama?” The elderly gentleman put his hands on his face and began to weep. I could hardly believe my eyes. Indians are generally very stoic [not showing emotion]. Instantly I did my best to consol him. I assured him of God’s love. His eyes were still wet with tears as we parted.

What I said to him in Spanish is, ‘Do you know that Jesus Christ loves you?’

It was my turn. My heart was broken. How could one simple statement have such an effect on anyone. But now I understood why the Holy Spirit impressed me to use that phrase. The love of Jesus is the message of the cross.

The old Indian did not need to hear a message of condemnation. These Indians were steeped in idolatry. Fear controlled their lives. They had mountain gods, and witches, and dark spirits at work in their lives. The old Indian lived in a state of confusion and fear and condemnation. He needed to know that Jesus Christ truly loved Him.

You see, once you share the story of God’s love, the Lord will take care of the rest. He may have much more for you to say, but you have said enough for the door of salvation to open wide.

By the way, Nathan speaks Spanish fluently. I mangle Spanish fluently.

And so…

The message of eternity is clear. Jesus is the way of eternity. Jesus died for all of humankind. Take this message to heart. According to the apostle Paul, the Lord Jesus is very near to every man and woman on the planet. Our job is to let the Lord use us to bring the message of God’s love to this planet.

Don’t worry. He will give you what you need to speak at the proper time. Take time to listen to this song…

Much love coming your way,

Buddy

Dec

2009

Is prosperity knocking at your door…

Journal,

Here we go again – Another new year. Seems like we just went through this. My, what ever happened to time. Am I imagining things? Has time moved over onto a fast track. Also seems like things are pretty much going cattywampus (awry, askew, out-of-sorts).

Every time I think about how fast time seems to be moving, a certain Scripture pops in my mind.

“Unless the Lord had shortened those days, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect, whom He chose, He shortened the days.” (Mar 13:20)

Maybe all this about time being shortened is a good thing, at least for the people of God. Anyway, let’s have a bit of fun to end out 2009. How about a song by Ray Stevens, entitled, ‘We the People.’ == Jest funning ==

OK, that was all in fun. Now let’s move on past the funny part and talk about the forthcoming year.

Is it time for prosperity to come knocking at your door?

Think about it. Is there a way for the good blessings of the Lord to come to your house? I believe there is. Let me begin by sharing a personal story.

It is called ‘Miracle Land’

In 1974 we were the typical American family living on ‘Barely Squeezing By’ street. This is when something happened that forever changed the way we lived. The Lord opened my ears to begin hearing some solid Bible teachings on God’s platform for the prosperity of His people. I listened intently. The more I listened, the more I studied to see if these teachings measured up to God’s Word.

Measure up they did. One of the first things I came to realize is that making debts always serves as a incumbrance to a walk of Biblical blessings. It would not matter how much money a person made, living with debts would be like trying to fill a bucket with water when the bucked had holes in the bottom.

What many of God’s people do not realize is that Biblical prosperity is not about how much money you have. Every thing centers on the blessing of the Lord. A person can have hundreds of thousands of dollars coming in and not be living in Biblical prosperity. And a person can have a very limited amount of money coming in, and it tallies up to Biblical prosperity.

Yes, this does sound very strange, but it is true nevertheless. The prophet said that God’s ways are not our ways. The sage said, “It is the blessing of the LORD that makes rich, and He will add no sorrow to it.” (Pro10:22)

I discovered that the debtor is always servant to the lender, which means that part of the debtor’s life is owned by someone else. This is why God said to His Old Testament people, “You shall lend but you shall not borrow.” The one who owes debts is not a free man. He is in the debtor’s prison

After searching this thoroughly, I came to the conviction that my financial straits were of my own doing. Thus I asked the Lord’s forgiveness for the debts that I had made. I also asked Him to show me how to clear up this area of my life.

The Lord began showing me how to live with a view to righteousness, which most certainly included how we were to give in accordance with kingdom business. I studied this through throughly. My wife and I came to a decision. We began to sow with a view to righteousness. (According to what the Lord put into our hearts.)

This issue of sowing with a view to righteousness is not some deep secret. Jesus included it in His sermon on the mountain, when He said,

“Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Mat 6:31-33)

Here is what happened. Because our hearts had turned to God’s way of living, and because of our repentance, and because we began sowing with a view to righteousness, and because we desired to live under the rule of Christ, the Lord spoke into my heart. This is what He said, “Because you have believed Me, in six months you will be completely out of debt.” (God speaks through impressions of the heart.)

Did it happen? Absolutely! It was like the Lord had opened the door to miracle land. So many things happened that I can’t take the space to share then. We were beginning to draw on God’s good treasure from heaven. Did not the apostle say that we had been blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ?

Yes, in six months we were completely out of debt, we were back into the full time ministry, and we were living on a level of life that I never dreamed was possible. We had passed through the gate of miracle land. (I also like to call this the land of sanctified faith.)

From that time to this time we have made living with a view to righteousness our primary view of life. We learned the great lesson of ‘sowing with a view to righteousness.’

Does any of this have meaning for you?

Who can say. This is not something that I could teach another person. There is no formula to apply. Perhaps some of what I shared will serve to stir your heart. What I do know is that learning to live with a view to righteous living is deeply personal. It is a thing that can only be taught us by the Lord Himself. Much will depend on how serious you really are about walking in the ways of the Lord.

Always remember what I said about Biblical prosperity. It is not about money. It is about the blessing of the Lord. God spoke to Israel through the prophet Isaiah, Listen with your heart:

“‘Come now, and let us reason together,’ Says the LORD, ‘Though your sins are as scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they will be like wool. If you consent and obey, you will eat the best of the land.“ (Isa 1:18-19)

Did you see it? Repentance and obedience belong together. With that in mind…

Is prosperity knocking at your door?

Take to yourself one more portion:

“How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers! But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night. He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season And its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers.” (Psa 1:1-3)

Why not determine in your heart to enter 2010 with a resolve to seek out God’s ways and to learn to live with a view to righteousness. Do this and you will find prosperity knocking at your door.

The Lord may not say to you, “In six months you will be out of debt.” He will say something that applies to your situation. What He shares with you will be different but it will be wonderful. He will show you how to live in true Biblical prosperity.

Think about it.

In Christ,

Buddy

Dec

2009

Honoring God with first fruits…

“Honor the LORD from your wealth and from the first of all your produce; so your barns will be filled with plenty and your vats will overflow with new wine.” (Pro 3:9-10 nasb)

Journal,

Ever had a burn out hearing about ‘paying’ tithes? Actually no one in the new covenant is supposed to ‘pay’ tithes. Though the word tithe is a Bible term, it cannot be applied to the new covenant in the same sense as it is found in the covenant of Moses. I think this area of ‘paying tithes’ is likely one of the most misunderstood issues today.

Here’s snippets of the Scriptures most often used for the ‘paying’ the tithe:

“Will a man rob God … You are cursed with a curse … ‘Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this,’ says the Lord of hosts, ‘If I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows.'” Mal3:8-10)

Now that I have your attention, let’s look at another term that speaks more in line with how believers can honor the Lord in the new covenant. The term ‘first fruits’ speaks to honoring the Lord, but it must be understood correctly.

The struggle folk often have is wondering where a tithe fits in the new covenant. Actually it doesn’t fit, not in the sense of what it relates to under the law of Moses. No one has to tithe to be saved. Next we hear, ‘But wouldn’t NOT tithing put us under a curse?’ The simple answer is, no. The Law of Moses is not the instrument of righteousness for God’s people of the new covenant. Jesus alone is our righteousness.

Yet, the apostle says that the Law of Moses is good if we learn to use it lawfully. Using it lawfully speaks of learning to view the Law through the lens of the new covenant. This simply means that the Law does contain certain principles of guidance that we can appropriate into our walk with the Lord. These principles of guidance pertain to life itself. They are not simply a matter of which covenant they belong to.

A place to begin is where Paul says that the curse placed upon a non-performance of the Law of Moses is removed in Christ. The Law of Moses was a separate covenant given only to the nation of Israel. Even at that, the Law was nailed to the cross. This means that the Law as a covenant is no longer in effect.

If the curse has been removed, what then remains? What remains is the blessings of the Lord, that is, the blessings that belong to a walk of righteousness. But even the blessings have to be understood properly.

This is where the term ‘first fruits’ takes on a special meaning for new covenant believers. Listen to the Sage:

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean to your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes … Honor the Lord from your wealth and from the first of all your produce; so your barns will be filled with plenty and your vats will overflow with new wine.” (Pro3:5-10)

Did you catch it The issue of first fruits is an issue of honoring the Lord from one’s heart. This is what the first fruits is teaching. The apostolic writer said that in the new covenant, God places His laws into our minds and writes them on our hearts. What laws is he speaking of. Certainly not the Law of Moses. (Heb8:10)

The laws the Holy Spirit writes in our hearts are the laws of learning how to live. They are laws of life. Listen to these New Testament Scriptures: (Pay close attention to the words in ‘CAPS’. They are for emphasis only.)

“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.” (Luke 6:38. Notice how the Lord says our returned ‘blessings’ are measured by our own measure of giving.)

Another:

“The one who is taught the word is to share all good things with the one who teaches him. Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap.” (Gal6:6,7. God expects His servants to be provided for. To be a receiver of good teaching with no regard to blessing the teacher is something God does not overlook.)

And again:

“This I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. EACH ONE MUST DO JUST AS HE HAS PURPOSED IN HIS HEART, NOT GRUDGINGLY OR UNDER COMPULSION, FOR GOD LOVES A CHEERFUL GIVER. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed.” (2Co9:6-8. In this case the giving is in regard to helping others who belong to the Lord.)

What we need to key in on is that giving must always be in accordance with our heart. Our giving is never to be grudgingly, or under compulsion.

See where the struggle comes in? The laws of life don’t swing back and forth according to the covenants. Spiritual laws are always in place. One of the greatest of God’s laws is the law of sowing and reaping. The difference in the new covenant is that the Holy Spirit teaches us how to give, what to give, where to give, and when to give. It will always be a thing of the heart. If it is not in your heart to give, then don’t give.

However, you also need to be forewarned. Don’t expect the blessings of the giver if you have not learned to be a giver yourself. So ask yourself these questions; ‘Am I having all sufficiency in everything?‘ Or, ‘Do I have an abundance for every good deed?’ ‘Or am I living on barely get along avenue?” Keep in mind what Paul said about not being deceived.

A young couple in our church shared this testimony. They were into tithing on a regular basis. But things were slipping. They would wait until everything else was paid, then they would write a check to Christian Challenge. Even at that, some times they would hold on to their tithe checks for a while just to make sure things balanced out right.

Their ears perked up over something that Nathan or I had said by way of a passing remark. They went home and talked about whether they were honoring the Lord, as they should. This is where they made a decision. From that moment on the very first check they would write would be their first fruits. It would be on the gross and not on what ever was left after taxes. (I’m simply relating a testimony. Not telling you to do anything.)

Guess what? They got so excited. The very next week the blessings began to roll in. They started naming the things that began to happen to their finances. It was as if the windows of heaven had opened.

Here is the lesson. What the Bible teaches is that we should always sow with a view to righteousness. Jesus told us not to judge by appearance, but to judge with righteous judgment. This means that we must let the Lord lead us in what is right in His sight. We do this by learning to listen to Him.

So what do we have left? Perhaps this – It is crucial to understand that righteousness is not simply a confession we make because our salvation in Jesus Christ is completed. Yes, our salvation is complete in Christ. However, righteousness is also a path that we learn to walk in. It is a way of living. Do you want to be a wise man or woman? Learn to walk in the ways of the Lord.

With this in mind, never think that simply giving from first fruits is going to be a cure all for everything in life. It does not work that way. There may be other issues that need to be considered. The apostle said that we must examine ourselves to make sure we are in the faith.

Why not begin by counting your blessings. And in doing this, ask the Lord if He has any special directions for your life. He has promises to lead you in the paths of righteousness. After all, He is your Father.

So I will simply leave you with what the apostle told his young disciple:

“Consider what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.” (2Ti 2:7)

Here is your song for today:

Your servant in Christ,

Buddy

Dec

2009

The Word was made flesh…

x

Greetings from Heaven

God’s love for His people is eternal. He made that very clear when He sent His Son to bring redemption to planet earth. Paul said that there was nothing that could ever separate us from the love of God that is found in Christ Jesus.

God’s love for the fallen family of Adam cannot be measured. Listen to the apostle:

“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, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.” (Eph 2:4-7 NASB)

The love of God is the Story of Jesus

As Jesus is facing the cross, we hear this statement concerning those who belong to Him:

“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.” (Joh 13:1 NASB)

And God’s Word was made Flesh

The apostle John said that the Word of God came to tabernacle among us. Jesus is the very embodiment of God’s message from heaven.

The moment you open the Bible you begin to sense that there is an underlying message. The message starts with these words: “In the beginning God…”

Then we read, “And God said, ‘Let there be Light’; and there was Light.”

Here is where we begin our journey of discovery. God spoke and His Word went forth. When God said, ‘Let there be Light’, according to the ancient Hebrew belief, this was the Light of Life, also known as the Wisdom of God. It was the Light that Adam was to walk in.

When Adam turned from God’s Word, the Light of Life was taken away. But the sages said that the Light would return with Messiah. Any Jewish person would have understood what Jesus meant when He 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 NASB)

And so the discovery continues. What we begin to realize in the discovery is that the Light of Life had to do with God’s love.

The Light of God and the Love of God cannot be separated. The apostle nailed this down when he said, “God is Love.” Then he also said, “God is Light.”

John went further in saying,

“By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. 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.” (1Jn 4:9-10 NASB)

Well, what else can be said? God’s love is a mystery. Let’s hear it from Andre Crouch…

Remember…

There is much love to be had in Jesus

May the Lord richly bless you in your discovery of Him.

Buddy

Dec

2009

Speaking in other languages

“Indeed, He will speak to THIS people through stammering lips and a foreign tongue, He who said to THEM, ‘Here is rest, give rest to the weary,’ and, ‘Here is repost,’ but THEY would not listen.” (Isa 28:11,12 NASB)

Journal,

The subject of speaking in a foreign tongue is one of the most controversial and often one of the most contentious subjects to be found today. Hopefully I can share some things that will help give understanding to the Biblical subject of speaking in other languages.

First let’s consider the above Scripture where the prophet Isaiah calls attention to speaking in a foreign tongue. Here are the terms we need to note:

‘He will speak to THIS people.’ The Isaiah prophecy is specific to a single people group, the Jews.

“He who said to them, ‘Here is rest, give rest to the weary.'” Jesus is the one who called attention to God’s rest to be found in Him.

‘But they would not listen.’ Reflects on the leaders in particular rejecting Jesus Christ as Lord and Messiah of Israel.

Which brings us to Pentecost, 33 a.d.

Jews once again gathered in Jerusalem to celebrate the Jewish pilgrim festivals. They came from many cultures and nations. They spoke many different languages.

However, this Pentecost would be different. It would be the ushering in of God’s new eternal covenant in Christ.

Suddenly a sound like a rushing wind filled the temple complex. A band of 120 men and women began speaking of the glory of God in the varied languages of the multitudes.

A question stirs through the crowd of worshippers,

“How is it that we each hear them in our own language to which we were born?’

Thus we see the miracle of speaking in foreign languages with the prophecy of Isaiah coming to pass. The speaking in tongues on that day of Pentecost had a defined purpose. The Rest Giver had come.

The Promised Rest Giver.

From long ages past there had been a deep hunger in the hearts of God’s people to find the promised rest from their painful labors. This longing is described in the ancient Greek translation of the Old Testament as, ‘the desire of the nations.’

When Noah was born, they wondered if he was the Rest Giver.

“Lamech lived one hundred and eighty-two years, and became the father of a son. Now he called his name Noah, saying, ‘This one will give us rest from our work and from the toil of our handsarising from the ground which the LORD has cursed.” Gen 5:28-29 nasb

But Noah was not the Rest Giver. Only God could do that. We catch just a glimpse of this when Moses was speaking with the Lord God.

‘Now therefore, I pray You, if I have found favor in Your sight, let me know Your ways that I may know You, so that I may find favor in Your sight. Consider too, that this nation is Your people.’ And He said, ‘My presence shall go with you, and I will give you rest.’“

Why is this language of, ‘I will give you rest,’ so hauntingly familiar? It is because we are hearing the voice of the Rest Giver. Now hear it from Jesus:

“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Mat 11:28-30

And so the purpose for speaking in other languages on the day of Pentecost was to call attention that Jesus Christ was the promised ‘Rest Giver.’

This day of Pentecost was a fulfillment to what had been written by the prophet Isaiah. The Messiah had come, died on the cross, was buried, resurrected, and ascended into heaven. When Peter stood up to preach, he drew attention to the ancient prophets in declaring that Jesus was the Christ of God.

Additional Background on Speaking in Tongues

It should be understood, however, that through the centuries the Church has placed little attention on speaking in tongues. The early church accepted tongues as one gift among many. But this still leaves us with unanswered issues concerning speaking in other languages. Here is where we can take time to understand some Greek terms that relate to speaking in foreign languages.

The term ‘glossolalia‘ was introduced into English in 1879. It comes from glossais lelein, a term used in the New Testament, meaning “To speak in [with or by] tongues.” From this comes the expression, ‘the gift of tongues.’ The precise term ‘gift of tongues’ does not occur in the Scriptures.

One early Christian writer used the Greek term ‘glossomania‘ to describe the insane speech of Greek philosophers. The philosophers would jabber and babble in a way that made no sense whatsoever.

The Greek ‘akolalia‘ had to do with the perceived hearing of another language even when one was not spoken.

‘Echolalia‘ speaks of an agitated repetition of the words of another.

‘Idiolect‘ refers to a glossolalic dialect peculiar to an individual. Televangelists made this term popular by calling it a ‘prayer language.’

Then we have ‘exnoglossia.’ This word was coined in 1905, to describe a spiritualist medium, who, in a trance, wrote in modern Greek, without having knowledge of that language.

Now we see that there is a problem that has to be addressed. The problem is that ‘speaking in tongues is not peculiar to certain Christian groups. Speaking in tongues is a known phenomenon from around the world. You find it in Mormon history. You find it with Hindus and Muslims. It is found it in African occultic religions.

Here is a quote from the Dictionary of Pentecostal and Charismatic Movements, page 336;

“Spiritualistic glossolalia and related phenomena among spiritual mediums were among the first studied by psychologists near the beginning of the twentieth century. … Pathological glossolalia is known to medicine and psychiatry, the result of such causes as organic neurological damage, effects of drugs, or psychotic disorders. Schizophrenic disorders have furnished examples of glossolalia. Most relevant to Christian glossolalia are clearly reported cases of pagan glossolalia, both ancient and modern…. [Glossolalia] was used sparingly among American Indians but was widespread in African tribal religions.”

Paul likely ran into some of this pagan speaking in tongues. When he wrote the Corinthian Church, some of the background for the problems of this Church actually was pagan glossolalia. Less than 50 miles from Corinth, was Delphi. An inquirer would be brought into the presence of a young woman, a priestess of Apollo, who was said to possess a “pythonic spirit.” The priestess would speak in tongues and a male prophet would interpret. Paul may have had this in mind when he said,

“You know that when you were pagans, you were led astray to the mute idols, however you were led.” (1Co12:2)

Let’s consider the Biblical position.

There is no question that speaking in tongues on the day of Pentecost was a supernatural act of God. There have also been documented cases in Church history where missionaries have found themselves able to speak in the language of a primitive tribe, having had no knowledge of their language.

It is also possible that the Lord intended to bring this gift forward at different points in history to meet a purpose at the time. Paul seems to indicate such may be the case. He said,

“Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away.” (1Co13:8)

The Greek word for cease is pauo. This is where we get our English word pause. Pauo means to make cease, or to no longer be stirred, or to idle or unemployed. In context, Paul is using terms that point to a maturing factor.

Some say Paul is speaking of heaven. This may be the case, but it is odd that Paul’s entire teaching takes its center on ‘maturity.’ He may have been telling the Corinthian believers not to overly concern themselves with the Delphic oracles. He also tried to place speaking in tongues as a less important gift in comparison to other gifts. He says,

“When I was a child, I use to speak as a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things.” (1Co13:11)

My encouragement for any child of God is not to take speaking in tongues beyond Scriptural precedents. When the apostles preached the gospel, they saw no need to put an emphasis upon speaking in tongues.

The Acts of the Apostles is conclusive in this regard. The three recorded times that people spoke in other languages, were all sovereign acts of God. They were in a group setting. And each time it was unexpected. And Acts covers over 35 years of early Church history.

In all this each believer needs to reach their own conclusions.

Finally a call for caution

A major study by K. G. Meador and other researchers reported in a monthly journal of the American Psychiatric Association, that the rate of major depression in Pentecostals was three times greater than in any other religious affiliation.

(Pentecostal is a general term for any group that places a great stress on esoteric experiences and in particular on speaking in tongues. The study covered several thousand cases.)

I have seen that when an undue emphasis is placed on speaking in tongues it can cause mental and spiritual disturbances in a person that is not healthy. Paul tried to warn the Corinthians about putting too much stress on the supernatural.

“But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by is craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.

“For if one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted, you bear this beautifully.” (2Co11:3,4)

What are we left with? Perhaps the way to deal with the gift of speaking in other languages is to make sure that we are following clear Biblical instructions. Paul said,

“All do not speak in tongues, do they?”

He then went on,

“But earnestly desire the greater gifts. And I show you still a more excellent way.” (1Co12:30,31)

What did he mean, ‘a still more excellent way?’ Paul went on to outline the walk of love. He said that when everything else fails, love will stand the test of time. He said,

“If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.”

Just some things to think about

Always in Christ,

Buddy

You can send a private email to me with this form:

Dec

2009

Welcome to the world of the disciple…

Journal,

Congratulations to our graduates!

We just graduated our 43rd School for Christian Workers. They now belong to that select group of believers who have entered the world of the Biblical disciple. And now we get to watch these new disciples branch out into their respective stewardships from the Lord.

Some will continue their training. All of them have responded to how Jesus directed us to pray. He said, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to sent out laborers into His harvest.” (Luke 10:2)

The Christian Challenge logo has a story to tell concerning the disciple. The elements of the logo consists of the dove, representing the Holy Spirit, the Bible, representing the gospel of Jesus Christ, the mountains, representing the kingdoms of the world, and the rising and setting sun in the circled background, representing the gospel age. Yes, I firmly believe that we are at the closing moments of the gospel age as we know it.

The logo is based upon Isaiah, which reads,

How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth! Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they sing: for they shall see eye to eye, when the LORD shall bring again Zion. Break forth into joy, sing together, ye waste places of Jerusalem: for the LORD hath comforted his people, he hath redeemed Jerusalem. The LORD hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.

(Isa 52:7-10)

“How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth! Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they sing: for they shall see eye to eye, when the LORD shall bring again Zion. Break forth into joy, sing together, ye waste places of Jerusalem: for the LORD hath comforted his people, he hath redeemed Jerusalem. The LORD hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.” (Isa 52:7-10 kjv)

This Isaiah passage is also the theme song of Christian Challenge International. You can listen to a non-professional rendering of it here:

http://www.christianchallenge.org/audio/music/14_How%20Beautiful%20Upon%20The%20Mountains.mp3

Then we have this passage that speaks to the world of the disciple.

“From the rising of the sun to its setting the name of the LORD is to be praised.” (Psa 113:3 nasb)

The Christian Challenge International School for Christian Workers is not a Bible college.

We have structured our courses for the work-a-day believer. This is why the classes are generally evening classes. Our courses have been extended to other areas and also in Mexico.

While we don’t propose to take the place of a Bible college, it needs to be pointed out that all our courses have a specific goal, which is to open up a believer’s spiritual life by way of introducing him or her to the walk of Biblical disciple.

We’ve had students tell us that they received much more of a spiritual value in our one course, ‘The Disciple’s Heart’, than they did in two years of Bible college. The primary reason for this again is our emphasis on the walk of a Biblical disciple. A second reason is because most Bible colleges are concerned primarily with a denominational setting. That is not the case with Christian Challenge. We are non-denominational and non-sectarian. We have one interest alone, and that is to take the gospel of Jesus Christ into all the world.

The 44th School for Christian Workers begins in February, 2010.

We normally offer two schools a year. Because of interest, sometimes we squeeze in an extra school. The dates and additional information for the next school will be forthcoming.

However, with this next school we will be offering a new course, the Disciple’s Heart Class #2. This class expands on the world of the disciple. It is for those who have taken the initial Disciple’s Heart course. The Disciple’s Heart #2 serves as a bridge between the Disciple’s Heart class #1 and the Shepherd’s Heart class. The theme of this class is ‘Learn to Walk with God.’

At present our line up of classes will consist of the following:

The Disciple’s Heart
The Disciple’s Heart #2
The Shepherd’s Heart
Old Testament Survey
New Testament Survey
Conversational Spanish

If you would like to know more about the School for Christian Workers, you can call our office at 318 640-4300. You can also email me at Buddy@ChristianChallenge.Org

Finally, for those within driving distance of Pineville, Louisiana, you may want to consider registering for the next school. (We’ve had students drive 100 miles each way to attend the school.) Those who are able to relocate, or are praying about a relocation, see if the Lord has Pineville on your scope.

In the meantime here is a short video to share a bit of history on Christian Challenge…

The Lord bless you in your walk with Him,

Buddy

Dec

2009

The sad story of a Rabbi…

So Pilate *said to Him, “You do not speak to me? Do You not know that I have authority to release You, and I have authority to crucify You?” Jesus answered, “You would have no authority over Me, unless it had been given you from above; for this reason he who delivered Me to you has the greater sin.”

(Joh 19:10-11 NASB)

“So Pilate said to Him, ‘You do not speak to me? Do You not know that I have authority to release You, and I have authority to crucify You?’ Jesus answered, ‘You would have no authority over Me, unless it had been given you from above; for this reason he who delivered Me to you has the greater sin.’” (John 19:10-11 NASB)

Journal,

In the time of Jesus, the Jerusalem Sanhedrin represented the supreme leadership of world Judaism. When the chief priests and elders delivered Jesus over to the Roman authorities to be crucified, they set in motion a chain of events that would have negative effects on the Jewish people throughout their generations.

We see this taking form in 70 AD, with the destruction of the temple and Jerusalem. Was the destruction a judgment from God? According to the gospels, yes. And according to the Talmudic writings, also a yes. While the reasons given may differ, that it was a judgment from God was accepted early on.

Out of the ashes

Sadly enough, out of the ashes of Jerusalem would evolve a new Judaism that would have no likeness to the ancient worship of Moses and David. The rabbis set about to fashion a Judaism where they would become raised figures. This new Judaism would become known as Rabbinical Judaism or Talmudic Judaism. It would become an expanded continuation of the Pharisees. (The Sadducee and the priestly temple ministry disappeared in the destruction.)

The rabbi who carried the greater responsibility for the reinvention of Judaism was Rabbi Jochanan ben Zaccai. According to John Lightfoot, Rabbi Jochanan ben Zaccai knew Jesus and most certainly had encounters with the apostles. He was likely one of the Sanhedrin members who held responsibility for the crucifixion of Jesus.

Zaccai escaped the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. He afterwards determined that the blood sacrifices were no longer needed, and that prayer, good deeds, and fasting were all that was needed to get God’s forgiveness.

It is important to understand the time line of Rabbi Jochanan ben Zaccai. He was one of the top religious figures in Jerusalem during the time of Christ and up to and after the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. Zaccai lived to be 120 years old. He held such a honored role in Judaism that he became known as the ‘Light of Israel, Pillar of the Right Hand, Strong Hammer.’ Zaccai was well acquainted with the Christian movement.

The sad note in all this comes from the Talmudic writings themselves where the death of Rabbi Jochanan ben Zaccai is recorded.

“When R. Jochanan ben Zaccai was taken ill, his disciples went to visit him. As soon as he beheld them, he began to weep. His disciples said unto him, ‘O Light of Israel, Pillar of the Right Hand, Strong Hammer, why dost thou weep?’ He answered and said unto them… ‘Now when I am to be led into the presence of the King of kings, the Holy One, blessed be He, who lives and is through all eternities, whose anger — if He is angry with me — is an eternal anger; whose fetters — if He will bind me — are everlasting fetters; and whose death — if He put me to death — is an eternal death; whom I cannot appease with words, nor bribe with money; and not only so, but two ways open before me — the one leading to Paradise and the other to hell (Gehenna), and I do not know upon which of these two ways I shall be led, shall I not weep?‘”

Self honoring

The Judaism that Zaccai held great responsibility for sallied forth with all kinds of strange notions about God. But the prophets said this would happen. The strangest notion of all had to do with the self-honor that the rabbis placed upon themselves. In honor of Zaccai, we hear in Bava Bathra that this Rabbi was said to understand the language of devils, of trees, and of angels. Of course this is pure fabrication.

It should be noted that the Talmud sets precedence for necromancy. (The belief in magical spells that harness occult forces or evil spirits to produce unnatural effects in the world; conjuring up the dead, especially for prophesying.)

But there was a purpose in this new Judaism. The new Judaism had to have its own power structure and authority. The rabbis set themselves up as the last voice of God. This is why the new Judaism is often called Rabbinic Judaism. They even went so far as to tell the story of how they outwitted God Himself.

Now back to a bit of history on Rabbi Jochanan ben Zaccai. Does the Bible itself ever call attention to this rabbi? Perhaps so. According to Lightfoot, who is one of the preeminent Christian scholars on the Talmuds, Rabbi Zaccai was most likely the ‘John’ that sat on the council who commanded Peter and John to stop preaching in the name of Jesus. The gathered rulers included, “Annas the high priest was there, and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of high-priestly descent.” (Cf. Acts 4)

The reason that the name John is mentioned without further identification is because Rabbi Jochanan ben Zaccai was so well-known among the Jews that no other term was required. Note how the John is placed right in the center of Annas, Caiaphas, and Alexander. It says they were all of high-priestly descent. This would include John.

As I mention earlier, it is quite likely that Rabbi Zaccai knew Jesus and was involved in His being turned over to Pilate. Notice carefully what happens when the apostles are brought before these men. It says, “Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus.” (v13)

What makes the death of this rabbi even more frightening comes from something that Jesus said to Pilate. When Jesus kept quiet, Pilate says, “You do not speak to me? Do You not know that I have authority to release You, and I have authority to crucify You?”

Listen carefully to the Lord’s response: “You would have no authority over Me, unless it had been given you from above; for this reason he who delivered Me to you has the greater sin.” (Cf. John 19:10,11)

The greater sin

Did you catch it? Whoever delivered Jesus over to Pilate was charged with ‘the greater sin.’ This can only mean that those noted beforehand, that is Annas the high priest, and Caiaphas, and John, and Alexander, and all who were of high-priestly descent, would be charged with this greater sin.

Why would these leaders be charged with the greater sin but not Pilate or the Roman soldiers? It was because these leaders knew more about Jesus than they were putting on. Is it possible that some of them actually knew that Jesus was the Messiah? This seems to be the case. Read the parable of ‘the landowner who planted a vineyard’ and the story is made clear. (Cf. Mat 21:33-45)

Take note of how the Lord ends the afore parable:

“Jesus said to them, ‘Did you never read in the Scriptures, “The stone which the builders rejected, this became the chief corner stone; this came about from the Lord, and it is marvelous in our eyes:?’ “Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people, producing the fruit of it. And he who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; but on whomever it falls, it will scatter him like dust. “When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard His parables, they understood that He was speaking about them. When they sought to seize Him, they feared the people, because they considered Him to be a prophet.” (Mat 21:42-46)

Would you like to see what distinguishes the death of Rabbi Zaccai and a rabbi who accepted Jesus as the Messiah of Israel? Whether we can apply the term ‘rabbi’ to Paul before he became a believer is not known. We do know that Paul was a disciple of Gamaliel and a persecutor of the church. When this apostle was facing death, this is what we read about him:

“For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.” (Cf. 2Ti 4:7,8)

Do you see the difference? Rabbi Zaccai was terrified. The apostle Paul was ready for his journey home. What made the difference? It all comes back to the atonement sacrifice. To reject the cross is to reject any hope of salvation. And it is not as though Zaccai had no warning. A special letter was sent to Jewish people by an apostolic writer not long before the destruction of the temple. In it we read:

“For if we go on sinning [the sin of rejection of Jesus] willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a terrifying expectation of judgment and the fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries. Anyone who has set aside the Law of Moses dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace?” (Cf. Heb 10:26- 29)

As a minister of well over 40 years I’ve attended the last hours of various believers. These were precious moments. There was no fear. And when it neared the time of passage, there was a special anointing that came upon the child of God. It was as though they were already experiencing the heaven side of their passage. As for others — I’ll leave that unsaid.

However, there is much more to the story. One day the Jewish people will realize that they’ve been duped and misled in their Talmudic religion about Jesus. God spoke through the prophet, saying,

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

It seems to me that day is not too far removed from where we are today.

Well, we do know that there is a heavenly Jerusalem. It is called ‘the city of God.’ Here is a song you will enjoy. It is titled ‘Jerusalem’ by the Hoppers…

May the Lord bless you,.

Buddy

Dec

2009

Do you have Lamb assurance…

Journal Readers,

Are you fully assured of your salvation in Christ? Listen to David describe the person who lives in the security of the Lord:

“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.” (PSAL84:5-7 NASB)

Paul said he was confident that the good work which GOD began in each believer, GOD Himself would perfect until the day of JESUS CHRIST. (Phi1:6) This tells us that the work of salvation is GOD’S work and not our work. It also tells us that the total of our walk in life will remain under the Lordship of JESUS CHRIST. This is what the apostolic writer meant when he said that JESUS CHRIST is author and the finisher (completer/perfecter) of our faith.

This does not mean that we have no choices in life. It means that understanding GOD’S ultimate purposes in our life is all-important to a life of faith. He can turn our down turns into victories. Paul said, “But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place.” 2Co2:14

Most frustrations that believers face in life are due to not keying in on GOD’S life purposes. Our last session was about ‘Biblical Salvation.’ Now let’s talk about affirming our life in JESUS.

I – Our Ancient Spiritual Heritage

1. The place to begin is to realize our uniqueness in the earth. GOD’S people have always shared an apartness in the world. This apartness is our heritage. Knowing we are the people of GOD is a major key to affirming our life in Christ. Cf. 1Pe2:6-11.

2. This heritage reaches back to the original promise that the seed of the woman would ultimately crush Satan’s authority. We see the heritage expressed in the Abrahamic promises that would be fulfilled in JESUS. Cf. Gen12:3; 22:16-18; Gal3:16,26-29.It is our apartness that Satan hates. The world has lived in a death culture ever since fall of Adam. GOD’S people are called to a ‘life’ culture. We are to give testimony to the life we’ve found in JESUS. We are the evidence of GOD’S lovingkindness, of his mercy, and of His grace and forgiveness. Cf. John15:18,19; 17:14,15.

II – The Battle

1. The One thing Satan must do to counter Christianity is to cast doubt on GOD’S Word. This is what can be called ‘bottom-line’ spiritual warfare. You find it in place in the garden of Eden. Cf. GEN3:1-7.

2. Many don’t realize that if you add to or take away from GOD’S Word, this becomes grounds for deception. Satan is called in the Scriptures both a liar and a deceiver. Eve was deceived! When JESUS was confronted by Satan in the wilderness, what was the battle about? Cf. MATT4:1-11.

3. Heresy always begins with a twist on truth. If you see someone down-playing the Word of GOD, that is a sure sign that deception is at work. Compare these warnings: PSA12:6; PRO30:5,6; MATT15:1-9; MATT23:15.

4. God has given us words to live by. Join the book to JESUS and you have the keys to living a godly life. Cf. 2 Tim 3:14-17; 4:1-4, 6; Rev. 22:18,19.

III – Living Our Life in Christ

1. The life that JESUS gives is unlike anything the world has ever known. We are heavenly born people in earthly bodies. This is why we often struggle within ourselves. This is also why true believer’s carry in themselves a longing for their final transformation. Cf. Phil3:20,21; Rom8:15-17,23,28-31.

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

2. We affirm our life in CHRIST in being who we are. But we also affirm our life in CHRIST when we gather as the people of GOD. In our gatherings is a unique promise of GOD’S presence. Cf. Gen49:10; Exo20:24; Matt18:20.

3. There is a special prophetic Psalm that describes the feelings, emotions, desires, affections, visions, and movements of GOD’S people towards the LORD. Notice the language of Psalm 84. Now compare this to Hebrews 11:8-10,13-16.

IV – Declaring God’s Way

1. This is another reason Satan hates believers. We refuse to be molded or controlled by this world’s dark view of life. The Bible tells us that we are ever moving towards a divine destiny when time as we know it is no more. We believe in a final judgment, in a resurrection. We laugh at every form of godless philosophy the world has to offer.

2. This is why Satan greatly fears the people of CHRIST. He knows that when the people of the world make contact with believers, it stirs their hearts. And Satan has nothing to compete with the child of GOD who is led by the SPIRIT of the LORD. This is what Paul is talking about in 2Co2:14-17; 3:5,6,14-18

3. 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. The prophet said, “If they do not speak according to this Word, it is because they have no dawn.” (No light in them. ISA8:20)

It is important to realize that God prepares us for what He has prepared us for. Believers have been shaped intellectually, emotionally, physically, historically, environmentally, relationally, and above all spiritually to fulfill a certain role in God’s kingdom. There will never be another you. Cf. Psalm 139.

“How blessed is the man whose strength is in You, in whose heart are the highways to Zion! Passing through the valley of Baca [valley of tears] 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.” – Psalm 84:5-7

Do you yet struggle with a fear of losing your salvation? You really shouldn’t. Paul said the good work which God began in each of us, the Lord Himself would perfect until the day of Jesus Christ. (Phi1:6)

This tells us that the work of salvation is God’s work and not our work. It also tells us that the total sum of our walk in this life will remain under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. The apostolic writer said that Jesus is both the author and the finisher of our faith. (Heb12:2) This does not mean that we have no decisions to make in life. What it means is that when we understand God’s ultimate purpose in our life, it is from this that we learn to live a life of faith and trust. Paul said,

“But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place.” 2Co2:14

Most frustrations that believers face in life are due to not keying in on God’s life purposes. God has a blueprint for the new covenant. Here it how it reads:

KPS8000A

“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, …

“…so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?” (Rom 8:28-31)

Our Ancient Spiritual Heritage

The place to begin is to realize the believer’s unique place in the earth. God’s people have always shared an apartness to the Lord. This apartness is our heritage. Knowing that we are the people of God is a major key to affirming our life in Christ. Peter said,

“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” (1Pe 2:9-10)

Our heritage reaches back to the original promise that was given to Adam and Eve, in that the seed of the woman would ultimately crush Satan’s authority. We see the heritage expressed in the Abrahamic promises that was to be fulfilled in Jesus. Cf. Gen12:3; 22:16-18; Gal3:16,26-29.

It is our apartness that Satan hates. The world has lived in a death culture ever since fall of Adam. God’s people are called to a ‘life’ culture. We are to give testimony to the life we’ve found in Jesus. We are the evidence of God’s lovingkindness, of his mercy, and of His grace and forgiveness.

The one thing Satan must do to counter the Christian testimony is to cast doubt on God’s Word. This is ‘bottom-line’ spiritual warfare. You find it in place in the garden of Eden. (Gen3:1-7) Eve was deceived! When Jesus was confronted by Satan in the wilderness, what was the battle about? (Matt4:1-11) However, Satan has a real problem with new covenant believers. True believers are living witnesses that God’s Word is true. Satan’s attempt to discount the Bible is stifled because of the multiplied millions of people on this planet whose lives have been changed because of the gospel message. This is why Jesus said, “You shall be My witnesses.”

Affirm your life in Christ

If you see someone down-playing the Word of God, that is a sure sign that deception is at work. Compare these warnings: Psa12:6; Pro30:5,6; Matt15:1-9; Matt23:15.

God has given us words to live by. When you join the Bible to Jesus, you then have the keys to living a godly life. Cf. 2 Tim 3:14-17; 4:1-4, 6; Rev. 22:18,19.

The life that Jesus gives is unlike anything the world has ever known. We are heavenly born people in earthly bodies. This is why we often struggle within ourselves. This is also why true believers carry in themselves a longing for their final transformation. The life we have is eternal life, which means it is a life that never be lost. Cf. Phil3:20,21; Rom8:15-17,23,28-31.

Paul speaks to this in saying,

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

We affirm our life in Christ in being who we are. This is another reason Satan hates believers. We refuse to be molded or controlled by this world’s dark view of life. The Bible tells us that we are ever moving towards a divine destiny when time as we know it is no more.

We believe in a final judgment, in a resurrection. We hold in distain every form of godless philosophy the world has to offer. This is also why Satan greatly fears the people of Christ. He knows that when the people of the world make contact with believers, it stirs their hearts. And Satan has nothing to compete with the child of God who is led by the Spirit of the Lord. This is what Paul is talking about in 2Co2:14-17; 3:5,6,14-18

The most important thing a believer can do in life is to take the message of the Bible to heart. There are many voices clamoring for our faith. Paul tells us to learn to never exceed what is written. The prophet said, “If they do not speak according to this Word, it is because they have no dawn.” (No light in them. Isa8:20)

What then is Lamb Assurance

Lamb assurance simply points to what happens when a person is given heavenly life. When a person truly believes on Jesus Christ, and receives Jesus as their Lord and Savior. it is at that moment of faith that the Holy Spirit takes of the blood if the Lamb and sprinkles it on the believer’s heart. In the sprinkled blood is the very life of God.

From that moment on the believer carries in their spirit being both the nature of Christ, the seal of Christ, and the testimony of Christ. This person has moved far beyond religion and into the reality of knowing God personally. He carries in his heart Lamb assurance.

Let me repeat – Did you know that the blood that is sprinkled on this new believer’s heart is actually God’s blood? Listen to these Scriptures: (Follow the bold)

“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)

And again;

“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 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)

So the question remains – Do you have Lamb assurance?

While you are thinking about this, take time to listen to “Thank God I Am Free” by JD Sumner & the Stamps:

There is much love to be found in Jesus,

Buddy

Dec

2009

Understanding Biblical salvation…

Journal,

Learn to Walk With God #5

“Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.” Genesis 5:24 NASB

Biblical Salvation

By LAWRENCE E. (BUDDY) MARTIN

“WHEN THE JAILER AWOKE AND SAW THE PRISON DOORS OPENED, HE DREW HIS SWORD AND WAS ABOUT TO KILL HIMSELF, SUPPOSING THAT THE PRISONERS HAD ESCAPED. BUT PAUL CRIED OUT WITH A LOUD VOICE, SAYING, ‘DO NOT HARM YOURSELF, FOR WE ARE ALL HERE!’ AND HE CALLED FOR LIGHTS AND RUSHED IN, AND TREMBLING WITH FEAR HE FELL DOWN BEFORE PAUL AND SILAS, AND AFTER HE BROUGHT THEM OUT, HE SAID, ‘SIRS, WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED?’ THEY SAID, ‘BELIEVE IN THE LORD JESUS, AND YOU WILL BE SAVED, YOU AND YOUR HOUSEHOLD.’” (ACTS 16:27-31 NASB)

In this study we will take a closer look at what the term salvation means in the Bible. Salvation is more than being born again. It includes citizenship in God’s kingdom. Paul said, “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.” (Phil3:20,21)

The New Testament word ‘salvation’ is the Greek soteria. (so-tay-ree’ah). Soteria means deliverance, preservation, safety, or salvation. It speaks of the total sum of benefits and blessings that true believers enjoy by their faith in Jesus. It also includes what believers will enjoy in fullest measure in eternity future at the return of Christ.

Soteria carries ideas of healing or health. The word ‘save’ is similar. The Greek is sozo. (sode’-zo) Sozo means to save, to keep sound, to rescue from danger or destruction, to make well, to heal, or restore to health. Let’s take a closer look at Biblical salvation.

I – Salvation is Jurisdictional

1. The great kingdom promise remains unchanged. Salvation is based on a call from God, and on a response by which we call on the Lord Jesus. No person can get good enough to be saved. Salvation is based on faith in Jesus Christ alone. This is the gospel that the apostles preached. Cf. Acts 2:21; Gal. 1:8,9; Rom.10:8-10; Eph2:8,9

2. Paul said, “…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.” (Col1:12-14)

3. The domain of darkness speaks of the authority and power of Satan. It also speaks of the confusion and disorder of Satan’s kingdom. Satan’s rule involves killing, stealing, and destroying. (John 10:10) The moment a person calls upon Jesus as Lord, the Father instantly rescues that person from the rule and disorder of Satan, and brings that person into the kingdom of life of His Son. Jurisdictional means that Satan no longer has any rights over anyone who calls on the name of the Lord. Cf. Luke 22:48-53; Act 26:16-18.

4. Being born again is our entrance into the kingdom of God’s beloved Son. Not only are we transferred jurisdictionally into the kingdom of the beloved Son, but we are actually given a kingdom birth. The Holy Spirit creates in believers a new heart, and then indwells the new heart. Cf. Eze36:26,27; Jer32:38-41; 1 Co 12:13; Eph1:13,14

II – Salvation is Relational

1. In Bible interpretation there is what is called ‘the law of first mention.’ This means simply that when a term appears in the Scriptures for the first time, it will carry the same basic meaning throughout the Scriptures. A good case for this is the word ‘righteousness.’ It says Abraham believed in the Lord, it was ‘reckoned’ to him as ‘righteousness.’ (Gen 15:6)

The word ‘reckoned’ is the Hebrew chashab (khaw-shab’). This word means to esteem, count, impute or charge. Abraham’s believing was imputed as righteousness with God. Abraham was highly esteemed by heaven. Cf. Rom. 4:21-25.

2. Righteousness is a ‘status’ relationship with God. David said, “For it is You who blesses the righteous man, O Lord, You surround him with favor as with a shield.” (Psalm 5:12) – Righteousness and faith are companion terms. The blessings of righteousness are manifold. The key note is that the Lord is always with the righteous man and woman. He guides them through life with favor. Cf. Psa34:17-19.

3. People who are righteous by faith in Jesus Christ are given God’s very own righteousness. They are considered holy. Peter said, “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession…” (1Pet2:9)

Holy is a kindred term to righteousness. When a person is born again this means they have a holy birth, which, in turn, means they now belong to God. Righteous people are God’s treasures in the earth. God says, “You shall be holy for I am holy.” We are to live as holy people. (1Pet1:15,16)

4. Being righteous by status and being righteous in our walk are reciprocally connected. Status is positional. Experiential righteousness links to our life of faith and separation from the world. God is continually at work in our lives so that we can experience a true walk of righteousness. Believers who have the greatest struggles in life are always those who do not take their separation from the world seriously.

The Holy Spirit helps us to live out a separated life to God. God’s people are not to be conformed to the world but to live transformed lives. We are to live with what the Scriptures call ‘a sanctified heart.’ Cf. Rom12:1,2; 2Co6:16-18; 7:1; 1Pe3:15.

III – Salvation is Spiritual

1. Jesus explained it this way: “The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” (John 3:8)

This means that the new birth is a thing of the Spirit. It results in new life in the Spirit. We become new creatures who now enjoy new life, new awareness, with new spiritual expressions. Cf. 2Co5:17-19.

2. Paul said, “And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit.” (Eph5:18)

Paul is not saying that the Spirit filled life will make us act like drunkards. Actually it will do just the opposite. One of the fruit of the Spirit is self-control. Paul is simply saying that as we learn to live under the influence of the Holy Spirit, the result will be grace and peace, where we are enabled by the Spirit to carry forth the testimony of Jesus Christ. We become Christ like. Cf. John 4:13,13; Rom 8:5,6; 14:17,18.

3. What Peter says to Christian women has something to be had by all Christians. He wrote, “Your adornment must not be merely external—braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on dresses, but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God.” (1Pe3:3,4. The statement in bold belongs to men and women.)

The reason this kind of spirit is precious in the sight of God is because it reveals an adornment of the heart or an internal grace that speaks to the spirit of Christ. There is nothing more beautiful than the child of God whose heart is filled with Jesus.

Isaiah also speaks to this in saying, “And the work of righteousness will be peace, and the service of righteousness, quietness and confidence forever.” (Isa32:17)

The angel spoke to Joseph, saying, “[Mary] will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” (Mat1:21) The name Jesus literally means ‘Yahweh is our Savior.’

Follow this entry closely and you find some answers to true Biblical salvation that you are seeking. So listen with your heart.

Learn to Walk With God #5

“Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.”Genesis 5:24 NASB

Biblical Salvation

By LAWRENCE E. (BUDDY) MARTIN

)

,21

)

I – Salvation is Jurisdictional

;Gal. 1:8

;Rom.10:8-10

;Eph2:8

)

) The moment a person calls upon Jesus as Lord, the Father instantly rescues that person from the rule and disorder of Satan, and brings that person into the kingdom of life of His Son. Jurisdictional means that Satan no longer has any rights over anyone who calls on the name of the Lord. Cf.Luke 22:48-53

; Act 26:16-18.

,27

;Jer32:38-41

;1 Co 12:13

;Eph1:13

,14

II – Salvation is Relational

)

2. Righteousness is a ‘status’ relationship with God. David said, “For it is You who blesses the righteous man, O Lord, You surround him with favor as with a shield.” (Psalm 5:12

) – Righteousness and faith are companion terms. The blessings of righteousness are manifold. The key note is that the Lord is always with the righteous man and woman. He guides them through life with favor. Cf.Psa34:17-19

)

,16

)

;2Co6:16-18

;7:1

;1Pe3:15

III – Salvation is Spiritual

)

2. Paul said, “And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit.” (Eph5:18

)

,13

; Rom 8:5

;14:17

,18

. The statement in bold belongs to men and women.)

Isaiah also speaks to this in saying, “And the work of righteousness will be peace, and the service of righteousness, quietness and confidence forever.” (Isa32:17

)

The angel spoke to Joseph, saying, “[Mary] will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” (Mat1:21

) The name Jesus literally means ‘Yahweh is our Savior.’

The message of the cross is simple. It has always been simple. Yet it can become distorted and complicated beyond measure.

The gospel in its simplest form is found in the incident of the jailer who thought his prisoners had escaped.

Here is what happens:

“When the jailer awoke and saw the prison doors opened, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul cried out with a loud voice, saying, ‘Do not harm yourself, for we are all here!’

“And he called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas, and after he brought them out, he said, ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?‘ They said, ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.'” (Acts 26:27-31 NASB)

Paul reduced the message of salvation to a simple equation. He said, ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved.‘ That’s it? Can it really be that simple? Yes it can and I want to tell you why. In this entry we will look at what the term salvation really means in the Bible. Included will be Scripture references for additional study.

Salvation does not merely mean to be born again

Salvation includes a citizenship process. Paul said,

“For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.” (Phil3:20,21)

Personal goodness can never save us. We have no righteousness of our own. (Rom3:9-22) We are lost sinners with no hope outside of Jesus Christ. Salvation is based on faith in Jesus Christ alone. This is the gospel that the apostles preached. Cf. Acts 2:21; Gal. 1:8,9; Rom.10:8-10; Eph2:8,9

The New Testament word ‘salvation’ is the Greek soteria. (so-tay-ree’ah). Soteria means deliverance, preservation, safety, or salvation. It speaks of the total sum of benefits and blessings that true believers receive by their faith in Jesus. It also includes the future estate believers will enjoy in fullest measure at the return of Christ.

All the afore things relate to the believer’s heavenly citizenship. But there is more to be understood.

Salvation is Jurisdictional

The domain of darkness speaks of the authority and power of Satan. It also speaks of the confusion and disorder of Satan’s kingdom. Satan’s rule involves killing, stealing, and destroying. (John 10:10) The moment a person calls upon Jesus as Lord, the Father instantly rescues that person from the rule and disorder of Satan, and brings that person into the kingdom life of His Son. Jurisdictional means that Satan no longer has any rights over anyone who calls on the name of the Lord. Cf. Luke 22:48-53; Act 26:16-18.

Paul said,

“…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.” (Col1:12-14)

It is in our calling upon Jesus Christ that we are given a kingdom birth. It is this heavenly birth that becomes our entrance into the kingdom of God’s beloved Son. The Holy Spirit creates in the believer a new heart, and then eternally indwells the new heart. Cf. Eze36:26,27; Jer32:38-41; 1 Co 12:13; Eph1:13,14

Salvation is Relational

In Bible interpretation there is what is called ‘the law of first mention.’ This means simply that when a term appears in the Scriptures for the first time, it will carry the same general meaning throughout the Scriptures. A case for this is the word ‘righteousness.’ The first time righteousness is found in Scripture has to do with Abraham. Listen:

“And He took him outside and said, ‘Now look toward the heavens, and count the stars, if you are able to count them. And He said to him, ‘So shall your descendants be.’ Then he believed in the LORD; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness.” (Gen 15:5-6)

The word ‘reckoned’ is the Hebrew chashab (khaw-shab’). This word means to esteem, count, impute or charge. Abraham’s believing was imputed as righteousness with God. Cf. Rom. 4:21-25.

Righteousness is a ‘status’ of relationship with God. True believers are highly esteemed by heaven. David said, “For it is You who blesses the righteous man, O Lord, You surround him with favor as with a shield.” (Psalm 5:12)

People who are righteous by faith in Jesus Christ are actually given God’s very own righteousness. They are considered holy. Peter said, “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession…” (1Pet2:9)

Righteousness and faith and holiness are all companion terms. Holiness simply means that you have been set apart for God, that is, you are God’s possession. The blessings of righteousness are manifold. The Lord is always with the righteous man and woman. He guides them through life with favor. Cf. Psa34:17-19.

Experiential righteousness links to our life of faith and separation from the world. God is continually at work in our lives so that we can experience a true walk of righteousness. Believers who have the greatest struggles in life are always those who do not take their separation from the world seriously. But even in our struggles, our failures, our down-slides, and up-slides, the Lord never leaves us. He alone saves us.

Salvation is Spiritual

Jesus explained it this way:

“The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” (John 3:8)

Paul said,

“And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit.” (Eph5:18)

Isaiah also speaks to this in saying,

“And the work of righteousness will be peace, and the service of righteousness, quietness and confidence forever.” (Isa32:17)

A dialog on Salvation

Let me put the issue of salvation to rest by way of comment and response.

Comment: Does the Bible truly teach eternal salvation for the believer?

Response: Some say that a person can walk out of God’s hand on their own. If so, then we are greater than God. Jesus said ‘no one could snatch them out of His hand.’ Everyone is a someone. Jesus also said that none of His sheep would ever perish.

Jesus: “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. (Joh 10:27-28)

Comment: Some teach that a person has to do certain things to be saved, such as keep the Sabbath, or dress a certain way, or keep certain laws of Moses, or do fasting and pay tithes, or speak in another language (tongues), or, so on and so on.

Response: The greatest thing a believer can ever do is learn to study the Bible for themselves, without preconceived notions, with a willing and honest heart, and with an earnest desire to know truth for themselves.x

Paul: “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. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” (Eph 2:8-10)xx

x

Paul: “Therefore no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day– things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ. Let no one keep defrauding you of your prize by delighting in self-abasement and the worship of the angels, taking his stand on visions he has seen, inflated without cause by his fleshly mind, and not holding fast to the head, from whom the entire body, being supplied and held together by the joints and ligaments, grows with a growth which is from God. If you have died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees, such as, “Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!” (Col 2:16-21)x

Comment: What about supernatural signs and wonders. Aren’t these the things we should look for with regard to the work of salvation?

Response: Christianity itself is a wonder. And wonderful things happen to Christians. However, Paul said that believers must be extra cautious about deceptions, that is, of being led astray by those who preach a different gospel, or who operate under a different spirit, or who are actually preaching another Jesus. He said the key is to be found in a ‘simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.

Paul: “But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ. For if one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted, you bear this beautifully.” (2Co 11:3-4)

You can decide for yourself…

Can we truly know the message of salvation that was preached by the apostles? In these final Scriptures, please pay attention to the words preach, preached, and preaching. Do this and you have your answer.

“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! As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is PREACHING to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!“ (Gal 1:8-9)

“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; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.” (Rom 10:8-10)

xxx

Think about it. It’s getting late.

frederic-church-twilight-in-the-wilderness-c-1860

If you are a preacher, what gospel are you preaching?

If you are a church member, what kind of gospel are you hearing?

It’s up to you now. I have had my say.

In Christ always,

Buddy

Christian Challenge

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