Jesus Christ

Apr

2011

There really are two worlds

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

“Therefore Pilate said to Him, ‘So You are a king?’ Jesus answered, ‘You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.'” (Joh 18:35-37)

Journal,

For the past few days I’ve had this feeling that I was to write a blog on the other world Jesus spoke to Pilate about. Then I remembered a blog I shared last year entitled, ‘Made in the Divine Image.’ So I decided to use that blog as a backdrop and share more insights that hopefully will bless my readers.

Here is the bottom line issue. While the angels of God continue with their nature intact, our spiritual nature and personal identity with God was displaced in the fall of Adam. We forfeited our unique relationship with all of creation. We lost something of our original nature.

I realize that the idea of humans having something of the divine is difficult to grasp. Yet a restoration of Adam’s lost glory is at the very heart of our redemption in Christ Jesus. And this restoration includes something of the divine nature.

Pay attention to these Scriptures —

“…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Rom3:23)

Another,

“For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings. For both He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one Father; for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren.” (Heb 2:10-11 NASB)

And again,

“For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.” (2Pe 1:4)

Jesus entered the fallen world of Adam

Jesus took to Himself the fallen human race. Satan’s authority over all humanity was broken at the cross. From that moment on any person who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. (Calling on Jesus relates to His becoming Lord and Savior to the one calling on Him.)

But it doesn’t stop there. Peter gave more insight:

“… seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.” (2Pe 1:3 NASB)

That which was lost in the fall of Adam, has been restored in Jesus Christ.

The point is that Satan was able to take advantage of Adam’s fallen state and build his earthly kingdom around this aspect of disrepair. Satan is called the god of this world, the ruler of this world, the prince of the power of the air, and the authority of ‘the domain of darkness.’ All that changed with the coming of Jesus Christ.

The two worlds and the two kinds of humans…

So now there actually are two kinds of humans on this planet. You have the ‘in Adam’ human. And you have the ‘in Christ’ human. Those who are in Christ, have turned to Jesus Christ as their own Lord and Savior. They belong to a new creation. Those who have not turned to Jesus still yet remain under the domain of the old creation. They are still under Satan’s jurisdiction.

Listen to these Scriptures that describe the two kinds of humans on planet earth today:

“[We all] formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were BY NATURE CHILDREN OF WRATH, even as the rest.” (Eph2:2,3)

In speaking to the Jewish leaders in the temple, He said,

“‘I go away, and you will seek Me, and will die in your sin; where I am going, you cannot come.’ So the Jews were saying, ‘Surely He will not kill Himself, will He, since He says, “Where I am going, you cannot come’?”‘ And He was saying to them, ‘You are from below, I am from above; you are of this world, I am not of this world.‘” (Joh 8:21-23)

Again,

“You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” (Joh 8:44)

Here is the description of those who have turned to Jesus Christ:

“For we are [God’s] workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we would walk in them.” (Eph2:10)

Again,

“Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature, the old things passed away, new things have come.” (2Co5:17)

To the disciples and by extension to all believers through the age.,

“If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you.” (Joh 15:19)

See the distinction?

You have humans in disrepair and you have humans who have been restored to their proper nature and in right relationship with God.

Once the human nature has been repaired this brings the principle of godliness back in place, and that which most closely relates to the divine. We now have a heart that is very much like God’s heart.

This does not mean that the repaired Christian cannot sin. No person on this planet has as sensitive a conscience as that of a person who has been born again. It is the nature of a Christian to seek cleansing from sin.

Born from above…

With that being said let’s take a closer look at the believer’s new status with God. Jesus said,

“The thief [Satan’s environs and activities] comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” (Jn10:10)

The true believer is born from above. When a person is born from above their human nature has undergone a spiritual repair, and is in the process of being restored to its proper purpose.

The born again person is now a very child of God. The child of God once again has something of the divine within him. He belongs to the family of God.

The heavenly Father spoke life to him. This is what Jesus meant when he said,

“It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the word that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.” (John 6:63)

Through our journey in this world, the Lord gives us life words. He speaks to us as our Father. But He also brings healing where healing is needed.

Repairing the broken…

The disrepair of our humanity can only be corrected one way. It is found in the working principle of the cross. Jesus alone is the One who repairs us. It is to Him alone that we bring our broken humanity. It is to Him that we make our appeal to His Lordship and to His saving grace. This is why the true apostolic message never changes, which says,

“And it shall be that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved [repaired].”

The word salvation [soteria] in Greek speaks of preservation and deliverance. The word ‘save’ [sozo] means, to bring safely, get well, to restore, etc.

Listen to angel’s message to Joseph about Mary having a Son:

“She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” (Mark 1:21)

Being saved from our sins is not a one time event. It is the maxim of the cross. Being saved from our sins is a process of life. The Lord saved us, He is saving us, He will save us. Jesus came to save us from all our sins, past, present and future.

“He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit.” (Tit 3:5 NASB)

The glory to be revealed…

Here is the Scripture that troubles some folk:

“What is man that You take thought of him, and the son of man that You care for him? Yet You have made him a little lower than God, and You crown him with glory and majesty!“ (Psa 8:4-5 NASB)

Yes, Adam did share in the divine nature, that is, in those godly traits that are found in God Himself. Adam was God’s very child and he carried in his person something of the nature of his Father.
I hope you are seeing the picture. If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, you also are God’s very child.

We have yet to receive our full glory, but it will happen.

Paul said this:

“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.” (Rom 8:29-30)

In all this always keep in mind that you do have authority over Satan. How to use this authority properly is a way of learning the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Think about these things. In the meantime here is a song what will minister to your heart, “The Glorious Impossible,” by the Gaither Band:

May the Lord ‘s richest blessing overflow your life as you seek His face,

Buddy

Apr

2011

The Secret Place of God

“One thing I have asked from the LORD, that I shall seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD and to meditate in His temple. For in the day of trouble He will conceal me in His tabernacle;

“In the secret place of His tent He will hide me; He will lift me up on a rock. And now my head will be lifted up above my enemies around me, And I will offer in His tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the LORD.” (Psa 27:4-6)

Journal,

David speaks of God’s secret place, of God’s hiding place, and the place of God’s shelter. Often when he uses these terms, David is referring to the holiest of holies in which only the high priest was allowed to enter but once a year. But behind the symbol lies the reality.

So, why would David say that the secret place is where God hides His people? And David isn’t the only one who speaks of this secret dwelling place.

Listen to Moses:

“Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were born or You gave birth to the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.” (Psa 90:1-2)

All the prophets shared insights into the wonders of redemption. Their full understanding had limitations. Some things were kept in store for the times of Messiah.

Note the apostle Peter:

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

“It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven

“–things into which angels long to look.” (1Pe 1:10-12)

God’s blue print of redemption

Between the angels and over the mercy seat was a Light. In the Light was a form. The form was Jesus Himself. God spoke to Miriam and Aaron, concerning the form:

“With [Moses] I speak mouth to mouth, even openly, and not in dark sayings, and he beholds the form of the LORD. Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant, against Moses?” (Num12:8

Now Paul:

“… who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking on the form of a bond-servant … ” (Phil2:6,7)

The blue print of our redemption is in the Old Testament tabernacle plan. The holiest of holies was the most sacred part of the tabernacle. It represented heaven and the throne of God. No one was allowed to entered there except the high priest, and that only once a year. He carried over his breast the tribes of Israel.

In the holiest of holies was the Ark of the Covenant. On each side of the lid were two angels. Their gaze was fixed on the mercy-seat.

This is what Peter is calling attention to. The angels speak of the wonder of heaven about the incarnation of the Son of God, and in His work of redemption. The Light over the mercy-seat was the same Light that blinded Paul on the road to Damascus.

But the angels saw something else. In looking at the mercy of redemption they saw the children of God, seated with Christ in the heavenly places. This is their wonderment.

Our secret hiddenness

David often breaks forth into praise when he speaks God’s love for His people.

“How great is Your goodness, which You have stored for those who fear You, which You have wrought for those who take refuge in You, before the sons of men! You hide them in the secret place of Your presence, from the conspiracies of man; You keep them in the shelter from the strife of tongues.” (Psalm 31:19,20 nasb.)

The lives of all believers are hidden with God in Christ.

David could speak of the holiest of holies as the hiding place for God’s people because he saw passed the veil, and into God’s redemption plan that stretched from eternity past to eternity future.

David saw the Lord Jesus. In fact, David called Jesus, his Lord. (Ask me if you don’t know where this is.)

The secret place of God would take in all His people from ancient time on. The tabernacle was a picture-perfect symbol of God’s eternal purpose for all His people.

The ever-present One

Even the Old Testament saints knew in their hearts that the Lord was their ever-present security in life. The Psalmist Asaph speaks of God’s people as His ‘treasured ones.’ He writes,

“They make shrewd plans against Your people, and conspire together against Your treasured ones [tsaw-fan’].” (Ps83:3)

These treasured ones are God’s people of the ages. The Hebrew for ‘treasured ones’ speaks of that which is covered by God, or, that which is hidden, or, that which is kept secret. It especially speaks of the secret of one’s heart. God’s treasured ones are the secret love of His heart.

All who are ever going to be saved have their names already recorded in God’s book of redemption. Their point of salvation in this life is determined in Christ. Jesus said that everyone the Father gives to Him, will come to Him. He also said that all who come to Him, He will raise up on the last day.

Such a mystery this.

The psalmist puts things together when he writes,

“For in the day of trouble He will conceal [tsaw-fan’] me in His tabernacle; in the secret place of His tent He will hide me; He will lift me up on a rock [the Rock is Christ]. And now my head will be lifted up above my enemies around me, and I will offer in his tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord.” (Psalm 27:5,6)

Sealed and concealed for eternity

The Hebrew for ‘conceal‘ [tsaw-fan’]is the same Hebrew word used for God’s ‘treasured ones’. God’s people are His treasures in the earth and for all eternity. This allows us to have a better understanding of a kingdom parable about a treasure. Jesus said,

“The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field [world], which a man found and hid again; and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” (Matt13:44)

The story is the story of the cross. Jesus Christ gave His life for the hidden treasure. Jesus came to seek that which was lost. Now the treasure is hidden again, but this time it is hidden in Christ.

Paul said,

“For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.” (Col3:3,4)

Being hidden in Christ means that every believer is eternally secured from the power of darkness. We can never be separated from God’s love. Our life is placed in the Light of God’s very being. Peter said that our calling was into “His marvelous light.”

Secured eternally

Our place in Christ was secured at the cross. We have already been raised up and seated with Him in the heavenly places. We are to live out our present life with the knowledge of our eternal placement. God gives us heavenly life as a foretaste of eternity. Heavenly life is God’s oversight of our lives. Heavenly life is also the working of heaven in our hearts.

God never takes His eyes off any who belong to Him. Listen to this conversation between David and the Lord:

[David] “You are my hiding place; You preserve me from trouble; You surround me with songs of deliverance.”
[Lord] “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you.” (Ps27:7,8)

Jesus said,

“All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out. … This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.” (John 6:37,39,40)

What say ye Christians? Is your heart in tune with heaven. Are you looking and longing for you final redemption?

Take time to listen once again to this song.

In Christ always,

Buddy

Think about it.

Feb

2011

Egypt and the World of Islam

“’The oracle concerning Egypt. Behold, the LORD is riding on a swift cloud and is about to come to Egypt; the idols of Egypt will tremble at His presence, and the heart of the Egyptians will melt within them. So I will incite Egyptians against Egyptians; and they will each fight against his brother and each against his neighbor, city against city and kingdom against kingdom. Then the spirit of the Egyptians will be demoralized within them; and I will confound their strategy, so that they will resort to idols and ghosts of the dead and to mediums and spiritists. … “ (Isa 19:1-4)

“Thus the LORD will make Himself known to Egypt, and the Egyptians will know the LORD in that day. They will even worship with sacrifice and offering, and will make a vow to the LORD and perform it. The LORD will strike Egypt, striking but healing; so they will return to the LORD, and He will respond to them and will heal them. In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrians will come into Egypt and the Egyptians into Assyria, and the Egyptians will worship with the Assyrians. In that day Israel will be the third party with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the earth, whom the LORD of hosts has blessed, saying, ‘Blessed is Egypt My people, and Assyria the work of My hands, and Israel My inheritance.’“ (Isa 19:21-25)

*Place your cursor over a Scripture reference and it will appear.

Journal,

The upheaval is making its way through the Isl?mic world. This is only the tip of the iceberg. There are other elements that must come into play. Actually the world will enter into a time of fermentation and turmoil. The Bible speaks of the shaking of the nations. All this is necessary to the second coming of Jesus Christ. However, the Lord said that when we began to see the dismay among the nations we are to lift up our heads, because our redemption is drawing near. (Cf. Luke 21:25-28)

As for Islam, while the most recent government overturn began in Tunisia, it has spread swiftly to Egypt and is continuing with inroads into other Muslim nations. But we need not be caught off guard. We are told beforehand of the things that will take place at the closing of this age. For one thing the prophet Isaiah calls attention to the agitation that we are now seeing in Egypt. [Read the afore Scriptures carefully for a clear description of Egypt today.]

Many are little aware of how exact the story of redemption history is laid out by the Old Testament prophets. Isaiah lived 700 years before Christ, and yet he gives exact prophecies about both the first and the second coming of the Lord Jesus. Isaiah spoke of things in eternity passed. He spoke of the times that he lived in, and he set forth how God’s redemption plan would work its way through in the far distant future. His fulfilled prophecies are too far many to try to list in this entry.

Islam also treats Isaiah as a prophet. For instance it is of great interest to see the succession of Southern Sudan into an independent nation. They are basing their move to independence on Isaiah 18. Then according to Isaiah 19, Egypt, and Assyria, and Israel are going to be in league together. It will be a league based on these nation groups turning to the Lord Jesus. [Assyria during the time of Isaiah would include Iraq, Iran, Syria, Turkey, and other regional Isl?mic nations.]

God gave these ancient servants of old the prophetic foundation for His plan of redemption. The apostles were instructed to do their work from what had already been written by the prophets. Every prophecy was to have its fulfillment.

Jesus to the apostles —

“Now He said to them, ‘These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.’ Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and He said to them, ‘Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.'” (Luk 24:44-47)

Notice Jesus said that every thing that had been written by the prophets must be fulfilled. Christianity did not begin as some upstart new religion. Our very foundation comes from what had been revealed to the prophets. The apostles were to take these ancient writings by way of instruction in laying the foundation for the new covenant people of Christ. The apostle said,

“… for through Him [Jesus Christ] we both [Jew and Gentile] have our access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.” (Eph 2:18-22)

The apostle also said that we are never to exceed “what is written.” (1Co4:6)

When Peter spoke to the crowd about the miracle healing of the blind man, he said,

“And now brethren, I know that you acted in ignorance [in crucifying Jesus], just as your rulers did also. But the things which God announced beforehand by the mouth of all the prophets, that His Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled.” (Acts3:18)

Muslims turning to Jesus

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I won’t pretend to know how all this plays out. Some things are very clear while other things have to be seen in their time. One thing we do know is that God’s work of redemption began in Jerusalem. It will end in Jerusalem.
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The Dome of the Rock (the Golden Dome) is built on the site of the first and the second temple in Jerusalem. It remains the holiest place in Judaism. Yet Israel has no access to the Temple Mount other than to the Western Wall. (Often referred to as the Wailing Wall.)
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In the Golden Dome there is written in Arabic, ‘God has no son.’ The world of Islam has labored under a false gospel about Jesus Christ ever since Muhammad began his religion of the sword. Muhammad perverted the gospel in saying that Jesus Christ is not the Son of God, that His death on the cross had nothing to do with salvation, that Jesus was simply one of the great Messengers (prophets), that Jesus would return, would die, and would be buried.
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The greatest need in Islam today is for the Muslim people to hear the true gospel of Jesus. And that is exactly what is happening on a measure that is nothing less than astonishing. Not only are Muslims being exposed to the true testimony of Jesus, but the Lord is appearing to them in dreams and visions. Jesus is speaking into the very heart of Islam. The turmoil we are seeing in the Muslim world will be played out with the greatest movement of salvation that the world has ever seen.

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The world of Islam has been preconditioned for the gospel. While the truth of Jesus Christ has been distorted in the Quran, yet Jesus is highly regarded in the Muslim faith. He is seen both as Messiah and as one of the five great Messengers of God. Of course their idea of Messiah is not that of God Himself revealed in human form. However, it is in this high regard that the gospel will make powerful inroads into their world. Keep in mind what the apostle said about the gospel of Jesus Christ —

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, ‘BUT THE RIGHTEOUS man SHALL LIVE BY FAITH.'” (Rom 1:16-17)

The most powerful force on this planet today is the gospel of Jesus Christ. It has the power to penetrate into the darkest of human hearts. Just as the Bamboo Curtain has fallen, and the Iron Curtain has fallen, even so the Isl?mic Curtain will also fall. Islam is the last vestige in the gospel’s final approach to Jerusalem. Oh yes, there is much more to take place, but everything is moving at a rapid pace. Jesus said that He was going to shorten the days for the sake of God’s people. Perhaps it is time to begin looking up.

As for Jerusalem, here is what the prophet Zechariah said —

“The burden of the word of the LORD concerning Israel. Thus declares the LORD who stretches out the heavens, lays the foundation of the earth, and forms the spirit of man within him, ‘Behold, I am going to make Jerusalem a cup that causes reeling to all the peoples around …'” (Zec 12:1-3)

“And in that day I will set about to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn.” (Zec 12:9-10)

Back to Islam. View this report on what is happening in the Muslim world with regard to Jesus. It is lengthy but well worth the viewing.

In Christ always,
Buddy

Oct

2010

The gospel of the earliest believers…

“Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures. … Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.” (Luke 24:27,45)

Journal,

It goes without saying that the study of Biblical Christianity cannot be completed without the prophets. Why? Because Christianity fulfils itself in the ancient promises and prophesies given through God’s Old Testament servants. It was the Spirit of Christ that spoke in the prophets by which building materials in the form of God’s Words would be used in the new community of Christ. This community would be realized after the cross.

This is why Peter said,

“As to this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you made careful searches and inquiries, seeking to know what person of time the Spirit of Christ *within them* was indicating as He [the Spirit of Christ] predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow.

“It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven – things into which the angels long to look.” (1Pet1:10-12)

The main point is that if you want to better understand Biblical Christianity, you have to study the prophets. There is no short cut. There is nothing more important to the believer than to know what the Scriptures actually teach. Jesus Christ is the heart theme of the entire Bible.

This brings up a crucial issue with regard to studying the Scriptures Hebraically. To appreciate many things that are taught in the New Testament, you have to become acquainted with the ancient ways of God’s people. You need to become acquainted with the Hebraic thought forms that undergird the New Testament writings.

The apostles were Hebrew men. The prophets were Hebrews. Jesus was a Hebrew. (I’ll use Hebrew in the place of Jew, since the term Jew or Jewish has varied meanings. Even Israel today is leaning more towards the use of Hebrew.)

In this Bible study I want to challenge you to think about how you would be able to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with someone if all you had were the Old Testament Scriptures. The purpose of the challenge is to get you familiar with how the early Jewish believers could see Jesus in all the former writings.

Let me give you an early church picture.

Here is the scene…

It is 45 A.D. Pentecost was 12 years ago. The primitive church is still made up almost entirely of Jewish peoples, but it is causing no small stir everywhere. The synagogues in Judea are being pulled to and fro with a strange new message.

A sect of Jews called the Nazarenes are preaching that the man crucified under the rule of Pilate was the Messiah of Israel, and that He has resurrected from the dead. And they are preaching that this Man was the Son of God, and that He was also God manifest in the flesh. It is a disturbing message.

To make matters worse, something dreadful has just happened in Jerusalem. A young Jewish man named Stephen has been stoned. He was one of these new preachers. You would think that would slow things down a bit, but these preachers can’t be stopped. They are scattering everywhere, and everywhere they go they keep preaching Jesus as the Messiah. They are even saying that we must worship Him.

You find them boldly speaking in the synagogues debating from Moses that Jesus is ‘the’ prophet. Thoughts are racing through the minds of the peoples. “Who are these Jews?” “Where did they get the right to preach this message?” “Did the prophets teach any such thing?”

And the God fearers are beginning to feel deep stirrings in their hearts. “What about all these Gentiles who are asking about this new message?”

“And this rumor. Surely it is not true!?” A report is making the rounds that one of Gameliel’s star disciples has joined up with these Jewish folk, and he himself is now preaching that Jesus is the Messiah. His Hebrew name is Saul.

There you have it.

Keep in mind that no apostolic writings were available just yet. Everything being preached is coming right out of Moses, David and the prophets.

Listen carefully to Paul’s defense as he stands before King Agrippa.

“So, King Agrippa, I did not prove disobedient to the heavenly vision, but kept declaring both to those of Damascus first, and also at Jerusalem and then throughout all the region of Judea, and even to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds appropriate to repentance. For this reason some Jews seized me in the temple and tried to put me to death.

“So, having obtained help from God, I stand to this day testifying both to small and great, STATING NOTHING BUT WHAT THE PROPHETS AND MOSES SAID WAS GOING TO TAKE PLACE, that the Christ was to suffer, and by reason of His resurrection from dead He would be the first to proclaim light both to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles.” (Acts 26:19-23 – Caps for emphasis only.)

Notice carefully that Paul said he preached nothing but what the prophets and Moses had said was going to take place. Why did Paul limit his preaching to Moses and the prophets? Why not draw on other great men from other nations. The reason is because of all the peoples on the earth, there was one people group alone that God had entrusted with the message of redemption. (Divine oracles or God speaking)

God’s gift through the Hebrews.

Paul explains this to the Roman Church. He said,

“Then what advantage as the Jew? Or what is the benefit of circumcision? Great in every respect. First of all, that they were entrusted with the oracles of God.” (Rom3:1,2)

The oracles of God have to do with the divine revelations. Have you ever wondered why our Bible from Genesis to Revelations is written by Semitic men? The apostle just explained why. (Think about it.)

Now listen to Paul as he cautions preachers and teachers concerning their sources for preaching and teaching:

“Now these things, brethren, I have figuratively applied to myself and Apollos for your sakes, so that in us you may learn NOT TO EXCEED WHAT IS WRITTEN, so that no one of you will become arrogant in behalf of one against the other.” (1Co4:6)

Paul’s point is that no matter how popular a minister may be, if he is not preaching according to what has been written, we are not to become enamored over him. No one has the right to preach a message that is not in accordance with the sacred oracles. (Of course the sacred oracles now take in all the writings from Genesis to Revelation. The apostles completed the writings of the prophets.)

We are wonderfully blessed to have the New Testament writings. The apostles were given the task of completing the sacred canon. (Remember that they were Hebrew men.) Never in a thousand years are we to take away from this wonderful book called the New Testament.

So what about the challenge? The purpose of the challenge is to get you to thinking Hebraically; to get you to search for the gospel that the prophets preached and that the earliest Jewish Christians preached.

Listen to how the prophets described the ever-increasing life that belongs to the child of God.

“But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, that shines brighter and brighter until the full day.” (Prov4:18)

The full day is likely what Peter had in mind when he wrote,

“So we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in our hearts.” (2Pet1:19)

Think of the possibilities…

Think of the possibilities when we return to studying the Bible the same way the early Christians studied. What did they study, you say? They studied Moses and the prophets, the memoirs of the apostles and the directives to the Churches.

The Bible of the early Church was the same Bible that was used by the Jewish peoples. Until the teachings of the apostles were collected, the earliest believers simply studied Moses and the prophets. They did this in light of the new covenant.

But even when the memoirs of the apostles were being collected, Paul still admonished believers to never exceed what had been written by Moses and the prophets. (1Co4:6)

His point is that everything that is taught in the Christian Church must agree with what had been set forth in the former testament. Thus we have the statement, ‘The new is hidden in the old, and the old is revealed in the new.’

The theology of the early Church did not have the complexities that later came to dominate the Christian faith. Their beliefs were simpler. For one thing the early believers never departed from the ancient creed of Israel. Paul says,

“Yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him.” (1Co8:6 – Paul is drawing on the sh’ma of Israel. Cf. Deu6:4)

Think about it. The world would not have known where the Messiah would be born, and when He would be born had it not been for the prophet Micah and Daniel. Men from the east would not have journeyed so far to find the infant Jesus, had they not studied these ancient oracles.

The prophet said,

“On that day the deaf will hear the words of a book, and out of their gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind will see. The afflicted also will increase their gladness in the Lord, and the needy of mankind will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.” (Isa29:18,19)

Oh the wonders of the ancient writings. How our hearts burn within us while the Holy Spirit walks us through those sacred pages. What a wonder it is to behold Jesus in every book and on every page, to see Him as the Lion of Judah and as the Lamb of Abraham. To see Him as the bright morning star. Is it any wonder that the earliest Jewish believers could preach Jesus from Moses, David, and the prophets.

What do you think? Could you share with a Jewish person the gospel from his own Tanach. It is said that when an Orthodox Jew reads the New Testament he hears a Hebrew voice? Why is that? Its because the New Testament completes the divine oracles of God. Jesus is the God of all humanity and that includes Israel.

Just some things to think about.

Now for a song of meditation. Listen with your heart to ‘Praise Adonia’ …

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In love with Jesus,
Buddy

Sep

2010

Footprints in the sands of time…

— The dream remains as fresh today as when I received it those many years ago. I knew it was of the Lord. He had often spoken to me in dreams and visions, as well as by other means.

In the dream I was crossing a large open field. The field was dry and brown. The grass had withered. As I looked back across the field I saw a group of people pointing at me. Then they pointed at the ground. What are they looking at? Why are they pointing at me?

What I saw startled me. As I looked back where I had walked, I could see that each footstep I made had green grass springing up in it.

As near as I could determine, the dream was about my calling in life. I was to bring the life of the Lord wherever He sends me.

Yes, I realize that dreams are very personal. And it really isn’t my intent to draw attention to myself. There is something else I want to say.

Could the dream be about you? Could it be that God’s purpose in every believer’s journey in this world is to bring life to others? Could it be that the Lord has a dream He wants you to pursue? Think about it. —

Journal,

It was March, 1976. I was 35 years old, Betty was 33, our three children, Nathan, Andre, and Shana, were 11, 6, and 2, respectively. We had so little money and no one to back us. I had my guitar, my Bible, a precious family, and one other thing. The Lord had given me a stewardship to raise up a ministry in Central Louisiana that would center on training disciples for the kingdom of God.

Was it a crazy idea? Some would say yes. All I can say is that if God gives you a crazy idea, go for it. This is the way the kingdom of God works. The Lord will give one believer a certain work to do. He will give another believer another certain work to do. Some of these works may seem impractical, impossible, and just plain crazy. Don’t worry about that part. If the Lord is in it, He Himself will see to it.

This is what Paul had to say about crazy works:

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

Yes indeed, Christian Challenge was and continues to be a good work from the Lord. But it didn’t begin on March 9, 1976, when we had our first service in a broken down store building. Christian Challenge began in eternity. It would be another footprint in the sands of time. This is what Paul is telling us. God prepared our works beforehand.

The footprints of faith…

It is important to understand that a walk of faith is highly personal. It is essentially a walk under the protective covering and guidance of the Holy Spirit. The all important work of the Holy Spirit in each believer’s life is to take the things of the Lord Jesus and share them with the believer.

Hear what Jesus said before He went to the cross:

“I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.

“He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine; therefore I said that He takes of Mine and will disclose it to you.” John 16:12-15

Living by faith is never a step into darkness. It is a walk governed by the light of the Lord.

Jesus said,

“I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.” John 8:12

Paul adds,

“For God, who said, ‘Light shall shine out of darkness,’ is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.” 2Co4:6

With each step of faith there is something you always leave behind and there is something you always gain. You leave behind your fears. You gain a life that is filled with the richness of Jesus.

The faithfulness of the Lord

God gives us two safe guards for our walk with Him. Every child of God is given the Holy Spirit as a testifier to truth. Every child of God is given the Scriptures by which the Holy Spirit teaches us God’s ways.

The working principle of faith begins with properly handling God’s written word. Paul said to Timothy,

“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.” 2Tim2:15

Faith is a spiritual reality produced in the believer by the Holy Spirit and God’s Word. Where there is no Word of the Lord, there can be no true faith walk.

Paul said it this way,

“So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word (voice) of Christ.” (Rom 10:17 NASB)

And Jesus said it this way:

“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 NASB)

So, where are your footsteps taking you

Have you thought about how life is moving on? Have you made your unqualified surrender to the Lord? The unqualified surrendered is summed up in the ‘Abba! Father!’ prayer.

The ‘Abba! Father!’ is simple but it is going to cost you everything, just like it costs Jesus everything. It is a prayer where you give up all your rights to control your own life. It is a prayer of the will.

I made my Abba! Father! prayer many long years ago and it has remained the guiding principle of my life. More than anything in this world I want to bring glory to the Lord.

How about you? Did you know that most of our struggles in life have to do with our will.

Are you ready for this prayer to set the tone for the rest of your life? One thing I can assure you of. If you make this prayer the faith-principle of your life, you will learn something about God’s peace that you never knew existed. Here it is. — ‘Father, not my will, but Your will be done!’

Think about it.

Always in Christ,

Buddy

Aug

2010

I Don’t Have Time To Be Afraid

“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, `My refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust.’” (Ps91:1,2)

Journal,

When David speaks of the shelter of God, or the shadow of God, or even the secret place of God, he often has in view the holiest of holies. But David was also seeing past the symbolisms of the tabernacle and into the very heart of redemption.

David often spoke of Jesus. David was’t the only Old Testament prophet who had visions of Jesus. In fact the underlying theme of the entire Old Testament centered on the coming Messiah.

It begins in Genesis:

“[To Satan]And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise him on the heel.”” (Gen 3:15 NASB)

From the Old Testament prophets to the apostles the message never changes:

“[Preaching of Peter]And now, brethren, I know that you acted in ignorance, just as your rulers did also. But the things which God announced beforehand by the mouth of all the prophets, that His Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled.” (Act 3:17-18 NASB)

Think God for the prophets of old

Do you find that strange that the Old Testament prophets saw Jesus beforehand? They did and they often wrote in ‘prophetic perfects.’ A prophetic perfect means that the prophet is experiencing first hand the very thing he is seeing. It is as though the prophet was transported in time.

Let’s see what David knew about God’s great work of redemption. In Psalm 31, David expresses sorrow over the strife of life, when he suddenly breaks forth into God’s love for His people. David says:

“How great is Your goodness, which YOU HAVE STORED for those who fear You, which You have wrought for those who take refuge in You, before the sons of men!

“You hide them in THE SECRET PLACE of Your presence, from the conspiracies of man; You keep them in THE SHELTER from the strife of tongues.” (Psalm 31:19,20 nasb.) – Words in bold are for emphasis only –

The Hebrew for “the secret place of Your presence”, can equally be translated, “the secret of Your face.” The idea is that God hides His people from the view of their enemies, that is, by bringing them to the very place that He Himself dwells.

David also speaks of God’s people as being, ‘the hidden ones.’

“They make shrewd plans against Your people, and conspire together against Your TREASURED ones.” (Psa 83:3 NASB)

The Hebrew for ‘treasured’ is ‘tsâphan‘. It means to hide or to keep secret. This word is used for concealing something of great value. All true believers are the treasures of God in the earth.

Hidden in Christ

This wonderful truth is brought to fulfillment in the new covenant. The lives of all true believers are hidden with God in Christ. In the new covenant we are brought into heaven’s holiest of holies.

Let’s see how the tabernacle sets forth this truth of our hiding place. The only furnishing in the holiest of holies was the ark of the covenant. Two angels have their gaze firmly fixed on the golden mercy seat. Their wings touch in the center. Above the mercy seat was a brilliant light. In the light was a form.

Peter explains the prophetic intent of the holiest of holies. Notice how Peter connects the Old Testament prophets, with the apostles, and with the two angels over the mercy seat:

“It was revealed to them[the Old Testament prophets]that they were not serving themselves, but you [true believers in Christ; the treasured ones], in these things which now have been announced to you from heaven [by the apostles]-things into which ANGELS long to look.” (1Peter 1:12)

In the Light over the mercy seat was a form that only Moses was allowed to see. The form was the pre-incarnate Jesus Christ. We see this by tying the Old Testament and the New Testament together.

When the Lord rebuked Miriam and Aaron over their presumptuous attitude towards Moses, He said to them,

“Not so, with My servant Moses, he is faithful in all My household; with him I speak mouth to mouth, even openly, and not in dark sayings, and he beholds THE FORM OF THE LORD. Why then were you not afraid To speak against My servant, against Moses?”(Num 12:7-8 NASB)

Who did Moses see? He saw the image of the invisible God. This is exactly who Jesus is. To the Jews, God’s Messiah was known as the form of God, the glory of God, the image of God, the Word of God, and at times even the Shekinah of God.

Now listen carefully. Paul said of Christ,

“Although HE EXISTED IN THE FORM OF GOD, He did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself…” (Phi2:6)

Now back to the tabernacle.

John wrote,

“And THE WORDbecame flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14)

– Transpose ‘the Word’ with any of these terms, ‘the Glory’, ‘the Form’, ‘the Image’, etc. All these words were part of the ancient Hebrew expressions for Messiah.

Actually the Greek word for ‘dwelt‘ calls attention to the holiest of holiest in the tabernacle. The glory that rested over the mercy seat was now tabernacled in Jesus Christ. The Greek for ‘dwelt’ is ‘skenoo‘. In Revelation 7:15 this word is translated, ‘spread His tabernacle’.

Also note that John speaks of Jesus as ‘the Father’s glory.’ Now note how Paul specifically calls Jesus, “The Lord of glory”

“…but we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory; the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it they would not have CRUCIFIED THE LORD OF GLORY.“(1Co 2:7-8 NASB)

It is on the Mount of Transfiguration where Jesus reveals who He really is to three of the apostles. He appears on the outside what He is on the inside. It says,

“And He was transfigured before them; and His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as light.” (Mat17:2)

But why David would speak of the holiest of holies as the hiding place for God’s people? David could see by the Spirit into the redemption of Christ. He saw past the veil, and into God’s redemption plan that would stretch across eternity past and eternity future.

Another picture we have of our hidden life is with the high priest. When the high priest entered into the holiest of holies, he carried over his heart all of Israel. The twelve stones on his vestment represented the twelve tribes. And so when the high priest entered past the veil, he carried with him and over his heart all of God’s people.

Listen carefully to the apostle:

“But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation; and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.

“…how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” (Heb 9:11-12,14 NASB)

And again,

“… 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 2:5-7 NASB)

The ever present reality

The mercy seated of the tabernacle represented the very throne of God. We have been raised up together with Christ and seated with Christ at the right hand of the throne of God.

The Old Testament saints somehow knew in their hearts that the Lord Himself was their ever present security in life. As Moses looked down on the scattered tents of Israel, he said,

“Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were born or You gave birth to the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.” (Psalm 90:1,2)

Here Moses uses the same word that David used with regard to the ‘secret place’ of the tabernacle.

Again think about the two cherubim with their golden wings spread over the mercy seat. Listen again to David:

“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, `My refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust.’” (Ps91:1,2)

David uses the same word again which references the secret place of God’s presence, that is, the mercy seat in the holiest of holies. God’s people dwell under the very presence and protection of angels.

Here is where we come to the great mystery of God’s love for His people. The Psalmist Asaph speaks of God’s people as His ‘treasured ones.’

David puts things together when he writes,

“One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord and to meditate in His temple.

“For in the day of trouble He will CONCEAL me in His tabernacle; in the secret place of His tent He will hide me; He will lift me up on a rock [the Rock is Christ]. And now my head will be lifted up above my enemies around me, and I will offer in his tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord.” (Psalm 27:4-6)

The Hebrew for ‘conceal’ is the same word for God’s ‘treasured’ ones. God’s people are His treasures in the earth and for all eternity. This allows us to have a better understanding of a kingdom parable concerning a treasure. Jesus said,

“The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field [world], which a man found and hid again; and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” (Matt13:44)

Paul said,

“For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.” (Col3:3,4)

All that we have read in David’s writings have their fulfillment in the finished work of the cross. Being hidden in Christ means that every believer is eternally secured from the power of darkness. We can never be separated from God’s love. Our life is placed in the Light of God’s very being. Peter said that our calling was into “His marvelous light.” (1Pe2:9) – Pass your curser over this Scripture for the full effect –

While this may seem difficult to grasp, what we need to realize is that our faith is to be based upon our position in Christ. Our position in Christ is secured. We have already been raised up and seated with Him in the heavenly places. Our concern is in living out our present life with the knowledge of our eternal placement. God gives us heavenly life as a foretaste of eternity. Heavenly life is God’s oversight of our lives.

Take time to listen to the message of the song, ‘Your Love Never Fails.’ (Jesus Culture)

Always in love with Jesus,

Buddy

Aug

2010

Fruitfulness in the Kingdom

“Drip down, O heavens, from above, and let the clouds pour down righteousness; let the earth open up and salvation bear fruit, and righteousness spring up with it. I, the LORD, have created it.” (Isa45:8)

Journal,

What a celebration to be remembered. Saturday was my 70^th birthday. I could not have had a more wonderful day. All my family gathered, children, grandchildren, great-grand children. And of course the church had to pull a sneak attack with a surprise party. And to top everything, there was a request for the Martin family to share some gospel music.

My, how the time does fly. Seems of late I find myself traveling more and more down memory land.

I’ve often thought, ‘Who am I that the Lord would grant to me such a stewardship as Christian Challenge. This is such a wonderful ministry. Seems all our members carry the heart of a disciple. We are a family.’

Its not that we are bigger or better than any other ministry. Actually we have never been very large. It certainly doesn’t have anything to do with me personally. I’ve always felt very small when it comes to kingdom work. And yet the Lord has helped us to gather much fruit for His kingdom.

The Psalmist said it best of all…

“Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to Your name give glory because of Your lovingkindness, because of Your truth.” (Psalm 115:1)

Christian Challenge began as a fledgling ministry in 1976. We had no financial backing. No denominational support. What we had was a stewardship

Through the years we’ve trained hundreds of believers for service in the kingdom of God’s beloved Son. Some have entered the mission field. Others are now pastors. But every student that has come through our School has carried something of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ from the School.

Yes, the CCI School for Christian Workers is very unique. It all relates to our ministry philosophy. We center exclusively on Biblical discipleship. The motto of Christian Challenge International is, ‘How Beautiful Upon the Mountains.’ The motto for the School for Christian Workers is, ‘Preparing Servants for the Nations.’

So, here we are again. For those who would like to know more about the world of a disciple, the 45^th CCI School for Christian Workers is forthcoming. Pray about it.

Would you like to know how a fourteen week course can radically change a believers spiritual life view. Here is your chance. (Note: The School is nondenominational. We’ve trained believers from a number of Christian backgrounds.)

Here is a short study on some of what we teach in our Disciple’s Heart Training Program.

Learn to Extract the Precious from the Worthless

This is what the Lord had to say to the prophet Jeremiah:

“Therefore, thus says the LORD, “If you return, then I will restore you– Before Me you will stand; And if you extract the precious from the worthless, You will become My spokesman. They for their part may turn to you, But as for you, you must not turn to them.” (Jer15:19)

It is crucial that believers learn how to appraise spiritual things accurately. Those who are born from above have a unique ability to recognize the things that are of God. The believer’s ability to place a value on all things becomes more acute with spiritual maturity.

Paul said that a spiritual man ‘knows’ and ‘appraises’ all things.

“Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God.” (1Co2:12)

The word ‘know’ is *eido* in Greek. It means ‘to see, perceive, to turn the eyes, the mind, or the attention to anything; to get knowledge of; to be skilled in, or to know the meaning of.”

Then in verse 15, Paul says,

“But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no one.”

The word ‘appraises’ is *anakrino* in Greek. It means to examine, to ask questions, search, discern, and enquire into, to scrutinize, to sift. In a forensic sense it means to hold an investigation to determine the excellence or the defects of any thing.

The apostle is bringing out the strength and beauty of a believer’s spiritual life. The crown of a believer’s walk is his ability to know that which is of the Lord. It is this spiritual ability that protects a believer from error. Satan cannot successfully mislead a mature child of God.

This brings us to the importance of discernment. The ability to know if a thing is of God is important because the supernatural realm makes up more than the things of God. Satan is a spiritual being. The hallmark of Satan’s work is deception. Paul said,

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this spiritual darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.” (Eph6:12)

We are especially warned that in the last days there will be a great increase of deception at work in the earth. The Lord said that this deception would be so acute that even the very elect will have to maintain a special guard. (Cf. Matt24:24; 1Tim4:1-6; 2Tim3:13.)

To take this a step further, the work of demons is closely linked to the prideful flesh of man. Demons work with fleshly people. And what the fleshly person attributes to God are ‘soulish’ powers that are in cooperation with spirits of darkness. (Cf. Gal 5:19-21)

How do we know if it is a soulish power at work in a person, or if it is truly of the Spirit? When prideful flesh is at work it glories in itself. The balance comes in where God’s people are told to keep a pilgrim attitude about life. We are to hold tightly to Jesus, and loosely to the world. Paul said,

True Biblical discipleship has a spiritual base. It is an outflow of a proper relationship with the Lord. This proper relationship has a heart attitude that is set forth in the word ‘humility.’ We are to live with humble hearts before the Lord, never striving after things of the world. The Lord Himself said that if we will seek first God’s kingdom, and His righteousness, then everything else will be provided for us.

Here are some things that can help you to maintain a proper balance in your walk with the Lord:

First – Keep in view that not all supernatural things are from God. Don’t be afraid of offending the Lord by questioning. Remember that everything the Lord has, the enemy has a substitute.

Second – Understand that anyone can be deceived, if but for a time, even the most devoted of believers, if the believer is ignorant of how Satan works. It is this knowledge that will help keep you on guard.

Third – Learn to trust your own spiritual judgment. This is what the renewing of the mind is about. As we consecrate ourselves to God’s service, we find our ability to judge becoming keener. (Cf. Rom12:1-3)

Fourth – Understand that discernment and testing aren’t necessarily the same thing. You discern by the Holy Spirit. You test by the Word of God. Therefore when you may sense a thing is wrong, don’t ignore that sensing. But the more you become acquainted with God’s Word, the more you will be able to determine why what you sense is wrong. [Be willing to test every experience; dreams, visions, etc., by the Word of God.]

Fifth – Be willing to adjust the way you do things. Even the apostles had to make changes. Peter would not go to Cornelius’ house until the Lord opened his understanding. (Cf. John7:17)

In all this, every believer must study the Scriptures to make sure they have a clear understanding of the gospel message.

The above us just a sample of what you can expect. in our School. There is so much more.

OK, let’s not leave without a song. Here is ‘Sanctuary, by Randy Rothwell…

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May the Lord richly bless you as you learn the walk of obedience,

In Christ always,

Buddy

Aug

2010

The Essence of New Covenant Life

“And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband.” (Rev 21:2 NASB)

Journal,

All who believe in the God of the Bible, that His Word is true, and that Jesus Christ is truly the Son of God, of whom they have received and accepted as their own Lord and Savior, these have secured for themselves an eternal and blessed destiny, and an eternal and blessed life. God gives all these precious believing ones the path of life they are to follow.

Jesus said,

”I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.” – John 8:12

Now lets talk about this Light of life that Jesus came to give us.

The essence of life from God

In Biblical Christianity there is one issue that determines whether a person is truly a Christian or not. It has nothing to do with our religious affiliation. The crown of a believer’s walk is summed up in the term, ‘Knowing the Lord.’ That term should never be taken lightly. It is the very essence of what Christianity is all about.

The apostle Peter shares insight into the life that true believers enjoy:

“Simon Peter, a bond-servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours, by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ: Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.” (2Pe1:1,2)

Peter has much more to say, but for the moment let me point out two important principles the apostle is presenting with regard to the covenant of Christ. First, Peter is saying that all believers participate equally in the kingdom of God. We have all “received a faith of the same kind as [the apostles.]”

The term ‘of the same kind’ is the Greek word ‘isotimos.’ This is a political term and speaks of equal honor. Peter’s point is that all believers share in equal honor before the throne of God. There are no second class citizens in the covenant of Christ. We are equal in standing. (This is not an issue of stewardships, or gifting, or placement, or maturity, etc. It is a relational term.)

For the second principle pay close attention verse two;

“Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.”

The word for knowledge here is ‘epignosis.‘ This word has to do with a more perfect or a fuller knowledge. The word is very expressive. It speaks of consciousness, and recognition. It especially speaks of knowing something with a degree of thoroughness. In the new covenant it would include the idea of coming to know God’s heart. Epignosis is what a believer acquires through faith in Jesus.

To Know the Father as the Son knows the Father

To appreciate how wonderful this word is in regard to our Christian walk, listen carefully to Jesus:

“All things have been handed over to me by My Father, and no one knows [epignosis] the Son except the Father; nor does anyone know [episnosis] the Father except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.” (Matt11:27)

Did you catch it. The only ones who can truly know the heart of the Father are those to whom Jesus reveals Him. If we take this to its logical conclusion, Jesus is saying that in the new covenant, all born again people will have innate within them this ‘conscious, definitive, recognition’ of the Father.

This knowing experience of God is the crown of a believer’s life. It is a growing knowledge. And it comes to us from Jesus Himself.

(To appreciate how the word ‘epignosis’ is used in relation to the new covenant pass your cursor over the following Scriptures. Where you see ‘knowledge‘ the word is epignosis. – Cf. Eph1:17; 4:13; Phil1:9; Col1:9,10; 2:2; 3:10; 1Ti2:4; Phm1:6)

The cry of the children

The very heart of the new covenant is the ‘Abba! Father!’ experience. It really doesn’t matter your church affiliation. You cannot tell a person who knows the Lord that they don’t know the Lord. The promise of the new covenant is,

“They will all know Me, from the least to the greatest of them.” (Heb8:11)

Jesus placed eternal life on the basis of knowing God.

“This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” (Joh 17:3 NASB)

The apostle Paul had this to say:

“For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.” (Gal3:26)

And again,

“Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba! Father!’ Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God.” (Gal 4:6,7)

The cry of ‘Abba! Father!’ is the cry of a child who recognizes his or her Father. It can be translated as, ‘Father, my Father!.’ It is a very enduring expression. We hear it in the garden when Jesus prayed:

“And He was saying, ‘Abba! Father!’ All things are possible for You; remove this cup from Me; yet not what I will, but what You will.” (Mar14:36)

But there is more to this issue of epignosis. Epignosis is a deeping of our knowledge of truth. This is why Peter said,

“Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge [epignosis] of God and of Jesus our Lord.”

As the truth [reality] of God reveals itself in our hearts, the result is a multiplying of grace and peace. This is why believers go through these experiences of, “I must have been born again, again.”

No, you weren’t born again, again. Truth is at work in your life. And truth always works out the freedom of Christ in us. Paul spoke of this as ‘Christ being formed in us.’ In another place, Paul says,

“That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed ot His death.” (Phil3:10)

The believer’s protection

But we have to yet go a step further. To know the Lord is the greatest protection that a believer has. This is why we can call ‘knowing the Lord’ the crown of a believer’s life. In this knowing the Lord, the believer is protected from the false prophet.

It is this knowing that causes a believer to distinguish false teaching. It is this knowing that gives the believer the deepest of assurance that he or she is in the will of the Lord. It is this ‘knowing‘ that is the sign of a person who is truly born again.

Jesus nails this down in John 10:26-29. Follow this through:

“But you do not believe because you are not My sheep. My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish.” (John 10:26-28)

Jesus says there is a knowing relation between both Him and His sheep. In verse 5, He says of the sheep,

“A stranger they simply will not follow, but will flee from him, because they do not *know* the voice of strangers.”

He calls us one by one by one – He calls us by name

In the new covenant Jesus did not leave it up to the efforts of man to establish people in His kingdom. He calls us one by one by one. And He still speaks into our lives in that manner.

Our walk with the Lord is very personal. But for a believer it is a ‘knowing’ walk. We know that we are children of God. We carry that testimony in our hearts. We know that this world is not our home. We also carry that testimony in our hearts.

With that in mind I’ll conclude this journal entry with the song, ‘Jerusalem‘ by the Hoppers. Take time to listen. The Lord may have something for your heart.

In love with Jesus,

x
Buddy

Jul

2010

The Fellowship of the Unashamed…

“For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.” (Mar 8:38 NASB)

Journal,

One pastor asked if any of us had read the book, ‘The Christian Atheist.’ I thought, ‘Why would I want to read a book that contradicts what being a Christian is about?” (Something along those lines.)

Then when the brother shared the rest of the title, it did aroused my curiosity. The full title of the book is, ‘The Christian Atheist: Believing in God but living as if He doesn’t Exist’, by Craig Groeschel.

The title made more sense when you consider those who ascribe to the name Christian, yet their lives seem to reflect the world. I’ve often wondered what kind of believer these people really are. Then I have to remember what Jesus said about not judging according to appearance but to judge with righteous judgment.

Fact of the matter is that we know so little about other believers. Who knows where they are in their walk with the Lord, or what God is doing in their lives.

How about you? Are you the kind of believer who reflects the values of the world? Or are you that believer who longs to take as your creed of life what the unknown author wrote, titled, ‘The Fellowship of the Unashamed.’

Take time to read what the following anonymous believer wrote. In doing so perhaps you could supplement it with this prayer,

‘Dear Lord, with your help and by your grace it is my deepest desire to make this statement the creed of my life. Help me to hold fast to all that represents You and Your kingdom. In Jesus name. Amen’

Here is what I might call, ‘the creed of the disciple’.

The Fellowship of the Unashamed

I am part of the Fellowship of the Unashamed. I have the Holy Spirit power. The die has been cast. I have stepped over the line.

The decision has been made—I am a disciple of His. I won’t look back, let up, slow down, back away, or be still.

My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, my future is secure. I’m finished and done with low living, sight walking, smooth knees,

Colorless dreams, tame visions, worldly-talking, cheap giving, and dwarfed goals.

I no longer need pre-eminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits, or popularity. I don’t have to be right, first, tops,

Recognized, praised, regarded or rewarded. I now live by faith, lean in His presence, walk by patience, am uplifted by prayer and I labor with power.

My face is set, my gait is fast, my goal is heaven, my road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions are few, my Guide is reliable,

My mission is clear. I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, hired away, turned back, diluted, or delayed.

I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of the adversity, negotiate at the table of the enemy, pander at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity.

I won’t give up, shut up, let up, until I have preached up, prayed up, paid up, stored up and stayed up for the cause of Christ.

I am a disciple of Jesus, I must go till He comes, give till I drop, preach till all know and work till He stops me. And when He comes

To claim His own, He’ll have no problems recognizing me. My banner will be clear!

–Author Unknown

Four challenges to consider…

1. The axis of TRUTH – Don’t become doctrinally rigid in anything that pertains to the walk of truth. Leave room for spiritual growth. Absolute truth is often found in the tension of two truths that even seem pull against one another. Always ask the Lord for a better understanding of all that He would have you to understand.

“For if you cry for discernment, lift your voice for understanding; if you seek her as silver and search for her as for hidden treasures; then you will discern the fear of the LORD and discover the knowledge of God. For the LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.“ (Pro 2:3-6 NASB)

2. The matter of LOVE – Jesus said that a disciple’s walk has to have a dual love focus. The focus is lateral, love God, and, horizontal, love others. John said that it is impossible to love God without loving others.

“’Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?’ And He said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.” (Mat 22:36-40 NASB)

3. Singleness of PURPOSE – God wants us to serve Him with an undivided heart. Whatever things compete with God in our lives are things that attempt to divide our heart. Having singleness of heart and vision speak of a complete loyalty to Jesus Christ in all things.

“Teach me Your way, O LORD; I will walk in Your truth; unite my heart to fear Your name. I will give thanks to You, O Lord my God, with all my heart, And will glorify Your name forever.” (Psa 86:11-12 NASB)

4. The issue of TREASURES – Our heart is always connected to our treasures. What we make time for, what we spend our money on, and what we see as priorities in life will always reflect the status of our heart far more than our words ever will do. (Mat 6:19-21)

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Mat 6:19-21 NASB)

Let this song minister to your heart. The Lord wants to share some secret things with you.

In love with Jesus,

Buddy

Jul

2010

Learn to Live From Heaven’s Wisdom…

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

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

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

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

Readers,

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

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

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

We see this in David’s prophetic writings.

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

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

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

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

A Closer Look at Wisdom in the Old Testament

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

Follow this reading from Job:

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

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

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

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

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

The wisdom of God was also connected with creation.

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

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

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

Now see where Job speaks of the coming Redeemer:

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

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

Which brings us to the issue of…

Jesus the ‘hidden wisdom’ of God

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

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

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

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

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

New covenant believers are Children of Light.

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

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

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

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

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

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

“To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ, and to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God who created all things; so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places.” (Eph 3:8-10 NASB)

“Yet we do speak wisdom among those who are mature; a wisdom, however, not of this age nor of the rulers of this age, who are passing away; but we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory; the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.” (1Co 2:6-8 NASB)

God’s people are to learn to

Draw on our heavenly wisdom

James describes our heavenly wisdom this way:

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

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

Take note of these Scriptures:

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

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

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

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

Don’t live beneath your privileges.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In Christ always,

Buddy

Jesus Christ

There really are two worlds

The Secret Place of God

Egypt and the World of Islam

The gospel of the earliest believers…

Footprints in the sands of time…

I Don’t Have Time To Be Afraid

Fruitfulness in the Kingdom

The Essence of New Covenant Life

The Fellowship of the Unashamed…

Learn to Live From Heaven’s Wisdom…

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