Published December 7, 2011 | 
“…in the midst of the congregation I will sing Your praise; and again, ‘I will put My trust in Him.’ …
” … And again, ‘Behold, I and the children who God has given Me.’” (Heb 2:11-13 nasb)
Readers,
Notice the bold portion of the above Scriptures where we hear Jesus say, “Behold, I and the children who God has given Me.”
This statement draws on a redemption promise that God gave through the prophet Isaiah.
“And I will wait for the LORD who is hiding His face from the house of Jacob; I will even look eagerly for Him. Behold, I and the children whom the LORD has given me are for signs and wonders in Israel from the LORD of hosts, who dwells on Mount Zion.” (Isa 8:17-18)
Then we have this in Isaiah:
“Therefore thus says the LORD, who redeemed Abraham, concerning the house of Jacob: ‘Jacob shall not now be ashamed, nor shall his face now turn pale; but when he sees his children, the work of My hands, in his midst, they will sanctify My name; indeed, they will sanctify the Holy One of Jacob and will stand in awe of the God of Israel.” (Isa 29:22-23)
Fulfilled in Christ
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. For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. …
“ … This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds [looks to] the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.” (Joh 6:37-40)
Again pay close attention to the words in bold print – “Of all that He [the Father] has given Me I lose nothing.”
Christians who lack knowledge in how salvation works will always battle insecurity. The problem isn’t merely with the believer. In some pulpits
Jesus Christ is being presented in a way that is not worthy of the gospel message.
The message they hear is often filled with fear and condemnation. It centers on a salvation through works, that is, a salvation that is based on a believer becoming good enough.
This kind of thinking is a misreading of the gospel story. The work of salvation is not our work. We are all sinners saved by grace. Salvation is God’s work from beginning to finish. He alone is the author and the finisher of our faith.
Here is an example where a Scripture is sometimes mismanaged:.
“Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” (Php 2:12)
Sounds pretty plain. How then is it mismanaged? The problem is that this statement is only half of what is being said. Listen to the rest of the statement:
“ … for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.” (Php 2:13)
Notice carefully that the working out has to do with God Himself. The believer is to place his faith in God who is at work in his life. The believer is to trust that the Lord is working His will in the believer’s life.
That isn’t the only Scripture that sets forth God at work in the believer. Listen with your heart:
“Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, equip you in every good thing to do His will, …
“… working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.” (Heb 13:20-21)
Once again note the words in bold. God is the one who equips us to do His will. God is the one who is working in us that which is pleasing in His sight.
The Author and Finisher
The apostle said he was convinced the good work that God began in us, He would perfect until the day of Jesus Christ. God is the author and the finisher of our faith. He is the perfecter of His work. The Lord God began the work and the Lord God finishes the work
The Lord does not want His children to live in fear of any nature. And when the Lord speaks into our lives it is His purpose is to destroy our fears. Even when He needs to correct us, it is a correction towards life.
Here is an example from my walk with Jesus -
It was 1974
I had just resigned from my former church affiliation. The following morning at my office a dark cloud settled over me. What will we do? Where do we go? Where will we find fellowship? Did I miss God?
The last words my former pastor had spoken to me when I handed him my resignation was ringing in my ears, “Brother Martin, these people will never anything else to do with you.”
I fell on my knees next to a chair, and reached for my Bible. Lord, I need to hear from You.
My Bible actually fell open to Philippians 1:6, and my gaze riveted on these words,
“Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.”
The Son of God had spoken to my heart. Instantly the cloud vanished. No more fear! No more uncertainty. I knew everything would be alright. Our future was well cared for.
In my excitement I reached for the phone to call Betty. Little did I realize that she was facing the very same struggle at that very same moment. Before I could get the words out of my mouth, Betty said, “Honey, listen to what the Lord just shared with me.”
“For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.” (Gal 1:10) — We were both using the KJV at the time —
The Lord had spoken to both of us at the same time. Betty knew just as I knew that our future was well cared for.
God’s Unconditional Promises
Of course I’m not telling any true believer something that you don’t know. Jesus has come to my aid myriads of times on my pilgrim journey. He does the same for all who belong to Him. What did the Lord say about His presence in our lives?
“ … for He Himself has said, ‘I will never desert you, or will I ever forsake you,’ so that we confidently say, ‘The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What will man do to me?’” (Heb 13:5-6)
That, dear friend, is an unconditional promise.
This is where we need to understand Biblical promises.
Conditional promises are based upon some action on our part. Unconditional promises are based upon something God has promised with no aid from us. These are the, “I will” promises of God.
An example of a conditional promise is Luke 6:38, where the Lord says,
“Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure — pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.”
Notice that it is by ‘our standard’ of measure that gauges the ‘pressed down’ blessings.
Unconditional promises are different. Unconditional promises are generally summed up as redemption promises. These kinds of promises are, ‘from God, through God, and to God’ promises. They cannot be broken by believers simply because we have no role to play in them. They are based entirely on the sovereignty of God.
The Bedrock of the Faith Walk
These ‘never-ever’ promises serve as the bedrock of our walk with the Lord. One of the very last things Jesus said to the disciples was,
“I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matt28:20)
Another one is the John 10:27,28, promise where Jesus said,
“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand.”
Some believers see the strength of their walk in how strong their grip is on God. This is not what Jesus is saying. The safety for a child of God does not depend on his or her grip. It rests entirely in the hands of the Lord. Jesus said,
“No one will snatch them out of my hand.”
A few more ‘never-ever’ promises
“…whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.” (John 4:14)
“…everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:26)
“For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom 8:38-39)
Our Inheritance in Christ
The point being that these promises are based upon something God says He will do. These unconditional promises relate to God’s redemption plan in Christ, a plan that was set forth before time.
Paul gave insight into this area, when he said,
“We have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to [God's] purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will.” (Eph1:11)
Notice that Paul said it is God’s will that is at work. The apostle John certainly agrees. He said that our birth from heaven was not a thing of our will. He says,
“[We] were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” (John 1:13)
When we were born again, it is because God opened our ears to hear, and placed in our heart to respond. We see this being worked out in a lady named Lydia. It says,
“A woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple fabrics, a worshipper of God, was listening; and the Lord opened her heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul.” (Acts 16:14)
The stumbling, bumbling apostle
Have you ever been a stumbling believer? Sure you have. Think about a man called Peter. Peter actually denied the Lord three times. Was that the end of the story? Certainly not. Jesus sought him out, restored him in faith, and gave him the privilege of preaching the gospel at the very place where Peter had become fearful for his life.
Have you caught the point in all this?
— Regardless of how well we think we understand the mystery of our salvation, the fact remains that God’s unconditional promises do not rest upon how well we are able to do or how much we understand. They are not performance promises. Each of these promises rest upon God Himself. When He says that He will never desert us or forsake us, that promise cannot be broken.
Yes, we all become stumblers at times. So we ask, “Why me, Lord?” About the best any of us can do is write songs about all this.
In the Midst of the Congregation
And so, we agree with the Psalmist who said,
“…in the midst of the congregation I will sing Your praise; and again, ‘I will put My trust in Him.’ …
We write:
“I don’t know why Jesus loved me. I don’t know why He cared. I don’t know why He gave His life for me. Oh, but I’m glad. So glad He did.”
And,
“Jesus loves me, this I know. For the Bible tells me so. Little ones to Him belong. They are weak, but He is strong.”
And,
‘All hail the power of Jesus name! Let angels prostrate fall…”
And,
“I am weak but Thou art strong, Jesus keep me from all wrong…”
And,
“So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross, … Till my trophies at last I lay down; I will cling to the old rugged cross, and exchange it some day for a crown.”
Oh yes, we Christians write songs without end. And we will continue to write them.
But the message from heaven never changes. While we love the Lord with a love that cannot be measured, John wants us to understand something very special when he writes,
“In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” (1Jn4:10)
Think about these things.
In the meantime listen to this song that was written and sung by Kris Kristofferson – ‘Why Me Lord.’
Your Servant in Christ,
Buddy
Posted in Bible Insights | 
children of God, eternal security, finished work, path of life, Voice of GodPublished December 6, 2011 |
“For we did not follow cleverly devised tales when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty.
“For when He received honor and glory from God the Father, such an utterance as this was made to Him by the Majestic Glory,
“’This is My beloved Son with whom I am well-pleased”– and we ourselves heard this utterance made from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain.” (2Pe 1:16-18)
Readers,
In this study we will take a closer look at one of the most wonderful mysteries in the Bible, that is, the mystery of the Father and the Son. The question we want to unravel is how the earliest Hebrew believers could hold to an absolute monotheism and yet direct their faith and their worship to Jesus Christ as the Son of God, as well as to God the Father?
Not everyone is very familiar with the early Jewish believer’s theology of Christ, while others are little aware of how the Messiah was seen in ancient beliefs of that time. Everything centered on the word ‘identity‘.
With this key in mind let’s take a closer look at the Father and the Son.
The Hallmark of Hebrew Christianity
Very often we fail to understand terms like, ‘And the Word was with God,‘ or, ‘He existed in the form of God‘, because these terms are in Hebrew thought form. They don’t always mean the same thing to us as they would to a Jewish person. These expressions were deeply embedded in ancient Judaism. They reflect on a great mystery to be found in God Himself.
The earliest believers saw Jesus Christ as intrinsic to who God really is. Jewish believers had been schooled in the Scriptures and in the ancient sages. They believed that in
the one true God was a mystery that reflected on terms such as, ‘the Word’, or, ‘the Form‘, or ‘the Image‘, or ‘the Glory‘, or even, ‘the Shekinah.’
The earliest Christians were absolute monotheist. They believed that Jesus Christ originated in and came forth from the Father, that is, without becoming separate from Him in His spiritual essence. This was part of the mystery that they accepted.
However, what made this belief so strong was that the Scriptures actually wrapped themselves around this great mystery in God. These new Jewish believers were discovering Jesus and letting the words of Moses and the prophets unwrap themselves in their hearts and minds.
It wasn’t long before the non-believing Jewish rabbis countered by accusing the Christian Jews of believing in two powers in heaven. The rabbis used the book Hebrews as a backdrop in their accusations against the Christian Jews, and especially where it says,
“In these last days [the Father] has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world.” (He1:2)
It was this statement that pretty much qualified the earliest theology of the Jewish church. It says that in the last days God has spoken to us (or speaks to us) in His Son, and that it was through His Son that the Father made the world.
An Uncomplicated Theology
The early believers fully accepted Jesus Christ as the Son of God, and as Yahweh of the former testament. They also firmly held to a Father-Son view of God.
Paul Himself brings this forth in reaffirming the sh’ma of Israel. He said,
“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)
Where Paul says ‘one Lord’, he is drawing on the ancient ‘She’ma’ creed of Israel.
“Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one!” (Deu 6:4 NASB)
A great many scholars today are beginning to reach back to a more Hebraic form of theology. They are setting aside the notion that the Trinitarian doctrine is intrinsic to Christianity and that to be a Christian you must accept this form of theology.
This is not an affront against Trinitarian beliefs. It is simply for the benefit of a better understanding of how the early Hebrew Christians generally held to a less-complicated theology of the Godhead.
The point is that the earliest Christians were scriptural-centric. Both Jesus and the apostles instructed the evolving church to never exceed, “what is written”. The term ‘what is written’ had regard to Moses, David, and the prophets.
Thus we hear:
[Jesus] “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.” (Luk 24:44-45)
[Paul] “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.” (1Co 4:6)
The Divine Image
The apostles were expressing a very ancient belief held in Israel at that time. Jesus was looked at as the ‘eikon‘ (divine image) of the invisible God. The Judaic beliefs before the rabbis made their anti-Christ intrusions, believed that you had the invisible God who could not be seen, and God who makes Himself visible across history and across time. Or, as one early Christian writer said, “God brought forth from Himself a beginning.”
For the early Jewish believers, Jesus did not become for them a second god or another deity. Paul explained Christ as the hidden mystery of God. The apostle wrote,
“To me, the very least of all the 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.” (Eph3:8,9)
Regardless of how difficult this may seem to us, the groundwork had already been laid for the mystery of the divine image to be revealed. Here are a few Scriptural considerations:
“Who has ascended into heaven and descended? Who has gathered the wind in His fists? Who has wrapped the waters in His garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is His name or His son’s name? Surely you know!” (Pro 30:4)
“For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of
Peace. …
“ … There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from then on and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this.” (Isa 9:6-7)
“’What do you think about the Christ, whose son is He?’ They said to Him, ‘The son of David.’ He said to them, ‘Then how does David in the Spirit call Him “Lord,” saying, ‘THE LORD SAID TO MY LORD, “SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND, UNTIL I PUT YOUR ENEMIES BENEATH YOUR FEET”‘? “If David then calls Him ‘Lord,’ how is He his son?” (Mat 22:42-45)
“I [Yahweh] 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 12:10)
My Lord and My God
How is it than an orthodox one-God, Jewish man could fall down before Jesus, and say, “My Lord and my God?”
And how is it that everything Jesus did in His earthly walk reveals that He was intrinsic to the very identity of God’s person? Jesus did God things.
And so we must agree with the Jewish author who stated that Christianity is the most Jewish of all the non-Jewish faiths.
I would go further as to say that Biblical Christianity fills out the Jewish faith in that the God of the Hebrews came into the earth as a man to fulfill His own program of redemption. Did the early Jewish believers worship the Father and Son as one God? Absolutely.
Now the big question — Does our salvation hinge on acknowledging that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the Lord God Almighty?
John said it well enough;
“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)
The Mystery Called, ‘Wonderful’
Do we still have a mystery? Sure we do. It is a mystery that is wondrous indeed. What we do know is that the divinity of Jesus lies within God Himself. And when we worship Jesus we are not worshipping a second deity. We are worshipping the Father in the Son.
For all our Christian, Jewish and Muslim friends, take time for this song. Let the Lord open your heart to hear from God - ‘O Come Oh Come Emmanuel’.
Your servant in Christ,
Buddy
Posted in Bible Insights | Emmanuel, Hebrew thought form, Mystery of the Bible, Son of God, Word of GodPublished November 25, 2011 |
“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.
_______
“The wicked are not so, but they are like chaff which the wind drives away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.” (Psa 1:1-6)
Readers,
To appreciate the depth and beauty of Psalm 1, we have to approach it from a Biblical-Hebrew mindset. To God’s ancient people, religion was seen as an individual walking the road of life. The godly person’s traveling companion was God Himself. And God’s Word was his road map.
Thus we hear David say,
“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” (Psalm 119:105)
Christians are the recipients of the ancient faith. Jesus is the Living Word who imprints in our souls the guidance found in God’s written Word. He speaks into our hearts the way we are to live.
The uniqueness of Psalm 1, is that it sets the tone for the entire book of Psalms. In this Psalm you have a description of the two paths than men can travel. One is the godly path. The other is the path of destruction.
It is no secret why some people live a blessed life while others live a life of muddiness and disarray.
Let’s take a closer look at Psalm 1, and other related Scriptures.
The Ancient Faith Realized
Take note of these Scriptures:
“You will make known to me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; in Your right hand there are pleasures forever.” (Psa 16:11)
“He is on the path of life who heeds instruction, but he who ignores reproof goes astray.” (Pro 10:17)
“The path of life leads upward for the wise that he may keep away from Sheol below.” (Pro 15:24)
“But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, that shines brighter and brighter until the full day.” (Pro 4:18)
The Lord 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)
And again,
“When he puts forth all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. A stranger they simply will not follow, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers.” (Joh 10:4-5)
The Way – The Truth – The Life
In other places where Jesus said, ”I am the way”, or made reference to, ”broad is the way,” he was drawing from a rich Hebrew heritage. These terms were familiar to the Jews of His time.
The truth is that there have always been only two ways. You have the way of the righteous, and you have the way of the wicked. You have the way of Light and you have the way of darkness.
Hear another description of the two ways:
“But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, that shines brighter and brighter until the full day. The way of the wicked is like darkness; they do not know over what they stumble.” (Pro 4:18-19)
And so Psalm 1, and the Sermon on the Mountain are quite similar. Psalm 1:1, says,
“How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked.”
The very first thing Jesus says on the mountain is,
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:3)
The Happiness Of
The Hebrew word for ‘blessed’ is esher. (eh-sher) It comes from the same root as Asher, who was one of Jacob’s son. Literally it means, ‘O, the happiness of.’
Godly happiness does not mean there will be no points of sorrow or difficult times in a true believer’s life. This happiness has no regard to external circumstances. It is an inner contentment of knowing rightness.
While many look for this blessedness of life in things or in relationships, the godly knows that it can only be found one place. It is found in a personal walk with the Lord.
Another mark of the walk of the godly person is that it is not influenced by evil. This is what the term ‘holy‘ speaks of. Kodesh means to be set apart, to be distinct.
This is one reason that Satan hates believers. He is unable to mold them into societies that speak of evil.
Then we have this characteristic of the righteous man and woman. The righteous person delights in truth. Psalm 1:2, says,
”But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night.”
The righteous person loves the truth. His bend, pleasure, delight is towards God’s Word.
The Bouquet of Heaven
The ancients had a custom that when a child was born they would rub his gums with honey. The purpose was to begin very early teaching the little one that God’s Word is like honey to the soul.
David said,
”O taste and see that the Lord is good; how blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him.” (Psalm 34:8)
The Psalmist adds to this in saying,
“How sweet are Your words to my taste! Yes, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” (Psalm 119:103)
When Jesus said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied,” it is very likely that His Jewish audience would think about what David said.
But there is also another thought to be had. The righteous person’s walk with the Lord carries with it the very fragrance and sweet aroma of a heavenly life. The apostle said it this way:
“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.
“For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; to the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life.
“And who is adequate for these things?” (2Co 2:14-16)
While the righteous person carries with him a heavenly aroma, the sinner lives in earthy stench. But this is where God uses His own people to draw the sinner’s attention to a life that can be had through Jesus Christ.
The Living Word
Another thing to understand is that God’s Word is a living thing for those who believe and trust in Him. God’s Word is full of wisdom and power. It works itself into our very nature and spreads its healing love throughout our being.
This is why the apostle said,
”Like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation.” (1 Peter 2:2)
Peter was speaking of our attitude towards God’s Word. An infant instinctively seeks its mother’s breast for nourishment. We are to instinctively seek the nourishment of God’s Word. Our want is to be in the Word of the Lord.
Notice again that Psalms 1:2 says,
“In His law he meditates day and night.”
Here we need to bring out the Hebrew. The Hebrew word for meditate is ‘hagah.’ This word means to mutter, to emit a sound, to speak in undertone. A dove coos. A lion rumbles. Throughout the day the godly person pours out from his heart responses to the Lord. It is like a conversation is going on that cannot be heard by others. It is between the godly and his Lord.
The ancients were taught to process life moment by moment. Most every prayer would begin with, “Blessed are You oh Lord, our God. King of the universe.” Long prayers were not the rule.
When Paul says, “Pray without ceasing,” he is speaking in a Hebrew mind. The essence of Hebrew prayer was to bless God.
Firmly Planted by Streams of Water
It is in Psalm 1:3 that we find the description of God’s blessed child. Listen carefully:
“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 1:3)
The Path of the Wicked
Psalm 1 then describes the life of a sinner. Again read:
“The wicked are not so, but they are like chaff which the wind drives away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.” (Psa 1:4-5)
Three words describe the ungodly man – Wicked. Sinner. Scoffer.
The word ‘wicked’ comes from a word which means to be agitated; confused; in motion; restless. This is a character trait. The wicked are ethically lose & unstable.
Note Isaiah:
“But the wicked are like the tossing sea, for it cannot be quiet, and its waters toss up refuse and mud. ‘There is no peace,’ says my God, ‘for the wicked.’” (Isa 57:20-21)
The term ‘sinner’ is from an archery term. It means to miss the mark.
The scoffer is a mocker. He makes light of all that is holy, both in his words and in his life style. His heart is filled with darkness.
God’s guidance tells us not to spend time with these people. They are without God and are on the path of a terrible doom. Eternal darkness is in their future.
Where the Wicked Cannot Stand
There are two places the wicked are unable to stand. They cannot stand in the judgment nor are they to be found in the assembly of the righteous. They live their lives under a cloud of judgment.
This is the reason a sinner does not wish to be in a church gathering. Their own heart condemns them. Where the godly person shares the joy of walking with God, the sinner is agitated and confused.
Psalm 1 completes itself in saying,
“For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.” (Psa 1:6)
The Hebrew for ‘knows’ is a very strong word. Yada carries the thought of, ‘to watch over, to be deeply involved with.’
The godly person walks in true happiness because he knows the Lord God is watching over his life. And even if the righteous falls, God’s love will pick him up.
The sinner has no one but himself.
Jesus summed it this way:
“Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. ”For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.” (Mat 7:13-14)
And so, it is no secret why some people live a blessed life while others live a life of muddiness and disarray.
Take time for this song. Perhaps the Lord has something He would like to say to you –
In Christ Jesus always,
Buddy
Posted in Bible Insights | ancient faith, blessed life, children of God, heavenly life, Voice of GodPublished November 21, 2011 | 
“Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years.” (Rev 20:6)
Journal,
I was asked some time back to give a study that would include eternity to come, and the early Church’s belief in a millennium, or what is often called the 1000 year reign, or the kingdom age of Messiah. These are pretty broad subjects. I’ll limit my sharing to what I think will best help my readers.
Let’s begin with what is called the millennial age. It is in the book of Revelation that we find the subject of a millennial reign. Yet it is very interesting that the concept of a 1000 year reign is taught both in Christianity, in Judaism, in Islam, in Zoroastrianism, and in other oriental religions. Seems this idea is deeply embedded in nearly all religions.
Here we can take note of how the earliest Christian writers approached the idea of a millennium. Keep in view that these writers were the closest to the time of the apostles.
According to the Apostle John
Once again, John is the apostolic writer who calls attention to a thousand-year reign of Christ on the earth. He references the thousand-year reign six times in Revelation 20:2-7.
John seems to be pretty clear on the issue of a thousand-year time when Satan is placed in captivity. But the question that we want to answer is how did other early believers look at this idea of a thousand-year reign?
The answer is that nearly all the earliest Christian writers believed in a literal thousand-year reign. When I speak of the earliest writers, I am including second and third generation
disciples. This would include those who were nearest to the apostolic age.
Here are some quotes:
#1) Papias cited by Eusebius (Papias was a disciple of the Apostle John and a friend of Polycarp; 60-130 ad): “Among these things, Papias says that there will be a millennium after the resurrection from the dead, when the personal reign of Christ will be established on this earth.”
#2) Justin Martyr (c. 160); “There was a certain man with us, whose name was John, one of the apostles of Christ, who prophesied by a revelation that was made to him, that those who believed in our Christ would dwell a thousand years in Jerusalem.”
#3) Hippolytus (c. 205); “The Sabbath is the type and symbol of the future kingdom of the saints, when they shall reign with Christ after He comes from heaven, as John says in his Revelation. For ‘a day with the Lord is as a thousand years.’”
#4) Tertullian (c. 207); “We do confess that a kingdom is promised to us upon the earth, although before heaven. Only, it will be in another state of existence. For it will be after the resurrection for a thousand years in the divinely-built city of Jerusalem ‘let down from heaven.’”
#5) Victorinus (c. 280); “The true Sabbath will be in the seventh millennium of years, when Christ will reign with His elect.”
#6) Lactantius (c. 340); “Back then a mortal and imperfect man was formed from the earth, so that he might live a thousand years in this world. So, now, from this earthly age is formed a perfect man. And, being quickened by God, he will bear rule in this same world through a thousand years.”
#7) Irenaeus (c. 180); “The predicted blessing, therefore, belongs unquestionably to the times of the kingdom, when the righteous will bear rule, after their rising from the dead. It is also the time when the creation will bear fruit with an abundance of all kinds of food, having been renovated and set free. And all of the animals will feed on the vegetation of the earth. They will become peaceful and harmonious among each other, and they will be in perfect subjection to man. And these things are borne witness to in the fourth book of the writings of Papias, the hearer of John, and a companion of Polycarp.”
#8) Commodianus (240); “The Amen sends flames on the nations. And the Medes and Persians burn for a thousand years, as the apocalyptic words of John declare. After a thousand years, they will be delivered over to Gehenna. And he whose work they were is burned up with them.”
More on The Age to Come
That there was to be an age to come that precedes the eternities of God is very much described in the Scriptures. Isaiah is replete with descriptions of that age. Rather than go through the many references, let’s consider this one;
“The wilderness and the desert will be glad, and the Arabah will rejoice and blossom; like the crocus. It will blossom profusely and rejoice with rejoicing and shout of joy. The glory of Lebanon will be given it the majesty of Carmel and Sharon. They will see the glory of the Lord, the majesty of our God.” (Isaiah 35:2)
Then we have the teaching of Jesus. In the beatitudes, the Lord said,
“Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.” (Matthew 5:5)
This is a near quote from the book of Psalms;
“But the humble will inherit the land and will delight themselves in abundant prosperity.” (Psalm 37:11)
An important point to keep in mind is that before the apostolic writings were collected, the Bible of the earliest believers was simply the writings of Moses, of David, and the prophets.
The Hebrew people very much believed in a Messianic age. Their Bible was filled with descriptions of that certain age.
Sons of the Resurrection
Perhaps we need to consider the word for ‘age.’ The Greek word is ‘aion.’ Aion generally refers to a unit of time. (The context determines its usage.)
The Lord seemed to have the kingdom age in view, when he said,
“The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage, but those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage; for they cannot die anymore, because they are like angels, and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.” (Luke 20:34-36)
This statement by Jesus ties in with that John had to say about the resurrection and the thousand-year reign. He said,
“Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years.” (Rev20:6)
Then when John speaks of thrones being set up at the end of the thousand-year reign, Paul had this to say:
“Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the matters of this life.” (1Co6:3)
The Longings of Eternity
No matter where the thousand-year reign fits in God’s program for the ages, there has always been in the hearts of God’s people a longing for their eternal destiny.
Moses looked upon the tribal people, and 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)
Moses must have had a deep longing in his heart for the things of eternity. Psalm 90 is a most precious Psalm. Since Moses was a prophet he was able to see into the far distant future.
Then we have the Song of Moses in Deuteronomy 30, that John calls attention to in Revelation. It is called,
‘Song of Moses the bond-servant of God, and the song of the Lamb.’ (Rev15:3)
Psalm 90 is similar to the Song of Moses in that it touches on eternal issues while reaching into the deep of our soul. We hear Moses say,
“O satisfy us in the morning with Your lovingkindness, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.” (v14)
But there is something else that Moses says that each believer should take to heart. The man of God says,
“So teach us to number our days, that we may present to You a heart of wisdom.” (v12)
It is this last statement that gives us pause for reflection. How is it that learning to number our days will cause us to have a heart of wisdom? It all comes back to our allotted space of time.
Moses knew that his time-space was only a moment in comparison to eternity. He also knew that God’s people needed to keep this truth ever before them. It is as the apostle said that our life is like a vapor that appears but for a moment.
Moses’ entire life was wrapped up in doing God’s will in whatever space of time had been given to him. How about you? Do you feel the same about your space of time?
In Psalm 90 Moses also marked out the general life span given to humanity. He said,
“As for the days of our life, they contain seventy years, or if due to strength, eighty years…” (v10)
Certainly some folk live beyond the eighty years. Some live much less. Our allotted space of time is not for us to know. But it is a truth none the less. We have only so much time to live. No more. No less.
Our Allotted Times on Earth
David also drew attention to our allotted days. Being a prophet himself, David wrote,
“Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; and in Your book were written the days that were ordained for me, when as yet there was not one of them.” (Psalm 139:16)
But David also gave us a glimpse into wisdom. He ended Psalm 139 in saying,
“Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my anxious thoughts; and see if there is any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way.” (vv23,24)
David knew that he was not free from sinful attitudes and thoughts. This remains true today. Even the most godly of believers still have to bring their thought life into check. But like all true believers, David did not want anything in his life that would be offensive to a walk of holiness. (Nor should we.)
Then where David says, “Lead me in the everlasting way,” he was speaking of the ‘way of the Lord,’ that is, he wanted to keep his focus clear on God’s path of redemption.
The Everlasting Way
Perhaps we should point out that David’s Lord is the very same Lord that new covenant believers love and serve. Sometimes it is hard for us to grasp this. But when David wrote, “The Lord says to MY Lord: ‘Sit at My right hand until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet,’” he was calling attention to the One who would be incarnate as Jesus Christ. Jesus carefully brought attention to this. So, David’s Lord was Jesus Christ, though he did not know Him by that name at the time.
Keep in mind that the term ‘the everlasting way’ always has a view to God’s redemption story. David had much more to say about this Jesus Christ whom both he and we love. In fact
all the prophets wrote about Jesus. Abraham saw Him.
This is why the writing prophets described future redemptive and historical events with such clearness that it is astonishing. But they wrote in what is called ‘prophetic perfects.” This means that when they wrote, it was as though they were actually present at the time of the event. They recorded what was being revealed to them in the Spirit.
This is the primary reason the apostle said that we should never exceed the writings of the ‘prophets.’
So, as a prophet, David spoke and wrote in prophetic perfects. This is why he could describe the events of the cross with such vividness. David literally recorded the words and even the thoughts of Jesus as He hung on the cross. Notice how Psalm 22 begins;
“My God, my God, why have You forsaken Me?”
And so about the everlasting way, David further writes,
“Lovingkindness and truth have met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other. Truth springs from the earth [this is Jesus], and righteousness looks down from heaven [this is the Father].”
Then he writes,
“Righteousness will go before Him AND WILL MAKE HIS FOOTSTEPS INTO A WAY.” (Psalm 85:10-13. Caps for emphasis only.)
The Footsteps of Eternity
What did David mean about God making the footsteps of Jesus into a way? He wasn’t speaking of ‘a’ way as though there were other ways. David is speaking towards the finished work of the cross. Jesus Himself said,
“I am the [everlasting] way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” (John 14:6)
Jesus is the Way of God. Jesus is the Truth of God. Jesus is the Life of God. It was His footsteps in the earth that opened the portals of heaven for the saving of all who would believe in Him.
Jesus walked out of heaven, into our earth. He walked our planet, loving, healing, preaching, teaching, and presenting Himself as the Messiah and Savior of humanity. He was placed on a cross. He walked out of the tomb. He ascended into heaven. And His footsteps became our salvation.
Jesus said to Peter,
“Where I go, you cannot follow Me now; but you will follow later.” (John 13:36)
Jesus had to first enter into heaven on our behalf, bringing His own blood for the atonement sacrifice. When the sacrifice was accepted, that opened the door for all who believe to follow in His footsteps. In fact His life has become our life.
Completing Our Course
Time marches on. It waits for no man.
I was twenty-four years old when the Lord called me to the ministry. I am now seventy-one. And the older I get the more I appreciate the Lord’s adage for completing my course of life. It is so simple and yet so profound. Jesus said,
“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Matt6:33)
Notice that Jesus didn’t tell us to seek a certain religion, or to seek to be right about everything, or to seek to make a name for ourselves, or to seek to be a corrector of everyone else.
Seeking the kingdom is a Hebraisms. It means to seek the direct rule of God in our hearts and lives. We are to do this day by day by day. This is true wisdom.
Peter understood this as well as anyone. In alluding to the Psalm of Moses, Peter writes,
“All flesh is like grass, and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls off, but the Word of the Lord endures forever.” (1Pe1:24)
Thus life as we know it now is like a fading flower.
Perhaps there are questions left to ask – Is your name written in the Lamb’s book of life? Have you accepted Jesus Christ as your own Lord and Savior? Have you turned from your sinful living? Are you serving Him with a true heart of faith? 
As for me, I thank you, my brother Moses. I’m on the same page as you. I agree fully with how you concluded your wonderful Psalm, when you said,
“Let Your work appear to Your servants and Your majesty to their children. Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us; and confirm for us the work of our hands; yes, confirm the work of our hands.” (Psalm 90:16,17)
This does need sober thinking. Nor does it take away from the joy of our walk with Jesus. It simply puts things into a better perspective. Are there any adjustments you need to make? Think about it. God has allotted you a space of time. What will you do with it?
Take time for this song. The Lord wants to speak to your heart.
In Christ always,
Buddy
Published November 19, 2011 | 
“Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women; what then do You say?”
“They were saying this, testing Him, so that they might have grounds for accusing Him.
“But Jesus stooped down and with His finger wrote on the ground.
“But when they persisted in asking Him, He straightened up, and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.”
“Again He stooped down and wrote on the ground.” (Joh 8:5-8)
Journal,
It was known and recorded by the prophets that the Jewish nation would turn her back on Jesus. The Lord spoke to this when He said,
“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling. Behold, your house is being left to you desolate! For I say to you, from now on you will not see Me until you say, ‘BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD!’” (Mat 23:37-39)
According to the prophets, and the apostles, and the Lord Jesus Himself, there will be a moment in history when Jerusalem calls upon Jesus as Lord God and Messiah. But a problem remains. Jerusalem has had a long history of killing those sent to her from God Almighty.
If we keep this issue in mind it may help us understand what the Lord may have written on the ground when the Pharisees drug the woman before Him.
Could it have been…
‘MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN’
Keep in mind that this is merely a supposition on my part. However, it does seem to fit the prideful attitude of the Pharisees and others of the leadership in Israel.
The ‘mene, mene, tekel, upharsin’ story reaches back to King Nebuchadnezzar’s son, Belshazzar. Belshazzar failed to learn the lesson that his father had been taught concerning the
Lord God being over all the kingdoms of the earth; that God alone raises up and brings down rulers. (We would do well to learn that lesson ourselves.)
Belshazzar in his heart filled with pride held a feast for thousands of his nobles. During the feast he had the gold vessels brought out that were taken from the temple in Jerusalem, and had his guests drink from them. While doing this everyone was praising the gods of Babylon.
Then it happens –
“Suddenly the fingers of a man’s hand emerged and began writing opposite the lampstand on the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace, and the king saw the back of the hand that did the writing. Then the king’s face grew pale and his thoughts alarmed him, and his hip joints went slack and his knees began knocking together. “ (Dan 5:5-6)
The writing was in Chaldee but no one could bring an interpretation, that is, until someone remembered Daniel. When Daniel came, he reminded Belshazzar of the lesson that his father had been taught –
“Yet you, his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, even though you knew all this, but you have exalted yourself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of His house before you, and you and your nobles, your wives and your concubines have been drinking wine from them; and you have praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood and stone, which do not see, hear or understand. But the God in whose hand are your life-breath and all your ways, you have not glorified.” (Dan 5:22-23)
Daniel interpreted what the hand of God had written. The translation of mene, mene, tekel, upharsin, can be literally translated as, ‘He hath numbered, He hath numbered.’
Hear it from Daniel –
“This is the interpretation of the message:
“’MENE’–God has numbered your kingdom and put an end to it.
” ‘TEKEL’–you have been weighed on the scales and found deficient.
“‘PERES’–your kingdom has been divided and given over to the Medes and Persians.” (Dan 5:26-28) – Note: Peres is the singular form of ‘Pharsin’. (The sense is that the kingdom would be divided.)
Now let’s return to Israel during the time of Christ and afterwards.
The Struggle Through the Centuries
There is a struggle in Israel of which many are not aware. Believe it or not, the struggle is between ultra-religious Jews and secular Jews. Politicians are caught in the middle. And while the religious Jews make up only 20% of the population in Israel, they wield far greater influence than their numbers show.
The issue is over power. An intense hatred exists among the orthodox Jews, especially those of the ultra-conservative sects, for anyone who is not of their sect. This hatred is essentially directed to the secular Jew. In some instances it is more intense against the secular Jew than it is against Gentiles. Secular Jews are considered traitors.
But these ultra-conservative groups also have war going on with one another – even over such things as whose rabbis are the greatest, and such like. So the hatred is wide-spread.
In any event, infighting among Jews has coursed its way through history, with one group accusing the other of being heretics. A great many Christians Jews were slaughtered in the Bar Kochba rebellion in 132-135 A.D., because the Christians would not recognize Bar Kochba as Messiah. This is only a sampling of blood-letting among the Jews.
Secular Jews on the other hand do not wish to be brought under the austere dictatorship of the ultra-orthodox rabbis. A great many Jews in Israel today will not even step inside a synagogue. Does that surprise you? Israel has one of the highest percentages of atheism among the nations today.
Where Does Jesus Fit the Picture
And while we may think that the secular sector of Israel has little interest in Jesus Christ, this is not so. The fact is that secular Jews are really more so against orthodox Judaism, especially in its more radical forms, than against anything else. Did you know that the Orthodox Jews are agitated over secular Jews who put up Christmas trees? The Christmas tree business in Israel is flourishing.
There is a cue card here. A little known fact is that there is a Jesus revival sweeping Israel. Not a revival in the sense that Americans understand it, but a revival of wanting to know more about Jesus.
According to Pinchas E. Lapide, the recently deceased orthodox professor at Hebrew University in Jerusalem, there is a “Jesus wave” passing through Israel. The wave is not about
a Catholic Jesus or a Protestant Jesus or a Charismatic Jesus. It is about the Jesus of the land, the Jesus of the gospels.
The ultra-conservative orthodox groups are not very happy about this. Talmudic Judaism has erased Jesus from the history of the Jewish people, but the tables are now turning on them. The people want to know!
It remains hard for Christians to understand this enmity in Israel. The reason is that most people in the west know so little about the third period of Judaism. The third period is considered to begin with the destruction of the temple in 70 A.D. up to our present. It essentially forms itself around rabbinic Judaism. The rabbis considered themselves the last mouthpiece of God, even exceeding that of Moses and the prophets.
It is good to know something of what is called the temple periods.
The first temple period concerned itself with the original temple in Jerusalem, up to the scattered tribes in the Old Testament. Second temple Judaism began with Nehemiah and the repopulation of Israel, and runs up to the destruction of 70 A.D.
Historians tell us there were twenty-four distinct Judaism’s during that time. The third period picks up from there.
But we need to know a bit more about how…
The Enmity Continues
The enmity against God Himself reaches back to the times of Jesus and much further. It reaches back to the fall of Adam.
But as for Israel’s enmity, Jesus and John the Baptist called the hate element in Israel, “a brood of vipers.” Jesus said of them,
“If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would not have sin; but now they have both seen and hated Me and My Father as well.” (John 15:24)
So the hate element has always been there. It continues to this day.
If you know anything about the scribes and Pharisees, about the traditions of the elders, or about Talmudic Judaism, then you already know something about the ultra- orthodox groups in Israel today. They are the same. They are of the same spirit as those who renounced Jesus so strongly.
Their hatred for Jesus Christ and for all things Christian is often covered up, but it always lies just below the surface. In fact if it came to the need for a blood transfusion, this group of Jews would prefer to die than accept the blood of a Christian, or of any Gentile, or even the blood of a secular Jew. They believe other bloods are defiled. They cannot take a chance on defiling their own sacred “divine” blood.
Does this sound strange? It shouldn’t. It was pretty much the same during the time of Christ. Even the apostles had to process this. It wasn’t easy.
When Peter was sent to the house of Cornelius, he said,
“You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a man who is a Jew to associate with a foreigner or visit him; and yet God has shown me that I should not call any man unholy or unclean.” (Cf. Acts 10)
Keep in mind that the Law of Moses never said any such thing about entering the house of a foreigner. This came from the traditions of the elders. It later became encoded in Talmudic writings. Even back then the rabbis had a choke hold on the people in Israel.
This helps us understand why Jesus went outside the religious establishment to minister to those who were considered outcasts.
As for the religious powers, Jesus called them what they were. He said,
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut off the kingdom of heaven from people; for you do not enter in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.”
If you would like to see the dressing down that Jesus gave the “hate” element in Israel, take time to read Matthew 13.
It was immediately following this dressing down, that Jesus said,
“Jerusalem, Jerusalem … your house is being left to you desolate.”
For a better understanding of ultra-orthodox Judaism, let me share about some of the …
Beliefs held by the ultra-orthodox in Israel
(1) They forbid Jewish men to listen to a woman singing in a choir or solo, regardless of what she is singing. They believe the voice of a woman is adultery. (Many Talmudic teachings are against women in general. These teachings are very much in favor today.)
Compare this to Paul:
“For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Gal 3:28 – Peter adds that husband and wife are fellow heirs of the grace of life.)
(2) They believe that when they come to power, all Christian churches are to be destroyed and all non-Jews to be expelled from the country, including secular Jews.
(3) Haredim rabbis often teach that the Holocaust was a well deserved divine punishment for failure to keep Talmudic studies. (Among other things.)
(4) Their hatred for non-Jews comes from their continuous cabalistic tradition. They are much into magic. (They try to hide this fact from westerners.)
(5) For them the gravest sin is for a Jew to deny Judaism. The Jew who denies Judaism becomes a Canaanite, and to kill such a person is an act of righteousness. (Thus we see their hatred against the secular Jew.)
(6) The doctor Baruch Goldstein who slaughtered 20 Muslim worshippers, including children, in Hebron in 1994, is considered a saint by this group and is seen as their intercessor in heaven.
Note: Perhaps it should be said that what this ultra-religious hate group may not realize, is that they are doing pretty much the same as did Hitler in his own hate against the Jews. This shows how very wicked and prideful the heart can become when it gives no place for Jesus Christ.
The Battle is On
So — What is it going to take to turn the eyes of Israel to Jesus? The answer isn’t as difficult as it may seem. It is clearly set forth in the prophets, that the Messiah would not return to His place until Israel acknowledges her guilt and seeks His face. The Lord said,
“In their affliction they will earnestly seek Me.” (Hos5:15)
Jesus told the rejecters,
“I go away, and you will seek Me, and will die in your sins; where I am going, you cannot come.” (John 8:21)
The fact is that Israel is going to desperately need a Savior. When the moment comes, they will cry out to Jesus. The apostle said,
“The deliverer will come from Zion, He will remove ungodliness from Jacob. This is My covenant with them, when I take away their sins.” (Rom11:26-27)
And again,
“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 OVER HIM, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn.” (Cf. Zech12)
What did Jesus write on the ground? Could it be that God’s hand once again was writing, ‘Your days are numbered.’
Just something to think about.
Listen to this wonderful song about Jesus the Messiah of Israel.
In Christ Always,
Buddy
Published November 14, 2011 | 
“So the worthless rose up against the honored, those of no reputation against such as were renowned, the foolish against the wise, the young against those advanced in years.
“For this reason righteousness and peace are now far departed from you, inasmuch as everyone abandons the fear of God, and is become blind in his faith…”
– The First Epistle of Clement to the Corinthians
“But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron.” (1Ti 4:1-2) – Apostle Paul
Journal,
The beginning quote for this entry is from a letter of Clement to the Church of Corinth. Scholars are in favor that this letter was written by the traveling companion of the apostle Paul. When Clement wrote the Corinthian Church both Paul and Peter had already been martyred.
Clement’s letter is one of several letters written by those who knew the apostles. Clement along with Barnabas, and a couple more writings, were given consideration with regard to being placed in the New Testament canon of Scriptures. (Clement’s letter is found in the Alexandrian manuscripts. [Clement lived A.D. 30-100])
Paul speaks of Clement and other workers who helped him;
“[They] have shared my struggle in the cause of the gospel, together with Clement also and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.” (Phil4:3)
The battle through the ages
One of the greatest dangers that the Church has faced through the ages has been that of seducing spirits that attempt to make inroads among God’s people. Paul warns that in the latter times this will become even more pronounced. He says many will reject or abandon the true faith in Jesus Christ to follow ungodly spiritual influences, even to the extent of following a false or counterfeit Jesus.
It isn’t simply Paul that gives the warnings. All the apostolic writers call attention to the spiritual seductions of the end times. But it goes even further back. The prophets of old also called attention to the last days where false prophets will abound among God’s people.
Listen carefully to the Lord speaking through the prophet Jeremiah -
“The anger of the LORD will not turn back until He has performed and carried out the purposes of His heart;
“In the last days you will clearly understand it. I did not send these prophets, but they ran. I did not speak to them, but they prophesied.
“But if they had stood in My council, then they would have announced My words to My people, and would have turned them back from their evil way and from the evil of their deeds.” (Jer 23:20-22)
There is a Biblical example of a church gone astray…
Corinth typifies a church gone astray
The Church of Corinth is a classic example how dark spirits can make inroads among God’s people. Let’s take a closer look at the Corinthian issues that allowed the enemy to find a place with this group.
With the Corinthian Church there was one very serious situation that called for special concern by the apostle Paul. It had to do with the gifts of the Spirit and in particular the gift of speaking in foreign or other languages.
At the Delphi temple they practiced a pagan glossolalia or speaking in tongues, but not in any language that could be understood. This influence of the pagan glossolalia was strongly felt not only in Corinth, but also in the entire Grecian world. (You can study this in most encyclopedias.)
The way the oracle worked was that a male prophet at the temple would receive a question from an inquirer. The question could be personal, or about government affairs, or whatever. The inquirer would be brought into the presence of a young woman priestess of Apollo who was said to have a “pythonic spirit.”
The young woman would speak or scream out in unintelligible utterances, often fall out in a frenzy, supposedly through the spirit of Apollo in her, and the prophet would interpret the message.
For some reason it was the women that took the role of having a pythonic spirit. They would go into trances and often stay in that state for a time. Their frenzied babbling sometimes would continue over a time.
The idea was that the young woman was possessed by the spirit of the god. The god was supposedly speaking through her in the form of telling the future.
Paul met this pythonic spirit at work in Philippi.
“It happened that as we were going to the place of prayer, a slave-girl having a spirit of divination [puthõna] met us, who was bringing her masters much profit by fortune-telling.” (Act 16:16 NASB)
The issue of gifting
It is important to understand that Paul never took away from their being a gifting from God about speaking in other languages. The problem seemed to stem from those who had been to a Delphic priest and had been exposed to the spirit of divination. It is even possible that some of the Delphic priests and priestesses were attempting to infiltrate the Christian assembly. Christians would have been considered a threat to the Delphic oracle.
In addition the Corinthian believers may have felt like they were in competition with the Delphic oracles. This was probably why Paul had to deal so much with the issue of speaking in tongues with the Corinthian church. You don’t find this issue in any of the other churches.
If you read the Corinthian letters with this background in mind, it will help you appreciate some of the things Paul is addressing. Listen carefully to the language:
“Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware. You know that when you were pagans, you were led astray to the mute idols, however you were led.” (1Co12:1,2.)
From this we can assume that some of the Corinthian believers had taken part in the Delphic oracles. It was the spirit of divination that had led them astray. (Keep in view the term, ‘led astray’. We are going to see it again in Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians. )
Again:
“Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, ‘Jesus is accursed’; and no one can say, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ except by the Holy Spirit.” (1Co12:3)
Someone was speaking by a spiritual power that declared Jesus was accursed. Paul’s contention was that the Holy Spirit would most certainly not say that Jesus is accursed. There is a vast difference between Jesus taking the curse of the Law upon Himself at the cross, and Jesus being accursed. But these false outbursts of prophecies were leading the people astray.
Can a person confess the wrong Jesus?
For someone to make a true confession that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, that He died on the cross for our sins, that He arose from the grave and ascended to the right hand of the Father, and is truly the Lord God, this would be an act of the Holy Spirit. It is this act of true believing that includes the very heart of repentance towards God and faith in Jesus Christ. 
However, can someone say that Jesus is Lord and it not be of the Holy Spirit? Yes, if there is a occultic spirit involved. Paul addresses this issue in his second letter. He says it is possible to preach a Jesus who is not the Jesus of the Bible. (See the book, ‘The Beautiful Side of Evil by Michaelson.)
Listen to 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.”(2Co11:3)
Continue to keep in mind the term ‘led astray.’ Paul uses it in both letters. In this second letter, Paul’s warnings are even more strong with regard to people being led astray.
‘Led astray’ is the Greek word phtheiro, which means to corrupt or spoil. The corrupting is a spiritual deception. Notice that the background of being led astray is still the serpent.
This word is used in Rev19:2, where it says,
“He has judged the great harlot who was corrupting (phtheiro) the earth with her immorality, and He has avenged the blood of His bondservants on her.”
Paul shows how this corrupting influence works. He said,
“For if one comes and preaches another Jesus who 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” (2Co11:4)
The Corinthian group was coming under the influence of the occult. There is no other way to explain an involvement with a different Jesus, a different spirit, and a different gospel. You may think this is hard to do, but Church history has proven that this has always been a real danger for believers.
The pattern seems to follow this line – First a move of God in the hearts believers for a return to the purity of the ancient faith. Not long afterwards the enemy begins making inroads into the movement. The movement become corrupt. Then comes a judgment from God that includes a call to repentance.
Now let’s hear a bit more from Paul’s traveling companion.
Clement has more to say.
Let’s come back to Clement. Here are a few notable quotes from his letter. It gives an idea of what happened to the church in Corinth, and what can happen in a church today if a spirit of occultism enters the scene, and turning to the Lord with repentance does not take place.
“Your schism has subverted the faith of many, has discouraged many, has given rise to doubt in many, and has caused grief to us all. And still your sedition continues.”
“The height to which love exalts is unspeakable. Love unites us to God. Love covers a multitude of sins. Love beareth all things, is long-suffering in all things. … Love admits no schisms.”
“All the generations from Adam even unto this day have passed away; but those who, through the grace of God, have been made perfect in love, now possess a place among the godly.”
“Through envy and jealousy, the greatest and most righteous pillars of the Church have been persecuted and put to death. … Peter, through unrighteous envy … Paul also obtained the reward of patient endurance, after being seven times thrown into captivity … Thus was he removed from the world and went into the holy place…”
Did the Church at Corinth ever revert itself? Who knows. We do have a promise that the Lord will not lose any that belong to Him. It is possible that the Lord simply removed His people to a place of His choosing. But this is speculation.
So a question remains.
What is it that gives birth to working of darkness
It all begins with false promises. The downward spiral of every spiritual movement can usually be traced to people seeking power without purity of heart. People want power and they want it now. So they run about seeking someone to lay hands on them so they can have more power. They are looking for this one special experience that will transform them into some sort of spiritual giant.
Then you have these false teachers who make prideful boasting their platform of ministry. People get turned on by being told that they can do everything that Jesus did. The gospel of, ‘take up your cross and follow Jesus,’ becomes a mockery. And the inside message becomes, ‘We are gods!’
[For more insight go to: http://buddymartin.net/blog/2011/05/twisting-and-turning-in-the-wind/]
What’s wrong with this? What is wrong with this is that the power of life that believers are promised is found in only one place. It is found in the out working of the cross. God never promised us that we would have no struggles, or battles, or temptations, or failures, or heart aches. He promised that He would never desert us or fail us. He promised us that His presence in our hearts and lives would be enough to any and every circumstance we may face.
What the Lord promised us is that we would have tribulations but we were to take courage because He had overcome the world. The lesson is that He will overcome the world in us. The Lord made it very plain that we are not of this world and that our future glory is yet to come.
Listen to the great apostle Paul –
“After they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying,
“‘Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.’” (Act 14:21-22)
Time for a check up
Paul was simply telling the Corinthians not to get over-focused on these particular gifts. There is no question that the Lord can speak to us through others. But to go about seeking a prophet today can do much damage to a believer’s walk with the Lord.
I realize everyone has their own thoughts, opinions, and experiences. But in the study of Scriptures, it is important not to let our experiences decide what we believe. We must learn to be true to the Scriptures.
Everything I have shared in this entry is for educational purposes. My advice to believers today is to stay on guard against any form of occultism. Familiar (pythonic) spirits love to enter congregations and play off as being from the Lord.
Here is your song for today. Please listen to it. It is titled, ‘In Christ Alone.’
May the Lord’s blessings rest upon you and all that is yours,
In Christ always,
Buddy
Published November 7, 2011 | Readers,
Many are not aware that the song, ‘Welcome to My World’ was co-written by John Hathcock and Ray Winkler in 1961, but it was first made popular by Hathcock and Winkler’s good friend, Jim Reeves (Gentleman Jim).
Reeves was one of the most well-loved country artists of his time. He became internationally famous and the song, ‘Welcome to My World’ went international. Seems the world is still waiting for the next Jim Reeves.
The list is endless of other artists who took it up. It includes such notables as Dean Martin, Elvis Presley, Rikki Hendersen, Faron Young, Eddy Arnold, Charlie Pride, and the Anita Kerr Singers.
However, there is a secret to this song that not everyone picks up on. Welcome to My World is a Christian based song. For you who know your Bible, you will quickly pick up on direct quotes from the Bible and/or allusions to the love of God that is found in Jesus Christ.
So, using that song as a prelude to this study let me share something about God’s world.
Let’s begin with…
God’s Secret World
In Psalm 31, David expresses sorrow over the strife and struggles of life. Have you been there? Sure you have.
“In You, O LORD, I have taken refuge; let me never be ashamed; in Your righteousness deliver me. Incline Your ear to me, rescue me quickly; be to me a rock of strength, a stronghold to save me.” (Psa 31:1-2)
What is the answer? The answer is when David breaks out into praise that speaks of God’s love for His people.
Listen to the man after God’s heart:
“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.)
Where David says, ‘the secret place of Your presence’, the literal is equally translated, “the secret of Your face.” The idea is that God hides His people from the view of their enemies by bringing them to the very place that He Himself dwells.
There has always been a secret hiding place for God’s people.
Our Hiddenness Through the Ages
The secret place of God would take in all His people from ancient time on. The Old Testament saints somehow knew in their hearts that the Lord Himself was their ever-present security in life.
Moses 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.” (Ps90:1 ,2 )
Moses uses the same word that David used with regard to the ‘secret place’ of the tabernacle.
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)
This truth of our hiddenness finds it fulfillment at the cross. Paul said when a person calls upon Jesus as Lord, the Father takes the total of that person’s life and places it in Christ.
The Secret Love of God
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.’ He writes,
“They make shrewd plans against Your people, and conspire together against Your treasured ones.” (Ps83:3)
The Hebrew for ‘treasured ones’ speaks of that which is covered by God, that which is hidden, or that which is kept secret. But it especially speaks of the secret of one’s heart. God has a secret. God’s treasured ones are the secret love of His heart.
The Psalmist 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 Concealment of God
The Hebrew for ‘conceal’ is the same word the Psalmist uses 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 of the hidden 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 treasure has to do with the hidden kingdom of heaven. 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)
All that David said about the secret place of God 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.”
Raised Up and Seated
While this truth of our hiddenness may seem difficult to grasp, one fact remains – Our faith should always rest upon God’s truth of our redemption in Christ Jesus. Our place in Christ is secured.
The truth is that every believer in Jesus Christ has already been raised up and seated with Christ in the heavenly. This is our place in Christ. And while we yet walk this earth in our natural state, the Father takes of heavenly life, places it in our hearts as a foretaste of eternity. Heavenly life is God’s presence and His oversight of our lives.
The Father never takes His eyes off believers. 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)
The Joy of the Cross
The reason Jesus endured the cross was because of the joy that was set before Him. The joy set before the Lord Jesus was all those whom the Father would give Him from eternity.
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)
The Only Question You can Answer for Yourself
There is one question that needs to be answered – Are you now trusting in Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior? A heart-faith and trust in Jesus is proof positive that you belong to Him. And if you belong to Him, then you are most certainly one of His treasured ones.
This is what the great apostle said:
“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.” (Eph2:8-10)
Think about these things.
The Invitation Stands – Whosoever will may enter into God’s World
The Lord God offers every person on the planet the key to His world and His kingdom. The key is found in Jesus Christ, God’s only-begotten Son. Call on Jesus. He will answer. In fact, He is standing at your door now. Won’t you invite Him in?
I want to share songs that will minister to your heart. The first one is ‘Welcome to My World,’ by Elvis Presley (1973)
The following worship songs are for your spiritual strengthening. Listen to them. The Lord will speak to your heart.
You Are My Hiding Place/As the Deer
In Christ always,
Buddy
Published November 5, 2011 | Readers,
I need to take a pause in my regular journal entries to share about a wonderful ‘someone’ who has affected the lives of so many people. This entry has to do with a special gift from God. He was one of heaven’s wonderful gentle giants.
His name is…
General Claudius Josephus (CJ)
May 20, 2001 t0 November 3, 2011
CJ was a Great Dane. He was registered as General Claudius Josephus but everyone simply knew him as ’CJ’.
There is so much I would like to share about the General. To begin with, CJ was a gift from my three children on Father’s Day, 2001. However, through the years I came to realize that this special dog had to have been …
A Gift from God
You’ve often heard dogs called, ‘man’s best friend’. This was certainly true for me. And if you are a dog lover, it doesn’t take long to realize just how true this adage is. Dogs not only have character but they have a special inner insight for things that are happening around them. They have an ability to love unconditionally. And when they bond with someone, the bond is for life. Perhaps God made them that way so they could fit a special need in the lives of others.
A gift from God? What I’ve come to realize is that you don’t pick the dog, the dog picks you. At least in my case this was true. My three children, Nathan, Andre, and Shana, had me sit in our living room and close my eyes. They placed two Great Dane pups in my lap, one black and the other fawn. While the black was beautiful, my heart went to the fawn. My daughter Shana, took the black one.
Here the story begins to unfold. The pups were too young to be removed from their mother. We had to wait two weeks. The time came and we were standing in the yard of the owner watching a number of pups romping around. What a beautiful sight. Then it happened. The fawn that I had chosen came and lay down between my feet. You see, CJ was letting me know that the choice was his. Yes, indeed – CJ was saying, ‘This human belong to me!’
It’s been that way ever since. CJ pretty much took over the ranch as well as the hearts of all who met him. For the next ten and a half years, CJ became part of the identity of
Christian Challenge. When people came to my office for counsel, there was CJ sitting in his easy chair. (Used to be my easy chair.)
Christian Challenge Belonged to CJ
Betty and I loved CJ. So did everyone else. But you could not out love him. When visitors arrived at our door, CJ would greet them with a toy in his mouth. The only warning we would give folk is, ‘Look out for his tail.’ (Ask Nathan about this.)
Every morning when CJ and I went for our walk, he would survey the church property to check on things. This was his ritual throughout his years. (We have eight acres.)
If you know anything about Great Danes, you know how very unique they are. CJ loved children. He never realized just how big he really was. If CJ couldn’t climb in your lap, he would set his rear end on you with his front legs on the floor. (Yes, indeed. CJ was very big.)
Linda and CJ sharing love.
For any who are interested, tomorrow at 3 p.m. we are going to have a …
A Walk Around Memorial
Seems the Lord put on my heart to do something very special as a memory to CJ. Since the property of Christian Challenge was his happy place, we will be scattering CJs ashes on ‘a walk around’ the property. 
The ‘walk around’ will begin at 3 p.m. We’ll gather at the front porch of our parsonage. Any and everyone is welcomed to join with us.
We also want to give time to those who attend to share whatever they wish about CJ. Believe me, he has left some beautiful stories in the lives of many people. So, if you have a favorite Scripture or a memory of CJ that you would like to share, then would be the time.
And finally, CJ will have his best doggie buddy walk with us. Zacheus the Wee Little Man, better known as Zach, and CJ were inseparable. Zach is also in mourning. He needs this moment of remembrance.
The Wee Little Man
I also want to point out that Zach has a special place in helping our hearts to mend. I’m sure no one would mind having Zach as the ‘walk around’ guest of honor with regard for this memorial to CJ.
As a last word – Please take good care of these special gifts from God. They are here for a purpose. Doggies are known to be the ‘healers of hearts’. They are God’s unconditional lovers.
And for all you doggie loves, here is a song from yesteryear that will warm your hearts.
In the love of Jesus,
Buddy
Published October 31, 2011 |
“Brethren, my heart’s desire and my prayer to God for them [Israel] is for their salvation. For I testify about them that they have a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge.
“For not knowing about God’s righteousness and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” (Rom 10:1-4)
Journal,
I felt it would be good to offer a study on the subject of salvation by setting forth why a person cannot be saved by anything they do in their own efforts. Until this truth is realized, the struggle over salvation will always be there. Let’s talk about it.
It is important to understand that being saved has nothing to do with anything we can offer to God. What can a sinful race offer to a holy God? Everything we touch is imbued with sin. Our unsaved hearts are hearts of sinners. The human race is charged with sin, infected by sin, directed by sin, and corrupted by sin.
What can our sinful hands offer to God that would not be an offering of sin? We can offer God nothing. We are bankrupt of any righteousness.
David asked it best:
“What can I offer the LORD for all He has done for me? I will lift up the cup of salvation and praise the LORD’s name for saving me.” (Psa 116:12-13)
And so…
What Can I Offer the Lord
What can we offer God with a view to salvation? What do we sinful creatures have that would be good enough for God to accept us? Again the answer is, nothing.
We can’t clean ourselves up. It is our heart that is corrupt. There is nothing on our part that we can do to be accepted by God. Until we recognize this basic truth, we will never understand what salvation is all about.
Let’s press this further. Nobody prays through to salvation. Fasting and prayer are not issues of salvation. Having uncut hair does not get God’s attention. Whether you drink or smoke has nothing to do with salvation.
Going to movies or not going to movies is not a thing of salvation. No matter what we may think about these things, they have no relationship to salvation itself. No person ever becomes good enough to get saved.
We cannot change the inside by working on the outside. Salvation is about a heart condition. When the heart is made right, everything else will come into place. (In its time.)
We Are Powerless in Ourselves
So let me repeat — We are powerless in ourselves to think that anything good can come from us. Salvation has to come from God Himself. He alone is righteous and without sin. He
alone is good.
Stop and think about what John the Baptist, the Lord Jesus, and the apostles all taught on the issue of salvation. They were addressing a Jewish audience. The Jews hung their hats about being saved on the merits of Abraham.
In dealing with Jewish attitudes, Paul said that the Jews were just as lost as the pagans. Why is that? It is because salvation can only come from God Himself. And the sinful state of Adam had casts its shadow across the whole of humanity.
All unsaved people are under the power and authority of a spiritual being beside God. Satan is actually called the god of this world.
Deadness of Sin
Paul brings out the deadness of sin:
“And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you 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.” (Eph 2:1-3)
Have we nailed this issue down firm enough? Once again, until a person realizes that they cannot be saved by any effort of their own, they will remain stupefied in how to be saved.
What then is the answer? The answer never changes. Salvation is trusting wholly in Christ and in His Lordship. Reading a bit further in Ephesians 2, we hear Paul say this:
“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)
The Battle Over Grace
The argument goes this way,
‘That is too easy. Anyone can say they trust in Christ. Where is their experience? Where is their holiness? Where is their separation from the world? Where is their…where is their…where is their…???’
Do you see the problem with the argument of ‘Where is?’
All these responses continue to miss the message of salvation. What then is the central message of salvation?
Listen:
“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.
“He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” (Joh 3:16-18)
Salvation is Through the Son Alone
This is My Beloved Son
Did you catch it? Salvation is through the Son alone. The Son took the place of the human race. The Son took to Himself our separation from God. The Son died in our place.
The Son was judged with our judgment. The Son was declared sin so that we could be declared right before God. The Son resurrected from the dead as a sign that judgment had been met.
The Son entered back into heaven. And the Son is now Lord of all. He is above all. He has all authority in heaven and on earth.
So how then are we saved? We are saved by appealing to the Son. This was the message that Peter preached on the day of Pentecost.
“And it shall be that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord [Jesus] will be saved.” (Act 2:21)
This is the message that the great apostle Paul preached to the Gentiles:
“For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; for ‘WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD [Jesus] WILL BE SAVED.’” (Rom 10:12-13)
The Eternal Law of Salvation
Out of the cross came the eternal law of salvation. It is the one law that Satan hopes no person ever sees clearly. This is why he keeps adding religious ritual to religious ritual, condition upon condition, law upon law, tradition upon tradition, and anything else he can throw into the mix.
Satan knows that any person who calls upon the Lord Jesus Christ with their heart in respect to salvation, will be saved. It is as simple as that.
Satan knows it. We need to know it. We need to be able to preach this simple message of faith in Christ to the harlot, to the beggar, to the drunkard, to the sinner of the deepest cut.
There is no other message that Christians are commissioned to preach. Our job is to preach the message. The message will take care of itself.
The Message Completes Itself
Yes, all the apostles preached the death, burial, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ, and that faith in Christ as the risen Savior is what salvation truly is. In fact the only witness a person needs to know that they are saved is that they truly believe in their heart that Jesus Christ is their own Lord.
Faith in Jesus Christ itself is the testimony of salvation. This is where many people misunderstand the power of the gospel message.
The message of the cross carries in it the inherent power that accomplishes the work of salvation. The moment a person truly believes, the Holy Spirit enters that person’s heart and places the seal of salvation.
Paul explains in two places the power of the gospel message.
“For this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received the word [gospel message] of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe.” (1Th 2:13)
And again,
“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 [In Jesus Christ].’” (Rom 1:16-17)
And so, until we truly believe in Jesus Christ, there can be no seal placed on our heart. The seal carries God’s testimony.
“For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, ‘Abba! Father!’
“The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.” (Rom 8:15-17)
Have you received the Spirit of God’s Son in your heart? Listen once again to the witness of salvation.
“For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, ‘Abba! Father!’
“The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.” (Rom 8:15-17)
What Can Take Away My Sins
Some time ago I was asked to take part in a prayer breakfast for a Martin Luther King, Jr. memorial. When it came time for me to offer a prayer, I begin to sing the song, ‘What can wash away my sins.’ I will never forget how singing that song changed the atmosphere of the gathering from political to spiritual.
Are you ready for your heart to change? Perhaps now would be a good time to listen to it.
Jesus loves you,
Buddy
Published October 11, 2011 | “Every day I will bless You, and I will praise Your name forever and ever. Great is the LORD, and highly to be praised, and His greatness is unsearchable. One generation shall praise Your works to another, and shall declare Your mighty acts.” (Psa 145:2-4)
Journal,
I realize that not everyone is that interested in my renderings on the Martin family but there really is a point in all this. For those who have an interest, please bear with me as I continue with somewhat of my family and the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ
As I have shared before, the first Martin of our line to come to Louisiana with his Indian wife, in 1803 thereabouts. He was a Revolutionary soldier. 
Billy Martin and his Elizabeth, are buried at Mitchell Cemetery in Anacoco, Louisiana. There is early documentation on the Mitchell Cemetery, entitled, “Pioneer Minister Tells of First Cemetery”, by Rev. Thomas Franklin.
Here are quotes in part:
“I have been acquainted with people of this country ever since the year 1835 … In my early days there were no churches, no schoolhouses, preachers, nor anyone who could offer prayer in public … At this time the Martin, West, Miers, and Franklin families made the principal part of the citizens …
“I well remember the old preacher preaching the funeral of Thomas Martin. He was the first man I ever saw kneel and offer prayer to God in this graveyard …
“Now as we have been following the history of servants of the Lord since 1835, we now turn more directly to the history of the graveyard for here lies the body of the old and the young resting.
“Here is the body of William Martin, an old Revolutionary soldier, with his wife, also many children and grandchildren. …”
In the cemetery there is a large double headstone with genealogical information on the reverse side. It reads:
Martin, Elizabeth – ca 1790/ca 1849
Martin, William (Billy) – 1766/ca 1840, American Revolutionary Soldier
Came to LA in 1803 from VA-KY area, [married] 1805 – Their children
1. John (Jack) [married] 1831 Rachel Miers;
2. Thomas [married] 1833 Elizabeth;
3. David [married] 1833 Catherine;
4. Wm. (Billy) Jr. [married] 1834 Mary Ann Miers;
5. Charles [married] 1842 Sarah Ann Miers;
6. Isaac [married] 1854 Mary Bass;
7. Benjamin [married] 1845 Evelina Miers
8. Elizabeth
9. Levi (1830) [married] 1850 Jane Wingate
I descend from both William (Billy) Jr., and Charles Seth. My grandfather and grandmother were from the two lines and were cousins.
To take it a step further I have to bring you Campbell Creek
Buried at Campbell Creek Cemetery in Sharp, Louisiana are some of my forbearers all the way back to Charles Seth Martin, the son of the Revolutionary soldier.
In a line from the front left, are the graves of my father, Lawrence Bert, our son, David Lynn, my grandparents, John Allen and Frances Ella, my great-uncle, Jessie, my great grand-parents, James Erwin and Mary, and my great, great-grandfather, Charles Seth Martin, the son of the Revolutionary soldier.
Also in this cemetery is a message from my grandfather.
When my great-grandfather, James Erwin Martin, died in 1905, my grandfather prepared a homemade headstone for him. On the front of the head stone he encased behind glass a paper which reads,
“Remember friend, as you pass by,
As you are now, so once was I.
As I am now, you soon shall be.
Prepare my friend to follow me.”
Due to a broken edge of the glass and the weathering over the years, the paper is now barely readable. I’m one of the few people who knows what it says.
Very often when I do a funeral, I’ll call attention to those words. And more often than not, someone will want me to show them my great grandfather’s grave. Of course I’m always happy to do that. It gives me a chance to share the gospel from his headstone.
And so the story continues. In the Bible record of the righteous, we often simply read, “And he died.”
“So all the days of Seth were nine hundred and twelve years, and he died.”
“So all the days of Enosh were nine hundred and five years, and he died.”
“So all the days of Noah were nine hundred and fifty years, and he died.”
Yes, one generation continues to replace another. It has always been that way. We can only live in the generation of our birth.
But there is an issue that we need to pay special heed to.
Is the true Gospel Message being distorted today?
There is an insidious danger many are not aware of with this generation. The danger is the snare of false gospels. The preaching of prosperity has replaced the message of
repentance. The message of ‘we are gods’ has replaced humility and the fear of the Lord. The merging of false religions with the Christian faith is becoming the accepted norm. Out of all this is coming, ‘a form of religion that denies the power of the cross.’
The true gospel message is the preaching of the cross, of repentance, of the Lord’s second coming, of turning from the world and turning to the Lord with a true heart of faith. Does any of this preclude God’s blessings upon the righteous? Not at all. An adherence to the true gospel will bring heaven’s blessings into the believer’s life.
But should we be surprised? Listen to Paul –
“But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron.” (1Ti 4:1-2)
Now the apostle Peter:
“But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves.
“Many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned; and in their greed they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.” (2Pe 2:1-3)
A hallmark of the righteous
Did you know that one of the major hallmarks of a person who has truly been born of heaven, is in their looking and longing for the second coming of Jesus Christ?
Peter wrote,
“Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat!
“But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.” (2Pe 3:11-13)
And we have this from the apostle Paul,
“ … 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.” (2Ti 4:8)
This brings me to …
What it means, ‘To die in faith’
When the Bible speaks of God’s Old Testament righteous people, it says,
“All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.” (Heb11:13)
God’s people have always known that greater things await them in the future. It is this hope that undergirds our faith walk.
The apostolic writer went on to include this statement;
“Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.” (Vs16)
What is this about a heavenly and a holy city?
One of the promises God gave the righteous in ages gone by, was the promise of a heavenly and holy city. Part of Abraham’s travels included looking for that city.
What else had God promised the righteous in generations gone by? He promised them a Redeemer. He promised them that one day the righteous would inherit a transformed earth.
It is these promises that have rested in the hearts of God’s holy people from ancient time. We new covenant believers share in those ancient promises. We anxiously await the wonders that are reserved in heaven for us.
This is why God’s people look at death through a different set of glasses. When the Spirit of Jesus enters the heart of a believing one, the atmosphere of heaven makes its home in the deepest part of our spiritual make-up. Jesus said that was how it would be.
Paul said that we long to be clothed with our dwelling on high.
For the truly born again people, there is the …
Removing of all fear
When a person is born again, the Spirit of Jesus immediately begins the process of removing all our fears. Not just some fear, but all fear.
How much does God love us? We are unable to measure or fathom such a love. But He loved us enough to give His own Son as a sacrifice for our sins. As the writer said,
“One sacrifice for all sins for all time.” (Heb10:12)
The apostolic writer also said,
“And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to died once and after this comes judgment….”
Isn’t it interesting how often folk quote that verse and leave out the rest of the sentence. The rest of the sentence says,
“…so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him.” (Heb9:27,28)
Notice it says “without reference to sin.” The sin problem has been settled for eternity for all who receive Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. It is those who refuse to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior who will be judged so.
Once God’s perfect love has completed its work in our hearts, the only fear that remains is that wondrous thing called ‘the fear of the Lord.’ This fear is filled with love, respect, and reverence for our heavenly Father.
And so, back to the title of this entry…
Tell your children and your children’s children
Jesus said,
“For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes even to the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be.” (Mat 24:27)
God doesn’t want his children to be afraid. I think this is what my grandfather wanted to say when he wrote the inscription for my great grandfather’s head stone.
I don’t remember that much about my grandfather Martin. I do remember him playing his guitar and singing in the old country church that we attended. Wish I had more memories of him but I’ll just have to cherish the very few.
But he shared his faith with his children. That is how it is to be.
Yes, it is time to tell your children, and your children’s children.
Moses wrote,
“You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up.” (Deu 6:7 NASB)
In the meantime we walk in our testimony to the Lord. We are His living proof of the reality of Jesus Christ.
There is a song that has rested on my heart. Thought I would share it with you. It is a song of years gone by. Yes, I know it is country but perhaps the Lord has something to speak to your heart.
Please take time to listen to the words of the song.
Here it is by Porter Wagoner …
Think about it,
Much love in Jesus,
Buddy
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