“The way of the righteous is smooth; O Upright One, make the path of the righteous level. Indeed, while following the way of Your judgments, O LORD, We have waited for You eagerly; Your name, even Your memory, is the desire of our souls.” (Isa 26:7-8)

Journal,

I can certainly attest to the fact that strange things do happen to God’s people. I use the word ‘strange’ in the sense of special God moments that come to us unexpected.

Everyone knows that I love music and that I am sort of a Psalmist with my music. (Every song I’ve written has been birthed from the Scriptures.) Not long back I had a dream in which I was singing one of the old-time gospel hymns. What made it strange is that while I was singing in my dream, it seemed that a renewing and a cleansing grace was taking place in my heart. 

Then when I woke up this morning, I began singing a song that reaches far back in my memories. Some of you old timers may remember it. It was titled ‘A Song in the Night.’ This was a song that two of my cousins and I use to sing at church in 1965. (The year our oldest son Nathan was born.)

Yes, I believe the Lord often visits with us in our dreams.

Would you like to hear it? Perhaps the Lord has a message for your heart. Listen to the lyrics as it is sung by Eva Mae Lefevre …

Does the Lord actually give songs to His children in the night…

Yes, the Lord does give us songs in the night.  David tells us about them.

“You are my hiding place; You preserve me from trouble; You surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah. I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you.”(Psa 32:7-8)

Samples of songs given in the night (or in the day as you will)…

Perhaps you would like to hear some of the songs that the Lord has given to me through the years. A few of them were recorded on a Jubilee CD in 2001. (Ten+ years ago.) You can listen to them here:

http://www.christianchallenge.org/JubileeCD.html

Here are samples of songs that hopefully you will enjoy.

The first song is entitled ‘the Song of a Disciple.’ (It is on my Jubilee CD.) 

The second song was written by Kathy Guidry. Kathy’s husband, Gary, went to be with the Lord recently. He was one of the early disciples of Christian Challenge. The song comes from her album, ‘Holy Love.’ It is titled, ‘By the Mark.’

The third song is by my first cousin, Alwyn Willis. It is from his album, ‘Turn Around’. It is titled, ‘Beyond the Crystal Sea.’

Enjoy:

Another year marks the course

This March, 2012, will be another hallmark in the history of Christian Challenge. We are celebrating our 36th year as a ministry.

What memories. We began laying the foundation for the ministry in 1976. I was 35, Betty, 32, Nathan 9, Andre 6, and Shana 2 years old.

Oh yes, here I go again. I’ve been thinking about all the friendships I’ve made through the years. My mind wants to reach back to my younger days as a minister. How I have loved each of the pastors that I’ve served under, and of the many precious people who have come and gone through my life. I have so much to thank the Lord for.

Actually I began preaching at age 24. I’ll be 72 this August. That makes nearly 47 years of service in God’s kingdom. 

I realize this is redundant for some of you. You’ve walked down memory lane with me probably much more than you’ve desired. But for the sake of those who may not be familiar with the Martin family and with Christian Challenge, here is a clip that tells much of the early story. It is titled ‘Through the Years with Christian Challenge.’

Has this stirred your heart…

Yes indeed. Strange and wonderful things do happen to God’s children. I would love to hear about some of your ‘God moments.’ Please take time to share something of your divine moments on my blog.

Remember – There is much love to be found in Jesus.

Blessings,

Buddy

Other

“Meanwhile the disciples were urging Him, saying, ‘Rabbi, eat.’

 

“But He said to them, ‘I have food to eat that you do not know about.’

 

“So the disciples were saying to one another, ‘No one brought Him anything to eat, did he?’

 

“Jesus said to them, ‘My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work.’

 

“’Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look on the fields, that they are white for harvest.’” (Joh 4:31-35)

Journal,

As I was meditating on my morning devotion, this thought began stirring in my heart, ‘I must be about my Father’s business.’ My mind was drawn to what Jesus said to His first disciples concerning the harvest field. He said, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work.” 

The work that Jesus was to accomplish was the work of the cross. Listen carefully to the prayer of our Great High Priest -

“Jesus spoke these things; and lifting up His eyes to heaven, He said, ‘Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son, that the Son may glorify You, even as You gave Him authority over all flesh, that to all whom You have given Him, He may give eternal life. ‘This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.

“‘I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do.’” (Joh 17:1-4)

The work of the cross would be God’s finished work of salvation in Jesus Christ. From the moment of Christ’s ascension into heaven the eternal gospel was to be sent into all the world. The message could encapsulate in this one statement,

“And it shall be that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Cf. Acts 2:21; Rom 10:13)

In the meantime we have this instruction from the Lord -

“The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.” (Luk 10:2)

Much Work to Do

In 1976, the Lord gave me a work to accomplish. It began in an old store-front building. On the right side of the entrance a simple sign read, ‘School for Christian Workers.’

This March 9, 2012, will be 36 years since the CCI School for Christian Workers has come into being. Since that time we have trained hundreds of workers for the harvest fields of the Lord.

The motto of  Christian Challenge International is, ‘How Beautiful Upon the Mountians’. The motto for the School for Christian Workers is, ‘Preparing Servants for the Nations.’

Has the work that God gave me to do been accomplished? Not yet. There is much work to be done. And if the Lord tarries, it will continue after my departure. (This applies to the whole body of Christ.)

Where are we now? It is now time for out 48^th School for Christian Workers.

Is the Lord stirring your heart for service in His kingdom? Perhaps our 48^th School is where you need to be.

The CCI School for Christian Workers is quite unique. Our entire emphasis is on true Biblical discipleship. For your consideration here is our class schedule for the school.

Class Schedule for the CCI 48th School for Christian Workers

The School begins January 22^nd and 23^rd, 2012, and runs 13 weeks. Tuition is $35 per course. Disciples Heart I is $25 for CCI members only.

The Disciple’s Heart Training Program – Sundays  5:00 PM [Required training for anyone serving with CCI] 

The Disciples Heart II Training Program – Sundays 5:00 PM

Shepherd’s Heart Mentoring Program – Every Other Wednesday 6:30 PM

Old Testament Bible Survey – Mondays 6:30 PM

Conversational Spanish – Mondays 6:30 PM

Financial Peace University ($100) – Mondays 7:00 PM

God’s Creation – Mondays 6:30 PM

Registration is required. For additional information call the Christian Challenge office at (318) 640-4300.

For your listening here is the theme song of Christian Challenge – How Beautiful Upon the Mountains.

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

In Christ Always,

Buddy

Other

“This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.” (Mat 24:14)

Journal,

I am very pleased with the direction my blog is taking. Since I began my blog in 2010, I’ve had 73,263 page views. This year alone my blog is projected to reach almost 100,000 views. How can that be? How can an old-timey preacher man reach the world with the message of Jesus Christ and do it all from an office in his home. It simply astounds me. (Just think – My blog is only one of thousands of blogs and web sites that are sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ with the whole world.)

My blog has received viewers from every state in the Union. Internationally I’ve reached 107 different nations. The top fifteen countries that my viewers come from are:

(1) United Kingdom. (2) Canada. (3) Philippines. (4) Australia. (5) India. (6) Nigeria. (7) Netherlands. (8) Indonesia. (9) South Africa. (10) Italy. (11) Brazil. (12) France. (13) Pakistan. (14) Singapore. (15) Malaysia. (Plus 92 other nations.)

My most popular journal entry by far has to do with salvation.

http://buddymartin.net/blog/salvation/

Other Notable Entries About Salvation

In addition to the above salvation entry, here are some recent entries that I recommend. Each of them explains something about salvation and the kingdom of God’s beloved Son.

Lord Jesus, remember me - http://buddymartin.net/blog/2011/06/lord-jesus-remember-me/

A Case for the Christian - http://buddymartin.net/blog/2011/06/a-case-for-the-christian/

To Die Without Christ - http://buddymartin.net/blog/2011/06/to-die-without-christ/

I’ve made two additions  to my blog…

Forum Dialog

Notice at the top menu section of my blog there are several buttons. The ‘Forum‘ button is new. This is where ‘registered’ members can take part in dialog exchanges. So far I have three categories that will be opened for dialog: ‘Biblical dialog’, ‘The First Christians’, and ‘Current events.’

The only dialog in place for now is under ‘The First Christians.’ The subject is: ‘What did early Christianity look like.’

Here is my introduction to this dialog:

Acts 1:6 – “Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?”

This one small Scripture speaks to the history of the Church age. The new covenant begins with Israel, it then reaches into all the world, and in the final states of church history, it returns to Israel. The first Christians were Hebrew men and women. Their whole world centralized on Moses and the prophets. Their New Testament was the Old Testament. Their hearts and minds had been opened to the glory of Christ in all the former writings.

My prayer today is, ‘Lord, help us to keep a heart on fire for Jesus like the first Christians, in that we wonderfully find Jesus from Genesis 1:1 to Malachi 4:6.”

Feel free to share your thoughts.

Categories and subject will likely change over time. Please feel free to register. I would love to see lively dialog taking place with the varied subjects.

Another addition to my journal has to do with …

Donations – For the Kingdom

On the right side of my blog near the bottom is a new feature called, ‘For the Kingdom’. It has to do with making donations.

Christian Challenge is a faith-based ministry. We do not go into debt and we do not badger people for money. In fact, in our church services, we don’t even pass an offering plate. We learned a long time ago that God has to be our source.

But we have also learned that God’s people needed to be given an opportunity to give.

And so my admonition is always the same - Do whatever the Lord puts on your heart to do.

If you have been blessed by the ministries of Christian Challenge and would like to take part in helping us to minister to others, you can send contributions by way of PalPal.

Here is a song that will minister to your heart – ‘Father of Creation.’

Your Servant in Christ,

Buddy

Other

“If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. Make sure that none of you suffers as a murderer, or thief, or evildoer, or a troublesome meddler; but if anyone suffers as a Christian, he is not to be ashamed, but is to glorify God in this name.“ (1Pe 4:14-16)

Journal,

Christianity of itself is not essentially a religion. It is a kingdom. In order to have a kingdom you must have a king. Take note of this description of Jesus Christ about His second coming and His titles:

“He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.” (Rev 19:13-16)

Then there is this issue. There are no naturalized citizens in the kingdom of God’s beloved Son. The only way to enter the kingdom of God’s Son is to be born into it. When a person is born from heaven, this is also a citizenship birth. With each kingdom birth there is a register. Listen to Paul:

“For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.” (Php 3:20-21)

So, where does religion enter the picture? Good question. Religion is what we manage to do. A kingdom birth is what God does.

Born from Above

Let’s begin with the thinker – What is it that makes an Irishman an Irishman, or a Cajun a Cajun? (Pass the crawfish please.) The simple answer is that the Irishman and the Cajun are born to a particular cultural grouping. Each group has its own natural proclivities.

What then is it that makes a human a human? The answer is that all humans share a nature that belongs exclusively to humankind in general. Neither angels nor animals have a human nature. They have a nature that is exclusively theirs. So there is an angelic nature, an animal nature, and there is a human nature.

And here is the problem. The human nature is in disrepair. Our souls were damaged in the fall of Adam. Thus our physical life and our spiritual life have need for repair. While the holy angels of God continue with their original nature intact, the deepest part of our humanity, that is, our spiritual identity with God has been displaced.

Whether we understand it or not, Adam and Eve had in their original nature that which is only found in God Himself. They carried in them a certain spiritual likeness of God. The image and likeness had to do with their basic nature. It is that part of man’s inward nature that is in need of repair.

Satan took advantage of Adam’s fallen state and built his earthly kingdom around the aspect of disrepair. Satan is called the god of this world, the ruler of this world, the prince of the power of the air, and the authority of ‘the domain of darkness.’ Thus Adam found himself in a twisted world filled with wrath and discord. Everything was out of balance.

Repaired Through the Cross

In essence what makes a Christian a Christian is that our spiritual identity with God has restored through a heavenly birth. This was the purpose of the cross.

Jesus said

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

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

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

Peter: “For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become PARTAKERS OF THE DIVINE NATURE, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.” (2Pet1:4)

When a person is born from above their severance from God is remedied. The born again person is now a very child of the living God and a citizen of heaven. This means that on planet Earth there are two kinds of humans, those who have been spiritually repaired and restored to God, and those who are still in disrepair. Is it any wonder that the strongest impulse of Christians is to get the message of the gospel out to our fallen kin.

The Wonder of a New Creation

Here we need to understand the critical element of what makes a Christian a Christian. The disrepair of our humanity can only be corrected one way. It has to be God’s way. God’s way is found in the working of the cross. No person is ever born again because they shook a preachers hand or that they prayed through to some esoteric experience.

The only way for a person to be born from above is that they must consciously recognize Jesus Christ as Lord, and receive Him personally as their own Lord and Savior. This accepting Jesus Christ as Lord is the heart and soul of the new creation.

And so, it is to Jesus alone that we bring our broken humanity. It is to Him that we make our appeal to His Lordship and to His saving grace. This is why the true apostolic message never changes, which says, “And it shall be that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” To call upon the name of the Lord means to recognize His Lordship and to appeal to Him as our own Lord.

This is why salvation can never be based on an emotional experience where we have set aside our minds and now depend on certain euphoric feelings. Drugs can induce euphoric feelings. A person can even become euphoric on their own emotions. There is such a thing as an emotional drunkenness.

The point is that our salvation is be based upon the fact alone. We are to become convinced of the death, burial, resurrection, ascension, and glorification of Jesus Christ, and that He is now both Lord and Christ, and that there is no other way to be saved other than to call upon Him, and to acknowledge and confess His Lordship. Aside from this act of believing and confessing, there is no salvation.

Believing in Jesus Christ is an act of our will. The faith to be born again is a gift from God.

“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)

Every time a person is born from above, there is an act of creation. In this new creation a new humanity comes into place. We are a people born-from-above, that is, a heavenly people. We now share a heart like God’s heart.

This brings us to…

The Reborn Heart

In the Bible the term heart speaks of the very center of our being. It is where our spirit life evolves. This is why the Scriptures make a distinction between man’s soul and man’s spirit. The soul is generally thought to be our mind, our will, and our emotions, that is, what identifies us as an individual. But our spirit is that part that relates closest to God. In is in our spirit where we have our God-awareness, our conscious spiritual life, our intuition, our fellowship and communion. This is why it is our spirit that is born again and not our soul. Our soul undergoes transformations over time.

The prophet described our new life this way:

“And I will give them one heart, and put a new spirit within them. And I will take the heart of stone out of their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in My statutes and keep My ordinances and do them. Then they will be My people, and I shall be their God.” (Eze 11:19-20)

It all begins with the Lord getting our attention. The word repentance in the Greek speaks to a moral conquest of the mind. It begins as an intellectual process. We are made aware of and become convinced of the message of the cross. We realize our lostness. We change our minds about the path we’ve lived. And we turn to Jesus as our own Lord and Savior. Every bit of this involves our thinking. The mind is the way to the heart. Salvation involves both the mind and the heart.

It is under this strong convicting work of the Holy Spirit that our heart is brought to the place of being born again. The power that makes a Christian a Christian is not our power. It is the power of heaven.

Paul explains where the power of life comes from. Listen carefully:

“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.” (Rom1:16)

The power of new life is found in the message of the cross itself.

Listen again to Paul:

“For this reason we also constantly thank God, that when you received the word 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.” (1Th2:13)

The point is that the beginning place of salvation has to include our mind. The very word repentance speaks to the mind. Salvation is made upon a decision for Christ. This is why the Billy Graham crusades have such a tremendous effect on the crowds. He preaches the simple message of the cross. The respondents are openly declaring their faith in Jesus Christ.

A Seal that Cannot be Broken

When the Holy Spirit enters the heart of the believing one, that person becomes sealed for eternity. The Spirit will be there tomorrow, and the next tomorrow, and the next tomorrow. This is called the testimony of the Spirit. The apostle calls this the seal of redemption. This new believer has become a child of the living God. He can never be separated from the loving Father.

This does not mean that the newly born-again person is incapable of sin. Yes, the child of God can sin and will have failures in his life. However, sin will always be contrary to the child of God’s nature. He will sin by temptation. Yet the Spirit of Christ within him will now allow him to stay in a condition of sin. Sin hurts too much.

Think about these things. Feel free to offer your comments. I would love to hear from you.

In the meantime here is a song that will speak to your heart.

The King is Coming by the Bill Gaither Trio

Yours in Christ,

Buddy

Other

“The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to captives and freedom to prisoners; to proclaim the favorable year of the LORD …

“ … and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn, to grant those who mourn in Zion, giving them a garland instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the mantle of praise instead of a spirit of fainting. So they will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified. ” (Isa 61:1-3)

Journal,

Some are not aware that there are two days of the Lord. The first day has come. It is the day of grace, or as Isaiah has it, ‘the favorable year of the Lord’. The term ‘favorable’ in Hebrew [rasôn] speaks of the divine favor that is extended to humanity. The time of favor came with Jesus Christ. It was placed in force at the resurrection and ascension of the Lord. We are now in that phase of God’s kingdom called, ‘the kingdom of His beloved Son.’ (Col1:13)

David speaks of two phases of the kingdom of the Son in Psalm 2:

Place your cursor over any Scripture reference and it will appear.

“But as for Me, I have installed My King upon Zion, My holy mountain. I will surely tell of the decree of the LORD: He said to Me, ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You. Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Your inheritance, and the very ends of the earth as Your possession. … [This relates to the day of Pentecost when Jesus received His kingdom in its present form; the covenant of grace. This is the gospel age where the cross is to be preached in all the world. Cf. Mat28:18,19; Acts1:9-11; Dan7:13,14; Acts2:32-36; 2Co5:18--21]

“… You shall break them with a rod of iron, You shall shatter them like earthenware.’ … [Speaks to the second phase of the kingdom of the Son where He comes in judgment. Cf. Acts17:30-32; Zech12:9,10; Rev19:11-16]

“… Now therefore, O kings, show discernment; take warning, O judges of the earth. Worship the LORD with reverence and rejoice with trembling. Do homage to the Son, that He not become angry, and you perish in the way, for His wrath may soon be kindled. How blessed are all who take refuge in Him!” (Psa 2:6-12) [The warning is to the world not to ignore or disregard the gospel of the cross and of God's grace. This is the time of our refuge in Christ. Cf. John14:1-3; 1Th5:9-11; Col3:1-4]

When Jesus quoted from Isaiah 61, He quotes that part that speaks of God’s Jubilee. The Jubilee had to do with freedom. But He stopped His quote with this statement, ‘the favorable year of the Lord.’ Why did Jesus not quote the fuller passage? It is because there is a second day that Isaiah speaks of that has yet to come. It is not the day of Jubilee. It is, ‘the day of vengeance of our God’.

We are still in the day of Jubilee

The time that precedes the second coming of Jesus is a time of great struggle and a day of mixture. While the nations are perplexed, at the same time there are multiplied millions of the Muslim faith coming to Jesus. Not only are Muslims coming to the Lord, but Jewish responses are astonishing.

The following video is a bit lengthy but well worth viewing. It is about Muslims and Jews coming to the Lord.

Just a reminder …

35th Homecoming Jubilee

Be sure to mark your calendar. March 26th and 27th is our Christian Challenge International 35th Homecoming Jubilee. Our theme is, ‘The Anchor Holds’. (There are motels close at hand.)

Saturday evening is ‘Talent Share Night.’ (Not a talent context.) It will be a great time of sharing our love for the Lord through our gifts. Jubilee itself is Sunday, March 27th. Come expect the unexpected. (There will be a special DU meeting Sunday afternoon.)

In Christ always,

Buddy

Other

“If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it.”

(Gen 4:7)

“For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace.” (Rom 6:14)

Journal,

Here it is, January 1, 2011, the first day of a new year. And here we are setting out once again with making new year’s resolutions. And here we are once again with our little traditions that supposedly will set the tone for a prosperous year to come. (Sharing a meal of cabbage and black-eyed peas, etc.)

I’ve never been one for making a list of resolutions although I do consider in my heart things that I wish to have a fresh start on. Oh yes, we all struggle. However, the problem goes far beyond making resolutions. The greater issue is how to gain a hold on life itself, and how to live a life of victory over our many struggles and failures.

I woke up this morning wondering how to begin my first journal entry for 2011. My mind kept going back to the email I had just received from a young Christian soldier concerning his struggles with sin issues. I was impressed that sharing my exchange with this young man would be an excellent way to help others who may be facing the similar struggles.

In sharing my exchange with this young soldier I’ll make adjustments for the sake of confidentiality and privacy. I’ve also reworded some of my responses for additional clarification. In the following exchange place your cursor over the Scriptures references. They will appear while you are reading. If you are a woman, transpose this exchange to suit your own life.

Here goes…

 

The Struggle Over Thoughts

Young soldier: “How can I stop having these bad thoughts and stop asking, why God did this and that? And sometimes make jokes about things I see in church?”

 

Response: “The thoughts of the heart determine our life at that moment. This is why Jesus dealt with sin as an issue of the heart. I want to encourage you to meditate on Pro4:23; “Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs (issues or forces) of life.” (Read all of Proverbs 4.)

“Another thing that can help you is to stop questioning God and start trusting Him for all the issues of life. God is far greater than you and I. His understanding is inscrutable. Here are some more Scriptures that you should consider: Isaiah 40:25-31; Isaiah 45:6-11; Romans 11:33-36.

“You really need to ask the Lord to open your understanding with regard to life and to His ways.”

 

Note: A temptation is not a sin of itself. Jesus was tempted in all measures just as we are. A temptation is an allurement or solicitation to do evil. It is the enemies attempt to gain control over part of our life by way of our thinking and our imagination. The Lord supplies strength and power to overcome the enemies solicitation. Here are our instructions: Isaiah40:28-31; 2Co10:3-5; Col3:1-5; Phil4:6-9.

 

Young soldier: “…I can be in church and serving and praising the Lord and in such a great feeling. But then there are times that in my mind I start looking around and having thoughts on how nice this lady looks. I’m a little ashamed to say but while in church I have thoughts of actually seeing myself going out with other women besides my wife. Then I catch myself and in my mind I ask God to please forgive me for such thoughts and to help me stop thinking of things like that. But it happens again and it scares me because I know this is the house of God and I shouldn’t be thinking of being with other women or on how silly such person looks or how nasty that men is!”

 

Response: “Keep in mind that temptations are common to all men and to all women. The fact that you are able to judge things while they are still in your heart is a major plus. Also that you do pray about these things is another major plus. The Lord is going to help you work this through. Some of this is habitual. Bad habits can be replaced with good habits. (Even spiritually)

“Another thing that can help is to keep your marriage before you. Think about your wife. She is your companion for life. Then think about this — How would you feel if you knew your wife had those same thoughts running through her mind about other men? (Lustful thoughts.) Would it please you if you knew your wife wondered what it would be like to take so-and-so to bed for a sexual encounter? Would you not be very displeased.

“You need to start thanking God for your marriage and for all that He has given you. Did you know that the Bible says the wife is a gift from God. One of the greatest gifts that a man can receive from the Lord is his companion for life.

“Here are some more Scriptures for you to meditate upon: Prov5:15-23; Prov19:14; Eccl9:9; Mal2:13-16; 1Co7:2. (Take time to meditate on all the Scriptures that I am sharing. They will help strengthen your spiritual and mental life.)

 

Young soldier: “It Is not only in church but basically everywhere I go. I try to not make fun of people but then I catch my self doing it again! It really concerns me because I want to do the right thing. I even accepted Jesus Christ as my savior, but I’m so scared that God gets tired of me asking him to forgive me because of what I was thinking or what I said!”

 

Response: “God will never tire of you asking for forgiveness. It is when you stop asking for forgiveness that the Lord will need to bring a different correction in your life. (Punitive judgment.)”

 

Young soldier: “I grew up visiting the church. Then as a teenager I started going in other ways and use to do drugs and dated many, many women and cheated on many of them with other women, but I have changed my ways. My tour in Iraq made me appreciate many things so decided to come back to God and here I am. I pray every day and even at work while working. I’m asking God to forgive me and to take me through his path so that I can learn more of his ways. But all these thoughts keep coming to my mind. And I just fear because I know that Jesus is coming soon and we should all be in the right track!”

 

Response: “You are doing the right thing in keeping this before the Lord.”

 

Note: God gives us His own Spirit to help us maintain a strong walk before Him. There no way that we can walk in victory if we depend on our own power. The Lord knows that. Every child of God has in the deep of their heart what the Bible calls ‘a fountain of life.’ One of our greatest needs is to learn to draw from God’s fountain. Cf. Psa36:7-9; John4:14; John7:37-39; Rev22:17

 

Young soldier: “I hope this wasn’t too much but I’m really concerned. I love Jesus and I know he is the way but it seems so hard to earn your way to heaven and so easy to fall, I’ll still keep fighting but still wonder what God would think!  Thank you and God bless you!!!”

 

Response: “You do not have to earn your way to heaven. You are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. He took all your sins to the cross, past, present, and future sins have already been judged in Him. Does this mean we are free to sin? Not at all. It means that sin can never again Lord over us or be our Master.

“That you love the Lord and continue to wage a fight against the issue of ungodliness is proof in itself that you belong to the Lord. A sinner sins by nature and feels no remorse. (Unless caught.) A child of God sins by temptation but sin in itself is contrary to the nature of a child of God. This is why you struggle. It is not in your Christian nature to maintain a life of sin.

Think about these things. And let me know how you are doing.

May the Lord richly reward you with a full victory in all areas of your life.

In Christ always,

Buddy”

 

Note: I realize there is much more that I could share with this young man. Hopefully he will continue to write me. What I wanted to do was keep my response simple and leave it open for further discussion. Also — To any of my readers. Feel free to write me by using the ‘Questions’ at the top part of my blog.

Here is an update on class schedules for the 46th CCI School for Christian Workers

May the Lord richly bless you in 2011. Why not set aside time to invest in your spiritual future. It is as the apostle Peter said:

“Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart, for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God. For, ‘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.’ And this is the word which was preached to you.” – (1Pe 1:22-25)

Always your friend in Christ,

Buddy

Other

“You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you. This I command you, that you love one another.” (John 15:16-17

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Journal,

Did you know that God works by appointment? Yes, He truly does. But before I get into the appointments of the Lord, please take time to listen to this song, ‘Little is Much’, by the Gaithers.

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Appointed and anointed…

Jesus told the disciples that He had chosen them and appointed them for a special fruit-bearing role in the kingdom of God. In fulfilling their role whatever they asked of the Father in His name, the Father would give it to them.

These men were the appointed ‘Apostles of the Lamb.’ Their appointment was exclusive to them. No one else was in the upper room. And no one else could take their appointment to themselves.

The Apostles of the Lamb would have a unique role in the kingdom of God. These men would have the responsibility the ability, and the authority for laying the foundation of the new covenant church. Each apostle would be given an arena of responsibility and ministry. Whatever they bound on earth would be bound in heaven. Whatever they loosed on earth would be loosed in heaven. (Actually all binding and loosing begins with heaven.)

Here is where we need to understand special ministry anointing. Out of their apostolic appointments these men would have all they needed accomplish their role for the kingdom. This is so important to understand.

Whereas all of God’s children do share equally in the life anointing of Jesus, not all God’s children share the same assignment anointing. The anointing to carry out an assignment comes with the assignment itself. (The anointing includes whatever gifts are needed.) Thus there can be various aspects of the of anointing.

From this alone we can see that the Lord does work by appointments and callings. Yet we must not make a mistake with regard to ministry appointments. The anointing is what equips us for our ‘good works’ assignment. It can vary. But the anointing or the appointment does not place us above any other believer in the realm of being God’s children. We must not forget that aspect.

Listen to the apostle:

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

Then again,

“Now 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 NASB)

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Divine appointments did not cease with the apostles...

Did you catch it? These good works assignments are many. They were prepared for us to walk in before the foundation of the world. Every child of God will have ‘assignments’ or ‘appointments’ to work with. Not just one assignment. Our life will be filled with appointed works.

While we may have one special life-time appointment, we will also have many, many other assignments during our time on earth. All these assignments are for the kingdom.

Here is an example (I’ve shared this story in other journal entries):

We were on our way to a mountain village in Honduras. I knew my business was to preach the gospel. But I always ask the Lord for anything extra He would have me share.

The Lord spoke to my heart; “Tell them that you come as an ambassador from the kingdom of God, and that you have a message for them from the King.”

When I stood to address the people I said exactly what the Lord gave me to say. It was like the Holy Spirit settled down on the congregation. There was a holy hush.

I sensed a special grace for the service and we saw people birthed into the kingdom. What happened, however, is that the Lord gave the anointing or special grace for the appointed moment.

That is a simple illustration of how an appointing from the Lord can work. Each believer will have many appointed moments. The anointing to accomplish God’s will always comes with the appointment and with the moment. (You may prefer the term ‘assignment’.)

But there is another aspect of the Lord’s appointing. My primary appointing for the past 34+ years has been to raise up a ministry for training disciples. This kind of appointment takes on the measure of a ‘stewardship‘. (Oikonomia speaks of the management of a household or of someone else’s property.)

The ownership of Christian Challenge belongs to Jesus Christ. I was to be its caretaker. (Not owner.) And anything ever needed to accomplish the goal of this appointment would be supplied by the Lord. It has always been that way. The future of every ministry is always in the hands of the Lord. Over time much of the stewardship of Christian Challenge has been entrusted to my son, Nathan.

Listen to Paul:

“For if I do this voluntarily, I have a reward; but if against my will, I have a stewardship entrusted to me. What then is my reward? That, when I preach the gospel, I may offer the gospel without charge, so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel.” (1Co 9:17-18 NASB)

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What of the day of small beginnings...

Now you see why I wanted you to hear the song, ‘Little is Much,’ at the beginning of this entry. The Lord wants to speak to your heart. Why not listen to it again.

Friend, don’t be discouraged. It doesn’t matter if your ‘good work’ appointment seems so insignificant. He will bless you for your faithfulness to the task set before you. The Lord gave you your appointment for a reason. It fits perfectly into God’s plan for the ages.

Actually there is a principle at work when it comes to the appointing of the Lord. Jesus explained it:

“He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much.” (Luk 16:10 NASB)

Think about it.

In Christ always,

Buddy

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Drop Buddy a line in the form below.

[contact-form]

Other

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

Journal,

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

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

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

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

The Psalmist said it best of all…

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Learn to Extract the Precious from the Worthless

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

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

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

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

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

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

Then in verse 15, Paul says,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• First – Keep in view that not all supernatural things are from God. Don’t be afraid of offending the Lord by questioning. Remember that everything the Lord has, the enemy has a substitute.
• Second – Understand that anyone can be deceived, if but for a time, even the most devoted of believers, if the believer is ignorant of how Satan works. It is this knowledge that will help keep you on guard.
• Third – Learn to trust your own spiritual judgment. This is what the renewing of the mind is about. As we consecrate ourselves to God’s service, we find our ability to judge becoming keener. (Cf. Rom12:1-3)
• Fourth – Understand that discernment and testing aren’t necessarily the same thing. You discern by the Holy Spirit. You test by the Word of God. Therefore when you may sense a thing is wrong, don’t ignore that sensing. But the more you become acquainted with God’s Word, the more you will be able to determine why what you sense is wrong. [Be willing to test every experience; dreams, visions, etc., by the Word of God.]
• Fifth – Be willing to adjust the way you do things. Even the apostles had to make changes. Peter would not go to Cornelius’ house until the Lord opened his understanding. (Cf. John7:17)

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

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

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

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

In Christ always,

Buddy

Other

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

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Journal,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

So let’s began with...

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Instructions from God

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

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

Did you catch it? Has God said?

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

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

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

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

Notice:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And this brings us to a closer look at…

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Distinctions on the Bible

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

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

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

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

This is why the book of Revelations concludes with,

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

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

Note the following:

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

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

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The Believing

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

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

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

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

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

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In love with Jesus,

Buddy

Other

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

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

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

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

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Readers,

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

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

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

We see this in David’s prophetic writings.

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

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

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

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

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A Closer Look at Wisdom in the Old Testament

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

Follow this reading from Job:

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

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

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

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

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

The wisdom of God was also connected with creation.

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

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

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

Now see where Job speaks of the coming Redeemer:

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

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

Which brings us to the issue of…

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Jesus the ‘hidden wisdom’ of God

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

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

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

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

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

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New covenant believers are Children of Light.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

God’s people are to learn to

Draw on our heavenly wisdom

James describes our heavenly wisdom this way:

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

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

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Take note of these Scriptures:

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

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

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

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

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Don’t live beneath your privileges.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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In Christ always,

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Buddy

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