Published January 29, 2010 | 
“…in the midst of the congregation I will sing Your praise; and again, ‘I will put My trust in Him.’ And again, ‘Behold, I and the children who God has given Me.’” (Heb 2:11-13 nasb)
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Readers,
Do you need a refreshing from heaven? Why not take time to listen to Dallas Holm, as he sings, ‘Here We are.’ Or, you may wish to simply click on the video to listen while you continue reading the rest of my journal entry. Whatever your preference just relax and let the Lord fill your heart with His love.
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Did you notice the bold portion of the above Scriptures? It is where we hear Jesus say, ‘Behold, I and the children who God has given Me.’”
This statement is rich in its prophetic emphasis. It draws on a redemption promise that God gives through the prophet Isaiah. Note the following:
“And I will wait for the LORD who is hiding His face from the house of Jacob; I will even look eagerly for Him. Behold, I and the children whom the LORD has given me are for signs and wonders in Israel from the LORD of hosts, who dwells on Mount Zion.” (Isa 8:17-18)
The signs and wonders reach forward into the covenant of Christ. Also note,
“Therefore thus says the LORD, who redeemed Abraham, concerning the house of Jacob: ‘Jacob shall not now be ashamed, nor shall his face now turn pale; but when he sees his children, the work of My hands, in his midst, they will sanctify My name; indeed, they will sanctify the Holy One of Jacob and will stand in awe of the God of Israel.” (Isa 29:22-23)
When Paul writes about God’s new creation family in Christ, he is drawing on Isaiah, as well as on other prophets. Paul says that we are God’s workmanship in Christ.
Now listen carefully to Jesus:
“All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds [looks to] the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.” (Joh 6:37-40)
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God doesn’t want his children to be afraid. Did you know that one day the Lord Jesus will actually say to the Father, “Behold, I and the children whom God has given Me.”
“…whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.” (John 4:14)
“…everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:26)
“[God's] Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away.” (1Co13:8)x“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)
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Well, it is songs without end. And we will continue to write them.
But the message from heaven never changes. While we love the Lord with a love that cannot be measured, John wants us to understand something very special when he writes, “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” (1Jn4:10)
Think about it.
Don’t you just love Dallas Holm’s song, ‘Here we are.’
You may want to listen to it again.
And remember, there is much love coming your way
In Christ always,
Buddy
Published January 26, 2010 | Good morning readers,
I just found out that my blog has not gone out to a number of readers since December 12, 2009, when I sent, ‘Is Prosperity Knocking at Your Door.’ Don’t know what happened. Somehow in the upgrading of my blog my subscriber list was inadvertently lost. (Thank you Rose. And thank you Jenni for holding on to my list.)
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My apologizes to everyone. I’ve sent several entries since December. (You can look them over at my blog. (Or click on the links below)
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Here is the list:
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Jan 1, 2010 ‘The Way of Eternity’ http://buddymartin.net/blog/2010/01/the-way-of-eternity/
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Jan 11, 2010 ‘Which Bible Translation is the Best’ http://buddymartin.net/blog/2010/01/which-bible-translation-is-the-best/
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Jan 17, 2010 ‘The Jesus Kids’ http://buddymartin.net/blog/2010/01/the-jesus-kids/
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Jan 20, 2010 ‘A Voice Crying in the Wilderness’ http://buddymartin.net/blog/2010/01/a-voice-crying-in-the-wilderness/
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Jan 23, 2010 ‘Exploring the World of the Disciple’ http://buddymartin.net/blog/2010/01/exploring-the-world-of-the-disciple/
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Much love coming your way,
Buddy
Published January 23, 2010 | 44th School for Christian Workers – February 21, 2010
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To my Readers, 
Have you ever wondered what the world of a disciple is really like? If so, then you will want to take a look at our upcoming Christian Challenge International School for Christian Workers. The CCI School for Christian Workers offers training programs that are unique to Biblical discipleship.
The focus of the school is not on academics or scholastics, or even on religion. The total focus of the school is on teaching the believer how to live and function in the world of the Biblical disciple. If this is where your heart is, then this is the school you should consider.
Our 44th school will begin Sunday, February 21, 2010. Classes are held on Sunday and Monday evenings.
Here is a preview of the courses offered:
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Tuition and Class Information
Tuition is $35.00 per course (some courses require additional textbooks). The School runs 13 weeks and concludes with a graduation banquet. It is recommended that students use the New American Standard Bible since most Scripture references are taken from this translation. A completed registration form (with tuition) must be turned in before School begins.
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Another date to remember – Mark your Calender
The 34th CCI Homecoming Jubilee – March 19 – 21, 2010
The weekend of March 19th through the 21st, 2010, will be our Christian Challenge 34th Homecoming Jubilee. Joel Dyke is our special speaker. He and his wife Angel will also lead a ‘Couple’s Retreat’ on Friday evening and Saturday morning.
Jubilee is always a special event for Christian Challenge, with worship, special singing, preaching, drama, and dinner-on-the-grounds. All I can tell you is to be ready to, ‘expect the unexpected.’
More to come.
In Christ always,
Buddy
Published January 17, 2010 | Journal,
There they were, a boy and a girl hitchhiking. It was 1971, and I was on my way to Lafayette, Louisiana. We had just completed our last revival. My former company asked me to come back to work with them. Off I went to scope out everything.
It never bothered me to pick up hitchhikers if my family wasn’t with me. After all I had hitchhiked all across the country from California to Louisiana. The two young people got in the car. I asked, ‘Where are you going?’ ’To the Maranatha House across from USL.’ (University of South Louisiana.)
And thats where our friendship began. These kids were part of the tail end of the Jesus movement of the 60s. The Maranatha House was an unofficial sorority for campus kids. (It was known earlier as the Mustard Seed.)
How I fell in love with these young people. They were so idealistic in their antiestablishmentism. But their love for Jesus was refreshing and even a bit disarming. It wasn’t long before they ask me to share Bible studies with them. What a joy. They would sit around me on the floor in rapt attention. They were all like sponges.
Now I must tell a precious story. At that time I was still involved in a very conservative Pentecostal church group. As things went a number of the Jesus kids asked me if I would baptize them. Checking with the pastor to make sure it was alright to use the church Baptistry, he gave his OK. It was on a Saturday. Several of the church people wanted to see the baptism. They heard of my work with these young people. But there was a problem that I had not prepared everyone for. In fact I hadn’t even thought about it.
I had failed to tell the Jesus kids how to dress. Here they came with their swim suits, some two-pieced for the girls and shorts for the guys. You should have seen the faces. Chins began to drop and eyes were wide open. It was certainly a new experience for everyone. The Jesus kids got to meet the church kids. (By the way the Jesus kids were often mocked at with the term ‘the Jesus freaks.’)
And, yes, the Jesus kids had their own struggles and failures just as we do. But they could make beautiful music. Their love for Jesus radiated. I guess you could compare them to diamonds in the rough. Aren’t we all? Oh how I could tell some hilarious stores about these kids. Maybe some other time.
Well, if you would like to see what the Jesus kids looked like back in the 60s and the 70s, here is a clip you will truly enjoy. Just look at their faces and the sincerity in their worship.
Children of the Day. ‘For Those Tears I Died.’
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Sometimes a song will reach deeper into our heart than anything else. Let’s move forward a number of years and listen to another group who loves Jesus dearly. This song is entitled, ‘He Understands My Tears.’ It is by the Jewish Christian group, the Isaacs.
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Jesus gave the most important object lesson to be had about life’s struggles…
The point is that we all sin. We all miss the mark. We all have issues where we’ve been the cause of our own failings. It is like the apostle wrote,
“There is none righteous, not even one; there is none who understands, there is none who seeks for God; all have turn aside, together they have become useless; there is none who does good, there is not even one.” (Rom3:10-12 nasb)
Did you catch it? There is not a person on this planet who can claim personal righteousness before God. Did you know that Paul called himself the chief of sinners?
So, what is the object lesson that Jesus gave us. It is found in this simple statement, “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” (John 8:7 nasb)
What does this mean? It means to stop pointing your finger at others when you yourself have your own struggles and failings and sin issues.
The Lord was not excusing sin. He was dealing with two very important issues. His first words were to the accusers of the lady caught in adultery. Those who dragged her before Jesus were guilty of a sin that can be very damaging to our own lives. The sin of self-righteousness.
What about the lady? Her sin was not self-righteousness. Jesus also had words for her. See if His words tell you anything:
“Straightening up, Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?’ She said, ‘No one, Lord.’ And Jesus said, ‘I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more.’” (Joh 8:10-11 nasb)
Again did you catch it? The only one who could have condemned her was Jesus, and He would not. He did not come to condemn her, but to save her. Jesus came to help her get her life straightened out.
Our job is not to go about condemning people. We are in the business of helping to save people. It is like the preacher who said, ‘We preach best when we preach out of our own wounds.’
John wrote,
“For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. He who believes in Him is not judged…” (John 3:17,13 nasb)
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Lord, save us from ourselves…
We need someone who can reach into our lives and save us from ourselves, from our foolish mistakes, from our own self-destructions, as well as from all the destructive forces at work in the world. We need grace! We need a mighty Savior. And that is what Jesus came to give us. Jesus saves eternally.
This is what Paul was talking about when he said that the letter kills, while the Spirit gives us life. The Lord give us His Holy Spirit to help us walk the journey of life. There are too many situations in life where only the Spirit of the Lord can help us to maneuver correctly. Our problem is that we tend to beat each other up with the letter, or even beat ourselves up, rather than allow the Lord to bring healing where it belongs.
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So, does God understand our tears?
Yes He does. He actually weeps with us. He knows our heart, our pain, our struggles. But He also knows our future. The Lord decided in eternity past that He would be our Savior. And He decided in eternity that He would give us the victory of the cross, and that no weapon ever formed against us would ever prosper.
He decided to take our place in this sin filled world, and to share with us His place in His eternal kingdom.
This is why I often make the statement, ‘Jesus saved us. Jesus is saving us. Jesus will save us.’
What about the Jesus kids?
Well, we are those kids. People will always be the same. Maybe it is a good sign that the world calls us ‘Jesus freaks.’ We should consider it a great honor.
I will never lose my love for ministering to those the world sees as misfits. Seems I will always have the heart of an evangelist.
Think about it.
Buddy
Published January 11, 2010 | “For wisdom moves more easily than motion itself … Like a fine mist she rises from the power of God, a pure effluence from the glory of the Almighty … She is the brightness that streams from everlasting light, the flawless mirror of the active power of God and the image of his goodness.” (Wisdom of Solomon 4:24-27 NEB)
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Journal,
There is no question that some translations are more right to the original text than are others. My favored translation is the New American Standard Bible. We’ve used it at Christian Challenge as our primary Bible for a great many years. In fact all our courses draw from the NASB.
That being said there is an issue about God’s Word that needs to be understood. When the Scriptures speak of the Word of God, they aren’t referring to a translation. Word of God has a number of meaning. While it can speak of the Scriptures, we know that ‘Word of God’ is a primary designation for Jesus Christ Himself. The term Word of God has another primary meaning that takes note of a message from heaven, that is, the gospel, as well as the very speaking of God into our hearts and lives.
This understanding is crucial to the study of which translation is the best. But before we go to that issue let me share a couple of stories concerning my venture with the book we all love so well, the Bible. I’ll begin with…
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The Saga of the Yellow Stripe.
It happened forty years ago. The story begins July 19, 1971. We were on our way to Los Alamos, New Mexico, to raise up a mission work for our denomination. I was 29 and full of vim and vigor. (Better known as idealism with a strong mixture of ignorance. Look closely at the yellow stripe in the picture and you’ll get the story together.)
I’ve always loved books. On our way to Los Alamos we happened upon a Christian book store. (They were a rarity in those days.) Simply out of curiosity I purchased a New English Bible. I was well acquainted with the knowledge that all other translations were faulty and inferior to the King James Bible. But being the studious person that I am, my curiosity got the best of me. (Tongue-in-cheek humor.)
One day I’m reading this new Bible and my thoughts began to stir. ‘This is so interesting. Why haven’t I seen this before?’ The more I read the more intrigued I became. Then it happened. I looked at the top of the page were I was reading and saw the word ‘Ecclesiasticus’. It hit me! ‘Oh no! There is no Ecclesiasticus in the King James Bible! I’m reading the Apocrypha.’
I shut the Bible, secured me a yellow marker, and ran a broad stripe around the Apocrypha part of my New English Bible. I wanted to make sure that I never made that mistake again. And that’s the story of a young man who had so much to learn about the Word of God.
Please be assured that I would never place the Apocryphal writings on par with the accepted Old Testament Scriptures that both Jews and Christians have treasured from forever. Nor would I urge the reading of just any kind of religious literature. All believers should be cautious in their source of reading. My point is simple. Why limit how God can speak to us.
God is well able to speak into our hearts and lives in many ways. He can even use a donkey. He can use a book. He can use the voice of a child. He may even rebuke us through the voice of a sinner. Nature itself carries a message from God.
David said,
“The heavens are telling of the glory of God; and their expanse is declaring the work of His hands. Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night reveals knowledge.”(Psalm 19:1,2 nasb)
Now for the second story. Let’s call it…
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Expect the Unexpected.
This time it happen August 6, 2007. I had been in cancer treatment for a while. The findings were not good. Lymphoma had spread throughout my chest area and into my bone marrow. Our local hospital was sending me to M. D. Anderson in Houston. Everything pointed to a marrow transplant. (Pretty invasive procedure.)
Well, everything was alright between me and the Lord. That particular morning I’m having my devotion on a hill behind our church. And as I am reading from the Scriptures, the Lord speaks to my heart and says, ‘Expect the unexpected.’ I looked up and there was a dove on the high line over my head.
Guess where I was reading my devotion from that morning. I was reading from the New Living Translation. Here is the part where the Lord spoke to me:
“Oh, that You would burst from the heavens and come down! How the mountains would quake in Your presence! As fire causes wood to burn and water to boil, Your coming would make the nations tremble. Then Your enemies would learn the reason for Your fame! When You came down long ago, YOU DID AWESOME DEEDS BEYOND OUR HIGHEST EXPECTATIONS. And oh, how the mountains quaked!”(Isa 64:1-3 NLT)
I shared with the church what the Lord had spoken to me. However, I really didn’t know what the ‘unexpected’ would mean. I thought perhaps I would receive the less of the two invasive stem cell transplant procedures. That was not to be.
At M. D. Anderson I was put through a battery of tests. Betty and Nathan were with me. When me met with my primary physician, what he shared set our hearts on fire. He reviewed test after test and with each one, ‘No cancer.’ At some point between Pineville, Louisiana, and Houston, Texas, the Lord had granted me a miracle healing. This August will be three years ago that the Lord told me to expect the unexpected.
Now the question, - Which translation really is the best.
Here is a short study:
The Best Bible Translation
A lesson in life that most believers eventually acquire is the lesson about truth. Truth itself cannot be limited merely to a doctrinal position, or to a denomination, or to which Bible translation should we use. Truth is about life. It is in this sense that truth is a person. Thus we hear Jesus say, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” (John 8:31,32)
This brings us to Bible translations. The following information will avoid the technical jargon about Bible translations. Only a brief review will be made on the various types of translations. The primary emphasis of the study will be on the issue of Truth itself.
First let’s talk about Bible translations in general. Are there some Bible translations that are more accurate to the original Scriptures than other translations? Absolutely. This is where it helps to understand the various forms of translation.
There are essentially three categories of Bible translations: literal translations, paraphrases, and what is called dynamic equivalency. let’s take a brief look at what these terms refer to.
A paraphrase is a translation that seeks to give the original Hebrew or Greek into the common language of the reader. Good News for Modern Man is an example of a paraphrase. Many paraphrases begin as the work of one man. While they are made for easy reading, paraphrases are not intended for the serious student of the Scriptures. They are more designed for the person who has little to no knowledge of the Bible.
The most popular paraphrase in use today is called the ‘New Living Translation’ (NLT). It is much more right to the Scriptures than most translations of this sort. The original work upon which this translation is based, that is, the Living Bible, was the work of one man, Kenneth Taylor. But as paraphrases go, it could not be depended upon for accuracy.
Here is a good example where a paraphrase can be misleading. In the Living Bible, Acts 13:48 reads, “When the Gentiles heard this, they were very glad and rejoiced in Paul’s message; and as many as wanted eternal life, believed.” Most folk would not catch the problem area here. The problem with this is that it sets aside the sovereignty of God.
The NASB is a more correct rendering. It reads, “And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord; and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.” There is a vast difference between ‘wanting’ eternal life, and being ‘appointed’ to eternal life.
Because of this sort of misinterpretation, the Living Bible was called into question. It underwent a through revision into what is now called ‘The New Living Translation’ (NLT). The New Living Translation (NLT) is a vast improvement over the Living Bible. The verse in the NLT now reads, “When the Gentiles heard this, they were very glad and thanked the Lord for His message; and all who were appointed to eternal life became believers.”
A dynamic equivalency translation is also called a ‘thought-for-thought’ translation. The dynamic equivalency translations have become the most popular translations today. The premier case in view is the New International Version. (NIV)
This form of translation seeks to translate ‘ideas’ rather than ‘words.’ But there is a problem that cannot be avoided. In attempting to translate ‘meanings’ into the language of today’s reader, what happens is that many ‘exact’ meanings cannot be translated beyond the intent of the original Bible language. It is often impossible to translate exact meanings without translating ‘exact’ words.
What often happens with dynamic equivalency translations is that the Scriptures can become simplified beyond what is meant in the original text. Thus the Scriptures can be diluted from their intended meaning. Once again we are dealing with an issue of accuracy to the original text.
Now we come to the ‘literal’ translations. In a literal translation there is a genuine attempt being made to be as accurate to the original wording of the Scriptures as possible. For this reason literal translations will generally have less translational bias. This is why a literal translation should always be part of the serious Bible student’s library.
Is there a disadvantage to a literal translation. This is a yes and no answer. A literal translation will not always flow as easily as a paraphrase or a dynamic equivalency. Some folk like to use the term ‘wooden.’ But is this really a disadvantage? Not necessarily. The plus side is that in doing personal research on the Biblical terms, the reader often discovers treasures that are not obvious in a less literal translation.
This is why Paul instructed Timothy to ‘take pains’ in that which concerns the Scriptures so that his progress would be made obvious to all. (Cf. 1Tim4:13-16) So where the easier translations or paraphrases seem to take a lot of work out of the study of the Scriptures, this may sometimes be a disservice to the serious student of the Scriptures. (Think about it.)
Some of the ‘literal’ translations include the KJV, NJKV, NASB, and the NRSB. (My personal preference is the New American Standard Bible.)
And so, which Bible should the believer use? The quaint saying is that the Bible you should use is the one you will read. But on a personal side I would recommend that the believer have both a literal translation and one or more of the easier reading translations. You will find that they work well together.
Now let’s come to the lesson behind the lesson. Have you ever noticed that when the new Testament writers quote from the Old Testament, the quote they use does not always seem to be the same as the reading in the Old Testament? This is because the most popular Bible used by the early Church was the ancient Hebrew text translated into Greek, or the Septuagint. (Usually referenced as LXX.)
Why does it differ? It differs because the Old Testament that we now use is based on the Hebrew text, whereas the favored Bible of the earliest Christians was mainly the LXX, which was a Greek translation. There was a reason for this. The LXX made the clearest of references to God’s Christ. Because of this the LXX was eventually discarded by the Jews. (It remains the Bible of the Orthodox Greek Church today.)
There is much more to be said about translations but lets simply talk about the issue of truth itself. It should go without saying that truth is not an issue of which translation a person prefers. Truth is the reality of Jesus Christ in a person’s life. And this is where many folk tend to stumble over which translation is best.
The apostle Paul gives us insight into this issue. As a former Pharisee, Paul was from the strictest sect in Judaism. It was this sect that prided themselves on letter accuracy of the Scriptures. They became the guardians of the sacred text. The problem was that the Pharisees had a tendency to ‘deify’ the Scriptures themselves.
Jesus addresses this in saying, “You do not have His word abiding in you, for you do not believe Him whom He sent. You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; but it is these that testify about Me; and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life.” (Cf. John 5:38-40)
The apostle Paul also addresses this when he writes, “Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God, who made us adequate as servants of the new covenant, NOT OF THE LETTER but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” (Cf. 2Co3:5,6)
Paul came from a religion of the letter. That is to say, at one time he thought that the Scriptures by themselves, that is, with no regard to the One of whom the Scriptures wrap themselves around, contained the very essence of life. But the One of whom the Scriptures wrapped themselves around is Jesus Christ. (I’ve seen this same problem with KJV only believers.)
The point at hand is that if we are reading the Scriptures and cannot see Jesus, then all we have is dead letter. This is exactly what Paul is addressing when he says, “Beholding in a mirror the glory of the Lord, [we] are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.” The mirror that Paul is speaking of is the Scriptures themselves.
The Bible is designed to show forth the glory of Jesus Christ. Without Him the book is simply dead letter and should be placed on the library shelf among other great history books.
Now listen to the apostolic writer as he sets this forth in the book of Hebrews. Quoting from Psalm 40, he begins, “When He [Jesus] comes into the world, He says, ‘Sacrifice and offering You [Father] have not desired, but a body [in the womb of Mary] You have prepared for Me; in whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You have taken no pleasure, “Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come, (In the scroll of the book it is written of Me) to do Your will, O God.”‘” (Heb10:5-7)
Here is where words are so important. Where Jesus said, “In the scroll of the book it is written of Me,” both the Hebrew and the Greek term for scroll speaks of the knob or the head that was at the top of the spindle around which the entire scroll was wrapped. This is why the term is sometimes translated as ‘volume.’ This means that the volume of all the Scriptures wrap themselves around Jesus Christ.
Again the point in view is that Jesus alone is the One who gives life to the book. And this is what happened when He came into our world and performed the work of the cross. Out of the cross comes life. This life that Jesus gives is spoken of throughout the book.
Here is another example of the book coming alive with Jesus. Listen carefully to this prophecy in Isaiah: “The entire vision will be like the words of a sealed book, which when they give it to the one who is literate, saying, ‘Please read this,’ he will say, ‘I cannot, for it is sealed.’” (Isaiah 29:11)
Then it says, “This people draw near with their words and honor Me with lip service, but they remove their hearts far from Me, and their reverence for Me consists of traditions learned by rote.” (Verse 13)
Finally, “On that day [The Lord's revealing] the [spiritually] deaf will hear words of a book, and out of their gloom and darkness the eyes of the [spiritually] blind will see. The afflicted also will increase their gladness in the Lord, and the needy of mankind will rejoice in the Holy One [Jesus] of Israel.” (Verses 18,19)
Where do we find a place to stop? Perhaps the best place is simply for me to end where I began, which is…….
A lesson in life that most believers eventually acquire is the lesson about truth. Truth itself cannot be limited merely to a doctrinal position, or to a denomination, or to which Bible translation should we use. Truth is about life. It is in this sense that truth is a person. Thus we hear Jesus say, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” (John 8:31,32)
I hope this study will help you.
Much love is found in Jesus.
Your servant and brother in Christ,
Buddy
Posted in Bible Insights | 
Bible translations, Buddy Martin, Christian Challenge, gospel, Son of God, Word of GodPublished January 6, 2010 | 
I read an article in the LA Times entitled, ‘Searching for the Divine.’ Scientists were doing research into why in an age of reason, people still insist on believing in God. After considerable research they finally reached a conclusion: “You can’t simply think God out of existence.”
Isn’t that interesting. A simple reading from the Scriptures would have given them that answer. According to the Bible, man is spiritually wired to believe in the reality of God. This is why people have all sorts of spiritual experiences. And this is why the Bible says, ‘The fool has said in his heart ‘There is no God.’”
Solomon wrote,
“[God] has made everything appropriate in its time. He has also set eternity in their heart, yet so that man will not find out the work which God has done from the beginning even to the end.” - Ecc 3:10-11 NASB
Paul had this to say on Mar’s Hill,
“… and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we also are His children.” - Act 17:26-28 NASB
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Let’s take a closer look at the issue of eternity as a matter of the heart.
Don Richardson wrote a book called ‘Eternity in Their Hearts.’ In this book he shows how the cultures of the world have been prepared beforehand for the gospel of Jesus Christ. Even the various religions of the world have in them a stage set for God’s message of His Son. The key in true missionary work is to find this ‘setting.’ (I recommend Don’s book to anyone considering mission work.)
Actually the Biblical word for religion literally means ‘dread (fear) of the gods.’ The world is filled with religions of all stripes. India is a prime example with her millions of gods. But this in itself speaks to the ache of the human heart.
Of course Satan knows how far the human race has fallen from its original glory. He sets about to create replacement religions. He takes a little from here and a little from there to create an additional new religion. This is what new age is about. Islam is also a classic example. The religion of Islam combines elements of Talmudic Judaism with forms of Christianity, along with pagan elements, and from this comes a religion that has captured a quarter of the world’s population.
But in each of these religions, whether new or old, there is a setting aside of Jesus Christ as the only way to the Father. What many may not realize is that while Islam accepts Jesus as one of the five major prophets of Islam, one of its basic tenants is that God has no Son.
What’s the problem with that? Take note:
“Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son. Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father; the one who confesses the Son has the Father also.” - 1Jn 2:22-23
The Message sent from Heaven.
It doesn’t matter how many books the world’s religions offer, there is only one message that can bring healing and peace to the aching heart. This is the message that God has a Son, and that His only begotten Son took the place of humankind, and that His Son took away our sins by the sacrifice of Himself on the cross.
Out of the cross would come the message of heaven. This is why Jesus could speak to the aching heart of a fallen woman, and say,
“If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.” - John 4:10
Here is the message of eternity in its simple form, and it will never change:
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. “For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.” - John 3:16-17
So now we have a message to bring to the whole world.
It isn’t hard to share the message. All you need to do is make yourself available to God. Here is a short story. I’ll title it…
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Sabes tu que Christo te ama?
I’ve been in and out of Latin America on mission trips a number of times. This time we were among the Mayan Indians in the mountains of Belize. Walking down a mountain trail with some of our group, I noticed that an old Indian gentleman had stopped at the side of the trail to let us pass. He was carrying a bundle of wood. That’s when it happened.
I stopped and said to the old Indian, “Sabes tu que Christo te ama?” The elderly gentleman put his hands on his face and began to weep. I could hardly believe my eyes. Indians are generally very stoic [not showing emotion]. Instantly I did my best to consol him. I assured him of God’s love. His eyes were still wet with tears as we parted.
What I said to him in Spanish is, ‘Do you know that Jesus Christ loves you?’
It was my turn. My heart was broken. How could one simple statement have such an effect on anyone. But now I understood why the Holy Spirit impressed me to use that phrase. The love of Jesus is the message of the cross.
The old Indian did not need to hear a message of condemnation. These Indians were steeped in idolatry. Fear controlled their lives. They had mountain gods, and witches, and dark spirits at work in their lives. The old Indian lived in a state of confusion and fear and condemnation. He needed to know that Jesus Christ truly loved Him.
You see, once you share the story of God’s love, the Lord will take care of the rest. He may have much more for you to say, but you have said enough for the door of salvation to open wide.
By the way, Nathan speaks Spanish fluently. I mangle Spanish fluently.
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And so…
The message of eternity is clear. Jesus is the way of eternity. Jesus died for all of humankind. Take this message to heart. According to the apostle Paul, the Lord Jesus is very near to every man and woman on the planet. Our job is to let the Lord use us to bring the message of God’s love to this planet.
Don’t worry. He will give you what you need to speak at the proper time. Take time to listen to this song…
Much love coming your way,
Buddy
Published December 31, 2009 | Journal,
Here we go again – Another new year. Seems like we just went through this. My, what ever happened to time. Am I imagining things? Has time moved over onto a fast track. Also seems like things are pretty much going cattywampus (awry, askew, out-of-sorts).
Every time I think about how fast time seems to be moving, a certain Scripture pops in my mind.
Maybe all this about time being shortened is a good thing, at least for the people of God. Anyway, let’s have a bit of fun to end out 2009. How about a song by Ray Stevens, entitled, ‘We the People.’ == Jest funning ==
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OK, that was all in fun. Now let’s move on past the funny part and talk about the forthcoming year.
Is it time for prosperity to come knocking at your door?
Think about it. Is there a way for the good blessings of the Lord to come to your house? I believe there is. Let me begin by sharing a personal story.
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It is called ‘Miracle Land’
In 1974 we were the typical American family living on ‘Barely Squeezing By’ street. This is when something happened that forever changed the way we lived. The Lord opened my ears to begin hearing some solid Bible teachings on God’s platform for the prosperity of His people. I listened intently. The more I listened, the more I studied to see if these teachings measured up to God’s Word.
Measure up they did. One of the first things I came to realize is that making debts always serves as a incumbrance to a walk of Biblical blessings. It would not matter how much money a person made, living with debts would be like trying to fill a bucket with water when the bucked had holes in the bottom.
What many of God’s people do not realize is that Biblical prosperity is not about how much money you have. Every thing centers on the blessing of the Lord. A person can have hundreds of thousands of dollars coming in and not be living in Biblical prosperity. And a person can have a very limited amount of money coming in, and it tallies up to Biblical prosperity.
Yes, this does sound very strange, but it is true nevertheless. The prophet said that God’s ways are not our ways. The sage said, “It is the blessing of the LORD that makes rich, and He will add no sorrow to it.” (Pro10:22)
I discovered that the debtor is always servant to the lender, which means that part of the debtor’s life is owned by someone else. This is why God said to His Old Testament people, “You shall lend but you shall not borrow.” The one who owes debts is not a free man. He is in the debtor’s prison
After searching this thoroughly, I came to the conviction that my financial straits were of my own doing. Thus I asked the Lord’s forgiveness for the debts that I had made. I also asked Him to show me how to clear up this area of my life.
The Lord began showing me how to live with a view to righteousness, which most certainly included how we were to give in accordance with kingdom business. I studied this through throughly. My wife and I came to a decision. We began to sow with a view to righteousness. (According to what the Lord put into our hearts.)
This issue of sowing with a view to righteousness is not some deep secret. Jesus included it in His sermon on the mountain, when He said,
“Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Mat 6:31-33)
Here is what happened. Because our hearts had turned to God’s way of living, and because of our repentance, and because we began sowing with a view to righteousness, and because we desired to live under the rule of Christ, the Lord spoke into my heart. This is what He said, “Because you have believed Me, in six months you will be completely out of debt.” (God speaks through impressions of the heart.)
Did it happen? Absolutely! It was like the Lord had opened the door to miracle land. So many things happened that I can’t take the space to share then. We were beginning to draw on God’s good treasure from heaven. Did not the apostle say that we had been blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ?
Yes, in six months we were completely out of debt, we were back into the full time ministry, and we were living on a level of life that I never dreamed was possible. We had passed through the gate of miracle land. (I also like to call this the land of sanctified faith.)
From that time to this time we have made living with a view to righteousness our primary view of life. We learned the great lesson of ‘sowing with a view to righteousness.’
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Does any of this have meaning for you?
Who can say. This is not something that I could teach another person. There is no formula to apply. Perhaps some of what I shared will serve to stir your heart. What I do know is that learning to live with a view to righteous living is deeply personal. It is a thing that can only be taught us by the Lord Himself. Much will depend on how serious you really are about walking in the ways of the Lord.
Always remember what I said about Biblical prosperity. It is not about money. It is about the blessing of the Lord. God spoke to Israel through the prophet Isaiah, Listen with your heart:
“‘Come now, and let us reason together,’ Says the LORD, ‘Though your sins are as scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they will be like wool. If you consent and obey, you will eat the best of the land.“ (Isa 1:18-19)
Did you see it? Repentance and obedience belong together. With that in mind…
Is prosperity knocking at your door?
Take to yourself one more portion:
“How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers! But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night. He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season And its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers.” (Psa 1:1-3)
In Christ,
Buddy
Posted in Bible Insights, Musings | 2010, blessings, Buddy Martin, Christian Challenge, Jesus Christ, new year, prosperity, Word of GodPublished December 26, 2009 | Journal,
Ever had a burn out hearing about ‘paying’ tithes? Actually no one in the new covenant is supposed to ‘pay’ tithes. Though the word tithe is a Bible term, it cannot be applied to the new covenant in the same sense as it is found in the covenant of Moses. I think this area of ‘paying tithes’ is likely one of the most misunderstood issues today.
Here’s snippets of the Scriptures most often used for the ‘paying’ the tithe:
“Will a man rob God … You are cursed with a curse … ‘Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this,’ says the Lord of hosts, ‘If I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows.’” Mal3:8-10)
Now that I have your attention, let’s look at another term that speaks more in line with how believers can honor the Lord in the new covenant. The term ‘first fruits’ speaks to honoring the Lord, but it must be understood correctly.
The struggle folk often have is wondering where a tithe fits in the new covenant. Actually it doesn’t fit, not in the sense of what it relates to under the law of Moses. No one has to tithe to be saved. Next we hear, ‘But wouldn’t NOT tithing put us under a curse?’ The simple answer is, no. The Law of Moses is not the instrument of righteousness for God’s people of the new covenant. Jesus alone is our righteousness.
Yet, the apostle says that the Law of Moses is good if we learn to use it lawfully. Using it lawfully speaks of learning to view the Law through the lens of the new covenant. This simply means that the Law does contain certain principles of guidance that we can appropriate into our walk with the Lord. These principles of guidance pertain to life itself. They are not simply a matter of which covenant they belong to.
A place to begin is where Paul says that the curse placed upon a non-performance of the Law of Moses is removed in Christ. The Law of Moses was a separate covenant given only to the nation of Israel. Even at that, the Law was nailed to the cross. This means that the Law as a covenant is no longer in effect.
If the curse has been removed, what then remains? What remains is the blessings of the Lord, that is, the blessings that belong to a walk of righteousness. But even the blessings have to be understood properly.
This is where the term ‘first fruits’ takes on a special meaning for new covenant believers. Listen to the Sage:
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean to your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes … Honor the Lord from your wealth and from the first of all your produce; so your barns will be filled with plenty and your vats will overflow with new wine.” (Pro3:5-10)
Did you catch it The issue of first fruits is an issue of honoring the Lord from one’s heart. This is what the first fruits is teaching. The apostolic writer said that in the new covenant, God places His laws into our minds and writes them on our hearts. What laws is he speaking of. Certainly not the Law of Moses. (Heb8:10)
The laws the Holy Spirit writes in our hearts are the laws of learning how to live. They are laws of life. Listen to these New Testament Scriptures: (Pay close attention to the words in ‘CAPS’. They are for emphasis only.)
“Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure–pressed down, shaken together and running over. FOR BY YOUR STANDARD OF MEASURE IT WILL BE MEASURED TO YOU IN RETURN.” (Luke 6:38. Notice how the Lord says our returned ‘blessings’ are measured by our own measure of giving.)
Another:
“The one who is taught the word is to share all good things with the one who teaches him. Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap.” (Gal6:6,7. God expects His servants to be provided for. To be a receiver of good teaching with no regard to blessing the teacher is something God does not overlook.)
And again:
“This I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. EACH ONE MUST DO JUST AS HE HAS PURPOSED IN HIS HEART, NOT GRUDGINGLY OR UNDER COMPULSION, FOR GOD LOVES A CHEERFUL GIVER. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed.” (2Co9:6-8. In this case the giving is in regard to helping others who belong to the Lord.)
What we need to key in on is that giving must always be in accordance with our heart. Our giving is never to be grudgingly, or under compulsion.
See where the struggle comes in? The laws of life don’t swing back and forth according to the covenants. Spiritual laws are always in place. One of the greatest of God’s laws is the law of sowing and reaping. The difference in the new covenant is that the Holy Spirit teaches us how to give, what to give, where to give, and when to give. It will always be a thing of the heart. If it is not in your heart to give, then don’t give.
However, you also need to be forewarned. Don’t expect the blessings of the giver if you have not learned to be a giver yourself. So ask yourself these questions; ‘Am I having all sufficiency in everything?‘ Or, ‘Do I have an abundance for every good deed?’ ‘Or am I living on barely get along avenue?” Keep in mind what Paul said about not being deceived.
A young couple in our church shared this testimony. They were into tithing on a regular basis. But things were slipping. They would wait until everything else was paid, then they would write a check to Christian Challenge. Even at that, some times they would hold on to their tithe checks for a while just to make sure things balanced out right.
Their ears perked up over something that Nathan or I had said by way of a passing remark. They went home and talked about whether they were honoring the Lord, as they should. This is where they made a decision. From that moment on the very first check they would write would be their first fruits. It would be on the gross and not on what ever was left after taxes. (I’m simply relating a testimony. Not telling you to do anything.)
Guess what? They got so excited. The very next week the blessings began to roll in. They started naming the things that began to happen to their finances. It was as if the windows of heaven had opened.
Here is the lesson. What the Bible teaches is that we should always sow with a view to righteousness. Jesus told us not to judge by appearance, but to judge with righteous judgment. This means that we must let the Lord lead us in what is right in His sight. We do this by learning to listen to Him.
So what do we have left? Perhaps this – It is crucial to understand that righteousness is not simply a confession we make because our salvation in Jesus Christ is completed. Yes, our salvation is complete in Christ. However, righteousness is also a path that we learn to walk in. It is a way of living. Do you want to be a wise man or woman? Learn to walk in the ways of the Lord.
With this in mind, never think that simply giving from first fruits is going to be a cure all for everything in life. It does not work that way. There may be other issues that need to be considered. The apostle said that we must examine ourselves to make sure we are in the faith.
Why not begin by counting your blessings. And in doing this, ask the Lord if He has any special directions for your life. He has promises to lead you in the paths of righteousness. After all, He is your Father.
So I will simply leave you with what the apostle told his young disciple:
“Consider what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.” (2Ti 2:7)
Here is your song for today:
Your servant in Christ,
Buddy
Published December 24, 2009 | 
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Greetings from Heaven
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God’s love for His people is eternal. He made that very clear when He sent His Son to bring redemption to planet earth. Paul said that there was nothing that could ever separate us from the love of God that is found in Christ Jesus.
God’s love for the fallen family of Adam cannot be measured. Listen to the apostle:
“But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.” (Eph 2:4-7 NASB)
The love of God is the Story of Jesus
As Jesus is facing the cross, we hear this statement concerning those who belong to Him:
“Now before the Feast of the Passover, Jesus knowing that His hour had come that He would depart out of this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.” (Joh 13:1 NASB)
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And God’s Word was made Flesh
The apostle John said that the Word of God came to tabernacle among us. Jesus is the very embodiment of God’s message from heaven.
The moment you open the Bible you begin to sense that there is an underlying message. The message starts with these words: “In the beginning God…”
Then we read, “And God said, ‘Let there be Light’; and there was Light.”
Here is where we begin our journey of discovery. God spoke and His Word went forth. When God said, ‘Let there be Light’, according to the ancient Hebrew belief, this was the Light of Life, also known as the Wisdom of God. It was the Light that Adam was to walk in.
When Adam turned from God’s Word, the Light of Life was taken away. But the sages said that the Light would return with Messiah. Any Jewish person would have understood what Jesus meant when He said,
“I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in darkness, but will have the Light of Life.” (John 8:12 NASB)
And so the discovery continues. What we begin to realize in the discovery is that the Light of Life had to do with God’s love.
The Light of God and the Love of God cannot be separated. The apostle nailed this down when he said, “God is Love.” Then he also said, “God is Light.”
John went further in saying,
“By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” (1Jn 4:9-10 NASB)
Remember…
There is much love to be had in Jesus
May the Lord richly bless you in your discovery of Him.
Buddy
Published December 17, 2009 | “Indeed, He will speak to THIS people through stammering lips and a foreign tongue, He who said to THEM, ‘Here is rest, give rest to the weary,’ and, ‘Here is repost,’ but THEY would not listen.” (Isa 28:11,12 NASB)
Journal,
The subject of speaking in a foreign tongue is one of the most controversial and often one of the most contentious subjects to be found today. Hopefully I can share some things that will help give understanding to the Biblical subject of speaking in other languages.
First let’s consider the above Scripture where the prophet Isaiah calls attention to speaking in a foreign tongue. Here are the terms we need to note:
- ‘He will speak to THIS people.’ The Isaiah prophecy is specific to a single people group, the Jews.
- “He who said to them, ‘Here is rest, give rest to the weary.’” Jesus is the one who called attention to God’s rest to be found in Him.
- ‘But they would not listen.’ Reflects on the leaders in particular rejecting Jesus Christ as Lord and Messiah of Israel.
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Which brings us to Pentecost, 33 a.d.
Jews once again gathered in Jerusalem to celebrate the Jewish pilgrim festivals. They came from many cultures and nations. They spoke many different languages.
However, this Pentecost would be different. It would be the ushering in of God’s new eternal covenant in Christ.
Suddenly a sound like a rushing wind filled the temple complex. A band of 120 men and women began speaking of the glory of God in the varied languages of the multitudes.
A question stirs through the crowd of worshippers,
“How is it that we each hear them in our own language to which we were born?’
Thus we see the miracle of speaking in foreign languages with the prophecy of Isaiah coming to pass. The speaking in tongues on that day of Pentecost had a defined purpose. The Rest Giver had come.
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The Promised Rest Giver.
From long ages past there had been a deep hunger in the hearts of God’s people to find the promised rest from their painful labors. This longing is described in the ancient Greek translation of the Old Testament as, ‘the desire of the nations.’
When Noah was born, they wondered if he was the Rest Giver.
“Lamech lived one hundred and eighty-two years, and became the father of a son. Now he called his name Noah, saying, ‘This one will give us rest from our work and from the toil of our hands arising from the ground which the LORD has cursed.” Gen 5:28-29 nasb
But Noah was not the Rest Giver. Only God could do that. We catch just a glimpse of this when Moses was speaking with the Lord God.
‘Now therefore, I pray You, if I have found favor in Your sight, let me know Your ways that I may know You, so that I may find favor in Your sight. Consider too, that this nation is Your people.’ And He said, ‘My presence shall go with you, and I will give you rest.’“
Why is this language of, ‘I will give you rest,’ so hauntingly familiar? It is because we are hearing the voice of the Rest Giver. Now hear it from Jesus:
“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Mat 11:28-30
And so the purpose for speaking in other languages on the day of Pentecost was to call attention that Jesus Christ was the promised ‘Rest Giver.’
This day of Pentecost was a fulfillment to what had been written by the prophet Isaiah. The Messiah had come, died on the cross, was buried, resurrected, and ascended into heaven. When Peter stood up to preach, he drew attention to the ancient prophets in declaring that Jesus was the Christ of God.
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Additional Background on Speaking in Tongues
It should be understood, however, that through the centuries the Church has placed little attention on speaking in tongues. The early church accepted tongues as one gift among many. But this still leaves us with unanswered issues concerning speaking in other languages. Here is where we can take time to understand some Greek terms that relate to speaking in foreign languages.
- The term ‘glossolalia‘ was introduced into English in 1879. It comes from glossais lelein, a term used in the New Testament, meaning “To speak in [with or by] tongues.” From this comes the expression, ‘the gift of tongues.’ The precise term ‘gift of tongues’ does not occur in the Scriptures.
- One early Christian writer used the Greek term ‘glossomania‘ to describe the insane speech of Greek philosophers. The philosophers would jabber and babble in a way that made no sense whatsoever.
- The Greek ‘akolalia‘ had to do with the perceived hearing of another language even when one was not spoken.
- ‘Echolalia‘ speaks of an agitated repetition of the words of another.
- ‘Idiolect‘ refers to a glossolalic dialect peculiar to an individual. Televangelists made this term popular by calling it a ‘prayer language.’
- Then we have ‘exnoglossia.’ This word was coined in 1905, to describe a spiritualist medium, who, in a trance, wrote in modern Greek, without having knowledge of that language.
Now we see that there is a problem that has to be addressed. The problem is that ‘speaking in tongues is not peculiar to certain Christian groups. Speaking in tongues is a known phenomenon from around the world. You find it in Mormon history. You find it with Hindus and Muslims. It is found it in African occultic religions.
Here is a quote from the Dictionary of Pentecostal and Charismatic Movements, page 336;
“Spiritualistic glossolalia and related phenomena among spiritual mediums were among the first studied by psychologists near the beginning of the twentieth century. … Pathological glossolalia is known to medicine and psychiatry, the result of such causes as organic neurological damage, effects of drugs, or psychotic disorders. Schizophrenic disorders have furnished examples of glossolalia. Most relevant to Christian glossolalia are clearly reported cases of pagan glossolalia, both ancient and modern…. [Glossolalia] was used sparingly among American Indians but was widespread in African tribal religions.”
Paul likely ran into some of this pagan speaking in tongues. When he wrote the Corinthian Church, some of the background for the problems of this Church actually was pagan glossolalia. Less than 50 miles from Corinth, was Delphi. An inquirer would be brought into the presence of a young woman, a priestess of Apollo, who was said to possess a “pythonic spirit.” The priestess would speak in tongues and a male prophet would interpret. Paul may have had this in mind when he said,
“You know that when you were pagans, you were led astray to the mute idols, however you were led.” (1Co12:2)
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Let’s consider the Biblical position.
There is no question that speaking in tongues on the day of Pentecost was a supernatural act of God. There have also been documented cases in Church history where missionaries have found themselves able to speak in the language of a primitive tribe, having had no knowledge of their language.
It is also possible that the Lord intended to bring this gift forward at different points in history to meet a purpose at the time. Paul seems to indicate such may be the case. He said,
“Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away.” (1Co13:8)
The Greek word for cease is pauo. This is where we get our English word pause. Pauo means to make cease, or to no longer be stirred, or to idle or unemployed. In context, Paul is using terms that point to a maturing factor.
Some say Paul is speaking of heaven. This may be the case, but it is odd that Paul’s entire teaching takes its center on ‘maturity.’ He may have been telling the Corinthian believers not to overly concern themselves with the Delphic oracles. He also tried to place speaking in tongues as a less important gift in comparison to other gifts. He says,
“When I was a child, I use to speak as a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things.” (1Co13:11)
My encouragement for any child of God is not to take speaking in tongues beyond Scriptural precedents. When the apostles preached the gospel, they saw no need to put an emphasis upon speaking in tongues.
The Acts of the Apostles is conclusive in this regard. The three recorded times that people spoke in other languages, were all sovereign acts of God. They were in a group setting. And each time it was unexpected. And Acts covers over 35 years of early Church history.
In all this each believer needs to reach their own conclusions.
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Finally a call for caution
A major study by K. G. Meador and other researchers reported in a monthly journal of the American Psychiatric Association, that the rate of major depression in Pentecostals was three times greater than in any other religious affiliation.
(Pentecostal is a general term for any group that places a great stress on esoteric experiences and in particular on speaking in tongues. The study covered several thousand cases.)
I have seen that when an undue emphasis is placed on speaking in tongues it can cause mental and spiritual disturbances in a person that is not healthy. Paul tried to warn the Corinthians about putting too much stress on the supernatural.
“But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by is craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.
“For if one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted, you bear this beautifully.” (2Co11:3,4)
What are we left with? Perhaps the way to deal with the gift of speaking in other languages is to make sure that we are following clear Biblical instructions. Paul said,
“All do not speak in tongues, do they?”
He then went on,
“But earnestly desire the greater gifts. And I show you still a more excellent way.” (1Co12:30,31)
What did he mean, ‘a still more excellent way?’ Paul went on to outline the walk of love. He said that when everything else fails, love will stand the test of time. He said,
“If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.”
Just some things to think about
Always in Christ,
Buddy
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