Published December 20, 2011 | 
“My son, give attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your sight; keep them in the midst of your heart. For they are life to those who find them and health to all their body. Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life.” (Pro 4:20-23)
Journal,
The Hebrew word for ‘springs’ is the word ‘tosaah.’ Tosaah is a geographical term that speaks both a boundary and of a source. It’s reflective meaning is, ‘goings forth’.
The point is that what we have in our hearts does have to do with the boundaries and the outgoing of our own life.
It can be said that we give shape to our life by what is in our heart.
Thus we have the admonishment to…
Watch With all Diligence
Can many of our trials in life be a result of our own heart attitude? Can there even be a sickness or other ailment in our life as a result of harboring unforgiveness, resentments, bitterness, or ill will towards others?
Yes, the Bible does teach that our total well-being can very well show our inward state of being. Both our blessings and our disappointments in life can be a direct result of what is 
happening in our heart.
Just as a tree grows from the inside out even so with us. If the tree is not healthy on the inside it will reflect on the whole of the tree.
This is why the sage said,
“Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life.”
David draws attention to how life reflects on the man who refuses to bless.
Listen carefully:
“He also loved cursing, so it came to him; and he did not delight in blessing, so it was far from him. But he clothed himself with cursing as with his garment, and it entered into his body like water and like oil into his bones. Let it be to him as a garment with which he covers himself, and for a belt with which he constantly girds himself.” (Psa 109:17-19)
The New Testament also addresses the issue of a bitter spirit.
“See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled.”(Heb 12:15)
The heart issues in our life well show forth in our speaking. According to Scripture, our heart and our tongue have a direct connection.
Let’s see how the Bible allows us to understand how …
Our Tongue Reflects Our Heart
In Hebrews we are told that bitterness is a defiler. It not only defiles our own personal life, but it can defile those around us. And some of our bitterness can come from a failure in our own past. We need to change how we look at our past.
James draws attention to not being able to share the gospel properly because of a heart that is not where it needs to be with the Lord.
“With it [our tongue] we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God; from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way. Does a fountain send out from the same opening both fresh and bitter water?” (Jas 3:9-11 NASB)
Now listen very carefully to the instructions given by the apostle Peter -
“To sum up, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit; not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing.
“For, ‘The one who desires life, to love and see good days, must keep his tongue from evil, and his lips from speaking deceit.
“’He must turn away from evil and do good; he must seek peace and pursue it.
“’For the eyes of the Lord are towards the righteous, and His ears attend to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.’” (1Pe 3:8-12)
Pursuing Righteousness and Peace
There is no question that bitterness can create an excessive burden in a believer’s life. It carries such a corrupting ability that if often calls for a discipline of the Lord.
The writer of Hebrews call attention to the issue of Godly discipline:
“All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness. …
“Therefore, strengthen the hands that are weak and the knees that are feeble, and make straight paths for your feet, so that the limb which is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed.
“Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord.” (Heb 12:11-14)
This is metaphoric language that calls attention to some of the burdens than can weigh a believer down as a result of unforgiveness and resentments. Is it not possible that some of our physical ailments are a result of the bitterness we carry?
Is it also possible that some of our health issues can be the result of a corrective measure from the Lord?
Perhaps this is also where some of our miracle healings come from. Forgiveness can be the gate of healing.
These are things to consider.
A Word from the Apostles
Let’s see how both Paul and Peter speak to this.
[Paul] “For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep. But if we judged ourselves rightly, we would not be judged.”
— The background for this is the Lord’s table, but its directive is to those who were resentful of others. The sicknesses in this case are punitive or corrective judgments from the Lord. — 1Co11:22-34.
[Peter] “Therefore, putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation.” (1Pe2:1,2)
— Where Peter speaks of the ‘pure milk’ of the word, he is speaking of milk that has not been adulterated by bitterness and other such things.
Consider this lesson in life.
A Cow in the Bitter Weeds
As a country boy I can give an example of what pure milk is not. In the south we have what is called bitter weeds. A cow will sometimes make these weeds part of her diet.
The milk looks so refreshing. But the moment you begin to drink, instantly you spew it out. Why? The milk is full of bitterness. And yet in appearance the milk itself looked perfectly good.
Can you draw a lesson with this story? I hope so.
This brings up a primary issue with regard to bitterness.
It is crucial for believers to …
Make Peace with the Past
Very often bitterness in our life is a result of not having forgiven someone. It is not a matter of whether the person deserves forgiveness, or even if they have asked for forgiveness. It is a matter of keeping one’s own spiritual life pure.
We have a perfect example to follow from the cross.
“When they came to the place called The Skull, there they crucified Him and the criminals, one on the right and the other on the left.
“But Jesus was saying, ‘Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.’ And they cast lots, dividing up His garments among themselves.” (Luk 23:33-34)
We also hear this with the first Christian martyr.
“They went on stoning Stephen as he called on the Lord and said, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!’
“Then falling on his knees, he cried out with a loud voice, ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them!’ Having said this, he fell asleep.” (Act 7:59-60)
The Message of the Cross is Forgiveness
When Jesus said, “Father, forgive them,” was this not the message of the cross?
Are we not forgiven by a life exchange with Jesus? Jesus gave His life up for us.
Are we not to learn to live in this flow of forgiveness? Are we not to forgive?
We are also under commandment to walk in love the way Jesus walked. The Lord pointed out that a powerful faith walk revolves around forgiveness.
He said,
“Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you your transgressions.” (Mark 11:25)
And so it may well be that the most crucial matter in a believer’s life is in coming to grips with the past.
Until we learn to make peace with the past, we will suffer in the now. Are you free from the past? Is there something you need to let go?
The place to begin is by…
Identifying With Jesus
What does identifying with Jesus mean? John said,
“You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.” (1Jn 4:4)
How did Jesus conduct Himself in the gospels? He freely loved and He freely forgave. What should we do? Freely love and freely forgive.
Jesus forgave all our sins, past, present, and future. How can we do otherwise?
Forgiveness is a power key of the faith walk. If we learn to forgive quickly, it gives us the power to jerk the rug out from under the enemy. He will have nothing to work with.
Paul tells us how this works. Listen and learn:
“I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.” (Gal 2:20 NASB)
Did you catch it? Good.
Jesus provides the power for the child of God to walk a life of victory in Him.
Let Jesus be the reflection of your heart.
Here is your song of meditation. Listen – The Lord wants to speak to your heart.
In Christ always,
Buddy
Posted in Bible Insights | 
bitterness defiles, Forgiveness, love of god, path of life, the Jesus lifePublished December 7, 2011 |
“…in the midst of the congregation I will sing Your praise; and again, ‘I will put My trust in Him.’ …
” … And again, ‘Behold, I and the children who God has given Me.’” (Heb 2:11-13 nasb)
Readers,
Notice the bold portion of the above Scriptures where we hear Jesus say, “Behold, I and the children who God has given Me.”
This statement draws on a redemption promise that God gave through the prophet Isaiah.
“And I will wait for the LORD who is hiding His face from the house of Jacob; I will even look eagerly for Him. Behold, I and the children whom the LORD has given me are for signs and wonders in Israel from the LORD of hosts, who dwells on Mount Zion.” (Isa 8:17-18)
Then we have this in Isaiah:
“Therefore thus says the LORD, who redeemed Abraham, concerning the house of Jacob: ‘Jacob shall not now be ashamed, nor shall his face now turn pale; but when he sees his children, the work of My hands, in his midst, they will sanctify My name; indeed, they will sanctify the Holy One of Jacob and will stand in awe of the God of Israel.” (Isa 29:22-23)
Fulfilled in Christ
Jesus said,
“All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. …
“ … This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds [looks to] the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.” (Joh 6:37-40)
Again pay close attention to the words in bold print – “Of all that He [the Father] has given Me I lose nothing.”
Christians who lack knowledge in how salvation works will always battle insecurity. The problem isn’t merely with the believer. In some pulpits
Jesus Christ is being presented in a way that is not worthy of the gospel message.
The message they hear is often filled with fear and condemnation. It centers on a salvation through works, that is, a salvation that is based on a believer becoming good enough.
This kind of thinking is a misreading of the gospel story. The work of salvation is not our work. We are all sinners saved by grace. Salvation is God’s work from beginning to finish. He alone is the author and the finisher of our faith.
Here is an example where a Scripture is sometimes mismanaged:.
“Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” (Php 2:12)
Sounds pretty plain. How then is it mismanaged? The problem is that this statement is only half of what is being said. Listen to the rest of the statement:
“ … for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.” (Php 2:13)
Notice carefully that the working out has to do with God Himself. The believer is to place his faith in God who is at work in his life. The believer is to trust that the Lord is working His will in the believer’s life.
That isn’t the only Scripture that sets forth God at work in the believer. Listen with your heart:
“Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, equip you in every good thing to do His will, …
“… working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.” (Heb 13:20-21)
Once again note the words in bold. God is the one who equips us to do His will. God is the one who is working in us that which is pleasing in His sight.
The Author and Finisher
The apostle said he was convinced the good work that God began in us, He would perfect until the day of Jesus Christ. God is the author and the finisher of our faith. He is the perfecter of His work. The Lord God began the work and the Lord God finishes the work
The Lord does not want His children to live in fear of any nature. And when the Lord speaks into our lives it is His purpose is to destroy our fears. Even when He needs to correct us, it is a correction towards life.
Here is an example from my walk with Jesus -
It was 1974
I had just resigned from my former church affiliation. The following morning at my office a dark cloud settled over me. What will we do? Where do we go? Where will we find fellowship? Did I miss God?
The last words my former pastor had spoken to me when I handed him my resignation was ringing in my ears, “Brother Martin, these people will never anything else to do with you.”
I fell on my knees next to a chair, and reached for my Bible. Lord, I need to hear from You.
My Bible actually fell open to Philippians 1:6, and my gaze riveted on these words,
“Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.”
The Son of God had spoken to my heart. Instantly the cloud vanished. No more fear! No more uncertainty. I knew everything would be alright. Our future was well cared for.
In my excitement I reached for the phone to call Betty. Little did I realize that she was facing the very same struggle at that very same moment. Before I could get the words out of my mouth, Betty said, “Honey, listen to what the Lord just shared with me.”
“For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.” (Gal 1:10) — We were both using the KJV at the time —
The Lord had spoken to both of us at the same time. Betty knew just as I knew that our future was well cared for.
God’s Unconditional Promises
Of course I’m not telling any true believer something that you don’t know. Jesus has come to my aid myriads of times on my pilgrim journey. He does the same for all who belong to Him. What did the Lord say about His presence in our lives?
“ … for He Himself has said, ‘I will never desert you, or will I ever forsake you,’ so that we confidently say, ‘The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What will man do to me?’” (Heb 13:5-6)
That, dear friend, is an unconditional promise.
This is where we need to understand Biblical promises.
Conditional promises are based upon some action on our part. Unconditional promises are based upon something God has promised with no aid from us. These are the, “I will” promises of God.
An example of a conditional promise is Luke 6:38, where the Lord says,
“Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure — pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.”
Notice that it is by ‘our standard’ of measure that gauges the ‘pressed down’ blessings.
Unconditional promises are different. Unconditional promises are generally summed up as redemption promises. These kinds of promises are, ‘from God, through God, and to God’ promises. They cannot be broken by believers simply because we have no role to play in them. They are based entirely on the sovereignty of God.
The Bedrock of the Faith Walk
These ‘never-ever’ promises serve as the bedrock of our walk with the Lord. One of the very last things Jesus said to the disciples was,
“I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matt28:20)
Another one is the John 10:27,28, promise where Jesus said,
“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand.”
Some believers see the strength of their walk in how strong their grip is on God. This is not what Jesus is saying. The safety for a child of God does not depend on his or her grip. It rests entirely in the hands of the Lord. Jesus said,
“No one will snatch them out of my hand.”
A few more ‘never-ever’ promises
“…whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.” (John 4:14)
“…everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:26)
“For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom 8:38-39)
Our Inheritance in Christ
The point being that these promises are based upon something God says He will do. These unconditional promises relate to God’s redemption plan in Christ, a plan that was set forth before time.
Paul gave insight into this area, when he said,
“We have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to [God's] purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will.” (Eph1:11)
Notice that Paul said it is God’s will that is at work. The apostle John certainly agrees. He said that our birth from heaven was not a thing of our will. He says,
“[We] were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” (John 1:13)
When we were born again, it is because God opened our ears to hear, and placed in our heart to respond. We see this being worked out in a lady named Lydia. It says,
“A woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple fabrics, a worshipper of God, was listening; and the Lord opened her heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul.” (Acts 16:14)
The stumbling, bumbling apostle
Have you ever been a stumbling believer? Sure you have. Think about a man called Peter. Peter actually denied the Lord three times. Was that the end of the story? Certainly not. Jesus sought him out, restored him in faith, and gave him the privilege of preaching the gospel at the very place where Peter had become fearful for his life.
Have you caught the point in all this?
— Regardless of how well we think we understand the mystery of our salvation, the fact remains that God’s unconditional promises do not rest upon how well we are able to do or how much we understand. They are not performance promises. Each of these promises rest upon God Himself. When He says that He will never desert us or forsake us, that promise cannot be broken.
Yes, we all become stumblers at times. So we ask, “Why me, Lord?” About the best any of us can do is write songs about all this.
In the Midst of the Congregation
And so, we agree with the Psalmist who said,
“…in the midst of the congregation I will sing Your praise; and again, ‘I will put My trust in Him.’ …
We write:
“I don’t know why Jesus loved me. I don’t know why He cared. I don’t know why He gave His life for me. Oh, but I’m glad. So glad He did.”
And,
“Jesus loves me, this I know. For the Bible tells me so. Little ones to Him belong. They are weak, but He is strong.”
And,
‘All hail the power of Jesus name! Let angels prostrate fall…”
And,
“I am weak but Thou art strong, Jesus keep me from all wrong…”
And,
“So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross, … Till my trophies at last I lay down; I will cling to the old rugged cross, and exchange it some day for a crown.”
Oh yes, we Christians write songs without end. And we will continue to write them.
But the message from heaven never changes. While we love the Lord with a love that cannot be measured, John wants us to understand something very special when he writes,
“In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” (1Jn4:10)
Think about these things.
In the meantime listen to this song that was written and sung by Kris Kristofferson – ‘Why Me Lord.’
Your Servant in Christ,
Buddy
Posted in Bible Insights | children of God, eternal security, finished work, path of life, Voice of GodPublished October 31, 2011 |
“Brethren, my heart’s desire and my prayer to God for them [Israel] is for their salvation. For I testify about them that they have a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge.
“For not knowing about God’s righteousness and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” (Rom 10:1-4)
Journal,
I felt it would be good to offer a study on the subject of salvation by setting forth why a person cannot be saved by anything they do in their own efforts. Until this truth is realized, the struggle over salvation will always be there. Let’s talk about it.
It is important to understand that being saved has nothing to do with anything we can offer to God. What can a sinful race offer to a holy God? Everything we touch is imbued with sin. Our unsaved hearts are hearts of sinners. The human race is charged with sin, infected by sin, directed by sin, and corrupted by sin.
What can our sinful hands offer to God that would not be an offering of sin? We can offer God nothing. We are bankrupt of any righteousness.
David asked it best:
“What can I offer the LORD for all He has done for me? I will lift up the cup of salvation and praise the LORD’s name for saving me.” (Psa 116:12-13)
And so…
What Can I Offer the Lord
What can we offer God with a view to salvation? What do we sinful creatures have that would be good enough for God to accept us? Again the answer is, nothing.
We can’t clean ourselves up. It is our heart that is corrupt. There is nothing on our part that we can do to be accepted by God. Until we recognize this basic truth, we will never understand what salvation is all about.
Let’s press this further. Nobody prays through to salvation. Fasting and prayer are not issues of salvation. Having uncut hair does not get God’s attention. Whether you drink or smoke has nothing to do with salvation.
Going to movies or not going to movies is not a thing of salvation. No matter what we may think about these things, they have no relationship to salvation itself. No person ever becomes good enough to get saved.
We cannot change the inside by working on the outside. Salvation is about a heart condition. When the heart is made right, everything else will come into place. (In its time.)
We Are Powerless in Ourselves
So let me repeat — We are powerless in ourselves to think that anything good can come from us. Salvation has to come from God Himself. He alone is righteous and without sin. He
alone is good.
Stop and think about what John the Baptist, the Lord Jesus, and the apostles all taught on the issue of salvation. They were addressing a Jewish audience. The Jews hung their hats about being saved on the merits of Abraham.
In dealing with Jewish attitudes, Paul said that the Jews were just as lost as the pagans. Why is that? It is because salvation can only come from God Himself. And the sinful state of Adam had casts its shadow across the whole of humanity.
All unsaved people are under the power and authority of a spiritual being beside God. Satan is actually called the god of this world.
Deadness of Sin
Paul brings out the deadness of sin:
“And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.” (Eph 2:1-3)
Have we nailed this issue down firm enough? Once again, until a person realizes that they cannot be saved by any effort of their own, they will remain stupefied in how to be saved.
What then is the answer? The answer never changes. Salvation is trusting wholly in Christ and in His Lordship. Reading a bit further in Ephesians 2, we hear Paul say this:
“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” (Eph 2:8-10)
The Battle Over Grace
The argument goes this way,
‘That is too easy. Anyone can say they trust in Christ. Where is their experience? Where is their holiness? Where is their separation from the world? Where is their…where is their…where is their…???’
Do you see the problem with the argument of ‘Where is?’
All these responses continue to miss the message of salvation. What then is the central message of salvation?
Listen:
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
“For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.
“He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” (Joh 3:16-18)
Salvation is Through the Son Alone
This is My Beloved Son
Did you catch it? Salvation is through the Son alone. The Son took the place of the human race. The Son took to Himself our separation from God. The Son died in our place.
The Son was judged with our judgment. The Son was declared sin so that we could be declared right before God. The Son resurrected from the dead as a sign that judgment had been met.
The Son entered back into heaven. And the Son is now Lord of all. He is above all. He has all authority in heaven and on earth.
So how then are we saved? We are saved by appealing to the Son. This was the message that Peter preached on the day of Pentecost.
“And it shall be that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord [Jesus] will be saved.” (Act 2:21)
This is the message that the great apostle Paul preached to the Gentiles:
“For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; for ‘WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD [Jesus] WILL BE SAVED.’” (Rom 10:12-13)
The Eternal Law of Salvation
Out of the cross came the eternal law of salvation. It is the one law that Satan hopes no person ever sees clearly. This is why he keeps adding religious ritual to religious ritual, condition upon condition, law upon law, tradition upon tradition, and anything else he can throw into the mix.
Satan knows that any person who calls upon the Lord Jesus Christ with their heart in respect to salvation, will be saved. It is as simple as that.
Satan knows it. We need to know it. We need to be able to preach this simple message of faith in Christ to the harlot, to the beggar, to the drunkard, to the sinner of the deepest cut.
There is no other message that Christians are commissioned to preach. Our job is to preach the message. The message will take care of itself.
The Message Completes Itself
Yes, all the apostles preached the death, burial, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ, and that faith in Christ as the risen Savior is what salvation truly is. In fact the only witness a person needs to know that they are saved is that they truly believe in their heart that Jesus Christ is their own Lord.
Faith in Jesus Christ itself is the testimony of salvation. This is where many people misunderstand the power of the gospel message.
The message of the cross carries in it the inherent power that accomplishes the work of salvation. The moment a person truly believes, the Holy Spirit enters that person’s heart and places the seal of salvation.
Paul explains in two places the power of the gospel message.
“For this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received the word [gospel message] of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe.” (1Th 2:13)
And again,
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, ‘BUT THE RIGHTEOUS man SHALL LIVE BY FAITH [In Jesus Christ].’” (Rom 1:16-17)
And so, until we truly believe in Jesus Christ, there can be no seal placed on our heart. The seal carries God’s testimony.
“For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, ‘Abba! Father!’
“The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.” (Rom 8:15-17)
Have you received the Spirit of God’s Son in your heart? Listen once again to the witness of salvation.
“For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, ‘Abba! Father!’
“The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.” (Rom 8:15-17)
What Can Take Away My Sins
Some time ago I was asked to take part in a prayer breakfast for a Martin Luther King, Jr. memorial. When it came time for me to offer a prayer, I begin to sing the song, ‘What can wash away my sins.’ I will never forget how singing that song changed the atmosphere of the gathering from political to spiritual.
Are you ready for your heart to change? Perhaps now would be a good time to listen to it.
Jesus loves you,
Buddy
Published October 4, 2011 |
“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)
No matter what your struggle in life is about, the Lord will faithfully show you how to make the passage into His victory. He never writes any of His children off.
Every passage of life leads to the greater victory. Paul said it would be from glory to glory.
Journal,
It happened Wednesday, August 28th,1974.
The day earlier I had turned my resignation letter to my presbyter. I was leaving the denomination that I had been a part of both as a pastor and as an evangelist. I will never forget the words that he spoke. He said, “Brother Martin, these people will never have anything else to do with you.”
I knew he meant these words in a kindly way. The presbyter was well aware that the nature of that denomination was pretty much to ostracize anyone who left them. I also knew that, but it didn’t matter. The Lord had already placed on my heart a directive.
Nevertheless, at my office the following morning a gloomy dark cloud hovered over me. I felt a loneliness that I wasn’t familiar with. That is when I reached for my Bible and fell to my knees. The chair in front of me became my altar.
An astonishing thing happened. My Bible fell open and my eyes looked at this one Scripture;
“Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.” (Php 1:6)
The cloud disappeared
Joy filled my heart. I jumped up, grabbed the phone to call Betty.
What I didn’t know was that at the very moment Betty was having her own struggles. And at that same moment the Lord had spoken words of life to my sweet Betty. We were in this struggle together.
Before I could get out of my mouth what the Lord had said to me, Betty said, “Honey, listen to what the Lord just shared with me!”
She began to read,
“For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.” (Gal 1:10)
That was it! We were passing through another life gate together. God had given us life words to live by, words to face the future together.
After all, Jesus said,
“It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.” (Joh 6:63)
The Passages of Life
A life gate can be anything you face in life that could well result in a major change in your future. I call these life passages simply because it is the Lord who gives you the keys for making the passage. He gives you words to live by.
But there is one truth I really want to get across. It does not matter what you are struggling over. It could be about a divorce, about your job, about friendships, about loneliness, or a new marriage. It just doesn’t matter. The Lord has promised to help all His children make these passages through life.
A number of followers of Jesus were leaving Him. We hear this conversation between the Lord and Peter:
“So Jesus said to the twelve, ‘You do not want to go away also, do you?’ Simon Peter answered Him, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life.’” (Joh 6:67-68)
When Peter said that Jesus had words of eternal life, he wasn’t thinking of the gospel message that brings us salvation. To him eternal life had to do with a kind of spiritual life that only comes from the Lord. It is in this life that we would receive words from God to live by.
Every child of God will have life gates to walk through. You may call them something else, but the point is that it is in these times that we need to have something by way of direction from the Lord. Sometimes the need is in a desperate moment. At other times it may simply be a need for reassurance.
Words to Live By
As long as I can remember the Lord has given me words to live by. Sometimes these words come in a dream or in a vision. Sometimes I simply hear them in my heart. But most of the time they come when I am reading and meditating upon the Scriptures themselves.
One of my more recent examples had to do with my bout with cancer. I well remember when the Lord told me to ‘expect the unexpected.’ Of course this had to do with my miracle healing.
I’ve often shared my testimony of healing. But I feel that the Lord wanted me to share it again. So, here it is again:
Expect the Unexpected
It was 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 was now into my bone marrow. Our local hospital could do no more for me. They were sending me to M. D. Anderson in Houston. Everything pointed to a marrow transplant. (Pretty invasive procedure.)
Things were alright between me and the Lord. I had told the church that it was a win-win situation. The only concern I had involved which kind of bone marrow transplant would I have to go through. One was more invasive than the other.
I hadn’t asked anyone to lay hands on me. This time it was different. I knew all this had to be just between me and the Lord. Any laying on of hands would have to be His hands. 
That day I am having my morning devotion on a hill behind the church. While reading In the book of Isaiah, the Lord spoke to my heart and said, ‘Expect the unexpected.’
When I looked up at the high wire directly over my head there sat a beautiful dove. I sat there just looking at her. The dove would look at me. She remained there until I stood up to walk home. Then she flew ahead of me towards the house.
It has always amazed me how of the Lord will speak to my heart while I am reading the Scriptures. That morning I was taking my devotion 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 said. I did not know what ‘expect the unexpected’ meant. I thought perhaps I would receive the less of the two invasive stem cell transplant procedures. After all that was the purpose of sending me to Houston.
At M. D. Anderson I was put through a battery of tests. They gave me a thorough work through. Betty and Nathan were with me.
When we met with my primary physician, he went down the line on each test that M.D. Anderson had made. With each test he said, ‘No cancer.’
At some point between Pineville, Louisiana, and Houston, Texas, the Lord had granted me a sovereign miracle of grace. It’s been over four years now. Every checkup carries the same message of ‘no cancer.’
And that is the story of my healing from the Lord
Why am I sharing these testimonies? Perhaps one of my readers will catch a spark of faith in knowing that God is no respecter of persons.
There are so many instances I would like to share with you. Here is one more.
The ‘What am I doing here’ Word
It was in 1971. Betty and I and our two sons were in Los Alamos, New Mexico, to raise up a mission work for our denomination. Once again I am facing a moment of, ‘What am I doing here?’ My heart is puzzled.
On top of everything, I am homesick. New Mexico was far removed from Central Louisiana. We were tired from having traveled a heavy road of evangelism. And now we are going to raise up a new work?
But the Lord had other plans. While reading the Scriptures again I find myself being pulled into a conversation between Jesus and Peter. Suddenly the question that Peter asked of the Lord was my question. Listen:
“Peter began to say to Him, ‘Behold, we have left everything and followed You.’
Jesus responded,
“Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or farms, for My sake and for the gospel’s sake, but that he will receive a hundred times as much now in the present age, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and farms, along with persecutions; and in the age to come, eternal life.” (Mar 10:28-30)
Once again I had received my word of comfort from the Lord. And once again we were about to pass through another life gate.
It has come true – I am unable to count the blessings of the Lord that have come upon my home.
Even in our darkest trials, I can still say, ’Thank you Lord. You have always been with me.’
It has to become real personal
Don’t ever make it about religion.
The heart of the new covenant is entirely fixed on a relationship with the heavenly Father and with His son Jesus. As Jesus was praying, we hear Him say,
“This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” (Joh 17:3)
Knowing God means that you have a knowing relationship with Him. Jesus said,
“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.” (Jn10:26-28)
Following in His footsteps…
Think about it.
Have you passed the major gate of life? (This is where Jesus Christ truly becomes your Lord and Savior.)
Do you know God as your Father, or is it simply religion that you know?
Jesus said,
“I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” (Joh 14:6)
The only question that remains is,
‘Where are you taking me Jesus?’
And the Lord says,
‘Walk with Me. I am taking you to My Father’s house. Are you ready to walk from glory to glory?’
The Lord wants to minister to your heart. Listen to Candy Christmas as she sings, “I Know the Master of the Wind.’
Much love coming your way,
Buddy
Published September 13, 2011 | 
“Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
“For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.
“For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, …
“… so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” (Rom 8:1-4)
Journal,
Did you know that God has made a way for us to know Him in a deeply personal way? The apostle describes this deeply personal of knowing as a, ‘walk in the Spirit’.
To simplify things let’s begin with the beginning. A walk in the Spirit begins at the point of our salvation. Our salvation begins the moment the Holy Spirit sprinkles the blood of Jesus on our heart. This happens when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior. Thus our walk in the Spirit never ceases to identify with the blood of Jesus. It is crucial to understand this aspect of a covenant walk.
And this is where the working of repentance is so important to a believer. The ancients taught that repentance is a form of worship, that in our repentance we are continually adjusting our walk with the Lord to where it should be.
The issue is that no one can walk a Spirit-directed life where sin is not dealt with. This is why believers can experience a ‘grieving’ in their spirit. The grieving is a work of the Holy Spirit. It is a sign that we have a defilement that must be cared for. It is a sign of our call to the Lord’s cleansing work.
John spoke of this, when he said,
“If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1Jn 1:6-9)
Humility of Heart
Therefore to walk in the Spirit requires that we be humble of heart, and continually recognize our need for cleansing. The plus side here is that the Holy Spirit affects this cleansing work. This is why the apostle said that no true believer could practice a life of sin. It hurts too much. Whereas a sinner sins by nature, a Christian will find that sin is contrary to his nature. He must have a cleansing.
God spoke through the prophet Isaiah, saying,
“… to this one I will look, to him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word.’” (Isa 66:2)
If you wish to know how to pray a prayer that deals with this aspect of cleansing, read Psalm 139, and then close by praying what David said in verses 23 and 24;
“Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my anxious thoughts; and see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way.”
A Walk of Reality
The second issue of walking in the Spirit is to understand that ‘walking in the Spirit’ means to walk in the very reality of the Lord Jesus. It is His life that we are joined to.
Thus walking in the Spirit is a walk of reality. The Holy Spirit takes the things of Jesus and makes them real to us. This is why it is so important to have a heart for truth.
Jesus explains it this way:
“But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.
“He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you.” (Joh 16:13-14)
Here is where we simply open our heart and let it be known to the Lord that we want to walk with Him without any preconditions on our part.
Keep in mind that a walk of truth is not about a religion, or a denomination. The Biblical word for ‘truth‘ has to do with the reality of Jesus Christ. Truth speaks of what is behind an appearance. Religion often has to do largely with appearances. Learning to walk with Jesus and you will have a walk of the Spirit.
The point is that …
You Cannot Know God After the Flesh
There is probably no lesson greater to a child of God than that of understanding the spiritual dynamics of the new covenant. It is impossible to know true fellowship with the Lord Jesus on a fleshly level.
Listen to the apostle -
“Therefore from now on we recognize no one according to the flesh; even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him in this way no longer.” (2Co 5:16)
This is also where the Bible itself plays an important role in our learning to walk in the Spirit. There is no book on this planet like our Bible. It carries in it the very presence of the Lord. Consider your Bible a garden of delights. Don’t read it like a newspaper. Read it like you are looking into the eyes of God. Seek for Jesus.
David gives insight into this, when he said,
“Open my eyes, that I may behold Wonderful things from Your law.” (Psa 119:18)
Notice that in most translations the word ‘Wonderful‘ is in caps. This is because the term ‘Wonderful’ is a code name for God’s Messiah.
The term translated Law in Hebrew, is Torah, which simply means ‘instruction.’ When David said ‘Wonderful things’, you can be sure He was talking about God’s Messiah. David was a man after God’s heart, and the heart of God is His Son. Isaiah later said that God’s Messiah would be called ‘Wonderful Counselor.’
Listen to the prophet Isaiah -
“For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isa 9:6)
There is something else that has to be considered. It has to do with …
Giving Up Your Stand Between
The faith we live by does not originate in ourselves. Nor does it originate in any religious setting. The faith we are to live by originates in Jesus Christ Himself, and is energized in us by the Holy Spirit. In this case our faith is joined with the faith that comes out of God Himself. This is what drinking from the fountain does.
A true new covenant spiritual faith walk wraps itself around the Lord speaking into the life of a believer. Thus we hear the Lord say,
“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” John 10:27
Here is where I need to make an emphasis that I hope it will eventually sink in. Listen carefully –
Don’t Let Your Religion Stand Between You and the Lord Jesus!
I realize this can be a difficult statement for some. However, the number one sign of spiritual immaturity is where we identify our walk with the Lord with our religion or with a certain movement or with a certain someone.
Hear it from Paul -
“ … for you are still fleshly. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like mere men? For when one says, ‘I am of Paul,’ and another, ‘I am of Apollos,’ are you not mere men?” (1Co 3:3-4) — Now substitute the words Paul and Apollos with Baptist, Catholic, Pentecostal, Charismatic, and you get the message.
So, can we truly know the heart of God? Yes we can. This is what the new covenant is all about.
Simply stated, learn to fix your eyes on Jesus. He is the author and finished of your faith.
Jesus said that eternal life was about knowing Him.
The better acquainted we become with the heart of God, the more we will be like Jesus.
And if you truly want to know what a walk in the Spirit is about, it is a walk of love, about learning to love the way God loves. This is why the apostle said that when we walk in love we actually fulfill the full intent of the Law of Moses. Paul is not talking about a natural love, but a divine love.
It is in the walk of the Spirit that we come to know God’s love is real life.
Now consider what the apostle Paul said about knowing the Lord –
“ … the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God. 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, which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.” (1Co 2:11-13)
Are you ready for a walk in the Spirit? Let the Lord know it. And remember what I said earlier about Psalm 139. Why not read that Psalm and ask the Lord to speak to your heart.
Here is a song for your inspiration – Open The Eyes of My Heart, Lord.
In Christ always,
Brother Buddy
Published August 29, 2011 | “For God, who said, ‘Light shall shine out of darkness,’ is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves.” (2Co 4:6-7 nasb)
Journal,
Sometimes I find it very worthwhile to reaffirm an earlier journal entry. This entry draws largely on an entry that I provided in March, 2011. It was titled, ‘Finding Your Way Home.’ (Year and a half ago.)
The apostle Paul said that all believers in Jesus Christ have a ‘surpassing [divine] power’ in their hearts, and that we must learn to live by that power and not by our own soul’s self powers. Each apostle tell us the same thing,
John says,
“You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.” (1Jn 4:4)
“[We] who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” (1Pe 1:5)
Living in the Glow of Jesus
But before I go further I want to give a better perspective on why Paul called attention to the opening of Genesis, where God said, “Let there be Light.” Paul is saying that it is this ‘Light‘ that is now shining in the heart of every true believer. (2Co4:6)
Paul is doing is drawing on an ancient belief among God’s people. They believed that when God said,“Let there be Light,” this was the original Light that that creation was to live by. The ancients called this Light, ‘the Light of Life’. 
The Hebrew people had other names for the original Light. They said that ‘Light‘ is one of the names of Messiah, in that God Himself is called ’the Light of the world.’
Even the term ‘sun‘ was sometimes used metaphorically to speak of God and His Messiah.
You hear a bit of this from the Prophet Malachi:
“But for you who fear My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings; and you will go forth and skip about like calves from the stall.” (Mal 4:2)
“I am the LORD, I have called You in righteousness, I will also hold You by the hand and watch over You, and I will appoint You as a covenant to the people, as a light to the nations, to open blind eyes, to bring out prisoners from the dungeon and those who dwell in darkness from the prison.” (Isa 42:6-7)
Now let’s take this on and talk about…
The Light that shines in the darkness
When Jesus said, “I am the Light of the world,” His words did not fall on unknowing ears. Many of the Jewish leaders knew exactly what Jesus was drawing from, and they did not like it.
While His words fell on those unbelieving ears that loved the darkness, they also fell on believing ears.
Those in Israel who believed in Jesus were being prepared to enter into God’s new creation. Jesus called His kingdom, ‘a kingdom not of this world.’
This new world would be the heavenly Israel of God, that is, God’s holy people, the church of the new covenant. (This is what the analogy of the Vine and the branches is about. The Vine represents God’s true heavenly Israel.)
It would be a world of pure grace. It would be a world of unqualified love. This new world life would have its beginning stages in this present life but would culminate in the life to come. This life would be a journey of life. We are on our way home.
The Powers of the Age to Come
This is why the apostolic writers said that true believers today are actually partakers of the powers of life that belong to the age to come. Paul said that we have this treasure in earthen vessels.
Listen to the apostle John:
“The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. There came a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to testify about the Light, so that all might believe through him. …
“He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him.
“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” (Cf. John 1:5-14 NASB)
What does this have to do with ‘finding our way home? Good question. This brings us to…
The Redeemed Believer
Fixing Our Eyes on Jesus
When a person is born again a number of things happens. As the Light of Jesus enters into the believer’s heart, the Christian is given a new nature. But a problem remains. The believer becomes a spiritual being. Yet his or her personal life (soul) has to be redeveloped with spiritual values. And this is where the believer must learn to focus his attention on Jesus.
Here what often happens. When a new believer first enters the realm of salvation, there is a burst of spiritual life. There is joy! There is peace! There is wonderment! Grace flows like a river. Then somewhere along the way this feeling of joy may start to wane. Temptations begin to cloud the mind. The struggle of life becomes more difficult. A stumble. Another stumble, and then?
What is happening? Paul said that believers must learn to draw on that ‘surpassing power’ that is part of our inheritance in Christ. (Our spiritual DNA.) This is a learning experience. The believer who fails to keep his focus on Christ, is going to have many mistakes, misdeeds, and extra bits of misery in life.
The Greater is He, Principle
And this is why it is so important to understand this principle of ‘Greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.’
The principle of ‘greater is He’, doesn’t just disappear because we had a failure or even a hundred failures in our life. It is a truth that needs to become an active principle in each believer’s walk with the Lord.
The Old Testament writer said:
“But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, that shines brighter and brighter until the full day.” (Pro 4:18)
The Light Shines on the Path of Life
This is also where we need to understand what the term ‘truth‘ means in the new covenant experience. In the Scriptures, the term ‘truth’ does not refer simply to a doctrine. The Greek term is used in the new covenant for experiencing the realities of Christ. Paul said the letter kills where the Spirit gives life. No believer can live in victory by trying to live by the letter. Yet it is so easy for a Christian’s life to get bogged down in ‘letterism’.
Letterism says we need all the laws we can get to get saved and to stay saved! This is bad thinking. Paul said that every person born of God’s Spirit remains eternally under the life supervision of the Holy Spirit. This means that every failure we make will be attended to by the Spirit of God.
It is the Spirit of God who births us, seals us, tutors us, educates us, places us where we need to be, refreshes us, turns our trials, temptations, and failures into victories, helps us escape bad teachings, keeps the glory of Jesus before us and in us, and many such things. Our final presentation in heaven is a thing of the Spirit.
This is what truth is all about. Jesus explained this in His response to Thomas:
“Thomas said to Him, ‘Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?’
“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.’” (Joh 14:5-6)
The Redeemed person is a son or a daughter
Our relationship with the heavenly Father is not that of a servant. We are sons and daughters of the living God. Angels know and recognize the Holy Spirit’s seal upon every one of God’s children. The seal says, ‘Sealed for the day of redemption.’ (Eph4:30)
The Holy Spirit is to present us safely before the throne of God. This work of the Holy Spirit is so powerful, that He can and does take every situation of our life, and turn it into part of our reshaping in Christ. This is why the apostle said,
“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” (Rom 8:28)
Paul also says,
“But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image (inward spiritual likeness) from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.” 2Co3:18
The question is not, ‘How do we find our way home?’
Yes, the title of this blog could be challenging. That was simply to get your attention. No believer has to find his way home. You are on your way home. You are already guaranteed an entrance into heaven. Believe it or not, your name was recorded in the Lamb’s book before the foundation of the world.
So when God said, ‘Let there be Light,’ that statement reached across prophetic history and at the right moment, that Light entered into your heart. And inside you were given a shining heart.
Now, can you let your soul relax in the knowledge that Jesus is going to see you through? Can you let go of bitterness? Can you lay your past failures and mistakes where they belong? In the sea of forgetfulness.
Can you be quiet in His rest?
Can you take to heart what David said in this ascending Psalm? Listen:
O LORD, my heart is not proud, nor my eyes haughty; nor do I involve myself in great matters, or in things too difficult for me. Surely I have composed and quieted my soul; like a weaned child rests against his mother, my soul is like a weaned child within me. O Israel [Christian], hope in the LORD from this time forth and forever.” (Psa 131:1-3)
Published July 25, 2011 | 
Eternal Covenant of Christ
“Behold, My Servant, whom I uphold; My chosen one in whom My soul delights. I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the nations [goy ‘Gentiles’.] He will not cry out or raise His voice, nor make His voice heard in the street.
“A bruised reed He will not break and a dimly burning wick He will not extinguish; He will faithfully bring forth justice [Judgment of the cross]. He will not be disheartened or crushed until He has established justice [Judgment of the cross] in the earth; and the coastlands will wait expectantly for His law [Doctrines of Christ - Not the law of Moses.]
“Thus says God the LORD, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and its offspring, who gives breath to the people on it and spirit to those who walk in it, ‘I am the LORD, I have called You in righteousness, I will also hold You by the hand and watch over You,
“’And I will appoint You as a covenant to the people, as a light to the nations [goy ‘Gentiles’], to open blind eyes, to bring out prisoners from the dungeon and those who dwell in darkness from the prison.” (Isa 42:1-7)
Journal,
The new covenant is an eternal covenant made in heaven and contracted on earth. The only way a person can experience the grace and blessings of the new covenant is to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Jesus Christ Himself is the new covenant. When you receive Christ you receive the new covenant. This is the law of the cross.
Let’s look at an incident where the Lord sets forth the new covenant in prophetic picture-language. During the feast of tabernacles as the priestly procession goes to the pool of Siloam to bring back water to pour on the altar, Jesus stops the procession.
“If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’ But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.” (John 7:37-39)
Where Jesus speaks of the outflow of living water, He is describing the new covenant life experience. The new covenant is about life. God’s new covenant people are made alive with
the life of Christ Himself.
Where it says, “the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified,” the word “given” is not in the text. What John said was, “The Spirit was not yet.” The question is, “How can this be? All the prophets had the Spirit. John the Baptist was filled with the Spirit while in his mother’s womb!”
The new covenant is unlike any covenant ever given to man. The Holy Spirit in the new covenant ministers the finished work of the cross in believers. No person before the cross could have the Holy Spirit in that sense. Why is this?
“Because Jesus was not yet glorified.”
What distinguishes the new covenant from all the former covenants is that at the moment of receiving Jesus as Lord and Savior, the Holy Spirit enters the heart of the believing one as the Spirit of the resurrected, ascended, and glorified Jesus Christ. Every believer is a Christ possessed person. (Cf. Col 1:26,27)
The Divine Imprint
Paul wrote the Galatian Christians, and said,
“My children, with whom I am again in labor until Christ is formed in you.” (Gal4:19)
Paul’s concern was for their inability to know and recognize the Lord at work in their lives. It was an issue of spiritual maturity
Because the Galatians believers were still immature in their walk with the Lord, they were being pulled back and forth. They were a young group. Paul said a similar thing to the Ephesian Christians. He said,
“We are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects INTO HIM…” (Eph4:14)
It happens today. The immature believe is easily moved by his emotions. They tend to be restless and unbalanced. This is why young believers need a great deal of help in this area. They are easily misled.
Again this is one reason the Lord raises up pastors as servant-ministers. A pastor’s greatest job is to tenderly care for a flock. If a young believer is not under the kind of teaching that will lead him to believe deeply in his salvation and in God’s love, he will manifest a spiritual unrest.
So keep in mind that in the new covenant we have the Holy Spirit to parent us into the processes of the covenant. And it is God’s Spirit who imprints us to the Lord. Yet the Lord does use men and women to help believers make necessary spiritual transitions.
A Personal Walk With God
What does being a Christ-possessed person mean? It means that each person born of the Spirit can now judge for himself/herself that which is of God and that which is not of God. It is this discerning and judging of all things by the Spirit that allows the believer to understand the issue of life itself. This is essentially was spiritual maturity is about.
In the old covenant if you wanted to hear from God, you went to the prophet. In the new covenant there is no need for a certain body of prophets or ‘special’ spokesmen to represent God in the earth. Yes, God does place in the body certain God-called servants, but these servants have a purpose in helping believers come to a full maturity in Christ. These servant-ministers are to ever take the place of a believers personal walk with Jesus.
John explained it this way -
“As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides (permanently indwells), and you have no need for anyone* (Greek word ’tis’ means a special single someone, or a guru) to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, YOU ABIDE IN HIM.” (1John2:24-27 Please read the reference.)
Where John speaks of the believer’s ‘indwelling anointing’ he is addressing the life of Christ that abides permanently in each believer.
Paul spoke of it this way:
“I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.” (Gal 2:20)
Does this mean we should not listen to others? Absolutely not. God can and does speak to us through others. What it means is that every believer can discern truth for himself. The term ‘truth’ in the New Testaments speaks of knowing the reality behind an appearance. (Recognizing the things of God.)
A Covenant of Eternal Life
I Love You Jesus
Jesus said that He came to give us life and life in full measure. Eternal life addresses eternity. It addresses a life that cannot be lost. But it also speaks of a spiritual quality of life that can can only be found in the Son of God.
Not only is Jesus the Son of God, Jesus is the very Life of God. I realize this concept is difficult to grasp. The apostles themselves walked with the life of God. They even touched the life of God. They listened to the life of God.
Listen to how John explains it -
“What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life– and the life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us—“ (1Jn 1:1-2)
Can you feel John’s excitement? They walked with Eternity! They walk with the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the One who is the same yesterday, today, and forever. They walked with God.
The story does not end there. John’s excitement continues to build as he writes his letters about the life of God. Listen with your heart -
“The one who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself; the one who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has given concerning His Son.
“And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.
“He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.
“These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.” (1Jn 5:10-13)
Only a couple of questions left -
Do you have the Son of God, or do you have religion?
What do you talk about, Jesus Christ or your religion?
Think about it.
Let this song will explain what true Christianity is all about. Lord I Lift Your Name on High.
In God’s Grace,
Buddy
Posted in Bible Insights | eternal covenant, eternal security, Jesus Christ, path of life, Voice of GodPublished July 11, 2011 | 
“Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.” (Heb 13:20-21)
Journal,
Sometimes religion can become a road block to a meaningful spiritual life. One struggle many believers have is in trying to find the perfect religion. They go from one group to another trying to find God’s blue print for life. The problem is that no institution on earth has the blueprint of God. To begin with there is no such thing as the perfect religion. And secondly, Jesus said that His kingdom was not of this world. [It can’t be found in an earthly form.]
Roman Catholics don’t have God’s blueprint. Southern Baptists, nor Pentecostals, nor Messianism have heaven’s blue print. The blueprint came to us from God and it can only be found one place. It can only be found in the heart.
Jesus is heaven’s blueprint. He said,
“I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” (John 14:6)
Living life without the blueprint
Most believers today are spiritually mature enough to realize that God has people throughout the varied Christian groupings. Yet you always have those who live spiritually shallow lives because of their misconceptions about how to walk with God. Their walk is ‘religion-centered.’ Without even realizing it, they have placed their religion between themselves and God.
These are the, ‘Lo, Christ is here’ people. Jesus spoke of them:
“And then if anyone says to you, ‘Behold, here is the Christ’; or, ‘Behold, He is there’; do not believe him … ” (Mar 13:21-22)
So, the question remains. If the blueprint of heaven can’t be found with any religious group, where then do we find Christ? The apostle said it very well:
“… the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His saints, to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
“We proclaim Him [Christ], admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ.” (Col 1:26-28)
The Bible says that in Christ are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. And God wants each believer to find their own…
Completeness in Christ
It really isn’t a matter so much of where you attend church. God does place His people into flocks. Simply be where the Lord wants you to be.
What is important is that believers understand the essence of God’s heavenly covenant. The new covenant is an eternal covenant that gives us eternal life. The people of the new covenant are a heavenly people. They are a people born of heaven. They are given a heavenly directed heart. (That is what being born again actually means.)
Jesus is the heart and soul of the new eternal covenant. His life is our life. It is His life that we live. This means that new covenant life is an under tutorship of the Spirit of Christ.
Listen very carefully once again:
“Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.” (Heb 13:20-21)
Paul explains this very well when he says,
“I have been crucified with Christ; and it is not longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.” (Gal2:20)
Learn to believe God’s way
It takes time to learn how to live in kingdom life. A difficulty we often have is in reading our own belief system into the Scriptures. We read it that way because we want to believe it that way. This is called eisegesis, or ‘reading into.’ This form of reading can mar a person’s spiritual life. Rather than let God speak to our hearts, we rush through the Scriptures to bolster what we want to believe.
The proper way to read the Scripture is called exegesis, or ‘reading out of.’
To properly understand what a Biblical writer means when he uses a certain term, we have to understand how that term was used during his time. When John says,
“For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace,” we need to know how the term ’fullness’ was used at that time.
The word ‘pleroma‘ means ‘that which fills,’ and it comes from ‘pleroo‘, or, ‘ to fill with a content.’
Pleroma as used by the gospel writers had a two-fold meaning. It meant that believers have been brought into a fullness in Christ’s sphere of life. In this case there is nothing we need to do to be any closer to God, than being ‘in Christ.’ This fullness of our sphere of relationship takes place in the new birth. It is not some later added spiritual experience.
This Greek word also means that believers are filled absolutely by the Person of Christ as the giver of life. No believer has more of Christ than another believer. It is here that we get the idea of Christ living out His life in us. The apostle said that the one who belongs to Christ is one spirit with HIm.
Let’s take another example. Paul said,
“Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled (pleroo) the law.” (Rom13:8)
Paul is saying that the love of God that is poured out in our hearts in the new birth, is the governing principle of the new covenant, and that by walking in the Spirit of love we automatically fulfill, or reach the full goal of the intent of the Law of Moses. Paul’s point is that Christ has removed any need for performing rituals. Anyone can do a ritual, but only those truly born of God’s Spirit have the capacity to fulfill the love walk.
Made complete in Christ
There is a last sense in the word ‘pleroma‘ which has to do with completeness, or to finish up a thing. This is a very important concept. Listen carefully:
“For of His fullness (pleorma; or, ‘completeness’) we have all received, and grace upon grace. For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.” (Joh 1:16-17)
Completeness means there is nothing you can add to make it any more complete.
At the very moment of the new birth, a believer is made complete in Christ. No one can take away from that. Nor is there anything to add to that. This is the sum and substance of the new covenant.
It is because of this sum and substance, that John said we are given “grace upon grace.” Grace upon grace means that at no time in a believer’s life will he or she be able to get beyond God’s redeeming grace.
Hear again the apostle;
“In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our sins, according to the riches of His grace, which He *lavished* on us, in all wisdom and insight.” (Eph1:7,8)
The key word is ‘lavished.’ Perisseuo means a super abundance, or be over and above anything needed or required. God can lavish grace on all His children because we have received the fullness of Christ.
Putting on Christ
This issue of Christ being our completeness was a struggle for the early believers, just as it is for many today. They had the Judaizers who said you must fulfill the law of Moses to be right with God. Then you had the Gnostics and philosophers who took to themselves as being the ‘special’ ones on the earth, that one must come to them to have fulfillment.
These kinds of religious systems have always been around.
John disarmed both groups when he said,
“Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.”
He then says,
“By this, love is perfected (brought to completion) with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He [Christ] is, so also are we in this world.” (1John4:15,17)
John is saying Christ perfectly represents every believer in heaven. And this is where our salvation lies. You can also refer to this as the life exchange of the cross. Christ took our life to Himself in His death on the cross, and, He, in turn, gave us His perfect life to be our standing with heaven.
Heaven’s GPS
And now for the path finder. Folk often wonder what specific role the Holy Spirit has in a believer’s life. There are many specifics to be had but the one most important to our walk of faith is how the Holy Spirit acts as our guide in our journey from earth to heaven.
Listen to these Scriptures:
“I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you.” (Joh 16:12-14)
The Greek term for ‘truth’ speaks of an unveiled reality or the very essence of a matter. Here the Lord is calling attention to matters of the kingdom.
Notice Jesus said, “Whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.”
How real is this? Most believers are familiar with what Jesus said about His sheep –
“But you do not believe because you are not of My sheep. My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.” (Joh 10:26-29)
The point is that God’s people have the capacity to hear the Spirit of Christ speaking in their own hearts, also in providence, also in ways to many to mention. But once again, here is where spiritual maturity must come into place.
The prophet described how very real God’s speaking is:
“Although the Lord has given you bread of privation and water of oppression, He, your Teacher will no longer hide Himself, but your eyes will behold your Teacher. Your ears will hear a word behind you, ‘This is the way, walk in it,’ whenever you turn to the right or to the left.” (Isa 30:20-21)
The Way of God
When Jesus said that He was ‘the Way’, this term resounded with prophetic overtones. In time the disciples saw the connection, the very connection that we need to see. This is why the earliest believers often referred to their walk as ‘the Way.’
Listen to the Psalmist as he describes both God speaking and how the Messiah sets forth the way of God:
“I will hear what God the LORD will say; for He will speak peace to His people, to His godly ones; but let them not turn back to folly.
“Surely His salvation is near to those who fear Him, that glory may dwell in our land. Lovingkindness and truth have met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other. Truth springs from the earth, and righteousness looks down from heaven.
“Indeed, the LORD will give what is good, and our land will yield its produce. Righteousness will go before Him and will make His footsteps into a way.” (Psa 85:8-13)
And so, we are back to where we started. Ok – One more time – Listen with your heart to our beginning Scripture portion –
“Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.” (Heb 13:20-21)
Does this Scripture speak to you? Take your time. Let it sink in.
There is no truth more important to a believer than to understand the reality or truth of kingdom life. That truth is simply, “Christ in you the hope of glory.”
Here is your meditation song. ‘Thank You, Lord’ by Hillsong. (Why not relax and let Jesus minister to your heart.)
In Christ always,
Buddy
Published July 7, 2011 | 
“And when I came to you, brethren, I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God. For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling, and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God.” (1Co 2:1-5)
Journal,
In addressing the church at Corinth, Paul said he was determined to know nothing among them except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. What did the apostle mean by this?
Isn’t there anything else we need to preach other than the cross? Not really. Not if you understand the message of the cross. All the doctrines of Christ arise out of the cross.
The message of the cross is not simply about Jesus dying on a cross. It is a full message that includes who Jesus was, that He was born of a virgin, was truly a human and yet God, that He died for our sins, was buried, resurrected on the third day, ascended into heaven, sits at the right hand of the majesty on high, will return for the saints, and is the last judge of all things.
All of eternity revolves around Jesus
The essential message of the cross is actually seven-fold. It speaks to the death, burial, resurrection, ascension, and glorification of Jesus Christ, His second coming, and eternity to follow. Out of this seven-fold message flows a wealth of knowledge and wisdom. This is why the apostle said that in Christ “Are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” (Col2:3)
When Paul writes the Corinthian church, he explains that there is a wisdom which belongs only to believers, not to the world. God has done something entirely new. Paul says this
‘new covenant’ wisdom had been ‘predestined before the ages to our glory.’ (1Co2:7)
Paul carefully sets forth that the old ways of wisdom have to be abandoned. Everything in the new covenant is ‘new.’ The new covenant is not the old covenant made new. It is a heavenly covenant based on the finished work of Calvary.
The hidden wisdom of the cross
Paul connects this hidden wisdom to the cross. He says,
“For the word [full message] of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the cleverness of the clever I will set aside.” (1Co1:18,19)
What happened at the cross?
Let’s compare just two statements the apostle makes about what happened at the cross.
In his first letter, Paul says,
“But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption.” (1Co1:30)
In his second letter, Paul says,
“He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” (2Co5:21)
The apostle is telling us why he is determined to know nothing except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. He is saying it all happened at the cross. At the cross our death sentence passed to Jesus. At the cross His resurrected life passed to us.
Why is Jesus called ‘the Wisdom of God’
Why does Paul speak of this life of God in terms of Wisdom? He is saying that those actually born from above have access to the very thoughts and feelings of God. He speaks of this as the mind of Christ.
This means that the wisdom that belongs to God alone, is the wisdom that is given to believers. (According to the need of the believer.) This is an awesome thing to consider.
So, the cross is both our dying place and our living place.
Is it any wonder that we Christians have so many songs about the cross. Out of the death of the cross comes a new creation. And this new creation is imbued with a wisdom that is not of this world.
Paul explains it this way:
“For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God. 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.” (1Co2:11,12)
The cross provides a heavenly wisdom not of this world
Notice carefully how the apostle connects the Wisdom of God with the Holy Spirit. In another place He calls the Holy Spirit the Spirit of Jesus. Paul says,
“Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba! Father!’” (Gal4:6)
Having the Spirit of God’s Son in your heart means that every believer has divine Wisdom to draw from. It means that the very life of Jesus is in us.
Remember Jesus shared with the apostles that they would be given things that were not available to the world. In His high priestly prayer, Jesus says,
“[Father] But now I come to You; and these things I speak in the world so that they [believers] may have MY JOY made full in themselves.” (John 17:13)
The life of Christ in the believer
One of the distinguishing marks of a true believer is his or her joy in the Lord. But it is the Lord’s joy that fills them. This is the life given us from the cross.
The term ‘made full’ means more than ‘fulfill‘ as it is translated in the King James. ‘Pleroo‘ speaks of a totality of filling. Believers are going to be filled totally with presence, the life, the joy, and the peace of Jesus.
This is what the Spirit filled life is about. It is being filled with the righteousness, peace and joy that is found in Jesus.
John wrote,
“For of His fullness [pleroma] we have all received, and grace upon grace.” (John 1:16)
God’s governing peace
So what is it about peace? Jesus said,
“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.” (John 14:27)
The peace of God is the anchor of our faith. It is a governing peace that guides us in our journey of faith. Paul said that our faith comes from Jesus speaking to us. This is how he explains it;
“I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.” (Gal2:20)
The Father of Jesus is our Father
The list is endless. The Father of our Lord Jesus Christ is our Father. The kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ is our kingdom. The righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ is our righteousness. The Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ is our Spirit. The love of the Lord Jesus Christ is our love. The destiny of the Lord Jesus Christ is our destiny. And it all happened at the cross.
The Administrator of the Kingdom
One thing that believers need to appreciate is that the Holy Spirit does not come to us in the same way or measure as did the Spirit before the cross. Lets hear it from Jesus.
“If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’ But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.” (John 7:37,38)
What did Jesus mean that the Spirit was not yet given? Notice that the word ‘given‘ is in italics. It is not in the original. So it should read, ‘For the Spirit was not yet.’
How can that be? Didn’t the prophets have the Holy Spirit? Did not David have the Holy Spirit? Yes, but not in the same measure or sense or fullness that new covenant believers have in the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit comes into the heart of the new covenant person as the Spirit of the glorified Jesus Christ. The Spirit brings the fullness of Christ crucified, buried, resurrected, ascended, and glorified into our hearts. No person before the cross ever had such an experience.
And it all happened at the cross.
Stop and think what the term ‘new creation’ actually means. It essentially means that God created a people out of nothing. A newly created thing only existed in the mind of the Creator before it became a reality. This is why the Bible says that we are God’s workmanship, “CREATED IN CHRIST JESUS”.
An Entirely New Creation
Peter adds to this in saying,
“For you were once not a people, but now you are the people of God.” (Cf. Eph2:10;1Pe2:9)
Again listen carefully — Peter said now “we”are the people of God.” He isn’t simply speaking of replacement theology. We aren’t replacing anything.
There has been an act of creation. This new people is separate and distinct from any form of humanity this planet has ever known. The Adam race sprang forth from Adam. The new creation race springs from Christ Jesus. We are totally ‘new‘. We are the people of Christ. The prophet said that God’s people would be given a new name. The new name is ‘Christian‘.
This is why Paul said that in Christ there are no Jews or Greeks. The new creation is a heavenly people. We are designed for heaven, destined for heaven, derived from heaven, and imbued with heavenly wisdom and life. So if anyone asks you where heaven is, you can say, ‘Heaven is in my heart.’
How about you? Can you say what Paul said, in determining to know nothing among the people except Jesus Christ and Him crucified? Think about it.
In the meantime listen to this song that speaks to the heart of God’s children. ‘Higher Ground.’
In Christ always,
Buddy
Published January 10, 2011 | 
“SAY TO THE DAUGHTER OF ZION, ‘BEHOLD YOUR KING IS COMING TO YOU, GENTLE, AND MOUNTED ON A DONKEY, EVEN ON A COLT, THE FOAL OF A BEAST OF BURDEN.’” (Mat 21:5)
Journal,
If you really want to know the kind of man Jesus was, read the gospels. The trait that describes Him most of all is found in the word ‘gentleness’. Jesus was gentle and compassionate and kind to all. About the only time you see Jesus at odds with anyone is with hardened hearts of religious leaders, or if He needed to make attitude adjustments in His disciples.
It’s all there. Jesus loved children. He would gather them in His arms. The Lord associated with the lowly. He allow lepers to touch Him. He responded to any who called out to Him. One thing that always stood out for me is how the Lord interposed so often in the lives of women who were being mistreated. Jesus cared for everyone with respect. The Lord expects no less from us.
My point is simple – Jesus came into our world to bring redemption and to undo the works of darkness. But He also came to provide example of life. The term Christian means to be Christ-like.
The apostle Paul said it this way:
“Now we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of those without strength and not just please ourselves. Each of us is to please his neighbor for his good, to his edification. For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, ‘THE REPROACHES OF THOSE WHO REPROACHED YOU FELL ON ME.’” (Rom 15:1-3)
The most beautiful picture of Christ and the footprints He leaves in our lives is found in this Psalm:
“Surely His salvation is near to those who fear Him, that glory may dwell in our land. Lovingkindness and truth have met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other. Truth springs from the earth, and righteousness looks down from heaven. Indeed, the LORD will give what is good, and our land will yield its produce. Righteousness will go before Him and will make His footsteps into a way.“ (Psa 85:9-13)
Did you catch it? Jesus left His footsteps with us as a way that we are to live.
This week I was privileged to read a letter sent to my son Nathan…
… from a dear lady in our congregation. She is a single mom raising children on her own. Her letter was so heart warming that I asked permission to share portions of her letter on my blog. It spoke highly of the men in our congregation. Actually Lynn has not been a member of Christian Challenge very long. But what she had to say about our ministry touched me deeply.
About the Manly Man
Snippets from a letter to Nathan by a single mom – Used by permission
… One of the things I really enjoy about Christian Challenge is that, per capita, we have more men in attendance and involved than any other denomination … or church that I have ever seen.
… What the world is missing today is it’s men. The family not only requires its physical needs to be met,
but its spiritual needs.
There’s a lot to meeting those needs. The leader has to be a prayer warrior and receive and give instruction in God’s Word and His will; learning and teaching to hear His voice and live your life according to His ways.
… It was so refreshing to see men who want this for their own families. I know that the world doesn’t do this and it is a forgotten art for men as the leaders of their families. But, I see an active desire and pursuit of this at Christian Challenge.
… You and your father display that manly role as an example to the other men. I think the men in the church stay because they see God’s intention for a husband and father in you and your dad. They know that it’s right even though they may not exactly why they are drawn to you both.
It was encouraging for me as a mom, as I struggle to help my son be a man, to bring him to a place where he sees other men seeking God. He’s spent his younger years with mostly women who usually run Sunday school for the younger kids and VBS. Not so at CCI.
As a Christian woman, I see the role of the men and women much more clearly. I don’t see myself as that “independent, I rule the world” kinda woman any more. It’s much different now.
I am thankful for you and the other men in the church, especially my sweetheart.
Lynn
Mistaken ideas of manliness
Thank you Lynn.
Some frame the idea of manliness in terms like, be tough, be in charge, let no one see you cry, be a man, be the head of your family, command respect, show no weakness, discipline with a firm hand, be a fighter, and so on. Those are terms that speak to the warrior side of our nature but in themselves they don’t truly set forth Biblical manliness.
It is without question that the man should be both the protector and the provider for his family. Yet protector and provider are not merely warrior terms. They speak of love and endearment.
For example the Biblical way of being head of the family means to love your wife and children the way that Jesus loves the church. It means to treat your wife as an equal heir of the grace of life. It means that the same way that Jesus provided love and grace for all around Him, we are to do likewise. Jesus showed us how the power of life is bound up in the word gentleness.
What many don’t realize is that gentleness is not a sign of weakness. In a Biblical sense it is a sign of strength. Gentleness reveals the ability to control power and to use strength in a proper manner.
Notice how David links salvation, victory, and manliness with God’s gentleness:
“The God who girds me with strength and makes my way blameless? He makes my feet like hinds’ feet, and sets me upon my high places. He trains my hands for battle, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze. You have also given me the shield of Your salvation, and Your right hand upholds me; and Your gentleness makes me great.” (Psa 18:32-35)
Pay close attention to how Isaiah describes Jesus in His second coming:
“Behold, the Lord GOD will come with might, With His arm ruling for Him. Behold, His reward is with Him and His recompense before Him. Like a shepherd He will tend His flock, in His arm He will gather the lambs and carry them in His bosom; He will gently lead the nursing ewes.” (Isa 40:10-11)
To appreciate more fully the idea of God’s men being gentle, we also need to understand…
God’s gift of maleness and femaleness
This brings us back to God’s original plan for the human family. The Bible says both Adam and Eve were created in the image of God. But Adam was created first and as such, had covenant responsibility for the family of man. In his relationship to Eve, Adam was not to be without Eve, and Eve was not to be without Adam. Each were given nature traits that belonged to them alone.
With this in mind there is a sense in which the woman can serve as a type of the Holy Spirit and the man as a type of God’s Word. Both are needed for life. The Word without the Spirit can produce legalism. The Spirit without the Word can produce instability.
Jesus said,
“It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.” (John 6:63)
Finally, when it comes to covenant issues, there is no stronger spiritual working power on this planet than a man and his wife who are in spiritual union. All the promises that relate to ’two’ people doing something, find their greatest impact in the godly marriage.
Consider this promise:
“Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven.” (Matt 18:19)
Where would this promise work any better than in that of the godly married?
May I leave this with you. We all have room to grow. We have all failed in many things. If you are struggling with any that I have shared, please take time to listen to this special song – ‘I Believe, Help Thou My Unbelief.’ — I shared it in an early blog. It still rings true —
Love you more than much,
Buddy
Listen to blogs 
