“John testified about Him and cried out, saying, ‘This was He of whom I said, “He who comes after me has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.”’ For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace. For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.” (Joh 1:15-17 NASB)

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Readers,

One issue that continues to bother me to this day is when I see so many of God’s people trying to live new covenant Christianity on an old covenant level. This concern especially includes placing faith in so-called modern day prophets. Hopefully I can provide some insight into this issue.

Before I deal directly with the prophecy issue, let me direct attention to the one matter that is crucial to new covenant understanding. It has to do with who Jesus really is and how this applies to Gods new creation. There has never been a covenant like the new covenant. We need to know why.

Paul said that in Christ,

“All the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form.” (Col2:9)

This expression simply means that Jesus is fully God. The word for fullness is the Greek term ‘pleroma.’ [play'-ro- mah]. It speaks of the fullest measure. Therefore in Christ is the absolute fullest measure of all that God is. Theologians refer to this fullness as, ‘the plenitude of the divine perfections’.

Sure it is a mystery to be understood with the heart but not always fully with the mind. So, while Jesus was and is fully man, He also was and is fully God. To know what God is exactly like, we look to Jesus. Hebrews 1:3, says,

“He [Jesus] is the radiance of His [the Father’s] glory and the exact representation of His nature.”

Now let’s see how this affects new covenant believers. Listen again to John the Baptist:

“This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has a higher rank that I, for He existed before me.’”

Then the apostle John adds,

“For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace.” (Cf. Jn1:14-18.)

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Did you catch it?

The apostle said of His ‘pleroma‘ we have all received.

John is not saying that each of us is a little Jesus. Nor is he saying that we have become gods. John is saying that the full measure of Christ’s Spirit, that is, the full measure of the finished work of the cross now belongs to, and abides in every believer. It is because of this full measure of the cross that grace continues to follow grace in our lives.

The point is that no believer gets just a bit of Jesus and then goes on to another experience to receive a fuller measure. Every believer receives the full measure of the Spirit of Christ the moment of their birth from above. Failure to understand this is the platform for all kinds of ‘never-quite-arriving’ doctrines.

No believer in the new covenant is told to measure up to Christ. We have already received the full measure. We have the ‘plenitude of the divine perfections’ placed on our account. What is left is for believers is to grow up in the wisdom and knowledge Jesus Christ.

Paul said that in Christ are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. And this is what growing up in Christ speaks to. No believer can get more of Jesus that we already have. We have His fullness. Paul said we are to grow up in all aspects into Him. (Cf. Eph4:15)

Someone may ask, “Does this mean that we can do all the things that Jesus did?” The answer is, “Only if you learn to live the way Jesus lived.”

However, that misses the point in what I wish to get across in this journal entry. I realize how easy it would be to twist this out of shape.

So, the next question is simple…

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Do you hold the testimony of Jesus—

All of God’s children share in the same full measure of Christ in their lives. There is nothing left over that we must later receive. It is this understanding that becomes the underpinning for a fruitful new covenant walk. And it is this understanding that keeps believers from needing to find a prophet to give them a word from the Lord. (Such as was the case in the former testament.)

In the new covenant there are no prophets of the same order as of the former covenant prophets. The need for that kind of prophet no longer exists. Christ is now resident in the lives of all His people.

Today the heavenly Father speaks to each of His children in His Son. This does not mean that the Lord cannot address us through the speaking of others. He does that often. Yet all of God’s born-from-above children have the same indwelling spirit of Jesus in their hearts. This indwelling even includes a life-flow in our speaking.

There is one Scripture that expressly defines the heart or the very essence of prophecy in the new covenant. When the angel told John not to fall down before him, he told him why;

“Do not do that; I am a fellow servant of yours and your brethren who hold the testimony of Jesus; worship God. For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” (Jn19:10)

The Greek for testimony is ‘marturia‘ [mar-too-ree'-ah] This word means ‘the evidence given.’ The evidence given is in the heart and in the speaking of all true believers. Paul said that the Spirit testifies to our own spirit that we are children of God. John said that we have the testimony in us. Thus when we are speaking for and about Jesus, our very speaking carries in it the spirit of prophecy.

So do you hold the testimony of Jesus? Jesus describes this idea of the flowing forth of new covenant prophecy:

“He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’” (Or, ‘From his innermost being will flow the spiritual and living testimony of Jesus Himself.’) Cf. Jn7:38,39)

The fact again is that the Holy Spirit enters the heart of the believing person as the spirit of the resurrected, ascended, and glorified Jesus. Thus the finished work of the cross becomes a present reality in our hearts. Our salvation is complete.

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Out of the shadow into the Light…

Paul says that we have already been raised up and seated together in Christ in the heavenly places. You cannot get more saved than that.

Which brings us back to the issue of new covenant prophecy — The book of Hebrews begins with,

“God, after that He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom He made the world.”

Notice that the Old Testament prophetic ministry is a thing of the past. It is no longer required. We have passed out of the shadow of God into the very reality of a direct experience with the Father through His Son, Jesus Christ. We can now hear Jesus for ourselves.

The redemption revelation in the Old Testament came in bits and pieces, by way of the prophets. What they had in part, we now have in fullest measure. The Father no longer speaks to us by way of the Old Testament prophet. He speaks to all His children in and through His Son. Thus we hear Jesus say to unbelievers,

“But you do not believe because you are not My sheep. My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish.” (Jn10:26-28)

We need to press it a bit further. Paul said in the latter times many would depart from the faith [a full faith one-on-one relationship with Jesus], giving attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of devils. Peter adds,

“But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies … in their greed they will exploit you with false words…”

This begs a question —

Why would any believer need to depend on someone else for a prophetic word from the Lord, when we all know the Lord Jesus Christ in a personal way? It isn’t that God can’t speak to us through someone else. But if this is what our life is centered on, we are missing the very heart of a new covenant walk.

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They will all know Me.

Is Jesus not your personal Lord and Savior? Listen to how the prophet Jeremiah describes the new covenant that was to come. (Note the terms in bold):

“’Behold, days are coming,’ declares the LORD, ‘when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them,’ declares the LORD.

“But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,’ declares the LORD, ‘I will put My law [instructions] within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.

“They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, “Know the LORD,” for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,’ declares the LORD, ‘for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.’” (Jer 31:31-34 NASB)

Now hear it from Ezekiel:

“Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh [tenderness]. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes … so you will be My people, and I will be your God.” (Cf. Ezek36:25-28)

None of what I have shared precludes the gatherings of God’s people into flocks. The gathering of flocks is first of all a gathering to Jesus. He is always in the midst of the gatherings of His flocks. Actually the Lord has ordained the flocking of His people for the purpose of their own growth, fellowship, and protection.

God spoke through the prophet saying,

“Then I will give you shepherds after My own heart, who will feed you on knowledge and understanding.”(Jer 3:15 NASB)

This may sting a bit, but it needs to be said. Those who continually seek out a prophet to give them ‘a word from the Lord’ are still trying to live in the new covenant on an old covenant level. They continue to look for modern day prophets who can go behind the veil and bring to them a word from God. How sad. How little to they realize that they are ignoring their own spiritual heritage from God.

This in itself is not my only concern. My greater concern is with those believers who ‘love it that way.’

Jeremiah gave a warning about this:

“An appalling and horrible thing Has happened in the land: The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule on their own authority; and My people love it so! But what will you do at the end of it?” (Jer 5:30-31 NASB)

Does what Jeremiah warned have any relevance today? Yes. I could share a number of Scriptures. But here is a simple example —

Some time back a person shared with me what took place at an apostle-prophet meeting. The prophets made four or five lines so all the people could get their personal word from the Lord. This person made it their business to go through all five lines. As I listened, I thought, ‘When are you ever going to grow up?’ (Of course the prophecies are always generic. They only become personal when the receiver reads their own thoughts into them.)

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What about proper ministry…

Does any of this do away with offices of ministry? Not in the least. The offices of ministry are placed by God, and serve a unique purpose for God’s people. The primary duty of a God-called minister is to help equip the saints for the work of service in God’s kingdom. Paul says,

‘Until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature that belongs to the fullness of Christ.” (Cf. Eph4:11-13)

The unity of the faith and to a mature man in Christ relates to all believers realizing their own uniqueness in the family of God. It speaks to every believer coming to the place of being able to allow the life-flow of Jesus. The goal is for each believer to become a conduit of heaven.

But this also calls for a caution. Even when a believer feels he or she has reached a high level of spiritual maturity, no believer should take to himself the idea of being superior to other believers. Even when Paul was forced to defend his apostleship, he carefully spoke to this;

“For if I wish to boast I will not be foolish, for I will be speaking the truth; but I refrain from this, so that no one will credit me with more than he sees in me or hears from me.” (2Co12:6)

Did you catch it? Paul knew that the Lord’s purpose for all believers was for their growth in spirituality, and that every believer was uniquely a child of God. And while he indeed had the calling and the authority of an apostle, Paul also knew that his role was not to call attention to himself, but to call attention to the Lord Jesus. It is in this sense that Paul wanted the people to see the gospel in him, but not to see him as someone special above themselves.

The apostle said,

“Not that we are adequate in ourselves as to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God, who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” (2Co3:5,6)

So, dear believer, we are all to become God’s love letters to a dying world. We are not simply to preach the gospel. We are to become the gospel.

And please listen to me — Stop trying to live your Christian walk on an Old Testament level.

How about it? Take time to listen again to one of my favorite songs by my favorite group, the Isaacs, entitled, ‘Stand Still.

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Always in love with Jesus.

Buddy

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Journal,

I met her in dry dock in Seattle, Washington. The USS Calvert, was the oldest troop transport in the Pacific fleet and one of the most decorated. She was undergoing some needed repairs. This was in 1962. I would serve as one of her radiomen.

What an initiation! On our voyage down the coast to San Diego we encountered a fierce gale off the coast of Oregon. I watched as her bow disappeared beneath the waves and then rise up again. The old ship would shudder. For me it was electrifying. For the USS. Calvert it was business as usual. The old ship had seen greater storms than this one. She just kept right on course.

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A launch into faithfulness…

I will never forget my year and a half as a radioman on board the USS Calvert. We carried troops throughout the far east, always ready to make assault landings.

Yep, I spent four years in Uncle Sam’s navy. Just enough time to get salt water in my veins.

For your curiosity there is an old adage which says, ‘Sailors have salt water in their veins.’ If that is the case then I come from a family of salt-water in-your-vein sailors. I sailed the same seas as two of my uncles who served in WWII.

Anyway, some many years later the Lord gave me a dream about a ship. In the dream the Lord directed me to take the ship out from the coastal area and launch into the deep waters. We were to move Christian Challenge completely away from the shallow emotional driven teachings that were making rounds in certain church movements at that time. These teachings appealed to man’s natural nature but did not revolved around a true Christ-honoring walk with the Lord.

Yes, my pulpit knew there was something taking place at Christian Challenge. (This was back in the 8os.) And this is where Christian Challenge began to be restored to her true nature of being a gospel-centered ministry. Our stewardship from the very beginning was to train disciples for service in the vineyard of the Lord. This change in course was the wisest thing we could ever have done.

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And the winds keep blowing and blowing.

Would you believe that making a change in course is a major part of any minister’s walk with the Lord. Even the apostles had to learn to separate misguided teachings from the truth of the new covenant.

Often time we aren’t aware of the bad teachings that we are under until the Lord opens our eyes. And being under bad teachings does not mean a person isn’t saved. But when the light comes it is time for a course adjustment.

Is it easy to make a course adjustment? Not really. These course adjustments often require a separation from those that we truly love and hold dear.

Listen as the Lord gives instructions to the prophet Jeremiah:

“Therefore, thus says the LORD, ‘If you return, then I will restore you– Before Me you will stand; and if you extract the precious from the worthless, you will become My spokesman. They for their part may turn to you, but as for you, you must not turn to them. Then I will make you to this people a fortified wall of bronze; and though they fight against you, they will not prevail over you; for I am with you to save you and deliver you,’ declares the LORD. ‘So I will deliver you from the hand of the wicked, and I will

redeem you from the grasp of the violent.’” (Jer 15:19-21 NASB)

Why do I have this strange notion that someone reading my journal needs to hear this? Perhaps the Lord is calling you to the deep of His faithfulness. Are your eyes being opened to the misguided teachings that you’ve been under? Now is the time to find the calm peaceful waters that belong to the covenant of God’s dear Son. The Lord will bring you into the safe harbor of His love.

“So then, we may no longer be children, tossed [like ships] to and fro between chance gusts of teaching and wavering with every changing wind of doctrine, [the prey of] the cunning and cleverness of unscrupulous men, [gamblers engaged] in every shifting form of trickery in inventing errors to mislead.” (Eph 4:14 AMP)

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Your friend and brother in Christ,

Buddy

“And when Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, imploring Him, and saying, ‘Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, fearfully tormented.’ Jesus said to him, ‘I will come and heal him.’ But the centurion said, ‘Lord, I am not worthy for You to come under my roof, but just say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to this one, “Go!” and he goes, and to another, “Come!” and he comes, and to my slave, “Do this!” and he does it.’

“Now when Jesus heard this, He marveled and said to those who were following, ‘Truly I say to you, I have not found such great faith with anyone in Israel. I say to you that many will come from east and west, and recline at the table with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven; but the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

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Journal,

Only two times in the Scriptures does it say that Jesus marveled. One had to do with unbelief in His own hometown. It says,

“And He could do no miracle there except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. And He wondered [marveled] at their unbelief…” (Mar 6:5-6 NASB)

The other time was with the Roman soldier. Here it says,

“Now when Jesus heard this, He marveled, and said to those who were following, ‘Truly I say to you, I have not found such great faith with anyone in Israel.”

This is also where Jesus gives the first prophecy concerning the Gentile nations. He says,

“Many will come from the east and west, and recline at the table with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven; but the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into the outer darkness.”

The outer darkness speaks of loss of covenant relationship. He later tells some of the leadership, “The kingdom of God will be taken away from you & given to a people, producing the fruit of it.” (Matt21:43)

There are many truths to be found in this setting. In this case I want to share on the distinction to be seen between great faith and little faith, or having no faith at all. Let’s see what it is that actually makes our faith great.

The place to begin is with…

The Word of the Lord

The term ‘Word of the Lord’ refers to anything God has said. It has a special emphasis on the Scriptures simply because they came from God’s mouth. The Scriptures are a living Word to God’s people. Cf. Deut. 8:2,3; Jer. 1:12.

In the New Testament the gospel itself is also called ‘the Word (living message) of God.’ Cf. Luke 8:21; 11:28; Acts 4:31. Acts 11:1.

Then there is a related meaning for the term ‘the Word of the Lord.’ This meaning is simply God speaking to His creatures. This can be seen when Jesus bid Peter to come to Him on the water. Cf. Matt 14:25-29.

Put these inter-related meanings together and you get a feel for the meaning of ‘God’s Word.’ The Word of God is God acting directly upon our lives, whether it is our hearing the gospel, or in our reading the Scriptures, or simply having the Lord speak directly into our hearts by whatever means He chooses. Jesus said, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” (John 10:27)

A Scripture that explains this is Hebrews 4:12,13, which says,

“For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight.”

And so, why did Jesus marvel at the Roman Centurion? Jesus marveled at the Centurion because he recognized who Jesus really was, and this on a level far beyond anything that even the apostles had caught at that time. This is why Jesus marveled! And this is the foundation for learning to live a true walk of faith.

It all centers on hearing from Jesus for yourself, and in…

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Acknowledging His Lordship.

Listen carefully to the language of the Centurion; “Lord, I am not worthy for You to come under my roof, but just say the word, and my servant will be healed.”

Listen to it again. See if you catch it: “Lord, I am not worthy for You to come under my roof, but just say the word, and my servant will be healed.”

What was the centurion saying about Jesus? He recognized the Lordship of Jesus. He actually called Jesus, ‘Lord.’

Is there any Scriptural support for what the soldier said? Note Psalm 103:19-22.

Who is the One who commanded all things into existence? Now note Psalm 33:6; Col 1:16.

The Working Principle of Faith

Always understand that the written Word and the spoken Word of God must always agree.  God did this on purpose, simply because many spirits will try to speak into our lives. Therefore God gives us two safe guards for our walk with Him. Every child of God is given the Holy Spirit as a testifier to truth. Every child of God is given the Scriptures by which the Holy Spirit teaches us God’s ways. Cf. John 16:13-15; 2 Timothy 3:16,17.

The working principle of faith always begins with learning to rightly divide the written Word of God. Cf. 2 Co. 3:3-6,18. Ignore this beginning place and you subject yourself to all kinds of interferences in your faith walk, including your own emotions, and desires.

Those who get in trouble spiritually are almost always those who place esoteric experiences above God’s Word. While dreams, visions, and prophecies, can play a part in our walk with the Lord, nothing is ever to take the place of learning truth from the sacred Word of God. It is a love of truth that will put the believer into a true faith walk. Cf. Jeremiah 23:20,22,28,29; John 14:15,23,24.

And so we come to the crucial element of the walk of faith. Our walk with the Lord will always center on the statement that Jesus made to the Centurion.

As You Have Believed

The walk of faith is a heart walk. Here is the heart issue of our walk with the Lord.

1. Our faith walk will always be in proportion to the place that Jesus occupies in our life. What we receive from the Lord will always be determined by what we are willing to believe. This was the message that Jesus spoke to the Centurion. But what was it the Centurion said that caused Jesus to define his faith as great? Look at it again. The answer is there. Now ask yourself if you can measure up to the Centurion’s faith.

The short side of things is that a true walk of faith requires that we have a real passion for truth. This is what the word godly means. (Godliness literally means God-towardness.) As long as there is an attempt to manipulate God’s Word to meet our life style, or to fit into what we want to believe, we are not walking as godly people. Cf. Psalm50:16-23; 15:1-5.

Godly people always recognize Jesus for who He is. Godly people seek to please the Lord in all things. Godly people hold fast to the Word of the Lord.

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And now for the finishing touch.

There is one more facet that needs to be understood about walking in faith. In the New Covenant it is the Holy Spirit who puts us into direct contact with Jesus. Learn to live by the Spirit and the walk of faith will take care of itself. There is no faith walk aside from Jesus Christ guiding your life. Think about it.

Which brings me to a song that you need to take note of, It is titled, ‘Reaping in The Spirit, by the Isaacs (Acapella)

May the blessings of the good Lord, overflow your life. May your walk of faith be filled with all the sweetness of heaven.

Always in Christ,

Buddy

Maybe now is a good time to let our hair down with a bit of laughter. I’ve been looking over some of my favorite video clips that I’ve shared on my blog. Thought I pass a few of them by you just for a moment of laughter and reflection.

For you who love the Gaither Homecoming Group, this first video will surely tickle your ribs. Watch as Mark Lowery has his fun with Bill Gaither.

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Remember Americas Got Talent? This next video will also bring laughter. Watch 11 year old Taylor Ware yodel her way right into your heart.
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OK, I want to test your giggler some more. Everyone knows that I have a great love  for animals and dogs in particular. I’ve found that dogs are so highly intelligent that they’ve been known to drive a vehicle. Pay close attention to the very first part of this clip. It sets the stage. A dog asks for directions.

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Now for something extra special. Would you like to hear a girl who shares in a Jewish lineage sing of her love for Jesus. Let’s see if the Isaacs can pull on your heart strings.

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Guess I need to reveal my heart a bit more. I’ve had a dream for years. When I think about my three kids and their musical abilities, I think, ‘Wouldn’t it be great if I could form a gospel group with my kids.’ Oh well, dreams are what life is made of. And Pop isn’t as young as he use to be.

Anyway, some years ago the kids helped me to make a Jubilee CD with songs that the Lord had given me. They provided the music for my songs. Others in the church also helped out. Thought perhaps you would like to hear one of my favorite songs. (Don’t expect anything professional.)

It is titled, In The Year of The Jubilee.

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Thats it for now.

Much love coming your way.

In Christ Jesus always,

Buddy

There they were, a boy and a girl hitchhiking. It was 1971, and I was on my way to Lafayette, Louisiana. We had just completed our last revival. My former company asked me to come back to work with them. Off I went to scope out everything.

It never bothered me to pick up hitchhikers if my family wasn’t with me. After all I had hitchhiked all across the country from California to Louisiana. The two young people got in the car. I asked, ‘Where are you going?’  ’To the Maranatha House across from USL.’ (University of South Louisiana.)

And thats where our friendship began. These kids were part of the tail end of the Jesus movement of the 60s. The Maranatha House was an unofficial sorority for campus kids. (It was known earlier as the Mustard Seed.)

How I fell in love with these young people. They were so idealistic in their antiestablishmentism. But their love for Jesus was refreshing and even a bit disarming. It wasn’t long before they ask me to share Bible studies with them. What a joy. They would sit around me on the floor in rapt attention. They were all like sponges.

Now I must tell a precious story. At that time I was still involved in a very conservative Pentecostal church group. As things went a number of the Jesus kids asked me if I would baptize them. Checking with the pastor to make sure it was alright to use the church Baptistry, he gave his OK. It was on a Saturday. Several of the church people wanted to see the baptism. They heard of my work with these young people. But there was a problem that I had not prepared everyone for. In fact I hadn’t even thought about it.

I had failed to tell the Jesus kids how to dress. Here they came with their swim suits, some two-pieced for the girls and shorts for the guys. You should have seen the faces. Chins began to drop and eyes were wide open. It was certainly a new experience for everyone. The Jesus kids got to meet the church kids. (By the way the Jesus kids were often mocked at with the term ‘the Jesus freaks.’)

And, yes, the Jesus kids had their own struggles and failures just as we do. But they could make beautiful music. Their love for Jesus radiated. I guess you could compare them to diamonds in the rough. Aren’t we all? Oh how I could tell some hilarious stores about these kids. Maybe some other time.

Well, if you would like to see what the Jesus kids looked like back in the 60s and the 70s, here is a clip you will truly enjoy. Just look at their faces and the sincerity in their worship.

Children of the Day. ‘For Those Tears I Died.’

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Sometimes a song will reach deeper into our heart than anything else. Let’s move forward a number of years and listen to another group who loves Jesus dearly. This song is entitled, ‘He Understands My Tears.’ It is by the Jewish Christian group, the Isaacs.

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Jesus gave the most important object lesson to be had about life’s struggles…

The point is that we all sin. We all miss the mark. We all have issues where we’ve been the cause of our own failings. It is like the apostle wrote,

“There is none righteous, not even one; there is none who understands, there is none who seeks for God; all have turn aside, together they have become useless; there is none who does good, there is not even one.” (Rom3:10-12 nasb)

Did you catch it? There is not a person on this planet who can claim personal righteousness before God. Did you know that Paul called himself the chief of sinners?

So, what is the object lesson that Jesus gave us. It is found in this simple statement, “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” (John 8:7 nasb)

What does this mean? It means to stop pointing your finger at others when you yourself have your own struggles and failings and sin issues.

The Lord was not excusing sin. He was dealing with two very important issues. His first words were to the accusers of the lady caught in adultery. Those who dragged her before Jesus were guilty of a sin that can be very damaging to our own lives. The sin of self-righteousness.

What about the lady? Her sin was not self-righteousness. Jesus also had words for her. See if His words tell you anything:

“Straightening up, Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?’ She said, ‘No one, Lord.’ And Jesus said, ‘I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more.’” (Joh 8:10-11 nasb)

Again did you catch it? The only one who could have condemned her was Jesus, and He would not. He did not come to condemn her, but to save her. Jesus came to help her get her life straightened out.

Our job is not to go about condemning people. We are in the business of helping to save people. It is like the preacher who said, ‘We preach best when we preach out of our own wounds.’

John wrote,

“For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. He who believes in Him is not judged…” (John 3:17,13 nasb)

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Lord, save us from ourselves…

We need someone who can reach into our lives and save us from ourselves, from our foolish mistakes, from our own self-destructions, as well as from all the destructive forces at work in the world. We need grace! We need a mighty Savior. And that is what Jesus came to give us. Jesus saves eternally.

This is what Paul was talking about when he said that the letter kills, while the Spirit gives us life. The Lord give us His Holy Spirit to help us walk the journey of life. There are too many situations in life where only the Spirit of the Lord can help us to maneuver correctly. Our problem is that we tend to beat each other up with the letter, or even beat ourselves up, rather than allow the Lord to bring healing where it belongs.

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So, does God understand our tears?

Yes He does. He actually weeps with us. He knows our heart, our pain, our struggles. But He also knows our future. The Lord decided in eternity past that He would be our Savior. And He decided in eternity that He would give us the victory of the cross, and that no weapon ever formed against us would ever prosper.

He decided to take our place in this sin filled world, and to share with us His place in His eternal kingdom.

This is why I often make the statement, ‘Jesus saved us. Jesus is saving us. Jesus will save us.’

What about the Jesus kids?

Well, we are those kids. People will always be the same. Maybe it is a good sign that the world calls us ‘Jesus freaks.’ We should consider it a great honor.

I will never lose my love for ministering to those the world sees as misfits. Seems I will always have the heart of an evangelist.

Think about it.

Buddy