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The
Gospel of the Kingdom
Charles Pinkney
AUTHOR'S
VIDEOS ON YOUTUBE
Author's Brief Testimony
"You
CAN access the life of God
without being sidetracked by religious tradition."
The Missing Piece: The Power of God Extended Through "Grace"
The Gospel of Grace is generally
addressed in terms limiting the gift of God to "Saving
Grace." Salvation is the primary and indispensible first
chapter to the knowledge of God's great gift. Any sinner may
turn to Jesus finding forgiveness and being born into the kingdom
of God. In sermons we hear phrases like 'unmerited favor' that
describe this introductory Gospel of Grace.
The mnemonic, G.R.A.C.E. "God's Riches at Christ's Expense"
gives clarity to the essential doctrine of salvation through
Messiah. Expressed another way, the power of the cross of Jesus
has paid the dept for the sins of all and is available to all
who will acknowledge it. But this is but the intitial introduction
of the "gift of God" as grace means free gift. A deeper
study leads us to understand that Jesus' gift is a gift that
continues giving. We were saved; we are being saved; and we
shall be saved. Grace is all that our Lord, the Messiah, has
done, is doing and shall continue to do on our behalf.
Now remembering that we are saved by grace simply through believing
and not as an award for doing any good works or righteous
efforts. We advance further toward the principle of "all
things are of God... and, "We can do nothing of ourselves,
(by self effort.)" "Unless God builds the house
we labor in vain to build it."
The Christian life progresses as we grow
through a constant supply of grace. As we are called to be
disciples each of us is nurtured by the Holy Spirit. The
Holy Spirit is our mentor in all things pertaining to Truth
and godliness. The Holy Spirit takes those virtues of Christ
and purposes to nurture these in us. All things are of God and
we are exhorted to live by the power of God. The Holy
Spirit is the Power that God provides to enervate and empower
every Spiritual pursuit. The "rest of God" spoken
of in Hebrews 4 (vs.9-10) speaks about this "rest"
which is to experience heavenly enablement and supply through
the Holy Spirit. The Spirit literally comes along side
to be our helper.
During
his earthly ministry. Jesus declared "I can do nothing
of myself, it is the Father who does the work -" (John
4:30)Jesus describes his own dependancy
on God (His Father)
for direction and enablement as the son of man.
Following the resurrection and the beginning of the "church
age" the same principle applies. Individual believers would
be entirely dependant upon the power of the Holy Spirit that
GRACE would provide.
The key to the whole gospel (full gospel) is that Christ's gift
would continue through his disciples in the time following.
Christ is ministering through the called out ones who become
the "Body of Christ."
Every good gift comes from the Father of Light. The nine gifts
of the Spirit are enablements of the Holy Spirit, also called
grace gifts. (1 Corinthians C.12) These are given for the purpose
of ministering God's blessings to others.
The Kingdom of God (Kingdom of
Heaven) was manifested when the disciples were sent two by two
to the cities of Israel. At this time the NAME of the living
Messiah provided the authority for all the miracles that
were wrought by the disciples hands, described in Mark C.6.
The birth of the church happened at Pentecost, fifty days after
Jesus' resurrection. Following Pentecost, disciples were equipt
with dunamis POWER that was the "promise
of the Father." This was a new phase in enacting
the Kingdom of heaven. The disciples inquired whether the Kingdom
of God (the millenial reign) would then begin. Jesus told them,
no, it will be at a later time.
Now
the church age had begun fifty days after the resurrection.
The manifestation of the power of God would be
at work to change the very nature of every human being who would
be saved. The church age,
the dispensation of the called has continued since
that day and the required enduement of power from God continues,
for it was required for the continuation of Jesus ministry.
The
great commission was announced by the resurrected Messiah. It
was to empower these disciples with the Power of the Holy Spirit.
To repeat, this empowerment enables us to accesses the things
that belong to Jesus making them available to us. Any teachings
that the Holy Spirit is limited to the days of the first apostles
is promoting a false and anti-christ doctrine. The gospel is
the Power of God. It was then and it is today.
Extending Christ's Gospel
The Christian
life begins with an encounter with God through the experience
of being "born again" (John 3.3). This refers to the
supernatural regeneration of the dormant human spirit, literally
reborn from above. This is a distinctive supernatural event, not
just an emotional moment nor a mental assent to a belief or ideology.
It is a divine transformation in which ordinary persons are
begotten by God through the gospel.
What I call the hidden gospel is almost absent from most
traditional churches. Though it is clearly described in scripture,
most main line denominations have side-stepped the emphasis of
making disciples and equipping them to replicate the ministry
of the Kingdom of God with the same power and authority that Jesus
demonstrated and taught. "The promise of the Father,"
(Luke 24,29) required the activation and enablement that equips
a child of God to be able to deal with spiritual understanding,
and ministry encounters with others.
Spiritual Enablement
It is through the enablement by the Holy Spirit that we are able
to communicate with God and receive from Him. We are able for
the first time to understand Scripture that was once veiled and
of little interest to us. After this we grow and are built up
through revelations of the Holy Spirit. According to prophetic
lore, we have God's law written in our heart(Jeremiah 31;33).
Our worldly view point is exchanged for God's view of us and the
world. After a disciple is "born" we are expected
to grow in the knowledge and the character of God as we exercise
the gifts provided both for communication with God, worship and
ministry to others.
Believers are empowered to act just as did the disciples in the
book of Acts.
Some sects teach that this provision is not available today. This
is sad and diminishes the Kingdom of God experience. God has not
changed his methodology or purposes. We eventually become aware
that we are to do the work of Christ, which is simply put; to
continue "to destroy the works of Satan (the devil.) Thus the
work of the Kingdom is that which deals with forces of this world
and the evil powers which are exalted in it.
Summarizing: The hidden gospel goes
beyond salvation that provides the "redemption" of a lost
soul who becomes a purchased child of God. The gospel is the "Extension"
of Christ's ministry. As a disciple we learn the Word and become
one who does the work of Christ in the world. A "son of God" is
one who follows the direction of the Holy Spirit, hears the Shepherd's
voice and follows those leadings. Those
called to partake in the Gospel of the Kingdom are expected to
grow up following the pattern and mission of Jesus, reconciling
the fallen world to the Father.
Churches
today are living with a religious Christianity overburdened
by tradition, an institutionalized religion with written and unwritten
doctrinal rules and formalities. The original Church, called
out ones of God, bore little resemblance to Christianity today.
First century believers had a fresh knowledge and witness
to the Risen Jesus. They were directly connected to the apostle's
doctrines and the purposes and power (dunamis) of the Holy
Spirit which made them witnesses.
The Hidden Gospel connects us to the family and fellowship of Jesus
who came so we too could call God "Abba" Father. Truly,
before the Resurrection and the believer becoming a Disciple and
a Son or Daughter of God, we were cut off from the fellowship of
God, the fellowship of Israel. We had no access to the God the Father
Almighty. The Hidden Gospel is the Gospel of The Apostles, The Gospel
of the Kingdom looks to the rule of the Messiah who was sent to
be sovereign of the Heavens and earth. That king presides over the
affairs of the whole earth and has been given The Name and
the authority above all gods and all human authority. The authority
of his name and his position in heavenly places has been given to
all those who believe. Not just a select individual or body
of religious authority.
In this Hidden Gospel Jesus is ever present. He promises
to work with and through us. The Lord is directly involved with
the lives of his adopted Brothers and Sisters who have been called
to be children of the most high. (He is the first born of
many brethren.) The familiar and traditional Gospel is for the
most part, the Gospel of "Redemption." We were
redeemed or bought with a cost. This became our reconciliation to
God through Grace (God's mercy.) With redemption, we become an adopted
child of God. The Father was reconciling the fallen world
to Himself.
The
Hidden Gospel expands the the role of God's sons and daughters who
now inherit the same role in this world as Jesus himself in his
earthly ministry. This is what I call the Gospel of "Extension."
It extends the hand of God through each believer. The great commission
extends Christ's authority to all who believe. Intimacy of being
in the Father and in Christ, is allowed for all who believe.
The
authentic Christian life that is modeled by the Scriptures, can
only begin with an encounter with God through the experience of
being born again or born from above. This is a supernatural event
not an emotional moment. Nor is it A mere mental acceptance of a
belief.
Following this
beginning, we face three alternatives: We can either continue to
grow toward the fullness of Christ, as we learn of him through the
word of God; we can sidetracked into religious traditions and formalities
of one variety or another; or, a third possibility is that we can
be seduced back into the world from which we were delivered.
A
New priesthood, A New Form of Leadership
THE
GOSPEL IS ABOUT ONE MAN
Jesus of Nazareth,
The Jesus of the Gospel It seems that in the course of living
a "religious" life, we tend to lose ight of some of the most basic essentials
of Christianity, essentials which contain within them foundational truths
and indispensable revelation. Among these essentials truths is the fact
that the Christian faith is built upon a man, one man who is the only
begotten son of God.. Who is this man and what makes him special?
Did he come to teach about love? Did he come to model a moral lifestyle?
Did he come to found a religion replete with ritualistic protocols?
Who do men say that I am?, Jesus asked his disciples. If we do
not get the correct answer to that question, you can not avail yourself
of the 'gift of God' which he brings. There is a simple African
hymn-tune that states: God loved the world and sent a savior,
That we might live with Him forever, If you believe, if you
receive, You can be born again."
Jesus was born a man,
he was a man, but he was more than a man. His name in Hebrew was Y'Shua,
or Yeshua (equals Jeshua or Jesus) and it was only after his ministry,
death and resurrection that he became known as the Christ. Christ was
not his last name. Christ (Greek Kristos) is the equivalent title
for the Hebrew Mashiach (Messiah), the Anointed One, the Son of God.
Jesus name in Hebrew,
Y'Shua , means Jehovah is Salvation. Angels were sent to announce the
miraculous birth both to Mary and to Joseph, in the gospel accounts.
The angels told them what his name was to be, You shall call His
name Jesus (Y'Shua) for he shall save his people - -(Matthew 1:21;
Luke 1:31). Prophecy foretold the Messiah's birth in detail. Prophecy
is the testimony or witness of Jesus Christ. (Revelation 19:10.) It
began in the earliest verses of the Book of Genesis and continues through
the books of the law, the psalms, and the prophetic books of the first
covenant, (old testament.) There is an unbroken line of scriptural promises
and scriptural fulfillment attesting to the birth of Jesus. In addition
Jesus Christ was portrayed metaphorically as a spiritual type throughout
all of the Old Testament. In a sense the whole Bible is a composite
picture which, when constructed shows the fullness of God in one Man,
the Son of God, Jesus Christ. Prophetic words spoken and recorded
hundred of years in advance, describe the birth, life, and death of
Jesus Christ in perfect detail. His birth was to be at a certain place,
at a certain time, under certain circumstances. At the birth of Jesus,
God affirmed that Word of prophecy with precision. precisely
and in perfect timing. Jesus's life continued on its prophetic course,
as sure as hands on fine clock, from the time of Jesus matured and was
presented to the public, to his being received as the messiah (by some)
rejected, tried, and crucified. All of these events followed a precise
time-line corresponding to the sure words of prophecy. God's prophets
were afforded no misses in their predictions. A prophet who missed only
10% of the time was declared a false prophet and subject to death by
stoning. There are many interesting books and commentaries which
biblical scholars have written which detail the specifics of prophetic
scriptures and their fulfillment pertinent to the life of Jesus. Though
the study of prophecy per se goes beyond the scope of this writing,
it is important to note that Messiah was promised by God.
Jesus and Salvation Come from and through
the Jews The Jews were the people that God fashioned to bring
forth the Messiah. God chose a man, (Abraham) made a covenant with him
with the singular purpose of having a people for His own special treasure
and pleasure. The same people whose way was foreknown through Moses
and the prophets, through trials, through captivity and deliverance,
a people to nurture and prepare His man, His seed, His
king, His savior. It was God's Wisdom, to construct this Way,
in such a manner as to make the working impossible in man's eyes and
in man's reasoning, so that He could prove the excellency of His own
power. When God chose and man (Abraham,) he chose one as good as
dead, old in years and whose wife (Sarah) was far past the age of
child-bearing and nurturing. When He chose a king, He chose a
shepherd boy, (David). When He chose a woman to bear the Messiah He
chose a virgin. When Jesus Christ chose his disciples he chose unlearned
fishermen or workmen. When He chose how to establish a kingdom he chose
a king who would forego an earthly crown and die the death of sinful
man upon a cross. God chose the way of faith. Faith
is essentially a way of being persuaded by believing rather than by
observation and reasoning. God chose to make reason and human smartness
a pitfall to believing His word and His promises.
Jesus The Jewish Messiah.
The Anointed One, The
prophesied Son of David. This Messiah, destined to sit upon the throne
of an earthly kingdom will yet sit upon the throne of an earthly
kingdom. But that time is still to come. He will at the end of this
age put a total end to all opposition and rebellion against God's
purposes. This end time event is described prophetically as The
Day of Vengeance (Day of Wrath)
or the Day of the Lord. The Day of the Lord is a time promised
in scripture, when all unbelief, unrighteous, and rebellion will be
addressed and overcome by God himself. It will not be accomplished through
negotiation or compromise; it will not be accomplished with reasoning,
negotiation, nor with political bargaining, nor with treaty making.
Rather, God will exercise supernatural power, all of the forces of heaven
and earth against all the nations and peoples who stand in rebellion
against the Kingdom of Jesus Christ. The
Messiah of the Gospels will return in majestic glory revealed in the
skies. He will not be that charismatic politician winning over the peoples
of the earth. He will rule with the force and authority of the name
of God Almighty. And one more very important attribute, lest you should
be deceived; He is the one who carries the imprint of the nails in
His hands! (Zechariah 13.6.)
Who is Jesus?
The Son of God. Jesus
was conceived by the Spirit of God. This makes him the only begotten
son of God. He is the seed of the woman who is mentioned in Genesis
3:15. It is important to understand that the father's blood line
of Jesus' parental inheritance is that of God himself who was and
is sinless and undefiled. Yet within the human seed is the nature of
humanity, weaknesses, want and human emotion. The
life that Jesus lived was a life lived within the limits of the human
condition. Yet scripture states that He knew no sin, and though
he was tempted in all areas just as we are. He remained undefiled and
separate from the sin nature which is particular to all of the natural
born human race. (Hebrews 4:15, 7:26) He
was a man, but certainly unlike humanity in a special way. The human
race according to the bible, has an Adamic hereditary line or
genealogy, descended from the line of Adam. Since Adam the human race
is under a curse. The fall and the curse is portrayed in the
first chapters of Genesis. At the moment, you may not believe in Adam
or in any kind of curse, but for the time being, set that argument aside.
God can work that issue out with you at a later time. It is necessary
to believe that the Bible is not a fable or fiction. To argue against
the Bible is to lose the blessing of believing in it, both in small
questions and in larger questions.
Jesus submitted his will to God the
Father The
Jesus of the Gospels demonstrated meekness, submission and servant-hood.
He did not present himself as a worldly leader, nor a member of the
religious establishment. Jesus
did not demonstrate God-like powers at will from his infancy onward,
though some apocryphal tradition stated this. Scripture indicates he
did no miracles until his baptism in the Jordan river by the prophet
who announced and made the way for Jesus' ministry, John the Baptist.
After his baptism at the age of 30 the Spirit of God came upon him and
filled him with the necessary endowment of miracle-working power. Even
with supernatural spiritual endowments there were times when Jesus himself
was not able to heal or do mighty works, this was owing to the belief
or unbelief of those he ministered to. While
Jesus did not flaunt God-hood it would be an error to say that he did
not know of his DIVINE nature or of his divine calling. He spoke of
being about his Father's business even as a child. Jesus was filled
with grace and wisdom, both of which are spiritual enablements
given by God. Jesus was the Logos (the Word, the whole counsel
of God) made flesh. A
movie which came out a few years ago, The Last Temptation of Christ,
portrayed Jesus as mostly human and flawed with the worst of human weaknesses,
dark passions, indecision and unbelief. It is a depiction of a Jesus
with no divine or supernatural inheritance, whose only vision was of
some kind of vague personal sacrifice. Though this is interesting fiction
it does not dignify the person of Jesus Christ as having transcendent
divinity or as having any potential for impacting humanity with eternal
consequences.
Jesus Christ, The
Word Made Flesh The
Son of God, the Word was made Flesh. He was born into human form
but he also had pre-existence with God. This can not, however, be said
of the rest of the human race. Jesus spoke of His own glory which he
had with the Father before the world was in his prayer recorded in John
chapter seventeen. From this it can be stated with certainty that Jesus
of Nazareth, the Son of God was also God. This becomes one awesome mysteries
of the nature and person of God. I find it beyond my ability to comprehend
but I expect that it will be revealed to my understanding at another
time. Because
Christ was pre-existent some may conclude that we all pre-existed. The
question is appealing in some ways, curious and interesting at least.
It is argued as a reality by those who have received spurious, demonically
inspired revelation. But let it be said by a person who once thoroughly
believed in reincarnation, that I have set that belief aside in favor
of the bibleís teaching. It is appointed unto man to die once,
and after that the judgment.(Hebrews 9:27).
Reincarnation or
Resurrection? The
doctrine of resurrection taught in the Bible excludes the possibility
of reincarnation. Just one life is promised, one body and then eternal
judgment for that one life at some time in eternity. The resurrection
of Jesus' own physical body from the dead, will be replicated by every
living human soul, both the good and bad, righteous and unrighteous.
Jesus was called, the first fruits of they that sleep - - 1Corinthians
15:20.) The
doctrine of the resurrection is given so much attention in the New Testament
especially in the epistles. Yes, the idea of a body dissolved into dust
to be restored to physical life sounds unreasonable to the rational
mind. Foolishness to imagine that body which is dead or has even returned
to dust can be brought forth alive out of the dust. But that is in fact
the teaching of scripture from the book of Job to the prophet Daniel
and finally Jesus. The doctrine is restated again by the apostle Paul
in particular. Jesus
is in an immortal form as he was already presented to the disciples
in Gospel accounts, alive in the flesh, bearing the same nail scars
and the same spear wound in the side. As he left in a physical body
ascended into glory, he will also return in a physical body. As
he departed from the Mount of Olives he will also return in glory to
that same spot to begin his reign.
No Resurrection, No Gospel!
The doctrine of the
resurrection is the proof and the cornerstone of the Gospel. Jesus had
to rise again, having defeated death, alive with the keys to
hell and the grave. The gospel which the apostle Paul presented stated
this, If Jesus Christ is not risen from the grave, then all of our
preaching, is for nothing and our faith is for nothing; furthermore
our futures would hold only misery. (1 Corinthians 15:17-19 paraphrased)
We could not have a
supernatural Gospel without a supernatural Christ. We could not derive
supernatural spiritual benefits from believing in a Gospel presented
by a mere man, even if he was a great man! If this were the gospel we
followed, the best we could do would be to try to live an honest and
moral life with the limited powers of our own willpower, but we could
not have received total acceptance by God without Jesus Christ's
sacrifice. Because he was the Lamb of God.
Who is Jesus Christ?
The Lamb of God
A sacrifice is made, The price is paid. I
believe that if Christian religious traditions have shorted us on any
one thing, it is the knowledge and understanding of Jesus Christ's sacrifice
as the Lamb of God and the legacy of blessing that His sacrifice
brings to change the life and circumstances of every soul on earth.
The sacrificial death of Jesus, God's only begotten, is the reason that
Jesus came. It is the cornerstone of the Good News, the Gospel of Jesus
Christ. This
same good news is not an option for possible consideration. The Lamb's
gospel is established in the very heavens and every person on the earth
will be held to account for it. For, the earth is the Lord and everything
that is in it. (Exodus 9:29 Psalm 24:1) The
sacrifice of the lamb of God is a better sacrifice than any of the First
Covenant, where bulls and goats were killed and the blood of those offerings
was applied to the sin of the nation. These offerings could not touch
the innate sin nature of the people themselves, but were only a temporary
fix, a covering over for the sin of the people. The Book of Hebrews
goes into detail about the new covenant and the nature of the sacrifice
which Jesus made on our behalf. It compares the First and Second covenant
and the provisions of the new which transcend the original.
The lamb of God was pre-figured
in the sacrifice which Abraham was prepared to make of his own son,
Isaac, the son of God's
promise. Abraham took Isaac to the mountain and as he prepared to put
him to the knife, said to his son, God himself will provide the lamb.
(Genesis 22:8). The
lamb of God was described prophetically in the Book of Isaiah, chapters
52 and 53. He was led as a lamb to the slaughter and as a sheep before
the shearer is silent, he did not open his mouth. (Isaiah 53:3-9).
The description of
the purification of the priests who prepared to bring offerings into
the Holy of Holies is a depiction of Jesus Himself. It was His blood
that would purify and sanctify the mercy seat It was blood that was
sprinkled seven times upon heaven's altar. Jesus'
Blood: Shed for Us --
Was shed, when He sweat drops blood in the Garden of Gethsemene, gripped
with the terror of separation from his Father, who turn from him, abandoning
to death; and the prospect of being made a Curse separated from God
by the sins of the world. -
-Was shed, when the servant of the high priest smote him upon the face.
- - Was shed, when
the Roman soldiers ridiculed him, mocked him, stripped him, buffeted
him and tore out His beard.
- - Was shed, When he was flogged with the Roman flagellum, the
deadly scourging with the lash, Each of the nine strands were tipped
with an object which cut or wounded. -
- Was shed, when the crown of thorns was plaited upon Jesus' head.
- - Was shed, when
Jesus hands and feet were penetrated by the spikes which would hold
him suspended above the earth upon a Roman cross (the curse of hanging
on a tree.) -
Was shed, when the Roman officer pierced his side with a spear and blood
and water flowed out upon the ground.
Blood Purchased the Provisions of the Gospel
Discussing the blood
of the lamb may strike you as something primitive, strange or
disgusting but it is the fact that it is the living bloodwhich
makes a sacrifice spiritually effectual. From the writings of Moses
we learn that the Life is in the blood. Blood is the life of
the soul and holds potential for both blessing and for defilement. Innocent
blood is said to cry out from the earth. The blood of victims
of war and of violence cry out with a certain voice from the earth.
Jesus' blood was blood
untainted by sin or by the curse or death. It was/is 100 per cent imbued
with the power of life. This blood has within it perfect eternal life;
it still has, in the present, perfect eternal life. That blood that
sprinkled the earth from the Mount of Olives, to Pilate's hall of judgment,
to the via Dolorosa, to the hill called Golgotha, is still nurturing
the whole earth. As Jesus was dying the death of crucifixion upon a
cross, he declared the sentence which his blood would continue to enforce,
Father forgive them, they do not know what they do. Jesus blood
purchased the price for our sins, sins past, sins present, and sins
future. Father
forgive them, Among the last words spoken by Jesus upon the cross is
the legacy which any person whose soul is in want can appropriate as
his or her own personal blessing and legacy, eternal life.
Who is Jesus?(Aside
from being the Son of God)
Jesus
was A Really Nice Guy, He was a Friend to Sinners
It is written in the
law of Moses that we should make no graven image. Among all of the ten
commandments this one may not lend itself readily to application although
the first references seem to figure in the question of idolatry. I think,
however, it has much more to apply to our present knowledge or lack
of knowledge about God. One of the characteristics of human nature is
to draw inferences and conclusions based upon things we see with the
natural eye. Throughout
the nearly two thousand years of Christian tradition we become the victims
of iconography, Icons which in some manner or another depict God or
the Son of God. Any of us who have ever been to a major museum have
seen depictions of Jesus Christ created during different historical
eras. The characteristics of portrayal is to make a presumptuous statement
about the personality, the humanity or the divinity of the subject that
is being portrayed. Iconography has colored our interpretation of who
Jesus is. Some of these images are very static with a very narrow portrayal.
A sense of Jesus Christ's humanity was not apparent for centuries. When
he was depicted by the first Christian artists there was not a trace
of life or humanity. For the period from the 4th century until the 14th,
he was no more than an stylized icon, lacking any features which would
make him like us. Later, after the fifteenth century, he was portrayed
as very human in works by Rembrandt, or Caravaggio, Rubens, and others.
The point that I am making is in respect to narrowness and misunderstanding
of who Jesus was. Religious traditions sometimes portray Jesus in such
a narrow light that we can not associate him in all of his attributes,
human and divine.
Jesus' humaness needs
to be preserved. I think the phrase "Jesus was a nice guy," may strike
a negative chord among some religious folks that formalize so much of
Christian life into liturgy. But I say it for a reason. Tho he is King
of Kings and Lord of Lords, we need to de-mystify Jesus and make Jesus
accessible to people, especially in the now of the Gospel rather
than the then of religion. The Lord is not someone who placed
himself out of the reach of humanity. To
think of Jesus as a friendly, loving and kindly person does not interfere
with his divinity nor his sovereignty. He loved us enough to die for
us! His arms are outstretched still.
There are other aspects
to Jesus too. Jehovah was the covenant making God who interracted with
humanity. These aspects are depicted by the the Hebrew names of Jehovah:
Nissi, Tsidkenu, Rapha, Shama, Jireh, Sabaoth, Jehovah Shalom, and numerous
others, as well as: the 'Righteous Judge', the 'Captain of the Army
of God', or as the 'Ancient of Days', and many other powerful and illuminating
titles. One day, we will all fall before Christ, the Righteous Judge.
But for now Jesus is still bringing gentle compassion, forgiveness,
restoration and blessing to those of us with a need. Today, Jesus is
extending a hand of friendship to those who need a friend.
Jesus' friendly and
compassionate personality is described as a friend to sinners, one who
went out of his way to meet and have fellowship with those that the
religious community had excluded (Matthew 9:10-13.) Jesus was known
to have been in the middle of fun and frolic where there was feasting
and drinking. He said of himself, that he was accused of being a glutton
and a wine bibber, but in spite of this Jesus, declared that wisdom
is known by her offspring. (Matthew 11:19 paraphrase).
Stories are numerous
where men or women who were considered 'the wrong sort,' received mercy
from the Lord's hand of compassion and acceptance:
Bible stories
of people who encountered Jesus
Zaccheus the publican; (described in Luke 19:2-10)The Samaritan woman
at the well of Sychar; (John 4:5-30).The woman taken in adultery
(John 8:4-11).Mary, a former prostitute anointed Jesus feet at the house
of Simon the leper; (Luke 7:37-47).Jesus who came to the grave side
of Lazarus and wept; (John 11).Jesus who consoled the man healed of
blindness afterwards the church council expelled him; (John 9).At a
certain miracle feast Jesus served and fed all those attending, (Luke
12:37).Plus all of the disciples, plus all of the un-named disciples
- - called the 500.Plus the commissioned seventy, Luke 10. Plus the
demoniac who was delivered of a host of demons, Plus all of the multitudes
he healed and taught, Plus the religious authorities who wanted him
silenced, And, me, and a great host like me! The
friendship factor as it pertains to the person of Jesus is something
that must not be lost. There is a proverb that states, There is a friend
that sticks closer than a brother. (Proverbs 18:24) This is the love
and friendship of Jesus Christ. There
are so many hurting inside, there are many who are bruised, and there
are many needing a friend. The love and power of the Spirit of Christ
Jesus can supply this. It is a kind of supernatural miracle that someone
who needs and asks believing can receive.
LIBERTY
OF THE CHILDREN OF GOD
"Where the Spirit of the Lord is There is Liberty"
Questions
pertaining to liberty tests our individual insights. What is this
liberty? How is this liberty to be expressed in the new testament
church? What is its implication in terms of headship or leadership?
4. When is it evident that Christian liberty is impeded or
has been violated?
God grants and imparts a particular kind of liberty which is
according to His nature, through His Word. What ways is this liberty
expressed? "And I will walk at liberty: for I seek thy precepts."
-- Psalms 119:45
God's
desire for his people is freedom from bondage or liberty is announced
by His prophets.
"This is the word that came unto Jeremiah from the LORD, after that
the king Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people which were
at Jerusalem, to proclaim LIBERTY unto them;" --
Jeremiah 34:8 "But ye turned and polluted my name, and caused every
man his servant, and every man his handmaid, whom he had set at LIBERTY
at their pleasure, to return, and brought them into subjection, to
be unto you for servants and for handmaids." --
Jeremiah 34:16
Jesus
announces God's desire for his people is freedom from bondage or LIBERTY.
"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to
preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted,
to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to
the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,"
-- Luke 4:18
Jesus
criticizes the scribes and Pharisees for their placing burdens upon
the shoulders of the people.
"For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them
on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them - -."
-- Mat 23:4
The
Apostle Paul addresses the matter of LIBERTY, frequently.
"Because
the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption
into the glorious liberty of the children of God."
-- Rom 8:21 (Is it only freedom from following religious laws or does
it pertain to the expression in worship and fellowship also?)
"Conscience, I say, not thine own, but of the other: for why is my
liberty judged of another man's conscience?" --
1 Corinthians 10:29 "Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where
the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty." --
2 Corinthians 3:17
False
Brethren began to place the children of God into bondage again.
(What comprises this sort of bondage?)
"And that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came
in privily to spy out our LIBERTY which we have in Christ Jesus, that
they might bring us into bondage:" -- Gal 2:4 "To
whom we gave place by subjection, no, not for an hour; that the truth
of the gospel might continue with you." -- Gal 2:5
"Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us
free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage."
-- Gal 5:1
Peter
addresses liberty in his epistle, evidently having learned some lessons
from Paul.
"As free, and not using your LIBERTY for a cloak of maliciousness,
but as the servants of God." -- 1 Pet 2:16
Burden
bearing is ministering to people so that the yoke is made easier.
"Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ."
-- Gal 6:2
Self
exaltation is a spiritual deception which causes certain people
to suppress others.
"For
if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth
himself." -- Gal 6:3 "But let every man prove his
own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not
in another." -- Gal 6:4
"For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that
is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to
think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every
man the measure of faith." -- Rom 12:3 "Let
us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one
another." -- Gal 5:26
"With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing
one another in love;" -- Eph 4:2 "Endeavoring to
keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace."
-- Eph 4:3
Where
does edification come from in the new testament church?
Where
is it taught that it should come from a single authority?
The
body provides a variety of gifts in the person of other believers
for the mutual gain and edification of all.
"Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us
to the glory of God." -- Rom 15:7
"For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not
the same office:" -- Rom 12:4
"Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given
to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion
of faith;" -- Rom 12:6 "Or ministry, let us wait
on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching;"
-- Rom 12:7 "Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth,
let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he
that showeth mercy, with cheerfulness." -- Rom 12:8
The
body of believers come together for mutual edification.
"How
is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath
a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an
interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying."
-- 1 Corinthians 14:26
"Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and
things wherewith one may edify another." -- Rom
14:19 "Let every one of us please his neighbor for his good to edification."
-- Rom 15:2
Apostolic
leadership is focused toward edification and liberty in correct doctrine.
"For though I should boast somewhat more of our authority, which the
Lord hath given us for edification, and not for your destruction,
I should not be ashamed:" (What is it that brings
forth edification? Love.)
The
purpose of the gifts of ministry described in Ephesians 4:11
"For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry,
for the edifying of the body of Christ:" -- Eph
4:12 "From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted
by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working
in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the
edifying of itself in love." -- Eph 4:16 (Every
part's participation and every part's increase causes the body
to grow.)
Leadership
should be not be like that of the rulers of the gentiles, Scribes
or Pharisees
What does
this mean?
"For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon
you no greater burden than these necessary things;"
-- Acts 15:28 "And when I was present with you, and wanted, I was
chargeable to no man: for that which was lacking to me the brethren
which came from Macedonia supplied: and in all things I have kept
myself from being burdensome unto you, and so will I keep myself."
-- 2 Corinthians 11:9" - - I myself was not burdensome to you? forgive
me this wrong." -- 2 Corinthians 12:13 - -"Behold,
the third time I am ready to come to you; and I will not be burdensome
to you: for I seek not yours, but you: for the children ought not
to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children."
-- 2 Corinthians 12:14 (Speaking as a spiritual father to provide
necessities for the children.)
- -"But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children:"
-- 1 The 2:7
Jesus'
Blood: Shed for Us
--
Was shed, when He sweat drops blood in the Garden of Gethsemane, gripped
with the terror of separation from his Father, who turn from him,
abandoning to death; and the prospect of being made a Curse separated
from God by the sins of the world.
- -Was
shed, when the servant of the high priest smote him upon the face.
- -
Was shed, when the Roman soldiers ridiculed him, mocked him, stripped
him, buffeted him and torn out His beard.
- -
Was shed, When he was flogged with the Roman flagellum, the deadly
scourging with the lash, Each of the nine strands were tipped with
an object which cut or wounded.
- -
Was shed, when the crown of thorns was plaited upon Jesus' head.
- -
Was shed, when Jesus hands and feet were penetrated by the spikes
which would hold him suspended above the earth upon a Roman cross
(the curse of hanging on a tree.)
- -
Was shed, when the Roman officer pierced his side with a spear and
blood and water flowed out upon the ground.
Blood
Purchased the Provisions of the Gospel
Discussing
the blood of a lamb may strike you as odd or disgusting but it is
the fact that it is the living blood which makes a sacrifice
spiritually effectual. From the writings of Moses we learn that the
Life is in the blood. Blood is the life of the soul and holds
potential for both blessing and for defilement. Innocent blood
is said to cry out from the earth. The blood of victims of war
and of violence cry out with a certain voice from the earth.
Jesus'
blood was blood untainted by sin or the curse or death. Christ's blood
is imbued with the power of life. This blood had within it perfect
eternal life; it still has, in the present, perfect eternal life.
That blood that sprinkled the earth from the Mount of Olives, to Pilate's
hall of judgment, to the via Dolorosa, to the hill called Golgotha,
is still nurturing the whole earth. As Jesus was dying the death of
crucifixion upon a cross, he declared the sentence which his blood
would continue to enforce, Father forgive them, they do not know
what they do. Jesus blood purchased the price for our sins,
sins past, sins present, and sins future.
Father forgive
them, Among the last words spoken by Jesus upon the cross is the
legacy which any person whose soul is in want can appropriate as his
or her own personal blessing and legacy, eternal life.
Who is Jesus? (Aside from being the Son of God) Jesus
was A Really Nice Guy
It
is written in the law of Moses that we should make no graven image.
Among all of the ten commandments this one may not lend itself readily
to application although the first references seem to figure in the
question of idolatry. I think, however, it has much more to apply
to our present knowledge or lack of knowledge about God. One of the
characteristics of human nature is to draw inferences and conclusions
based upon things we see with the natural eye. The life of God draws
its strength, faith, through not relying on the eye to inform or validate
our understanding. Portraits of God or Christ become in a real sense
a kind of icon. This icon restricts our knowledge of God's reality.
Throughout the nearly
two thousand years of Christian tradition we become the victims of
iconography, Icons which in some manner or another depict God or the
Son of God. Any of us who have ever been to a major museum have seen
depictions of Jesus Christ created during different historical eras.
The characteristics of portrayal is to make a presumptuous statement
about the personality, the humanity or the divinity of the subject
that is being portrayed. Iconography has colored our interpretation
of who Jesus is. Some of these images are very static with a very
narrow portrayal. A sense of Jesus Christ's humanity was not apparent
for centuries. When he was depicted by the first Christian artists
there was not a trace of life or humanity. For the period from the
4th century until the 14th, he was no more than an stylized icon,
lacking any features which would make him like us. Later, after the
fifteenth century, he was portrayed as very human in works by Rembrandt,
or Caravaggio, Rubens, and others. The point that I am making is in
respect to narrowness and misunderstanding of who Jesus was. Religious
traditions sometimes portray Jesus in such a narrow light that we
can not associate him in all of his attributes, human and divine.
The human quality
of Jesus needs to be preserved. I think the phrase "Jesus was a nice
guy," may strike a negative chord among some who are religious and
formalize so much of Christian life into liturgy. But I say it for
a reason. We need to de-mystify Jesus and make Jesus accessible to
people, especially in the now of the Gospel rather than the
then of religion. The Lord is not someone who placed himself
out of the reach of humanity.
To think of Jesus
as a friendly, loving and kindly person does not interfere with his
divinity nor his sovereignty.
There are other
aspects to Jesus too, as depicted by the Hebrew names of Jehovah:
Nissi, Tsidkenu, Rapha, Shamah, Jireh, Sabaoth, and numerous others,
as well as: the 'Righteous Judge', the 'Captain of the Army of God',
or as the 'Ancient of Days', and many other powerful and illuminating
titles. One day, we will all fall before Christ, the Righteous Judge.
But for now Jesus is still bringing gentle compassion, forgiveness,
restoration and blessing to those of us with a need. He is extending
a hand of friendship to those who need a friend.
Jesus' friendly
and compassionate personality is described as a friend to sinners,
one who went out of his way to meet and have fellowship with those
that the religious community had excluded (Matthew 9:10-13.) Jesus
was known to have been in the middle of fun and frolic where there
was feasting and drinking. He said of himself, that he was accused
of being a glutton and a wine bibber, but in spite of this Jesus,
declared that wisdom is known by her offspring. (Matthew 11:19
paraphrase).
ENCOUNTERS
WITH JESUS
Stories are numerous
where men or women of many sorts and levels of authority encountered
Jesus and were impacted by the Lord's presence or received mercy from
the Lord's hand or were touched by his words and compassion:
Individuals who he called to become his disciples
Nicodemus the religious Pharisee who came to inquire of the nature
of Jesus' teachings.
Zaccheus the publican; (described in Luke 19:2-10)
The Samaritan woman at the well of Sychar; (John 4:5-30).
The woman taken in adultery; (John 8:4-11).
Mary, a former prostitute anointed Jesus feet at the house of Simon
the leper; (Luke 7:37-47). Jesus
who consoled the man healed of blindness after the rulers of the temple
counselled tol expell him; (John 9).
The demon possessed man of the Gadarenes;
The Syro-Phoenician woman with the demon possessed child.
Mary, Martha and Lazarus friends Jesus loved. who Jesus visited at
the grave side of Lazarus and wept; (John 11).
The centurian who had the sick child who understood kingdom authority;
.
The Roman governor, Pontius Pilate. Saul of Tarsus; and others.
The
friendship factor as it pertains to the person of Jesus is something
that must not be lost. There is a proverb that states, There is a
friend that sticks closer than a brother. (Proverbs 18:24) This is
the love and friendship of Jesus Christ and Jesus who relgious men
labeled the "friend of sinners and tax collectors."
At there very moment, there are so many hurting, there are so many
who are bruised, and there are many needing a friend. The love and
power of the Spirit of Christ Jesus can supply this. It is a kind
of supernatural miracle that someone who needs and asks believing
can receive.
LITMUS TESTS TO TEST CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE
Your Religion May Not Meet these Criteria!
There are some indicators
which we can use in testing Christian beliefs and doctrines. Use these
to gauge when in doubt? Perhaps these are a little like the saying,
"trust your gut."
|
| If
we feel driven rather than led we can be pretty sure in
is not in accordance with the Gospel. It is not God's nature to
drive us. |
|
| If
we feel condemned rather than loved, we can be pretty sure
it is not God for God is merciful and full of compassion. If we
feel fearful rather than peaceful, we can be pretty sure
this is not God, for God has not given us the spirit of fear. |
|
| If
we feel threatened with consequences rather than encouraged,
we can be pretty sure it is not God, for God did not send His
son to condemn the world but to save it. |
Since we are
promoting a doctrine which is based upon Jesus the Messiah, Church
Doctrine needs to conform to foundational Biblical standards, and
not a system of human understandings or philosophy, it would be
appropriate and good to go back to the ministry which he himself
practiced and defined. What kind of ministry was it? How was it
enacted or exercised? If we need a point of reference, we need to
compare the person to person ministry and relationships to people
that Jesus modeled, for these are the model not only of spiritual
fellowship, but also loving service.
The universal view that God is in every person and only needs to
be actualized, is not Biblical. Man is not a divine race but a fallen
race. All Human lives require the work of redemption through faith
in the Redeemer.
False
Prophets in the Last Days
Matt.7:15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's
clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. 16 Ye shall
know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs
of thistles?
Matt 24:11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive
many.
I think
it is time to tune up our discernment as the final days approach.
It has always been a quirk of human nature to be misled. Charismatic
leaders both Christian and Non Christian rise up and deceive many.
The problem with making judgments is that we have our eyes on Religion,
men or ministries more than our eyes upon Jesus who is the author
and finisher of our faith. 2Cor11:19,20
Paul Addresses the problem of false prophets and apostles "-- For
ye suffer fools gladly, seeing ye yourselves are wise. "For
ye suffer, if a man bring you into bondage, if a man devour you, if
a man take of you, if a man exalt himself, if a man smite you on the
face."
Evangelicals
are typically guarded toward anything that expresses a "spiritual"
manifestation, for fear that it is demonic or out of order. They "resist
the Holy Spirit" as Stephen declared to the Religious leaders who
stoned him calling him an apostate. Their discernment was totally
inaccurate!
Charismatics,
on the other hand, may allow Spiritual manifestation but have difficulty
discerning that which is Soulish and that which is Spirit. High emotion
or energy has come to become itself an indicator of Spirituality.
However, Spirit is not of the mind or emotion though it may be viewed
as very emotive.
THE
PERSON, PRACTICES AND CHARACTER OF JESUS ARE THE GAUGE OF THE AUTHENTIC
1. Meekness of Character:
Jesus
and the True Apostles must always be the role model to emulate and
in character and behavior. Paul's letter to Ephesus, in Chapter 4
indicates that we one day grow and mature into a perfect man in the
exact facsimile of Jesus Christ. This is a key Scripture!. Jesus declares
in Matthew
11:29, 29 " -- Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I
am meek and lowly in heart:' and " 10:1 Now I Paul myself beseech
you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, who in presence am base
among you, but being absent am bold toward you:" 2Cor 10:1
2.
Denying self and taking up the cross:
Any
person who becomes a big name or a superstar in the church world,
a kind of spiritual idol is quickly on the road of becoming a false
prophet or false teacher. Jesus corrected the early disciples who
he sent to minister in "his name" they came back full of self exaltation,
Luke 10:20 Notwithstanding in this, rejoice not, that the spirits
are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written
in heaven. Jesus took the focus off themselves. They had at last learned
their lesson by the time Peter and John met the crippled man at the
Gate: Acts 3:12 And when Peter saw it, he answered unto the
people, Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? or why look ye so
earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made
this man to walk?
3:
Selling out to the world and FAME or name --The error of Balaam
Balaam
was a false prophet sited through out scripture as one who "sold out"
to the pagan world system. He was willing sell his gift for gain and
bring a curse to the people of God. NT writings remind of this danger.
Peter, (2Peter 2:15)Jude and the Revelation.
Jude
11 Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and
ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in
the gainsaying of Core. Revelation 2:14 " -- But I have a few
things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine
of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumbling block before the children
of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.
Gainsaying of Core refers to a leader of Israel who
always was jealous of Moses' authority and contended to usurp Moses'
leadership. Moses, was called 'the meekest man on earth' and Core
probably assumed that he was much more dynamic and qualified for leadership.
He contended for authority that was not given to him. He finally
was swallowed up by "Hell."
4.
False prophets bring in Doctrines of Demons
Any
of the varieties and flavors of worldly behaviors or motivations which
are not governed by the meekness and gentleness of Christ and Jesus'
selfless love of . There is a list of behaviors called the works of
the flesh probably* are demonically inspired. Galatians 5: 19
Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery,
fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath,
strife, seditions, heresies, 21
Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the
which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that
they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
*James 3:14,
15 (14 But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts,
glory not, and lie not against the truth. 15 This wisdom descendeth
not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish -demonic-.)
The Gospel Without
Religion
Knowledge
makes arrogant, love edifies."
©1995-2023
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