God desires to bring all Christians into maturity in Christ so that the Church of Jesus Christ on earth might come to the fullness of the stature of Jesus Christ. We have been anointed by God in our immaturity but now God is developing within us the very character and the very nature of Jesus and bring us to a place of final fullness.
There are steps we need to follow and we are going to follow the steps of the Biblical character Abraham. In fact it is scriptural that we walk in the steps of the faith of our father abraham (Romans 4:12). Abraham was called "our father", referring primarily to the Jews' natural and physical descent from Abraham. But according to Romans 4:11, Abraham was also called "The father of all those who believe".
Abraham's name means, in the Hebrew language, "the father of multitudes" and God was preparing him to reach the multitudes. God is also preparing us for the same thing - preparing us for the end time harvest where multitudes of soul are going to be brought into the Kingdom of God.
Jesus Himself said, "The harvest is the end of the age" (Matt. 13:39). I believe God is preparing us for something far greater that we are able to imagine.
Abraham's journey to Canaan
Let us take Genesis 12:7 as our foundation text. When Abraham was somewhere between Bethel and Ai the Lord appeared to him, "To your descendants I will give this land" (Gen 12:7, NKJV). The very first thing that Abraham did when God appeared to him was to build an altar. He built an altar first and after building his altar then only he pitched his tent. And then he built another altar to the Lord and called on the Name of the Lord (V.8).
Many Christians get things the wrong way round. We tend to pitch our tent and get involved, perhaps in a Local Church somewhere, without first dedicating our lives fully and completely to the Lord. But the Biblical pattern is to first all dedicate yourself fully to the Lord, build your alter as a confirmative symbolic gesture in the presence of the Lord and then pitch your tent.
Abraham pitched his tent with Bethel in the west and Ai on the east. Bethel means the house of God which speaks of union and communion with Jesus Christ. When you and I come spiritually to Bethel we come into the house of the Lord, a place of union and communion with Christ.
Ai means, in the Hebrew language, a pile of stones or a heap of ruins. God was telling Abraham that unless he allows God to take a hold of him and to do with him what God wanted to do with him, he would end his days as a believer nothing more than a heap of ruins. But as Abraham moved toward Bethel from Ai he decided to yield himself to the Lord and allowed Him to do whatever the Lord wanted him to do. At Bethel the Lord took Abraham, as a living stone (1 Peter 2:5) on a pile of living stones and built them together with other living stones.
A believer in Jesus is just a living stone among a pile of living stones. Some of us are livelier than others but we are all living stones. But God does not want us to stay as living stones. He wants to build us together into Bethel that He Himself would come and fill us with the fullness of His Spirit so that we can reach out to touch the lives of the multitude.
Paul said, "... having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit" (Eph. 2:20 - 22, NKJV).
Biblical Separations
Before God allowed Abraham to reach Canaan, the Promised Land, God required Abraham to make six separations.
God also requires you and I to make some separations in our lives before He is going to bring us to a place of fullness in God. None of us like to separate ourselves from things, even from certain people - especially from things we loved and from people we loved. Separation will hurt us but it will never harm us. When God calls you to separate yourself from something He always has something far more wonderful for you to be separated unto. That is the glorious thing about Biblical separations. It is on one hand separation from and on the other hand separation unto. God has something more wonderful to you and I to be separated unto.
Notice that in the Old Testament there are gems of truth hidden in the names of people and places. For example the place Canaan, in the Hebrew languae, means "To bend the knees" which speaks of submission to God. Coming into Canaan, the Promised Land, means submission to God and coming into our inheritance in God.
There are many people in Church life today who are anything but submission to the will of God. There are many Christians who have never bent the knee of their heart and consecrate their life fully to the Lord.
We often heard people said that Abraham didn't know where he was going, and many of us are just like Abraham for we don't have a clue where we are going. But my Bible tells me in Hebrews 11:8 that Abraham did know where he was going. He was headed towards Canaan but he didn't know every step he was going to take along the way. Similarly we know where we are going but we don't know every step as yet that we are going to take in order to possess our inheritance in Christ. But if we follow the leading of God's Spirit, God will bring us into what Canaan represents - into a real place of submission to Him where we yield to Him so that He can lead us on into the fullness of His purpose for us.
First Separation - The world system
The first place that Abraham moved from was Ur of the Chaldeans (Gen. 11:31). In those days Ur was a very powerful and worldly city quite similar to Babylon. The moment God called Abraham he began his journey from Ur. Similarly the moment the Lord calls us we have to begin our journey away from the world sytem.
Peter said, "Be saved from this perverse generation" (Acts 2:40).
Ur to us represents the perverse generation. If we are in bondage under the corruption of the world system and we allow it to lay heavily upon our lives we will never be able to move on into what God has for us. Someone said, "We are in the world but we are not of the world". If we love the world, the love of the Father is not in us (1 John 2:15). If we do not love God the Father how are we going to inherit what He has for us?
Second Separation - Bondage of delay
Abraham's journey to Canaan was stalled in Haren (Gen. 11:31). Haren, in the Hebrew language means "half way".
Many Christians make a good beginning on the things of God but somehow there comes a time they feel that they just can't go any further. God is bringing us to a place where He has us stay for a period of time, spiritually, while certain things are being formed into our lives that will enable us to be more effective as we take the next step.
Abraham could only get as far as Haran and he had to stay there for a period of time until his father Terah died. Terah, the Hebrew language, means "delay". Abraham's father did not have the call of God upon his life. However Abraham had a very specific call - to come into Ganaan and God is going to make him a father of multitudes. In Abraham's time, the custom of the day was, the eldest son was given the responsibility to look after his aged parents. He had a divine responsibility toward his father Terah, to look after him until he died.
Similarly it is quite possible that you and I also have to wait because of our divine responsibilities. You might want to go out and do something for God but right now you have the responsibility in your family, in you business, or certain responsibility in the Chruch that have to be fulfilled before you can be released. But you can be sure that God is a master at removing delay at the right moment. But during the waiting time He is forming something precious into our character and into our nature.
The Charismatic movement had been arrested for a number of years until God formed the right character in his people. God wants us not only to be men and women of charisma; He wants us to be men and women of character. He wants a balance in His people - Charisma with character. God always bring about the delay for a right purpose.
Third Separation - Carnality
In Genesis 13 God called Abraham to separat from his nephew Lot. Lot was a righteous man according to the Bible because he believed in God. But the Bible also tells us that Lot was a carnal and fleshly man. He was also selfish and had his eyes on the things he wanted for himself. But Lod finished his life dwelling in a cave, a very restricted place (Gen. 19:30).
There are a lot of Christians who are like Lot today - righteous on one hand because they believed in God. But on the other hand they are very carnal and fleshly. They pitched their tents in the wrong direction and end up like Lot dwelling, spiritually, in a restricted place. When you are moving all the time with people who are like Lot you will find they will hinder you from moving on into all that God has for you - even to enlarge your tent. We must reach out for the things that God has for our lives even if it means separation from people like Lot.
But Abraham was not like Lot and he had a generous spirit. He allowed Lot to choose whatever he wanted (Gen. 13). Abraham trusted God and God looked after him. After Lot had separated from him, God showed him the land he and his descendants would possess forever (Gen. 13:14 -18). Abraham built an altar at Mamre and dwelled there. Mamre means firmness, durability and stability.
Forth Separation - Personal rights
Lot and his people were taken captive by evil kings (Gen. 14:12). When Abraham heard about it he armed his 318 trained servants went and pursued these evil kings and released Lot and his poeple. Abraham had a good and unselfish spirit. He separated from Lot because of the call of God. But he loved Lot and concerned about him.
Wouldn't it be wonderful in our Churches when we see some of our brothers taken captive by the enemy and they went into a period of backsliding and we would together move out against the enemy and release them from the grasp of the evil one.
In those days when a king was defeated he must surrender all his people and goods to the one who defeated him. The king of Sodom offered Abraham the goods (spoils).
But Abraham said, "I will take nothing, from a thread to a sandal strp, and that I will not take anything that is your, less you say, 'I have made Abram rich'" (Gen. 14:23).
Abraham was separated from his rights.
Fifth Separation - Products of the flesh
God was getting Abraham to have a son, from his own body to be his heir (Gen. 15:1 - 4). Abraham knew what God wanted but he moved in the flesh and tried to make it into existence. Abraham didn't wait but moved in the flesh and the product was Ishmael. Ishmael means "trouble maker". Later on when Ishmael was growing up Isaac was born. When Isaac was a little lad playing out in the field Ishmael was found taunting Isaac. Abraham realized that in order to have peace to come into his home he had to get rid of Ishmael. The Bible tells us that Abraham love Ishmael even though he was a son of the flesh. Isaac alone was the son of promise.
In Church life many Ishmaels have been created. God wants us to bring forth Isaac and not Ishmael. Sometimes our Ishmael can be in the areas of our talent, abilities and strength. When we move in the realm of our natural strength, talent and ability to produce something for God, we end up building something for ourselves. Many Churches are caught up in kingdom building and that is building something for ourselves independent of God. God does not want us to spend our time to develop our own ministry, but He wants us to pour our lives into other God's people and to develop their ministries and to release them to the purposes of God.
Abraham did exactly that when he sacrifice Isaac, his only son, for the purpose of God in the next and final separation.
Final Separation - The love of your life
Genesis 22 tells the story of Abraham's separation from Isaac, the love of his life. Abraham hated the sin of disobedience to God's Word more that he loved his only son. At this stage in time, Abraham would be 120 years of age and Isaac would be 20 years of age. Isaac also submitted to the will of God because there was never a word of complaint when his father laid him on the altar. Abraham was fully prepared to separate himself even from that which was holy to God.
In your case it might be your ministry, might be some particular possession that has taken first place in your life. But God wants us to lay the love of our life down.
God saw Abraham was so totally obedient that he was stopped from killing Isaac. He didn't want to take Isaac but He brought Abraham to a place where he was willing to separate himself even from the love of his life. God didn't remove His blessing from Abraham as he might have thought. Instead God blessed him so much that his descendants would be as the stars of heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore. Notice that stars speak of spiritual seed and sand speak of natural see. So Abraham and his descendants were blessed with 100-fold blessing both physically and spiritually.
You can find the evidence in Genesis 26 concerning Isaac:
"Then Isaac sowed in that land, and reaped in the same year a hundredfold; and the Lord blessed him" (Gen. 26:12, NKJV, emphasis added).
Abraham, by faith, walked up the same mountain where 2000 years later Jesus walked up and died in your place and my place. We need to know the beating of God's heart and to understand what is God after. God is raising up a company of people who are sons and daughters of promise, who are walking in the step of the faith of Abraham. Just like Isaac they are totally submitted to God in every area of their lives; they will go forth to sow and reap up to 100-fold within the same year until they come in the fullness of the stature of Christ.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Power of a Servant
We all know that there are four gospels - Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Each of the gospel writers gives us a different picture of the work and ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Bible reveals that the gospel writers had taken as their theme the four living creatures that we read of in the first Chapter of Ezekiel. These living creatures have been spoken of as servants of God. Each of the living creatures had four faces - the face of a man, the face of a lion, the face of an ox and the face of an eagle.
When Matthew writes concerning Jesus he takes the picture of a lion, the king of beast. Therefore Matthew presents Jesus a the King, the Messiah and the King of the Jews. When Mark writes concerning Jesus he takes the picture of an ox which is an animal that represents servant hood. Luke gives to us the picture of the face of a man; he presents Jesus to us as the Son of man. John gives to us the picture of the face of an eagle. In Scripture the eagle is the symbol of the Son of God. In the realm of plural, all believers in Christ are sons of God and God expects all sons of God be His servants.
The Power of God in His Servant
If you make a careful study of the gospel according to Mark you will realize that it records more miracles in the life and ministry of Jesus than all of the other gospels. And yet in the gospel of Mark we simply see Jesus functioning daily as a servant of God. As you follow His life through the gospel of Mark you will see the power of God being released through Jesus, the Servant of God.
A lot of Christians don't realy want to serve but to be served. The truth is that if we all become servants, if we make ourselves servants for the kingdom of God's sake we are going to see the power of God released through our lives just like it was released through the life of Jesus when He walked on this earth about 2000 years ago. In Philippians, Paul said that Jesus made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men (Phil. 2:7). Yet today we are so concerned about our reputation.
Commitment of a true servant of God
Jesus said, "No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God" (Luke 9:62, NKJV).
A true Christian is also a true servant of God. After you have been in Church for some time serving the Lord and you have been sitting under the ministry of a matureed Christian, a Pastor or a teacher of Scripture; or you have been studying the Bible for some time, then all of a sudden something has been quickened to you in your spirit and you know that this is a vision of God for you. What would you do then?
When we commit ourselves to the vision that God has for us or for our family or for our Local Church, we are literally putting our hands upon the plow. But one of the sad things today in Church life is that many never put their hands on the plow; they never commit themselves to the vision of the Local Church. They go to Church, they sing the songs, they listen to the messages, but whenever they begin to think of the plow, they think of work. And not everybody wants to work.
God wants us to fully identify with the work of the Lord and commit ourselves to it. To put our hands on the plow means fully committed to the work of the Lord. Spiritually the plow signifies vision and the purpose of the plow is the harvest. If a farmer does not plow and does not sow seed, how is he going to get the harvest? If we are aware of this, then we will not be too concerned with the work that we might have to do because we know that if we become involed in the work of the Lord, in God's perfect timing there will be a great harvest!
The commitment of Elisha (1 Kings 19:19 - 21)
Elijah, a prophet of God found a young man Elisha plowing in a field with 12 yoke of oxen before him - which indicates that Elisha came from a wealthy family. Elijah identified himself with Elisha and threw his mantle on him. Immediately Elisha was ready to take his hands off the natural plow and put his hands on the spiritual plow, the plow of God, and followed Elijah. Notice that when he literally put his hand on the plow of God he never looked back. If you follow the story (2 Kings 2) the young Elisha followed Elijah from Gilgal to Bethel, to Jericho and went right through the Jordon River. And finally Elisha received the double portion of the Spirit upon his life.
Elijah was a type of the Lord Jesus Christ. Eisha was a type of your life and my life. If you take your hands off the plow and look back Jesus says you are not fit for the kingdom of God.
Joel said, "The land is like the Garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness" (Joel 2:3, NKJV).
So, if you and I take our hands off the plow of God and look back and go back into our old lives we are going to experience desolate wilderness. Therefore let us keep committed to the vision as servants of the most high God.
A time of waiting
God has planted a seed within us and that seed is His Son. If you take a natural seed and plant it on the ground that seed is not going to burst forth into fruit the next morning. It is going to take a period of time before that seed springs out of the earth, first the blades, then the ears and finally the full corn.
Spiritually it is the same with the things of God. When God has a Word spoken to you over your life concerning your ministry in the future that will not become a reality immediately, but there will be a time of waiting - sometimes many years. But we have to be faithful to the vision of God during that time of waiting. First the dirt of the earth will be moved before the blades come forth. This dirt speaks of the things that happen in your life that seem contrary to the purposes of God. But if you are committed to the vision and keep your hand on the plow, even though the dirt will be turned, in God's perfect timing there will be a bursting forth of that vision in you life.
Even Jesus had to wait until He was 30 years of age before He came into the fullness of His ministry. He received the Word from His Father but He had to wait.
God promised to give Abraham a son (Gen. 15:4) and so Abraham waited. In fact he waited 12 years and that promise had not burst forth into reality. But Abraham moved in the flesh to try to "help" God and Ishmael was born. This is a lesson to us - whenever you move in the flesh the product is Ishmael. God knows how many Ishmaels the Church brought forth!
Benefits of the servants of God
1. God will not forget the servant of the Lord
"Remember these, O Jacob, and Israel, for you are My servant; O Israel, you will not be forgotten by Me" (Isaiah 44:21)!
Jacob was chosen and loved by God. But Jacob was a trickster. Later on he was transformed by God and was given a new name Israel, which means "a prince of God". Jacob speaks of our old nature (the old man). God wants to change us from a Jacob into an Israel. A servant of God is chosen by the Lord.
The servant of God like Israel will never be forgotten by God. A lot of Christians in our Churches feel that God has forgotten all about them and many of them are becoming discouraged and unsatisfied because their dreams and visions are unfulfilled. The way to become satisfied and fulfilled and to be free from any discouragement is to have the inner knowledge that you will never be forgotten by God because you are His servant.
2. God confirms the word of His servant
"Who confirms the word of His servant, and performs the counsel of His messengers; who says to Jerusalem 'You shall be inhabitted,' to the cities of Judah, 'you shall be built.' And I will raise up her waste places" (Isaiah 44:26).
God will not confirm the words spoken by everyone but He will confirm the words of His servants. In Old Testament time God said Jerusalem would be inhabited. Now, He is saying that He will build His Church and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it (Matt. 16:18).
God is going to have a company of servants who will deal with the wasted lives of the people who will be set free by the power of God in His servants.
3. God enables His servant to walk in darkness
"Who among you fears the Lord? Who obeys the voice of His Servant? Who walks in darkness and has no light? Let him trust in the name of the Lord and rely upon his God" (Isaiah 50:1).
A Christian may find himself at a stage of his life in a situation of darkness and he does not know what to do. But a true servant of God will be able to walk in the darkness without any light simply because he trusts in the Lord and leans upon his God. There are treasures in darkness and the deep things of God are always found in darkness.
"I will give you the treasures of darkness and hidden riches of secret places, that you may know that I, the Lord, who call you by your name, ..."(Isaiah 45:3).
The economies of the world are being shaken right now. We are encountering world shortage of certain food items like rice, flour and dairy products and the like. In the years ahead we might be going through some dark and difficult times. But the servants of God will be able to walk on in the darkness if they trust in the Lord and lean on Him!
4. God protects His servants
"No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against you in judgment you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is from Me" (Isaiah 54:17).
The above promise of God is not given to any believer in Christ. Only true servants of the Lord can claim it.
Amazing revelation the the life of Jesus Christ
From the writers of the four gospels we are told how Jesus was born; how He was circumscised and presented in the temple on the 8th day (Luke 2:21, 22); how He could speak the Word of God very powerfully and confounded the religious leaders of His days at the age of 12 (Luke 2:46, 47). But you will not read about the life of Jesus between the age of 12 and the age of 30. The New Testament tells us absolutely nothing concerning His life. Theologians call it the 18 silent year in the life of Jesus.
Amazingly, the Old Testament gives us a picture prophetically what was happening. Isaih 49 depicts Jesus as the Servant of God and reveals the stages of development that He went through during His natural life when He was here on earth.
Jesus went through two stages of development
1. Jesus was hidden by God the Father during the polishing process
"And He has made My mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of His hand He has hidden Me, and made Me a polished shaft; in His quiver He has hidden Me. And He said to me, 'You are My servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified'" (Isaiah 49:2, 3, NKJV).
Here are some statements of truth
1. God made Jesus' mouth like a sharp sword. Sword speaks of the Word of God, the sword of the Spirit.
2. For the next 18 years He was hidden in the shadow of God's Hand. That is the reason why the New Testament writers heard nothing about Jesus until He was 30 years of age.
3. The Father made Jesus a polished shaft which is an arrow. Jesus went through the polishing process and the Father kept Him in the quiver until He was at the age of 30.
4. At the age of 30 the Father picked up the arrow, put Him in His bow and shot Him into flight. Jesus was in flight for 3 and half years and hit the bull's eyes every time.
5. You and I have to go through the same sort of polishing process as God prepares us for our future ministries.
2. Jesus committed His work and ministry to God
"Then I said, 'I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for nothing and in vain; yet surely my just reward is with the Lord, and my work with my God'" (Isaiah 49:4).
Before Jesus went the way to Calvary He spent 3 and a half years pouring His life out toward His disciples. But at the end they were all fighting among themselves as who was to be the greatest! Not one of them had learned to serve. They all left Him and turned away from Him before His crucifixion. Can you imagine how Jesus must have felt as He said, "I have labored in vain?" Yet He trusted the Father and committed His work and ministry to Him as He said something like this - "I am going to leave my work with my God".
This situation is vey real in the Local Church. Some of you might have been in the leadership of your Church for some time. And you have poured out your life as a faithful servant as you ministered to the people you loved. Several of them might not have appreciated your work and even turned their backs on you. It is possible that you have the same thought of Jesus and said, "I have labored in vain". Shouldn't we continue to serve and leave our work with our God as Jesus did? I believe one day you will hear these words from the Lord:
"Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things. Enter into the joy of your Lord" (Matt. 25:23).
The Bible reveals that the gospel writers had taken as their theme the four living creatures that we read of in the first Chapter of Ezekiel. These living creatures have been spoken of as servants of God. Each of the living creatures had four faces - the face of a man, the face of a lion, the face of an ox and the face of an eagle.
When Matthew writes concerning Jesus he takes the picture of a lion, the king of beast. Therefore Matthew presents Jesus a the King, the Messiah and the King of the Jews. When Mark writes concerning Jesus he takes the picture of an ox which is an animal that represents servant hood. Luke gives to us the picture of the face of a man; he presents Jesus to us as the Son of man. John gives to us the picture of the face of an eagle. In Scripture the eagle is the symbol of the Son of God. In the realm of plural, all believers in Christ are sons of God and God expects all sons of God be His servants.
The Power of God in His Servant
If you make a careful study of the gospel according to Mark you will realize that it records more miracles in the life and ministry of Jesus than all of the other gospels. And yet in the gospel of Mark we simply see Jesus functioning daily as a servant of God. As you follow His life through the gospel of Mark you will see the power of God being released through Jesus, the Servant of God.
A lot of Christians don't realy want to serve but to be served. The truth is that if we all become servants, if we make ourselves servants for the kingdom of God's sake we are going to see the power of God released through our lives just like it was released through the life of Jesus when He walked on this earth about 2000 years ago. In Philippians, Paul said that Jesus made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men (Phil. 2:7). Yet today we are so concerned about our reputation.
Commitment of a true servant of God
Jesus said, "No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God" (Luke 9:62, NKJV).
A true Christian is also a true servant of God. After you have been in Church for some time serving the Lord and you have been sitting under the ministry of a matureed Christian, a Pastor or a teacher of Scripture; or you have been studying the Bible for some time, then all of a sudden something has been quickened to you in your spirit and you know that this is a vision of God for you. What would you do then?
When we commit ourselves to the vision that God has for us or for our family or for our Local Church, we are literally putting our hands upon the plow. But one of the sad things today in Church life is that many never put their hands on the plow; they never commit themselves to the vision of the Local Church. They go to Church, they sing the songs, they listen to the messages, but whenever they begin to think of the plow, they think of work. And not everybody wants to work.
God wants us to fully identify with the work of the Lord and commit ourselves to it. To put our hands on the plow means fully committed to the work of the Lord. Spiritually the plow signifies vision and the purpose of the plow is the harvest. If a farmer does not plow and does not sow seed, how is he going to get the harvest? If we are aware of this, then we will not be too concerned with the work that we might have to do because we know that if we become involed in the work of the Lord, in God's perfect timing there will be a great harvest!
The commitment of Elisha (1 Kings 19:19 - 21)
Elijah, a prophet of God found a young man Elisha plowing in a field with 12 yoke of oxen before him - which indicates that Elisha came from a wealthy family. Elijah identified himself with Elisha and threw his mantle on him. Immediately Elisha was ready to take his hands off the natural plow and put his hands on the spiritual plow, the plow of God, and followed Elijah. Notice that when he literally put his hand on the plow of God he never looked back. If you follow the story (2 Kings 2) the young Elisha followed Elijah from Gilgal to Bethel, to Jericho and went right through the Jordon River. And finally Elisha received the double portion of the Spirit upon his life.
Elijah was a type of the Lord Jesus Christ. Eisha was a type of your life and my life. If you take your hands off the plow and look back Jesus says you are not fit for the kingdom of God.
Joel said, "The land is like the Garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness" (Joel 2:3, NKJV).
So, if you and I take our hands off the plow of God and look back and go back into our old lives we are going to experience desolate wilderness. Therefore let us keep committed to the vision as servants of the most high God.
A time of waiting
God has planted a seed within us and that seed is His Son. If you take a natural seed and plant it on the ground that seed is not going to burst forth into fruit the next morning. It is going to take a period of time before that seed springs out of the earth, first the blades, then the ears and finally the full corn.
Spiritually it is the same with the things of God. When God has a Word spoken to you over your life concerning your ministry in the future that will not become a reality immediately, but there will be a time of waiting - sometimes many years. But we have to be faithful to the vision of God during that time of waiting. First the dirt of the earth will be moved before the blades come forth. This dirt speaks of the things that happen in your life that seem contrary to the purposes of God. But if you are committed to the vision and keep your hand on the plow, even though the dirt will be turned, in God's perfect timing there will be a bursting forth of that vision in you life.
Even Jesus had to wait until He was 30 years of age before He came into the fullness of His ministry. He received the Word from His Father but He had to wait.
God promised to give Abraham a son (Gen. 15:4) and so Abraham waited. In fact he waited 12 years and that promise had not burst forth into reality. But Abraham moved in the flesh to try to "help" God and Ishmael was born. This is a lesson to us - whenever you move in the flesh the product is Ishmael. God knows how many Ishmaels the Church brought forth!
Benefits of the servants of God
1. God will not forget the servant of the Lord
"Remember these, O Jacob, and Israel, for you are My servant; O Israel, you will not be forgotten by Me" (Isaiah 44:21)!
Jacob was chosen and loved by God. But Jacob was a trickster. Later on he was transformed by God and was given a new name Israel, which means "a prince of God". Jacob speaks of our old nature (the old man). God wants to change us from a Jacob into an Israel. A servant of God is chosen by the Lord.
The servant of God like Israel will never be forgotten by God. A lot of Christians in our Churches feel that God has forgotten all about them and many of them are becoming discouraged and unsatisfied because their dreams and visions are unfulfilled. The way to become satisfied and fulfilled and to be free from any discouragement is to have the inner knowledge that you will never be forgotten by God because you are His servant.
2. God confirms the word of His servant
"Who confirms the word of His servant, and performs the counsel of His messengers; who says to Jerusalem 'You shall be inhabitted,' to the cities of Judah, 'you shall be built.' And I will raise up her waste places" (Isaiah 44:26).
God will not confirm the words spoken by everyone but He will confirm the words of His servants. In Old Testament time God said Jerusalem would be inhabited. Now, He is saying that He will build His Church and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it (Matt. 16:18).
God is going to have a company of servants who will deal with the wasted lives of the people who will be set free by the power of God in His servants.
3. God enables His servant to walk in darkness
"Who among you fears the Lord? Who obeys the voice of His Servant? Who walks in darkness and has no light? Let him trust in the name of the Lord and rely upon his God" (Isaiah 50:1).
A Christian may find himself at a stage of his life in a situation of darkness and he does not know what to do. But a true servant of God will be able to walk in the darkness without any light simply because he trusts in the Lord and leans upon his God. There are treasures in darkness and the deep things of God are always found in darkness.
"I will give you the treasures of darkness and hidden riches of secret places, that you may know that I, the Lord, who call you by your name, ..."(Isaiah 45:3).
The economies of the world are being shaken right now. We are encountering world shortage of certain food items like rice, flour and dairy products and the like. In the years ahead we might be going through some dark and difficult times. But the servants of God will be able to walk on in the darkness if they trust in the Lord and lean on Him!
4. God protects His servants
"No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against you in judgment you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is from Me" (Isaiah 54:17).
The above promise of God is not given to any believer in Christ. Only true servants of the Lord can claim it.
Amazing revelation the the life of Jesus Christ
From the writers of the four gospels we are told how Jesus was born; how He was circumscised and presented in the temple on the 8th day (Luke 2:21, 22); how He could speak the Word of God very powerfully and confounded the religious leaders of His days at the age of 12 (Luke 2:46, 47). But you will not read about the life of Jesus between the age of 12 and the age of 30. The New Testament tells us absolutely nothing concerning His life. Theologians call it the 18 silent year in the life of Jesus.
Amazingly, the Old Testament gives us a picture prophetically what was happening. Isaih 49 depicts Jesus as the Servant of God and reveals the stages of development that He went through during His natural life when He was here on earth.
Jesus went through two stages of development
1. Jesus was hidden by God the Father during the polishing process
"And He has made My mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of His hand He has hidden Me, and made Me a polished shaft; in His quiver He has hidden Me. And He said to me, 'You are My servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified'" (Isaiah 49:2, 3, NKJV).
Here are some statements of truth
1. God made Jesus' mouth like a sharp sword. Sword speaks of the Word of God, the sword of the Spirit.
2. For the next 18 years He was hidden in the shadow of God's Hand. That is the reason why the New Testament writers heard nothing about Jesus until He was 30 years of age.
3. The Father made Jesus a polished shaft which is an arrow. Jesus went through the polishing process and the Father kept Him in the quiver until He was at the age of 30.
4. At the age of 30 the Father picked up the arrow, put Him in His bow and shot Him into flight. Jesus was in flight for 3 and half years and hit the bull's eyes every time.
5. You and I have to go through the same sort of polishing process as God prepares us for our future ministries.
2. Jesus committed His work and ministry to God
"Then I said, 'I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for nothing and in vain; yet surely my just reward is with the Lord, and my work with my God'" (Isaiah 49:4).
Before Jesus went the way to Calvary He spent 3 and a half years pouring His life out toward His disciples. But at the end they were all fighting among themselves as who was to be the greatest! Not one of them had learned to serve. They all left Him and turned away from Him before His crucifixion. Can you imagine how Jesus must have felt as He said, "I have labored in vain?" Yet He trusted the Father and committed His work and ministry to Him as He said something like this - "I am going to leave my work with my God".
This situation is vey real in the Local Church. Some of you might have been in the leadership of your Church for some time. And you have poured out your life as a faithful servant as you ministered to the people you loved. Several of them might not have appreciated your work and even turned their backs on you. It is possible that you have the same thought of Jesus and said, "I have labored in vain". Shouldn't we continue to serve and leave our work with our God as Jesus did? I believe one day you will hear these words from the Lord:
"Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things. Enter into the joy of your Lord" (Matt. 25:23).
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
A Teacher of Scripture
My reader may wish to refer to my earlier message: "The Goal of Our Instruction". Like many of my most recent messages I am also receiving greater revelation in this message. I praise and thank the Lord for revealing to me what it takes to be a true teacher of the Scripture.
A teacher of Scripture (or Bible doctrine) is one of the five ministries which have been set forth by Jesus Christ in the Church for the up building of the whole body of Christ which is the Church.
Paul said, "And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; ..."Ephesians 4:11, KJV, emphasis added).
Purposes of the Church building ministries
Ephesians 4:1 - 16 lays the foundation of the Church building ministries of which the teaching of Scripture plays a major role. Let us consider, briefly, the basis of these ministries:
1. Character requirement of spiritual leaders
"I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthery of the vocation wherewith ye are called, with all lowliness of meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; ..." (Eph. 4:1, 2, KJV, emphasis added).
The basic character requirement for believers who are receiving and applying the truth which is unfolded in the rest of Chapter 4 is described in one word "humility" - lowliness, meekness, longsuffering, forbearance and love. Jesus, the perfect Servant, was a perfect example (Verses 9, 10). Jesus went as low as He could go before He was promoted and exalted to glory.
2. Unity of the the body of Christ
"Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all" (Eph. 4:3 - 6, KJV, emphasis added).
The seven elements of unity are:
1. One body - All those who are united by the Holy Spirit to Jesus Christ and to one another in Christ.
2. One Spirit - All filled with the Holy Spirit.
3. One hope - All the good that lies ahead for every child of God. Hope is always points to the future.
4. One Lord - The Lord Jesus.
5. One faith - All believe the Bible.
6. One baptism - All identified with Jesus Christ in death, burial and resurrection.
7. One Father - The Father of our Lord Jesus Christ from whom every fatherhood, heavenly or earthly derives its Name (Eph. 3:15).
3. Diversity in ministries of the body of Christ
"But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ, wherefore he saith, when he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. Ane he gave some, apostle; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; ..." (Eph. 4:7, 8, 11, KJV, emphasis added).
Here are some statements of truth:
1. Each of the five different ministries is given according to the measure of the gift of Christ. In other words, when the Ministry of Christ manifests through a believer, that believer receives the ministry.
2. Christ is the perfect pattern of all five ministries. If a man is called to be a Pastor (or Shepherd) then it is Christ, the perfect Shepherd, continuing and extending His Shepherd Ministry through that man that makes that man a Pastor. Similarly, a man is called to be a teacher of Scripture then it is Christ the perfect Teacher continuing and extending His Teaching Ministry through that man that makes that man a teacher of Scripture.
3. If all the five ministries are functioning as they should in the body of Christ, then collectively the body of Christ can continue the Ministry of Jesus as He Himself continued when He was on earth. Then the body of Christ, the Church, can go on doing on earth in ministry exactly what Jesus did while He was on earth. That is God's divine intention!
4. Main function and purpose of ministries
"For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ" (Eph. 4:12).
The main function is to equip saints (Christians) to do the work of the ministry and not to produce perfect saint. In other words, the five ministries do not do it all but they equip each of the believers to do his part of the job. The main purpose is to equip the believers to do their work themselves and the second purpose is for the building up, spiritually, of the total body of Christ.
The is very different from the accepted picture of the contemporary Local Church where you will find a professional minister who is paid to do the job of preaching and teaching and the churchgoers are expected sit quietly and endure by listening to these well prepared and well paid professionals.
I believe people who are most successful in their ministries are those who can move on and leave the believers to carry on to do what they have been taught to do without the help of the professionals. Leaders have got to get people away from their dependence on a human ministry. The real test of a successful ministry is what happens when it is withdrawn!
5. The goal of ministries
"Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the statue of the fullness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with ever wind of doctrine, by the sleight (trickery) of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; ..." (Eph. 4:13, 14, KJV, emphasis added).
Here are some statements of truth:
1. The word "till" indicates the goal to which we are moving - toward the unity of faith in maturity and cease to be baby Christians.
2. The word "knowledge" in Greek also means "acknowledgement". For example the doctrine of salvation depends on acknowledging Jesus as the savior; the doctrine of healings depends on acknowledging Jesus as the Healer and so on.
3. If Christians faill to grow then they become spiritually retarded. The tragedy of spiritual retardation is stated in Verse 14 which is the Devil's alternative! They will be "tossed to and fro" indicating that they are unstable in their Christian walk.
4. This is where the ministry of a true teacher of doctrine comes in. If Christians fail to interpret Scripture correctly they will face the tragedy of deception. The moment you come into the experience of salvation and the baptism of the Holy Spirit there will be people lying in waiting to deceive you!
John Wesley once said, "To bring people to conversion and make no subsequent provision for their instruction is to beget children for the murderer". In other words, just to bring people to the Lord and leave them without instruction, without discipline and without teaching them the Scripture to make them grow and mature is to hand them over to the deciever who is ever ready to come in to murder them!
6. The climax of ministries
"But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by 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. 4:15, 16, KJV, emphasis added).
In the Church one thing we must not separate is truth from love - not only in speaking but also being honest in words (without compromise), in deeds, and with Christ-like character and attitude. It is no good having the truth without love which leads to wounds and hurts. Love without the truth is soppy, sentimental and deceptive.
Solomon said, "Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful" (Proverbs 27:6, NKJV).
The picture of a matured body of Christ can be summed up with three words - completeness, unity and strength. Completeness - because the whole body of Christ comes into the fullness of Christ. Unity - because every part and ministry fitly joined together. Completeness - because all believers are compacted together with "joints" which is the manifestation of good inter-personal relationship.
The ministry of a teacher
It seems strange that of all the five ministries of the Chruch the ministry of a teacher of doctrine is the least heard of, even though, as we have seen above, knowledge of the right doctrine is of supreme importance for the Church.
The scenario of the early Church is - "And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, the breaking of bread, and in prayers" (Acts 2:42, NKJV).
New believers in Jerusalem did four things steadfastly - following the apostle doctrine, fellowshipping, eating together and praying. The primary requirement is to continue in the apostles' doctrine. Whenever the Church has departed from the apostles' doctrine it is ended up in trouble and failure. In fact most of the contemporary Local Churches have already departed from the apostles' doctrine in various degrees!
Paul's advice to Timothy
1. "Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter time some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons" (1 Tim. 4:1).
This is something rather frightening - not only God has doctrine but demons have doctrines as well. I believe that every major false doctrine is the product of a demon. This is one of Satan's major tactics against the Church.
2. "Take heed to youself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you" (1 Tim. 4:16).
This is certainly a good advice to every teacher of Scripture. The two things a teacher must do are: First, take heed of his personal life - habits of living, conduct, integrity and the like. Second, take heed of doctrine - the whole area of teaching and public instruction of the Scripture.
If you are wrong in your personal life, right doctrine will not accomplish what it should. But if you continue in both you will save yourself and those who hear you. Never take it for granted that once saved is always saved!
Admonitions to believers
1. John said, "Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him; for he who greets him share in his evil deeds" (2 John 9 -11).
The is something very frieghtening which I don't think has been sufficiently attended to by the Church. The doctrine of Christ is the basic truth about Jesus Christ which is contained in the Creeds - Jesus is the Son of God, born of a virgin, led a sinless life, died an atoning death, rose physically from the death, ascended into heaven and He is coming again in power and great glory.
The people who come to you with the wrong doctrine of Christ are not unbelievers but deceived Christians. We have to be very careful about those whith whom we are fellowshipping!
2. Paul said, "Do you have faith? Have it to yourself before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves" (Romans 14:22).
Believers have to be very careful about endorsing the doctrine of someone who comes along. Personally I will not endorse the doctrine of a so-called professional prophetic teacher. I will listen to him but I will be very careful about endorsing what he says because if I endorse something that is in error God holds me responsible.
3. Paul said to elders, overseers and pastors, ".. holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict" (Titus 1:9).
Paul was talking about "reproduction" ministry of the Scripture (2 Tim. 2:2). Elders, overseers, pastors and teachers are not necessarily initiating the teaching of the Scripture but they are required to receive the teaching, hold on to it, and teach others.
Major requirements of a teacher of Biblical doctrine
1. Total commitment to the teaching of the Gospel (Col. 1:23 - 25)
Paul, as a servant of God, was a servant of the Gospel first and a servant of the Church second. We need to follow Paul's example and keep it in the right order. If we see ourselves as servants of the Church without seeing ourselves as servants of the Gospel we will do what the Church wants us to do. And we are not free to do if the Church is contrary to the teaching of the Gospel.
2. Have a comprehensive grasp of the whole Bible (2 Tim. 3:16)
Basically this is to prevent taking certain Scriptues out of their context.
3. To be uncompromising
Basically most of the truth of the Bible has been obscured by compromised teaching. It is like a thick fog or cloud over the Church if the preachers are compromising. To be uncompromising is a great challenge to our character. Uncompromising teaching can make us unpopular among believers because most believers find it hard to endure sound Biblical doctrine (2 Tim. 4:3, 4).
A teacher of Scripture is faced with two choices - to be compromising to please men or to be uncompromising to please God. If he does not please God all his teaching is in vain!
A teacher of Scripture (or Bible doctrine) is one of the five ministries which have been set forth by Jesus Christ in the Church for the up building of the whole body of Christ which is the Church.
Paul said, "And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; ..."Ephesians 4:11, KJV, emphasis added).
Purposes of the Church building ministries
Ephesians 4:1 - 16 lays the foundation of the Church building ministries of which the teaching of Scripture plays a major role. Let us consider, briefly, the basis of these ministries:
1. Character requirement of spiritual leaders
"I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthery of the vocation wherewith ye are called, with all lowliness of meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; ..." (Eph. 4:1, 2, KJV, emphasis added).
The basic character requirement for believers who are receiving and applying the truth which is unfolded in the rest of Chapter 4 is described in one word "humility" - lowliness, meekness, longsuffering, forbearance and love. Jesus, the perfect Servant, was a perfect example (Verses 9, 10). Jesus went as low as He could go before He was promoted and exalted to glory.
2. Unity of the the body of Christ
"Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all" (Eph. 4:3 - 6, KJV, emphasis added).
The seven elements of unity are:
1. One body - All those who are united by the Holy Spirit to Jesus Christ and to one another in Christ.
2. One Spirit - All filled with the Holy Spirit.
3. One hope - All the good that lies ahead for every child of God. Hope is always points to the future.
4. One Lord - The Lord Jesus.
5. One faith - All believe the Bible.
6. One baptism - All identified with Jesus Christ in death, burial and resurrection.
7. One Father - The Father of our Lord Jesus Christ from whom every fatherhood, heavenly or earthly derives its Name (Eph. 3:15).
3. Diversity in ministries of the body of Christ
"But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ, wherefore he saith, when he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. Ane he gave some, apostle; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; ..." (Eph. 4:7, 8, 11, KJV, emphasis added).
Here are some statements of truth:
1. Each of the five different ministries is given according to the measure of the gift of Christ. In other words, when the Ministry of Christ manifests through a believer, that believer receives the ministry.
2. Christ is the perfect pattern of all five ministries. If a man is called to be a Pastor (or Shepherd) then it is Christ, the perfect Shepherd, continuing and extending His Shepherd Ministry through that man that makes that man a Pastor. Similarly, a man is called to be a teacher of Scripture then it is Christ the perfect Teacher continuing and extending His Teaching Ministry through that man that makes that man a teacher of Scripture.
3. If all the five ministries are functioning as they should in the body of Christ, then collectively the body of Christ can continue the Ministry of Jesus as He Himself continued when He was on earth. Then the body of Christ, the Church, can go on doing on earth in ministry exactly what Jesus did while He was on earth. That is God's divine intention!
4. Main function and purpose of ministries
"For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ" (Eph. 4:12).
The main function is to equip saints (Christians) to do the work of the ministry and not to produce perfect saint. In other words, the five ministries do not do it all but they equip each of the believers to do his part of the job. The main purpose is to equip the believers to do their work themselves and the second purpose is for the building up, spiritually, of the total body of Christ.
The is very different from the accepted picture of the contemporary Local Church where you will find a professional minister who is paid to do the job of preaching and teaching and the churchgoers are expected sit quietly and endure by listening to these well prepared and well paid professionals.
I believe people who are most successful in their ministries are those who can move on and leave the believers to carry on to do what they have been taught to do without the help of the professionals. Leaders have got to get people away from their dependence on a human ministry. The real test of a successful ministry is what happens when it is withdrawn!
5. The goal of ministries
"Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the statue of the fullness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with ever wind of doctrine, by the sleight (trickery) of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; ..." (Eph. 4:13, 14, KJV, emphasis added).
Here are some statements of truth:
1. The word "till" indicates the goal to which we are moving - toward the unity of faith in maturity and cease to be baby Christians.
2. The word "knowledge" in Greek also means "acknowledgement". For example the doctrine of salvation depends on acknowledging Jesus as the savior; the doctrine of healings depends on acknowledging Jesus as the Healer and so on.
3. If Christians faill to grow then they become spiritually retarded. The tragedy of spiritual retardation is stated in Verse 14 which is the Devil's alternative! They will be "tossed to and fro" indicating that they are unstable in their Christian walk.
4. This is where the ministry of a true teacher of doctrine comes in. If Christians fail to interpret Scripture correctly they will face the tragedy of deception. The moment you come into the experience of salvation and the baptism of the Holy Spirit there will be people lying in waiting to deceive you!
John Wesley once said, "To bring people to conversion and make no subsequent provision for their instruction is to beget children for the murderer". In other words, just to bring people to the Lord and leave them without instruction, without discipline and without teaching them the Scripture to make them grow and mature is to hand them over to the deciever who is ever ready to come in to murder them!
6. The climax of ministries
"But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by 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. 4:15, 16, KJV, emphasis added).
In the Church one thing we must not separate is truth from love - not only in speaking but also being honest in words (without compromise), in deeds, and with Christ-like character and attitude. It is no good having the truth without love which leads to wounds and hurts. Love without the truth is soppy, sentimental and deceptive.
Solomon said, "Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful" (Proverbs 27:6, NKJV).
The picture of a matured body of Christ can be summed up with three words - completeness, unity and strength. Completeness - because the whole body of Christ comes into the fullness of Christ. Unity - because every part and ministry fitly joined together. Completeness - because all believers are compacted together with "joints" which is the manifestation of good inter-personal relationship.
The ministry of a teacher
It seems strange that of all the five ministries of the Chruch the ministry of a teacher of doctrine is the least heard of, even though, as we have seen above, knowledge of the right doctrine is of supreme importance for the Church.
The scenario of the early Church is - "And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, the breaking of bread, and in prayers" (Acts 2:42, NKJV).
New believers in Jerusalem did four things steadfastly - following the apostle doctrine, fellowshipping, eating together and praying. The primary requirement is to continue in the apostles' doctrine. Whenever the Church has departed from the apostles' doctrine it is ended up in trouble and failure. In fact most of the contemporary Local Churches have already departed from the apostles' doctrine in various degrees!
Paul's advice to Timothy
1. "Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter time some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons" (1 Tim. 4:1).
This is something rather frightening - not only God has doctrine but demons have doctrines as well. I believe that every major false doctrine is the product of a demon. This is one of Satan's major tactics against the Church.
2. "Take heed to youself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you" (1 Tim. 4:16).
This is certainly a good advice to every teacher of Scripture. The two things a teacher must do are: First, take heed of his personal life - habits of living, conduct, integrity and the like. Second, take heed of doctrine - the whole area of teaching and public instruction of the Scripture.
If you are wrong in your personal life, right doctrine will not accomplish what it should. But if you continue in both you will save yourself and those who hear you. Never take it for granted that once saved is always saved!
Admonitions to believers
1. John said, "Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him; for he who greets him share in his evil deeds" (2 John 9 -11).
The is something very frieghtening which I don't think has been sufficiently attended to by the Church. The doctrine of Christ is the basic truth about Jesus Christ which is contained in the Creeds - Jesus is the Son of God, born of a virgin, led a sinless life, died an atoning death, rose physically from the death, ascended into heaven and He is coming again in power and great glory.
The people who come to you with the wrong doctrine of Christ are not unbelievers but deceived Christians. We have to be very careful about those whith whom we are fellowshipping!
2. Paul said, "Do you have faith? Have it to yourself before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves" (Romans 14:22).
Believers have to be very careful about endorsing the doctrine of someone who comes along. Personally I will not endorse the doctrine of a so-called professional prophetic teacher. I will listen to him but I will be very careful about endorsing what he says because if I endorse something that is in error God holds me responsible.
3. Paul said to elders, overseers and pastors, ".. holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict" (Titus 1:9).
Paul was talking about "reproduction" ministry of the Scripture (2 Tim. 2:2). Elders, overseers, pastors and teachers are not necessarily initiating the teaching of the Scripture but they are required to receive the teaching, hold on to it, and teach others.
Major requirements of a teacher of Biblical doctrine
1. Total commitment to the teaching of the Gospel (Col. 1:23 - 25)
Paul, as a servant of God, was a servant of the Gospel first and a servant of the Church second. We need to follow Paul's example and keep it in the right order. If we see ourselves as servants of the Church without seeing ourselves as servants of the Gospel we will do what the Church wants us to do. And we are not free to do if the Church is contrary to the teaching of the Gospel.
2. Have a comprehensive grasp of the whole Bible (2 Tim. 3:16)
Basically this is to prevent taking certain Scriptues out of their context.
3. To be uncompromising
Basically most of the truth of the Bible has been obscured by compromised teaching. It is like a thick fog or cloud over the Church if the preachers are compromising. To be uncompromising is a great challenge to our character. Uncompromising teaching can make us unpopular among believers because most believers find it hard to endure sound Biblical doctrine (2 Tim. 4:3, 4).
A teacher of Scripture is faced with two choices - to be compromising to please men or to be uncompromising to please God. If he does not please God all his teaching is in vain!
Wednesday, April 09, 2008
Deliverances of the Cross
As we have seen in my last message Paul's Epistle to the Galatians unfolds the problem of witchcraft but the same epistle also gives us God's answer to witchcraft. God's answer is the application of the work of the cross in our lives.
There are two aspects to the work of the cross - What Jesus did for us and what Jesus does in us. A lot of Christians get very excited about what Jesus did for us because He provided with everything we ever need and He defeated our enemy. But many failed to understand what the cross is intended to do in us. If the cross doesn't have its work in us we will not really be able to benefit from what the cross had done for us - because our subtle deceptive enemy will get better of us and will corrupt us.
Operations of the Cross in the life of the believer
The Bible reveals five operations or deliverances of the cross in the life of the believer. Here they are:
First Deliverance - Deliverance from the present evil age
At this point my reader may wish to read my earlier message "The Present Evil Age". But I believe I have received more revelation now.
This is the primary deliverance of the cross. In a sense, the other four deliverances are the outworking of this deliverance in various areas of our lives. In order to be delivered from this present evil age fully you need to make sure you have all the four subsequent deliverances.
Paul's greeting to the Churches in Galatia opens up the whole revelation of this truth.
"Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be glory forever and ever, Amen" (Gal. 1:3, 4, NKJV, emphasis added).
The word "age" in the original Greek is "aion" which means "a specific time period". It also means "the world" - the present world order. The distinctive feature of this present world order is that it is not submitted to the righteous govenment of God. It is an order in rebellion against God. But the Church is a group of people called out from the world. We are a called out company.
Jesus said, "If you were of the world, the world would love its own. yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you" (John 15:19, NKJV, emphasis added).
The word "world" was mentioned 5 times. Jesus was emphasizing the fact that the more the Church is submitted to God the more the world will hate it. If the world does not hate the Church it is because the world is half inside the Church. Why should the world hate its own?
Here are some objective facts concerning the present age:
1. This present age is coming to the end
In the parable of the tares Jesus said, "The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one. The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels" (Matt. 13:38, 39, emphasis added).
Please also read the parable of the dragnet (Matt. 13:49).
2. Why this age is an evil age?
Paul said, "But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them" (2 Cor. 4:3, 4, emphasis added).
The god os this age is Satan. As long as he is the god of this age it is an evil age. No wonder he doesn't want this age to end, because when this age ends he will cease to be a god. But the Church is responsible to bring this age to an end.
How to be delivered from this evil age?
Paul said, "And do not be conformed to this world (age), but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God" (Romans 12:2, NKJV).
The way we are to be changed is in our mind. Religious rules do not change us inside (our heart). When we begin to think differently we will live differently. We have to let the Holy Spirit to give us a different way of thinking from the way the world thinks. That is the difference between grace and religion. Christians have different priorities, different ambitions and different goals.
If you have your mind renewed then you will find out the perfect will of God for your life. The un-renewed mind cannot discover the will of God. Carnal mind is enmity to God (Romans 8:7) and God doesn't reveal His secret to His enemy!
The benefits of being delivered from this evil age
1. We get citizenship in heaven
Paul said, "For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame - who set their mind on earthly things. For our citizenships is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ" (Phil. 3:18 - 20, NKJV, emphasis added).
Those who set their mind on earthly things are enemies of the cross of Christ. They are not enemies of Christ. In fact they love Christ and His blessings and benefits - He saved them, He delivered them from their sickness and disease and set them free from the bondage of sins. What they really don't like is the cross because the cross is painful and affects the worldly way they live.
2. We anticipate Christ's Return
True Christians have the unexplainable excitement in anticipation of Christ's return.
The writer of Hebrews said, "Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation" (Hebrews 9:28, emphasis added).
Christ will come again and grant complete salvation to Christians who are eagerly waiting for Him. Your spirit is redeemed (from spiritual death) and your soul is saved when Jesus becomes your Lord and Savior but your body is not saved and therefore your salvation is not complete yet. The fact is that if we have not been delivered from this evil age we will not be waiting for Him eagerly and we will miss His return.
Second Deliverance - Deliverance from the Law and other religious rules
Paul said, "For I through the law died to the law that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me" (Gal. 2:19, 20, emphasis added).
The last thing that the Law can do to you is to put you to death. By the grace and mercy of God this death took place when Jesus died on the cross on our behalf.
Paul said, "For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under the law but under grace" (Romans 6:14).
If you are under the law your are not under grace and vice versa. If you are under the law sin will have dominion over you. The only way to escape from the dominion of sin is to escape from the law - which was provided for us by Jesus on the cross.
Bear fruit to God or bear fruit to death
Paul said, "Therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another - to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God. For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were aroused by the law were at work in our members to bear fruit to death" (Romans 7:4, 5, NKJV, emphasis added).
Paul applied the analogy of a human marriage union. By the law we were married to our carnal nature. The union of the law and the carnal nature produces the work of the flesh which leads to death.
The good news is that on the cross our carnal nature died in Jesus. Now we are free to marry another without being an adulterer - we married to the resurrected Christ. When we are married to Him we bring forth the Fruit of the Spirit! So we have a choice - bear fruit to God or bear fruit to death. In neither case it is not a question of trying or doing our best. Christianity is not a religion of doing our best; it is not a religion of effort. The key word is "union". You bring forth that which is appropriate to what you are united to. That is precisely what Jesus said about abiding in the vine (John 15).
The benefits of being delivered from the Law
1. Freedom from condemnation
Paul said, "There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death" (Romans 8:1, 2).
The devil's main objective is to bring you under condemnation. Also, there are a lot of religious people around just ready to bring you under condemnation. Read also Romans 8:33, 34.
2. Freedom to love
Legalism and love essentially are opposites. When you are in a legalistic system is is very hard to love and be loved.
Paul said, "Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law" (Romans 13:8).
3. Freedom to be led by the Holy Spirit
Paul said, "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God" (Romans 8:14).
God does not want to produce slaves, He wants to produce sons. The mark of the sons is led by the Spirit of God. The only way you can become a matured son of God is by being led by the Holy Spirit.
We often major on one time experience but we do not realize the importance of the on going life in the Spirit. Bear in mind that the words in the above verse are in the continuous presence.
Paul also said, "But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law" (Gal. 5:18).
Put the verse together you have "If you are not under the law you are sons of God".
Yes, there is a place for rules. We have to obey Government rules. In the Church you need simple rules to implement the affairs of the Church. But you are not made righteous by keeping the rules of your Church. The fact is if you have been made righteous you will have no difficulty in keeping the rules.
Third Deliverance - Deliverance from self
Paul said, "I have been crucified with Christ; 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 for me" (Gal. 2:20).
I don't believe any Christian can ever find the fullness of God's will for his life or enjoy the full provision of the cross until he allows the cross to put self to death in him.
What is involved in self? It is the root behind a lot of evil things common in the Local Church - pride, egotism, person ambition, competitivelness, sectarianism and the like.
The benefits of the deliverance from self
1. Freedom to serve
The path to leadership in the Church is serving and there is no other legitimate path - Read Mark 10:42 -44. The higher up you want to go the lower down you have to start.
2. Freedom from self effort and self promotion
Paul said, "For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus' sake" (2 Cor. 4:5).
Forth Deliverance - Deliverance from the flesh
Paul said, "And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires" (Gal. 5:24).
The "flesh" is the old Adamic rebellious nature. Other names for the flesh are the old man, the body, the body of sin or the body of the flesh.
God's remedy for the old man is execution. God doesn't patch him up. He doesn't reform him, doesn't teach him the golden rules - He executes him. By the act of mercy the execution took place when Jesus was crucified - our old man was crucified in Jesus. That was God's part and our part is to appropriate it.
The benefits of the deliverance from the fesh
1. Freedom from sin to do God's will
Peter said, "Therefore since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God' (1 Peter 4:1, 2, emphasis added).
Jesus said, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me" (Matt. 16:24, emphasis added).
A disciple of Jesus needs to do three things: Deny himself, take up his cross and follow Him. In Greek the word "self" means "soul". To deny your soul means to say no to your own will, own interests, own intellect and own emotion. What really important is God's Word and God's Will.
2. Freedom from the curse of trusting in the flesh
God said (through Jeremiah), "Curse is tha man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength" (Jeremiah 17:5).
When you rely on men instead of trusting the Lord you'll come under a curse.
3. Freedom to worship God in the Spirit
Paul said, "For we the circumcision who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh" (Phil. 3:3).
Fifth Deliverance - Deliverance from the World
The cross separates us and releases us from the dominion of the world. Remember the world is the whole society that is not subject to the righteous Government of God.
Jesus called us out of the world (John 15;19). Furthermore Jesus said to Pilate, "My kingdom is not of this world ..." (John 18:36).
Every Christian should be able to say what Paul said, "But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me and I to the world" (Gal. 6:14).
Notice that this is all in the spiritual realm. You are released from the world's opinion, values, judgment, pressures, enticement and deception. You have to bear in mind that the present world order is controlled by Satan.
There are two aspects to the work of the cross - What Jesus did for us and what Jesus does in us. A lot of Christians get very excited about what Jesus did for us because He provided with everything we ever need and He defeated our enemy. But many failed to understand what the cross is intended to do in us. If the cross doesn't have its work in us we will not really be able to benefit from what the cross had done for us - because our subtle deceptive enemy will get better of us and will corrupt us.
Operations of the Cross in the life of the believer
The Bible reveals five operations or deliverances of the cross in the life of the believer. Here they are:
First Deliverance - Deliverance from the present evil age
At this point my reader may wish to read my earlier message "The Present Evil Age". But I believe I have received more revelation now.
This is the primary deliverance of the cross. In a sense, the other four deliverances are the outworking of this deliverance in various areas of our lives. In order to be delivered from this present evil age fully you need to make sure you have all the four subsequent deliverances.
Paul's greeting to the Churches in Galatia opens up the whole revelation of this truth.
"Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be glory forever and ever, Amen" (Gal. 1:3, 4, NKJV, emphasis added).
The word "age" in the original Greek is "aion" which means "a specific time period". It also means "the world" - the present world order. The distinctive feature of this present world order is that it is not submitted to the righteous govenment of God. It is an order in rebellion against God. But the Church is a group of people called out from the world. We are a called out company.
Jesus said, "If you were of the world, the world would love its own. yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you" (John 15:19, NKJV, emphasis added).
The word "world" was mentioned 5 times. Jesus was emphasizing the fact that the more the Church is submitted to God the more the world will hate it. If the world does not hate the Church it is because the world is half inside the Church. Why should the world hate its own?
Here are some objective facts concerning the present age:
1. This present age is coming to the end
In the parable of the tares Jesus said, "The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one. The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels" (Matt. 13:38, 39, emphasis added).
Please also read the parable of the dragnet (Matt. 13:49).
2. Why this age is an evil age?
Paul said, "But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them" (2 Cor. 4:3, 4, emphasis added).
The god os this age is Satan. As long as he is the god of this age it is an evil age. No wonder he doesn't want this age to end, because when this age ends he will cease to be a god. But the Church is responsible to bring this age to an end.
How to be delivered from this evil age?
Paul said, "And do not be conformed to this world (age), but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God" (Romans 12:2, NKJV).
The way we are to be changed is in our mind. Religious rules do not change us inside (our heart). When we begin to think differently we will live differently. We have to let the Holy Spirit to give us a different way of thinking from the way the world thinks. That is the difference between grace and religion. Christians have different priorities, different ambitions and different goals.
If you have your mind renewed then you will find out the perfect will of God for your life. The un-renewed mind cannot discover the will of God. Carnal mind is enmity to God (Romans 8:7) and God doesn't reveal His secret to His enemy!
The benefits of being delivered from this evil age
1. We get citizenship in heaven
Paul said, "For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame - who set their mind on earthly things. For our citizenships is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ" (Phil. 3:18 - 20, NKJV, emphasis added).
Those who set their mind on earthly things are enemies of the cross of Christ. They are not enemies of Christ. In fact they love Christ and His blessings and benefits - He saved them, He delivered them from their sickness and disease and set them free from the bondage of sins. What they really don't like is the cross because the cross is painful and affects the worldly way they live.
2. We anticipate Christ's Return
True Christians have the unexplainable excitement in anticipation of Christ's return.
The writer of Hebrews said, "Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation" (Hebrews 9:28, emphasis added).
Christ will come again and grant complete salvation to Christians who are eagerly waiting for Him. Your spirit is redeemed (from spiritual death) and your soul is saved when Jesus becomes your Lord and Savior but your body is not saved and therefore your salvation is not complete yet. The fact is that if we have not been delivered from this evil age we will not be waiting for Him eagerly and we will miss His return.
Second Deliverance - Deliverance from the Law and other religious rules
Paul said, "For I through the law died to the law that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me" (Gal. 2:19, 20, emphasis added).
The last thing that the Law can do to you is to put you to death. By the grace and mercy of God this death took place when Jesus died on the cross on our behalf.
Paul said, "For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under the law but under grace" (Romans 6:14).
If you are under the law your are not under grace and vice versa. If you are under the law sin will have dominion over you. The only way to escape from the dominion of sin is to escape from the law - which was provided for us by Jesus on the cross.
Bear fruit to God or bear fruit to death
Paul said, "Therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another - to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God. For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were aroused by the law were at work in our members to bear fruit to death" (Romans 7:4, 5, NKJV, emphasis added).
Paul applied the analogy of a human marriage union. By the law we were married to our carnal nature. The union of the law and the carnal nature produces the work of the flesh which leads to death.
The good news is that on the cross our carnal nature died in Jesus. Now we are free to marry another without being an adulterer - we married to the resurrected Christ. When we are married to Him we bring forth the Fruit of the Spirit! So we have a choice - bear fruit to God or bear fruit to death. In neither case it is not a question of trying or doing our best. Christianity is not a religion of doing our best; it is not a religion of effort. The key word is "union". You bring forth that which is appropriate to what you are united to. That is precisely what Jesus said about abiding in the vine (John 15).
The benefits of being delivered from the Law
1. Freedom from condemnation
Paul said, "There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death" (Romans 8:1, 2).
The devil's main objective is to bring you under condemnation. Also, there are a lot of religious people around just ready to bring you under condemnation. Read also Romans 8:33, 34.
2. Freedom to love
Legalism and love essentially are opposites. When you are in a legalistic system is is very hard to love and be loved.
Paul said, "Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law" (Romans 13:8).
3. Freedom to be led by the Holy Spirit
Paul said, "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God" (Romans 8:14).
God does not want to produce slaves, He wants to produce sons. The mark of the sons is led by the Spirit of God. The only way you can become a matured son of God is by being led by the Holy Spirit.
We often major on one time experience but we do not realize the importance of the on going life in the Spirit. Bear in mind that the words in the above verse are in the continuous presence.
Paul also said, "But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law" (Gal. 5:18).
Put the verse together you have "If you are not under the law you are sons of God".
Yes, there is a place for rules. We have to obey Government rules. In the Church you need simple rules to implement the affairs of the Church. But you are not made righteous by keeping the rules of your Church. The fact is if you have been made righteous you will have no difficulty in keeping the rules.
Third Deliverance - Deliverance from self
Paul said, "I have been crucified with Christ; 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 for me" (Gal. 2:20).
I don't believe any Christian can ever find the fullness of God's will for his life or enjoy the full provision of the cross until he allows the cross to put self to death in him.
What is involved in self? It is the root behind a lot of evil things common in the Local Church - pride, egotism, person ambition, competitivelness, sectarianism and the like.
The benefits of the deliverance from self
1. Freedom to serve
The path to leadership in the Church is serving and there is no other legitimate path - Read Mark 10:42 -44. The higher up you want to go the lower down you have to start.
2. Freedom from self effort and self promotion
Paul said, "For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus' sake" (2 Cor. 4:5).
Forth Deliverance - Deliverance from the flesh
Paul said, "And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires" (Gal. 5:24).
The "flesh" is the old Adamic rebellious nature. Other names for the flesh are the old man, the body, the body of sin or the body of the flesh.
God's remedy for the old man is execution. God doesn't patch him up. He doesn't reform him, doesn't teach him the golden rules - He executes him. By the act of mercy the execution took place when Jesus was crucified - our old man was crucified in Jesus. That was God's part and our part is to appropriate it.
The benefits of the deliverance from the fesh
1. Freedom from sin to do God's will
Peter said, "Therefore since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God' (1 Peter 4:1, 2, emphasis added).
Jesus said, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me" (Matt. 16:24, emphasis added).
A disciple of Jesus needs to do three things: Deny himself, take up his cross and follow Him. In Greek the word "self" means "soul". To deny your soul means to say no to your own will, own interests, own intellect and own emotion. What really important is God's Word and God's Will.
2. Freedom from the curse of trusting in the flesh
God said (through Jeremiah), "Curse is tha man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength" (Jeremiah 17:5).
When you rely on men instead of trusting the Lord you'll come under a curse.
3. Freedom to worship God in the Spirit
Paul said, "For we the circumcision who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh" (Phil. 3:3).
Fifth Deliverance - Deliverance from the World
The cross separates us and releases us from the dominion of the world. Remember the world is the whole society that is not subject to the righteous Government of God.
Jesus called us out of the world (John 15;19). Furthermore Jesus said to Pilate, "My kingdom is not of this world ..." (John 18:36).
Every Christian should be able to say what Paul said, "But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me and I to the world" (Gal. 6:14).
Notice that this is all in the spiritual realm. You are released from the world's opinion, values, judgment, pressures, enticement and deception. You have to bear in mind that the present world order is controlled by Satan.
Wednesday, April 02, 2008
Hidden Danger of Carnality and Legalism
What tends to happen in the contemporary Church is that we received what God has said in His Word and we adjust it and suit it to our convenience and our own ways of doing things but we still continue to give it the label of the New Testament Church. But we have mislabeled it because the things that Christians labeled are not in line with the standard laid down by Jesus and the apostles.
Because of this we need to subject ourselves to self examination with Scriptural basis. Here are two passages of Scripture from the Peter's First Epistle:
1. "And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one's work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear; knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your father" (1 Peter 1:17, 18, NKJV, emphasis added).
Here are some statements of truth:
a. Calling God "Father" ("Daddy" or "Abba Father") carries with it tremendous responsibility. We need to come to Him with fear and trembling and with a sense of awe, reverent and respect.
b. Grace is free but not cheap for we are redeemed by the blood of Jesus.
c. God judges you on the basis of how you live and what you do and not so much on what you say.
2. "For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? Now 'If the righteous one is scarcely saved, where will the ungodly and the sinner appear?'" (1 Peter 4:17, 18, NKJV, emphasis added).
The question is this: Do all Christians obey the gospel of God? If not then we are scarcely saved.
Three levels of Judgment
God's Word gives us many privileges of judging ourselves.
Paul said, "For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world" (1 Cor. 11:31, 32).
There are 3 levels of judgment. The best level is to judge yourself, and then God doesn't have to judge you. If you fail to do that God will bring some kind of disciplinary judgment upon you to bring you to repentance. But if you fail in that, you will go through the lowest level - to be condemned with the world.
Paul's Epistle to the Galatians
There are a number of Scriptural standards by which we should judge ourselves. Paul's epistle to the Galatians is an excellent example.
In this epistle Paul primarily dealt with the problem with legalism in the Church. Paul's attitude toward the Churches of Galatia was revealed from his opening statements. Normally when Paul wrote to the Churches (Corinthians, Colossians, Thessalonians) he began by thanking God for what He did for them. But in the case of Galatians he did not do that. Paul was so disturbed about the condition of the Galatians that he didn't have time to thank God for them! Even when he wrote to the Corinthians, he still began by thanking God for His grace to that Church even though there were all sorts of problems there - immorality, drunkenness at the Lord's Table and even incest.
The sin of legalism
A single real problem in the Churches of Galatia is legalism. To Paul legalism was much greater threat for the well-being of God's people than some other obvious carnal sins like drunkenness and immorality.
Many of us don't understand that Christianity is not a set of rules. Israel was given a set of rules (the Law) 14 centuries before Jesus came. Jesus didn't come with a set of rules but with a different objective. And anytime we reduce Christianity to a set of rules we miss the purpose of God.
Paul said, "O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified? This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith" (Gal. 3:1, 2, emphasis added)?
Here are some statements of truth:
1. What kind of Christians were the Galatians that they were bewitched? They were tongues speaking Christians who had witnessed miracles performed amongst them.
2. They were bewitched because another spirit came in and obscured what Jesus had done for them on the cross. In other words, they lost the vision of the cross. The cross was the place where all human needs were met, once and for all. But once we lose sight of the cross we begin to live with our needs again.
3. The cross was the place where Satan was finally and totally defeated. That is the main reason why he wants to obscure what was accomplished by Jesus on the cross. Satan's main purpose is to put Christians in the bondage of slavery again. We remain in bondage if we lose sight of the cross!
The Nature of Witchcraft
You may like to read my earlier message: "The Evil Work of Witchcraft" before you continue. But this message has deeper revelation.
Witchcraft is the attempt to control people and get them to do what you want them to do by the use of any spirit which is not the Holy Spirit. If any person has a spirit which he or she can use, it can't be the Holy Spirit because the Holy Spirit is God and no one uses God.
Rebellion and Stubbornness
Our key text is 1 Samuel 15. Saul claimed to have obeyed God but Samuel said on the contrary Saul had actually disobeyed although he partly obeyed. In God's eyes incomplete obedience is disobedience!
Could this be true with some of us? When God wants us to do certain things we do as much that seems good to us and as much as we are willing to do. But we left some undone and then we carelessly claim that we have obeyed God. This was precisely what Saul did.
Samuel said to Saul, "Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord He also has rejected you from being king" (1 Sam. 15:22, 23, NKJV, emphasis added).
Here are some statements of truth:
1. Samuel used two words, "rebellion" and "stubbornness". To me, "rebellion" says, "I won't do it"; "stubbornness" says, "I'll do it my way".
2. Why is rebellion equivalent to witchcraft? Because rebellion consists of, first and foremost, in setting aside the legitimate authority of God, whether God Himself, whether God's appointed ruler or God's appointed figure of authority. All true authority has one ultmate source which is God. Rebellion rejects the authority of God and rejects the person who represents God's authority.
Man is created to have some kind of authority. A rebellious person substitutes God's authority with an illegitimate authority. And that illegitimate authority has to be supported by some kind of power. This power is witchcraft! In other words, witchcraft is the illegal and evil power that supports illegal illegitimate authority - authority that is against the authority of God.
3. Why is stubbornness equivalent to idolatry? A stubborn person makes idols of his own opinion and he ignores other people's opinion. In other words, he worships his own opinion and rejects other people's opinion. That is idolatry.
A Study in witchcraft
In Galatians, which is a study in witchcraft, Paul pointed out various aspects of witchcraft.
Paul said, "The acts of the sinful nature (the flesh) are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rae, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like" (Gal 5:19 -21, NIV, emphasis added).
Just like what Samuel said to Saul, idolatry and witchcraft were also listed together by Paul. Witchcraft, amongst those words listed, is the work of the flesh - from our rebellious sinful nature.
The 3 key words that represent witchcraft are manipulation, intimidation and domination. God never manipulates, never intimidates and never dominates. Witchcraft is the way that the disobedient rebellious fleshly nature gets what it wants. Man was born to have dominion because he was created to have dominion. After the Fall, he lost the right to have legitimate dominion. As long as he is in rebellion against God he could not excercise legitimate dominion. He still has the desire to dominate but he can't use legitimat authority and so he uses witchcraft. This is prevalent all through cultures of the world.
Withcraft is actually the natural religion of the fallen man. It is the normal religion of man in his unregenerate rebellious state. The result is - religion makes man slaves.
The evidence of witchcraft in the Churches of Galatia
In Galatians 4 Paul was talking about the difference between the condition of the people under the Law of Moses and those who became children of God through faith in Jesus Christ. Instead of being heirs of God they came under slavey of the Law. Paul said almost the same thing in Romans 8:14 -17.
Paul further said, "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery" (Gal. 5:1, NIV, emphasis added).
The "yoke of slavery" is legalism. Witchcraft was pressing the yoke of slavey upon the people of the Churches of Galatia.
When God's people lose the vision of the cross and what is accomplished by it, and come back again under the influence of witchcraft they will not be sons of God - but slaves.
Carnality and Legalism in the contemporary Church
The effect of witchcraft is to set aside the legitimate authority and to establish an illegal domination over the people of God. This illegal domination is established by carnality and legalism. The is contrary to God's plan and at the same time reverses the divine order. The result is slavery.
Here are some ways by which witchcraft could manifest itself in the Church:
1. We have placed theology above revelation. In other words, we have placed the mind above the Spirit. The majority of Christian groups are operating on the basis of theology which is the product of the natural mind. But Christianity comes by revelation.
You don't get to understand the Bible by reasoning. Even philosophers can't understand the Bible and make sense of it without the revelation of the Holy Spirit. Basically you will find that people who try to establish reason and intellectual processes as the basis for the order in the Church have set aside the moving of the Holy Spirit and ultimately the authority of the Scripture.
2. We have placed education above discipleship. How many of Jesus' disciples went through a theological institution? When a preacher or a teacher of the Word presents himself in a Christian circle we ask for his credentials, his education qualification - masters or doctorate degrees, his seminary qualification and the like. The general attitude of the Church is if he does not have that he is not worth listening to.
If this is the case Jesus Himself made a very bad choice based on the qualification of His first disciples. The fact is He did not take His disciples into a classroom. He trained them in action. So education is no substitution for discipleship. Education is the carnal approach, but discipleship is a spiritual process.
Products of the carnal mind
The illegitimate order that we are talking about put eloquent, method and program over supernatural direction and power. The majority of religious leaders in the Church today are afraid of anything that they can't control. But the fact is, anything they can control lacks the power to do the job.
What has happened? The carnal mind has been re-established as the ruler over the Spirit in the Church.
Paul said, "Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God" (Romans 8:7, 8, NKJV).
Basically when the Church insists that the candidates for ministry have to attend a theological institution for a number years, what we are doing essentially, is to educate the carnal mind. But the end of that all you have got is an educated enemy of God! Can you imagine having enemies of God to lead the Church of Jesus Christ?
The root cause is that the Spirit taking precedence over mind and reasoning has been reversed by these so-called born again charismatic tongues speaking leaders in the Church. The divine order has been reversed in the Body of Christ!
What is the power that has done that? Witchcraft!
Because of this we need to subject ourselves to self examination with Scriptural basis. Here are two passages of Scripture from the Peter's First Epistle:
1. "And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one's work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear; knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your father" (1 Peter 1:17, 18, NKJV, emphasis added).
Here are some statements of truth:
a. Calling God "Father" ("Daddy" or "Abba Father") carries with it tremendous responsibility. We need to come to Him with fear and trembling and with a sense of awe, reverent and respect.
b. Grace is free but not cheap for we are redeemed by the blood of Jesus.
c. God judges you on the basis of how you live and what you do and not so much on what you say.
2. "For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? Now 'If the righteous one is scarcely saved, where will the ungodly and the sinner appear?'" (1 Peter 4:17, 18, NKJV, emphasis added).
The question is this: Do all Christians obey the gospel of God? If not then we are scarcely saved.
Three levels of Judgment
God's Word gives us many privileges of judging ourselves.
Paul said, "For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world" (1 Cor. 11:31, 32).
There are 3 levels of judgment. The best level is to judge yourself, and then God doesn't have to judge you. If you fail to do that God will bring some kind of disciplinary judgment upon you to bring you to repentance. But if you fail in that, you will go through the lowest level - to be condemned with the world.
Paul's Epistle to the Galatians
There are a number of Scriptural standards by which we should judge ourselves. Paul's epistle to the Galatians is an excellent example.
In this epistle Paul primarily dealt with the problem with legalism in the Church. Paul's attitude toward the Churches of Galatia was revealed from his opening statements. Normally when Paul wrote to the Churches (Corinthians, Colossians, Thessalonians) he began by thanking God for what He did for them. But in the case of Galatians he did not do that. Paul was so disturbed about the condition of the Galatians that he didn't have time to thank God for them! Even when he wrote to the Corinthians, he still began by thanking God for His grace to that Church even though there were all sorts of problems there - immorality, drunkenness at the Lord's Table and even incest.
The sin of legalism
A single real problem in the Churches of Galatia is legalism. To Paul legalism was much greater threat for the well-being of God's people than some other obvious carnal sins like drunkenness and immorality.
Many of us don't understand that Christianity is not a set of rules. Israel was given a set of rules (the Law) 14 centuries before Jesus came. Jesus didn't come with a set of rules but with a different objective. And anytime we reduce Christianity to a set of rules we miss the purpose of God.
Paul said, "O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified? This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith" (Gal. 3:1, 2, emphasis added)?
Here are some statements of truth:
1. What kind of Christians were the Galatians that they were bewitched? They were tongues speaking Christians who had witnessed miracles performed amongst them.
2. They were bewitched because another spirit came in and obscured what Jesus had done for them on the cross. In other words, they lost the vision of the cross. The cross was the place where all human needs were met, once and for all. But once we lose sight of the cross we begin to live with our needs again.
3. The cross was the place where Satan was finally and totally defeated. That is the main reason why he wants to obscure what was accomplished by Jesus on the cross. Satan's main purpose is to put Christians in the bondage of slavery again. We remain in bondage if we lose sight of the cross!
The Nature of Witchcraft
You may like to read my earlier message: "The Evil Work of Witchcraft" before you continue. But this message has deeper revelation.
Witchcraft is the attempt to control people and get them to do what you want them to do by the use of any spirit which is not the Holy Spirit. If any person has a spirit which he or she can use, it can't be the Holy Spirit because the Holy Spirit is God and no one uses God.
Rebellion and Stubbornness
Our key text is 1 Samuel 15. Saul claimed to have obeyed God but Samuel said on the contrary Saul had actually disobeyed although he partly obeyed. In God's eyes incomplete obedience is disobedience!
Could this be true with some of us? When God wants us to do certain things we do as much that seems good to us and as much as we are willing to do. But we left some undone and then we carelessly claim that we have obeyed God. This was precisely what Saul did.
Samuel said to Saul, "Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord He also has rejected you from being king" (1 Sam. 15:22, 23, NKJV, emphasis added).
Here are some statements of truth:
1. Samuel used two words, "rebellion" and "stubbornness". To me, "rebellion" says, "I won't do it"; "stubbornness" says, "I'll do it my way".
2. Why is rebellion equivalent to witchcraft? Because rebellion consists of, first and foremost, in setting aside the legitimate authority of God, whether God Himself, whether God's appointed ruler or God's appointed figure of authority. All true authority has one ultmate source which is God. Rebellion rejects the authority of God and rejects the person who represents God's authority.
Man is created to have some kind of authority. A rebellious person substitutes God's authority with an illegitimate authority. And that illegitimate authority has to be supported by some kind of power. This power is witchcraft! In other words, witchcraft is the illegal and evil power that supports illegal illegitimate authority - authority that is against the authority of God.
3. Why is stubbornness equivalent to idolatry? A stubborn person makes idols of his own opinion and he ignores other people's opinion. In other words, he worships his own opinion and rejects other people's opinion. That is idolatry.
A Study in witchcraft
In Galatians, which is a study in witchcraft, Paul pointed out various aspects of witchcraft.
Paul said, "The acts of the sinful nature (the flesh) are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rae, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like" (Gal 5:19 -21, NIV, emphasis added).
Just like what Samuel said to Saul, idolatry and witchcraft were also listed together by Paul. Witchcraft, amongst those words listed, is the work of the flesh - from our rebellious sinful nature.
The 3 key words that represent witchcraft are manipulation, intimidation and domination. God never manipulates, never intimidates and never dominates. Witchcraft is the way that the disobedient rebellious fleshly nature gets what it wants. Man was born to have dominion because he was created to have dominion. After the Fall, he lost the right to have legitimate dominion. As long as he is in rebellion against God he could not excercise legitimate dominion. He still has the desire to dominate but he can't use legitimat authority and so he uses witchcraft. This is prevalent all through cultures of the world.
Withcraft is actually the natural religion of the fallen man. It is the normal religion of man in his unregenerate rebellious state. The result is - religion makes man slaves.
The evidence of witchcraft in the Churches of Galatia
In Galatians 4 Paul was talking about the difference between the condition of the people under the Law of Moses and those who became children of God through faith in Jesus Christ. Instead of being heirs of God they came under slavey of the Law. Paul said almost the same thing in Romans 8:14 -17.
Paul further said, "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery" (Gal. 5:1, NIV, emphasis added).
The "yoke of slavery" is legalism. Witchcraft was pressing the yoke of slavey upon the people of the Churches of Galatia.
When God's people lose the vision of the cross and what is accomplished by it, and come back again under the influence of witchcraft they will not be sons of God - but slaves.
Carnality and Legalism in the contemporary Church
The effect of witchcraft is to set aside the legitimate authority and to establish an illegal domination over the people of God. This illegal domination is established by carnality and legalism. The is contrary to God's plan and at the same time reverses the divine order. The result is slavery.
Here are some ways by which witchcraft could manifest itself in the Church:
1. We have placed theology above revelation. In other words, we have placed the mind above the Spirit. The majority of Christian groups are operating on the basis of theology which is the product of the natural mind. But Christianity comes by revelation.
You don't get to understand the Bible by reasoning. Even philosophers can't understand the Bible and make sense of it without the revelation of the Holy Spirit. Basically you will find that people who try to establish reason and intellectual processes as the basis for the order in the Church have set aside the moving of the Holy Spirit and ultimately the authority of the Scripture.
2. We have placed education above discipleship. How many of Jesus' disciples went through a theological institution? When a preacher or a teacher of the Word presents himself in a Christian circle we ask for his credentials, his education qualification - masters or doctorate degrees, his seminary qualification and the like. The general attitude of the Church is if he does not have that he is not worth listening to.
If this is the case Jesus Himself made a very bad choice based on the qualification of His first disciples. The fact is He did not take His disciples into a classroom. He trained them in action. So education is no substitution for discipleship. Education is the carnal approach, but discipleship is a spiritual process.
Products of the carnal mind
The illegitimate order that we are talking about put eloquent, method and program over supernatural direction and power. The majority of religious leaders in the Church today are afraid of anything that they can't control. But the fact is, anything they can control lacks the power to do the job.
What has happened? The carnal mind has been re-established as the ruler over the Spirit in the Church.
Paul said, "Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God" (Romans 8:7, 8, NKJV).
Basically when the Church insists that the candidates for ministry have to attend a theological institution for a number years, what we are doing essentially, is to educate the carnal mind. But the end of that all you have got is an educated enemy of God! Can you imagine having enemies of God to lead the Church of Jesus Christ?
The root cause is that the Spirit taking precedence over mind and reasoning has been reversed by these so-called born again charismatic tongues speaking leaders in the Church. The divine order has been reversed in the Body of Christ!
What is the power that has done that? Witchcraft!
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