Living Words of Encouragement

In the Book of Exodus, God raises up Moses and Aaron to lead the nation of Israel out of Egypt because He heard the cry of their bondage unto Him. In Exodus 5, Moses and Aaron go into the presence of Pharaoh and say to him, “Thus says the Lord God of Israel: Let My people go, that they may hold a feast unto Me in the wilderness. ” Pharaoh responds, “Who is the Lord that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, nor will I let Israel go.” Two statements, each one identifying ‘governmental’ control over the nation of Israel. Who is in charge?

Assuming that you know the story of the exodus of Israel from Egypt, God reveals His Omnipotence, and Pharaoh lets Israel go. He really had no choice. In the remainder of the book of Exodus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy the travails of Israel’s relationship to the Lord are outlined. The nation of Israel had been delivered ‘out of’ Egypt from under the ‘governmental’ control of Pharaoh, and brought ‘into’ the wilderness to learn what it meant to be under the ‘governmental’ control of the Lord. Unfortunately, the adult generation of Israel who came out of Egypt failed to learn how to live under the guidance of the Lord. Israel constantly looked back to what they had in Egypt and did not understand nor appreciate what God was doing for them. Physically, they exited Egypt; but their hearts were filled with the ways of Egypt. In short, they struggled with God’s ‘governmental’ control and did not submit to Him. They wanted their own way.

In Numbers 12, Moses’ brother and sister, question Moses’ place of authority overseeing the nation of Israel. They blatantly assert in verse 2, “Has the Lord indeed spoken only through Moses? Has He not spoken through us also?” What’s the problem? verse 1 says, “Then Miriam and Aaron spoke against (‘criticized’, marginal notes) Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married; for he had married an Ethiopian woman.” They are questioning his position of leadership. [Could it be that because he didn’t make a wise decision choosing the woman that he married they use this as leverage assert that he is not fit to rule God’s people?] Problem: verse 2, “and God heard it.” The question is, Who is in charge? Does Moses have ‘governmental’ authority over Israel? The Lord ‘jumped’ on the accusation, and dealt with them immediately. See Numbers 12:4-16.

In Numbers 16, the issue of ‘governmental’ control raises its ugly head again. There was a rebellion against Moses and Aaron. It was led by Korah. He had a following. Numbers 16:2 says, “…and they rose up before Moses with some of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty leaders of the congregation, representatives of the congregation, men of renown.” They had a complaint. They, too, questioned Moses and Aaron’s authority, and said to them, (vs.3) “why do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the Lord?” Moses response was (vs 4) to “…fall on his face.” The Lord intervened and God judged those who participated in the rebellion. (see Numbers 16:5-40). It is hard to imagine that what is recorded next in Numbers took place. Numbers 16:41-50, records that the very next day after the judgement of Korah and his followers, verse 41 says, “On the next day all the congregation of the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron saying, You have killed the people of the Lord.” The people did not recognize that God was in ‘governmental’ control. That was one of the primary lessons they were supposed to understand and learn on their journey ‘out of Egypt’ and ‘into the Promised Land’. God is in total control. I know that I have been sharing ugly parts of the story; but let me assure you that if you read the whole account of Israel’s journey, you will see the patience, longsuffering, and goodness of God, along with His justice against their rebellion. I encourage you to read I Corinthians 10:1-13 where Paul uses the history of Israel to instruct and encourage the Corinthian Church.

Israel’s history is one of moments of obedience and moments of disobedience. Unfortunately in the wilderness, the moments of disobedience outweighed the moments of obedience, and the adult generation that was delivered from Egypt died out in the wilderness because their heart attitude did not ‘put off’ the desires of Egypt, and ‘put on’ a change of heart toward God and His ‘governmental’ control. The adult generation brought out of Egypt died in the wilderness because of unbelief. The story of Israel continues throughout the pages of the Old Testament accurately telling Israel’s severe swings from obedience to disobedience, and back to obedience. God loves His people. He is a Jealous God over them. He woos them and draws them back to Himself. However, God is also a Just God. Therefore, He disciplines them [those whom He loves] and brings His judgments against Israel because they did not keep the Mosaic Covenant given to them at Mt. Sinai. The underlying factor of God’s faithfulness for His people is the Covenant He made with Abraham. God keeps His Covenant with His people in spite of their failure to keep the Law of Moses. And so we move forward…

What does forward mean? Moses died in the wilderness; the adult nation of Israel that left Egypt died in the wilderness, except for two, Joshua and Caleb. Joshua became Moses’ replacement to lead God’s people. The next generation of the nation of Israel miraculously crossed the Jordon River; and they were prepared by the Lord to enter and conquer the Promised Land. In their possession of the Land they had their moments of obedience and disobedience. The books of Joshua, Judges, and Ruth detail the life of the nation of Israel after their wanderings in the desert, their settlement in the Promise Land, and their strengths and failures following the commands of the Lord.

In short, Israel’s history is a continuation of obedience and disobedience under God’s ‘governmental’ control through the judges that He raises up to oversee His nation.

Judges 21:25 gives us an accurate understanding of Israel’s heart and their attitude toward ‘governmental’ control. “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.”

Enter Samuel….

tbc

The issue of the universe is who is in charge. The devout Christian would clearly declare that God is the Sovereign Being in complete charge of the universe. Why? Because He is the Creator of the universe. I would assume that most of humanity would acknowledge in their own way that there is a higher being or force that controls the world in which they live. They have a belief system that says something greater than themselves must be in charge. Many such people worship other people, idols, or pursue philosophical ideologies that set boundaries around their belief system that make them comfortable in the world in which they live. In most all of these instances, these people do not realize that they have, in essence, set themselves as the center of their own universe and are exercising their own ‘governmental’ control. And then, there are people who ignore God as the Creator of the universe. They believe that their universe is a product of the material world around themselves; and there are others who believe that the universe in which they exist is a product of evolutionary science and development. In each of these broad categories, there are individual pockets of people who have their own agenda that modify their scope of belief. Unfortunately, this has also happened within the Christian community that believes in God as the Sovereign Creator of the universe. The Christian community differs doctrinally regarding how the universe was created, yet holding to the belief that God is the Creator. Christians have their denominations.

The issue for me in this BLOG is to point us in the direction of dealing with ‘governmental’ control of the world in which we live. Who is in charge? Obviously, your personal view of God has a bearing on that answer.

I am concerned with the Church, the Body of Christ, the Israel of God (Galatians 6:16).

The nation of Israel is God’s chosen people. This fact is established in Genesis 12:1-3. It begins with a promise made to a man named Abram. The story of Abram, the changing of his name to Abraham, and the growth of his descendants is told in the rest of the Book of Genesis. The promise made to Abraham becomes a promise that is carried on through his son, Isaac; and Isaac’s son, Jacob. Jacob’s family is comprised foundationally of 12 sons. Jacob’s family grows to 70 and through the providence of God this family becomes inhabitants in the nation of Egypt. In the nation of Egypt, the family of Jacob grows into the nation of Israel. Israel was the name that God had given to Jacob. God had changed his name. But God did not change the covenant that was spoken to Abraham. Israel was said to be the nation of God, whose fathers’ were Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This was their lineage and their history. They also had a promised destiny.

Israel was in Egypt for many years. Over the course of time, the reason for Israel’s existence in Egypt was forgotten, and the new Pharaoh did not have a clue who these people were that inhabited the land. In fact, he was fearful of them. He saw them as a threat. His response to their presence was to make things more difficult for them. He made their lives more ‘rigorous’, ‘bitter’ and discouraging. He went so far as to order that the Hebrew baby boys were to killed immediately after they were born. He did not want the nation of Israel to populate any more.

The oppression toward the Hebrew people was so intense that they began to cry out to God. I wonder how many years it had been since God had heard anything directed to Him from His people? The fact is that He had not forgotten them; and He was ready to intervene on their behalf. In short, the time had come when Israel found itself in a position of despair because of the ‘governmental’ control of Egypt and cried out to God about it. As I said, God heard their cry. God had prepared a deliverer, named Moses. Through Moses, and his brother Aaron, God miraculously delivered His people from the bondage of Egypt. The nation of Israel left Egypt and became of nation of people watched over and governed by God in a wilderness. It was in this wilderness that the nation of Israel was to learn to function under the ‘governmental’ control of God, through His servant Moses. The tragedy is that they failed in their response to His ‘governmental’ control. A whole generation of people died in the wilderness and did not get to enter into the promises of God that were made to Abraham. It was in the wilderness, that God gave to His people, what is called the Law of Moses. This was the Mosaic Covenant. God did not do away with the Abrahamic Covenant. The Mosaic Covenant was given to God’s people to reveal to them what was required to be the Covenant people of God, under His ‘governmental’ control. In the wilderness, Israel’s response to God’s ‘governmental’ oversight was one of disdain. They approved God’s Law with the lips of their mouth but they did not have the heart to carry it out. They wanted to return to Egypt. The issue was their heart. God had taken them physically out of Egypt but Egypt was still in their heart. The love of Egypt (the world) constantly caused them to rebel against God, His Word, and Moses. The generation that had been delivered from Egypt died in the wilderness. Mercifully, God took the next generation into the Land of Promise.

In the Land of Promise, under the leadership of Joshua, the nation flourished and floundered. Moses had died prior to Israel’s entry into the Promise Land. He was forbidden by God to enter the Land because he had disobeyed what God had told him to do. He got to see the Land, but he did not get to enter it. God buried him on a mountain overlooking the Land of Promise.

God’s Covenant with Israel was based upon them being obedient. If the people were obedient, then they would experience the blessings of God outlined in the Covenant. If the people were disobedient, then they would experience the curses outlined in the Covenant. As I said previously, the nation of Israel had many moments of victory; but they also had many moments of heartache.

Israel’s history is not a straight line of obedience. Who among us has such a response to the Lord? There are high points and low points, ups and downs, reasons to rejoice and reasons to repent in all of our lives.

Leapfrogging the history of Israel found in the Book of Joshua, the Book of Judges, and the Book of Ruth, we come to the life of Samuel. Samuel was a ‘miraculous’ child born to a woman who despaired that she was childless for so many years. She cried out to God in prayer; God heard her, and gave her a son. She had promised God that if she could give birth to a son, she would give him up ‘all the days of his life ‘ for service to the Lord. God heard, God caused her to conceive, she gave birth to a son, she called his name Samuel, and gave him up to serve the Lord after she had weaned the child.

Samuel became a prophet of the Lord. It was during his tenure as God’s prophet, that the people of Israel, said to Samuel that they wanted a king to rule over them like the other nations. This greatly grieved Samuel. The scripture says in I Samuel 8:6 (NKJV) , “But this thing displeased Samuel, when they said, “Give us a king to judge us”. [All through the history of Israel found in Joshua, Judges and Ruth, God was still the ‘governmental’ control watching over His people through leaders that He raised up. But, Israel said, no more.] So Samuel prayed to the Lord.” I think Samuel knew that this would be their downfall.

What was Israel seeking? a different ‘governmental’ control.

Let’s revisit Israel’s trek in the wilderness and recount some of their experiences involving ‘governmental’ control.

TBC

In Part 1 of these three blogs, I mentioned that I was reading the book entitled, ‘Fault Lines’ by Dr. Voddie Baucham. I have completed reading that book. I recommend that book to you for your consideration. While I was reading this book, Christine was reading a book entitled, ‘The Secular Creeds’, by Rebecca McLaughlin. I have completed reading that book, too. The subtitle of this book is ‘Engaging Five Contemporary Claims’. I recommend this book to you for your consideration.

Both books provided me with back round and contemporary insights into the world in which I am living in 2021. As informative as these two books were to me, there is a singular emphasis that was strongly presented by each author. This emphasis must be embraced by the Church if it is going to be relevant during this time of unrest in our nation. In fact, their admonition is the foundation for the relevance of Church throughout the history of mankind.

That singular emphasis is the word ‘repent’. Both author’s charge the Church with the need to repent. The obvious question is, repent of what? So, we must ask, Father, what does your Ecclesia need to repent of? When we hear or use the word repent, we automatically think of sin, and rightly so. Father, what is the sin of the Church regarding what is being laid at the feet of the people of this nation by those who are proponents of a man’s way of radical reconciliation? This nation has been declared guilty of misdeeds throughout its history. White people have been pronounced guilty of misuse of their ‘whiteness’ taking advantage of other human beings, especially those who are black. And many in our society have been declared ‘too wealthy’ and need to ‘give up’ their wealth; I assume this means, willingly or unwillingly, whatever works for the system to redistribute the wealth from the ‘haves’ to the ‘have nots’. I believe these are the major ‘sins’ that are the driving force behind the agenda of those saying there needs to be ‘Radical Reconciliation’ done man’s way. [ I am aware that many others have been proposed.]

In her book, ‘The Secular Creeds’, Rebecca McLaughlin addresses five cultural issues. Those issues are entitled: “Black Lives Matter”, “Love is Love”, “The Gay-Rights Movement Is the New Civil Rights Movement”, “Women’s Rights are Human Rights”, and “Transgender Women are Women”. For each of these topics she shares back round, opinion, and concern; however, she does not throw Biblical truth ‘under the bus’. She challenges the Church to respond to its error, as she understands it, through repentance which can bring about change. I want to share some of Rebecca McLaughlin thoughts regarding each of these topics.

1. Regarding our response to BLM, “…white Christians like me must recognize the ways in which our tribe has been complicit in the pain of black Americans: from slavery to segregation to racial inequality today.” Please understand, she is not buying into the mission statement of the BLM. What she is saying is that “…what if the failure truly to listen to the voices of black brothers and sisters and to reckon with this history of sin is holding our evangelism back…”. She comments, “to show where progressives are wrong, we must also freely acknowledge where they are right.”

My Question: Does my sin, our sin, the sin of the Church block the testimony of the Gospel?

2. In the chapter, “Love is Love”, she writes, “Whatever our racial back round, we Christians must also repent of the ways we’ve allowed actual homophobia-fear, hatred, and mistrust of gay and lesbian people-to infect our churches…Too often, we left our same-sex-attracted siblings within the church shivering in the dark, believing, they’re unwanted and unloved.”

My Question: Is our failure to reach out to these oppressed, sin, in the Church?

3. Regarding “Women’s Rights are Human Rights”, she would have us look at how we, as the Ecclesia, have treated women. “We must also acknowledge the ways in which we have failed to follow Jesus in His treatment of women.” She says that the Church needs to repent of its failures toward women. “Rather than sidelining women, we must celebrate women’s gospel ministry, cultivate women’s theological growth, and encourage as they serve the Lord, whether in the home or in the workplace. Father, forgive us for marginalizing women.”

My Question: What barriers have we built that marginalize women in the Church?

4. Another area of concern is “Transgender Women are Women”. In this chapter, we are confronted with the reality that we live “In a world where transitioning to the opposite sex or rejecting the gender binary has come to seem for some like salvation, we must affirm the goodness of male and female bodies with clinging to unbiblical gender stereotypes…Christians must repent of the ways in which our embrace of cultural stereotypes has made some people feel as if they don’t belong in their own skin. We must take those who experience gender dysphoria seriously…sit with them in their discomfort…not offering a gender identity that goes against their sex, but listening to each person’s story and seeking to support them however we can.” I have experienced this ‘learning to listen’ working with students in the public school system. It was difficult for me because it was new for me; but the Lord taught me how to listen and love as I worked with them.

My Question: Are we, the Church, willing to embrace those that are struggling with who they are?

5. Finally, she addresses the complex issue of questioning whether or not “The Gay Rights Movement Is the New Civil Rights Movement”? That’s a mouthful. Her contention is that, “But if white Christian had stood against race-based, chattel slavery in the first place, there would have been no need for the abolitionist movement. Christian sin has allowed the gay rights movement to trade on the moral capital of the civil-rights movement.” I will leave this observation to your reading of her book [or your personal study elsewhere ].

I don’t have a question, I have a recommendation: I recommend a lengthy treatise on the slavery issue, its global history, and its history in the United States. It is a book written by Albert Barnes, a New England theologian. His book was written in 1857. It is entitled, The Church and Slavery. I highly recommend it for a detailed understanding of the history of slavery in the world, the Biblical study of slavery, and the affects of slavery on our nation. What is interesting is that he wrote this treatise prior to the actual start of the Civil War; his writing was penned when the dialogues were flourishing in politics and in the Church. [A great read.]

What does all of this mean to the Ecclesia today?

This is my observation. The Church has a lot to learn about relating to social issues without presenting a social gospel. The Church needs to present itself before the populous of this nation without political strings attached but with a political relevance that voices the truth of God’s Word regarding the issues that the people of this nation face in their daily lives. Christians need to voice their objections lawfully, yet forcibly not allowing those in political office to ignore them. Yes, there is a place, when the Church in its disagreement, may need to take a stand saying ‘no’ to those in government because what is being done, or what they are requiring the Church to do because it is directly against the written Word of God. Are we there yet? I do not believe we are there yet; but we are close. In one major area, abortion, I believe, it is correct to say that the Church has significantly failed in voicing its opposition. Yes, opposition has been voiced, but it needs to increase. May the Lord give us wisdom to persevere in our opposition.

What does this mean for me as a child of God, a citizen of the Kingdom of God, a member of the Bride of Christ, a member of the Holy people of God? We need to repent of our sin and ask God to help us to love those who oppose themselves; not condemning them; but coming along side of them, listening to them, and sharing God’s love with them and for them. Remember, Christ died for them, too. We need to ‘live’ the Gospel.

As I was completing the reading of The Secular Creeds, it dawned upon me, and it was confirmed by the author’s of the two books that when humanity sets aside the God of their Creation, erases God out of their thinking, ignores God’s world of Absolutes, banishes His Person , and rejects His Reality, they create an atmosphere of their own chaos and confusion which results in dissatisfaction, irrationality, and unreality. That is the fruit of man’s way following their own Radical Reconciliation. When we reject God, we leave the realm of Absolute Truth, and humanity becomes its own ‘unknown’ trying to identify itself. That is not new news. That began with the advent of original sin in the Garden of Eden. Humanity, Adam and Eve, disobeyed God’s instruction, sinned and broke their relationship with God. It was God who spoke the words of reconciliation that would reach out to bring His humanity back to Himself.. It was God’s grace that began the process of reconciliation and return to Him. Unfortunately, humanity has always sought to do it, its own way, and consistently failed. Humanity’s wisdom and natural rationality cannot accomplish what it seeks to do. It is futile.

Father, now what? What are You doing in my life, now? Lord, what are You doing in Your Church to take us forward, now? Holy Spirit what are you saying to the Church today? Give us ears to hear!

Please consider these thoughts, the Lord is:

1. making the church more compassionate
2. removing our religious cataracts/astigmatisms
3. disciplining us to listen more, and talk less
4. reminding us that doctrine doesn’t save, it is important, but it only informs; only Jesus saves, listen to another’s story, share your story, share Christ crucified.
5. learn to embrace differences/diversity in the people you meet.
6. Be real, not religious.
7. Keep the need to repent constantly before you. We are not perfect. We are sinners saved by grace.

My final thought; it all begins with repentance; then re-setting; then re-awakening to live as Christ lived (love as Christ loved); and then comes reconciliation with our neighbors and loving them as we love ourselves.

Matthew 22:34-40

May the Lord richly bless you, Let us Go Forth, deo

What could be more radical than the Son of God, “who being in the form God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men, And being found in the appearance of man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of a cross.” (Philippians 2:5-8 NKJV)

And why did God do this? 2 Corinthians 5:18-19 (NKJV ) tells us.

“Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.”

What is the definition of ‘reconciliation’? ” Reconciliation is the process by which God and man are brought together again. This is made possible through the blood of Jesus which demonstrates the power and the model for reconciliation.” (New Spirit Filled Life Bible)

Is this what is being offered by our political and educational leaders in our nation? Is this the method by which opposing factions are going to come together as a united people in our nation?

Man’s Way of Radical Reconciliation is not based upon God’s Way of Reconciliation. God’s Way is by the way of the cross in which through death comes life; Man’s way is by way of a change of thinking through which will come a new understanding.

Man’s Radical Reformation is a deadly poison. It is anti-biblical; and, if left unchecked, it will destroy our nation, our culture, and our people. As I alluded too in the previous blog, the fact that I am writing such an analysis is in direct opposition to what is being proposed throughout our nation politically, educationally, and culturally. Such rhetoric will cause me to be labeled by some as a racist, ignorant, and out of touch with the nuances of our progressive culture. So be it. Go back and read the first three paragraphs again. Allow that truth to sink in and be your bedrock of thought as you proceed.

God has completed the work of reconciliation through Christ’s death, burial and resurrection. Christ’s death on the cross, and the shedding of His blood is the ‘once and for all’ sacrifice required to reconcile God and the human race. (See Hebrews 9:23-28; Hebrews 10:11-18)

The Apostle Peter in I Peter 3:18,(NKJV) summarizes Christ’s ‘once and for all’ sacrifice with these words, “For Christ suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the Spirit.”

Radical Reconciliation, done man’s way, cannot and will not accomplish by the works of man, by man’s intellectual thought, or by man’s means of financial reparations, achieve the goal of bringing mankind together. Why not?

Because reconciliation requires a change of the heart. Now, that is ‘radical’! Mankind cannot change the heart. Only God can change the heart of His creation. That is why man’s attempts to bring about reconciliation is total futility. Should mankind abandon all attempts to bring about understanding, peace, or agreement between nations and peoples? No. God is Sovereign over all the nations of this world and He is directing the affairs of the nations and its leaders. But humanity, attempting reconciliation apart of from their Creator will not work.

In our nation, because reconciliation requires a change of heart, many of our political leaders, many of our educational teachers and professors, and many in our business sector want nothing to do with God; in fact, they are radically opposed to God; and they are jettisoning a philosophy that eliminates God from our nation, culture, and people. This has been in the process for many years; and now we are seeing the fruit of that philosophy on display in our everyday lives. Read the headlines.

Let’s revisit the foundation of our relationship with God based upon His Radical Reconciliation in Christ. Christ paid the complete price. Christ satisfied the wrath of God against sin. The cost of reconciliation was the shedding of His blood. Hebrews 9:22b (NKJV) says, “..without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin.” In the Old Testament, this principle was stated in Leviticus 17:11 (NKJV), “For the life of the flesh is in the blood and I have given it to you upon the altar to made atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.” This is what Christ did for humanity. Christ took on flesh. He was the Lamb of God offered to make atonement for our sin taking away the sin of the world. This was not man’s doing. This was God’s thought before the foundation of the world. The Apostle Paul, eloquently, by the power of the Holy Spirit, outlines this truth in his letter to the Ephesian church. See Ephesians 1:3-14. Ephesians 1:7 (NKJV) says, “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace…” In Christ, we are reconciled to God. Coupling this thought with Ephesians 2:8 (NKJV),which reads, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” Combining these two verses, there is no ‘wiggle room’ to bring about reconciliation man’s way. Any reconciliation requires God’s intervention in the natural or the spiritual.

The proponents of Man’s Way of Radical Reconciliation advocate an agenda attested too with cliches that lull us into believing that by adhering to their ways, listening to their rhetoric, and pursuing their works, man’s hearts will be changed positively toward one another, and the nation in which we live will experience peace, equality, and tranquility.

THIS IS A FALSE HOPE

Only the blood of Christ, applied to the sinful hearts of mankind, can bring about forgiveness and reconciliation with God; and then the possibility exists for a true reconciliation to begin and grow between human beings.

Would that be a Radical Reconciliation? Absolutely, but it must be done God’s Way not man’s way.

This is the foundation that must be established, if we are to proceed with an understanding of the role of the Church in the hour in which we are living.

THERE IS HOPE

Only the blood of Christ and the forgiveness of sin can bring about the change of heart that is necessary to be first reconciled to God and then to be reconciled to one’s fellow man and woman. Would this make it possible for a radical reconciliation among us in this nation? Absolutely, as long as it is done, God’s Way. This is our basis of HOPE.

Jesus is our Hope, a sojourner in Christ, deo

“A racial ideology that beats people down to skin color does not possess the power to uplift people.” Eli Steele: Interracial Couple Fights Critical Race Theory in One of America’s Most Integrated Towns.”

I want to take a time out from the series that I have been sharing about Pentecost. I have become sidetracked, somewhat, by certain buzz words that I am reading in the media: critical race theory, radical reconciliation, systemic racism, etc. The problem is that it has opened up a whole new vocabulary of words and terminology.

I want to begin by looking back to 1970 when I started in Christian Education as a teacher. The atmosphere I stepped into was completely unknown to me. It was a step of faith. I was being introduced to a ministry that culminated in 2020, 50 years later.

A major foundation stone of this ministry was presented to me (us) by the following visualization. Picture me, holding two books. One book is a school textbook; the other is the Bible. I am now going to hold up the textbook and place on top of it, the Bible. The concept is that the subject matter of the textbook is filtered through the lens of the Bible. That does not mean that the Bible teaches everything one needs to know about the subject of the textbook; but it does mean that the content of the textbook is guided and kept within the boundaries of truth as found in the Bible. For example, the answer to a math problem, such as 2 + 2 = 4, is absolute. The truth of God’s Word is absolute. Therefore, the subject matter of a math textbook is to be understood, enlightened, and enhanced by the absolute truth of the Bible. In a math class, a question at the beginning of a class might be asking the students to name things that are absolute truth? Students need to know that the study of mathematics is an absolute science. In general this was the paradigm in which education was originally taught in our nation.

Continuing the presentation, I will now take the two books, the textbook and the Bible, and hold them up side by side. What is the purpose of making this change? It represents the growth, or from the point of view of Christian Education, the decline of education in our nation. What had begun with a Christian world view has become secularized. The subject matter is no longer being analyzed through the lens of the Bible. The Bible was set aside to be studied on its own; and the textbooks were now studied on their own without the aid of Biblical input for the most part. The Bible was used, occasionally, to supplement the textbook’s thoughts; it was used, as more of, an alternative opinion, than absolute truth. ln essence, ‘let’s consider this point of view’. Probably the classic example would be the topic of the origin of species-evolution or creation? Which brings us to a more up to date approach.

I now take the textbook and place it over the Bible. The textbook guides and directs the content of the Bible. The textbook contradicts the Bible’s stories and claims. The textbook repudiates the proposed truth of the Bible. and now, taking it one step further, the Bible is completely set aside as irrelevant, discarded, and not considered at all in the educational process. God is, thereby, removed from our educational system. Has this happen in our nation? Yes.

The process of education has disintegrated from a Biblical world view to a non-Biblical world view. But, the decline in the educational process has plummeted to even a lower level. The focus of our educational system is not upon the basics of ‘reading, writing, and arithmetic’; but about sexuality, and about correcting racism. What will be the outcome of such a radical change in our educational system?

Let me restate the issue.

Unfortunately, the trajectory of our educational history has been the removal of the lens of the Bible through which subjects have been taught. The study of the Bible is separated from the educational subject matter and viewed as irrelevant. This has occurred in our founding colleges and universities. It has has happened in our public school system; and it can even happen in Christian schools, K-12, where there isn’t a conscious effort to incorporate Biblical concepts and truths that enhance the school’s curriculum. How do I know this? I was negligent of this many times as a Christian school teacher. I didn’t always consciously enhance the subjects I was teaching with Biblical truth in my own classroom. That does not mean I taught non-Biblical truth. It means I did not fully take a positive advantage of incorporating the truths of God’s Word. How many colleges and universities that began as bastions of Biblical religious study and sound Biblical doctrine have fallen by the wayside and completely set aside the importance of the Biblical perspective and the presentation of a Biblical world view. They have substituted the philosophies and wisdom of the world for Biblical truth.

These private institutions, and our public school educational system, no longer seek to incorporate the Biblical truths that present the necessary moral and ethical standards for living as individuals or in relationship to one another. Our educational system has reversed the lens of interpretation advancing man’s wisdom and reasoning. A look at the history of mankind, when compared with the historical growth the church, will easily reveal that this ‘battle for the mind’ has always been at the forefront of civilization. Why? One only has to remind one self of the dialogue that took place in the Garden of Eden between Eve and the Serpent. In Genesis 3:1, the Serpent said to Eve, “Has God indeed said…” (NKJV). A question was asked, a dialogue took place, a response was made, an action followed, and the consequences of that interaction has been an ongoing struggle between God and His creation. Mankind is still wrestling with God over the meaning of life, seeking to resolve the issues created because of original sin. A totally depraved mind will reason from its standpoint to put into motion what it believes to be the truth that must guide a nation, a culture, and its people. The Biblical narrative is a recorded history of the dialogue between God, His people, and the nations of this world, in which God is lovingly reaching out to mankind for the purpose of reconciliation to Himself. That is the emphasis of the Gospel.

Our nation, culture, and people stand at a crossroads. This moment has not crept up on us suddenly. It has been in the ‘works’ for many years throughout our short history as a nation. Our soul, as a nation, is at risk. What type of nation will we become? What will be the guiding principles that will dictate our existence? Will this nation lose its foundation of liberty? There are many, in this nation, that believe they have the upper hand; they are in control; and that it is just a matter of time before this nation will be become a completely different nation governed by a political and philosophical ideology that is a reversal of everything we have known as a republic and that this nation will be ‘flip-flopped’ into a progressive-Marxist nation. Strong words, yes; far from the truth, no. How do I know? Matthew 12:33 (NJKV), Jesus said, “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit.”

We know that God is Sovereign and He is in control of all nations. He is in control of our nation; and our nation is moving toward its destiny in the plan and purpose of God. God is the Husbandman of the garden. Does that mean that we give up in view of what we are witnessing in our nation? No, we do not know what gardening the Lord wants to do with this nation; but we do know that as believers in Christ we are His people and the sheep of His pasture. And He has promised that He would never leave us nor forsake us. So we press into God.

Question: What is the fruit of our tree(nation)? Is our fruit good or bad?

Our nation has been, and is being indoctrinated to believe that we are ‘bad fruit’ as a nation, a culture, and a people. I am not saying that we as a nation have not failed in many ways; however, I refuse to be told that I have been lied too throughout my life by the educational system I grew up in; that because I am ‘white’, I am guilty of being a racist; that I need to live with a guilt complex; and that I must be re-educated by the philosophy and teachings of Critical Race Theory, Critical Social Justice, Intersectionality, and Radical Reformation to turn the tide of systemic racism. Is there something that God’s people need to do? Yes. What is it? Be the Church. How do we begin? with repentance; not a repentance governed by the doctrine of radical reformation; but with repentance that reconciles us to God through the blood of the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world.

As a Christian, a follower of Jesus Christ, living through this maze of words and actions that are besetting us as a nation, a culture, and a people, I have come to a personal conclusion that I am not going to allow myself to be offended by another human being’s color; and that I am not going to be offended by another’s biological sex, male or female. Sex and color identify a human being as an individual person who has been created in the image and likeness of God. They may or may not be Christian; however, in Christ, I am told “to love my neighbor as myself”. This may sound simplistic but if I can do that, in Christ, I am not a racist. I am responsible not to be offended by a person’s sex or color.

However, that does not mean, that I cannot be offended by what they say or do. Do they have a ‘right’ to say and do what they want? Yes, but it’s a qualified ‘up to a point’. I think the boundaries of ‘freedom of speech’ and ‘freedom of actions’ have been taken advantage of and loosened too far. There is a difference between speaking and living civilly, and speaking and living without civility. There is a difference between speaking and living rationally, and speaking and living irrationally. Some people do not want to listen; they only want to rant and rave, shout and demonstrate. They have taken what they believe to be ‘freedom of speech and freedom of action’ to the point of lawlessness. In my estimation this is unacceptable. I guess then, I would be labeled as intolerant. And in some circles of thought, I would labeled as a racist. This brings to mind a placard that I saw a student carrying after the election of Mr. Trump as President of the United States. It read, ‘Be Ungovernable’. That was in 2016 or early 2017.. That placard amazed me at the time; but it has certainly set the tone of what we have witnessed and listened too for the past 5 years. It has also escalated, both in its speech and actions throughout our nation at all levels.

I can also be offended by what people write. I am reading words and phrases that are new to me but are not new to the culture, or our educational institutions. I need to be tolerant of their point of view; but I do not need to agree with them. Nevertheless, sometimes what individuals write can be offensive depending on their personal point of view. It will not surprise me that there will be someone or even many who may read this blog and be offended by my point of view. That’s ok, thanks for giving me your time and space to express what I believe. However, even though I may disagree with radical reconciliation, as presented; I need to investigate and read about CRT, CSJ, I, and RR, and systemic racism. Guess what? There is plenty out there to read. I have just finished a book written by Dr. Voodie Baucham Jr, called, ‘fault lines, The Social Justice Movement and Evangelicalism’s Looming Catastrophe’. This is an excellent read for understanding the beginnings of the social justice movement; to be given up to date information about what is and has been going on in our nation; and to come to grips with his concern about the influence of social justice in the church and its ramifications. My wife, Christine, has just completed a book entitled, ‘The Secular Creed, Engaging Five Contemporary Claims’, written by Rebecca McLaughlin. This is my next read. My quest to understand more continues. Where all of this is headed personally, I do not know?

At this time, I recognize this. I am seeing the fruit of what I have previously written about in past blog series. And it is not good fruit.

We need to heed the words of Ephesians 6:10-18. Please read and reflect. We are in a spiritual war.

We need to walk according to Ephesians 4:14-21. Please read and reflect. The Church needs to learn how to walk in this hour.

What is Dr. Baucham’s concern? The philosophy and teaching’s of this world is creeping into the church, i.e. being embraced by the church and its leadership. But that is not new news. The Bible, itself, warns us about false teachers coming into the first century churches. The Pauline letters especially deal with false doctrine and heresy in the church. Dr. Baucham is seeing the infiltration of the false narratives that are dominating our educational system beginning to infiltrate the church’s thinking with its false teaching and historical heresies. What has taken place in our public school system, our colleges, and universities is moving into the church. This is not a denominational issue. This is about being faithful to the Word of God.

So, what has all this have to do with Racial Reconciliation? Actually, as Dr. Baugham preached (see You Tube: Radical Reconciliation), according to Ephesians 2:11-18, God has already reconciled us to Himself through Christ at the Cross. Therefore, I am not to proceed in guilt toward other human beings; but I am to go forward living out my reconciliation in Christ with Christ’s love toward one another. The world’s way of reconciliation is to press me down being guilty of racism, teach me how to live as a non-racist, and be willing to do what ever the culture tells me to do to live in harmony with one another. I categorically refuse that option. That is not Biblical. I have already chosen God’s Way, through Christ at the Cross. Christ, the Word, the Cross, the Spirit, and the Church will enable me to walk freely toward other human beings regardless of their color or sex. Amen. Amen. and Amen.

We are living in desperate times. The push for Radical Reconciliation is demanding and inclusive.

We have a choice to make? Be absorbed or Be against! acquiesce or stand!

Paul writes in Colossians 2:6-10 (NKJV), “As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving. Beware lest anyone cheat (plunder you or take you captive) you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. For in Him dwell all the fulness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him who is the head of all (rule and authority) principality and power. [parentheses from center margin of my Study Bible].

As I said before, we are at a crossroads! Here is our choice, stated another way:

Matthew 7:13-14 (NKJV), “Enter by the narrow gate, for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life and there are few who find it.” Jesus continues in the next verse (15,16a), Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits.”

Time to be a fruit inspector; Fruit inspection is not judgmental, it’s evaluation and observation, listening and watching.

A fellow sojourner, deo

It is important to remember that the Epistle to the Hebrews was written to a nation of people (God’s People) whose existence was rooted in a covenant with God, Himself. They were chosen by God; they were set apart by God, Himself; and called by God, Himself, to be His witness for Him to all the nations of the world. Sound familiar!

Who are we in Christ? Peter writes, in I Peter 2:9-10 (NKJV), “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light, who once were not a people but now are the people of God, who had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.”

Therefore, what God originally purposed with His people under the first covenant, He has still purposed with His people under the second covenant in Christ. The Epistle to the Hebrews “seeks to explain the nature and history (of God’s people then and now) in the light of Christ, and true spiritual Christianity. It shows that even such a people may make their separation earthy so they have been ‘overthrown and will–even as Christians–be overthrown again, if they repeat what their father’s did in Judaism.” (my insert) [quoting T. Austin Sparks]

Has the Church done the same today? Have we made ourselves ‘earthy’ and ‘worldly’? Have we forsaken what God has originally purposed for His people in Christ?

This is why it was hard for the new Jewish believers to put off the OLD and put on the NEW. They were steeped in the OLD covenant. It programmed their religion and lifestyle. It was who they were. In Christ, a NEW covenant had been instituted and they were embarking on a NEW learning curve. Guess what? This is the same learning curve we have to embrace as NEW believers. The OLD has passed away, and behold all things have become NEW. It can be, and will be a struggle.

This is why the Holy Spirit was sent. What had Jesus instructed His disciples in the Upper Room the night of His betrayal? A lot. As this instruction was winding down, Jesus says, in John 16:12-13 (NKJV), I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.” [I suspect that during the 40 day interval between His resurrection and ascension the Upper Room discussion was continued.] “However, When He, the Spirit of truth has come (Pentecost), He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak, and He will tell you things to come.” [my insert].

In I Corinthians 15, Paul has been instructing the church about the gospel, the resurrection of Christ, and end times. In I Corinthians 15:46, He states a principle which can be applied to our understanding regarding the whole of Scripture. “However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual.”

[Christ, the Son of God, was born in a natural body (Phil. 2:5-8; Heb. 10:5-7; Gal. 4:4), after His resurrection He had a spiritual body.(I Cor. 15:35-49).

Applying this thinking to God’s people before the Cross and after the Cross, we understand, read, and reflect upon the nation of Israel, under the first covenant, the OLD, as the natural. Christ is born in a natural body and completely fulfills the Law under the first covenant and He institutes a second covenant, the NEW covenant. He is crucified on the Cross. He dies, and He is entombed in a grave. But, God raises Him from the dead. He has a resurrected body. His OLD body has passed away and He is raised in a NEW body. This is our glorious hope in the gospel of Christ. (I Cor. 15:50-58)

As I have stated before, and reiterate again, natural Israel is struggling to let go completely of the OLD, and embrace completely the NEW. And so do many of us. And unfortunately, it is easy to ‘spiritually relax’ as believers and become ‘earthy’ and ‘worldly’ in our walk with the Lord. This is the essence and purpose of the letters to the Churches in the NEW Testament. How do believers in Christ overcome the temptations of the world, the false teaching coming into the church, and the struggles of being a disciple of the Lord? Answer: it’s the Grace of the NEW covenant. It wasn’t easy for them; and for many of us, it, too, has not been easy; however, just as the Lord answered Paul regarding his own struggle in the flesh, He says to us in 2 Cor. 12:9, “And He said to me, ” My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Paul’s reply follows, “Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” Whoa, there is something needed to be learned. Paul continues in 2 Cor. 12:10, “Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake, for when I am weak, then I am strong.” Question: Is what Paul said, the mindset of the Church today? or does the Church avoid these issues, individually and/or collectively? Question: Is this where we are headed in our nation?

Will we need to embrace infirmities, reproaches, needs, persecutions, distresses for Christ’s sake? This reminds me of Hebrews 13:13, “Therefore, let go forth to Him, outside the camp (context-established religion), bearing His reproach.” (my insert).

Christ in me is supernatural. Christ in me is spiritual. Christ in me is real not religious. Paul clearly understood this NEWness. Listen to his explanation in Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ (that takes care of the OLD); it is no longer I who live (I am dead to the OLD), but Christ lives in me (NEWness); and the life that I live in the flesh (NOW, OLD things have passed away, and behold all things have become NEW) I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” (my inserts)

This is Paul’s NEW understanding. The is what the Spirit planted (downloaded) in seed form in Paul. Question: Does Paul get it? Absolutely, he understands what he had to put off or have removed from his thinking. He comprehended what the OLD meant to him personally and to the Jewish nation. He understood that life was not going to be the same in Christ.

Paul(Saul) was entrenched in Judaism. He witnessed Stephen’s death by stoning (Acts 7:58). In fact, he consented to Stephen’s death (Acts 8:1). He was obsessed with the arrest and incarceration of Christian believers. (Acts 8:3).

But God! Jesus confronts Saul (Paul), calls him, blinds him with His brilliance, chooses him, and commissions him to Himself for the preaching of the gospel to the Gentiles, and as a witness to the nations (Acts 9:1-30).

Massaging an OLD phrase, did Paul (Saul) get it? Listen to his testimony found in Philippians3:1-9, NKJV, “Finally , my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. For to me to write the same things to you is not tedious, but for you it is safe. Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of mutilation! For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh, though I also might have confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so: [Paul says I will put up my credentials and compare them to anyone’s; and I do not think anyone can out do my credentials] (my insert). (bring it on!): circumcised the eighth day, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things (all associated with the OLD), and count them rubbish, that I may gain Christ (all associated with the NEW) and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law (OLD), but that which is through faith in Christ (NEW), the righteousness which is from God by faith.” (my inserts)

Therefore, what is the goal of the Christian life, according to Paul, NOW. Philippians 3:10-11 says, “…that I might know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if by any means I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.” How is that going to happen? To be His disciple we must take up our cross daily and follow Him.

I submit to you that Philippians 3:12-21 addresses the answer to the aforementioned question. Paul understands that the issue is not about going to heaven. He knows that going to heaven is guaranteed to those who are in Christ. Paul is focusing on the life we are to be living NOW, based upon the NEW.

Please give me some ‘space’ regarding my next thought. Question: How do we change the word NEW to the word NOW? Easy, remove the letter E and replace it with the letter O. ‘E’asier said than done. When we embrace the NEW, the letter ‘E’ says that we are ‘eternally’ justified in Christ. Our salvation is secure, and our destination will be with the Lord in His Presence, in Heaven, with the Father. It also says that our NEW life is ‘E’very day.

We replace in the space where the ‘E’ was with the letter ‘O’. ‘O’ is learning how to live ‘obediently’ undergoing the sanctification process of walking and growing in Christ ‘E’very day . This is what we are to be learning and living NOW. Hebrews 5:8 NKJV, “…though He were a Son yet learned He ‘O’bedience by the things that He suffered.” Is this the mindset of the church today? Is this the mindset of every believer? Unfortunately, NO! So…

this means that if we put the E and O together as ‘EO’ we have ‘E’very day ‘Obedience’. This is our goal.

What is Paul’s exhortation? Philippians 3:17;18 (NKJV), “…walk according to the pattern you have in us.” Was Paul’s pattern after the Spirit (NEW) or the OLD (flesh)? Was Paul’s walk ‘carnal’ or ‘soulish’?

Let’s consider Galatians 5:1-26. I submit to you that Paul is correcting the Galatian Church about their struggle in growing in the Lord. The are being told not to put off all the OLD by false teachers. They are being told that they need to retain their ‘identity’ as Jews. Paul is categorically saying that this is wrong. He tells them to put off the OLD in its entirety. He is warning them that retaining their traditions and customs will be disastrous in their walk with the Lord. He exhorts them to put on the NEW, which is Christ, as they had been taught in the gospel. Galatians 5:16 defines the spiritual struggle within all of us, and it summarizes the admonition of Paul to the Galatian Church. “I say then, Walk in the Spirit (NOW), and you will not fulfill the lust of the flesh (OLD). ”

This is exactly what Paul addresses in his letter to the Colossian church. Read, Colossians 3:1-17.

Let me ask again, is the church walking after the flesh, or after the Spirit? Is the church directed by the soulish desires of mankind or by the Spirit of God? Is the church riddled with carnality, or is it maturing in Christ? Why is the church so anemic in the United States? Is the church for real or is it just a religious exercise? If Jesus sent a letter to the church in the United States as He did to the seven churches of Asia, what would He say? Does the church in the United States resemble any of the churches He wrote too?

Sunday, May 23, 2021, is Pentecost Sunday on the western church calendar. Will it be church as usual? or will there be an honest re-evaluation of the state of the church?

Quoting T. Austin Sparks again, “There is something here much more than typology interpreted and interpretation accepted as to salvation from sin and judgment. It is the essential and indispensable heavenly relatedness and life of the Lord’s people as inwardly detached from the natural life (OLD) even in a religious sense.” In short, is the church real or religious?

To be real, the church must walk after the Spirit (NOW), and not after the flesh (OLD). Walking after the Spirit comes from the preaching of Christ crucified, centered in the gospel of Christ.

To be Christ’s disciple, we are to take up our cross daily, and follow Him. What is our cross for? crucifixion, a reminder that in Christ, the OLD has been crucified and the NEW has been resurrected (remember Gal. 2:20). We are to live as one who embraces ‘death to self’.

In the closing chapter of the letter to the Galatians, (Gal. 6:1-18), Paul puts it all in perspective. Concentrating on Gal. 6:12-18, Paul, in verse 12, says, “As many as desire to make a good showing in the flesh (OLD), these would compel you to be circumcised (OLD), only that they may not suffer persecution for the cross of Christ (NEW?NOW).” (my inserts) (NKJV)

This is the issue for the individual believer and the community of believers in a local church. Do you, does the church, embrace or avoid the cross of Christ in our daily lives? Do we live for our selves, or for the Lord? Who sits on the throne of my heart, your heart, the heart of the local church?

To grow in the NEW so that it becomes the NOW, the church must center on Christ, and on the cross. Galatians 6:14-17 lays out the answer as Paul closes his letter. “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. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything (OLD), but a NEW creation (boldness mine). And as many as walk according to this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God. From NOW on let no one trouble me, for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.”

Do I, do we, does the church bear the ‘marks of the Lord Jesus’.

Does the church you attend preach the Gospel, centered on Christ, and the Cross?

Maybe the church needs to revisit the words of a hymn that was a foundation in the church. The hymn is entitled, THE OLD RUGGED CROSS. It was written by George Bennard (1873-1958). Here are some of its words:

“On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross, the emblem of suffering and shame, and I love that old cross where the dearest and best for a world of lost sinners was slain…so I’ll cherish the old rugged cross…”

Do we still cherish the old rugged cross? Paul did. It was the foundation of his ministry. Christ crucified. Are we out of touch with the gospel in our churches today? The word ‘rugged’ here means “having or requiring toughness and determination”. (googled)

Is the church tough and determined today? Am I willing to be drawn nearer to the cross? Remembering the words to another hymn, the words say:

“Draw me nearer, nearer blessed Lord, to the cross where Thou hast died, draw me neared, nearer blessed Lord, to Thy precious bleeding side” (Fanny Crosby)

Thank you Father for sending Your Son; Thank you Jesus for Your Gospel and the Cross; Thank you Holy Spirit for Your teaching, guidance, and comfort.

Thank you Trinity for Your love.

As a believer in Christ, I , Deo, am in possession of a NEW covenant ratified by the Blood of Jesus.

At the conclusion of my previous blog, I included a quote from T. Austin Sparks (1888-1971). I was wondering if anyone spent some time musing over his words and coming to a conclusion agreeing or disagreeing with him?

The quote was, “Christianity now is very largely a built up thing with many Jewish features in it; i.e. outward orders, forms, vestments, titles, buildings, and rigidly fixed boundaries of apprehension of truth.” What do you think?

Before you dismiss this observation by TAS, consider what characterizes a denomination, a mega-church, celebrity pastors and/or their ministries.

Question: Is the Christian church exhibiting the same type of characteristics that TAS was recognizing decades ago in the Church? How do these types of characteristics gain a foothold in the Lord’s Church?

Let me put forth this possibility. Is the Church being governed by the dictates of man or by the Spirit of God? Is the Church energized by the soul of its leadership or by the Holy Spirit? Is the Church moving forward to please man and his agenda at the expense of seeking the Lord for direction for His Church and to be governed by the Spirit of God? In short, who is at the center of the Church? the Lord or the ‘self’ of mankind. Strong words, but are they applicable to what is going on the Church in the United States? the world?

There are places in the world where the Church is growing–on the continent of Africa, in Asia, and in South America (lifewayresearch.com)

Question: Is the Church in the United States more dependent upon ‘self-centeredness’ for its growth, than on the Holy Spirit for its growth and outreach? Do the letters of Paul address this type of Church growth?

In I Corinthians 3, it appears that Paul is addressing a type of religious growth centered in self and not in the Spirit. As he states in I Corinthians 3:1, “And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ.” (NKJV). Why?

They were saved, but immature, believers, who were pursuing a carnal (soulish) walk with Christ, and not a Spirit led relationship. The were centered on people and personalities, and not centered on Christ, or the gospel that Paul preached. (I Cor. 3:2-11)

In I Corinthians 3:12-15, Paul explains that how a person, or local Church, who builds upon the foundation of Christ Jesus, will be tested on the Day of the Lord’s return. This is not speaking about one’s salvation, which is a free gift. Paul is speaking about a believer’s rewards based upon how a believer builds upon their foundation of Christ Jesus. Why is this important even before the Day of Christ’s return?

In Hebrews 12:25-29, the writer expounds about a day of shaking that is coming. I personally believe that there is going to be a great day of shaking before the Lord returns. This warning, by the writer to the Hebrews, exhorts them to remain steadfast, “…looking unto Jesus…” (Heb.12:2); to remember those who have walked before them (Heb. 11:1 – 12:2); to embrace the discipline of God in their lives, as a father disciplines his son (Heb. 12:3-17); and to reflect on the difference between the two covenants, and their meaning to a believer (Heb.12:18-24). [Historically, all of this is written before the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D.]

Keeping all of this in perspective, what has any of this got to do with me in 2021? I believe that God is going to ‘shake’ things up before the Day of the Glorious Return of the Lord. This will include heaven and earth. For what purpose? First, to manifest His Presence in such a way to give every opportunity for mankind to be saved; second, to sort out the defective elements in the Church so that the Church can minister to those who will be saved; and third, to prepare the Bride, for the Groom’s glorious return.

What are the defective elements? Those defective elements are those things that the Lord of the Church will need to speak to each individual congregation, just as He did to the seven Churches in the Book of Revelation. The Lord, Himself, will point out what needs to be removed, anything that is man-made, and not founded in Christ. This is what the writer to the Hebrews is saying in Heb. 12: 27, “Now this, ‘Yet once more,’ indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain.” (NKJV) The things that are made are spoken of, [in my Study Bible (pg. 1745)], as “…the removal of all that is earthly and temporal, in order that only heavenly and spiritual realities my remain.”

I submit, that this is essence of TAS observation. He was commenting on how much there was in the Church that was man oriented and not Holy Spirit inspired. Is the same true today? How much in the Church today is not of the Lord at all and will crumble with a violent shaking, or will be blown away as chaff by a violent wind? Or going back to I Corinthians 3:12, how much in the Church has been built on the foundation of Christ Jesus, but the building materials have been hay, wood, and straw and gold, silver, or precious stones?

Or, thinking back to the end of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus concluded with this summary. Matthew 7:24-29, when “the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and the house (which house? the one not even built on the right foundation, not built on a solid rock but on sand) , and it fell. And great was its fall.” (NKJV)

Yes, when the shaking comes, and it will come; the foundation must be correct or catastrophic will be its fall-Christ is not its foundation; and then again, a Church may have the right foundation, but its life is man-made, not Spirit built, and great will be their fall. This is what the shaking is for, to reveal what things are made of in our lives and in the life of the Church.

The point, is, when the shaking comes what will be left of the Church as we know it? What about the local congregation that you attend? Is it Christ centered, Holy Spirit empowered, or going forward with man at the center, pursuing their own agenda. It may be hard to tell; but when the shaking comes, the results will be revealing. And when the shaking comes, what will be left in my own walk with the Lord? How strong is my relationship to Him? I am not questioning my salvation; I am asking if I am building on the right foundation with the right building materials.

Question: What did the pandemic reveal to your local community of believers? The pandemic was a ‘shaking’. How did you survive? How did your Church community survive? What do you think it will be like for the Church that you attend as the Pandemic quiets down and things return to ‘normal’? What is the NEW normal, have OLD things passed away? What are you grappling with? What is the Spirit saying to you? your local Church community? What is Lord of the Church saying to the Church in the United States? the world?

I think the Church is being prepared for a NEW season in its relationship to Christ. One totally centered upon Him, His Word, and the leading and working of the Holy Spirit. But, isn’t that how the Church began in Acts 2? Yes, but are we still centered in the Apostle’s Doctrine, fellowship, the breaking of bread, and prayers? I ask myself, what does that mean in my walk with the Lord?

Do I Get It Yet? or is it still fuzzy?

TBC

Little did the disciples, the Jewish nation, or the Gentiles understand what was going to be the consequences of Christ’s death, burial, resurrection, and His ascension back to His Father. The Jewish leaders were wrestling with the two things they feared. The first was that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God; and the second was that He did rise from the dead on the third day just like He had said that He would. Their problem was that Jesus wasn’t making Himself public and speaking boldly in their presence like He had before they had Him crucified. The ‘rumor’ was that Christ was alive. They could go to the tomb and find it empty. They could ask around and try to find out what was the ‘word on the street’ regarding Christ. I wonder what they did.

We know what Christ did. Luke writes, Acts 1:1-3, (NKJV), “The former account I made O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, until the day in which He was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandment to the apostles whom He had chosen, to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.” Christ’s attention was focused on those He had chosen; those who would be instrumental in the NEW. He was teaching them to let go of the OLD and embrace the NEW.

Christ’s resurrection fulfilled the OLD covenant and established the foundation of the NEW covenant. The Ekklesia lives on resurrection ground, the other side of the cross.

In the previous blogs, I shared that on our 2021 calendar, the Day of Ascension is May 13, forty days since we celebrated Easter. And in another ten days, Sunday, May 23, it will be fifty days since Christ’s resurrection. On that day, the Jewish nation celebrates the Feast of Pentecost in remembrance of the giving of the Law on Mt. Sinai. The church remembers this day as the day of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. The coming of the Holy Spirit is “the promise of the Father, which, He said, you have heard from Me.” (Acts 1:4b, NKJV).

In the forty days between Christ’s resurrection and His Ascension, the Apostles are, in effect, in a transition period. The OLD covenant has been set aside and the Jesus is instructing them regarding the NEW covenant and the Kingdom of God.

While the Apostles are going through their indoctrination about the NEW, the Jewish nation, and the Gentiles are, I assume, returning to life as normal. Things are quieting down in Jerusalem, and their routine is being re-established. The Feast of Pentecost is over, and people have returned home. In a way, this is like what is happening in our nation. The pandemic is quieting down, and lives are slowly returning to normal, or are we?

On the Day of Pentecost, normal is going to be ‘shaken’ in Jerusalem.

The Holy Spirit is going to be outpoured as prophesized in the OLD covenant by the prophet Joel, and the Apostles are going to be thrust into the ministry with authority given to them by Jesus, empowered by the Holy Spirit.

And the Church will be born.

At the church, where Christine and I attend, the Pastor has been teaching/preaching through the Book of Exodus. Currently, his teaching has been about Moses receiving the details for the building of the Tabernacle in the Wilderness. Where did that take place? On the top of Mt. Sinai. How long was Moses on the top of the mountain with God? 40 days. Interesting. What was the nation of Israel going through? A period of transition. Out of the OLD in Egypt, and into the NEW in God.

In Exodus 31, he entitled his sermon, Work Wisely. His emphasis was that, we as a believer, need to “work wisely regarding the work God has given me to do for Him.” His text was Exodus 31:1-11 (Dr. Kent Dresdow, North Creek Church, Walnut Creek, CA, 4-25-21).

Highlighting his teaching, God says to Moses, “I have called (chosen), [my insert] by name Bezalel…and I have filled him with the Spirit of God in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship…to design…to work…in cutting…in carving…and to work in all manner of workmanship.” Exodus 31:1-5.

God continues, “Indeed I, have appointed with him Aholiab…and I have put wisdom in the hearts of all the gifted artisans (other individuals to help)[ my insert], that they may make all that I have commanded you…” ( Exodus 31:6)

The point is that God chose individuals, filled them with His Holy Spirit, and equipped them to build the Tabernacle in the Wilderness, exactly according to the pattern He showed Moses. Remember, Moses was on Mt. Sinai for forty days receiving from God the plans for the Tabernacle and God, also “gave Moses two tablets of the Testimony, tablets of stone written with the finger of God.” (Exodus 31:18b NKJV) What was on the two tablets of stone? the 10 commandments.

I would like to suggest the following: God summoned Moses to the top of Mt. Sinai to give him the information the nation of Israel needed, to live, as the people of God, no longer under the OLD (Egyptian government), but now under a NEW ( God in their midst). They were under a NEW government. He also gave him the details of the Tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting, where God would meet with His people in their midst.

Fast forward to the forty days between Christ’s resurrection and His Ascension. Jesus is talking to the Apostles, whom He has called/chosen to follow Him. He is instructing them about the New covenant and the Kingdom of God, a NEW government. On the Day of Pentecost, these Apostles, and other individuals, were filled with the Holy Spirit. Why? To carry out the work that the Lord has given them to do. In Christ, we, as the people of God, are under a NEW government. Jesus is the King of the Kingdom of God. We, as believers, are citizens of that Kingdom. We need to learn how to live under the NEW Covenant of Grace in Christ. To fulfill Christ’s direction for our lives, we need to be filled with the Holy Spirit. We need to ‘Work Wisely’.

Being repetitive, that is what a teacher does; let us go back over the narrative in Acts 1,2. (NKJV)

Acts 1:3, “To them He showed Himself to be alive after His suffering through many convincing proofs; appearing to them for forty days, speaking to them about the Kingdom of God.”

Acts 1:5b, Jesus said to them “…but you will be baptized in the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

Jesus ascended, the Apostles waited. Acts 2:1, “When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. Suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting…they were filled with the Holy Spirit.”

Consider the following: The Tabernacle in the Wilderness was built by men chosen by God. God filled them with the Holy Spirit. God gifted them with the wisdom and abilities needed to build the Tabernacle as Moses was shown.

On the Day of Pentecost, the Ekklesia, the Church began. Jesus had said, “I will build My church and the gates of hell will not prevail it.” (Matthew 16:18)

To do this, Christ chose individuals. He called them to follow Him. He taught them; He instructed them; He corrected them; He mentored them until the time of His departure back to His Father. On the Day of Pentecost, these individuals and others were filled with the Holy Spirit. These individuals were gifted by the Lord to build His Church under His direction, according to His specifications.

What about today?

Ephesians 4:11,12 “And He, (Jesus) [my insert], Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.”

[We are the temple of the living God. We are the dwelling place of the Most High God. We are the living stones that comprise the church of the living God. Where two or three believers are gathered together, Jesus is in our midst.]

In Romans 12:1-8, Paul instructs us that God gives gifts to the Lord’s Church according to “the grace given to us…”; and in I Corinthians 12:1-31, Paul instructs us that the Holy Spirit gives gifts to the Church. The Trinity has gifted the church, the Ekklesia, the Body of Christ to function as the people of God bearing witness to the Gospel of Christ in the nations of this world.

Question: Is the Church functioning as the Body of Christ, filled with the Spirit of God?

Today, in order for the Church to function properly, it must be have individuals, called and chosen by God, submitted to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, empowered by the Holy Spirit, set apart with gifts to equip the people of God, “till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man , to the measure of the state of the fullness of Christ.” Ephesians 4:13

For what purpose? to witness in our “Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Acts 1:8b

Paul, writing to the church at Ephesus, exhorts them to put off the OLD, and put on the NEW.” Ephesians 4:17-32 [Please read and reflect]

Re-asking the question from above, Is the church functioning with chosen individuals filled with the Spirit.?

If not, then it is functioning carnally. This means that the leadership of the church can be ‘saved’ (born of the Spirit) but not leading the church ‘filled with the Spirit’. Such a church is under the direction of individuals seeking to please themselves, and fulfill their own agenda. Their center is not Jesus Christ; their center is self.

The more I read the letter to the Galatians, the more I am coming to the conclusion, that this was the issue Paul was addressing to this church. The leadership in the church was born again; but the church was not centered on Christ; and growing by the Spirit. See Galatians 5:1-25. Paul was entreating them to refocus on Christ, and follow after the Spirit and not the flesh.

On the Day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came and filled those chosen by the Lord, and the other individuals assembled in the upper room. The Holy Spirit gifted these individuals with power from on high. And who was the first person stand up and speak? Peter.

Peter stands up and explains what is going on? He explains that this is what the prophet Joel was talking about. This is what you are seeing, hearing, and experiencing. Do you remember, when Peter answered Jesus’ question about who do men say that I am? Peter, responded, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God” (Matthew 16:16b). It was upon this confession, that Christ said that He would build His Church, and indicated that Peter would have a role in it’s formation and function.

So, the Holy Spirit descends, and Peter arises. and he preaches Jesus, as the Christ, the Son of God, whom God had raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit. Peter preached what the Jewish religious leadership feared. Christ is the Son of God, and He was raised from the dead. Now what? It’s out in the open.

Outside in Jerusalem, the OLD is being celebrated; Inside, in an upper room, the NEW is being proclaimed. It’s all about Christ. We know that the Old Testament, too, is all about Christ; but the religious tradition that celebrated the OLD has been put to death by the Cross. Jesus has completely fulfilled the Law and the New has been been resurrected to life in Christ. The Church is standing on resurrection ground. The OLD has passed away, and all things have become NEW. Do we get it?

Today, the church must continue to be “filled with the Holy Spirit” or else it will succumb to being like Judaism, following it’s traditions, being led by individuals who are saved, but are self-centered. The Church must be Christ-centered; Gospel-centered, and Holy Spirit-empowered. The Church must have leaders chosen by God, gifted by the Trinity, and centered on the work of the Lord.

The Book of Acts is a testimony of a Christ-centered, gospel-centered, Holy Spirit enabled church, going forward according to the Spirit of the Living God, and not the dictates of man.

What did the NEW covenant look like with Jesus as Lord, who is the Head of the Church, and who is the King of the Kingdom, and functioning under the anointing of the Holy Spirit, who guides and directs the affairs of the Church?

Acts 2:42-47 is what it looked like in it’s the beginning. Yes, it did have issues; but the leadership under the anointing of the Holy Spirit handled those issues.

The Church continued in the Apostle’s Doctrine, and Fellowship, in the Breaking of Bread, and in Prayers…and they were in community[see Acts 2: 43-47].

Question: Is the Body of Christ functioning like that today?

Agree or Disagree: “Christianity now is very largely a built up thing with many Jewish features in it; i.e. outward orders, forms, vestments, titles, buildings and rigidly fixed boundaries of apprehension of truth.” T. Austin Sparks

TBC

Jesus is risen from the dead.

Forty days later, Jesus ascends back to His Father in Heaven.

Ten days after His Ascension, the Holy Spirit descends from Heaven; the promise of the Father occurs.

Acts 2:2 begins with these words, “And suddenly…”

There are a group of the followers of Jesus who have been waiting in an upper room as Jesus told them to do.

Outside in Jerusalem, away from those in the upper room, the city is bustling with activity. It is the Feast of Pentecost. The Feast of Pentecost is the second of the three mandatory annual feasts to be celebrated each year. The city is a bee-hive of activity. God’s people have come to make offerings and sacrifices, according to the Law, honoring and worshipping God for His goodness and mercy to them under the OLD covenant.

But, in an upper room, a small group of Israelites are not celebrating the mandatory Jewish festival according to the Law. They are being obedient to Jesus’ words.

Outside, the nation is observing the OLD; inside, the assembled followers of Christ are observing the words of Christ which are going to usher in a startling experience in the NEW.

Let me reiterate again, OLD things have passed away, behold all things have become NEW.

The same Holy Spirit that descended from Heaven like a dove upon Jesus at His water baptism at the Jordon River is now going to descend on this gathered assembly in an upper room in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost. However, His entrance is not going to be in the likeness of a dove (John 1:32) that descended upon Jesus; but the Holy Spirit is described as coming as “divided tongues. as of a fire, and sat upon each of them.” (Acts 2:3 NKJV)

Let’s reflect upon the whole scene. The text is Acts 2:1-4 (NKJV) I am not a theologian. I want to encourage you to set aside your presuppositions and doctrinal teaching regarding the Person and work of the Holy Spirit.

“And suddenly…”

Today, as I compose these thoughts, it is the last day of April, 2021. Counting 50 days on our calendar since the celebration of Easter, the Day of Pentecost is scheduled for May 23, 2021. That means if we move backwards ten days, then the recognition of Christ’s Ascension would be on May 13. So, in type, we are in the forty day period between Christ’s Resurrection and His Ascension.

Question: Has the Lord been dealing with anything in your walk with Him during this forty day period? Has there been any direction for the future or significant understanding regarding changes that may be imminent?

The Day of Pentecost is coming.

Question: What is the significance of the Day of Pentecost in your life? Is it just an historical event to keep, just like the nation of Israel, a mandatory annual festival? Is it a celebration of the birthday of the Church, a matter of tradition? or, Is it a remembrance of the third Person of the Trinity sent by God to empower Christ’s followers in a NEW way?

Question: Is it possible that most of Christianity reverently remembers to celebrate Christmas, Easter, and Pentecost as three annual festivals on the Church calendar?; but the significance, application, and meaning of the three events are more obligatory than worshipful.

If that is true, then our experience as the believers might be no different than the Jewish nation keeping the OLD, and not experiencing the NEW. What do I mean? We are bogged down by the traditions of men. We are satisfied with the ways of the world. And we do not worship God in spirit and in truth. Strong words, but I believe that they are worthy of our consideration.

If the Church were truly filled with the Spirit of God, what would the Church look like, and how would it be different than what many are experiencing today? I am not trying to create a New Testament Church. That has been attempted many times down through the ages.

At this point, I would like to ask you again to lower your radar concerning your doctrinal beliefs regarding ‘being filled with the Spirit’.

Jesus had told them in Acts 1:8, “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you and you shall be My witness to Me, in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. “

Most of us, when we hear and/or read this verse we concentrate on the word power. I would like for us to take our minds off that word regarding being ‘ with the Spirit’. I have just recently been reminded that the Holy Spirit is a Person not a power. I think many of us have forgotten that , or have not been taught that the Holy Spirit is a Person .

Does the Holy Spirit enable us with His power? absolutely. But what is the purpose of that power? Jesus said that “…you would be My witnesses to me…”.

So! How your witness. Doctrine is not a witness. Recently, I read the following quote by T. Austin Sparks, “It is all argument if its doctrine, theory, teaching, interpretation of truth; but a living witness–you cannot argue that. Your mouth is shut when you have a person standing right there in the good of things.” [We are headed there in a later blog.]

Think back over your past year. The year of the covid pandemic. Many Christians, in fact, most of the entire Church have been in their own upper rooms. Has Jesus been there with you? The world outside was not bustling; it was shut down because of the pandemic. It appears that at this time, the restrictions are being lessened and there is more freedom of move.

What has the Church learned during this waiting time? What has the Lord been saying? What adjustments have been made in your life? When you return to assembling yourselves together as the Church, will the gathering be the same or will it be different? Will you be the same or will you be different because of changes that the Lord has made during this ‘down’ time?

Let me ask it again using different words. What took place in your upper room experience? What adjustments have been made in your walk with the Lord? Has the Lord processed out OLD things in your life and made things NEW?

SELAH

Let me challenge you in a specific direction.

The celebration of Pentecost is coming May 23. What if God initiated a fresh outpouring of His Spirit upon His Ekklesia? What if there was an outpouring of His Spirit upon the whole world; not just a few, not just one church building, one community, township, state, region, nation, or continent? What if God shook things up? Remember the Epistle to the Hebrew details the comparison of the OLD with the New.

Hebrews 12:18-24 compares the OLD covenant with the NEW covenant.

Hebrews 1:25-27 sets our focus on Christ, the embodiment of the NEW.

Hebrews 12:28-29 tells us that God is going to ‘shake’ this world

When this shaking occurs, doctrine about the Holy Spirit will be meaningless.

The question will be: What kind of witness will the Ekklesia be in their own ‘Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and unto the end of the earth.

Matthew 24:12-14 states things clearly for us, the Ekklesia.

“And because lawlessness will abound, the love of man will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations and then the end will come.”

Is the Ekklesia ready? Are you ready? Am I ready? The Father is ready. Jesus is ready. The Holy Spirit is ready to empower the Lord’s Church to be His witness in the earth.

For some of us, we may need to reflect and heed the words of Hebrews 13:1-25.

Read and meditate on this chapter. I especially commend to you Hebrews 13:13.

“Therefore let us go forth to Him, outside the camp, bearing His reproach.” Ask the Holy Spirit to show you what these words mean.

the Lord richly bless you, a brother in Christ, deo

Jesus is risen from the dead. At the end of 40 days, Jesus will ascend back to His Father; and 10 days later the Holy Spirit will descend from Heaven on the Day of Pentecost.

Acts 1:1-3, Luke says, “The former account I made O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, until the day in which He was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the Apostles He had chosen, to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.” (NKJV)

In Acts 1:9, He ascends into Heaven as they were standing there watching. I think they were mesmerized with wonder. The passage says, “He was taken , and a cloud received Him out of their sight”(NKJV). Some say this cloud was the same cloud that was in Israel’s camp in the wilderness, that represents the Shekinah glory of God.

Acts 1:10,11 (NKJV) continues describing what happens next. Two men, in white apparel, suddenly appear and say, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into Heaven.”

This brings them mentally ‘back’ to earth, and Acts 1:11,12 (NKJV) tells us “Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey. And when they had entered, they went up into the upper room where they were staying.” I cannot categorically say that this was the same upper room where they ate the Passover meal with Jesus the night of His betrayal. But an upper room would certainly generate a lot of memories. Let’s proceed with that in mind.

It was in an upper room, one which Jesus had chosen to eat the Passover supper with His disciples. It was in that upper room that He had washed His disciples feet. It was in that upper room that Jesus told Peter he would deny Him. It was in that upper room that the betrayal of Jesus was finalized in Judas Iscariot’s heart, and he left to go to the Jewish leaders. It was in that upper room where Jesus spoke of a new commandment being given to them. It was in that upper room where Jesus told His disciples of His departure and the about the promise of the coming of the Holy Spirit, it’s work and purpose. It was in that upper room where Jesus during the Passover meal, instituted the New covenant. It was in that upper room where Jesus had prayed to His Father about His return to His Presence; where He prayed for His disciples; and where He prayed for those who would believe in Him. A lot had taken place on the evening of the Passover meal. A lot of drama. A lot of instruction. A lot of passion on Christ’s part. A lot of wonder in the minds of the disciples. Note: In the sequence of events, Jesus had washed Judas’s feet prior to Judas leaving that upper room.

Let’s revisit some of the memories. After Judas leaves the upper room, Jesus says to His disciples, John 13:31-34 (NKJV), “Now the Son of Man is glorified and God is glorified in Him. If God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself, and glorify Him immediately (compare those words to Jesus’ prayer in John 17:1-5). Little children (sounds like John in in letters), I shall be with you a little while longer. You will seek Me; and as I said to the Jews, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come, so now I say to you. A NEW (emphasis mine) commandment I give to you, that love one another as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

A NEW commandment. A NEW covenant What are the implications on the OLD?

Well, this excursus must end, and we need to come back to the present moment.

I can imagine that in the recesses of their minds and also at the forefront of their thinking, thoughts are swirling. Now what?

I suggest that Acts 1:14 gives us an insight into a great mental, settling down, a quieting takes place. (NKJV) “These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication…”. My New Life Study Bible says that ‘accord’ means , ‘purpose of mind’. Prayer brought them into one purpose of mind. Based upon Acts 1:15-26, their united ‘purpose of mind’ moved them forward to fill the vacancy left by Judas’ departure from the 12. What I find interesting is what took place as result of their prayer and supplication. I am not questioning what they did his wrong. I want to point out that they were in transition from the OLD to the NEW. Casting lots was part of the OLD. It is perfectly appropriate to expect them to do this. This was their upbringing under the Law. They do not have a grasp of the meaning of Jesus’ words regarding the coming of the Holy Spirit and the implications of the government of the Kingdom of God in their lives.

We can understand their mindset reading Acts 1:6. When Jesus was speaking His closing words about the coming of the Spirit and their need to wait, they reveal their understanding, (NKJV) “Lord will you at this time restore the kingdom of Israel?”

They are enveloped in the OLD. Their presuppositions and understanding are steeped in their heritage. The reality of the NEW has not penetrated their beings. Yes, Jesus is alive; Yes, Jesus has told them to wait for the Spirit; but that has not been fleshed out yet in their daily lives. The Spirit has not come, yet!

In Acts 1:14, they are “in one accord in prayer and supplication”. Peter stands up and says we needs to choose one to fill Judas’ vacancy; let’s cast lots. Remember, that’s the OLD. In Acts 2:1, it says (NKJV), “When the Day of Pentecost had fully come (10 days after Jesus’ Ascension), they were ‘in one accord in one place’. (They had done what Jesus told them to do.) Fast forward to Acts2:14, Peter stands up, and preaches Jesus the Christ, the Son of God, raised from the dead. What’s the difference? What’s NEW? The Spirit of God has come. OLD things have passed away, all things have become NEW. The Holy Spirit has ignited a controlled fire storm in an upper room (Acts 2:3-4,NKJV) “Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.) What happens next? Peter preaches. He explains what is happening; and He preaches Christ crucified.

The foundation of the message proclaimed by Peter is that Jesus, is the Christ, the Son of God, whom God has raised from the dead. (Acts 2:33 NKJV) “Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He (Jesus, emphasis mine) poured out this which you now see and hear.”

It’s not the same. Remember, OLD is out, NEW is in. What does the Lord want?

TBC