Looking again at the "Parable of the Soils", next, Jesus explains yet
another aspects that reveals the human condition when it comes to the
Word of God being sown. "Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, and
the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires
for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful."
(Mark 4:18-19) Have you ever been in a situation where your mind is
focused on a particular thing when someone says something to you, you
hear what they are saying, but when they are finished speaking you
barely remember what they said? You heard them, but your mind was
consumed with something else so you really did not give them your
attention and listen to what they had to say. In the same way, for some,
when God's Word is
sown, they are so consumed with the cares of the world, the love of
money and the possession of material things, the Word of God is choked,
blocked, denied of its life giving breath.
The
Word of God shows us the high premium the Lord places on ones soul
and how the the world deceives many into believing that wealth and
material possessions bring true happiness. Proverbs tells us, "Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death." (Proverbs 11:4) Jesus tells us, "For
what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his
own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?" (Matthew
16:26) The Apostle John shows us that the love of things other than God
is not a new thing. Quite the contrary, it began in the Garden of Eden.
John tells us, "Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For
all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes,
and the pride of life, is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever." (1 John 2:15-17) Look at the account that took place in the Garden, "So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, (lust of the flesh) that it was pleasant to the eyes, (the lust of the eyes) and a tree desirable to make one wise, (the pride of life) she took of its fruit and ate." (Genesis 3:6)
Jesus also tells us another parable concerning a rich fool, "The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. And he thought within himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?’ So he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.”’ But
God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you;
then whose will those things be which you have provided?’ “So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.” (Luke 12:16-21) Jesus also tells us, "No
one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the
other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You
cannot serve God and mammon." (Matthew 6:24)
Now before you swear to a life of poverty, having wealth and material things are not contrary to God's Word. For instance, "Both riches and honor come from You (God)..." (1 Chronicles 29:12); "...Let the Lord be magnified, who has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant." (Psalm 35:27); "As for every man to whom
God has given riches and wealth, and given him power to eat of it, to
receive his heritage and rejoice in his labor, this is the gift of God." (Ecclesiastes 5:19); "Give,
and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken
together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the
same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.” (Luke 6:38) As the parable tells us, it is when "the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires
for other things" are placed above our love, devotion and service of God, that the problem arises.
Notice what the Holy Spirit speaks to us through the Apostle Paul concerning this matter, "For
the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have
strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves
through with many sorrows." (1 Timothy 6:10) Notice, that it is not
money itself, but the love of money that is a root of all kinds of evil.
Also take note that the love of money causes believers to be led away
from the truth producing much grief and pain. The sad
thing is, far to many believers in the USA do not realize or maybe they
know, but will not admit how the thorns of the world have choked off God's Word from their life. They go to a church service every Sunday, have a Christian vernacular so to speak and even say how God is first in their life, yet not realizing how much hold the world has on them. Jesus said, "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Matthew 6:21)
If we would take some time and be honest with ourselves, we may find that
there are areas in our life that the thorns of the world have taken
hold. If this is so, do not try to justify yourself with reasons and do
not condemn yourself because it is true, just "humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you."
(1 Peter 5:6) Know this very important fact, God cares for you, but the
world hates you (John 15:18-19) All that is needed is to become a
hearer and a doer of God's Word.
(James 1:22) Finally, after the Apostle Paul warned Timothy of the love
of money and its consequences, he encourages Timothy in which I also
want to encourage you, "But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. Fight
the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were
also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of
many witnesses." (1 Timothy 6:11-12) The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all...
Monday, March 13, 2023
No Weeds Here
Monday, March 6, 2023
Good Habits Build Good Character
One of the areas covered in the "Parable of the Soils" deals with people who lack character within them selves. "These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness; and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time. Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word’s sake, immediately they stumble." (Mark 4:16-17) Jesus explains this as denoting those who hear the gospel, who receive the Word as something new or pleasing, who appear to be greatly delighted with it, and who are full of zeal for it. Yet they have no root in themselves. They have no resolve that comes with the life changing power of God's Word. They are either not true Christians or they to are mere carnal Christians. Their hearts are not changed. Rather than having the eyes of their understanding open through the revelation of who God is and seeing need for transformation of their heart, when they are tried and persecution comes, they fall as rootless grain that withers from the scorching rays of the noonday sun.
Though they receive the Word with gladness and things seem to be "going their way" they have no inner strength, they lack the character to resist trials or persecution. They have no real love of the Savior nor the Word of God so when times of trial and persecution are placed in their path, they show that they have no real trust in God, the Word, and therefore immediately, quickly, fall away. The soul has not been convinced of its guilt and depravity because the heart (soil) has not been properly plowed nor the rocks removed. The soil (heart) will work just as hard to make a stone produce as it does a seed. It furnishes the same nutrients to a stone as it does to a seed. But the stone will not produce, because there is no life in it. The stones actually rob the moisture and nutrients from the seed because the soil will give as much time, space, moisture and nutrients to a stone as it will to a seed. Peter tells us, "having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever." (1 Peter 1:23) James tells us to, "...receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls." (James 1:21) The Word of God is incorruptible seed and it is full of spirit life. So by removing the stones and sowing the incorruptible seed of God's Word, we change the heart.
Although the scripture does not say the seed that is sown on stony ground is one who does not understand God's Word when it is sown, the fact is, unchanged character within believers still comes down to not understanding God's Word. Jesus tells the Sadducees, "...you are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God." (Matthew 22:29) Think about this. Ones attitude toward the Word of God, determines the place that God holds in their daily life. Let us not say that God is first in our life when His Word is rarely sown from our mouth. John tells us, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God...And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth." (John 1:1, 14) God and His Word are One!
God's Word should always be understood as the Father speaking to us. It should never be viewed as a message from an ordinary book. It should be as real to us as though Jesus (the Word) stood in the room and spoke to you personally. The writer of Hebrews tells us, "For the Logos of God is a living thing, active and more cutting than any sword with double edge, penetrating to the very division of soul and spirit, joints and marrow scrutinizing the very thoughts and conceptions of the heart. And no created thing is hidden from him; all things lie open and exposed before the eyes of him with whom we have to reckon." (Hebrews 4:12-13 Moffatt) God's Word has power to show what man is. It is like a penetrating sword that lays open and exposes the whole person. This is not to scare people away from God, but to draw them near for the purpose of transforming them into the image of Christ. (2 Corinthians 3:18)
Believers must keep in mind that when they were born again, it was the spirit that was recreated, became a new creation, not the soul (mind, will and emotions) or the body. (2 Corinthians 5:17) This is why the Apostle Paul tells us, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." (Romans 12:1-2) Believers are to dedicate their bodies to God and renew their minds. This is a continuous work on the part of every believer and one of the best way to accomplish this is through sowing, speaking, confessing God's Word.
So
let us give place to the inner work of the Holy Spirit through the
confession of the Word of God so that our character is a reflection of
our heavenly Father.
Monday, February 27, 2023
The Power Of Confession
To
confess means "to disclose; to make known; or to admit something."
Confessing God's Word is admitting that God's Word is true. By
confessing God's Word, it opens the door to possess the things God has
already promised us which is revealed in His Word. However, many fail to
grasp this Bible truth thereby never possessing the promises of God other than eternal life (1 John 2:25).
Still others twist this principle and run into the ditch because they
have never fully understood it. The fact is, this is God's principle of
faith in action, sowing, that is, confessing God's word, which is one of
the ways to possess the promises of God.
A key to understanding the power behind confessing God's Word as well as the words that we speak in general, is found in what is known as the "Parable of the Soils"
spoken and explained by Jesus. Let's keep in
mind, as Jesus said, "the seed sown is the Word of God." Next He says, "And
these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown. When they
hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in
their hearts." (Mark 4:15) Before we go any further, we must look at
what is revealed in Matthews gospel, because it sheds important light
on what is taking place here. "When
anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then
the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This
is he who received seed by the wayside." (Matthew 13:19)
Mark says when the seed (God's Word) is sown, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in
their hearts. Notice that the Word was sown in the heart. The heart
is described as the seat of the sensibilities, affections, emotions,
desires, appetites, passions; the spirit. Also notice that in this
portion of the parable it would appear that Satan could just come along
when God's Word is sown and steal it from your heart any time he wants
to. However, taking a closer look at this parable, Matthew tells us, "When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart." This
is the reason why Satan steals God's Word from someone's heart. They
heard it but they did not understand it. If you understand the Word of
God when it is sown, then Satan cannot come along and steal it from you.
Jesus tells us, "...the words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life." (John 6:63) God's Word is spirit and can only be understood by the recreated spirit. The Apostle Paul tells us, "But
the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for
they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are
spiritually discerned." (1 Corinthians 2:14) The natural man here denotes those who are governed and influenced by natural instincts, the carnal mind, and the sin nature, as opposed to
those who are influenced by the Spirit of God. This not only refers to
unregenerate people, but all who are influenced by the natural instincts, the carnal mind, and the sin nature, this includes Christians.
The apostle Paul had dealings with the church at Corinth along the same lines, "And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. I
fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not
able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; for
you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions
among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?" (1 Corinthians 3:1-4) As mentioned above, not only do
unregenerate people not understand the Word of God when it is sown, but this is also why many Christians find it so
difficult to understand it also. They are not being led by the Spirit.
(Galatians 5:16) This then gives opportunity for Satan to come along and
steal it from the heart.
Look at what Jesus tells us about hearing and understanding the Word when it is sown, "Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. But
Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and
said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone?
Therefore tell her to help me.” And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:38-42) Jesus assure us that when we hear and understand God's Word, no one, not even Satan can take it away from us!
Another
interesting fact concerning the Word of God when it is sown and whether
or not one understands it, is seen in contrast between two of the
many churches the Apostle Paul established in his journey's throughout
Asia. The Apostle Paul spent a year and six months teaching in Corinth
(Acts 18:11) and they were still carnal (1 Corinthians 3:1-4) and yet he
only spent three Sabbaths (three weeks) at Thessalonica (Acts 17:2) and
they became a witness of Christ in Macedonia and Achaia. (1
Thessalonians 1:6-8) The main reason why so many Christians do not
understand God's Word when it is sown is due to one key element that may be
missing. It must be received through faith. The writer of Hebrews tells us, "For
indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word
which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in
those who heard it." (Hebrews 4:2) The writer of Hebrews also tells us, "By faith we understand..." (Hebrews 11:3) and "...without faith it is impossible to please God..."
(Hebrews 11:6) God's Word mixed with faith and then spoken, will cause
believers to act and speak just like our Heavenly Father. Why is this
so?
First, let us remember that Jesus said "...the words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life." Paul tells us, "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God..." (2 Timothy 3:16) The scriptures are the infusion
or communication of ideas or thoughts from God to man; the revelation
of God to man. The Apostle Paul's prayer for the church is, "Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: that
the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you
the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened..." (Ephesians 1:15-18) Paul understood that the faith
the believers at Ephesus walked in was due to the revelation that they
had received of and from God. The reason why Paul prayed this prayer for
the church was that the eyes
of their understanding (revelation of God) would be continually
enlightened; that they would have a clear view of God, His will, nature,
character, purpose and plan.
Revelation
is directly connected to what one believes about God. Without a
continuous revelation of God, ones faith will never grow. When I use the
phrase "continuous revelation of God" I am not talking about adding to
the Bible or subtracting even one word from the Bible. Think
about it this way. Did you ever read the same scripture numerous time and then
this one particular time you received a greater understanding (a
revelation) of that passage? You did not add to the scripture but now
you have a greater reality of its meaning. This is a revelation of the scripture that strengthens or increases your faith.
So, let us not longer "give place to the devil"
(Ephesians 4:27) and permit him to steal God's Word from the heart
because we may not understand it, but ask the Father to open the eyes of
our understanding that we may receive a greater revelation, that is, a
word from the Word that will increase our faith. Paul's desire for that
church is, "that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God."
(1 Corinthians 2:5) This only comes when we truly open our heart to the
Word of God and close it to the doctrines of men. When this happens,
you can rest assure that we will act, "Just like Dad, our Heavenly Father."
Monday, February 20, 2023
Acting Like Our Father
The Holy Spirit tells us through the Apostle Paul tells us, "Therefore be imitators of God as dear children."
(Ephesians 5:1) This is not just some casual statement that Paul is
making. He literally means that believers are to copy God's actions and
speech exactly. It means to act like God Himself. Now for many, this may
seem difficult to believe or it might even seem absurd, but there lies
the problem, not agreeing with God's Word. Jesus tells a parable that
reveals why many people have such a difficult time believing God's Word.
He tells us a parable that we have entitled "The Parable of the Soils."
He reveals some important information concerning this particular
parable by asking two questions, "...Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables?" (Mark 4:13) So, why is this parable so important for believers to understand? Let's see...
Jesus starts the parable by saying, “Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow." (Mark 4:3) To get a better understanding of this parable, let us look at Jesus' explanation of it a piece at a time. "The sower sows the word" that is, the Word of God. (Mark 4:14) Simply put, to sow is to scatter (seed) over the ground for growing. In this parable the ground in which God's Word is to be sown, is the human heart, man's spirit, for the purpose of "growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." (2 Peter 3:18) James tells us to, "...receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your soul." (James 1:21) The more a believer sows God's Word, the more they become imitators of God. The Apostles Paul also says, "...being transformed into the same image (of the Lord) from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord."
(2 Corinthians 3:18) Unfortunately, for many believers, they are quick
to gloss over this highly important point in this parable. Let's look at
why this is so.
In Genesis chapter one we see the account of creation. Nine times we see, "then God said." (Genesis 1:3, 6, 9, 11, 14, 20, 24, 26, 29) In the earth ministry of Jesus, the Son of God, Jesus tells us, "...Most
assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He
sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like
manner." (John 5:19) "...I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things." (John 8:28) "...I always do those things that please Him (the Father)." (John 8:29) "I speak what I have seen with My Father..." (John 8:38) "For
I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave
Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak. And I know that His command is everlasting life. Therefore, whatever I speak, just as the Father has told Me, so I speak." (John 12:49-50) Without doubt, Jesus was imitating God the Father in His words and actions. Do you see the pattern here? "God said...and it was so." (Genesis 1:3, 7, 9, 11, 14, 20-21, 24, 26-31) Jesus only spoke the words of the Father and I might add, it too, was so.
It
is no different for the believer. Believers are to be imitators of our
Heavenly Father just like Jesus was during His ministry on earth.
This is one of the most important areas for the believers life, sow
(speak) God's Word continuously. Moses went to Pharaoh a number of times
and spoke God's Word to Him in saying, "The Lord God of the Hebrews has sent me to you saying, Let My people go..."
(Exodus 7:16, 8:1, 20, 9:1, 13, ) If we fully read this account, we
will see that Moses continually spoke God's Word, the Word eventually
prevailed over the circumstances and the children of Israel were
released from their bondage. (Exodus 12:31) But it did not stop there.
The power behind God's Word spoken from the lips of Moses unleashed ten
plagues that covered Egypt, but had no effect on the children of Israel
(Exodus 7 - 12) Also, Israel left Egypt with their possessions, all of
the Egyptians wealth, (Exodus 12:31-36) and the entire nation had
perfect health. (Psalm 105:37)
God tells Joshua, "This Book of the Law shall
not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night,
that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For
then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good
success." (Joshua 1:8) Notice, the first thing that God tells Joshua concerning His word is, "This Book of the Law (God's Word) shall
not depart from your mouth..." God commanded Joshua first and foremost to continuously speak His Word. Why is that? Paul tells us, "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Romans 10:17) We are to speak, that is, confess God's Word
because it causes faith grow. Paul does not say that faith comes by
having heard the Word, but hearing and hearing and hearing, etc. the
Word of God. The word for "word" in Romans 10:17 is the Greek word "rhema," the spoken word or revelation of the written word, the scriptures.
Speaking,
that is, confessing God's Word is the pattern that God reveals in
creation. Throughout the Bible we see the same with the people of God,
speaking God's Word. The gospel of John is where we see this in Jesus'
ministry on earth which also reveals incredible results. Why is that? "So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it." (Isaiah 55:11) "The Word of God is living and powerful..." (Hebrews 4:12) God's Word is as powerful today as it was when He first spoke it. "The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever." (Isaiah 40:8) So, we have a choice. We can confess God's Word continuously,
have our faith built up and see the salvation of the Lord in incredible
ways or we can confess the problems of life and muddle our way through
life letting the problems literally squeeze the life out of us.
Look at the words of a very wise man, "You are snared by the words of your mouth; you are taken by the words of your mouth." (Proverbs 6:2) "Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit." (Proverbs 18:21) Jesus tells us, "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life."
(John 6:63) In other words, the words of the flesh or the natural words spoken by mankind, have no intrinsic
value because they do not produce life. In fact, as we saw in Proverbs, negative confession literally snares us, traps us, and produces death. I want to encourage you today by saying, "Let
no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for
necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption." (Ephesians 4:29-30) Corrupt words do not only mean obscene
or filthy conversation, but any words that do not produce good fruit.
Yes, corrupt words from our mouth will grieve the Holy Spirit. So, let
us begin to speak edifying words by doing as Paul tells us, "in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."
(1 Thessalonians 5:18) Exercising an attitude of thanksgiving in all
things will aid us in promoting healthy, edifying, good fruit bearing
words, that is, confessing God's Word, because it always bears good
fruit. Amen...
Monday, February 13, 2023
The Sent Ones
God does not desire His people to flounder about trying to figure things
out on their own. He has given us His Word that reveals His will,
nature, character, purpose and plan. The Apostle Peter tells us, "Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as
His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and
godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and
virtue, by
which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises,
that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having
escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust." (2 Peter 1:2-4) The word "knowledge" is a Greek word defined in English as "precise and correct knowledge."
However, this "precise and correct knowledge" does not arise from human intellect. It comes by way of the Holy Spirit, "However,
when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, 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." (John 16:13) The Apostles and Elders who
convened in Jerusalem over the issue of circumcision for Gentiles, was
settled by the Holy Spirit (Acts 15:28) and not the opinions, prejudices
or intellect of the men of God who were present. Unfortunately, in many sectors of the church is it said that the gift ministries of apostle and prophet are no
longer be needed and they have no place or function in the church today. However, in taking a close examination of the scriptures, we will discover
what the it says concerning the validity and necessity of these two
important gift ministries for church, not only at its beginning, but
also for today. We also will discover that there is no scriptural bases for their
termination. So, let us look at what the Bible says concerning the
function and benefits of the gift ministry of the apostle and the importance of this gift ministry for the
Body of Christ until Jesus returns.
"I know
your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those
who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and
are not, and have found them liars." (Revelation 2:2) First we are
to test those who say they are apostles with the Word of God. With that
said, there are five characteristics, qualifications or marks revealed
in scripture that are the litmus test for those who are apostles. The
first thing that will separate the ministry of the apostle from other ministries is, it is marked by signs, wonders and miracles, "Truly the signs of an apostle were accomplished among you with all perseverance, in signs and wonders and mighty deeds." (2 Corinthians 12:12) The initial sending of Jesus' twelve disciples, which Jesus named apostles, (Luke 6:13), included the commission to "heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead and cast out demons."
(Matthew 10:8) There must be this kind of supernatural attestation to
the Word of God in the ministry of the apostle.While the apostle is not
the only ministry that produces signs, wonder, and miracles, a claim of
apostolic ministry is certainly put to the test by this mark.
The
second mark of an apostle is, God will reveals this gift ministry to
independent witnesses. Every divine fact that the Lord wishes to
establish to the Church is validated on the basis of two or three
independent witnesses. "Now in the church that
was at Antioch there were certain prophets and teachers: Barnabas,
Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who had been
brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. As
they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, Now
separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called
them." (Acts 13:1-2)
It is clear from the language of this passage that Paul and Barnabas
already knew their calling as apostles. The Holy Spirit said to the
other three men present (independent witnesses) that He had called Paul
and Barnabas to the work of the apostle.
The
third qualification is one of the easiest characteristics to identify
in the apostolic ministry. God gives apostles other ministers to work
with them in team ministry under their authority. One example of this, "And Sopater of Berea
accompanied Paul to Asia, also Aristarchus and Secundus of the
Thessalonians, and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy, and Tychicus and
Trophimus of Asia." (Acts 20:4) Whenever you find the ministry of apostle,
you should find individuals like the men mentioned here and others whom
God is training in ministry by means of the apostle. The apostle will
always have individuals God has given to him to train. He will have
young prophets, teachers, evangelists, and pastors to encourage and
prepare for greater ministry than his own. God will call some of them
into apostolic ministry as well. True apostles will allow this to
happen. False or immature apostles will resist others growing in their
own callings.
The fourth characteristic of and apostle is the seal of apostleship. "If I am not an apostle to others, yet doubtless I am to you. For you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord."
(1 Corinthians 9:2) The seal of apostleship, coupled with the three
characteristics and qualifications above, puts the immature apostle and
the pretender to apostleship apart from the true manifestation of this
gift. While an individual may have the calling of an apostle, the Church
at large should not recognize or honor him as an apostle until he has
the seal of apostleship. This seal is to have fully functioning churches
under his authority. These churches will be ruled by elders appointed
by the apostle who continue to
recognize his authority even as he
proceeds to plant other churches in other locations. One thought to add
to this is, there are many persons who pioneer a church apparently
successfully and with God's grace. However, this does not necessarily
make them apostles without fulfilling all the biblical criteria of an
apostle.
The
fifth characteristic of apostolic ministry is easily overlooked and for
many misunderstood by the Church. The Church seems to believe that
ministries that are unopposed and accepted must be blessed, and that
ministries that are opposed by others must have something wrong with
them. Quite the contrary is true. Those ministries that lead the way in
power and renewal will also find great opposition from the enemy.
Apostolic ministry can be identified by the amount of opposition it
receives. Given the fulfillment of the previous four characteristics
listed hereon, how can we not expect serious demonic warfare against the
apostle? The apostle seeking to fulfill his ministry calling will
encounter demonic opposition in different forms. "For a great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries." (1 Corinthians 16:9)
The enemy will seek to overwhelm the apostle
before he even gets started. Nevertheless, the apostle will be given
all he needs to defend himself and those associated with him. He will
successfully bring the battle back to the enemy. The apostle must be
experienced in personal spiritual warfare because the enemy will try to
launch attacks in a variety of ways. "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For
we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities,
against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand." (Ephesians 6:10-13)
Serious attacks will come in the form of accusations. "...for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down." (Revelation 12:10) This
tactic is used against all of God's servants, and particularly the
apostle. If the enemy can get the church to believe his lies about an
apostle then he can also prevent the local church from becoming what it
should be.
The
enemy has been extremely successful in his attempts to convince many
that the gift ministry of apostle is nonexistent today.
Therefore, the Church must be willing to test apostolic claims. The five
identifiable features of the apostolic ministry as we have seen revealed
in scripture are the litmus test to prove or disprove the validity of
this gift ministry. We must get past the intellectual conclusions of
faithless teachers and accept the truth of God's Word concerning the
importance of the gift ministry of apostle as being as valid today as it was under the earth ministry of Jesus and
the early church. If we carefully study the scriptures we will find
that in addition to the original twelve apostles, there are at least
twelve more apostles, although some of these are hidden by inconsistent
translations in English New Testament versions. I pray that the LORD open our hearts to see His truth so that He can build His church as He sees fit. As Peter said, "Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord."
Monday, February 6, 2023
Being Prophetic
The Old Testament clearly reveals God communicating with people through prophets. Without question the Old Testament prophets are accepted as the means by which God communicated to humanity, especially to Israel. (Hebrews 1:1) We also see throughout the Book of Acts the gift, ministry of prophet was an important part of church life. But what about today? Is the gift, ministry of prophet a vital part of the church today or is there no need for it? Was the gift, ministry of prophet terminated by Jesus, the builder of the church? I believe that the gift, ministry of prophet is most likely the most misunderstood gift, ministry for the church today.
So, let's begin by
observing the two main passages of scripture that most sectors of the
church refer to, refuting prophets for today. "...But
whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are
tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish
away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away." (1 Corinthians 13:8-10) "For
I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book:
If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that
are written in this book; and
if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God
shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and
from the things which are written in this book." (Revelation 22:18-19)
In 1 Corinthians 13, "But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away" is
interpreted as the canonization of scripture, that is, the Bible is now
complete so there is no longer any use for prophets or I might add,
prophecy. In Revelation 22 we see a warning to "anyone who adds or takes away the words of this book of prophecy"
as adding to or removing scripture from the Bible. It is the
combination of these two passages that has also "denied" most sectors of
the church from receiving the entire portion of the ascension gifts
that Jesus gave to the church, namely, the apostle and prophet. The
thought is that prophets
or prophesying adds to the scripture when in fact it supports
scripture. If it does not support scripture, then it is false. Keep in
mind that there have been false prophets throughout human history, but
that does not negate the gift, ministry of the prophet for today.
Look what the apostle Paul tells us, "...a dispensation of the grace of God which was given to me for you, how that by revelation He made known to me the mystery (as I have briefly written already, by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ), which
in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been
revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets." (Ephesians 3:2-5)
Paul justified his teaching not only with Old Testament Scriptures, but
also upon the authority of the "spirit of revelation" and the office
anointing of the apostle and prophet. He reveals that apostles as well
as prophets now have the ministry of revealing new truth to the Church.
This is not saying that prophets and apostles need to write new
Scripture, because the Bible is indeed complete and needs no additions.
However, the Bible was prophetically inspired (2 Peter 1:20-21) and it
requires prophetic illumination and revelation by the Holy Spirit to
understand and apply it rightly. Jesus tells us, "However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth..." (John 16:13) Paul also prays "that the God of our Lord
Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you (believers; the church) the spirit of wisdom
and revelation in the knowledge of Him." (Ephesians 1:17)
For instance, Martin Luther read the scripture "The just shall live by faith" (Romans 1:17) and "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" (Ephesians
2:8-9) numerous times before the Spirit of revelation made known to him
the reality of its meaning. When he received revelation from the Holy
Spirit concerning these things, it ushered in the Protestant
Reformation. A true revelation always brings a revolutionary change.
Martin Luther did not invent or prophecy new scriptures, but received a
true revelation about that which had already been written by former
apostles and prophets.
The same has been true through the various church movements since the
Protestant Reformation. The Holy Spirit gives a revelation of God's Word
that brings us to a greater reality of the scripture. Think about
this. Did you ever read the same scripture numerous time and then this
one particular time you received a greater understanding (a revelation)
of that passage? You did not add to the scripture but now you have a
greater reality of its meaning. Believe it or not, you received a prophetic word from the Holy Spirit.
The
Bible is God's complete revelation to man. These inspired words were
gathered into sixty-six books and canonized into the Scriptures, which
we call, the Holy Bible. God's Word is complete, perfect and fully
sufficient to bring all the revelation of God that we can comprehend and
appropriate. No further communication from God is to be added to it and
no words are to be removed from it. Any truly prophetic word given
today must therefore be in full agreement with the spirit and context of
the Bible. If this is the case, then, many will ask why we need
prophecy today? The answer to this question requires first of all that
we understand the meaning of two important words from Biblical Greek.
The
two Greek words in the New Testament are translated by the English term
"word" are Logos and Rhema. Greek scholars and theologians have debated
about whether or not these words are synonymous, but many believe that
the inspired writers chose each word to express a different meaning. The
interpretation presented here is more consistent with those scholars
who are walking in present truth. When we use the word "Logos," we refer
to the "Word of truth," that is, the Scriptures, the Holy Bible (2
Timothy 2:15) The Apostle John also speaks of the "Word" in this way. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." (John 1:1) "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among
us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the
Father, full of grace and truth." (John 1:14) The angel Gabriel tells Mary, "And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus." (Luke 1:31) Jesus was the eternal Word revealed and manifest in mortal flesh.
Concerning the Word (Logos) the Bible records, "Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven." (Psalm 119:89) Jesus said, "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away." (Mark 13:31) The Logos is the same as God, yesterday, today and forever, because it is God, "The Word was God"
the Logos is creative, powerful, true, inerrant, infallible, complete
and life giving, it never fails. Any failure or inconsistency in it is
due to our failure in understanding, believing, responding, obeying and
seeking to fulfill its unfailing nature. The Logos reveals God's will,
nature, character, purpose and plan and neither angel, devil, human or
any other power in creation can keep the Logos from eternally being and
becoming all that it proclaims.
On the other hand "Rhema" is considered "a word from the Word."
According to W.E. Vine's, the word Rhema denotes "that which is spoken,
what is uttered in speech or writing;" in the singular, "a word." The
significance of Rhema (as distinct from logos) is exemplified in the
injunction to take "the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,"
(Ephesians 6:17); here the reference is not to the whole Bible as such,
but to the individual scripture which the Spirit brings to our
remembrance for use in time of need, a prerequisite being the regular
storing of the mind with Scripture."
Rhema is then revelation from the Logos inspired by the Holy Spirit that brings "life", "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life." (John 6:63), "power", "For the word of God is
living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing
even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and
is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." (Hebrews 4:12) and "faith", "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."
(Romans 10:17) to preform and fulfill the Logos and it must be received
through faith by the hearer. The Logos never changes or fails, however,
the Holy Spirit give Rhema to individuals which may fail, not due to
the Rhema of the LORD, but rather the people who heard it failed to
understand, interpret, believe, obey, respond, wait upon, or act upon
it.
Therefore, when we use the term "Logos," we mean the Scriptures as a
whole. When we use "Rhema," we mean a specific word from the LORD that
applies to us individually. No true Rhema spoken by present day prophets
will be in conflict with the spirit and context of the Logos. We all
must thank God for the Logos, which is the standard of all truth. But we
should also be grateful for the Rhema, which provides the precise word
needed for the specific situation. All Christians must live by the Logos
and receive the Rhema as needed. The Apostle Paul tells us, "But he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men." (1 Corinthians 14:3) Sounds like Logos doesn't it. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all...
Monday, January 30, 2023
Thank You For The Gifts
The Apostle Paul tells us, "But to each one of us grace was given
according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore He says: When He
ascended on high, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men. (Now
this, “He ascended”—what does it mean but that He also first descended
into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is also the One who
ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.) And
He 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 ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 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 stature of the fullness of
Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and
carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in
the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in
love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— from
whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint
supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does
its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in
love." (Ephesians 4:7-16)
Honestly, volumes have been written on this passage of scripture so I am
not going to attempt to discuss the entirety of this passage, only that
which will challenge what we believe and why we believe it. The first
thing Paul tells us is that upon Christ's ascension He "gave gifts to men."
There is no record in the Epistles that tells us that once the Lord
gives something to His church that He takes it away for any reason. In
fact, Paul is quoting Psalm 68:18 concerning these gifts, but let's look
at the next verse in Psalm 68. "Blessed be the Lord, Who daily loads us with benefits, the God of our salvation!" Selah (Psalm 68:19) No doubt, David knew the Lord as one "Who daily loads us with benefits."
The gifts of "apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers" are
benefits to and for the church. So why would the Lord remove gifts from
the church that are for its benefit? Actually, He wouldn't! So what are
the benefits of these five wonderful gifts? "...for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the
edifying of the body of Christ, 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 stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no
longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind
of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of
deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all
things into Him who is the head—Christ— from whom the whole body, joined
and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the
effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of
the body for the edifying of itself in love."
Understand, it takes all five of these gifts to accomplish these things.
However, many sectors of the church have
rejected the gifts of the apostle and prophet. There are many reasons for this but we will only look at what seems to be the main three reasons...
Reason one; The gospels reveal that Jesus personally chose the twelve
apostles, one of which was chosen for perdition and that the position of
the apostles became a permanently fixed number after the resurrection
meaning the number twelve then became an eternally established number.
Let's think about this. Although the Apostle Judas Iscariot killed
himself, the remaining eleven apostles chose Matthias to replace him.
Well, maybe the other eleven were acting outside of the Lords will, but
if they were, how then did these uneducated and untrained men (Acts
4:13) know Psalm 109:8 "Let another take his office." (Acts 1:20)
Also, if twelve apostles was a fixed number after the resurrection and
Matthias was not appointed by the Lord through the remaining eleven
apostles, but Paul was, (which puts the number back to twelve) then why
is Barnabas called an apostle? "But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard this..."
(Acts 14:14) This would make the number of apostles after the
resurrection fourteen with Matthias or at least thirteen with Barnabas
if we eliminate Matthias. Of course we see that the Lord appointed more
than Twelve apostles after His resurrection. In fact. if we look at
Ephesians 4 again, it was after the resurrection that the Lord gave some
to be "apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers", all plural and without a specific number or an expiration date.
Reason two: Today there are certain denominations that believe that the phrase “when that which is perfect is come”
(1 Corinthians 13:10) is referring to the canonized scripture. As a
result of this interpretation many believers have also been taught that
not only ministries of the apostle and prophet
but also the gifts of the Spirit (1 Corinthians 12, 14) have been done
away with by Christ and are no longer necessary for the Church. Is this
true? Well, if it were, then we need to ask ourselves why there is so
much division, lack of love and lack of spiritual maturity in the
church. The Apostle Paul dealt with this very issue with the church at
Corinth and says, "And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to
spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. I fed you with
milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to
receive it, and even now you are still not able; for you are still
carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are
you not carnal and behaving like mere men? For when one says, “I am of
Paul,” and another, “I am of Apollos,” are you not carnal?" (1 Corinthians 3:1-4)
Again, looking back to Ephesians 4 we see the purpose of these five
gifts working together is for the benefit of the church (see above). So,
we must conclude, that 1 Corinthians 13:10 does not mean the
elimination of the apostle and prophet or spiritual gifts due to the
canonization of the scripture, but that it refers to when Christ comes
again. It should be obvious that when Christ returns there will be no
need for these gifts to function, the gift giver Himself will be on the
earth again. To eliminate the gifts of apostle and prophet from the
church would be like having an automobile with two cylinders not
functioning. No matter if you have a four, six or eight cylinder
automobile with two cylinders not functioning the auto will not run
properly, if it runs at all, and you will damage the engine.
Reason three: Another reason for the elimination of the gifts of apostle and prophet
from many sectors of the church is, Christ only used apostles and
prophets in the first century to lay the foundation of the Church,
therefore, these two ministries are no longer needed today. Is this
true? According to the Apostle Paul, "having been built (the church) on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone." (Ephesians
2:20) Paul does not specify only certain apostles and prophets or only
for a certain dispensation of time, but simply the church is built "on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone." In
fact, even today the foundation of the church continues to be strong
because true apostles and prophets are building on Christ the Chief
Cornerstone.
I say true apostles and prophets because
there are those who say they are apostles and or prophets who do not
fulfill the biblical function of the office but only use the title. I am
not trying to be critical toward those in the Body of Christ who
believe that apostles and prophets are no longer needed in the church
today, but only that we need to question ourselves to see if our
doctrine is in line with the entirety of God's Word. We need to be
cautious of creating doctrine by picking and choosing scripture that
"aligns with my thinking" while looking away from scriptures that
contradict "my way of thinking." We also cannot read into God's Word
things that are not mentioned verbatim with intellectual assumptions. We
need to let the Word of God and the Holy Spirit have the final say in
all matters of the church. So, with this said, LORD thank you for the
gifts...