Divine Sugar Sticks for November 2000

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Wednesday, November 30, 2000

Lovers of Pleasure More Than Lovers of God!

2 Tim 3:4, “Traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God.” Sounds like the 6 o’clock news.

1. Capacity to love God is based on knowledge of the Word of God.
   
2. Therefore, knowledge of the Word of God keeps down calluses from forming on the soul and edifies and builds maturity.
   
3. However, when the believer is negative to the Word of God, he has no capacity to love. Good principle when it comes to marriage! Persistent negative volition to the Word of God results in a seared conscience.
   
4. Therefore, he has a frantic search for happiness. Ecclesiastes.
   
5. In the pursuit of happiness, more calluses are formed on the soul. Therefore, more frustration and more unhappiness.
   Best illustration: Solomon’s pursuit for happiness apart from the Lord.
   ”Vanity, vanity all is vanity, and vexation of spirit” and you end up with 1,000 concubines and an ecumenical movement in your own castle. No domestic tranquility.
   
6. Therefore, the believer becomes a slave to the details of life and is “a lover of pleasure more than a lover of God.”
   
   ”Love” here is the word “PHILEO,” a rapport love for pleasure more than a rapport love for God. Not AGAPE – mental only but total sold out.
   

   

Categories of Love

AGAPE love is a mental attitude love. PHILEO is a rapport-type of love.

When the believer is filled with the Spirit, the love produced is Divine love. When the believer is not filled with the Spirit, the love produced is human love.

Categories of Divine love: AGAPE and PHILEO

Love of God the Father for the Son – AGAPE and PHILEO

Love of God for the human race – AGAPE – John 3:16

Love of God for the believer – AGAPE – 1 John 4:19. And it can be PHILEO if the believer has Bible Doctrine.

Love of believer for God – positional love – AGAPE – Rom 8:28

Love of the believer filled with the Spirit and Doctrine in the human spirit exhaled toward another believer is PHILEO.

Mental attitude love, AGAPE, produced by the believer filled with the Spirit is minus mental attitude sins – hatred, envy, jealousy, implacability, unappeasing anger, bitterness, and sour grapes.

Divine love is from the source of God. The first thing that AGAPE love does is to go back to God, because the believer is a responder. There it is given a stability and power. Then when it goes back to the human race, it has an impact.

Reason: This love is from God. You take the attitude of God toward the other believer, which is “beloved.” God loves all believers.

When you are filled with the Spirit plus Doctrine, thus producing AGAPE love, you have impact for Christ.

“We love because He first loved us.”

Unbelievers love darkness – AGAPE love. Not Divine, but mental.

Meditation

“Meditate in the Word of God, neither turning to the right or to the left,” Joshua chapter one.

Meditation is the main method of the intake of the Word of God. This enables you to carry the Word with you, your mind being saturated with the Word of God. Not only is the whole counsel of God a life-time work, but the fruit of this method is to be thought on constantly.

Isa 26:3, “I will keep him in peace peace whose mind is stayed on Me because he trusteth in Me.”

Much time is lost by not thinking the Divine Viewpoint of the Bible. Constantly saturate your mind with chapter title and content, categories, or Scriptural passages. Instead of only memorizing, think through the Word in different ways. Study, study, study, repeat, repeat, repeat.

Get to the point of having residual Doctrine so that the Word of God is at your finger tips.

Do you ever have to review 1 John 1:9 or Eph 2:8-9? Probably not. Well, get the entire content of the Word that well in hand. The Word of God is living and powerful, Heb 4:12

The answer to an effective outreach is inner stability. It is not programs, activities, human hustle, or parties. It is sowing the Word of God around the area of maximum penetration and positive volition.

Accessibility in Session

1. There was no human in Heaven before the humanity of the Lord Jesus Christ, John 3:13
   
2. The issue:
   Would the humanity of Jesus Christ be acceptable to God the Father? Well, it was. Heb 1:13, 12:1-2. Also Heb 1:3.
   Heb 1:3, “Who,” the Lord Jesus Christ, “being the brightness,” the shining forth of His glory, essence, and the express, exact, image of His Person. “And upholding all things by the Word of His power when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand,” place of honor, “of the majesty,” God the Father, “on high.”
   
3. His acceptability indicated:
   A. Completion of Christ’s work of salvation, Heb 10:11-12, “But this man” –reference to Jesus Christ in humanity.
   B. That the Person of God the Son satisfied the righteousness of God the Father, Rom 3:23. Perfect righteousness demanded perfect righteousness.
   C. That the work of God the Son satisfied the justice of the Father. Justice demands a penalty for sin. Rom 6:23.
   
4. The acceptance of the Lord Jesus Christ as a man meant the acceptance of His sacrifice.
   The acceptance of His sacrifice meant the acceptance of all those who seek entrance to the presence of the Father through faith in Jesus Christ.
   

Christ in Session – Part Two

1. Through His redemptive work, His ascension, and session, He accomplished bringing many sons into glory. Heb 2:9-10
   
2. Because the God-man is accepted, every believer also is accepted by the Father. Eph 1:6, “Accepted in the Beloved.”
   
3. Because the God-man is seated, every believer is seated positionally at the right hand of the Father. Eph 2:6, “And hath raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.”
   
4. The humanity of Jesus Christ is glorified above all angels. Heb 1:13
   
5. Every believer positionally is higher than the angels, so each believer has a guardian angel. Heb 1:14
   
6. Because of this position, believers will judge angels by bumping the operative angels, fallen, at the Second Advent, which is a one-on-one principle in the angelic conflict.
   

What Will You Do With the Person of Jesus Christ?

Isa 42:3, “A bruised Reed” – a reed being crushed. Reference to Jesus Christ bearing our sins.

”Shall He not break” – reference to His resurrection, and He did not break under this tremendous pressure.

”The smoking flax” – literally, faintly burning wick in the Hebrew.

”Shall He not quench” – while He bore our sins, He was a faintly burning wick. He died spiritually, but He did not die physically then.

”Bringing forth judgment” – He shall cause judgment to be presented.

”Unto Truth” – standard of Truth. This is making the issue clear. Your sins do not stand between you and God. They were judged on the Cross.

Issue: What will do you with the Person of Christ? He is the issue – not sin.

How God Prepared for You to Have a Merry Christmas!!

God’s great plan of redemption was set into operation when Adam sinned. Throughout the Old Testament the Jews were looking forward to the coming of a Saviour, as revealed through the sacrifices, feasts, and holy days.

Extensive preparation was made so that there would be no doubt as to Who it was.

The first promise of salvation with emphasis on the virgin birth is given in Gen 3:15.

1. God prepared a nation, Israel. Gen 12:1-3
   
2. God prepared a kingdom. The new nation became very large. God choose a king for the nation, David. 2 Sam 7:16. He told David his kingdom would last forever and that his Son would reign forever.
   
3. God prepared a city. David was born in Bethlehem. Micah 5:2 tells us where the Saviour would be born.
   
4. God prepares a mother.  Isa 7:14 with Luke 1:35. Mary was the mother of the humanity of Christ. Not the mother of God.
   
5. God prepared a body. Heb 10:5
   A. Mary is told – Luke 1:35
   B. Mary is reminded – Luke 1:37
   C. Mary’s response – Luke 1:38
   
6. God also provided a man to take care of His Son while He was growing up,  Joseph. Matt 1:18-25
   
7. God prepared a name, Immanuel. Isa 7:14, literally, God with us. The God-man.
   
8. God provided a birthplace. Mary lived in Nazareth and they journeyed to Bethlehem. Luke 2
   
9. God prepared a stable for the Lamb. Rev 13:8, Luke 2:7

So .. Merry Christmas!

”When the fullness of time was come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, made  under the law,” Gal 4:4.

Christ Magnified His Word Above His Name!

Psa 138:2, “I will worship toward Thy holy temple and praise Thy Name, for Thy lovingkindness and for Thy Truth, for Thou hast magnified Thy Word above all Thy Name.”

This magnifying of His Word is due to the following:
On the Cross – God the Father forsook the Son while He was bearing our sins. Psa 22:1, “My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?” God the Father. God the Holy Spirit could not sustain Him at that time. Psa 22:1 “My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?” God the Holy Spirit.

Consequently the Word of God had to sustain Him.
This magnifies the Word of God because it sustained Him for three hours.

The believer today has the sustaining ministry of God the Holy Spirit, and the indwelling of Jesus Christ and the Word also with the Father backing up the plan.

Utilize your Divine operating assets found in the Word of God.

Impeccability of the Lord Jesus Christ

The Deity of Jesus Christ was always impeccable – sinless. The humanity of Jesus Christ is also impeccable, 1 John 3:5, 2 Cor 5:21.

As humanity:
He walked as a man.
He was sustained by God the Holy Spirit.
He was perfect righteousness in His humanity.
He fulfilled the Mosaic Law.
He revealed the essence of God to the human race.

Humanity revealed Deity – John 1:14

Romans 1:3 – “Made According to the Flesh”

Means made according to the norm and standard of the flesh. “According to” is the Greek preposition KATA, which means norm or standard.

Christ was bona fide humanity. He was born trichotomous, which is body, soul, and spirit. The human race, all of it, is born spiritually dead. This includes Mary and the Pope, etc. They are born dicotomous because they have no human spirit, only body and soul. Eph 2:1, 5. They have no ability to have fellowship with God.

Since God is a Spirit, and we must worship Him in Spirit and in Truth, it was necessary for Jesus Christ to have a human spirit to understand what the will of God is in His humanity. ”The natural man receives not the things of the Spirit.”

Christ did not have a human father, so He did not have an old sin nature.

The virgin birth fulfills the Davidic covenant, 2 Sam 7, Psalm 89, 2 Chr 21. Mary is in the line of David. God promises unconditionally to David that he will have a Son who will reign forever – an anticipation of the fulfillment at the Second Advent.

There are two genealogies of the humanity of Jesus Christ:
The legal line through Joseph.
The birth line through Mary – Royal line. Both came from David.

Without the virgin birth there is no salvation.

Christ’s Virgin Birth From the Standpoint of Humanity and From the Standpoint of Deity

The virgin birth was planned in eternity past – Psa 2:7
The virgin birth was prophesied – Isa 7:14

God made preparation for the virgin birth.

Attacks were made on the humanity of Jesus Christ by Satan.

Heb 10:1-22 is Christ’s birth, humanity, from the standpoint of Deity. ”When He cometh into the world, He saith,” Heb 10:5.

Luke 1 is Christ’s birth from the standpoint of humanity. “The Holy Spirit shall come upon you and you shall conceive and bear a Child and call His Name Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins.”

Jesus Christ’s humanity came from God, the virgin birth, and went back to God in resurrection and ascension.

How God the Father Sustained His Son on the Cross

The first three hours on the Cross:

Jesus Christ was sustained by God the Holy Spirit, John 3:34, “For God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto Him.”

Jesus Christ was sustained by God the Father. Isa 50:7, “For the Lord God will help Me.”

The last three hours on the Cross:

By the Word of God. Isa 42:3, Psa 138:2, Isa 50:4-8

Verse 5, God the Son in His humanity learned the Word from God the Father.
Verse 6, Jesus Christ’s positive volition was tested before the Cross.
Verse 7, “Lord God, God the Father. He will help Me.”

God the Father helped Jesus Christ to stay alive during the first three hours, so He was able to bear up under the maximum pressure without giving away.

We are the sons of God and the same promise is true for us.

”The Lord God, He will help me.”

A Unique Look at Christmas – 2000 A.D.

The uniqueness of Christmas is set forth for us in Isa 9:6.

”Child is born” – humanity
”Son is given” – Deity

He is two natures inseparably united, yet no mixture, no loss of the separate identities. Unique.

Divine Nature

Undiminished Deity, perfect in every way, and eternal God. He retained all the characteristics of God when He became humanity. Rom 1:14, “declared” there means to be marked out.

Human Nature

True humanity. Genuine. Real. Yet He was without sin, no imputed, inherent, or personal sin.

Both God and man in one Person forever.

No less God because of His humanity.
No less man because of His Deity.

Different from God in that He is man.
Different from man that He is God.

The uniqueness of the Person of Christ leads to the uniqueness of the work of Christ.

His crucifixion was unique among crucifixions, because the purpose was bearing the sins of the world, not just physical death.

His physical death was unique. He died voluntarily. Luke 23:46

His resurrection was unique. He was the first Person to come back with a body of  incorruption. 1 Cor 15:23, “First fruits.”

Resurrection – Never dies again.
Resuscitation – Dies again, like Lazarus.

Jesus Christ, the unique Person can cleanse. God the Father forgave, but did not cleanse.  God the Holy Spirit can promise Divine Good in the believer, but He cannot cleanse.

Merry Christmas y’all!

Tuesday, November 29, 2000

The Trinity Involved in the Ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ

A. God the Son came to minister.
    1. Took the form of a Servant – Phil 2:7
    2. Came to serve – Luke 22:27
    3. Came to minister – Matt 20:28
    4. Summary of Christ’s work – John 21:25

B. God the Holy Spirit sustained the humanity of the Lord Jesus Christ. John 3:34

C. God the Father approved of the Lord Jesus Christ.
    1. At His baptism – Matt 3:17
    2. By miracles and wonders and signs – Acts 2:22
    3. At His ascension  – Heb 1:13, “Sit down, Son.”

Jesus Christ Had Been Appointed, Set Apart, to do Six Things – Luke 4

1. To preach the Gospel to the poor – to those who need salvation.
   

2. To heal the broken hearted – the Gospels are full of the wonderful miracles of healing which our Lord performed, but greater still is the peace and comfort which the Lord gives to believers in times of suffering (“broken hearted”) minds, not bones.
   Psa 34:18, “The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart.”
   

3. To preach deliverance to the captives, prisoners. He ministered on Earth so that we might be set free from the powers of darkness – Satan and the fallen angels. Col 1:13
   

4. “Recovering sight for the blind” – spiritually blinded. He healed the physically blind, but He came to heal the spiritually blinded, John 8:12, “I am the Light of the world. He that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”
   

5. “To set at liberty them that are bruised.” How? Isa 53:5, “He was bruised (spiritual death) for our iniquities,” so that we might go free and without blame. He paid the penalty. Col 2:14
   

6. “To preach the acceptable year of the Lord” – the year of the acceptance of the Lord, saying “I am the long-promised Redeemer.”
   

Miracles After the Death of Christ! You Won’t See These on TV

1. The first miracle.
   Matt 27:51, “Behold the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom.”
   A. The veil in the temple was between the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies.
   B. The renting of the veil indicates the removal of the barrier between man and God, when the death, both spiritually and physically, of the Lord took place.
   C. God Himself split the veil, which represented the body, humanity, of Jesus Christ, Heb 10:19-20, which was bruised for us to provide access to God.
   
2. Second miracle – Matt 27:51, “And the Earth (Palestine) did shake, and the rocks rent.”
   This was so great an earthquake that the rocks were literally split in two.
   
3. The third miracle – Matt 27:52-54
   ”And the graves were opened and many (not all) bodies of the saints which slept (Christian death) arose and came out of the graves after (associated with) His resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared unto many.”
   
   They are being resuscitated for several reasons – The tremendous power of God exercised in the resurrection brought them out of the lower part of the Earth. Believers. This bringing back someone from the dead was a crash program for witnessing. This was necessary because all the disciples with the exception of John were in hiding.

Results of these miracles.

Salvation: Example – the salvation of the centurion and those with him.

Matt 27:54 – Miracles are designed to focus attention on the Word of God.

Why God the Son Had to Take on Flesh to Die For Our Sins!!

It was necessary for one member of the Godhead to become humanity. The Father as God didn’t take on flesh. The Holy Spirit as God didn’t take on flesh. But God the Son took on flesh. Why??

It was necessary for Jesus Christ to become man to be qualified to be our Saviour. Only a human being who lives a perfect life would be qualified to pay the penalty for sin, which is spiritual death.

It was necessary for Jesus Christ to become humanity in order to die physically so that He could have a resurrection body, so that believers could have a resurrection body.

It was necessary for God to become man in order to act as a Mediator between God and man. A Mediator must be equal with both parties. 1 Tim 2:5

It was necessary for Jesus Christ to become man in order to be our High Priest. Hebrews chapters seven through nine.

It was necessary for Jesus Christ to become man in order to fulfill the Davidic Covenant, which says that David will have a Son who will reign forever. 2 Sam 7, Psalm 89, 2 Chr 21.

”Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a Child, and His Name shall be called Emmanuel” – God with us ...

There Were Two Reasons Why They Were Startled at Christ – Luke 4:20

He had been reading from Isaiah 61:1-2. And he quit right in the middle of verse 2, because the rest of the passage does not speak of His earthly ministry, but of His Second Advent.

He sat down. Whoever heard of anyone sitting down while ministering the Word of God? Even the high priests who went into the Holy of Holies must stand in the presence of God. Heb 10:11. Christ dared to sit. And nothing happened to Him.

Their amazement soon changed to anger, for as the Lord told them how few would believe, they chased Him out of the city and attempted to throw Him over the edge and kill Him.

How We Came Into This World and How Christ Came Into This World

The human race comes into the world under:

1. Imputed sin – Spiritual death
2. Inherent sin – The old sin nature
3. Personal sins – In the slave market of sin.

Jesus Christ comes into the world under:

1. No imputed sin – 2 Cor 5:21
2. No inherent sin – 2 Cor 5:21
3. No personal sin. All personal sin comes from the old sin nature.

Jesus Christ is qualified because through the virgin birth He came into the world as a free man.

1. The sin of Adam was not imputed to Him.
2. He did not inherit an old sin nature.
3. He had not committed any personal sin.

He was qualified to and did:

1. Die with reference to the old sin nature condemning it.
2. Bare the sins of the old sin nature.
3. Rejected human good from the old sin nature.

He died spiritually that we might have spiritual life, 1 John 5:11-12
He died physically so that we might have a resurrection body. Rom 4:25 – the word “for” means “because of.”

This cannot be said of Buddha or any other so-called religious leader.

Tuesday, November 28, 2000

The Advocacy of the Lord Jesus Christ

Jesus Christ is the believer’s Defense Attorney at all times. He defends the believer against Satan’s attacks, whether or not the believer has confessed his sins. The basis for this is unlimited atonement. He bore the sins, pre- and post-salvation, sins of the whole world. 1 Pet 2:24, 2 Cor 5:21, Rev 1:5, Col 2:14

The Father judged all the sins when Christ was bearing them. Psa 22:1-6, 1 Pet 3:18. Since a person’s sins were judged once at the Cross, they cannot be judged again. Rom 6:10 – the law of double jeopardy. Therefore, since you can only be judged once for a sin, Satan’s accusations are thrown out of court. Jesus Christ was judged in your place for your sins.

Jesus Christ is our Defense Attorney, seated at the right hand of the Father, and He defends us. 1 John 2:1. The believer’s sin then becomes a family matter. The Father spanks. If the believer does not confess his sin, he is subject to the Father’s chastisement. Heb 12:6

The basis of his defense is 1 John 1:7, “The blood of Christ keeps on cleansing from all sin.”

Jesus Christ is representing us in Heaven. We are representing Him here on Earth. Jesus Christ has never lost a case and He never will. His defense is always the same – the completed work of the Lord Jesus Christ on the Cross.

The Burial of the Lord Jesus Christ, His Friends and His Enemies

The burial of the Lord Jesus Christ indicates that it was the humanity of Christ which bore our sins, which was the reason He had to become true humanity.

 His Tomb – Isa 53:9

”He made His grave with the wicked.” He died with gangsters on each side of Him. ”And with the rich in His deaths.”

The penalty for anyone indicted for blasphemy which Jesus Christ unjustly was – crucifixion (Roman style capital punishment, stoning was Jewish style capital punishment) and an obscure tomb.

Even though He was brought to the Cross under the indictment of blasphemy, His tomb had to be in a prominent place, because if His resurrection was going to be properly documented and verified, the tomb must be well known.

His Friends

Joseph of Aramethaea buried Christ’s body in His own tomb. Matt 27:57-61
Nicodemus helped Joseph. John 19:39-41
Believers grieved, Mark 16:10, and didn’t seem to remember that He had told them that He must die and be buried and rise again. Matt 17:22-23.
Peter didn’t even remember when he argued with Christ about this event. Matt 16:21-22

His Enemies

His enemies had taunted Him. Matt 12:38
He had shown them many signs, but they did not believe.
He knew that they would not believe, omniscience. But He gave them one more sign. Matt 12:39-40
His enemies worried, Matt 29:62-66, lest the tomb not be sealed securely and that the disciples would steal away His body so they set a seal and a watch upon it.

The Maturing of the Humanity of the Lord Jesus Christ

Jesus Christ came into this world as an infant. Luke 2:12, Matt 1:25

Jesus Christ grew up as a normal child. Isa 53:2 –
”He” – the Lord Jesus Christ
”Shall grow up” – as a child, normal humanity
”As a tender plant” – a tender plant needs protection. He needed protection so that He could go to the Cross
”And as a root” – Jesus Christ
”Out of dry ground” – Israel under the fourth cycle of discipline
”Root out of dry ground” – is a technical term for Jesus Christ as the Founder of the Jewish race
”He hath no form” – didn’t come as a glamorous king
”Nor comeliness” – He didn’t fulfill their imagination as a king
”When we shall see Him” – First Advent
”There is no beauty” – no glamour
”That we should desire Him” – they had the wrong concept so they didn’t desire Him. He didn’t fit the kingly image they had.

Jesus Christ was hungry – Matt 4:2, 21:18
Jesus Christ was thirsty – John 4:7, 19:28
Jesus Christ got tired – John 4:6
Jesus Christ slept – Matt 8:24, Mark 4:38

When Jesus Christ spoke, He spoke from one of three sources:
Deity – “A body hast Thou prepared Me,” Heb 10:5
Humanity – “I thirst,” John 19:28
Hypostatic union – “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life,” John 14:6

As a youth, about 12 years old, He went to the temple. Luke 2:42-52
He began His public ministry about the age of 30. Luke 3:23
As a child, He grew in Grace and in wisdom with God and man.

There are not many celebrities compared with the population of the Earth. There are some famous and infamous athletes, super stars, and entertainers that are always in the limelight that most people would like to be or at least imitate. But, the average person in this world will never gain to the world’s estimate of what is a super star or what is famous or important in our society.

But, because of the fact that the Lord Jesus Christ died for every member of the human race. He made it possible for any and every member of the human race to be able to be beheld with the highest esteem.

Think ... When any person, no matter how young or old, or any other position or station in life, gives the Gospel personally to another individual, that person has reached the epitome of stature.

When you present the Gospel to anyone, and even if they do not receive Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour, for one moment you have brought them face-to-face with the Greatest Relationship and Person in the whole universe.

When they do accept Him, you have been able to not only to be a celebrity yourself in God’s plan, but also identify them with the Celebrity of all celebrities, the only  V.I.P.,  the Lord Jesus Christ.

Do the work of an evangelist.

Monday, November 27, 2000

Is There Not Something Unique, Divine, in the Order in Which the Books of the Bible Occur?

At least we can see the order of experience in the spiritual life in the sequence of the occurrences.

First there is the Genesis of the new birth.
The Holy Spirit moving upon the chaos and darkness of our death and sin and implanting the life of His own nature and causing light to come and fruitfulness to be manifest.

Then there is the Exodus or redemption.
The protection of the atoning blood from the deserved judgment, the deliverance from the god of this world, and separation from the world’s doom and doings. And the Red Sea of Christ’s death, overcoming our enemies and cutting us off from the association of the evil of the Egypt of worldliness.

Then there is the Leviticus worship on the ground of atonement.
The blood of Christ’s atonement is the ground of our blessing and the God-given right of our fellowship with the Lord. He can speak to us from the blood-sprinkled mercy seat because of the voice of Christ’s completed work on the Cross.

Then there is the Numbers of the pilgrim life.
The cloud of His presence and the fire of the Lord’s holiness are the shadow of His protecting love and the separating Grace of His holy power. Armed by His armory and shod by His Grace, we walk amid the world of hostile influences unscathed and content.

Then there is the Deuteronomy of His instruction.
Being dull of hearing and slow in learning, the Lord has to call us into the school of His Grace that we may sit at His feet and hear His words. Uncircumcised ears have to be circumcised and dull senses have to be sharpened that we may learn to be wise and walk in His ways.

Part Two: The Divine Arrangement of the Books of the Bible

Then there is the Joshua of the fullness of the blessing of the promised land of abundance.
Which proclaims the fact that God hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Then there is the Judges of conflict and also the equipment of the Spirit of the Lord.
Who overcomes the enemies and who opposes and gives us the victory based on His power.

Then here is the Ruth of Boaz’s rest and redemption.
Which is found in the Kinsman Redeemer to our soul’s ease and enjoyment.

Then there are the Kings of Christly rule.
And we find ourselves in the place of blessing and prowess by fellowship with David’s Greater Son the Lord Jesus Christ.

I Wonder if Any One Has Ever Discovered the Uniqueness of the Book of Leviticus?? Leviticus – Where is That?

“Speaking Silence”

The offerings are mainly dealt with and the laws which regulate them in the Book of Leviticus. One magnificent omission impresses one, and that is, there is no mention of God the Holy Spirit in the whole of the Book.

We can quite understand “this speaking silence.” It is the business of the Holy Spirit to speak of Christ and to glorify Him. And as He does this, He hides Himself. “When the Holy Spirit is come, He will not speak of Himself.”

We should not only imitate the Lord Jesus Christ, but also God the Holy Spirit in this principle. ”I decrease, He must increase.”

 Another Unique Feature of the Book of Leviticus

Is to note the “Forerunner,” “the Afterrunner” and “the pivot point.”

The Forerunner is the Passover of God’s delivering Grace in the Book of Exodus.
Christ our Passover delivering us from the condemnation and control of sin, must be known before we can appreciate the many sidedness of Christ’s death in the offerings.

Then there is the Aftercomer of the offerings in the ordinance of the red heifer in the Book of Numbers chapter 19.
We ever need the cleansing of the blood of Christ as we are traversing this wilderness journey. For we are unconsciously contacting defilement, even as we walk in the light and have fellowship with the Father and the Son. We need the cleansing of the blood to keep us fit for that Holy Place of fellowship. 1 John 1:7

Then there is the pivot point of the work of the great Day of Atonement.
On that Day of Atonement, it was not only made for Aaron and his house and Israel, but also for the Holy Place and the Tabernacle and the Altar – Lev 16:15-18 – Indicating to us in its typical application that Christ’s atonement avails for the house of the Church, the nation of Israel, the Holy Place of the Heavens, the tabernacle of the old Earth, and also the altar of heavenly worship and service.

The turning point which will cause all things to harmonize and act in perfect harmony is the atonement of Christ.

”YOM CHIPPOUR” – YOM KIPPUR

The Uniqueness in the Order of the Offerings

First the burnt offering.
Then the meat offering.
Then the peace offering.
Then the sin offering.
Then the trespass offering.
Then the drink offering.

The burnt offering – Of Christ’s work to God in Him glorifying Him comes first because He first must be glorified.
Then the meat offering – Of Christ’s spotless humanity.
Then the peace offering – Of Christ’s reconciling ransom upon the ground of which He keeps us in the place of fellowship with God.
Then the sin offering – Of His being judged for our sins in His death on the Cross.
Then the trespass offering – Of His bearing our sins in His own body on the tree.
Then the drink offering – Of the wine of God’s own joy in all that Christ did and in all that it brings to us.

There are seven things in connection with each of these six offerings in Leviticus and Numbers. Namely,

The Lord and the offering.
The offering, the offerer.
The priest and the offering.
The reason for the offering.
The blessing of the offering.
The practical teaching of the offering.

And Christ is seen in each point.

God’s thought about Christ and His directions come first.
Then Christ is the Offering and the Offerer.
Then Christ’s official office is seen in relation to the offering.
Then the reason for the offering is to make an atonement.
The blessings of the offering are various.
And the practical outcome is what Christ can be in us in the practicality of His love and Grace.

Who is interested today in an in-depth study of the monotonous Book of Leviticus.

What is Spirituality??

Lawlessness means to be outside of the law of the Spirit of life. Rom 8:2-4 – The law of spirituality.

Verse 2, “The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus” – the law of spirituality.
Verse 3, “The law” – Mosaic Law
Verse 3, “Flesh” – the old sin nature
Verse 3, “For sin” – for a sin offering
Verse 3, “Condemned sin” – old sin nature
Verse 4, “Righteousness of the law” – of the Mosaic Law
Verse 4, “Might be fulfilled ... Spirit” – through the filling of the Holy Spirit

1. The believer out of fellowship removes himself from the law of spirituality.
   
2. 1 John 3:4 is dealing with the law of spirituality, not the Mosaic Law.
   
3. Sin is not defined here as the transgression of the Mosaic Law, 1 John 3:4, because sin was in the world before the Mosaic Law. Romans 5:13-14
   
4. The carnal believer is operating outside of the law of spirituality, therefore, the carnal believer is described as lawless.
   
5. The believer under the control of the old sin nature does lawlessness, which is the same as walking in darkness. 1 John 1:6, 2:11
   
6. Therefore, the carnal believer walking in darkness can only imitate the unbeliever. 1 Cor 3:3. At this time it is impossible to imitate God as it is commanded in Eph 5:1. You are either imitating the unbeliever or Christ.
   
7. The believer who sins after salvation gets out of fellowship through his own volition, which sin put him outside of the Divine plan.
   
8. The believer who denies the operation of the old sin nature, or his personal sin after salvation, or denies 1 John 1:9, is braced for his ignorance. 1 John 1:8. Darkness: emphasizes ignorance – being minus the Light of the Word.
   
9. Spirituality, the filling of the Holy Spirit, and carnality are mutually exclusive just as darkness and light.
   
10. Any sin in the Christian life results in lawlessness and excludes the Holy Spirit, who is being grieved or quenched.
    

Four Laws Operating in the Christian Life

There is a tremendous realm of activities in life that cannot be classified as good or bad, according to the Word.

Corinth was a good-time city. There were many heathen temples with bars and a bank, a prostitution center, and also the best cafe in town. However, meat served in the cafe and market had been offered to idols in the heathen temple.

The four laws for discernment of doubtful things.

1. The law of liberty toward self, 1 Cor 8:1-6
   The liberty to walk in the Spirit, free from the bondage of sin. Also, the liberty to curtail your liberty or to enjoy it.
   In Corinth the debate centered around the meat offered to idols. The Corinthian believers had liberty to eat this meat, for they knew that the idol was nothing.
   
2. The law of love toward believers, 1 Cor 8:7-13
   Because of my love for my Saviour and fellow believers, there are certain things that I will refrain from doing.
   We are to be aware that our liberty does not become a stumbling block to a weaker believer. The weaker believer often saw the other believer in the cafe where the meat was served.
   Through the use of the law of liberty, the weak believer may get out of temporal fellowship. Actually, you sin against Christ when you cause a fellow believer to get out of fellowship.

The law of love is a higher law than the law of liberty.

The Law of Expediency Toward the Unbeliever – 1 Cor 10:23-33

Because of my witness for Jesus Christ to the unbeliever, there are some things I do not do in order to have a testimony with certain unbelievers.

If a Corinthian believer was invited to an unbeliever’s home, he was not to make an issue out of meat, but to make Jesus Christ the issue. If the unbeliever made an issue out of the meat, he was to refuse it. The law of supreme sacrifice, 1 Cor 9:1-18.

There are times when certain believers should refrain from doing some very normal and very legitimate things for the maximum effectiveness in the Lord’s service.

P.S. Santa is a “works man,” He says you have to be good to get anything.

Christ says you are no good and you get everything. Don’t you just love Grace?

Works Systems in Regard to Spirituality – the Christian Way of Life

Tarry and fast and wait upon the Lord.
Crucify self, but self never cancels out self.
Agonize in prayer, praying through.
Tabooism and asceticism.
Extra-Biblical revelations.
Ecstatic experiences are correlated with spirituality and it is based on how you feel. How you feel has nothing to do with spirituality.

You can be suffering from cancer and be in pain and still be filled with the Spirit. Spirituality is based on the filling of the Holy Spirit.

Eph 5:18, “Be not drunk with wine, but be filled with the Spirit.” The fruit of the Spirit is found in Gal 5:22-23 – “love, joy, peace, etc., against such there is no law.”

“Not of works” is the message in both salvation and spirituality. For by Grace you are saved and by Grace you grow.

You can’t get anything from Santa unless you are good. But you get everything from Jesus Christ when you are not good.

If you notice Santa’s bag this Christmas, it has “works” stamped on it.

The Importance of What the Bible Says, Especially Today About Legislation!

Dan 6:10-13, “And when Daniel knew that the writing was signed (legislation).” “Hast thou signed a decree (law)? Daniel regarded not thee, O King, nor the decree.”

1. All legislation of a nation under Divine Institution number four nationalism is pertinent to the protection of the people of that nation.
   Laws are designed to protect, not to enslave people.
   
   Legislation that proceeds out of the government actually protects the other three Divine Institutions – free will, marriage, and family.
   All socialism and socialistic legislation is an attack against freedom.
   
2. Legislation cannot make people equal. People are not born equal ever.
       A. Legislation cannot remove poverty.
       B. Legislation cannot stop wars.
       C. Legislation cannot bring world peace.
       D. Legislation has never solved the evils of the world.
       E. Legislation is not a substitute for the Gospel or the Christian way of life.
       F. Legislation is designated to protect people in a nation.

We have been so bitten by the mad dog of socialism so that legislation today is trying to make all people equal, or give them equal opportunity. You can’t legislate equal opportunity for either minority or majority races.

Salvation and the Christian way of life are the only equalizers and those equalizers are bona fide.

Legislation is designated by God to protect the rights, the privacy, the property, and the free will of individuals within a national entity. Legislation should be designated to allow freedom of choice in matters of religion, social or business activity.

The federal government does not have the right to tell me I cannot believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, nor does it have the right to keep me from worshipping in the Church of my choice. The government does not have the right to penalize me if I am an atheist.

The government does not have the right to dictate to me who I hire or fire in my business. The federal government does not have the right to pick my friends and associations.

These are matters of personal choice and personal freedom.

Legalism in Salvation

Legalism is any merit system that operates by works, by which man tries to please God. It is the antithesis of Grace. It is the attempt of man to assist God. An attempt to glorify God apart from Divine power.

Different systems of legalism – which say believe plus something.

Believe and repent to be saved.
Believe and confess to be saved.
Believe and fully surrender to be saved.
Believe and walk an aisle to be saved.
Believe and shed great tears of repentance to be saved, at the altar.
Believe and give up your bad habits to be saved.
Believe and be circumcised to be saved.
Believe and join our church to be saved.
Believe and keep the Mosaic Law to be saved.
Believe and be sincere to be saved.
Believe and be baptized to be saved.

No, it is only believe!

”Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved.”

Santa is for works. He says you have to be good to get anything. Christ says there is none good and yet you get everything.

Legislation – The Law of the Medes-Persians Forbids Daniel to Pray

Dan 6:7. Are we there now?

But God’s law commands Daniel to pray. 1 Kings 8. Therefore, Daniel did the right and patriotic thing by praying.

Daniel is actually operating under a higher law, and actually is doing more for the Persian Empire by praying.

It is God who sustains the Persian Empire. Isa 45.  Thus by violating this ludicrous  legislation, Daniel is faithful to the heritage of the regeneration.

Born again believers in fellowship are the salt of the Earth.

Sunday, November 26, 2000

Sunday School Class!

There are seven great facts about the acts of God relative to Christ’s death in each of which we find mentioned in the book of Romans.

1. The first that God hath set Jesus Christ forth to be the propitiation for our sins, Rom 3:25
   
2. God’s love is commended to us because Christ has died for us, Rom 5:8
   
3. God sent His Son in likeness of sinful flesh, Rom 8:3
   
4. God condemns sin in the Person of the Son on the Cross, Rom 8:3
   
5. God did not spare His Son when dealing with sin, Rom 8:32
   
6. God delivered Christ up for us when He gave Him over to death, Rom 8:32
   
7. The death and resurrection of Christ is God’s answer to every charge that might be brought against us, Rom 8:32, 34

Therefore, at the Cross God is seen at His best in giving His Son for the worst. And in all that Christ did, God was acting. Therefore, in that death, there is all the value of what He is in Himself.

God cannot die, but He who died for us is God.

In Case You Missed Sunday School or Church Service

Christ’s goal was His death. His star of destiny was His death on the Cross.

His death was no accident. On many occasions Christ in His teaching referred to His death on the Cross. If you read the Gospel of John with this thought in mind, it will be found that Christ directly and indirectly was indicating the nature and necessity of His death.

There loomed before Him the momentous hour when He would pass through the awfulness of suffering for human guilt, till the hour had come He could not die. But when it arrived, He gave Himself up to answer for sin, John 17:1

There is one special occasion when Christ indicated the nature of His death. In the tenth chapter of John, five times over we find He stated that the Good Shepherd would lay down, or give, His life for the sheep. John 10:11, John 10:15, John 10:17, John 10:18 (twice)

And it is in the Gospel of John that we read of Christ’s triumphant cry when He, in His sixth utterance on the cross, exclaimed, “It is finished.” But it is only one word in the Greek: Accomplished. Once and for all accomplished. TETELESTAI!

A New Look on an Old Word – Salvation!

The three-fold cord of salvation finds its fiber in the Cross. We are saved from condemnation by faith in Him who gave Himself for us. Hence, we are said to be saved from wrath through Christ. Rom 5:9

Believers are being saved from the control of sin as the vitality of the risen life of Christ pulsating within them and overcomes the law of sin and death. Therefore we read, “Much more being reconciled to God by the death of His Son, we shall be saved in His life,” Rom 5:10

And believers will be saved from the body of sin and death when Christ comes back again. Therefore we read, “God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain the salvation by the means of our Lord Jesus Christ who died for us, that whether we which watch or sleep, we shall live together with Him,” 1 Thes 5:9-10

Rom 8:1, “There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus.”

Saturday, November 25, 2000

The Biblical Law of Typology!

When we say a certain thing is a type we should be perfectly clear of our ground. For a type is something which is used as a symbol by the Lord to foreshadow the thing or person stated.

What is a type?  It is essential to a type in the Scripture adaptation of that term that there should be correspondence between it and the antitype. Types may be divided under several divisions: persons, institutions, events, things, offices, places, actions.

Persons

 ”In Adam all die, in Christ all are made alive.”

Historical Events Which Depict Biblical Types

The flood of coming judgment – Matt 24:37-39
Creation’s light and the Gospel – 2 Cor 4:6
The Passover of Christ’s death – 1 Cor 5:7
The lifted serpent and Christ – Num 21:8, John 3:14
The manna and the bread of life – Ex 16:16, John 6:32
The supply of water from the rock and Christ – Ex 17:6, 1 Cor 10:4
The priest and the great day of atonement – Lev 16, Heb 2:17

Historical Events Which Depict Biblical Types

The flood of coming judgment – Matt 24:37-39, “But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.”

Creation’s light and the Gospel – 2 Cor 4:6, “For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”

The Passover of Christ’s death – 1 Cor 5:7, “Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:”

The lifted serpent and Christ – Num 21:8, “And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.”
John 3:14, “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:”

The manna and the bread of life – Ex 16:16, “This is the thing which the LORD hath commanded, Gather of it every man according to his eating, an omer for every man, according to the number of your persons; take ye every man for them which are in his tents.”
John 6:32, “Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from Heaven; but my Father giveth you the True Bread from Heaven.”

The supply of water from the rock and Christ – Ex 17:6, “Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.”
1 Cor 10:4, “And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.”

The priest and the great day of atonement – Lev 16, Heb 2:17, “Wherefore in all things it behoved Him to be made like unto His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.”

Things Which Represent Biblical Types

The anointing oil and the Spirit – Lev 7:35, “This is the portion of the anointing of Aaron, and of the anointing of his sons, out of the offerings of the LORD made by fire, in the day when he presented them to minister unto the LORD in the priest's office;”
1 John 2:27, “The anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in Him.”

The mercy seat and Christ – Ex 25:17-22, “And thou shalt make a mercy seat of pure gold: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof. And thou shalt make two cherubims of gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of the mercy seat. And make one cherub on the one end, and the other cherub on the other end: even of the mercy seat shall ye make the cherubims on the two ends thereof. And the cherubims shall stretch forth their wings on high, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and their faces shall look one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubims be. And thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee. And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel.”
Rom 3:25, “Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood, to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;”

Jacob’s ladder and Christ – Gen 28:12, “And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the Earth, and the top of it reached to Heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it.”
John 1:51, “And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see Heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.”

Laver of brass and God’s Word – Ex 30:18-20, “Thou shalt also make a laver of brass, and his foot also of brass, to wash withal: and thou shalt put it between the tabernacle of the congregation and the altar, and thou shalt put water therein. For Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet thereat: When they go into the tabernacle of the congregation, they shall wash with water, that they die not; or when they come near to the altar to minister, to burn offering made by fire unto the LORD:”
Eph 5:26, “That He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word,”

Firstfruits and resurrection – Ex 22:29, “Thou shalt not delay to offer the first of thy ripe fruits, and of thy liquors: the firstborn of thy sons shalt thou give unto Me.”
1 Cor 15:20, “But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.”

Ark and salvation – Gen 7:16, “And they that went in, went in male and female of all flesh, as God had commanded him: and the LORD shut him in.”
1 Pet 3:20-21, “Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:”

Golden candlestick and Christ – Ex 25:31, “And thou shalt make a candlestick of pure gold: of beaten work shall the candlestick be made: his shaft, and his branches, his bowls, his knops, and his flowers, shall be of the same.
John 8:12, “Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the Light of the world: he that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”

Actions and Biblical Types

Killing of an animal and Christ’s death for sin – Lev 4:15, “And the elders of the congregation shall lay their hands upon the head of the bullock before the LORD: and the bullock shall be killed before the LORD.”
Rev 5:9, “And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by Thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;”

Living bird and blood of slain one on it – Lev 14:47, “And he that lieth in the house shall wash his clothes; and he that eateth in the house shall wash his clothes.”
Rom 4:25, “Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.”

Sprinkling of blood and cleansing – Lev 14:7, “And he shall sprinkle upon him that is to be cleansed from the leprosy seven times, and shall pronounce him clean, and shall let the living bird loose into the open field.”
Heb 9:15, “And for this cause He is the Mediator of the New Testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.”

Laying hands on the sacrifice and identification – Lev 16:21, “And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness:”
1 Tim 4:14, “Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery.”

Banishment of scapegoat and Christ taking away the sins – Lev 16:22, “And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited: and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness.”
Isa 53:6, 12, “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” “Therefore will I divide Him a portion with the great, and He shall divide the spoil with the strong; because He hath poured out His soul unto death: and He was numbered with the transgressors; and He bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.”

Placing blood on members of the body and sanctification – Ex 29:20, “Then shalt thou kill the ram, and take of his blood, and put it upon the tip of the right ear of Aaron, and upon the tip of the right ear of his sons, and upon the thumb of their right hand, and upon the great toe of their right foot, and sprinkle the blood upon the altar round about.”
1 Cor 6:20, “For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.”

Placing blood on doorposts and faith – Ex 12:7, “And ye shall observe the feast of unleavened bread; for in this selfsame day have I brought your armies out of the land of Egypt: therefore shall ye observe this day in your generations by an ordinance for ever.”
Heb 11:28, “Through faith he kept the passover, and the sprinkling of blood, lest he that destroyed the firstborn should touch them.”

The animal lovers must have been in an uproar when lambs were sacrificed to be used as evangelism.

Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world.”

Language of Accommodation

Many terms in the Bible we find language of accommodation. In order to make the relationship of the Godhead understandable to the human race, God, ELOHIM, decided to be called God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

The First Member of the Godhead is called “the Father,” because He makes the plan. Psa 102:25

He is called “Father” by the Lord Jesus Christ because God the Father is the Planner, and Jesus Christ the Son obeyed the plan of the Father in order to provide salvation.

He is called the Father because He provided for the Lord Jesus Christ in His ministry.

He is called Father by believers because the Father is their Planner and Provider – for salvation and for time, His Divine operating assets.

The Second Member of the Godhead is called “the Son,” because He, in the hypostatic union, became obedient unto death, and executed Stage One in the Plan of God, Phil 2:8, salvation.

Because He is an heir of God the Father, Heb 1:2

The Third Person of the Godhead is called God “the Holy Spirit,” because, while He is not visible to humanity, He reveals God to humanity.

To the unbeliever: conviction of unbelief.
To the believer: teaching and guidance.

Because He produces the unseen power, “holy,” set apart under the plan of God for a specialized operation in Stage Two of His plan, which is the Christian way of life.

Friday, November 24, 2000

God’s Justice – God is Fair!

Example: Judas

God is always fair and just.

The Justice of God. God is Fair!

In His justice, God gives everyone an opportunity to be saved. Even though in His foreknowledge He knew they would not accept Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour.

He didn’t use His foreknowledge to be unfair.

Example: Pharaoh!

”Pharaoh hardened his heart at this time also,” Exodus 8:32. Pharaoh went negative towards the Gospel.

”And the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and he pursued after the children of Israel,” Ex 14:8, which means that God took the stops off of his negative volition.

God kept putting more and more information in the form of plagues and miracles in front of Pharaoh, and he kept going on negative signals.

The Holy Spirit has a restraining influence, ministry, insofar as negative volition is concerned in the world. 2 Thess 2:7 The reason the Tribulation is so horrible is that the Holy Spirit is removed with the believers prior to the Rapture.

Plagues were evangelism to Pharaoh, and others, i.e., Rahab. The “mixed multitude” that left Egypt included believers of other nationalities than Jewish, who were saved because of this evangelism, miracles.

Miracles are designed by the Lord to get attention focused on the Word of salvation.

Justice – God is fair.

The Fairness of God’s Justice

God is perfect in justice. 
Isa 45:21, “Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? have not I the LORD? and there is no God else beside Me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside Me.”
Psa 89:14, “Justice and judgment are the habitation of Thy throne: mercy and truth shall go before Thy face.”

God is absolutely fair and impartial. 
2 Chr 19:7, “Wherefore now let the fear of the LORD be upon you; take heed and do it: for there is no iniquity with the LORD our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of gifts.”
Rom 3:26, “To declare, I say, at this time His righteousness: that He might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.”
Rev 15:3, “And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are Thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are Thy ways, Thou King of saints.”

God has the absolute right and authority over His creatures by virtue of creation. God has the perfect right to dispose of His works as it may please Him. Sovereignty.
Psa 115:3, “But our God is in the heavens: He hath done whatsoever He hath pleased.”
Psa 135:6, “Whatsoever the LORD pleased, that did He in Heaven, and in Earth, in the seas, and all deep places.”

God gave good and righteous laws to man.
Gen 2:17 ... “Thou shalt not eat …”
John 14:6, “I am the way.”
Rom 3:23, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;”

The demands of God. God is a Judge. 
Psa 50:6b, “For God is judge Himself. Selah.”

As a Judge, He places a penalty on sin. Justice demands a penalty.
Rom 6:23, “The wages of sin is death.” Spiritual death.

God demands that disobedience against His laws be punished.
Deut 18:18-19, “I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put My Words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto My Words which he shall speak in My Name, I will require it of him.”

The Work of Christ in Imputation!

Definition: The charging to the account of one something which properly belonged to another.

The Lord Jesus Christ shares His absolute righteousness with the believer.

Man’s minus righteousness meets God’s absolute righteousness at the Cross and God imputes man with His absolute righteousness. 
Rom 3:22, “Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:”
2 Cor 5:21, “For He,” God the Father, “hath made Him,” God the Son, “to be sin for us who,” Jesus Christ, “knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.” In Christ.

Because God’s absolute righteousness is imputed, God calls us justified. Romans chapter one through chapter eleven.

Imputation of absolute righteousness on the basis of faith is justification.

Justification and Imputation!

Barrier between man and God – The character of man.

God’s viewpoint of man, Rom 3:10-12 – None righteous.

God’s viewpoint of man’s viewpoint, Isa 64:6 – Righteousness as filthy rags.

Our iniquities have separated us from our God.
Isa 59:1-2, “Behold, the LORD’S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither His ear heavy, that it cannot hear: But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid His face from you, that He will not hear.”

The Work of Christ in Justification!

Definition: Remission of sins and absolutely free from guilt and punishment, an act of Grace by which God pardons the sinner and accepts him as righteous on account of the atonement of Christ.

Because God the Father is satisfied, propitiated, we are freely justified. Rom 3:24, “Being justified freely by His Grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.”
Rom 5:1, “Therefore being justified by faith we have peace, reconciliation, with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Post-salvation justification. This is the book of James. Your outer production as a believer vindicates, justifies, you and your stand for Christ, in the eyes of the unbeliever.

The book of James is the view of the believer as seen from they eyes of the unbeliever.

What the Law Can Do!

The Law teaches that we are sinners. Rom 3:20, Gal 3:24, 1 Tim 1:9-10

The Law puts us in jail. Gal 3:23, Rom 3:19

The Law teaches us the Divine perfection of the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ. Rom 7:12. It reflects His perfection in some measure. He kept the Law perfectly, therefore it qualified Him to be our Saviour, Mediator, High Priest, and King.

What the Law Cannot Do!

It cannot save us or give us eternal life. Rom 3:28, Gal 2:16, Rom 8:3-4

It cannot produce spirituality. Gal 5:23, Rom 8:4, 5:20

The Galatian believers wanted to be under the Mosaic Law. But they did not understand the Mosiac Law. Gal 4:23. The particular phase of legalism involved here is a desire to use the Law as a merit system in order to get the approbation of God, which is wrong.

”I do not frustrate the Grace of God, for is righteousness cometh by the law then Christ died in vain.”

Thursday, November 23, 2000

What Christ Thanked God For …

Matt 11:25, “At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank Thee, O Father, Lord of Heaven and Earth, because Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them unto babes.”

Luke 10:21, “In that hour Jesus rejoiced in Spirit, and said, I thank Thee O Father, Lord of Heaven and Earth, that Thou hast hid these things from the wise and the prudent and hast revealed them unto babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemeth good in Thy sight.”

I wonder how many people will thank God for revealing His Word to us babes.

“The lot is cast into the lap and the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord.”

“The Jews desired a king like all the other nations, and the Lord gave them the desire of their heart and sent leanness to their soul.”

Does it sound familiar??

We will count and count and recount. Until we get a king who is “no count.”

Four Generation Curse – Proverbs 30:11-17

First generation: rejects authority – Prov 30:11
The mental attitude toward parents determines your mental attitude towards everything. Like drugs are illegal, but who cares? Speed limits are to be kept, but who cares? A  national mental attitude like this destroys a nation.

Second generation: Self-righteousness, a law unto themselves – Prov 30:12
They have dung in the face similar to the priests in Malachi 2:3. I don’t want God, I don’t want the Bible. I can live my own life. I can spend my life the way in which I want to. Rebellion.

Third generation: a mature self-righteousness, pride – Prov 30:13
Self-sufficiency in the flesh. All of the above, but more defiant. Rebellious, mocking, sordid.

Fourth generation: Violence
Mental attitude of robbery, pillage, rape, eliminate the economy. It describes a bunch of traitors, and parasites. No initiative.

And they are never satisfied: violent death – Prov 30:15, 16
Mockers of their father and mother, deride them and make fun of them. Do not respect. Treat the mother with contempt. Ravens, buzzards of the valley shall pluck it out. This is an idiom for violent death.

If a teenager does not have a proper mental attitude towards his parents, he will not have the proper mental attitude about any other form of authority. Thus in lawlessness, a young person can die violently.

How can they die violently? World War III, civil war, revolution.

We are on the way …

Fourth generation curse.

Exposition of Prov 29:1

“He” – means any individual. However, Proverbs was written to the youth of that day. Compare Prov 30:11, 17, Matt 15:4, Eph 6:1-3

”Being often reproved” – being often warned, 2 Tim 3:16, and not heeding the warning. A believer puts himself under chastisement. He is bucking in his volition and goes negative.

”Hardeneth his neck” – term for past feeling of the soul. He tells authority to go jump in the lake, and he keeps on doing this thing. This is also applicable to the unbeliever who dies in his sins because of his rebellion against authority.

”Shall suddenly be destroyed” – Literally, to burst in pieces, an idiom for death or possibly becoming a human vegetable because of an accident.

For the believer, this is removal through the sin unto death. 1 John 5:16.
For the unbeliever, this is dying in his sins. Acts 7:51.

”And that without remedy”– literally “cure.”

2 Chr 36:16, “But they mocked the messengers of the Lord and despised His Words and misused His prophets until the wrath of the Lord arose against His people till there was no remedy.”

Prov 6:15, “Therefore, shall his calamity come suddenly, suddenly he shall be broken without remedy.”

”Remedy” means “no cure, no solution.” It is a picture of a believer checking out under discipline or an unbeliever checking out in his sins.

How to Develop Faith!!

All faith begins at the moment of salvation and at that point we have just a little more faith than is found in a grain of mustard seed. As faith develops, it broadens into ever widening circles until we move into the place of maturity and production in the Christian way of life.

There are seven of these circles:

The second step is the development of faith which is found in Rom 10:17, “Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.”
The habitual daily study of the Word of God is the basis and primary prerequisite for the development of faith.

The third step in the enlargement of faith is the exercise of faith or the ability to apply what you have learned. Heb 4:1-3

The fourth circle is the Spirit-controlled life, which is the fruit of the Spirit. Gal 5:22-23

The fifth circle is the area of testing or suffering.
”That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth though it be tried by fire, might be found unto honour and praise and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ,” 1 Pet 1:7

The sixth circle is occupation with Christ, Heb 12:2, “Looking unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of faith.”

Finally, we move into the place of true maturity and production. When there is a day-by-day absorption of God’s Word and the application of it to experience, when a Spirit-controlled life produces faith, when any problem or adversity, sorrow or trial in life can be faced with stability and perfect peace, when there is occupation with the Person of Jesus Christ.

The Biblical Perspective of the Importance of the Born Again Believer Daily Taking in the Word of God

1. The Word of God is the only way you can know and love the Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Cor 2:16, Phil 3:10
   
2. With the Word of God in your mind, it leads to occupation with Christ. Heb 12:2, 3
   
3. The Word of God is perceived under the principle of Grace and produces confidence in the Christian way of life. Job 5:24-27, 2 Cor 5:6-8
   
4. The Word of God in the mind is the source of Divine Viewpoint. Isa 55:7-9, 2 Cor 10:5
   
5. The Word of God is the basis for orientation to God’s plan in time. Isa 26:3-4, 28:29, Rom 8:28
   
6. The Word of God produces both sanity and stability of mind. James 1:8
   
7. The Word of God is the basis for Divine guidance as well as orientation to Grace. Rom 12:2-3
   
8. Without the Word of God, Satan corrupts the mind souls of the believers. 2 Cor 11:3
   

Wednesday, November 22, 2000

Personal Fitness

“Take heed to all the flock over the which the Holy Spirit hath made you overseers,” Acts 20:28
”There are differences of administration, but the same Lord,” 1 Cor 12:5
”I have espoused you to one husband that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ,” 2 Cor 11:2
”Ye which are spiritual restore such as one,” Gal 6:1
”Yea, and if ye be offered upon the sacrifice of your faith,” Phil 2:17
”That we may present everyone perfect in Christ Jesus,” Col 1:28
”We were gentle among you even as nursing mother cherisheth her children,” 1 Thes 2:7
”If any man obey not our word, have no company with him,” 2 Thes 3:14
”O man of God, flee these things,” 1 Tim 6:11

These sentences embody the thought of the personal fitness for the Lord’s service. A fulfillment of a sacred trust of responsibility, and a service to others in seeing that others are right. And if not, then a ministry which ends in their restoration to the Lord.

Christ is Seen in Scripture in Seven Relationships to the Father

1. The willing Son – Mark 14:36. Luke 22:42, John 12:27-28
   
2. The confident Suppliant – Matt 11:25
   
3. The satisfied Intercessor – John 11:41
   
4. The earnest Worker – John 17:1
   
5. The holy Priest – John 17:5, 21, 24
   
6. The pleading Substitute – Luke 23:34
   
7. The surrendered Spirit – Luke 23:46
   

Thankful for Our Father’s Provision

There are three New Testament Scriptures beginning with the sentence:
”Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,” 2 Cor 1:3, Eph 1:3, 1 Pet 1:3, which accentuate the largeness of the Father’s provision.

1. All comfort in all tribulation is found in the first.
   So, every circumstance in the outer life is met.
   
2. All blessing for all need is assured in the second.
   So, every requirement of the inner life is bestowed.
   
3. And all the future for all time and eternity is provided for us in the third.
   So, the life infused is the earnest of the life to come, in all its incorruptibility and purity.

That would make a nice Thanksgiving message.

Two Butterflies

Two butterflies on the edge of a flower were discussing a subject and one of them said, “We cannot know if there is any honey in that flower. No butterfly ever found it there, and no butterfly ever will.”

The other said, “Well, nevertheless I think there must be some.” While they debated it, gnostic and agnostic, a humming bird flew in and ran its long bill into the flower and sipped the sweet and was gone.

To debate whether there is beauty or Truth in the Word, whether there is beauty or Truth in the Christ that came from God, “Taste and see that the Lord is good.” That is Christianity.

Remember the butterfly was once a moth.

The Uniqueness of the Expression “Your Father”

These words embody with them the thought of responsibility. 11 times the couplet occurs in the book of Matthew. Eleven “our Fathers.”

1. Shining to glorify – Matt 5:16
   
2. Proving the relationship by kindness to persecutors – Matt 5:45, 48
   
3. Helping the needy – Matt 6:1
   
4. Praying to purpose – Matt 6:8
   
5. Forgiving to be forgiven – Matt 6:14-15
   
6. Trusting to be fed – Matt 6:26, 32
   
7. Praying and receiving – Matt 7:11
   
8. Allowing the Spirit to speak – Matt 10:20
   
9. Trustful because cared for – Matt 10:29
   
10. Looking after the little ones – Matt 18:14
    
11. The one to be recognized – Matt 23:9

Eleven “our Fathers.”

The “He Shalls” – Psalm 91

This Psalm speaks of dwelling in the secret place of the Most High. And of those who make the Lord their Refuge and Fortress.

The “He shalls” of His promise and protection apply.
    ”He shall deliver thee.”
    ”He shall cover thee.”
    ”There shall no evil befall thee.”
    ”He shall give his angels charge over thee.”

This is the verse that Satan misapplied to the Lord.

In Leviticus, He says, “And every vessel which hath no covering bound upon it, is unclean. But, if the vessel is covered, it was not defiled.” ”He shall cover thee.”

JEHOVAH ROHI!

JEHOVAH-ROHI means the Lord is my Shepherd, Psa 23:1.

The many sidedness of His Shepherd Office is illustrated in the use of the word rendered “Shepherd.”

It is translated “Feeder,” Gen 4:2
It is translated “Keeper” in our text.
It is translated “Companion,” Prov 28:7
It is translated “Herdsman,” in Gen 13:7

As our Shepherd is the Feeder to provide, the Keeper to protect, the Companion for fellowship, the friend for help, the pastor for comfort, the Herdsman to gather and the Shepherd to lead.

The Lord is my ROHI.

Tuesday, November 21, 2000

Crowns — STEPHANOS”

1. Crown of righteousness. 2 Tim 4:7-8
   The production of Divine Good given for time logged in fellowship.
   

2. Crown of joy. Phil 4:1, 1 Thess 2:19
   Helping other believers and winning souls.
   

3. Crown of glory. 1 Pet 5:2-4
   Given to pastors/ministers who minister in fellowship and develop the gift of pastor- teacher or evangelist.
   

4. Crown of life. Rev 2:10
   Occupation with Christ, enduring testing, the Word of God in your life being your life and everything else is a detail. Mastery over the details of life.

Other mentions of crowns in Scripture:
Incorruption – 1 Cor 9:25
Many crowns – Rev 19:12
Thorns – Matt 27:29

As spiritual gifts are to the Church Age, crowns and rewards are to eternity.

The Church is Called the Bride of Christ in Heaven and Undergoes Preparation During the Seven Years of Tribulation on Earth

Emphasis in Heaven is upon preparation and display

This preparation is three-fold.

1. Resurrection body.
   1 Cor 15:51-57, 1 John 3:1-2, Phil 3:21, 1 Thes 4:13-18
   
2. No old sin nature.
   Phil 3:21, “Body like that of the Lord Jesus Christ.” The Lord Jesus Christ did not have an old sin nature – virgin birth. 2 Cor 5:21 – “Knew no sin.”
   
3.  All human good is removed from the bride.
   1 Cor 3:12, 15, believer is cleansed from, literally, liberated from human good so he won’t be embarrassed.
   
4. Unbelievers are bound up with human good and cast into the Lake of Fire. Reward is given for Divine Good.
   
   We will not have an old sin nature. Never again will we perform human good or sin. We come back to reign. It will probably take seven years to burn away the human good.

 God deals with individuals. Not with the masses.

Couple this with the fact that He bore individual sins on the Cross and the conclusion: He deals with individuals when it comes to rewards.

The Biblical Doctrine of Leaven

1. The leaven of Herod – Expedience – Exploitation of others for one’s own benefit. 
   Luke 8:15, Rom 12:2
   
2. The leaven of the Sadducees – Human viewpoint, rationalism.
   Luke 12:3, Mark 16:6
   
3. The leaven of the Pharisees. The sins of religion and ritualism.
   Mark 8:15, Luke 12:1, Matt 16:6, 23
   
4. The leaven of the Corinthians – Sin of licentiousness.
   1 Cor 5:6-7

Leaven is always in reference to evil, sin.

A little leaven leavens the whole lump.

Thanksgiving and the Real You!

1. Jesus Christ is the Creator of all things. Col 1:16-17, John 1:3, Heb 1:10
   Jesus Christ is the Creator of man. Gen 2:7, ELOHIM.
   
2. There are two ways in which mankind came into the world.
   A. Created: Adam from the dust, chemicals of the ground.
   B. Physical birth: The principle of the perpetuation of the human race.
   
3. Jesus Christ not only created man, but He created the principle whereby man perpetuates himself – copulation between husband and wife.
   
4. The body of man is a factory, the house in which you live.
   
5. The body is the instrument of the real you, the soul.
   
6. Physical life is the soul being in the body. And the body functioning the life of the man is in the soul. Not blood. The life of the animal is in its blood because it does not have a soul.
   
7. Physical death is the soul leaving the body – the body dying and ceasing to function.
   
8. Adam’s body came first, Gen 2:7. Then God put inside the body of Adam the breath of lives and he became a living soul.
   A. Physical life is for the body.
   B. Spiritual life had fellowship with God. Adam had a human spirit.
   C. Soulish life. Later he had no fellowship with God.
   
9. The human race is born spiritually dead, Eph 2:1, 5 – No fellowship, no relationship with God.
   
10. Therefore, man, unbeliever, is dichotomous – soul and body.
    
11. Regenerate man is trichotomous – body, soul, spirit. 1 Thes 5:23
    
12. At physical death the soul continues to live.
    A. Believer – the soul and the spirit go to be with the Lord. 2 Cor 5:8
    B. Unbeliever – the soul goes to Hades to await the Great White Throne Judgment.
    

Living in the Word!

There is much emphasis on “all the counsel of God” in the Word of God. Psa 119:11, “Thy Word have I hid in my heart that I may not sin against Thee.”

The “Word” here refers to whole panorama of God’s Word the whole counsel of it. It suggests appreciating the Word of God in a systematic survey method. Many believers know a Truth here and a Truth there, but there is no concept of the entire structure of the Word of God from cover to cover.

Acts 20:27 also furthers the thought, “For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.”

There are probably hundreds of ways to survey “all the counsel of God.” The following are suggestions, but remember this is the fruit of verse by verse study in the original languages.

Attach a catchy title to the entire chapter, capturing the drift of the content therein. For example:

1. Slavery in Egypt.
2. The birth of Moses.
3. The burning bush.
4. The objections of Moses.
5. Increased slavery.
6. Affirmation of the Abrahamic covenant.
7-12. The ten plagues.
13. Guidance by the pillar of cloud and fire.
14. Crossing of the Red Sea.
15. Bitter waters made sweet. Wrong kind of water.
16. Provision of manna.
17. No water situation. Rephidim.
18. Organization man, Jethro.
19. Arriving at Mt. Sinai.
20-31. Giving of the Mosaic Law.
32. The golden calf and tablets broken.
33. On to Canaan. Moses sees the back parts of the Lord Jesus Christ.
34. Second tablets of stone.
35-39. The tabernacle is built.
40. The tabernacle is set up.

Another survey method giving a rich background for effective teaching evangelism is tracing the term “promise” as developed in the Abrahamic, Palestinian, Davidic, and New covenants.

“God is Not Willing That Any Should Perish”

As illustrated by the Grace of God given to Judas Iscariot!

Opportunities for Judas to become a believer:

1. Tribe of Judah – John 6:7
2. Called – Luke 6:16
3. One of the 12 – Matt 10:4
4. Treasurer – John 12:6
5. At the Last Supper – John 13:26

The sewing of Judas:

1. Covetous – John 12:4-6
2. Thief – John 12:6
3. Satan possessed – John 13:27, Luke 22:3
4. Bargain – Mark 14:10
5. Bribed to be a traitor – Matt 26:14-16

The reaping of Judas:

1. METAMELOMAI – Translated “repent” but it is “regret” or “sorrow.”
2. Restitution – Matt 27:4
3. Death – Matt 27:5, Acts 1:18
4. Replacement – 1 Cor 15:7-10

A heathen is not a person who has not heard the Word, but a person who has heard the Word and rejected it.

Seven Major Judgments in History

1. Major judgment in history – 32 A.D. Jesus Christ was judged for our sins on the Cross – 2 Cor 5:21, 2 Pet 2:24, 3:18
   
2. Self judgment of the believer – 1 John 1:9, 1 Cor 11:31, Psa 32:5, 51:1-5
   
3. Judgment of the believer’s work – evaluation of production.
   A. Judgment seat of Christ – the Church Age believers. 1 Cor 3:11-16
   B. Rest of the believers. Rev 11:18b
       The prophets – Old Testament saints
       To the saints – Tribulational saints
       Them that fear Thy Name – Millennial saints
   
4. Judgment of the living Jews at the Second Advent – baptism of fire.
   A. Ten virgins, Matt 15:1-13
   B. Parable of the 5, 2, 1 talents, Matt 25:14-30
   C. Ezekiel 20:22-38
   D. Unbelievers cast off the Earth. Believers continue into the Millennium
   E. Matt 13:24-30 – wheat and tares
   
5. Judgment of the living Gentiles at the Second Advent – baptism of fire
   A. Matt 25:31-46, goats = unbelievers
   B. Matt 24:37-41, analogy to the days of Noah
   
6. Judgment of Satan and the fallen angels.
   A. Matt 25:41, cast into the Lake of Fire forever
   B. At the end of the Millennium, Rev 20:8-10
   
7. Judgment of unbelievers, Rev 20:11-15

All unbelievers are resurrected and judged according to their works and cast into the Lake of Fire because of their rejection of Christ.

Monday, November 20, 2000

Imputation

Imputation is the act of God whereby He credits perfect righteousness to the believer in Christ. 2 Cor chapters 3 and 4, show that every believer is a minister or has responsibility of witnessing for the Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Cor 5:21 is a summary of salvation. God the Father made God the Son to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.