Please come closer to me (Genesis 45 :4)
We may take this request from the mouth of Joseph speaking to his brothers and receive it for ourselves as a word from our loving heavenly Father. Sometimes we are not close enough to the Father to understand that the experiences he puts us through are engendered out of his intense love for us and not because he is our enemy. Indeed the trials of our lives are God´s true intentions disguised, in the same way as Joseph was disguised so that his brothers would not recognise him.
Their trials would not have had the same effect on them if they had known throughout the true identity of their author. Joseph knew them well, and loved them, but disguised himself and spoke harshly to them. We can imagine their dismay at being falsely accused of being spies before this powerful Prime Minister, and being put into prison for three days. This terrifying trial immediately uncovered the guilt they had been carrying for more than two decades, and they confessed aloud their belief that this was a reckoning for the blood of their brother who they had cast into a pit and then sold into slavery. How quickly trials cause us to search our hearts and discover any guilt that we carry!
However, despite this confession their trials were far from over, Joseph was not yet ready to reveal his love. The lessons he had learned through his own captivity were now to be applied to them, so that they also may overcome as he had overcame. The man they now saw before them seated on a throne was not the same young man who they had thrown into a pit more than twenty years previously. Thirteen years of affliction as a slave and a prisoner had purged his heart, and he had come to the place where he recognized the loving hand of God as the true author of his affliction, and as the first cause of all that he had been through. He was now not only the master of all Egypt, but more importantly he was the ruler over his own house, the house of his own being, his passions and his will. “Only in the throne will I be greater than you” Pharoah had said, and in effect this was just as if God himself saying that he was ready to rule.
At the age of seventeen, when his brothers disposed of him, he had known that he would rule, for God had shown him this in a vision. However it was his very eagerness to boast in that to which he had not yet attained , that sparked the jealousy of his brothers. This led to all his affliction. How inscrutable are the ways of God! The unjust treatment that he recieved consequently must have often caused him to question God’s love for him. Nevertheless, he determined to continue believing in God’s unfailing love despite years of agonising waiting and disappointment . The presence of God remained with him , comforting him in all his affliction and teaching him to die to his self love and master the impulsiveness of his natural make up. The old man had to die, and this could only take place through the fires of suffering.
Only once having attained the throne could he look back in retrospect and trace the hand of God that had brought him to his current position. Never would he have chosen that route to get there! Like Jesus, who for the joy set before him endured the cross and sat down on the throne, he also knew the path that could bring his brothers to the place of overcoming. The jealousy that ruled their hearts would for ever rule their passions unless it could be excised from them. Joseph formed his plan and executed it expertly.
After first giving them all a taste of prison for three days, having them believe that only one of them would be released to fetch Benjamin, he now releases them all and keeps only Simeon. We can only imagine those three days shut up with each other, each man considering in his heart what would be his plan of action if he were to be the one released. Could any of them trust each other after having been joint conspirators in Joseph’s abduction? How did their conversations progress during those dark three days in the dungeon? The depths of their depravity must have been rudely uncovered during that time. Finally after three days which seemed an eternity, Joseph releases all of them save one. He recreates the exact circumstances of the situation twenty years previously. We are reading here a manual on the operation of the Holy Spirit in our lives. There is not a circumstance in your life in which the Lord is not at work. He will bring you back full circle to face the sins of your youth.
Joseph also restores all their money to them in their sacks of grain, causing their hearts to sink with fear and ask:
“What is this that God has done to us?”
The test they now face is whether they will agree amongst themselves to abandon their brother Simeon with the same callousness that they had treated Joseph. The money in their sacks is not going to make it easier to return. How will they prove their innocence? Would they agree to lie to their Father about Simeon the way that they had lied to their father about Joseph? We may also wonder what Simeon is thinking they will do, and considering that he may be receiving his just recompense for his part in the conspiracy.
After a long journey back to Canaan, undoubtedly arguing all the way, they meet their Father Jacob and tell him the truth, and in so doing overcome their previous disposition which was to lie their way out of a predicament. They pass the test of honesty. By so doing they face the anguish of their old father’s blaming them for the loss of Simeon, which reminds him of the loss of Joseph, and the prospect of losing Benjamin also. The painful dynamics of acknowledging their past sins in their hearts, coupled with a restitutionary willingness to return to Egypt and face the consequences, must have torn deep into their souls. Yet Jacob still does not know what really happened to Joseph all those years ago. The brothers now discover that the self love which had caused them to be jealous of Joseph is pitted against the love they have for their father, and must be ruthlessly torn out if they are to find reconciliation. What anguish must have gripped them!
Jacob also is tested, like Abraham was, in his old age. He must be willing to relinquish his dearest young son if the Patriarchal clan is to survive. The partiality which caused so much bitterness amongst the brothers must be laid on the altar. The food is running out. Once the grain runs out, as Joseph knew it would, they must set out again for Egypt with the cherished son of their Father. They cannot come before the presence without the beloved son. As Joseph was loved more than all his brothers, now Benjamin is the preferred one, and the brothers themselves must put to death the nagging discontent which has ruled their hearts for so many years. They must love Benjamin in the way they ought to have loved Joseph. Their self love which demanded to be loved by their Father must be replaced by their love for their Father, and Jacob himself must relinquish the partiality which was the cause of so much jealousy . The circumstances of God work in uncountable ways in all directions , every person’s part being tailor made for him .The God of the Universe is beyond our understanding. Man in his pride considers himself to be the supreme being yet he is but a speck of dust in the grand design of things.
Judah now offers his life as surety for the boy, and as the seed through whom Christ would be born he typifies the substitutionary work of Jesus who died in our place for his Fathers sake. Judah identifies more with the sorrow of his Father than with his own interest in being loved. Twenty years before this same man had sought to profit from his brothers disappearance with no thought of his Fathers sorrow, and received twenty shekels of silver for the crime. Now he gives his own life in forfeit . He has learned the value of a soul.
On returning to Egypt they are ushered into the presence of Joseph and expect to be fell upon and converted into slaves because of the money which had been returned to their sacks. The greed which motivated them to sell their brother into captivity is now being addressed, and they are expecting to receive the same recompense for their actions. On the contrary, they receive now an unmerited demonstration of benificence which only highlights the crude greed of their shameful deed. It is the kindness of God that brings us to repentence. Most of their suffering up to now has consisted in nothing more than the anguish of the guilt which they are coming to terms with. They are now feasted and rested by Joseph, and sent on their way with full sacks and full coffers of money. We can imagine their relief and elation at the unexpected blessings which have come from this ruler whom they have not yet known. Joseph orders his silver cup to be put into the sack of the youngest.
“And put my cup, the silver cup, in the mouth of the sack of the youngest”
Josephs cup is about to be passed on to his youngest brother. When it was inquired of Jesus if it were possible that the sons of Zebedee could rule with him, he asked them whether they were able to drink of the cup that he was about to drink. “We are able” they said, and he replied that they would. The other ten disciples were jealous about this , just as the ten brothers were jealous of Joseph and Benjamin. The cup that Joseph had drunk from is now going to be passed on to Benjamin, and then let us see to who it will be passed next! Do you want to rule with Him?
Joseph had already drunk his cup to the dregs, and through the drinking of it was elevated to being the ruler of his house. In this respect he is a type of Christ who endured the cross and sat down on the right hand of his Father’s throne. As the first amongst his brethren he was exposed to tribulation, distress, nakedness and the sword but he overcame all through the knowledge God´s inseparable love. The cup must pass to the other brethren now if they would reign with him.
As the brothers ride away, cheerfully thinking that the bitterness of death is past, the climax of their testing falls upon them like a bombshell. Joseph sends his steward in pursuit of them with the charge that they have abused his kindness by stealing the very cup with which he divines. This cup of divination is about to break open the secrets of their hearts and expose all the jealousy, hatred, and murder which has been residing there and ruling their lives.The steward searches their sacks and finds it with Benjamin. Benjamin must have been terrified , but this was nothing compared to the horror of his elder brothers whose iniquity has been found out.
“God has found out the iniquity of your servants” , they declare, and surrender their lives as slaves to Joseph. But their trial is not yet over. Joseph probes even deeper by refusing to punish them, insisting that only Benjamin shall bear the guilt; for by this strategy he uncovers the very root that has made them a dysfunctional family. The future of Israel as a nation hangs in the balance. The jealousy which consumed them and which led to Joseph’s imprisonment is still to be exposed, and this very jealousy is rooted in their lack of understanding of their fathers love.A death of the old nature must take place so that they may be transformed.
Judah, as their representative, explains the love of their Father for the littlest one, saying that his life is bound up in the lad’s life, and that if he does not return, then their Father will die of sorrow. Their hearts are cut to the quick as they realize for the first time the consequences of all their actions, and Judah resolves to bear the blame forever.
At this point Joseph send out all the Egyptians and reveals himself to his brothers.
“Please come closer to me” he says to them, so that they can recognize the author of all their anguish. At first they cannot recognize him, and are dismayed at his presence, but gradually they understand who he is and come into the full blessing that has been prepared for them.
“You shall live in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near me” he says to them.
That really isnt the end of the whole affair, because until Jacob dies the brothers are not quite sure if they have really been forgiven or if it is only out of respect for their Father that he has not punished them. After Jacob’s death and burial, they again submit to him and beg for his forgiveness.
The final word of Joseph cements the entire affair into one theme.
“Do not be afraid,” he says “for am I in God’s place?”
This rhetorical question can be answered with a resounding “No!”
No man nor any circumstance or trials are in God’s place. God is ruler in all things, although we must come closer to him to recognize his love for us in these things. To the brothers Joseph seemed an enemy, but Joseph was working under God’s rule in all his dealings with his brothers. Are your circumstances making you feel that God is your enemy? If so , then the Lord would say to you:
Please come closer to me.
Joseph’s dealings with his brothers reflect the dealings of God with us, and what’s more Joseph accepted the dealings of his brothers with him as the dealings of God. Here is what he says in conclusion:
“As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result”
“So therefore do not be afraid, I will provide for you and your little ones”
So he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.
Be careful how you build.
Be careful how you build.
2Co 5:1 For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
1Co 3:10 According to the grace of God which is given to me, as a wise master builder, I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let every man be careful how he builds on it.
The Lord has been speaking to me from the books of Corinthians and the above two scriptures provide a fascinating juxtaposition. In the first scripture from 2 Corinthians, Paul is speaking of the building which is our heavenly body, and in the second scripture from 1 Corinthians he is speaking also of building, but in this case most christians interpret it as referring to building churches. I would like to enter into the thought of Paul and show how both of these scriptures can be tied together in the broader theology of Paul.
As with much of scripture, there are here layers of meaning, and by the genius of the Holy Spirit scripture can often be opened up like an onion, revealing layer upon layer of divine truth. A scripture which one reads when one is a new christian, can have a deeper significance twenty years later into your walk with God, but that does not mean that the early interpretation is not relevant, it is just that God speaks in his word in different ways according to our capacity to receive it. To him that has, more is given.Our perception differs according to our receptivity.
Now, on the surface, at first glance, I Corinthians is speaking about building churches, and Paul says that as a wise master builder he lays the foundation of Christ in his missionary efforts, and in other parts of scripture we hear of him appointing elders, teaching and organizing so as to build a solid structure which will endure and not be found to be wood , hay and stubble. This interpretation is correct, and has been an inspiration to generations of church builders who have strived to imitate Paul ,the result being the plethora of organizations which we see around us today.
Looking a little deeper, however, we hear Paul referring in this passage to the Temple of God, and tells us that we are part of the Temple that God is building.The context of the passage deals with the carnal way in which christians are understanding the church. Some are saying they are of Apollos, others are saying they are of Paul. Paul is saying that whoever the builders are, whether Paul or Apollos, it is God who is actually doing the building and we are all just stones. There is one heavenly building which is being built by God, in pace with the many earthly structures being built by men,but only the Heavenly building is eternal. And at the moment we do not yet know what it will look like.
The visible stuctures of the church as we see them down here have little relation to the eternal structure which is being constructed in heaven. For one, the heavenly structure is a unity, whereas the earthly stuctures we see around us in the natural world have multiple divisions. Is Christ divided? Says Paul. No of course not.Is the church divided? Yes, and it always will be despite all the attempts at ecumenism.The reason for this is that as long as there is carnality, there will be divisions, and as long as we have people becoming new born christians,there will be many who are still carnal.Why are there divisions?, says Paul, it is “because you are still carnal”. We should not be seeking unity so much as maturity, because maturity is the only way in which unity can be brought about.
Secondly, the structures we see around us now are most often in accordance with the natural world, which has little relation to the eternal. Men build churches as they build businesses, or armies. The talent of a salesman is put to work with great effectivenes in the earthly church structure.The accountant takes care of the books, the natural born leader takes the helm. Who can say that this is not so?Business leaders become elders, not because they are men of God, but because they pay for the buildings. You just have to take an honest look around and the evidence is overwhelming.However, the structure which is being built in Heaven has little resemblence to the organizations that we are part of here. For example,Jesus says: The first will be last and the last will be first. There is going to be a great shake up!
Dont think that the charismatic leader you have now is going to lead worship in Heaven the way it is done now. It is more probable that one of your church who is the least of all now, will be exalted beyond measure , and the ones who are exalted now, will suffer loss. At this point let us return to the subject of this teaching, “Be careful how you build.”
Paul goes on to say in the next chapter, that despite people regarding him and Apollos as something great, he says that he does not judge himself and would prefer if they would just regard him and the other leaders like Apollos as servants, because the reality of what they are has not yet been revealed. No matter how powerful Paul may be in earthly influence, he does not deem himself eternally worthy of a position of eminence. He has no idea where he really stands according to God´s measure. He says “Lets wait to see how God judges, when he reveals the secrets of men´s hearts”. He says that he does not even try to judge himself. The motives of men´s hearts are deep waters.
Now this is key to understanding the configuration of our ranking in the Eternal house which is being constructed in Heaven. There are many things which we can do on earth which are successful, but the motives for why we are doing it have not yet been revealed. Therefore let us be careful how we build. Let us consider our motives,
because He who knows the hearts of men will bring to light the hidden things of
darkness and reveal the motives of hearts, then each will receive recognition from God.
To recap, the first superficial reading of Paul embarks us on a task of busy ministry building, utilizing all our talents and resources to grow our churches and organizations as quickly as possible and give them credibility. The size and the prosperity of a church or organization is mostly what determines its status.
A deeper scrutiny of Paul´s teaching shows us that no matter what we build, the real test of fire will be when God judges the motives of our hearts. This fire will burn up much of the apparent success and leave only the eternal reality.And the eternal reality is not at all about how much we have achieved, but about what we are. The trimmings of what we have done are all too visible here on earth and much jostling goes on to achieve positions which carry esteem. Even just the Title of Pastor carries a lot of weight , never mind the higher categories of Bishop and Apostle. Paul derides these apellations with scathing sarcasm.
“You have become kings without us!” The words bishop and apostle were never
intended to be Titles, they were to describe functions.
He then says, “I wish you had become kings so that we could reign with you.Paul himself will have none of this, he considers himself as a servant.(By the way , this word servant is minister, which is a lowly function,but in some churches the word minister itself has become a title, Minister. As in “I am the Minister of this church”!The strange tortured twists of mans heart are amazing to behold.
So, to get back to the point, it is what we are in Godly character which is of eternal value and not the reputation ascribed to us by carnal minds, whether our own or others. ”Be careful how you build” has more to do with your character than with how much you achieve by earthly standards. I know from experience the pressure that we are under to to perform and achieve according to wordly expectations but not according to God´s purposes.
How much christian work today is inspired not by godly motives but by the same motives as men have in the world. When we become christians we often bring with us our vain aspirations and the church becomes a setting for many to pursue selfish ambitions in the guise of noble ideals. The Lord is not mocked, however, and all will be brought to light. These endeavours may even be useful in the ultimate purposes of God, even though the perpetrators are rejected after having preached to others. (1Co 9:27)
If we can understand this and be freed from the pressing demands of the flesh we will be more fit for God’s service in the true ministry of his word. How many more servants of God who understand this will now rather choose the obscurity of ministry
in some back of beyond place instead of vying for position in the glare of the spotlights! Unfortunately this is not the case at present, when 95 % of ministry is being done in the 5% of the world which is already Christianized and where the pickings are easy. If on the other hand, we want our characters to be transformed, we will choose a path where our lives will be subjected to many tribulations, including rejection and obscurity. This path is diametrically opposed to the path that our flesh would choose.
Paul understood this, and instead of setting himself up as a super apostle over a chain of churches, he moved on into areas where he continued to be considered as the offscouring of the world. Super apostles quickly moved into the power vacuum to elevate themselves over the churches that Paul had founded. Paul had his eyes fixed on the eternal church and therefore did not squabble with them but continued to embrace the sufferings of Christ and declare the eternal truths which would save
his hearers. He knew that the church will always be as a field with wheat and tares, and God will only separate the harvest at the end.
The building we have that God is building, the house not made with hands that Paul refers to in 2 Cor. 5, is the resurrection body which is being constructed for us, the mansion we will dwell in eternally in heaven. This body itself is to be our reward, since not all bodies will be alike.Each in his own rank.(Darby 1Co. 15.23) Some will shine as the moon and others will shine as the distant stars. The shining of our bodies will be directly in proportion to the degree in which our characters have been transformed into the likeness of Christ. No matter how big your church is here on earth, or how many people you have won to Christ, your eternal standing will only be measured by your godliness. An ambitious pastor may have a great reputation on earth because of his excessive labours in ministry, but if the motives have been self-ambition, then the character of Christ is deficient and the resurrection body will shine like a distant star.
A housewife who is not “in the ministry” at all, or a simple worker at a factory whose life has been sown in dishonor, working humbly all his life for his boss, may shine as the sun in its glory. Therefore, be careful how you build. Many may consider the slave or housewife not to have much of an inheritance at all, but on the contrary Paul exhorts slaves to submit to their masters and work for them as if working for the Lord, “knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance, for you serve the Lord Christ” (Eph:3)
John says in his epistle that we are children of God, but what we shall be has not yet been manifested. Jesus has not yet been manifested as he really is, but when he is revealed, then we will be revealed with him as we really are. In this world Jesus was mocked and despised, he was “like a root that comes up out of dry ground, he had no form or comeliness that we should be attracted to him”. His divinity was hidden. In the same way it also behooves us to shun the glamour of the world and that which wins worldly admiration, but pursue rather the hidden qualities of the heart that only God can see.
Everyone who has this hope purifies himself. No amount of ministerial success is of any worth if we do not purify ourselves. It is only purity which is of any eternal value, and the one who understands this will be seeking a path that will purify rather than a path that will gratify. “You receive glory one from another, but you do not seek the glory that comes from God alone.(John 5:44)
The glory which is from God, the glory of our glorified bodies, will be according to our purity and not our prosperity or success. Prosperity and success earn the praise of men, but if we seek for and receive the praise of men then we have received our reward. The body which is raised in glory is the one that has been sown in weakness and dishonour. To the degree we experience the sufferings of Christ we will receive his glory, because it is through suffering that we are purified.
These principles are so clear in the Bible that it is astonishing that they are not understood. There is such a gross misunderstanding of scripture today that people are striving for the very things that rob them of future glory. Riches, fame honor and success have become the primary objective of many Christians as if these are what the Lord promises to those who follow him. On the contrary, the Lord Jesus said that through many tribulations we inherit his Kingdom. It is nothing else but a complete deception that is blinding Christians all over the world and leading them away from following in the way of the cross.
I watched a man a few days ago saying on God TV that the only way the world will listen to us is if we become richer than they are, because no one listens to a poor man. Well, I pray that those who have ears will listen to this message.
“This poor man cried out and the Lord heard him” Psalm 34:6
At least the Lord will listen.
2Co 5:1 For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
1Co 3:10 According to the grace of God which is given to me, as a wise master builder, I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let every man be careful how he builds on it.
The Lord has been speaking to me from the books of Corinthians and the above two scriptures provide a fascinating juxtaposition. In the first scripture from 2 Corinthians, Paul is speaking of the building which is our heavenly body, and in the second scripture from 1 Corinthians he is speaking also of building, but in this case most christians interpret it as referring to building churches. I would like to enter into the thought of Paul and show how both of these scriptures can be tied together in the broader theology of Paul.
As with much of scripture, there are here layers of meaning, and by the genius of the Holy Spirit scripture can often be opened up like an onion, revealing layer upon layer of divine truth. A scripture which one reads when one is a new christian, can have a deeper significance twenty years later into your walk with God, but that does not mean that the early interpretation is not relevant, it is just that God speaks in his word in different ways according to our capacity to receive it. To him that has, more is given.Our perception differs according to our receptivity.
Now, on the surface, at first glance, I Corinthians is speaking about building churches, and Paul says that as a wise master builder he lays the foundation of Christ in his missionary efforts, and in other parts of scripture we hear of him appointing elders, teaching and organizing so as to build a solid structure which will endure and not be found to be wood , hay and stubble. This interpretation is correct, and has been an inspiration to generations of church builders who have strived to imitate Paul ,the result being the plethora of organizations which we see around us today.
Looking a little deeper, however, we hear Paul referring in this passage to the Temple of God, and tells us that we are part of the Temple that God is building.The context of the passage deals with the carnal way in which christians are understanding the church. Some are saying they are of Apollos, others are saying they are of Paul. Paul is saying that whoever the builders are, whether Paul or Apollos, it is God who is actually doing the building and we are all just stones. There is one heavenly building which is being built by God, in pace with the many earthly structures being built by men,but only the Heavenly building is eternal. And at the moment we do not yet know what it will look like.
The visible stuctures of the church as we see them down here have little relation to the eternal structure which is being constructed in heaven. For one, the heavenly structure is a unity, whereas the earthly stuctures we see around us in the natural world have multiple divisions. Is Christ divided? Says Paul. No of course not.Is the church divided? Yes, and it always will be despite all the attempts at ecumenism.The reason for this is that as long as there is carnality, there will be divisions, and as long as we have people becoming new born christians,there will be many who are still carnal.Why are there divisions?, says Paul, it is “because you are still carnal”. We should not be seeking unity so much as maturity, because maturity is the only way in which unity can be brought about.
Secondly, the structures we see around us now are most often in accordance with the natural world, which has little relation to the eternal. Men build churches as they build businesses, or armies. The talent of a salesman is put to work with great effectivenes in the earthly church structure.The accountant takes care of the books, the natural born leader takes the helm. Who can say that this is not so?Business leaders become elders, not because they are men of God, but because they pay for the buildings. You just have to take an honest look around and the evidence is overwhelming.However, the structure which is being built in Heaven has little resemblence to the organizations that we are part of here. For example,Jesus says: The first will be last and the last will be first. There is going to be a great shake up!
Dont think that the charismatic leader you have now is going to lead worship in Heaven the way it is done now. It is more probable that one of your church who is the least of all now, will be exalted beyond measure , and the ones who are exalted now, will suffer loss. At this point let us return to the subject of this teaching, “Be careful how you build.”
Paul goes on to say in the next chapter, that despite people regarding him and Apollos as something great, he says that he does not judge himself and would prefer if they would just regard him and the other leaders like Apollos as servants, because the reality of what they are has not yet been revealed. No matter how powerful Paul may be in earthly influence, he does not deem himself eternally worthy of a position of eminence. He has no idea where he really stands according to God´s measure. He says “Lets wait to see how God judges, when he reveals the secrets of men´s hearts”. He says that he does not even try to judge himself. The motives of men´s hearts are deep waters.
Now this is key to understanding the configuration of our ranking in the Eternal house which is being constructed in Heaven. There are many things which we can do on earth which are successful, but the motives for why we are doing it have not yet been revealed. Therefore let us be careful how we build. Let us consider our motives,
because He who knows the hearts of men will bring to light the hidden things of
darkness and reveal the motives of hearts, then each will receive recognition from God.
To recap, the first superficial reading of Paul embarks us on a task of busy ministry building, utilizing all our talents and resources to grow our churches and organizations as quickly as possible and give them credibility. The size and the prosperity of a church or organization is mostly what determines its status.
A deeper scrutiny of Paul´s teaching shows us that no matter what we build, the real test of fire will be when God judges the motives of our hearts. This fire will burn up much of the apparent success and leave only the eternal reality.And the eternal reality is not at all about how much we have achieved, but about what we are. The trimmings of what we have done are all too visible here on earth and much jostling goes on to achieve positions which carry esteem. Even just the Title of Pastor carries a lot of weight , never mind the higher categories of Bishop and Apostle. Paul derides these apellations with scathing sarcasm.
“You have become kings without us!” The words bishop and apostle were never
intended to be Titles, they were to describe functions.
He then says, “I wish you had become kings so that we could reign with you.Paul himself will have none of this, he considers himself as a servant.(By the way , this word servant is minister, which is a lowly function,but in some churches the word minister itself has become a title, Minister. As in “I am the Minister of this church”!The strange tortured twists of mans heart are amazing to behold.
So, to get back to the point, it is what we are in Godly character which is of eternal value and not the reputation ascribed to us by carnal minds, whether our own or others. ”Be careful how you build” has more to do with your character than with how much you achieve by earthly standards. I know from experience the pressure that we are under to to perform and achieve according to wordly expectations but not according to God´s purposes.
How much christian work today is inspired not by godly motives but by the same motives as men have in the world. When we become christians we often bring with us our vain aspirations and the church becomes a setting for many to pursue selfish ambitions in the guise of noble ideals. The Lord is not mocked, however, and all will be brought to light. These endeavours may even be useful in the ultimate purposes of God, even though the perpetrators are rejected after having preached to others. (1Co 9:27)
If we can understand this and be freed from the pressing demands of the flesh we will be more fit for God’s service in the true ministry of his word. How many more servants of God who understand this will now rather choose the obscurity of ministry
in some back of beyond place instead of vying for position in the glare of the spotlights! Unfortunately this is not the case at present, when 95 % of ministry is being done in the 5% of the world which is already Christianized and where the pickings are easy. If on the other hand, we want our characters to be transformed, we will choose a path where our lives will be subjected to many tribulations, including rejection and obscurity. This path is diametrically opposed to the path that our flesh would choose.
Paul understood this, and instead of setting himself up as a super apostle over a chain of churches, he moved on into areas where he continued to be considered as the offscouring of the world. Super apostles quickly moved into the power vacuum to elevate themselves over the churches that Paul had founded. Paul had his eyes fixed on the eternal church and therefore did not squabble with them but continued to embrace the sufferings of Christ and declare the eternal truths which would save
his hearers. He knew that the church will always be as a field with wheat and tares, and God will only separate the harvest at the end.
The building we have that God is building, the house not made with hands that Paul refers to in 2 Cor. 5, is the resurrection body which is being constructed for us, the mansion we will dwell in eternally in heaven. This body itself is to be our reward, since not all bodies will be alike.Each in his own rank.(Darby 1Co. 15.23) Some will shine as the moon and others will shine as the distant stars. The shining of our bodies will be directly in proportion to the degree in which our characters have been transformed into the likeness of Christ. No matter how big your church is here on earth, or how many people you have won to Christ, your eternal standing will only be measured by your godliness. An ambitious pastor may have a great reputation on earth because of his excessive labours in ministry, but if the motives have been self-ambition, then the character of Christ is deficient and the resurrection body will shine like a distant star.
A housewife who is not “in the ministry” at all, or a simple worker at a factory whose life has been sown in dishonor, working humbly all his life for his boss, may shine as the sun in its glory. Therefore, be careful how you build. Many may consider the slave or housewife not to have much of an inheritance at all, but on the contrary Paul exhorts slaves to submit to their masters and work for them as if working for the Lord, “knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance, for you serve the Lord Christ” (Eph:3)
John says in his epistle that we are children of God, but what we shall be has not yet been manifested. Jesus has not yet been manifested as he really is, but when he is revealed, then we will be revealed with him as we really are. In this world Jesus was mocked and despised, he was “like a root that comes up out of dry ground, he had no form or comeliness that we should be attracted to him”. His divinity was hidden. In the same way it also behooves us to shun the glamour of the world and that which wins worldly admiration, but pursue rather the hidden qualities of the heart that only God can see.
Everyone who has this hope purifies himself. No amount of ministerial success is of any worth if we do not purify ourselves. It is only purity which is of any eternal value, and the one who understands this will be seeking a path that will purify rather than a path that will gratify. “You receive glory one from another, but you do not seek the glory that comes from God alone.(John 5:44)
The glory which is from God, the glory of our glorified bodies, will be according to our purity and not our prosperity or success. Prosperity and success earn the praise of men, but if we seek for and receive the praise of men then we have received our reward. The body which is raised in glory is the one that has been sown in weakness and dishonour. To the degree we experience the sufferings of Christ we will receive his glory, because it is through suffering that we are purified.
These principles are so clear in the Bible that it is astonishing that they are not understood. There is such a gross misunderstanding of scripture today that people are striving for the very things that rob them of future glory. Riches, fame honor and success have become the primary objective of many Christians as if these are what the Lord promises to those who follow him. On the contrary, the Lord Jesus said that through many tribulations we inherit his Kingdom. It is nothing else but a complete deception that is blinding Christians all over the world and leading them away from following in the way of the cross.
I watched a man a few days ago saying on God TV that the only way the world will listen to us is if we become richer than they are, because no one listens to a poor man. Well, I pray that those who have ears will listen to this message.
“This poor man cried out and the Lord heard him” Psalm 34:6
At least the Lord will listen.
Too proud to beg and too old to dig
I watched the news last night with trepidation, as the stock markets fell and clean up begins after Hurricane Ike. Men are fainting with fear and the expectation of things which are coming upon the world; for the powers of the heavens are being shaken. There is perplexity upon the earth and dismay amongst the nations at the roaring of the sea and the waves, at the collapse of financial institutions and looming wars between nuclear super powers.
I ask myself, are we are living in the times preceding the coming of the Son of Man, times of great testing, when men’s faith will fail in the darkness of events, making us doubt whether we have a Father in heaven who cares for us? Will the Lord find faith on earth when he returns? How many believers will be swept away by storms that batter our house and home, storms which Jesus promised would test the quality of the work, test the soundness of the faith which has been delivered up to the saints?
Will we be measured and found wanting? Have we acted upon the words of Jesus and made them our own, or have we been merely hearers of the word of God and so built our house on sand? The coming storms will test the house and our foundations will be exposed as having been built either on sand or on rock. There will be a great falling away of those whose foundation has been built on the sand of personal gain, of those who never counted the cost of suffering loss.
Luk 16:1 And He also said to His disciples, There was a certain rich man who had a steward. And he was accused to him, that he had wasted his goods.
I saw a man on the news who had lost his position at Lehmann brothers investment bank..He reminded me of the steward in Luke chapter 16 that had squandered his master’s possessions and was found to be wanting.These investment banks have lost all the money that they were stewards of.The steward in the Bible lost his position and he was too proud to beg and too old to dig.
Luk 16:3 And the steward said within himself, What shall I do? For my lord is taking the stewardship away from me. I cannot dig; I am ashamed to beg.
So he used his master’s resources to make friends for himself. There are many who are about to lose all their investments in the coming financial collapse. When Mammon fails we should not be found wanting in heavenly investments. Woe to those who have set their minds on earthly things and failed to store up treasure in heaven!
Luk 16:9 And *I* say to you, Make to yourselves friends with the mammon of unrighteousness, that when it fails ye may be received into the eternal tabernacles.
The Gospel of Grace is a wide door that accepts all. Jesus will in no wise turn away any that come to him. But will we remain faithful to him? Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, that you may be tested. Are you ready for the purging fires of persecution? Will you curse the Lord in the day of famine, when Mammon fails, or will your faith be proven to be as real as gold?
We are living in an age where the Gospel has been so compromised that it has become merely a means toward personal gain,in an age when premium is given to the acquisition of earthly goods. But our citizenship is actually in heaven, and we should be learning to place our hope in heavenly things where Christ is. The loss of all things on earth should not terrify us or make us faint, but should cause our hearts to look to the eternal dwelling which is our true home. Do you have friends in the eternal dwellings that are eager to receive you? Have you been a shrewd steward of what is not yours? This is your time to make friends for yourselves by means of the Mammon of unrighteousness, that when it fails, you have friends to receive you!
Luk 16:9 "I'm telling you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous riches, so that when they're gone you'll be welcomed into eternal homes.
Sell your possessions and give to the poor! Make for yourself a purse that does not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near, nor moth destroys. Don’t be like the rich man who could have made friends with the beggar who used to lie at his gate, and missed his chance once the beggar had died. When he subsequently died and was buried he could have met up with his friend, the beggar, in Abraham’s bosom. Instead he ended up in Hades.
Luk 16:19 There was a certain rich man who was customarily clothed in purple and fine linen and making merry in luxury every day.
Luk 16:20 And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, who was laid at his gate, full of sores
Luk 16:21 and desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table. But even the dogs came and licked his sores.
Luk 16:22 And it happened that the beggar died and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom. The rich one also died and was buried.
Luk 16:23 And in hell he lifted up his eyes, being in torments, and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
He died, and thus the mammon of unrighteousness failed him. His money was unable to save him; and he could not take it with him. That man’s treasure was left behind to five brothers, and now he found himself on the wrong side of a great chasm that could not be crossed. Lazarus, who used to lie at his gate, could have been his friend, a heavenly friend who would have received him into the eternal dwellings! How many poor Christian widows lie dying at the gates of Johannesburg and Cape Town, in Zambia and Zimbabwe, how many opportunities are being missed for you to make friends by using unrighteous mammon!This unrighteous mammon which does not really belong to you, but of which you are a steward. You have the opportunity of making friends with your master’s money, friends who will receive you with joy into paradise, saying:
“Welcome, friend , here is the place I have been preparing for you!”.And you may say:
“Who are you? I don’t know you!”
And it will be some unknown Chinese or Indian person, or some Zambian widow ,or orphan , or Muslim who has been helped , or someone brought to Christ with the use of unrighteous mammon!
Instead of this, the rich man of Luke 16 found himself being tormented by having lost all that was dear to him, all his earthly treasure, and was now tormented by the realization that he had used none of it to make friends for himself in the eternal dwellings! All was spent on purple robes and fine linen; all was wasted on gaily living in splendour every day!
I am sure that those who have lost all their investments in Lehman brothers are wishing now that they could have made some friends while they had the opportunity. Now it’s all gone.
The rich man, realizing this, begs Abraham to send someone to tell his brothers to rather give away their money to the poor so that they, also, do not end up in that place of torment with him!
Luk 16:27 And he said, I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father's house,
Luk 16:28 for I have five brothers, so that he may testify to them, lest they also come into this place of torment.
Abraham says , No, but they have got Moses and the Prophets, let them hear them.(The law says a lot about giving to the poor.) The rich man, knowing that in his life he had ignored Moses, replies,
“No, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent!”
No, says Abraham, if they don’t listen to Moses and the prophets neither will they be persuaded if someone rises from the dead! Quite right Abraham!
Abraham is right because today we have Moses and the prophets, and besides that we even have some one who has risen from the dead, namely Jesus, who told us clearly to give our wealth to the poor, and most of us are still not persuaded! Jesus was right in this parable he was teaching, we would rather pass on money to family members and risk that they also follow us into torment. Even the crumbs falling from our tables are being thrown away, crumbs that are looked at with longing by those who are in need. What heartlessness! What a crime against humanity and God! All that we own is His, we are merely stewards, do we have a right to do as we please with what belongs to Him?
Dogs were coming and licking the sores of Lazarus while the squandering was in progress, which shows that even dogs are more compassionate! How many unbelieving NGO’s are out there in Africa, like dogs, licking the sores of the poor, while the mammon of unrighteousness is being squandered by Christians on fine living and gaiety, on fancy new cars and homes?
The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, were listening to Jesus as he spoke these things, and they scoffed at him. Are you scoffing at these words?
Luk 16:15 And He said to them, You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.
Money is detestable in the sight of God. The honour that it accords is abominable. It is unrighteous mammon, and it is useful, yes, it is useful for making friends in the eternal dwellings, but not for gaily living in splendour! Under the Law and the Prophets wealth was seen by the Jews to be the proof of God’s blessing, but from the time of John the Kingdom of God is being preached and everyone is forcing their way into it.
Luk 16:16 The law and the prophets were until John: from that time the glad tidings of the kingdom of God are announced, and every one forces his way into it.
This is the Kingdom that John preached, and Jesus also preached:
Luk 3:7 Then he said to the crowd that came forth to be baptized by him, O generation of vipers! Who has warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
Luk 3:8 Therefore bring forth fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say within yourselves, We have Abraham for our father. For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.
Luk 3:9 And now also the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bring forth good fruit is cut down and cast into the fire.
Luk 3:10 And the people asked him, saying, What shall we do then?
Luk 3:11 He answered and said to them, He who has two coats, let him give to him who has none. And he who has food, let him do likewise.
The Pharisees lived within the dispensation of the Law and and had an entirely natural and earthly understanding of what God’s blessing was. Obedience meant prosperity, and disobedience meant poverty. How could God’s Mosiach be this Nazarene, this uneducated upstart from Galilee! What kind of Kingdom was this where the King was a pauper over a rabble of fishermen and tax collectors?The proof to them that Jesus was a impostor was that he ended up on a cross.!
If you want to live under the Law and enjoy the fruit of your labour, if you want to live in the dispensation of building Temples and living like Solomon, then you must also live under all of the Law. The Law is made for the natural man, the Law is made for sinners. We Christians however, are called to live in heavenly places, we are called not to live with our home in this natural realm, we are forcing our way into the eternal dwelling places! Let the man who has two tunics share with him who has none, and let him who has food do likewise, said John the Baptist. This is not what the Law taught. The Law was just a temporary provisional package, a plan which filled in because natural man could not hope to attain to what God has got in mind for a people called out of this world.
The Gospel of the Kingdom is of a far higher order of life than that which is according to the Law. The natural man can by self effort attain to a degree of righteousness which is according to Law, like Paul,but can never attain to the righteousness of Christ. If we are only looking to create a natural Christian world within the boundaries of this world, a kind of alternative Christian world with Christian laws and activities, then we are doomed to become a second rate imitation of the world system. If you want to live under the natural dispensation, raise up armies to protect your blessings! If your inheritance is earthly, you better fight for it!
The Kingdom of God, on the other hand, can only be inherited by a peculiar kind of people who love not their lives unto death! Only through loss can it be won. The greatest fault of the modern church is the desperate avoidance of the Cross of Christ. To the Pharisee the cross is the disfavour of God.It was proof to them that Jesus was not the messiah. To a real Christian it is the path to glory. The early church accepted joyfully the seizure of their property, knowing that they had a better possession and an abiding one.
I recently heard about a man in Africa who was driven from his home by war and famine, suffering the loss of home, family, and all his goods. He was sitting on the ground in the only clothes he had, and he was asked how he could endure such terrible loss. He replied that Christ became all to him when Christ became all he had.
We are called to attain to the righteousness of Christ, something that cannot be done in the flesh but can be done in the Spirit. The church is called to be a supernatural body of people who are living out the laws of a Kingdom which is not of this earth, higher laws of a heavenly order that are unattainable to mere humanity. We are called to be heavenly beings that demonstrate the existence of a realm that is unearthly, an existence which astonishes the world and turns it on its head. The response of the world to the church should be hatred, not yawns! The Kingdom of God is to be taken by violence, and violent men lay hold of it!
Luk 16:16 The law and the prophets were until John: from that time the glad tidings of the kingdom of God are announced, and every one forces his way into it.
What we need is a violent revolution that will change the Church from being a flimsy imitation of the world into a force that undermines the entire world system, including the ecclesiastical systems and the economic system.
As we hasten to the day of God, to a time of universal judgement when the earth and its works will be burned up, let us fix our eyes on the heavenly inheritance and despise all that is highly esteemed by men, every work of men that is built on the love of this world . What is esteemed by God is that which is eternal, that which has been built by him and not by man: The eternal church of God made up of individuals from every tribe, kin and nation! Make for yourselves friends who will receive you into the eternal dwellings!
a spirit from the Lord
There was a great king in Judah who followed in the steps of his Father David, establishing the Kingdom by military might and teaching the Law of the Lord throughout the cities of Judah. He grew greater and greater in riches and honor, and at the height of his popularity he allied himself with Ahab, King of Israel by marrying his daughter.
Now Ahab was a wicked King, a King who walked in the way of his father Jeroboam who had rebelled against Solomon and divided the land. Ahab did great evil in the sight of the Lord, and his worst sin was to marry Jezebel the daughter of the King of Sidonia. King Ahab loved his wife and erected an altar of Baal for her in the royal city of Samaria.
Jehoshaphat, the great King of Judah, went down to visit his father in law in Samaria, and after a great feast in his honour was induced by Ahab to go and fight against their common enemy in Ramoth Gilead. He first committed himself to help his wife’s evil Father, and then once having made the commitment he thought it would also be nice to enquire of the Lord and get some back up.
All the Prophets came out and created a big spectacle, four hundred of them, all promising blessings and success to the satisfaction of all who were present. Except Jehoshaphat, who felt uneasy about the display and asked if there was not a prophet of the Lord. Yes, said Ahab, there is one, Micaiah, but I hate him because he always prophesies evil.
Nevertheless Jehoshaphat felt that wanted to be right with the Lord and insisted on having Micaiah come and address them. When the Lord’s prophet arrived he found the false prophets giving a theatrical display before the two Kings who were arrayed in their robes and sitting on their thrones. One of the false prophets, Zedekiah, had made horns of iron for himself and was sweeping up and down demonstrating how the victory would be won! One can imagine the fever pitch excitement at the prospect of all the success which was being held up to their foolish imaginations.
The Kings messenger tried to convince Micaiah to endorse all the blessing prophecies, but Micaiah replied that he would only speak what the Lord God gave him to say. The party was over.
“ Micaiah, shall we go up to Ramoth Gilead in battle, or shall I refrain?”
“ Go up and succeed, for they will be given into your hand” said Micaiah.
In fact it was the Lord actually saying this, since Micaiah would only speak what God told him to say. Have you also been hearing the Lord saying this to you?
Somehow they knew this was not the right answer. This is the profile of deception. Deep in their hearts they knew the truth of what God really wanted, but actually, they did not want to hear it. Come on; tell us the truth, Micaiah!
The Lord has promised your business will be successful! You are going to have an international ministry! Thus says the Lord, you will be the head and not the tail! You will be blessed as you go out and as you come in! Blessed will be the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your stalls!
Therefore hear the word of the Lord. I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing on his right and on his left. And the Lord said, Who will entice Ahab King of Israel to go up and fall at Ramoth Gilead?
Then a spirit came forward and stood before the Lord, and said, I will entice him. And the Lord said to him, How?
And he said, I will go and be a deceiving spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. Then God said, Go and do so.
Now therefore the Lord has put a deceiving spirit in the mouth of these your prophets, for the Lord has proclaimed disaster against you.
Nevertheless, the Kings of Israel and Judah did not heed the warning of this unpopular prophet, and chose rather to listen to the sweet words of the four hundred. They went up into battle. Ahab tried to deceive God by disguising himself in the clothes of a common soldier, but a stray arrow from the Lord struck him in the joint of his armour and he died.
When Jehoshaphat returned to safety in Judah after this humiliating defeat, a prophet of the Lord asked him, “Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the Lord and so bring wrath on yourself from the Lord?
And this is what the Lord is still saying today, in an age when the prophets of Baal and the prophets of the Lord have become so mixed up that we find both represented before the people of God, in stark contrast to each other. To which are we to pay heed, to the prophets of wealth, health and success or to the few voices that only ever prophesy evil? Jehoshaphat was a man of God, yet the clear testimony of God’s word through Micaiah was not enough to turn him from the disastrous path that he had chosen to heed. The Lord God himself sent forth lying spirits to deceive those hearts that were not wholly for him.
Paul writes in the New Testament that divisions are necessary so that those who are the approved might become evident. We should not be astonished when the Lord himself raises up lying spirits to parade arrogantly through the church drawing after themselves every covetous heart and ambitious spirit from our ranks, for when the separation is complete those who remain and are approved will shine forth like the sun in the Kingdom of their Father. The tares will be gathered up and burned with fire, so it shall be at the end of the Age.
Let us allow the Lord to complete his work and not be distressed at what is taking place because we think that he has lost control. A massive falling away must take place for the Church to be purified. Lovers of self, lovers of money, lovers of this world will be drawn after those whom God has raised up to purify his church. I am reminded of the Pied Piper of Hamlin leading all the rats to destruction with his pleasant tune.
Habakkuk was astonished that God could raise up Babylon, a fierce and impetuous people who march throughout the earth seizing dwelling places that are not theirs. Their justice and their authority originate with themselves. However, God brought these scoundrels to purify his people. We are living today in the last days of the church age, a time that corresponds to the time of Jeremiah and Zedekiah.
Jerusalem is in a terrible condition; the nation has become apostate and the leaders corrupted. Jeremiah is pointing out their many sins, but they refuse to acknowledge them. God raises up Babylon and draws it to Jerusalem as a judgment on Israel.
God is bringing against us today a Spiritual Babylon in the same way that he brought a physical Babylon against the Jerusalem of Jeremiah’s time. A sorceress, a Jezebel spirit that induces to covetousness, a harlot that seduces us to love the world and all that is in the world. This Babylon, Mother of Harlots takes captive the many, breaking down the walls of Jerusalem and destroying the Temple. The church is laid waste by the Babylonians, the Chaldeans, the sorcerers. This Spiritual Babylon comes in the form of false teaching, false prophecy and false miracles. Would God do that?
Did God put lying words in the mouth of Micaiah’s opponents? Yes, and he is doing it again. This judgment of God is self-induced by those who do not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. They harden their hearts to the truth and choose to listen to doctrines that pamper their self-esteem and greediness. God has sent a deluding influence so that they might believe what is false.
We must allow this movement to take its course so that those who count it a pleasure to revel in the daytime may forsake the right way and follow the way of Balaam. Balaam was a prophet who knew the Lord but chose rather to be enticed by his own lust.
In closing let us read the words of the prophet Jude, the brother of Jesus.
But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, eagerly awaiting the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to everlasting life.
But pity some, making distinction. But save others with fear, snatching them out of the fire; hating even the garment having been stained from the flesh.
Now to Him being able to keep you without stumbling, and to set you before His glory without blemish, with unspeakable joy; to the only wise God, our Savior, be glory and majesty and might and authority, even now and forever. Amen.
Our Heavenly Garments
Genesis 2:25 “ And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed”
Many great Bible teachers (See notes at end) share the belief that Adam and Eve were clothed in a robe of light that covered their nakedness with the Glory of God.They were not aware of their nakedness because it was eclipsed by an incomparable weight of glory. This Glory they lost when they sinned, finding themselves shamefully reduced to a mere animal condition, which they attempted to cover with fig leaves sewn together.
The Majestic Glory of God so inhabited the frail body of Adam that it filled and covered him with the same glory that Jesus had on the mount of transfiguration.
To continue reading click here: http://10camels.blogspot.com/2007/06/on-globalization-of-american-christian.html
Many great Bible teachers (See notes at end) share the belief that Adam and Eve were clothed in a robe of light that covered their nakedness with the Glory of God.They were not aware of their nakedness because it was eclipsed by an incomparable weight of glory. This Glory they lost when they sinned, finding themselves shamefully reduced to a mere animal condition, which they attempted to cover with fig leaves sewn together.
The Majestic Glory of God so inhabited the frail body of Adam that it filled and covered him with the same glory that Jesus had on the mount of transfiguration.
To continue reading click here: http://10camels.blogspot.com/2007/06/on-globalization-of-american-christian.html
A Brief History of the Twelve Apostles
………The characteristic of the apostolic life is one of pilgrimage.An apostle is one who is sent.Being sent implies going somewhere, which implies leaving something behind. All the New Testament apostles left all to preach the gospel in foreign lands.It is this characteristic that set them apart from the multitude.Not all are called to be apostles, but the apostles are called to be the foundation stones of the church and the very pattern to which the church is called to conform .The standard that was set by the apostles is not one that we have to attain to for the purpose of salvation,God forbid, or none of us could be saved.Salvation is a free gift of God . But the fullest expression of the eternal life which lies within us is shown forth in the lives of Christ and his apostles.And in the lives of more recent apostles like James Hudson Taylor and C.T. Studd,or the apostles in the present day church in China.
To read the whole article click:http://10camels.blogspot.com/2007/06/brief-history-of-twelve_28.html
To read the whole article click:http://10camels.blogspot.com/2007/06/brief-history-of-twelve_28.html
The Weapons of our Warfare
………………Paul urges them by the meekness and gentleness of Christ.This is a weapon that his competition does not have! Anybody can threaten and be severe but only the presence of Christ is meek. Meekness is one of our powerful weapons; it is Gods power perfected in weakness. Jesus was crucified because of weakness. If he had been strong he would not have been crucified, he would have defended himself. Thank God he didn’t. On the contrary, he went like a lamb to the slaughter; he did not open his mouth. This was his mighty weapon and it is the same principal that Paul is determined to use.
To read the whole article click on:http://10camels.blogspot.com/2007/06/weapons-of-our-warfare.html
To read the whole article click on:http://10camels.blogspot.com/2007/06/weapons-of-our-warfare.html
An Age of Crass Materialism
…………Satan has engineered a society that chews up Christians and reduces them to limp and cowering slaves of the system. If the salt has lost its saltiness it is not even fit for the dung heap. If our doctrine of “Being in the world”, was accompanied by;” Take up your cross, deny yourself, and follow Me”, then we might have changed society and social structures. As it is however, the church is doing precious little to reverse the downward spiral of decadence.We must call the church of God back to the teachings of Christ and the practice of the early church. We need to boldly preach a gospel that deeply changes the way we live our lives. There should be a difference between the Christian church and the world. Obedience to Christ’s teachings would render the church salt in a rotten society. It would not take much saltiness to savour the whole pot.
Our role model should be Jesus Himself and not a clone of what the world perceives to be success. Why should we attract the world by imitating the scions of Hollywood or the corporate business world? The very success of this kind of motivation is the death knell of the church, as the pews fill up with those who seek after the glory that is below. This strategy is natural, carnal, and demonic. It is the wisdom of the world. The truly wise would better follow the Man of Nazareth.
To read the whole article click:http://10camels.blogspot.com/2007/06/age-of-crass-materialism.html
Our role model should be Jesus Himself and not a clone of what the world perceives to be success. Why should we attract the world by imitating the scions of Hollywood or the corporate business world? The very success of this kind of motivation is the death knell of the church, as the pews fill up with those who seek after the glory that is below. This strategy is natural, carnal, and demonic. It is the wisdom of the world. The truly wise would better follow the Man of Nazareth.
To read the whole article click:http://10camels.blogspot.com/2007/06/age-of-crass-materialism.html
A Heavenly Building
…………the formulas which we see today for planting and building churches seem successful to the natural mind.Buildings are built, organizational structures are set up, and members are made.The church is built, but is this the same church that Jesus was speaking about?
God does not dwell in structures erected by men, he lives in tents. That is, he dwells in us, it is our bodies which are his temples and at this point our bodies are tents. We have a building in heaven which is being made, but at the present time God is not interested in anything else but living in tents, that is good enough for him.
Let the Muslims turn our buildings into Mosques ! So what if our cathedrals become shopping centres and museums!Our organizations are destined to become dusty institutions in the next generation, but Christ will build his house and the gates of hell will not prevail against it!
To read all click here:http://10camels.blogspot.com/2007/06/heavenly-building.html
God does not dwell in structures erected by men, he lives in tents. That is, he dwells in us, it is our bodies which are his temples and at this point our bodies are tents. We have a building in heaven which is being made, but at the present time God is not interested in anything else but living in tents, that is good enough for him.
Let the Muslims turn our buildings into Mosques ! So what if our cathedrals become shopping centres and museums!Our organizations are destined to become dusty institutions in the next generation, but Christ will build his house and the gates of hell will not prevail against it!
To read all click here:http://10camels.blogspot.com/2007/06/heavenly-building.html
On Divisions
……….The Unity that Jesus wants is not in Ecumenism. It is not a political unity based on compromise, it is something deeper and more costly than that. Secondly, it is not a Unity that embraces only part of the church, but the whole. Unity within a denomination or a network of ministries is not true unity because it still excludes much of the Body. A group of churches that associates with each another because they have similar doctrinal views is not unity but sectarianism because by their doctrines they exclude parts of the body of Christ. This kind of sectarianism is reprehensible and is severely rebuked in the scriptures.
Read Whole Article by clicking on the following:
http://10camels.blogspot.com/2007/06/on-divisions.html
Read Whole Article by clicking on the following:
http://10camels.blogspot.com/2007/06/on-divisions.html
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