The Law magnified the issue sin and placed Israel under a very detailed and involved system for addressing the sin problem. It also placed hindrances on their experience of God personally as the High Priest was the only person allowed beyond the veil.
Hebrews 9:8 By these regulations the Holy Spirit revealed that the entrance to the Most Holy Place was not freely open as long as the Tabernacle and the system it represented were still in use. 9 This is an illustration pointing to the present time. For the gifts and sacrifices that the priests offer are not able to cleanse the consciences of the people who bring them. 10 For that old system deals only with food and drink and various cleansing ceremonies––physical regulations that were in effect only until a better system could be established.
Under the Old System there was no way to put sin behind you because the thought of it would be ever before you. That is the fruit of the Old Covenant. That was it’s purpose. God intended that to be the case in order to set the stage for His Only Son to come and be the final sacrifice for all eternity!
It was never God’s intention to permanently deal with the sin problem in the Old Covenant. It was God’s intention to set the stage for His Son to come and establish a New Covenant that would deal with the problem once and for all and last forever.
Under the Law man’s conscience is plagued by the guilt of sin continually. This is still the effect of the law and of observing any of the ceremonies attached to it’s keeping.
Notice how it makes it clear that the gifts and sacrifices were unable to cleanse the consciences of the people who brought them.
There was no once and for all solution to the sin problem under the Old Covenant. This is why we have Hebrews 9:10 “For that old system deals only with food and drink and various cleansing ceremonies––physical regulations that were in effect only until a better system could be established.”
About The Author
- Tim Atchley
- Knoxville, Tennessee, United States
- I currently serve as Senior Pastor of Harvest Church in Knoxville, Tn. I was sent out from Trinity Chapel of Knoxville in 1993 accompanied by my wife Sheila our four children Sarah, Hannah, Josiah & Isaac and a handful of bold, brave and committed believers determined to plant our first church. Pioneering is hard work but well worth the journey. That is why we desire to make disciples of Christ who will, like us, also embrace the call to plant churches.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Monday, August 30, 2010
How Forgiven Are You? Part Two
Sometimes ignorance is born of an arrogance that leads someone to think mankind can achieve holiness by self effort. Misplaced Confidence is usually rooted in pride and arrogance.
Fact is no one is made holy by behavior. The reason is we would have to be able to change ourselves into being holy at our core, we would have to be able to change our very nature otherwise any attempt at holiness would be tainted by our unholy state of being.
Being holy is more of a source problem than a behavior problem. Behavior is a byproduct of who we are at our core. Self righteousness denies that source is an issue. This is why God hates self righteousness in any form. It is a denial of the truth concerning the sin nature inherent in mankind which is the real reason for our inability to be holy without Christ.
So God gave Israel the Law and made sure they understood that to offend in just one tiny thing was to offend in everything. So for these Israelites there had to be a means of addressing the sin problem that was about to be made amazingly evident by the entrance of the law. How can already sinful man rid himself of sin?
Under the Old Covenant the means of handling sin involved continual sacrifices being offered and an annual atonement sacrifice made by the High Priest for the sins of the people once a year.
Animal blood was used to purge the holy articles made by human hands because they were tainted as a result of being made by sinful man and thus under the Law they had to be purged with blood.
So the High Priest had to be cleansed and also had to cleanse the articles of worship before going into the Holy of Holies to offer a sacrifice for the sins of the people.
Hebrews 9:21 And in the same way, he sprinkled blood on the Tabernacle and on everything used for worship. 22 In fact, according to the law of Moses, nearly everything was purified with blood. For without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness. 23 That is why the Tabernacle and everything in it, which were copies of things in heaven, had to be purified by the blood of animals. But the real things in heaven had to be purified with far better sacrifices than the blood of animals.
Fact is no one is made holy by behavior. The reason is we would have to be able to change ourselves into being holy at our core, we would have to be able to change our very nature otherwise any attempt at holiness would be tainted by our unholy state of being.
Being holy is more of a source problem than a behavior problem. Behavior is a byproduct of who we are at our core. Self righteousness denies that source is an issue. This is why God hates self righteousness in any form. It is a denial of the truth concerning the sin nature inherent in mankind which is the real reason for our inability to be holy without Christ.
So God gave Israel the Law and made sure they understood that to offend in just one tiny thing was to offend in everything. So for these Israelites there had to be a means of addressing the sin problem that was about to be made amazingly evident by the entrance of the law. How can already sinful man rid himself of sin?
Under the Old Covenant the means of handling sin involved continual sacrifices being offered and an annual atonement sacrifice made by the High Priest for the sins of the people once a year.
Animal blood was used to purge the holy articles made by human hands because they were tainted as a result of being made by sinful man and thus under the Law they had to be purged with blood.
So the High Priest had to be cleansed and also had to cleanse the articles of worship before going into the Holy of Holies to offer a sacrifice for the sins of the people.
Hebrews 9:21 And in the same way, he sprinkled blood on the Tabernacle and on everything used for worship. 22 In fact, according to the law of Moses, nearly everything was purified with blood. For without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness. 23 That is why the Tabernacle and everything in it, which were copies of things in heaven, had to be purified by the blood of animals. But the real things in heaven had to be purified with far better sacrifices than the blood of animals.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
How Forgiven Are You? Part One
Is there such a thing as overconfidence, or misplaced confidence?
Based on an Alliance for Excellent Education Fact sheet dated March of 2008
The following details how fifteen-year-old students from the United States compare with fifteen-year-olds in other Developed member countries in the Program for International Student Achievement measures of academic proficiency.*
Science: We are ranked 21st of 30 countries.
Reading: We are ranked 15th of 29 countries.
Math: We are ranked 25th of 30 countries.
Problem Solving: We are ranked 24th of 29 countries.
Other sources site that one area where American youth excel is in the arena of confidence. We are first place in confidence despite our poor academic performance, and problem solving abilities.
Even the low achieving of society score high in self confidence.
Perhaps this generation suffers from the same dilemma Israel suffered from when she was brought up out of Egypt.
I say that because self confidence was Israel’s problem when they stood at the base of Mount Sinai after leaving Egypt.
They were ignorant about the fact that as human beings they had been born into sin, by nature they were already unholy. The Commandments were made on the basis of holiness and perfection. These Israelites were so self confident that they failed to understand that they would never be able to do what God in His holiness would demand. But you know, they had self confidence!
Israel at the base of the mountain said to Moses, you speak with God and whatever He tells us to do we will do. They had tons of self confidence! In their minds they were going to adhere to whatever God said they should, and they were sincere about it.
Plenty of misplaced confidence! Did they understand holiness?
Based on an Alliance for Excellent Education Fact sheet dated March of 2008
The following details how fifteen-year-old students from the United States compare with fifteen-year-olds in other Developed member countries in the Program for International Student Achievement measures of academic proficiency.*
Science: We are ranked 21st of 30 countries.
Reading: We are ranked 15th of 29 countries.
Math: We are ranked 25th of 30 countries.
Problem Solving: We are ranked 24th of 29 countries.
Other sources site that one area where American youth excel is in the arena of confidence. We are first place in confidence despite our poor academic performance, and problem solving abilities.
Even the low achieving of society score high in self confidence.
Perhaps this generation suffers from the same dilemma Israel suffered from when she was brought up out of Egypt.
I say that because self confidence was Israel’s problem when they stood at the base of Mount Sinai after leaving Egypt.
They were ignorant about the fact that as human beings they had been born into sin, by nature they were already unholy. The Commandments were made on the basis of holiness and perfection. These Israelites were so self confident that they failed to understand that they would never be able to do what God in His holiness would demand. But you know, they had self confidence!
Israel at the base of the mountain said to Moses, you speak with God and whatever He tells us to do we will do. They had tons of self confidence! In their minds they were going to adhere to whatever God said they should, and they were sincere about it.
Plenty of misplaced confidence! Did they understand holiness?
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Everlasting Glory Part Four
The veil robs people of what is available to them only through Christ. It is not Christ ..... and.
Once the veil is lifted we will reflect!
2 Corinthians 3:18 So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord––who is the Spirit––makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.
The glory of the New Covenant is not partaken of through the use of the Law in any form.
The glory of the New Covenant can only realized through faith in Christ alone and as we believe, we behold, and as we behold, we are changed.
Understanding the nature of this New Covenant matters because it will be what gets us off the roller coaster ride that is so common to Christians today.
Believers can fall prey to spending a good amount of their lives in a spiritual turmoil. Plagued by an insecurity born from guilt and fear that somehow they will never measure up because they are comparing themselves to a system that is obsolete and has been replaced!
I have good news! In your own efforts to be good you will never measure up!
Why on earth is that good news? It is good because that is exactly why Christ came to earth. He came to initiate through His death and resurrection a better hope. A better covenant not dependant on our effort but one that relies entirely on His works.
The only thing we bring to the table is a faith made possible by the working of the Spirit in our hearts.
Under this New Covenant, it is all of God and the glory is not a fading one it is a growing one as mankind is made to look into the brightness of the glory of the Messiah who has come!
What does this mean for us here today?
It means that by grace we can continually approach His throne and find the help that we need. As we do, we grow spiritually and we reflect more fully His image and His glory is seen by others through us.
Jesus is desiring to reveal Himself to others through a people who by grace through faith, not the Law manifest His life at work in them. That is the living gospel this world needs to see!
Once the veil is lifted we will reflect!
2 Corinthians 3:18 So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord––who is the Spirit––makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.
The glory of the New Covenant is not partaken of through the use of the Law in any form.
The glory of the New Covenant can only realized through faith in Christ alone and as we believe, we behold, and as we behold, we are changed.
Understanding the nature of this New Covenant matters because it will be what gets us off the roller coaster ride that is so common to Christians today.
Believers can fall prey to spending a good amount of their lives in a spiritual turmoil. Plagued by an insecurity born from guilt and fear that somehow they will never measure up because they are comparing themselves to a system that is obsolete and has been replaced!
I have good news! In your own efforts to be good you will never measure up!
Why on earth is that good news? It is good because that is exactly why Christ came to earth. He came to initiate through His death and resurrection a better hope. A better covenant not dependant on our effort but one that relies entirely on His works.
The only thing we bring to the table is a faith made possible by the working of the Spirit in our hearts.
Under this New Covenant, it is all of God and the glory is not a fading one it is a growing one as mankind is made to look into the brightness of the glory of the Messiah who has come!
What does this mean for us here today?
It means that by grace we can continually approach His throne and find the help that we need. As we do, we grow spiritually and we reflect more fully His image and His glory is seen by others through us.
Jesus is desiring to reveal Himself to others through a people who by grace through faith, not the Law manifest His life at work in them. That is the living gospel this world needs to see!
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Everlasting Glory Part Three
Everyone does not enjoy this revelation of a New Covenant. Sometimes this glorious truth hits the intellect of some whose minds are hardened to it and they refuse to see it because they demand something different.
2 Corinthians 3:14 But the people’s minds were hardened, and to this day whenever the old covenant is being read, the same veil covers their minds so they cannot understand the truth. And this veil can be removed only by believing in Christ. 15 Yes, even today when they read Moses’ writings, their hearts are covered with that veil, and they do not understand.
There it is clear as day. Those whose minds are hardened have a veil over their face and cannot see clearly because of it. It specifically refers to Law lovers. They are hardened in their thinking towards anything that even hints of replacing what they have known, or what they think they know about the Law given through Moses.
But if through the preaching of the gospel they are turned to Christ, the veil is taken away and they begin to understand the freedom that is theirs through Christ and the life of the Spirit.
2 Corinthians 3:16 But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17 For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
But what freedom is spoken of here?
The freedom spoken of here is freedom from the veil!
Freedom from legalistic living and thinking! Freedom from Old Covenant death and condemnation brought on by attempting to adhere to the law. Freedom from the spiritual death it produces in man.
Galatians 3:1 Oh, foolish Galatians! Who has cast an evil spell on you? For the meaning of Jesus Christ’s death was made as clear to you as if you had seen a picture of his death on the cross. 2 Let me ask you this one question: Did you receive the Holy Spirit by obeying the law of Moses? Of course not! You received the Spirit because you believed the message you heard about Christ. 3 How foolish can you be? After starting your Christian lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort? 4 Have you experienced so much for nothing? Surely it was not in vain, was it? 5 I ask you again, does God give you the Holy Spirit and work miracles among you because you obey the law? Of course not! It is because you believe the message you heard about Christ.
Behaving well will never make someone a son, but a son will behave. Knowing Christ changes us, we do not change ourselves and then claim Christ. It is by faith we are made righteous and enabled to receive. This is the beauty of the New Covenant, Christ made a covenant with God the Father. Now we stand in what He did apart from the empty man made promises of better behavior.
2 Corinthians 3:14 But the people’s minds were hardened, and to this day whenever the old covenant is being read, the same veil covers their minds so they cannot understand the truth. And this veil can be removed only by believing in Christ. 15 Yes, even today when they read Moses’ writings, their hearts are covered with that veil, and they do not understand.
There it is clear as day. Those whose minds are hardened have a veil over their face and cannot see clearly because of it. It specifically refers to Law lovers. They are hardened in their thinking towards anything that even hints of replacing what they have known, or what they think they know about the Law given through Moses.
But if through the preaching of the gospel they are turned to Christ, the veil is taken away and they begin to understand the freedom that is theirs through Christ and the life of the Spirit.
2 Corinthians 3:16 But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17 For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
But what freedom is spoken of here?
The freedom spoken of here is freedom from the veil!
Freedom from legalistic living and thinking! Freedom from Old Covenant death and condemnation brought on by attempting to adhere to the law. Freedom from the spiritual death it produces in man.
Galatians 3:1 Oh, foolish Galatians! Who has cast an evil spell on you? For the meaning of Jesus Christ’s death was made as clear to you as if you had seen a picture of his death on the cross. 2 Let me ask you this one question: Did you receive the Holy Spirit by obeying the law of Moses? Of course not! You received the Spirit because you believed the message you heard about Christ. 3 How foolish can you be? After starting your Christian lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort? 4 Have you experienced so much for nothing? Surely it was not in vain, was it? 5 I ask you again, does God give you the Holy Spirit and work miracles among you because you obey the law? Of course not! It is because you believe the message you heard about Christ.
Behaving well will never make someone a son, but a son will behave. Knowing Christ changes us, we do not change ourselves and then claim Christ. It is by faith we are made righteous and enabled to receive. This is the beauty of the New Covenant, Christ made a covenant with God the Father. Now we stand in what He did apart from the empty man made promises of better behavior.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Everlasting Glory Part Two
There are some who argue that what Jesus did in establishing His New Covenant merely renewed or made better the Old Covenant.
Ever traded in an old car for a new one? The number one reason for trading in an old car for a new one is that the old car has become obsolete. Therefore a new one is needed.
Hebrews 8:13 In that He says, "A new covenant," He has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.
Jesus is the Mediator of a New Covenant. But not just a New Covenant, a new and better Covenant. It is better because it has no expiration date on it. It is everlasting and it comes with an even greater glory than the first that isn’t fading!
2Corinthians 3:8 Shouldn’t we expect far greater glory under the new way, now that the Holy Spirit is giving life? 9 If the old way, which brings condemnation, was glorious, how much more glorious is the new way, which makes us right with God! 10 In fact, that first glory was not glorious at all compared with the overwhelming glory of the new way. 11 So if the old way, which has been replaced, was glorious, how much more glorious is the new, which remains forever!
This is good news folks! What Christ accomplished replaces anything and everything that existed before. But it doesn’t replace it with a mere equivalent to what was before, it offers something far superior! Because it is so superior we can have great confidence and boldness.
2 Corinthians 3:12 ¶ Since this new way gives us such confidence, we can be very bold. 13 We are not like Moses, who put a veil over his face so the people of Israel would not see the glory, even though it was destined to fade away.
This New Covenant glory is not a fading glory because it will never be replaced or improved upon. It is also not a glory that requires we hide it by veiling our faces because it is not a ministry of death like the covenant of Moses was. The Old Covenant Moses brought was a covenant of condemnation and death. The Scripture makes this plain. We already read in VS 6 “The old written covenant ends in death; but under the new covenant, the Spirit gives life.” Jesus brought us glorious life.
Ever traded in an old car for a new one? The number one reason for trading in an old car for a new one is that the old car has become obsolete. Therefore a new one is needed.
Hebrews 8:13 In that He says, "A new covenant," He has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.
Jesus is the Mediator of a New Covenant. But not just a New Covenant, a new and better Covenant. It is better because it has no expiration date on it. It is everlasting and it comes with an even greater glory than the first that isn’t fading!
2Corinthians 3:8 Shouldn’t we expect far greater glory under the new way, now that the Holy Spirit is giving life? 9 If the old way, which brings condemnation, was glorious, how much more glorious is the new way, which makes us right with God! 10 In fact, that first glory was not glorious at all compared with the overwhelming glory of the new way. 11 So if the old way, which has been replaced, was glorious, how much more glorious is the new, which remains forever!
This is good news folks! What Christ accomplished replaces anything and everything that existed before. But it doesn’t replace it with a mere equivalent to what was before, it offers something far superior! Because it is so superior we can have great confidence and boldness.
2 Corinthians 3:12 ¶ Since this new way gives us such confidence, we can be very bold. 13 We are not like Moses, who put a veil over his face so the people of Israel would not see the glory, even though it was destined to fade away.
This New Covenant glory is not a fading glory because it will never be replaced or improved upon. It is also not a glory that requires we hide it by veiling our faces because it is not a ministry of death like the covenant of Moses was. The Old Covenant Moses brought was a covenant of condemnation and death. The Scripture makes this plain. We already read in VS 6 “The old written covenant ends in death; but under the new covenant, the Spirit gives life.” Jesus brought us glorious life.
Monday, August 23, 2010
Everlasting Glory Part One
Scripture reveals that God often chose to use physical realities as prophetic parallels. For instance:
In 2 Kings 13 King Jehoash of Israel was told by Elisha the prophet to take a hand full of arrows and strike the ground with them. The kings half hearted attempt resulted in a limited victory over his enemy Syria. Had he struck the arrows five or six times as opposed to just three it would have meant that his enemy Syria would have been completely destroyed.
When Moses came down from the mountain after receiving the Ten Commandments from God he had a glory on him that resulted in his having to wear a veil over his face. Moses had to go up into the very glory of God in order to be given the commandments that marked the Covenant made between God and Israel. It was a glorious Covenant to Israel, the first one they had ever received as a nation from God. It began with glory.
But the Bible tells us clearly that it was a fading glory.
2 Corinthians 3:7 The old way, with laws etched in stone, led to death, though it began with such glory that the people of Israel could not bear to look at Moses’ face. For his face shone with the glory of God, even though the brightness was already fading away.
God was saying something prophetic through the veil Moses wore. He was speaking prophetically through the natural. How can we know this?
The veil hid a glory that was fading. The Old Covenant written on stone tablets was a fading covenant the veil of Moses was meant to reveal it would not be an everlasting covenant.
God was prophetically speaking to the people of Israel that they should not look to this covenant as the one that will be with them forever but that when One greater than Moses comes a New Covenant made through Messiah would replace this Old one.
2 Corinthians 3:5 It is not that we think we are qualified to do anything on our own. Our qualification comes from God. 6 He has enabled us to be ministers of his new covenant. This is a covenant not of written laws, but of the Spirit. The old written covenant ends in death; but under the new covenant, the Spirit gives life.
Just as Jesus is superior to Moses, the Covenant Jesus set in motion is superior to and replaces the Old Covenant brought through Moses.
In 2 Kings 13 King Jehoash of Israel was told by Elisha the prophet to take a hand full of arrows and strike the ground with them. The kings half hearted attempt resulted in a limited victory over his enemy Syria. Had he struck the arrows five or six times as opposed to just three it would have meant that his enemy Syria would have been completely destroyed.
When Moses came down from the mountain after receiving the Ten Commandments from God he had a glory on him that resulted in his having to wear a veil over his face. Moses had to go up into the very glory of God in order to be given the commandments that marked the Covenant made between God and Israel. It was a glorious Covenant to Israel, the first one they had ever received as a nation from God. It began with glory.
But the Bible tells us clearly that it was a fading glory.
2 Corinthians 3:7 The old way, with laws etched in stone, led to death, though it began with such glory that the people of Israel could not bear to look at Moses’ face. For his face shone with the glory of God, even though the brightness was already fading away.
God was saying something prophetic through the veil Moses wore. He was speaking prophetically through the natural. How can we know this?
The veil hid a glory that was fading. The Old Covenant written on stone tablets was a fading covenant the veil of Moses was meant to reveal it would not be an everlasting covenant.
God was prophetically speaking to the people of Israel that they should not look to this covenant as the one that will be with them forever but that when One greater than Moses comes a New Covenant made through Messiah would replace this Old one.
2 Corinthians 3:5 It is not that we think we are qualified to do anything on our own. Our qualification comes from God. 6 He has enabled us to be ministers of his new covenant. This is a covenant not of written laws, but of the Spirit. The old written covenant ends in death; but under the new covenant, the Spirit gives life.
Just as Jesus is superior to Moses, the Covenant Jesus set in motion is superior to and replaces the Old Covenant brought through Moses.
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Hearts for the Kingdom Part Four
At home sometimes we play a music channel while we do chores etc. On one particular day I happened to notice the background for the music channel that was playing and the scene was breath taking.
In the background were these majestic mountains and someone apparently laying on their back and taking in all this amazing beauty of creation, because in the foreground was a pair of feet with hiking boots on pointed to the sky.
The sky above was rich blue with billowing white clouds dispersed in it and these amazing mountains in the background. I thought to myself what an amazing creation of God.
It was then that the Holy Spirit broke in on my thought and said, "If you think that is amazing just open your eyes each day you walk out your door. Every time that you look at another human being you are beholding the greatest work in all creation. Nothing in creation exceeds the handiwork of God revealed in mankind."
I began to think of how devalued mankind had become in my own heart. I was reminded how that in the gospel mankind is not a devalued creation at all. The Creator Himself came to earth to redeem mankind, to reconcile the crown of creation to Himself. This most beautiful and marvelous aspect of creation has been marred by the fall and Christ came to reclaim it.
Through the gospel I want to have a different motivation towards men. I want to stand in awe of what God originally made and have my heart ache as His does over the distortion of it that took place in the fall. I want the gospel to produce in me a fresh desire to see this crown of creation restored in newness of life to the One who made it.
May God grant us even more boldness to proclaim His word to those we encounter each day as we go about our lives.
May He open up the riches of His grace and truth to our hearts not so we could hoard them for ourselves but so we might know the abundance of His generosity and shed our spiritual poverty realizing we have more than enough to give to others simply because we are in Christ.
May we begin to see our world through the eyes of a kingdom driven heart and may His presence ignite us to be His all the time.
In the background were these majestic mountains and someone apparently laying on their back and taking in all this amazing beauty of creation, because in the foreground was a pair of feet with hiking boots on pointed to the sky.
The sky above was rich blue with billowing white clouds dispersed in it and these amazing mountains in the background. I thought to myself what an amazing creation of God.
It was then that the Holy Spirit broke in on my thought and said, "If you think that is amazing just open your eyes each day you walk out your door. Every time that you look at another human being you are beholding the greatest work in all creation. Nothing in creation exceeds the handiwork of God revealed in mankind."
I began to think of how devalued mankind had become in my own heart. I was reminded how that in the gospel mankind is not a devalued creation at all. The Creator Himself came to earth to redeem mankind, to reconcile the crown of creation to Himself. This most beautiful and marvelous aspect of creation has been marred by the fall and Christ came to reclaim it.
Through the gospel I want to have a different motivation towards men. I want to stand in awe of what God originally made and have my heart ache as His does over the distortion of it that took place in the fall. I want the gospel to produce in me a fresh desire to see this crown of creation restored in newness of life to the One who made it.
May God grant us even more boldness to proclaim His word to those we encounter each day as we go about our lives.
May He open up the riches of His grace and truth to our hearts not so we could hoard them for ourselves but so we might know the abundance of His generosity and shed our spiritual poverty realizing we have more than enough to give to others simply because we are in Christ.
May we begin to see our world through the eyes of a kingdom driven heart and may His presence ignite us to be His all the time.
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Hearts for the Kingdom Part Three
Acts 4:31 is built on the foundation of two men who had the courage to expect God to do something in the marketplace and use it as a door to preach the gospel and as a result were arrested and persecuted for their preaching of the gospel.
They were not arrested for the man being healed, seldom will anyone be persecuted for such a wonderful miracle. They were arrested because they went beyond the miracle and spoke specifically about who did it and why. They preached Christ!
They gave credit to Christ and then spoke forthrightly concerning the truth about Him. For this the leaders of the temple sought to silence them with threats and held them overnight in jail.
After being released and having stood their ground in the gospel they met with the believers and prayed for more of this kind of ministry to happen so that others might see, hear and believe the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Their motive in prayer? Others might see, hear and know Christ!
They prayed Scripturally concerning the prophetic words concerning Christ and for themselves they simply asked for boldness to preach.
They were determined to see the kingdom advanced. From this heart motivation they simply lived their lives and God confirmed their living with His presence wherever they went.
There is no great concern revealed here in this portion of Scripture for how lively of a meeting they might have. They appear to me to be more concerned about the gospel going forth and people being set free by the truth of it working in their hearts. As a result their meeting together was by nature more lively!
There is a freshness in such thinking and living. There is a presence of God that is manifest to a generation when a people determine to be committed to what matters most.
They were not arrested for the man being healed, seldom will anyone be persecuted for such a wonderful miracle. They were arrested because they went beyond the miracle and spoke specifically about who did it and why. They preached Christ!
They gave credit to Christ and then spoke forthrightly concerning the truth about Him. For this the leaders of the temple sought to silence them with threats and held them overnight in jail.
After being released and having stood their ground in the gospel they met with the believers and prayed for more of this kind of ministry to happen so that others might see, hear and believe the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Their motive in prayer? Others might see, hear and know Christ!
They prayed Scripturally concerning the prophetic words concerning Christ and for themselves they simply asked for boldness to preach.
They were determined to see the kingdom advanced. From this heart motivation they simply lived their lives and God confirmed their living with His presence wherever they went.
There is no great concern revealed here in this portion of Scripture for how lively of a meeting they might have. They appear to me to be more concerned about the gospel going forth and people being set free by the truth of it working in their hearts. As a result their meeting together was by nature more lively!
There is a freshness in such thinking and living. There is a presence of God that is manifest to a generation when a people determine to be committed to what matters most.
Friday, August 20, 2010
Hearts for the Kingdom Part Two
Peter and John were simply doing their usual thing and going up to the temple to pray around 3 in the afternoon when the two of them witnessed a man lame from birth being placed at the gate called Beautiful to beg.
On this particular occasion it must have registered in Peters spirit that the Holy Ghost wanted to do something. I say this because the lame man is no stranger to the people who go up to the temple. All know his story and are familiar with his suffering in life. He is there to beg regularly. So we can assume Peter and John would know something of this man as well seeing they are not strangers to the temple either.
But on this day, Peter decides to do something. He approaches the man and stretches forth his hand with a simple statement. I have no silver or gold but what I do have I give to you.
What did Peter possess?
He was a possessor of the Kingdom he had Christ living on the inside, he was full of the Holy Ghost. Everything that defies the status of a broken fallen world was residing in Peter and John. It resides as well in us.
What I have I give to you! Where did learn such an extravagant generosity that sets no prerequisites on what a man must do to receive?
Maybe it is revealed in the name he spoke when he told the man to rise up and walk. Peter had witnessed extravagant love unbound, untainted, pure and unsullied expressed through Jesus. He had witnessed the free will offering of Christ, he had seen the generosity and willingness of a savior who would not only do good for those who were seeking help, He would even lay down His life for those who were to be called His own.
At one point in Peters life he had denied, ran away and hid himself, and eventually came out of hiding to go fishing.
Like the rest of us he struggled with his faith and he struggled between what his mind wished to analyze and what his heart desired to believe. Reconciling the two would be a journey for Peter just as it was for all the others who followed Christ and will be for us.
But by this time in Peters life he and the others had at least come to terms on some simple realities.
1) Christ was alive because they had seen Him after he had raised from the dead.
2) The kingdom of God was to go forth in the earth conquering the hearts of men and women everywhere according to God’s will and power at work in them through the gospel.
3) They were commissioned to speak this good news wherever they found themselves.
These three basic realities fueled a fresh motivation in their hearts that stirred their prayers and moved them to action each day they went about their usual business.
On this particular occasion it must have registered in Peters spirit that the Holy Ghost wanted to do something. I say this because the lame man is no stranger to the people who go up to the temple. All know his story and are familiar with his suffering in life. He is there to beg regularly. So we can assume Peter and John would know something of this man as well seeing they are not strangers to the temple either.
But on this day, Peter decides to do something. He approaches the man and stretches forth his hand with a simple statement. I have no silver or gold but what I do have I give to you.
What did Peter possess?
He was a possessor of the Kingdom he had Christ living on the inside, he was full of the Holy Ghost. Everything that defies the status of a broken fallen world was residing in Peter and John. It resides as well in us.
What I have I give to you! Where did learn such an extravagant generosity that sets no prerequisites on what a man must do to receive?
Maybe it is revealed in the name he spoke when he told the man to rise up and walk. Peter had witnessed extravagant love unbound, untainted, pure and unsullied expressed through Jesus. He had witnessed the free will offering of Christ, he had seen the generosity and willingness of a savior who would not only do good for those who were seeking help, He would even lay down His life for those who were to be called His own.
At one point in Peters life he had denied, ran away and hid himself, and eventually came out of hiding to go fishing.
Like the rest of us he struggled with his faith and he struggled between what his mind wished to analyze and what his heart desired to believe. Reconciling the two would be a journey for Peter just as it was for all the others who followed Christ and will be for us.
But by this time in Peters life he and the others had at least come to terms on some simple realities.
1) Christ was alive because they had seen Him after he had raised from the dead.
2) The kingdom of God was to go forth in the earth conquering the hearts of men and women everywhere according to God’s will and power at work in them through the gospel.
3) They were commissioned to speak this good news wherever they found themselves.
These three basic realities fueled a fresh motivation in their hearts that stirred their prayers and moved them to action each day they went about their usual business.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Hearts for the Kingdom Part One
Acts 4:31 (NKJV) And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.
Most would enjoy being part of a meeting where the place was shaken. I’ve been at prayer meetings where they prayed the place would be shaken. But is it accurate to pray such a thing?
If we separate Acts 4:31 from what precedes it and what follows it we might assume it is a recipe for meeting prayers.
But never once did even one of the believers in Acts 4:31 ask that the place be shaken. It simply says when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.
Somehow I do not think these believers were worried about the meeting itself. I think they were praying from a motive to advance the Kingdom of God where they lived!
In Acts 4:31 believers in Christ were doing life with a kingdom heart and mindset. As we go about our business and engage each day with a kingdom heart and mindset we too can discover the willingness of God to manifest His presence to others.
Jesus wants His gospel proclaimed and He will manifest Himself to others as do life with the motive of advancing His kingdom.
Acts 4:31 does not exist as a motivational passage for powerful meetings. It exist as a passage sandwiched between many other passages revealing a lifestyle and motivation that existed in the hearts of those early believers.
Without what happened to Peter and John as they did ordinary daily life we would not have an Acts 4:31 passage to begin with.
Most would enjoy being part of a meeting where the place was shaken. I’ve been at prayer meetings where they prayed the place would be shaken. But is it accurate to pray such a thing?
If we separate Acts 4:31 from what precedes it and what follows it we might assume it is a recipe for meeting prayers.
But never once did even one of the believers in Acts 4:31 ask that the place be shaken. It simply says when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.
Somehow I do not think these believers were worried about the meeting itself. I think they were praying from a motive to advance the Kingdom of God where they lived!
In Acts 4:31 believers in Christ were doing life with a kingdom heart and mindset. As we go about our business and engage each day with a kingdom heart and mindset we too can discover the willingness of God to manifest His presence to others.
Jesus wants His gospel proclaimed and He will manifest Himself to others as do life with the motive of advancing His kingdom.
Acts 4:31 does not exist as a motivational passage for powerful meetings. It exist as a passage sandwiched between many other passages revealing a lifestyle and motivation that existed in the hearts of those early believers.
Without what happened to Peter and John as they did ordinary daily life we would not have an Acts 4:31 passage to begin with.
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Standing in the Truth
1Corinthians 5:1 ¶ I can hardly believe the report about the sexual immorality going on among you––something that even pagans don’t do. I am told that a man in your church is living in sin with his stepmother. 2 You are so proud of yourselves, but you should be mourning in sorrow and shame. And you should remove this man from your fellowship.
What on earth is happening here?
As a pastor I have discovered deception can masquerade in many forms. Here we find the Corinthian church was deeply decieved. In these last days it should not catch us unaware that we too will encounter people who lack discernment and the courage to deal in the truth with those who practice gross immorality. Let's draw our attention to the man mentioned in this text.
I look at this and I see that the man would likely claim there is no pretending in his life. He is still mingling with others in the church but he has not hidden the sin he is in.
Grace is not about tolernace. It is not true grace to allow such a vile sin to go unchecked in a church body. Here was a man, in a sin, that even the godless pagans would find offensive and yet he still expected to enjoy fellowship with believers in Christ as though he were normal since he was not hiding his sin from anyone.
The church in Corinth was allowing this man to be in charge of their response to his sin by pretending along with him that what he was doing was okay. They were obviously pointing to this situation as the proof of their love because Paul says they are proud of themselves about their acceptance of this man despite his sin.
But we discover their "love" was no love at all in this case. They were deceived in their handling of this man up to this point. If they loved him they must take the difficult stand against what he is doing and they must realize that if they continue in their loving tolerance mindset they are condoning his behavior and it will become a license to others to follow his example.
Can a church grounded in grace actually bring discipline to a member in deep sinful behavior? Absolutely, and it should when appropriate.
What on earth is happening here?
As a pastor I have discovered deception can masquerade in many forms. Here we find the Corinthian church was deeply decieved. In these last days it should not catch us unaware that we too will encounter people who lack discernment and the courage to deal in the truth with those who practice gross immorality. Let's draw our attention to the man mentioned in this text.
I look at this and I see that the man would likely claim there is no pretending in his life. He is still mingling with others in the church but he has not hidden the sin he is in.
Grace is not about tolernace. It is not true grace to allow such a vile sin to go unchecked in a church body. Here was a man, in a sin, that even the godless pagans would find offensive and yet he still expected to enjoy fellowship with believers in Christ as though he were normal since he was not hiding his sin from anyone.
The church in Corinth was allowing this man to be in charge of their response to his sin by pretending along with him that what he was doing was okay. They were obviously pointing to this situation as the proof of their love because Paul says they are proud of themselves about their acceptance of this man despite his sin.
But we discover their "love" was no love at all in this case. They were deceived in their handling of this man up to this point. If they loved him they must take the difficult stand against what he is doing and they must realize that if they continue in their loving tolerance mindset they are condoning his behavior and it will become a license to others to follow his example.
Can a church grounded in grace actually bring discipline to a member in deep sinful behavior? Absolutely, and it should when appropriate.
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