New Light on Old Truths
“… The Son stands first in the line of humanity he restored…” (The Message, Romans 8:29 – 30)
“For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.” (NIV, Romans 8:29)
“… let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” (NIV, 1 John 4:7 – 8)
“This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him…. as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” (NIV, 1 John 4:9 – 10)
“This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome,” (NIV, 1 John 5: 2 – 3)
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The love of God transforms our lowly nature of works and disobedience, through a process Romans describes as putting to death the deeds of the body, made alive in spirit (healing and restoration), by grace through faith in the revelation of Christ. (1 Peter 1:13)
Christ is the only one qualified to reveal the journey he pioneered and finished, the “way” he’s prepared for those who accept his invitation into the wilderness.
There’s only one way to the deep things of God, to partake of the same journey he partook, to drink the cup he drank from.
Jesus said, “… unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.” (NIV, John 6:53 – 54, italicized mine)
Christ’s use of strong symbolism and piercing words elicits the hearer to shift from the “natural” to the “spiritual.”
To those seeking wisdom, it awakens the heart to the calling and deep work of the Spirit, desired by God, in those he’s leading into the fullness of the Gospel, sonship.
We are invited, honored, and privileged, to eat and drink from the same banquet table that nourished and fed Christ, the banquet table of God’s Word and Spirit. (Psalm 23:5)
For his journey “the banquet of healing and restoration” is not only for him, but for you and me as well.
Jesus did more than die for our sins, he showed us how “to die” to sin, that we might be resurrected to walk in newness of life, like he did. (Romans Chapter 6)
The wilderness journey, i.e., the feast of Tabernacles, the fulfilment of Romans Chapter 6, the open door to the Philadelphia church age, spans much of the remaining years of our journey.
Christ experienced the fullness of that journey by age 30, having received deep healing and restoration from his Father “learning obedience,” as Hebrews describes, preparing him for his commissioning (40 – day test), public ministry (3 plus years), and Calvary (his public sacrifice for you and me).
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Hello and greetings once again.
My plan is to continue to share more on Christ’s personal journey.
A journey missed and misunderstood, by most, though not all, for many centuries.
It covers his life prior to his presentation to John at the River Jordan.
It’s not a subject you’ll hear much about.
God has placed an understanding of Christ’s journey deep in my heart.
For me, it’s been a banquet in him.
Brief Introduction
The so called “missing years,” of Christ, in Scripture, age 12 to age 30, are not missing.
They’ve been there, all along, in God’s Word, clearly explaining Christ’s personal journey of healing and restoration before his presentation to John.
For well over a millennium and a half, Scriptures pertaining to Christ’s personal journey have been misunderstood.
They’ve been attributed to either his 40 – day commissioning, public ministry, or Calvary.
There’s a number of reasons for this. Here’s the few that come immediately to mind:
1) The truth of Christ’s personal journey was lost after the first church age (Ephesus) and replaced by “other” teachings in the beginning of the dark age.
2) Creeds, doctrines, traditions, statements of faith, etc., over the centuries became substitutes, closing the door to insight and revelation from the Lord, obstacles to personal discovery, actually having a “weight” greater than Scripture, becoming a separate foundation.
3) With the loss of the knowledge and revelation of Christ’s personal journey, Scriptures describing the “missing years” were ascribed to either – the 40 days in the wilderness, public ministry, or Calvary.
4) It’s been a long journey from the dark ages, truths restored one step at a time, beginning with the Reformation in the 1500s, Pentecost in the early 1900s, and Tabernacles beginning in the last half of the 20th century.
5) The return of Tabernacles opened the door (Revelation 3:7 – 8) to insight and revelation of Christ’s personal journey, the journey he pioneered before public ministry.
6) Until the door was re-opened it wasn’t imperative to understand Christ’s personal journey because it was closed to entrance. But now that it’s opened, we must understand what he pioneered for his call to the bride in the Philadelphia church age.
7) “Tradition” is a powerful foe to change. Sometimes the biggest obstacle to new insight and revelation comes from within. The pain of birthing “newness” within the body of Christ can be severe. Just look at the reformers, beginning with Christ.
8) Though we owe much gratitude and honor to those who’ve spent their lives writing commentaries and authoring translations, they were human, subject to the “limited revelation” of their day, and the “mantle” of tradition.
9) And it would be remiss to exclude the enemy’s work in hiding the deep things of Christ’s journey, to confuse our own, to cloud the Scriptures, and create another set of beliefs alongside Scripture – the traditions and teachings of men.
Contrary to tradition, the Scriptures are replete with the story of Christ during the “missing years.”
So much so, most of what has been ascribed in the Scriptures (of course, outside of the gospels) to either his 40 days in the wilderness, public ministry, or Calvary, properly belong to the missing years.
Those were his formative and transforming years. The years he received healing and restoration in the embrace of his Father.
Jesus was not born perfect. He was made perfect (Hebrews 5:7-10).
Simply, Christ needed deep healing and restoration, being born of a woman (Romans 1:3 and Galatians 4:4).
The book of Hebrews captures Christ’s personal testimony during those years.
And Romans and other places in the New Testament describe much of that journey as well.
The Lord is blowing a fresh wind of his Spirit, calling and choosing sons and daughters from the vast outreaches of his kingdom to follow in their savior’s footsteps – to drink his cup.
Jesus does not ask us to drink the cup of Calvary. Only he could drink that.
But he does ask us to drink the cup of transformation – the baptism into holiness he pioneered.
Since the latter part of the 20th century, the Philadelphia church age has been beckoning the saints of God to be ushered into the deep mysteries of Christ, the promise of the Father – healing and restoration into sonship.
Every move of God sheds new light on old truths and Tabernacles is no exception.
When the Lord opens the door to deeper things, it’s not just greater measures of his Spirit, but also, greater measures of his Word.
And with an open door and spiritual eyes, you can look at the past and see the present and the future in Scripture – the promises of God fulfilled, being fulfilled, and those on the horizon, and, your part in it.
The Gospel continues to unfold a beautiful story today. And Jesus is looking for those who want to be a part of it.
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I’ve divided this post into three sections for easier reading.
Section I – Introduction
Section II – Symbolism – the Four Major Journeys of Christ
Section III – Forerunners
I hope these posts stir your heart for more of God.
I know my posts are long, but, it takes a lot to bring together the moving parts of Christ’s journey.
It’s like discovering a vast underground cavern stretching for miles filled with waterfalls and streams in glorious crystallized creations hidden for centuries.
Or, like re-discovering a “new world” from pieces of old maps torn apart, putting it back together for others to follow – to complete the portrait of Christ.
I hope my posts draw you into the love of God, the wonder of Scripture, and help awaken desire for the “open door” into the treasures and riches of Christ.
Together, let’s respond to the call of God to go deeper in him.
*** SECTION I ***
Introduction
As I mentioned, these posts will focus on Christ’s personal journey, his pioneering work (Hebrews 2:10).
We’ve been taught much about Christ’s 40 – day wilderness commissioning, his public ministry, and, his death at Calvary.
But not much, if at all, on his personal journey before his presentation to John at the Jordan.
That’s the focus of these posts.
Christ, “…he learned obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect,…” (NIV, Hebrews 5:8-9), is not the same journey as “being sent into the wilderness to be tested of the devil,” (Luke Chapter 4), nor the same event as “… his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.”, Calvary. (NIV, Luke 22:44)
“Learning obedience” (the testimony of Christ in Hebrews) is Christ’s journey of healing and restoration under the care of his Father over almost two decades – previously thought to be the missing years.
Most of Christ’s life was devoted to preparation; overcoming the antagonism in his flesh (See (A) below) – the baptism Christ pioneered and for us to follow – referred to as putting to death the deeds of the body, made alive in spirit. (Romans Chapter 6)
His 40 – days in the wilderness was just that, 40 days. His public ministry spanned under four years, and Calvary over days. Other than that, the first 30 years of his life was devoted to preparation – healing and restoration in the care of his Father.
The bulk of New Testament Scriptures, those referring to Christ (outside of the gospel accounts) describe this journey.
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(A) “… the hostility, in the flesh of him, …” Ephesians 2:14, The New Greek – English Interlinear New Testament by Translators Robert K. Brown and Philip W. Comfort, Editor: J. D. Douglas. Copyright © 1990. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.)
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Important Material About Christ
Ephesians 2:14 is a challenge for commentators because of what the Greek states and implies – Christ needed healing and restoration – to be made perfect, which conflicts with traditions and creeds.
Bottom line, it has been understood to mean things other than what it clearly says.
Christ had hostility in his flesh, and if he was to be made perfect and learn obedience, as it says in Hebrews and describes in Romans, then he would need healing and restoration.
And it would not be Calvary putting to death the deeds of the flesh, making the Jews and Gentiles one, but, the healing and restoring work of the Father in Christ, healing Christ’s wounds and brokenness, making him a “whole man” fulfilling the “…law of the Spirit who gives life…” (NIV, Romans 8:1, italicized mine), in Christ, perfecting him, before his presentation to John for water baptism.
Ephesians 2:14 has been explained in a variety of ways to conform to age old traditions and beliefs. You can read the commentators for yourself.
The same can be said for the second sentence of 1 Peter 3:18. And there are other scriptures as well.
It’s been assumed to be about his resurrection at Calvary, yet the wording clearly supports a different type of resurrection, one from dying to sin, to walk in new life, and not actual physical death.
Some commentators say this cannot be Calvary’s resurrection, yet, conclude, it must be something along those lines because what else could it be.
For centuries theologians have missed the clear wording of Romans Chapter 6 and many other NT Scriptures, that Christ indeed had to die to sin just like you and me, from the antagonism of his own flesh, and be resurrected in those areas to walk in new life.
Based on Christian orthodoxy, Christ was born free from anything having to do with the fall, other than the normal weaknesses of the flesh, which would subject him to only “sins” temptation coming from the outside, externally.
That picture is not Scriptural.
For centuries theologians have ascribed Scriptures having to do suffering, cross bearing, dying to sin, etc., with Christ’s 40 day wilderness testing, his public ministry, or Calvary.
While in fact, most of these Scriptures pertain to the long journey of healing and restoration Christ needed from his Father before he could be tested by Satan in the wilderness, before he could be effective in public ministry, and, before he could die for our sins at Calvary.
Can you image having to face Satan in the wilderness, public ministry or Calvary, if you lacked a long journey of overcoming the weakness of your own flesh through initiation, discipline, etc., – healing and restoration?
I’ll be sharing a lot on this later but here’s a snapshot.
Christ’s virgin birth bypassed the “sins of the fathers” that would’ve otherwise passed to him.
God needed to start anew again.
And the only way to do that was to father the Messiah, to place him in the same position as Adam before the fall but with the new constraint of using a female with a fallen nature. (Sarah, Hannah, and Elizabeth, among others, being “types” pointing to Mary who would bear the Messiah.)
This might be a shock to you, but, simply, the Holy Spirit overshadowing Mary was the power of God creating, for Mary’s egg, a sperm free from the fallen nature of sin – removing the “father to son” sin curse, the Scripture talks about in reference to the human race.
But it did not remove the flaws and nature flowing through Mary’s bloodline.
That’s the “hostility in the flesh” Christ inherited that needed deep healing and restoration by his Father.
Mankind was getting a new lease on life.
God was providing his nature in this “second” beginning just like he did with Adam. That’s why Christ is called the second Adam.
But there’s more to the story.
Mary’s image, her sinful nature, was cast upon Christ, just like we inherit the natures of both our parents, not just one.
Though he inherited wounds, and the nature to sin – what the Scripture calls the hostility of the flesh – from his mom’s side, he was free from the “driven – ness” to sin, having the Spirit of his Father carry him in grace and truth.
Simply, as the second Adam, he was placed back in the position of “choice,” free will, and not the automatic sinning you and I are born into.
But nonetheless, the damaged nature, imperfections, weaknesses, and underlying brokenness of the fallen nature he inherited from his mom required healing and restoration – just like you and me.
Otherwise, these “weaknesses,” which James calls “evil desires,” if left uncleansed, unhealed, and unrestored, would come to fruition – conception – and birth sin. (James Chapter 1)
In that way, Christ was just like you and me, needing healing and restoration, and that was his fight, his personal journey and fight, being made perfect by his Father.
This was his personal journey over the first 30 years of his life.
The Scripture is clear. Christ faced the same things we face – unhealed and broken areas “within” tempting one to sin.
However, he did not start out like you and me with our “auto” sin button on.
But other than that exception, which is truly wondrous and marvelous in and of itself, he still required a journey, a long one, stretching almost 2 decades, as best we can tell, to be healed and restored, and made perfect, all without ever sinning.
This is the beauty of Christ. His similarity to us, and yet, completing his journey without sin.
He is the second or last Adam (1 Corinthians 15:45 – 49, Romans 5:14), the first fruit (1 Corinthians 15:20 – 23), the firstborn (Romans 8:29, Colossians 1:15), fully human in every way just like us (Hebrews 2:17), needed healing and restoration just like you and me (Romans Chapter 6, Ephesians 2:14, 4:20 – 24, Hebrews 2:10 – 18 and 5:7 – 10).
In this journey we will also cover some other wonderful Scriptures about the Lord, like, the Word of God being made flesh, and the only begotten God – what they mean.
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Christ’s personal journey is beautifully captured in the book of Hebrews.
Hebrews is his personal testimony before ministry.
He experienced the resurrection, being raised to walk in new life, before ministry.
A lot more on this to come!
It’s a glorious story, our Savior’s own journey – the New Testament is not all about the bride as many have written and expound – but, it’s all about Jesus and always will be.
We are blessed to be invited into his story – the only one to walk in faith and obedience without sin! The only begotten of the Father.
(Like James is in many ways the testimony of James, and the epistles of Peter his testimony, and John’s letters his, Hebrews is the testimony of Christ, his journey to perfection – “… the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being…” (NIV, Hebrews 1:3, italicized mine))
*** SECTION II ***
Symbolism – the Four Major Journeys of Christ
Christ’s first 30 years may be likened, in a very broad way, to his priestly training – becoming the great high priest, pioneer (author), and finisher of our faith – so eloquently portrayed in Hebrews.
Hebrews is not the story of Calvary. It is not the story of Christ’s public ministry. Nor is it the story of his 40 days in the wilderness being tempted of the devil.
But the story of his personal journey, his personal fight, to put the death the hostility in his flesh in the guidance, care and love of his Father.
Being healed and restored from generational weaknesses passed to him from his human lineage (Romans 1:3 and Galatians 4:4).
He fought for himself first and foremost, learning to receive grace and truth – healing and restoration – from his Father, paving the way for the journey others who would follow in God’s plan of redemption.
(His first 30 years may be likened to the restoration of Christ’s “humanity,” the face of a “man,” highlighted in the Gospel of Luke, one of the attributes of the living creatures of Revelation – an attribute the bride receives from Christ.
Luke is noted for portraying Christ’s priestly ministry, forgiving and healing from sins.)
In short, during the first 30 years of Christ’s life, he was “made” into everything God desired and planned for his Son, our great high priest and intercessor, “…full of grace and truth.” (NIV, John 1:14)
In contrast, in a very broad sense, Christ’s “hard,” but short 40 – day commissioning in the wilderness, being tempted of the devil, may be likened to the final testing and forging of his kingly training, victory over Satan in hand-to-hand combat, spiritually speaking.
Christ faced Satan face-to-face and overcame him with the sword of the Spirit, the Word, unquestionably wearing the victor’s crown of a king out of the wilderness.
The Gospel of Matthew, being the first gospel presented in the New Testament, records his kingly ancestry setting the stage for the entrance of the King.
(Christ’s apprehension of kingship, the face of a “lion,” is seen in the attributes of the living creatures of Revelation, an attribute of the bride, ruling and reigning with Christ, imparted to her from Christ in her wilderness journey.)
And in contrast to the two journeys just mentioned, priestly and kingly training, the public ministry of Christ, can be likened in a very broad sense, to Christ’s attribute of service, the completion and fulfillment of servant training.
(And like the previous two, this too is the face of one of the living creatures, an ox, an attribute of Christ imparted into the nature of his bride. And Mark’s account clearly portrays the hard – working heart of a servant.
She not only rules and reigns with him, and helps reconcile people to him, but is given the heart of a servant as well.
The ox symbolizes service in obedience, plowing the field and preparing the ground for planting and fruitfulness.)
And, finally, in contrast to his first 30 years of priestly training (the face of a man), his 40 – day commissioning (the face of a king), and his public ministry (the face of an ox), was his death at Calvary, the culmination of all his attributes, and the fulfillment of the prophetic (the face of an eagle).
His approaching death ushered in the great prophecies of Scripture concerning the coming destruction of Jerusalem, the gospel age, the last days, and in particular, the end – times, the Great Tribulation, the Antichrist, and his literal physical Second Coming.
He was soaring high like an eagle, above the storm clouds of this life, pointing out the landscape below to those who would listen to him and read his words, even 2,000 years later.
His approaching death put the finishing touches on Christ’s prophetic nature, “being raised again,” fulfilling his own words about himself unlike any man before him.
For, whoever, confirmed their own words “after” they died?
No one, of course, except Christ.
These posts will focus on the first 30 years of Christ’s life – his priestly calling, making, and perfection – our beloved Redeemer and Savior.
(I’ve written before, and so have others, how the Gospels highlight the four major attributes of Christ:
Matthew, his kingship, the face of a “lion;”
Mark, his heart to serve, plowing the garden of men and women hearts to plant the seed of God, the face of an “ox;”
Luke, his high priesthood – mediator, forgiveness of sins and healing, the face of a “man;” and,
John, his prophetic nature and office, deep insights into the spiritual kingdom, lifting others above the storms into the vision of God, the face of an “eagle.”)
*** SECTION III ***
Forerunners
The term “modeling” a common reference to Christ in preaching and writings, implies Christ was acting, instead of, like all good teachers and pastors, passing on to his students what he learned first – hand.
Models pose, wear the attire and project a script of someone else.
They are not who they appear, and their true identity bears no resemblance to the image they cast out to others.
Simply, they are playing a role for hire.
Christ was no model.
His heavenly Father taught him everything he needed to know, imparting everything he needed, making him into the perfect man.
Christ’s pioneering work includes overcoming the weaknesses and damages of the flesh passed on to him by his earthly parent.
He needed care, love, grace, the impartation of truth – healing and restoration from his heavenly Father – just like you and me, to be cleansed of what he inherited in the natural.
His first 30 years was a time of tremendous change and transformation in his life.
It prepared him for the profound work of bringing the Holy of Holies, God himself, to a wayward and broken people bent on self – destruction.
No, Christ is no model.
He is the real thing. A real pioneer. A real overcomer. A real, true, honest, redeemer and Savior. A man who learned to love and be loved in depths with his Father we can only imagine.
Christ knew what it was to experience care, love, healing and restoration personally and experientially.
He’s not a phony or masquerade or pretender.
He is the true forerunner of our faith.
Jesus did not model Christianity – he was Christianity, body, soul, and spirit. (Ephesians 4:20 – 24, Hebrews 5:7 – 10, and many more Scriptures)
Tragically and sadly, somewhere in the early dark ages this understanding of Christ was lost.
The Scriptures are replete with his personal journey separate from his public ministry, Calvary, and his 40 days in the wilderness.
He was truly the second Adam, made perfect, by the things which he suffered.
No, the gospel is not all about us.
It’s all about Jesus and the journey his Father invited him into over the four major seasons of his life.
And we, living in the 21st century, having two millenniums of church history behind us, the Reformation and return of Pentecost as well, are privileged to be offered the third and final major feast, the feast of Tabernacles.
It’s the healing and restoration movement begun in the mid-20th century, the beginning of the last church age offering the fullness of the gospel, the age of Philadelphia.
No, he is not a model.
But the product of over 4,000 years of diligent planning by the Lord to birth and make the second Adam in his image and likeness.
The making of a savior, a perfect man, thrust wholly in the arms of his heavenly father, a bond, trust, and union for every facet of his life and existence.
A New Work – Revisiting Adam and Eve, and Christ
Forerunners of every new move of God have been thrust into the forefront of God’s Spirit.
Adam and Eve were the first to be thrust by God into a new work.
Every forerunner since has faced the newness of God’s work, and opposition, spiritual or otherwise, from those who hold beliefs and practices contrary to grace and faith.
Every new work of God imparts greater grace and love, and the offer of a greater change in nature – putting to death works and disobedience.
Satan fell from grace, the grace to love God’s creation and help steward men and women into positions of joint heirs with God, eventually to exceed his own position.
Having knowledge of man and woman’s coming exaltation, he abandoned his position of advocacy turning instead to oppose, tempt.
This is the age-old battle beginning with Adam and Eve, grace versus works.
Who will be our tutor, the Lord, through faith and obedience in the redeeming power of his Spirit, or our flesh, through the destructive work of disobedience and unbelief (and, at times, under the power of an unholy spirit).
Adam and Eve chose to “fend” for themselves for their unmet needs, instead of trusting in God’s Word (grace coupled with obedience) to meet their need at an appointed time.
Yes, Adam and Eve were not perfect, in the sense of being fully grown, matured, and tested.
The first testing we know occurred in the Garden, subtle, though deadly. They fell in the beautiful confines of the Garden, their fleshly nature – body, soul, and spirit – now becoming a wilderness of wounds and brokenness, and eventually the Garden as well.
Adam and Eve were still learning “life” from the Lord – the Lord’s appointed time, a fullness of time, when he would meet the need Eve was trying to fulfill in the Garden.
Christ was thrust into the depths of God’s new move, experiencing first – hand the hostility in his own flesh – the inheritance of deep wounds and imperfections (through his mother) and the deep healing and restorative creative work of God to make him perfect.
Christ was fully human in every measure of the word and his divine birth embarked him on a journey only he could fulfill, being tempted in all matters, yet without sin. (Hebrews 2:17, 4:15)
His divine birth placed him in the position of the first Adam, the ability to choose right from wrong without the automatic predisposition to sin.
Yet, unlike the first Adam, Christ, the second or last Adam (1 Corinthians 15:45), had wounds and imperfections from the sin of his ancestors.
And in that vein, he is like you and me, (Hebrews 2:17) knowing the hostility of the flesh to the grace of God, and the healing and restoration needed to restore one to grace.
Left unhealed and unrestored, Christ’s “hostility in his flesh” would eventually lead to sin and death.
This is why Christ can be said to be in every way made just like us (Hebrews 2:17).
Christ’s journey was no walk in the park before his presentation to John.
He required deep healing and care from his Father if he was to be made perfect, “becoming” the perfect sacrifice for the redemption of Israel and the Gentiles.
His personal journey was filled with prayer, fasting, and a deeply intense work of the Holy Spirit in cleansing and healing our Lord.
He learned deep intimacy and dependency, grace and truth in the care of his Father.
He learned the Father’s heart and the plan and design for man and woman’s redemption.
His identity and destiny became one with the Father and yet uniquely designed and made into the fullness and stature of the masterpiece God had in mind all along for man, and, woman.
That’s why Jesus could say, “… unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.” (NIV, John 6:53)
He “walked” the “talk.”
The flesh of the Son of Man and his blood, symbolize, among other things, those lowly, broken, and wounded places inherited from his earthly parent (the identity and destiny of death) being cleansed and healed by his Father – transformed, made alive, resurrected to life – by the creative power of the Spirit of God. (Romans 8:10 – 11)
Christ personally experienced firsthand the creative power of God – resurrected to walk in newness of life.
When Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life…” (NIV, John 11:25), he was not just talking about his authority, or what he could do, but first and foremost, what he experienced and knew what God could do.
Something to consider:
How can Jesus be our personal Lord and Savior, if we don’t know who he is, what he’s done, and experience to a measure what he’s experienced?
No, there’s no modeling in Christ’s heart.
He knows firsthand what it’s like not only to face temptation from without, but also temptation from within, and, most importantly, how to overcome and be healed and restored into the design and plan of God.
Relation to Israel
It would have to be an unprecedented work of God in Christ first and foremost, to prepare him for an unprecedented outflow of God’s Spirit to those held in chains of darkness.
The unprecedented work in Christ produced the unprecedented work of God’s Spirit through Christ in what we hold as the Gospels.
And that work continues this very hour in the Philadelphia church age.
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We have been taught in schools, spiritual and otherwise, what those who have gone before us discovered, based upon what those before them found out, etc.
There is tremendous value in this when it comes to understanding the context of when things were written, history, the understanding of language, etc. – the foundation for historical knowledge.
But the value diminishes, relatively speaking, when the Lord does a new work.
When the Lord begins a new work, he takes what he’s built and adds to it, not what man has built over centuries with traditions and the like.
For example, when the Reformation was birthed, God brought men and women back to his Word already founded by the prophets, apostles, and Christ – not to the current teaching of the then existing Church at large.
He did not build upon what man taught, but his own Word and Spirit, birthing life and light where darkness dwelled.
The same happened when he rebirthed Pentecost in the 20th century.
His life directed men and women into the path Christ paved 1900 years ago.
The only true path available to us is the one he pioneered. Any other paths lead to works, disobedience, apostasy and ultimately death.
Every move of God builds upon each successive move and thus, each move gets farther and farther from the doctrines and traditions of men and women who have not moved with the Spirit.
Sadly, the revealing of the bride in the last days will be so far removed from the Christianity known and practiced at large that many in the Christian church – particularly leaders – will have extreme difficulties with the new move(s) of God’s Spirit.
As more and more new things come from the Lord, those who camp will get farther and farther behind.
But thankfully, God has a rescue plan in the end – time revival.
Hopefully, some of those who have camped will be awakened and run to the bridegroom just in the nick of time.
The differences are only growing in the Church between those God is drawing forward and those camped at the last move.
Here is a caution.
If you find yourself automatically measuring anything new by what you’ve been taught, quick to judge, unsettled in heart and spirit, then you may want to examine the movements of your heart to see what may be going on.
Likewise, if new things are approached with a deaf ear, ignored, and held at bay.
I love what the Scripture says about the Bereans in Acts 17:11, “Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.” (NIV)
It is interesting to note Paul’s letters to the Thessalonians are placed in the Bible as the last letters to the Churches, symbolizing the Church in the closing hours of the gospel age under severe trial and persecution, on the threshold of the Tribulation.
Now more than ever, with the apostasy on our doorstep, darkness in almost every area of our culture in so many forms, it behooves you and me to receive everything we can from the Lord’s banquet table while it is still present.
Where is the cry in the Church today to have the fullness of Christ?
Here are some things the Church could be beseeching the Lord for:
- Lord, we want only you, transformation, not traditions, but your Holy Spirit, your presence and richness.
- We want your Word to come alive in our life.
- We want your Spirit in our services, fellowships, in newness, vibrancy, and clarity.
- We want whatever it takes to have new wine poured into new bottles.
- We want to learn how to hear your voice.
- We want services led by you, impact and change, the deep things of the Spirit.
- We want healing and restoration however it comes.
- We will perish if we do not have your Spirit!
A lot more to come.
Blessings, Drake
(The Message) Scripture quotations marked The Message are taken from The Message, copyright© 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers, a division of Tyndale House Ministries.
(NIV) Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright© 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.Zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblical, Inc.™
