Who is God? King: Lord of Hosts

Today we gain insight into God as the Lord of hosts.


The Law of First Mention
The Law of First Mention is a theological idea that the first meanings and connotations related to any term when first used in the Bible carries throughout the Bible to the subsequent uses of that term.

If we apply this concept, we can get an appreciation for a richer understanding of 'Lord of hosts'.
The term 'Lord of hosts' is not used specifically until 1 Samuel but we gain an important preview in Joshua 5:13-14:

And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, a Man stood opposite him with His sword drawn in His hand. And Joshua went to Him and said to Him, "Are You for us or for our adversaries?"
So He siad, "No, but as Commander of the army of the LORD I have now come."
And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped, and said to Him, What does my Lord say to His servant?"

This 'Man' was no ordinary one. He came with a drawn sword, ready for a battle, a warrior.
He said, '...as Commander of the army of the LORD I have now come". The Hebrew for 'commander of the army of the Lord' is sar tsaba YHWH.

Sar (שר) = chief, ruler, prince (Strong concordance, blueletterbible.org).
Tsaba (צבא) = an army.
YHWH (יהוה) is God's name first revealed to Israel when He was about to deliver them from their lives of Egyptian slavery (Exodus 6:2-3). This name of God speaks of covenant, commitment to His promises in that covenant, and relationship: "I will take you as My people, and I will be your God" (Exodus 6:7).

It is commonly accepted that this Commander was in fact Jesus Christ. He met Joshua at a crucial point in their campaign to possess the Promised Land: Jericho was the gateway to Canaan. Jesus, as the Commander was there to ensure God's wil be done by instructing Joshua to the way to victory -- He was there to guide the movement of a nation.

The first two times the actual term 'Lord of hosts' (YHWH Tsaba or, as commonly latinised Jehovah Saboath) is in 1 Samuel, where we are introduced to Elkanah and Hannah, and their son Samuel who became the last of the judges of Israel.

This man [Elkanah] went up from his city yearly to worship and sacrifice to the Lord of hosts in Shiloh... - 1 Sam 1:3a (emphasis mine) 

Then she [Hannah] made a vow and said, "O Lord of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a male child, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall come upon his head." - 1 Sam 1:11 (emphasis mine)

Therefore, if we put Joshua and 1 Samuel chapter 1 together, Lord of hosts speaks of:

• the Lord as a warrior, fighting on our behalf for God's purposes to be fulfilled
• the sovereignty and rulership of God over nations and individual lives
• in a personal sense, YHWH Tsaba is our ever present help and refuge (see Psalm 64)
• the holiness and majesty of God
• the power and strength of God

Scripture Study
When we look into scripture, we will find that in many uses of the title 'Lord of hosts', the same sense of God's fighting spirit, majesty and power is being conveyed as our help, refuge, hope. Therefore, whenever God declares something with the words 'says the Lord of hosts', He is making a firm statement as a majestic, powerful Warrior King who has committed to keeping His promises towards us.

• Amos 4:13
  For behold, He who forms mountains, and creates the wind, who declares to man what his thought is, and makes the morning darkness, who treads the high places of the earth - the Lord God of hosts is His Name.
• Isaiah 31:4-5
  As a lion roars, and a young lion over his prey (when a multitude of shepherds is summoned against hin, he will not be afraid of their voice nor be disturbed by their noise), so the Lord of hosts will come down to fight for Mount Zion and for its hill. Like birds flying about, so will the Lord of hosts defend Jerusalem. Defending it, He will also deliver it; passing over, He will preserve it.
• Isaiah 44:6
  Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel, and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts; I am the First and I am the Last; besides me there is no God.
• Zech 4:6
  Not by might, nor by power but by My Spirit, says the Lord of hosts.

Notice that the term 'hosts' is never capitalised. Some commentaries say this is because it is not just referring to heavenly armies, but denotes God's sovereignty over any army.

So who is the Lord of hosts? Read Isaiah 44:6 again. We read later in Revelations Jesus himself saying many times, "I am the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last."

Revelations 19:11-16 says:

Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war...He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and HIs name is called The Word of God. And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linene, white and clean, followed Him on white horses... And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written:

 KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

We know from John 1 that the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us. Therefore, the Lord of hosts is Jesus Christ our Redeemer, our majestic, sovereign, all-powerful King.


The Lord of hosts Today


The YHWH Tsaba of the Old Testament was a distant God, unreachable except to a select few. There are many verses that have words to this effect, "the Lord of hosts, who dwells between the cherubim" (eg. 1 Sam 4:4; 2 Sam 6:2; Isa 37:16).

This refers to the Ark of the Covenant, which was located in the deepest, most Holy Place of the tabernacle or temple, hidden behind a veil as thick as a man's hand. Only the High Priest was able to enter behind the veil once a year, and only after many animal sacrifices.

However, Jesus Christ, our Redeemer and our Lord of hosts came in the flesh to walk among us. He gave His life to pay for our salvation.  When Jesus cried 'It is finished!' with His last breath on the Cross, there was an earthquake in which this veil in the temple was torn from top to bottom in a divine, sovereign act that opened the Holy of Holies for all to enter.

The Lord of hosts is now accessible by all who come in His blood and the Name of Jesus Christ. He comes as your commander-in-chief, and mine, One who has experienced life on this earth and understands our struggles and temptations, yet overcame them all. He is still the same majestic, powerful Creator King who is our refuge, and ever-present help in time of trouble.

When Peter, James and John first met Him, they were tired after a whole night of fruitless fishing. He climbed into their boat and suggested that they go fishing. They obeyed and He demonstrated that He was able to take care of their needs in miraculous abundance if they followed Him.

Over the next three years, they got to know His likes, dislikes, His habits, whether he liked lamb or goat better. They saw Him at work in ministry, sleeping, praying, frustrated, moved with compassion. They watched in awe as He stripped bare the pride of the Pharisees, healed the sick, raised the dead and cast out demons. He trained them to do the same. They followed Him like a tight-knit soldiers of a troop and carried out His instructions and orders. Then, in one terrifying night, He was taken from them and nailed to a Cross at such a speed that they were left reeling.

The emptiness and loss of direction was palpable the day when Peter suggested 'let's go fishing' (John 21). They had seen Jesus appear and disappear. He was alive, but it wasn't the same. Then a voice cuts through their heavy hearts from the shore and advises them to drop the net over a particular side. As if in a dream, slightly familiar but forgotten, they obey and pull up a net-groaning load of fish. John turns excitedly to Peter - "It is the Lord!"

The eager relief and joy of the disciples at this realisation can be felt between the lines in John 21 as they rush to the shore and crowd around their friend and leader, so happy, half-afraid to believe, yet not daring to speak. They were soon to learn that though He would no longer be physically with them, He would send His Spirit to dwell in their hearts and be with each one personally, always and forever. This is our God.

The Lord of hosts, Jesus Christ, is a God we can honour, love and give our lives for like the disciples gave their lives for Jesus; like soldiers who give their lives for the Captain they love and honour; as the Fellowship of the Ring followed Aragorn to fight for and with; as little brothers and sisters who hero-worship their big brother and stick up for his honour should there ever be any need to. Jesus Christ is worthy of our love and honour. He gave His life for us so that we could live and be with Him forever. He is a wise and mighty warrior, more than capable to fight for us and with us. Let us follow Him!

Rest

A quiet, smiling heart
Resting soft on pillowed peace
Grace blows softly through the eaves
Fragrant, sweet and light
Speaking of another land
Waiting close and yet so far
Of golden streets and Home
Belonging
There is naught that is required
All striving finds its end
In the arms of He who is
Strength and ceaseless Love
Might without end

Melissa

You are a New Creation: Walk in Love

In this article, we begin to explore some of the different ways the Bible teaches us to walk in the Spirit.

In You are New Creation (Part 1), we learnt:

• On the day you joined God's family, He created a new spirit within you - a new creation that is made with His nature of true righteousness and holiness
• You have a stowaway on your new journey with God: the 'old you'.
• This 'old you' lusts after counterfeit blessings and a brand of satisfaction which doesn't last and will always result in death: sickness, depression, unhealthy habits, relationship problems, fear, jealousy, insatiable ungodly appetites, conflict etc
• The only way to escape the consequences of its lusts is to crucify it altogether
• Walk in the Spirit and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh

What does it mean to 'walk in the Spirit'? I would propose that it means being led by the Spirit of God, rather than your own fleshly ('old you') desires. Scriptures such as Rom 8:8, Eph 2:3, Col 3:5-7 show plainly that those who spend their days satisfying their fleshly urges are walking in disobedience and cannot please God. Therefore, a lifestyle that obeys and follows the ways and nature of God is being led by the Spirit of God.

What is God's nature? The Bible tells us that He is love (1 John 4:8, 16), light (1 John 1:5) and wisdom (Isa 11:2), amongst a whole host of other attributes such as holiness and righteousness.

For the purposes of this blog, we will concentrate on love, light and wisdom because these are encapsulated in Ephesians 5:1-21 in an exhortation to the Ephesian Church. However, the principles explored in the study of walking in love, light and wisdom can be applied to walking in the other attributes of God that are part of our new nature.

Love

Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. 2 And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself fo us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.

3 But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; 4 neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks.
5 For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. 6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. 7 Therefore do not be partakers with them. 

- Ephesians 5:1-7

It is apparent from the word 'but' in verse three that walking in love is not doing any of the list of things that we are told should 'not even be named among you'.

We can further explore this by looking at what love is.

Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails... - 1 Cor 13:4-8a

Some examples:

• When a friend asks for some help, flesh would think 'what's in it for me?' whereas love would offer help unconditionally.
• When hubby doesn't pick up his dirty clothes for the upteenth time, the flesh would become irritated and scold; love would suffer long and be kind to him.
• When a husband, wife, friend or sibling outshines you, the flesh would feel wounded and try all means to prove that you are just as good; love would rejoice in your loved one's success without ill-feeling.
• Mum or Dad asks you to do something when you are in the middle of something else: flesh would yell something in a pouting, disrespectful or rebellious way; love does not behave rudely but chooses to respond in honour, respect and obedience.
• When you are telling someone a good story but they don't understand, or can't hear you, the flesh would become grumpy, get upset and say 'just forget it, OK!'; love is not easily provoked and can answer softly, without any grating inside
• When someone cuts you off on the road, the flesh thinks that you have a right to be angry; love just shrugs and lets it slide.
• Your child comes to show you something, or talk to you at an ill-timed moment. The flesh would lash out and reject your child; love would act with wisdom and kindness to show love, yet firmly direct them accordingly

Can you see how that if you respond in a fleshly way to the above examples, it would result in anger, conflict, hurt, a messed-up day? This is what Paul called 'death' in Romans 8:6 - to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace: if you choose instead to walk in the ways of love each time, you will be spared that kind of carnage in your day.

Let's choose to walk in love at every moment. By God's grace and spirit, you are more than able.

Next time, we will explore how we can walk in God's Spirit by walking in His light and wisdom.

You are a New Creation: Walk in Light

You are a New Creation: Who You Really Are

This was a message shared at The Covenant Church, Sunday 18th March 2012.

Last week, we learnt that you are who God says you are. God had called Moses to be the deliverer of the Israelites out of Egypt. He certainly did not feel up to the job! But we learnt that it is not what you feel like nor what the evidence suggests that tells you who you really are. A boy born as a prince but brought up in a pauper's family does not make him any less of a prince. In the same way, God has said that if you are in Christ, then you are a new creation:

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. - 2 Cor 5:17

The Greek in the term 'new creation' has the connotation of the creation of a new person, a newly created being. We know this new person to be a co-heir with Christ, seated together in heavenly places with Him. This is the person who Jesus said would do greater things than He did! Jesus is the best example of the kind of person we are meant to be: destroying the works of the kingdom of darkness and establishing the Kingdom of Heaven wherever we go in demonstrations of power and of the Spirit.

However, perhaps you often feel like the little runty kid in this photo:

Your weaknesses, fears, jealousies, bad habits and your 'dark side' just seem too strong for you. You get up to succumb to it again and again. Yet, did you know that when you became a new creation, you are infinitely much stronger than your 'dark side'? 

You are actually the big guy in this photo. Do you notice the comfortable smile on this face? That's you. The runty one? That's who you used to be without Christ. He hangs around after the 'new you' was created. The Bible calls him 'the flesh' or the 'carnal nature'. 

What is the flesh? It's when you indulge in any of the following - whether in fantasy or in reality:

adultery, fornication [ie sexual immorality], uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like (Gal 5: 19-21)

It is because you are used to obeying its whims that it seems impossible to defy; but now it's time to understand who God created you to be.

Ephesians 4:17-24 talks about putting off the old man, and putting on the new man (NB emphasis mine):

This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. 

But you have not so learned Christ, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.

'Put off' and 'put on' are phrases that connote choice, and an act of will. It seems here that Paul here is talking about shedding the 'old skin' that is corrupt and falling apart, then being renewed and being clothed with a new nature, a new creation that becomes the new you. This new you has God's nature of true righteousness and holiness. You are ABLE to overcome your weaknesses.

But like anyone who becomes set in their ways, it is hard to forget the habits of many years that come so easily to us. The answer? Kill it. Galatians 5:24 says: "And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires."

'Crucify' - that's another word that denotes a strong act of will. Take that kicking, screaming old you to the cross and nail it down. This is important to understand: the old you is not your friend. It doesn't want what you truly desire - the desires of the old you lust after counterfeits, imposters. The consequence of the fulfillment of those ungodly desires is death:

For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. - Rom 8:6

'Death' includes stress, fear, anxiety, depression, sickness, marriage breakdown, misunderstanding, disunity, conflict, jealousy, unhealthy addictions and habits - and that's not even a comprehensive list! We don't want any of these things, and yet, that's what our 'dark side', the 'old you' will lead you to if you continue to allow it to determine your thoughts and actions:

Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. - Gal 6:7-8

It is crucial that we crucify the desires of the flesh because it simply cannot be made to obey because "the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be." (Rom 8:7-8) There is no point pleading, cajoling or forcing it to conform to God's law. It is not subject to it, and cannot be - it must be killed by deliberately denying the desire and walking in the ways of the Spirit.

Galatians 5:16 tells us "walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh." This is the simple, yet difficult answer. It is 'simple' because the Bible clearly articulates how to walk in the Spirit , but it is difficult because every decision to deny the desire of the flesh can be an intense struggle, a war. Like the initial analogy of a prince growing up as a pauper, your new spiritual self that was created by God the day you joined His household will need retraining and a paradigm shift in the way you think in order to live out your true identity.

In the beginning, when your spiritual 'muscles' are untrained and unused, you will find the urge to follow the fleshly desire acute, and very difficult to resist. You will likely fail a few times before you can win. This is normal. In time, as you change your lifestyle to be one that is led by obedience to the Spirit rather than the flesh, you will be able to win faster and without collateral.

Meanwhile, now that we know who we really are, and what we want to leave behind, let's begin to look at some of the ways the Bible teaches us to walk in the Spirit over the next few articles.

Next up:
You are a New Creation: Walk in Love

Forgiveness is Free - but it Wasn't Cheap

I've done this myself before: expect forgiveness without any real intention of stopping the sin. Since when did any good judge consider a penitent 'sorry' authentic when the accused goes home and keeps breaking the law? That's not remorse, that's just getting themselves out of the dock one more time!

Will the judge really let this criminal off? If the judge continually keeps letting them off, he is not only a bad judge, but a stupid one.

God surely does forgive freely any sin that we are repentant of, but He isn't a bad judge, nor is He stupid because that's where the crux is: repentance. Repentance is when a person decides to change the course of their attitude and actions 180 degrees in the opposite direction. It requires real intention to stop the current habit or decision, then make steps to go in a completely different direction that avoids the former altogether. If a person is truly repentant and confesses His sin to God, then He who searches and sees inside every crevice of our hearts will forgive us unconditionally. But there is nothing in the Bible that promises forgiveness without repentance.

I am afraid that the message of grace can become so airy and lovely that it has lost its grounding in God's rock-hard standards of justice and righteousness. Let me be clear here: I agree with the message of grace. Without it, I am worse than lost. But I maintain that the message of grace is not complete without a clear understanding of God's righteousness and mercy.

This is what I am against: "You've done wrong? Oh, don't worry. God forgives you." Where is the call to repentance? Where is the conscience of sin, the conviction that leads to godly sorrow, which leads to repentance, which leads to transformation of character? This half-message of grace makes people feel better about themselves, but it will not empower them to change, and it certainly does not prepare them for the time when the Judge turns up.

Such an attitude will excuse people from confronting their sin. It gives them permission to continue, and the work of the Holy Spirit is quenched. Yet it was Jesus who always said, "Go and sin no more." We've been so careful to undo the 'principal's office' image of God that we have done just as bad by going to the opposite end of the spectrum.

Jesus' sacrifice for our forgiveness was not cheap. Yet, we've simmered it down to a phrase so well-used that it has almost lost its meaning: "He died on the cross". What does it mean, exactly? It means that He was beaten, thrashed and torn until He had not one part of skin whole; He was hammered into place on a wooden cross, stretched out so that He could hardly breathe, so dehydrated that to blink or speak was agony. His blood splattered in people's faces and dripped down the cross, and He endured utter despair when God Himself turned away and rejected Him -- all because you were condemned to that kind of death, but He took it on himself instead.

Consider this hidden little scripture in Hebrews 10:26-29 directed at Christians:

"For if we sin wilfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins...anyone who has rejected Moses' law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the spirit of grace."

God wants people to feel better, but not at just any expense. His standards have never changed - only Jesus' blood can truly pay for all sin. Therefore, sin that continues to lurk beneath the hidden intention to continue sinning in private, or in a different way will still be sin that requires the blood of Jesus Christ. His blood is applied by confession of sin and repentance, not confession of sorriness.

Esau was sorry that he had lost the birthright - but only because he had lost all the blessings it brought. He was willing enough to give it away when he was hungry. In a similar vein, we can be sorry that we've sinned chiefly because it has brought some negative impact. If there had been none, we would happily continue. However, godly sorrow is that which brings an intense grief and pain at the very thought that we could do such things - that we should sin against God. Godly sorrow also leads to an intense hatred against the sin. Repentance is never ambivalent against sin.

For those who struggle in a death-hold with something far beyond your strength - I have been there. God knows your despair. He is infinitely merciful. He is the God of second chances, third, fourth and a thousand chances as we struggle against this oppressive thing in our lives. We find ourselves the victim of our own weaknesses, and we are powerless against it without some help. For some, there may be some demonic influence at work so that you either 1) yearn to be repentant but somehow can't find yourself able to, or, 2) are repentant, and would gladly give it up but find yourself succumbing to it again and again to the point of numbing despair and hopelessness. If this is you, I pray in the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth that the stronghold of Satan on you would be completely broken, and that every demonic influence be gone. I declare freedom to you in Jesus' Name and speak light into the dark places of your heart so that you can see the way out; I pray the grace, strength of the Lord into you so that you are able to take the way out, and be completely free from its grasp, never to succumb again. He whom the Son sets free is free indeed! Let there be a new thing in this life: the ability to live without any vestige of this sin, free to live in righteousness and truth.

Let us not deny the Holy Spirit from His essential work of conviction. Without it, we are at serious risk of a terrifying judgement. Let us cultivate a tenderness of heart towards the tug of the Holy Spirit. And, in the case of those seeking Christ, we risk deceiving them into thinking that they have reached the gates of Heaven when we have not told them the whole truth. Can you afford to have this accusation levelled against you? I certainly cannot.

Who is God? King: The Kingdom of Heaven

What is this Kingdom of Heaven, and what has it got to do with us?

The Lord has established His throne in heaven, and His kingdom rules over all. - Psalm 103:19 

What is a Kingdom?
= king’s domain = the people and land under a King’s dominion, or rule

A kingdom is defined by:

• the leadership and rule of a King
• Laws made and enforced by the King
• Demands obedience and allegiance of its subjects
•  Unique culture and language
• A kingdom includes a community of people

People of the Kingdom of Heaven

Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God. - Eph 2:19

If you believe that Jesus Christ really did die on a Cross and paid the punishment for your sins, and have told God so, then He adopts you into His family. Once you are part of His family, you are automatically citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven. Any Kingdom's culture is dictated by the laws of the King and the attitudes and values of the King. We know that God is love, and therefore the culture of the Kingdom of Heaven is one of love, support, unity.


Its people are united by the love of the King, and love for what He loves - people. If our King would go out of His way to find the lost and wandering, then we as His community - His family - will do the same. The People of Heaven are those who would befriend the friendless and help the helpless.


Life in the Kingdom of Heaven

A Kingdom that has utterly destroyed its enemies will not have them in its midst. In the same way, the Kingdom of Heaven is devoid of the work of Satan. It is therefore free from sickness, fear, disunity, depression, darkness and oppression -- it is full of joy, peace, wholeness, light.


As representatives of the Kingdom of Heaven, we are to extend this Kingdom by establishing territory that is free from the works of Satan, and abounding in the works of God. This therefore is wherever we pray for people to bring healing, restoration, wholeness, Life. This might include our own lives, our schools, families and workplaces. Where this work is abounding and the works of Satan are being destroyed, the Kingdom of Heaven is being established. Jesus has sent us to heal the sick, bring deliverance to the captives and preach the Gospel to the poor. He is working through us to bring the lost to Himself. Fulfilling the Great Commission is extending the kingdom of Heaven.


The Message of the Kingdom
1. Jesus' Gospel: "Repent! The Kingdom of Heaven is Near"

From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, "Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." - Matt 4:17 

Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel" - Mark 1:14-15

His messages were marked with:

•  calls to repentance and to the standards of God’s righteousness and justice
• teaching of God’s ways
• miracles of healing, restoration and deliverance
•  I am the Son of Man (Dan 7:13-14), I am the Christ (Luke 22:70; 23:2)

Jesus gave many 'the Kingdom of Heaven is like...' stories to explain what it was like. Then he demonstrated it by healing the sick and delivering those possessed by demons.


2. the Early Church: "Repent! Believe in Jesus Christ and be saved" (my paraphrase)

The disciples, after Jesus returned to Heaven, carried a similar message to Jesus. Acts is full of accounts of their sermons. Examples include Peter's first sermon on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2); Peter's message at Cornelius' house (Acts 10:34-43); Acts 13:38-39 (Paul at Antioch); 1 Cor 15:1-5 (Paul to the Corinthians).

The recurrent message is:

•  Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.
• Jesus died and rose again (witnessing of the fact)
• believe in Him and be saved.

Their messages were also accompanied by demonstrations of healing and deliverance. In essence, their message is still the same as Jesus'. The difference is that Jesus is no longer bodily present. Their message and demonstrations of power still speak of the nearness of the Kingdom of Heaven, and that its King is calling all into it.

3. The Gospel We Share?

So what is the gospel we should share? Should it not be the same on every count? Including the demonstrations?

After Jesus' resurrection, He instructed His disciples to make disciples of all nations and to be witnesses of Him.

What is a witness? It is someone who has seen or experienced something happen. They can testify of what happened because they were there. The disciples who received the Great Commission were witnesses because they had lived with Jesus, eaten with Jesus, worked with Jesus, seen Him forgive, heal and deliver; they had also seen Him suffer, die and rise again. They were witnesses that He is real, and that He continues to forgive, heal and deliver.

How can we be witnesses of something unless we have seen it? YOU can witness the power and reality of Jesus Christ of Nazareth because of what He has already done for you. Some of you can tell of miraculous transformation, others of deliverance from a lifestyle of darkness and oppression. Others can tell of answered prayer and a peace deep inside that you cannot deny.

You can continue to experience His ongoing work in your life when you take God seriously with His commandments and instructions in His Word. We are instructed to pray for our enemies, to not ask back for something that someone borrows from us, to forgive, to walk in God's standards of righteousness and justice - not our own, to not be anxious for anything but in everything by prayer and supplication present our requests to God.

When we take seriously God's Word and actually DO what it says, we will find that it is true, and that things are the way it says things are. Then we become witnesses to the power and truth of God's Word. Then we can tell people that the great things we have experienced is true, and that they can experience it too.

Are YOU a citizen of the Kingdom of Heaven?
It sounds fantastical, but it's more real than this world is. You are not just flesh and blood, but also spirit. After your body expires, your spirit lives on. Where does it go after that? It depends on you.

Satan doesn't want people to believe that God is real, that you can live the way you want and to hell with everyone else. If you believe him, there is no choice but to share in his fate - you'll be in eternal hell yourself. It is not the place God wants you to be. It was made for Satan, but there are only two camps in this universe, and if you aren't on God's side, you've chosen Satan's.

If you will believe that God IS real, and that He is real enough for you to pledge allegiance to Him, then you have come Home. God created you to discover Him. Your sins condemn you to pay its punishment by eternal death but Jesus came so that you would not need to pay it. He wants you to have eternal life close to Him forever - not eternal death. He took your place the day that He died an excruciating death on a Roman cross, and His blood flowed so that your wrongs could be forever forgiven. Then He rose again from the dead to prove that it didn't beat Him, but that He is greater than death.

While you live, His promise is to be with you, fight for you and provide for you, and so much more. After this life, you will be in Paradise with Him forever. Do you want this? If so, you need to tell Him. Below is a sample of a prayer that you can model after. 

When you pray this, mean it with all your heart and address Him directly even though you can't see Him- He's been waiting for you. Jesus said that when we pray, we should address the Father in His Name. This is because it was Jesus who died for you. If you pray in His Name, you are authorised to have what you ask. We say 'Amen' at the end because it means 'I really mean what I've just said'.

Dear Father God,  I come to you in Jesus Christ of Nazareth's name,
I've heard that you've been waiting for me to come Home. I have done so many wrong things in my life but I hear that Jesus took the punishment for it all so that I could be forgiven. I believe it. His blood was poured out to pay for my sins. I want so much for all these past wrongs to be erased. In a court of law, people plead guilty or not guilty - I plead guilty, but I also plead that your blood would erase my wrongs too. Please forgive me and wash me clean. I want to live this life forever clean, and to have a place with you in the Kingdom of Heaven.
I hear that you are a Love. I believe it. Since you are love, pour it into my heart and displace all the selfish, ugly parts that aren't meant to be there. Make me new - to be like you! I'm getting off the throne of my own life and asking that you become the new King. Teach me those laws that bring healing, restoration and peace to me and to everyone around me. Show me how to live a life that makes you smile everyday. Amen.

If you already have prayed a similar prayer like the above and consider yourself a Christian, I urge you to think about whether you've been truly living like one in heart, and not just in ritual. Why? It's easy to get into a routine of Christian things to do. But a true Christ Follower knows Him like a best friend and loyal servant, and works together with Him to extend the Kingdom - because that's what God is all about - pushing back Satan's Kingdom, taking it over, and freeing its people from Satan's grasp. Are you doing this? If not, it's time for a sincere get-together with God. Remember, He's always listening, even if you feel distant from Him. May you truly find your place in the Kingdom and walk in His ways.

Demonstrating the Power

HOW can it be that there is so much information about God and yet have a shortage in the personal demonstration of its power?

It's because Christian teaching can be just that - teaching of information. Why is it so many Christians seem to be content with information? The world doesn't want information - they want to see if it works. Christians want to see that it works. People don't need as much information as practical empowerment to live it out, run with it, experience it.

I just read Gary Moon's 10th day of his book Apprenticeship with Jesus. I was gobsmacked by a story of a young South African Christian who was smuggled into a Communist youth camp fighting apartheid -- they wanted to hear the gospel. He gave it to them and they were spellbound. "Show us where this is happening!" they said. Unfortunately, the young Christian couldn't think of anywhere in South Africa that was demonstrating the gospel at work. The Communists then concluded that the message must be a lie and rejected it.

This is a devastating story. It is the result of Christians who are not living truly authentic Christian lives; Jesus said that whoever does not sow with Him scatters. He also said that anyone who hears His words but does not do them is building [their faith] on sand. When the winds and storms come (eg the confronting truth that they've never seen Christianity 'work'), then the house will come crashing down. Conversely, if they put to action what they have heard, their foundations will be solid rock - no storm can destroy their house. Why? Because when you obey God's word in sincerity, you will find that it is truth, that it really is the way it says things are.

The Gospel is true. I've seen it work. I've seen legs lengthen in the name of Jesus, felt crushing darkness depart in the Name of Jesus. I've seen personal transformation so dramatic and amazing it is miraculous. I am personal evidence that when the Son sets free, they are free indeed, that the story of the prodigal son is true.

WE must be that demonstration that the world is waiting to see. And we must be so faithful with it that the world knows where to find you to see it work - so that other young Christians out there can have foundations of rock, and that people like those in the Communist youth camp can see that it is truth, and not a lie.

Our trouble is that people don't take seriously the commandments of Jesus and the teachings of the Bible. They know teaching - information - but they still say, "MY will be done" and choose friendship with the world on many fronts while still maintaining the appearance of friendship with God. Thus they forfeit the power of transformation. Then they wonder why they don't see what the Bible promises. Their roots are shallow, their foundations sand. This is why Christianity is known for its hypocrisy rather than its power.

Is there not a cause? Put to work the principles of the Bible, and obey its commandments. Demonstrate to yourself and the world that the One you believe in is living, true, powerful. You are His witnesses.

Who's God? The Holy Spirit Part 2

The Work of the Holy Spirit

Last time, we looked at who the Bible says the Holy Spirit is, and why He had come. In essence, He was sent because of a promise God had made hundreds of years before through the prophet Joel: "In those days, I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh".


This time we will look at the work of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus' Example:


Jesus is God. We learn that from John chapter 1. But He still felt it vitally important to receive water baptism and to receive the Holy Spirit. 


When He was baptised, the Bible tells us that the Holy Spirit, in the form of a dove, descended upon Him. After this incident, Jesus was 'lead by the Spirit' into the wilderness where he fasted 40 days and 40 nights, during which He was severely tempted - and overcame each one!

Luke 4 tells us that  after those 40 days and 40 nights, He "returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and news of Him went out through all the surrounding region."


After being empowered by the Holy Spirit, His ministry began. And He was instantly famous: only the Holy Spirit brings the power to minister and transform lives.

The Bible is full of the other things that the Holy Spirit does, but Jesus outlined some very important ones that we'll go through now:

A. The Holy Spirit is a Teacher
John 14:26 - But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.

Read the Bible but don't get it? Ask the Holy Spirit to teach you and reveal it to you. He is also the one to bring you those flashes of memory of Scripture at crucial times in your life to comfort, bring direction and more. So read the Word, memorise the Word and apply the Word!

B. The Holy Spirit Testifies of Jesus

John 15:26-27But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me. v27 And you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning.He is on a mission to tell the world who Jesus is, what He has done and what He can do. Notice that in verse 27 that when we have the Holy Spirit, we will bear testimony of Him too. To 'bear testimony' is like being a referee for Jesus' resume - we can recommend Jesus based on our knowledge of Him and our relationship with Him. We can testify that He is real, and that He is powerful etc etc.

      The Holy Spirit ALWAYS talks about Jesus. If the Holy Spirit is in something, He will always point to Jesus. if you are at a conference or Christian program but the focus is on the speaker, on the fun, the program, the social things, OR something else and God gets a smaller focus, then something is amiss. If the Holy Spirit is at work, people will be learning about Jesus, they will be drawn to deeper intimacy with Him, they will realise that they need Him more. That is the work of the Holy Spirit.

      Thought: If the Holy Spirit is on a mission to tell the world about Jesus, are you?

C. The Holy Spirit Convicts - It's not your job to convict people!

John 5:8 - And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment...

SIN - strips away deception to reveal sin for what it actually is
RIGHTEOUSNESS - points to what is true righteousness so that the sin that is revealed looks very hollow and even more evil
JUDGEMENT - warns of the judgement to come for all those who are bound to the power of sin

Conviction is different from condemnation. Condemnation is what Satan does. Conviction is what the Holy Spirit does. Satan's work, as always, is a twisted version of God's.

When the Holy Spirit CONVICTS, it will expose the lie, the darkness, the sin, the filth in you. But it will point to Jesus as the answer. You will feel the evil of the sins the Holy Spirit reveals so acutely, and are so filled with dread at what will happen if you stay that way that you will run to Him when you are convicted. You will throw yourself at His feet and cry out to God for help until you are cleansed.

Condemnation on the other hand tells you "you are worthless. no one wants you. God doesn't want you. Don't even try." Condemnation passes a sentence of judgement and makes you feel so utterly ashamed, guilty and unworthy that the LAST thing you want to do is look to God. This is the work of Satan.

When you have the Holy Spirit in you, you are able to partner with the Holy Spirit so that wherever you walk and just live normally, people will feel convicted and not know why. you can just share a simple story, but God can work conviction in their hearts so that they are drawn to Jesus Christ as the answer - that's the work of the Holy Spirit in their hearts. This is why we must always pray and depend on God when we step out to be His witnesses.
But also, our lives can "commend ourselves to people's conscience" ie when we walk in righteousness and in partnership with the Holy Spirit, our life story, the way we live and relate to other people will prick others' conscience - "I want to be like that. Why are they like that? How can they be so nice/generous/wise/peaceful/ joyful etc..."

2 Cor 4:2 -But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.

This is why our Church motto is 'live the truth, walk the talk". it is by living out the truth, that people can see it works, it is real, it is more powerful than what the world can offer.

D. The Holy Spirit is The Guide
John 16:13a - However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak...

E. The Holy Spirit Will Tell You Things to Come
John 16:13b - ... and He will tell you things to come.

Rev 19:10 - for the testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of Prophecy

Remember - the Holy Spirit testifies about Jesus. Therefore, it is the Spirit of Prophecy.The Word of God is very good at backing itself up.

The Holy Spirit will reveal things about the future to us so that we can prepare for them. Don't look to the financial forecast, tarot cards or the star signs. All of them do not come from the Spirit of Truth. Only God can tell you what is to come. Look to Him.

The Spirit of God in You

Luke 10:1-17 tells us about the exploits of 70 of Jesus' disciples - they healed the sick, preached the gospel and cast out demons, all without the Holy Spirit coming upon them like it did on the Day of Pentecost.

It is possible, in Jesus' name to do powerful, great things for God and still not have the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. But compare what the 70 disciples could do before Pentecost to what they did AFTER Pentecost. The complaint about the Early Church (post pentecost) was that it was turning the world upside-down (Acts 17:6)! The power to effect change and do miracles are light-years ahead compared to the power the disciples operated in PRE- Pentecost.

Read Acts and you'll see that it it is a picture of what YOU could do. Let's read Jesus' mission statement:

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,

Because He has anointed Me

To preach the gospel to the poor;

He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,

To proclaim liberty to the captives

And recovery of sight to the blind,

To set at liberty those who are oppressed;

 

To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”
- Luke 4:18-19

Now that you are part of Jesus' family and Body, and have been given the SAME spirit He had, you too are anointed to do these things.

Who's God? The Holy Spirit Part 1

God is a Covenant Keeper: the Holy Spirit

  
 1. God is a Covenant Keeper: The Promise of the Father
Jesus talked about sending the Promise of the Father:

And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me; for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” - Acts 1: 4-5 

This scripture alludes to the time John the Baptist said in Luke 3:16:

John answered, saying to all, “I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize you with theHoly Spirit and fire.

This promise that Jesus was talking about is found in Joel 2:28-29:

“And it shall come to pass afterward
That I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh;
Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
Your old men shall dream dreams,
Your young men shall see visions.
And also on My menservants and on My maidservants
I will pour out My Spirit in those days.

Notice that God says:

• "all flesh" -not just the spiritual, not just some, but on all
• When the Spirit is poured out, people will prophesy, have special dreams and see vision. When you have the baptism of the Holy Spirit, these are the things you can walk in. It's not just for special people!

2. Who is the Holy Spirit
             Creator

"the spirit of God hovered over the face of the waters. Then God said, 'let there be light'... 

- Gen 1:2-3a

This is the first reference to the spirit of God in the whole Bible. Some translations use the word 'brooded' rather than 'hovered' - it conveys the sense of God thinking, imagining, planning, preparing for Creation. Notice that the first thing God did after 'brooding' is to start creating. The Holy Spirit is The Creator.

Helper

 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. 

- John 14:26

The word 'helper' is 'parakletos' in Greek, which means 'summoned', 'aide', 'pleader/ intercessor'. I like to think of it as 'wingman' - The Holy Spirit is our support always by your side ready to bring you what you need.


Spirit of Truth

But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me. 

- John 15:26

 He is the Spirit of Truth. Jesus in John 14:6 said, 'I am the way, the truth and the life. 
If Jesus is The Truth, and the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth, then they are one.


Col 2:9 - Jesus is the fullness of the Godhead bodily.

Next time - the Work of the Holy Spirit

The Authentic Christ Follower

OK I'm not meant to be on the computer. I'm supposed to be resting my arms that have been typing all day. My physio would not be happy - but here's some things that's been rattling around my heart for a while: authentic discipleship and returning to your first love. I'll talk about a part of the first one today.

A few days ago, I picked up a book called Apprenticeship with Jesus by Gary W. Moon. Gary's words distilled some thoughts that had hung around for some time: consistent, daily change and transformation is the mark of a true follower of Christ. Wasn't it Smith Wigglesworth who said that if a Christian is not going forward, he is sliding backwards?

Apprenticeship is used as an analogy to discipleship in Gary's book. In my mind, apprentices are always learning and changing everyday. Sure, some changes are more gradual: skill takes time to be honed, and character changes like the shift of the afternoon sun - by the time you've noticed that the shadows are longer, you have missed the point of transformation.

I believe that any student on an intensive vocational course would be making changes everyday whether passively or actively. They would also be picking up new skills, better ways to do things, learning about new instruments, becoming more like the Master - both consciously and unconsciously. An apprentice would not be called a good one if they learned some days but failed to learn anything at all on most other days, yet most Christians - myself included - often find ourselves like that.

Please don't take me wrong. I'm not talking about an amazing change everyday. Life's just not like that! But spiritual growth, and the related changes should be happening in our lives more often than every once in a while, and consistently. Such changes should also be long lasting, not just lasting for the holiday periods of Easter and the New Year!

It just strikes me as horribly wrong to be under the tutelage of the Master of the Universe and fail to be irrevocably touched by it - it's not possible...unless you've been wagging your classes!

If Jesus were to come back today, would He call you a faithful servant? What are the obstacles that stop you from truly following Jesus? Who are you really - in private? Is it the same as your public self, or is it a persona you put on display? Is this person you display the same in Church as well as at a party?

I've asked myself - or God has asked me through my thoughts - all these questions. Far from feeling worthless and ready to give up, one should feel convicted to the point of seeking God earnestly. This is the reaction I hope you come to.

Each day is a classroom, everyday has its new lessons as well as its moments to hone something we've learnt previously. If we all thought that being a follower of Christ meant following Him into Heaven while we continue with our lives the way we want, we're asking for a very painful wake-up call - either here on Earth by the mercy of God, or when we stand at the Judgement Throne by our blindness and wilful disobedience. I know which one I'd rather have.

Dear Heavenly Father, in the Name of Jesus, give me the teachable, willing heart of a faithful student who loves to hear and learn from you. I want to be the kind of Christian that brings a smile to your heart, who is the real deal -- in other words, to be like Your Son -- not just in character but in deed, in palpable righteousness, and in power. 
Don't let me settle for the counterfeit Christianity that takes your mercy and my salvation for granted, then has nothing to show for its faith. Give me the grace to see the opportunities, and the ability to seize them before they slip away. Please be my Teacher each day. Change my heart! Make me more like you. I will incline my ear to you, and set my heart to obey. Amen