SONSHINE

JESUS OF THE SCARS

2009-11-13T10:59:00.000-08:00

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"Is He willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then He is impotent. Is He able, but not willing? Then He is malevolent. Is He both able and willing? Whence then is evil?" Therefore, how can an all powerful and all knowing God who loves his people permit evil to exist on His earth?”
David Hume 1711-1776

I have had a glorious morning in Him, as I pondered the subject of Hume's questions. I can but think, is it no wonder the Bible calls such, the "Mystery of Iniquity." Along side my contemplations, I read many awesome things and I believe, even shared some awesome things with others. However, above all, I found this below, to be the most awesome and is it no wonder, that it speaks to the Cross of Christ, a place I am bound never to leave, until I find myself in His likeness.

May God bless you with the reading of Edward Shilito's poem, "Jesus of the Scars", penned as he found himself sickened by the tragedy of suffering and death in the "great war". As an epilogue, are the thoughts of Olsen and Piper. I took the liberty to enlarge the latter by removing one word, "Calvinism" and then adding a phrase.

Oh, that Calvin, might himself, have added "all men" to the determinism of God. For God is determined to see "all men saved." Thank God, we have and share the greater hope and the real "Good News!"
Jack

Jesus of the Scars

If we have never sought, we seek Thee now;
Thine eyes burn through the dark, our only stars;
We must have sight of thorn-pricks on Thy brow,
We must have Thee, O Jesus of the Scars.

The heavens frighten us; they are too calm;
In all the universe we have no place.
Our wounds are hurting us; where is the balm?
Lord Jesus, by Thy Scars, we claim Thy grace.

If, when the doors are shut, Thou drawest near,
Only reveal those hands, that side of Thine;
We know to-day what wounds are, have no fear,
Show us Thy Scars, we know the countersign.

The other gods were strong; but Thou wast weak;
They rode, but Thou didst stumble to a throne;
But to our wounds only God's wounds can speak,
And not a god has wounds, but Thou alone.

Our belief in God's sovereignty does not offer a "seemingly simple answer to the problem of evil." Rather, it bows in humility to what God has revealed. And it gazes with faith and hope at the zenith of that revelation in the crucified Savior. When understanding fails and questions remain, we look at the Jesus of the scars and remember that our God--the only God there is--was wounded for us, and we let His wounds speak to ours.

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A JEW RAPS JESUS TO JEWS

2009-11-11T17:34:00.000-08:00

This should put a big smile on ya. Be blessed.

CHRIST PAYS A VISIT TO A CHRIST HATER

2009-11-10T02:42:00.000-08:00

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A friend sent this testimony to me yesterday. I know it will encourage you that still hold hope for someone that resides in the deepest of darkness. In one swift swoop, the light of His face brings marvelous love to the most unlovable. Such is it with Byron's story.
Jack

Byron's Story
Before my re-birth I was totally lost in spiritual darkness - an atheistic, God concept hating, Christianity loathing type person. How that led to what I am today makes no natural sense at all. It happened alone in a deserted room after losing the woman I loved and falling into a deep depression for over two years. At rock bottom for months on end, I finally ‘lost it’ one night, rolling around on the floor and spontaneously screaming out for help (to no one in particular) and basically wishing to die very badly. My spirit was crying out over and over and over "What's wrong with me? what's wrong with me?!!". Finally, out of the clear blue I heard this voice inside calmly say "You're starving... to death". A voice??? This was a first. I was absolutely stunned and thinking "wow, did I imagine that?!! What the heck is going on here?" A strange calm came over me. There was a love, a compassion in that voice and as I dragged myself up into bed and drifted off to sleep my memory echoed softly those words over and over again "You're starving... to death, you're starving... to death, You're starving... to death.....

The next morning I started putting 1 and 2 together: 1. I was crying out 2. a voice answered ... so could it be like.... (gulp) maybe... God? Answering? Like a prayer or something? I began to tremble thinking “This is impossible”. I got up and decided to go see a friend whom I hadn't seen in months. Not seeing him was on purpose because he was a Jesus freak who would sometimes tell my friends and I that we needed to 'seek God' and 'know Christ' etc. I was a nice person, but inside it would anger me and I remember wishing that he would just shut the - bleep- up. But now I'm thinking maybe he could shed some light on what had happened. "You're starving... to death"? What in the world was that supposed to mean? It was driving me nuts! So I show up at his door early in the morning, knock, and he is very surprised to see me and says something like "Hey there stranger, what's going on?" All I said was "I think God might have spoken to me last night". That's ALL I said. He invited me in and I was ready to explain what I meant but before I could say another word, He told me to sit down and he'd be back in a minute, and he scurries off into his bedroom. Keep in mind, all I'd told him was "I think God might have spoken to me last night" and I mentioned nothing at all of the "starving to death" thing.

After about ten minutes he comes out of his bedroom with an open bible, and while pointing down to a particular spot on the page he says "Read this". I looked down and read where he was pointing. It said: "I have food to eat that you don't know anything about". (John 4:32) Can you imagine what went through my head? How could he have known??? "Why did you show me that?" I demanded. He replied "I just went back and prayed and felt like you needed to read that verse." And so I start asking him "How did you know?" and he says "Know what?" I was speechless. The stunning truth became clear, it WAS God who had spoken - it had to be. There was no other possible explanation. All the sudden this love came washing over me like waves. I can't explain it - love, forgiveness, compassion. I had done nothing to cause/deserve this. I was crying, couldn't speak, and left back to the deserted room - but now I was in the presence of perfect love. The depression disappeared INSTANTLY, just vanished. I was flying inside - it was like a dream, a fairytale. That night I did have a dream. In the dream I could see underground, a side view, (mmm.. like remember in Jurassic Park - the illustration of the diggers going down into the cave to find the amber? Like that). I saw a man, whom I knew to be Jesus, buried, lying under the earth just below the surface in the darkness. All the sudden he started to glow and then broke upright through the ground and stood (floating) a few feet above the ground in the open air, now shimmering in white light. A voice spoke and said "This is you" and I replied "No it's not... that's Jesus" and I woke up.

I pulled out a bible that my former lady friend had given me from under a pile of junk and started reading - it had opened to Romans. Again a shocking moment came when I got to 6:4 "just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life" and later in Colossians "having been buried with Him in baptism, you were also raised with Him through faith produced within you by God who raised Him from among the dead". All the sudden the "This is you" thing started making sense. For the next couple of weeks I was in the presence of Deity, really, it was like He was in the room with me. Intense Joy had replaced the sadness and emptiness. Physical food became optional as I devoured the scriptures for several weeks and soon saw the "big picture" ie: creation being made subject to vanity - but only for a season, all of creation groaning for the manifestation of the Sons of God, The ultimate restitution of all things etc. I was still in a daze though, why me? I had been basically lazy and self serving my whole life, and yet this all knowing, supernatural ‘person’ is treating me like I was the best thing there ever was. IT MADE NO SENSE AT ALL! I realized one thing for sure: God is sovereign. He planned all this and has great plans for all of His creation, to bring all out of darkness and into His marvelous light. Just as the first Adam chose death for all mankind, Jesus, the last Adam, has now chosen life for all mankind, to be manifested in due time.

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THE PERFECT SACRIFICE SULLIED

2009-11-09T09:27:00.000-08:00

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The other day while sharing on a forum, a participant used 2Cor 5:21 KJV in a treatise she had written. By the Spirit, I knew she didn't understand the true meaning of this scripture, as few have ever questioned the sloppy rendition found in most popular translations.

It hurt my heart to think how many ways God's most perfect sacrifice can be sullied. Then I again realized, how He has even sewn the errors in our Bibles, knowing it is for kings, in the making, to uncover Truth by the Spirit. I then began to search out an old writing by Preston Eby, in which he lays the record straight concerning this scripture. After much searching, I just could not find it. However in God's goodness last night, I stumbled across another article exposing the truth of the matter.

I pray that from now on, when you see this familiar verse, you will see the missing word "offering", which should be placed at the end of "sin". Let us ever hold high and pure God's sacrifice of His precious Son, Jesus. A Savior, in Whom sin never entered, for ever perfect was He!
Jack

Jesus Made Sin?
Though much can be said on the subject of sin, permit us to deal briefly with a specific aspect of the topic of sin, namely Jesus being made sin for us. A common translation states "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him" (II Corth 5:21 KJV). In fact, there are other translations which state basically the same idea. Young's Literal states "make sin"; Moffatt reads "to be sin"; the Living Bible states "took sinless Christ and poured into him our sins"; and the Jerusalem states "made sinless one into sin". From these, many have come to the conclusion that Jesus BECAME sin. But is this really so? Does scripture teach such a doctrine?

First, let us state that there are other translations that would have us read the verse differently. The Williams quotes "He made Him who personally knew nothing of sin to be a sin-offering for us...". The Diaglott states "For Him who knew no Sin, he made a Sin-offering on our behalf...". Again, the Literal Concordant has "For the One not knowing sin, He makes to be a sin offering for our sakes...".

Secondly, many are familiar with the words of the Old Testament prophet Hosea "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge". However, only two verses later it states "They eat up the sin of my people, and they set their heart on their iniquity" (Hosea 4:8 KJV). It is a story of the priests eating the sin offering, yet the King James Version uses the word "sin" rather than "sin-offering". I have read that in Hebrew, the phrase "sin offering" is often called "sin". In other words, if we were speaking in that language and referring to the animal offering, we would refer to it as "sin" and all would know what was meant. Regarding the words of Hosea, it should be easy to understand that the priests did not eat up the SIN of the people but rather the sin-offering. So, as with this old testament verse, the same idea applies to II Corinthians 5:21 as Jesus was made a sin-offering and not made sin!

Thirdly, there are several other verses that bear witness to the fact that Jesus was without sin. Peter describes Jesus as a "lamb without blemish and without spot" (I Peter 1:19). The writer of Hebrews states "how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?" (Heb 9:14). A lamb without blemish? Without spot? Notice that neither apostle qualifies their statement that Jesus was without blemish or sin "except while hanging on the cross". Why? Because they said what they meant and meant what they said! He was without blemish, spot or sin, period. Without, never, not even once!!

Last, how can sin make atonement for sin? Can you do away with sin by offering up a sacrifice of sin? No beloved, the entire unregenerate race of mankind has been slave to sin and by nature was born into sin and shapen in iniquity. In accordance with Old Testament teachings, only a blameless sacrifice could atone for the sins of the people.

In conclusion, Jesus never became sin at any point in time and never in the eternal realm of spirit. To even think the thought that the sinless one was made into sin grieves my spirit. The doctrine of Jesus becoming sin is a terrible idea and contrary to sound biblical teaching. We pray that all who teach "Jesus becoming sin" consider what we had to say and adjust their theology accordingly.

T.D.C

Timothy D Carroll is a good brother and his writings can be found here:
http://www.ariseministry.com/

THE GOOD PART, THE BEST PART .... "He is Enough!"

2009-11-07T07:43:00.000-08:00

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And Jesus answered and said unto her, "Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: but one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her." Luk 10:41,42

Some years ago, Joian and I would meet for the first time and share a most anointed time on one of the most beautiful beaches in the world, located on Coronado Island. My new friend, and soon to become my best friend, while sitting in the sand, would converse and touch on the deepest things in God. However, we could not delve deeply into these things, for a sustaining foundation was being laid for our growing relationship. You might ask, what was that foundation? To which I would reply, "Jesus is enough .... He is more than enough." A number of the hardest questions were queried that day and in a most unique way, they were subconsciously answered without words. Instead the difficult quandaries were laid to rest by a flowing supernal peace, reserved only for the communion of the saints of the Most High God, with Jesus in their midst.

Later as months would pass, Joian and I would entertain the thought of marriage. We would pass over this idea however, with a recognition that such a union would detract from our growing relationship with our Lord and our imputed Spirit led quest to realize time alone with God. We had realized this quest was not only the better part but the very best part of our lives. I believe, even in the divine union of marriage, should we grow in God there will be the Holiest places, where each must lay husband or wife, children and friends upon the altar, to find, that God in Christ is enough, more than enough. For a certainty, one must experience the sacred sacrifice, of the giving up of all one holds dear in this world to Him, no matter our state or vocation. And how amazing, that when a couple arrives at such a place of forsaking of all, including each other, they find the sacred marriage union between man and wife becomes what it could never be, beforehand. This is the principle of the multiple becoming One. And as it is with man and wife so it is also with Christ and His bride, the church. How truly wonderful is the great paradox of the Kingdom, where all must die, to live anew in Oneness with Him. This is for a surety, the path to Heaven on earth, where all that is Good is found enjoined within Him!

So it is today, that I share a message for those that might be struggling amidst a trial or tribulation. Whether single or with husband or wife, this message holds the deepest truth, one will ever find in the Kingdom and it is simply, "God in Christ, is enough. He is enough for every situation and every union. For even when all seems broken, tired, old and thrown askew, Jesus is able to pick up the pieces and put them together, anew. Even that, which seems as sure as dead, will bloom afresh with the full vibrancy of New Life. You might ask, "when will this be? What is the key to such glory?" I know of only one answer,"when we have come to the end of ourselves and to the end of all, that is about us. It is there, and only there, that we will learn, 'He is enough... more than enough.'" This I believe, is the deepest truth of all truths and should God have His hand on you, you will find yourself pulled into this Truth. And that Truth, above all truths, will carry you over every mountain and through every thing, this world can ever throw at you. The best part, is that once realized, this Truth ever grows as God brings other battered and pillaged souls to you and you are able to share the remedy to all that ails the tired and torn soul. God is good, He is good like that! Oh, to be able to share and even demonstrate such before my children, your children, and for that matter, all His children. This is our great commission, for which we were sent into this fallen world. To know and to proclaim and to demonstrate, JESUS IS ENOUGH!

With that said, as an introduction, please allow me to share a confirming word taken from Chip Brogden's devotional this morning. And to that, I would love to bless you with a couple of anointed songs, hoping you might lift your hands and praise Him, Who alone is worthy to be called "Enough".

In His Sweet Lord Jesus,
Jack

What is the "deeper Christian life"? It is nothing more and nothing less than Christ Himself. To be deep is to be simple, focused, and devoted to the One Thing that is needed But even here, some believers seek the deeper Christian life as a thing, a teaching, a certain way of acting spiritual. The "deeper life" becomes the goal instead of Christ as Life. They become profoundly mystical and spiritual, but it is death because they do not touch Christ, they touch spirituality. There is no life in spirituality, or mysticism, or religiosity; there is only Life in Christ. Anything less becomes a distraction.

I came to the Lord in the midst of the Charismatic movement. The emphasis was on Spirit-filled living, restoring spiritual gifts, the power of God, and so forth. We find no fault with walking in the fullness of the Holy Spirit. But what is the purpose of all this fullness? Why tongues, and prophetic words, and other spiritual gifts? Why the manifest power of God? All of these things are given us by the Lord to draw us deeper into Himself; to repeat, they are means to an End, but they are not the end, for the End, the Purpose, and the Reason for all things is Christ.

NUGGETS OF PRECIOUS GOLD ..... "Fenelon"

2009-11-03T13:04:00.000-08:00

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Of all the old mystic's writings that I have read, I found Fenelon's maxims, the clearest and most practical. Last night, I stumbled across a fellow by the name of Fred, who has made a friend of François Fénelon. Below Fred and Fenelon share some wonderful insights for our advancement in God. I have highlighted that which I thought exceptional. As a last note, if there be anything I would hope others to know, it would be, "seek the map maker instead of the map." So many fretting souls are about figuring out what's going to happen, when we can be satisfied to know "God is happening ...... and He is happening within our lives right now!"

FRED'S FRIEND FENELON
1. The Presence precedes the plan.
For years younger people have asked me how they could know God's plan for their life. While reading Fénelon and other saints, I find they are not concerned with that question. Their concern is not with the plan but with the Presence. When we have a guide, we don't need a map. Without the Presence we attempt work for God instead of letting God work through us. Fénelon said: Put aside your self-interest and simply let God's will unfold around you. Everything he does for you is for your good. Worship him without having to know and see everything. Continue doing the good things that you do since you feel that you should and you can do them so easily. Be careful that all your extra energy does not lead you into trouble and, above all, live in the present moment and God will give you all the grace you need. He continues, Live your daily life out in the presence of God. He will give you all that you need. God's glory and his purpose are the end of all things. You will find happiness and salvation there but not as an end in itself. It is all for God.

2. Self-love is subtle.
"You will be tempted to speak out in a humble tone of voice to tell others of your problems. Watch out for this. A humility that is still talkative does not run very deep. When you talk too much, your self-love relieves his sense of shame a little."

Fénelon goes on to say: "Self love is proud of its spiritual accomplishments. You must lose everything to find God for himself alone. You won't begin to let go of yourself until you have been thrown off a cliff. He takes away to give back in a better way." "Self-interest and pride cause you to reject the gifts of God, because they do not come in a way that suits your taste. He asks for nothing but death, and you desire nothing but life." "Selfishly loving yourself shunts your spirit. You put yourself in a straitjacket when you are enclosed in self. When you come out of that prison you experience how immense God is and how he set his children free. Be humble. Do not trust the old nature."

He probes even deeper: So to strip self-love of its mask is the most humiliating punishment that can be inflicted. You see that you are no longer as wise, patient, polite, self-possessed, and courageous in sacrificing yourself for others as you had imagined. You are no longer fed by the belief that you need nothing. . . . You no longer think that your greatness and generosity deserve a better name than self-love. However, you are further tormented because you also weep and rage that you have cried at all. What your old nature fears the most is necessary for its destruction.

3. Suffering is useful.
Fénelon speaks of suffering as God's exercise program, his gymnasium: Suffering is necessary for all of us. You will be purified by dying to see your own desires and will. Let yourself die. You have excellent opportunities for this to happen. Don't waste them. . . . God never makes you suffer unnecessarily. He intends for your suffering to heal and purify you. The hand of God hurts you as little as it can. The yoke that God gives is easy to bear if you accept it without struggling to escape.

4. One test of relation with God is peace.
Fénelon recommended Guyon: "Encourage peace, become deaf to your overactive imagination. Your spinning imagination will harm your health and make your spiritual life very dry. You worry yourself sick for no good reason. Inner peace and the sweet presence of God are chased away by restlessness."

Or, consider, "Peace and comfort are to be found only in simple obedience. Remain at peace, for peace is what God wants for you no matter what is happening. There is in fact a peace of conscience which sinners should enjoy as they are repenting. Suffering should be peaceful and tempered with God's comfort."

And regarding the future: "Live in peace without worrying about the future. Unnecessary worrying and imagining the worst possible scenario will strangle your faith."

He warned "there never is peace in resisting God . . . . Allow yourself to be humble. If you are silent and peaceful when humiliating things happen to you, you will grow in grace." And "The point of trusting God is not to do great things that you can feel good about, but to trust God from a place of deep weakness. Here's a way to know if you are actually trusting God with something. You will not think about the matter any longer nor will you feel a lack of peace."

5. Silence brings blessings.
Fénelon: "Try to practice silence as much as general courtesy permits. Silence encourages God's presence, prevents harsh words, and causes you to be less likely to say something you will regret. Silence also helps you put space between you and the world. Out of the silence that you cultivate you will get strength to meet your needs."

6. Growth and change are the work of the cross.
Fénelon has helped me to think of the work of the cross--redemption--as the constant tension of growth and change as the old nature gives way to the new. It is a process that starts with the new birth and ends at the close of our earthly journey, by which time we are hopefully more mature in the likeness of Christ.

Fénelon said to Mme. Guyon, "Bear your cross. Do you know what this means? Learn to see yourself as you are and accept your weakness until it pleases God to heal you. If you die a little every day of your life, you won't have too much to worry about on your final day."

Then with assurance he says, "You and I are nothing without the cross. I agonize and cry when the cross is working within me, but when it is over I look back in admiration for what God has accomplished. Of course I am then ashamed I bore it so poorly."

7. The focused life is the simple life.
"Our hidden agendas can poison the simplicity of a situation. The desire to do a work for God is simple enough, but I greatly complicate it when I add the hidden agenda of wanting to be recognized and appreciated while doing it."

8. Give grace to yourself and others.
I can almost hear Fénelon say, "Lighten up." He wrote: "Do not be surprised to find yourself overly sensitive, impatient, proud, and self-willed. Realize that this is your natural disposition. Bear with yourself, but do not flatter yourself into thinking you are better than you are but wait on God's timing to transform it. Stop at once when your activities become too hurried."

Madame Guyon, a rich and beautiful widow and close friend of Fénelon, woke many souls to share her love for God. For this she was vilified, harassed, imprisoned, and her writings condemned. Fénelon stood by her at great personal cost.

For a brief biography of FENELON

JESUS CRIED TOO

2009-10-26T10:28:00.000-07:00

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This morning, as I experienced the Master adding another flower to His heavenly bouquet, these songs helped me have a good cry. Jesus, cried too ..... as He carried that flower to Our Father.

"Who plucked that flower?" cried the gardener, as he walked through the garden.

His fellow servant answered, "The Master." And the gardener held his peace.
TL Haines

NUGGETS OF PRECIOUS GOLD ..... "The Steps Leveled"

2009-10-25T02:49:00.000-07:00

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So it has been these last two nights, that God has awakened me in the middle of the night to thrill my heart with a selected reading and add it to a new blog. This today, which I quote below in its entirety, is Jan Antonsson's newest writing. We have the Antonsson's link in our sidebar as Joian and myself have grown to love Jan and appreciate greatly the telling of that which she is seeing in the Kingdom. Of all the authors and teachers I read today, I believe Jan comes the closest to seeing that which I see. She has also taken some real beatings later in life as have I. When you suffer you see. No other way about it.

I came into the "sonship" message almost thirty years ago and if I was to complain of some unnecessary baggage, many proponents of this message carry, it would be the pride one takes in knowing they are elect. I even include myself, as I have at times fallen into the trap of thinking myself, one step up on others who know not God. The great theologian, Karl Barth would say, "we all are on the same step before God." I would go as far as to say, "we, the elect of this age, are in actuality one step below unregenerate humanity, for one must first descend before they may ascend."

Now this, He went up, what is it but that he first went down into the lower parts of the earth? Eph 4"9

Such is the way of UNMERITED GRACE through Christ Jesus, where all men shall know and receive it's fullness, each in his own order. And be it known, the last will be first and the least the greatest until all the steps have been leveled and we rest perfectly in God, All in All. Oh my, what a Gospel ........ what a God!

Jack

WE SHALL ALL BE CHANGED (part 2)
Given for the Saints of the World, 10/25/09.

"First of all you must understand this, that no prophecy of scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation" (II Peter 1:20).

We always appreciate feedback and a number of you wrote about last week's essay, "We shall All Be Changed." What I write is firstly for me, and if anyone else gets anything out of them, as some apparently do, then God be praised. We're all on the path home to God from whence we came and to whom we all go, but we've each come through different "filters," which influenced us and shaped our thinking, be it our cultural heritage or denominational background. That matters not to God, who called us from the foundation of the world, out of our own Ur of the Chaldees to the Land He has Promised, the Land flowing with milk and honey. He has promised victory over the giants in the land which stand in our way home to Him.

A friend we met when we first got on the Internet commented about this recent writing, indicating that he differs somewhat from what I wrote and he wanted my opinion, saying that "iron sharpens iron." Others may be interested in what he said. We'll call him Bob (not his real name). Here's a portion of what he wrote:

"I don't believe these manifested sons of God will include everyone on earth, as your friend suggested. Maybe in the next age, but not at the "twinkling." I believe Scripture is clear that only those who are His at His coming are included in that manifestation. The "all" means all who are His.

"So unless you expect to see 5 or 6 billion people suddenly come to Christ, I can't see how all mankind will be changed at this time. Only those who have the Holy Spirit get the new body. "But if anyone does not have the spirit of Christ, he does not belong to him" (Rom. 8:9).

"Think about it. If all people are changed, how can there be a "remnant?" Or a "chosen people." Or an "elect?" For "it is the remnant that will be saved" (Rom 9:27). So it seems clear that only those who are His are changed. After that He/we will put down all opposing authority to God's rule on earth, including death, then will He/we turn the kingdom over to the Father. And then comes the judgment." End Quote.

This brother has seen God's reconciliation of all, but like many others, he puts conditions on how it will happen, and gives the manifested sons a little credit for the triumph of the Gospel on earth. It reminds me of the foot note in the NIV Study Bible which dilutes Paul's emphatic, inclusive, and unconditional salvation for all Israel:

"Now I don't want you, my brothers, to be totally ignorant of God's secret plan. And I should not wish you to have ideas of your own which may be false. No, the partial insensibility which has come to Israel is only to last until the full number of the gentiles has been called in. Once this has happened, all Israel will be saved, as the scripture says: There shall come out of Zion the deliver, He shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob" (Rom. 11:25-26).

The foot note: "The salvation of the Jews will, of course, be on the same basis as anyone's salvation: personal faith in Jesus Christ, crucified and risen from the dead."

The "good news" is so good that many cannot believe it. They have to trim it down, cut it short, make it conditional upon man's obedience, something that has characterized church doctrine throughout the ages. Yet, by the Spirit, more and more Christians are seeing the all sufficiency of the blood sacrifice that God made in Christ on the cross to reconcile THE WORLD to Himself (II Cor. 5:18-19), that we might "become the righteousness of God" (Vs. 21). If ANYTHING about that process depends upon man's action or response, the whole outcome is damned from the beginning, because man has NEVER been able to obey the Law.

When Abraham walked through the blood with God, the text indicates that he was sore afraid, as well he might have been (Gen. 15:12), because the one who broke that blood covenant agreed to have his own blood shed like the animals whose blood was spilled in the ditch. Abraham knew that he would not be able to keep the covenant, and he was correct. The sacrificial blood of the lambs, goats, and bulls slain through the centuries, from the Law of Moses to Christ, were a reminder to the people of Israel of that blood covenant God made with Abraham. When they saw the blood spill down the side of the altar, they thanked God that they could offer an animal instead of their own blood as a sacrifice for their sins (Link to The Blood Covenant is at end).

What a God we serve, what a loving Father we have, who on the cross said, in effect, "You have broken the covenant thoroughly, completely, and totally, but instead of demanding your blood as payment, I give you My blood. You demand blood; you require a sacrifice. Take my blood. I will be Your sacrifice."

Would such a God then, turn around and say, "And oh, by the way, you'll have to be good enough and faithful enough and obedient enough to deserve the reward." I think not, but the extant church still teaches that, and thus falls short of the mark of the high calling of Christ.

Brother Bob spoke of the "elect," the "remnant," and he was correct in assuming that God has always served the many through the few. Abraham was the first "elect" of God, chosen that in his seed would all nations be blessed (Gen. 22:16-18; Gal. 3:8). That it all depends upon God is everywhere in scripture when He opens our eyes to see it. In Gen. 22:16, God said, "I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore." Before you jump to the conclusion that God could only bless Abraham because he was willing to sacrifice Isaac, as many have down through the centuries, remember the Hebrew writer's assertion "For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore by himself" (Heb. 6:13). Abraham could only have been willing to sacrifice Isaac by the faith God implanted in him. God depended upon Himself, not upon Abraham, to fulfill His promise.

Israel was the "remnant" through whom God displayed Himself to the surrounding nations, and Paul said that God is still using the elect in that way: "So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace. And if by grace, then it is no longer BY WORKS, if it were, grace would no longer be grace" (Rom. 11:5-6). Hosea saw God's grace at work in the heathen, and Paul quoted him: "I will call them 'my people' who are not my people; and I will call her 'my loved one' who is not my loved one. It will happen that in the very place where it was said to them, 'You are not my people,' they will be called 'sons of the living God'" (Hos. 1:10; 2:23; Rom. 10:25-26).

Paul also quoted Isaiah's bold statement: "I was found by those who did not seek me; I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me" (Isa. 65:1; Rom. 10: 20). While this certainly answers the question of how could 5 or 6 billion people could come to Christ in a "twinkling," it also asks the question, why do so many Christians have such trouble with this concept?

Paul had seen it all. He wrote about Israel's rejection of the Gospel, "What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith, but Israel, who pursued a law of righteousness, has not attained it. Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the 'stumbling stone'" (Rom. 9:30-32). It certainly appears to me that most Christians are still stumbling over the 'stumbling stone' which is Christ in us, the hope of glory. That, of course, is by God's design as well. Isaiah saw it and Paul quoted him: "See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame" (Isa. 8:14; Rom. 9:33). God is the active force in these verses; man is only the passive recipient.

Paul concluded, "For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile, the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for 'Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved'" (Rom. 10:12-13). Moreover, anyone who sees Him as He is shall be like Him (I John 3:2). That's enough for me to rest in God's ability to change us all into His likeness whenever He wants.

Brother Bob based his conclusions on the manifestation of the sons of God and the thousand year reign of Christ on earth. I no longer resonate to, nor have faith in, the thousand year reign of Christ on earth. I believe it is symbolic, as is most everything else in the book of Revelation. Some have created an elaborate end time scenario, pieced together like a patch work quilt from Old Testament prophecies found also in Revelation. As many have noted, John's Revelation is the unveiling of Christ. It was written to comfort Christians who were being tortured and killed by Roman Emperors, often for the entertainment of the blood thirsty masses. For John to have written something that wouldn't come true for 2,000 years or more, certainly wouldn't have been much comfort to a man about to be thrown to the lions. The man about to die needed to know Christ NOW as the One on the White Horse who rode forth conquering and to conquer (Rev. 6:2).

The martyrs drew strength, even as we do today, from knowing "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever" (Rev. 11:15). Any who are being tested and tried, tribulated and tempted to doubt, are raptured to the Throne of God by the words "NOW have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ" (Rev. 12:10). We don't have to wait for some future date to experience victory in Christ, for these things are true right NOW! The truth that "no scripture is for private interpretation" saves us from the hyperbole of the doomsday prophets.

Another brother wrote in response to last week's essay. "In recent years I have become less and less enchanted with the standard UR take on "manifested sons." It seemed to segregate the "haves" from "the have-nots" just as surely as the Fundamentalists do between the saved and unsaved. Harry's assertion that "the sons will include everyone" is a kind of bomb. He seems to be saying, with Karl Barth, that we are all on the same step before God." End Quote.

Since Jesus said that "no man knows the hour" when this world will pass away (Matt. 24:36), it is futile to speculate how it will happen or when. We trust in Him who will keep us from falling and present us without fault before the Throne, with great joy, knowing that even trust is not from us, but a gift of God.

Father, we fall on our faces in worship to You, who brought us out of the pigpens of this world into fellowship with You. Make us be light bearers and peace bringers to a dark and fearful world. In the Name above all names, amen.

Jan Antonsson

NUGGETS OF PRECIOUS GOLD ..... "Ye Sall Never Die?"

2009-10-24T02:12:00.000-07:00

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A year and a half ago, we published a blog that addressed the passing of a good brother. In that writing, I mentioned that this dear saint had been purposed of God to teach us a valuable lesson. I never exactly shared the lesson at that time, knowing the opportunity would present itself later. Today, that opportunity seems ripe.

As to some background, it so happens that I was used as an God's instrument to lead this Word of Faith preacher, into the truth of Universal Salvation. However, I was never able to share with him, "God's absolute sovereignty" with any success.

So it happens, that over the many months we traded thoughts on "free will vs. One will", this brother was working on a survive forever plan. He built a compound in the country, where no matter the conditions of the world, he could independently sustain himself and his family. Along with this, our brother also eschewed the use of doctors while in addition possessing an "I will never die" doctrine. He had the faith and he was putting it into action. So he thought.

You see, just about the time he had everything set in order, our brother became ill. Having been healed on a number of occasions without the assistance of a physician, he refused to seek clinical care. He even pinned the term,"Babylonian witch doctors" on the lot of physicians. Weeks dragged on and his illness worsened. Our friend, even refused the behest of his wife, to seek medical help, and more time passed. Finally, our brother acquiesced and upon medical examination it was determined a simple infection in one of his organs had spread to other organs and through out his body. Over time, the treatable infection had turned into his death knell. A few weeks after the doctor's exam, our brother was dead, but not before he mentioned to Joian and myself that his theology had been amiss.

And I would be remiss If I didn't share my belief, that our good brother in his passing taught many an important lesson. Such was his life ordained for, by the hand of the Sovereign God. I know in my heart, upon entering paradise and meeting the Father, this saint of God was received with a, "well done, my son!" With that, I am sure our brother laid his accolade at Jesus' feet.

With that introduction, I want to share a most remarkable writing by Elwin Roach that addresses this very "never die" philosophy, which our good brother had grasped onto. Joian sent this article to me today and I thank her for that. What a blessing to see the truth of the matter stated so clearly.

Blessings,
John

YE SHALL NEVER DIE?

O.K. folks, it's time to listen up. It is time to come to the knowledge of the truth. It's time to hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches; namely, what is being said to this church called the lukewarm church of (1)Laodicea. Frankly, it is time to face reality, adjust, and be ignited by the fire of revelation.

I know the above heading alone is enough for some to read no farther in this short, clear, easy to understand article. Nevertheless, since this subject seems to have been a somewhat confusing matter to a number of those who embrace present-day teachings, we will cover ground that's been plowed before, and hopefully, break again some fallow soil. In addition, repetition is often beneficial; for I believe it to be true as one author has written: "There may be more to learn by climbing the same mountain a hundred times than by climbing a hundred different mountains."

This issue of never dying has become a driving force for quite a number of sincere saints who have laid down their lives for the groaning creation, and this concerns me. There is nothing wrong with the thought in itself. The problem is one of perspective. When the vision has been diverted, it can lead to a hopelessly frustrating journey, and their long, sought after goal is never reached.

A couple of scriptures have, no doubt, already come to mind, so let us gird up the loins of our spirit and see what is being said by them.

"And whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall never die. Believest thou this?" (John 11:26).

First, to qualify and be numbered in those ranks, it is necessary to be experientially living and believing into Him, which cannot be done in the confines of the carnal mind. Second, to whom was Jesus referring when He said, "whosoever"? Do you suppose it was the person, the identity, the spiritual man, i.e., the sons of God who shouted for joy when the foundations of the earth were laid? (Job 38:4-7). Could it have been those foreknown by God, and predestinated to be conformed to the express image of His first begotten Son? And could it possibly have been the ones He called, and justified, and whom He also glorified before there was ever a man to till the ground? (Rom 8:29-30, Gen 2:1-5).

Or are you thinking the whosoever might be the tangible, the dust laden body by which the elect of God are temporarily veiled? Could the whosoever remotely be the old carnal being which lumbers around in a proud body of dirt, that Adamic body with the pronouncement of death upon it by virtue of being joined to the walking dead man? Could it be that image which was formed from the earth, the dust which will return to the earth as it was? (Eccl 12:7).

If you do not believe it is that one, then you understand well that the "whosoever" speaks of the ones born from above, those from the heavens! They are the ones Jesus was talking about, and not those whose make up is the elements of the crusty, temporal earth that lies on the earth-plane.

But You say, "For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality" as stated in 1 Corinthians 15:53. And I whole-heartedly agree. I believe the same. Yet I also note the meaning of the two words, put on. They come from the Greek word, enduo. Both Thayer's and Strong's Greek Dictionaries give the definition as: "to sink into, in the sense of sinking into a garment." Therefore, the mortality must SINK into the garment of immorality. It is not that mortality suddenly becomes immortal, no, not by any means. Mortality does not forever stand up tall and strong. It is swallowed up! It sinks into oblivion like a man being pulled down by quicksand. Mortality sinks into obscurity as it is swallowed by immortality.

The true man who shouted for joy long before the sun's first advent rises in victory. He is literally turned inside out. "For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day" (2 Cor 4:16). Hear it again -- though our outward man perish (sinks), yet the inward man is renewed (stands taller) day by day.

Since we know from whence we came, since we know our origin, since we know our heavenly Father and substance -- can any one of you tell me why we deny the perishing of our outward man of crusty clay? Why do we hold on to these carnal vessels as if that is who we are and all we are? I believe I know why. It is because we do not like the pain of growing old, and especially the pain and embarrassment of death; but more than that -- we have heard the voice that is twists human desires together with the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. By listening to the subtle wind of the serpent, and by taking that fruit, we have taken it to ourselves unto death, and in dying -- we die.

With the lying wind of the serpent in mind, let me borrow a thought from one of our previous articles (#02.151). This will, hopefully, dispel the idea that the devil has been destroyed, is only an illusion in men's minds, and all we have to do is to realize it.

Hebrews 2:14 is the only verse I can recall which is used for believing that the devil has been destroyed. Although it was surely the case for Jesus, this verse does not say that the devil was destroyed at the time of the cross for the whole world. Let us remove our doctrinal eyeglasses for a moment and note a simple statement: "Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise took part of the same; that through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil" (Heb 2:14). Did you notice the simple statement? "...That through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil. It does not say, that through death He destroyed him, but might destroy him. There is a difference, you know!

It would not seem possible to miss this point, but many do. While these dear ones are aging by the day, and literally dying, they say, "The devil who has the power of death has been destroyed. I will, therefore, never die. Sadly, they do not see that their words are often inspired by the very thing they say is dead; namely, the devil, the adverse spirit which sets every carnal mind against God in the interest of human reasoning, the spirit which presently works in the children of disobedience (Eph 2:2). Moreover, their claim indicates that they deny the obvious. Some, however, maintain that the obvious is merely an illusion, that death and aging are nothing more than the result of a mistaken identity, and if people would simply realize it -- they will stop the aging process and will never die. Forgive me, please, for being the bearer of sad news; but I must say -- your realizing is not real, and it is not working. That which you call illusions are becoming realities. You are growing older by the day. Your bodies are falling apart. Not even the supplements you are consuming will prevent it. They will slow it down, but being natural, the stroke of death is in them as well, and they have no power to induce immortality. The reality of your illusions continue to demand food, medications, doctors, shelters from the elements. In a nutshell -- you are dying, that is, your temporal houses, your bodies, are dying. If they are not, then you need none of the natural amenities of life. Therefore, if you are a guest in our home -- we will not set a plate for you. We will not expect you to use the shower or toilet. For you see, only a dying body needs food to sustain it, and only a dying body emits sweat and odor and has the need to use the toilet.

To help settle some dust in this arena of conflict, we will delve into a short Greek lesson. It is in reference to this Greek word, which was translated might destroy (Grk Katargese). This was shared in Part 1 of this series; but it seemed to be difficult for some to grasp what was being said. Therefore, I will be as clear as I possibly can.

According to the Analytical Greek New Testament, might destroy (katargese) is an aorist active verb in the subjunctive mood. In simple terms, The aorist subjunctive does not refer to the past. It speaks of the future. The aorist subjunctive is an action without any reference to progress or completion. (rf. Beginner's Grammar of the Greek New Testament, Harper & Row Publishers).

Simply put, the subjunctive aorist of might destroy is not a statement which declares a completed act. It speaks of an ongoing desire with no definite end in sight. Therefore, Hebrews 2:14 is not declaring that Jesus destroyed the devil in every person. However, since it was completed in Christ our Lord, we are in Him and He is in us, and He is not only the author, but also the finisher of our faith -- we can rest assured He WILL destroy in us that dark power of death. In doing so, mortality will helplessly sink forever into the grand garments of immortality.

Now that we see the mood of the subjunctive aorist, and how it relates to might destroy, the essence of the verse becomes evident. Namely, that the rendering idle of the devil is not an experientially completed fact for every man. Although it was completed with Jesus, it is not necessarily so with all others.

I pray that your spirit is not dashed or dampened by this understanding, for there is no need to be discouraged, but rather encouraged. We can be encouraged by knowing that there is a time when the serpent has no power or influence whatsoever. It is when we are caught up to the throne of God, war is waged in heaven, and the dragon is cast out (Rev 12:5-9). He will then have been rendered idle. When there is no carnal mind, Satan is found cast into the bottomless pit, having no foundation upon which to stand. He is destroyed, fired from his job, rendered totally useless. Until then, he will be seen manifesting his subtlety in religious minds everywhere.

Let me quote a couple of statements, One will be a lie, and one will be the truth: "You shall not surely die," (Satan, the serpent) and "You shall never die" (Jesus, the dove). Which one is a lie, and which one is the truth? That is easy to answer; but we may not know why one is a lie and the other the truth.

It is common knowledge, or least should be, that from Satan's very beginning his lie murdered the man and woman. At no time has he ever stood in the truth. There is no truth in him. When he speaks, it is a lie, because he is the father of lies (John 8:44). Therefore, it is easily said that his statement is the lie. And since we know Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and He cannot lie, we know He spoke the truth. But why is one a lie while the other is the truth? Both statements are primarily the same, so if one was true, why wouldn't the other be true?

The difference is in the source of the word and whether it is taken or received. When it is taken, as the woman took the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, we know ourselves and we die. When we receive the blessed, broken bread from the hand of Jesus, we know Him and we live. For He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

If we take to ourselves the word, "You shall not surely die," we shall die. It matters not that we declare our aging and dying to be an illusion, we will die just the same. It matters not if we muster all the presumptuous faith possible and profess that we will never die; we will die. And it matters not if we name and claim immorality night and day upon these mortal bodies -- when we have been inspired by the subtle serpent, we heed the tempting voice, and we take from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil -- we will die!

It is simply amazing to me that mortals are attempting lay claim to immortality upon their temporal bodies. They preach it, teach it, sing it, and proclaim it, yet nothing changes. Mary Baker Eddy, founder of Christian Science, failed to eradicate what she called illusions (sickness, death, mortality), and that failed revelation is now purported as new revelation. It didn't work then, and it won't work today.

Nevertheless, let me say this. I will not dispute that for some, the devil, the one who has the power of death, has been (2)destroyed, or at least has lost his job and has been rendered entirely idle. If this is the case, then you will certainly never die. For you see, when the cause is removed, so is the effect. When the cause is removed, the mortal will sink into the immortal, and there will be a change. Don't expect to keep your seventy year old wrinkles forever. Let me say this as well, if you go to a funeral and see the claimant's dead body lying motionless in the velvet-lined casket, you can pretty well conclude the devil had not become unemployed and was still a very real power in the person's life. Personally, it does not bother me to hear others say that their devil has been destroyed, he has nothing to do with them, and they will never die; for it may be true. Moreover, many who say this do not have their focus on the devil. They are not expecting to see him around every corner just waiting to pounce on them.

Truly, there is a time, a day, a moment -- at the twinkling of the eye, at the change of vision -- when death is swallowed by life, and temporal mortality sinks into age-abiding immortality. There is a generation who will know this by experience, and with the vision of life we have today, I expect this to be the generation. If not, the foundation for the manifestation of the Sons of God is certainly being laid for another generation.

Incidently, the twinkling of the eye, i.e., a change of vision, does not come by a "positive confession." This vision comes when the focus of that which is seen is changed to the unseen, when that which is fitted for the temporary occasion is changed to the eternal reality. This change comes by the lightning bolt of pure revelation. It is not conjured by man. He is not the origin of it, the function of it, and he is certainly not the end of it.

FOR THE OCCASION

"For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal" (2 Cor 4:17-18).

[temporal: proskairos, From G4314 (pros) and G2540 (kairos); for the occasion only, that is, temporary" (Strong’s). Thayer's gives this: kairos 1) due measure 2) a measure of time, a larger or smaller portion of time, hence: 2a) a fixed and definite time, the time when things are brought to crisis, the decisive epoch waited for 2b) opportune or seasonable time 2c) the right time 2d) a limited period of time 2e) to what time brings, the state of the times, the things and events of time ]

It may not seem to be a "light affliction"; but in relation to the eternal reward, it is light. The Amplified expresses it as being a slight distress: "For our light, momentary affliction (this slight distress of the passing hour) is ever more and more abundantly preparing and producing and achieving for us an everlasting weight of glory — beyond all measure, excessively surpassing all comparisons and all calculations, a vast and transcendent glory and blessedness never to cease!" (vrs. 17).

What a working! What a process! What an exchange! The slight distress of our bodies of humility, our momentary natural affliction of carnality, our assorted obstacles and occasional burdens — work toward and are exchanged for a glory that is beyond all measure, a glory of incalculable riches that transcend all things human! Brethren, I believe we can say that this is a fair exchange! It is well worth enduring the slight distress! When we see this, we can stop complaining about all those slight things we all suffer.

I have yet to write or teach on a subject that has been on my mind for a few years, and I may never; but if I do, it will be called: "Whiners, Criers, Moaners, and Groaners." Sort of a catchy title, don’t you agree? Even so, it may be enough to make us pause to consider just how we react to our moment of slight distress.

Do we fit into one or more of these categories? Are we among the Whiners, those who are never content and see only the woes in their lives? Perhaps we fit in with the Criers? At the slightest provocation or discomfort the wailing begins. Or could it be with the Moaners we find fellowship? They moan about this, and they moan about that; they deplore this, and they deplore that; they lament over this and lament over that. Or on the better side, maybe we are in company with the Groaners.

None of the first three I have listed should be confused with the groaners. These know about the Spirit that makes intercession for us with deep groaning and cannot be uttered. There is the groaning of oppression that turns God’s ear to his people. There is the groaning that accompanies godly sorrow that works repentance unto salvation, the groaning of the prisoner, and the groaning in the spirit that genders compassion to deliver the oppressed and raise the dead. The whole creation groans to be released into the same liberty of the children of God. And we ourselves groan with within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body; for we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life. Such groaning is a very real, working process which is instrumental in moving us from the temporal into the eternal. But the whining, crying, and moaning of the carnal emotions and flesh should be far from those called to reconcile the world.

Notwithstanding, let us draw again our attention to the meaning of temporal, which is: for the occasion only. Since that is the case, why then, would we want to drag our carnal bodies into the realm of eternity, that which is formed only for the occasion of slight distress? First, although many believe it can be done and are attempting to accomplish that insufferable feat, it can’t be done. Second, if it could be a remote possibility, those with understanding wouldn’t want to do so and shortchange themselves. Regardless of how our bodies of earth are pampered, preened and pomped, those temporal elements cannot compare to the eternal, and could never survive in such a holy environment.

Let me share an undergirding thought which was related by one of God’s heralds of truth, J. Preston Eby:

"The things which are seen are temporal. The things which are not seen are eternal. Temporal is an interesting word. The word is from the Greek which means for the occasion. The things which are seen are for the occasion. But the things which are not seen are enduring. And you know, we are all here today for the occasion. We’re here in God’s appointment. And we’re here in His purpose, His plan, fulfilling precisely what he ordained for this very day.

"For example, when you’re having a party and you go buy the paper plates and the streamers and the table cloth, all these paper things that you have for a birthday party, and you decorate everything, it’s so beautiful. And yet it is just for the occasion. Only a couple of hours and the occasion is over, and these are all gathered up and put in the trash. It’s gone. It is just for the occasion.

"If my origin had been in this world, then I would be very concerned about what happens to this part of me that is dust. But my origin was not in this world. My origin is out of that which is eternal. Praise God! And this body is for the occasion. It’s for the occasion.

"God predestinated that every one of us would be here for this occasion. And I don’t mean just for today. From the time that we were birthed in this world – and whether God chooses that we go by way of the grave or whether we come to that transformation by which we walk into an incorruptible body right where we stand on our two feet, there’s going to be a change.

"As Brother Ray said, ‘There’s going to be a change in life-style, whether it’s by the grave or whether it’s by transformation.’ Even of this body, there will be a change. And where we are today is for the occasion. And what I’m looking at this morning, as far as the physical, will pass away. It will pass away. But we look for that house which is from heaven, which is eternal. I’m convinced that God is raising up that house within us.

"I believe that as a partaker of Christ that I am not only a partaker of the Spirit of Christ, but that I am a partaker of the very substance, the very body of Christ, and that everything that Christ is, is being raised up within me and you to bring forth the totality of the expression of Himself to creation." — End quote.

With such a clear and beautiful picture so masterfully drawn, is there anyone who is still set on carrying their cumbersome baggage into the age of surpassing glory? If so, it will be good to take a moment and notice some additional points in reference to that which is for the occasion and that which is eternal, or rather age-abiding, as it is in the Greek.

For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man (for the occasion) is perishing [to rot thoroughly, i.e., to ruin, decay utterly. (Strong’s)] , yet the (abiding) inward man is renewed day by day (2 Cor 4:16). Or it could be said this way: For this cause we faint not; for though our outward man, our temporal body, that which is for the occasion only, is perishing, decaying and wasting away, rotting, if you please, our inner man, that which is ever abiding, never dying, is renewed day by day.

You see, that mortal which was formed around us for the occasion should not be the focus of who we are, nor should it be an object we cannot lay down and let it sink into and be swallowed by immortality. Truthfully, I believe if we have a hard time in letting our bodies continue the processes of decaying, even in the grave, it is doubtful that we would feel any differently if we began to lose our identities by being transfigured. For you see, either way, we would be losing that carnal, outward expression of our temporal house which is for the occasion only. Can it be that we have fallen so in love with our physical frame that regardless of how it is changed, we won’t like it and will do anything, believe anything, claim anything with feeble hopes of preventing it? Sadly, I believe for some, the answer is yes.

Again, "And whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall never die. Believest thou this?" (John 11:26). The whosoevers do not consist of the tangible, dust laden body, that carnal thing which is for the occasion only.

The whosoevers are the spiritual man, they who shouted for joy when the foundations of the earth were laid; those foreknown by God, called, justified, glorified and predestined to be conformed to the express image of His first begotten Son. The whosoevers are not the old carnal beings who strut about in this body of dirt claiming to be God who will never die.

Strangely, regardless of how far from the truth they are, they believe their own thoughts and claims can change reality. With this they believe they are the captains (gods) of their own destiny.

The corruptible, no matter how convincing it is, will never possess incorruptibility. It will put on, or sink into and be swallowed up by the garment of immortality; but it will not be immortal itself. That outward man will sink and perish, while the inward man will rise and be renewed day by day. By knowing our origin, by knowing who we are, let us no longer listen to the lying wind of the subtle serpent which presently works in the children of disobedience.

Let us not bemoan that our bodies of earth are growing older day by day; but let us rejoice that our tabernacles from above are being renewed day by day. Also, whether or not we understand the subjunctive aorist of might destroy the devil, we should know there is still the very real negative power of death in the earth, yet it has no power over the everlasting man from above. We want to always keep in mind — our natural frame is not who we are, and it is for the temporal occasion only.

It is true that we shall never die; but remember who are the true "WE." Let us not mistake our identity as being our heart attack and disease prone bodies. We date back much further than earthen huts. We come from a far superior place than earth. Therefore, let us cease from naming and claiming immortality upon these temporal bodies, and with patience, let us wait for the moment, for the twinkling of the eye, for the change of vision when death is swallow by life, and temporal mortality sinks into age-abiding immortality and everlasting weight of glory; into that which is beyond all measure, excessively surpassing all comparisons and all calculations, a vast and transcendent glory which will never cease.

It matters not what we profess and claim about our mortal bodies. That is not what makes it so. God has not put His immutable plan of the ages under the dictates of every man who is a liar. If he did such a thing, it would cause me to despairingly sing the old song — "Stop the world and let me off. I’m tired of going round and round...." However, since I know it is not left in the temporal hands of man to usher in God’s indissoluble Kingdom, I sing with great rejoicing — "I will abide in Thy tabernacle for ever: I will trust in the covert of Thy wings. Selah" (Psa 61:4).

Elwin Roach

WHO IS THAT FOURTH MAN ?

2009-10-22T12:31:00.000-07:00

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Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God. Dan 3

In scanning the news this morning, my eyes fell across an article speaking to the accounts, of the day twenty years ago, when the Berlin wall fell. I remember being glued to the TV at that time, as I cheered the East Germans and West Germans tearing down the wall together, that they might finally be reunited. It was as glorious a demonstration, as any in this world's political arena. On that memorable day, freedom rang loud and separated family members hugged each other with long held tears of joy flowing from their eyes and hearts. For two decades, the world has given Gorbachev and Reagan all the credit for this earth shaking reunion. Now it seems, other's want their share of the accolades. Isn't that the way of carnal men.

Below is the article that thrilled me, not for the whole of it's content, but for the last line, where the "fourth man" is mentioned. I couldn't help but think that the fourth man in this writing; the one who stood on the sidelines, could very well have been our Jesus.

Oh, let men clamour and strive for recognition, when we realize only One is worthy. He came as a lowly servant, a man from the disparaged Nazareth to free us from our vanity and lift us all to a different glory. It is only when we finally conclude we have no claim, that the real glory comes to us in the form of the Forth Man, the Son of God and our beloved Jesus.

Did Brinkmannship Fell Berlin's Wall? Brinkmann Says It Did

By Marcus Walker -- Almut Schoenfeld contributed to this article.

BERLIN -- The world believes Ronald Reagan, Mikhail Gorbachev or peaceful protests brought down the Berlin Wall 20 years ago next month. But for those who had front-row seats, the argument boils down to Ehrman vs. Brinkmann.

Riccardo Ehrman, a veteran Italian foreign correspondent, and Peter Brinkmann, a combative German tabloid reporter, both claim they asked the crucial questions at a news conference on Nov. 9, 1989, that led East German Politburo member Günter Schabowski to make one of the biggest fumbles in modern history.

Mr. Schabowski was supposed to announce a temporary bureaucratic procedure that would make it easier for East Germans to travel abroad, a tactic aimed at shoring up the Communist regime in the face of mass demonstrations.

Instead, he inadvertently opened the Berlin Wall.

When his fellow Communist leaders decided on new travel regulations, Mr. Schabowski was out of the room. Later that evening he skim-read the executive order, stuffed it in his briefcase, and headed off to meet the world's media.

Pressed on the meaning of the new travel policy -- When did it come into force? Did it apply to West Berlin? Did people need a passport? -- the flustered apparatchik rustled his papers and gave confusing answers that led the news media to believe the border was open, with immediate effect.

The result, once East Berliners had seen that night's news on West German television, was chaos at border crossings across the city.

At Bornholmer Strasse, one of the main checkpoints in central Berlin, confused border guards couldn't get clear orders on how to deal with the crush, and debated whether to open fire. Instead, they opened the barrier, and the Berlin Wall was history. The events have been chronicled by Hans-Hermann Hertle, a historian who specializes in the fall of East Germany.

As the anniversary of that tumultuous night nears, a dispute is heating up over who flummoxed Mr. Schabowski.

Among those who are aware of the incident, Mr. Ehrman generally gets credit. In 2008, Germany's president awarded Mr. Ehrman the country's highest honor, the Federal Cross of Merit. "His persistence at the press conference finally elicited the crucial statement" that brought down the Wall, the citation said: "His name stands for...German unity."

"The surprising fact is that I apparently was the only journalist in the room who understood the meaning of Schabowski's words," Mr. Ehrman says.

He remembers quickly leaving the press conference and sending his employer in Rome, news agency ANSA, the headline: "The Berlin Wall has collapsed." His editor there said he had gone pazzo, crazy, and at first refused to run the story.

That heady night, cheering East Germans queuing to pass through the Wall recognized the Italian from TV and hoisted him onto their shoulders.

But Mr. Ehrman is puffing up his role, says Mr. Brinkmann, who worked for Bild-Zeitung, Germany's mass-selling tabloid, famous for its shrill headlines, short articles and topless front-page models.

Mr. Ehrman merely posed a question about a previous travel proposal, Mr. Brinkmann says. The crucial questions about timing and West Berlin were his alone, he says.

And while Mr. Ehrman was being feted that night, Mr. Brinkmann, by his own account, wasn't yet done bringing down communism. He says he secured the opening of Checkpoint Charlie, the Wall's most famous crossing, by arguing with its guards.

When his rival got a medal, a decision Mr. Brinkmann calls "nonsense," Mr. Brinkmann wrote the German president to set the record straight.

"The annoying thing is you can't see me on the TV footage -- you can only see Ehrman and Schabowski -- but you can hear me," says Mr. Brinkmann. He adds, for anyone who thinks it is the Italian posing questions, that it is "funny how Ehrman suddenly develops perfect German" during the exchanges.

Mr. Brinkmann thought he had picked the best seat in the house: front row and center. The German tabloid reporter occupied the chair with his jacket three hours before the news conference in East Berlin began.

Mr. Ehrman arrived so late that all seats were taken, so he sat on the edge of the podium, in full view of the cameras.

Mr. Brinkmann, now 64, is trying to fight his way into the history books with a public-relations offensive. He has persuaded some historians and TV documentary makers of his story, and he is spreading the word on Twitter.

"Am angry that Riccardo Ehrman falsely gets the credit for calling out 'When? Immediately?' when the Wall fell in 1989," Mr. Brinkmann tweeted recently.

Mr. Ehrman counters that he has never even heard of Mr. Brinkmann. "Anybody is free to claim whatever they like, but the record is clear," Mr. Ehrman says. "It was a sort of conversation between Schabowski and myself. This, Schabowski admits."

Mr. Schabowski, now 80, has been in and out of hospital this year and is too sick to give an interview. Mr. Brinkmann is trying to get the ailing former East German Politburo member to sign a statement backing his version. "Then I can show everyone," Mr. Brinkmann says.

Mr. Ehrman says he is offended that some German media and historians have recently cast doubt on his role in 1989. "Some said it was just a fluke, while others said I was a tool of the [East German] regime," he says.

Archive footage from East German TV packs some surprises that nobody quite remembers. For an hour, the press conference is a nonevent. In a cramped room clad in the Soviet bloc's regulation brown paneling, Mr. Schabowski rambles on about the party leadership's deliberations that day.

With time running out, Mr. Ehrman asks about travel restrictions. Mr. Schabowski drops the bombshell that the regime has decided to allow East Germans to travel west or emigrate.

Three reporters launch a rapid-fire cross-examination: Mr. Ehrman, Mr. Brinkmann -- and Krzysztof Janowski, a political refugee from Communist Poland who worked for Voice of America (and who now says he doesn't remember details of the day). Together, the trio cause Mr. Schabowski to scratch his head and read his brief aloud, learning its content himself as he goes.

Finally, a fourth voice draws Mr. Schabowski's eyes to the opposite side of the room. The voice repeats the key question: "When does that go into effect?" The Politburo member scans his papers and quotes words out of context: "Immediately. Without delay," he blunders.

The fourth man has never been identified.

Who Is the Fourth Man?

Let me tell you who He is in every book of the Bible.

In Genesis He is the Seed of the Woman.

In Exodus He is the Passover Lamb.

In Leviticus He is our High Priest.

In Numbers He is the Pillar of Cloud by day and the Pillar of Fire by night.

In Deuteronomy He is the Prophet like unto Moses.

In Joshua He is the Captain of our Salvation.

In Judges He is our Judge and Lawgiver.

In Ruth He is our Kinsman Redeemer.

In I and II Samuel He is our Trusted Prophet.

In Kings and Chronicles He is our Reigning King.

In Ezra He is our Faithful Scribe.

In Nehemiah He is the Rebuilder of the Broken Down Walls of our human life.

In Esther He is our Mordecai.

In Job He is our Dayspring from on high and our Ever-Living Redemmer.

In Psalms He is the Lord our Shepard.

In Proverbs and Ecclesiastes He is our Wisdom.

In the Song of Solomon He is our Lover and the Bridegroom.

In Isaiah He is the Prince of Peace.

In Jeremiah He is the Righteous Branch.

In Lamentations He is the Weeping Prophet.

In Ezekiel He is the Wonderful Four-Faced Man.

In Daniel He is the Fourth Man in the burning fiery furnace.

Who is the Fourth Man?

In Hosea He is the Faithful Husband, forever married to the backslider.

In Joel He is the Baptizer with the Holy Ghost and Fire.

In Amos He is our Burden-Bearer.

In Obadiah He is the Mighty to Save.

In Jonah He is our Great Foreign Missionary.

In Micah He is the Messenger of Beautiful Feet, of carrying the Gospel.

In Nahum He is the Avenger of God's Elect.

In Habakkuk He is God's Evangelist, crying, "Revive thy work in the midst of the years."

In Zephaniah He is the Savior.

In Haggai He is the Restorer of God's Lost Heritage.

In Zechariah He is the Fountain Opened in the House of David for sin and uncleanness.

And in Malachi He is the Sun of Righteousness, rising with healing in His wings.

Who is the Fourth Man?

In Matthew He is the Messiah.

In Mark He is the Wonder-worker.

In Luke He is the Son of Man.

In John He is the son of God.

In Acts He is the Holy spirit.

In Romans He is our Justifier.

In Corinthians He is the Gifs of the Spirit.

In Galatians He is the Redeemer from the curse of the law.

In Ephesians He is the Christ on Unreachable Riches.

In Philippians He is the God Who Supplies All Our Needs.

In Colossians He is the Godhead Bodily.

In ! and II Thessalonians He is our Soon-coming King.

In I and II Timothy He is our Mediator between God and Man.

In Titus He is our Faithful Pastor.

In Philemon He is a Friend that Sticketh Closer that a Brother.

In Hebrews He is the Blood of the Everlasting Covenant.

In James He is the Great Physician.

In I an II Peter He is the Chief Shepard who soon shall appear with a crown of unfading glory.

In I, II, and III John He is Everlasting Love.

In Jude He is the Lord Coming with Ten Thousands of his Saints.

And in revelation He is the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.

(The words above are taken from a sermon preached by Oral Roberts.

It thrilled my heart when I heard those words almost four decades ago)

CLIMB INTO THE ARK (cute)

2009-10-21T18:22:00.000-07:00

And if you can't find the ark, a raft will do in a pinch.

But, then it's back into the angry sea.

Every day is the "Day of Lord."

Climb into the ark which be Christ and be lifted above

the turbulent sea which is unregenerate humanity.

Salvation Without a Saviour............New Age, Exposed and Debunked!

2009-10-17T14:43:00.000-07:00

I met Jack Hennessey face to face in 2006. It was the Fourth of July weekend and he was in Coronado, California for his mother’s memorial services. For the past year we had read and responded to each others posts on a Universal Reconciliation Forum called Tentmaker. I had been drawn to several brothers and sisters on Tentmaker. Many used pseudonyms, such as Kept, RedLetter, Reb, StainedGlass and Sparrow. Then there was JACK whose favorite quote seemed to be. "What you see is what you get!" And truly we did "get" what Jack said.........lol

My greatest scriptural interests at the time were the teachings on the lake of fire, hell, Hades, eternal torment and outer darkness. At Tentmaker these topics were dissected and discussed with thoughts I never heard in my Charismatic, Word of Faith, Kingdom Now, world!

The Lord himself finally showed me the truth that “ALL” would be saved, using the parable of the lost sheep. How dear was the day he asked me, if he left the 99 sheep and went to find the one lost sheep how many would he have when he got back? My answer… was 100. He said, well change that to 100%...it was shouting time!!!!.......I was finally able to see other scripture that bore that same truth. My whole world rocked and changed ….as did my love and view of my Heavenly Father.

By 2008, I began to see a shift at Tentmaker as the first new age teachings began to emerge on the forum. The Administrator resigned after months of refuting the blood of Jesus and the work of the cross. Then many others left embracing the teachings of NEW AGE. I felt like I was in a Tidal Wave. Over and over Jack pointed to the error. I struggled to see what was being said. I cried, prayed and wondered if I too would be deceived. I could not seem to understand what newagers believed, contrasted with what I believed, as they used some of the same words and concepts I used.

I finally found Terry Crisp’s website where I would immerse myself in articles dealing with the error of the New Age. Terry is gifted as no other in detailing the error.

I still longed for something I could put in my children's hands that was simple and to the point. I found that summary this past week in an Elwin Roach article titled, "And Their Eyes Were Opened and They Knew" Part 3.
I have copied that part below.......

Be Blessed. Joian
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Elwin Roach~

"The New Age terminology can be mistakenly taken for Kingdom Truth. They speak much of the kingdom of God within man, of Christ within man, of love, mercy, goodness, and spiritual perfection and oneness with God. The ancient serpent is wise, shrewd, crafty and subtle, and he knows that the most effectual way to instill error into the minds of the unwary is to use old and precious words and put a new meaning into them. So when his messengers, masquerading as ‘ministers of righteousness,’ seek to lead, if possible, the very elect astray, they use the old precious words, but put an entirely different and false meaning. When they talk about God and our heavenly Father they don't mean the God of the Bible, the personal God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. They mean the impersonal energy that is resident in all things animate and inanimate. They talk of atonement, but they do not mean at all the redemptive death of Jesus Christ on our behalf by which we are reconciled to God by His blood. They mean the at-one-ment in which we recognize our oneness with all things, a cosmic unity, not with the Creator, but within ourselves and with the creation. Jesus has nothing to do with it at all, except as a great Teacher, a Way-shower, revealing to us the divine potential inherent in every man. They believe there are many ways to God - Jesus is merely a way given to Christians - one of many ways to God.

"What do the New Age people look to for salvation? A complete or perfect union with this ‘inexorable principle’ or ‘divine energy’ permeating all things, which is their god! It is the same thing as Nirvana of the Buddhist, Brahma of the Hindu - an imaginary god-consciousness, into which all will finally be absorbed. And this is attained by discovering and developing your ‘inner self’ — which ‘inner self’ is the corrupted soul rather than the regenerated spirit! And when they talk about Christ, they do not mean at all our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, the actual historic Jesus who lived and died for us, who rose from the dead, ascended up to the right hand of God, and came back again in mighty spirit-power. Oh, no! They mean an ‘ideal Christ, or a ‘Christ principle’ that is in every man! They mean the ‘inner self’ of the soul! They see God as the life principle of every man and Christ is the name that is given to man once he has awakened to his godhood. Now, it is true that the seed of God is in every man! But no man is ‘Christ,’ that is, an anointed one, until the seed of God in him is quickened, germinated, and empowered by the infusion of God's Holy Spirit! Jesus, in the New Age view, was no more the Son of God than the drunk in the gutter. He was simply a good man, a highly developed man, a ‘Master-Spirit’ who developed the Christ principle within him and showed men how to awaken to their true inner self. According to their teaching Jesus was a man who went through many incarnations. These incarnations of Jesus took the form of Confucius, Buddha, Moses, David, and many others. These lives were his days at school, and he arrived at a state of consciousness, while manifesting as Jesus of Nazareth, where he remembered his past lives. They see no need for Jesus as the Lamb slain, for redemption, justification, regeneration, new birth, sanctification, baptism in the Holy Spirit, or any other New Testament experience. Men don't need to be saved, reconciled to God, or cleansed by the washing of regeneration - just awakened to the god within! What the New Age movement has done in America and other western nations is to combine Christian terminology with the tenets of various eastern religions, wrap them all up in a new package, and put a label on the package which guarantees everyone salvation without a Saviour! And what some in this Kingdom walk have done is create their own hybrid strain of sonship, speaking Kingdom truth deadly laced with pagan New Age concepts!

"The New Age movement is a modern form of eastern pagan religion — mingled with the darkness of the occult. While they do espouse some principles that contain truth, these are at best but half-truths, which are more deadly than the outright lie! All true reality of the living Jesus Christ is missing - they know not the Lord Jesus as Saviour, nor the cleansing power of His blood, nor the quickening, regenerating work of the Holy Spirit, nor the authority of His name, nor the baptism in His Spirit, nor the fellowship of His body, nor the truth of the Holy Scriptures — in short they are at best bastard sons, subtle counterfeits, and there is no light in them for the light they do have is darkness, merely their own supposed inherent godhood, unquickened and unregenerated, which is the godhood of the self, old Adam - not the true and living God! This ‘inner self’ of all men is the ‘Cosmic Christ’ of the New Age!

"No truer words have been penned than those by Bob Torango wherein he writes, ‘I don't care how much it grieves some to think about having a Lord over themselves, no matter how much it makes their flesh to rebel, there is only one Lord over all heaven and earth, and that is Jesus Christ. It is not your perceived higher self, your I Amness, your shifted consciousness, your universal oneness, your metaphysical self, neither is it your egotistical, sinless, Adamless, fleshless self. Let me go down on record and say that there is only One worthy of honor and glory and adoration, only One to be worshipped and exalted, and it is not YOU. It is Him. If you cannot see Him beyond YOU, then you have a problem, and we need to talk. We don't have to exalt ourselves to feel better about our status in the kingdom. If we would only exalt Him, then He would lift us above our woeful self and bring us into His glory and crown us with everlasting joy. Isn't that enough? Do you really need to lower Jesus in rank and file in order to set yourselves up as kings? Must you continue to try to find another door, another way into God? He is the door, and it is wide open for all. Walk through Him, sit down with Him and drink the new wine and eat the bread of the kingdom. It is enough.’

"The book of Revelation is not the revelation of this Cosmic Christ, nor of a Christ principle, nor of the old inner self of unregenerated men - it is the revelation of the crucified, risen, ascended, glorified, spiritualized, universalized JESUS CHRIST who is Saviour of all men and Lord of all! It is the revelation of Jesus Christ as Head and body in the earth by the power of the spirit of His sonship! Remember, dear ones, that there is no truth beyond Jesus Christ! He has been given the name which is above every name in the heavens and in the earth! To Him has been given all power and all authority in heaven and in earth! Neither is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven by which we must be saved! He is the Head of all principality and power! He is the prince of the kings of the earth! He is the firstborn among many brethren! He is King of kings and Lord of lords! He is the Mighty God and the Everlasting Father! In Him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily! We are the body in which His fullness is revealed! Those who seek an ultimate truth beyond Jesus Christ, an ultimate reality beyond Him, will discover to their dreadful dismay that they have taken a fearful detour into the realms of outer darkness!" — End quote.

GOD ABANDONED HIMSELF

2009-10-12T20:45:00.000-07:00

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There are but two truths; the All and the Nought. Everything else is a falsity.
Madame Guyon

I sense the mind of Christ when I find myself being disturbed by the term “balance” when used to speak of the things in the Kingdom. It is like saying neutral grey is good, when Truth is always painted in black and white. And I can’t settle for partiality either, when the "Alpha and Omega" are the measure of Christ. Furthermore, the "nought and the all", even fall short in describing the infinite wholeness of God. For He is truly the Immeasurable One.

I’ll tell ya, the carnal soul of man loves ambiguity and confusion thus the "black and white" and the "nought and all", can never be accepted as characteristic of God and His Kingdom.

However, for you, man and woman of God, allow me to share, that a number of years ago my Lord began to have me measure Truth with a few rules in mind. First, everything in the Kingdom, is encapsulated in the "nought and the all", which be the boundaries of God in creation. Secondly, everything in creation is also moving toward the "One", which be the Glory of Christ. Lastly, His Spirit always has me choose the simplest of concepts, because Truth is not complex nor confusing when viewed through a Jesus focused, single eye. With regard to the person of God, I will choose one over three any day.

It seems, I always find myself sharing on one forum or another and I have noticed that those that build their theology, primarily with carnal reason and intellect, always slip up somewhere, in their message. It may be just a sentence, or even a phrase, hidden in the midst of unending paragraphs of confusion and falsity, but it will always be there. The hidden truth will somehow find it’s way into the mixture. This often makes for a great invitation to show the prideful intellectual, the hypocrisy within their view. I don’t know why God does the following with me. Normaly, I quickly peruse written material that lacks anointing. And I will see the hypocrisy and then spy the hidden mention of Truth in the unsavory mix. God has given me this gift and I am so grateful for it, as it saves much time and even frustration. Thank you, Lord!

This below is a forum response to an intellectually bent trinitarian that slipped up, when writing of the atonement and the cross. In the mix of his silver dollar words and lofty ideas, this vain philosopher inserted the phrase, “the whole fullness of the Deity is the one doing.” Is that not a great invitation when spouted by an orthodox trinitarian churchman. I certainly thought so. You must understand a trinitarian distinctly divides Deity into three instead of seeing God as one. We, who have learned to be still in prayer, should know the Father is Jesus outside the eons, while Father is Jesus in the world. Once someone has this revealed to them, things become much simpler and all Truth starts moving toward the One. Conversely, those with a trinity view, are ever in the division mode and this precipitates even a greater division between God and man. Allow me to share once again the progression, in this neat little poem. We move from divided to One. Think of atonement as, "at one ment."

How strange it should be,
That we who seemed four,
Are now become Three.
And We Who are Three
Are yet become One,
Father, Spirit and Sons in the Son.

My reply is below and hopefully you can see that which I am conveying. Lord willing, I will do better in a future blog, as the Lord reveals more and when I have time to embellish and clarify the thought, “GOD GAVE HIS VERY ABSOLUTE ALL AT CALVARY.” To lend some aid in your understanding, take note that we are discussing the topic of “abandonment” conveyed in these most sacred of scriptures, quoted just below. May Our Dear Father give you the heart and mind to comprehend a measure of the cost of ALL, that He gave through His Precious Son, Christ Jesus. Oh, to think of how dark it must have been that ninth hour, when God spoke of abandoning His own self, before He died a very human death. I weep now, as I recollect, He carried all my despair and all of yours, for they were surely His very own. Oh my, I am completely undone in the telling of it! There is a God that so knows and understands our infirmities, because they are His. Who has such a God? Who knows such a God. I am so smitten, because you and I, dear reader, can answer, “WE DO!”

Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Mat 27:45,46

FROM THE FORUM:

In a long post, my trinitarian friend slipped out of his theology by using the phrase, "the whole fullness of the deity is the one doing". He was speaking of the "the crucifixtion" and in trying to make his point that the Father never abandoned His Son. He had to resort to using such a phrase which is at complete odds with the orthodox trinity view. His phrase makes Christ and Father one. I will emphasize that point and even share, because Jesus and the Father are one, God abandoned all of Himself for our sake. He completly, without measure, gave of Himself, to us that He would, at the fullness of the ages, be All in All that we are made up of. This is the full-fill-ment our souls groan for.

Responce:

Yes, "the whole fullness of the deity is the one doing" Amen!

Thus, the the fullness of the Father, in Christ, suffered the cross. I tell ya, this "Christ and Cross" is veiled in much mystery! The intellect can never discern it, as only the "heart" can know it ....... that is, the indwelling heart of the Father and the inward mind of Christ. The fullness of God even rests within us. We just haven't realized it yet.

For so it was ordained between God and man from all eternity, that Man should be God, and God, Man, neither without the other; that is, as God Himself is, and will be, the Paradise, garden, tabernacle, mansion, house, temple, and Jerusalem of man, so also was Man created for the same end, that he should be the Paradise, garden, tabernacle, mansion, house, temple, and Jerusalem of God; that by this mutual union and friendship of God with Man, and of Man with God, all the wisdom, power, virtue and glory eternally hidden in God should be opened and multiplied. For, God once made all things for Man, but Man for Himself.

Valentine Weigelius.
SAPIENS DOMINABITUR ASTRIS
1649

I love that by Weigelius and I have shared it often, illustrating the glory, God has invested in man. My friend, allow me to share with you also, another favorite quote that often strikes the ire of those who believe that intellect and reason can open the mysteries of the Kingdom.

"Reason should not undertake to comprehend the last destructions; they are ordained expressly to destroy our reason." Fenelon

Let it be known, Jesus only spoke that, which He heard of the Father. Only by Jesus speaking to, through, and by the Father and vice versa, could we ever see the great truths of the Kingdom, where all is being made ONE.

"Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works." Jn 14:10

Surely the Father's words through Christ, speaking of "abandonment" was the language of the last destructions. How can reason measure such Love, that God would abandon Himself for our sake, Selah! On that rugged blood stained cross, did we not witness the very end of God Himself and His love toward man. He gave to us, all of Himself. Oh, how this magnificent God of ours stooped in servitude, even to becoming nothing to Himself, that we might be entreated with His very All. Yes, the Father in Christ Jesus gave His all for the very purpose Weigelius stated, "that Man should be God, and God, Man, neither without the other." This unreasonable God of ours, is truly made up of the Nought as well as the All ! Who can comprehend such, save the mind of Christ and the heart of God, which are one and the same.

Lord, grant us each, such abandonment that we might experience the NOUGHT of You, to know the ALL of You that we might be ONE.

John

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THE CAGED BIRD SINGS

2009-10-11T00:05:00.000-07:00

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A little bird I am,
Shut from the fields of air,
And in my cage I sit and sing
To Him who placed me there;
Well pleased a prisoner to be,
Because, my God, it pleaseth Thee.

My cage confines me round,
Abroad I cannot fly,
But though my wing is closely bound,
My soul is at liberty;
For prison walls cannot control
The flight, the freedom of the soul.

Lettie Cowman

As most of you know, I have been quite sick. It has actually been two and half months since I was diagnosed with my disease and was first tethered to an oxygen machine 24/7. Nowadays, I sneak out of the house once a week to run a couple errands. However just an hour away from my concentrator can make me quite ill, and it actually has at times. So it is with my life, today. But that aside, I am here to report all is well with my soul.

I think, how amazing to live in one of the most beautiful spots in all the world and not be able see it. Yet, I am far from sorrowful and since my infirmity I have not suffered depression. Sadly, malaise and melancholy is the damnable fare for most, upon being introduced to such a drastic new course of life. But, you know, I am quite different from the average "failing heart guy", in that I have a realization that God has perfectly planned and purposed even the minutest details of my life. More so, I trust the immaculate care and overwhelming love of which He used, to do this. Yes, God so loves me and He loves you as much.

If you, dear reader, were to go back to my first post on SONSHINE, I shares a vision God gave to me concerning my life, some years ago. That being, "I would learn to live in a secluded Enochian type of an existence." Sounded romantic then, and it really turned out so. To be shut away, just me and my Lord. However, surprise, surprise! I never would have dreamt such seclusion with Jesus and contemplation of my lovely Lord, would come about in the way it has. That is just like Him, isn't it. He certainly is a Jealous Sort. lol

That said, I feel led to share part of an E-mail I sent this last week to the dearest of old friends. Truly, today my soul is well and I pray, that if you are in the midst of some tribulation you will be encouraged by these words. Be it also known dear brother, sweet sister, He has perfectly planned and purposed your life with the greatest of all care and unimaginable love. You can find rest in that. You can bank on it.

My life is almost as being translated. I believe Enoch must have felt this way before he was, as the Bible says, "no more." Some of the old contemplative and prayerful mystics called this state "the Enochian way", although they never described it quite the same, as I do. By the way, when God dragged me back to himself, He placed before me the story of Enoch found in Jasher. He spoke to me that I would live much like Enoch. Today, because of my infirmity I indeed find myself very much shut away with God, as was the old venerable patriarch.. Please excuse me, but I can't help but share these verses that have been of great inspiration to me for a number of years.

JASHER

2 And the soul of Enoch was wrapped up in the instruction of the Lord, in knowledge and in understanding; and he wisely retired from the sons of men, and secreted himself from them for many days.

18 And Enoch did so, but did not entirely secret himself from them, but kept away from the sons of men three days and then went to them for one day.

19 And during the three days that he was in his chamber, he prayed to, and praised the Lord his God, and the day on which he went and appeared to his subjects he taught them the ways of the Lord, and all they asked him about the Lord he told them.

20 And he did in this manner for many years, and he afterward concealed himself for six days, and appeared to his people one day in seven; and after that once in a month, and then once in a year, until all the kings, princes and sons of men sought for him, and desired again to see the face of Enoch, and to hear his word; but they could not, as all the sons of men were greatly afraid of Enoch, and they feared to approach him on account of the Godlike awe that was seated upon his countenance.

Not many get an opportunity like I have with my seclusion. And although my current state may seem as difficult to many, I am blessed in it for so many reasons. God is so good.

______, I guess, I have said all this, to but encourage you to just rest and know He will, in an almost unperceived way, fill your heart with joyous things to do. Of course I speak of a different joy, than that which the world knows. It is as an inward seated peaceful joy that often becomes as deep still waters to swim in. I know you have experienced this before.

Surely, there is less doing but more being, for those that advance in the Kingdom. Such is my prayer for you and of course _ _ _ also. I would be remiss if I didn't request the same from you, towards me.

Father God, grant us, that we might ever know more of Your joyous and peaceful rest, through Your Precious Son, Christ Jesus. Amen.

Jack

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ARE YOU A LOSER ?

2009-10-08T22:59:00.000-07:00

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The man bent on self aggrandizement could never comprehend the anointed words of this old poem. Those that jeered Jesus, on His way to Calvary, thought Him a loser. And should you walk deep in God, the world will mark you the same. This is the holy pattern where the last is made first and the the least the greatest. Such is the Kingdom, where the Creator stoops and the Servant wears the crown.

"God's glory is a wondrous thing,
...Most strange in all its ways,
And of all things on earth least like
...What men agree to praise.
For He can endless glory weave,
...From what men reckon shame;
In His own world He is content
...To play a losing game."

Dear brother sweet sister, should you be marked a loser in this world, take hope for you are in the very best of company. Count it also joy, for only a rare few out of each age are chosen for such. This is the little hidden flock to whom the Father promises the Kingdom.

John

Note:poem by GD Watson

ABSOLUTELY CONQUERED

2009-10-07T00:15:00.000-07:00

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When one first steps into this deeper walk, one takes lightly the reports, that suffering is the way to the throne. It just does not register when one still holds to the comforts of this world and suffering seems far past or even further ahead. However, cast one into a session of suffering followed by another and topped with even more. Then one learns "the blessedness of being absolutely conquered! of losing our own strength, and wisdom, and plans, and desires, and being where every atom of our nature is like placid Galilee under the omnipotent feet of our Jesus."

That which is in quotes above is from the message below. I haven't a clue where I found this excerpt, but it is beautiful in it's truth. I share it with those who suffer today, that you might be comforted. I share with those who will suffer tomorrow, that you might remember, the way to your crown is by way of the cross.

Our precious Jesus is our pattern not our substitute. And how very few in this age are called to know this.

In His Sweet Lord Jesus,
Jack

"SOUL FOOD"
A Book By G. D. Watson - A 19th Century Deeper-Life Author
CHAPTER 7: "THE BENEFIT OF DEEP CRUCIFIXION"

"The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me" (Ps. 138:8).

There is a Divine mystery in suffering, a strange and supernatural power in it, which has never been fathomed by the human reason. There never has been known great saintliness of soul which did not pass through great suffering. When the suffering soul reaches a calm sweet carelessness, when it can inwardly smile at its own suffering, and does not even ask God to deliver it from suffering, then it has wrought its blessed ministry; then patience has its perfect work; then the crucifixion begins to weave itself into a crown.

It is in this state of the perfection of suffering that the Holy Spirit works many marvelous things in our souls. In such a condition, our whole being lies perfectly still under the hand of God; every faculty of the mind and will and heart are at last subdued; a quietness of eternity settles down into the whole being; the tongue grows still, and has but few words to say; it stops asking God questions; it stops crying, "Why hast thou forsaken me ?"

The imagination stops building air castles, or running off on foolish lines; the reason is tame and gentle; the choices are annihilated; it has no choice in anything but the purpose of God. The affections are weaned from all creatures and all things; it is so dead that nothing can hurt it, nothing can offend it, nothing can hinder it, nothing can get in its way; for, let the circumstances be what they may, it seeks only for God and His will, and it feels assured that God is making everything in the universe, good or bad, past or present, work together for its good.

Oh, the blessedness of being absolutely conquered! of losing our own strength, and wisdom, and plans, and desires, and being where every atom of our nature is like placid Galilee under the omnipotent feet of our Jesus. –Soul Food

CHERUBIM ARE IMAGINATIONS

2009-10-05T11:30:00.000-07:00

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So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life. Gen 3:24
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And so it is today that the old man, Adam, in you and me is kept from partaking of the Tree of Life. The Tree of Life is Christ, from Whom all the fruit of the Spirit grow. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith and this fruit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth. (Gal 5:22 & Eph 5:9)

Adam is afraid to meet God. He is really unable, because of his faulty reasoning which is every bit imagination. Because of that which he imagines, Adam is not able to accept the New Covenant, which is also the oldest covenant, even before the foundations. This covenant of love and grace opens up access to the Tree of Life, with all its good, joyous and peaceful fruit. It is only in the vain mind of Adam, that man imagines and suffers alienation from God and His Eden. “And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath He reconciled” (Col. 1:21).

It seems of late Joian and I have been sharing with friends and family a series of messages written by Elwin Roach. In this series Elwin opens up the idea that the Cherubim, guarding the Tree of Life are our imaginations. Sounds right to me and this must hold water also with Joian. For upon finishing this five part series, she was so moved, that she decided to read it all again.

Dear sweet reader, If you are being buffeted from every side by the enemy and suffering anxiety, I strongly urge you to read this anointed series. I know it will help subside the unsavory thoughts and replace the warfare in your mind with a gentle peace. The link to Elwin's papers follow a few of his introductory words. I have also added some scripture. my friend Cindy put together in her short writing on vain imaginations. I found her choice of translations for these verses quite anointed.

"THE CHERUBIM ARE IMAGINATIONS which find their roots in the imaginative mind of man.
Perhaps we can see why the cherubim were sewn into the veil, that which represents man's mind, and is the obstacle which separates him from the Most Holy Place. The curtains of the tabernacle also contained cherubim, as well as the two doors of the temple, not to mention the walls. Everywhere in the tabernacle and the temple cherubim were sewn and made. This was for the purpose of keeping carnality out of the Holy of the Holies, which is the same as the midst of the Garden.

....... The curtains and veil speak of the physical makeup of man (his body of flesh) and his soul (mind, will, intellect, and emotions.) The cherubim are sown into the very fabric of man: in the lust of the eye, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life. He can no more escape them than he can the serpent that feeds upon the dust of his makeup." (Roach)

http://www.godfire.net/cherubim_seraphim1.html

2 Corinthians 10:5
Inasmuch as we refute arguments and theories and reasonings and every proud and lofty thing that sets itself up against the true knowledge of God; and we lead every thought and purpose away captive into the obedience of Christ, the Messiah and the Anointed One"
AMP

"These weapons can break down every proud argument against God and every wall that can be built to keep men from finding him. With these weapons I can capture rebels and bring them back to God and change them into men whose hearts' desire is obedience to Christ" (TLB)

"For we overthrow arrogant 'reckonings,' and every stronghold that towers high in defiance of the knowledge of God, and we carry off every thought as if into slavery--into subjection to Christ" WEY

And a few other verses ....

Romans 1:21 "Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened"

Acts 4:25-26 “Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things? The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ.”

Jeremiah 7:24 “But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear, but walked in the counsels and in the imagination of their evil heart, and went backward, and not forward”

Hebrews 4:12 "For the Word that God speaks is alive and full of power making it active, operative, energizing, and effective; it is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating to the dividing line of the breath of life (soul) and the immortal spirit, and of joints and marrow of the deepest parts of our nature, exposing and sifting and analyzing and judging the very thoughts and purposes of the heart.

Dear brother, sweet sister, "He works all things for good" and the heartfelt knowledge of this, buries our fretting and despair. May God grant you today His wonderful peace and may He fill you with a quiet heavenly joy,

Jack

IRON FOR GOLD

2009-10-01T23:51:00.000-07:00

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Lately, I have been busy either giving away to friends or selling to strangers most all that I own. Often, I am caught back and in my mind, I exclaim, "Wow!, to think of the time and effort spent in procuring all this in a lifetime." For those that gather this weekend to buy, it will be but another garage sale but for me it is an estate sale ..... an estate that I have found all too fleeting.

Sure it is sad, especially as I dispose of the old photos with their memories, or when I tag a ridiculous price on an old heirloom. However, the saving grace is that I have a greater hope. It seems I myself, have been tagged by God's hand with a growing desire for a city where nothing is bought nor sold, and all is gain and never lost. This life has been good, very good, in that I can see it's purpose now. In reality the whole of this wordily existence is but iron fetters set before the throne of gold, which shines ever brighter with each succeeding day. Never more so, than this morning, do I look forward to the approaching day when I can stand before the full glory of my King and throw my earthly crown before His lovely feet. Those precious nail pierced feet have tread the path, not only before me, but aside me and even within me. Never, for even a moment, has my Lord forsaken me. He has walked my every step, and most of them, without even hinting, a want for acknowledgement. JESUS, THROUGH THICK AND THIN, IS TRULY THE FRIEND THAT STICKETH CLOSER THAN A BROTHER. HE CAME TO ME AS A SERVANT AND NOW HE IS MY KING. IN THE BEGINNING I WANTED FOR MYSELF, WHILE NOW I ONLY WANT FOR HIM. HE TRULY IS MOST PRECIOUS, A TREASURE BEYOND PRICE.

As I have labored hard, these last few days, I still cannot help but find time to read and write of my Lord, and all of that, which He has won for me. I can't recall whether I read, this quoted message below, yesterday or even this morning. For it seems, the individual days for quite some time have lost their distinguish. My time is, ever more so, measured in glimpses of Him, Who is as a restful home and a prize yearned for.

With that said, I loved the beautiful metaphor and lovely language used in the following message of "the making of a worthy priest and a servant king." How often, when my soul was surrendered and seemed as dead, yet I still suffered. On these painful occasions, "why?" has entered my mind. It is then, that He has, with both empathy and encouragement whispered, "We suffer for others."

Be blessed precious reader,
Jack

"Thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress" Ps 4:1

This is one of the grandest testimonies ever given by man to the moral government of God. It is not a man's thanksgiving that he has been set free from suffering. It is a thanksgiving that he has been set free through suffering: "Thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress." He declares the sorrows of life to have been themselves the source of life's enlargement.

And have not you and I a thousand times felt this to be true? It is written of Joseph in the dungeon that "the iron entered into his soul." We all feel that what Joseph needed for his soul was just the iron. He had seen only the glitter of the gold. He had been rejoicing in youthful dreams; and dreaming hardens the heart. He who sheds tears over a romance will not be most apt to help reality; real sorrow will be too unpoetic for him. We need the iron to enlarge our nature. The gold is but a vision; the iron is an experience. The chain which unites me to humanity must be an iron chain. That touch of nature which makes the world akin is not joy, but sorrow; gold is partial, but iron is universal.

My soul, if thou wouldst be enlarged into human sympathy, thou must be narrowed into limits of human suffering. Joseph's dungeon is the road to Joseph's throne. Thou canst not lift the iron load of thy brother if the iron hath not entered into thee. It is thy limit that is thine enlargement. It is the shadows of thy life that are the real fulfillment of thy dreams of glory. Murmur not at the shadows; they are better revelations than thy dreams. Say not that the shades of the prison-house have fettered thee; thy fetters are wings--wings of flight into the bosom of humanity. The door of thy prison-house is a door into the heart of the universe. God has enlarged thee by the binding of sorrow's chain. --George Matheson

If Joseph had not been Egypt's prisoner, he had never been Egypt's governor. The iron chain about his feet ushered in the golden chain about his neck. -- Lettie Cowman

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THE END OF OUR WORLD IS NIGH AT HAND !

2009-09-28T07:29:00.000-07:00

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"For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever” 1Jn 2:15-17

I had to laugh at this below, taken from Preston Eby's latest writing. The last paragraph just slayed me. Oh, how we used to fast and pray when things in our world, were finding their death. Nothing like a good ol' religious fast to show God we were serious. Yes, we were serious alright, but oops, we found One that was more serious.

But, hey now, lets not get serious, let's get dead ....... let's get dead to the old world within us. Most importantly, our death is His work. It is His hand at work and we will neither, stay it nor remove it, until there be the total dissolution of our old heaven and old earth. In return, by the same hand we are lifted from the ashes into a new heaven and a new earth, which be our Resurrection, which be Christ. Let us know, from start to finish our death and resurrection is God's work, a work of grace. Day by day, we die a little more, and day by day, we are raised in proportion to our dieing, until Christ be All in All. In this we can REST.

Enough said, let's read a little Eby and discover something of this passing world of ours:

"For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever” (I Jn. 2:15-17). The “world” is here discovered to be just three things: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. That’s the whole inspired definition! The world is really in the heart of man! It is man’s lust after, and pride in, the natural, physical, corruptible, valueless, transient things of earth instead of His love for God and things spiritual and eternal. John says that these three things are “ALL that is in the world” or the sum total of everything the world is. And the most interesting thing of all is that everything the world is — is WITHIN US!

........ We always thought the end of the world would be quite a dramatic event. Let me tell you something. The end of our world is indeed quite a dramatic event! Once our heaven and earth pass they are gone forever, they are not coming back. Go and fast for forty days to get them to come back. They still won’t show up! "
Eby

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Breakfast With Mom

2009-09-26T08:43:00.001-07:00

Center: Mom (Hope Mills)

This past month has been filled with peace regarding my future days in this earthly realm. I do understand how precarious things are becoming and can’t deny God is on the move to very possibly wrap things up. In spite of my natural inclinations to try to prepare for all eventualities, I find myself almost unable to care.

Last weekend after considering several articles on swine flu, listening to speeches from the current government summit and partaking of numerous articles meant to make us wake up to what is happening in America, I threw up my hands and said, Lord it is certainly all out of control. So, I decided to go to the beach....lol My thinking was this fall sure could be a turning point for this sorry old world. If so, I would sure like to smell and feel the ocean before the storm hits……lol

The Lord woke me up early the next morning and reinforced that we should have a day at the beach…..I enjoyed the thirty minute drive to the Harbor House Café where I spent almost two hours reading from Lettie Cowan’s, “Streams in the Desert”…….. I found her book last year while sorting through some of my mother’s old things. Most of the pages were underlined and some had small notes in her handwriting. It seemed everything I read impacted me, as if mom and I were having breakfast together, sharing different parts of our life. I cried several times almost unaware of my surroundings. Yes, we both had come to understand, late in life, that God is in charge and that his plans are for our eventual GOOD. Regardless of the pain we each suffered. Finally, spent on the thoughts of our mutual struggle, my mind cleared of any lingering forebodings. I finished my beach adventure free from care.

This morning I found this by John Gavazzoni in one of Jan Antonsson writings…it drove home last weeks thoughts and reinforced my peace.......He wrote:

Gavazzoni~

"Daring to extrapolate the full implications of Jesus' statement,"Without Me, you can do nothing," I reached the conclusion years ago that the point of intersection of the sovereignty of God and the collective believers' subjective state is an intersection of the Father's decision to act, and our fully recognized state of utter helplessness until He does.

"I expect to see indication of the impending, final, consummate move of God in an accelerated realization of our poverty of spirit; that is, of having no autonomous spiritual resources in ourselves. As long as we imagine that God is awaiting our facilitating of His purpose, we deceive ourselves into thinking that we are not, in fact, spiritually bankrupt in and of ourselves and bereft of any ability to contribute to the doing of God.

"Nowhere are we told that we are to be God's helpers, but rather, "God is our help in time of need." But we must face how great our need is. Does the Lord simply step in to add His strength to ours? Is that the meaning of the Lord as our Helper? No, certainly not! He is the Helper of the utterly helpless, not of those who merely need Him to supercharge their efforts...

"There is no positive place in the administration of God for joint-enterprise; no place for, 'If you will do your part, God will do His'; 'God helps those who help themselves'; 'God is waiting for you to......'; 'You need to let God....';'

"The Lord has granted us in Christ a noncontributing, fully participating partnership in the fulfillment of His purpose for man for His glory, a glory that He freely gives by grace to us without any element of meriting the same. Thus, nothing can substitute for a good dose of failure to qualify one for this mode of participation. The world exalts those whom it judges to 'have the right stuff,' but it is very apparent in scripture's record of the history of the men and women within whom God worked, that their preparation for service brought them, not to a place where they said, 'I'm ready, Lord; I've got the right stuff,' but rather, if I may paraphrase a rhetorical collage of their combined attitude: 'What, me? You've got to be kidding, Lord. I don't have what it takes'." End Quote.

John has given us another excellent way to understand that everything we have and do is only by God's grace: "Grace is the gift of Christ, who exposes the gulf which separates God and man, and, by exposing it, bridges it." (Barth)

Love you and pray his keeping grace grows until we are aware it has no bounds, in our precious Lord Jesus……..
Joian

IT'S GOING TO GET HAIRY

2009-09-24T12:48:00.000-07:00

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Ha ha. I bet you thought I had a message on the events of the world with such a title.

No my freinds, I'm talking about, being pretty much house bound these days and needing something to do. These gentlemen have inspired me!

If the blogs are slow coming you know where all my energy is going.

IS GOD GOOD ?

2009-09-20T12:15:00.000-07:00

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As believers, the basic dilemma we are ever confronted with, can be simply identified in the question, "is God good?"

Joian's and my friend Roy, aka Reb, is a saint of God that has suffered greatly in this world. Still, with every correspondence, I have ever received from him, Roy would find a place to share the three words, "God is good." If it wasn't in the message it was in the salutation. I am not much of one to mimic others, but with Roy's example, I hope to follow suit.

Beloved, if God has come to you with a great trial of faith, it is that you might understand God is good. 'Tis the great paradox of the Kingdom ...... we come to know the inexplicable goodness and love of our Father God, through the experiencing and being delivered out of tribulation. This speaks even to the whole of our lives, trodden out through a fallen world.

For a surety God is good, even to the sacrificing of His only son for us, in the greatest trial, any has ever known or even imagined. In this God sets the standard of love. It is one thing lay down your life ......... yes, it is one thing, to lay your own life on the altar, but it is altogether another thing, to give up your child's life as a sacrifice. Who amongst us doesn't love our child more than our self. So it is, that all that is dear to us must eventually find it's place, given unto God, because we believe one thing above all else ...... God is good.

Joian coined the saying, "It's his life for ours. We die, he lives, and then the mystery is that we live again."
So it is the same with our children and to believe that for their lives, certainly is much harder. I personally, know what it is, to come to the place, of actually believing this concerning my two precious children. Oh, the angst, the agony and the unbearable pain I suffered before I finally came to the realization, God is good ..... God is good enough, even for my children.

Dear sweet reader, have you given all to God? Have you like our father of faith, Abraham, placed upon the altar even the promise you thought was yours? Precious brother, gentle sister, all that you have, must become His. To realize this, is the path to peace, an endless life and God All in All.

Friends, Joian sent this video to me this morning. We pray it moves you to know in greater measure, "GOD IS GOOD"

For God had such love for the world that he gave his only Son, so that whoever has faith in Him may not come to destruction but have eternal life. Jn 3:16

Note: For an embellishment of this message we have an
older blog titled, "EVERYMAN A CROSS"

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CHARADES OF A DIFFERENT SORT

2009-09-18T20:01:00.000-07:00

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Thought, maybe to give you a chuckle after dealing with the serious matters in the previous blogs.

The E-mail message I sent to my friends and family yesterday:

I am tired of being cooped up.
I am finally going out with my oxygen cylinders .......... thought I would walk at a snail's pace with a slump while barely dragging my tank cart and I will tap along with my five foot walking stick. Hopefully, some pretty young thing will feel sorry and want to assist me with my cart, upon which I will straighten up and with my rod in hand, crossed at my chest, I should look quite impressive rather than handicapped. To the gawkers, I will lift my sunglasses while I explain in a sophisticated accent, "I don't breath the common air." lol

While I was sending the E-mail above, my daughter was experiencing her own charade of sorts:

Throwing all humility aside, let me say, my daughter Erin is quite striking as is also her dog, "Petunia Pickle." Where ever Erin and Petunia go as a couple, people stare. They also want to pet and know about the big white dog, a pure bred American Bulldog.

So yesterday, Erin decides to try a new method of giving Petunia exercise. She will take her dog for a run while she rides her bike. With Erin riding, leash attached to the bike, Petunia runs at her side. Erin thinks this is too wonderful. She further deduces this will be a great way to give Petunia her exercise, as she can ride rather than walk, or run. Who would have thought this could be so grand!

As it would happen, Erin and Petunia pass in front of a restaurant where the patrons are outside dining. Of course all eyes are caught by the pretty girl riding the bike with the awesome dog, running beside her. I mean this is a beautiful picture. Then the unexpected takes place.

Seems, in front of the restaurant was a pole, and yes, when the tethered together Erin and Petunia came upon it, Erin went around it on one side and the dog the other. Erin flies over the handle bars of her bike and Petunia does a back flip as the audience gasps. Erin gathered herself and checked her pup. When she saw they were no worse for the wear, the blushing Erin bowed to the then, laughing patrons.

My embarrassed daughter told me, that was the last and only time she will ever do that!

Below is a pic, of Erin and the one year old Petunia Pickle. It was taken this summer when they paid me a visit. I like everyone else, fell in love with the Pickle. Although dumb as a bag of rocks, she is the sweetest and friendliest of dogs. That said, I'll be darned, if I didn't get left behind to babysit the dog on the fourth of July. Petunia was terrified by the booming fireworks and the only place she felt safe was in my bed next to me. It was a long night because this dog likes her head on the pillow!

Erin and her Petunia Pickle

Erin, after a walk up the town ski hill, just a few blocks from the house. The Tetons are in the background.

WOULDN'T THAT BE HEAVEN ON EARTH ?

2009-09-16T18:38:00.000-07:00

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Dear sweet reader, have you like me, had your inspired plans and dreams dashed. Well, our Good Lord appeals to us, not to lose heart, for He giveth and He taketh away and then He giveth back anew, with the fullness of Life, Love and Glory. Following are some gems I have gathered on my journey. I pray you might see a bit of your reflection, which is His reflection, in some of the facets of these jewels. I have mixed in a few thoughts of my own.

At the turn of the last century, Adelaide Pollard was a toiling itinerant Bible teacher. She believed God wanted her in Africa as a missionary, but she was unable to raise funds to go. In an uncertain state of mind, she attended a prayer meeting, where she heard an elderly woman pray, “It’s all right, Lord. It doesn’t matter what You bring into our lives, just have Your own way with us.” At home that night, much encouraged, she wrote this inspired hymn.

Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Thou art the Potter, I am the clay.
Mold me and make me after Thy will,
While I am waiting, yielded and still.

Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Search me and try me, Master, today!
Whiter than snow, Lord, wash me just now,
As in Thy presence humbly I bow.

Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Wounded and weary, help me, I pray!
Power, all power, surely is Thine!
Touch me and heal me, Savior divine.

Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Hold o’er my being absolute sway!
Fill with Thy Spirit ’till all shall see
Christ only, always, living in me.

From early in my walk, I had no desire to follow the rising bright stars of Christendom. I speak of the lauded preachers and evangelists, that played to the largest of crowds. Something in me told me, these stars would burn out long before they reached the celestial heights of God's throne. Instead, I desired only to share a cup of of coffee with a hidden away one ..... even a lonely widow woman that had learned in her solitude the power and glories of prayer. Surely, it shall be these that seem as forgotten, who will rule and reign in the Kingdom come. May we seek His reward deferred and prefer, today's deliverance upon others.

Blessed is he whose faith is not offended,
When all around his way
The power of God is working out deliverance
For others day by day;

Though in some prison drear his own soul languish,
Till life itself be spent,
Yet still can trust his Father's love and purpose,
And rest therein content.

Blessed is he, who through long years of suffering,
Cut off from active toil,
Still shares by prayer and praise the work of others,
And thus "divides the spoil."

Blessed are thou, O child of God, who sufferest,
And canst not understand
The reason for thy pain, yet gladly leavest
Thy life in His blest Hand.

Yea, blessed art thou whose faith is "not offended"
By trials unexplained,
By mysteries unsolved, past understanding,
Until the goal is gained.

Freda Hanbury Allen

For who could ever explain the Love of God, only realized through ideals and hopes rescinded and suffering given in return. J Preston Eby comes, oh so close with this anointed poem. Might we realize the Cross of Christ is the very Tree of Life.

Yes, I was living to myself was dead:
Self with its hopes and dreams was all I had;
But soon the Lord fulfilled my prayer to know
The power of His cross ’twas death below.

I asked contrition He sent me pain;
For purity but anguish came again;
I asked I might be meek He broke my heart;
I asked I knew not what the better part.

I asked to know what death was to the world,
And quickly all my living hopes were spoiled;
I asked to be like Him His image bear
He placed me in a furnace, sitting there

Like one refining silver, till He see
The reflex of His image bright in me.
I asked that I the daily cross might bear,
It lacerated me the wounds I wear;

I blindly prayed, not knowing how, nor what,
He took me at my word it mattered not.
Then I began to shrink from following near,
And well-nigh prayed Him to depart through fear.

To suffer was not pleasing to the flesh,
I feared to pray lest suffering come afresh;
But I had gone too far on I must go
The virtues of His cross had pierced me through.

In me His promise now fulfilled must be
Suffer with me, and you will reign with me!
Ah, I had only heard of love but now
I feel it, Oh! I feel its living glow.

He fastened on me such a look of love,
Withering to self tender, all words above;
Follow I must, whatever may betide;
I love the cross I shelter in His side!
Eby

Surely, as He is so are we in this world. And as we are so is He in this world. His wounds are ours and ours His. So identified we are with our Saviour His shadow becomes His very being. We once followed, walking behind Him but now we walk as One. As a follower of Christ we once walked where He was, now we walk where He is.

Hast thou no scar?
No hidden scar on foot or side or hand?
I hear thee sung as mighty in the land.
I hear them hail thy bright ascendant star.

Hast thou no scar? Hast thou not wound?
Yet I was wounded by the archers spent.
Leaned me against the tree to die and rent
By ravening beasts that compassed me I swooned.

Hast thou no wound? No wound, no scar.
Yes, as the Master shall the servant be,
And pierced are the feet that follow Me.
But thine are whole. Can he have followed far
Who has no wound or no scar?
Eby

My brother, my sister, from deep within my oft broken heart, I believe, somehow, someway, many of our dashed dreams, that seemed so surely given of Him, shall be realized in another time and another place. Wouldn't that be Heaven on Earth?

“God’s purposes are so vast and glorious, beyond all guessing now, that when they are achieved and consummated, all our sufferings and sorrows of today, even the agonies that nearly break our faith, the disasters that well nigh overwhelm us, shall, seen from that fair country where God’s age long dreams come true, bulk as little as bulk now the pieces of a broken toy upon a nursery floor, over which, thinking that all our little world was in ruins, we cried ourselves to sleep.”

Dr. Leslie Weatherhead (a Christian Universalist)

We never ask for suffering, however, we know it cannot be avoided. We eventually learn for sake of the Gospel and the increase of the Kingdom suffering can be embraced.

These promises below are yea and amen for the Kingdom has come and will continue to come until the last man knows no death, nor pain nor sorrow. Your children, my children and their children's children shall all follow in His footsteps and our footsteps until we be One in Love.

"Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered. And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation..." Hebrews 5:8-9

"Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?" Luke 24:26

"For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings." Hebrews 2:10

"Truly, truly, I say to you, that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; you will grieve, but your grief will be turned into joy. Whenever a woman is in labor she has pain, because her hour has come; but when she gives birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish because of the joy that a man has been born into the world. Therefore you too have grief now; but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you." John 16:20-22

"Those who are victorious will come from Mount Zion to rule Esau's mountain. The kingdom will belong to the LORD." Obediah 1:21

"And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, 'Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.'" Revelation 21:3-4

Saint of God, should your plans or dreams have been thwarted, or you feel broken and discouraged today, I pray this message brought you some solace and hope.

John

BLAME TURNS TO JOY

2009-09-14T09:39:00.000-07:00

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I was on a trip, when I heard my best friend and brother in the Lord had committed suicide. This death was the proverbial last straw and it left me crushed at the side of road, in tears so great, I could not see to drive. I had just gone through a divorce, and suffered my two young children being torn away from me and taken to a city, hundreds of mile away. I had been serving God the best I knew how but these sad occurrences were just too much. After crying a storm I actually got out of the car and lifted my fist to God and shouted, "THIS IS IT! ........ NO MAS! ..... I AM FINISHED WITH YOU! Even then, long before I would understand the whole of God's sovereignty, I knew who to blame.
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Twenty something years later l found out, although I was finished with God, He was not finished with me. He took my blame and turned it to joy.

In our last blog I shared a word on how God, in Christ, suffering as our scapegoat, even says to man "blame me. He says, "Blame me for your plight, brought about by the sinful flesh and the fallen world I have placed you in."

As far as "blame", some might think that in the way I have used the term, I might have taken a bit of liberty or exercised hyperbole. With this in mind, I would be remiss if I didn't share the progression and end of the matter.

All our shortcomings are but the acts of walking in a suit of sinful flesh that God placed our spirit in. Upon realizing our futility, which is never made more evident than in severe trials, we begin to enter into the real battle, which is our Armageddon. Understanding God's sovereignty, we initially blame Him for the trials that engulf us. I mean come on, who hasn't murmured and complained to Him as His hand seems to weigh so very heavy upon our body and soul. With this we wrestle Him, and this match seems to go back and forth. One moment we have peace and the next angst. The Victor, never in question, wears us out and then He overcomes us. He overcomes us and takes His place over the trial and within us, as Christ on the throne. This overcoming is of course progressive, with many diverse trials to follow. Slowly, we learn to find peace and joy even in the midst of darkness as we identify with our beloved Saviour. In this trial to trial cascade, we come to realize Christ is becoming the All, in All. We start seeing Him in ALL our situations and more importantly we are realizing that He is becoming ALL that we are. With this Divine work, the soul comes to an IN-STILLed knowledge, that all God does is reckoned for our good. And tribulation and trials can be encountered with joy, for by them we know we are not little unforgotten bastards running free but disciplined sons of the Almighty and overcomers in the making.

"Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials"James 1:2

"And He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me." 2Cor 12:9

"This day is sacred to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength." Neh 8:10

And don't anyone tell me they can pull up a real joy out of their own self! Joy, held in the midst of a trial, like all things is God given. This joy it is not giddy and rarely is it emotional. Instead, this joy is deep and still ....... peaceful. It is truly a joy unspeakable. Who could ever come to such, save it be given of God through that which we call "faith" ... the "faith, born of Christ and not of our self." Truly this is the path of realizing God, All in All and entering into His rest.

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons:

“My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline,
and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,
because the Lord disciplines those he loves,
and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son.”
Heb.12:2-6

O Lord, IN-STILL within us the grace to "give up and let God." Jesus, grant us Your joy as we embrace Your cross, which is our cross. And Lord, even help me to walk more surely in all that I write.

Jack

Note: For a fuller understanding of this message you might want to read these previous blogs that explore "Christ, as our scapegoat"
http://jack-sonshine.blogspot.com/2009/09/god-in-christ-blame-me.html

http://jack-sonshine.blogspot.com/2009/04/economics-of-son-embracing-jesus-as.html

http://jack-sonshine.blogspot.com/2009/05/economics-of-son-embracing-jesus-as.html

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