Christ Revealed the Father – Jn. 15:9-11

“As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you, abide in My love. 10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in His love. 11 These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.” Jn 15:9-11

I want to take a brief look at 3 points on what Christ revealed about the Father from this passage.

1.) Christ revealed the Father’s love my loving His disciples the way that the Father loved Him.

When the Word became flesh and dwelt among humanity He was commissioned by the Father to reveal all that He desired humanity to know about Himself. Jesus is the image of the invisible God. His character, thoughts, words and deeds reflect exactly the same about the Father. The Father has deep and profound love for the Son; they share a relationship that would have otherwise been unknown to mankind. Yet, Christ came and invited humanity into the Triune expression of love and affection. This “same” love that the Father has and expresses towards the Son is the “same” love with which Christ has loved us. God wanted us to know how He loved us by loving us through His Son. He also wanted us to know how much He loved His Son by expressing that love through His Son to us.

2.) To experience this love, Jesus tells us that we must keep His commandments.

Love for God is expressed through the guarding of the commands of the Lord. Keeping His word will cause us to “abide” in the love of God. The commandments of the Lord are unto love not duty. For example, the man that loves his wife earnestly upholds the covenant of marriage that he made with her. Upholding the covenant doesn’t diminish love in dullness (religion) but rather inflames love causing it to grow.

The love of God is freely given, it is a tower of refuge, there is no lock on the door and anyone can come in, but to REMAIN inside of that tower, to truly dwell in that tower, we must keep His commands. Anyone can make a covenant of marriage in declaration of love, but to remain in the covenant of marriage the man (or woman) works to not break that covenant.

Grace is given to keep His commands when we understand the Father’s love and affection through revelation. If we don’t understand the war that rages outside the dwelling of the Lord’s love, we will not understand the nature of abiding in God’s love and treat it cheaply. Cheap love leads to weak faith, which ultimately ends in no love. Weak faith puts us outside of the tower of Christ’s affection and makes us subject to the fiery darts of the evil one.

3.) The full expression of joy and enduring pleasure in this life come from keeping God’s command.

God wants us to experience pleasure, yet He wants us to do it in a way that honors Him, ourselves and others. There is a God-intended way to experience pleasure – that pleasure is the affection of His heart. It the the pleasure that God has within the God-head. Father, Son and Holy Spirit share inexpressible joy in and of themselves. We experience that pleasure by living in their love, and we remain in that love through keeping God’s commands. The most exhilarating experience that humanity can have on this side of eternity is an ongoing reception of the love of God through the power of the Holy Spirit.

May you be blessed and enriched by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Top 5 Rapture Misconceptions:

#5: Rapture means “disappear while leaving a pile of clothes on the floor.”

Actually ‘rapture’ is taken from the Greek word ‘harpazo’ (latin: rapturo) which means ‘caught up’. Think ascending visibly like Christ at the ascension in Acts 1.

#4: The rapture will be secretive.

The rapture will not be secretive but a glorious display of light, glory, and fire. Believers will meet Christ in the sky who is shouting, singing, and stirring himself like a man of war (Is. 42). Paul describes the changing of the believers body as putting on immortality and power; he likens the resurrected body to stars shining (1 Cor 15). This will not be a hidden event.

#3: The rapture will take Christians to heaven.

The rapture, as depicted in scripture, will take Christians to the SKY to meet our returning Christ, the previously sleeping saints coming from heaven, and all the angels (1 Thess 4:17). It will be a glorious reunion in the sky as we are united with believers from all of history and see Christ face to face.

#2: The Rapture may happen at ‘any moment’.

Scripture is quite clear that the rapture will not happen at any moment. 2 Thess. 2:1, 3 says that the rapture will be preceded by two unmistakable events: 1) The great falling away (apostasy) from faith in Jesus; 2) The man of lawlessness (the Antichrist) will rise to power declaring himself to be god.

#1: The rapture will happen tomorrow ; )

The rapture will not happen tomorrow. Nor is this the common belief of Christians across the earth. The rapture will happen however at the coming of Christ.

Prayer – the Beginning and the End

Under the premise that man’s purpose is union with God (Jn. 17:24), prayer is both the catalyst and the ongoing result of a move of the Spirit. For prayer is not a religious practice for the pious, but the vehicle of ongoing relationship with the uncreated God.

Think of the man who doesn’t talk to his wife? Could such a man genuinely believe his marital relationship was healthy? A good husband does not make endless requests of his wife, lest he weary her, but in relating to her he verbally communicates his love, and affection. He tells her of her beauty and how she captured his heart when they first met. These simple words create the context in her heart for their first love to grow and blossom through the years of their marriage.

The same principle is true with prayer. The believer makes known their needs to a kind Father, and in desiring their relationship to grow also tells Him of His kindness, love, and splendid attributes. When the disciples ask, “Teach us to pray,” they are asking, “Teach us to know the Father as you know Him.” This must be the heart-cry of the believer: “Lord, teach me to pray.” In doing so, the believer receives grace to grow in effectual genuine relationship with the living God.

Not seeking to diminish the effectiveness and potency of petition, I believe the Body of Christ must spend most (not all) of their prayer time telling Him who He is rather than asking Him to do something for them. The Son of Man will not weary at the request and need of His people, but the heart that is moved by His majesty will in turn move His heart at the sound of their voice.

George Tiller

Yesterday, the infamous late-term abortionist George Tiller, was shot and killed inside the Reformed Lutheran Church in Wichita, Kansas. For years pro-life movements have been after Tiller with everything from prayer, to protests, to lawsuits, to threats, and now wicked violence. When I heard about what had happened, I felt sick. The phrase that came to mind was, “The justice of man is short of the justice of God.” When man enacts God’s plans and purposes the result is more grief and pain.

I have personally prayed for George Tiller’s salvation for several years after the Lord apprehended my heart concerning the issue of abortion in America. When we think of God’s judgment, mostly what we’re imagining is what ‘we’ would do if we were God. God uses judgment to produce love, not death. We may look at the death of Tiller with indifference and a sigh of, “Justice has been served.” I believe true justice would have been that Tiller’s deception was ‘exposed’ as greatly erroneous and disconnected from soundness of mind and Godliness. This may be seen as a victory for the pro-life movement, but is violent bloodshed really retribution for the same? Can we honestly expect that the number of aborted babies will decline now that Tiller is gone?

If one has never seen pictures, or done research, of the ‘intact dilation and extraction‘ (late-term abortion) method of killing babies I’d suggest it as an important eye-opening experience. What this man did for a living, and what he was respected by so many for, was so insidiously heinous and evil there are few words to express. Over the course of his career, this man killed countless thousands of babies at the near time of delivery. These were not fetus’s, they were not masses of cells, or blood clots – they were children.

Browsing through the news articles related to this story, several lines jumped out at me.

CNN- The National Organization for Women, which supports abortion rights, called Tiller’s killing an act of “domestic terrorism.” And NARAL Pro-Choice America said Tiller had worked for years under “intense harassment tinged with persistent threats of violence.“

What the NOW organization is saying is that the man who killed Tiller is on the same level as Osama bin Laden, Saddam Hussien, suicide bombers, and the men who hijacked aircraft for the 9/11 attacks in New York. Honestly? Let’s put Tiller’s track record into the NOW’s equation for a minute. Tiller actually was a domestic terrorist and worked for years to enact the intense harrassment of babies filled with actual violence unto death. Secondly, I’d like to point out that there is no reason to believe that Tiller’s slaying was linked with his work as an abortionist until the suspect is examined and his motives are determined. Will this be used to fuel the rights of these murderous organizations? Of course. As we can see the NOW is already jumping up and down in a frenzy calling for blood.

Another from CNN – If [thanks for that CNN ; )] Tiller was killed because of his work, he would be the fourth U.S. physician killed over abortion since 1993. In 1998, a sniper killed Dr. Barnett Slepian in his Amherst, New York, home. Anti-abortion activist James Kopp was later arrested in France and is serving life in prison. In 1994, Dr. John Bayard Britton and one of his volunteer escorts were shot and killed outside an abortion clinic in Pensacola, Florida. Paul Hill, a former minister, was convicted of the killings and executed in 2003. And in 1993, another doctor, David Gunn, was shot to death outside another Pensacola clinic. His killer, Michael Griffin, is serving a life sentence.

CNN went over the top and dug up all the dirt on the radical pro-lifers they could find. What did they come up with? Four abortion-related killings. Are four killings justifiable by the law? No. Is the government willing to justify 50 million murders since the 70′s? Yes, and they’re willing to pour money and propaganda into it. What we need to realize is that the liberal community of America is painting conservative Christians into a corner with other ‘well known’ mass murders. They’ll dress up a woman’s Catholic prayer group as Nazi soldiers bent on death and greed. They’ll threaten prayer meetings outside of their death clinics with weapons. What they want our children to believe is that every pro-lifer has a gun in one hand and bomb in the other, like the four…really four…men who did.

My prayer is for the Tiller family; that their eyes would be opened to the Lord.

Life in the Millennium (Part 3) – David’s Throne

I will eventually get the subject of this series – Life in the Millennium. But for now I’m content to establish some introductory understanding concerning the foundations of this Messianic Kingdom, as well as learning a great deal myself.

I think one of the greatest benefits to the church today would be to experience the lifestyle and culture of the first century church. I’m getting a “guy” to work on a time machine. Okay, it’s not a time machine, but it does make snow cones. Consistently, I find that I’m trying to place myself into the story – after the crucifixion when the resurrected dead are wandering the streets of Jerusalem,  during those 40 mysterious days of teaching after Christ’s resurrection, into the upper room waiting for the Promise of the Father, into the house gatherings of the apostles for prayer and the breaking of bread. That’s what a good story does right? It seeks to place the reader into the storyline so that the reader begins to think, act, and feel like one of the characters. And this story is the best story ever written. It includes, Fencing, fighting, torture, revenge, giants, monsters, chases, escapes, true love, miracles… (the grandpa from The Princess Bride – the shinning year of 1987). The plot line is simple enough for a child to grasp, yet so profoundly intricate that it strikes the intellectual mind with wonder.

taken by: Shlomit Wolf

One day as David is wandering around in his villa of cedar, he suddenly realizes the ark of the covenant is dwelling inside a curtained tabernacle. The injustice of the situation begins to dawn on him. Nathan the prophet tells him to do what is in his heart to do – build a permanent house wherein God would dwell. David is told by the Lord that he would not be the one to build the temple but that his seed would complete the endeavor (2 Sam. 7:12, 14). God then swears an everlasting oath to David, known as the Davidic Covenant.  This covenant ensures David that the following 3 things would be perpetuated 1) his seed, 2) his throne, and 3) his kingdom.

I. David’s Seed

The Lord tells David, “[I] will make you house. When your days are fulfilled and you rest with your father, I will set up your seed after you, who will come from your body…” (2 Sam. 7:11b-12). David’s “house” is meant to be understood as his posterity – physical descendants (some translate house as “Royal dynasty”). Here, David is promised that he will have a child (Solomon), yet to be born, who will succeed him. His line will always be the royal line with the right to rule. No other family will inherit the kingly linage of the Davidic seed. This seed is the same seed that is spoken of who will crush the head of the serpent (Gen. 3:15).  In one sense, it speaks of the ongoing generations of David’s descendants, yet also points to a future Seed who will embody the fullness of a King-Priest anointing and bring about the final defeat of the serpent. God has  preserved a physical seed throughout history to bring about both the redemption of mankind and the Messianic Kingdom; both fulfillment’s are found in the man Christ. Gen 49:10  The scepter shall not depart from Judah, Nor a lawgiver from between his feet, Until Shiloh comes; And to Him shall be the obedience of the people. This is what is spoken of in Acts 2 during Peter’s discourse concerning the resurrection of Jesus. His case is that Christ, as the Son (Seed) of David must be resurrected in accordance with the oath God had sworn. Christ could not rule on David’s throne if He were a disembodied spirit, for David’s throne is in Zion – the city of David (1 Kg 8:1).  Therefore, Christ has risen to fulfill all that God had spoken, part being, he was given a resurrected body capable of sitting on an earthly throne.

II. David’s Throne

2 Sam 7:13b …I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.

Provision is made through oath that David’s throne would continue forever (2 Sam 7:16). The throne speaks not only the political power committed to David’s seed but the geographic locale whereupon this seed would preside. This is an important and oft overlooked provision.  As previously mentioned the throne of David rests in the city of David – Jerusalem. David’s throne was meant to be understood as the seat of exulted earthly power centered in Jerusalem. God chose Israel to make a name for Himself (2 Sam 7:23) through which He would establish His government in the earth. He sent His Son to sit on that seat (Ps. 2:6). Mary is told that her Son would be given the throne of His father David and that He would in fact reign over the house of Jacob forever (Lk 1:32). Jesus is both Messiah (1st coming) and King (2nd coming).

No where in scripture does it say that David’s throne is in the heart of believers or in heaven. To come to one of these conclusions requires the symbolizing of many passages to form an uninspired idea that somehow David’s throne evaporated and entered the heart of believers through the cross. This idea came through a misunderstanding, and further denial, of both the Dadivic Covenant and earthly millennial kingdom. The Davidic Covenant presents several problems for those who seek the allegorical or spiritual interpretation of the its provisions. Foremost is the fact that both David and Solomon understood it as literal (2 Sam 7:18-29; 2 Chron. 6:14-16); moreover there is not clear scriptural basis for understanding David’s throne to be in heart of a believer nor of it being synonymous with the heavenly Father’s throne.

III. The Kingdom

2 Sam 7:16 …your kingdom shall be established forever

David is further promised that his kingdom will forever perpetuate. When this promise was given it would by nature of its longevity demand to be supreme on the earth. In theory, the armies of Israel would have no fear of their enemies going into battle because of the knowledge that their kingdom would not be thrown down. Even if it were not supreme initially it would simply outlast all other kingdoms to become so. An eternal entity cannot be subject to a temporary one. Even Rome, in it’s millennial rule of  glory, would and was,  simply outlasted by this Davidic Kingdom. The destruction inititated in 70 AD and completed in 135 AD was undone through the re-establishment of Israel in 1948. Although evil has purposed time and time again to ‘stamp out’ the Jewish people, there will always be a remnant left to humbly receive Yeshua at His coming (see Mt. 23:39).  Jesus is the only one to fulfill this promise since He is both naturally ‘Son of Daivid’ and divinely eternal. It is implied that one king will rule this kingdom forever (see also Mic. 4:7). By understanding the promise to Mary concerning Christ’s throne (Lk 1:32), the Father’s purpose to have His Son as King (Ps. 2:6), and the prophecy in Daniel 2:44 of a kingdom which will never be destroyed it can be deduced that this covenant finds its fulfillment in Christ at His Second Coming. Further, we are told by Isaiah that through this given Son, there would be no end to the increase of His peace and government when He sits upon the throne of Daivid’s kingdom (9:7).

In summary, the three provisions of this covenant are find their rest in Christ at the establishment of His millennial kingdom.

Life in the Millennium (Part 2)- The King

Any believer when asked would agree that Jesus is King. He is given the title King many times throughout scripture. I believe the Lord would call the corporate body of Christ to some understanding of what His Kingship entails. For while we  nobly attribute the title “King” to our Lord Christ, many times we fall short in seeing the manifold implications of this Kingship beyond our own hearts. Christ is ruling in our hearts (Col 3:15), yet if we only look to the here and now (salvation), we miss the majority of the prophetic millennial theme (Christ’s inheritance).  Here, we could shift into the various view concerning the nature of reign this King will execute, but I’m choosing to put that on hold for now and steer toward the beginnings of this Kingly mandate.

David, one of my favorite people in the bible, was given some of the most dramatic revelation concerning this King and His kingdom. What makes David’s Messianic revelation unique is that 1) The Messianic Seed would come though David’s own line; 2) David received his divine inspiration in the context of worship, song, and prayer; 3) David several times overheard heavenly conversations happening between the Father and Son; 4) Further, we see David as a “type” of Christ – involved in the affairs of both kingly and priestly offices (possibly he is one of the clearest pictures).

In Psalm 2:3 David is shown the age old sin of mankind- pride. The heartbeat of this pride promulgates the vow, “We do not want this man [Jesus]  to reign over us.” Man was given the authority of the earth and has turned that authority into greed and wicked ambition culminating not in atheism, as many think, but in war against Christ himself. Man’s audacious declaration of war against heaven receives laughing scorn from the One who sits on creation’s throne (2:4). The Lord will distress them in His wrath, not because He has forsaken His mercy, but because He has given them every reason to hate Him and they have zealously embraced the opportunity. He has exposed their hearts for what they truly are apart from His blessed salvation – wicked, lustful, and envious.

God’s plan of redemption starts not with blessing of the cross but with an eternal zeal to dwell with man forever. Only Almighty God could so faithfully and flawlessly orchestrate the events of human history, not violate the freewill of man, and redeem an innumerable company of saints that would witness His eternal glory forever. God knew that man would fail. The work of atonement was a revelation of the eternal humility and unconditional love of the Godhead, not a scrambling backup plan due to unforeseen human shortcomings. For this Lamb was, in divine nature, already slain before any man hung Him on a tree.

Messianic Mandate – Psalm 2:6

While man was sinful, selfish, and evil, the Son was sinless, selfless, and righteous - all the attributes necessary for ordering a kingdom in the likeness of the Father’s. He declares to these hardened men that He has chosen another and will set Him on the holy hill of Zion (2:6). David is a witness to Jesus being named “King of Kings and Lord of Lords”. Moreover, David is told that this King will rule from his throne forever:

2Sa 7:12-13 “When your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.

Where is David’s throne? It is none other than in Zion – the city of David (1 Kings 8:1). Beloved saints, the throne of David is not in your heart or in mine. David did not sit on an spiritual throne in the hearts of people. His throne was located in the city of David, in Jerusalem, on the earth. Christ has been given this throne and is waiting to receive His inheritance (Heb. 10:12, 13). This Davidic covenant is the stigma to every king, nation, people of the earth because the message of the Messianic Kingdom is more than salvation from sin but invasion from heaven! Isaiah is shown God’s zeal that the word is sure:

Isa 9:7  Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.

The angel re-affirmed this to Mary:

Luk 1:32, 33  He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. 33 And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”

The apostles gave testimony of the  Davidic covenant to show that Christ had indeed been resurrected – for the dead cannot inherit the living. The resurrection was a vital part of God’s covenant to David. (see also Acts 13:21-41)

Act 2:30  Therefore, {David} being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, He would raise up {resurrect} the Christ to sit on his {David’s} throne,

Jesus will come again, fulfill the Messianic Mandate, sit on David’s throne, and rule the nations of the earth from Jerusalem with  uncompromising righteousness. Creation is groaning and waiting until this kingdom is established and restored. This King will answer every groan, every tear, every malcontent, every injustice, every wrong, every plea, and every cause. This King is what every man, both wicked and just, truly desire. All will come to the Desire of All Nations.