Cross of Christ

THE BEREAN CALL
www.thebereancall.org
September 2006

God of Jacob, God of Israel Part Two!
Dave Hunt:

Last month we noted that the only true God, the Creator of the universe andall things therein-the God of the Bible-has linked His name with and tiedHis integrity to Israel. Yet many evangelicals, including well-knownleaders, insist that Israel is of no significance to God any longer, having been cut off for rejecting Christ and now having been replaced by thechurch. There are even groups (not only among white supremacists or cults such as Herbert W. Armstrong's die-hard followers today) who persist in theridiculous theory that the "Ten Lost Tribes" of Israel migrated to theBritish Isles and that therefore all those of British descent are the trueJews today. Some go so far as to say that all of the "white races" are thetrue Jews-as though not only England but all of Europe and Russia wasuninhabited wasteland until these remnants of the "Ten Lost Tribes" settledthere. We have proved that the ten tribes taken to Assyria (2 Ki 17:6-23) were not"lost" but make up most of those called Jews today (see 2 Chr 34,35; Q&A Nov'92, May '96). Far from Israel being cut off, hundreds of propheciesforetell Israel's importance in world affairs in the last days, the attackof all the world against her at Armageddon, her rescue by the Messiah, andher glorious final restoration in the Millennial Kingdom. Nor is there evera reference to Israel anywhere in Scripture that could possibly beinterpreted as meaning the British Isles or the British people, much lessthe "white races"! Most of the more than 2,000 references to Israel or Israelites in the Bibleand the thousands of prophecies (already fulfilled or yet to be fulfilled)pertain to the historical land of Israel in the Middle East, whoseboundaries are clearly described (Gn 15:18-21), or to the people who livedthere for nearly 2,300 years, were cast out under God's judgment, and willbe brought back by God so that not one ethnic Jew will be left outsideIsrael (Ezk 39:27-29). We know who the Jews are today by DNA testing. The Israeli Immigrant LiaisonBureau requires DNA tests where there is some question as to theauthenticity of claimed Jewish ancestry. Such tests would draw a completeblank if applied to the average person of British descent, and proveBritish-Israelism to be utter folly. No other ethnic group without its ownland and scattered around the world for more than 2,000 years has or couldmaintain its DNA identity as have the Jews. It is not important to know who is an American, German, Arab, Greek, et al.In contrast, it is vital to know who is a Jew. Why? About 70 percent of thepages of Scripture are taken up in recounting Israel's history andprophesying her future: her continued and unrepentant rebellion against God,His reluctant and long-delayed but finally severe discipline (the worst ofwhich is yet to come), the Jews' worldwide dispersion, their re-gatheringfrom all over the world back into their own land in the Last Days, hundredsof prophecies concerning Israel's present key role in world affairs, of hergreatest trial just ahead (Jer 30:7) when two-thirds of all Jews on earthwill be killed (Zec 13:8,9), and of her final restoration under the Messiah(Zec 12-14). Unquestionably, Israel is the major subject of God's Holy Word.To be wrong about Israel is therefore to be wrong on almost everything inthe Bible. The One whom the Bible 203 times calls "the God of Israel" has sworn by aneverlasting covenant that Israel (three times called the "apple" of Hiseye-Dt 32:10; Lam 3:18; Zec 2:8) will never cease to exist as a nation:"Therefore fear thou not...O Israel...though I make a full end of allnations whither I have scattered thee, yet will I not make a full end ofthee: but I...will not leave thee altogether unpunished" (Jer 30:10,11)."Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that the city [Jerusalem] shall bebuilt...it shall not be plucked up, nor thrown down any more for ever" (Jer31:38-40). The language could not be clearer here and throughout God's HolyWord. These and hundreds of other promises from God to Israel recorded inScripture are a sharp rebuke to those such as Hank Hanegraaff, D. JamesKennedy, R.C. Sproul, et al., who teach that the church has replaced Israel."Thus saith the Lord, which giveth the sun for a light byday...moon...and...stars by night...if those ordinances depart from beforeme...then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before mefor ever..." (Jer:31:35,36); "While the earth remaineth...day and nightshall not cease" (Gn 8:22); "Behold, I will gather them out of allcountries, whither I have driven them in mine anger...and I will bring themagain unto this place [Israel], and I will cause them to dwell safely: andthey shall be my people, and I will be their God...so will I bring upon themall the good that I have promised them" (Jer 32:37-42). Israel has failed to fulfill her calling to be an example to the world ofholiness in dedication to God (Lv 20:20-24, 26; Dt 6:4,5; 7:6, etc.). Whilethere are many believing Israelis, some even within the military, Israeltoday as a whole remains as wicked and godless as America and the rest ofthe nations. God's "chosen people," living once again in the Promised Landin fulfillment of many specific biblical prophecies, refuse to honor intheir daily lives the God of their fathers who has brought them there. Evenin the present distress related to Gaza and Lebanon, the vast majority ofIsraelis trust in their own arms and determination instead of trusting theonly One who can protect them and has promised to do so. The triumph of tiny Israel in every war and against impossible odds isadmitted by many in the IDF as defying ordinary explanation. Militaryofficers giving pep talks to new recruits often tell of amazing events theyhave witnessed in past wars, but rarely is God's intervention hinted at,even when no other explanation would be possible. Israel as a whole has notyet been humbled to the point of acknowledging what the Psalmist prophesied:"If it had not been the Lord who was on our side, now may Israel say...whenmen rose up against us: then they had swallowed us up quick.... Blessed bethe Lord, who hath not given us as a prey to their teeth....Our help is inthe name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth" (Ps 124:1,2,6,8). AtArmageddon, however, this prophecy will become a reality to all who survive. In contrast, Britain, along with America, will be among those "all nations"that God will gather and destroy at Armageddon (Jer 30:11; Jl 3:2; Zec 12:9,14:2, etc.) for their mistreatment of Israel, and especially for dividingHis land. In fact, Britain played a key role in robbing Israel of its landand giving most of it to the Arabs for oil. Both Britain and America havebetrayed Israel many times, and the U.S. State Department and BritishForeign Service have opposed Israel from the beginning, as we document inJudgment Day. Those facts alone prove the lie of British Israelism. So why would God faithfully help faithless Israel? He makes it clear toIsrael from the very beginning, "...because the Lord loved you, and becausehe would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the Lordbrought you out...from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt..." (Dt 7:8). As wenoted last month, referring to her ultimate restoration and blessing (whichHe has promised through the Messiah), the God of Israel declares: "Thussaith the Lord God; I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but formine holy name's sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen...be ashamedand confounded for your ways, O house of Israel...I the Lord have spoken it,and I will do it" (Ezk 36:22,32,36, etc.). In spite of Israel's presentdisregard of Him, "the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob" (Ex 3:15,16 and tenother places in the Bible) is fulfilling His promises to those patriarchsthrough their descendants-and the day is coming when all Israel who surviveArmageddon will believe. Most Jews worldwide await the Messiah's first coming, unaware that Healready came and was rejected and crucified. Jesus warned the Jews, "I amcome in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come inhis own name, him ye will receive" (Jn 5:43). Tragically, it will takeArmageddon for the surviving Jews to repent, turn to the God of Israel, andembrace the One who comes in His Father's name. In that greatest distressever faced by Israel, God declares that the one-third whom He will bringalive "through the fire...refine[d] as silver is refined...as gold is tried[shall] call on my name, and I will hear them" (Zec 13:8,9). When they see with their own eyes the Messiah come to rescue them, anddiscover to their shame who He is, "...they shall mourn for him, as onemourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him...a greatmourning in Jerusalem..." (Zec 12:10-14). Why such extreme sorrow at beingrescued by the Messiah? The God of Israel declares: "they shall look upon mewhom they have pierced" (12:10)!At Armageddon, when Yahweh comes to the rescue, He reveals Himself as theOne whom Israel has pierced! Pierced?! When and how could Israel pierce theOne who told Moses, "there shall no man see me, and live" (Ex 33:20)? God,"a Spirit" (Jn 4:24), cannot be pierced-but the Messiah coming as a mancould be. Jesus, who fulfilled every Messianic prophecy, was pierced on thecross. Why was He crucified? For claiming to be God (Jn 10:30-33)! Yahweh is speaking in the first person, yet two persons seem to be involved:"...they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn forhim...." This him seems to be another person-and yet He must have beenpierced because they mourn for Him-so he must also be Yahweh! Is Yahweh twopersons? In fact, He declares Himself to be three in one! Consider this: "Ihave not spoken in secret from the beginning; from the time that it was,there am I..." (Is 48:16). Surely the one speaking must be God because Hehas been speaking from the very beginning. Yet He adds, "The Lord God, andhis Spirit, hath sent me" (Is 48:16). Here we encounter God, the Lord God,and the Spirit of God. Could this be what the Holy Spirit inspired the Apostle John to write, "Inthe beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word wasGod"? Surely this One called the "Word," who already existed at thebeginning and is God, must be the same God to whom Isaiah refers who speaksfrom the beginning.But the similarities in these two verses don't end there. Both raise almostidentical questions. In Isaiah, how can God be sent by God; and in John, howcan God be with God? There is only one solution: the Messiah must be God.When Jesus said, "I and my Father are one" (Jn 10:30), the Jews accused Himof blasphemy. When they picked up stones, Jesus asked why they wanted tokill Him. Their instant reply was, "for blasphemy...thou, being a man,makest thyself God" (vv. 31-33). For the Messiah to declare His deity wasthe ultimate heresy, worthy of death? No! According to the Hebrew prophets, the Messiah had to be God and, at the sametime, the Son of God. If God has a Son, who Himself is God and one with HisFather, that would dissolve the rabbis' objections. We encounter God's Son anumber of times in the Hebrew Scriptures. Speaking prophetically, thePsalmist presents God as declaring of one who is to come, "Thou art my Son;this day have I begotten thee" (Ps 2:7). Jehovah's Witnesses and others whodeny Christ's deity take this as referring to Christ's birth on earth as thebeginning of His existence. That cannot be the case, however, because Godspeaks of His Son as already existing and warns a God-defying world, "Kissthe Son, lest he be angry....Blessed are all they that put their trust inhim" (v. 12). That the Son of God already existed before His incarnation is clear from anumber of other statements by the Hebrew prophets. Solomon quotes theprophet Agur asking this question: "Who hath ascended up into heaven, ordescended? Who hath gathered the wind in his fists? Who hath bound thewaters in a garment?" The obvious answer is "God." Then he asks, "what ishis son's name..." (Prv 30:4), proving that the Son of God already existedat that time. Shadrack, Meshach, and Abednego were cast into a huge furnaceso hot that the flames killed those who threw them into it. Nebuchadnezzar,astonished to see these three Hebrews walking alive in the flames, observesanother with them and in wonder exclaims, "the fourth is like the Son ofGod" (Dn 3:25)! While promising salvation through the coming Messiah, Yahweh repeatedlydeclared that He himself was the only Savior: "I, even I, am the Lord; andbeside me there is no savior" (Is 43:11); "Look unto me, and be ye saved,all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else" (Is 45:22).And yet this salvation goes to "the ends of the earth" by another who mustHimself be God and the Messiah: "I will also give thee for a light to theGentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth" (Is49:6). Of whom does God speak? Unquestionably, the Hebrew prophets all agree that God exists as atri-unity: three persons (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) but one God-and thatin the Messiah He becomes man without ceasing to be God. Christ's claimsthat He was God and man, and one with His Father, agree with the prophets.Isaiah declared: "For unto us a child is born..." (Is 9:6). This refers toHis humanity, derived, as foretold, from His virgin mother, Mary: the "seed"of the woman (Gn 3:15). But Isaiah adds, "unto us a son is given: and thegovernment shall be upon his shoulder....Of the increase of his governmentand peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David..." (9:6,7).Surely the Son given must be the already-existing Son of God-and He must bethe Messiah, because He will rule on David's throne. But Isaiah declares that the Messiah is God! His name is "Wonderful,Counsellor, The mighty God." And He is also "The everlasting Father." Hereis the same mystery: God is both Father and Son, and He alone is theMessiah! Most Jews still refuse to recognize this identity of the "God ofAbraham, Isaac, and Jacob." This is one place where they agree with theirbitterest enemies, the Muslims. The Qur'an condemns to hell anyone whobelieves in the Trinity (Sur 5:72-74)! So the fact that Yahweh has come as a man who was pierced to the death,resurrected, and has returned to rescue Israel at Armageddon is in perfectagreement with the Hebrew prophets. When Israel sees her God in this formcoming to her rescue, it will be painfully clear that He has been to earthbefore, where He was rejected and pierced to the death. So Jesus was onlyechoing the prophets when He said to the inhabitants of Jerusalem as He wasbeing "brought as a lamb to the slaughter" (Is 53:7) on the way to theCross: "Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is hethat cometh in the name of the Lord" (Mt 23:39). At last they willunderstand "the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob"-and "all Israel shall besaved" (Rom 11:26)! -TBC ----------------------------------------------------------------------------Quotable ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- [It has been said] that the more a man has in his own heart the less he willrequire from the outside; excessive need for support from without is proofof the bankruptcy of the inner man. [Thus] the present inordinate attachmentto...entertainment is evidence that the inner life of modern man is inserious decline. The average man has...no inner strength to place him abovethe need for repeated psychological shots to give him the courage to go onliving....The [fantastic] growth of the amusement phase of human life [is] a threat tothe souls of modern men. It has...greater power over human minds and humancharacter than any other educational influence on earth, [a] power almostexclusively evil, rotting the inner life, crowding out...eternal thoughtswhich would fill the souls of men....[It] has grown into a veritablereligion...against which it is now dangerous to speak.... For centuries the Church stood solidly against every form of worldlyentertainment, recognizing it [as] a device for wasting time, a refuge fromthe disturbing voice of conscience...divert[ing] attention from moralaccountability....But of late...she appears to have join[ed] forceswith...the great god Entertainment....So today we have the astonishingspectacle of millions of dollars being poured into the unholy job ofproviding earthly entertainment for the so-called sons of heaven. Religiousentertainment is in many places rapidly crowding out the serious things ofGod...and hardly a man dares raise his voice against it. From The Best of A.W. Tozer, 126-128 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------Q&A---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Question: I would say that my eschatological beliefs line up with what Iread in The Berean Call. I am unequivocally a premillennialpretribulationist, and a futurist regarding prophecy. Yet, I thought youwent beyond the eschatological ring and broke its pugilistic rules when youcommitted a "low-blow" against those you mentioned in the August 2006 TBC inthe Q&A who "hold a prejudice against...Israel," implying that their views"cast doubt upon whether one really knows the true God." Are you saying abelief in replacement theology seriously brings into question whether theyare truly saved or not? I can't believe that you consider one's view of theevents of the Last Days to be critical to one's salvation. Or do you? Answer: Thank you for asking. Perhaps my language was not as precise as itought to be and therefore others may have the same question. No, I did notsay that "one's view of the events of the Last Days [is] critical to one'ssalvation." I have never included eschatology in the gospel. My concern waswith God's identity and glory. I wrote: "...the Bible identifies Him as 'theGod of Israel 203 times, the God of Jacob 28 times, the God of Abraham 17times, and the God of Isaac 13 times.' These designations are foundationalto everything the Bible teaches, including the very character of God. Toprofess to believe in God and at the same time to hold a prejudice againstJewish people or against Israel that turns these clear biblicalidentifications into meaningless titles casts doubt upon whether one reallyknows the true God." I pointed out the fact that "In His refutation of the Sadducees' denial ofthe resurrection, Christ's primary argument was based upon God's statementto Moses: 'I AM...the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God ofJacob...this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto allgenerations' (Ex 3:15). Clearly, this was the identity of the true God then,is now, and will be forever. God never changes." Christ was saying that if Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are not resurrected toexist eternally, then their names could not be part of the eternal name ofthe eternal God. This was Christ's logic and I simply adopt it with respectto Israel as a nation descended from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Reasoning as Christ did, I argued: "If the nation of Israel is dead, or hasbeen replaced by the church and does not have an eternal future, then thevery term 'God of Israel' would not be to God's glory. Instead, it would bea slur upon His character in view of His many promises that Israel wouldnever cease to exist. Yet that is the position taken by those who say thatIsrael has been replaced by the church." I didn't say that before anyone can believe the gospel we must explain thatGod is "the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob" or they can't be saved. I amsaying that when one professes faith in Christ and in the One who sent Him,but later, through prejudice against Jews or Israel, refuses to accept Godas He reveals Himself in relation to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and thenation descended from them, doubts are legitimately raised as to whetherthis person truly knows the true God. My point is that in counteringReplacement Theology we need to focus on the identity and character of God,His name, and His promises to those whom He first called "chosen...to be aspecial people of God unto himself, above all people that are upon the faceof the earth" (Dt 7:6). Question: My wife and I look forward each month to The Berean Call.We...praise the Lord that someone is still contending "...for the faithwhich was once delivered to the saints" (Jude 3). Your Dec. 2005 article,"Wonderful Love," was especially uplifting [but] I question where you say,"He [God]...caused Him [Christ] to endure the eternal Lake-of-Fire...." Thatwould certainly make the "little god-Kenneth Copeland" very happy[considering] his teaching...that Jesus had to fight the devil in hell forthree days and nights and be "born again" to purchase our redemption. I amwondering WHICH book of the Bible you got that from?! Answer: It is foundational to the gospel that Christ experienced thesuffering of the Lake of Fire for every person who would ever be born.Christ's declaration, "It is finished [tetelestai, meaning 'paid in full']"surely indicates that He suffered what all mankind were doomed to suffer fortheir sins. That must include the Lake of Fire eternally. Our Lord became a man "that he by the grace of God should taste death forevery man" (Heb 2:9). Inasmuch as the Lake of Fire is "the second death" (Rv20:14) that all of the damned will suffer forever, Christ must have sufferedthat eternal penalty for all mankind. If not, there would still be somethingfor the redeemed yet to pay. But that cannot be the case for those who"shall not come into condemnation; but have passed from death unto life..."(Jn 5:24).That Christ endured the pains of the Lake of Fire does not mean that Hesuffered in the Lake of Fire. The teaching of Copeland (and others) thatChrist suffered in hell is false doctrine! He bore our sins on the cross; itwas from the cross that He cried in triumph, "Tetelestai!"; and we areredeemed by His blood shed in His death on the cross. Question: I liked your May article. You emphasized the theme of the lambthat runs through Scripture. Doesn't The Message downplay if not eliminatethe lamb in Hebrews 11:4? How can so many evangelical leaders recommendEugene Peterson's The Message, published by NavPress, when it does suchviolence to God's Word!answer: God says, "By faith Abel ["a keeper of sheep" (Gn 4:2)], offeredunto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witnessthat he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being deadyet speaketh" (Heb 11:4). The Message says, "By an act of faith, Abelbrought a better sacrifice to God than Cain. [So far, so good.] It was whathe believed, not what he brought, that made the difference. That's what Godnoticed and approved as righteous." On the contrary, the sacrifice Abel, brought from his flock is what theBible emphasizes! Peterson substitutes his own words for God's, and he daresto call what he has authored "another version of the Bible"! Clearly,Hebrews emphasizes what Abel brought ("sacrifice...gifts...it") and says itwas offered "by faith." Moses likewise emphasizes the offering: "AndAbel...brought of his firstlings of the flock....And the Lord had respectunto Abel and to his offering...but unto Cain and to his offering he had notrespect" (Gn 4:4,5). The entire emphasis is on the offering: Abel's wasaccepted by God, Cain's was not! Peterson's perversion of the Bible implies that the offering is unimportantand that it was only what Abel believed that mattered. How do we know whathe believed? By his offering! Christ "was once offered to bear the sins ofmany" (Heb 9:28). Our faith is in Christ who "offered himself without spotto God" (Heb 9:14) for our sins. The offering is central to our faith. Here,as elsewhere, Peterson changes the meaning entirely, robbing readers of thetruth!Considering in what great detail God describes Old Testament offerings,Peterson's view is heresy! He tampers with a major theme of Scripture andthe meaning behind it-the Lamb slain for our redemption. Peterson gives ushis words, not the "word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord" (Dt8:3) and "endureth for ever" (1 Pt 1:25). Yet he deceitfully passes it offas "Bible." The Psalmist rejoiced, "For ever, O Lord, thy word is settled inheaven" (Ps 119:89). We rejoice that Peterson cannot "improve" God's Word upthere! How can so many church leaders praise Peterson's mutilation of the Bible!Endorsers include: Richard Foster, Jack W. Hayford, J. I. Packer, RickWarren, and Warren Wiersbe. Ask them why they endorse this perversion thatought to be denounced. How can true Christians take this mutilation of God'sWord lightly?! Christians must awaken to the corruption taking root in thechurch, rise up in protest, and hold accountable those who are responsible.Surely a firm stand for truth is long overdue! We hope and pray that TBC'sreaders will act decisively! (For a partial list of perverted quotationsfrom The Message, see http://www.thebereancall.org/.) Question: As a long-time fan of TBC, I was terribly disappointed by yournegative remarks about the movie, End of the Spear, in the May Q&A. Youstated, "The film does a disservice both to the missionaries...and to theLord...is an insult to the five martyrs, dishonoring to their Lord, andmisleading to viewers!" In fact, nothing could be further from the truth! Dave, the next time you critique a movie please see it first. MissionaryNate Saint's son, Steve Saint, championed this film.... The Waodanithemselves also approved of and cooperated with these filmmakers.... Answer: Go back and read my response once again and you will see that I didnot claim to judge End of the Spear without seeing it. My response was basedentirely upon what a questioner said who had seen it. My reply to him usedphrases such as "what you portray" and "the film as you describe it."His opinion of the movie (after seeing it) differs markedly from yours-andin your letter you don't respond to his objections that I quoted. You referto "production values...tight script, gorgeous cinematography, beautifulscore, a compelling story and fine acting." Similar compliments could begiven to many ungodly movies. Nor do your objections to what I wrote haveany relationship to the question I was asked and to which I responded. The critic stated: "The greatest disappointment was that the gospel-that allhave sinned and that Christ is God who became a man and paid the penaltydemanded by God's justice for our sins-was missing! The transforming powerof the gospel and faith in Christ was never explained as the reason for thechange in the lives of the Aucas!" You did not refute that. Indeed, you madeno reference at all to the film's gospel content or lack of it. He said, "Nor does the film depict the godly lives of these men. Jim Elliotwas unfairly and dishonorably portrayed as a reckless buffoon; themissionaries never prayed, read their Bibles, mentioned Jesus, or conversedabout God. No church services were shown or even implied. Viewers couldmistake these five young men for Peace Corps workers or anthropologistsrather than missionaries. The film could just as well have been thepromotion of pacifism or nonviolent response to persecution." You refutednone of these serious objections. You say that "the missionaries...were whole men and women who loved theirspouses, got pregnant, raised families, celebrated birthdays, danced,laughed, and lived life more abundantly." That such things were beautifullyportrayed could be said of many secular films and has no relationship towhat ought to be the heart of a Christian film. He complained that the filmdid not have the gospel and that it did not portray the Christianity thatthese missionaries lived. Not only do you not refute this criticism, youdon't even address it! I hope others who view this disappointing movie willhave more discernment. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------News Alert ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.jewishworldreview.com/, 6/22/06: Photos Really Do Lie, JonathanTobin [Excerpts]-How is it that the pictures and the facts seem to be sodivorced from each when it comes to Israel? When an explosion on a Gazabeach killed several Palestinians earlier this month, the internationalmedia didn't pause to think, research or ask questions about the incident.They simply jumped. On Israel.As a picture of a Palestinian girl grieving over the corpse of a deadrelative spread around the world and onto the front pages of newspapers likeThe New York Times, there was little doubt as to who was to blame for hersuffering and, by extension, that of all Palestinians: the Israeli"occupiers" whose brutality had once again taken the lives of Arabinnocents. The only problem with this story...is that its basic premise wasn't true.Shell fragments...along with other factors, showed that the Israel DefenseForces were not responsible. Does all of this sound familiar? It should....It was the same when aPalestinian boy...was supposedly slain by Israeli army snipers...at thebeginning of the second intifada in the fall of 2000 when, in fact, he waskilled by Palestinian gunfire. The same scenario was played out in thespring of 2000 when many in the media bought into a lie about a massacre ofArab civilians in Jenin during an Israeli army counteroffensive following awave of Palestinian suicide bombings. Even the UN eventually had to acceptthat this was false, too. Why does this keep happening?...For a credible answer to these questions,there's no better place to look than a book that was published by Encounterlate last year to little fanfare: The Other War: Israelis, Palestinians andthe Struggle for Media Supremacy by journalist Stephanie Gutmann. As Gutmann reports, in the age of the 24/7 news cycle of Internet andall-news cable television, the stakes involved...have never beenhigher....Gutmann asserts, "I wrote this book because...people need to bereminded that pictures do lie-the second intifada was explained to thepublic through a series of images-images that didn't bring us the truth." The classic example of this was a celebrated New York Times error in whichthe paper printed an AP photo that it said depicted an Israeli soldierbrutalizing a bloody Palestinian youth on the Temple Mount. As the Timesdiscovered, the youth in extremis was actually an American Jew who had beenattacked by Arabs. The soldier, whom Times readers were told was beating himup, was really an Israeli police officer who had rescued him from a mob benton lynching him. Gutmann closes on a hopeful note when she predicts that blogs and alternatemedia sources are undermining the "imperial media" monopoly and bringingaccountability to a profession that desperately needs it. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------Itinerary ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sept 8-10 Great Lakes Prophecy Conference (Dave & TA)Appleton WI(920) 735-1242 http://www.ccappleton.org/ Sept 12 Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa (Dave)Santa Ana CA(714) 979-4422 Sept 16 Midwest Hebrew Ministry (Dave)Arden Hills MN(612) 866-8014 Sept 29-30 Calvary Bible Chapel (Dave)Macomb MI(586) 977-1849 Oct 1-2 Christliche Versammlung Thurstrasse (TA)Frauenfeld Switzerland41 (0)52 720 48 57 Oct 7 Centre Biblique Européen (TA)Lausanne Switzerland41 (0)21 887 75 63 Oct 4-6 Winnipeg Prophecy Conference (Dave)Winnipeg MB(204) 853-7786http://www.wpgpc.org/ Oct 18-22 Midnight Call (Dave)Brazil51 3241-5050http://www.chamada.com.br/ Nov 3-5 TBC Conference (Dave & TA)Bend OR(800) 937-6638http://www.thebereancall.org/ Nov 10-11 Calvary Chapel Men's Retreat (TA) Lynnwood WA (425) 672-4377 Nov 12 Calvary Chapel (TA) Lynnwood WA(425) 672-4377 Nov 23-26 Calvary Chapel Vladimir (Dave) Vladimir Russia Dec 29-31Calvary Chapel Fort Worth(817) 838-8381 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------Letters ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dear Berean Call,I purchased the book Showtime for the Sheep? It was thought provoking, to say the least....The book is well done and not mean-spirited at all...it is a fair and balanced book. I have...not been so quick to just follow this mass entrance into the soft mindset that seems to prevail so much today among Christians. Thanks for your ministry. It has helped me already. (email) Dave Hunt,It is a comfort to know that in a fast-paced world where Truth is mistaken for a host of lies, "In the beginning was the Word." This is the Word that remains. It is also a comfort to hear a voice of Truth and clarity speak out against a corrupt and relative worldview, especially in the church. For that, I must thank you with all my heart, Mr. Hunt. CP (Canada) Dear Friends,Thanks for the email update revealing Rick Warren's misapplication of Scripture: "I'm saying some people are going to have to die or leave. Moses had to wander around the desert for 40 years while God killed off a million people before he let them go into the Promised Land. That may be brutally blunt, but it's true. There may be people in your church who love God sincerely, but who will never, ever change" (Rick Warren's Ministry Toolbox, No 263, 6/14/06). It explains something that has mystified me. I couldn't believe the way the pastor of the church we were attending...seemed to become deliberately contentious and openly dismissive if we questioned their reliance on things like psychology, The Message, The Purpose-Driven Life, etc., rather than Scripture...as if they were actively trying to drive us away rather than "waste" time defending their positions from Scripture....Thank goodness there are still some, like you guys, who teach it straight! DE (WY) Dear Dave and TA,I receive your newsletters monthly and cannot wait to read them. The modern-day churches seem to be falling more and more into apostasy. But you guys at The Berean Call are focused, relying on God's Word, the Holy Spirit, and, of course, Jesus, as our source of all truth. We as Christians should not rely on worldly methods to share the gospel. Our churches don't feel the same way....Sadly, we're in the "Falling Away," as the Apostle Paul said would happen in the latter days. Fight the good fight till Christ comes. DN (TX) Dear Saints,I really enjoyed your newsletters [Mar/Apr '06] about psychology in Christianity. It's hard to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ and the coming Kingdom inside these [prison] walls because most "professed Christians" in here believe they can do or act any way they want as long as they "believe" in Jesus....All I can do is pray for them and let them know Jesus is coming soon. AM (prisoner, TX) Dear Mr. Hunt and Mr. McMahon,Thank you for the biblical perspective you provide on so many of our cultural, political, and media issues. I feel so much more informed on the truth of the upside-down, turned-around, and blatantly sinful activities, attitudes, and opinions of our current cultural norm. DG (CA) The Berean Call,I have been receiving The Berean Call for several months now. Although I think that what you are doing is meritorious, I would like to end my subscription. The articles, although informative and accurate, are somewhat repetitive and negative in content. Your publication is beneficial in pointing out the errors of some of the false teachings that are prevalent today, while my desire is to learn more about what the Bible actually says. Needless to say, I agree with your point of view that people need to be more diligent when it comes to what they believe and who they listen to. With so many false teachings prevalent in society today, everyone needs to apply themselves wholeheartedly to studying the Scriptures to ensure that what they are hearing is in accordance to God's Word. PD (Canada) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------TBC Notes ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- We Covet Your Prayers Here at TBC, prayer is our number-one priority. Rarely is anything undertaken without bringing it "unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need" (Heb 4:16). We make no distinction between the menial, routine things and the major tasks or projects when it comes to seeking God's help. We're confident that God makes no such distinctions, either, in providing His grace. In the abundance of mail we receive, it thrills us every time when someone adds a line or so saying something like, "I pray for your ministry continually." The last half of this year is filled with things for which we covet your prayers: our first-ever conference here in Bend; my first-ever European speaking tour; Dave's trips to Canada, Brazil, and Russia; wisdom as we consider relocating to quarters here that we would own rather than lease; and certainly, daily protection, provision, and fruitfulness as we seek to glorify the Lord and bless His people. T.A. McMahonExecutive Director ----------------------------------------------------------------------------TBC Extra ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- What is theophostic counseling? by Jan Fletcher Theophostic Prayer Ministry (TPM) is taking thousands of churches by storm around the world. This fast-growing inner-healing technique is an offshoot of Agnes Sanford's teachings. Sanford, deceased for over two decades, advocated healing of the memories through mystical prayer. She taught that one should visualize a past situation, and then envision Jesus coming into the memory to solve the problem. In TPM, a Theophostic-trained facilitator asks the ministry recipient to drift back and identify the first memory he or she can remember in which was felt the same negative emotion that has been "triggered" in the present time and is the current source of trouble. The facilitator helps to identify a lie embedded in that memory, such as, "I'll never be safe." The recipient then prays to Jesus to reveal the truth with the expectation that both the lie and the emotional pain will be vanquished. Ed Smith, who launched Theophostic Prayer Ministry in Campbellsville, Ky., in 1996, says Theophostic facilitators "ask the Lord to reveal His truth" as clients "watch for, listen [to] and feel" a special revelation from Jesus, who "has the ability to enter into our historical moment and reveal truth in the experience."1 The TPM facilitator then declares that the source of the revelation is actually Jesus. "During Theophostic Prayer Ministry, demons sometimes masquerade as Jesus, appearing visually in people's minds looking like Jesus," warns Smith. But, don't be alarmed by this, he says, as it's easy to spot the demonic imposter.2 "I have found that when a person looks carefully at the face of a demon 'Jesus,' it will usually be dark or hazy, or look angry, scornful, or evil."3 Smith also warns against all forms of channeling or divining the future using TPM, because he admits that facilitators have used it for divination.4 In TPM, truth is defined by how it feels, and Smith elevates a mystical encounter with Jesus over teaching and discipleship. He warns of "clutter"5 that can hinder TPM, which includes logical thinking, because this will interfere with receiving truth.6 In Smith's thinking, the mystical method must take place before teaching, insight, and encouragement can have any effect on the person's emotional distress. Smith says: "As Christians are released from their lie-based thinking, they will be better able to appropriate the biblical instruction they receive through other cognitive venues....We need to experience the freeing presence of Christ in our lives so that we can absorb the Word of God and be changed by it."7 Smith claims that a feeling of peace validates the entire mystical experience as being from God, and this "Peace rarely, if ever, comes via the cognitive instruction of the facilitator/counselor. If cognitive truth resulted in peace, our churches would be full of peace-filled people."8 In Smith's view, preaching, teaching, and discipleship-non-mystical means of receiving God's truth-do not enable believers to fulfill Col. 3:15's command to "let the peace of God rule in your hearts...." However, this verse follows Paul's commands in the previous verses to "set your affection [to exercise the mind] on the things above"; to "mortify [subdue] therefore your members which are upon the earth" and "put on...mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one another...." Smith claims that these cognitive activities are useless in obtaining the peace of Christ. Following strong criticism of his earlier training materials, Smith's latest manual now has frequent, highlighted warnings against the generation of false memories during TPM. Obviously, if one has to sign a "hold harmless" agreement9 before engaging in TPM, as Smith recommends, TPM carries significant risk for legal liability. In Smith's previous writings, he advocated sneaking TPM past local church leadership by avoiding the name "Theophostic" until people in the church have experienced it through miracle healings, thereby building an experiential argument for the method.10 Smith has now changed his advice. Although he warns of a "Deacon George," who may claim TPM "is of the devil," based on web-based reports by apologists,11 he now compares a church's rejection of TPM to a body's rejection of an organ transplant.12 So, his advice is to compromise the local Body's immune system from the pulpit. Smith recommends that the "preaching pastor...gradually move a congregation in the direction of embracing the principles taught in this manual....Many people have never been exposed to this type of thinking and, as a result, may need some time to process it."13 God's lambs are hearing sermons straight out of Smith's TPM manual without knowing they are surreptitiously being prepared for a Theophostic invasion in their church. Smith previously developed a new theology he calls "lie-based theology," which stands in contrast to "sin-based theology [which] believes that the root of my problem is my sin." Smith said he realized sin-based theology "is a misconception and a grave error," because, he notes: "it doesn't work."14 In his 2005-revised training manual, one of Smith's original nine Theophostic principles-"God heals the lost and saved equally with no preference over either"-quietly disappeared15 Smith says of TPM, "People consistently say it was from God. This is even the case with those who do not profess any relationship with God."16 And, later he says, "God does not seem to require confession of sin from a nonbeliever."17 But how can a lost person have the "peace of Christ"-that which Smith defines as the end result of Theophostic healing? If a lost person can have it, and claims that God showed it to him, then it's not the peace of Christ: it's a false gospel! If a lost person gets a word of truth from Jesus without repentance, it's a false Jesus! Smith has consistently shifted his terminology, switching from "genuine recovery" to "genuine renewal," and repackaging his concepts to stay ahead of critics, and also to ensure that TPM remains appealing to conservative churches. Don't be fooled by cosmetic changes! Theophostic Prayer Ministry's core premise18 continues to promote a false Jesus and a false gospel. (Jan Fletcher is a Christian journalist who has reported on TPM since June 2003. Her research is on the web at http://www.lyingspirits.com/.) Endnotes 1. Ed M. Smith, Basic Seminar Manual (2005), New Creation Publishing, 137-138. 2. Ibid., 140. 3. Ibid., 233. 4. Ibid., 194. 5. Ibid., 142. 6. Ibid., 145. 7. Ibid., 288. 8. Ibid., 165. 9. Ibid., 202-4.10. Ed M. Smith, Beyond Tolerable Recovery, 4th ed., Alathia Publishing, 252-53.11. Smith, BSM, 332.12. Ibid., 317.13. Ibid., 309-10.14. Smith, BTR, 224-2515. Ibid., 116. 16. Ibid., 136.17. Ibid., 147.18. CRI's Elliot Miller claims there is nothing unbiblical about the "core Theophostic theory and method" in his two-part evaluation on TPM, published in the CRJ, Vol. 29, numbers 2 and 3. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------Please visit our online shopping area at http://www.tbcorders.org/ to browse our complete catalog of products.----------------------------------------------------------------------------The Berean Call is a nonprofit 501 [c] [3], tax-exempt corporation registered in the State of Oregon. It is overseen by an independent board which has full and final authority over all corporate assets, personnel, and affairs. 09/06) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------EMAIL COMMANDS: To subscribe, send an email to: updates-subscribe@lists.thebereancall.orgTo cancel your subscription, send an emailto:updates-unsubscribe@lists.thebereancall.org -- No virus found in this incoming message.Checked by AVG Free Edition.Version: 7.1.405 / Virus Database: 268.11.7/437 - Release Date: 04/09/2006

September 4

Revival: Living at a Fever Pitch

And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men.-Colossians 3:23

We live at a fever pitch, and whether we are erecting buildings,laying highways, promoting athletic events, celebrating special daysor welcoming returning heroes we always do it with an exaggeratedflourish. Our building will be taller, our highway broader, ourathletic contest more colorful, our celebration more elaborate andmore expensive than would be true anywhere else on earth. We walkfaster, drive faster, earn more, spend more and run higher bloodpressure than any other people in the world.

In only one field of human interest are we slow and apathetic: thatis the field of personal religion. There for some strange reason ourenthusiasm lags. Church people habitually approach the matter oftheir personal relation to God in a dull, half-hearted way which isaltogether out of keeping with their general temperament and whollyinconsistent with the importance of the subject. Of God and Men,3-4.

"Lord, revive my zeal for things of God. I get caught up in thefever pitch of so many things. Help me to set my priorities rightand give myself more completely to enhancing my relationship withYou. Amen."

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There is something undeniably diabolical happening. It is the Spirit of the Age: Tolerance at the Expense of Truth.

The freedom to read and own our Bibles came to us at a great cost. We must recall the sacrifices of our Christian brothers and sisters who paid dearly with their lives in order for us to have the truth: God’s Word. One such martyr for us to recall is William Tyndale. To no mere man does the world owe more than to William Tyndale, the chief of the English Reformers. At the time of his birth in 1485, the King of England had made close alliances with the Pope and all the classes of people seemed content in submitting to his authority. However, the oppressions of the Roman Catholic church were about to end. God called William Tyndale to this task.

WILLIAM TYNDALE

The first notice we have is of him being sent to Oxford, where, says Foxe, “he increased as well in the knowledge of tongues and other liberal arts, as especially in the knowledge of the Scriptures, whereunto his mind was singularly addicted.” In 1517 or 1518, he left Oxford for Cambridge, where he remained as a student for a year or two, leaving in 1520 for Gloucestershire, his native county, in which there was no part of England more under Papal dominion. Nowhere were the abuses of the Church more flagrant, or the ignorance of its ministers more extreme. Tyndale’s bold rebuking of these things made him extremely unpopular, and being secretly charged with holding heretical opinions, he was summoned before his bishop, who reproved him severely; whereupon he left the county for London, hoping to be able to execute a desire, which had long been in his heart, of translating the New Testament into the English language.

As a schoolmaster to the children of Mr. Welch, a knight of Gloucestershire, Tyndale would be company to visiting high-ranking Catholic Church officials. Lively discussions took place about such people as Martin Luther, the German theologians and Desiderius Erasmus, the Dutch Renaissance scholar, and Roman Catholic theologians. Tyndale had many occasions to dine with these individuals and participated in their discussions with regard to church controversies and questions about Scriptures. Tyndale was soon removed from this privilege. His education and knowledge of the Bible enabled him to present Scriptural references to his convictions and criticisms of their doctrines. He showed them where in the Bible that they were incorrect about their beliefs and doctrine. Since this happened often, the local clergy soon began to bear a secret grudge against him in their hearts. His constant references to the Scripture and his criticisms of their doctrines made them angry. They could not defend their beliefs up against Scripture, so they soon began to exclude him from their guest list. The clergy did not want Tyndale at their banquets and meals, because without him there, they could expound their erroneous doctrines freely and without resistance. However, Tyndale’s growing influence was a threat to them, and they sought ways to get rid of him. A meeting was called and the Chancellor ordered the priests and Tyndale to appear before him. Tyndale was threatened, reviled, and talked to as though he was a dog. Though many charges were brought against him none could be proven. Realizing he had to do something, he went to a doctor of divinity and former secretary to the bishop who was friendly toward Tyndale. He opened his heart to this man and explained the many things he saw in the Scripture that were contrary to Papist doctrine. This good man explained to Tyndale that if he continued to speak out against the local clergy it would cost him his life.

Not long after that, Tyndale disputed with a certain theologian about the truth of Scripture until the man cried out these words, “We would be better off without God’s laws than without the Pope.” To this Tyndale’s Godly zeal burst forth and he replied, “I defy the Pope, and all his laws.

If God spares my life, it will not be many years before I cause every boy who works on a farm plowing fields to know more of the Scripture than the Pope does!” On October 6, 1536, God’s first translator of the New Testament into the English language was tied to a stake, strangled by the hangman to the point of death, and then burned in the fire for doing God’s work. But by this time Tyndale had translated both the Old and the New Testament into English.

These books or translations were taken all over England and were read by the good, Godly lay people of the Church. The Bible was of great benefit to the lay people, but of great harm to the ungodly clergy. They were afraid that by the lay people having their own Bible and reading it for themselves, the priests’ deeds of darkness would be clearly exposed. They were exactly right.

Not wanting the book to succeed they cried out against it and tried to discredit it. They wanted to keep the people in darkness and manipulate their consciousness with foolish superstitions and false doctrines, so they could satisfy their own personal ambitions and greedy covetousness and exalt their own honor above that of even Jesus Christ Himself. Today we find the Church in a similar situation. The lay people of the Church have Bibles but they are being discouraged from reading the truth of God’s Word. Instead the use of many spurious translations and paraphrases are promoted, as well as the watered down messages preached by the so-called clergy of today.

DECEPTION

Rick Warren’s book, “The Purpose Driven Life”, is a masterpiece of deception. Currently it has sold over 20 million copies, generating $400 million in sales. This book is being promoted in Churches around the world. Warren freely admits that he never preaches against homosexuality, abortion, or any type of sin for that matter. He states that he believes it’s wrong, but he would never say it from behind a pulpit. He considers himself to be a marketer, salesman, and preacher. His message is that we must accentuate the positive, and that Christian worship should be fun. To begin with, let’s examine the title of the book — “The Purpose Driven Life”.

The Spirit of God does not drive anyone and we are not driven in God’s purpose. The Spirit leads us — He does not drive us. “And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness” (Lk. 4:1). It is Satan who causes people to be driven. He is a very harsh taskmaster, “For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For oftentimes it had caught him: and he was kept bound with chains and in fetters; and he broke the bands, and was driven of the devil into the wilderness” (Lk. 8:29). There are many, many Scriptural errors in this book. On the surface, it appears to be a book of good practical advice, but it contains many dangerous errors and New Age philosophies. I want the reader to look at some of the direct quotes that come from Rick Warren’s books, “The Purpose Driven Life” and “The Purpose Driven Church”.

THE BIBLE

Rick Warren . . . “We need more than the Bible in order to grow; we need other believers. We grow faster and stronger by learning from each other and being accountable to each other. When others share what God is teaching them, I learn and grow, too” (The Purpose Driven Life, Chapter 17, pg. 134).

Mr. Warren, Paul, along with Peter, instructed as to what is needed to bring Salvation and Christian growth:

“And that from a child thou hast known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto Salvation through Faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for Doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in Righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works” (II Tim. 3:15-17).

“For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by Revelation of Jesus Christ” (Gal. 1:12).

“To reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood” (Gal. 1:16).

“As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the Word, that ye may grow thereby: If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious” (I Pet. 2:2-3).

Rick Warren . . . “The ground we have in common with unbelievers is not the Bible, but our common needs, hurts, and interests as human beings. You cannot start with a text . . .” (Purpose Driven Church, pg. 295).

Mr. Warren you need to read Acts 2:38. I guess the Holy Spirit forgot to tell Peter that he could not start with a text:

“Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the Name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost.”
And notice what his text was, REPENT.

Rick Warren . . . “In fact, He (God) depends more on circumstances to make us like Jesus than He depends on our reading the Bible” (The Purpose Driven Life, pg. 193).
“For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the Image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren” (Rom. 8:29). Once we are saved by accepting Jesus Christ as our Savior, we are in the process of being conformed to His image. We must cooperate with the Holy Spirit by Faith in the object of the Finished Work of the Cross. Paul would say:

“For by Grace are ye saved through Faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the Gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them” (Eph. 2:8-10).

Rick Warren “. . . We often miss the full impact of familiar Bible verses, not because of poor translating, but simply because they have become so familiar! We think we know what a verse says because we have read it or heard it so many times. Then when we find it quoted in a book, we skim over it and miss the full meaning. Therefore I have deliberately used paraphrases in order to help you see God’s truth in new, fresh ways . . .” (The Purpose Driven Life, pg. 325).
The use of inferior Bible translations enables heretics, such as Warren, to promote their Scripturally perverted Gospel. The literal word-for-word translations of the Bible expose the abhorrent fallacious doctrines being taught in “The Purpose Driven Life”. God does not change and His Word will remain the same until it has been fulfilled:
“For verily I say unto you, Till Heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled” (Mat.5:18 ).

BIBLE STUDY

Rick Warren . . . “The last thing many believers need today is to go to another Bible study. They already know far more than they are putting into practice” (The Purpose Driven Life, pg. 231).
Rick Warren . . . “I strongly urge you to gather a small group of friends and form a Purpose-Driven Life Reading Group to review these chapters on a weekly basis . . . After you have gone through this book together as a group, you might consider studying other purpose-driven life studies that are available for classes and groups” (The Purpose Driven Life, pg. 307).
continued from page 1)

Mr. Warren, you discourage people from going to a Bible Study, but you readily endorse people purchasing your other “Purpose Driven Life” studies? I think one sees your point. This puts more money in your pocket. Worst and most heinous of all, is it also puts the “Purpose Driven Life” and “Purpose Driven” studies above the Word of God!

Rick Warren . . . “Read Scripture from a newer translation. With all the wonderful translations and paraphrases available today, there is no legitimate reason for complicating the Good News with four hundred-year-old English. Using the King James Version creates an unnecessary cultural barrier. Remember, when King James authorized the new translation, it was because he wanted a contemporary version. I once saw an advertisement that claimed, if King James were alive today, he’d be reading the New International Version! That’s probably true. Clarity is more important than poetry” (The Purpose Driven Church, pg. 297).
Mr. Warren, these translations all say different things. God is not the author of confusion. The King James Version is a word-for-word translation. Could that be the reason you do not recommend reading it?

Rick Warren . . . “I’m not going to get into a debate over the non-essentials. I won’t try to change other denominations. Why be divisive?” he asks, citing as his model Billy Graham, “a statesman for Christ ministering across barriers.” (This Evangelist Has A Purpose; Cathy Lynn Grossman, USA Today, 7/21/2003).
Would you please read John 7:43, “So there was a division among the people because of Him.”

Rick Warren . . . “The truth is this: Spiritual maturity is demonstrated more by behavior than beliefs” (The Purpose Driven Church, pg. 336).

However, our beliefs are what produce our behaviors:

“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them” (Eph. 2:10).
Rick Warren . . . “It’s a myth that all you need is prayer and dedication to grow a healthy church. Some of the most dedicated prayer warriors I know are pastors of dying churches. It really bothers me that some pastor’s conferences promote that myth — leaving pastors feeling discouraged and guilty instead of encouraged.”

“We’ve all heard speakers claim, “If you’ll just pray more, preach the Word, and be dedicated, then your church will grow.” Well, that’s just not true. I can show you thousands of churches where pastors are doctrinally sound; they love the Lord; they’re committed and Spirit-filled and yet their churches are dying on the vine” (Interview, Pastor’s.com, August).
Pastors are called to preach the Word and the Lord grows the Church.

“Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved” (Acts 2:47).
Rick Warren . . . “What you should do is change the easiest thing first and the things that make the greatest difference. Don’t worry initially about the issues that cause the greatest disagreement. The easiest thing to change is the preaching. Any pastor in any church could update his preaching style for the 1990’s and see a dramatic improvement. In many churches, we’re still using an oratory style that was pre-television” (Interview, Pastor’s.com, August).
Please read the New Testament. All the Apostles used the oratory style.
Rick Warren . . . “Seeker sensitive” doesn’t mean you compromise the message. It means you take into consideration people’s culture in order to communicate that message. Making a service “comfortable” for the unchurched doesn’t mean changing your theology; it means changing the environment of the service — such as changing the way you greet visitors, the style of music that you use, the translation you preach from, and the kind of announcements you make in the service. The message is not always comfortable. In fact, sometimes God’s truth is very uncomfortable. Still we must teach, “the whole council of God.” Being seeker sensitive does not limit what you say but it will affect how you say it” (Interview, Pastor’s.com, August).
The whole counsel of God means that you preach against sin and God’s judgment follows those who disobey.
“Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye. Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? And they have slain them which showed before of the coming of the Just One; of Whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers” (Acts 7:51-52).
I guess Stephen wasn’t instructed properly by the Holy Spirit about taking into consideration people’s cultures and making a service comfortable when he preached this message.
Rick Warren . . . “Rather than threaten sinners with fire and brimstone, Warren says, “We believe in attraction evangelism. We believe in loving people into the Kingdom” (This Evangelist Has A Purpose; Cathy Lynn Grossman, USA Today, 7/21/2003).
Let’s look at Matthew 3:12, “Whose fan is in His Hand, and He will thoroughly purge His Floor, and gather His Wheat into the garner; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” This message was preached by John the Baptist, the forerunner of Christ, and it could hardly be called attractive Evangelism.Rick Warren . . . “We don’t have to make the Bible relevant — it is — but we have to show its relevance. What is irrelevant, in my opinion, is our style of communicating it. We are tending to still use the style from 50 years back that doesn’t match who we are trying to reach today” (Purpose Driven Preaching: An Interview with Rick Warren; September – October 2001).
“Preach the Word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and Doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound Doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the Truth, and shall be turned unto fables. But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an Evangelist, make full proof of thy Ministry” (II Tim. 4:2-5). I suppose the Holy Spirit forgot to instruct Paul in the right form of communication.
THE SPIRIT OF GOD
The truth that is missing in Rick Warren’s books, and the message that is not being preached in many of our Churches today, is the message of contrition and true Repentance and that God will smite the world with judgment soon. The rejection of Jesus Christ and His payment of death for sin is grounds for a just and righteous God to condemn the lost. Rick Warren is a religious businessman and showman.
Church, don’t be deceived, duped and driven by deceptive forces. Be led by the Spirit of God. The deaths of the Christians before us speak loud and clear: Preach the Word! If we don’t, the blood of the lost will be required at our hands:
“Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the House of Israel: therefore hear the word at My mouth, and give them warning from Me . . .
“Again, when a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumblingblock before him, he shall die: because thou has not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand” (Ezek. 3:17, 20).
To be continued next month . . .Frances Swaggart.

(LEV. 17:1)

“AND THE LORD SPOKE UNTO MOSES, SAYING,(2) “SPEAK UNTO AARON, AND UNTO HIS SONS, AND UNTO ALL THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL, AND SAY UNTO THEM; THIS IS THE THING WHICH THE LORD HAS COMMANDED, SAYING,(3) “WHAT MAN SOEVER THERE BE OF THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL, WHO KILLS AN OX, OR LAMB, OR GOAT, IN THE CAMP, OR WHO KILLS IT OUT OF THE CAMP,(4) “AND BRINGS IT NOT UNTO THE DOOR OF THE TABERNACLE OF THE CONGREGATION, TO OFFER AN OFFERING UNTO THE LORD BEFORE THE TABERNACLE OF THE LORD: BLOOD SHALL BE IMPUTED UNTO THAT MAN; HE HAS SHED BLOOD; THAT MAN SHALL BE CUT OFF FROM AMONG HIS PEOPLE:”

The composition is:

1. As the previous Chapter, which outlined the Great Day of Atonement, is one of the most important Chapters in the Bible, likewise, this Seventeenth Chapter follows in the same train.
2. This Chapter proclaims the preciousness of the Blood, in that all life belongs to Jehovah; and second, that the power of Atonement is in the Blood.
3. The Lord attached a powerful significance to these things. He would have them impressed upon every member of the congregation.
4. No animal could be offered up in Sacrifice, unless it was offered up at the Tabernacle, and later the Temple, that is, when the Temple would later be built.
THE THING WHICH THE LORD HAS COMMANDED
Verses 1 and 2 read: “And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,“Speak unto Aaron, and unto his sons, and unto all the Children of Israel, and say unto them; This is the thing which the LORD has commanded, saying.”
This Chapter, we will find, is so clear as it regards the fact, “It is the Blood that makes an Atonement for the soul.” Concerning this, Mackintosh said: “If I look from the Third Chapter of Genesis down to the close of Revelation, I find the Blood of Christ put forward alone as the ground of Righteousness. We get pardon, peace, life, Righteousness – all by the Blood, and nothing but the Blood. The entire Book of Leviticus, and particularly the Chapter which we are now studying, is a commentary upon the Doctrine of the Blood. It seems strange to have to insist upon a fact so obvious to every dispassionate, teachable student of Holy Scripture; yet so it is. Our minds are prone to slip away from the plain Testimony of the Word. We are ready to adopt opinions without ever calmly investigating them in the light of the Divine Testimonies. In this way we get into confusion, darkness, and error.”
He then said, “May we learn to give the Blood of Christ its due place. It is so precious in God’s sight that He will not suffer ought else to be added to or mingled with it.”
THE BIBLE, THE STORY OF THE CROSS
One could just as easily turn the heading around and say, “The Cross, the story of the Bible.” When one properly learns the Word, one has learned the Cross; and it might even be turned around and said, when one learns the Cross, one has learned the Word. They are synonymous, one and the same!
If one properly understands the Word of God, then one will properly understand the Cross. And if it becomes obvious that one doesn’t understand the Cross, to be sure, one will have a misunderstanding at the same time of the Word. Such is the road to spiritual disaster.
From the time of the Fall (Gen. 3:15), through Revelation 22:21, we find the Cross as the central theme of the Word of God. To try to understand the Word in any other capacity is to misunderstand the Word.
Concerning the Cross, and even as we shall see, we will find, “This is the thing which the LORD has commanded.”
LAST DAY APOSTASY
The last day apostasy, as is obvious, is the repudiation of the Cross. Paul said: “Now the Spirit (Holy Spirit) speaks expressly (pointedly), that in the latter times (the times in which we now live) some shall depart from the Faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils” (I Tim. 4:1).
“The Faith” is “Jesus Christ and Him Crucified” (I Cor. 1:23; 2:2).In the last several decades, and especially the last decade (the 1990’s), the departure from “the Faith” has been accelerated. But at the same time, the Lord is lifting up a standard against this evil, by once again giving to the Church, and the world for that matter, the Message of the Cross, perhaps in a more powerful way than it has ever before been presented. And let the Reader understand that the understanding of the Cross is, in reality, the understanding of the entirety of the New Covenant. This is the Word that the Lord gave to the Apostle Paul, which he gave to us in his 14 Epistles. So, the understanding of the Cross is not merely the understanding of a particular doctrine, but is really the understanding of the foundation of all doctrine. All doctrine must be built on the premise of the Cross, or else in some way, it will be spurious.
In Paul’s day, the greatest opposition to the Message of the Cross was the Judaizers. These were so-called Christian Jews, who endeavored to attach the Law to Grace. In other words, while they may have paid lip service to the Cross, if that, their greater theme was that Gentiles had to also keep the Law in order to be saved. While this matter was partially settled at the great Counsel in Jerusalem (Acts, Chpt. 15), it was just that, only partially settled. While it was decreed that the Gentiles would not have the Law imposed upon them, certain among the Jews continued to press this issue, which caused Paul untold difficulties. As someone has well said, while Judaism in effect gave birth to the Church, it came very close as well to being its grave.
In a sense of the word, that problem of Law versus Grace is still with us, but in perhaps a more devious way.
(continued from page 1)
THE LAW
While Preachers no longer advocate the Law of Moses, many are in fact advocating “law,” though it be a law of their own making, or the making of someone else. At any rate, the problem is the same, and as well, the damage is the same. Whether it’s the Law of Moses, or a law made up by Preachers or Churches, or wherever, for that matter, it is still law, and it cannot be mixed with Grace. Again, Paul said: “I do not frustrate the Grace of God: for if Righteousness come by the Law, then Christ is dead in vain” (Gal. 2:21).
The great Apostle is telling us here that the only thing law or laws can do is to frustrate the Grace of God, which means that the Grace of God cannot function in an atmosphere of law.
What do we mean by that?
What I’m attempting to discuss is, without a doubt, the single most important factor in the heart and life of the Believer. The Believer, not knowing how to appropriate Grace, whether he realizes it or not, functions in law, which only tends to make a bad matter worse. No matter how hard he tries, no matter how zealous he might be, no matter how dedicated he might be, he will not come out to victory, only defeat – and to be sure, the defeat will get worse and worse.
THE GRACE OF GOD
The only way that the Believer can understand the Grace of God, and to have Grace flowing uninterrupted in his heart and life is to understand the Cross, and thereby place his Faith. The Holy Spirit, Who superintends all Grace, will then guarantee victory in one’s life (Eph. 2:18).
It is impossible to have and enjoy the Grace of God, unless one properly understands the Cross. As the Cross and the Word are synonymous, one could as well say that the Cross and Grace are synonymous.
The Grace of God is merely the Goodness of God, extended to undeserving Believers. As already stated, that Grace or Goodness is superintended by the Holy Spirit, Who works exclusively within the parameters of the Finished Work of Christ (Rom. 8:1-2, 11).
But most Christians don’t understand the Cross, simply because it’s not properly taught behind most pulpits, and thereby, they function in law, because there is no place else for them to function. It is either law or Grace, and if one doesn’t understand the Cross, which is the password to Grace, then law is the only other alternative.
If Believers have problems, and most all do, and they go to their Pastor, virtually all of the time, the Pastor will say to them, among other things, “You’ve got to try harder.” He says that, because he doesn’t know the right way himself. In fact, he’s having problems just as the seeker is having problems, perhaps even worse.
Living for God, and walking in victory, has nothing to do with “trying harder.” I don’t care how hard a person tries, as stated, how dedicated he might be, how zealous he might be, he’s not going to arrive at a place of victory by this method. In fact, the hurtful situation in his life will only get worse.
Not understanding the Cross, what does the Church do?
WRONG DIRECTIONS
If it is to be noticed, the Church jumps from one fad to the other. When Frances and I first began in Evangelistic work in the 1950’s, the problem, it was said, was demon spirits. In other words, it was claimed by many that Christians who had problems had these problems because they had a demon spirit moving them in certain directions. In other words, if it was an uncontrollable temper, they had a demon of temper, etc. It was stated that this particular demon had to be cast out of these Christians, and then their problem would be solved.
Consequently, people were lining up by the scores at certain Churches, which were proclaiming this foolishness, trying to find victory by having this particular demon cast out of them. In fact, this thing continued well on up into the 1960’s, and is still promoted in some circles.
In those years, I did not understand the Cross as it refers to Sanctification, but I knew that was wrong. And I said so, and I said so plainly and loudly. Many Preachers grew very angry with me because of my stand, but I knew this wasn’t Scriptural.
While all Christians are troubled at one time or the other by demon spirits, as should be obvious, Christians are not possessed by demon spirits. The Holy Spirit will not share His Temple with demons (I Cor. 3:16).
Sometime back, I had the occasion to speak with two of the most famous names in Charismatic circles. Both of these men advocated this of which I have just addressed. Demon spirits were causing the problems, and had to be cast out, etc.
Has anyone ever stopped to think that nothing like this is found in the Word of God? It’s not found in the Word, because it’s not Scriptural. While demon spirits definitely are real, and while demon spirits definitely inhabit scores of unsaved people, and while they greatly trouble many Christians, they do so, simply because the Christian doesn’t understand the Cross, which is the secret of all victory. Jesus said: “You shall know the Truth, and the Truth shall make you free” (Jn. 8:32). He didn’t say anything about Preachers laying hands on Christians and casting out demons, but rather that the Truth be given to Believers, which in effect, is the Message of the Cross, which He later gave to Paul (Rom. 6:3-14). Please note the following:
Jesus said when He ministered in Nazareth: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the Gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives . . .” (Lk. 4:18).
If it is to be noticed, He didn’t say “to deliver the captives,” but rather “to preach deliverance to the captives.” In other words, the only way in which captives can be delivered is for the Truth to be preached unto them. And what is the Truth?
(Taken from Jimmy Swaggart Bible Commentary, Leviticus, Chapter 17.)



The Power of His ResurrectionBy Jimmy Swaggart
"This Power enables Believers to 'live a new life' (Rom. 6:4)..."
(10) "THAT I MAY KNOW HIM, AND THE POWER OF HIS RESURRECTION, AND THE FELLOWSHIP OF HIS SUFFERINGS, BEING MADE CONFORMABLE UNTO HIS DEATH;"
This Scripture is one of the most glorious in the Word of God, but yet mostly misunderstood by most Christians.
While all certainly want "the Power of His Resurrection," the next two phrases, "the fellowship of His sufferings," and "being made conformable unto His Death," leave most Christians cold. They just read over that very hurriedly, because most people don’t desire to suffer, and that’s what they think it means. It doesn’t!
Paul wants to know experientially the Power of Christ’s Resurrection. He is not thinking only of the Divine Power that raised Christ from the dead, but of the Power of the Resurrected Christ now operating in the Believer’s life. This Power enables Believers to "live a new life" (Rom. 6:4) because we have been "raised with Christ" (Eph. 2:5-6; Col. 3:1).
So far so good! However, this next phrase makes most Believers want to jump ship. As stated, they think the Apostle is talking about suffering and suffering greatly on behalf of Christ, etc. That’s not what he is saying!
We’ll deal with it at length, but Paul is merely saying that we receive the benefits of all the things His suffering provided. If we don’t receive these benefits, whatever they might be, in effect, His suffering is in vain.
As well, "being made conformable unto His Death," refers to our complete identification with Him as it regards His Crucifixion and Resurrection, and what these things accomplished. This is the process of Sanctification and is intended to bring the Believer’s present state into ever-increasing conformity to Christ (Rom. 8:29; II Cor. 3:18; Phil. 3:21).
Therefore, those who died with Him and rose with Him (Col. 2:20; 3:1-3) must exhibit this Truth by a separation from their old life and a continual walking in the Power supplied by Christ’s Resurrection Life. That’s what it means!
We are to conform ourselves, to what His Death did on our behalf, and draw the benefits from that Death.
What a power this Scripture holds, when we understand what Paul is saying.
TO KNOW HIM
The phrase, "That I may know Him," refers to Paul knowing and understanding, that all things which pertain to life and Godliness, all things which pertain to happiness and fulfillment, all things which really count, which really matter, all the true blessings of Life, everything that one might think, is all found in Christ, and Christ Alone.
It may seem somewhat strange that Paul would utter this statement, especially considering that he wrote almost half the New Testament, and was given the great New Covenant, which in effect, made him the Moses of the New Testament. If any man knew Christ, one would certainly think that Paul knew Him.
In fact, He did, and perhaps as few men have ever known Him. The idea is this:
Irrespective as to how much Paul might already know Christ, he at the same time knows and understands that Christ cannot be exhausted. In other words, we have only scratched the surface.
A trillion years from today, and I exaggerate not, we will still be learning about Christ, finding out things about Him that we did not know which greatly enriches us to the better, in fact, which will continue forever. I’ll say it again, Christ is utterly and absolutely inexhaustible.
As well, the Apostle knew and understood that the constant learning of Christ, was, in effect, the learning of more abundant life. This is what Jesus was speaking of when He said, "Come unto Me all ye who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me" (Mat. 11:28-30).
(continued from page 1)
RELATIONSHIP WITH CHRIST
All of this of which we speak, in fact, is relationship with Christ – in fact, a relationship which should never stop growing.
The secret is this: The world makes its bid for the Christian. It holds up its enticements and to be sure, they do have a certain allurement about them. Those allurements have trapped many Christians, actually causing many to be lost. So what is the answer to this problem?
The Church has attempted to counter this by making up rules and regulations as to what Believers can do and cannot do. That’s the road to disaster! It holds no answers whatsoever, and in fact, if that course is maintained, it will bring about the very opposite result, which means entrapment by the world. Laws will never do this, and that’s what rules and regulations are – laws.
The answer is relationship with Christ. The closer one gets to Christ, the less allurement the world has.
It’s somewhat like an old dog that’s holding onto a bone. If that’s all he has, he’ll fight you for that bone even though there’s not a scrap of meat on it. However, you can throw a T-bone steak before him, and he will more than likely let go of the bone in favor of the steak.
It’s the same with the Christian. Once we see Christ, we learn Christ, we understand Christ, and as He begins to fill our lives as only He can do, the world simply loses its attraction. That’s the answer, and in fact the only answer to worldliness.
HOW DOES ONE HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH CHRIST?
Of course, the moment the person comes to Christ, a relationship is then established; however, that relationship must grow, that is if it is to be proper. The sadness is, it does not grow in the hearts and lives of many Christians.
First of all, the Christian has to have a prayer life and as well, must have an habitual study of the Word. These two (prayer and the Word) go hand in hand.
How can anyone have a relationship with someone, if they don’t talk to that person! It’s not that we earn something by prayer, not at all! It’s that we talk to the Lord, thereby establishing relationship with Him, which will grow as time goes on.
To be frank, Paul used the illustration of a husband and wife as it regards relationship. The marriage bonds and the relationship between a husband and wife are supposed to epitomize the Lord and His Church. To be sure, a husband and wife cannot have any type of relationship if they do not talk to each other. It’s the same with Believers and the Lord. Why not?
We are Christians! We serve the Lord! Jesus Christ is our heart and life, so why would we not want to talk to Him? (Eph. 5:22-33).
To have a relationship with Christ, one must work at this, as should be obvious. The desire for that relationship must first of all be paramount in one’s heart and life. And then we must take the necessary steps to ensure such a relationship, and even that it will grow. As stated, this comes about by prayer and the study of the Word.
I’ll use another analogy: One has to work at this for it to grow, but he has to simply do nothing for it to languish and diminish. It is somewhat like one being in a river. If one does nothing, he will simply float downstream. To go upstream, he must work at that effort, as would be obvious.
To grow closer to the Lord, we have to specifically make that effort. To lose contact with Him, we simply have to do nothing, and that’s why it’s so easy to become lukewarm. Paul also addressed this by saying, "And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep" (Rom. 13:11). He was speaking of spiritual apathy, which is just as much a problem now as then.
"Sleep" speaks of inactivity, which means that the person sort of drifts with the tide. As stated, to draw closer to the Lord, which means to increase the relationship with Christ, takes some effort on our part, but effort which will be rewarded greatly. To lose what little relationship we do have, we simply have to do nothing, i.e., "sleep."
(continued from page 1)
RELATIONSHIP WITH CHRIST
All of this of which we speak, in fact, is relationship with Christ – in fact, a relationship which should never stop growing.
The secret is this: The world makes its bid for the Christian. It holds up its enticements and to be sure, they do have a certain allurement about them. Those allurements have trapped many Christians, actually causing many to be lost. So what is the answer to this problem?
The Church has attempted to counter this by making up rules and regulations as to what Believers can do and cannot do. That’s the road to disaster! It holds no answers whatsoever, and in fact, if that course is maintained, it will bring about the very opposite result, which means entrapment by the world. Laws will never do this, and that’s what rules and regulations are – laws.
The answer is relationship with Christ. The closer one gets to Christ, the less allurement the world has.
It’s somewhat like an old dog that’s holding onto a bone. If that’s all he has, he’ll fight you for that bone even though there’s not a scrap of meat on it. However, you can throw a T-bone steak before him, and he will more than likely let go of the bone in favor of the steak.
It’s the same with the Christian. Once we see Christ, we learn Christ, we understand Christ, and as He begins to fill our lives as only He can do, the world simply loses its attraction. That’s the answer, and in fact the only answer to worldliness.
HOW DOES ONE HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH CHRIST?
Of course, the moment the person comes to Christ, a relationship is then established; however, that relationship must grow, that is if it is to be proper. The sadness is, it does not grow in the hearts and lives of many Christians.
First of all, the Christian has to have a prayer life and as well, must have an habitual study of the Word. These two (prayer and the Word) go hand in hand.
How can anyone have a relationship with someone, if they don’t talk to that person! It’s not that we earn something by prayer, not at all! It’s that we talk to the Lord, thereby establishing relationship with Him, which will grow as time goes on.
To be frank, Paul used the illustration of a husband and wife as it regards relationship. The marriage bonds and the relationship between a husband and wife are supposed to epitomize the Lord and His Church. To be sure, a husband and wife cannot have any type of relationship if they do not talk to each other. It’s the same with Believers and the Lord. Why not?
We are Christians! We serve the Lord! Jesus Christ is our heart and life, so why would we not want to talk to Him? (Eph. 5:22-33).
To have a relationship with Christ, one must work at this, as should be obvious. The desire for that relationship must first of all be paramount in one’s heart and life. And then we must take the necessary steps to ensure such a relationship, and even that it will grow. As stated, this comes about by prayer and the study of the Word.
I’ll use another analogy: One has to work at this for it to grow, but he has to simply do nothing for it to languish and diminish. It is somewhat like one being in a river. If one does nothing, he will simply float downstream. To go upstream, he must work at that effort, as would be obvious.
To grow closer to the Lord, we have to specifically make that effort. To lose contact with Him, we simply have to do nothing, and that’s why it’s so easy to become lukewarm. Paul also addressed this by saying, "And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep" (Rom. 13:11). He was speaking of spiritual apathy, which is just as much a problem now as then.
"Sleep" speaks of inactivity, which means that the person sort of drifts with the tide. As stated, to draw closer to the Lord, which means to increase the relationship with Christ, takes some effort on our part, but effort which will be rewarded greatly. To lose what little relationship we do have, we simply have to do nothing, i.e., "sleep."
(continued from page 1)
RELATIONSHIP WITH CHRIST
All of this of which we speak, in fact, is relationship with Christ – in fact, a relationship which should never stop growing.
The secret is this: The world makes its bid for the Christian. It holds up its enticements and to be sure, they do have a certain allurement about them. Those allurements have trapped many Christians, actually causing many to be lost. So what is the answer to this problem?
The Church has attempted to counter this by making up rules and regulations as to what Believers can do and cannot do. That’s the road to disaster! It holds no answers whatsoever, and in fact, if that course is maintained, it will bring about the very opposite result, which means entrapment by the world. Laws will never do this, and that’s what rules and regulations are – laws.
The answer is relationship with Christ. The closer one gets to Christ, the less allurement the world has.
It’s somewhat like an old dog that’s holding onto a bone. If that’s all he has, he’ll fight you for that bone even though there’s not a scrap of meat on it. However, you can throw a T-bone steak before him, and he will more than likely let go of the bone in favor of the steak.
It’s the same with the Christian. Once we see Christ, we learn Christ, we understand Christ, and as He begins to fill our lives as only He can do, the world simply loses its attraction. That’s the answer, and in fact the only answer to worldliness.
HOW DOES ONE HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH CHRIST?
Of course, the moment the person comes to Christ, a relationship is then established; however, that relationship must grow, that is if it is to be proper. The sadness is, it does not grow in the hearts and lives of many Christians.
First of all, the Christian has to have a prayer life and as well, must have an habitual study of the Word. These two (prayer and the Word) go hand in hand.
How can anyone have a relationship with someone, if they don’t talk to that person! It’s not that we earn something by prayer, not at all! It’s that we talk to the Lord, thereby establishing relationship with Him, which will grow as time goes on.
To be frank, Paul used the illustration of a husband and wife as it regards relationship. The marriage bonds and the relationship between a husband and wife are supposed to epitomize the Lord and His Church. To be sure, a husband and wife cannot have any type of relationship if they do not talk to each other. It’s the same with Believers and the Lord. Why not?
We are Christians! We serve the Lord! Jesus Christ is our heart and life, so why would we not want to talk to Him? (Eph. 5:22-33).
To have a relationship with Christ, one must work at this, as should be obvious. The desire for that relationship must first of all be paramount in one’s heart and life. And then we must take the necessary steps to ensure such a relationship, and even that it will grow. As stated, this comes about by prayer and the study of the Word.
I’ll use another analogy: One has to work at this for it to grow, but he has to simply do nothing for it to languish and diminish. It is somewhat like one being in a river. If one does nothing, he will simply float downstream. To go upstream, he must work at that effort, as would be obvious.
To grow closer to the Lord, we have to specifically make that effort. To lose contact with Him, we simply have to do nothing, and that’s why it’s so easy to become lukewarm. Paul also addressed this by saying, "And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep" (Rom. 13:11). He was speaking of spiritual apathy, which is just as much a problem now as then.
"Sleep" speaks of inactivity, which means that the person sort of drifts with the tide. As stated, to draw closer to the Lord, which means to increase the relationship with Christ, takes some effort on our part, but effort which will be rewarded greatly. To lose what little relationship we do have, we simply have to do nothing, i.e., "sleep."
continued from page 2)
THE KNOWLEDGE OF CHRIST
The words "to know" are again, "to know by experience." The tense causes us to translate, "to come to know by experience." Paul wants to come to know the Lord Jesus in that fullness of experimental knowledge which is only wrought by being like Him.
The knowledge of which Paul speaks, is not something which relies on past experience, but that which he desires to grow constantly. As well, the knowledge of which he speaks is not of mere information, though that is included; it refers primarily to a deeper insight, a greater participation in the mind and purpose of the Master.
It is what one might call Paul’s "Christ-mysticism." It recalls the great Verse of Galatians 2:20 – "I am crucified with Christ."
Paul desired nothing less than that Christ might think through his mind, speak through his lips, completely dominate his mode of living, his intellectual life, his volition.
All of this of which Paul speaks, is not merely an acquaintance with facts, nor an intellectual conviction of their reality, but an appropriation of this knowledge of Christ (so to speak) as an influencing power into the very being of him who knows them.
In order to fully know Him, we must be found in Christ. We must have that Righteousness which is through the Faith of Christ, for we can know Him only by being made like unto Him – this we must remember, for it is very important.
John said, "When He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is" (I Jn. 3:2).
Now, all who see Him by Faith, which is the only way it can be done, are in a measure being transformed into the same Image. For the knowledge spoken of here is a personal knowledge, gained, not by hearing or reading, but by direct personal communion with the Lord; in other words, it is not theoretical, but experimental.
THE OPEN DOOR
All that Paul has found in Christ, has not at all exhausted that knowledge, but rather only opened the door of progress, and brought near the most stirring possibilities. For, indeed, to be found in Christ having that Righteousness, meant that God in Christ was His, and had begun to communicate Himself in Eternal Life. Now this must still reveal itself in further and fuller knowledge of Christ.
According to the Apostle’s conception, that which Christ means to be to us, that which we may attain to be by Christ, opens progressively to the soul, showing us that we have walked through a door into a treasure house which actually has no end. In fact, one could explain this as an eternal quest, with each glorious room in this treasure house only making one desire further exploration.
We must not forget, what has more than once been said, that this earthly life of ours in Christ is only the beginning. In fact, one might say that this is where the discipline begins, goes on, with us understanding, that if it is this glorious now, what will it be a thousand years from today?
Capacity for such a life is not something superhuman; it is actually common to man, or at least it should be, because man is made in the Image of God. The problem is, due to the Fall, man seeks this life in all the wrong places, in fact, in places where there is no life. As someone has said, "The soul of man is so large, that only God can fill it up." Let’s say it another way:
The two Books of the Bible, "Ecclesiastes" and the "Song of Solomon," epitomize this of which we speak.
In Ecclesiastes, which is the description of man trying to find what his soul longs for outside of God, we find that all is emptiness. In the Song of Solomon which is the very opposite, all is fullness. Christ and the world are contrasted.
In the one Book the heart is too large for the portion; in the other, the portion is too large for the heart.
The world and all that it has, can never fill the heart of man, but by contrast, Christ is so large, that He can not only fill the heart, but He can keep it overflowing forever and forever.



(continued from page 3)
THE POWER OF HIS RESURRECTION
The phrase, "And the power of His Resurrection," refers to experiencing the same power which raised Christ from the dead. This power, is to be used to overcome sin in the life, and to produce Christian graces.
The Greek word for "power" used here is the same one that is used in Romans 1:16, and means "that which overcomes resistance."
This is what Paul was speaking of when he said, "But if the Spirit of Him (God the Father) that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwelleth in you" (Rom. 8:11).
Paul is talking about the Holy Spirit Who dwells in the Child of God, and stands ready and willing to use the same power to help the Christian overcome sin, as He did in raising Christ from the dead. Consequently, what we’re speaking of here, is something awesome to say the least!
Therefore, the Reader is to understand that Paul is not speaking here of the coming Resurrection of all Saints. He is speaking of living an overcoming, victorious Christian life, which the Holy Spirit stands ready to help the Believer do, but which He does according to our Faith in the Cross and the Resurrection of Christ.
Understanding that we as Christians have this power at our disposal, the Power of the Holy Spirit which raised Jesus from the dead, then there is really no excuse for failure on our part. However, the problem is, most Christians don’t know how the Holy Spirit works. They think, that is if they think about it at all, that He just works automatically. None of that is correct, thereby leaving the Believer oftentimes without any power whatsoever.
I’ll say it again. The Power of the Holy Spirit is available to every Child of God, but it is not an automatic thing as most believe. The display of His Power on our behalf, is tied to Faith; however, it must be Faith that’s anchored in the Cross on our part. This is where the victory was won, where Satan was defeated, and actually which made it possible for the Holy Spirit to take up abode within our hearts and lives (Jn. 14:12-21).
THE FELLOWSHIP OF HIS SUFFERINGS
The phrase, "And the fellowship of His sufferings," means the exact opposite of what most Christians think it means. Most think that it refers to Christians suffering, and the more we suffer, the more Christlike we are, or something to that effect. That’s not what it means at all!
The word "fellowship" here in the Greek means "a joint participation." Now how do we have that joint participation? Once again, most would interpret this as saying we have such a participation by suffering with Christ, etc. Again, no! That’s not what Paul is saying.
The "joint participation" in the sufferings of Christ, refers to us being "Baptized into . . . His Death," and of course, refers to the Cross (Rom. 6:3).
Of course, we were not actually there when all of this happened; however, whenever the believing sinner comes to Christ, and has Faith in what Jesus did at the Cross, his Faith, at least in the Mind of God, places the sinner actually in Christ, simply because Jesus was our Representative Man. At that moment, the new convert is literally placed "in Christ." However, it doesn’t stop there:
The Believer is to remain there all the days of his life, and I speak of being "in Christ," which includes not only His Death, but as well, His Burial, Resurrection, and Exaltation (Rom. 6:3-5; Eph. 2:6).
We are a "joint participant" in this which Christ did, by having Faith in this great work. As we’ve stated repeatedly, our Faith is to remain in the Cross, and in fact, never leave the Cross.
It is not the idea of trying to put Jesus back on the Cross, or us trying to suffer in some way to be similar to the Cross, but rather that every benefit we have from Christ, has come about due to what He did at the Cross. In fact, and as should be obvious, Jesus is no longer on the Cross, no longer in the Tomb, but rather is seated presently by the Right Hand of the Father in Heaven. In fact, due to being "in Christ," which means to be a joint participant in all that He did, we are able to have all the things for which He suffered. This is what Paul is saying. He’s not trying to get Christians to suffer.
It’s a terrible thing for Jesus to pay the price that He paid, to suffer as He suffered, all on our behalf, all to purchase for us Redemption, plus a host of other things, and then us still not have these things. How would you feel if you paid a terrible price for something, which actually came out of your own blood, doing it all for a group of people, and then them not availing themselves of this great thing? That would be a terrible thing! And yet, that’s where most of the Church presently is.
Most probably know what Jesus has done, but they don’t know how to obtain it, or else they think they know when in reality they don’t, which is worse still!
(continued from page 4)
CONFORMABLE UNTO HIS DEATH
The phrase, "Being made conformable unto His Death," actually means in the Greek, "to bring to the same form with some other person." It actually means to conform to what Jesus did at the Cross and the Resurrection, which at the same time means not to try to do these things ourselves, which are impossible anyway.
We are to conform to why He died, for whom He died, and for what He died. We are to accept the fact, that we could not save ourselves, and at the same time we cannot make ourselves holy and righteous. Neither can we contribute anything toward this which is so very, very important. So, we are to stop trying and rather conform to what He has already done, thereby reaping its glorious and wonderful benefits.
Once again, this goes back to Paul, and everyone else as well, literally being Baptized into the death of Christ, in effect, "crucified with Christ" (Gal. 2:20; Rom. 6:3).
VICTORY IN CHRIST
The Church readily understands the believing sinner conforming to the death of Christ in order to be saved. This is preached widely and rightly so, that the sinner must believe that Jesus died on the Cross, and died for him, or words to that effect. In fact, the sinner doesn’t have to understand much about all of this, just simply to believe. When he does so, Salvation is instant and wonderful (Jn. 3:16).
But that’s about as far as most of the Church goes. It little understands how conforming to the Death of Christ also has to do with our everyday walk before the Lord, in other words, living a victorious, overcoming Christian life. To be sure, not understanding this, brings about a host of problems.
If one is to notice, Paul is not really speaking here to the lost, but rather Believers. He is actually talking about himself, and if Paul wanted this, needed this, and sought for this, how much more should we fall in line in the same manner as well.
The problem with Christians, and I have fallen into this trap myself as I guess has every other Believer at one time or the other, we try to add to what Jesus has already done. In other words, we do not properly "conform unto His Death." We do so partially, but then we try to add our own little efforts which we think will help us to overcome sin, etc. It not only does not help us to overcome sin, but it actually makes a bad matter worse.
THE TRUE INTERPRETATION
To properly understand what His Death actually means, we must understand that everything we have received from Christ, everything we hope to be in Christ, is all wrapped up in the Crucifixion.
It is unfortunate, that many in the Charismatic community claim that while the Cross may have been necessary as it regards conversion, it plays no more part, they say, in what follows thereafter. In effect, they are going beyond the Cross, or attempting to do so, which means they’re really not going anywhere. Beyond the benefits of the Cross there is nothing, as there needs to be nothing. There is no victory in that direction, no overcoming power in that direction.
So, the Believer is to understand that all is in the Cross, and ever will be in the Cross. As we’ve said several times, in the last two Chapters of the Bible (Rev. Chpts. 21-22), which speak of the New Jerusalem and the coming Perfect Age, Jesus as the "Lamb" is mentioned seven times. The word "Lamb" is used all of these times, in order that we never forget, that our place and position in this coming New Jerusalem, was brought about and is brought about, totally and entirely, as a result of what Jesus did on the Cross, actually being offered up as the "Lamb of God" (Jn. 1:29). So, for anyone to think they can go beyond the Cross, or rather the benefits of the Cross, is simply going in a direction which leads to nowhere.
Understanding what we’ve said, the word "conform" simply means to believe what has been said, and receive its benefits.
(11) "IF BY ANY MEANS I MIGHT ATTAIN UNTO THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD."
As well, most Christians read this particular Verse wrong, thinking that Paul is speaking of the coming Resurrection which will include all the Saints, etc. He isn’t!
If one is to notice, the way this sentence is structured, presents Paul as being hopeful. To be sure, the coming Resurrection is not a merely hopeful thought, but rather something which is guaranteed (I Cor. 15:1-34). So, what is the Apostle saying?
He has in mind the spiritual resurrection of the believing sinner spoken of in Ephesians 2:4-8, a Resurrection out from a state in which one is dead in trespasses and sins, to one in which one is alive with the Divine Life of God motivating his being. Paul desires the full operation of this life to surge through his Christian experience in such a manner that the fragrance of the Life of his Lord may permeate his life. This is the goal to which he is striving and the goal to which he has not yet attained, at least in totality.
continued from page 5)
ATTAINMENT
The phrase, "If by any means I might attain," does not as stated, refer to the coming Resurrection. There is nothing that the Believer has to do to attain that, such being guaranteed to all who are in Christ. So, as stated, Paul is speaking of something else entirely.
The word "attain" means "to know, to take hold, to be found, to reach or overtake, to rest, to grasp." It can also mean, "to do or to accomplish."
There are actually six different Greek words which can be translated "attain." But there is a theological consistency in each of these New Testament Passages where the idea of attaining is found. In looking at these Passages, we discover how we cannot attain spirituality – and how we can!
THE EXPLANATION
In two of the following examples we will give, the word "attain" is not actually used; however, even though another word was chosen by the King James translators, it actually means the same thing as "attain" or "attainment."
Romans 9:30-32 gives us Paul’s explanation of why Old Testament Israel failed to attain righteousness. It was because they approached righteousness as if it were to be won by works rather than received by Faith.
In Galatians Chapter 3, the Greek word is used again, but translated something else, but it means, as stated, the same.
Paul warns the young Church that they are making this same mistake (Gal. 3:1-14, especially vs. 3). These believers have accepted Salvation by Faith, but now they want to try to go on in the Christian life as if growth were a matter of keeping the Law. Paul shows that the Law cannot help. Faith is the key after Salvation as well as for Salvation. Keep in mind, we are speaking of attaining something, in this case a Victorious Life.
In Ephesians 4:13-16, Paul examines Christian growth. We attain maturity by growing up into Christ. Our growth comes in the context of warm, loving relationships with other Believers in the Body of Christ – those who support us by caring and ministering.
In Philippians 3:11-16, the Passage of our present study, Paul looks again at the idea of spiritual attainment. He himself has turned his back on his own considerable accomplishments under Law. He has tossed them aside and considers them worthless.
His goal now is simply to be found in Christ and so to "attain to the Resurrection from the dead." As stated, this expression does not refer to the coming physical resurrection, but to Paul’s present experience concerning a power for righteous living that can be found only by Faith and only as Jesus shares His Own Resurrection Life with the Believer (Rom. 6:8, 13; Phil. 3:9).
This experience of power comes as we seek to follow Jesus and put into daily practice whatever level of understanding and maturity we may arrive at.
The picture that emerges as we connect these Passages is an exciting one. God does have a high calling for Christians. But we attain it, not by self-reliant attempts to live by the Law, but rather by humble commitment of ourselves to Jesus, asking and believing by Faith that He will give us the power to follow Him, which He does through the Holy Spirit, and according to our Faith in His Death and Resurrection.
RESURRECTION
The phrase, "Unto the Resurrection of the dead," refers to Romans 6:3-5. As we have repeatedly stated, it has nothing to do with the coming Resurrection of all Saints, but rather the practical attainment of a victorious life, which is already our position in Christ, according to what He has done for us.
As we have stated, Paul gives the actual meaning of all this in Romans Chapter 6. We are baptized into the Death of Christ, buried with Him, and raised with Him in "newness of life" (Rom. 6:4-5).
However, even as we shall see in Philippians 3:12, fully experiencing all of these wonderful things in our everyday walk, which of course the Holy Spirit intends, does not come about easily or quickly. And yet, the Reader must understand, that irrespective of the complications involved, there is simply no other way to this path of Victory. What Jesus did at the Cross provides the only way, the only manner, the only solution.
Even Paul will say, as we will read in the next Verse of our study, that he had not attained to all the benefits provided by Christ. Consequently, I suppose that one would ask the question as to why it is this difficult, if in fact it is difficult? The next Verse I think will shed some light on this subject.
(12) "NOT AS THOUGH I HAD ALREADY ATTAINED, EITHER WERE ALREADY PERFECT: BUT I FOLLOW AFTER, IF THAT I MAY APPREHEND THAT FOR WHICH ALSO I AM APPREHENDED OF CHRIST JESUS."
Paul is explaining here how his present life is a pursuit ever after Jesus. And in this he does not want to be misunderstood. He is not claiming that his maturity in Christ has already brought him to his final goal. In fact, he states here that he has not already received all he longs for nor has he been brought to that perfect completeness to which he has aspired.
In this Verse of Scripture, hopefully, we will learn several things.
(Taken from Jimmy Swaggart Bible Commentary, Volume 17 [Philippians] Chapter 3.)