UNDERSTANDING
THE GOSPEL
Jesus (Jeshua) and the Good
News Message
It
seems that in the course of living
a "religious" life, we tend to
lose sight of some of the most
basic essentials of Christianity.
The essentials contain within
them foundational truths and
indispensable revelations. Among
these essential truths is the
fact that the Christian faith
is built upon the gifts bestowed
by one man, this one man who
is the only begotten son of God..
Who
is this man and what makes him special? Did
he come to teach about love? Did he come to
model a moral lifestyle? Did he come to found
a religion replete with ritualistic protocols?
Who do men say that I am?, Jesus asked
his disciples. If we do not get the correct
answer to that question, you can not avail
yourself of the 'gift of God' which he brings.
There
is a simple African hymn-tune that states:
God
loved the world and sent a savior,That we might live
with Him forever, If you believe, if you receive,
You can be born again.
Jesus was born a man, he was a man, but he was more
than a man. He was son of man and son of God. His
name given by angels, in Hebrew is Yeshua (Jeshua
or Jesus.) The name means Jehovah is Salvation.
It was only after his ministry, death and resurrection
that he became known as the Christ. Christ was not
his last name. Christ (Greek Kristos - Anointed
One is the equivalent title for the Hebrew Meshiach
or Messiah) the Son of God.
Christ is not as universalists and new-agers claim,
an office, or an attribute of an exalted human
achievement of enlightenment.
Jesus
name in Hebrew, Yeshua , means 'Jehovah is
Salvation'. Angels
were sent to announce the miraculous birth
both to Mary and to Joseph, in the gospel accounts.
The angel told them what his name was to
be, You shall call His name Yeshua for
he shall save his people - - (Matthew 1:21;
Luke 1:31).
Prophecy
foretold the Messiah's birth in detail. Prophecy
is the testimony or witness of Jesus Christ.
(Revelation 19:10.) It began in the earliest
verses of the Book of Genesis and continues
through the books of the law, the psalms, and
the prophetic books of the first covenant,
(old testament.) There is an unbroken line
of scriptural promises and scriptural fulfillment
attesting to the birth of Jesus. In addition
Jesus Christ was portrayed metaphorically as
a spiritual type throughout all of the Old
Testament. In a sense the whole Bible is a
composite picture which, when constructed shows
the fullness of God in one Man, the Son of
God, Jesus Christ.
Prophetic
words spoken and recorded hundred of years
in advance, describe the time of birth, place
of birth, manner of birth, the life, and death
of Jesus Christ in perfect detail.
His
birth was to be at a certain place, at a certain
time, under certain circumstances. At the birth
of Jesus, God affirmed that Word of
prophecy with precision. precisely and in perfect
timing. Jesus' life continued on its prophetic
course, as sure as hands on fine clock, from
the time of Jesus matured and was presented
to the public, to his being received as the
messiah (by some) rejected, tried, and crucified.
All of these events followed a precise time-line
corresponding to the sure words of prophecy.
Since most of the prophecies found in the Old
Testament point to the certainty of the birth of the
Messiah, God's
prophets were afforded no misses in their predictions.
A prophet who missed only 10% of the time was
declared a false prophet and subject to death
by stoning.
There
are many interesting books and commentaries
which biblical scholars have written which
detail the hundred of specific prophetic scriptures
and their fulfillment pertinent to the life
of Jesus. These studies are available for any
who wish to pursue them. Details of prophecy goes beyond the scope of this writing
but the point is to note that Messiah was foretold
by God.
Jesus
and Salvation Derives From Jewish Heritage
The
Jews were the ONLY people that God chose and
fashioned to bring forth the Messiah.
("Salvation is of the Jews.") God chose
a man, (Abraham) made a covenant with him with
the singular purpose of having a people for
His own special treasure. These
generations from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob,
persevered through generations of trials,
unfaithfulness,
captivity and deliverance to become a people to
prepare God's man, His seed. Through
the line of David he was to be Savior and soon King.
It
was God's Wisdom and design to construct a
Way, in such an improbable manner to
be reckoned implausible in man's
reasoning. Thus He could prove the
superiority
of His own wisdom. When God chose and man (Abraham,)
he chose one "as good as dead",
whose wife (Sarah) was
far past the age of child-bearing and nurturing.
Similarly,
when God chose a king for Israel, He chose
David a shepherd boy. When God chose a woman
to bear the Messiah He chose a virgin of low
estate. When Jesus chose his disciples
he chose unlearned fishermen or workmen. When
He chose how to establish a kingdom he chose
a king who would forego an earthly crown and
die the death of sinful man upon a cross.
God
chooses the way of faith to recognize and believe and to follow Christ.
Faith
is essentially a way of being persuaded by
believing an inward witness of God's word,
rather than by observation and reasoning. God
chose to make reason and human smartness a
pitfall to believing His word and His promises.
Jesus?
The Messiah.
The
Anointed One, The prophesied Son of David.
This Messiah, is prophesied to return to sit upon the throne
of an earthly kingdom. But that time is still
to come. At the end
of this age Bible believing Christians look
for Jesus to return physically to put an end to all opposition
and rebellion against God's purposes. This
end time event is described prophetically as
The Day of Vengeance (Day of Wrath)
or the Day of the Lord. The Day of the
Lord is described throughout prophetic scripture.
It is then will unleash devastation and judgment
against all unbelief, unrighteousness, and rebellion will
be addressed and overcome by God himself. It
will not be accomplished through negotiation
or compromise; it will not be accomplished
with reasoning, negotiation, nor with political
bargaining, nor with treaty making. Rather,
God will exercise supernatural power, all of
the forces of heaven and earth against all
the nations and peoples who stand in rebellion
against the Kingdom of Jesus Christ.
The
Messiah of the Gospels will return in majestic
glory revealed in the skies. He will not be
that charismatic politician winning over the
peoples of the earth. He will rule with the
force and authority of the name of God Almighty.
And one more very important attribute, lest
you should be deceived; He is the one who
carries the imprint of the nails in His hands!
(Zechariah 13.6.)
Who
is Jesus? The Son of God.
Jesus
was conceived by the Spirit of God. This makes
him the only begotten son of God. He
is the seed of the woman who is mentioned in
Genesis 3:15. It is important to understand
that the father's blood line of Jesus'
parental inheritance is that of God himself
who was and is sinless and undefiled. Yet within
the human seed is the nature of humanity, weaknesses,
want and human emotion.
The
life that Jesus lived
was a life lived within
the limits of the human condition. Yet scripture
states that He knew no sin, and though
he was tempted in all areas just as we are.
He remained undefiled and separate from the
sin nature which is peculiar among all of the
natural born human race. (Hebrews 4:15, 7:26)
He
was a man, but certainly unlike humanity in
a special way. The human race according to
the bible, has an Adamic hereditary
line or genealogy, descended from the line
of Adam. Since Adam the human race is under
a curse. The fall and the curse is portrayed
in the first chapters of Genesis. At the moment,
you may not believe in Adam or in any kind
of curse, but for the time being, set that
argument aside. God can work that issue out
with you at a later time. It is necessary to
believe that the Bible is not a fable or fiction.
To argue against the Bible is to lose the blessing
of believing in it, both in small questions
and in larger questions.
Jesus
submitted his will to God the Father
The
Jesus of the Gospels demonstrated meekness,
submission and servant-hood. He did not
present himself in the form of God but as the
"Son of Man!" Neither did
Jeshua present himself as a worldly leader,
nor a member of the religious establishment.
Yet he came to his people, God's people, Israel
as an old testament prophet an adherent to
the Law of Moses.
Jesus
did not demonstrate God-like powers at will
in his infancy until he was baptized by John,
though some apocryphal stories speak of this.
Scripture indicates he did no miracles until
his baptism in the Jordan river by the prophet
who "made the way" for Jesus' ministry,
John the Baptist. After his baptism at the
age of 30 the Spirit of God came upon him and
filled him with the necessary endowment of
miracle-working power. Even with supernatural
spiritual endowments there were times when
Jesus himself was not able to heal or do mighty
works, this was owing to the faith (belief)
or unbelief of those he ministered to.
While
Jesus did not flaunt God-hood
it would be an
error to say that he did not know of his DIVINE
nature or of his divine calling. He spoke of
being about his Father's business even as a
child. Jesus was filled with grace and wisdom,
both of which bespeak spiritual enablement
given by God. Jesus was the Logos (the
Word, the whole counsel of God) made flesh.
A
movie which came out several years ago, The
Last Temptation of Christ, portrayed Jesus
as entirely human, flawed with the worst of
human weaknesses, dark passions, indecision
and unbelief. It depicted a Jesus with no divine
or supernatural heritage, whose only vision
was of some kind of vague personal sacrifice.
Though this is clever or interesting fiction
it portrays no understanding of the truth.
It does not dignify the person of Jesus Christ
as one possessing transcendent divinity or
as having any potential for impacting humanity
with eternal consequences.
Jesus
Christ, The Word Made Flesh
The
Son of God, is called the Word made Flesh, was
born in human form but he also had pre-existence
with God. This can not, however,
be said of the rest of the human race though
there are millions in religions who believe
in the doctrine of previous lives.
Jesus spoke of His own glory which he had with
the Father before the world was in his prayer
recorded in John, chapter seventeen. From this
it can be stated with certainty that Jesus
of Nazareth, the Son of God, was also God.
This becomes one awesome mysteries of the nature
and person of God. I find it beyond my ability
to comprehend but I expect that it will be
revealed to my understanding at another time.
Because
Christ was pre-existent some may conclude that
we all pre-existed.
The question is appealing
in some ways, curious and interesting at least.
It is argued as a reality by those who have
received spurious, demonically inspired
revelation. But let it be said by a person
who once thoroughly believed in reincarnation,
that I have set that belief aside in favor
of the Bible's teaching. "It is appointed
unto man to die once, and after that the judgment." (Hebrews
9:27).
Reincarnation
or Resurrection?
The
doctrine of resurrection which is taught in
the Bible excludes the possibility of reincarnation.
One life is promised, one body and eternal
judgment for that one life at some time in
eternity. The resurrection of Jesus' own physical
body from the dead, will be replicated for
every living human soul, both the good and
the bad, righteous and unrighteous. Jesus was
called, the first fruits of they that sleep
1Corinthians 15:20.)
The
doctrine of the resurrection is given much
attention in the New Testament especially in
the epistles.
Nevertheless, it is unreasonable
to the rational mind, to assert that a body
which is dead or has even returned to dust
can be brought forth alive (bodily) out of the dust.
But that is in fact the teaching of scripture
from the prophet Daniel to Jesus, and restated
by the apostle Paul in particular.
The
glorified man Jesus, will be presented one
day as he was already
presented to the disciples in Gospel accounts,
alive õ in the flesh, bearing the same
nail scars and the same spear wound in the
side. As he left in a physical body ascended
into glory, he will also return in a physical
body. As he departed from the Mount of Olives
he will also return in glory to that same spot
to begin his reign.
No
Resurrection, No Gospel!
The
doctrine of the resurrection is the
validation and
the cornerstone of the Gospel.
Jesus had to
rise again, having defeated death, alive
with the keys to hell and the grave. The
gospel which the apostle Paul presented stated
this, If Jesus Christ is not risen from
the grave, then all of our preaching, is for
nothing and our faith is for nothing; furthermore
our futures would hold only misery. (1
Corinthians 15:17-19 paraphrased)
We
could not have a supernatural Gospel
without a supernatural Christ. We could not
receive supernatural spiritual gifts from
believing in a Gospel presented by a mere man,
even if he was a great man! If the
gospel we followed was a gospel without a
resurrection, the best we could do would
be to try to live an honest and moral life
using the limited powers of our own will and
abilities. We could not have received total acceptance
by God without Jesus Christ's sacrifice.
He was and is the Lamb of God.
Who
is Jesus Christ? The Lamb of God
A
sacrifice is made, The price is paid.
I
believe that if Christian traditionalism has
shorted us on any one thing, it is the knowledge
and understanding of Jesus Christ's sacrifice
as the Lamb of God and the legacy of
Spiritual blessing that His sacrifice brings.
These blessings have the power to impact the
life and circumstances of every soul on earth.
The sacrificial death of Jesus, God's only
begotten, is the reason that Jesus came. It
is the cornerstone of the Good News, the Gospel
of Jesus Christ.
This message of God's free love gift, the good
news, is not just an option to consider. The
Lamb's gospel is established in the very heavens
and every person on the earth will be held
to account for it. For, the earth is the
Lord's and everything that is in it. (Exodus
9:29 Psalm 24:1)
The
sacrifice of the lamb of God is a better sacrifice
than the Covenant of Mosaic law, where bulls
and goats were killed and the blood of those
offerings was applied to cover the sin
of the nation. These offerings could not extricate
the innate sin nature of people themselves,
but were only a temporary fix, a covering over
for the sin of the people. The Book of Hebrews
goes into detail about the new covenant
and the nature of the sacrifice which Jesus
made on our behalf. It compares the Mosaic
and New covenant and how the provisions of
the new is a better covenant than the original.
The
lamb of God was pre-figured in the sacrifice
made by Abraham of his own son, Isaac, the
son of God's promise. Abraham took Isaac to
the mountain and as he prepared to put him
to the knife, said to his son, God himself
will provide the lamb. (Genesis 22:8).
The lamb of God was also described prophetically
with great clarity in the Book of Isaiah, chapters
52 and 53. He was led as a lamb to the slaughter
and as a sheep before the shearer is silent,
he did not open his mouth. (Isaiah 53:3-9).
The
description of the purification of the priests
who brought offerings into the Holy of Holies
is a depiction of Jesus Himself. It was His
blood that would purify and sanctify the mercy
seat that was sprinkled seven times upon heaven's
altar.
Jesus'
Undefiled Blood: Shed for Us
--
Was shed, when He sweat drops blood in the
Garden of Gethsemane. Gripped with the terrible
thought of separation from his Father, who
would turn from him, abandoning him to death;
Gripped with the horrible prospect of being
made a "Curse" and separated from
God by the sins of the world.
-
-Was shed, when the servant of the high priest
smote him upon the face.
-
- Was shed, when the Roman soldiers ridiculed
him, mocked him, stripped him, buffeted him
and torn out His beard.
-
- Was shed, When he was flogged with the flagellum,
the deadly scourging with the whip. This flagellum
with the nine strands and each tipped with
a metal or glass object which cut and wounded.
Forty strokes were a death sentence, Jesus
received 39.
-
- Was shed, when the crown of thorns was plaited
upon Jesus' head.
-
- Was shed, when Jesus hands and feet were
penetrated by the spikes which would hold him
suspended above the earth upon a Roman cross
(the curse of hanging on a tree.)
-
- Was shed, when the Roman officer pierced
his side with a spear and blood and water flowed
out upon the ground.
Blood
Purchased the Provisions of the Gospel
Discussing
the blood of the lamb may strike you as something
primitive, strange or disgusting but
it is the fact that it is the living
blood which makes a sacrifice spiritually
effectual. From the writings of Moses we learn
that the Life is in the blood. Blood
is the life of the soul and holds potential
for both blessing and for defilement. Innocent
blood is said to cry out from the earth.
The blood of victims of abortion and violence
cry out continuously with a certain voice from
the earth.
Jesus'
blood was blood untainted by sin or the curse
or death. It is 100 per cent imbued with the
power of life. This blood had within it perfect
eternal life; it still has, in the present,
perfect eternal life. That blood that sprinkled
the earth from the Mount of Olives, to Pilate's
hall of judgment, to the via Dolorosa, to the
hill called Golgotha, is still nurturing the
whole earth. As Jesus was dying the death of
crucifixion upon a cross, he declared the sentence
which his blood would continue to enforce,
Father forgive them, they do not know what
they do. Jesus blood purchased the price
for our sins, sins past, sins present, and
sins future.
Father
forgive them, Among the last words spoken
by Jesus upon the cross is the legacy which
any person whose soul is in want can appropriate
as his or her own personal blessing and legacy,
eternal life.
Who
is Jesus? (Aside from being the Son of God)
A Really Nice Guy, A Man who knew Love and Serving
It
is written in the law of Moses that we should
make no graven image. Among all of the ten
commandments this one may not lend itself readily
to application although the first references
seem to figure in the question of idolatry
both natural and figuratively. I think, however,
it has more application to our present knowledge
or lack of knowledge about God. One of the
characteristics of human nature is to draw
inferences, to establish values and to form
conclusions based upon things we see with the
natural eye.
Throughout
the nearly two thousand years of Christian
tradition we become the victims of iconography,
Icons which in some manner or another depict
God or the Son of God. Any of us who have ever
been to a major museum have seen depictions
of Jesus Christ created during different historical
eras. The characteristics of portrayal is to
make a presumptuous statements about the personality,
the humanity or the divinity of the subject
that is being portrayed. Iconography has colored
our interpretation of who Jesus is. Some of
these images are very static with a very narrow
portrayal. A sense of Jesus Christ's humanity
was not apparent for centuries. When he was
depicted by the first Christian artists there
was not a trace of life or humanity. For the
period from the 4th century until the 14th,
he was no more than an stylized icon, lacking
any features which would make him like us.
Later, after the fifteenth century, he was
portrayed as very human in works by Rembrandt,
or Caravaggio, Rubens, and others. The point
that I am making is in respect to images that
form a narrowness and misunderstanding of who
Jesus was. Religious traditions sometimes portray
Jesus in such a narrow light that we can not
associate him in all of his attributes, human
and divine. For example images of Christ on
the cross may take us away from the image of
a gloriously resurrected Jesus.
Thinking
of Jesus in the form and manner that he ministered
on earth; a friendly, loving and kindly person does
not interfere with his divinity nor his sovereignty.
The human quality of Jesus needs to be preserved.
I think the phrase "Jesus was a nice guy," may strike
a chord of impertinence the religious and formal.
So much of Christian life has tuned into structured
liturgy. But I say it for a reason. We need to de-iconize,
de-mystify Jesus and make Jesus accessible to people,
especially in the now of the Gospel rather
than the then of religion. Those who
minister as Christians to others need to regard the
manner of life and service that Jesus modeled. The Lord is not someone who placed himself out
of the reach of humanity.
Paul's
phrase of "Knowing Jesus no more after
the flesh" brings a Spiritual reality
of who Jesus is in the present, enthroned in
heavenly glory at the right hand of great power.
This brings into account of Jesus now enthroned
as the sovereign who continuously intervenes
as the High Priest over his Spiritual
Kingdom. The Kingdom of this world is yet to
be fulfilled with the Sovereign seated on the
throne of his earthly kingdom.
There
are other many other attributes or prophetic
descriptions of Jesus, as depicted by the
the Hebrew names of Jehovah: Nissi, Tsidkenu,
Rapha, Shama, Jireh, Sabbaoth, and numerous
others, as well as: the 'Righteous Judge',
the 'Captain of the Army of God', the 'Ancient
of Days', and many other powerful and illuminating
titles. One day, we will all fall before Christ,
the Righteous Judge. But for now Jesus is still
approachable as the gentle shepherd, full of
compassion, forgiveness, restoration and blessing
to those of us with a need. He is extending
a hand of friendship to those who need a friend.
Jesus'
friendly and compassionate personality is called
a friend to sinners, one who went out of his
way to meet and have fellowship with those
that the religious community excluded (Matthew
9:10-13.) Jesus was known to have been in the
middle of fun and frolic where there was feasting
and drinking. He said of himself, that he was
accused of being a glutton and a wine bibber,
but in spite of this Jesus, declared that wisdom
is known by her offspring. (Matthew 11:19
paraphrase).
You
can find interesting encounters of Jesus with
people in the Gospels. There are numerous accounts
of men or women who were considered 'the wrong
sort,' received mercy from the Lord's hand
of compassion and acceptance:
Zaccheus
the publican; (described in Luke 19:2-10)
The Samaritan woman at the well of Sychar;
(John 4:5-30).
The woman taken in adultery; (John 8:4-11).
Mary, a former prostitute anointed Jesus feet
at the house of Simon the leper with a costly
perfume; (Luke 7:37-47).
Jesus who came to the grave side of Lazarus
and wept; (John 11).
Jesus who consoled the man healed of blindness
after the church council expelled him; (John
9).
At a certain future day when Jesus will be
the host at a great feast and serve all of
those attending. (Luke 12:37).
The demonized man of the Gaderenes.
The
friendship factor as it pertains to the person
of Jesus is something that must not be lost.
There is a proverb that states, There is a
friend that sticks closer than a brother. (Proverbs
18:24) This is the love and friendship of Jesus
Christ.
There
are so many hurting, there are man who are
bruised, and there are man needing a friend.
The love and power of the Spirit of Christ
Jesus can supply this. It is a kind of supernatural
miracle that someone who needs and asks believing
can receive.
FEATURES of The GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM
Jesus' went forth teaching the Message of
the Gospel of the Kingdom
There are two Kingdom models which coincide
and yet are different in expression and fulfillment.
The
Kingdom of God is always connected to the "Kingdom
of the Heavens." In the expression
kingdom of the heavens, God expresses himself
spiritually, supernaturally, upon the earth
through Christ the Messiah in the two thousand
years of church age. Jeshua, Jesus is the one
approved by God to bring forth the kingdom of
righteousness upon the earth. It is done in
two stages. First the invisible kingdom (Paul's
gospel to the gentiles) and finally, (soon)
to the natural Israel, when the kingdom will
be realized. (Matthew 25) The natural kingdom
fulfillment has everything to do with Israel's
restoration and recognition of He who
was rejected in his original presentation
to his people.
Too
often, religious tradition has taken away the spiritual
nature, power and potential provided through our relationship
with Jesus Christ and replaced it with human- centered
ideas and institutional church behaviors. The foundational
Gospel is the message of God's plan for restoring
the earth and reconciling its people under His own
rulership; to gather them unto himself. (Exodus 19)
It is a prophetic plan and timetable for God's rulership.
(Matthew 4:23) "And Jesus went about all
Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, (1) teaching
and preaching the gospel of the (restored) kingdom,
(2) healing all manner of sickness and all manner
of disease among the people." and delivering those
who are oppressed by Satan in manifold ways.
The Gospel addresses the systematic restoration and
redemption of all of mankind, delivering the
people from the control of Lucifer. It was Satan,
(Lucifer) who once had been given the dominion of
worldly rulership. Jesus regained authority
over principalities and powers and made a triumph
(a victorious parade) before every spiritual
power entity, ( angels and demons) and displayed that
He, Jesus, the son of man had received kingship, all
ruling spiritual authority, in the World. "The
Son of God came to destroy the works of the Devil."(1John
3:8)
There are Two Kingdoms in Spiritual
Conflict
Jesus came Against Satan's Kingdom with
Messianic Power
"And Jesus went about all the cities and villages,
teaching in their synagogues, and preaching
the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every
sickness and every disease among the people."
(Matthew 9:35) "The blind receive their
sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed,
and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up,
and the poor have the gospel preached to them."
(Mat 11:5) "But is now made manifest by the
appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who hath
abolished death, and hath brought life and
immortality to light through the gospel:"(2
Tim 1:10) "Remember that Jesus Christ of the
seed of David was raised from the dead according
to my gospel:" ( 2 Tim 2:8)
Destroying
Bondages and Removing the Curse
The curse of Adam and the curse of the
law and was/is evident in all sickness and
evil that is manifest in the world. Satan
is reluctant to surrender control and authority
and must be driven out by the conquering king.
Those who have been born of God are given authority
in His Name.
Just how long will Satan's "lease" be allowed
to stand? There are diffeing opinions
on this. The answer is hidden in the
"mystery of iniquity". Though some do
not read the scriptures with the prophetic
terms "end times" with the same understanding,
most agree that the "end times" are here and
now. The Mount of Olive discourses that
Jesus outlined the end-time events are recorded
in Matthew 24, Luke 21 and Mark 13.
They answer the disciples questions pertaining
to the destiny of the kingdom of Israel, signs
describing the end of the age, and the second
coming of the Lord. The literal end of the
age outlines the final prophetic defeat of
the Evil One in an all-out conflict in the
end. The
day of the Lord is the prophetic reference
to that time of Judgment by God against those
who resist and repress his Gospel and live
in rebellion to Him.
Judging
the True Gospel
The Gospel of the Kingdom combines the teaching
of a Gospel of power, peace and earthly righteousness:
The Gospel is the Power of (from) God to those
who will choose to believe it. I believe, has
three important elements, all of which touch
upon or are founded upon the rulership and
authority of the "King and heir of all
things," Jesus Christ. 1. To call many
sons unto himself. The gospel to the gentiles
extends God's grace to those outside of the
covenant of Israel. This is the harmony and
fellowship of the Spirit made possible by the
gift of the Holy Spirit. 2. To empower the
sons to be Kings and priests and fellow heirs.
This gospel is a unique revelation given to
Paul as one chosen by God as an apostle to
usher in a dispensation of the age of grace
to the gentiles, called the church age. Finally
3rd, to restore the Kingdom of God on earth
after purging the evil at his second coming.
The
King Who is this King of Glory?
This one man, Jesus of Nazareth, has been
ordained to be the Head of the Kingdom of God?
It is He who has been given all authority within
the Kingdom. It is He who was appointed
by God the Father, approved by Him in the resurrection
of His body from the dead.
Redemption
-- Being freed from the Consequences
of Our Old Nature
Redemption goes much further than belief and
ideology. Fallen man had to be changed supernaturally
from the inside out. A provision had
to be made to deal with the sinful nature residing
within every person in a fallen race. God's
plan to is to make something new out of that
man, a new creation, recreated by the
Spirit of God. This new right-standing
status is not achieved by philosophy, theology
or religious disciples, rituals or beliefs
but through the power of a New Life.
The issue of righteousness outside of
the law hangs upon this "New Creation".
He who was without sin was made sin for
us, so that we could become the righteousness
of God. The teaching of the "power of the cross"
and the "exchange at the cross" are the hinge
upon which the miracle of the new birth and
righteousness articulates.
The
Hidden Gospel -- An Extension of Jesus Ministry
The
long-hidden aspect of the Gospel of the Kingdom
has to the do with the EXTENSION OF JESUS MINISTRY
on the earth by Christ acting spiritually
through every believer. We become as
Kings and Priests in the earth, with Jesus
in us and working through us with supernatural
empowerment to minister and experience the
work of God. Through the enablement of the
Holy Spirit available to each disciple for
the sole purpose of doing the works Jesus and
the apostles were enabled to do.
One aspect has been conspicuously absent in
the revelation of the gospel for hundreds of
years. It is now only marginally coming to
light. There is great resistance to this message
by the spirits of darkness. The wonderful
truth of "Christ In Us, our hope of Glory"
expresses a new life, a new character, and
new spiritual potential. It is not a
rite of becoming church members according to
the form of worldly tradition but partakers
of Jesus character and of his ministry (gr.
Diakonia).
Commissioning Disciples
The gospel of the Kingdom is expressed more
through relationship than in religious knowledge
or ritual. Jesus chose men and women
to disciple and to share the witness of His
glory. It was his original disciples
who witnessed all of the miracles and wonders
of His word and deed. Yet amazingly,
it was not enough for the disciples who witnessed
His words and His works for 3 years to share
their testimony. The Gospel required more than
that. They needed an surpernatural empowerment
from God; the same power that was in Jesus
had to energize and equip each man and woman.
The
Enabling "Anointing" of the Holy Spirit
Spiritual Ministry: Preaching, Healing,
and Deliverance
Jeshua
quoted a portion of Isaiah 61 that was to outline
the parameters of his ministry and the ministry
of those who would immediately proceed into
the church age. "The Spirit of the Lord
is upon me, because he hath anointed me to
preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent
me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance
to the captives, and recovering of sight to
the blind, to set at liberty them that are
bruised," (Luke 4:18) "Then Jesus answering
said unto them, Go your way, and tell John
what things ye have seen and heard; how that
the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are
cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised,
to the poor the gospel is preached." (Luke
7:22) "And they departed, and went through
the towns, preaching the gospel, and healing
every where." (Luke 9:6)
Darkness continues to withstand the full gospel
message from being taught. The "leaven of the
Pharisees" is still an active agent of resistance
to the Gospel of the Kingdom. It is this
religious spirit that brings a believer into
the bondage of unbelief and the traditions
of man. The Gospel says that we are transformed
into a new life of provision and authority
and supernatural ministry but tradition says
otherwise; The gospel says we are as He was
in this world, tradition says otherwise; The
gospel says we are Kings and Priests and the
anointing teaches all things, tradition says
otherwise; The gospel says he ascended and
gave gifts to man and that every man has received
these gifts in order to minister, tradition
says otherwise; The gospel says there is but
one mediator between God and man and we do
not go to man to meet God, tradition will direct
otherwise. The gospel says not by man,
not by man's own will, or by any worldly
means, tradition says otherwise.
The Gospel of the Kingdom is Manifested
Power
"For
I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for
it is the power of God unto salvation to every
one that believeth; to the Jew first, and then
to the Greek (gentiles)" (Romans 1:16)
"Through mighty signs and wonders, by the power
of the Spirit of God; so that from Jerusalem,
and round about unto Illyricum, I have fully
preached the gospel of Christ." (Romans
15:19)" The Gospel means "Good News" -
- Hope and Blessing
Why
is the Gospel called the "good news"? Through
it is found liberty, peace with God, joy and
righteousness. "And
how shall they preach, except they be sent?
as it is written, How beautiful are the feet
of them that preach the gospel of peace, and
bring glad tidings of good things!" (Romans
10:15) "And I am sure that, when
I come unto you, I shall come in the fullness
of the blessing of the gospel of Christ." (Romans
15:29) The Message of the Gospel is Hidden
to Human MindsThe natural man with all of his
intellect can not receive things which are
spiritual, for it takes faith to believe. "But
if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that
are lost:"
(2 Corinthians 4:3) "But they have not
all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord,
who hath believed our report?" (Romans 10:16)
"In whom the god of this world hath blinded
the minds of them which believe not, lest the
light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who
is the image of God, should shine unto them."(2
Corinthians 4:4) "For unto us was the gospel
preached, as well as unto them: but the word
preached did not profit them, not being mixed
with faith in them that heard it." (Hebrews
4:2) "Now to him that is of power
to establish you according to my gospel, and
the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to
the revelation of the mystery, which was kept
secret since the world began," (Romans
16:25) "For Christ sent me
not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not
with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ
should be made of none effect." (1 Corinthians
1:17)
False
Gospels, Other Gospels There are many cultic
or non Christian "gospels" being taught. Every
cult and sect has any of three things which
are wrong with it:
1. The wrong Jesus, 2. the wrong Gospel, 3.
the wrong spirit.
"For if he that cometh preaches another Jesus,
whom we have not preached, or if ye receive
another spirit, which ye have not received,
or another gospel, which ye have not accepted,
ye might well bear with him."
(2 Corinthians 11:4)
"I marvel that ye are so soon removed from
him that called you into the grace of Christ
unto another gospel:" "Which is not another;
but there be some that trouble you, and would
pervert the gospel of Christ." (Galatians 1:6,7)
"But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach
any other gospel unto you than that which we
have preached unto you, let him be accursed."
As we said before, so say I now again, If any
man preach any other gospel unto you than that
ye have received, let him be accursed." (Galatians
1:8,9) Fellowship with the Holy
Spirit"Instructs us in the Gospel"
The
Gospel of the Kingdom was communicated directly
to the Apostle Paul by revelation of the Spirit
of God, and face to face with Jesus Christ
(revealed "to one out of due time " a time
after the forty days when Jesus made in the
flesh visitation with his disciples before
ascending into heaven.) Paul was visited personally
by Jesus. The epistles indicate a time
of extraordinary revelation of His Gospel.
Now for any who will seek it, there is
the same Spirit of revelation, "the Spirit
of Wisdom and Truth". The Holy Spirit will
communicate all the things which are of Christ
and show them to us in prayer, reading of the
word and in meditation.
"But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel
which was preached of me is not after man."
(Galatians 1:11) "And I went up by revelation,
and communicated unto them that gospel which
I preach among the Gentiles, but privately
to them which were of reputation, lest by any
means I should run, or had run, in vain." (Galatians
2:2)
The
Gospel: Good News of Salvation
Salvation
is not limited strictly to promised heavenly
rewards, having been made free of the fierce
judgment of God's wrath upon sinners. Salvation
encompasses total restoration, (salvation,
healing and deliverance.) "In whom ye also
trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth,
the gospel of your salvation: in whom also
after that ye believed, ye were sealed with
that holy Spirit of promise," (Ephesians
1:13)
A Prayer of Faith,The
Prayer Which Brings Salvation If any person
believes the Gospel in their heart and declare
this aloud to witnesses, that person shall
be saved; changed and made alive in Christ!
The testimony of the believer which brings
salvation is a prayer of Faith, which is a
spoken proclamation declaring a promise from
the Word of God. It should include some of
the following understandings. "Who is Jesus?
What did he do for ME? What will He do in ME
because I believe?" These are elements of the
Gospel you should know after reading these
chapters. Grafted into the Vine of God's
ElectThe gospel of Jesus Christ extends God's
grace and provision outside of circle of the
people of God's original covenant. Beyond
the fellowship of the Elect of Israel -- outside
of the boundary of the Abrahamic line.
"That the Gentiles should be fellow heirs,
and of the same body, and partakers of his
promise in Christ by the gospel:" (Ephesians
3:6) "For the hope which is laid
up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before
in the word of the truth of the gospel;" (Colossians
1:5) Note the link above:
My brief commentary on this subject. Salvation
through a prayer of faith.
When
the Gospel is Preached in its Fullness
Through mighty signs and wonders by the
Spirit of God, from Jerusalem and round about,
I have preached fully (the gospel in its full
measure) the Gospel of Christ. (Romans
15:19) When
Fully Preached there are Signs Attesting its
Truth.
Yes,
God can and will manifest His power to bless
in order to demonstrate His power! "For our
gospel came not unto you in word only, but
also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in
much assurance; as ye know what manner of men
we were among you for your sake." (1 Thessalonians
1:5) The Gospel Age is the Season of
the Lord's Favor
The
church age has been called the age of Grace,
the year of the Lord's favor, or the acceptable
year of the Lord. (Read Isaiah Chapter 61,
the portions the Jesus quoted in
Luke Chapter 4.)
In a future time, which may be nearly upon
us, the night will come when no man can work.
The time will come for judgment and purifying
the earth. This promised, prophetic time will
see "the thorough purging of the threshing
floor with fire. (a figurative picture of Jesus
spoken by John the Baptist, (Matthew chapter
3:12 and Luke Chapter 3:17.)
The day of the free access to Christ's
forgiveness of sins is a window of opportunity
which will not be extended indefinitely and
in terms of us as individuals we do not know
what tomorrow will bring. We may have
no tomorrow, as the evangelist Billy Graham
has expressed so strongly in all of his appeals.
It
is a certainty that there is coming a time
of wrath and judgment upon those who
have not believed or received the word of Gospel.
"In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that
know not God, and that obey not the gospel
of our Lord Jesus Christ:" (2 Thessalonians
1:8) "Unto whom it was revealed,
that not unto themselves, but unto us they
did minister the things, which are now reported
unto you by them that have preached the gospel
unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from
heaven; which things the angels desire to look
into." (1 Peter 1:12) The Gospel Begins
in Simplicity The Gospel begins simply in its
scope as a simple seed of promise, but deepens
and grows as the mustard seed of the parable
into a great size; into greater and greater
revelation and spiritual wisdom of Christ.
"But the word of the Lord endures for ever.
And this is the word which by the gospel is
preached unto you." (1 Pet 1:25) "Now
to him that is of power to stablish you according
to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ
-" (Romans 16:25)
As long as any disciple lives and grows
in the knowledge of Christ he or she will never
exhaust the fullness of its splendor, or the
greatness of its wisdom. We are as the apostle
says, looking in a foggy or cloudy mirror.
But some day that mirror will be clear
1995 - 2009
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