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The Knowledge of the Glory of the Lord!

How often I’ve quoted Habakkuk 2:14, and never fully understood the full implication of that Scripture for Christ’s Church. The Old Testament prophet looked ahead to the day when the whole earth would not just be filled with the glory of the Lord, but filled with the KNOWLEDGE of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea. As the waters cover the sea is very significant, because how do the waters cover the sea? The waters cover the sea completely, that’s how. The reality that I want to point out is that the earth is already filled with the glory of the Lord (Is. 6:3; Ps. 33:5; 119:63). Then our responsibility as the Church, His body, is that the earth be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord.

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The Path That Leads Us To The Cross Part II

I know that legally Christians died, and rose again in Christ. That in him our old man is legally dead, and In Him we are New Creations, that old things have passed away and all things have become new (Romans 6:1-14; 2 Cor. 5:17). I know that in Christ I have every thing I need to live godly in Him. Yet how many who profess Christ as their Lord, have really ever experienced this New Creation life, outside of making a few faith confessions attesting to it. Too many times even though I’ve come to the narrow gate, I’ve not wanted to walk the narrow path.

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The Path That Leads Us To The Cross Part

As Christians we all know that there were two trees in the garden. One, ‘The Tree of Life’ was rejected by Adam. Adam and his wife could have freely eaten of this tree. Instead they chose the tree that looked pleasant to the eyes, a tree that to the carnal nature was desirable, to make one wise. But the harsh reality was the tree that looked so pleasant and desirable, actually lead to their death, their separation from the presence of God.

I wonder if like Adam, we also had the real opportunity to gaze upon the ‘Tree of Life’ that was in the garden, would it appear desirable to us, would we choose it? We also like Adam have a choice, we can choose from either tree. Yet why do you suppose Eve was so easily deceived, why was the serpent so easily able to beguile her?

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God’s Rest, Is It For Me? Yes! If You Can Believe

So I swore in My wrath, they shall not enter My rest.

Hebrews 3:11

The Bible clearly teaches there is a rest for the people of God, then why did God say that the generation Moses lead out of Egypt would not enter His rest? Why would God be so angry with this generation, that He would swear in His wrath they would not enter in?

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What does the Lord really require of us?

In Luke 13:1-5, Jesus said twice to the religious folks He was talking to,

Unless you repent you will all likewise perish.

In their understanding they had equated bad things, accidents, sickness, being born blind etc., as being the result of sin in a persons life. But the message of the Bible is that all have sinned, therefore all most repent. Many in the Church today have that same kind of thinking. We are quick to judge others, even to the point of saying when things aren’t going well in a person’s life, like sickness or financial problems, they must be in sin or their faith is weak. I knew one American pastor whose Japanese wife was suffering from cancer. She was a woman of faith believing for God to heal her, but he was devastated after she died by the remarks of many sincere Christians who told him, “her faith was too small, if her faith had been greater she would have lived.” I’m sure all of know stories such as this one.

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Commentary- Old Testament Churches

One of the things that has continued to concern me recently is the tendency of many, in the Church, to operate out of and Old Testament works mentality, instead of as Paul directed us, to live the Christian life the same we started it, by grace through faith (Col. 2:6; Eph.2:8). Did we receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are, we the Church, so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are we now being made perfect in the flesh? What many well meaning Pastors do, without realizing the consequences, is keep their people bound in Old Testament types and shadows, which although good for instruction, is not what we are to base our New Testament Christian walk on, unless of course we want to live under the law, and reject the Spirit of Grace.

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