Dear
Present Truth Magazine Subscriber:
We
are glad to have you as a subscriber to our Present Truth Magazine. Below
you will find articles from individual authors who have written for our
magazine. Our prayer for all who
receive read these articles is that the Lord "...may give to you the
Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the
knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may
know what is the hope of His calling, and what are the riches of the glory of
His inheritance in the saints” (Ephesians 1:17-18).
KINGS AND PRIESTS
By A. Wilson Phillips
When celebrating the birth of
our Lord and Savior, we have so many things for which to be thankful, yet
one of the greatest truths about the Christmas season is the reminder of
Apostle John’s revelation to all who are reborn or baptized into
Christ. John explained that in this everlasting kingdom we
would serve as kings and priests.
…To Him who
loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us
kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and
dominion forever and ever. Amen (Rev. 1:5b-6).
There is great significance
unveiled to us concerning our kingly and priestly living today.
The message of the kingdom of
God in which we function as kings and priests was spoken of by our Lord in
His conversation with Nicodemus, a Pharisee and influential member of the
Sanhedrin counsel and whom Jesus called a “teacher in Israel” (John
3:3-12). Jesus wanted Nicodemus to see the kingdom of God as the “new
realm” where God’s new kingdom life and power could be
realized. Kingdom life is more than being “saved.” God’s Word becomes
clear and Holy Spirit’s works, ways, and wonders are believed and
experienced. The supernatural becomes the normal way of living, not the
exception.
Like Jesus’ encounter with
Nicodemus, a similar situation is recorded in the gospel of Matthew where
Jesus was in Jerusalem in the temple explaining truths concerning the
kingdom. The chief priests and elders were confronting Jesus about His
kingdom authority and teaching.
Jesus said to
them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:
‘The stone which the builders rejected
Has become the chief cornerstone.
This was the Lord’s
doing,
And it is marvelous in our eyes’?
“Therefore I
say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a
nation bearing the fruits of it” (Matt. 21:42-43).
Bearing the fruits of the
kingdom of God is the practice of the kingly and priestly ministry.
To be kings and have delegated
authority to extend our Father’s kingdom today, we must learn and practice
the principle of spiritual authority where we have accountable
relationships in local communities. We have a standing equal to that of
our Lord Jesus Christ before the presence of Father God. By submitting to
Father God’s direct and delegated authorities, we extend the
kingdom as we reign over the affairs of this life (Rom. 5:17).
The kingly authority is only
fully accomplished in the spirit of praise and worship. Our priestly
ministry determines the effectiveness of our kingly ministry. We must
worship in spirit and in truth (with spiritual understanding).
Therefore by
Him (Christ) let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to
God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name
(Heb. 13:15).
As we live a life of
righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit, our kingly and priestly
ministry will be likened unto the pattern our Lord Jesus gave us to
follow. Worship and praise will become a lifestyle, not just something
that we do when we congregate together in a corporate setting. Both
individual and corporate worship/praise are meaningful and essential as
kings and priests in new covenant kingdom living.
The natural, politically minded
believers in our American culture will sometimes wonder about us when we
quote our Lord—
Jesus answered
“My kingdom is not of this world…You say rightly
that
I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come
into the world...” (John 18:36a-37).
Let us glorify our heavenly
Father at this holiday season by our kingly and priestly ministries.
Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, goodwill toward men (Luke
2:14).
A. Wilson Phillips is the co-founding and senior
pastor of Abundant Life Covenant
Church.
GOD BECAME A MAN
By Richard K. Clark
Compile the totality of God’s
miraculous works in creation and re-creation, and one miracle still towers
above all others—God became a man! How can the infinite condescend
in such a way as to become a part of the finite, becoming one with the
created?
In the
beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His
glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and
truth (John 1:1, 14).
We know Him today by
revelation. His name is Jesus. He is God, and He is man … and He always
will be.
Have this
attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He
existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing
to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a
bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. And being
found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to
the point of death, even the death of the cross (Phil. 2:5-8, NASV).
Our God became one of us (1
Tim. 3:16). He emptied Himself of the privilege to function as God in His
earthly ministry; instead He was born, empowered, and led by the same Holy
Spirit as we are. Eventually, His great sacrifice led Him to the cross.
And the angel
answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and
the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy
One who is to be born will be called the Son of God” (Luke
1:35).
…how God
anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who
went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for
God was with Him (Acts 10:38).
We can say that God came down
to our nature so that He might raise us to His nature (2 Pet. 1:4). Christ
is our union with God eternal. In this month as we honor Jesus’ birth, we
give thanks that He is our all in all.
For unto us a
Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government
will
be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful,
Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince
of Peace. Of the increase of His
government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and
over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice
from that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will
perform this (Is. 9:6-7).
Richard K. Clark is an associate pastor of Abundant Life Covenant Church.
Political & Spiritual Kingdoms
By Benjamin Davis
The gospel according to
Matthew introduces the birth of Jesus with this genealogy:
The book of the
genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David,
the Son of Abraham (Matt. 1:1).
Introducing Jesus’ birth in
this way was significant for the Jews because it showed His royal heritage
and birthright.
As the Son of Abraham, Jesus
was heir to the covenant promises of blessing that God made to Abraham.
...blessing I
will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the
stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your
descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies. In your seed all
the nations of the earth shall be blessed… (Gen. 22:17-18).
As the Son of David, Jesus was
heir to covenant promises of reigning over God’s people. The angel Gabriel
declared these promises to Mary when he said,
He will be
great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will
give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house
of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end (Luke
1:32-33).
Reading these promises always
brings excitement and a fresh faith into my heart. Jesus, as the spiritual
King, has obtained these promises, and we are seeing them fulfilled in our
day.
Though God plainly declared
Jesus as the Christ through signs, wonders, and miracles, most
first-century Jews did not receive Him as such. Their greatest hindrance
was their own pride. While they looked for a military leader, God gave
them a servant. While they looked for a conquering hero, Father God led
Jesus to die the most humiliating death on a cross. Jesus
...made Himself
of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the
likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled
Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death
of the cross (Phil. 2:7-8).
However, because Jesus humbled
Himself,
...God also has
highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that
at the name of Jesus every knee should bow… (Phil. 2:9-10).
Jesus’ reign extends over
America today. Yet today in America, there is a danger of exalting
political victories over spiritual victories. Politics is all about
holding onto one’s position. People gain political power by ousting
another and keeping challengers down. In contrast, spiritual victories
come in the form of transformed lives; those who submit to the present
reign of Jesus Christ humble themselves to obey Him.
Gabriel referred to Isaiah’s
famous prophecy when he announced Jesus’ coming to Mary: “Of the
increase of His government and peace, there will be
no
end” (Is. 9:7). This prophecy is still being fulfilled today, even as
we celebrate Christmas.
Every political
kingdom/nation will come to an end. The pride of men and women who use
political power to advance themselves becomes their downfall. The good
news is that there is no end to the increase of Jesus’ spiritual
government and peace.
Benjamin Davis is an associate pastor of Abundant Life Covenant Church
GOD’S ANGRY MEN
By Jonathan Clark
Then the Lord
said, “Is it right for you to be angry?”
This is what God asked His
servant Jonah. Jonah had essentially been out of sorts ever since God
commissioned him for a special mission. Apparently, God’s divine calling
of Jonah was not to Jonah’s liking, for he ran away, then obeyed, then got
mad again and spouted off at his creator: “O Lord,
please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live!”
(see Jonah chapter 4).
Being mad basically most of the
time, Jonah could have fit right in with today’s America. Anger management
classes are widespread. Drug companies are increasingly testing their
medications for effectiveness against anger. Many people are walking
around as ticking time bombs, just waiting for any perceived provocation
to explode.
Others, such as Adam and Eve’s
son Cain, are more covert in their anger and try to bottle it all in:
“And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell (Gen. 4:5). Just
like Jonah, Cain was mad at God about the outcome of a situation. This
seems to be a common theme in many who exhibit regular anger—“I’m not
getting my way!”
In fact, feeling sorry for
themselves was the source of both Cain’s and Jonah’s anger. It is recorded
that even the apostle Peter got into self-pity and was hot-headed at times
(John 18:10; 21:15-22).
Anger, in itself, is not sinful
(Eph. 4:26). As a matter of fact, anger can be the most proper expression
of love in specific situations. Jesus Himself would often get very angry
at the self-righteous and hard-hearted religious leaders of His day.
However, anger is often a
common manifestation by God’s people when the Lord is trying to “shine
them up” (make them more mature). By orchestrating circumstances not to
their liking, He tests their hearts when they’re not getting their way:
“For You, O God, have tested us…You have tested my heart…” (Ps. 66:10;
17:3).
Often, those who are being tested try to spiritually or physically
run away from God, such as the prophet Elijah (recorded in 1 Kings 19).
It is revealing to look at how
God, who was the focus of their anger, responded
to
Jonah, Cain, Peter, and Elijah when they were mad—with gentleness and
mercy. Rather than blasting them for their
bad attitudes, God’s plan was to love these men out of their anger.
If God’s people
will resist getting into anger when God is developing His character in
them, and not allow a root of bitterness to spring up, the fruits of peace
and joy will continue to grow in their lives.
Jonathan Clark is an elder of Abundant Life Covenant Church and a physician in
Springfield, Missouri.
Defining Eternal Life
By Michael Lawrence
Like a clay figure endued from on high
With three forms of life from the Triune.
One,Our first man, Adam, comes alive,
And life as we know it has begun.
One life, not unlike that commonly seen
Within all creatures the man will name—
A life causing them to move and breath,
In man and beast it is much the same.
A second life—a mere fledgling within,
But man thinks, feels—chooses with agility.
Then to barely a soul above those given them
Comes the life that’s beyond personality.
This third life, just a seed as well,
Still sets man apart as can no other.
This spirit of life that in the man now dwells,
Above the waters’ surface once hovered.
So life everlasting, eternal life’s triad
Takes root in the heart of the man.
Creating from dust one “in Our own image,”
They will stay as long as They can.
Then the serpent, his lie, the fruit of a tree,
And death enters the heart of the man.
But what death is this? He continues to breath,
Reproduce, and to work his own plan.
But what is darkness if not the absence of light?
Every land after dark awaits the dawn.
And what is death if not the absence of life?
Eternal life, leaving death, has withdrawn.
Then a woman betrothed receives from on high,
And a virgin’s with child for centuries foretold.
Our Second Man, Christ, will soon arrive—
The undoing of the serpent of old.
This life now beheld was the same in the beginning.
“Before Abraham was, I AM.”
The life that formed creation and, having no ending,
Returned again to make a home within man.
It’s a union of our spirits that no power can sever.
By faith, one is born again through love.
The very life of God, the only life forever,
Is the everlasting, eternal life in us.
Michael Lawrence owns and operates Lawrence
Electric Company and is a freelance writer.
You
Have to Believe to See
By Raymond Krueger
Having grown up in southwest
Missouri, I have become familiar with our state’s nickname, “The Show-Me
State,” and I understand the concept of “You have to show me before I
believe it.” However, I have come to learn that from a new creation
perspective, the opposite is true. One has to believe in order to see.
I was reminded of this recently
as I was listening to our church’s former Sunday evening Present Truth
Talk Radio program. A caller explained his current situation about his
impending divorce and the possibility of losing custody of his children.
Everything he was saying seemed to mirror a similar situation from my past
some sixteen years ago. Just like the caller, I tried to do everything on
my own (my way) instead of doing what I really needed to do—trust in God
and let Him sort it out. After all, He already knew what the outcome was
to be. Like the caller, instead of putting trust in God and
believing He had the answers, I wanted to see
results. I lacked faith.
Now faith is
the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen
(Heb. 11:1).
Fear had overtaken the caller
like it had me (2 Tim. 1:7). In the middle of a person’s struggles, the
most important fact can be lost: God is in control. Until one puts
his/her faith and belief in the fact that His will will be done,
the struggles will continue.
One has to believe in order to
see and overcome. God is just and righteous, and as a follower, I need to
learn to accept His decisions (regardless of whether it is what I want or
not) with a humble and thankful attitude. I must realize that He does know
what is best for me. There may be times when I am tested; God might very
well allow me to go through some suffering, but He will not give me more
than I can handle, and His timing is always perfect. Through His
discipline, my character grows stronger, and my wisdom increases. This is
pleasing to the Lord.
Now, I doubt that we could ever
get the state of Missouri to change its logo, but as a true believer, I
know how it should be. As the years have gone by and I’ve been learning to
live by this principle of believing to see, God has shown His mercy and
grace and rewarded me not only with a wonderful natural family but also
with a spiritual family that has helped me become the new creation person
I am today (2 Cor. 5:17).
Raymond Krueger is a finance manager at
Roper KIA in Joplin, Missouri.
CONTENTED EXCITEMENT
By
Nell Lawrence
Verily I say
to you, whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child,
he shall not enter therein (Mark 10:15).
Our senior pastor’s message
recently was titled “New Creation Covenant Life That’s Exciting.” As I
listened to the message, I was reminded of a relationship I had for 20
years with one of our members, Augusta Williams.
When I first saw Augusta, our
church was meeting in an old mortuary building, and she sat on the second
row of pews, very erect and proper. The Lord put a desire in my heart to
know her. Soon after, my husband and I were asked to have a cell group
(Bible study) in our home, which she attended.
I was employed at a local
university at the time but quit in July 1984. Augusta needed some surgery
on her eyes for cataracts. One of the pastors asked me to take her to the
hospital for that surgery, and that was the beginning of a 20-year
relationship.
The thing I learned most from
Augusta was her unwavering faith in God—she believed that whatever her
need was, it would be met. She never doubted the Lord would provide her
needs, although her income was very limited.
Over the years, Augusta had
many eye surgeries for cataracts, glaucoma, and a cornea transplant, and
she had a kidney removed. In all these times, she was steadfast in her
faith and never doubted her needs would be met. They always were.
Although she never married, she
had a large family that was very supportive of her needs. They gave
generously to her at special times during the year.
Where my tendency would have
been to save that money for an emergency, Augusta never thought that way.
The money was God’s provision for some new clothing or other need she
might have.
The Lord blessed my life with
Augusta in so many ways. I’m only realizing most of them now that she is
gone. She was always positive, so appreciative of what she had. She told
me many times, “I don’t know who is paying for all this, but I so
appreciate it.”
Let your
conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as
ye have; for He hath said, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee”
(Heb. 13:5).
The Lord never left Augusta.
Augusta lived a covenant life with excitement in the Lord and taught me
how to do the same.
Nell
Lawrence lives in Springfield, Missouri.
Honoring the Lord with My Portion
By Cassandra
Walker
Honor the Lord
with your possessions... (Prov. 3:9).
The Holy Spirit recently
quickened this verse in my heart to teach me further how to maintain a
thankful heart and attitude for my possessions, or said another way, my
“portion.” I consider my portion to be all the things that the good Lord
has blessed me with: my life, body, energy, husband, children,
relationships, business, finances, skills, talents, home and things,
revelation, and time. The portion I have today is of the exact proportions
that the Lord decided long ago. I judge that portion to be good and more
than what I deserved.
The reason the Lord is teaching
me how to maintain a thankful heart and attitude is because I need it.
This past summer, I did something that caused me to get into some
deception regarding our “portion.”
Several years ago, my husband
and I made plans to one day take our family on a trip to Alaska. I planned
on it and assumed that someday, while our immediate family was still under
the same roof, God would bless us financially with the opportunity to take
that trip. My oldest son is a senior in high school this year, and I’m
preparing for the dynamics of our family to change.
Two years ago, we bought a
business that has required some “buckling down” financially. My first
thought was that the Alaska trip was out of the question, so I let it go…I
thought. One morning I was reading Ecclesiastes and, because I still had
my own agenda, I began to read into this passage what I wanted it to say.
I didn’t do it maliciously. I didn’t wake up that morning and say, “Hey,
I’m going to twist Scripture to fit my own agendas today!” However,
unfortunately, that is exactly what I began to do. I listened to the
testimony of a friend about a similar topic but listened through a filter
of my agenda and heard what I wanted to hear. Over time, I became
convinced that it was God’s will that we take the trip to Alaska though
there wasn’t a fiscally responsible way to finance it. I was deceived.
Fervently “standing” on my Scripture, I involved my husband, children, and
people from my church.
Eventually, the peace leaked
out of my heart, and the trip began to become a great burden. Feeling like
my faith to stand on my Scripture was going soft, I sought the counsel of
my spiritual authority, expecting that he would plug the hole where my
peace was leaking, and I could continue on. However, after I laid the
matter before him, he lovingly gave counsel contrary to the word I was
standing on and encouraged a reasonable replacement solution. That moment
was like getting sucker punched. I was dazed. Not because I wasn’t getting
my agenda (it was actually a relief to get out from under that elephant)
but because I realized that I had deceived myself. This realization shook
me to my very core. Stunned, I felt emotionally numb for four days.
Years ago, as a new Christian,
I had to learn how to trust the Christ within myself. My biggest fear was:
“What if I think I’m trusting the Christ within me, and it’s really my
ugly, fleshly motives talking inside?” Eventually though, I learned how to
rely on the Word, the Holy Spirit’s voice within, and the people at my
church whom I believe God Himself has given me. These three things have
helped me to distinguish between faith and flesh.
My first reaction to this
incident was to recoil. I didn’t want to write any more Present Truth
articles or be in front of people in the puppet or music ministries
anymore. I felt like I needed to sit on the back row and just listen and
relearn everything.
I repented to my family and
friends, and now God is teaching me again how to trust the Christ within
me, which is essential to maturing in the kingdom of God.
Who can understand his errors?
Cleanse me from secret faults.
Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins;
Let them not have dominion over me.
Then I shall be blameless,
And I shall be innocent of great transgression.
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight,
O Lord, my strength and
my Redeemer (Ps. 19:12-14)
I have told Father God, “I am a
babe in Your arms capable of absolutely nothing good apart from You. I
know that I am capable of error and falling into deception. I know it
would be wrong for me to cease speaking what I feel You want me to say,
and I want to keep speaking.”
I am learning at a deeper level
to not shrink back but to love people with a good and honest heart and
trust in the Lord for the results. Trusting in Him is the only way I dare
open my mouth.
I believe the reason I was able
to twist Scripture was because I had had a root of covetousness for years
and simply longed for a “different portion.” This circumstance pulled that
root of ungratefulness out of my heart.
To maintain a thankful heart, I
believe the Lord has put some ideas in my mind to practically walk out. I
no longer look at the covers of the celebrity magazines in the checkouts
at the grocery store so I won’t covet (lust or wish) that I had a body or
hair like those celebrities. I have always wanted to build a new house and
actually have a fantasy house built in my mind. I have forfeited to the
Lord daydreaming about that house and how I would decorate it. When I
catch myself thinking about it, I immediately stop and ask the Lord to
forgive me, and I think about something productive. I am demonstrating to
my Father my thankful heart by honoring Him with my real house. In fact, I
am demonstrating my thankful heart to Him by honoring Him with every facet
of the “portion” that He has been so good to give to me, and I’m teaching
my children to do the same.
I’m thankful that He delivered
me from an unthankful heart that leads to deception.
Cassandra Walker and her husband Gavin own
MedTech Medical Management Systems in Springfield, Missouri.
Privilege, Responsibility, and Accountability
are Inseparable
By Angie Gibson
We have greater privileges than
any generation. We have greater choices (food, clothing, stuff), greater
access to information (internet, etc.), and greater resources (including
money). We also have more free time than our ancestors had.
America has continued to have
greater privileges than the rest of the world for many years, but it has
lost almost all sense of responsibility and the need for accountability.
America has become like a spoiled child, and contentment is seldom found.
The truth of the matter is that
the greater the privileges, the greater the responsibility and
accountability. We need these things more than ever to live a righteous
life—and they will be required of us!
Let’s look a little closer at
these three inseparable things.
Privilege—The
American Heritage Dictionary defines it as “A special advantage, immunity,
permission, right, or benefit granted to or enjoyed by an individual,
class, or caste.” It’s important to understand that just because we can
have privileges, doesn’t mean we should have them. Just because we
have certain privileges (such as relationships, money, TV, sugar or food,
etc.) doesn’t mean we need to use or exploit those everyday. So many want
the blessings (privileges), but they don’t want what comes with it
(responsibility and accountability).
God wants to (and will) meet
our needs (and beyond). It seems, however, that because of the prevalent
thought and words of our culture, many get confused about what our needs
really are. Our needs are food, clothing, shelter, and relationships.
A faithful man will abound with blessings,
But he who hastens to be rich will not go
unpunished (Prov. 28:20).
Responsibility—God
gives us the ability to restrain ourselves (having our desires controlled
by the Spirit) and properly handle the privileges He has given us. We have
a duty to be a good steward of everything we have.
He who tills his land will have plenty of bread,
But he who follows frivolity will have poverty
enough! (Prov. 28:19).
Accountability—Ultimately,
we are accountable to God, but we also need our spouses and people who
walk in truth (discipleship relationships) to have say into our lives. It
is crucial! This kind of accountability brings death to our fleshly
desires. We must allow ourselves to benefit from these relationships by
not resisting. We cannot live a successful life alone.
There is a vast difference
between having: (1) our desires under the control of the Spirit (being
thankful and content with just having our needs met), (2) a poverty
mindset (believing you can’t afford anything, will never have enough, or
will never be able to live “the good life”), and (3) a consumption
mind-set (devouring everything you have, always needing more).
All of these mind-sets desire
the “good life,” but only the person who allows the Spirit to control
his/her thought life will live the good life regardless of income, home,
stuff, etc. The apostle Paul lived the good life:
... I have learned in whatever state I am, to be
content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and
in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to
abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who
strengthens me (Phil 4:11b-13).
Having responsibility and
accountability incorporated into our lives will enable us to properly
view, handle, value, and enjoy the privileges God gives to us.
Angie Gibson and her husband Ed are
leaders in the Heirborn children’s ministry of Abundant Life Covenant
Church.
GOD’S WISDOM—AMERICA’S HOPE
By A. Wilson Phillips
Paul, an apostle of Jesus
Christ, wrote to the first-century believers in Corinth:
And my speech
and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom,
but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should
not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God (1 Cor.
2:4-5).
Paul served as a spiritual
leader in an era when the intellect was often deified and the
demonstration of the Spirit and of power (dunamis/ability) was
either unsought or ridiculed.
In this apostolic era of the
new creation letters, the followers of Christ expected the Holy Spirit’s
power, not for show or sensation but as a means for God to validate the
glory of the gospel.
When the Holy Spirit came
into the spirit and soul of an individual, He cleansed that person by
the blood of Jesus Christ, whose blood had been placed upon the mercy
seat of God in the Holy of Holies. Therefore, the Holy Spirit could
and would indwell the believer completely. That inward experience
would release the believer from the sin, guilt, and shame that had
enslaved him/her.
As the person of the Holy
Spirit indwelled the believer, He would begin to transform his/her mind,
will, and emotions. This transformation also affected the body in which
God lived. As a consequence of the inward change in the believer, he/she
had access to supernatural wisdom, knowledge, discernment, and patience to
enable him/her to live right with God and people—believers and
non-believers.
Today in America, we have
access to the supernatural wisdom, knowledge, discernment, and patience to
live successfully with God and people.
During the process of spiritual
development, we have the civil and spiritual authorities
with which to contend. What is legal is not always moral according to the
wisdom of God. Therefore, we have conflicts in the conscience.
The conscience of “Uncle Sam”
certainly does not live up to the conscience that is educated by God’s
Word and Holy Spirit. The bottom line is that it takes the supernatural
wisdom, knowledge, discernment, and patience to make long-term decisions
in daily living. Moment by moment, hour by hour, we must maintain the
intimacy of the “inward speaking voice of God” in order to live
successfully with God and people.
We do have
inward cleansing, inward life and power, and inward
knowledge of God’s wisdom. The stronger must always care for the
weaker or less mature in Christ. With this gospel that was once and for
all delivered to the saints through the apostolic letters of Jesus’
apostles, we can make a difference in our culture. The best is yet to
come.
Reaching Out To Echo Boomers
The largest generation of young
people since the ’60s is beginning to come of age. They’re called “echo
boomers” because they’re the genetic offspring and demographic echo of
their parents, the baby boomers. Born between 1982 and 1995, they number
nearly 80 million, making up nearly a third of the U.S. population.
Scripture declares:
The counsel of the Lord stands forever,
The plans of His heart to all generations
(Ps. 33:11).
At Abundant Life Covenant
Church, we believe that God has a plan for this current generation of echo
boomers. While many are still preaching the soon-coming rapture of the
church and world-ending events, we believe it is better to train this
generation to think generationally about their long-term future in God’s
kingdom.
The following is a partial list
of characteristics that describe echo boomer youth today:
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