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).
We Have A Divine Dream
by A. Wilson Phillips
Martin Luther King, Jr. had a unique place in
the history of God’s redemption plan for fallen humanity. During his
life span, from 1929 to 1968, he had some personal weaknesses, but God
uses imperfect vessels. Many feel that he was a man ahead of his time,
and his life was too short. However, if you view King as sovereign God’s
prophetic voice, you must conclude that (like King David and all the
prophets in the Scriptures) he served his generation then slept with his
fathers of the faith. Because King believed in the God of the Bible and
was a follower of Jesus Christ, his “I Have a Dream” messages will not
die. “For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy” (Rev.
19:10).
Today, God’s anointed covenant-keeping people
still speak the testimony of the living Christ. By His mercy and grace,
God sovereignly breathes resurrection life into His chosen people, and
they pass from spiritual death unto spiritual life (1 John 3:14). Some are
called to become apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers to
equip God’s people with truth to serve their generation.
Prophetic voices call men and women to be
reconciled to God through Jesus Christ. Their message proclaims:
And He has made
from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the
earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of
their dwellings, so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they
might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of
us; for in Him we live and move and have our being… (Acts 17:26-28).
The earth is the Lord’s,
and all its fullness,
The world and those who dwell therein (Ps. 24:1).
Sovereign God rules by divine wisdom and love. He
is in control, and at the same time, we are responsible to know His will
and do it. As covenant keepers, we are to treat those who are unlike us
with dignity. This includes people of all races and religions.
God challenges His covenant people to grow in
grace, wisdom, and knowledge of Jesus Christ. Divine knowledge shows us
our own prejudices. They can be social, racial, religious, political,
or economic prejudices. We must be willing to repent of our prejudices. To
repent is to have our minds renewed to the truth; our worldview becomes
that of Almighty God through His indwelling Spirit.
As we take on a divine worldview by living like
Jesus of Nazareth, the dream of Martin Luther King becomes a reality in
communities like Springfield, Missouri.
We
here at Abundant Life Covenant Church have a divine dream. Like King, we
are committed to keep it alive. As joint heirs with Jesus Christ, we
co-reign with Him in the spirit realm over the circumstances of life. We
are committed to do this in a non-violent, non-political way. By our
obedience, God’s spiritual kingdom manifests itself through spoken words
and covenant prayers. Therefore, we have a conviction that truly the best
is yet to come. Let us all keep King’s dream alive.
A. Wilson Phillips is the co-founding and senior
pastor of Abundant Life Covenant
Church.
One Flock
- One Shepherd
By Richard K. Clark
And other sheep
I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will
hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd
(John 10:16).
From the beginning, God has only had one group of
people that were in covenant with Him, and some may be surprised to know
that He only has one group of covenant people now and will only have one
group of covenant people forever. Even in the old covenant, only the
circumcised in heart were truly God’s flock, and so it is today.
And the Lord
your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your
descendants, to love the Lord
your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live
(Deut. 30:6).
The Lord raised up His people through the faith
of men like Noah, Abraham, Moses, and David yet always allowed for
“gentile” believers to be added at any time through their obedience.
And when a
stranger dwells with you and wants to keep the Passover to the Lord,
let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and
keep it; and he shall be as a native of the land. For no uncircumcised
person shall eat it (Ex. 12:48).
The term “Jew” came from the name of one of
Abraham’s great grandsons “Judah” and came to be a commonly accepted term
for God’s covenant people—though many names were used (Abraham, Isaac,
Jacob, Israel, Ephraim, Zion, Jerusalem, Hebrews, etc.). In the completion
of God’s plan, when all the types and shadows of the old covenant were
fulfilled in Christ and His church, Paul made it clear that biological
descent was not the ultimate criterion for God’s people.
For he is not a
Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the
flesh; but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is
that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter;
whose praise is not from men but from God (Rom. 2:28-29).
There is
neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free,
there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus
(Gal. 3:28).
Many groups today claim to be descendents of
Abraham (Jews, Christians, Muslims), but it was in Isaac that
Christ the seed came, and those in Christ are the only children of
promise.
But it is not
that the word of God has taken no effect. For they are not all Israel who
are of Israel, nor are they all children because they are the seed of
Abraham; but, “In Isaac your seed shall be called.” That is, those
who are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God; but
the children of the promise are counted as the seed (Rom.
9:6-8).
The eternal plan of God was carried out by
Christ’s sacrifice (body and blood) in order to make the two groups of
people into one (Eph. 2:11-17).
For through Him
we both have access by one Spirit to the Father. Now, therefore, you are
no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the
saints and members of the household of God, having been built on
the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being
the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted
together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are
being built
together
for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit (Eph. 2:18-22).
Reinventing Scripture to require God to have two
distinct groups of covenant people (Jewish-Kingdom and Gentile-Church) is
a serious mistake. “What God has joined together, let not man separate”
(Matt. 19:6).
Richard K. Clark is an associate pastor of Abundant Life Covenant Church.
Kingdom Goals
By Benjamin Davis
In January, many in our nation begin setting
goals. The President with his newly strengthened majority in Congress
will lay out his goals for American public policy. Companies often set
new sales and management goals for the upcoming year. Many Americans
make New Year’s resolutions outlining their personal goals for the
year.
I believe the reason we in America are a
goal-setting people is that God is a goal-setting god. He made this truth
real to me as a senior in college.
One day, as I was walking to class, I was laying
out all of my life’s goals before the Lord. After I was finished, I asked
a sincere question: “Lord, where do you fit into all this?”
The Lord answered me with a strong voice inside
my spirit, “Don’t ever ask Me that question!” I literally stopped in my
tracks.
“What question do You want me to ask You?” I
responded.
His voice came back to me in a crystal-clear way:
“Ask Me where you fit into My plan.”
Scripture clearly declares that God has a plan
that includes His personal goals.
…according to
the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord…(Eph.
3:11).
Men of Israel,
hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth…being delivered by the determined
purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands,
have crucified, and put to death (Acts 2:22-23; see also Is.
46:8-11).
Scripture also declares that God has the power to
fulfill His goals. He uses that power in exercising His sovereignty in the
affairs of men.
In Him also we
have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose
of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will
(Eph. 1:11).
And we know that all things work together for good to those who
love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For
whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image
of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren (Rom.
8:28-29).
Men with their unrenewed minds often set goals
that are in opposition to God’s plan. In the second Psalm, the Lord
declares how He overrides such goals.
Why do the nations rage,
And the people plot a vain thing?
The kings of the earth set themselves,
And the rulers take counsel together,
Against the Lord and against His Anointed…
He who sits in the heavens shall laugh;
The Lord shall hold them
in derision (Ps. 2:1-4).
In the new covenant, we have been given God’s
divine nature (2 Pet. 1:3-4). His divine nature places within the believer
the desire to know and do His will. Jesus foresaw the day when His
disciples would be given God’s divine nature in the kingdom of God.
Therefore, He instructed them how to set their goals in such a way that
they line up with God’s goals. He said,
But seek
first the kingdom of God and His righteousness,
and all these things shall be added to you (Matt. 6:33).
God’s kingdom is a reality today. Psalms 103:19
states:
The Lord has established
His throne in heaven,
And His kingdom rules over all.
Many attempt to set their own (self-centered)
personal goals as their highest priority, in hopes that God will then add
His kingdom to them. We live in a country where it is possible to practice
unbridled capitalism in an unbridled democracy with unbridled free speech.
That mentality sets many American Christians in opposition to God’s
purpose and goals in their life.
When we pursue our own needs and desires outside
the kingdom of God, we may obtain some or all of our goals, but the
kingdom of God cannot be added to us because our primary motive is still
selfish.
However, when we commit to seek first His kingdom in our goal-setting, God
then commits in His goal-setting to meet all of our needs and heartfelt
desires in such a way that we experience the
blessings of the kingdom of God in the now.
As I have committed to seek first the kingdom of
God in a practical way, it has been my personal testimony that God has had
a better way of life than I would have chosen for myself. That’s a kingdom
reality.
Benjamin Davis is an associate pastor of Abundant Life Covenant Church
Exercise
by Jonathan Clark
At the
beginning of one particular summer, my outlook on the coming warm days
was filled with excitement and anticipation. We had planned an extended
family vacation and other new experiences. By the end of that summer
season, my world had flipped upside-down—unexpected and hurtful events
had crashed my party.
As the summer drew to a close, I began
running…and running…and running…I just didn’t know to where. I suppose I
was attempting to deal with my mental and emotional hurts with something
that I could mostly control—a physical intervention. I always felt better
when I ran, but I was never going to heal my “soul pain” by exercising.
Regardless of what is commonly believed, time did
not heal all my wounds, but God did (a spiritual intervention). One
positive benefit that came from the running was weight loss with
accompanied physical energy and stamina.
What about exercise? Medical science strongly
urges regular exercise to treat and prevent many conditions. What is the
benefit of exercise to the health of the whole man?
The only direct scriptural reference to whether
one should or shouldn’t exercise is First Timothy 4:8 which says,
“…bodily exercise profits a little…” The entire passage in context
states:
…and exercise
yourself toward godliness. For bodily exercise profits a little, but
godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that
now is and of that which is to come (1 Tim. 4:7-8).
This reference reinforces the proper priority of
physical exercise—after the strengthening of the spirit and soul;
therefore bodily exercise can profit a little.
Indirectly, the Scriptures do mention that Paul
disciplined his own body. First Corinthians 9:27 states, “I discipline
my body and bring it under subjection...” In Paul’s spiritual analogy
in the immediate preceding scriptures, he also mentions running,
competing, and racing. Perhaps Paul was, or had been previously in his
life, personally involved in athletics and exercise.
The Greco-Roman culture of the New
Testament era was familiar with athletics and competition. The Olympiad
was a regular occurrence at the time. Paul made multiple athletic
references in his epistles (1 Cor. 9:24-27; 1 Tim. 4:7-8; 2 Tim. 2:5).
Perhaps Paul’s disciple Timothy also had interests in athletics, since
Paul made athletic references in both of his letters to him.
Personally, God has always been able
to get my attention that it is time to “get moving” with the scripture
Hebrews 12:1,
Let us lay aside every weight…and
let us run with endurance the race that is set before us…
I know that the context of this verse
is spiritual, but God has often used this passage to remind me of my need
to take care of my physical body; He’s also given me the following
reference in
First
Corinthians 6:19-20:
Or
do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is
in you…and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price;
therefore glorify God in your body…
Physical exercise profits a little, as long as
the spirit and the soul are keeping first priority in the health of the
whole man.
Jonathan Clark is an elder of Abundant Life Covenant Church and a physician in
Springfield, Missouri.
Introductions
By Matt Christy
I grew up in churches, which is not to say I
was actively involved in them, merely present within the four walls. Mom
made a point to send my siblings and me off to the local church every
Sunday, and if the weather prevented us from hunting crawdads in the
creek that was on the way, we usually went. I don’t recall much about
those early church years, other than making some really fun macaroni
art. Most children tend to exhibit rambunctious behavior when confronted
with mandated church sentences, and I was no exception. Cartoons and
playing outside typically weighed far higher on my “want-to-do” list
than listening to antique ladies discuss antique people I neither knew
nor cared to know.
Late in the summer of 1984, my family moved from
east Tennessee to Kentucky, and my church days came to an abrupt end. Mom
didn’t approach me about returning to church until we moved to Missouri in
late summer of 1988. My parents began attending a mid-size local assembly,
and with curiosity aroused, I tagged along. I officially joined the church
in 1991, and even volunteered my time at their youth camp in the summers.
As time wore on, I became despondent with church
doctrine, knowing in my heart I performed the prescribed rituals without
any real faith or life. I fell away from the church in 1994.
Frustration often led to drives down to the youth
camp after work, and I would wait for the sunrise. This place called to
me. That camp was the only place I had ever experienced what I could
categorically label as “The Presence of God.” I felt calm and peaceful
there, which ironically caused me to bawl my eyes out, as I watched the
sun rise over the mountaintops.
In July of 1998, an opportunity came by way of
family to move back to Tennessee, and shortly thereafter, I encountered a
side of church I’d never seen before. Originally agreeing to attend as a
means to keep the family off my back, I heard a message in that sanctuary
I’d never heard before: Christ is alive, and we can have a relationship
with Him today! In all my years of congregation hopping, I’d never heard
such a basic truth. I tried to retain my aloof status, but by the third
week I walked the aisle, tears streaming down both cheeks. I proclaimed my
love for, and dedication to, Father God.
Despite my dedication to following Christ’s
leading in my life, I did not know His authority and, in rebellion,
eventually fell away even from this church.
Just over a year later, I woke with a start and
knew I had to write a letter. I wrote the letter in faith, and this act of
obedience led me to the wife that God had set aside for me and also the
church which would become my home.
God in His divine wisdom illustrated His love and
guidance in my life, and despite my best efforts to the contrary, He
brought me out of my sin and death into His righteousness in Christ. He
saved me, cleansed me, and taught me not only His great love and mercy but
also His authority. Throughout my life, He has placed people in just the
right spot at just the right time to keep me from truly wandering off into
the weeds. His hand has always been upon me, even when I least deserved or
knew it.
Matt Christy is
an information technology support specialist for the Springfield Public
Schools.
Faith
Replaces Fear
Eva Clark
As I look back on my childhood years, I can see
how fear was one of the most crippling emotions that I had to deal with.
My younger sister would always be the first to try new things, and I
would usually be the first to let her because of my fears.
In a high school English class, my teacher gave
us an assignment to give oral book reports throughout the year. A friend
and I were so filled with fear that we found out how much the assignment
was worth, subtracted that amount from our grade, and calculated how we
could not do the assignment and still get a decent grade. Once our teacher
found out about our intentions, she made the assignment worth more than we
could afford to lose for a good grade, so we were forced to do the
assignment!
As I entered into college, the Lord began to
deliver me from my fears and gave me a godly boldness through Second
Timothy 1:7—
God has not
given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
Through this empowering scripture, I began to
enjoy giving presentations in class. When fear would rise up in
situations, the Lord would bring me back to Second Timothy 1:7 and First
John 4:18, which says:
There is no
fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves
torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.
Recently, my husband Brandon and I have entered
into the world of parenthood. The Lord had already been preparing our
hearts for the new addition to our family through faith. When we would be
presented with the information in our childbirth classes of what would or
could happen during pregnancy, fear began to rise again in me. Many times
we would talk about what information was given and confess to each other
the faith the Lord had given us to start a family. We would confess His
righteousness, peace, and joy into the current situation and the future
delivery of our child. As we would pray over our fears, the Lord was
always faithful to manifest His peace to us.
Norah Elizabeth was born on July 31, 2004.
Brandon and I could never have imagined the miracle we were going to get
to experience. Norah’s birth once again confirmed God’s unfailing love and
sovereignty.
Before we left the hospital, we had many
different medical people (nurses, nurse’s assistants, doctors, etc.)
coming in and telling us, “When your baby sleeps, make sure you lay her on
her back to prevent SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome).” Brandon and I
appreciated the care and knowledge of the health care professionals,
however, when we got home we encountered a problem, “What if our child
does not sleep well on her back and instead cries and keeps herself
awake?” I was filled with enormous amounts of fear that something would
happen to Norah.
The next several weeks were very tiring because
of the fear that I couldn’t lay Norah any other way than on her back.
Through some circumstances, my pastor’s wife shared with me that she had
heard the same information but had come to the conclusion that all three
of her children preferred sleeping on their stomachs. Her tone was so calm
and peaceful that it caused me to reevaluate what I had been thinking.
The Lord began to show me that I had been so
filled with medical knowledge that I had not been listening or hearing
what the Holy Spirit was saying. I thought I was in control now and
responsible for my child. He corrected my thinking and showed me that my
child belonged to Him. I am simply a caretaker that He has chosen to take
care of this precious gift of grace. He also revealed to me that He wants
to be involved in all the decisions that are made in Norah’s life. As I
look back on how God has taken me through my fears, He has continually
caused me to submit my mind, will, and emotions to Him daily (Rom. 12:2).
He is always there for wisdom and instruction.
You are of God,
little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is
greater than he who is in the world (1 John 4:4).
Eva Clark serves as an administrative
assistant at Abundant Life Covenant Church.
Getting My Confession Right
By Holly Gilstrap
Almost three years ago, our second child,
Canaan, was born with spina bifida, hydrocephalus, and other
disabilities. One evening when Canaan was still very small, maybe around
three months old, I took him to the church nursery. I told the nursery
workers that he would probably sleep and preferred to do so on his
stomach. Because current medical literature calls for putting babies on
their backs to sleep, I felt I needed to explain myself. My next
statement was, “This baby isn’t going to die of SIDS. It isn’t going to
be that easy.”
Now before you think me a complete monster, let
me explain what was really in my heart but was poorly communicated. When
we were in the newborn intensive care unit (NICU) those first two weeks
after Canaan was born, we were surrounded by families fighting for the
lives of their children. I was never concerned that Canaan might die. I
strongly believed that God had a plan and purpose for this child and the
plan could only be accomplished through his life, not in his death. Part
of that plan included the development of myself and others in a way that
only comes through deep heart suffering, and that scared me. I was afraid
that every time I looked upon Canaan in his physical condition, my heart
would ache; I thought if the Lord took him, my sorrow might go away.
Because I had a peace that our child would live,
I was not afraid to indulge his preference for sleeping on his stomach.
Nevertheless, the minute I made the comment to the nursery workers, I knew
it was wrong. I felt like I had just vomited all over myself, my child,
and the two women who witnessed my words.
But those
things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile
a man (Matt. 15:18).
As I sat in the sanctuary, the Spirit showed me
that I was prideful. I had a martyr complex and wanted everyone to agree
with me that I had a heavy cross to bear. God impressed me again that He
greatly valued Canaan’s life and rejoiced to look upon him. I needed to
get my confession right.
Sometime after this, I began scrapbooking
Canaan’s baby album. One of the pictures was of him lying in his bed in
the NICU sucking a pacifier. I included this caption on the page: “He grew
to love his paci—one of the few pleasures allowed him.” After I had
written it, I knew it was wrong. That was not a positive confession. It
expressed “Poor little baby” and would foster a sense of self-pity in
Canaan. That wasn’t how God thought about him. I needed to get my
confession right.
Into his second year of life, friends would
comment about Canaan’s development. When they noted how well he was
crawling, I would complain about the way his legs “frogged out” because of
weak abductor muscles. When they observed him sitting so erect, I would
point out that he splinted his left leg in order to generate enough
strength to compensate for his weak trunk and pelvis. The martyr complex
had surfaced again. I wanted people to know that we don’t just wake up
some mornings delighted to find that Canaan has suddenly mastered such
feats. These are very complex tasks for a child with low muscle tone and
are mastered through the diligent efforts of his mother and his diligent
efforts. (At this time, I generally assumed the credit for these things.
Part of the martyr complex is that “it’s all about me.”)
It was during this time that I experienced the
constant anxiety of never being able to do enough for Canaan. I was always
upset with myself for not providing him with enough opportunities to
exercise and frustrated with him for not performing well. If I was in the
mood to “play,” he was not. When he was playful, I was aggravated that the
opportunity had presented itself at a bad time. I was tied up about going
out with the children. There was no joy for me in a trip to the zoo or
library, because every moment Canaan was in a carseat or a stroller was a
moment of lost therapy. I now believe that my anxiety during that time was
the direct result of my negative confession. Because I constantly
confessed Canaan’s weaknesses, they felt insurmountable.
Anxiety in the heart of a man causes depression,
But a good word makes it glad (Prov. 12:25).
I needed to get my confession right.
In the process of time, and out of His mercy and
grace, Father God began to fill me with peace and a knowing that Canaan is
going to reach his full potential, physically and otherwise. God was (is)
going to use me as the instrument to get him there, but I didn’t (don’t)
have to worry about failing this child.
When Canaan was eighteen months old, our therapy
fell into a much more natural pattern. He pulled himself up to a standing
position when he wanted to get out of his crib, walked to the table in his
walker when he wanted to eat, and learned to crawl up the stairs. By the
time he was twenty months old, I found myself praying one day, “Father,
thank You so much for giving us two healthy little boys.” That was it! I
had gotten my confession right. “For out of the abundance of the heart,
the mouth speaks (Matt. 12:34b). I had begun to consider Canaan
healthy and vibrant. This child was happy, full of personality, and never
sick. I didn’t look at him and see the weaknesses anymore. Every time I
followed him up the stairs, I was amazed at his strength.
The Holy Spirit used my times of communing with
the Lord, meditating in the written Word, and being in the presence of His
people to change my thinking and change my confession. Our daily lives
have now become consistently more joyful.
Holly Gilstrap is a
stay-at-home mother.
Importance Of History
By A. Wilson Phillips
When I was a young lad in school, history
wasn’t really my thing. It was dull and boring in my view. Not only did
I not like studying the past, I didn’t like to think about the future.
The teaching and preaching I heard painted a bleak picture and put fear
in my heart.
When Hitler marched into
Poland at the beginning of World War II, my fears escalated. The very
thought of Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin, or the Emperor of Japan being the
anti-Christ was too much for me to deal with. I learned to “check out”
in my mind and suppress my fears, going deeper into denial.
At age 36, I had an “epiphany,”
as many would characterize it today, but in truth it was a manifestation
of God’s presence. God turned the light of His presence on in my soul, and
His Holy Spirit revealed to me the poor choices I had made regarding
persons, places, and things. He was giving me a personal history lesson.
This gave me a greater appreciation of history, and I began to understand
God’s view of the history of creation and redemption.
Within a couple of years, God’s
Holy Spirit called me out of a railroad career into formal academic
training in the Assemblies of God fellowship in Springfield, Missouri. My
father had been a pioneer pastor in the Assemblies of God.
History began to take on a
deeper meaning when I researched the brief history of the Assemblies of
God people. Then, I researched the history of all the
denominations—including the Roman Catholic Church and Martin Luther’s
ministry that began the Protestant Reformation. I came to understand that
the Reformation is still happening today.
While pursuing a bachelor of
arts degree in Bible at Central Bible College, my thirst for knowledge
seemed unquenchable. My studies of American history, world history, and
world civilizations enhanced my thirst.
During this time, I met many
fine people while serving as an associate pastor of Calvary Temple
Assemblies of God Church in Springfield, Missouri. Some of them had known
my father and mother and gave me a lot more information about my family
history. When these people of integrity and character related personal
experiences that they had had with my family, history became even more
meaningful to me.
It takes the ministry of the
unlimited, uncreated Creator to discern between the secular
points of view of history and the spiritual, sacred perspective. I
have learned to rely on God’s Holy Spirit to teach me history as well as
all things (John 14:26, 17, 16:13).
The Holy Scripture, the Bible,
reveals the Creator of the universe’s view of the importance of
history—which in my opinion is “His story.” The book of Acts, written by
Luke, is a history lesson about the acts of the apostles of Jesus Christ.
During their ministry from about 30 to 70 A.D., Jesus, Israel’s Messiah,
was seated at His heavenly Father’s right hand in His messianic reign. The
literary apostles were writing what the literary prophets of the old
covenant had written concerning Israel’s redemptive history.
In that window of time, Stephen
gave a history lesson to a group of religious leaders in Israel. His
divinely inspired words infuriated them. Their pride and arrogance gave
way to their anger to the point of extreme violence. They stoned Stephen
until his physical body expired.
As Stephen was putting off his
“earthly tent” (body), he prayed, “Lord, do not charge them with this
sin.” And when he said this, he “fell asleep” (physically
expired) (Acts 7:60).
Saul of Tarsus, a Pharisee, was
consenting to Stephen’s death. Saul’s extremely prideful heart provoked
him into a zealous crusade to commit the followers of Israel’s exalted
Messiah into imprisonment. However, Saul had an epiphany while
traveling from Jerusalem to Damascus on one of his religious crusades, and
he became a faithful follower of the Messiah. Like Jesus Christ, Saul
learned obedience from the things which he suffered (Heb. 5:7-8). This
gave him deep insight into the complete redemption that happened through
the cross of Christ. God reconciled all things in heaven and on earth unto
Himself and made peace through the blood of His cross (Col. 1:19-20).
Saul, also known as Paul an
apostle of Jesus Christ, was completely transformed into the
likeness of his Master by the renewing of his mind. He became God’s
divinely inspired speaker and writer concerning the sovereign election of
God’s calling (Gal. 1:15-16). With the mind of Christ, he understood the
complete and perfect will of God in his generation (Rom. 12:1, 2). (Like
Paul, we can have the mind of Christ and understand the complete and
perfect will of God.)
In his writings, Paul gave all
followers of Jesus Christ a precious history of their true spiritual
identity “in Christ” (Gal. 3:28).
God’s Holy Spirit led me into a
remarkable relationship with my heavenly Father. By experience I
learned from Paul’s experience and inspired writing that Father God
“sent forth the Spirit of His Son” into my heart (Gal. 4:6-7). I
am a true son of God, a joint heir with Christ through my spiritual union
with the unlimited, uncreated Spirit of my Father God. Greater is He who
indwells me than any voice or writing that is outside of me. God’s Word
and Spirit tell me so (1 John 4:4).
I have learned that the Bible
was written to God’s covenant people about their redemptive history. It is
not about world history. Genesis 1:1 to Revelation 22:21 is all about our
personal history as new creation, covenant believers in our Father’s
kingdom. Today, I am a co-laborer with Him in the reconciliation of lost
men/women in our world. I’m also a lifeline to many who are immature in
the mystical body of Christ.
God’s Holy Spirit has called me
into this journey with my Father God. My personal history is short—I am of
God. In Him I live and move and have my being (Acts 17:28).
Yes, history is important, and
I love it. Divine discernment has enabled believers in the God of the
Bible to sort out the secular and sacred history. I trust this brief
history lesson will resonate in your hearts and souls. The best is yet to
come.
My
Omnipresent Friend
By Paul Gabbert
In the stillness of the
morning,
I begin my day with Him;
His whispered song of love I hear,
As the notes resound within.
Praising my Lord and Savior
In a voice that is sweet and clear,
Through the Spirit’s love song
To my Lord Christ I draw near.
Speaking a spiritual language
My mind has never known
Through the Spirit’s bidding,
I approach My Father’s throne.
Freed from a worldly mindset
His plan and vision I now see
As His word becomes alive
And His truth reality.
With His wisdom and
discernment,
My daily ministry now begins
Under the careful guidance
Of my Omnipresent Friend.
Paul Gabbert
currently runs R & P Cleaning Service.
At
some point in my secondary education, I learned how to be a “critical
thinker”—requiring scientific, mathematic, or historic evidence before
believing a particular fact. This philosophy of learning can undermine
God’s teaching method, which is “believe, and then you will see.” 
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