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The Present
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FROM THE EDITOR’S HEART
Recently during our morning devotions, I read this scripture to my kids: “He remembers His covenant forever…” (Ps. 105:8). “What does this mean to you?” I asked. My youngest daughter declared with amazement, “God has a really good memory.” Forever is a long time to remember something, and Father God recalls every covenant He has made with every one of His children. A covenant is a conditional contractual agreement between two parties. Simply put, when we enter a covenant relationship with the Lord, we give Him all we are, and He gives us all of Himself. As we surrender our things, places, people, and plans to Him, He blesses us with His best and sets our feet on a path of abundant living. If we shrink back from obeying His voice, He cannot release the full flow of blessings into our lives. Several years ago, our church decided to change its name to emphasize the importance of covenant living. We revised our name from “Abundant Life Ministries” to “Abundant Life Covenant Church.” The covenant life we enjoy is not free from suffering, but with every trial, God supplies the peace, joy, and wisdom we need as we fully yield to Him. …the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting On those who fear Him, And His righteousness to children’s children, To such as keep His covenant… (Ps. 103:17-18). …(for the Lord your God is a merciful God), He will not forsake you nor destroy you, nor forget the covenant…(Deut. 4:31). My covenant I will not break… (Ps. 89:34).
Sincerely in Christ,
THE LAST DISCIPLE is a well-written novel that
is a good alternative to the left-behind series. It is written from
what we consider a partial-preterist viewpoint; i.e. that the
great-tribulation and most of the book of revelation was written about and
fulfilled in the first century. Reading it is an excellent way to both
enjoy a novel and gain a scriptural understanding of how Jesus' and His
apostles prophecies were fulfilled in the first century.
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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).
A FAITH THAT LACKS NOTHING The Bible was written to God’s covenant people about their redemptive history; it is not about world history per se. It declares the covenants (contracts) that God initiates with His chosen people. Its message will speak to us today whether we are living as a lowly person in very meager circumstances or living as a rich person with great affluences and riches. It’s all about a faith that lacks nothing. God’s covenant people walk by faith and not by sight. The divinely inspired letter of James gives some insight into a faith life that is fulfilling and rewarding in our postmodern world. James made no boast about his personal relationship to Jesus, nor did he identify himself as a church leader. His greatest honor was to be a bondservant of God. As believers in Christ today, our testimony should be the same—our highest calling is to be bondservants. James was writing to the twelve tribes of Israel (Diaspora) about 62 AD. They had been scattered abroad throughout Gentile lands as God’s prophet Moses had prophesied (Deut. 4:27-31, 28:64-68). These Jews were living outside of their homeland Palestine. They had disobeyed God’s voice. They practiced their Jewish faith in synagogues in Gentile lands and were homesick. Many were brokenhearted because of making bad decisions. Those who believed in Christ were expecting the imminent return of the Lord (James 5:7-8). In these circumstances, James writes, “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials” (James 1:2). The proper attitude in meeting adversity is to “count it all joy,” which is not an emotional reaction but a deliberate intelligent appraisal of the situation from God’s perspective. God allows trials to come into our lives for our moral and spiritual growth. Our response during trials reveals whether we are the real deal (genuine) or not. God’s indwelling Spirit gives true joy that becomes our strength. The key is to keep an attitude of humility and submissiveness to God’s Word. Rebellion, resentment, self-pity, and independence will rob us of true joy. James further says, “…knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience” (James 1:3). Life in the kingdom of God is a marathon, not a sprint. Faith and patience are power twins in becoming strong in the kingdom of God. We must continue in obedience to God’s Word to reach His goal for us—to become true disciples of Jesus Christ. James gives further instructions: …let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect (mature) and complete, lacking nothing (James 1:4). If one follows the divine wisdom of Jesus in his walk of faith, “the lowly brother (can) glory in his exaltation” (James 1:9). Father God has declared him to be a true son and a joint heir with Jesus Christ. He has received a righteousness equal to that of Jesus Christ (2 Cor. 5:21). Truly God has exalted him through the cross of Jesus Christ (Gal. 2:20). The Christian who is poor materially can rejoice in his/her high spiritual position as a child of God—while the rich person can rejoice in new values, realizing the temporal nature of earthly wealth as opposed to eternal benefits of spiritual possessions.
A. Wilson Phillips is the co-founding and senior pastor of Abundant Life Covenant Church.
ENTER HIS REST We live in a very fast-paced and noisy world. Balancing marriage, children, church, work, school, exercise, recreation, amusement, and sleep often pushes us over our 24-hour limit. God did not create mankind to be able to handle a lifestyle of constant activity. Though our spirits joined to Christ are infinite, our minds, emotions, and bodies are not. If we could see an x-ray of a person’s soul activity, like a racecar’s tachometer, it would likely be pushing the red line quite regularly. God’s fourth commandment through Moses dealt directly with this problem—“Observe My Sabbath (rest).” Our Creator mandated that His covenant people learn how to rest, because without the commandment most would not. The Psalmist speaking for God said, “Be still, and know that I am God” and “Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still” (Ps 46:10; 4:4). Inner quietness paired with the practice of meditation in the Word of God are good medicine for our entire being. Miraculously, in our stillness God’s living Word is transforming our inner being from glory to glory into His image. And yet there is another ingredient for our soul’s rest that many Christian people may not understand—the yoke of Jesus Christ. Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light (Matt. 11:28-30). Rest requires more than tranquility; it requires the encompassing presence of Jesus. As we come under His authority through His Word and Spirit, His promise to us is rest! The yokes of sin, the world, and our flesh are heavy yokes and will never bring peace in our souls. Unbelief and disobedience disqualify God’s people from entering into His rest (Heb. 3:18-19), which again points us back to the lordship of Christ as the key to life and freedom. On one occasion when Jesus saw the multitudes around Him, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered like sheep having no shepherd (Matt. 9:36). He ached to heal their hurts, mend their hearts, and gather them into the safety of His Spirit. As His sheep, we were not created to function outside of His presence; He went to the cross to make our way into His Father’s bosom (holy of holies). Yes, we will always wear the
yoke of Christ, but His is easy
Richard K. Clark is an associate pastor of Abundant Life Covenant Church.
Imparting Character A committed father’s desire is to see his character reproduced in his children. As we go about this process, we often learn that more character is caught than taught. Nevertheless, we still teach, admonish, and discipline our children, often making tremendous sacrifice, to help them develop right. So it is with our heavenly Father. From the beginning, our heavenly Father established a plan to reproduce His character in His children. When Scripture declares that “God created man in His own image” (Gen 1:27), it was more than our make up He was referring to; it was our potential in character development to become like Him. God’s first assignment to Adam and Eve was designed to develop their character to be like His. He commanded, Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth (Gen. 1:28). This was no simple task. It would require a lifetime plus generational growth and self-sacrifice to fulfill it. Yet in doing so, Adam, Eve, and their children would grow to reflect God’s image in the way they thought, spoke, and lived. As history goes, Adam and Eve failed in their assignment. Because of sin, the wrong character of pride and rebellion was produced in their children. But God was not finished. Because of the increase of sin, God gave His children the law (Gal. 3:19). Mankind had become so vile and sinful in their relationships that they no longer projected God’s character in their lifestyles. In God’s mercy, He gave them the law to once again reveal His character, to teach His children the fundamentals of right and wrong. One primary purpose of the law was to reveal God’s character of self-sacrifice. The law, in all its rituals and animal sacrifices, ultimately pointed to the cross of Jesus Christ. In the cross, we see God’s final revelation of Himself to His children, and those who receive it have the opportunity to develop fully into His image. The apostle Paul outlines the problem man has in reflecting God’s image today: …for all have sinned and fall short of the glory (character) of God (Rom. 3:23). The good news is that in Christ there is potential to be like Him, receiving the full impartation of His character and nature in human form. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory (character to character), just as by the Spirit of the Lord (2 Cor. 3:18). How believers relate to the law today can be a major hindrance in their character development. The law is necessary. As one creative spokesman said, “Legalism will kill you; licentiousness (a life of sin) will kill you faster.” The law is an excellent tutor to teach us right from wrong and reveal the character and nature of the lawgiver, God. “Christians” who attempt to live without the internal conscience imparted by the law always end up in destructive lifestyles and relationships. That said, Jesus and His apostles made clear that the law was not an end-all by itself. Once it is internalized, it produces an educated conscience. Then the Spirit of Christ takes over to bring us to a place of relating to the Lord face to face. As Paul explained, Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty (2 Cor. 3:17). Many believers today are
calling for a return of Christ to set up a physical temple in national
Israel. They are bound up in legalism and often lead others into the
Those who understand God’s character and nature understand that the veil is taken away in Christ and His sacrifice. New covenant Israel is the church. We have the full potential to grow up in Him and reflect His full character and nature in the earth today. Benjamin Davis is an associate pastor of Abundant Life Covenant Church
SONS OF THE COVENANT Over the years, the following passage of Scripture has grabbed hold of my heart: The Lord looks from heaven; He sees all the sons of men… He fashions their hearts individually… (Ps. 33:13, 15). This passage is true of all the sons (and daughters) of God’s covenant, including my children. My wife and I have three children, and they have been raised as a part of God’s covenant; God’s covenant is all they have ever known. As we ponder their future, the Lord has given us faith that He has a divine destiny for their lives. As we have watched our children grow through the years, it has been interesting to see how they have responded differently when the Lord is dealing with them about similar issues of truth. At first, we were unsettled about this, but then the Lord reminded us that “He fashions their hearts individually…” He is in control…there will be no wasted years in their lives. This truth has brought peace to us, especially when we have seen them respond negatively to the Lord. The Lord reminds us that the goodness of God is like a coin—it has two sides. The goodness of God yields blessings and contentment as one yields to the Lord and flows with Him. Simultaneously, the goodness of God yields discipline (and pain) when one resists and fights against His divine dealings. He will teach the fear of God, and that is His goodness [the goodness of God leads to repentance (Rom. 2:4)]. If his sons forsake My law And do not walk in My judgments… Then I will punish their transgression with the rod… Nevertheless, My lovingkindness I will not utterly take from him, Nor allow My faithfulness to fail (Ps. 89:30-33). Because of His goodness, the Lord will teach godly fear to the covenant sons and daughters when they are resisting Him and when they are not. Our hearts are
learning to be at peace as we see God developing sons and
Jonathan Clark is an elder of Abundant Life Covenant Church and a physician in Springfield, Missouri.
LIFE-CHANGING WORDS Many years ago, our pastor had our congregation read the book The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale. Years before this, I heard people warning others to beware of its unscriptural message, so I steered clear of it. I thought I was a fairly positive person (at least as I unscripturally compared myself to other Christians). As I began to read the words, I saw that they came from God’s Word. Over and over again, Peale repeated the same principles until I began to believe that thinking positively all of the time was actually possible. My thinking didn’t change over night, but the words from that book set me on a new course in life. Words are containers of thought and carry ideas. Because people are raised in different parts of the world, in different environments, with different parents, their ways of thinking can be vastly different from each other. Scripture says: “…faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Rom. 10:17). As we hear words on an ongoing basis, many times we are presented with ideas that we never thought of or never thought possible for ourselves. These thoughts can be good or bad; but words are important. Without them, we would never know our options. We would be limited by the way we were raised. Fear causes us to close ourselves off from any thought that is different from what we already think. Faith and fear are incompatible. Fear is a lack of trust in God. He wants to build our lives on a total reliance of Him in every area of our lives. The good news is that we have not been left orphans to fend for ourselves and figure this all out. We have a helper, Holy Spirit, who will lead us and guide us into all truth. We also have and need God’s Word and His people. As we yield to Holy Spirit (trust Him) and humble ourselves—and come to the realization that we do not know everything—He will expand our thinking. He will take true words and lead us to places that we have never fathomed. For He “is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us” (Eph. 3:20). Angie Gibson is a homemaker in Springfield, Missouri.
POWER OF THE SPOKEN WORD …God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do no exist as though they did … (Rom 4:17). To relate to my circumstances, I have paraphrased this verse to read, “Speak those things that are not as though they were, and they shall become.” God spoke a word to me, I continually spoke it, and the word materialized. Several years ago, I lost my manufacturing engineering job at Zenith Electronics when they moved their Springfield production plant to Mexico. Since I knew that God had placed my family and me in the vision and ministry of our local church, I did not want to leave the Springfield area. I immediately sent out letters and my resume to every manufacturing plant in the area. There were no responses to my inquiries for an engineering position that needed my credentials. God was teaching me that He was my source, not Zenith. He showed me He was in control of all things—even losing my employment and benefits. He had a covenant and a greater plan for my life than I was thinking. I heard in my spirit the words, “Be about your father’s business.” I looked up Luke 2:49 and saw that Jesus had a similar calling. My father’s business was the welding supply business. Dad was the “son” in P.G. Walker & Son, Inc., and my grandfather was P.G. Walker. My sister and I were named after him. P.G. Walker & Son, Inc. is the largest welding supply company in southwestern Missouri. After Grandpa passed away, Dad owned and managed the company for a while and then sold it. He worked there until his retirement. I remember when I was a little child Mom saying to my sister and me every time we would see one of Dad’s trucks around town, “Look, there goes a truck with your names on it.” Then my sister and I would play the game of seeing how many times we could see a truck with our names on the side. With this word in my heart, “Be about your father’s business,” I sent my resume to welding supply companies in the areas of Kansas City, St. Louis, and Tulsa to see if they were interested in opening a store in Springfield. Kirk Welding Supply, Inc. in Kansas City called and wanted to meet with me. As I continued to think and speak the word in my heart, God gave me a marketing proposal to present to them. Today, 18 years later, because I began speaking the word and vision God had given me, and Kirk Welding Supply agreed with that vision, they have stores in Springfield and Joplin. I am enjoying serving my customers with their welding needs. Yes, when my job ended at Zenith, God did have a greater plan for my life! …what He had promised he was also able to perform (Rom. 4:21). Phil Walker serves as a deacon at Abundant Life Covenant Church. He is a store manager for Kirk Welding Supply in Springfield, Missouri.
RECEIVING MY
VISION Several years ago, I moved to Springfield, Missouri, and started attending Abundant Life Covenant Church. I witnessed that the pastor was anointed by God, and his words helped me have a better understanding of the Scriptures. At one point, a friend shared with me, “God has shown me that He has given our pastor a vision for our church, and I am to take up the vision as my own.” Over the following days, I pondered these words. I knew if I made the same commitment, I would be “marrying the church” and staying in Springfield. My husband and I moved to Springfield from Las Vegas so that he could attend the anesthesia program at St. John’s Hospital. We considered Springfield to be a temporary location and planned to move to a coastal state when he completed the program. However, during his training, he left me, and we divorced. I considered moving back to Las Vegas. My job there paid well, and I knew they would take me back. I had friends there. The Lord spoke to my heart, “Three hundred miles or three thousand miles, you will take your thoughts with you. If you stay here, I will bring healing to you.” I decided in my heart to receive this pastor and to receive his vision for our church family as mine. Immediately, I sensed a deeper revealing of God’s presence. I had “married” a local church, and with a deeper commitment came deeper intimacy. He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward… (Matt. 10:41).
…Believe in the Lord your God, and you shall be established, believe His prophets, and you shall prosper (2 Chr. 20:20). Lana Sanders is a homemaker in Springfield, Missouri.
Carrying My Luggage Recently, our family took a whirlwind trip to New Jersey. We left Thursday evening and returned Sunday afternoon. While there, we were in three states: New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York. It was a stressful, busy trip with lots of luggage. I have trouble with my shoulder due to previous injury and am not supposed to lift heavy things. Here we are going in and out of three different airports and driving through three states. I could not imagine not helping my family carry the luggage. To me it was unthinkable to walk beside them with only my purse and a small bag while they carried the heavy stuff. So, I helped. By the time we returned, my shoulder hurt. I did everything I knew how to do with little success. Finally, my doctor said it really needed a rest and prescribed a sling. During this time, we heard a friend speak about stress management. My husband asked me the next day if what we had heard related to me. I told him how I thought it related. He asked me, “Are you letting God handle your stress?” I thought so. I asked God what He thought. The day I had was very quiet and allowed me a lot of time to meditate, read, and think. God was speaking to me. The question was, “Am I allowing God to carry my luggage? Am I allowing God to carry my stress?” I thought I was. I was having devotions, asking Him for help throughout the day, listening to Him, singing and worshiping, and praying for others. God showed me He wanted to take me deeper and reveal to me how to let Him carry my stress even better. God gave me some direction that I am following. One point was about rolling the load onto God. Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass. He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, And your justice as the noonday (Ps. 37:5-6). …casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you (1 Pet. 5:7). One commentary I read said that this was like getting the load off of a camel. It is necessary to roll the load off of the animal while it is lying down. I have to be at rest inside and allow the stress to “roll off of me” onto Christ. Then it’s like walking through the terminals and hotels (life) with only my purse while Jesus carries the rest. I’m walking with Jesus, but He’s carrying the load. Liz Frater is the office manager at MTS Contracting, Incorporated, in Springfield, Missouri.
SEEING
GOD IN MY CIRCUMSTANCES
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In
summary, James’ message is that God’s covenant people are only passing
through this earthly life in preparation for a transition into our
spiritual bodies (1 Cor. 15:44). James wants the rich and poor alike to be
sensitive to good covenant social relationships, which are of great
importance in living a kingdom lifestyle. It is a life of righteousness,
peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit for all of God’s covenant people at all
times and in all circumstances. It’s a faith that is lacking nothing.
and
His burden is light. His yoke involves obedience and so much more.
We learn “of” Him as we come to “know” Him. An intimate lifestyle with
Jesus is the only true way to bear His yoke. Once we become accustomed to
wearing the yoke it makes us secure and strong in our faith—since we live
to do God’s will and have ceased from our own. There is nothing like God’s
rest, and His words still ring true in the year 2007, “Come to Me!”
bondage
of legalism. They are looking for a day when Jesus will lead a national
Israel to set up animal sacrifices again. 
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