Tag Archive: Christianity


Jesus Wants us to Follow Him

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January 31, 2012

The Morning Star Rising on the First Day

Jesus Wants us to Follow Him

I suspect that every real Christian knows that Jesus wants us to follow Him. It seems however that we sometimes wind us right where we started. In fact, it even happened to the disciples such that Jesus had to come to them after the Crucifixion to get them moving in the right direction. We find this story by looking at the 21st chapter of the Book of John:

Jesus Appears at the Sea of Galilee

1 After these things Jesus manifested Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, and He manifested Himself in this way. 2 Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two others of His disciples were together. 3 Simon Peter *said to them, “I am going fishing.” They *said to him, “We will also come with you.” They went out and got into the boat; and that night they caught nothing.

4 But when the day was now breaking, Jesus stood on the beach; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. 5 So Jesus *said to them, “Children, you do not have any fish, do you?” They answered Him, “No.” 6 And He said to them, “Cast the net on the right-hand side of the boat and you will find a catch.” So they cast, and then they were not able to haul it in because of the great number of fish. 7 Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved *said to Peter, “It is the Lord.” So when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put his outer garment on (for he was stripped for work), and threw himself into the sea. 8 But the other disciples came in the little boat, for they were not far from the land, but about one hundred yards away, dragging the net full of fish.

9 So when they got out on the land, they *saw a charcoal fire already laid and fish placed on it, and bread. 10 Jesus *said to them, “Bring some of the fish which you have now caught.” 11 Simon Peter went up and drew the net to land, full of large fish, a hundred and fifty-three; and although there were so many, the net was not torn.

Jesus is the Light of the Wordl

12 Jesus *said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples ventured to question Him, “Who are You?” knowing that it was the Lord. 13 Jesus *came and *took the bread and *gave it to them, and the fish likewise. 14 This is now the third time that Jesus was manifested to the disciples, after He was raised from the dead.

Jesus at the Tomb

So, what we find here is that four of Jesus’ closest disciples had gone back to where they had been when Jesus recruited them many years prior. Peter, Andrew, John and James were all fishermen. The 4th chapter of Matthew tells us this quite clearly:

18 Now as Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon who was called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. 19 And He *said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” 20 Immediately they left their nets and followed Him. 21 Going on from there He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and He called them. 22 Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him.

So based on this we can see that these four disciples started as fishermen and then returned to fishing after the death and Resurrection of Jesus. Jesus singles out Peter because he is the one that is the leader of the group. He gives Peter a message that no Christian would like to hear. This message is recorded in the 21st chapter of John:

The Love Motivation

15 So when they had finished breakfast, Jesus *said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?” He *said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He *said to him, “Tend My lambs.” 16 He *said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” He *said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He *said to him, “Shepherd My sheep.” 17 He *said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus *said to him, “Tend My sheep. 

Jesus the Good Shepherd

18 Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to gird yourself and walk wherever you wished; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will gird you, and bring you where you do not wish to go.” 19 Now this He said, signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He *said to him, “Follow Me!”

This is  what Jesus want of all of us. So, if we find ourselves back doing the same things that we did prior to our commitment to Him, then we would do well to heed His words and follow Him. Here are a few messages that He gave to us that support the messages above:

Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. (Matt 16:24)

 

Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” (Matt 19:21)

Jesus *said to him, “If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow Me!”  (John 21:22)

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Should Christians Worry About Blindness?

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January 19, 2012

The Morning Star Rising on the First Day

Should Christians Worry About Blindness? 

In our last posting we addressed the following words of Jesus: “Do not judge so that you will not be judged.” This in turn led us to look at the definition of Judgment for a better understanding. In doing so we found that there are two distinct components of the term. In the first a decision of guilt or innocence made. In the second, a decision is made about the punishment appropriate for the offences committed. 

In examining the statement of Jesus presented above, we determined that it was the delivery of punishment that Jesus was warning us about. Therefore, the statement of Jesus could be stated as: “Do not punish so that you will not be punished.”

Jesu and the Adulterous Woman

However, as we will soon see, it is often the first component of Judgment that gets us into trouble. The following example will demonstrate this very well and sheds light upon our own frailties.

The example comes from the 9th chapter of John. It tells us about a man who was born blind but then receives his sight through the miraculous actions of Jesus.

Jesus "The light of the World," Heals a Blind Man

This chapter also infers that the scribes and Pharisees must have believed that Jesus was a fraud as they repeatedly interrogated the once blind man and his family, obviously believing that they were less than honest. When the Pharisees discovered that this healing work was done on the Sabbath day, they concluded that Jesus was a sinner and as a result the healing could not have come from God.

In the end, Jesus makes the following statements that communicate their blindness to them:

And Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, so that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may become blind.” 40 Those of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these things and said to Him, “We are not blind too, are we?” 41 Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but since you say, ‘We see,’ your sin remains.

In this passage, Jesus is once again using the word “Judgment,” stating that He came for Judgment. He came so that we could make a judgment about the love of God for His people. Since we were once blind God gave us the opportunity to see His Son the Truth for ourselves. So, now that we have seen the Truth what is our judgment? Do we embrace God and seek Him or do we ignore or deny what happened? 

Jesus is the Light of the Wordl

Therefore, people who knew little about God could to see the nature of God in the works and miracles that Jesus performed. They are the blind who lived in a total darkness and then saw a great light. They are the blind who can now see the Truth and believed in that Truth. Their sins have been forgiven.  

On the other hand we have groups like the Pharisees who have often times devoted their entire lives to the study and understanding of God. They believed that they knew the truth. They believe that their interpretation of Gods commandments was an absolute truth. They would have never even considered that their viewpoint of the commandment to keep the Sabbath holy was flawed. But it was! They proclaimed that they could see because of their work, but in fact they were blind. As a result they were blind to the light of Jesus that stood right before them. Since they did not believe in Him, their sin remained.

The point is that this lesson applies to all of us today. One can support this premise by simply looking at all of the differing doctrines of Christianity today.  The fact is that across the various churches of Christianity we find diametrically opposed views of what the truth. So, lets look at some examples: some believe that the use of modern technology is sinful, others belive that drinking is a sin, others believe that you can not eat meat on Fridays, and still others believe that healing is not for today (not an all-inclusive list.) No, I am not going to pick sides here. The point to be made is that when we have inconsistent doctrines of the faith, then someone has to be wrong about what they belive. 

This means that our understanding of the truth can also be flawed, just like it was for the scribes and the Pharisees who incorrectly judged Jesus to be a sinner. For the Pharisees, this incorrect belief led to the fatal determination of punishment for Jesus.

If we think about this a bit then one has to ask; “Who are we to say that our belief system is the only one that is in line with what God wants?” Quite frankly, I believe that it is quite possible that none of us has it 100% correct. Gods ways are much higher than ours. Suffice it to say that it is because of these potential blind spots of beliefs that it is critical that be abstain for handing out punishment to others.

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Developing A Relationship of Grace

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December 28, 2011

 

 

The Morning Star Rising on the First Day

 

Developing A Relationship of Grace

To initiate a discussion about a Relationship of Grace, one must differentiate it from a definition of the State ofGracethat is found in certain Christian communities. As I understand this definition, a State ofGraceis demonstrated in the gifts that all people, good and otherwise, receive from God. Therefore, this Grace is demonstrated in that we are all alive and have the blessings of God’s provisions all around us. We have life, and air to breath, food to eat, and so on. So, in looking at the State of Grace in this way we give God the credit for all of the good things that we have here on Earth. In this regard, I agree that we should give God the credit for everything that we have as it is a reflection of God’s love that He has bestowed upon all of us.

Jesus is the Light of the Wordl

In extending this definition of a State of Grace we can say that our ability to establish a Relationship of Grace falls under its definition. However, this Relationship of Grace requires our participation as we must choose to initiate it and we must work to develop it. I suppose that this is not much different from initiating action to acquire food and then process it, cook it and serve it to our families. The big difference between the two is that a Relationship of Grace is derived exclusively from the work that Jesus did while He was on the earth, especially the work that He did on the cross. It was this work that is the foundation of the forgiveness of our sins. It is this work that opens the doors to the establishment of an intimate relationship with God that in turn leads us to be empowered warriors for Christ Jesus.

 

Jesus Sheds His Blood on the Cross

This relationship starts with our belief in Jesus and His works and then matures as we follow the leading of the Holy Spirit. Typically this leading starts with desire to learn everything that we can about the perfect model of God that is His Son Jesus. This is accomplished by reading and meditating on the Gospels that communicate the words and actions of Jesus on this Earth. In doing so the Holy Spirit calls us to examine our own nature in the pure light of these words and actions. He leads us to conform to the nature of Jesus such that we are not the person that we once were, but rather have metamorphosed into children of the living God.

The Holy Spirit

 So, when we step back and look at it, it is our desire to come closer to God and our willingness to do the work required to achieve it that activates the Holy Spirit to lead us toward our goal. Achieving a relationship with God that is led by the Holy Spirit is called a Relationship of Grace. Our ability to enter into such a relationship has been earned by the works of Jesus Christ on this earth.

 

The gifts of entering into this relationship are more than our metamorphosis however. Our reward is that upon the completion of our changed nature the Holy Spirit will lead us toward preparing ourselves for the ministry of Jesus Christ. When this occurs we will enter into an even deeper, more intimate relationship with God, one that empowers us to enter into the spiritual warfare of Jesus. This higher level of relationship is called a Relationship of Empowerment. In this Relationship of Empowerment our pathway will be illuminated and our prayers and actions will bring down the strongholds of the evil one. 

This is the level of relationship that enabled the church to grow and prosper through all the times of adversity. It is the level of relationship that empowered the actions of the apostles and saints of our history. It is the type of relationship that sponsors miracles in response to our actions and words, just like it did thousands of years ago. But is it your path? Are you ready to invest your time into developing a closer relationship with God?

 

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Why do we need Water Baptism

Filed under: Spirituality, spirtual warfare — 1 Comment
November 22, 2011

The Morning Star Rising on the First Day

A few weeks ago I had a reader question the validity of water baptism, claiming that the only true baptism came through the washing of the word. Here is what he said.

The brazen laver exists no more as it’s function is over, nor does the baptism of John. Those who believe in it are clinging to the old covenant of rituals. We are now washed by the water of the word Ephesians 5:26 (KJV) ”That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,”. The brazen laver and the water it contained was a symbol of that which was to come -’The Word’. and the washing has to be by the word not by any water, even if it is in theJordan River.

I agree that baptism comes by way of integrating the word of God into ourselves by way of the Holy Spirit. Through this process our basic nature is conformed to God. However, I also believe that our physical actions can initiate the involvement of the Holy Spirit in support of our ministry. In this regard our action of being baptized in water is the outward demonstration that initiates the leading of the Holy Spirit in support of the ministry God has given us.   My studies have revealed that each component of the Tabernacle (which was the place where God dwelt with His people) is prophetic of the ministry of Jesus. So, when the vale that separated man from the Holy of Holies (the place where the High Priest could talk directly with God) was torn in two, it effectively prophesied that all men now have the opportunity to change their nature to that of the High Priest, such that everyone is now capable of preparing themselves to entering into the most intimate relationship possible with God.

High Priest in the Most Holy Place before the Ark of the Covenant

In a similar way, the Brazen Laver (that was used exclusively by the priest for washing in preparation for ministry) was fulfilled by Jesus in His Baptism by John in theJordan. This cornerstone of Christianity called baptism was given so that we could all partake of the ministry of Jesus. Now, to be perfectly clear, the ministry of Jesus is spiritual warfare, which is bringing down the evil spiritual powers that are often the source of the evil actions of men.

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places (Ephesians 6:12).

The Gospels give us many specific examples of the spiritual warfare of Jesus. When we look at these examples it becomes evident that this warfare, all-though spiritual, required some form of physical action. It is as if the physical actions of Jesus triggered miraculous actions by the Holy Spirit. So for example, healing and other miracles were preceded by a touch or by spoken words.

Jesus "The light of the World," Heals a Blind Man

So when Jesus declared, “I am the bread of Life” for example, His words were followed by the multiplication of the loaves for the multitudes that followed Him. Even the greatest spiritual warfare victory of all time involved the willing surrender of His body to torture and crucifixion. The miracles followed came in the forgiveness of our sins and the gift of His Holy Spirit that empowers our actions.

And He said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you (Luke 10: 18-19).

The reason I bring these subjects up is because water baptism can be the physical action necessary to initiate the action of the Holy Spirit to launch us into ministry. I might add that I have seen the baptisms and heard the testimonies of adults who have been baptized in water and they bare witness that the physical act of water baptism brought the power of the Holy Spirit upon them. Their baptism of the word was sealed by their physical act of water baptism. When I have questions of this nature I often look to the early church and the actions of Jesus and His immediate followers. Certainly, one can not go wrong by following their example. So, in regard to these questions I can state that disciples of Jesus baptized more people than John did, which indicates that Jesus encouraged them to do so.

Therefore, when the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John (though Jesus Himself did not baptize, but His disciples), He left Judea and departed again toGalilee(John 4:1-3).

In addition, the grand commission Jesus gave us, tells us to go into the world baptizing all in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. The question has to be; was this a call to simply pour water over people or to teach them about God and conforming to Him. I think the later. This is the washing in the word. Jesus gave us His life as a model for us to emulate. The words that we cleanse ourselves in are the Gospels. They tell us about the life and words of Jesus. Therefore, they are a reflection of the actions and words of Jesus, which are the waters that give us a perfect self reflection such that we see ourselves as God sees us.

Jesus had already washed in the word of God as is evident in the Gospels. He was also without sin and therefore did not require cleansing. So why did He do it?

The Baptism of Jesus

He knew that those who followed Him would seek to do the things that He did and greater things as well. He also did it to fulfill the prophesy of the Tabernacle that required all priests to cleans themselves prior to ministry. This physical action is required for our ministries to be truly empowered from on high.  These things are confirmed when we look to the early church we see Peter preaching and converting thousands with a message of a baptism that leads to receiving the Holy Spirit.

The Baptism of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost

Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.” And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation.” Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.

Peter spoke under the power of the Holy Spirit and they were cut to the heart and sought the change Peter offered by way of water baptism. These actions launched a massive growth in Christianity. Why should we do differently?

 

 

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Moving Toward a Closer Relationship with God

Filed under: Ministry, Spirituality, spirtual warfare — Leave a comment
October 24, 2011

The Morning Star Rising on the First Day

Moving Toward a Closer Relationship with God

There are three distinct levels of relationship that man can achieve with God, and each has its own set of unique benefits and rewards. Interestingly, they are not well understood by many Christians and this often leads to disappointment as some enter into ministry unprepared. One of the fundamentals to entering into ministry is to have an established relationship with God. The reason for this is that the ministry of Jesus is spiritual warfare and as such, one confronts the evil principalities and powers of the spiritual world. As in all warfare, the fighters are in danger of being attacked and possibly loosing their lives. Running into a battlefield unprepared is foolish. Winning battles requires soldiers that have been well trained, well equipped and well directed. This is why Paul made the following proclamation in his letter to the Ephesians:

 10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.


14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints— 19 and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

The body of Christ - On Earth as it is Heaven

But all of this requires preparation. Going out and buying a helmet, a flack jacket and a rifle will not make you a soldier. Intense training is required as is proper leadership. It this regard we look to Jesus and His Holy Spirit. The life of Jesus, His words and actions as recorded in the Bible are all examples of spiritual warfare. In His words and actions we can clearly see how they differ from ours. The journey toward God requires a transformation from our nature to His. When we are adequately prepared the Holy Spirit will lead us into the battle just as He led Jesus. The Holy Spirit will lead us to become like Him. This is confirmed in the following scriptures:

You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden (Matt 5:14).

Jesus the Light of the World is Transfigured before His Disciples

“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father (John 14:11-13).

Since everyone is created with a purpose, our relationship with God substantially affects our ability to complete our mission and destiny with God. As we uncover the basic principles of relationship with God, what we find is that in order to move closer to God we must go through a metamorphous in which we change our nature from what we were to an entirely new creature whose has conformed to God. In essence, the pupa becomes the butterfly in the eyes of God.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new (2 Cor. 5:17).

The transformation often requires a true heart, a burning desire to develop a relationship with God and in some cases a substantial effort that in some cases can take years. In essence, there is a calling to complete the baptismal promise of our childhood by conforming our mind, heart and spirit to God, so that we become effective in achieving our purpose in life.   

The bottom line here is that understanding the types of relationships possible with God means that if you are sincerely seeking Jesus you will then find the pathway that leads to a closer relationship with Him and you will find the breakthroughs and receive the protection you may be praying for.

Jesus is the Light of the Wordl

With that said, lets start by looking at what these levels are, what they mean and then identify the path to moving toward a closer relationship with God.  

The three levels of relationship possible with God are; A relationship of grace, a relationship of empowerment and a relationship of covenant. At a very basic level, the Relationship of Grace has been established as we proclaim that Jesus is God’s Son, who gave up His life for us as redemption for our sins. So, in effect, establishment of this relationship only requires our sincere proclamation of our belief in Jesus. Once this relationship has been established, the serious work of moving toward our baptism is conducted and this work is the preparatory work required to establish a relationship of empowerment, which is the next level of relationship. Once this level has been achieved, our relationship with the Father become personal, our pathway becomes illuminated and our prayers and actions become effective in bringing down the powers of evil. The final level is the establishment of a relationship of Covenant. At this level our relationship with God is as a precious friend that has the confidence of God. People like Moses and Elijah would fall into this category. Peter, John and Andrew would also qualify as Jesus had twelve disciples but only three saw the transfiguration on the mountain. At this level we talk to God face to face and we have the support of God’s angels in our ministry.

As we move forward in subsequent postings I will drill down on these levels and how one can work toward achieving a closer relationship with God. By the way, it should be noted that all of this work has been derived from a study of the Tabernacle that was built to the specifications of God to become the place where God would dwell with His people. The discovery of this study was that every component and object found in the Tabernacle is prophetic of Jesus and His words and actions on earth. Most of the blog posting contained in this web site have been devoted to this subject.

Jesus, Moses Discuss the Fulfilment of Tabernacle Prophesy

So please feel to go to our home page to find an indexed into the components of this study that you may be interested in. Alternatively, use the search box on this page.

God bless you.

Papa Joe Gordon

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The Three Levels of Relationship Possible with God

Filed under: Jesus, Ministry, Spirituality, spirtual warfare — 3 Comments
August 23, 2011

The Morning Star Rising on the First Day

The Three Levels of Relationship Possible with God

There are three distinct levels of relationship that man can have with God. An understanding of these levels and what it takes to achieve them is critical to everyone entering ministry. Since everyone who believes in Jesus has been called into a ministry of one sort or another, this means that all Christians would benefit from understanding these relationship principals. Understanding them means that if you are sincerely seeking Jesus you will then find the pathway that leads to a closer relationship with Him and you will find the breakthroughs you have been praying for. With that said, lets start by looking at what these levels are, what they mean and then identify the path to moving toward a closer relationship with God and a more effective ministry.

 

The three levels of relationship possible with God are:

 

  1. A Relationship of Grace. At this level a person obtains forgiveness of their sins in return for their belief in Jesus and the contrition of their heart. This grace has been provided as a part of the new covenant that Jesus gave us at the last supper and then shortly afterward, sealed by giving up His body and blood on the cross as payment for our sins. This grace is enacted by our free will choice to believe that Jesus was God’s Son who lowered Himself to human form so that the bondage of the devil over us would be broken. This relationship of grace provides the assistance of the Holy Spirit in understanding nature and attributes of God that were demonstrated here on earth by Jesus. This is often accomplished with the reading or knowledge of scripture that is illuminated by the Holy Spirit that we may understand the truth. Often we read, meditate and pray for understanding as we continuously seek for the truth of God. It is in this searching that the Spirit reveals the truth about God that enables us to see ourselves in the eyes of God. This reflection of light from the perfect example that Jesus provided us enables us to contemplate our readiness for a higher ministry. It leads us to seek to be like Him. Over time and with the help of the Spirit we change from being conformed to the world, to being conformed to the will of God.  This is not typically an instantaneous process but more often a journey of cycles of illumination and transformation. When it is completed, the person taking the journey is now prepared to enter into a closer relationship with God. This closer relationship with God will empower them to enter into successful ministry, which is the spiritual warfare of Jesus.
  2. A Relationship of Empowerment. At this level a person obtains the tools necessary for successful ministry from God in return for their devotion and dedication in seeking Him and changing their life to become more like Him. At this level a person becomes a part of God’s immediate family. His pathway and purpose in life are made known to him. He therefore receives protection and guidance from God by way of the Holy Spirit. The empowerment of the spiritual warrior is essential in entering into the spiritual army of Jesus. The spiritual warfare of prayer and action brings down principalities of evil. It includes doing the things that Jesus did in His ministry and often much more. The Holy Spirit enlightens our pathway as He did for the disciples after Jesus’ death and resurrection. Becoming a spiritual warrior is a prerequisite to moving to the next level which is the most intimate relationship man can have with God.  
  3. A Relationship of Covenant. At this level a person enters through the vale that was torn in two at the time of Jesus’ death on the cross. He enters into the place were God the Father dwells. A place of the highest priest. A person at this level stands with the angels that surround God and they talk to God face to face like Moses did. They are God’s spokesmen and the leaders of God’s people. They are intimately knowledgeable of God’s covenant and they work toward its propagation to the world.

 

What I have laid out here is a map that you use to see where you are on your journey toward God. Many of us simply have difficulty hanging on to our Relationship of Grace as we fallback into sin and then return back for forgiveness over and over again. If this is the case for you then I suggest that you initiate a daily program to develop and closer relationship with God. Follow the outline above and seek God and pray that your nature is conformed to Gods will. This is the way to ensure your salvation, as one never knows when our final breath on this earth may come.

 

If you are in a ministry that is struggling then perhaps you have not received sufficient empowerment to accomplish the mission. If this is the case then initiating an effort to move toward a Relationship of Empowerment will prove to be the cure you need. In fact, one would have to wonder how any true ministry can be pleasing to God without the guiding path of the Holy Spirit and His power to overcome the fiery darts of the devil. Without the power of the Holy Spirit in ministry how will the world come to know the truth? Will it be by our words and actions alone? I don’t think so, as this was not even enough in the ministry of Jesus where even miracles did not convince everyone. We find that in the ministry of Jesus that He proclaimed, took action and then the miracles came.   

 

In regard to the Relationship of Covenant I do not have much to say because achieving this level is fairly rare.

 

A valid question about all of this is; “Is this a scriptural doctrine”? The answer is YES! We will talk about the foundation for all of the above in our next posting.

 

God bless,

 

Papa Joe  

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Jesus and the Tabernacle

Filed under: Covenant, Jesus, Ministry, Spirituality, Tabernacle — 1 Comment
August 17, 2011

Jesus the Alpha and the Omega

 Jesus and the Tabernacle

It all started with my decision to learn everything I could about Jesus. The motivating force was a genuine desire to develop a more intimate relationship with Him. I wanted to know everything that I could know so that I could better understand who He is, so that I could model my life after His in every way possible. 

My search to know Jesus started with an examination of the bible. I read the bible and then prayed and meditated about what I read. I did this for an hour a day for more than ten years. During that time I read the bible cover to cover twice. I also read the new testament more than five times, and individual the books that really talked to me, even more. Through this practice God gave me insight into so many things about the spiritual realm and Jesus. My heart yearned for the truth and God revealed the truth to me.  

However, after I was about half way through this ten-year exercise I encountered a mystery. There were two statements that Jesus made that I was puzzled over. The first statements is:

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. John 14:6

Jesus is the Light of the Wordl

This statement was an attempt to communicate to His disciples who He was and what His attributes were. While there were some clues in the passage to reveal what Jesus meant, I felt that the answers were vague. The way to where exactly? The truth about what? What life was He talking about? These are generalities and wanted to drill down and know the details. I wanted to know more as this verse certainly hinted that there was more to learn about Jesus.

In second scripture that wanted to drill down on was as follows:

He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.” Luke 24:44

The Transfigured Jesus With Moses

The Transfigured Jesus With Moses

Again, I wanted to drill down to find more details about Jesus. The problem was that I could not recall reading any comments about Jesus in the books of Moses. So, thinking that I missed them somehow, I decided to read the five books of the bible that are attributed to Moses again. This time however I would examine every line with the sole purpose of identifying the prophetic things that Moses wrote about Jesus. incredibly, reading these books provided no additional insight.  I knew that this could not be but was not quite sure how I could have missed something as large as this.

After praying about this for quite some time the truth finally came to me. Jesus was the fulfilment of the Tabernacle of Moses and the laws concerning the royal priesthood of Aaron. Now it all made sense! The Tabernacle was the way through which God would dwell with His people here on earth. It was God’s covenant promise to the people of Israel, who in turn promised to obey the Ten Comandments. So when Jesus stated that everything that was written about Him in the books of Moses must be fulfilled, he was claiming to be the fulfilment of the Tabernacle, the place where God would dwell with His people on earth. He was proclaiming the dawning of a new covenant, one that was a far superior to the old covenant in every way.

With this new revelation I started to put all of the pieces information together. I then remembered that a deacon from our church once told us that the names of the Tabernacle doors were; the Way, the Truth and the Life. I wondered why I had not made that connection before. Once again, Jesus was proclaiming to be the fulfillment of the Tabernacle when He stated that He was the Way, the Truth, and the Life. So these two statements were tied together in this way.

Jesus, Moses and the Tabernacle

This discovery was the start of a wonderful journey as I set my sights on Jesus and the Tabernacle, and what I learned was monumental. For example, I learned that the attributes and functions of each and every artifact in the Tabernacle was fulfilled in the life of Jesus. This fact is supported by the words Jesus spoke about Himself and the actions that Jesus demonstrated.  More importantly, these words and actions were reinforced by the miracles that directly supported what Jesus did and said.  The conclusion to all of this is that Jesus is the promised one of God and He is the Christ because He is the perfect fulfilment of the Tabernacle. He fulfills the prophesy of the Tabernacle in that He supplants each and every object inside the Tabernacle. This proof is very complex and lengthy indeed, and so we will put it off to another time. What we will focus on in this document is the second discovery attributed to all this research and prayer.  Something that I have never heard discussed in any Christian church that I ever attended.

This discovery is that there are three levels of relationship that man may have with God, and these levels of relationship will determine how effective your individual ministry will be on earth as well as your final resting place in heaven. Paul once spoke about the third heaven and in doing so revealed that he had achieved the closest of all possible relationships with God. There is much to say about all of this and so I am going to put all of this proof untill the next time.

God bless,

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THE PROPHESY OF PROVISION

Filed under: Bride of Christ, Ministry, Possess the Vision, Spirituality, spirtual warfare — 1 Comment
July 12, 2011

The Morning Star Rising on the First Day

THE PROPHESY OF PROVISION

 Just a few days later, our new pastor once again pulled me out of the congregation and spoke the following words:

 And my son, what I have done is small compared to what I will do. It is but a seed compared to what I’m getting ready to explode. It is but an investment compared to what I’m getting ready to release. As I have talked to you again and again about the hundred fold, oh yes, and your carnal, analytical, add it, subtract it, divide it mind has said, God, but that is so much. But, my son, it’s not that much to me. But you have said, God I’m not looking for me. I’m not looking even for my family. Oh, I’m looking for the kingdom. And the Lord would declare there are even amounts of finance that you have asked Me for and you know it will take miracles to bring it. But, it shall be released, says the Lord. Because I have had an account for even a last day revival—the wealth of the wicked that has been laid up for my sons and daughters. And many do not even realize I’ve already set it aside. I’ve already done it, says the Lord. And the Lord would declare unto thee, limit Me not. Favor—favor is thy word. Favor is thy heritage. Favor is thy future. Favor will bring thy increase. New wine, new wine into new bottles!

I understood this prophecy as a promise of God’s provision for whatever resources are necessary to accomplish the vision presented in this book. I hope that you have enjoyed my stories and that you were able to see the wonderful future that God has for his believers. A new earth filled with Jesus at its core, forever blossoming into a beautiful flower.

I trust that this blog may have helped you to find God’s purpose for your life. If you have not found it then I suggest that you seek it, for the Bible states; seek and you will find. Chances are that you will discover like I did, that it was there all the time. I compel you to possess the vision of the bride of Christ prepared for the marriage feast when Jesus victoriously returns.

 

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THE BUILDINGS OF GOD’S KINGDOM

Filed under: Christian Education, Ministry, Possess the Vision, Spirituality, spirtual warfare — 1 Comment
July 6, 2011

The Morning Star Rising on the First Day

Read my story by ordering my book, “Possess the Vision”

THE BUILDINGS OF GOD’S KINGDOM

 

In this vision, I saw the buildings that were a part of God’s plan. I saw the circular shape of the building’s exterior. I glimpsed inside and saw something that looked like computer consoles and display screens that wrapped their way around the center of the building. I was amazed at the practical value that the buildings offered.

 

I remember marveling at these buildings in my mind and even speculating at what a great price each building would cost to build. My mind started racing. How many buildings would be required to train and save all the people on the earth? If each building could serve a thousand people, then it would take millions of these masterpieces to carry out God’s plan. What an incomprehensible cost, I thought. Let’s see, a million buildings at approximately a million dollars a copy. That would be trillions of dollars just for the buildings alone. Where would that money come from? My answer would come sooner than I thought. I will tell you more in my next post.

Read my story by ordering my book, “Possess the Vision”

 

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THE TRENCH TO THE GLORY OF GOD

Filed under: Bride of Christ, Ministry, New Jerusalem, Possess the Vision, Spirituality, spirtual warfare, the morning star — Leave a comment
July 2, 2011

The Morning Star Rising on the First Day

Read the truly amazing life story about how the forces of good and evil battle over a man and the vision that God gives him. Joseph W. Gordon’s Possess the Vision (Xulon Press, $12.95, 140 pages, ISBN 1-59781-205-6) tells about the mysterious spiritual experiences that occur throughout his lifetime.

THE TRENCH TO THE GLORY OF GOD

It was at the time that we moved to Colorado that I started to have a number of visions, the first of which was the trench to the glory of God. In it I saw the outline of a darkened earth backlit by a wonderfully illuminated sky. The illumination came from the glory of God that was shining just below the horizon. It made the sky look like an enhanced version of the Northern Lights. They were enhanced because the colors were much brighter and more vivid than in our world. They were effervescent like the light from a neon bulb. In addition, the lights were presented in a panorama of intermixed colors. While they lacked a specific design, they were very pleasing and beautiful. They were also dynamic—constantly changing patterns of color. Slowly and gradually they changed from one indescribable, yet fantastically beautiful arrangement to another. I was very content to simply watch them change. In any event, this was the background upon which the earth was placed in my vision.

 

The darkened earth was illuminated only by the light on the horizon, and there was just enough of it to enable me to see the three-dimensional curvature of the earth. This sight was something like the dawning of the first day of the new earth when God returns to be its only light. 

 

The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light (Revelation 21:23).

 

I could also see a perfectly straight trench40 that had been dug across the entire face of the planet.

 

Lead me, O LORD, in Your righteousness because of my enemies; Make Your way straight before my face (Psalm 5:8).

 

The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the LORD; Make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted and every mountain and hill brought low; The crooked places shall be made straight and the rough places smooth; The glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.” (Isaiah 40:3 – 5)

 

 

It was about eight feet deep by four feet wide and tens of thousands of miles long. I marveled at the perfection of its straightness, thinking surely it must have been dug by a very special machine. It extended all the way to the horizon, where a notch appeared in the otherwise-perfect curvature of the earth. This notch on the earth’s horizon aligned perfectly with the source of God’s glory. It was at this position that the sky was its brightest. I could see the reflection of the brightly colored lights on the inside walls of the trench at this point on the horizon. I knew that the trench led to the glory of God! I also knew that I would enter into this trench, and once inside I would be led straight to God by following the light to the other end. The light would guide me in my journey. My walk would lead straight toward the magnificence of God! The trenched walls would keep me from the distractions on the earth.

 

This vision obviously is a projection of the new earth41 that occurs with the second coming of Jesus.

 

Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea (Revelation 21:1).

 

It projects the dawning of the first day when Jesus, our Morning Star, becomes our light in the New Jerusalem. It is a call for preparation of the bride. An artists interpretation of this vision can be found on the image of my book cover below.

 

For more information about the bride of Christ please use the hyperlinks below:

 Publicly-Coming-to-Christ

The-Spiritual-Realm-of-the-Bride-of-Christ

Who-is-the-bride-of-Christ

The-bride-of-Christ-brings-Division

The-bride-of-Christ-sets-the-World-on-Fire

The-bride-of-Christ-is-Prepared

The-bride-of-Christ-becomes-like-Jesus

The-bride-of-Christ-does-greater-Works-than-Jesus

The-Vision-Statement-of-the-bride-of-Christ

Read the truly amazing life story about how the forces of good and evil battle over a man and the vision that God gives him. Joseph W. Gordon’s Possess the Vision (Xulon Press, $12.95, 140 pages, ISBN 1-59781-205-6) tells about the mysterious spiritual experiences that occur throughout his lifetime.

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