Friends,
I am caving in, succumbing to peer pressure, joining the tide of the masses. I am moving my blog, The Light Mirror, to My Space. The following link will get you there:
http://blog.myspace.com/lightmirror
Monday, March 20, 2006
Friday, March 17, 2006
Sermon – Spiritual Warfare Part 1 Mar 19, 2006
Series Intro
Last year in June, Steve, Denise, Dani, and I returned from Africa and you may recall we showed videos of demons manifesting during baptism. We had six different encounters in the three weeks we were there. I came back and told you I still did not understand all the reasons God allowed us to be confronted with these issues. Since that time I have been praying, reading, and asking experienced missionaries about spiritual warfare. For the next two weeks I want to share some of my findings. Many Christians do not live in joy. Understanding the war around us and gaining victory is the key to joy as we await the return of Jesus.
Still Active in Our Time?
One common teaching on demons is that these powers were around in Bible times but not today, except possibly in some superstitious third-world countries. If I were a demon and I wanted to have my way with you, that is exactly what I would want you to think: that I don’t exist. Our Western scientific worldview says: If you can’t see it, touch it, measure it, or define it, it does not exist. We are blinded by the egotistical boundaries some scientists put on existence. We look to ourselves and to false teachers to solve how life works rather than ask God. What God tells us in scripture is that we DO have spiritual enemies:
2 Cor 12:7-8
…there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.
Jesus said to Peter:
Luke 22:31-32
Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. 32 But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail.
Peter in turn warned us:
1 Peter 5:8-9
Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith…
Eph 6:12
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
The truth is we do have spiritual enemies and they are active today all over the world; however in our culture they tend to manifest themselves as materialism, pride, apathy, lust, bitterness, and over-indulgence, etc.
Let me give you a list of examples of when we are under spiritual attack (Most taken from The Bondage Breaker by Neal T. Anderson):
1) Have you ever seen, heard, or felt a spiritual being in your room?
2) Do you have recurring nightmares, or have you ever felt choked, or a heavy weight on your chest at night?
3) Have you ever had an imaginary friend or spirit-guide, or “angel” offering you guidance or companionship?
4) Have you ever heard voices in your head or nagging thoughts such as, “I am no good,” “I’m ugly,” “I’m an evil person?”
5) Have you been prompted to seriously consider suicide, or kill another person, or an animal, or be destructive?
6) Have you ever been contacted by beings who said they were aliens?
7) Do you have real problems with wandering thoughts especially when trying to read the Bible, listen to a Christian message, or pray?
8) Do you fret and worry over things you cannot control?
9) Do you fantasize about sex, power, fame, revenge, or wealth?
10) Do you suffer from recurring headaches, dizziness, or sleepiness?
11) Do suggestions of doubt pop into your mind when you consider Biblical promises?
12) Do swear words or vile thoughts take over your mind at uninvited times?
13) Do you brew in anger over issues or when others offend you?
14) Do you obsess over any particular thing?
If your answer to any of these questions is yes, then you are possibly under spiritual attack. This week I hope to explain the theology behind demons and next week provide practical steps for victory.
Demonic Beginnings
Here is a brief history on where demons came from. Sometime before the fall of man (Adam and Eve), Satan was called Lucifer and was a powerful angel. The name Lucifer means angel of light.
EZE 28:14 You were anointed as a guardian cherub,
for so I ordained you.
You were on the holy mount of God;
you walked among the fiery stones.
EZE 28:15 You were blameless in your ways
from the day you were created
till wickedness was found in you.
EZE 28:16 Through your widespread trade
you were filled with violence,
and you sinned.
So I drove you in disgrace from the mount of God,
and I expelled you, O guardian cherub,
from among the fiery stones.
EZE 28:17 Your heart became proud
on account of your beauty,
and you corrupted your wisdom
because of your splendor.
So I threw you to the earth;
I made a spectacle of you before kings.
Jude 1:[6] And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their own home--these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day.
REV 12:7 And there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. [8] But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. [9] The great dragon was hurled down--that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.
Satan and one-third of the angels were condemned and thrown out of heaven, but now comes the worst part for humans:
Rev 12:12
12 Therefore rejoice, you heavens
and you who dwell in them!
But woe to the earth and the sea,
because the devil has gone down to you!
He is filled with fury,
because he knows that his time is short.
Satan and his demons hate God so they take it out on us, God’s children. That is why we have spiritual enemies today.
Spiritual Strongholds
The Apostle Paul explains how demonic strongholds work.
2 Cor. 10:4-5
4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
Arguments and pretensions that are set against the knowledge of God become spiritual strongholds. Simply put, accepting lies is what allows a demon to hang-on and harass. Behind every sin is a lie we have accepted and acted on. For example, we accept the lie that sex, or drugs, or possessions can fulfill us when only Jesus can meet our truest needs. The lies we accept enter our hearts during life events; the larger the life event, the larger the potential of impact on who we become. Let me explain this with an analogy.
Imagine your spirit as a clean and sleek rocket ship flying through space. You have a pointed top and shiny untouched sides. You are blasting across the galaxy enjoying the incredible creations of God in space. All of the sudden, blammo! A rock slams into your nosecone and leaves a big dent. Then, blammo again. Another space rock tears down the side of your rocket leaving a deep gash. More ferrous meteorites are leaving dents in your pristine rocket.
The shock wave from the smashes has attracted evil enemies. They fly through space and try to hang onto your speeding spirit. But the hull is too slick and round and they peel off. But some of them begin to dig into the dents and hang on. Soon you have all these evil spirits clinging to the dents on your rocket ship.
This analogy gives us a picture of what happens in the spiritual realm. The meteorites are life events that slam into us: sexual abuse, emotional abuse, a fight with a loved one, an encounter with drugs, someone hurting us, pornography, practicing the occult; there are any number of rocks that can dent our hull. Once dented, we are vulnerable to demonic attacks. Notice I did not say possession. The original Greek in the New Testament never uses the words ‘demon possessed.’ It uses the word demonized. Only the Holy Spirit can possess a Christian. However, a demon can terrorize and tempt a Christian—especially if the demon has a dent to hang onto. Next week we are going to review the more common meteorites, or life events, that cause demonic strongholds of deceit.
All At Once
Let’s switch from discussing evil to discussing truth. Once we have accepted Christ, some incredible things happen to us on the inside. Here is a partial list of the changes that happened to us when we were born-again. Each one is given as an ‘I am’ statement because we already have these.
I am God’s child
John 1:12
I am Christ’s friend
John 15:15
I have been justified
Rom 5:1
I am one with the Lord
1 Cor 6:17
I have been bought with a price
1 Cor 6:20
I am a member of Christ’s body
1 Cor 12:27
I am a saint
Eph 1:1
I have been adopted as God’s child
Eph 1:5
I have direct access to God
Eph 2:18
I am forgiven of my sins
Col 1:14
I am complete in Christ
Col 2:10
I am free of condemnation
Rom 8:1,2
I am assured all things work for good
Rom 8:28
I cannot be separated from God‘s love
Rom 8:35-39
I am anointed and sealed
2 Cor 1:21,22
I am hidden with Christ in God
Col 3:3
I am assured of God’s work in me
Phil 1:6
I am a citizen of heaven
Phil 3:20
I have a spirit of love, power, & self-discipline
2 Tim 1:7
I am protected from the evil one
1 John 5:18
I am the salt of the earth
Matt :13
I am a witness for Jesus
Acts 1:8
I am a minister of reconciliation
2 Cor 5:17-20
I am seated with Christ in the heavenly realm
Eph 2:6
I am God’s workmanship
Eph 2:10
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me
Phil 4:13
I am the temple of the Holy Spirit
1 Cor 3:16
Living Temple of God
The last ‘I am’ is the key to all the others. Before Jesus came, people had to worship God in the temple. Now, we are the temple. The Old Testament temple was made of an outer court, a Holy Place, and a Holy of Holies. God’s presence was in the Holy of Holies.
The construction of the temple is a mirror of how we are made. The outer court is our body, the Holy Place is our mind, and the Holy of Holy of Holies is our spirit. As soon as we become a Christian, the Holy Spirit moves into our Holy of Holies and He brings with Him all those treasures we read on the ‘I am’ list.
The real you—your spirit, the part that will last forever—is now completed in Christ. Demons do not want us to live in the reality of all we have in Christ so they try to get us to accept another reality where sinful things bring fulfillment. Demons work on our mind—our Holy Place—to get us to live for the body instead of the Holy of Holies. The mind is where all the battles of spiritual warfare are fought.
No Fear, Just Precaution
Next week we will discuss how to reveal demonic strongholds of deceit, how to get free of them, and how to defend ourselves from future attacks. We should feel about demons the same way we feel about germs. Are you afraid of germs? No, but you are concerned about them and you take measures so they cannot infect you. You wash your hands, you are careful what you eat is not rotten, and if someone with a cold offers to kiss you, you run. Demons can only harm us when we do not take the correct precautions. So do not fear them, just learn how to steer clear of them.
1 John 4:3-4
You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.
Prayer
Last year in June, Steve, Denise, Dani, and I returned from Africa and you may recall we showed videos of demons manifesting during baptism. We had six different encounters in the three weeks we were there. I came back and told you I still did not understand all the reasons God allowed us to be confronted with these issues. Since that time I have been praying, reading, and asking experienced missionaries about spiritual warfare. For the next two weeks I want to share some of my findings. Many Christians do not live in joy. Understanding the war around us and gaining victory is the key to joy as we await the return of Jesus.
Still Active in Our Time?
One common teaching on demons is that these powers were around in Bible times but not today, except possibly in some superstitious third-world countries. If I were a demon and I wanted to have my way with you, that is exactly what I would want you to think: that I don’t exist. Our Western scientific worldview says: If you can’t see it, touch it, measure it, or define it, it does not exist. We are blinded by the egotistical boundaries some scientists put on existence. We look to ourselves and to false teachers to solve how life works rather than ask God. What God tells us in scripture is that we DO have spiritual enemies:
2 Cor 12:7-8
…there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.
Jesus said to Peter:
Luke 22:31-32
Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. 32 But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail.
Peter in turn warned us:
1 Peter 5:8-9
Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith…
Eph 6:12
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
The truth is we do have spiritual enemies and they are active today all over the world; however in our culture they tend to manifest themselves as materialism, pride, apathy, lust, bitterness, and over-indulgence, etc.
Let me give you a list of examples of when we are under spiritual attack (Most taken from The Bondage Breaker by Neal T. Anderson):
1) Have you ever seen, heard, or felt a spiritual being in your room?
2) Do you have recurring nightmares, or have you ever felt choked, or a heavy weight on your chest at night?
3) Have you ever had an imaginary friend or spirit-guide, or “angel” offering you guidance or companionship?
4) Have you ever heard voices in your head or nagging thoughts such as, “I am no good,” “I’m ugly,” “I’m an evil person?”
5) Have you been prompted to seriously consider suicide, or kill another person, or an animal, or be destructive?
6) Have you ever been contacted by beings who said they were aliens?
7) Do you have real problems with wandering thoughts especially when trying to read the Bible, listen to a Christian message, or pray?
8) Do you fret and worry over things you cannot control?
9) Do you fantasize about sex, power, fame, revenge, or wealth?
10) Do you suffer from recurring headaches, dizziness, or sleepiness?
11) Do suggestions of doubt pop into your mind when you consider Biblical promises?
12) Do swear words or vile thoughts take over your mind at uninvited times?
13) Do you brew in anger over issues or when others offend you?
14) Do you obsess over any particular thing?
If your answer to any of these questions is yes, then you are possibly under spiritual attack. This week I hope to explain the theology behind demons and next week provide practical steps for victory.
Demonic Beginnings
Here is a brief history on where demons came from. Sometime before the fall of man (Adam and Eve), Satan was called Lucifer and was a powerful angel. The name Lucifer means angel of light.
EZE 28:14 You were anointed as a guardian cherub,
for so I ordained you.
You were on the holy mount of God;
you walked among the fiery stones.
EZE 28:15 You were blameless in your ways
from the day you were created
till wickedness was found in you.
EZE 28:16 Through your widespread trade
you were filled with violence,
and you sinned.
So I drove you in disgrace from the mount of God,
and I expelled you, O guardian cherub,
from among the fiery stones.
EZE 28:17 Your heart became proud
on account of your beauty,
and you corrupted your wisdom
because of your splendor.
So I threw you to the earth;
I made a spectacle of you before kings.
Jude 1:[6] And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their own home--these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day.
REV 12:7 And there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. [8] But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. [9] The great dragon was hurled down--that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.
Satan and one-third of the angels were condemned and thrown out of heaven, but now comes the worst part for humans:
Rev 12:12
12 Therefore rejoice, you heavens
and you who dwell in them!
But woe to the earth and the sea,
because the devil has gone down to you!
He is filled with fury,
because he knows that his time is short.
Satan and his demons hate God so they take it out on us, God’s children. That is why we have spiritual enemies today.
Spiritual Strongholds
The Apostle Paul explains how demonic strongholds work.
2 Cor. 10:4-5
4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
Arguments and pretensions that are set against the knowledge of God become spiritual strongholds. Simply put, accepting lies is what allows a demon to hang-on and harass. Behind every sin is a lie we have accepted and acted on. For example, we accept the lie that sex, or drugs, or possessions can fulfill us when only Jesus can meet our truest needs. The lies we accept enter our hearts during life events; the larger the life event, the larger the potential of impact on who we become. Let me explain this with an analogy.
Imagine your spirit as a clean and sleek rocket ship flying through space. You have a pointed top and shiny untouched sides. You are blasting across the galaxy enjoying the incredible creations of God in space. All of the sudden, blammo! A rock slams into your nosecone and leaves a big dent. Then, blammo again. Another space rock tears down the side of your rocket leaving a deep gash. More ferrous meteorites are leaving dents in your pristine rocket.
The shock wave from the smashes has attracted evil enemies. They fly through space and try to hang onto your speeding spirit. But the hull is too slick and round and they peel off. But some of them begin to dig into the dents and hang on. Soon you have all these evil spirits clinging to the dents on your rocket ship.
This analogy gives us a picture of what happens in the spiritual realm. The meteorites are life events that slam into us: sexual abuse, emotional abuse, a fight with a loved one, an encounter with drugs, someone hurting us, pornography, practicing the occult; there are any number of rocks that can dent our hull. Once dented, we are vulnerable to demonic attacks. Notice I did not say possession. The original Greek in the New Testament never uses the words ‘demon possessed.’ It uses the word demonized. Only the Holy Spirit can possess a Christian. However, a demon can terrorize and tempt a Christian—especially if the demon has a dent to hang onto. Next week we are going to review the more common meteorites, or life events, that cause demonic strongholds of deceit.
All At Once
Let’s switch from discussing evil to discussing truth. Once we have accepted Christ, some incredible things happen to us on the inside. Here is a partial list of the changes that happened to us when we were born-again. Each one is given as an ‘I am’ statement because we already have these.
I am God’s child
John 1:12
I am Christ’s friend
John 15:15
I have been justified
Rom 5:1
I am one with the Lord
1 Cor 6:17
I have been bought with a price
1 Cor 6:20
I am a member of Christ’s body
1 Cor 12:27
I am a saint
Eph 1:1
I have been adopted as God’s child
Eph 1:5
I have direct access to God
Eph 2:18
I am forgiven of my sins
Col 1:14
I am complete in Christ
Col 2:10
I am free of condemnation
Rom 8:1,2
I am assured all things work for good
Rom 8:28
I cannot be separated from God‘s love
Rom 8:35-39
I am anointed and sealed
2 Cor 1:21,22
I am hidden with Christ in God
Col 3:3
I am assured of God’s work in me
Phil 1:6
I am a citizen of heaven
Phil 3:20
I have a spirit of love, power, & self-discipline
2 Tim 1:7
I am protected from the evil one
1 John 5:18
I am the salt of the earth
Matt :13
I am a witness for Jesus
Acts 1:8
I am a minister of reconciliation
2 Cor 5:17-20
I am seated with Christ in the heavenly realm
Eph 2:6
I am God’s workmanship
Eph 2:10
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me
Phil 4:13
I am the temple of the Holy Spirit
1 Cor 3:16
Living Temple of God
The last ‘I am’ is the key to all the others. Before Jesus came, people had to worship God in the temple. Now, we are the temple. The Old Testament temple was made of an outer court, a Holy Place, and a Holy of Holies. God’s presence was in the Holy of Holies.
The construction of the temple is a mirror of how we are made. The outer court is our body, the Holy Place is our mind, and the Holy of Holy of Holies is our spirit. As soon as we become a Christian, the Holy Spirit moves into our Holy of Holies and He brings with Him all those treasures we read on the ‘I am’ list.
The real you—your spirit, the part that will last forever—is now completed in Christ. Demons do not want us to live in the reality of all we have in Christ so they try to get us to accept another reality where sinful things bring fulfillment. Demons work on our mind—our Holy Place—to get us to live for the body instead of the Holy of Holies. The mind is where all the battles of spiritual warfare are fought.
No Fear, Just Precaution
Next week we will discuss how to reveal demonic strongholds of deceit, how to get free of them, and how to defend ourselves from future attacks. We should feel about demons the same way we feel about germs. Are you afraid of germs? No, but you are concerned about them and you take measures so they cannot infect you. You wash your hands, you are careful what you eat is not rotten, and if someone with a cold offers to kiss you, you run. Demons can only harm us when we do not take the correct precautions. So do not fear them, just learn how to steer clear of them.
1 John 4:3-4
You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.
Prayer
Monday, March 13, 2006
Alone With Jesus
But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. Matt 6:6When I meet with Jesus, I am assured of at least one patch of sunshine in my day. No matter what clouds of dismay blow in, I can recall our time together and mentally step back into the sunny patch. Now I am addicted. I hide in a closet and get my fix of meeting with the Creator of the universe. How could an inadequate person like me give that up? Should I let deadlines, or travel, or guests invade this time? Call me obsessive, but I cannot help myself. I will wangle a way to get time with Him everyday; in fact, I am militant about it. It is not that I am disciplined or heroic—I am desperate.
Some years ago, the Lord led me to two unrelated books by respected authors who told how their lives changed when they began having devotions at 5:00 AM. My old nature resisted the challenge; nevertheless, while praying myself to sleep I made a half-hearted commitment to try early mornings. I did not set the alarm clock. The next morning, I found myself awake at 5:00 AM. Smirking at what this meant, I rose for my devotion time. The same thing happened the next day—no alarm, the Lord woke me. I finally agreed this was doable and began setting an alarm. The charcoal line sketches the Scriptures usually put in my mind, suddenly filled in with realistic color. Prayer became intense time on my face, emptying me and filling with the Spirit. Abba Father wrapped me in joy as He honored a sacrifice of time set apart while the world slept.
After several years, a new threat crept in. My mornings became disciplined for discipline sake, not for the Lord. Jesus wants Spirit-led obedience in joy, not habit in drudgery. He knows I cannot live without our meetings, but now He wants to set the day’s schedule. I have so much more to learn. What keeps me going forward is the wonder that it is the unseen King of the Universe who is guiding me and who really wants to meet with this feeble small child.
Prayer: Lord, thank you for coming to me each day.
Wednesday, March 01, 2006
Sermon – The Living Word Mar 5th, 2006
Living Dialogue
Have you ever observed a group of women in a long conversation? There is often this amazing phenomenon going on. They are flowing from one subject to another, then someone will toss out the second half of a sentence that has nothing to do with the current topic and the others will respond as though they read her mind and were right on track with her. This used to freak me out, but then I figured out what was happening. Many women have the ability to multi-task subjects. What appears to be a random telepathic change of topics is actually a return to where an old subject left off. They weave on-going dialogue between other topics until a matter is finally resolved. It is all rather clever and mysterious to us men.
This is something like the dialogue Jesus carries on with His followers. Problems, questions, and unresolved sins resurface and He is always moving us toward the solution. When Larry, an elder, or one of us prepares to speak on Sunday mornings, we ask God to guide us. In response, God works out an on-going dialogue that adds the next bit to the individual conversations each of us has with God. This week Dani told me that what Larry said about the curse on Eve of wrestling against the authority of her husband really clicked something in her mind. When Larry mentioned that, God added the next piece of an on-going dialogue and it came right when Dani was prepared to hear it.
Corporate Dialogue
God also continues a corporate dialogue with Harvest as a church. A couple of weeks ago Larry got into the Genesis 17 yes-no-yes-but trouble. Then last week, Paul’s communication meditation showed us what a lousy master doctrine is and Larry spoke on how God resolved the validity of Sarah’s faith. All these things are connected and, step-by-step, God is preparing us for what is next in the life of Harvest CC. This morning I want to be open to how God’s Spirit will add the next chapter based on what we have learned in the previous chapters.
A few weeks before the famous yes-no-yes-but week, in an effort to refute the da Vinci Code movie, we talked about the historicity of the Bible. We looked at the source of the books of our Bible and the divinely guided process followed to ensure their authenticity. With what we have learned since that message, I now want to carry the subject of the word of God forward.
What is Scripture?
2 Tim 3:16-17
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
What did Paul mean when he said “all scripture?” At the time of writing, the Old Testament held the only books bound together as scripture. However, there were other documents circulating among the Christians that were inspired by God and considered scripture. The Apostle Peter considered Paul’s letters as scripture.
2 Peter 3:15-16
Bear in mind that our Lord's patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. 16 He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.
Peter lists Paul’s letters among the “other scriptures.” There is evidence the early church also had a document we have now lost known as the Q document. It contained quotes of Jesus. The sayings of Jesus would likely be one of the writings Paul referred to when he said “all scripture is God-breathed.”
Logos of God
It is important to note that the Greek term for scripture, grafee, is very different from the term for all of God’s words. That term is logos. Here is the dictionary definition for logos:
Logos (log'-os); something said (including the thought); by implication a topic (subject of discourse), also reasoning (the mental faculty) or motive.
The logos of God is everything He has ever said or expressed; far more than the few words written in our Bibles.
Primacy of Scripture
When theologians talk about the primacy of scripture they mean the Bible is like the trunk of a tree. There is certainly more to all the logos of God, but all other forms of hearing from God must branch from, or be held up by the scripture.
I think of the Bible as our PMS chart. That is not a chart to tell you how irritable your wife is; it stands for Pantone Matching System. It is a numbered reference system used in the printing industry to insure accuracy of colors. When I used to order stationery and marketing materials the printers would sometimes make the colors a little off. It is important when you are trying to present a coordinated image that everything matches. So we carried a small flip-out PMS chart. Our corporate color was blue-2738 and we could hold the chart up against the stationery and know right away if the color was true.
The logos of God is vast and rich and comes from all directions. Sometimes He speaks through a song, sometimes a friend, sometimes nature. I have even had Him speak through people who did not like me. However, we must continually hold the scripture up against the message to be sure it is the true logos of God.
Internalized Faith
Now I want to change gears and show you something amazing about our faith. We have to go back to where God gave the directions for sacrifice to Moses in Exodus 29:
Ex 29:31-33
And you shall take the ram of the consecration and boil its flesh in the holy place. 32 Then Aaron and his sons shall eat the flesh of the ram, and the bread that is in the basket, by the door of the tabernacle of meeting. 33 They shall eat those things with which the atonement was made, to consecrate and to sanctify them… NKJV
Aaron and the priests were to eat the same lamb that brought them atonement or forgiveness. Sacrificing the lamb brought forgiveness; eating the lamb brought sanctification, which means the process of becoming holy. Why did God want them to eat the sacrificial lamb? Because He did not want forgiveness to be something He did to the Israelites; He wanted it to be something that they ingested and became a part of them. God has always wanted a special people who internalize their faith.
When the Jews could not get beyond the externals of religious rules and regulations, God stated He would start over with a new covenant.
Jer 31:31-33
The time is coming," declares the LORD,
"when I will make a new covenant
with the house of Israel
and with the house of Judah.
32 It will not be like the covenant
I made with their forefathers
when I took them by the hand
to lead them out of Egypt,
because they broke my covenant,
though I was a husband to them,"
declares the LORD.
33 "This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel
after that time," declares the LORD.
"I will put my law in their minds
and write it on their hearts.
I will be their God,
and they will be my people.
The New Covenant is fulfilled in Jesus. But the same principle of internalization still applies. God does not want forgiveness through Jesus to be something He does to us; He wants us to internalize Jesus and become one with Him. God wants to live in holy union and dialogue with little puny us!
Melding with God
Jesus is like PVC glue. PVC is plastic pipes that go together with a special solvent glue. Most glues just stick to two surfaces and hold them together, but solvent glue melts a little of both surfaces. The molecules of each piece blend into each other. Jesus is the solvent glue that melts into us and into God and brings us all together until we are one spirit.
John 17:20-23
My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: 23 I in them and you in me.
This is remarkable. God wants to live in us.
John 14:23
If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.
God never wanted an external relationship. He wants to live with us 24-7, guide us, cherish us, hold us, and celebrate His love with us. He wants the presence of His Spirit in our hearts to transform us into a new kind of human. The person living with God on the inside exhibits love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control—the fruits of the Spirit. Ever since Adam and Eve had to leave the garden and God’s presence, God has said, “I miss My walks with Adam.” So He made a way through Jesus to be re-united with us.
Logos = Jesus
Let’s go back to the subject of logos—God’s word. I want to show you how logos fits into this discussion. God wanted to re-unite with us and so he took all His words and expressions—His logos—and He compressed it into His Son. Jesus is the full logos of God. Listen:
John 1:1-3
1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning.
John 1:14
14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
In every one of those instances where John says ‘the word,’ he is using the term logos. So Jesus becomes man and brings the logos to men. However, as we said earlier, it is not enough to be saved by Jesus, God also wants us to internalize Jesus so that His logos becomes part of us. This is what Jesus said in:
John 6:53-58
53 Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 55 For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. 56 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. 57 Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven.
Think of the symbols and metaphors God uses to describe the relationship He wants with us: The Passover Lamb, the bread of life, life in the vine, the yeast of the gospel. Do you know what all these things have in common? None of them does us any good until we take them inside us.
Transubstantiation
Catholic doctrine teaches that when we take communion the bread and wine actually become the body and blood of Christ as they pass into us. This is called transubstantiation. Lutherans teach consubstantiation which means the bread and wine are simultaneously present with the real body and blood of Jesus in us. Debating these doctrines is dealing with pointless externals.
Each one of us has the opportunity to experience the miracle of spiritual transubstantiation everyday when we meditate on our Bible and the Holy Spirit speaks the logos of God into our hearts; not mere head knowledge, but His revelation for what we need at that moment.
The Apostle Paul tells us:
1 Cor 8:1-2
Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. 2 The man who thinks he knows something does not yet know as he ought to know.
The test of when we have correctly used the Bible is when we come away humbled by how small is our grasp of truth and how large is the grace of God.
The challenge to us today is to allow our Bibles, and all the logos of God, to speak to our hearts rather than becoming entangled in the externals of doctrinal systems, correct versions of the Bible, accuracy of words, and all the other activities of head knowledge that leave our hearts unaffected.
Invitation
Are you experiencing God’s living word speaking into the particulars of your life? If you have never opened the door to your heart and invited Him inside, I cannot find the words to describe the joy you are missing. The Bible tells how simple and available this joy is to everybody:
Acts 2:38-39
Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off-for all whom the Lord our God will call.
If you feel Him calling you today, open the door and say, “Come on in”. Jesus is speaking:
Rev 3:20
Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.
How blessed are we to have Jesus—God’s Living Word—in our hearts?
Prayer
Communion Meditation
As we take communion today we have another opportunity for spiritual transubstantiation. As we allow the bread to symbolize the strengthening presence of Jesus that we so desperately need in us, and we allow the juice to represent the sacrifice for forgiveness we must also have, and we take these reminders into us, then the word of God, the logos, will enter our spirit and that is transubstantiation. Don’t just eat a cracker and swallow a gulp of juice. Meditate on how desperately you need the strength, forgiveness, and friendship of Jesus.
Have you ever observed a group of women in a long conversation? There is often this amazing phenomenon going on. They are flowing from one subject to another, then someone will toss out the second half of a sentence that has nothing to do with the current topic and the others will respond as though they read her mind and were right on track with her. This used to freak me out, but then I figured out what was happening. Many women have the ability to multi-task subjects. What appears to be a random telepathic change of topics is actually a return to where an old subject left off. They weave on-going dialogue between other topics until a matter is finally resolved. It is all rather clever and mysterious to us men.
This is something like the dialogue Jesus carries on with His followers. Problems, questions, and unresolved sins resurface and He is always moving us toward the solution. When Larry, an elder, or one of us prepares to speak on Sunday mornings, we ask God to guide us. In response, God works out an on-going dialogue that adds the next bit to the individual conversations each of us has with God. This week Dani told me that what Larry said about the curse on Eve of wrestling against the authority of her husband really clicked something in her mind. When Larry mentioned that, God added the next piece of an on-going dialogue and it came right when Dani was prepared to hear it.
Corporate Dialogue
God also continues a corporate dialogue with Harvest as a church. A couple of weeks ago Larry got into the Genesis 17 yes-no-yes-but trouble. Then last week, Paul’s communication meditation showed us what a lousy master doctrine is and Larry spoke on how God resolved the validity of Sarah’s faith. All these things are connected and, step-by-step, God is preparing us for what is next in the life of Harvest CC. This morning I want to be open to how God’s Spirit will add the next chapter based on what we have learned in the previous chapters.
A few weeks before the famous yes-no-yes-but week, in an effort to refute the da Vinci Code movie, we talked about the historicity of the Bible. We looked at the source of the books of our Bible and the divinely guided process followed to ensure their authenticity. With what we have learned since that message, I now want to carry the subject of the word of God forward.
What is Scripture?
2 Tim 3:16-17
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
What did Paul mean when he said “all scripture?” At the time of writing, the Old Testament held the only books bound together as scripture. However, there were other documents circulating among the Christians that were inspired by God and considered scripture. The Apostle Peter considered Paul’s letters as scripture.
2 Peter 3:15-16
Bear in mind that our Lord's patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. 16 He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.
Peter lists Paul’s letters among the “other scriptures.” There is evidence the early church also had a document we have now lost known as the Q document. It contained quotes of Jesus. The sayings of Jesus would likely be one of the writings Paul referred to when he said “all scripture is God-breathed.”
Logos of God
It is important to note that the Greek term for scripture, grafee, is very different from the term for all of God’s words. That term is logos. Here is the dictionary definition for logos:
Logos (log'-os); something said (including the thought); by implication a topic (subject of discourse), also reasoning (the mental faculty) or motive.
The logos of God is everything He has ever said or expressed; far more than the few words written in our Bibles.
Primacy of Scripture
When theologians talk about the primacy of scripture they mean the Bible is like the trunk of a tree. There is certainly more to all the logos of God, but all other forms of hearing from God must branch from, or be held up by the scripture.
I think of the Bible as our PMS chart. That is not a chart to tell you how irritable your wife is; it stands for Pantone Matching System. It is a numbered reference system used in the printing industry to insure accuracy of colors. When I used to order stationery and marketing materials the printers would sometimes make the colors a little off. It is important when you are trying to present a coordinated image that everything matches. So we carried a small flip-out PMS chart. Our corporate color was blue-2738 and we could hold the chart up against the stationery and know right away if the color was true.
The logos of God is vast and rich and comes from all directions. Sometimes He speaks through a song, sometimes a friend, sometimes nature. I have even had Him speak through people who did not like me. However, we must continually hold the scripture up against the message to be sure it is the true logos of God.
Internalized Faith
Now I want to change gears and show you something amazing about our faith. We have to go back to where God gave the directions for sacrifice to Moses in Exodus 29:
Ex 29:31-33
And you shall take the ram of the consecration and boil its flesh in the holy place. 32 Then Aaron and his sons shall eat the flesh of the ram, and the bread that is in the basket, by the door of the tabernacle of meeting. 33 They shall eat those things with which the atonement was made, to consecrate and to sanctify them… NKJV
Aaron and the priests were to eat the same lamb that brought them atonement or forgiveness. Sacrificing the lamb brought forgiveness; eating the lamb brought sanctification, which means the process of becoming holy. Why did God want them to eat the sacrificial lamb? Because He did not want forgiveness to be something He did to the Israelites; He wanted it to be something that they ingested and became a part of them. God has always wanted a special people who internalize their faith.
When the Jews could not get beyond the externals of religious rules and regulations, God stated He would start over with a new covenant.
Jer 31:31-33
The time is coming," declares the LORD,
"when I will make a new covenant
with the house of Israel
and with the house of Judah.
32 It will not be like the covenant
I made with their forefathers
when I took them by the hand
to lead them out of Egypt,
because they broke my covenant,
though I was a husband to them,"
declares the LORD.
33 "This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel
after that time," declares the LORD.
"I will put my law in their minds
and write it on their hearts.
I will be their God,
and they will be my people.
The New Covenant is fulfilled in Jesus. But the same principle of internalization still applies. God does not want forgiveness through Jesus to be something He does to us; He wants us to internalize Jesus and become one with Him. God wants to live in holy union and dialogue with little puny us!
Melding with God
Jesus is like PVC glue. PVC is plastic pipes that go together with a special solvent glue. Most glues just stick to two surfaces and hold them together, but solvent glue melts a little of both surfaces. The molecules of each piece blend into each other. Jesus is the solvent glue that melts into us and into God and brings us all together until we are one spirit.
John 17:20-23
My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: 23 I in them and you in me.
This is remarkable. God wants to live in us.
John 14:23
If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.
God never wanted an external relationship. He wants to live with us 24-7, guide us, cherish us, hold us, and celebrate His love with us. He wants the presence of His Spirit in our hearts to transform us into a new kind of human. The person living with God on the inside exhibits love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control—the fruits of the Spirit. Ever since Adam and Eve had to leave the garden and God’s presence, God has said, “I miss My walks with Adam.” So He made a way through Jesus to be re-united with us.
Logos = Jesus
Let’s go back to the subject of logos—God’s word. I want to show you how logos fits into this discussion. God wanted to re-unite with us and so he took all His words and expressions—His logos—and He compressed it into His Son. Jesus is the full logos of God. Listen:
John 1:1-3
1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning.
John 1:14
14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
In every one of those instances where John says ‘the word,’ he is using the term logos. So Jesus becomes man and brings the logos to men. However, as we said earlier, it is not enough to be saved by Jesus, God also wants us to internalize Jesus so that His logos becomes part of us. This is what Jesus said in:
John 6:53-58
53 Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 55 For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. 56 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. 57 Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven.
Think of the symbols and metaphors God uses to describe the relationship He wants with us: The Passover Lamb, the bread of life, life in the vine, the yeast of the gospel. Do you know what all these things have in common? None of them does us any good until we take them inside us.
Transubstantiation
Catholic doctrine teaches that when we take communion the bread and wine actually become the body and blood of Christ as they pass into us. This is called transubstantiation. Lutherans teach consubstantiation which means the bread and wine are simultaneously present with the real body and blood of Jesus in us. Debating these doctrines is dealing with pointless externals.
Each one of us has the opportunity to experience the miracle of spiritual transubstantiation everyday when we meditate on our Bible and the Holy Spirit speaks the logos of God into our hearts; not mere head knowledge, but His revelation for what we need at that moment.
The Apostle Paul tells us:
1 Cor 8:1-2
Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. 2 The man who thinks he knows something does not yet know as he ought to know.
The test of when we have correctly used the Bible is when we come away humbled by how small is our grasp of truth and how large is the grace of God.
The challenge to us today is to allow our Bibles, and all the logos of God, to speak to our hearts rather than becoming entangled in the externals of doctrinal systems, correct versions of the Bible, accuracy of words, and all the other activities of head knowledge that leave our hearts unaffected.
Invitation
Are you experiencing God’s living word speaking into the particulars of your life? If you have never opened the door to your heart and invited Him inside, I cannot find the words to describe the joy you are missing. The Bible tells how simple and available this joy is to everybody:
Acts 2:38-39
Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off-for all whom the Lord our God will call.
If you feel Him calling you today, open the door and say, “Come on in”. Jesus is speaking:
Rev 3:20
Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.
How blessed are we to have Jesus—God’s Living Word—in our hearts?
Prayer
Communion Meditation
As we take communion today we have another opportunity for spiritual transubstantiation. As we allow the bread to symbolize the strengthening presence of Jesus that we so desperately need in us, and we allow the juice to represent the sacrifice for forgiveness we must also have, and we take these reminders into us, then the word of God, the logos, will enter our spirit and that is transubstantiation. Don’t just eat a cracker and swallow a gulp of juice. Meditate on how desperately you need the strength, forgiveness, and friendship of Jesus.
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