Looking forward!! 2008/19 08/31/08
Note: Before getting into the lesson today, the following scriptures were added, to be read before the lesson begins, but to be a part of it, so read them with openness of revelation before starting that which is below.
1 Peter 1:8-12 and be blessed.
In just watching and hearing all the things that the world can think up against Christians, and all the accusations they can think of, I believe that we are living in a time much like Peter was in when he wrote his first letter, which was about 64AD, and Nero was in power. It was a time of great rejection and hatred of the body of Christ and all that they stood for, even to the point of physical persecution, and even execution in many cases. This month is the beginning of the fall feasts of the Lord, starting with Trumpets, Atonement and Tabernacles, and it is often said that when the Father sends Jesus for His bride, it may just be in this season, and it is believed that it was in this season that Peter wrote this letter.
The bible tells us, that in the last of days, that the people of God will come under the same basic attitudes that they of old endured then. The world and its system is an opposition to all that we believe. Lets go now to 1 Peter 1:13, and we can begin there to see where we are;
“So brace up your minds; be sober, (circumspect, morally alert); set your hope wholly and unchangeably on the grace (divine favor) that is coming to you when Jesus Christ (the Messiah) is revealed.
Note:[Brace up your minds] means that our minds are to be renewed daily. We are to be conformed to Jesus’ image and we are to let the mind and attitude which was in Christ Jesus, be in us also. Phil 2:5, and to be [sober] here means, to maintain an essential steadiness in any and all circumstances,, for this is a vital part of any Christian witness.
There is an added note to be applied here and that is that we should not be content with an unexamined faith. That examination consists of seeing ourselves as content in the good times, but watch, our faith sometimes gets atrophied in the times of stressful need. In other words, as God’s work continues in you, seek to grow in Him, in grace and in faith and love.
Vs 14
Live as Children of obedience (to God): Do not conform yourselves to the evil desires (that governed you) in your former ignorance (when you did not know the requirements of the Gospel.
Note: The salvation message of the Gospel is very expansive and covers far more ground than escaping hell. It is a message of health, wealth and liberty. Each one is an adventure in word and faith. Read Romans 1:16-18.
Vs. 15
But as the One Who called you is holy, you yourselves also be holy in all your conduct and manner of living.
Note: Conduct is reflected by faith and patience and joy. Manner of living is reflected in the countenance others see in your walk. It is one of peace and joy in every storm. There can be no “woe is me” in your appearance. [it says to be holy, not do holy things.
For it is written; You shall be holy, for I am holy. [Lev 11:44-45
Note: We are to be conformed to the image of His holiness. The Christ filled life is just that, a life exhibiting obedience, holiness, reverence and love , all a display of Jesus countenance all the time, the kingdom force.
And if you call upon Him as [your] Father Who judges each one impartially according to what he does, [then] you should conduct yourselves with true reverence throughout the time of your temporary residence [on the earth, whether long or short].
Note: The life (Zoe) of God is in you – but – the tests and trials in life are used as set up programs, that are to cause growth that will release His life in you as a witness to His glory produced. Just for grace, lets read the word on that in Col 1:27;[To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.] Also read 2 Cor 3:18.
You must know (recognize) that you were redeemed (ransomed) from the useless (fruitless) way of living inherited by tradition from your (forefathers), not with corruptible things (such as) silver and gold.
But you were purchased with the precious blood of Christ, the Messiah, like that of a (sacrificial) lamb without blemish or spot.
Note: We need to have this etched in our hearts; we nor our lives are our own, for once we accepted Jesus and the work of His blood, we are no longer to do with our lives as we desire or want regardless how good or Christian our plan seems. We are truly His property, just as we were before the foundation of the world when He chose us to be His own. We are His to do with as He wills. Jer. 29:11 indicates that God has a thought and a plan for each of us, and within that plan is His purpose. That purpose is that we will be fitted for the life that He has designed for us from before the foundation of the world, and the bottom line is, that as we follow His plan, which is for good and not evil, we will have a hope for our final outcome. [read what Jesus had to say about traditions in Mk 7:13.a fruitless way of living.]
He may call you to a ministry, or He may choose to use you in a factory or an office site, but regardless of where, you are His vessel there, in that place, but His plan is for your good regardless of where He puts you.
Vs 20
It is true that He was chosen and foreordained (destined foreknown for it) before the foundation of the world, but He was brought out to public view (made manifest) in these last days (at the end of the times) for the sake of you (us).
I want to make a small comment here, and that is we are surely to be ‘set apart’ unto God, but, we cannot do the ‘setting apart’. This has to be the working of God in our lives through the Holy Spirit and the word. The tests and trials, and the temptations (yes there will be temptations to try to get you to question God), but they are there as our teachers, and yardsticks or as some have called them, the rod in God’s hand, the check list of our spiritual growth on this homeward bound journey. The footsteps are His to order, but they may take us into territory that sometimes will not seem very spiritual, and seldom comfortable.
Now look at the next verse and get hold of this one deep within - vs 21;
Through Him you believe – adhere to, rely on, God, Who raised Him from the dead and gave Him honor and glory, so that your faith and hope are (centered and rest) in God.
I really like to insert a portion here that makes this all the more exciting, and it is in Eph. 2:6: “And He raised us up together with Him and made us sit down together [giving us joint seating with Him] in the heavenly sphere [by virtue of our being] in Christ Jesus (the Messiah, the Anointed One).
Vs. 22
Since by your obedience to the Truth through the [Holy] Spirit you have purified your hearts for the sincere love of the brethren [see that you] love one another fervently from a pure heart.
You have been regenerated (born again), not from a mortal origin (seed, sperm), but from one that is immortal by the ever living and lasting Word of God.
Note: This is a good place for a small comment. When we were born again [regenerated] we received a DNA that is God designed. We were born of the Holy Spirit and He is the One that Jesus sent back to empower us to bring to pass that which God’s plan involved. We have been re-membered into the family that we were part of when we were chosen before the foundation, and in His family DNA, we, in our spirit embrace all that is in that DNA – all the gifts and fruit of the Holy Spirit, the kingdom within, and the mind of Christ, and liberty and the hope of glory, and this is to name just a few of those things that come with our membership in His family. [It is by the ever living and everlasting Word of God.]
I feel that I want to add some things here that just enrich this more and more and read what Jesus told His disciples in John 8:31-32;
“So Jesus said to those Jews who had believed in Him, If you abide in My word [hold fast to My teachings and live in accordance with them], you are truly My disciples [on your way to apostleship – my addition].
And you will know the Truth, and the Truth will make you free. (John 17:17- “Your Word is Truth”
And then in light of what we have been looking at, we need to take a side trip to 2 Tim 3:15-16;
“Every Scripture is God breathed (given by His inspiration) and profitable for instruction, for reproof and conviction or sin, for correction of error and discipline in obedience, [and] fortraining in righteousness (in holy living, in conformity to God’s will in thought, purpose and action),
So that the man of God may be complete and proficient, well fitted and thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
Note: We are made the righteousness of God in Christ, but we are not made flawless, we continue to grow into that dimension by the power of the Holy Spirit, as we allow God to correct us and discipline us whom He loves. [Heb 12:6]
Also in 2 Tim 2:15, just ahead of what we have just read, God reveals how to avail ourselves of those God breathed scriptures and make the most use out of what He has provided for us to succeed;
“Study and be eager and do your utmost to present yourself to God approved (tested by trial*), a workman who has no cause to be ashamed, correctly analyzing and accurately dividing [rightly handling and skillfully teaching] the Word of Truth.”
Note *Original translation here is ‘one who has stood and passed the test’
Watch closely here, for we have not, for all these past weeks, escaped the tests and trials. It seems that everywhere we turn, they pop up, but you also have to see that the Word of God is to be the very center of our life in Christ, with the Holy Spirit always there to empower us to overcome the trials and be witnesses unto Jesus.
We must let our life be the teaching vision that others see and hear in us, this is the type witness being spoken of here.
Vs 24&25 together
For all flesh (mankind) is like grass, and all its glory (honor) like [the] flower of grass. The grass withers and the flowers drops off, but the Word of the Lord (divine instruction, the Gospel) endures forever, And this Word is the good news which was preached to you.”
These last two verses were quoted from Isaiah 40:6b thru 8, but I am going to read it again from Isaiah 40:5 thru 6a, so that we can see the fullness of what is being prophesied;
“The glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; For the mouth of the Lord has spoken. The voice said, “Cry out!” And he said, “What shall I cry?” …All flesh is grass….
Understanding that Isaiah 40 is the beginning of the New Testament preview in the Old Testament, we hear the heart of God calling to His people. In verse 5, after where it says, “shall see it together’ should be added, the salvation of our God. We see here the prophetic side of this, for what most believe, this is not just the first coming of Jesus at His birth, to build His body, but also His arrival for His church and later, as you go on into this, His coming with His church. This is an awesome portion.
Note: Now we have to go on into Chapter 2:1-3 to finish up the work that Peter was writing about. 1 Peter 2:1-3;
“So be done with every trace of wickedness, and all deceit and insincerity and grudges and slander and evil speaking of every kind.
Like newborn babes you should crave (thirst for, earnestly desire) the pure (unadulterated) spiritual milk, that by it you may be nurtured and grow into [completed] salvation,
Since you have [already] tasted the goodness and kindness of the Lord.”
The first verse needs no comment, as the Message bible puts it; “Clean house, and make a clean sweep of everything”, and this is what it means to the Hebrew, especially at the time of the fall feasts. But then we need to go to that second verse, and spend a minute there, for it is the meat of what Peter was speaking of in this whole portion of his letter. I am going to write just a line or two of what he was saying;
First we must get past the word ‘unadulterated’ which is from the greek word ‘adolos’ and it means that there is to be no admixture. In all our human wisdom and ideas there is some mixture that is useless and maybe harmful, but the word of God is pure and altogether good, so we go from here; do nothing to weaken or compromise His Word, for it contains within the power of fulfillment.
To the sincere Christian, to study God’s word would not be a labor, but rather a personal delight, for he should be aware that there, and there alone, he will find the strength and nourishment for which he longs and needs for every day’s encounters. We are heading for the maturity that the word builds into our souls. God already lives in our spirit, but we see in James 1:21 what the word comes to do;
“So get rid of all uncleanness and the rampant outgrowth of wickedness, and in a humble (gentle, modest) spirit receive and welcome the Word which implanted and rooted [in your hearts] contains the power to save your souls.”
What we have been reading, is all about being prepared for the days ahead, the days of the fall feasts, the days of being prepared for His coming in the rapture, to catch away His bride, and the feasts, in just a nutshell go like this;
The feast of Trumpets represents to us now, the preaching of the Gospel, by which we are called to repentance for sin and receive the salvation of Christ, signified by the feast of Atonement. This will cause a time of rejoicing, for we have then become aliens here in the earth and citizens of a new kingdom, the kingdom of God in the earth, and this signified by the feast of Tabernacles. This was all a time of shaking and awakening, as some of the old scribes put it.
Just listening to one of the principle prophetic teachers the other night, he said, as far as any can see, there is no prophetic work left to be done before the Lord Jesus comes and sweeps us away to the marriage feast of the Lamb in heaven and he has made every provision here for us to be ready to meet Him in the air.
One little footnote that I want to insert here is that we spoke earlier in the lesson, that while we are made the righteousness of God in Christ, we are not made flawless, because that is in our soulish man, but lets look at one place that we see that illustrated, and that is the outer court of the temple. We come into the gate with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise, and the first thing we encounter is the brazen altar and that represents the blood, but then there is the laver just before the holy place, and that is the place where the priest cleansed himself before walking through the curtain into that first inner chamber. We are redeemed by the blood, but there is the washing of the water by the word and that is a great deal of where we have been in this lesson. Praise Him!!
With this I think I will close this for now and in just several weeks from now we will hear a message on these three feasts and be fed some solid meat from the Old Testament, which is the New Testament concealed. So lets be ready to fly.
Class! Be Abundantly Blessed!!
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