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What does it mean to be a believer?? What does it mean to have accepted the "Call" to fellowship with the Lord?
The word church is translated for the Greek word ecclesia, meaning called-out ones. Read 1st Cor 1:9 "God is faithful, by Whom you were called UNTO the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord." This is the first Calling, UNTO fellowship with the Son. ALL else flows from there. There can be no true Christian fellowship that is not based on this foundation: Jesus Christ is CENTRAL to the New Testament. And actually, was/is CENTRAL to the Old Testament.
I made a bold statement, "there can be no true Christian fellowship that is not based on this foundation." I have studied for the last 18 years. I have studied some material that I now consider to be false. I didn't realize it was false at the time, however, because the deception was so subtle. Remember the serpent, false wisdom, is more subtle than any beast in the field. There is a tree that seems good for food and pleasant to the eyes (Gen 3:6), and desirable to make one wise, but, the reward thereof is ..DEATH. It is still the wrong tree.
Let me share the Light that helped me discern the precious from the vile. Consider the parable of the vineyard from Luke 20 beginning at verse 9 and following (ff)
Luk 20:9 And he gave the people this story: A man made a vine-garden and gave the use of it to some field-workers and went into another country for a long time.
Luk 20:10 And at the right time he sent a servant to the workers to get part of the fruit from the vines; but the workmen gave him blows and sent him away with nothing.
Luk 20:11 And he sent another servant, and they gave blows to him in the same way, and put shame on him, and sent him away with nothing.
Luk 20:12 And he sent a third, and they gave him wounds and put him out.
Luk 20:13 And the lord of the garden said, What am I to do? I will send my dearly loved son; they may give respect to him.
Luk 20:14 But when the workmen saw him, they said to one another, This is he who will one day be the owner of the property: let us put him to death and the heritage will be ours.
Luk 20:15(a) And driving him out of the garden they put him to death
Do you SEE by Revelation what I am trying to reveal? The heir is come, let us kill him, that the inheritance may be ours! You can "kill" something by merely DELETING it! Leaving it out. Or, putting something/someone else in it's place; which is one true meaning for the word anti. It means instead of; in the place of or in the room of, as well as meaning against. Anti-Christ is subtle.
How many wonderful books have you read that have plans for prosperity or other problems solved for you, the INHERITANCE, but, do not have the Person of the Son? I recently read an excellent piece of work that went into much detail on the putting off of the flesh life and how to walk as to....obtain what was referred to as true Blessedness. After finishing it, something from the holy Spirit kept "haunting" me about it. What was the problem? Then it "dawned" on me, ....no Person of Jesus Christ! The inheritance was there, but, without the Son.
I had a hard time for years trying to understand what the Israelites had in mind when they made a godlen calf for worhsip - on more than one occasion. They said, "See what has brought us up out of Egypt." And they built a golden calf and worshipped it. Maybe you already have it figured out. It is simple to me now. The calf represented the FLESH-NATURE, the lower-self - they attributed their deliverance to their own hand. The gold represents diety, God. They worshipped their own craftiness and detertmination and made it to be their God.
Rom 1:23 And by them the glory of the eternal God was changed and made into the image of man who is not eternal, and of birds and BEASTS and things which go on the earth.
I have loved self-improvement, self-help books and tapes over the years. However, they all give me an inheritance without having to have a relationship with the Son of the vineyard. See How many websites you have visited that offer you answers, from the psychics, astrology, especially the metaphysical sites, to well-meaning bible sites. A lot of them offer all inheritance - no Son! You cannot be Christian without Christ being central. The word Christian means to be in-Christ. Do a search sometime of how many times the phrase "in Christ" is listed in the New Testament. And if Christ IS central, His cross will be a foundational topic, not for Him, but, for you and I!
So, we are called into fellowship with Him, and as we seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, his inheritance will be added to us as food and drink and wherewithal to be clothed. Our needs will be met as we put Him first.
Matt 6:33
And you [hath he quickened], who were dead in trespasses and sins;
Eph 2:2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
Eph 2:3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
Eph 2:4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
Eph 2:5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
Eph 2:6 And hath raised [us] up together, and made [us] sit together in heavenly [places] in Christ Jesus:
This is the BEGINNINGS of our great Calling. Do you hear this trumpet? If you do, you are being....Called out unto the fellowship of His Son. You are heirs according to the promise, which is the New Covenant. Joint-heirs of all good things together with the Son.
Called out from what??
Our problem is not that we are in error and darkness.
Our problem is that Truth and Light has come and that we love error and darkness (we are in) rather than Truth and Light!
Truth is here and and we cling to and justify error. Scripture says that if we do not have a love for the Truth within us - that the LORD will send strong DELUSION ---so that---we will (continue) to believe the lie.
We have got to buy the whole field!
Mat 13:44 Again, the kingdom of Heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which when a man has found it, he hides it, and for the joy of it goes and sells all that he has, and buys that field.
Mat 13:45 Again, the kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls;
Mat 13:46 who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.
We cannot pick and choose a version of God for ourselves that suits us. We cannot conform Him into our image. We are Called to be conformed into His Image and likeness; which is our Original state:
Genesis 1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, like us: ............
Rom 1:21 Because, having the knowledge of God, they did NOT give glory to God as God, and did not give praise, but their minds were full of foolish things, and their hearts, being without sense, were made dark.
Rom 1:22 Seeming to be wise, they were in fact foolish,
Rom 1:23 And by them the glory of the eternal God was changed and made into the image of man who is not eternal, and of birds and beasts and things which go on the earth.
Rom 1:24 For this reason God gave them up to the evil desires of their hearts, working shame in their bodies with one another:
Rom 1:25 Because by them the true word of God was changed into that which is false, and they gave worship and honour to the thing which is made, and not to him who made it, to whom be blessing for ever. So be it.
When we forsake the Person of Christ, even for pure written scripture, then the dead letter killeth. It makes us mean, intolerant, and legalistic, apart from it's Spirit, apart from it's Person.
We must pay the price to buy the WHOLE field. What does that speak to you? Let me share what I "heard" from it only recently. I heard a preacher yell on television - "I bought the whole field! I bought the whole field!" I switched the TV off and pondered. The Holy Spirit in me bore witness to me that that was present Truth for me today. It is Time to sift and sort through what we have been reading and studying and to restore all ancient landmarks, Proverbs 22:8
Let's submit to the Truth as Light to dsipel our darkness. Let's ask Christ back as central in our life, in our study, in our work, and in our recreation. We have to buy the whold field of what the Father has to offer us. We cannot accept only that which we like, enjoy, and agree with in our casual attitude toward God and the things of God. If we treat God casually, we will end up a casualty. God is a rewarder of those that DILIGENTLY seek Him, Hebrews 11:6
The word, logos - whole Counsel of God- is both sweet and bitter, Rev 10. God is both Good - and - SEVERE. Both - KIND - and of STRICT JUSTICE. Romans 11:22
He (GOD) made known His Ways unto Moses, His ACTS to the children of Israel. Psalm 103:7
What does that mean? The Hebrew word translated ways, among other things, means (high) road; course of life; journey. (Strong's #1870 from #1869). The word children in that Psalm is the Hebrew word #1121 from #1129 means very young child; whelp; pup. When we are young in the Lord, we want to see His "acts", we love signs, wonders, and miracles. And the more the better! Come on God, show Yourself strong.....to me!
Joh 4:48 Then Jesus said to him, You will not have faith if you do not see signs and wonders.
Mat 24:24 For there will come up false Christs, and false prophets, who will do great signs and wonders; so that if possible even the saints might be tricked.
Is it possible that we could be tricked by false prophets with lying signs and wonders? We can if we do not understand His Ways!
As we continue on with Him, He begins to reveal His ways to us. His Path, which consists of a very NARROW course of life.........called the.......cross. Our cross. We begin to understand, by the Holy Spirit, that the miracles were given as a SIGN. A sign POINTS to.......something, right? These miracles were signs that pointed to deeper inner and outward spiritual Truths for ages to come. And, backward to the Old Covenant prophecies to bear witness and to confirm that Jesus Christ was the Messiah. It is Finished. I reapeat again the Words of Christ: "It is finished." Did he not say that?
Is is accurate? Did God take away the First that He might establish the Second?
Heb 10:9 Then he said, See, I have come to do your pleasure. He took away the old order, so that he might put the new order in its place.
Heb 10:10 By that pleasure we have been made holy, by the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once and for ever.
Selah. Next: click here
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