Spying Out Christ, Our Good Land

The Promised Land. View south west through the trees from SD51930209 near Promised Land Farm. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said, “We should by all means go up and take possession of it, for we will surely overcome it.” But the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are too strong for us.” So they gave out to the sons of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out, saying, “The land through which we have gone, in spying it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants; and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great size. – [Num 13:30-32 NASB]

Before entering the Promised Land, Israel sent 12 spies into it, in order to determine what it was like. 10 spies returned with an evil report saying that it was impossible for them to take it. 2 spies returned with a good report, having seen the same Good Land. These two said that they would surely take possession of it.

Can you see that this is just the situation that we are in today?

The Promised Land, is a type of Christ as God’s provision for our every need. It is a type of the all-inclusive Christ. It represents the fullness of Christ.

God has set Christ, in His fullness, before us. Our Father has commanded us to take possession of the fullness of Christ. All of the unsearchable riches of this vast and immeasurable Christ have been made available to us through the cross. There is nothing left to do, but take possession of Him.

But, we have many enemies that would keep us from the fullness of Christ. There is the flesh, the old man, the world, the demons. Great armies of giants are arrayed against us, protected by fortified cities.

Today, the evil report that so many are giving is that we cannot take possession of the fullness of Christ. They say that we cannot express Christ. He is too high and we are too low. The flesh cannot be overcome. The old man cannot be overcome. The world cannot be overcome. The demons cannot be overcome. We are just grasshoppers before these giants.

Indeed, we are like grasshoppers, in ourselves. But, we are in Christ! We have the Lord of Heaven’s Armies fighting for us. The battle is the Lord’s battle, not ours. He has even won the battle already. This is the good report: the flesh, the old man, the world, the demons, every enemy of God has been crucified with Christ.

The victory is already won.

Let’s follow our Lord across the Jordan, which represents our experience of dying to our old man. Then comes circumcision, which represents our experience of the crucifixion of our flesh. Crossing the Jordan and circumcision are just our experience of objective realities that have already been obtained through the cross. Your old man and your flesh are already crucified. Now live by the Spirit. Take Christ as our New Man.

Let’s take possession of this all-inclusive Christ, full of vast and unsearchable riches. Don’t leave a single inch. Our Father wants the full expression of His Son. Everything is ready for us to take possession of our Inheritance and the battle is the Lord’s.

We must take Christ by faith.

See, the Lord your God placed Christ before you; go in and possess Christ, who the Lord swore to give to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to them and their descendants after them. Do not fear or be dismayed.

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Scripture or Experience?

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.” When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. Gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for this is what has been written by the prophet: – [Mat 2:1-5 NASB]

Today, I want to settle the debate on which is more important: Scripture or Experience. So many brothers and sisters in Christ have wasted words arguing over this subject(myself included). It really is a pointless debate.

Scripture and experience are both necessary.

The magi had a special experience. They had the star that led them to Israel, but they did not have the scriptures. The magi had a revelation, but not the necessary knowledge. They saw the star, but they didn’t know where to go.

The scribes had the scriptures, but they did not have the experience. They had the knowledge about the Messiah, but no revelation of Him. They didn’t see the star and they had no desire to go see Him.

Do you see that both, the scriptures and experience, were necessary to come to the fullness of Christ?

For those of you who value the scriptures above experience, do you not realize that the scriptures we born from experience? Those of you who value experience above the scriptures, do  you not realize that the scriptures will bring you into a greater experience?

When you come to the scriptures, you should touch something of the Author. He is a Person to be experienced and enjoyed. While you read the scriptures, pray them as well. Take God’s words and return them to Him. Make them your own. Look for Christ on every page and learn how to experience Him as God’s provision for your every need.

But, don’t think God will reveal so much to you, when He has revealed it to others already. Our Father is always working on the principle of the Body of Christ. He reveals something to one and something else to another. If we want further revelation of Christ, we must stand on the shoulders of those who have gone before us. Then we will be able to go deeper into the Promised Land, that wonderful, all-inclusive Christ.

Let’s learn Christ from each other and those who have gone before us. O how we love you, Lord Jesus!

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The Limiting of God

Train tracks (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

“Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done. – [Rev 22:12 NASB]

It’s been almost 2,000 years since Christ spoke these words in John’s vision. We have to wonder why it has been such a long period of time. I am sure that many no longer believe He is coming quickly.

Was Christ wrong? Never!

Is it because time is different for Him? Well, a 1,000 years for God is like a day. But, Christ was talking to Him beloved Bride. He knows how what time is like for us. He is our His Priest and He sympathizes with us.

Has Christ been slow to return? Has He taken His time? No.

Christ is very quick to return. He would not wait an extra second.

So what has happened? Why has it been 2,000 years?

God has limited Himself. The omnipotent, omnipresent God has limited Himself by humanity.

In the Old Testament, God limited Himself to the ark of testimony. This ark had to be carried by His Priests. In order for God to move, He had to be carried by His People.

Do you see that this is just a type of the reality that we have today? In order for Christ to move today, He must be carried by His People. Christ goes where we go.

So has Christ been slow to return? No, we have been slow. He would move in the flash of lightning, but we would take our time. We have not allowed Him to prepare us. Christ must return victoriously. He must have attained His eternal desire. Christ must have His testimony, a People filled up with Him. Christ must have His Bride City, the New Jerusalem.

Pray without ceasing, because your prayers lay the tracks for God’s move.

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What or Who is the Word of God?

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. – [Jhn 1:1 NASB]

I have been wondering what the Word of God is and means. I have been seeking the Lord’s enlightenment so that I may have some understanding of His Word. I think that I have received some understanding.

By the way, you might also enjoy a blog post about the Word of God by a great brother in Christ, Jamal Jivanjee at illiminate: Know When to Capitalize the letter ‘W’ – A 2012 New Year Resolution.

Christ is the unique Word of God.

Everything that God speaks is Christ. Christ is all our Father has to say. In the New Testament, whenever the Father spoke, He spoke of Christ.

But, Christ is not a dead word, but a living and active Word.

For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do. Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. – [Hbr 4:12-14 NASB]

Christ, our High Priest, is the Word that is able to divide the soul and the spirit.

Do you see what it means for Christ to be the Word? Probably not. Even with these verses it is not so clear. But, you will see. You will see at least a glimpse.

Both John and Paul had a clear view of this wonderful Word.

“For this commandment which I command you today is not too difficult for you, nor is it out of reach. “It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will go up to heaven for us to get it for us and make us hear it, that we may observe it?’ “Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will cross the sea for us to get it for us and make us hear it, that we may observe it?’ “But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may observe it. – [Deu 30:11-14 NASB]

But the righteousness based on faith speaks as follows: “DO NOT SAY IN YOUR HEART, ‘WHO WILL ASCEND INTO HEAVEN?’ (that is, to bring Christ down), or ‘WHO WILL DESCEND INTO THE ABYSS?’ (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).” But what does it say? “THE WORD IS NEAR YOU, IN YOUR MOUTH AND IN YOUR HEART”–that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, – [Rom 10:6-8 NASB]

Do you see what Paul did in these verses? Paul paraphrases Moses’ words in Deuteronomy and attributes those words to Christ. Christ is the Word that is near to us, in our mouths and in our hearts.

Christ is the Word of faith. Paul preached this Word of Faith, which is just Christ crucified.

but we preach Christ crucified… – [1Cr 1:23 NASB]

In the Greek language there are multiple words for the word, “word”. But, I don’t want to get into that. I want you to know that there are multiple types of “word”. For example, the written word and the spoken word.

The written Word and the spoken Word are just Christ. But, how could such a thing be possible?

We are the Body of Christ. We have Christ living within us as the life-giving Spirit. As we eat and drink Christ by the Spirit, we are being saturated with Christ. We just become one with Christ.

Someday the Lord will be the only One and His Name will be the only One, because we will be so united with Him that we will be “one flesh” with Him.

We see Paul as one who was just so united with Christ that even His opinion was God’s speaking of Christ.

Now concerning virgins I have no command of the Lord, but I give an opinion as one who by the mercy of the Lord is trustworthy. – [1Cr 7:25 NASB]

Stop reading the Scriptures for just knowledge, theology, doctrines, and other “its”. Start reading Scripture to know Christ and experience Him as the living Word of God.

” You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me; – [Jhn 5:39 NASB]

Don’t just read the Scriptures to see Christ, for He is also the Word spoken by the brothers and sisters in Christ.

Man does not live by bread alone, but by eating and drinking Christ, the life-giving Word of God. Christ is so near you, dear Body of Christ. He is in your mouth and in your heart.

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The Mystery of Godliness

By common confession, great is the mystery of godliness: He who was revealed in the flesh, Was vindicated in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Proclaimed among the nations, Believed on in the world, Taken up in glory. – [1Ti 3:16 NASB]

Great is the mystery of godliness!

Do you see what is so great about it?

• He was revealed in the flesh.
• He was vindicated in the Spirit.
• He was seen by angels.
• He was proclaimed among the nations.
• He was believed on in the world.
• He was taken up in glory.

Godliness is a Person. Godliness is Christ. What a glorious Christ!

But, godliness is not just the individual Jesus Christ, but the corporate Christ. We can say that Jesus was revealed in the flesh, He was vindicated in the Spirit, He was seen by angels, and He was taken up in glory. But, we cannot say that He was proclaimed among the nations, nor was He believed on in the world.

Paul was not talking about Jesus of Nazareth. He was talking about the New Man, with Christ as the Head of His Body, the Church.

• Christ was revealed in our flesh.
• Christ was vindicated in our Spirit.
• Christ was seen by angels in us.
• Christ was proclaimed among the nations through us.
• Christ was believed on in the world by us.
• Christ was taken up in glory in us.

The mystery of godliness is Christ in us as the Spirit, saturating us, and conforming us into the image of Christ. A godly person is a person who is being conformed to the image Christ and expressing Him in all that he or she does. But, the fullness of godliness on shines in and through the New Man. May Christ be all and in all.

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The Stone That Became a Mountain

“You continued looking until a stone was cut out without hands, and it struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and crushed them. “Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were crushed all at the same time and became like chaff from the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away so that not a trace of them was found. But the stone that struck the statue became a great mountain and filled the whole earth. – [Dan 2:34-35 NASB]

Here we have Nebuchadnezzar’s dream about a stone, cut without human hands that would destroy all human authority. Do you know who this Stone is? Have you heard of such a Rock?

There is only One.

He is Jesus, our risen Christ, the Lord of all.

You may have seen Jesus Christ as the Stone, but have you seen that He is becoming a great Mountain and this great Mountain is filling the earth? This is the enlargement of Christ. A Stone becoming a Mountain is nothing more that the enlargement of that wonderful Stone.

But, how could such a thing happen?

Christ became a life-giving Spirit.

So also it is written, “The first MAN, Adam, BECAME A LIVING SOUL.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. – [1Cr 15:45 NASB]

We, the Body of Christ, are that Holy Mountain. We have the Spirit of the living Christ mingled with our spirit. This Spirit, who has indwelt us, is spreading out and saturating us so that we are being filled with Him and conformed to the image of Christ

We are the enlargement of the Stone, the enlargement of this glorious Christ. He is filling the whole earth through us. This is how God is fulfilling His eternal purpose.

There is no room for our natural selves. All that we are must die, so that we can be filled with Christ. Nothing of ourselves will ever please God. He only wants Christ and only Christ is pleasing to Him. Christ, in His resurrection Life, is the pleasant aroma ascending up to God.

Do you see what this is leading to?

And the LORD will be king over all the earth; in that day the LORD will be the only one, and His name the only one. – [Zec 14:9 NASB]

Jesus Christ, the Lord, will be the only One and His Name will be the only One. Only that which is of Christ will last. Everything else will be consumed by fire.

All things will be in Christ and Christ will be in all things.

May we be emptied by the daily experience of the cross, so that we may be filled with Christ. May we experience the unsearchable riches of Christ. May Christ be all and in all.