Psalm 97

By Jack Kelley

www.gracethrufaith.com

The LORD reigns, let the earth be glad; let the distant shores rejoice. Clouds and thick darkness surround him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne. Fire goes before him and consumes his foes on every side. His lightning lights up the world; the earth sees and trembles. The mountains melt like wax before the LORD, before the Lord of all the earth. The heavens proclaim his righteousness, and all the peoples see his glory. All who worship images are put to shame, those who boast in idols— worship him, all you gods!

Zion hears and rejoices and the villages of Judah are glad because of your judgments, O LORD. For you, O LORD, are the Most High over all the earth; you are exalted far above all gods. Let those who love the LORD hate evil, for he guards the lives of his faithful ones and delivers them from the hand of the wicked. Light is shed upon the righteous and joy on the upright in heart. Rejoice in the LORD, you who are righteous, and praise his holy name.

It’s nice to remember, amidst the trials and tribulations of this world, that the Lord reigns and that righteousness and justice are the foundations of His throne. We could use a whole lot more of both right about now. Hardly a week goes by without news of a major earthquake, fire or storm, some outlandish new threat to world peace, a new incurable disease, or the like.

Those of us in the Church should be especially comforted that His hand restrains evil, and I include all the natural and man-made threats to our health and safety above as being by-products of evil. It can only go so far. And if you think it’s going too far, that just means that He is near, right at the door. (Matt 24:33)

One day soon, when all who will respond to His call have done so, He will say, “Enough!” and in an instant the righteous will be spirited away to the place prepared for them. We will praise His Holy Name, thanking Him for guarding our lives and for delivering us from the hand of the Wicked One.

And how do we know we belong to “The Righteous”? Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Cor. 5:17,21)

How can this be? God, Who knows the end from the beginning, has looked forward in time to the day when you stand before Him and are finally made perfect, totally conformed to the image and likeness of His Son. As part of the blessing you received by asking Jesus into your heart, He chose from that day on to see you only as you’ll be then, not as you are now. And how you’ll be then is as righteous as He is.

And if you sin between now and then? If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9) Immediately upon confession, we’re forgiven, the sin forgotten and we’re pure once again, as righteous as He is. The law of double jeopardy protects us from accusation.

Here’s how it works. In Roman times, when someone was convicted of a crime, the law he had broken and its penalty were written on a parchment and nailed to his prison cell door. When his sentence was served, the jailer wrote the Greek word “Tetelesti” across the parchment, signifying that he had paid his debt to society in full, and gave it to him. If he was ever accused of that crime again, he could produce the parchment showing the penalty had been paid, and the charges were dropped. Double jeopardy was forbidden.

He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. (Colossians 2:14-15)

The penalty for your sins is death. When Jesus went to the cross, the spirit world saw a parchment with all the sins of your life written upon it nailed it to the cross with Him. His last word before dying was “Tetelesti.” In John 19:30 It’s translated “It is finished.” But legally it means, “Paid in full.” He was saying that His death paid in full the penalty for all your sins. Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. (Romans 8:1) You needn’t fear confessing any sin, because the parchment listing all the sins of your life has been marked Tetelesti, paid in full. You’re as righteous as God is. Double jeopardy is forbidden.

What is "obedience of faith"?

9.61 Salvation through belief in the truth of the Gospel

Today, let us share more verses to further reinforce the truth on “obedience of faith” under the New Covenant.

As mentioned, the key in the New Covenant is about right believing, which results in right living. The key is to belief in the truth of the Gospel. Under the Old Covenant, they had to keep the law perfectly in order to attain to righteousness. Nobody attained to it. The law pronounced a verdict that all had sinned. They used the blood of animals to cover their sins until Christ came.

Then Jesus kept the law perfectly. He imputes righteousness to those who belief in Him. Today, the issue is whether we believe in what Christ has done on our behalf. We receive salvation through the obedience of faith – through faith in Him.

The following verse in Romans tells us that salvation is received by “belief in the truth” of the Gospel of grace that Paul presented. If salvation comes through right believing (in contrast to works of the law), then you can imagine how important the “obedience of faith” is.

(Romans 6:17-18)
But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and BELIEF IN THE TRUTH, to which He called you by our gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Another verse below talks about the righteousness of God that comes by faith. It says that in Christ, what matters is faith working through love. It is not about doing things under the law (circumcision or uncircumcision). To the Galatians, Paul said that they started out their race in faith, but the departed from “obeying the truth” by reverting to law.

(Galatians 5:5-7)
For we through the Spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love. You ran well. Who hindered you from OBEYING THE TRUTH?

Paul again equated “obeying the truth” to the “obedience of faith” in Jesus. Today, how do we live our Christian lives? Are we law centered? Do we focus on obeying the do’s and don’ts of Christianity? Or are we Christ centered; and our focus is on believing in Him? When we believe in Him, and we walk according to His leading, God is truly pleased with our obedience of faith.

9.60 What it means to obey the gospel?

Today, let us share more verses to further expound on the “obedience of faith” under the New Covenant.

In the following passage, Paul tells us that not all have “obeyed the Gospel”. So what does it mean to obey the Gospel? Paul quotes Isaiah asking, “Who has believed our report?” So Paul equates obeying the Gospel to believing in the Gospel. He ends off by saying that faith (to believe the Gospel) comes through hearing the preaching of the Gospel.

(Romans 10:14-17)
How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written:
“How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace,
Who bring glad tidings of good things!”
But they have not all OBEYED THE GOSPEL. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has BELIEVED OUR REPORT?” So then FAITH comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Isn’t it amazing? So much if Christianity focuses of right doing (with reference to the law) when Christianity is really about right believing in Jesus! Today, it is not about the obedience of works of the law. It is the obedience of faith in Jesus. Right believing will result in right doing. Faith will result in true works of faith.

How do we come to the obedience of faith (right believing?). The first part of the above passage tells us that the capacity to believe comes through hearing the revelation of the Gospel. But how will people hear the gospel without a preacher? And how will the preacher preach unless he is sent?

So God raises in the church ministers of the Gospel of Christ. They may be apostles, prophets, evangelists, teachers or pastors. But the most important thing is that they are sent to preach the good news of the gospel. The gospel is also called the gospel of peace or the gospel of grace.

The preaching under the New Covenant must be Christ centered (not law centered). It must produce right believing, or the obedience of faith. It must produce works of faith rather than works of the law. It must produce life transformation rather than behavior modification. We are also called to preach this wonderful gospel. The Bible also calls us ministers of the New Covenant.

9.59 Obedience of faith is to believe a doctrine

Today, let us share another verse to further expound on the “obedience of faith” under the New Covenant.

In the book of Romans, Paul expounds on the Gospel to help the believer believe the right doctrine. In fact, the central theme of the book of Romans is justification by faith. Paul explains that the believer is made righteous through believing in Jesus. We are saved through faith in Jesus. The key is about right believing.

In the following verse, Paul says that we were once salves of sin (sinners). But how were we delivered? Not by our own efforts in keeping the law. We were delivered by obeying a doctrine from our heart.

How do you obey a doctrine? A doctrine is like a statement of faith that you belief in. Therefore, we obey a doctrine by believing in the doctrine.

(Romans 6:17-18)
But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.

In this case, Paul tells us that this is the doctrine of “justification by faith” in Christ.

(Romans 5:1-2)
Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

When we believe in Christ, we are united in His death and His resurrection. We died with Him and were delivered from sin. We rose with Him in righteousness. Therefore we are justified by faith so that we can live as sons of God.

(Romans 6:3-4)
Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

Therefore today, our deliverance was through believing the right doctrine. And we continue to live our Christian lives by believing every truth or doctrine of the New Covenant based on the finished work of Christ. Right believing will lead to right living.

9.58 Meditation in the word & the obedience of faith

How do we grow in the obedience of faith? How to we grow to believe more of what Christ has done for us? How do we discover more of who we are in Christ and the reality of Christ is us? The key is through the Word of God.

A lot of people still approach the Word as the law – to find out what they should do as Christians. But Christianity is not about “doing”; it is about “being”. We are “human beings” – not “human doings”. Christianity is about being in Christ. When we know who we are in Christ, we will start to walk like Christ. Life is a flow in the Spirit. But when we don’t believe our new identity in Christ, and we try to achieve it on our self-ability, life will always be a struggle.

Under the Old Covenant, the Scripture that they had was the Law. So they approached the Word as the Law – to obey the demands of the law. For example, Joshua had to meditate on the Law in order to do all that is written in it.

(Joshua 1:8)
This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe TO DO according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

But the New Covenant is the revelation of Christ. The Epistles are written to the Church to build our faith in Christ. The Epistles expound on the good news of the Gospel. The Epistles also interprets the law in the light of Christ. The approach of the Word is to produce faith in Christ.

Let us consider what Paul says in Romans. He tells us that the Word of the Gospel produces faith in the hearts of the hearers.

(Romans 10:16-17)
But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?” So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Notice the contrast between the Old and the New. Meditation under the Old Covenant results in works of the law. Meditation on the New Covenant is to produce faith in the finished work of Christ.

When the believer puts his faith in Christ, he will start to walk according to what he believes. This is called the obedience of faith, which results in works of faith. It is different from the works of the law under the Old Covenant. When we walk in faith, we also walk in the Spirit because He is the Spirit of faith. We begin to experience the power of the Spirit.

9.57 Why the obedience of faith?

In the last lesson, we talked about the new focus on the obedience of faith. Why does the New Covenant emphasize on right believing instead of right doing? It is not that it does not emphasize on right doing – but it tells us that right doing can only be a consequence of right believing.

In the Old Covenant, the law focused on behavior modification. There was no internal transformation. The law written on stones could not change the hearts of the people. As a result, the sinner could not keep the law. Even if the sinner appears to keep the law, it was only externally. It wasn’t in attitude, thought and speech.

When the people failed to attain to obedience of works, Jesus came to give the real solution. Jesus isn’t interested in making bad people good, He came to make dead people live. Jesus isn’t interested in behavior modification; He is in the business of life transformation.

How did Jesus do it? He went to the cross to purchase forgiveness of sins; and the free gift of righteousness. Therefore, to those who receive His redemption work, He would come and reside in them.

When Jesus lives in us, we become a New Creation. We receive His new nature in us as fruit of the Spirit. Some may not feel any change in their emotions (though many do). But this new nature is a reality. The Holy Spirit has come to live in the believer.

The only way we can walk in the new reality and the only way we can allow Jesus to express Himself in us – is through faith. When we believe we are in Christ, it results in a change in our identity. When we believe that Christ lives in us, we will experience His reality and power from within.

Therefore, when we walk by faith in Christ, He is manifested through us. Right believing will unleash Christ in us – which results in right living. The greater we walk in faith, the more Christ will be manifested in our daily walk. That’s why the Christian life is a race of faith or a fight of faith.

We live every day by trusting in Jesus. When we believe Him in spite of the circumstance, it is called the “obedience of faith”. The moment we believe in Him, it will cause us to respond differently. Faith will transform our actions. So the New Covenant is keeping our eyes on Jesus, instead of our actions. When our eyes are on Him, He will start to work mightily through us.

9.56 A new kind of obedience – the “obedience of faith”

Today we will talk about a new kind of obedience under the New Covenant. There is a change after Jesus went to the cross. Unless we divide the Bible, some may not even realize the difference.

Under the Old Covenant, the focus was on obeying all the commandments. Their blessing was subject to their ability to obey the commandments. It was an obedience of works of the law. For example, for Joshua to be successful, he needed to do one thing – to observe TO DO all that is written in the book of the law (the Old Covenant).

(Joshua 1:8)
This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe TO DO according to all that is written in it.

Under the New Covenant, Jesus had fulfilled the law perfectly. He was obedient even unto death.

Now, what God wants is for us to believe what Jesus has done for us. Today, all our blessings are given as a result of faith in Jesus. It is a new kind of obedience. This is called the “obedience of faith” or “obedience to the faith”.

Paul talks about his calling as an apostle to bring people to the “obedience to the faith”. In short, Paul was called to preach the gospel so that people would put their faith in Jesus. When they did so, they were obedient to the faith. So it is an obedience of faith.

(Romans 1:5:6)
Through Him we have received grace and apostleship for OBEDIENCE TO THE FAITH among all nations for His name, among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ…

The theme of the book of Romans is “justification by faith”. So Paul starts off by talking about the obedience of faith. He also ends the chapter by talking about “obedience to the faith”.

(Romans 16:25-27)
Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the world began but now made manifest, and by the prophetic Scriptures made known to all nations, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, for OBEDIENCE TO THE FAITH— to God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen.

He said that the preaching of the Gospel to the nations was for the purpose of obedience to the faith. Today, there is a new kind of obedience. It is to believe all that Jesus has done for you.

by Joshua Lye

Website: www.dailyrhema.blogspot.com

Faithfullness in the New Covenant

9.77 It is required in stewards that one be found faithful

Now that we have covered the source of faithfulness in the New Covenant (it is a fruit of the Spirit), we can proceed to emphasize the importance of faithfulness in the Christian walk. Without the revelation of God’s faithfulness, Christians will end up depending on their own strength. Depending on our own strength is the opposite of abiding in Christ.

But by resting in His faithfulness, we experience His resurrection power in us. When we depend on Him, we abide in Him and we bear much fruit. Without Jesus, we can do nothing.

(John 15:5)
I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.

Every believer has been committed the mysteries of God. We have been committed an understanding of this wonderful gospel of Christ. We know what Christ has accomplished on the cross that can make a difference to our family, friends and the whole world. We understand the mystery of “Christ in us” in the New Covenant.

We are stewards of the mystery of Christ. It is no small matter to be a steward of God, not when the world needs to experience the power of salvation of the gospel. As Paul says, it is required in stewards that one be found faithful.

(1 Cor 4:1-2)
Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful.

Faithfulness is important in a believer, especially in a leader. Today, whatever calling God has placed in your life, He has also given the ability for you to carry it out – faithfully. Remember that it is God who WORKS IN US both to will and to do for His good pleasure (Phil 2:13).

For the purpose of God to be carried out, God depends on faithful men – mean who will yield to His power in them. One time, Paul exhorted Timothy to commit the teachings of Paul to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.

(2 Tim 2:2)
And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.

We thank God for faithful men throughout the centuries who had carried the message of the gospel of Christ faithfully through the generations. Today, the baton is in your hands and you can carry that message as a faithful steward of Christ.

9.76 Faithfulness is a fruit of the Spirit

We have been talking about the faithfulness of God as His nature. What happened when we received Jesus into our heart? Jesus came to live within us. Paul says, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me…”

This is the secret of Christianity. This is the mystery of the glory of God – that Christ lives in us in the New Covenant.

(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.

You are no longer your old-self trying to be faithful (yet without the ability). Now you allow the faithfulness of God in Christ to be unveiled in you and through you.

The more we depend on God’s faithfulness, the more we experience the power of faithfulness. The more we abide in Christ, the more we grow in the fruit of His nature – which includes faithfulness. In the New Covenant, faithfulness is a fruit.

(Gal 5:22)
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.

Today, we depend on the faithfulness of God working in us and through us. We do not depend on our own faithfulness which is actually depending on the flesh. When we depend on the power of His faithfulness, we walk in the Spirit and we will not fail.

9.75 He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it

Daily Rhema is back. Daily Rhema was disrupted last week as I was traveling and did not have access to the internet.

We are back on the topic of God’s faithfulness towards us. We have shared that we should put our confidence in God’s faithfulness towards us, instead of our faithfulness towards God. We should allow His faithfulness to hold us secure, instead of hanging on to Him with our faithfulness. Let us share another verse on God’s faithfulness.

(1 Cor 1:4-9)
I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given to you by Christ Jesus, that you were enriched in everything by Him in all utterance and all knowledge, even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you, so that you come short in no gift, eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will also confirm you to the end, that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

The verse says:
1) Because of the grace of Christ, we have been enriched in all utterance and knowledge.
2) We come short of no gift
3) Jesus will confirm us to the end. Another version says that Jesus will keep us strong to the end.
4) Jesus will keep us blameless.

You may ask, “How can I be certain that all that God has said will come to pass? Can I be faithful to be strong to the end? Can I be faithful to be blameless to the end?”

The passage tells us the answer. It declares that, “God is faithful…” It tells us that it is through the faithfulness of God that He will bring these things to pass. We are to trust in Him and allow Him to work in us.

You may ask, “I thought that being blameless is dependent on my own faithfulness.” In fact, another verse also confirms that it is God who will preserve us to be blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus.

(1 Thes 5:23-24)
Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.

How awesome is His faithfulness. We can trust in Him and depend on Him. He who calls us is faithful, who also will do it.

9.74 If we are faithless, He remains faithful

Let us go back to this powerful verse on the faithfulness of God.

(2 Timothy 2:13-14)
If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself.

This verse tells us that God’s faithfulness is not dependant on our faithfulness. It is not dependant on anything. Faithfulness is the nature and character of God. He cannot deny Himself by being unfaithful. Those who say that God is only faithful to those who are faithful to Him are saying that God can deny Himself.

Some people will ask, “Are you saying that we don’t have to be faithful to God?” Certainly not! The Bible is saying that you don’t live on the basis of your faithfulness; you live on the basis of His faithfulness. If you are hanging from the tallest building in Singapore from a rope, would you prefer to be holding on to the rope, or would you prefer for the rope to be holding you (tied to you)?

It is clear, if you are holding on to the rope with your faithfulness, you may falter. If you are held by the rope of His faithfulness, you will not fall. It is clear where we should put our faith on. It is clear what will give us security to live our Christian lives.

How great is God’s faithfulness. It reaches to the clouds where we cannot even reach.

(Psalm 36:5)
Your mercy, O Lord, is in the heavens;
Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.

The Bible tells us that we are to feed on His faithfulness, not ours.

(Psalm 37:3)
Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.

There are times when we are hard pressed. We may feel like giving up. We do not have the strength to hold on anymore, or to keep going. At that time, if we start to think about how God is faithful to carry you through, we will be refreshed and find supernatural strength to move on. Have you experienced that before?

Remember to focus on His faithfulness. Paul said, “Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ…” He will hold on to you and complete His work in you.

9.73 Faithfulness under the New Covenant

We continue on the series on New Covenant living. Today, we will discuss on the important topic of “faithfulness” under the New Covenant.

So often do I hear people say, “If you are faithful to God, He will be faithful to you.” Have you heard that before? Or when someone is blessed, people say, “You are blessed because you have been faithful to God.” We hear it so often that we believe in it.

I have seen people who struggle all their lives to be faithful to God, so that God will be faithful to them. And when they are burnt out, leaders tell them, “You have to remain faithful…”

Don’t get me wrong. Faithfulness is important. I believe in faithfulness. But obviously there is something wrong with the approach above. So what is wrong? Firstly, the focus above is on man’s faithfulness to God. Secondly, we have made the “faithfulness of man” as the condition to earn God’s faithfulness in response.

For 1,500 years, Israel tried to be faithful to the covenant and requirements of God. God wanted to test their faithfulness to Him. But they failed. They were unfaithful and they broke God’s covenant.

(Ps 78:37)
For their heart was not steadfast with Him,
Nor were they faithful in His covenant.

Today, if you focus on your faithfulness to God, you will likewise fail. You will be burnt out trying to be faithful. Why? Because you are depending on your own strength.

So when Israel was faithless, God displayed His faithfulness by sending His Son Jesus to redeem mankind. When the world had nothing to offer or boast about, Jesus came down. He could have forsaken us because we deserved it, but grace came through Jesus.

The New Covenant is really about God’s faithfulness displayed through Christ. It is not so much about ours. In fact, the Bible says that even when we are faithless, He will remain faithful. This verse throws our earlier statement of, “If you are faithful to God, He will be faithful to you,” out of the window.

(2 Timothy 2:13-14)
If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself.

God doesn’t want us to put our confidence in ourselves. He wants us to put our confidence in His Son. If you are blessed, it is because He has been faithful to you. Our Christianity changes when we start to look upon His faithfulness.

by Joshua Lye
Website: www.dailyrhema.blogspot.com

Revivals Through Revelation

14.21 Revivals through revelation – the Gospel of Grace

There is a powerful revival that has been sweeping across the world – which started a decade ago. This is the revival of the Gospel of Grace, where the Church is returning to the truths of the gospel as presented by the Apostle Paul.

If we study church history, we will see that the church had a tendency to depart from the gospel of Christ back to the system of law under the Old Covenant. Frequently, the church mixes the two covenants, which result in confusion.

This is something that I do not take for granted. For most of my Christian life, I did not understand the gospel; I did not understand what Jesus accomplished on the cross. I grew up in denominations, and there was little emphasis of Jesus in the Sunday sermons. It was usually about what we had to do, but always felt lacking in empowerment.

I did not understand the Bible for myself. But when I truly understood the gospel in all its beauty, I did not want anything less. I have met many people who have been so thrilled to understand the gospel after decades as a Christian. It usually brings about a personal revival. It helps us to see the Bible in a different light. Our lives become energized by the reality of Christ living in us.

This powerful revival came through a revelation of the gospel as explained in the Epistles of Paul. It is a revival of BRINGING THE CHURCH BACK TO THE FINISHED WORK OF CHRIST – BACK TO JESUS.

Every revival which I have shared is really a progression in our REVELATION and EXPERIENCE of Jesus – in an exciting relationship. It is about a daily progression – living in a constant state of revival with Jesus inside you. It is about growing deeply rooted in Christ.

It is not about living in a revival experience of the past. It is not about praying hard enough for God to move again with some external phenomena. It is not about getting stressed up waiting for God to move in the next revival. It is about living each day with a fresh revelation of Jesus – and if we do so, we are already in the midst of revival!

I believe that this revival of the Gospel of Grace is the revival that will prepare the church for the Rapture. If Christianity is about Christ, then this is the greatest revival that will bring us back to the knowledge and experience of the person of Christ.

Therefore, we conclude that in the New Covenant, the quest is THAT WE MAY KNOW and EXPERIENCE the finished work of Christ. Every revival has demonstrated this truth, and we are now in an exciting revival. We encourage you to be a part of this revival.

14.20 Revivals through revelation – the Word of Faith

Kenneth Hagin was raised from his deathbed in 1934 at the age of 17 in Texas and commissioned by God to “teach my people faith.” He is regarded as the father of the Word of Faith revival in the 1970s and 1980s, and his teachings have established the faith of countless believers in God’s Word.

Hagin was born premature, with a heart deformity and a blood condition. Both were incurable. As a teenager, Hagin lay paralyzed for months on his bed and five doctors gave him up for death. A visiting pastor gave him little comfort saying, “Son, it will be over soon.”

But he wanted to live and he knew by the inner witness that the answer was in the Bible. As he read Scriptures on healing (James 5:15) and faith (Mark 11:22-24), he had no one to guide him except the Holy Spirit through the inward voice.

When he lamented that no pastors came to pray for him, the still small voice told him that he could pray the prayer of faith for himself. When he prayed and nothing happened, he was discouraged.

Being bedfast, he had a lot of time to pray and to read the Word. After struggling for some time, Hagin stumbled upon Mark 11:22-24, and RECEIVED A REVELATION from the Holy Spirit. He prayed the prayer of faith and believed God for his healing but nothing happened. He told God that he had prayed and believed according to Mark 11:22-24. The Holy Spirit told him that the last clause of the Scripture said, “Believe that you receive them, and you will have them.” He suddenly realized that he had to believe he had received the healing in spite of the circumstances. He had wanted to receive his healing first, and then believe it.

After receiving the revelation, he began to thank God for his healing. After thanking God for 10 minutes, the Holy Spirit said that healed people should not be in bed. He answered, “That’s right; I’m going to get up.” Faith takes the answer now.

He had no feeling from waist down. He pushed himself to a sitting position and pushed his feet off the bed. They were lifeless like chunks of wood. He grabbed hold of the bedpost and struggled to stand up. Immediately, his mind was filled with doubts and negative thoughts. He hung on to God’s Word; he declared to God that the Word of God is true, and that he was healed. The room seemed to be spinning. He continued thanking God for his healing. Then he felt a warm sensation flow down from his head. When it reached his waist, feeling began to return to his legs. He received his healing by faith.

God commissioned Hagin to “teach my people faith”. God used him in the Word of Faith Revival in the 1970s and 1980s, where God restored important truths about faith and the importance of God’s Word in the Christian life. The teachings restored the revelation of JESUS THE AUTHOR AND FINISHER OF FAITH. It also restored the truth of FEEDING ON THE WORD (JESUS THE BREAD OF LIFE) to grow in faith.

Hagin wrote many books in his “Faith Library” collection. These books have impacted many believers around the world. It has taught believers to stand on the Word instead of walking by sight, bringing stability to their Christian lives. He taught the Word until a ripe old age and fulfilled his divine calling. His testimony and teachings inspired many other anointed Bible teachers, whom God raised during the revival.

Some of the fastest-growing churches and ministries in the world today are churches that grew out from the Word of Faith Revival.

14.19 Revivals through revelation – the Charismatic revival

In the later half of the 20th century, many evangelical church leaders and members embraced and experienced the power of the Holy Spirit in their own churches. Unlike the Pentecostal Revival which saw Spirit-filled members moving out of their churches, the Charismatic Revival was a renewal within the mainstream churches that had earlier rejected the move.

God raised many leaders within the evangelical churches to play important roles in the Charismatic Revival. One such person was Dennis Bennett, an Episcopalian rector who wrote the book Nine O’clock in the Morning. He heard about this new experience and started on a journey to find the answers. God used him and his book as a catalyst of the Charismatic Revival.

Dennis Bennett was a rector of a large conservative Episcopalian church in Los Angeles. In those days, the non-Pentecostal churches had little understanding of the baptism in the Holy Spirit. One day in 1959, Frank, a young Anglican priest who visited his home told him that a young couple in his church had received the baptism in the Spirit and even claimed to have spoken in tongues, whatever that was. Bennett said that they must be one of those mixed up people.

As Bennett tried to sidetrack the issue, Frank said, “I can’t just brush it away – I have to understand what is going on. I am supposed to be the spiritual leader of the church.” He challenged Bennett to meet them but Bennett didn’t want to get involved in this “emotionalism” business.

Due to Frank’s persistency, Bennett and his wife, Elberta, agreed to meet the couple. With suspicion and apprehension, he told the couple, John and Joan, “What’s it all about? What has happened to you people?” With glowing faces, they shared that they had received the baptism in the Spirit. He asked, “What does that mean?” They answered, “Just like in the Bible.” Bennett wrote:

It was a low blow! As a minister of the gospel – with 16 years’ experience and a graduate degree in theology from a well-known university, I was supposed to know what was in the Bible. Yet as John and Joan talked, I realized that there were some very important things I’d somehow missed.

After the meeting, Elberta said, “I don’t know what these people have but I want it!” Bennett realized he was spiritually dry and hungry deep inside. Could a lack of experience with the Holy Spirit be the reason why Christians today don’t show the same joy, power and assurance that we see in the New Testament? He decided to DO A RESEARCH on the Holy Spirit, which had up till then been a vague, theoretical Being to him.

It was the beginning of a journey to DISCOVER NEW REVELATIONS from the Word of God. He had to struggle to overcome his deep-rooted prejudices against tongues. He had been told by his professor in the seminary that it was emotionalism and offensive. After three months of researching, he said to John and Joan:

“Look here, I’ve been reading my Bible, my Prayer Book, my theological books, my church history, and as far as I can see, this experience you’re talking about is in them all. I want what you’ve got!”

After John and Joan prayed for him for about 20 minutes, he received the baptism in the Holy Spirit and spoke in tongues. He experienced the reality of God’s presence that he had hungered for. Elberta received shortly after and they began to enjoy a newfound intimacy with God. Though he kept his experience at a low profile, the fires of revival began to spread and many members of his church also experienced the baptism.

On 3rd April 1960, he announced publicly to his church that he had received the baptism in the Spirit and had spoken in tongues. He faced immediate opposition from a minority who did not understand this divine experience and he decided to resign as their rector. His controversial story was carried on TV, Time and Newsweek. Soon, he received numerous invitations to share his story both within and beyond his denomination. He also authored a number of books which became one of the catalysts of the Charismatic Revival. It all started with a REVELATION that came through researching the Bible.

(Reference: Nine O’clock in the Morning by Dennis Dennett, Bridge Publishing, Inc.)

14.18 Revivals through revelation – the Pentecostal revival

When the truth of baptism in the Holy Spirit and tongues was lost during the dark ages of Church history, the Church believed that tongues had ceased. Some groups believed that baptism in the Spirit was one and the same experience, as salvation or sanctification.

But when the time was ripe, the truth of the baptism in the Spirit as a separate experience with the evidence of speaking in tongues was restored to the Church in the 20th century Pentecostal and Charismatic Revivals. Today, the majority in the Christian Church uses this prayer language. The largest and the fastest-growing churches in the world today embrace the full workings of the Holy Spirit.

Two men played important roles in the Pentecostal Revival. Just before Christmas in 1900, Charles Parham gave 40 Bible school students an assignment – to find the New Testament evidence of being filled with the Spirit. Three days later, when Parham returned, his students informed him that the only consistent evidence of the baptism in the Holy Spirit was speaking in tongues. The STUDENTS HAD RECEIVED A REVELATION ON THE BAPTISM IN THE SPIRIT BY STUDYING THE WORD.

At almost midnight, New Year’s Day 1901, a student, Agnes Ozman, asked to have hands laid on her to receive the baptism. As other students did so, the Holy Spirit fell and she began to speak in tongues. Three days later, Parham himself received. Persecution came almost as quickly as the baptism.

William Seymour, a black preacher, approached Parham and sat under his teaching. When Seymour started TEACHING THE REVELATION that speaking in tongues is the evidence of the baptism in the Holy Spirit, he was locked out from his church.

Seymour then began to preach in an abandoned church at 321 Azusa Street. After about six months, revival broke out. In 1906, worshippers in Azusa Street Mission in Los Angeles, United States, experienced the baptism in the Holy Spirit, speaking in tongues and falling under the power of the Holy Spirit. News of the Azusa Street Revival spread and Christians from all over the world flocked to Azusa Street to experience the move. They then carried the fire with them wherever they went.

The established churches rejected the revival of the Spirit that was gathering pace as it challenged the established beliefs and practices of their day. They did not fully understand the phenomena because they thought that tongues had ceased. For several decades, this Pentecostal Revival flourished outside the established denominations. Every Pentecostal group today can trace its lineage directly or indirectly to the Azusa Street Revival.

It all started with a revelation from the word that restored the experience of JESUS THE BAPTIZER IN THE HOLY SPIRIT. In the 1990s, the Lutheran church that I attended experienced a revival through the revelation of Jesus our Baptizer. As the youth president, I got the youths baptized in the Spirit by showing them the revelation of the baptism in the Spirit from the Word of God.

14.17 Revival through revelation – the Reformation Revival

I trust you had a Blessed Christmas – and a renewed revelation of Jesus who came to be the Lamb of God for us. Today, we shall resume Daily Rhema.

Recap - True revival is about RECEIVING A NEW REVELATION ABOUT CHRIST that leads to a new experience of CHRIST WITHIN US. Remember that Paul prayed THAT WE MAY KNOW. When we know a new revelation of Christ, we start to experience revival. It is not about self-performance and human effort in moving the hand of God. It is about KNOWING CHRIST.
We will share demonstrate this truth as we walk down Church history to study some major revivals – starting with the Reformation Revival.

In the dark ages of Church history, the Church became corrupt and lost sight of the gospel. Ordinary people did not have the Word of God and were in bondage. There was no revelation of Christ.

They tried to reach God through their human efforts, like beating themselves, kneeling on rocks, fasting and praying. The Church even taught that indulgences (pieces of paper bought with money) could secure forgiveness of sins. This was a convenient way for the corrupt Church to raise money from the people.

Martin Luther was a monk who did all these yet the guilt of sin hung over his conscience. The turning point in Luther’s life came while he was a lecturer of Theology at Wittenberg University. As he studied the Bible, he was fascinated by the Apostle Paul’s Epistles, especially Rom 1:17, “For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, ‘The just shall live by faith.’ ” He HAD THE REVELATION that the righteousness of God is through grace and received by faith. It was a revelation of JESUS AS OUR LAMB OF GOD – a truth lost in the dark ages.

Luther began teaching the doctrine of justification by faith alone in direct contrast with the prevailing teaching that one is saved by faith and good works. On 31st October 1517, Luther nailed the famous 95 Theses (or arguments) on the door of the church in Wittenberg. He argued strongly against the abuse of indulgences and invited a debate.

For his unwavering stand on the authority of the Bible and justification by faith, he was expelled from the Church and declared an outlaw by the emperor. He almost lost his life for the gospel. The teachings of Luther caught on and resulted in the Reformation movement in the Church. It was a revival that brought the revelation of JESUS THE LAMB OF GOD back to the Church, which resulted in a deeper experience with Christ.

Today, the Church of Christ believes in the doctrine of salvation by faith rather than works, and that Christ’s own righteousness is imputed to those who believe.

Website : www.dailyrhema.blogspot.com

Is Job's life a lesson for us all?

The Lesson Of Job

By Jack Kelley

Website: www.gracethrufaith.com

Q. Thanks so much for all of the great articles, they are very much appreciated. The latest one however had a disturbing misunderstanding of scripture which could lead to undue pain to a new Christian (or an old one for that matter). There is nothing in the book of Job which states or leads one to believe Job was out of fellowship or being pained due to sin, or that Job had the sin of self-righteousness to deal with at all. The self-righteousness did not come out until Job was well into the trials, and explaining himself to his “friends”. God does not hold us accountable to confess sins we have not yet committed and would not commit if we were never given a specific trial in order to bring them out of us.

Please reconsider and study Job from the perspective of God’s sovereignty, His plan for us, and the process of sanctification. Sanctification is often why God allows us to suffer trials, to bring things out of us, to make us more holy. The gold goes into the fire appearing perfect, and only when the fire is lit do the impurities show up and flow out. That is the perspective we should approach the book of Job with. It was sanctification, not sin or lack of fellowship. To have a clear understanding of the book of Job is to have a clear understanding of God Himself. It’s a very important book. I humbly ask you to reconsider this. And again, thanks for all you do for the Church.

A. You’ve given an illustration in your question that confirms my position. You said, “The gold goes into the fire appearing perfect, and only when the fire is lit do the impurities show up and flow out.” Job appeared to be nearly perfect by man’s standards, and even God remarked on His righteousness when compared to the rest of the world. Yet He allowed Satan to afflict him. There had to have been some impurity that God needed to reveal to Job before it destroyed him. That impurity was Job’s self righteousness. It was a sin that that brought down his hedge of protection.

God’s sovereignty does not extend to violating His own character. One of his attributes is that of being just, and as such He couldn’t arbitrarily allow allow Job to be so harshly attacked without cause. You’re right, the scriptures don’t mention Job’s sin problem until later. But that doesn’t mean he hadn’t committed it well before the events. We’re expected to know that God’s character would never allow Him to authorize such an attack if it was unwarranted. Our faith in Him is all we have. To believe that He would do such a thing to Job without cause is to believe that He would do the same to us.

It sounds like your view of God’s sovereignty is that He can do whatever He wants whenever He wants to. If that’s the case, why did He have to die for us? Why didn’t He just cancel out debt? Answer? Because His need for justice wouldn’t allow it. Some one had to pay for our sins, and because there was no one else He did it himself.

Too many people justify the problems they’re experiencing by saying that God has allowed their suffering or even brought it on them. They never consider their own sin. The number one lesson from the Book of Job is that when we justify ourselves we’re really accusing God of being unjust. Job had to learn that lesson the hard way so we could be spared a similar one. As Mark Twain said, “The only time experience is the best teacher is when it was some one else’s experience.”

Spirit Baptism and Tongues

7.33 Receiving the Baptism in the Holy Spirit

If you have not received the baptism in the Spirit with the new prayer language of tongues, you can ask believers who minister in this area to pray for you. Alternatively, you could pray by faith to receive from Jesus your Baptizer. Find a quiet place to pray the following from your heart:

Heavenly Father,
I desire to be baptized in the Holy Spirit so that I can receive empowerment in my Christian walk, and to be an effective witness. Lord Jesus, the Bible says that You are the Baptizer in the Holy Spirit. I receive the infilling of Your Holy Spirit now by faith. I receive this new prayer language of tongues. I thank You Lord, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

When you ask Jesus by faith, you will sense a gentle flow of the Spirit from within you. As the rivers of the Spirit flow out, you will sense the unction to pray in tongues. You can respond in faith by praying aloud as the Spirit gives utterance. Remember that Jesus is the baptizer in the Holy Spirit; we just need to relax, enjoy the moment, and receive.

If you have asked before, you should believe that you have already received. This new prayer language is dormant in you until you pray out in faith. The next step is simply to pray aloud together with friends who can encourage you.

Some could be waiting for God to take control of their tongue rather than praying out in faith. The Holy Spirit is a gentleman. He does not force us, unlike evil spirits who possess people to control their minds and speech. Instead, He empowers us to pray.

The Bible says that we are to speak as the Spirit gives us the utterance (Acts 2:4). The person needs to be encouraged to pray out in faith. Praying with fellow believers in the corporate anointing would provide encouragement.

Let me share another verse to show you that we are in control and we can use this new prayer language at any time. Paul said in 1 Cor 14:15, “I WILL pray with the spirit, and I WILL also pray with the understanding.” It was within Paul’s control whether he prayed in tongues or in the known language.

The Spirit gives the utterance but it is within your control, and you can pray out by faith. Why is this prayer language so important? In the days ahead, I will share about the many benefits of praying in tongue and how this humble prayer language has transformed the spiritual walk of believers. God gives us good things because He loves us.

7.32 Understanding the difference between devotional tongues vs. the gift of public tongues

On every occasion when the baptism in the Spirit was received in the book of Acts, speaking in tongues was the confirming sign. All 120 disciples spoke in tongues on the day of Pentecost. This means that every believer can have this wonderful experience.

There is a problem misconception that hinders people from entering this wonderful experience. Some have the idea that the prayer language of tongues is not for everyone. They say, "As one of the 9 gifts of the Spirit, not everyone will have it". There is confusion from the passage in 1 Cor 12:30 where Paul asked, “Do all speak with tongues?” Some have tripped over this passage and stopped short of receiving this new prayer language.

(1 Cor 12:28-30)
And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles? Do all have gifts of healings? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret?

We must know that there is a difference between the GIFT OF TONGUES vs DEVOTIONAL TONGUES. This passage was written in the context of spiritual gifts for ministry. These are public gifts given to individuals for the edification of the body (1 Cor 12:7; Eph 4:16). Not everyone has the gift of “public tongues”, which is used to convey a message from God to the believers, just as not all are apostles, prophets and teachers, etc. This message has to be interpreted by the gift of interpretation in order to be useful (1 Cor 14:5). The question “do all interpret?” comes immediately after “do all speak with tongues?” confirming that Paul was referring to the gift of “public tongues”.

In contrast, the new prayer language of “devotional tongues” received during baptism in the Spirit is for our personal use and everyone can have it. It is a private prayer language for self-edification (1 Cor 14:4) and for you to communicate with God.

(1 Cor 14:2, 4)
For he who speaks in a tongue does not SPEAK to men but to GOD, for no one understands him; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries.

He who speaks in a tongue EDIFIES HIMSELF…

In all the instances when they received tongues in the book of Acts, it was said that they spoke with tongues. The Bible never called it the gift of tongues (one of the 9 gifts of the Holy Spirit).

It is beneficial to receive this prayer language of devotional tongues because everyone needs personal edification. Mark 16:17 says, “And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name... they will speak with new tongues…” This is a promise to everyone who believes. This understanding will be important for some who have not had the breakthrough and thinks they are excluded. The promise of Mark 16:17 is for you as a believer.

7.28 The Holy Spirit finds expression through our vocal cords (Part 4)

Yesterday, we shared about how Cornelius’ household received the baptism in the Spirit. Today, let us share about how Paul ministered the baptism in the Spirit to a group of disciples at Ephesus.

First Paul told them that they were to believe in Jesus. The disciples heard the message and believed. They received their salvation. Paul did not stop there; he ministered the baptism in the Spirit to them. Paul laid his hands on them to receive the baptism in the Spirit. The Holy Spirit came upon them and they spoke with tongues – all 12 of them.

(Acts 19:4-7)
Then Paul said, “John indeed baptized with a baptism in repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.” When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came UPON THEM, and they SPOKE WITH TONGUES and prophesied. Now the men were about twelve in all.

From the passage above, it is clear that the apostle Paul did not stop at the salvation experience. The Holy Spirit comes to live within the believer at salvation. But Paul wanted the believer to experience the baptism in the Spirit. He wanted the Spirit to flow forth from the believers.

From all these passages, it is clear from the Scriptures that speaking in tongues is the only common Bible experience and Bible standard for the baptism in the Spirit. Once we have understood this truth, we will have the faith to receive the baptism in the Spirit with the new prayer language of tongues.

by Joshua Lye
Website: www.dailyrhema.blogspot.com

What was the Star?

Question: "What was the star of Bethlehem?"

Answer: The Star of Bethlehem is associated with the visit of the magi (wise men) from the East as recorded in Matthew 2:1-12. From this passage we see three things of interest. First, the text implies the Star appeared only to the magi in the East (the “East” most likely being the area of Persia, or modern-day Iran). There is no biblical record of anyone else observing this phenomenon. While we cannot be dogmatic regarding this point, it is clear that the magi observed something in the heavens that no one else observed that alerted them the Jewish Messiah was to be born (Matthew 2:2 refers to the star as being “His star”). Second, the Star prompted them to travel to Jerusalem, the Jewish capital. This would be the logical place to start looking for the birth of the King of the Jews. Third, when the magi were told that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem, not in Jerusalem, they left. Upon their leaving, the Star that appeared to them in the East re-appeared and led them to Nazareth, and stopped once it was over the place Joseph and Mary were then staying (Matthew 2:9).

Now the Greek word that is translated “star” in the text is the word aster, which is the normal word for a star, a celestial body. The word is used 24 times in the New Testament, and in the majority of the uses it refers to a celestial body. It can be used to denote angels as it does in Revelation 12:4, when it is used to describe the fallen angels that followed Satan’s rebellion. However, in the sense it is used in Matthew 2, it is referring to a celestial body. Basic rules of biblical interpretation state that we should take the normal sense of the word unless there is compelling evidence to suggest otherwise. In fact, many biblical interpreters have done as much by suggesting a natural explanation of the Star of Bethlehem. Their suggestions range from calling it a supernova or a comet to saying it was the conjunction of several celestial bodies which provided a brighter-than-normal light in the sky.

However, there is compelling evidence to suggest that what we see in Matthew 2:1-12 is not a natural stellar phenomenon, but something unexplained by science. That evidence lies in the three things noted above. First, the fact that the Star only appeared to the magi indicates that this was no ordinary stellar phenomenon. Furthermore, what led the magi to travel to Jerusalem was the fact that they were looking for the sign of the Messiah. How would Persian magi know about the Jewish Messiah? They would have been exposed to the ministry of the Jewish prophet Daniel who was the chief of the court seers for Persia. In Daniel 9:24-27, we see a prophecy that gives a timeline for the birth of the Messiah. Second, they would have been aware of the prophetic utterance of the pagan prophet Balaam (who was from the town of Pethor on the Euphrates River near Persia) in Numbers 24:17 (a prophecy that specifically mentions a “star coming out of Jacob”). Finally, celestial bodies normally move from east to west due to the earth’s rotation, yet this Star led the magi from Jerusalem south to Bethlehem. Not only that, but it led them directly to the place where Joseph and Mary were staying; stopping directly overhead. There is no natural stellar phenomenon that can do that.

So if the normal usage of the word “star” doesn’t fit the context, what does? What we likely have here in Matthew 2:1-12 is a manifestation of what the Jews call the Shekinah Glory. The Shekinah, which literally means “dwelling of God,” was the visible presence of the Lord. The most notable example of the Shekinah can be found in Exodus 13:21. The Shekinah was the pillar of cloud that led the Israelites by day, and the pillar of fire that led them by night. The Shekinah fits all of the biblical evidence available in Matthew 2:1-12. The Shekinah can appear to specific individuals, it can disappear and re-appear, it was seen frequently in connection with Christ’s ministry (e.g., Matthew 17:5; Acts 1:9), and it can lead people to specific locations. It shouldn’t surprise us that God would use a miraculous sign to signal the advent of His Son, the Messiah, into the world.

Website : www.gotquestions.org