The Gospel Gazette Volume 1 Number 1

TheGospelGazet t e AMedi aResour ceofJonat hanMi ni st r i esandFr i ends Vol ume1*Number1*201 1

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THEHEAVENL YVI SI ON byJonat han “ Butr i s e,ands t andupont hyf eet :f orIhav eappear edunt ot heef ort hi spur pos e,t omak et heeami ni s t er andawi t nes sbot hoft hes et hi ngswhi c ht houhas ts een,andoft hos et hi ngsi nt hewhi c hIwi l l appearunt o t hee;Del i v er i ngt heef r om t hepeopl e,andf r om t heGent i l es ,unt owhom nowIs endt hee,T oopent hei r ey es ,andt ot ur nt hem f r om dar k nes st ol i ght ,andf r om t hepowerofSat anunt oGod,t hatt heymayr ec ei v e f or gi v enes sofs i ns ,andi nher i t anc eamongt hem whi c har es anc t i f i edbyf ai t ht hati si nme.Wher eupon,O k i ngAgr i ppa,Iwasnotdi s obedi entunt ot heheav enl yv i s i on”( Ac t s26: 1619) . “ ForIdet er mi nednott ok nowanyt hi ngamongy ou,s av eJ es usChr i s t ,andhi mc r uc i f i ed”( 1Cor i nt hi ans 2: 2) .

Thegos pel of“ J es usChr i s tandHi mc r uc i f i ed”r ev eal st hatmani sas i nnerandJ es usChr i s tbec ameour s ubs t i t ut ei nt ak i ngourpl ac eont hec r os s -“ Forhehat hmadehi mt obes i nf orus ,whok newnos i n;t hat wemi ghtbemadet her i ght eous nes sofGodi nhi m”( 2Cor i nt hi ans5: 21) .

Ev ent houghGod’ spl anofs al v at i oni ss i mpl e,pr i deands el f r i ght eous nes shav ec aus edmul t i t udest obe hel dasc apt i v et oabondaget hati sdeadl y :t hebondageofr el i gi on.Wes ayt hatr el i gi oni sat er r i bl e bondagebec aus ei tc ons i s t sof“ t hewor k soft hel aw” .TheBi bl e,i nGal at i ans2: 16,t eac hesus ,“ Knowi ng t hatamani snotj us t i f i edbyt hewor k soft hel aw,butbyt hef ai t hofJ es usChr i s t ,ev enwehav ebel i ev edi n J es usChr i s t ,t hatwemi ghtbej us t i f i edbyt hef ai t hofChr i s t ,andnotbyt hewor k soft hel aw:f orbyt he wor k soft hel aws hal l nof l es hbej us t i f i ed” .Wer ec ogni z et hatwhi l et hel aw( whi c hi sgoodandpr operi ni t s r i ght f ul pos i t i on)wasgi v enbyGod( r eadRomans7: 12) ,i twoul ds t i l l notef f ec ts al v at i onwhat s oev er .

Ac t ual l y ,i twaspur pos edbyGodt os howt heut t ers i nf ul nes sofmanandhowhewoul dnotbeabl et ok eep i tper f ec t l y -“ Forwhos oev ers hal l k eept hewhol el aw,andy etof f endi nonepoi nt ,hei sgui l t yofal l ”( J ames 2: 10) .Mor eov er ,whenev erweat t emptt oaddwor k s( whi c hc ons t i t ut el aw)t oGod’ ss al v at i on,wear ei n r eal i t y ,addi ngac ur s euponour s el v es .Yous ee,f oral mos tev er yoneofus ,pr i ort oourc omi ngt oJ es us , wewer eal l ex pos edt os omephi l os ophy ,r el i gi onandt r adi t i oni nwhat ev erc apac i t y .Wi t houtr eal i z i ngt hem ass uc h,wec ont i nuet oal l owc er t ai ns eemi ngl ynobl ec odeofet hi c sandr eas oni ng( ofourupbr i ngi ngor r el i gi oust r adi t i ons )andwei nt er t wi net hem wi t hourChr i s t i ani t y .I nor derf orust obef r eef r om t hebondage ofr el i gi onandt hec ur s eoft hel aw,i tbec omesnec es s ar yf orust oc eas el eani ngont hear m oft hef l es h andbegi ni dent i f y i ngt ot al l yandc ompl et el ywi t ht hes ubs t i t ut i onar y( aswel l asex pi at or y )at oni ngwor kof Chr i s tont hec r os s .Knowi ngt hi s ,asweenc ount erpr obl ems ,orwhatmayev enl ookl i k et ot al def eat ,we wi l l c as tour s el v esatt hef ootoft hec r os s ,s ubmi t t i ngandy i el di ngour s el v esabs ol ut el yt ot heMas t er .

NO CONDEMNATI ON “ I fwec onf es sours i ns ,hei sf ai t hf ul andj us tt of or gi v eusours i ns ,andt oc l eans eusf r om al l unr i ght eous nes s ”( 1J ohn1: 9) . “ Myl i t t l ec hi l dr en,t hes et hi ngsIwr i t eunt oy ou,t haty es i nnot .Andi fanymans i n,wehav eanadv oc at e wi t ht heFat her ,J es usChr i s tt her i ght eous ”( 1J ohn2: 1) . “ Ther ei st her ef or enownoc ondemnat i ont ot hem whi c har ei nChr i s tJ es us ,whowal knotaf t ert hef l es h, butaf t ert heSpi r i t ”( Romans8: 1) .

I tmays ounds t r ange,buti ti sgener al l yt r ue.WeChr i s t i anspr eac hl ov eandf or gi v enes st ot heuns av ed, butwhenev erwef ai l t heLor dt hr oughs i nanddi s obedi enc e,weal l owc ondemnat i onandgui l tt oov er whel m usev enaf t erwehav ec onf es s edourwr ongdoi ngs .I ts eemst hatwewantt odopenanc eofs omek i ndt o mer i tt heat t ent i onofGod,t opr ov et hatourc onf es s i oni sgenui neands i nc er e.

I ns t eadoft r us t i ngt heOnewhohaspr ov i dedt heLambf ort heof f er i ng,wepr ef ert os uf f erandt oi l t owor k upanat onement .O,whatpeac eweof t enf or f ei t ,O whatneedl es spai nwebear !Thegos pel of“ J es us

Chr i s tandHi mc r uc i f i ed”s ubmi t st oust hatnoamountofwor k sorpr ay er sc anef f ec tany t hi ngt owar ds c ont r i but i ngabas i sofourac c ept anc ebef or eourGod.Weneedt ounder s t andt hatwear ehol yand r i ght eousnotbec aus ewehav eagr eatpr ay erl i f eorbec aus ewehav egr eatk nowl edgei nt heBi bl e( as nobl eandasnec es s ar yast heyc er t ai nl yar e! ) ,butbec aus ewear et r us t i ngi nt hef i ni s hedwor kofJ es us Chr i s tatCal v ar yandt heRes ur r ec t i on.Anyt hi ngt hatwes ubs t i t ut ei nt hepl ac eofChr i s tandHi mc r uc i f i ed bec omeswor k sandc anl i f tusupi n“ t hepr i deofl i f e”( ac c or di ngt o1J ohn2: 16) .Forex ampl e,i fwet hi nk t hatourpr ay er smer i t suss omef av ourwi t hGod,t henwewoul dhav ef al l eni nt ot hepl ac eofc ar nal i t y ,t he ar enaoft hef l es h.

GLORYI NTHECROSSOFOURLORDJ ESUSCHRI ST “ ButGodf or bi dt hatIs houl dgl or y ,s av ei nt hec r os sofourLor dJ es usChr i s t ,bywhom t hewor l di sc r uc i f i ed unt ome,andIunt ot hewor l d”( Gal at i ans6: 14) . “ Forbygr ac ear ey es av edt hr oughf ai t h;andt hatnotofy our s el v es :i ti st hegi f tofGod:Notofwor k s ,l es t anymans houl dboas t ”( Ephes i ans2: 89) .

I nor derf orust owal ki nt heSpi r i tandt oal l owt hegr ac eofGodt of l owabundant l yt hr oughourl i v es ,we needt or emov et hei dol st hatmi ghthav es ubt l ypenet r at edi nt oours pi r i t ual wal kev enaf t erwehav ebeen bor nagai n.Ibel i ev eani dol i sanyt hi ngt hatwegi v eal l egi anc eandpr eoc c upat i ont oanywayot hert han t hepl ac eofGod.Ev ent hel egi t i mat eandnobl et hi ngsc anbemadei nt oani dol -i fwear enotc ar ef ul .For ex ampl e,what ev ert hatar i s esf r om mer edut y ,bei tourpr ay i ng,ours t udyofGod’ sWor dorourgoodwor k s ot hert hanwi t hpur ej oyandl ov eoft heLor dbec omeouri dol s .

Les twel os es i ghtoft hef oc usofBi bl eChr i s t i ani t ywhi c hi sgr ac eandgr ac eal one,weneedt obec ons umed wi t h“ t heheav enl yv i s i on”t onotonl ypr eac ht hegos pel ,butt o“ l i v eoft hegos pel ”( 1Cor i nt hi ans9: 14)as wel l .

Andwhi l et hemoder npul pi ti ss t andi ngwi t hmor eandmor epr eac her swi t hhi gherl ev el sofeduc at i on,we s houl dunder s t andt hati ti sj us tamer ev ehi c l e( ashel pf ul andaswonder f ul asi ti s )i nt hes uper nat ur al wor k ofGod.TheWor dofGods t i l l c har gesev er ymi ni s t erandbel i ev eral i k et of ul f i l l t hec al l wi t ht ot al dependenc yont heway soft heHol ySpi r i twher ebyt heex er c i s eoff ai t hwi l l endueandequi phi mi na gr eat erc apac i t yt hanwi t hmer ei nt el l ec tal one.Paul s ai d,“ Andmys peec handmypr eac hi ngwasnotwi t h ent i c i ngwor dsofman’ swi s dom,buti ndemons t r at i onoft heSpi r i tandofpower :Thaty ourf ai t hs houl dnot s t andi nt hewi s dom ofmen,buti nt hepowerofGod”( 1Cor i nt hi ans2: 45) .Yous ee,t r ueSpi r i t f i l l ed mi s s i onswor k er swhenmi ni s t er i ngi npl ac ess t eepedi ni dol orev endemonwor s hi pwi l l at t es tt hati ti ss t i l l t hes i mpl i c i t yoft hegos pel ,pr eac hedundert heanoi nt i ngoft heHol ySpi r i tt hatwi l l br eakt hey ok eof bondageands ett hes c or esofpeopl ef r ee.Thel ev el ofeduc at i oni sofl i t t l ec ons equenc ewheni tc omest o engagi ngi ns pi r i t ual war f ar e.AndIc ant hi nkofnobet t erex ampl et hant odi r ec ty out ot hewor dsofoneof t hemos tl ear nedmanofhi sday ,t heApos t l ePaul ,andhes ai d,“ Butwhatt hi ngswer egai nt ome,t hos eI c ount edl os sf orChr i s t .Yeadoubt l es s ,andIc ountal l t hi ngsbutl os sf ort heex c el l enc yoft hek nowl edgeof Chr i s tJ es usmyLor d:f orwhom Ihav es uf f er edt hel os sofal l t hi ngs ,anddoc ountt hem butdung,t hatI maywi nChr i s t ”( Phi l i ppi ans3: 78) .

Fr i ends ,Ir eal i z et hats uc hal i ber at i ngt r ut hi nt heBi bl emays oundf ool i s ht ot heear soft hes pi r i t ual l y unr egener at e,buti fwear et obef ounddi l i gentandf ai t hf ul t ot hec al l ofGoduponourl i v es ,t henwemus t behumbl eandy etbol denought oc as t“ downi magi nat i ons ,andev er yhi ght hi ngt hatex al t et hi t s el fagai ns t t hek nowl edgeofGod,andbr i ngi ngi nt oc apt i v i t yev er yt houghtt ot heobedi enc eofChr i s t ”( 2Cor i nt hi ans 10: 5) .Weneedt ol aydownal l ofours el f det er mi nedef f or t soft hef l es hands ayi ns t ead,“ Iam c r uc i f i edwi t h Chr i s t :nev er t hel es sIl i v e;y etnotI ,butChr i s tl i v et hi nme:andt hel i f ewhi c hInowl i v ei nt hef l es hIl i v eby f ai t hoft heSonofGod,whol ov edme,andgav ehi ms el ff orme.Idonotf r us t r at et hegr ac eofGod:f ori f r i ght eous nes sc omebyt hel aw,t henChr i s ti sdeadi nv ai n”( Gal at i ans2: 2021) .

Ipr ayt haty ouwi l l embr ac et hegos pel of“ J es usChr i s tandHi mc r uc i f i ed”i fy ouhav enotal r eadydones o.

Thei nv i t at i oni sf ory out ot r us ti nt heLambwhot ak et hawayt hes i noft hewor l d!

Wi l l y ous ubmi tt ot heSav i our ’ sbi ddi ngandc omenow?

Pr ai s et heLor d!

COPYRI GHT( C)1992WORLDHARVESTGOSPELPRESS ALLRI GHTSRESERVED ( Thi sar t i c l ewaswr i t t eni nt heear l y1990s .Themes s agei ss t i l l asr el ev antnowasi twasbac kt hen. )

Abi taboutJonat han’ s Living In Fulfilling Experiences

Mushr oom andHer bsPast a:OneofJonat han’ sf avour i t edi shes