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Spirit and Truth

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Dr. Dave Breese, in his book The Marks of a Cult, defines extra-biblical revelation as: the view that God has spoken in recorded words, through whatever medium, since He gave us the New Testament Scriptures. It is the assertion that God speaks or has spoken outside, apart from the Bible. The teaching of Holy Scripture forbids this view. It insists that God has spoken to us finally and completely in His Word, the Bible. The last definitive syllables which God has given to this world are the Scriptures of the New Testament.

Yet the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ (full title of the book of Revelation) encourages it’s readers to add something extra to their reading: Revelation 2:7 He who is able to hear, let him listen to and give heed to what the Spirit says to the assemblies (churches). AMPC; Revelation 2:11 He who is able to hear, let him listen to and heed what the Spirit says to the assemblies (churches). AMPC; Revelation 2:29 He who is able to hear, let him listen to and heed what the [Holy] Spirit says to the assemblies (churches). AMPC; Revelation 3:6 He who is able to hear, let him listen to and heed what the [Holy] Spirit says to the assemblies (churches). AMPC; Revelation 3:13 He who can hear, let him listen to and heed what the Spirit says to the assemblies (churches). AMPC; Revelation 3:22 He who is able to hear, let him listen to and heed what the [Holy] Spirit says to the assemblies (churches). AMPC

It’s almost like Jesus is driving home a point: Hear, listen, and heed what the Holy Spirit says! Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever (Heb. 13:8). When the Book of Revelation was written the only Bible these believers had was the Old Testament. To make matters more complicated the copy of the Bible was at the Jewish synagogue. The printing press was invented in 1440. Books would not be available to common people until the 18th and 19th centuries. The assertion that God does not speak outside of the Bible is foolish and a reflection of a Western-Civilizations worldview that everybody can read, everybody owns a book, and everybody reads books. In 2022 the illiteracy rate around the world was at 87.01%. How will the Christians that are illiterate know how to pray? How will they know what direction the Lord is leading? How will they know what is truth and error? How will they ever really come to know Jesus?

Don’t get me wrong I love the Word of God (the Bible) and spend a great deal of time meditating and memorizing its words. But I don’t limit my Bible reading to my reason and understanding. This would sound heretical to Dr. Breese, but I read the Bible through the aid of the Spirit of God Who teaches, and leads me into all Truth. I actually receive revelation from the Spirit of God as I read its words. He helps me to understand and apply its truths to my life. You cannot understand the Bible apart from His revealing its truths to you. In fact you could not have even come to Jesus without Him whispering in your spirit and drawing you to Jesus. He told you that you were a sinner. He spoke to you and revealed you needed to repent of your sins and trust in Jesus’ Sacrifice in order to be forgiven and have eternal life. In other words, God, the Creator of the Universe spoke to you. Can I let you in on a clue? He is still speaking. He hasn’t lost His Voice just because a few of us possess the written Word of God (13%)! To make matters worse The Pew Research Center states that only 45% of Christians read the Bible at least once a week. Once a week? So, almost half of the Christians you know (according to Dr. Breeses definition of hearing God) “hear” God about once a week. Which means they only have a relationship with God – once a week.

Those who ascend through the Door that Jesus is – the DOOR in Revelation 4 and John 10 – do so because they have listened to and are listening for the Godhead to speak: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. They have opened the DOOR and have invited the Godhead to speak. The Revelation of Jesus Christ is only made possible to those who have ears to hear what the Spirit is saying. Jesus was crucified, resurrected and ascended to the Father in order for you to have the relationship our ancestors Adam and Eve enjoyed with Jesus before the Fall. He rose again to open communion, communication, and fellowship between you and the Godhead. Repeatedly Jesus exhorted His listeners to have eyes to see and ears to hear. I have banged this drum for quite some time but Jesus’ definition of Eternal Life was in knowing experientially, progressively, and intimately the Father and Jesus. (Jn. 17:3). Three Greek words from the New Testament: koinonia (fellowship), rhema (revelation, or out of the Mouth of God), and ginosko (intimate, experiential, and progressive relationship) – ALL speak of an active relationship with God, which can be found in the Bible, but is not limited to the Bible. The Bible is a collection of testimonies that sow seeds of faith and hope in all who hear its words and by faith appropriate those experiences into their heart. Psalm 19:1-4 The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows and proclaims His handiwork.2 Day after day pours forth speech, and night after night shows forth knowledge.3 There is no speech nor spoken word [from the stars]; their voice is not heard.4 Yet their voice [in evidence] goes out through all the earth, their sayings to the end of the world. AMPC

God is still speaking! He is not limited to a book. I didn’t marry my wife to read a book about her. (Sometimes I wish a manual would have been provided) If this is true of human relationships how much more true is it regarding our relationship with God? The Author and Creator of all good things placed that desire in our heart – to know Him and to know others. Even God the Father said regarding Adam, It is not good for man to be alone – without someone to have a relationship with. (Gen. 2:18)

In John 4:24 Jesus states: God is a Spirit and they that worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and Truth. You cannot even worship God apart from the Spirit. Dr. Breese ignorantly asks people to deny God a people who worship Him in the Spirit from their spirit. These are the worshippers He seeks. Their worship is not limited to the Bible. Like Adam, they allow the Spirit of God to breathe into them the Holy Spirit’s Breath of Life. Thus, according to the messages of Revelation chapter 3-4: Wake Up, A Door is Open, Open the DOOR, Come Up Here!

Invitation To Friendship

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In the book, The Insanity of Obedience, its author, Nick Ripken writes: Betrayal within the faith community is a special concern, and it is important enough to demand specific attention. Consider this scenario: Expectations were high. After years of struggle and prayer, a house church was emerging among a resistant Muslim people group. Lives had been spent with this precious moment in view. Seeds had been sown and those seeds were now bearing fruit. Fervent prayers were being answered. Bold witness was being blessed. It was an exciting time. A church was being born. Almost immediately, it seemed, a Judas arose from within the group, exposing the inner circle of leaders. The small core of believers fled in disarray and fear. In an instant, the infant church seemed to disappear. Now, years later, these believers still wait in hiding for the birth of the first house church among their people. Nik Ripkin goes on to state, In light of the Biblical record and in light of Jesus’ response to His own Judas, let us consider some truths about Judas and let us consider what our response might mean for the growth and health of the Gospel. (1) We can expect to find Judas within our inner circle. (2) We can expect Judas to grow up within the movement and not to be imported from the outside. (3) With God’s help, we can choose to deal with Judas ourselves and choose not to export him to others. (4) We can learn to recognize Judas quickly. (5) We can be aware that Judas often has money issues. Regarding this last point Nik offers the testimony of a Muslim believer: When a seeker after Jesus comes to me, I ask them, What is it that you want: a car, a house, a wife, or to go to America? I tell them that I cannot even give them an aspirin. All I have is a cross. Do you want to pick up your cross and follow Jesus? That is all I can offer you. He then continued, “Everyone who followed Jesus in the New Testament gave up something. Everyone who comes to Jesus through a Westerner is trying to get something.“

There’s an interesting detail that Western readers often overlook when reading about the night of Jesus’ betrayal by Judas. John 13:26-27 Jesus answered, It is the one to whom I am going to give this morsel (bit) of food after I have dipped it. So when He had dipped the morsel of bread [into the dish], He gave it to Judas, Simon Iscariot’s son. 27 Then after [he had taken] the bit of food, Satan entered into and took possession of [Judas]. Jesus said to him, What you are going to do, do more swiftly than you seem to intend and make quick work of it. We know from Scripture that John, the Beloved disciple, sat to Jesus’ right at the table and that Judas sat to His left. In Jewish culture the seat of honor was on the left side of the one who headed up the meal. Jesus had given the seat of honor to Judas – who was going to betray him; to the one who stole money from Jesus and the other disciples. Jesus honored him. But it get’s much worse, or should I say, more convicting. When Jesus handed the morsel of matzah to Judas that also had symbolic, and cultural ramifications. What was its message? Through that one action Jesus was offering to Judas a lifetime of friendship and love. He was saying to Judas, Will you be my true and close friend?

As we celebrate Passover, and draw closer to the events of Christ’s crucifixion, we need to take the time to ask, Have we betrayed Jesus for protection, provision, spouses, family, cars, houses, or material gain? I am often haunted by a realization I had years ago, that Jesus has many acquaintances but very few friends. We all want Him for something. But in the words of Henry Blackaby, If you knew all you had was a relationship with God, would you be totally and completely satisfied? In other words, If you didn’t have any of the material wealth, or family and friends – would your relationship with Jesus keep you totally and completely satisfied? What are you living for?

Confession & Declaration 16

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You’ve come a long ways in your confessions and declarations. Yet, I will say, I am getting so much out of this study. It has been such a blessing. But my hope is that God’s Spirit is using these truths to transform your thinking. May they change the way you relate to our Lord.

Today we discover how our covenant with the Godhead has been put into effect through Jesus’ shed Blood. Which reminds me of a story: A man was in the hospital, near death and couldn’t talk, so the family sent for his pastor. As the pastor stood beside the bed, the elderly man’s frail and pale condition grew worse, and he motioned frantically for something to write with. Lovingly, his pastor, handed him a pen and piece of paper. Old Fred, the elderly church member, worked up his last ounce of strength to scribble a note, placing it in his pastors hand before breathing his final breath. His family was visibly moved by Old Fred’s expression of endearment for his pastor. Heads bowed in reverence, they wept silently, shuffling nervously around the room. Not wanting to appear insensitive, the pastor discreetly slipped the sacred note into his jacket pocket promptly forgetting about it. Several days later, at Fred’s funeral, the pastor began delivering his eulogy describing the man’s journey through life, his accomplishments, and the sweetness of having pastored and known him. Half way through the eulogy he remembered that he was wearing the same jacket he had worn the day the Fred had passed. Digging into his pocket he retrieved the folded note and continued, “You know Old Fred handed me a note just before he died. I haven’t read it, but knowing Fred, I’m sure there’s a word of inspiration there for us all.” As the pastor unfolded the note he read aloud the sacred notes contents, “You dummy you’re standing on my oxygen tube!!”

When it comes to overcoming the accuser of the brothers quite often we are not allowing it’s truths to flow freely thus cutting off the life those truths provide. Let’s delve deeper into the Testimony of the Blood of the Lamb: Hebrews 9:15-20: [Christ, the Messiah] is therefore the Negotiator and Mediator of an [entirely] new agreement (testament, covenant), so that those who are called and offered it may receive the fulfillment of the promised everlasting inheritance—since a death has taken place which rescues and delivers and redeems them from the transgressions committed under the [old] first agreement. 16 For where there is a [last] will and testament involved, the death of the one who made it must be established, 17 For a will and testament is valid and takes effect only at death, since it has no force or legal power as long as the one who made it is alive.18 So even the [old] first covenant (God’s will) was not inaugurated and ratified and put in force without the shedding of blood. 19 For when every command of the Law had been read out by Moses to all the people, he took the blood of slain calves and goats, together with water and scarlet wool and with a bunch of hyssop, and sprinkled both the Book (the roll of the Law and covenant) itself and all the people, 20 Saying these words: This is the blood that seals and ratifies the agreement (the testament, the covenant) which God commanded [me to deliver to] you.

When a person dies many times they will have a written will describing the earthly possessions they wish to leave with their loved ones. Officially the will is known as the “last will and testament.” Our Bibles are divided between Old and New Testaments. God’s Last Will and Testament for His people. In the Old Will and Testament the lives of animals were sacrificed to insure forgiveness of sin. Yet, in our New Will and Testament, Jesus became our sacrifice, securing for us more than forgiveness but eternal life. Freely surrendering His life so that we could come to life. Yet, as we are discovering, Jesus’ Blood did more than wash away our sins. His Blood ratified the covenant. In other words, His Blood sealed the contract, or more correctly, the covenant. A contract is a legal document which in many ways is similar to a covenant. Yet there are big differences.

Chris and Lisa Cree, bloggers for New Creations, wrote: “With a contract, if one agreeing party does something in violation of the contract then it is considered broken. The whole contract becomes null and void. With a covenant, both parties agree to hold up their ends regardless of whether the other party keeps their part of the agreement or not. A violation of a covenant by one party doesn’t matter.”

One of history’s more recent covenants has been the Declaration of Independence. The Cree’s continue to blog when they write: The Declaration of Independence was signed by 56 men who all understood they were committing high treason against the British government when they signed the document. Benjamin Franklin famously highlighted that reality at the time, “We must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately.” The concluding sentence of the Declaration states, “And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.” To the signers it didn’t matter if any one of their confederates broke or switched sides. They were still committed to their course of action regardless, even if it cost them their lives.“

But the question remains, What are the differences between a contract and a covenant?

  • A contract is an agreement between parties while a covenant is a pledge.
  • A covenant is an agreement you can break while a covenant is a perpetual promise.
  • You seal a covenant while you sign a contract.
  • A contract is a mutually beneficial relationship while a covenant is something you fulfill.
  • A contract exchanges one good for another, while a covenant is giving oneself to the other.
  • You can opt out of a contract while a covenant is about having the strength to hold up your part of the promise.
  • One can stop paying in a contract when one party is not fulling their part in a deal. However, in a covenant, the party not getting their needs met supports the failing party so that they can meet their obligations.

Obviously the weight of our covenant with Jesus is on Jesus. We are simply recipients of its benefits. There’s an account in the Old Testament of when God cut covenant with Abram. The narrative describes what was involved in the ancient custom. Genesis 15:8-10 states: But he [Abram] said, Lord God, by what shall I know that I shall inherit it? 9 And He said to him, Bring to Me a heifer three years old, a she-goat three years old, a ram three years old, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.10 And he brought Him all these and cut them down the middle [into halves] and laid each half opposite the other; but the birds he did not divide.

In the ancient middle eastern custom of “cutting” covenant, participants would dig a trench, preferably on a hill, allowing the blood of the sacrificed animals to flow freely down its middle. The covenant was sealed when both parties would walk through the trench barefooted allowing the blood to soak their feet. Participating in this practice was with the solemn understanding that if anyone broke covenant a similar fate would be visited upon the covenant breaker. What’s powerful about Abram’s covenant with God is that Abram never walked through. His was not the sacrifice to make. That would come through the Father who Promised His Son – Jesus, our Messiah to seal the deal.

Even more sobering than this is the fact that 2 Corinthians 5:17 states that we are new creations, and 2 Corinthians 3:3 defines what kind of new creation we are when it states: You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. In other words, you’ve become Jesus’ living scroll, the written covenant, written by the ink of the Spirit, and sealed by Jesus’ Precious Blood. You’ve done more than enter into a Covenant you can’t keep, with an Eternal God, you can never equal in a thousand lifetimes. You are being transformed into His Living Scroll – sealed by His Blood. Thats powerful. Are you ready to overcome the accuser through declaring Jesus’ Truth and Praise?

Declaration 16: Precious Father, when I draw near to You to declare Your covenant Truths, I am humbled to tears. Abba, all I can bring to our covenant is my life, my heart, and my all. I freely, and willingly surrender it at the Feet of My Lamb Who filled the trench with His Blood to seal our agreement. You have made me a new creation, a living scroll, sealed by Your Blood. I could never in a thousand lifetimes qualify as a second party. Yet You embraced me, bringing me to the Family Table, making me Yours. Thank You for surrendering Your Life so that I could come to life. Thank You that You have brought me to life, raised me from sin, flooding me with Light. Praise Your Name for Your Glorious Light! For in it I see. I can see, and hear the sweetness of Who You are, and whose You’ve made me to be. Embraced by Your Light, and Grace, I stretch forth to embrace You in return. Thank You for the day to come, when my feet find themselves before You, my legs fail me for the weight of Your Glory, and You lift me into Your embrace. My heart aches for the day. Thank You, thank You, Jesus!