Psalm 102

The Mystery of Israel & The Church

"Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee. Peace be within thy walls, and prosperity within thy palaces. For my brethren and companions' sakes, I will now say, Peace be within thee. Because of the house of the LORD our God I will seek thy good." Psalm 122:6-9

Min. Art Katz reviews Psalm 102 as a prophetic message for the end times regarding what must happen before the Deliverer (Jesus) is sent out of Zion.

• Israel's recognition of God's righteous judgments against them
• The Church's identification with, and concern for, the plight of Israel 

I Would Not Have You to Be Ignorant

The Love of the Truth

God says repeatedly in His word that He "would not have us to be ignorant" (Romans 1:13, 11:25; I Corinthians 10:1, 12:1; II Corinthians 1:8, 2:11; I Thessalonians 4:13; II Peter 3:8).  Yet many times we allow ourselves to be willfully ignorant by picking & choosing what we will accept as truth from God's word.  We even do so with regard to the very character of God, divorcing from Him those attributes which make us uncomfortable.  As is often said, "There is none so blind as one who will not see."

We cannot love God without loving the (whole) truth, for He is Truth.  The love of the truth is what will protect believers from end time deceptions to which even God will turn some over (II Thessalonians 2:10-11).

A message below from Min. Art Katz.

Authentic Spirituality

Jewish Evangelism is the Ultimate Test of the Church

"I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy." Romans 11:11

Sometimes, Christians act as if faith in Jesus Christ was something that was just spontaneously birthed one day whose end is simply the individual salvation of our souls.  Yet Christianity it is the product of a purposeful history - as well as part of a prophetic future - which is yet unfolding today.

We have spoken before about who Israel is, yet how many times do we stop to consider God's masterful plan of the ages and the role which we have in it?  Do we understand that we have been engrafted into a spiritual heritage which makes us partakers of the commonwealth of Israel (Ephesians 2:12-13)?

I dare to say that there is not much about "the Church" which would give undeniable & unshakeable testimony to the heart of the Jewish people that such is the reflection of the One, True God.   Yet this should not be...according to the Scriptures.

If the life of God is not so evident in the Church that it moves the Jew to jealousy, then why not?

A message from Minister Art Katz.

Occupy Till I Come

"For I say unto you, That unto every one which hath shall be given; and from him that hath not, even that he hath shall be taken away from him." Luke 19:26

I often feel like I am sitting as a stranger in this world, watching events unfold like one would watch a movie on the big screen.  The very fabric of the world's "reality" is in itself unreal.  The systems of the world are all built upon lies, the atmosphere is one of fantasy, and even the truths of this world are merely attempts at manipulation.   And yet, there are those who are invested completely in this madness, caught up in it, believing in it, and even fighting for it.

"Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence." John 18:36

All around the world there are growing pockets of civil unrest.  In the U.S. a particular movement called "Occupy" is gaining momentum as people protest in the streets about economic inequity, banking fraud, and overall disenchantment with the current power structure.

occupy: to take possession and control of a place, as by military invasion; to be a resident or tenant of; dwell in.

While the objectives of those in this group seem disparate, one overall theme is that they all seem interested in saving the world or restoring the American Dream.  How do they aim to do this?  So far, by "occupying" public places to make their demands known.  Yet as I read about the activities of this movement, I couldn't help but think of Luke Chapter 19.

"...Occupy till I come." Luke 19:13b

Was Jesus urging Christians to take to the streets, championing our political banners & causes so that our voices will be heard by the ruling elite?  There are even those who preach a false "Gospel of the Kingdom" with its "Kingdom Living" principles stating how we must take the "Kingdom Now" as defined by Christians taking over the systems of this world before Jesus can return.  Yet, we know that this is not true for when Jesus returns, the world will be as Sodom and as Gomorrah (Luke 17:28-30); we can see that now as we look around us...and it will get worse until Jesus comes.  Further, unlike the systems of this world, the Kingdom of God is not temporal and shall never pass away.  God's word is clear that the Kingdom to which Jesus referred is not of this world.

So what did Jesus mean when He told us to "occupy"?  Certainly the Church is to represent Christ in an evil world, preaching the Gospel in order to advance the Kingdom of God.  However, we must also "occupy" on an individual level; working out our salvation with fear and trembling.

Luke 19 starts out with Jesus passing through Jericho.  The nation of Israel conquered Jericho in one of its first steps towards possessing the Promised Land. It is not by chance that Jesus' command to "occupy" comes at this point.

One of the first individuals Jesus is recorded as dealing with was Zacchaeus, a publican who had been made rich by swindling the people (not unlike those whom the Occupy movement fight against today).  In spite of his sin and reputation amongst the people, Zacchaeus would not be deterred from seeking the Lord.  He "made haste" and went to great lengths to do so.  Although he knew that his riches were unrighteously obtained, it was seeing Jesus which moved him to rectify these wrongs.  When the invitation from Christ was given to him, the walls of his cold, uncircumcised heart came tumbling down and Zacchaeus received the Savior of his soul with joy.

That very day salvation had come to him, yet the self-righteous people could not see past Zacchaeus' sin; they even criticized Jesus for having fellowship with such a man.  They could not see that the one who had been lost was now saved, as was Jesus' purpose (Luke 19:10).

After this, Jesus shared a parable with the people to clarify their understanding of the coming of His Kingdom.  He wasn't going to Jerusalem to establish His kingdom on earth at that time, but to enable us to become a part of that Kingdom.

In the parable, a nobleman is going to a far country in order to receive a kingdom.  He instructs his servants to occupy until his return, providing each with the necessary resources.  The servants must "occupy" because they will face opposition.  There are forces coming against the servants because the citizens of that land did not want the nobleman to reign over them (Luke 19:14). This is the very type of environment a Christian must live in every day...within his own soul.

"In your patience possess ye your souls." Luke 21:19

Each Christian has a soulish life which lusts against the spirit and is vying for preeminence, even after salvation (Romans 7:18-25; Galatians 5:16-17).  It is used to being a renegade and doesn't want to submit to the authority of Jesus Christ.  This is why God instructs His servants to:

• Possess your souls in patience (Luke 21:19)
• Take up your cross every day (Luke 9:23)
• Keep under your body and bring it into subjection (I Corinthians 9:27)
• Mortify the deeds of the body so that you may live (Romans 8:13)
• Mortify our members on the earth (Colossians 3:5)
• Crucify the flesh, with its affections and lusts (Galatians 5:24)
• Hold fast the profession of our faith (Revelation 2:25)
• Continue in the faith and not be moved from our hope in Christ (Colossians 1:23)
• Show diligence to the full assurance of our hope until the end (Hebrews 6:11)
• Establish our hearts for the coming day of the Lord (James 5:8)

We are to occupy.  In order for people to see Jesus in us, we must "occupy" until He comes.  It is important to note that such is not possible to do in our own power & effort.  Jesus Himself must provide us with the resources, which is why He has given us spiritual weapons (Ephesians 6:11-20).

"For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled." II Corinthians 10:3-6

After salvation, every Christian is enlisted in a war and is under orders to "bring into captivity" all disobedience into the obedience of Christ.  We cannot cast down anyone else's imaginations, nor can we bring anyone else's thoughts into captivity.  We must each possess our own vessels in sanctification and honor unto the Lord (I Thessalonians 4:3-4), because the Kingdom of God is within us.

"And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you." Luke 17:20-21

This is the Promised Land God has given us as an inheritance in the new covenant: our citizenship in the Kingdom of God.  Just as with the Israelites, He is teaching our hands to war because we will also encounter giants which stand against us and do not desire to relinquish the land.  Yet, as also with Israel, God has already given us the battle; all we need to do is believe and act upon that belief.  Such is faith.  How did Israel conquer Jericho?  By faith (Hebrews 11:30); and such is also how we gain the victory.  As we do, the Kingdom of God will expand within us.

In the parable, when the nobleman returned, his servants had to give an account of their business and how they had fared in their trading.  We too will all have to give an account - or what Matthew 25:19 calls a "reckoning" - of how we have occupied.

There is a song called Trading My Sorrows which says:

I'm trading my sorrow
I'm trading my shame
I'm laying it down for the joy of the Lord

I'm trading my sickness
I'm trading my pain
I'm laying it down for the joy of the Lord

I have no problems with the song, but my question is, what about trading our backbiting for exhortations?  Will we trade greed for charity?  Will we trade our gluttony for temperance?  Will we trade our condemnation for compassion?

When our Lord returns, will we have gained ground for the Kingdom - some thirty, sixty, or one hundred fold - or will we have suffered loss (Matthew 13:18-23)?  As we do gain ground, we become vessels fit for the Master to use, revenging all disobedience.

People are so concerned about saving this present evil world, but who is willing to "occupy" for Jesus?  Who is willing to wage a campaign of war - even against their own rebellion - so that the Kingdom of God may be seen and glorified in His people?

"But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul." Hebrews 10:39

If you want to know the spirit behind the Occupy movement, click here.

The Congregation, The Club, and The Church

Below is a message from Pastor Zac Poonen's church from a conference called "New Wine in New Windeskins".  The full listing of messages may be found on their video page.

The Congregation, The Club, and The Church

• The old wineskin is like layers of an onion.  This can deceive many into thinking they have reached new wineskin, while they have actually simply been through a few layers of the old wineskin.
• The new wineskin is a narrow way.
• The joy set before Jesus - which propelled Him to the death of the cross - was the joy of being in submission to the Father's commands because He loved the Father (John 14:30-31; Hebrews 12:2).
• The love for the Father must come first in our lives if we are to love others and lay our lives down for them.  
• All Christian work (including the building of His church) must come from a love for the Father for that is what allows us to hear His commands and obey Him. 
• Every day of His life, Jesus determined to have His life directed by His love for the Father and then His relationship and compassion for others.  This is what it means to carry a cross; the bigger crossbeam being the vertical one, signifying our commitment to and relationship with the Father first before we can have relationship with others.
• The definition of a disciple is one who carries the cross (Luke 9:23).  This is the only type of Christian that there is.
• The sole desire of a Christian must be, "I do not want to do what I want to do.  I only do what the Father wants me to do."
• Our vertical relationship with the Father is 100% in secret.  The old wineskin was based in outer appearances (devotion to God is external, Exodus 40; language is religious, Psalm 40:9-10; worship is soulish, Psalm 149:1).  The new wineskin is a hidden, inner work (Colossians 3:3).
• A Congregation is a gathering of vertical beams.  They may be interested in spiritual things, but cannot build fellowship with others...especially those who rub them the wrong way.  These are lone rangers and isolationists who love to do things for God in a show of false religion, but do not submit to Godly authority around them.  Many times, because there is no true fellowship here, the size of members can be in the thousands.
• A Club is a gathering of horizontal beams.  The people become "cookie cutter" impressions of one another.  The environment is very "cliquish" and one's devotion to God is based primarily upon one's loyalty to men and their doctrines/rules.  In the "club", one's security is found in man's acceptance rather than in God, so one is easily offended by the correction of others.
• The Church has the vertical beam and the horizontal beam.  The immediate consequence the coming of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost was that the believers devoted themselves to fellowship (Acts 2:42).  The Church is the Body of Christ (I Corinthians 12:27).  Love for God and then others comes from the inner dwelling of the Holy Spirit.  Unity in spirit among believers comes through the cross.  The time when the Church is built up the most is when we are away from each other; it is the things we do in secret devotion to God which permits fellowship with other believers.  We cannot build fellowship or knit ourselves together (Colossians 2:2, 19).  The Holy Spirit will knit together the hearts of those who are dying to themselves in their personal time.  Anything less is just friendship, not fellowship.
• Once we understand these truths, we will no longer wonder or complain about "Where are the people who will build the church?" If we go to the ground and die, then that will draw the people (John 12:32).  The issue is not that the people aren't present or aren't joining the church; the issue is that death is not working in those who claim to belong to the Church (2 Corinthians 4:12).
• You know you have come to the Church when you find shepherds after God's own heart (Jeremiah 3:15).

Letters of Second, Third John and Jude

The Greek word Apotosia comes from the root word
Apostasion meaning "divorce."  Those who
fall into apostasy are divorced from God.

Earnestly Contend for the Faith

Recently, I was asked a pretty straightforward question...so I thought.  Someone asked if their sister - who had been a practicing lesbian until her death - could possibly be in Heaven, because she was also a professing Christian.

Other "Christians" had told her: "We cannot know another person's heart"..."We cannot know who might go to Heaven until the judgment"..."Jesus paid the debt for all of our sins and our righteousness is in Him alone, not ourselves."  "Once we are saved we are always saved, so that person is surely in Heaven."..."Everybody sins; that doesn't mean we are no longer saved."...Remember, salvation is not of works."  

I told her that - unless this person repented of their sin and turned in faith to Christ before dieing - then no, such cannot enter the Kingdom of God.

"Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God." I Corinthians 6:9-10

When this person shared my response with the other "Christians", they told her that I was being "too dogmatic" and no one could say for sure whether homosexuals/lesbians make it into Heaven. 

dogmatic: forcibly asserted as if authoritative and unchallengeable.

Let me ask you something.  If we cannot stand unwavering, unchallengeable, and with authority on what God explicitly states in His word, then why are we claiming to belong to Him?

All of Scripture harmonizes with each other.  Just because one man does not know another man's heart (or even his own heart for that matter) does not mean that we cannot believe God when He says that such shall not inherit the kingdom of God.  Just because man is not the judge does not mean we cannot believe God's pronounced judgments in His word.

If we cannot receive the plain words of Scripture as the truths of God, then we have departed from the simplicity which is in Christ Jesus and have defined our own idol of Christianity.

In these last days, there are many deceptions about Jesus Christ, with false religion being championed in His name.  Our protection against these errors is the truth, the word of God.  Even the Holy Spirit - by whom we are regenerated into newness of life - comes to bring us into the knowledge of, and conformity with, that truth (John 16:13).

When you take lightly the truths of God's word and mistakenly believe that you can pick & choose to which Scriptures you will adhere, you open yourself up to a great deception which can lead you into apostasy.

The following notes are from Pastor Zac Poonen's sermon on the Books of 2 John, 3 John, and Jude which address the importance of holding on to God's truth in these dark times.

The Book of 2 John

• It is a great testimony when a woman has been able to bring up her children to walk in the truth.
• Peter did evangelism.  Paul established churches.  John corrected the problems in the churches as he began to see them decline.
• God's prophetic word to backslidden Christendom today is the same as what John preached to the church at the end of the 1st century.  
• As with 1 John, he continues to emphasize three points for the church: Keep God's commandments; Love one another; Recognize that Jesus came in the flesh.
• There is no compromise of truth for the sake of "love" because such is the opposite of love.  Obeying God's commandments is love (2 John 1:6).  We are to walk in truth and love another.
• The problem with many churches is that they don't specifically recognize that Jesus came in the flesh.  We have no excuse for sin because Jesus came as a man, was tempted as we are, and did not sin.  Understanding this truth is the key to obeying God's commandments and loving others.
• Jesus is the Jehovah of the Old Testament (1 Corinthians 12:3) and Jesus as God came in the flesh (2 John 1:7)
• God allows deceivers so that our discerning faculties can be sharpened and we can mature in the faith.  To be protected from deception, we must have a love for the truth.
• You can lose your reward by falling for one of the many deceptions about Jesus.
• Stand up for the Lord in these days of deception.  It is not "Christian love" to show hospitality to those who are against Christ.  Those who greet such persons in the name of God are partakers in their evil deeds (2 John 1:11).

The Book of 3 John

• The subject of this book could be said to be a bad elder (Diotrephes) and a good elder (Demetrius).
• People have perverted this text to teach that it supports the false wealth/health prosperity doctrine (3 John 1:2).  Jesus is our standard.  He was not a rich man.  There were many people sick at the pool of Bethesda and He healed one person.  Jesus did not heal Paul of his infirmity (II Corinthians 12:7-10).  Jesus did not heal Timothy of his stomach ailments.  What we learn from that is that these temporary things (because everything in this world is temporary) are not the most important things in life.  We are to have health to do God's will, but Jesus did not teach that you will never get sick.
• John's greatest joy was when he heard that those to whom he had ministered were walking in the truth (3 John 1:3).
• We must be hospitable to the brethren, including giving them financial gifts to help with their expenses; such is an act of our faith.
• No Godly man ever takes money from unbelievers for preaching the Gospel (3 John 1:7).  To give to God's work is an honor and privilege that belongs to His children.
• It is possible for an elder to start out humble, but gradually come to the place where he wants to be a big man (3 John 1:9).  Such was Dotreaphes' downfall.
• If you are blessed enough to have a Godly brother as your elder or guide - no matter how much you have grown or are being used by God - respect his advice.
• If you want to serve God then you will be unjustly accused by others with wicked words (3 John 1:10).
• Those churches who have dictators over the people and controlling them are in Babylon. In the church of Jesus Christ there is freedom, even while having Godly spiritual authority in the leadership.

The Book of Jude

• The subject is to contend earnestly for the faith and do not compromise on it; such is a great necessity. 
• The watchmen of the church have fallen asleep and as a result, the wolves have come in.  An elder must be spiritually awake and alert at all times.
• These wolves pervert the grace of God, misrepresenting it as a cover while people continue in willful sin.  They falsely proclaim that once we are saved, we are always saved.  
• This is why John immediately puts us into remembrance of Israel; how they were saved out of Egypt, but were later destroyed due to unbelief in the Wilderness of Sin (Jude 1:5).  Falling away from the faith was not something which was only possible in the Old Testament.  This example is quoted in the New Testament by an Apostle of Christ because the lesson is relevant to the New Testament church. 
• Another characteristic of people who live after the flesh is that they reject spiritual authority (Jude 1:8).  The devil is preparing such for their doom.
• Don't ever make fun of the devil.  Rebuke him, resist him, stand against him, wrestle with him, and fight against him, but don't take him lightly. 
• Whenever a minister is jealous of another's ministry, it is because he doesn't love that person.  One with the heart of a father will never be jealous of someone else's accomplishments (like Cain), but will encourage that person to go further still. 
• Another mark of the wolves is that they have an inordinate affection for money (like Balaam) or are rebellious against authority like Core. 
• Contrasted against these false prophets, John points to Enoch who was a preacher of God's judgment.  Every prophet in Scripture spoke of God's judgment against sin.
• Be like Enoch, who walked with God.  Contend for the faith.  Stand up like him for the truths of God.
• Build yourself in the faith.  Pray in the Holy Spirit.  Keep yourself in the love of God.
• We may fall, but when we do don't let your faith fail.  If we keep ourselves in the love of God, then He will keep us from falling (Jude 1:21, 24).
• Be very careful when you reach out to save those who are lost that you do not become polluted by sin (Jude 1:23).

First Letter of John

God is Light & Love

The following notes are from Pastor Zac Poonen's sermon on 1 John.

• John wrote all of his letters just a few years before he died and these writings reflect the perspective of a mature Christian.
• What's important in 1 John is not only what he says, but what he doesn't say.  He says nothing on church government, the pattern of fellowship, speaking in tongues, healing, prosperity...  
• The theme of the letter is that God is light and love.  These are the two eternal realities.
• Practically for us that means life and fellowship; if you love one another you will have fellowship.
• The life of God - a life of purity, humility, love, and goodness - should be in you.  Everything else we can obtain is a waste of time.
• If we have church meetings, organized service, preaching, etc. but don't have true fellowship, then we have missed the main thing and are wasting time.
• Even in a Christian home, the most important thing is that the life of God is in the husband, wife, and children and that there is fellowship.
• Humility is the ground from which all of these other things can grow.  Our calling is to humble ourselves.
• We can be friendly to all, but are only called to fellowship with those who also have the life of God within.
• The cross is the means by which we come to fellowship with God first, and then each other; there is no fellowship with it.
• The life of Adam is what causes conflict and prevents fellowship amongst believers.  The way to the tree of life is for the sword to fall on the life of Adam.  Both Adam's "good" and "bad" attributes must be placed on the altar.  Only then can God raise it from the dead and use it for His glory, because it has been sanctified.  Such is the only way we can serve God.
• Joy is an essential part of the Christian life because it is an essential part of Heaven.  The Holy Spirit brings the atomosphere of Heaven into our hearts.
• Satan says if you give your life completely to God you will be miserable and without joy.  Yet God says that in Him our joy will be complete (verse 1:4); this is because our joy is not dependent upon our circumstances.
• Only if we walk in the light as He is in the light does the blood of Jesus cleanse us from all sin (verse 1:7).
• Even a mature, Godly Christian still has sin in his life (verse 1:8).  There will never be a time in our life when we can say we are free from sin.  The Christian life is a struggle at every stage because of sin as we grow in Him.
• The balance in Scripture is that we should not sin, but we may sin (verse 2:1).
• Obedience to God is the evidence that we know Him (verse 2:3).  Our responsibility as a Christian is to walk as He walked.  
• John then writes to 3 specific groups of people: babes in Christ; the spiritually young, and the spiritually mature.
• Babes in Christ need to know that their sins are forgiven and that God is their loving Father.
• Young Christians need to know that you overcome Satan by the word of God abiding in you.
• Mature Christians need to know God, intimately and personally.
• To all 3 groups John exhorts then not to love the world (2:15).
• We need preachers like John who are powerful that they can drive the spirit of anti-christ out of the church.
• Everyone who has the hope of the Second Coming of Christ will spend his life purifying himself (verse 3:3).  Jesus' blood cleanses us (verse 1:7) but we must also purify ourselves.
• Jesus came to take away sin (verse 3:5) and destroy the works of the devil (verse 3:8).
• It is a tremendous encouragement to know that we can still make something good out of our lives, even if we have wasted 90% of our life; we can still come to the Lord and be made new.
• No one who is born of God keeps on committing sin (verse 3:9).
• There are only two categories of people in the world: children of God or children of the devil (verse 3:10).
• The balance of God's love abiding in us is seen in John 3:16 and in 1 John 3:16.  God's love was shown in that Jesus gave His life for us.  Similarly, our love is shown as we lay down our lives for each other (verse 3:16).
• If your conscience itself is telling you about sin, then imagine how much more sin is there of which God is aware.  But, God does not hold us responsible for what we do not see.  It is enough to keep free from what your conscience tells you is wrong (verse 3:20-21).
• One of the most important requirements for answered prayer is a clear conscience (verse 3:22).
• We must test every spirit.  If something is of God then it will edify and bless you in the things of God.
• There are three things which should be emphasized in order to build up the church: Obedience to God's commands; Love for one another; the humanity of Jesus Christ.
• John 1:18 and 1 John 4:12 both state that "no man has seen God at any time".  When Jesus was here, God could be seen in Him; He was the visible expression of the Father in bodily form (John 1:18).  People could see the manifestation of God in Him.  Now, the church is the Body of Christ, bearing about the manifestation of God to the world (verse 4:12).  
• I am to live in this world exactly like Jesus.  I can have authority over Satan just like Jesus had authority over Satan (verse 4:17).
• Keep yourselves from anything that takes the place of God in your life (verse 5:21).