The Ramez

In Hebrew, the word for 'hint' is ramez. It was a widely used method by rabbis to their disciples or followers, but Jesus used it to frustrate those who antagonized Him. It means 'hint', but a better word might be 'implication'.

Here is a for-instance:

Matthew 21:15-16 ASV
(15) But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children that were crying in the temple and saying, Hosanna to the son of David; they were moved with indignation,
(16) and said unto him, Hearest thou what these are saying? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea: did ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou has perfected praise?

This would have infuriated the chief priests and the scribes because of the hidden implication. Jesus was quoting Psalm 8, only He didn't quote the entire verse - on purpose.

Psalms 8:2 CEV
(2) With praises from children and from tiny infants, you have built a fortress. It makes your enemies silent, and all who turn against you are left speechless.

The priests and scribes, naturally, had this memorized. They were not happy at being labeled 'enemies' of God, which is what Jesus did. Watch for the ramez in scripture.

Disciples

Many churches have a mission statement that sounds something like this: 'Making disciples of Jesus Christ'. I saw one recently advertised, and the thought struck me...

If only one person were really 'like' Jesus... If only one were doing things greater than He did, what would life be like in NWA? Would Jesus make a stir in NWA? Would Jesus be famous by now? After say, 2 years? Would He be attracting 4000 or 5000 families, especially in this economy, who simply show up to eat?

Disciples are those who are 'like' their rabbis. Or, they at least are striving diligently to be like their rabbi. That being the case, how close are we? Are we on the verge?

Okay... Jesus aside, what if we were just like Peter? Or Paul? What if everywhere we went the miraculous followed? Maybe that is happening. I'm certainly seeing more of it than I did a few years ago, and I DO think that is a sign of the times.

Watch out, folks, because Jesus said we would do greater things than He did. If you don't believe that has been achieved yet, it WILL be. We do need disciples - real ones.

God is Good, but...

Really there is no addendum to that statement. God IS good! But…

God is also just. Not 'fair', but just, and just falls under the umbrella of 'good'. If God were not just, He would not be Good.

This looks problematic, and I guess it is, to an unbelieving world. Because God is just, He has to punish sin and that has a nasty look to it, often enough.

In John 12, Jesus said that He did not come to judge the world but to save it. That is indeed why He came, and yet it's possible for us to miss this salvation – to reject Him. Jesus did not condemn the harlot, yet He warned her to stop sinning.

Why?

The writer of Hebrews cautions the brethren against accepting the gift of God while yet continuing to sin, as if to take advantage of grace. Bad idea… read the warnings.

Jesus is the atonement for all who believe upon Him as such. Not accepting Him places us in a precarious position of living in sin without atonement. Judgment can fall upon a culture, but God tends to draw a clear line distinguishing who is His and who is not.

Mal 3:17 ASV
(17) And they shall be mine, saith Jehovah of hosts, even mine own possession, in the day that I make; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.

Accept Christ as Lord and Savior because of His substitute. He DID go in our place, because God is Good!

Backing Up

I've not been writing much lately. It's not that I've been dry, but the word in my head has been so strong that I really didn't want to see it written. It sometimes even offends my own spirit.

With going full bore into Kingdom stuff for a while, it's easy to get pulled into the immense scope and responsibility of walking as Jesus walked. But there are some fundamentals that require attention.

The Kingdom is about giving what you have. "Silver and gold have I not, but what I have I give..." If you have no peace, you cannot impart peace. If you have no hope, then all you can impart is hopelessness.

Love is the fire that fuels the Kingdom and all Kingdom work. Without love, we are what? Perhaps the reason many have nothing to give is that they do not realize what they have been given. Not only do you have to have the gift, you must realize you have the gift.

It's like having a checking account and a bunch of checks. It's difficult to write checks to people if you do not know how much money you have in the bank.

As Christians, we've been shown much love. Scripture says:
1Jn 4:19 HNV(19) We love Him, because he first loved us.

I can write checks, because dad first wrote me one.

God has deposited something in our checking accounts and therefore we can write MANY checks. It's about giving away what we have. We tend to wander aimlessly, giving nothing, because we lose sight of what we have been given.

Does this tie in to forgiveness? I can't forgive because I've lost sight of what God has forgiven me?

Jesus said this of the harlot:Luk 7:47 HNV(47) Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little."

Those who have need of little (a fallacy) receive little, and therefore give little away. This is 'not' Kingdom living.

You Must Be Family

After the centurion pleaded with Jesus for the healing of his servant, Jesus marveled at this gentile's faith. What Jesus said next to His Jewish followers probably shocked them.

Mat 8:11 MKJV
(11) And I say to you that many shall come from the east and the west, and shall sit down with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of Heaven.

The Jews of Jesus' day commonly spoke of and yearned for this meal with their fore-fathers as a beloved part of their eschatology. But the reference by Jesus of 'many coming from the east and west' was a gentile reference, reinforced by their recent dealings with the centurion. Why was this so shocking? Because only FAMILY could sit down at the table with the patriarch.

War and Peace

The Kingdom of Heaven works violence in the physical world. It will remain this way until the King Himself comes and sets up His physical kingdom on earth. From that point, there will be peace in the physical, but not in the hearts of all men.

I'm reminded of 3 primary verses:
Mat 11:12 MKJV
(12) And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of Heaven is taken by violence, and the violent take it by force.

Mat 10:34-35 MKJV
(34) Do not think that I have come to bring peace on earth. I did not come to send peace, but a sword.
(35) For I have come to set a man against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.

Eph 6:12 MKJV
(12) For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the world's rulers, of the darkness of this age, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

The Gospel of the Kingdom creates division. The intent is to bring Heaven to earth, yes, but to also call out those who belong to the Kingdom. We were always called out, to be set apart - sanctified. Different. Not in order to appear superior, but to distinguish between who are the Lord's and who are the world's. When mom heeds the call, and dad does not, there is no peace in the home. This was all modeled by Israel, sanctified and set apart from the rest of the world. They warred, much.

This is not unlike the Word of God, an instrument of peace, yes, but also violence.
Heb 4:12 MKJV
(12) For the Word of God is living and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing apart of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Why did the Lord create a nation of kings and priests? What are kings for if not for protection? The job of the priest is mediation and intercession between Heaven and earth. The king has authority in the physical realm, the priest in the heavenly. These are positions of violent authority - not simple figureheads. Our kingship and priesthood are tools given to us - necessary for warring in the physical and in the spiritual for the purpose of taking heaven and earth for the Kingdom of God. Without these offices, we have no real authority in either realm.

In a kingdom of perfect peace, there is no need for either office. God rules, everyone else abides peacefully. Therefore these offices were not created for use in the post-millennial utopia, although they may still exist. They were made for NOW.

What Do You Carry?

Mat 10:12-13 MKJV
(12) And when you come into a house, greet it.
(13) And if the house is worthy, let your peace come on it. But if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you.

Getting used to the idea that I have an element of Heaven within me - to give - just freaks me a little, to be honest. It means I have a responsibility to give something away that I have not been in the past. Perhaps I should have included the following verse:

Mat 10:8 MKJV
(8) Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. You have received freely, freely give.

As I have been given... freely... Notice that it doesn't itemize everything I've been given. I tend towards the belief that I've been given ALL of it, and might have ANYTHING at my disposal at any given time. Now, what soldier on the battlefield wouldn't jump at the opportunity of being in 'that' position?

Many claim that this was simply a commission to the disciples, except for all the people that regularly heal the sick and cleanse the lepers and raise the dead (yes, it's happening). They missed the cease and desist memo. And apparently they are still 'unlawfully' tapped into the power source that allows them to do such things, because according to Jesus Himself, Satan's kingdom is NOT divided against itself.

That isn't readily explained by those think the Christian walk is paying the 10 and giving 3 hours a week - 4 if you're fanatic. It's the last days, though, my friends. Everything is extreme. The scripture is becoming more extreme every time I read it. I'm all in.

I will let no man challenge me on any work, be it in the natural or the miraculous, if that work successfully navigates the filter of scripture.

Give What You Have

Mat 10:8,9 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. You have received freely, freely give. Do not provide gold nor silver, nor copper in your purses

Jesus told the disciples to go and give... give... give... then He says, "Don't take any money."

As Christians, we've used money as a replacement for Kingdom work. It's the old "I gave at the office" mentality. I tithe, what more do you want? Get off your REAR and give something eternal to someone who needs it. That's the message to us.

Children of the Kingdom - Pt2

Mat 8:5-12 KJVR
(5) And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him,
(6) And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented.
(7) And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him.
(8) The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.
(9) For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.
(10) When Jesus heard it, he marveled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.
(11) And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.
(12) But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
(13) And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour.


But what about this passage in verse 12? The children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness. What? Why? Who are the children of the kingdom?

Let's look further. The phrase 'children of the kingdom' is only used one other time by Jesus:

Mat 13:37-38 KJVR
(37) He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man;
(38) The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one;

The good seed is the children of the kingdom, but a good seed that does not sprout and bear fruit – which apparently is VERY possible – is tossed out. All good seed 'is expected' to sprout into a tree that produces fruit.

If we do not produce fruit, we will be cast into the fire. That's offensive in many ways, but John said it, and then Jesus said it. That's twice, and by the testimony of two or more shall a matter be decided.

Mat 7:19 KJVR(19) Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

Why did Jesus say this? Scare tactics? Should this be personally frightening to anyone seeking the will of God for their life? No, but we should be motivated to bear good fruit.

Let's finish with this parable:

Luk 13:6-9 MKJV
(6) He also spoke this parable: A certain man had a fig-tree planted in his vineyard. And he came and sought fruit on it, and found none.
(7) And he said to the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig-tree, and find none. Cut it down, why does it encumber the ground?
(8) And answering, he said to him, Lord, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and throw manure.
(9) And if it bears fruit, well; and if not, then after that you shall cut it down.

See, God is patient with us and our fruit-bearing. He intends for us to 'get around to it', but sometimes we are too stubborn. And we wonder why we have so much 'crap' in our lives. Maybe it's a last-ditch effort to get us to bear fruit.

Children of the Kingdom Pt1

Mat 8:5-12 KJVR
(5) And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him,
(6) And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented.
(7) And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him.
(8) The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.
(9) For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.
(10) When Jesus heard it, he marveled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.
(11) And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.
(12) But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
(13) And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour.


This is one of my favorite passages in scripture. The centurion is just endearing to me. His faith is so highly attractive! He leads his life out of knowledge of authority and respect. But this story has a twist.

Jesus was compelled to heal out of compassion. But it wasn't necessary! Why? Because the man's FAITH allowed the Kingdom to come through Jesus and do the healing. Either way, the man's servant gets healed, right? What was the difference?

Don't explain it away as a compassionate act by Jesus because He was impressed by the man's faith. He WAS impressed, but there was a shift. The faith of the man became the healing agent, not the compassion of Jesus. Is that offensive? That does not lessen or negate the compassion of Jesus, who WAS going to heal the man. What it ADDS is a dimension of Heaven on earth - the ability of 'faith' to release the healing power of Jesus upon the earth. That's the Kingdom. That's what we pray for in the Lord's prayer - reread it. This is that 'faith of a mustard seed'. Jesus spoke of the mustard seed twice. Once referring to FAITH, and the other referring to the KINGDOM.

More to come...

A Concealed Kingdom

In Numbers 24, Balak was a king who greatly feared the nation of Israel and tried to get Balaam, a prophet of sorts, to curse them. Balaam was a dabbler in witchcraft, which made him a very interesting character. But in this instance, the scripture says he did not 'seek for secret arts' but rather set his face toward the wilderness.

Num 24:1-9 MKJV
(1) And Balaam saw that it pleased Jehovah to bless Israel, and he did not go, as at other times, to seek for secret arts, but he set his face toward the wilderness.
(2) And Balaam lifted up his eyes, and he saw Israel pitched, according to their tribes. And the Spirit of God came upon him.
(3) And he took up his parable, and said, Balaam the son of Beor has said, and the man whose eyes are open has said;
(4) he has said; he who heard the words of God, who saw the vision of the Almighty, falling down but having his eyes open;
(5) How goodly are your tents, O Jacob, your tabernacles, O Israel!
(6) They are spread forth like the valleys, like gardens by the river's side, like the trees of aloes which Jehovah has planted, like cedar trees beside the waters.
(7) He shall pour the water out of his buckets, and his seed shall be in many waters. And his king shall be higher than Agag, and his kingdom shall be exalted.
(8) God brought him forth out of Egypt. He has as it were the strength of an ox. He shall eat up the nations, his enemies, and shall break their bones, and pierce them through with his arrows.
(9) He crouched. He lay down as a lion, and as a great lion. Who shall stir him up? Blessed is he who blesses you, and cursed is he who curses you.


Balaam set his face – for once – towards the wilderness because the wilderness is not the habitation of man. He set his face towards a place where only God dwelled.

Now, concerning Israel, Balaam saw how good the tents were. Tents. Individual dwellings. He said… wow… they are EVERYWHERE.

But beyond that, they are like Jehovah has planted them – like cedar trees beside the waters! Does that sound familiar?

(7) Blessed is the man who trusts in Jehovah, and Jehovah is his trust.
(8) For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters; it sends out its roots by the river, and it shall not fear when the heat comes, but its foliage shall be green; and he is not worried in the year of drought, nor will it cease from yielding fruit.

Jehovah shall pour water out of His buckets. Hmmm….
Act 2:17 MKJV
(17) "And it shall be in the last days, says God, I will pour out of My Spirit upon all flesh. And your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams.

His seed shall be in many waters?
Joh 16:7 MKJV
(7) But I tell you the truth, it is expedient for you that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Comforter will not come to you. But if I depart, I will send Him to you.

So His Spirit will dwell in all of us… in each 'tent', or body.

And his king shall be higher than Agag, and his kingdom shall be exalted. What a kingdom prophecy! Our King is indeed higher than all others.

God brought Him forth out of Egypt. Remember… Jesus' parents fled to Egypt with Him in order to escape the brutal baby-killing Herod.

He has the strength of an Ox. Yes, Jesus was the ultimate servant – usually represented by an Ox. But you don't want a weakling of a servant, you want one that can pull a plow if need-be. Jesus was our Suffering Servant.

He lay down as a lion, and as a great lion. Who shall stir him up? Blessed is he who blesses you, and cursed is he who curses you. Jesus is our Lion of the tribe of Judah. Who indeed shall stir Him up? He came first as a Suffering Servant, but will return as a triumphant King. He is Ox (servant), Man (human), Lion (king), and Eagle (God).

Balaam gave us a hidden prophecy about a Kingdom to come, and a King to come. Israel was the original template for such a kingdom:
(Exo 19:6 MKJV) And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are the words which you shall speak to the sons of Israel.

We are the Bride, however, and the final, beautiful, spotless, purchased prize of the King and we are expected to walk as such!

The Redemption Problem

Rth 4:1-6
(1) And Boaz went up to the gate and sat down there. And behold, the kinsman of whom Boaz spoke came by. And he said, Such a one! Turn aside, sit down here. And he turned aside and sat down.
(2) And he took ten men of the elders of the city and said, Come sit down here. And they sat down.
(3) And he said to the kinsman, Naomi, who has come again out of the country of Moab, sells a parcel of land which was our brother Elimelech's.
(4) And I said I will tell it in your ear, saying, Buy it before those who live here, and before the elders of my people. If you will redeem, redeem it. But if you will not redeem, tell me so that I may know. For there is none to redeem besides you. And I am after you. And he said, I will redeem.
(5) And Boaz said, In the day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you must buy also from the hand of Ruth of Moab, the wife of the dead, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance.
(6) And the kinsman said, I cannot redeem for myself, lest I mar my own inheritance. You redeem my right to yourself, for I cannot redeem.

The book of Ruth is a picture of God's salvation plan – to redeem fallen man with a kinsman redeemer. The rules for redeeming by a kinsman were outlined in Leviticus 25. The redeemer had to be 'related'. If the redeemer couldn't redeem, then the stranger was permitted to keep until the year of Jubilee. For that reason, the redemption price was pro-rated to account for the amount of time left before Jubilee.

There was a caveat to the redemption plan, however, and that is if you sold a dwelling within a walled city, you had only one year to redeem it before you lost it forever.

Adam did that. He sold his stakes in the city of God:
Psa 48:1-3
(1) A Song and Psalm for the Sons of Korah. Great is Jehovah, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of His holiness.
(2) Beautiful on high, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King.
(3) God is known in her strongholds for a refuge.

The references in scripture as God being our stronghold and refuge are so numerous, they would require hours to compile. So what was the big deal about the redemption account as described in Ruth?

There was a redeemer in front of Boaz.

Many scholars simply say 'no picture is perfect'. But God's pictures are always perfect, and this redeemer in front of Boaz was a flaming problem to the salvation story in my own eyes. Who was in front of Jesus to redeem us?

I believe that even when the prophecy was given to Satan in front of Adam and Eve that the heel of the seed of the woman would crush the head of the serpent, Eve was expecting a redeemer. She was expecting him to come in her lifetime. There was a possibility that Eve thought perhaps Cain was the one… but then, he slew Abel. So along comes Seth, which means 'appointed', and Eve thought God had appointed her another savior. Only Seth could NOT redeem. He was plagued by the same sin debt. The redeemer had to be a related kinsman without the same debt as the ones to be redeemed. Along comes a Son – of – man.