Jesus Wants us to Follow Him

The Morning Star Rising on the First Day

I suspect that every real Christian knows that Jesus wants us to follow Him. It seems however that we sometimes wind us right where we started. In fact, it even happened to the disciples such that Jesus had to come to them after the Crucifixion to get them moving in the right direction. We find this story by looking at the 21st chapter of the Book of John:

Jesus Appears at the Sea of Galilee

1 After these things Jesus manifested Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, and He manifested Himself in this way. 2 Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two others of His disciples were together. 3 Simon Peter *said to them, “I am going fishing.” They *said to him, “We will also come with you.” They went out and got into the boat; and that night they caught nothing.

4 But when the day was now breaking, Jesus stood on the beach; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. 5 So Jesus *said to them, “Children, you do not have any fish, do you?” They answered Him, “No.” 6 And He said to them, “Cast the net on the right-hand side of the boat and you will find a catch.” So they cast, and then they were not able to haul it in because of the great number of fish. 7 Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved *said to Peter, “It is the Lord.” So when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put his outer garment on (for he was stripped for work), and threw himself into the sea. 8 But the other disciples came in the little boat, for they were not far from the land, but about one hundred yards away, dragging the net full of fish.

9 So when they got out on the land, they *saw a charcoal fire already laid and fish placed on it, and bread. 10 Jesus *said to them, “Bring some of the fish which you have now caught.” 11 Simon Peter went up and drew the net to land, full of large fish, a hundred and fifty-three; and although there were so many, the net was not torn.

Jesus is the Light of the Wordl

12 Jesus *said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples ventured to question Him, “Who are You?” knowing that it was the Lord. 13 Jesus *came and *took the bread and *gave it to them, and the fish likewise. 14 This is now the third time that Jesus was manifested to the disciples, after He was raised from the dead.

Jesus at the Tomb

So, what we find here is that four of Jesus’ closest disciples had gone back to where they had been when Jesus recruited them many years prior. Peter, Andrew, John and James were all fishermen. The 4th chapter of Matthew tells us this quite clearly:

18 Now as Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon who was called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. 19 And He *said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” 20 Immediately they left their nets and followed Him. 21 Going on from there He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and He called them. 22 Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him.

So based on this we can see that these four disciples started as fishermen and then returned to fishing after the death and Resurrection of Jesus. Jesus singles out Peter because he is the one that is the leader of the group. He gives Peter a message that no Christian would like to hear. This message is recorded in the 21st chapter of John:

The Love Motivation

15 So when they had finished breakfast, Jesus *said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?” He *said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He *said to him, “Tend My lambs.” 16 He *said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” He *said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He *said to him, “Shepherd My sheep.” 17 He *said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus *said to him, “Tend My sheep. 

Jesus the Good Shepherd

18 Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to gird yourself and walk wherever you wished; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will gird you, and bring you where you do not wish to go.” 19 Now this He said, signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He *said to him, “Follow Me!”

This is  what Jesus want of all of us. So, if we find ourselves back doing the same things that we did prior to our commitment to Him, then we would do well to heed His words and follow Him. Here are a few messages that He gave to us that support the messages above:

Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. (Matt 16:24)

 

Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” (Matt 19:21)

Jesus *said to him, “If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow Me!”  (John 21:22)

Should Christians Worry About Blindness?

The Morning Star Rising on the First Day

In our last posting we addressed the following words of Jesus: “Do not judge so that you will not be judged.” This in turn led us to look at the definition of Judgment for a better understanding. In doing so we found that there are two distinct components of the term. In the first a decision of guilt or innocence made. In the second, a decision is made about the punishment appropriate for the offences committed. 

In examining the statement of Jesus presented above, we determined that it was the delivery of punishment that Jesus was warning us about. Therefore, the statement of Jesus could be stated as: “Do not punish so that you will not be punished.”

Jesu and the Adulterous Woman

However, as we will soon see, it is often the first component of Judgment that gets us into trouble. The following example will demonstrate this very well and sheds light upon our own frailties.

The example comes from the 9th chapter of John. It tells us about a man who was born blind but then receives his sight through the miraculous actions of Jesus.

Jesus "The light of the World," Heals a Blind Man

This chapter also infers that the scribes and Pharisees must have believed that Jesus was a fraud as they repeatedly interrogated the once blind man and his family, obviously believing that they were less than honest. When the Pharisees discovered that this healing work was done on the Sabbath day, they concluded that Jesus was a sinner and as a result the healing could not have come from God.

In the end, Jesus makes the following statements that communicate their blindness to them:

And Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, so that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may become blind.” ⁴⁰ Those of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these things and said to Him, “We are not blind too, are we?” ⁴¹ Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but since you say, ‘We see,’ your sin remains.

In this passage, Jesus is once again using the word “Judgment,” stating that He came for Judgment. He came so that we could make a judgment about the love of God for His people. Since we were once blind God gave us the opportunity to see His Son the Truth for ourselves. So, now that we have seen the Truth what is our judgment? Do we embrace God and seek Him or do we ignore or deny what happened? 

Jesus is the Light of the Wordl

Therefore, people who knew little about God could to see the nature of God in the works and miracles that Jesus performed. They are the blind who lived in a total darkness and then saw a great light. They are the blind who can now see the Truth and believed in that Truth. Their sins have been forgiven.  

On the other hand we have groups like the Pharisees who have often times devoted their entire lives to the study and understanding of God. They believed that they knew the truth. They believe that their interpretation of Gods commandments was an absolute truth. They would have never even considered that their viewpoint of the commandment to keep the Sabbath holy was flawed. But it was! They proclaimed that they could see because of their work, but in fact they were blind. As a result they were blind to the light of Jesus that stood right before them. Since they did not believe in Him, their sin remained.

The point is that this lesson applies to all of us today. One can support this premise by simply looking at all of the differing doctrines of Christianity today.  The fact is that across the various churches of Christianity we find diametrically opposed views of what the truth. So, lets look at some examples: some believe that the use of modern technology is sinful, others belive that drinking is a sin, others believe that you can not eat meat on Fridays, and still others believe that healing is not for today (not an all-inclusive list.) No, I am not going to pick sides here. The point to be made is that when we have inconsistent doctrines of the faith, then someone has to be wrong about what they belive. 

This means that our understanding of the truth can also be flawed, just like it was for the scribes and the Pharisees who incorrectly judged Jesus to be a sinner. For the Pharisees, this incorrect belief led to the fatal determination of punishment for Jesus.

If we think about this a bit then one has to ask; “Who are we to say that our belief system is the only one that is in line with what God wants?” Quite frankly, I believe that it is quite possible that none of us has it 100% correct. Gods ways are much higher than ours. Suffice it to say that it is because of these potential blind spots of beliefs that it is critical that be abstain for handing out punishment to others.

What did Jesus mean when He Spoke about Judgment?

 

The Morning Star Rising on the First Day

 

What did Jesus mean when He Spoke about Judgment?

I read the following scripture this morning that pertained to judgment. The scripture is from Matt 7:

 ¹ “Do not judge so that you will not be judged. ² For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. ³ Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? ⁴ Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and behold, the log is in your own eye? ⁵ You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.

I have previously written about the subject of “judgment” several times. Quite frankly, much of this writing communicated my personal Judgment Day experiences at a time that I was near death. These experiences were spiritual in nature and are fascinating in that they reveal the truth about what lies on the other side of this life. If you would like to read about these experiences you can follow the following hyperlinks to them:

Judgment-Day

Reliving-my-sins-before-the-Judgment-Seat-of-Christ

Gods-Question-on-Judgment-Day

Opening-the-Books-on-Judgment-Day

Repentance-Brings-Salvation-Even-on-Judgment-Day

I have also written about Judgment from a definitional point of view. In it I stated that there are two components of Judgment. In one we attempt to determine the truth and then determine the guilt or innocence of the accused.  If found guilty then the second component of judgment is invoked, which is the punishment for the offence.

So, when we look to the scripture presented above, we should ask ourselves what component(s) of judgment is Jesus speaking about? It certainly can not be about knowing the truth as the Holy Spirit often gives us discernment about such things. In addition, we could also be an eye-witness to the act and therefore know the truth. Is Jesus asking us not to be such a witness? Certainly not! Therefore Jesus must be talking about the delivery of punishment to others. 

The words of Jesus are quite powerful here. What they reveal is that if we can simply stop punishing others for their offences, then God will refrain from punishing us at the Judgment Day. This is an amazing promise because it directly impacts our eternity. What is even more amazing is what Jesus does not say. So for example, He makes no reference to any sin that may have committed in our lifetime. In fact, He does not communicate any other condition that would prevent anyone from being free from His Judgment. Simply put, punish not and you will not be punished.

In essence, we then become our own judge, in that how we deal with others will determine our fate. The measure we use to determine an offence worthy of punishment is the measure that will be used to determine our own guilt. The severity of our actions will determine how we are treated.

Jesus on the Cross

Why would this be? I believe that it is because it requires an extraordinary kind of love to do something like this, but it is precisely this kind of love that God desires from us. Jesus commanded us to Love one another as He loved us and we know that the love He gave us was His life on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins. This is the ultimate love; to give up ones life so that others may live forever with God. This is the love that God wants from us!

Developing A Relationship of Grace

 

 

The Morning Star Rising on the First Day

 

Developing A Relationship of Grace

To initiate a discussion about a Relationship of Grace, one must differentiate it from a definition of the State ofGracethat is found in certain Christian communities. As I understand this definition, a State ofGraceis demonstrated in the gifts that all people, good and otherwise, receive from God. Therefore, this Grace is demonstrated in that we are all alive and have the blessings of God’s provisions all around us. We have life, and air to breath, food to eat, and so on. So, in looking at the State of Grace in this way we give God the credit for all of the good things that we have here on Earth. In this regard, I agree that we should give God the credit for everything that we have as it is a reflection of God’s love that He has bestowed upon all of us.

Jesus is the Light of the Wordl

In extending this definition of a State of Grace we can say that our ability to establish a Relationship of Grace falls under its definition. However, this Relationship of Grace requires our participation as we must choose to initiate it and we must work to develop it. I suppose that this is not much different from initiating action to acquire food and then process it, cook it and serve it to our families. The big difference between the two is that a Relationship of Grace is derived exclusively from the work that Jesus did while He was on the earth, especially the work that He did on the cross. It was this work that is the foundation of the forgiveness of our sins. It is this work that opens the doors to the establishment of an intimate relationship with God that in turn leads us to be empowered warriors for Christ Jesus.

 

Jesus Sheds His Blood on the Cross

This relationship starts with our belief in Jesus and His works and then matures as we follow the leading of the Holy Spirit. Typically this leading starts with desire to learn everything that we can about the perfect model of God that is His Son Jesus. This is accomplished by reading and meditating on the Gospels that communicate the words and actions of Jesus on this Earth. In doing so the Holy Spirit calls us to examine our own nature in the pure light of these words and actions. He leads us to conform to the nature of Jesus such that we are not the person that we once were, but rather have metamorphosed into children of the living God.

The Holy Spirit

 So, when we step back and look at it, it is our desire to come closer to God and our willingness to do the work required to achieve it that activates the Holy Spirit to lead us toward our goal. Achieving a relationship with God that is led by the Holy Spirit is called a Relationship of Grace. Our ability to enter into such a relationship has been earned by the works of Jesus Christ on this earth.

 

The gifts of entering into this relationship are more than our metamorphosis however. Our reward is that upon the completion of our changed nature the Holy Spirit will lead us toward preparing ourselves for the ministry of Jesus Christ. When this occurs we will enter into an even deeper, more intimate relationship with God, one that empowers us to enter into the spiritual warfare of Jesus. This higher level of relationship is called a Relationship of Empowerment. In this Relationship of Empowerment our pathway will be illuminated and our prayers and actions will bring down the strongholds of the evil one. 

This is the level of relationship that enabled the church to grow and prosper through all the times of adversity. It is the level of relationship that empowered the actions of the apostles and saints of our history. It is the type of relationship that sponsors miracles in response to our actions and words, just like it did thousands of years ago. But is it your path? Are you ready to invest your time into developing a closer relationship with God?

 

The Three Levels of Relationship Possible with God

The Morning Star Rising on the First Day

There are three distinct levels of relationship that man can have with God. An understanding of these levels and what it takes to achieve them is critical to everyone entering ministry. Since everyone who believes in Jesus has been called into a ministry of one sort or another, this means that all Christians would benefit from understanding these relationship principals. Understanding them means that if you are sincerely seeking Jesus you will then find the pathway that leads to a closer relationship with Him and you will find the breakthroughs you have been praying for. With that said, lets start by looking at what these levels are, what they mean and then identify the path to moving toward a closer relationship with God and a more effective ministry.

 

The three levels of relationship possible with God are:

 

1. A Relationship of Grace. At this level a person obtains forgiveness of their sins in return for their belief in Jesus and the contrition of their heart. This grace has been provided as a part of the new covenant that Jesus gave us at the last supper and then shortly afterward, sealed by giving up His body and blood on the cross as payment for our sins. This grace is enacted by our free will choice to believe that Jesus was God’s Son who lowered Himself to human form so that the bondage of the devil over us would be broken. This relationship of grace provides the assistance of the Holy Spirit in understanding nature and attributes of God that were demonstrated here on earth by Jesus. This is often accomplished with the reading or knowledge of scripture that is illuminated by the Holy Spirit that we may understand the truth. Often we read, meditate and pray for understanding as we continuously seek for the truth of God. It is in this searching that the Spirit reveals the truth about God that enables us to see ourselves in the eyes of God. This reflection of light from the perfect example that Jesus provided us enables us to contemplate our readiness for a higher ministry. It leads us to seek to be like Him. Over time and with the help of the Spirit we change from being conformed to the world, to being conformed to the will of God.  This is not typically an instantaneous process but more often a journey of cycles of illumination and transformation. When it is completed, the person taking the journey is now prepared to enter into a closer relationship with God. This closer relationship with God will empower them to enter into successful ministry, which is the spiritual warfare of Jesus.
2. A Relationship of Empowerment. At this level a person obtains the tools necessary for successful ministry from God in return for their devotion and dedication in seeking Him and changing their life to become more like Him. At this level a person becomes a part of God’s immediate family. His pathway and purpose in life are made known to him. He therefore receives protection and guidance from God by way of the Holy Spirit. The empowerment of the spiritual warrior is essential in entering into the spiritual army of Jesus. The spiritual warfare of prayer and action brings down principalities of evil. It includes doing the things that Jesus did in His ministry and often much more. The Holy Spirit enlightens our pathway as He did for the disciples after Jesus’ death and resurrection. Becoming a spiritual warrior is a prerequisite to moving to the next level which is the most intimate relationship man can have with God.  
3. A Relationship of Covenant. At this level a person enters through the vale that was torn in two at the time of Jesus’ death on the cross. He enters into the place were God the Father dwells. A place of the highest priest. A person at this level stands with the angels that surround God and they talk to God face to face like Moses did. They are God’s spokesmen and the leaders of God’s people. They are intimately knowledgeable of God’s covenant and they work toward its propagation to the world.

 

What I have laid out here is a map that you use to see where you are on your journey toward God. Many of us simply have difficulty hanging on to our Relationship of Grace as we fallback into sin and then return back for forgiveness over and over again. If this is the case for you then I suggest that you initiate a daily program to develop and closer relationship with God. Follow the outline above and seek God and pray that your nature is conformed to Gods will. This is the way to ensure your salvation, as one never knows when our final breath on this earth may come.

 

If you are in a ministry that is struggling then perhaps you have not received sufficient empowerment to accomplish the mission. If this is the case then initiating an effort to move toward a Relationship of Empowerment will prove to be the cure you need. In fact, one would have to wonder how any true ministry can be pleasing to God without the guiding path of the Holy Spirit and His power to overcome the fiery darts of the devil. Without the power of the Holy Spirit in ministry how will the world come to know the truth? Will it be by our words and actions alone? I don’t think so, as this was not even enough in the ministry of Jesus where even miracles did not convince everyone. We find that in the ministry of Jesus that He proclaimed, took action and then the miracles came.   

 

In regard to the Relationship of Covenant I do not have much to say because achieving this level is fairly rare.

 

A valid question about all of this is; “Is this a scriptural doctrine”? The answer is YES! We will talk about the foundation for all of the above in our next posting.

 

God bless,

 

Papa Joe  

Jesus and the Tabernacle

It all started with my decision to learn everything I could about Jesus. The motivating force was a genuine desire to develop a more intimate relationship with Him. I wanted to know everything that I could know so that I could better understand who He is, so that I could model my life after His in every way possible. 

My search to know Jesus started with an examination of the bible. I read the bible and then prayed and meditated about what I read. I did this for an hour a day for more than ten years. During that time I read the bible cover to cover twice. I also read the new testament more than five times, and individual the books that really talked to me, even more. Through this practice God gave me insight into so many things about the spiritual realm and Jesus. My heart yearned for the truth and God revealed the truth to me.  

However, after I was about half way through this ten-year exercise I encountered a mystery. There were two statements that Jesus made that I was puzzled over. The first statements is:

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. John 14:6

This statement was an attempt to communicate to His disciples who He was and what His attributes were. While there were some clues in the passage to reveal what Jesus meant, I felt that the answers were vague. The way to where exactly? The truth about what? What life was He talking about? These are generalities and wanted to drill down and know the details. I wanted to know more as this verse certainly hinted that there was more to learn about Jesus.

In second scripture that wanted to drill down on was as follows:

He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.” Luke 24:44

The Transfigured Jesus With Moses

Again, I wanted to drill down to find more details about Jesus. The problem was that I could not recall reading any comments about Jesus in the books of Moses. So, thinking that I missed them somehow, I decided to read the five books of the bible that are attributed to Moses again. This time however I would examine every line with the sole purpose of identifying the prophetic things that Moses wrote about Jesus. incredibly, reading these books provided no additional insight.  I knew that this could not be but was not quite sure how I could have missed something as large as this.

After praying about this for quite some time the truth finally came to me. Jesus was the fulfilment of the Tabernacle of Moses and the laws concerning the royal priesthood of Aaron. Now it all made sense! The Tabernacle was the way through which God would dwell with His people here on earth. It was God’s covenant promise to the people of Israel, who in turn promised to obey the Ten Comandments. So when Jesus stated that everything that was written about Him in the books of Moses must be fulfilled, he was claiming to be the fulfilment of the Tabernacle, the place where God would dwell with His people on earth. He was proclaiming the dawning of a new covenant, one that was a far superior to the old covenant in every way.

With this new revelation I started to put all of the pieces information together. I then remembered that a deacon from our church once told us that the names of the Tabernacle doors were; the Way, the Truth and the Life. I wondered why I had not made that connection before. Once again, Jesus was proclaiming to be the fulfillment of the Tabernacle when He stated that He was the Way, the Truth, and the Life. So these two statements were tied together in this way.

This discovery was the start of a wonderful journey as I set my sights on Jesus and the Tabernacle, and what I learned was monumental. For example, I learned that the attributes and functions of each and every artifact in the Tabernacle was fulfilled in the life of Jesus. This fact is supported by the words Jesus spoke about Himself and the actions that Jesus demonstrated.  More importantly, these words and actions were reinforced by the miracles that directly supported what Jesus did and said.  The conclusion to all of this is that Jesus is the promised one of God and He is the Christ because He is the perfect fulfilment of the Tabernacle. He fulfills the prophesy of the Tabernacle in that He supplants each and every object inside the Tabernacle. This proof is very complex and lengthy indeed, and so we will put it off to another time. What we will focus on in this document is the second discovery attributed to all this research and prayer.  Something that I have never heard discussed in any Christian church that I ever attended.

This discovery is that there are three levels of relationship that man may have with God, and these levels of relationship will determine how effective your individual ministry will be on earth as well as your final resting place in heaven. Paul once spoke about the third heaven and in doing so revealed that he had achieved the closest of all possible relationships with God. There is much to say about all of this and so I am going to put all of this proof untill the next time.

God bless,

The Work of the Holy Spirit in Ministry – Modern Day Miracles

The Morning Star Rising on the First Day

When our church decided to launch a program to increase membership, they secured speaking engagements from a number of well-known evangelists and pastors and offered special church services over a single weekend. To ensure that the public knew about the opportunity, they invested in an advertising campaign.

The church wanted everyone who attended these special events to get the message of our church out to our community. Therefore, they set up a number of tables just outside the church to sell books, videos, audiotapes, and other religious items. I had been asked to work the table that offered videotapes of a famous evangelist. In the course of the assignment, I struck up a conversation with an interesting man who came by the table. He mentioned that he had a food distribution ministry and had connections with several salmon companies in Alaska. These companies had a unique situation.

 

Due to government regulations, the fishermen had to collectively limit the amount of fish they sold each day. If they caught more than the legal limit on any given day, they had to dispose of the excess fish. This typically resulted in taking the excess fish back out to sea and dumping them in the ocean. As a result, the fishermen were dumping large volumes of fish back into the ocean on a regular basis. Now, this is where the opportunity came in. Although they could not sell the excess fish, they were allowed to donate it to a charitable organization. This was where his ministry came into play. He said that he worked with a number of people who would process and freeze the fish and others who would deliver it, all for free. I thought that this could be a great opportunity for our church food distribution program. This man seemed like a nice person, but I decided to check him out before doing anything. I asked him if he had worked with anyone else in our area. He mentioned two organizations, one about which he had many great things to say. He indicated that this organization was led by the Holy Spirit, and that the anointing there was unbelievable. The name of this organization is Friend Ships.

 

I was very impressed with what he told me about Friend Ships, so I called them and set up an appointment to meet one of their representatives. I also arranged for Johnnie, Wanda, and two other couples to see this organization with us. One day after work we drove over to the Friend Ships’ warehouse on the Long Beach docks. We entered the office area but found that the person we were scheduled to meet with was not there for some reason. However, there was another man there who seemed very interested in us. He introduced himself as Don Tipton. We were soon to find out that he was founder and leader of the Friend Ships organization. What an amazing and rare organization Friend Ships turned out to be.  At that time they did not ask for money. In fact, they operated very well with little money because every worker was a volunteer. No one was paid a salary, including Don and his wife, Sondra.

 

One thing that we noticed while we were there was that there was a lack of any organizational structure and minimal planning activities. I thought that anyone who came here from corporate America would be amazed at how this group got anything done at all. The irony of all of this was their tremendous ability to deliver food, supplies, equipment, and all sorts of other things to people who really needed it. This was all explained by the fact that they had a secret weapon—their faith in Jesus Christ. They simply stepped out in faith and trusted in God for what they needed. Time after time they watched in awe as God came through again and again.

 

Remember: Peter Walked on Water until he Doubted

Let me give you an example. They had a food distribution program in which they collected and distributed food for the poor each Saturday morning. Amazingly, they did not make any arrangements for people to bag the food into distribution packets so that the food could be easily passed out to the poor and needy. People just showed up. The right number of people showed up at just the right time to get the job done. They trusted in God, and God delivered.

 

The entire operation was run this way—on God power. There was something special about Don that I liked right away. He was a no-nonsense kind of guy. He had seen it all, and he was serious about his commitment to God. He told us a story of how he brought his wife to Jesus prior to their marriage. They had read the entire Bible together, and once they did, the call of God became clear to them, and they went into full-time ministry.

 

They sold their Beverly Hill’s polo field and other businesses and started their ministry by simply stepping out in faith. Their vision was to collect surplus food from the wealthiest country in the world—the United States of America—and distribute it to the poor and the hungry people of the world.

 

Don told us all about their ministry, and how they got started. For example, he told us a story of how their first ship was donated to them. Soon after they had entered full-time ministry, they found their heart was for the poor and starving people all over the world. But to care for them, they would require a ship to transport goods they had collected to the places where people needed them. So, they started praying for an ocean-going ship, but nothing happened at first. Consequently, they said to themselves, we must step out in faith and start looking at ships that are for sale.

 

One day Don went to look at a 300-foot ocean transport ship. The owner took him on a tour of the ship showing him everything it had to offer. After the tour, the owner invited Don to have a cup of coffee with him, and they sat down to talk. The owner was obviously very interested in selling the ship, and he immediately started to negotiate the price with Don. This, however, made Don uncomfortable because he did not know how to tell the man he didn’t have the money to buy it. Eventually, he told the owner that he ran a food distribution ministry and hoped that he would donate the ship to them. The owner agreed immediately. All he had to do was to come over the following day and sign the papers. That is how Friend Ships got into the shipping business. They stepped out in faith, and God delivered.

 

But now they had to find a place to store the items to be shipped when the ship was out to sea making deliveries. They found a warehouse that was not being used and got permission from the owner to use it rent free until he could sell it. That owner sold the property after six months, but the new owner extended the agreement with them until he could lease the warehouse to someone else. The result was that they were able to use the warehouse for an additional eighteen months prior to finding their next warehouse in Los Angeles.

 

Again, they stepped out in faith and God delivered. This kind of thing was the norm for this ministry. There are so many stories like this about Friend Ships. Miracles prevented disaster, money was given just when they needed it, and skilled people like retired naval officers showed up saying that God sent them.

 

Don explained that their food collection depended on what the local businesses gave them. They also worked with church groups and other individuals to distribute the food locally to the poor. Clearly, God was blessing this ministry. Don explained all of this as he escorted us through the warehouse. We got to see, first hand, all the items that they had collected and eventually would be shipped overseas. The items consisted of all of the things that are needed to support a community including —school desks, fire fighting equipment, and medical equipment. The Holy Spirit was overseeing it all. Pat and I broke off from the group for a while and walked through all three floors of the warehouse, crying like babies most of the time. We were humbled how God had supported this ministry.

 

Don took us out to the dock where the newest of their three ships was being renovated for duty. The ship was longer than a football field and more than five stories above the water line. The ship was being renovated to become a floating hospital. Their plan was to bring the ship into various ports around the world to deliver medical attention to the poor. As they brought people aboard ship for treatment, there would be opportunity to tell them about Jesus. We walked through the ship and found a great number of people working to convert it for her new mission. I thought: the ship is huge, what a job it is going to be to make her ready for the mission.

 

The Holy Spirit was on the ship as well. Don brought us to one of the finished meeting rooms and led us in prayer. I believe that every one of us had tears in our eyes in the midst of the anointing of the Holy Spirit. What a pleasure to find a ministry working under the pure guidance and direction of God. I guess that you could say that we got more than we bargained for, but somewhere along the way we did manage to ask Don about the man who had the salmon fish distribution ministry. He indicated that he knew him, and he had been there to visit with them but they had only gotten a couple hundred pounds of fish from him.

 

Subsequently, this information did not sway us one way or the other. We did not get what we went for, but God delivered what He wanted us to have. He was providing information once-again. This time it was to see how He worked with His people. He showed us a ministry that was His ministry. It ran with volunteer help and required very little money. It was a ministry that was directed by the Holy Spirit with little planning and organization. This ministry just stepped out in faith and learned to depend on Him. He showed us that miracles are still happening today. God has a heart for the poor and the needy. He showed us a ministry focused on building communities and enabling people to better care for their families. If you would like to know more about the Friend Ships ministry, read the book entitled, Jesus and Company—Part 1 by Don and Sondra Tipton. Information on how to order the book or learn more about the ministry is on the Internet. Simply go to http://friendships.org/

 

Thank you, Don and Sondra, for being such a true example of what it means to be a Christian.

 

Subsequently, this information did not sway us one way or the other. We did not get what we went for, but God delivered what He wanted us to have. He was providing information once-again. This time it was to see how He worked with His people. He showed us a ministry that was His ministry. It ran with volunteer help and required very little money. It was a ministry that was directed by the Holy Spirit with little planning and organization. This ministry just stepped out in faith and learned to depend on Him. He showed us that miracles are still happening today. God has a heart for the poor and the needy. He showed us a ministry focused on building communities and enabling people to better care for their families. If you would like to know more about the Friend Ships ministry, read the book entitled, Jesus and Company—Part 1 by Don and Sondra Tipton. Information on how to order the book or learn more about the ministry is on the Internet. Simply go to http://friendships.org/

 

Thank you, Don and Sondra, for being such a true example of what it means to be a Christian.

PROPOSING A COMMON TECHNOLOGY TO SUPPORT THE MINISTRY OF JESUS

 

The Morning Star Rising on the First Day

Read the truly amazing life story about how the forces of good and evil battle over a man and the vision that God gives him. Joseph W. Gordon’s Possess the Vision (Xulon Press, $12.95, 140 pages, ISBN 1-59781-205-6) tells about the mysterious spiritual experiences that occur throughout his lifetime.

PROPOSING A COMMON TECHNOLOGY TO SUPPORT THE MINISTRY OF JESUS

We are proposing that a universal technology be developed that is designed to unite and empower Christians around the world. This technology will be built and established by Christians for Christians. It is designed to help usher in the kingdom of God by supporting the growth and development of all Christian churches, missions, and peoples. It is to be a tool to enable Christians to proclaim the truth of Jesus Christ more effectively and, in so doing, become more fruitful. Fundamentally, this technology is to be a tool to help unite Christians to work together in the ministry of improving the world around them by helping the poor and disenfranchised peoples of the world better take care of their families.

This technology is founded on the solid rock of Jesus, the works of the Holy Spirit, and the promises of our Father, God, in heaven.

 

Jesus "The light of the World," Heals a Blind Man

However, to be united in such an effort, Christians must work under a set of Core Values that unite us. In our next posting we will take a look at the core values and beliefs that will be necessary to unite Christians toward working together in the common ministry of Jesus.

What do you think about this idea of a common technology to support Christian ministry? Give me your feedback.

This technology is founded on the solid rock of Jesus, the works of the Holy Spirit, and the promises of our Father, God, in heaven. However, to be united in such an effort, Christians must understand that we are all united by a set of Core Values. In our next posting we will take a look at the core values and beliefs that will be necessary to unite Christians toward working together in the common ministry of Jesus.

What do you think about this idea of a common technology to support Christian ministry? Give me your feedback.

Read the truly amazing life story about how the forces of good and evil battle over a man and the vision that God gives him. Joseph W. Gordon’s Possess the Vision (Xulon Press, $12.95, 140 pages, ISBN 1-59781-205-6) tells about the mysterious spiritual experiences that occur throughout his lifetime.

 

Entering the Third Heaven

The Morning Star Rising on the First Day

In our “A-Visit-to-Heaven,” postings last week we presented a video where a minister claimed that he had gone to heaven on several occasions.  In it he talks about being in the third heaven and references Paul’s claim to have been in the third heaven as well. In this video he makes several comments about what it is like in all three heavens.

We of course have been using the Tabernacle of Moses as a prophetic model of Jesus Christ for quite some time. We have also been stating that the three chambers of the Tabernacle are prophetic of the three relationships we can have with God. These types of relationships come with there own set of support capabilities here on earth and there own privileges in heaven or in the spiritual realm. These postings can all be referenced by going to the home page of this web site and clicking on the hyperlink that leads you to these postings. Alternatively, a good posting to start with is: The-Tabernacle-is-Prophetic-of-Jesus.

The fact that a third heaven exists is communicated in the following scripture:

It is doubtless not profitable for me to boast. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord: I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, or whether out of the body I do not know, God knows—such a one was caught up to the third heaven. And I know such a man—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows— how he was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.  Of such a one I will boast; yet of myself I will not boast, except in my infirmities. For though I might desire to boast, I will not be a fool; for I will speak the truth. But I refrain, lest anyone should think of me above what he sees me to be or hears from me (2 Cor 12:1-6.)

Like Paul I believe that is not profitable for me to boast, so just let me say that I also know of a man caught up in the third heaven, which is also called the heavenly Holy of Holies by some people. The following passages describe what happened.

Searching For the Holy of Holies

Years ago this man attended a bible study on the Tabernacle of Moses. The bible study group met once a week and the study went on for months.  The classes were very informative, and all gained significant insight into the tabernacle of God through this teaching of the scriptures. For example, we learned about the blood sacrifices and how, where and why they were conducted. We learned about the golden lamp stand, golden altar of incense, the table of showbread and the brazen laver. We learned about the arc of the covenant, what it contained, and what it represented. In addition, we learned about the golden cherubim between the mercy seat in the Holy of Holies, where God’s presence was to be found.

The Tabernacle Courtyard

Each week we were presented a teaching for about an hour on a new aspect of the Tabernacle. This was followed by a prayer service, and we would pray that the people in the class would enter into the Holy of Holies. There were many breakthroughs reported by various people who attended, and some were even healed of significant illnesses.

During the classes this man developed a desire to enter into the Holy of Holies. He started praying every night as he lay in bed that God would grant him the privilege of entering into His secret place. He often prayed for hours, or until he fell asleep.

One night after one of these services he went home to bed and prayed with an increased determination to enter the Holy of Holies. He must have dozed off because when he awoke his clock read 2 a.m. He dozed off again and had a very unusual experience. He found himself traversing his way through the stars of the universe. He scanned the stars around him and noticed that there was one star that was slightly brighter than all the others. Somehow he knew that if he focused on it directly that he would enter into the passageway to the Holy of Holies. He knew that this was his chance so he turned and focused directly on the star with determination. He then was instantaneously transported to the location of that star. It was as if everything around him simply sucked him up and catapulted him across space and time and in the blink of an eye, bam, he was there.

As he looked up in this new place he could see the cloud of God’s power that stretched across the horizon in all directions as far as the eye could see. From this observation he thought that God’s power was infinite. He could also hear the sound of God’s power which sounded very much like the hum of an electrical power station, only much louder and somehow, mellower. By some unknown means, he also knew that God’s power was resting at the time. However, even at rest this power was strong enough to shake the ground [ii] so violently that he could not longer stand on his feet. He was in awe of God’s power and thought to himself, “if this is the awesome power of God at rest, then woe to those who arouse Him to anger.”

 

The Power of Prayer

Then, he found himself in a place where there were many others, but he could not see them clearly, for they were shrouded by a light, misty cloud of some kind. It was as if each entity was a point of light, and awesomely there were billions of them arranged in circles around God. God appeared as a giant ball of light in the center of everything. He could hear them as they were praising and worshiping God in song all around Him. The was a profound unity there as the billions were all giving fourth something like a song without words, like a series of musical notes.There was emotion in this music, it was a sound of awe and total surrender at the greatness of God. It was a song of blissful love. On and on this blissful music went in perfect harmony, in a way that can not be described in our current human form. 

It looked like the universe of stars in orbit around a central sun except that the stars were arranged something like loosely configured rings of Saturn. He could hear voices and conversations praising God, and he also wanted to join in very much. At first he found it strangely difficult to open his mouth. After working on this task for a while he was successful in opening his mouth but when he attempting to speak, the words did not come out. Instead of words vomit came spewing out his mouth. This discharge apparently triggered something that he did not understand because everything closed up around him as quickly as he had arrived. He was once again sucked up by the environment around him and transported across space and time back to where he started. He awoke in bed and looked at the clock again, it read 4 a.m and he marveled that the whole journey had seemed like just a few seconds. He knew then that he was not ready to enter into the Holy of Holies but because of his steadfast prayer and desire, God had granted him a look at the promise to come.

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[ii] Psalms 29:8  The voice of the LORD shakes the wilderness; The LORD shakes the Wilderness of Kadesh.

A Visit to Heaven

 

The Morning Star Rising on the First Day

 

In several of my prior postings I have talked about I have used the Tabernacle to help us understand that there are three levels of relationship we can have with God. Recently I saw a video of a man who claims that he has made several trips up to heaven and returned. I believe that he describes these types of relationships rather well. Prior to showing the video I thought it may be good to review one of our messages that delivers a high level review of these types of relationships. Here it is:

So, if we have lost our direction Jesus is the Way. If our life is a lie, Jesus is the Truth. If we are acting in a way that leads to death, Jesus is the Life. Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life, just as He claimed. He is the passage way to the Father and is the way through which every form of relationship with the Father can be achieved.

This foundation of Jesus being our spiritual Tabernacle paves the way for us to enter into the Courtyard, the Holy Place, and the Most Holy Place.

This being the case, Jesus is also the veil (or passageway) through which we enter into all three types of relationships that we can have with the Father. It is through the Way (entryway into the Tabernacle Courtyard) that we enter into a relationship of grace with the Father. It is through the Way that we enter the Courtyard where Jesus is the sacrifice for our sin and where we are purified by reflecting on His life and seeking to become like Him.

It is through the Truth (or entryway into the Holy Place of the Tabernacle) that we enter into a relationship of enlightenment with the Father. The Truth leads us into the Holy Place where our pathways are illuminated with God’s direction. This illumination also leads toward communion with God and enables us to become victorious in spiritual warfare.

It is through the Life (or entryway into the Most Holy Place of the Tabernacle) that we enter into a relationship of covenant with the Father. The Life leads us into the Most Holy place where we find peace from our enemies, talk with God directly, receive the protection of His angels, have His law in our hearts, become a royal priesthood and depend on God’s provision exclusively. It is hear that we can once again know only good, and in this regard we are restored to the garden once again.

So now that we have presented what we have said in the past, lets look at the video where the three types of relationship we can have with God in the spiritual realm are described:

So this is very consistent with our prior messages. Entering through the Way of the Tabernacle results in the development of a relationship of grace. In this relationship our sins are forgiven through our repentance and the work of Jesus on the cross. In this relationship we come to see who Jesus is and seek to become like Him in preparation for ministry. In the video we find that the reward for our choices in this regard is to enter a place of peace through Jesus. In this place everyone feel like they are next to Him.

Entering through the Truth of the Tabernacle results in the development of a relationship of empowerment. In this relationship our pathways are illuminated, we develop a closer relationship with the Father, and we become effective in spiritual warfare, or bringing down the bonds of evil here on this earth just like Jesus did. In the video the pastor described this area as belonging to those who worked for God.

Entering through the Life of the Tabernacle results in the development of a relationship of covenant. In this relationship we have a special pact with God that is based upon His promise to us and in turn, our promise to Him. In it we can talk to God directly, receive the support of his angels and become a part of the royal priesthood. In the video this place is reserved for those who walk with God and was wonderful, although indescribable.

So, that is it for today. I am thinking on expanding this topic as there are quite a few scripture that have relevance but have not been discussed to this point.

Until then, may Gods blessings be upon you.

Papa Joe Gordon