From The Pastor's Pen... 12/05/11 - Jesus! The Light Of The World!

“ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without Him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men” (John 1:1-4 AKJ).

The first four verses of John’s gospel account perfectly illustrate the foundation truth of the light of God’s glorious earthly incarnation in the person of the Son, Christ Jesus, the Living Word. In fact, that creative light, or shekinah glory, was manifested by His person among men upon the earth at the very instant of His birth at Bethlehem. It was, in effect, a divine light both equal to, and an extension of, the light, which His Father spoke into being at the dawn of creation. The Hebrew word for light, “or”, found in Genesis 1:3, appears approximately 120 times in the Old Testament and primarily denotes a diametric opposition to darkness. As such, it carries with it a corresponding significance to the Greek “phos” found in John 1: 7-9.  While the understanding of that concept is vital to the eternal future of all mankind; the scriptures, in their entirety contribute an even more complete picture of His identity when taken as a whole.

You see, the manifestation of that light in Jesus’ earthly life and ministry brought a new dimension of clarity onto the world stage, which pierced the prevailing darkness of both the natural and spiritual realms. Its availability to all during the New Testament Church Age serves to remove any excuses which mankind may devise to justify personal sin and evil.  In the first chapter of his gospel, John clearly connects the illuminating power of that light which Jesus possesses to the ability of man to believe by faith (John 1:7). 

Further, John writes in verse 4 that, the divine life that resides in Messiah Jesus, is the Light of men. Truly, all grace and truth is found in Him, whom the Father gave as a free gift to all, who would, by the drawing power of the Holy Ghost, receive Him, and believe on His name (John 1:12). That is the message of the season…the most valuable gift that anyone could give, has already been given by God the Father to mankind in the person of Jesus Christ the Anointed. Yet, in the hustle and bustle of the modern, commercialized shopping season, even the most committed believers are often in danger of losing sight of its true meaning. May each of us who are called by His name strive to reverse that earthly trend and influence this holiday season and pass the Light along to all!

From The Pastor's Pen... 1121/11 - Verily, Verily, I Say Unto You

“Verily, verily, I say unto you…”

The promises of Jesus, outlined in John 14:12, carry a deeper significance which we often overlook. In fact, John 14:12 is a three-part declaration, setting forth the who, what, and why of the kingdom principle of receiving the power and blessings of God’s covenant. Here, Messiah Jesus taught all who would listen, the particulars for total victory that is available to every believer in the spiritual realm, which we now occupy. And, as believers, we need to take heed.

#1 – “The Who” – “He that believeth on me…” – All born-again remnant believers are included in that definitive statement, not simply the hierarchy of a particular denomination or organized church. Neither does Jesus indicate that the “who” category is limited to a time period…such as the days of the original apostles or the First Century Church.

#2 – “The What” – “…the works that I do shall he do also, and greater works than these shall he do…” We need to take note that the clear implication that Jesus conveyed left no doubt that His believing followers would exercise, and even surpass, all the acts of His earthly ministry, including the miraculous!

#3 – “The Why” – “…because I go unto the Father.” – That bold final statement, when accompanied by the entirety of Jesus’ recorded instructions found elsewhere throughout the gospels, point directly to the availability, and assistance, of the Holy Ghost to every believer throughout the Church Age. So, if Jesus said it, it’s that plain and simple. Or is it?

You see, the problem that many sincere believers face today, when confronted with the simplicity of Jesus’ teachings, is the often overwhelming opposition from preachers and teachers within the official and institutionalized church community. A multitude among this “we-know-better-than-you-do”…”let-us-interpret-it-for-you” church leadership are, for all intents and purposes, the spiritual descendants of the Pharisees of Jesus’ day.  Their continued guidance and direction for us, as well as them, will result in denial of the Holy Scriptures, unbelief, and powerlessness in our spiritual walk. Beware! For they are peddling the doctrines of devils that are clearly contrary to the Living Word, and, again, like their counterpart, the Pharisees, they proudly exhibit a form of godliness, yet deny the power thereof. From such, the Scriptures command, turn away (see 2 Timothy 3:5).

From The Pastor's Pen... 11/14/11 - According To Your Faith

“And when He was come into the house, the blind men came to him and Jesus saith unto them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? They said unto Him, yea, Lord” (Matthew 9:28 AKJ).

Like the blind men in Matthew 9:27-30, our ultimate victory as true remnant believers will stand or fall in relationship to the degree of simple faith which we wield. You see, those two men were faith-filled, thus meeting one of the conditions for receiving from the vast storehouse of the Lord’s wealth and provision. Plain, and simply, they received their sight on the strength of their declaration of faith. They believed and received, and neither the conditions, nor results, have changed, or will change, at any point in time during the Church Age. But, let’s take a closer look at the Kingdom principle, which was operational in that example.

Firstly, their belief was based on what they had heard, for Matthew’s account in the 27^th verse tells us that “two blind men followed him.” Yet, that’s not all they did. Secondly, they cried out to Him saying, “…thou Son of David, have mercy on us.” That act of recognizing and acknowledging Jesus for who He is, got His attention as they followed Him into the house (v. 28). At that point, He sought their verbal confession by posing the question, “…believe ye that I am able to do this?” Their faith-filled reply was simply, “…Yea, Lord…”

Matthew then continued this account for us by recording Jesus’ next deliberate act, as well as, verification of the Kingdom principle, by touching their eyes, saying, “According to your faith be it unto you…and their eyes were opened…” (v.30). They believed and received!

The good news is, nothing has changed. Messiah Jesus, the anointed Son of The Most High, is the same yesterday, today, and forever. His command to every true remnant believer today, is to carry that good news and power to the lost world, as well as to unbelieving skeptics within the Church, who themselves have been spiritually blinded by clueless pastors, who persist in the folly of teaching and preaching the commandments and doctrines of men, contrary to the preserved Scriptures. I urge you to sincerely read and search the Scriptures, and decide for yourself. It’s all up to you. Will you believe and receive?

Consider these words of Jesus - “He who believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also …” (John 14:12 AKJ)

From The Pastor's Pen... 11/07/11

“According to the word that I covenanted with you when ye came out of Egypt, so my Spirit remaineth among you: fear ye not. For thus saith the Lord of hosts; Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land…”  (Haggai 2: 5-6 AKJ)

Earthquakes, famine, pestilence, wars and rumors of war, distress of nations, with perplexity, the seas, and the waves roaring (tsunamis)…all of the afore mentioned events, and more, have become the staple of the evening news on TV, as well as the print media. Even the world at large can’t help but notice that there’s a whole lot of shaking going on.

But knowledgeable Christians shouldn’t be surprised, because the covenant promise above from Haggai 2 was given, not only to the remnant of national Israel, but to the New Covenant church, as well. Like all the promises of the Father, it was given to assure His chosen people of His continued protection, yesterday, today and forever. Again, that includes the true remnant believers throughout the Church Age, as He deals with the unbelieving world around us.

You see, just as it was throughout the Old Covenant history of national Israel, there is likewise a day of reckoning approaching. In many respects it is already here, and it will be a day in which the Lord shall, once again, shake the powers of both heaven and earth, to demonstrate His sovereign power and authority over all His creation.

As true born-again, remnant believers, we have a part to play in God’s plan of the ages. Of course that includes spiritual vigilance, as well as, scriptural knowledge and awareness of the important current events taking place in the natural realm around us. Messiah Jesus made that vital kingdom principle clear in an instruction to His followers in the 37^th verse of Mark 13. There, in conclusion to a lengthy discussion regarding prophetic signs of the approaching “end of the age” and His soon return, He issued a concise command. “And what I say unto you, I say unto all, Watch” (Mark 13:37). Are you ready and watching today?

“Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven, and this word yet once more signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain” (Hebrews 12:26-27 AKJ).

From The Pastor's Pen... 10/31/11

“Death and life are in the power of the tongue; and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof”  (Proverbs 18:21 AKJ)

As believers, we often miss the urgency and importance, of guarding our spoken words, which make up the sum total of our faith and confession. For that reason we need to take heed to the multiple warnings and instructions, such as the verse above, which can be found throughout the Old and New Covenants.

In Matthew 12:36 Messiah Jesus acknowledged the serious nature of that Kingdom Principle with this cautionary note, “But I say unto you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.”  Actually, that warning becomes even clearer when we understand that the word rendered ‘idle’ by the King James translators, is from the Greek word “argos”, denoting an unfruitful action, or spoken negative word. We need to keep that truth in mind, because it is vital to our victory in daily life, as well as, our interaction with others among the true remnant of the body of Christ. And, because that positive confession regularly spoken over ourselves, and other believers, is the key to our spiritual victory, it must be free of any condemnation or negativity contrary to the revealed promises of God the Father. Further, and equally important, we must learn to clearly discern where, and by whom negative spoken confessions often originate, by studying the living word, as our guide.

We find an excellent example in Matthew the 16^th chapter, where Peters rebuke of Jesus in verse 22, was met with a counter attack from the Lord Himself in verse 23, although not a rebuke of Peter, but rather, of Satan. For Jesus Matthew tells us, had correctly recognized the devil, as the real perpetrator. In truth, Peter, as is often the case with us, had been duped into becoming the devils mouthpiece, and learned quickly to never repeat that particular error. In short, we must also learn to be on guard, against being used in any way by the enemy; by recognizing that our negative confessions over ourselves and other true believers are designed by the powers of darkness to thwart the agenda of God and our ultimate victory.

Consider these words of Jesus:

“For by thy words shalt thou be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned” (Matt.12:37 AKJ).

From The Pastor's Pen... 10/24/11

“And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief” (Matthew 13:58 KJB).

The primary type of attack against our faith as a true remnant believer will always come in the form of lingering unbelief, originating with our chief enemy, Satan, as a quiet suggestion, or element of doubt, in an attempt to hinder our victory. In fact, the above verse from Matthew 13 indicates that, even Messiah Jesus, was not immune from the effects of such tactics.

In Matthew’s 13^th Chapter account of the story of Jesus’ visit and ultimate rejection in Nazareth, we find that the result of the attitude of those in the local synagogue rendered Him unable to perform “many mighty works there because of their unbelief” (v. 58). In our own lives and daily spiritual walk, we, also, will encounter negativity from those within the institutional church setting who’s belief system is based on, or may be anchored to, the opinions of, or commandments and doctrines of, men, rather than “sola scriptura”…the preserved scriptures…alone.

However, our chief method of combating such encounters can be found in the example of the father of the demoniac in Mark 9:24 who declared, “Lord, I believe; help thou my unbelief.” A simple act of positive confession, yet repentant petition, for his weakened condition, which, together, brought complete victory!

“Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth” (Mark 9:23 KJB). 

(Notes from message given on 10/23/11.)

Calling All Families and Homeschoolers

Hi, Everybody!

Please take time to view and pass on the information below in regard to the soon to be released motion  picture Dolphin Tale by Alcon Entertainment. I believe that film making is one of the most important ways in which the Christian community can impact Hollywood and the larger entertainment industry. Our continued involvement and support of films such as this, and others, will prod and awaken the powers that be to the potential audience for such family pictures and encourage them to invest in future undertakings by Christian affiliated film makers. Thanks so much!

-Rev. John Knox

I am reposting this from my wife's site:

Sally Clarkson of I Take Joy has asked for help in supporting her son, Nathan, and his dream of influencing Hollywood. Nathan's goal is to send a message that quality, wholesome films with a good, moral message are important to us, and I'm passing Sally's call to arms along to you!

Here’s how you can help:

1. Nathan has had an opportunity to work as a consultant on the movie Dolphin Tale, which releases in theaters (US and Canada) on September 23rd. The goal is to get 150,000 people minimum in attendance to the movie on release day. You can be one of those 150,000 plus!



2. Blog about it and/or e-mail your fellow homeschoolers and Christian friends about this fantastic opportunity. Encourage them to get involved, spread the word, and attend the movie.

In case you’re wondering, Dolphin Tale is a fantastic family movie which will “inspire, instruct, and bring you to tears because of the great story line.” And...can you believe it? Two home educated children play the main roles!

Bonus: Sally and her husband, Clay, are giving away Dolphin Tale prize packs as a thank you for helping to spread the word. To find out more and enter visit Sally's site, I Take Joy today!