From The Pastor's Pen... 1/9/12 - Personal Restoration

“Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit”  (Ps. 51:12 AKJ).

Although we, as individual born-again believers are, like the church, blood bought, every serious follower of Messiah Jesus nonetheless requires regular periods of spiritual restoration, to continuously walk in power and victory. David’s declaration from the 12th verse of the 51st Psalm expresses that vital Kingdom principle, and we would be wise to heed its truth. Unfortunately, in our day and time, the term revival and the resultant spiritual restoration, which it carries with it, has taken on a context completely opposite to its original meaning, thus making it difficult to grasp for our selves. Let me explain.

You see, in earlier decades, not far removed from our own, it was readily understood that revival, whether individually experienced, or a church wide spiritual restoration, was not a scheduled event on a church calendar. Rather, it was a spontaneous, divinely originated action to restore, and uphold, previously achieved spiritual goals and understanding. And to, in effect, advance scriptural revelation for the purpose of empowering the believer, and local church, for greater warfare ahead.  Yet, none of these things can come forth except through prayer and fasting, coupled with an earnest search for a closer relationship with the Father, not by the plans, agendas, or traditions of men. The evidence of this principle has been, and will continue to be repeated over and over again throughout the Church Age. The most recent example being, the well documented Azuza Street revival of the early 20th century.

As we enter the opening days of a new year, it’s vitally important that we recognize the need for a true, divinely inspired restoration of our spirit man, which originates directly from the throne of God. May we who are called as followers of Messiah Jesus the anointed, like David, seek to be restored by Him, above all that we could conceive or think, according to the power that works in us, by way of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost! Like the person of Jesus Himself, the covenant promises of God, which are still available to us, are the same, yesterday, today, and forever.

“And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpillar, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you. And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God, that hath dealt wonderously with you; and my people shall never be ashamed” (Joel 2:25-26 AKJ).

From The Pastor's Pen... 12/19//11 - Jesus' First And Second Advent

“But thou Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from old, from everlasting” (Micah 5:2 AKJ).

In this, the final week of the Advent season, we of the church need to proclaim, as did the prophets of old, the soon coming appearance of the King of Kings. Throughout the Old Covenant writings, as exemplified in the above verse from Micah the 5^th Chapter, God the Father chose to periodically reveal to national Israel the promise of a Messiah Redeemer, who would bring light, hope and ultimate victory to the dark struggles they faced in the world around them. And that promise was fulfilled, in part, in the birth and earthly ministry of Jesus, the Anointed Son of God.

Likewise, in our day and time, as our world seemingly degenerates into chaos and pervading gloom, we can take heart in the prophesied future advent, and return of Messiah Jesus, and the magnificent light, which He will bring with Him. For His second coming is equally as sure a truth, amidst the prophetic promises of both the Old and New Covenants, as was His first. Yet, for the true Church, there is an added dimension to that greatly anticipated event. The scripturally promised, victorious deliverance of His Bride, the believing remnant, from the judgment to be visited upon the nations of the earth, who oppose His divinity and crown rights to rule over all His creation in heaven and earth

So, as we of the Church joyfully celebrate the message of His birth and life, let’s not forget the ultimate purpose of that divine Light which He brought into the earth, as well as its future significance to all who believe on His name. He is coming soon to seize all that is rightfully His, which includes all the Kingdoms and peoples of the earth! Are you ready?

 In the 7^th verse of the 9^th chapter of his book, the Old Testament prophet Isaiah, in a rhema word from God, proclaimed the future scope of Messiahs inheritance, as follows;

“Of the increase of His government there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon His Kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth for ever…”

From The Pastor's Pen... 12/12//11 - For Unto Us A Child Is Born

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government, there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon His Kingdom to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice, from hence forth even forever. The zeal of the Lord of Hosts shall perform it” (Isaiah 9:6-7 AKJ).

At the very moment of the birth of the prophesied Son, the Child whom Isaiah alluded to in the above discourse from the 9^th Chapter; the dark powers of heaven and earth were both shaken, and revealed, in the blinding light of His divine presence. God Himself, incarnate in the person of the Son, had entered the arena of the age-old spiritual battlefield, and the worlds of the natural, and supernatural, would never again be the same. 

The Apostle John tells us in the 1^st Chapter of his gospel that the life embodied in the person of Jesus the Living Word, was indeed the Light of the souls of all mankind (vs. 4). He, John, then testified further of the Light, and His ability to pierce the prevailing darkness in the world, at large. For John was sent to bear witness to the Light.

The birth, and subsequent ministry of Christ Jesus, the Anointed Son, was an event of cataclysmic significance. In this Christmas season, the body of Christ must declare, and magnify this Good News to the world, amidst the hustle, bustle and glitter of commercialism, which seeks to overshadow the powerful truths of the scriptures.

We at Old Paths wish all a safe and happy holiday season!

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).