The Born Again Trail

Ezekiel Thomas Cabell

My 5th grandchild was born on April 17th at 12:05P.M. He is great and very healthy and if I may say so a beautiful baby. While his birth went well his Mom had a little tougher go of it. Since this was her fifth birth by C-section she ran into some complications.

I am happy to report, now only 4 days later, she is doing great and as some of the doctors said she made a miraculous recovery. We all are thanking God and are very grateful.

Below is a video I took at the hospital just minutes after Ezekiel was born.

The Holy Spirit and What He Should Mean to You

In my opinion, the quintessential dilemma in all of Christianity and probably the whole world, is not what the Bible says, but what the Bible means by what it says.

For the most part people have abdicated the role of helping them to understand the meanings of the Bible to men, and for most people many men or women. The Sunday morning teaching or a TV preacher or attending some sort of conference is the primary source that we access to help us understand the true meaning of the Bible.

The problem with that is that man can get it wrong and then you and I are stuck with the problem of wading through all of the error to find the real truth.

That was not the way God intended it to be. He sent the Spirit of truth to be our primary source for the understanding of who He is and what that should mean to us. Below is a letter I recently received from Dave Roberson. I think it does a better job of explaining who our real teacher should be.

Dear Craig,

In all the years I have spent in ministry praying for the sick, preaching the Gospel, and teaching on the love of God, once I discovered the vital role that praying in tongues plays in fulfilling a believer’s God-given call, I found myself more and more encouraging people to begin, continue, or get back into a consistent prayer life.

You see, whether you need direction in your life this week or for the coming year, for your personal checking account or regarding the economy as a whole, if you will consistently spend time in prayer, you are giving God the avenue He needs to help you. But there is one thing you have to remember as you draw closer to God by making your prayer life a priority: Your primary Teacher is the Holy Spirit, for it is His divine commission to guide you into all truth. After all the preachers have preached and all the exhorters have exhorted and all the teachers have taught all that they can teach, the Holy Spirit remains the only One who is ultimately the Instructor of your wisdom.

Think of what Hebrews 8:11 says: And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.

Why did God say that? Because the only way the spiritually dead Old Testament saints could know God was through the ordinances, instructions, and sacrifices of the Law. Only when they got everything just right would He show up and manifest Himself to them. Then they’d exclaim, “Wow! That’s God!” Under the Old Covenant, these saints knew of God, but they did not know God.

But now, every one of us who are Christians can know God, from the least of us to the greatest. Why? Because He wrote His laws and His nature on our hearts the moment we were born again!

Before we were saved, it was absolutely impossible to know God because we didn’t have a nature capable of knowing Him. But now, every one of us who are children of God can know Him personally and intimately.

Yes, human preachers and teachers are instructors of our faith. But no one on this earth can replace the instruction we receive directly from the Holy Spirit. This is why Jesus said what He did in John chapters 14 through 16 when He was giving His disciples their final instructions before He was taken away from them. In His final instructions, Jesus emphasized the role of the Holy Spirit, who had up to that point dwelt with them but would soon dwell within them:

And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;

Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

John 14:16,17

This was the promise of the Cross that the Old Testament saints had waited for–the day when God would come and take away their old nature and give them a new nature that freed them from sin. For thousands of years, the Old Testament saints waited. They lived and died and went to a place called “Abraham’s Bosom,” an Old Testament type of Heaven, and they continued to wait through the different dispensations leading up to the Cross.

Luke 16:22 briefly mentions this Old Testament type of Heaven when it says, And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried.

That term “Abraham’s Bosom” refers to the place everyone went after death who in life had embraced the promise God made to Abraham: that in Abraham’s seed–which was Christ–all the nations of the earth would be blessed (Genesis 22:18). Anyone who died while resting in that divine promise went to Abraham’s Bosom until the waiting period was over.

Then Jesus came to earth and completed the plan of redemption. Finally the day had come when God was able to give the Old Testament saints a new nature that once and for all freed them from sin. Finally it was possible for them to leave behind the shadows and the types of the Old Covenant and go on to Heaven itself to be forever in the Presence of God.

But in our case, there is no waiting involved, for we were not born under the dispensation of the Old Covenant; we were born under the New. We are not like the Old Testament saints, who had to wait for the change of covenants in order to be born again. The moment we embraced salvation, God gave us a new nature. And because we have a new nature, there will be no waiting period for us when this life is over. Immediately we will be ushered into Heaven, into the very Presence of God.

Hebrews 11:39,40 talks about this difference between the two covenants:

And these all [the Old Testament saints], having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:

God having provided some better thing for us [the new birth], that they without us should not be made perfect.

Think about this amazing covenant that we have with God! We live in the dispensation of His redemption plan when He is able to impart the born-again experience to our spirits. And in the creation of our new nature, so thoroughly has God cleansed us from our sins that we are now able to receive His Holy Spirit. That is how pure and guiltless we have become in His sight!

God has sent the Holy Spirit, in all His holiness and purity, to move into our new natures. And now that the Holy Spirit lives on the inside of us, He has become what no man can be to us–the Instructor of our new nature and the Minister of our understanding!

Yes, in your walk with God, the Holy Spirit is your primary Teacher. And after all the preachers and teachers have taught you all that they are supposed to teach you, the Holy Spirit is still the One who will give you what no man can give you. Upon your invitation, He is ready to take up His ministry on the inside of you to guide you into all truth, help you overcome your flesh, help you renew your mind, and help you conform to the image of Christ. Changes will begin to take place in your life that you never even imagined were possible.

So determine to set aside time every day to fellowship with the Minister of your understanding and the Instructor of your new nature. As the Holy Spirit teaches you how to move up higher in God, I guarantee that you will be astounded by the results!

Your co-laborer,

Dave Roberson

It’s Time for a Revolution! Part 2 (When is free, free?)

The Apostle Paul wrote this in his letter to the Romans,  ” truly He did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him freely give us all things”. (Rom: 8-32)

Where I come from free means…well free. I have had the opportunity to travel to many places and in all of those places free means… well free.  I am absolutely positive that any place I go to in the future that free will still mean free.

In Christianity it does not seem that free means free. It’s free only until it comes up against one of our many traditions and doctrines. Then we are told that the tradition or doctrine supersedes the freedom that Jesus paid for.

Did Jesus paid the full price or did He not?  As Christians we can’t seem to make up our minds about that. He has either paid the full price for us to God for any debts we owe or there is still some price we have to pay.

Paul, in the letter to the Galatians, came up against this exact dilemma, and he was not very pleased with the response of the Church in Galatia. People had infiltrated the Galatian Church and were trying to impose upon them a doctrine that was going to take away their freedom.

The infiltrators were trying to get the Galatian church to re-institute the practice of circumcision. Paul argued that if they were circumcised,“Christ will profit you nothing”(Gal: 5-2).

In a way, I sort of understand the why the infiltrators would insist upon circumcision. If you study the origins of circumcision you will find that it was commanded by God to Abraham almost 400 years before the law was given. It was also commanded to be a everlasting sign never to be stopped. (Genesis: 17: 11-14)  If there was one thing that could reasonably be argued as a necessity for a complete salvation, circumcision would have been it.  Yet Paul argued fervently and passionately against the practice. Besides that, so you want to get circumcised is that really so terrible? You are just trying to show your complete devotion to God.  But Paul knew better. He understood that even a little bit of wrong doctrine or thinking could get the Galatians off track. He put it like this: “a little leaven will leaven the whole lump”.

Today in the modern Church we have added many different rules and regulations that are necessary to get the free gift.  It just isn’t circumcision. What the those rules and regulations are, will vary depending on where you chose to participate, but those rules will be in place.

I heard someone say once that the definition of insanity, is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

In the modern church there is a appalling lack of the supernatural power of God. That should not be. If the Church is not getting the results it should be getting could it be possible it is because we are going about it the wrong way?  But are willing to give up our traditions and our man inspired doctrines?

Can we really believe that the gift is completely, totally and unquestionably free?  Or we going to continue to just do the same things over and over again with the same results.

The church wants revival.  I hear this over and over and over again. We are not going to see a revival until we first revolt against all of  leaven that is leavening the whole lump.

Money Money Money

In my opinion, one of the most misunderstood concepts in Christianity is money and the principles behind using money. Most of what is taught has more to do with our traditions and customs than it does with the true Biblical understanding of money and giving. Below is a partner letter I recently received from Gary Carpenter. It is a start to helping all of us to understand the true biblical principles of giving.

Dear Partner:

When you listen to many of the current teachings regarding Kingdom Finances on Christian television these days it seems that the vast majority of the lessons center on how much, and how often, a person gives in the offerings. Of course giving is very important and Jesus taught much on the subject. One of my favorite verses in the bible is:

Act 20:35 I have shewed you all things, how that so laboring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.

But in my many years of ministry and watching believer’s lives, I find certain patterns emerge. Some people seem to be much more blessed than others, even though the dollar amount they give is less than others. And I am not talking exclusively about being materially blessed, but blessed in all areas of their lives. After all, it doesn’t matter if you have millions of dollars in the bank if you are sick, depressed, and friendless all the time. What I have discovered is based on this teaching by Jesus (which you seldom hear mentioned by the mega-church preachers):

Mat 5:23-24 Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there remember that thy brother hath ought against thee; (24) Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.

Why would Jesus say not to give your gift to God if your brother is in resentment against you? Because gifts offered while a person is still in strife and unforgiveness are simply not received by our Father God. The forgiveness extended toward man through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ is the very heart of the gospel. There is no such thing as a Christian who has not already freely received that forgiveness. To receive God’s forgiveness and then not extend that forgiveness towards others is an abomination in the sight of God.

If a Christian chooses to remain in unforgiveness and strife, not only will it affect his material blessing, but it will also hinder his prayers from being answered. In nearly every teaching that Jesus taught concerning prayer, He included a teaching about forgiveness at the same time. For example, when He taught about prayer in Mark’s gospel He said at the conclusion:

Mark 11:25-26 And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. (26) But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.

Why include that portion about forgiving every one their trespasses unless choosing not to forgive would make a person’s prayers non-effective? I remember in the earliest days of my walk with the Lord He began dealing with me about these very passages. There were some people who (in my mind) had done me great harm. I was born again but I have to tell you … I still carried a lot of unforgiveness toward them in my heart.

As I would read passages like this in my bible I would hear that still, small voice within me saying, “You know you are going to have to forgive them.” Nothing in me wanted to and I refused for awhile. But that same gentle voice would return and say, “It is your choice, but you are not going to go very far with Me unless you choose to forgive them.”

Well, I wanted to go on with God. But when I searched my heart I could not find a hint of anything in me that even wanted to forgive them. Then the Lord whispered to me, “Are you willing to be made willing to forgive them?” I had to think about that for a while, but my logic determined, “Well, Lord, I suppose if you could make me willing … then I would be willing … so my answer is … Yes, please make me willing to forgive them.”

He gave me the most simple instruction which was: Every time I thought of them, just ask the Father to bless them. I really didn’t want to do it, but I did it by sheer obedience based on this passage:

Luke 6:27-28 But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, (28) Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which spitefully use you.

So it began, every time I would think of them I would pray, “Father, bless them, in the name of Jesus.” And in the beginning I would add … “and you know I don’t mean it.” I didn’t want to be a hypocrite. He knew I was just doing it out of raw obedience anyway. But still, I prayed for the Father to bless them just like He told me to. An amazing transformation began to take place. Over the days and weeks as I continued to do that, my heart began to change.

I dropped that phrase (you know I don’t mean it) pretty quickly and my heart began to desire genuine blessings upon them. Then, gradually, the Holy Spirit began opening my eyes to my part in the trespass that had occurred long ago. I wasn’t nearly so innocent as my memory had been declaring. Fast forwarding several months … God’s love so worked through my heart and my soul that I began praying in earnest for them and today … we are close friends again.

Every vestige of unforgiveness and strife has been consumed by the Father’s love for us all. I learned well from that experience and have applied the lessons from it to many similar situations over the years. Not always has every relationship been fully restored, but at least I know that I have done my part to forgive and to be reconciled to everyone.

Rom 12:17-18 Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. (18) If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.

Your friend and co-laborer,

Gary Carpenter