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Saviors on Mount Zion - Reconciling the Creation
Posted by Lev/Christopher on November 12, 2009 at 6:51am
in Forum
Posted: 10 Nov 2009 05:07 PM PST
http://parablesblog.blogspot.com/2009/11/saviors-on-mount-zion-rede...
Joseph Herrin (11-10-09)
Obadiah 21
Then saviors shall come to Mount Zion... and the kingdom shall be Yahweh’s.
Romans 8:19
For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of
the sons of God.
Roast Lamb
The word of revelation being shared here is meat for the mature. It will
require some chewing. Those accustomed only to milk will undoubtedly find
portions of what is set forth here difficult to swallow. I urge you to
exercise patience, and to stir up the spirit within you. Set your mind to
attend to what is written here, and you will find yourself very well
rewarded.
It seems that the Father has chosen my seasons of camping on Jekyll Island
to be times of revelation and insight. I believe this latest revelation is
the crown, and summation of all that has preceded it. What has previously
been viewed dimly has been set forth by the Spirit with a steadily
increasing clarity.
It is the Father’s plan that the work of reconciling the creation to
Himself should be brought to completion through the work of a mature body
of sons and daughters. Yahweh has determined by His sovereign counsel that
what Christ began 2,000 years ago in reconciling the creation to the
Father, should not be brought to fulness through any other means than
through the sacrificial lives of a full-stature body of Christ.
II Corinthians 5:18-19
Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through
Christ, and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in
Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses
against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation.
People of God, how did the Son of God reconcile the world to the Father?
Was it by words alone? Was it not by a poured out life? Was it not by
embracing a cross and suffering many things while choosing freely to love
and forgive? It will be by such means that the reconciliation of the entire
creation is brought to fulness as a cadre of sons and daughters manifesting
the life of Christ take up the cross and follow in the footsteps of
Yahshua. In both testimony and the experience of suffering, those who are
disciples of Christ will be conformed to their Master.
Matthew 10:25
It is enough for the disciple that he become as his teacher, and the slave
as his master. If they have called the head of the house Beelzebul, how
much more the members of his household!
I have in previous writings addressed the reason that God has left His sons
and daughters on this earth when He could have raptured them away at the
moment they receive Christ. When we receive the seed of Christ by the work
of the Holy Spirit, the Father has merely begun a work in the lives of His
children. He must see this work come to maturity. We know that it is the
Father’s expressed intent that all those born of the seed of Christ should
be conformed to Him in character.
Romans 8:29
For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of
His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.
The apostle Paul expresses the truth of our calling in another place.
Ephesians 4:13
Until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the
Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to
the fulness of Christ.
From the very first chapter of Genesis we read of Elohim’s intent to create
man “in Our image,” and “after Our likeness.” The first man to attain to
the image of God was Yahshua. He was man to be born of woman who could
declare, “He who has seen Me has seen the Father.” Those who have received
the Spirit of Christ are on a pathway to conformity to His image. They are
destined to arrive at the fulness of the stature that belongs to Christ.
When they arrive at such a state they too will be able to declare, “He who
has seen me has seen the Father.” How could anything else be true, if the
saints of God are to be conformed to the image of Christ?
What the Spirit has been bringing forward with much clarity at this season,
which I now set forth on my last day on Jekyll Island, is that we are not
only called to be conformed in character to Christ, but we are called to
share in His work of reconciling the creation to the Father. “He gave to us
the ministry of reconciliation.”
Neither is it merely that we are given this call, for the church has long
believed that this ministry of reconciling the creation back to God was
accomplished through evangelism, the preaching of the gospel. What the
Spirit is testifying is that a much deeper work is accomplished as we enter
into a place of intercession for mankind and the fallen creation.
How is this intercession accomplished? That is the real key. The
intercession is accomplished by becoming partakers in the suffering of
Christ. Yet many are those who suffer for their obedience without setting
the captives free. Why is this? Because they do not manifest love and
forgiveness as they are experiencing the suffering of Christ.
Forgiveness is the key that sets the creation free!
When Christ declared on the cross, “Father forgive them, for they do not
know what they do,” what were the results of that forgiveness?
John 1:12-13
As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of
God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born not of blood, nor
of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
The forgiveness of Christ set the creation free from the penalty of sin and
death. The forgiveness of Christ released those who were bound and captive
to sin that they might become partakers of the Holy Spirit and walk in
newness of life. The forgiveness of Christ allowed those who were walking
in the domain of darkness to be transferred to the kingdom of light.
Forgiveness is the key the unlocks the door to entry into the kingdom of
God.
Let me share here that the forgiveness of sin is obtained only through the
shedding of the blood of Christ. It is not merely that Christ said, “I
forgive you.” It was that He was willing to offer His soul as an atonement
for the souls of men and women. Remember the recent teaching I posted
titled Life is in the Blood.
http://parablesblog.blogspot.com/2009/10/foundation-four-life-is-in...
The Scriptures declare that the SOUL is in the blood. When Christ poured
out His blood on the cross, He was surrendering His soul in place of the
collective soul of fallen Adamic man. The Scriptures testify that “the soul
that sins must die.” Yet God allowed one who knew no sin to offer His soul
as a ransom for those who did sin.
II Corinthians 5:21
He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become
the righteousness of God in Him.
A great exchange took place, but it would not have been possible had not
Christ entreated the Father to forgive those who were to receive this
priceless deliverance from the consequences of sin.
Here is a marvelous thing: Christ paid the full cost for man’s redemption
on the cross, and He initiated that reconciliation that is to be realized
when the words of the apostle Paul are fulfilled:
Colossians 1:19-20
For it was the Father's good pleasure for all the fulness to dwell in Him,
and through Him to reconcile ALL THINGS to Himself, having made peace
through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth
or things in heaven.
Ephesians 1:9-10
Having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good
pleasure which He purposed in Himself, that in the dispensation of the
fullness of the times He might sum up all things in Christ, both which are
in heaven and which are on earth — in Him.
We do not see at this time all things reconciled to God through Christ. We
do not yet observe all things summed up in Christ. Yet we are promised that
when God’s work is complete that this will be the condition of all creation.
I Corinthians 15:25-28
For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. The last
enemy that will be abolished is death. For He has put all things in
subjection under His feet. But when He says, "All things are put in
subjection," it is evident that He is excepted who put all things in
subjection to Him. And when all things are subjected to Him, then the Son
Himself also will be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him,
that God may be all in all.
When Yahweh’s plan of the ages is fulfilled, then there will be left
nothing in the creation that has not been reconciled back to God through
the cross of Christ. The only thing that will not be placed under a free
and willing subjection to Christ is the Father Himself. When all things are
subjected to the Son, then the Son also we be subjected to the Father that
God may be all in all.
How is this work of reconciling the creation back to the Father to be
accomplished? Will Christ do it all, or will He accomplish this work
through a group of sons who attain to the fulness of His own stature? It is
through sons in whom is the indwelling Spirit of Christ that the work will
be completed. The apostle Paul has declared that Christ must reign until He
has placed all enemies under His FEET. Are not feet a part of the body?
And are not the saints the body of Christ?
This ministry of reconciliation has been entrusted to the body of Christ.
Yet we should not assume that it will be accomplished merely by preaching
the good news of Christ. It must also be accomplished by entering into that
same ministry of forgiveness that was observed in the life of Christ. He
declared that He did not come to condemn the world, but that the world
through Him might be saved. To the woman caught in adultery He said,
“Neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more.” To the paraplegic lowered
through the roof into His presence He announced, “Your sins are forgiven.”
And in His dying words on the cross He proclaimed, “Father, forgive them.”
With these words of forgiveness the creation is set free from its bondage
to sin. And this same power of forgiveness has been entrusted to the saints
of Christ.
John 20:22-23
And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive
the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, their sins have been
forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they have been retained."
It was for this purpose that the Holy Spirit was given - that those who
received the Spirit of Christ might enter into this ministry of
forgiveness. It is this same authority to forgive and retain sins that is
spoken of in the following words of Yahshua.
Matthew 16:19
"I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you shall
bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you shall loose on
earth shall be loosed in heaven."
What do keys do? Keys open up prison doors. Keys are used to unlock that
which was locked. Christ is declaring that He is entrusting to mankind this
ministry of releasing others from their bondage to sin. How are they to do
so? By the act of forgiveness. Matthew records a yet another conversation
of Christ on this matter of forgiveness.
Matthew 18:15-19
"And if your brother sins, go and reprove him in private; if he listens to
you, you have won your brother. But if he does not listen to you, take one
or two more with you, so that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every
fact may be confirmed. And if he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the
church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you
as a Gentile and a tax-gatherer. Truly I say to you, whatever you shall
bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth
shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on
earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My
Father who is in heaven.”
Is it not remarkable that these words of Christ concerning any two agreeing
on a matter have been used in all manner of applications relating to
material blessing, but their original context is ignored. Christ was
declaring that if any two agreed to bind a man over to be punished for
their sin and refusal to repent that it would be done in heaven. If these
same ones, finding a repentant heart, were to loose a brother from his
sins, it would also be done in heaven. This power to forgive sins is the
mightiest power and authority entrusted to the church.
If you doubt that this was truly the intent of these words, observe how
this was actually practiced among the apostles and the church. Paul in
writing to the Corinthian church concerning a Christian man engaged in
grievous sin wrote:
I Corinthians 5:4-5
In the name of our Lord Yahshua, when you are assembled, and I with you in
spirit, with the power of our Lord Yahshua, I have decided to deliver such
a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, that his spirit may be
saved in the day of the Lord Yahshua.
What an enormous authority Christ gave to His followers in granting them
the ability to forgive or retain the sins of others. The apostle Paul,
being fully aware of this authority, exercised it often.
I Timothy 1:20
Among these are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have delivered over to
Satan, so that they may be taught not to blaspheme.
These are but two examples of binding. I am persuaded that in many more
instances the authority to loose others from their sins was exercised by
the disciples of Christ.
James 5:14-15
Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and
let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and
the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord
will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him.
Always the authority of Christ granted to His people was to be used for
building up, and not for tearing down.
II Corinthians 13:10
For this reason I am writing these things while absent, in order that when
present I may not use severity, in accordance with the authority which the
Lord gave me, for building up and not for tearing down.
People of God, the kingdom of God will be manifested upon the earth as
mature sons and daughters begin to walk in the authority God has given them
to build up, and not to tear down. We must first be proven before we can be
entrusted with such power. When Paul was breathing out threats and murder
before his conversion he had no such spiritual authority. Only those who
are full of the Holy Spirit can be entrusted with such power.
In the examples cited above we read of elders praying and the sins of those
who have transgressed being forgiven. The position of elder is a spiritual
office. It is required that those who walk in such authority be filled with
the Holy Spirit. The apostle Paul was a man filled with the Holy Spirit. We
also read of deacons having the same qualification laid upon them.
Acts 6:3
"But select from among you, brethren, seven men of good reputation, full of
the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task.”
Among those selected in Jerusalem to serve as deacons was Stephen. He was a
man full of the Holy Spirit.
Acts 6:5
And the statement found approval with the whole congregation; and they
chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit...
We read that Stephen was “full of the Holy Spirit.” When we too are filled
with the Spirit of Christ we will find ourselves entering into His work of
reconciliation. Every time we suffer for righteousness’ sake, and choose to
not hold other’s sins against them, we are proclaiming release to the
captives, and we are setting the prisoners free.
Do you think it was coincidental that the chief persecutor of Stephen
became the greatest proponent of the Christian faith? Those stoning Stephen
laid their cloaks at the feet of the young Pharisee named Saul. This Saul,
who in the Greek was called Paul, later encountered the Lord of glory as he
was on his way to Damascus breathing out threats and murder against the
saints of God. He was converted, and he who was formerly the enemy of God
became a great champion of the faith.
Paul was set free the moment that Stephen forgave him his sin. Stephen laid
down his life, in the same way as the Son of God. In choosing to forgive he
also set all those who trespassed against him free.
In this hour, we need to understand that the reconciliation of the creation
back to God is one of the chief reasons that the body of Christ has been
given the Holy Spirit. Let us look once more at the words of Christ.
John 20:22-23
And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive
the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, their sins have been
forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they have been retained."
The disciples did not always understand this. Before they received the
Spirit to indwell them, they mistakenly thought that the Spirit was given
for them to judge the world, rather than to set it free.
Luke 9:52-56
And they went, and entered a village of the Samaritans, to make
arrangements for Him. And they did not receive Him, because He was
journeying with His face toward Jerusalem. And when His disciples James and
John saw this, they said, "Lord, do You want us to command fire to come
down from heaven and consume them?" But He turned and rebuked them, and
said, "You do not know what kind of spirit you are of; for the Son of Man
did not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them."
All those who are disciples of Christ are to enter into His ministry of
reconciling the world unto God. We destroy the works of the devil as we
forgive sin. Saul was released from Satan’s captivity as Stephen petitioned
the Father to forgive those who were stoning him. Saul, the most zealous
enemy of Christianity, was defeated by an act of love and forgiveness. The
Spirit of Christ was released to effect the reconciliation of Saul unto God
as Stephen put aside all anger, offense and wrath, and spoke forth words of
forgiveness.
Because Stephen did not retain the sins of Saul, neither did heaven retain
them. When Stephen spoke forth words of forgiveness, the sins of Saul were
canceled.
You and I have been given this same ministry of reconciliation. Christ too
has breathed upon us, and has declared, “If you forgive the sins of any,
their sins have been forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they
have been retained.”
What then will you do with this profound gift? In what way will you
exercise this authority? The sons of God have been entrusted with authority
to destroy the enemy’s kingdom by forgiving the sins of mankind. We have
been appointed to complete that work that Christ began of reconciling the
world unto God. It is Christ in us accomplishing this work. We must be led
of His Spirit in these things. We must never presume to exercise such
authority of our own initiative.
To be continued...
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Reply by Rodney D Ready on November 12, 2009 at 5:05pm
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Updated on 3 January 2011
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