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Message and Articles
“But then the worst thing
that could have happen to any fighter, you got civilized,” Mick to Rocky
(Rocky III). That is the problem with
most believers today, they got civilized. Is this the kind of civility in
fighting in our next two stories. Judges 11:1-11 Now Jephthah (Jetha) the
Gileadite (gihl-ee-uhd-ite) was a mighty man of valor, but he was the son of
a harlot; and Gilead begot Jephthah. 2 Gilead's wife bore sons; and when his
wife's sons grew up, they drove Jephthah out, and said to him, "You shall
have no inheritance in our father's house, for you are the son of another
woman." When Gilead
died, his sons, took the inheritance for themselves and forced him out of the
home. 3 Then Jephthah fled from
his brothers and dwelt in the land of Tob; and worthless (adventurers NIV
brigands) men banded together with Jephthah and went out raiding with
him. 4 It came to pass after a time that the people of Ammon made war against
Israel. 5 And so it was, when the people of Ammon made war against Israel that
the elders of Gilead went to get Jephthah from the land of Tob. 6 Then they said
to Jephthah, "Come and be our commander that we may fight against the
people of Ammon." 7 So Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, "Did you
not hate me, and expel me from my father's house? Why have you come to me now
when you are in distress?" 8 And the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah,
"That is why we have turned again to you now, that you may go with us and
fight against the people of Ammon, and be our head over all the inhabitants of
Gilead." 9 So Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, "If you take me
back home to fight against the people of Ammon, and the Lord delivers
them to me, shall I be your head?" 10 And the elders of Gilead said to
Jephthah, "The Lord will be a witness between us, if we do not do according
to your words." 11 Then Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the
people made him head and commander over them; and Jephthah spoke all his words before
the Lord in Mizpah (mihz-puh) Jephthah saw this as an
occasion for trusting the lord and serving Him, not some political or
territorial gain. The roll call of faith found in Hebrews 11:32 refers to this
man’s great faith. You wonder how this man’s brother felt when he returned
to the land having been made a warrior and leader for God.
“Braveheart” tells the
story of another great warrior from Scotland: In 1280 A.D., Sir William Wallace
was a 13th century Scottish knight who gained recognition when he came to the
forefront of the First War of Scottish Independence by opposing King Edward I of
England. The story line reveals how
Wallace and his cause for Scotland would win the respect of young Robert the
Bruce, the chief contender for the Scottish crown. However, Robert is dominated
by his scheming father, who wishes to secure the throne of Scotland to his son
by bowing down to the English. Wallace will be betrayed by
two Scottish nobles at the Battle of Falkirk as a new English army invades
Scotland. The Scots lose the battle and Wallace would discover that Robert
the Bruce had aided the English, at the bidding of his father. However,
Robert the Bruce would be tormented by his betrayal of Wallace. Robert
would help Wallace flee the English when they attempt to capture him on the
battlefield. Wallace will be brought
before the English magistrates and tried for high treason. The court sentences
him to be "purified by pain." During his torture, a defiant Wallace
refuses to cry out in pain, using the last strength in his body to shout, "Freedom!"
Wallace is beheaded, his body is quartered, his arms and legs are sent to the
four corners of Britain as a warning against rebellion, and his head is set on
London Bridge. In 1314, nine years after
Wallace's death, Robert the Bruce, is now the King of Scots. Just
prior to going to battle, still guilt-ridden over his betrayal of Wallace, a 54
yrs old, Robert the Bruce request that at his death, his heart be removed and
taken on a crusade to the Holy Land’s by a worthy knight. Robert the Bruce
died in 1329 and per his request, his heart was removed, embalmed and placed in
a small, silver coffin and was hung from Sir James Douglas neck. Literally with the heart of
his king pressed against his heart, Sir Douglas went into many battles. History and legend tell us that when in an
ill-fated battle, Douglas found himself surrounded and facing imminent death, he
reached for the heart of his king and flung it at his enemies and cried out, “Forward,
Fight for the heart of your king!” Both of our true stories
this morning awakens within me a primal longing that I am convinced waits to be
unleashed within everyone who is a follower of Y’shua HaMashiach; To belong to God is to
belong to His heart. If we have responded to the call of Y’hsua, that call is
to leave everything and follow our King. There is a voice crying within us,
“Forward, Fight for the heart of your King!” However, the Christianity
that we hear and see today is far removed from a Tribe of Renegades 2000 years
ago, and has become a religion of conformists.Those who choose to follow
Y’hsua become participants in an insurrection, a revolt. Why?
Satan is the ruler of this world. John 14:30 "I will no
longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming, and he has
nothing in Me." John 16:11 “the ruler of
this world is judged.” John 12:31 "Now
is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast
out." Luke 4:5-7 “Then the
devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the
world in a moment of time." 6 And the devil said to Him, "All this
authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered
to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. 7 Therefore, if You will
worship before me, all will be Yours." John 15:18-20
"If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. 19
If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not
of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.
20 Remember the word that I said to you,'A servant is not greater than his
master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My
word, they will keep yours also.
To claim we believe is not enough. Read: Mark 5:1-13 Allow me to put a spot
light on verses 7-8: Mark 5:7-8 “And he cried
out with a loud voice and said, "What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of
the Most High God? I implore You by God that You do not torment me." 8 For
He said to him, "Come out of the man, unclean spirit!" Luke 8:28 “When he
saw Jesus, he cried out, fell down before Him, and with a loud voice
said,"What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg
You, do not torment me!" The call of Y’hsua
is one that DEMANDS action. Y’hsua began his public ministry with a simple
invitation: “Come, follow me.” He ended it on the same note, “Go!” Matthew 4:18-22
"And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called
Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were
fishermen. 19 Then He said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you
fishers of men." 20 They immediately 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. He called them, 22 and immediately they left the boat
and their father, and followed Him. Matthew 9:9 “As
Jesus passed on from there, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax
office. And He said to him, "Follow Me." So he arose and followed
Him. Matthew 28:19-20 “Go
therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of
the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe
all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the
end of the age." Amen. A quick summary of the
modern “church,” would cause one to believe that His invitation was “come
and listen”. The Tribe of Y'shua, above
all people, should rightly carry the banner, FORWARD FOR FREEDOM. I realize the imagery of
our earlier stories are uncivilized and barbaric. That’s the point. The
invitation of Y’hsua is a revolutionary call to fight the fight for the heart
of humanity. We are called to an unconventional war using a two edged sword,
which is the Word of God. We are armed with the weapons of faith, hope and love.
Nevertheless, this war is no less dangerous than any war every
fought, having eternal ramifications. Those of us who embrace the
cause of Christ, the cost to participate in the mission of God are nothing less
than everything we are and everything we have. Strangely enough, some of us that
come to Messiah seem to immediately understand and embrace this barbarian way. The term barbarian for the
Greek refers to anyone that is foreign. Scriptures show us that we
are no longer a part of this world system. We are foreigners, remaining here to
serve our King and build His kingdom. John 15:18-19 "If the
world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. 19 If you
were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not
of the world, but I chose you out of the worl
d, therefore the world hates you.” John 17:15-16 "I do
not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep
them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of
the world..." Typically barbarians are a
tribal society as seen by an urban civilization either viewed as inferior, or
admired as a noble savage. In idiomatic or figurative usage, a
"barbarian" may also be an individual reference to a warrior like
person. The barbarian way is to live one’s life with every step moving forward
and with every fiber of their being fighting for the heart of their King. This tribal society has
made Y'shua an all consuming passion for their lives. We are not about religion
or position. We have little patience for institutions or bureaucracies. Our lack
of respect for tradition and ritual makes us seem uncivilized to those who love
religion. Our love for truth makes us barbaric to the religious and politically
correct. When asked if I am a
Christians, my answer has surprised many and offended even more. No!
I see Christianity today as a world religion, in many ways no different
from any other religious system; whether Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam or
Christianity. I am not about
religion, I am about advancing the revolution Y'shua started 2000+ years ago. IF you are a
follower of Messiah, THEN you are called to fight for the heart of your King. It
is a life fueled by passion – a passion for God and a passion for the souls of
mankind. The psalmist tells us to
delight ourselves in the Lord, and He will give us the desires of our hearts
(Ps. 37:4). Jesus’ did not endure the
agony of the Cross for us to become entangled and entrapped with the trapping of
this worlds’ religion. Y'shua began a revolution
to secure the FREEDOM of many. "For whom the Son sets free, is
free indeed." The New Covenant that He
established with His Own Blood puts its trust not in man or man’s laws, but in
the transforming power of the Rauch HaKodesh, God’s Spirit living within us.
The Revolution of the regenerated human heart would fuel the life and vitality
of His movement. If we will delight
in God, and He will give us the desire of our hearts, then with our hearts
burning for God, we would move FORWARD with the FREEDOM to pursue the passions
burning within us. Isaiah 53:8 “He was taken
from prison and from judgment, And who will declare His generation? For
He was cut off from the land of the living;” Acts 8:33 "In
His humiliation His justice was taken away, And who will declare His
generation? For His life is taken from the earth."
Is your hearts cry, "Here I am, send me!" At the start of 2011, I ask
you to write down what you would attempt to accomplish if you knew that you
wouldn’t and couldn’t fail, and if money was no obstacle. Do you dare dream? Do you
dare hope? Proverbs 13:12
“Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when the desire comes, it is a tree
of life.” Are you afraid to be
raw, to be uncivilized in your expectations of God? Or are you determined to be
civilized about our hopes, dreams and desires for God within our lives? Or will
you unleash the untamed faith within your heart? Will you choose the barbarian
way out of civilization? The very idea that Someone
as awesome, amazing, as stupendous as Jesus of Nazareth would have any interest
or desire to embrace someone like me is overwhelming. When I realized, through
the Indwelling Spirit, how much He loved me and that I could trust Him, I gave
Him my heart fully to whatever I learned to be God’s heart. I am a follower of Y’hsua,
Jesus, and for me there is no turning back. Gert Behanna says it best,
"I ain't what I wanna be, and I ain't what I'm gonna be, Maybe that was the cry of
John on Patmos, in the Apoc/a/lypse when he had cried out to them about them
losing their first love. Revelation 2:1-4 "To
the angel of the church of Ephesus write, 'These things says He who holds the
seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden
lampstands: 2 "I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you
cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are
apostles and are not, and have found them liars; 3 and you have persevered and
have patience, and have labored for My name's sake and have not become weary. 4
Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love.” The spirit
warrior’s way is about an unstaggering loyalty, intimacy, passion, and
sacrifice. Tribal people love to live and live to love. And we love Him with a
great passion, with all of our hearts, soul and strength. For us, God is our
life and our mission is to reconnect humanity to our King and His Kingdom. Is your passion that each
of us might live in intimate communication with Him who died for us? Our souls are made alive by
the presence of our Lord. Our path is a path of truth and spirit. My passion is
that I might live in intimate communion with Him who died for us. Our way is the
way of the Spirit and Truth. The soul of uncivilized believer is made alive by
the presence of Y’hsua. We are guided by the wind
of God and ignited by the fire of God. This way can only be found by listening
to the voice of the Spirit. The way of the warrior can only be known by those
who have the heart of God. The steps of the spirit warrior are lead while
walking in the footprints of Y'shua. We see the invisible and hear the inaudible
because our souls are alive to God. If I know nothing
else about you, if you are a true follower of Y'shua HaMashiach, I know this
without question: there is within you a raw and untamed faith a waiting to be
unleashed. When we come to the Living
God, He consumes who we are and gives us life that is fueled by His presence.
You have been recreated to live a raw and primal spirituality. Jesus came to
ignite a fire within you that would consume you and ignite you. Y’hsua the King came to
fight and die for your heart. IF He has won your heart, then to follow your
heart will always lead you to follow the heart of God. He will always lead you
to advance forward, behind enemy lines to win the hearts of those who do not yet
know Him or love Him. He’s calling you to fight
for the heart of your King. For some, doing this will
be just way to the uncouth, to brutal. Yet for others, their only option will be
to choose the uncivilized, unsophisticated, non-politically correct way. From the four
corners of the earth, this invasion began the moment Jesus walked among us. As
in the days of our Lord, each one that He has crossed their path, those who are
most religious will be most offended and indignant. The Spirit Warrior
is not welcome amongst the civilized and are feared most among the domesticated.
The Way of Chief Cornerstone is far to savage for their sensibilities. The
sacrifice of God’s son, the way of the Cross, the call to die to ourselves,
all lack the dignity of a refined faith. It’s all too bloody to uncivilized. When The Passion of
Christ came out in the theaters, people complained it was too gory, too
graphic and to violent. Why insist on such barbaric
ways? Why a reckless call to awaken the raw, unbridled
faith Matthew
11:12 “And from the days of John the Baptist until now (app. 2 years) the
kingdom of heaven suffers violence (forcibly entered), and the violent take it
by force (harpazo: forcibly take to
one’s self, seized it for themselves, to catch up by force).” The kingdom of
heaven suffereth violence— The uncivilized, the
outcasts, the tax-gatherers and heathens, whom the scribes and Pharisees
(religious) thought had no right to the kingdom of the Messiah, were the ones
being filled with holy zeal and earnestness, they were seized at once (forcibly
took) by the extended mercy of the Gospel, and so they took the Kingdom as by
force from those learned ones who claimed for themselves "the chiefest
places" in that kingdom. Christ himself said, The
tax-gatherers and harlots go before you into the kingdom of God. He that will
take, get possession of the kingdom of righteousness, peace, and spiritual joy,
must be (violently unrelenting): for all hell will oppose you in every step you
takes; and if a person is not absolutely determined to give up his sins and evil
companions, and have his soul saved at all hazards, and at every expense, he
will surely perish everlastingly. This requires a violent
earnestness. Like the violence of an
army taking a city by storm, or of a crowd bursting into a house, so the violent
take it by force. So must those who would possess the Kingdom of God. Those who
fight for a place in this kingdom, others would think they had no right nor
title to it, these seemed to be unlawful intruders. Compare this with
what Jesus says: Matthew 21:31-32 “Which
of the two did the will of his father?" They said to Him, "The
first." Jesus said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you that tax
collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you. 32 For John came to
you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him; but tax
collectors and harlots believed him; and when you saw it, you did not
afterward relent and believe him.” The publicans and
harlots, believed John, whom the scribes and Pharisees rejected, and so they
went into the Kingdom of God before them, went over the heads of the religious,
refusing to be denied, while the religious trifled themselves with matter of
little importance. This violence spoken of by
Jesus denotes a strength, and vigor, and earnestness of desire and endeavor, in
those who followed John's ministry. It shows us also, what fervency and zeal are
required of all those who design to make heaven their home. We see this warrior attitude in Jacob as he as preparing to enter the
land of Canaan) Genesis
32:24-30
"Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the
breaking of day. 25 Now when He saw that He did not prevail against him, He
touched the socket of his hip; and the socket of Jacob's hip was out of joint as
He wrestled with him. 26 And He said, "Let Me go, for the day
breaks." But he said, "I will not let You go unless You bless
me!" 27 So He said to him, "What is your name?" He said,
"Jacob." 28 And He said, "Your name shall no longer be called
Jacob, but Israel (Warrior with God); for you
have struggled with God (favor with) and with
men .... The word "men" is in the plural,
as indicating that he had not only prevailed over Isaac and over Laban, who
presented obstacles to the fulfillment of the divine promise, but that he would
prevail in overcoming the wrath of his vindictive brother, and giving him a
pledge that, wherever he might go, he would be an object of the divine care and
protection) and have prevailed." 29 Then Jacob asked, saying,
"Tell me Your name, I pray." And He said, "Why is it that you ask
about My name?" so if to say, “You already
know my name.” And He blessed him there. 30 So Jacob called the name of
the place Peniel (face of God):"For I have seen God face to face, and my
life is preserved." A. W. Tozer said,
“The Lord cannot fully bless a man until He has first conquered him.” Clearly seen in the life of
Jacob. Genesis 28:10-19
"Now Jacob … "came to a certain place and stayed there all night …
he lay down in that place to sleep. 12 Then he dreamed, and behold, a ladder was
set up on the earth, and its top reached to heaven; and there the angels of God
were ascending and descending on it. 13 And behold, the Lord stood above it and
said:"I am the Lord God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the
land on which you lie I will give to you and your descendants. 14 Also your
descendants shall be as the dust of the earth; you shall spread abroad to the
west and the east, to the north and the south; and in you and in your seed all
the families of the earth shall be blessed. 15 Behold, I am with you and will
keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not
leave you until I have done what I have spoken to you." 16 Then Jacob
awoke from his sleep and said, "Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did
not know it." 17 And he was afraid and said, "How awesome is
this place! This is none other than the (Bethel) house of God, and this
is the gate of heaven!" 18 Then Jacob rose early in the morning, and
took the stone that he had put at his head, set it up as a pillar, and poured
oil on top of it. 19 And he called the name of that place Bethel;” Here at Bethel God had
promised to bless him. Up to this point that is
exactly what god had done. Jacob was now very wealthy, having much flocks,
herds, servants, two wives and children. But there is more to wealth than
material items. It is also a matter of
character and spiritual influence. During that dark night,
Jacob had discovered the darkness of his soul and that he had spent his life
fighting God and resisting His will. Jacob understands that the
only way to true wealth and victory is surrender. They who will make their
calling and election sure must be diligence. WE ARE AT WAR Invisible kingdoms are at
war for the heart and lives of every human being who walks on this Terra Firma.
And times of war require a warrior spirit that is willing to risk life itself
for the freedom of others. John 15:13
“Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his
friends.” 1 John 3:16-18 “By
this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to
lay down our lives for the brethren. 17 But whoever has this world's goods,
and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love
of God abide in him? 18 My little children, let us not love in word or in
tongue, but in deed and in truth.” John 15:13 The emphasis in
our Scripture isn’t on “friends” but on the “laying down of ones
life.” One can show no greater
regard for those dear to him than to give his life for them, and this is the
love Jesus is saying we have found in Him. So we are to emulate this attitude
and behavior. The unsophisticated, the
true warrior is driven away in times of peace – because they only disrupt our
communities, traditions and sensibilities. It is only in the most desperate of
times – times of war or conflict – that these outcasts are welcomed or even
invited to return. Jephthah, the son of
a harlot, was despised by his family, community and expelled from his tribe.
Those would who later choose to join him were considered a band of outcasts, yet
his story reminds us that the very ones are unwanted and driven from among us we
most need to lead in times of war. Those who have
chosen righteousness, who are Spirit Warriors, can be counted as worthless when
all is safe and secure, but dangerous times suddenly make them invaluable. Christianity of the
21st Century has not prepared its followers for great challenges or
even greater quest. Few can even imagine or desire to go to battle with any
great enemy or pursue the great dreams for which we have been born.
Risking everything to live
free is our only hope for a lost humanity. Be very aware, there is a risk; a risk of
losing everything. We will look
at John the Baptist as our example: Matthew 11:1-6 “Now it
came to pass, when Jesus finished commanding His twelve disciples that He
departed from there to teach and to preach in their cities. 2 And when John had
heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples 3 and
said to Him, "Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?" 4
Jesus answered and said to them, "Go and tell John the things which you
hear and see: 5 The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the
deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them.
6 And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me." What kind of person
did Jesus choose to represent and introduce Him to the world? It was an
uneducated, uncivilized, unpretentious, non-placatory barbarian. His clothes did
not have designer labels, nor did he have the latest in hair style, nor did he
attend the finest college or seminary. He did not eat at McDonalds, nor was he
on the latest fad diet. His mailing address was the Route 1 the Wilderness,
Israel. He was loud, rude and
obnoxious. He believed what he said, and said what he believed. He called it
like it was. No political correctness, no humble jumble.
When John the
Baptist saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was
baptizing, he said to them: “You brood of vipers (snakes)!
Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?
Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. (Prove
by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God).
And do not think you can say to yourselves, “We have Abraham as our father.”
I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. The
ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce
good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. I baptize you with water
for repentance. But after me will come One who is more powerful than I, whose
sandals, I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and
with fire. His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will clear His threshing
floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with
unquenchable fire” (Matt. 3:1-12). John clearly was not
a fan of the established religious leaders who were the pinnacle of religious
elite. “Brood of vipers” is not a term of endearment. He was a fire and
brimstone preacher who targeted his message not toward the common man, but for
the religious and those who knew better. He was a warrior in the
midst of civilization. He had no patience for domesticated religionists who were
drowning in their own self righteousness. This man was handpicked, and educated
by God Himself in the class room of the wilderness. His entire life, from his
youth up was in the service of the Lord and the anticipating the purpose of his
ministry. After almost two years of
ministry, it appeared that his ministry was about to really take off.
He had gotten a personal reference from the latest miracle worker and up
and coming prophet in the area. So imagine John's
surprise when he was arrested at the height of his ministries success. Luke 3:19-20 “But
Herod the tetrarch, being rebuked by John concerning Herodias, his brother
Philip's wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done, 20 … that he shut
John up in prison. Matthew 11:1-3 “Now it
came to pass, when Jesus finished commanding His twelve disciples, that He
departed from there to teach and to preach in their cities. 2 And when John had
heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples 3 and
said to Him, "Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?" This is a fair question and
one that everyone born of woman should ask: "If Jesus Is not the One, who
is?" But If He is the One, we
should follow at all cost. Today, I do not want to
discuss John’s “doubt”. It was John’s job to point others to Jesus. And
that is exactly what he did. It was never his intention to gather a following to
himself. His ultimate goal and desire for any disciple was that they would
become a devoted follower of the Messiah to come. John 1:35-37
“Again, the next day, John stood with two of his disciples. 36 And looking at
Jesus as He walked, he said, "Behold the Lamb of God!" 37 The two
disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.” One of those men was
Andrew, who became one of Y'shua disciples. He also had a brother whom he also
brought to Jesus, Simon bar Jonah. So the question of John really was not the
issue of Jesus really who John thought he was, even from the womb John knew
Jesus. John 1:29-34 “The
next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold! The Lamb of
God who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is He of whom I said, 'After me
comes a Man who is preferred before me, for He was before me.' 31 I did not know
Him; but that He should be revealed to Israel, therefore I came baptizing with
water." 32 And John bore witness, saying, "I saw the Spirit
descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him. 33 I did not
know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, 'Upon whom
you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes
with the Holy Spirit.' 34 And I have seen and testified that this is the Son
of God."
Jesus baptism removed any doubt to John who Jesus was. Matthew 3:14-17 "And
John tried to prevent Him, saying, "I need to be baptized by You, and are
You coming to me?" 15 But Jesus answered and said to him, "Permit it
to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness."
Then he allowed Him. 16 When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately
from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the
Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. 17 And suddenly a
voice came from heaven, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well
pleased." So what in the world
was John thinking? Why would he send his disciples with a question like that?
How could he be gripped with so much doubt that he would risk spreading it to
his disciples? Matthew 11:2-3 “
And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his
disciples 3 and said to Him, "Are You the Coming One, or do we look for
another?" So what prompted John’s
crisis of faith? John had been arrested and
put in prison by King Herod on account of Herodias, Herod’s brother
Phillip’s wife for whom he was having an affair. In John’s spirit warrior
attitude, he called it for what it was, refusing to placate Herod or cower to
Herod’s power. Herod wanted to kill John was he feared the reaction of the
people for they considered John to be a prophet of God. John was living between the
palace and the platter when he sent his message to Jesus. Shouldn’t John be able to
expect Jesus to come immediately and help him?
John was in a desperate situation and needed Jesus.
Was Jesus unaware of his circumstances? Was indifferent to John’s
dilemma? Jesus’ response: Matthew 11:4-6 “Jesus
answered and said to them, "Go and tell John the things which you hear and
see: 5 The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf
hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them. 6
And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me." At first glance, it would
appear that Jesus was trying to inspire John that he had been right, that He was
the Messiah and He was about doing what the Messiah should be doing. The blind
seeing, the lame walking, people healed and delivered, deaf hearing, dead being
raised, and the gospel preached to the poor. John already knew all of this.
Matthew tells us that it was “when John heard that Messiah was doing” he
sent his disciples. You’d expect John to be overwhelmed with the realization
that it had been him who had introduced Israel to their Messiah, and it had been
him that had baptized him. Jesus’ inspiring
work did not eliminate John’s doubts it actually fueled them. Why would Jesus ministry
jeopardize John’s faith? How could Jesus
accomplishing and being exactly what John had spent his entire life preparing
for cause John to lost heart? Jesus’ closing
line to John doesn’t seem to fit, and seems disconnected from the prior
statement: 4“Jesus answered and said
to them, "Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: 5 The blind
see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are
raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them. 6 And blessed is he
who is not offended because of Me." Why would Jesus suggest
that anyone would fall away when they were witnessing so much of God being
manifested? I can’t imagine someone
coming up to me saying, “too many blind people are regaining their sight.
I’m having a crisis of faith,” Or “if one more person who is paralyzed
rises and walks, I’m out of here.” Miracles rarely are followed by a flood
of people recanting their faith. Why would Jesus feel He
needed to exhort John that “after all this good has been confirmed to you, you
will be blessed if you do not fall away on account of me”? Listen to me?
Are you listening, say yes? What Jesus was
saying has been far too barbaric for us to keep in the mainstream of
Christianity. Jesus was saying to him: ·
“John, I’m not coming
through for you. ·
I’m not getting you out
of prison. ·
I won’t be stopping by
visiting you. ·
I’m not going to spare
your life. ·
Yes, I have raised the
dead, delivered the captive, set the prisoner free and will continue to do
more for others, ·
but I will not being doing
any of that for you. ·
the path I have choose for
is that you will die, and die alone. ·
Those that take your life
are liars, fornicators, idolaters, and your life will be given to appease
the lustful, incestuous desires of pedophile.
John you will be
“blessed” if this does not cause you to fall away from me.” This is too
rude, to raw, to barbaric, to unimaginable in civilized Christianity. Mark 1:14 “Now
after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the good news of
the kingdom of God,” What exactly, one
might ask, was the good news for John? Jesus understood even then
what His purpose was. It was to save us not from pain and suffering, but from
meaninglessness. For Jesus, John was exactly where he needed to be, fulfilling
God’s purpose for His life. Why would Jesus save John
from that? In that same passage
Jesus explained, “The time has come…The Kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good
news” (Mark 1:15). So what is this good news? The refined and civilized
version goes something like this: Jesus died and rose from the dead so that you
can live a life of endless comfort, security and indulgences. Others may offer
the idea that “If you simply confess you’re a sinner and believe in Jesus,
you’ll be saved from the torment of eternal hellfire, then to go heaven when
you die. Either case results
in our domestication. One hold that life begins in eternity, the other makes a
mockery of out of life. The Call of Jesus is
far more barbaric. It is a call to live in this world as a citizen of an
entirely different kingdom. In its primitive state the good news call us to come
and follow. He never lied about the danger or cost associated with becoming His
follower. He told us, “I’m sending you out like sheep among wolves.
Therefore be as shrew as snakes and as innocent as doves” (Matt. 10:16). Conclusion: Jesus is being lost in a
religion that bears His name. People are being lost because they cannot
reconcile Jesus’ association with Christianity. Christianity has become
docile, domesticated, civilized. We have forgotten that there is a kingdom of
darkness stealing the hopes and dreams and souls of a humanity without God. It
is time to hear the Spirit’s call, to join His tribe, and to unleash His
revolt. Let the invasion begin…
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