spiritualman

The Conflict between the Old and the New

It is essential for a regenerated person to understand what he has obtained through new birth and what still lingers of his natural endowment. Such knowledge will help him as he continues his spiritual journey. It may prove helpful at this point to explain how much is included in man’s flesh and likewise how the Lord Jesus in His redemption deals with the constituents of that flesh. In other words, what does a believer inherit in regeneration?

A reading of several verses in Romans 7 can make clear that the components of the flesh are mainly “sin” and “me”: “sin that dwells in me . . . , that is, in my flesh” (vv. 14,17-18 Darby). The “sin” here is the power of sin, and the “me” here is what we commonly acknowledge as “self.” If a believer would understand spiritual life he must not be confused about these two elements of the flesh.

We know the Lord Jesus has dealt with the sin of our flesh on His cross. And the Word informs us that “our old self was crucified with him” (Rom. 6.6). Nowhere in the Bible are we told to be crucified since this has been done and done perfectly by Christ already. With regard to the question of sin, man is not required to do anything. He need only consider this an accomplished fact (Rom. 6.11) and he will reap the effectiveness of the death of Jesus in being wholly delivered from the power of sin (Rom. 6.14).

We are never asked in the Bible to be crucified for sin, that is true. It does exhort us, however, to take up the cross for denying self. The Lord Jesus instructs us many times to deny ourselves and take up the cross and follow Him. The explanation for this is that the Lord Jesus deals with our sins and with ourselves very differently. To wholly conquer sin the believer needs but a moment; to deny the self he needs an entire lifetime. Only on the cross did Jesus bear our sins; yet throughout His life the Lord denied Himself. The same must be true of us.

The Galatian letter of Paul delineates the relationship between the flesh and the believer. He tells us on the one hand that “those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires” (5.24). On the very day one becomes identified with the Lord Jesus then his flesh also is crucified. Now one might think, without the Holy Spirit’s instruction, that his flesh is no longer present, for has it not been crucified? ...

The 7 Trumpets in Revelation are the Tribulation. Trumpets are loud as the Tribulation will be. Whereas the 7th Trumpet with its 7 Bowls of Wrath are larger than cups, poured silently, because so much happens so quickly as if time stands still in the last trumpet of the 7 year Tribulation, this being Daniel's final seven -- the 70th seven of Daniel's prophecy. The 70th seven (which hasn't happened yet because Dan. 9.24 is unfulfilled) encompasses the parousia of Christ from the first rapture "before the throne" (Rev. 7.9) in 3rd heaven to meeting the Lord in the air (1 Thess. 4.14-18) at the last trumpet (cf. 1 Cor. 15.23,50-52) to Jesus stepping down on the mount of olives (Zech. 14.4, Acts 1.11, Rev. 1.7) at the end of the 2,520 days of the Tribulation (7 years x 360 Jewish calendar days). Note: the rapture before the throne for Christians who are prayerful and watchful is before the 1st trumpet is blown (8.7).

We are told to look for signs before Jesus' 2nd coming. Before the first trumpet is blown 3 things happen in very precise order (Rev. 6.12):

1) Great earthquake. We know in 2010 Haiti experienced an earthquake where 320,000 people died which is the 2nd most deaths of any earthquake recorded in human history. In 2011 Japan had an earthquake that was the 4th greatest in magnitude ever recorded anywhere on planet earth. Back to back, year over year, this has never happened before. It was a first for the record books. Truly this is a great earthquake that meets the criteria.

2) Black sackcloth sun. There are 4 kinds of solar eclipses. The rarest is the Hybrid occurring 5% of the time. And there are 3 kinds of hybrids of which the H3 is the rarest occurring 5% of that 5%. The H3 completes itself as a total eclipse to produce that black sackcloth effect. They are even more rare according to NASA when they last 1 minute and 30 seconds or more. Just such a solar eclipse occurred on Nov. 3, 2013. It was the 4th since Christ and won't happen again till 2172.

3) Red blood moon. NASA records red blood moons as Tetrads when there are two in a single year then two the following year. There were no Tetrads in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. They are even more rare when they land on the 1st feast of Passover and the 7th feast of Tabernacles and again the following year. This is called a Total Lunar Tetrad or Feast Tetrad. The 6th time this happened since Christ was 1949/50. Israel became a nation ...

We are told to watch for signs. If we are not watchful we won't know when Jesus returns (Rev. 3.3). The most amazing thing to me in the Bible eschatologically is Rev. 6.12 in which we are told 3 things happen in precise order before the Tribulation:

1) Great earthquake. In 2010 Haiti had an earthquake that killed 320,000 people. This is the 2nd most deaths of any earthquake recorded on earth ever. Then in 2011 Japan experienced an earthquake that was the 4th greatest in magnitude ever recorded in earth's history. Back to back, year over year, two such earthquakes of this intensity and damage have never occurred before.

2) Black sackcloth sun. There are 4 kinds of solar eclipses. The rarest is the Hybrid occurring 5% of the time. And there are 3 kinds of Hybrids, the rarest which is the H3 occurring 5% of that 5% so very rare. The H3 completes itself as a total eclipse to produce that black sackcloth effect. They are even more rare when they last longer than 1 min. 30 sec. according to NASA. On Nov. 3, 2013 this very rare eclipse occurred for the 4th time since Christ. It won't happen again till 2172.

3) Red blood moon. Red blood moon lunar eclipses are more rare in the form of Tetrads. A Tetrad occurs when you have two red blood moons one year, followed by two more the next year. For example, there was none in the 17th, 18th and 19th century. But they are even more rare when they land on the first Jewish feast (Passover) and the 7th feast (Tabernacles) then doing the exact same thing again the following year. This is called a Total Lunar Tetrad or Feast Tetrad. It won't happen again till 2582/83 (nearly 600 years away), and there is no unique solar eclipse attached to it so the time is now for the Lord's return. "In the same way, when you see all these things, you can know His return is very near, right at the door" (Matt. 24.33). A unique event related to the Jewish nation occurs each time there is a feast Tetrad. The 6th (1949/50) was when Israel became a nation May 1948. The armistice treaty was signed in 1949. The 7th (1967/68) was when Israel took over Jerusalem June 7, 1967. And 2014/15 is the 8th feast Tetrad wherein construction of the 3rd Temple comes into view. You see the pattern: from the land of Israel to the city of Jerusalem to the 3rd Temple where Christ will return to reign in for 1000 years on earth with His overcomers (Jude 14,15; Rev. 2.26,27; 20.4-6). "Give a portion to seven, and ...

The Way to Seek Healing

How should men seek healing before God? Three sentences in the Gospel of Mark are worth learning. I find them especially helpful, at least they are very effective for me. The first touches upon the power of the Lord; the second, the will of the Lord; and the third, the act of the Lord.

a) The Power of the Lord: “God can.” “And Jesus asked his father, “How long has he had this?’ And he said, “From childhood. And it has often cast him into the fire and into the water, to destroy him; but if you can do anything, have pity on us and help us.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘If you can! All things are possible to him who believes”‘ (9. 21-23). The Lord Jesus merely repeated the three words which the child’s father had uttered. The father cried, “If you can, help us.” The Lord responded, “If you cant Why, all things are possible to him who believes.” The problem here is not “if you can” but rather “if you believe.”

Is it not true that the first problem which arises with sickness is a doubt about God’s power? Under a microscope the power of bacteria seems to be greater than the power of God. Very rarely does the Lord cut off others in the middle of their speaking, but here he appears as though He were angry. (May the Lord forgive me for phrasing it this way!) When He heard the child’s father say “If you can, have pity on us and help us,” He sharply reacted with “Why say if you can? All things are possible to him who believes. In sickness, the question is not whether I can or cannot but whether you believe or not.”

The initial step for a child of God to take in sickness therefore is to raise up his head and say “Lord, you cant” You remember, do you not, the first instance of the Lord’s healing of a paralytic? He asked the Pharisees, “Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, “Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, “Rise, take up your pallet and walk’?” (Mark 2.9) The Pharisees naturally thought it easier to say your sins are forgiven, for who could actually prove it is or is not so? But the Lord’s words and their results showed them that He could heal sickness as well as forgive sins. He did not ask which was more difficult, but which was easier. For Him, both were equally easy. It was as easy for the Lord to bid the paralytic rise and walk as to forgive the latter’s sins. For the Pharisees, both were as difficult.
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And now, behold, I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there. Acts 20.22.

As the human body has its senses, so the human spirit has its sensing too. We call this sensing of the spirit "intuition," for it comes directly from the spirit. For instance, we may be contemplating doing a certain thing. It appears quite reasonable, we like it, and we decide to go ahead. Yet somehow within us is a heavy, oppressive, unspeakable sensing which seems to oppose what our mind has thought, our emotion has embraced, and our will has decided. It seems to tell us that this thing should not be done. This is the restraint of intuition.

Or take another yet opposite example. A certain thing may be unreasonable, contrary to our delight, and very much against our will. But for some unknown reason there is within us a kind of constraint, urge or encouragement for us to do it. If we do, we will feel comfortable inside. This is the constraint of intuition.