Is The Old Testament Relevant For Us Today?

"For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope." Romans 15:4 Some do not read the "Old Testament" - thinking it was only for the Jews and that since Christ is the fulfillment of all that was written, they should read only the New Testament now. What blessing, what richness they ignore. The Old Testament is filled with the revelation of God, the revelation of the Messiah, and the revelation of how God deals with men. Paul, in the New Testament, tells us that all of the Old Testament was written FOR US, for learning, and for the comfort of the Scriptures. By "the Scriptures" he means all of the Old Testament because when Paul wrote this, the New Testament had not yet been written. Paul was making it clear that "the Scriptures" mean all of it. Jesus Christ is THE WORD from Genesis through Revelation. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." John 1:1 The Old Testament is a treasure trove of God revealing himself through the stories and writings contained there. For example, we see Abraham bringing his son Isaac to be sacrificed, Isaac willingly bearing the wood on his shoulders as they went to the top of Mount Moriah, the very place where many years later Jesus would bear the wood of the Cross and be sacrificed there. We see the Lord providing a goat for the sacrifice, so wonderfully showing that the sacrifice would be a substitutionary sacrifice - Jesus the sacrifice, in substitution for you and for me. It's the great picture of our redemption, and the Old Testament is filled with pictures and teachings, all about Jesus and what he accomplished for us. Read the Old Testament, asking God to reveal Christ to you throughout. Ask him to open your eyes to behold the depths revealed there. There are many prophecies of the coming Messiah, and many "types," as exampled in the picture of the father sending the son to be sacrificed, bearing the wood on his shoulders, which is only one among MANY such types. Then there's the prophecies. Here's an example of the many prophecies of Christ: "Behold, your King is coming to you; he is just and having salvation, lowly and riding on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey. Zechariah 9:9 This prophecy written so long ago by the prophet Zechariah, foretold the day when Jesus would descend from the Mount of Olives on a donkey, and go into Jerusalem as recorded in Matthew 21:6. Imagine, the King of Kings coming ...on a donkey! Foretold and fulfilled hundreds of years beforehand. This is a small example of countless prophecies throughout the Old Testament concerning Jesus. Take the challenge and read through the Old Testament looking for the many types and prophecies of Christ. You will be astonished. The more you read and reread, the more will be revealed to you. "Then I said, 'Behold, I have come, IN THE VOLUME OF THE BOOK IT IS WRITTEN OF ME...'" Hebrews 10:7 Speaking of the Old Testament to the Jewish people, BEFORE the New Testament was written, Jesus said: "You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of me." John 5:39 And surely they do. Jesus Christ is the Word. He is the Word from Genesis through Revelation, the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end - IT'S ALL ABOUT HIM!

Why Boot Camp?

“Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love him.” 1st Corinthians 2:9 Walking with the Lord could be compared to boot camp. It's hard. It takes all you have within you and brings you to the end of your strength. Boot camp trains you to confront fears and become fearless as you take your place behind your commander. It teaches you how to deal with the enemy who is bent on your destruction. You won't get through God's boot camp without sprains and injuries and perhaps even broken bones. It will be the hardest thing you'll ever do. It will prepare you for all that you will encounter when your calling and ministry is launched, because as you walk out your call, all those things will be arrayed against you and it's crucial that you are prepared to stand. It doesn't happen automatically. There is no one strong enough to survive without having gone through the training. But what is the whole purpose of it all? Why is it so important to put so much into it? Brothers and sisters, we live in a fallen world and it's evil through and through. We are called to go out into enemy territory and take the lost from its clutches and bring them into the camp of our Commander, that he might save them. Our Commander takes years to prepare us for this. We spend years in boot camp because the job set before us is so critical that we must be highly honed to unquestioningly follow the orders of the Commander at every point, no matter what. There are eternal lives at stake, and the enemy knows that very well and will do all in his power to prevent our success. What is the value of a single soul? One single soul. That soul will live forever. The Word of God says that he is not willing that ANY perish, but that all come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9) and that one single soul is of eternal value to him. So the Lord is going to put into motion a plan to approach that single soul, and he will use you and I to accomplish it. We have to be ready for the task, because the enemy knows full well that we're invading his territory to steal, to kidnap, his subjects. That one single soul, if he is won, will enter into something he has never before imagined. Scripture says of our eternal home in heaven that eye has not seen nor ear heard nor has it entered into the heart of man the things that God has prepared for us. That speaks of the glories of heaven which are beyond anything we could possibly imagine. But there's more. This single soul when brought into the Kingdom of Jesus Christ is going to come to experience IN THIS LIFETIME things that his eyes have never seen nor his ears heard, things he never, ever would have imagined before, as he walks in the newness of life that God creates for him. Any believer can attest to the truth of this, because every believer who has been delivered out of the darkness of his prior life into the joy of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ - will tell you that he has seen things he never could possibly have anticipated, and he has heard things that he had never ever heard before, and he has experienced things that only God could have prepared beforehand to give to this one who now loves him. As this passage speaks of heaven, it also speaks of life in Christ from the moment we begin walking with him. And so we embrace all we must endure to reach that one single soul, because it's going to mean everything to him - not only in eternity, but even now as we lead him into the arms of the Commander who has gone to such lengths to make the way for that one to have eternal life NOW, and then enjoy the glories prepared for us later in the heaven that God has prepared for those who love him. Don't resist the rigors of boot camp. You're being trained for the greatest battle in life – that of reaching into the lost world and bringing Satan's prisoners into the glories of the Kingdom of our God. The results are for all eternity and are worth every bruise and scar you carry as you fulfill the call on your life to reach others with the same salvation you enjoy because of the cost your Commander endured to bring YOU in.

How Not To Lose The Battle

"Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord." 1st Corinthians 15:58 Steadfast. Immovable. Why does the Scripture have to stress this? Because we have an enemy. If you have been called, if you were chosen from before the foundation of the world to do a work for God in this generation, you can be absolutely sure beyond all question that the powers of hell will do all they can to stop you. You will come to know Satan as you have never known him before, and you will be shocked at the ferocity of his hatred for you. Sometimes the obstacles he puts in our way seem to be just overwhelming. One of his key methods of operation is to add affliction upon affliction. You just get through one thing, and he adds another. It's enough to discourage the strongest believer. And that's his intent, to so discourage you that you will give up. But the Word of God anticipates this and counsels us to be steadfast and immovable. So how does one maintain that kind of patient endurance in the midst of a siege? I believe it's not humanly possible, because our enemy is an archangel, a supernatural being, and knows exactly where to hit us. The attacks will be personal and in the areas most dear to us. But the Word of God says that the Lord is our shelter, our refuge, our strong tower. We aren't expected to find the strength within ourselves, we are to run to HIM. "The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe." Proverbs 18:10 Brothers and sisters, the only way you're going to survive if you're actively serving the Lord is by spending TIME - TIME - in the presence of the Lord. If you neglect this, you'll be a sitting duck. If you neglect this you are in effect saying that you have enough resources within yourself to stand, that you don't NEED God, and that you're not willing to take the time to spend before him. Be very aware that Satan will also work against you in this very thing, doing all he can to prevent you from spending time before the Lord, because he knows that if you're faithful in this one thing that you will come to victory. He will put all kinds of obstacles before you to keep you from spending TIME before the Lord. He will make every effort to convince you that you can make it on your own, and if you believe that lie, he's got you. We are in a day and age unlike any other. It is the last hour, and God is doing a mighty work throughout the world. Those who have been called to play a part in this must be very careful to stay close to the Commander, because we are in very dangerous territory laced with minefields. "For a great and effective door has opened to me, AND THERE ARE MANY ADVERSARIES." 1st Corinthians 16:9 Pray with me: Father, impress upon us the seriousness of the time, and of the conflict we find ourselves in. Remind us constantly that no lone ranger is going to survive in this last-days story. Let your Holy Spirit bring powerful conviction upon us when we start to feel like we can handle it alone, for pride is perhaps the greatest impediment to victory. Draw us by your Spirit to spend TIME with you, at your feet, receiving the directions we need concerning how to proceed and soaking up the strength for the battle, FROM YOU. And when we get it right, bless us with all the victory that can be had as we reach out to a lost and dying world, bringing to them the message of your great and wonderful salvation. In Jesus's Name. Amen.