3 Fold Truths or Three
Fold Truths
We are in a development stage in Christ. We
can discern where we are when we observe some truths found in the
Tabernacle in the wilderness. As God's priests when we approach the Holy
of Holies, we press towards it as the finishing line that Paul talked
about, from point “A” to point “B”.
Our lives in Christ can be seen in the
tabernacle. As we have said previously, there may be some areas of our
lives that look more like they are outside of the tabernacle altogether.
These are places where we do the things the world does. Other parts of our
lives are seen in the Outer Court and in others areas of our life we can
see in the Holy Place. There are some Christians that you may observe
certain parts of their life that are in the Holy of Holies. You are truly
blessed if you may know someone whose entire life is reflective of one
that abides in the Holy of Holies.
What we see though is an overlapping. We might
be in the Outer Court concerning joy, and we will be in the Holy Place
concerning peace, and act like the world concerning gentleness. This is
what the book of James means by bitter and sweet water out of the same
well. You can be mature in the doctrine of Christ concerning His plan to
build a church without spot or wrinkle and be immature in the doctrine
concerning the purpose of affliction, and we need the latter doctrine to
accomplish the former doctrine. So again let us look into Laver of the
Word to see our own level of maturity.
3
Fold Truths
or three fold truths
There are three-fold truths concerning the
courts in the tabernacle, as pertaining to levels of maturity that will
enable us to define exactly where the finishing line is, in this race we
are running. These three-fold truths will show us where we are in this
race - so that we can run with purpose, so we can fight not as one beating
air, so we can sail as one not beating the wind. With God's hope being
revealed by the Holy Spirit in us we can sail with wind in our sails. NOTE: We have a chart that
lists some of these truths on the previous page.
These three-fold truths are God’s way of
showing us the plan of maturity, His pattern of having a people that
reflect His heart even to the laying down of their lives. These truths
will include a glorious church but these truths are not for the purpose of
becoming a “self-glorious church”. What does that mean? If God has a
blueprint for a glorious church then Satan will try to counterfeit this
blueprint, sometimes in a subtle manner. When Satan changes “God’s
plan” there will always be one thing that he will do – get man to eat
of the tree of knowledge of good and evil so that man will start KNOWING
FOR HIMSELF WHAT IS GOOD AND WHAT IS EVIL. Satan’s strategy really has
never changed when it comes to luring man into his own pride. How do I
know if I am falling into this trap? Concerning the doctrine of “our
maturity”, if you are tempted to “desire to rule” instead of a
“desire to serve” then you can rest assure that the enemy is trying to
lure you away in your own pride. Desire to be the servant of all and
make NO REPUTATION of yourself. Strive to be the last of this life and in
God’s mercy and grace you will find yourself being first at His
appearing. Exclusiveness, arrogance, and power seeking have no part in
God’s patterned House. God’s temple will not be built with our might,
or by our strength, but ONLY the Spirit of God will build it. We are out
of it except in our receiving of His instructions and in our obedience of
the instructions that we received. As we have said before, our part is to
stay in Christ – Abiding in the vine.
There are some ministers that have seen the
truth from scripture concerning a mature church but then they corrupted it
with pride. The example that these ministers have set brings reproach upon
those that preach the truth. For instance, a heresy hunter can take quotes
from this book and use them to identify this book with these
ministers. That is because as a Christian you will be falsely accuse
because of terminology and key phrases that you teach which can be found
in the vocabulary of false teachers. You are also labeled when God calls
you into a certain relationship with a Christian minister that has been
labeled – this is guilt by association. A very popular and well accepted
heresy hunter said the following: “a consistent pattern of
fraternization and support (concerning ministers and their views)
are sufficient grounds to at least question whether one holds the views of
those he supports and with whom he seeks unity.” Therefore if
God calls you into a relationship to someone that the heresy hunter has
labeled – YOU SHOULD BE QUESTIONED, according to this man’s teaching.
This particular statement by this heresy hunter is demonic in nature; it
is a doctrine of demons. God so desires to rescue others that have strayed
from truth that He will call us to a relationship that can demonstrate the
truth found in Jesus. The heresy hunter desired to save Christians from
prideful ministers in false doctrine but in reality he was tearing down
the church to do it. It is not up to you to associate or disassociate with
others, Jesus is Lord over this area of your life as well. If you were to
disassociate with any prideful minister then you would become exclusive
– almost every ministers has un-dealt with pride. The same is said for
false doctrine therefore I refer you back to our chapter of “sitting at
God’s table”.
Concerning these 3-fold truths and maturity
let me state it once and for all. True Christian maturity is “the
stature of Jesus” as Ephesians teaches. So what does the stature look
like in our lives? It looks like the Apostle Paul and other Christian
examples – IN SCRIPTURE. We expect Christians to become a servant that
Paul demonstrated. Paul’s life demonstrated a servant-hood that is the
“stature of Jesus”. A servant-hood that is answer to the prayer of
Jesus “Father, make them perfect”. Paul demonstrated laying down his
life in so many areas. Not just ministry hardships but also concerning
customs, traditions, and other issues concerning his brethren.
Therefore the bride without spot, wrinkle and
blemish – the glorified church will look like that. Paul did not rule
over the heathen; instead he became their punching bag, their doormat, and
their fool. We should expect the same. Ministers today like titles, they
want to rule, and they wish to control sheep. They put them at the top of
a hierarchical family tree like a CEO of a corporation, or a multi-level
marketer, or a political ruler would do. Maturity does not look like that.
Maturity has nothing to do with possessions, positions, popularity,
natural wisdom, skills, and scholarly abilities in scriptures or heroic
endeavors. None of this is the stature or measure of maturity that we
stress in this book. Many will take these truths of maturity and obtain
knowledge apart from God that results in pride. When they do that we who
teach true maturity get identified with them because they have taken the
plan of God and intermingled the truth with pride. You must become a
doormat for God, the low point of the world or no matter how much you want
to mature it simply will not happen.
As far as the hierarchical family tree is
concerned, you have arrived when you can be listed on the bottom and not
the top. Maturity identifies with Paul “I have finished my course”.
God sets your course and that “setting”
will be one of getting you to the bottom of the hierarchical chart. If you
desire to “cover” someone then you are destined to be humbled. If you
desire to have someone “submit” to you then you will be
leveled by future circumstances that are designed to bring you to
submission to His humble nature. If you desire to make a “name”
for yourself then your name must be dragged through the mud. If you
desire to “build” a kingdom for you to rule whether it is a ministry
that helps others, politics, business, or a following of other Christians
then you can certainly expect to receive the dealings that were used to
bring Job to restoration. Restoration starts when we come to a place of
rejecting our self-righteousness, a place where we see God’s awesomeness
and abase ourselves before that awesomeness. Church restoration is a
restoration of total dependency on God where as Adam we rely on Him for
our knowledge, our supply of sufficiency, and our reliance on His
righteousness because we remain aware of our nakedness. Self-righteousness
is a self-covering of fig leaves that fools us into thinking that we are
no longer naked but when God speak as He did to Job then our fig leaf
covering is seen for the nakedness that it really is.
Ministers are seduced with titles,
credentials, and resumes. It is a seduction of pride and that pride
induces self-preservation. If you violate their territory the self-kingdom
builder gets offensive. You may be thinking, “is it the heresy hunter
that is the self-kingdom builder?” or “is it those that think the Holy
of Holies 100 fold Christian should rule others?” Maybe it is
denominations that through piety believe that “these teachings” are
different than what scriptures teach; or maybe it is the group that
have received special experiences, angelic visitations, and great
revelations. The self-kingdom builder can be all or any of these. I
am speaking a John the Baptist message to a leadership that has become
ineffective in bringing God’s people to obedience. We must wake up from
a sleep that has allowed leadership to rule in pride; building their own
kingdom.
The first temptation we are faced with when we
see new revelations and discard the old wineskin - is afterwards we think
we are special. The heresy hunter displays this by misusing and lording
over scriptures to present a “lawyer styled” case against their
opponents. They believe they are guardians of truth preserving the
interpretation of scriptures handed down from generation after generation.
We that see God’s “new wine people” have possessed the same spirit.
We think that because we see – we now possess. In reality our pride in
seeing these truths can become our greatest hindrance from ever possessing
the things of God. This is why our chapters on the “purpose of
affliction” are so important for us to experience.
We can see God plan of Christian maturity,
tabernacle 3-fold truths, restoration of the church, the feasts of Israel,
and especially the yet to be fulfilled “Feast of Tabernacles”. We can
see that God has restored gifts to the church including th
e apostle and
prophet (something that almost all heresy hunters reject), but then the
pride of this true revelation comes and we start to think
more highly about themselves then we ought. We believe that we are an
apostle or a prophet that will have precedence over other
“less chosen” Christians. The levels of pride associated with
these revelations continue to grow unless we allow ourselves to be humbled
by affliction. We must come to a place of knowing our place in Christ
concerning God’s promise and yet in this world we are slaves for Jesus.
Instead many get puffed up and prophesy continual foolishness; they want
others to submit to them or be covered by them, and they want to eradicate
evil in this world. Some want prosperous living, popularity, and
recognition – the list is long how self-righteousness displays itself.
Concerning their doctrine they believe themselves to achieve promotion in
the world, they can become mystical in beliefs and deny the bodily return
of Jesus at the end of the age and our gathering together to be
transformed at that EVENT. They may even deny the life of martyrdom. They
sometimes can be swayed to emphasize experience instead of the Word
of God.
The word antichrist not only means against
but it also means instead of. They substitute
“experience” instead of “Jesus the Word” taught to
us by the Holy Spirit. The heresy hunters do the same as well; they
substitute church history, self-interpretation of scriptures, and
persuasive language for Jesus the Word of God. Denominational religion has
provided “systematic procedures”, “never changing doctrine”, and
“man-made traditions” instead of Jesus the Word. Because
of God’s mercy we have been kept even though we may have been subjected
to such foolishness of man. Though, in this hour God is calling us to a
stature where the Apostle Paul stood. I do not teach beyond that
stature because I see it as a remarkable achievement and testimony of what
Paul allowed God to do through him. Paul allowed the Word of God to GROW
UP in him. What will one look like when he allows the Word of God Jesus to
grow up to 100 fold? It looks like the life of Paul! If a minister teaches
you that there is no way you can ever attain the stature, the spirituality
that Paul attained then that same minister has excluded you from the
promise of God. If a minister teaches you that you will attain more than
that level of maturity then they have gone further than what the
scriptures has gone. The scriptures give the heart of Jesus manifesting
through Paul to show us a blueprint for Jesus’ temple – that blueprint
never exceeds that which we have examples of in scripture. If a minister
teaches that when you achieve the stature of maturity then you will rule,
you will suffer less, or that you are guaranteed financial prospering,
then they have perverted the blueprint that builds the temple. If a
minister does not even look at the blueprint of maturity, if he is not
teaching that stature then he has not established the “finishing line”
like Paul did.
To establish the blueprint further let us
examine a 3-fold truth that Paul taught and lived by. In teaching this we
more clearly show that “THIS IS WHAT MATURITY LOOKS LIKE!”. Church
history did not provide it, examples in our present lives do not provide
it, and books written by men are tainted with their own immaturity. We
provide it by observing the examples seen clearly in scripture and having
the faith that He that began that good work in us will complete it until
that day. Completion is a complete height of Jesus in us that will
resemble scriptural examples of faith. The day of completion is the day
that either we see Jesus coming in the sky or the day that we can speak
the words like Paul “I have fought the good fight of faith, I have
finished my course”. Your course looks different than Paul’s but the
stature of Jesus in Paul’s course and the stature in our life will be
the same height. Therefore let us examine how high was that stature seen
in Paul.
The bold highlighted three-fold truth
(soldiers, athletes, and farmers) on the chart we showed earlier will be
our focus in the next scripture. One is separating, the next is
disciplining, and the last is a 100-fold life that is cultivating and
reaping.
2 Tim 2:1-4
1 You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is
in Christ Jesus.
Ø
Note: Grace is an
attribute from God that you can be weak in or strong in.
2 And the things which you have heard from me in the
presence of many witnesses, these entrust to faithful men, who will be
able to teach others also.
Ø
Mature believers should
teach those who are faithful, who will in turn teach others.
God’s
Soldiers
3 Suffer hardship with {me,} as a
good soldier of Christ Jesus.
4 No soldier in active service
entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please
the one who enlisted him as a soldier.
If we desire to go
towards the Holy Place of God, we must first suffer a certain hardship.
What is this hardship? It is SEPARATION! What kind of separation? We are
not talking about just sinful things, we are not talking about just
things that the scriptures teach us not to do; we are talking about
PERMISSIBLE things. Civilian affairs are permissible, but not if you are
going to be a good soldier. This might be separation from a hobby or too
much time spent on sports. Hear what God is speaking to you and separate.
David Wilkerson states
in one of his books that God spoke to him about complete separation from
watching television programming. In our dealings with God and in being
instructed by His voice, we also may be required to separate as a good
soldier on this issue. If God causes you to separate then He will give the
grace to stay separated. If you merely produce a works-based separation on
your own than you might struggle, not having God’s grace in a certain
matter. The “good soldier” type of separation is much like getting rid
of idols but goes further by separating from things that are permissible
to “the babies in Christ” - but not permissible to “God’s mature
ones”. In the apostle Paul’s life he separated from the “hope of
being married”, it was permissible to marry but not if he was going to
finish the course allotted to him.
Separation is not just
separating from something; you are separating to
something as well. In Paul's example we must separate from civilian
affairs and to training as a soldier. You must separate yourself from
the hobby (If that is what God is speaking) and to study of the
Word or prayer or whatever God is laying on your heart that you told Him
you did not have time to do. Do you want to please God? This verse tells
us how – by not getting involved with the affairs that cause
distractions. Our separation is a separation from that which distracts!
Now comes the caution.
There can be a trap after you choose to separate. A temptation can come to
consider yourself as more important or more mature than your brother.
Always remember that if you have ridded yourself of an idol, if you have
separated yourself to suffer a hardship – it is only because God had
mercy on you to show you “where to separate” and it is only by God’s
grace that you were “able to separate” and to stay separated. Take
heed when you stand lest you fall into pride. Fruit is what determines
spiritual development, not the degree of separation that you walk in,
however separation in these matters can lead to fruit. Now if your brother
inquires as to the Hope that is within you, then answer him, that he also
may be led into a way of separation.
1 Pet 3:15
but sanctify Christ as Lord in
your hearts, always {being} ready to make a defense to everyone who asks
you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness
and reverence; (NAS)
God’s
Athletes
2 Tim 2:5
And also if anyone competes as an
athlete, he does not win the prize unless he competes according to the
rules.
As an athlete we
compete according to the rules. The rules specified here are not the rules
of the event, but it is talking about the rules of training. The Greek
athlete had to follow the discipline of training or he would be dismissed
or he would simply - lose the race. Discipline is much more rigor then
just separation, it must deal with the flesh. You are not going to walk
habitually in the “Holy of Holies” without beating your flesh into
subjection. For example if you make your Pastor do all the spiritual work
while you sit home - then you limit your walk. Serve your Pastor out of
compassion for him and expect nothing in return. If you are more mature
than others in the congregation - the Pastor needs you, he needs those
that will keep his hands in the air during battle like Moses, so that
Israel will prevail over the enemy. “Competing according to the rules”
is a laying down of life for others that is at times very rigorous. It
also pertains to the discipline of the Spirit, praying in tongues when you
do not feel like it, learning scripture when your body is tired and
anything else God tells you to do that YOUR FLESH DOES NOT WANT TO DO!
You must be
disciplined to pray through, discipline to study the scriptures,
disciplined to pray without ceasing, and discipline to do the WORK that
God called you to do. If you are not working for God, again you will limit
your growth. Why do you think you were given that talent? To waste? To
spend on yourself? To be mediocre with? The body of Christ lacks workers,
we especially lack in the area of worship, we need disciplined athletes
that will become psalmists for God and pay the price to enter into the
throne room of God in worship everyday, so they can lead the people of God
to the throne room when the body meets. Today’s psalmist must dare to be
different. Today’s psalmist must find the songs that minister to God
instead of always ministering to the body. Today’s psalmist must find
the songs that give God pleasure – the very songs that come forth from
the Holy of Holies.
I am not saying that
you should have a works-based Christian life, on the contrary let God put
these desires that are His into your heart. But even if the desire exists
or even if God has prompted you, there is still a decision of your will
that has to be made. The rules of training can be hard, it can be
inconvenient, it will most definitely not be comfortable; however our goal
is to finish the race set before us. Do not despair; God’s grace is with
you in both the separation and in the discipline – so that in our
weakness He will be made strong. Remember that separation comes before
discipline because it is quite hard to discipline yourself if you have not
already dealt with the distractions. If you are having problems with a
daily meditation of God’s Word, it might be due to many distractions
that you still have not CHOSEN to separate from. If you do not separate
and then discipline yourself then the end result will be –
DISQUALIFICATION FROM THE RACE. Hard as it seems, you will not finish the
race God allotted to you. Paul put it this way: 1 Cor 9:27 – “I
beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others,
I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.” (NIV) No
one is exempt from the discipline of beating the flesh and being led of
the Spirit even to the end. Solomon and others in the Old Testament ran
good races but they stumbled towards the end and finished –
disqualified! Fear God in your race and do not allow a lack of discipline
to cause you to stumble.
God’s
Farmers
2 Tim 2:6,7
The hard-working farmer ought to
be the first to receive his share of the crops. Consider what I say, for
the Lord will give you understanding in everything.
Lastly we must be a
farmer that toils. We have separated, we have disciplined ourselves, and
now we remain faithful and work hard until we see the fruit of our labor.
If you are working in God's might, you will see the crop mature. Then you
will receive your inheritance and only then. You will not get it by
confessing it, though that may help you get there in the elementary
stages. You will not get it by understanding the growth process. This
is important to know as you receive revelation of God’s plan. You will
not get there by just knowing the blueprint – you must be faithful and
endure in labors abundantly. There are no short cuts, for strait and
narrow (pressed down) is the way to eternal life, and to point “B” –
the finishing line.
God will give us first
fruits like Joshua and Caleb received, but we must lay down our life, we
must lose our life, we must take up the cross and follow Jesus as He leads
us towards the Holy of Holies where we will say as Paul said, "I have
finished my course".
Farmers are likened to
a life in the Holy of Holies. Therefore we have the definition of a walk
in God that is like the Holy of Holies. It is a walk as a farmer; it is a
walk as a father, even revealing the heart of our heavenly Father. A
farmer cares for his crops and toils till he sees complete maturity, than
he reaps. A father raises his young in like manner until they mature and
what a proud moment that is for a father. This is how maturity is defined!
Let us examine the Father’s heart displayed through Paul.
1Thes 2:7
But we proved to be gentle among
you, as a nursing {mother} tenderly cares for her own children.
Having thus a fond affection for you, we were well-pleased to impart to
you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives, because you had
become very dear to us.
Though this may sound
strange,- a nursing mother is a revelation of the Father’s heart. The
CARE and AFFECTION that God has for you is like the care and affection the
nursing mother has for her infant. God cares for you and has a strong
affection for you, and not like you are “one of many” but God is like
the nursing mother who has one nursing at a time – YOU HAVE GOD’S FULL
ATTENTION! Paul shows the church this same affection and care – this can
only have its source in God. Many times we use the scripture that we are
to “judge them by their fruits”, the problem is that we do not really
know what the fruit looks like. How do you know what Agape Love is if you
have never seen it lived before you? This is what it looks like! It was
demonstrated in the life of Paul. Gentleness towards those you minister
to, “to-the-extreme” care and devotion, a fond affection that brings
tears to our eyes – GIVING OUR VERY LIVES TO YOU!
Forfeiting
Our Rights
1Thes 2:8
For you recall, brethren, our
labor and hardship, {how} working night and day so as not to be a burden
to any of you, we proclaimed to you the gospel of God.
With Paul this was not
just emotion - it was in deed. As an apostle he had a right to receive his
support from each church. He could have taken up offerings as God ordains
us to do so. Pay close attention – Paul forfeited his rights - to show
them Jesus, Paul showed them the Father’s heart. Paul showed the
Thessalonian church the difference between those that taught with pretext
for gain and FATHERLY MOTIVE. If you desire to be God’s minister then
see the blueprint – be a father. A Father’s heart would never
capitalize off of those He nurses and gives His life for. The nail prints
in the hands of Jesus are a blueprint to build the church not extracting
honor from men and especially not by extracting money to increase a salary
that brings reproach on the gospel of Jesus.
Ø
DO NOT MISUNDERSTAND –
THE LABOURER IS WORTHY OF HIS HIRE!
II Th 3:9
We did this, not because we do
not have the right to such help, but in order to make ourselves a model
for you to follow. (NIV)
There are times when
we must FORFEIT our rights so that we may show our children the model of
God that they are to follow. Paul did take offerings at other churches,
but the Thessalonian church was victim to those who had wrong motives,
motives that are not a model to follow. Again look to your own heart not
to others; it is your heart that God is dealing with in this book. Again
we define maturity, if one never forfeits his right then he
deceives himself to think he is of great maturity.
Another example of
Paul in forfeiting his rights is seen in Acts 21 where Paul testified of
how God has worked among the gentiles before the Jewish leaders. They
glorified God at first then they presented a false accusation against
Paul. This is certainly a suffering of Christ so to understand what
maturity looks like we observe how Paul responded in this situation. The
first natural instinct of man is defend him self when presented with a
false accusation. Paul was one that could argue scriptures second to none.
Paul was persuasive, bold and full of authority yet in this situation you
see Paul forfeiting his rights. The leaders of Jerusalem had a request.
Acts 21:23-24
23
"Therefore do this that we tell you. We have four men who are
under a vow;
24
take them and purify yourself along with them, and pay their
expenses in order that they may shave their heads; and all will know that
there is nothing to the things which they have been told about you, but
that you yourself also walk orderly, keeping the Law. (NAS)
Paul had a revelation
of the law that told him that this purification was not needed; it was a
law that pointed to a fulfillment that was spiritual. Paul taught this
doctrine in Galatians though most modern day Christians still believe in
law practices. We would surmise that Paul’s response should have been to
teach that though the ritual was not evil, it had a spiritual truth that
they have yet to see. He could have corrected them with truth; he could
have defended the false accusation seen in verse 21 - that he has been
teaching that the “gentiles should forsake Moses”. In other words what
he taught in Galatians was misconstrued and became a false accusation.
Paul could have stood his ground because he was right and they were wrong,
and because they did not have the revelation of the purpose of the law.
What did he do? He forfeited his right to correct, to straighten their
path in apostolic authority, and to defend against the accusation. Instead
Paul humbled himself to their request without using word to defend the
accusation. He participated in a ritual that though it was not evil, it
was immature. At the risk of gentile believers accusing Paul of going back
to the law and ignoring what Paul taught in Galatians. As ministers we
think we are so smart because of revelation but when it comes to the
reality of the Gospel we fall short. Paul said he becomes the weak to the
weak in 1st Corinthians.
1 Cor 9:22-23
22
To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak; I have become
all things to all men, that I may by all means save some.
23
And I do all things for the sake of the gospel, that I may become a
fellow partaker of it. (NAS)
To the Jewish leaders
and the Jews that were present, Paul became weak in knowledge; he became a
participator in a ritual that he considered as weak. Why? To save them.
“They were born again though.” Yes they were born again but they were
not recipients of the Word of God concerning the importance of Jewish
rituals. Pride will preserve its way of thinking, what it deems right and
wrong but when you are dead to yourself you will have the power of God,
the ability from the Holy Spirit to lay your heart on the altar to forfeit
those things for the unsaved and the body of Christ. That is when you
become a partaker! In Watchman Nee’s biography he continually forfeited
his right, he was continually brought up on false accusations. Even today
the heresy hunters bring multiple false accusations against him. He
submitted to the affliction through silence. Watchman knew to save his
life he would lose it. Sometimes Paul did defend the false accusations by
stating what he really believed. Spirit led believers learn when we must
speak out and when we must keep silent and in both we must do it as humble
and obedient servants. Paul was truly a father that gave up his rights for
others no matter if they were the poorest or the popular leader. We cheer
the underdog but we pick and choose the underdogs of this world. A father
does not look for underdogs he goes where the wind sends him whether it is
rich or poor, whether famous or unknown, and whether full of knowledge or
ignorant. Judging no one in his journey and choosing no methods to
ministering along the way. Always knowing that he is a dumb sheep that
needs Jesus the Shepherd for every guidance. Becoming a father and yet
knowing that if pride comes then he will be lowered to a place of being a
castaway, a disqualified athlete, a farmer whose can no longer partake in
the crops he has tried to raise.
II Th 3:10-12
You are witnesses, and {so is}
God, how devoutly and uprightly and blamelessly we behaved toward you
believers; just as you know how we {were} exhorting and encouraging and
imploring each one of you as a father {would} his own children, so that
you may walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls you into His own
kingdom and glory.
Paul explains that his
role is that of a father. He showed them his life’s example and
ministered the Word of God in Power and Wisdom. It is not enough to just
live a blameless life; if you are a father in Him then you will exhort,
encourage, and teach God’s Word. Why? So we can see our children grow up
and WALK. Some ministers try to accomplish this from a pulpit and reject
the idea of intermingling with the people to raise children. They are not
fathers - they are simply hired hands. A father as seen in scriptures is a
hand on person, he has his hands on his children. He spends time with his
children. His children can be seen at his dinner table. Not the other
leadership in the church but the “least of these”.
II Th 3:13
And for this reason we also
constantly thank God that when you received from us the word of God's
message, you accepted {it} not {as} the word of men, but {for} what it
really is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who
believe.
The word of men can be
accepted readily but it will only produce wood building, hay building and
stubble building. The church received Paul's word as the Word of God.
Because Paul spoke the Word that proceeds out of God’s mouth, the word
from heaven – it performed its work in the believing Thessalonians. If
one listens to our ministry as the “word of men”, we will see little
fruit. We must speak the Words from God and the hearer must receive them
as that, if we are to see fruit.
Paul ends the chapter
with “you are my joy and my glory”. The farmer reaped and partook,
Paul as a father reaped and partook; he partook of the joy of seeing
his kids growing up. In 2 Thessalonians, Paul says that he takes pride in
mentioning the Thessalonians to the other churches. Paul was also like a
father to the Corinthians but you can see the corrective manner in which a
Father teaches. All of the pictures God gives us concerning Christian
maturity are given for us to understand where He wants us to be. They are
nothing more and nothing less than examples we were given in the life of
Jesus and the lives of God’s servants in faith. Just because we have
acceptance, popularity to speak at conferences, and because we sell a
100,000 books does not indicated maturity. Maturity is being a father that
sees kids that have grown to maturity and they in turn have become
fathers. If one has pastored for 20 years and has a people that resemble
spiritual kids instead of fathers then take a step backwards and search
your life for the leaven, the weeds, and the poor example that prevented
your kids from growing to fatherhood.
Acts 20:35-37
I have shewed you all things, how
that so labouring 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. And when he had thus spoken, he kneeled down, and prayed with
them all. And they all wept sore, and fell on Paul's neck, and kissed
him,
Paul showed “the
house” to “the house” that we shared at the beginning of this book.
He showed them by teaching that, doctrine was practical in it’s giving,
he showed them by pointing them to the Pattern Son – Jesus, and he
showed them by example. PAUL WAS A FORERUNNER! What was their response?
They cried bitterly with embracing and kisses. With unity comes affection
for one another that most of the church is estranged from. It is one thing
to “in faith” consider one another as more important than himself, it
is entirely a different matter to have an affection for one another to
this extreme. Know this – Jesus has this type of affection for you right
now, take time out to receive this very affection from Him, even right
now……Selah
Moses
– The Father’s Heart
Moses also showed
God’s people the father’s heart and became a forerunner, a signpost
for those born afterwards to follow. We focused more on Paul’s life in
this book but God has given much more than Paul’s example in the
scriptures. In the first forty years of Moses’ life, we see it spent as
an Israelite enjoying the things of Egypt – the world. The only
difference between Moses’ life and the rest of Pharaoh’s house is he
was of a different heritage and a different destiny. Though
as far as the “natural world” is concerned, Moses did not differ from
the world system. There are areas in our lives that are much like this,
right this second; these areas are Outer Court areas. Moses saw a vision
of the burdens of his brethren and the evilness of the oppressor – this
is where we go out of the Outer Court and into the Holy Place of God, but
the problem is we then slay our oppressor and just make the oppressed
angry, this is what Moses did. I see those in the pit, I try to help, I
cause more damage than good. Those who minister have all been there,
whether we have recognized it or not. Moses enters the second forty-year
part of His life – in a desert. This is the picture of soul affliction.
We have failed in ourselves to help others yet we still long to be a
deliver for them. We learn in this desert to know God and to be sufficient
in only His sufficiency. Our method of deliverance dies, our use of the
scripture must certainly die and we must wait on God’s moment when the
Israelites are finally SICK of the bondage. Not only is God preparing you
but simultaneously God is preparing those you are destined to minister to,
so that you will be totally reflective of the Father’s heart and
so they will be groaning because of the harsh slavery placed upon
their necks.
The last forty years
of Moses’ life was spent in the desert as well but this time to reflect
the heart of a Father for His children. It was forty years of faith for
THEM, forty years of suffering for THEM, forty years of raising stubborn
children to God’s ways with only a few exceptions of obedience. Moses
was totally spent! This is a life in the Holy of Holies, this is Christian
maturity, and this is full stature! It is glorious and yet it a most
terrible trial. In the New Testament God ordains that we minister
where we are and not just wait around till maturity comes. That makes it
easier in some ways and harder in other ways because of our failures, this
is the nature of grace instead of law. We are able to witness the power of
grace as you watch the servant of God press towards the life of a Father.
We speak one moment
like an infant needing and another moment like a Father giving. It is the
work of “desert discipline” that brings maturity to our immaturity.
Because God extends grace towards others we see God delivering them in
spite of us. Because of grace we see God’s faithfulness to bring those
who are obedient to the Gospel instead of just the disobedient that Moses
dealt with. Therefore when you get to a place of fatherhood then you will
see a people becoming the obedient children of the Lord. If you are trying
to play the father role and did not learn the first forty-year desert
experience then you will see baby Christians your entire life. Paul used
this very argument to the churches to prove that he was a true apostle in
the midst of the false apostles. Paul ministered in truth that resulted in
obedience, in the children of God – in spite of the fact that after Paul
left them; the wolves would come in with all types of heresy, all types of
distractions, all types of seductions. But it was because of these things
that entered in after Paul left… do we now have the letters written by
Paul to correct, encourage and to teach – that they would all enter in
and finish the race set before them. Even with natural children there must
be a departing and yet you remain a father that encourages and corrects
with words from heaven.
Some in ministry focus
on you overcoming, that is needful, yet we are not a father until we cause
others to overcome. Some in ministry will focus on an experience they have
had, that is needful as well, yet we are not a “father” until we cause
others to experience maturity. I told my seven-year-old son that one day
he would grown up to be a mature Christian, his response was “I am
already a mature Christian, I know a lot about the Bible”. As soon as he
spoke it I then saw that his view as a seven-year-old is the same view
held by most Christians who have yet to become fathers. A few weeks later
someone in the church requested help in overcoming areas of his life that
resemble the world system, things that should have been dealt with years
ago. He was spending NO time in God’s Word therefore the ministry
related to getting him to fall in love with God’s Word and to have
revelation of that which he reads concerning the sayings of Jesus. His
response was “I already have revelation of all that”. Our deception
tells us we know that already. Our deception tells us we are much more
mature than we really are. The scripture tells us “maturity looks like
this and we do not measure up” and yet we are blinded to those
scriptures. So many ministers can quote half the Bible and think that this
Bible knowledge equals spirituality. Some have abstained from every known
sin listed in scripture and know every accepted church doctrine and this
equals maturity in them and yet they do not measure up to any stature of
the Jesus seen in Paul. This is something we must ALL SEE, our hearts must
be constantly laid on God’s altar and one of the things examined must be
whether our life is demonstrating the Father’s heart. Every area must
measure up or be dealt with… we must not fool ourselves into thinking we
are further along than our life demonstrates.
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