Tag Archives: The Cross

Humility Is the Path to Life, End Foolish Pride

Posted by D.L.Fuller on

We live in the times where lies and all manner of deception abound. At the root of this darkness is widespread pride. Pride which declares its own truth despite the word of GOD and the light of the Spirit. The only way man can be reconciled to GOD is to come to Him in total surrender, but this pride keeps man from bowing. You can confess a sinner’s prayer, be baptized, get circumcised, shave your head, or perform any other sacrament, but if you are not ready to surrender control of your life to GOD then you are just going through religious motions. Taking up your cross in surrender is the beginning of the Christian walk and if you haven’t taken that step you haven’t begun to follow Christ. If your spiritual leader, pastor, bishop, or elder didn’t explain it to you this way, then you were not fully informed. Here is what Christ says,

24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. 25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. (Matthew 16:24-25 KJV)

It is written that GOD resist the proud but a contrite heart He will not despise. A contrite heart is a heart that has bowed to GOD. A heart bowed to GOD is ready for the work of regeneration. A contrite heart is a heart ready to have its values redefined. A contrite heart is a heart ready to be filled with light because it is ready to have a single focus on GOD. It is this condition that qualifies a person as ready to be born again by the spirit of GOD. This is what John 1:12-13 (KJV) is referring to:

12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

This is different than deciding to be a better person and trying to do the right thing. That is just the will of man. When a person’s heart is bowed before GOD, they give GOD authority in their life to define what “better” is and what “right” looks like, and there is the acknowledgement that they are insufficient of themselves to be what they need to be and they are ready to allow “The Potter” to shape them. 

The first stronghold in a man’s life which must be broken before the true work of the Lord can begin is the spirit of pride. Holy Scriptures calls this spirit the stronghold of Leviathan. Leviathan is described as a serpent like creature with impenetrable scales. It is written that Leviathan is king over all those ruled by pride. Pride is the self-reliance and ego which drives and serves to protect all those not surrendered to GOD.  This spirit of pride in the self-reliant heart decides independently of GOD what qualifies as truth and what is false. I have shared scriptures with people before which didn’t require interpretation because it was already in their language and was straight forward, yet they still denied its meaning as written. Their heart wasn’t ready to bow to the word. Here is an example. Look at Galatians 5:19-24 (NKJV):

19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. 24 And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

The scripture cited above doesn’t require interpretation. It is clearly stated. If you have not crucified your flesh through denying it these manifestations, you have not given yourself to Christ. If this feels like condemnation it is because life in the flesh has been condemned and you still identify with it. Those who are Christ identify with living after the spirit. Repent now or you will not be found worthy to enter the Kingdom of GOD. None of the works of the flesh mentioned above are necessary or vital for your life. All these things in one way or another contributes to the decay of society. The contrite heart doesn’t require lengthy explanations because it has already surrendered. Don’t be deceived by others and don’t deceive yourself. GOD gives us the ability through His spirit to walk upright and pleasing before Him. We must learn to take our heart aches and pains to Him and stop self-medicating. Look what GOD says about enjoyment and good things:

 11 For the Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly. (Psalm 84:11 KJV)

17 Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; 18 That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; 19 Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life. (1 Timothy 6:17-19 KJV)

GOD is not calling us to live a boring or dull life, He is calling us to order and decency, and to enjoying things in constructive ways instead of in destructive ways.

The Lord has fitted us perfectly with garments of righteousness, but we have to put them on. We must strip ourselves of the old garments of sin and wash in His forgiveness and put on our wedding garments. Our Savior has provided white raiment, fitted us exactly, and put the garments within our reach. If we deceive ourselves or listen to the vain deceit of others and fail to dress ourselves properly, we are in for a rude awakening. This parable, spoken by YESHUA, sums up all I have been writing about. The reason parables are given is to aid with understanding, it is put in terms easy to understand. Heed the warning given in this parable. Just because YESHUA washes our feet doesn’t mean He will allow us to walk all over him.

Matthew 22: 1-14 (KJV)

22 And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said, 2 The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son, 3 And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come. 4 Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage. 5 But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise: 6 And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them. 7 But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. 8 Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy. 9 Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage. 10 So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests. 11 And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: 12 And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. 13 Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness, there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 14 For many are called, but few are chosen.

GOD is not a respecter of persons, though He called the guest a Friend, He still had him castaway because he failed to humble himself and make proper preparations. The serpent is telling the same lie he told Adam and Eve in the garden, and people are still believing it. People still believe they can willingly disobey GOD and not face dire consequences. There is a shaking going on in the earth right now to get our attention. Humble yourself and repent of the things you know are not right and surrender your life to the savior to allow Him to establish you in spirit and truth, which is real life. Put on your raiment of righteousness given to you in Christ so that you can be received into the wedding feast that has been prepared for those who humbled themselves to the truth of GOD. Study Hebrews chapter 10 .

Back To Perfection

Posted by D.L.Fuller on

Adam

We can never obtain a thing that we don’t understand. I have heard many believers saying we will never reach perfection in this lifetime. All through the bible our Heavenly Father tells us to be perfect even as He is perfect. I heard someone say in a bible study recently, “God tells us to be perfect but He knows that we can’t.” That is not consistent with our Father’s character. If He says we can be perfect in this present world, then we can. We just need to understand what He means by perfect and stop leaning to our own understanding. In His eyes, we are perfect the way He created us, even with our perceived flaws. He made man from a lump of clay and shaped him into a man after His own image.

We were perfect until we decided to turn ourselves into a DIY project.

DYI MAN 2

Whatever is broken in us will remain broke until the Lord fixes us. We can’t fix ourselves, but we can make up our minds to sell out and surrender to His hands. When we surrender in the hands of GOD, through the Cross of Christ, we become that perfect lump of clay in the Potter’s hand. That lump of clay doesn’t look like much; in fact, it can look like a mess, however in the Potter’s eyes it is just what he is looking for. If you look at scripture, you will see that our GOD never chooses anyone perfect according to man’s definition. Look at the men GOD has chosen over the ages, from Abraham to Moses, to David, all the way to the Apostle Paul. All these men like a lump of clay, had messy beginnings, but they obtained one common trait that made them perfect, they surrendered to GOD. They were surrendered to GOD and their hearts were set on pleasing Him. This is what our Father expects of us. To be like Him, faithful, true, and single hearted; not uncommitted and double minded. Checkout these scriptures:

1 Kings 6:61

“Let your heart therefore be perfect with the Lord our God, to walk in his statutes, and to keep his commandments, as at this day.”

1 Kings 11:4

“For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father. ”

Here is an excerpt from my book “True Heritage” on the topic:

Let’s also look at Matthew 19:21 (KJV): “Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.” Are we to believe that the rich young ruler was flawless in every way except for the need to sell off all of his belongings for the poor? No, that’s not it. He was not yet ready to be totally and singularly identified with Christ in his life. The Bible says that the rich young ruler went away grieved because he had great possessions. Matthew 6:20–22 (KJV) says, “But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.” The rich young ruler was not ready to be filled with light, because his heart was divided. Every man has the potential to reach the point of total surrender where he realizes that all of life’s true riches are obtained through following God..https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/47347692-true-heritage?from_search=true&qid=ivu4cNWAED&rank=1

 

 

Who Can Receive the Message of Salvation?

Posted by D.L.Fuller on

The Hook

To be born again, you must first die. The missionary can try to fix that up with whip cream and cherries and chocolate chips, but it will always be a bitter truth to those not fed up with their current life. If you love this current world, you will be offended by the cross. To be clear, you will be offended by anyone telling you that you have to sacrifice your life on the cross. Most people will say Christ sacrificing His life on the cross was a beautiful act of love, but when they are asked to take up their own cross to follow Him, they are offended. They know that taking up their own cross means they will have to stop fornicating and living lustfully, stop getting drunk, stop cheating and lying, stop hating their brothers and sisters. In other words, stop living in sin. I know some people will be offended at even reading this. They are offended because their stony hearts have not yet been broken by the love demonstrated from GOD through Christ. The scripture says in 1st John 2:15-16,

“15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.”

The refusal to surrender your life testifies to the fact that you do not yet love and trust GOD. That is verse 15 of the scripture cited above. You are still doing life your way, instead of putting your life in His hands. This is the reality that I had to face when I was resisting the cross. I had to come to terms with the reality that I was unwilling to surrender the things which were giving me pleasure and making me feel secure, for a chance at receiving the promise of something better in obedience to GOD. To even seriously ponder this proposition, you must know the feeling of a soul starting to buckle from weightiness of life in this world. To make that swap, you have to be convinced of two things; that Yeshua is GOD, and that He really does love you. If you are missing either of these elements in your belief toward GOD, its guaranteed that you have not taken up the cross and totally surrendered your life to GOD.  Hebrews 11: 6 states,

“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”

Those who do not believe the Almighty Creator of all things, in the face of Yeshua the Christ, think they have more options than what are truly available. No greater love has ever been shown greater than the testimony of GOD’s love through the witness of Christ, and until you truly know that, you will always hold on to your self-life. I or know other person, can convince someone to surrender their life to GOD. That point in a person’s existence is orchestrated by GOD, where they will know who it is that is posing the question, “Will you trust me with your life?” Those that have accepted the offer from GOD and want so badly for others to have the same benefits, can only share His love as best they can, and testify to the benefits and terms of the amazing opportunity.

The message of GOD’s Salvation can’t be shared like a bad car salesman trying to get a contract signed by concealing all the cost. Christ new His target market,

28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. (Matthew 11:28-29)

When the rescue beacon of GOD’s voice finally reached my stony heart, it was shattered at the awareness of how I had dishonored and disrespected Him, and how I had rejected His love in counting Him unworthy of my trust, and at the depth of my injustice at refusing to suffer, in the face of the enormous cost that this salvation was being made offered. All of that, and He continued to pursue me, understanding that He alone had what my heart truly longed for and needed. In light of this, my self-life was wrecked into splinters, like a shipped washed into a mountain side by humungous waves. From that day forward, I have been compelled to surrender all.

The Gospel of Christ doesn’t need augmenting for the 21st century, or for any period in time. The cost of Salvation will always be same, His life in exchange for your death. The proselyte can be of good cheer, because resurrection life is real, and it is far more satisfying!

Understanding The Salvation of GOD

Posted by D.L.Fuller on

People in conversation sometimes make the mistake of thinking they are talking about the same thing. This happens frequently when there is a conversation about biblical things, because there are so many doctrines floating around about the tenets of Christian faith. I have found that few people have a biblical understanding of Salvation, so I have written at length here to try and shed more light on it. A conversation I was privy to recently dealt with the topic: “Once you have confessed that you believe the testimony of Christ, and accept Him as your savior, does your salvation hinge on any actions of your own or is that final.” I see a lot in this topic, just from the view point of the question, which suggest a lack of understanding about what Salvation really is. From outside the veil of the spirit, Salvation is seen mainly as deliverance from eternal judgement in hell. While that is a benefit of Salvation, it isn’t the primary objective of Salvation. Unfortunately, blanket forgiveness fire insurance has become the main hook used by many ministers for the reason to accept Salvation through Christ. A message like that appeals a lot to a guilt-ridden congregation the morning after Saturday night. The Bible promises that the truth will make you free, not feel good. The freedom that comes from adhering to truth makes you feel outstanding! Through the revelation of the Spirit, one comes to understand the main goal of salvation is to reconcile man to GOD, for He is Life. The words of Christ are recorded in John 17:3,

“And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.”

It is impossible for the carnal mind to know GOD, so man needed to be born again of the Spirit of GOD. This is what is explained in 1 Corinthians 2:11-12,

“For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.”

Now put that with John 1: 10-13,

“He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”

So, the Salvation of Christ gives us power, through rebirth of the spirit, to receive the knowledge and spirit of GOD (Holy Seed) whereby we are transformed and bear righteous fruit. This rebirth makes it possible for us to have intimate fellowship with GOD…Sweet reconciliation. Forgiveness of sins through the blood of Christ makes this new life possible. The blood of the Holy Lamb sanctifies us on the altar, enabling us to be received by GOD and consumed by His Holy Spirit. Without the blood of Christ, we would be considered unclean and rejected. GOD grants us free will through the light of the gospel to confess our sins and to acknowledge our need for the blood of Christ. It is our choice whether to surrender ourselves into His care. Only those that take up the altar of their cross and receive the sprinkling blood are candidates for the rebirth, also called resurrection life. Those accepting salvation merely to avoid suffering, pause at the requirements of new life. Those truly seeking rest for their souls, having the old man shattered from the fall upon the gracious Rock of Salvation, count all things behind as dung, for the opportunity to know more intimately that heart which is filled with immeasurable grace and everlasting love.

Those who have partook of the offering of salvation, are free to make the daily decision to sacrifice carnal life in order to obey the will of the spirit unto life. This is the teaching of the Apostles Paul in Romans 12:1-2,

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

The act of presenting your body a living sacrifice is not a one-time act. Daily, we must determine to live spiritually, in obedience to the Word and Spirit of GOD. The orientation of this carnal world compels us to act without conscience on impulse. We have to govern these bodies by the power of the spirit, or we may be driven back to the wallowing in the mire, the uncleanliness of living in darkness, the ways of death. Be mindful of the fact that we arrive at that place by choice, not chance. It is when we grieve the spirit by ignoring the gentle guidance, when we stop giving in to the call of GOD to fellowship in prayer, meditation, and study. It is when we allow ourselves to get bitter in the desert from the strict diet of manna and pure waters from heaven, because our flesh misses the sweet meats and drinks of Egypt’s oppression. After being delivered from Egypt, all those that escaped were later destroyed in the wilderness, never to reach the promised land. The only exceptions were Joshua and Caleb. The wilderness symbolizes the journey after Salvation. The ultimate goal of the deliverance of the Israelites from Egypt was for them to inherit the promised land. Here is the question at hand, did the Israelites which died in the wilderness lose their salvation. They were delivered from Egypt and they ate the bread of heaven, but they never would surrender their lives in trust to GOD, so they perished before reaching their destination. This is the equivalent of a person today confessing Christ as Savior, but afterwards despising the sufferings required by the cross to inherit new life, therefore turning back to the ways of the flesh and becoming reprobate. This is 1st Corinthians 9:24-27,

“Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.”

The Apostle Paul is speaking here about staying faithful unto the end of your journey, so that Salvation can complete its work. The word castaway in these verses comes from a Greek word which means, rejected, unapproved, or reprobate. The goal of salvation is to have you partake of the life which is in GOD through unity with Him, but if you don’t value Him enough to go through the hardships required to connect with Him, how can salvation finish its work in you. Here are a few scriptures that speak to this:

“Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.” (1st Peter 4:1-2)

“Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.” (2 Timothy 2:3)

“Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.” (Hebrews 10:35-39)

All these scriptures speak of Salvation as a journey we must persevere through until we obtain the promise of new life. By faith, you have it when you ask for it, but it still must be worked out to fruition. It is the misunderstanding and the erroneous teaching of this next scripture that perpetuates the misguided question…Can you lose your salvation?

 “But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” (Romans 10:8-10)

Look at the meaning of the words used here in Roman 10:10 which explains the process of Salvation:

“For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”

We see here that we believe “unto” righteousness, and we confess “unto” salvation. “Unto” is a function word to indicate movement or an action or condition suggestive of a movement toward a place, person, or thing reached. (Merriam Webster) So belief in our heart moves us until we reach righteousness, and confession moves us until we reach salvation. How does one know when they have reached the destination? This is a very personal thing which does manifest itself in a public way. Just like whenever you reach somewhere you are destined to, when you begin to see what you were told would be there, you have arrived. As I shared earlier, the destination of Salvation is knowing GOD. GOD reveals His nature to us by word and spirit. When we begin to see is nature arise in us, it is the evidence that we have gotten to know Him. Study the bible and you will see that often the scriptures say a man knew his wife and then they produced a child. The child is the evident fruit of their union. Those who except the Salvation of Christ are called His bride, and those that go on to know Him bare His fruit. Here are the words of Christ affirming what I am saying here in John15:3-6,

“Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.”

In marriage, a man and a woman become one flesh. You know the physicality of that. The process of a person knowing GOD occurs when through faith, they allow the Word of GOD to penetrate their heart, and they keep it until it matures to new life which issues out of them. It takes time to truly get to know someone. Child baring is a process GOD has given us to understand salvation. In context of marriage, the way GOD intended, it is clear. Through perversion, Satan is attempting to destroy the practice of sex and marriage as originally designed. His goal is to perpetuate his deceptions and to destroy a context for understanding GOD’s plan of salvation, like what I am sharing in this writing.

To know someone, you must spend time together and go through things together. Salvation happens as we get to know GOD. Yeshua didn’t ask the disciples to repeat some words after Him which they couldn’t even understand. He told them to come and follow Him. He tells us to take up our cross and follow Him daily. He is saying, “come get to know me, my thoughts, my words, and my ways.” The journey of salvation is where we get to know Him. Our Father tells us that they which seek Him must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. The gospel of Christ as often taught today, is void of the true reward of salvation, the promise that we can have the life of GOD abounding in us through knowing Him. Salvation is most often presented as a way to escape Hell, but unless this teaching deals with the process which displaces the Hell we carry in us, from our fallen lineage as children of the devil, it is powerless.

The popular understanding of Salvation in our society today is divorced from resurrection living. This skew comes from a love of the world and the things which are in it. GOD can deliver us from Egypt, but can we let go of Egypt? A love for this world, and an attachment to the things of carnal life, is a stronghold keeping many from their cross. Look for a moment at Galatians 14:6,

“But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.”

Everything that is to fulfill us lies on the other side of the cross. Remember the words of our Savior,

“Then said Jesus unto his disciples, if any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matthew 16:24-25)

Looking at the truth in the word, and understanding free will, can a man decide that he is no longer going to deny himself, and can he also decide that he no longer wants to follow Christ the Savior? If a man does choose to turn away, how will that impact his days from then on and into eternity? Does a man’s salvation hinge on his decisions after saying a confession…. absolutely. Here is the important thing though, if his belief is sincere, then his confession will be true. It follows then that he will embrace the cross in gratefulness and love for the Savior, while hanging onto the hope of eternal glory, and then finish the journey to the end. Take a look at Hebrew 6:1-12,

“Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,

2 Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.

3 And this will we do, if God permit.

4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,

5 And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,

6 If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.

7 For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God:

8 But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned.

9 But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak.

10 For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.

11 And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end:

12 That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.”

I hope I have clarified what I meant when I said earlier that the question of “Can we lose our salvation?” is misguided. In context of what I am sharing here, I hope it gives new understanding to what salvation is and how we are actually saved from death. Does it make since to ask, if I don’t finish the race will I still get crowned, or if the marriage is not consummated is the bride and groom still one? Run the race to the end and get your crown, believe me, it’s been rigged for you to win. Consummate the marriage and bear the fruit of his seed and no questions need be asked.

I want to end on this note…There is no part of Salvation that we earn or merit of ourselves, it is a gift of GOD’s grace. Now that He has graciously put us on the path of life, and is leading the way, we have to follow Him, one day at a time, one step at a time, by the power He has given us.

Fire Insurance or Life Insurance

Posted by D.L.Fuller on

cross1

As we approach another religious observation of Easter, aka Resurrection Sunday, what is the take away from reflection on the Cross? I have spoken with many Christians on the topic; it seems the prevailing take-a-way is “Fire Insurance”. The carnal man, as we all are initially, is mostly concerned about avoiding hell fire. He wants that fire insurance. Knowing this, many churches have parked on the gospel of forgiveness to fill the pews. Most see the Cross of Christ as a means of avoiding damnation and relieving the burden of guilt. These are great blessings, but they are not the benefits most emphasized in scripture. A gospel centered primarily on the Cross as a means of forgiveness will always promote sin consciousness. This is so prevalent that most Christians see themselves as mere sinners. What is the result of this perspective? …more sin. Proverbs states, “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.” If you see yourself as a sinner, then you expect that you will sin. This mindset binds you to the habits of death that the Savior came to free you from. This fire insurance is a carnal interpretation of salvation from those who have failed to understand the true virtue of the Cross.

As far as fire goes Christ doesn’t save us from fire, He assures us of fire. He tells us that our life’s work will be tested by fire, we will be purified by fire, and the Holy Spirit is the Baptism by fire. In fact, He desires that we would be ablaze for Him and His Kingdom. Fire is common for believers.

When I was a teenager, I had a discussion with a man on the bus who tried to persuade me that Christianity was a religion taught to me by my oppressor. He also told me that the cross symbolized death. He went onto to say that he couldn’t understand why people would wear a symbol that represented death. While the Cross does remind us of the death of Yeshua, it also reminds us more importantly of the power of His resurrection. Yes, Christ died for all, but He was also resurrected and obtained new life for all. The teaching of the Cross in Holy Scripture emphasizes this new Life. Yeshua said, “I come that you might have life, and that you might have it more abundantly.” The Cross of the Gospel of Christ is where the eternal life of Yeshua is made available to those willing to lay down their own interpretation of living. Existence outside of the life that Christ gives is filled with the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, the pride of life, and fear. The life given to us through the Cross of Christ is the life of an obedient son of GOD. The obedience in this new life is rooted in Love and is lived out in Spirit and Truth. It is a life that is pleasing to GOD; a life that is centered in GOD.

When the teaching of the Cross is limited only to forgiveness, it leaves men attached to their carnal lives. It offers them compassion without a cure for their suffering. So much more has been provisioned through the Cross. It was nearly impossible to know GOD before the Life of Christ was made available through the Cross. The only life obtainable was the life inherited through Adam, which rebels against GOD and questions His Love in unbelief. This carnal life from Adam is alienated from GOD in that it has made a god of its own carnal reasoning.

We have to leverage the love manifested to us in the Cross of Christ unto a new hope and belief, and to faith in the promises of GOD’s love, which goes beyond forgiveness but also brings the promise of a new and powerful Life.

The powers of darkness don’t want you to know the fullness of the Love manifested through the Cross. It is a divine Love that breaks the shackles of sin and enables you to manifest the Light of GOD. All sin is rooted in selfishness and fear. The scripture teaches us that GOD’s perfect Love cast out fear. Fear is diminished in us as we grow in our understanding of the Love of GOD. The secure embrace of GOD’s love frees us from self-concern and empowers us to love others with divine love. Divine love being that beautiful and sacrificial love, that gives at the cost of self to benefit others.

The true sign that we understand and appreciate the Cross of Christ is that we have also taken up our own cross, by daily sacrificing carnal living, that the spiritual Life of Yeshua might be manifest in us. Just as the Spirit raised Yeshua from the dead, the Holy Spirit is present in the earth to empower new life in us. The Holy Spirit opens the life-giving teachings of Yeshua to us, and affirms the love of the Father in our hearts. He who the Son makes free is free indeed. He frees us through the workings of the Cross.

Love Prevails Over Leviathan

Posted by D.L.Fuller on

Bossmonster_Leviathan1

When he raises himself up, the mighty are afraid;
Because of his crashings they are beside themselves.
Though the sword reaches him, it cannot avail;
Nor does spear, dart, or javelin.
He regards iron as straw,
And bronze as rotten wood.
The arrow cannot make him flee;
Slingstones become like stubble to him.
Darts are regarded as straw;
He laughs at the threat of javelins.
His undersides are like sharp potsherds;
He spreads pointed marks in the mire.
He makes the deep boil like a pot;
He makes the sea like a pot of ointment.
He leaves a shining wake behind him;
One would think the deep had white hair.
On earth there is nothing like him,
Which is made without fear.

(Job 41:25-33)

As you read the description of this creature, you get the picture of a monster that is indestructible to man and indeed it is. The creature is Leviathan and there are more descriptions of him in Job 41, like his sharp teeth and impenetrable scales. Leviathan’s rule over man would be absolute without divine intervention. In the book of Job, Leviathan is called the king of all the children of pride. Leviathan rules like the pharaoh that contended with God to keep the Hebrews enslaved. Just as Yahweh sent Moses to deliver the Hebrew slaves from the tyranny of pharaoh, so has He sent Yeshua to deliver all of man from the tyranny of Leviathan. The Hebrew slaves, under the tyranny of pharaoh, were not free to worship God according to His will and had to be delivered. A person dominated by a spirit of pride and selfishness, under the rule Leviathan, also needs to be delivered in order to do God’s will.

Leviathan’s domination is evident in what is known as the first law of nature; Self-preservation. The focus on self is the signature of egotistical pride. Compare being ruled by the first law of carnal nature, to the two greatest laws in Yahweh’s kingdom, which also reflects His nature;

  1. Love the lord your God with all of your heart, mind and strength.

  2. Love your neighbor as yourself.

The only mention of self is in reference to how one cares for another. The nature of God’s kingdom is Love, versus the nature of those ruled by Leviathan, which is selfishness. You will be ruled by selfishness of pride until you are set free by Yeshua the Savior.

In order to be part of the body of Christ, you have to see and care for others as your self, you must have the ability to Love. You can never truly be unified with anyone else without Love. Marriage, families, and communities, fall apart without Love. This is why the Salvation of Christ begins with putting SELF on the cross; renouncing the law of self-preservation through entrusting the preserving of your life to Yeshua. Surrendering your life, by taking up the cross, makes way for divine Love to be birthed into your life. As Love delivers us from the oppressive phobias of selfishness, we are free to experience life as never before. He whom the son makes free, is free indeed!

Once you start to experience true freedom, you realize your were not free to even enjoy free things until you were freed your self. It’s true, only free people can really enjoy free things. People in bondage to selfishness through pride turn free things into more bondage. You see this manifested through hording, gluttony, and greed. Sometimes you can’t even give a selfish person a free gift, because they are to concerned about the hidden cost that the phobias of selfishness are projecting. This is why the free gift of Salvation through Christ is often left on the table, that is until we become broken and there is no more confidence in self. They that seek their life will lose it, and they that lose their life will find it. Through embracing the Cross of Christ you find true love, true freedom, and true Life.

(The image of Leviathan was found at BuddyJiang’s Portfolio: http://hokiboshi.net/portfolio/leviathan/)

Embracing Truth Leads to Freedom

Posted by D.L.Fuller on

https://i1.wp.com/www.manataka.org/images/Eagle%20Soaring.jpg

Part of the strategy of the enemy is to deceive people into believing that the things we can see are more real than the things we cannot see. Until the microscope was invented, we could not see bacteria or other micro-organism but we have always experienced their effects. Likewise, there are also spiritual things which we cannot see that have an influence on us. It is time out for dismissing spiritual things simply because they are not completely evident to carnal senses. Spiritual things matter most and should be the most compelling influence in our lives. Things that please us carnally can often have a strong influence over us, even to the level of swaying good judgment. This is why those that desire to follow Christ have to take up the cross and mortify their flesh. Christ, the good shepherd, as He leads us on the path to life will inevitably take us through terrains that afflict the flesh. If we have not already made the decision to die to the flesh, we will turn back or go to the wayside when the narrow paths of life start to restrict the flesh. It is only through taking up the cross that we become eligible to really hear the words of Truth and except spiritual principles. That is what is meant by 2 Corinthians 2:14,

“ But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”

It is by design that certain things bring us pleasure. The Creator Yahweh made all things good, and when they are enjoyed in adherence to His instruction they bring life. When we partake of creation in perversion, outside of His  commands, it tends toward death. 2nd Corinthians 4:16-18:

“Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.  For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory,  while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.”

Spiritual things, which have eternal repercussions, should always take precedence over temporal things. Pleasures enjoyed outside of an eternal perspective are the substance of regret. Be wise, be temperate, and be patient, to enjoy lasting fulfillment.

We must cultivate a love for Truth to the degree that we despise anything that would obscure our view of it. This will put us on the path to freedom from self-deception, as well as strengthen us against deception from the wicked one. The Holy Spirit, given by God the Father, is a spirit of power, love, and a sound mind. A sound mind is a mind that operates from the perspective of Truth. Truth is the word of God. If you are free enough to hear the virtue in what I am saying, then take it and run with it!

Where is the Church that Christ built?

Posted by D.L.Fuller on

Easter after Easter, Resurrection Sunday after Resurrection Sunday, Christians reflect on the death and resurrection of Christ yet they still don’t understand it. I say this because the resurrection life that Yeshua made available to us is not being lived NOW. Yeshua told the religious leaders if they tore down the temple or church, that he would rebuild it in three days. Where is the Church rebuilt by Christ? Where is the Church filled with the righteousness of Christ, the Love of Christ, the obedience of Christ, the faithfulness of Christ, the power of Christ, the glory of the Son? I am not talking about a building somewhere with a congregation. The church that Christ rebuilt is made of living stones instead of lifeless stones. Where are the individuals who fulfill the righteousness of the Law through living by the Spirit: glorifying Yahweh as the resurrected body of Christ?

Most people today that say they believe on the Son of God, (Jesus-Messiah-Yeshua) aren’t willing to suffer for righteousness sake.  The death of the cross has been limited to somethimg experienced only by Yeshua. Consequently, the resurrection life that comes after the cross has also been limited to a life lived only by Yeshua. Churches today don’t hold their members accountable to living like Yeshua. The understanding is that we all try to be like Yeshua while knowing it is impossible; it’s just the religious thing to do. How does this mindset compare to what Yeshua said when He declared that those that believed on Him would be able to do even greater works than what He performed. In fact, most confessing Christians have the misconception that we won’t be able to live like Yeshua until we get to Heaven. Church members are taught they will only be free from sin once they get to heaven; after shedding the flesh. Yeshua didn’t say, tear down this church and I will rebuild it again in the Kingdom of Heaven; He said He would rebuild it in three days!

On the third day after Yeshua was crucified, He was raised again. After His resurrection, He ascended to Heaven to make available the same resurrection power to any man that would be willing to be an extension of His body in the earth. To be an extension of His body, you have to submit your body to the rulership of His mind. This is what is meant by making Yeshua Lord and Savior. Yeshua is the head of the body or the mind of the church. The believer surrenders his body to serve the will of Christ. Resurrection life is the life of Christ flowing through a believer that has surrendered his body to be governed by the mind of Christ. Since no man knows the mind of Yahweh but the spirit of Yahweh, the Holy Spirit has been sent to indwell and fill all those that make room by getting off of the throne through taking up the cross.

Romans 6:5-7

For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.

The death of Christ was on this wise; no man took His life but He laid it down. To be buried in the likeness of His death is to lay your life down through taking up your own cross. It follows that as the Spirit quickened Christ and raised Him again, if we deny carnal living through mortifying the deeds of the flesh then the Spirit will quicken us with new life to live spiritually. So then, after we bury our old habits through the baptism of repentance, we then look for the baptism of fire; the power of the Holy Spirit unto newness of life. Just as Christ was grieved in Gethsemane, we will be grieved in denying the cravings of the flesh but they that wait upon the Lord will renew in strength and mount up with wings as eagles. This is to say, if we will put our bodies on the alter, sprinkled with the blood of the lamb, fire will come down from Heaven and consume the offering; we will be filled with the Spirit. He that has an ear let him hear the good news of the Gospel. Resurrection life for NOW!

Don’t let another observance of the resurrection of Christ pass by without embracing your own cross and realizing that resurrection life is available now. Resurrection life is real. I am intentionally not referencing a bunch of scriptures to support what I have written here, because every man is going to have to subdue His own flesh, along with all the carnal reasoning the mind can muster, until they come to the same conclusion as Yeshua… “Not my will but yours be done.” I am a new creature in Christ. I am living a life that only Yahweh could show me. I am learning things from the Holy Spirit that no man has taught me. Taking up the cross is a very personal and intimate experience, between an individual and the God-head. The decision to take up the cross is made alone in an obscure place, but the resurrection life that follows shines for all to see, bringing glory to Yeshua.

Let go and let God Almighty.

Fulfilling His Joy

Posted by D.L.Fuller on

In America, most people would consider me to be a black man or an African-American man. Take notice that in both instances race or ethnicity comes first, then man. Most people even see themselves as either a black person or a white person and so on. This I believe is a true reflection of how most people think. Most people see race or national origin before they see another human. This is a natural response and really not a problem unless along with that first observation there come also preconceived ideas about that person’s likes and dislikes, aptitude and capabilities. At that point you enter into prejudices and biases that form divisive barriers. Even though people may be physically different, we must be able to connect with them first as being an equal fellow human. If we see it differently than this we are deceived and there is darkness in us.

Those are some thoughts about the general populace. Now let’s consider “The Church,” and I mean “The” Church because there is only one body of Christ. Is the Church anymore unified than the world? Amongst the majority of those confessing to be Christian, I would have to say NO. Most worldly people actually have a lot in common and merely think they are different, however the religious bodies are divided based on actual differences of thought, belief, and practices of living. Just like different races of people, we now have Catholic, Baptist, Methodist, Protestant, Presbyterian, Seventh Day Adventist, AME, and it goes on. It’s not enough just to be identified as Christian. This is why I don’t subscribe to any denomination. Our God is not divided, so what is the problem with those that supposedly represent Him. There is a disconnect between the body and the head it would seem, because the head (meaning Christ, the only head of the true church) desires for the body to be unified, working together in harmony.

Christ made known His desire for believers to be united as one, just like the unity shared between Him and the Father. John 17:20-23:

“I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.”

The division amongst the body of believers today is carnal and devilish and until the cross is truly applied to the agendas of men so that the will of God maybe manifest, it will remain divided. It is my hope that in the near future all of those professing to love Christ will be able to share His love for the truth and then allow that truth to unite them in thought and belief. Our objective must not merely be to be right; our objective should be to be right with God. In a lot of religious communities they have become right with each other but they are misaligned with God. Jesus spent a lot of time in the earth disputing with religious leaders regarding their focus on serving their own sense of righteousness instead of truly being right with God. “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and HIS righteousness….” is what the scripture says.

Do you seek to be dominated by God? Are you seeking to give God increasing power over you…your thoughts, behavior, and aspirations? That is what it means to seek the Kingdom of God and that is what it means to take up the cross of Christ….”not my will but yours be done.” The idea of allowing someone to dominate us or calling someone master meets immediate resistance in our minds due to the fact that the evils of man has diminished our ability to trust. On the other hand, if we are sick and need surgery, we will surrender to a surgeon and get put to sleep allowing total dominance over us. Is anyone more worthy of our trust than God? He wants to bring healing to us and we likewise have to surrender. Jesus proved himself worthy of our trust when He gave His life as a ransom for us. Few men have done that for another so I understand the apprehension, but Christ is truly worthy. Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.” (Matt 16:24-25)

You are not living until you dedicate your life to His purposes instead of your own. A body does not function properly until all its members are correctly processing messages from its head. The Catholic Church says its head is the Pope. I have met Protestants that said the head of their church was pastor such and such or bishop such and such. The bible teaches that the only head of the Church is Jesus Christ.

When believers form alliances with each other based on compatibility, we end up with all these factions of religion. On the other hand if believers focus on transformation through submitting to God’s will, then we have true unity with God and with one another. The commands of God do not vary person to person. We are all commanded to love God with all of our heart, mind, and strength. Likewise we are all commanded to love one another as we would like to be loved. The love spoken of here is not abstract or subjective love but love according to the word of God.

When the body of Christ unites in the spirit of truth, the Church will be glorious and powerful. Denominations will lose their significance as we all come in unity of faith and belief as written in Ephesians 4:11-13: “And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;” The bible tell us that Jesus endured the cross for the joy that was set before him. Now through the abundant gratefulness we all have for the deliverance brought to us by the cross of Jesus, we now need to fulfill His joy by taking up our own crosses in laying down our individual preferences for the corporate interest of the body of Christ. When the bride (the Church) comes forth in her glory, the groom (Jesus) will rejoice and be filled with gladness. Colossians 1:9-18;

“For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, 14 in whom we have redemption through His blood,the forgiveness of sins. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.”