Saturday, June 23, 2007

The Fundamental Message of Christianity

Because Jesus Christ is equal with God (Phi 2:6) and created all persons (Joh 1:1-9), he has inherent sovereign authority over all humanity and the universe. This means you and I must surrender to the authority of Jesus Christ. It is one thing to call him Master and Lord with your mouth, and quite another to make him the Master and Lord of your words, thoughts, and actions by obeying his commands in complete humility. He cannot be your Savior unless he is first your Master and Lord. If you have a problem with the idea of a Sovereign God ruling over your thoughts and actions, then you must question whether you are truly a disciple of Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ is King of Kings, seated at the right hand of the throne of God, and has all authority and power. As the righteous judge of mankind, his kingdom stands eternally opposed to sin and rebellion. Just as an inventor has the inherent rights to an invention or an author holds the copyright for a book he has written, so the Lord has the inherent rights to the earth he created and everyone in it. Because he holds the patent to the creation, he has the right to demand how it is used and how we interact and conduct ourselves within it. If that omnipotence and omniscience were the only reason to worship and obey him, it would be enough. But he not only created the world and everyone in it, he became one of us, and willingly offered himself to be butchered and crucified by his own creation in order to provide for its salvation.

How could I not bow in reverence and amazement to a King such as this? Earthly kings desire power, wealth, and fame, but this King desires mercy, servanthood, and sacrifice. This King humbled himself below all of his subjects in order to save them from their sins. Instead of giving me justice and crushing me back into dust, he vowed to save me in his boundless mercy. In the ultimate of paradoxes, God used my murder of his Son to be the medium by which I am saved! On the cross, the sinless Lamb became a curse so that a sinful human being like yourself could have his righteousness credited to your account by trusting in his blood atonement for forgiveness. Without the shedding of blood, there can be no remission of your sins, and you remain a magnet of the wrath of God. But the perfect, sinless blood of Jesus Christ can remit the sin of every person who repents and trusts in his sacrifice.

Every knee will bow and acknowledge his authority, because he has earned the right to rule and receive all glory and honor through his perfect sacrifice and resurrection from the dead. Come to him in humility, understanding the quantum lengths to which he descended in order to become a human being and experience a gruesome, excruciating death at your bloody hands. Put your trust in his sacrificial atonement for your acts of rebellion against him, realizing his perfect existence has been credited to your sinful account. Believe the eyewitnesses of his resurrection from the dead and ascension to heaven. Then, pick up a cross daily in gratitude, obey his commandments in the Word of God with joy, and follow him without wavering, no matter the price.

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

This is a wonderful reminder of what Christianity is truly about

Anonymous said...

Great post!

Harold said...

Well said!

Anonymous said...

Dave, I just had to excuse myself from membership of "Rapture Ready", because once again I accidently mentioned I supported your Revelation model. Even though its still a pre-trib, pre-70th week model, it is no longer permissable to even mention it on this message board that promotes itself as the heralds of the coming rapture... sad. Like I've told you personally in a PM, the response to your books and model is truly baffling. People don't get it. Beyond not "gettting it", some Christians are even responding in what I consider an angry, unChrist-like manner. Do you think this may be a sign that you're really on to something? Satan attacking? Your's and Peter Goodgames work are somehow considered a threat perhaps, even though they are not all that different from the traditional rapture model - the first 5 seals being the disagreement. I'm blown away at how such an incredible insight you have made available to the body of Christ is not even worthy for discussion/debate by the Christian "elite". If your ideas ever do break-through, and I think they will, you will go from frustrated servant, to bold prophet over night. I pray the truth of God's Word be revealed, whatever it is.

Rich

Anonymous said...

Dave,
I am half way through "Then His voice..." and am really enjoying it. I am finding the model compelling and have tried to be a good Berean and find fault with it. I can nit pick (Christians can be good at that!) but I support your model as a whole.
I have been a bit slow in reading as the Lord has blessed us with a baby girl about 3 weeks ago.
Rich, I also am baffled by some of the response to this new model, and not just rr. Try to see the motivation, to defend the Truth, even if it can be misplaced at times. For the most part, the critics have proven to be well meaning and Godly people.
I agree with you that it is still a traditional pre-trib model but with revisions. Perhaps it is Dave's desire not to emphasize the new information that gives the impression that it is radical. Loved this post, it is a great "Statement of Doctrine".

Anonymous said...

Make that "desire to emphasise the new info."
It had an errant "not" in there.

jeri from SA said...

Hi Dave

Been reading your book (ER) thanks to Grumpy and Harold and finding it very interesting. I find it difficult to read via a computer but that is the best I can do here in South Africa. The blogs also make interesting reading and we all have lots to learn as The Lord slowly reveals things to us. People are resistant to change and new ideas, just look back into history! Keep up the good work and hold on to your faith in Him who protects us.

It is nice to see quiet a few from Joel's blog here.

1007 from Oz Hi, hope all is well with you and congratulations on your new addition. May she bring great joy and happiness!

Harold, Grumpy and Lightshine keep posting.

Yours in Christ
jeri

Anonymous said...

Hi Jeri,
Thankyou. It is good to see you post here. I hope all is well for you in SAf.

Anonymous said...

Reading that was an excellent way to start my day!

Anonymous said...

Consider:
The missing element in every human 'solution'
is an accurate definition of the creature.
The way we define 'human' determines our view of self,
others, relationships, institutions, life, and future. Many
problems in human experience are the result of false
and inaccurate definitions of humankind premised
in man-made religions and humanistic philosophies.

Human knowledge is a fraction of the whole universe.
The balance is a vast void of human ignorance. Human
reason cannot fully function in such a void; thus, the
intellect can rise no higher than the criteria by which it
perceives and measures values.

Humanism makes man his own standard of measure.
However, as with all measuring systems, a standard
must be greater than the value measured. Based on
preponderant ignorance and an egocentric carnal
nature, humanism demotes reason to the simpleton
task of excuse-making in behalf of the rule of appe-
tites, desires, feelings, emotions, and glands.

Because man, hobbled in an ego-centric predicament,
cannot invent criteria greater than himself, the humanist
lacks a predictive capability. Without instinct or trans-
cendent criteria, humanism cannot evaluate options with
foresight and vision for progression and survival. Lack-
ing foresight, man is blind to potential consequence and
is unwittingly committed to mediocrity, collectivism,
averages, and regression - and worse. Humanism is an
unworthy worship.

The void of human ignorance can easily be filled with
a functional faith while not-so-patiently awaiting the
foot-dragging growth of human knowledge and behav-
ior. Faith, initiated by the Creator and revealed and
validated in His Word, the Bible, brings a transcend-
ent standard to man the choice-maker. Other philo-
sophies and religions are man-made, humanism, and
thereby lack what only the Bible has:

1.Transcendent Criteria and
2.Fulfilled Prophetic Validation.

The vision of faith in God and His Word is survival
equipment for today and the future. Only the Creator,
who made us in His own image, is qualified to define
us accurately.

Human is earth's Choicemaker. Psalm 25:12 He is by
nature and nature's God a creature of Choice - and of
Criteria. Psalm 119:30,173 His unique and definitive
characteristic is, and of Right ought to be, the natural
foundation of his environments, institutions, and re-
spectful relations to his fellow-man. Thus, he is orien-
ted to a Freedom whose roots are in the Order of the
universe. selah

- from The Season of Generation- Choicemaker Joel 3:14 kjv

a follower of The Lion of Judah
semper fidelis
vincit veritas

Anonymous said...

That human institution which is structured on the principle, "...all
men are endowed by their Creator with ...Liberty...," is a system
with its roots in the natural Order of the universe. The opponents
of such a system are necessarily engaged in a losing contest
with nature and nature's God. Biblical principles are still today
the foundation under Western Civilization and the American
way of life. To the advent of a new season we commend the
present generation and the "multitudes in the valley of decision."

Let us proclaim it. Behold!
The Season of Generation-Choicemaker Joel 3:14 KJV

THE QUESTION AND THE ANSWER
Q: "What is man that You are mindful of him, and the son
of man that You visit him?" Psalm 8:4
A: "I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against
you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing
and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and
your descendants may live." Deuteronomy 30:19

Q: "Lord, what is man, that You take knowledge of him?
Or the son of man, that you are mindful of him?" Psalm
144:3
A: "And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose
for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the
gods which your fathers served that were on the other
side of the river, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose
land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will
serve the Lord." Joshua 24:15

Q: "What is man, that he could be pure? And he who is
born of a woman, that he could be righteous?" Job 15:14
A: "Who is the man that fears the Lord? Him shall He
teach in the way he chooses." Psalm 25:12

Q: "What is man, that You should magnify him, that You
should set Your heart on him?" Job 7:17
A: "Do not envy the oppressor and choose none of his
ways." Proverbs 3:31

Q: "What is man that You are mindful of him, or the son
of man that You take care of him?" Hebrews 2:6
A: "I have chosen the way of truth; your judgments I have
laid before me." Psalm 119:30 "Let Your hand become my
help, for I have chosen Your precepts."Psalm 119:173

References:
Genesis 3:3,6 Deuteronomy 11:26-28; 30:19 Job 5:23
Isaiah 7:14-15; 13:12; 61:1 Amos 7:8 Joel 3:14
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

DEDICATION

Sir Isaac Newton
The greatest scientist in human history
a Bible-Believing Christian
an authority on the Bible's Book of Daniel
committed to individual value
and individual liberty

Daniel 9:25-26 Habakkuk 2:2-3 selah

a follower of The Lion of Judah

Anonymous said...

Each individual human being possesses a unique, highly
developed, and sensitive perception of variety. Thus
aware, man is endowed with a natural capability for enact-
ing internal mental and external physical selectivity.
Quantitative and qualitative choice-making thus lends
itself as the superior basis of an active intelligence.

Human is earth's Choicemaker. His title describes
his definitive and typifying characteristic. Recall
that his other features are but vehicles of experi-
ence intent on the development of perceptive
awareness and the following acts of decision and
choice. Note that the products of man cannot define
him for they are the fruit of the discerning choice-
making process and include the cognition of self,
the utility of experience, the development of value-
measuring systems and language, and the accultur-
ation of civilization.

The arts and the sciences of man, as with his habits,
customs, and traditions, are the creative harvest of
his perceptive and selective powers. Creativity, the
creative process, is a choice-making process. His
articles, constructs, and commodities, however
marvelous to behold, deserve neither awe nor idol-
atry, for man, not his contrivance, is earth's own
highest expression of the creative process.

Human is earth's Choicemaker. The sublime and
significant act of choosing is, itself, the Archimedean
fulcrum upon which man levers and redirects the
forces of cause and effect to an elected level of qual-
ity and diversity. Further, it orients him toward a
natural environmental opportunity, freedom, and
bestows earth's title, The Choicemaker, on his
singular and plural brow. selah

- from The Season of Generation-Choicemaker Joel 3:14 kjv

a follower of The Lion of Judah
semper fidelis
vincit veritas

jjt said...

All this depends, of course, on the REALITY of the resurrection of Christ!
For demonstration of the historicity of this miraculous event, those interested may wish to visit:

http://www.mortalresurrection.com/

Anonymous said...

This is not preached to much any more. One of the other signs is a general apostasy from faith.

It is the Orphrazation (therapeutic/feel good religion) of Christianity instead.

Keep preaching the Cross, the blood, the need for repentance, holiness and the walk of faith no matter the cost.

Be blessed my friends.

Steve