HOLY RELICS

The American Heritage College Dictionary defines "relic" as the following:

"Something that has survived the passage of time, especially an object or custom whose original culture has interest. Something cherished for its age or historic interest. An object kept for its association with the past; a momento. An object of religious veneration, especially a piece of the body, or a personal item of a saint. From the Latin "relinquere" - to leave behind."

Interesting . . .

We Christians are perceived in two different ways:

God is One who sees us as holy, for we have been purchased with the blood of Christ, we are indwelt by the Holy Spirit having been born again as a result of receiving Christ and His atoning death on the cross.

Certain people, Christian pastors, leaders, those who even disparage the name of 'Christian', that prefer to call themselves "Christ Followers" (even though they most assuredly are not) see us saints of the Most High as relics from an age gone by, whose time of influence existed before the Age of Modernism (a philosophical system whereby truth is ascertainable and achieved by human rationalism, reasoning and intellect, and that God is no longer necessary as a source of truth).

TBC Article Worthy Of Your Read

For those of you who have never read The BEREAN CALL, or no longer subscribe to this excellent Christian newsletter, I thought I'd include April's edition as it has several topics worthy of review, not the least of which is the Emergent Church Movement.

I'm still reading Roger Oakland's book FAITH UNDONE, and I've completed the preliminary study for my next blog entry: HOLY RELICS. This entry should be ready to post later on in the week, or by next week end at the latest.

In the meanwhile, enjoy the articles from this edition of TBC, and feel free to post your comments about any of them!

The Battle over Truth for Our Youth thebereancall.org

TRIUMPHANT BUT TRAGIC TROJAN

Back in the 70's if you asked the average Christian what "New Age" meant, you'd probably get a blank stare. Yet it was in the early 80's that I was given a copy of Dave Hunt's book "The Seduction of Christianity" and learned all about these practices that I felt must be occurring on Mars, or any other place but Earth, because I didn't see any of it happening. . . until a couple years after!

ATTN READERS: UPDATE - Located at the bottom of this article -

A few years later there were teachings, seminars, more books, tapes and videos exposing the New Age movement for what it is: the 'Old Lie' as first proposed by Satan aka the serpent, himself, when he said to Eve "You shall be as gods, knowing good and evil".

What started in the garden of Eden was later expanded upon at The Tower of Babel or "gateway to God" in which man esteemed to elevate himself to godhood with esoteric and mystical knowledge that we know today as the occult, and gnosticism. Babel, under the leadership of Nimrod was a one world order based upon a global (the then known world) government and religion.

GOLD STANDARD

GREETINGS ALL!

Its been a lil while indeed since I wrote an entry, but something's been brewing in my heart that I've wanted to communicate.
Then I read Greg Reid's blog ( http://www.gregoryreid.com ) entry and discovered that he's said what I wanted to, but much more better.
I've asked him before if I could use his material in my own blogs and he said he'd be honored (well, that's how I feel having his writing in my blog!).

Any way, here is his entry in the link below; click, read, ponder and then pray what the LORD God would have you do as a result.

Remember, if all you are led to is intercessory prayer for this matter it's NO SMALL DEAL! Its vital that the saints of the LORD Jesus Christ raise up a thunderous, resounding appeal to our heavenly Abba.

If ever there is a time for the saints to get serious about the LORD, His Word, the church and the world today here in America and around the globe, IT... IS... NOW!!!


Bronze Shields <~~~~~~~~~~~~ click here and he who has ears to hear, let him hear!

The GOSPEL in Code

We as Christians know the Gospel, for it is the proclamation of good news, given by the LORD God in the scriptures. Note that it's GOD that has given this message to us. We didn't think this message up ourselves: it's origin is GOD.

We surely didn't create the Gospel but it has created us: by believing the Gospel, we have been born of heaven, rejuvenated spiritually, regenerated by the Holy Spirit Himself, based on the atonement of the LORD Jesus Christ's death on the cross, and His resurrection!
One of the best definitions of the Gospel is found in

1 CORINTHIANS 15:3-4: 
For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

Definition Of A Biblical JESUS FREAK

Merriam-Webster dictionary defines the word "freak" as follows: "One that is markedly unusual or abnormal: as a : a person or animal with a physical oddity who appears in a circus sideshow; a thing or an occurrence that is markedly unusual or irregular. An abnormally formed organism, esp. a person or animal regarded as a curiosity or monstrosity. An eccentric or non-conformist person, esp.a member of a counterculture."

Certainly such definitions if taken objectively would bring no offense, but say such a word to someone in a derogatory fashion, and the intent of insult could hardly be missed. Such was the intention of the Romans who perceived the disciples of Jesus Christ as objects of curiosity, or even monstrosities, and at the very least, enigmatic followers of a strange religion.

However they couldn't deny how these people loved one another, or the One that they claimed to be the Son of God, only begotten of God. In a derogatory manner, the Romans referred to this strange lot of people as "little Christs", a term meant to ridicule and insult.

Yet when the disciples heard of it, they were humbled by such praise, as to even be compared to the LORD of Glory whom they served with love and obedience. They were first called "Christians" in the city of Antioch. Christians today are similarly confronted with another derogatory term, "Jesus Freak" and take exception to such words, for as we look upon our past and compare it with the life we now have with Jesus, we would readily agree that we WERE once freaks, but are now as God intended us, redeemed by the Blood of the Lamb and indwelt by the Spirit of the LORD.

The Shortest Longest Line

They say that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. I really don't know where heaven is located positionally, and I can claim the same ignorance as to the exact location of hell. I believe that the terms "heaven", "hell", and "location" are non-compatable, as both places exist outside of our time/space continuum. Yet when it comes to these two 'locations', no two points were ever farther apart, possessing the longest distance. Still, no two points were ever the shortest where the resurrection of Christ is concerned. Truly this comprises the Shortest, Longest Line ever!

EPH 4:8-10
Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)

While the LORD Jesus lay in that tomb, having endured to the end, the excruciating agonies of the cross, both physically and spiritually (for the Holy Son of God "became sin for us", He Who "knew no sin...") He suffered no corruption in this body that was prepared for Him for the explicit purpose of being sacrificed for our sins: "Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once [for all]". (HEB 10:5,10, ACTS 2:27,31)

And we know scripture teaches that Christ Jesus went into hell (that is Sheol, or Hades, the abode of the dead) to preach to the spirits there of those accounted righteous by their faith in God, as was Abraham and all others prior to the crucifixion and ascension of the LORD Jesus: 1 PET 3:19; 4:6; LUKE 16:19-31

And in the midst of our LORD's spiritual work while His body rested in that cold, dark tomb, He knew that He would have to present His blood at the altar in heaven, before the Father, for that utterly perfect propitiation for the sins of mankind. 

HEB 9:11-12,23-24
But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption [for us]. [It was] therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, [which are] the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:

Moses was told to build the tabernacle according to the pattern shown to him, and there is no doubt that these patterns were of the heavenly things as spoken of in the passages of Hebrews as listed above. There in those places, upon that altar that would know of no stain of blood, save for that of the Lamb of God--- this was the place where Christ had to make His presentation of blood!

We have no record in scripture testifying to this, but I can imagine that Satan wanted to do everything he could to block the Messiah from achieving that goal! As much as he tried (in vain) to repress, stall, stymie and prevent the LORD Jesus from His mission while on Earth, how much more vehement would be his dam of demonic defenses to rise up and attempt to thwart the Son of God from racing towards Heaven and plaster that altar with His shed blood!

And yet those THREE DAYS finally expired! And our expired LORD arose from Sheol with Divine Determination, and as He began to ascend, there was never an apt comparison ever portrayed on any football field where a defensive line tried to hold back the opposition from making a touch down! Higher and higher the LORD raced, trailing behind Him all the righteous dead who looked ahead to the coming Messiah, knowing from the scriptures that He "would save His people from their sins" MATT 1:21! Plowing aside like the All Powerful Potentate that He is, every foul and pernicious devil that stood in His way, onward He raced!

Aside from that time, 40 days I believe while in His resurrected state, He spoke, ministered, taught and comforted His own before His final ascension, it was at some time He presented His blood; imagine all the principalities and powers, all the princes of darkness and spiritual wickedness in heavenly places, all vainly trying to drag the LORD down from His lofty destiny. No tyrannical demon, no arrogantly potent devil, no malicious spirit was a match for our matchless King who finally approached that better altar in better places and presented better sacrifices and blood for the remission of sins!

How we can offer our praises and glorify God in our worship of Him who brought such salvation, from the Shortest, Longest Line: from Hades to Heaven! From destruction to destiny! From Hellish damnation to Holy Glory! 
If we could glimpse that Holy Temple in heaven right now, we would no doubt see the dried on blood of our Righteous Redeemer, still staining the mercy seat of the Holy Ark. The price has been paid, the repentant are redeemed, and the LORD of Glory is lauded as KING of Kings and LORD of Lords, to Whom EVERY KNEE WILL BOW and EVERY TONGUE CONFESS that JESUS is LORD - to the GLORY of GOD the FATHER!