Be blessed by some of the articles Rebekah has written. Rebekah's insight and observations as a young person waling in truth will surely encourage you.
Pastor John
November 10, 2007
I noticed something really interesting the other day! It’s funny how many times you’ll have a little question about something, and in trying to answer that question, you’ll come across something else, which, you realize, is often what Jesus was really trying to show you all along! It’s almost like he hides good things sometimes, like a little treasure!, and we stumble across them, just like he planned, while we are searching out something else.
Well, a couple days ago, I was thinking about and talking to the Lord about what defenses we have against the spirits of this world, and what weapons we have. How do we “fight”? And so, I thought about that place in the Bible that talks about the sword of the Spirit – wow, isn’t that the truth! If we could just learn how to really use that weapon! Staying full of the Spirit is the only way to even know what spirits we are fighting against in particular situations, and that’s over half the battle right there! But, then I thought, what do we protect ourselves with? Then I remembered Paul talking about a shield, but what is that shield?? What exactly is it that serves as our protection? I mean, I don’t think that he listed these things arbitrarily, picking a good quality of the Spirit and matching it randomly with a part of the armor of God. It is very important to consider what role each characteristic plays! So, I decided to look it up, and it says, “Above all, taking the shield of FAITH, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked” (Eph 6:16). Faith? Hmm. I’m still thinking about that one. Your shield is faith? That’s really something.
While I was trying to comprehend faith being our shield, I was glancing over the rest of the parts, and that’s when I noticed something! He also talks about the “breastplate of righteousness”. When I saw that, I immediately had a question come to mind: What does a breastplate do? And with the question came the answer: It protects your heart. WOW!! That is exactly what has come up several times lately, it seems, about keeping our standards high – especially us young people. We are always being told to “guard your heart.” And, like Mama said Saturday night, if you keep your standards high and don’t compromise them, that is the way to guard your heart! Because condemnation is what brings about confusion, despair, suspicion, and all those things that can begin to turn your heart away from God. Not lowering our standards or “giving in” is being the righteous and holy people that Jesus has made us. The breastplate of righteousness!
I thought that was really good. Just another example of how the Spirit can teach us something and put it in our hearts and then we realize that, all along, it was in the wonderful tool God has given us to help us better understand Him: the Bible.
Rebekah
June 21, 2006
A while back, I did a little study on the "blood of Christ" to see if it was the same as the "Spirit of Christ". I thought it might be interesting to have on here. Since I typed this out back in March, I've found other things that connect the two, but I can't remember what they were!! They were good, too, so I'll have to try to find them and add them to this list. (If I find them and edit this, then I will make note of that somehow in the subject.)
1. We are justified, sanctified, & washed from our sins by the blood of Christ:
Romans 5:9 - Much more then being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
Hebrews 10:29 - Of how much sorer punishment suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified , an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?
1 John 1:7 - But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
Revelation 1:5 - And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood.
We are justified, sanctified, & washed from our sins by the Spirit:
1 Cor 6:11 - And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.
2. Jesus was raised from the dead by the blood:
Hebrews 13:20 - Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant.
Jesus was raised from the dead by the Spirit:
Romans 8:11 - But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
3. The Spirit is life:
Romans 8:10 - And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
(it is actually even called the "Spirit of life" in verse 2)
Likewise...
John 6:53-56:
53: Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.
54: Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life ; and I will raise him up at the last day.
55: For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.
56: He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.
Also, I thought that it was interesting that Jesus said in verse 56 that if you drink his blood (& eat his flesh), then he is in you (and you in him). Compare that to 1 John 3:24 - And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us. !!! Mmmm... that's so good to me.
Well... one more thing I'll put here that stood out to me is 1 Cor 12:13 - For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit . I thought that it was notable that they referred to "drinking" into the Spirit - or of the Spirit.
Just like in John 7:37-39: (And this goes really well, too, with the verses from John 6 that I typed in above.)
37: In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.
38: He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
39: (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)
One thing that stood out to me doing this study is how I am even more convinced in the absurdity of saying that a tiny cup of grape juice or wine is -- or could in any way ever be or have been meant to be -- the true blood of Christ. It is certainly so, so much more -- something that we have available to us at all hours of every day, anytime we are in need of a touch from God!
Rebekah
July 16, 2006
I have been thinking a lot lately (well, most all the time, really) about all that I've had to go through recently and about all the arguments against the truth, especially the issue of when a person is born again. One thought that I had was that ultimately, the only way we ever know what is right or wrong about God is by Him letting us know what is right or wrong. And the way that He communicates to us in this new covenant is by His Spirit, so if you don't feel the Spirit inside of you saying "Amen" to a doctrine, then it is simply wrong -- no matter what it is, or who says it's right, or how many people agree with it, or what the implications of it are, or how long you've believed it. That is as complicated as it should ever get for anyone who is truly after God.
I thought about how that the Spirit is how we know anything at all about anything concerning God -- it is the means (the only means) through which He reveals things to us. He might actually speak to a person, he might give a dream, he might do a number of things, but ALWAYS it comes with a feeling of what is right and what is wrong which we have through the Spirit. There are a lot of other feelings out there vying for our attention and trying to deceive us; but that is all the more reason why we should be in tune with the Spirit of God and know what itfeels like inside of us so that we can wait until a doctrine (or message or anything else) connects with that Spirit and confirms its truth. After all, the Spirit is God's life on the inside of us (think about that!) and so it will always agree with how He is feeling because it IS His feelings! And I was thinking about how that all -- and this really means A-L-L -- other concerns or pressures or implications or decisions or opinions should be utterly irrelevant to us next to what the Spirit is saying. Where ever it is pointing, that is where I want to be. Period. I don't want any other concern or question or hesitance to be there. No second guessing. Just straight ahead with God.
I'm glad that I have been taught well in the Lord so that I can think and feel this way about what God says -- putting it above everything and everyone else. I guess I just took it for granted before, but that kind of stability is so valuable! It sets an unmoveable standard: If God says something, that is the end of the story. All other considerations disappear. There is no compromise. That is what I love so much about my father, mother, and some of the other older ones in the Lord that I have known along the way. I always felt loved growing up, but I also always knew that I am not more important to them than God. I've always been fully aware of the fact that if I go another way and stop serving God, it is not going to move them an inch, and as much as it would hurt them, they would never even look back -- they would go on, happy in Jesus. I know that. And it's the same way with the rest of the saints. They love you and they want what is best for you; but they're gonna be happy, whether you're there to be happy with them or not! There is safety in feeling that from someone. I love that standard. I want my children to feel that standard in me -- it will help to put that standard in them.
But, that is not a casual prayer to pray; it's a fearful one, because I'm learning that that kind of faith and stability in the Lord doesn't come without a price. It simply doesn't -- it's impossible. There are some places in the Lord that you can't even get to without "paying" for them, so to speak... without paying a price to get there. The older I get and the more experiences I have along the way, the more I realize just what a price my parents, Uncle Earl & Aunt Betty, and so many others through the years, have paid for having such a standard. I never knew before what it felt like for people that you have come to love dearly to call you a cult member and despise you. It feels really, really bad inside -- it's hard to explain. It can make you feel so worthless. And it's hard to hold up under. And to imagine that kind of reaction coming from my brothers and sisters and childhood friends and neighbors and other relatives, etc.... gracious! I just never really thought about what all the older ones in the Lord have really been through -- all the rejection and hurt over the years. It makes me think, My goodness, how in the world did they not give in to the pressure! How?? But, look at where it has brought us! Wow. I want to be worthy to hold up the standard that has been set. It's a learning process, and it is very humbling because the minute you think, "Oh yeah, I'll always be like that -- I'm doing great," you can bet that God will bring along something to trip you up and show you that you are still nothing without Him. :) We need Him every day!
Rebekah
July 17, 2006
My last entry started off being this entry, but then it took a different direction. :) But, as I said in the last one, I have been thinking a lot about the issue of the New Birth. And yesterday, as I was thinking about the arguments I've heard recently against it being evidenced by speaking in tongues, I realized something. Something very logically sound and very good to me! I'm going to try to explain it the best that I can:
I realized that there should only ever be four kinds of people on this earth (this is not connected to the parable). These four types of people are:
1. Those who believe that speaking in tongues is an experience given by God and who have received it.
2. Those who believe that speaking in tongues is an experience given by God and who are seeking it.
3. Those who do not believe that speaking in tongues is an experience given by God.
4. Those who have just heard about the experience of speaking in tongues and are not sure yet if it is of God or those who "have not so much as heard whether there be any [such experience]."
In other words, there should never be a class of people who believe that speaking in tongues is of God and who feel that they do not want or need it.
Why would there be? Why do so many people fall into this category? Have you ever stopped to think about what it really means for a person to say that they belong in such a category? As one man said one time when trying to decide if he needed it or not, "Well, if God is giving it out, it can't be bad!" What else on this earth can we spend our time doing that is more important or worthwhile than seeking after a wonderful experience in God that we believe to be real? Is your job more important? Is the laundry? Paying the bills? Breathing? What does it say about a person if they say, "Well, I believe that it was God who gave that to you, but I don't really want it for myself and I'm fine without it." Fine without it?? Fine without something that is being given for free for those who seek it? What kind of person is "fine", or satisified, stopping at where they are in their relationship with God and sitting there, contented to watch a deeper experience with Him pass them right by? That is not a person who is really hungering and thirsting after God.
It really becomes irrelevant whether or not speaking in tongues is the New Birth experience. See, the argument that I've heard is, "I already have the Spirit. I am already right with God. I have already repented and been justified. I'm fine. I don't need that." But, try to follow my reasoning: If the experience of speaking in tongues is one given by God to whomever seeks after it, then if you haven't had that experience, there is room for you to grow in the Lord and there is something else that he is wanting from you -- something else of which you need to repent, something you are still holding on to.
So, all the arguments fail. There is something that people without that experience haven't repented of. How do I know? Because God hasn't seen them worthy yet of that experience!
If those people wanted to know if it were real, their only option would be to start really digging deep within themselves and asking God to show them any hidden thing in them that he wanted gone, and they would really start to seek after Him (a "God-chaser", if you will)... and when they received it, they would know they had done whatever He asked.
It's almost insane if you really stop and think about it: how dare any of us say to God, "Hey, I know that this is something that You are doing for some people, but... well... no thanks. I don't really want it. Thanks for asking though. Besides, I'm just fine without it. And... to be honest, it makes me a little uncomfortable; it's really sort-of weird." When people say those things to other people, do they think that God is not listening? How dare we -- dirt! -- tell our Creator that we don't want anything that He offers?? Even if it is a little crumb! And why do so many people go along with it when people do say that? Good grief.
Anyway, it all comes full circle. The real truth is, it is the New Birth experience because it is the only experience given by which GOD and not MAN says that a person has fully repented. And those who hide from it and say that they don't "need" it are really saying that they don'twant it, because they are unwilling to surrender some last thing(s) to Jesus and humble themselves completely at his feet.
There is no escaping what is right. People hide from it in every dark corner that they can find, but they aren't really hiding from anyone who is following God. The light shines right in there and says, "Come on out and be happy!" :)
Rebekah
June 26, 2006
I was at the gym tonight and, although I had my headphones on listening to a good CD, I was watching all of the people walking around in the gym. I kept thinking in the back of my mind about how miserable everyone looked or seemed to be. Some of them were very out of shape and miserable because of it, and some of them were very much in shape and, although they strutted around proud of their bodies, I saw their misery too, because they were trapped in the reputation they had built up around themselves. Near the end of my time in the gym, I was lost in thought and my eyes wandered over to one of the TV screens when this commercial came on for some new "comedy" movie that is soon to come out. I couldn't hear the TV, but I had to turn my head away in disgust before the commercial had even ended because of the utter filthiness and pointlessness that was being advertised.
As I thought about all the wonderful things that Jesus can make you feel, I felt very confused as to what it was that would make a human being ever even want to contemplate using their money and time on this planet to go stare at something like that for two hours. I literally could not even stomach two minutes! Then, I had a thought: And it's all the same thing! Every single joke, every single punch line, contains the same old stuff. The same yucky things are being laughed about, just from different angles -- though often times not even that! It's all the same garbage, recycled over and over and over and over... there's nothing new! Although it's marketed to people as "new and exciting", it's a lie; sin offers you nothing new. It made me even more puzzled, because not only is it not funny or worthwhile to begin with, but people spend their whole lives laughing at those same things repeated again and again! Why?? I was trying to come up with an answer, but I just couldn't comprehend it.
Then, I thought of my life. And I thought about how it is the opposite if you are living a life in God. In the Lord, there is always something new! I started thinking about the new things that I've learned about God just in the past year, whether on a personal level or through emails or in the meetings, and I couldn't even think of them all! One thing I was thinking back on was the whole message on the Book of Job back in December -- that was brand new! New, right thoughts replacing old, wrong ones! And I have really, really needed what I got from that message lately, that God really does always have a purpose in putting you through something, for your good. And aside from any messages and understanding that you get, think about all that actually happens to us or to those around us -- we never know what God is going to do just around the corner! This life is so exciting.
It makes you want to keep doing the right thing because you want to be around to see what is going to happen next! A lot of people think that living in sin is "liberating" and that serving God is hard; but that's only because they aren't really serving God, or don't know how. That thinking is so backwards: The people who go and watch that movie are the ones who are boring! They're the ones who are missing out on the fun. There are bad things, there are good things; there are corrections, there are blessings... but, a life serving God is never dull, and it is certainly never the same! It is always changing -- and it's always changing you! And it made me feel so sorry for people in this world who have to settle for the same old stuff over and over that makes them feel bad inside (whether they know it or not), just because they won't give in to Jesus! I'm glad that I am free from that kind of life. Thank you, Jesus!
Rebekah