Sermon Blues by Chris Welch

in Facebook (Notes) on 28 March 2013 at 11:51 AM

Pastor: I can't get a sermon.....I've been thinking all week.
Jesus : Who says you have to have one?
Pastor: It's my job d'oh. That's what they pay the tithe for. I am employed by them.
Jesus: Who said they had to tithe?
Pastor : Everyone knows Christians have to tithe
Jesus : I said people could give and give generously from a willing heart. I never said about tithing. That whole thing was for a different time, a different people and an old covenant. This is the new covenant in My Blood.
Pastor: Well if I didn't tell them they had to tithe no one would give.
Jesus: Firstly....you'd be surprised how freewill works. Secondly, what's the problem anyway? Go out and get a job.
Pastor: I haven't got time I'm leading a church remember?
Jesus: Who said you are leading the church? I thought I was?
Pastor: I know we say that, but the fact is if I didn't do it then nobody would.
Jesus : Good
Pastor: What do you mean good?
Jesus: When nobody leads, then that gives room for my Spirit to raise some men up in ministry gifts and all the others to give as the Spirit gives them utterance or gives them instruction.
Pastor: But pastors are in charge.
Jesus: Where does it say that? Rabbis are in charge under the Old Covenant. Where does it say that under the New?Jeremiah said "They do not teach each other anymore each one his neighbour for each of you shall know the Lord from the least to the greatest."
Pastor: That all sounds like Quakerism to me. And Quakers now invite Buddhists in, and anybody says anything they like. Completely wrong doctrines as well as right doctrines.
Jesus: Perhaps they are not connected to Me anymore and the Melchizedek Order. For you are all priests now after the Order of Melchizedek. You are a nation of kings and priests.
Pastor: Well I wish that was so, but many people do not even know you.
Jesus: Well perhaps you should be telling them that all can know Me, I included everyone when I stretched my arms open and died.
Pastor: So you are saying I shouldn't be in charge?
Jesus: Nowhere does it say a pastor is in charge. It says I gave many pastors for taking care of the sheep. It also says I gave many ministries for the equipping of the saints. Where are your apostles?
Pastor: We've got one apostle. He visits now and again. But he's far too bossy and I am in charge here.
Jesus:You are not in charge. Neither is that apostle. I don't give one apostle. Paul wrote "Not many are fathers". There are several fathers moving between churches, just as there are many prophets and pastors and teachers all moving in and around a local church.
Pastor: I've never heard of such a thing
Jesus: None of you modern pastors read the Bible much do you?
Pastor: I read the bits I like
Jesus : It says all ministry is given for the equipping of the saints.
Pastor: I don't see that as practical. How can ordinary what you call minstries possibly be adequately trained to run 3 year courses with exams and a certificate? It's just not practical.
Jesus: The equipping of the saints has nothing to do with three year institutional courses with exam certificates.
Pastor: It doesn't? That's how I got mine.
Jesus: I never gave you that certificate. I wouldn't give you any certificate.
Pastor: Now you are being rude.
Jesus: I wouldn't give you a certificate of paper because I have already given everything you need in Me. I write my Living Law right across your being...this is how the New Covenant works. When you are mature in it, you find yourself imparting it, others recognise it, and "a man's gift makes way for itself" Proverbs says.
Pastor: I teach being born again. I teach forgiveness received by faith because of your work on the Cross.
Jesus: You only preach one sacrifice. You only preach the Blood
Pastor : What are you saying now? There is only one Cross.
Jesus: I spelled it out in the Old Testament. One animal was slaughtered for sin. The other was sent away into the wilderness. It's the only way I could represent two things at once back then. It's the Blood and the Body.You were not only forgiven...but you also died in Me. I took your spirit and that of all in Adam in My Body into death. And I raised you all up as living spirits fused in Me. You are all new creations.
Pastor: They never told me that one. I studied for 3 years. I studied all about eschatology and the terrible history of the church. What you are saying is a different gospel.
Jesus: No. This IS MY GOSPEL. Unless you eat of my flesh and drink my blood you do not have any life in yourselves. What YOU are preaching is a different gospel. The gospel you preach leads to the terrible church history and a meaningless eschatology because nothing works.
Pastor: This is all doing my head in. And I still haven't got a sermon.
Jesus: This is all doing My Body in. And perhaps you have no right yet to give a sermon until you let me write My one in you.My Body builds itself up by that which each joint supplies. But nobody can supply anything other than that which I have already supplied. The Holy Spirit is given to make known to you all that which is mine and is now yours.It is not by power, nor by might, but everything is now by My Spirit says the Lord.If anyone is in Christ he is a new creation entirely, the old has simply passed away....the new is already here.
Pastor: You have criticised just about everything I do. I am not sure I and the congregation will ever change.
Jesus: It is as hard for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of heaven than for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle .
Pastor: How am I rich?
Jesus: You have status with man, but outside of My Cross, none with me. You have people forcibly paying you a tenth of
their income every week even though this is not in the New Covenant. You want to be in charge of my works, yet do not recognise My Charge and the way I operate. You do not know more of the gospel than an Old Testament rabbi, who also believes in forgiveness by faith in God on the Day of Atonement. You are rich but outside of Me, and in reality you have little or nothing. Yet you will not relearn.
Pastor: Jesus, it's hard for me to ever relearn. I am in my forties. I would look foolish if I ever said my training was insufficient.
Jesus: Do you want emptiness, or do you want Life?
Pastor: I want your life,but I am not prepared to admit to any congregation I am wrong. I would be out of a job, and then who would pay for my living?
Jesus: I am your Supplier. I am all you need.
Pastor: *silence*

Jesus: Then I will send out into the highways and the byways and compel others in, for the sons of the Kingdom have refused the wedding invitation and the celebration WILL BE GREAT in the Honour which the Father has given Me, in the honour of the Holy Spirit's work, and in the honour of the Father who completes every work perfectly and abundantly.

Like · · · Promote · Share

• Chris Kimmell, Tunji Ayoade, Gail Cochrane and 2 others like this.
• 

  Rich Novek Amen Chris, a perfect picture of the different gospel in action...thanks!

  2 hours ago · Unlike · 3
• 

  Lydia Joy Shatney AWESOME!!!

  2 hours ago · Like · 1
• 

  Gail Cochrane Chris......now THAT is a CONVERSATION!!!! And one that is so needed today!! Thank you, Chris.

  2 hours ago · Like · 1
• 

  Tunji Ayoade The Blood and the Body combination action in redemption. . .

  2 hours ago via mobile · Like · 1
• 

  Cliff Gableman I wonder how many "pastors" could or would receive this message? Thanks Chris.

  about an hour ago via mobile · Like · 1
• 

  Rich Novek My guess not too many, way too much to lose!

  10 minutes ago · Like
• 

  Ray E Horton Good message. After being with good churches so long, I forget there are probably pastors out there that need to hear this.

  9 minutes ago · Like
• 

  Carol Lucas Winkler I do believe there are churches, and pastors, who are like this, but i will say that i had a pastor who had a heart for God, and he truly loved everyone the same. He was a big giver, and he was down to earth. He didn't condemn, or try to squeeze money out of people.He was always giving money away. His love, and joy, and lifestyle are the things that made me want Jesus. Religion can be ugly, and hard, but we can't throw all pastors under the bus. I loved going to that church, for 16 years, until we moved. It was like a family, and the pastor was like our brother. I understand why so many are down on church, and pastors, because i have never found a church like the one i attended for so many years. I was taught about the love of God. I am thankful i had that pastor, and that preacher, when i was young, and knew nothing, at all, about the Lord. There have been pastors, in churches i visited, who were out for money, and fame, and numbers. It is sad...

  about a minute ago · Like

5 Surprising Fat-Burner Foods

Pears
Why you need them: Pack the fruit bowl with pears if you want to lose pounds, reports a study out of the University of Rio de Janeiro. In the study, which was published in the journal Nutrition, women who ate three pears a day consumed fewer total daily calories and lost more weight than those who didn’t. Rich in fiber (one pear packs 15% of your daily recommended amount), pears help you feel full and keep you from overeating.

Best way to work them in: Eat a pear before a meal to help curb hunger. Ditch the peeler, though; most of the fruit’s beneficial fiber is in the skin.

Grapefruit
Why you need them: According to researchers at Scripps Clinic in California, eating half a grapefruit before each meal may help you lose weight—up to one pound a week—even if you change nothing else about your diet. The study’s author, Ken Fujioka, MD, says a compound in grapefruit helps regulate insulin, a fat-storage hormone. “Anything that helps lower insulin can help people lose weight,” he explains. “Grapefruit seems to be one of those foods.”

Best way to work them in: Peel and segment; cut into chunks and add to spinach salad. It’s also a great companion with shrimp or peeled, sliced jicama.

Almonds
Why you need them: Eating a handful of almonds a day, along with a healthy diet, might help you zap fat, suggests research published in the International Journal of Obesity. Diet-study participants who ate almonds daily for six months lost 18% of their body fat. Those who followed a diet with the same amount of calories and protein but swapped almonds for an equal number of calories in complex carbs (like wheat crackers) lost only 11%.

Best way to work them in: They’re a great at-your-desk snack—22 almonds add up to one serving. Another idea: chop them finely and add them to oatmeal or yogurt.

Chocolate
Why you need it: Can’t resist a little rich chocolate? No need to: Dark chocolate—and other foods high in antioxidants—may help prevent the accumulation of fat cells in the body, a precursor to heart disease and obesity, according to new research from Taiwan published in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry.

Best way to work it in: Melt a half-ounce of dark chocolate in the microwave for 30 seconds and spread it on half a graham cracker; it’s just 98 calories.

Navy beans
Why you need them: They’re loaded with resistant starch, a powerful fat burner (one half-cup serves up nearly 10 grams of resistant starch). If you eat navy beans and other foods rich in resistant starch at just one meal a day, you’ll burn 25% more fat than you would otherwise, according to researchers at the University of Colorado.

Best way to work them in: Saute diced onion and garlic in olive oil, add two cans of drained navy beans; puree and serve.

Another Example

Top Ten Foods To Lose Weight


 Blogpost Health and Nutrition Library

• The six DIET MISTAKES that are making us fat by Anna Magee

   Can I Talk You OUT of Being On a Diet EVER AGAIN?

• The 5 best foods you are not eating
•  John Gray on Weightloss

Rick Joyner gives his reasons for joining the Order of Malta

Why ever would a "first class" prophet of the Lord ever choose to be a part of a secret order run by Jesuits and linked at a fundamental level with the New World Order and Freemasonry? perhaps because he doesn't know? Or has he too been " turned " ? 

Consider Rick's words then contrast that with genuine information about the intents of the order below.And then see if you are as puzzled as I am.

Knights of Malta - Rick Joyner

Q. Why did I join the Knights of Malta? This remains a frequently asked question, so I want to answer it as completely as I can. The names that are left out in this account are because I have not had a chance to ask them if I could use their names. In 1987 I met a man from one of the old noble families of Eastern Europe. His family had owned a large and prosperous industry before the communist takeover in their country. In a conversation with him I was told about an extraordinary order of knights who were keeping alive the vision of chivalry and the defense of Christianity, and were waging a brave fight to reclaim what had been lost to the enemies of the cross. He explained that you could not join this order, but had to be recommended and proven to be true of the most stringent biblical standards of morality and integrity, and have risked your life for the sake of the gospel. I was very intrigued, and decided to research this order called "The Knights of Malta." I visited the island of Malta while in the navy, and at that time toured their old fortifications. I was very moved as I read about their historic exploits, but had no idea the order still existed. While reading about their battles against Islam during the Middle Ages, I felt it was one of the greatest stories of courage, endurance, and devotion to a calling since biblical times. Three times they faced the most powerful armies of Islam, out numbered by as many as one hundred to one, but vowed never to retreat before the enemies of the cross. They endured some of the most terrible sieges in the history of warfare, and to the astonishment of the whole world, these few brave knights prevailed. They almost single-handedly stopped the seemingly unstoppable hordes of Islam, saving Christian Europe. Over the next couple of years, I often traveled through Europe, and was surprised to find many who still revered the famous Knights of Malta. I became convinced that, even though the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but spiritual, there was a desperate need for such courageous souls to again band together and vow to retreat no further before the enemies of the cross. I saw many parallels in the history of the Knights of Malta, who are also called the Order of St. John (OSJ), with what I had been shown prophetically in the vision I was given about the coming harvest and the struggle that much of the world was about to face. In the mid and late 1980s a number of prophetic people that I know began to receive indications that communism was going to decline, but that what would arise to take its place would be far worse than communism had ever been. A number of us were shown that there would arise a combination of some of the elements of communism with Islamic extremism. This would not be a combination of communism with Islam as much as it would be a military alliance of some kind in which these extremists would gain access to weapons of mass destruction, and they would use them to terrorize the entire world. Others and myself gave many prophetic warnings about this in the late eighties, which we have repeated from time to time. We also believe that when things like this are shown to prophetic people it is for the purpose of stopping them. This can be done with prayer, repentance, or revival. We are not warring with flesh and blood, and our warfare is never against people, but the evil forces of darkness that can gain control of them. The call is for Christians to arise and do the same thing in the spirit that the OSJ did in the natural during the Middle Ages. Our weapons are the Word of God and His truth, which are infinitely more powerful. I was also shown that some of the great last day leaders of Christianity would emerge from these extreme Islamic groups who would be converted by the power of God. These would be as radical for Christ as they had been for Islam, and they would be willing to make any sacrifice required for the sake of the truth, and turn multitudes to life in Christ that they would have otherwise killed. Then I was shown that the Lord had preserved a remnant of true knights of the OSJ because they had a purpose in the great last day battle between light and darkness. One day I actually prayed that, even though I had never desired earthly honors or titles, I would like to become one of these knights. After this prayer, it seemed that hardly a month went by and prophetic people began saying that they had seen me being Aknighted by the Lord." Sometimes I was told this in public meetings, which I am sure many who were in our early meetings remember. During this time, while I was in Berlin speaking at a conference, Paul Cain and I had dinner with Colonel Eugene Bird. Col. Bird had been the American Commandant of the Spandau Prison, which housed the Nazi war criminals after the war, and was famous for the international bestseller he had written about Rudolf Hess titled The Loneliest Man In The World, (recently re-released as Prisoner Number Seven). Many now consider Col. Bird to be one of the foremost authorities on Nazi Germany. He is also one of the most fascinating people I have ever met. In the 1970s I was shown that what took place in Germany in the 1930s and 1940s was "a dress rehearsal" for the way the anti-Christ spirit would try to take over the world at the end. I had also studied that period of history for years. I began telling Col. Bird about my recent study of the interesting history of the Knights of Malta. To my surprise Col. Bird told me that he had recently been knighted by this Order, and that I too had been recommended for investiture by an Austrian baron. He also told me about a spiritual renewal that was taking place in the OSJ, and that some of this had come about because of my books which were being read by the knights. About a week later I was standing in a Nuremberg hotel lobby with some friends, when one of them announced the entry of the Austrian baron who Col. Bird had just told me about. As this man approached, I asked Bobby Conner to tell me if he saw anything prophetic about this man. Bobby began to share with him a vision that he had just seen of a strange briefcase, and that he had just visited the office of Kurt Waldheim. The baron was astonished because he had just had a briefcase custom made like the one Bobby described for Kurt Waldheim, and had just come from giving it to him in his office (Kurt Waldheim was at that time the President of Austria, but Bobby did not know who he was). The Austrian baron was already a believer in the prophetic, but he said that he had not seen anything on quite this level. This began a series of events that made Kurt Waldheim a believer as well. This was important for a significant prophetic/diplomatic meeting with one of the most powerful Arab leaders in the Middle East which would take place at a later date. This was when I first realized how some of the knights of the OSJ were being used for amazing spiritual-diplomatic achievements that were in the interest of the kingdom of God. A number of very influential world leaders were presented straightforwardly with the gospel, as well as given important prophetic information which came to pass. This was all very intriguing, but I began to have questions about joining the OSJ simply because I felt it was something that could be controversial and easily misunderstood by Christians who did not have the benefit of witnessing the kind of things that I had. I asked the Lord to show me clearly if this was something I should do that had a purpose. I don=t mind controversy, but I just want it to serve a purpose. A few days later one of my most trusted prophetic friends called me from Europe and said that the Lord was about to give me "an honor" and credentials that I would be able to use like Paul used his Roman citizenship. He had no idea what it was specifically, but I did. That was all the confirmation I needed as I was reminded of the many words that I had received about being knighted. It was at this time that I also happened upon a story about how the early Moravian bishops crossed the Alps to have the remnants of the early French reformation movements lay hands on them for their blessing. Because I knew there was a coming great world conflict with Islamic extremists, I wanted the blessing of the Order of their courage and resolve never to retreat before the enemies of the cross. I had been shown that the Lord was going to again raise up true knights of the Holy Spirit who would stand against this terrible onslaught, and again be used to turn it back. If the OSJ was going to again arise to stand as it had before, I wanted to be a part of it in any way that I could. I was also shown that there would be a controversy around the OSJ that would follow me, but that this too was a blessing from the Lord that would help to keep paranoid people away from us. For the onslaught that was to come, which was fear in many terrible forms, we would need the fellowship of those with unfailing courage. We would need the resolve to stay focused on who the real enemy was and not waste time fighting phantom enemies that paranoid people spend much of their time fighting. I was also shown that a reason for the rise in Islamic extremism was the moral pollution and perversion that was being spread over the earth from America and the West. Just as the Lord disciplined Israel's apostasy by allowing the heathen nations to carry them into captivity for a time, the United States was also in danger of actually being reduced from being a world power, and that we too could be carried into a terrible and oppressive captivity that would be imposed by Martial law in reaction to the terrorism. Just as the knights of the OSJ had to fight the hordes of Islam by day, and then battle fires within their fortress at night, what was coming would be a two front battle, both within and without. I believe if we are going to win this battle against the extremists from Islam, and the moral meltdown that is going on within, Christians will have to become true knights of the cross, and fight like them. There is going to be a revival of a true order of knights that will restore honor, nobility, and morality, to the nations. On both fronts, within and without, we are fighting for our very existence. In Daniel 11:31-32 we read something that is very relevant to this: "And forces from him will arise, desecrate the sanctuary fortress, and do away with the regular sacrifice. And they will set up the abomination of desolation." "And by smooth words he will turn to godlessness those who act wickedly toward the covenant, but the people who know their God will display strength and take action." Here we see that at the very time when the man of sin is setting up the abomination of desolation and turning many to godlessness, those "who know their God will display strength and take action." There are great and noble souls who are about to arise with unfailing resolve and courage to stand against the great darkness of all time. They do not have a retreat mentality, but they will "display strength and take action" right in the face of the ultimate evil. Q. Is The OSJ connected to the Masons? No. Neither are there any secret vows or rituals in the OSJ. The OSJ is a true Christian order, and the vows for knighthood are commitments to be servants of Christ and no other god, as well as to Christian truth and principles. The eight pointed Maltese Cross was designed to represent the eight beatitudes of Christ which the knight was to wear on his heart at all times as a constant reminder of what was to be in his heart. Because some believe that the origin of the Masons was the Knights Templer (Knights of the Temple), which also had its origin in the crusades at about the same time as the OSJ as well as a number of other orders, some have tried to assert that the Masons and OSJ are related. Actually, when the Templer knights were excommunicated for their secret vows and rituals that were considered to be witchcraft, they believed that the OSJ was behind their debacle, and some consider the OSJ to be the greatest enemy of the Masons to this day. However, most Masons, and members of the OSJ, are oblivious to this, as well as much of the rest of their history. I have also heard that in some countries Masons and the OSJ do work together for charitable causes that both are committed to, such as hospitals and medical relief. Some have also concluded that they are related because the head of each is called a Grand Master. These are simply titles that were left over from the Middle Ages, and such guilt by random association is a symptom of paranoia which may be an even greater danger in the future than any wayward order. Should Christians give up their title as priests to the Lord because there are satanic priests? We don=t throw away our real money because someone finds a counterfeit, neither should we give up our vocabulary just because the enemy decides to use it. Also, even though the majority of Masons are only aware of three degrees (Apprentice, Journeyman, and Master Mason) there is a secret society within some Masonic groups that recognize thirty-three degrees. Each of these degrees has a title, and the title given to the twenty-seventh degree is "Knight of Malta." Some assert that this proves there is a relationship between them, but they also use other Christian titles for some of these degrees, none of which do I believe relate to the Christian use of it. I do not think that we should give up any of them just because some Masons use them. As a Christian I am deeply alarmed by everything I have studied about the Masons. I do not know how any Christian can make the basic vow required for entry to the Masons. I have not, nor would I ever be a part of any secret society, or one that has secret rituals. The OSJ has neither. They do everything in the light, all of its vows and rituals are Christian, and are commitments to basic Christian doctrine. There are some who claim to be the true OSJ that do at least have teachings that I believe to be in conflict with basic Christian truth, but we also have groups that claim to be the true Christian church that do as well. Should Christians stop calling themselves the church because some who are not true Christians call themselves the church? Again, I do not intend to let those with such flawed reasoning dictate what I do or do not do, as I am committed to walking by faith, not by fear.   Q. Am I trying to start an elite group of Christians? Absolutely. I will not apologize for the fact that I am on a quest to find Christians who will rise above the lukewarm and fearful to be true knights of the cross, true nobility in the earth that will not compromise the biblical standards for morality, integrity, and commitment to sound biblical truth. I do believe that this is what the Lord intends for all of His people to be, but the fact is such are becoming increasingly rare. Will this be an "exclusive" club? Absolutely not. It will always be wide open to all who aspire to live for the Lord and not themselves, who are committed to fight the good fight of faith with all of the passion and zeal that our King deserves. Q. Do I think that we need orders in Christianity? Ideally no. I think that simply being a member of the body of Christ is the greatest honor that we can ever have on this earth. However, because of the present and historic weaknesses of the church in general, they have served a great purpose in creating spiritual advances, and will again do so for at least the near future. Just as Count Zinzendorf, the true father of modern missions, created the Order of the Mustard Seed, which touched and inspired men like John Wesley to release a spiritual fire in the earth that created the First Great Awakening in America and Europe, I think that the church is in desperate need of groups who will join together to press beyond the state of modern Christianity as it is generally found in most of the world. Call these "elitist" groups if you want, but we need them to call all Christians to higher standards of faith and life. I make no apologies for my plans to start one (which I will explain later), and to assist the OSJ to accomplish its mandate. Such a thing will only be offensive to the lukewarm and the fearful, which in the midst of our present distress, I do not believe we have the time to care about offending. For several years I have considered starting a special fellowship for those who will rise up to become true Christian knights of the Spirit. A year ago I was given a clear mandate from the Lord to do this, which He also showed me was given many years ago but I had not understood it as such. It is to be a fellowship of those who would walk in a manner worthy of their calling, never retreating before the enemies of the cross, or compromising their principles or integrity, intent on one mission—following the King, fighting His battles, and standing resolutely for His truth. As a part of this program we are also called to start a similar fellowship for children and youth. I appreciate programs like Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts, but the church is in need of something that greatly surpasses these programs in preparing the coming generation for their purpose. What we are now starting is a program that takes children from eight years old and plants sound doctrine deep in their hearts, while raising them up to be true knights of the Spirit who will live their entire lives as such. If they are alone in a foreign land, they will conduct themselves as such—always ready to defend the truth, the poor, and the oppressed, representing our King in a manner worthy of His soldiers. Recently I was given a little book of sermons by John G. Lake, one of the great Christian leaders of modern times. Lake not only had one of the most effective ministries in history, he seemed to be one of those rare souls who walked in a manner worthy of his calling to the end, never falling to the pride or other worldly seductions that trip up so many. He wrote shortly before he died in 1935: "I am getting ready in my soul, not to preach the old message with the old fire, but the new message with the new fire—not only to ask men to be good and go to heaven when they die, but to be God-like in character, nature, substance, and being. God is priming our souls. He is going to send forth the living waters and call by experience the new order of Knights of the Morning Star into being and action" (Spiritual Hunger and Other Sermons by John G. Lake, page 18. Published by Christ For The Nations, Inc.) When I saw this I did take it as a prophecy whose time had come. I am looking for those who will devote themselves to true spiritual chivalry and nobility who will not only speak the truth, but will live it. We are seeking the fellowship of those who will live by the courage that it will take to resist the great darkness of our times that is rising from both within and without. I am looking for extreme Christians who will not hesitate to lay down their lives for the sake of the gospel. I am looking for those who will conduct themselves as the true nobility in the earth, sons and daughters of the King, even when they are alone with no one to see them but God. I am looking for those who will live with a eal that burns away the chaff of lukewarmness that so grips modern Christianity, but do it without falling to the ultimate sin of pride, who will remain humble by being teachable, and who will consider it their duty to serve the poor and the oppressed until every captive has been set free. Q. If the OSJ is not a secret order why have so few Christians have heard of it? I think that few American Christians have heard of it, and we do tend to have the pride that if something does not start with us, or is not known by us, it must not be important. Before I was knighted I thoroughly checked out the OSJ to be sure that there were not secret vows or rituals, which I am steadfastly against as I believe that anything that has to be done in secret is of darkness, and my resolution is to walk in the light. I found that there were many groups that claimed to be the true remnant of the OSJ, and many of these had fallen to weird, if not demonic, practices. I also studied the position that the Roman Catholic OSJ had taken when it was re-commissioned, declaring themselves to alone be the true order, which, in my opinion is the same erroneous position that they had taken when they declared themselves to be the only true church. From my research I concluded that the OSJ that had recommended me for investiture was in fact the one that had the greatest claim on this great title. When I talked to the head of the Order about this he said very generously that the OSJ was now much like the church, divided into many different groups, some of which claimed to be the only valid one, but that he was committed to Arecognizing all who were true knights of the cross, as such." It is true that there are many weird groups on the fringe of the church that claim to be the true church who are now at best sects, and some of which have become cults. Should we stop calling ourselves the church because of them? Of course not. In fact these help purify the motives of those who are a part of the church, as do many of these strange groups who also claim to be knights of Malta. I have many other things that I will be sharing about this in the future, but time prevents me from doing so now. However, you can be sure that we will be open and forthright about all that we do and why. I do appreciate people's questions about it, though I do confess to not wanting to waste time with those who I feel are in the grip of invalid spiritual fears and paranoia. I do not expect everyone to agree with us, and do believe that just as almost all of Europe considered the OSJ "archaic relics from the past" until they rose up and saved Europe, we do not expect to be understood or appreciated by much of the church today. Honestly, that is not important to me anyway. I just want to know that I am being obedient to the King, Jesus. Epic spiritual battles are now being fought. Great knights of the Spirit are now gathering, and are likewise vowing to never retreat before the enemies of the cross. They are taking their stand against the great powers of darkness that even now seem to be covering the earth, seeking to build their strongholds of deception and corruption in every nation and culture. Brave spiritual knights are gathering to take their stand against these hordes from hell. They are building their own strongholds on truth, honor, and true spiritual chivalry. Our fight will take no less courage, endurance, and focused vision to prevail. We would do well to review, and take courage from the great history of the Order of St. John. I wrote a booklet on the history of the OSJ titled, Courage That Changed the World, which you can order on this website, or by calling our toll free number 1-800-542-0278. Now compare what you just read with these facts...(more recent video) .

A New Creation by Doug Fortune

Through a post by Annelize Mouton on Facebook

"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." (2 Corinthians 5:17)

The next part of the verse goes on to say, "Old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."

As I was meditating on the words, "old things," of course I thought of things in the past, but then I had a startling revelation... What if "old things" also include those things that have the propensity toward decay, that have the probability of losing FRESHness? What if everything around us could be permanently impacted with the reFRESHing that the Presence of the Lord within us brings?

"Behold, all things are become new!"

Before we move on to the obvious part of the verse proclaiming "all things are become new," let us consider a very important word that sets the very stage for all things to become new... BEHOLD!

"The light of the body is the EYE: if therefore thine EYE be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!" (Matthew 6:22-23) The eye speaks of our vision, and our vision is what illuminates our entire life. "Single" vision speaks of our perspective. The word translated as "single" is haplous in Greek and has the following meanings- a particle of UNION, properly folded together, that is, single.

The question is, What do we see?... and what is our perspective! It is possible to have absolutely clear 20/20 vision, but if our perspective is bad, we cannot "see" properly.

I believe that Father is not only bringing clarity of vision, but also releasing a new perspective. He is taking us to the next dimension... what I might call the "Throne Zone." The only way I can begin to convey what I am seeing in the Spirit is by painting a visual panorama. I will utilize the analogy of the Tabernacle and going Beyond the Veil into the Holy of Holies, as it is easy to understand. Metaphorically speaking, so far there has been a directional linear progression as we have been moving from the Outer Court (the Evangelical experience), to the Holy Place (the Pentecostal/ Charismatic experience), and through the Veil into the Holy of Holies experience. However, once beyond the Veil, everything changes.

By prayer, via the Golden Altar of Incense, you have just stepped from the Holy Place through the Veil into the Holy of Holies. Suddenly you are aware of only ONE thing- HIM! His manifest Presence is so all-encompassing that you lose all sense of "self!" You feel your perspective changing, turning... your vision has shifted. You are no longer looking through your own eyes toward the Mercyseat in the Holy of Holies. You are IN the Mercyseat, looking outward through His eyes. The closer you look, you see that there is NO Veil, there is NO division, there is NO separation. The Holy of Holies and the Holy Place are one. In fact the Holy Place and the Outer Court are one. You are in the "Throne Zone."

We can gain some insight into the Throne of God from the book of Ezekiel; "Then I looked, and, behold, in the firmament that was above the head of the cherubims there appeared over them as it were a sapphire stone, as the appearance of the likeness of a THRONE... And their whole body, and their backs, and their hands, and their wings, and the wheels, were full of EYES ROUND ABOUT, even the wheels that they four had." (Ezekiel 10:1, 12) The "Throne Zone" is a place of new perspective and vision, full of EYES round and about! Ezekiel chapter one speaks also of this place, "Now as I beheld the living creatures, behold one wheel upon the earth by the living creatures, with his four faces... and their appearance and their work was as it were a WHEEL in the MIDDLE of a WHEEL... As for their rings, they were so high that they were dreadful; and their rings were full of EYES ROUND ABOUT them four." (Ezekiel 1:15-18)

The view from the "Throne Zone" is not a directional linear progression! In my way of thinking, EYES round and about speaks of a perspective that encompasses all perspectives. It is a view much like what quantum physics would call "superposition."

It is my understanding that according to the observer effect, if the outcome of an event has not been observed, it exists in a state of "superposition," which is akin to being in all possible states at once. The result of this is that sub-atomic particles actually pop into existence when you go looking for them (under a very powerful microscope, of course). Do you see the incredible spiritual parallel here? The view from the "Throne Zone" creates an atmosphere of expectancy, providing a "blank canvas" upon which the realization of possibilities can be "painted" into reality!

BEHOLD!... When my vision is in UNION, one with Father's eyes, folded together IN Him, I see beyond my previous perspectives and dimensions. In this next "dimension" you find that there is really only ONE "dimension" and that dimension sees all perspectives.

Friend, the next "dimension" in God includes, encompasses and supersedes all previous "dimensions."

From this vantage point we can't help but cry, "Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory." (Isaiah 6:3)

From this vantage point it IS indeed "in earth as in heaven."

John the Revelator proclaimed, "And I SAW a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea." (Revelation 21:1) I find it interesting that he did not say, There WAS a new heaven and a new earth... He says, I SAW a new heaven and a new earth. What do we SEE? Do we SEE a new heaven and a new earth? I believe we must SEE a new heaven and a new earth before there will BE a new heaven and a new earth.

Let us move on to the next part of this unfolding revelation, "Behold, all things are become new!" The word translated as "are become" is ginomai in Greek, and it is the "gen" in the English word generate or genesis. Its' meanings also include- to cause to be, that is, to become, to come into being. I particularly like the idea of a new genesis, a new beginning, regeneration! "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of reGENERATION, and reNEWing of the Holy Ghost." (Titus 3:5)

This makes me think of the encounter between Jesus and the Samaritan woman at Jacob's well. I don't believe that He saw her merely as a Samaritan, or merely as a woman, or even as a woman with a history of dysfunctional relationships. He SAW her destiny as a new creation, and what He offered this woman at the well was a new genesis, a new beginning, regeneration!

http://www.dougfortune.org/a429.htm

Ephesians - Francois Du Toit Mirror excerpt

The second thing we encounter in the tabernacle, the temple of God, after the Lamb slain,
or the bullock slain,or the goats slain.....whatever, the second feature is the Laver.
The Mirror of God's Word to us. Authentic Being. Ps 42 "Deep calls to deep..."
Packed into the one burnished mirror shiny object is all the baptisms combined....even the concept of being baptised out from our lone state in the world into God's Covenant people....even the concept of ceremonial washing for what God always had in mind, a people of priests. A royal priesthood. A holy nation. Moses said when someone reported back that some "lone ranger prophets were prophesying unbidden among the people"..."Would that all God's people were prophets. The Mirror translation from the original Greek is all this.






Click below and above to learn more about the Mirror Word by Francois DuToit  (pronounced DuToy in South African)

LETTER TO THE EPHESIANS
CHAPTER 1
1:1 Paul, employed by the delightful resolve of God and commissioned to represent Jesus
Christ to the saints in Ephesus; also to every believer in Christ Jesus.
1:2 I greet you with the grace and peace that proceed from God the Father and the Lord
Jesus Christ.
1:3 Let’s celebrate God! He has lavished every blessing heaven has upon us in Christ!
1:4 He associated us in Christ before the fall of the world! Jesus is God's mind made up
about us! He always knew in his love that he would present us again face to face before him
in blameless innocence. (The implications of the fall are completely cancelled out, katabalo -
“to fall away, to put in a lower place,” instead of themelios - “foundation” see 2:20 - Thus
translated “the fall of the world” instead of “the foundation of the world.” God found us in
Christ before he lost us in Adam!)
1:5 He is the architect of our design; his heart dream realized our coming of age in Christ.
(Adoption here is not what it means in our Western society, it is a coming of age, like the
typical Jewish Barmitsva. See Gal.4:1-6 “…and to seal our sonship the spirit of his son echoes
Abba Father in our hearts.”. Greek, huiothesia).
1:6 His grace-plan is to be celebrated: he greatly endeared us and highly favored us in
Christ; his love for his Son is his love for us.
1:7 Since we are (fully represented) in him, his blood is the ransom that secures our
redemption. His forgiving us our sins measures the wealth of his grace.
1:8 This grace shown towards us communicates a wisdom and discernment of our worth
that completely surpasses any definition.
1:9 The secret is out! His cherished love-dream now unfolds in front of our very eyes.
1:10 In the economy (oikonomia) of the fullness of time, everything culminates in Christ; all
that is in heaven and all that is on earth is reconciled in him. (Phillips, “All human history
shall be consummated in Christ, everything that exists in heaven or earth shall find its
perfection and fulfillment in him.” Knox, “All that is in heaven, all that is on earth, summed
up in him!”)
- 114 -
1:11 This is how we fit into God's picture, Christ is the measure of our portion, we are in
him; invented and defined in him. God's blueprint intention is on exhibition in us, everything
he accomplishes is inspired by the energy and intent of his affection. (See Romans 8:29 “He
engineered us from the start to fit the mould of sonship and likeness according to the exact
blueprint of his design. We see the original and intended shape of our lives preserved in his
Son; he is the firstborn from the same womb that reveals our genesis. He confirms that we
are the invention of God.”)
1:12 It was our initial privilege (as Jews) to cherish the Messianic hope; our lives in Christ
were destined to promote the celebration of his glorious plan with man (doxa, intention,
opinion.).
1:13 Now you (Gentiles) also have discovered yourselves to be equally included in him
having witnessed the unveiled logic of God. (The Word of truth, alethea, from a + lanthano,
not hidden) What exciting news! Your salvation is publicly announced. Consistent with the
promise of God, the Holy Spirit gives guarantee to the fact of your faith, like the stamp of a
signet ring that certifies a document. You are in him!
1:14 The Holy Spirit is our tangible link (title deed) to the inheritance that was ransomed
and preserved for us. God's glorious plan for man is the theme of our celebration.
(Guarantee, or earnest, arabon a Hebrew word, to braid, two parties intertwine by giving
something as surety and pledge. The pledge represents the full transaction. The legal
document or title deed represents the complete value of the transaction. Like a wedding ring
represents the marriage.)
1:15 I am sure you can appreciate how the news of your faith and love greatly inspires me.
1:16 I am so happy for you; my thoughts and prayers are full of you.
1:17 I desire that you will draw directly from the source; that the God of our Lord Jesus
Christ, the Father of glory ignites the spirit of wisdom and of revelation in you in the
unveiling of his Master Plan (his intent, doxa glory.) I desire that you know by revelation
what he has known about you all along!
1:18 I pray that your thoughts will be flooded with light and inspired insight; that you will
clearly picture his intent in identifying you in him so that you may know how precious you
are to him. The saints are his treasure and the glorious trophy of his portion! (We are God's
assets and the measure of his wealth!)
1:19 I pray that you will understand beyond all comparison the magnitude of his mighty
power towards us who believe. Faith reveals how enormously advantaged we are in Christ.
- 115 -
1:20 It is the same dynamic energy that he unleashed in Christ when he raised him from
the dead and forever established him in the power of his own right hand in the realm of the
heavens.
1:21 Infinitely above all the combined forces of rule, authority, dominion or governments;
he is ranked superior to any name that could ever be given to anyone of this age or any age
still to come in the eternal future.
1:22 I want you to see this: he subjected all these powers under his feet. He towers head
and shoulders above everything. He is the head,
1:23 the church (his redeemed image and likeness in man) is his body. The completeness of
his being that fills all in all resides in us! God cannot make himself more visible or exhibit
himself more accurately.
CHAPTER 2
2:1 Picture where God found us, we were in a death trap of an inferior lifestyle, constantly
living below the blueprint measure of our lives. (Sin, hamartia, ha + meros, without our
allotted portion)
2:2 We were all part of a common pattern, swept along under a powerful invisible
influence; a spirit- energy that adopted us as sons to its dictate through unbelief.
2:3 Throughout that time everyone of us were warped and corrupted in our conduct
snared in a jumble of forbidden lusts; driven by the desires of the senses, totally engaged in
an expression of life ruled by mind games; it was as if a twisted passion parented a universal
breed of people.
2:4 None of this could distract from the extravagant love of God; he continued to love us
with the exact same intensity.
2:5 This is how grace rescued us: sin left us dead towards God, like spiritual corpses; then
comes the resurrection of Christ; in that moment, he simultaneously co-quickened us
together with Christ. (Exactly as Hosea prophesied it 800 BC) While sin proved how dead we
then were, grace reveals how alive we now are. Even when we were dead in our trespasses,
he made us alive together with him, and raised us up together with him. (God saw us in
Christ in his death and resurrection before we saw ourselves there! Hosea 6:2 declares our
co-resurrection with Christ before anyone but God believed it!)
2:6 (As much as we were co-included in his death,) we are co-included in his resurrection.
- 116 -
We are also elevated in his ascension to be equally welcome in the throne room of the
heavenly realm where we are seated together with him in his executive authority. We are
fully represented in Christ Jesus.
2:7 (In a single triumphant act of righteousness God saved us from the guttermost to the
uttermost. Here we are now, revealed in Christ in the highest possible position of bliss! If
man's sad history could not distract from the extravagant love of God,) imagine how God is
now able for timeless perpetuity (the eternal future) to exhibit the trophy of the wealth of
his grace demonstrated in his kindness towards us in Christ Jesus. Grace exhibits excessive
evidence of the success of the cross.
2:8 Your salvation is not a reward for good behaviour! It was a grace thing from start to
finish; you had no hand in it. Even the gift to believe simply reflects his faith! (You did not
invent faith; it was God's faith to begin with! It is from faith to faith, Rom 1:17 He is both the
source and conclusion of faith, Heb 12:2)
2:9 If this could be accomplished through any action of yours then there would be ground
for boasting.
2:10 We are engineered by his design; he moulded and manufactured us in Christ. We are
his workmanship, his poetry. (God finds inspired expression of Christ in us. Greek, poeima,)
We are fully fit to do good, equipped to give attractive evidence of his likeness in us in
everything we do. (God has done everything possible to find spontaneous and effortless
expression of his character in us in our everyday lifestyle. Greek, proetoimatso, God has
prepared a highway for us to lead us out like kings, just like it was in Oriental custom, where
people would go before a king to level the roads to make it possible for the king to journey
with ease and comfort. Isa 40:3-5)
2:11 Remember where you came from; (not only were you spiritually dead but) it wasn't
long ago when you were still classified as non-Jewish, judging on the surface you had
nothing that linked you to them. They sneered at you because you didn’t share their
distinguishing mark of circumcision, which was their claim to fame!
2:12 During that time you were distanced from the Messianic hope; you had nothing in
common with Israel; you felt foreign to the covenants of prophetic promise, living a life with
nothing to look forward to in a world where God seemed absent.
2:13 But now, wow! Everything has changed; you have discovered yourselves to be located
in Christ. What once seemed so distant is now so near; his blood reveals your redeemed
innocence and authentic value.
2:14 It is in him that we are one and at peace with everyone; he dissolved every definition
- 117 -
of division.
2:15 In his incarnation, he rendered the entire Jewish system of ceremonial laws and
regulations useless as a measure to justify human life and conduct. In that he died
humanity’s death all ground for tension and hostility was entirely removed. The peace he
proclaims reveals one new human race, created and defined in Christ, instead of two groups
of people separated by their ethnic identity and differences.
2:16 Both parties are fully represented and reconciled to God in one human body through
the cross. He reinstated the former harmony; all opposing elements were thus utterly
defeated.
2:17 On that basis he made his public appearance, proclaiming the good news of peace to
universal mankind; both those who felt left out in the cold, (as far as the promises and
covenants were concerned,) as well as to those who were near all along, (because of their
Jewish identity.)
2:18 Because of Christ both Jew and Gentile now enjoy equal access to the Father in one
Spirit.
2:19 The conclusion is clear, you are no longer frowned upon as a foreigner; you are where
you belong and part of an intimate family where no-one is suspicious or inferior.
2:20 Your lives now give visible definition to the spiritual structure, having been built into it
by God upon the foundation that the prophets and apostles proclaimed. The first evidence
of this building was Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone. (He is the first visible
testimony to the restored image and likeness of God in human form.)
2:21 In him everyone of us are like living Lego blocks fitted together of the same fabric
(conversation), giving ever increasing articulation to a mobile sanctuary intertwined in the
Lord.
2:22 In him you are co-constructed together as God's permanent spiritual residence. You
are God’s address!
CHAPTER 3
3:1 My ministry is not measured by the size of my cell, I am confined by his grace; Christ
Jesus is the prison keeper; you are why I am here. (Grace measures my ministry; this cell
cannot hide my message from you!)
- 118 -
3:2 (I may be hidden away in a prison, but my ministry is not.) It is common knowledge that
I have been entrusted with a message that reveals how included you Gentiles are in the
grace gift of God.
3:3 You must have heard how this mystery was revealed to me, in a dramatic disclosure
that broke the silence of a long kept secret. I have previously written briefly about this.
3:4 In reading these words you will perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ. (Insight,
understanding, sunesis, a joining together like two streams)
3:5 In no previous generation has there been a more comprehensive and detailed
understanding (of the full consequence of grace) as it has now been uncovered in the Spirit
to his ambassadors who brought the prophetic promise into full view! Mankind (the sons of
men) may now realise that the prophetic word is fulfilled in them! Everything the prophets
saw is now declared! Both the prophets (who saw this in advance) and the apostles (who
now proclaim this) are sanctioned in Christ.
3:6 The essence of what I see reveals the fact that the multitude of humanity are joint
participants in the same inheritance (together with Israel), we are all part of one and the
same body in Christ. The Good news is that God's promise is equally relevant and applicable
to all.
3:7 This Gospel defines my ministry; I am supercharged by the gift of his grace!
3:8 I am the lowest ranked saint by far. (My claim to fame emphasizes the fact that grace is
a gift and certainly not a reward for good behavior.) His grace alone qualifies me to declare
this unexplored treasure of Christ in the nations.
3:9 The mandate of my message is to make all men see. The unveiling of this eternal secret
is to bring into public view an association that has always been hidden in God; Jesus Christ is
the blueprint of creation.
3:10 Every invisible authority and government in the arena of the heavenlies is now
confronted with the display of the wisdom of God. The church acts like a prism that
disperses the varied magnitude of God in human form.
3:11 Jesus Christ our Boss and Owner gives definition to God’s timeless pre-determined
thought ( pro-thesis ).
3:12 His faith in us gives our lives integrity. We echo and articulate the original
conversation publicly. (In him we express ourselves freely and openly) He is our platform to a
global audience.
- 119 -
3:13 You have no reason to feel embarrassed or responsible because of what I am
suffering; rather feel honoured!
3:14 Overwhelmed by what grace communicates, I bow my knees in awe before the Father.
3:15 Every family in heaven and on earth originate in him; he remains the authentic and
original identity of every nation.
3:16 I desire for you to realise what the Father has given you from his own limitless
resources, so that you may be dynamically reinforced in your inner being by the Spirit of
God.
3:17 This will impact your faith with capacity to fully grasp the reality of the indwelling
Christ. You are rooted and founded in Love. Love is your invisible inner source just like the
root system of a tree and the foundation of a building. (The dimension of your inner person
exceeds any other measure that could possibly define you. “The Holy Spirit becomes to me
what he was to Jesus, the very life of my personality” - Andrew Murray).
3:18 This is your reservoir of super human strength which causes you as saints to
collectively grasp (come to terms with, make one’s own, empowered to comprehend) the
limitless extent of his love in breadth, in length, in height (rank), and the extremities of its
depths. (See John 1:12)
3:19 I desire for you to become intimately acquainted with the love of Christ on the
deepest possible level; far beyond the reach of a mere academic, intellectual grasp. Within
the scope of this equation God finds the ultimate expression of himself in you (so that you
may be filled with all the fullness of God).
3:20 We celebrate him who super charges us powerfully from within. Our biggest request
or most amazing dream cannot match the extravagant proportion of his thoughts towards
us.
3:21 He owns the applause displayed in the church (his redeemed image and likeness),
confirmed in Christ Jesus. The encore continues throughout every generation, not only of
this age but also of the countless ages to come. Amen!
CHAPTER 4
4:1 So here I am in prison; but much more than that do I realize that I am in Christ! My
complete existence is defined and confined in him. (We are indeed seated together with him
- 120 -
in heavenly places! 2:6 no distraction can) With this in mind I would urge you to conduct the
detail of your day to day life conscious of your true identity and worth as defined in him. (To
walk worthy, axios, having the weight of another thing of like value, worth as much. Your
calling or vocation, from kaleo, to surname, to identify by name)
4:2 Be mindful of the fact that meekness and tenderness are the fabric of your make-up
which enables you to show compassion even in seemingly impossible situations, eagerly
bearing with one another in an environment where love rules.
4:3 Being vigilant to guard your oneness of spirit. We are prisoners of peace. We confirm
the fact that there is only one body; also that there is only one Spirit.
4:4 We are identified in one expectation (hope), there is no plan B. We bear the same
surname.
4:5 We are employed by the same Boss; we share the same faith, and our baptism says the
same thing (we are equally included in his death and resurrection.)
4:6 There is only one God. He remains the ultimate Father of the universe. We are because
he is. He is present in all; he is above all, through all and in all. (He is not far from each one of
us; in him we live and move and have our being; we are indeed his offspring. Acts17:24-28).
4:7 The gift of Christ gives dimension to grace and defines our individual value. (Grace was
given to each one of us according to the measure of the gift of Christ)
4:8 Scripture confirms that he led us as trophies in his triumphant procession on high; he
repossessed his gift (likeness) in man. (2:6 We are also elevated in his ascension to be equally
welcome in the throne room of the heavenly realm where we are now seated together with
him in his authority. Quote from the Hebrew text, Ps. 68:18, lakachta mattanoth baadam,
thou hast taken gifts in man, in Adam. The gifts which Jesus Christ distributes to man he has
received in man, in and by virtue of his incarnation. Commentary by Adam Clarke.)
4:9 The fact that he ascended confirms his victorious descent into the deepest pits of
human despair. (See John 3:13, "No one has ascended into heaven but he who descended
from heaven, even the son of man." All mankind originate from above; we are anouthen,
from above, see James 1:17,18.)
4:10 He now occupies the ultimate rank of authority from the lowest regions, where he
stooped down to rescue us from, to the highest authority in the heavens, having executed
his mission to the full. (Fallen man is fully restored to the authority of the life of his design.)
4:11 What God now has in us is gift wrapped to the world; some are commissioned to
- 121 -
pioneer; others are gifted prophetically; some as announcers of good news; some as
shepherds with a real gift to care and nurture, and others have a gift to ignite instruction
through revelation knowledge. (Couriers, communicators, counsellors and coaches. Rob
Lacey)
4:12 Each expression of his gift is to fully equip and enable the saints for the work of the
ministry so that they may mutually contribute in their specific function to give definition to
the visible body of Christ.
4:13 The purpose of these ministry gifts is to present everyone on par and in oneness of
faith; believing exactly what the Son of God believes and knowing accurately what he knows
concerning us. Standing face to face in equal stature to the measure of the completeness of
Christ. (A life filled to the brim with Christ, like a freight ship carrying its cargo.)
4:14 The most dangerous life you can live is an ignorant one. You're left like an infant on a
ship out of control in the waves and winds of the storms of life. The fall of the dice dictates
while the deceptive teachings of men and their distracting tricks entertain.
4:15 Love (the revealed value that God sees in every man) gives truth its voice. The
conversation that truth inspires (as it is mirrored in Christ, v 21) creates the atmosphere
wherein growth is both spontaneous and inevitable. The whole person is addressed in Christ
who is the head of the body; he is the conclusion of God's communication with man.
4:16 From him flows the original composition and detail of our design like words
intertwined in poetry, (like a conductor of music, epichoregeo) they connect layer upon layer
to complete the harmony, following the rhythm of his thoughts like footprints. Meanwhile
the body thrives and pulsates with the energy of love. Each individual part (portion) finds its
full measure there. (Verses 8-16: “Couriers, communicators, counselors and coaches. All with
the same brief: to get the crew to work together and to do others good. The church is not
dismembered, dysfunctional body, but a fully functional, well balanced, coordinated lover of
people.” - Rob Lacey)
4:17 My most urgent appeal to you in the Lord is this: you have nothing in common with
the folly of the empty minded masses; the days of conducting your life and affairs in a
meaningless way are over! (Masses of people are walking in the vanity of their minds.)
4:18 Their understanding is veiled by an interception of light (an image cast by an object,
representing the form of that object) Therefore the life of God remains obscure and foreign
to them because ignorance blindfolds their hearts. (They are darkened in their
understanding of the truth of their redeemed identity; therefore they appear to be alienated
from the life of God.)
- 122 -
4:19 Having become conditioned to a life distanced from God; they are calloused in spirit,
and are lust and greed driven; they have totally abandoned themselves to outrageous
shameless living.
4:20 Of what total contrast is Christ!
4:21 It is not possible to study Christ in any other context; he is the incarnation, hear him
resonate in you! The truth about you has its ultimate reference in Jesus. ("The truth as it is in
Christ." He did not come to introduce a new compromised set of rules; he is not an example
for us but of us!)
4:22 Now you are free to strip off that old identity like a filthy worn-out garment. Lust
corrupted you and cheated you into wearing it. (Just like an actor who wore a cloak for a
specific role he had to interpret; the fake identity is no longer appropriate!)
4:23 (Pondering the truth about you as it is displayed in Christ) will cause you to be
completely reprogrammed in the way you think about yourself! (This happens in the spirit of
your mind, on a much deeper level than a mere intellectual and academic consent.)
4:24 Immerse yourself fully into this God-shaped new man from above! You are created in
the image and likeness of God. This is what righteousness and true holiness are all about.
4:25 Faking it and lying to one another was part of the old life; now speak always only that
which truth inspires to your fellowman. (Truth as it is in Christ, v 21) We are related to one
another like different parts in the same body, (cheating him would be cheating yourself!)
4:26 Even if you think you have a valid excuse, do not let anger dominate your day! If you
don't deal with it immediately (in the light of the likeness of Christ in you) the sun sets for
you and your day becomes one of lost opportunity where darkness employs anger to snare
you into sin.
4:27 Any sin that you tolerate is an open invitation to the devil. Do not give him a platform
to operate from.
4:28 If you were a thief before, you are one no more. Find an honest job where the fruit of
your labor can be a blessing to others!
4:29 Instead of cheap talk, your mouth is now a fountain of grace, giving encouragement
and inspiration to everyone within earshot.
4:30 The Holy Spirit is your signet ring from God to confirm that you are redeemed to live
your life in the light of day, any conduct that belongs to the night grieves him.
- 123 -
4:31 Take up the strongest possible position against every form of distorted behaviour in
your own life, do not allow yourself to be spiteful; outbursts of violent emotion and rage do
not become you. You don't have to shout in order to make your point. People must feel safe
in your conversation, therefore slander and hurtful words (blasphemy) are out!
4:32 Be inspired by kindness and compassion; your forgiving one another when you might
feel irritated and frustrated, demonstrates the way God graciously treated us in Christ.
CHAPTER 5
5:1 Mimic God; you are his offspring.
5:2 This is how: let the love of Christ be your life; remember how he abandoned himself to
us. His love is contagious, not reluctant but extravagant. Sacrificial love pleases God like the
sweet aroma of worship. (Resembling the holy anointing oil and the pure fragrant incense of
spices, the work of a perfumer, to be burnt on the golden altar of incense in the inner court of
the tent of meeting. Ex.37:25-29.)
5:3 Love has nothing in common with lust, immoral acts or greed. The absence of these
motives even in the way you talk sets a standard of excellence.
5:4 Any distorted language (disfigured, exaggeration), sarcasm or below the belt jokes are
uncalled for; much rather let gratitude grace your conversation.
5:5 The Christ-life gives distinct definition to the kingdom of God. You cannot live a doublestandard
life. Abusing people through adultery, lust and greed is like worshipping a distorted
image of yourself, which is what idolatry is all about.
5:6 Avoid any association with those who employ hollow words to entice you; unbelief only
produces a breed of people that distorts the pattern of the harmony of the life of our design
as image bearers of God. (orge, from oregomai, to stretch one’s self out in order to touch or
to grasp something, to reach after or desire something; thus to distort.)
5:7 Do not allow their unbelief to include you in their company.
5:8 You were there once, trapped in the same darkness, but now you are light; your life
confirms that light rules.
5:9 The spiritual harvest of light is evident in all that is excellent, innocent (righteous) and
of impeccable integrity.
- 124 -
5:10 This gives certain evidence to the life of God's delight.
5:11 Do not tolerate anything in your life that associates you with darkness; there is no
profit in it for you. Rather expose it for what it really is.
5:12 By gossiping about shameful acts that people do in secret you are giving those things
undue mileage.
5:13 Darkness loses its grip upon that which light manifests. Light displaces darkness.
5:14 This is the message of light, Christ awakens you from your intoxicated slumber and
resurrects you out of a death trap (of thought patterns.)
5:15 Take accurate stock of your life, cut out foolishness, walk in wisdom.
5:16 Wisdom converts time into opportunity, and frees your day from slog.
5:17 Make his master plan your meditation.
5:18 While wine offers no lasting escape from the evil of the day, the spirit certainly does!
Immerse yourselves in fullness of spirit.
5:19 Speak psalms to one another; burst out in spontaneous celebration songs and spirit
inspired resonance. In your heart don't let the music stop; continue to touch the Lord with
whispers of worship.
5:20 Because you are identified in the Name of Jesus Christ, you can afford to always
overflow in gratitude to the Father, (not for everything that happens to you but) in spite of
everything that happens to you; you are not under circumstances but above circumstances
because you are in him!
5:21 Inspired by the selfless consideration you witnessed in Christ, (the way he abandoned
himself to the will of God and to us, verse 2) show perfect courtesy to one another.
5:22 (Marriage is a portrait of this mutual yielding to one another) wives give yourselves
fully unto your husbands as you would to the Lord. (Remember, v2 love is contagious, not
reluctant but extravagant. Sacrificial love pleases God like the sweet aroma of worship.)
5:23 In the same way that Christ gives salvation, security and completeness to the church
as the head does to the body, the husband is all of that to his wife.
- 125 -
5:24 The church enjoys the full advantage of the complete package of salvation, by yielding
themselves fully to Christ; even so the wife enjoys every benefit her husband represents in
her abandonment to him.
5:25 The husband loving his wife pictures the parallel of Christ loving the church
completely, and his unreserved giving of himself to us. (This is what marriage is all about; it
celebrates love's initiative, whether coming from the husband or the wife; this awakens a
different level of commitment beyond the sense of duty or guilt.)
5:26 Christ gives God's Word a voice; immersed in this language, his love words bathe us
and remove from us every stain of sin.
5:27 This intimate language presents the church (his restored image and likeness) to
himself, to his delightful approval without any distraction or reminder of a blemished past,
no wrinkle or scar of sin's abuse remains; she stands before him in immaculate innocence.
(1Kings 6:7)
5:28 (A man could go though many disciplines in life to make himself look good financially
or even go to great expense to win the applause of others; he could diligently workout in the
gym and trim his body to perfection) but the most valuable thing he can ever do to add value
to his own life, is to love his wife; loving your wife equals loving your own body.
5:29 Consider how abnormal it would be for a man to abhor and detest his own body; the
opposite is true! You would much rather pamper and fuss over your bodies. (It's all you've
got, you can't trade it in for a new one, so take good care of it, watch what you feed it and
how you exercise it, and gently nurse it when it is in pain.) Get the message, you are the
body of Christ; he does not merely tolerate you politely, he delights himself in you!
5:30 We are his flesh and bone body; bearing his image and likeness we give tangible
expression of him.
5:31 Marriage reflects this union; a man would separate himself from his own parents to be
glued to his wife; thus two separate people are now merged into one new identity. (In the
same way he elevated us from our natural birth as our only identity to an understanding of
our origin in him confirmed again in our new birth, his resurrection, and our subsequent
restored joint position together with him in heavenly places; thus he brought about a new
union of intimate oneness; God and man revealed again in one Person.)
5:32 The secret of a successful marriage is reflected in this inseparable union between
Christ and the church as God’s redeemed image and likeness in man. (This union ultimately
defines both marriage and church, any other definition is a distorted man-made deception.)
- 126 -
5:33 In conclusion then, no one has any excuse to love his wife less than what he loves
himself; at the same time every wife is now free and fully empowered to honor her husband
in the same context and devotion as the church would respond to the initiative of Christ.
CHAPTER 6
6:1 (This mutual yielding to one another continues in every social relationship we engage
in; and extends the attractive display of the Christ life: beginning at home, cradled in the
warm embrace of loving parents,) the way children respond to their parents give evidence to
their righteousness in the Lord. (In essence the term righteousness speaks of two parties
honoring likeness in one another.)
6:2 The first commandment that includes an immediate and long term incentive is in
reference to children honoring their father and mother.
6:3 Both quality and duration of life on earth is impacted by the way children relate to their
parents.
6:4 Fathers your role is not to exasperate your children (by giving them burdens and tasks
too heavy to bear,) you are rather to awaken their minds in an environment conducive to
draw on every virtue that is in them in the Lord.
6:5 The next level of relationship equally implicated includes the heart attitude of a slave
towards his owner, because of your devotion to Christ, you are now able to give your boss
the same undivided, sincere respect and devotion. (Remember we are talking practical
church/Christ-life, celebrating love's initiative in transforming society!)
6:6 This is not a matter of merely trying to put up a front in order to impress your boss, you
are in essence slaves of Christ; addicted to the desire of God to find expression in you; now
slave life becomes the Christ life. (The so called 'low life' becomes a window of the highest
life.)
6:7 However menial the task, put your heart and mind into it as you would unto the Lord,
he's your real Boss, not man.
6:8 It is a well known fact that it is impossible for good deeds to go unnoticed; it makes no
difference whether a man be free or a slave; every single good deed equally attract the
favorable attention of the Lord.
6:9 If you're the Boss, love's initiative applies to you on exactly the same terms; the way
you treat your slaves with respect rather than threats, even when they do stupid things
- 127 -
clears the air immediately. Take it from your heavenly Master; he does not judge people or
circumstances on face value.
6:10 In conclusion, and with reference to the theme and context of this writing, I
encourage you to realize your strength in the Master; your union with him is your limitless
resource. (Remember my prayer for you at the offset of this letter, 1:19 I pray that you will
understand beyond all comparison the magnitude of his mighty power towards us who
believe. Faith reveals how enormously advantaged we are in Christ. 1:20 It is the same
dynamic energy that he unleashed in Christ when he raised him from the dead and forever
established him in the power of his own right hand in the realm of the heavens. 1:21
Infinitely above all the combined forces of rule, authority, dominion or governments; he is
ranked superior to any name that could ever be given to anyone of this age or any age still to
come in the eternal future. 1:22 I want you to see this: he subjected all these powers under
his feet. He towers head and shoulders above everything. He is the head, 1:23 the church (his
redeemed image and likeness in man) is his body. The completeness of his being that fills all
in all resides in us! God cannot make himself more visible or exhibit himself more accurately.)
6:11 Fully immerse yourself in the detail and significance of every individual part of the
armor of God (acquaint yourself with all that God's victory in Christ represents.) Just like
every aspect in a soldier’s armor significantly completes his battle uniform to best equip him
to effectively face every method and strategy that the enemy could possibly employ against
him.
6:12 People are not the enemy, (whether they be husbands, wives, children, or parents,
slaves or bosses. They might host the enemy in their attitudes and actions through their
unbelief or ignorance but) to target one another is to engage in the wrong combat. We
represent the authority of the victory of Christ in the spiritual realm. We are positioned
there (in Christ) we target the structures of darkness; governing and conditioning human
behavior through their evil invisible influence. ( pros, towards, in this context, to advance,
forward march, no retreat.)
6:13 It is most important therefore to acquaint and associate yourself with every aspect of
God's armor; now you are fully fit to powerfully defeat any onslaught of evil on the day of
confrontation, triumphantly standing your ground.
6:14 Take your position: you have the truth (of who you are in Christ) wrapped around
your hips like a soldier’s belt, holding the complete body armor together. (Now your loins
are protected so that the enemy can no longer defeat you with lust and sexual sins.)
Righteousness covers your heart like a bullet proof breastplate.
6:15 You wear your eagerness and passion to communicate the good news, like soldier’s
shoes (practice your footwork.) Announce peace, the battle has already been fought and
- 128 -
won!
6:16 It is most important to engage your faith as a man-size shield that covers your whole
person and empowers you to extinguish the flame in every arrow the enemy shoots at you.
The only visible part of you is your faith!
6:17 Pondering redemption realities is your head gear that protects your mind; then give
voice to the Word of God, this is your spiritual sword.
6:18 Prevail in persistent prayer; praying in the spirit includes every form of prayer,
whether it be a prayer of request or a prayer of thanksgiving and worship or interceding for
the saints, don't do all the talking, always be attentive to the voice of the spirit. (Prayer is so
much more than a one way conversation.)
6:19 My most urgent request is for clarity of utterance every time I open my mouth to
speak; that my words will be gifted with inspiration, boldly articulating the mystery of the
gospel.
6:20 I am an ambassador in bonds; chained to this task of confidently communicating the
revelation of the Gospel with the accuracy it deserves.
6:21 I know this is not much of a newsletter; my urgency is not to talk about myself; but my
dear friend and faithful helper, Tychicus will fill you in on the detail. (He is also the scribe of
this letter.)
6:22 That is really why I sent him to you, that you may be well informed about our affairs
and see yourselves fully identified with us.
6:23 My prayer for you is a brotherhood of happy harmony, and love-entwined faith
flowing from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
6:24 Grace greetings to all of you who share our undivided passion for our Master, Jesus
Christ. He is echoed in your amen.