TWO GREAT QUESTIONS

Recently, I received on my blog a comment from an anonymous source asking,  "When  did the New Testament start and were the disciples born again" Great questions. I confess I don't have all the answers but I have given this some thought.

If the word Testament is another word for Covenant, than I believe the New Testament (Covenant) started after Jesus' ascension. After His resurrection, Jesus had to take His blood to the Mercy Seat in Heaven to make atonement for Adam's sin. Remember how when Mary first thought that He was the gardener, but when she recognized Him she wanted to embrace Him?  His response was, "Don't touch Me, I have not  yet ascended!" Could that of meant that the Mercy Seat was waiting for His blood?  I don't know. God has His timing in everything.

I have also given some thought to the last supper, when Jesus lifted the cup of redemption saying, "this is my blood shed for you. this bread is my body broken for you."  Could this be the beginning of the New Testament?  Both Jeremiah 31 and Ezekiel 36 prophesied that a New Covenant was going to be made.

Some people think that the New Testament started with St. Paul, and that Jesus was only speaking to the Jews. Personally, I think it had to do with the Heavenly Mercy Seat.  It required a holy, righteous, prefect sacrifice of a man.  Jesus, God's Son, was the 'only one' who could fulfilled it's requirements. After His death and resurrection, the curtain was torn in the temple and then, the believer could now enter the Throne of Grace by the blood of the Lamb, Jesus.

To attempt to answer 'Were the disciples born again" with biblical proof?"  I don't think there is an explicit place where it says, "The disciples were born again".  I believe it has been implied.  One possibility might be in John 20:22. After His resurrection, Jesus appeared to the disciples in the upper room. He breathed on them saying,"Receive the Holy Spirit".  The disciples now had the Holy Spirit in them, Later at Pentecost, the disciples received the 'power' to witness the resurrection.  Their lives were changed.  Peter especially became bold with His speech. 

Today, as  disciples of Jesus,we are born again. The Lord has breathed into our spirits eternal life, (Zoe).  But the question remains, have we received the "power" the witness the resurrection of our Lord?  Are we ready to testify His gospel, face persecution, be hated by the world, love our enemies, forgive those who offend us, do we love one another?"  Without His power released in us, we can't forsake the world and only be true to Him. Everything we receive from God we receive by faith.  Have we believed and received the person of the Holy Spirit? He is God too and testifies to the world who Jesus is in us!

THE POWER OF THE RESURRECTION

        The Power of the Resurrection

Jesus is alive!  The reason that I know that  He is alive is because He told His disciples, 
"I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you....Because I live, you also will live. I am in My Father and you in Me and I in you." (John 14:18-20) 

At the last supper Jesus was preparing His disciples for His going away.  Of course they did not understand.  But He said to them, "It is to your advantage that I go away; if I go away I will send to you the Helper (Holy Spirit). He will lead and guide you into all truth, for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak, and He will declare what is to come.  He will glorify Me, for He will take what is mine and declare it you"(John 16:7-15). 

Think about this?  When did the disciples receive the Holy Spirit?  Many say it was at Pentecost, but let's look again at the beautiful Word of God. "On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, peace be with you,When he had said this, He showed them His hands and his side......"Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, eve so I am sending you." And when He had said this He breathed on them and said,"Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of anyone they are forgiven: and if you withhold forgiveness from anyone, it is withheld." (John 20:19-23)

The disciples first received the Holy Spirit before Pentecost  They were born again but without power.

This question is still relevant today. Many are born again by faith, but were is the power?  Why was it first given at Pentecost?

I would like to suggest that even though the Holy Spirit had been breathed into the disciples by Jesus, they were still powerless to be His witnesses of His RESURRECTION. 

Jesus fulfilled His promise by releasing upon them the power of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.  When this happened the seed of the Holy Spirit that Jesus had breathed into them was ignited. They were then anointed with power to proclaim the gospel with signs and wonders following. 

Some people call it the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Whatever it is, it is the power given first to the early disciples to be continued from generation to generation to testify that Jesus is alive in the believer  

Because He lives, we live also. The Holy Spirit is the grace or power of God given to us, that will transform us into the image and likeness of His Son. 

Do you believe that the power of the Holy Spirit?  If so, is He released to testify that Jesus is alive in you? Not only with the fruit of His Spirit, but with signs and wonders following?

Jesus said,"Truly, truly I say to you,whoever believes in Me will also do the works that I do, and greater works than these will he do because I go to my Father."John 14:12  

How can this be?  We walk by faith and not by sight. God said it and I believe it.

What Does It Mean To Be KINGDOM STRONG?

The Kingdom of God is in our midst.Luke 11:17.  Jesus came preaching the Kingdom of God.  He is the King of His Kingdom . When we were born again, Jesus took us out of the Kingdom of darkness (Adam) and placed us into His Kingdom of Light (Christ).  The desire of the Lord's heart is for His Kingdom to come on earth as it is in Heaven. 1 John says, "As he is so we are in this world." May His kingdom reign in our hearts as we die to ourselves and let the Lord reign through us to save souls.

ARE YOU A WORM OR A BUTTERFLY?

Are you a worm or a butterfly?  For years, I was told that I was a worm. As a sinner, that is the truth. I am a worm.  But when I was born again, I thought that I was a new creation in Christ (2 Corinthian 5:17). What is that all about?

I found it very confusing. How could I be born again and still be called a worm?  Even in nature  the Lord creates a butterfly out of a caterpillar. Through the process of metamorphosis  the capterpillar becomes a new creation.

Because I believed that I was just a sinner saved by grace, I spent ten years striving in my old nature to change my behavior. I was so focused on myself and my sin that I had no joy in my heart. I was greatly deceived.

It was when I started to read the letters of Paul, that  I noticed that he addressed the believers as saints, not sinners(worms).  What was he saying?  My eyes were being opened.  Romans 6:3 revealed the mystery of new birth in Christ.  The sinner (the worm) died in Christ, is buried and resurrected as a saint to a newness of life (as a butterfly).

This reality changed my whole perception of being a Christian. Apart from Christ, I am a worm, but IN Christ I am a saint. Does that mean that I am perfect and don't sin any more?  Heaven's no!  But I no longer desire to practice sin. 1 John 3:9 "No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God." It is a miracle to be born again by the living God.

 By the grace of God, I am no longer striving in my flesh trying to change a sinner to look like Jesus.  Colossians 3 says,"If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.  Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.  For you have died, and your life is hidden with  Christ in God.  When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory."

GOODBYE WORM..YOU HAVE BEEN CRUCIFIED IN JESUS CHRIST AND RAISED UP AS A BUTTERFLY. NOW SPREAD YOUR WINGS AND LEARN TO FLY IN HEAVENLY PLACES WHERE YOU ARE SEATED WITH HIM.  GALATIANS 2:20, EPHESIAN 2:6