Romans (46) Shavuot & Romans 12

[Rebbe]

PAUL'S LETTER TO THE ROMAN CHRISTIANS (46)
Analytical Commentary on Romans

 THE FIRSTFRUIT LIFE OF TRANSFORMATION (4)

The Seven Gifts of Romans 12
SHAVUOT & ROMANS 12

Paul's letter to the Roman Christians: Lecture 46
http://www.bripodcasts.com/Romans/Lecture46.MP3

Copyright © BRI/IMCF 2018 All Rights Reserved Worldwide by Les Aron Gosling,
Messianic Lecturer (BRI/IMCF)
CAUTION: BRI Yeshiva notes are not available to the general public. They are not for distribution. They are not for reproduction. The notes may also bear little or no resemblance to the actual audio or video recorded BRI Yeshiva lecture.

"It is not only Catholic Christendom which has been guilty of seeking to domesticate the Holy Spirit... Protestants have been no less anxious to do so, for the Holy Spirit is a disturbing influence. Let him therefore be paid lip-service, but for all practical purposes be shut up in the Bible where he can do no harm... the Bible... is the safest place for the Spirit. That is where he belongs; not in the hurly-burly of real life... [We must be candidly crystal clear]that the Holy Spirit is given us for service and for mission, for love and for worship. He cannot be muzzled or contained. For the Spirit is the foretaste of that day when the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea (Isa.11:9). That is an eschatological prophecy, and the Holy Spirit is the eschatological gift who enables us here and now to enter into some experience of the end-time, God's future" (Michael Green, I Believe in the Holy Spirit, 1975, 12, 298).

Today we are about to enter Shavuot -- Pentecost -- as we enjoy our love feast together after today's lecture. The synchronicity is once again PERFECT.

How well do we study the Bible? How often do we read it? How much do we really know about the biblical revelation?

Here we have a book, and its considered a holy book. And, of course, it is. Yet if we are not careful with it, it can become a very complicated text, and sometimes we can try to limit it to a mere human, finite framework. As we read this corpus which claims to have been penned by God Himself we should remember it does contain the Word of God. THIS IS GOD SPEAKING! And we ought to tremble with exhilaration and intense  excitement as we listen to what he has to tell us.

When we listen to God we must remember we are dealing with an Infinite Intelligence which is transcendent unknowable in the Ground of It's Being.

We can catch a slight glimpse of this transcendent nature which is entirely unknowable when we compare 1 Tim 6.16 with Ps 18.11; 97.2; 1 Kgs 8.12. So let's do it!

"It is he alone who has immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see; to him be honour and eternal dominion. Amein" (1 Tim 6.16).

Now compare this revelation with previous understandings of God.

"He made darkness his covering around him, his canopy thick clouds dark with water" (Ps 18.11).  

"Clouds and thick darkness are all around him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne" (Ps 97.2).

"Then Solomon said, The Lord has said that he would dwell in thick darkness" (1 Kgs 8.12).

Some of us will immediately declare a contradiction here in this revelation of God's Throne. And, by any human standard it is a contradiction but what Solomon and the Psalmist are attempting to teach us (and let's not forget Paul) is that God is beyond finite description. In fact, each time we try to picture God we commit idolatry because in our mind's eye we dwarf Him.

How much of the biblical revelation can any of us say with confidence that we know? Really know?

I have relayed the following so many times I have lost count (and I request the Rebbetzin remain silent in the ekklesia on this matter. I am permitting her to raise her eyebrows and to smirk, LOL). Glenys has heard this account so often that she could repeat it much better than I.

Many years ago after I was first converted, I read with enthusiasm the prophecies of Daniel, and I thought I knew the scroll from cover to cover! It was so easy to understand  and I could not grasp why people generally thought of its contents as mysterious. It was quite plain to me! I went out and purchased a wide-margin KJV of the Bible (which was unfortunately recommended by a group of influential believers at the time) and next to each text in the book of Daniel I wrote, in very small words and lettering, the full, unexpurgated meaning of Daniel's prophecies. I was quite proud of my effort, let me tell you. And, oh, weren't my friends impressed!

One day I met a lady who was a member of the Plymouth Brethren (Open Order) and she was discussing Daniel and I well remember her saying something that shattered entirely my interpretation of his prophecies. I felt like a real fool. How could I have unintentionally overlooked the simple point she was making? I went out and purchased another wide-margin KJV, and painstakingly began again to rewrite both prophecy and history. This time I just knew I was right in my comprehension of Daniel. I enthusiastically made jottings in very small print with a fine point biro next to each verse showing clearly and precisely how the prophecies had been fulfilled. I had, by the input of this particular lady, really grown in knowledge. I had an entirely new perspective. How could I have ever held to that other previous interpretation?

A friend who one day happened to attend a Messianic convention with me, occasioned a remark actually it was more a pivotal point about Daniel as he was wading through my as-always salubrious notes stamped in the wide-margin of my latest Bible addition to my then-growing library and I nearly fainted as I fought to clear my air passages so I could breathe. Wrong again. Wrong, wrong, wrong. A few days later I went out again and purchased yet another wide-margin Bible -- my third wide-margin Bible. This time I was more circumspect about what I wrote next to the prophetic texts, not only those of Daniel but of any of the prophets. Sure enough, I was now beginning to learn that the more I knew the less I knew.

Today I have an entirely new wide-margin Bible sitting on my shelf, but Daniel's text is bare. Hardly a notation has been made in the entire book!

Never just accept what an authority -- any authority -- claims is the truth. Not even me. Always check your own Bible, challenge my stand on anything and everything, compare translations and use the abundant resources of a multitude of counselors. In your private study use a concordance -- Strong's for the STRONG, Young's for the YOUNG, Cruden's for the CRUDE, Wigram's for the wearers of WIGS.

Recall one of the things Yeshua the Messiah achieved for us all on the bloodied tree of Golgoleth our freedom of SPEECH! To be free in speech reflects the deep liberty of the spirit which God has set free within (our own spirit is our Child residing within us). Let's not forget that fact. And you know, the unknown author of the circular Letter to the Hebrews, stresses in the original Greek:

"Cast not away therefore your freedom of speech which carries with it great reward" (Heb 10.35).

[Freedom of speech from the Greek parrhesia -- all out-spokeness, ie., frankness, bluntness. Refer to any concordance.]

The freedom of speech the unknown author of the circular Letter to the Hebrews is talking about is rooted in the gift of the Spirit of God within, the fruits of which are mentioned in Gal 5.22,23.

"But the fruit of the Spirit [the result of His presence within us] is love [unselfish concern for others], joy, [inner] peace, patience [not the ability to wait, but how we act while waiting], kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law" (AMP).

These fruits show -- REVEAL -- the character of Christ, not as we would like him to be, but as he actually is. This is what Yeshua was really like when he was on earth. And, its what he is still like, I might add. In Our Lord Yeshua all of God that could take on human expression had been expressed. But the holy Spirit manifests in other ways too. It's in these other ways of which most Christians are totally ignorant.

THE MANIFESTATION OF THE SPIRIT UNDER THE MOSAIC ECONOMY
"And the Lord said to Moses, Gather to me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people, and officers over them; and bring them to the tabernacle of the congregation, that they may stand there with you. And I will come down and talk with you there: and I will take some of the spirit which is upon you, and will put it upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, that you bear it not yourself alone... And Moses went out, and told the people the words of the Lord, and gathered the seventy men of the elders of the people, and set them round about the tabernacle. And the Lord came down in a cloud, and spoke to him, and took some of the spirit that was on him, and gave it to the seventy elders: and it came to pass, that, when the spirit rested on them, they prophesied [praising God and declaring His will] and did not continue to do so. But there remained two of the men in the camp, the name of the one was Eldad, and the name of the other Medad: and the spirit rested upon them; and they were of them that were on the required list, but went not out to the tabernacle: and they prophesied in the camp. And there ran a young man, and told Moses, and said, Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp. And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Moses, one of his young men, answered and said, My lord Moses, forbid them. And Moses said unto him, Are you envious for my sake? would God that all the Lord's people were prophets, and that the Lord would put his spirit upon them!" (Num 11.16,17,24-29).

Incidentally, if you have "and did not cease" in Num 11.25 CHANGE IT because its not what the Hebrew tells us. The text ought to read (as above) "and did not continue to do so" or perhaps better, "at the time, but not afterwards."

So, FIRST,  the Ruach HaKodesh the Ruach Adonai  came upon the newly formed Sanhedrin of Israel, probably on Shavuot (the day of Pentecost), and certainly in the second year of the exodus from Egypt. This falling of the Spirit marked the true beginning of the nation of Israel.

SECONDLY, when the holy Spirit falls some people do strange things. Consider 1 Samuel 19.20-24.

"Then Saul sent messengers to take David; and they saw a company of prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing as president over them; and the Spirit of God came upon the messengers of Saul, and they also prophesied. And it was told Saul, and he sent other messengers, and they also prophesied. And Saul sent messengers again the third time, and they also prophesied. Then went he also to Ramah, and came to the great well that is in Sechu; and he asked and said, Where are Samuel and David? And one said, Behold, at Naioth by Ramah. And he went thither to Naioth by Ramah; and the Spirit of God came upon him also, and he went on, and prophesied, until he came to Naioth by Ramah. And he himself also stripped off his clothes, and prophesied, himself also, before Samuel, and lay down naked all that day and all that night. Wherefore they say, Is Saul also among the prophets?"

Now look at 1 Samuel 10.5,6,9-11.

"After that you shall come to the hill of God, where are the outposts of the Philistines; and it shall come to pass, when you come thither, into the city, that you shall meet a company of prophets coming down from the high place with lute and tambour and pipe and harp before them; and they themselves prophesying. And the Spirit of Jehovah will come upon you, and you shall prophesy with them, and shall be turned into another man... And it was so that when he turned his back to go away from Samuel, God gave him another heart; and all those signs came to pass that day. And when they came thither to the hill, behold, a company of prophets met him; and the Spirit of God came upon him, and he prophesied among them. And it came to pass, when all that knew him before saw that, behold, he prophesied among the prophets, then the people said one to another, What is this that has happened to the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?"

This happens to be the very same holy Spirit that we have today! Students, I have had to argue this case until I am almost black in the face dealing with spiritual twerps who attempt to postulate that there are in fact two holy Spirits! What utter Tom Foolery! The holy Spirit IS God's HOLY SPIRIT -- IT IS GOD HIMSELF.

THIRD, the holy Spirit doesn't just generate peace which could be an impression taken in the Letter of Paul to the Galatians. The holy Spirit being GOD HERSELF does generate peace BUT is more than capable of causing VIOLENCE (Judges 3.10,11; 14.5,6; 13.25; 14.19; 15.14,15).

FOURTH, the holy Spirit creates ANGER (1 Sam 11.6).

FIFTH, the Spirit destroys LIFE (2 Kings 2.16).

SIXTH, the holy Spirit inspires POETRY (2 Sam 23.2 cf 2 Tim 3.16 "all writing is God-breathed" -- even inspiring erotic literature like the Song of Solomon!

SEVENTH, the holy Spirit induces PROPHECY (2 Chron 20.14,15). In our previous lecture we considered in a contemplative way what Paul had to say about prophecy as a gift from the holy Spirit. We spent an entire lecture on this one gift alone.

THE MANIFESTATION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN THE NEW COVENANT ECONOMY
The holy Spirit is God Herself. In Hebrew, the Spirit of God and the Sh'khin'ah of God are feminine attributes of Deity. The Shkhinah is presently experiencing a dislocation from intimacy in ONENESS with God. His NAME is separated (as we would view it) by virtue of God's dreaming of the universe in dualistic form. That which was SPIRIT materialised, concretised, became physical. God is both immanent (IN the universe) and transcendent (ABOVE the universe which He created). But God is dreaming and that dream is interpreted by our flesh as very REAL whereas the entirety of our reality is actually an illusion (Ecc 1.2 "Utter illusion, says Koheleth, utter illusion, all is illusion." See Kiyoshi Kobyashi, Religion, 2016, 85; Randy O.Wayne, Light & Video Microscopy, 2013, 3; J. Scott Duvall & J. Daniel Hays, Journey into God's Word: Your Guide to Understanding and Applying the Bible, 2005, 402; David K. Popham, The Bible in Drag, Queering Scripture & Faith. http://thebibleindrag.blogspot.com.au/
2016/07/the-divine-unlovable-ecclesiastes-12-12_22.html). This is why the Spirit inspired Genesis 1.1 in its original to read, "In her head creates God the heavens and the earth." It's all going on in the Mind (Dream Image) of the Creator. We are thought-forms in the creative MIND of a loving God. I have written extensively on this subject over the last 40+ years. This literature is available to any and all who wish to become exposed to a much deeper understanding of the biblical revelation and who wish to experience being united with the IMCF.

EIGHTH. The Spirit overrides the human WILL (Eze 2.2; 3.24; Mk 1.12 cf Mt 4.1). The Messiah's attitude was in marked contrast to the situation in which Ezekiel found himself! (Eze 3.12-14).

NINTH, the Spirit can open up roads we never knew existed -- transdimensional WORMHOLES (Acts 8.39,40).

TENTH, the Spirit of the Lord is defined in Isa 11.2. But the Spirit can also take form like that of a bird not an actual BIRD (even though we today have symbolised the Spirit as a white dove), but more of a shimmering cloaking atmospheric distortion that could be seen descending like any bird/dove would descend to the ground (Lk 3.22). The Spirit can also take a more apparent appearance of an ANGEL (Acts 8.26,29).

BUT IS THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT A THIRD PERSON IN THE GODHEAD?

There are many who would argue that the Spirit of God is a supernatural BEING or person who co-exists, co-eternally and co-equally with God! Now, he may, of course for anything is possible with God. But in the first century Jewish thoughtform there was only ONE GOD and His Spirit was -- as the Irish would say -- "Himself it is."

The Jewish disciples would never have entertained the idea of the Spirit as an identifiable BEING distinct from the ONENESS of God. This becomes apparent when we consider the following texts: 2 Cor 1.2; 1 Cor 1.3; Rom 1.7; Gal 1.3; Eph 1.2; Phil 1.2; Col 1.2; 1 Thes 1.1; 2 Thes 1.2; 1 Tim 1.2; 2 Tim 1.2; Tit 1.4; Phil 3; 2 Pet 1.2; Jam 1.1; 1 Jn 1.3; 2 Jn 3.

The holy Spirit is missing from the introduction and greetings in these letters. What awful insubordination is here expressed if the holy Spirit was in fact an ENTITY of co-equality with God (the Father and His Son).

CHRISTIAN FREEDOM IN CHRIST
Where does all this leave us? With a recognition of the power of the Spirit which indwells us if we are God's people. Before our conversion we had no free will. Let me explain what I mean.

Before our conversion we were slaves to sin

Before our conversion we were dead in trespasses and sins

Before our conversion we were without strength

Before our conversion we were enslaved SOLD under sin

Before our conversion there was no good thing in any of us worth saving

We were saved by GRACE.

But when we were BORN AGAIN, we tasted our first freedom and liberty IN the free will of GOD. Christ's free will is now our free will. And it must be EXERCISED to become stronger in us for it is merged with our own spirit. This is the reason we have spiritual conflict within. This is the reason why it is possible for US (both as individuals and collectively as the ekklesia) to overcome who and what we are the reason why it is imperative to be transformed into the character (the will) of the Messiah.

The Creator God -- the God who had come alongside men in Yeshua -- has made Himself available to come within their very personalities and natures. Therefore not only does Paul urge believers in Rome to engage with the Spirit of God especially in Romans 12 (but indeed right throughout his entire letter) but adds in his second letter to Timothy that he needs to "STIR UP the gift of God which is in you" (2 Tim 1.6). It was the prophet Isaiah who complained, "There is none that STIRS UP himself to lay hold of you" (Isa 64.7).

This is a command against IDLENESS, SLOTHFULNESS, INDOLENCE, and spiritual LETHARGY in relation to daily seeking God. It's a command to come out of a Laodecian attitude (Rev 3)  of mind and heart and spirit.

Go back to Romans 8. When Paul writes, "The Spirit also helps our infirmities" (Rom 8.26) the Greek verb translated "helps" is actually HELPS TOGETHER -- the Spirit cooperates with our diligence, not our laziness. This is why a new view is needed in our grasp of the statement of Messiah to the effect that "With men this is impossible. But with God all things are possible" (Mt 19.26). Men by themselves will not do what Christ has done. But by cooperating with God ALL things become possible.

Someone has said the flesh is weak. I disagree. The flesh is strong, very strong. There exists in every Christian a raging war going on in the spirit of man when the Spirit of God invades and unites with man's psyche. Sit down to do some Bible study. See how quickly you become distracted. Want to pray? Watch how quickly you begin to get tired and want to fall asleep. Want to fast? Oh, how hungry we get once the decision to do so is eventually made. Going off the drink? Deciding to surrender cigarettes? Five minutes later the craving starts. Yet, in the case of drink put a teaspoonful of poison in your glass along with the beer and we won't touch a drop! Oh yes indeed! The flesh is very strong. The flesh resists the Spirit.

Worldliness, unbelief, coldness, slothfulness, these all exert their power. We struggle against their influence and we groan under their bondage.

But the Spirit sets us free. IF we only could bring to mind, in moments of temptation, JUST HOW GREAT WE REALLY ARE IN CHRIST.

How can anyone argue against the latter assessment? After all, we are confidently assured "He that is joined to the LORD is one Spirit" (1 Cor 6.17).

If we could grasp this one truth how free would we be?

WHY DO WE NEED THE HOLY SPIRIT'S POWER?
We need the holy Spirit's power to:

[1] Overthrow false ideas and ideologies and systems of thought by which men live (2 Cor 10.3,4)

[2] to face difficulties courageously (Phil 4.13)

[3] to endure physical pain bravely (1 Pet 4.12-14)

[4] to believe Messiah is with us steadfastly when we don't feel his presence with us at all (Heb 13.5,6)

[5] to fit in with other Christians with humility and helpfully, to support them in their hours of weakness and distress as well as in their daily routine (2 Cor 1.4-7)

[6] to recognize temptations speedily and to resist them firmly (1 Cor 10.13)

[7] to absorb solid teaching gratefully (Col 2.6-9)

[8] to stand up for the truth uncompromisingly and with courtesy (Rom 1.14-16; 16.25-27)

[9] to recognise continually that our natural resources what we are by nature and past experience and what we have achieved by Grace, are utterly inadequate to face today's task, but that Christ's Grace is sufficient for us this very day (2 Cor 3.16; 4.7)

[10] to have the ability to find some real delight in our weaknesses, for whenever we are weak, then, and then only, are we strong (2 Cor 10.9-12).

We can see the work of the Ruach HaKodesh in four stages.

[1] The conviction of sin to enable the unbeliever (or weak believer) to see their need

[2] Illumination to acknowledge Yeshua the Messiah as Lord and Saviour

[3] Regeneration to create new life

[4] Sanctification being set apart in order to transform the new life into Christ-like purity.

ALL of these factors are alive and well in the subtext of Romans 12.

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF CHRIST FOR THE IMCF TODAY?
The Great Commission, given to the original Messianic Community by Our Lord Yeshua the Messiah (Mt 28.19,20; Lk 24.46-49; Acts 1.7,8) was fulfilled long before 70 CE when Jerusalem fell and the Temple of God was stormed by Roman troops and burned to the ground. This fact might stagger the imagination of so many sincere Christians who feel they must personally take it on themselves or to their particular organisation to apply (or misapply) the original commission intended for the primitive ekklesia.

So many believers today have been told so many times by so many preachers in so many churches that the Great Commission is yet to be consummated that they have become brainwashed into accepting this very anti-biblical belief.

The writings of the New Covenant Scriptures show clearly that this is absolutely the case. Note that in Acts 8.1 the Messianic Community (except for the apostles) is driven out of Jerusalem by a severe persecution. This results in massive evangelism wherever the Christians were scattered.

"And at that time there was a great persecution against the Community which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria except the apostles."

The growth of the Community of Faith in Samaria and throughout Judaea was instant as a result of enthusiastic evangelistic outreach. The Church has always thrived and grown through periods of intense persecution.

In Colossians 1.23 we read (and recall this text was inspired by the holy Spirit): "If you continue in the Faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the Gospel, which you have heard, AND WHICH WAS PREACHED TO EVERY CREATURE WHICH IS UNDER THE HEAVENS: whereof I Paul am made a minister..."

As far as the apostle Paul was concerned, the end of the age had arrived and the Gospel had already been preached where God had directed evangelists to venture. Even John speaks of two witnesses at the very conclusion of this evil age being effective in spreading the Word the Christian Church doesn't get a mention in respect of these prophets and the Work they undertake as the Spirit directs them.

Again, Paul makes the issue candidly clear in two places in Romans.

"But I say, Have they [the inhabitants of the world] not heard? Yes, absolutely, their voice has gone out into all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world" (Rom 10.18).

"Now to God [or perhaps, to the One] who is able to strengthen you according to my Gospel and the proclamation of Yeshua the Messiah, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages, but is now disclosed, and through the prophetic writings is MADE KNOWN TO ALL THE GENTILES, ACCORDING TO THE COMMAND OF THE ETERNAL GOD, to bring about the obedience of faith..." (Rom 16.25,26).  

As far as Paul was concerned the Great commission had been fulfilled in his lifetime! Yes, this raises sincere questions about a whole range of things including what God was actually anticipating in relation to the extent of all the world in Matthew 28. In Paul's understanding this meant the boundaries of the entire civilised Mediterranean Roman Empire. And can we really say that he was confused, mistaken, in patent error? The fact is there will be nations who will not only miss the second advent of Christ from heaven, but will be utterly ignorant of the Gospel at the very conclusion of the age! I have spoken about this fact in the Apocalypse lectures. This very fact is an indication that the worldwide preaching of the Gospel was itself accomplished 2000 years ago. Consider what Isaiah wrote about the coming of the Messiah:

"For behold, HaShem will come with fire, and with His chariots, like a whirlwind, to render His anger with fury, and His rebuke with flames of fire. For by fire and by His sword HaShem will judge all flesh; and the slain of HaShem shall be many... For I know their works and their thoughts. It shall be that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come and see My glory. I will set a sign among them; and THOSE AMONG THEM WHO ESCAPE I WILL SEND TO THE NATIONS: to Tarshish and Pul and Lud, who draw the bow, and Tubal and Javan, to the coast lands afar off WHO HAVE NOT HEARD MY FAME NOR SEEN MY GLORY. And they shall declare My glory among the Gentiles. Then they shall bring all your brethren for an offering to HaShem out of all nations, on horses and in chariots and in litters, on mules and on camels, to My holy mountain Jerusalem, says HaShem, as the children of Israel bring an offering in a clean vessel into the house of HaShem. And I will also take some of them for priests and Levites, says HaShem" (Isa 66.15,16,18-21).

Some of these nations will never have heard of any Great Commission, will never have read a single Gospel tract or obtained a copy of a NT, and they will be stark ignorant of the existence of Israel's God -- they will never have heard of God's fame and they will have missed the second coming for they will be pig-ignorant of Christ's return in GLORY. They will have remained ignorant even of the one name under heaven given among men to be saved.

I must point this out, too. During the Great Travail, John in the Apocalypse indicates that the 144,000 select Israelis will be preaching in an evangelistic spirit through the Middle East and the Antichrist will not be able to prevent them. Also, John reveals in Rev 14.6 that an Extra-terrestrial (yes, an ET) will fly through the heavens with the everlasting Gospel "to preach unto them that dwell on the earth [or, land] and to every nation, and kindred and tongue, and people." Not only is this the case, there will be even yet another Great Commission but Isaiah tells us it will occur AFTER the second coming! Read the above quote in Isaiah 66 again. God tells us that among those who manage to escape the horrors that are coming on the planet and who survive will after Christ's Advent evangelise the nations that are left. Twice in Isaiah 66.19 this fact is mentioned. Yes, AFTER his feet stand on the Mt Olivet.

Historical non-canonical ecclesiastical evidence can be produced to establish beyond doubt that the apostles (including Paul) and the first century Christians fulfilled Christ's commission before Jerusalem fell to pagan Rome. Documents exist which show very clearly that the Gospel went into the known Roman world during the first two or three decades of the Messianic Community's existence -- Africa, England, China, India. By the time the apostle John wrote his Gospel he found no need at all to record that Yeshua had even given the Messianic Community a Great Commission. Of course not, it had long been fulfilled.

But what then should the true Messianic Community be accomplishing during this present time, especially as we see the end of the age approaching with alarming rapidity, and in the light of the knowledge that a great worldwide Christian/Messianic organisation and a powerful One World Federal State are soon to be ushered in on this planet controlled by the coming Cosmocrator?

While there exists no special commission and if we accept and acknowledge that the Spirit of God knew well in advance that the Great Commission was to be fulfilled way back 2000 years past can we simply sit back in some state of idle bliss feeling self-satisfied with the knowledge we have all been blessed with and just keep it all to ourselves? At peace inwardly... while the rest of hapless humanity goes ignorantly into the greatest Dark Age since the infamous Inquisition? And, without any effort on our part to at least warn some? Should we sit idly by while our friends, associates, and loved ones embark on an ill-fated Titanic without lifeboats? Without some kind of spiritual insurance?

The International Messianic Community of Faith (IMCF) is unique in a number of respects. But one of these factors involves realising that we do not claim in any sense to be the one true church fulfilling the Great Commission. Indeed, in the final analysis the only commission we believe we possess apart from restoring the lost Jewish thoughtform to the biblical revelation (and, of course, all that is associated with such a goal) is to conduct ourselves in the original spirit of the early disciples. Notice:

"Owe no man anything, but to love one another: for he that loves another has fulfilled the Law" (Rom 13.8). Or, as the Living Bible has it: "Pay all your debts except the debt of love for others, never finish paying that! For if you love them, you will be obeying all of God's laws, fulfilling all his requirements."

A disciple, in the Greek, is a student of the Word of God. Those who are associated together in this body consider themselves to be students (not scholars) of the Bible and we have a constant need not merely to research the sacred Scriptures in order to better equip ourselves for our particular ministry but to share the results of our biblical research with others. In this sense, the BRI of the IMCF is an educational institution free from denominational status, sectarian bias and stance, and the limits of hierarchical control over its membership. Having said this, the IMCF actually promulgates three essentials and we do expect our membership to actively engage themselves in an involved way in respect of these three essentials:

1) To act in unison in determining the IMCF's ministerial obligation, doctrine and practice;

2) To study together and to draw on the ekklesia's total experience and knowledge, using all sources available to determine with precise comprehension that of which the Gospel and Bible truth consists;

3) To encourage others to study and to share the Gospel through positive evangelism.

We do have a MESSAGE. That Message is centred in GRACE. The world needs the information we possess on a variety of biblical subjects all of them rooted in GRACE. We believe the true knowledge contained in the Word of God has not as yet been fully tapped. A veritable treasure-trove awaits our further investigative search into the pages of the sacred volume known to us as the Holy Bible. It is a highly neglected source of immense spiritual power.

The End of Days is almost upon us. Because we have been saved by Grace for Grace, let's be fervently involved in positive outreach so that others also may hear this Word, and be moved like us to inculcate and keep it.

The holy Spirit is above all the Spirit of Truth -- of a right education and knowledge. But even more expressively, the Bible tells us plainly, "The Lord IS that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is there [in that place] is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to Glory as of the Lord the Spirit" (2 Cor 3.17,18).

There is an old hymn by Clara Scott (1895) that I love dearly. It's called Open My Eyes, That I May See.

Open my eyes, that I may see
Glimpses of truth Thou hast for me;
Place in my hands the wonderful key
That shall unclasp and set me free.

Refrain 1:
Silently now I wait for Thee,
Ready my God, Thy will to see,
Open my eyes, illumine me,
Spirit divine!

Open my ears, that I may hear
Voices of truth Thou sendest clear;
And while the wave notes fall on my ear,
Everything false will disappear.

Refrain 2:
Silently now I wait for Thee,
Ready my God, Thy will to see,
Open my ears, illumine me,
Spirit divine!

Open my mind, that I may read
More of Thy love in word and deed;
What shall I fear while yet Thou dost lead?
Only for light from Thee I plead.

Refrain 3:
Silently now I wait for Thee,
Ready my God, Thy will to see,
Open my mind, illumine me,
Spirit divine!

Open my mouth, and let me bear,
Gladly the warm truth everywhere;
Open my heart and let me prepare
Love with Thy children thus to share.

Refrain 4:
Silently now I wait for Thee,
Ready my God, Thy will to see,
Open my heart, illumine me,
Spirit divine!

There is a wonderful promise in the Word of God. In Isaiah 40.5 (Hebrew) we find it stated: "And the GLORY of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see together: for the mouth of the LORD has spoken." Not see IT together but see together.

There is a spectacular UNITY foreseen here by God and shared with His people: a UNITY that defies all rational expectation and vision. But the promise is there stated, and I believe in it, because I believe in the God who inspired it to be penned.

By the POWER of the holy Spirit WE shall one day ALL see.

My prayer is, may God haste that Day!

The Spirit of God is compared to a wind that stirs the heart (Jn 3.8).  

He is the fire that purifies (Acts 2), the oil that invigorates (Isa 61), the water that refreshes (Rev 22).

So it is in the few authentic assemblies today where Christian teaching needs the stirring, purifying, invigorating, and refreshing that comes through a sense of the presence and power of the holy Spirit. Clearly, all of us who possess the holy Spirit and share the Divine Nature would desire to meet with others of like mind, would we not? Of course we would!

But it involves being evangelistic in our personal efforts to satisfy the Lord Yeshua's expectations of us to have outreach to seek our the presently hidden Firstfruits.

The LORD has given us in this place a vision, and that vision is that He is raising up the Final Work a Work of faithful restoration, a short Work of a Divine Society, a supernatural Order established for the ministry of reconciliation of Jew and Gentile into the One New Man by Our Lord Yeshua the Messiah, the mystical Body of Mashiach nurtured by Grace to be the most powerful, constructive and progressive force this satanic world has ever seen. We are busily engaged in laying the foundation for it.

Whoever's thirsty, let him come
Whoever wishes, let him come
Whoever's hungry, let him come
Whoever's needy, let him come
Whoever hears Him,
Whoever wants Him
Whoever knows Him,
Whoever loves Him
Let him come and take
From the waters of life, FREELY.

This is the vision Our FatherMother Yah Anochi I-Source has given me to share with whosoever will believe it. Let us be true to it!

THIS CONCLUDES LECTURE 46