The Church of the Beyond, vol. 6

Life

By Benjamin F. Hoogterp

Paperback: 334 pages
Publisher: CreateSpace ((December 24, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1470010429
ISBN-13: 978-1470010423
Product Dimensions: 6 x 9 x 0.8 inches
Release Date: 12.24.12

Available on Amazon.com.

Description:

And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. John 17:3 Ever wonder what makes the difference between having church and having church? I mean, those glory times, where everything seems fresh, clean, and like God’s presence is there as something special, unique, and real? What is it about the special and unique touch of the Spirit that makes every time life-changing? This is life, to know Him and to make Him known. There is no other purpose, there is no other destiny, and there is no other calling. Giftings may come or go, but only through Jesus do we come to know the Father (John 14:6).

A man asked Jesus what it took to be perfect. Jesus responded, do the commandments. The man replied that he had, and Jesus said he lacked one thing, that he was to sell all, give to the poor, and follow Him. You see, you can’t get anywhere without His heart, you have no life in you if you do not have His, His name, His Character, His Will, His desire. It is in giving everything, absolutely everything, that we receive Him, for we must live as He lived, and walk as He walked. In doing this, we show that we are His disciples, and we will abide in His love.

It wasn’t for a show, and it wasn’t for an institution that Jesus died, but He came and lived as a man for men, that we, men and women, might know His true love, be set free from the deceptions of this age, and come to know true life, Eternal life, Himself. For, there is life in no other, nor is there salvation in any other name than Jesus Christ. Whoever believes on Him shall be saved, and all others shall be damned, even as the scriptures say, in Mark 16:16. For to one, He says come, and he comes, and to another do this, and he does it. The greatest key to life could be summed up in one of Jesus’ statements, saying that all of the Father’s commands lead to life. Even the command to the cross, though it went through death, lead to life, and we live today because of it. Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

John 14:6

As Truth is a person, so is The Way.  As surely as any understanding of who He was and what He taught could be expressed, it cannot be understood outside of the person of Who He Is, What He Did and Why He Did It.  The Path of Life therefore, as it were, is following Jesus.  For the original twelve apostles, this was through both observing who Him directly, as well as by hearing Him teach.  Today, while we do not see exactly how He lived the words He preached, we have His Spirit within us to guide us into all truth.

But, most assuredly, His Words are to be obeyed.  None of His Words can be fully embraced without the provision of His Spirit, but through Him, and His enabling power, we are able to overcome through faith.

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Clouds and thick darkness surround him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.

Psalm 97:2

The question of the ages, of the universe, and of the world, is that of righteousness.

When we approach what I like to call the million dollar question, why do born again believers not behave according to their new-creation nature, we have come to the very bedrock of the Christian faith, and also the most pressing issue of the universe, period.

The issue is righteousness.

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But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:

Ephesians 4:15

For, God has made Christ the head of all things for the church.  He is above everything of this natural order, higher than every name, title and authority that can be given.

The foundation of God’s throne is righteousness and justice, and as God has ordained that this world be governed by kingdoms, the basis of all real things is done through the nature of authority and responsibility.

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Through the blood, we enter in through the torn body of Christ into perfection.  Not merely living in the faith of the outward works, nor even abiding in the flow of the Spirit, but pressing on to complete consummation and indwelling of Him.

Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the LORD: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth.

Hosea 6:3

It is here that no one need to teach us, saying, Know the Lord.  It may come at other places, but here, there is a knowing in the cloud, and a revelation in the glory.

Above the ark, between the cherubim, the only light of the Holiest of all was God Himself.  No source and no supply, no beginning nor end.

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Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.

Matthew 5:17-18

For too long, our theology has been laid out by theologians, and not by children.  Ask any eight-year old what it means that the Kingdom of Heaven is like leaven hidden in dough means, and they’ll tell you that it means, more or less, that the Kingdom of Heaven is like leaven!  It takes a real grown-up to tell you, after reading the words of Jesus, that the Kingdom of Heaven is anything other than what He just said it was.

What does the Kingdom resemble?  A little bit of yeast!  (Matthew 13:33).  What must we do to have life within ourselves?  Eat and drink His blood (John 6:53).  Simple, eh?

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Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.

Matthew 7:7

This is part of the good news Jesus came to bring.  If we ask for it, He will bring it.  If we look for it, we will find it.  If we keep knocking at the door, eventually, it will open for us.  This is Kingdom 101 quite often, and, whether it is accepted as such or dismissed from there, it can often get little investigation later.  However, as with many of Jesus’ sayings, they apply to multiple levels.

For instance, take the phrase “Seek and you will find.”  This, of course, applies to the Kingdom of Heaven, to God the Father, and to Jesus.  This of course applies to answers and deliverances and other such burdens we offer towards heaven.  But, let’s look at this another way for a moment.

Jesus ministered on the Earth in the power of the Spirit.  The gifts were evident yet not on display.  The Spirit was present, and the gifts were promised, but the primary focus of the teaching was directed towards the Father’s will.

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Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”

John 14:6

It doesn’t matter what version you read it in, Jesus is the way, He is THE Truth, and He is the life, the only life.  The gospel is the power of God unto salvation for all that believe (1 Peter 1:5).

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