truemessianic
04-12-2003, 11:08 PM
This is a brand new teaching on my web site. It is not pointed to anyone here, be assured, but I think it may be a good topic of conversation.
The Attacking Of One's past
By: William Michael Price
Recently, I changed a great deal after an encounter with some brethren and the Lord Himself. You see, my past is indeed one of a checkered kind. I admit my failures and my past mistakes. I admit my foolishness and my harmful words and actions. I admitted my sins, repented of them, and went on in the name of Jesus, being forgiven and tried to continue to do His work that he has called me to do. However, it has come to my attention that men would rather assault my personage and play the role of the accuser of the brethren, bringing up my past mistakes, instead of considering the truth that I now proclaim. This indeed is disturbing.
The Bible records another man who went through the same ordeal. His name was Paul. On the road to Damascus, he had an encounter with Jesus Christ Himself. Paul was converted and was sent on to Jerusalem, preaching in the synagogues as he went. The records some of the comments made towards him in Acts 9:21, "But all that heard [him] were amazed, and said; Is not this he that destroyed them which called on this name in Jerusalem, and came hither for that intent, that he might bring them bound unto the chief priests?" The first thing people said about Paul was the fact of his past. Paul preached Jesus Christ as being both Messiah and God, and all they could think of was his past. Nevertheless, if we look at Paul’s response to this, we see how all believers should respond to this kind of assault. The Bible records in Acts 9:22, "But Saul increased the more in strength, and confounded the Jews which dwelt at Damascus, proving that this is very Christ." Saul, who we know as the Apostle Paul, grew in strength. The word strength is defined as follows:
en-doo-nam-o'-o
From G1722 and G1412; to empower: - enable, (increase in) strength (-en), be (make) strong.
Paul empowered himself, grew stronger in the Lord. Despite their assaults and their words, Paul grew in the Lord. Yet, today, believers around the world are using their words, not to edify, but to break down the people who are coming to the light. This is indeed a non-Christian way of handling a brother/sister who has come to the light. Some, who are in memorial of the way certain people behave in the past, choose to wave a flag of remembrance, because they do not agree with some of the things that person have come to the knowledge of.
This has become all to clear to me since my conversion to the faith doctrine of partial preterism, but what I now call the full Apostolic doctrine. Men who were at one time friends and compatriots have now chosen to assault me and open the jar of my past. I am sure many believers go through this same kind of assault when they come to the revelation.
Why am I writing this? Am I on some sort of rampage, or is there a reason within the Body for this? The answer to all these questions is yes.
You see, if I do not help my brothers and sisters going through what I am enduring, then this battle will truly have been in vain. 2Timothy 2:10 says, "Therefore I endure all things for the elect's sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory." Paul endured these trials and so much more in an effort to help the elect, we, the Church, the Israel of God grow into maturity in Christ Jesus. That is why I am writing this study, to help other endure what I am now, and have already been through. Paul also writes in 2Corinthians 1:3-4, "Blessed [be] God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God."
The Bible tells us in 2Timothy 4:5, "But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry." That word affliction means:
kak-op-ath-eh'-o
From the same as G2552; to undergo hardship: - be afflicted, endure afflictions (hardness), suffer trouble.
We suffer troubles, both from within and without. Too many times, it is not the world that assaults us, but those who we think are of our own household. They know our faults and mistakes, but choose not to forgive, but to go on in Jesus name condemning us for things that are already under the Blood. They have chosen to become the accuser of the brethren, and make themselves judges of our worthiness to do what the Lord has called us to do.
I say this not in condemnation, but to their shame as a call to repentance. They, in showing this kind of spirit, are in danger on following after the following verses of scripture:
1John 2:7-11, "Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning. Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth. He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now. He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him. But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes."
Having this kind of attitude is indeed dangerous. It could eventually cost one their salvation. I do not write this study lightly. This is indeed a serious situation many believers are in They are in error, for they have an attitude of hate and self-importance towards their brother. Jesus told us in Matthew 19:30, "But many [that are] first shall be last; and the last [shall be] first." Galatians 6:3 says, "For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself." Too many people think themselves to be something, when they are not. They are just fellow believers.
I close this lesson with a call to repentance. Let us all come back to the alter of humility, and repent before the Lord, showing Him that He is the only one who is able to judge as to whether a vessel is of honor or dishonor. Let us remember that it is the Lord first, and us who follow Him, that He saved us from sin, so we should be in remembrance of His love towards us. The Bible records in Ephesians 2:11-13, "Wherefore remember, that ye [being] in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ." Christ made all of us, so none of us should hate our brother.
The Attacking Of One's past
By: William Michael Price
Recently, I changed a great deal after an encounter with some brethren and the Lord Himself. You see, my past is indeed one of a checkered kind. I admit my failures and my past mistakes. I admit my foolishness and my harmful words and actions. I admitted my sins, repented of them, and went on in the name of Jesus, being forgiven and tried to continue to do His work that he has called me to do. However, it has come to my attention that men would rather assault my personage and play the role of the accuser of the brethren, bringing up my past mistakes, instead of considering the truth that I now proclaim. This indeed is disturbing.
The Bible records another man who went through the same ordeal. His name was Paul. On the road to Damascus, he had an encounter with Jesus Christ Himself. Paul was converted and was sent on to Jerusalem, preaching in the synagogues as he went. The records some of the comments made towards him in Acts 9:21, "But all that heard [him] were amazed, and said; Is not this he that destroyed them which called on this name in Jerusalem, and came hither for that intent, that he might bring them bound unto the chief priests?" The first thing people said about Paul was the fact of his past. Paul preached Jesus Christ as being both Messiah and God, and all they could think of was his past. Nevertheless, if we look at Paul’s response to this, we see how all believers should respond to this kind of assault. The Bible records in Acts 9:22, "But Saul increased the more in strength, and confounded the Jews which dwelt at Damascus, proving that this is very Christ." Saul, who we know as the Apostle Paul, grew in strength. The word strength is defined as follows:
en-doo-nam-o'-o
From G1722 and G1412; to empower: - enable, (increase in) strength (-en), be (make) strong.
Paul empowered himself, grew stronger in the Lord. Despite their assaults and their words, Paul grew in the Lord. Yet, today, believers around the world are using their words, not to edify, but to break down the people who are coming to the light. This is indeed a non-Christian way of handling a brother/sister who has come to the light. Some, who are in memorial of the way certain people behave in the past, choose to wave a flag of remembrance, because they do not agree with some of the things that person have come to the knowledge of.
This has become all to clear to me since my conversion to the faith doctrine of partial preterism, but what I now call the full Apostolic doctrine. Men who were at one time friends and compatriots have now chosen to assault me and open the jar of my past. I am sure many believers go through this same kind of assault when they come to the revelation.
Why am I writing this? Am I on some sort of rampage, or is there a reason within the Body for this? The answer to all these questions is yes.
You see, if I do not help my brothers and sisters going through what I am enduring, then this battle will truly have been in vain. 2Timothy 2:10 says, "Therefore I endure all things for the elect's sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory." Paul endured these trials and so much more in an effort to help the elect, we, the Church, the Israel of God grow into maturity in Christ Jesus. That is why I am writing this study, to help other endure what I am now, and have already been through. Paul also writes in 2Corinthians 1:3-4, "Blessed [be] God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God."
The Bible tells us in 2Timothy 4:5, "But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry." That word affliction means:
kak-op-ath-eh'-o
From the same as G2552; to undergo hardship: - be afflicted, endure afflictions (hardness), suffer trouble.
We suffer troubles, both from within and without. Too many times, it is not the world that assaults us, but those who we think are of our own household. They know our faults and mistakes, but choose not to forgive, but to go on in Jesus name condemning us for things that are already under the Blood. They have chosen to become the accuser of the brethren, and make themselves judges of our worthiness to do what the Lord has called us to do.
I say this not in condemnation, but to their shame as a call to repentance. They, in showing this kind of spirit, are in danger on following after the following verses of scripture:
1John 2:7-11, "Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning. Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth. He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now. He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him. But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes."
Having this kind of attitude is indeed dangerous. It could eventually cost one their salvation. I do not write this study lightly. This is indeed a serious situation many believers are in They are in error, for they have an attitude of hate and self-importance towards their brother. Jesus told us in Matthew 19:30, "But many [that are] first shall be last; and the last [shall be] first." Galatians 6:3 says, "For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself." Too many people think themselves to be something, when they are not. They are just fellow believers.
I close this lesson with a call to repentance. Let us all come back to the alter of humility, and repent before the Lord, showing Him that He is the only one who is able to judge as to whether a vessel is of honor or dishonor. Let us remember that it is the Lord first, and us who follow Him, that He saved us from sin, so we should be in remembrance of His love towards us. The Bible records in Ephesians 2:11-13, "Wherefore remember, that ye [being] in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ." Christ made all of us, so none of us should hate our brother.