Romans 8:15 The Great Adoption

"...you have received the Spirit of adoption...The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs- heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God."

~Romans 8:15-18

The eigth chapter of Romans is oft-regarded as foundational to the religion of Christianity. It is dense with theology, reasoning, apologetics and explanation.

These specific verses, however, are not just theoretical: they hit us in the "feels." The mysterious Holy Spirit, frequently relegated to the weird third office of the Trinity, is referred to here as a person: HIMSELF bearing witness in our spirit. An individual, never detached from the Triune God, but still an individual that speaks to the very core of who and what we are.

We can have FULL CONFIDENCE that we are accepted into his family..."provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him." Though we'd rather run away from feelings of suffering and pain to stick with the vague theology of "kinda goin to heaven someday," this passage simultaneously gives us logical substance and deep comfort in our guaranteed, incomporable glory. That while we work, play, and rest in partnering with God as He restores and redeems His creation, our eager hope and longing is to simply be revealed as God's sons. Ultimately, this loops us back to key word at the beginning of the passage: adoption. A strange concept that the Creator of the Universe chooses to apply to us, beloved children that he designed and foreknew before time began. Adoption, though, turns out the be the perfect encapsulation and explanation and attitude for our relationship to the Omnipotent, Omnisicient, Omnipresent One! "Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be Thy Name," created us as an outpouring of His love, to be Holy like Him and to bring Him glory (which can also be thought of like addint to His light).  

When sin entered into the equation, we were no longer automatic kids of His. All humans since have been "born in sin and shapen in iniquity." We see this in the helplessness and utter selfishness of infants (which sadly many adults never grow out of).  

A Christian telling you that "Jesus died for your sins" has become a trite and meaningless phrase. The truth underlying that is thoroughly amazing and immensely breathtaking though: though we were once rebelliously Not-His-People, The Father adopted us back into His Family by seeing us through the blood of His own Son!  

Jesus, the Son who has always been equally God with His Father for eternity, sub-mitted Himself to live among us and pay our penalty. He surrendered His om-nipotent power, choosing to wait for the Holy Spirit to descend on Him before doing any miracles. He even followed the Spirit into the wilderness for 40 days! This co-equal person of the Trinity, This Holy Spirit, raised Christ from the dead. THIS VERY SPIRIT wants to dwell in each of us and causes us to live in resurrect-ion power; to bear the fruits of love, joy, peace, patience and kindness in every aspect of our lives. To teach us and remind us that we have been adopted into family of God: the family of His Trinity.  
Our 2017, American understanding and interpretation of adoption involves paper-work, legal proceeding, and supernatural patience and sacrifice.  

This is not far off from the author's first century context (and eternally spiritual context) of adoption. Just because a document authorizes an adopted child to join a family, they don't immediately FEEL accepted and loved and joined with the family's rhythms and joys.  

Likewise, simply "getting saved" or "becoming a Christian" doesn't make our lives instantaneously easy or even happy. The deeply theological process and termin-ologies of "sanctification" can be summed up as simply as: we are adopted kids who are still learning how to be loved and to love others the way we have been loved by God. 

This sanctification that occurs until the day we leave this earth involves the kind-ness of our Father that leads us to repentance and the Comfort of the Holy Spirit that convicts us, convinces us, and reminds us that we have a King and Friend in Jesus Christ.  

As we "consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful man so that we will not grow weary and lose heart," we become more and more like Him-formed in His image like a potter forms clay, until the day we get to see Him face to face.

~~Tim S.

Early Morning Devotionals from the Garden

Maybe soon I will learn how to use the video thing on my phone. If you tell me once how to use it, well, that's not enough times. At least I do not mistake the calculator for the phone ... not yet anyway. When I do find out how to use the video part I might even record short devotionals as I sit in the garden. For now, it's picture time.

I enjoy working in the garden. It was probably God's favorite thing to do also. He did create a garden for Adam and Eve after all. Can you imagine what it was like in that garden? And they had fellowship with our Creator right there among the fruit trees, flowers, and plants, not to mention the animals.

It feels good to work with my hands, building things. The small bird aviary in our back yard is now finished, it's a little crooked in places, and I cut some of the wood too short or too crooked. Good thing I know how to hide the flaws. Of course, we cannot hide our flaws from the Lord, but He graciously and patiently works with us anyhow. Can you imagine if He waited for us to be perfect, He would have no disciples, no workers in the church, no church. I'm a little bit like that bird aviary I think, flawed, crooked in places, and a lot of extra pieces of wood and paint to cover up the mistakes. I guess we are all a marvelous work in progress.

For me it is finished and the work was satisfying. The door needs an extra security prop but it opens and shuts and the little parakeets like it, though they are still learning how to fly in such a big space. The aviary is strong enough to keep out the predators like Mira the Husky. She would very much like to get her jaws into one of those colorful parakeets. But the door is shut like Noah's Ark ... maybe not as good as that. 

Early in the morning, just as the sun is rising, I like to walk through our garden alone--so peaceful to walk among the fruit trees and hear the coos of the mourning doves. There I talk with God, my Maker. 

A family of ravens perch themselves on our street light and wait for breakfast. We have spoiled them and now demand fresh bread only. And so the day begins.

Where do you like to spend time with God?

Give ear to my words, O Lord, consider my meditation. Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my God: for unto thee will I pray. My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up. ~Psalm 5:1, 3

The Names of God: #3 Jehovah Rapha: The Lord is the Healer

... If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God, 

and wilt do that which is right in his sight, 

and wilt give ear to his commandments, 

and keep all his statutes, 

I will put none of these diseases upon thee, 

which I have brought upon the Egyptians: 

for I am the Lord that healeth thee.

~Exodus 15:26

The name Jehovah Rapha occurs in Exodus 15:26 when the Israelites arrived at Mara and could not drink the water because it was bitter. When Moses, commanded by God, cast a tree into the water, it became sweet. At that spot the Lord instituted a rule and a law and promised them He would lay no sicknesses upon them  (like the sicknesses He had laid upon the land of Egypt), if they obeyed His commandments and regulations "because I am the Lord thy Healer."

The words heal and cure in the Scriptures are both derived from the same Hebrew stem which means to "re-instate" persons or things, to "reform" them to their original state. It is applied to the healing or cure of the body as well as the soul (Psalm 41:5 and Psalm 147:3), for the healing or purifying of the nation
(2 Chronicles 7:14); the reinstating or healing of the broken altar of the Lord (I Kings 18:30).

If we read this section in Exodus 15 we note that the promise to heal was applied more to the causes of the sicknesses than to sickness itself. This being assured by obedience to God's commandments. Disobedience to God's commands results in a disordered nation (2 Chronicles 36:16), or in infertility of vineyards, crops etc.

The bitter waters of Mara are a type of the corrupting influence of sin. Jeremiah 2:13,18,19 says, For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water. And now what hast thou to do in the way of Egypt, to drink the waters of Sihor? or what hast thou to do in the way of Assyria, to drink the waters of the river? Thine own wickedness shall correct thee, and thy backslidings shall reprove thee: know therefore and see that it is an evil thing and bitter, that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God, and that my fear is not in thee, saith the Lord God of hosts.

Jehovah-Rahpa has indeed made the waters sweet by means of the tree (the Cross). So likewise has Christ signified the Cross. No matter how contrary the Cross may appear the Lord frequently does heal through sickness.

Psalm 41:3,4 says that whosoever has consideration for the poor: "the Lord will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing: Thou wilt make all his bed in his sickness."

Another translation puts it: "The Lord sustains him on a sick bed, and brings him back to health." It is clear that a physical ailment only is not implied, for the following verse says: "Lord, be merciful unto me: heal my soul; for I have sinned against Thee."

Deuteronomy 32:39 says, "See now that I am He, and there is no God with Me: I kill, and I make alive; I would, and I heal . . . "

Jehovah-Rapha: The Lord is the Healer, and since it is needful and desired, also of the body. But primarily His aim is to heal man's souls and to reform the image of God in him. For this purpose sickness and suffering is frequently called for to create a calm and thoughtful atmosphere of reflection; and often God must shatter man's dearest ambitions and illusions for the healing process in his soul to operate; He does kill and He does heal and frequently He must smite before He can heal.

In Jesus Christ, God sent the Great Healer of sicknesses who has truly healed many sick bodies; yet this was only visible evidence of an even higher commission: "That ye might know that the Son of Man has power on Earth to forgive sins" (Matthew 9:6).

Similarly in His first sermon at Nazareth: "He hath anointed me to preach the Gospel to the poor; to heal the brokenhearted" (Luke 4:18).

So that He could deliver humanity from eternal damnation, Jehovah-Rapha, the Healer Himself, had to undergo the sting of death, "for as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up so that whoever believeth in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:14,15).

Thanks be unto God for the Cross, by which the bitter waters of Mara (sin) have been made sweet by Jehovah-Rapha.

Our Hello, Welcome to Our Blog Post

Welcome to Pentecostal Journals. Yes, dear friends, after more than 40 years of full-time ministry Helaene (aka Tante Laney) and I are about to retire. So we have decided to blog. Of course, we will need a little bit of guidance from the younger generation but I think we will manage ... eventually.

There are many projects waiting for us in the garden ... maybe we will blog about those projects, but I think I will leave that to Helaene. And she will introduce her gourmet Indo recipes as well. She likes her kitchen for sure. I love the garden myself; the fruit trees, the vegetables, the herbs, the flowers, and even the cacti. So many spiritual lessons grow there. 

Pentecostal Journals will be about those lessons, I think. And a lot of mini sermons I wrote so many years ago, but never published anywhere. Stories of Indonesia, of New Guinea, Holland, Australia, and America. Aduch zeg, we have lived in many places and seen the hand of God in them all. 

Helaene, besides her recipes (Sambal anyone?) and gardening tips will also have words of wisdom for the ladies. 

When we first came into the ministry we were actually Sunday School teachers, that is why we will have a special section for children called Kids' Corner. Something new each month. It will have its own page right here. We hope that our grandchildren will help us out with that. They are all so talented and gifted. More on them in future posts. 

In any case, we have video sermons to share, mini sermons, lessons from our kitchen and garden, fun for the kids, and we wouldn't mind publishing your testimonies. Send those and all other inquiries to our Webbie Girl DebbyAlten7@gmail.com. 

My first mini sermons are my notes on the Names of God. I was thinking of publishing them in book form. Lots of work. We will partner with Alten Ink on that. 

So welcome to our blog, we hope you will come and visit often. 

Proverbs 3:5, 6 ... A Scripture to Guide You Through the Weekend

The Names of God: #2 Jehovah Jireh: The Lord Shall or Does Provide

Genesis 22:13, 14
And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son. And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen.

This passage gives a clear illustration of one of the fundamentals of our salvation: The substitute sacrifice of Jesus Christ. The understanding of Old Testament types is essential for our understanding of New Testament truths.

For example we see that Isaac's miraculous birth was a shadow of Christ. Another foreshadow was his disagreement with Ishmael his natural brother. And his three day journey to Moriah which means, "Chosen by the Lord."

In the brief verses of of Genesis 22 this explanation of 2 Corinthians 5:19 is shown: "That God was in Christ, reconciling the world into himself."

Isn't the text "they both went together" repeated twice in verses 6 and 8? They both had their own share in the offering of the sacrifice. Abraham built the altar and prepared the wood and Isaac was tied down on it to be the sacrifice. Both climbed the same mountain but Abraham assured his servants: "After we have worshiped we will return." (Genesis 22:5)

On Mt. Moriah, Abraham offered up his son in faith. He had God's promise that Isaac would be the seed (the issue), through whom the whole world would be blessed. Therefore he believed "that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead."

Hebrews 11:17-19
Thus what happened on Moriah became a type of the resurrection of Christ from the dead. Abraham believed, yes indeed; since God had given him Isaac to be the seed through which the whole world would receive a blessing. Nevertheless, God's command was very clear--sacrifice your son.

Then Isaac asked: "Where is the lamb for the sacrifice?"

Abraham answered: "God will provide a lamb for Himself to be the burnt sacrifice, my son."

And believing this he tied his son Isaac down on the wood. Doesn't the attitude of both father and son reveal a tranquil submission to the command of God?

"And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son . . ." (verse 10)

Here we can fathom something, with our limited human understanding, of the mystery in the text in John 3:16: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son." Abraham already knew God as "Elohim," "El Eljon," "El Shaddai" and also as "Jehovah." But God would now teach him to know God as Jehovah Jireh; "the Lord shall provide."

"Because when he had lifted up his knife to sacrifice the Angel of the Lord called to him out of heaven: Lay not thy hand upon the lad." (Genesis 22:11).

"And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horn . . . And Abraham offered him up as a burnt offering instead of his son." The Lord shall provide!

The explanation of the substitute sacrifice becomes even clearer in the later history of Moriah. The stony summit of the mountain was later used used by Ornan the Jebusite as a threshing floor
(1 Chronicles 21:15). It was at the time when a terrible pestilence came upon Israel as a punishment after David had sinfully authorized a census of the population against God's will.

When the sickness of the pestilence approached Ornan's threshing floor the Angel of the Lord again appeared on the same spot where Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to his son in order to sacrifice him.

"It is now enough," he said.

The pestilence was then restricted and providence was assured on the same mountain top. And it was also on Moriah, on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite, where King Solomon began to build the House of the Lord (2 Chronicles 3:1). The House which was filled with the glory of the Lord (2 Chronicles 5:14) and where fire came down from God to burn up the sacrifice
(2 Chronicles 7:1). When the children of Israel saw the fire shoot down and the glory of the Lord throughout the House, they bowed their faces as they worshiped and praised the Lord. The Lord who is good and whose mercy endures forever (2 Chronicles 7:3).

And what should we do if we should gaze at Golgotha where Christ, who was free of sin and sinfulness, suffered for us as a sinner; where the Lamb of God took away the sins of the world; where the Patriarchs, Abraham and Isaac came together "to be provided with a sacrifice," which was required for our salvation? Let us bow down and worship. Let us bow down and praise the Lord who is good and whose mercy endures forever.

The Names of God: 1. Jehovah Tsidkenu: The Lord is our Righteousness

In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: 

and this is his name whereby he shall be called, 

The Lord Our Righteousness. 

~Jeremiah 23:6

Righteousness is God's nature; none of the other attributes can reveal it, not even His love or His grace.

Sin deprived man of this Righteousness; obviously, sin is unrighteousness. Righteousness includes all that is right, lawful, and just. God is The Lord Our Righteousness.

The Psalms are full of praise for God's righteousness; amidst all iniquity is The Lord Our Righteousness.

The prophecies concerning the coming reign of Christ on earth are proclaiming this righteousness of God. David prays in his last prayer: "O, God, give the king Thy judgments and Thy righteousness unto the king's son (Psalm 72:1), for then he shall judge the people with righteousness and the poor with judgment."
(verse 2)

God tried to teach righteousness to mankind in many ways. He himself brings judgment on earth and punishes that the inhabitants may learn His righteousness (Isaiah 26:9). God demands absolute righteousness from His people. But how could it be possible, when there is not one good person?

Regarding this fact, it is true what Augustinus the Church father said when he prayed: "Oh, God! Demand of me whatever Thou likest and I shall give it Thee; but give me first what Thou asketh."

To this respect we have a striking example in the meeting of Abraham and Melchizedek, when Abraham returned from the battle against the kings and was blessed by Melchizedek (Hebrews 7:1). Melchizedek was a type of Jesus Christ. Christ is the true King of Righteousness. He has fulfilled for us the law of God and now whosoever believes in Jesus Christ will be made righteousness by his faith (Romans 4:5).

Abraham's righteousness was counted because of his faith. In the same way everyone, who by faith stretches out his hand to the Lamb of God (who fulfilled God's law, God's righteousness), will be counted as if he himself brought it forth.

God is faithful and righteous, so when we confess our sins, He shall forgive them and blot them out, cleansing us from all unrighteousness (I John 1:9).

From the preceding we know that God's grace does not contradict God's righteousness.

Jehovah Tsidkenu has first given to us what He demands from us, for God was in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself (II Corinthians 5:19). What was impossible for us, God accomplished, and now He asks of us righteousness, which He could not receive unless He first gave it to us.

The Lord does not ask us to fulfill our righteousness by works, but this is His commandment: that we shall believe in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ (I John 3:23), for Christ is The Lord Our Righteousness.