La Sagrada Familia

Who knows where the winds may blow us, only a fool would sayWho knows if we'll ever reach the shoreFollow a rising sun with eyes that may only stareWhat kind of fire will burn us there? What kind of fire?Only a fool would say

La Sagrada Familia, the wind has changed the storm is overLa Sagrada Familia, for the lion and the lambLa Sagrada Familia, we thank the lord the danger's overLa Sagrada Familia, there's peace throughout the land!
In Search of the Holy Family
There are many people who, whether they know it or not, and whether or not they want to admit it, are looking for something that they can never quite grasp, or even put their finger on. The need to be a part of something is the need for communion that we've talked about before on this blog. If that necessary communion can't be found, for whatever reason in one place, what might be called the right place, it will be sought in another, usually what is seen ( by others ) as the wrong!

A terrific sermon was preached to Covenant Community Church the other day, in a place not normally used for that purpose, and an area which might be called 'the Garden of Eden'. His sermon, which was formed around the theme of 'the household of faith' and based on the final few verses of Matthew 4. A recurring theme, as well, was the importance, and betterness, even, of the spiritual family ( covenant, might be a better term here ) over the natural.
 The Family of God, which we all are, especially those who have realized the nature of our relationship with our Creator, is one of a covenant nature, much like that of what might be called a nuclear family, but with one most important distinction; the Head of this family is not subject to human weaknesses ( although He is familiar with them ), and so, unlike a human father, is always faithful, always loving, always there, and never making mistakes; He is all-powerful, all-encompassing, and ever just!

It has been debated in the past and is currently under scrutiny in some circles, as to whether one is a child of their Heavenly Father if they have not entered into Covenant with Him, or do not live such a life that could be deemed worthy of the title. The Scriptures do, unarguably, seem to say that it is those who show love for God and their fellow man ( human being ) and have covenanted with Him and them that are the children or sons of God. However, I believe, as I've postulated before, that we must take into account the historical context of these words. The children of God, Scripturally speaking, are named in opposition to the children of the devil. In the historically biblical context of John 8:37-47, for instance, the children of the devil are named as the Pharisees, and though it may be easily argued that this group is alive and well today, in the covenantal context of these words in John 8, we can see that they were fulfilled in the first century! Phariseeism is alive and well today, but as Revelation 11:15 tells us, the kingdom ( powers ) of that world became the Kingdom of our God and His Christ! Today's Pharisees think, like those of the first century, that theirs is the only way, and like those Pharisees, are greatly mistaken, but there is one redeeming difference; the once for all sacrifice of the Son of God brought lasting salvation to His people, and brought to an end the separation and the enmity!
The Community of Divinity
Can those who are not obedient to the Covenant be considered as part of the Body of Christ? Although they are arguably children of God, though they do not enjoy the blessedness of a right relationship with their Creator, can we consider them part of what Paul calls the household of faith? Can we call them brothers, sisters or mothers? Because they live, sometimes in flagrant though maybe willfully ignorant violation of the Covenant, they  must still be viewed as children, though errant children of God, and who will never see the blessed results of right relationship with their Creator until and if they actively seek it for themselves!
I believe that, in the covenantal context of Scripture, that if one has not acknowledged, both in profession and confession, that covenantal relationship, we can not rightly call that person part of the Body of Christ. There has been some question recently though, in certain circles, as to whether the term 'Body of Christ', especially as the apostle Paul used it in his letters, was not merely an eschatological figure, and whether this too, has been fulfilled.  As we are speaking of an infinite Being though, and not just some human institution, I believe it is more than correct to say that this Body exists today!
With the Advent of the New Covenant, and the full revelation of what might be called The Age of Grace, one might be tempted to speculate as to whether or not all are part of the Body of Christ, or what has traditionally been known as the invisible Church, being children of God. However, it is clear, from two immutable things, the first being the immutability of God Himself, and the second, His Fatherhood, that only those who obey the Covenant are blessed with the privilege to be called a Son of God!
Only those who accept and follow the Faith of Jesus can be considered sons God, even though all His Creation might be considered His children. Jesus said, as quoted in Mark 3:35 'whoever does the will of God is My brother and My sister and mother.' Although children, we should not consider all as part of the Family of God, or the Holy Family, but by acting according to the Covenant and partaking in necessary communion, one may indeed be welcomed, as a full-fledged and blessed member of La Sagrada Familia!
May we always be ready, as Sons of God, members of the Community of Divinity, do our part to strengthen and encourage not just this Community, but the greater community of all God's children!
Charles Haddon Shank

What's in a Name?

The changing ( by God ) of names in Scripture should never be taken lightly!




When God changed Abram's name to Abraham, it almost looks, to our English ( American ) eyes like all He really did was add an 'h' and another 'a' to come up with, instead of 'exalted father', 'father of many nations'. This name-change, like many other significant happenings recorded in the Hebrew Scriptures, pointed forward to the spread of the Gospel, and the fact that it was not Abraham's physical descendants, but his spiritual progeny, that would inherit the Land of Promise. We can see this by reading certain of the Apostle Paul's letters. It helps to understand Abraham's beginnings as well, for we can find, through other writings, as well as Scripture, that Abram was an immportant leader in the economy of Chaldea, or lower Assyria, of which Babylon is probably one of the most infamous biblical cities!



Jacob means 'one who supplants, or undermines'. Jacob, when he was born, is known for the fact that when his brother was born first, Jacob grasped the heel of Esau, signifying what he would do later in life, taking his elder brother's place, for all intents and purposes, as the firstborn among his brethren! The correlation too, between Jacob and the heel is also significant in biblical prophecy in that it was the heel that would later be bruised by the serpent ( Genesis 3:15 ), though He would crush the serpent's head! As Jacob grew and became a man ( adam ), and began to exercise dominion, God changed his name to Israel after he had wrestled with the Angel ( messenger ) of the Lord. The name Israel literally refers to the fact that he wrestled with God, although the name 'Israel' is most often understood to mean 'prince, or ruler with God'!



As we cycle through the events leading up to the Revelation of the Christ, there are many such circumstances and happenings, though sometimes seemingly trivial and insignificant that point toward the expansion or explosion of the Good News throughout God's Creation, and the Identification of Jesus the Christ, the Son of God as the True Israel, and the Last Adam ( Man ), as Emannuel, or God With Us! The Gospel Expansion was never meant to be, as the physical seed of Abraham assumed, for one certain people, dwelling in one certain place; it was always to be for the whole Creation, for all people, as these new names, among other things, plainly signified!



The apostle Paul's name-change is likely one of the least noticeable, yet most important in biblical history! Saul is the name given him by his parents, and this name means 'asked for', as in 'prayed for', or 'desired'. One might recall that this name was also borne, almost infamously, by the first king of Israel. Thoughout this story, which is recorded in I Samuel 8, with Israel's official rejection of God as their King, Saul was referred to as 'the desire of Israel' ( see I Samuel 9:20 ). Jesus, by contrast, was called 'the Desire of all nations', by the prophet Isaiah!



Paul, a Roman name, means 'small', not as in 'diminutive', but as in 'humble' ( even insignificant? ) As we read in the Story of Saul's exaltation, beginning in I Samuel 9, we see that Saul came from a very exalted position, and was very pleasant to look upon as well; much to be desired! As the Story of Saul's Exaltation continues, we see how the idea of 'power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely' might have its beginnings. Saul was a very proud man, but was brought low because of it!



This was significant of the Apostle Paul who also had much reason for pride, as we read in several of his letters, most notably, to the Philipppians ( chapter 4 ). However, in Acts 9, how Saul, as he was known then, was also brought to his knees! It was sometime after this humbling experience that Saul the exalted, desired one, became known as Paul, the small, humble, almost insignificant one Paul, being the apostle to the Gentiles, was by no means insignificant, being the fulfillment of the promise to Abraham, whereby He was the Father of many Nations!



Blessings,

Charles Haddon Shank

The Never-ending Story

The Story of Scripture is the Story of the Ultimate Reconciliation of the Children of the Father!

It is also the Story of Israel, and the Story of Redemption. It is a Covenant Story!

In some circles today, the fact that Israel and the people of God are one and the same is being questioned! Whether or not you view the Creation Account in Genesis as the Creation of the Universe or as some have begun to see it, as the Genesis of Covenant with the people of God, one thing is clear from the context of Scripture; the Story that we read in its pages is the Story of the Redemption of His People, or Creation. The Story that began with the Creation of Man on the Land, or National, physical Israel, had an end, or telos, and saw its fulfillment in the Christ! God's Redemptive Purpose was fulfilled and completed, but does that necessarily mean that the Story is over, and having reached its end, has ceased to be?

Most recently ( on this blog ), we have seen how grace has been everpresent in the Plan and Purpose of God, for indeed, that is an intrinsic and inherent part of His Nature! As God does not change, we know that this is a fact. His modus operandi, or manner of dealing with His people has never changed and never will! Therefore, we can also safely assume that His people have not changed either. As we read in Scriptures like Ezekiel 36:22-28 and I Corinthians 15:52, there was a change effected IN His people, but His people are the same they've always been! They are, and remain, His Creation!

Redemption is complete, yes, and the people of God have been redeemed, but are we to believe that every one of His people, having been redeemed and reconciled, has reconciled themselves to this fact? Accomplished Redemption is most certainly a fact, but not every single lamb has found its way back into the fold, so to speak! All over the world, more and more are converting to Christianity, and though not every one of these realizes the full extent of what this means, the fact remains that they have a part in Redemptive History! They only recieve the benefits of Accomplished Redemption, it is true, but they are still partakers in History. Being the Creation and Story of an infinite God, it is only natural that History should be infinite as well, with no beginning or end.

We read in the Revelation that God said that He is 'the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the End'. Does this mean that He had a beginning or an end? Well, of course not! It simply means that He instituted the first ( covenant ) with National, physical Israel, and that He brought it to its end, or telos. The writer to the Hebrews put it this way, 'the Author and Finisher of our Faith'. It was simply that part of the story, which some have found to be the betrothal covenant rather than the marriage covenant, that came to its end, which was the consummation of the marriage. The betrothal covenant was what came to an end, not the Covenant wherein God cemented the Relationship, or Marriage with His people! The Story of Redemption was what came to its end, not the History of Israel; that is a Story as infinite as its Author!

Charles Haddon Shank

The Tree of Knowledge

'If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.'

John 8:32

Talk to most any Christian today, and you will likely hear that if we claim to have absolute truth, there must be something wrong. 'No one can know for certain that what they hold to be true is necessarily the truth', you might hear! 'To claim that you hold absolute truth, is to be proud, boastful, and in danger of hell-fire!'

This is relativistic to the core, and damnable!

Jesus said that there is ONE way to know the truth, the Absolute Truth! That ONE Way is to abide in Him, and to follow His teachings and Life! If we live according to this Word, Jesus said, we will know the Truth, and the Truth will set us free!

So why are so many Christians in today's America struggling in the chains of bondage? Why are they not exercising that Truth in Living? Oh, I know that these same Christians would most likely have the same response as the Pharisees in the next verse, but, just like the Pharisees, they are blind to the fact that they are at present, as in the past, laboring under bondage!

There is a big 'hub-bub' in the headlines all over the country right now about how the courts ( government ) are redefining marriage. They have granted the right for same-sex couples to be licensed in marriage. Most Christians are up in arms about this, saying things like, 'we cannot allow our govenment to redefine marriage, for that would signal the end of marriage, even America itself'!

Sounds like chains to me, and self-wrought chains at that! First of all, no government but God's has either the right or the ability to define marriage! When God brought Eve to Adam, He defined marriage as between a man and a woman ( 'Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh' - Genesis 2:24 ). Any government of men can only uphold or disregard God's institution of marriage, not redefine it!

Another example of how many Christians have allowed themselves to be bround under bondage and servitude is the 501(c)3 ( tax-exempt ) statua that has been granted by the Federal Gogernment ( USA. Inc. ) to individual churches. More self-wrought chains! Churches, by nature, ARE exempt from taxation! Most Christians have been blinded to this fact by the lies and machinations of their government, which is not God's!

What can be done to remedy this sticky situation that we've gotten ourselves into?

First of all, we should not only preach this Truth and Freedom, but even more importantly, we should exercise this Freedom and Truth in Living! In many congregations today, the Gospel of Truth and Freedom is preached, but less often, it is practiced. Oh sure, there are individual Christians out there who are living inconsistently with the Truth as they claim to know it, but for the most part, Christians today keep that Knowledge 'behind the eyes, and between the ears'. 'After all', they say, 'this world is not our home; we're only passing through'. It would seem, to many, anyway, that this Knowledge has nothing to do with our everday Life; it has only, or mostly to do with where we go after our biological bodies perish!

The Truth that we have been set free from all government but God's must ring out across this Land if we are ever to live in True Freedom! Yes, as any good Christian will tell you; we have been set free from the Law of Sin & Death, but that only has to do with our spiritual, not physical, or biological experience! Because we have been set free from the Law of Sin & Death, we have the capacity and Freedom in Christ to live out that Truth in our Lives!

May we ever Live that Truth, as we experience Life in Our Father's World, and always share that Truth with others, as we Commune with the Body of Christ!

Charles Haddon Shank

The Covenant of Grace

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

(Genesis 1:1)

Herein, I hope to prove, conclusively and without doubt, that the Covenant that God made in the beginning was but One, and that it was an infinite Covenant. This Covenant, although ratified and renewed with various people, in various forms, and at various times, spoke of the relationship of God with His People, His Creation.

You have heard that there were/are two main covenants in Scripture; the Covenant of Works, which included the Adamic, Noahic, Abrahamic, Davidic, and so on and so forth, as many as seven, and the Covenant of Grace, which came through Jesus who is the Christ. This is an unfair distinction to make, because it should be fairly clear that the Covenant that God constantly affirmed with His people included both Law ( Works ) AND Grace! When Adam was created, for instance, God did not have to provide a mate for him, but because He loved His Creation, He gracefully brought Eve to Adam! Noah, along with his family, was saved from the whelming flood through the Grace of the Ark, which was typical of salvation in the Christ! The Abrahamic and Davidic, and other various iterations can be seen to involve both an undeserved Grace and a rather weak and iffy obedience to that covenant.

If you have read any of my previous posts on the subject, you are probably familiar with the concept that I along with others have put forth, the fact, as I believe, that the Creation Account in Genesis 1 is not so much an account of the physical creation, as it is an account of the forming of the Covenant, first with the Land ( Temple ), then with Man in the Land ( Adam ). I have posited before that the 'Let there be Light' in Genesis 1:3 was the initiation of this Covenant, and that God's 'Let Us make Man in Our Image' in Genesis 1:26, the ratification of His Covenant with Man!

To be sure, Scripture does, in a sense, speak of two different, or separate covenants! The first recorded as such was made with Abraham, beginning from Genesis 12 and on, but the main covenantal focus in the Hebrew Scriptures is the Mosaic Covenant, which is what has come to be known as the Covenant of Works! This Covenant is most famously enumerated in Exodus 20, with the giving of the Law in the form of the Ten Commandments, or Ten Words. The blessings and cursings of Deuteronomy chapter 28 are also one of the more famous ( or 'infamous'? ) examples of the Mosaic, or Covenant of Works.

Some study has been done of the notion that this first ( covenant ) was not one of marriage, as had previously been thought, but was actually one of betrothal. In the Hebrew or Jewish mindset, as I understand it, this is not quite like an engagement, though obviously related,but had greater and deeper ramifications as to the legality of the marriage. For instance, when Joseph found out that his betrothed was with child, Scripture records that he was told by God 'Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit'. Even though they were not legally and officially married yet, they were already bound together as husband and wife. The Covenant had been inaugurated with the betrothal, but would not be consummated until the marriage had occurred!

As we have seen, and can easily ascertain throughout the Hebrew Scriptures, even though there were always consequences for wrongful actions; Grace has always played a major role in God's dealings with His covenant people! If not for Grace, Israel under that first ( covenant ) wouldn't have lasted as long as She did. Ezekiel 36:22 records, 'Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord God: 'I do not do this for your sake, O house of Israel, but for My holy name’s sake, which you have profaned among the nations wherever you went.'


As I alluded to earlier, the fact that there is really but One Eternal Covenant in the record of Scripture, is not only scripturally sound, but theologically sound as well, and it just makes sense! We know that God does not change, and if we posit that there were two totally different covenants, one of ( by ) Works and one of ( by ) Grace, then we must see, by implication, that God Himself changed His modus operandi over the ages. This, in fact, if I'm not mistaken, is what dispensationalism teaches! God has always dealt with His people in Grace, although through Law, and He will continue for the ages of the ages to deal with them in the same way! Scripture tells us that 'He chastens those whom He loves'. Like any good Father, He disciplines, through the application of Law, His people, but He always deals with us in Grace!

In conclusion then; we cannot have Grace without Law, and vice-versa, the Law of God operates through His Grace!! If we claim that there is no longer any Law then we cannot have Grace, since Grace, being un-merited favor, is receiving what we do not deserve. If there is no Law saying that we must do this or that, then there must be no Grace to give us what we don't deserve! The apostle Paul wrote to the Roman Christians, 'For until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law.' ( Romans 5:13 )

Charles Haddon Shank

The Evil that Men Do

Stephen King is truly one messed up individual! I had not watched one of his movies or read one of his books for a while, but I was reminded this afternoon just how disturbed he is when I watched 'Needful Things' for the first time! The gist of the movie, as I understood it, was that while the author/writer portrays the traditional evil spiritual being named Satan, though he is never mentioned, except generically, as 'the devil', he understands very well the latent ability for all kinds of evil that dwells within the heart of the man ( or woman ) who is not in right relationship, or communion with his ( or her ) Creator and with the Body of Christ! This concept ( of true communion ) is so alien to most people, even some Christians, that it is really almost shocking that more of what we see in those types of movies doesn't happen more often!

Ah, maybe I've just led a sheltered life!

Man, by nature, as Stephen King understands very well, is capable of almost unimaginable evil; he just needs the right ( or wrong ) excuse to let it flow, or spew out! But for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and the communion of the saints, anyone could snap at the least little thing, even, or maybe especially, some so-called Christians! 

Like it or not, men do succumb to the desires and lusts and all sorts of evil is spawned from these feelings! Even though the Son of God reconciled the world to Himself by His one Sacrifice ( else another must be made ), there are individuals in the world who have not reconciled with this concialiatory act, and still refuse, however weakly, to pursue or maintain a meaningful relationship with their Creator, and communion with the Body of Christ! These men, no matter what evil they have perpetrated in the past, can be forgiven, redeemed, and though not always brought back into fellowship ( someone has to pay the bill, naturally ), they can become one in the communion of the saints!

Human beings do evil things, there is no question! Are human beings then, naturally and necessarily, apart from the Communion of the Holy Spirit, evil? I would venture to say that they are not, but that they are always capable of great evil! Yes, some have progressed ( or is that regressed? ) to the point that they become very animalistic in nature, and yes, become evil, but it is not that human beings are, by nature evil. Rememmber that in the beginning, God declared His entire creation good, including His human creation!

Human beings always have had a choice! When faced with any given situation, as were Adam & Eve in the Garden ( Genesis 3 ), they often choose the wrong path, and thus unleash a world of evil! In subsequent generations, depending on the choices made by those following, that evil heritage may or may not alter the course of their legend, but it is always based on choice! What will you do with your choice? Will you strike back at your adversary, or will you choose to do right, though everyone else seems to be doing wrong?

Charles Haddon Shank

Change of Heart, Change of Life

'The Truth Hurts'; so the saying goes!

With the rabid influx of  'feel-goodism' in the American church ove the past century ( give or take ), is it really any surprise ( 'Shocked, shocked, I tell you!' ) that many or most American Christians would rather stay in their comfortable four-walled, steepled prisons, and slumber in the pews, than stand and challenge what they've been fed for ages, and to take pains to discover the Truth?! If you dare to question, for instance, the authority of the historical creeds in some Reformed congregations, you may be ostracized, asked to leave, or at the very least, be in danger of church discipline! In certain evangelical congregations, you might receive much the same treatment, except for the church discipline, and laughed to scorn on top of it! Why would they act like this; what are they afraid of?

First of all, many of us ARE very comfortable just warming pews, listening to the preacher drone on and on, whether spouting some marshmallowy goodness, or whether it's some halfway meaningful, though often errant drivel! Too many Christians are there, mostly for the social aspect of  'keeping up with the Joneses', but also for the warm feelings that this marshmallowy goodness engenders! Too many of the preachers are just there for the money! Sure, there are those that, even though they are over-paid waistcoats, might actually be worth listening to ( though you probably shouldn't do what they do )! The Scriptures do say that we should share our material wealth with those who share spiritual wealth and knowledge with us, but seriously, how many vehicles does a pastor with two children, maybe three, and a wife need? Does he really need all those fine expensive clothes and that big fine house on a hill? How about the boat and those skidoos? Don't get me wrong; I'm not saying that a Christian shouldn't be rich in material wealth, and have all those things, but too often they have all those things because they are unwilling to stand up and say, 'this is wrong, that is right'! The favored 501(c)3  status seems to help as well, making certain that the pastor and his congregation enjoy certain scraps from the table, while losing the ability to stand on their own two feet!

Christians like this often receive the truth of the glorious reality of true freedom in Christ like a slap in the face! For whatever reason, many Christians, when faced with the harsh reality that they may have been wrong about any number of things concerning the Kingdom of Heaven and of God will react in any number of ways, but for the most part will just stand there, blinking their eyes as if they've just had their blinders removed and beg you to put them back ( 'put the prison bars back' )!

We can't just pick on those certain Christians, because it really is just human nature! We all, I believe, to a greater or lesser degree, love our comforts, whether theologically, spiritually, or physically speaking. If something makes us uncomfortable, we most often will try to find any excuse not to do it! Some have overcome this innate desire for comfort ( at any cost? ), and challenging both their 'druthers and the status quo, have ventured where angels fear to tread!

Tradition is hard to overcome! This is not to say that just because a doctrine is traditional, it should be challenged or is questionable, though that is often the case. Just because any certain doctrine is traditional, and has been practiced, to whatever  extent, for almost 2,000 years of Church History, does not mean that it is right, or reveals Truth about Who God is and how He operates throughout History!

Most often, paradigm shifts hit us like a slap in the face, especially when we have fervently held to our pet doctrines all lives, and sometimes they hit with the intensity of a major seismic event! We all like comfort, and some of us even like marshmallows with our wine, but how many of us are willing to accept the Truth of God's Kingdom, though it may mean the loss of our comfortable and easy lives, when we can keep our comfortable, feel-good positions, even though we might have to tell a few white lies to keep them?

When the disciples, as recorded in Matthew 19:23-26, asked Jesus 'how then can a rich man be saved?', He told them that 'with men this is impossible, but with God, all things are possible'. All it takes is a change of heart, and the rest will follow!

Charles Haddon Shank

The Righteousness Which Comes by Faith; the Baptism of the Holy Spirit ( Romans 10 )

It's a question of faith; ultimately, it always has been and always will be! Who's faith; ours or God's?

There is no question that a man must exercise the faith he has been given in order for it to be a true and living faith, and you may accuse me of having a Calvinist hangover if it makes you feel better, but from whence does faith come; does not Scripture tell us that it is a gift from God? Faith, Scripture tells us, 'is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen' ( Hebrews 11:1 ). This is obviously not something that originates with man, for the writer to the Hebrews speaks here of things beyond man's comprehension almost, his ability to grasp with any of his physical senses! There are most certainly passages in Scripture that do speak of our having faith, as in James 2:20 ( 'faith without works is dead' ); this speaks of a man's faith, as we read more context, which, unaccompanied by works, or the exercise of that faith, becomes no faith at all, but mere belief!

Reading through the Hebrew, or Old Testament Scriptures, we can see that, for the most part, when a man or woman's faith is talked about, it is in the context of their actions, whether they are faithful or unfaithful, right or wrong. Those who consistently do wrong, as in Deuteronomy 32:20, are spoken of, for example, as 'Children in whom [ is ] no faith'. It might as correctly be said that a man or woman holds their faith as has  faith.

There is a controversy raging at this time which purports that there is no more faith, that we, on the far side of the veil, have reached the end of faith. Maybe Faith No More had it right, in that respect. Have we reached the end of faith, or more correctly, did they, in the first century, reach the end of faith? The apostle Peter wrote in his first letter that the end of their faith, a faith which he said was 'by the Power of God', was their salvation. The Greek word translated 'end' here is 'telos', which basically means ( according to most Bible interpreters ) 'termination, or limit'. This word, though, comes from the root 'tello', which means, 'to set out for a definite point or goal'. Clearly, a terminus is in view here! Faith was given, as so many other gifts that we see in Scripture, to serve an eschatological purpose! When that purpose was fulfilled, the gift, its eschatological service fulfilled, returned to its Originator!

Is there faith no more? Now that we have the enduring Presence of God, bask in His Righteousness and partake in the blessings of His Salvation, is it necessary to have evidence of things that we cannot see with our naked eye; do we still hope for the Substance, which is Christ? 

As we saw, the writer to the Hebrews comforted them with the words that they were soon to grasp the Substance of their hope, for their faithfulness was the evidence of things yet unseen! This faith was fulfilled; it saw its end, which was evidenced in their lives by their living hope for the Substance which was about to come. The question is, does faith exist today? Is it still necessary to exercise belief in things unseen? Well, on one hand yes, and on the other hand no. The object of their faith, the Substance for which they hoped, was fulfilled, and thus, in that sense, came to its end. The apostle Paul asked the Roman believers ( Romans 8:24 ) this rhetorical question, 'why does one still hope for what he sees?' Christians in the first century AD saw the end of their faith, which ultimately, was the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, as witnessed by John 14:23. For those who do not yet see that Substance, though the Substance is evidenced among them, faith may yet be necessary in order to reveal this to them. Through our faithfulness, the faithfulness of the people of God, those who cannot see may see, and the eyes of the blind may be opened!

Throughout the history of God's people, but particularly in the first century, it was the baptism of the Holy Spirit, as witnessed in places like Ezekiel 36:24-27, and Psalm 51:10-12, that conferred upon His Beloved this faith, the faith that one day, in the fulness of time, the Substance for which they hoped would be revealed from 'Heaven'. As revealed in the Greek, or New Testament Scriptures, we see that this Substance came in the form of Jesus the Christ, and was consummated with their full salvation in AD70, at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb!

As with the faith described to the Hebrews, so you might say that the Baptism of the Holy Spirit was fulfilled in the first century. The purpose for which He was sent, to give His people a clean heart, and renew a right Spirit within them was fulfilled, but is that the end, or termination of the Holy Spirit of God? Does not He still exist, dwelling within His people to guide them and to comfort them in their tribulations? I believe that we must with doubt say that He does!

The Baptism of the Holy Spirit spoken of in Scripture was fulfilled; it served its purpose, which was to bring His people back into right relationship with Him. However, we may rightly and readily ask the question; are there still those today who are not living in right relationship with their Creator? Are there others who will come to enjoy the Presence of God forever, and if so; how will they come?

I leave you with these questions!

Charles Haddon Shank

The Baptism of Creation

Before a good friend of mine revealed it in his latest sermon the other week, I had never really thought about it in those terms. I have been saying for the past several years, that the Scriptures, while definitely historically accurate, are not, in that sense, scientifically and chronologically precise. The Scriptures tell the story of God's enduring, long-suffering love for His people, but they tell it in a way that we westerners are not used to reading ( unless we're used to reading Middle-Eastern literature ); His ( God's ) Story is told in such a way as to reveal the deepness of His love for His entire Creation!

The Story of Creation, as we read it in Genesis 1 & 2, is such a Story. It is undoubtedly true that God did create everything that we see and enjoy, and that ultimatimately, or from the Genesis of Time, out of nothing. Scripture, while never really focusing on this point, clearly reveals Yahweh as the Creator of Heaven and Earth. Whether or not every reference to His creation of Heaven and Earth is a covenantal one, in other words, regarding His people, may be questioned; the fact that He, and He alone, engendered everything that we see, whether directly or indirectly, is without question!

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. ( Genesis 1:1, 2 )

Then God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, 

and let the dry land appear”; and it was so. 

( Genesis 1: 9 )

The language of Scripture here, or more specifically maybe, in our English Bible, does not necessarily spell it out for us, but it is clear from this account that we have recorded here the first baptism in Scripture! Although they do not specifically record for us that the Land rose up out of the water, we can safely assume that, just as the Christ rose out of the waters of His baptism, so the Land, as we read in verse 9 above, rose up out of the waters as they separated and became the Sea.

To many Christians today, the very notion that Genesis 1 & 2 in particular, and all of Scripture in general, are simply Covenant Records is almost blasphemous! There are several reasons for this, one of which is that, since we are not Israelites according to the flesh, or biological descendants of Abraham, if the Scriptures are simply a History of the Covenant, then we cannot possibly be related to that History, and the Creator ends up being just another tribal god, although the One, True, and Living God! As we have seen previously, though, it is not through, or because of physical descendancy that we have inherited through Abraham the blessings of Covenant Life, and enjoy the Presence of God as His New Temple; it was always because of the promise, and the faithfulness of our God and Father, and through the baptism of His Spirit, that we enjoy these blessings!

Another reason is that if the Genesis account is simply a record of the forming of the Covenant with God's People, and thus Adam ( man ) was not the first human being on the planet, but the first of our Father's creation to who He chose His Covenant, then the earth is likely quite a bit older than six thousand years, and the YEC ( Young-Earth Creationist ) movement is in danger of losing face, but a whole lot of money! Too much time and money have been liberally invested into this worthy cause for them to be proven wrong now! If they were to be proven wrong, think of all the business they would lose! Theme parks would go out of business, warehouses full of books would be burnt up ( or maybe they would be recycled ), and many speakers, defenders of this cause, would lose their engagements, as well as face!

On the other hand, the baptism of creation, whether Covenant Creation or YEC or Old-Earth Creationism, has some interesting and far-reaching implications! If baptism is equal to a Covenant Creation, which I believe it is, then the baptism of the Land, as chronicled in Genesis 1, was a baptism of the Holy Spirit of God, albeit through water! Through the lens of Covenant Creation, we see that through causing the Land to rise up out of the water, or Sea, God revealed His Covenant in a way that He had not before. In the view of Young-Earth Creationism, if one is to posit, for instance, that Genesis 1 is the record of the Genesis of Time itself, and Adam was indeed the first man on the face of Planet Earth, then we do have the entire planet being baptized, and thus ultimately, saved!

Whether or not any of these reasons may be valid is beyond the point, if we take literally the account of Creation in Genesis 1, which I believe we may, then we must admit that we are witnessing the first recorded baptism in Scripture, as my friend said! If the Creation was baptized, whether through natural or spiritual birth, it was most assuredly the birth of the Covenant, the Revelation, in picture form, of the Presence of God among His Creation!

When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; 

and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, 

and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him.

 And suddenly a voice [ came ] from heaven, saying, 

“This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

( Matthew 3:16 & 17 ) 

When Israel, as the son of God ( 'Out of Egypt I called My son'-Hosea 11:1 ( Matthew 2:15 ), rose up out of the Sea of Chaos and Confusion and became the Land, he was baptized into the priesthood of the Most High God. His baptism prefigured and pointed to the Baptism of Jesus, the Son of God, and with this Son, this sacrifice, our Father was well pleased, as He was not with that first son, as we read in Hebrews 8:7.

As signified by the Land, Israel was to have been God's priest to the entire Creation; instead of cleansing the nations, as was their priestly duty, Israel was soiled by the nations around them, and became so corrupt that God sent His only begotten Son, that He might do what the fleshly son had failed to do, redeem His Creation!

The Creation has been redeemed; now what will WE do with our baptism!

Charles Haddon Shank

The Story of Passover

The story of the Passover is the story of the deliverance of God's people from the bondage of sin. It is traditionally understood that the Passover Lamb was typical of Jesus, and that through the Blood of this Lamb, Yahweh has redeemed His people, leading them by His Spirit through the wilderness temptations of the 1st century AD, much as His Spirit drove Jesus into the wilderness to face His temptations.

Malki-tzedek is probably one of the most interesting figures in the narrative of Scripture, not just because he was, as Hebrews 6:13-7:28 report, 'without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life', but also because he, being a Jebusite king, king of what became known as Jerusalem, was a priest of the Most High God. According to Genesis 14:18-20, he was a historical figure, and also according to some Jewish traditions, the oldest son of Noah, Shem, the renowned and prosperous. As the foremost type of Christ that we see in the Greek and Hebrew Scriptures, the writer to the Hebrews took license, at the inspiration of the Spirit of God, to give nigh the same status to this figure as to the Son of God!

As we can see, even with focusing mainly on the Passover; there is one single thread, intricately woven throughout the Scriptural history of God's people, that links us all together! This thread, of course, is revealed in the prophetic Scriptures to be Jesus, the only begotten Son of God who became a man in order to orchestrate the redemption and salvation of His people from their sins, and from slavery in Egypt! Egypt, as we have seen, is what Israel under that first covenant had become. In Ezekiel's prophecy, chapter 16, we read the story of God's everlasting love for His people Israel. Beginning in verse 53, and reading through verse 63, we see that even though Israel, under that first covenant, had become the very thing that God had freed His children from, God showed His undying love for us by instituting a New Covenant with Israel. He sent of His own essence to lead His people on a New Exodus, a Final Exodus from the New Egypt, through His once for all sacrifice as the True Lamb of God!

The Passover, like the Lord's Supper, was instituted as a remembrance, nothing more, nothing less, of our deliverance from Egypt. We read in Exodus 12 how the children of Israel, in preparation for their deliverance, were to make ready a lamb, either of the sheep or goats ( Matthew 25 ), together with bitter herbs and unleavened bread, in haste. The feast of unleavened bread is celebrated to this day among the Jews as a memorial of this significant and symbolic event.

When Jesus, as a Jew among Jews, celebrated His final Passover ( supper ) with His disciples, He instituted a new way of celebration; He utilized the bread and wine that were an ordinary part of any meal to symbolize the body and blood of the True Passover Lamb, and of their True Deliverance from Egypt! After they had supped, as the account goes, at least according to the apostle Paul in I Corinthians 11, Jesus offered the bread and wine to symbolize His Body which was about to be given up for them.

How should we then live; what shall we do?

As the Israel of God, which the apostle Paul calls us in Galatians 6:16, we are an integral part of the story, and thus partake, not in the shadow, which the Passover was, but in the substance, which is the Body of Christ!

What does it mean then, to partake in the Body of Christ? It most certainly does not involve any physical action on our part ( or does it )! Our participation in the Body of Christ does not, as did the children of Israel's in the Passover, mean preparing a meal, much less one with flat lifeless bread and bitter herbs, even normal food and drink, as bread and wine. The apostle Paul addresses this in his letter to the Romans, chapter 14, verse 17. The Meal that we partake of is the Body of Christ. It is a participation in His Life, a Life which He freely shares with His people; it is the Life that we now live, not as His subjects, but as His Sons and Brothers, in His Kingdom!

Let us determine to live in the Love we were given, sharing it with our brothers and sisters!

Charles Haddon Shank

The Israel of God ( A Companion to 'Replacement Theology' )

The question might well be asked here; 'Is this really necessary?' Having already written, in several articles, somewhat on this subject, that is a valid question! The question as to 'who is Israel' seems to be a fairly prevalent one though, with some rather concerning ramifications! if most, or all of Scripture was written concerning national, physical Israel ( which we are obviously not ), where does that leave us? If the promises of Scripture were meant only for national, physical Israel ( and no one else? ), then what truths can we glean from their pages? If the blessings of the New Covenant were for national, physical Israel alone, what comforting reality can we find in passages like Jeremiah 31:31-34? Lord willing, this study will be a bit more in-depth, informative, and comprehensive than it's companion!

A look first, at who Israel was formed as might be helpful. What and where were its roots? We know from Scripture that Israel was the name given to the younger of Isaac's sons ( Genesis 32:22-32 ). We know that, racially speaking, Israelites were of the same descent as most everyone else living in that part of the world. In Ezekiel 16, for instance, we read, concerning Israel ( after the flesh ); 'Your birth and your nativity are from the land of Canaan; your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite.'  There is no real question whether or not most of the people who read this article would be able to trace their physical lineage back to Israelite descent, they can't! There are however, plenty of people of Middle Eastern and Arabic descent still living and multiplying on the earth today, and some of my readers could doubtless trace their lineage, somehow to them.

So, who is Israel, according to these findings? Well, logically, Israel ( according to the flesh ) would be the physical descendants of one man, that younger son of Isaac, grandson of Abraham, Jacob the deceiver. If you were not a physical descendant of this man, you were not a true Israelite, even though you lived as one. as the story goes, a mixed multitude came out of Egypt in that first symbolic Exodus, and were thus assimilated into the congregation, though some fell in the wilderness. As the foreigners who inhabited the captive lands to the north, though, were not native to the land, nor physical descendants of Abraham's, they never held quite the same favored status as the southern tribes, at least in the eyes of those southern tribes themselves! The Jews of Jesus' day seem to have forgotten their own slightly colorful heritage when they told Him, 'We are Abraham’s descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone.'

According to Paul's teaching in places like Romans 2:28&29, 9:6, and Galatians 3:7, it was not according to physical descent that the Remnant, or the Israel of God was called, but according to spiritual birth. Just because you were born of the physical seed of Abraham did not mean that you were a part of Israel, even according to the flesh! We must remember that Esau, also known as Edom ( of whom came the line of the Herodian kings ) was technically a son of Abraham, and also that Abraham had sons ( children ) by another wife. As the son of the concubine/wife of Abraham before Isaac was born, Ishmael was technically a son of Abraham, though not by promise.

Who, then, were/are these spiritual descendants of Abraham? Scripture tells us that 'those who are of faith are sons of Abraham'. How are we to understand Paul's words today? Are we, who are unquestionably of the same Faith today as those spiritual sons of Abraham, thus sons of Abraham, and through him, of Israel? If we are not, and thus do not partake in the New Covenant as did that Remnant of national, physical Israel, then maybe certain people are right; the Scriptures have nothing to say to us today, and we should eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!

If, however, we are spiritual descendants of Abraham, and part of the Never-ending Story, and having received the adoption of sons, are children of our Heavenly Father, then we do have a part in that New Covenant prophesied in Jeremiah 31:31-34!

As part of the Redemption Story, we thus partake in the blessings of the Covenant, as children, sons, brothers and sisters, as the Wife and New Temple of God, the Body of His Son, the Church! Let us live the Story, learning the lessons that our fore-runners and progenitors taught us, communing with each other, and with those long gone, as the Israel of God!

Charles Haddon Shank

God on a Leash ( Spiritual Dyslexia )

Thinking back on all the disasters in recent history, both natural and man-made; what else more readily sends people scurrying like little mice ( or lemmings, maybe? ) into the cold comfort of some church-building or cathedral, offering up prayers full of smoke before a God who may or may not be listening? When our lives, or at least the lives of average Americans, are going along swimmingly, we may darken the doorsteps of said church-building or cathedral once or maybe twice a week, or just on major holidays. Let the wind blow her fury though, knocking down a few houses, taking a few lives, uprooting trees, changing other lives completely, etc. we tend to make a run for the nearest House of God, falling on our knees before the only One who can save us!

Many of today's Christians, those who bow the knee before the idols of convenience and contentment, seem to be more in fear of their government or its associates ( IRS, ACLU, etc ) than they are of their God! In many cases too, they seem to be more concerned with maintaining a good relationship with this false god as well!! 'If we do this or that', they might say, 'the ACLU will come down on us hard with a very costly lawsuit'! On the other hand, an institutional 'church' organization ( corporation ) might cry, 'if we preach on this or that subject, the big bad wolf ( IRS ) might huff and puff and blow our house down'!

If I remember correctly, doesn't Scripture say something like, 'If God is for us, who can be against us?' ( Romans 8:31 ), and 'He who is in us is greater than he who is in the world' ( I John 4:4 ) ? I may have opened up a can of worms here, but as my purpose here is not to explore the under- ( or is that 'over-' ) lying aspects of the eschatological reasons for such idolatry, we may just suffice to say that these 'Christians' serve a different king ( one can almost hear echoes of 'we have no king but Caesar', here )!

Well, since the subject was brought up; 'why do many Christians seem to fear man more than God?'

It's certainly not because men are more worthy or command more respect! It's not because man has done more for the salvation and betterment of mankind! After all, God created man in the first place! Is the reason that many Christians seem to fear the machinations of men more than the providence and beneficience of God, because He does not seem real or close to them? Is it because they think He only dwells with them in Spirit, and has not yet returned to take the reins of His Kingdom on Earth?

When Christians fear to mention God or religion in a political context ( government schools, for instance ). what is that saying about their 'Christianity'? Who are they putting their trust in? Did God not deliver Daniel from the lion's den? Is He not able and willing to deliver His people from the hands of bullies like the IRS or ACLU?

Is our almighty, omnipotent God only at our 'beck and call', or is He an ever-present help in trouble? Is He only there when we need ( or want ) Him, or is He always there, as a Good and Heavenly Father, working all things together for our good?

As we explore these questions, let us first ask them of ourselves, in our own lives. Do WE fear man and what he might do, more than God and what He promised to do? We have all of history to show us how man exerts his might, and throughout this history men of might have risen, yes, but they always fall, never to rise again! As we can read in God's History book, though, He has never failed in His promises, and though He did take fall at the crux of History, He did rise again!

Is it better to put our trust in the ( failing ) strength of man, or in the ( never-failing ) Promises of our Almighty God? May we ever say with Joshua, 'As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord', and Him alone will we Fear!

Charles Haddon Shank

'The Communion of the Body'

When Jesus instituted what is now known as the Lord's Supper, why did He use such ordinary elements to symbolize His Body and Blood? Why do Matthew and Mark's accounts both agree so closely as to the order of things, but Luke records that He first took the cup, saying He would only drink it again with them in the Kingdom, before He broke the traditional bread? These, and other questions, Lord willing, will be answered herein!

Life is a sacrament; when I say that, I mean simply that all of life, everything that we say or do is to be our worship, to the glory of God, and for His Kingdom. Traditionally; I believe that too many within the Body of Christ, and this includes a great many in the institutional church, have viewed the Church as only their own denomination. These Christians seem to have forgotten a most important fact, that God’s Church, the Body of Christ, is made up of His people, not just one certain uniform denomination! Many Christians, admittedly, whether they acknowledge it in their doctrine or not, live their lives as acknowledging this fact, though it be contrary to their stated doctrine!

When one hears the word 'communion'; we most often think, in 'Christian circles', anyway, of the Communion that they share with others in the Body of Christ, partaking of the wine ( or grape juice ) and bread, whether they do it as a symbolic remembrance of His sacrifice, or whether they believe they are following Jesus' words in John 6:53; 'unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink His blood, you have no life in you'. I remember once, when I told a brother that the congregation I was fellow-shipping with  at the time had 'communion' every Sunday; he, knowing that I meant the fellowship meal we enjoyed every Sunday after worship service, protested, 'but Christ isn't there!' Hindsight, as we can all attest to, is 20/20, and I remember thinking later that I should have gently reminded this brother, since the Church is the Body of Christ, and the New Temple of God ( John 14:23-'If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him' ); Christ is most definitely there; as He Himself said, 'wherever two or three are gathered in My name, there AM I among them' ( Matthew 18:20 ). Many orthodox Christians, confusing The Lord's Supper with communion, seem to believe that in order to properly celebrate communion, we must follow the same course that our Lord instituted in His last celebration of Passover.


I have often wondered why Luke's account of The Lord's Supper differs from the other synoptic Gospels in that Luke records that Jesus first took the cup and told them to pass it around, to 'divide it among yourselves'. The reason, or at least one reason that Luke records this is that Jesus was following the traditional Jewish Passover Seder. With Luke's focus on the Man Jesus, it is not surprising that he would make a point of showing how Jesus, as a good Jew, followed this practice .  During this celebration, one glass of wine is drunk at the beginning of the Seder, another  before the meal, another after saying the prayer at the end of the meal and yet another ( after they have well drunk ) after singing a Psalm of Praise. To this day, to rightly celebrate The Seder, or Passover, you MUST drink at least four glasses of wine in one sitting!

When the True King of the Jews instituted a new and living way to celebrate Passover, He bypassed, according to Matthew and Mark's accounts, at least two of these libations. Why would He do this? Well, as the non-conformist that Jesus was, not to mention Lord Of the Sabbath, He did this for several reasons, first and foremost being that He was revealing the true Seder, in terms that His disciples would recognize. Jesus, throughout His earthly ministry, had been preparing them for this very moment, telling them that 'I am the bread which came down from heaven' ( John 6:32-41 ). He also told them that He was the Vine, and that unless a man ate His flesh and drank His blood, he had no Life in him.( John 6:53 )

We need not peruse the annals of history very long to see that a lack of true communion will cause a world of pain and suffering. Communion is necessary to our very existence,  and human beings so yearn for it, that they will go to great lengths to get it, whether good or bad! If we cannot get, for whatever reason, true and lasting communion, we will spend our days in a false and temporary communion. Again, we need not look very far to realize this painful fact!

As we read in Paul's sermon to the Church at Corinth, the Corinthians were having trouble recognizing that when they came together, it was not in order to eat the Lord's Supper. The purpose for which they coming together was, more importantly, fellowship, or communion. Quoting Romans 14:17 again, 'the Kingdom of Heaven is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit'.Righteous, peace and joy must be shared in order to become evident!

When we think of 'communication', particularly in a marriage; we most often think of 'talking', and though that is certainly an important and integral part of it, there are many other forms of communication that we often fail to take advantage of. In relation to our 'heavenly spouse'; while it is important that we keep up our personal time with Him, through prayer and meditation, it is almost equally as important to communicate ( commune ) with His Body, the Church, whenever and wherever we might come in contact with them. We read earlier Paul's admonition to the church at Corinth regarding their observance ( some might say 'abuse' ) of the 'Lord's Supper. This admonition was not aimed, so much, at their failing to recognize the spiritual significance ( as orthodoxically viewed ), as at their failure to communicate with His Body, to recognize His Body for what it really was, His people, and to share ( communicate ) the blessings that they were beneficiaries of.


It is important to remember that both the Passover meal and the Lord's Supper were, no more, no less, symbolic remembrances, or memorials. The Truth to which they both pointed, of course, was the Christ! Jesus was, as He said in John 6:35, 'the bread of life',  and His flesh is food indeed and His blood is drink indeed. He is not speaking cannibalistically here, but metaphorically. We do not literally eat anything, but, through communion with His Body, and feasting on His Word, we do partake in the communion of the Body!

Retuning to David's words in Psalm 104:15, we might begin to understand why Jesus would use these elements to symbolize His Body and Blood. These ordinary parts of any meal ( and here, it helps to have at least an elemental understanding of Middle Eastern culture ) should remind us of the fact that our Creator loved His creation so much that He became an ordinary ( though extraordinary ) human being in order to share with us the communion that He had with the Father since before the worlds were formed.

As we share this communion with the Body, we do, by our actions, feast on His Body and Blood. If we do not ( or cannot ) discern this mysteriously glorious fact, we are in danger of missing the blessed life that communion brings.  If we miss this glorious fact, we are in danger of losing the vibrancy of our Life, and becoming useless cogs in the machine.

God made man for communion. When we neglect the Communion of the Body, we need only look at Nature itself to see what happens! Whether it be plant, animal or human being, if it is removed from its element, and from necessary communion, that body dies, and becomes good for nothing but to be trampled on, and blown away by the wind!

We must not forget in all this that the purpose of God will be served and fulfilled! Whether or not we purposefully fulfill His will, His will is done; the Body grows, and the Kingdom is expanding, for His will is done in the earth as in the heavens!

Blessings,
Charles Haddon Shank

On the Verge of Collapse

Ever have one of those days when you feel like crying 'Calgon, take me away!'? It seems to me that days like this are happening more frequently as relationships sour, infrastructures are threatened, and it seems like the world is coming apart at the seams! It's a great time to be a dispensationalist! With the economy threatening to collapse at any moment ( sometime in the very near future ), and society become more and more God-less, it seems that the 'second coming' of Christ can't be far behind!

With the plethora of available information ( thanks to the internet ) out there, both good and bad, horror stories about the coming collapse, both economic and social ( not to mention political ) abound. Some of these stories may seem to be somewhat blown out of proportion, but those 'in the know' are quick to assure their readers that they have not exaggerated in the slightest. And although some of these stories ARE more believable than others, it is pretty clear that some sort of collapse IS inevitable! Things cannot continue on their present course, either politically, socially, or economically. If something does not change, and change for the better, very soon, this collapse WILL come, and it WILL be ugly!

It will also be glorious!

Even if things DO begin to change for the better very soon, one ( who knows ) can see it coming! As far as this country has degraded, and as long as it took to get to where we are, it's not going to happen overnight! As one nation under God, we must grasp this indivisibility, once again, band together in the bond of love, and begin to rebuild America with a greater sense of community, possibly even great than that experienced in it's beginnings. We must realize the dependency of our independent spirit upon our Almighty Creator to an even greater degree than did our forefathers! As a nation, we must be brought to our knees in humble realization that it is only through the blessings of covenant and communion with Him and His people that we can thrive and prosper, much less survive whatever collapse may or may not be coming!

Although our focus, as Americans, is mostly on the good ole U.S. of A., national news shows plenty of strife around the world, much of it financially based. Some long-standing nations have filed for bankruptcy already, and more still are close behind! History is full of examples of what happens to empires and nations that vaunt themselves in the Face of God!

Collapse, to whatever extent, is coming, and the longer we try to stave it off, the worse it will be! Even foreign writers, those who have seen it happen in their own countries and lifetimes, are warning Americans of the coming cataclysm! Collapse must come in order for this nation to realize their dependence on the providence and blessing of the One who told Abraham, 'in you, all the nations of the earth will be blessed'! If America does not realize this, she may be wiped off the map, and cease to exist as we know her. Maybe this is what needs to happen, so that we can rebuild her, from the ground up, as it were, into a nation of priests, one that shines the Light and Blessing of the Covenant to the nations around us.

As Amercanist philosophy and eschatology goes, America has long held the faux position as this New Israel, this Savior Nation to the world. While much the opposite from the truth, this is, in a sense, what she should be, although we know that the Priesthood is based, not in physical, but in spiritual identity.

The history of America is a history of violence! While much of this violence was, in a sense necessary, and carried out within our own borders, for the past century or so, this nation has wasted its efforts ( and resources ) overseas in a vain attempt to prove its independence, and to carry out this messianic mission!

It can be clearly and easily ascertained that this nation and in particular, its indomitable leaders, have not limited their unnecessary use of violence outside their own borders; just read any old American history book, and you will see that the idea of 'might makes right' has been steadily perpetuated in this country since her inception! For instance, just ask any American Indian!

Whatever shall we do, wherever shall we go?!

All is not lost! This is our Father's world, no matter what men may say, and, like it or not, He does seem to respond favorably to well-behaved children. Whether or not this seems to occur mainly through the law of reaping what you sow, it has been proven for time immemorial that this is so!

Whether through a total collapse ( political, economic and social ) or a lesser ( to whatever degree ) one, America as a whole MUST be brought to her knees in humble repentance of her wickedness and failure, and then do an about-face, and start marching to a different tune. She MUST at the very least, stop murdering His precious ( and helpless ) children, though unborn; she MUST realize that familial Communion is necessary to her existence, and instead of perpetuating genocide around the world and in our own country, begin to bolster and protect the brotherhood of man!

This will not happen over-night or without a continuation of violence, though now it may be necessary! The downward slide of this nation and the whole world society has been happening for so long that it will take a long time for it to get back to where it should be!

A 'good' dispensationalist will rejoice at the condition we are in, for he must realize that, as things continue their downward spiral, the 'second coming' of Christ must be knocking at the door. Jesus will swoop down at any moment and deliver us from this mess we have made!

We, however, know ( realize ) that He has not left us orphans; He DID come to us, and He has given into our stewardship this world which He created and called good!

We made this mess; now let's clean it up!

Charles Haddon Shank

A Living Image; a Living Sacrifice

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, [ which is ] your reasonable service.

Romans 12:1 

The statement has been made here in previous posts, that God made man ( Adam ) in His own image in order that man might have dominion. This is true enough, but is this primarily what God had in mind when He said 'Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness'? Secondarily, to be sure, after this statement of Purpose, He said 'let them have dominion', but primarily, His Purpose was to form man in His own image, to beget them for Himself, to proliferate His own Seed!

The question, 'why are we here?', in differing forms and to differing extents maybe, has been one of the most prolific questions of the eons! 'Why are we here?', 'why did God make man ( Adam ) in His image, according to His likeness?' When asking questions like this, we might ultimately be led to ask the question, 'what IS the Image of God?' Well, Scripture tells us that 'God is love', so for starters, we may rightly assume, in part anyway, that this is the Image of God in which He made man ( Adam )! Scripture also tells us, in other words, that if we do not have Love, we have nothing, and in fact that we are nothing, and worse than useless.

Man was placed on this earth for one purpose, and one purpose alone; he was made in God's Image, as His only begotten Son, in order that he might spread abroad the love of God which was shown to be a Light in the darkness! When man fails to love as he ought, though God's purpose is yet fulfilled, either through him or another, he fails to shine the Light of Love in the darkness, and so reaps the natural consequences of his failure. The Scriptural admonition of 'whatever a man sows, that he will also reap', contrary to the opinion of some, stands firm! When we fail to love those that we should, we most often receive the same in return. The many wars in the history of mankind bear witness to this. 

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her.

Ephesians 5:25 

Jesus commanded His disciples to 'love one another; as I have loved you'. If we are His disciples ( followers ) indeed, we will show this by loving one another. Love, true love, as can be seen in Paul's sermon in I Corinthians 13, is a sacrificial love, a love that puts the needs and concerns of the other before one's own ( now, we must be ever cautious here, because we do live in a time when certain people would take undue advantage of this love ). We must be ever careful, even in this, to be sure that our own needs and concerns are being taken care of, for we also read in Scripture that Jesus said, as the second great commandment, 'you shall love your neighbor as yourself', and, 'if you do not love your brother ( neighbor ) whom you have seen, how can you love God whom you have not seen'. If we do not love ( take care of ) ourselves, how can we love ( take care of) others? If we do not show love for the brethren, how can we truthfully say that we love God?!

Love suffers long [ and ] is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

I Corinthians 13:4-7

The apostle Paul, in the passage above, describes in great detail the Image of God in man! Yahweh, in His great love for His people, suffered with their disobedience and idolatry for a long time, infinitely longer than we ever could imagine ( for most of us, after the first instance, if we had been in control, we would have cut them off right then and there ). The Love that the apostle describes above describes perfectly the Love that God shone on us through His Son, Jesus the Christ, and when we love, perfectly so ( for love has been 'perfected'  in us-I John 4:7-17 ), we shine forth the Image of God that was formed in Adam ( man )!

With this Sacrificial Love, then, let us love one another; let us so shine forth this Image of God that all His sentient creation may come to a knowledge and understanding, an acknowledgement and acceptance of their relationship with their Creator! Let us determine within ourselves that we will bear truthfully the Glory of this Image  before all men, that they in turn may learn in joy to bear this Image before others, 'For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea' ( Isaiah 11:9 ). This, in reality has already happened, eschatologically speaking, and is, in actuality happening everyday, as men continue to  spread abroad the Light and Love shone in their hearts!

Amen and Amen!

Charles Haddon Shank

In Your Presence Lord

In Your Presence, Lord, let us live, let us live, let us live
In Your Presence, Lord, let us live, let us live, let us live!
In Your Presence, Lord, let us live,
Oh our Lord, let us live!

We will live, oh Lord, we will live,
We will live, we will live!
In Your Presence Lord, we will live,
Oh Lord, by your Grace.

Let us love oh Lord, by your Law, by your Law, by your Law!
Let us love oh Lord, by your Law, by your Law, by your Law!
Let us love oh Lord, by your Law,
Oh Lord, by Your Law!

We will love, oh Lord, we will love,
We will love, we will love!
In Your Presence Lord, we will love,
Oh Lord, by your Law!

Hear our pray'r, oh Lord, hear our pray'r, hear our pray'r, hear our pray'r!
Hear our pray'r, oh Lord, hear our pray'r, hear our pray'r, hear our pray'r,
You have heard, oh Lord, our deep pray'r,
Oh Lord, in Your Love!

You have answered Lord, in your love,
In Your Love, in Your Love!
You have answered Lord, in Your Love,
Oh Lord, in Your Love!

We are singing Lord, in our Joy, in our Joy, in our Joy,
We are singing Lord, in our Joy, in our joy, in our joy
In your Presence Lord, we sing our praise,
Oh Lord, in our Joy!

You're our Joy, oh Lord, you're our Joy,
You're our Joy, You're our Joy,
You're our Joy, oh Lord, You're our Joy,
Oh Lord, you're our Joy!

In Your Joy, oh Lord, we shall live, we shall live, we shall live,
In Your Joy, oh Lord, we shall live, we shall live, we shall live,
In Your Joy, oh Lord, we shall live,
Oh, Lord, in Your Love!

As we live, oh Lord, we shall love,
We shall love, we shall love,
As we live, oh Lord, we shall love,
We shall love, oh Lord, with our lives!

A Chosen People

 If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, 

and We will come to him and make Our home with him. 

(John 14:23 NKJV)

The Lord did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples. 

(Deuteronomy 7:7 NKJV)

Who are God's 'Chosen People'?

There can be no doubt that, under the Old Covenant, anyway, God did choose a special people for Himself, 'a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth', but it may be asked, with the Advent of the New Covenant, whether this still holds as true. With the inclusivity of the New Covenant in Christ, as has been taught by an increasing few, and the reconciliation of His people to Himself, as can be shown from Scripture, one could almost make the logical assumption here that this is the case. Many or most still cling voraciously to the biblical traditions of predestination, election and other related doctrines. Because of this, those who openly explore this option are often viewed as 'universalists' to whatever extent. Although there are those who have arrived at this conclusion, this is not necessarily true of all those who have bravely gone down this avenue. Those who have reached this conclusion have, for the most part, I believe, done so for one of several reasons. One reason is the question of what kind of God would consign a part of His good creation to hell, and to back up this emotionally-based, but reasonable, theory, they might point you to passages such as I John 2:2, which states, 'And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.' This passage can be 'proven' to be speaking, in the covenantal context, of the 'world' as the covenant world of that day, and arguably is so, but it is not too hard to conclude that this 'world' has been expanded to include all of His ( human ) creation. Another argument may be made here that He was/is the propitiation for the sins of only some out of the 'world', but this may be seen to be as much or more of a stretch, as some 'universalists' have been accused of!

For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, 

But the way of the ungodly shall perish. 

(Psalm 1:6 NKJV )

Scriptures like this, in context, point fairly clearly to the fact that God, as most any father would, shows favor to those who follow the way of righteousness. This follows explicitly the biblical principle of reaping what you sow. This, as many other Scriptures that have been used to prove the pettiness of our Father, simply teaches the afore-mentioned principle; if you do this, this will happen, but if you do that, that will happen: it's only the conclusion of a naturally occurring principle!

The eschatological nature of many of these texts insist that the meaning is somehow of a slightly different nature to those reading them today. Though these Scriptures most surely hold application for us today, they do not hold quite the same import for us as they did for them. Now, lest we be accused of teaching that God has somehow changed His modus operandi from that first ( covenant ) to the New, it is not that God has changed His mode of operation, nor that His requirements have somehow become lesser, but He has revealed the expansiveness of His Covenant; 'in the fullness of time' He sent His Son as the Messiah of His people, to reveal His greater plan for His people!

Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: 
“The Lord knows those who are His,” 

 “Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.”

 (II Timothy 2:19)

These and other texts as well make clear that our Creator knows those who are His people ( children ), and though these texts as well, can be seen to be at least somewhat eschatological in nature, since Scripture also says that He does not change, it is as obvious that He, and He alone, knows the heart of man, and who is His.

But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, 

that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light!

 (I Peter 2:9)

Hearkening back to the Hebrew Scriptures ( Exodus 19:6 ); we can clearly see that Yahweh did choose a peculiar people out of all He had created, to show His Grace and Mercy to! As the apostle Peter, as well as others, revealed in Scripture, we can also ascertain somewhat of His purpose in the creation of the covenant; it was that 'you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light'. One might rightly say that our Creator's purpose was/is an evangelistic one! In creating, first, a national ( geographic ) priesthood, Yahweh gradually revealed His true and glorious intent; to bring His entire ( human? ) creation into fellowship and communion with Himself!

Israel, under that first ( covenant-Hebrews 8:7-9 ) failed in their purpose, for the most part, for 'finding fault with them, He says: Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah', quoting the prophet Jeremiah ( 31:31-34 ). This New Covenant, as we have also seen previously, was revealed in the form of Jesus, first as the Son of Man, and finally the Son of God! Through this New Covenant, and the Revelation 'from glory to glory' ( I Corinthians 3:18 ), our purpose has been revealed: cowering behind a pulpit, and holding the fort till Jesus comes back and whisks us off to 'heaven', much to the chagrin  of many Christians, is not fulfilling God's purpose for us!

As the true priests of God in His true Temple, His Son's chosen Body, our purpose is to spread abroad, within our own sphere of influence, the knowledge and love of our Creator! The Church, as God's chosen instrument has not been the priest that She should have been, as history will attest to, but even though, the Kingdom of God has been advancing mightily in it's spread over His entire created order! His people, even outside ( maybe especially outside ) the institutional church have been forming relationships, some better than others, with their Heavenly Father! His will is being done 'on earth as it is in heaven.' More and more people are practicing Kingdom Living, no matter the cost ( often very hefty )! The Church, though She has failed in many ways to rightly fulfill her priestly duties, is still, as the Bride and Body of Christ, in very essence the Wife of God, and is thus a fit vessel for His love, and has been instrumental in advancing His ( visible ) Kingdom on earth!

In conclusion, because we have been perfected ( corporately ) in our ( individual ) imperfection, we must strive to show that perfection in our daily lives! Acknowledging and lauding the Kingship of Jesus alone in even what many Christians call secular ( everyday ) life, we must serve Him and His Kingdom in the capacity to which we have been called! Let us live the Life, and the Love, that we have been given, though it may often be deemed heresy!

Charles Haddon Shank