Post by LDM on Jun 5, 2010 8:56:45 GMT -5
By Major W. Ian Thomas
searchthewordfortruth.blogspot.com/2010/06/man-with-sword-in-his-hand.html
So Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying, “Pass through the camp and command the people, ‘Prepare provisions for yourselves, for within three days you will cross over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land which the Lord your God is giving you to possess.’” (Josh. 1: 10-11)
Moses was a spiritual type of John the Baptist who took the people through a baptism of repentance. When repentance is real, as observed by the all-knowing eyes of God, it will result in spiritual regeneration and a thirst to become like Jesus Christ. Moses then gave these called out people the law of God to teach them how God’s people are to act. But the law will only serve to make people aware of their own insufficiency. It is here, in the desert testing period, that God will use His law to tear His children away from the self-sufficient ways of this world. (Rom. 7: 13)
God makes use of desert preachers. But, like John the Baptist, they must learn to decrease while God’s children turn from the old way of law {trying to serve God by human effort in the strength of the flesh} to the supernatural life of living under the control and power of the Holy Spirit.
Joshua was a spiritual type of Jesus Christ who led the people through a baptism of the Holy Spirit. This is what cuts off the natural flow of the flesh-life. He then gave them the land where they would be enabled to participate with Christ in His divine nature and live out God’s will here on earth, as it is done in heaven. And on the third day after arriving at the Jordan River, early in the morning, they were taken into the land by God’s power!
Does this remind you of anything? What happened on the third day early in the morning? Jesus Christ rose from the dead! The number three in Scripture is associated with a new fullness of life – resurrection life! And this is the promised land {life}, the Promise of the Father (Acts 1: 4) – to know Christ in the power of His heavenly life and nature. “For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death {to the flesh-life}, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection {life}, knowing this that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin {self-will} might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died {to self-will} has been freed from sin.” (Rom. 6: 5-7)
Yes, as we have seen again and again, the promised land of Canaan is nothing less than the believer’s enjoyment, here on earth, of the firstfruits of Christ’s resurrection life.
Blessed is the man who endures temptation {and trials, in the wilderness time of testing}; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. (Jam. 1: 12) To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life {and sustain himself on the divine nature of Jesus Christ} which is in the paradise of God… Be faithful, even to the point of death {to self}, and I will give you the crown of life. (Rev. 2: 7, 10)
He does not come to give strength to your flesh – He comes to become your life. When you are eating from the tree of divine life in the Sabbath-rest of God, you will taste of the firstfruits of Christ’s eternal life.
The Lord you are seeking comes in the power of His resurrection life. (Mal. 3: 1-3, Heb. 7: 16) He says, “I am the way, the truth and the life.” (John 14: 6) He is the only one who has a victorious life. Therefore, we must enter into the Sabbath-rest of God and permit Him to take control of every aspect of our life.
To read this rest of this article, please click the link at the top.
searchthewordfortruth.blogspot.com/2010/06/man-with-sword-in-his-hand.html
So Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying, “Pass through the camp and command the people, ‘Prepare provisions for yourselves, for within three days you will cross over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land which the Lord your God is giving you to possess.’” (Josh. 1: 10-11)
Moses was a spiritual type of John the Baptist who took the people through a baptism of repentance. When repentance is real, as observed by the all-knowing eyes of God, it will result in spiritual regeneration and a thirst to become like Jesus Christ. Moses then gave these called out people the law of God to teach them how God’s people are to act. But the law will only serve to make people aware of their own insufficiency. It is here, in the desert testing period, that God will use His law to tear His children away from the self-sufficient ways of this world. (Rom. 7: 13)
God makes use of desert preachers. But, like John the Baptist, they must learn to decrease while God’s children turn from the old way of law {trying to serve God by human effort in the strength of the flesh} to the supernatural life of living under the control and power of the Holy Spirit.
Joshua was a spiritual type of Jesus Christ who led the people through a baptism of the Holy Spirit. This is what cuts off the natural flow of the flesh-life. He then gave them the land where they would be enabled to participate with Christ in His divine nature and live out God’s will here on earth, as it is done in heaven. And on the third day after arriving at the Jordan River, early in the morning, they were taken into the land by God’s power!
Does this remind you of anything? What happened on the third day early in the morning? Jesus Christ rose from the dead! The number three in Scripture is associated with a new fullness of life – resurrection life! And this is the promised land {life}, the Promise of the Father (Acts 1: 4) – to know Christ in the power of His heavenly life and nature. “For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death {to the flesh-life}, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection {life}, knowing this that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin {self-will} might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died {to self-will} has been freed from sin.” (Rom. 6: 5-7)
Yes, as we have seen again and again, the promised land of Canaan is nothing less than the believer’s enjoyment, here on earth, of the firstfruits of Christ’s resurrection life.
Blessed is the man who endures temptation {and trials, in the wilderness time of testing}; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. (Jam. 1: 12) To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life {and sustain himself on the divine nature of Jesus Christ} which is in the paradise of God… Be faithful, even to the point of death {to self}, and I will give you the crown of life. (Rev. 2: 7, 10)
He does not come to give strength to your flesh – He comes to become your life. When you are eating from the tree of divine life in the Sabbath-rest of God, you will taste of the firstfruits of Christ’s eternal life.
The Lord you are seeking comes in the power of His resurrection life. (Mal. 3: 1-3, Heb. 7: 16) He says, “I am the way, the truth and the life.” (John 14: 6) He is the only one who has a victorious life. Therefore, we must enter into the Sabbath-rest of God and permit Him to take control of every aspect of our life.
To read this rest of this article, please click the link at the top.