Grace Bible Church
Pastor-Teacher
Robert R. McLaughlin
Wednesday,
March 20, 2019
Sunday morning I made a statement that I believe we all need to be reminded of which is the fact that Eventually, all of us must get use to going through doctrinally that which at I call the “Night Seasons” or “The Times of Adversity and Pressure.” so that we will be able to handle anything that life brings our way.
When certain believers are faced with doctrinal questions, it means that we must face these doctrinal questions head-on — so that we will be able to glorify our Lord in the midst of the Angelic Conflict.
And, it does not matter what it is that you’re going through because our Lord has provided everything that the believer would ever need to glorify our Lord Jesus Christ and to lay down their life for one another.
Therefore, we are told to PRO 22:6 says Train up a child in the way he should go, Even when he is old [or mature] he will not depart from it.
The point is that we begin our life “being trained” at an early age and then this training carries with it “more training” both in the natural realm and then hopefully in the spiritual realm.
For example, speaking of the Israeli Military, we read 2SA 22:35 says “He trains my hands for battle, So that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.”
Now, this should be one of our main doctrinal principles that we should honor and respect each other so that the “Unity” that exists also becomes our “strength and our power” as we try to fulfill the plans and the desires that our Lord has created just for us.
This is why JER 29:11 says “For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for prosperity and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.
The real battles that we face are not of the flesh but rather, the battles are from the Spirit and the battles have a “Divine Purpose” behind every thought, every word and every action.
The real battles that we face are not of the flesh but of the Spirit and the battles have a “Divine Purpose” behind every thought, every word, and every action of every believer if necessary.
Now, in 2CO 10:3, the Apostle Paul says For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh,
The world is a dogeatdog system because the world doesn’t fight fair but we don’t live or fight our battles that waynever have and never will.
The tools of our trade aren’t for marketing or manipulation but they are for demolishing that entire massively corrupt culture.
We use our divinely powerful spiritual assets for smashing warped philosophies and also we are tearing down barriers erected against the truth or the doctrine from God.
Our spiritual tools must be ready for clearing the ground of every obstruction and building lives of obedience into maturity, especially and hopefully .
Now, most of the time when we speak of the importance of spiritual warfare, I usually like to point to the weapons of the Christian Soldier as the apostle Paul breaks them down and describes the weapons we need for our spiritual warfare; Eph 6:10-20.
For example, we know that Eph 6:12 describes our true enemy where the apostle Paul reveals the different functions and the main purpose behind spiritual warfare.
All of us need the power of God and the precise weapons we need in the spiritual realm.
And the Apostle Paul tried many different ways to fulfill the predesigned plan of God and to also teach his students about their very own personal sense of destiny.
By the way, and here is a little gem, circumcision was to the early Church what water baptism is for the church today.
We also need to note that the Hebrew Jews in the early Church were condemning gentiles for not keeping the Mosaic Law and they would also continue rejecting the grace of God and the word of God.
Because the Apostle Paul was told by God the Holy Spirit that the grace of God and the Word of God must be magnified.
In other words, you can’t just pick and choose one doctrine over another and then study what you want instead of what you need.
For example, in GAL 5:4, the Apostle Paul says You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law [that is the Mosaic Law]; you have fallen from grace.
The verb translated “severed” is the Aorist-Active-Indicative of the Greek verb ekpipto; which means to drop, to fall away, to cut off the flesh, to circumcise, or to become inefficient.
This produces frustration among many of God’s people as they even become weary as they are told what is about to happen to the human race, even though the work was finished on the cross.
In GAL 6:9, the apostle Paul also warns us about becoming weary; And let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we shall reap if we do not grow weary.
Even the Hebrews were told in HEB 12:3 For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you may not grow weary and lose heart.
All of these principles concerning the “Old Sin Nature” and the “New Nature,” are very active in the life’s of God’s people and God’s desires, especially for those members of the human race or true humanity.
This is another grace package that we cannot identify with because there are hardly any doctrinal ministries in this client Nation, USA, and they should continually progress forward but instead they are regressing and fallen back into the vomit of the Cosmic System.
Now, let’s get ready for our Lord to come back and face any trials, heartaches, tribulations; etc.
This simply says that no matter what believers go through, the Lord desires to turn the curse into a blessing.
Now, when Psa 30:5 says Weeping may last for the night [that is the night seasons or the difficult times], But a shout of joy or inner happiness comes in the morning.”
Our Lord is always operating under the principles found in ISA 30:18, which says ISA 30:18 The Lord longs to be gracious to you or is tapping His foot as it were, And therefore He waits on high to have compassion on you. For the Lord is a God of justice; How blessed are all those who long for Him.
The point here is that the Lord is waiting for you to come back to Him because He desires to be gracious to you and to have compassion on you so that you will come back to Him, if you need to.
By the way, in passing, I want you to know that every time that you see the phrase “The Twelve,” it does not mean that all the 12 apostles were present at the time but the phrase, “The Twelve” is actually one of the titles for the Apostles.
Also, one of the questions that emerge is “What is difference between a disciple and an Apostle?”
An apostle is sent to deliver or spread their teachings and their message that they were gifted to present, especially to the early Church.
Now, the word “apostle” has two meanings, the larger meaning of a messenger and the narrow meaning to denote the twelve people directly linked to the Lord Jesus Christ.
For example, when the twelve apostles do something to honor and respect our Lord, many times the phrase “The Twelve” is used to reveal to God’s people that all apostles were disciples but all disciples are not apostles.
And so, I want you to notice the passage in Luke Chapter Eight, because a lot of individuals have the wrong idea of how our Lord lived.
Notice that these women were responsible for supporting financially TLJC and the men who were under His authority.
Mary Magdalene was one of those supporters and we are told that seven demons had indwelt her body and there are some who assume from this fact that she was an adulterous woman but there is no proof of that whatsoever.
Once again, many believers judge by sight and gossip about the lifestyle of other believers because they violate the Doctrine of Privacy.
She constantly remained with the women who followed TLJC and His disciples and who also served them with the necessities of life.
The Lord was not married and did not have a help-mate, but what He did have was doctrine in the soul which is far greater than being married or depending on others.
The Lord and His disciples needed money for food, shelter, and clothing and these women were used by God to fulfill that need.
Remember none of the disciples worked, they had to leave their homes for three years and so God used women such as Mary Magdalene, Joanna the wife of Chuza and Susanna.
This is why our Lord said in MAR 9:41 “For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because of your name as followers of Christ, truly I say to you, he shall not lose his reward.”
It may seem like “what you do” is not needed, and yet it is the fulfillment of the plan of God designed just for you.
There have been many women throughout the Church-age who because of them doctrine was taught in powerful ways.
They were responsible for doctrinal pastor-teachers being able to do their job without having to be distracted.
In fact, Mary Magdalene was permitted to give her entire treasure to the Lord.\
Mary Magdalene witnessed most of the events surrounding the crucifixion while all the apostles with the exception of John ran away and forsook TLJC.\
She was also present at the mock trial of the Lord when she heard Pontius Pilate pronounce the death sentence; and she saw the Lord being beaten and humiliated by the crowd.\
She was also one of the women who stood near the Lord during the crucifixion to try to comfort Him.\
In fact, she was the first one who witnessed the resurrection of TLJC and she was sent by Him to tell the others, Joh 20:1118.\
The definition of madam is a respectful title for a woman, or a woman who runs a house of prostitution or a woman who is running a brothel where prostitutes work for money.\
And along with her we have seen other women mentioned who were faithful to our Lord and His ministry namely, Mary, the mother of the apostle John, Joanna, the wife of Chuza the steward, and Susanna.\
The world generally looks in a mocking way at such quiet service behind the scenes.\
To be ordinary and in no way extraordinary is a secret between the Lord and the ordinary believer who because of our Lord has become extra–ordinary or extraordinary.\
However, God’s scale of values weighs differently than ours does.\
God’s scale of values is given in MAT 25:21 “Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things, enter into the joy of your master.”
This is why the Lord said in ZEC 4:10 “Do not despise the day of small things?”\
When our Lord walked the face of this earth, there were many who would point to Peter and John and James and the different men
and say, “They’re the Lord’s disciples”, but it was the women who were really faithful behind the scenes.