Saturday Night Musings

Reconciliation. Now that is a big word and it covers a lot of ground. 

And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; II Corinthians 5:18 

The ministry of reconciliation caused God’s only Son to suffer and die on a cruel cross for sinful men. It was the unconditional love of the Father who manifested that love in mercy and grace that all men might have the peace of God which passes all understanding. No man has ever fathomed or had any idea what it took to make it possible to redeem the children of the Devil into a new creature, making old things vanish, and providing all things new.  The ministry of reconciliation dealt a brutal blow to God’s Son for the purpose of re-uniting and re-connecting  humanity that was so depraved and worthy of Hell. It would provide an eternal relationship with the Father which secures a sweet fellowship with His Son.  

The ministry of reconciliation came by Jesus Christ who was born with a body, inhabited a body, died in a body and raised in a glorified body. He being the true Lamb of God brought a change which the law could never do. He was the supreme sacrifice for sin who suffered once, died once, rose from the dead once. In  this body, he is now seated at the right hand of God for the intercession of man. No high priest, no blood of lambs, or any religious ceremony could ever change anybody permanently as this ministry of reconciliation from our Lord. Indeed he came not to be ministered to, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. Not only can there be change now, but also when time changes into eternity. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. I Corinthians 15:52 

The ministry of reconciliation not only can re-unite the Father with the sons of men, but can re-unite brother with brother. The peace that can be made between God and man can happen between brothers. If we fail to forgive our brother in his trespasses and sin, the Father will not forgive us. First be reconciled  to your brother, then come for worship. Make sense? 

The ministry of reconciliation can accept the restoration of anyone from the most vile sin. There is no sin that the Father can not forgive or we as brothers can not rejoice when repentance has occurred. “Neither do I condemn thee…”! The brother who fell into sexual sin with his step-mother in I Corinthians 5,  is to be forgiven when sorrow comes in II Corinthians 2. The ministry of reconciliation is never easy, but is always right! Oh, to be like Him! 

The ministry of reconciliation can crucify and finish any and all barriers that once separated the hearts of men. “It is finished”—and never to be remembered. Sins forgiven by the Father are cast behind his back and sins forgiven between brothers are to be forgotten. To keep a monster from sticking up his head again, you must cut off his head. When you bury the hatchet, see that you bury the handle too.  

It seems to me we all are to be ambassadors sent from our Heavenly Father to represent Him until the end of this world. Remember why He came. He came to show us the Father and to seek and to save that which was lost. The ministry of reconciliation will do just that. 

Visit: www.cliffhartley.com

Federal Judge Rules Jesus Painting in Louisiana Courthouse Was Unconstitutional. NEW ORLEANS — Displaying a portrait of Jesus in the foyer of a Louisiana courthouse is unconstitutional, a federal judge ruled this week, siding with civil libertarians who sued over the display. (Thursday, April 17, 2008 AP) 

Why does this denial not surprise anyone? And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. He was in the world and the world was made by him and the world knew him not. He came unto his own and his own received him not. 

What think ye of Christ? whose son is he? Matthew 22:42 

He was inquisitive: Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?  And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.  

He was provocative. The world either loved him or hated him. Some looked on him as a prophet of Nazareth and the prophet of the Highest or they considered him to be Beelzebub, the prince of devils. During his travels multitudes would follow him and spread their clothes in the streets as he rode into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey, saying to him: Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord. Or they would seek ways to entangle him in his talk and to trap him in his words. They looked for ways to kill him and to destroy him; at one time they tried to throw him over a cliff.

He was divisive. Wherever he journeyed, there were murmurings among the people about him. Some said he was a good man while others said he deceived the people.  While there was never a man born of women who ever spoke like this man who told the truth about man, yet there was division because of him. He caused the blind to see, restored the demonic to civility, and united the dead with the living, yet others would rather have a herd of swine than to have him in their company. The publicans welcomed him into the homes while the Pharisees tried to wipe him out. 

He was aggressive. He said once unless you eat of my flesh and drink of my blood, you have no life in you. Thousands who once followed him walked no longer with him.  He turned to his disciples and said to them, will you also go away. Listen to Peter: Lord to whom shall we go? Thou has the words of eternal life. Jesus said: Blessed is he who is not offended in me.  

He forgave. Whether it was a sinner man like Zacchaeus, or a demon possessed woman like Mary Magdalene who had seven devils cast out her, or an unsaved pastor like Nicodemous who came in the night, this compassionate Christ forgave them. 

 It seems to me every body should have the opportunity to believe and see this Christ. And when he is observed as the true light that lighteth every man that comes into this world, he will enlighten any that walk in darkness, even the ACLU! 

Visit: www.cliffhartley.com

I Just don’t get it! 

A very dear Christian lady who served Christ as long as I can remember and a faithful wife of a great preacher of the gospel said to me that she was in a state of fasting and prayer for me to be filled with the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues. That has been more than 30 years ago! I have experienced no experience in this whatsoever.  

I find no place in the Bible anywhere where anyone is encouraged to experience the evidence of speaking in tongues. Paul is the only writer in the entire Bible who ever spoke about it and he only addressed this matter to the Corinthian Church. He spoke on this subject for the purpose of correcting confused matters, not for any motivation about it.  

As an ordained minister of the gospel of Christ for more than 35 years, I have never seen a more divided camp in Christendom than that of the confusion of tongues. Good men of the gospel today are separated in fellowship over this subject more than any thing else. 

“For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace” I Corinthians 14:33. 

Let’s compare for a moment what happened on the Day of Pentecost to the modern day movement of speaking in tongues. And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.  And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.  And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.  And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance (Acts 2:1-4). As Peter began to preach the gospel in one known dialect, 16 different nationalities which were present heard “the wonderful works of God” in their own national tongue. The result: about 3,000 people were saved and baptized. Anyone confused about this this? 

“Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy”, I Corinthians 14:1.  There is no doubt about it, the foolishness of preaching in 5 known words are better than 10,000 words in an unknown tongue. Folks, let me be clear. Let us not be childish and disorderly in our thinking or behavior, but be grown ups to our responsibility in getting the transparent truth about Christ and His so great salvation out to every unbeliever.    

Indeed there was a gift of Biblical tongues. Paul confirmed it in his writings and God used them in the propagation of the gospel. Do the math. You will not find one mention about the use of tongues in all the Bible following I Corinthians 14. There was no encouragement or rebuke to any other church about this subject. None of the church fathers wrote about it. 

Love never fails and preaching will never fail either.  When the full canonization of the scriptures occurred, tongues ceased (came to an abrupt end) just as the Bible said it would.  

It seems to me rather than splitting hairs over this non-critical issue of the Bible, the church should busy them selves in making a simple, clear presentation of the sufferings of Christ and His resurrection from the dead.  Why all the confusion about this…I just don’t get it!  

www.cliffhartley.com

For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal,  sold under sin. ^{For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do.  If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. (NKJV) Paul said this about himself, but it sounds so much like me.}