TRADITIONS, LIES, and TRUTH – PART FIFTY-THREE
BUT THAT WAS JESUS – PART TWO of THREE
Saturday – January 18, 2020, Tevet 21, 5780
Greetings dear friends and partners and welcome back to these life changing, course correcting, teachings to identify the traditions of men, the doctrines of devils, and the Truth of God. If you are reading this on Facebook please take a moment to hit the “love” and “share” buttons to encourage us and to expand the reach of these teachings. I have embarked on this study of “But That Was Jesus” to firmly establish from Scripture, which cannot be broken, that Jesus operated as a man in the earth. This understanding is fundamental. A sinless man (Adam and Eve) sinned and it would take a sinless man in the image of Adam to pay for that sin. This is vital for us to have faith that we can do the things He did and the greater things as He commanded (John 14:12). If you watch for it in Scripture it is clear Jesus operated as a man in the earth. Let me refresh our thinking with regard to something we must always consider in interpreting Scripture and that is what timeframe are we in. With regard to Jesus not all timeframes are the same. Before He became flesh in the womb of Mary, He was wholly God, in the womb and until the Resurrection He was wholly man, and at the resurrection and for eternity He is wholly God and wholly man. Consider the following Scripture. Read very carefully shunning the old religious eyes.
1 Timothy 2:5 (KJV)
5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
Notice that there is someone, a mediator, between the Father and us and that someone is Jesus as God and Jesus as a man. This is post resurrection. When did Jesus become a man? The Word became Jesus (Jehovah saved), a man, when He was made flesh in the womb of Mary. As you read the gospels the fact that Jesus was operating as a man is everywhere with things like Him needing natural things like rest, sleeping, and eating, none which God needs to do. Before I move forward, what do you think about the following passage?
Hebrews 4:14-15 (KJV)
14 Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.
15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
Jesus was tested, tempted as a man, just as we are tempted day to day by our spiritual enemies (2 Cor 10:5) and our own lusts (James 1:14). Just think about when Jesus was tempted in the wilderness after the baptism in the River Jordan and just before entering the fulness of His earthly Ministry. Jesus our High Priest can identify with our weakness because He had to deal with the very same things Himself as a man. If Jesus could do spiritual warfare and not sin so can we. Yes, we can! Jesus said we can (John 14:12).
In many Christian circles if one brings up the topic of people today opening blind eyes, restoring the maimed, raising the dead, and calming the storm, like Jesus, the retort may be “but that was Jesus”. The implication being that we today cannot do what Jesus did. The Christians in the Book of Acts did like Jesus so where have the miracles gone? Faith and love are the keys to miracles. The Apostle Paul in Galatians 5:6 tells us the faith works by love meaning that the very fuel of faith is love. So, walking in Godly (agapē/agapāo) love is essential. Until we walk in Godly love, love like God has and we have as the children of God there will be no miracles. As a very brief review, Godly love of which we are fully capable has three major components: 1. selflessness, 2. Blood Covenant, and 3. obedience to the Word of God.
Love’s power twin faith is to believe that God is and that He is a rewarder of those that diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:6). We hear Jesus say many times in the Gospels that a person’s faith had made them whole (Matthew 9:22). Likewise, we see people not healed for lack of faith like at Nazareth (Mark 6:5-6). Faith comes by hearing, hearing by the Word of God (Romans 10:17). Could it be that we are not hearing, receiving, and believing the Word of God and then exercising it in order to build our faith? What have we been hearing? Traditions, and demonic lies. A lack of faith (unbelief) or believing the wrong thing results in failure (Matthew 17:20). So, let me ask again; why don’t we see miracles today? No faith. We must ask ourselves, why? Miracles in our lives should be as natural to us as breathing air for the children of the Kingdom of God. We have got to get serious about it and forget this wimpy excuse of “oh, but that was Jesus”, or “I’ll never be like Jesus” generally the second retort is with a very religious accent. Sounds really pious and humble but it is unbelief which is sin. The problem with all this is that it contradicts the Bible. So, we have a problem. In the following passages we find Jesus saying we are in sin if we were not pressing in to be just like Him. We were made to be just like Him, that is how we function best. Now before you melt down, we will never be God like Jesus is God which is all powerful, knowing all things simultaneously, and in all places present. However, at the same time, as sons and daughters we participate in these attributes in obedience to Him. When we say what He says, when we do what we see Him doing, He will do the works through us. It is not we ourselves that do the works. Let’s consider the following verse as we press in to be like the Master.
Matthew 10:25 (KJV)
25 It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household?
In this preceding verse Jesus tells us that “it is enough for the disciple” to “be as his master”. The other side of that statement would be that it is not enough if we are not like our Master. Let’s each of us let that sink in. Jesus is our Master and we are to be just like Him in the earth. And, according to His Words we are to do greater things then He did in His earthly ministry.
John 14:12 (KJV)
12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.
We are to do what He did and greater things. Why are we not raising the dead and calming the storms? These should be “natural” and common in the life of the believer. It is because we do not believe the Gospel, we have believed another gospel. Why?? The answer is the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life (1 John 2:16). We have fallen for the traditions of men and the doctrines of devils. The same stuff that tripped up Adam, another gospel, a deception. We are so caught up in our natural lives that we are not living a supernatural life. Lord willing, I will pick up right here next week.
Until our next publication, as a Bible Teacher and Prophetic Voice I speak this blessing over each and every one of you, receive it, believe it, and speak over yourself and your family by faith in Jesus name!
Numbers 6:24-26 (AMP)
24 The Lord bless you and watch, guard, and keep you;
25 The Lord make His face to shine upon and enlighten you and be gracious (kind, merciful, and giving favor) to you;
26 The Lord lift up His [approving] countenance upon you and give you peace (tranquility of heart and life continually).
By: Dr. David Wood, Author, Bible Teacher, and Prophetic Voice
PRAYERS AND QUESTIONS – please, anytime you have an issue that you want me, this ministry to pray for you, a person you love or a situation contact me. Accordingly, if you should have a question about the Bible, please do not hesitate to ask it.
PARTNERSHIP AND GIVING – Those of you who are not Partners of this Ministry and you find this ministry to be of value to you and perhaps others with whom you share it, we ask you to consider becoming Partners. A Partner is one who prays for the Ministry on a regular basis and contributes to the Ministry on a regular basis (monthly, quarterly, annually). Thank you and may the Lord be pleased with your decision.
CONTACT E-MAIL: pastordavidwood@gmail.com
BLOG: https://awakeariseandtriumphministries.org
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/awakearisetriumphministries
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/PastorDavidWood
MAILING ADDRESS: 10 Village Green Circle, Oakland, Maine 04963
MY BOOKS: https://awakeariseandtriumphministries.org/shop/
