Amazing Miracle in a River

This isn't the river, but looks almost exactly like the one we walked

Walking with my wife along a bridge over a river, I looked down the 30-foot drop and saw a couple of fish lazily swimming in the water. Getting some inspiration from the discovery, I talked her into going to the end of the bridge and walking down near the river, in hopes of catching a glimpse of another fish or two.

Knowing fish spook easily, we gingerly and softly walked about 10 feet from the edge of the river.

As we went further up the river, without seeing any fish, suddenly I spotted a big one not far away; seeming to float on the top of the water. It didn't take long to see that we were in for an extraordinary experience.

After just another step, we saw more fish, and as we continued to walk, we saw fish after fish - hundreds of them - scattered along the river, from bank to bank. Never had I seen such a sight, and as a matter of fact, after enjoying that scene for about a three-block area, we went home and didnt' think much about it.

But once there, it seemed a nudge from the Holy Spirit caused me to understand this wasn't just any ordinary event we had been engaged in, but one that was extraordinary.

When thinking on it, I realized all the fish were spaced at exact intervals along the river, and when looking at one, it rolled on its side as if giving a salute.

The scripture in Romans 8:18-20 came to mind afterwards, as I was reminded that the creation eagerly waits for the manifestation or revealing of the sons of God.

To the day I die I'll believe the fish were paying homage to the Lord Jesus Christ within us.

Romans 8:18-20 (NASB)

18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19 For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope.

The New Creation is Now

Jesus established a principle when He said He was the resurrection. While there will be a final
resurrection, resurrection life is flowing from within us right now.

This is new creation; a life that has come down from heaven to those who put their faith in Jesus Christ, and that which is in heaven, is breaking forth into the earth, seeking to permeate the earth and the people dwelling on it with Christ.

We aren't simply to wait around biding our time while we wait for history to end, Jesus Christ is now inserting Himself into history in the spirits of those who have been born from above.

We believers must have a revelation of that, as it will change everything.

It is extraordinary thing Jesus Christ has done in making us a new creation in Him, and those that walk in Him will find He will be revealed in this earth and touch all areas of life to His glory. The new creation is happening now!

Worthy is the Lamb that was Slain

Revelation 5:11-13

11 And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands;

12 Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.

 13 And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.

If you want to see a major key to understanding the book of Revelation in the Bible, take your concordance and look up the word lamb. You'll see that everything that happens in the book is the result of the Lamb that was slain.

Based upon Jesus Christ laying down His life on our behalf, He is declared to have essentially received all things.

Philippians says something similar, when Paul admonishes them have a mind like Christ's, which resulted in making Himself of no reputation, taking on the form of a servant, humbling Himself, and finally becoming obedient unto the death of the cross. Paul declares the end result was God the Father highly exalted Him, giving Him a name above all other names, whereby every knee shall bow down to Him, in heaven, in the earth, and under the earth.

God can commit Himself to those taking on this same mind as Christ did. This isn't about thinking processes, but rather an entire way of life. We must embrace our humble Lord and allow that to become part of who we are. This is why Paul said "Let this mind be in you," it's something we must open ourselves up to.

It's not easy because it goes against the grain of the old man. What is declared to have made Christ worthy is the fact that He was the Lamb that was slain. That principle needs to be deeply embedded in our being. We must ask Christ to work and live that in us, as it's impossible on our own.

Knowing Christ - It's Everything

"... those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. (Romans 8:14)

There was a time in the far past when God called Israel his firstborn. The implications of that are staggering in that it has a relationship and similarity to when Jesus was recognized as the only begotten Son of the Father. Now there is a difference of course, but the identification of Israel as His firstborn has the same love and relationship attached to it.

That is extremely important because what is called Christianity, overall, has went the way of officialdom and formality, rather than a close love relationship with Christ Himself.

God stands by His people on the basis of this intimacy. Once it turns outward, as it does with the majority of those that name Christ, God can no longer give Himself to them that say they take His name.

Let's back up a moment though and understand that this intimacy is recognizable by those that keep the commandments of Christ. Jesus Himself said if you love me, keep my commandments. So intimacy and passion for Christ will always lead to becoming like Him, which is really what it means to obey His commandments.

After all, how many people outwardly adhere to the commandments of Christ and yet inwardly are full of sin and corruption? They are legion, as anyone that has the power of observation and interacts with those proclaiming Christ know.

The first letter of John confirms this, saying those that are true believers will walk as He walked. How did He walk? He had the sole goal of communing with and doing the will of the Father. By extension, that means we are not to walk in a sin-filled life, but one that is full love, joy and peace in the Holy Spirit. That's part of what it means to be filled with the spirit. It's being intoxicated with God in a way that who He is in character begins to take shape within us. That's obeying His commandments. After all, the commands of God are always to lead us to Christ Himself, who comes to abide in us and transforms us into His image.

This can only be done inwardly in fellowship with Christ. It's an experience; not simply trying hard to adhere to the letter of the law or scriptures, which inevitably always leads to failure and frustration.

If we want to count for something in Christ while living in this world, this is the only way to go. Christ, while God, is still a living being, and His purpose for creating us was so we could spend our lives in fellowship with Him and one another. This fellowship with Christ is intimate and within, working its way out to others who bear the life of Christ within them as well. That is the fellowship we are to have with one another.

Everything we are is related to being practical sons of God. Being sons of God means we are to know Him within. There is nothing more intimate in regard to man than that experiential reality. Even the one-ness between a husband and wife pales before it.

As for the outworking of that? Whatever it is God would have us to do, He will be there with us as long as we aren't official or outward Christians, but are of the tribe that seeks to live a life centered in Him. That center resides in our innermost beings, and is something that must be cultivated on a daily basis.

This is what Jesus was talking about when referring to the different types of ground the word, or really Himself, is planted into. The ground is the key because the seed that is Christ is perfect. Our job is to open ourselves up to being good ground so the seed can take root and grow. The ground and the seed can only be one under those circumstances.

There is nothing we can't do when retaining and remaining in that place of openness to Christ no matter what life brings us. This is why Paul taught us to admonish one another daily so a root of bitterness wouldn't spring up.

We need to watch over and challenge one another not to allow ourselves to become hardened within, as there would then be no way for the perfect seed of Christ to be close in a way that transforms us into what He is like.

Ultimately this is what produces the outward form of religion, which looks holy outwardly, but inwardly is dry and dead to Christ. We are called to something much higher than that, and it all begins and really ends, with Christ dwelling in our innermost being by the Spirit.

This is why we are told that it is Christ in us which is the hope of glory.

Sarah DeLane and Marshall Hall - I Know How to Say Thank You

Here's a terrific rendition of "I Know How to Say Thank You" with Sarah Delane, accompanied by Marshall Hall.

Christians Beheaded ... in New Jersey

In a crime that New Jersey authorities have described as heinous, a local man is believed to have shot to death two Coptic Christians before severing their heads and hands and burying their bodies in the backyard of a relative's abandoned home.

"These were grisly murders in which the defendant allegedly shot both victims in the chest at close range," said Attorney General Chiesa in a press release. "We allege that the defendant was ruthless and calculating in the manner in which he carried out the killings and attempted to prevent identification of the victims by cutting off their heads and hands before burying their bodies. The New Jersey State Police has conducted a thorough investigation, which will enable us to secure justice for the victims."

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It's Time for Christian Community

The idea of Christian community isn't a new one, as the first post-resurrection believers lived exactly in that way.

For those of us that have seen this for years, it's nothing new, as we've been living practically in Christian community ... in some cases for decades.

What is new in my estimation is the global circumstances emerging that will cause people to open anew to the idea of living in community together with our lives centered in Christ.

To me this is a good thing because it'll drive people towards what it is Jesus has had in mind since before creation, and of which the Godhead lived in eternity.

Most believers don't understand that before creation the scriptures reveal some things about the Godhead, one of which is the fact that God is a community. We sometimes get sidetracked by the commonality of creeds pointing to the Trinity as a doctrine, that we miss it was a practical way of life for the Father, Son and Holy Spirit before time and creation. It's the basis and model for how we are to live on this earth today.

As for what will drive this going forward, it's the realization, especially in western nations, that we will have to learn to cooperate and work together locally because the Federal government won't be able to support the promises it has made. The support systems many people have wrongly been relying upon for years, are going to crumble.

That means it'll be at the local level we have to take care of our lives in an environment that has lost much of the aid formerly given by the government.

While that will be true for everyone, it'll especially be true for Christians who will base their move towards community on the person of Jesus Christ and His purpose He has always had for us - that we will be a community of believers sharing life together with Christ as the center of our lives.

For those Christians reading these words, it's best to see these things from the scriptures, which throughout speak to God's people in this manner over and over again. That way it'll be beneficial to us because we see it as a revelation from God, and not something we have to do to survive.

If that's all that causes us to live one to another, once the difficult times get better, we'll simply go back into the old, unbiblical way of doing the attendance-based going to a building, rather than sharing our lives together in Christ on a daily basis.

We need to see this as a wake up call from God to commit to one another move towards living a life as a community together, not as a bunch of individuals going to a meeting once or twice a week.

Jesus died for much more than we are seeing in what people think is the church today. He died so He could share His very life with us, by coming to intimately dwell within each true born again believer. That life is then meant to be lived and shared together daily by His people, who are called to deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow Christ.

That is the vision, that is the calling, and in the end, that really is what is called the ministry. It is the daily caring and sharing of life together centered in Christ that is what God has called us to, and the circumstances on the earth are such that it's ripe for a time of harvest concerning Christians and community.

What is there that should hold us back from this? Nothing! If we'll truly die to ourselves and live unto Christ, it won't be a difficult decision to make. Speaking from experience, it can be hard at times, but the fruit, life, love and family life that comes out of it is something that literally is not of this world, and surpasses anything that this world has to offer.

What Jesus Requires of all Christians

Over 30 years ago I remember a man outside of the religious "Christians/Church" system saying a profound and enlightening statement that is true to this day, and of which those who profess to know and follow Christ, need to know and understand. That is that the term church, and by extension, Christian, no longer really have any meaning.

What he meant by that is people had created their own image of Christ and His church that is was so full of unbiblical practices and unbelievers, that it was close to impossible to even interact with someone in trying to show them what the Bible says about Christ and the practices of the Church, that we couldn't even start there as the beginning of our conversation, but had to blow up all sorts of misconceptions, lies, and fabrications just to be able to interact in a meaningful and productive manner.

Usually we couldn't even get past some of the most rudimentary aspects of tearing down the false foundations before we lost them. The listeners had had the modern-day practice of Christianity so ingrained in them that even when what was in the Bible was revealed to them, they couldn't and wouldn't believe it meant what it said.

Tradition had and has become so strong, that to contradict it, even when revealing it in the Holy Scriptures, is considered evil and a lie and attack from the Devil, even in light of the evidence that has been presented.

I'll give you an obvious and quick example which most of you reading this will resist and continue to resist. It it is, "God does not dwell in temple's made with hands." It's said several times in the Bible, the most well-known being just before Stephen was stoned to death over it.

The majority of Christians, to this day, will use all sorts of mental gymnastics and explanations in an attempt to make this mean something that it doesn't. Why so much resistance? It's because the person understands deep down what the cost of that acceptance would be. Their entire world would be placed in an upheaval if they were to embrace and obey this revelation from God Himself.

Although not even the focus and topic of this article, "God does not dwell in temple's made with hands" is the beginning of where the study of and understanding of what God has meant for His people as the corporate expression of Himself called the church.

All that was said to lead to the requirement of Jesus Christ for His people. Let's look at Matthew 16:24–26 to see what that is.

24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 25 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. 26 For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?

Let's take note of a key statement by Jesus here. He said the words “If anyone would come after Me....” The word "anyone" means that there is no one exempt from the statement and requirement He revealed.

So if we say we believe in Jesus Christ, here is what He said He demands of us and how we'll live.

First He says we must deny ourselves. That is the individual and consequently, corporate foundation that flows forth from people that assert they know Jesus Christ. It's a total abandonment of living for oneself and turning around and living unto Christ. Pleasing Christ is the motivation of those entering into true fellowship with Him.

Next He says to take up our cross and follow Me. This goes beyond the first statement to a reality of the fact it could cost us everything if we follow Jesus Christ, and we need to count that cost as we make a decision for Christ. It will cost us everything in the end. That may not be practically true, but for those taking up our cross, it will mean to us it won't matter one way or the other. Nothing has our hearts and minds except the person of Jesus Christ. From there a people grow into a holy temple expressing the person of Christ towards one another while revealing Him visibly to the world.

Finally Jesus says if we are to come after Him, it means we are to follow Him, which isn't a reference to running around the world (although for a few it could mean that), but rather it points to the fact that we are to live and walk as Jesus Himself did. John says that in his first letter, that we'll know those who truly know Christ because they'll walk as He did.

Yes there is grace there in that we aren't expected to start a journey in a perfected practical outworking of believing in Christ, but we are expected to and required to have a perfect heart.

After all, the standard of Jesus Christ has never been lowered. That's why we are told to be perfect because He is perfect. That exhortation remains, and while we don't start there, it remains the goal that we be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ.

That which was mentioned in Matthew should be the very minimal requirements of those who claim they are Christ's. It's the starting place. It's the baby stage. It's the birthing stage. It's expected of all of those that call upon the name of the Lord.

Christ and the "Eyes of Your Heart"

In Ephesians 1:18, Paul prays that the believers there would have the "eyes of your heart" enlightened so they may know what the hope was to which Christ had called them, and of course by extension, all believers.

When talking about Christ in this article, I want to note that in talking about Christ, there is no way to disconnect Him from His people, which will also be included in this revelation that can only come from being enlightened in our inner eyes.

Most Christians don't take time to understand what exactly it is that is being talked about here, and so go on in their walk with the Lord not really grasping some of the major things He is trying to communicate to them.

For example here at Acts29Review, we have talked about the organic church, Christ being the tree of life, and numerous other similar topics which can only be grasped in their meaning if the Holy Spirit enlightens the eyes of our hearts to see it.

You can read all day, every day, that Jesus Christ doesn't dwell in temples made with hands, and yet not really have a single idea as to what that means.

Some have left the traditional, organized church because of that scripture (and others), yet don't really know what it is they're searching for and what Jesus Christ wants once they begin to travel on that journey.

If all that happens is someone takes the practices happening in unbiblical edifices falsely called churches, and plants them into the home, absolutely nothing has happened other than the transference of the practice to a home. Some are actually satisfied with this and believe they've tapped into and fulfilled the reason for God not dwelling in physical structures designated as holy places or churches.

Others do the cell church thing, attempting to have both practices in the congregation to placate those who want the traditional experience and those that want something more. Mixture never works, and besides the point, both of those have really nothing to do with the organic church as expressed throughout the New Testament.

It's nothing less than the expression and embodiment of Jesus Christ in a corporate people that have all been born from above, or born again by the Spirit.

Okay. I keep on going on like this to give hints and signs to point the way. But even here, as in all of life, there is a lack, because in the end, it's something that Jesus Christ must reveal to your in your inner man if you are ever to know what He's seeking and wants, and then being willing to join yourself to a people to walk it out together.

This is why the scriptures, as far as mentally understanding them, are never enough. They are to leap off the pages, so to speak, to become a reality that is lived out practically. Grasping Jesus Christ and the scriptures mentally only takes you as far as the Pharisees and others like them go. We are required to go beyond that to the essence of what it means; and from there live it out for the entirety of our lives on the earth.

All of this is to say we must, as Paul did, ask God to reveal unto our inner man will be enlightened by the Holy Spirit so we can see exactly what it is Jesus Christ is saying. We must go beyond the letter to the meaning behind the letter if we want to experience spiritual growth in our lifetimes.

I'm not talking about adding to the scriptures, but having the Spirit of God help us to see the fullest meaning of them so we can cooperate with Christ in fulfilling His purpose for creating and saving us.

Jesus' New World Order

John 4:23 New King James Version (NKJV)

But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.

We hear a lot about the attempt by enemies of Christ and His people to create a new world order which would try to centrally plan and control the entirety of mankind.

But there is a far greater new world order that has existed from before time, and that order is the person of Jesus Christ Himself.

It needs to be understood that when Jesus was referring to the hour that now is, He meant as it related to being revealed to mankind, and the expectations of God accompanying that revelation of His desire from a people.

Most importantly, He, with that brief statement, asserted the entirety of the old Jewish religion and system as revealed in the Old Testament had, as of that moment, been dismissed as being no longer relevant.

Why? Because the true new world order, or in truth, heavenly order, had now come to fruition in the person of Jesus Christ.

All of the types and shadows, which pointed to Christ, were now fulfilled in Him, so the part they played were gotten rid of because they were no longer needed when the reality had revealed Himself to the world.

The new world order is not a system, but a person living in the very hearts of those that have truly repented and turned from themselves, the world, and the devil, and put their faith in Jesus Christ.

Out of that living relationship and fellowship is to come forth the unveiling of who Christ is in a people, to the end that He becomes 'all in all.' That's the goal and end result of the enternal purpose talked about in the letter of Paul to the Ephesians.

The new world order of Jesus Christ is one of Him indwelling us via the Holy Spirit and the truth or reality that accompanies and emerges out of that experience.

Jesus Christ is our world, the only world we are to look to and live in. This is what the Scriptures mean when it says " in Him we live and move and have our being." That's the order of Jesus Christ. Christianity is nothing less than that.

The Father is seeking those who will live their lives in union with Jesus Christ and one another in this manner, and that will reveal to the world who He is. That's Spirit. That's truth. That's the new world order presented by God the Father in Jesus Christ, Who lives within all that place their faith in Him.

It's meant to be lived out on a daily basis by believers, and that means Christ's new heavenly order is organic and unrelated to the props, institutionalism, and buildings so many wrongly associate with Christianity today.