Dr. Terry Threadwell's Blog

Please don’t throw me out of your presence; please don’t take your holy spirit away from me. Return the joy of your salvation to me and sustain me with a willing spirit. (Psa 51:11-12 CEB)

I believe David’s concern was misplaced. He believed that God would reject him, and cast him out. In reality, God loved him with an everlasting love.  The danger was that David’s unregenerate heart would reject God, and just like Adam, walk out of God’s presence. Priscilla, the author of Hebrews 6:4-5 tell us, “Because it’s impossible to restore people to changed hearts and lives who turn away once they have seen the light, tasted the heavenly gift, become partners with the Holy Spirit, and tasted God’s good word and the powers of the coming age.” She knew that the hard, unrepentant heart would never turn back and admit they were wrong and would sooner walk away, believing they were right.

The elder brother of the Prodigal son rejected the Father’s invitation to a party.  As the festivities were going on inside, he was on the outside, bitter, and hateful.  He should have been in the Father’s presence, but joy and a willing spirit had left him.

Check your heart by listening to what comes out of your mouth.  If it isn’t God-glorifying, then it’s time to turn back to God for a refreshing, and renewal.

Have mercy on me, God, according to your faithful love! Wipe away my wrongdoings according to your great compassion! Wash me completely clean of my guilt; purify me from my sin! Because I know my wrongdoings, my sin is always right in front of me. I’ve sinned against you-you alone. I’ve committed evil in your sight. That’s why you are justified when you render your verdict, completely correct when you issue your judgment. Yes, I was born in guilt, in sin, from the moment my mother conceived me. And yes, you want truth in the most hidden places; you teach me wisdom in the most secret space. Purify me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. (Psa 51:1-7 CEB)

David wasn’t sorry for his actions, he saw himself as being powerful, and in a strong position.  Even when Nathan the prophet came to him and told him the story of the rich and the poor man, “The rich man had exceedingly many flocks and herds. “But the poor man had nothing, except one little ewe lamb which he had bought and nourished; and it grew up together with him and with his children. It ate of his own food and drank from his own cup and lay in his bosom; and it was like a daughter to him. “And a traveler came to the rich man, who refused to take from his own flock and from his own herd to prepare one for the wayfaring man who had come to him; but he took the poor man’s lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him.” (2Sa 12:2-4 NKJ)

We’re told that when David heard the story, “David’s anger was greatly aroused against the man.” (2Sa 12:5 NKJ) David was quick to judge the situation as he had done numerous times before, “As the LORD lives, the man who has done this shall surely die! “And he shall restore fourfold for the lamb, because he did this thing and because he had no pity.” (2Sa 12:5-6 NKJ) When Nathan told David, “You are the man.” It was David’s own judgment that condemned him.  David realized he wasn’t sorry, but guilty and as a guilty man, he stood condemned.  It was that feeling of condemnation that led David to true repentance before God. His cry was for mercy and compassion, realizing that he was born in sin and only God’s  cleansing power could truly set him free.

Purification by washing and the use of hyssop meet the requirements of the priestly code of Leviticus. However, only the blood of Jesus can truly take away sin’s stain.

As the hymn writer Robert Lowry once wrote:

What can wash away my sin?

Nothing but the blood of Jesus;

What can make me whole again?

Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

February 19, 2019. Praying for those in authority.The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know. Pray especially for rulers and their governments to rule well so we can be quietly about our business of living simply, in humble contemplation. This is the way our Savior God wants us to live. (1Ti 2:1-4 MSG)

Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. (1Ti 2:1-2 NKJ)

The call to pray for everyone, but specifically, those in authority is not a blank check for any and all actions that a government or President might take.  Of the four types of prayer, Paul mentions, we find supplication in Ephesians 6, “praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints– (Eph 6:18 NKJ) Clearly, this is part of a Christians spiritual warfare, making sure that those in authority stay in line with God’s will, and Word.

When we don’t how to pray, the Holy Spirit can lead us into intercession. “Likewise, the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” (Rom 8:26-28 NKJ)

Finally, and only after we are convinced that all is well, do we give thanks.

And so I insist—and God backs me up on this—that there be no going along with the crowd, the empty-headed, mindless crowd. They’ve refused for so long to deal with God that they’ve lost touch not only with God but with reality itself. They can’t think straight anymore. Feeling no pain, they let themselves go in sexual obsession, addicted to every sort of perversion. But that’s no life for you. You learned Christ! My assumption is that you have paid careful attention to him, been well instructed in the truth precisely as we have it in Jesus. Since, then, we do not have the excuse of ignorance, everything—and I do mean everything—connected with that old way of life has to go. It’s rotten through and through. Get rid of it! And then take on an entirely new way of life—a God-fashioned life, a life renewed from the inside and working itself into your conduct as God accurately reproduces his character in you.

Paul assumption here is that a Christian is a new creature in Christ, renewed now on the inside, awaiting total renewal on the outside. Mind and spirit now, body later. In other placed, Paul warns the reader about ignorance, six times in total.

For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. (Rom 11:25 NKJ)

Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant: (1Co 12:1 NKJ)

For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our trouble which came to us in Asia: that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life. (2Co 1:8 NKJ)

Now whom you forgive anything, I also forgive. For if indeed I have forgiven anything, I have forgiven that one for your sakes in the presence of Christ, lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices.  (2Co 2:10-11 NKJ)

The word ignorant in the original language is present, active and negative.  In other words, the person that is ignorant chooses to be that way. However, it is not compatible with the new life in Jesus.  Having no excuse, therefore, throw out everything that will lead you to stinking thinking, it’s dragging you down. Renew that mind, stretch it, push it to learn new things, allow the Lord to show you the mysteries of the gospel.  If there is something you don’t understand, put iton the shelf and revisit it later. ffffffffff

Now the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. (Rev 21:14 NKJ)

For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. After that, He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. After that, He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. Then last of all, He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time. For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle because I persecuted the church of God.

The Apostles of the Lamb were the original disciples, the twelve that were the closest to Christ.  They were called and commissioned by the Lord to spread the word far and wide. Matthew, Mark, John, wrote their version of the gospel. John, James, Peter, and Paul all wrote epistles to their congregation teaching, correcting and exhorting the church.

For the benefit of this study, we will refer to them a Apostles with a capital ‘A.’ Though their anointing will never be seen again, we know that Christ, “gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ. (Eph 4:11-12 NKJ) n

“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you dressed like sheep, but inside they are vicious wolves. You will know them by their fruit. Do people get bunches of grapes from thorny weeds, or do they get figs from thistles? In the same way, every good tree produces good fruit, and every rotten tree produces bad fruit. A good tree can’t produce bad fruit. And a rotten tree can’t produce good fruit. Every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire. Therefore, you will know them by their fruit. “Not everybody who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will get into the kingdom of heaven. Only those who do the will of my Father who is in heaven will enter. (Mat 7:15-21 CEB)

Do trees have ears, I think so. We have an apple tree that for a number of years produced no fruit. In the presence of the tree, I mentioned to my wife, Ann, that if the tree didn’t produce fruit next years, it would be firewood. You guessed it, the following year the tree was full of fruit. A fruit tree is determined by the fruit it bears.  Appletree should produce apples, the orange tree oranges, and spiritual ministry, the fruit of the Spirit, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Yes, even the prophetic ministry! The prophet without spiritual fruit resorts to condemnation, manipulation, and witchcraft, stay away from such people.

Do They Lead you to Worship.

Now if a prophet or a dream interpreter appears among you and performs a sign or wonder for you, and the sign or wonder that was spoken actually occurs; if he says: “Come on! We should follow other gods”–ones you haven’t experienced–“and we should worship them,” you must not listen to that prophet’s or dream interpreter’s words, because the LORD your God is testing you to see if you love the LORD your God with all your mind and all your being. You must follow the LORD your God alone! Revere him! Follow his commandments! Obey his voice! Worship him! Cling to him–no other! That prophet or dream interpreter must be executed because he encouraged you to turn away from the LORD your God who brought you out of Egypt, who redeemed you from the house of slavery; they tried to lead you away from the path the LORD your God commanded you to take. Remove such evil from your community! (Deu 13:1-5 CEB)

Many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because disobedience will expand, the love of many will grow cold. (Mat 24:11-12 CEB)

Though the prophet may visions, dreams and a manifestation of the gifts, where are they leading you? Their ministry should always lead to God and not away from God. They like all ministers should you to glorify God and not take the glory on themselves.

Test of Doctrine.

These days there can be any number of styles, or methods of praise, worship, and ministry, that’s not a problem as long as the basic tenant of the Christian faith is in place. The basics are found in the Apostles Creed:

creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in God, the Father Almighty,

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,

who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,

born of the Virgin Mary,

suffered under Pontius Pilate,

was crucified, died, and was buried;

he descended to the dead.

On the third day he rose again;

he ascended into heaven,

is seated at the right hand of the Father,

and will come again to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,

the holy catholic (universal) church,

the communion of saints,

the forgiveness of sins,

the resurrection of the body,

and the life everlasting. Amen.

If we start here, we can’t go wrong.

Fulfillment of prophet word.

And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground. And all Israel from Dan even to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the LORD. And the LORD appeared again in Shiloh: for the LORD revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the LORD. (1Sa 3:19-21 KJV)

All too often there are those who claim to have prophetic insight and are prolific writers, much of what they say is based on bad theology.  When their words ‘fall to the ground’ they say nothing and move on to their next book, and nobody holds them accountable.

They can thank God for grace. The Law stated, “However, any prophet who arrogantly speaks a word in my name that I haven’t commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods–that prophet must die. Now, you might be wondering, How will we know which word God hasn’t spoken? Here’s the answer: The prophet who speaks in the LORD’s name and the thing doesn’t happen or come about–that’s the word the LORD hasn’t spoken. That prophet spoke arrogantly. Don’t be afraid of him. (Deu 18:20-19:1 CEB) Ouch! But wouldn’t that make the prophet guard their words?

More tomorrow. . .