Prospering out of place, highly exalted Php 2.9

Some themes are often repeated in Scripture.
Abraham in Canaan
Jacob in Haran
Joseph in Egypt
Moses in Egypt
Daniel in Persia
Esther in Persia
They are all out of place, but prospered by God as a sign to others.
It can be sen as a picture of the believer who receives salvation, but more importantly, it points to the Person of Salvation, Himself. Christ came into this fallen world, A Root out of dry ground, humbled Himself, like Joseph in Egypt, was rejected, but because of His himility, and Who He Is, wherefore.. he is Highly Exalted!

Ethnocentric vs Christocentric Gen46.34

Ethnocentrism is assuming that ones ways are higher than others'. "Every shepherd is an abomination unto the Egyptians." (Gen. 46:34). Everyone has their "them", which they look down on. To Egyptians, Shepherds and Hebrew were "them". But the true missionary has discovered that God's ways are higher than all of ours, and the only thing he "has" of any value, is that which he has received, derived, objectively, from outside of himself.

Apart from objective truth (Christ - the Living Word, and the Bible - the written word), all we have is ethnocentrism, subjective human evaluation and proud legalism. This is not ministry. This is the conceited plague of men's hearts. This is something outside of Christ. It is collective self righteousness. Self righteousness assumes self is superior, and prejudges others as inferior. And the world is full of it. The Christocentric minister recognizes that we are all fallen. All cultures are fallen. The missionary does not evaluate others by the subjective sunglasses of ethnocentrism, but instead, sitting where people sit, he manifests thoughts and ways that are higher than our thoughts and ways. (Is. 55) Thoughts that are Christ. And this is Life to people.

Infinately North-South, East-West

[rush transcript] -

Satan desperately wanted to ascend (North) into heaven and have his throne on the sides of the North;

But Jesus witnessed him "fall [south] like lightning."

Quite possibly this happened in the garden, just after the creation of Adam, the object of his jealousy;

Though he still had limited access to heaven (see Job), because the literal blood had not yet been presented yet, he would eventually be confined (further South), to earth. Some of his armies had already been chained further south, below the earth in Tartarus, but he remained free for a time. 

When Jesus came "from above", He entered Jerusalem and left it, through the East gate, which David used, and which He will use when His feet touch down on the Mount of Olives in the East, and it splits from North to Souh.

He was arrested in the East (Gethsemane), came back through the East gate, and was to take our sins, "as far as the East is from the West", in an infinite sense, when He was crusified for them at Calvary, in the North. 

Sheol was on the South side. 

Motivated by the "depths of His love", through absolute identification with fallen sinners, He then "decended into the lowest parts of the earth" (South), into hell, in order to rescue and "lead captivity captive" from one Kingdom (below) into another kingdom (above), by raising us up and made us to "sit above" in "heavenly places" (North), 

After the millenial reign, Satan will be cast down further, not just South, but to the "bottomless pit", (infinately further and further South forever). As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are His thougs and ways higher than our thoughts and ways!

Star, Jerusalem, Bethlehem / Light, Cross, Christ

Following light revealed, leads to a cross, which leads to Christ.

Naaman responded to the testimony of the little servant girl. That led him to the humiliating admission that his worldly position and goods were useless in the Divine economy, and upon passing through the cross, he found Christ.

The wise men followed the general revelation God had given them. That led them to a cross, as they realized that their natural logic and wisdom and ideas searching Jerusalem were repudiated by God and they were told to go further to Bethlehem. There in that ghetto, they too found Christ.

May we humbly respond to His light, His Word, accept His cross, and discover His Person, Jesus Christ, daily.
Merry Christmas!

100 Reasons Why I Love Israel

100 Reasons Why I Love Israel

What burden is removed?

Is 10.27 - the anointing breaks the yoke
What yoke?
Hos, He removes the yoke..
What yoke?
The one the Galatians had removed!!!!!!!!! The one so many carry!!!!!! The BURDEN of trying and striving and working to earn their salvation, God's favor, God's grace!!!!! The burden is removed completely by the Holy Spirit, opening our eyes to the GLORIOUS GOSPEL of GRACE that IT IS FINISHED, not BURDEN to try any longer, HE HAS DONE IT!!!!!!!! I'm FREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
Don't get yokes up in a bondage again Galatians, just be "yoked" to Him, who carries the burden for us 1Pe5.4 and you'll find it's easy & light!!!

Welcome to Grace

Welcome to Grace! Grace is God's world.. Grace is God's thinking, works are men's. Grace glorifies God, works: men. Grace is the opposite to how we think naturally (Is55). It lifts us when we can't lift ourselves. It baffles us, shocks us, surprises us and blesses us when we least deserve it. Grace is God, acting unilaterally, on man's behalf, dependent on Himself entirely. Works will never help you to grow. Receiving grace allows God to grow your capacity more than ever before. 2 Pe3.18