Pastor Buddy’s Blog

This is a follow-up study on ‘So what’s the deal on first fruits,’ and the study, ‘First fruits is not a cure all.’ I hope to? round out some real faith issues that concern a believer’s heart-walk with the Lord.? ?

Believers are not always? aware that there are stages in our Christian experiences. One stage can be called the ‘wilderness’ stage.? All believers pass through this stage. How long you remain there is a matter of the heart.

Then we have what? I will call the ‘Canaan-life’ stage.? This stage can also be called ‘the land of sanctified faith.’? (Faith made holy through Christ.)

How long we remain in the wilderness stage depends almost entirely on our heart relationship with the Lord.?

Because the emotional believer can misunderstand this area of study,? I felt to provide a good introduction for a beginning place.? I found it this morning in something? Billy Graham said? in his sydicated? column.

Doctor Graham was responding to the following: “…I just can’t get over my fear that [God] will punish me if I do anything wrong. I’d like to think that God loves me but I can’t.”

Here is the response received —

“Have you ever asked yourself what it would take to convince you that your emotions are lying to you, and that God really does love you?

“I say this because we need to realize that our emotions don’t always tell us the truth. God gave us our emotions, and life would be very dull without them — but sometimes they get confused and make us believe things that aren’t really true. There may be all sorts of reasons for this, including the way we were raised or our childhood experiences - but whatever the reason, our emotions aren’t always dependable guides.”

Doctor Graham later adds, “How do I know God loves us? I know it for one reason: because God sent his only Son into the world to die for our sins.”

While Billy Graham said a bit more, what I wanted you to see from the start is how our emotions can make a mess in our lives. Stop and think about those religions that place a continual stress on the emotional work-ups of the people.

Well, let’s come back to the issue of stages. The apostle said that the experiences that? Israel went through? in her journey out of Egypt, were written for our benefit, that is, to teach us certain truths about our walk with the Lord. (Why not take a moment to read 1 Corinthians 10:1-14.)

What are the primary stages of our Christian walk that can be identified with Israel’s sojourne? One stage was their simple faith in the applied blood. Another stage was coming through the waters. The Red Sea was where they were baptized into the authority of Moses. Water baptism is a covenant rite, where we openly identify with Jesus as our own Lord and Savior.

This pretty much leaves us with the two general stages, passing through the wilderness, and entering into? the land of promise. Canaan does not represent heaven in the stages of our Christian experience. It represents the life that God is calling us to in His Son. The wilderness stage is only designed to prepare us for the Canaan life.

What was the first thing that happened when Israel crossed the Red Sea? They had a joy celebration. They danced. They shouted. They were overjoyed.

What happened next was the beginning of their training in learning to trust in the Lord. So we have the story of the ‘bitter waters.’ Israel did not learn that lesson at all. In fact according to Paul, most of them never learned the wilderness lessons.? They simply became embittered people.

But this isn’t all. Israel wanted to keep dancing and partying. You know the story of the golden calf. But even that wasn’t all. Israel kept wanting God to give them signs and wonders. They kept looking back at Egypt. They didn’t seem much concerned over any ‘Canaan-land living.’ Didn’t much believe in that myth anyway?

This is what Paul said about? that generation: “Nevertheless, with most of them God was not well-pleased; for they were laid low in the wilderness.” (1Co10:5 nasb.)

This is what Doctor Graham was relating to. Israel was an emotional ’sign-seeking’ people. Jesus had the Christ-rejecting Israel in mind, when he said, “This generation is a wicked generation; it seeks for a sign, and yet no sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah.” (Luke 11:29 nasb. The sign of Jonah points to the complete work of the cross.)

I hope you are catching the picture. Of the two kinds of believers you have the wilderness-believer, and you have the Canaan-believer.

Paul never treats the fleshly-emotional believer as a lost person. Far from it. He simply shows how these kinds of believers tend to remain in a very immature state in their walk with the Lord. You have to treat them like babies.

With the emotional believer, everything wraps around their emotions. A by-product of that includes their minds. They are so immature in their thinking, that they are unable to grasp the spiritual realities of a true walk of faith.

In writing the Corinthians, the apostle said, “And I, brethren, could not speak to you as spiritual men, but as to men of flesh, as infants in Christ.” (1Co3:1 nasb.)

The apostle was not talking about unredeemed people. He was addressing fleshly believers. All you have to do is read the final chapters of 2 Corinthians, and you’ll see a clear picture of what a fleshly believers is. He is easily caught up in false doctrine, and in some cases, even spiritism.

But let’s leave that be for now. One question remains, ‘Do you really want to enter into the Canaan-land life?

Sure you do. We all do. And I can tell you by my own years of walking with the Lord, Canaan-land life is a definitive experience.

Where do we begin? It all begins with an invitation. God offered Israel an invitation. They refused. The reason they refused is because of their own hearts. You see the only way we can enter the Canaan-llfe experience is if our hearts have been sanctified to the Lord. Which means He has become Lord of all in our lives, and not just Lord of the bits and pieces that we give Him.

And this brings me to an under girding statement concerning our sowing and reaping in God’s kingdom. However, keep in mind that the land of sanctified faith does not limit itself to what we sow. It is a whole-life walk.

Here is the Scripture. Listen carefully:

“Sow with a view to righteousness. Reap in accordance with kindness; break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek the Lord until He comes to rain righteousness on you.” (Hosea 10:12 nasb.)

I would like very much to break this into parts but I don’t wish to belabor the study. However, breaking up fallow ground speaks of our heart condition. Fallow ground is ground that once had crops in it, but it lay dormant over time and the weeds have taken over.

The only way to break up fallow ground is to hit it with a turning plow. The sod has to be broken up so that new planting rows can be established.

What does this have to do with the invitation? It has everything to do with it. It is only when our hearts have been made tender before the Lord, and only He knows when that time has come, that it says, “He comes to rain righteousness on you.”

Raining righteousness means you are entering the land of God’s promises and of God’s provision. It is the land where you are no longer even thinking about signs and wonders.

Would you like to see a description of this land? Here it is:

“…when the Lord your God brings you into the land which He swore to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give you, great and splendid cities which you did not build, and houses full of all good things which you did not fill, and hewn cisterns which you did not dig, vineyards and olive trees which you did not plant, and you eat and are satisfied…

“… then watch? yourself, that you do not forget the Lord who brought you from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.” (Deu. 6:10-12 nasb.)

Do you know what happened the day the new generation of Israel entered into? the land of promise. It says, “The manna ceased on the day after they had eaten some of the produce of the land, so that the sons of Israel no longer had manna, but they ate some of the yield of the land of Canaan during that year.” (Joshua 5:12 nasb.)

They were now past the? seeking signs and wonders stage of their life. Never again would they look for the? pillar of fire at night or a? cloud by day. No more sign seeking.

Everything I have shared is necessary to this study. The Lord told Israel to never? forget who brought her out of Egypt and to keep His ways always. This is the only way a believer can continue in the Canaan-land life.

I received my definitive call to miracle land, Friday, January 17, 1975. Yes, it is written in my ‘Pastoral Memoirs.’ One day I’ll find a place to tell? the story. But to receive an invitation to? enter Canaan-life is a moment not to be forgotten in the history of every believer.

Was it easy? No. I had never lived in that world before. It was all about exploration and learning. I had to learn some hard lessons. But we have lived in Canaan-life to this very day. It is not something I can explain. It only happens when the Lord knows that we are? ready to enter. How does He know? He knows all hearts. And He knows when our hearts have been sanctified to Him.

There are so many of my learning-experiences I wish I could share with you. Afraid I’ll labor this study too much.

Perhaps there is one instance I can point to. It comes back to sacrificial giving. Betty and I have learned through the many years, that when our finances get tight, it is often because our sowing has gotten meager.

And the way to break this deadlock is to make a sacrifice that costs us something. Lot’s of folks don’t know about this. They simply give out of their extra. I’m not talking about extra. I’m talking about giving where the giving hurts.

I call this the David kind of giving. When David wanted to secure the threshing floor from Araunah in order to build an altar to the Lord, the man Araunah wanted to give David the property. Listen to David:

“No, but I will surely buy it from you for a price, for I will not offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God which cost me nothing.” (2 Samuel 24:24 nasb.)

Think about that statement. What kind of giving are we doing that costs us nothing?

Here is my story — Betty was in Oklahoma. We were in the process of building facilities for Christian Challenge. Finances came to a stand still. While meditating on this, the Lord placed on my heart to make a sacrifice.

Once it became clear in my heart, this is what I decided. We would sell our car and give the money to the building fund. But something else came up that would require an even deeper sacrifice. I heard in my heart, ‘Sell your weddings rings and give the money to Christian Challenge.’

Now, I’m not stupid. I shared this with Betty after her return from Oklahoma. We prayed and got on the same page.

Yes, we did both deeds. What was the result? Two things happened. The floodgates of finances opened up. And, secondly, some person whom I don’t know to this day, bought our wedding rings and had them given back to us. (The giver gave in secret. This is the way of the Lord.)

As I complete this study, I must say this. Please don’t try to mimic me or do any sort of giving that would be on emotions or otherwise. Always search this through with the Lord. He alone is to determine our giving and our blessings.

My simple point is that each believer has to learn about Canaan-life for himself.

Hope this helps a bit. Sorry, I don’t know much about keeping a budget. Perhaps someone else will speak to that.

Why not ask the Lord to teach you about the land of sanctified faith.

And remember, Jesus really does love you.

Blessings

Buddy

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Hi Journal Friends,

Please? bear with me. This entry will be a bit longer than usual, but I believe you will enjoy it. (I want to share with you some of my heart issues when it comes to ministering to people around the world. Have three? ‘Ask the Pastor’ communications I would like you to see.? )

Wow! I’m up and about at 6 a.m. Two extra hours in bed. Guess the Lord knew I needed some extra rest. Really feel good this morning. (As always.)

Do I have? some excitement in my bones! This evening Betty and I will be in services, at the front to ourselves, for the first half of the worship, then I get to baptize my youngest grandson, Jared.

Another excitement. The Lord is placing in my heart to do another follow up study on the issues of financial blessings, and how these blessings interlink with an awesome area of discovery. The study will be called ‘The Land of Sanctified Faith.’

7:45 a.m. Had my cheese toast and banana. (Pre-breakfast.) My Betty is such a wise lady. She told me to eat a slice of toast before CJ and I make our morning constitution-walk. Boy has it ever helped. The weakness I normally have after a walk has left.

Did my skimming through the paper. How I love reading Billy Graham’s column. Think I’ll use what he said this morning as an introduction to my study on ‘The Land of Sanctified Faith.’

The reason is because I know that this area of study can be a bit confusing to some folk. But there is a reason that many of God’s people continue to live in what I call ‘wilderness-Christianity’ and fail to enter into what I also call ‘Canaan-Christianity.’ (You’ll need to go to my Devotions and Studies category to get the teaching.)

Well, it is time for the King and I. As usual, CJ is snoozing with his head on my lap. (I’ll tell you another discovery I made about CJ after a bit.)

Let me share again from my morning readings. My devotion took me from 2 Chronicles 34:30 to 2 Chronicles chapter 35. Only one chapter in 2 Chroniciles left.

I always feel a bit of tinge when I near the end of a book. Sort of a loneliness feeling. It’s like walking with the Lord through a garden of His delights, but you see yourself about to leave by the back gate. Guess what? All the Lord does is take me to? another garden of His delights. After 2 Chronicles I’ll be in the book of Ezra.

Here is a skimpy rundown on some selected verses of my reading. (Hope you enjoy some? insights that I share.)

2 Chron. 34:30 - “The king [Josiah] went up to the house of the Lord and all the men of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the priests, the Levites and all the people, from the greatest to the least; and he read in their hearing all the words of the book of the covenant which was found in the house of the Lord.”

Wonder what would happen to most Christians if they got a full dose of God’s Word, instead of so much? denominational ‘back-up-our-doctrines’ teachings? How we need to rediscover the Bible for ourselves.

Verse 31 - “Then the king stood in his place and made a covenant before the Lord to walk after the Lord, and to keep His commandments and His testimonies and His statutes with all his heart and with all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant written in this book.”

Lord, give us more men and women who will? make heart-covenants with You. As for my part, that is exactly what I did in 1971, when Betty and I and our two sons, Nathan and Andre, went to Los Alamos, New Mexico, to raise up a home’s-mission church for group we were then affiliated with.

My heart began to struggle over some of our teachings that seemed not to accord with the Bible itself. After careful searches and inquiries of the Lord, I came to a decision. Lord, I don’t care what I want to believe. I don’t care what man says I am supposed to believe. Please, Lord, you teach me what You want me to believe.

That was my heart covenant and that point was the beginning of a new world for me.

2 Chronicles 35:3 - “He also said to the Levites who taught all Israel and who were holy to the Lord, ‘Put the holy ark in the house of the Lord which Solomon the son of David king of Israel built; it will be a burden on your shoulders no longer. Now serve the Lord your God and His people Israel.”

Have you put the ark of God in the holy place of your heart? The ark had the Shekinah (presence of the Lord) resting over the mercy seat between the two angels. In the ark was the book of the covenant. Did you know that religious men are the ones who make the Bible a burden to be borne? Jesus said that His burden was light. (Think about it.)

Verse 8 - “His officers also contributed a freewill offering to the people, the priests and the Levites…”

These are the only kinds of offerings that are acceptable to the Lord. (I’ll be sharing a reading from Billy Graham in my study later today. It is very important to this issue of offerings.)

Verse 14 - “Afterwards they prepared for themselves and for the priests, because the priests, the sons of Aaron, were offering the burnt offerings and the fat until night; therefore the Levites prepared for themselves and for the priests, the sons of Aaron.”

How many of we ministers today look to our own needs before seeing to the needs of the congregation? In the book of Ezekiel, the Lord strongly rebuked those shepherds who would not tend the sheep, only caring for themselves. How many poor people do we have in our congregations who are struggling to make ends meet, yet we ministers fare quite well while everything we could wish for is in place.

By the way, this is not self-condemnation. At Christian Challenge we watch very carefully over the flock. We do our best to help our people both with their finances and with getting on the right page with the Lord. The Lord knows our hearts.

This is what David said to Solomon:? “…the Lord searches ALL hearts, and understands every intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will let you find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever.” (1 Chronicles 28:9)

Rather than give the Scripture references of verses 21 and 22, let me just share where Josiah made a blunder that cost him his life.

Neco the king of Egypt went to make war with the Babylonians, and Josiah went out to engage him. But this was a grave error on Josiah’s part. Neco tried to warn him that God Himself was in the war, and that Josiah was not to involve himself. It says, “…nor did [Josiah] listen to the words of Neco from the mouth of God, but came to made war on the plain of Megiddo.”

Why do some Christians think that the Lord can’t speak to them through someone who is not of their ‘band’? If God can speak to a man through a donkey, why can he not speak to us through someone of the world? Not everything that comes from the world is bad counsel.

It reminds me of something Jesus said about the Essenes; “…for the sons of this age are more shrewd in relation to their own kind than the sons of light.” (Luke 16:8 nasb.)

The terms ’sons of light’ was a special designation that the Essenes used for themselves during the time of Christ. The Essenes were pretty much the hyper-Pharisees of their day. (Of course there is much more to their story.)

Ok, let’s get past my devotional.

I know that some of my readers may wonder why I call attention to our ‘Ask the Pastor’ web page. Perhaps it would be good to show the kinds of work that I do with people from around the world.

Want to mention that? I have close to 6000 Ask the Pastor inquiries along with my responses. I’ve been doing this area of ministry for a good while.

Here are examples of three responses that I’ve made this morning. I’ll give a brief description for each response. The questions and my responses will be grouped together. The language is that of the writer. (Keep in mind that often the questions are from people from other countries, where English may not be their primary language.):

(1) From a questioner? asking about wealthy Christians.?

[Question] “dear pastor, I would like to ask u that, can christians live being wealthy? because when I ask why Christians are poor, hungry, and sick in this world they reply for me that we christians shall not worry about our flesh cauz we are leaving for the next eternal life and i still see the same people praying for God to full fill the need of their flesh so are these things not paradox by themselves.”

[Response] “Good questions. Christians can live being wealthy. The Bible says the Lord gives us (true followers of Christ) the power - ability - to make wealth. Financial prosperity is very often the blessing of the Lord upon an obedient believer’s life.

“Whoever said said we Christians should not be concerned with our flesh, is a bit mistaken. Certainly we should not ‘worry’ about our physical lives. The Lord told us no to do that. Yet He promised that if we would place His rule in our lives first, all the things we need in life would be given to us. Actually the Bible promises apply to the total of our well-being.

“But there is a point to be made. While Christians cannot take care of everyone in the world, we can, however, be very attentive to the poor brethren among us. This is a command of the Lord. If we close our hearts to the sufferings ones in our congregations, the Lord will withhold His blessings from us.”

(2)? The person here is involved in spiritism. Her question is about what seems to be from the Lord, but from all that I see, it is demonic.?

[Question] “I am a christian and i believe in the father the son and the holyspirit. but when the lord call me near to him i be experiencin falling into deep sleeps and having visions and when i fell into this deep sleep i had this experience. that when grabierl camto my mary this word is whathe said. hail o favored one the lord is with you. you have found favor with of. is this true.”

[Response] “Wish I knoe what to tell you bout this. I do find it strange that the Lord would say something to you that was spoken exclusively to Mary, the mother of Jesus. Perhaps He did say it. I know that the Lord speaks often to us in our heart language. But you must take care in this area. When we begin to hear audio sounds, this isn’t often a good thing. Why? Because in the new covenant God speaks with impressions of the heart. This is why Paul warned us about lisetening to many voices.

“I don’t mean to discourage you in this. It is simply too personal. However, you must have questions or you would not have written me. The fact that you question this is an indicator that it may not be from the Lord. Jesus said that His sheep would know His voice ‘without question.’

[Questioner continues] “i can’t explain some of the things to me spiritually me. I was fastinig for 24 hours and was really hungry for god when this happen i was reading my bible and praying. and i kep saying the words of god seek me and you shall find me.”

[Response] “…how I wish to caution you again. Sometimes in our fasting we can open ourselves to things that we would not wish to be there. These things appears to be of the Lord, but they are actually from a spirit not of God.

“Years ago my wife received a call from a young man. He had heard that I was a godly man and wanted to talk to me. About that time I came home, and my wife handed me the phone. The young man explained that he had been on a fasat and that the Lord was saying something to him, but he wasn’t sure how to deal with it.

“I could never get him to tell me what the Lord was ’supposedly’ saying. As it was, this voice was telling him to stand naked in front of the universith in our city, by doing this he was being obedient to the Lord. The police picked him up and took him to a mental ward of the local hospital. I was able to visit him. Hopefully he gained some understanding in this area.

[Questioner continues] “I lovejesus and want to know everything i can about him he’s always on my mind. and I am not sure what spiritism is.”

[Response] “Spiritism is the activity of Satan that pretends to be from the Lord. Please take timie to read 2 Corinthians 11:3-15. I am assuming that you are not yet familiar with the ways of the Lord to know how to deal with spiritism. I hope you are in a good church and have mature Chritians round you who can help you understand this area.”

[Questioner continues] “…I think that’s why my faith is so strong becasue of wshat i seen when i am called in the spirit. i never seek these visions or god before but he found me. 4 years ago. and let me know he is real. I have never felt love like this in my life. He is always on my mind. Is this true about what grabrial to mary when he came to her in a vision.”

[Response] “… everything you have shared with me carries the earmarks of spiritism. Please don’t think me cruel. I would never interfere with another person’s walk with the Lord. There is a book that I suggest you read. It is called, ‘The Beautiful Side of Evil.’ (Michaelson.} Please purchase it. There are spirits who call themselves ‘Jesus.’ They can give great feelings of grandeur. They work deeply in a person’s emotional state.

“What is the outcome of these workings? All you have to do is go to a mental institution and you find lots of people who have come under the power of spiritism. It is such a deceptive area. I pray that you begin to reject [these] goings on in your life. I can be bold on this one bases alone — You havae your own doubts. This is a major clue that what is happening to you is NOT of the Lord.

[Questioner continues] “… if you don’t know that’s fine to but I know this was god or and angel who told me this. that’s how i first heard of this word and found out this is what the angel said to mary.”

[Response] “May the Lord open your eyes fully is my prayer. And may you escape from the snare of the devil. He is attempting to bring you captive in order for you to do his will.

“Don’t be offended. Dear lady, you need help. Go to a good pastor and share these things with him.”

(3)? This is from a pastor’s son that I counselled yesterday. His area of concern were with? homosexual temptations. Here you read his comments to me and my responses to him (From another country.):

[Questioner] “I thank God for your life … when i arrived from school, i had a devotion tie and i really asked God to use you to show me His will upon this situation. and He did… I never talked to anyone about my problems… and i really loved the feeling when I was able to confess to someone like you… as if God was giving me the way out of this situation…”

[Response] “This is so wonderful. I praise the Lord that He was williong to use me to speak into your life. Please feel free to talk with me anytime.”

[Questioner] “Do you know that I had the feeking that I would be a pastor too like my Dad??? I don’t know. but i also love to help people who also has problems… I don’t know about this, but I will wait for God’s confirmation… Thank you very much for the time and the willingness to help me!!!”

[Response] My brother, it thrills my heart to help you. Just keep in mind that the enemy very much wishes to interfere with you call to the ministry. He tries to do this to all God’s servants. Sometimes we walk through dark valleys and through terrible struggles, but the Lord is faithful. He is going to confirm His call over your life.”

[Questioner] “God is good all the time and He is in control of everything!!! Please pray for our Praise Night … (Portion excluded.)

Response: “I am praying for you as I write this email. You are making those necessary adjustments to your walk of faith. Also keep in mind that the ancient people of GOd considered ‘repentence’ to be a form of worship. To them the word meant ‘making adjustments’ to the walk with the Lord, whenever adjustments need to be made.” [Left off rest of dialogue.]

Hope this gives a bit of understanding about what our? Ask the Pastor site is about. I am able to sit in my office and counsel people from around the world. May this be credited to the goodness of the Lord. It is He who allots us our portions of ministry.

Later in the morning CJ and I made another run to the church office. Needed Jon to bind my 2006 sermon notes in a book form. (I’ve kept 99% of my sermon notes since 1965. All the ones from my last pastorate and up to the present are in binders.)

Jon said something interesting. (Jessica, you may want to hear this.) He is now sold on Great Danes. After seeing how CJ and I get along, he has decided that after their marriage, he and Jessica will get their Dane.? ?

Got to tell one more story about CJ. Just found this out this morning. Lately I’ve been putting a leash on CJ when I enter the church offices. He gets so excited about greeting? everyone. (He loves the leash.)

Anyway, I walked into Nathan’s office (he was gone) and dropped the leash next to CJ. I noticed that CJ never moved. He was like a trained horse who will stand still when you drop the reins. This is so cool. What a marvelous buddie.

Well, it’s 11:45 a.m. and I’m caught up on the blog.? Perhaps I’d better leave off now. You’ve had plenty to read.

Sending more love your way,

Buddy

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