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THE BLOOD OF THE ETERNAL COVENANT

Posted by Brian Swanson on December 20, 2014 at 5:44pm

Hello to everyone out there!

I just joined the site today and it was a hoot to see all those old familiar faces out there.

I was also saddened about some from the 'old days' that are no longer here but sleeping. I was in the 14th Corps and those days seem so long ago now.

So excited to share what I have been learning about from God's Word in these final days. That our dear dear Abba Yahuwah ( The Father's name: written as the Tetragramaton in the Hebrew Text) has been revealing to those seeking truth.

Are we all done with man's traditions yet? Did Jesus(Who's true Hebrew name is Yahusha or as Yashua as some state.) come to start a new religion called Christianity, or was He here as our Blood Covenant Partner/ standing in the gap for us when He took our place on the stake. We have instructions of a blood ratified covenant to keep if we are going to be found worthy to inherit the KINGDOM.

What are those covenant instructions? I will be getting into that On my next post.

Shalom for now

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More Comments on Pentecost: The Birthday of the Church

Posted by Lonnell Johnson on October 15, 2010 at 4:00pm

Since I have been involved in a number of projects and teaching assignments and other activities, I have not been able to respond to any of the comments posted to my initial blog regarding Pentecost as the birthday of the Church. Certainly I have read them and reflected upon the various views expressed. In light of the controversy that my comments generated, I wanted to respond more extensively, and so I’m posting another blog which includes some additional images and a YouTube video at the end.

I must admit that I should qualify and modify my statement to indicate that the Day of Pentecost is in reality “a birthday of the Church, not the birthday of the Church.” “So, Pentecost being the original outpouring and the new birth daily it looks to me like every day is a birthday in the church of the body.” I heartily concur with Michael’s comment.

Just as every year we celebrate another year of life on the date that we were born, but who we have become each year is vastly different from who were on the day of our birth. So is the Church remarkably different than it was on the Day of Pentecost, which as it turned out was another period of progression in its unfolding to become all that God had in mind when He first “conceived” the idea of this glorious masterpiece of creation. Perhaps we could say that the idea of the Church was first birthed when God “thought” of it and implemented His plan to bring it to pass in the fullness of time. Of course, the Church is one aspect of God’s plan for the redemption of humanity after the Fall. As I think about it, this whole idea is “too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain unto it.” Who has known the mind of God, for His ways are not our ways. Romans 11:33-34 puts it this way:

Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!

For who has known the mind of the LORD?
Or who has become His counselor?”

A most enlightening book regarding the Church is Kevin J. Conner’s The Church in the New Testament which reveals that the Church was unfolding throughout the Old Testament. Last year, I coordinated a small group discussion of this remarkable treatise, lasting several weeks. I could by no means do the work justice in this response. Among the many notable distinctions regarding the Church as it unfolds throughout the Bible is that the Church is a reflection of “the pattern and the glory of God.” God has a pattern, a divine design for the local as well as the universal church. When all has been built according to the pattern, the glory of God descends to seal or establish the pattern. From Noah’s ark through the Tabernacle of Moses through the Tabernacle of David and Solomon’s Temple on through the Book of Acts and the New Testament Church of which we are presently members, in whom dwells the spirit of the Living God whereby we recognize that “it is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”

That familiar expression, of course, relates to the riches of the glory of this mystery, which I believe was in evidence before the fullness of God’s intent was revealed to Paul years after his conversion. I, hence, disagree with Karl (respectfully, as well) that the mystery was not known in the Book of Acts. The mystery was foreshadowed and made know in the Acts 13 in Antioch where followers of the Way were first called “Christians,” a derogatory descriptive label that has stuck over centuries of time. What did the citizens of Antioch see in Saul (not yet called Paul), Barnabas, a Cypriot, Simeon called Niger (whom I along with others believe to be Simon of Cyrene, the “brother” who bore Christ’s cross), Lucius of Cyrene (“another brother of another mother”) and Manaen, the foster-brother of Herod the Tetrarch)? What caused those who saw this culturally and ethnically diverse group interacting together to speak of them as “those ‘Christ-in them’ folk?” Jesus had declared earlier, “By this shall all men know that you are my disciples if you have love one to another.” Years ago I did a teaching centered on Acts 13, and I believe I entitled it “The Mystery Movers”, as I made the point that the principles of the Great Mystery were alive and well and demonstrated in Antioch. I may have included this discussion in the New Testament History classes I taught at The Way College of Emporia way back in the day. So you see, Karl, why I respectfully disagree…Hey, that rhymes. Indeed, I have been known to wax poetic, as I pen a poem or two. In fact, I wanted to close my comments with a poem that relates to Church of the 21st Century of which I am a part and so are we all.

A couple of years ago my wife and I visited family and friends, some of whom were former followers of The Way International, in San Francisco and Los Angeles. During our stay in the City by the Bay, we enjoyed a most enlightening experience at the Asian Museum where we saw a special exhibit from the Ming Dynasty. One of the pieces on display was a stationery box which is similar to this one.

Although the final product reveals what the designer had in mind, we do not see how the object looked at the various stages of development. So it is with the Church which is still a work in progress, but I believe that God is putting “the finishing touches on His crowning achievement.” No, technically the Church of the One Body was not born or did not start on the Day of Pentecost, but what transpired there was of great significance in its unfolding. Without a doubt Pentecost was a watershed moment whereby the world was forever changed. This poem “Exquisite Exhibit” conveys in part my thoughts regarding the Church and my part in this amazing masterpiece of God’s creation.

Exquisite Exhibit

Viewing a Ryoshi-bako (stationery box)

Power and Glory: Court Arts of China’s Ming Dynasty

Asian Museum--San Francisco, California

For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew

in Christ Jesus so that we can do the good things

he planned for us long ago

Ephesians 2:10

God's purpose was to show his wisdom in all its rich variety

to all the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms.

They will see this when Jews and Gentiles

are joined together in his church.

Ephesians 3:10

Sublime thoughts never diminish, only increase,

As I marvel at this ancient masterpiece.

The designer sees the end long before he starts

And envisions intricate details of the parts

And fashions a wood box inlaid with jade and gold,

Lacquered vessel for deepest thoughts the mind can hold.

Beyond all that I see, God formed and fashioned me

With precise measure of each scroll and filigree.

Displayed by the skillful hands of the Master craftsman,

Beyond the finest design of any artisan,

The Church, exquisite exhibit now on display,

Treasures from the hand of God take one’s breath away.

With the eyes of our heart now opened, we find

We are the masterpiece Jehovah had in mind.

Lonnell E. Johnson

August 27, 2008

Here is a sweet treat to end on a glorious note of possibility, as we listen to powerful lyrics to “Let the Church Rise” in the video performed by Jonathan Stockstill below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lccGQtXkCu8&feature=related

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How does your garden grow ?Or Are you still alive?

Posted by Rick and Lori(Roth) Sheehan on July 18, 2009 at 12:16pm
The characteristic of death is decay,that of life is ,growth.The regenerate man,being alive in Christ,will therefore grow.St Paul compared the growth to that of a child from baby hood and milk to maturity and meat.(1 cor 3:1-2,Heb.5:12-14Matt 13:3-9, Behold, a sower went forth to sow;4 And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:5 Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:6 And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them:8 But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.9 Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.KJVAn often painful experience, one which separates us from family and friends ,is their inability to grow,so that it becomes difficult to talk to people we love but have long since outgrown.The conservative ,fearful of the present and the future, looks backward only . The revolutionist is also past bound : his vision is one of destruction for the past and the present and a static unchanging utopia for the future.Neither is capable of growth,and victory then goes to those who destroy the most .Man in the state of grace is more conservative than the political conservatives : he has a surer grasp on the past and the present because he accesses it in terms of the word of God.He is also more radical than the revolutionist because he has a principle of growth in him which requires continual change and progress in terms of the word of God.When men hope for social reform by some means other than the grace of God in the salvation of individual men , they are declaring that evil is in the environment rather than in men.The state of grace reveals itself in a man by a delight in the word of God and a readiness to grow therein , and the ability to endure the hot sun of adversity and grow stronger in the faith .The Word of God that finds "good ground " , or regenerate heart, brings forth fruit:there is growth and production( Matt 13:1-23). Because growth is a characteristic of life , it is a characteristic of a state of grace.Rousas Rusdoony _---Revolt Against Maturity Pgs. 176-177Ps 1:1-31 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.KJVPs 119:1616 I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word.KJVJer 6:1010 To whom shall I speak, and give warning, that they may hear? behold, their ear is uncircumcised, and they cannot hearken: behold, the word of the Lord is unto them a reproach; they have no delight in it.KJVPs 119:4747 And I will delight myself in thy commandments, which I have loved.KJVPs 119:174-176174 I have longed for thy salvation, O Lord; and thy law is my delight.175 Let my soul live, and it shall praise thee; and let thy judgments help me.176 I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek thy servant; for I do not forget thy commandments.KJV
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The Way. It Was.

Posted by John Lynn on October 17, 2008 at 12:17pm
The Way. It was.By John A. LynnIn the interest of truth, both small “t” (the facts about The Way International) and capital “T” (the Word of God it taught), I am compelled to propose why I think The Way International was (past tense), from a certain perspective, one of the most significant movements in the history of the Christian Church. I do so for the benefit of any graduate of the “Power For Abundant Living” class who still wants to live for the Lord and who may have been unduly discouraged, either by his/her own experience in The Way or by the ensuing barrage of negatives from other ex-Way saints about what was wrong with The Way.Given that I was one of the top ministry leaders from 1967-1987, I speak with experiential knowledge. Furthermore, I have spent the past 21 years continuing to dig into the Word of God along with knowledgeable Christians, and, in the process, re-evaluating everything we were taught. I speak with great thankfulness for the truth I heard in The Way (hereinafter TWI), with no doubt that God led me to it, and then away from it. And though I left with some wounds, I also took with me the resources I had been given that enabled me to be healed from those wounds and help others do likewise.I speak so that you can know “the rest of the story,” as opposed to all the disparaging things that have been said about The Way through the years by the media (much of that false), other Christians (much of that false), and disgruntled former followers (much of that true, some of it false). My purpose is to set forth a much more redemptive view of The Way than what I have thus far read from others with “ex-Way vision.” In some ways, this is a sequel to my March, 1988 letter in which I blew the whistle about what was then going on in TWI. (http://www.swiftlynx.com/beyondTheWayInternational/)Yes, there was more doctrinal error than I ever realized while I was in TWI, and there was corresponding practical error that became more evil than most of us involved ever imagined. Yes, many precious people were terribly abused. Yes, there was dishonesty about Scripture, there was plagiarism, and there was rampant sexual sin, all of which contributed to many people choosing to turn away from God and His Word. And as I realized these things, I did speak out about them, both publicly and privately, from 1987 until about 2000, after which TWI had marginalized itself in Christendom.Perhaps worst of all, a golden opportunity to make known the Word of God, as it had not been known since the first century, was squandered. I will elaborate upon why that is true from a doctrinal standpoint, but when else in the history of the Christian Church has there ever been such a cadre of thousands of young, energetic, enthused, biblically knowledgeable, logistically equipped, organizationally backed, diverse, multi-lingual, mobile, available, and committed-to-“It-is-written” men and women with leadership qualities who were willing to go anywhere and spread the Word? Certainly not often in the past 2000 years. Thank God that many of these students of the Word became teachers themselves, and were thus able to recognize the errors that crept into TWI.The Way. It was. What was it? First and foremost, it was, from about 1955-1987, the only place I know of where anyone could hear the amount of truth of the Word of God that we heard. Why? In large part because God led Victor Paul Wierwille to the work of E.W. Bullinger, whose approach to Scripture was virtually unique. That is what allowed Wierwille, and thus TWI to an even greater degree, thanks to the quality men and women with research ability whom it attracted, to put the Word together like it had not been known since the first century Church.The sad thing was that I, and many others, became too proud of our knowledge, and failed to couple it with enough of a humble, heartfelt desire to obey God and become like Jesus Christ. We became too arrogant toward other Christians, thinking that our study of truth somehow made us more “approved before God” than they. To a degree, we became more like hearers of the Word than doers, and often deceived our selves. BUT, the antidote to that is not to throw out the baby with the bathwater, because without knowledge of truth there can be little practice of it.Why did God have a need for The Way International? Actually, He didn’t. But He did have a need for any group of people who would make known what, or close to what, the Apostle Paul taught once the whole of what we now read in the Church Epistles had been unfolded to him. Why was there such a need? Because true Christian doctrine had all but disappeared from the spectrum of Church history by the 4th century. It was then that the Roman Catholic Church began based upon a bunch of fables mixed with Christian verbiage, established a monolithic ecclesiastical hierarchy, and for more than a thousand years dominated the European religious landscape, killing countless dissenters and for the most part silencing the rest.When Martin Luther came along (1517 was when he nailed his 95 Theses on the church door at Wittenburg), thank God he did recognize justification by faith rather than by works, but what we today refer to as the “Reformation” of the Roman Catholic Church was very limited in scope. Much of the Roman Catholic doctrine was assimilated into Protestantism and is still being passed along as Christian groups continue to split off from one another. In a nutshell, that is why even the independent church in your neighborhood today most probably believes that there is a Trinity, dead people are alive, God is in control of everything that happens, the Four Gospels are written to Christians, water baptism is relevant, and maybe even that the Bible is not absolute truth.I don’t know where else we could have heard the “package” of biblical truth we heard in TWI. Admittedly, most of the major doctrinal components of that package were being taught by some Christians, with varying degrees of accuracy, but none that I know of put together as many into a package as TWI did. Let’s begin with what I mentioned about E.W. Bullinger’s contribution to TWI, which was HUGE, because his basic approach to Scripture is what facilitates one being able to discover its inherent keys and utilize them to derive the Author’s originally intended meaning.TWI taught us to approach the Word with the “It is written” conviction that it is what it says it is, and that it cannot contradict itself. That alone is enough to at least identify error about the Bible, and the keys to the Word’s interpretation we were taught enabled us to understand it, take its truth into our hearts, and apply it on a daily basis.Given that the identity of Jesus Christ is the world’s biggest deal, I would have to say that chief among the wonderful biblical truths we heard in TWI was that Jesus Christ is the Son of God (not God), the Man who mediates between God and men, and that the Trinity is a pagan fable. Some ex-Way saints now say this distinction is not that important, but I assert that God thinks differently, given what He says in His Word (e.g., 2 Cor. 4:3 and 4). Yes, TWI failed to teach us that we can have an intimate relationship with the Lord Jesus, but there were not too many other places where we could have heard that Jesus is not the “eternally begotten” Second Person of the Trinity.I’d have to say that the next most important biblical truth we heard in TWI was what we then called the “Mystery,” and, correspondingly, what parts of Scripture are written to Jews, to Gentiles, or to Christians regarding either the past, the present, or the future. For the record, we have since learned that “Sacred Secret” is a more accurate way of rendering the Greek, musterion.Ephesians is the apex of the Church Epistles (the primary curriculum for Christian living), and it clearly shows that the Body of Christ (the “one new man” of Chapter 2, verse 15) is the most unique group of people who have ever lived, chiefly because of the permanence of our salvation and our holy spirit equipping. 1 Corinthians 2:8 chimes in with the monumental (and generally overlooked) truth that had Satan known the Sacred Secret, he would not have crucified Jesus!In terms of biblical error that is practically debilitating to one’s quality of life, I see nothing more important than knowing what Scripture is written to whom, when, and in particular what is written to us as Christians today. The Church’s failure to understand this central truth has led to its trying to live in accordance with directives pertaining to other people at other times. It is only in the Church Epistles that a Christian finds his true identity “in Christ,” as well as his true Hope. Simply put, the Word of God will never fit together without contradiction if one does not understand the “administrations” therein, and in particular this current “administration of the Sacred Secret” (Eph. 3:9).Yes, there are quite a few Christians who have a “Dispensational” view of Scripture, but the vast majority of them fail to grasp that Jesus is not God and that he did not know the Sacred Secret. Most think that parts of the Four Gospels and the book of Revelation speak of the Christian Church, but that is not the case. The Gospels record the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies about Christ’s first coming to the earth to Israel (his suffering), and Revelation records the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies about his second coming to the earth to Israel (his glory).Another major truth we learned in TWI, which is unknown to most Christians, is that of the Giver and the gift, and, correspondingly, that speaking in tongues is available to all Christians because it is a manifestation of holy spirit, not a gift. We also learned the indispensable truth that speaking in tongues is the only absolute proof that one is saved. How many tens of thousands of people did those truths alone set free?TWI also taught us that death is, in fact, the end of life, and that our true Hope for new life in the coming age is to be raised from the dead and meet the Lord Jesus in the air prior to the Tribulation (the “time of Jacob’s trouble” – Jer.30:7). What percentage of Christians do you think know this? Although TWI failed to teach us that Paradise (the new earth), not heaven, will be our everlasting home, thank God we learned that resurrection is much more than an incorporeal “soul” once again getting a body.And TWI pointed us toward an understanding of the figures of speech in the Bible (thanks to Bullinger), of which little is known in theological circles. This included the figurative language in the Old Testament that helped us see that God is not responsible for evil or suffering, nor is He in control of everything that happens.Like I, you may know of some ministries that do teach some of these truths, but I submit that until 1987 there was nowhere other than TWI to find all of them taught as accurately as they were there. That is why The Way International stands out on the spectrum of Church history as an amazingly significant Christian movement.As far as I can see, TWI was also about the most disparate dichotomy of good and evil in the history of Christianity. Like the wheat and the tares growing up together, tremendous truth and egregious evil shared the ministry platform. Many people look back on their TWI experience with nothing but thankfulness, while others rue their free will choice to stay involved as long as they did because of the abuse they suffered. Some have been stymied by self-condemnation due to the abuses they themselves committed. No doubt there are also many who recognize that they heard the Word like they never had, who have allowed the Lord Jesus to heal any wounds they suffered in TWI, and who have since experienced spiritual growth far beyond what they ever imagined back in “the good old days.”I hope you are in that last category, and if you’re not, you can be. Even if people badly abused and disappointed you, you can turn to the Lord Jesus, he who is The Way to wholeness in all categories of heart and life. His love and truth will heal your heart and help you forgive and move forward with him toward the same goal you once had. You have a ministry in the Body of Christ, and he who is the Head longs to help you fulfill that calling. It was neither your heavenly Father nor your Lord who hurt you, nor does whatever happened to you change anything the Word says. God’s promises are still true, and they are yours for the believing.The Way, we were. If you once sat through PFAL, you heard the Word of God taught more accurately than the vast majority of Christians who have ever drawn breath. As a fellow PFAL grad, I identify with you, and have an affinity for you and a desire to encourage you to take advantage of the truth you once heard, if you are not already doing so. Along with me, you will one day stand before our precious Lord Jesus Christ, who will reward you according to how you have lived your life as a Christian. In essence, he will ask each of us something like this: “What did you do with what you knew?”[For a detailed list of biblical subjects I think TWI mishandled, see the following link: http://www.christianeducational.org/25diffTWI.htmIf you would like to discuss with me about what I have written, please contact me at jalces@aol.com]
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