Morning Star Testimony - Sermon Notes
The Seed of the Woman – Individual & Corporate + by Pastor Doug Riggs
by John Mark on 07/14/24
This
message was originally recorded January 20, 2016.
My
notes:
In
explaining Christ as the seed of the woman as an individual and then the church
incorporated into and identified with Him as our head, we not only have the
seed of Christ indwelling us, but we as His body are that seed of the woman. It
helps to have the revelation of the mystery of the Christ to understand not
only the history of the world, but the future to come. Without this revelation,
the eschatology of the church is confused with that of Israel and the nations.
The seed war did not end with Jesus on the cross 2,000 years ago. Though
Genesis 3:15 tells us Satan was crushed under the seed of the woman, we see
that continues through the church age, "The God of peace will soon crush
Satan under your feet." (Romans 16:20) Jesus did triumph over Satan and
all rulers and authorities (Colossians 2:15), but that didn't end Satan's war
against the seed. Since we know Satan cannot touch God, the church in Christ
seated at the Father's right hand provides no ground with which the enemy can
defeat us. It's only our uncrucified flesh that gives Satan opportunity to
steal, kill, and destroy us.
In
this session, Doug does a deep dive into the new birth. "No one was born
again in the Old Testament. They had a faith relationship with God." This
is only one of countless proofs in scripture of the unique calling of the
church as distinguished from Israel. We were "'born again through the
resurrection of Jesus Christ.' That's an organic relationship - a one Spirit
relationship, where the Old Testament, the covenant believers, there was a
faith relationship, but it wasn't organic. They couldn't say they were the seed
of the Messiah; although, they carried that seed as the children of
Israel."
"Jesus
Christ is the seed (singular), and now there is this corporate representation
of that seed being formed in us. Sin affects the development of that seed. It's
contrary to that life; it brings death." That seed needs to grow in each
of us individually as well as corporately until Ephesians 4:11-13 is realized.
"This growth occurs by every joint that supplies. Every member of the body
of Christ is to be a joint of supply, and the word 'supply' means 'abundant
supply'... The measure of the stature of Christ that's formed in any individual
will be the measure in which that proper functioning working will contribute to
the growth of the body."
So
how does the body of Christ attain its goal? "There is in Him now that
which will be the capacity and the resource in resurrection as a High Priest to
impart those perfections to the body of Christ through the Holy Spirit so that
we attain the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ." It's the
resurrected Christ as the glorified Man imparting the fulness of His life in us
that capacitates us to reach the fulness of Him who is filling us. "The
seed in us is moving on a trajectory by stages, and that seed corporately will
attain the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ."
Getting
back to the 'man child' (Revelation 12), Doug explains that as the time came
for Jesus' crucifixion, it was Jesus' hour and it was also Satan's hour. This
will also happen just prior to the rapture, "and that man child will have
to be prepared. That man child is the summation of every believer that reaches
maturity that will receive full reward; that will be the embodiment of the man
child that's caught up to God and His throne... right in the middle of the
tribulation."
Another
prerequisite to the Lord's return to deliver Israel has to do with the full
armor of God in Ephesians 6. "This is the armor that Jesus Christ returns
in at the 2nd Advent. That means that this armor has to be appropriated and
entered into in the body of Christ corporate from Pentecost to the rapture for
Jesus to return." ... "Where does that armor come from? We're it!...
The church has to become that first or He can't return." This reminds me
of Hebrews 11:40, "God had provided something better for us, so that apart
from us they (Israel and believing Gentiles) would not be made perfect."
We
learned from Doug's teaching over the years of the day of visitation, and
judgment coming first to the household of God. "Prior to the rapture,
there will be a final test. That seed of the woman (Jesus) went through the
final test and had to face the powers of darkness. You think the church is not
going to have to go through this? ... There's a net being drawn around the
church now, and there's going to come a time when something's going to break
out, and there is going to be a day of slaughter (James 5:5)... it's coming!
... There is an eschatological day that is uniquely and specifically evil that
the church is to be preparing for."
The
church that endures to the end, that survives the onslaught of the enemy, will
in the evil day stand, 'having done all to stand' and will be rescued and
snatched out at the rapture. That won't include those who don't repent and
don't overcome at Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis and Laodicea. They won't survive
the day of visitation, the evil day that Peter writes about.
Often
Doug has taught on "the out-resurrection from the dead" (or
"from those who are dead"). Here he explains it further as being
"conformed to His death on earth; there's no more room for sanctification;
I've finished my course... moral and spiritual conformity to Christ." Once
this occurs, it will either result in passing on, martyrdom, or being caught up
at the rapture to meet the Lord in the air. "Once a person finishes his
course, it's more important for that person to be with God in the body of Christ
there than here, even though it means loss to the family. It's more important
for God."
Link
to Audio:
https://dougriggs.s3.amazonaws.com/Assemblies/1-20-16+wednesday+assembly.mp3
Recommended:
The
Bright Morning Star - Series by Doug
https://studio.youtube.com/playlist/PLtE2EQ9mIvN99GaYVvnnnuPwdGIC5WIoO/videos
Watchman
Nee: Sit, Walk, Stand
Age
of Deceit: Fallen Angels and the New World Order
https://topdocumentaryfilms.com/age-deceit-fallen-angels-new-world-order/
T.
Austin-Sparks: That He Might
Fill All Things
https://www.austin-sparks.net/english/books/001812.html
Maranatha!
John Mark
...hereby committing this unto the
providential care of the enthroned Head of the Church; whose Name is
blessed forevermore, Yeshua Mashiach - Jesus Christ!
Facing the Last Days - by Pastor Doug Riggs
by John Mark on 07/10/24
This
message was originally recorded January 17, 2016.
My
notes:
"This
is the generation Jesus Christ is going to return to." Though some may
say, "You've been saying that for decades..." “Where is the promise
of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it
was from the beginning of creation.” (2 Peter 3:4) The Lord has been very
patient. "The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness,
but is patient toward you, not willing for any to perish, but for all to come
to repentance." (2 Peter 3:9) The technology required for a one-world
government led by the Antichrist is now in place. The time is short. "The
tragedy is that many in the church do not know this."
Once
again, Doug seeks to correct those who believe we as Christians have Hebrew
roots and should observe the Sabbath and other Jewish traditions. "The
church is an entity that is not rooted in time; it has no Hebrew roots. It's
rooted in eternity; it's rooted in Christ." It may be said of the Apostle
Paul, a "Hebrew of Hebrews", that he had Hebrew roots - but he
counted it as rubbish (dung KJV).
Doug
explains the seed war first introduced in Genesis 3:15 which carries on
throughout human history, the war between the seed of the woman, Christ -
including the corporate Christ, the church - and the seed of Satan, ultimately
culminating in the Antichrist. Since we have and are the seed of Christ,
"Wherever the seed of Messiah is, there will be oppression; there will be
darkness. And it's true today."
When
we look at Revelation 12, there are varying ideas of interpretation that need
to be adjusted so that we can better understand this passage. The "woman
clothed with the sun..." is a representative of Israel, not the church as
some teach. It seems this chapter, as much of Revelation, has many confused, so
it's nice to hear a bible teacher who actually knows what it says so we don't
have to say, "Well, this teacher says this, and that scholar says that.
You will need to decide what you think." Over the years that Doug taught
us the bible, we rarely heard his opinion on any of it. We heard its
interpretation and many applications.
"And
his tail swept away a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the
earth." Doug shines a lot of light on this that takes us back to Genesis
1:1 and 2. It didn't take God six days to create the heavens and the earth.
"He created the heavens and the earth in one word - and they all came into
existence." But after Genesis 1:1 and before Genesis 1:2, we can clearly
see the fall of Lucifer and the third of the angels that fell with him, and
God's judgment on earth. The planets clearly illustrate God's judgment when we
look at the scarred pock-marked moon and the planets visible to us. Genesis 1:2
begins to describe the restoration of the universe and planet Earth, leaving
the other unrestored planets as a witness to God's judgment. "He restored
the earth for man; it's the same earth, but it had to be restored for
man." Doug lets us know the "gap theory" is not a theory... it's
a fact.
In
this message, Doug expressed the battle he was going through to adequately
teach the complex interpretation of Revelation 12 as it speaks of 'a woman',
'child', 'a great red dragon', 'a son', and 'a male child'. The Greek tenses
are an important clue as to what our elder brother John is describing. As I try
to condense and summarize this, I come up with the following: 'a woman' as
being Israel; the 'child' is the seed of the woman, individually speaking of
Jesus the Messiah - and corporately, the seed is the church, the body of
Christ; the 'dragon' is Satan seeking to devour the Messiah (via Herod
murdering baby boys after Jesus was born), Israel (via Nazi Germany), as well
as the corporate Christ, the church (via SRA*); the birth of 'a son' is the
re-birth of the nation Israel in 1948; and the 'child' who is to be
"caught up to God and to His throne" is not speaking of the rapture,
but of the church upon the completion of the judgment seat of Christ being
snatched from the 2nd heavens up to the throne, completely and finally
displacing Satan, along with the principalities and powers who are cast from
the 2nd heavens to earth to carry out their agenda during the 2nd half of the
tribulation as the church in union with her head judges them; and 'the woman'
who flees into the wilderness is Israel at the midpoint of the tribulation as
they discover Antichrist is not the Messiah, as they escape to Petra where God
provides for their protection from the devastation occurring during the 2nd
half of the tribulation. This is the simplified version and hopefully goes along
with Doug's explanation. I apologize if I missed anything or skewed anything
not exactly following Doug's much more advanced and specific teaching.
*Doug
also makes the connection of 'the dragon' seeking to devour the seed of the
woman, the church, to that which has happened to the survivors he ministered to
so many years who's new birth identities were attacked, captured, and wrapped
in death by Satan. You'll find much of that explained on the website in many
messages, seminars, and counseling resources.
I
smiled as I heard Doug say in this message that it being the beginning of 2016,
"When we look on the landscape at the end of 2016, if we're still here,
we're not even going to recognize America... you wait and see." We all can
attest to this now mid-2024. This brings to mind what I began to think about
while listening to part of a recent message by Jamie Walden on the coming
judgment on America. It got me to thinking how so many teachers are warning
about it but ignoring the warning that judgment will come first on the
household of God (1 Peter 4:17). Since Jamie and others who do not have the
revelation of the mystery confuse what is Israel and its eschatology with the
church and what is coming to us, they mush together the idea the church will go
through the tribulation which will include the downfall of the US. Rather than
the church needing to repent of that which the Lord addresses in Revelation 2
and 3, they want America to repent and for the world to turn from its
wickedness. It's a complete avoidance of the real issues facing the church. The
sons of Issachar knew what Israel needed to do - but many of the modern
''watchmen" don't have a clue what the church needs to do. Who out there
is teaching on the 'day of visitation' (1 Peter 2:12) or the fiery ordeal that
is coming upon us for our testing (1 Peter 4:12)? This really accentuates to me
the warnings that Jesus will come upon the church like a thief in the night,
sudden and unexpected (1 Thessalonians 5:4-8; Revelation 2:16, 22-23; 3:3).
Another
thought: Jamie was talking about Revelation 18 and the likelihood New York will
one day be nuked ... and others warning of EMP nukes over America prior to the
day of the Lord... and some warning the Internet will soon be down, especially
not available to Christian ministries. I don't buy it at all. The Internet and
all the computers, devices, cell phones, etc. will be necessary for the
implementation of what the World Economic Forum is planning, including vax
mandates, digital global currency, tracking, etc. The Antichrist needs all that
in place for the mark of the beast to be a reality. So - forget about buying
those EMP shields. (Besides... if you get one for your car and everyone else's
car isn't driveable, just how long do you think you'll be able to keep it before
you're carjacked at gunpoint?)... I digress... (and hope you don't mind.) Doug
weighs in on this: "There will be no nuclear weapon strike America while
the church is here... PERIOD! Why? Because Jesus Christ is head over all things
to (the advantage of) 'the church which is His body, the fullness of Him who
fills all in all.'" (Ephesians 1:22-23)
Back
to the message in progress: Jesus, who was sinless, tells us that Satan had no
ground in Him ... no legal ground, authority, or access. "There will be a
church in the end where there'll be no place for the devil... The adversary
knows his tenure is up; it's done... When Christ in His church is fully
glorified at the end of that judgment seat of Christ process, the first
three-and-a-half years - right at that end, when Christ in His glory is seen in
the church in the heavens, and there's no more place found for them, the great
dragon is thrown down." "The glory of God in Christ in the church
completely displaces Satan and principalities in the heavens, and from that
moment on, that place is the domain of the church forever." This depicts
the 'new Jerusalem' kingdom through which the rule and reign of Christ in His
body is established.
So
how does this apply to us now? Is there a place for Satan in us now? Wherever
there's uncrucified flesh, there's a place; wherever there's dissociation,
there's a place; wherever there's willful sin, there's a place."
So if
Satan was cast down to the earth when he sinned, how is he now in the
heavenlies and will be once more cast down at the midpoint of the tribulation?
He "was exalted to the heavens when man sinned", whereby Adam, the
representative man relinquished the right to rule planet Earth to him. This
second time Satan is cast down to the earth, the next stop he will be bound for
1,000 years in the abyss at the end of the 7-year tribulation, and then, after
a short time, the lake of fire forever and ever.
What
is the revelation of Jesus Christ and its context in these last days? It is
related to the rise of the morning star (2 Peter 1:19); the exanastasis
(out-resurrection from among the dead) company (Philippians 3:11); the day of
visitation (1 Peter 2:12); the bride without spot or wrinkle (Ephesians 5:27);
and finally during the midpoint of the tribulation, that full, complete, and
final revelation of Christ in and through His glorified body snatched to God's
throne.
As
for these final days of the church age, "We're going to be in for it in
the days ahead. What's ahead for the church from right now before the rapture,
it will be the church's darkest hour in all of history. But what church will it
be dark for? Any church that's not Philadelphia."
Link
to audio: https://dougriggs.s3.amazonaws.com/Assemblies/1-17-16+sunday+assembly.mp3
Discussion
followed where Doug further explains Jesus Christ as the seed of the woman, and
the seed war coming to its culmination during the final days of the church age.
He also mentions Ezekiel 38 & 39 that describes Russia invading Israel.
Since this describes Russia’s defeat, this invasion cannot happen before the
rapture (my take on this), as Russia, among other nations, will be used of God
to destroy the strength of America (i.e.: Revelation 18).
Link
to Discussion audio: https://dougriggs.s3.amazonaws.com/Assemblies/1-17-16+discussion.mp3
Recommended:
The
Blessed Hope (also on the Video Page at https://www.dougriggs.org/Videos.html)
Maranatha!
John Mark
...hereby committing this unto the
providential care of the enthroned Head of the Church; whose Name is
blessed forevermore, Yeshua Mashiach - Jesus Christ!
Christ Conquered the Strong Man on the Cross - by Pastor Doug Riggs
by John Mark on 07/07/24
This
message was originally recorded December 27, 2015.
My
notes:
Doug
begins this study with the consideration of theodicy, "the vindication of
divine goodness and providence in view of the existence of evil". 'Why
does a loving God allow such evil things to happen to His people?' People also
ask, 'Where was God when this was happening?' Isaiah 63:9 "In all their
affliction He was afflicted." The answer is that He was right there
experiencing the suffering. As for justice?... it's coming and will be perfect.
Doug's series on The Celestial Court
addresses this (see Video Page).
Doug
has taught on the justice Jesus bore on the cross 2,000 years ago, the
forgiveness of sins; but there's the eternal retribution coming for those who
died in their sinful unregenerate state. God judged Jesus Christ on that cross
for all the sins of all mankind, including the sins of Hitler, Mengele, Mao,
Stalin, etc.
But
how does God deal with the unspeakable sins against humanity, especially the
body and bride of Christ, by Satan, principalities and powers, and Nephilim
hybrids? "As Paul describes it in Colossians Chapter 1 (verse 20), it is
the reconciling of all things through His cross." "On the cross, God
not only dealt with the sin issue, He dealt with principalities and powers. He
dealt with the 'strong man'. But how did He do it? He dealt with it in Satan's
proxy - the flesh... his means of articulating himself in fallen mankind."
God vindicates His righteous judgment on Satan and the fallen angels (to send
them to an eternal lake of fire) through the cross. And the criterion God uses
to prove their guilt is the church and what she has endured these 2,000 years.
(Again: The Celestial Court series will help explain this.)
Doug
explains the cross as being "supratemporal ... that which is transcendent
beyond time and space. The cross is not only a historical event; it's trans
dimensional. It encompasses all that which represents God's judgment against
sin - past, present and future - including the sin of angels." "On
the cross, God in Christ plundered the strong man... by the circumcision of
Christ in the removal of the flesh, He judged principalities and powers... He
takes that which represents the result of the fall, flesh, and in that flesh He
disarms principalities and powers... by putting it to death." That
circumcision on the cross was spiritual - "The flesh is removed in the
circumcision of Christ; what we are in Adam, removed... The flesh dies in the
circumcision of Christ; the old man dies." The flesh is the ground Satan
has access to. When Christ died, we died; the old man, our flesh, was removed.
Therefore Satan's access to us was removed. However, when we go back to living
in the realm of that old man, this gives Satan ground and access to us.
What
did God do to take away the strong man's armor? "What is that armor?
Flesh! The old man! Everything in you and me that's on the other side of the
cross, good and sinful... relatively good... religious... self-righteous.
That's how He dealt with it. He not only deals with sin; He deals with the best
of man. "
So,
what is our defense against Satan? Can he get to us to devour us? "What
man is now in Christ as the new creation, he has no access. Satan has no access
to who we are in our new creation identity as new." So how did we get
there? 2,000 years ago we in Adam, the first creation, died. "For you have
died and your life is hid with Christ in God" (Colossians 3:3). The enemy
cannot touch the new man hidden with Christ in God. It's when we step out of
who we are in Christ, the new humanity, back into who we are (were) in Adam,
our flesh, that Satan has access to us. This is why we must consistently
"put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in
regard to its lusts" (i.e.: desire, craving, longing, desire for what is
forbidden) (Romans 13:13).
As
this binding the strong man and plundering his possessions includes the
activity of the body of Christ during the church age, Doug points out,
"When we're in spiritual warfare, we never fight for victory. We're called
to stand in a victory that is already ours in Jesus Christ. He's already won...
We execute the judgment written... We enforce the fact that you are under us,
Satan."
Getting
back to why God allows the principalities and powers to hurt His blood-bought
sons and daughters, "What they're doing to the survivor, they're doing to
Him... and He's keeping score!" "Vengeance is Mine, and retribution,
in due time their foot will slip; for the day of their calamity is near, and
the impending things are hastening upon them." (Deuteronomy 32:35)
This
is another of those teachings that is so condensed and has so much to offer
that there is no chance we'll be able to digest it all in one sitting. A good
friend of mine equates much of Doug's teaching as at a seminary level. In my
opinion, I doubt there are many such seminaries today that actually teach up to
this level of spiritual truth and depth. Our pulpits today demonstrate this
quite succinctly.
Link
to audio: https://dougriggs.s3.amazonaws.com/Assemblies/12-27-15+sunday+assembly.mp3
Maranatha!
John Mark
...hereby committing this unto the
providential care of the enthroned Head of the Church; whose Name is
blessed forevermore, Yeshua Mashiach - Jesus Christ!
The Endurance of Jesus Christ - by Pastor Doug Riggs
by John Mark on 07/03/24
This
message was originally recorded October 11, 2015.
My
notes:
Where
is the church? "The church is in God the Father and the Lord Jesus
Christ." It isn't in a locality on earth; neither is it something you go
to or attend. Doug did a series on What is the Church - the first one produced
in video format that goes into this. The church is the body of Christ and we
who are a part of the church are members of His body and members one of
another. It's organic - not spatial.
Doug
explains the definition of 'faith' as that which includes the idea it is
"fully stretched out in expectation. 'Hope' has as its undergirding
'faith', but its faith fully stretched with expectation... He (Jesus) is the
source of that which inspires the hope in our perseverance, our manly
endurance."
When
it comes to waiting, Doug tells us "There's something in the soul when it
has to wait. It reveals where we are." Here Doug mentions "Joni's
testimony", referring to Joni Eareckson Tada. Waiting involves pressure,
"And nobody likes pressure because it involves suffering, obviously."
Speaking
of the full salvation we are to possess, "The rapture of the church has to
be something that is possessed. The territory that represents gaining that
possession is blocked by principalities and powers. They have to be displaced
in order for this final salvation to be attained. The rapture will hinge upon
the certain degree and measure of principalities and powers being displaced in
the second heavens." This is all about spiritual warfare, conquest,
overcoming, and the church dealing with those who occupy the second heavens
which represent where our inheritance is - the place of ruling and reigning
with Christ - and doing so is making a way for Christ to return. John the
Baptist made a way for Jesus to come to Earth in His 1st Advent; we, the church,
must make a way for Him to come for us in what we term the rapture, the
culmination of full (final) salvation. "The waiting and the perseverance
is all associated with and connected and related to His coming. We're called to
gain possession of our Lord Jesus Christ." We don't achieve any of this
simply 'getting saved' believing in Jesus and ignoring the fact there's an
inheritance to be fought for and won. Sanctification is "a framework for
gaining possession of final salvation."
"The
entering in to the rule and reign of God, and what it means to be in the future
rule and reign of Christ is progressive. We have to pass out of one man into
another." It is not automatic when we are born into God's family; it takes
time, effort, suffering and endurance to grow up into sonship. We all start out
as babes in Christ - then little children... young men... fathers. Our
spiritual growth is progressive. Only when we reach maturity are we given the
sandals, robe and ring, the authority to administer the Father's business.
"This suffering is that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of
God." This is not pertaining to initial salvation, but sanctification
resulting in final salvation.
"The
enemy's desire is to destroy us; but God uses the enemy to sanctify us;
probably the best tool, the most effective tool God has to sanctify saints,
Satan himself." - "The Lord is faithful and He will strengthen and He
will protect you from the evil one. So, no matter what the threats are, we can
fulfill our assignment and not be concerned about what the threats are from the
evil one; and there are many."
Doug
expounds on Isaiah 53. Though he doesn't go into this, I wanted to address a
Roman Catholic error that places extreme value and worship of the physical
blood of Jesus. Scriptures point out that life is in the blood, and Jesus
poured out His life unto death. For those who enjoy singing "There is a
Fountain", there is no 'fountain of blood'. "There is a fountain
filled with blood drawn from Immanuel’s veins" is not true, nor are
sinners "plunged beneath that flood". Neither did "the dying
thief" rejoiced "to see that fountain in his day". It is the
life (also referred to as soul and soul life) of the Son of Man that was poured
out unto death. The Roman soldier who pierced Jesus' side did so after His
death, so it wasn't that which saves us, but Jesus pouring out His soul unto
death. Isaiah 53:12 says, "He poured out Himself to death".
"Himself" is the word nep?eš,
literally translated soul, self, life, soul life. Transubstantiation
erroneously teaches that the grape juice mystically transforms into Jesus' physical
blood during Mass, similar to our communion table. The cup represents the
blood, but never becomes the blood.
We've
heard in so many ways about our soul being governed by the desires of our
bodies, or us living out from our soul. In that context it is negative - not
what we want to do when we've been purchased by the blood of Christ. We want to
put to death our soul life and live a spirit filled, spirit led life instead.
However, the soul of Jesus was not corrupted by sin as our souls are. His soul
was and is perfect. As His soul was brought to maturity, being dependent on
Heavenly Father drawing on the Holy Spirit given Him without measure, learning
obedience through suffering, He became the sinless offering that paid our sin
debt. He poured out His soul life unto death - a pure and undefiled soul
governed by His Spirit, out from the power of God.
Another
adjustment to consider is the passage in Luke that speaks of Jesus coming to
cast fire on the earth. Instead of understanding that to apply to Pentecost and
the 'tongues of fire' that appeared over the disciples, it will be "to purge the earth - to
cleanse the earth for His 1,000 year reign." "Fire is always
judgment; fire always consumes." We see that happening during the day of
the Lord, the 7-year tribulation.
As
this message is about the endurance of Jesus Christ, we see the entire Godhead
is involved in the incarnation and life of Jesus as the Son of God, Son of Man.
"As God - He empties Himself; as Man - He humbles Himself. The cross is in
God... The nature and character of that which defines that cross historically
is in the Persons of the Godhead."
Resource
mentioned: in the shadow of the cross by
Glenn M. Penner
https://bit.ly/4ez3ALY
Link
to audio: https://dougriggs.s3.amazonaws.com/Assemblies/10-11-15+sunday+assembly.mp3
Maranatha!
John Mark
...hereby committing this unto the
providential care of the enthroned Head of the Church; whose Name is
blessed forevermore, Yeshua Mashiach - Jesus Christ!
You Have Need of Endurance - by Pastor Doug Riggs
by John Mark on 06/30/24
This
message was originally recorded October 4, 2015.
My
notes:
"We
all face various testing where we have to abide under the pressure and the
testing that life circumstances bring our way, and that's daily; we all face
various circumstances that the Lord is calling us to remain under - to abide
under - to be steadfast and to persevere with manly endurance."
Over
the years, Doug has taught us that as we study scripture how we need to know
the interpretation - the who, what, when, where, and why (i.e.: context) - and
also the application(s) that we can apply. In other words, in the Gospels,
since the church is a mystery and not yet revealed, the passages that indicate
the end of the age are by interpretation speaking of Israel's eschatology, not
that of the church. However, "we need to understand that God's provision
for them and warnings and exhortations apply to us (the church) at the end of
this age."
Once
again we are warned, "There is a judgment that is coming upon the church
very soon, as we see the consummation of the age before us, nation rising
against nation, and the prophecies of those nations that are now gathering
around Israel prophesied in Ezekiel 38 and 39 happening today."
So
what about endurance? What does that look like? Endurance requires us "to
continue to abide and remain under the circumstances that God has sovereignly
placed you in, to remain under... to remain under... to remain under while the
soul continues to die." We have need of endurance; "not a change of
circumstances... or another way out where we can find a better life, so our
soul can feel better." As for our soul life needing to die, "don't
forget that death is not the end; it's the means to an end." The result of
that dying to self is the resurrection life of Christ. "You want God to
change your circumstances? You'll give up sonship. Our circumstances are not
the issue. What is God training us; what is the discipline (child-training) of
the Lord in those circumstances? What's He trying to teach us? Is it pleasant?
No! The soul is dying."
What
is God waiting for in sending His Son to come for His bride? "He's waiting
for that which represents as soul-governed church to accept crucifixion with
Christ, and come on to the ground of Jesus Christ in a state of exanastasis
(Philippians 3:11). That's what He's waiting for. A church that will be
raptured will be wholly on the ground of resurrection spiritually, not
physically. A church that is governed by the life of the soul is not going to
stand at the end."
Speaking
of Hebrews, "it has everything to do with the inheritance - the whole book
has to do with inheritance, full reward. It's a race that's set before
us." The race requires perseverance and endurance. "There's a race
set before us, and there's a joy set before Him. What is that joy? 'I must be
perfected; I must go through to God's full end as Man for man so that the
Father can bring many sons to glory. The joy of giving to the Father - many
sons." For the joy, Jesus endured. "Are we enduring anything that's
greater than what He has endured?"
Endurance
for overcomers results in reigning with Christ. "’If we endure with Him (2
Timothy 1:12), we shall reign as kings.’ Endurance - reigning. ‘If we suffer
with Him, we shall be glorified with Him’" (Romans 8:17).
Link
to Audio: https://dougriggs.s3.amazonaws.com/Assemblies/10-4-15+Sunday+Assembly.mp3
A
rich discussion followed with plenty of jewels that relate to the message:
https://dougriggs.s3.amazonaws.com/Assemblies/10-4-15+Discussion.mp3
Recommended:
JD Farag recently gave a very good message on the suffering church of Smyrna
(Rev. 2:8-11): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NeWBIL_FO0.
Maranatha!
John Mark
...hereby committing this unto the
providential care of the enthroned Head of the Church; whose Name is
blessed forevermore, Yeshua Mashiach - Jesus Christ!