Morning Star Testimony - Sermon Notes
God's Pattern for our Conformity to the Image of Christ - by Pastor Doug Riggs
by John Mark on 04/17/24
This
message was originally recorded June 15, 2014.
My
notes:
"Adam
was created sinless, but he was not perfected. Adam, when he was created, he
was not 'crowned with glory and honor'. That was God's intention... The first
Adam failed and with him, took the whole human race into sin and death and
condemnation... In that complicity with the Adversary, the life went out of man;
and with the life, the light went out." I'm glad this isn't the end of the
story. It set the stage for a Man as God intended man to be to come into this
world, sinless and not yet perfected, who every moment made the right choices
to remain sinless, and through suffering was made perfect (complete, whole,
mature). Jesus, though eternally Son of God, became fully human as he laid
aside His deity and entered into our space-time continuum. As the Last Adam,
the Second Man, He took with Himself the entire human race was judged and put
to death on the cross. By completing the journey God intended for man to
finish, Jesus attained glory and honor, not only for Himself, but for those who
would become His body, His corporate Self.
Sin
was not the only thing judged and put to death on the cross. The entire first
man, not only his sinfulness, but the best Adam could be was crucified and put
to death - and buried. Only in Christ are we raised into newness of life, the
new man in Christ - the new humanity - a wholly new race of mankind - a new
creation. In the world there are two humanities - one is forever dead - the
other is forever alive.
Salvation
is a once-forever transaction. Sanctification is the process of transformation,
"the setting aside of that old humanity, making a place for Christ."
The
title of this message is "God's Pattern for our Conformity to the Image of
Christ". So, what does that pattern look like? We'll find out it begins
with humility; "It is an attribute of God... the very essence of that
which binds the Godhead together... a love-humility... the absolute foundation
to even beginning to know God." Doug takes a journey of discovery in
Isaiah 52-53 to get a look at what humility looks like. Doug gives us the
definition of humility: "It is an accurate assessment of one's self in the
presence of an infinitely holy God. You're able to see who you are in the
presence of God as He is, and that we have nothing to offer Him; we have
nothing to give Him, and that we are nothing apart from Him."
Speaking
of 'the arm of the Lord' and to whom it is revealed, redemption is one aspect,
but "the inheritance is the biggest effort in the work God is doing."
I've been thinking about how so many pulpits limit the work of God to the
forgiveness of sins and the promise of heaven, and completely miss the
inheritance that must be fought for here in time. People are happy being
delivered from Egypt and spending their lives in the wilderness where the
greatest welfare program of all time was enacted - the daily food provided each
morning (except on each Sabbath) that required no work. The church seems
oblivious to the fact there's a land 'flowing with milk and honey' that awaits
our possessing (now, the unsearchable riches of Christ) which requires our
dispossessing the forces of darkness squatting on it. "The kingdom of God
is taken by force; violent men seize it for themselves" (Matt. 11:12) has
somehow been overlooked and ignored. We're happy with Moses delivering us from
the world but are ignorant of Jesus, the greater Joshua ready to take us into
the land. Churches want to be safe and content with their ticket to glory and
want nothing to do with the spiritual warfare and effort to gain our
inheritance. Salvation is free and requires no effort on our part; the
inheritance is costly and requires the conquest of our enemies.
Doug
stresses the fact that the Lord God is a MAN of war. Many years ago when Doug
taught through Exodus, I was inspired to write a song Man of War
(https://bookministry1.s3.amazonaws.com/audios/Man+of+War.pdf in case you'd
like to see it). He makes the distinction between the finger of God (i.e.:
casting out demons), the hand of God (i.e.: dealing with Satan, principalities
and powers), and the arm of the Lord (i.e.: redemption). Redemption is not only
salvation (i.e.: deliverance from Egypt - or the world) - redemption includes
the possessing of the inheritance - that which requires the arm of the Lord.
As
Doug recounts the warfare found in Exodus. We must make the connection to the
warfare the church is called to as the body of Christ, the Man of war (see 1
Cor. 10:11; 2 Tim. 3:16). The Old Testament is not a storybook of interesting
things that happened. It's written and given to us as an example - as
instruction for our day, not just history - but HIS story.
The
arm of the Lord will be laid bare on behalf of us who are humble: “A broken and
a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise... I dwell on a high and holy
place, and also with the contrite and lowly of spirit... to this one I will
look, to him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My
word." (Psa. 51:17; Isa. 57:15; 66:2)
Link
to today's audio: https://dougriggs.s3.amazonaws.com/Assemblies/6-15-14+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!
To opt out of
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The Day of Visitation - by Pastor Doug Riggs
by John Mark on 04/14/24
This
message was originally recorded January 25, 2015.
What happens when there is a visitation by
God in our lives?
What is a visitation?... and ‘the day of
visitation’?
My
notes:
A
note on faith: Faith appropriates what God promises even when we don't see it
materialize. "He's waiting for us to agree with Him for Him to call into
being that which does not yet exist." Faith "pulls God out of
eternity into time".
Visitations
are recorded in scripture as individual and corporate events.
The
visitation prophesied for these last days "is going to draw a sword right
between that which is the church functioning independent of Jesus Christ its
head [i.e.: Laodicea] and that which is Philadelphia... that prepared remnant -
a John the Baptist company - and He's going to thrust them on the stage of
world history for the final display and revelation of Jesus Christ. The people
themselves are going to be the revelation." "It's that revelation
that is going to be the final act of God in the body of Christ that will give
Him the justified right and all that He needs to take us out."
The
day of visitation is either a visitation of blessing - or a visitation of
judgment, depending on the state or condition of those visited by God. It's
like a 2-edged sword. In the case of Israel's exodus, that visitation was a
blessing and deliverance for Israel and a sword of death to the Egyptians...
one visitation with opposite results - blessing on one side; judgment on the
other. "Visitation means one thing: God shows up."
"We
have a constitution that has been developing through our life based upon
choices. The day of visitation will manifest those choices. The day of
visitation will manifest our constitution. And it will either be Laodicea, or
it's going to be Philadelphia."
In
Doug's research on this topic of a day of visitation, he discovered there is no
example of it as described by Peter having as yet occurred during the history
of the church age. Therefore it is still a future prophetic event not yet
realized. "And it will occur before the rapture." This makes me think
of how many prophecy teachers I've heard saying there is NO prophecy yet to be
realized before Jesus comes - that He can come any time, that all prophecies
related to the church have been fulfilled. I can't think of one other than
Doug. "You think the rapture can come any moment? It can't happen until
the church comes to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ [Eph.
4:13]. It cannot happen until the fulness of the Gentiles come into the body of
Christ [Romans 11:25]."
As
for the doctrine of imminency, Doug says, "I believe in the imminent
return of Jesus Christ; but I believe in the imminent return of Jesus Christ
within the context of a generation, not for any moment within that generation.
And since we live in the generation of the coming of the Lord, His return is
imminent, but there are things that must be fulfilled before He can
return."
Additional
examples of that which must precede the rapture of the church: God answering
the prayer of Jesus in John 17. We have yet to know anything of this unity as
also described in Ephesians 3:14. How about God's enemies being made a
footstool under Jesus' feet? (Hebrews 10:13) ... and the God of peace crushing
satan under the feet of the church (Romans 16:20)?... all yet to be fulfilled
before the Lord comes for His bride.
Link
to today's audio: https://dougriggs.s3.amazonaws.com/Assemblies/1-25-15+Sunday+Assembly.mp3
Following the message was a discussion and further commentary:
Doug talks about the "Disclosure" event, the worldwide unveiling of "aliens" and the possibility this could happen prior to the rapture of the church - and even be used to explain the rapture away as the opportunity for humanity to shed the uninformed and laggards of society from the earth so they can evolve to a new 2.0 humanity, allowing humans to become 'gods'. Doug reminds us that these 'aliens' are not evolved species from other planets, but the hybrids, or Nephilim - the offspring of fallen angels and human women.
From Lori Riggs:
This has to be the most timely and phenomenal message of Doug’s that I’ve heard in a long, long time! It made my heart burn!!! I so appreciated being reminded of the study in I Peter all those years ago, and the research on the meaning of ‘visitation’, etc. (I loved all the references that Doug gave from theological books.) This reality - being a ‘John the Baptist company’ - has only increased (exponentially, I might say) in me since Doug’s departure. There’s nothing else to live for and I’m filled with JOY to be alive solely for the purpose of awaiting that Day when He will call us up to the clouds to meet Him, because WE have had a great deal to do with His being able to do so - by making ourselves ‘ready’ and others, as well! Hallelujah!!!!!!!!!
P.S. This message reminds me of the Morning Star Testimony church that I loved, that was good, and wholesome, growing into His likeness, pressing toward the mark! Wonderful memories, for which I thank our great God!
Reigning in Life through the One, Christ Jesus,
Lori
Link to Discussion: https://dougriggs.s3.amazonaws.com/Assemblies/1-25-15+Discussion.mp3
Recommended: The Day of Visitation (video presentation & pdf)
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!
To opt out of
receiving these emails, please reply with a request to unsubscribe.
The Final Shaking - by Pastor Doug Riggs
by John Mark on 04/10/24
This
message was originally recorded April 3, 2013.
What will be the conditions prior to the
second coming?
What should we expect to happen before the
rapture?
My
notes:
The
final shaking in the church deals with that of our old man which has not gone
through experiential crucifixion. It will be touched by the all-consuming fire
of God. This isn't about sin - it's about who we are in Adam - that which died
2,000 years ago yet continues to affect us. When we are living out from the old
natural man governed by the soul, we are living out from what is dead to God.
That shaking will lead to rapture.
The
final shaking described in Hebrews 12:25-29 is an unfulfilled prophecy as
related to the church. I wonder how many bible prophecy teachers are actually
teaching this as what must happen prior to the rapture of the church. We are to
be alert and be ready - but if we don't know this is what will occur, how can
we be? And if we don't understand the difference between the natural, earthly
man and the spiritual, heavenly man, how will we know what to put off and what
to put on? We are to put off the old and put on the new. We either learn to put
off the old now prior to the shaking, or it will be done for us. "... if
we judged ourselves rightly, we would not be judged." (1 Cor. 11:31)
"Now I say this, brothers and sisters, that flesh and blood cannot inherit
the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable." (1
Cor. 15:50)
"The
prince of the power of the air has varying degrees of access to the outer man,
depending on generational sin, the person's own way of life; ... access to man
through what he is by nature uncrucified. The cross removes everything from
Satan that gives him ground."
Our
transition from the natural man to the spiritual man will result in
resurrection life not only here in time, but will be made reality in our
resurrection bodies. "It will manifest the development and the formation
of Christ formed in us in this life; in the measure in which He's been formed
and expressed through our mortal bodies, then the resurrection body will
display the divine significance and reality and manifestation of who He
is." This explains what we read in 1 Corinthians 15 about the differing
degrees of glory that will be seen in our lives in eternity.
"Anything
that we are depending upon for our well-being, our spiritual life, that has its
source in uncrucified soul-life, is going to be removed" prior to rapture.
"Jesus says 'I'm going to vomit Laodicea out of My mouth'. Why? Because they're
living out of the soul; they're not living out of their spirit."
Though
those who believe in a mid- or post-trib rapture are warning us to prepare for
the Tribulation, we should note there will be this shaking - tribulation if you
will - just not the 7-year day of the Lord Tribulation.
Doug
mentions a couple times Russ Dizdar's book The Black Awakening. There is word this may be re-published soon as it is not on the market currently.
Link to today's audio: https://dougriggs.s3.amazonaws.com/Assemblies/4-3-13+wed+edited.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!
To opt out of
receiving these emails, please reply with a request to unsubscribe.
“Morning Star Testimony" - by Pastor Doug Riggs
by John Mark on 04/07/24
This
message was originally recorded October 15, 2003. Though I posted it for the
first time on the website a couple years ago, I believe it is definitely worthy
of revisiting.
What is a ‘morning star’? – What is a
‘morning star testimony?
Why did we choose the name for our local
church “Morning Star Testimony Church”?
My
notes:
o Morning
star testimony – this is what we as a local church sought to become – but never
suggested we’d arrived.
o
Picking up our cross each day relates to our
transformation into the image of Christ.
o
We need to allow (and cooperate with) the Lord
to bring us into conformity to who Jesus is – the revelation given to Peter
when the Holy Spirit clued him in: ‘Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living
God.’
o
Transformation is the hope (joyous, confident
expectation) of the church – it’s the counterpart to Jesus on the mount of
transfiguration where it was revealed in a yet-to-be glorified body prior to
His death, resurrection and ascension.
o
Jesus won’t appear until the 4th
watch of the night to those who are watching for Him – the darkest hours from 3
to 6 a.m. – when the morning star (Venus) appears to announce the promise of
the coming day. This is what the remnant has to look forward to, the morning
star arising in our hearts.
o
We must want to go through to the end of God’s
purpose for the church.
o
Becoming partakers of the divine nature
culminates in transformation (not rapture, but a body not yet glorified).
o
(See 2 Peter 1:5-11) “We need to ask
ourselves, are these virtues of
excellence, knowledge, self-control, are
they increasing? Well, verse 5 says, ‘Now
for this reason, since God has made provision to become a partaker of the
divine nature, applying all diligence,
our part in faith, applying all diligence in faith’, start appropriating the promises of God and
allow the process of becoming a partaker of the divine nature to be a reality in your life.”
o
Our calling is to be transformed into the image
of Christ.
o
We chose “Morning Star Testimony” as the name
for our church because we wanted to make known Jesus in the power of His coming
(see 2 Peter 1:16). “This is the destiny of the Church in the manner and way in
which God will display His final testimony of the principalities and powers to
this world… This has been fought with the greatest satanic opposition that I
could ever imagine. I had no idea what aspiring to becoming this would cost.”
o
Might I say it cost Doug his life. He poured
out his life for 40 years for the flock God made him overseer of, and for those
he ministered to all around the world.
o
The less we feel at home here on Earth is an
indicator we are being transformed into the image of Christ and the morning
star is arising in our hearts.
o
Jesus’ transformation (what was seen by the 3
disciples on the mount of transfiguration) will be seen in transformed saints.
o
Morning STAR – a star is deity making
itself known; a star is also for navigation – it shows where one is and where
one needs to go to reach their destination.
o When
we reach ‘morning star status’, we’re ready to go Home.
Recommended:
Back To Jerusalem: Three Chinese House Church Leaders Share Their Vision to
Complete the Great Commission
Link
to today's audio: https://dougriggs.s3.amazonaws.com/Assemblies/MSTC-1.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!
To opt out of
receiving these emails, please reply with a request to unsubscribe.
"Ye Are Come to Zion" - by T. Austin-Sparks
by John Mark on 04/03/24
Chapter 8 -
The Burden of the Lord
Dear Saints,
This
message was originally recorded October 15, 2014.
My
notes:
In
this message I counted 28 times the word "until". This reminds me of
Doug's series of 9 ByteShow messages I posted on the Video Page and YouTube
called Prerequisites for
the Lord's Return.
"'I
will not rest until this healing, this good health goes forth as a lamp that
burneth'. You see what the Lord is concerned about, what He is after? To have a
people in spiritual good health, whole, and sound, and vigorous, and free from
these maladies that put her out of condition."
Brother
Sparks spoke about the name, character, and reputation of Israel, what the Lord
was after and how He saw her, "something that is of tremendous value to
the Lord: "'a royal diadem in the hand of thy God'. Get the picture?
Something valuable, something precious, something that the Lord admires.
Something that the Lord delights to have, something upon which He dwells with
admiration." That reminded me of a wonderful article we read a couple
years ago, an article Doug recommended by Allan Halton, Segulah, God’s
Peculiar Treasure.
Be
sure not to fall for the word 'peculiar' as it's erroneously defined as
'strange, odd, or weird'. It's better understood as 'a purchased and possessed
treasure'. That’s what we are in Christ, that treasure in the midst of the
field Jesus purchased with His blood.
Brother
Sparks addresses us who attend corporate prayer meetings and challenges us to
go further than praying for our needs and those of others. "Ask the Lord
to lay His burden upon your heart... show you that this is His concern, it is
the Lord speaking, you see. And yet the Lord is not going to do it independent
of His people, of His servants, and their intercession." He asks us to
"safeguard the Lord's interests, and that which is precious to Him; to be
vigilant and to bear this burden in constant intercession, giving Him no
rest."
Recommended:
T. Austin-Sparks' The Supreme
Vocation
Link
to today's audio: https://dougriggs.s3.amazonaws.com/Assemblies/10-15-14+Wednesday+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!
To opt out of
receiving these emails, please reply with a request to unsubscribe.