MATTHEW'S SPACE

Dearly Beloved,

As some of you know, I started this weekend asking God to purify me in His furnace of affliction.

In case you wonder if God answers prayer: today I received a note from my landlord stating that he is not renewing my lease.  I have six weeks to move out.

This is not all bad, I was contemplating a move anyway, this just moves the timetable up a little.

I may get real busy for a while, here, so I probably won’t be writing as much as usual.

Dearly Beloved,

Today we’ll take a break from Genesis, because I feel a need to share something God has laid on my heart.  It’s one of those scripture matching things He occasionally does with me.

Let’s start with the verses He has encouraged me to consider together.

Hebrews 13:8 “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.”

I Corinthians 15:50-52 “Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.  Behold, I shew you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.”

Romans 8:11 “But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.”

Everyone who is a believer in Christ knows that, in Heaven, we will be very different than we are now.  There will be no sickness and no death.  This will be true because there will be no sin.  There will be no aging process, no declining years, no feebleness, and no imperfection.  There will be no colds or flues, or sinus allergies or migraines or backaches or broken bones or arthritis or infirmities or handicaps of any kind.  There will also be no lust, no backstabbing, no pride, no arrogance, no injustice, no poverty, no hatred, no strife, no confusion, no division over doctrines, no bad habits to overcome, and no waywardness of heart against which we must continually be on our guards.  In short, there will be no sin nature.

Why will this be true?  What is the signal event that will work this great transformation in us?

What is the revelation that will illuminate this thing about which Paul says “I shew you a mystery”?

I John 3:2 “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.”

We will be like Him because we will see Him as He Is.  It is that simple and profound.  To see Jesus as He really is, to truly see Him in all His glory and mercy and righteousness and perfection and every other aspect of His reality, is to become like Him.

Now let’s put it all together.

When does the Spirit of Him Who raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in me?

He dwells in me now.

What kind of person inherits the Kingdom of God?

It is not the man of flesh and blood, not the man steeped in corruption.

What must first happen to me before I can enter fully into God’s Kingdom?

I must first fully, completely, and clearly see Jesus exactly and wholly for Who He Is.

Now, Jesus is unchanging.  He is already and immediately Who He always was, and Who He will always be.

In Hebrews Chapter 12 I read:

1: Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
2: Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
3: For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.
4: Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.
5: And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:
6: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.

Note especially that in telling us to lay aside sin, the author tells us to look to Jesus, to consider Him carefully, to see how He resisted sin even unto blood.  He learned obedience through the things He suffered.  He lived on this same Earth upon which I now live, yet without sin.

This is what I am seeing.  If I could, right now, today, really see Jesus exactly and totally for Who He Is, I would, right now, today, be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye.  I am repeatedly commanded in the Scriptures to look on Him; to earnestly seek His face; to seek to know Him in the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of suffering.  Why?  So I can be conformed into His image.

This, then, is becoming my goal, my prayer, and my purpose: to so know Christ, to so clearly see Him, that when He comes; when that last trumpet blows; and when He comes for me, He will find in me nothing left needing change.  He is unchanging.  He will not suddenly become Someone Else on that day.  It is not that we will see a New Christ, and that the New Christ will be so different that His Appearing will change us.  It is that we will finally see just exactly Who He has always been.  So why should I wait until I hear a trumpet to begin gazing upon Him?  I will seek to see Him now, and five minutes from now, and tomorrow, and the next day, and next year, and until the end of my days.  I will not rest nor relent from seeking Him until I finally see all of Him.  I will know Him.  I must know Him.  I shall know Him.  Then, when I truly know Him, I will be fully changed.

I John 3:2 “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.”

What I’m seeing, and what I’m saying, is that I see no reason, no cause, no power that can stop Him from revealing Himself to me now.  He is not constrained from showing me His wholeness by some time table for the world.  I may be in the world, but I am not of the world.  I have therefore set my face to seek Him early and often until, and long after, His appearing to me transforms me fully into His exact image.

You may think this is beyond what God would allow a man in this life.  I say, “Think again.”  I give you another more verse.  Genesis 5:24 “And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.”  Enoch learned the truth.  Walk with God, gaze on God, keep your eyes fixed on God, and you will be changed.  I do, however, want to go one better than Enoch.  After all, this is a better covenant.  I want to be fully transformed, and then stick around a while.  I want to earn my reward, and then delay the gratification thereof.  I want to become something this world has never seen before, a truly redeemed person.  I want to prove to this world, and to the unseen powers above, the manifold wisdom of God.  I want to be a living demonstration of this one fact: God changes lives.

For this last point, I give you one last verse: Romans 8:21 “Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.”

I will do this, or I will die trying, but I will not yield, I will not relent, I will not stop storming heaven until I am changed.  Like the fathers of our country, I have one truth that I hold to be self-evident: God’s plan is my perfection for His glory, and God’s plans never fail.

Hear me, O God, and deliver me.

Dearly Beloved,

Genesis Chapter 19:

1: And there came two angels to Sodom at even; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom: and Lot seeing them rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground;
2: And he said, Behold now, my lords, turn in, I pray you, into your servant's house, and tarry all night, and wash your feet, and ye shall rise up early, and go on your ways. And they said, Nay; but we will abide in the street all night.
3: And he pressed upon them greatly; and they turned in unto him, and entered into his house; and he made them a feast, and did bake unleavened bread, and they did eat.

à Doctrine: The Lord is He Who enters where He is invited.  Revelation 3:20 “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.”

à Reproof: Although we often use this verse to encourage unbelievers to accept Christ, it was written to the Church.  In my daily life and thoughts, do I leave Christ waiting on the threshold?

à Correction: Isaiah 26:9 “With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.”

à Instruction: “he pressed upon them greatly.”  Sometimes it is not enough to casually ask the Lord to involve Himself in my life.  I must seek earnestly for His presence.  This is not because He is far away, or slow to hear.  It is because it benefits me to put some muscle in my prayers.  I need to know that I am desperate to know the Lord.  I need to feel the anguish of separation to better appreciate the joys of fellowship.  I need to know that God is not my servant, but I am His.  Philippians 1:20 “According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.”

4: But before they lay down, the men of the city, even the men of Sodom, compassed the house round, both old and young, all the people from every quarter:
5: And they called unto Lot, and said unto him, Where are the men which came in to thee this night? bring them out unto us, that we may know them.
6: And Lot went out at the door unto them, and shut the door after him,
7: And said, I pray you, brethren, do not so wickedly.
8: Behold now, I have two daughters which have not known man; let me, I pray you, bring them out unto you, and do ye to them as is good in your eyes: only unto these men do nothing; for therefore came they under the shadow of my roof.
9: And they said, Stand back. And they said again, This one fellow came in to sojourn, and he will needs be a judge: now will we deal worse with thee, than with them. And they pressed sore upon the man, even Lot, and came near to break the door.
10: But the men put forth their hand, and pulled Lot into the house to them, and shut to the door.
11: And they smote the men that were at the door of the house with blindness, both small and great: so that they wearied themselves to find the door.

à Doctrine: God is He Who allows and expects us to stand when and where we can, and then backs us up.  Deuteronomy 7:2 “And when the LORD thy God shall deliver them before thee; thou shalt smite them, and utterly destroy them; thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor shew mercy unto them:”

à Reproof: When the enemy attacks, do I run into the house, bar the door, and hide under my bed, or do I stand and fight?

à Correction: Ephesians 6:11-13 “Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.  For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.   Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”

à Instruction: God expects me to attempt the impossible.  He does not call me to fight men, but the fallen angelic powers, the demon lords that bind and blind nations.  In these epic struggles, I am greatly overmatched.  These ancient and powerful beings could crush me as I would an ant.  Psalm 34:7 “The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.”  Note that He does not deliver those who fear the enemy, but those who fear the Lord.  When I hide from the battle, and cower in my secret places, I separate myself from God’s protection.  When I step out of my front door, and stand up and fight, He delivers me.

12: And the men said unto Lot, Hast thou here any besides? son in law, and thy sons, and thy daughters, and whatsoever thou hast in the city, bring them out of this place:
13: For we will destroy this place, because the cry of them is waxen great before the face of the LORD; and the LORD hath sent us to destroy it.
14: And Lot went out, and spake unto his sons in law, which married his daughters, and said, Up, get you out of this place; for the LORD will destroy this city. But he seemed as one that mocked unto his sons in law.
15: And when the morning arose, then the angels hastened Lot, saying, Arise, take thy wife, and thy two daughters, which are here; lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city.
16: And while he lingered, the men laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the hand of his two daughters; the LORD being merciful unto him: and they brought him forth, and set him without the city.

à Doctrine: God is He Who, in His great mercy, compels me to flee from sin and its reward.  Luke 19:10 “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

à Reproof: Even as Lot persisted in urging the angels to seek safety, so the angels persisted in urging Lot to flee.  Do I stand my ground until the Lord gives me the word to flee?

à Correction: Luke 3:7 “Then said he to the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?”

à Instruction: John understood an important truth.  I do not have the wisdom to know when it is time to fight and when it is time to flee.  The command of God is to stand firm, wearing the armor He has given me.  He will warn me when it is time to flee.  He will never tell me to flee from the enemy.  When I have done all that He requires of me to fight the enemy, and it is time for God to step in and destroy the enemy, then He will warn me to stand aside so I am not caught in the crossfire.  Notice the pattern here; it is very important.  First Lot stepped out his front door and confronted the wicked sinners, then the angels rescued him, then they warned him to flee.  I cannot expect God to pass over my house when He sends his death angel if I have not first anointed the doorposts with blood.  I cannot expect God to deliver me from the hand of the wicked when I am cowering in my bed, or even worse, joining in their reveling.  I cannot expect God to spare me from the general calamities that come upon my land unless I have first been active in confronting the evil therein. 

Dearly Beloved,

We are back from Seattle.  The training and networking time was fantastic.

We are now in waiting mode with Mission to Unreached Peoples.  They take the time to pray and seek God, and confer together before making a decision.  I expect to hear from them within a month or so.

In the meantime, the Lord has not been idle.

Next week I am going to Mason City, IA with some Gideon brothers to speak to area pastors about supporting the work of the Gideons by recommending men who might be qualified and interested in joining us.  I will be there for three days from Monday through Wednesday.

In very late May, I will probably be leaving for Ghana, for a two-week Bible Blitz with the Gideons.

Normally all such trips are at the expense of the Gideon going.  However, our area trustee has recommended me to go, and is working on raising the funds for me to do so.

This is very unusual, but he strongly feels that God wants him to do this.  He will probably be able to raise the needed support by himself, but I don’t want to leave you all out of the blessing if you want to participate.

If God leads you to help us in raising this support, you can do one of the following:

You can mail a check, with the word “Ghana” in the memo line to: Matthew Murch,

                                                                                                         P.O. Box 512,

                                                                                                         Boone, IA 50036.

You can use PayPal to send money to my email address: matthewmurch@isunet.net.

You can order Bible Studies through my online store at http://murchantadspecs.com and pay with a credit card.

I will probably be able to resume our study in Genesis tomorrow morning.  For today, I really need to get caught up on routine communications.