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Purpose! Newsletter - April 2024

14 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;

15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;

16 And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:

17 And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.

18 For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.

19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;

20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;

21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:

22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

Ephesians 2

Last month we concluded that the No Admittance sign had been removed. That was the sign that prohibited the Gentiles access to the covenants of promise God had given to Israel. We remind you of Ephesians 2: 13: But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.

The nighness he speaks of is of course to God himself but this is also dealing with the union of the Jew and the Gentile, of bringing both under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. By his death on the cross Jesus brought peace between both parties by breaking down the wall that separated us and making us one. The enmity was abolished. Two became one and peace between the two was finally a reality.

Paul says in Romans 11 we were grafted in:

17 And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert grafted in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree;

18 Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.

19 Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in.

The plan was to bring both Jew and Gentile into reconciliation unto God as both needed a Savior and needed to be at peace with God. The accomplishments of the cross are numerous and this was to be one of those. God wanted the two factions, the Jew and Gentile to be one body.

The cross was a sermon being preached to the afar off ones, the Gentiles, and to the nigh ones, the Jews. “You both now have equal access to the Father by the one Spirit, the only Spirit, the Holy Spirit!” Hallelujah. Rejoice Gentile. We’re in.

Now Therefore

I was taught when you see a therefore ask what it is there for. It indicates a conclusion or result, as a consequence, there has been a change in the program. (Go to page 2)

So, because of what took place in verses 14-18, now therefore the Gentile position has changed. It is no more as it was. We have been granted citizenship to the household of God! Our new status, my God I feel the Holy Ghost writing this, takes us from a hopeless and Godless foreigner to standing securely on the strong foundation established by the new covenant apostles and prophets.

Allow me to interject with the words of one of those apostles, Apostle Peter. In 1 Peter 2:4-7 he explains it this way:

4 To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious,

5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

6 Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.

7 Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner.

A divine integration has taken place. Figuratively, the believer becomes a stone which is placed into the spiritual house where Jesus is the chief cornerstone. For as the cornerstone holds together two walls, so Christ joins together as Christians, into one body dedicated to God, those who were formerly Jews and Gentiles.

So we have Jesus the chief cornerstone. We have the apostolic and prophetic foundation, and then we have the believer, Jew or Gentile, the stones that are added to build the edifice, the spiritual house, where spiritual sacrifices of praise and worship are offered up to God through the mediation of Jesus Christ. Wrap your mind around that.

But there’s more.

21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:

22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

This is a continuing construction site. It is ever growing. Every new believer is a stone added to this already monumental holy temple in the Lord. Together we are a habitation of God through the Holy Spirit, both individually and corporately. We are the temple of the Holy Ghost individually and when we gather together He inhabits the praises of his people. He is in the midst of us. Hallelujah!

This is only possible through the finished work of Christ on the cross. He is the “in whom” by which it all takes place. Amen. -PJF-

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Don't Strike Out!

It’s that time of the year again. Baseball season is in full swing. The pitchers are pitching and the batters are swinging trying to get a hit so they can get on base and help the team along. Some will be fortunate and get a home run whereby they score a run and maybe even bring others home. And then there are other batters who will strike out and head back to the dugout overcome by the skill of the pitcher.

Today, this is your season. You are up. Those around you need you to get a hit, to get on base. A single or a double, or even a walk will help them and yourself to win the game. Don’t strike out.

You are facing a tough pitcher. Your enemy is on the mound looking at you from a seemingly higher position. He is hurling a mix of fastballs, curves, and sliders. He’ll try anything to get you back to the dugout in defeat. But you are in a higher position. You are sitting in heavenly places with Christ Jesus. It is time for you to step up to the plate and take a swing and get a hit. Don’t strike out! Let the enemy be defeated in Jesus’ name. We win! -PJF-

And now a word from our Pastor…

Blessed or Cursed?

Genesis 9:20-27

20 And Noah began to be an husbandman, and he planted a vineyard:

21 And he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent.

22 And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brethren without.

23 And Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it upon both their shoulders, and went backward, and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were backward, and they saw not their father's nakedness.

24 And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done unto him.

25 And he said, Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren.

26 And he said, Blessed be the Lord God of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.

27 God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.

After the flood, God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth (Genesis 9:1). Time passed and Noah became a farmer and planted a vineyard. The vine produced its crops and Noah made wine. One day, Noah drank enough wine to get drunk and was naked within his tent. As he was in his drunken state Ham, one of his sons, found him and left to tell his brothers.

Whatever caused Noah to drink to the point of drunkenness is not mentioned. Why Ham was in Noah’s tent is not mentioned either. There are many thoughts and speculations regarding this incident, but the Bible does not go into detail about it. We will subscribe to the “less is more” policy and keep going. The way Shem and Japheth handled the news about their father is what is important.

When Shem and Japheth learned about their father, they did not roll their eyes and say, “Aw man, not again.” No, verse 23 says they took a garment, laid it on their shoulders and went in the tent backwards to cover their father’s naked body.

Walking backwards they positioned themselves to not see their father’s nakedness. They did not want to see their father the way Ham saw him.

Instead of shaming their father, as Ham had done, they covered him. They did not go about telling everyone what happened. They honored their father.

Ham could have covered Noah and said nothing about what he saw, but he did not. He went out and broadcast the news to his brothers (and anyone else within earshot). When Noah was sober again, he found out what Ham had done. Shem and Japheth and their descendants received a fatherly blessing that is still active today. Instead of receiving a fatherly blessing, Ham’s descendants received a fatherly curse. And that curse is also still in effect today.

We have been studying the book of Genesis in our Tuesday night Bible Study. It has been a few weeks since we discussed this portion, but it remains with me.

Do not be so quick to expose the sins of our fathers and/or family members, especially if they are in ministry. Every family has some kind of “family drama.” No one is exempt from that, we all have it. But it is not our place, as believers to expose those things to others, even if they are part of the family. Let the incident end with you. The way you react to those things could result in either a blessing or a curse. The choice is up to you. -SAF-