THE REFRESHING
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scottSTANLEY
(For purposes of clarity, all scriptures presented have been edited with the author’s paraphrase as indicated by brackets [ ].)
Discovering the Truth of
the gospel of the kingdom
will bring forth peace
allowing a life
of no condemnation.
2 Corinthians 5
18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.
Be ye reconciled to God
OPENING REMARKS
Recently I created a series of entry level studies entitled In the Moment of Present Truth. I covered, again, The Godhead, The Holy Spirit, and The Abiding Truth -- this time, wanting to frame that material in our present understanding of salvation. In other words, I didn’t want to simply teach that Christ was born in eternity… I wanted the person to understand what difference it makes – how does that play into the plan of salvation. When I came to the Holy Spirit, I didn’t want them to see that it was the risen Savior alone – I wanted them to understand the ministry of Christ today. In looking at the Holy Spirit and the ministry of Christ, things began to crystallize for me. I cannot even begin to tell you how clear the plan of salvation is to me at this point. I feel so blessed now as I read the scriptures – the way the Lord is ministering to my heart and helping me see is something I wish I could give to every one of you.
These things take time and effort on our part… if we’re ever going to come to
the place where the scriptures take on new life, we’re going to have to spend
time in it. In this study, I want to bring some of these things out because, in
the foundational studies of In the Moment of Present Truth, I believe I
covered things that, for you, on the level you’re on, you may have never
understood before – I know that’s the way it was for me. Here I was making an
entry level series of studies, realizing I’ve never taught some of this
before, and I know people are capable of grasping it. It may not be easy to
accept, but they most certainly can grasp what I’m saying and I know the Lord is
in this, and I know the Lord is in this study…. And I think as we go through
this study, you are going to be blessed with the richness of truth God is
revealing now.
THE BLESSING OF ABRAHAM
I want to begin this study looking at the blessing of Abraham found in Galatians, chapter 3. The apostle Paul discusses Abraham in talking about our salvation, and in so doing, he begins to talk about the blessing of Abraham. Well, let’s read this, beginning in Galatians, chapter 3, verse 5:
Galatians 3:5
5 He therefore that [ministers] to you the Spirit, and [works] miracles among you [the word is “in you”], [does] he [do] it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
Now, let’s consider this for a second: He who is ministering the spirit to
you, and works miracles in you… who is that? It’s Christ – Christ ministers
the Spirit to every one of us and He works miracles in us… how? By the
hearing of faith. I want to stop right here, and I want you to consider:
Time after time I make these tapes and I tell you how the power of God is
working in my life. I reveal things to you that the Lord reveals to me
concerning myself. I have stood here and talked to you about turning on a radio
and the Lord revealing to me why I liked this music; my parent’s divorce and the
anger that it created in my heart… How did those things happen to me? This
verse explains it: He who is ministering the Spirit and doing works of power
in you. How’s He doing that – because you’re keeping the law so good? No…
it’s by the hearing of faith. If these things are happening to
Are you listening? Are you taking the time to listen to what He is saying, or
are you continuing to find your answers in different people and programs, and
things around you? Again, I want to say to you, there is one healer and
it’s our Savior. Everything else in this world, I don’t care what program it
is, is only going to put a band-aid on your problem. Except you open your
heart and hear Him, you will not be healed. If you will open your
heart and hear Him, He will touch you in ways you can’t even imagine. He will
reveal to you who you are, and why you do what you do. It isn’t always a fun
thing to go through, but after you experience it, the release of sin and the
straightening out of iniquity that takes place is awesome. He is
ministering to you the Spirit and doing works of power in you as you listen.
Now hang on to that and let’s continue reading what Paul states in Galatians –
Galatians 3 again:
Galatians 3:6-7
6 ¶ Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted [unto] him for righteousness.
7 Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.
Are you a child of Abraham? Are you hearing God? He who is working miracles in
you, He who’s ministering the Spirit is doing it by the hearing of faith
– as you hear God… the hearing of faith – even as Abraham believed. He has just
told us that our relationship with God is to be equivalent to the relationship
Abraham had – it works in the same way. And another thing I want to point out
here: As you hear God, that is what makes you a child of Abraham –
listening to God. Now these concepts are vital and, as we go through these
studies, I pray the Lord help me bring these things out and make it practical so
you can see why you need to understand this in order to go through the process
of salvation. Next verse – Galatians 3:
Galatians 3:8-9
8 And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.
9 So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.
What did he just say? The scriptures, in the scriptures, foreseeing that God was going to bless the Gentiles, or the heathen, or everyone else the same way He was blessing Abraham – He was going to justify the entire world the way He was justifying Abraham. He was going to give righteousness to this entire planet the way He was giving it to Abraham. Knowing this was going to be the case, God told Abraham in you will all nations be blessed. Why? Because all nations will understand “righteousness by faith” when they look at Abraham – “righteousness” is not right doing. “Righteousness” is God’s understanding. “Faith” is not a verb, it’s a noun – “faith” is given you by God. When God speaks to you, you believe – the result is faith... God’s understanding: Righteousness is by faith. Knowing everyone would receive righteousness the same way as Abraham did, God told Abraham: In you will all nations be blessed. Pretty simple, isn’t it? So, when you become a child of Abraham and you begin to listen to God, you enter into the blessing of Abraham – hearing God… righteousness by faith.
Now, let’s go back again to Galatians 3 – I want to begin reading at verse 13:
Galatians 3:13-14
13 Christ … redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made [or, coming to be] a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that [hangs] on a tree:
14 [So] That the blessing of Abraham [which is hearing God] might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
What did he just say? The blessing of Abraham comes on us through Jesus Christ. What does that mean? He is the one we’re hearing – the Shepherd comes in through the door of the heart; thieves and robbers come up another way. He will come in to the door of your heart, and His sheep will hear His voice; another will they not follow. When you receive His voice, you will receive the promise of the Spirit by faith, or by God’s understanding that He is giving you. Now, what does that mean? To receive “the promise of the Spirit,” does that mean I’m going to receive the Holy Spirit? Yes and no… I know it’s true that when I listen to Christ, His mind comes into my mind. In that sense, I have His Spirit, I have His mind… His Spirit is Holy Spirit. But this isn’t the “promise” he’s talking about here. When the mind of Christ comes in you, what do you think He’s telling you?
First of all, He impresses your heart that He’s the Son, you learn that
you can hear Him and He will help you see your sin nature – not in
minute detail, but the big picture of the “sin” problem, beginning in the womb,
in the lies that we carry. After revealing those things to you, He can speak to
your heart: You know you can hear Him, you know He was the Son… He’ll give you
the understanding of
BORN FROM ABOVE
What happens to us when we begin to listen? What happens to us when we enter
into the abiding truth? Well, this is something else that came out in the
foundational studies… When you enter the abiding truth, that is when you
are born from above – you are given life from above. Now, I want to
quickly, just take a few steps, go through some scriptures with you to prove
this to you. We know that John, chapter 3, where Christ is addressing
Nicodemus, is where He says: You must be born from above. If you’re going
to see the
Nicodemus comes to Him; he says: Look, we know you’re a teacher come from God. We know God must be in you or you couldn’t be doing the things that you’re doing. Why did Nicodemus come to Him? Nicodemus came to Christ because he was hungry for truth, and he sensed Christ had something that he did not have. Why was Nicodemus a “Pharisee”? Because he wanted to serve the Lord, but he was not understanding the Lord – he was not understanding that life is not in the book… it’s in the man who wrote the book. In John, chapter 5, when Christ addressed the Jews, He said: You think life is in the book. Search the scriptures, for in them you think you have life. Show me a church on this planet that doesn’t think that. In that sense, everyone is serving the book – the idol. Everyone thinks life is in this book, but Christ says: The book is telling you to come to Me, and you won’t come to Me that you might have life. (John 5:39-40) Nicodemus was no different. That’s why Christ was saying: Except you have God’s understanding, you’re never going to enter into the kingdom… You’re never going to see this; you’ll never have God’s understanding. Then He says: The spirit breathes where He desires and you hear His voice… so is everyone who’s been given life from above.
If that isn’t abiding, I don’t know what is. Now, consider with me…
We’ve gone over “the seals” before; we’ve gone over “the seven churches,” but I
want to just quickly walk you through this so that you can see “born again.”
You come to the Lord – being on the “white horse,” the “red,” the “black,” the
“pale”… then, the fifth seal, you’re crying out, asking for deliverance. Who
is on the pale horse? Death… and hell is coming up right behind it. By the
time you reach the “pale horse,” realizing Christ is not in what you’re doing,
that is when you recognize your spiritual death… you truly are dead. The
seven churches: “Thyatira” is given the Son of God message, becoming “
You become “
I now see why the churches I go to and I visit, why they seem so dead – it’s
because they are. If you’re not listening and abiding in Christ, you’re
dead – you have not been “born from above.” You have been “converted,” and your
conversion… just simply turning and going toward God, deciding you’re going to
serve God – that will make changes in you. And picking up this book, and trying
to do what the book says… you’ll see changes, but that is not “life.” Life is
not in the book. The true fruit of the Spirit will be a reality for you
when you possess Holy Spirit and the love, joy, peace, longsuffering,
gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance will be a reality for you
because you possess Spirit – not because you’re trying to make it happen because
of the word.
THE GLORIOUS REST
Now, the next part of this study, I want to talk about “the rest of God” – what does it mean to enter into God’s rest, and how is the Savior a picture of that? Well, to do so, I want to begin reading in 1 Corinthians 14, and I want to deal with a scripture that Paul applies to his day, talking about tongues. Now, this isn’t about “tongues,” this section of the study, but he uses that to go back to Isaiah 28, applying that to his day. So let’s take a look at 1 Corinthians 14, reading verse 21:
1 Corinthians 14:21-22
21 ¶ In the law it is written, With men of other tongues and other lips will I speak unto this people; and yet for all that will they not hear me, saith the Lord.
22 Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not: …prophesying [serves] not for them that believe not, but for them which believe.
“Tongues” were for a sign – 1 Corinthians, chapter 1, Paul states: The Jews seek a sign; the Greeks seek after wisdom. Tongues were for a sign, and I want to show you that it was a sign to the Jew – tongues were a sign to the Jews. Let’s go to Isaiah 28, now, and read the verse that Paul just quoted in 1 Corinthians 14 – Isaiah 28, starting at verse 11:
Isaiah 28:11-12
11 For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people [see, to the Jewish people. ... with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people,]
12 To whom he said [to the people to whom he said], This is the rest wherewith [you] may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.
This word “rest” in verse 12 is quoted in Psalms 95, and Paul states in Hebrews that it’s talking about the seventh day Sabbath… the rest of the seventh day Sabbath. There was a group of people, the Jews, to whom the Lord said: This is the rest; you may cause the weary to rest, meaning this was what they could give to the world – this is “the refreshing,” yet they would not hear of it; they would not receive it. How is Christ the rest? Well, let’s take this, now, and look at one more text found in Isaiah 11 – this is something we’ve talked about before. Reading Isaiah 11, verse 10:
Isaiah 11:10
10 ¶ And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for [a sign] of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious.
Now, remember Revelation 22:16, Christ says He is the root and the offspring of David:
Revelation 22:16
16 … I am the root and the offspring of David, …
… and in this text we see that the root of Jesse gives us the glorious rest:
Isaiah 11:10
10 ¶ And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an
ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be
glorious.
How is Christ the “root” and “offspring”? He is the Creator of man and He is the Offspring of David – He is the root and offspring of David… the root of Jesse and the offspring of David. In the root you have the glorious rest… how? Revelation 12, we see the woman bring forth the man child – the man child is caught up into the heavens where he’s going to rule, and a battle begins to take place between Michael and His angels and the dragon and his angels. Michael casts Satan down. Think about it: The glorious rest… what could be more glorious than adversity being cast down to the earth – adversity being cast out of your “heavens”? How does Michael cast down adversity? At the beginning of this study, we looked at being a child of Abraham… entering into the abiding truth makes you a child of Abraham, makes you a child by promise.
Romans 9 tells us: They’re not all
Exodus 4:22
22 And [you shall] say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD,
What does that tell us? Two things stand out to me: The first thing, of
course, is that
Another thing that stands out to me in this: This is the message to Pharaoh –
this message should go all the way back to our conversion experience, and I’m
realizing now that that concept of God bringing forth a Son for you, that you
are His firstborn, can be given to the person just entering into this
truth. That is what Moses was told to say unto Pharaoh before they were
delivered out of
THE REFRESHING
Now, one more concept comes out of Isaiah 28 – not only is the rest rejected by the Jews, but the refreshing is rejected by the Jews. What is “the refreshing”? We see that the glorious rest was in Michael. Well, let’s turn to Acts, chapter 3, and let’s read about the refreshing. This is where Peter and Paul are going into the temple and they heal the lame man, who goes walking and leaping and praising God, and then Peter begins to deliver a sermon. Well, I want to pick this up at verse 19 of Acts 3 – Peter states:
Acts 3:19-20
19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;
20 And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you:
Now, I would ask you, according to the scripture, what’s “the refreshing”? It’s the Savior, but it’s the risen Savior. The refreshing the Jews rejected was the risen Savior, and I want to share with you the “blotting out of sin” – this is the ministry of Christ. I don’t know if you caught it, what that verse states, but I want to quote this to you – you look in your bible:
Acts
19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the [time] of refreshing [will] come from the presence of the Lord;
Your sin is not blotted out when you repent, when you’re converted – your sin is blotted out when the refreshing comes from the presence of the Lord, and we see that Christ is the refreshing. What then, is the “blotting out”? Well, some time ago I recorded a study giving you a testimony of the anger that was created in me because of my parents divorce, and how the Lord revealed to me that the anger I was carrying all of my life was my motivation for doing the things that I did – and the Lord revealed to me that He never condemned me for the things I did in my life, because I did not understand why I did it – I didn’t know how not to do it. The Lord was not condemning me. Now I put this in a study entitled Pertaining to the Conscience, about what it means to be “perfect as pertaining to the conscience,” and this is what we’re talking about. Recognizing the Lord is not condemning you, I want to read some more texts that say this – and I pray that you would come to a deeper understanding of what it means to be walking in Christ Jesus, having no condemnation.
All of this deals with the refreshing that God is giving us – the refreshing is the blotting out of your sin, but let’s look at some texts. I would like to ask you to turn, first of all, to Jeremiah 31 – reading verse 37:
Jeremiah 31:37
37 Thus saith the LORD; If heaven above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth searched out beneath, I will also cast off all the seed of Israel for all that they have done, saith the LORD.
Speaking of the heavens and the earth, the “earth” is self; the “foundations of the earth” are what you will never understand, except God reveal it. That is what I was referring to at the beginning of this study, of the Lord bringing healing. Everyone else puts a band-aid on your problems – everyone else in this world can only help you live with your problem. They’re not going to root it out of you – why? If the “foundations of the earth” could be searched out, the Lord would cast you off – why? Because then you have no excuse to continue in it, but He knows you cannot search out the foundations of the earth. There’s another thing that can’t be searched out, and that is the wisdom of God – He has to tell you. And concerning yourself, He has to tell you that. Without the Lord revealing to you, you, you’ll never understand who you are and His promise to you is to heal you perfectly. How is He going to do the works of miracles in you? By the hearing of faith. How is He going to reveal you to you? By the hearing of faith.
Let’s go back, now, to Jeremiah, and again, recognizing: The foundations of the earth cannot be searched out, and you need Him to reveal it to you. Now, let’s go again – Jeremiah 31 – in verse 31, the Lord talks about the Everlasting Covenant. He begins to bring in the Everlasting Covenant:
Jeremiah 31:31
31 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with
the house of
… and when you come down to verse 34 He says:
Jeremiah 31:34
34 And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them [to] the greatest of them, …: for I will forgive [or lift up] their iniquity, and I will remember their [sins] no more.
Now, remember in the study As Pertaining to the Conscience, how the word “conscience” means joint knowledge – the “joint” implies at least two – you and God. When the Lord reveals this Everlasting Covenant and begins to write on your heart the understanding of it, He will no longer remember your sins. Hence, what does that do to the conscience? Well, according to the definition of “conscience,” if He steps back and isn’t remembering your sin anymore, the conscience will be clear – God is not impressing that on you. Now, turn with me to 2 Corinthians 5, and I want to read a series of texts that say this point blank – 2 Corinthians, chapter 5, starting at verse 18:
2 Corinthians 5:18-20
18 And all things are of God, who [has] reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and [He’s] given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
19 To wit [or to make known], that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, [He was] not imputing their trespasses unto them; and [now He has] committed unto us the word of reconciliation. [That ministry of Christ has passed to us.]
20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be … reconciled to God.
Christ’s message was God is not imputing your sins – He is not making a list of all of the wrongs in your life. Be reconciled to God, and that ministry passes to the church. Well, let me ask you a question: If God is not remembering your sin, if God is not imputing your sin to you, if He is not making the list, then who is? Where is that sin recorded that needs to be blotted out when the refreshing comes? The only one making a record of your sin is you – you’re doing it between your ears, and one day the books of the mind will be opened, and by God’s grace, you will be standing there with a clean slate. Why? Because you repented, you were converted and you were ready for the blotting out when the time of refreshing came from the Lord – when He sent Jesus Christ to you. This is the ministry of Christ… His ministry is to blot out your sin. First, you have to come to a doctrinal understanding, because it is “not understanding God” that has created your problems. Coming to a doctrinal understanding, He can then take those truths, reveal God’s love and come in and blot out the iniquity of your heart. Let’s go back to Acts 3, now, and let’s read the rest of Peter’s sermon – and I want to start again at verse 19:
Acts 3:19-26
19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the [time] of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;
20 And he [will] send [you] Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you:
21 Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.
22 … Moses truly said unto the fathers [in Deuteronomy 18], A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like … me; him shall [you] hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you.
23 And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people.
24 … all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have … foretold of these days [of the coming of the prophet].
25 [You’re] the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made
with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, … in [your] seed shall all the kindreds
of the earth be blessed. [In other words, all of these prophets that prophesied
were our forefathers, He says, to
26 Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.
That is the “refreshing”; that is the ministry of Christ… that is what
the Jews refused and this man, if you allow Him, will not fail – this is
His ministry. You enter into the rest of God and He will send you the
refreshing, and Jesus Christ will blot out your sin; He will straighten out the
iniquity of your heart, and there isn’t another person on this planet who can do
that! He is the man! Remember when the Jews sent to John the Baptist, they
said: “Tell us, are you Elijah? Are you that Prophet?” This is what they were
talking about – Deuteronomy 18. Jesus Christ, the risen Savior, is that
prophet.
SUMMATION
I would like to sum up this study, and again, just highlight some of the things that I believe are essential for us to understand. One thing that we have got to understand is that you’ve got to trust God – you have to trust Him, because no one else can help you. There isn’t a program; there isn’t anything that is going to save you except the Savior, Jesus Christ. God wanted to bring many sons to glory, and He birthed a Son. There is only one Son that needs to be born, because by using the one Son, He can convince those who have “ears to hear” of His love – He can convince them of the love He has for them. He can only convince the ones who are listening. That is why He says: [If you’ll] Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, … your soul [will] live; and [I’ll] make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David. – Isaiah 55:3.
He birthed a Son, allowed the Son to die to convince us of His love – us… those who could believe that was His Son and believe that they could hear God, because it’s only when you’re listening that He can speak His love to you and change the foundation, recreate in you a new foundation for your “earth.” He gives you a “new heaven” and a “new earth” – you come out of the lie, you ascend into the heavens, separating your mind from the world, giving you the promise of Holy Spirit. But it happens as you listen to Christ. The blessing of Abraham comes on us through Christ, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit – having Holy Spirit. Having a new foundation and receiving Holy Spirit, I’m telling you, the garden is planted and as the garden grows, when it begins to bear the fruit, He is returning. I was telling people the other day that if you’re waiting to see a perfect person, by the time you see one, it’ll be too late. When the garden bears fruit, immediately He puts in the sickle. You have got to receive the truth of this message and, in so doing, the Lord can correct you, can heal you.
If you don’t spend time listening, He can’t do it – He is ministering the Spirit; He is working miracles in you by the hearing of faith. When you’re listening, you become a child of Abraham; He is working with you the way He did Abraham – righteousness is by faith. He has raised up that Prophet – anyone who will not hear Him will be destroyed. That Prophet’s ministry is to heal you of every wound and straighten out all of your iniquity. God is not condemning you. The record of sin that needs to be blotted out is between our ears and, again, let me say to you, that man will not fail – He is the only begotten Son of God, having experienced death, raised from the dead and is now sent to bless you, if you will listen. We’re drawing near the end of time – Jesus Christ is soon to come! Revelation 8 and 9 is a reality – it’s time to wake up out of sleep, because the Lord is nearer than you ever dreamed, and let that man heal you. Let the dissension come to an end, and let a quality of life take hold of you. Jesus Christ is here to heal us – can you let Him do it? I pray that you can.