In the Beginning...
(Courtesy of http://www.planetnatural.com)
In March of 1966, I took my 7 month old baby girl, boarded a plane (for the first time in my life), kissed my husband goodbye, and flew 1,200 miles south to visit my in-laws. “Me-me and Pampa” were happy to see me and their latest grandchild, but I had an additional reason to go. I was interested in checking out the Church/School my in-laws were attending, that had so radically changed their lives. They were Christians, and “Pamps” had even been a pastor for several years, before moving down from Ohio. God had arranged for someone who knew a relative to tell my father-in-law about the church. My in-laws visited, loved it, and stayed. After my visit, my husband and I also moved there. Thus, I began my Bible training at a simple church on McKenzie Avenue in the Fall of 1966. All totaled, I spent 5 years in training, and it was quite an education, with all kinds of “hands-on” experiences. We had a couple of professors teaching at a nearby Christian University, who attended our church, as well as missionaries coming through on leave from the field, to rest and take in the bi-yearly conventions, at the old campground. What a time we would have during those camp-meeting days.
“Dad” founded Grace Church sometime in the 1940's. The family walked to church every Sunday for about a year before others began attending. Dad was an attorney and eventually considered application for the church to become an accredited Bible College. But after seeking the Lord about it, he decided against it, as he knew someone else would decide the curriculum, impose their own collegiate rules, and also charge tuition that most locals could not afford. He decided to keep the classes free and allow the people to pay their tithes and offerings as in any other church. At one point, he did contact an official who came all the way from England to set the church in “Divine Order”. Through the years, Grace Church sent missionaries to several countries, and did much evangelizing throughout Mexico and the US.
This man we so dearly loved and respected, served a big God and was the most learned, humble, patient, and spiritually discerning man I had ever known, before or since. By the time I met “Dad” (he never wanted anyone to call him Reverend or even Pastor), he was in his 70's. He was slowly turning the local church over to his son-in-law and preparing to leave to minister to the churches he had helped establish, and encourage their pastors. However, these were short trips at that time and of course, he and “Mom” never missed a Convention.
Dad was so dedicated to God, he awoke every morning at 4 am. to have quiet time with the Lord. The Church fasted regularly from supper time Thursday night, until supper time Friday night, with the exception of young children, the sickly or frail, and expecting or nursing mothers. Classes were held twice daily 10 am. and 5 pm. Mon-Sat; 4 evening Church services, and Saturday night prayer meeting. Dad shared the pulpit so other ministers got a turn, and we students got a variety of classes. All of that dedication certainly paid off, because the power of God with signs, wonders, healings, and miracles were often present, not only on the church grounds, but in our everyday lives.
The Church-house was never locked, and it would not be unusual to pass by in the wee hours of the morning and see lights on...people could come at any hour to pray.
It seemed strange, but most of the congregation didn't own TV sets, because Dad didn't have a television in his home; he considered it a deterrent from time spent with God. It was never preached from the pulpit, but most students followed Dad's example. We felt privileged to meet a man of God who truly walked out his testimony.
“Thank you, Dad, for leaving me many of your inspired insights, and teachings even though some were over my head at the time. I understand them better now, and I will try to do them justice as I share them with others.
P. S. Do we ever get done with “training-trials?!”
(Dear Readers; It is my aim to pass on some of Dad's wisdom this year at the Homeplace Mission. One of the first things I want to share is how we can see a “Divine Order” in the way God does things. The Creator God is a person of synchronized design and does all things decently and in order).
THE DISPENSATION TRUTHS
There are many important Truths in the Bible, and since God is a God of order, it doesn't take long before we see a pattern. Once you get that, it makes the Word and the workings of God much easier to understand. The first one I have decided to begin with is the Seven Dispensations God set into being. I have no script to transcribe from, but merely a chart and the Word. The whole thing in a nutshell is:
GIVE THE PRE-EMINENCE OR SUPREMECY TO GOD'S WILL
Heb. 12:25-28; Acts 3:21; Rev. 1:19
GOD'S DIVISION OF TIME BY 4 THEOCRACIES AND 8 COVENANTS
(A Theocracy: a form of government in which God (or a deity) is recognized as the supreme civil ruler, His laws being interpreted by the ecclesiastical authorities. 2. a system of government by priests claiming a divine commission).
(A Covenant: an agreement between two or more persons to do or refrain from doing some act; a compact; a contract).
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Even before the first thing that was made, formed, fashioned or was even a thought in God's mind, there was a Theocracy. God had no beginning or has no end...He always was, is, and will be.
Obviously, there was a time and place when and where the Godhead formed and fashioned His plans for a final eternity which included mankind and the earth and galaxies as we now know them. Ezekiel 28 is one of the places that we are privy to a conversation which took place between God and Lucifer before the foundations of the worlds were put into place. However, we humans still cannot measure time prior to or including that benchmark.
In the first Book of the Bible we are introduced to the Patriarchal Age, and to the “Glory of His Name” which is translated to mean, “He who causes to be”. “In the beginning, GOD (He who causes to be) created (prepared, formed, fashioned) the heavens and the earth”. Genesis continues with the different phases of creation until verse 27, where “God (He who causes to be) created man in is own image”. Adam became the very first Patriarch of the Patriarchal Age.
Genesis 1:28 to 3:15 is the first of eight Biblical dispensations. The First Dispensation is: Innocence. (A Dispensation is a period of time when man's obedience to God's will is tested).
Genesis 9:1-17 to 2 Samuel 7:16 gives us the continued time of the Patriarchs, through the “Glory of His Name” and the “Glory of His Word” eras. The “Glory” periods are names of the Theocracies of God, and the source of God's power is in His Name and in His Word.
From the beginning, prior to man's fallen state, sinless Adam had a Covenant with God, which we call the Edenic Covenant, Gen. 1:28. Adam and Eve were responsible to: (1) Replenish the earth with a new order—man; (2) to subdue the earth to human uses; (3) to have dominion over the animal creation; (4) to eat herbs and fruit (5) to till and keep the garden (6) to abstain from eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (7) the penalty—death.
By Genesis 3:15, mankind had lost the battle of obedience. God had instructed Adam, then withdrew His conscious Presence, and temptation came. We must remember God's promise in our problem, (as with (6), the temptation of Eve). (1). God withdraws His conscious presence. (2). Satan appears. (3). Self is bated or tempted.
After Adam and Eve broke their first covenant with God, and mankind lost their sinless state, a second covenant had to be forged, this time sealed with animal blood (Gen. 3:21), called the Adamic Covenant. The Adamic Covenant conditions the life of fallen man—conditions which must remain until the Kingdom age, “the creation also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the sons of God” (Rom. 8:21).
The elements of the Adamic Covenant are:
The serpent, Satan's tool, is cursed and becomes God's illustration in nature of the effects of sin—from the most beautiful and subtle of creatures to a loathsome reptile! The deepest mystery of the atonement is intimated here. Christ, “made sin for us,” in bearing our judgment, is typified by the brazen serpent (Num. 21:5-9; John 3:14-15; 2 Cor. 5:21).
The first promise of a Redeemer (v. 15).
the changed state of woman (v. 16).
The earth cursed for man's sake (v. 17).
The inevitable sorrow of life (v. 17).
The light occupation in Eden (Gen. 2:15) changed to burdensome labor (Gen. 3:18-19).
Physical death (Gen. 3:19; Rom. 5:12-21).
The judgment of the Expulsion (from the Garden) ended the First Dispensation.
With a new covenant came a second dispensation called: Conscience (Gen. 3:22—7:23). By disobedience, man came to a personal knowledge of good (obedience) and evil (disobedience) to the known will of God. Through that knowledge, conscience awoke. Now that man was expelled from Eden and placed under a second covenant...the Adamic Covenant...he was expected to do all that was known to be good and shun all that was known to be evil, and approach God through sacrifice.
Therefore, man was driven out of the Garden to till the ground from whence he came. God made Adam and Eve coats of skins that represented a type of Christ which made unto us righteousness—a divinely provided garment that the first sinners might be made fit for God's presence (Gen. 3:21).
The result of the second testing of man is in Gen. 6:5, and this dispensation ends in the judgment of The Flood and establishes the Noahic Covenant.
God Bless You All,
Pastor Moser
January, 2011
W.O.W.
God is powerfully present, even when He seems apparently absent.
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P.S. Dear Readers: I'm sure you all have been wondering where the last few articles have been. The problem has been my PC finally gave up the ghost! My daughter, Amber, who assists me with all the Tech stuff, has put together odds and ends, and has me up and running once again. Thanks Amber, and thank You Jesus!
In : 2011.01 "In the Beginning. . . "
The Home Place Mission had a former site and the time came where we had to switch web site hosts. Our email had to be changed as well. In transferring the articles over, every effort was made to correct any inferences to the old email address (the new one is on the home page). Also, all articles containing hyper links were needing updated too. Please forgive us if some things may have been overlooked. Because this page is in a blog format, the date we transferred each article over is what shows under the title when opened. The correct date each article was written is beside the title under the category column. We apologize for the blog format, as it is not as "user-friendly" as our old site but we do hope you find the articles encouraging and are blessed by the insights shared! Thank you for reading!
