"Studies of the Spirit in the New Testament - Romans"
ZADOK PUBLICATIONS - Dr. C. R. OLIVER
January 1, 2021
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ZADOK PUBLICATIONS MONTHLY NEWSLETTER
January 1, 2021 "Studies of the Spirit in the New Testament Romans" You may watch this Newsletter in a video HERE.
Introduction: In keeping with our study of the Spirit, we turn now to the Epistle to the Romans. Written in 56 (AD) and a portion in 57 (AD), this epistle is a powerful testimony to the emerging church. One might say also, that it has a focus on Judaism that clarifies the Jewish/Gentile congregational interaction. One factor I need to emphasize is that the word "Saint" literally means "Holiness Ones." ROMANS:
To begin with, it is obvious where my book, Called to be Saints, got its start. The Spirit of Holiness occupied the person of Jesus Christ. That same Spirit now is evidenced in the church at Rome. The Spirit testified (declared) Him to be the son of God, full of Holy Ghost power, and it was this power which raised Him from the dead. Through His power we received grace. "Called" is used three different times in seven verses. Why? Each time the word "Called" was used referenced a heavenly action for an earthly endowment. A heavenly calling is what is missing in most clergy resumés and is the reason churches are robbed of the power of the Spirit. Paul was continually energized by the knowledge he was called and separated as an apostle in the gospel. No whip could take it from him, no chain could wrench it out of him, no beating cause denial, no shipwreck could dampen his spirit, no religious forum could cause him to deny it - it belonged to him and settled all arguments to the contrary. Paul declared the Roman church to be membered by "called" congregants - yes, every member was found in verse six, "among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ." The Spirit of Holiness is still calling for the church to be "the called - out ones." And what was their calling based upon: Holiness. "Beloved of God, called to be Holiness Ones (Saints)." Holiness is not focused upon today; it is not considered relevant in the modern setting, but it is the primary factor in the Spirit. Because some of the Jews in the Roman congregation were boasting about their station through the Law, and how it gave them status over the Gentiles, Paul straightened their thinking.
This passage stands as a correction to any group or individual who rests on religious dogma rather than the Spirit. Arrogance and showmanship are alive and well in Christian circles today. Boasting, while wallowing in religious elitism, is not of the Spirit. Some Messianic arenas should take notice. Hardened hearts and stubborn wills characterized the Templeites and that spirit is still prevalent in some ranks now! Turning from the Law of Moses to the faith of Abraham, Paul bridges the gap between the early faith of Abraham and the "now faith" of the Gentiles. Pay attention to the fact that Abraham was not a Jew, but actually was a Gentile, which opened the door for all who followed his pattern.
Those who walk in the "faith of Abraham" will discover "righteousness" is imputed to them as well. Faith, righteousness and justification come to us through Jesus. "We have access by faith into this grace in which we stand (v.2)." Take heed to the glory - path Paul describes. Not only does one have "hope of the Glory of God," but the believer should rejoice in the temporal aspects of that glory. Tribulation, perseverance, character and hope are to be considered ingredients of the love of God poured out by the Holy Spirit in order to bring us to higher ground in Him. Exalting the work of Christ and the power of the contributions of the Spirit, Paul turns to the efficacy of the law. He compares the Law to the act of matrimony - the Law being the husband and the believer the bride. If the Law dies, the bride is no longer obligated to the old covenant, but is free to marry another: mainly, Christ. Under her new relationship, she is free from the Law and is now governed by the Spirit.
Bloody sacrifices and a myriad of regulatory customs once ruled the individual's life, but now Jesus' blood, once for all, satisfied every portion of the Law and brought freedom to the bride. In Chapter eight, Paul explored (with many references to the Spirit) how Jesus met all the conditions of the Law.
The believer lives under a higher law than the old covenant law; it is the law of the Spirit of life. Here is where the "if" issues come into play. If one does not have the indwelling Spirit, then none of these assurances apply. Oh, Church, it is time to get real with God and make sure the body of believers in your gates understand this passage. The "if" conditions must be met, in order for the next aspects of the Spirit walk are able to be applied.
Emerging in this second passage (Rom 8:12-17) are four more "if" terms. The modern church MUST address them. Attempting to provide succor to the multitudes demands an answer to them. Every true son of God must have the indwelling assurance of their status. One of the most quoted Bible passages (Rom.8:28) hinges on these factors, but notice the conditional aspects leading up to this verse.
Paul races to the heart of his missionary spirit, that of uncovering and discovering the glorious sons (and daughters) of God. Looking at the big picture, he presents the interaction between the spirit man and the Holy Spirit. He acknowledges that the fall of man has put God's creation under bondage and it groans because of its condition (v.22). The whole creation groans under the weight of man's corruption. (The environmentalists do not understand this is a spiritual matter and not one which can be corrected by the works of man.) Being delivered from the bondage of corruption depends on the believer experiencing "the glorious liberty of the children of God." Not only does the earth groan, but Paul groans and so does the Spirit of God. It is the Spirit that takes up our cause. The Spirit makes intercession for us with groanings which are so deep no one is able to fathom their depth or know the scope of His groaning, for He prays the will of God. This is why v. 28 is possible. Be apprised the Spirit is working to help us be conformed to the image of Jesus. In the verses which follow are some of the greatest doctrinal passages in Scripture. God "foreknew you and me" and "predestined" us to be justified and glorified. Take note of the terms in bold print. His pre-determined factors in our redemption is enormous when you comprehend them. Called, foreknown, conformed, predestined, justified and glorified are part of your salvation which was determined before you were born. These factors are for now and have nothing to do with our efforts; they are part of grace coming down from the throne of God. Such is reminiscent of Jesus' word to the disciples about not glorying in the fact demons obey them, but they should rejoice because their names are in the book. Paul, continuing his summative work in chapter nine, declares plainly these things bestowed on God's children are part of the indescribable love of God and are part of our election.
Drawing upon the Holy Spirit for witness of Paul's great love for his nation, Paul tells the Romans how he would stand to be "accursed" in order to see Israel come to Jesus. Using the Spirit to assert the purity of one's conscience requires confidence in the purity of one's heart.
Lastly, Paul addresses the issue of eating and drinking elements sacrificed to idols and how they often offend a brother or sister. His advice is to abstain from those elements for the sake of the offended one. Paul follows up his teaching with an assertion about the kingdom of God.
Winding down his epistle to the Romans, Paul explains his place among them as a teacher and guardian of their theology.
Paul added one more request to his brethren:
The "love of the Spirit" incorporates a relationship with the Spirit not often seen in today's church climate. Many examples of Paul's dependence on the Spirit impregnates this final request. Having been forbidden to enter Asia by the Spirit, as well as supernatural revelation through the Spirit when he was shipwrecked are just two examples, being led by the Spirit to minister in a locale (in this case Jerusalem) was an absolute necessity to the Apostle's life. Until Next Month, Happy New Year 2021! Dr. Cosby R. Oliver, PhD. |
MISSIONS OPPORTUNITIES:
From: Gospel Outreach AssociationKevin and Joy Stoltenburg
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Gospel Outreach Association is a non-profit organization dedicated to Christian education and service. Since 2002, we have provided material and equipment to help groups reach remote areas of the world with the gospel. Gospel Outreach Association has provided media equipment and content to hundreds of evangelistic groups throughout the world. Those dedicated souls, together with the help of the equipment and all sorts of teaching material, have reached many thousands with the Good News that can only be found in Christ Jesus. 
For several years, we at Oliver Evangelstic Association, have partnered with Gospel Outreach to provide state of the art Media Boxes to missionaries all over the world. At this point, Gospel Outreach has been successful in placing media boxes in every county in the world with the exception of the following countries. If you have contacts in any of these countries, please let us know and we will provide the information to Kevin Stoltenburg at Gospel Outreach. You may see their website HERE.
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| New Caledonia | Tonga | Cook Island | Tahiti | Burundi | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Easter Island | Andorra | Carney Islands | Bosnia | Turkey | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Uzbekistan | Syria | Kyrgyzstan | Jordan | Tajikistan | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Saudi Arabia | Djibouti | Yemen | Afghanista | Oman | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Belarus | UAE | Algeria | Kuwait | Somalia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Azerbaijan | Eritrea | Armenia | Tunisia | Western Sahara | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Egypt | Morocco | Libya | North Korea | Iraq |
MISSIONS REPORT:
From: Trevor and Teresa JohnsonMissionaries in Papua, Indonesia
Contact:
Email: sovereigngracemissionary@gmail.com
Trevor and Teresa Johnson have served a remote Papuan tribe for over a dozen years in the jungles of Papua, Indonesia. They've been married 20+ years and have 4 children (Noah, 15, Alethea 12, Perpetua, 8, and Gideon, 4). Trevor was converted from doubt and agnosticism at 18 after reading through the Gospels and finding nobody else who ever lived or taught like Jesus Christ. Jesus is worthy of our best efforts in life, both to honor God and to help our fellow man.
Both Trevor and Teresa are R.N.s, and use their nursing skills to help care for the sick. Often times, they treat diseases and infections that are easily treatable, but often go untreated in the remote, jungle region of Papua. This lack of treatment sometimes leads to death.
Trevor and Teresa live out lives, in gratitude for what Jesus has done for them. In Trevor's words "The best way to express that gratitude is through vigorous action, especially to help the good and the needy." They've helped indigenous Papuan evangelists plant churches, started a school, health clinic, and a dormitory/orphanage. They currently support several nurses/teachers/evangelists for interior regions where there is no infrastructure. There are local believers who are being trained to become church leaders, the beginnings of an indigenous church in a tough area. In 2019, they founded the non-profit organization Jungle Hope.
The Johnson family and the view from where they live.
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From Trevor and Teresa
Reflections on the last two months:
Truthfully, it has been hard to find time to write a prayer letter. Things have been so busy and packed. For a year and a half, no Danowage people have died, but in the surrounding villages, 12 people have died just in the month of October. A huge depressing blow. Very sad.
We feel that our family and the Sniders are providing a good health service to the villagers where we are located (centrally in the middle of the territory at the strategic center of the North Korowai) but the surrounding areas are still a mess and we are struggling to help this broad region.
We had two small children brought to Danowage after being sick 8 days and a month respectively and these both died, and we buried them in Danowage. It is a most sobering thing to help dig the graves of those patients that you failed to help heal. No matter if most patients recover, the ones who do not recover haunt one's thoughts at night and I've begun to have sleeping problems again and cannot seem to turn my thoughts off. The mission field brings out any mental or emotional weaknesses that one may have. You always wonder if you are doing enough, etc.
In the past, I have asked the government and church for help. They have sometimes provided it, and are increasingly doing so. Many thanks for that. But still our area has been largely ignored and unserviced. Because much aid is being pumped into Papua, many Papuans grow angry when they see the lack of government services in our area and this fuels their sense of injustice ("Where is the money going? The people at the top are becoming fat, but those at the bottom are starving and dying due to lack of attention"). I feel the same way. The government aid money is not trickling down to our area.
Then the case of Puti Hatil happened. This was a small child from Afimabul who was sick for a month with noma (cancrum oris) a flesh-eating bacteria eating away his little cheek. If you google it, the pictures are horrifying. Finally the father, led by the Evangelist Dakinus Wanimbo, trekked from 7am to 5pm and arrived on our front porch after a grueling hike through swampy jungle, father with son in arms. The cheek smelled so rotten that it was hard to even get within 10 feet of Puti without wanting to vomit because of the stench, but his father carried him in his arms for hours and hours through dense jungle. And Teresa cleansed the wound carefully and bandaged it.
When we shipped him out to the hospital on the coast a tv crew was waiting to greet him at the airport along with top government health officials. We were grateful for this show of concern and attention.
Soon many pictures of Puti were all over social media in Papua and in the papers. The case went viral and many newspaper articles were written. These were mostly accurate.
I soon found my Facebook pictures being snatched and used for promos and placards. My Facebook pics of Puti (and even my own children, such as Perpetua holding a Papuan tribal baby) started being used as other people's profile pics in a form of Social Media advocacy. Papuan students formed groups and even stood at street corners to gather funds for the Korowai and churches gathered used clothes to send them. A Social Media campaign was started, "The Korowai are not alone" and Indonesian soccer players and other minor celebrities were photographed holding signs. Most of the photographs used originated on my Facebook page.
When a Papuan friend helped us leave Papua for vacation at the airport, she asked, "How does it feel to be famous?" - and it is true that we have received a lot of unasked-for-attention. That very afternoon, after landing in Jakarta, we had a news reporter come to meet us while we were trying to eat supper.
We decided that, given the interest in the area, that we would push it and advance it to finally gain sustainable health assistance for the Korowai. We would leverage this attention to make changes in the healthcare for the region. So we wrote letters to the government. We invited news reporters to take part in heli trips to treat sick people with us and take pictures of the sick. We sent pictures and stories to the press. We agreed to be interviewed by reporters if they promised to highlight the health needs of our area.
And it got results.
The case of Puti reached the ears of the President of Indonesia, a very good leader by the name of Joko Widodo, who cares about Papua and invests heavily in infrastructure. He told his health director to contact the hospital where Puti was being treated. Puti is now healing and his cheek closed up. He was put for a time in the VIP room, and most costs paid for by the hospital or this group of Papuan students, who even housed his family and took them shopping.
A health report was written and sent to the President's office. A special Sekretariat office was formed for the specific purpose of focusing on aid to 3 very needy areas of people, to include the Korowai. . The Governor of Papua Lukas Enembe even visited Danowage and released a health team to go and research the area and treat the people. The Governor spoke very highly of the school and of our efforts and stated that all over Papua, before the government ever enters an area, the church and the missionaries are already there. And right now in Danowage we have government nurses and a doctor. The government has commitment to upgrade our POSTU to a Puskesmas (a larger type of government medical clinic) . And we received 1 TON (yes, 1 ton) of aid. A good start.
Our struggle now is to make sure the change is sustainable.
We are pushing for agricultural efforts (the Korowai cannot seem to get the hang of farming despite many attempts to teach them) and long-term permanent workers in villages. Since Danowage has had such a low death rate due to a constant missionary presence, we are trying to place teachers and nurses into other villages as well. The present government strategy of short-term trips is minimally helpful but appreciated since they bring immunizations, but we need more.
Photographs of our front porch clinic. A mother who could not give milk she was so malnourished. Malnutrition remains a major problem throughout the region, both due to geography and also cultural factors.
