~~  The  Messenger  ~~

(about the Messenger)


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Semper Paratus
(Always Ready)

The Lord is always ready—for your salvation...

The Body is Dead...

I rest in the assurance that He is within. My only responsibility—perfect submission.

What is Life?
Part I -Life is Personal

The Word of God makes it clear that life is not only by or through Christ, but Christ is ...

The Great Togetherness

The very name of Christ at His birth, "Immanuel," is a revelation from God to ...

The Harvester Mission
40TH Anniversary
(1929 - 1969)

The expanding of this ministry has never come through promotion but rather by the quiet ...

Operation Ivy and Christian Realism

When even the leaders of the world are openly confused and troubled, it is time for the ...

Service or Servant?

We are saved to be members of God's family. We are His children, and not His charges, or ...

Peace Beyond Pressure

Tis time for prophets to talk of peace.

Partakers of the Nature of God

The essential nature of the believer is different than the essential nature of the ...

The God of All Grace...

Suffering seems to be an essential part of our earthly pilgrimage--of our oneness with ...

The God of All Grace...

Prayer is the most profitable, and the most perplexing thing we do.

On Living with Christ

Christ occupies our spirits, but not our flesh.

On Being Led By the Spirit

If prayer is the most puzzling part of our relationship to Christ, guidance is ...

On Being Led By the Spirit

Part II - What is the Nature of Our Relationship to Christ?

...the nature of our being dictates that guidance be consistent with our ultimate spiritual ...

On Being Led By the Spirit

Part II - What is the Nature of Our Relationship to Christ?

Like a father, presiding over his children, so the Lord presides over the "cosmic sandbox."

On Being Led By the Spirit

Part III - The Practical Application

Ultimately, what we all seek is a meaningful, workable relationship with Christ.

On Being Led By the Spirit

Part IV - Not Practicing Christianity, but Living with Christ

The Church has been monstrously savaged and divided by the pursuit of Christianity, instead ...

On Being Led By the Spirit

Part V - The Place of Counsel

Given the realities of our earthly circumstance, we need each other. We are none of ...

On Being Led by the Spirit

VI. The Place of Circumstances

There is far more to the matter of guidance than the manipulation of circumstances, or ...

God Hath Spoken

It is one thing to know that God fashioned man and the universe. It is another thing to ...

The Radiance of His Glory

Christ was the instrument of creation. He is part of the Elohim of Genesis 1:1--the ...

Sustainer of All Things

It is quite likely that every spirit that comes into the world has a purpose in the ...

Recovery

Human beings can offer forgiveness, but only God can offer life.

The Grand Executor

"At the right hand of God," means exercising authority as the representative of the ...

The Eternal Kingdom

But now, in Christ, we are an integral part of the Deity.

The Royal Guide on the Royal Road

Happy the subject whose king is wise enough to provide inerrant guidance in the ...

The Ageless, Changeless Christ

Christ existed with God before time began, in the eternal infinite.

Invincible Conqueror

We have an enemy. God has an enemy. Who is he? Whence did he come? Why is ...

The Equalizer

Christ is the Great Equalizer in our struggle with Satan.

The Great Prevailer

The truth of the matter is that the complexities of the present world are beyond the ...

The Great Connector

In all cultures, for all time, there has been some form of deity - a "great spirit," or ...

The Great Empathizer

In this respect His death was not merely a moment of crucifixion, but a lifetime of...

The Great Refuge

We have a Priest; a High Priest; a Great High Priest.

The Eternal Priest

The priesthood of Christ is forever.

Our Fellow sufferer

Jesus Christ is our High Priest; our Great High Priest; our Eternal High Priest.

Our Fellow heir

We are heirs together, sufferers together and glorified together with Christ.

Glorified Together

Glorified with Christ! How can it be? Is He not the radiance of the glory of the ...

Christ or Christianity?

Life is a struggle; the Christian life is a struggle.

The Capacity and the Compelling

We have been saved by the power of the Holy Spirit.

The Fruitful Tree

Fruit bearing is a sign of life.

Fruit in Season

The idea of fruit bearing is at the heart of Christian consciousness.

The Fruit of Love

The Holy Spirit of God could not be present in us without affecting us, anymore than a ...

The Fruit of Joy

As in the matter of love, Paul says that joy is, not shall be the fruit of the Spirit.

The Fruit of Peace

Everyone wants peace, but where to find it? The whole world is obsessed with ...

The Fruit of Longsuffering

Longsuffering is one of those fruits of the Spirit that are intrinsically within us as ...

The Fruit of Goodness

What is goodness? The word in English has been so broadly applied as to mean ...

The Fruit of Faith

Faith is one of the most often used words in the English language, but, like love, it is ...

The Fruit of Meekness

The word "meekness" has, in the English language a negative flavor.

The Fruit of Temperance

The last of the fruits of the Spirit is a word translated into English as ...

Children or Constituents?

Are we members of God family, or merely part of His constituency? Is Christianity ...

Faith or Confidence?

Faith lies at the heart of all that we have in Christ and from Christ and through ...

Dot or Destiny?

And so it goes - the endless frustrations of human inadequacy.

Conversation or Contrivance?

Prayer is talking to God. It is not a religious ritual or exercise.

Energized or Mechanized?

The plain teaching of Scripture is that all believers are energized by the ...

Faultless or Flawless?

In the constant struggle to maintain a workable and satisfactory relationship to ...

Glorified or Humanized?

Never before in human history has there been such a focus on "humanism" and it's ...

Founded or Confounded?

God promises His people the everlasting security of the priceless cornerstone--Jesus Christ.

In the Grip of God

Whatever may be the ultimate purposes of God for His universe, we may be ...

Our Lot in God

The universe is in the grip of God; the world is in His grip; and so is the lot and ...

Coping with the Enemy

The demonic "mischief" in the world is just as real as the angelic benevolence.

Coping with the Enemy II. The Thorn in the Flesh

There are many things about Satan and his work that are still uncertain, but Paul has ...

Coping with the Enemy III. Demon Possession vs. Demon Affliction

Satan is not able to possess the spirit of one who is possessed by Christ.

Coping with the Enemy IV. Demon Possession and the Power of God

...How do we humans tap into the power of God over Satan? What are the guidelines and ...

Coping with the Enemy V. Concluding Comments

The subject of Satan is of crucial importance to every believer.

The Cosmic Sandbox

The most crucial problem in the church today is not worldliness or immorality or ...

What can you Expect? I. Sharing the Spirit of God

We have had much to say about what cannot be guaranteed in our relationship to ...

What can you Expect II?  Strengthen by His Might

But whence comes the power to appropriate the Spirit of God? How can we ...

What can you Expect?

III. The Permanent Presence of Christ

Here is the greatest mystery of all time–the God of the universe extending Himself as ...

What can you Expect?

IV. To be Able to Lay Hold or All That God has Intended for You

The magnitude of these passages defies human articulation.

What can you Expect?

V. To Know the Unknowable Love

How can you know something that cannot be known? Paul says that when we are ...

What can you Expect?

VI. To be Filled with the Fullness of God

The enormity of this thought tends to put it in the realm of the unreal.

What Can You Expect?

VII. That He can do More Than we can Ask or Think

Uneasy feelings, which are normal expressions of the human brain, do not of themselves ...

What Can You Expect?

VIII. God Glorified in Us

There are many things about Satan and his work that are still uncertain, but Paul has ...

The Compassionate High Priest

...Thus the redemptive process through which Jesus became our High Priest, forever ...

Our Great High Priest

II. Holding Fast

Uncertainty is germane to the human condition, since God expelled His creatures from ...

Our Great High Priest

III. Let Us Come

The great thing about our High Priest is that He wants us to come.

Our Great High Priest

IV. That we may Find Grace

Christians everywhere suffer today, as Paul suffered, in weakness and distress; in ...

Our Great High Priest

V. A Priest Forever

Perhaps the most important single reality in the redemptive process of God is ...

Our Great High Priest

VI. Mediator of a New Covenant

Whatever may be the ultimate purposes of God for His universe, we may be ...

Our Great High Priest

VII. The New And Living Way

There is no more pivotal idea in all the Bible than the expression - "Let us come near."

Our Great High Priest

VIII. The Living Way and the Believer

The new and living way which came to us through the sacrifice and energizing ...

The Great Shepherd

Meanwhile, the entire thrust of Scripture is the total weakness of humans and ...

The Great Shepherd

I. The Good Shepherd Who Gives His Life For The Sheep

The single most significant aspect of the true shepherd is the caring.

Armchair Chats with the Editor

The following article was written in August of 1982 shortly after the invasion of ...

The Great Shepherd

II The Shepherd Who Restores Our Souls

The tragic beginning of God's creatures on the earth is desolation. The grand ending is ...

The Great Shepherd

III. The Shepherd who is the King of Glory

The Great Shepherd is a multifaceted Shepherd.

And Others . . .

One of the most tragic misconceptions in Christendom is the assumption that everyone who is ...

The Focus On Christ

The race is on. One of the universal truisms of life is that it is a struggle or contest or ...

What About the Middle East?

In view of the crisis in the Middle East, we have decided to make some comments here ...

Christ, The Pedagogue

It is tempting for Church leadership, in searching for leverage, to so focus on the ...

Set Apart For God

The truth is that we are set apart for God at the moment of salvation and rescued from ...

Be Anxious for Nothing

Jesus had just given His disciples some very disquieting news about Himself; about ...

Held in the Grip of God

What Paul is saying here is that the believer should let the circumstances of one’s ...

The Lord Is My Helper

To understand this text is essential to the understanding of the nature of God in ...

The Eternal Christ

Christ is the essence of the universe.

The Ultimate Source

Christ is the Fashioner of the universe, as the expression of the Eternal Godhead.

The Ultimate End

We have discussed the nature of Christ as the ultimate source of all things - all life and ...

The Ultimate Fulfillment

We humans have a difficult time understanding why it is that God wanted to make us ...

Of Fulfillment and Folly

We have been considering the "mind-boggling" impact of the reality of the human ...

Of Fulfillment And Righteousness

To speak of fulfillment in Christ is all well and good, but how do we humans really ...

The King of Kings

Whatever will happen to this earth of ours? What will happen to its people? What is ...

The King of Kings

II. The Everlasting Kingdom

The ultimate essence of the entire universe is the Spirit of God, its Creator.

Of Weakness and Strength

It is much easier to be strong than to be weak.

Members of the Family

In the midst of the constant pursuit of Christian excellence--doctrines and creeds; religious ...

Peace Beyond Reason

To say that these are troubled times is to say nothing that has not been said since the ...

The Body as Building

The most penetrating question that a human being can ever ask, "Who am I?" And part of ...

The Building as Temple

I. The Individual Temple

It is commonly known that we are God's building; though not so commonly known how ...

The Building as Temple

II. The Collective Temple

In the last issue we discussed the individual temple.

The Building as a City

The believers have been identified throughout Scripture in many different types and ...

The Body as the Dwelling Place of God

Whether body or building or temple or city, the ultimate reality of life is that humans are ...

The Power of the Presence of Christ

So what does the presence of Christ within mean to us? Paul outlines it thoroughly in the ...

The Dwelling Place as Fortress

It is all well and good to talk about the Holy Spirit dwelling within our spirits.

The Body as the Instrument of Love and Joy

Believers are forever trying to experience in the flesh what can only be experienced in the ...

The Body–Reborn in the Spirit

The most crucial issue of our identity with God and His universe is that our essential ...

The Body and It's Inheritance

It is germane to the human race to expect to be compensated for performance.

The Body and the Shield of Faith

We have been reborn unto a living expectation. As such we are joint heirs with Christ of ...

The Body and It's Testings

"Manifold testings" is the lot of believers as long as they are on the earth.

The Body and It's Triumph

However the Church may try to press the point that for believers (especially those who ...

The Body and It's Love

The normal state of the believer, contrary to irresponsible teaching from some quarters, is ...

Soaring with the Eagles

It is a great hope, but seems as unreachable as the heights to which the eagle soars. Would ...

The Believer and the Spirit

I. The Meaning of the Spirit

These verses are at the very heart of the Biblical revelation. When God created man, it ...

The Believer and the Spirit

II. The Empowering of the Spirit

In discussing the meaning of the Spirit we have observed the carelessness with which the ...

The Believer and the Spirit

III. The Function of the Holy Spirit

There is much confusion about what the Holy Spirit is supposed to do for human beings.

The Believer and the Spirit

IV. The Effects of the Holy Spirit

Believers go through a constant struggle over the question of the degree to which their ...

The Believer and the Spirit

V. The Holy Spirit and Prayer

The theologians have succeeded in making prayer so complex that believers are left in ...

The Believer and the Spirit

VI. The Spirit and Guidance

There are many sections in the Old Testament that have specific references to ...

The Believer and the Spirit

VII. The Holy Spirit and the Daily Life of the Believer

Believers are inclined to think of their life on the earth as one long focus on religious ...

The Believer and the Spirit

VIII. The Outward Expression of the Indwelling Christ

There is a common expression for the subject matter of this article–"The practice of ...

The Believer and the Spirit

IX. Further Evidences of the Indwelling Christ

If our response to the presence of Christ within is merely a causal connection in ...

The Believer and the Holy Spirit X.  Inner Working of the Spirit

It is not too difficult to grasp the idea that the coming of the Holy Spirit changes ...

The Believer and the Holy Spirit

XI. The Fruit of the Spirit–Joy

The promise of Galatians 5:22 is that joy would be a fruit of the Spirit. But what is ...

The Believer and the Holy Spirit

XII. The Fruit of Peace

The peace of God is not something believers hope for or receive as the prize of ...

The Believer and the Holy Spirit

XIII. Sensitivity, Usefulness, and Goodness

The Greek word makrothumia is a complex word, and is not so easily handled with ...

The Believer and the Holy Spirit

XIV. Faith

Faith is at the heart of our relationship to God and all that implies.

The Believer and the Holy Spirit

XV. The Fruit of Meekness and Temperance

One of the common problems of believers is a sense of guilt and unworthiness.

The Work of the Holy Spirit

XVI. The Grand Finale

I give the following as something of a summation of the things that we have been ...

Grace and Mercy in the Old Testament

I. Abraham and the Energy of Faith

It is generally assumed (by those who care) that God’s dealings with the people of the ...

Grace and Mercy in the Old Testament

II. Jacob and Divine Compassion

Jacob is a primary example of God’s compassion toward the people of earth.

The Compassion of God and the Nature and Destiny of Man

I. The Nature of Man as Possessing the Spirit of Christ

One of the most important questions in the universe that we humans have to ask is ...

The Compassion of God and the Nature and Destiny of Man

II. The Destiny of Man as Glorified Together with Christ

We have seen that the nature of man is intrinsically tied up with the nature of ...

The Compassion of God and the Nation of Israel

In the vastness of the universe God chose to pick out a small group of people to be ...

The Compassion of God and the Nation of Israel

II. Gideon and the Midianites

The children of Israel had been oppressed by their perennial enemies, the Midianites, for ...

The Compassion of God and the Nation of Israel III.

The Serpent of Brass

The children of Israel had sinned, again and again. Each time, when they sought ...

The Compassion of God and the Nation of Israel IV.

David–Symbol of Sin, Recovery and Eternal Regeneration

The ravages of sin were brought to the full in David and dispelled by the touch of ...

Ed Morsey's Message About His Father

Dear Friend, My father, David Morsey, finished his course on Thursday, January 18,1996.

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