CAN You Teach Old Dogs New Tricks??????

 As long as I can remember, I have heard the phrase

 "YOU CAN'T TEACH AN OLD DOG NEW TRICKS!"

 But is that really true? I guess it all depends on the dog!

(Brother Brian Shell)

(NO! HE'S NOT THE DOG IN QUESTION! THAT WOULD BE ME!)

 I know one thing... THIS old dog seems to be learning new things all the time! Tonight I was talking to my favourite fellow missionary Brian Shell and he literally blew me away! I mean it is AMAZING how some people have insights into the Word Of God that are just ASTOUNDING! I would give ANYTHING to be one half the preacher this guy is.... anyway... we came to Luke 19:10 a VERY familiar verse of scripture that I THOUGHT I had a pretty clear understanding of But Brother Shell just blasted me into a much MUCH Deeper grasp of what Jesus was talking about!

"For the Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost."

 It happened in the house of "WEE LITTLE ZACCHEUS" the man who had climbed up in the Sycamore tree to see Jesus. In his rush to accumulate THINGS Zacchaeus had soured, trading a relationship with God for a relationship with the World, becoming a thief, a cheater, a liar and false accuser, indifferent to the needs of those around him, in the process, only concerned with GETTING for himself no matter WHAT he had to do!

In order to do so he had had to collaborate with the enemy, Rome, the enslaver of Gods' people.

 But when JESUS commanded him "ZACCHAEUS COME *DOWN*!" (you MUST come down for Jesus to enter your house!) But when he was commanded to COME DOWN ..... HE DID!!!!!!

The result was immediate!

 "And when they SAW IT they all murmured , saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a SINNER!"

Heavens to Betsy!

 BUT as the presence of the God of Israel came into that mans house, his HEART began to melt! In TRUE Repentance Zacchaeus turned to his CREATOR AND JUDGE and said...

" Behold, Lord, The Half of my goods I GIVE to the poor, AND if I have taken any thing from ANY MAN   by FALSE ACCUSATION, I restore him FOURFOLD!"

 And as quickly as he had repented the Lord ACCEPTED THAT REPENTANCE!

 "Jesus said unto him THIS DAY ***SALVATION*** is come unto THIS house forasmuch as HE ALSO IS A SON OF ABRAHAM!!!!!!"

 IT is THEN that Jesus utterred the marvellous phrase....

"For the Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost."

I had always thought that meant solely that Jesus had come to save lost humanity! But there is just so much MORE in that phrase that SCREAMS to be revealed in us! Jesus didn't say that the Son of Man came to save * THOSE * who were lost but rather *THAT* which was lost!

What was THAT which was lost????????

SONSHIP 

The authority and dominion that God had ordained for man (Adam) to exercise! The Judicial authority that man had been created to hold! The RELATIONSHIP of SONS OF GOD that man had been created to inhabit! But when SIN came all that was LOST!

 BUT!

 BUT!!

 BUT!!!

 The Son of Man ( Jesus the LAST Adam ) came to seek AND TO SAVE (SOZO - RESTORE!) ALL OF THAT TO MANKIND! TO ALL WHO WILL TURN TO HIM!

SONSHIP

 KINGSHIP

PRIESTHOOD

 Hallelujah!

 More and more I am realizing that there is so much MORE to our Salvation and experrience than just this point or that point but rather that GOD THROUGH THE INCARNATION has come and brought RESTORATION through JESUS CHRIST

of ALL that was lost in the fall! Not JUST our SOULS but  our POSITION IN GOD! OUR DOMINION *KINGDOM* AUTHORITY!

I only have one question now.... How does this much WISDOM come out of ARKANSAS?!