The Australian aboriginals who are born-again by the Spirit of Almighty God are, in the Images, disturbed by the
attempt to merge Christianity and The Dreamtime myths of the indigenous peoples of Australia. A book has
been written called "Rainbow Spirit Theology - Towards an Australian Aboriginal Theology" by Rainbow
Spirit Elders. This book is syncretism at its worst! I will quote from some wonderful comments on this book, by
Geoff Higgins, of Dubbo NSW, a pastor to the Aboriginal true believers for thirty years:

     "Rainbow Spirit Theology appears to have emerged out of the great pain experienced by
     Aboriginal people. A number of the causes of the great hurt experienced are catalogued on
     p.p.48-50.

     It seems that the writers see the need of an Aboriginal theology to soothe that pain and to give
     Aboriginal Christians a sense of identity and worth. There are other Aboriginal Christian leaders,
     such as Pastor B.B. who do not see the need of an Aboriginal theology to bring about healing
     and reconciliation. We find our identity, not in Aboriginal theology, but in Christ. American black
     preacher, Tom Skinner, was once asked how he was getting on in the fight for equality, identity
     and dignity. Here is a part of Tom Skinner's reply:

     'For the first time in my life, my friend, I have dignity, I don't have to fight for it. I am, present
     tense, a son of God. I don't have to break my neck to belong to a particular social group to prove
     it. I don't have to fight to have certain laws passed in order to have me recognised. I have already
     been recognised by the Lord of heaven and earth as His Son. I do not have to go off and fight for
     social status. Ephesians chapter 4 reminds me that I am seated with Jesus Christ in heavenly
     places. That puts me on the highest level in all the world. As a member of the family of God, I am
     actually seated together with Jesus Christ on the highest social order there is in all the world.
     And I am not about to come down."
     ("Black and Free" by Tom Skinner, Zondervan. Pub).

Tom Skinner did not have to go back to Africa to find his roots, to have identity. He had it in Christ.
To look for identity in Aboriginal theology, or in European Theology, is to look in the wrong place. The writers of
"Rainbow Theology" (p.6) write: 'God does not speak to us first and foremost through European
Western Theology.' This statement assumes that there is such a thing as 'Aboriginal Theology' and such a
thing as 'European Theology'. However the word theology comes from two Greek words, "the word" and "God".
Theology is merely a study of the Word of God, and, as distinct from tradition, the Word of God does not come
in various cultural varieties....

It would appear that the writers of Rainbow Spirit Theology have resorted to the Charlie Brown method of
interpreting the Bible. Charlie Brown was lying on the floor reading the Bible one day. Susie said to him, "What
are you doing there, Charlie Brown?" "I'm looking for verses to support my preconceived notions,"
replied Charlie Brown. It would seem that the writers have done likewise. An example is their interpretation of
John chapter 1, where they equate Jesus with the Rainbow Spirit as follows:

"In the beginning was the Rainbow Spirit, deep in the land. And the Rainbow Spirit was with God, and
the Rainbow Spirit was God. The Rainbow Spirit was in the beginning with God. The Rainbow Spirit
emerged from the land, transforming the land and brought all things into being on the land. With the
Rainbow Spirit came life, and the life is the light of all people." This is indeed a fanciful interpretation of
John chapter 1. However the Jesus of this interpretation is not the Jesus of the Bible. He is another
Jesus. II Corinthians 11:4."
(End of Geoff Higgins quote).

THE REDEEMED BELIEVERS.

We redeemed believers. black, white, red and yellow, across the planet, are One in Christ Jesus. We share in
absolute equality the social standing in God mentioned in the letter above by Tom Skinner, our black brother.
We are seated in heavenly places with Christ Jesus, and as members of God's own family we are all on the
highest order in society, together in One Body. We give praise together, no matter what our race, gender,
education or bank balance might be, "Thank You, our Saviour, for redeeming us, and setting us free from
bondage to sin and guilt. We rejoice to know we will all share Heaven and Home together, complete in the
Lamb of God forever."

WHAT DOES OUR SAVIOUR, THE LORD JESUS CHRIST,
PERCEIVE, IN HIS OWN BEING,
ABOUT THE REDEMPTION HE HAS WROUGHT FOR THE WORLD?

We seldom think about how Jesus Christ "feels" about the redemption He has made possible. There are
thoughts given, preaching about, books written about, what we think and feel, and how the Gospel has changed
our lives, but there is not much about how this has affected Jesus Christ, Himself. Does the Bible tell us anything
about this? Yes, it does.

In the magnificent fifty third chapter of Isaiah, verses 10-12, we are presented with a moving insight into the
results of surrendering His life to meet God's righteous demands, and how this relates to Christ Jesus
personally. This passage in Isaiah was written long before Christ Jesus was even born, but it gives intimate
details of the death and vicarious sacrifice of Jehovah's Servant, even to the inner recesses of our Lord's soul
reaction! How amazing, and what a privilege to read these words. They are almost too sacred for humans to
delve into.
(Background study is from "Isaiah" by W.E. Vine M.A.).

     Verse 11:
     "He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge
     shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities."

There is a threefold testimony in the last section of Isaiah 53, a testimony to the experiences of Jesus Christ's
own soul. Christ's soul is mentioned in verse 10,11, and 12. We are taken right into the inner sanctuary of His
own self! Verse 11 tells us of the outcome of His Sacrifice, after His death, and of the satisfaction in what
happened when He justified many, bearing their iniquity.

     Verse 10:
     "Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him;" There was a "determinate counsel" of
     Jehovah in the suffering of His sinless Servant on Calvary, it was "pleasing" to Almighty God,
     because it caused the terrible sin of man to be overcome, His love
     was satisfied when he "bruise[d] him." "He hath put him to grief: " Here we see
     the inner feelings of Christ as He suffered for our sakes - extreme anguish.
     "When thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin."

The voluntary, Gracious action which saw Christ Jesus surrendering up His own life, as a helpless lamb to the
slaughter, to meet a Holy God's justice concerning the sin and guilt of humanity, had the following results in the
soul of Christ Himself:

1. "He shall see His seed".
An Israelite was considered extremely blessed if he had many offspring, and he yearned to live to see his
"seed", his children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. Genesis 48:11; Psalm 128:6 tells us about it. In this
statement "he shall see his seed" we have an insight into the exceeding joy of our Lord in seeing the results of
His sacrifice - multitudes of saved sinners, both Jews and Gentiles, coloured and white, male and female, safe
for all Eternity. You and I are His "seed" as well as all those others, and we give HIS loving heart great joy.

2. "He shall prolong his days."
Long life was certainly considered a blessing among the Israelites (Psalm 91:16; Prov.3:2,16).
The reference here is to unending resurrection after the death of the cruel Cross, we are to share His joy in this.
Christ's joy and pleasure in His triumph over death vibrates through the words, His own words, in Revelation
1:18: "I was dead, and behold I am alive for evermore."

3. "The pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand."
God had a predetermined counsel, it has come to joyous fruition. His "pleasure" in bruising Christ for our sakes
has been realised. "Prosper in his hand" shows the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ's work as Mediator and
High Priest - He has power in His Kingdom.

4. "He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied."
This is the second mention of the very soul of Christ in this remarkable passage.
Here I will quote from Vine:

     "All the glory that follows and will follow will be viewed by Him as the outcome of His atoning
     sufferings, which will never cease to be present to His mind as the all sufficient means by which
     His heart is satisfied in the redemption of those that have become His own possession. This is
     true both in the progressive work of saving grace and in its entire fulfilment when the Church is
     complete and Israel is saved."

5. "By his knowledge shall my righteous Servant justify many."
Look here at the "righteous" servant. Could He be pleased and satisfied in His soul if He had not been flawless,
wholely? No, and none of the redeemed could be reckoned righteous, nor could they be justified,
if the "righteous" Servant had in any thought, word or deed sinned. His righteousness is His own reward, for it
alone made Him worthy to present Himself as the Propitiatory Sacrifice.

"BY HIS KNOWLEDGE" - TO KNOW HIM IS LIFE.

Here we see in verse 11 a wonderful spiritual fact - a twofold fact. We will consider the two sides of this
statement, as found in Scripture, realising as we do that there is a profound comment made on Christ Himself,
by His own knowledge, a subjective statement.

1. "by His knowledge"
is both subjective and objective. The latter is seen in these verses in the New Testament: John 17;3; 1 John
5:20; cp. II Peter 1:3. To know Christ Himself is life eternal. These verses show us that life eternal, truth,
understanding of the real way of salvation, all things that pertain unto godliness, glory, virtue, and divine power is
in Christ Jesus, and we are saved by knowing Him and all that He is, and all that He has done. This is the
subjective sense of the phrase.

2. "by His knowledge"
in the subjective sense takes us deep into the Person of Christ, the Son of God. In Isaiah 11:2 there are seven
spirits which were foretold would rest upon the Lord Jesus. One of these is the "spirit of knowledge". An
important qualification for an OT priest was that his lips keep knowledge (Malachi 2:7), so that the people may
seek the law at his mouth. If we compare Matt.11:27, we see these words:

     "All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father;
     neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal
     him."

In the whole passage of Isaiah 53(including the very end of chapter 52), the mediatorial work, the priestly work,
and the anticipation of Christ's regal glorification is marvellously revealed, look at 52:15 and 53:12 for this
aspect. Christ has absolute knowledge as Son of God, because of what he is and His knowledge in Himself,
He would effect the justification of "whosoever" would come - "My righteous Servant" shall "justify many".
Note that immediately the statement "And He shall bear their iniquities" follows on, only on the ground of His
sacrifice for them would they be "justified". He is the Eternal Priest, whose priesthood will never end (Hebrews
5:5,6). By His knowledge and all that is amassed in His Person, He can issue all that was made possible in His
offering of Himself (Hebrews 9:25-28).

     "Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every
     year with blood of others; For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the
     world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of
     himself. And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: So Christ was
     once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the
     second tme without sin unto salvation."

IS YOUR OWN SALVATION BASED ENTIRELY ON CHRIST, THE SON OF GOD?
Access the link for answers

Access our online book re indigenous people and the Christian challenge, written awhile ago
More Recent Aust. Dubbo Pastor Exposes Rainbow Spirt  etc

Yours in Christ Jesus,

W. B. Howard ...Editor of Despatch

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