The Called

“…the Lamb will overcome them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings—and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers” (Rev. 17:14).

Saturday, May 14, 2011, 6:35 a.m. – I woke this morning with this song in my mind:

My Witnesses / An Original Work / April 26, 2011

You shall be called My witnesses
Unto Me in Jerusalem.
Harken to Me, won’t you believe
Jesus is calling you home?
Trust in Your Lord and God to save
Everyone who trusts His name.

Let everyone who says he’s saved
Honor and magnify My name.
Won’t you believe in Me today?
I have provided the Way.
I lay My life down for your soul.
Won’t you trust Me to make you whole?

Oh, how I love and care for you.
Would you abide with Me in truth?
Listen to Me, now hear My plea,
Won’t you trust Me with your all?
I gave My life, so you go free.
Won’t you bow down on bended knee?

https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B5aJQ42RLiUlOTlhMzRkMTYtYWFmMC00MzM2LTk2NjMtMTE3ZWY4YmUzMWIw&hl=en

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

My Understanding: I know the Lord gave me the words and music for this song, so I first of all wanted to look at the phrase, “will be called,” in the Bible to see what it rendered. I learned that “will be called” meant that this is what “you will be”. The prerequisite for being a witness for Jesus Christ is first of all to be filled and empowered with the Holy Spirit of God, then we will be his witnesses, i.e. that is what we will be called, not in name only, but in practice and in character. In my search, I learned that Isaiah used the phrase “will be called” more than any of the other writers in the Bible, and Matthew and Romans also record several verses with that phrase.

Isaiah recorded that God’s people, when in a right relationship with him (through faith in Jesus Christ) and cleansed from sin, will be called: 1) the City of Righteousness, the Faithful City (1:26), 2) holy (4:3), 3) Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings (58:12), 4) oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor (61:3), 5) priests of the Lord; ministers of our God (61:6), and 6) the Holy People, the Redeemed of the Lord; Sought After, the City No Longer Deserted. Matthew 5 records that we will be called: 1) sons of God (also in Ro. 9) and 2) great in the kingdom of heaven.

So, to be in Christ Jesus and to have him as our Savior and Lord means that we will be all these things mentioned above. The one description that stood out to me the most in relation to the words of this song was “Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.” We, as God’s people, are a city, i.e. we are the City of God, a City on a Hill (Mtt 5:14), the New Jerusalem, so the walls that need repaired are the spiritual fortifications, borders, hedge of protection, boundaries, etc., provided to us by God, when we are in a true and right relationship with him.

These spiritual “walls” get broken down and get holes in them when we give way to sin in our lives and we allow the world and its influences into our hearts and lives to live and to reign, rather than allowing the Holy Spirit of God to rule over our lives. So, we, as God’s Holy City, need to repair and to restore spiritually the broken lives of those within those walls, i.e. those lives of true believers in Jesus Christ, back to a right relationship with God. I believe this is what it means to be a witness in Jerusalem. For our witness to be unto God, I believe, means we do this repairing and restoring as a service to others as unto Jesus Christ (See Matt 25:31-46).

Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. I read Isaiah 1 for my quiet time with the Lord:

The vision concerning Judah and Jerusalem that Isaiah son of Amoz saw during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.

A Rebellious Nation
2 Hear, O heavens! Listen, O earth!
For the LORD has spoken:
“I reared children and brought them up,
but they have rebelled against me.
3 The ox knows his master,
the donkey his owner’s manger,
but Israel does not know,
my people do not understand.”
4 Ah, sinful nation,
a people loaded with guilt,
a brood of evildoers,
children given to corruption!
They have forsaken the LORD;
they have spurned the Holy One of Israel
and turned their backs on him.

5 Why should you be beaten anymore?
Why do you persist in rebellion?
Your whole head is injured,
your whole heart afflicted.
6 From the sole of your foot to the top of your head
there is no soundness—
only wounds and welts
and open sores,
not cleansed or bandaged
or soothed with oil…

10 Hear the word of the LORD,
you rulers of Sodom;
listen to the law of our God,
you people of Gomorrah!
11 “The multitude of your sacrifices—
what are they to me?” says the LORD.
“I have more than enough of burnt offerings,
of rams and the fat of fattened animals;
I have no pleasure
in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats.
12 When you come to appear before me,
who has asked this of you,
this trampling of my courts?
13 Stop bringing meaningless offerings!
Your incense is detestable to me.
New Moons, Sabbaths and convocations—
I cannot bear your evil assemblies.
14 Your New Moon festivals and your appointed feasts
my soul hates.
They have become a burden to me;
I am weary of bearing them.
15 When you spread out your hands in prayer,
I will hide my eyes from you;
even if you offer many prayers,
I will not listen.
Your hands are full of blood;
16 wash and make yourselves clean.
Take your evil deeds
out of my sight!
Stop doing wrong,
17 learn to do right!
Seek justice,
encourage the oppressed.
Defend the cause of the fatherless,
plead the case of the widow.

18 “Come now, let us reason together,”
says the LORD.
“Though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red as crimson,
they shall be like wool.
19 If you are willing and obedient,
you will eat the best from the land;
20 but if you resist and rebel,
you will be devoured by the sword.”
For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.

21 See how the faithful city
has become a harlot!
She once was full of justice;
righteousness used to dwell in her—
but now murderers!
22 Your silver has become dross,
your choice wine is diluted with water.
23 Your rulers are rebels,
companions of thieves;
they all love bribes
and chase after gifts.
They do not defend the cause of the fatherless;
the widow’s case does not come before them.
24 Therefore the Lord, the LORD Almighty,
the Mighty One of Israel, declares:
“Ah, I will get relief from my foes
and avenge myself on my enemies.
25 I will turn my hand against you;
I will thoroughly purge away your dross
and remove all your impurities.
26 I will restore your judges as in days of old,
your counselors as at the beginning.
Afterward you will be called
the City of Righteousness,
the Faithful City.”

27 Zion will be redeemed with justice,
her penitent ones with righteousness.
28 But rebels and sinners will both be broken,
and those who forsake the LORD will perish.

29 “You will be ashamed because of the sacred oaks
in which you have delighted;
you will be disgraced because of the gardens
that you have chosen.
30 You will be like an oak with fading leaves,
like a garden without water.
31 The mighty man will become tinder
and his work a spark;
both will burn together,
with no one to quench the fire.”

My Understanding: In contrast to the description (above), concerning what God’s chosen people “will be called,” is this description of Israel, as God revealed it to his servant, Isaiah. This description could be said of much of today’s church here in America, as we, the church, are true Israel through faith in Jesus Christ. We are now God’s chosen people. And, we, as the church here in the USA, are experiencing many of the same spiritual problems as were the people of God in Isaiah’s day. They were described as: rebellious and persist in rebellion, not understanding the ways and messages of God, sinful, loaded with guilt, a brood of evildoers, children given to corruption, those who have forsaken the Lord and who have spurned the Holy One of Israel, who have turned their backs on God/Jesus, who are like “Sodom and Gomorrah”, who give worthless sacrifices and meaningless offerings to God, thinking they are pleasing God, who are trampling God’s courts, who offer empty rituals and are given to partaking in evil assemblies, is a harlot (spiritual adultery), are selfish, greedy and are idolaters.

This is definitely a description of a spiritual city whose walls are in great need of repair and of restoration. This is not speaking of people outside of faith in Christ Jesus. This is a description of those who profess belief in Jesus Christ and are part of the church assemblies. I believe with all my heart that this describes more of today’s church here in America than we can possibly imagine, but we are so blinded to it because the world culture has so subtly crept into our lives, homes, families and churches that we hardly notice. Yet, God is calling his children to open our eyes to see the spiritual walls that are broken down and that are in need of repair and restoration, and for us then to be his witnesses (ones who authenticate, attest to, endorse, perceive, observe, and then tell what they see, hear, and observe) concerning what His Word teaches us with regard to what we are to be as children of God, and how we need to become who God has called us to be as his servants.

God is also calling out to his church to stop persisting in their rebellion, to be cleansed through repentance and obedience to God/Jesus, and to walk in His ways and in His truth. If they do not, just like he speaks of in the New Testament, he will judge them for the purpose of cleansing them of their impurities and for restoring them to a right relationship with Him. Yet, until then, he will not listen to their prayers or answer them if they do not call upon Him in truth and in repentance, with bowed knee in submission, surrender and obedience. He is calling out to us, His church, to stop doing wrong (sinning) and do right (obey Him). If we will come to him in humility and repentance with a willing heart to hear Him and to obey Him, he will cleanse us of our sins and he will make us into a holy people for His glory, and He will bless us with spiritual blessings. Once he has purged us of our impurities, we will be called the City of Righteousness, the Faithful City.