Thursday, April 04,
2013, 8:26 a.m. – the Lord Jesus woke me with the song “Nothing Can Separate Us” playing in my mind. Speak, Lord, for your
servant is listening. I read Lamentations
1 (NIV). [I will summarize.] http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Lamentations%201&version=NIV
The people of God in Judah and in Jerusalem, its capital,
sinned greatly against God, as did the people in Israel (Israel was divided
into two kingdoms at this time). They refused to repent of their wicked ways.
They were obstinate in their rebellion against God, did not listen to his
words, did not obey his commands, and were determined to continue to do what
they knew was wrong. Time and time again God sent his messengers to them to
warn them of judgment, to confront them with their sins and to call them to
repentance, but to no avail. So, God said he would bring upon them all the
disasters he had planned for them. Lamentations is a series of laments during
the aftermath of God’s judgments on his people.
The city of Jerusalem, the capital city of Judah and the
location of the temple of God for the Israelites, laid in ruins, deserted. She
was once great among the nations, but now she had become a slave to her
captors. The city, personified, wept. Not one of her “lovers” was there to
comfort her, i.e. not one of her allies or other gods to whom she turned
instead of turning to the Lord was there to give her comfort. Her friends had
betrayed her and had become her enemies. No one attended her festivals any
longer, and it appears no one traveled to the temple mount, either. Her friends
not only became her enemies, but her enemies now became her masters. The Lord
had brought her grief because of her many sins. Her leaders, in weakness, did
not stand but fled before their pursuer, i.e. they deserted her. Her enemies
mocked her and laughed at her because she called herself the blessed of God and
now she was destroyed because of her sins, and because of her pride and her
arrogance.
She became unclean because of her many sins. All who had
honored her before now despised her, for they saw her nakedness, i.e. they saw
her sins exposed, so there were no more allusions of grandeur related to her.
She was in this condition because she didn't consider her future. She lived for
the moment, and gave no regard to God’s commands or to his threats of judgment.
So, her fall was astounding. The enemy took over all her treasures, and those
who did not regard as holy or even believe in God’s existence now trampled his
sanctuary. The people were hungry and exchanged what treasures they had
remaining for food, perhaps even selling their own children and/or wives.
The city (or the nation), personified, called out to the
Lord. She was despised. She recognized that the Lord had brought all this
suffering upon her in “the day of his fierce anger” because of her many sins. Her
sins were like a yoke hung on her neck, i.e. she was feeling the weight and the
guilt and shame of them all. She wept, not only because of her sins, and
because her friends had betrayed her, but because of the strong hand of the
Lord against her in judgment. Her children were destitute. She had no comfort
from her friends, her allies, from her other gods, and not even from God,
because he had decreed this judgment upon her. She recognized and acknowledged
that she had sinned against God’s commands. She stated that she was disturbed
within her heart for she had been most rebellious. Her enemies rejoiced in what
God had done to her. Her only hope at this moment was that God would repay her
enemies and would bring upon them all that he had brought upon her.
Although I see honest confession of guilt, at this point I
do not see genuine repentance from her, but only self-pity and a longing to be
comforted and to find relief for her pain.
What About Us?
Israel, as a nation, and as a people of God was in a unique
situation known only to her at that time. She was not only the chosen people of
God and in covenant relationship with God, as a people, but she was also a
physical nation. Her temple was a physical one in a physical location,
Jerusalem, and many of her leaders were thus in dual roles as both religious
and civil authorities.
Under the New Covenant relationship with God via the shed
blood of Jesus Christ on the cross for our sins, the people of God today are
the true church, the saints of God. This church is comprised of a body of
believers who are followers of Jesus Christ, and it is a spiritual entity, not
a physical one. She is the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of God and true
spiritual Israel. Thus, she is a spiritual nation of people, yet she dwells
within the boundaries of physical nations. The temple of God now dwells within
the lives of Christ’s true followers via the person of the Holy Spirit.
This judgment of God lamented here was against the people of
God and their nation. God will once again come against people in such a
judgment during the time of tribulation. Many Christians, especially here in
America, believe that Christians will be spared this judgment of God. I see no
indication of that in scripture, though God may spare some for sure. When we
read the prophecies of old that blend together the warnings and promises of old
with the warnings and promises of these last days, i.e. which have dual or
parallel fulfillments, we come to understand that the main reason for these
judgments is for the same reasons as throughout history. They are because of
the rebellion of God’s people, the church throughout the earth, who have
refused to repent of her wicked ways, and are bent on continuing in rebellion,
and who ignore God’s messages time and time again (see Rev. 2-3).
Yet, when God visits the earth in judgment he will judge its
inhabitants and the nations throughout the earth. The true saints of God who
follow after the testimony of Jesus Christ will go through a great time of
persecution, imprisonments, beatings and death for the sake of Christ and his
gospel.
I live in the United States of America. The Holy Spirit of
God has been giving me messages of judgment against the idolatrous church
(and/or the institutional church) and against our government now for the past
nine years, but nearly daily since 2006. The judgments against the
institutional church will be because of her yoked relationship with the U.S.
government, which is an instrument of Satan. It will also be because of her
idolatry and spiritual adultery and her refusal to listen to the words of God
and to repent of her ways. As well, this judgment the Lord has been showing me
will come against our government because it makes claims to being a Christian
nation blessed of God, under God, and trusting in God, yet the very roots of
our nation reveal a government formed in the image of Satan, full of idolatry
and the worship of other “gods” (evil spirits), which is part of the “beast
system” and much of which intends to betray their own and to turn us over to
our enemies.
So, I see many parallels between the descriptions of
judgment in this lament and what I believe God has planned for America and for
the idolatrous church in America if we do not repent of our evil ways. I
believe we will see our institutions of church and of government deserted, and
we will be taken over by “the beast,” i.e. by a global rule of order (a
dictatorship), not unlike Hitler’s rule, only globally and targeted against
followers of Christ. Many of our allies (lovers) and “friends” will betray us
and turn against us. America will be exposed for her many sins, and no longer
honored among men. And, she will lament of much the same treatment as did Judah,
Jerusalem and Israel of old.
No Condemnation
Many Christians will use the argument of “no condemnation”
for those in Christ Jesus (see Ro. 8) to say God will not judge, i.e. not discipline
(punish) his idolatrous and wayward church with disasters, hardship, famine or
sword. Yet, in context, this is speaking of our salvation in Jesus Christ, and
Christ no longer condemning those “in Christ” to eternity in hell (eternal
punishment), thus setting us free from the law of sin and death. Yet, Jesus
promised us that we would go through difficult times, hardships, persecutions,
etc. and that he does discipline (correct; punish) his children as a loving
father would correct his wayward children in order to bring us back into an
obedient and intimate fellowship with him (see Rev. 2-3 and the entire book of
Isaiah). God’s judgments of his people were always with the goal of revival,
forgiveness, restoration and healing.
Yet, also in context we get a clear picture of what it truly
means to be “in Christ.” We are described as those who “do not live according
to the flesh but according to the Spirit,” who have our minds set on “what the
Spirit desires” and whose minds are controlled (governed) by the Spirit; who
are “led by the Spirit of God,” who love God (see 1 Jn. 2:3; 5:3 – love =
obedience), and who, by the Spirit, put to death the misdeeds of the body. This
is what it means to be in Christ. And, this is what is involved in coming to
faith in Jesus Christ, too (see Ro. 6; Eph. 4:17-24; Luke 9:23-25; Gal. 2:20,
et al).
Yet, is it possible for those truly in Christ to, at some
point in their lives, fall back into the trap of sin and rebellion? I believe
it is, for the letters to the seven churches were written to the churches, many
to whom God gave both good and bad reports, called them to repentance and
renewed faith, and warned of his judgments against them if they did not turn
from their wicked ways and return to following their Lord Jesus in obedience.
Yet, if we live according to the Spirit, have our minds set
on what the Spirit desires, and our minds are governed by the Spirit, and we
are led by the Spirit, we demonstrate our love for God by obeying his commands,
and we daily put to death the misdeeds of the body, then, no matter what we go
through or what God allows us to suffer, the Spirit of God is there to help us
in our weakness, he intercedes for us on our behalf in accordance with God’s
will for our lives, and God will work everything out for good and for his
purposes, to conform us to the image of his Son. And, we won’t have to be
concerned about having physical enemies because God is for us, so those against
us are of no account to us, i.e. they have no real control over us. God will
provide all we need or he will take us home to be with him in glory. Nothing
(no hardship, famine or sword) will be able to separate us from God’s love in
Christ Jesus our Lord. Because of Christ within us we can be conquerors in all
these things that come against us. They don’t have power over us, because God
is in control over our lives.
Nothing Can Separate
Us / An Original Work / March 28, 2013
Based off Romans 8:28-39
Nothing can separate
us
From Christ’s love now
within us:
Not trouble, hardship,
nor famine,
Nor danger, nor sword.
No, in all of these
things
We are more than
conquerors!
For your sake we face
hardship.
We are sheep to be
slaughtered.
I am convinced that
death,
Nor life, nor anything
else
Will separate us from
The love of God now in
Christ.
What, then, shall we
say to this?
God for us: who
against us?
He who did not spare
His Son
But gave Him for us
all –
How will He not, with
Him,
Graciously give us all
things?
Who brings a charge
against us?
God justifies His
chosen.
Who is He that
condemns?
Christ Jesus; died,
rose again.
He’s at the right hand
of God,
Interceding for us.
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