Monday, February 24,
2014, 1:19 a.m. – the Lord Jesus put the song “Only In Him” in my mind. Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I
read Isaiah 42 (NIV). http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah+42&version=NIV
To Free Captives
“Here
is my servant, whom I uphold,
my chosen one in whom I delight;
I
will put my Spirit on him…
In
faithfulness he will bring forth justice;
he will not falter or be discouraged
till
he establishes justice on earth.
In his teaching the islands will put their
hope.”
…“I,
the Lord, have called you in righteousness;
I will take hold of your hand.
I
will keep you and will make you
to be a covenant for the people
and a light for the Gentiles,
to
open eyes that are blind,
to free captives from prison
and to release from the dungeon those who
sit in darkness.
The servant is Jesus Christ. He is supported by the Father
in heaven. The Father takes great delight in his Son. He put his Spirit on him.
In faithfulness Jesus Christ, God the Son, came to earth, took on human flesh
and then died for the sins of the people of the world. He died so we could go
free from the penalty of sin (eternal punishment in hell), so we could be free
from the control of Satan and sin over our lives on a daily basis, and so we
could be free to walk in his righteousness and holiness in his power and
strength within us. He did not leave this earth until he had accomplished our
salvation for us via his death and resurrection.
He did not die merely so we could go to heaven one day, as
wonderful as that will be. The Bible says that he died for all, “that those who
live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was
raised again” (See 2 Co. 5:15). Thus, when we come to faith in Jesus Christ,
our flesh is crucified with Christ, and we die to the sin (and self) which once
bound (ruled) us. We are then raised with Christ to newness of life so that we
may walk holy lives pleasing to him (See Ro. 6; Gal. 2:20; Eph. 4:17-24; Col.
3:3; & 1 Jn. 1-5). Jesus died to turn us away from the darkness of living
in sin to the light of Christ - to his gospel of salvation and to living and
walking in his love, righteousness and holiness. His grace teaches us to say “NO!”
to all ungodliness and worldly passions and desires, “and to live
self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age” (See Tit.
2:11-14).
No Trusting in Idols
“I
am the Lord; that is my name!
I
will not yield my glory to another
or my praise to idols.
See,
the former things have taken place,
and new things I declare;
before
they spring into being
I announce them to you.”
When we come to faith in Jesus Christ, we enter into a
covenant relationship with Christ provided for us through his death and
resurrection. We have been given new lives in Christ Jesus, free from the
control of sin and flesh, and free to walk daily in his righteousness and
holiness. Yet, many have added on to the gospel of Jesus Christ, and to our
salvation in him, what is rooted in humankind (flesh) and is not of God; what is
not of his original, only, and intended purposes in saving us from the decay of
and bondage to sin. They have changed the grace of God into a license for
immorality (sin). They have added to the gospel that which is U-shaped
(You-shaped), i.e. that which is of human origin and fleshliness. And, in many
cases, they have made humanistic philosophies and teachings and human value-systems
the basis of one’s faith and practice rather than the word of God (of truth).
The Lord Jesus showed me two primary and core add-ons of
humankind to this new relationship we have been given in Christ Jesus, which
are at the top (head) of the church. In the U.S., the first one is the U.S.
government (via the 501c3), and the other is man’s humanistic teachings and business
marketing schemes targeted at appealing to the flesh of mankind, particularly
focused toward attracting the people of this world to their man-made
organizations, which they call “church.” These human add-ons have been driven through
the gospel and through our relationships with Jesus Christ, much like if we
were to drive the nails through Jesus Christ on the cross all over again – i.e.
they kill our relationships with him and they dilute the gospel of Jesus Christ
to something barely resembling the gospel of truth. These false gods of
government and man, too, have a grip on the church and on the gospel. And, this
grip often times result in the persecution, rejection and even murdering of
Christ’s true servants and witnesses who hold to the truth of the gospel of
Jesus Christ.
A Battle Cry
…I
will lead the blind by ways they have not known,
along unfamiliar paths I will guide them;
I
will turn the darkness into light before them
and make the rough places smooth.
These
are the things I will do;
I will not forsake them.
But
those who trust in idols,
who say to images, ‘You are our gods,’
will be turned back in utter shame.
“Hear,
you deaf;
look, you blind, and see!
Who
is blind but my servant,
and deaf like the messenger I send?
Who
is blind like the one in covenant with me,
blind like the servant of the Lord?
You
have seen many things, but you pay no attention;
your ears are open, but you do not listen.”
…Which
of you will listen to this
or pay close attention in time to come?
I believe the Lord Jesus has measured the spiritual
temperature of his church (whether hot or cold) by his original standard as
taught by Jesus Christ and the apostles concerning our salvation, and by his
Spirit who indwells the lives of his followers. The Holy Spirit and the
standard of scripture has revealed, I believe, just how messed up the church is
inside due to the grip (control) of human government plus man (U-shaped) philosophies,
teachings and marketing schemes inserted inside the church, inside the hearts
of believers, inside their relationships with Jesus Christ, and inside the presentation
of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
I believe, as well, that the Lord Jesus has raised a battle
cry on the behalf of his adulterous and idolatrous church, which has followed
after the “gods” of mankind, and has thus forsaken their pure devotion to Jesus
Christ as their only Lord and Savior. I believe very much so that he is sending
his messengers throughout the earth with this battle cry, in presenting the
case he has against his wayward people, in calling his rebellious people to
repentance and renewed faith, and with warnings of divine correction,
discipline (judgment) if they do not repent (See Rev. 2-3). Yet, many are not
paying attention to his “battle cry,” and are continuing to go their own way of
following after the ways of humans and the “gods” of this world. So, divine
discipline is in order for the purpose of bringing God’s wayward church back
into pure, unadulterated and undivided loyalty to him.
When the Holy Spirit makes us aware of just how messed up we
are, and how messed up the church is because of us inserting U-shaped philosophies
into the gospel, I believe many will be consciously aware that they must repent
(apologize to their husband) for making a mess of the new covenant relationship
with him he had purchased for us on the cross of Christ. The church will have
to go back to repentance over sin again, and to be re-released from bondage in
revival – being brought back to a right relationship with God. I believe, at
that time, his revived church will sing a new song of renewed freedom in Christ
- a great victory over the enemies of God. I went through that in 2002 and more
deeply in 2004 – ten years ago – but daily I must come to the cross, and allow
the Spirit within me to reveal things in my life which are not right, so that I
can walk in his truth and in his righteousness.
ONLY IN HIM / An
Original Work / February 19, 2014
Based off Isaiah 30
Woe to those who look
to man’s help;
Who turn away from Jesus
Christ;
Forming an alliance
not in step with God;
Making their own
plans, and praying not.
Willing not to listen
to truth,
They close their ears
to what is right.
Pleasing words are all
that they’ll hear;
Feel good messages
that bring cheer.
Trust in your Lord;
turn from your sin.
Put your faith now ONLY
IN HIM.
Do not turn to idols.
They’ll not satisfy.
Jesus will save you.
That’s why He died.
Your Lord will be
gracious to you.
He cares all about
you, ‘tis true.
He forgives you all of
your sin
When you give your
life up to Him.
Oh, how truly gracious
He’ll be
When you bow to Him on
your knees;
Turning now from your sin;
walking in his ways.
He’ll lead and guide
you all of your days.
Now you will sing
praises to Him.
He delivered you from
your sin.
You’ll tell others now
of His grace,
So they may see Christ
face-to-face.
No comments:
Post a Comment