Friday, September 4,
2015, 7:28 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “Why are you Afraid?” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Isaiah 10 (selected vv. NASB).
Who Withhold Justice
(vv. 1-4)
Woe
to those who enact evil statutes
And
to those who constantly record unjust decisions,
So
as to deprive the needy of justice
And
rob the poor of My people of their rights,
So
that widows may be their spoil
And
that they may plunder the orphans.
Now
what will you do in the day of punishment,
And
in the devastation which will come from afar?
To
whom will you flee for help?
And
where will you leave your wealth?
Nothing
remains but to crouch among the captives
Or
fall among the slain.
In
spite of all this, His anger does not turn away
And
His hand is still stretched out.
Isaiah wrote this about the people of God, who at that time
were the nation of Israel, i.e. the Jews. The people were prideful and
arrogant, and so they spurned God’s divine judgments against them, which were
for the purpose to bring them to repentance. Yet, the people of God did not
turn back to him, nor did they seek his face. The leaders of the people were
leading the people astray. Thus, God’s people were believing lies, and many
were speaking foolishly (See: chap. 9). The people’s and/or rulers’ judgments in
decision-making was perverted and unjust. They decreed evil laws (rules) for
the people to follow, in order to deprive some people of their rights, and most
likely to give preferential treatment to others.
So, how might this be applied to today? Today the church,
the body of Christ – not to be confused with the institutional church – is the
people of God. Within the local church assemblies we have pastors, elders, and deacons
who serve in positions of church leadership. If these local fellowships are
connected in fellowship with other like-minded local bodies of believers, they
might also have leaders who are over particular territories or districts who
would serve in leadership over the pastors of these local congregations. These
leaders make judgments and decisions for their church congregations. In some
modern-day church plants, the pastor(s) might make most all the decisions for
the church, whereas some older and more traditional church fellowships might
have boards of directors or committees who wield much power and influence in
the decision-making processes.
What I have seen take place in evangelical Christianity in the
past 15 years, in particular - and I grew up going to church meetings from
infanthood (65 years) – is that certain religious powers (cross-denominational)
from very high up got together or were brought together and were sold on a
particular man-made method for how to grow their churches, which then they
passed on to their people below them, who passed it on to their people below
them, and so on and so forth so that eventually pastors and church leaders
across multiple denominations, including the non-denominational, were all
teaching pretty much the same stuff to their congregations, and these leaders were
following the same methods for how to market and to grow their churches. From
what I observed, they would each act like this was their own idea, but they all
followed the same pattern, i.e. they were all following the same script, but
not from the Bible, but from a book or books written by mere humans. And, this
has spread across America, and into other countries, too, I believe.
As a result of these various church congregations and
denominations coming together to teach and to follow this man-made method for
how to market and grow their churches, human thinking, logic and reasoning has
largely supplanted the Word of God, the Holy Spirit, and Jesus Christ as the
head of the church. The vast majority of the church here in America has lost
the fear of the Lord and is following man’s ways instead of God’s ways. There is
much going on within the church in the way of deception, lies, manipulations,
injustice, and using and stepping on people while these leaders advance to the
top. They have been trained to make their target audience the people of this
world in place of seasoned Christians who know the word of God, and in how to “filter
out” those who “don’t fit,” i.e. those who might upset their plans or who might
expose their wickedness and their deceptions, because they are able to discern
truth from error. So, they pattern their meetings around entertaining the
world, and thus they have diluted and/or destroyed the gospel in order to make
it more pleasing and acceptable to the people of the world.
The Rod of God’s
Anger (includes a summary of vv. 5-19)
In the case of Israel, God used the nation of Assyria as the
rod of his anger against his people in divine discipline and correction
(judgment). They were to “capture booty” and “seize plunder,” and “trample them
down like mud in the streets.” Yet, the Assyrians had plans of their own, as
well, which was to destroy God’s people. So, it was God’s plan that when he had
finished using the Assyrians as his divine instrument of judgment against his
people, that he would then come in judgment against the Assyrians. So it is at
the end of time. The Lord will use, and I believe is presently using, the dragon,
the beast and the false prophet as his divine instruments of judgment against
his adulterous church, on the earth, and against the people of the earth. Then
his wrath will turn against the beast, the false prophet and the dragon, and he
will bring them into judgment.
I believe that the events of 9/11/01 with the bombing of the
twin towers in New York was a judgment of God against his adulterous and
idolatrous church here in the USA, but she would not be corrected, just like the
nation of Israel spurned God’s correction, so God will revisit her (us) in
judgment, which I believe has already begun, and it is for the purpose to turn
the hearts of God’s people back to their God in repentance, humility, and
renewed faith and commitment to God as their one and only true God, and to make
us ready to meet our husband, Jesus Christ, when he returns for us. Yet, most
of the church here in America is not listening to God’s calls for repentance
and renewed faith and obedience to his Word and submission to his will for our
lives. The majority of the church here in America has become so much like the
world that it is barely distinguishable between the church and the world
anymore. Preaching on repentance and obedience is rare these days, but
feel-good messages that tickle itching ears and which comforts people in their
sin abounds.
Right now the judgment has come primarily in the way of this
“church growth” movement of which I spoke of earlier in this writing, and the
subsequent twisting and diluting of the gospel message in order to give people
a false hope of eternal life with God, while they continue in their sin and
their fleshly ways. So, the church is being destroyed from within via deception
and manipulation via these false teachers who distort the word of God for
profit. And, that destruction from within is continuing with messages coming
now from people in high up positions within the government and within the
church who are trying to bring the church into union with the New World Order’s
goals to bring all religions together under one roof, and to unite all people
of this world together, regardless of faith or lack of faith in any god, and to
have them focus on a social gospel while putting to death all that divides us
as the people of the world, which most especially includes the gospel of our
salvation. As well, persecution of those who follow Christ is on the rise in
our nation.
The Remnant (vv.
20-27)
Now
in that day the remnant of Israel, and those of the house of Jacob who have
escaped, will never again rely on the one who struck them, but will truly rely
on the Lord, the Holy One of Israel.
A
remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob, to the mighty God.
For
though your people, O Israel, may be like the sand of the sea,
Only
a remnant within them will return;
A
destruction is determined, overflowing with righteousness.
For
a complete destruction, one that is decreed, the Lord God of hosts will execute
in the midst of the whole land.
Therefore
thus says the Lord God of hosts, “O My people who dwell in Zion, do not fear
the Assyrian who strikes you with the rod and lifts up his staff against you,
the way Egypt did. For in a very little while My indignation against you will
be spent and My anger will be directed to their destruction.” The Lord of hosts
will arouse a scourge against him like the slaughter of Midian at the rock of
Oreb; and His staff will be over the sea and He will lift it up the way He did
in Egypt. So it will be in that day, that his burden will be removed from your
shoulders and his yoke from your neck, and the yoke will be broken because of
fatness.
The beast of Revelation is a conglomerate of the wealthy and
powerful, the elite of this world, world leaders, CEOs of corporations,
bankers, the Trilateral Commission, the Bilderberg Group, the Council on
Foreign Relations, etc. Although I can’t say if it is in its final form or when
exactly the seven years of tribulation will take place, or even if it is a
literal seven years, what I do know is that this beast is on the rise, and it
is conquering nations, governments, peoples and the saints of God worldwide. It
is presently doing what Revelation 13 said it will do. As well, I believe there
are Christians who are being severely persecuted and even murdered for their
faith in Jesus Christ and for the gospel, and that this beast is behind these
murders, and that the US government is leading the charge in bringing the world
under the authority of this one-world beast government. So, as a nation, we are
being destroyed from within and from without, for our Assyrians are some or all
of our own government leaders, and many of our leaders in the Christian church,
too.
The result of this judgment, though, will be that a remnant
of the church will no longer rely on these liars and deceivers in our
government and in the church, but they will rely on the Lord alone, will repent
of their sins, will bow the knee to their God and Lord, and will choose to
follow Jesus Christ the rest of their days, even if it costs them their lives.
They will return to their Lord who saved them from their sins. Amen!
Yet, we are not to fear this judgment that is upon us or
that is yet coming, for God is allowing it for his purposes, which is to get
his wayward people to return to him as their only Lord, and to purify his bride
and to make her ready for her husband. Our God will not leave us or forsake us,
and he will give us all we need to make it through this difficult time. So,
stay strong in your faith in the power of the Spirit of God within you, do not
give way to fear, but put your trust fully in the Lord.
Why Are You Afraid?
/ An Original Work / December 5, 2013
Based off Various
Scriptures
Do not be afraid.
Your Lord is always by your side.
Serve the Lord in righteousness
Before Him all your days.
Those who hate the light
Will not come to the Lord.
They fear their deeds
Might be noticed.
So, they hate the light,
And they embrace the night.
Do not be afraid,
Although your enemy attacks.
Dare to share your testimony
Of God’s saving grace.
Do not fear their threats,
But honor Christ, your Lord.
Be prepared to give an answer
For the hope you have,
With gentleness; respect.
Why are you afraid?
For all that’s hidden will be shown.
What I tell you, speak in daylight.
Let the truth be known.
Do not be afraid
Of those who’ll take your life.
Fear the Lord with understanding.
Trust Him with your life,
And give not up to strife.
Do not be afraid.
Take courage, it is I, your Lord.
Bow before Me; now adore Me.
Oh, why do you doubt?
Listen to the Lord.
Get up, and bear His name!
Run and tell the world He loves them.
Jesus came to save.
Give Him your all today.
No comments:
Post a Comment