Who Has Believed?

Wednesday, February 06, 2013, 6:36 a.m. – the Lord Jesus woke me with the song “God So Loved the World” playing in my mind. Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. I read Isaiah 53 (NIV 1984):

Who has believed our message

    and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?

He grew up before him like a tender shoot,

    and like a root out of dry ground.

He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,

    nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.

He was despised and rejected by men,

    a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.

Like one from whom men hide their faces

    he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

Surely he took up our infirmities

    and carried our sorrows,

yet we considered him stricken by God,

    smitten by him, and afflicted.

But he was pierced for our transgressions,

    he was crushed for our iniquities;

the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,

    and by his wounds we are healed.

We all, like sheep, have gone astray,

    each of us has turned to his own way;

and the Lord has laid on him

    the iniquity of us all.

He was oppressed and afflicted,

    yet he did not open his mouth;

he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,

    and as a sheep before her shearers is silent,

    so he did not open his mouth.

By oppression and judgment he was taken away.

    And who can speak of his descendants?

For he was cut off from the land of the living;

    for the transgression of my people he was stricken.

He was assigned a grave with the wicked,

    and with the rich in his death,

though he had done no violence,

    nor was any deceit in his mouth.

Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer,

    and though the Lord makes his life a guilt offering,

he will see his offspring and prolong his days,

    and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand.

After the suffering of his soul,

    he will see the light of life and be satisfied;

by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many,

    and he will bear their iniquities.

Therefore I will give him a portion among the great,

    and he will divide the spoils with the strong,

because he poured out his life unto death,

    and was numbered with the transgressors.

For he bore the sin of many,

    and made intercession for the transgressors.

Our Message

Isaiah asked, “Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?” The Apostle Paul quoted these words of Isaiah in reference to the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ (see Ro. 10:16-17). He said that not all the Israelites accepted the good news, even though they had heard the message of the gospel. He quoted Isaiah where he said, concerning the Israelites, that all day long God held out his hands to a disobedient and obstinate people. The disciple John also quoted Isaiah concerning the Israelites not believing the message of the gospel (see John 12:37-41). Even though Jesus did so many miraculous signs among the people of Israel, they still would not believe him. And, then he quoted Isaiah again where Isaiah stated that God had blinded the people’s eyes and had deadened their hearts because they refused to believe in Jesus.

The arm of the Lord could be the strength and power of God and/or this could be referring to the branch of the Lord, i.e. this tender shoot, i.e. the Messiah, who was a descendant of King David. So, the question is not only, “Who has believed the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ?” but it is also, “To whom has Jesus Christ been revealed?” He was first of all revealed to the Jews, but they, as a nation, rejected him as their Messiah, God and Lord, and so they, as a nation, have ceased to be God’s chosen people. The chosen people of God now are those who believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and as Savior of their lives, and this includes believing Jews. We are now true Israel, the Jerusalem from above, the Holy City, and Zion – the kingdom of heaven, the body of Christ.

These same questions, though, could be asked of the institutional church of today, or of America, where the gospel, Bibles, preaching and teaching of the word, gospel music, etc. is so readily available on TV, the internet, radio, in bookstores, church institutions, etc. We are not devoid of Biblical teaching and preaching in America, nor are we lacking in the availability of the word of God. In fact, we have so much available to us that I think we easily take what we have for granted. And, I believe that many professing Christians today, though they acknowledge that Jesus Christ is their Savior, have also not truly believed the true message of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Many are disobedient and obstinate, whose eyes are blinded and whose ears are stopped up because they have refused to believe in the true message of the gospel.

Many have bought into a social gospel that entertains the sinner instead of slaying him, as Tozer so well said it years ago. They teach a watered-down gospel, which is no gospel at all, that pictures God’s grace as requiring nothing of the believer, so there is no real motivation to change. Many “worship” services have become centers of religious entertainment. “Bible studies” are now discussions of books written by mankind. “Teachers” are now reduced to mere facilitators who merely lead a pre-programmed discussion, which often has no right or wrong answers. “Sin” is now called “mistakes,” or “I messed up,” which softens the seriousness of the sin. Repentance and obedience to Christ and to his commands are no longer required for salvation, and the world has so crept into the church that it is barely distinguishable now between the church and the world. What this tells me is that many who claim to know Christ truly do not know him at all because they have not truly believed - as evidenced by their lifestyles, actions and attitudes - the true gospel of Jesus Christ, which can be found throughout the NT (see Eph. 4:17-24; Luke 9:23-25; Ro. 12:1-2, et al).

Despised and Rejected

You would think, by the way many churches present Jesus Christ today, that he was this really swell fellow that everyone loved, admired and enjoyed being around. You would think he would have had a charismatic personality that just drew people to him. You would think that he never said a harsh word, never criticized anyone, never said anything to hurt anyone’s feelings, and that he just loved on people all the time, i.e. he just smiled, laughed, joked, and talked about football and the latest in entertainment and technology; and that he was a great conversationalist and he always knew just the right words to say to people to make them feel good about themselves, etc. You would think that he would have been well liked and that everyone would have just raved about what a great guy he was and that people would just naturally want to hang out with him. I mean, isn’t that the impression you get as to how we, as believers in Christ, should act so that people will like us? Yet, aren’t we supposed to be like Jesus?

Jesus had nothing in his appearance to attract us to him that we should desire him. People were not naturally drawn to him. In fact, he was despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. He was like one from whom men hide their faces and he was not esteemed of men. Is this is how you would be described? If not, why not? The disciple John said that Jesus was in the world, and though the world was made by him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own people did not receive him (see John 1:10-11). Why did they not receive him? – Because they didn’t like his message. So, why didn’t they like his message? – Because he told them the truth about their sin, and because he told them that they had to repent of their sin, they had to die to their own way of living for sin and self, and they had to follow him in obedience, even to death, severe suffering and persecution, for the sake of the gospel (see Luke 9:23-25; John 7:7). Are you well received by people? Or, are you despised and rejected of men?

He was pierced

Even though the people rejected Jesus Christ and his message, though some believed, and even though his closest companions deserted him, (one) betrayed him, (one) denied him, and all forsook him when he was arrested, and even though his own people shouted “Crucify him,” and would rather release a known criminal than him, and even though they spat on him, mocked him, said all kinds of manner of evil against him, although he had done no wrong, still in love he willingly went to the cross to die for our sins. He loved us so much that he went through all that unjust suffering so we could go free. He willingly took upon himself the sins of the entire world, which I believe was the greatest pain of all, especially since his own Father had to look away from him at that moment, because he loved us so much that he wanted to see us be free from the power and control of sin over our daily lives, and so we could be free to walk in sweet obedient fellowship with him.

Like Sheep

We all, like sheep, have gone astray, and each of us has turned to his own way, which is why Jesus took our sins upon him, so that we could all change. Peter said that Jesus bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness. We were like sheep going astray, but as true followers of Jesus Christ, we have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of our souls, Jesus Christ. Do you realize this is teaching repentance and obedience for salvation? Why would Jesus go through all of that only to have us continue in sin, rebellion, obstinacy, and disobedience? He died to radically transform our lives away from living to please self and sin, and so we might live for righteousness, walking daily in humble obedience to our Lord Jesus Christ.

So, I pray, if you have not done so, that you would bow before him today, turning from sin, and turning to walk humbly in daily obedience, submission and surrender to his will for your life.

God So Loved The World / Bob Kauflin / Sung by Glad

God so loved the world He gave His only Son

To face the death that we deserved and overcome

And everyone who hears His word and believes

The promise that he’s heard will never die, will never die

His Special People

Tuesday, February 05, 2013, 5:55 a.m. – the Lord Jesus woke me with the song “Sing Praises” playing in my mind. Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. I read Isaiah 44:1-23 (quoting vv. 1-8, 21-23 in the NIV 1984):

“But now listen, O Jacob, my servant,

    Israel, whom I have chosen.

This is what the Lord says—

    he who made you, who formed you in the womb,

    and who will help you:

Do not be afraid, O Jacob, my servant,

    Jeshurun, whom I have chosen.

For I will pour water on the thirsty land,

    and streams on the dry ground;

I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring,

    and my blessing on your descendants.

They will spring up like grass in a meadow,

    like poplar trees by flowing streams.

One will say, ‘I belong to the Lord’;

    another will call himself by the name of Jacob;

still another will write on his hand, ‘The Lord’s,’

    and will take the name Israel.

“This is what the Lord says—

    Israel’s King and Redeemer, the Lord Almighty:

I am the first and I am the last;

    apart from me there is no God.

Who then is like me? Let him proclaim it.

    Let him declare and lay out before me

what has happened since I established my ancient people,

    and what is yet to come—

    yes, let him foretell what will come.

Do not tremble, do not be afraid.

    Did I not proclaim this and foretell it long ago?

You are my witnesses. Is there any God besides me?

    No, there is no other Rock; I know not one.”

…“Remember these things, O Jacob,

    for you are my servant, O Israel.

I have made you, you are my servant;

    O Israel, I will not forget you.

I have swept away your offenses like a cloud,

    your sins like the morning mist.

Return to me,

    for I have redeemed you.”

Sing for joy, O heavens, for the Lord has done this;

    shout aloud, O earth beneath.

Burst into song, you mountains,

    you forests and all your trees,

for the Lord has redeemed Jacob,

    he displays his glory in Israel.

Promises

As I read through the book of Isaiah, I am consistently struck with how our Lord continually gave forth the same message to his people over and over and over again. He spoke often of the precious relationship he designed for his people to have with their maker. He chose them to be his special people and for him to be their God. He formed them in the womb of their mothers, i.e. he was intrinsically involved in their lives from even before he formed them in the womb. And, this is true of believers in Jesus Christ today, too.

Psalm 139 states that God not only knit us together in the wombs of our mothers, but all the days ordained for us were written in his book before one of them came to be. We are not accidents of nature. We are here by design, and God has an express purpose for each one of our lives. His purpose for us is to bring him honor, glory and praise, to save us from our sins, and to bring us into an intimate relationship and fellowship with our Lord God, free from slavery to sin, and free to love, honor, worship, and obey our Lord.

Not only did our God/Jesus create us with a purpose and have a plan for our lives, and not only did he provide salvation for us through Christ’s death on the cross for our sins and through his resurrection, and not only did he choose and call those of us who are to be his by faith to be his very own people, holy and set apart for him and for his service, but he promises us his continual presence, his guidance, protection, security, peace, assurance, and his wisdom, strength, and power to do all that he has called and equipped us to do. We never have to fear mankind or our circumstances, because he is with us, and he has it all under his control. We just have to trust and obey.

When this was written, the people of God were the nation of Israel. Yet, they ceased to be the people of God when they rejected Jesus Christ as their Messiah and Lord. Now the Jews, as a nation, are numbered among the Gentiles, i.e. among non-believers, whereas true believers and followers of Jesus Christ, including believing Jews, are now true Israel, the body of Christ, the temple of the Holy Spirit, the Jerusalem that is from above, the Holy City, and Zion - God’s eternal kingdom. They are those who have been circumcised of the heart by the Spirit of God. So, the descendants upon whom the Spirit of God was to be outpoured are those who have trusted in Jesus Christ as Lord, Savior and King of their lives, for when we put our faith and trust in Jesus Christ, God fills us with his Spirit.

God’s people were not only given these awesome promises, but they were also warned that judgment was coming, and they were told what they were doing wrong. They were called upon to turn from their sins and to turn back to living in obedience to their Lord. So, this is the framework in which these promises are given. Although they would have to face severe times ahead because of their disobedience, their idolatry and their complacency, et al, God let them know over and over again that he would bless them again, that they would have descendants, that the promised Messiah would come from them, and that a time was coming when there would be peace on the earth during the reign of Christ.

Yet, in this next couple of verses we see a picture, I believe, of these spiritual descendants coming to faith in Jesus Christ. They would acknowledge that they now belonged to the Lord, they would call themselves God’s people, and they would take upon themselves a mark (a symbol or sign, such as the Holy Spirit, and/or some type of evidence of such an influence, i.e. identifying characteristics which are the marks of a true follower of Christ) of Christ’s ownership in their lives as a reminder of their allegiance to God/Christ. In other words, these followers of Christ would not wear the name of Christ only, but his ownership on their lives would have its mark in how they conducted themselves, in their attitudes and behaviors, and in their speech, though not one would do this perfectly (see Phil. 3:12-14).

No Other Rock

The psalmists often used the term “Rock” to describe God. The term “rock” carries with it a sense of strength, power, stability, protection, safety, etc. Jesus is also referred to as our “Rock,” as a “living stone,” “the cornerstone,” and/or “the capstone.” He is the solid rock upon which we can take our stand, because he is immovable, trustworthy, full of integrity, honesty, faithfulness, and holiness, etc. Man will fail us, but God will never fail us. He will keep all his promises, he will do what he says he will do, and he will always be there for us.

He is our cornerstone, because he is essential and vital to the building of Christ’s church, the body of Christ (not the institutional church or man-made corporations), because he had to first of all die and be resurrected for our sins (the first stone laid) so that we could be saved, and so we could become part of God’s eternal kingdom, i.e. his building. He is our capstone (keystone) which supports and holds the building together, like the capstone of an arch or a bridge. Jesus is the bridge between us and God who locks us and God together. Without him, i.e. without the capstone, we would fall short of God’s glory, i.e. we can’t reach God in our own strength, works or good deeds. Only via our capstone, cornerstone and living stone, our Rock of our salvation, can we come to salvation and faith in Christ.

Jesus Christ is our (true Israel’s) King and Redeemer. He is the Lord Almighty. He is the first and the last, the beginning and the end. He is our creator, sustainer and provider. He is the second person of our triune God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Apart from God there is no God. All the other gods are fake copies or fake alternatives to the one true God. Idols of men are worthless and those who make them are nothing. Those who would glory in man-made idols and would give them public notoriety and praise and adulation are blind and ignorant, to their shame. When we compare the one true and awesome God Almighty to our man-made idols, it is a no-brainer who is truly God, who is our maker, who formed us in the wombs of our mothers, who has saved us, redeemed us, bought us with a price, loves us, and who encourages and comforts us in our troubles, etc. So, why do we give honor and praise and our “worship” to idols of men? It is like this when we bow to man-made idols:

No one stops to think,

    no one has the knowledge or understanding to say,

“Half of it I used for fuel;

    I even baked bread over its coals,

    I roasted meat and I ate.

Shall I make a detestable thing from what is left?

    Shall I bow down to a block of wood?”

He feeds on ashes, a deluded heart misleads him;

    he cannot save himself, or say,

    “Is not this thing in my right hand a lie?”

So, we think to ourselves, I would never do anything so dumb as that, but would we not? What do we regularly praise and give glory and honor to? Check your Facebook posts, your emails, blogs, et al, and read what you write about (me, too). To whom or to what do you give most of your praise, glory and honor? What do you get the most excited about? What occupies most of your conversations, time, spending (outside of bills), thinking, activities, leisure or spare time, et al? What gets you up early in the morning or keeps you up late at night (besides your job and/or small children)? What gets your passion? What would you not want to live without in your life? If you say God, does your life show that? Do we truly worship God above all else, do we honor him as the only true God, or do we “worship”, adore and give praise to other gods, i.e. the gods our hands have made?

Return

God is calling his children today who have run off to follow after other gods of men, who are rebellious, complacent, and/or who are hard of hearing and not willing to see what God has for them, to obey him and to return to him. He is calling his lukewarm church to remember all the things he has done for us. What other “god” in our lives has died for our sins, or has walked with us through difficult times, or has never failed us? So, why do we pursue other gods and put the one true God on the back burner or in second or third place? He is calling us to remember that he is the one who made us, and he is the one who has forgiven us of our sins, and no other god has done this for us. He is our only redeemer, so we should honor him and return to walking in submission to his will, to obedience to his commands, and to making him our only God!

If we do not return (see Rev 2-3), a time of judgment is coming, yet this time of suffering will not be for naught. Out of our severe suffering and trials God will bring us to repentance, he will heal us, and he will restore us as a people of God. Even Jesus learned obedience through suffering, though he had done no wrong. The Bible continuously tells us the importance of suffering, trials, tribulations and difficulties in our lives. They produce in us earnestness, godly sorrow which leads to repentance, perseverance, and they prove our faith to be genuine (or not). They refine us and purify us and they lead us to our knees in humility and in surrender to God’s will for our lives. So, be earnest and repent!

We should be so thankful for all the Lord Jesus has done for us in providing us with salvation that we should be singing for joy! And, we should be telling of his wondrous works! And, we should give our lives over to God to be his bondservants and him our master. We should give him our all, and we should no longer follow after other gods.

Sing Praises / An Original Work / November 30, 2012

Based off Psalms 6-9

Sing praises to the Lord!

Tell of His wondrous works.

Afflicted, they cry out;

The Lord will not forget;

The needy, not desert.

The Lord’s our refuge now;

A stronghold when we fear.

The Lord will ne’er forsake

The ones, who Him pursue!

Sing praises to the Lord!

With all my heart I sing.

I will rejoice in Him;

Sing praises to His name;

Tell of His wondrous works.

My shield is God Most High.

He saves those who believe

In Jesus Christ, God’s Son.

His grace has pardoned you!

The Lord accepts my prayer!

The Lord has heard my cries.

He is so merciful.

He heals my anguished soul.

The Lord has made me whole.

Give thanks unto the Lord.

Give praise unto His name.

Our Lord is righteousness.

Sing praises to the Lord!

Sing praises to the Lord!

http://originalworks.info/sing-praises-2/

Return to Me, O Israel!

Monday, February 04, 2013, 3:33 a.m. – the Lord Jesus woke me with the song “Before the Throne of God Above.” Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. I read Isaiah 43 (quoting selected verses in the NIV 1984):

But now, this is what the Lord says—

    he who created you, O Jacob,

    he who formed you, O Israel:

“Fear not, for I have redeemed you;

    I have summoned you by name; you are mine.

When you pass through the waters,

    I will be with you;

and when you pass through the rivers,

    they will not sweep over you.

When you walk through the fire,

    you will not be burned;

    the flames will not set you ablaze.

For I am the Lord, your God,

    the Holy One of Israel, your Savior…

Do not be afraid, for I am with you…

Lead out those who have eyes but are blind,

    who have ears but are deaf…

“You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord,

    “and my servant whom I have chosen,

so that you may know and believe me

    and understand that I am he.

Before me no god was formed,

    nor will there be one after me.

I, even I, am the Lord,

    and apart from me there is no savior.

I have revealed and saved and proclaimed—

    I, and not some foreign god among you.

You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, “that I am God.

    Yes, and from ancient days I am he.

No one can deliver out of my hand.

    When I act, who can reverse it?”…

“Forget the former things;

    do not dwell on the past.

See, I am doing a new thing!

    Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?

I am making a way in the desert

    and streams in the wasteland.

…I provide water in the desert

    and streams in the wasteland,

to give drink to my people, my chosen,

    the people I formed for myself

    that they may proclaim my praise.

Blind and Deaf

In the previous chapter we were given a picture first of all of the Messiah, the Servant of the Lord as God’s chosen one who would bring justice to the nations, and after whose life his people should emulate, i.e. he was/is the perfect or ideal expression of who God intended his people to become. We also have a picture of God’s people, now the true church, the body of Christ, as a people who were blind and deaf. God said of them, “You have seen many things, but have paid no attention; your ears are open, but you hear nothing.” So, the Lord handed his people over to the plunderers because they would not follow his ways and they did not obey his law. So, he poured on them the violence of war, yet they still did not understand; “it consumed them, but they still did not take it to heart.”

I have read the book of Isaiah many, many times, yet I have never been more impressed as I have been this time with how much of this book (writing; prophecy) is about Jesus Christ, the Messiah, our Lord God and Savior, and how much of it is speaking of the last days. In other words, though it certainly had application for Isaiah’s time period, much of this is eschatological, and in context of where it speaks of the Messiah, and it speaks of the final days on the earth and of his kingdom reign, we must make application of God’s people thus to the church of this time, and in reality, it fits perfectly. Much of the description of God’s people then fits with where the church is today - at least it does in America where I live.

I don’t own a TV, for good reasons, and I am not a follower of football, so I have never really been interested in the Super bowl games. Yet, I have recently been made aware of the absolute evil that has pervaded the recent opening and closing ceremonies of both the regular Olympics and the special Olympics, as well as these halftime shows for the Super bowl, so I did glance at the news to see what kind of show pervaded this year’s halftime. I only got a glimpse of Beyonce’s halftime performance, and that was much more than I cared to watch, but all I could think about was wondering how many hundreds or thousands of “Christians” in America were sitting there watching this sexual and seductive performance that was fraught with evil and Satanic imagery, and of how many of them did so without thought to what they were watching. I don’t know the answer to that, but it came to mind again this morning as I read these words:

You have seen many things, but have paid no attention;
your ears are open, but you hear nothing.

…It enveloped them in flames, yet they did not understand;

    it consumed them, but they did not take it to heart.

This is speaking not only of not seeing or hearing what is of the Spirit of God, but also not having the ability, thus, to discern what is purely evil. There is a war going on against the Christians in this nation of ours but it is not being fought with guns or knives. The battlefront is our minds, and the weapons are TV, news shows, commercials, halftime shows, movies, video games, smart phones, the internet, I-Pads or other tablets, etc. Over time we, the people and Christians of America, have been desensitized to evil through TV, movies, video games, music videos and the like. The most evil of all evil is right at our fingertips in our own homes, and now with the use of smart phones and electronic tablets the world of evil is available 24/7 and in absolute privacy, and therefore the temptation is great. The worst part of all, though, is most people don’t see it for what it truly is.

Yet, not only is this evil available at our fingertips 24/7 in the world, but it has invaded the church, too, and in course of time the gospel has been watered down to where it no longer slays the sinner, but it entertains him. See “The Old Cross and the New” by A.W. Tozer: http://www.ldolphin.org/oldcross.html. He wrote this in 1946 but it speaks of today.

Our Redeemer

If I wanted to summarize the book of Isaiah, or in fact the whole of scripture or definitely the whole of the New Testament into two paragraphs, it would be this:

We, the people of this world, are sinners. We are destined to eternity in hell without Christ. Sin has separated us from a relationship with God Almighty. Jesus Christ came to bridge that gap between us and God. He died on the cross for our sins, taking our punishment on him so we could go free – from slavery (bondage) to sin and from the penalty of sin (eternal damnation), and to free us to worship, honor, love, serve and obey our Lord God/Jesus Christ. It is by grace we are saved through faith. Both faith and grace are gifts from God which we must appropriate to our own lives. Critical elements of faith are repentance (turning from sin to obedience to God/Christ), obedience to Christ and to his commands, love for others, and walking in the Spirit of God, following Christ wherever he leads us (see Eph. 4:17-24; Luke 9:23-25; Rom. 12:1-2; Gal. 2:20-21; 1 John 1:5-7; and Rom. 8, etc.).

The people of God are to continue daily to walk in the ways of God, listening to his voice, trusting him with their lives and circumstances, following his truths, daily forsaking sins and choosing to hear his voice and to obey him. Yet, the people of God oftentimes get caught up in the world, they begin to follow after other gods of men and of the flesh, they follow deceptive spirits, and are led astray by false doctrines and teachings. They begin to close their eyes and ears to the things and truths of God and of his word, and they allow the world of evil to slowly and gradually creep back into their lives, even into the church. God, thus, calls them to repentance and to renewed faith, but they don’t listen. This happens time and time again, and he warns them of judgment, too (see Rev 2-3), but they largely ignore the warnings, as well, and so in time he hands his people over to plunderers so that they will have their eyes opened and their ears unstopped, so they will be revived and renewed in faith, and so they will once again make God their only Lord and Savior.

God’s Plan for his people

God’s plan is that we have a close, intimate relationship with him like that of a bride and groom who are madly in love with each other. He redeemed us, not just so we could go to heaven one day, as wonderful as that will be, but he redeemed us so that we could live with him and for him while we still live on the face of this earth. And, he promises to be with us, to take us through the trials and tribulations of this life, and to bring us safely into his kingdom. We never have to fear mankind or what they can do to us or fear our circumstances, because God is absolutely in control of all things, and he has a purpose for everything he does and for everything he allows in our lives. If we would but put our absolute faith in him and trust that he knows best, he will lead and guide us through every storm of our lives.

In context, I believe these prophecies in Isaiah warn of judgment against God’s people of the last days, too, who have become idolatrous and spiritually adulterous people – whose eyes and ears are closed to the truth; who have become complacent and overly casual about their relationship with Jesus Christ; who are living in rebellious ways; who largely ignore their creator, God and Lord, and his commands; who have lost sight of the fear (awe, respect and honor) of God; and who burden and weary God with their sins and their offenses. And, I believe we may already be seeing forms of that judgment coming against the church through our elected leaders and the decisions they are making for the people of America, and through God turning the church over to the “looters” who are taking advantage of the naïve minds and hearts of God’s people whose consciences have been seared and whose eyes are blinded and whose ears are closed to the truth of God’s word.

Yet, through these judgments, I believe God intends to open the blinded eyes and the deaf ears, and his plan is to bring his people back to him in renewed faith and revival. I believe the promises of his protection and assurances of his continued presence with us here serve to encourage us that even through great suffering and trials that are most certainly to come (see the book of Revelation), God will be with those who are his, and he will see us through to his eternal kingdom. We don’t need to fear what lies ahead, because God is with us. Amen! He will give us all we need to survive the coming days. We just have to trust him and follow his lead. He will use judgment as his divine instrument of purifying a people for himself in these last days, i.e. he will cause his people to return to him (see Rev. 19:7). Amen!

Before the Throne of God Above / Charitie L. Bancroft

Before the throne of God above

I have a strong, a perfect plea,

A great High Priest whose name is “Love,”

Who ever lives and pleads for me.

My name is graven on His hands,

My name is written on His heart,

I know that while in heav’n He stands,

No tongue can bed me thence depart.

When Satan tempts me to despair,

And tells me of the guilt within,

Upward I look and see Him there

Who made an end to all my sin.

Because the sinless Savior died

My sinful soul is counted free,

For God, the Just is satisfied

To look on Him and pardon me.

Behold Him there! The risen Lamb,

My perfect, spotless Righteousness,

The great unchangeable I AM,

The King of glory and of grace!

One with Himself I cannot die,

My soul is purchased with His blood,

My life is hid with Christ on high,

With Christ, My Savior and my God.

http://cyberhymnal.org/htm/b/e/beforetg.htm

Jesus

Sunday, February 03, 2013, 8:18 a.m. – the Lord Jesus woke me with a hymn about Jesus, but I’m not sure which one it was, and then the floodgates of heaven broke open and I kept hearing one song about Jesus after another after another, such as “He Keeps Me Singing,” “God So Loved the World,” “Oh, How I love Jesus,” “Jesus is the Sweetest Name I Know,” and “Jesus, I My Cross Have Taken,” etc. Immediately this brought to recall that when my mom was in her final days on this earth, in the year 2000, while in a hospice center, she kept wanting to sings songs about Jesus, so we sang all the songs either of us could think of, including the song “Jesus Loves Me.” This memory brought tears to my eyes.

Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. I read Isaiah 42 (quoting vv. 1-9 NIV 1984):

“Here is my servant, whom I uphold,

    my chosen one in whom I delight;

I will put my Spirit on him

    and he will bring justice to the nations.

He will not shout or cry out,

    or raise his voice in the streets.

A bruised reed he will not break,

    and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.

In faithfulness he will bring forth justice;

    he will not falter or be discouraged

till he establishes justice on earth.

    In his law the islands will put their hope.”

This is what God the Lord says—

he who created the heavens and stretched them out,

    who spread out the earth and all that comes out of it,

who gives breath to its people,

    and life to those who walk on it:

“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.

“I am the Lord; that is my name!

    I will not give 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.”

The Servant

Jesus Christ, the Messiah of the people, is the servant being spoken about here, yet, as we will learn, there is also a certain element to which this applies to the whole body of Christ, Jesus’ followers, who are his trusted envoys and confidential representatives to the people of this world. Matthew quoted vv. 1-4, as recorded in Matthew 12:18-21, concerning Christ being the fulfillment of these words of Isaiah about the servant.

The Spirit of God came upon Jesus in the form of a dove when he was baptized by John, and from there Jesus was led of the Spirit into the wilderness for 40 days and nights, to be tempted by Satan, and during which time he indeed was tempted of the devil. Then he began his 3-yearlong ministry on the earth. His first message was “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.”

The Servant, Jesus Christ, our Messiah and Lord, is the second person of our triune God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. God the Father chose Jesus to be the Savior of the world, he sent him to earth to be born as a baby, to take on human flesh, to go through the same kinds of things we go through every day, to suffer, and to be tempted in like manner as we are tempted, yet without sin, and then to be crucified on a cross for our sins.

Justice

The Lord Jesus brought justice (righteousness, honesty, integrity, and uprightness) to the earth and he will yet bring justice to the earth in many ways.

First of all, he was sinless when he walked the face of this earth, his heart motivation was always right, he loved and cared for people’s needs – spiritual, physical, mental and emotional – he always told the truth, and he treated people with kindness, generosity, forgiveness, compassion, and mercy. Yet, he confronted sin in sinful man (humans), he told it like it was, he called people to repent of (turn from) their sins, and he told them if they wanted to follow him they had to die first to their old way of living for self and sin. For this, he was often hated. The religious leaders were jealous of him and were threatened by his popularity among the people, and eventually they put him to death, because they refused to believe he was their God and promised Messiah.

When Jesus Christ was crucified on the cross for our sins, he also brought justice to the earth, because through his death and resurrection mankind can now be made right with God via faith in Jesus Christ. When he died, our sins died with him, and when he was resurrected from the grave, he conquered death, hell, Satan and sin so that we could go free – free from the penalty of sin (eternal damnation), free from slavery (bondage) to sin day-to-day, and free to walk humbly in obedience to our Lord on a daily basis.

We come to faith in Jesus Christ via repentance (turning away from sin and turning toward walking in obedience to Christ), which is a complete change of mind and heart, and is the working of the Holy Spirit in our lives, as we cooperate fully with that work. Jesus said that if anyone would come after him, he must deny (disallow) himself, take up his cross daily (die daily to sin and self) and follow (obey) him (see Luke 9:23-25). The scriptures also teach that the way we come to know Christ is by forsaking (dying to; putting off) our former lives of sin, by being transformed in heart and mind (the working of the Spirit), and by putting on our new self, “created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (see Eph. 4:17-24). Thus, we are justified (freed from sin) by God’s grace, through faith.

Jesus Christ will also bring justice to the earth when he comes back again to judge the earth and to rule the earth in righteousness as King of kings and as Lord of lords.

A Covenant for the People

Jesus Christ, the Servant, became the covenant for the people when he shed his blood on the cross for our sins. A covenant is “a solemn agreement that is binding on all parties” (Encarta). This covenant is not all one-sided. It is by grace we are saved through faith. God’s part involved Jesus’ death on the cross for our sins so we could go free. Our part (faith) involves appropriating what he did, in dying for us so we could go free, to our daily lives. In other words, our part is to turn from our sin and to turn to walk with God/Christ in obedience and surrender to his will for our lives, in the strength and power of the Spirit of God within us. When we come to faith in Jesus Christ, we don’t merely take the name of Christ, or get our free ticket to heaven, but we choose to be his followers, his disciples and his bondservants, laying our lives down for him. We are no longer our own. We were bought with a price. Therefore we should honor God with our lives.

A Light

God is light (truth; revelation; salvation) and in him is no darkness (sin; evil) at all. Jesus Christ (God) is light, and the gospel of Christ is light. Jesus Christ became a light to the Gentiles, “to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.” Jesus gave a similar commission to the Apostle Paul, who was then Saul, when he met him on the road to Damascus, where Saul (now Paul) was headed to persecute even more followers of Jesus Christ. He told him (Acts 26:16-18):

‘Now get up and stand on your feet. I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen of me and what I will show you. I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’

The Light that Jesus Christ became for us was not only the light of the gospel, but the way of salvation from our sins. We were once in spiritual darkness when we were still dead in our sins, but he made us alive in Christ. By grace we have been saved. So, he opened eyes that had formerly not been able to see the truth of the gospel or to receive salvation, so that they could be saved. He turned us from darkness (sin) to light (salvation; truth; understanding), which is what it means when we repent of our sins. He turned us from the power of Satan to God, too, because he delivered us from the power of sin over our lives both now and for eternity, and he set us free to walk in obedience to our Lord. And, he freed us from our captivity to sin and set us free to walk in the Spirit of God. All this was so we could receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified (made holy) by faith in Christ Jesus.

Jesus told his followers that they are the light of the world; a city on a hill that cannot be hidden. This is not speaking of a physical city, but a spiritual one. And, the light here is the light of the gospel of Jesus Christ. This is speaking of the true church, the body of Christ, his temple. We, as the light of the gospel are not supposed to hide the gospel or our testimony for Christ or the reality of the difference Christ makes in our lives from the world. The world around us should hear us sharing the truth of the gospel, giving testimony to God’s saving grace in our own lives, and they should see the gospel lived out in our lives in how we obey our Lord, in how we conduct our lives, and in how we love others with Christ’s love.

God promised Jesus and us, who are his servants, that he will uphold us, that he will give us his support, aid and strength, that he will guide us by the hand, and that he will supply us with all we need to live holy lives, to share his gospel, and to lead others away from the darkness of sin into the light of Christ’s salvation and his love and forgiveness. Jesus is our all sufficiency for everything God has called us to be and to do. Amen! Praise the Lord!

Oh, to Be Like Thee, Blessed Redeemer / Thomas O. Chisholm / W. J. Kirkpatrick

Oh, to be like Thee! blessèd Redeemer,

This is my constant longing and prayer;

Gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s treasures,

Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear.

Oh, to be like Thee! full of compassion,

Loving, forgiving, tender and kind,

Helping the helpless, cheering the fainting,

Seeking the wandering sinner to find.

O to be like Thee! lowly in spirit,

Holy and harmless, patient and brave;

Meekly enduring cruel reproaches,

Willing to suffer others to save.

O to be like Thee! Lord, I am coming

Now to receive anointing divine;

All that I am and have I am bringing,

Lord, from this moment all shall be Thine.

O to be like Thee! while I am pleading,

Pour out Thy Spirit, fill with Thy love;

Make me a temple meet for Thy dwelling,

Fit me for life and Heaven above.

Oh, to be like Thee! Oh, to be like Thee,

Blessèd Redeemer, pure as Thou art;

Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;

Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.

My Friend

Saturday, February 02, 2013, 8:42 a.m. – the Lord Jesus woke me with this song:

What a Friend We Have in Jesus / Joseph M. Scriven / Charles C. Converse

What a friend we have in Jesus,

all our sins and griefs to bear!

What a privilege to carry

everything to God in prayer!

O what peace we often forfeit,

O what needless pain we bear,

all because we do not carry

everything to God in prayer.

Have we trials and temptations?

Is there trouble anywhere?

We should never be discouraged;

take it to the Lord in prayer.

Can we find a friend so faithful

who will all our sorrows share?

Jesus knows our every weakness;

take it to the Lord in prayer.

Are we weak and heavy laden,

cumbered with a load of care?

Precious Savior, still our refuge;

take it to the Lord in prayer.

Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?

Take it to the Lord in prayer!

In his arms he'll take and shield thee;

thou wilt find a solace there.

Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. I read Isaiah 41 (quoting vv. 8-14 in the NIV 1984)

“But you, O Israel, my servant,

    Jacob, whom I have chosen,

    you descendants of Abraham my friend,

I took you from the ends of the earth,

    from its farthest corners I called you.

I said, ‘You are my servant’;

    I have chosen you and have not rejected you.

So do not fear, for I am with you;

    do not be dismayed, for I am your God.

I will strengthen you and help you;

    I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

“All who rage against you

    will surely be ashamed and disgraced;

those who oppose you

    will be as nothing and perish.

Though you search for your enemies,

    you will not find them.

Those who wage war against you

    will be as nothing at all.

For I am the Lord, your God,

    who takes hold of your right hand

and says to you, Do not fear;

    I will help you.

Do not be afraid, O worm Jacob,

    O little Israel,

for I myself will help you,” declares the Lord,

    your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.

O Israel

When Isaiah wrote these words, the people of God consisted of the nation of Israel. They were God’s chosen people at that time. Yet, since Jesus Christ died for our sins, was resurrected from the grave, and ascended into heaven, true believers in and followers of Jesus Christ, the promised Messiah, have become the people of God. Those Jews who trusted in Jesus Christ as their Lord, Messiah and Savior are still the people of God, yet the nation of Israel is no longer God’s chosen people or nation, because they rejected Jesus Christ as their God, Lord, Savior and Messiah.

The city of Jerusalem also is no longer the Holy City, for it is now, as is Israel, of Hagar, the slave woman (see Gal. 4), which means the Jews, as physical descendants of Abraham, are not all Abraham’s children, i.e. they are not all the children of promise (see Ro. 9) unless they believe in Jesus Christ as Messiah, Lord and Savior (God). As well, a true “Jew” is one who has been circumcised of the heart by the Spirit of God, which can only come through faith in Jesus Christ (see Ro. 2). So, basically Jews who do not believe in Jesus Christ are the same as any other non-believer, which means they are numbered among the Gentiles.

So, the only ones today who can apply these words in Isaiah to their lives are those who have made a genuine decision to trust Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of their lives. We are true Israel. We are God’s chosen people. We are the temple of the Holy Spirit, and within us now dwells the Holy of Holies. We are the Jerusalem that is from above, and we are God’s chosen nation and people. We are the Holy City. God’s chosen nation is no longer a physical nation but it is a spiritual entity, just like the church is not a physical temple, but is a spiritual entity (building of God), and we, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house (see 1 Pet. 2:5). Mt. Zion is now Jesus Christ, the gospel of Christ, the cross of Christ, i.e. the kingdom of God, including the people of God, the body of Christ.

As well, the true church of Jesus Christ is not a physical building, it is not a corporation underneath the federal government, and it is not a social club, a denomination, or a business. The sanctuary of God is not a room inside a building often called a church, and when we walk inside a building called a church, we are not entering into the presence of God nor are we in his house, because his house is within our hearts. Since the true church consists of followers of Jesus Christ, and is a spiritual house, it can meet anywhere at any time. The early church met daily from house to house and in the temple courts. I liken places where Christians gather together in the name of the Lord on the internet for purposes of fellowship, teaching, giving testimony for Christ and his gospel, and for prayer, as similar to the early Christians gathering together in the temple courts. The true church is not limited by time and space. It is like a city without walls.

The Lord’s Servant

The Lord has called us to be his servants. The word servant, with regard to the relationship between God’s people and himself, is often translated slave or bondservant. A bondservant is one who follows his master’s commands, and his will, without regard for his or her own will. When we are crucified with Christ, we no longer live, i.e. our fleshly will and desires die with Christ, and now it is Christ, and his will and desires, which are now living within us. The new life we now live, we live by faith in Jesus Christ, who loved us and gave himself up for us (see Gal. 2:20-21).

Jesus said that if anyone would come after him, he must deny (disallow) himself, take up his cross daily (die daily to self and sin) and follow (obey) Jesus. This is what it means to be a bondservant of the Lord, and the name Lord means master (boss). As well, the way we come to know Christ is by forsaking (dying to; putting off) our old lives of sin, by being transformed (like the process of metamorphosis) in heart and mind (the working of the Holy Spirit), and by putting on our new selves, “created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (see Eph. 4:17-24). We are no longer our own. We were bought with a price; therefore we should honor God with our lives, following him and not men (See 1 Co. 6-7).

Our Friend

I love how God describes his relationship with his chosen people. He has a warm affection for us and a tender heart toward us. He calls us his friend, and he is our friend. Yet, he is not a casual social buddy who just comes to hang out with us each day, participating in whatever activities we decide to involve ourselves in. Truly he is with us always if we are truly his, but the friendship between us is a deep caring friendship – the kind that will speak the truth in love to us, correct us when we need it, strongly exhort us when necessary, warn us against what is wrong, and will encourage us toward what is good and is right. He carries our sorrows, sympathizes with our weaknesses, knows from personal experience what it is like to be tempted, yet without sin, and has felt pain and sorrow in his heart, so he was able to become not only our Lord and Savior, but our merciful and compassionate high priest.

Our Lord Jesus is with us always, so we never need to fear physical enemies, or the forces of evil in the heavenly realms, and/or our circumstances. We should never worry, fret, and/or have our confidence shaken, for God is with us. He will never leave us or forsake us. He will give us all we need to live in this world for his glory, to fight off the enemy’s attacks against our minds and/or emotions, to love and obey him, and to share our testimony of his saving grace and the true gospel message. We just have to listen to what he says and do it, i.e. we have to appropriate to our lives what he did for us on the cross, and we have to appropriate to our lives all that he has supplied for walking in his truth day-to-day.

Jesus told his disciples that they would be hated as he was hated and that they would be persecuted and perhaps even put to death for their faith and testimony for Jesus Christ. Few of us have had to face such severe persecution for our faith in the U.S.A., but that day is coming. Yet, we don’t have to fear what man will do to us, because they can kill the body, but they can’t kill our souls. They may be able to cause great havoc in our lives and even take us to the valley of tribulation, but they can’t separate us from Christ’s love for us, and they can’t take our Lord away or our confidence in Him.

When he was getting ready to leave the earth, Jesus told his disciples he would not leave them as orphans, but he would send his Spirit to indwell his followers – to give comfort, guidance, wisdom, direction, and counsel, and to teach us all the things of Christ Jesus. So, if we are in need, or we are lacking wisdom, or we need help with anything, we just need to seek God’s face and inquire of our Lord, because he is there to give us all that we need for godly living. We just need to take everything to our Lord Jesus, our friend, in prayer.

Oh, to Be Like Thee, Blessed Redeemer / Thomas O. Chisholm / W. J. Kirkpatrick

Oh, to be like Thee! blessèd Redeemer,

This is my constant longing and prayer;

Gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s treasures,

Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear.

Oh, to be like Thee! full of compassion,

Loving, forgiving, tender and kind,

Helping the helpless, cheering the fainting,

Seeking the wandering sinner to find.

O to be like Thee! lowly in spirit,

Holy and harmless, patient and brave;

Meekly enduring cruel reproaches,

Willing to suffer others to save.

O to be like Thee! while I am pleading,

Pour out Thy Spirit, fill with Thy love;

Make me a temple meet for Thy dwelling,

Fit me for life and Heaven above.

Oh, to be like Thee! Oh, to be like Thee,

Blessèd Redeemer, pure as Thou art;

Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;

Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.

Our Ancient Foe

Friday, February 01, 2013, 4:42 a.m. – the Lord Jesus woke me with this hymn:

A Mighty Fortress is Our God / Martin Luther

A mighty fortress is our God,

a bulwark never failing;

Our helper he, amid the flood

of mortal ills prevailing:

For still our ancient foe

doth seek to work us woe;

His craft and power are great,

and, armed with cruel hate,

On earth is not his equal.

Did we in our own strength confide,

our striving would be losing;

Were not the right Man on our side,

the Man of God's own choosing:

Dost ask who that may be?

Christ Jesus, it is He;

Lord Sabbaoth, His Name,

from age to age the same,

And He must win the battle.

And though this world, with devils filled,

should threaten to undo us,

We will not fear, for God hath willed

his truth to triumph through us:

the Prince of Darkness grim,

we tremble not for him;

His rage we can endure,

for lo, his doom is sure,

one little word shall fell him.

That word above all earthly powers,

no thanks to them, abideth;

The Spirit and the gifts are ours

through Him Who with us sideth:

Let goods and kindred go,

this mortal life also;

the body they may kill:

God's truth abideth still,

his kingdom is forever.

The hymn

This is an awesome hymn! I hope you will take the time to read through this carefully and prayerfully and just let its truths sink into your heart and mind. This hymn is also so fitting with the passage of scripture that I read for my quiet time with the Lord today. I prayed, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening,” and then I read Isaiah 36 (NIV 1984): http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah%2036&version=NIV1984

…The field commander said to them, “Tell Hezekiah,

“‘This is what the great king, the king of Assyria, says: On what are you basing this confidence of yours? You say you have strategy and military strength—but you speak only empty words. On whom are you depending, that you rebel against me? Look now, you are depending on Egypt, that splintered reed of a staff, which pierces a man’s hand and wounds him if he leans on it! Such is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who depend on him. And if you say to me, “We are depending on the Lord our God”—isn’t he the one whose high places and altars Hezekiah removed, saying to Judah and Jerusalem, “You must worship before this altar”?

“‘Come now, make a bargain with my master, the king of Assyria: I will give you two thousand horses—if you can put riders on them! How then can you repulse one officer of the least of my master’s officials, even though you are depending on Egypt for chariots and horsemen? Furthermore, have I come to attack and destroy this land without the Lord? The Lord himself told me to march against this country and destroy it.’”

…Then the commander stood and called out in Hebrew, “Hear the words of the great king, the king of Assyria! This is what the king says: Do not let Hezekiah deceive you. He cannot deliver you! Do not let Hezekiah persuade you to trust in the Lord when he says, ‘The Lord will surely deliver us; this city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.’

“Do not listen to Hezekiah. This is what the king of Assyria says: Make peace with me and come out to me. Then every one of you will eat from his own vine and fig tree and drink water from his own cistern, until I come and take you to a land like your own—a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards.

“Do not let Hezekiah mislead you when he says, ‘The Lord will deliver us.’ Has the god of any nation ever delivered his land from the hand of the king of Assyria? …How then can the Lord deliver Jerusalem from my hand?”…

An Allegory

The Lord Jesus helped me to identify who the main characters in this story represent:

1. The King of Assyria – Satan
2. The King of Jerusalem – Jesus Christ
3. Jerusalem – the true church; the redeemed of the Lord; the saints of God
4. Assyria – Satan’s kingdom where Satan has his throne
5. Isaiah – the Lord’s servants and witnesses

As we know from scripture, not only is Jesus Christ described in terms of a lion, but Satan is also described as a roaring lion seeking someone to devour. Yet, he disguises himself as an angel of light and he can appear as a wolf in sheep’s clothing, i.e. he can be warm, affectionate, and playful, too, which gives a different kind of image from the roaring lion, yet the roaring lion and the wolf in sheep’s clothing are one and the same. We have to remember that he is the great deceiver, and his main goal is to deceive the minds of believers in Jesus Christ, and to destroy the true church. And, he works through human beings, too, including through religious (church) and governmental leaders.

Satan, I believe, has conquered the governmental kingdoms of the world now, and so he now has his sights set on conquering the saints of God – all true followers of Jesus Christ. Satan and his false teachers and false leaders of the people are master manipulators, deceivers, liars, unholy, unfaithful, charmers, playful, witty, fun, sexually immoral, and filled with all manner of evil. When they feel threatened because we are preaching the true gospel of Jesus Christ, they will come after us like a roaring lion seeking whom they may devour, but they may do it in a way that tries to make us feel as though we are the ones in the wrong, that they really care about us, and they just can’t understand why we won’t listen to them, and why we won’t believe them, but they can’t be trusted, because they have a snake’s bite.

The Bible warns us against such men (read Jude) who infiltrate our ranks to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus. Yet, we won’t recognize them if we are not walking closely with the Lord Jesus so that we are given a spirit of discernment to identify who they are.

The Words of Satan

As I read through this passage of scripture I saw so vividly how the king of Assyria was Satan and how the things Sennacherib said to Hezekiah and to the people sounded so much like what Satan says. The king of Assyria said:

1)    “On what are you basing this confidence of yours?” – Satan tries to get us to doubt God, to doubt God’s word and his voice to us, and to doubt our relationship with Jesus Christ.

2)    “You say you have strategy and military strength – but you speak only empty words.” Satan likes to try to make us feel weak and helpless and to convince us of such in order to get us to not obey the Lord.

3)    “On whom are you depending that you rebel against me?” – Satan likes to try to make us question our dependency on Jesus Christ and to even suggest we are listening to him instead of to Christ.

4)    “Look now, you are depending on Egypt.” – This might be the truth. The church in the U.S. today is depending on the U.S. government. – Satan will say some things that are true, but he will mix lies in with it and will twist and distort the truth.

5)    “If you say you are depending on the Lord our God – isn’t he the one whose high places and altars Hezekiah removed saying to Judah and Jerusalem, ‘You must worship before this altar?” – Satan will try to show us that belief in Jesus Christ and the true gospel, which removes idolatry from people’s lives, is “legalistic” and that he can provide a church and faith that is “fun” and free from the guilt of sin.

6)    “Come now, make a bargain with my master, the king of Assyria” – Satan will try to get us to compromise our beliefs and convictions by trying to shame us into a compromise. He will try to convince us to bring ourselves back under the slavery of sin and of men, when Jesus Christ came to set us free.

7)    “Furthermore, have I come to attack and destroy this land without the Lord? The Lord himself told me…” Whereas it is true that the king of Assyria was God’s divine instrument of judgment against Jerusalem, it was not true that he had a personal relationship with God to where God spoke to him. Satan will try to convince you that he hears from God and his followers will even pretend to be believers in Christ.

8)    “Hear the words of the great king, the king of Assyria. This is what the king says: Do not let Hezekiah deceive you. He cannot deliver you!  Do not let Hezekiah persuade you to trust in the Lord.” Wow! Satan tries to tell us not to put our trust in the Lord Jesus but to put our trust in man. He preys on our weaknesses and tries to convince us that we are helpless and that we need him.

9)    “Do not listen to Hezekiah. This is what the king of Assyria says: Make peace with me and come out to me.” Wow! This is the voice of Satan telling us not to trust in the words of the Lord but to trust in the words of man instead, and to let men give us the counsel and direction we need and to let man be our gods.

10) “Do not let Hezekiah mislead you when he says, ‘The Lord will deliver us.’” I see this both as Satan trying to convince us not to believe in the promises of God nor to believe the Lord’s servants when they tell us those same promises of God.

When Satan throws his fiery darts at us, and he will use human beings as his instruments of his deceptive messages, we must know the truth so that we can put on the full armor of God. Satan’s messengers are charmers, sweet talkers, liars, manipulators, wicked, abusive, sexually immoral, dividers of the people, plotters of evil, always doing their evil deeds in secret so that no one can see what they are doing. But God sees. They prey on those who are emotionally weak and who doubt themselves, so we must remain strong and we must put on the truth to counteract their lies. They will try to convince us that we are weak and powerless, but we are not. We are children of the King.

They will try to pull us away from doing the will of God and from sharing the gospel and will try to convince us we are crazy and/or that we are hearing from Satan. Know this! - They said the same things about Jesus. They said he was crazy and they accused him of being of Satan, but he refuted that lie by telling them that Satan does not drive out Satan or else his kingdom will fall. Satan is not going to be giving out the gospel and calling people to repent of their sins and to turn to faith in Jesus Christ. He will try to make you believe you can go to heaven and still live in your sin because of God’s grace. And, that lie is going to send many to hell.

I believe the day of evil is upon us, that judgment is near, and that the lion has come out of his lair and he is out to attack, kill and destroy believers in Jesus Christ. His greatest weapon is deception and manipulation, charm, smooth talk, i.e. he will try to make you feel like he is your best friend. He may look like a warm and cuddly puppy, but he has the roar of a lion, and he is bent on devouring each and every one of us. So, we must resist him, and we must daily put on the armor of God so that we are not led into the devil’s trap. The voice of God says “Repent of your sins and believe the good news!” The voice of Satan says, “Have a good time” and he says that those who are preaching messages about repentance, obedience and judgment are crazy and need to be put away. The Lord gave me a picture of the beheading of believers in today’s world – lock them up and drug them up so that they can’t think, pray or witness for Jesus Christ, and they are beheaded. Oh, how I pray and believe the Lord Jesus for deliverance from the evil one.

Consider this: http://digital.nationalpost.com/epaper/viewer.aspx: “Ward 4 Councilman Alan Halberstadt said pregnant women locally need to be advised of warnings of potential harm in preparing infant formula with fluoridated tap water. He described as ‘paternalistic’ the idea that the community has to be ‘medicated’ without their consent in order to treat against tooth decay.” And this: 23 Executive Orders: http://anothervoicerev184.blogspot.com/2013/01/23-exectutive-orders-33-days-after.html

If they can do this with fluoride, what is to stop them from playing the role of parent (Big Brother) in medicating the American people in other ways? We live in troubled times.

Seek the Lord / An Original Work / July 20, 2012

Based off Isaiah 55

“Come to Me all you who thirst; come to waters.

Listen to Me, and eat what’s good today,

And your soul will delight in richest of fare.

Give ear to Me, and you will live.

I have made an eternal covenant with you.

Wash in the blood of the Lamb.”

Seek the Lord while He may be found; call on Him.

Let the wicked forsake his way, in truth.

Let him turn to the Lord, and he will receive mercy.

Freely, God pardons him.

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,

Nor are your ways My ways,”

declares the Lord, our God.

“My word that goes out of My mouth is truthful.

It will not return to Me unfulfilled.

My word will accomplish all that I desire,

And achieve the goal I intend.

You will go in joy, and be led forth in peace.

The mountains will burst into song… before you,

And all of the trees clap their hands.”

http://originalworks.info/seek-the-lord/