Not Falter

Monday, July 07, 2014, 7:00 a.m. – the Lord Jesus put the song in mind, “Oh, To Be Like Thee.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Isaiah 42:1-9 (NIV).

My Servant

“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 teaching the islands will put their hope.”

The Lord’s servant is Jesus Christ our Lord, and yet we, too, are his servants, as we carry within us the body of Christ in the person of the Holy Spirit. Daily we are being conformed to and transformed into his likeness by the Spirit of God within us as we surrender our wills to his will. We are commanded of God to be holy as he is holy. Holy means: set apart from (different; unlike) the world and set apart to God and to his service. Amen! And, we have been given the Spirit of God, as well, to counsel, teach, instruct, encourage, and to direct our steps, and to empower us for the work of the ministry to which God has called us.

Jesus Christ was faithful in all that he did. He did not falter (waver or fluctuate) nor did he give in to discouragement. He remained committed to the task to which he had been sent to earth, which was to die on the cross for our sins. And, he will strengthen us and will help us to remain faithful, too, to his calling upon our lives, so that we do not waver in our commitments nor give in to a spirit of discouragement to where we give up, back down or run away when the going gets tough, and it will.

The word of God says that he who began a good work in us will carry it on to completion until the day of Jesus Christ (Phil. 1:6). It is not about us and our abilities or even our strength to keep going on, but his strength is made perfect in our weakness. We just need to put our absolute faith and trust in him for all things and keep on keeping on in doing what he has called us to do until he takes us home.

Called You

This is what God the Lord says—

the Creator of the heavens, who stretches them out,

    who spreads out the earth with all that springs from 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.

Again, the servant here is Jesus Christ (Cf. Is. 61). And, yet, much of this is also the calling of all of Christ’s followers. Jesus Christ called Paul (then Saul) to do much the same as what is stated here (See Ac. 26:16-18), but is this unique only to Jesus and to Paul? Are we not all called to be his witnesses? Are not all his disciples called to go and to make disciples of Christ of people of all nations, baptizing them, and teaching them to obey all that Christ has commanded us? (See Ac. 1:8; Matt. 28:18-20) Are we not all called to let our lights shine before men, and to snatch people from the fires of hell, to lead out those who have eyes but are blind, and to turn sinners from the error of their way so that they can be saved? Are we here on this earth only to live for ourselves and the sinful pleasures of our own hearts? No!

We have been given a wonderful gift – the gift of salvation. Why do so many keep it to themselves and not share it with others? Why are we not passionately burdened for lost souls and calling out to God daily in prayer for their salvation? So many are blinded by sin and rebellion against God; so many are duped, manipulated and deceived by master manipulators who twist the truth for selfish gain, and so they are believing and following the lie. Who will tell them the truth if we do not? We need to answer the call of God, with Isaiah, to go, and then to say, “Here am I! Send me!” Why do we persist in living our lives primarily for ourselves and our pleasures with little regard for God and for what he wants? One day he is coming back. When we stand before him, what excuse will we give for not sharing the gospel?

The essence of the gospel is this: People are blinded by sin. They are without God and without hope. They are bound for hell and eternal separation from God. Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins so that we might be delivered from our blindness and our slavery to sin, and so we might walk freely in his righteousness and holiness, as well as escape the fires of hell and have the hope of eternal life with him in glory. We accept his plan of salvation into our lives by faith. This faith is also a gift from God, but one we must apply to our lives. We do so by surrendering our lives to God, allowing the Spirit of God to turn us away from our lives of sin to the light of Christ’s truth (his word) so that we may now live by it instead. We willingly die with Christ to the sins which once enslaved us and we choose to now live for God in the power and working of his Spirit within us. This is God’s grace!

New Things

“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.”

The “new things” being declared and announced here are Jesus Christ and his ministry of salvation in our lives. Yet, what he was telling them here was not just for their future, but it was for their present. They were to believe in the promise that was to come. We believe in the promise who has already come and who will one day return. They were and we are all saved by faith in the promise, Jesus Christ. And, both their lives and our lives are to reflect that faith. It means we forsake our idols, we forget the former ways of living for sin and self, and we follow the new way of holiness; the way of the cross – all in the power and working of the Spirit within us who is transforming us into the image (likeness) of Christ “with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit” (See 2 Co. 3:18).

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.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrYhiK2nQBg

I Will Strengthen You

Monday, July 07, 2014, 3:17 a.m. – the Lord Jesus put the song in mind, “Guide Me O Thou Great Jehovah.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Isaiah 41 (NIV).

You Are My Servant

“But you, 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. ~ Is. 41:8-10

Day five of being sick now, yet the Lord Jesus continues to encourage me with the knowledge of his all sufficiency to meet my every need and to supply me with the strength I need to do what he has called me to do.

I listened to a recording of a sermon yesterday from 2010, which was preached by the pastor I had in my teenage and early adult years, and it greatly encouraged my heart. The sermon title was “God is Enough.” Amen! At the beginning of his sermon he relayed a story to us of his early years in ministry in a small church. He had developed a bad case of bronchitis, but if he did not preach there would be no sermon. So, he prayed about it and the Lord encouraged him, so on complete faith and trust in God, even though he was coughing and had no voice, he stood up to preach and the Spirit of God took over, but when he sat back down, the bronchitis returned. This went on for several weeks until God healed him. I have seen God perform miracles like that in my life, as well. We need to realize that, when we do not have the strength, God does!

Will Be As Nothing

“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, you worm Jacob,

    little Israel, do not fear,

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

    your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.

“See, I will make you into a threshing sledge,

    new and sharp, with many teeth.

You will thresh the mountains and crush them,

    and reduce the hills to chaff.

You will winnow them, the wind will pick them up,

    and a gale will blow them away.

But you will rejoice in the Lord

    and glory in the Holy One of Israel. ~ Is. 41:11-16

Sometimes I think we get the idea that our enemies are even more powerful than God, or so you would think by the way we sometimes respond to adversity, trials, temptations, sickness, etc. How soon, too, we can forget from one tribulation to another how God came through for us before, how he worked miracles in our lives, and how he strengthened us and helped us when we had no strength of our own. We must never forget that our enemies, whether real or imagined, whether in the flesh or merely in the spirit world, or whether they are even our own minds fighting against the Spirit within us, cannot prevail against Almighty God. Nothing in this world of ours is too powerful for God! Amen!

It is not as though our enemies truly disappear, though. They are still there. Yet, when we put our faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, and we believe him to work miracles in our lives and in our situations, even despite all odds against us, we render them powerless over us, and thus it is as though they have disappeared from sight, because we no longer let them get the best of us. Amen!

One of Satan’s biggest weapons against us is his lies. He tries to convince us that he is more powerful than God and that we are hopeless and helpless against all forces of evil against us, but we are not! If we are in Christ Jesus, and we are putting our faith and trust in him, he is with us, he takes hold of us, he helps us, and he gives us all we need to stand strong against those forces of evil and to conquer them in the power and working of the Spirit of God within us as we daily put on our spiritual armor and we do not give the devil a foothold in our lives, but we stand strong in the Lord and in his mighty power within us.

He Will Answer

“The poor and needy search for water,

    but there is none;

    their tongues are parched with thirst.

But I the Lord will answer them;

    I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.

I will make rivers flow on barren heights,

    and springs within the valleys.

I will turn the desert into pools of water,

    and the parched ground into springs.

I will put in the desert

    the cedar and the acacia, the myrtle and the olive.

I will set junipers in the wasteland,

    the fir and the cypress together,

so that people may see and know,

    may consider and understand,

that the hand of the Lord has done this,

    that the Holy One of Israel has created it. ~ Is. 41:17-20

Who are the poor and needy among us? We can all be poor (deprived) and needy (disadvantaged) at times, searching intently for what will satisfy the deep longings of our hearts, only to come up empty because we are searching in all the wrong places. It is in those times that we need to remember that our Lord God will never leave us or forsake us. He will not leave us comfortless or without resources. We don’t have to be afraid. We don’t have to take matters into our own hands, thinking God needs our help, either. Our God is able to do far above anything we could possibly think or imagine! He is the God of miracles. We just have to believe him to work miracles in our lives instead of us giving way to fear.

When all seems hopeless in the eyes of our human flesh God will fill us with hope and faith if we will let him. He will refresh our spirits and revive our hearts and heal our wounded spirits and comfort us in our sorrows. It is not as though our circumstances may change any, though. They may, but they may not. Yet, God gives us the ability to rise above our circumstances and to see hope where there seems to be none, and to trust in his miracles when all seems destitute. And, that is where the true miracle of his grace in our circumstances comes into play, not necessarily that he removes us from the circumstances, though he may, but that he gives us the strength to rise above them and for them to no longer have dominion over us. Amen! God truly is enough! We just have to believe it!

Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah / William Williams / John Hughes

Guide me, O Thou great Jehovah,

Pilgrim through this barren land.

I am weak, but Thou art mighty;

Hold me with Thy powerful hand.

Bread of Heaven, Bread of Heaven,

Feed me till I want no more;

Feed me till I want no more.

Open now the crystal fountain,

Whence the healing stream doth flow;

Let the fire and cloudy pillar

Lead me all my journey through.

Strong Deliverer, strong Deliverer,

Be Thou still my Strength and Shield;

Be Thou still my Strength and Shield.

When I tread the verge of Jordan,

Bid my anxious fears subside;

Death of deaths, and hell’s destruction,

Land me safe on Canaan’s side.

Songs of praises, songs of praises,

I will ever give to Thee;

I will ever give to Thee. Amen.

God is Enough - http://youtu.be/7m8xuRXQLHY

Your God Will Come

Saturday, July 05, 2014, 11:08 p.m. – the Lord Jesus put the song in mind, “Songs in The Night.”

Recap

I have been sick the past several days with some kind of cold/virus. It began on Thursday with a sore throat. By Friday I now had fever, chills, extreme face pain, congestion, sore throat, cough and dry heaves. I could not eat or drink anything. I prayed and sang songs of praise to my Lord quietly in my mind all through the day and night and by Saturday morning all that remained was cough and congestion. Praise Jesus! Yet, by Saturday evening I had a bad sinus headache, which has not totally gone away, but I am praying it through, believing my Lord Jesus for complete healing and restoration.

In the process of praying just now I was reminded of my time with the Lord earlier in the day when I read Isaiah 31-32. The passage began with a warning to God’s people to not put their trust in “Egypt” for their strength and help in place of trusting in the Lord. Then, in verse 4 it spoke of how the Lord Almighty would come down to do battle on Mount Zion and on its heights. Typically the term “heights” is a reference to places of worship, usually a reference to the worship of idols. Mount Zion is now a term connected with the church, the Body of Christ, as is Jerusalem. But then in verse 5 it says that the Lord will shield Jerusalem. Jerusalem is where the temple of God dwelt. For those who know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, his temple is now our hearts and lives, so we are heavenly Jerusalem. The passage said, “He will shield it and deliver it, he will ‘pass over’ it and will rescue it.”

This, to me, was an obvious reference to the captivity of Israel in Egypt and how God brought down judgment as a means to rescue and to deliver his people out of slavery. It is also symbolic of our salvation. As God passes over his true ones, he will shield us and will rescue us, not necessarily from physical harm, but from the flames of eternity in hell because of the blood of Jesus Christ which we have applied to our own lives by faith in Jesus Christ in salvation from sin. Yet, this reference to Egypt as a place of slavery from which the Lord rescued his people is in context to the Egypt upon whom the people were placing their trust for help and support over trusting in God.

I believe the Lord Jesus is saying to me here that the institutional church is the true church’s Egypt, but not just the institutional church alone, but the whole world’s system which has taken over much of today’s church life and gatherings. The people of God have become too dependent on humans and on “stuff” for their help and support, and for their sense of happiness and fulfillment. God will thus visit this “Egypt” in judgment as a means to rescue his true ones out of captivity to the lies, deceptions and manipulations of truth coming from the institutional church, the government to whom she is “married,” and from the mainstream media, which is just an arm of the government.

Then, the Lord Jesus reminded me of the song that was in my head, “Songs in the Night.” When the Lord Jesus first gave me this song to write I felt it was concerning Christian persecution, and it was the persecuted church throughout the world singing the song. Christian persecution is a judgment or a divine discipline of God on the church, not to destroy her, but to deliver her from her dependence and trust in humans over her trust in Almighty God. I pray, Lord Jesus, that you would show me where I am still putting trust in humans or in other things as my means of support and help over and above you. Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Isaiah 35:3-10 (NIV).

Be Strong

Strengthen the feeble hands,

    steady the knees that give way;

say to those with fearful hearts,

    “Be strong, do not fear;

your God will come,

    he will come with vengeance;

with divine retribution

    he will come to save you.”

For those who are presently being persecuted for their faith in Jesus Christ and for their testimony for him, and for those who face the prospect of such persecution, this encourages our hearts. We should not fear whatever comes our way, whether it be sickness, hardship, persecution, or death, but we should put our faith and trust in the Lord. As well, for those who have eyes to see the lies, the manipulations of truth and the deceptions going on in the world and inside the church, and who have called on God in prayer to deliver his people out of this slavery (blindness), although the prospect of divine judgment is not encouraging by any means, the prospect of the end result should strengthen our hearts and our resolve to keep speaking out and to keep on teaching what is true and to continue exposing the lies, for God will come to save his people. Amen!

Times of Refreshing

Then will the eyes of the blind be opened

    and the ears of the deaf unstopped.

Then will the lame leap like a deer,

    and the mute tongue shout for joy.

Water will gush forth in the wilderness

    and streams in the desert.

The burning sand will become a pool,

    the thirsty ground bubbling springs.

In the haunts where jackals once lay,

    grass and reeds and papyrus will grow.

When I had that fever all day on July 4^th I believe the Lord Jesus put it in my heart to get out a washcloth, to get it wet with cool water, and to wipe down my face and neck. Whenever I did that, the fever would subside, and I was able to sleep for a little while. As I was doing this, and I was praying, I thought about the times of refreshing that our Lord Jesus brings into our lives, but specifically I was thinking and praying about the revival of the church. I believe that is what this passage describes. Scripture talks about a time of great deception on the earth when even the elect would be deceived, if that were possible. I believe we are living in such a time, and that so many believers in Jesus Christ have fallen under the spell of deception and lies and don’t even know it. When God judges his adulterous church and her “Egypts,” the church’s eyes will be open and they will see all the lies they have believed, and they will listen to God’s truths instead of the lies. Amen!

The Way of Holiness

And a highway will be there;

    it will be called the Way of Holiness;

    it will be for those who walk on that Way.

The unclean will not journey on it;

    wicked fools will not go about on it.

No lion will be there,

    nor any ravenous beast;

    they will not be found there.

But only the redeemed will walk there,

    and those the Lord has rescued will return.

They will enter Zion with singing;

    everlasting joy will crown their heads.

Gladness and joy will overtake them,

    and sorrow and sighing will flee away.

Then the church, who had been placing her trust in the institutions of humans and in the ways of this sinful world over and above her trust in her Lord, but whom the Lord had delivered from all that, will now walk in the Way of Holiness, as will all the Redeemed of the Lord. To be holy means: to be set apart (different; unlike) the world, and to be set apart to God and to his service. The Way of Holiness is thus the way of the Lord and of his word, not the way of the world and the way, thinking, values, and philosophies of humans. Those who practice lies, deceit, manipulation and all kinds of evil will not walk in this way. The Redeemed of the Lord, including those whom he will rescue from dependence on the flesh, will enter into fellowship with their Lord Jesus with singing, and everlasting joy will be the crown on their heads. Amen! They will sing a song of deliverance, of God’s mercy, justice, and of his great love for them in rescuing them from the lies and deceptions of humans. They will be overtaken by the joy of the Lord, and sorrow and sadness will be gone. Amen!

Songs in the Night / An Original Work / December 18, 2013

“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God,

And the other prisoners were listening to them.” Acts 16:25 NIV ‘84

Lord, I praise You forevermore.

You, my Savior, I now adore.

Hope in heaven awaiting me,

Because You died at Calvary.

I have been forgiven,

And I’m bound for heaven.

Jesus set me free from

All my sin, I say.

I will praise Him always!

Lord, I love You for all You’ve done:

Overcame death, my vict’ry won!

Jesus saved me, and now I’m free!

I rejoice in His love for me.

I will walk in vict’ry!

My sin is but hist’ry!

I am free to please Him

With my life today.

I will love Him always!

Lord, I thank You for giving me

A new life bought at Calvary.

Loving Jesus, I meet with Him.

Tender mercies now flow within.

Lord, I am so thankful;

Through my Lord, I’m able

To sit at His table;

Fellowship with Him.

I will thank Him always!

http://originalworks.info/songs-in-the-night/

No Longer Closed

Saturday, July 05, 2014, 7:14 a.m. – the Lord Jesus put the song in mind, “I Do Not Seal My Lips.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Isaiah 31:1-32:8 (NIV).

Mere Mortals

Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help,

    who rely on horses,

who trust in the multitude of their chariots

    and in the great strength of their horsemen,

but do not look to the Holy One of Israel,

    or seek help from the Lord.

Yet he too is wise and can bring disaster;

    he does not take back his words.

He will rise up against that wicked nation,

    against those who help evildoers.

But the Egyptians are mere mortals and not God;

    their horses are flesh and not spirit.

When the Lord stretches out his hand,

    those who help will stumble,

    those who are helped will fall;

    all will perish together. ~ Is. 31:1-3

This is a warning against putting our trust in humans. Especially we are being cautioned here against trusting in humans over and above our trust in God. The humans we trust in may even be ourselves and in our own resources. Sometimes we may get impatient with God and so we feel as though we need to help God out, as though he needs our help. Oftentimes we, as humans, will look to everything or to everyone else first, and God will be our last consult when everything else fails. It may even be our normal course of action to automatically turn to human resolutions and resources without even thought to consult God. Oh, how sad! Why do we think, or where do we get the notion that God should be our “backup” plan rather than him being our first call?

About five years ago now the Lord Jesus spoke to me about my trust in medications. I would normally just turn to medicine every time I had pain or a head cold or whatever. One of the medications I took about 20 years ago ended up causing damage to me instead of helping me, but God healed me about 12 years ago of that. I stopped taking all meds at that time, but gradually I reintroduced some of them back into my system. Why? I don’t know. Lack of trust in God I suspect. But then five years ago he spoke to me about this again, and so I stopped taking all medicines, and so I pray through every pain and sickness and trust the Lord Jesus, my great physician, for healing. Yesterday was one of those days. I had fever, chills, extreme face pain, congestion, sore throat, cough and dry heaves. Yet, I prayed it through and all that is left of it today is congestion and cough, praise Jesus!

One of the biggest areas where this trust in humans over trust in God is taking place is inside the institutional church. And, that is really sad! So many are following the marketing schemes and business plans of humans for how to build their churches rather than following God’s plan as laid out for us in scripture. So many are teaching humanistic philosophies and teachings over the word of God or mixed in with scripture, but as a twisting of what the scriptures actually say. So many in the church are relying upon the government, and upon books written by humans, to give support and/or direction to the church in place of Jesus Christ being the chief cornerstone (support and foundation) of the church.

The warning here is that one day God will judge the people of this earth, and then all of those things, people, buildings and organizations in which we have placed our trust will disappear. All those humans in whom we have trusted will vanish or be destroyed or will be brought down and then what good will any of them be to us? What good will all those marketing schemes, gimmicks, and entertainment be to the church then, which it now uses to bring in large crowds of people into their buildings? How will we get our medications then? What would happen in America if all of our electrical and cell power was shut off, and we no longer had access to TV, cell phones, IPads, computers, movies, and the like? I think it would be awesome! People would come out of their homes, and they would no longer bury their faces in electronics or shut themselves off from the world using headphones, but people would talk with each other. I honestly think that would be a blessing for the church.

To Do Battle

This is what the Lord says to me:

“As a lion growls,

    a great lion over its prey—

and though a whole band of shepherds

    is called together against it,

it is not frightened by their shouts

    or disturbed by their clamor—

so the Lord Almighty will come down

    to do battle on Mount Zion and on its heights.

Like birds hovering overhead,

    the Lord Almighty will shield Jerusalem;

he will shield it and deliver it,

    he will ‘pass over’ it and will rescue it.”

Return, you Israelites, to the One you have so greatly revolted against. For in that day every one of you will reject the idols of silver and gold your sinful hands have made. ~ Is. 31:4-6

God is going to bring judgment against his adulterous church, but not to destroy her, but to save her. Through judgment he will rescue her from those with whom she has committed adultery; from those who have deceived and manipulated her, and who have gotten her to believe their lies. So many people who claim to know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of their lives have been duped by master manipulators who are within our government, media and within the church. They so easily believe everything they read, see and hear as though it is truth without ever checking it out to see if it is truth. Yet, through judgment they will have their eyes opened, and they will reject all those idols on which or on whom they have placed their trust, their dependency, their hope, or their sense of happiness and pleasure. So, the call here is to the church to return to Jesus Christ as her only hope.

They Stand

See, a king will reign in righteousness

    and rulers will rule with justice.

Each one will be like a shelter from the wind

    and a refuge from the storm,

like streams of water in the desert

    and the shadow of a great rock in a thirsty land.

Then the eyes of those who see will no longer be closed,

    and the ears of those who hear will listen.

The fearful heart will know and understand,

    and the stammering tongue will be fluent and clear.

No longer will the fool be called noble

    nor the scoundrel be highly respected.

For fools speak folly,

    their hearts are bent on evil:

They practice ungodliness

    and spread error concerning the Lord;

the hungry they leave empty

    and from the thirsty they withhold water.

Scoundrels use wicked methods,

    they make up evil schemes

to destroy the poor with lies,

    even when the plea of the needy is just.

But the noble make noble plans,

    and by noble deeds they stand. ~ Is. 32:1-8

In the day that Jesus Christ comes to judge the earth and then to set up his kingdom reign upon the earth, all that is of the flesh will be gone. There will be no more lies and deception. Amen! Those who have been blinded by the lies and deceptions of our government, media and the institutional church will have their eyes opened to see the truth. Those who have followed the lies and who have rejected the truth will now see and hear with spiritual eyes and ears. They will reject the lies and hold to the truth. We will no longer have anything to fear, for no one will harm his or her neighbor. All will live at peace with one another.

No longer will we exalt humans who lie, deceive and manipulate us with their lies, while disguising and hiding their evil deeds. We will give them no more honor and praise. We will no longer accept their lies against the godly of this world, for the truth will be made known. Although I have no desire to see judgment come and for people to be hurt and killed, I long for the day when everyone’s eyes will be opened and when they will know the truth and will no longer believe the lies, for what is worse? – Merciful judgment? Or for the people of God to walk around this world following after the lies of the enemy, deceived, and following after the gods of this world instead of after the One and Only true God? With judgment the bride of Christ will make herself ready for her husband, and with his return and reign she will now put her complete and total trust in him, and he will be her only source of shelter, refuge and satisfaction for all that she desires and needs. I look forward to that day!

I Do Not Seal My Lips / An Original Work / January 13, 2014

Based off Psalms 37, 40

Do not fear when evil man

Has success in all their plans,

For like grass they’ll wither soon.

They’ll be cut off from the land.

Trust in the Lord and He’ll give you peace.

Find your delight in Him through all stress.

All of your ways commit unto Him.

All your desires from Him He’ll fulfill.

Wait for the Lord; keep His way.

Delight in His Word always.

He’ll be with you to the end;

Life eternal found in Him.

I waited patiently for my Lord.

He turned to me, and He heard my cry.

He set my feet on the Solid Rock.

He gave to me a firm place to stand.

Blessed are we, who trust the Lord,

Who do not turn to false gods.

Our desire’s to do God’s will.

His word is within our hearts.

I will proclaim salvation to man.

You put a new song now in my mouth.

I’ll not withhold your love and your grace.

I’ll speak forevermore of your truth.

http://originalworks.info/i-do-not-seal-my-lips/

Our Pride and Crown

Thursday, July 03, 2014, 8:46 a.m. – the Lord Jesus put the song in mind, “Praise Be Told.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Isaiah 28. I will quote selected verses in the NIV due to the length of the passage, and I will summarize other parts of it. The passage in its entirety may be read here: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah+28&version=NIV

The northern kingdom of Israel was under judgment by Almighty God. The government of this kingdom was the nation’s pride, and that was also part of her downfall. Recently the Lord Jesus gave me a picture of the northern kingdom as similar to the institutional church, whereas the southern kingdom was to be paralleled over to the true church, the body of Christ. One is an institution of humans whereas the other is of God. One is a corporation of mankind, whereas the other is a spiritual entity of the Spirit of God. One is headed by humans and government, whereas the other is headed by Jesus Christ. One is operated like a business of humans whereas the other is operated in the Spirit. One is physical. The other is spiritual. One gives allegiance to governments of men, whereas the other has its allegiance to Christ alone.

Yet, the true church, the body of Christ, can exist within the institutional church, but this church is divided because part is of the flesh and part is of the Spirit; part is of men and part is of God. In other words, it has divided loyalties. And, I do believe God is calling to his true church to come out from these institutions of men and for the church to operate in the Spirit as a spiritual entity with only Christ as the head (her only Pride and Crown).

The judgment was specifically against the government of the northern kingdom. Like a hailstorm and a destructive wind, God would throw the nation’s pride, their government, to the ground. Many times over the Lord Jesus has shown me how this may be applied to the institutional church here in the USA whose government is her “pride”, and how God intends to bring such a judgment against the US government. When this judgment comes, and it will come, the church will no longer look to the government as her pride, but the Lord Jesus will be her glorious crown. Amen! And, he will be a source of strength “to those who turn back the battle at the gate.”

I believe this “turning back the battle at the gate” has to do with those who have resisted Satan’s lies and deceptions and temptations in their own lives, as well as this represents those who are actively involved in sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ in order to turn back this battle of Satan against God’s people, and at the gate of human’s hearts so that people can be saved, so they can be free from the power of Satan and sin over their lives, and so that they no longer allow Satan and sin to overcome them. They stop it at the gate. For those who have done this, i.e. for those who have “turned the battle back at the gate,” God will be their refuge and strength. This does not mean they will not suffer or even die for their faith in Jesus Christ and for his gospel, but it means that he will be with them even in death and he will bring them safely into his glorious presence.

Though They Mock

“Who is it he is trying to teach?

    To whom is he explaining his message?

To children weaned from their milk,

    to those just taken from the breast?

For it is:

    Do this, do that,

    a rule for this, a rule for that;

    a little here, a little there.”

Many of the leaders of the people in the institutional church of today, for whom the US government is their pride (their crown), are captivated by the philosophies, values, marketing schemes, and teachings of humankind over and above the teachings of Christ and of his word. Books on how to grow big churches or on how to plant churches have often become their “bible,” as well as are books which teach eastern mysticism and a diluted gospel, in order to tickle the itching ears of their adherents. They bring God/Jesus down to their level. They no longer teach the fear of the Lord. They make God into a buddy who is altogether like us rather than exalt him to the holy and powerful God that he is. They make the gospel comfortable, non-threatening, non-judgmental and pleasing to the senses so that the world will embrace it and will come to their churches, i.e. to their places of business.

Many of these leaders thus reject the true gospel of salvation and all who hold to the foundational teachings of Christ and of the apostles. Many of these leaders are even taught and also teach that the church should avoid, cast out, discourage and get rid of those with strong spiritual convictions or those who have a depth of knowledge of scripture, and some are even taught to discourage the bringing of Bibles and the teaching of the word in their meetings, because they see religion as something which divides people, and so they try to minister to Christian and non-Christian alike in the same ways, teaching an ecumenical gospel which appeals to people of many religions, because it is tolerant of sin and it is tolerant of various religions, and it works to bring all people of all faiths together as one.

And, so they mock those who still preach the gospel as taught by Jesus and the apostles, and they work to discredit them, trying to prove that obedience to Christ and repentance are works of the flesh that people perform in order to try to earn their salvation. They don’t like messages that say we have to leave our lives of sin behind us and that we must walk in Christ’s righteousness and holiness. They give their adherents a free license to continue in sin without guilt, thinking they have their ticket into heaven and that God’s grace covers it all. Yet, the Bible teaches that God’s grace teaches us to say “NO!” to ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self-controlled and upright lives in this present age while we wait for Christ’s return (See Tit. 2:11-14). Jesus Christ died, not so we would be free to continue in sin without guilt or remorse, but he died so that we would no longer live for ourselves but for him who gave himself up for us (See 2 Co. 5:15; cf. Ro. 6-8; Gal. 2:20; Eph. 4:17-24; & 1 Jn. 1-5).

So, God will judge these leaders, too. He will bring foreigners against them, and this will be God’s way of speaking to them, since they will not listen to his word, and since they will not listen to his servants and messengers who tell them the truth about what God’s word says. They - both government and religious leaders - have made a lie their refuge and falsehood their hiding place. They have followed the lies of our government leaders, which is why they have made the government their pride, and they have followed the lies of these writers of books who tell them that they need to change the gospel to make it more appealing to the world and that they need to run the church just like a business so that they can grow in numbers. And, in these lies, deceptions and manipulations of truth they have trusted.

A Precious Cornerstone

“See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone,

    a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation;

the one who relies on it

    will never be stricken with panic.

I will make justice the measuring line

    and righteousness the plumb line;

hail will sweep away your refuge, the lie,

    and water will overflow your hiding place.”

Jesus Christ is our precious cornerstone. A cornerstone is the foundation of something. Another word for cornerstone is capstone, which I believe gives even a much more vivid picture of who Jesus Christ is in relation to his church, his building. The capstone is a crowning achievement, i.e. a reference to the Pride and Crown that he will be to the people once he comes in judgment on the government in whom they have taken pride and made their crown in place of Christ, in many cases. Jesus Christ, as our capstone, is the top, the first, the most important, the foundation, the beginning, the center, the support, and the keystone of this building, his church, whereas the government in the US is the head of the institutional church. Yet Jesus Christ is our only sure foundation. All other things we put our trust in – the government, wealth, possessions, land, health, humans, humanistic teachings and philosophies, church edifices (buildings built by humans), etc. will all pass away and they will all disappoint us, but God’s love will never fail us. He is faithful in all he does!

So, make sure you are not trusting in a lie. Make sure you are trusting in the word of God, the word of truth, the true gospel of salvation, and in Jesus Christ as your only foundation.

Praise Be Told! / An Original Work / December 28, 2013

Based off Various Scriptures

He was pierced for our transgressions.

He was crushed for all our sin.

Our chastisement was upon Him.

By His stripes, we now are healed.

He has witnessed all our trials,

And the sins we choose to wear.

Yet, while we were dead in our sin,

Jesus died, our sins to bear.

He himself bore all of our sins

In His body on a cross,

So that we might die to our sin,

And live for His righteousness.

By faith in the pow’r of Jesus

And His blood shed for our sins,

We can be forgiven our sin,

And have life with God in heav’n.

He will lead us and He’ll guide us

In the way that we should go.

He will comfort and protect us,

Because Jesus, we do know.

Though He disciplines for our good,

He will heal us – Praise be told!

Do not fear, your Lord is with you.

Just have faith in Christ your Lord.

http://originalworks.info/praise-be-told/

In The Night

Thursday, July 03, 2014, 1:01 a.m. – the Lord Jesus put the song in mind, “To Be Like Him.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Isaiah 26 (NIV).

In Perfect Peace

In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah:

We have a strong city;

    God makes salvation

    its walls and ramparts.

Open the gates

    that the righteous nation may enter,

    the nation that keeps faith.

You will keep in perfect peace

    those whose minds are steadfast,

    because they trust in you.

Trust in the Lord forever,

    for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal.

He humbles those who dwell on high,

    he lays the lofty city low;

he levels it to the ground

    and casts it down to the dust…

The City of God used to be a physical city in which the physical temple of God dwelled. Now it is a spiritual city in which the presence of God dwells, by his Spirit. It is no longer protected and fortified by physical walls. Now salvation is its fortification, strength and protection. The gate to this city is no longer a physical gate. Jesus Christ is the gate (door) through which we enter this city. We do not enter through our own righteousness, though. We enter by way of the blood of Jesus Christ and his righteousness, which is then credited to our accounts by way of faith (trust) in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of our lives.

So, what does it mean to trust in the Lord Jesus? Well, when Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins, and then was resurrected from the dead, he not only conquered sin so that we would not have to spend eternity in hell, and so that we could have eternal life with him in heaven, but he died so that we would no longer live for ourselves but for him who gave himself up for us (See 2 Co. 5:15). He died so that we would die with him to sin so that sin would no longer be our master, but so we would be slaves of righteousness instead (See Ro. 6-8). And, He died so that we would leave our lives of sin behind us, so that we would be reborn of the Spirit, transformed in heart and mind, and so we would now walk in his righteousness and holiness (See Eph. 4:17-24; Tit. 2:11-14; Gal. 2:20; 1 Jn. 1-5).

So, to put our trust and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ means that we submit to the cross of Christ, we surrender to Jesus Christ and to his will and purposes for our lives, we choose to leave our lives of sin behind us, and we choose to walk in his righteousness and holiness – all in the power and working of the Spirit within us and not in our own flesh. It means we humble ourselves before the Lord, repent of (turn from) our sin, forsake our idols, and we choose to walk in his ways from this day forward. Then we will experience this perfect peace, which is not necessarily freedom from conflict, but which is an inward peace of mind and heart, peace with God, and is a wholeness and wellness of mind and spirit, because Jesus Christ has turned us from darkness to light, from the power of Satan to God, he has forgiven our sins, and he has given us a place among those whom Christ is making holy.

Walking in The Way

The path of the righteous is level;

    you, the Upright One, make the way of the righteous smooth.

Yes, Lord, walking in the way of your laws,

    we wait for you;

your name and renown

    are the desire of our hearts.

My soul yearns for you in the night;

    in the morning my spirit longs for you.

When your judgments come upon the earth,

    the people of the world learn righteousness.

But when grace is shown to the wicked,

    they do not learn righteousness;

even in a land of uprightness they go on doing evil

    and do not regard the majesty of the Lord…

The way of the righteous, i.e. of those having faith in Jesus Christ, is level (straight; smooth), not because it is free from trouble, distress, conflict, persecution, etc., but because it is the Lord Jesus who takes us by the hand and leads us in the way we should go. His yoke is easy and his burden is light because he is the one who carries the weight for us. He guides our every step. He strengthens us and helps us. He upholds us with his righteous right hand. We don’t have to go this alone. He is with us every step of the way, and he is able to supply all that we need for our journey, too. He will not leave us comfortless. He will never forsake us. We just have to let him lead, and we have to walk in his ways, trusting him to smooth out those rough places so that we can keep walking.

Walking in the ways of the Lord should be a joy and a delight, not something we dread. The Lord Jesus and his ways should be the desire of our hearts, what we long for, what gets us excited about life, what gets us up early and keeps us up late, and what brings a song to our hearts and puts a dance in our steps. We should long (ache) for him in the night and in the morning. Do we? I have to ask myself that question, too. Is he even in our thoughts in the night or when we rise in the mornings? Is he even a consideration in our plans and what we do throughout the day? Or, is he an afterthought? Or do we block out a certain amount of time for him each day and the rest for us? Do we even know what it means to ache for him? Or, have we become too casual about our relationships with him?

What does it mean to walk in the way of his laws? Does this still apply to us who are under the New Covenant of God’s grace? His laws are his words; his teachings; his instructions. In the New Testament we are taught to keep (obey) his word. We are taught that we are not just to be hearers of the word but doers. His Word teaches us that Jesus Christ is the law, and we are to obey him and his word (See Ro. 15:18; Phip. 2:12; Heb. 5:9; 1 Jn. 2:3-5; 3:22-24). Jesus Christ learned obedience through the things he suffered. We often do, too. Sometimes, when things are going too well for us, it might be tempting to slack off in our relationships with Jesus Christ, to take life and God for granted, and we might even fall back into some of our old sinful patterns. God disciplines those he loves. Discipline is for our good. Sometimes we need that to keep us focused on Jesus Christ and his ways.

What You Have Done

Lord, you establish peace for us;

    all that we have accomplished you have done for us.

Lord our God, other lords besides you have ruled over us,

    but your name alone do we honor.

They are now dead, they live no more;

    their spirits do not rise.

You punished them and brought them to ruin;

    you wiped out all memory of them…

Amen! There are two great principles here. One is that we are not saved by anything we have accomplished in ourselves, of our own merit or in our own flesh. We are saved by the blood of Jesus Christ, by what he accomplished for us through his death and resurrection in conquering sin so that we could be delivered from slavery to sin. Only through faith in him can we have peace with God.

The other great principle here is that, through this great salvation, those gods (idols) which once ruled over our lives are gone, dead and buried. Amen! Sin once enslaved us, but no more, praise Jesus! He set us free from all that. Now it is his name alone that we honor or that we should honor if we have truly been set free from our sin by the power of his blood. Because of what Jesus Christ did for us in dying on the cross for our sins, we can be completely forgiven, cleansed, renewed, and given new lives in Christ, free from our old lives of living for sin and self, and set free to walk in the way of Christ. Praise Jesus!

To Be Like Him / An Original Work

March 16, 2014 / Based off Scripture

Crucified you are with Jesus.

To be like Him, oh, you’ll be,

Because He died at Calv’ry,

So from sin you’d be free.

Oh, what joy He brings into your life,

Giving life with Him endlessly.

Oh, what plans He has for your life.

Share the gospel faithfully.

Show the people He loves them.

Now His witness you’ll be.

Tell the world of sin about Jesus,

How He died for them on a tree.

Purifying hearts, He saves them,

Who believe on Christ, God’s Son.

Turning now from their idols,

New lives they have begun.

Jesus saves from sin; we’re forgiven.

Over sin, the vict’ry He won!

When He comes again to take us

To be with Him evermore,

There will be no more crying.

Gladness will be in store.

Heavens joys will now overtake us:

We’ll be with our Lord evermore.

http://originalworks.info/to-be-like-him/

Our Delight

Tuesday, July 01, 2014, 8:00 a.m. – the Lord Jesus put this song in mind:

Crown Him with Many Crowns

Matthew Bridges / Godfrey Thring / George J. Elvey

Crown him with many crowns,

the Lamb upon his throne,

Hark! how the heavenly anthem drowns

all music but its own.

Awake, my soul, and sing

of him who died for thee,

and hail him as thy matchless King

through all eternity.

Crown him the Lord of life,

who triumphed o'er the grave,

and rose victorious in the strife

for those he came to save.

His glories now we sing,

who died, and rose on high,

who died, eternal life to bring,

and lives that death may die.

Crown him the Lord of love;

behold his hands and side,

those wounds, yet visible above,

in beauty glorified.

All hail, Redeemer, hail!

For thou hast died for me;

thy praise and glory shall not fail

throughout eternity.

Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Isaiah 11:1-5 (NIV).

He Will Delight

A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse;

    from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.

The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—

    the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,

    the Spirit of counsel and of might,

    the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord—

and he will delight in the fear of the Lord.

Jesus Christ, our Lord and Redeemer, is prophesied here by Isaiah. He was and is the promised seed of Abraham; the promised Messiah to the people of God of that day, who was yet to come upon the earth. He is our God, the second person of our triune God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. He is our creator, sustainer, Savior, Lord, and King. Although he was God, he left his throne in heaven, came to earth, took on human flesh, and was tempted in like manner as we are tempted, yet without sin. He was completely God and yet completely man; our God incarnate. He came to earth to die for our sins, so that we could be delivered from slavery to sin, and so we could walk in his holiness and righteousness.

Jesus Christ operated in the fear (awe; respect; honor; and reverence) of the Lord, his Father God. Although he was God himself, yet he was always in obedient submission to the Father, and he did all that the Father said to do. In fact, he delighted in obedience and submission to the Father, in complete reverence, and with all due respect (esteem, value and regard) for God. The Spirit of God was upon him, not just because of Jesus’ baptism, where the Spirit descended upon him in the form of a dove, but because he was God and because he was the Son of God, and thus the Spirit of the Lord was upon him always. Jesus Christ was, thus, full of the godly wisdom, counsel, understanding and knowledge of the Spirit of God. And, he operated in the power and strength of the Spirit, too.

Our Example

Jesus Christ, in his relationship to the Father and to the Spirit, sets the example for us in how we are to walk in his ways, too. As followers of Jesus Christ, we are to operate our lives in the fear (respect, honor, and reverence) of God. Do we truly? Sometimes I wonder. I find so much joking, poking fun, and lack of respect in relation to God and to his word these days. I find that few leaders within our churches truly teach the fear of the Lord anymore. Do we even comprehend what that really means? God was in Jesus’ thoughts all day long, i.e. he was ever aware of his abiding presence with him, and he considered him in all that he did and said. He didn’t separate his human life from his spiritual life. They were one and the same. And, his goal was to please the Father in all that he did and said. Is this our goal?

He also submitted to and obeyed the Father. These are words that are scarcely used anymore. “Obedience” has become a “dirty word” in most evangelical circles, and is often been associated with “works-based” salvation. Yet, it isn’t. Jesus learned obedience through the things that he suffered, even though he was God. He taught us that the way we demonstrate our love for him is by obeying him. The disciple John taught the same thing, as did Paul, Peter and James, etc. Obedience is not following a set of rules to earn our salvation. Obedience is a heart response toward God in receiving his salvation into our lives, which says that we willingly die with Christ to our old ways of living for sin and self, and we submit to the working of God’s grace in our lives in transforming us away from sin and to walking in his righteousness and holiness – all in the power and working of the Spirit within.

With Righteousness

He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes,

    or decide by what he hears with his ears;

but with righteousness he will judge the needy,

    with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth.

He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth;

    with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.

Righteousness will be his belt

    and faithfulness the sash around his waist.

We make judgments with our eyes sometimes that are not right judgments. The scriptures warn us against making superficial judgments based upon appearance. Looks can be deceiving either direction. In other words, we might see someone who seems bubbly and happy all the time and so we assume that person must really love Jesus and walk with him. That may or may not be true, though. Or we might see someone who looks more serious or solemn much of the time, and we might think just the opposite about that person, which may also be true or not true. We may also look at what someone is wearing, or the kind of car a person drives, or whatever else we might “see” with our eyes, and we may come to quick and rash judgments about people which may be completely far from the truth.

As well, we may hear things about people which may color our opinions of them, but what we hear may not be the truth, as they might come from the mouths of those who dislike the person for whatever reason, or through those who are operating on faulty information themselves, or through those who are prejudiced for or against the person (or people like them) in some way. Or we may even hear something the person himself or herself says and we may reach wrong conclusions because we heard through faulty or prejudicial ears, through our own life experiences, and/or through the teachings and attitudes of others, some of which may be what we have picked up from childhood on through adulthood. We are influenced in so many ways – through history, schooling, church, home, relationships, culture, society, and the values of life which have been passed down to us from generation to generation. And, oftentimes those things influence our hearing and our judgments.

Jesus Christ, nonetheless, does not judge merely by what he sees and hears, but he judges (evaluates, draws conclusions, makes decisions and pronounces rulings) with righteousness (purity, truth and virtue) and with justice (fairness, impartiality, honesty and integrity). His judgments are not based upon human standards and reasoning, the culture and society in which he once lived, history, personal prejudice, and/or physical sight or hearing. He does have the advantage to see inside people’s hearts. We do not. Yet, the word of God teaches us that we should test everything, hold on to the good, and throw out the bad – not based upon human standards and reasoning, though, but based upon the word of Truth. The word of God is our only measuring stick for evaluating and deciding what is of God and what is not of God, and it is to be our only true guide for judging rightly and justly.

When God judges humankind, thus, he does not make these judgments lightly or arbitrarily, nor does he look on the surface only. The Bible says that humans look on the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart. Only God truly knows what is in any of our hearts. And, he will judge accordingly. He judges through his word all the time. Hebrews 4:12 says:

For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

I know that the word of God teaches me his truths in practical ways all the time, and it convicts my heart of wrong attitudes, words and actions, and it encourages and strengthens me in my walk with the Lord. By the word are the Lord’s servants warned, and in keeping the word there is great reward (Ps. 19:11). I love the word of God, even when it points out my sins. I am glad that I serve a God who judges rightly and justly, and that he speaks to my heart every day through his word, even when the word is like a sword to my heart sometimes, judging the thoughts and attitudes of my heart. And, I am also thankful for the Lord’s discipline, too, because through his discipline I am being trained, nurtured and matured in him. I delight in the awesomeness of my Lord Jesus Christ, his faithfulness in all he is and does, his righteousness, and in his word. And, I choose to submit my way to him and to follow him in obedience for the rest of my days. How about you?

Praise Be Told! / An Original Work / December 28, 2013

Based off Various Scriptures

He was pierced for our transgressions.

He was crushed for all our sin.

Our chastisement was upon Him.

By His stripes, we now are healed.

He has witnessed all our trials,

And the sins we choose to wear.

Yet, while we were dead in our sin,

Jesus died, our sins to bear.

He himself bore all of our sins

In His body on a cross,

So that we might die to our sin,

And live for His righteousness.

By faith in the pow’r of Jesus

And His blood shed for our sins,

We can be forgiven our sin,

And have life with God in heav’n.

He will lead us and He’ll guide us

In the way that we should go.

He will comfort and protect us,

Because Jesus, we do know.

Though He disciplines for our good,

He will heal us – Praise be told!

Do not fear, your Lord is with you.

Just have faith in Christ your Lord.

http://originalworks.info/praise-be-told/