Not Too Short

Monday, July 14, 2014, 6:37 a.m. – the Lord Jesus put the song in mind, “Only In Him.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Isaiah 59 (NIV).

His Arm

Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save,

    nor his ear too dull to hear. ~ Is. 59:1

Sometimes we get the notion that God is not acting fast enough on our behalf, and so we think we have to help him out, or that we have to turn to others to help us in place of turning to him as our only help and support. Yet his power is not limited. He is more than enough to meet all of our needs. He will do far above all that we ask or imagine. He is our healer, our sustainer, our comforter, our guide, our support, our counselor, and our only God. So many times we go to God as a last resort, when all else has failed, but he should be our first line of defense, not the back-up plan. He should be the one to whom we go for advice, counsel, help and support, comfort and healing. And, we should inquire of him before taking any course of action, especially those actions recommended by human beings.

Our Iniquities

But your iniquities have separated

    you from your God;

your sins have hidden his face from you,

    so that he will not hear. ~ Is. 59:2

The Lord is speaking to his people. Their iniquities were great. They were guilty of being swift in shedding innocent blood. They were liars and deceivers; manipulators of truth. They were wicked and evil in their scheming. They did not call for justice nor were they people of integrity. They tried to cover up their sins with even more lies and deceptions, but their cover-ups were useless, for they only compounded their guilt. They committed evil deeds and acts of violence. They turned their backs on God. They were rebellious and treacherous against the Lord. They rushed into sin, and the way of peace they did not know. They walked on crooked paths. No one who walks with them will ever know peace. Wow!

There are many in our world today who are on this path. We need to make sure we do not follow in their footsteps. Our sins may not be so grievous as these, but sin is sin in God’s sight. We need to make sure we are not on a path of following the ways of our own flesh, but that we are walking in Christ’s righteousness and holiness, living to please God.

In James 4:2-3 we read: “You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.” In 1 John 3:21-22 we read: “Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him.” In 1 Jn. 5:14-15 we read: “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.”

There is a direct correlation between our obedience to our Lord, the Lord hearing our prayers, and him answering our prayers. First of all, this addresses the problem of us not inquiring of our Lord, but us going after our own fleshly desires by means of following our own sinful flesh, and even wicked schemes. Then, it addresses the issue of us, even though we pray, asking God with the wrong motives and with faulty and selfish desires which serve to please only ourselves and not God. God will not answer such prayers. If we want God to hear us and to answer us, we need to keep his commands and do what pleases him. We also need to learn how to pray according to his will. When we pray in Jesus’ name, we are essentially saying that we pray according to his divine character and will, which his name represents. Sometimes our prayers will be like that of Jesus when he prayed, “Lord, if it be your will, let this cup pass from me. Nevertheless, not my will but Thine be done.”

Like the Blind

So justice is far from us,

    and righteousness does not reach us.

We look for light, but all is darkness;

    for brightness, but we walk in deep shadows.

Like the blind we grope along the wall,

    feeling our way like people without eyes.

…For our offenses are many in your sight,

    and our sins testify against us. ~ Is. 59:9-12

In 2 Peter 1 we read that God’s divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through Him. He promises to supply us with all that we need to live godly and holy lives, pleasing to him, and to live separated lives from the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. This is why he died. He died to set us free from slavery to sin, and to free us to walk in his righteousness and holiness, in his power and strength within us. His 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 our Lord’s return (See Tit. 2:11-14). He died so we would no longer live for ourselves, but for him who gave himself up for us (See 2 Co. 5:15). When we come to faith in Jesus Christ, we are crucified with Christ to our old way of living for sin and self, we are reborn of the Spirit of God, and we are given new lives to be lived in the power and working of the Spirit within us, “created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (See Eph. 4:17-24; Gal. 2:20; Ro. 6-8; & 1 Jn. 1-5).

So, in his power and strength within us, we grow in our faith, and we add to our faith, not the works of the flesh, but the works of the Spirit of God – goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, mutual affection, and love.

“For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins” (2 Pet. 1:8-9).

His Zeal

The Lord looked and was displeased

    that there was no justice.

He saw that there was no one,

    he was appalled that there was no one to intervene;

so his own arm achieved salvation for him,

    and his own righteousness sustained him.

He put on righteousness as his breastplate,

    and the helmet of salvation on his head;

he put on the garments of vengeance

    and wrapped himself in zeal as in a cloak.

According to what they have done,

    so will he repay

wrath to his enemies

    and retribution to his foes;

    he will repay the islands their due.

From the west, people will fear the name of the Lord,

    and from the rising of the sun, they will revere his glory.

For he will come like a pent-up flood

    that the breath of the Lord drives along.

“The Redeemer will come to Zion,

    to those in Jacob who repent of their sins,”

declares the Lord. ~ Is. 59:15b-20

As Christ’s followers, we are not to be followers of humans, but followers of God. We are not supposed to turn to human beings for help, guidance, counsel and direction in place of Jesus Christ, especially while ignoring the counsel of scripture, making humans our gods. And, we are not to form alliances (yokes; partnerships) with this sinful world, or with the people of this sinful world, because there is no fellowship between light and darkness, and because God has commanded us to come out from the ways, philosophies, teachings, culture, thinking and behaviors of this sinful world, and to be separate, holy unto God and to his service. And, we are to put our trust in Christ, not in our own human reasoning and understanding. In all our ways we are to acknowledge God, and he will direct our paths.

Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live. Rom. 8:12-13

Jesus Christ will judge his idolatrous and adulterous church in order to bring them back into fellowship with their Lord. Yet, he will not do this to destroy us, but to deliver us from our own selves, from idolatry, and from our spiritual adultery. He has been calling and calling to his church to wake up, to forsake her idols, to turn from her sins, and to walk with her Lord, but many are not listening, and they are continuing in walking in their own ways, according to the desires of their own flesh, and so God must, in his mercy, come in judgment to rescue his church and to make her ready for her husband (her groom), and for their wedding. So, if you are trusting in your own flesh or in other humans instead of trusting in God for your healing, support, help, guidance and direction, put your trust Only in HIM!

ONLY IN HIM / An Original Work / February 19, 2014

Based off Isaiah 30

Woe to those who look to man’s help;

Who turn away from Jesus Christ;

Forming an alliance not in step with God;

Making their own plans, and praying not.

Willing not to listen to truth,

They close their ears to what is right.

Pleasing words are all that they’ll hear;

Feel good messages that bring cheer.

Trust in your Lord; turn from your sin.

Put your faith now ONLY IN HIM.

Do not turn to idols. They’ll not satisfy.

Jesus will save you. That’s why He died.

Your Lord will be gracious to you.

He cares all about you, ‘tis true.

He forgives you all of your sin

When you give your life up to Him.

Oh, how truly gracious He’ll be

When you bow to Him on your knees;

Turning now from your sin; walking in his ways.

He’ll lead and guide you all of your days.

Now you will sing praises to Him.

He delivered you from your sin.

You’ll tell others now of His grace,

So they may see Christ face-to-face.

http://originalworks.info/only-in-him/

As If

Sunday, July 13, 2014, 8:09 p.m. – the Lord Jesus put the song in mind, “To Be Like Him.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Isaiah 58 (NIV).

Our Rebellion

“Shout it aloud, do not hold back.

    Raise your voice like a trumpet.

Declare to my people their rebellion

    and to the descendants of Jacob their sins.

For day after day they seek me out;

    they seem eager to know my ways,

as if they were a nation that does what is right

    and has not forsaken the commands of its God.

They ask me for just decisions

    and seem eager for God to come near them.

‘Why have we fasted,’ they say,

    ‘and you have not seen it?

Why have we humbled ourselves,

    and you have not noticed?’ ~ Is. 58:1-3a

Rebellion is “opposition to or defiance of authority or accepted moral codes” (Encarta). God’s people today are his church, the Body of Christ. So, today this is speaking to followers of Jesus Christ who are living in and/or who are acting (behaving) in opposition to or in defiance of the Lord and his commands (teachings; instructions) found in scripture. Many appear to be seeking the Lord, eager to know his ways, as if they are a people who obey him and who have not forsaken him or his commands. They may be people who seem zealous for God and for the church, and they may even sacrifice much time, money and energies in service within the church or within the community. And, so they call upon the Lord in prayer, but to no avail, and then they ask God why he is not answering.

Our Selfishness

“Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please

    and exploit all your workers.

Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife,

    and in striking each other with wicked fists.

You cannot fast as you do today

    and expect your voice to be heard on high.

Is this the kind of fast I have chosen,

    only a day for people to humble themselves?

Is it only for bowing one’s head like a reed

    and for lying in sackcloth and ashes?

Is that what you call a fast,

    a day acceptable to the Lord? ~ Is. 58:3b-5

So, in what ways do we rebel against God/Jesus? The Bible says that to him who knows the good he ought to do, but he does not do it, to him it is sin. It also says that disobedience to Christ and to his teachings is sin. So, if we consciously don’t do what we know we ought to do, i.e. if we resist the Holy Spirit, and if we willfully do what we know we ought not to do, then that is rebellion against God/Jesus. As well, if we choose to ignore the teachings of Christ, and we choose to go our own way and do what we want, that is also rebellion against God/Jesus. This can be played out in our lives in so many ways, too – in gossip, lies, deceit, sexual immorality, placating sin, being entertained by other people’s sins, overeating, bad attitudes, selfishness, and idolatry – the giving of our hearts, emotions, passion, thoughts, time and talents to other “gods” in place of or over and above our commitments, devotion, affections, attention and obedience to our only God/Jesus.

Our Healing

“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:

to loose the chains of injustice

    and untie the cords of the yoke,

to set the oppressed free

    and break every yoke?

Is it not to share your food with the hungry

    and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—

when you see the naked, to clothe them,

    and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?

Then your light will break forth like the dawn,

    and your healing will quickly appear;

then your righteousness will go before you,

    and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.

Then you will call, and the Lord will answer;

    you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I. ~ Is. 58:6-9a

God is not interested in what we are willing to do FOR HIM of our own accord, i.e. what we pick and choose to do in place of obedience to what he wants us to do. So many Christians will ignore the call of God upon their lives for specific service, because they are not willing to do what God is calling them to do, perhaps because it is not popular, acceptable, or praise worthy to humankind. Jonah is an example of one who resisted the call of God upon his life. Others may ignore what they know scripture teaches concerning how they are to live their lives each day, in the power and working of the Spirit within them, because they want to go their own way and to do their own thing, and so God just gets the leftovers.

Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins so that we could be free from slavery to sin, and so we would walk in his righteousness and holiness. 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). His 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 our Lord’s return (See Tit. 2:11-14). Coming to Christ means we die to our old lives of living for sin and self, we are transformed of the Spirit of God into new creations in Christ Jesus, and we now walk daily in His holiness and righteousness (See Ro. 6-8; Gal. 2:20; Eph. 4:17-24; and 1 Jn. 1-5). Our lives are no longer our own. We were bought with a price. Therefore we are to honor God with our lives.

Instead of participating in or pacifying sin, or allowing ourselves to be entertained by it via TV shows, movies, music, the internet, social media, etc., we should be about the Lord’s work in sharing the gospel of salvation and in helping our brothers and sisters in Christ to be free from their sins which so easily entangle them. We should be teaching what the word of God teaches about sin, and how we as believers are supposed to be set apart (unlike; different) from the world of sin, and how we are to be set apart to God and to his service. This should be what we are primarily about – seeing others be set free from slavery to sin and seeing them walk in obedience to Christ Jesus in his holiness and righteousness. Yet, we should also be about helping the needy, providing for legitimate needs, caring for those who are hurting, comforting the oppressed, and taking care of our own family.

When we are walking in obedience to our Lord, and we are doing what he has called us to do, we will know the power of divine healing in our lives, we will walk in the ways of the Lord, and our Lord will lead us, guide us and watch over our steps all the way. Then, we will call and he will answer. He will hear our cries for help, and he will be there to give us aid.

Our Revival

“If you do away with the yoke of oppression,

    with the pointing finger and malicious talk,

and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry

    and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,

then your light will rise in the darkness,

    and your night will become like the noonday.

The Lord will guide you always;

    he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land

    and will strengthen your frame.

You will be like a well-watered garden,

    like a spring whose waters never fail.

Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins

    and will raise up the age-old foundations;

you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls,

    Restorer of Streets with Dwellings. ~ Is. 58:9b-12

The Lord Jesus is calling out to his wayward church who are living in rebellion against him; in opposition to or in defiance of the Lord and his commands (teachings; instructions) found in scripture. He is calling to them to forsake their idolatry and their rebellion, and to return to him to follow in his ways. Then they will be for the praise of his glory and their lights will shine before mankind so that many will know the way of salvation. God will satisfy all their needs and he will give them all the strength they need to do what he has called them to do. And, he will revive his church and will rebuild his church to be what he created her to be.

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/

Awake, Awake!

Friday, July 11, 2014, 6:28 a.m. – the Lord Jesus put the song in mind, “I Do Not Seal My Lips.” Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. I read Isaiah 52:1-12 (NIV).

Clothe Yourselves

Awake, awake, Zion,

    clothe yourself with strength!

Put on your garments of splendor,

    Jerusalem, the holy city.

The uncircumcised and defiled

    will not enter you again.

Shake off your dust;

    rise up, sit enthroned, Jerusalem.

Free yourself from the chains on your neck,

    Daughter Zion, now a captive.

For this is what the Lord says:

“You were sold for nothing,

    and without money you will be redeemed.”

Zion and the Holy City today are not found in physical Israel, for they are not physical places. We, the true church of Jesus Christ, his Body, are Zion; the Holy City; the heavenly Jerusalem. And, we exist all over the world.

Much of the church today throughout the world, perhaps, or else particular mainly to America, has fallen into a state of complacency, lukewarmness, spiritual adultery and/or idolatry. She has allowed herself to be brought under a yoke of slavery to sin once again, even though Jesus Christ set her free! He redeemed us by his blood. Yet, she has gained nothing from her adultery and her idolatry other than a burden of sin and rebellion and a breaking of fellowship with her Lord. She is not at peace. She can’t be. So, God is calling her to wake up! He is calling her to clothe herself with the strength of the Lord, and to put on garments of righteousness in place of her shamefulness. He is calling her to repent of (turn from) her sins and to return to her Lord, so that what is defiled will never enter her again, but that she will take her true place as the daughter of the King of kings!

All for Nothing

For this is what the Sovereign Lord says:

“At first my people went down to Egypt to live;

    lately, Assyria has oppressed them.

“And now what do I have here?” declares the Lord.

“For my people have been taken away for nothing,

    and those who rule them mock,”

declares the Lord.

“And all day long

    my name is constantly blasphemed.

Therefore my people will know my name;

    therefore in that day they will know

that it is I who foretold it.

    Yes, it is I.”

Christians throughout the world are being persecuted for their faith in Jesus Christ. I believe this is a judgment of God on his adulterous and his idolatrous church, but not to destroy her, but to revive her, and to bring her back into fellowship with Him, as well as to ignite within her a passion for the lost and a desire to share the gospel of Jesus Christ, despite strong opposition and even death threats. The church, at least I know of in America, has become followers of humans over and above being followers of Christ; and followers of humanistic philosophy and man-made religion over and above being adherents to the Word of God (of Truth). Mankind (flesh) is her “Egypt,” on which she is or has been depending in place of her dependence only in the Lord Jesus. So, the Lord is bringing her back to Him.

The church throughout the world presently is undergoing tremendous suffering at the hand of her “Assyria,” which is oppressing her. I believe with all my heart that the Lord Jesus has been showing me for the past 8 years, by his Spirit, who this “Assyria” is in this present day, which is oppressing his children. They are the United States of America, her allies, NATO and the United Nations – all comprising the New World Order (Beast).

Today the Lord Jesus led me to read a news article about an election dispute taking place in Afghanistan. See: http://www.voanews.com/content/kerry-hopes-solution-can-be-found-afghan-vote-dispute/1955292.html. What the Lord Jesus has taught me these past 8 years is that most of what we read and hear in the news today is made up lies and dramatizations, and all for show. We have to stop believing what we hear and read in the news! Most all of it is fake! We need to wake up and see this! If we follow the news prayerfully, willing to hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches, our Lord will open our ears and minds to hear the truth about what is really going on in the world, and it is not what our government and news media is telling us, either. I have been following the news in this manner these past 8 years, and I can tell you the M.O. (the standard or usual operating procedure or way of doing things) in most of these various nations and national situations by heart now, because they all pretty much follow the same script. So, here is what I believe the Lord is showing me today:

The US/N.W.O. produced the high number of votes for Ghani in the Afghanistan election so that the U.S./N.W.O. would have an excuse to go into Afghanistan to solve the issue of the disputed election. In other words, the purpose of the election was to bring about a dispute so that we (the U.S./N.W.O.) could help resolve the problem. Actually, Karzai, Ghani and Abdullah are all byproducts (children) of the U.S./N.W.O. The US/N.W.O. is supposedly there to encourage the review of the elections, i.e. to see if there is, indeed, election fraud, but we are there under false pretenses.

In other words, the people doing the review of the election results are the same people committing the fraud, i.e. they are the U.S./U.N./N.W.O. So, there is not integrity or legitimacy in the elections in Afghanistan or perhaps anywhere anymore. They are rigged to suit the purposes of the N.W.O. in order to bring in the government they choose, which is a unity government with the N.W.O. “Beast.” We are the present government, the new government, and we are the protestors of the elections, too. We rigged the elections. The only political settlement that will take place in Afghanistan is to continue with the U.S./N.W.O. in charge and the people of Afghanistan forced into unity with the N.W.O. “Beast.” Yet, this is God’s plan for bringing his children back to him.

How Beautiful!

How beautiful on the mountains

    are the feet of those who bring good news,

who proclaim peace,

    who bring good tidings,

    who proclaim salvation,

who say to Zion,

    “Your God reigns!”

Listen! Your watchmen lift up their voices;

    together they shout for joy.

When the Lord returns to Zion,

    they will see it with their own eyes.

Burst into songs of joy together,

    you ruins of Jerusalem,

for the Lord has comforted his people,

    he has redeemed Jerusalem.

The Lord will lay bare his holy arm

    in the sight of all the nations,

and all the ends of the earth will see

    the salvation of our God.

So many people think of “good news” as only what suits their purposes or which satisfies their fleshly appetites and desires, i.e. what makes them feel good or what works out the way they hope. So many teach God’s grace in this same way, giving a message that pleases the ears of those who listen, which makes them feel good, which appeals to human flesh, and which does not make people feel badly about their sin. This is a false grace which gives its adherents a free license to continue in willful sin without guilt. And, believe me, that is not GOOD NEWS! It may feel good at the time, but there is nothing good about it, for it leaves its followers still in their sin, bound in slavery, and without hope of eternity with God.

The GOOD NEWS of God’s grace teaches us to say “NO!” to ungodliness and worldly passions and to lives self-controlled and upright lives while we wait for our Lord’s return. It teaches us that coming to Christ means dying to our sin, being metamorphosed of the Spirit of Almighty God, and living and walking in Christ’s righteousness and holiness in the power and working of the Spirit within us. It also teaches us that Jesus Christ died so that we would no longer live for ourselves, but for him who gave himself up for us. Is this what you have been taught? If not, you have not been given the “Good News” of salvation. The only way it can be good news is if the message brings with it the power of God in deliverance from sin, not just so we can go to heaven one day, but so that we can live holy lives pleasing to God while we still walk the face of this earth. Amen!

Depart, Depart!

Depart, depart, go out from there!

    Touch no unclean thing!

Come out from it and be pure,

    you who carry the articles of the Lord’s house.

But you will not leave in haste

    or go in flight;

for the Lord will go before you,

    the God of Israel will be your rear guard.

So, our Lord God is strongly but gently calling out to his church to depart from following their “Egypts,” i.e. for them to cease from finding their dependency and satisfaction, joy and fulfillment in what is of man and what is of the flesh in place of relying upon God/Jesus as their only God and Lord. He is calling out to them to stop believing man’s lies and to listen to what is true. We have to pull ourselves us away from these things. And, we have to allow the Spirit of God to purify our hearts. And, this won’t happen if we are still deeply engrossed in the things of this world. That is why he says, COME OUT AND BE SEPARATE!

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/

With Compassion

Thursday, July 10, 2014, 7:21 a.m. – the Lord Jesus put the song in mind, “He Lifted Our Burdens.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Isaiah 51:1-16 (NIV).

Justice and Righteousness

“Listen to me, my people;

    hear me, my nation:

Instruction will go out from me;

    my justice will become a light to the nations.

My righteousness draws near speedily,

    my salvation is on the way,

    and my arm will bring justice to the nations.

The islands will look to me

    and wait in hope for my arm.

Lift up your eyes to the heavens,

    look at the earth beneath;

the heavens will vanish like smoke,

    the earth will wear out like a garment

    and its inhabitants die like flies.

But my salvation will last forever,

    my righteousness will never fail. ~ Is. 51:4-6

Jesus Christ is the Light to the nations. He is our righteousness! He is our salvation! He is the Word of instruction which has gone out from God Almighty. He has brought and will bring justice. He died on a cross for our sins that we might be saved. He took upon himself the sins of the entire world. He crucified them with him. By faith we receive this great salvation, forgiveness of our sins, and the hope of eternal life with God in glory. We die with him to the sins which once bound us, and we live with him and walk in his righteousness and holiness by the grace of God and in the power and working of the Spirit within us.

One day soon he will come in judgment upon the earth, and upon the people of the earth. He will judge his wayward church, but not to destroy them, but to revive them. His purpose is to get his adulterous people to return to him as their only Lord and Savior and to forsake their idols. Yet, this is his grace and mercy, too. The arm of the Lord is his strength and his power. An arm is also an extension or a branch. Jesus Christ is that arm; that branch. He is the only hope of Israel, and he is the only hope for this world. All the things of this world will pass away. Only his salvation and his righteousness will endure forever.

Judgment and Mercy

Awake, awake, arm of the Lord,

    clothe yourself with strength!

Awake, as in days gone by,

    as in generations of old.

Was it not you who cut Rahab to pieces,

    who pierced that monster through?

Was it not you who dried up the sea,

    the waters of the great deep,

who made a road in the depths of the sea

    so that the redeemed might cross over? ~ Is. 51:9-10

This is a call for justice to prevail. It is a call to God to act in judgment, yet in mercy, to bring the guilty to justice and to set the oppressed free. It is so hard to see so much injustice going on in this world, so much heartache, so many lives destroyed by sin, so many lies and deceptions, and so many people being manipulated and deceived by master liars. We know judgment means destruction (physically), and we know it means the loss of many lives. We understand it means even greater heartache, in many respects, and so it is not as though we long for it. And, yet, when we see so many of our loved ones captivated by sin’s deceitfulness, and following after lies, and we see this permeating the church of today, our hearts cry out for God to act in order to bring his people back to him.

They Will Return

The Lord will surely comfort Zion

    and will look with compassion on all her ruins;

he will make her deserts like Eden,

    her wastelands like the garden of the Lord.

Joy and gladness will be found in her,

    thanksgiving and the sound of singing. ~ Is. 51:3

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. ~ Is. 51:11

The cowering prisoners will soon be set free;

they will not die in their dungeon,

    nor will they lack bread.

For I am the Lord your God,

    who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar—

    the Lord Almighty is his name. ~ Is. 51:14-15

It is so awesome when we receive good news, even in the midst of suffering and turmoil. God, in his love, mercy, compassion and justice, must bring judgment, and yet once he has done so, he will look with compassion on his loved ones, and he will heal the wounds that he inflicted. He will restore his penitent ones, revive their hearts, and he will bless them. And, because he lifted their burdens of sin, which had overtaken them, they will rejoice.

Do Not Fear

“Hear me, you who know what is right,

    you people who have taken my instruction to heart:

Do not fear the reproach of mere mortals

    or be terrified by their insults.

For the moth will eat them up like a garment;

    the worm will devour them like wool.

But my righteousness will last forever,

    my salvation through all generations.” ~ Is. 51:7-8

 “I, even I, am he who comforts you.

    Who are you that you fear mere mortals,

    human beings who are but grass,

that you forget the Lord your Maker,

    who stretches out the heavens

    and who lays the foundations of the earth,

that you live in constant terror every day

    because of the wrath of the oppressor,

    who is bent on destruction?

For where is the wrath of the oppressor? ~ Is. 51:12-13

   

I have put my words in your mouth

    and covered you with the shadow of my hand—

I who set the heavens in place,

    who laid the foundations of the earth,

    and who say to Zion, ‘You are my people.’” ~ Is. 51:16

In the meanwhile, the church throughout the world is suffering great persecution and death for their testimonies for Jesus Christ, and because they will not deny their Lord and Maker. Many will oppose us when we step out in faith, believing God, and we stand firm on the Word of Truth, and we share the truth of the gospel of our salvation. Satan hates the truth, and he will do everything he can to stop the truth of the gospel from going out. He has servants, too, who will gladly do his bidding, as well.

Yet, we are not to fear Satan or mere mortals. Some will reproach and insult us. Some will even make up lies about us in order to destroy us or to try to discredit us. Many will hate us, despise and reject us, but most will do this out of ignorance. Jesus told us these things would take place. This is how he was treated, although he did nothing wrong. Yet, this should not undo us. We should rejoice that we are counted worthy to suffer for the sake of the gospel and for the name of Jesus. And, we should keep speaking the words our Lord has placed within our mouths - the gospel of his salvation.  

He Lifted Our Burdens / An Original Work / February 15, 2014

Based off Isaiah 9:2-7

People walk in darkness.

They abide in their sin.

It has power o’er them.

True belief escapes them.

Jesus Christ came to save them.

He gave His life up for them;

Crucified; died for our sin,

So we might be forgiven,

And have life up in heaven.

Many come to know Him.

God’s love now o’erflows them.

They rejoice in vict’ry.

Their sin is but hist’ry.

We were once bound in slav’ry.

Jesus lifted our burdens;

Set us now free from Satan,

So we now walk in freedom.

Sin has no more dominion.

Praise be to our Savior!

He showed us His favor.

He took all our burdens;

Cast them all upon Him.

He is our mediator;

The Light which shines in darkness.

Counselor in our troubles;

He gives peace now in our hearts;

Joy which is everlasting.

http://originalworks.info/he-lifted-our-burdens/

No Peace for the Wicked

Wednesday, July 09, 2014, 7:03 a.m. – the Lord Jesus put this song in mind:

Shine Jesus Shine / Graham Kendrick

Shine, Jesus, shine

Fill this land with the Father's glory

Blaze, Spirit, blaze, set our hearts on fire

Flow, river, flow

Flood the nations with grace and mercy

Send forth Your Word, Lord and let there be light

Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Isaiah 48 (NIV).

Not In Truth

“Listen to this, you descendants of Jacob,

    you who are called by the name of Israel

    and come from the line of Judah,

you who take oaths in the name of the Lord

    and invoke the God of Israel—

    but not in truth or righteousness—

you who call yourselves citizens of the holy city

    and claim to rely on the God of Israel—

    the Lord Almighty is his name…” ~ Is. 48:1-2

Physical Israel

The physical nation of Israel today is not to be confused with the nation of Israel of old. The nation of Israel of old was God’s holy people, set apart for God and for his service, although they certainly did not always live like holy people. Still, they belonged to God. He created them for his purposes. From them would come Jesus Christ, their Savior, into the world to save sinners, yet they, as a nation, rejected their promised Messiah, the seed of Abraham, and they had him crucified on a cross to die as though he was a common criminal, although he had done no wrong. So they, as a people, were cut off from the vine due to unbelief (See Romans 11). They can be grafted back in through belief, though. Yet, some Jews have believed in Jesus Christ as their Messiah, Savior and Lord. Amen!

Jesus Christ, through his death and resurrection, made believing Jews and Gentiles one in Christ. He destroyed the barrier between the two groups. “His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility... For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit” (See Eph. 2:14-18). So, you see, God only has one chosen people now, and they are the true church, the Body of Christ, whether Jew or Gentile by physical birth. Yet, we are no longer divided Jew and Gentile, but we are divided Christian and non-Christian; saved and unsaved (See Gal. 3:26-29).

“For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and the other by the free woman. His son by the slave woman was born according to the flesh, but his son by the free woman was born as the result of a divine promise. These things are being taken figuratively: The women represent two covenants. One covenant is from Mount Sinai and bears children who are to be slaves: This is Hagar. Now Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present city of Jerusalem, because she is in slavery with her children. But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother…

“Now you, brothers and sisters, like Isaac, are children of promise. At that time the son born according to the flesh persecuted the son born by the power of the Spirit. It is the same now. But what does Scripture say? “Get rid of the slave woman and her son, for the slave woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with the free woman’s son.” Therefore, brothers and sisters, we are not children of the slave woman, but of the free woman.” ~ Gal. 4:22-31

It is critical that we get this in order for us to truly comprehend what is going on in the world and in the Middle East today! The physical nation of Israel today is not of God! It is of Satan! Those who do not believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of their lives do not worship the God of Abraham. They are antichrist! They are not the children of promise. Only those who believe in Jesus Christ are the children of promise and heirs of God. The physical nation of Israel today is no different from any other nation created of men. They are of Hagar, so they are no different from the Arab nations. Do we get this? They are the “Gentiles” now! And, they are opposed to God and to his Son Jesus Christ, just like they were at the time they killed the Son of God. So, why do Christians support them?

Oh, church! Why do so many of you not see this? There is so much propaganda aimed at Christians today to get them to be sympathetic toward Israel, and to get them to give their support to Israel, but do you really know who you are supporting? You are not supporting God and his work! You are giving your support to the devil!! This is what scripture teaches. This physical nation of Israel of today was a creation of evil humans and for evil purposes. Pray about this! Check it out on the internet while the information is still there. See what the word of God teaches. The Israel that the Gentiles (non-Christians) oppose today is the church. We are the ones they are trampling down, persecuting and murdering. And, the US government has a big part in this “trampling” of the Holy City, the City of God, Zion, the New Jerusalem, the church of the living God, the Body of Christ, the saints of Almighty God.

Institutional Church

This goes for the institutional church, too. Just because it wears the name “church” does not mean it is of God or that it is the church. It, as a corporation of humans, and as a business of human beings, is not the true church! We need to get this, too!! We should not be giving our support (our tithes and offerings, commitments, etc.) to institutions of men. They follow after men. They market the church just like big business, and they will step on anyone who gets in their way or anyone who stands in opposition to their man-made false religion.

In fact, many of them even teach their people and their leaders to avoid or to “filter out” those who are versed in scripture or who have strong convictions of the Lord. They replace worship with entertainment and the word of God with movie clips and books written by fleshly man. They prey on the weak, the naïve, and the vulnerable, as they are the ones they can mold into man’s image. They dilute the gospel to make it more appealing to the world, and they entertain the world in order to draw them to their places of business.

Yet, not everyone within the institutional church is like this, and not every congregation runs their church like a business. Though they are rare these days, I do believe there are church fellowships within the auspices of the institutional church today which truly love the Lord Jesus Christ and are completely sold out to him and to his work, who make him the true head of the church, which he is, and who let him build his church, instead of trying to follow the models of human beings. Glory to God! Amen!

Not Heard or Understood

You have neither heard nor understood;

    from of old your ears have not been open.

Well do I know how treacherous you are;

    you were called a rebel from birth.

For my own name’s sake I delay my wrath;

    for the sake of my praise I hold it back from you,

    so as not to destroy you completely.

See, I have refined you, though not as silver;

    I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.

For my own sake, for my own sake, I do this.

    How can I let myself be defamed?

    I will not yield my glory to another. ~ Is. 48:8-11

So many people; so many professing Christians will close their ears to this, though, not that people have to listen to me, but they should listen to what God’s word teaches. And, it teaches us over and over again to not be followers of humans, and to put our trust only in God. It teaches us to test everything we hear against the word of truth, too, to make sure it adds up to what scripture teaches, so that we are not led astray by the deceptions of human beings in their deceitful scheming. So, when you are asked to give support to physical Israel today, you should inquire of your God, and you should read what the Word teaches concerning the physical nation of Israel, and to whom we are to give our support. We do not want to, unknowingly, be supporting Satan and his work, do we?

The same goes for the institutional church. Read what the Word teaches about the true church. Is this how your “church” is operating? Test the things you are being taught against the Word of Truth. Is your “church” following the ways and teachings of humankind and of this sinful world? Or, are they truly following the Word of God and the Holy Spirit in all that they do? Are you sure? What is the money going to in your church? Is it going to the spreading of the true gospel of salvation? Are you sure? Is it going to the needy, the hungry, the poor? Is it going to meet the true needs of your congregation? Or is it going toward edifices of men? So many “churches” spend so much money on “fluff” and on entertainment, the Big Show (the ‘worship’ service), and on “stuff” they don’t need.

God will discipline his wayward church, but not to destroy her, but to save her. He is saying to his church today that his purpose is to teach only what is best for us. He says, “If only you had paid attention to my commands, your peace would have been like a river, your well-being like the waves of the sea” (See Is. 48:18). God will judge the world’s system, even within the institutional church, so he is calling his true church to come out from her and to be separate so she does not share in its sins. He will judge the USA for all her many sins against humanity throughout the world. He will judge the physical nation of Israel, too. Yet, for those who have committed their ways to the Lord, who have not denied his name, who have held strongly to the teaching of the Word as taught by Jesus Christ and the apostles, and who have not forsaken their Lord or the true gospel of salvation, he will bless them. They will never be in want of anything they truly need. And yet,

 “There is no peace,” says the Lord, “for the wicked.”

Above All /Artist: Michael W. Smith

Crucified laid behind the stone
You lived to die rejected and alone
Like a Rose trampled on the ground
You took the fall and thought of me
Above all

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVQqdMt0NNQ

Questions

I have some questions I just need to ask. Some of you may reject me after this. That is ok. Why do so many who profess Christ Jesus as Lord and Savior of their lives support the physical nation of Israel as though somehow the Jews are still God’s chosen people and that Jerusalem is still the Holy City? They are not! It is not! Where in the New Testament did Christ Jesus or the apostles teach us that we should give our support to the physical nation of Israel and to the physical city of Jerusalem? In Galatians 4 we read:

(Abraham’s) “His son by the slave woman was born according to the flesh, but his son by the free woman was born as the result of a divine promise.

“These things are being taken figuratively: The women represent two covenants. One covenant is from Mount Sinai and bears children who are to be slaves: This is Hagar. Now Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present city of Jerusalem, because she is in slavery with her children. But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother…

“Now you, brothers and sisters, like Isaac, are children of promise. At that time the son born according to the flesh persecuted the son born by the power of the Spirit. It is the same now. But what does Scripture say? ‘Get rid of the slave woman and her son, for the slave woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with the free woman’s son.’ Therefore, brothers and sisters, we are not children of the slave woman, but of the free woman.”

What if you are being deceived? What if you have been led to believe that you are to give your support to the physical nation of Israel and that, unknowingly, you may, in fact, be supporting Satan, the Beast and the False Prophet? What if the present state of Israel is the Little Horn of Daniel? I don’t know. I am just asking. Is it possible that you have bought into the lies of Satan, and that you are supporting Israel because of a lie? Would you be willing to take this to the Lord in prayer and to ask him? Would you not want to know? I would.

Another question: Who gave birth to the present nation of Israel? Was it God? No! It was Satan! – the USA, UN, N.W.O., and the Rothschilds. See this article as a possible explanation of why the present state of Israel was created - http://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/sociopolitica/esp_sociopol_zion107.htm. [I cannot verify everything written in this article to be true, but I share it because so much of this that is written here bears out to be true in what God has revealed to me by his Spirit over the past 8 years, and he has confirmed it in many ways.]

Let Righteousness Flourish

“You heavens above, rain down my righteousness;

    let the clouds shower it down.

Let the earth open wide,

    let salvation spring up,

let righteousness flourish with it;

    I, the Lord, have created it. ~ Is. 45:8

Tuesday, July 08, 2014, 6:49 a.m. – the Lord Jesus put the song “Shine Jesus Shine” in mind. Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. I read Isaiah 45 (NIV).

Idolatry

“Gather together and come;

    assemble, you fugitives from the nations.

Ignorant are those who carry about idols of wood,

    who pray to gods that cannot save.

Declare what is to be, present it—

    let them take counsel together.

Who foretold this long ago,

    who declared it from the distant past?

Was it not I, the Lord?

    And there is no God apart from me,

a righteous God and a Savior;

    there is none but me.” ~ Is. 45:20-21

What is an idol? An idol is anything which takes the rightful place of God in our hearts and or which replaces him in our affections, loyalties, desires, worship and commitments. An idol can be, for instance, our own minds, hearts and lives; our health and fitness; our careers, entertainment or relaxation; our religious performances; sports, TV, movies and music; our houses and possessions; addictions to pornography, eating, gossip and the like; or it can be other people, our money, self-esteem, knowledge, skills and or our talents. An idol is anything we hold on to, outside of our relationship with Jesus Christ, over which we maintain absolute control and of which we do not submit to our Lord and Master, Jesus. We don’t inquire of the Lord, in other words, as to whether or not he is pleased with what we are doing or with how we are spending our time or concerning our thoughts and affections.

Yet, our idols are worthless. They are nothing. If we give them praise, honor and glory, and we esteem them highly, even above our relationship with Almighty God, then we are blind and ignorant, and we have forgotten that we have been delivered (cleansed) of all our sins by the blood of Jesus Christ. Our idols profit us nothing. We who make idols out of the things of this flesh, or of this world of sin, are being misled by deluded hearts. We don’t see that our idols are but a lie. When we worship what has been created, or what our own hands have made, rather than the creator, we know and understand nothing because our minds are closed so that we cannot see and so that we cannot understand. [Source: Isaiah 44 on idolatry] Addiction is like that.

And worship, whether we worship idols or we worship God, is the giving of our adoration, love, reverence, respect, devotion, loyalty, commitment, faithfulness, and fidelity to that which we worship. Yet, God/Jesus Christ is to be our Only Lord and Master of our lives to whom we give all our worship and praise. May we not give it to any other!

Saved by The Lord

“All the makers of idols will be put to shame and disgraced;

    they will go off into disgrace together.

But Israel will be saved by the Lord

    with an everlasting salvation;

you will never be put to shame or disgraced,

    to ages everlasting.

For this is what the Lord says—

he who created the heavens,

    he is God;

he who fashioned and made the earth,

    he founded it;

he did not create it to be empty,

    but formed it to be inhabited—

he says:

“I am the Lord,

    and there is no other.

I have not spoken in secret,

    from somewhere in a land of darkness;

I have not said to Jacob’s descendants,

    ‘Seek me in vain.’

I, the Lord, speak the truth;

    I declare what is right. ~ Is. 45:16-19

Lest we write this off as Old Testament and as though it does not apply to us today, let me remind us that the New Testament speaks very similar words, and that much of Isaiah is concerning the Messianic era, the last days before Christ’s return, the judgments of God on the earth at the end of time, and the millennial kingdom reign of Jesus Christ yet to come. These things are interwoven all throughout the book of Isaiah. As well, 1 Corinthians 6 tells us that neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers, etc. will inherit the kingdom of God. Revelation 21 and 22, as well, state that the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, the idolaters and all liars – those who love and practice falsehood - they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur.

Do Christians sometimes get caught up in any of these things? Sure we do, though we should not. And, we should immediately repent of our sins and turn back to following our Lord when we have gone astray or have wandered off. So, what does this mean for us? I believe scripture teaches that those who live a lifestyle (who make a practice) of sinning, who refuse and resist the voice/word of God, and who do not repent of their sins, are those who will not see eternity with God – even those who have made a profession of Christ as Savior of their lives, but who continued to live in sin, and who have lived a lie (See 1 John). So, don’t play around with your salvation thinking that God’s grace gives you the freedom to continue in sin and to still have your ticket into heaven. You may be DEAD wrong!

Tit. 2:11-14 tells us that the grace of God 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 our Lord’s return. Amen! Romans 6-8 gives us a very similar message as it encourages us that we are those who have died to sin, so how can we live in it any longer? Our old self was crucified with Christ so that “the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin – because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.” Amen! 2 Co. 5:15 tells us that, in fact, Jesus Christ died so that we would no longer live for ourselves but for him who gave himself up for us. And, in Eph. 4 we read that coming to Christ means we die to our old lives of living for sin and self, we are transformed by the Spirit of God, and we have new lives in Christ, “created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” This is why Jesus died! This is the meaning of Grace!

Turn and Be Saved

“Turn to me and be saved,

    all you ends of the earth;

    for I am God, and there is no other.

By myself I have sworn,

    my mouth has uttered in all integrity

    a word that will not be revoked:

Before me every knee will bow;

    by me every tongue will swear.

They will say of me, ‘In the Lord alone

    are deliverance and strength.’”

All who have raged against him

    will come to him and be put to shame.

But all the descendants of Israel

    will find deliverance in the Lord

    and will make their boast in him. ~ Is. 45:22-25

This is a call to all the people of the earth to turn to Jesus Christ, to make him the ONLY Lord of their lives, and to be saved. Yet, this is also a call to all who profess Christ as Savior of their lives, but who are living a lie, to turn away from their idols and to turn to the Lord Jesus and be saved, because the reality is that scripture teaches us that those who make a practice of sinning and of evil deeds have no place in God’s eternal kingdom. In 1 John we read that if we say we are in fellowship with God and yet we continue to walk in darkness, we lie and we do not live by the truth. It also says that if we say we love God but we continue (in lifestyle) sinning, we are liars. Also, if we say we love God, but we do not do what he says, we are liars. True salvation thus involves turning away from living in sin and for self, being reborn of the Spirit of God, and now walking in Christ’s righteousness and holiness – all in the power and working of the Spirit within us, and not in our own flesh.

Shine Jesus Shine / Graham Kendrick

Lord the light of Your love is shining

In the midst of the darkness, shining

Jesus, Light of the world, shine upon us

Set us free by the truth You now bring us…

Fill this land with the Father's glory…

Flood the nations with grace and mercy

Send forth Your Word, Lord and let there be light…

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7OIwSQmyCg4