Full Release

On the morning of 4/15/12, the pastor of the church fellowship we attended preached a sermon on the subject of moving from our initial commitment to Jesus Christ, in inviting him into our hearts and lives to be our Savior and Lord, to becoming fully committed followers of Jesus Christ, being willing to die for our testimony for Jesus Christ, and for the truth of the gospel. Although I did not see the connection between this song and the sermon when the Lord gave me the lyrics the day before, the more I read or sang through them, the more I saw the connection. Many people come to faith in Jesus Christ, but don’t understand what it means to be fully devoted to Christ, until someone explains to them the cost, the joy, and the blessings of walking daily in fellowship and obedience to Jesus Christ.

Full Release / An Original Work / April 15, 2012

Walking daily with my Savior

brings me joy.

Loving Father; precious Jesus;

He’s my Savior and my Lord.

Gently leads me; follow Him.

I’ve invited Him within.

Now abiding in His presence,

oh, what peace.

From my self-life

He has brought me,

By His mercy, full release.

Hope and comfort,

peace and safety Jesus brings

When I daily bow before Him;

Obey freely; do His will.

Follow Him where’er He leads.

Listen to Him; His words heed.

Now obeying his words fully,

oh, what love

That He gives me

through salvation,

By His Spirit, from above.

Loving Father; precious Jesus,

He’s my friend.

With my Savior, by His Spirit,

I will endure to the end.

Share the gospel, tell what’s true.

Witness daily; His will do.

Tell the world of how their Savior

bled and died.

On a cruel cross He suffered

So that we might be alive.

https://vimeo.com/115169203

Fear the Lord!

Saturday, August 22, 2015, 8:16 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “Praise Be Told.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Revelation 15:1-4 (NASB).

Victorious Over the Beast (vv. 1-2)

Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous, seven angels who had seven plagues, which are the last, because in them the wrath of God is finished.

And I saw something like a sea of glass mixed with fire, and those who had been victorious over the beast and his image and the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, holding harps of God.

We learn about this beast in Revelation 13. It appears this beast is some type of global (tyrannical, authoritarian) dictatorship. The devil (the dragon) is behind the beast, and has given the beast his power, throne and authority. Many people worship (honor, obey, and are loyal, faithful, devoted and dedicated to) the beast. The beast is given authority to make war against the saints of God and to conquer (overpower) them in battle. As well, he is given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation. All those whose names have not been written in the Lamb’s book of Life will worship the beast (See: Rev. 13).

Although I can’t say for sure exactly where we are in time in relation to the ultimate global dictatorship of this beast coming to full measure, I do know this beast is rising, and it has already conquered (overpowered) many, many nations and peoples, and I do know that it is presently going after followers of Jesus Christ with the goal to destroy them and their testimonies for Jesus, to obliterate the gospel, and to demolish human beings’ relationships with God/Jesus, and citizens of nations’ relationships to their governments. In other words, this beast has been and is in process of doing what Revelation 13 says it will do.

Much of what we read or see/hear in the news today is under the control of this beast, so most all of it is completely fabricated or is a mixture of truth and lies. Many news stories are staged productions, many others are partially staged, and most are not to be believed. Again, I am not certain exactly how far along this beast is in its overpowering of independent nations, and its breaking down of the “old order” of things worldwide, but I do know that the plan is to bring the entire world under the rule of one global tyrannical government, which means no more borders between nations, because there are no more independent nations. It means no security on borders, because there are no borders. There will be no more sovereign nations, so we won’t be citizens of independent nations anymore. The goal is also to break down the separation between the church and the world, too.

There will be no more privacy, if privacy still exists to any degree. There will be no such thing as secure communications, for everything will be out in the open, if it is not already there. Global Big Brother is always watching; always lurking around the corner. And, Big Brother loves to play games with the people of the world, deceiving, conniving, manipulating, and tricking them into believing lies. He loves to create situations to distract, such as independent nations with their elections, that being a ruse; a dramatization to keep the people distracted and off-balance. The US government, for instance, answers to the New World Order. They have no real authority of their own. Our constitution is a relic which is being done away with. If there is another election, it is not really of the people or by the people. It is all rigged. Everything is being decided for us. America as a free nation is a lie.

Yet, the good news is that by God’s grace, through faith in Jesus Christ, we can overcome all this, and we can be victorious over Satan and the beast and their evil attacks against us. Although this beast (of Satan) is hot on our trail, in the power of the Holy Spirit within us we can stand firm in our faith, resist the devil, flee temptation and continue to draw near to God in full assurance of faith. One of Satan’s biggest weapons against the church here in America right now is deception and trickery. This New World Order Beast is presently working to turn the church toward social Christianity, i.e. it is working to turn the gatherings of the institutional church into civic centers for all people to unite together as one, for common social causes. So, we have to be in fellowship with Jesus Christ, be students of the Word of God, be listening to the voice of the Holy Spirit, and be walking in obedience to our Lord and in surrender to God’s will for our lives. Then, we will be discerning concerning the lies, tricks and deceptions of this beast, so we can resist them, and flee from them.

A Song of Praise (vv. 3-4)

And they *sang the song of Moses, the bond-servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying,

“Great and marvelous are Your works,

O Lord God, the Almighty;

Righteous and true are Your ways,

King of the nations!

“Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify Your name?

For You alone are holy;

For all the nations will come and worship before You,

For Your righteous acts have been revealed.”

I believe that God is using this beast as his instrument of judgment on his adulterous church, and that through this time of divine discipline, the church will be revived, and that the gospel will go forth to the ends of the earth, and that people from all nations will flock to Jesus Christ before the end of time, when Jesus returns for his bride. All throughout Biblical history God used wicked rulers to get the attention of his people who had strayed from their pure devotion to God and who were following after other gods. He did this so they would return to him, and so they would forsake their idols. He had sent his messengers to warn them of impending judgment if they did not repent, and so many times they refused to listen to God and to his servants, and thus the only way God could open their ears was to send divine discipline upon them. I believe scripture teaches that people from all over the world will come to Jesus before he returns.

Coming to faith in Jesus Christ means death to sin, being born anew of the Spirit of God, and living to righteousness. We are not saved just so we can escape hell and have the promise of heaven when we die. Jesus died that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. He died that we might no longer live for ourselves, but for him who gave himself up for us. The righteous requirements of the law will be fully met in us who walk not after the flesh, but according to the Spirit. If we persist in conducting our lives according to our sinful flesh, we will die, but if by the Spirit we put to death the deeds of the flesh, we will live (See: 1 Pet. 2:24; 2 Co. 5:15; Ro. 6; 8:1-14).

So, if you are going through life, living to please yourself, with no or little regard for God and for what he desires for your life, but you think you have your ticket into heaven, think again. If you believe you are a Christian, and thus you believe you will you escape hell and have the hope of heaven when you die, and you also believe in a pre-tribulation rapture, you may be under the notion you will never have to suffer for your faith, and that God promises things will go fairly easy for you, even if you are still trapped in sin. Think again.

Our Lord promises us that we will go through tribulation, and that we are destined for trials. He promises us that we will suffer hardship, persecution, hatred, false accusations, false imprisonments, beatings and even death for our faith and testimonies for him. And, he warned his church in Revelation 2-3 against living in spiritual adultery and becoming idolatrous, and he calls his wayward church to repent and to return to her “first love.” If you do not repent, God promises some type of divine judgment (discipline, correction). He does not wink at sin. He still takes sin seriously, which is why he gave his life for us. We should take sin seriously, too, and give our lives to Jesus to be lived for his purposes and glory.

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.

https://vimeo.com/112335646

Follow the Lamb

Friday, August 21, 2015, 4:44 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “Search Me, O God.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Revelation 14:1-13 (NASB).

A New Song (vv. 1-5)

Then I looked, and behold, the Lamb was standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His name and the name of His Father written on their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven, like the sound of many waters and like the sound of loud thunder, and the voice which I heard was like the sound of harpists playing on their harps. And they *sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders; and no one could learn the song except the one hundred and forty-four thousand who had been purchased from the earth. These are the ones who have not been defiled with women, for they have kept themselves chaste. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These have been purchased from among men as first fruits to God and to the Lamb. And no lie was found in their mouth; they are blameless.

The Lamb is Jesus Christ, God the Son, who gave his life up for us on a cross so that we might be set free from (die to) slavery to sin, and so we might become servants of righteousness (See: 1 Pet. 2:24; Ro. 6). The Lamb was standing on Mount Zion. Mount Zion is the church, the body of Christ, the city of God, the heavenly Jerusalem. Jesus Christ is the head over the church, so he stands (presides) over her in authority, and yet he stands beside her, as well, giving her support, encouragement, strength, wisdom, guidance and direction. Those who are his faithful followers were with him. To be with someone can mean to be in agreement with them, in support of them. They were with him in thought, word and deed. His name and the name of His Father were written on their foreheads. Our foreheads have to do with our thoughts, wills, and beliefs. God’s name is his character. It is his word. His character and his Word are inscribed (engraved; impressed deeply) on our thoughts, actions and on our wills (decisions, choices). Our will is to do the will of our Lord God.

These, who are the redeemed (purchased; rescued) of the Lord, sang a new song which no one else could learn or sing. So, obviously this singing of a song was concerned with more than just producing musical tones with the human voice or with voicing words melodically. This song had to be something which was sung in the heart, and could only be learned through experiencing God in relationship with him by God’s grace, through faith in Jesus Christ via death to sin, new birth (of the Spirit), and living to righteousness in the power of the Spirit within them/us. These who are the redeemed have been liberated from the earth (world; dirt), i.e. they have been delivered from slavery to sin and have been set free to now walk (conduct their lives) according to (in agreement with) the Spirit of God.

We are only able to be blameless in God’s sight because of Jesus’ death on the cross for our sins, and through faith in Jesus Christ. Our own righteousness is as filthy rags in God’s sight. We can never be good enough to earn or to deserve our own salvation. And, that is why Jesus Christ became our sacrificial Lamb to take away the sins of the world, because no one could keep the law with absolute perfection. So, through faith in Jesus Christ, his righteousness is credited to our account. Yet, his grace is not a free license to continue to conduct our lives according to our sinful flesh. In fact, if we say we have fellowship with God, but we continue (persist) in conducting our lives according to our sinful flesh, the Bible says we are liars, and the truth is not in us (See: 1 John 1). In Romans 8 we read that if we walk (live our lives) according to the flesh, we will die, but if by the Spirit we put to death the deeds of the flesh, we will live (See: Ro. 8:1-14).

The redeemed of the Lord follow Jesus Christ wherever he goes. Do we really comprehend what this is saying? Jesus said that if anyone would come after him, he must deny self, take up his cross daily (die daily to sin and self) and follow (obey) him. He said if we hold on to our old lives (of living for sin and self), we will lose them for eternity, but if we lose our lives (die with Christ to sin), we will gain eternal life (See: Lu. 9:23-25). He said his sheep know his voice, they listen to him, they don’t follow strangers, but they follow (obey) Jesus, and these are the ones who can’t be snatched out of his hands or the Father’s hands (See Jn. 10:27-30). We were bought with a price, the blood of the Lamb, so our lives are no longer our own to be lived how we want. We have been purchased by the blood of the Lamb to be an offering to God, as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, which is our reasonable service of worship to God, no longer conformed to the ways of this sinful world, but transformed of the Spirit in the renewing (restarting) of our minds (See: Ro. 12:1-2).

The Eternal Gospel (vv. 6-7)

And I saw another angel flying in midheaven, having an eternal gospel to preach to those who live on the earth, and to every nation and tribe and tongue and people; and he said with a loud voice, “Fear God, and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come; worship Him who made the heaven and the earth and sea and springs of waters.”

So, what is the eternal gospel? I believe the calling Jesus gave to Paul sums it up well. Jesus told Paul that he was sending him to Jews and Gentiles “to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me” (See: Ac. 26:16-18). Paul taught the same thing when he stated that the way we come to know Christ is, “in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth” (See: Eph. 4:20-24). He also taught that Jesus died that we might no longer live for ourselves but for Christ who gave himself up for us. As well, Peter said that Jesus died that we might die to sin and live to righteousness (See: 2 Co. 5:15; 1 Pet. 2:24).

Paul said that when we believed in Jesus to be Lord and Savior of our lives that we died with Christ to sin, so sin should no longer be our master. Jesus set us free from slavery to sin so we might become slaves (servants) of righteousness. He also said that Jesus died that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us who walk no longer according to the flesh, but who conduct our lives according to (in agreement with) the Spirit (See: Ro. 6-8). In Titus 2:11-14 we read that God’s grace which brings salvation teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions and desires, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives while we wait for Christ’s return. God’s grace is not free license to continue (persist) in living for sin and self. We aren’t saved from sin just so we can escape hell and have the promise of heaven when we die. Jesus bought (purchased) us with the price of his blood, so that our lives are no longer our own, but are his, to be lived for his glory.

Keeping the Faith (vv. 8-13)

And another angel, a second one, followed, saying, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, she who has made all the nations drink of the wine of the passion of her immorality.”

Then another angel, a third one, followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed in full strength in the cup of His anger; and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever; they have no rest day and night, those who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.” Here is the perseverance of the saints who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus.

And I heard a voice from heaven, saying, “Write, ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on!’” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “so that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow with them.”

We are presently living in a time in history when this beast is rising, and it is conquering nations and peoples across the globe, and it is killing followers of Jesus Christ for their testimonies for him, and it is destroying independent sovereign governments, and it is attacking those who believe in the gospel as taught by Jesus and his apostles. It may not be in full form yet, and it may not yet have fully conquered all nations, but these things prophesied here in Revelation are beginning to unfold before our eyes. This beast we may call the New World Order. It is comprised of heads of governments, the elite and wealthy of the world, CEO’s of corporations, bankers and the like. They are the ones who rule the world. People in high up positions in governments and in the Christian church (institutional) are spokespeople for this New World Order Beast. And, they are moving the people of the world to cooperate with this beast, and to submit to its authority, and to join in with its one-world government and one-world religion.

To receive a mark on our hands or forehead may be literal, but it may be figurative, or both. A mark can be an influence on our lives. Our foreheads symbolize our minds, thinking and beliefs. Our hands represent our deeds. If we bear the mark of someone or something on our thinking (or attitudes) and on our behavior (actions), it means that someone or something has had a profound influence on our lives to where we have, at least to some degree, adopted their way of thinking, believing and behaving. And, this is where the real danger lies. I hear many Christians worried about taking some physical mark while they have already been profoundly swayed by this beast system, which is worldly, conniving, manipulative and deceitful, and the goal of which is to destroy all that is sacred, to wreak havoc in the world, and to bring about a one-world order out of the chaos it first created. So, this is one of the reasons we are told to come out from among them and to be separate. We are supposed to be unlike (different from) the world, because we are becoming like Jesus, yet so many who call themselves Christians are not much different from the world.

So, this is a warning to pay attention to what influences we are following, because we may have already received the influence of this Satanic system, disguised as an angel of light, into our lives because we, as the church, have forsaken our first love and have gone after other gods to serve and to worship them. So, this is also a call to do a self-examination before the Lord in prayer, and to ask him to show you the lies you are believing, and the influences on your life which are guiding you, and then to turn away from all which is contrary to God/Jesus, and which is opposed to the teachings of his Word, and instead to follow Jesus Christ with your life, and to walk now in the fear (awe, respect, reverence) of our Lord God. We must stand strong in our faith, and persevere in our commitment to follow Jesus with our lives, and we must obey our Lord’s instructions to us, and go wherever he leads us. Time is short. Don’t play games with God. Commit your all to him today.

Search Me, O God / An Original Work / July 12, 2012

Based off Psalm 139

O Lord, You search and know me.

You know all that I do.

O Lord, You discern my ways.

I put my trust in You.

Where can I go from Your Spirit?

Where can I flee from Your presence?

Where’er I am, You are with me,

Guiding me in love.

O Lord, You search and know me.

You know all that I do.

O Lord, You discern my ways.

I put my trust in You.

O Lord, You made and formed me

In my own mother’s womb.

Your hands beautif’ly made me.

I give my praise to You.

My frame was not hidden from You

When I was made in the dark place.

All the days ordained for me

Were written in Your book.

O Lord, You made and formed me

In my own mother’s womb.

Your hands beautif’ly made me.

I give my praise to You.

O Lord, how precious to me

Are Your thoughts, O my God.

When I wake in the morning,

You are still here with me.

Search me, O God, and know my heart;

Test me and know my anxious thoughts.

See if there is any offense.

Lead me in Your truth.

O Lord, how precious to me

Are Your thoughts, O my God.

When I wake in the morning,

You are still here with me.

https://vimeo.com/125488883

The Lord's Anointed

This song is based off Isaiah 61. Luke’s gospel recorded that Jesus was in the synagogue on the Sabbath day in the town of Nazareth. He stood up to read. The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him, and he read the first part of this passage from Isaiah concerning himself, the anointing he had received from God the Father, his ministry on the earth, and concerning the plan of salvation which he preached, and which ultimately he brought to the world via his shed blood on the cross for our sins. So, this passage he read was fulfilled in Christ himself and in his ministry.

Yet, when Jesus Christ left the earth and he sent his Holy Spirit to indwell the lives of his followers, we, as well, received an anointing: “Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.” Jesus told his disciples that they would continue on his ministry after he left the earth. As followers of Christ, and as those who have Christ within us, we are also anointed of God to do all these things mentioned in this passage of scripture. We, as his followers, are to be Jesus to the world around us in doing what he did.

As a result of what Jesus Christ did for us in dying on the cross for our sins and being resurrected back to life in conquering death, hell, Satan and sin, we can now come to Jesus Christ in faith and receive his eternal salvation. He will renew us and restore us to a right relationship with God the Father, and God can use us in the lives of others to help them, as well, to be renewed, restored and to rebuild their broken lives. Thus, we serve as priests of the Lord in ministering to the lives of others in the same manner in which Jesus Christ did and now does through us, and in the same manner spoken of in this passage of scripture. And, all the glory, praise and honor belong to Christ Jesus – great things He has done!

The Lord’s Anointed / An Original Work / December 16, 2011

Based off Isaiah 61

The Spirit of the Sov’reign Lord on me;

Anointed to preach the Good News;

Sent me to bind up the brokenhearted;

Proclaim freedom for the captives.

He sent me to preach release for pris’ners

Who are walking in sin’s darkness;

Proclaim God’s grace to all men who’ll listen;

And tell them about God’s judgments;

Comfort all who mourn;

Give crowns of beauty;

Oil of gladness and thanksgiving.

They will be called oaks of God’s righteousness,

A planting of our Savior, God,

For the display of our Lord’s splendor, and

They will rebuild God’s holy church.

God will renew them, and will restore them,

And you’ll be called priests of the Lord.

You will be ministers of our God, and

You will rejoice in salvation.

The Lord loves justice;

He is faithful to

Reward those who are seeking Him.

I delight greatly in the Lord;

My soul rejoices in my Savior, God.

He has clothed me with His salvation,

And in a robe of His righteousness.

He has given me priestly garments to

Wear, as the bride of Jesus Christ.

As the garden of our Lord and Savior,

He causes us to grow in Him.

He makes righteousness,

Praise, and thanksgiving

Spring up before all the nations.

https://vimeo.com/114836524

The Heart of Man

“Some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked, ‘Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don’t wash their hands before they eat?’” Jesus knew their hearts, so he replied, “And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition?” Ouch! He called them hypocrites, and then told them that Isaiah was right when he prophesied about them: “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.”

Then, Jesus called the crowd over to him and said, “Listen and understand. What goes into a man’s mouth does not make him unclean, but what comes out of his mouth, that is what makes him unclean.” The disciples were concerned that Jesus had offended the Pharisees, but Jesus was not the least bit concerned about whether or not his words offended the self-righteous, prideful and hypocritical religious leaders who were leading people astray by their strict adherence to things that did not affect the heart of man, while they neglected the true matters of the heart. Jesus is concerned about our hearts, and he wants us to have our hearts purified and to be made clean by the power of his Holy Spirit within us. So he is calling out to us to turn from our sins and to turn to follow him in obedience to his commands. This is the way of love, and it is the way of salvation.

The Heart of Man / An Original Work / April 4, 2012

Based off Matt. 15:1-20; Mk. 7:1-23

Listen to me ev’ryone and

Understand this teaching of Christ:

Why do you break the commands

Of God for the sake of tradition?

When you follow the ways of man,

And don’t obey the words of Christ,

You nullify the words of God,

And you hold to the ways of man.

What comes out of a man’s mouth is

What makes him unclean and dirty.

The things that come out of the mouth

Come from the heart, from within him.

The heart of man is so sinful;

From his nature, out comes evil:

Lying, cursing, greed and malice,

Lust and lewdness, deceit, slander.

Jesus calls us to obey him;

Turn from our sins; follow His ways.

Yet, his people honor him with their lips,

but their hearts not with Him.

Their worship of God is in vain.

Their teachings are rules taught by man.

Jesus calls us; gently leads us

To return and follow His truth.

https://vimeo.com/125490002

They Tread on You

Tuesday, August 18, 2015, 11:22 p.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “Fully Ready.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Revelation 11:1-13 (NASB).

A Measuring Rod (vv. 1-2)

Then there was given me a measuring rod like a staff; and someone said, “Get up and measure the temple of God and the altar, and those who worship in it. Leave out the court which is outside the temple and do not measure it, for it has been given to the nations; and they will tread under foot the holy city for forty-two months.

The temple of God is no longer a physical building built by human hands, in which dwelt the Ark of the Covenant within the Holy of Holies, in which was the presence of Almighty God. We who are followers of Jesus Christ, both individually and collectively, are God’s temple in which his Spirit dwells. The altar is the spiritual (not physical) place where we meet with God in prayer, for worship and fellowship, where we listen to him speak his words to our hearts, where we receive our calling and instructions for godly and holy living, and where we sacrifice our lives to God for his service according to his plan and purpose for our lives.

So, when John was instructed to measure the temple and the altar, this was not speaking of measuring physical length, width or height, but it had to do with an examination and an evaluation of the body of Christ, the church, and its relationship with Jesus Christ. As well, the instrument of measurement is not an actual measuring rod used for measuring feet and inches (or the like), but it has to do with authority and with a standard against which something is examined and evaluated (appraised). In this case, the authority and the standard of measurement is God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit, his divine character and will, and his Holy Word, the Bible. The church, God’s temple, and her relationship to her Lord must be examined and evaluated, and then witnessed to the church, calling for some type of heart response to God with regard to the results of the evaluation (See: Rev. 2-3).

The measurement (evaluation) was for the church, the body of Christ, but was not to include those outside of genuine faith in Jesus Christ, which comprises Jews who do not believe in Jesus, the institutional church - which is not the body of Christ, but is a corporation (business) of human origin - and the world at large as a whole. Those outside of faith in Jesus Christ, including within the institutional church, will tread (trample, stomp on) and are treading underfoot the “holy city.” The “holy city,” though, is not physical Jerusalem, but is the church, the body of Christ, the city on a hill, the heavenly Jerusalem. Physical Jerusalem is now associated with Hagar, the slave woman, but the Jerusalem from above is of the free woman (See: Gal. 4:22-31; Matt. 5:14; Heb. 12:22).

As Applied to Today

So, what is this saying, and how does it apply to the church and to the world today? For one, the Bible teaches that judgment must begin with the household (family) of God (1 Pet. 4:17). And, the book of Revelation bears this out in that it begins, as well, with an evaluation of the church, with a call for the church to respond to the declared results of the examination and to the instructions given, and with many warnings of judgment if the church does not repent, but also many words of encouragement and affirmation for the church which endures and is faithful to Jesus Christ and to his Word to the end of time (See: Rev. 2-3).

So, in examining the church (the body of Christ) of today, we learn that there are those who are faithful servants of the Lord Jesus, who are following him with their lives, but the vast majority of the westernized church, in particular, has strayed away from their pure devotion to their Lord, and has gone off to follow after the gods of men. And, they are being trampled underfoot by the nations, including within the institutional church, either physically or psychologically. In other words, some of the church today is being severely persecuted and even murdered for their faith in Jesus Christ by the nations, which, again, includes unbelieving Jews, the world at large, those in government within nations, and those within the institutional church who are not truly part of the family of God, the body of Christ. There is a global movement underway to silence “individualism” and anything which divides the people of the world, such as the gospel, and also to silence ministers (servants) of the gospel of Jesus Christ, who are now classified as “extremists” and/or as the “radicalized.”

Yet, in the westernized church, the “trampling” of the “holy city,” so far, has largely been in the way of deception and manipulation, the distortion and dilution of truth, and the incorporation of other religious beliefs in with Christianity and in with the teachings of scripture. It has also come through the partnering of the church with an unholy and ungodly government, and via turning the church into a marketplace where the church is marketed just like any other business of human origin, and through convincing followers of Christ to follow humanistic teaching and business marketing plans oftentimes over the Word of God. The gospel of Jesus Christ has been diluted to make it more palatable (acceptable, pleasing) to the world, sin is encouraged or is allowed to go on unchecked, and there is not much of a distinction between the world and the church anymore, at least not here in America (USA). And, the plan presently underway is to convince the church to become a civic organization where the world at large is united together as one, for one common purpose, under a one-world government and religion, and to blend Christian beliefs with pagan beliefs.

The Witnesses (vv. 3-13)

And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for twelve hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.” These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. And if anyone wants to harm them, fire flows out of their mouth and devours their enemies; so if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this way. These have the power to shut up the sky, so that rain will not fall during the days of their prophesying; and they have power over the waters to turn them into blood, and to strike the earth with every plague, as often as they desire.

When they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up out of the abyss will make war with them, and overcome them and kill them. And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which mystically is called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified. Those from the peoples and tribes and tongues and nations will look at their dead bodies for three and a half days, and will not permit their dead bodies to be laid in a tomb. And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them and celebrate; and they will send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth.

But after the three and a half days, the breath of life from God came into them, and they stood on their feet; and great fear fell upon those who were watching them. And they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here.” Then they went up into heaven in the cloud, and their enemies watched them. And in that hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell; seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.

There is much speculation as to who these two witnesses actually are or will be, but I will not venture there only to say that I favor the idea that they represent the Old and New Testaments or the Law and the Prophets, i.e. the Word of God. So, in a sense, all who serve as the Lord’s witnesses in teaching the truths of scripture, as they relate to those of us who are under the New Covenant, might fall underneath this category of the “two witnesses.”

I don’t think, though, that we have to resolve this in our minds in order to understand what this is teaching us here. The point is that the Word of God, the gospel of Jesus Christ and the servants of the Lord who are witnessing to the church with regard to its spiritual condition, and who are calling for the spiritually adulterous church to repent and to turn back to her Lord, are under attack by the nations, including within the institutional church. Yet, we are under God’s protection, and nothing can harm us but what God allows it, and he allows it for a specific period of time and for a divine purpose. We have the power and wisdom of God dwelling within us in the person of the Holy Spirit, and we have the written (God-breathed) Word of God, the Bible, so when we speak the Word of God, we speak with authority, but it is the Word which declares the judgments of God on humankind.

Satan and his hordes may persecute and even kill us, but they can’t take away our faith or our testimonies for Jesus Christ, and they have no power to destroy the eternal Word of God or to remove Christ’s followers from their relationship with Jesus Christ. We will be resurrected to glorified bodies and we will reign with Christ on the earth. The Word of God might be stomped on and may be silenced for a short period of time, but it will rise victorious over all attempts to squash or to silence it, as Jesus, the Living Word, was resurrected from the dead. One day the enemy of our souls will be destroyed instead. So, we never need to fear the enemy and what he does, for God’s will and purposes will always prevail. In the strength and power of the Spirit of God within us, we will be victorious!

Fully Ready! / An Original Work / June 19, 2013

Based off Acts 20-22, 26; Mt. 28:18-20; Ac. 1:8

Why are you weeping and breaking my heart?

I’m fully ready to suffer for Christ.

If I must die for the sake of His name,

I am convinced it will not be in vain.

Glory to God and to His Son Jesus,

Who has redeemed us; bought with His blood.

May I speak to you? Jesus came to me;

Asked of me, “Why do you persecute me?”

He said, “Now get up and stand on your feet.

Go, and you’ll be told all I have for you.

I have appointed you as a servant,

And as a witness; you have been sent.”

“Go into the world and preach the gospel.

Open the blind eyes. They will receive sight.

Turn them from darkness to the light of Christ;

From power of the evil one to God,

So they may receive forgiveness of sins,

And a place among those who’re in heav’n.”

https://vimeo.com/115439432

They Cry Out

Monday, August 17, 2015, 7:59 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “He Keeps Me Singing.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Revelation 7:9-17 (NASB).

Our Salvation (vv. 9-12)

After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands; and they cry out with a loud voice, saying,

“Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures; and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying,

“Amen, blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might, be to our God forever and ever. Amen.”

John, the writer of Revelation, was given a series of visions from the Lord concerning the things which were present (existing then and now) and which were soon to take place at some point in the future. Jesus said to him, “Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later” (Rev. 1:19). John was shown these things nearly 2000 years ago, and yet many of these things have not yet taken place. As well, the visions were not necessarily given in the chronological order in which they were/are to take place. So, when a passage begins by saying, “After these things,” or “After this,” it is not necessarily meaning that the events are chronological, but that this is the order in which John was given the visions. So, we will not attempt to include the previous verses in this writing, but will look strictly at what is being expressed here in these specific verses.

A great multitude of people from every tribe, nation, peoples and languages were standing before the throne of God and before Jesus Christ, the Lamb, who was slain for our sins. They were clothed in white robes, which are symbolic of purity and righteousness. Isaiah prophesied concerning all nations streaming to Jesus Christ in the last days (Is. 2:1-5). These are all those who have had their sins washed in the blood of the Lamb, and who have believed in the Lord Jesus Christ to be Savior and Lord of their lives. These are those who have been crucified with Christ to sin and have been resurrected with Christ to new lives in Christ, “created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (See: Eph. 4:17-24). These are those who want to be taught by the Lord so that they may walk (conduct their lives) in his ways; in his paths. They are those who walk no longer according to the flesh, with its sinful passions and desires, but who conduct their lives in agreement with the Spirit.

I believe this multitude presently consists of both those who are followers of Jesus Christ who are still living, and those who have already died in Jesus, and are literally standing before the throne of God along with the angels, the elders and the four living creatures. Although those of us who are followers of Jesus, and who still live on this earth, may not be physically in God’s holy presence, we stand (remain, continue, persist, and hold fast) in God’s presence by remaining in Christ and in his Word, and by holding fast to our faith, and by abiding (living) daily in his presence through prayer, through the reading of his Word, and through listening to what the Lord says and by doing what he instructs us to do. We proclaim the praises of him who has given us such a great salvation by which we might be set free from slavery to sin, be free to walk in Christ’s righteousness, be free from eternal punishment, and so we can have everlasting life with God both now and forevermore.

In White Robes (vv. 13-17)

Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, “These who are clothed in the white robes, who are they, and where have they come from?” I said to him, “My lord, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”

The question was asked as to who these are who are clothed in white robes. The response was that these are ones who come (or who are coming) out of the great tribulation. The verb is present tense. So, the sense here is not of ones who came (past tense) or of those who will come (future tense) but of those presently (then and now) coming out of the great tribulation, which would also include those past who already came, those present, and those future who will come out of great tribulation. These who come (who are coming) out of the great tribulation are also those who have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. These are those who have died with Christ to sin and who have been regenerated of the Spirit of God in new birth unto a living hope.

Although I understand that what John was seeing was largely in the future, Jesus was also showing him what was present, and in some cases there seemed to be a blending of present and future together. I also understand that the Great Tribulation appears to be a specific period of time which, if taken literally, would be right at the very end of time before Jesus returns for his bride, and yet when Jesus was on the earth he told his followers that they would be treated just like he was treated, i.e. that they would be hated, persecuted, abandoned, falsely accused, falsely arrested, beaten, imprisoned and killed for their faith in Jesus Christ and for their testimonies for him and for his gospel of salvation. Many followers of Jesus throughout history (over the past 2,000 years) have gone through severe persecution for their faith in Jesus, and many have been killed, too. And, we are presently seeing an increase in the persecution and murdering of Christians worldwide.

The time of great tribulation (trouble, suffering) yet to come will be unequaled to any time previously, and yet people on the earth throughout history have had many seasons of extreme suffering, trouble, hardship and distress, such as times of economic collapse, famine, pestilence, disease, plagues, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and tsunamis, etc., as well as many Christians have faced severe persecution. These times of such difficulty and hardship come to test our faith, as do these times when we suffer for our faith and testimonies for Jesus Christ, yet we are to remain faithful to the end, and not give up, and not give in to the enemy of our souls. Yet, we don’t have to endure in our own strength, for certainly human flesh is weak, but we have the strength and power of the Lord within us to give us all we need to endure and to be faithful to our Lord until the end.

They Serve Him

For this reason, they are before the throne of God; and they serve Him day and night in His temple; and He who sits on the throne will spread His tabernacle over them. They will hunger no longer, nor thirst anymore; nor will the sun beat down on them, nor any heat; for the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and will guide them to springs of the water of life; and God will wipe every tear from their eyes.”

There is a sense here in which this can be applied only to those who have died in Jesus and are now with God in glory and/or to those only who will die in Jesus yet in the future. Yet, I also see these as those still living on the earth who are followers of Christ, who are coming out of great tribulation for their faith and testimonies for Jesus and for his gospel of salvation. We who trust in Jesus Christ to be Lord and Savior of our lives, who are still on this earth, who do not soil our garments, who do not compromise with this sinful world, and who do not bow to the gods of men to worship them, but who follow our Lord Jesus in surrender and in obedience to his commands, though not in sinless perfection necessarily, are before the throne of God, and are serving him day and night in His temple, his body, which is our individual lives and the life of the church collectively. We are his servants to do whatever it is he has called us to be and to do. We listen to our Lord, and we follow him.

And, our Lord will spread his hand of spiritual protection over us, in that he will preserve us, and he will give us a place of refuge in him; a shelter in times of storm. He does not necessarily protect us from temptation or tribulation, for his word teaches that we are destined for hardship, persecutions, etc., and that through difficult times he matures, strengthens and encourages us; we learn perseverance and steadfastness of faith; we learn to rely not on ourselves but on God; and when we are comforted, we can comfort others with the comfort we have received. Yet, he will keep us, strengthen us, encourage us, teach, lead and guide us, and comfort us during these difficult times, and he will provide a way out from underneath the weight of these difficulties so that we can stand up under them and not cave in, give up or give in to our enemy.

Our Lord Jesus will provide us with all that we need to endure, to persevere, and to remain faithful to him to the end. He is our all-sufficiency for all that we need to keep going. He will lead and guide us to the source of life always, and away from all that is sinful and is contrary to living holy lives pleasing to him. As well, he will bring much comfort and peace to our hearts during times of sorrow and distress, and he will help us through all difficulties to keep praising his name, to keep trusting in him, and to keep walking in his ways and according to his truth. And, one day he will take us home to be with him forever, where truly we will no longer suffer, and he will wipe away every tear from our eyes. And, we will worship and praise his name and serve him forever and ever.

He Keeps Me Singing / Luther B. Bridgers

There’s within my heart a melody

Jesus whispers sweet and low,

“Fear not, I am with thee, peace be still,”

In all of life’s ebb and flow.

All my life was wrecked by sin and strife,

Discord filled my heart with pain;

Jesus swept across the broken strings,

Stirred the slumbering chords again.

Feasting on the riches of His grace,

Resting ‘neath His sheltering wing,

Always looking on His smiling face –

That is why I shout and sing.

Though sometimes He leads through waters deep,

Trials fall across the way,

Though sometimes the path seems rough and steep

See His foot-prints all the way.

Soon He’s coming back to welcome me

Far beyond the starry sky;

I shall wing my flight to world’s unknown,

I shall reign with Him on high.

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus –

Sweetest name I know,

Fills my every longing,

Keeps me singing as I go.