faith – Living Words of Encouragement

God’s P.H.D. Parts 1-8+conclusion- taking a quiet look, slowly digesting God’s Word, and waiting upon God.

The Apostle Paul gives us a ‘look’ into eternity past in the first chapter of the Epistle to the Ephesians.

This section of scripture is a ‘mother lode’ of theology.

Ephesians 1:3-14, NKJV, reads, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace by which He made us accepted in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence* (understanding), having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to the His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth–in Him. In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory. In Him you also trusted after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.” (*insert mine, marginal note) (emphasis mine)

What an incredible amount of understanding is found in the opening of this letter.

In this passage of scripture, the Five Solas of the Reformation can be found within the text: Scripture Alone, Grace Alone, Faith Alone, Christ Alone, God’s Glory Alone.

Also present in this passage is the eternal interaction of the Trinity: God the Father; God the Son, Jesus Christ; and God the Holy Spirit.

There are also many prominent theological words, i.e.: Blessed, ‘in Christ’, spiritual blessing, heavenly, chose, holy, without blame, love, predestined, accepted, redemption, blood, forgiveness, sins, grace, wisdom, prudence(understanding), mystery of His will, dispensation, inheritance, His will, word of truth, gospel, salvation, believed, Holy Spirit of promise, guarantee, purchased possession, praise of His glory. (insert mine)

What ‘nuggets’ of gold in this ‘mother lode’ of words ‘sparkled’ in your mind?

If I missed your ‘nugget’, I hope you understand my point.

I want to begin, focusing on this ‘nugget’, found in Ephesians 1:4, “before the foundation of the world”. (emphasis mine)

In the eternal past, before the creation of the world, there was something pulsating in the heart of the Father.

Is it too simple to say, that Father God desired a family.

I do not believe so.

END OF PART 1.

The Godhead, the eternal Trinity: God, the Father; God, the Son; and God the Holy Spirit is a ‘relational community’ of perfect agape love for one another.

Genesis 1,2 details for us what God created.

‘Creation’ is the interaction of all three Persons of the Godhead: God, the Father; God the Son; and God the Holy Spirit.

Creation is the beginning point of the revelation of the desire of the Father’s heart.

I submit that the Godhead’s desire to “let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness” (Genesis 1:26, NKJV) was to be in fellowship with a created humanity that would be in their ‘relational community’, not as God, or even gods, but in a living relationship with them.

Therefore, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” was that moment in time when God’s heart began to become reality.

In Ephesians chapter 1, Paul, explains what God knew before the creation of the world; that the first two humans, male and female, created in the ‘image and likeness’ of God would disobey His word saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you ear it you shall surely die.” and fall willfully short of His heart’s desire. (Genesis 2:17 NKJV)

Adam and Eve did partake of the fruit of the ‘tree of good and evil’. (Genesis 3:6)

They disobeyed God’s Word.

Their disobedience is called sin.

The result of sin is death.

Death is two-fold.

Death is both spiritual and physical.

Adam and Eve each died in their spiritual relationship to God because of their disobedience.

They were no longer in a right relationship with God spiritually because God is Holy, in Whom there is no sin.

Their internal death broke communion with God spiritually; and it initiated the physical death of their bodies.

However, their sin did not eliminate His love for them.

END OF PART 2.

Reading Ephesians 1 shows us explicitly that God’s love for humanity is strong; so strong, that before the creation of the world, “God chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love…”. Ephesians 1:4 NKJV. (emphasis mine)

How does that happen?

Paul continues in this text recounting Christ’s sacrifice, the shedding of His blood, the forgiveness of sins, all according to the riches of His grace.

Stop. Please re-read Ephesians 1:3-14.

All of this was foreknown before the creation of the world.

What love!

What grace!

What mercy!

To repeat…all of this was put into motion, when “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”

There are numerous scriptures that speak of the redemptive plan and purpose of God.

There is one verse, that many believe clearly explains the heart of God for fallen humanity.

John 3:16 NKJV (Let me emphasize this verse progressively)

“For God – so loved – the world – that He gave – His Only Begotten Son – that whoever believes in Him – should not perish – but have everlasting life.”

(Stop! I encourage you to re-read these words as they are divided; and think about each set of words between the hyphens.)

I want to encourage you as a believer that in order to more fully understand God’s P.H.D., we must have it settled in our hearts and minds what God, the Father purposed in His heart before creation.

God’s P.H.D. is His Prophetic. Historical. Document.

END OF PART 3.

God’s P.H.D. is the Word of God.

The Word of God is God’s redemptive thoughts, expressing the fullness of Father’s heart.

It is an unfolding of His interaction with the human race, from the first ‘tick’ of the redemptive clock to the final ‘tick’ of the redemptive clock.

Throughout the history of mankind, God has made Himself known to His creation.

Psalm 19:1-6 tells us that “The heavens declare the glory of God…”

Psalm 19:3,4 NKJV says, “There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard. Their line (*tent) has gone out through all the earth and their words to the end of the world.” (*marginal note, insert mine)

Creation speaks to us.

Psalms 19:7-13 describes the unfathomable riches of the written Word of God.

Psalm 19:14, is David’s heart cry to be rightly related to God, his strength and his redeemer, based upon the written Word of God.

God’s Word speaks to us.

Paul, writing to the church in Rome, expresses God’s judgement that will come upon humanity who reject God and His Word.

Romans 1:18-21 NKJV, “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.”

But God, Himself, came into this world and brought His Light to shine in the midst of this darkened world and upon the darkness of the human heart.

John 1:1-4, NKJV, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the life shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend (*overcome) it.” (*marginal note, insert mine)

Jesus said of Himself, John 8:12, NKJV, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”

John 1:14, NKJV, “And the Word became flesh dwelt among us, and beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”

The Word, the Son of God, became the Son of Man, who lived here in the midst of His creation and among His chosen people.

Hebrews 1:1-4 NKJV, says of the Son of God/Son of Man:

“God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the Father by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become so much better than the angels, as He by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.” (emphasis mine)

This passage tells us forthrightly that God’s Son, Jesus Christ, is the central message of God’s Prophetic.Historical.Document.

Three things have been emphasized: 1. Creation speaks to us. 2. The Word of God speaks to us. 3. The Son of God has spoken to us.

The writer of The Epistle to the Hebrews, gives us this warning:

Hebrews 2:1-4, NKJV “Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him. God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will?

END OF PART 4.

Returning to The Epistle to the Ephesians, there is no question what is the central message of Paul’s letter?

The Person of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Let us return to Ephesians 1:3-14.

I encourage you to go back to the beginning of this post and re-read these verses.

Notice in Ephesians 1:10, God has always purposed in Himself that at the right time, “He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on the earth–in Him.” (NKJV) (emphasis mine)

These words parallel what is written about Christ in Hebrews 1:1-4.

Jesus Christ is the One in whom all things are to be gathered. (emphasis mine)

Ephesians 4:10-13, NKJV, “He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things. And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ…” (emphasis mine)

The centrality of this passage is the Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul tells us that we are being matured (teleios-perfected) as sons and daughters of God, in the Lord Jesus Christ. (insert mine)

We are coming “to the unity of the faith” – a ‘oneness’ in the faith, as we grow in our ‘knowledge of the Son of God'( who is our standard of ‘perfection/maturity’) that Paul says, is “the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” (emphasis mine)

Paul is telling the Ekklesia to ‘grow up'( Ephesians 4:14-16 NKJV) “…that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head-Christ-from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.” (emphasis mine)

To ‘grow up’ is to become mature.

END OF PART 5.

Would you believe that the words the ‘Lord Jesus Christ’ are used 42 times in the Ephesian Epistle?

When I first read that; my thought was, it that true?

It is true.

Not only did I read that information once; but twice.

However, the title, Son of God is used only once, and we read that in Ephesians 4:13.

Why are the words, ‘Lord Jesus Christ’ used so often by Paul in this letter?

AI overview gives a very concise and accurate answer; and it expands its answer to give a more detailed explanation.

[I am sure you understand that this is a ‘machine’s’ answer.]

Therefore,

I would like to share a Pastor’s comment.

This comment is from his blog dated February 8, 2014.

It was shared with his parishioners telling them that “Tomorrow morning I am preaching on Ephesians 4:29-30”.

His sermon topic was about the third Person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit.

He also shared this. “The Son of God is used only once in 4:13. However, the title, Lord Jesus Christ, is used 42 times (Eph 1:1 ff, 5, 9, 12, 17, 20; 2:5 ff, 10, 12f, 20; 3:1, 4, 6, 8, 11,17,19, 21; 4:12f, 15,20, 32; 5:2, 5, 14, 20f, 23ff, 29, 32; 6:5f, 23f. Paul used this title more often than the Son of God to show the divine power of the God man, Jesus Christ (the resurrected man Jesus is God) and to distinguish the Son from the Father. Again, I am not counting all the pronouns referring to the Son.”

(note: I have been unable to find the name of the Pastor. The church is the Redeemer Church in the Champaign-Urbana Illinois area.)

END OF PART 6.

Recently, I was reading a devotional, by T. A. Sparks, and was challenged with this thought: ‘the Christ who was resurrected from the tomb was greater than the Christ who was buried in the tomb.’

Jesus, Son of God/Son of Man was buried in a human body in a tomb. (emphasis mine)

Hebrews 10:5-7, NKJV(quote from Psalm 40:6-8), “Therefore, when He came into the world, He said, “Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, But a body You have prepared for Me. In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You had no pleasure. Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come–In the volume of the book it is written of Me–To do Your will, O God. ‘ ” ” (emphasis mine)

Jesus lived in the same type of body as we live in; but without sin. (Philippians 2:5-11; II Corinthians 5:17) (emphasis mine)

Therefore, He is the perfect sacrifice for sin.

God’s Sacrificial Lamb.

“Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! (John 1:29b, NKJV)

I Corinthians 15:42-49, Paul explains the reason why the resurrected Christ in His resurrected body is greater than the body of Jesus that was buried in the tomb. (emphasis mine)

The entirety of I Corinthians 15 addresses the message of the Gospel, the hope of the Gospel, the power of the resurrection, and what is the fullness of resurrection with respect to the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ. (boldness mine)

I recommend that you read I Corinthians 15.

I want to point out that Paul’s words explain God’s principle of resurrection.

verses 42-49, NKJV, “So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption. It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. It is sown in a natural body, it is raised in a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. And so it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being.“ The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual. The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second Man is the Lord from heaven. As was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust; and as is the heavenly Man, so also are those who are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man.”

The principle is that ‘what is resurrected’ is greater than ‘what is buried’.

Q: Do you believe that?

That is what took place with Jesus’ bodily resurrection.

That is what Paul is talking about in the above passage.

END OF PART 7.

Paul also describes this in Romans 8:18-25.

I encourage you to read this passage.

Continuing in Chapter 15:53-56, NKJV, ” For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” “O death where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?” The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Simply put, Jesus was sown in a natural body, and He was raised in a spiritual body.

In I Corinthians 15:20-28, NKJV, Paul addresses the issues surrounding the validity of the resurrection.

He explains, “But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep (died). For since by man came death, by Man also came resurrection from the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming. Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet. the last enemy that will be destroyed is death. For “He has put all things under His feet.” But when He says, “all things are put under Him,” it is evident that He who put all things under Him is excepted. Now when all things are made subject to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all.” (insert mine)

Then the end of time will come; the last ‘tick’ of the redemptive clock will occur; and time will be no more; everything will have been carried out that was purposed in the heart of God, the Father, before the creation of the world. (emphasis mine)

The Word of God, God’s Prophetic.Historical.Document, in The Revelation of Jesus Christ, chapter 21, verses 1-8 NKJV, gives us this prophetic vision,

“Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I, John (Apostle John), saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the Tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” Then He who sat on the throne said, ” Behold I make all things new.” Write, for these words are true and faithful.” And He said to me, “It is done!” I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be His God and he shall be my son. But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the Lake which burn with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”” (insert mine)

Paul said it this way, in II Corinthians 5:1-11 NKJV

“For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven, if indeed, having been clothed, we shall not be found naked. For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life. Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee. So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by sight. We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. Therefore we make it our aim, whether, present or absent to be well pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men, but we are well known to God, and I also trust are well known in your consciences.”

Remembering the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ that was shared earlier in this post:

John 3:16 says, “For God-so loved -the world-that He gave-His only Begotten Son-that whosoever believes in Him-should not perish-but have everlasting life.”

Paul reminds us, in II Corinthians 5:17, NKJV:

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold all things have become new.”

END OF PART 8.

Conclusion-W.R.A.P.-wrapping it up!

God’s P.H.D., the Word of God, tells us what was ‘purposed’ in Father’s heart before the creation of the world in eternity past. (emphasis mine)

Many believe that we are very close to the second coming of Christ of that we are certain.

Our task, now, is to be Watchful, be Ready, be Alert, and Praying-looking up for our redemption draws near (context Luke 21:20-28).

What God purposed in His heart before the foundation of the world will be fulfilled just as He desired it to be completed. (emphasis mine)

I trust that you have been encouraged with these passages.

Jesus said in Luke 21:25-28 NKJV, verse 28, “Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up you heads, because your redemption draws near.”

What things?

Please read, reflect, and recall Matthew 24, 25.

Until the moment of Christ’s return, we are to: be Watching; be Ready; be Alert; and be in Prayer.

blessings, your brother in Christ, deo

Biblical Hope, Part 3 , Keeping A Right ‘frame of mind’

In Biblical Hope Part 1, it was discussed that Biblical Hope Opposes Political Expectation, Do You Believe That?

In Biblical Hope Part 2, it was emphasized that Biblical Hope Offers Eternity in the Person of Jesus Christ; and that a believer’s Biblical Hope is focused upon the return of the Person of Jesus Christ. Therefore, Biblical Hope Offers Permanent Eternal life with Christ. (emphasis mine)

Do you believe that?

The Hebrew word for hope in the Old Testament is tiqvah; Strong’s #8615: Hope; expectation, something’s yearned for and anticipated eagerly; something for which one waits. (KJV Spirit Filled Life Bible, Word Wealth, page 1218) (emphasis mine)

The following passages of scriptures are found in the Psalms and Proverbs using the word ‘tiqvah’: Psalms 16:9; 22:9; 31:24; 33:18; 33:22; 33:15; 39:7; 42:5; 42:11; 43:15; 71:5; 71:14; 78:7; 110:49; 119:81; 119:14; 119:116; 130:5; 130:7; 131:3; 146:5; 147:11; Proverbs 10:28; 13:12; 14:32.

One of the most quoted texts in the Old Testament regarding hope is Jeremiah 29:11. These words were spoken by the prophet to the nation of Israel when they were in Babylonian exile. (see Jeremiah 29 for context) (emphasis mine)

” ‘For I know the plans and thoughts that I have for you,’ says the Lord, ‘plans for peace and well-being and not for disaster to give you a future and a hope.‘ ” (Amplified Version) (emphasis mine)

In Biblical Hope Part 3, the topic for consideration is emphasizing the knowing that the Word of God has many ‘hope filled’ verses for our encouragement to focus our attention on the Lord Jesus Christ; so that we have a right ‘frame of mind’ as we walk with the Lord daily in this darkened world; we are a vessel of light that manifests the glory of God that dwells with in us. (emphasis mine)

The Greek word for hope in the New Testament is elpis; Strong’s #1680: Hope, not in the sense of an optimistic outlook or wishful thinking without any foundation, but in the sense of confident expectation based on solid certainty. Biblical Hope rests on God’s promises, particularly those pertaining to Christ’s return. So certain is the future of the redeemed that the NT sometimes speaks of future events in the past tense, as though they were already accomplished. *Hope is never inferior to faith but is an extension of faith. Faith is the present possession of grace; hope is confidence in grace’s future accomplishment.*” (KJV Spirit Filled Life Bible, Word Wealth, page 1791) (emphasis mine) (*meditate on these words)

Do you believe that?

Biblical Hope Offers Peaceful Existence

How?

Consider this: Hope (is a confident assurance) Offering (a) Peaceful(internal) Endurance until the return of Jesus Christ.

Do you believe that?

Linking our definitions together, and looking into the Word of God, we find God’s promises are buoyed with hope.

These hope filled verses allow us to focus on the Word of God that undergirds our mindset so that we can have a right ‘frame of mind’.

(for comments about a right ‘frame of mind’, see the previous post and Cortan Carter’s analysis of Edward Mote’s hymn)

Strong’s Concordance, nous – pronounced ‘nooce’; probably from the base #G1097; the intellect, i.e. mind (divine or human; in thought, feeling, or will); by implication, meaning-mind, understanding.

Romans 12:1,2 Amplified Version instructs us regarding our ‘mind’(#G1097).

“Therefore I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies [dedicating all of yourselves, set apart] as a living sacrifice, holy, well-pleasing to God, which is your rational (logical, intelligent) act of worship. And to not be conformed to this world [any longer with its superficial values and customs], but be transformed and progressively changed [as you mature spiritually] by the renewing of your mind [focusing on godly values and ethical attitudes], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His plan and purpose for you].” (emphasis mine)

So how do we believers Keep A Right ‘frame of mind’ ?

We read the Word of God.

We meditate on the Word of God.

We memorize the Word of God.

We obey the Word of God.

(The following passages of scripture are from the Amplified Version.)

“Blessed [gratefully praised and adored] be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant and boundless mercy has caused us to be born again [that is to be reborn from above–spiritually transformed, renewed, and set apart for His purpose] to an ever-living hope and confident assurance through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,[Matthew 28:1-9; Mark 16:6; Luke 24:6; John 20:1-18] (1 Peter 1:3) (emphasis mine)

“But in your hearts set Christ apart [as holy–acknowledging Him, giving Him first place in your lives] as Lord. Always be ready to give a [logical] defense to anyone who asks you to account for the hope and confident assurance[elicited by faith] that is within you, yet [do it] with gentleness and respect. [Isaiah 8:12,13] (emphasis mine)

Did you notice that there is a confident assurance attached to hope?

The writer of the Letter to the Hebrews explains to us the connection.

“Now faith is the assurance (title deed, confirmation) of things hoped for (divinely guaranteed), and the evidence of things not seen [the conviction of their reality-faith comprehends as fact what cannot be experienced by the physical senses]…”But without faith it is impossible to [walk with God and ] please Him, for whoever comes [near] to God must [necessarily] believe that God exists and that He rewards those who [earnestly and diligently] seek Him.”(Hebrews 11:1,6) (emphasis mine)

“We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, as we pray always for you, for we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus [how you lean on Him with absolute confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness], and of the [unselfish] love which you have for all the saints (God’s people); because of the [confident] hope [of experiencing] that which is reserved and waiting for you in heaven. You previously heard of this hope in the message of truth, the Gospel [regarding salvation] which has come to you indeed.” (Colossians 1:3-6a) (emphasis mine) {notice the three words-faith, hope, love}

“For it pleased the Father for all the fullness [of deity–the sum total of His essence, all His perfection, powers, and attributes] to dwell [permanently] in Him (the Son), and through [the intervention of] in Him (the Son), and through the blood of His cross; through Him, [I say]. whether things on earth or things in heaven. And although you were at one time estranged and alienated and hostile-minded [toward Him], participating in evil things, yet Christ has now reconciled you [to God] in His physical body through death, or order to present you before the Father holy and blameless and beyond reproach–[and He will] do this] if you continue in the faith, well grounded and steadfast, and not shifting away from the [confident] hope [that is a result] of the Gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven and of which [Gospel] I, Paul, was made a minister.” (Colossians 1:19-23) (emphasis mine)

God [in His eternal plan] chose to made known to them how great for the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in and among you, the hope and guarantee of [realizing the] glory.” (Colossians 1:27) (emphasis mine)

“For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope and overflow with confidence in His promises…Again Isaiah says, “There shall be a root of Jesse, He who arises to rule [as King] over the Gentiles, in Him shall the Gentiles hope,” [Isaiah 11:1; Revelation 5:5; 22:16] “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peach in believing [through the experience of your faith] that by the power of the Holy Spirit you will abound in hope and overflow with confidence in His promises.” (Romans 15:4,12-13) (emphasis mine)

Do you believe this?

Q: What is settled in Paul’s confidence?

A: The ‘knowing’ his Savior Jesus Christ, and the surety of the Gospel?

Paul writes to the Galatians, “I have been crucified with Christ [that is, in Him I have shared His crucifixion]; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body I live by faith [by adhering to, relying on, and completely trusting] in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.”

Paul’s security, identity, and belonging is identified in Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection.

Therefore, in Christ, he is “a new creation in Christ Jesus” and the Lord Jesus Christ, lives in him.

Paul is fully persuaded of his living relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ; therefore, he seeks to live by faith in His Lord; knowing that no matter what he must endure as a believer here on earth; his mindset is fixed on the sure hope that anchor’s his soul; knowing he will spend eternity with the Lord Jesus Christ. (emphasis mine)

The writer of the Letter to the Hebrews (who I personally believe is Paul) encourages believers with these words.

“But, beloved, even though we speak to you in this way (context is Hebrew 6:1-8), we are convinced of better things that accompany salvation. For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you have for for His name in ministering to [the needs of] the saints (God’s people), as you do. And we desire for each one of you to show the same diligence [all the way through] so as to realize and enjoy the full assurance of hope until the end, so that you will not be [spiritually] sluggish, but [will instead be] imitators of those who through faith [lean on God with absolute trust and confidence in Him and in the power] and by patient endurance [even when suffering] are now inheriting the promises. For when God made the promise to Abraham, He swore an oath [an oath] by Himself, since He had no one greater by whom to swear, saying, “I will surely bless you and I will surely multiply you.” [Genesis 22:16,17] And so, having patiently waited , he realized the promise [in the miraculous birth of Isaac, as a pledge of what was to come from God]. Indeed men swear [an oath] by one greater than themselves, and with them [in all disputes] the oath serves as confirmation [of what has been said] and is an end of the dispute. In the same way God, in His desire to show to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable nature of His purpose, intervened and guaranteed it with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things [His promise and His oath] in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled [to Him} for refuge would have strong encouragement and indwelling strength to hold tightly to the hope set before us. This hope [this confident assurance] we have as an anchor of the soul [it cannot slip and it cannot break down under whatever pressure bears upon it]–a safe and steadfast hope that enter within the veil [of the heavenly temple, that most Holy Place in which the very presence of God dwells] , [Leviticus 16:2] where Jesus has entered [in advance] as a forerunner for us, having become a High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek. [Psalms 110:4] (emphasis mine)

Now comes the ‘mindset’ challenge.

We unite the meanings of our highlighted words; and their intersection becomes the essence of our walk with the Lord, that will keep us in a right ‘frame of mind’. (emphasis mine)

Do you believe that?

Those words faith; hope–confident assurance, a safe and steadfast hope, love

Do you believe these words have been given to us by the grace, mercy, and love of God the Father; promised to us through the Lord Jesus Christ; and emboldened in us by the Holy Spirit; enabling us to live each day of our live?

Let me share some new acronyms.

F.A.I.T.H.: Faith Assured Is True Hope

Hebrew 11:1,2,6 “Now faith is the assurance (title deed, confirmation) of things hoped for (divinely guaranteed) and the evidence of things not seen [the conviction of their reality-faith comprehends as fact what cannot be experienced by the physical senses]. For by this kind of faith the men of old gained [divine] approval…But without faith it is impossible to [walk with God and] please Him, for whoever [comes] to God must [necessarily] believe that God exists and that He rewards those who [earnestly and diligently] seek HIm.:

H.O.P.E. : Hope : Hope Observed Purifies Everyone

I John 3:2-3, “Beloved, we are [even here and] now children of God, and it is not yet made clear what we will be [after His coming]. We know that when He comes and is revealed, we will [as His children ] be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is [in all His glory]. And everyone who has this hope [confidently placed] in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure (holy, undefiled, guiltless).” (emphasis mine)

I encourage you to re-read these verses and see the intersection of thought between faith and hope, working in us as we walk with the Lord and are made ready for His appearing.

Biblical Hope does not rest in a politician.

It does not rest in the strength of nations.

It solely rests in the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ.

You can be absolutely certain that the Lord Jesus Christ will return to this earth in all His glory.

That is a certainty.

It is interesting to see in the Word of God, the mindset of the Jewish leaders, as well as, the mindset of Jesus’ disciples.

The Jewish leaders and Christ’s disciples both put their hope in a Messiah that would come and set up a kingdom.

They had political expectations.

Luke, the author of Acts identifies this very thought that was embedded in the mindset of Jesus’ disciples.

Luke writes, Acts 1:1-11 (Amplified Version)

“The first account I made, Theophilus, was [a continuous report] about all the things that Jesus began to do and teach [Luke 1:1-4] until the day when He ascended to heaven, and after He had by the Holy Spirit given instruction to the apostles (special messengers) whom He had chosen. To these [men] He showed Himself alive after His suffering [in Gethsemane and on the cross], by [series of] many infallible proofs and unquestionable demonstrations, appearing to them over a period of forty days and talking to them about the things concerning the kingdom of God. While being together and eating with them, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised “Of which,” He said, you have heard Me speak. [John 14:16; 15:26] For John baptized with water, but you will be baptized and empowered and united with the Holy Spirit, not long from now.” So when they had come together, they asked Him repeatedly, “Lord, are You at this time reestablishing the kingdom and restoring it to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know the times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority. But you will receive power and ability when the Holy Spirit comes upon you; and you will be My witnesses [to tell people about Me] both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and Samaria, and even to the ends of the earth.” “

It is not hard to understand why they asked Him repeatedly about the reestablishment of the Kingdom.

Jesus had been talking to them about the things of the kingdom of God over the course of 40 days .

As I see it, they were mentally fixed upon an earthly kingdom like the Jewish nation; and like its religious leaders had had for centuries before the coming of Christ Jesus to the earth.

Jesus was not talking about a literal Jewish nation being reestablished at that time; He was talking about the heavenly Kingdom of God being established within them; and I assume of its coming at the end of the Age. (1 Corinthians 15:20-28)

The Kingdom of God within them was not new to their hearing; they never properly understood it. (Romans 14:17)

Jesus, when standing before Pilate, was asked by him, if He were a King?

Jesus replied that His Kingdom was not of this world. (John 18:28-40)

Do you believe that?

What began at Pentecost continues to this day!

And it will continue until Jesus Christ’s Second coming!

Jesus said so.

Do you believe that?

The writer to the Hebrew community encouraged them with these words.

“Therefore (Context, see Hebrews 10:1-18), believers, since we have this confidence and full freedom to enter the Holy Place [the place where God dwells] by [means of] the blood of the Jesus, by this new and living way which He initiated and opened for us through the veil [as in the Holy of Holies], that is, through His flesh, and since we have a great and wonderful Priest [Who rules] over the house of God, let us approach [God] with a true and sincere heart in unqualified assurance of faith, having had our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us seize and hold tightly the confession of our hope without wavering for He who promised is reliable and trustworthy and faithful to His word; and let us consider [thoughtfully] how we may encourage one another to love and to do good deeds, not forsaking our meeting together [as believers for worship and instruction], as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more [faithfully] as you see the day [of Christ’s return] approaching. (Amplified Version) (emphasis mine)

Do you believe that?

Our closing thought.

Q: Did you see the progression of faith, hope and love in the previous passage?

Q: Did you see the explanations of these words in the passage? a) verse 22, ‘unqualified assurance’-faith; b) verse 23,’confession’ of our hope; verse 25, encourage one another as the return of Christ draws near; c) verse 24, encourage one another to love-and to do good deeds.

All of this happens in Christ, in the relational community of believers-the Body of Christ.

I Corinthians 13:13 “And now there remain: faith [abiding trust in God and His promises], hope [confident expectation of eternal salvation], love [unselfish love for others growing out of God’s love for me], these three [the choicest graces] but the greatest of theses is love. (Amplified Version)

Do you believe this?

As we walk with our Lord Jesus Christ, being an ‘ex-Algebra teacher’, I propose the following Biblical algebraic equation.

F.A.I.T.H. + H.O.P.E = *GOD’S LOVE

Romans 5:1-5 Amplified Version reads,

“Therefore, since we have been justified[that is acquitted of sin, declared blameless before God] by faith, [let us grasp the fact that] we have peace with God [and the joy of reconciliation with Him] through our Lord Jesus Christ[the Messiah, the Anointed). Through Him we also have access by faith into this [remarkable state of] grace in which we [firmly and safely and securely] stand. Let us rejoice in our hope and the confident assurance of [experiencing and enjoying]the glory of [of great] God [the manifestation of His excellence and power]. And not only this, but (with joy) let us exult in our sufferings and rejoice in our hardships, knowing that hardship (distress, pressure, trouble) produces patient endurance; and endurance, proven character(spiritual maturity); and proven character, hope and confident assurance[of eternal salvation]. Such hope [in God’s promises] never disappoints us, because (*) God’s love has been abundantly poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

Q: When did that begin?

The Day of Pentecost.

It is still happening.

Q: Did you notice that ‘God, the Father’; ‘Jesus Christ, the Son’; and the ‘Holy Spirit’ are all involved in our spiritual growth?

Q: Did you notice that our three words, [faith, hope, love] are embedded in this passage?

I submit to you again that F.A.I.T.H + H.O.P.E = the manifestation of *GOD’S LOVE in your life.

Let me say it this way.

The gift of God’s saving faith + the hope of the Gospel in Christ Jesus = the manifestation of the love of God in our hearts by the Holy Spirit.

Can you envision living this equation as the foundation of your right ‘frame of mind’?

This is the essence of the lifestyle of the Body of Christ.

This is the maturity that we, as believers in Jesus Christ, are to grow up into, and become learning to walk as Jesus walked.

Ask the Lord to make these truths real in your experience as you follow Him.

“So then, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation, but not to our flesh [our human nature, our worldliness, our sinful capacity], to live according to the [impulses of the flesh], you are going to die. But if [you are living] by the [power of the Holy] Spirit you are habitually putting to death the sinful deeds of the body, you will [really] live forever. For all who are allowing themselves to be led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading again to fear [of God’s judgment], but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons [the Spirit of producing sonship] by which we [joyfully] cry, “Abba Father!” The Spirit testifies and confirms together with our spirit [assuring us] that we [believers] are children of God.” (Romans 8:12-16 Amplified Version) (emphasis mine)

May the Lord richly bless you,

a brother in Christ, deo

God’s ‘Unprecedented Unrest’ Part 3

The topic of ‘unprecedented unrest’ can be very unsettling, nerve wracking, worrisome, and anxious.

This has not the purpose of the last two posts, nor this post.

The fact is, there is ‘unprecedented unrest’ in our nation, and the other nations of the world. In short, this is not a bad thing. The Bible teaches that before Christ returns, things can and will become very tumultuous. (*See end of post*)

The burden of my heart has been to share with you what the Lord has shown me, and to encourage you, while you watch disturbing events taking place throughout our nation, and hear disturbing words that seek to undermine the foundation of our nation.

Please understand that in the next four months, prior to the November presidential election, there will be an unprecedented increase in political rhetoric that is going to be virulent, radical, and irrational. It will not surprise me for there to be demonstrations of rage and lawlessness.

What will that look like? I don’t know.

We will have to wait and see.

Unless God…

I encourage you to re-read and/or read Psalm 64 carefully, and ask the Holy Spirit to walk you through what David was personally experiencing and expressing to God.

At the risk of being very redundant, I suggest that you read or re-read the post entitled The A.R.R.O.W. Of God (livingwordsofencouragement.com).

In the Tree of Life Version Bible (that I personally use ), Psalm 64 is entitled, Protect Me From Conspiracies.

What an apropos title for the political climate and social culture we are now experiencing. There is political chaos in our nation, constant dissenting verbal rhetoric being voiced throughout the media, and corruption.

As I said earlier, the outlook is discouraging; but it is necessary.

It is not time to loose heart, but to focus on the Lord.

In Matthew 24:1-2(TLV), a verbal exchange takes place between Jesus and His disciples. The text says, “Now when Yeshua (Jesus) went out and was going away from the temple, His disciples came up to point out to Him the temple buildings. “Don’t you see all these?” He(Jesus) responded to them. “Amen, I tell you, not one stone will be left here on top of another–every one will be torn down!” (inserts mine)

Obviously, this shocked them. So, they asked, (vs 3b) “Tell us, when will these things happen? What will be the sign of Your coming and of the end of the age?”

Historically, we know that the temple was completely destroyed, as Jesus said it would, in 70 A.D.

The Romans did it.

What has always interested and astounded me is the first thing Jesus said when He began answering their questions.

Matthew 24:4 (TLV), “Yeshua (Jesus) answered them, “Be careful that no one leads you astray!” (inserts mine)

Rotherham’s Emphasized Bible says, “…Be taking heed, lest anyone |deceive| you;”

NKJV says, “Take heed that no one deceives you.”

So, what is the tell-tale mark of the time in which we live?

How much deception and lying is going on right before us?

Why have I brought this subject up?

When you read Psalm 64, what type of activity is David pouring out his heart to God about?

I believe a careful reading of the Psalm will give us a clear understanding.

David is rehearsing before God, the lies, the deceits, the deceptions, and the plannings which are the thoughts and intents of his enemies ‘darkened,evil’ hearts.

What kind of atmosphere is created by such scheming?

James 3:14-16 (TLV), says, “Who among you is wise and understanding? By his good conduct let him show his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not boast and lie against the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above (heaven), but is earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil practice. But the wisdom from that is from above (heaven) is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial, not hypocritical. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in shalom (peace) by those who make shalom (peace). (inserts mine)

The Bible says that “by their fruits you will know them” (see Matthew 7:15-20 for context).

“Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” (see Matthew 12:34/Luke 6:45 for context).

If the source is not from above (heaven), then where is it from? What does that mean in the Bible? below is hell. (inserts mine)

I know that is a very strong assertion to make; but that is not my opinion, it is the word of God.

As I proceed, I trust that you understand that sometimes we need to consider what we may want to avoid. Allow the Word of God to guide your thinking.

James 3:14-16 is inferring that the source of the wisdom from below is the Devil, Satan himself. Startling words?

Harsh words? Listen to Jesus!

In John 8:44 (TLV), Jesus is speaking to the Jewish religious rulers. He says to them, “You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him (devil). Whenever he speaks lies he is just being himself–for he (devil)is a liar and the father of lies.” (emphasis, inserts mine)

In Ephesians 2:1-10 (TLV), Paul writing to the believers at the church in Ephesus reminds them of their former life. He says, “You were dead in your trespasses and sins. At that time, you walked in the way of this world, in conformity to the ruler (devil) of the domain of the air*–the ruler (devil) of the spirit who is now operating in the sons of disobedience. We,too,all lived among them in the craving of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and the mind. By nature (being unregenerate) we were children of wrath, just like the others. But God was rich in mercy, because of His(God) great love with which He (God) loved us . Even when we were dead in our trespasses, He made us alive together with Messiah (Anointed One). (By grace you have been saved!) And He (God) raised us up with Him (Jesus) and seated us with Him (Jesus) in the heavenly places in Messiah (Anointed One)–to show in the olam ha-ba (the world to come) the measureless riches of His (God) grace in kindness toward us in Messiah Yeshua (Christ Jesus). By grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not from yourselves–it is the gift of God. It is not based on deeds (works), so that no one may boast. For we are His (God’s) workmanship created in Messiah Yeshua( Christ Jesus) for good deeds, which God prepared beforehand so we might walk in them.” (emphasis, inserts mine) (*see got questions.org, ‘What does it mean that Satan is the prince of the power of the air, Ephesians 2:2)

The above scripture Ephesians 2;1-10 is resplendent in God’s Everlasting love for His creation, especially man. (see John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son…)

The spiritual influence behind what David is lamenting before God has its source working through the sin nature of unregenerate people influenced by the devil.

We must understand this!

David’s enemies are unregenerate people. Their father is the devil. They are sons of disobedience upon whom the wrath of God abides unless God works in them by His grace, opening their hearts and minds to the truth of the gospel. We are all, like Paul said, children of disobedience but for the grace of God.

Because they are unregenerate, sinners by nature, they exhibit the same characteristics as their father, the devil. That is what Jesus said, and that is what Paul said.

[Why does God still love us? Because man was originally created in His image; that image has been marred by sin. The Gospel is God providing the means to be born again as a new creation in Christ Jesus and grow into the image of His Son.]

In Revelation 12:10-12 (TLV) the following is said of the devil. He is an “accuser” of believers.

How many political accusations are thrown about daily in our nation? How many social and cultural accusations are also spoken against others in our nation?

In Psalm 64, David is in the midst of a spiritual battle. He is being verbally hammered by individuals who are unregenerate, those whose father is the devil.

I know these thoughts can be difficult to process; but allow the truth of the Word to minister to you.

Does God care about our leaders? Absolutely!

Read 1 Timothy 2:1-8, Paul tells us to pray for those in authority over us. Paul also tells us why? Because God “desires all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth.” (TLV)

Remember, David is the King of Israel.

We, as a nation, are in the midst of a spiritual battle. (Ephesians 6:10-20) We, too, are, are being verbally hammered by unregenerate mankind. That is why Paul says, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood (humanity) but against the rulers, against the powers, against the worldly forces of this darkness, and against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.” What we are struggling against is the influence of the devil on the unregenerate hearts of mankind that are in positions of authority and influence in our nation.

Don’t focus on a person and their personality, or a person’s strengths and weaknesses.

Focus on Christ.

That is why the Ekklesia, the Church, the Body of Christ needs to pray and intercede daily for this nation.

It is time to close our thoughts; but it is important that we see clearly what is taking place.

Our, Father God, has shot His ARROW. He is exposing the words and the deeds of darkness. The works of the devil that has been done in darkness are being brought to light.

With the revelation of truth being exposed, mankind will be fearful.

I propose that both the saved and the unsaved will respond with fear because of the great shaking that is and will take place in our nation and the other nations in the world.

The ‘unsaved’ will have a dreaded fear. The ‘saved’, too, will initially be shaken and experience fear; but their (those saved) fear will not continue in dreaded fear. Their fear will become a reverential fear and awe for their heavenly Father.

How so?

2 Timothy 1:7 (TLV), says, “For God has not given us a spirit of timidity (fear) but of power and love and self-discipline (sound mind).”

Rotherham’s Emphasized Bible says (2 Timothy 1:7) “For God hath not given us a spirit of cowardice, But of power, and love, and correction.”

New Spirit Filled Life Bible says, (2 Timothy 1:7) “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

In context, Paul is encouraging a youthful Timothy, not to fear, because of the circumstances and responsibilities he is facing.

A sound mind, Word Wealth notes for 1:7 says, “The word denotes good judgment, disciplined thought patterns, and the ability to understand and make right decisions. It includes the qualities of self-control and self-discipline.”

How does this apply to us?

Psalm 64:10a tells us all men shall fear. Psalm 64:b continues, “So they will declare the work of God.” They is all men(all mankind),the saved and the unsaved. The work of God has caused ‘unprecedented unrest’. Some will have a dreadful fearful experience (unsaved); others (the saved) will rejoice. This means their fear will turn to praise. (emphasis, inserts mine)

Why can I say that? Let’s look at the text.

The next verse tells us what takes place.

Psalm 64:11 (TLV), the saved have processed what is going on. I contend that believers will exercise their sound mind given by God.

Verse 11 says, “the righteous will be glad in Adonai and take refuge in Him.”

Those who are in a right relationship with Father God, will be able to discern what is happening, will rejoice and come under the “shadow of His wings” (Psalm 91)

The verse continues, “Let all the upright in heart give glory!

Only believers ‘in Christ’ can do that!

To whom are they giving glory?

God, their Father.

See there is Good News in this ‘unprecedented unrest’.

Where?

The unsaved, too, can find refuge in God. (See above, 1 Timothy 2:1-8)

Will there be judgment? Yes

Will there be an opportunity for repentance? Absolutely.

At the Cross, ‘judgment was paid; and salvation was made’. (my words)

God’s awakening will bring judgment to evil and salvation to those who respond to God’s saving grace during this time of ‘unprecedented unrest’ orchestrated by God, Himself. (See Ephesians 2:1-10 earlier in this post)

As I was composing this post, a chorus came to mind: “God is moving by His Spirit, Moving in all the earth, Signs and Wonders, when God moveth, move Oh Lord in me.” [Note: The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir wrote and recorded this song “God is Moving by His Spirit” in 1996.]

It is happening and it will happen. God is moving by His Spirit.

My word of encouragement to you is that we need to be careful not think of ourselves more highly than we ought to think. (Romans 12:3)

In short, our thinking is, I can handle this!

No one really knows how they are going to respond when God steps on the scene.

Remember, being “in Christ” is the same as taking refuge in God. Jesus is our refuge. Jesus is our ARK. [I encourage you to read my post: THE ALTERNATIVE TO WORRY, ANXIETY, AND/OR STRESS (livingwordsofencouragement.com) ](emphasis insert mine)

Christ is our Refuge.

John 16:33 (TLV), Jesus, in the upper room, prior to His arrest, said to His disciples: “These things I have spoken to you so that in Me (in Christ), you may have shalom (peace). In the world you will have tribulation ( may I say, ‘unprecedented unrest’) but take heart! I have overcome the world!” (emphasis and inserts mine)

The Apostle John writes, I John 5:4-5 (TLV), “For everyone born of God overcomes the world, and the victory that has overcome the world is this–our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world, if not the one who believes that Yeshua is Ben-Elohim (Jesus is the Son of God) ? (emphasis and insert mine)

Earlier in this post, I referenced Satan in Revelation 12:10-12 (TLV). I will now complete the end of verse 12. “They(believer) overcame him (Satan) by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their(believer) testimony, and they (believers) did not love their(believer) lives even in the face of death.”

What will we face in the coming months and years is known only to God?

But that does not change what Jesus said about being His disciple.

We need to ‘double down’ as His disciple.

Luke 9: 18-27 is the context for what Jesus said regarding being a disciple.

Luke 9:22 (TLV) says, “But Yeshua (Jesus) warned them (His disciples) not to tell this to any to anyone, saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and ruling kohanim (priests) and Torah (the Law) scholars, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.” (inserts mine)

[Personal note: the time for silence has passed. Now is the time to tell!]

Luke 9:23-24 (TLV), Then Yeshua (Jesus) was saying to everyone, “If anyone wants to follow Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross every day, and follow Me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.” (inserts mine)

[Personal note: this is the ‘work of the Cross’ (the other side of Calvary on resurrection ground) changing you into the image of Christ. This means that we must learn to live walking after the Spirit and not after the flesh.]

So, at this present moment, there is ‘unprecedented unrest’ in our midst as a nation. We must focus on the Lord and not listen to the verbal rhetoric that is being thrown about seeking to devour and deceive (see I Peter 5:8) those who listen to other voices, other than the voice of our Shepherd, the Lord Jesus Christ.

I recommend that you read John 10:1-19. It’s about, Jesus’ sheep hearing Jesus’ voice. Jesus said, “I am the Good Shepherd.”

I want to encourage you also to read, to reflect upon, and to rest in the following passages of scripture.

The Lord is our Shepherd: 1) Psalm 62:1-9; 2) Psalm 46:1-12; 3) Psalm 57:1-2; 4) Psalm 71:1-8; 5) Psalm 91:1-16; 6) Nahum 1:17.

I close with the joy declared in Psalm 64:11 (TLV), “The righteous will be glad in Adonai and take refuge in Him. Let all the upright in heart give glory.”

In spite of all David’s lamenting, he ends with a ‘words of rejoicing’.

David- my God reigns!

Today, our God reigns too!

blessings, a brother in Christ, deo

*I believe that in Matthew 24:3-14(TLV), Jesus gives us an initial insight into the ‘unprecedented unrest’ that we all will face. I know people will differ with interpretations and timing. That is ok. My hope is that you will glean what Jesus is outlining and telling us what will take place before the end of the age.

“As He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, Tell us, when will these things (temple demolished completely) happen? What will be the sign of Your coming and the end of the age? Yeshua (Jesus) answered them, “Be careful that no one leads you astray (deceives you)! For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will lead many astray. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must happen but it is not the end yet. For nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, and earthquakes in various places. But all these things are only the beginning of birth pains. Then they will hand you over to persecution and will kill you. You will be hated by all the nations because of My name. And then many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another. Many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. Because lawlessness will multiply, the love of many will grow cold. [Personal note: the word used for love here is agape-that is God’s love! What is Jesus saying to believers, regarding His love?] B.U.T. (Believers Understand This) the one who endures to the end will be saved. [These are Jesus’ words not my words.] This Good News (Gospel) of the kingdom shall be proclaimed in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.” (emphasis, inserts mine)

We are in the process of living out the fulfillment of Jesus’ words.

Come Lord Jesus!

God’s purpose for this time of ‘unprecedented unrest’ is to bring judgment on sin and salvation to mankind who responds to the gospel of Jesus Christ.

This is the redemptive purpose of the Cross.

God’s Redemptive Activity Changes Everything!

“…This is the word of Adonai to Zerubbabel saying, “Not by might, nor by power, but by my Ruach! (Spirit, breath of God)”, says Adonai-Tzva’ ot(The Lord of Host)…He will bring out the capstone with shouts of “Grace, grace” to it. (Zechariah 4:6-7, TLV)

The Storm Clouds Are Gathering, Now What?

Part 7

The word of the Lord has been that an ‘unprecedented unrest’ is coming. It may, in fact, already be upon us; but, are we focused on what is taking place right before our eyes and not seeing it? I am not sure that we are totally conscious of the ‘unprecedented unrest’ growing in our midst.

Why?

That is for you to ask yourself.

What keeps you from knowing what is taking place in our nation and the other nations of the world that is having a direct effect upon you and your family?

What spiritual forces are blinding you to the reality of what is taking place throughout the world, especially to our Christian brothers and sisters, and in our own very nation?

I suggest that we pray and ask the Holy Spirit to awaken us to the events that are happening both in the nations, our nation, and in the Church, both the positive and the negative.

For myself, I need to take advantage of news sites that will give me the information that I need to know about what is truly going on in our world.

But the bottom line is that we stay focused on Christ!

The scripture tells us that God is preparing humanity for the return of His Son, Jesus Christ, to this world.

There are many who believe that what they are seeing and hearing taking place now throughout the world is fast forwarding us to Christ’s return.

I am not saying that is not true; however, what I am sharing is that I believe that the coming ‘unprecedented unrest’ will be used by God, the Father, as a witness to this nation and to the other nations of the world of His Reality,of His Existence, and of His Sovereignty which will culminate in His salvific plan.

This ‘unrest’ will leave no doubt about His Existence and the Truth of the Message of the Gospel of Christ.

In short, God is getting humanity ready for the close of the age.

That said, I do not believe that this ‘unprecedented unrest’ is the Great Tribulation. It will be a trial; it will be a tribulation; and it will bring turmoil; but its purpose is will be two-fold.

One purpose will be to bring judgement upon those who need to be judged; and the second will be the manifestation of God’s grace to a dying world, bringing salvation to the many that are called, and it will shake the Church out of its lethargy.

That two-fold purpose is the message of Calvary.

So what does that mean for us today as believers ‘in Christ’?

I want to revisit Psalm 64:7-10 (NKJV), “But God shall shoot at them with an arrow; Suddenly they shall be wounded. So He will make them stumble over their own tongue; All who see them shall flee away. All men shall fear, And shall declare the work of God; For they shall wisely consider His doing. The righteous shall be glad in the Lord, and trust (take refuge) in Him. And all the upright in heart shall glory.” (insert, emphasis mine)

God’s ARROW will be the catalyst of the ‘unprecedented unrest’.

God’s people will take refuge in Him, because they trust in Him.

[I have written about this psalm in a previous post. I would like to refer you to: THE A.R.R.O.W. OF GOD. Go to lilvingwordsofencouragement.com]

This nation has been the target of an unrelenting barrage of vociferous words that have incarcerated the nation and put its people into verbal bondage.

We are a nation of POW’s-we are the Prisoners of Words.

God is going to judge those who have lied and deceived this nation; He is also going to bring the truth of the Gospel to this nation afresh in the power of His Holy Spirit; and He is going to bring about a righteous course correction to our nation. His ‘works’ will bring the ‘unprecedented unrest’. There will be ‘spiritual warfare’; In fact, we are currently in the midst of spiritual warfare for the soul of this nation. In addition, there also may be civil unrest that is the result of God working mightily in our midst manifesting His works in our nation.

I know that is a strong statement.

I am not saying that civil ‘unrest’ is a certainty; however, I am saying that it would not surprise me if civil unrest occurs.

Why?

Because we have been witnessing civil unrest taking place throughout our nation for the past several years.

What has been the source of civil unrest? lawlessness

What will be the continued source of civil unrest? lawlessness fighting against what God is doing in our nation.

Jesus said in Matthew 24:12-14 NKJV, “And because lawlessness will abound, the love (agape) or many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved. And this gospel will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.”

Please note, the love (agape) that has grown cold is in believers. Why do I say that; because ‘agape’ is God’s love. The love of God (agape) is shed abroad in the hearts of the believers by the the Holy Spirit.(Romans 5:5)

Do you remember what Jesus said in a letter to the Church in Ephesus, written by the Apostle John, in Revelation 2:1-7, you have left your first love.

Has the Church left its first love? Their agape, love for Christ.

Some of you might be wondering, where are you headed? I am glad you asked.

Matthew 24 and 25 outlines Jesus’ response to His disciples questions after they had asked him an innocuous question about the temple buildings. Jesus begins outlining what will take place regarding the coming destruction of Jerusalem that occurred in 70 A.D. Jesus then switches their attention to answering their questions regarding His coming and the end of the age.

In the context of this post, The Storm Clouds Are Gathering, let us look at Jesus’ words in Matthew 24:36-42.

First, Jesus settles the issue of His return. In Matthew 24:36, He says “But of that day and hour no one in heaven knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.” (NKJV)

The inference is that the Incarnate Son of God does not know when He is returning.

Jesus, then, elaborates on the condition of society at the time of His coming.

He says in, Matthew 24:37-39, NKJV, “But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood , they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came, and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.”

At face value these words do not sound very troublesome; but..

What can we conclude from His words ?

I would like to take some literary license. Allow me to suggest a speculative picture that probably contains some elements of truth.

What was the normal weather like in Noah’s day? The weather was most likely pleasant. There was no reason to consciously think about changes in the weather. People were enjoying a normal lifestyle. Jesus said they were eating, drinking, marrying, and giving in marriage. Sounds like an easygoing community of people. They are enjoying an atmosphere of life that was relaxing, peaceful, and restful. These people are engaged in the normal activities of life.

From Jesus’ words, there doesn’t appear to be any ‘lawlessness’ going on.

Then, one day, sometime during the day, things change. It begins with the weather.

They have never seen weather like this before.

They may not have had the proper words to describe what they are witnessing; but, let me insert these words: they were watching storm clouds gathering.

Storm clouds, what are storm clouds?

As the storm clouds were gathering, it was getting colder, and it was getting darker.

And this was happening during the daylight hours.

There conversations were most likely centered on what was taking place.

What does all this mean? What is going on? I’m cold!

They probably didn’t have proper clothing for the change in the weather.

In a clearing, somewhere, in the vicinity of the people, there was a building project that had been going on for many years. In fact, the building project was now in its 120th year.

Recently, those who had been interested, had observed an unusual activity taking place during the past week at the project site.

There were lots of animals coming from every direction, walking up a ramp into the large construction project.

It would be natural to assume they pondered what this all meant; but I surmise they didn’t have a clue.

Or, did have a clue?; but they never really paid serious attention to what they had been told.

Told what, by whom? Noah.

Quoting T. Austin Sparks, “they heard the words, but they did not hear the Voice”.

In the course of time, during this parade of animals, going up the ramp, into the construction project, the line came to an end. The onlookers also realized that Noah’s family, too, had entered the large structure.

Now what? they thought.

It maybe that some of the family members were the last ones to go inside because Noah and his sons had been assisting and guiding the animals as they sauntered up the ramp into the construction project.

Who knows?

Then, as I just said, the moment comes when the last of the animals are inside, and all of Noah’s family, too, is inside.

The entrance to the structure is closed and secured.

I wonder if the entrance was closed with a bang or shut in silence?

I wonder if anyone was paying attention when it happened?

Chances are, some of the people were inquisitive enough to stay and watch the proceeding to the end.

The reality was that the entrance to the structure was closed.

Some of the people may have dispersed; some of the people may have been mingling around trying to make sense of what was happening; and some of the people may have ignored the whole thing completely, simply because they were not interested.

Suddenly, there was a momentous change in the weather. The heavens opened up; a downpour of rain was unleashed upon earth; and people were filled with a horrific fear and panic.

This fear and panic fell upon all those who were stranded outside this large structure.

Why?

Because of a deluge of rain (what’s that?) came down, and the level of the waters rose, and those who sought for safety found no safe place of refuge.

They found themselves fighting for their very lives.

An ‘unprecedented unrest’ was occurring.

There was no place of escape from the volume of water that was being unleashed upon the world.

Have you ever seen an artist’s rendition of the flood, depicting the horrified people banging on the large structure, crying out for safety in the midst of the rising waters?

For them there was no response of help from inside the structure; nor was there any way to climb up the structure’s side to safety.

The scene was in total despair, a helpless desperation!

What were these people, who are struggling for safety and floundering in the rising waters, going through mentally?

What were Noah and his family members struggling with mentally, knowing that they are safe inside the structure; yet, they are listening to the loud cries of despair of the people who are not inside with them?

One can only conjecture.

Had these people, who had witnessed the building project, ridiculed Noah as he obeyed God, faithfully building the structure? And had these same people refuse to heed the words Noah had spoken to them?

“…had they heard the words, but not the Voice?”

Obviously, Noah’s family believed him, and heeded his word. They were safe inside the building project.

Does the Word of God shed any light on this event in human history?

2 Peter 2:4-6 NKJV, “For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment; and did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly;”

What words stand out to you as you read this passage of scripture?

Hebrews 11:7 NKJV, “By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.”

What words stand out to you as you read this passage of scripture?

Remember, Jesus said, that as it was in the days of Noah so shall it be in the days of the coming of the Son of Man.

What does this mean to us in light of the two previous verses that you read?

What did God see that caused Him to have Noah build an ark and unleash a flood of water that brought judgment upon the world?

What does God see, today, that would cause Him to bring an ‘unprecedented unrest’ upon this nation and the other nations of the world?

End Part 7

a brother in Christ, deo

Knowing You, Jesus, Knowing You…

Part 6

A number of years ago, Graham Kendricks composed a song entitled, Knowing You Jesus. I do not know if you are familiar with this song; but I do strongly encourage you to listen to it. The chorus begins with these words, “Knowing You Jesus, Knowing You, There is no greater thing, You’re my all, You’re the best, You’re my joy, my righteousness…” To which, I simply say, Amen.

The Apostle Paul said in Philippians 3:10 NKJV, “…that I may know(ginosko) Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death.”

How does that happen?

That, knowing,(ginosko) does not come from sermons, Bible studies, classes, conventions, books, etc., that knowing (ginosko)comes from embracing the work of the cross in your life, based upon what you have read and/or heard from the Word of God. This life comes from what Paul said is found in the fellowship of His sufferings. It is the work of the cross, based upon the Word of God, to your life by the Holy Spirit.

I am of the opinion that the fellowship of Christ’s sufferings is not something that is taught very much in the Church. I could be entirely wrong. When I reflect upon the teaching sermons that I have heard during the past seventeen years, I do not recall many teachings about ‘suffering as a believer’. I know that it has been alluded too as something Jesus said to expect. I do know that it was emphasized when I sat under the teaching of the the Sermon on the Mount.

How many of us have actually experienced Biblical suffering? I am not talking about inconvenience or temporary uncomfortableness. I have had those experiences; and I am confident that many of you too have had such experiences.

I am referring to persecution, being reviled, having all manner of evil spoken against you, as Jesus described in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5).

He also taught that if you were going to follow Him as His disciple it would cost you.

How?

You would be treated like He was treated. You would be ostracized, ridiculed, and even rejected (Read John 13-17,the Upper Room Discourse).

Jesus said, to His disciples, when preparing them (Matthew 10:5-31) to be sent out to minister in Matthew 10: 24-26 (NKJV), “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher, and a servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of his household! Therefore do not fear them. For there is nothing covered that will not be known.

I have heard this referred too as vocational suffering. It’s suffering that is part of what to expect when you identify with Christ. It is part of your job description.

The Apostle Peter, also, spoke of suffering for Christ’s sake in his first epistle.

I Peter 4:1-19 ( the entire chapter), speaks to believers about suffering. I recommend that you read the entire chapter.

Quoting from this chapter, I Peter 4:1,2,12-19(NKJV):

“Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God…Beloved, do think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange things happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may be glad with exceeding joy. If you are reproached for the name of Christ blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified. But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody in other people’s matters. Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter. For the time has come for judgement to begin at the house of God, and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? Now, “If the righteous one is scarcely saved, where will the ungodly and the sinner appear?” Therefore, let those who suffer according to the will of God, commit their souls to Him in doing good, as to a faithful Creator.”

Paul summarized his position in the Lord like this (Galatians 2:20-21 NKJV), ” I am crucified with Christ; yet it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life that I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.”

As a believer ‘in Christ’, this is our foundational position. Understanding this position and experiencing it’s reality was the essence of Paul’s life and ministry. This is what Paul taught to the believers throughout the churches he founded ‘in Christ’.

When the shaking comes, that ‘unprecedented unrest’, God will shake everything that can be shaken. This will include everything that has not been established or found to be ‘in Christ’. All will be shaken.

I have been sharing that an ‘unprecedented unrest’ is coming to our nation. Looking at the daily headlines, it is obvious that it has begun and is growing in our nation and throughout the world.

I have shared my concern about believers ‘in Christ’ who will struggle in the time of ‘unprecedented unrest’ because of their lack of spiritual maturity that is the result of knowing (edoi) a lot of information about Christ and the Word of God; but lacking in spiritual maturity because that knowledge(edoi) has not been changed into a living experience (ginosko) in the Lord.

Jesus, in John 17:1-5, NKJV, prayed to His Father, “Father the hour has come, Glorify Your Son , that Your Son also may glorify You, as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him. And this is eternal life that they many know (ginosko) You, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do. And now, O Father, glorify me together with Yourself, with the glory I had with You before the world was.”

He continues in verses 14-17 (NKJV), “I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through Your truth. Your word is truth.

Jesus, continued His prayer for His disciples, and also prayed for those who will come to know(ginosko) Him (John 17:20 NKJV), “I do not pray for these alone but also for those who will believe in Me through their word. ” (That’s us)

Jesus closes His prayer with these words, John 17:25-26 NKJV, “O righteous Father! The world has not known (ginosko)You, but I have known(ginosko) You, and these have known (ginosko) that You sent Me. And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it that the love with which You love Me may be in them, and I in them.”

The essence of being born again, is knowing God, the Father and Christ, the Son, as your personal Savior. This is your beginning of being saved; but God’s purpose is for us to mature beyond just being saved here on earth and waiting it out to go to heaven.

When you read Philippians 3, you will see that maturity was Paul’s goal and understanding. Paul ‘presses on’ to know (ginosko) the Lord.

The thrust of the Letter to the Hebrews is to ‘go on’.

Go on to what?

As I have mentioned before, the letters of the New Testament are written to believers to mature them, to come to fulfillment, ‘in Christ’ here on earth.

Let us recall Paul’s words, “… that I might know (ginosko) Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being confirmed to His death. (Philippians 3:10, NKJV)

I understand this statement, Philippians 3:10, to be an equivalent restatement by Paul of Galatians 2:20.

I have been using the word ‘ginosko‘ multiple times in the previous posts and in this one. I have not formally defined the word. I would like to do that now.

In the Spirit Filled Life Bible, the Word Wealth Section for John 8:32 records: know, ginosko (ghin-oce-koe); Strong’s #1097: compare “prognosis”; “gnomic”, “gnomon”, “gnostic”; To perceive, understand, recognize, gain knowledge, realize, come to know. Ginosko is a knowledge that has an inception, a progress, and an attainment. It is the recognition of truth by personal experience.”

Notice the progression: inception, progress, attainment. This presents a progression of growth. There is an implied maturity taking place.. ‘Hearers’ of the Word are becoming ‘Doers’ of the Word. What is taking place? We are Justified (Inception), Sanctified(Progress)–growing into spiritual maturity(teleios),a level of attainment here on earth ,and then glorified (Attainment) in the Presence of the Lord.

We are growing ‘in Christ’ now, as we walk with the Lord.

This is our Father’s purpose for His children.

The last sentence of the definition explains to us how this happens. “It is the recognition of truth by personal experience.” This is what we need to keep before us as we walk with the Lord. This is what is meant when teachers of the Word say that doctrine must become duty. This is what is implied when we are told that what we know objectively (edoi) must be balanced subjectively (ginosko) in our lives so that we can walk in the truth of the Word with the Lord.

We embrace this balance through personal experience . This personal experience is sovereignly applied and/or orchestrated by our loving heavenly Father in our daily lives.

I have been saying that there is coming to our nation a time of ‘unprecedented unrest’.

I suggest that another term for ‘unprecedented unrest’ is God’s Sovereign intervention in the affairs of our nation through tribulation, trial, and testing. I am not referencing moments of inconvenience or momentary uneasiness. I am referring to difficult times. This reminds me of God’s Sovereign intervention for His Chosen nation, Israel, in Egypt.

The scripture has a lot to say about suffering. The New Testament is replete with the role of suffering that matures (teleios) us as believers ‘in Christ’.

This is also true of the heroes of faith listed in Hebrews 11. Hebrews 11 summarizes their walk of faith; and if you go back and read about their life in the context of the Old Testament you will read about the suffering that they endured and the faithfulness of God working in their lives.

We need to remember and understand that ‘self’ seeks to avoid suffering.

Self is our number one obstacle to following the Lord.

Why? It wants nothing to do with the Cross of Christ.

The truth is that the foundation of the Christian life and growing into maturity (teleios) is by grace through the work of the Cross.

Ask Paul.

Read his letters to the Churches.

Writing to the Corinthian Church, Paul says, “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise , and bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.” Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know (ginosko) God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. For the Jews request a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. I Corinthians 1:18-25, NKJV) (emphasis mine)

Is “Christ crucified” taught where you assemble with a community of believers?

“Christ crucified” is the foundation of the Christian life for the growth of the Body of Christ.

Jesus said, if you want to be His disciple, a follower of Him, you must learn to deny yourself, reckon your old man dead to sin ‘in Christ’, purposely pickup your cross daily, embrace the work of the cross in your life, and follow Me. (Luke 9:23)

Do those steps characterize your lifestyle? I submit to you, that you will have difficulty embracing situations that bring ‘suffering’ into your life; then the general times of suffering that you encounter and the time of ‘unprecedented unrest’ will be hard for you.

I encourage you not to despair. Jesus said, to His disciples in the upper room, the night He was betrayed, John 14:18 (NKJV), “I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.”

In Ephesians 3:17-19 (Amplified Version), Paul tells the believers, that he prays for them “…so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through your faith. And may you, having been [deeply] rooted and [securely] grounded in love, be fully capable of comprehending with all the saints [God’s people] the width and length and height and depth of His love [fully experiencing that amazing, endless love]; and [that you may come] to know [practically, through personal experience] the love of Christ which far surpasses [mere] knowledge [without experience], that you may be filled up [throughout your being] to all the fullness of God [so that you may have the richest experience of God’s presence in your lives, completely filled and flooded with God Himself]. (emphasis mine)

Do you understand what Paul was praying for them?

Paul is praying for their maturity to know God’s love for them, not ‘here say’ knowledge, but ‘real’ knowledge.

Paul is praying that the knowledge they have been given which does not have personal experience (edoi) will become practical personal experience (ginosko) in their spiritual growth.

His desire is for them to experience the fathomless love of God and to be completely filled with God’s Himself.

This knowing (ginosko) is a result of God, Himself, working in our lives, walking with us personally through hard times, sufferings, situations, trials, tribulations, testings, and/or circumstances that mature us into His sons and daughters.

As I have shared previously, there is an ‘unprecedented unrest’ coming to our nation and to the other nations of the world.

The magnitude of this ‘unrest’ will be the Sovereign will of God.

Returning to the Apostle Peter’s words regarding suffering, he speaks this benediction, 1 Peter 5:10-11 NKJV, “But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect (will perfect), establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever, Amen.” (insert mine, from notes in the Study Bible)

I want to close this post with this scripture.

Hebrews 5:7-10, Tree of Life Version, the writer of the Letter to the Hebrews, referring to Jesus says, “In the days of His life on earth, Yeshua offered up both prayers and pleas, with loud crying and tears, to the One able to save Him from death; and He was heard because of His reverence. Though He was a Son, He learned obedience from what He suffered. And once made perfect (greek word is teleios: mature), He became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey Him–called by God Kohen Gadol (high priest) according to the order of Melchizedek.” (inserts mine,)

If Jesus, the Son of God, who took on human flesh, was made perfect (teleios, mature) through suffering, what process do you believe God the Father will use to mature(teleios) us who are His sons and daughters ‘in Christ’ ?

God has an eternal plan. He is working out all things for good who are called according to His purpose. The word, purpose is defined as (The greek word, prothesis, suggests a deliberate plan, a proposition, an advanced plan, an intention, a design.) (See : Romans 8:28-30) Insert, emphasis mine, notes from Spirit Filled Life Bible)

Blessings, a follower of Christ, deo

End of Part 6

TBC

Knowing Is Not Knowing: Edoi Is Not Ginosko

Part 5

I hope that you have taken the opportunity to read the previous 4 blogs in this series. The thought is progressive and has been very repetitive as necessary.

I believe there is a shaking coming to our nation and to the nations of the world.

Am I a doom and gloom prophet? I do not believe so. I will leave that to your opinion. I am certain that the Lord shared with me a few months ago that there would be an ‘unprecedented unrest’. I have seen that unfold since He spoke it. I am also persuaded that the Lord showed me that Psalm 64 outlines what has been, and is, taking place in our nation. In many ways it summarizes a previous set of posts that were composed about our nation being a ‘A Nation Of POW’s’, meaning A Nation Of Prisoners of Words. (emphasis mine)

Please understand that I am not predicting what the outcome of the ‘unprecedented unrest’ will look like. I don’t know. Have I thought about it? absolutely. But we know that our thoughts, and God’s thoughts don’t line up unless He makes them known to us.

Let me proceed.

I have a concern for those who name the name of Christ as their personal Savior. I am not questioning anyone’s salvation. Knowing (edoi) Christ as your personal Savior guarantees your eternal salvation. That is an absolute.

Note: [The inserts of ‘edoi’ or ‘ginosko’ are my inserts throughout this post]

This concern was first made evident to me 40 plus years ago. At that time the Lord impressed upon me that prior to His return there would be a mighty outpouring of His Spirit, and a visitation of God that would leave the world with out excuse regarding the existence of God and the truth of the Gospel message in Christ.

I am becoming convinced that now is the time that I will see the fulfillment of what I believe the Lord showed me many years ago. Part of that knowing (edoi) was that there would be many believers who would need personal care and encouragement when this visitation of God took place because they have not been taught the Word of God in a way that would prepare them for such a visitation. What I am saying is that I am concerned that a lot of the factual knowledge (edoi) believers in Christ have been taught, and have embraced, as spiritual knowledge will be found to be insufficient in their time of trial and tribulation, in the ‘unprecedented unrest’. Factual knowledge (edoi) is not personal relational knowledge (ginosko).

What’s the difference?

Simply put, I have factual knowledge (edoi) that I am a direct descendent of John Cooke who was a passenger on the Mayflower, who survived the brutal beginnings coming to this land; but I do not know (ginosko) him personally, I only know (edoi) about him.

I am not seeking to be judgmental. What I am concerned about is the level of spiritual growth and maturity in the Church. Are we, as believers, solid in our knowledge (ginosko) and experience in walking with the Lord that when a level of ‘unrest’ arises will it disrupt our relationship with the Lord? Or, saying this, another way, if the spiritual atmosphere and/or tension, elevates around us and affects us personally so that the level of stress becomes, in our estimation, too much to cope with, what will we do? how will we react? to whom will we turn?

I am sure that all of us at one time or another have faced stressful situations in our lives. How did you fare going through it? What was your attitude toward God? Did you blame God? Or did you seek God to understand the significance of the ‘unrest’?

Have you ever considered the level of stress the nation of Israel encountered when God brought a series of ten plagues to Egypt? It would not surprise me, at all, that many people in the nation of Israel experienced a high level of anxiety and extreme worry as they lived through those plagues. I wonder what the heart palpitation rate was in the Israeli households the night of the tenth plague? Had they been fully convinced having witnessed the first nine plagues and experiencing the word of God as spoken by Moses to be true, so that they could confidently apply the blood of a lamb to the doorposts of their dwellings, believing, that the death angel would ‘passover‘ them? Israel was living through an ‘unprecedented unrest’ that had come upon them because a new Pharaoh had boasted, “Who is the Lord that I should obey His voice and let Israel go? I do not know(edoi) the Lord, nor will I let Israel go.” (Exodus 2:2, NKJV) This Pharaoh had no personal knowledge (ginosko) of the God of the Hebrews. And in reality, neither did the nation of Israel at this point in their history. They knew(edoi) enough to cry out to God; but they really did not know(ginosko) Him. That is a major part of the drama surrounding the ten plagues.

God responded to Pharaoh’s boast ‘who is the Lord?” and revealed Himself to Pharaoh, to Egypt, and to Israel. God turned factual knowledge (edoi) into personal knowledge (ginosko) through an ‘unprecedented unrest’.

Does humanity today have a factual knowledge (edoi) of God? Or is God just a concept or idea that is bantered about? Does the Church just know the facts (edoi) about God or does it really have a living relationship based upon a living (ginosko) knowledge?

[I recommend the website, ezraproject.com. Find the title Ginosko–Knowledge that Goes Beyond Information‘ January 24, 2021, please read the article.]

As followers of Christ, I call to your remembrance these words of Jesus’ in Matthew 5:10-12 NKJV, “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

This type of interaction has been going on in the world against believers since the time of Christ. The reality is that it has been and is escalating throughout the world. The Church is beginning to experience this type of behavior toward it’s existence being raised to a new heights in our nation.

What if we (you and I) had to ‘live’ out these words? Does the Church have the mental fortitude to walk in that accusatory atmosphere? Am I, are we, is the Church prepared to walk in ‘unprecedented unrest’?

Please read Matthew 24:4-14. Jesus’ words are hard.

Will we be, like His disciples reacted in John 6, when they heard Jesus’ words about ‘eating His flesh and drinking His blood’, say ‘this is hard’, and choose to walk away? [John 6:59-60, NKJV “These things He said in the synagogue as He taught in Capernaum. Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, “This is a hard saying; who can understand it?”]

Jesus continued to speak to His disciples other words and eventually the moment came when “From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more.” “Then Jesus turned to the twelve , “Do you also want to go away?” ” (John 6:66-67 NKJV).

What if, as the level of the ‘unrest’ increases, we found ourselves wavering in our commitment, and Jesus turned to us and asked “if we, too, are going to leave? ” What would be your response? I trust that you and I, like Peter, would respond, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, we have come to believe and know (ginosko) that you are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” (John 6:68 NKJV).

Regarding those who walked away in John 6 Jesus knew that they had not been called by God, the Father.

How do we know (edoi) that?

John 6:64b, NKJV, “For Jesus knew (ginosko) from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him.”

When there is ‘unprecedented unrest’ and stressful spiritual challenge, will we be like those to whom the Epistle to the Hebrews was written and contemplate falling away? Or will we be “…anxious for nothing … and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:5b-7 NKJV)

What makes the difference?

In Christ, we have peace with God because of our justification by faith through our Lord Jesus Christ. (Roman 5:1) That is our position(edoi) in Christ.

Question: As a believer, have you experienced that positional (edoi)peace experientially(ginosko) in your walk with the Lord as Paul described in Philippians 4:7?

In Philippians 4:5b-7, Paul is saying that peace is not just a factual knowledge (edoi) but also a relational personal experience (ginosko) given to you by the Lord when you need His peace in the trial, the tribulation, the ‘unrest’ that you are walking through and/or experiencing.

This is a lot to comprehend. This is a lot to pray about. But the time in which we are living demands that we be ready in Christ Jesus.

Listen to Jesus’ words to His disciples the night in which He was betrayed. Jesus is preparing them for an ‘unprecedented unrest”. Seeking to quiet their inward ‘unrest’, He says to them, “Indeed the hour is coming , yes, has now come, that you will be scattered, each to his own, and will leave Me alone. And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. These things I have spoken to you, that in Me, you may have peace. In the world, you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” John 16:32-33 NKJV.

Jesus knew that what was about to happen to Him would completely ‘undo’ the disciples personal understanding (edoi)of Him, and whatever personal relationship (ginosko) they thought they had with Him. Their knowing (edoi/ginosko) was going to be severely shaken.

Again, I am NOT saying that true believers will lose their salvation. However, I do believe the ‘unprecedented unrest’ will shake (separate) the false from the true. And I believe that the ‘unrest’ will require that true believers in Christ will undergo a radical change in their mentality to be able to peacefully move forward. For some believers this might be a very hard and a stressful process?

In the midst of this teaching that will unravel the disciples’ understanding, Jesus includes these words, John 14:10 NKJV, “I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.”

I would like to schedule a stop here and have you take a reflective break. I recommend that you go back and re-read what you have just read. Maybe you need to prayerfully put your thoughts before the Lord and ask Him for guidance and understanding? A simple prayer might be something like this. Lord, am I ready for a shaking of ‘unprecedented unrest’?

Selah.

I trust that you took a break to think and pray about what you have just read.

Looking backward to 2019-2020, the world had an ‘unprecedented unrest’.

It was called Covid.

Question: Did Covid cause mental stress in your life? How did handle it? cope with it? process it? Did it bring changes in your relationship to the Lord?

On the CBN news app, 11-12-23, I read an article about a theologian who is concerned about the lack of Biblical knowledge among believers. The article was entitled, ‘Biblical Illiteracy’ Harming American Christians’ Understanding of the Old Testament. I want to quote from the article.

“To make his case, Youssef referenced the American Bible Society’s latest State of the Bible survey, which revealed a mere 9% of Americans read their Bibles on a daily basis. Only a quarter of respondents said they open the Scriptures each week. Thirty-eight percent said they never use their Bibles.”

Question: How often do you read the Word of God?

Taking this survey at face value, it is easy for me to justify my concern that professing Christians will have difficulty coping mentally with ‘unprecedented unrest’ in this nation or in any other nations in the world.

Why? If Christians are not availing themselves of reading God’s Word (edoi) then how can they be growing (ginosko) in a personal relationship with the Lord?

I can visualize the following happening in the time of ‘unprecedented unrest’.

I John 2:18-23, NKJV, the Apostle John writes, “Little children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know (edoi) that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they were not of us, for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest that none of them were of us. [Sounds like John 6 when some of Jesus’ disciples left Him because they said His sayings were hard.] But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know (ginosko) all things. I have not written to you because you do not know (ginosko) the truth, but because you know(ginosko) it, and that no lie is of the truth. Who is a liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son. Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either; he who acknowledges the the Son has the Father also.” (insert mine)

The shaking, the ‘unprecedented unrest’, will reveal who really knows (edoi/ginosko) Christ and who is of the truth.

Can we agree, let the shaking come! It is for the good of the Body of Christ.

Jesus said, “You shall know(ginosko) the truth and the truth will make you free.” John 8:32 NKJV

To whom did Jesus speak these words?

John 8:31-32, NKJV, “Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed (edoi) in Him. If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know(ginosko) the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

You may be pondering? Ok, you say that a shaking is coming. You are saying that it will separate those who falsely say they know the Lord from those who really do know the Lord. Then what is your concern, deo?

Let me strongly say again.

I am not saying a person will lose their salvation. The ‘unrest’ will shake out the false from the true.

But understand this principle, it will also shake out what is false in a true believer.

What am I saying?

Is the Body of Christ mature in its relationship with the Lord to experience a season of hardship that will probably be harder than most Christians have had to personally experience in their Christian life? And that includes me.

Have I, has the Church, grown in its discipleship ‘in Christ’ to weather a storm of ‘unprecedented unrest’?

Why am I presenting this concern? Because, I am concerned for my fellow believers(edoi) in Christ, who have walked with Him, served Him, and ministered to others, who, when their daily life as a believer faces a serious challenge, wonder how they will respond? Do they have a solid experiential ‘knowing’ (ginosko) of Christ as their personal Savior beyond just being saved? And, if these same Christians are not spending time in the Word of God, I believe that will greatly impede their ability to face ‘unprecedented unrest’.

I ask, are we, the Ekklesia, the Body of Christ, the Church, mature enough in the Lord (have we embraced the process of discipleship or have we ignored the process of discipleship?) to be prepared for the coming tribulation/trial of ‘unprecedented unrest’?

That is meant to be a wake up call. A reality check. What I am implying is that church as we know it may not be church as usual; but a church that is going to be different because of ‘unprecedented unrest’.

We may experience Hebrews 10:23-25 (NKJV), “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.”

In a time of ‘unprecedented unrest’, the previous verses may take on a whole new, different dynamic and significance.

I know Jesus as my Savior (edoi). I seek to know (ginosko) Him as my Lord.

The bulk of the New Testament was written to believers for their instruction in personal growth to walk with Jesus as Lord and to become mature in Christ here on earth before they go to heaven.

Is it possible to spend so much time emphasizing being saved, and maintaining one’s salvation, that a believer does not grow and properly mature ‘in Christ’ according to our Father’s purpose?

I believe the answer to that is yes.

I encourage you to read Philippians 3. The thrust of Paul’s encouragement and exhortation is “…I press on…”

Are you ‘pressing on’?

Why am I concerned? It comes from what I believe the Lord showed me 40 plus years ago, that in a heightened visitation of the manifest Presence of God, there would be many believers who would be shaken in their relationship to the Lord because they would be experiencing and witnessing things they were not prepared to comprehend.

I am concerned for believers, who love Christ, but will need help to get through the ‘unprecedented unrest’, i.e. the tribulation, the trial, the distress, the uncertainty…whatever comes, as that ‘unrest’ becomes a daily experience and expectancy.

It sounds daunting; but the Lord in His grace has been preparing a people to stand in the gap and help these believers in their time of need.

I am convinced that the Lord has been preparing many believers that will be ready to help struggling believers in the Body of Christ. Those who will need someone to put their arm around them and help them through the turbulent times.

That is what family ‘is’, and that is what family ‘does’.

It may be that you, who are reading this post, will bear witness to what I have just said, and will be used mightily by the Lord to come alongside a struggling believer (family member) in the ‘unprecedented unrest’.

As I said previously, in Part 3, of this series, the Epistle to the Hebrews is as relevant to the Christian community today as it was then to the Hebraic community.

Today’s Christian community must hear, embrace, and resolve to remain steadfast in the midst of the ‘unprecedented unrest’.

Hebrews 12:25-29, NKJV, says, “See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven, whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised , saying, “Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also the heaven.” Now this, ‘Yet once more’, indicates the removal of those things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and fear. For our God is a consuming fire.” (emphasis mine)

There will be a shaking; but we abide in a Kingdom that cannot be shaken. (emphasis mine)

This post is entitled, KNOWING IS NOT KNOWING: EDOI IS NOT GINOSKO.

And so, I summarize my concern. Is it possible for a believer to have a lot of knowledge about the Lord Jesus Christ and His Word (edoi) and have a minimal personal, experiential knowledge (ginosko) regarding the understanding of God’s Word?

I believe the answer to that question is yes.

Simply put, we can be saved and posses a lot of factual knowledge(edoi) about who Christ (edoi) is, which is a positional understanding of our salvation, and not have a practical, understanding of the teachings, the doctrine, and the Word of God experientially (ginosko). In short, what we know(edoi), we have not experienced. We have a lot of objective understanding with little or no subjective understanding that has become real life to us in our walk with Christ. What you have been taught is not false; but it hasn’t been made alive to you. Again, it’s factual, but not part of your Christian life experience. That does not negate your salvation but it reflects not having grown in your relationship with the Lord.

How does the transition from ‘edoi’ to ‘ginosko’ take place? By the work of the Cross.

Question: Have you grown as a disciple of Christ by just listening( hearer ) to the Word of God? Or, have you become a doer of the Word that you have been taught, applying and obediently seeking to live God’s Word to the extent that you become disciplined by that Word? Is the reality of your Christian maturity based upon your obedience to God’s Word making it an integral part of your daily life?

Jesus said If you want to be My disciple and follow Me, you must deny yourself, and choose to take up your cross daily, then follow Me. That is what a disciple must do. When you faithfully do that the principle of the cross is applied to your life. You deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Him. That following begins with being immersed in His Word. The Word will center you in Christ. The Spirit of God will apply that Word to you as you follow the Lord. What is worked into your life is what Paul preached, ‘Christ crucified’.

What I am sharing is the reality of Jesus’ words to the Jews who had believed in Him, when He said to them, “If you abide in My word (edoi), you are My disciples, and you shall know (ginosko) the truth (Objective Doctrine) and the truth(Subjective Duty) shall make you free.”

Some of you may be saying, you are being too repetitive, I get it. Good, that’s edoi, you have heard the facts; now ask the Lord to make it real in your daily life, that’s ginosko. Ask the Lord to change your objective teaching into subjective doing. Let your ‘doctrine’ become ‘duty’. Live what you have learned, that’s discipleship.

The Apostle Paul said to the Ephesian Christians, “Therefore, I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus(edoi) and your love for all the saints, do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him (edoi), the eyes of our understanding being enlightened; that you may know(ginosko) what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power.” Ephesians 1:15-19 NKJV

What did Paul share with us about how God did this in his life?

“But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace, to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach among the Gentiles…” Galatians 1:15-16a, NKJV

Guess what? This is what the Father wants to do in each of us, His children. He wants to “reveal His Son” in you. God wants to change what you know (edoi) and make it alive (ginosko) in you. Revealing His Son in You becomes the witness of Christ through you to a darkened world.

On the evening of His betrayal, Jesus said to His disciples in the Upper Room, “A little while longer and world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live also. And that day you will know(ginosko) that I am in My Father and you in Me, and I in you. He who has my commandment (edoi) and keeps them (ginosko), it is the one who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest to him.” John 14:19-21 NKJV.

Note: definition of manifest: cause to shine, to appear, come into view, reveal, exhibit, make visible, present oneself to the sight of another...emphanidzo is the self-revelation of Jesus to believers. A secondary meaning of the word is to declare, make known(Acts 23:15, 22; 24:1;25:2,15). [Spirit Filled Life Bible, Word Wealth 14:21 manifest, emphanidzo (em-fan-id-zoe) Strong’s #1718].

What did Jesus just tell them? The Father and the Son desire to make themselves personally known to you, not just knowing about them (edoi) but experiencing them personally (ginosko).

I want to stop here and encourage you to pray and think through your relationship with the Lord.

Ask the Lord to take what you know (edoi) about God: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and ask God to give you a spirit of wisdom and understanding to know them in a more personal way (ginosko).

May the Lord richly bless you as seek the Him, a brother in Christ, deo

end of Part 5

TBC

a brother in Christ, deo

Part 5 has been long, and probably for some very tedious. However, I encourage you to consider the importance of having an ‘up-to-date dynamic’, living relationship with the Lord that transcends just hearing about him, but actually results in fellowshipping with Him on a daily basis. We need Him. He will be our refuge in the midst of the storm of ‘unprecedented unrest’.

Remember, Christ is our Ark, and the Ark rode out the storm.

The Coming Unrest

On June 14, 2023, I posted that the Lord had impressed upon me that there will be ‘unprecedented unrest’ coming to our nation (and to the world) I encouraged those who follow my posts to visit livingwordsofencouragement.com and read or re-read the post, The A.R.R.O.W. of God. Why?

The A.R.R.O.W. of God post is the foundation of what I want to share with you. It will provide the back round of my thinking and what I believe the Lord has been sharing with me.

Psalm 64 is a vivid picture of what our nation has been experiencing for many years. Psalm 64 is the psalm that I have personalized to pray for our nation. In this psalm, God shoots His arrow. I believe that arrow has been shot and that the effects of that arrow are now beginning to be seen; and that, God’s arrow is the impetus for the ‘unprecedented unrest’ that will be experienced by our nation and throughout the world.

Psalm 64: 7-9 (NKJV) says, “But God will shoot at them with an arrow; Suddenly they shall be wounded. So He will make them stumble over their own tongue; all who see them shall flee away. All men shall fear, and shall declare the work of God; For they shall wisely consider His doing.”

Question: What is being referred to in verse 8, where it states, “So He (God) will make them stumble over their own tongue.”? We need to look back at verses 2-4, where it records what those, who are now stumbling over their tongue, had done.

In Psalm 64:2, King David cries out to God to hide him “…from the secret plots of the wicked, From the rebellion of the workers of iniquity.” Verse 3 continues, it is these, who have sharpened “their tongue like a sword” and have bent “their bows to shoot their arrows–bitter words.” How many ‘bitter words’ have been and are constantly being spewed out in our nation daily and throughout the past 5-10 years (or longer)?

Who have they been shooting at? Verse 4 answers that question. They have shot “…in secret at the blameless; Suddenly they shoot at him and do not fear.”

When the psalm gets to verse 7, the ‘tide has turned’; there is a ‘boomerang effect’ taking place; in short, the ‘times have changed’.

What has brought about this change? God shot His arrow at the wicked and the rebellious of verse 2. Remembering verse 7, “But God will shoot at them (wicked and rebellious) with an arrow; Suddenly they (wicked and rebellious) shall be wounded.” God knows who these individuals and/or groups of people are. His arrow will hit the intended mark(s). (insert mine)

I believe that I can confidently say that there will be no ‘fake news’; no spinning of the events taking place. I do not discount that people will try to discredit what is taking place but it will be obvious foolishness. Why? verse 9 says, “All men shall fear; and declare the work of God.”

Truth will be revealed. God’s ARROW has accomplished it. An acronym for God’s A.R.R.O.W. is: A Righteous Revelation Of Wrong-doing.

Backing up to verse 7, and using a Hebrew Lexicon:

The words, ” “shall shoot” means to lay or throw(especially an arrow, i.e. to shoot figuratively, to point out ( as if by aiming the finger), to teach.”

God will identify those who need to be brought to the ‘light’ who have been speaking and doing the deeds of ‘darkness’.

The words, “at them with an arrow” refers to a “a piecer, i.e. and arrow; by implication, a wound; figuratively, (of God) thunder-bolt; the shaft of a spear.”

The word ” “suddenly” means instantly-straightway, sudden(-ly).”

The words, ” “shall they be wounded” mean beaten, blow, plague, slaughter, smote, sore, stripe, stroke, wound(-ed).”

What this will look like? It is not my place to speculate?

Verse 8 tells us that “all who see them (wicked and rebellious) shall flee away.” (insert mine)

Those who witness what is taking place will seek to separate themselves from those who have been wounded by their own tongues (verse 8).

Not only will there be a fleeing, but a fearing (verse 9).

I believe that ‘all men’ implies to all humanity (the righteous and the unrighteous). Verse 9 continues and says that “And shall declare the work of God”. Some may say I am stretching it; but in our day of technology, when something happens in one part of the world, the whole world can know about it instantly. Therefore, I believe ‘all men’ will acknowledge that what takes place is the ‘work of God’. (insert mine)

The scope and magnitude of what takes place is gong to create a universal ‘aghast’. There will be no other explanation than what is being witnessed is the direct intervention of God.

If Psalm 64 ended at verse 9, we would have a lot of unanswered questions and humanity would be left as we sometimes say, ‘shaking in their boots’.

Maybe humanity needs to experience such a great shaking?

Maybe humanity needs to be awakened to a healthy ‘fear’ of God?

Fear can be devastating, as well as healthy.

I suggest that from the flow of the narrative of David’s words poured out to God, their tenor understandably results in a fear of God.

Let us remind ourselves of some words found in the Letter to the Hebrews.

“See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven, whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven. Now this, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of those things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire.” (Hebrew 12:25-29, NKJV) (emphasis mine)

If I may be so bold, it would not surprise me that the fear humanity will experience will be akin to what Hebrews 10:31 (NKJV) says, “It is a fearful things to fall into the hands of the living God.” (emphasis mine)

I am not saying that what is going to take place is the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ; but what will take place will be a Divine intervention and manifestation of God’s Presence in and on the earth that will witness to the created world that God is Who He says He is, ‘I AM THAT I AM’.

This past February, the world witnessed the manifest Presence of God in a mighty way that began at Asbury College in Kentucky. That Presence went to other college campuses and to nations and cities throughout the world. My understanding that God’s Presence is still at work today in the world.

It appears that God is going to notch ‘His Presence’ up.

Going back to Psalm 64:9, I left us with the thought that humanity was ‘shaking (trembling, quaking) in their boots’.

B.U.T. (Believers Understand This) God in His grace has a verse 10. David doesn’t end his dialogue with God in despair. (emphasis, insert min)

Psalms 64:10 (NKJV) reads, “The righteous shall be glad in the Lord, and trust in Him. and all the upright in heart shall glory.”

I want to share with you three additional translations of this verse, very similar; yet a little different, but I believe very important for us to embrace.

The Tree of Life translation, uses Hebraic emphasis, “the righteous will be glad in Adonai, and take refuge in Him. Let all the upright in heart give glory.” (emphasis mine)

The Rotherham Emphasized Bible, uses a word by word translation, “the righteous shall rejoice in Yahweh, and seek refuge in Him, then they shall glory–all who are upright in heart.” (emphasis mine)

The Expositors Bible Commentary, Revised Edition, Vol. 5, composed by Dr. VanGemeren (Dr.V.), NIV version, “Let the righteous rejoice in the Lord, and take refuge in him; let all the upright of heart praise him.” (emphasis, insert mine)

What do I want you to embrace? There is a specific action we need to take? Yes, we must trust in the Lord. My thought is that we must embrace that trust as a place of refuge. (emphasis mine)

In his commentary, Dr. V. writes, “The psalmist encourages the godly to hope in the Lord during adversity. He will vindicate his servants (the righteous, Ps. 1:6, 7:10, 11:2) who are upright in heart. The righteous are those who rely on God finding protection with him (Ps. 1-2, 57:1, 58:10-11). The sound of lament will give way to the sound of praise (my note: that is what is taking place not ending at verse 9 and having a verse 10) in honor of the Lord. He alone establishes justice on the earth.” (Question, do you believe there is righteous justice in our nation? in the earth?)

What am I emphasizing? Let me say it again, we will need to take REFUGE in the Lord. (emphasis mine)

Why? The Lord said that an unprecedented unrest is coming to our nation (to the world).

Where will humanity flee too, when they flee from, to escape what they are going to experience?

Let me remind you again of Psalm 64: 8,9. Psalm 64:8 speaks of those fleeing from the ones that God has caused to be wounded by their own words. And then, Psalm 64:9 says that all men (humanity) shall fear. Referring back to a former post entitled, Finding Refuge in the Lord, I quoted Derek Kinder. He said, “There is not refuge from God, only refuge in God.” (insert mine)

What is the reason for this atmosphere of fear?

Quoting Dr.V. again, “Just as the wicked suddenly ambush the godly (vs.4), so the Lord will “suddenly” bring his judgment (vs. 7). Their punishment will be based on the “law of retaliation” (lex talionis), i.e. their sins will boomerang on them (cf. 62:12). What they had planned to do, the Lord will do to them (cf.7:16, Pr. 6:27). He will shoot (yara) them down, as it were, with “arrows” (cf. v.3, &:12-13). The evil they had planned to do with their own “tongues” will fall back on them (v.8; cf.v.3) and bring about their ruin. The shame they had planned to bring on the godly will come on them (cf. 22:7; 52:6-7; 59:10; Jer. 48:26). The bold challenge of autonomy and anarchy (v.5) has it counterparts in the fear imposed by God’s judgment on humankind. The wicked asked “Who will see us?” (ra a; NIV text note, v.5) and were unafraid of the consequences of their acts. When all humankind (adam; cf.58:11; Isa 40:5-6) sees the power of God, all will “fear” (yara). Then justice will triumph! The psalmist encourages all people to “proclaim” (nagad, GK 5583) and to “ponder” (sakal GK 8505, “learn from”) the acts of God (cf. 2:10; Isa 41:20). The history of redemption reveals the “works of God” in judgment of rebellious human beings. The story of redemption proclaims the mighty act of God.”

In Dr. V’s commentary, he refers to ‘all humankind’. I agree with that.

Now looking carefully at verse 10. Logically, since verse 10 refers to the righteous being glad in the Lord; what will be the state of the unrighteous?

All humanity includes the righteous and the unrighteous. There are no other classifications of identity. In verse 9, we read that “all” fear; however, progressing to verse 10, the righteous do not remain in fear. Why? They trust in the Lord. They have taken refuge in Him. The upright in heart have nothing to fear or dread. They have a different kind of fear. Their fear is an awe and respect for God. In Christ, the righteous sort through what is taking place, realize that the ‘unprecedented unrest’ is the “work of God”, “for they shall wisely consider His doing. ” Remember all mankind (all humanity) will realize what is taking place is the hand of God. The facts will not be nebulous. The righteous will take refuge in God; but the unrighteous will be uncertain, confused, and troubled. (emphasis, insert mine)

There will be ‘unprecedented unrest’; the righteous take their refuge in their God; quieting their inner fears that arise from the fear that permeates the atmosphere of the nation (and of the world). The righteous will have an inner peace. Jesus said in John 14:27 (NKJV) to His disciples to quiet their fears about His departure.: “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” (emphasis, inserts mine)

The unrighteous do not have that assurance or peace within them because they do not have the Spirit of God in their lives. The unrighteous have fled from those upon whom the hand of God has fallen. They are in trembling and fear.

Where is their place of refuge?

Can they find a place of refuge? Can they find refuge in the Lord? Absolutely! (emphasis mine)

Why can’t God’s intervention be for the purpose of performing a dual function? The administration of judgment and the opportunity for salvation. This is what Dr. V. was implying in his commentary.

Is not the CROSS, the very instrument of God’s grace that judges sin and provides salvation for the sinner?

Why can’t all this activity of God’s Sovereignty be His Divine intervention to awaken an awareness of His love for His humanity?

I submit, this is what will actually taking place. Has not God intervened in the lives of nations and His people throughout history to awaken humanity to Himself through judgment and repentance for salvation?

This is the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. God’s grace is to intervene in hopeless affairs of mankind creating an ‘unprecedented unrest’ to awaken a confused and troubled world to a hope that can only be found in God, Himself.

This is Good News. Why? Because,

God has so loved the world that He, Himself, sent His only begotten Son into a helpless humanity so “…that whoever believes in Him (Christ is our (Refuge) should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that through Him might be saved.” (John 3:16b-17, NKJV) (emphasis, insert mine)

Sending His Son into the world, John 1:10-14 (NKJV) says:

“He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came unto His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”

Will there be ‘unprecedented unrest’? Yes

Is God in the midst of this ‘unprecedented unrest’? Yes

Do we need to be afraid? No, not if we are in Christ.

Is God out to destroy this nation? No; but He is going to judge sinfulness.

I have no idea what that will look like. But, reading Psalm 64:7-9 makes it clear that God is involved.

As I close, let us focus on Psalm 46:1-3 (NKJV):

“God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble, Therefore we will not fear, Even though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried in to the midst of the sea; though its waters roar and be troubled, though the mountains share with its swelling. Selah

Our God is an awesome God, He reigns in heaven above…

Blessings, a brother in Christ, deo

tbc

Finding Refuge in the Lord, because an ‘unprecedented unrest’ is coming to our nation.

On Sunday, July 2,2023, Matt Rehrer, the Executive Pastor of North Creek Church, shared a teaching from Psalm 46. His sermon title was SHAKEN BUT STILL. I concur with the title of his sermon because of what I believe the Lord has been speaking to my heart and the hearts of others in the Body of Christ.

Back in October, 2021 when we were engaged in battling the Covid epidemic, I wrote a post entitled Finding Refuge in the Lord. On June 14, 2023, I wrote and published a post, entitled The Coming Unrest. I re-posted that article on July 7, 2023. That post emphasizes the necessity of taking refuge in the Lord.

It is my goal to update that post Finding Refuge in the Lord and to incorporate Psalm 46 as the Lord directs. I believe that finding refuge in the Lord is essential for the Body of Christ to understand, embrace, and ready itself for the ‘unprecedented unrest’ coming to our nation and to the world scene in the near future.

Let me begin.

I want to share what I believe the Holy Spirit is saying to the Church in preparation for what is on the horizon.

The foundation of what I am sharing is incorporated in the posts, The Coming Unrest and the The A.A.R.O.W. of God. I know that sounds like a lot to juggle; but I believe that the Holy Spirit will make a clear statement.

As Derek Kinder once said, “There is not refuge from Him, only refuge in Him.“

We, believers, find ourselves living in a world bombarded with harsh words, criticism, lies, deceit, innuendoes, and false accusations. What else should we expect from a world ruled by Satan who is the “prince of the power of the air”; whose spirit “is now at work in the sons of disobedience” (Ephesians 2:2 ESV). In this atmosphere there is no place of refuge, rest or peace, except in the Lord. (emphasis mine)

In the Tree of Life Version (TLV), Psalms 62:6-9 says, “My soul, wait in stillness, only for God-for from Him comes my expectation. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my strong tower-I will not be moved. On God, my salvation and my glory is the rock of my strength. My refuge is in God. Trust in Him at all times, you people. Pour out your heart in His presence. God is our refuge. Selah (emphasis mine)

The continuous pounding of the daily caustic rhetoric is like a jack-hammer breaking up the concrete, creating a relentless noise perpetuating unrest, distrust, irrational conversations and disturbing thinking. The constant spewing forth of such words, as the Book of James tells us, “…is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist there will be disorder and every vile practice. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.” (James 3:15-18 ESV)

The church of Jesus Christ has faced this type of verbal brutality throughout its history.

Jesus made no secret of this happening to His followers. In Matthew 5:10-12 (ESV), Jesus said, “Blessed are those who persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil (verbal assaults) against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (insert mine)

The inflammatory dialogue has become incendiary promoting acts of violence that are daily occurrences in our nation and the rest of the world. Added to this is the increase of Christian persecution which has contributed to the killing of many believers throughout the world. These tragedies are documented by Christian organizations such as the Voice of Martyrs, Open Doors USA, and other evangelistic organizations ministering within the nations (i.e. India, Afghanistan, North Korea, China, Africa, etc.) and other continents where Christians have been persecuted and killed.

The truth is that most followers of Christ, living in the twenty-first century in North America, have never experienced the reality of the words spoken by Jesus. If you are like me, the closest I have come to being persecuted has been some level of ‘feeling’ uncomfortable or ‘personal’ intimidation, which is in reality not persecution at all.

Many followers of Christ in the rest of the world experience daily the full weight of Christ’s words.

Am I ready for such opposition? Are you? Is the Body of Christ?

In our nation, the Christian community has been experiencing a rise in opposition to religious freedoms. Opposition has taken the form of objections to stances taken in/at the workforce, disapproval of religious preferences, resistance to Biblical beliefs, and hostility when Christian’s express their personal opinions that are not in keeping with the perceived cultural norms.

Beginning in 2019, as you remember, the Covid pandemic spurred a number of confrontations when our government officials issued guidelines restricting movement, the assembling of ourselves together, and other protocols that were interpreted as infringements upon our personal rights as citizens of this nation, citizens of our states, and citizens in our local communities.

For instance, can government officials make guidelines to restrict a church from assembling together for worship? Some said yes; some said no; some successfully followed the guidelines; other dismissed them completely. Over time, the Covid pandemic subsided, its restrictions were relaxed, and the right to assemble was reinstated.

However, there was some collateral damage done to some congregations because the adherents of the local congregation were not of the same mind-set regarding the enforcement or non-enforcement of the guidelines. The Body of Christ had some schisms, hurts, and bad feelings to work through. I know of one congregation that did not survive. I wonder how many other churches suffered greatly.

There were many other rulings that the citizenry of our nation wrestled with, such as: masks, no masks; mandatory vaccine shots; no mandatory vaccine shots; eating inside and/or outside at restaurants; spatial distancing; and health guidelines if you contracted Covid, such as. travel restrictions; employment regulations; and many others that were residual because of the governmental guidelines.

We all know now, because we experienced it, some more acutely than others, that our entire country was in a national turmoil.

Daily we were bombarded with ‘do this’ or ‘that’ ; or ‘don’t do this’ or ‘that’.

People asked a lot of questions; and many did not receive adequate answers.

There was confusion, chaos, and calamity.

Some said that the governmental control was absolutely mandatory.

Others were concerned about the overarching control that our government officials exercised upon our individual lives and the lives of our citizenry.

The confusing part was that our government officials,over time, found themselves unsure of what to do and say, and as such became contradictory trying to explain themselves.

In many instances, they backed themselves into a corner and the prospects of getting themselves extricated from the problems they created did not seem promising.

Over time, things have quieted down regarding Covid; but the residual effects of governmental control have lingered.

This has raised new concerns.

Where have the government’s edicts taken us as a nation?

Now that they have had, what they believe has been a success issuing edicts, what will be the extent of their continual control?

I submit that is what many in this nation are struggling with?

In addition to Covid, there have been other major issues that have taken center stage in our on going struggle against the government’s insistence to regulate and reform our nation.

I am referring to abortion, free speech, racism, immigration, border control, energy, school curriculum, parent’s rights, national debt, climate control, gun control, and voting regulations to name some of the most dominant internal issues; and I haven’t even listed any external issues involving our relationships with other nations.

These areas of concerns have been rearing their ugly heads over the past several decades and gaining traction in our communities. The seeds of most of these problems have been sown over the course of our nation’s history. The frequency of objection regarding these issues have become numerous.

Why?

Because they are real issues that need to be addressed.

One thing that I have noticed is the increasing irrationality of those who support the administration’s handling of our problems; and the increase in the level of their verbal defiance against those who disagree with the administration’s positions.

We are losing our civility as a nation to dialogue.

Maybe our elected government leaders are not as interested in solving the issues facing our nation as they are about using the problems to remain in control and power so that they can change the fundamental construction of our Constitutional Republic.

Why do I bring this to our (your) attention?

I will say it again.

These are real problems that we as a nation, must address, and deal with if we are going to maintain a civilized nation as founded by our founding fathers.

In order to rationally address our issues, let us consider this importance assessment.

What is the ‘fruit’, ‘the influence’ that these issues are exerting over our nation?

First, let us identify the source.

What is the source of the ‘influences’ that I am referring too?

According to James 3:13-18, the source of these is issues is not from ‘above’ but from ‘below’. ‘Below’ means that the source is “earthly, unspiritual, demonic”. Those are not my words; they are God’s Word.

Let me put those words into context.

James 3:13-18 (NKJV) says, “Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. For where envy and self-seeking exist confusion and every evil thing are there. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy, without partiality and without hypocrisy. Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.”

Let us ask ourselves some questions.

Do we have confusion or clarity in our nation?

Do we have unrest or peace in our nation?

Do we have division or unity in our nation?

Do we have bondage or freedom in our nation?

These are just some of the comparisons we could make.

The truth is that we as a nation are being affected by ungodly ‘influences’ determined to undermine our nation.

Let’s reflect on the passage James 3:14 (ESV). What does the Word of God say are the effects of these ‘influences’? “But where bitter jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.” (emphasis mine)

Is this an appropriate description of what we are witnessing daily in our nation?

I do not believe that it is a stretch of my imagination to look at the cultural fabric of our nation, and say that these words accurately describe what we see, hear, and experience daily in our nation.

The remedy will come by a Sovereign work of God in the life of this nation.

A ‘spiritual’ awakening will need to happen; and this ‘awakening’ will take place God’s way, and not man’s way.

Ephesians 5:13-17 (NJJV) says: “But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light. Therefore He says, “Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light.” See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do no be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit…”

As a believer, how am I (are we) to respond? *We must fast and pray.* As I have been sharing in previous posts, I believe, that the Lord is going to intervene with His ARROW (Read Psalm 64) and expose the lies and deceits perpetrated against this nation.

I believe that God’s ARROW has already been ‘shot’ and that the effects, as stated in Psalm 64 are already being realized.

But the intensity of the effects of that ARROW will continue to grow.

The results of that growth will become ‘unprecedented unrest’.

The Lord has been and is still enlisting members of the Ekklesia to fight with prayer and fasting against the evil principalities influencing this nation.

We are His people. (1 Peter 2:9-12)

We are to be salt and light to the unsaved world. (Matthew 5:13-16)

We are also to be spiritual soldiers doing battle for the Lord (Ephesians 6:10-18).

Does this mean that everything will ‘magically’ disappear, and all the problems will be instantly solved?

No!

Why?

Until the Christ returns, there will always be opposition to the Lord and the Gospel message.

Christian truth is an obstacle to the world.

We need to remember that the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ is to be a ‘voice’ and an ‘influence’ for the health of the nation in which it resides.

A Christian is not obliged to ‘check’ his/her Christianity at the door of public office; nor is a Christian supposed to ‘flaunt’ one’s Christianity on the job or in public.

A Christian is to be a positive witness of the life of Christ that is living in him/her. (Matthew 5:13-16)

Today (July 11,2023) I read a quote spoken by President John Adams, who stated, “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”

We are living in a time when we are witnessing the the truth of his insight.

This nation has lost its morality and its relationship to God; and we are watching our nation being governed by many elected officials who are not interested in the governing principles of our Constitution.

They are morally corrupt and irreligious. The results are devastating.

Therefore, let this truth permeate our (your) thinking: a person, who loves the Lord, and seeks to walk uprightly before Him, honoring Him in all that he/she does or says, will come into contact with those who oppose Christianity. That’s the way it is. This is not negative; it is reality.

Jesus was being absolutely truthful when He told His followers that they would be treated harshly because of their association with Him.

Spiritual ‘awakenings’ are a two-sided coin.

There is God’s side; and there is Satan’s side.

Satan opposes God’s intervention.

He always has and he always will; but he is not in control, and he is a defeated enemy.

That is the assurance of the Victory of the Cross.

Yes, the Kingdom of God and the kingdom of darkness are in spiritual battle.

The victory is ours now in Christ. (emphasis mine)

Living out the Victory of Christ is our mandate until Christ returns. (emphasis mine)

The Apostle Peter reminds us of the spiritual battle in I Peter 4:12-14 (ESV).

“Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trail (get ready for the heat, and it’s not global warming) when it comes to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice in so far as you share Christ’s suffering, that you may rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory, and God rests upon you.” (insert mine)

Believer be encouraged, the Trinity is present with you. (emphasis mine)

You are not alone.

Did you see it?

In the last sentence of the previous paragraph, the name of Christ, the Spirit of glory, and God are all mentioned.

It is easy to understand why Peter said, “you are blessed”.

How can one not be blessed when you are surrounded by the Eternal Godhead?

Remember, you are a citizen of another Kingdom, the Kingdom of God.

Colossians 1:13-14 (ESV), says God, “has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his blessed Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”

O VICTORY IN JESUS, MY SAVIOR FOREVER…(sing it!) (emphasis mine)

If we truly understand this, and live our lives accordingly, we will be a MARKED people in the eyes of the world. We will be the candidates for their opposition. (enphasis mine)

We will be reviled, persecuted, spoken evil of, having many words uttered against us falsely for following Christ.

That is what Jesus taught and told His followers would happen.

We must turn off and tune out the confusion of the world.

I am not suggesting that we stick our head in the sand and ignore the ‘signs of the times’ around us; neither am I suggesting that we do not interact with unbelievers.

What I am saying is that we must ‘wake up’ to the reality that we have always lived in an evil world and the Christian ethic that once graced our nation has been systematically removed ‘stealthily’ from our society; and we are now living in a nation and a world that has become more hostile and vocal against the followers of Christ.

We must not allow ourselves to get caught up in the destructive rhetoric promulgated throughout our nation and the world.

We must keep ourselves free from being governed by the words and thoughts of the world.

We must not allow our hearts to be controlled by the destructive verbal rhetoric of this world.

We must not shrink back from following and focusing on the Lord.

Please read Matthew 24:1-24. Let us not be deceived. Let us continue to grow in God’s ‘agape’ love and not grow cold as lawlessness increases. Let us endure (holds one ground in conflict) to the end and be saved. (insert mine)

To accomplish this, we need to center on Christ and His Word. In Him, we will find refuge and rest (r and r) in the midst of the storm of ‘unprecedented unrest’ coming to our nation (and the world). He is our peace. (insert, emphasis mine).

Our God is an Awesome God, and He, Himself, is coming with His Presence and Power to deal with this nation (and the world).

As Matt Rehrer said Sunday, June 2,2023, there will be a shaking; but in the midst of the shaking, there is a stillness in God. That stillness is found and experienced in Him as our refuge. (my summary, and emphasis)

Be blessed, a brother in Christ, deo

*Regarding fasting and prayer* : fasting and prayer aligns our heart and mind with the heart and mind of God. Fasting and prayer sets our life (our desires) aside to focus on what the Lord wants to say and to accomplish through His people. Please read Isaiah 58. Fasting and prayer is also for spiritual battle. You N.E.E.D. to read Nehemiah, Ezra, Esther, Daniel. They all fasted and prayed in their time of spiritual need and battle with the enemy for their nation.

Please continue to pray for our nation, and fast as directed by the Lord.

Asbury College ‘Revival’

In the past two weeks, our nation and other nations throughout the world have been exposed to a new headline in the news and maybe even in their newspapers. For sure, it has been a topic on the internet. What am I referring too?

I am referring to what took place at Asbury College on February 8, 2023.

What did take place? It appears that the operative word is ‘revival’. The word itself elicits many divergent and interesting thoughts. Those thoughts go back through Church history and have been written about by many authors, theologians and history buffs throughout the years. Some of writer’s thoughts rejoice in what took place; and some of the writer’s thoughts rebuke and question what took place.

Fortunately, or unfortunately, I am none of those; but I would like to share with you some thoughts about what has taken place. I have not been there. I have watched some reporting of what has taken place; and I have seen a few interviews with people who have shared their insights and perspectives.

What is the purpose of ‘revival’? Ultimately, the purpose lies in the heart and mind of God. As I have heard others share, the concern they have is, will there be the fruit of the revival lived out in changed lives? Lives that will seek to live and serve the Lord obediently obeying His Word, and fulfilling the life that the Lord has chosen for them to live.

The foundation for ‘revival’ is Christ. He is the “Chief Cornerstone”, Isaiah 28:16 (TLV), “Therefore thus says Adonai Elohim (The Lord God): Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a tested stone, a costly cornerstone, a firm foundation–whoever trusts will not flee in haste.” To this I would add, Paul’s words written in I Corinthians 2:2 (TLV), “For I decided not to know about anything among you except Yeshua the Messiah–an Him crucified.”

Prior to those words, Paul had written to the Corinthian Church, the following:

I Corinthians 1:22-24 (TLV) says, “For Jewish people ask for signs and Greek people seek after wisdom, but we proclaim Messiah crucified–a stumbling block to the Jewish people and foolishness to Gentile people, but to those who are called (both Jewish and Greek people), Messiah, the power of God and the wisdom of God.” Is it possible that some people will stumble over what is taking place and perceive it as foolishness? Unfortunately, yes.

Peter and John standing before the Sanhedrin, having been arrested for proclaiming that Jesus had been resurrected from the dead (Acts 4:2) were asked “By what power or in what name do you do this?” Peter answered.

There may be some who make the same assertion about what they are watching taking place.

Acts 4:8-12, (TLV):

“Then Peter, filled with the the Ruach ha-Kodesh, (Holy Spirit) said to them, “Rulers and elders of the people, if we are on trial today for a mitzvah (commandment) done for a sick man, as to how this fellow was healed, let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Yeshua ha-Mashiach ha-Natzati (Jesus Christ of Nazareth)–whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead–this one stands before you whole This Yeshua is the stone–rejected by you, the builders–that has become the cornerstone. There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” ” (inserts mine)

This is the foundation of the ministry of the Church. Paul writing to the Church in Ephesus says in Ephesians 2:18-22 (TLV):

“…for through Him we both have access to the Father by the same Rauch (Spirit). So then you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but you are fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household. You have been built on the foundation made up of the emissaries (Apostles) and prophets, with Messiah Yeshua Himself being the cornerstone. In Him the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple for the Lord. In Him, you also are being built together into God’s dwelling place in the Rauch (Spirit).” (inserts mine)

This is the foundation of the work being done in the lives of the students (and others) at Asbury College. Some call it revival. Some call it a visitation. Some may call it God’s Intervention. Others believe that it is the Third Awakening taking place in our nation. One headline I saw today on Google said, Asbury Revival, a ‘Spontaneous Outpouring’. What ever you call it, the fact is that it has happened.

Did you know that this is not the first time an outpouring like this has happened at Asbury College. The first outpouring was in 1905, then 1908, 1921, 1950, 1958, 1970, 1992, and 2006. 2023 is the 9th time this has occurred at Asbury College. Interestingly, most have occurred in the month of February.

I submit that the foundation of any true ‘revival’ must be upon Christ, Who is the chief-cornerstone, and the message of the gospel, which is grounded solely in ‘Christ Crucified’. Any other motivation or foundation is suspect. It must be focused on the Lord.

From what I have heard and read, the focus is on Christ.

Having made that statement, is it possible for God to work in the hearts of a people apart from what I just stated? I said that my previous statement is based upon God coming to His people to do a work in their lives; to turn them away from their sins; to have them repent; and to be free from the bondages that have caused them to be incarcerated by sin; and to restore them to a right relationship with Him that would lead to a deeper fellowship with Him on a daily basis. That is what is on the heart and mind of God for His people.

To answer the question, I raised, I would have you consider the city of Nineveh that responded to God’s Word through His prophet, Jonah. Nineveh was not God’s people Israel; but they responded to God’s Word. They fasted, prayed, and repented, and God relented destroying the city at that time.

Jonah 3:7-9 (TLV), says, ” “He(king of Nineveh)made a proclamation saying: “In Nineveh, by the decree of the king and his nobles, no man or beast, herd or flock, may taste anything. They must not graze nor drink water. But cover man and beast with sackcloth. Let them cry out to God with urgency. Let each one turn from his evil way and from the violence in his hands. Who know, maybe God may turn and relent, and turn back from his burning anger, so that we may not perish.” “

What did God do? Jonah 3:10, ( TLV) “When God saw their deeds–that they turned from their wicked ways–He relented from the calamity that He said He would do to them, and did not do it.”

Question: Did Nineveh experience a ‘revival’? I guess it depends on our definition of revival. But we cannot excuse the fact that God did a mighty work in their midst.

Returning to my thoughts to Asbury College, God has not come to Asbury College with the purpose to judge them as He did sending His prophet telling them to repent or else judgement would happen.

Then what took place?

Consider this thought, fallow ground is being broken up. What does that mean? Picture with me a generation of young people who are barren in their spiritual understanding, dry, parched, and weary with religion and the troubles that are faced daily in the world. They may appear to be happy and satisfied on the outside, but inwardly they are unhappy, sad, and without hope. Mentally, they may be exhausted from the daily rhetoric that they are bombarded with in the media, especially social media. They are pressed down in their minds. They are not living in freedom within themselves. They are discouraged, depressed, and in despair.

Fallow ground is a piece of land that has been left unattended, intentionally or unintentionally. It has become hard, maybe even cracked, and appears to be totally barren. I suggest that the student’s hearts are fallow ground that they, themselves, have left unattended intentionally, or unintentionally.

In the Old Testament, the prophet Hosea was used by the Lord to confront His people, Israel, with their sin. The Lord was stern with His people through the prophet; but the Lord did not leave them without hope. Why? Because God loves His people. He is in covenant love with them.

In the opening section of the Book of Hosea, of the THE SPIRIT FILLED LIFE BIBLE , the following is written describing the conditions in the nation of Israel at the time of the prophet Hosea. (Please bear with me.)

“The Book of Hosea is about a people who need to hear the love of God, a God who wants to tell them He loves them, and the unique way God chooses to demonstrate His love to His people. (Do you see the similarity of this what is took place at Asbury College?) The people think that love can be bought…that love is the pursuit of self-gratification…and that loving unworthy objects can bring positive benefits. ( Ring any bells in our culture?) God wants Israel (His people) to know His love, which reaches out for unlikely and unworthy objects (we are all unworthy) … which guides with gentle discipline, and which persists in spite of the peoples’ running and resisting (Any parallels come to mind?) The problem is how to get God’s message of love to a people not inclined to listen, and not inclined to understand if they do listen. ( I cannot comment on whether or not the students at Asbury College fit into what was just said about God’s people; however, it would not surprise if some did?)

On Wednesday, February 8, 2023, the chapel message was about God’s love. The challenge was to learn to love as God loved. A number of students stayed to seek the Lord. Another person followed up the chapel speaker continuing to discuss God’s love. In that atmosphere God came, and His Presence was ‘felt’, ‘experienced’, and ‘overwhelmed’ the students, however, you choose to describe it. God was there by His Holy Spirit, and lives were changed; sin was confessed; weeping occurred; and the students embraced the Presence of God, and God the Father embraced the students in His Love.

Returning to Hosea, in the context of Hosea 10:12, God has been speaking to His people about their sin. Hosea 10:12 (TLV), says, “Sow to yourselves righteousness. Reap in accord with covenant love. Break up your unplowed ground. For it is time to seek Adonai, until He come and showers righteousness on you.”

Let me review and then proceed. As in Hosea, God has not given up on this generation of young people. In the chapel service, God spoke to the students through His Word. The Spirit of God moved upon the hearts of the students. The students took what was being said to ‘heart’ and acted upon it. The students did not understand that their hearts and lives were fallow ground. God’s Word, ministered to the students; the Holy Spirit stepped in and began to move in their midst. The Lord, by His Spirit, visited the lives of the students individually. The students responded with worship-they prayed and praised the Lord. By doing this, unbeknownst to the them they were beginning to break up their fallow ground, the fallow ground of their hearts.

A few days ago, I was reminded of these words spoken by Rev. Paul Schoch (1916-2009). “Praise is the plough that prepares the heart for the planting of the promises.” I shared this with my wife Christine. She remembered them too. And then she said, “This is what is happening at Asbury.” Yes! I saw it. And now I am sharing with you what I believe is part of the truth of the visitation of God at Asbury College.

The students, who stayed after the Chapel service, entered into a time of ploughing their hearts that had become fallow ground for whatever reasons. Their worship of prayer and praise broke up the hardness of the surface of their hearts; as they continued to worship, their prayer and praise began to turn over the earth beneath the surface; a softening of their hearts took place and they were ministered to by the Lord. The Word tells us that God inhabits the praises of His people. (Psalm 22:3)

What began as a regular chapel service at Asbury College on Wednesday, February 8, 2023, exploded into a mighty outpouring of God’s love, Presence, and working in the hearts of all those who sought the Lord.

2 Corinthians 3:17, 18 (TLV) : “Now the Lord is the Spirit and where the Rauch (Spirit) Adonai is, there is freedom. But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord , are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory–just as from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” (insert mine)

These students are being set free from the bondages that have shackled their lives. They have thrown off “every weight and entangling sin” (Hebrews 12:1 (TLV), that has burdened them down. Now they can as Hebrews tells us, “Let us run with endurance the race set before us, focusing on Yeshua, the initiator and perfecter of faith.” (Hebrews 12:1-2 TLV)

However you want to describe what took place beginning on February 8 at Asbury College, one thing is for certain. God came into their midst. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. They were all there.

The students responded, they prayed and praised, the Holy Spirit ploughed the fallow ground, the student’s hearts were prepared for the planting of the promises of God into their lives, and the Lord ministered freedom to the students.

Galatians 5:1 (TLV) says, “For freedom, Messiah set us free–so stand firm, and do not be burdened by a yoke of slavery again.”

So, I would say to the students, Stand firm, and don’t go back to your former lifestyle.

The blessing is, as I have heard others say, you do not personally have to go to Asbury College to be ministered to by the Lord. Seek the Lord where you are, call upon His Name, break up your fallow ground, begin with prayer and praise. The same Godhead Who visited Asbury College will visit you when you seek Him with all your heart.

It is time to seek the Lord, pray for those at Asbury that they will continue on with the Lord.

Let us go forth, a brother in Christ, deo

Birth, Boyhood, Becoming…Equals ‘Bar Mitzvah’

This is the third of a series of blogs about Luke 2:1-52.

In the previous blog, we were contemplating Luke 2:41-50. I proposed that you read this passage of scripture and ask yourself a question. Why would this event in the life of Jesus, Mary, Joseph be difficult for Jesus’ mother and father to comprehend?

Did you come up with an answer? I hope so!

What is taking place? The Baby has grown through Boyhood and now He has reached the time of ‘Becoming’… becoming what?

Luke 2:41 sets the scene. “Now His parents were going every year to Jerusalem for the Passover feast”(TLV). Why? Exodus 23:14-17 and Deuteronomy 16:16 tell us that “Three times a year all your males are to appear before Adonai your God in the place He chooses–at the Feast of Matzot (Unleavened Bread, Passover), the Feast of Shavuot (Feast of Weeks, Pentecost), and the Feast of Sukkot( booths, Tabernacles)No one should appear before Adonai empty-handed–the gift of each man’s hand according to the blessing Adonai your God has given you. (Deut. 16:16-17, TLV) [Inserts mine]

As was shared in verse 39, Jesus’ parents “had completed everything according to the Torah of Adonai” (TLV); it is no surprise that the family is still keeping the guidelines of the Torah. Remember, Jesus’ words, “Do not think that I came to abolish the Torah or the Prophets! I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill.”(Matthew 5:17 TLV)

Joseph is leading his family according to the Law of Moses. Therefore, in keeping with the Law, verse 42 (TLV), says, “When He became twelve years old, they were going up according to festival customs.” This is what we read previously in Deuteronomy 16.

The commentary footnote in my study Bible, says, “2:42, At the age of 12 a Jewish boy became a “son of the Law” and began to observe the requirements of the Law.” It is easy to leave this statement alone and move on looking at the passage of scripture; however, Him being 12 didn’t begin with me reading the commentary in my study Bible. I am using the Tree of Life Version and it has no commentary; so I did some digging, or should I say, googling.

Here is what I found? Many believe that a boy turning 12 or 13 has reached the age of accountability. For a Jewish family, a 12 year old son, would be making his transition from Boyhood (my emphasis) to Adulthood. That is why I described this event in Jesus’ life as being on the precipice of Adulthood.

I do not believe that it is out of order to say that Jesus was having His ‘Bar Mitzvah’. Don’t turn me off! Give me some slack.

According to gotquestions.org, “The term ‘bar mitzvah’ means “son of the commandment…” Within Judaism the idea ‘bar mitzvah’ (for a boy) or ‘bat mitzvah’ (for a girl) is relatively new. The ceremony of ‘bar mitzvah’ is a recognition of adulthood; a boy becomes a man…as an adult…he shares the responsibilities and privileges of a full member of the Jewish community…For the past hundred years or so, the ‘bar mitzvah’ ceremony has become more important. In the past, the new ‘bar mitzvah’ (son of the commandment) was eligible to wear telifin (phylacteries) during prayer…In addition, the ‘bar mitzvah’ (son of the commandment) is allowed to read publicly from the Torah in the synagogue on the Sabbath.”

What I have just shared is not explained in the Hebrew Bible. Question: Is it explained in the scriptures? No.

I find it interesting that when Jesus was 12, He remained behind in Jerusalem after the Feast of Passover and did not return home in the caravan with His family.

I would like to share from another article I read. The words from the this article were reprinted with permission from the Second Jewish Catalog, published by the Jewish Publication Society. The article that I will be sharing is Deborah Lipstadt’s, ‘What Does Bar Mitzvah Mean?’. She writes, “…one is a full-fledged member of the Jewish community, able to participate in all aspects of its religious expression and existence, even if one has never had a bar/bat mitzvah celebration. All that is necessary is that one be 12 years old if a female and 13 years old if a male (those years are arbitrary due to the custom of puberty) …it is important that one remember that the essence of bar/bat mitzvah is the age of the individual. The obligations and responsibilities become theirs whether there is a formal celebration or not.” (insert mine, but her thought)

(This obviously helps us understand what has been written in the Torah and what Jesus and His family are responding too when He turned twelve. )[insert mine]

This is extremely important because as Deborah Lipstadt writes, “the ceremony which is of fairly recent origin, does not make one a bar/bat mitzvah; it merely marks the time when one becomes a ‘son/daughter of the commandments’. The real meaning of the phrase is not (emphasis mine) ‘son/daughter of the commandments’ but ‘one of the commandments’ (in the sense of “one who is responsible for performing the commandments”) [insert mine]

What does this mean in the narrative of Christ? I submit that Jesus ‘had a ceremony’ in Jerusalem; but not one as a Jewish family would celebrate today. What Jesus experienced was a Divine appointment created by His Heavenly Father as a ‘Coming of Age’ moment as the Son of Man. God, His Father, presented His Son, at the age of twelve, before the religious leaders, to acknowledge His transition from Boyhood to Becoming ‘Bar Mitzvah’.

Unfortunately for His earthly parents this was a frightening experience.

That is covered in verses 43-50.

Let me ask you another question about Jesus. Was Jesus a precocious Child?

Ponder that thought.

But remember to consider Jesus as precocious,I am sure that you understand, this can only be considered in a positive context because Jesus is the Son of God/Son of Man, Who is without sin.

Blessings, following the Lord, deo

Part 3

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