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)
It’s here and it’s coming.
What does that mean?
We are witnessing ‘unprecedented unrest’ as a result of evil; and we are witnessing ‘unprecedented unrest’ as a result of God’s grace.
Let me share the following acronym for G.R.A.C.E.
God’s Redemptive Activity Changes Everything
It’s coming!
Question: Was there ‘unprecedented unrest’caused by the life of Jesus? Did that ‘unprecedented unrest’ increase as He approached the Cross? Who was responsible for that ‘unprecedented unrest’ ? Did the principalities of darkness contribute to the ‘unrest’ ? Did God, the Father, have complete Sovereign control over what was taking place with His Son? Did The Son of God have complete control over His life ? Did God’s plan of salvation contribute to the ‘unprecedented unrest’ bringing Jesus to Calvary? Did the resurrection of Christ continue to bring ‘unprecedented unrest’ to the Jews and the Gentiles? Did the Lordship of Christ after Christ’s resurrection perpetuate ‘unprecedented unrest’? Did the Church born on the day of Pentecost contribute ‘unprecedented unrest’ to the known world?
Do the followers of Christ bring ‘unprecedented unrest’ throughout the world? Yes or No?
Does the Church of Jesus Christ cause ‘unprecedented unrest’ in the nations of the world ? Yes or No
Does the Church of Jesus Christ cause ‘unprecedented unrest’ in our nation? Yes or No
Does the Church of Jesus Christ have an influential voice in our nation or is it just a whimper? ‘influential voice’ or ‘whimper’
Things are about to change!
Psalms 64:7-10 (NKJV), recounts the following: God, our Father, will shoot them (Psalms 64:2, the workers of iniquity-vss. 3-4) with His arrow . “Suddenly they shall be wounded (“their wounds will appear”, Tree of Life Version (TLV)). (inserts mine)
What they spoke in darkness will be revealed and heard now in the light. This is God’s A.A.R.O.W. bringing Adonai’s Righteous Revelation Of (their own) Wrong- doing. (emphasis, insert mine)
Psalms 64:8a (NKJV) God “…will make them stumble over their own tongue”. We are witnessing that happening right before our eyes in our nation. What had been heralded as truth years ago is now being revealed as lies.
The Rotherham’s Emphasized Bible translation says, “their tongue smote themselves”. I have heard this explained this way-‘it’s a boomerang effect’.
This will bring their downfall. Things will continue to unravel and more lies and deceit will be exposed.
Psalms 8b, (NKJV), describes the reaction of (I believe) all humanity. (insert mine)
It says, “All who see them (those who spoke evil (vs4); set secret traps (6b);and plotted injustices (7a) [Tree of Life Version]) will be filled with shock. (emphasis mine)
Those people (them) will be totally exposed and those (all who see) who supported them will experience the following: they will flee (Strongs #5074, nadad) away (Rotherham: “will take flight”) from them. (inserts,emphasis mine)
I understand that to mean that they are repulsed by them; do not want to associate with them; and seek a complete disengagement from them. (See David’s parallel thought in Psalm 31:11, regarding his plight with his enemies) (emphasis mine)
What is most staggering in my thinking is what is written in Psalm 64:10 (Tree of Life Version).
Consider the impact of the following three statements.
1. “then all men will fear” (emphasis mine)
2. “So they(all men) will declare the works of God” (emphasis, insert mine)
3. “And they (all men) will ponder what He (God) has done” (emphasis, insert mine)
Question: What do these three statements picture in your mind?
May I purpose the following:
1. All men represent all of humanity, male and female, that comprise the nations of the world. They will stand aghast at what is happening; what they are hearing; and what they are seeing. It will cause an ‘unprecedented unrest’ throughout our nation and most of the nations of the world. This ‘unrest’ will cause fear. (emphasis mine)
Question: What do you picture? please re-read the above and reflect
You and I are part of that ‘all men‘. (emphasis mine)
How will I react? How will you react?
Q: What kind of ‘fear‘ will we experience? (emphasis mine)
2. What will ‘all men‘ (all humanity) declare? This is the “work of God“. Think about that! The world’s conclusion is that what has happened; what has been heard; what has been seen “are the works of God“. It is His work, His doing, His intervention. (emphasis mine)
Strong’s Concordance, the Hebrew word is #5046, nagad (naw-gad’); a prim. root; prop. to front, i.e. to stand boldly out opposite; by impl. (causat.), to manifest; fig, to announce (always by word of mouth to one present); spec. to expose, predict, explain, praise: bewray, x certainly, certify, declare (ing), denounce, expound, x fully, messenger, plainly, profess, rehearse, report, shew (forth), speak, x surely, tell, utter.
3. Will humanity attempt to put its ‘spin’ on what they are witnessing? I have no doubt that some will do that. In fact, the end of Psalm 64:10 (TLV) says that all men “will ponder what He (God) has done”. That statement, for me, leaves no room for ‘spin’. The KJV says, “And all men shall fear, and shall declare the work of God; for they shall wisely consider of his doing.” (emphasis mine)
Who is ‘doing’ ? God!
Turning to The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, revised edition, 5, Psalms, Dr. VanGemeren writes, regarding Psalm 64:10(TLV).
“The bold challenge of autonomy and anarchy (TLV vs 6; KJV vs.5) has its counterpart in the fear imposed by God’s judgment on humankind. The wicked asked “Who will see us” (ra a; NIV text note vs 5) and were unafraid (yara) of the consequences of their acts. When all humankind (adam; cf. 58:11; Isaiah 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; Isaiah 41:20). The history of redemption reveals the “works of God” in judgment of rebellious human beings. The story of redemption proclaims the mighty acts of God. Meditation on what God has done enhances one’s knowledge of God. The knowledge of God becomes a comforting doctrine. The godly learn that the Lord of history will vindicate them.” (emphasis mine)
I conclude that such will be the intervention of God in the affairs of this nation, and in other nations of the world, that ‘all men‘ will fear, declare, and come to the conclusion that Almighty God has come forward to reveal Himself to all humanity. (emphasis mine)
When will this happen?
It has already begun and will continue to grow.
Remember, it’s here; and it’s coming.
blessings, a brother in Christ,
deo
tbc
I would like to bring this post to our attention again. It is imperative that the Ekklesia pray for this nation.
This blog was originally posted in October 2021.
It was republished August 8, 2022.
Today is October 31,2023
Reformation Day
This blog is about Psalm 64. I have been asking the Lord to fulfill the words of this Psalm in our nation. That aside, I would like you to read this blog carefully and consider what I have been praying in light of what has been transpiring in this nation. I invite you to pray for this nation, and use this Psalm accordingly. May the Lord minister to you as you read and contemplate His Word.
THE ARROW OF GOD (REVISITED)
TLV stands for Tree of Life Version. It is a Bible put out by the Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society. I enjoy reading it very much.
I want to bring to your attention Psalm 64. I have referenced this Psalm before during the past year. Today I want to share with you how I use it to pray for our nation.
Psalm 64 is a Psalm of David. David is lamenting how he is being treated by those around him.
In the margin of this Bible, I have written the month and year, April 2020, next to this Psalm. I do not remember if this was the first time that I read the Psalm; but it was certainly a time when I used it to pray for our nation and our leaders that were going through a trying time.
Let me begin by writing my paraphrased version that I pray.
Psalm 64 is entitled, ‘Protect Me from Conspiracies’. (are my inserts)
“For the music director, a psalm of David,
Hear my (our) voice, O God, in my (our) complaint. Protect my (our) life (lives) from the terror of the enemy. Hide me (us) from the conspiracy of evil doers, from the tumult of workers of iniquity, who sharpen their tongue like a sword, and aimed their arrow–(their) bitter words, to shoot them from hiding at the innocent (us), shooting suddenly at him (us), (blatantly) with no fear. They are firming up their evil plan. They talk about setting secret traps. They asked, “Who will see them?” (Father) They are plotting injustices: (they believe) They have completed a perfect plot. (Father, You see them, You know what’s going on?) (You know that…) a man’s inward part and heart are deep.
BUT (You) God will shoot with an (Your) arrow, suddenly their wounds will appear. So their tongue will be their downfall. Then all men will fear. So they will declare (that this is) the work of God, and ponder what He (You) have done. The righteous will be glad in Adonai and take refuge in Him (You, Father). Let all the upright give glory. (and help us Father not to gloat over our enemies undoing. Let us fear and respect.)
It is not a secret that for the past five plus years this nation has endured an onslaught of verbal rhetoric designed to vilify individuals, tear down this nation’s political foundation, ignore our Constitution, and subvert our Republic.
The constant bombardment of words have been designed and deployed to indoctrinate our minds into submission through deceit and lies. This same strategy prevails today (October 22, 2021). Such has been the force of the disparaging vocabulary used daily throughout our media pounding our citizenry into a nation of P.O.W.’s-Prisoner of Words. (See my series: A Nation of P.O.W.’s, 1-5) We have been incarcerated with verbal chains. Slowly, I believe, we are experiencing a breaking of those chains. A liberation is coming.
The thrust of Psalms 64:1-7 is a picture of the verbal incarceration and plans poured out upon us. Beginning in Psalm 64:8, the atmosphere of the Psalm changes with the word, BUT. God is on the scene. A transition happens. David has a break through. David has worked through explaining to God his despair; and now ‘light’ breaks on the scene. God will intervene. How?
God shoots His A.R.R.O.W. God’s arrow is Adonai’s Righteous Revelation Of Wrongdoing.
All those ‘bitter words’ (v3) that have been spewed out upon the ‘blameless’ (v4) without fear of any reprisal or accountability; all those well thought out plans to manipulate situations (v5); all those those verbal traps set to snare their prey (v5) will be exposed.
The evil speaking ones pride themselves in their arrogance believing that no one sees what is going on, no one is paying attention to their schemes; but God sees, and in vs. 8, everything is exposed. There is a ‘knowing’ by all mankind.
Man in his depravity (v6) believes that he can plan and scheme in the deep recesses of his being, in the darkness of his heart, where no one can know or see what is being devised. Verse 6 says, “Both the inward thought and the heart of man are deep.” Jeremiah said it this way (Jeremiah 17:9,10 NKJV), “The heart is deceitful about all things, and desperately wicked; Who can know it? I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give every man according to his ways, According to the fruit of his doings.” And this is exactly what God does, He gives to the evil speaking ones the fruit of their doings. How?
God shoots His arrow. God exposes their wrongdoing. God causes their ‘bitter words’ to return to them who spoke them, ‘suddenly’ (v7), inflicting upon them ‘wounds’. Verse 8 says, “So He (God) will make them stumble over their own tongue.” Those who spewed out words, inflicting wounds upon others will be wounded by the return of their own words upon themselves.
What is happening? God, who is Light, is exposing the darkness. God, Who is Truth, is exposing the folly, the lies, and the deceit of those who have been perpetrating falsehood as truth. God is peeling back the covering of darkness that blankets this nation.
Verses 7 and 8 counteract the evil ones arrogance found in verse 3. The evil ones in verse 3 “sharpen their tongue like a sword”. In verses 7-8, God uses their tongue as a sword to inflict upon them wounds. The result is their downfall.
It is important to notice the reaction that follows because of God’s intervention shooting His arrow. At the end of verse 8, it says, “All (mankind) who see them (the evil speakers) shall flee away.” What they assumed was done in secret (v5) is exposed to everyone. Secondly, (v9) “All men (mankind) shall fear”. Fear what? The following words tell us what their fear is based upon. The testimony of what the men (mankind) have seen. Their fearful response is the result of them realizing that this is “the work of God” (v9). The verse continues, (9) “For they shall wisely consider His doing.” What has taken place is profound. A response is warranted.
What God chooses to do, and how He chooses to do it, will be a major wake-up call to all mankind. Mankind will witness the power and presence of God intervening in the events of this nation and the nations of the world. It will be time to stop and take a serious inventory of the trajectory of one’s life and the implications of witnessing the presence and power of God manifested in our midst. Throughout the pages of the scriptures, God has stepped in when needed to make a Personal statement reminding humanity of Who He is.
I don’t know what God is going to do, except that He will shoot His ARROW, and I believe there will be A Righteous Revelation Of Wrongdoing. The consequences of this arrow of judgement will be emphatic and profound.
We need, as does all of mankind, to “wisely consider His doing”. (v9)
Verse 10 says that, “The righteous shall be glad in the Lord, and trust in Him. And all the upright in heart shall glory.”
The lamenting of David has turned to praise.
Two closing thoughts: 1. the righteous in heart must not gloat, they are to glory in the Lord. 2. The righteous in heart need to pray for those who see the manifest presence of God, are fearing Him, and do not know how to respond. We need to be there for them.
God’s manifest presence is for the purpose of the redemption of mankind.
Why have I shared these thoughts?
I have prayed this Psalm to the Lord, asking Him to fulfill these words in the life of our nation. I have spoken freely in the past on my blog site about what I understood was happening to our nation.
I am still asking the Lord to ‘shoot His ARROW’ and reveal the truth, exposing the lies and deceits that have been thrusted upon us. Have we been a perfect nation? Absolutely not! We are a nation that has turned it’s back on God. God is a God of justice. God is a righteous God. God is Sovereign. I am praying that God will be compassionate and merciful to us and forgive us of our sin. We need to seek His face and turn from our wicked and evil ways. We are not exempt from God’s judgement. The release of God’s ARROW into our midst might be the very impetus that is needed to awaken us and turn our hearts to God. I pray that that is true.
We are in a spiritual battle. I pray for those in authority over us. I do not agree with most of their decisions; however I do not pray against our leaders. I commit them to God. God rules and reigns over the hearts of men. I do pray against their policies that I am not in agreement with for our nation.
Ephesians 6:12-18 outlines for us the spiritual battle that we face. We are not wrestling against flesh and blood but against principalities, and powers, and rulers of darkness in the heavenlies. There are principalities and powers of darkness shrouding this nation. We are being assailed by darkness; however, the Kingdom of God, the Kingdom of Light is more powerful; and it WILL dispel the darkness.
We, the Ecclesia of God, the Church, the Israel of God, must STAND against the “wiles of the devil” (Ephesians 12:11). If there is going to be a change; if there is going to be a defeating of the spiritual forces in our nation, then God’s Ecclesia needs to fast and pray. God WILL respond. He WILL shoot His ARROW. The enemy WILL be wounded. The lies and deceit WILL be exposed. Mankind WILL witness the Presence and Power of God in our midst, and our nation WILL be changed.
God WILL mobilize His Ecclesia, empowering them by the Holy Spirit to engage this nation with the message of the Gospel, the Lordship of Jesus Christ, and the preaching of the Word of God for all mankind.
Things WILL change. Truth WILL prevail. God WILL be glorified.
Habakkuk 2:14, “For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.” (NKJV)
blessings, deo
This past week I read a prophetic word that confirmed to me what I believe the Lord showed me regarding the relationship between what is taking place in our nation, the nations of the world and Psalm 64.
For those who follow my posts, that is why I encouraged you, as well as any new readers, to go to livingwordsofencouragement.com and read my post entitled The A.R.R.O.W. Of God.
I would like to revisit the theme of ‘unprecedented unrest’.
As the Lord had said to me, we have witnessed over the past couple of years a significant rise in ‘unprecedented unrest’.
Most of this ‘unrest’ has been caused by “principalities”, “powers”, and “the rulers of darkness of this age” , and the “spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places“. (Ephesians 6:12b, NKJV)
Many believe that we are wrestling against people in general. I do not disagree with that; however, Ephesians 6:12a (NKJV) says, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood” but against those forces that I just mentioned.
In the Study Bible that I use, the New Spirit Filled Life Bible, the notes on Ephesians 6:12 (pg. 1654) makes this comment.
“Not…against flesh and blood: One of the church’s greatest demands is to discern between the spiritual struggle and other social, personal, and political difficulties. Otherwise, individual believers and groups become too easily detoured, “wrestling” with human adversaries instead of prayerfully warring against the invisible works of hell behind the scenes.”
Today in our nation, we are being besieged by the “works of hell behind the scenes” and many in the church are not aware of it.
The notes continue defining ‘heavenly places’. “Heavenly places recalls earlier references to 1) spiritual resources available to the church (Ephesians 1:3); 2) Christ’s authority over evil (Ephesians 1:21); 3) the church’s being seated together with her ascended Lord (Ephesians 2:6); 4) the Father’s will to display His wisdom through the church to the confounding of evil powers (Ephesians 3:10). On these grounds this passage announces the church’s corporate assignment to prayer warfare, in order that evil will be driven back and the will of God advanced.”
The good news is that a large body of Christian’s are engaged in prayerful warfare on a daily basis.
The concern of many is that that same impetus to participate in spiritual warfare is lacking in many individual churches and the corporate church in general.
I am praying Psalm 64 for our nation. I encourage you to do the same.
As I read Psalm 64, I personalize the words to speak to the Lord about our situation as a nation.
David used these words to speak to His Lord about what he was personally experiencing.
I believe the Lord has shown me how this applies to our nation, now.
In the context of Ephesians 6:12-18, what does Paul instruct us to do?
He says, “Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand, therefore, having girded….” (Ephesians 6:13-14a NKJV) , Paul instructs us to put on the whole armor of God (Ephesians 6:14-18).
I will leave that reading and study to you.
Question: Are you withstanding as you stand, girded in the armor of God? (emphasis mine)
In my study Bible, in a section entitled Word Wealth,” 6:13 withstand, anthistemi (anth-is-tay-mee); Strong’s #436″, the following is written:
“Compare “antihistamine”. ” From anti, “against,” and from histerni “to cause to stand.” The verb suggests vigorously opposing, bravely resisting, standing face to face against an adversary, standing your ground. (As I read this I thought of David going eye-ball to eye-ball against Goliath.) Just as antihistamine puts a block on histamine, anthistemi tells us that with the authority and spiritual weapons granted to us we can withstand evil forces.” (insert mine)
II Corinthians 10:3-6 (NKJV), the Apostle Paul writes, “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal (margin: not of the flesh) but mighty in God for pulling down of strongholds (those mentioned in Ephesians 6:12), casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.” (inserts mine)
Quoting “Word Wealth (in my Study Bible), 10:5 obedience, hupakoe (hoop-ak-oh-ay); Strongs #5218: From hupo, “under,” and akouo, “to hear.” The word signifies attentive hearing, to listen with compliant submission, assent and agreement. It is used for obedience in general, for obedience to God’s commands, and for Christ’s obedience.”
Summarizing “pulling down of strongholds”, the study Bible says, “DELIVERANCE….Behind a stronghold…is a lie-a place of personal bondage where God’s Word has been subjugated to any unscriptural idea or personally confused belief that is held to be true. Behind every lie is a fear, and behind every fear is an idol. Idols are established wherever there exists a failure to trust in the provisions of God that are ours through Jesus Christ. Some of the weapons that pull down these strongholds are: God’s Word (Hebrew 4:12-13); the blood of the Cross (Revelation 12:11); and the name of Jesus (Mark 16;17). Strongholds are pulled down and confronted bondage is broken as these spiritual weapons of our warfare are employed (see Ephesians 6:13-18).”
I want to tell you. We as a nation are facing evil forces. We are a national in spiritual bondage.
In what way?
We are a nation that is in spiritual bondage to words. We are a Nation of P.O.W.’s–we are Prisoners of Words. This is what has taken place at least over the past decade.
This is not conjecture or hype.
The Ekklesia, the Church of the Living God, the Body of Christ needs to pray daily for this nation; especially as we head into our presidential election in November.
There will be a lot of rhetorical verbiage. This is seen in Psalms 64.
The Church needs to remember their prayers are to be centered against the spiritual forces of evil. Their prayers are not to be centered on getting the candidate of their choice elected.
We need to remember Romans 13:1 (NKJV), Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God”.
Looking at the Study Bible notes it says, “Paul does not suggest that God approves a corrupt government, ungodly officials, or unjust legislation. Sometimes, however, in punishment for the sins of a people or for other reasons known to Him, God allows evil rulers to have authority for a time, as the OT (Old Testament) prophets frequently testify. Ideally, God grants authority to serve good ends (Romans 13:3-4). How authority is exercised will be the accounting of each to whom it has been given.” (inserts mine)
I believe this is what we are experiencing in our nation now. You may think that that is unrealistic; however, I personally do not think so. What is the strength of my resolve? Psalm 64. I believe we will see the fulfillment of the words spoken in Psalms 64 in this election cycle and beyond. (Again, I suggest that you read my post, The A.R.R.O.W. Of God.)
I believe God, the Father, has shot His arrow. (Psalm 64:7). There will be a revealing of Adonai’s Righteous Revelation Of Wrong-doing.
I am asking the Father this question. Will Your ARROW, too, cause ‘unprecedented unrest’ in our nation and throughout humanity in the world for good?
I have said that we are living in and experiencing now the effects of evil in our nation.
Romans 5:20b, (NKJV) outlines this principle, “But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more.”
I am asking. Father, where sin has abounded and done many evil things in this nation causing ‘unprecedented unrest’; will Your grace that much more abounds cause ‘unprecedented unrest’ for the good of humanity as a result of the ARROW that You have shot?
What kind of ‘unrest’ happens when You, in Your Sovereignty, and Providence manifest Your works in our nation and the nations of the world?
Psalms 64 tells us.
The reality is that the works of His glorious majesty are indeed happening throughout the world and in this nation, now.
Unfortunately, many believers and churches are unaware of what is taking place by God’s grace.
It is here; and it is coming!
a brother in Christ, deo
P.S. I recommend the CBN, Christian Broadcasting Network, app as a place to begin see and reading what God is doing around the world and in our nation.
tbc
Good morning, in about 45 minutes I will have a pacemaker installed.
Around 10:30 am, June 3, 2024, Pacific Time, in California.
This is definitely my Heavenly Father’s doing. This is His caring hand.
My Good Shepherd is caring for one of His sheep.
Psalms 23
it is also Psalms 62:1, a lesson in waiting, quietly, not anxiously.
And it is God’s promise found in Romans 8:28. “All things work together for good to those who are called to His purpose.
i hope to write a post outline what the Lord had been revealing to me.
I also want to encourage you to pray for our nation during this ‘unprecedented unrest’; stay focused in Christ, He is our ARK. He is our place of refuge in the midst of our storm.
It is not a time to fear but to take refuge in the Lord, rest in Him, wait for Him; but he sure to do what He directs you to do.
blessings, a brother in Christ, dei
tbc
This post is the third part of a trilogy that I have created from posts that were shared a number of years ago. This article, ‘Have We Forgotten God?’ was originally posted in March 2020.
Let us begin:
I wish I could convince everyone who is reading this article to purchase a copy of Ray Ortland’s commentary on the Book Of Isaiah.
Christine and I are currently reading the Book of Isaiah, using Ortland’s commentary, for understanding, as we proceed through the scripture.
His explanation of the words of Isaiah are incredibly relative to the times in which we live.
Every night we find ourselves in agreement with what the prophet Isaiah was saying to, and about God’s people, and to the surrounding nations because it is applicable to what we were witnessing in our own nation at this time.
[It is amazing how much the prophet said that spoke clearly to the time in which we were living then[2020], and the time in which we are living now[2024].] (additional comment mine)
I am so grateful for the Body of Christ that prays, seeks the Lord, and shares their heart to encourage fellow believers and also stirs non-believers to consider Christ.
As I have read and reflected upon a number of posts on Facebook, I have found myself pondering the following truth.
‘God is sovereign’, therefore, completely in control of what our world experiences.
I do not say that glibly to sugar-coat our current situation regarding the caronavirus. God is Sovereign. It has always been that way and will always be that way.
That is absolute reality.
A few nights ago, Christine and I were discussing the Sovereignty of God. She was looking at a map of the world that was showing all the places on the earth where COVID-19 had been identified.
That raised an obvious question?
Father, what are you saying to humanity?
Hence, the title of this blog, Have We Forgotten God?
In the Book of Isaiah, God’s people were giving lip service to God but they were following after other gods, specifically idols.
Let me digress for a moment. For the past several days, I have been revisiting previous thoughts regarding end times: things I have pondered, read about, talked about with the Lord, and even shared with others on occasion.
I am NOT seeking to be prophetic, or a prophet.
What I am trying to embrace and comprehend is the reality of what I believe about the Sovereignty of God.
What we profess as the Body of Christ, is absolutely TRUE! I know that. As believers, we can look back over our lives and recall incidents where we have stood in awe ,realizing that the Sovereignty of God was present in our circumstance, for which we are grateful and thankful for every one of them.
We have read the Word of God and seen the Sovereignty of God at work in the nation of Israel, and other individuals throughout pages of scripture.
B.U.T. (Believer Understand This), how many of us have seen the Sovereignty of God, up close and personal, like we are witnessing at this time in our lives?
I know God is real, and most of you who are reading this blog, know that too.
Because we know, for a certainty, God is Sovereign, we are at peace.
Jesus said to His disciples, “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 16:33, NKJV].
Where was Jesus headed ? To the cross.
He had just finished the Passover meal with His disciples and shared with them His final words before praying to His Father (John 17).
Consider that prayer!
Does it reflect that Jesus knew His Father was Sovereign.
Absolutely, He was in His Father’s Hands, and so are we, in Christ.
{I am inserting the following.}
{Yet, in spite of that ‘knowing’, He wrestles vehemently with the will of His Father that lay before Him. Yes, He is the Son of God; but He is also the Son of Man.}
{He, Who knew no sin, was going to become sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God. He had never experienced that before. }
{What was the result of that experience? }
{Matthew 27:46, NKJV, “And about the ninth hour, Jesus cried out with a loud voice saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” this is, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?” “}
{This was the first and only time the Father and the Son had ever experienced total separation. They were willing to do that between themselves; so that you and I would not have to experience that separation from God, the Father, because of our sin nature. This is God’s love for you.}
{He embraced the will of His Father, went to the cross, shed His blood for the forgiveness of sin, and cried out, “It is finished”.(John 19:30)}
{Luke 23:46, NKJV, says, And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, “Father, ‘into Your hands I commit My spirit.’ ” Having said this, He breathed His last.” As I have heard it taught, Jesus didn’t have His life taken away from Him, He was in control and relinquished it.}
{The work that was set out for Him before the foundation of the world was complete. He committed His spirit to His Father, and died. He was buried and three days later He was resurrected from the dead, just as He said. (Luke 24:5-7)}
Returning now to the original post:
However, I am sure that there are many believers, in Christ, that do not have that ‘knowing’ certainty and are not at peace but are experiencing fear, anxiety, stress, and uncertainty.
Do I have it perfectly all together? Absolutely not; but “… I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep that what I have committed to Him until that Day (the Day of His glorious Return).” [2 Timothy 1:12 NKJV] (parentheses mine).
Our God is Eternal. He existed before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:3-14).
Our God knows exactly what He has purposed for this world from the moment of the inception of creation to the final moment of its existence when He ushers in His eternal Kingdom.
What we are experiencing is part of that eternal purpose.
The truth is that every moment of our lives is part of His eternal purpose.
But some of you might be saying I don’t like what is going on.
That was an issue God addressed with His people through the prophet Isaiah.
Isaiah 45:9, “Woe to him who strives with his Maker!…Shall the clay say to him who forms it. ‘What are you making?’ [NKJV]
I am not trying to be harsh. I am trying to come to grips with the Reality of Who God is.
Isn’t this the lesson of Job?
This type of discussion has always been a part of the dialogue between God and mankind.
This topic has been brought before the Lord by multitudes of people throughout history.
As gracefully as I can say it, it’s not about us, it’s about Him, God.
It’s about, “Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name, Your kingdom come, Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one, For Yours is the kingdom and power and glory forever. Amen.” [Matthew 6:9-11 NKJV]
Disruption within humanity is not new; it began in the garden when Adam and Eve sinned; and the consequences of that disruption of disobedience permeate the history of humanity.
Incidents of pandemic diseases have been many. I am not minimizing their devastation or thinking lightly of what is happening at this time in our world.
The world as a whole has virtually come to a stop.
People are looking for answers; governments are looking for solutions to provide relief; and scientists are scrambling to find a cure.
People are praying, believers and non-believers(I am sure).
Who are they praying to?
Multitudes are praying to the One True God, the Creator, the Sovereign God of the universe; others are praying, hoping, that something or someone will hear and intervene. And some, say there is no god, and do their best to cope.
Unfortunately, as we have seen, some ignore what is going on claiming that the epidemic is no big deal.
But the truth is, it is a big deal.
And ,the fact is, there is a God in heaven.
He is the Sovereign God of His universe.
How easily it is for Him to allow things to take place to show us that we are incapable of living,( i.e. existing) without Him.
Maybe that is the issue!
Humanity as a whole has so ignored God that He has allowed circumstances to be such that brings our life ,as we know it to a screeching halt, and says, “Remember Me”.
What grace, what mercy, what love, to step in, and turn our attention to Him.
I am so thankful that in spite of our arrogance toward God and our dismissal of God from our daily lives, God has been long-suffering and tolerant with us.
I know that one Day that will no longer be true.
God’s people experienced that; it is recorded in the book of the prophet Amos.
See Amos 7: 1-9.
Quoting the notes from my Study Bible regarding verse 8, it says, “The time of forgiveness has passed, and judgment is approaching. Amos has no opportunity to intercede for the people. Their fate is sealed.”
One day, the fate of all humanity will be sealed too when the Lord Jesus Christ returns. Have we reached that point? I do not believe so; but then, I am not God, and no one knows the hour of Christ’s return.
Jesus told us to remember the ‘days of Noah’.
What was going on then?
People were living their lives, eating and drinking, but were ignoring the building of an ark, a place of safety.
Are people today so absorbed with their lives that they are ignoring God’s ark, the Lord Jesus Christ?
In Noah’s day the rains came and the whole earth was flooded; only those in the ark were saved.
God had shut the door to the ark; those outside the ark fate was sealed.
Let me ask this question, What is God doing?
Answer: God is doing what He has always been doing, working out His eternal plan of salvation.
God is awakening His Church, and the world (i.e. all of mankind) to His existence, giving His Church the opportunity to share the love of God with a hurting world; but you say that has always been the plan; absolutely, but like Israel, the Church has ‘failed’, or shall I say, ‘fallen short’ of what the Lord Jesus Christ wants His Church to be and do.
Has the church in America become a Laodicean church?
Please read, Revelation 3:14-22
{I am inserting the following}
{What is our response to the indictment of the Lord to this church?}
{Question: Does the church in America see itself as ‘rich’, ‘wealthy’, and in ‘need of nothing’? }
{That’s a dangerous place to be?}
{Jesus says, let Me tell you what I see. You, “do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked–” }
{Many believe that the Laodicean Church represents a picture of the church prior to the Lord’s return.}
{To me the words that Jesus uses regarding the nature of this church is that they are ‘homeless’ and ‘Fatherless’: meaning that the church is out of Biblical fellowship (1 John 1:5-10) with the Father.}
{Jesus instructs His church what to do}
{re- read verse 18, and heed His counsel.}
{Verse 19 reminds us of His love for us; and because of that love, He has come to rebuke and chasten His church.}
{The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ does not leave us hopeless. He is the Head of the Church.}
Remember Hebrews 12:3-6, NKJV, “For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discourage in your souls. And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: “My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; For whom the Lord loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives.” “
Returning now to the original post:
To use the words of the Message, the Lord is calling His Church to ‘account’ for their behavior and tells them to repent. The Lord is getting His Church ready for a mighty work.
Do you want to be used by the Lord in this mighty work?
I believe that the Lord is going to manifest Himself mightily through the Word of His Gospel, confirming the Word with signs and wonders.
This is not new; it has been noticeably absent in the church of the western world.
However, in order for this to happen, the church needs to embrace:
2 Chronicles 7: 12-14
First repentance, then revival, followed by reformation-a new great awakening.
Only then will the church be equipped and ready to take the Good News of the Gospel to the darkened hearts of humanity.
I Thessalonians 1:5-6 says, ” For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and in the assurance, as you what kind of men we were among you for your sake. And you became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit, “
May the Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ,repent, be revived, and arise to take the Gospel to a hurting world.
a brother in Christ, deo
[A couple of weeks ago, I shared that I was going to revisit three posts that I had written a few years ago. For me, that is like picking up a book that I have previously read, and re-reading it. I would like to do this with three previous posts that will make up a trilogy of thought for the current season that we are experiencing as believers in Christ. I have taken the liberty to include some additional thought, and eliminate deemed appropriate.]
This was originally posted on December 24, 2019.
Recently, I completed a series about our nation being a P.O.W.
What does that imply?
I believe that we, as a nation, are a ‘prisoner of words’.
We are bombarded daily with words that accuse, seek to divide, and cause disunity disrupting the fabric of our nation. The centerpiece of this division is found in our political system.
Both sides of the political aisle participate in this divisive rhetoric.
What is my responsibility as a Christian? I believe that God’s Word instructs us to pray for those in authority over us. This is found in 1 Timothy 2:1-7. It is interesting to note that in this passage it tells us that we are to pray so that “we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.” It continues instructing us that doing this is “good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior”. Verse 4 emphasizes the heart of God, our Father, that says that He “desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”
That does not seem to be the spiritual atmosphere of our nation today.
Today, as I compose my thoughts, it is the day before Christmas. If I may be so brash; many people in our nation, Christian and non-Christian, are more concerned about the coming of a man into the Presidency of the United States than celebrating the coming of the Christ-child to the earth.
Where is your focus?
I have thought of a new acronym for the word focus.
Focus On Christ’s Universal Sovereignty.
1 Timothy 2:5,6 clearly states Who is in charge.
“For there is one God, and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for all to be testified in due time.”
Galatians 4:4,5 says, “But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons…”
The One who is in charge has arrived.
God Himself.
Now what?
This Christmas season, I have been reminded several times of John 3:16,17 which says, “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. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”
Jesus, Who is the Word of God, “…became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory of the only begotten of the Father full of grace and truth.”
As I ponder the atmosphere of our nation and the world in which I live, I ask my self a question, is there ‘room in the inn’ for Jesus today? or is there ‘no room in the inn’ just as it was at His first coming to earth, born as an infant in Bethlehem?
In order for me(forgive my personal reference) to function in this nation, I need to remember the Sovereignty of God.
God is in control.
My focus is not on the political turmoil that is disrupting the nation. My ears are not bent on hearing the latest news. My mind is not interested in pondering the pundits’ thoughts.
I confess that I do stay in touch to the point where I am aware of the general flow; but I do not seek to be governed by the political events of the day.
I do know that there is a political rift developing in the Body of Christ.
Is that wisdom? What is the source of that division? How am I to respond?
My response is-I need to pray; the Body of Christ needs to pray.
We need to ask in prayer, what is the Spirit saying to the Church?
Jesus is the Head of the Church. We are His Body. The Head speaks to the Body. The Body listens and carries out the plans of its Head, our King, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Isaiah 55: 6-9 says, “Seek the Lord while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way (repent), And the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return (believe) to the Lord, and He will have mercy on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon (forgive), For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways, says the Lord, For as the heavens are higher then the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.”
So what is the Lord saying to His Church? If we quiet our hearts before Him, He will speak, and direct His Body in truth of His Word, guided by the Holy Spirit. Therefore,
Let me encourage you to intercede for the Church, our leaders, our nation, and the propagation of the Gospel around the world.
In closing, I would like to share 5 bullet points that are listed in my study Bible written by Joy Dawson regarding intercession,
* Light is more powerful than darkness.
*Truth is stronger than error.
*There’s more grace in God’s heart than sin in men’s hearts.
*There’s more power in the Holy Spirit to convict men of sin than there is power of satanic forces to tempt men to sin.
*There’s more power in one drop of the shed blood of the Lord Jesus to cleanse men’s hearts from the stain of sin than there is in the accumulated filth of men’s sin since Adan and Eve.
We are at a crossroads in the life of this nation. The Church needs to seek the face of our Lord Jesus Christ and allow Him to bring correction to our lives. And then, the Church needs to intercede for our leadership and our nation.
Do you believe in the Sovereignty of God? Then everything is proceeding as He oversees the unfolding of His plan of salvation culminating in the return of His Son.
Tomorrow is Christmas (December 25, 2019), we celebrate His first coming; soon He will be coming again. In the meantime we live in the tension between the two events.
Have a blessed Christmas, a brother in Christ, deo
[As I have looked at this post from December, 2019 and the fact that it is being re-posted immediately following Easter, I see the significance of re-visiting this post, its thought, and its encouragement to pray for the nation.}
Rejoice, lift up your voice, Christ has risen from the dead.
In the words of Rev. E. V. Hill, “Sundays’ Comin!”
Resurrection Sunday is the focal point of God’s plan of salvation.
It is the centrality of God’s mind regarding the reconciliation of His creation.
All that was lost through the original sin of Adam has been regained through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
Christ, who knew no sin, has become sin for humanity, so that humanity could become the restored unto its Creator. God, Himself, was in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself.
I recommend that you listen to the ‘Easter Song’, sung by The Second Chapter of Acts. It will bless you.
One of the joys that I experience when reading or even when thinking is when an acronym pops into my mind for a word. Sometimes I struggle trying to make an acronym and at other times they come very easily.
Many times, I believe the Holy Spirit brings acronyms to my attention when writing or when I am thinking about a subject or passage of scripture.
Today (March 23,2024), I read the Book of Joel. An acronym came to mind, so I wrote it down.
J.O.E.L.: Jesus Offers Eternal Life.
There can be other possibilities like: Jesus Obtained Eternal Life.
The point is that such acronyms help me and, I believe, assist others in recognizing and remembering certain truths from scripture.
I do not know where my study or reading of the Book of Joel is ultimately headed; but when I finished reading the text, I said to God, the Father, “There is too much in Joel to absorb.”
Continuing, “Holy Spirit help me to read, to understand, to see, and to hear what You are saying to the Church today through this prophet. (emphasis mine)
The bottom line is that I want to see Jesus, and come to know Him more fully from this text.
I chose to read this text because last night as I was settling in to go to sleep; the thought came to mind that “old men will dream dreams”. So I said, “Lord, I am an old man, so that includes me.”
That became the impetus for reading the Book of Joel this morning.
After reading the text, writing down some notes, and trying to make some semblance out of what the text was saying without looking at a commentary, I decided to read from my Spirit Filled Life Study Bible. Turning to Joel, I saw that I had visited this passage of scripture on several occasions. I had even dated the times when I read it previously. After going over notes that I had written in the Study Bible, years earlier; I turned to the introduction of Joel that outlines basic information about its author, the dating of its writing, its historical period, the Person of Christ, and the Person of the Holy Spirit.
The paragraph on the Person of the Holy Spirit said something that really awakened me.
I think this is where I may be headed at a later date; but today, let me begin with the setting of the scene of that comments observation.
On the day of Pentecost, 50 days after Jesus’ resurrection, there was the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples in an upper room in Jerusalem that Jesus had told them to wait in for the promise of the Father.
From wordoflife.co.uk, Words of Life Ministries, Study 2, Waiting For The Promise of the Father, by Francis Dixon, the following is outlined.
“The Promise of the Father was the promise that the Holy Spirit would come at Pentecost to do a distinctive work in the lives of all Christians; it was a promise relating to this period of time in which we are living, the Dispensation of the Spirit, the Church Age.
1. It was given through the prophet Joel (Joel 2:28-32).
2. It was proclaimed by John the Baptist(John 1:29-34).
3. It was referred to by the Lord Himself (John 7:37-39; John 14:16-17; John 15:26; John 16:6-7 and 13-14; and Acts 1:8.
4. It was anticipated by the Lord after the Resurrection (John 20:22).
5. It was fulfilled on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:4).
I continue.
Now what? The fulfillment has come. Those in the upper room are filled with the Holy Spirit. There are those that have witnessed what has taken place and they are both confused and inquisitive.
So, Peter, ‘steps up to the microphone’!
What did Peter proclaim to those who witnessed the coming of the Holy Spirit when they “…were all amazed and perplexed, saying to each other, “What does this mean?” Others, poking fun, were saying, “They are full of sweet new wine!” ” (Acts 2:12-13, Tree of Life Version)
Let’s read what Peter said:
“But Peter, standing with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed them: Fellow Judeans and all who are staying in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and pay attention to my words. These men are not drunk, as you suppose–for it’s only the third hour of the day! But this is what was spoken about through the prophet Joel: “And it shall be in the last days’ , says God, ‘that I will pour out My Ruach (Spirit) on all flesh, Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams. Even on My slaves, male and female, I will pour out My Ruach (Spirit) in those days, and they shall prophesy. And I will give wonders in the sky above and signs on the earth beneath–blood and fire, and smoky vapor. The sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the great and glorious Day of Adonai (YHWH, the LORD) comes. And it shall be that everyone who calls on the name of Adonai shall be saved. Men of Israel, hear these words! Yeshua ha-Natzrati (Jesus of Nazareth)-a man authenticated to you by God with mighty deeds and wonders and signs God performed through Him in your midst, as you yourselves know–this Yeshua (Jesus), given over by God’s predetermined plan and foreknowledge, nailed to the cross by the hand of lawless men, you killed. But God raised Him up, releasing Him from the pains of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held by it.” (Acts 2:17-24, TLV) (inserts mine)
I suggest that you re-read Peter’s last two sentences again, starting with ‘Men of Israel…’
Peter has summarized what had taken place 50 days earlier in Jerusalem in the midst of the Passover celebration; but in reality these words were laid out before the foundation of the world. (See Ephesians 1,2)
Reading the Book of Joel this morning, and being forwarded to Acts 2, I, we, have been brought face to face with the four words found in the acronym:
Jesus Offers Eternal Life.
The coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost aroused people’s attention. Peter referenced the coming of the Holy Spirit in the context of what Joel had prophesied.
This opened the door to preach Christ. (Please read Acts 2:14-36)
The testimony that Peter preached is based upon the truth that Jesus is the Lamb of God. The history of the Feast of Passover, the killing of a lamb, the use of the lamb’s blood, was instituted in the land of Egypt, the night of the tenth plague, in which God said that there would be the death of the firstborn in each household. God’s grace was that when His death angel saw the ‘blood of the lamb’ applied to the lintel of the door, the death angel would ‘passover’ that household and the firstborn of the household would not be killed. (See Exodus 12-13) (emphasis mine)
Let us reflect upon the Word of God during this Passion Week in which Jesus, the Lamb of God, has entered Jerusalem for the Feast of Passover. During this week, He will be betrayed by Judas, arrested, mocked, ridiculed, beaten (see Isaiah 53 ), condemned to death because He claimed to be the king of the Jews, crucified as a criminal, die on the cross, be buried, and after three days raised from the dead, just as He said it would happen. (See Matthew 21-28) (emphasis mine)
In the natural, all of these things happened just as the law and the prophets had prophesied. We know that the Word of God is not just natural but spiritual. What seems to be natural outcomes in the lives of the many of those involved with Jesus are significantly more profound that they imagine.
Mankind’s history is God’s story of His plan of salvation. It is all spiritually significant.
“In the beginning was the Word. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. All things were made through Him, and apart from Him nothing was made that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overpowered it.” (John 1:1-5, Tree of Life Version)
“Now this is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you–that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with Him and keep walking in darkness, we are lying and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another and the blood of His Son, Yeshua (Jesus) purifies us from all sin.” (I John 1:5-7, TLV) (insert mine)
“Yeshua (Jesus) spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. The one who follows Me will no longer walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. (John 8:12 TLV) (insert mine)
“The next day, John (the Baptist) sees Yeshua (Jesus) coming to him and says, “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. This is the One about whom I told you…” (John 1:29, TLV) (insert, emphasis mine)
“And the next(the following) day, John (the Baptist) was standing with two of his disciples, and watched Yeshua (Jesus) walking by. He (John the baptist) said, “Behold the Lamb of God.” The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Yeshua (Jesus). (John 1:25-37, TLV) (inserts, emphasis mine)
Fast forward to The Revelation.
“And in the midst of the throne and the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, I(the Apostle John, who wrote the Gospel of John) saw a Lamb standing, as having been slain…And they are singing a new song, saying, “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals. For You were slain, and by Your blood You redeemed for God those from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. You have made them for our God a kingdom and kohanim (priests), and they shall reign upon the earth. Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne and the living creature and the elders–their number was myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands. They were chanting with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and blessing.” And I heard every creature in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and one the sea and everything in them, responding, “To the One seated on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and power forever and ever!” And the four living creatures kept saying, “Amen!” And the elders fell down and worshiped.” (Revelation 5″6a, 9-14, TLV) (inserts, emphasis mine)
Where did these myriads upon myriads come from?
“Therefore, having been made righteous by trusting , we have shalom (peace) with God through our Lord Yeshua (Jesus) the Messiah (Christ). Through Him we also have gained access by faith into this grace in which we stand and boast in the hope of His glory. And not only that, but we also boast in suffering–knowing that suffering produces perseverance; and perseverance, character: and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Ruach ha-Kodesh (Holy Spirit) who was given to us. For while we were still helpless , at the right time Messiah (Christ) died for the ungodly. For rarely will anyone die for a righteous man–though perhaps for a good man some might even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Messiah (Christ) died for us. How much more then, having now been set right by His blood, shall we be saved from God’s wrath through Him. For if, while we were yet enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, shall we be saved by His life. And not only that, but we also boast in God through our Lord Yeshua (Jesus) the Messiah (Christ), through whom we have now received reconciliation.” (Romans 5:1-11 TLV) (inserts, emphasis mine)
On the day of Pentecost, when Peter concluded his preaching about Christ, His death, burial, and resurrection. The scripture says:
“Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the rest of the emissaries (apostles), “Fellow brethren, what shall we do?” Peter said to them, “Repent, and let each of you be immersed (water baptized) in the name of Messiah Yeshua (Christ Jesus) for the removal of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Ruach ha-Kedesh (Holy Spirit). For the promise is for you and your children, and for all who are far away–as many as Adonai (Yahweh, the LORD)our God calls to Himself.” With many other words he warned them and kept urging them, saying, “Save yourselves from this twisted generation!” So those who received his message were immersed, and that day about three thousand souls were added.” (Acts 2:37-41 TLV) (inserts, emphasis mine)
This is the A,B,C’s of salvation: Atonement=repent of your sin, be forgiven by the blood of Jesus; Baptism in water=immersed, identification with Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection; Comforter=gift of the Holy Spirit (See John 14-16)
Today, as I finish this post, it is Wednesday of Passion Week.
This Friday is Good Friday, the day when Jesus was crucified;
On Sunday, Christ’s Resurrection is remembered and celebrated.
It is the day to proclaim that “He is Risen”, and to respond that “He is Risen, Indeed”.
For a believer, celebrating the Resurrection of Christ is a joyful experience; however, the Resurrection of Christ is more than a one day event.
As a believer, in Christ, I live on the other side of the cross. I am standing on Resurrection ground.
The ‘work of the cross’ is finished.
How do we know that is true? Because Jesus said it was: (See John 19:30)
“When Yeshua tasted the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.” (TLV, emphasis mine)
As a believer, the tomb is empty and I am focused on following Christ, and learning to embrace the ‘way of the cross’. (See Galatians 2:19-20)
It is probable that someone who is reading this post is not a believer in Christ, or is not sure of their relationship to Christ.
I encourage you to ask yourself if you know Christ as your personal Savior. Have you called upon the Name of the Lord to be saved?
Have you realized your need for Christ to be your Passover Lamb?
Do you see yourself as a sinner in need of a Savior?
Do you understand that you are separated from God, the Father, because of your sin?
Do you realize that God, the Father, loves you very much; sent His Son to die for you, and is longing for you to ask Jesus to forgive you of your sin; to believe in your heart, that Jesus was raised from the dead, and be saved, by calling on the name of the Lord.
Like Peter, on the day of Pentecost, I urge you to accept Christ and be saved from this’ twisted generation’. (emphasis mine)
Consider this:
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only Begotten Son (as the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world) that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting (eternal) life. (John 3:16) (inserts, emphasis mine)
Consider this too!
“For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, making peace through the blood of His cross–whether things on earth or things in heaven!” (Colossians 1:19-20, TLV, emphasis mine)
The message of Easter is that Jesus, is the Lamb of God, Who takes away the sin of the world.
That claim is validated by His resurrection.
God did that for you!
blessings, a follower of Christ, deo
Today, March 20, 2024, I published a post entitled “Author Unknown”. It centers on the Gospel, the Cross, the death, the burial, and the resurrection of Christ. God’s redemptive plan of salvation that He has graciously and lovingly done Himself to offer the means of reconciliation for sinful humanity to receive eternal life through His Son, Jesus Christ.
I recommend that you read it, reflect upon it, and call upon the name of the Lord for salvation. If you already know the Saviour as your personal Saviour then rejoice in the salvation that is yours in Christ;
After celebrating Resurrection Sunday, I will be re-posting three articles that I shared a number of years ago. They center on the Sovereignty of God, our government, our leaders, our nation, and the response of the Church.
I encourage you to read this trilogy and pray for our nation as it moves full speed ahead into the heart of the presidential election period that will take place in November.
Our nation is at a critical crossroads. The Church must make its voice heard in heaven and at the ballot box. This election is not about personalities. This election is about what direction this nation is going to pursue.
The voting electorate is going to hear a lot of conflicting rhetoric about each Presidential candidate, his agenda, and the direction that this nation will go depending on which individual is elected.
Our attention, as believers, must be focused on the God’s Sovereignty.
Our God reigns.
Amen.
Have a blessed resurrection celebration,
a brother in Christ, deo
Living Words of Encouragement 