Uncategorized – Page 8 – Living Words of Encouragement

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.

Does Tribulation mean Tension?

Part 4

In October of 2022, I published the following post. I am re-publishing it now in light of what is transpiring in our nation and throughout the other nations of the world.

Does tribulation Mean Tension?

Answer: Of course it does! Now what?

In the post, Habakkuk’s Headlines, it concluded with Jesus’ words spoken to His disciples in the upper room. Jesus said, (John 16:33, NKJV), “These things I have spoken unto 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.”

Jesus statement summarizes His words spoken to His disciples in the upper room prior to His arrest the night He was betrayed.

His arrest would accelerate the tension that His ministry had created between Himself and the religious Jewish leaders.

In human terms, Jesus was walking a path of no return. He had been walking that pathway since His Incarnation. That pathway would lead Him to Calvary. There He would be crucified on a cross. On that cross He would die, be put into a grave, and that grave would have a large stone rolled across its entrance so that His body would be sealed in the grave. In essence His life and ministry is over.

But, His death, burial, and a sealed tomb, would not, and could not terminate His life. In actuality, all of this, would only create the framework from which Jesus would be resurrected from the dead just as He had said. Matthew 17:22-23, NKJV, “Now while they were staying in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him, and the third day He will be raised up.” And they were exceedingly sorrowful.”

What had transpired during His years of ministry had been a succession of events that caused a growing of tension that was fraught with trials and temptations. His tribulation was great; but His resurrection was glorious.

Hear the Word of the Lord. Hebrews 12:1-2,(NKJV), “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Hebrews 12:3-4 NKJV, continues, “For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. Your have not yet resisted to blood shed, striving against sin.”

For fear that we become complacent in our walk with the Lord, Peter reminds us in 1 Peter 4:12-19 NKJV, “Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also 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 His glorified. But let none of you suffer as a murdered, 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 judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? “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.”

Question: Are we ready for what is coming?

Let us reflect upon these words found in Hebrews 13:10-16, (NKJV). “We have an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat. For the bodies of animals, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned outside the camp. Therefore, Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered outside the gate. Therefore let us go forth to Him (where?) outside the camp, (for what purpose) bearing His reproach. For here we have no continuing city, but we seek the one to come. Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.” (inserts mine)

This is the type of lifestyle we are to be living as believers in Christ Jesus. This lifestyle is not a religious organization. It is the Body of Christ functioning by the Spirit of God, according to Word of God, of Whom Christ is the Head.

Are we prepared to “bear His reproach”? meaning am I willing to be disgraced for the name of Christ, to be joined to His sufferings.

Change is coming. Our religious endeavors are going to shaken and judged; and we are going to have to leave the camp(of religion) and join ourselves to Jesus outside the religious camp. (insert mine) (Hebrews 13:13)

This will cause upheaval and misunderstanding. But it a necessary change that is coming to the church.

Prior to the Passover week when Jesus was crucified, He had raised His friend Lazarus from the dead. Jesus is coming to raise His Church from the dead. Consider the words of the Apostle Paul written to the believers in Ephesus. Ephesians 5:8-21 (NKJV).

“For you were once darkness, but NOW you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret. But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for what 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 not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of God.” (emphasis mine)

Between the raising of Lazarus from the dead and Christ’s entrance into Jerusalem to celebrate Passover the religious leaders had “plotted to put Him to death”. (John 11:53, NKJV).

We know that Christ’s death was planned from eternity passed before the foundation of the world. See Ephesians 1:3-14. Verse 3, NKJV, says, “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…(vs 7), In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace…”.

Question: Is there tension in the world? in our nation? in our family relationships? Absolutely. As Jesus faced His crucifixion, He was totally aware of the tension, tribulation, and trial He was going to personally face. What other conclusion could we assume based upon what He said in John 16:32-33, (NKJV).

“Do you now believe? 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.”

These words were spoken to His disciples the night in which He was betrayed. As we have remembered He was arrested, then mocked and ridiculed, questioned by Pilate, sentenced to death, and subsequently crucified. When the tensions, tribulations, and trials come, how will you react to the pressure of the moment? Will you scatter as the disciples did? will you deny Christ as Peter did? or will you overcome in the hour of your tribulation, trouble, and suffering?

Prior to His betrayal, Jesus had taken His disciples to the garden of Gethsemane. There He asked Peter, James, and John to come with Him to the place where He wanted to pray. The other disciples He left behind in the garden. He asked Peter, James, and John to wait for Him as He went to His place of prayer. There the Lord poured out His soul to the Father. There we witness the Son of Man crying out to His Heavenly Father asking if the cup that He was being asked to drink could be removed; but Jesus knew that it was not a matter of what He wanted or willed to have happen, but what was the Father’s will for Him. Three times He petitioned the His Father, and three times, He resigned Himself to His Father’s will, saying, “O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done.” (Matthew 26:42, NKJV)

But what about the disciples, especially Peter, James, and John? Did they watch as Jesus had asked them? No, they slept. Is the Church watching, or is it asleep? It is time for the Church to wake up, and be the Church. The Lord is coming to awaken, stir, shake, and judge His Church, as necessary, to prepare His Church in these last days, for the propagation of the Gospel.

Read Matthew 24:4-51. Matthew 24: 12-14, NKJV, says, “And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved. And this Gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.” (emphasis mine).

It’s time. Change is coming.

The prophet Isaiah said to God’s people, “Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and deep darkness the people; but the Lord will arise over you, and His glory will be upon you. The Gentiles shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.” (Isaiah 60:1-3, NKJV)

Revelation 12:10-12 (NKJV), “Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.” (emphasis mine)

I John 5:4-5, (NKJV), For whatever is born of God, overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world–our faith. Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believe that Jesus is the Son of God?

As tribulation in our nation and the world increases, the tension that is created will increase too. B.U.T. (Believer Understand This), in Christ, we can be of good cheer. Why? Because Jesus said, “I have overcome the world” and we too overcome because as believers we are in Him.

Arise and shine, Church!

Be encouraged with these words. Jesus said, John 14:27-28 (NKJV).

Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you: not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither, let it be afraid. You have heard Me say to you, I am going away and coming back to you. If you loved Me, you would rejoice because I said, I am going to the Father, for My Father is greater than I.”

As the words of the song says, “There is a place of quiet rest, Near to the heart of God. A place where sin can not molest, Near to the heart of God. O, Jesus, blest Redeemer, Sent from the heart of God, Hold us who wait before Thee, near to the heart of God.” [Composer: Cleveland B. McAfee (1866-1944)]

Let us press into the Lord as we embrace for the coming tension amidst the unprecedented unrest.

In the midst of the unrest, we find rest and refuge in Christ.

blessings, a brother in Christ, deo

end of Part 4

TBC

Mentally Adjusting To The Coming ‘Shaking’

Part 3

Matthew 24 begins innoxiously with the disciples showing Jesus the Temple. Jesus responds with this answer, (Matthew 24:2 NKJV), “Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down.”

Jesus’ answer is going to cause these disciples to mentally adjust whatever thinking they were processing. I believe that, we too, in the Church will be adjusting our mental outlook regarding what we will be going through in the coming months.

Whoa! I wonder how the disciples processed Jesus’ response? Well, we don’t have to wonder very much, because, the narrative in Matthew tells us that Jesus, sitting on the Mount of Olives, is approached by His disciples, and they verbalize what they have been processing, having heard His response. (Matthew 24:3-4 NKJV) “They came to him privately, saying, Tell us when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming and of the end of the age?”

Jesus’ answer has prompted a lot of thought and discussion about end-times.

The disciples questions are probably similar to the same sort of questions many of us may be processing as we contemplate the ‘unprecedented unrest’ in our world [today]. Matthew 24:4-31, provides us with answers to the disciples questions and food for thought for our own questions. In these verses, Jesus foretells of the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. Interwoven throughout His explanation, He outlines the ‘unrest’ that will accompany this devastating event. [insert mine]

Quoting the Spirit-Filled Life Bible, the commentary says regarding Matthew 24:4-14 (NKJV), “In warning the disciples against false signs, Jesus sketches the prevailing conditions of their present age down to the very end and states their continuing task. There will be religious deception, social and political upheavals, natural calamities, disloyalty, and persecution (all prevalent in our world today)-all of which are precursors of the end times (things we are asking ourselves about). In the midst of the difficulties, the Lord’s followers are to persevere in the spreading of the gospel (Matthew 24:14). (inserts mine).

In Matthew 24:29-51, Jesus instructs His disciples (and now us) about His second coming. His second coming has been alluded too in the previous verses 4-28; but in Matthew 24:29(NKJV), Jesus dramatically states these words: “Immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be ‘shaken‘.” (emphasis mine) (inserts mine)

Let’s think about things being ‘shaken‘. If God began to ‘shake‘ things up today, how would the world respond? how would I respond? how would you respond? how would the Church respond? (emphasis mine)

Would it impact your mentality? Is the Church prepared for such a shaking?

Was,( my, your), the Church’s experience with COVID a ‘time of shaking‘( in my, in your), in the Church’s daily lifestyle? Yes it was! How were you affected? What did you go through mentally? What mentally did you have to adjust too? What did you learn regarding your relationship to the Lord during this ‘time of unprecedented unrest’?

Bear with me, I visualize God shaking things up. I believe Psalm 64, written by David in a time of personal “unrest”, shares his lament before the Lord, and then he is buoyed by what he has envisioned as God’s intervention. I believe the Lord has used this psalm to show me what has been occurring in our nation and what the Lord intends to do in our nation miraculously, intervening, to bring about change and revelation of Himself. There will be a great shaking.

Before the return of Christ, God is going to Sovereignly intervene in the affairs of humanity to make Himself known to the world. Things will be ‘shaken up’. I believe that God’s A.R.R.O.W. will be, A Righteous Revelation Of Wrong-doing. God will expose the darkness (Ephesians 5) that has incarcerated this nation; He will bring judgment where judgment is needed; and at the same time He is going to pour forth His Holy Spirit so that a great revival is going to take place simultaneously and ‘be’ the result of His intervention in this nation and in the world. “…But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, so that as sin reigned in death even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 5:20b-21 NKJV). This is already happening in the world and in places in our nation. There will be signs and wonders. (It is happening now.) Humanity will have no excuse for not believing that God exists and that He loves His creation of mankind, detests sin and will judge it. That is why the message of the gospel is so important. Christ, went to the cross and took the wrath of God against sin (judgement) for us that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (saved in Christ). (emphasis mine) (inserts mine)

The Epistle to the Hebrews was written to a Hebraic Christian community prior to 70 A.D., before the destruction of Jerusalem. Why was this Epistle written? It appears from the tenor and content of the Epistle that many in the Hebraic Christian community were on the brink of renouncing their Christian faith. Evidently, the ‘unprecedented unrest’ was pressuring them to consider quitting.

Is that possible today? Considering the time in which we are living, if the ‘unrest’ in our nation became such that it was overwhelming to us, might we consider turning away from the Lord?

In John 6, Jesus spoke the crowds and His disciples about Him being the Bread of Heaven. He talked about eating His flesh and drinking His blood (John 6:41-58), John 6:59 NKJV records, “These things He said in the synagogue as He taught in Capernaum.”

How did His disciples respond to these words? Continuing in John 6:60-69(NKJV), the scripture says, “Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, “This is a hard saying who can understand it?” When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples complained about this, He said to them, “Does this offend (cause you to stumble) you? What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before? It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. but there are some of you who do not believe. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him. And He said, Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by the Father. From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more. Then Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you also want to go away?” But Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. And also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” ” (insert mine) (emphasis mine)

I contend that the Epistle to the Hebrews is as relevant today for the Christian community as it was then to the Hebraic community.

I contend that there is a truth that the Christian community must hear, process, and mentally adjust too, to go forward in the Lord, especially in times of stress.

Let me say it this way, todays Christian community must adjust themselves mentally to remain steadfast in the midst of ‘unprecedented unrest’.

Remember Jesus’ word to His disciples in John 16:33, NKJV, “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.” (emphasis mine)

What is He referring too? May I state it this way? That night in the Upper Room, He was telling them that things were going to dramatically change; they would experience ‘unprecedented unrest’; but, He also assured them that He had not forgotten them, and that He would care for them, and that the Holy Spirit would come and be their Comforter.

John 14:15-18 NKJV, Jesus tells His disciples in the Upper Room, “If you love Me keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever–the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither see Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.” (emphasis mine)

Did the disciples experience stress the night Jesus was betrayed, arrested, processed as a criminal, beat, whipped, scourged, maligned, humiliated, pronounced guilty, struggled up to Calvary and crucified? Absolutely, they scattered. We know John was at the cross. The others fulfilled Jesus’ words to them, when He told them “…that the hour was coming, yes, has now come, that you will be scattered, each to his own, and will leave Me alone. But I am not alone, because the Father is with Me.” John 16:32 NKJV.

And then He speaks these words of encouragement and assurance,

“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. (emphasis mine)

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 the shook the earth (Exodus 19); 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 being shaken, as of 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! (emphasis mine)

In the middle of Jesus’ answer to His disciples about their questions regarding the coming destruction of the Temple, His coming, and the end of age, He says, “For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world (that includes the flood in Noah’s day) , until this time, no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.” (Matthew 24:21-22 NKJV) (insert mine)

What a promise! We must learn to take refuge in Him, as Noah, and his family took refuge in the ark.

God may ‘rock the boat’, but we have an Ark that rides out the storm.

Why? Christ is our Ark. In fact, He can walk on the water during the storm.

end of Part 3

a brother in Christ, deo

Mentally Moving On!

Part 2

Assuming that you read Matthew 24 and 25, let us now ‘mentally’ move on.

In Matthew 24, it begins with Jesus’ disciples asking Him an innoxious question. They are making what seems like an insignificant observation. They “came up to show Him the buildings of the Temple.”(Matthew 24:1, NKJV). However, Jesus’ response was exceedingly more than they bargained for or expected. Jesus tells them about the coming destruction of the Temple; the turmoil and tribulation at the end of the age; and the ongoing propagation of the Gospel unto the ends of the earth. In Matthew 25, He discusses what to expect and how to prepare yourself until He comes again.

Matthew 24:14 (NKJV), Jesus says, “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.” Is the church functioning as a witness in the earth today? Depends on what you are observing God doing in the nations of the world. God is at work. Are you aware of the revival in Nicaragua ? (November 2023) (emphasis mine)

Many believe this ‘unprecedented unrest’ is spear-heading the prophetic end- time events that will usher in the return of Christ. (Question: Who really knows when the gospel has been preach as a witness to all the nations? Answer, only God, the Father-see Matthew 24:36.

All that we are witnessing is certainly moving us forward toward the return of Christ. All history has been doing that. In light of this, what should be our mental outlook regarding the events we are witnessing? What are you witnessing in your spirit? What is dominating your thinking?

Paul writing to the church at Ephesus, explains how we are to live in times of unrest. He writes, (Ephesians 5:6-21 NKJV), “Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them. For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret. 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 not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of God.”

Well, that is a study in itself; and I would recommend that study to you. It is a study that will rearrange your mindset toward the world in which we are living today. We are living in gross darkness as a nation. As believers we are to be light. Am I, are we, is the Church functioning as Paul has instructed the believers in Ephesus? Is this my, our, the Church’s mentality?

Not taking lightly what we just read, I do want us to consider this real possibility in our nation. It is a serious thought. It is one that has been considered in previous posts.

The question is this: In the midst of the ‘unprecedented unrest’, am I prepared to take refuge in the Lord? The psalms speak very poignantly about finding refuge in the Lord in time(s) of trouble. Am I saying there will be times of trouble? It would not surprise me. What kinds of trouble? That, I do not know; but based upon Psalm 64, I visualize God’s direct intervention in the affairs of this nation and the world. His intervention will be such that those who have meant harm and destruction to this nation are going to be exposed and dealt with by God. I have written a post about this and what I believe the Lord has shown me regarding Psalm 64 entitled, The A.A.R.O.W. of God. I recommend it to you so that you have an understanding of what I am implying. (it can be found at livingwordsofencouragment.com)

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 (find refuge) in Him. And all the upright in heart shall glory.” (insert mine)

I recommend that you read Psalm 64, Psalm 62:1-12 and Psalm 46:1-11 .

end of Part 2

TBC

a brother in Christ, deo

Am I Mentally Tuned In?

(Part 1)

Just before I sat down to begin composing this post, I asked my self this question, are the world events ‘just news’ or are they ‘signs of the times’?

The immediate answer to that question probably rests heavily on whether or not you are a Christian or a non-Christian. However, I am of the opinion that there are many believers who just see the daily events as the news of the day.

This morning I realized, too, that I had not seen or heard much about the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia. This is not front page news but it is in its 622 day (as of 11-7-23) of conflict. Do I, do we even think about it? Do Christians pray about the end of the Ukraine/Russia conflict? I plead guilty to not regularly praying for this conflict to end.

Many of us in this nation might be engrossed in the Trump trials or simply ignoring them. I suspect that many in this nation are not really interested. Mr. Trump made front page news (11-7-23)this morning in the local newspaper because he was ‘front and center’ testifying at his trial in New York yesterday.

And of course there is the devasting conflict of the Israel/Hamas war going on in Gaza. This is most likely what is prevalent in most people’s thinking because it is in its fifth week and its events are dominating the media.

I do not take any of these lightly. I also know that there are many other important tragic events taking place throughout our nation and the world.

There is persecution of Christians taking place throughout the world. Believers homes are being burned. People are being incarcerated. Churches are being burned. Believers are being persecuted. Believers are being killed for identifying themselves as Christians. These stories are not daily news in our regular media; but these stories are available for those who know where to look.

In addition, there have been destructive earthquakes. The latest was in Napal.

And yet, amidst all this trial, tribulation, and turmoil, there are revivals happening in our nation and in various places in the world. God is on the move. Are you aware of that? Do you believe that? It certainly is not front and center on the daily news.

The fact is that we are witnessing ‘unprecedented unrest’ in our nation and in the world. Throughout the history of mankind, there have been many instances of nations unleashing horrific, barbaric treatment against other nations. The past empires of the world have conquered, possessed, and ravaged at the expense of others expanding their nation and influence. We know this history if we have studied world history.

The Bible records the movement of nations conquering other nations, as well as, attacking, destroying, and wanting to obliterate God’s chosen people, Israel. Sound familiar! It is happening right before our eyes in the Middle East. Hamas has attacked Israel. Israel has responded appropriately.

The birth of Christ, which we will be celebrating next month (December, 2023) triggered the slaughter of infants ( Please read Matthew 2:13-18) by king Herod.

Matthew 2:16 (NKJV), says, “Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were born in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men.”

This barbaric event was the fulfillment of a prophecy recorded in Jeremiah 31:15. Notes in the Spirit-Filled Life Bible(NKJV) records the following comment about the prophecy remembered in Matthew 2:18. “The distress of the Hebrew mothers at the time of the Babylonian captivity (Jeremiah 31:15) received a deeper significance by the weeping mothers of Bethlehem.

What about the weeping mothers of Jerusalem today? The war between Israel and Hamas has many mothers and other family members weeping for their children and their loved ones, both Israelis and Palestinians, because of the horrific, barbaric attack by Hamas, and Israel’s justifiable response.

Do you remember in the Old Testament Book of Exodus, that the Pharoah of Egypt, ordered the killing of all male infants at the time of Moses birth because he wanted to stop the growth of the Hebrew nation who were slaves in Egypt? The account says that he was a new Pharoah who did not know the history of the Hebrew nation and their relationship to Egypt. He was afraid of the Hebrew nation. (Please read Exodus 1:8-22)

Let me reemphasize, our world today is experiencing ‘unprecedented unrest’ as we watch horror being perpetrated throughout the world and we ponder the consequences of those events and speculate about our future and the future of the world.

Question: Does this ‘unprecedented unrest’ worry you? Are you anxious?

Question: How do you personally view and process these events? Are they merely the daily news (just news) ? Or, are they significant events that have challenged your thinking and mindset regarding the historical time in which we are living? Are we seeing the end of age?

Wrestling with this mindset is not new in Christendom. Paul had to address this mindset in the church at Thessalonica. They were concerned about when Christ would return? Haven’t past world wars triggered this same concern ? As I understand there were many who believed that WWI, and then WWII were ushering in the return of Christ? Christians have pondered this whenever there has been a major interruption in the ‘normal daily’ lifestyle of a nation or the world.

Question: Did you ever think that COVID was issuing the end of the world?

In times like this, people gravitate to eschatological events and the teachings that surround the second coming of Christ. I am not minimizing that thinking in any way. There is every reason to ask oneself penetrating questions, such as, if we are witnessing the escalation of end time events and personally living in the moment when Christ will return? Well, guess what, Christ can return at any time, because the decision is not ours, or His, it’s God’s the Father.

Jesus said so. Matthew 24:36 (NKJV), “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.”

Jesus did speak directly about His second coming. His words are found in Matthew 24 and following.

Let’s look at what He said. (Before moving forward, I recommend that you read Matthew 24,25)

End of Part 1, TBC

a brother in Christ, deo

Upon What are You Focused?

In her book, Discipline, The Glad Surrender, Elizabeth Elliot’s concluding paragraph of Chapter 2, entitled, ‘How Do We Know We are Called, she comments about C. S. Lewis’, the child Lucy, a character in the Chronicles of Narnia, from the book, Prince Caspian.

She writes, “For Lucy, believing was seeing. The others could not at first because they would not. It is always thus. The believer alone will be able to hear the call. It comes from beyond ourselves, beyond our society, beyond our climate of opinion and prejudice and rebellion and skepticism in which we live, beyond our time and tastes. It draws toward the center of all things, that still place of which T.S. Eliot wrote:

Against the Word the unstilled world still whirled

Against the centre of the silent world.

Question: Are you, am I, are we, is the Body of Christ ready for such a moment in which we need to hear what the Spirit is saying to the Church as the ‘unstilled world’ races headlong in circles around us?

Elliot’s words were penned, then published in 1982. Her words reflect the society in which she lived and observed then :what is the condition of our society today? What is “the climate of opinion and prejudice and rebellion and skepticism” in which we live in 2023? Has it grown beyond our “…time and taste…”?

We find ourselves living in uncertain times. There is ‘unprecedented unrest’. Most of us, I believe, would probably confess that we do not really want to live in these uncertain times of unrest. But the reality of the moment cannot be dodged. We might even find ourselves fearful that this unrest may escalate into conditions that will unravel the nations of the world and may even destroy the fabric of our own nation, unhinging a lifestyle that plummets into chaos, fear, turmoil and uncertainty.

It is certainly easy to speculate and collapse mentally into that frame of thought. As T. S. Eliot wrote, “the unstilled world is whirling.” Eliot’s whirling is the ‘unprecedented unrest’ that we are witnessing and embracing in the world today.

Jesus put it this way, “In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33b, NKJV)

Ah!, the word tribulation. A word that engenders much speculation, engaging Bible readers, Bible students, Bible scholars, pastors and teachers to theorize about end-time events.

A lot of that is happening at this time. I am not minimizing that thought. However, I want to encourage you to stay focused on the Lord, His Word and the community of the believers that you fellowship with regularly.

Returning to T. S. Eliot’s words, “the unstilled world (the one in tribulation) is still whirling about becoming increasingly more chaotic and tumultuous; and as Eliot points out, it is whirling (swirling) “about the centre of the silent Word”-God’s Word. Who is the Word of God? Jesus. (see John 1:1-5) [inserts mine]

Visualize with me the following: Can you see the overlay of Christ’s Words to His disciples in John 16:33b placed upon Eliot’s prose? Christ, Who is the Word of God has overcome the world. His position is one of quietness overlaying the whirling tribulation pulsating throughout the nations.

The world may raise its turmoil, chaos, and fanaticism; but it cannot overcome Christ. Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection has brought death to death. The world, the flesh, and the devil have no power over the Son of God. Jesus Christ is Lord. All authority and power has been given unto Him. Jesus ascended into Heaven and sits at the right hand of His Father, God Almighty. The enemy has been defeated and in Christ, we share in His triumphal victory.

That reminds me of the words of a song, “O Victory in Jesus, my Savior forever, He sought me and bought me with His redeeming blood, He loved me ‘ere I knew Him and all my love is due Him, He plunged me to victory beneath the cleansing flood.” (E.M. Bartlett, Victory in Jesus lyrics copyright Albert E Brumley & Sons)

Upon what are you focused? In Whom are you resting? In Whom are you taking refuge? Do not allow yourself to get caught up in the “unstilled world” and its “whirling”.

Let us stop here for a moment and reflect upon Psalm 62:1-8. (Using the Tree of Life Version)

“My soul waits in stillness only for God-from His comes my salvation. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress–I will never be moved. How long will you assault a man to crush him, like a leaning wall, a fence to be torn down? They only plot to topple him from his rank. Delighting in falsehood, they bless with their mouth, but inwardly they curse. Selah. 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.

The title to this post is ‘Upon What are You focused?’ I trust that your focus has been changed from ‘What’ to ‘Whom’.

Question: Upon Whom Are You Focused?

In our time of turmoil, chaos, uncertainty, and ‘unprecedented unrest’, our refuge must be in God not in political leaders, not in the leaders of the nations of the world, but in the One who rules Sovereignly over all the nations of the world.

Does God use the leaders of nations to accomplish His ends? Absolutely. The history of civilization is a testimony to His Sovereignty.

“There is a place of quiet rest, near to the heart of God. A place where sin cannot molest, near to the heart of God. O, Jesus, blest Redeemer, sent from the heart of God, hold us who wait before Thee, near to the heart of God.

There is a place of comfort sweet, Near to the heart of God, A place where we our Savior meet, Near to the heart of God.

chorus

There is a place of full release, Near to the heart of God, A place where all is joy and peace, Near to the heart of God.

chorus.

Author: Cleland Boyd McAfee (1903)

In closing this post, I would like to direct your attention to my post, ‘Finding Refuge in the Lord’. It can be found and read at livingwordsofencouragement.com

Blessings, a brother in Christ,

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.

EMBRACING THE COMING ‘UNPRECEDENTED UNREST’

[The following blog was originally posted on August 12, 2022. It was entitled A PLACE OF REFUGE, THE E.R. ROOM. I have made a few changes to the original text that came to mind as I was re-engaged with this topic. I encourage you to read this post and pray that the Lord will prepare you for the upcoming turmoil that this nation and the world will experience. Our refuge is in the Lord. There is no fear in the Presence of the Lord. Our nation is in the hands of the Lord. He will be doing a mighty work in our midst.

I encourage you to read Psalm 46. Psalm 46 is an account when David was facing a tumultuous time; but he kept his focus on His God. We, too, need to keep our focus on our God. Psalm 46:10-11 (NKJV) records, “Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth. The LORD of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge.” Selah.

The following is the post from August 2022:

The Hebrew word for refuge is machseh. Proverbs 14:26 says, “In the fear of the Lord there is strong confidence, And His children will have a place of refuge.” (NKJV)

The Strong’s concordance #4268 defines the word as: “A shelter, refuge, protection, fortress; a hope; a place of trust; a shelter from storm…Machseh is translated “trust” in Ps. 73:28, where the psalmist has put his trust in the Lord (that is, he made the Lord his trustworthy place or shelter)In the present reference, a fortress is suggested.”

In Psalm 62:5-7 (NKJV), The psalmist says, “My soul, wait silently for God alone, For my expectation is from Him. He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be moved (shaken). In God is my salvation and my glory; The rock of my strength, and my refuge (machseh), is in God. (inserts mine)

It is no secret that we are living a chaotic times. Everything that can be shaken appears to be being shaken.

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 heaven.” Now this, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of 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.”

If you have read my last post, the ‘A.R.R..O.W. of God’, I would like to expand upon the last two verses of Psalm 64. Psalm 64: 9,10 (NKJV) says, “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 in Him. And all the upright shall glory .”

This is the reaction of mankind to God’s intervention in this nation, and the nations of the world.

I want to share with you what I believe the Lord shared with me regarding the implications of His intervention as I was reflecting upon Psalm 64 in light of the most current affairs of our nation (August 9, 2022).

This is what I wrote to the Lord: Thank you Father for your arrow–and its effect on those who have spewed out evil, planned evil and have carried it out. Thank you Father for Your impact, revelation, and exposure. Your ARROW will wound, be the enemies downfall, so great will be Your intervention that people will be astounded, separate themselves from the evil ones, and declare, this is the work of God, many will fear and flee away, and ponder what God has done. Life will come to a standstill; people will be in shock, people will be numb, unable to function, their lives will come to a halt not knowing what to do. Father, how is Your Church to respond? How am I, are we, to respond? What words are appropriate? We will not gloat. Psalm 64 says, we are to take refuge in You and give You the glory.

For the past several days, I have been pondering ‘God’s E.R. Room’. These thoughts have come as a result of my daily devotions. Here is a paraphrased thought summing up what I have been reading. In our society today, we can speak ‘our’ truth without any consideration as to what the truth is. Or, put your mind around this, “if reality is not absolute, then there is no such thing as truth. If there is no such thing as truth, then there is literally nothing to discuss.” (gotquestions.org, ‘What is absolute reality?)

As my wife has been lamenting lately, “stop the world, I want to get off” How many of you feel that way?

I am so glad our Heavenly Father has an ‘E.R. Room’. Have you ever been to the ER? Why did you go there? Because something was wrong, or perceived as not being right. You wanted someone to look at it, diagnose it, and put you on a pathway to healing. I will let you fill in the personal information.

Let me share what I have been thinking about regarding ‘God’s E.R. Room’. Psalms 64:9-10, (NKJV), says,

“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 in Him. And all the upright in heart shall glory.

Remember the context: God, Himself, has intervened into the affairs of humanity. He has made Himself known in a powerful way, and mankind is in fear. They know that what they are experiencing is the hand of God.

Humanity needs a place of safety. Where is your place of safety?

What is God’s E.R. Room? It’s a place we go to enter His Refuge. In His E.R., we Encounter His Presence, we embrace His Rest, we experience His Reality, we find His endless Mercy, we are empowered by His Grace, we are encompassed by His Peace, and we are engaged by His Encouragement.

In God’s E.R. Room, we can express (confess) our sin, experience His Forgiveness, eliminate our stress, experience His quietness, elude our tribulation (trials), embrace His Solitude , escape our persecutions (persecutors), and experience His Protection.

As we embrace His Care, we express our praise, we elaborate our gratitude, and we exercise thanksgiving, all to Him.

His E.R. Room is our place of Refuge. In our Father’s Refuge, we enjoy giving Him the Glory due His Name, and experiencing the healing that comes trusting Him.

There is a place of quiet Refuge, it is ‘God’s E.R. Room’.

He is Emmanuel, God with us, He is our Refuge.

God’s E.R. Room is Emmanuel’s Refuge.

Resting In Emmanuel’s Refuge, a brother in Christ, deo

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: