The Covenant of Regeneration (External Link)
THE LORDSHIP OF CHRIST
Preethi's Testimony
THE JUDE DOXOLOGY (for baby Neethi Faith)
Thursday, March 7, 2013
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Because of the Angels
thinking of some beloved particular young women today...
“Because of the Angels”
At the time of our conversion, the heart of stone has been removed from
our flesh and the heart of flesh has been placed within us. Our false
affections for everything that comes from the world, namely, the boastful pride
of life and the lust of the eyes and flesh, are removed from us, and the
persisting gift of faith and love for Christ is implanted in our new heart and
spirit. Yes, such a gift of true affection for Christ results in obedience. As
Christ tells us, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments”.
Here, I want to discuss a particular unregenerate desire that ought to
have been removed from us at the time of regeneration. This desire may still come
to the forefront of our consciousness when we fail to keep in step with the
Spirit, and thus we are in a journey of putting to death this desire by the power
of the Spirit, yes, even the resurrection power that is ours in Christ Jesus.
This desire which I speak of here is that of the woman to be worshiped, in
essence, for what she is physically. This desire is her longing to be
cherished, worshiped, adored, sought after, desired, and relished because of
what she is physically. I do not mean to say that such a longing for love is
inherently an unregenerate desire. For surely the daughter of the King, a
virgin in heart, will deeply desire affection from her heavenly Father,
and Christ her elder Brother through the Spirit who pours such love into her
heart. But this desire is on the basis of Christ alone and nothing about her physical self or even moral self apart from Christ. But the unregenerate desire to be worshiped is a desire in a woman to
be worshiped for a temporal reason by, often times, though not in all cases,
an inordinate source. The primary
example I refer to is the woman who seeks to be worshiped by a man, whom she
is not pledged to marry, because of her physical beauty. Does the very
mention of this example appall you? Does
it sound so far removed from you, dear sister, that you feel that you have
scarce harbored such a desire inside of you prior to this day? May the Spirit
reveal to you the infinite subtleties within you that are forms of this
unregenerate desire. For if you would but look at the world around you, the women
around you, the media, the culture, the music, the style, the dress, yes, even within
your own consciousness, it may surprise you to realize that this very desire
has infiltrated the vast majority of the hearts of all women. Most women
unknowingly or knowingly seek to be worshiped by men who are not their own.
But dear sister, there is an example that the Lord has shown me that
applies very directly to this sinful desire which results in a sinful condition
of the soul that evades much of our behavior. When Paul healed a man at Lystra,
the crowds saw what he had done and said, “The gods have become like men and have come
down to us”. They began to worship Paul and Barnabas as though they
themselves were gods. What was their response when they heard these remarks
from the people? They tore their robes and rushed out into the crowd, crying
out and saying, “Men, why are you doing these things? We are also men of the same nature
as you, and preach the Gospel to you that you should turn from these vain
things to a living God, WHO MADE THE HEAVEN AND THE EARTH AND THE SEA AND ALL
THAT IS IN THEM. In the generations gone by He permitted all the nations to go
their own ways; and yet He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He
did good and gave you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your
hearts with food and gladness” (Acts 14).
This response of Paul and Barnabas ought to be our attitude and response
to worship that we receive from men. Our hearts and mouths should cry, “Far be it from me that I should be
worshipped by you, dear brother. Worship the Lord alone for He is worthy of
glory and honor and thanks”. Or would be steal His glory and relish the
worship of our selves by other men? Think of all of the time, money, energy,
and heart that you use to make yourself physically desirable for the worship by
random men who are not your husband!
The core heart condition is that you seek to be worshipped. You are trying
to steal the glory that belongs to the Lord of the universe and, interestingly,
to your husband or your husband to be, if you are not yet married. For a man
ought not to have his head covered, since he is the image and glory of God; but
the woman is the glory of man. For man does not originate from woman, but woman
from man; for indeed man was not created for the woman’s sake, but woman for
the man’s sake. THEREFORE THE WOMAN OUGHT TO HAVE A SYMBOL OF AUTHORITY ON HER
HEAD, BECAUSE OF THE ANGELS. (1 Cor 11:7-11). I have described in a prior
chapter that we can learn from the concept of head coverings that, at the very
least, we are to dress in such a way that shows we are in subjection to Christ
and our familial authorities, that we are not looking for any degree of an
affair with a man, and in a way that shows us as being distinct from the
sensuality of the day.
Dear sister, fallen angels, demons, can watch what you do in private and
in the secret place. And they can try to tempt you accordingly. They can tempt
you through other men. They can tantalize you with worship through the form of
other men’s looks and actions towards you. The entire culture’s worship of the
female body is demonic! You need a sign of authority in the way you act and
dress both in private and in public. Read below what a Puritan brother spoke of
the symbol of authority:
“In the assembly you meet with angels and
devils; angels observe your garb and carriage and devils tempt you. Therefore,
be covered because of the angels. The practice of women (who come hither with a
shameless impudence into the presence of God, men and angels) neither suits
with modesty nor conveniency…(Such boldness) feeds your own pride, and provokes
…others of your rank to imitate your vanity. Now we should rather please God
than men; better never please men than offend God” Sermons on Titus 2:11-14,
Complete Works, vol. 16, p. 138 of Thomas Manton.
May our hearts long for all to worship the King alone and not us. Far be
it from us that men should worship us, and worser yet, sin, and stumble because
of us. Remember Christ’s Words, “Woe to the world because of its stumbling
blocks! For it is inevitable that stumbling blocks come; but woe to that man
through whom the stumbling block comes!” (Matt 18:7) I think back to an
example of my immaturity as a teenager in my freshman year at college. I was
taking a Calculus class taught by a graduate student (TA). I knew he had his
eye on me and he seemed to be following me wherever I went. I began to hate his
presence and to despise everything about him. About a week into the course I
went to the TA of the other section of the same course and pleaded with him to
let me join his class and he agreed. But the first TA still kept wandering
after me wherever I was, so blatantly so, that I was almost tormented by it. I
was discussing with mom recently what I would do differently now, after 7 years
of progressive sanctification. I realize that I would have soon told him the
Gospel and he would have left me alone. I would not have allowed the mysterious
aura of my silence to continue as he followed me. I would have broken the
silence with testimonies of our great salvation.
The demonic and satanic forces of seduction and lust influence the state
of affairs around us and the way ungodly men treat us. We must constantly break
the aura of the “glorious mystery” of our physical beauty by pointing to
Christ, the One whose beauty and glory is resplendent and infinite. We must
remain broken and contrite, filled with tears of joy and Godly sorrow. I must
tell you: it is much less likely that a man will sinfully worship a woman who
wholeheartedly worships Christ and points to Christ in all that she says, does,
and thinks. When you carry the aroma of Christ, when your demeanor carries the
righteousness of Christ, when you are blameless in the inner room of your house
and heart, and His glory covers you, there is little that evil forces will see
and utilize to cause you or another to stumble.
Friday, February 22, 2013
Unity # 27: Their Savior
Unity # 27: Their Savior
Dear Father,
We worship and exalt You, the Giver of the
Scriptures. We come to You for eternal Life and in our pursuit of You, we read
Your Word and struggle over ancient Doctrines. You are our Rock, Fortress, and
Deliverer, in whom we take refuge. You are our Shield, the Horn of our
salvation, our Savior who saved us from violence. We call upon You, who is
worthy to be praised and we are saved from our enemies. (2 Sam 22:2-4) To You
alone, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, be glory, majesty, dominion, and
authority, both now and to the day of eternity (Jude 1:25). Help us to grow in
the grace and knowledge of Yourself (2 Pet 3:18).
In Jesus Christ’s
Name,
Amen
Dear Beloved,
This letter is about Jesus Christ as our Savior.
The Hebrew word for Savior, yasha’, means One who gives
salvation, victory, and deliverance. The Greek word for Savior, sōtēr, means deliverer and
preserver. I feel that this letter is a transition letter into a future
focus on the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the people of God. I am now
in the process of seeking God to reveal what His Word says about His outpouring
of the Holy Spirit and asking Him to do precisely this in our lives. For by
this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His
Spirit (1 John 4:13). At the moment of conversion the Holy Spirit inhabits our
being fully and He can never be taken from us. When the unconverted onlookers
of Pentecost were pierced to the heart, they asked the apostles what they
should do. Peter told them that they should repent and be baptized for the
forgiveness of sins and they would receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (Acts
2:37-28) All people of all time, even prior to the Day of Pentecost, if they
were regenerated had the Holy Spirit indwelling them. For as to our
salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to us made
careful searches and inquiries, seeking to know what person or time the Spirit
of Christ within them was
indicating as He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow.
It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but us, in these
things which now have been announced to us through those who preached the
Gospel to us by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things into which angels long
to look. (1 Peter 1:10-12) Anyone whose faith is credited to them as
righteousness has been born again of the Holy Spirit and the Water of the Word
of God. Yet, in these last days it is now possible for the Spirit of God to
be poured out on us, for us to be immersed in Him by Jesus Christ Himself. For
Christ, the One who was raised from the dead and exalted to the right Hand of
God, is the One who baptizes us in the Holy Spirit and in fire. (Matt 3:11)
There is much doctrine surrounding this outpouring of the Spirit that we have
neglected to uncover and I am praying for God to help us in the days ahead. Our
desire is not to fall into extreme ungodly charismaticism nor to quench the
Spirit, as we have done thus far to a significant degree. Our desire is to seek
and to experience the riches of the knowledge of God in all Truth and sincerity
just as He desires and proclaims in His Word, without erring in any way.
The apostle John tells us that they had
seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world
(1 John 4:14). Our Savior wondrously shows His lovingkindness to those who take
refuge at His right Hand from the evil forces of the world that rise up against
them. When we cry to the Lord because of our oppressors, He will send us a
Savior and a Champion, and we will be delivered. He has sent us a Savior! We will know the Lord in that day. We will
even worship with the sacrifice and offerings of thanksgiving, praise, and our
bodies as living sacrifices. (Ps 17:18-21) Right now God, who formed us, tells
us not to fear for He has redeemed us through the blood of His Son. He has
called us by name, and He says, “you are Mine!” When we pass through the waters, He will be with
us and though the rivers, they will not overflow us. When we walk through the
fire, we will not be scorched, nor will the flame burn us. For He is the Lord
our God, the Holy One of Israel, our Savior. We are precious in His sight,
since we are honored and He loves us. He gave His own Son up for us that we may
live only to bring Him back from the dead on the third day. He tells us not to fear,
for He is with us. He will bring our Spiritual offspring from the east and
gather us from the west. (Is 43:1-5). There is no other God but Him. We have
been saved by the Lord with an everlasting salvation; we will not be put to
shame or humiliated to all eternity. Truly He is a God who hides Himself, but
He has not spoken to us in secret in a dark land or a waste place, but He, the
Lord, speaks righteousness, declaring things that are upright. There is no God
besides Him, a righteous God and a Savior, there is none except Him. He
tells us to turn to Him and be saved, all the ends of the earth, for He is God,
and there is no other. He has sworn by Himself, the Word has gone forth
from His mouth in righteousness and will not turn back, that to Him every knee
will bow, every tongue will swear allegiance. They will say “Only in the Lord are righteousness and
strength”. All who were
angry at Him will be put to shame. But in the Lord all the offspring of Israel,
that is, all the children of God through faith in Christ, will be justified and
will glory. (Is 45:4-25) He will feed our oppressors with their own flesh, and
they will become drunk with their own blood as with sweet wine; and all flesh
will know that He, the Lord, is our Savior and our Redeemer, the Mighty One of
Jacob (Is 49:26).
We will love the true nation of Israel,
and they will know that He, the Lord, is their Savior and Redeemer, the Mighty
One of Jacob (Is 60:16). For He has become their Savior and ours. In all our
affliction He was afflicted, and the Angel of His Presence saved us; in His
love and mercy He redeemed us, and lifted us and carried them all the days of
old. But for those who rebel and grieve the Holy Spirit continually because
they have not been born again into the New Covenant, He turned Himself to
become their enemy and fought against them. Then we, His people, remember the
days of old, of Moses, when He brought His people out of the sea with the
shepherds of His flock and put His Holy Spirit in the midst of them, who caused
His glorious arm to go at the right hand of Moses, who divided the waters
before them to make for Himself an everlasting Name, who led them through the
depths. Like the horse in the wilderness, they did not stumble; as the cattle
which go down into the valley, the Spirit of the Lord gave them rest. So He led
His people, to make for Himself a glorious Name. (Is 63:8-14) He is the Hope of
Israel, its Savior in time of distress (Jer 14:8). We are not to know any
god except Him, for there is no Savior besides Him (Hos 13:4).
The angel of the Lord told the shepherds
who were keeping watch over their flock by night that today in the city of
David there has been born for them a Savior, who is Christ the Lord (Luke
2:11). After the woman at the well witnessed her encounter with the Messiah
with her townspeople, they came are heard Jesus and proclaimed that it was no
longer because of what she said that they believe, for they had heard for
themselves and knew that this One is indeed the Savior of the world. (John 4:42).
Jesus Christ is the One whom God exalted to His right Hand as a Prince and a
Savior, to grant repentance to His people, and forgiveness of sins. Christ
is the husband and the head of His bride, the church. He Himself is the Savior
of His body. (Eph 5:23) Dear saints, our citizenship is in heaven, from which
also we eagerly wait for our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ (Phil 3:20)
We must be good servants of Christ Jesus,
constantly nourished on the words of the faith and of the sound doctrine which
we have been following. We must have nothing to do with worldly fables fit only
for old women. On the other hand, we must discipline ourselves for the purpose
of Godliness; for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but Godliness is
profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also
for the life to come. It is a trustworthy statement deserving full acceptance.
For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the
living God, who is the Savior of all men in the sense that He gave them a
chance to repent and believe. He is especially the Savior of all believers,
because they have already believed and received the gift of eternal life. (1
Tim 4:6-10). For when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind
appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in
righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and
renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus
Christ our Savior, so that being justified by grace we would be heirs according
to the hope of eternal Life. (Titus 3:4-7) Now this been revealed by the
appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who abolished death and brought life and
immortality to light through the Gospel (2 Tim 1:10).
We must do everything for the faith of
those chosen of God and the knowledge of the Truth which is according to
Godliness, in the hope of eternal Life, which God, who cannot lie, promised
long ages ago, but at the proper time manifested, even His Word, in the
proclamation with which we are entrusted according to the commandment of God
our Savior. (Titus 1:1-3) We must show all good faith so that we adorn the
Doctrine of God our Savior in every respect (Tit 2:10). For the grace of God
has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness
and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously, and Godly in the present
age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great
God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every
lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession,
zealous for good deeds. (Titus 2:11-14)
The faith we have all received is of the
same kind. It is a gift given by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus
Christ. His grace and peace are multiplied to us in the knowledge of God and of
our Jesus our Lord. We see that His divine power has granted to us everything
pertaining to life and Godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called
us by His own glory and excellence. (2 Pet 1:1-3). But those who claim Christ
as their Savior and Lord, and yet who are enslaved to corruption, are not truly
saved. For by what a man is overcome, by this he is enslaved. For if, after
they have escaped the defilements of the world by the knowledge of the Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and are overcome, the
last state has become worse for them than the first. For it would be better for
them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn
away from the holy commandment handed on to them. It has happened to them
according to the true proverb, “A dog returns to its own vomit,” and, “A sow, after washing, returns to
wallowing in the mire.” (2 Pet 2:19-22) If we feel that we are enslaved to
corruption, we must ask and trust out Good Shepherd to gently guide and
discipline us. For if we are children of God, we will not continue in slavery
to sin.
And working together with Him, we also urge you not to receive the grace of
God in vain— 2 for
He says,
“At the acceptable time I listened to you,
And on the day of salvation I helped you.”
And on the day of salvation I helped you.”
Behold, now is “the acceptable time,” behold, now is “the day of
salvation”—3 giving
no cause for offense in anything, so that the ministry will not be discredited, 4 but in everything commending
ourselves as servants of God, in much endurance, in afflictions, in
hardships, in distresses, 5 in
beatings, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in hunger, 6 in purity, in knowledge,
in patience, in kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in genuine love, 7 in the Word of
truth, in the power of God; by the weapons of righteousness for the
right hand and the left, 8 by
glory and dishonor, by evil report and good report; regarded as deceivers and
yet true; 9 as
unknown yet
well-known, as dying yet behold, we live; as punished yet not put to
death, 10 as sorrowful
yet always rejoicing, as poor yet making many rich, as having
nothing yet possessing all things. 2 Cor 6
Love
in Christ,
Preethi
Friday, February 15, 2013
Unity # 26: Living Water
Unity #
26: Living Water
Dear Father,
Your glory is coming and Your Voice is like the sound of many waters.
Yes, the earth shines with Your glory. (Ez 43:2) There is a river whose streams
make glad the city of God, the holy dwelling places of the Most High (Ps 46:4).
Our bodies are Your tabernacles. You break open springs and torrents, bring
forth streams from the Rock of Christ, and cause waters to run down like rivers
(Ps 74:15, 78:16). You make us to lie down in green pastures and lead us
besides quiet waters. Please give us Living Water to cleanse and revive us.
In Jesus Christ’s Name,
Amen
Dear
Beloved,
This week’s letter is about the Living
Water of Christ. According to the New Covenant prophesied through Ezekiel, God
would sprinkle clean water on us, and we would be clean. He would cleanse
us from all our filthiness and from all our idols. (Ez 36:25) Jesus told the
Samaritan woman at the well that if she knew the gift of God, and who it is who
asked her for a drink she would have asked Him and He would have given her Living
Water. He said that everyone who drinks of physical water will thirst again,
but whoever drinks of the water that He will give him shall never thirst, but
the water that He will give him will become in him a well of water springing up
to eternal Life. (John 4:10-14) In the same way on the last great day of a
Jewish feast, Jesus stood and cried out saying, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and
drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scriptures said, ‘From his innermost being
will flow rivers of Living Water’”. By this,
Jesus spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for
the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. (John
7:37-39)
The power of the Living Water starts with
the washing of the regeneration. When the kindness of God our Savior and
His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we
have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of
regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly
through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by His grace we would
be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. (Tit 3:4-7) The washing of
regeneration is our Spiritual baptism. For having been buried with
Christ through baptism into death, so that just as Christ was raised from the
dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life
(Rom 6:4). Having been buried with Him in baptism, we were also raised with Him
through faith in the working of God, who raised Christ from the dead (Col
2:12). Think of Noah and his family who were saved as they were brought safely
through the water by staying in the boat, just as we remain in Christ.
Corresponding to that, baptism now saves us—not the removal of dirt from the
flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience—through the resurrection of Jesus
Christ, who is at the right hand of God, having gone into heaven, after angels
and authorities and powers had been subjected to Him. (1 Pet 3:20-22). Christ’s
Feet are like burnished bronze, when it has been made to glow in a furnace, and
His Voice is like the sound of many waters (Rev 1:15). In John’s revelation of
heaven he said, “Then I heard something like the voice of a great multitude
and like the sound of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder
saying ‘Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns’” (Rev 19:6)
The Living Water involves the Spirit
and the Word of Christ. For when Jesus spoke of the Living Water that flows
from within the true Christian, He spoke of the Holy Spirit (John
7:37-39). God prophesied through Isaiah that He would pour out water on the
thirsty land and streams on the dry ground; He would pour out His Spirit and
blessing on His people (Is 44:3). The Living Water also involves the Word
of Christ. Jesus told His disciples that they were already clean
because of the Word which He had spoken to them (John 15:3). For Christ loved
the church, His bride, and gave Himself up for her so that He might sanctify
her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the Word (Eph 5:25-26)
Jesus is the Word (John 1:1)! So how do
the Word and Spirit interact as the Living Water? Jesus told us that when
the Spirit of Truth comes, He will guide us into all Truth; for He will not
speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will
disclose to us what is to come. He will glorify Christ, for He will take of His
and will disclose it to us. All things that the Father has belong to Christ;
therefore He said that the Holy Spirit takes from what is His and discloses it
to us. (John 16:13-14) The Holy Spirit takes the Word and cleanses,
regenerates, and renews us; He discloses the Word of Christ in the Scriptures
to us.
Dear saints, we must never forsake the Living
Water and seek to be satisfied with what does not satisfy. God told Jeremiah
that His people had committed two evils: They had forsaken Him, the fountain of
Living Waters, to hew for themselves cisterns, broken cisterns that could hold
no water (Jer 2:13). God tells everyone who thirsts to come to the waters; and
those who have no money to come, buy, and eat freely. Why should we spend money for what is not bread and our wages for what
does not satisfy? God tells us to listen carefully to Him, and eat what is
good, and delight ourselves in abundance, and to incline our ear and come to
Him, and to listen that we may live. For He has made an everlasting Covenant
with us, according to the faithful mercies shown to David. (Is 55:1-3). For His
justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream
(Amos 5:24).
There is great satisfaction and
contentment for those who drink of the Living Water. How blessed is the man who
does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners,
not sit in the seat of scoffers! But his delight is in the Law of the Lord, and
in His Law he meditates day and night. He will be like a tree firmly planted by
streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and its leaf does not
wither; and in whatever he does, he prospers. (Ps 1:1-3) The Lord will continually guide him, and
satisfy his desire in scorched places, and give strength to his bones; and he
will be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water whose waters do not
fail (Is 58:11). The lame will leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute
will shout for joy. For waters and streams will break forth in the wilderness.
(Is 35:6) Those who bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there
may be food in His house, test God in this, for He will open for them the
windows of heaven and pour out for them a blessing until it overflows. (Mal
3:10). The blessing of our Living Water extends to others, for we must be
eager to share the Word of Christ with all in hope that the Spirit will bring
about regeneration and renewal. How blessed we will be, when we sow beside
all waters (Is 32:20). The generous man will be prosperous, and he who waters
himself will be watered (Prov 11:25).
The Living Water is an important part of
our initial and ongoing repentance. With weeping we have come, and with
supplication God leads us; He makes us walk by streams of water, on a straight
path in which we will not stumble; For He is a father to His people. To have
part with Christ, we must allow Him to clean our feet from the filth of our
daily wanderings, that is, we must live a life of ongoing repentance and
conformance to the Image of Christ. (John 13)
We share in the Spirit’s grief over the
unrepentance of others (Eph 4:30). May our eyes shed streams of water, because
many do not keep His Law and because of the destruction of God’s people until
He brings restoration (Ps 119:136, Lam 3:48). Jeremiah said, “Oh that my head were waters
and my eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain
of the daughter of my people!” (Jer 9:1)
Ezekiel describes the water which flows
from the Temple of God. Water was flowing from under the threshold of the house
toward the east. Water was flowing down from under, from the right side of the
house, from south of the altar. Water was trickling down from the south side
also. The water was deep enough to swim in, a river that could not be forded
surrounded by a large number of trees. The water went towards the sea, being
made to flow into the sea and the waters of the sea become fresh. Every living
creature that swarms in every place where the river goes will live. Fishermen
stand beside the river and it is a place for spreading nets for the many kinds
of fish. By the river on its bank, on one side and the other, will grow all
kind of trees for food. Their leaves will not wither and their fruit will not
fail. They will bear every month because their water flows from the
sanctuary, and their fruit will be for food and their leaves for healing. (Ez
47:1-12). At the time of the end, in that day, there will be no light; the
luminaries will dwindle. For it will be a unique day which is known to the
Lord, neither day nor night, but it will come about that at evening time there
will be light. And in that day Living Waters will flow out from Jerusalem, half
of them toward the eastern sea and the other half toward the western sea; it
will be in summer as well as in winter. And the Lord will be King over all the
earth; in that Day the Lord will be the only One, and His Name the only One.
(Zech 14:6-9)
Love
in Christ,
Preethi
Saturday, February 2, 2013
Unity # 24: Enlightened to Judgment
Unity # 24: Enlightened to Judgment
Dear Father,
You are our Judge. Lord, You are our
Lawgiver and King. You will save us. (Is 33:22) You said that He who justifies
the wicked and he who condemns the righteous, both of them alike are an
abomination to the Lord. (Prov 17:17). Your Son, Jesus Christ delights in the
fear of the You, Lord. He does not judge by what His eyes see, nor makes a
decision by what His ears hear; but with righteousness He will judge the poor,
and decide with fairness for the afflicted of the earth; He will strike the
earth with the Rod of His Mouth, and with the breath of His lips He will slay
the wicked. Also righteousness will be the belt about His loins, and
faithfulness the belt around His waist. (Is 11:3-5) In the end, Your final
judgment of the wicked will be terrible. You are righteous, who are and who
were, O Holy One, because of these judgments on the wicked. For they poured out
the blood of the saints and prophets, and You have given them blood to drink.
They deserve it. Yes, O Lord God, the Almighty, true and righteous are Your
judgments. (Rev 16:4-7).
In Jesus Christ’s Name,
Amen
Dear
Beloved,
In last week’s letter, we discussed the
Nature of our Lord. Christ’s Lordship involves both our willing reverence and
obedience to Him as our worthy exalted Master as well as the loving power of
the Lord to effect these heart conditions within His bondservants. To trust in
Christ as Lord is to believe that He will keep us firm in faith, growing
obedience, and growing repentance until the end when He finishes the work which
He started in us. This letter is about God’s Judgment. As we read through the Old
Testament prophecies of God’s judgment against the wicked and His rebellious
people and the final judgments described by Jesus, the apostles, and in the
book of Revelations, we must make certain that our hearts have been completely
cleansed of any false notion that God is tyrannical or unduly extreme in His
judgments. For He is perfect in His righteousness, justice, love and mercy. In
His vast hatred against evil and those who practice wickedness unto damnation,
we see the glorious nature of His righteousness. For Him to truly be the
essence of all goodness, He must abhor and condemn all that stands in
opposition to Himself. What a horrifying thing it would be if the God of
the universe were unjust, if He refused to condemn the wicked! King David
prayed, “O
that You would slay the wicked, O God; depart from me, therefore, men of
bloodshed. For they speak against You wickedly, and Your enemies take Your Name
in vain. Do I not hate those who hate You, O Lord? And do I not loathe those
who rise up against You? I hate them with the utmost hatred; they have become
my enemies”
(Ps 139:19-22). Here King David, does not harbor pride or malice, but the
attitude of God towards the wicked, those who will never repent and trust in
Christ and thus be damned, has been imparted to King David.
Before we go on, let us remember the great
Lamb of God, slain before the foundation of the world, who drank the whole cup
of the Father’s wrath for our sake. He was cursed, judged, and crushed by His
Father that we may be blessed, granted eternal Life, and be new creations made
like Christ in true righteousness and holiness. Whoever believes in the Son
has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the
wrath of God abides on him (John 3:36).
Until the final judgment of God, the
wheat, or the children of God, and the tares, or those who commit lawlessness
and all stumbling blocks of idolatry, will grow together. But at the harvest
time or the time of Judgment, the Son of Man will send forth His angels and the
tares will be thrown into the furnace of fire where there will be weeping and
gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the
Kingdom of their Father. (Matt 13:30-43). Similarly, the Kingdom of heaven is
like a dragnet cast into the sea which gathers up both good and bad fish. The
good fish were gathered into containers and the bad fish were thrown away. So
it will be at the end of the age; the angels will come forth and take out the
wicked from among the righteous, and will throw them into the furnace of fire.
(Matt 13:47-50) When the Son of Man
comes in His glory, all the angels will be with Him, and He will sit on His
glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will
separate them from one another, as the Shepherd separates the sheep from the
goats; and He will put the sheep on His right and the goats on the left. The
King will say to those on His right, “Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom
prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 For I was hungry,
and you gave Me something to
eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to
drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; 36 naked, and you clothed
Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to
Me. 37 Then the righteous
will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty,
and give You something to
drink? 38 And when did we see
You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? 39 When did we see You
sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ 40 The King will answer
and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one
of these brothers of Mine, even the
least of them, you did it
to Me.” Then Jesus will also say to those on His
left,
“Depart from
Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared
for the devil and his angels; 42 for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to
drink; 43 I was a stranger, and
you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in
prison, and you did not visit Me.’ 44 Then they themselves also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see
You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did
not [e]take care of
You?’ 45 Then He will answer
them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the
least of these, you did not do it to Me. 46 These will go away
into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” (Matt 25:31-46)
In the last days,
mockers will come with their mocking, following after their lusts. They will
ask where the promise of His coming is. They think that ever since the fathers fell
asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation. In their
thinking, it escapes their notice that by the Word of God the heavens existed
long ago and the earth was formed out of water and by water, through which the
world at that time was destroyed, being flooded with water. But by His Word the present heavens and
earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the Day of Judgment and destruction
of ungodly men. But we should not let this one fact escape our notice,
beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand
years like one day. The Lord is not slow
about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient towards us, not
wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. The Day of the
Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar
and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its
works will be burned up. Since all these things are to be destroyed in this
way, what sort of people ought we to be in holy and Godliness, looking for and
hastening the coming of the Day of God, because of which the heavens will be
destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat! But
according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in
which righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved, since we look for these things,
we must be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless, and
regard the patience of our Lord as salvation. (2 Pet 3:3-15)
When God described the
judgments He would bring upon the Israelites to Ezekiel, He said that He would
bring sword, famine, wild beasts, and plague to cut off man and beast from the
land. He said that even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were in the midst of the land,
by their own righteousness that came from faith, they could only deliver
themselves. Yet, God would bring out some survivors with His great salvation
whose conduct and actions would bring comfort to the people of God, for they would
know that He had not done in vain what He did in His justice. (Ez 14) For when God’s judgments come on the earth,
its people learn righteousness (Is 26:9) God knows how to rescue the
righteous from His judgment. The judgment of the wicked from long ago is not
idle, and their destruction is not asleep. For if God did not spare angels when
they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to pits of darkness,
reserved for judgment; and did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah,
a preacher of righteousness, with seven others, when He brought a flood upon
the world of the ungodly; and if He condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah
to destruction by reducing them to ashes, having made them an example to those
who would live ungodly lives thereafter; and if He rescued righteous Lot,
oppressed by the sensual conduct of unprincipled men (for by what he saw and
heard that righteous man, while living among them felt his righteous soul
tormented day after day by their lawless deeds), then the Lord knows how to rescue the Godly from temptation, and to keep the
unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment, and especially those who
indulge the flesh in its corrupt desires and despise authority. (2 Pet
2:4-10)
Remember that the
angels who did not keep their own domain, but abandoned their proper abode
through their lack of fear of God are kept in eternal bonds under darkness for
the judgment of the great Day. They are wild waves of the sea, casting up their
own shame like foam; wandering stars, for whom the black darkness has been
reserved forever. Enoch prophesied about these men in the seventh generation
from Adam that the Lord would come with many thousands of His holy ones, to
execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their ungodly
deeds which they have done in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which
ungodly sinners have spoken against Him. These are grumblers, finding fault,
following after their own lusts; they speak arrogantly, flattering people for
the sake of gaining an advantage. But we, beloved, ought to remember the Words
that were spoken beforehand by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, that they
were saying to us that in the last time there will be mockers, following after
their own ungodly lusts. These are the ones who cause divisions,
worldly-minded, devoid of the Spirit. But we, beloved, building ourselves in
the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to
eternal life. And we must have mercy on some, who are doubting and save others,
snatching them out of the fire; and on some we must have mercy with fear,
hating even the garment polluted by the flesh. (Jude 6-23)
Jesus told us that
every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in
the Day of Judgment. For by our words we will be justified, and by our words we
will be condemned. (Matt 12:36-37). So
we must speak and act as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty. For
judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over
judgment. (James 2:12-13) We must make sure that none of us suffers as a
murderer, thief, evildoer, or a troublesome meddler; but if anyone suffers as a
Christian, we are not to be ashamed, but to glorify God in this Name. For it is time for judgment to begin with
the household of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the
outcome for those who do not obey the Gospel of God? And if it is with
difficulty that the righteous is saved, what will become of the Godless man and
the sinner? Therefore, those also who suffer according to the will of God shall
entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right. (1 Pet
4:15-19) For it will be given to the antichrist to make war with the saints and
to overcome them, and authority over every tribe, people, tongue, and nation
will be given to him. All who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone
whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of
life of the Lamb who has been slain. If anyone has an ear, let him hear. If
anyone is destined for captivity, to captivity he goes; if anyone kills with
the sword, with the sword he must be killed. Here is the perseverance and faith
of the saints. (Rev 13:7-10) God is faithful, and He will keep us firm until
the end! Dear saints, if we have truly been regenerated, we will continue to
bear good fruit, and we will not continue in rebellion against God
characterized by the practice of wickedness. Our good works will be the evidence of our justification by grace
through faith in the blood of the Lamb on the Day of Judgment!
The Father has given all judgment to the Son, so that all will honor
the Son even as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does
not honor the Father who sent Him. Truly, truly, He tells us that he who hears
His Word, and believes in the Father who sent Him, has eternal life, and does
not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life. An hour is
coming and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and
those who hear will live. For just as the Father has life in Himself, even so
He gave to the Son also to have life in Himself; and He gave Him authority to
execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man. We should not marvel at this;
for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice,
and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life,
those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment. Christ does nothing
on His own initiative. As He hears, He judges, and His judgment is just,
because He does not seek His own will, but the will of His Father who sent Him.
(John 5:22-30) Jesus said that now judgment is upon the world and the ruler of
this world will be cast out (John 12:31). This is the judgment, that the Light
has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for
their deeds were evil (John 3:19). The Spirit who has come convicts the world
of guilt in regard to judgment because the prince of the world stands condemned
(John 16:11). Christ is the Rider on the white horse called Faithful and True,
and in righteousness He judges and wages war. His eyes are a flame of fire, and
on His Head are many diadems; and He has a Name written on Him which no one
knows except Himself. He is clothes with a robe dipped in blood, and His Name
is called the Word of God. And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine
linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. These are the saints
clothed in the righteousness of Christ. The saints will judge the world (1 Cor
6:2). From his Mouth comes a sharp Sword, so that with it He may strike down
the nations, and He will rule them with a Rod of iron; and He tread the wine
press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. And on His robe and on His
Thigh He has a Name written, “KING OF KINGS, and LORD OF LORDS”. (Rev 19:11-16) There
is a great white throne. When the Judge of all the earth sits on it, in His
Presence earth and heaven will flee away, and no place will be found for them.
The dead, great and small, will stand before the throne, and books will be
opened; and another book will be opened, the book of life; and the dead will be
judged from the things written in the books, according to their deeds. And the
sea, death, and Hades will give up the dead in them and they will each be
judged according to their deeds. Then death and Hades will be thrown into the
lake of fire. This is the second
death. And if anyone’s name was
not found written in the book of life, he will be thrown into the lake of fire.
(Rev 20:11-16)
Dear saints, inasmuch
as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment, so Christ
also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second
time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him.
(Heb 9:27-28) Flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God; nor does the
perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold, here is a mystery; we will not all
sleep, but will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the
last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised
imperishable, and we will be changed. For this perishable must put on the
imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come
about the saying that is written, “Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your
Victory? O death, where is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power
of sin is the law; but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our
Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Cor 15:50-57)
20 He who testifies
to these things says, “Yes, I am coming quickly.” Amen. Come,
Lord Jesus. (Rev 22:20)
We
praise God for the birth of Neethi (righteousness) Faith David to Anand and
Prasanna.
6
lbs 14 oz 19.5 in long.
Love in Christ,
Preethi
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
