[We are reposting the next few articles from a few years ago because they seem to be relevant to what the Lord is doing lately.]
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness. It was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, We had everything before us, we had nothing before us. We were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way. -Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities
Charles Dickens opens his
classic, A Tale of Two Cities with a series of paradoxical
statements that paints a vivid picture of tumultuous times in England and France. The year is 1775, and while
England is soon to lose its
grip on the American colonies, France
is soon to face total anarchy as the peasants arise to overthrow a corrupt and
decadent regime. England is
rife with crime and France
with poverty. While life for the nobility was exquisite, the lower class
struggled to survive. The plight of the times raised serious questions about
man’s ability to rule justly and the desire of man’s heart to serve selflessly.
Two centuries later the world
remains at the same threshold. In the midst of man’s growing technological,
scientific and medical wisdom, there is a staggering increase of self-indulgent
behavior ranging from drug abuse to aberrant and illicit sex. Amidst the
plethora of revelation and inscrutable evidence of the Creator, darkness
multiplies in unprecedented participation in cults and the occult. The best and
worst of times are at hand, and they are exposing the heart of man. Jeremiah
17:9 says, The heart is deceitful above
all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
Our current state of affairs
testifies against us; man has thrown off the knowledge of God. We
are seeing Psalm 2:1-3 literally fulfilled before our eyes: Why do the nations rage, and the people plot
a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel
together, against the LORD and against His Anointed, saying, ‘Let us break Their bonds in pieces and cast
away Their cords (God’s moral
restraining law and grace) from
us.’
Our times are similar to those
spoken about in Judges 17:6: In those
days there was no king in Israel;
everyone did what was right in his own eyes. Notice that in those days there was no king – no leader
to lead the people with righteousness and justice. But there is a King. His name is Jesus and He is and is
Lord over all! His death and Resurrection are a complete, finished work. His
finished work established His kingdom and opened the way for us to leave this
present darkness and enter into His glorious light. Entering His Kingdom cannot
be a half-way or half-hearted choice. We are in one kingdom or the other. We
cannot have one foot in the light and one in the dark. Unfortunately, the body
of Christ continues to do just that: trying to live for God on a part-time
basis while simultaneously living for self.
From the Garden of Eden, we have
consistently preferred our plans to those of our Maker. The Bible and two
thousand years of church history are replete with examples of our inability to
follow and obey. This is why history continually repeats itself.
In 539 B.C. Cyrus, king of Persia, decreed that all exiled Jews could
return from Babylon to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple of the Lord.
However, Samaritan opposition quenched the initial effort after only three
years. When Darius I assumed the throne, he silenced the opposition, which made
it possible for the Israelites to resume their work, although it was the stern
admonition of Haggai that refocused the attention of the Israelites. Haggai
1:5-7 states:
Now therefore, thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘Consider your ways! You have sown much, and bring in little; You eat, but do not have enough; You drink, but you are not filled with drink; You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; And he who earns wages, earns wages to put into a bag with holes.’ Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘Consider your ways!’
We must consider our ways and
examine them in light of what the Lord says in His Word and what He speaks
through His chosen vessels. In 2006, the prophetic voice resounded throughout
the land speaking of a SHIFT and the importance of every believer to align with
the purposes and plans of God. There is an open door in heaven for us to enter
the purposes of God. Throughout scripture and experience when God opens one
door, He shuts another. This is an hour of divine invitation. God has sent
forth a call to enter in to all those who choose to hear His voice and are
willing to follow His plan. Today if you hear His voice, do not harden your
hearts.
This is a pivotal time of
decision for the body of Christ. Just as in the days of Joshua, “we will choose
this day whom we will serve” (Joshua 24:15). Jesus has told us, we cannot serve
two masters. We will love one and despise the other (Matthew 6:24, Luke 16:13).
The time to declare our allegiance is at hand. Jesus is calling for those who
desire to serve Him and Him alone. Will you choose to be His chosen?
God Expects Us To Understand The Times and Seasons
The Bible clearly states we will
not know the day or the hour of the Lord’s return. However, we are exhorted to
discern the times and seasons of the Lord. The church, at large does not seem
to be discerning the times at hand. God has been speaking loudly to His church
for quite some time. He has spoken through the removal of His restraining grace
in allowing terrorist attacks, hurricanes, tsunamis, earthquakes, volcanoes,
fires and floods. He did not send any of these destructive forces, but these
things testify that the wall of grace is down around this nation and the
church. Humanity and our leaders (Psalm 2:1-3) have been systematically trying
to remove every vestige of God’s word, law, influence and presence from the
culture, especially in western society and thought. We must understand the
seriousness of the times, focus our attention, and lay hold of His plans and
purposes.
What is the Lord doing at this
time? I believe the Lord’s work at this time is three-fold. The Spirit is
moving the body of Messiah to: recognize Him as King and obey His commands,
embrace Him as Bridegroom and prepare to be wed, and stand before Him as Judge,
allowing Him to work His justice in and through us.
As we come to know and respond to
Him in each of these dimensions, we recognize the work that needs to be
accomplished in our own lives. We need to come into alignment with Him and His
purposes. A glimpse into each one of these portraits will demonstrate what I
mean.
We are to recognize and acknowledge Jesus as King
The Lord Himself is rebuilding
the temple, but it is not a temple made with hands. It is the temple of our
heart, the temple inside each of us (1 Cor. 3:16-18; 2 Cor. 6:16-18; Eph.
2:19-22). Jesus is working to extend His kingdom as He trains His people to
live from His presence within. He desires us to live for Him completely and
unreservedly. As we follow and obey the principles of His kingdom and represent
His Image to the world, we extend His kingdom.
This is the way of the cross. It
involves dying to self - our desires and our plans - as we wholly embrace the
plans of The King. The Lord desires for us to enter fully into the Kingdom He
has set before us, but we must choose to be chosen. It is a narrow road, but it
is filled with His love, power and His glory. He is in search of soldiers who
will accept His terms without question. This kind of commitment is equivalent
to an unconditional surrender. It is a form of commitment that is foreign to
the western mindset.
Those who have served in the
military understand what it means to follow a commander. When an American
military recruit takes the oath office, he or she literally steps across a line
imprinted on the floor. This is a symbolic gesture to demonstrate the
significance of the recruit’s decision. As each soldier steps across the line,
he or she recognizes they are no longer their own. They lose all rights as an
individual. Of course they are still a person, but they are now the property of
the armed services; they are a part of something much larger than themselves.
Each individual must learn to be obedient unto death, to go where they are
told, when they are told, regardless of what it costs personally. This is a
picture of true submission.
In contemporary society we have
lost sense of respect and submission to authority. Western society emphasizes
personal rights to such an extreme, that we think it is our right to be in
control of every situation. We believe it is our duty to express our opinion at
every juncture. If this were the case in the armed services, no battle would
ever be waged. Every one would endlessly present their own battle plan.
During a battle strategy session,
several officers may share their approach. However, when a strategy is
determined and the meeting is adjourned, each commanding officer executes the
orders given. He does not go out and announce to his command that he had a
better plan, but no one would listen. That kind of talk would be considered
treason. An officer gets behind the commander and executes the plan as if it is
his own. Every officer comes out of the strategy sessions and says, “Here’s
OUR plan.” Every soldier under his command follows his example.
This is the type of dedication
and service the Lord desires AND deserves. It is an unconditional surrender to
His will. The Lord is looking for soldiers. Ephesians 4:1 states, I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord,
beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called.
What is the Lord calling you to
do? How are you preparing for the mission? If you have not accepted what He has
called you to be and to do, He is not Lord over your life. You are still in
command. If you are not preparing to fulfill your purpose wholeheartedly, will
you be able to stand in the tough times that loom ahead?
When we are transparent and
straightforward about where we are, we recognize we all have much work to do in
allowing the Lord to take His place as the King of Kings in our lives. We must
learn to put away our childish notions about what we want to do and be. We must
recognize the need to come in line with the King and His kingdom. If we have
not surrendered to Him as King we will never receive Him as Judge. Knowing Him
as our Bridegroom is essential to being able to fully surrender to Him as King
and Judge. (To be continued).
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