Category Archives: The Cross and the Power

Becoming What We Behold

by Michael

Image

And there were certain Greeks among them that came up to worship at the feast: The same came therefore to Philip, who was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and desired of him, saying, Sir, we would see Jesus. (John 12:20-21 KJ2000)

There is a lizard down in Louisiana and Texas that turns the color of what it sits on. They have proven that it actually turns the color of what it beholds. I have seen them turn gray to match the gray wood they were climbing on, green to match plant life and even red to match a brick wall. They take on the color of what they gaze upon.

Paul wrote, “Behold, what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called the children of God: therefore the world knows us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the children of God, and it does not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is” (1John 3:2 KJ2000).

We who belong to Christ that as we continue to behold Jesus that we should become like Him. “Like” is the key word here. In Genesis God said, “Let us make man in our image and in our likeness.” The image part was almost instant, but the likeness part was an ongoing work. It required walking with God in the cool of the day and doing the works that Adam saw the Father doing and beholding Him.

There are many things that seem “godly” that capture the attention of the church today. One of the most common near misses is focusing on the church instead of Christ. We are like a woman that sits at her vanity for hours on end putting on her face and making sure every hair is in place. We tweak this and that to make sure we look the way we want to look that we might please church leadership, conform to their teachings and expectations and are pleasant to the world around us that we might convince some of “the lost” to join our religious sect and come under our influence. It is a near miss because the true church of Christ is not all about itself, but rather she is all about her Bridegroom!

A brother once told me a story about meeting a young lady at a church conference and all she could do was talk about how great her pastor was. It was “my pastor” this and “my pastor” that. Well, she finally took a breath and he asked her a couple of questions. My friend said, “I assume that you are not married, yet.” She affirmed that this was the case. He then said, “When you get married and you go down to the altar and stand by your husband and make your vows… when it is all said and done, are you going to turn around, grab the arm of the best man and head off on your honeymoon with him?” She said with great shock, “No! I will want to spend my life with and love my husband, not the best man!” To this he replied, “That is what you are doing right now by being infatuated with the pastor instead of Jesus.” We become what we behold and worship. Church leadership was never meant to take the place of Christ as our All in all, yet all too often in the lives of Christians that is exactly what happens.

I was born in the image of my father and I grew up to look like him; tall, brown hair and eyes, and even many of the same facial features. I admired him and wanted so much to be “like” him as I grew up. Soon I was smiling out of the corner of my mouth like he did, laughed like he did and even walked with a slight limp like he did (he had a wooden leg) as I beheld him. Then I discovered after coming to Christ that God had another likeness he wanted me to behold, another likeness that was far superior to that of my earthly father. It was the One he had in mind for me from the beginning that was pure and who walked in the Light of the Father from the beginning of creation. Beholding Jesus with my whole heart has brought about many changes, but it is still an ongoing process. He keeps revealing areas in my “likeness” that have not yet been conformed into the image of Christ and each time He does, I have a decision to make. Will I yield that up to Him, too? Finally at one point a few years ago, He showed me how HE saw me with all my pride that was still in tack as I was trying to be His “man of the hour” with my “spiritual gifts.” It was ugly what I saw. I cried out, “Lord if all that pride is who I still am, just kill it. Show me no mercy.” Well, that was the beginning of a deep stripping of everything I was and even things that I had. That time in the wilderness lasted for 14 years with no since of His presence in any form. It was heart-breaking and I fought being in depression continuously, but at the end of it I has come to the place where I could pray and mean it, “Father, if this state that I am in is what you have for me for the rest of my life, so be it. Not my will but yours be done.” When I quit kicking against His will, He knew that it was time to take me into a new phase where He could work with me and not constantly having me “adjust” the image of what He desired to bring forth in me. Paul said,

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God has dealt to every man the measure of faith. (Romans 12:1-3, KJ2000)

He does not desire to fix up our old minds but rather replace them with the mind of Christ! The word “transformed” is metamorpho in the Greek. Like the life cycle of a butterfly, God puts us through a metamorphosis that we might become NEW creatures in Christ and the old one is done away with and discarded as useless, but what springs forth form that chrysalis is far more glorious than what went into it. First we must experience death to that old worm called Adam and then go dormant for a season (see https://awildernessvoice.wordpress.com/2013/01/18/metamorphosis/) while HE does a deep work within us so that when we come forth, there is on resemblance to that old worm, but something glorious that can take flight into the heavens with Him and see things as HE does and see HIM as HE is. Praise His name for making every provision that is needed to bring to pass in us, “when He appears we shall be like Him for we shall see Him as He is.”

For you are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall you also appear with him in glory. (Colossians 3:3-4, KJ2000)

 

Constant Prayer

by Michael

Road RashATV Wreck

From “Practising the Presence of God” by Brother Lawrence…

“That he expected after the pleasant days GOD had given him, he should have his turn of pain and suffering; but that he was not uneasy about it, knowing very well, that as he could do nothing of himself, GOD would not fail to give him the strength to bear them.
That when an occasion of practising some virtue offered, he addressed himself to GOD, saying, ‘LORD, I cannot do this unless Thou enablest me;’ and that then he received strength more than sufficient.
That when he had failed in his duty, he only confessed his fault, saying to GOD, ‘I shall never do otherwise, if You leave me to myself; tis You must hinder my falling, and mend what is amiss.’ That after this, he gave himself no further uneasiness about it.
That we ought to act with GOD in the greatest simplicity, speaking to Him frankly and plainly, and imploring His assistance in our affairs, just as they happen. That GOD never failed to grant it, as he had often experienced.”

As I was flying through the air in that wreck I just had on an ATV machine two days ago, I prayed, “Jesus, I need your help in THIS one.” After looking at the wreck afterwards and where I landed thirty feet down the mountain side, I had to conclude the He had given His angels charge over me least I had dashed my face upon the stones. As it was I lit face first in a bed of pine needles and small sticks. I praise Him that the injuries were bad enough to teach me not to go riding when there was snow and slush on those mountain roads, yet minor enough to keep me from any real permanent harm.

The other thing that has occurred to me in all this was that I need His help, direction and LIFE in ALL the things I encounter each day, not just the ones in which I feel out of control. “For it is in HIM that we live and move and have our being.” The Lord is so good! (the picture of me above was taken right after I got home and I had not seen the humor in all of it as of yet 🙂

Love to you all,

Michael

The Refiner’s Fire

by Michael

Melting-gold

An important difference for us to understand, just how God separates soul from Spirit in us…

I have refined you, but not like silver. I have tested you in the furnace of suffering. (Isaiah 48:10 GW)

The furnace of affliction is for those who by faith are in Christ. What happens in the furnace of affliction? What is it that is dealt with in the fire? Is it you, and is it I, that are refined in the fire? Are you refined in the fire? Am I refined in the furnace of affliction? I say, No! emphatically NO!! If we say, “Yes!” well, let us look at the furnace of affliction, the fire with the metal in the crucible. What are you doing with that metal? Well, you say, you heat the fire intensely and all the uncleanness, the corruption, comes to the surface; this is skimmed off, and when that process has been carried through to its end, there is left pure gold! Then if you say that is you or that is me you will have to abandon your doctrine of total depravity, and you will have to come back to the place where you say there is good in us, after all! You will have to say there is good and bad in us, and the furnace of afflict ion is to get the badness out of us and leave the goodness! Is that true doctrine? No!

The furnace of affliction is not for the removal of the bad out of us so as to leave the good that is in us, and secure it! Then what is its purpose? Is it to refine Christ in us? We need not discuss that! Christ needs no refining! What is it for? It is to divide between what is us in fallen nature, and what is Christ, and to get rid of the one in order to give full place to the other! The furnace of affliction is the application of the Cross to the getting rid of you and me, in order to leave the whole place for Christ. It is the measure of Christ that God is after, not to cut in between the good and bad in us, but to cut in between what is Christ, and what is ourselves. That is what the Lord is doing. He is after increasing Christ, and in order to do that He has to displace self, the old creation. It is all the measure of Christ in this realm. The realm of God is not going to be refined self, reformed self, or any kind of patching up of self. It is going to be none of self, and all of Christ.

T. Austin-Sparks

http://www.austin-sparks.net/english/books/002210.html

“My Kingdom Is Not of This World”

by Michael

Church & State

Pilate answered [Jesus], Am I a Jew? your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you unto me: what have you done? Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from here. Pilate therefore said unto him, Are you a king then? Jesus answered, You say that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth hears my voice.
(Joh 18:35-37 KJ2000)

Pilate asked Jesus what He had done to be delivered to be delivered by the Jewish authority for execution. Jesus answered him succinctly, “My kingdom is not of this world.”

If we are of this world (kosmos – world system) we will support the governments of men on one side or the other, putting our hopes in them and not the Prince of Peace. We will stand and fight and the world will love us. Our actions will always lead to murder and war (see James 4:1-6). The “peace movement” of the sixties turned violent very quickly because they were ignorant of this fact. Satan had them in his hand in a heartbeat.

Jesus was killed by the religious and governmental systems of men because he was NOT of this world so were Stephen and the rest of the early church martyrs. It was not until Christianity became a religious system under Emperor Constantine’s control that it became murderous. “God and country” whether it is Allah and country under sheriah law or the American version “Moral Majority” is still the same murderous delusion. When religion gets punitive power it becomes bloody every time, even killing the Christ and His messengers who come to save them from themselves.

Much of Christianity today appeals to the Old Covenant to justify governmental power and even murder. They use it to justify hatred for minorities, homosexuals and other religions of the world, but Jesus brought an end to that covenant and filled up the just requirements of its law as He died on the cross as the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. We are not under that covenant, but rather one that is NEW in every way with Christ, the Prince of Peace, as our only Head. If we had known what this means, “I shall have mercy, not sacrifice,” we would have not condemned the guiltless. Jesus came to tear down the wall of separation between all men, not establish a new one. His mercy triumphs over judgement and HIS kingdom will triumph over the fallen kingdoms of men.

Choices are being made in this hour as to who is our King and in which kingdom we will be found taking our stand. Guns stores are being emptied of weapons and ammunition here in America. There will be another bloody revolution as King Obama or is ilk continues to strip away our civil rights with increasing centralized governmental power. To many Christians in America this is a severe test. May we who belong to Jesus all be found standing with the Prince of Peace in the days ahead no matter the cost.

Metamorphosis

by Michael

Monarch butterfly

Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. (1Jo 3:2 KJV)

A few years ago I prayed, “Father, make me like your Son, only doing those things I see you doing and speaking those things I hear you saying.” I had just enough time to think to myself, “Man! That was sure a righteous prayer!” To this He replied, “No, my son, that is only the starting point!”

So many of us want to walk as Jesus walked on this earth, doing good, healing the sick and speaking great words of wisdom from God. But this is where success is found… only doing and saying what He desires to do and say through us. BUT here is the test… are we willing to learn obedience the way Jesus had to learn it? Jesus learned obedience by the things which He suffered (Hebrews 5:8). Many want to be spiritual, but few want to pay the price that is attached to true spirituality in Christ. After praying this prayer I went into a time of suffering and isolation. I learned that I had to suffer many of the same things Jesus did and often at the hand of religious Christians! Isaiah 53 became my life story; a root out of dry ground with nothing about me that men would desired, despised, rejected, cut off from fellowship and friends and judged by others as being under the judgment of God. Yes, “to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?” Who, indeed? Just how bad do any of us want to have Christ revealed in us?

You see, to get to this point of being totally tuned into and obedient to our Father takes a total transformation. The flesh profits nothing. We first have to come to realize that there is no good thing in us and seek HIS resolution to the problem. This word, transformation is packed with meaning. Have you seen the movie, “Metamorphosis”? I recently watched it with a brother in Christ from Canada who came to our home and he brought it with him. It is a documentary about what takes place in a the life-cycle of a butterfly and part of what I am writing here, he shared with me. It was a special time together in Christ.

For years it has been a mystery how that lowly worm, the caterpillar, was transformed (Greek – metamorpho) into a butterfly in that hard, ugly chrysalis. Then some scientists did an MRI of one of them while it went through this process. It seems that the worm, while in the chrysalis, completely dissolves and none of the original legs, organs, digestive track, etc. remains. Then there are some small cell packages in what’s left that take that “worm soup” and reform it into the organs that are common only to the butterfly. The worm does not change himself but rather he gives up his life so that a new and more glorious life might spring forth from what was once the old. He has to lose his old identity completely for this to happen. The whole thing is a miracle and it is a living parable of what God desires to do with each of us. Paul wrote about this process saying,

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be transformed [metamorpho] by the renewing of your mind [literally, a whole new mind], that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” (Rom 12:1-2 KJ2000).

There is no comparison of the caterpillar to the butterfly. Once, the worm had a gut that digested leaves, but the butterfly now eats and digests nectar from flowers with a new digestive track. Once the worm had stubby little legs that were made to grasp leaves, now the butterfly has long articulated legs made to grasp flowers. Once the worm had no eyes, but now the butterfly has compound eyes that see everything around it. Once the worm had no proboscis, but now the butterfly has a long one that can reach the bottom of the deepest flower. Once the worm was confined to the branch it was hatched on, now the butterfly, like the Monarch, can fly for thousands of miles and with his new mind and know exactly how to get to where he is supposed to be. And who can deny the beauty of the butterfly? There is no comparison of its form to the former worm.

As we progress in Christ we, like the butterfly larva, become a “living sacrifice” that goes into a total dormant state for a season (some call it a time of deep trials, darkness or wilderness) while we trade one life form for another. We are being transformed from lowly worms into beautiful spiritual butterflies that we might “mount up with wings as eagles” and rest on and move with the winds of the Spirit. This is what obedience is — resting in the Spirit in our new lives not striving as a worm to do what only a butterfly can do. Paul described this process this way,

 For we who live are always delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. (2Co 4:11 KJ2000)

Did you know that even Jesus went through a metamorphosis right before the eyes of his disciples?

And after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, and brought them up into a high mountain apart, And was transfigured [metamorpho] before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his clothing was white as the light. (Mat 17:1-2 KJ2000)

You see, Jesus is the pattern Son. God sent Him into the world to show us the path of true righteousness and then to empower us by the gift of His Spirit abiding in us to carry it out. ALL things necessary for salvation, justification, righteousness and our glorification are ours as we abide IN Christ and submit ourselves to this process. This revelation should give scope to what Paul wrote in Romans chapter eight…

 For the earnest expectation of the creation waits for the manifestation of the sons of God. For the creation was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who has subjected the same in hope, Because the creation itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God… but ourselves also, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, that is, the redemption of our body… Likewise the Spirit also helps our weakness… And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. What shall we then say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? (Rom 8:19-32 KJ2000)

Remember how I wrote above that the worm was dissolved inside the chrysalis? Now look at what Paul wrote to the Corinthians…

 For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven… Now he that has made us for the same thing is God, who also has given unto us the earnest of the Spirit. (2Co 5:1-5 KJ2000)

This transformation process that the saints of God must go through was a mystery down through the ages. It was hidden though the prophets desired to understand what God would do to change us. How would God ever get sinful men and women to become His sons and daughters? It was not done through the keeping of the law because the law was weak because of our sinful flesh (See Romans 8:3). No, it was done by the cross of Christ and the imparting into us of His resurrection life.

 Even the mystery which has been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: (Col 1:26-27 KJ2000)

Just as our suffering starts in this lifetime, so does our transformation, our metamorphosis, and herein is the glory of God seen among His sons and daughters for he submits us to this process in hope. Jesus Christ, the First-born Son of God,  is our hope and our glory in all things pertaining to life as we abide IN Him.

Amen. Even so, Come Lord Jesus… in us all.

Psalm 23 – the Path to Maturity in Christ

by Michael

PS 23 ShepherdThe LORD is my shepherd; I shall not lack. He makes me to lie down in green pastures: he leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul: he leads me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for you are with me; your rod and your staff they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies: you anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever. (Psalms 23:1-6 KJ2000)

A few years ago it occurred to me that Psalm 23 is a time-line of our journey in Christ. When we start out on our journey as His saints in Christian City, it is all about green pastures and still waters while He restores our sin ravaged souls. Here we learn that we are to follow Him in His paths of righteousness. It is a very wonderful time and for some it is just like an emotional honeymoon where Jesus is showing us that He is the Lover of our souls.

Then there comes the working of His personal cross, that instrument of death that is tailor-made to remove from us all that is in control and is contrary to the leading of His Spirit. This is confusing because we were always told that God wants to use us and our abilities to build His kingdom now that we are saved. Yet, though we are sincerely “trying to do the God stuff,” we start experiencing trials and testings and it is a painful time as He starts to pull that tumor of self out of us, yet He is there seeing us through it all and we find encouragement from that.

But then we find that our path with Him takes us to a strange place and there is a deep ravine in front of us which seems to block the way. We find ourselves lined up with others along the edge of a deep valley, the Valley of the Shadow of Death, with Jesus having moved to the opposite side bidding us to come to Him. Try as we may, there is only one way to get there, we must descend into that pit and endure all that is waiting there for us that we might know His fullness on the other side.

As we look in the bottom of that deep valley and we see a cross with our name on it waiting for us. Like Pilgrim in Pilgrims’ Progress, we must decide if we will go on. Many at this point decide that the price is too great and they retreat back to the comfort zone of the familiar, the green pastures and still waters, but their growth in Christ is held in check from that point on. They scurry back down the path to Christian city, seeking refuge from that awful sight, but Jesus just isn’t there like He once was because we have failed to obey Him as or Lord. Many who should know better try to comfort us and tell us that this lesser existence is normal and our Christianity is supposed to be this way. So they do all they can to make our church experience pleasing and comforting to our rebellious souls.

Robert Burnell in his booklet, “Escape from Christendom,” wrote:

“Is this the City of God?” I hear the traveler ask a woman at the information booth in the central square.

“No this is Christian City, “she replies.

“But I thought this road led to the City of God!” He exclaims with great disappointment.

“That’s what we all thought when we arrived,” she answers, her tone sympathetic.

“This road continues up the mountain, doesn’t it?” He asks.

“I wouldn’t know, really,” she answers blankly.

I watched the man turn away from her and trudge on up the mountain in the gathering darkness. Reaching the top, he starts out into the blackness; it looks as though there is nothing, absolutely nothing, beyond. With a shudder he retraces his steps into Christian City an takes a room at a hotel.

http://www.awildernessvoice.com/Escape.html

Yet, some of us bravely descend into that valley, or as in this allegory we climb that dark mountain, wanting to go on and get to where Jesus is in heavenly places in the Father, “Father that they might be where I am…” Inwardly we know that there is more than what we have seen so far. The way into that pit is fast as we slide down its slopes and everything in our lives seem to be totally out of our control. Finally, we hit our bottom and begrudgingly embrace the cross He has for us to kill-off all that is of Egypt, as it was with the Children of Israel, that still clings to us and is still of the old Adam within. Often it is confusing because here we find, as it was with the Master, those who jeer at us as we hang on our cross and these detractors were the ones we once knew in Christendom who on Palm Sunday were singing our praises! This makes the pain and suffering all that more effective in spiritual terms. “And one shall say unto him, ‘What are these wounds between your hands?’ Then he shall answer, ‘Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends’” (Zec 13:6 KJ2000). In a time like this it is hard to remember His admonition,

If the world hates you, you know that it hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own: but because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. But all these things will they do unto you for my name’s sake, because they know not him that sent me. (Joh 15:18-21 KJ2000)

The way out of this valley is long and arduous and it seems like it is more than just a mere “shadow of death,” but rather the real thing and that we will never get out of there alive. Just as all forsook Him on His trek up Calvary, so it is with us. We have the smell of death about us and the “green pastures” Christians want nothing to do with us, which adds more suffering to the cross we bear. It is a slow climb, but an ascent just the same, as we bare our cross knowing Jesus is still calling us upward to Him. That vision that we once had of Him over on the other side stays with us.

There is only one place for that old Adam within us, where we once found our strength and power, and that is on the cross. God can not use our natural charm, charisma, wit, strengths and abilities. These things are in rebellion to His will and deafen us to His voice. But once we climb out of that valley, being led by His upward call, we see Him there waiting for us with a vast table of His heavenly love, joy, wisdom, peace and all that HE is in the Father and he bids us come and dine with Him, “Come up here and I will show you things…” We can still see Christendom, but now it is on the opposite side of the valley where we once were and they are still serving in their tabernacles, but “We have an altar [table], of which they have no right to eat who serve the tabernacle” (Hebrews 13:10 KJ2000).

We still have the nay-sayer around us… our enemy is still there to discourage and confuse if he can, but Jesus is there at His table with us and our enemy’s voice is not as seductive as it once was. For now we know a faith and confidence in Jesus as we abide IN Him and the Father, being assured of His goodness and mercy, no matter what the enemy dishes out. We also have a new anointing that we never knew before. “You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over” with fresh revelation and power from the Spirit as He establishes us in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.

The prophet Micah wrote:

Therefore I will look unto the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me. Rejoice not against me, O my enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the LORD shall be a light unto me. I will bear the indignation of the LORD, because I have sinned against him, until he pleads my cause, and executes justice for me: he will bring me forth to the light, and I shall behold his righteousness. (Micah 7:7-9 KJ2000)

The presence of Jesus with us is like never before because we are now IN Him and He sustains us like never before, because we put our total trust in Him. This is a vision that sustained Paul and the early saints through all that they suffered for Jesus… a vision and presence that sings forth in worship in the depths of prisons with backs torn by the jailer’s whip. There is only rejoicing from here on out, no matter what our earthly circumstances are and we are comforted in that we have been counted worthy to suffer these things for the gospel of Christ and His kingdom. Isaiah prophesied,

Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he has put him to grief: when you shall make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his offspring, he shall prolong his days, and the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. He shall see the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. (Isaiah 53:10-11 KJ2000)

Jesus rejoiced in His sufferings for the joy that was set before HIM in the Father. He saw the end of it all… His offspring, many sons and daughters into and unto the glory of God and it sustained Him. We are to be,

Looking unto Jesus the author and perfecter of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such hostility of sinners against himself, lest you be wearied and faint in your minds. (Hebrews 12:2-3 KJ2000)

Our focus has been change from all things here on earth including earth-bound churches to those things which are of heaven. We have become so heavenly minded that we are of no benefit to those who build earth bound things, yet it is HIS kingdom what we build, the Kingdom of Heaven, as the Spirit works through us by His power and might and not of our own.

The stone which the builders rejected has become the head stone of the corner. This is the LORD’S doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. (Psa 118:22-23 KJ2000 – emphasis added)

Therefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered outside the gate. Let us go forth therefore unto him outside the camp, bearing his reproach. For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come. (Hebrews 13:12-14 KJ2000)

To Whom Is the Arm of the Lord Revealed?

by Michael

Who is among you that fears the LORD, that obeys the voice of his servant, that walks in darkness, and has no light? let him trust in the name of the LORD, and rely upon his God. Behold, all you that kindle a fire, that encircle yourselves with sparks: walk in the light of your fire, and in the sparks that you have kindled. This shall you have of my hand; you shall lie down in sorrow. (Isa 50:10-11 KJ2000)

Many of us have known lives filled with disappointment, rejection and sufferings. I want you to know that as you have given yourselves over to God, it is all in His plan for you and that there is His light waiting for you at the end of the tunnel you have been in. I dedicate this teaching to you.

 Who has believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed? For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he has no stately form nor splendor; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. (Isa 53:1-5 KJ2000)

Verse one in the above passage in the Amplified Version reads, “WHO HAS believed (trusted in, relied upon, and clung to) our message [of that which was revealed to us]? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been disclosed? (Isa 53:1 AMP). This is a great question that proceeds a great passage about our Savior and His great sufferings on this earth spoken by Isaiah the prophet. I think Isaiah was skeptical that anyone could hear his message about the Messiah. Yes, just WHO will believe and trust in the cling to a Saviour such as this? A tender plant? A gnarly root on top of the ground with no beauty about Him for men to see? Rather they rejected Him and He had no honor in His own home town or among His kin. The despised Him so much that they sought to kill Him more often than not. If today’s evangelists came to us in this form would we receive their gospel messages? Would we treat them any different? Yes, who will know the arm of the Lord in their lives? Who will know the power of His might, first to save them and then to refine them through sufferings into the sons of God? Ours is a Hollywood gospel that appeals to our flesh, spoken by smooth talking, handsome men in three piece suits wearing expensive shoes who time their messages by their Rolex watches. Isaiah had none of these in His description of Jesus and it was not receive back then either. To whom then is the arm of the Lord then revealed? David wrote, “The LORD is near unto them that are of a broken heart; and saves such as be of a contrite spirit” (Psa 34:18 KJ2000).

“The arm of the Lord” also refers to His power to do the miraculous. Many Christians come to Christ and want His power, but that power only came to Jesus as He was obedient to His Father and did HIS will, not His own. Satan often tempted Him to take the power He had to Himself for His own purposes. “You are hungry, Jesus, turn this stone into bread.” “Prove to all in the temple you are the Son of God and leap off its pentacle in front of them. Doesn’t the scripture say that your Father will bear you up with His angels?” Or how about the temptation that came out of His disciple’s own mouth when He told them about how He had to go up to Jerusalem and suffer and die at the hands of the leaders of the Jews? “Be it far from you, Lord! Spare yourself!” To which Jesus responded, “Get behind me, Satan! For you desire the things of men and not the things pertaining to God.” If He had listened and put first the things pertaining to His life and comfort we would all be lost because that is exactly what Satan did that brought about his fall. He sought power over the kingdom of God without obedience to Him.

This chapter in Isaiah is all about Jesus and what He went through to be fully formed into the manifest Son of God on this earth. He learned obedience by the things He suffered. In Hebrews we read,

 Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared; Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him; (Heb 5:7-9 KJ2000)

Not only was Jesus made perfect through suffering, but so are we. It was because of Him loving not His life even unto death that He had power. He moved in that obedience as the Son of God, only doing what He saw His Father doing and only speaking what He heard His Father saying and the demons trembled! Because of His great obedience, His was the arm of the Lord. It is no different with those of us who are being conformed into Christ’s image as the sons and daughters of God. Before power can come through us, God has to break us and pour us out for others as He did the Son. Paul wrote, “For just as Christ’s [ own] sufferings fall to our lot [as they overflow upon His disciples, and we share and experience them] abundantly, so through Christ comfort (consolation and encouragement) is also [shared and experienced] abundantly by us” (2Co 1:5 AMP).

Many want the power of God to flow through them, but they don’t want to pay the price by which it comes. In those last hours that Jesus was with them on earth the disciples asked if they could sit in seats of power at Jesus’ side in heaven, but there was a price to pay for that to happen…

 “When you come into your glory, please let one of us sit at your right side and the other at your left.” Jesus told them, “You don’t really know what you’re asking! Are you able to drink from the cup that I must soon drink from or be baptized as I must be baptized?” (Mar 10:37-38 CEV)

Why did Paul have power over sickness and demons? It was because He wanted ALL that Jesus is in His life. Power is only part of the package and the cup of suffering is not optional. He wrote,

But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but rubbish, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having my own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; (Phi 3:7-10 KJ2000)

This man not only wanted Christ’s power and authority, but He wanted ALL of Christ! He counted all his former life and his very Jewishness and rabbinical accomplishments as rubbish as well as everything else that he once held dear that He might attain all that God had for him in Christ. Most of us read the above passage and narrow it down to part of one verse, “That I am know… the power!” We all want resurrection power. We want to stand before men and heal the sick and raise the dead and would love to get the attention that goes with it or we want to rule over the lives of the saints of God when Christ is the Head of the church and is the ONLY Mediator between God and man. We like to take things out of context like this passage…

 Therefore he says, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men… And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers…” (Eph 4:8-11 KJ2000)

But Paul goes on and tells us the purpose of this empowerment from God…

 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ: That we from now on be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, by which they lie in wait to deceive; (Eph 4:13-14 KJ2000)

From what I have seen those who have the so called “five fold” use it to keep aloof and above the saints of God, maintaining the false clergy-laity separation instead of demonstrating in all lowliness the UNITY of all saints, great or small. Didn’t Jesus say that those among us who would be the greatest must become the least and the slaves of all? There is no division in a perfect body. For it to work it must be unified in every way with each member having no less a part in that perfection than another. It is this dis-unity brought about by a hierarchal system in todays visible church that is why we so often are tossed about by every wind of doctrine and sleight of men with their cunning craftiness and deception. Paul warned it would end up that way (See Acts 20:29-30) and could see it starting already before he died.

After prophesying all the sufferings that Jesus would go through, Isaiah ends by saying,

 Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he has put him to grief: when you shall make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his offspring, he shall prolong his days, and the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. He shall see the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he has poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. (Isa 53:10-12 KJ2000)

Yes, Isaiah 53 is about Jesus and HE is the Savior, but the context says it is also about those “to whom the arm of the Lord is revealed,” as well. His sufferings and righteous obedience to His Father was so that we also could overcome in our sufferings and know His righteousness in us by His sacrifice.

What does this mean, “when you shall make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his offspring, he shall prolong his days, and the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand”? When did Jesus see His spiritual offspring and prolong His day on this earth? It was after He suffered and died! The will of His Father prospers in His hands through those of His offspring who “live and move and have their beings” IN Him! We who are the sons and daughters of God because of what our Brother Jesus has done are His offspring. It is by living out His resurrected life in us that He is prolonging His days here on earth. Didn’t Paul say, “…but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Phi 1:20-21 KJ2000)? It is in hearts like this that the will and power of the Lord prospers in Christ;s hand.

The power that Paul demonstrated by Christ in Him was also constantly accomplished with suffering just as Jesus said it would in their first encounter, “…he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: For I will show him what great things he must suffer for my name’s sake” (Act 9:15-16 KJ2000). Oh how we would love to be so respected that we would stand before kings and presidents, but for Paul that also came with much suffering.

 I once was moved to tears as I watched a movie called “The Green Mile.” It was about a simple black man with no shoes and in bib overalls who was falsely accuse of murder who just wanted to take away the sufferings of those around him and somehow he had the power to heal and take their sufferings into his own body. As I watched the movie I wept and asked the Lord if He could trust me with His healing power like this man. He answered me in a very personal way by casting that role of John Koffee in an actor named… Michael Clarke Duncan. I wept so hard upon seeing this in the ending credits that it was a good half hour before I could drive home. He had my name! Later my wife who was with me looked up “Duncan” in a book about the Scottish clans and the slogan on their family crest is, “Learn to Suffer.”

 “And he that takes not his cross, and follows after me, is not worthy of me. He that finds his life shall lose it: and he that loses his life for my sake shall find it.” ~ Jesus of Nazareth