Right Now, Before Our Very Eyes

"There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots." (Isaiah 11:1)

Well, Jesus did, "come forth," and history testifies to the, "grow out," appearing.  But if you read the rest of Isaiah 11, you will discover that there is still a "come forth," a continual revelation, if you will, of His purposes.

I would highly suggest a reading of Isaiah 11.  It "jumped" from the pages today as I read it. It has been and is being and will be fulfilled.  There is so much of this aspect of Biblical prophecy, i.e., has been, is being, and will be.  This is the "story" of history.  No generation, no people group/nation, no individual can escape or get "outside" the Words of God and their inevitable fulfillment.  But who would want to?  Praise Him that we are in the days of "rapid" fulfillments.  

Consider verse 12, for instance, "He will set up a banner for the nations, and will assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth."  Jesus did this and continues to do this within my life time.  How is that for "has been, is being?!?"  Every day when people read the newspaper or watch news broadcasts, they are watching, "is-being"- fulfillment of the "God-Breathed" Words.

I challenge you today to, "search the Scriptures," then literally look around, listen around, watch around.  What you see is from somewhere in the Bible; some part of Isaiah 11 is being fulfilled right now before our eyes.

Father, in Jesus' Name, as You counseled the Laodiceans, I want to "anoint [my] eyes with eye salve, that [I] may see,".  Amen.  

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When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2

"God Particles"

"Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us." (Matthew 1:23)

I have noticed how my devotionals have "grown" over the years.  Today, I want to just share a thought.  There has been a lot of talk of the discovery of "The God Particle."  I made a comment on Facebook and got some "religious" response.  Listen, anything that brings the attention of the Global Community to what an Albanian once described to me as "God conscienceness," is okay with me.  

One of the greatest evangelism tools today would be for Christians to stop using Christianese, copycat, catch phrases, and just share Jesus Christ.  Excuse the plagiarism, but Jesus Christ is the Ultimate "God Particle"-- "The Word became flesh and dwelled among us," and, "No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten (from a Greek word which means, "one-and-only," or, "one of a kind") God who is in the bosom of the Father, He as explained Him."  He is, "God with us," and as our Lord has said to those who have surrendered their lives to Him, "in you."  Hey, maybe there is a real sense in which you and I are "God Particles."

Father, in Jesus' Name, thank you so much for your continual revelation of Yourself------ however You choose to do it.  Please reveal Yourself in me to all with whom I come in contact today.  Amen.

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See Netanyahu's July 4th Short Message: www.jerberwash.blogspot.com   

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2

Without Jesus Christ, Freedom Is Slavery Disguised

"I will declare the decree: The Lord has said to Me, 'You are My Son, today I have begotten You.  Ask of Me, and I will give You the nations for Your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for Your possession.'"

(Psalm 2:7, 8)

Psalm 2 is a great place to be "stuck."  The word, "begotten," is better translated, "bring forth," or, "revealed."  It is accurate Biblical Theology to say, "I have introduced You."  It does not mean "created."  Jesus, the Son, is of the Self-Existent Godhead.  The great Creed of the Church states, "begotten, not made."  This is the Creator God of the Universe, He Who Alone Is, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."  Or as one Bible scholar says,  "Before the beginning began, the Word already was."  It is amusing to me that the headlines today in some papers declared the discovery of "the God particle."  I could have saved the scientists a lot of time, frustration, and money.  The Book declares, "In the beginning God...," and, "In the beginning was the Word," Jesus.

This is in America "Independence Day."  I put a quote of an 18th Century Boston preacher on Facebook; maybe you could check it out.  One of his statements is, "We are engaged in a most important contest; not for power but for freedom."  The freedom which the Pilgrims came here to establish was a freedom from the tyranny of Europe; it was not, my friend, a freedom from the reign of Jesus Christ.  The early Pilgrims came to these shores to free themselves from those, "kings of the earth," who had, "set themselves...against the Lord and His Christ," and to "set themselves" under, "the Lord and His Christ."

There is just no "freedom" apart from Jesus Christ.  Any person who speaks of "freedom" and thinks that "freedom" means freedom from, "the Lord and His Christ," is a slave of the first order.  No person can speak of freedom and independence from the Living Triune God in the same sentence---------- and be speaking truth.  "You shall know the truth, and (only) the truth shall make you free....Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed," and only, "if the Son makes you free...."  Guns cannot give this, "free"; demonstrations cannot bring this, "free"; wars cannot.  All of that brings something temporary at best.  Without Jesus Christ, freedom is slavery disguised.  

My friend, Governor Brownback, once said, "Slavery is America's original sin;" it is a deep stain on the "American experience," and any Fourth of July celebration.  But many of those slaves were really free because they were, as Paul described, "bondservants of Jesus Christ."  They gave us great songs and worship and attitude that no matter what the physical state, there is freedom in Jesus.  The words of Jesus are true today of so many, "You belong to your father, the devil,.. not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him."  

The Negro slaves of American history, the Pilgrims who came to these shores, Wesley, Whitefield, Edwards, and many of the framers of the US Constitution were free-----------------------------------------even before July 4, 1776.   

Father, in Jesus' Name, I deeply thank You for America and what You have done here.  May we be worthy of the sacrifice of so many.  Amen.

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Good July Fourth Article: www.jerberwash.blogspot.com

Unreached People Group: www.apfunreachedpeoples.blogspot.com

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2

They Came "In Order To Form a More Perfect Union"

"Now therefore, be wise, O kings; be instructed, you judges of the earth." (Psalm 2:10)

This time through Psalm 2 I was greatly impacted by the address to nations, peoples (communities), kings, rulers, judges.  Why has so much of Christendom over the years failed to see this?  Is it that they don't want to see it?  According to Matthew's account, Jesus sent us after the nations, "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations."  Mark's account says, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation" (NASB).  According to Strong's, the Greek word translated, "creature," in the KJV means, "creation, creature, institution."  Can you see that our Lord Jesus Christ is affirming, first, His Lordship over creation, second, His Lordship over the nations, third, His Lordship over humanity, fourth, His Lordship over every aspect of a given culture?  Now some may say, "Wait a minute, Jesus is not Lord of everybody."  Oh yes He is.  They may not be "saved" and going to Heaven, but their very eternal destiny is determined by Jesus Christ, their response to Him, and His Way, His Truth, His Life, His Reign.  Matthew 25 declares, "When [Jesus] comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory.  All the nations will be gathered before Him...."  Jesus Christ is the Judge of the nations. 

I found it particularly interesting that the word translated, "creature/creation," in Mark's version of "The Great Command" can also be translated in some contexts, "institution."  I want to share with you the definition of, "institution," according to Dictionary.com.  Are you ready for this?

"1. an organization, establishment, foundation, society, or the like, devoted to the promotion of a particular cause or program, especially one of a public, educational, or charitable character.

2. a building devoted to such work.

3. a public or private place for the care or confinement of inmates, especially mental patients or other disabled or handicapped persons.

4. a well-established and structured pattern of behavior or of relationships that is accepted as a fundament part of a culture, as marriage.

5. any established law, custom, etc."  

Now, "Go into all the world," and take over all of this!  

I can hear someone say, "Boy, does he need a reality check."  On the contrary, I challenge  you to read all of Psalm 2 without religious, Sunday School eyeglasses.  You will discover that the Holy Spirit is not just speaking to individuals, but nations, people (communities), kings, rulers, judges.  The persecuted Church of Europe realized that Jesus Christ is, "the governor among the nations," and they came to North America to do something: "We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."  The phrase, "in order to form a more perfect government," my friend, is code for, "Go into all the world," and take over------everyone, everything, in every place.  This is not totalitarianism.  There were and are allowed many religions, political philosophies, etc., in America.  But the reason the early Pilgrims came to our shores was, "For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever."  I hope to speak more of this Sunday, July 8, in the CCE meeting.

Father, in Jesus' Name, You are continually enlarging the stakes of my tent.  Only You can enable me to walk in this.  Amen.

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2

You Are Not Alone

"Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say?  Father, save me from this hour: but for this purpose I came to this hour."

(John 12:27)

This is a little treading on the proverbial "thin ice," but there is something deeply moving to me about our Lord's struggle here.  I have personally experienced, "Father, what should I say?"  There are overwhelming times in everyone's life to some degree or another, not just for ourselves, but others we know or hear about.  You go to pray for yourself and them, to seek relief, answers, direction, and the words just do not come.

Don't be proud if this has never happened to you; life is not over.  But to those who are humble enough to admit such a depth of inundation, there is comfort in the example of our Lord Jesus.  "Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say?"  He then submits a possible prayer, "Should I say something like, 'Father, save Me from this hour?'  But then, "For this purpose I came to this hour."  So, He did not say, "....save Me...."  Oh, how we do want to pray that prayer.  Later in the Garden, however, He would say those most powerful of submission words, "Nevertheless not my will, but but thine, be done."  Many of the so-called "faith people" have railed on such praying as capitulation to unbelief.  On the contrary for me; it has saved my life.

It is apparently okay to be in such a place as our Lord Jesus Christ "found" Himself in our text, because in a very real sense it is identity with and in Him.  In His case, "the hour of temptation," was upon Him.  As Barkley once said, "No one wants to die at 33."  But in Father, in Holy Spirit, Jesus saw the "greater purpose."  He saw you and me facing a life of separation from the Godhead, unforgiveness, the fires of Hell; hence, His response, "But for this purpose I came to this hour."  Oh, I pray for you and me, "Let this mind be in [us], which was also in Christ Jesus...," and it is, because Christ Jesus is in us who believe and follow, yes; but may His, "mind," be "released" in us, in our approach to all that life brings.

"But for this purpose...."  There are purposes for each of us and the Church in general.  Sometimes when we see their possibilities looming on the horizon, we too say, "What should I say," or, "What can I say," or, "I really don't have anything to say."  In that moment, when it seems most overwhelming, most fearful, most dreadful, Jesus brings us to the same place He was in our text, and in that "place," in Jesus Christ Himself, is the prayer to pray, the faith to believe that He has not left us, nor forsaken us, but keeps us in His bosom.  "Oh, Jesus, Blessed Redeemer, sent from the Heart of God, hold us who wait before Thee, near to the heart of God."  I go one better on the hymn writer.  Those who love, surrender to, and obey Jesus are not just "near to the Heart of God;" they are in the very "Heart of God"!

Father, in Jesus' Name, I admit that I, "don't know how to pray as I should," but thank You so much that Holy Spirit does.  Amen.

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Read An Accurate Take on Recent Egyptian Elections:

www.jerberwash.blogspot.com

Today's Unreached People Group: www.apfunreachedpeoples.blogspot.com

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2