Yesterday we saw that God makes His best announcements in the presence of great evil. There are more announcements to come. But in between these mountain-top proclamations, God gives wise counsel to the Prophet Isaiah who has his ears tuned to divine instruction.
“For the Lord spoke thus to me with his strong hand upon me, and warned me not to walk in the way of this people, saying: “Do not call conspiracy all that this people calls conspiracy, and do not fear what they fear, nor be in dread. But the Lord of hosts, him you shall honor as holy. Let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. And He will become a sanctuary and a stone of offense and a rock of stumbling to both houses of Israel, a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And many shall stumble on it. They shall fall and be broken; they shall be snared and taken.”” (Isaiah 8:11–15). There is a very interesting parallel between what was taking place in Israel under Ahaz and what we are experiencing today. Even among Christians, there is unfounded fear of what is happening in the world that leads to false labeling of events, rather than honoring the Lord with reverential fear so HE is hollowed in our lives! Many are taking “offense” and “stumbling” over the Rock of our Salvation, Jesus Christ. Some are crushed and some are broken in pieces (Matthew 21:44). But those who make Him their “Cornerstone…will not be put to shame” (1 Peter 2:6). Isaiah’s heart was in the right place and guarded by truth. He says, “I will wait for the Lord, who is hiding his face from the house of Jacob, and I will hope in him.” (Isaiah 8:17). While the world around us is blind to what God is doing, to such a man or woman like this, God gives more announcements that further strengthens faith and gives purpose and meaning to why He has left us here. If you are struggling with ‘bad news’, please keep reading the next blogs in the days ahead. God will infuse your heart and mind with His eternal purpose! Wait and hope in Him!
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God often works in times of great contrast to prove that His purposes will succeed. After two good kings of Judah, Uzziah and his son Jotham, Ahaz the son of Jotham “did not do what was right in the eyes of the Lord his God, as his father David had done…he even burned his son as an offering, according to the despicable practices of the nations” (2 Kings 16:2-3). In response to this evil king, Syria in cooperation with Ephraim (the northern kingdom of Israel) plan evil against Ahaz (Isaiah 7).
In this bad situation for Judah, with a godless king and enemies barking at his heels, God asks Ahaz if he is going to ask for a sign from God about what is going to happen. “Ahaz said, I will not ask, neither will I tempt the Lord” (7:12). The “house or David”, referring to Judah, was so callous in their disrespect of God that Isaiah says to them, “Is it too little for you to weary men, that you weary my God also?” They would not even speak to God in prayer. God is going to give them a sign anyway, one that speaks directly to the evil Ahaz had done with his own son. “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel” (7:14). God will have HIS Son appear on earth on His terms. This is a sign that defies human understanding! A “virgin shall conceive and bear a son”! It had never happened before in history and will never be repeated. It is a divine act proving that God will see that His truth prevails and His purpose succeeds no matter what anyone says or does, and He will do it in a way that cannot be denied. The question is; are we ready to receive God’s Son and let Him reign without any rival? A baby’s hands in Bethlehem
Were small and softly curled. But held within their dimpled grasp The hope of all the world. Leslie Savage “In these last days He has spoken to us by His Son…through whom He also created the world…and He upholds the universe by the word of His power” (Hebrews 1:2-3). I am purposely interrupting my mini-series on the “Announcement” of Christ’s birth and coming. There are things happening through this ministry in parts of the world that prove the power of the “MESSAGE” Jesus left His disciples that is still being proclaimed. Here are some highlights:
1."Today, we have begun the final training for leaders in this area. Each of the participants have completed the training manual, God's Plan for His Church (GPHC), and are now working on their final project. This project consists of taking all that is learned in Acts and Paul's Epistles and putting it into a plan for their cities, regions and country. It is exciting to see the enthusiastic faith of these followers of Christ." 2. "Key leaders empowered by the Holy Spirit really can multiply churches and the gospel rapidly. We see this happening in this area, and the key leader has a plan for training many others throughout the country to do the same." 3. "Prayer frees His church and their leaders to renew her focus and strength to accomplish His plan. Cultural obstacles cannot stand in the way of those who pray, and like the Book of Acts, unified praying can transform many lives and churches." 4. "People hungry for God's Word and His Spirit know God's power in ways the complacent can never begin to imagine. We see a hunger here that opens a door for God to work in amazing ways." 5. "One lady said, “I was encouraged and challenged to return back to the Bible. There is not much dedication to the Bible here. I started and stopped several times, but now with GPHC I learned to love God’s Word. Now I am trained to evangelize and learned to let the Holy Spirit guide me. Now my family and my husband persecute me. I thought about divorce, but instead, I am focusing on raising my children in godliness." 6. Another lady said, “I have already taken theological courses, so I was only coming for one day, but now I want to study more of GPHC. It has challenged me more and more.” 7. "A young Hmong man said, “Most courses do not go back to the Bible, but GPHC start with ‘back to the Bible’. Most Hmong churches have no plan, no goal and do not follow a biblical plan. I want to take GPHC to the churches.” (This young man also desires to translate GPHC into Hmong.)" 8. "One person said, “There are many courses in human reasoning and man’s ways, but this course studies the Bible.”" 9. "Our leaders are motivated now to go and teach other leaders in their region what they have learned through the GPHC training." As you can see, the “MESSAGE” of God’s Word is spreading and having a powerful result. If you desire to be part of this movement of God, or want to know more about this ministry, please go to our contact page and send us an email. GOD IS CALLING YOU TO RETURN TO HIS WORD! It is really amazing that the first clear and direct statement pointing to the coming of Jesus was given by God to Satan! “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; He shall bruise [crush] your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”” (Genesis 3:15). The “offspring” of the woman ultimately points to Christ as the victorious “seed”. The tense of the verbs in this verse imply that there will be a long struggle, but at the cross of Christ, the victory was sealed by resurrection. We have this victory in Christ (1 Corinthians 15:57).
What an announcement! Satan was put on notice at the very beginning of his deceptive work in mankind that his end was coming. Hebrews 2 opens up this truth for us. “He himself [Jesus] likewise partook of the same things [flesh and blood], that through death He might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil” This is only half of the good news. Knowing that Satan’s power in death is destroyed is one thing, but realizing that Christ will “deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery” (Hebrews 2:14–15) means that those who by faith place their lives on Christ’s work on the cross are free from Satan’s control now! God has continued to make this announcement down through the ages. And now through us, His witnesses, we do and must make known what God promised there in the Garden of Eden. The announcement is the same; its truth is the same and its power is unchanged! No wonder the angels proclaimed at Jesus birth, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom He is pleased!” (Luke 2:14). Let us swell the chorus of praise to our God! As many turn their thoughts toward the Christmas season, the remembrance of Christ’s birth, I want to remind you that this ministry exists because of the coming of Jesus into this world. Without Him, we would have no message to proclaim and no reason to have a passion to equip evangelists, church planters and church leaders.
But let’s go back to the very beginning. Peter reminds believers who were in exile, how to conduct themselves during difficult times by “knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you” (1 Peter 1:18–20). The plan of God to “ransom” (freely paid to buy us back) from the bondage and wages of sin, was planned “before the foundation of the world”! The plan was not a cheap plan. God was going to expend what had the highest value – HIS SON! The marvel of His plan was that it was set and ready to implement even before sin made the plan necessary. The knowledge of this is priceless! It is no wonder that Paul says, “We have this treasure in jars of clay” – in you and me (2 Corinthians 4:7). If God’s plan included His best, and we who are in Christ have the treasure of this gift in us, why not give it away as freely as God has given it to us? Christmas lights, decorations, and presents will have a very short life, but the treasure of the message of salvation through Christ is eternal! Which will you give to someone this year who has never heard? I am compelled to quote from E. M. Bounds again. “The Holy Spirit does not flow through methods, but through men. He does not come on machinery, but on men. He does not anoint plans, but men – men of prayer! (The Complete Works of E. M. Bounds on Prayer, Prince Press, 2000, page 447).
This present hour is more critical than we realize. I am not referring to the dangers and conflicts that are multiplying between nations and factions around the world. I am referring to the present state of the church falling short of our purpose. We are missing God’s “Big Picture” for the church because we are mired down in organizational machinery and methods that leave out the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. Will you join me in renewed prayer – becoming men and women of prayer! Then we will see God work as never before to glorify Himself, evangelize the unreached, strengthen the church, and prepare Christ’s Bride for His return. E. M. Bounds in the chapter, Men of Prayer are Needed, makes a statement that should cause the church to stop and think carefully about where our focus is today. He said, “The church is looking for better methods; God is looking for better men.” Bounds goes on to note that men such as John the Baptist prepared the way and ushered in the Savior of the world, Christ our Lord. “Paul appeals to the personal character of men who planted the gospel in the world. The glory and efficiency of the gospel is staked on the men who proclaim it.” (The Complete Works of E. M. Bounds on Prayer, Prince Press, 2000, page 447-449).
“Better men” are not defined by organizational standards. They are defined by how closely they walk with God in their prayer life. “The real sermon is made in the closet. The man – God’s man – is made in the closet. His life and his profoundest convictions were born in his secret communion with God…Prayer makes the man. Every preacher who does not make prayer a mighty factor in his own life and ministry is weak as a factor in God’s work and is powerless to project God’s cause in this world.” As we consider the crying need for faithful men and women to carry the gospel into God’s harvest field, let us first examine our prayer life. Then we will have power with God in fulfilling His plan and purpose that “this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations (ethnos), and then the end will come” (Matthew 24:14). Just received an update from a brother who is taking the teaching of the Vietnamese GPHC northward. Already, in just one year, many churches have been started and are growing and multiplying as a result of the Spirit breathing life in His Word, His Plan, God's Plan. What makes this expansion, mission and ministry so precious and encouraging is that it is truly an indigenous and self-sustaining movement of God. We often say you can have as many churches and church planters as you have money, but a movement like this without Western money and without Western leadership, well, this is what only God can do. After over 20 years of working in Asia, it is so encouraging to realize that it can be done indigenously and autonomously when we rely and trust the Holy Spirit and the Word of God. To God be the glory! (Who else could this glory go to, since this is something only God can do!) Incidentally, this Sunday, Randy and I will travel via bus from Cambodia, where we have launched the new Khmer GPHC, to Vietnam to be with this brother in the South to celebrate another 20+ leaders finishing GPHC and then traveling north to join our Lord at work in celebrating with more leaders who have finished GPHC. Let me just add, in every case thus far, they have not waited to complete the GPHC to start churches. They have already started churches. I have several live recorded testimonies which I will pass on later. Let me just add one additional thought to this time of celebration; it is so special when they plan, expand and finance their own mission! Obviously I am biased when it comes to being self-sustaining as Paul was for the Thessalonians (1 Thess. 4:12), but I can see in their faces the value of supporting themselves. Maybe this is my imagination, but it seems like the Holy Spirit moves and empowers in a fresh and free way in Him. There is always freedom in the use of money as long as we use the temporal for the eternal. Thanks again! Tim (Email from VN) Thanks God. Thank Pastor Tim, Sherman, Matthew had prayed for the exploration of new course opening today of 15 students (6 Pastor and 9 leaders MENNONITE CHURCH) join this course on the one day each month. This is of 22nd course in GPHC_VN. I just left and return my home. Your Timothy I am deeply touched by an email received from my partner in this ministry. He points to the great need Jesus expressed in Matthew 9:37-38; “Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”” Just before this imperative, “When He saw the crowds, He had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd” (9:36).
What will deeply motivate us to “pray earnestly” with consistency and heart-felt compassion? Jesus showed us how to observe people and look deeper than what can be seen on the surface. It is true, we cannot know what is going on in their hearts, but there is a general condition caused by sin that evokes compassion. Without THE SHEPHERD, people are “harassed and helpless”. Jesus was right when He said, “the laborers are few”. But He was also correct about the solution. “Pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest”, those who have the message of grace that frees from bondage through forgiveness and empowers by His Spirit. This is where we see a great connection between Jesus' appeal in Matthew 9 and Acts 13:2-4. In worship, there must be hearts that long for the nations to glorify God for His mercy to mankind in providing a Shepherd who will save them from this “harassed and helpless” condition. For this message to reach the “harassed and helpless”, there needs to be laborers/workers who will rise up and say, “Í WILL GO”! Will you pray with us? Will you ask God to put a spirit of earnestness in your heart to be faithful in prayer and truly compassionate for those unreached with this message of salvation, hope and eternal life in Christ? |
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