MOUNTAIN
Let me present a few thoughts about the Mountain of the Lord's House. In Daniel 2:35 we read that the stone which smote the image of Nebuchadnezzar in its feet, rolled on until it became a great mountain and filled the whole earth. Later we learn (vs 44) that it represents the Kingdom of God in the earth.
We read elsewhere of this mountain in Mic. 4 and Isa. 2. It says that the Mountain of the Lord's House shall be established in the TOPS OF THE MOUNTAINS, and shall be EXALTED ABOVE THE LITTLE HILLS, and all nations shall flow into it. In other words, the Kingdom of God is the Acme of Spiritual development.
Isa. 11 and 65 tell about the blessed conditions which will exist in this Holy Mountain. "They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My Holy Mountain." (The Mountain of My Holiness)
Psalm 2 tells us (6) that "My Holy Hill is Zion," and that His King sits on it. The margin calls it ZION, THE HILL OF MY HOLINESS. Psa 87-- "The Lord loveth the gates of Zion---glorious things are spoken of thee, O CITY OF GOD."
Psa 48: " Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised in the City of our God, in the Mountain of His Holiness."
I am afraid there has been a tendency to think about Mount Zion as being a place of Glory and Dominion (which it surely is), but not enough about it being also a Mountain of Holiness. Isa. 35:8 speaks about the highway which leads to Mount Zion (vs 10) and says it shall be called "The Way of Holiness." While the redeemed of the Lord walk this Highway of Holiness, they will have songs and everlasting joy upon their heads. Note the word everlasting. This signifies a joy of Heavenly origin, of the same type which was set
before Jesus to cause Him to endure the Cross, and despise the shame. THERE SEEMS TO BE A TENDENCY these days for us to attempt to create a "pseudo-joy" which can be made compatible with an unclean life. The Psalmist (24) asked who would be permitted to walk this Highway to the Hill of the Lord (vs 3), and received the same answer as was given by Isaiah (35)-- "the unclean shall not pass over it." (vs 8) "If a man therefore purge himself...". "Purge out therefore the old leaven.." "Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members instruments of unrighteousness unto sin, but yield yourselves unto God.." "Looking diligently lest any man FAIL of the Grace of God; lest any root of BITTERNESS springing up trouble you, and thereby many be DEFILED; lest there be any fornicator, or profane person." "Follow peace--- and Holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord."
Monday, March 29, 2010
Friday, March 26, 2010
SPIRITSOFJUSTMEN
SPIRITS OF JUST MEN
I am almost positive that the Church leaders of yester year, and many of today, have been steered off course by the teaching of things which cannot be proven in the light of Scriptures as they stand, unchanged by past traditions and legends.
I submit for your consideration today a Scripture which seems to tell me that God has something more in store for His last-day Church than a fire escape to save them from annihilation.
If His Church is going to be Glorious, it should be brought to that point _before_ it is "Raptured" out of the world.
I wonder sometimes if we haven't overworked the "Rapture" a little bit. Maybe it has been emphasized a little more than it should have been, in view of other scriptures which seem to contradict, or at least detract from its position of priority in our circles.
One such Scripture is Heb. 12:22 _But ye are come_unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, To the _ general assembly and church of the firstborn,_ which are written in heaven, and to God the
Judge of all, and to the _spirits of just men made perfect,_ And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than [that of] Abel. __
The first thing that stands out to me is that we do not deal with Sinai anymore, but with Sion (Grace in Jesus Christ). We don't need to fret ourselves with an earthly city, __which has served its purpose,__ but we now have the Spirit of God within us, with the promise of
more of the same at the Day of Atonement, before the end of the Age. We __are the City of the Living God__, and have the promise of the Glory of God in the end.
Gal 4:24 _Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar. For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and__ is in bondage with her children.__ But Jerusalem __which is above is free,__ which is the mother of us all. _
I hope the phrase_ "Church of the Firstborn"_ means to you what it does to me. Some day, maybe we will be prompted to trace the "firstborn" through the Scripture with you. It is fascinating to watch God carry out His plan.
The burden of this lesson, however, is _"the spirits of just men made perfect."_ To me it speaks that God's plan calls for a few "good men" (and women) to be brought to a state of perfection (completeness) in the economy of God. The purpose of this is to have people who can administer God's "economy" or judgments (ways) in the earth. In some places they are called "Angels".
In other places they are called "reapers". They will be what the Bible calls_ Eunuchs;_ personal ambition will be gone. They will _faithfully administer the things of __God._
Isaiah 26:9 _With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments (Mishphat--manners, or ways--not punishments) [are] in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness. _
The problem facing each of us today is that of being what the Bible calls "just". That is our job. God will have no trouble with His part, if we get our part done.
Merely being "saved by Grace" will not cut it. We will have to add the attributes found in 2 Peter 1:5 __"And beside this, giving all diligence, ADD TO YOUR FAITH _virtue;_ and to virtue _knowledge;_ And to knowledge _temperance,_ and to temperance _patience;_ and to patience _Godliness;_ And to godliness _brotherly kindness;_ and to brotherly kindness _charity._ For if these things be in you, and abound, they make [you that ye shall] _neither _[be] barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge_ of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is _blind, and cannot see afar off,_ and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall.___
_THIS IS THE PATH OF THE JUST_
I am almost positive that the Church leaders of yester year, and many of today, have been steered off course by the teaching of things which cannot be proven in the light of Scriptures as they stand, unchanged by past traditions and legends.
I submit for your consideration today a Scripture which seems to tell me that God has something more in store for His last-day Church than a fire escape to save them from annihilation.
If His Church is going to be Glorious, it should be brought to that point _before_ it is "Raptured" out of the world.
I wonder sometimes if we haven't overworked the "Rapture" a little bit. Maybe it has been emphasized a little more than it should have been, in view of other scriptures which seem to contradict, or at least detract from its position of priority in our circles.
One such Scripture is Heb. 12:22 _But ye are come_unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, To the _ general assembly and church of the firstborn,_ which are written in heaven, and to God the
Judge of all, and to the _spirits of just men made perfect,_ And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than [that of] Abel. __
The first thing that stands out to me is that we do not deal with Sinai anymore, but with Sion (Grace in Jesus Christ). We don't need to fret ourselves with an earthly city, __which has served its purpose,__ but we now have the Spirit of God within us, with the promise of
more of the same at the Day of Atonement, before the end of the Age. We __are the City of the Living God__, and have the promise of the Glory of God in the end.
Gal 4:24 _Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar. For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and__ is in bondage with her children.__ But Jerusalem __which is above is free,__ which is the mother of us all. _
I hope the phrase_ "Church of the Firstborn"_ means to you what it does to me. Some day, maybe we will be prompted to trace the "firstborn" through the Scripture with you. It is fascinating to watch God carry out His plan.
The burden of this lesson, however, is _"the spirits of just men made perfect."_ To me it speaks that God's plan calls for a few "good men" (and women) to be brought to a state of perfection (completeness) in the economy of God. The purpose of this is to have people who can administer God's "economy" or judgments (ways) in the earth. In some places they are called "Angels".
In other places they are called "reapers". They will be what the Bible calls_ Eunuchs;_ personal ambition will be gone. They will _faithfully administer the things of __God._
Isaiah 26:9 _With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments (Mishphat--manners, or ways--not punishments) [are] in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness. _
The problem facing each of us today is that of being what the Bible calls "just". That is our job. God will have no trouble with His part, if we get our part done.
Merely being "saved by Grace" will not cut it. We will have to add the attributes found in 2 Peter 1:5 __"And beside this, giving all diligence, ADD TO YOUR FAITH _virtue;_ and to virtue _knowledge;_ And to knowledge _temperance,_ and to temperance _patience;_ and to patience _Godliness;_ And to godliness _brotherly kindness;_ and to brotherly kindness _charity._ For if these things be in you, and abound, they make [you that ye shall] _neither _[be] barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge_ of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is _blind, and cannot see afar off,_ and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall.___
_THIS IS THE PATH OF THE JUST_
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