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jesusinmemsb
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« on: October 03, 2008, 05:00:06 am » |
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The issue is NOT whether the United States as a nation deserves judgment. Obviously we do deserve judgment for slaughtering the unborn, legislating God out of the workplace and schools, immorality, pride, and the list can go on. The TRUE issue at hand is the finished work of the cross of Jesus Christ. The true issue is whether Jesus Christ fulfilled His purpose and destiny. Those who preach a sin-conscious gospel of judgment, whether knowingly or not, deny the absolute victory of the cross of Jesus Christ.
So, Are We Finally Getting What We Deserve?...
NO, thank God! Jesus Christ got what we deserve on the cross!
Are we getting a 'harvest' from what we have 'sown'?...
YES, there are natural consequences to sin and just plain financial foolishness!
Today, just as it was in Jesus’ time, some hear the Voice... and some say it thundered (John 12:29). Thunder is symbolic of judgment (Exodus 19:20), and there are those today who only hear thunder and have missed the Voice of the Father declaring the ultimate glorification of His Name in the FINISHED work of the Cross.
Within the context of Biblically defined judgment (not our prevalent understanding of the word judgment), there is one sense in which we might say that the recent events in the Untied States are judgment. The world translated as ‘judgment’ is krisis in Greek, from which we get the word crisis. In a crisis, whatever kingdom is established within us will manifest. The Father certainly utilizes crisis in advancing His Kingdom, as we are seeing today.
Certainly the Father is utilizing this crisis to bring a clear distinction between those who hear the ‘Voice’ and those who hear ‘thunder’. If you’re looking for judgment, you will find it at the cross of Jesus Christ... the world is already judged. “But he who does not believe is judged ALREADY; he has ALREADY been convicted; has ALREADY received his sentence... he is condemned for refusing to let his trust rest in Christ’s name. The basis of the judgment lies in this: that the Light has come into the world, and people have loved the darkness rather than and more than the Light, for their works were evil.” (John 3:18-19 Amplified Bible) I believe we have yet to fully comprehend the complete victory of the Cross of Jesus Christ.
So, what do YOU hear? Are you listening to others talk about ‘thunder’?... If so, I encourage you to quiet yourself and listen for the ‘Voice’. Are you hearing the ‘Voice’ proclaim the finished work of the cross?... If so, pray for those who only hear the thunder. “For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them.” (Luke 9:56)
The following is from a writing entitled, ‘Season Of Separation’:
"And Jesus said, For JUDGMENT I am come into this world..." (John 9:39 KJV) "Then Jesus said, I came into this world for judgment, as a Separator..." (John 9:39 Amplified Bible)
I believe that we are moving into a 'season of judgment', a 'season of separation' in the Church and I'm finding this a challenging subject to broach because of so much misunderstanding on the matter. Most of the misunderstanding stems from the fact that so many try to live out their Christianity under an Old Covenant, law-based mentality. The prevailing thought when it applies to judgment is that of punishment or retribution. This is clearly NOT New Covenant understanding, for 2 Corinthians 5:21 is quite plain as it states, "For He hath made Him to BE SIN FOR US, Who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him." The New Covenant emphasis of judgment is not punishment or retribution, rather the emphasis is that of SEPARATION. Jesus came into the world as a Separator! "Do not think that I have come to bring peace upon the EARTH..." (Matthew 10:34 Amplified Bible)
As we've discussed before, earth is symbolic of carnality. Jesus definitely did not come to bring peace to our carnality! "I have not come to bring peace, but a SWORD. For I have come to PART ASUNDER..." (Matthew 10:34-35 Amplified Bible) He came to bring a Sword to our carnality! And what kind of Sword does He bring?... "For the WORD of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged SWORD, piercing even to the dividing ASUNDER of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." (Hebrews 4:12) The Sword that He brings to 'divide asunder' our carnality is the "engrafted Word (Christ IN us), which is able to save your souls." (James 1:21 my input in parenthesis)
You see, judgment in the New Covenant is upon our carnality. Jesus came as the One to separate us from our carnality. The New Covenant emphasis is not so much a matter of bringing judgment upon individuals for their sin (as in the Old Covenant), but rather bringing judgment upon the kosmos, upon carnality itself. The emphasis is not that God is mad when individuals reject Him and therefore He will bring judgment upon them. God loves people... what He hates is carnality, because carnality brings death and decay to people. The LAW could never separate us from our carnality, but Christ IN us is well able to bring the necessary judgment.
Jesus speaks of this in John chapter 16 when He says, "Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. And when he is come, he will reprove the WORLD (kosmos in Greek) of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment... Of judgment, because the prince of this world (kosmos in Greek) is judged." (John 16:7-8, 11) Christ IN us, as the Comforter (the Holy Spirit), reproves the world (the kosmos) of sin and of righteousness and of judgment. It is HIM that does the reproving, not ourselves! The word translated as world in those verses is kosmos in Greek. As we saw earlier, its' meanings include- an orderly arrangement; the inhabitants of the earth, men, the human family; the ungodly multitude; world affairs, the aggregate of things earthly; the whole circle of earthly goods, endowments, riches, advantages, pleasures, etc, which although hollow and frail and fleeting, stir desire, seduce from God and are obstacles to the cause of Christ.
Or to put it plain language, the kosmos speaks of the 'worldly system', that which originates from carnality. "Then Jesus said, I came into this world (kosmos in Greek) for judgment, as a Separator..." (John 9:39 Amplified Bible) Jesus came as a Separator to bring judgment, to bring a separation to the kosmos of the 'worldly system', to bring a separation to all that originates from carnality. His intention is that "The kingdoms of this world (kosmos in Greek) are become the Kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever." (Revelation 11:15) Yes, He came to the kosmos to bring separation, in order that the kosmos (all that originates from carnality) be consumed in the Kingdom.
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