Another important thing that Joseph got right was that he continued to hang on to God’s promises.2/16/2023 Do you feel more and more
that you can empathize with how Daniel and his friends must have felt in Babylon? Under an ungodly regime, fighting a constant push to compromise on matters of faith, with our young ones being taught things contrary to God’s word, and the realization that we’re very much in the minority? We are not the first ones to experience this situation, and the Bible gives us a great deal of wisdom about how to cope and behave from saints who have walked through it before us, under much worse conditions, and survived. In fact, not only did they survive, but they were able to effect powerful change on the whole regime. Romans 15:4 tells us that, “Everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope”. When we read stories of Daniel, of Esther, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, Nehemiah and others in Babylon, and of Joseph in Egypt, we should pay careful attention. Their stories are our handbook to living in exile. What top tips can we glean? OUR FAITHFULNESS IN SMALL MATTERS LEADS TO GOD’S MIRACLES IN BIG MATTERS God did remarkable things throughout entire empires with his holy ones. How? They didn’t strategize to overthrow the regime, but rather they consistently made good choices about their own lives in humility and faithfulness. Then, by his own power, in his own time, God did miracles. He lifted key people to positions of power and influence, where he could use them to accomplish his purposes. Not just for their sake, but for the sake of the entire population. Joseph is a great example. He ended up in Egypt, in a hostile land, utterly alone in his beliefs, enslaved, and eventually imprisoned unjustly. Yet day after day, he chose personal righteousness. He did not waver in his own faith in God. He just consistently made good decisions in his own heart – to serve to the best of his ability, to be honest and hardworking, refusing sexual temptation when no one would ever know, and in prison he was kind to other prisoners, caring about their wellbeing, and asking them what was wrong when he noticed that they were downcast. Think about it – if he had not done precisely these things, he would never have ended up in Pharaoh’s court, interpreting those dreams and saving not only the whole of Egypt, but the future of the Jewish people and therefore the safe delivery of the Messiah through them – and so in a way, God arranged it that through Joseph the whole world was saved. He was not perfect, but he stayed faithful, doing the little that he could in his own life, and because he did those very things, God accomplished a massive redemption that ultimately affected us all. Another important thing that Joseph got right was that he continued to hang on to God’s promises. We see that he never lost faith in the words God spoke to him as a teenager when he received two dreams – Joseph says to Pharaoh: “The reason the dream was given to Pharaoh in two forms is that the matter has been firmly decided by God, and God will do it soon” (Gen 41:32). All through those long years of languishing in prison, he never lost hope that God would fulfill his word to him through those two dreams he had as a boy. His faith stayed strong despite all the suffering and appearances to the contrary. Not many of us will end up in pivotal positions in government, or second in command of a country, but all of us can make these small, personal, daily choices that Joseph made: To resist temptation for the sake of God, to care for others even when we are suffering ourselves, to choose to believe in God and his word no matter what. Joseph’s integrity continued as he personally chose to forgive his brothers. The effect of his life on Egypt and the whole world was enormous, but the decisions that accomplished it all were small, personal, hidden, and consistent. He is a great example for us today. It’s not up to us to change the whole system, but right decisions about small things in our daily lives are powerful currency in the hands of God. UNDERSTAND THAT ALL POWER ULTIMATELY LIES WITH GOD As we read in Proverbs 21:1, “The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the LORD; he turns it wherever he will”. Don’t forget that. God really is in charge of every power and authority, every tyrant and every regime. Ours is not to overthrow, but to submit and surrender to almighty God. He does the overthrowing. Part of the reason for not trying to take control of countries for God is that God’s plan and vision for the future might – just might – be different to the one you imagine might be best. God knows what he is doing across the globe and throughout time – he is the commander in chief and we are just foot soldiers. As much as we might like to think that we understand everything that’s going on in the world and how to bring God’s Kingdom to earth, this is really God’s job. We are his servants. He has the plan, and he calls the shots. God can topple regimes easy as pie, as he has done many times in the past. We do not need to worry that he is not strong enough to transform any and every situation. But it is increasingly easy to imagine how Daniel and his friends might have been feeling as they watched the huge golden statue being built, knowing what the likely outcome would be for them. I love the words of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego on hearing their death sentence – “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.” (Dan 3:16-18) As it transpired, yet again, God wrought salvation not only for them, but for the entire province, as he revealed his glory in a manner that would not have happened if his servants had not humbly and faithfully been ready to give their very lives doing the right thing in their own personal lives. They did not yell at everyone else for idol worship, or try to mobilize mass demonstrations against the statue-building blasphemy of Babylon – they just refused to participate, and were not afraid to hide it. They did what only they could do as individuals (micro-scale), and then God came and did what only God can do in the nation (macro-scale). “Then Nebuchadnezzar said, “Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king’s command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. “I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be cut into pieces and their houses be turned into piles of rubble, for no other god can save in this way.” Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the province of Babylon.” (Dan 3:28-30) TRUE TRANSFORMATION OF NATIONS COMES THROUGH PRAYER AND FASTING Another important lesson from our exilic heroes is that of the power of prayer. God brings the change, but he invites us to participate by partnering with him in intercession. When we think of Daniel, Esther, Nehemiah – they all took prayer very seriously, and God heard and answered in the most extraordinary ways. As someone wisely said, “When we work, we work. But when we pray, God works”. The contrast in results brought about humanly versus supernaturally is enormous. It’s an exciting thing for us who might be tempted to despair because although we can reasonably deduce that there’s not much we can do in the face of great evil and colossal international chaos, we do know someone who can do ANYTHING. And he beckons us to his throne. He is looking for ones who will stand in the gap. Esther found herself in the most extraordinary situation, and had to risk her life in order to save the entire Jewish race. She understood the gravity of the situation, and what was needed. She tells her uncle Mordecai; “Go, gather all the Jews to be found in Susa, and hold a fast on my behalf, and do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my young women will also fast as you do. Then I will go to the king, though it is against the law, and if I perish, I perish.” The results of her selfless courage combined with earnest corporate prayer are recorded in the the rest of the book. Nehemiah is also a great example of one who understood the importance of prayer in a hostile environment. Nehemiah prayed and fasted when he heard of the sorry state of Jerusalem – repenting for and with the whole nation: “We have sinned against you. Even I and my father’s house have sinned. We have acted very corruptly against you and have not kept the commandments”, Nehemiah admits. But then he calls on God to remember his promise to regather his people, and asks for favour with the authorities. Nehemiah recalls, “The king said to me, “What are you requesting?” So I prayed to the God of heaven. And I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, that you send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers’ graves, that I may rebuild it.”” If you know the rest of that book, you’ll know that Nehemiah’s requests to God and the king were both granted. We might feel powerless, but the truth is that we have 24 hour access to the most powerful being that ever will be. He loves to hear from us, and it is a privilege to work together with him to accomplish his purposes on earth. I’m sure the minute we arrive in eternity, we’ll be kicking ourselves for not praying more than we did. I really think we have no idea how much power is available to us as we pray to our Heavenly Father, Lord of the Angel Armies. Open our eyes, Lord! BE READY FOR THE LONG-HAUL :Living in dark times doesn’t mean the story is over, but we need to be ready for the long haul. Esther’s beauty competition victory was only the beginning of a very arduous and alarming time for God’s people, and Joseph was in jail for years. Daniel went to Bablylon as a young lad, and was still there, interpreting dreams for wayward kings as an old man. We musn’t get discouraged or give up, but be ready to run this race with perseverance. In some ways it’s frustrating to feel at a loss in a society that is in freefall, but equally, it’s great to know that the most important thing for us to get right is actually in our control – to do justly, to love mercy, and just to keep walking humbly with our God. Then we can be like stars, shining brightly in the darkness. So, to recap, here are some of the small, personal choices made by our heroes in exile, that led to God unleashing great spiritual power in their environments: * Joseph worked hard under every boss * He refused sexual temptation * Daniel and his friends refused to eat food sacrificed to idols * Joseph cared for those around him * He didn’t lose faith in God’s word * They all had courage * Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego would not bow down to idols * Daniel prayed three times a day, regardless of the cost * Nehemiah prayed short prayers on the spot and long prayers alone * Daniel and Nehemiah both repented for themselves and the people * Esther and Mordecai prayed and called a fast * Esther submitted and obeyed those in authority * Esther understood the importance of patience and timing There is no record of our heroes berating others for not doing as they did – they simply got on with living God’s way. It was God himself who brought about the realization that this was the right way to live in powerful ways, and transformed the situation all around them. Just like ancient Israel, we are different – we are marching to a different tune. God assures us that there will be an affect on those around us when we obey his words and keep in his ways: “Keep them and do them, for that will be your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples, who… will say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’ For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as the Lord our God is to us, whenever we call upon him?” Deut 4:6-7 Or as the Apostle Paul put it in Philippians 2, “Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold out the word of life.” https://youtu.be/s26e_86-K0k
In 2 Timothy 4:7, Paul says “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” This well-known and oft-quoted passage is quite significant in that this epistle was Paul’s last before his martyrdom in A.D. 67. It is a deeply moving affirmation of his unwavering faith and unyielding love for the gospel of Jesus Christ (Galatians 1:4; Galatians 2:20; Philippians 1:21). “I have fought the good fight” is also significant for believers today because it serves as a stark reminder that the Christian life is a struggle against evil--within ourselves and in the world (John 15:9; Romans 8:7; James 4:4). Earlier in this same epistle, Paul reminded Timothy to "endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ” (2 Timothy 2:3). The Greek word agonizomai, translated “fought,” means literally "to engage in conflict.” The word was used in the context of competing in athletic games or engaging in military conflict Considering that Paul was chained to a Roman soldier when he wrote this epistle, it would have been easy for him to make such an analogy. In fact, he had known many Roman soldiers and during his imprisonment had won a number of them to Christ, some of them members of the Praetorian Guard (Philippians 1:13). Our battle is not with flesh and blood “but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12). The Christian life is a fight in that Christians face a never-ending struggle against evil—not an earthly military campaign, but a spiritual battle against Satan. This is why we must "take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day (see Ephesians 6:13-18). Without question, the apostle Paul was the consummate warrior, never quitting, never flagging in his zeal for the Lord (Philippians 3:14-15). He knew where lay the source of his strength (Philippians 4:13; 2 Corinthians 12:9). His campaign to spread the gospel of Christ began on the Damascus Road (Acts 9:3) and eventually took him across the ancient world on four missionary journeys. He had witnessed of Christ before Felix and Agrippa, the legates and officials of Rome (Acts 23:26; Acts 26:1). He contended with false teachers and false brethren within the church (2 Corinthians 11:13; Galatians 1:7; Galatians 2:4). Paul’s “good fight” included an astonishing series of dangers and indignities (2 Corinthians 11:23-33). Even in these he proclaimed his victory in Christ: Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us” (Romans 8:37). Paul’s life and ministry provide for us a powerful example for modeling Christ today Not only did he "fight the good fight,” but he also “ finished the race”and kept the faith (2 Timothy 4:7). Paul knew that his death was near (verse 6) but had no regrets. After Jesus took control of his life (Acts 9:15-16), Paul had lived life to the fullest, fulfilling all that Jesus had charged and empowered him to do (Ephesians 3:6; 2 Timothy 4:17). He had a remarkable sense of fulfillment and contentment with his life (Philippians 4:11-13; 1 Timothy 6:6-8). As believers today, we can have no greater sense of fulfillment than to know, as Paul did, that we have fully accomplished all that the Lord has called us to do (Matthew 25:21). May we “fight the good fight” and “be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill [our] ministry” (2 Timothy 4:5). "Then Jonathan spoke well of David to Saul his father and said to him, 'Do not let the king sin against his servant David, since he has not sinned against you, and since his deeds have been very beneficial to you. For he took his life in his hand and struck the Philistine, and the LORD brought about a great deliverance for all Israel; you saw it and rejoiced. Why then will you sin against innocent blood by putting David to death without a cause?'" (1 Sam 19:4-5). Given both the importance and prevalence of narrative analogies throughout the Hebrew Bible (i.e., later biblical stories written in order to be compared and contrasted with earlier biblical stories, earlier biblical stories intentionally foreshadowing later biblical stories), one begins to formulate a prophetic picture of the Messiah who is will be, just like his father, hated by Israel's leaders without a cause. And in so many ways, Jonathan's attempt to speak favorably about David to his father is like evangelism in Israel today. Jonathan is just like the remnant of Israeli believers who proclaim the good news about the Son of David with a religious leadership who have already formulated opinions rooted in gross inaccuracies and emotional prejudices. Let us not grow weary, however, in the blessed task of being modern-day Jonathans entrusted with this great responsibility to correct these many false perceptions about Jesus with the truth! "He is the STONE WHICH WAS REJECTED by you, THE BUILDERS, but WHICH BECAME THE CHIEF CORNER stone. And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:11-12).
Psalm 87:2–3 says, "The Lord loves the gates of Zion more than all the other dwellings of Jacob. Glorious things are said of you, city of God.” According to this verse, Zion is synonymous with city of God, and it is a place that God loves. Zion is Jerusalem. Mount Zion is the high hill on which David built a citadel. The word Zion occurs over 150 times in the Bible. It essentially means “fortification” and has the idea of being "raised up” as a “monument.” Zion is described both as the city of David and the city of God. As the Bible progresses, the word Zion expands in scope and takes on an additional, spiritual meaning. The first mention of Zion in the Bible is 2 Samuel 5:7: "David captured the fortress of Zion-- which is the City of David.” Zion was originally an ancient Jebusite fortress in the city of Jerusalem. After David’s conquest of the fortress, Jerusalem became a possession of Israel. The royal palace was built there, and Zion/Jerusalem became the seat of power in Israel’s kingdom.. When Solomon built the temple in Jerusalem, the meaning of Zion expanded further to include the temple area (Psalm 2:6; 48:2, 11–12; 132:13). This is the meaning found in the prophecy of Jeremiah 31:6, “Come, let us go up to Zion, to the LORD our God.” In the Old Testament Zion is used as a name for the city of Jerusalem (Isaiah 40:9), the land of Judah (Jeremiah 31:12), and the nation of Israel as a whole (Zechariah 9:13). The word Zion is also used in a theological or spiritual sense in Scripture. In the Old Testament Zion refers figuratively to Israel as the people of God (Isaiah 60:14). In the New Testament, Zion refers to God’s spiritual kingdom. We have not come to Mount Sinai, says the apostle, but “to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem” (Hebrews 12:22). Peter, quoting Isaiah 28:16, refers to Christ as the Cornerstone of Zion: "See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame” (1 Peter 2:6). Mount Zion as a geographical area was currently the center of much dispute. The Bible is clear Zion will be the sole possession of the Lord Jesus, and Zion—the nation and the city-- will be restored. "Awake, awake, Clothe yourself in your strength, O Zion; Clothe yourself in your beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city; For the uncircumcised and the unclean Will no longer come into you” (Isaiah 52:1). And “the children of your oppressors will come bowing before you; all who despise you will bow down at your feet, and will call you the City of the LORD, Zion of the Holy One of Israel” (Isaiah 60:14). It's Interesting Discovery to SEE why Mary was the Original Apostle of Our Messiah Death, Where is Your STING? https://youtu.be/9kg6EtcGq0I
Repeatedly in the Old Testament, God describes the Promised Land as “a land flowing with milk and honey” (Exodus 3:8; Numbers 14:8; Deuteronomy 31:20; Ezekiel 20:15). This poetic description of Israel’s land emphasizes the fertility of the soil and bounty that awaited God’s chosen people. The reference to “milk” suggests that many livestock could find pasture there; the mention of “honey” suggests the vast farmland available-- the bees even though the STING had plenty of plants to draw nectar from In Exodus 3:8, God says to Moses, “I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey-- the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites.” A couple things to note about this verse: First, before the plagues, the land of Egypt supported Israel and the Egyptians quite well, yet God called the new land “good and spacious.” The Hebrew word translated “good” means “pleasant, beautiful, and fruitful, with economic benefits.” Second, simultaneously with promoting the goodness of the land, God mentions the enemies in the land that must be overcome The nations displaced by Israel from the land “flowing with milk and honey” were significant in number, and they valued that land enough to fight and die for it. Later, we have the record of the ten faithless spies who were sent into the Promised Land by Moses. The ten spies disagreed that Israel was able to conquer the inhabitants of the land, but they did agree on this: it was a land of flowing with milk and honey. "They gave Moses this account: "We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey! Here is its fruit’” (Numbers 13:27). The “fruit” the spies showed Moses was a single cluster of grapes that had to be carried on a pole between two men (verse 23). They also brought some pomegranates and the figs from Canaan. It is true that there are areas of very arid land in Israel, but this does not negate the fact that, overall, it is a land flowing with milk and honey. There are many areas of Israel that are extremely fertile and produce many types of fruits and vegetables. The area north of present-day Israel is biblical Mesopotamia, also known as the “Fertile Crescent,” which is just that—fertile (and crescent-shaped). It is also true that the Bible records severe drought and famine in the land of Israel, but those times were connected to God’s judgment on the sinful people (Deuteronomy 11:16–17; 1 Kings 18:1–2, 18). God’s description of the Promised Land as “a land flowing with milk and honey” is a beautifully graphic way of highlighting the agricultural richness of the land. God brought His people out of slavery in Egypt to a prosperous land of freedom and blessing and the knowledge of the Lord.
Israel The Messianic Seal First Apostle of Jesus Christ Have you ever heard of the Messianic Seal uncovered from Jerusalem? I came to know about the Seal through the book published in 1999 by Reuven Efraim Schmalz and Raymond Robert Fischer (Olim Publications, Israel). "The Messianic Seal of the Jerusalem Church" book front cover is shown below. What the book reveals is the discovery in 1990 in Jerusalem, from an underground grotto in Mt. Zion where the Upper Room building (which enshrines a memorial David’s Tomb – not the real one) is located This building is on a small hill on the SW of the Old Jerusalem city outside the walls (for a map, please read the author’s article on the Real Calvary on this website). The story goes that an old Greek Orthodox monk found some forty artifacts in a cavity in the rock adjacent to David’s tomb before the 1967 war. Many of these pottery shards, oil lamps and stone pieces were engraved with a mysterious symbol that combined a menorah, a Star of David, and a fish symbol (with a cross at the center of some). In 1990 these artifacts came to the attention of Ludwig Schneider, editor in chief of Israel Update when he visited the monk. It is from Schneider the book authors learned of the artifacts. Click on the color image below for more in-depth information on the discovery of this symbol, it's origin and it's meaning. The stone piece in the image is supposed to be used as a base for holding an oil jar. One of the pieces found had the Aramaic inscription which translates to 'For the Oil of the Spirit' almost identical to the use in James 5:14-16 where anointing oil is mentioned. The grotto where the pieces were found is supposed to be an area in the first century church (believed to have been underground) used for baptismal purposes. The Menorah is the seven-branched oil lamp in the Temple; it is a distinctly Jewish symbol and stands for the Torah which illuminates mankind. This lamp shone in the Holy Place before Yahweh in the Holy of Holies. The Menorah is also a symbol of the Tree of Life. The Star of David symbolizes Christ descended from David, or shall we say, from the roots of Jesse. The foot of the Menorah could be considered the root The Fish symbol is a first century representation for Christ coined from the Greek word for fish, the Greek letters representing 'Jesus Christ God Son Savior'. In chapter 5,
things begin changing and moving. The events that unfold here establish the foundation The introduction of Jesus Christ to the throne room sets in motion opening of the scroll which contains the finality of creation and the pronouncement of judgment on the world. The lamb of God makes its appearance in the throne room of God and the response can only be worship. The final stages of creation are unfolding before John’s eyes and the presence of God remains sovereign and in control. The Scroll God held a scroll while seated on the throne. John, seeing the scroll immediately knew that it contained great, important, and significant knowledge. The Father, seated on the throne, held the fate of the world in His hands. Yet, for all the splendor of the throne room of heaven, with the creatures, the elders, and the various other representations in the throne, no one could be found to open the scroll apart from God Himself. John, seeing this and understanding the importance of the scroll, began to weep that the secrets of the scroll would not be revealed. No one in heaven or under heaven, was worthy to open the scroll. For all of the abilities of people, none compare to the greatness of God to pronounce judgment and usher in the final days There is holiness in the proclamation and holiness in returning creation to its intended state. While this may at first be intimidating or fear inducing to us, unable to produce -any form- of righteousness or -ability- on our own, this is the same God who bids us to return to Him and be in relationship with Him. empowered by the Spirit of all the churches. The Lamb The proclamation rings out that there is one who is worthy to open up the mysteries of the universe. One of the elders direct’s John’s attention to the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. Israel -was- founded under the notion that the Kings would come from the line of Judah. Furthermore, the image of the lion is one who reigns over his kingdom. Based on this initial description, you would expect John to turn and immediately be greeted with a great and ferocious roar of authority, after all this is the true King to reign overall Kings. Yet, this is not the image John is greeted with. John turns and seeing a lamb as if it has been slain. The King, for all His authority and sovereignty, became a sacrifice for the sake of the people. Rather than becoming an unapproachable or distant King, Jesus became the King who walks among the people Furthermore, Christ died on behalf of those who stood in rebellion against Him. This is the mark of a King, not to Lord strength over others, but to be strong enough to endure the punishment of others for the sake of those who have been placed under our care. This is precisely why the lamb of God does not need permission or authority to approach The Father on the throne. They are one and their authority is one Thus, the lamb of God, the lion of Judah, takes the scroll and prepares to open it’s seals. The Response While Jesus has no need to assert his strength or authority, the response from those around Him declares the worthiness of Jesus Christ to open the scroll Yet, they do not appeal to His Kingship but instead to His nature as a benevolent God. Through the blood of Christ, mankind has been purchased. Furthermore people of all nations, tribes, languages, and people receive the grace of God This fourfold construction carries with it a sense of fullness and inclusion of all things. In this case, scripture stresses that all person are eligible for His eternal gift Just as the response to the presence of God can only be worship, the response to the work of Christ is similarly worship (thus identifying Jesus Christ as God) You see the elders, the creatures, and hosts upon hosts of angels worshipping the Lamb. The scene, which at its resting state still shook with excitement, No developed into a loud celebration of the presence of God |
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