"I thank my God, making mention of thee always in my prayers, hearing of thy love and faith, which thou hast toward the Lord Jesus, and toward all saints; that the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus." (Philemon 1:6)
In some circles, one's life story is called a testimony, and for the believer in Jesus by faith, the experiences we have (both good and bad) are critical for sharing, because it reveals to us (and to those we know) that our life is for the glorification of our Lord God and Saviour Jesus the Christ. He is our all in all, the King of kings, the Lord of lords, Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the ending. (Revelation 1:8, 11)
In these last days, our testimony is even more important, because our testimony tells of the great things the Lord hath done for us. Why now? Because, as the scripture points out, "they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death." (Revelation 12:11)
Because in the Lord Jesus, salvation has come, and our strength, and the Kingdom of our God --- the power of His Christ, so that "the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night." (Revelation 12:10)
Because at some point very soon "the kingdoms of this world [will] become the Kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He shall reign forever and ever." (Revelation 11:15; Isaiah 27:13; Exodus 15:18)
After these things, John who wrote Revelation while on an isle that is called Patmos, saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree.
"And I saw an angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God, and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, saying, "Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. And I heard the number of them which were sealed, and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel ..." (Revelation 7:1-3)
Again, so that we do not miss His promise to those that love Him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength the angel having the seal of the living God said, " ... till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads." (Revelation 7:3)
Continuing, John scribes what he is witnessing in the vision, saying, "I beheld, and lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the Throne and before the Lamb clothed with white robes and palms [palm branches] in their hands; and cried with a loud voice, saying, "Salvation to our God which sits upon the Throne and unto the Lamb."
And all the angels stood round about the Throne, and about the elders and the four beasts [living creatures] and fell before the Throne on their faces and worshipped God, saying, "Amen: blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God forever and ever, amen."
One of the elders answered, saying unto me, "What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?" And I said unto him, "Sir, thou know." And he said to me, "These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore, are they before the Throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple, and He that sets on the Throne shall dwell among them.
They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them , nor any heat .... for the Lamb which is in the midst of the Throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters, and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes." (Revelation 7:9-17; Revelation 5:9, 12-14; Revelation 3:5, 18; Revelation 4:4, 6; Revelation 6:19, 1; Psalm 3:8; Revelation 5:13; Revelation 11:16; Isaiah 4:5-6; Isaiah 49:10; Psalm 121:6; Psalm 23:1; Isaiah 25:8; Revelation 21:4)
You see, it was never intended that we who believe in the Lord Jesus by faith should be ignorant of the mystery that was held in the bosom of the Father from the beginning of time. That is, that the Lord God Himself said to His beloved, "For this is My covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins." (Romans 11:26-26; Matthew 1:18-23)
Therefore, "how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And for this cause, He is the mediator of the New Testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance ..." (Hebrews 9:14-18)
The promise, if we decidedly refrain from the captivity and bondage and idols of this world, is eternal life in our Lord God and Saviour Jesus the Christ. And one day very soon, He is returning to this land for His beloved people, who know from whence comes their salvation. (Titus 2:13) Those who have repented and had their robes washed in His precious Name -- the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ. (Acts 2:36; Acts 10:44-48; Romans 6:3-4; I Peter 3:21-22)
Sadly, however, the Lord's vineyard since the beginning has been tainted and as Isaiah prophesies, His people gone into captivity, "without knowledge ... their honourable men famished, their multitude dried up with thirst. In this, hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure, and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and all those that rejoice in it, shall descend into it, and the mean man shall be brought down and the mighty man shall be humbled, and the eyes of the lofty" as well. (Isaiah 5:13-15)
Isaiah further elaborates, explaining how the Lord did build His vineyard in a very fruitful hill, and planted it with the choicest vine because of His love for His beloved creation. It is us who are in the process of destroying all the good things within, but I digress.
From Isaiah 5:
"Now I will sing to My well beloved a song of My beloved touching His vineyard in a very fruitful hill: and He fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and also made a winepress therein; and He looked that it should bring forth grapes, [but instead] it brought forth wild grapes. And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, judge I pray you, betwixt Me and My vineyard. What could have been done more to My vineyard, that I have not done in it? wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes?
And now go to; I will tell you what I will do to My vineyard: I will take away the hedge thereof, and it shall be eaten up, and break down the wall thereof, and it shall be trodden down: and I will lay it waste; it shall not be pruned, nor digged; but there shall come up briers and thorns: I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it ... for the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah His pleasant plant; and He looked for judgment, but behold oppression: for righteousness, but behold a cry. Woe unto them that join house to house, that lay field to field, till there be no place that they may be placed alone in the midst of the earth.
"In Mine ears," saith the Lord of hosts, "Of a truth many houses shall be desolate, even great and fair, without inhabitant ..." (Isaiah 5:1-9; Isaiah 22:14; Micah 2:2; Isaiah 7:19-25; Psalm 80:12; Psalm 89:40-41; Matthew 21:33)
Still, in spite of what is happening all around us, and them that call evil good and good evil, and put darkness for light and light for darkness, and put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter, those that are wise only in their own eyes, and prudent only in their own sight, and are mighty to drink wine, and mingle strong drink, justifying the wicked for reward, and taking away the righteousness of the righteous from Him, these will have their reward because they have cast away the Lord of hosts, and despised the Word of the Holy One of Israel. These have despised our Lord God and Saviour Jesus the Christ. (Isaiah 5:20-24)
Nevertheless, as we have tasted and seen in our hearts, and handled the Word of life (as the apostles confirmed) there is a well which never runs dry. There is a stream in the midst of the desert inviting us into the most elaborate wedding feast ever. And in that day to come, shall the branch of the Lord be beautiful and glorious and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and comely.
Yes, as Jesus said, "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No man comes unto the Father but by Me!" (John 14:6) "I am the Bread of life; he that cometh to Me shall never hunger; and he that believes on Me shall never thirst." (John 6:35)
And it was He who said, "Come now, and let us reason together," saith the Lord, "though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool ... if ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat of the good of the land!" (Isaiah 1:18-19; Isaiah 43:26; Psalm 51:7; Titus 1:2)
Indeed, after the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared. (Titus 3:4-7) It was He who willingly shed His precious holy blood on that cross for you and I. It was He who bore our sins so that we might have life more abundantly in Him -- our Lord God and Saviour.
Consequently, only He is worthy of all honour and glory and praise. His Name is JESUS for He shall save His people from their sins. (Matthew 1:21-23)
And, in Revelation, Jesus said, "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending," saith the Lord, "which is, and which was, and which is to come -- the Almighty." (Revelation 1:8, 11)
Stand in the offering plate.
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