MorningStar
Prophetic Bulletin #72
As
we just celebrated the resurrection of Jesus, let us resolve to live
by this truth. Spurgeon once said, “Very few Christians believe in
the resurrection.” When I read this, I thought it was a misprint,
but I immediately had the witness of the Holy Spirit that it was
true. We are told in Romans 10:10 that we must believe in our hearts,
not just our minds, for it to result in righteousness. We believe in
the doctrine of the resurrection, but if we really believed in the
resurrection in our hearts, our lives would be radically different.
How
would they be different? First, we would not be so consumed with the
things that are temporary, but rather with the things that are
eternal. There is a saying that some are “so heavenly minded that
they are not earthly good,” but the truth is that many Christians
are so earthly minded that they are not doing much good for heaven or
earth. The historic truth is that those who were the most heavenly
minded are the ones who have always done the most good for this
present world.
Those
who are heavenly minded, who are obeying the exhortation to seek
first the kingdom, are the freest people on the earth, and they will
become more and more obvious in the times to come. We are told in
Colossians 3:1-4:
Therefore,
if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things
above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your
mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For
you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When
Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed
with Him in glory.
A
nurse once asked why Christians did not die in a better way. She
could not understand why they were so fearful if they believed in
Christ and had eternal life. This is a good question. Every Christian
should die with the greatest joy and expectation. We should also live
the same way, as the most free people on earth because we are not
bound by the ultimate yoke of bondage—the fear of death.
The
resurrection is the greatest hope that even the worst thing that
could ever happen will result as a victory. As we are told in II
Corinthians 2:14: “But
thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and
manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every
place.” So
for those who follow Him, it is not a matter of if they
will have victory, but how.
If we follow Christ, we cannot lose.
Just
as the most celebrated victories in war or sports are those that are
won against the greatest odds, the same is true in Christ. We want to
see the supernatural power of God, but we just don’t want to be put
in a place where we must have it. We want to see the great victories,
but we don’t want to find ourselves in the place where we must have
them. We are in the times when we must, so let’s embrace the
opportunities.
Even
the great heroes of The Bible grew in the faith until they could be
used this way. David fought with the lion and bear before he faced
Goliath. The same is true with us. He may one day lead us into a
great and historic conflict and victory, but we must not miss the
little ones today that are intended to prepare us for what is to
come.
Rejoice
in every victory regardless of how big or small. Embrace every trial
regardless of how big or small. If we are following Christ, it is
impossible for us to not experience victory in everything—that is
the only way He will ever lead us. Even so, as the Scripture reads
above, it is “triumph
in Christ,”
not just ours. What did His triumph look like?
The
Greatest Victory
The
greatest victory there will ever be was the cross. However, it did
not look like a victory. When Jesus was nailed to the cross, it
looked like evil had prevailed against the greatest Good to ever walk
the earth, but what looked like the greatest defeat was the greatest
victory. So great victories may not always look like great victories
at first. Therefore, we cannot give up hope regardless of how it may
look like evil has prevailed. Evil may appear to win for a time, but
it cannot last. The ultimate victory of Christ is sure and it is for
eternity.
Those
who believe in their hearts in the resurrection are freed from the
ultimate fear, and therefore they will be the most free and happy
people on the earth. As we come to believe in our hearts that Christ
always leads us in His triumph, that in everything there will be
ultimate victory, then how can we fail to face every battle with
courage?
We
are promised by the Word of God in Romans 8:28 that all things will
work out for our good. If we believe His Word is true, then in every
battle we should become joyfully expectant of a victory, which is
what we are told in James 1:2-4:
Consider
it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing
that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance
have its perfect
result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
The
“perfect and complete, lacking in nothing” that he speaks of here
is Christlikeness. Everything in our lives is intended to bring forth
the nature of Christ in us, and by this one thing we can understand
all things. This is also stated in the verse right after Romans 8:28
when we are told that all things will work together for our good.
Let’s read these two verses together:
And
we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those
who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.
For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to
become conformed
to the image of His Son, that He might be the first-born among many
brethren (Romans 8:28-29).
We
are called to be heirs of God in Christ. There is no higher calling
in all of creation. Everything happening in our lives is intended to
prepare us for this high calling by working in us Christ’s nature.
Christ is the answer to every human problem, and He is the answer to
every problem we’re now facing. It is not just that He has the
answers, but He is the
answer. If we are living in the knowledge that the One we serve is
over all rule and authority and dominion, how can we fear? Every
challenge is an opportunity to grow in faith, so a key to the
victorious life is to not waste our trials.
The
Hallmark of the Saints
In
Romans 14:17, we are told that the kingdom of God is “righteousness
and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”If
we are doing what is right in the sight of the Lord, we will know a
peace and joy that is greater than can ever be known in any other
way. As the troubles, fears, and darkness in the world increase,
those who are living in the kingdom will stand out even more because
of their peace and joy. Peace and joy will be one of the greatest
signs that one is a true citizen of the kingdom in the times to come.
How can we fail to have peace and joy when we know and follow the
King of kings who sits above all rule and authority and dominion and
whose kingdom is surely coming?
It
is written that “there
will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace” (see
Isaiah 9:7). Would
you like to invest in a stock that could never go down, but would
always increase in value? Invest in the kingdom and your investment
will forever increase.
Those
who seek His kingdom first will be increasing in the peace and joy of
His kingdom. As we are told in Proverbs 4:18, “the
path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, that shines
brighter and brighter until the full day.” The
normal Christian life is one that gets brighter and brighter.
Regardless of how dark things may become in this world, we have a
different reality that is getting ever brighter.
The
times in the world will get darker, but this world is not our
reality. As we are told in Isaiah 60:1-2, when darkness is covering
the earth and deep darkness the peoples, His glory will rise on His
people, and His glory will even appear on them. Those who stay
on “the
path of the righteous” will
only know increasing light.
The
time of the greatest darkness in this world will be the time when we
will see His glory on us. Then we are told in the next verse, Isaiah
60:3, that the nations will come to the brightness of your rising.
The light will win and the nations will come to it. It is darkest
just before dawn, and it is getting darker for a time, but this will
only make the glory brighter when it is revealed on God’s people.
Our
Purpose in These Times
The
fear of death is the ultimate fear, so once this fear is overcome by
the assurance of the resurrection, breaking the yoke of any other
fear will be easy. This is why the celebration and remembrance of the
resurrection is so crucial to the Christian life. As we abide in the
knowledge of this truth, we can more easily overcome any other fear.
The
devil uses fear to oppress and control. In Christ, we walk by faith
not by fear. Fear is fundamentally a device of Satan, and those who
let fear control them are serving him more than Christ regardless of
what they may say. This is made obvious in Revelation 21:8:
But
for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and
immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their
part will
be in
the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second
death.
Here
we see that the cowardly is listed before the abominable, murderers,
immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and liars. The fact is that those who
are led by fear, so as to be cowardly, are not Christ’s because we
are told in Revelation 20:14-15 that those who are cast into the lake
of fire are those whose names are not listed in the Book of
Life.
Those who truly believe will be courageous, and they will not be controlled by fear. There is no place for cowardice in Christianity. In this way, those who truly believe in Him will soon be distinguished. Let us resolve now that fear will not control us, but we will live by faith in the risen Son of God. We are called to be dead to this world, and what can be done to a dead man? A dead man does not have fears of failure, or rejection, or any other fear. If we have died with Christ, we can now walk in the power of His resurrection and should have no fear.
Those who truly believe will be courageous, and they will not be controlled by fear. There is no place for cowardice in Christianity. In this way, those who truly believe in Him will soon be distinguished. Let us resolve now that fear will not control us, but we will live by faith in the risen Son of God. We are called to be dead to this world, and what can be done to a dead man? A dead man does not have fears of failure, or rejection, or any other fear. If we have died with Christ, we can now walk in the power of His resurrection and should have no fear.
The
prophets and righteous of old desired to see the times that we have
been privileged to live in. Those who have dreamed of the time when
we get to meet and talk to the great heroes of the faith will be
shocked to see that they were even more desirous of talking to the
saints who lived in these times. The greatest faith and the greatest
exploits will soon be demonstrated by those who have not wasted their
trials, and therefore will not waste this greatest of opportunities
to walk with God.
Many
things will shake in 2012, but we have a kingdom that cannot be
shaken, and all that is being shaken is in order to reveal the
kingdom. Build your life on what can never be shaken, and the hope
that can never disappoint us. Resolve that you will live in faith in
the resurrection.
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