What Are God's Wonderful Works With The Children Of Men?
Hello Mike,Good morning N____,
I just wanted to write and say thank you for the truths you are putting out, I have been blessed! Anyway, just a few things; First, I was curious about the second death as it pertains to living EVERY word of God. How do we answer detractors if we say that we live every word of God EXCEPT the second death? Would you say it is just a timing thing, i.e. that we get it now and those who are in the second death get it later? I would appreciate your thoughts. Also, I am just amazed at how God brings us out of Babylon, little by little, line upon line, and you can look back and see that he was working the whole time. To demonstrate this I want to share with you a prophetic (I Cor. 14:3, 'devotional') writing that I did way back when I was in the heart of Babylon. It is entitled, "A thousand Villains."
God bless you Mike!O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me? - Rom. 7:24
It seems in our Christian pilgrimage that we will more quickly experience the depth of our own wickedness within our hearts than the light of the glory of God. For after we are cleansed from our sin and the HOLY Spirit moves into our temple (Jn. 2:21), and we go from Ichabod (meaning, the glory has departed) to Shekinah (meaning, to dwell), it is easy to feel the depth of our humanity and sinfulness.
This scenario was similarly seen in the building of the tabernacle when the Ark of the Covenant was overlaid with Gold. The Ark, which was to be a resting place for the glory of God (the Shekinah), at his center was shittim wood. And what a stark contrast was made when the gold was lain over its surface. I am sure that lackluster wood wished that it could be quickly covered by the brilliant gold so as not to discover its wretchedness.
Even so we, after we have been birthed by the Divine Spirit have not changed much, though we have been overlain with gold we are still corruptible wood at heart. I find that all introspection, or looking deep within who we are, leads only to despair. Yes, we see ourselves as a thousand villains all at one time and it seems, we shall never escape the villainy of our sin nature.
We see ourselves as Adam who committed high treason against his Maker. At times our actions betray us and we condemn ourselves to be Balaam, who being a prophet of God, died an heretic. We fear that we are King Saul, rejected, reprobate, and abandoned by God. We be the unnamed prophet who fell by the lion because of his disobedience to God and obedience to his belly. In terror we feel that we are Jonah, fleeing from the presence of God. We fear that we have committed the unpardonable sin and will be lost for eternity. We must beware though that this state of heart doesn't scare us altogether from the Holy Scriptures.
It is strange to us because in times past the Word has been our joy, but now has become our terror (Jer. 17:17). When we read that old Salvation scripture, John 3:16, we can barely hear, "for God so loved the World," all we hear is that foreboding word, perish. Even the most loving scriptures become our enemies. Somehow we manage to glean anger from everything we read. We no longer behold in the book of Isaiah the prophetical utterances of a soon coming redeemer, but the judgment and wrath poured out against all ungodliness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness (Rom. 1:18).
These things surely bring despair and great horror (Gen. 15:12), but how little do we realize this is but a blessed gift from our Lord delivered to us on the pinions (wings) of His Holy Spirit. How healthy it is to realize our guilt, shame, and wickedness, for it must be so to be removed. Ah! We get to see sin for what sin really is, the zenith of all that is evil and against God. It was only after the holy prophet Isaiah cried, "I am undone," because of the glory that excelleth, that a blazing coal was placed to his lips for cleansing. One man of God said this in witness to this truth; "Holy fear prepares the soul for holy joy; the spirit of bondage makes way for the spirit of adoption. God wounds first, and then heals; humbles first, and they lifts up, Isa 6:5,6."
There are those who never acknowledge their need for God or never have been made so aware. So rejoice you wilderness wanderer. Even though there is gross darkness brooding over your soul, God has spoken, "let there be light!" Once there is light there can be the creation of that which has never existed. Who is among you that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light? let him trust in the name of the Lord, and stay upon his God. (Is. 50:10) O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted (Is. 54:11), behold God's Word unto you; Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee (Is. 26:3). Don't imagine that you shall forever be in this state, but know that it is a necessary state for all those who would see Christ Jesus. Hallelujah!
In Christ crucified with you,
N____
You may have been "in the heart of Babylon" when you wrote this piece, but that seventh head of the beast was to last but a short space, because the new man who is still within a body of shittim wood "will continue but a short space."
Rev 17:8 The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.
Rev 17:9 And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.
Rev 17:10 And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, [and] the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.
Rev 17:11 And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.
Jer 5:14 Wherefore thus saith the LORD God of hosts, Because ye speak this word, behold, I will make my words in thy mouth fire, and this people wood, and it shall devour them.
Look at those verses. "The beast... seven heads... fallen kings...and going into perdition." It all sounds so very dire, and for corruptible flesh it is dire. But as you put it:
"These things surely bring despair and great horror (Gen. 15:12), but how little do we realize this is but a blessed gift from our Lord delivered to us on the pinions (wings) of His Holy Spirit. How healthy it is to realize our guilt, shame, and wickedness, for it must be so to be removed. Ah! We get to see sin for what sin really is, the zenith of all that is evil and against God. It was only after the holy prophet Isaiah cried, "I am undone," because of the glory that excelleth, that a blazing coal was placed to his lips for cleansing. One man of God said this in witness to this truth; "Holy fear prepares the soul for holy joy; the spirit of bondage makes way for the spirit of adoption. God wounds first, and then heals; humbles first, and they lifts up, Isa 6:5,6."
"There are those who never acknowledge their need for God or never have been made so aware. So rejoice you wilderness wanderer. Even though there is gross darkness brooding over your soul, God has spoken, "let there be light!" Once there is light there can be the creation of that which has never existed. Who is among you that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light? let him trust in the name of the Lord, and stay upon his God. (Is. 50:10) O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted (Is. 54:11), behold God's Word unto you; Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee (Is. 26:3). Don't imagine that you shall forever be in this state, but know that it is a necessary state for all those who would see Christ Jesus. Hallelujah!"
We are told, and I believe, that "God is love." Even His wrath is poured out in love. "Going into perdition" is the best thing that ever happens to the beast within us. But that beast cannot begin to truly die until He comes to be the eighth, the new man, still wood, still in a vessel of clay, but covered with the gold of God's Word.
Rev 17:7 And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns.
Rev 17:8 The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.
Rev 17:9 And here [is] the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.
Rev 17:10 And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, [and] the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.
Rev 17:11 And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.
All of this is understood by "comparing spiritual with spiritual, dying daily, going into perdition." The new man sees every word of judgment and destruction as extremely positive statements. Dying brings life, blindness brings sight, perdition brings salvation.
The new man comes to God in thanksgiving for the wonderful works God is doing with the children of men."
Psa 107:24 These see the works of the LORD, and his wonders in the deep.
Psa 107:25 For he commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves thereof.
Psa 107:26 They mount up to the heaven, they go down again to the depths: their soul is melted because of trouble.
Psa 107:27 They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wits' end.
Psa 107:28 Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses.
Psa 107:29 He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still.
Psa 107:30 Then are they glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto their desired haven.
Psa 107:31 Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!
When we come to God thanking Him for His chastening and scourging, then, and only then, have we come to understand the message of the book of Job. Only then can we see that the suffering of this present time is not worthy to be compared to the glory that will be revealed in us. God truly is working all things after the counsel of His own will.
Rom 8:18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
Eph 1:11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:
Mike
