"Jesus is King"

“Jesus answered, ‘My kingdom is not of this world.  If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm’ Therefore Pilate answered, ‘So You are a king?’  Jesus answered, ‘You say correctly that I am a king.  For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth.  Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.’” (John 18:36,37)

Jesus was born a king.  At birth He was born into earthly royalty.  He was of the lineage of King David (Matt. 1:1), and rightful heir to his earthly throne,

“There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from then on and forevermore.  The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this.” (Is. 9:7)

The prophet Micah prophesied He would be born in Bethlehem:

“But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel.  His goings forth are from long ago, from the days of eternity.” (Mic. 5:2)

And so, Jesus was born the king of the Jews.

What is a king?  Most of can only relate to a president, who is someone we elect into office.  But not so with a king.

A king is a male monarch.  This is a ruler who has a kingdom, and rules over it with absolute power and authority.  A king is not elected.  He is born a royal heir to the throne, and inherits it.  It is strictly hereditary, and he rules for life.

King Jesus will rule as King of the Jews for life, eternal:

“And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever and His kingdom will have no end.” (Luke 1:33)

“But of the Son God says, ‘Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, and the righteous scepter is the scepter of Your kingdom.”(Heb. 1:8)

But far more than being born the eternal King of the Jews, Jesus Christ was born to be the King of His own kingdom, given Him by His Father.  It’s referred to in 2 Peter 1:11 as “the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”

The prophet Daniel was shown this.  Turn with me to Daniel 7:13.

“I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven one like a Son of Man was coming, and He came up to the Ancient of Days and was presented before Him.  And to Him was given dominion, glory and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations and men of every language might serve Him.  His dominion is an everlasting dominion which will not pass away; and His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed.”

As King of His kingdom, Jesus Christ came to earth to invade Satan’s domain here, and do warfare.  He came to dethrone the devil, and to destroy his works of wickedness and lies.  He came to set the prisoners free.

For 40 days and 40 nights in the wilderness, these two arch enemies fought.  It was a war of words.  It was the kingdom of truth and righteousness fighting against the kingdom of wickedness and lies.

And finally, praise God, our Lord Jesus emerged victorious, in the power of the Holy Spirit, to proclaim:

“Repent!  The kingdom of heaven is at hand (Matt. 4:17).”

When a person turns from their sin to Christ for salvation, they are miraculously taken out of the domain of Satan and transferred into this kingdom of heaven. (Col. 1:13) It is the Kingdom of Jesus Christ, hallelujah!  And He is its King.

No longer is that person under the rule of Satan.  No longer does that person have to do what Satan says.  He whom the Son, our King Jesus, sets free, is free indeed from the tyrant, Satan.

They are seated with Christ in heavenly places.  They are in a completely different kingdom now, the kingdom of God’s beloved Son.  Jesus Christ is the King there, and all who are placed in this spiritual realm are made citizens there.

And O what a Servant King this Ruler is!  What a kind and benevolent King is our Lord Jesus Christ!  What other ruler of any kingdom would have done what King Jesus did, so we could be a part of His kingdom.

Our King died for our sins, so we could enter His kingdom and live with Him!

Our King continues to forgive us, when we fail Him.

Our King gives us His righteous, eternal life.  The Christian will never die!

We are being transformed into our King’s image, from glory to glory!

We are made sons and daughters of God, and will share in the inheritance that belongs to Christ. [Rom. 8:15- Adopted into the most Royal Family ever!

We will rule and reign with our King, forever and ever!

Turn with me to Revelation 19:11-16.  [Note:  Jesus Christ is no longer wearing a crown of thorns!]

What does it mean to rule and reign with our King?  Here we are, the armies, clothed in “the righteous acts of the saints”, going forth with the King of kings and the Lord of Lords.  This goes beyond human imagination.  But still, we are there with our King.

King Jesus came to earth to abolish all demonic rule and all authority and power.  He came to put Satan under His feet, and to destroy all his works.  One day in the future, it will be declared for all to hear, in all of creation!

“The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever.” (Rev. 11:17)

This is our King.  His wonderful name is Jesus Christ, and we obey Him, amen?  In His kingdom, He makes the rules, and He judges with perfect justice.

“God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Phil. 2:9)

“God raised Christ from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.  And He put all things in submission under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.” (Eph. 1:20-23)

Turn with me please, to one last Scripture:  Matthew 25:31

I want us to consider this absolute power that God the Father has bestowed on Jesus Christ.  In this last text, we see our great King, sitting on His throne, and He is the one who will judge all people of every generation.

Read Matthew 25:31

"See HIS Glory"

 “Now when the attendant of the man of God had risen early and gone out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was circling the city.  And his servant said to him, ‘Alas, my master!  What shall we do?’  So he answered, ‘Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.’ Then Elisha prayed and said, ‘O Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.’  And the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he saw; and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.” (2 Kings 6:15-17)

We learn from our story that there are two ways to see every problem.

Elisha’s servant represents the Christian is sees only the enemy and his great might.  This leads him to imagine impending disaster, and as a result, God’s servant is fill with fear and despairing.

Elisha, on the other hand, represents the victorious Christian who sees the infinitely greater glory of God, and as a result, he quickly comforts his servant with the words,

“Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”

When it seems like the enemy has completely surrounded you, and in the natural, your situation looks absolutely hopeless, who would you rather be like?  

Elisha’s servant, who saw only the enemy’s great might, and the obvious negative outcome… or would you rather be like Elisha, who saw only God’s glory, and knew everything was going to be alright.

Today, I’d like for us to consider the banner we have here in the room, which says “See His Glory”.  God wants us to see His glory, and to know His glory, in a personal way.

In the glory of God, the Christian finds infinite love and mercy and forgiveness, and so much more.  We also find infinite power and authority, always fighting for us, not against us.  As God’s child, we should always proclaim!

“Overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.” (Rom. 8:37)

But this will not happen, if we do not see the glory of God.  This is so important.  In times of tragedy, we have such a tendency to focus on the negative, and we lose sight of God’s greatness.

Church, we need for our eyes to be opened, just as Elisha’s servant’s eyes were opened.  It’s time to walk by faith and get a vision of God’s glory, instead of walking by sight and being overwhelmed by the enemies glory.  What a difference it made, when he saw heaven’s army, amen?  It was the glory of God, just waiting to be brought into action by Elisha’s prayers.

Listen to the prayer of the Apostle Paul.  Much like Elisha, Paul is praying that our eyes would be opened to the glory of God too.

“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe.  These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in the one to come.” (Eph. 1:18-21)

God wants our eyes open towards Him.  This is the only way to be filled with the vision of His glory.  He wants our eyes fixed on Jesus Christ, who is seated far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named forever!

In every problem or devastating circumstance, our only hope of deliverance and salvation, is that we would see the glory of Jesus Christ, and lose ourselves in the greatness of our God.  It’s time to focus, brother and sisters, like never before.

We must focus on God and His glory, for the glory of the devil is rising in the earth.  The advance of the wicked, and the failings of Christianity have become all too vivid.  It’s easy to see what the devil is accomplishing.  His works of evil are everywhere.

I’m concerned about the world we live in, and how sin is becoming so commonplace, even among Christians.  You know how much I’ve tried to expose wickedness and challenge you to hate it.

When I watched the Republican debate the other night, I was so grieved.  There was no mention of God, or repentance.  All I heard was talk about cheap fixes for the problems we are facing in our country, which are really the judgments of God.  There is no cheap fix for this problem, only repentance.

But the greatest disappointment of all, was when a homosexual got to present himself and defend his sin, for the world to see, basically challenging anyone to call him a sinner. 

These perverts can now, openly declare in the army, they are homosexuals.  They think they’ve won.  But in reality, they have cursed our armed forces, and I AM convinced that there is great defeat ahead for our men in action, who are fighting for us. 

I am equally convinced that sin has so infiltrated every segment of society, that I just don’t think there is going to be a great revival that would turn everything around. I personally believe that we are in the last moments of time.

Yes, God wants us to win souls to Christ.  But these will represent a very small segment of society.  Most will reject God, even as they are already doing.

The world is being set up for the anti-Christ, and we are watching the final pieces of the end-time’s puzzle being put into place by the ruler of this world [international economic failure, Israel being rejected and surrounded, days of Lot and Noah unfolding before us].  Now, these things you have heard me say in the past.  But what I’m about to share, you have not heard me say.

Turn with me to Isaiah 9:18.  I want to show you what I believe Isaiah saw coming, in our day in America.

It’s a horrible vision, one that we in America have never seen before, in our history.  But brothers and sisters, it coming on us, and it causes me to tremble.

Read Isaiah 9:18

“For wickedness burns like a fire; it consumes briars and thorns; it even sets the thickets of the forest aflame, and they roll upward in a column of smoke.  By the fury of the Lord of hosts the land is burned up.  And the people are like fuel for the fire…”

Another way to put this is stated by Paul, in Romans 1:28:

“And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, being filled with all unrighteousness…”

Imagine an entire society, given over to their gross sins.  Imagine the world given over to utter sexual immorality and violence and hate.

How would you like to live on planet earth then.  Lot lived in Sodom and Gomorrah, which was a society that accepted homosexuality as normal.  Listen to what Scripture says Lot had to endure,

“God rescued Lot out of Sodom because he was a righteous man who was sick of the shameful immorality of the wicked people around him.  Yes, Lot was a righteous man who was tormented in his soul by the wickedness he saw and heard day after day.” (2 Pet. 2:7,8)

Now, this brings me to my main point for today.  How will you fare, when society seems to be on fire with their sins.  Isaiah prophecies, “Wickedness is like a fire, and the people are like fuel for the fire.”  This is unrestrained, absolutely out of control sinners.  In Sodom and Gomorrah, just before its destruction, the Bible says that “the men of the city, the men of Sodom, surrounded the house, both young and old, all the people from every quarter…”  What did they want?  They all wanted to rape the 2 angels who had come into Lot’s house.  This is what the days of Lot were like.  Unrestrained sexual immorality!

Brothers and sisters, this is coming upon America, I believe, in our lifetime.  We’re already seeing some of it, but when it hits, it will come just like the Aramean army that showed up at daybreak, suddenly and in full view, to capture Elisha.

We think it’s bad now, but it’s nowhere as bad as it’s going to get.  Just how far we’re going to go into this worldwide Sodom and Gomorrah of the last days, I don’t know.

I believe the rapture can take place at any moment.  But I hear God warning us, something awful is coming on our nation, and we must prepare for it now.  Sin is going to come in like a flood.  And so will God’s judgments.  What will this do to your faith? 

God’s word has given us instruction on what to do in this hour in which we live.  It comes from the prophet Isaiah, and the psalmist/prophet King David.  These two men of God saw this same thing happening in their day, and dealt with it.  Now, we can learn from them.  Let’s let the Lord speak to us through these Scriptures.

Isaiah 26:20.  [PRAYER-CLOSET INTIMACY WITH GOD]

“Come, my people, enter into your rooms, and close your doors behind you; hide for a little while, until indignation runs its course.  For behold, the Lord is about to come out from His place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity; and the earth will reveal her bloodshed, and will no longer cover her slain.

Isaiah 33:14.  [A REPENTANT HEART]

“Who among us can live with the consuming fire?  Who among us can live with continual burning?  He who walks righteously, and speaks with sincerity, he who rejects unjust gain, and shakes his hands so that they hold no bribe; he who stops his ears from hearing about bloodshed (Constant reporting of it on the news) , and shuts his eyes from looking upon evil (All the evil going on around us); he will dwell on the heights; his refuge will be the impregnable rock; his bread will be given him; his water will be sure.  Your eyes will see the King in His beauty; they will behold a far-distant land.”

Psalm 27:4 [STAY IN CHURCH, SEEKING GOD’S BEAUTY]

“One thing I have asked from the Lord that I shall seek; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to meditate in His temple.  For in the day of trouble He will conceal me in His tabernacle; in the secret place of His tent He will hide me; He will lift me up on a rock.  And now my head will be lifted up above my enemies around me; and I will offer in His tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord.”

Psalm 57:1,4,7 [SING PRAISES TO HELP KEEP FOCUS ON GOD’S GLORY]

“My soul takes refuge in Thee; and in the shadow of Thy wings I will take refuge, until destruction passes by… My soul is among lions; I must lie among those who breathe forth fire, even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword.  Be exalted above the heavens, O God; let Thy glory be above all the earth…My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises!

Psalm 23:5 says that God prepares a table before us (Himself, His glory!) in the presence of our enemies.  I believe this means that in the midst of all our troubles, all demonic attacks, all sinful behavior going on all around us, all rebellion and violence, God is there.

God wants us to fix our eyes on Him.  God’s glory affects us.  We are changed and encouraged, and we shine God’s glory to others, even in deep darkness.

Brothers and sisters, deep darkness is coming upon the whole world, according to Isaiah 60.  But God’s glory will be upon His people.  Why?  Because their minds are on Him.  Their eyes are fixed on Him.  Their ears are open to what the Spirit is saying.

When a man turns to the Lord, 2 Cor. 3:16 says they are changed into God’s image from glory to glory.  We see God, and we are changed.

I guess one of the most famous quotes in the Bible is when Moses cried out to God in Exodus 33:18 , “Show me Your glory.”  And God did.  Moses saw God’s literal presence, and heard the voice of God too.

“And the Lord descended in the cloud and stood there with him as he called upon the name of the Lord.  Then the Lord passed by in front of him and proclaimed, ‘The Lord, the Lord God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth; who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting the iniquity of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations.”

In times of judgment.  In times of spiritual darkness.  In times of distress and failure and anxiety about what tomorrow may bring, even God’s people are going to have to know for certain God is still compassionate and gracious and abounding in lovingkindness.

This is the glory of God.  It’s the glory of God when He shows us His almighty power and authority.  It’s the glory of God when He proves Himself holy in the midst of His people, in the sight of the nations.

Even when others are experiencing God’s judgments, and fear comes upon them, God wants a people who can still speak of His mercy and love, and His provision.  Amen.

"A Sword For the Lord and For Gideon"

(Judges 7:2-25)

We are all personally fighting against our enemies, amen?  Our battles are against spiritual rulers, against the demonic powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places (Eph. 6:12).

Our battles to us are real, and at times, we do get wounded.  But praise God, in the Lord, we are more than conquerors!  In the Lord, we have been given the authority to not only resist the devil, but to cause him to flee, him and all his hordes of demons.

Jesus said, “Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you.” (Luke 10:19)  And so, we learn to engage in our spiritual warfare against Satan, and we fight to win.

Now, I know you know this.  We can all attest to what it means to submit to God and resist the devil.  But, what you probably don’t pay much attention to is this.  Are you listening?  I want you to hear this:

God does not want us to go through our battles by ourselves!  We are not alone!  We have each other!!!  Yes we have God, but He’s given us each other!

We are meant to fight as one army for each other.

“And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Jesus Christ on white horses.” (Rev. 19:14)

This army that is with Christ in the heavenlies, is nothing more than the beautiful bride of Christ we talked about a couple of weeks ago.

And the fine linen she is clothed with, are her righteous acts.  Let me tell you one of the major righteous acts of the bride of Christ.

It’s when we fight for each other, in spiritual warfare!  God is engaged in fighting our battles against Satan, with us!  But so is His army, His church, amen?  This is all part of loving each other.

“We pursue the things that make for peace and the building up of one another. (Rom. 14:19) [We all want peace from the conflict]

“Do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.” (Phil. 2:4)

“And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.” (1 Jn. 3:16)

“Each of us is to please his neighbor for his good, to his edification.” (Rom. 15:2)

“Be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints.” (Eph. 6:18)

Caring about each other’s concerns, along with our own, is what God’s army of love is all about.

We are interceding for each other, and always hoping the best.  We are speaking encouraging words, and doing deeds of kindness.  In church life, we are never alone.  We are together as one, and mighty we are in the Lord!

There is indication in Scripture that when God is fighting with us, against our enemies, one can put to flight 1000, but 2 puts to flight 10,000!  (Josh. 23:10; Deut. 32:30)

We are told to submit to God, resist the devil, and he will flee.  Well, what happens when we stand together for each other, and resist the devil.

When 2 or more come together and pray, God is in our midst, and He gives us what we ask for.  We are way more than just 2, we are a great majority because God is with us!

Can you imagine 10,000 of your enemies, coming at you at once?  Well, can you imagine just 2 of the saints putting all of them to flight!!!  We’ve got to believe this is true.

God said, “Unify!  Bless each other!  This is one of the main ways that Jesus Christ is building His church!

We are together as one, and as one we are strong.  God made it that way.  We are fighting on the same side for each other, not against each other.

What is it that you are battling with?  Don’t do it alone.  Let the church fight with you.  Though our numbers are few, we are just enough to break through for each other.

Let’s look now, at our opening text.  Read  Judges 7:2-14

Let’s notice that God said to Gideon, “The people who are with you are too many for Me to give Midian into their hands.”

Don’t we always think, the more the merrier?  I mean, which would you rather have, 32,000 or 300?  But God doesn’t think the way we do.

So God takes Gideon’s church from 32,000, and reduces it down to 300.  And the Lord hand picked the remnant.  It was then that Gideon heard the Lord say, “I will deliver you with 300 men.”

So with an army of only 300, Gideon was supposed to believe that he could fight and win, against an enemy army that was “as numerous as locusts; and their camels were without number, as numerous as the sand on the seashore.”

You have got to be kidding.  No, God said it was enough.  God was leaving room for Himself to do the miraculous!

But just like you and I would, Gideon still had his doubts.  He was afraid.  But look at how gracious the Lord is.

So the Lord told him,

“Arise, go down against the camp, for I have given it into your hands.  But if you are afraid to go down, go with Purah your servant down to the camp, and you will hear what they say; and afterward your hands will be strengthened that you may go down against the camp.” (7:9,10)

So Gideon took the Lord up on His offer, and he and his servant quietly went down to the camp and overheard a conversation.  Two men were talking, and one was sharing a dream he had just had, of a loaf of barley bread tumbling into camp.  The other interpreted it as “God has given the camp into Gideon’s hand.

Gideon, at last, had heard enough.  He caught the vision.  What vision?  That small was enough to defeat the enemy.  God often makes our circumstances impossible for us to deal with ourselves.

We come to the place where we only see the enemy, and he looks strong and able to defeat us.  But as Elisha told his servant, “Those who are for us are more than those who are against us.”

When all looks hopeless in the natural, we must put our confidence in the unseen realm of God’s angels and believe that His forces far out number our enemy’s.

This is why we walk by faith, not by sight.  Our faith is in God, and in His ability to change circumstances for the better.

The Midian army had held Israel captive for a long time.  They were a huge fighting force.  But with only 300, God was going to change things.  Let’s read how Gideon’s battle ends.

Read Judges 7:15-25

Now, I’d like for us to zero in on their battle cry.  With torches in their left hand, and trumpets in their right hand for blowing, each cried out, “A sword for the Lord and for Gideon.”

Yes, this sword was for the Lord and for all of Israel, but it was Gideon’s fight that God had called him to.  And God had hand selected 300 men to surround Gideon with, in order to win the battle.  The battle cry was, “A sword for the Lord and for Gideon.”

What is your fight?  Because we are in it with you.  God only gave Gideon 300 men out of 32,000.  Well, here we are, are we are for you, and whatever it is that you’re fighting against.

Church, we have got to prevail in each other’s battles, as well as our own.  It does not matter if you see your enemy as Gideon did, “as numerous as locusts.”  God has got your “300” right here, in Life Church of the Islands.  [church=cover each other’s back!]

We are the exact number you need to fight and win every battle you’re engaged in.  Our battle cry should and must be, “A sword for the Lord and for Janice, or Debra, or Patsy.  A sword for the Lord and for Craig or Josh or Lisa or Tim or Savina!”

Scripture says, “If God be for us, who can be against us?”  But it’s not just God doing all the work.  He is in His church, and we are engaged too!”  If we be for each other, who can be against us?”

Now the Bible says, we wrestle not against flesh and blood.  So I’m not talking about fighting people.  I’m talking about fighting you demons with you, and prevailing with you, because we intercede and encourage and care about each other’s problems.

Notice, the enemy kings of Midian who had come against Gideon had their heads cut off.  The enemy was utterly destroyed.  And I say to you, revival in your life and mine is when God and His church help you cut off your enemy’s heads too, and bring them to you.

We may be few, but we are mighty in the Lord!  And we are just the right number needed to help you win your battles.  If we get involved in fighting for each other, there will be far less chance for us to be tempted to fight against each other, amen?

You are not alone!  You’ve got to stop living as though you were.  Live like you really are a part of an army engaged in battle for each other.  We are one, so let us fight as one, on our knees.  How can we help you get the victory?

Are you discouraged?  Are you being tempted to sin?  Are you distressed or depressed?  Are you ready to give up on something?  Does it seem hopeless?  Please, let us stand with you.

Don’t retreat!  Don’t stop praying.  Please keep praying for my son Christ who has a killer diabetes.  I’m not going to give up, but I need your prayers.  If you’re concerned about your family, let’s pray!  Are you concerned about your marriage.  Let’s pray!

All it takes is for 2 to come together, amen!

Now, Proverbs 16:20 says, “How blessed is He who trusts in the Lord.”

I want us, this morning, to get serious about trusting in the Lord.  I want us to understand that God has the victory we need.  But we have got to get desperate for it, like never before.

Don’t let the “wrong thing” happening in your life, and in the lives of those you love, just keep on happening.  If ever there was a day to get serious about spiritual warfare, this is it.

The enemy for some of you in this room, is as numerous as locusts, and the sands of the seashore.  But let this message sink in.  You have got in each other, a sword for the Lord and for you that will win the fight.

Now, I happen to know a little bit about each of you in this room today.  You’re engaged in warfare for your children.  You may think I’m talking about you, and I probably am, but I’m probably talking to the person sitting next to you too.

Church, we have got to win the fight for your children.  Get mad.  Don’t let Satan have his way.  Don’t think that what you see happening in their lives is the way it’s got to be.  NO!

Be a people of God’s authority.  Stand on the promises of God.  Enlist help from those around you.  God has the victory, but we are going to have to fight the battle, with faith and trust in Him to break Satan’s hold, and set the captives free.

"The Beauty of the Bride"

“You are altogether beautiful, my darling, and there is no blemish in you.” (SOS 4:7)

Come with me today.  I want us to take a peek into the greatest gala affair of all time, anywhere in creation.

No other celebration could ever compare to this event that is soon to take place.  Perhaps it will be the most unbelievable moment ever, that God has planned.

I’m talking about the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, when at last, He is joined forever, to the great love of His life, His bride.  Revelation 19:7 says,

“’Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready.’  And it was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.”

This is the moment we will get to see the Bridegroom, face to face, in all His infinite, wonderful glory and beauty.  Jesus Christ will be the center piece of this great event.  His splendor will radiate with such intensity, that even angels will be shocked with awe.

Yes, the focus of heaven, even now, is upon Jesus Christ!

But when the bride of Christ is presented to her Bridegroom, at the Wedding Feast, she too will be donned with such splendor and glory, that all heaven will be hushed when first she appears.  She will be beautiful beyond words to describe.

Why will this be so?  Because the Bridegroom Himself, is the one who has made her glorious to see!

“That He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she should be holy and blameless.” (Eph. 5:25)

Here’s another way of putting it, from the Message Bible.

“Christ’s love makes the church whole.  His words evoke her beauty.  Everything He does and says is designed to bring the best out of her, dressing her in dazzling white silk, radiant with holiness.”

The bride of Christ will be God’s greatest creation, made in the very image of the Bridegroom Himself.  All will see His glory on her, but not just on her, but in her, through and through.  Like the sun, the Lord’s glory will shine out of His beautiful bride, and all will see it.

Hers will be the most celebrated beauty ever created, and her beauty will be especially for the pleasure of one Person, the Lord Jesus Christ.

You see, the bride is the Lord’s workmanship, amen?  He invested His entire life into making her beautiful to see.

In silent admiration, surely the angels will think to themselves, “I can’t believe this!  I’ve never seen such a work of beauty.  Look at the bride of Christ!”  Jesus will show her off to all the hosts of heaven!

And the Lord’s way is astonishment and wonder, which is exactly what will grip the heart of all onlookers.  To see the “beauty of the Bridegroom” vested in His bride!  What words can tell of this glory!

God’s greatest masterpiece, to last for all eternity!  Such a perfect compliment to His own beauty and splendor and glory!  He knows exactly how to match Himself up with the perfect bride, which He will take pleasure in and enjoy forever!

As with any marriage ceremony, it’s all about the bridegroom AND the bride.  This is what all of heaven is waiting to see.  The union of heaven’s Bridegroom and His bride, forever and ever, who can fathom this?  What does this mean?  Paul says, “This mystery of Jesus and His church is great…” (Eph. 5:32)

The glory that Christ will clothe His bride with is just unthinkable.  And what a wonderful thought, that Christ will look on His bride, with infinitely greater longing, than Josh did for Lisa, our two newly weds, as she walked up the aisle just recently.

I think we’d all agree, along with Josh, that Lisa was so beautiful in her wedding dress!  But I don’t think Lisa or Josh would mind me saying, that the beauty of the bride of Christ will be out of this world, and will exceed all imagination.

How do you describe the glory, the radiance of the Creator of all things, that has been created into His most prized possession?

Moses and the elders of Israel saw God, and it’s recorded for us to read in Exodus 24:10:

“And they saw the God of Israel; and under His feet there appeared to be a pavement of sapphire, as clear as the sky itself.  Yet He did not stretch out His hand against the nobles of the sons of Israel; and they beheld God, and they ate and drank.” (Ex. 24:10)

The Bible says that Moses and the elders of Israel saw God, and they “ate and drank”.  This had to be in silent wonder.  It had to be the ultimate feast of the soul, they greatest grandeur they had ever laid eyes on.

I believe this is why the Marriage Feast is described as a feast.  Not because of the lavish banquet, at the Lord’s table.

No, this feast will be the feast to end all feasts, for one reason only—because all onlookers will behold the glory of the Lord and feast on His glory, like Moses and the elders did.

But, His glory will not just in seen in Himself, but in His very special creation, the bride of Christ.  How wonderful is that?  How lovely the Bridegroom will have made His bride.

Imagine all eyes feasting on the beauty of the bride of Christ, as she moves towards her Bridegroom for an eternal marriage!  I believe even the Bridegroom’s eyes will be on His creation, His forever bride, as she at last comes to Him with all her heart.

Song of Solomon is meant to be an allegory of Christ and His bride.

Let’s listen in, as we hear the bridegroom in SOS 4:9 describe his emotions, as he gazes on the beauty of his Shulammite bride, and notices that she is glancing his way, with love in her eyes.

“You have made my heart beat faster, my sister, my bride; you have made my heart beat faster with a single glance of your eyes, with a single strand of your necklace.  How beautiful is your love, my sister, my bride!  How much better is your love than wine, and the fragrance of your oils than all kinds of spices!  Your lips, my bride, drip honey; honey and milk are under your tongue, and the fragrance of your garments is like the fragrance of Lebanon.  A garden locked is my sister, my bride.” (SOS 4:9)

Who can tell the depths of the love that Christ our Bridegroom has for His beloved?  Surely, He too is moved when we come to Him in worship, dressed in His righteous garments, clean and pure and white, which the bride has put on. 

The bride of Christ, His wife, is a virgin, and all her favors are locked up, just for her Bridegroom, as it says in SOS.  Her desire is for Him alone!

She has made herself ready for her Beloved, and has turned her affections towards Christ, as she waits for that final moment, when the shout comes at midnight, “Behold the Bridegroom, come out to meet Him.”

In Jewish tradition, the bridegroom came to take his bride away, much like it’s described in the parable of the 10 virgins in Matthew 25.  This is how it’s described in A.R. Fausset’s Bible Cyclopaedia, published in 1905:

“Late in the evening the bridegroom came with his groomsmen (companions) singers and torch or lamp bearers leading the way.  The bride meantime with her maidens eagerly awaited his coming.  Then he led the bride and her party in procession, to his home, with gladness, to the marriage supper.”

Turn with me to Matthew 25:6.

“At midnight, there was a shout, ‘Behold, the bridegroom!  Come out to meet him.’  Then all those virgins rose, and trimmed their lamps.  And the foolish said to the prudent, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the prudent answered, saying ‘No, there will not be enough for us and you too; go instead to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.’  And while they were going away to make the purchase, the bridegroom came and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast; and the door was shut.  And later the other virgins also came saying, ‘Lord, lord, open up for us.’ But he answered and said, ‘Truly I say to you, I do not know you.’  Be on the alert then, for you do not know the day nor the hour.”

Now, we’ve been peeking in, at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.  We’ve been talking about the glory of the Bridegroom, and how beautiful He will be.  But we’ve also been talking about the Bridegroom’s glory, that will be vested in His beautiful bride forever.

But the sobering truth that Jesus gave us in the parable of the 10 virgins, is this:  only 5 of the virgins were wise.  Only 5 went in to the wedding feast, and then the door was closed.

These were the ones who had lived their lives on earth with their eyes fixed on their beloved Bridegroom, longing to be with Him forever in God’s eternal paradise.  And all the while, God had been giving her “eyes to see,” as she gazed towards her Beloved, and His glory was transforming her, everyday of her life on earth!

“But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image, from glory to glory.” (2 Cor. 3:16)

Brothers and sisters, these are days to be preparing yourself for the coming of the Bridegroom.  In Jewish tradition, the bride took a preparatory bath.  She made herself clean, and perfumed herself with fragrant oils for her coming bridegroom.

This is the allusion in Ephesians 5: 26 and 27, to Christ sanctifying and cleansing His bride with the washing of water by the word, that He might present to Himself a glorious church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing.

As the bride of our Lord, let us each put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and perfect His holiness and righteousness in us.  Let us make ourselves beautiful, by God’s grace, giving Christ every chance to perfect in us, everything He is doing.

And no matter what failures we may have to endure in the process of being made ready for the Lord’s coming, our hope is this:

“He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 1:6)

And again,

“The God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.” (1 Pet. 5:10)

“Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever.  Amen.” (Jude 24)

“When He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.” (1 Jn. 3:2)

AMEN!

"Set Them Free"

“He looked down from His holy height; from heaven the Lord gazed upon the earth, to hear the groaning of the prisoner; to set free those who were doomed to death; that men may tell of the name of the Lord in Zion, and His praise in Jerusalem.” (Ps. 102:19)

“Let them give thanks to the Lord for His lovingkindness, and for His wonders to the sons of men!  For He has shattered gates of bronze, and cut bars of iron asunder.” (Ps. 107:15,16)

Freedom!  O how God loves this word!  Scripture says that when all the world was prisoner to their sin and selfishness, Jesus Christ came to set the captives free.  Galatians 5:13 says that you and I were actually, “called to freedom.”

What does this mean.  By definition, the word “freedom” means not being subject to the control or dominion of another.  Scripture says that all mankind are held captive by the devil to do his will.

This is the work of the devil, and it’s this very work that Jesus came to destroy.  Luke 4:18 says that Jesus was sent to proclaim release to the captives and freedom to the prisoners.  He was sent to free those who were down-trodden by the devil.

This commission hasn’t changed.  So when Jesus came, He addressed sinners who were bound in chains, a slave to their sins, and He called to them, “He whom the Son sets free shall be free indeed.  God really likes freedom. 

None of us would like to admit it, but we were all a prisoner of Satan, to do his will, before we came to know Christ.  Thank God that the blood of Jesus has bought us, and set us free from sin’s ownership.  And hallelujah, Satan has no authority over us, amen!

The word from the Lord this morning to us all is “Set them free!”.  Moses said to Pharaoh, “Let my people go, that they may go and serve the Lord.”  Jesus Christ commands Satan, “Let My people go that they may go and serve the Lord.”

A church bound up in compromise and besetting sins, unbelief and doubt, has become entangled.  Paul says in 2 Tim. 2:4,

“No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier.”

Well, I’m sorry, but that’s exactly what this generation of church goers has done.  We have become entangled with the affairs of everyday life, and God is saying this morning, “Set them free!”  Revival is upon us!  Talk about freedom!

Last week, we talked about 2 things we are missing, that we really need from God:  Power from on High and Tongues of Fire!  Well, this week, there’s something else we need to ask God for.

Freedom!  Absolute freedom!  Church, we’ve got work to do.  One of our prayers on Thursday, at intercessory prayer was, “Lord, give us something to do!”  The close of this age is happening right before our eyes, and God has not gone on vacation.!

He’s the Master Planner, and He is raising up a people who have no restraints holding them down.  The freedom of God is on the march, and we’ve got to get in on it.  Galatians 5:1 says that it was for freedom that Christ set us free!

Let’s look at freedom in action.  There are some really good examples in Scripture that can give us a visual of what God wants to do for the church in America today.  Let’s turn to Acts 12:1-11.

What could Peter do about his current state of affairs.  Here’s a man who was living and serving God, and he still got locked up in prison.  I want you to know, this is the devil’s work, amen!

But hallelujah, prayer was being made fervently by the church to God on behalf of Peter, and surprise, Peter got a visitor in prison.  But this visitor didn’t just come for a visit, he came to set the captive free!

NOTICE:

The chains fell off of Peter’s hands.  He didn’t ask the guards for the keys.

Passed the first and second guard on his way out, not to speak of the two who had been on either side of Peter, handcuffed to him.

They came to he iron gate that leads into the city, and it just opened for them, by itself.

Peter was free!  It took him a while to realize it wasn’t a dream.  Maybe he was a little bit surprised.  But for real, Peter was free from all restraints.  No, he wasn’t going to be martyred in the morning.  God had work for him to do.

This is God’s heart, according to Isaiah 58:6:

To loosen the bonds of wickedness

To undo the bands of the yoke

To let the oppressed go free

To break every yoke

What is it that still binds you?  What is it that is left over from your former life, before you really gave your life to Jesus.  Is it smoking cigarettes, or marijuana, drinking alcohol or some other substance abuse.  Do you want to get free from it?

I’m not saying you have to do this to be saved.  But I am saying God wants you clean and free from anything that has control over you.  The apostle Paul said all things are permissible, but not all things are profitable.  And I will not be mastered by anything!

Perhaps you a prisoner to constant attacks in your thought life, and you just can’t seem to get free from them.  Maybe you’re still tormented from a past of being physically abused, or verbally cursed.  Maybe you’re a slave to unforgiveness, or bitterness.

Brothers and sisters, this is a day of freedom;  freedom to run full steam ahead in your service for the Lord, to be a part of the end-times warfare God is wanting you to engage in.  Come on, get free.  The word of the Lord to the devil is “Set My people free!”

Turn with me to Daniel 6:16-23

Freedom is when the lions mouth has been shut by God Almighty.  Freedom is when Satan, who is like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour, has been prevented from destroying you life, like those in the lion’s den wanted to do, but God said NO!

If ever there was a generation that has fallen captive to the strongholds of Satan, this is it.  I want us to understand that just because we’re Christians does not mean that Satan can’t gain access into your lives, and rule in certain areas.

It’s one of the biggest deceptions of our generation.  So many believe that Christians cannot be affected by demons.  But O yes they can.

Before you can be set free from his influence, you have to believe Satan can be manipulating you, and that it’s not just your carnal nature.

Your flesh has been crucified with Christ at Calvary.  God has given us the cross to deal with our flesh nature.  But we must resist the devil, in God’s power, to make him flee.

According to Scripture, Christians have always been affected by demons, ever since the church was started.

If Satan can’t touch the church, why are we instructed to put on the armor of God, to resist the devil, to stand firm, and to be alert?  What will happen if we don’t do these things that we are instructed by Scripture to do?

If we aren’t susceptible to being wounded or trapped by Satan, why does Paul describe our relationship to the powers of darkness as a wrestling match? Neil Anderson says, in his book “The Bondage Breaker,

“Those who deny the enemy’s potential for destruction are the most vulnerable to it.”

Today, many Christians, even leaders, have sinned grievous sins against God.  Their fall have been made public for all the world to see.

It would be insane to think that Satan had no hand in their fall.  Though he did not make them do it, he was certainly in the process.  And because sin becomes our master, after we fall, Satan has the open door to gain a measure of control over us.  No, it is not possession.  And no, our eternal salvation is not in question of being lost.  But victory in the life of the believer is!

We must be serious in these last days, about spiritual warfare.   Yes, we’ve been considering this morning that God says, “Set them free!”  And you and I are to engage in this activity with Jesus Christ.  But before we can do that, we must get free ourselves! 

Again, Mr. Anderson says in his book, “It is not the few raving demoniacs who are causing the church to be ineffective, but Satan’s subtle deception and intrusion into the lives of “normal” believers.”

Let’s consider this, with a few Biblical examples.  [Read the Scriptures!]

Lk. 22:31-34: Satan had a hand in Peter denying Christ.

Ja. 3:14-16:  Satan has inspired Christians to serve the Lord, with selfish ambition and jealousy.

Eph. 4:26:  Because of unresolved anger, the devil has been given opportunity to establish control over Christians.

Matt. 16:22,23:  Satan has used Christians to cause others to stumble, by inspiring them to give demonic counsel that was focused on man’s interests, instead of God’s.

2 Cor. 11:4, Gal. 3:1, Timothy 4:1-3:  Satan’s servants, who have been deceitful workers in the church, disguising themselves as servants of righteousness, have bewitched followers of Jesus and lead their “minds” astray from pure devotion to Christ, which led them to receive “a different spirit and believe a different gospel, even doctrines of demons.”

Acts 5:1-11:  Satan has filled Christian hearts to tell lies.

1 Pet. 5:8,9:  Satan has, and will continue to devour Christians who are not actively resisting him, standing firm in their faith, and taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.

So now, it’s time for you to get free.  God supernaturally sent the angel of the Lord to Peter in prison, and miracle after miracle happened, for Peter to just walk out of a maximum security situation to freedom.

Daniel spent the night with hungry lions, but God locked down their mouths, and they didn’t even attack God’s servant.  God didn’t allow them to!  All it took was some surprises from God.

God wants you and me to walk free, hallelujah!  Free at last, from every stronghold of Satan.  The Lord is here among us this morning, and by the power of His Holy Spirit, He stands ready to set you free.

What are some things that may be in our lives, that God wants us to be free of, that are fleshly and demonic.  They’re listed on the back of your sermon notes.  These are just a few suggestions from “The Bondage Breaker.”  Let’s consider them:

I renounce stealing (in small or big measure).

I renounce quarreling and fighting.

I renounce jealousy and envy.

I renounce complaining and being critical.

I renounce lustful thoughts and improper use of my body for sexual purposes, such as adultery, fornication, homosexuality, pornography, and masturbation.

I renounce any thought of abortion, and I choose to be the proper guardian and keeper of God’s child in my body.

I renounce any thoughts of suicide.

I renounce gossiping and slandering people.

I renounce swearing.

I renounce not caring and being lazy in my walk with the Lord.

I renounce lying, hatred, and anger.

I renounce being unloving and unforgiving and selfish.

I renounce drunkenness and substance abuse.

I renounce cheating.

I renounce putting things off till tomorrow—procrastination.

I renounce drivenness and perfectionism.

I renounce eating disorders and self-mutilation.

I renounce any other sin which the Lord reveals to me right now.

Let there be total freedom, at last!  We can live in the power of God, with tongues of fire, going forth to shine the light of Christ, everywhere.

“Through Christ, everyone who believes is freed from all things…” (Acts 13:39)

Saints, prepare to witness.  BE free!  Stay free!  “You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.” (John 8:32)  This is God’s heart, everyday of our lives, and He is able to accomplish it in us.  Let’s bless the Lord and walk in freedom, OK!  Amen.