We are His People

“Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.”

— Psalm 100:3

“I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.”

— John 10:14

We did not create this earth or the natural world within it. We did not even create ourselves. A sovereign God placed us here. As God of the whole earth,[1]every person has an obligation to keep his moral law and be thankful to him. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry.[2]

Much more so the blood-bought child of God. Yes, Jesus is Lord of all by virtue of being creator and God. But he is not the Shepherd and Redeemer of all. He only shows that aspect of His character to the elect, the sheep of his pasture. His sheep know that Jesus is Lord, God, prophet king. Wonderful, Counsellor, The might God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace[3].

His sheep are a peculiar people[4] zealous for good works.[5] He did not bring us out of the house of bondage[6] of our sin and misery so that we can continue to serve sin. He also did not redeem us from death so that we can be rich and live a life of ease. He leads us in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake[7].

“Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.”

— Psalm 100:4

[1] Is 54:5 [2] Ps 2:12 [3] Is 9:6 [4] 1st Pet 2:9 [5] Titus 2:14 [6] Ex 20:2 [7] Ps 23:3

You Have to Tell Them Again...and Again...and Again.

“Open thy mouth for the dumb in the cause of all such as are appointed to destruction.”

— Proverbs 31:8

“And I took the little book out of the angel’s hand, and ate it up and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter. And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.” — Revelation 10:10-11

Their line is gone out through all the earth[1], and His word is forever settled in heaven.[2]There are more Bibles in circulation right now in more languages than ever before. And yet professing Christians are probably on average no more biblically literate now than they were in the Dark Ages. We have been commissioned to take this word out into the world and teach all nations[3]. Friends, how can we teach something we don’t know ourselves?!

A prudent man foreseeth the evil and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished.[4]If you are in Christ, your life is hid with Christ in God.[5]Meanwhile, the way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble[6].”

First, we must have compassion on the lost and intercede for them before God in prayer as Moses did in Exodus 32:11-14 and the Lord did in Luke 23:34. Then we must take this authoritative and inspired word of God to peoples, nations, tongues, and kings. Yes, even those in authority must have the Word of God brought to them. None seek after God[7].

The word of God is sweet to us, but the knowledge of the wrath to come is bitter. We long for the Lord to come and judge the nations in righteousness and equity,[8] but we also know what that will mean for everyone without Christ. Our orders are to preach the word, be instant in season, out of season[9]. We do not know where the good soil is[10], our job is to plant the seeds of the gospel everywhere we can.

“….ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.” — 1st Corinthians 15:58

Scriptures: [1] Ps 19:4 [2] 119:89 [3] Mat 28:19 [4] Prov 22:3 [5] Col 3:3 [6] Prov 4:19 [7] Rom 3:11 [8] Ps 98:9 [9] 2nd Tim 4:2 [10] Mth 13:23

Perpetual Sleep

“Because the spoiler is come upon her, even upon Babylon, and her mighty men are taken, every one of their bows is broken: for the LORD God of recompences shall surely requite. And I will make drunk her princes, and her wise men, her captains, and her rulers, and her mighty men: and they shall sleep a perpetual sleep, and not wake, saith the King, whose name is the LORD of hosts.”

— Jeremiah 51:56-57

“For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But ye brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief….Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.”

— 1st Thessalonians 5:3-6

Our God is a god of recompenses. Those that love lies will inevitably be forced to eat the fruit of their own way. For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another.[1]

Therefore we can rest assured that no tyrant or evildoer will prosper for long. Fret not thyself because of evildoers…For they shall soon be cut down like the grass.[2] God uses sin sinlessly to advance His kingdom, and sometimes that means allowing corrupt governments to exist, or egregious crimes to be committed. The wickedness of the Babylonians purified the remnant of Judah and wrought judgment against the apostates as surely as Israel’s conquest of Canaan had been a judgment against the people living there before them.

A sign that a civilization is ripe for this kind of judgment is what’s known as judicial hardening. This hardening causes people to persist in every kind of wickedness without remorse, even as it destroys the fabric of society around them. A strong delusion,[3] a lying spirit,[4] and collective drunkenness[5] all characterize the mighty and proud men of the earth before calamity[6] comes upon them. And God takes full credit for sending this spirit of slumber and drunkenness upon the people. He is the Judge.

William Blake , Nebuchadnezzar

But to the meek who shall inherit the earth[7], it is written: The LORD will destroy the house of the proud: but he will establish the border of the widow[8].

If you are faithfully witnessing for Christ’s kingdom and your words fall on deaf ears, the Lord instructs you to shake off the dust and keep moving.[9]For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness[10]…

Keep preaching the gospel, studying the Bible, and watch unto prayer.[11] He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.[12]

Maran-atha[13]!

Christ will come.

Scriptures: [1] Ps 75:6-7 [2] Ps 37:1-2 [3] 2nd Thess 2:11 [4] 1st Kings 22:23 [5] Rev 17:2 [6] Prov 6:15 [7] Matth 5:5 [8] Prov 15:25 [9] Matth 10:14-15 [10] 1st Cor 1:18 [11] 1st Pet 4:7 [12] Rev 22:11 [13] 1st Cor 16:22