The Shelter of the Most High
The Shelter of the Most High
Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. (Psalms 91:1)
I wish to emphasize for a moment the idea of "dwelling."
The Lord informed us that if we are to bear the fruit of the image of Christ we will have to abide, or dwell, in Him. This is in contrast to the current concept of "accepting Christ," which is used as a sort of religious "ticket" that we can employ to enter Heaven when we die.
I believe the New Testament would inform us that it is Christ who has to accept us, and this on a continuing basis, not just on one occasion.
There are three terms found in the Gospel of John that stress dwelling in Christ and the Father, and Christ and the Father dwelling in us. They are: rooms; home; and remain. These three words express a common idea. The idea is that of a place in which to live.
My Father's house has many rooms ; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? (John 14:2)
A place for us to live in Christ, who Himself is the Father's House.
Jesus replied, "Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. (John 14:23)
A place in us for the Father and Christ.
Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. (John 15:4)
A place for us to live in Christ and He to live in us.
You know, I have never heard a preacher emphasize and explain the fifteenth chapter of the Gospel of John, although I am sure some have.
What this chapter is telling us is that it is not enough to "accept" Christ if we are to be saved. Accepting Christ is not a ticket that will admit us to Heaven when we die. According to John, Chapter Fifteen, we must, after having received Christ, proceed to live in Him.
"No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me."
The emphasis is on "fruit." We teach that we come to Christ so we may enter Heaven when we die. But Christ talks about fruit. Why is this?
We know about Heaven. But what is this about "fruit"?
Our Lord Jesus told us that all we need to do is believe and be baptized, and we will be saved.
Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. (Mark 16:16)
Notice also:
If you declare with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. (Romans 10:9,10)
There it is! Just believe, be baptized, say "Jesus is Lord," and believe that God raised Him from the dead, and you will be saved.
Nothing here about needing to bear fruit, or what will happen if we do not bear fruit.
The demons know full well that Jesus is Lord and that God raised Him from the dead. Are they saved?
I guess if we are going to understand the Scriptures we will have to do more than take a passage or two in isolation. Can you agree with that?
In the sixth chapter of the Book of Romans the Apostle Paul explains the meaning of water baptism. When we are baptized in water we are proclaiming that our first personality has died on the cross with Jesus. As far as we are concerned, the adamic creation has been done away. "It is finished"!
But what is to take the place of the abolished adamic creation?
A new creation!
What is the nature of the new creation?
It lives by the resurrection Life of the Lord Jesus. It thinks, speaks, and acts as Jesus thinks, speaks, and acts. It is an integral part of Jesus' resurrection. It bears the fruit of the image of God, if the believer remains faithful.
May I insert the comment that the transition from the living soul to the life-giving spirit does not take place the moment we are baptized, but we are to reckon, or count, it so until it has been accomplished in us.
Such is the salvation we are to "work out."
But what about saying "Jesus is Lord" and believing in our heart that God raised Him from the dead. Don't we fulfill that requirement when we "accept Christ"? What is needed further?
The Apostle who wrote that wrote also the sixth chapter of the Book of Romans.
To proclaim that Jesus is Lord, and mean it, requires that from this time forward we will set aside our own life and obey the Lord Jesus in every aspect of our being and behavior.
By announcing that Jesus is Lord we are not making a theological statement but a declaration of how we will live henceforth. We will bear the fruit of the image of God!
If we truly believe that God raised Christ from the dead and is alive at this time, we will order our life accordingly. We will look to Him constantly, speaking to Him about every issue we encounter.
We will not regard Him as a religious icon, a sacred image to be affixed to the wall of our bedroom, but a living Friend with whom we have fellowship each day.
I have not heard this taught very often, but the truth is the entire first creation, the adamic creation, died on the cross with the Lord Jesus Christ. It is finished. The new creation began when the Lord Jesus rose from the dead.
God no longer will regard the first creation as worthy of salvation. Any person who wishes to be part of the Kingdom of God, the eternal kingdom that will govern the works of God's hands from this time forward, must be born again. This means his or her original personality must finally be crucified as the Life of Christ takes its place.
Ordinarily the Christian religion presents itself as showing the way to Heaven through Christ. I think the current idea is that the first creation, after having received Christ, will be admitted into the Paradise of God upon dying physically.
This is not the Gospel of the Kingdom. The Gospel of the Kingdom regards the adamic creation as not eligible to receive the eternal life that God has promised. The Kingdom of God is not of flesh and blood.
Eternal life does not apply to the adamic creation. The adamic creation is an animal creation. Its purpose is to be a host into which the Divine Nature can be grafted.
The program of redemption is not one of forgiving the first creation and bringing it to Paradise. If any person is in Christ, he or she is a new creation. The new creation is of the Kingdom of God. It lives by the eternal Life of the Lord Jesus.
But what about our loved ones who died while in their original adamic state.
They are safe in the arms of Jesus, unless they have been wicked. Even then some of the wicked will be kept from eternal torment by the intercession of godly people. This is not to say they will not suffer chastisement in the spirit world.
It is my point of view that people in the spirit world, unless they have been consigned to a place of punishment, will be taught and have a chance to be born of Christ and grow spiritually.
Nothing of which I write is to be interpreted as meaning we can spurn Christ in the present world and then be welcomed in the spirit world when we die.
Christ always must be obeyed when we understand His will for us. Disobedience to Christ is never tolerated in the Kingdom of God.
The present world is such a jumble of spiritual ignorance that it is difficult to issue clear-cut edicts. The Scripture is not specific concerning the state of people between death and resurrection, other than to say that sometime after death the individual shall be judged.
If God sees that the individual never has had a definite chance of receiving Christ as his Lord during his or her lifetime on the earth, I believe that God will be merciful to him when he dies.
If is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of God. Let no one be deceived. At some point we must humble ourselves and obey Christ, turning over our life to Him, or we shall be assigned to Hell and then to the Lake of Fire.
God is making all things new.
He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" Then he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true." (Revelation 21:5)
In God's mind, the first creation has been done away. None of it shall be preserved. There shall be a new sky and a new earth. The entire cosmos shall be part of the Lord Jesus Christ.
For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. (Colossians 1:16,17)
If the above passage is true of the present creation, what then shall be true of the new?
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! (II Corinthians 5:17)
All people who are redeemed shall dwell in Christ and be part of Christ, some to a thirtyfold extent; some to a sixtyfold extent; and some to a hundredfold extent.
The members of the Royal Priesthood, the Church, shall possess more of Christ and be more a part of Him than will be true of the remainder of mankind. They are the government of the Kingdom of God.
Therefore, we are to think of the present creation as being temporary. It soon shall give way before the new world of righteousness.
Here is the point. If we desire to dwell in the shelter of the Most High we must be willing for God to gently remove our first personality and replace it with the resurrection Life of the Lord Jesus.
We are part of His death. We are to be an eternal part of His resurrection. Our task is to cooperate with Him promptly and completely as He makes the required change in us so that we may be part of the new creation.
There is coming a Day of Resurrection. In that day each person shall receive a body that reflects his or her spiritual condition. What we actually are in personality shall be portrayed clearly in our new body. It will not be, as in the present time, an animal body.
At that time each person shall be evaluated as to his or her eligibility to enter God's new world of righteousness. Strict obedience to Christ and the fruit that has been borne shall be deciding factors when determining entrance into the new world.
It is not a simple matter of "accept Christ" and then live our own life.
The fruit that results from our living in Christ and Christ living in us is a change in our behavior such that we are thinking, speaking, and behaving along with the Lord Jesus as He is thinking, speaking, and behaving. When we do this we are in the image of God, which God decreed at the beginning of the creation.
This is the marriage of the Lamb, of which the Scripture speaks.
Jesus said that if we make some progress in the change of how we think, speak, and behave, He shall prune us so our fruit will be even fuller.
Isn't this what the Christian salvation is? Why then do we present salvation as though it is a ticket to Heaven? What does Heaven have to do with bearing fruit? Do we have to be in God's image in order to go to Heaven? If this is the case, Heaven will not be overpopulated!
No, our goal is not residence in Heaven. Our goal is to be conformed to the image of Christ so we can have fellowship with God and Christ. At least, this is what the Bible teaches.
But what if we do not bear the fruit of God's image in our behavior. Are we still saved?
If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. (John 15:6)
The Lord Jesus is saying here that farmers working in an orchard pick up dead branches and burn them.
The Lord is telling us that if we do not live in Him we are dead. We are not revealing the image of God.
Does this mean we go to Hell, and then into the Lake of Fire?
Christ did not say that. He said we are like a dead branch lying on the ground in an orchard.
Where we go from there I do not know.
Here is another passage that says much the same thing:
Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God. But land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless and is in danger of being cursed. In the end it will be burned. Even though we speak like this, dear friends, we are convinced of better things in your case—the things that have to do with salvation. (Hebrews 6:7-9)
Now consider: These Jewish Christians, to whom the Book of Hebrews was written, were not young, inexperienced believers. They had received the blood atonement. They had been born again. They had tasted the good Word of God and the powers of the world to come. They had received the Holy Spirit.
They had heard the testimony of the original apostles. The doctrines of the resurrection and eternal judgment were elementary teachings to them. They had had their possessions confiscated. We would view them today as veterans of the cross.
But now they were neglecting the assembling together of themselves. Simply put, they were not going to church. They were becoming lukewarm. They were neglecting their salvation.
In the fourth chapter of the Book of Hebrews, these Christians were encouraged to press forward into the rest of God. Did you ever hear preaching on the rest of God? I have not.
What then is the rest of God, that platform in Christ concerning which they were coming short?
The rest of God is the place of full victory in Christ, where we think, speak, and act along with the living, resurrected Lord Jesus.
Are you there yet? Can you say with the Apostle Paul: "I am crucified with Christ. I am not living, Christ is living in me"? Until we can say that, we have not reached our goal in the Lord.
So to say, when we have "accepted Christ," that now we are saved and ready to go to Heaven, is ridiculous. We have just begun our march toward our Canaan, our land of promise.
I believe we are preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom incorrectly. We are persuading the unsaved to "accept Christ." If they will do that they will go to Heaven when they die, we promise.
What if being "saved" means we change our behavior until we are showing in ourselves the image of God, and that this transformation results from living by the Life of Christ?
In this case, "accepting Christ" and then not living by the Life of Christ, which may be true of numerous "believers," is not saving us but leading us to an uncertain destiny.
If my reasoning is correct, some changes ought to be made in the manner in which we are presenting the Gospel of the Kingdom to the unsaved. What is your opinion about this?
Now, what are we to do if we are to abide, or remain, or dwell in the Father and Christ and They in us.
We must continually t hink in Christ; speak in Christ; and behave in Christ. Acting in concert with Christ does not come naturally. We have to make the effort to think, speak, and behave in Christ.
Such union with Christ is not at all impossible. It is a matter of continual fellowship with Christ, which we accomplish by praying continually throughout the day and night. We ask God several times a day to cause us to think, speak, and behave in Christ.
We do not try to do something new and strange. If we are a Christian, we just make an effort to keep our mind on Jesus when we think, speak, and act. We seek at all times and in every circumstance fo live in the Presence of Jesus. This is not as difficult as it may seem at first.
THINKING IN CHRIST:
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. (Philippians 4:8)
For, "Who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?" But we have the mind of Christ. (I Corinthians 2:16)
When we first awaken in the morning it is helpful to have a phrase that we keep repeating until we have control of our mind. Sometimes I say "Thank you Father, in Jesus' name" over and over until I am able to think of what I should be praying about.
SPEAKING IN CHRIST:
Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. (I Thessalonians 5:11)
Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. (Ephesians 4:29)
Before we say anything at all, whether to Christians or to the unsaved, we should pray in our mind and ask Jesus to guide what we say.
We never are to ramble on and on, talking incessantly because it feels good to be talking. The Bible says something like, "In much talk there is an abundance of sin."
You know, when you do not say something, you will not have to apologize for it later.
Of course, there are times when we are obligated to speak.
We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check. (James 3:2)
BEHAVING IN CHRIST:
In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:16)
They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good. (Titus 1:16)
For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, (Titus 2:11,12)
The passage above tells us what true grace is. It is not, as is preached today, our excuse for our ungodly behavior.
If we are to portray the image of God in our conduct we have to learn to live by the Life of, and in the Presence of, the Lord Jesus.
Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. (Psalms 91:1)
When we make the effort to remain in Christ and He in us, we find rest under the covering Presence of God. Here is peace in the midst of the spiritual chaos approaching our country.
I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust." (Psalms 91:2)
Christ Himself is our hiding place and defense against the enemy. We may not appreciate this now. But if I am not mistaken, Satan and his ghouls soon will be visible to us. We may become terrified when we see their faces. But if we will make the Father and Christ our home, no demon lord can harm us in any manner.
In the future we are going to need to know how to remain secure and confident in the protection that the Presence of Christ is.
Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare and from the deadly pestilence. (Psalms 91:3)
Christ advised us to ask God to keep us from temptation. Do you do this, or are you confident that you cannot be deceived? Let me tell you, you can be deceived no matter how often you pray, read your Bible, or go to church. We are no match for the wisdom of Satan.
The only safety that will prevail in the future is the Presence of the Lord Jesus Himself. As you dwell in Him and He dwells in you, you will be kept from being caught in one of Satan's traps.
The believers are starved spiritually today. As a result, they will accept preachers who promise them power and glory. It reminds me of the Israelites in Saul's day who were eating blood with the meat because they were so hungry.
The Lord Jesus is calling us today to set aside our own life that He may live in us; to become nothing that He may become everything. Such is the true voice of the Spirit in our time.
There is a movement that sometimes is accompanied by miracles. But this movement is the False Prophet of Revelation, Chapter Thirteen. When it develops further it will assist Antichrist.
It claims to have the power of Christ. It professes to be able to infiltrate the various governmental levels. But Christ is not being exalted. Rather the promise is that people will be anointed to the extent they can bring the Kingdom of God to the earth before Jesus appears.
If you have been caught up in this movement I would suggest that you ask God in Jesus' name to make the Lord Jesus more real to you so that you are thinking, speaking, and acting in concert with Him.
At the time that the early Apostles were active, the Sanhedrin was convened and Gamaliel made the following speech:
Some time ago Theudas appeared, claiming to be somebody, and about four hundred men rallied to him. He was killed, all his followers were dispersed, and it all came to nothing. After him, Judas the Galilean appeared in the days of the census and led a band of people in revolt. He too was killed, and all his followers were scattered. (Acts 5:36,37)
There is coming to the earth in the future an unprecedented outpouring of the Spirit of God. If my understanding is correct, this "spring rain" will be of unprecedented glory and power and finally will become the "two witnesses" mentioned in the eleventh chapter of the Book of Revelation.
Just as Theudas and Judas met the needs of the Jews who resented the rule of Rome, so this current prophetic movement is meeting the needs of the starving, dried-up believers who are being fed the unscriptural teachings of lawless grace and the "any moment" rapture of the believers to Heaven to avoid trouble.
I think the Lord Jesus has warned me of the coming of the False Prophet and that this movement will gain great strength in our day.
Any time you hear of people gaining great power and being exalted, and our Lord Jesus being given minimal attention, you can be sure this is not from God. Pray earnestly that you may dwell in Christ at all times and that God will not lead you into temptation.
He will save you from the deadly pestilence. In the present hour the main problems are Ebola and skin cancer. Other forms of cancer also are prevalent, as are lung problems and arthritis.
God has promised to put none of the diseases of the world upon those who faithfully are obeying Him. This is why we are to be careful to present our thoughts, words, and actions to Him for His approval.
The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them. (Psalms 37:4)
As I mentioned previously, it will not be enough, in the light of what is coming, to "accept Christ." We will have to live in the fear of the Lord by consistently presenting to Him our thoughts, words, and actions.
He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. (Psalms 91:4)
If we will be careful to maintain the Presence of Jesus in our life, He will be a hiding place to keep us from the devices of Satan. It is during difficult trials and dangers that we discover how faithful God is. He always hears our prayers and makes a way for us.
God never leaves or forsakes us. Never! He is there when we have a need, if we have been faithful to dwell in Him and do His will.
People are saying today that God loves us so much He will take care of us whether or not we obey Him faithfully. This is not true. The Christian who turns away from doing God's will soon discovers that if we are to have God's blessing we must be faithful to Him.
Our country, the United States of America, soon is to discover that when a nation turns away from Christ, Christ turns away from that nation. Then Satan is able to enter, and the result is endless horrors.
You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. (Psalms 91:5,6)
Several countries at this time are experiencing war or terrorism or illness. The 91st Psalm holds true for the Christians who are in the midst of persecution and carnage. If they are seeking to dwell in Christ, and should be slain or die from a disease, they will be brought happily into the Presence of the Father in Heaven.
We of America are not suffering as is true of some other geographical areas. Our day is coming. Other countries are having their troubles now. Ours are yet ahead of us.
When I think of the frivolous manner in which we continue to conduct ourselves in America, adults pretending they are zombies or comic-book characters, and then compare that with Muslim activists in Iraq who are decapitating people and mounting their heads on poles, as well as forcing painful circumcision on women, I would not be surprised that when the American Holocaust arrives, it will be worse than that which the Jews suffered.
The Jews of Europe had no idea of the severity of the trouble that was approaching them. But the horror was experienced by millions of innocent people.
This is why God is warning us in America to learn to dwell in the Father and Christ at all times. Those who do offer themselves to God in this manner will survive the worst of times and be able to help others. Also, they will have no fear of death.
But the believers who do not prepare themselves in the present hour, but continue to relax in the seeming safety of America, behaving in the often silly manner that is true of us, are moving toward a future that is grim indeed—worse than possibly can be imagined in the present hour.
Yet, the promises of the 91st Psalm will hold true for those who continue to place their trust in the Lord Jesus Christ.
A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. (Psalms 91:7)
The time when Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Jerusalem (586 B.C.) was as violent a scene as could be imagined. Yet, in the midst of the chaos, the Lord protected three people: Jeremiah, Baruch, and Ebed-Melek.
Jeremiah we know. He was the Lord's faithful prophet. In the midst of the melee, Nebuzaradan, the commander of the Imperial Guard, by the command of Nebuchadnezzar himself took charge of Jeremiah and treated him with kindness.
Now Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had given these orders about Jeremiah through Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard: "Take him and look after him; don't harm him but do for him whatever he asks." (Jeremiah 39:11,12)
Baruch was Jeremiah's scribe. This is what the Lord said through Jeremiah to Baruch:
Should you then seek great things for yourself? Do not seek them. For I will bring disaster on all people, declares the Lord, but wherever you go I will let you escape with your life.'" (Jeremiah 45:5)
Ebed-Melek had rescued Jeremiah when Jeremiah had been thrown into a cistern. This is what the Lord said through Jeremiah to Ebed-Melek.
But I will rescue you on that day, declares the Lord; you will not be given into the hands of those you fear. I will save you; you will not fall by the sword but will escape with your life, because you trust in me, declares the Lord. (Jeremiah 39:17,18)
Although the siege and occupation of Jerusalem was an inferno and many Jewish leaders and people were killed, Jeremiah, Baruch, and Ebed-Melek were spared. This promise will hold true in the future for those who are living by the Life of the Lord Jesus.
A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked. (Psalms 91:7,8)
The above is a promise the God of Heaven has made to each Christian who is learning to live by the Life of Jesus. The careless believers, of whom there is a multitude in America, have no such assurance.
If you say, "The Lord is my refuge," and you make the Most High your dwelling, no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent. (Psalms 91:9,10)
God's promises are faithful! Elmer E. Fullerton, a man of God from the last century, prophesied that atomic fire will burn on the earth for seven years. Whether such will take place, I do not know. I think, however, we are closer to such a disaster taking place than we were fifty years ago.
But if we choose to make Christ our dwelling place, God has promised that no disaster will come near us. It seems impossible, considering the state the world is in today. But, as someone said, "If God said it, I believe it, and that settles it."
For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; (Psalms 91:11)
In these latter days of my life I have become aware of angels. Perhaps it is because I have been making an effort to keep the Presence of the Lord Jesus with me at all times. It is a great comfort to realize these powerful creature are guarding me in all my ways. I am very thankful for this protection as the world becomes increasingly evil.
They will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. (Psalms 91:12)
Imagine, we are being guarded with such care that we do not even stumble over a stone!
I do not feel the hands of angels. Do you? Yet I realize there are many times during the day when they are carrying us, while we thought we were walking about on the ground or on the floor of our house.
You will tread on the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent. (Psalms 91:13)
I doubt the reference here is to physical animals. Rather, the Spirit of God is informing us that we are not to be afraid of unclean spirits.
If I am not mistaken, there will be many instances in these closing days of the Church Age when we will be assaulted by some of the chief officers of Satan. This especially will be true if we represent any kind of danger to the lords of spiritual darkness.
For the uninitiated, an attack by highly placed demons, especially at night, can be terrifying. We are not to be fearful! Christ is with us. If we will keep dwelling in the Lord Jesus, we possess the greater power.
I am not suggesting we should be presumptuous. Some of these rulers of the spirit world have experience in dealing with human beings. They know in which areas of our personality we can be tempted.
They will show no mercy. If they can bring us down to the ground and trample on us they will not hesitate to do this. Satan would happily laugh in our face while he was cutting the skin from our body.
Make no mistake about this or you will suffer the rewards of a fool.
We must keep ourselves under strict discipline, always watching and praying; never taking anything for granted.
When we hold fast to our position in the Lord Jesus, we have nothing to fear. As it is written, we can trample upon the great lion and the serpent without being harmed.
However, we do not make railing accusations against Satan himself. It is neither necessary nor seemly.
Pentecostal people often rebuke demons. I am not sure this is wise. If we will resist Satan, he will flee from us. A person who behaves righteously is a terror to Hell. No rebukes are necessary, just righteous, obedient behavior.
"Because he loves me," says the Lord, "I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. (Psalms 91:14)
It sometimes is taught in our day that God loves us so much He will deliver us from every problem whether or not we do His will.
This is a false image of God. Rather it is true that the Lord rescues those who love Him. God protects us when we are acknowledging Him in all we think, say, and do.
The American people as a whole have lost the wholesome fear of our Creator. We may think that He is above the clouds wringing His hands and saying "Boys will be boys"!
God's attitude toward those who ignore Him and His ways is portrayed in the Book of Ezekiel:
I will make you a ruin and a reproach among the nations around you, in the sight of all who pass by. You will be a reproach and a taunt, a warning and an object of horror to the nations around you when I inflict punishment on you in anger and in wrath and with stinging rebuke. I the Lord have spoken. (Ezekiel 5:14,15)
The attitude of the Jewish people of Ezekiel's day may have been much like that of the American people today. The preachers who are warning America about God's wrath toward abortion and gender confusion are often ignored if not ridiculed.
But it came to pass in Israel and it may come to pass in America if there is no widespread repentance and turning to God. The Lord Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever!
The individual who does not fear God and His Word is foolish indeed, as past history will reveal.
The Lord can and does reward those who serve Him with blessings greater in value than any possible reward given to those on the earth.
The Lord can and does punish those who despise Him and His ways with more severity than any possible pain experienced by human beings.
He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. (Psalms 91:15)
God knows our every need, but He insists that we ask Him to help us. He answers us when we call with a pure, obedient heart.
No matter how great our problem appears to be, how impossible of solution it seems, God answers us when we look to Him. That which we never could have remedied is dealt with in such a simple, practical manner, that we have to call to mind how distressed we were, and remember to give thanks to God for His help.
God is with us when we are in trouble, if we are faithful to Him. He never leaves or forsakes us in our pain and problems.
When we look to God while in our prison, He makes a way for us. When we acknowledge Him as our Helper, He honors us. People may despise us as we humbly look to God to save us, but God exalts us.
With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation. (Psalms 91:16)
If we choose to set aside our own life, choosing to live instead by the Life of the Lord Jesus, we indeed shall have a long life. We will live as long as Jesus lives; and Jesus will live as long as the Father lives.
God's salvation has to be shown to us, for it is an individual matter, created uniquely so we can be certain to have fullness of joy and pleasures forever.
God, without taxing any of His abilities or resources, could give every believer his or her own star to manage, a star lighted by the Lord Jesus rather than by nuclear fusion.
God could create a paradise designed to please the individual preferences of every individual, or group of individuals.
We are not able to imagine what God will provide for those He loves and who love Him.
With God, all things are possible!
However, as it is written: "What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived"—the things God has prepared for those who love him—(I Corinthians 2:9)
I honestly believe there are those in our day who will cease thinking of Christianity as a religion but as a means of attaining to the image of God.
They will be a remnant. The majority of Christian people will continue until they become Babylon the Great, not realizing that the Spirit of God has left their assemblies.
As for the remnant, they will be a new creation. Old things shall have passed away. All things have become new and are of God.
It is the remnant who will be gathered to the Lord when He appears. They will go to be with Him, and then will descend with Him to establish the Kingdom of God on the earth.
The original decree was, and remains, that man be created in the image of God. Think for a moment. Man, until he is born again, is an animal creation. It simply is not possible for the first Adam, the animal creation, to ever be in the image of God in behavior. He must receive the Divine Nature if man is to be converted to this extent.
I have written in previous essays that we now are entering the spiritual fulfillments of the last three of the seven major Jewish celebrations. When God has finished redeeming us, we not only will be in God's image in behavior, but we will be filled with the Fullness of God. We will be a holy, Royal Priesthood in whom God can find a home, can experience rest, and in whom God can establish His Throne for eternity.
There obviously are two major themes in the present essay. The first is that of protection throughout the period of moral and physical chaos that we are approaching. The second is that of our dwelling in Christ until we become a new creation.
The first creation, that which is being done away at the present time, is flesh and blood. As Paul said, flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God.
The second creation is human and Divine. It is in the image of the Lord Jesus Christ, who always remains supreme. It is son of man and son of God, a brother or sister of the Lord Jesus.
The transition from the animal creation to the image-of-God creation will be wrought on the earth during the time of chaos, and this is why the two themes are presented in one essay.
As for those in the spirit world who are to be made perfect with us, God will provide a suitable environment as well as instruction so the believers who already have died physically will be able to experience the spiritual fulfillments of the final three feasts of the Lord.
It is not surprising that the work of making a new creation in God's image is to be experienced by us. We know that God always finishes what He begins. Do you agree with that?
The Lord Jesus is the first of the new creation---very God of very God and very man of very man. Jesus Christ was the first Man to appear on the earth in God's image. He created all things and He always shall remain supreme. But God has determined that Jesus shall have brothers and sisters.
Then God said, "Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground." (Genesis 1:26)
For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. (Romans 8:29)
To attain to such a relationship to the Lord Jesus we must view "accepting Christ" as the beginning of our dwelling in the shelter of the Most High, an abiding that will endure throughout eternity.