I was blessed by the truth as it is in Jesus, Brother Mike.
Thanks.
Blessings,
Soraya
Em sex., 7 de jan. de 2022 09:17, mike mcinnis <ratmotor@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
escreveu:
GRACE GAZETTE
Volume XX Issue 1
*Published occasionally for mourners in Zion*
*Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; And
make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out
of the way; but let it rather be
healed.
Hebrews 12::12-13*
MERCY, MOST ASTOUNDING
*But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be
feared. Psalm 130:4 *
The scripture hints that before the creation of man in the Earth,
Satan and one third of the angels were cast out of the presence of the LORD.
*“And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.”
(Luke 10:18) “And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left
their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness
unto the judgment of the great day.” (Jude 1:6) “And the great dragon was
cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth
the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast
out with him.” (Rev 12:9*) We have little information about this event
and so we tread lightly in even discussing it. One thing that we are
certain of is that all of the events surrounding and resulting in this
outcome were ordered according to the purpose of the Sovereign GOD who
rules in the army of Heaven as well as among the inhabitants of the Earth.
The judgment of the LORD upon the wicked is demonstrated quite clearly
here as HE will not acquit the wicked nor by any means clear the guilty. The
angelic creatures that inhabit Heaven have witnessed these terrifying
happenings which demonstrate the unchanging nature of the KING of Heaven’s
resolve to destroy all transgressors be they heavenly or earthly creatures.
Imagine their consternation when they have beheld this same KING
determining to deliver those elect sons of flesh and blood who are rebels
against HIM, and sending HIS own SON into the world to cancel their debt of
sin and erase their rebellion by the shedding of HIS blood. Is it any
wonder that they should marvel at the gospel and be exceedingly curious
about these matters, so that Peter might say, *“which things the angels
desire to look into.” (1Pet 1:12*)
The justice and judgement of GOD form the very foundation of HIS
revelation of HIMSELF to the understanding of men, and I might add, the
angels. If a man fails to understand HIS immutable justice, then all
else that he might consider about HIM will be skewed. When Isaiah was
given his vision “*in the year that King Uzziah died’*, he was humbled in
the dust as the HOLINESS of GOD was displayed to his sight. The same was
true of Daniel and later, of John. They trembled before HIM, desiring to
be hidden from HIS view, falling as dead men in HIS awesome presence.
This is the very substance that is missing from preaching in the era
in which we live. The absolute unbending justice of a Holy GOD is quite
a foreign consideration in the minds of the multitude who profess faith in
CHRIST. It has been replaced with a consideration of the LORD of heaven
as being something of a pathetic would-be benefactor who desires to do more
than HE is allowed to do by the creation which HIS own hands have made. HE
is presented as ONE who is helplessly standing by as men determine whether
or not HE can save them and bless them or even be their LORD, apart from
their permission. HE is believed by many to have HIS hands completely
tied by the free will of HIS own creation.
Yet HE is that ONE whom the singers of the song of Moses and the LAMB,
describe, *“Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for
thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for
thy judgments are made manifest.” (Rev 15:4*) HE is that ONE who John
saw and testified, *“And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on
it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found
no place for them.”(Rev 20:11*) *“Come, behold the works of the LORD,
what desolations he hath made in the earth.” (Psa 46:8*) “*He is the LORD
our God: his judgments are in all the earth.” (Psa 105:7*) GOD is
fundamentally just, will not wink at sin, hates the workers of iniquity,
and will uphold HIS justice in the destruction of the wicked. “*The fear
of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is
understanding.” (Pro 9:10*)
Moses was called by the LORD to behold a BURNING BUSH which was not
consumed and was inhabited by HIM who is a CONSUMING FIRE. Later on, HE
appeared to Moses on a mountain that was filled with fire and smoke, giving
to Moses a law which promised cursing and destruction upon all who would
stray from it. Moses asked the LORD for a glimpse of HIS glory. Surely
Moses must have expected some conflagration of terror to be set forth. We
can only imagine the consternation that must have gripped him in heart and
mind when the LORD responded to his request with a display of HIS goodness
and mercy. “*And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory. And he
said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the
name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be
gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy.” (Exo 33:18-19*)
Thus, we are made to understand that the “glory” of the LORD is in HIS
goodness and mercy which HE is pleased to shew to the sons of men in the
LORD JESUS CHRIST who is the FULNESS of the GODHEAD bodily, the express
IMAGE of HIS PERSON. It is in CHRIST that all of the knowledge of GOD
which is possible for men to grasp, is found. Even as HE said to HIS
disciples, “*I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto
the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6*)
But it is impossible that sinful men could begin to have a true
appreciation of this revelation until they are made to see the dire
condition they are in as aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, being
rebel sinners, whose fists are raised against the LORD of GLORY. By
nature, men will not bow the knee to a Sovereign GOD who dispenses mercy as
HE, alone, sees fit. They will worship the god(s) of their imagination,
thinking that HE is altogether such a one as themselves. (see Ps.50:21)
They will assume that HE can be reasoned with according to their own
standard of justice and righteousness. The natural man finds no wonder
in the mercy of GOD, because he thinks that GOD should show mercy to him,
and that the LORD regards sin as lightly as he does.
Yet when a man is born again by the SPIRIT of GOD in the time and
place of GOD’s own choosing, he is made to shudder before a broken law, and
to tremble at the prospect of standing before the JUDGE of all the earth
covered from head to foot in filthy rags. The work of the SPIRIT is to
convince men of sin (their own), righteousness (perfection revealed in
CHRIST), and judgment (by HIM who destroys sinners). He is slain before
GOD as Paul describes, “*For I was alive without the law once *(i.e.; in
ignorance of the true holiness of the law)*: but when the commandment
came*,(i.e.; a true revelation of that Law and the LAWGIVER*) sin revived
*(i.e.; I saw myself to be condemned sinner)*, and I died. *(i.e.; I fell
at HIS feet as a dead man)* And the commandment, which was ordained to
life, I found to be unto death*.” (Rom 7:9-10)
That same SPIRIT, granting the gift of FAITH, to those so slain,
overwhelms them with the wonder of HIS mercy and the taste of HIS
forgiveness, striking in them an abiding sense of awe that HE would take
them in HIS arms and love them who had willingly disobeyed HIM without true
regard to HIS holiness. As the Psalmist says, *“there is forgiveness
with THEE that THOU mayest be feared.*” This fear of GOD causes them to
desire to depart from evil, which thing the terrors of the law could never
do. “*By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the LORD
men depart from evil.” (Pro 16:6*) “*For the law of the Spirit of life in
Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the
law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his
own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the
flesh.” (Rom 8:2-3*) Do you fear HIM? mam
