LIFTING MY VOICE:
WHO IS ON THE LORD'S SIDE?
Who is on the Lord's s...: WHO IS ON THE LORD'S SIDE? W ho is on the Lord's side? Who will serve the King? Who will be His helpers? Other lives to...
Wednesday 8 June 2016
Tuesday 7 June 2016
WHO IS ON THE LORD'S SIDE?
Who is on the Lord's side?
Who will serve the King?
Who will be His helpers?
Other lives to bring?
Who will leave the world's side?
Who will face the foe?
Who is on the Lord's side?
Who for Him will go?
By Thy grand redemption,
By Thy grace divine,
We are on the Lord's side;
Saviour, we are thine.
Fierce may be the conflict,
Strong may be the foe,
But the King's own army,
None can overthrow.
Round His standard ranging
Victory is secure,
For His truth unchanging
Makes the triumph sure.
Chosen to be soldiers
In an alien land:
Chosen, called, and faithful,
For our Captain's band;
In the service royal,
Let us not grow cold,
Let us be right loyal,
noble, true and bold.
The above represents verses 1, 4 and 5, together with the chorus from the rousing old hymn, "Who Is On The Lord's Side", written by English Christian poet and hymn writer, Frances R. Havergal. She wrote this hymn somewhere around 1877.
The words of the hymn remind us of the fact that all Christians are enlisted in an army, soldiers of the Cross, and as such, should be giving full allegiance to the Lord Jesus Christ, whom the Bible says is "the Captain of our salvation." Hebrews 2:10; Joshua 5:13-15
Rick Joyner, the Founder and Executive Director of MorningStar Ministries, a multi-faceted mission organization based in Fort Mill, South Carolina, has stated in several of his more than fifty books that "the end time body of Christ would become an army. God uses the title "Lord of Hosts" or "Lord of Armies" more than ten times more than all his other titles combined. He is a martial God. We must understand this aspect of His nature and how His people are going to conform to it. To do this, we must understand the many ways in which human martial demeanor is not the same as God's martial demeanor. As we read in Isaiah 55:8,9 "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways," says the Lord.
"For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts," says the Lord. (NKJV)
In the Old Testament times, the people of Israel, God's chosen people, fought many physical wars. The Book of Joshua is a book outlining their conquest of Canaan, the Promised Land, although at the close of the book, the land had not been completely conquered. There were great victories, when the people were obedient to the Lord and took direction from their Commander, Joshua - as in the defeat of Jericho through a strategy which had to be from God. Who would have thought marching round the city once every day for six days in silence, then marching round seven times the seventh day, after which the priests would blow their trumpets (shofars) and the people would raise a shout - would result in the wall of the city being levelled, enabling it to be conquered? That is exactly what happened, though! Amazing! God's ways are indeed higher than our ways.
The Lord God had indeed promised His servant, Joshua, in Joshua 1:3 "Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses."
Sadly, Israel suffered defeats though, just as spectacular as the victories, when they walked in disobedience to the Lord, or sought direction from sources which were not Godly.
The title of this blog post "Who Is On The Lord's Side", is originally a question posited by Moses, who preceded Joshua as the God-appointed leader of the children of Israel.
Moses had been on mount Sinai in the presence of the Lord, where he received the Ten Commandments, supernaturally engraved on two stone tablets - as well as instructions on building of the Tabernacle, a movable structure, where the priests would offer sacrifices, and also where the ark of the Lord would dwell in the Most Holy Place, a compartment in the tabernacle where only the high priest could enter - and that only once a year "not without blood, which he offered for himself and for the people's sins committed in ignorance;
the Holy Spirit indicating this, that the way into the Holiest of All was not yet made manifest while the first tabernacle was still standing.
It was symbolic for the present time in which both gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot make him who performed the service perfect in regard to the conscience -
But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation.
Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.
For if the blood of bulls and goats, and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh,
how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit, offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?" Hebrews 9:7-14 NKJV
Moses came down from the mountain, with the Ten Commandments to find the children of Israel paying homage to a golden calf fashioned from items of gold provided by the people - under the direction of Aaron, the brother of Moses, worshipping and making sacrifices to this molded image - therein breaking the first and second of the ten commandments Exodus 20:1-6.
Moses, jealous for the honour of the Lord God, burned the golden calf in the fire, ground it into powder and scattered it over the water. After rebuking his brother Aaron for allowing this idol worship to occur, Moses lifted his voice in the camp and asked loudly: "Who is on the Lord's side - come to me! And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together to him." Exodus 34:26 NKJV
Just as Moses was looking for a committed response from the children of Israel to that pivotal question: "Who is on the Lord's side? " - God's people today, those who name themselves as Christians, followers of Jesus Christ, are being challenged in the days in which we live to rise up and boldly proclaim that Jesus is Lord, that He is "the Captain of their salvation".
The Army of God that Jesus instigated does not fight with man-made weapons, as the apostle Paul states in 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh.
For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty in God for the pulling down of strongholds,
casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. NKJV
In Ephesians 6:10-18, Paul emphasizes again the reality that true followers of Christ are engaged in daily combat with a real, though not physically visible enemy, the devil or Satan.
We are to
- "be strong in the Lord, and the power of His Might." vs.10
- "Put on the full armour of God, that we may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil" vs.11
- "...take up the whole armour of God, that we may be able to withstand in the evil day,and having done all, to stand." vs.13
The passage in Ephesians then lists a number of items related to the armour of a soldier in Biblical times, necessary for protection and equipping for service. Each of these has spiritual applications in the life of the Christian believer. Paul then exhorts his readers, in verses 17, 18 "to take.........the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God;
praying always with all prayer and supplication [praying in earnest] in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints -"
In the last chapter of the book of Joshua in the Old Testament, Joshua recaps to the children of Israel, God's faithfulness in leading His people from the time He called Abraham to follow Him, the deliverance from Egypt under the leadership of Moses, and God's faithfulness as they crossed the Jordan River into the land of Caanan, where they now dwelt, having in large part, subdued their enemies - under Joshua's leadership - Joshua presents a clear challenge and a choice: "Now therefore, fear the Lord, serve Him in sincerity and in truth,and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River and in Egypt. Serve the Lord!
And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."
Bible-believing Christians who take their stand firmly on the Word of God increasingly are finding themselves being marginalised and ridiculed by a society hell-bent on destroying any remaining vestiges of the Judaeo-Christian foundations on which Western nations were founded. In the Middle East, persecution against Christians is at an all time high, with many thousands being martyred for their faith in Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord.
Just as Moses shouted out that question to the children of Israel: "Who is on the Lord's side - come to me!" and only those of the tribe of Levi gathered themselves to him, God is calling today to you and to me, who call ourselves Christians - to answer the call to follow Him, whatever the cost.
Let us fulfill the words of Paul the apostle in Philippians 2: ....continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.
Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation. Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life. Verses 12b-16a NIV.
By Thy grand redemption,
By Thy grace divine,
We are on the Lord's side;
Saviour, we are thine.
Fierce may be the conflict,
Strong may be the foe,
But the King's own army,
None can overthrow.
Round His standard ranging
Victory is secure,
For His truth unchanging
Makes the triumph sure.
Chosen to be soldiers
In an alien land:
Chosen, called, and faithful,
For our Captain's band;
In the service royal,
Let us not grow cold,
Let us be right loyal,
noble, true and bold.
The above represents verses 1, 4 and 5, together with the chorus from the rousing old hymn, "Who Is On The Lord's Side", written by English Christian poet and hymn writer, Frances R. Havergal. She wrote this hymn somewhere around 1877.
The words of the hymn remind us of the fact that all Christians are enlisted in an army, soldiers of the Cross, and as such, should be giving full allegiance to the Lord Jesus Christ, whom the Bible says is "the Captain of our salvation." Hebrews 2:10; Joshua 5:13-15
Rick Joyner, the Founder and Executive Director of MorningStar Ministries, a multi-faceted mission organization based in Fort Mill, South Carolina, has stated in several of his more than fifty books that "the end time body of Christ would become an army. God uses the title "Lord of Hosts" or "Lord of Armies" more than ten times more than all his other titles combined. He is a martial God. We must understand this aspect of His nature and how His people are going to conform to it. To do this, we must understand the many ways in which human martial demeanor is not the same as God's martial demeanor. As we read in Isaiah 55:8,9 "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways," says the Lord.
"For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts," says the Lord. (NKJV)
In the Old Testament times, the people of Israel, God's chosen people, fought many physical wars. The Book of Joshua is a book outlining their conquest of Canaan, the Promised Land, although at the close of the book, the land had not been completely conquered. There were great victories, when the people were obedient to the Lord and took direction from their Commander, Joshua - as in the defeat of Jericho through a strategy which had to be from God. Who would have thought marching round the city once every day for six days in silence, then marching round seven times the seventh day, after which the priests would blow their trumpets (shofars) and the people would raise a shout - would result in the wall of the city being levelled, enabling it to be conquered? That is exactly what happened, though! Amazing! God's ways are indeed higher than our ways.
The Lord God had indeed promised His servant, Joshua, in Joshua 1:3 "Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses."
Sadly, Israel suffered defeats though, just as spectacular as the victories, when they walked in disobedience to the Lord, or sought direction from sources which were not Godly.
The title of this blog post "Who Is On The Lord's Side", is originally a question posited by Moses, who preceded Joshua as the God-appointed leader of the children of Israel.
Moses had been on mount Sinai in the presence of the Lord, where he received the Ten Commandments, supernaturally engraved on two stone tablets - as well as instructions on building of the Tabernacle, a movable structure, where the priests would offer sacrifices, and also where the ark of the Lord would dwell in the Most Holy Place, a compartment in the tabernacle where only the high priest could enter - and that only once a year "not without blood, which he offered for himself and for the people's sins committed in ignorance;
the Holy Spirit indicating this, that the way into the Holiest of All was not yet made manifest while the first tabernacle was still standing.
It was symbolic for the present time in which both gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot make him who performed the service perfect in regard to the conscience -
But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation.
Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.
For if the blood of bulls and goats, and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh,
how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit, offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?" Hebrews 9:7-14 NKJV
Moses came down from the mountain, with the Ten Commandments to find the children of Israel paying homage to a golden calf fashioned from items of gold provided by the people - under the direction of Aaron, the brother of Moses, worshipping and making sacrifices to this molded image - therein breaking the first and second of the ten commandments Exodus 20:1-6.
Moses, jealous for the honour of the Lord God, burned the golden calf in the fire, ground it into powder and scattered it over the water. After rebuking his brother Aaron for allowing this idol worship to occur, Moses lifted his voice in the camp and asked loudly: "Who is on the Lord's side - come to me! And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together to him." Exodus 34:26 NKJV
Just as Moses was looking for a committed response from the children of Israel to that pivotal question: "Who is on the Lord's side? " - God's people today, those who name themselves as Christians, followers of Jesus Christ, are being challenged in the days in which we live to rise up and boldly proclaim that Jesus is Lord, that He is "the Captain of their salvation".
The Army of God that Jesus instigated does not fight with man-made weapons, as the apostle Paul states in 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh.
For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty in God for the pulling down of strongholds,
casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. NKJV
In Ephesians 6:10-18, Paul emphasizes again the reality that true followers of Christ are engaged in daily combat with a real, though not physically visible enemy, the devil or Satan.
We are to
- "be strong in the Lord, and the power of His Might." vs.10
- "Put on the full armour of God, that we may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil" vs.11
- "...take up the whole armour of God, that we may be able to withstand in the evil day,and having done all, to stand." vs.13
The passage in Ephesians then lists a number of items related to the armour of a soldier in Biblical times, necessary for protection and equipping for service. Each of these has spiritual applications in the life of the Christian believer. Paul then exhorts his readers, in verses 17, 18 "to take.........the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God;
praying always with all prayer and supplication [praying in earnest] in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints -"
In the last chapter of the book of Joshua in the Old Testament, Joshua recaps to the children of Israel, God's faithfulness in leading His people from the time He called Abraham to follow Him, the deliverance from Egypt under the leadership of Moses, and God's faithfulness as they crossed the Jordan River into the land of Caanan, where they now dwelt, having in large part, subdued their enemies - under Joshua's leadership - Joshua presents a clear challenge and a choice: "Now therefore, fear the Lord, serve Him in sincerity and in truth,and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River and in Egypt. Serve the Lord!
And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."
Bible-believing Christians who take their stand firmly on the Word of God increasingly are finding themselves being marginalised and ridiculed by a society hell-bent on destroying any remaining vestiges of the Judaeo-Christian foundations on which Western nations were founded. In the Middle East, persecution against Christians is at an all time high, with many thousands being martyred for their faith in Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord.
Just as Moses shouted out that question to the children of Israel: "Who is on the Lord's side - come to me!" and only those of the tribe of Levi gathered themselves to him, God is calling today to you and to me, who call ourselves Christians - to answer the call to follow Him, whatever the cost.
Let us fulfill the words of Paul the apostle in Philippians 2: ....continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.
Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation. Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life. Verses 12b-16a NIV.
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