LIFT HIGH THE BANNER
Part 2
So shall they fear My name from the west,
And His glory from the rising of the sun;
When the enemy comes in like a flood,
The Spirit of the LORD will lift up a
standard against him. Isaiah 59:19
As I stated in the previous blog, in an ancient army, there would be a man called the standard bearer out front, who, when the army needed to regather as one unit ready to advance in battle, would hold up the standard - or banner, or flag identifying that particular army.
The standard bearer for the church of the Living God is the Holy Spirit, and the standard or banner He is lifting up is the LORD Jesus Christ, and the uncompromising Word of God.
For every person living today, or for every church today, there is a clear unambiguous decision that each must make. That decision is: When they look to the standard of the Christian Church, the LORD Jesus Christ and His Word, the decision made is either: That's my standard, OR
NO:That's not my standard.
There can be no middle ground here! The time for Christians and churches to play games is over. These are difficult times in which we live. As Christians, we are in a never-ending battle with Satan and his minions, and we dare not slumber of sleep spiritually while the battle is raging!
The apostle Paul admonishes the church to "Redeem the time, because the days are evil." Ephesians 5:16
Backing up a little in that same chapter of Ephesians, Paul writes
For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light...…….And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. …………..But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light. Therefore He says:
"Awake, you who sleep,
Arise from the dead,
And Christ will give you light." Ephesians 5:8,11,13-14
Last week, our church pastor in Campania, here in Tasmania, Australia preached a message called "A Consecrated Bride - A Living Sacrifice." This was a call for the church to make herself ready to meet the Lord. In Ephesians 5, the apostle Paul speaks of the church as the Bride of Christ readying herself to meet the Bridegroom, the Lord Jesus Christ. There are commands related to the way husbands and wives relate to each other, in the same way Christ relates to the Church and vice-versa.
Husbands are to love their wives, just as also Christ loved the church and gave Himself for it, that He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of the water of the word, and that He might present to Himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish. Ephesians 5:25-27
The church will accomplish this, not by focusing on ourselves, but lifting our gaze to Jesus, and worshipping Him, as the Bible says "in the beauty of holiness."
Ps Anthony stated that: We must align our hearts with His heart - through
1) Purity
2) Integrity
3) Maturity, and
4) Humility.
As far as God's church is concerned, "there is a line being drawn in the sand. A new wave of Righteousness and Holiness is coming."
In Joshua 3:5, as Joshua was about to lead the children of Israel across the Jordan into the Promised Land, he told them: "Sanctify yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you."
The Lord is similarly admonishing His Church and each Christian in particular, to separate from all that contaminates our witness for Him and which would hinder our ability to hear His voice and to progress forwards into this year with 20/20 vision spiritually.
In Hebrews 12:1,2 following on from the Hall of Faith chapter of Hebrews 11, the writer says: Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
As Bible believing followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, who is our :forerunner", we need to have our eyes firmly fixed on Him, not looking back, not looking back, longing for the past to be revisited with a longing sense of regret.
Jesus said to some who wanted to follow Him, but who were distracted by seeming lesser priorities: "No man, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back is fit for the kingdom of God." Luke 9:62
We all need to "Position Ourselves" for blessing, and breakthrough, that we might see the fulfillment of all that the Lord has purposed for us.
Like many, we are believing for this year to be a Breakthrough year for our family, for our church family, and for our state of Tasmania and indeed, the nation of Australia to see greater evidence of its prophetic destiny proclaimed in 1606 by Portugese explorer, Pedro Fernandez de Quiros as the "Southland of the Holy Spirit."
We are believing for a great Harvest of souls committed to the Lord Jesus Christ. Lives transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit - saved, healed, delivered from darkness to light. God's miracle working power to bring honour and glory to the name of Jesus Christ, the King of Kings and Lord of Glory! Hallelujah!
There can be no middle ground here! The time for Christians and churches to play games is over. These are difficult times in which we live. As Christians, we are in a never-ending battle with Satan and his minions, and we dare not slumber of sleep spiritually while the battle is raging!
The apostle Paul admonishes the church to "Redeem the time, because the days are evil." Ephesians 5:16
Backing up a little in that same chapter of Ephesians, Paul writes
For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light...…….And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. …………..But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light. Therefore He says:
"Awake, you who sleep,
Arise from the dead,
And Christ will give you light." Ephesians 5:8,11,13-14
Last week, our church pastor in Campania, here in Tasmania, Australia preached a message called "A Consecrated Bride - A Living Sacrifice." This was a call for the church to make herself ready to meet the Lord. In Ephesians 5, the apostle Paul speaks of the church as the Bride of Christ readying herself to meet the Bridegroom, the Lord Jesus Christ. There are commands related to the way husbands and wives relate to each other, in the same way Christ relates to the Church and vice-versa.
Husbands are to love their wives, just as also Christ loved the church and gave Himself for it, that He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of the water of the word, and that He might present to Himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish. Ephesians 5:25-27
The church will accomplish this, not by focusing on ourselves, but lifting our gaze to Jesus, and worshipping Him, as the Bible says "in the beauty of holiness."
Ps Anthony stated that: We must align our hearts with His heart - through
1) Purity
2) Integrity
3) Maturity, and
4) Humility.
As far as God's church is concerned, "there is a line being drawn in the sand. A new wave of Righteousness and Holiness is coming."
In Joshua 3:5, as Joshua was about to lead the children of Israel across the Jordan into the Promised Land, he told them: "Sanctify yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you."
The Lord is similarly admonishing His Church and each Christian in particular, to separate from all that contaminates our witness for Him and which would hinder our ability to hear His voice and to progress forwards into this year with 20/20 vision spiritually.
In Hebrews 12:1,2 following on from the Hall of Faith chapter of Hebrews 11, the writer says: Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
As Bible believing followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, who is our :forerunner", we need to have our eyes firmly fixed on Him, not looking back, not looking back, longing for the past to be revisited with a longing sense of regret.
Jesus said to some who wanted to follow Him, but who were distracted by seeming lesser priorities: "No man, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back is fit for the kingdom of God." Luke 9:62
We all need to "Position Ourselves" for blessing, and breakthrough, that we might see the fulfillment of all that the Lord has purposed for us.
Like many, we are believing for this year to be a Breakthrough year for our family, for our church family, and for our state of Tasmania and indeed, the nation of Australia to see greater evidence of its prophetic destiny proclaimed in 1606 by Portugese explorer, Pedro Fernandez de Quiros as the "Southland of the Holy Spirit."
We are believing for a great Harvest of souls committed to the Lord Jesus Christ. Lives transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit - saved, healed, delivered from darkness to light. God's miracle working power to bring honour and glory to the name of Jesus Christ, the King of Kings and Lord of Glory! Hallelujah!
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