worship call 0808 God's witness (3)

Robert, who can endure it? Joel 2:11-13 The Lord gives voice before His army, For His camp is very great; For strong is the One who executes His word. For the day of the Lord is great and very terrible; Who can endure it? "Now, therefore," says the Lord, "Turn to Me with all your heart, With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning." So rend your heart, and not your garments; Return to the Lord your God, For He is gracious and merciful, Slow to anger, and of great kindness; And He relents from doing harm. In this prophetic passage, the critical question is immediately followed by the powerfully convicting answer. Joel prophesies the Day of the Lord, and asks, "Who can endure it?" The next word "therefore", is followed by the prophet's urgent counsel: "Turn to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning!" Real repentance -- not some superficial, wimpy, "I'm sorry God", but a deep, sorrowful, heart-wrenching cry with fasting, that means business and recognizes the terrible danger ahead -- is what is required. I have to ask myself, how willing am I to enter into this depth of repentance in order to restore, or deepen my relationship with my Lord, or to cry out in identification with a dying world full of lost souls. Are my emotions and my soul willing to be passionately engaged with the grim reality in and around me? How does this affect my prayer life? or my attitude toward my sins? As I look at this world, I clearly see the Day of the Lord looming on the horizon. This prophecy may never be more applicable than it is now, in our very day. Robert, let's take a serious account of things, and allow ourselves to be truly, profoundly moved by what we find. If, as the Lord told us, those that mourn are blessed, then let's not shrink back from what we see in ourselves and in the world around us.."There is a time to mourn"...the Lord will be rejoicing. He is seeking those who will recognize and deeply repent of their sin...and He longs to forgive and restore us. Your family in the Lord with much agape love, George, Baht Rivka, Obadiah and Elianna (Going to Christian College in Dallas, Texas) Baltimore, Maryland

Adam in the garden God came looking

Paul makes it clear that man is not saved on on the basis of belief though in response to revelation man believes and is saved but it is the calling of God who reaches out for man.

Romans 9

God Calls and in faith those who believes responds to that call.

God does not leave himself without a witness for he wishes none to perish

2 Peter 3:9 (ESV) — 9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

But yet he calls the many but not all

Matthew 22:14 (ESV) — 14 For many are called, but few are chosen.”

These are questions that remain

While a sinner in the garden it is God who came looking for man, not man looking for God. Adam as man has proved would get use to his misery without God and would soon forget God in his pleasures and despite his miseries. But God comes looking.

It is the witness of John the Baptist who is the voice in the wilderness calling that God sends. A miraculous birth as it was that Elizabeth was far beyond child bearing years when she became pregnant and gave birth to a son. And at his circumcision his mute Father begins to speak prophecies. After 400 years with a close of Malachi it was like the Lord fell silent and now here once again God begins to speak again through the agency of a prophet.

The King does not come and announce his own arrival it is the herold that goes forward and announce and makes way for his coming.

Johns Testimony

John 1:29–34 (ESV) — 29 The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.’ 31 I myself did not know him, but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel.” 32 And John bore witness: “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. 33 I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.”

While it John was a great man according to what Jesus himself said John was merely a dim light shining in this world that shines for just a while and then goes out. He was but a dim reflection of the true light.

Psalm 132:17 (ESV) — 17 There I will make a horn to sprout for David; I have prepared a lamp for my anointed.

All who are of the Lord bears witness not to one’s self but in spiritual growth we are small lamps that reflect the image of God and his Christ that others should want to look beyond and see the true light and believe.

The second witness is works.

John 5:36 (ESV) — 36 But the testimony that I have is greater than that of John. For the works that the Father has given me to accomplish, the very works that I am doing, bear witness about me that the Father has sent me.

[2240] ἔργον ergon 169× anything done or to be done; a deed, work, action, Jn. 3:21; Eph. 2:10; 2 Cor. 9:8, et al. freq.; duty enjoined, office, charge, business, Mk. 13:34; Jn. 4:34, et al. freq.; a process, course of action, Jas. 1:4; a work, product of an action or process, Acts 7:41; Heb. 1:10; substance in effect, Rom. 2:15 [2041] See work.

Jesus continually abided in the Father. In obedience in prayer and in thought decisions and actions all were about bringing glory to the father. IN perfect submission Jesus performed great works of healing, Prophecies prayers, His life was the work of God and therefore it becomes a witness in itself. Everything that Jesus did and said was a testimony of the work to the glory of God.

This work is not complete and is now exercised through those in Christ.

Matthew 5:16 (ESV) — 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

That is precisely what good works is. That which brings attention to God in heaven.

Thirdly there is the Testimony of the father.

.John 5:37–38 (ESV) — 37 And the Father who sent me has himself borne witness about me. His voice you have never heard, his form you have never seen, 38 and you do not have his word abiding in you, for you do not believe the one whom he has sent.

Hebrews 1:1–2 (ESV) — 1 Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.

The Lord does not leave man in the darkness without a way out but man loves darkness because his deeds are evil and he suppresses the truth about God. Man cannot stand before God and say that he did not know. It is the Father who does not wish any to perish and he himself has given witness that there might be a response to the truth.