Signs & Wonders of Christ's Arrival - - The Servant King

 

Isaiah 52:13

Behold, My Servant shall deal prudently, He shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high.

*Strong's Ex. Conc. No. 5650

Servant: slave, servant

From the Hebrew word 'ebed' (pronounced eh'-bed). 

While this word has many  usages, in this particular verse it is referring the Messiah as martyr. 

THE MARTYRED SERVANT

Isaiah 52:14, 15

14. Just as many were appalled at Him—His appearance was disfigured beyond that of any man, and His form was marred beyond human likeness—

15. so He will sprinkle many nations. Kings will shut their mouths because of Him. For they will see what they have not been told, and they will understand what they have not heard. 

Psalm 22; Isaiah 50:6; Isaiah 53:2-5; Matthew 27:26-43; John 19:1-3, 16-24. 

Mark 15:32

Let the Christ, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross, so that we may see and believe!” And even those who were crucified with Him berated Him.

THE CHOSEN SERVANT

Isaiah 42:1

"Here is My Servant, whom I uphold, My Chosen One, in whom My soul delights. I will put My Spirit on Him, and He will bring justice to the nations."

Matthew 12:17

"Here is My Servant, whom I have chosen, My beloved, in whom My soul delights. I will put My Spirit on Him, and He will proclaim justice to the nations."

THE RIGHTEOUS SERVANT

Isaiah 53:11

"After the anguish of His soul, He will see the light of life and be satisfied. By His knowledge My Righteous Servant will justify many, and He will bear their iniquities."

Matthew 20:28

Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life a ransom for many.

THE SUBMISSIVE SERVANT

Luke 22:42

“Father, if You are willing, take this cup from Me. Yet not My will, but Yours be done.”

John 5:30

"I can of Mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and My judgment is just; because I seek not Mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent Me."

Philippians 2:8

And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross

THE WISE SERVANT

Isaiah 11:2

The Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him—the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and strength, the Spirit of knowledge and fear of the LORD.

John 1:32

Then John testified, "I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove and resting on Him."

THE SERVANT'S SERVANT

Matthew 20:28

"Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”

John 13:13-15

13. "You call Me Teacher and Lord, and rightly so, because I am.

14. So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet.

15. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you."

THE EXALTED SERVANT

Philippians 2:9

Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name above all names.

Isaiah 53:12; Daniel 7:14; Matthew 28:18; Acts 2:33.

THE EXTOLLED SERVANT

*Strong's Ex. Conc. No. 7623

Extol: to praise highly, to lift up, to elevate, to magnify

It is the Hebrew word 'shabach' (pronounced shaw-bakh').

Psalm 145:1

A Praise of David. I will extol You, my God, O King; And I will bless Your name forever and ever.

Isaiah 6:1

In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and His train filled the temple.

Romans 15:11

And again: “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and extol Him, all you peoples.”

Have you met The Servant King?  The Servant King came to serve God in the way in which God chose Him to serve. Jesus humbled Himself to serve God with honor and integrity, in love. Are we following the example He has set before us to do the same, to live our lives in the same way? Humbled, surrendered, submitted to the will of God? 

Have we chosen to set aside what we want and how we want it done in order that God may be glorified in our submission and surrender? For my part I can truthfully say, "No." However, having repented of yesterday's transgressions, I can move on and submit and surrender another day to God, hoping for a better turnout than the last. It is all I can do: greet God when I awaken, spend time with Him during the day, speak with Him in the night and/or wee hours of the morning. 

The psalmist wrote, "Early will I seek You" (Psalm 63:1). Which could mean early in my day, early in my life, early in my pursuit of following after God in all my ways. And, again, in all our ways we are to acknowledge Him; and He will lead us (Proverbs 3:6; 16:3). But only if we are willing to follow. So, come let us adore Him, let us serve Him.

THE SERVANT KING by Graham Kendrick

HIGH AND EXALTED by Bob Fitts

HE LIVES Divine Hymns

BEHOLD by Phil Wickham

ADORATION by Newsboys

Arming The Spiritual Warrior -- Godly Wisdom

Proverbs 18:15 

An intelligent heart acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.

In the KJV the word 'prudent' is used, which means, (according to Strong's No. 995): intelligent, discern, gain understanding of,  diligently consider, pay close attention, investigate. Plus a few more definitive words given, but we'll start with these in this study. 

Understanding what words mean is a one of the steps in being able to explain what the Bible tells us. The other is a saved and filled heart: saved by the blood of Jesus Christ and filled with God's Holy Spirit, who is described as the Spirit of God, or Wisdom personified. Godly Wisdom comes from God.

GODLY UNDERSTANDING

Daniel 1:17

As for these four children, God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.

2 Chronicles 26:5 (referring to King Uzziah) 

And he sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the visions of God: and as long as he sought the LORD, God made him to prosper.

Godly Understanding comes from seeking God's Wisdom with fear, a reverence, of God. Fearing God is more advantageous to one's soul and life than fearing anything that people may do to us. It is not a fear of consequences, but a loving respectful fear. 

Proverbs 1:7

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

GODLY WISDOM IS GOD'S GIFT & INVALUABLE

Job 28:12-28

(12) But where shall wisdom be found? and where is the place of understanding?

(13) Man knows not the price thereof; neither is it found in the land of the living.

(14) The deep says, ‘It is not in me’; And the sea says, ‘It is not with me.’

(15) It cannot be gotten for gold, neither shall silver be weighed for the price thereof.

(16) It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire.

(17) The gold and the crystal cannot equal it: and the exchange of it shall not be for jewels of fine gold.

(18) No mention shall be made of coral, or of pearls: for the price of wisdom is above rubies.

(19) The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it, neither shall it be valued with pure gold.

(20) From where, then, does wisdom come? And where is the place of understanding?

(21) Seeing it is hid from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the fowls of the air.

(22) Destruction (Hades) and death (those who have died without godly wisdom)  say, We have heard the fame thereof with our ears. (heard a rumor, a report of [it, wisdom])

(23) But God understands its way, and He knows its place.

(24) For He looks to the ends of the earth and sees everything under the heavens.

(25)  When He gave to the wind its weight and apportioned the waters by measure,

(26) when He made a decree for the rain and a way for the lightning of the thunder,

(27) then He saw it and declared it; He established it, and searched it out.

(28) And unto man He said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.

Are we discerning Christians? Do we seek out, look for, the fear of the Lord that He may impart to us His Wisdom? Or are we too lazy, content to be barely saved, saved enough to attend church and/or become involved in church activities? 

Do we understand the times in which we live? If it came to choosing life in Christ or life without Christ, would we be able to choose Christ knowing that this choice means death? This is Wisdom: making an informed decision to follow Jesus Christ all the way to the cross, into the garden? 

John 8:28, 29 So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing on My own, but speak exactly what the Father has taught Me. He who sent Me is with Me. He has not left Me alone, because I always do what pleases Him.”

• Jesus lives His life in the Love of God in service to His Father. 
• Jesus speaks to us what His Father speaks to Him.
• Jesus does what pleases God

ACQUIRING KNOWLEDGE

Proverbs 15:31

The ear that listens to life-giving reproof will dwell among the wise.

Ecclesiastes 7:5

It is better to heed a wise man's rebuke than to listen to the song of fools.

Proverbs 4:7

Wisdom is supreme; so acquire wisdom. And whatever you may acquire, gain understanding.

Proverbs 16:16

How much better to acquire wisdom than gold! To gain understanding is more desirable than silver.

So just how do we acquire, get, this Godly Knowledge?

Isaiah 55:6

Seek the LORD while He may be found; call on Him while He is near.

Psalm 119:105

Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

Job 23:11

My feet have followed in His tracks; I have kept His way without turning aside.

Psalm 119:157

Though my persecutors and foes are many, I have not turned from Your testimonies.

1 Corinthians 15:58

Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil in the Lord is not in vain. (KJV)

The ESV reads like this: So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.

Are you smiling yet? I am. I have joy inside me and it is overflowing to the outside of me. I am being poured into and the Spirit is pouring out of me. 

You Are My Joy

GODLY WISDOM

To acquire knowledge is to hear what the Lord God says to us in His Word through His Spirit. We must be willing to seek out God's face and submit to God's will, surrendering every aspect of our lives to His purpose. This is honoring God, this is blessing God. More than lip service or acts of kindness: it is a whole-hearted, God-fearing lifestyle. This is Godly Wisdom, too. 

 

Godly Wisdom is given to the heart of the born-again believer, not the brain. It is with the heart that we believe. It is in the heart that Jesus Christ, The WORD of God, takes up residence. It is from the heart that Wisdom speaks. It is the heart that makes the decisions, so the heart must be filled with The WORD in order to make wise decisions.

The heart of the born-again believer makes sound decisions, but the heart of the foolish makes unwise decisions.  God has given each of us the ability to choose. And He wants us to choose wisely, but we know that doesn't always happen. While we are in this world, we are tempted on every side to make wrong, unwise, decisions. But we don't have to stay in the consequences of those decisions, we can choose to make a decision to leave the unwise decision and seek out God's wisdom for our lives. 

Lord, help me. Help me to lead a life that is pleasing to You. Help me to hear Your voice more clearly. Help me to see You in every decision I make and follow through in the doing of that decision. Lord, be my strength as I follow You. Give me Your wisdom that I may make decisions based on Your Word. In Jesus' Name, I pray, Amen. 

 

Being Wise

 

And many who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake, some to everlasting life, but others to shame and everlasting contempt. then the wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness will shine like the stars forever and ever. Daniel 12:2-3

The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise. Proverbs 11:30

Contemplate this: are we the wise or the shameful? Will we go into everlasting life or everlasting contempt? How can we know now? 

Are we leading people to righteousness, telling people about the saving grace of God through the blood of Jesus Christ? That’s being wise. 

Are we saved through the blood of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, who died on the cross? Who bore our sins upon Himself? That’s being wise. 

What is wisdom? Listening to and Obeying the Word of God with joy and a merry heart. Not with anger, nor accusative words, but with Love, with Patience, with Mercy. We are to treat one another with Grace and with Peace that passes understanding in this world. 

We must ask ourselves, “Am I being wise?”. Am I honoring God with my words and my works? Am I telling people about my Jesus, testifying what He has done for me? Am I a fruitful servant? Am I even saved in this manner, by the blood of Jesus Christ? And if I am not, how can I know that I am?

Romans 10:8-10

8. But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming:

9. that if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

10. For with your heart you believe and are justified, and with your mouth you confess and are saved.

Some live on the false hope, false belief that sin is not real and salvation is not necessary. This is foolishness and definitely not wisdom. Wisdom comes from God. True morality and knowing right from wrong is having the wisdom of God.

Romans 3:22-23

22. And this righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no distinction, 

23. for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

Romans 3:10, 18

10. As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one. 

18. “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

Romans 6:23

23. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 5:8

8. But God proves His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 10:13

13. For, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Romans 8:1

1. Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

And that’s how you can know you are saved, that’s how you can know now whether or not you are being wise or being shameful. So, again, the question is put forth: are we, are you, am I, being wise? Am I leading my family, my friends, my enemies and the strangers I meet daily to righteousness? Am I telling them, you, about my Jesus? Have I told you lately what Jesus Christ has done for me?

He saved me. He filled me with His precious Holy Spirit. He walks with me daily and all throughout my day. He talks with me, tells me things I need to hear and know. He lives in my heart, cleaning it out and making more room for His glory. My Jesus loves me. My Jesus died for me so I wouldn’t be sent into everlasting contempt. My Jesus feeds me with His daily Bread and quenches my thirst with His Living Water. My Jesus both satisfies me and gives me a hunger to know Him more. 

This I want for you. But only you can make that decision. I can pray for you. But only you can make your choice. Do you want to go to heaven? Or do you want to go to hell? Hell is not a pretty place. It is not a land of endless parties, nor is it a nothingness. Hell is hot. Hell is ugly. Hell is a place where you are never happy, never satisfied.   If you are selfish in this life, your selfish attitude goes with you to Hell. You can’t leave Hell after you die, so praying for this to happen after a person dies without Jesus Christ is foolishness.

Luke 16:19-31 is the parable of the rich man and the beggar.  Here we learn what Hell is.

23. It is a place of torment. 

24. It is hot and fiery.

26. It is separated from Paradise by a great chasm which none can cross, nor can anyone leave Hell. 

We have six senses in this life. Some work like they’re supposed to, some don’t. Whether we are in Heaven or Hell, we will have all six and they will all work.

Sight

Hearing

Touch

Smell

Taste

Knowing

How do we know this? Again, read Luke 16:19-31

Luke 16:23

Torment is felt (touch)

Luke 16:23

The rich man could see Lazarus in the distance.  

Luke 16:24

Though he had never seen him, the rich man recognized (knowing) Abraham right away (sight) and in his selfishness begged for the poor man to tend his needs. He was hot (touch) and thirsty (taste) and in agony (touch).

The sense of smell is implied because the man was burning and whatever is on fire smells like it is on fire. It’s not a good smell when it’s a person. 

A person can speak and hear in Hell, for the rich man spoke with Abraham and heard (hearing) Abraham’s response. 

As nasty as it is to choose to go to Hell, Hell will not last forever. But this is not good for those who choose to go there either. 

Revelation 20:14-15

14. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death—the lake of fire.

15. And if anyone was found whose name was not written in the Book of Life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

That’s Hell and Hell’s destination. Why would anyone in their right mind choose to disobey God and go to Hell? We can only have a right mind if Christ is in us and we are in Him. This comes through believing on His name, 

Mark 5:9, 15, 18-20

9. "What is your name?" Jesus asked. "My name is Legion," he replied, "for we are many."

15. When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons sitting there, clothed and in his right mind; and they were afraid.

18. As He was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed by the demons begged to go with Him. 

19. But Jesus would not allow him. “Go home to your own people,” He said, “and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and what mercy He has shown you.” 

20. So the man went away and began to proclaim throughout the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And everyone was amazed.

The man who was put in his right mind went back home and began to tell his family and friends about what his Jesus had done for him. He was being wise and fruitful. 

I am in my right mind. Though the world calls me crazy, God calls me His child. Though people call me odd and radical, Jesus calls me friend. I am being wise. And it is my prayer that I continue to be so. I want you to be so, too. I pray Ephesians 3 over your life. I pray the Romans Road to Salvation into your hearts and minds. I pray the Word of God bless you and make known to you the true Love of God and that you come into the knowledge of saving grace. 

 

Heart of Discerning

 

HEART OF DISCERNMENT
Proverbs 18:15
The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge,
and the ear of the wise seeks it out.
Who has the heart of discerning?

                                               The believer. (Romans 10:9)

                                                          What is the heart? 

             The soul: our will, our attitude, our intelligence/intellect.                                             (Romans 10:10)

How do we acquire knowledge?
From God. (Daniel 1:17).

                              And through spending time with God in prayer and                                        daily Bible reading. (Deuteronomy 4:29;                   Psalm 27:8; Psalm 119:2; Isaiah 55:6; Jeremiah 29:13;

1 Thessalonians 5:17; 1 Timothy 2:8; 2 Timothy 1:3)

Who are the wise?
They who fear the LORD (Proverbs 9:10).

                      How do we hear this knowledge we are seeking?

Through the hearing of the Word, whether we read our Bibles out loud or when we hear the full Truth of the Word preached in our churches. (Romans 10:17)

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