As Christians, we've been ready to hand over the things we deem sacred and let them be removed from our own faith. Every day is a "Day that the Lord has made," to knowledgeable Christian. We've yielded certain things over to the world system and the enemy. Even Halloween can be celebrated as a Holy day which is "All Hallows Eve." No matter the day or feast, if Christians will reclaim these days and gather together in prayer, then that day will be a holy day.\
What day cannot be dedicated to the Lord Who made them? We've never really discovered who we truly are because of Jesus. We have centered on the things satan has done to discourage our celebrating these days, instead of what Jesus did and exalting Him for that. It's true that many of the women, children and men of the faith have been tortured and martyred for their faith (even today in the Middle Ease and Africa). At the same time, Jesus has been exalted by the strength and the miracles revealed through them.
We've focused more on the suffering than on the victory. All of these people died in victory by maintaining their faith in Christ. We have mostly set our minds of "suffering" like Jesus suffered. The suffering of Jesus didn't occur only by what happened on the cross. What He suffered on the cross was to make us free. Even if we were to suffer that way, it wouldn't be for the salvation and deliverance of mankind, but for the satisfaction of warped minds of demonic men. What we're mostly called to suffer is the rejection of family, friends and others, because of our faith and our stand for Christ. Although it's true that Christians throughout the world have suffered torture and death, it was mostly done trying to deter their following Christ.
For Jesus to have suffered rejection from those He came to deliver, must have been almost more than He could bear. He bore the curse, so that we might be blessed. He bore our sickness and disease, so we could be healed. He bore our sins, so we might be in right standing with the Father. He was cast out the Father's presence, so that we can be one with the Father like He is One with the Father.
He bore so many things so that we don't have to. Certainly, we will be persecuted by the world and the devil, but we at least know why. Let's be sure what that suffering is.
Many Christians are "suffering" at the hands of other Christians who exclude them from the fellowship in their faith. We don't seem to all believe exactly the same and others labeled wrongly. Some will even take offense at this very blog because I don't believe that God is the source of my suffering. Did God know that if I did what He told me to do, then I would suffer persecution? Of course He did. I chose to accept that as part of my ministry when I accepted His call.
God is not the source of my suffering, He is the source of my power and strength to endure it. Since being saved, I have walked in a place with my Father that seems to differ from many other Christian brothers. I cam faced with two decisions in my walk, today. I can forget what God told me in order to get along with everyone else or I can proceed with what He instructed me to do and not be received by some. This is a "suffering" that I choose and God will honor it.
There are those today who have written off the United States as a "waste of time" and there are those who call her "Mystery Babylon." There are those who believe that such disasters as Hurricane Katrina were sent by God to punish New Orleans and the U.S. If God were to use a hurricane to punish sin in America, then it wouldn't have stopped at New Orleans, but would have left destruction from New York to California.
What some have forgotten is that God has already judged sin in Jesus. Those who have received Jesus have had their sins paid for. Those who reject Him will have to pay the same price that Jesus bore for their sin. John 3:17-19 (Amplified) says, "For God did not send His Son into the world in order to judge (to reject, to condemn, to pass sentence on) the world, but that the world might find salvation and be made safe and sound through Him." Verse 18 says, "He who believes in Him (who clings to, trust in, relies on Him) is not judged (he who trusts in Him never comes up for judgement; for him there is no rejection, no condemnation-he incurs no damnation); but he who does not believe (cleave to, rely on, trust in Him) is already judged (he has already been convicted and has already received his sentence) because he has not believed in and trusted in the Name of the Only begotten Son of God (He is condemned for refusing to let his trust rest in Christ's Name)." Verse 19 says, The (basis of the) judgement (indictment) the test by which men are judged, the ground for the sentence) lies in this; the Light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than and more than the Light; for their works (deeds) were evil."
When God brings judgement on this earth and on sin, the whole world will know about it. Right now, the grace through Jesus, has put judgment on hold until the allotted time. The upheaval we see on this planet presently, is the "signs of the times" and the "beginning of sorrows." It is sin manifesting itself for the Last Days.
Matthew 24:6-8 and Romans 8:19-23 tell us that the weight of sin is still burdening the whole of creation, except those who have been born again. Even the planet itself is falling apart because of the curse that on it through Adam. Like a pregnant woman in labor, the closer the time of deliverance gets, the more intense the labor pains become. We are on the very edge of total deliverance. Jesus is coming back soon.
We must begin listening more closely to the voice and leading of the Holy Spirit. We, the Church, have almost let the devil lead our prayer life instead of the Holy Spirit. We wait until the devil tears something up and then pray and believe God to fix it. Even under the old covenant, God's men were told in advance of impending calamities or of doom. Why wouldn't it be the same for us now, who are in the new covenant?
We've been quick to allow the enemy to "run the show." We're not called to comment on how dark things are becoming, but to speak and be the Light" against the darkness. We're not called to sit around discussing how rotten and defiled things are, but we're to be the salt which is used to stop decay and preserve the good.
All of these days we turn over to the enemy, is really our surrendering them. We fight about whether we should celebrate such days as Christmas, Easter, the Lord's Day, the Sabbath, Halloween and even whether we should have mid-week services. Every day we relinquish is one more day that satan has take lordship of. It's not about being dogmatic, but being open to the Spirit of the Lord.
When we finally arrive home in God's house, we will realize just how "small" the things we made "big" deals over were and how they really didn't matter to Him. We seem to believe we have it altogether, but truthfully, we haven't begun to.
If you are right in what God has told you to do and in what He has revealed to you and you know it is God, then don't change. Hold your ground and God will bless you in it. One of the most misused holiday (holy day) and one we've surrendered to the world is New Years. We've allowed it to be overtaken as a time to set goals that most of us never achieve or a time for everyone to get drunk. This was the 8th day, according to the scriptures, and was to be the very first shedding of the Blood of Jesus by circumcision for the fulfilling of the Law and the completion of that covenant by blood.
If you look at what has become holidays in our culture, then you will find that nearly without exception, they were originally meant to be holy days. Is this just coincidence or the work of a cunning enemy? Don't give up on Holy Days and don't give up on America. God isn't done with our nation yet. I believe that, "Where sin abounds, the grace of God does much more abound." 2Chronicles 7:14 (Amplified) is still available to pray, regardless of what others may think. When we turn back to God's Word and pray, then He will heal our land.
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