Jonah Lee 2.08.2010
TRUTH IS A HATED FORTITUDE
To begin with, let me first quote a statement from Philip Atkinson concerning: Why Truth Is Hated and Suppressed In a Declining Civilization? Truth is sacrosanct (sacred, revered, holy) is claimed by citizens whether their society is waxing or waning, but in the declining mode it is hated and suppressed; winning only persecution for the honest. This is the Galileo Effect, where those who dare contradict a popular delusion find their message ignored while their person is attacked. They are condemned for the crime of heresy, for which truth is no defense, as Galileo discovered, being forced to deny the earth circled the sun, to avoid execution.
In Philip’s finding, perhaps, some of us could identify with a biblical situation where the Lord Jesus has to battle with the "Galileo Effect" of the day. The BATTLE begun immediately after He proclaimed Himself as the WAY, the TRUTH and the LIFE. His mission was to expose the LIES that embraced by the culture of His day. Consequently, He was hated, persecuted and eventually killed by His own people, a nation which He chose to share His inheritance.
And perhaps, some of us could also identify with Philip’s finding where truth is a hated fortitude in the present culture that is full of falsehood that masquerades themselves under cosmetic appearance. And perhaps, most of us are living in a make-believe world, where the truth is treated as a depriver of our dreams, perhaps the kind similar to the “Babel American Dream”. And perhaps, the Church has become soft when the things that surround it are footed on fantasy, promoted by men rather than truth to avoid the reality of moral depravity.
In Isaiah 59:12-19, Isaiah was interceding on behalf of his people confessing of such sins to the Lord. It was a very distressing time because he knew God was about to judge his people. The cup of wrath had been filled to the brim. It was about to overflow and Isaiah knew if he failed his duty to intercede for his people the whole of Israel would be wiped up in God’s wrath. Thus, he cried out to the Lord in desperation:
"For our rebellions are multiplied before You, and our sins testify against us. For our transgressions are with us, and we know our iniquities; transgressing and lying against Jehovah, and backsliding from our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and murmuring words of falsehood from the heart." And justice is driven back; and righteousness stands far off; for truth is fallen in the street, and right is not able to enter. So TRUTH FAILS; and whoever turns from evil makes himself a prey. And Jehovah saw; and it was evil in His eyes, that there was no justice. And He saw that there was no man, and He was astonished that there was no intercessor. And His own arm saved for Him; and His righteousness sustained Him for He put on righteousness like armor, and a helmet of salvation on His head. And He put on robes of vengeance as clothing; and He put on zeal like a mantle. According to works, so He will repay; fury to His foes; recompense to His foes; He will repay recompense to the coasts. So they shall fear Jehovah's name from the west, and His glory from the rising of the sun. When the foe comes like a flood, the Spirit of Jehovah shall cause him to flee.
The foes are God's own people. They had become enemy to Him. They slaughtered the truth that was meant to protect them. When truth fails there will be no justice. You could hear this lamentation throughout the book of Isaiah. The people were spiritually blind that they could not see what was wrong with them. The prophet was sent to give details of their failures. An ultimatum had been issued, that if they don’t repent they would enslave forever by their enemies. Their lives and the lives of their children would be miserable and under constant oppression.
Providentially, by the mercy of God, Isaiah’s intercession was accepted if the people are willing to repent. He shall reverse the calamity before them and restore their hope as promised to their fathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
In Isaiah’s time, truth has fallen and injustice has prevailed, so did in our time as Galileo put it, "to stand for truth will be condemned as a crime of heresy. The battle between truth and falsehood would continue until the end of the age."
We could see that the role of a prophet and intercessor is crucial to prevent destruction from coming upon the people. I'm not talking about title or position here. Let me divert a little here....
In the NT, the Lord has reversed the hierarchy order of the Jewish temple. A new temple was formed that is His own body we called 'church' for He no longer dwell in man-made temple (Acts 7:47-51). A "NEW TESTAMENT ORDER" has been set for the body of Christ as follows:
Matthew 23:2-3, 8-12 (GW), The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat (authority). Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, observe and do. But do not do according to their works (don't follow their examples); for they say, and do not do. But DON'T MAKE others call you Rabbi (Greek means master, teacher, a guide or leader. In our time we call them minister, pastor, prophet, apostle, evangelist, reverend, father, pope, bishop, doctor, your holiness, etc), because you have ONLY ONE teacher, and YOU ARE ALL BROTHERS. And don't call anyone on earth your father, because you have only one Father, and he is in heaven. Don't make others call you a leader, because you have only one leader, the Messiah. The person who is greatest among you will be your servant. Whoever honors himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be honored.
This is the commandment of Christ why are we deliberately violating it?
What the LORD referring here is the offices of the Mosaic system that implies authority but the coming NEW BODY is about the ROLE AND FUNCTION of the body not hierarchy (title and position) that carries the authority over another believers. The description of the name apostle, prophet, pastor and so on does not imply position of authority, it implies orderly and various functions in the body of Christ. The only authority we have is over the enemy and to love our brothers and sisters and not to rule over them.
These functions are important as a Church especially in a time of deceit. Their job is to sound the alarm and alleviate the wrath of God. They are the watchmen over the city or the church. Isaiah was a prophet not an intercessor but because God could not find (even) one willing vessel among them, therefore, Isaiah had to fill in the gap. However, often times we find that the role of a prophet would also comes with the responsibility of an intercessor. The Lord Jesus is a prophet and yet He is an intercessor forever interceding for His us (1 John 2:1).
The call is now! "God will raise up more spokesmen to SPEAK THE TRUTH and to INTERCEDE for His people as no one seems to care about the moral DECLINING of the CHURCH." Therefore,
Are YOU willing to respond to the call if you are not giving a title or position? If you are not recognized by the people or your church? Are you still willing?
Please read related articles:
Time before the Antichrist Part I and II
To begin with, let me first quote a statement from Philip Atkinson concerning: Why Truth Is Hated and Suppressed In a Declining Civilization? Truth is sacrosanct (sacred, revered, holy) is claimed by citizens whether their society is waxing or waning, but in the declining mode it is hated and suppressed; winning only persecution for the honest. This is the Galileo Effect, where those who dare contradict a popular delusion find their message ignored while their person is attacked. They are condemned for the crime of heresy, for which truth is no defense, as Galileo discovered, being forced to deny the earth circled the sun, to avoid execution.
In Philip’s finding, perhaps, some of us could identify with a biblical situation where the Lord Jesus has to battle with the "Galileo Effect" of the day. The BATTLE begun immediately after He proclaimed Himself as the WAY, the TRUTH and the LIFE. His mission was to expose the LIES that embraced by the culture of His day. Consequently, He was hated, persecuted and eventually killed by His own people, a nation which He chose to share His inheritance.
"The Galileo Effect was merely an effect that brought forth from Calvary where the Truth was killed by those who offended by it"
And perhaps, some of us could also identify with Philip’s finding where truth is a hated fortitude in the present culture that is full of falsehood that masquerades themselves under cosmetic appearance. And perhaps, most of us are living in a make-believe world, where the truth is treated as a depriver of our dreams, perhaps the kind similar to the “Babel American Dream”. And perhaps, the Church has become soft when the things that surround it are footed on fantasy, promoted by men rather than truth to avoid the reality of moral depravity.
In Isaiah 59:12-19, Isaiah was interceding on behalf of his people confessing of such sins to the Lord. It was a very distressing time because he knew God was about to judge his people. The cup of wrath had been filled to the brim. It was about to overflow and Isaiah knew if he failed his duty to intercede for his people the whole of Israel would be wiped up in God’s wrath. Thus, he cried out to the Lord in desperation:
"For our rebellions are multiplied before You, and our sins testify against us. For our transgressions are with us, and we know our iniquities; transgressing and lying against Jehovah, and backsliding from our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and murmuring words of falsehood from the heart." And justice is driven back; and righteousness stands far off; for truth is fallen in the street, and right is not able to enter. So TRUTH FAILS; and whoever turns from evil makes himself a prey. And Jehovah saw; and it was evil in His eyes, that there was no justice. And He saw that there was no man, and He was astonished that there was no intercessor. And His own arm saved for Him; and His righteousness sustained Him for He put on righteousness like armor, and a helmet of salvation on His head. And He put on robes of vengeance as clothing; and He put on zeal like a mantle. According to works, so He will repay; fury to His foes; recompense to His foes; He will repay recompense to the coasts. So they shall fear Jehovah's name from the west, and His glory from the rising of the sun. When the foe comes like a flood, the Spirit of Jehovah shall cause him to flee.The foes are God's own people. They had become enemy to Him. They slaughtered the truth that was meant to protect them. When truth fails there will be no justice. You could hear this lamentation throughout the book of Isaiah. The people were spiritually blind that they could not see what was wrong with them. The prophet was sent to give details of their failures. An ultimatum had been issued, that if they don’t repent they would enslave forever by their enemies. Their lives and the lives of their children would be miserable and under constant oppression.
Providentially, by the mercy of God, Isaiah’s intercession was accepted if the people are willing to repent. He shall reverse the calamity before them and restore their hope as promised to their fathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
In Isaiah’s time, truth has fallen and injustice has prevailed, so did in our time as Galileo put it, "to stand for truth will be condemned as a crime of heresy. The battle between truth and falsehood would continue until the end of the age."
We could see that the role of a prophet and intercessor is crucial to prevent destruction from coming upon the people. I'm not talking about title or position here. Let me divert a little here....
In the NT, the Lord has reversed the hierarchy order of the Jewish temple. A new temple was formed that is His own body we called 'church' for He no longer dwell in man-made temple (Acts 7:47-51). A "NEW TESTAMENT ORDER" has been set for the body of Christ as follows:
Matthew 23:2-3, 8-12 (GW), The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat (authority). Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, observe and do. But do not do according to their works (don't follow their examples); for they say, and do not do. But DON'T MAKE others call you Rabbi (Greek means master, teacher, a guide or leader. In our time we call them minister, pastor, prophet, apostle, evangelist, reverend, father, pope, bishop, doctor, your holiness, etc), because you have ONLY ONE teacher, and YOU ARE ALL BROTHERS. And don't call anyone on earth your father, because you have only one Father, and he is in heaven. Don't make others call you a leader, because you have only one leader, the Messiah. The person who is greatest among you will be your servant. Whoever honors himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be honored.
This is the commandment of Christ why are we deliberately violating it?
What the LORD referring here is the offices of the Mosaic system that implies authority but the coming NEW BODY is about the ROLE AND FUNCTION of the body not hierarchy (title and position) that carries the authority over another believers. The description of the name apostle, prophet, pastor and so on does not imply position of authority, it implies orderly and various functions in the body of Christ. The only authority we have is over the enemy and to love our brothers and sisters and not to rule over them.
FOR THERE IS ONE SHEPHERD, ONE APOSTLE, ONE PROPHET, ONE TEACHER, ONE LEADER, ONE EVANGELIST THAT IS THE LORD JESUS CHRIST WHO IS THE HEAD OF THE CHURCH FOR WE ARE HIS FUNCTIONING BODY.
These functions are important as a Church especially in a time of deceit. Their job is to sound the alarm and alleviate the wrath of God. They are the watchmen over the city or the church. Isaiah was a prophet not an intercessor but because God could not find (even) one willing vessel among them, therefore, Isaiah had to fill in the gap. However, often times we find that the role of a prophet would also comes with the responsibility of an intercessor. The Lord Jesus is a prophet and yet He is an intercessor forever interceding for His us (1 John 2:1).
The call is now! "God will raise up more spokesmen to SPEAK THE TRUTH and to INTERCEDE for His people as no one seems to care about the moral DECLINING of the CHURCH." Therefore,
Are YOU willing to respond to the call if you are not giving a title or position? If you are not recognized by the people or your church? Are you still willing?
Please read related articles:
Time before the Antichrist Part I and II
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