Friday – September 23, 2016
Can you believe it, Friday already? Brother and sister you and I are the praise of His glory. Remember to pray for the Church in America and as led of the Spirit, the Church (Ekklesia) in Canada. The Church pictured is St. Luke’s Anglican Church located in Old Crow, Province of Yukon, Canada. The darkness of the world is enveloping the Church instead of the light of the Church dispelling and uncovering the darkness of the world. There is no question that the darkness of the world is getting darker, what the Bible refers to as gross darkness. Unfortunately, the darkness in the Church is getting worse as well. Due to the deceptions of the enemy, loyalty to a denomination or leadership, and the traditions of men the Church is also in gross darkness, powerless, thinking they are in the light and a mighty revival is just around the corner. The first revival in the first century did not come out of the established Church and neither will the last revival before the Second Advent of Jesus. The government (Rome) crushed the dead Church of the first century and so are governments today crushing the dead Church. Consider the following verses relative to these statements.
Matthew 5:13 (KJV)
13 Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.
John 15:6 (KJV)
6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
The remnant who are walking in the Truth are being scattered just as in the first century. They are not being scattered by the government but the traditional, organized Church. There is going to be a whole different outcome this time, a mighty army is being armed and is arising even now. Let’s go ahead and look at our text for today from the Book of Ephesians.
Ephesians 1:11-13 (KJV)
11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:
12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.
13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
This thirteenth verse is certainly a mouthful and dispels, blots out, our previous rebellion and depravity. I want to spend a little time dealing with “the word of truth” but first let’s look briefly at some of the other text. This Scripture goes on to tell us that we trusted or hoped in Jesus Christ after we heard the word of truth the good news of salvation. The “gospel of your salvation” is the good news of salvation. This is salvation from the wrath of God to come, not just the tribulation which is but a very small part of the wrath of God, but eternal separation from God as a dead, but conscious, being in Hell for eternity. Salvation is a rescue to a place of absolute safety. This is safety in this life and the one to come. Safety now in our finances, our health, our families, our social life, and any other area of life you can think of that is Godly.
Immediately on believing we are sealed by the Holy Spirit (Holy Spirit as promised). This word ‘sealed’ not only means to be marked in some way but to be sealed off, fenced in, and kept secret. Remember the old ‘seal a meal machines’ that would encase the food in plastic and suck out the air isolating the food from the outside world and the possible contaminations of that world? Of course you and I unlike that food being sealed have a free-will. If I will stay within the hedge provided by the Holy Spirit I am sealed away from the curse, the thoughts, the words, and the ways of the world.
Now let’s talk for a little about the “word of truth”. The Word is Jesus, and it is all of the Words given us by God (Scripture). Our words and the performance of our words define what and who we are just as the Words and the performance of His Words define God.
So what is the Truth? Jesus said that He was the Truth.
John 14:6 (KJV)
6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Jesus told us that the Holy Spirit was Truth.
John 14:17 (KJV)
17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
John 14:26 (KJV)
26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
Jesus told us the Word of God was truth.
John 17:17 (KJV)
17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
Finally we find that love, God is Love, is the truth.
Psalm 119:142 (KJV)
142 Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and thy law is the truth.
Matthew 22:36-39 (KJV)
36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
38 This is the first and great commandment.
39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
God said He would send a Savior and He did, that is certainly good news, God (Godhead), and the Word of God which is inseparable from God just as our word is inseparable from us, is the Word of Truth. When our focus is on God, on the Word of Truth, we will walk like Jesus doing as He did and the greater things. When we choose and received salvation we were sealed by the Holy Spirit and instantly our new reality, our new position became a new creations in Christ Jesus.
By: Dr. David Wood, Author, Bible Teacher, and Prophetic Voice
