NEWSLETTER 066 MESSAGE

Message: Increase Your Vision

“As many were astonied at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men: So shall he sprinkle many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider.” Is. 52:14-15

As Christians many times we limit God with our thinking. We have a small - sometimes self-centered - vision. We have failed to see God’s heart and what Christ actually died to purchase.

The above verses show the horrible physical suffering of Christ during His arrest and crucifixion. His body was shredded. No one has ever had their body ripped apart to the extent that Jesus did, but notice what happens next.

Jesus took His blood that was shed and sprinkled the nations. In the Old Testament, the sprinkling of the blood of the sacrifice sanctified [set apart] what was sprinkled as holy. And, as we see in Ex. 24:6-8, it brought people into blood covenant relationship with God [See The Making Of A Blood Covenant course].

Notice who Jesus sprinkled with His precious blood - many nations. Our vision has often been only for individuals and we have been content to allow nations to continue on their way to damnation. Our small vision has limited what God clearly wants to do. The most famous verse in the Bible, John 3:16, gives a world-wide vision. The Great Commission in Matt. 28 tells us to disciple nations. In Ps. 2 Jesus is told that the heathen and the uttermost parts of the earth will belong to Him. And so on. We must not be satisfied until Jesus is the Lord of nations.

Practically, how does happen? It happens as individuals are converted. Nations will never be converted and discipled until the individuals within that nation are converted and discipled. After a person has been saved, they must be trained in the ways of God. Then they have to be willing to apply the ways and laws of God to their own lives and in their own sphere of influence. If we are not living the righteousness of Christ in our lives, we have no right to expect anyone else to. Discipling nations does not mean that a minority of Christians force God’s law on a majority of heathens. No, nations are discipled as the majority of people within them begin voluntarily keeping God’s law. This will then be reflected in the nation’s laws and activities. Then God’s Laws will not be hard to enforce because the majority of citizens are in agreement with them. But it all begins on a personal level.

Canada and the USA were founded to be Christian nations. They have since been subverted and have become largely heathen nations. The only way to return to our roots is for the majority of their citizens to repent and return to the ways of God. This is also true of nations that have never had a Christian heritage. The blood of Christ can redeem their character and change them. No matter where you live, Jesus died to redeem your nation and its citizens.

This sprinkling or setting apart of the nations is made more difficult by the Church itself who is often confused about the application of the Law of God today and by false teachers who preach doom and gloom and the power of the Anti-Christ. We must shake off false and foggy beliefs. We must search the Scriptures for the Truth. We must apply the Truth. We must raise our vision. God loved the world, Jesus died for nothing less. Let us in faith believe and work toward the day when the nations will reveal the glory of God instead of the tyranny of Satan.
Announcements

May has been a very busy month at work and at home. Some of you may have noticed that I missed a few days on the blog. In June I should be able to get back more into my normal routine.

We are nearing the end of the Ephesians Blog. I will probably move to the Gospel of Matthew next, but I am open to suggestions. If you have ideas, including report or course suggestions, for either Free Bible Study Lessons or The Joshua Club please e-mail us.

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God bless you,
Glenn Davis
Free Bible Study Lessons