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Abiding in Christ
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Ligados pela passagem bíblica ou por temas comuns.
My assignment for the next 40 minutes is to help you understand the times and the seasons. If you were here last week, you heard the message, and I come with that same purpose — to help you understand the times and the seasons.
Who knows what our theme is for the year? Abiding in Christ. My goal is to help you understand the necessity of abiding — to help you understand why this is necessary.
Last week we spoke about the wheat and the tares, and the fact that while men slept, the enemy came in and sowed seeds. The wheat and the tares would grow together, and as a result, when it was time for reaping, wheat and tares were both together in the same environment.
I want to bring you another passage of scripture this Sunday from Isaiah chapter 26, verses 1–4:
"In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah: We have a strong city. God will appoint salvation for walls and for bulwarks. Open the gates that the righteous nation which keeps the truth may enter in. You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you because he trusts you. Trust in the Lord forever, for in Yah, the Lord, is everlasting strength."
Lord, we bless your word.
To understand this passage, we need to look at the previous chapters. Isaiah 24 and 25 point to a day where the Messiah ultimately triumphs — the day where the Messiah takes over and reigns over Israel and all over the world.
Isaiah chapters 24 to 27 are poems that tell a story about two cities. For those who are making notes, the title of my message is "In That Day."
The first city is the lofty city. This city exalted itself above God and became corrupt and unjust. This city is an archetype for rebellious humanity.
Let's read Isaiah 24:5:
"The earth is also defiled under its inhabitants because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant."
Isaiah is speaking on behalf of the Lord to Jerusalem and Judah, saying they have transgressed the law, changed the ordinance, and broken the everlasting covenant.
Quickly for Bible people — which should be all of us:
As Isaiah is prophesying, he's saying these people know what they ought to do, but they don't do it. They have the laws of God, but they choose to go against it anyway.
This is very similar to the kind of world that we are in at the moment, where truth is no longer objective but subjective. Instead of people making golden calves, they become their own god. They're aware of the Bible, aware of the Ten Commandments, but they choose to make their own set of rules.
In Isaiah 24 and 25, Isaiah is prophesying concerning times to come when the Lord will bring judgment to evildoers. Someone say, "Judgment to evildoers."
Earlier within Isaiah, he is in his day seeing Jerusalem and Judah go against God's laws, and he sees the Lord tell him how he's going to punish them:
"For Jerusalem stumbled and Judah is fallen because their tongue and their doings are against the Lord to provoke the eyes of his glory." (Isaiah 3:8)
"Woe to those who call evil good and good evil... Who put darkness for light and light for darkness. Who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and prudent in their own sight..." (Isaiah 5:20–23)
Do you see what I mean by changing the laws?
In Isaiah 6:5, Isaiah has a vision. He sees the Lord's throne, and he says:
"Woe is me, for I am undone because I am a man of unclean lips and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips. For my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts."
In Isaiah 3, 5, and 6, Isaiah is standing in his day as the Lord rebukes the current Jerusalem and Judah. But in Isaiah 24, he begins to speak about a day to come — a day where the Lord will judge on a mass scale and punish all evildoers. Some believe Isaiah is prophesying about the great tribulation, a time when the Lord will judge all things in heaven and on earth.
Here's my point. Isaiah sees a present-day Jerusalem and Judah and addresses them. But then Isaiah takes it a step further and begins to prophesy about a day to come where all evildoers will be judged. In this moment, we find that Isaiah is in two places at the same time — in his present day seeing the wickedness of the people, and also at the end of time seeing what the Lord will do.
As the Lord was speaking to me about this, he said, "This is why I bring about things that you must focus on." In our present day, the Lord brings a theme like abiding in Christ. He sees the need for people to abide in him. But because the Lord is Alpha and Omega — outside of time — he also sees the ramifications of what could happen if you don't abide.
Sometimes because we are so focused on the things around us, so distracted by things we can see with our natural eyes, we don't know when something is an eternal message. We're okay with doing church. We say, "This is just a theme. Next year we're going to have a new theme." But we don't understand that when the Lord highlights certain things, he's not just talking about the present day. He's talking about eternity.
Isaiah addresses the present Jerusalem and Judah, and then prophesies about a day. He's trying to help them understand that where you stand is kairos, and it has eternal ramifications.
What we see in Isaiah is what we would call an open heaven. An open heaven is a crossing of two times — a crossing of chronos and kairos.
Sometimes as we pray, we cry out, "Lord, let me experience an open heaven." But I've realized something — an open heaven doesn't always show good things. If there are seasons where the Lord moves mightily and manifests himself within a gathering, it's possible that some people will be excited because the Lord has moved, while other people saw the open heaven and the Lord showed them what they may look like in time to come if they don't do something now.
Imagine Isaiah in an open heaven, repenting on behalf of himself and his people. Open heavens are a crossing of two times, and depending on where you are on this side, it will determine where you end up when we cross to the other.
Isaiah sees the lofty city, and then begins to speak about a new Jerusalem. Say it: "A new Jerusalem."
Once the Lord has judged and destroyed the lofty city, he replaces it with a new Jerusalem. Within this new Jerusalem:
The first four verses of Isaiah 26 that we read were stanzas — part of a song being sung. It's the people in this city that are singing this song of their redemption and the judgment of the Lord on those who went the way of evil.
Isaiah in his day is also speaking about how the Lord will restore Jerusalem and Judah:
"Who confirms the word of his servant and performs the counsel of his messengers, who says to Jerusalem, 'You shall be inhabited,' to the cities of Judah, 'You shall be built,' and I will raise up her waste places." (Isaiah 44:26)
So in Isaiah's present day, he speaks about the destruction of a lofty city, and later he speaks about the fact that the Lord is going to bring about a new Jerusalem and rebuild ruins. He speaks about a day that seems far off:
"In that day, this song will be sung in the land of Judah." (Isaiah 26:1)
This is another example of an open heaven — the Lord crossing two times. Isaiah is speaking to the present Jerusalem and Judah, but he's also speaking about a day where cities will be inhabited, where there will be no more death or sorrow.
Let me bring this home. The difference between the destruction of the lofty city and the establishment of the new Jerusalem is this:
I want this to land. When the Lord gives us themes like this, he's addressing the people, the church — but he's trying to bring you into an eternal message that has come at this point in time so that you can change now, before you are condemned eternally.
When the Lord brings a theme like this, it means he's trying to establish you forever. He provides many warnings: "Avoid this. Avoid sin. Avoid living life your own way. Avoid shallow and go deeper." Did we not hear the prayers Minister Raymond was praying? Avoid shallow and go deeper. Because he knows that if he doesn't establish you now, the current will take you up. He speaks a word here, but that word is an eternal word.
I'm going to prove this to you. Let's go to Matthew 4:17:
"From that time Jesus began to preach and say, 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.'"
Jesus comes and preaches after John the Baptist, and says the kingdom of heaven is at hand. If Jesus is speaking to Jewish people, he knows what this means for them. When the Jewish people were waiting for the Messiah, they were waiting for someone to overthrow the Roman government and establish a kingdom.
Now here Jesus comes and says this kingdom you've been waiting for — this kingdom your forefathers spoke about, this kingdom you've been waiting for since the time of Abraham — this kingdom is at hand.
If I were the disciples, I would be looking around, because Rome is still in power. Rome is still raising taxes. Rome is still governing the land. So how could Jesus say the kingdom is at hand?
When Jesus says "at hand," it means God's reign — previously a future promise — is now present and accessible through Jesus Christ. Jesus is talking about an open heaven. He's saying, "The thing you've been waiting for, the establishment of a kingdom for my people, is in me." The disciples are waiting for Rome to be driven out. Jesus is helping them understand — if you really understood this kingdom, you would know that everything that seems like a future promise is now.
I've realized something: Jesus is the open heaven. Jesus is kairos.
How on earth would his mother at the wedding at Cana know to turn to the servants and say, "Do whatever he tells you"? Jesus said, "Woman, my hour has not yet come." But Mary understood something — I don't have to wait for a time to come. Because Jesus is here, the time is now.
Another example — in John 5, the man is at the pool of Bethesda. Sick and lame people wait for an angel to stir the waters, and the first one in would be healed. Jesus asks him, "Do you want to be made well?"
The sick man answers, "Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, but while I am coming, another steps down before me."
And Jesus says, "Rise, take up your bed and walk."
Jesus is helping him understand: although you stand in this present moment, because I am life itself, I bring eternity to wherever I am. Whatever is meant for later, whatever is reserved for a time to come, can be accessed now.
The moment I understood this was the moment I wasn't shy to pray for the sick. The Lord tells me in Revelation there's a time coming where there will be no sickness. That kingdom is not a physical place — that kingdom is Christ himself. So if I walk with Christ now, I don't have to wait for what was later. It can be accessed now through the revelation of the cross.
For two minutes, can you just pray?
Lord, help me understand and come into this new mind. I don't have to wait for the waters to be stirred. Because I have Christ, the Bible says in Ephesians 1 he has blessed me with every spiritual blessing. I lack no good thing. I lack no promise. My mind only has to adjust. My mind only has to come into alignment.
Ask the Lord: Bring my mind, bring my understanding, help me to perceive what you're doing.
I understand it now when the scriptures say set your mind on things above and not things of this earth. Because although we stand in a present day, eternity is made available by the revelation of Christ.
This is why I take a theme like this so seriously. If you're not careful, you will think the Lord just wants to make you feel good, that you have a prayer life — and not realize that what he's trying to bring you into is a state where all things are possible.
Sometimes all it takes is for you to come into the mind of the season. Look at your neighbor and say, "Come into the mind of this season."
Let's return to Isaiah 26:1–4. Remember, Isaiah is speaking about a day to come. But we understand now that what the Lord halts is judgment — because he wants to give men time to repent. What the Lord makes available now is this new Jerusalem.
"In that day, this song will be sung in the land of Judah: We have a strong city. God will appoint salvation for walls and bulwarks. Open the gates that the righteous nation which keeps the truth may enter in. You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you because he trusts in you."
Let's read verse three again: "You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you because he trusts in you."
I understand it now when the Bible says the Lord is a strong tower. The name of the Lord is a strong tower — the righteous run in and are saved. We're not waiting for a day. Because of Christ, these promises are made available to us now.
Remember what I said last week — there are trials and tribulations preparing themselves for us. There's a season of testing. Revy declared it:
"This year will be the year where your foundations will be shaken, and the shaking will come to reveal whether you have been abiding in me."
For some of us, at certain points, everything will shake to see whether or not it was Christ that was your foundation. The way we will know is when things don't go according to plan — do you still run to Christ, or do you run away?
So when the Bible says, "You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you because he trusts in you," it's helping you understand that if you abide, there is a place of peace. If you abide, there is a place of peace where you become unshakable. Although it happens in this day, the day I exist in — called eternity — has other promises available. So although everything tells me I shouldn't have peace, "You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you."
For a few minutes now, cry out and tell the Lord:
Keep my mind on you. Keep my mind on you. That's where perfect peace is.
"For I decided to know nothing among you except Christ and him crucified." (1 Corinthians 2:2)
If you can keep your mind, you will not know a dry spell ever in your life again. If you can keep your mind on him, all you will know is open heavens. All you will access is promises allocated to the new Jerusalem.
Now we have become a new creation. All things are dead. Behold, all things become new. There is newness now, because it's been written in the message of eternity.
Keep my mind. Because:
Guess this — where God is, there can be no darkness. Where God dwells, there is no darkness. So what do you think will happen if I dwell where God is? Darkness has to be eradicated.
For the next two minutes, pray:
Darkness, go. Leave my mind. Leave my household. Leave my church. Leave my city. I drag my city into eternity. I drag my family into eternity. I don't care what's happening now. I exist in another day. I exist in another season. I exist somewhere else. Let this mind be in you that was also in Christ Jesus.
With this revelation you can cover mileage in the spirit — and cover it quickly. You're expelling darkness. If darkness has been plaguing you, prayerlessness has been plaguing you, demons in your dreams, addiction — I want you to run, run, run and expel darkness.
The word is enough to deliver. The word is enough to snatch you.
We stand on a word that's eternal. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my word will remain. Temporary things will pass away. Moth will come in. Rust will destroy. But not this eternal word. Not this eternal seed. Not this eternal message. You hold your word above your name.
Step into eternity. A river that never runs dry. This is what it means to have rivers of living water living inside of you. Jacob's well will never do. I've come to draw from the rivers of living water that never quench, that never run dry. In you will be a spring where the Lord exists.
There is no condemnation and no shame. Right now, in the name of Jesus, I break the powers of shame and condemnation over you.
I declare in the name of Jesus, the agents of darkness sent to keep you stagnant — in the name of Jesus, you will run fast. In the spirit of Elijah, you will run fast. You will run quickly.
We break the powers of hell concerning you. We break the powers of the evil one concerning you. You will know life. You will know peace.
Everything that's stopping you from sleeping in the night — in the name of Jesus, he gives his beloved good rest. We prophesy good rest over you.
I sense this heavily. There are many of you that are troubled and cannot sleep in the night. I break sleeplessness. I break it in the name of Jesus. I declare that it has no authority.
I want to help you understand something. You are only able to walk in authority when you understand the truth.
Every lie you've been sold — every lie that that addiction will never break — I declare in the name of Jesus the truth of God over your life. In the name of Jesus Christ, you will know what it is, and the truth will liberate you.
The Lord is bringing us into a new mind, into a new way of thinking. In order for you to walk in freedom, you have to get your mind right. You have to know the difference between a truth and a lie.
Declare this over yourself right now:
I enter into the new mind that Christ Jesus has for me. I enter into the new mind. The same mind that was in Christ is in his saints.
I needed to help us understand this because otherwise you will go through seasons that feel like they have no end. Start to practice this in your daily life. Don't believe the things you see. Learn how to access the truth of God for yourself, and you won't be found in cycles. You will rise above it.
Someone decree: "I will rise above it." How can you not, when you are dwelling with eternity itself? Life himself — and life has you.
Somebody declare:
"I will mount up on wings like eagles. I will wait on the Lord and he will renew my strength. I will be strengthened in this season."
Amen, in Jesus' name.
