UNBOXING GOD!

Breaking Free From the Limitations We Put on God!

"Do not limit the Holy One of Israel!" 

How often they provoked Him in the wilderness,

And grieved Him in the desert!

 Yes, again and again they tempted God,

And limited the Holy One of Israel.

 They did not remember His power.

(Psalms 78:40-42 NKJ)

So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.

(John 8:36 NLT)

Introduction

     I need to preface this blog with a bit of background to give some understanding of the purpose and reason for this post. I have had some reaction to some things I have posted or commented about on Facebook. The reactions have been primarily in regards to prophecies or ideas about one of the presidential candidates, Donald Trump. I want to clarify that my heart and intentions were NOT primarily about politics but rather about looking to see and listening to hear what God might be doing in this process! It is ALL about God though it may not have appeared to be so! 

Seeking to Allow the Spirit to Break the Boxes We Have Put God In!

     My entire goal has been to break God out of the boxes we may have put him in; to get us to consider that God is far greater than our perceptions of him. When I see people moving into a place of hopelessness based on their perception of the circumstances being portrayed in the media, even those observations that, in the natural, seem indisputable, then I begin to ask, "Where is God in all of this?" "Have we abandoned our faith in the very heart of God who is always for his people, even if it is a small remnant?" Are we in danger of portraying God to those around us as impotent and uncaring about this nation? Are we revealing him in a way which is distorted? Do we, by our actions, convey that God is unable or unwilling to bring transformation to this nation, even in the condition it is in? Are we placing limitations on God and describing him in a way that dishonors his very character and nature? Do we see the cross as emptied of it's power and limited in it's fulfillment? I hope that the Holy Spirit will move to stir us up in faith in the overwhelming goodness and greatness of God; to restore hope in the power of God, both in who he is in very nature and character, and what he is doing in our midst right now!

Anointing and the Sovereignty of God

     One of the primary issues which needs to be addressed is how God "anoints" someone or something. The question was asked,  "Do you believe holiness has nothing to do with anointing?" I would like to answer that with some observations and scripture. Jesus said this:

"You say that it means nothing to swear ‘by God’s Temple,’ but that it is binding to swear ‘by the gold in the Temple.'....Which is more important—the gold or the Temple that makes the gold sacred? And you say that to swear ‘by the altar’ is not binding, but to swear ‘by the gifts on the altar’ is binding. How blind! For which is more important—the gift on the altar or the altar that makes the gift sacred?"

(Matthew 23:16-20 NLT)

     You might be asking, "What does that have to do with anointing?" In the Old Covenant the priests were to anoint the objects in the temple with anointing oil. What is the significance of this passage? The whole point is: God is the one who determines what is to be anointed or not. And the anointing is GOD consecrating something or someone for his holy purposes. The issue addressed in this passage is that the pharisees and scribes were determining what was defined as holy, and that apart from God's prescribed ways. The core issue is, "Does someone or something have to be holy in order to be anointed by God? Or does the anointing BY God make it holy?" This is a crucial distinction! Do we determine for God what we think he can set apart for his purposes based on our perceptions of holiness? Or is God the One who alone can determine and define what it means to be holy unto him? 

      In regards to whether to the question about whether anointing has anything to do with holiness, let the scriptures address this issue. Note also that the question of whether God could use someone who is perceived to be, or even is, evil in the eyes of man is answered powerfully in the following passages. As you read this, know that God never uses his word to condemn us, rather his heart is always to convict and move us to a place of truth and restoration in the knowledge of who he is!

This is what the Lord says—

your Redeemer and Creator:

“I am the Lord, who made all things.

I alone stretched out the heavens.

Who was with me

when I made the earth?

 I expose the false prophets as liars

and make fools of fortune-tellers.

I cause the wise to give bad advice,

thus proving them to be fools.

 But I carry out the predictions of my prophets!

By them I say to Jerusalem, ‘People will live here again,’

and to the towns of Judah, ‘You will be rebuilt;

I will restore all your ruins! ’

 When I speak to the rivers and say, ‘Dry up! ’

they will be dry.

 When I say of Cyrus, ‘He is my shepherd,’

he will certainly do as I say.

He will command, ‘Rebuild Jerusalem’;

he will say, ‘Restore the Temple.

Chapter 45

This is what the  Lord says to Cyrus, his anointed one,

whose right hand he will empower.

Before him, mighty kings will be paralyzed with fear.

Their fortress gates will be opened,

never to shut again.

 This is what the Lord says:

“I will go before you, Cyrus,

and level the mountains.

I will smash down gates of bronze

and cut through bars of iron.

 And I will give you treasures hidden in the darkness—secret riches.

I will do this so you may know that I am the Lord,

the God of Israel, the one who calls you by name.

 “And why have I called you for this work?

Why did I call you by name when you did not know me?

It is for the sake of Jacob my servant,

Israel my chosen one.

 I am the Lord;

there is no other God.

I have equipped you for battle,

though you don’t even know me,

 so all the world from east to west

will know there is no other God.

I am the Lord, and there is no other.

 I create the light and make the darkness.

I send good times and bad times.

I, the Lord, am the one who does these things.

“And why have I called you for this work?

Why did I call you by name when you did not know me?

 “Open up, O heavens,

and pour out your righteousness.

Let the earth open wide

so salvation and righteousness can sprout up together.

I, the Lord, created them.

 “What sorrow awaits those who argue with their Creator.

Does a clay pot argue with its maker?

Does the clay dispute with the one who shapes it, saying,

‘Stop, you’re doing it wrong! ’

Does the pot exclaim,

‘How clumsy can you be? ’

 How terrible it would be if a newborn baby said to its father,

‘Why was I born? ’

or if it said to its mother,

‘Why did you make me this way?’"

This is what the  Lord says—

the Holy One of Israel and your Creator:

“Do you question what I do for my children?

Do you give me orders about the work of my hands?

 I am the one who made the earth

and created people to live on it.

With my hands I stretched out the heavens.

All the stars are at my command.

 I will raise up Cyrus to fulfill my righteous purpose,

and I will guide his actions.

He will restore my city and free my captive people—

without seeking a reward!

I, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, have spoken!"

(Isaiah 44:21-45:13 NLT)

Chapter 48:10-16

“Yes, I will tell you of things that are entirely new,

things you never heard of before.

For I know so well what traitors you are.

You have been rebels from birth.

 Yet for my own sake and for the honor of my name,

I will hold back my anger and not wipe you out.

 I have refined you, but not as silver is refined.

Rather, I have refined you in the furnace of suffering.

 I will rescue you for my sake—

yes, for my own sake!

I will not let my reputation be tarnished,

and I will not share my glory with idols!

 “Listen to me, O family of Jacob,

Israel my chosen one!

I alone am God,

the First and the Last.

 It was my hand that laid the foundations of the earth,

my right hand that spread out the heavens above.

When I call out the stars,

they all appear in order.”

 Have any of your idols ever told you this?

Come, all of you, and listen:

The Lord has chosen Cyrus as his ally.

He will use him to put an end to the empire of Babylon

and to destroy the Babylonian armies.

“I have said it: I am calling Cyrus!

I will send him on this errand and will help him succeed.

 Come closer, and listen to this.

From the beginning I have told you plainly what would happen.

(Isaiah 48:10-16 NLT)

     God does not require something or someone to be holy BEFORE he anoints them! However, WHEN he anoints them, they become holy, set apart for his purposes! 

"Then Moses took the anointing oil and anointed the Tabernacle and everything in it, making them holy. He sprinkled the oil on the altar seven times, anointing it and all its utensils, as well as the washbasin and its stand, making them holy. Then he poured some of the anointing oil on Aaron’s head, anointing him and making him holy for his work."(Leviticus 8:10-12 NLT)

     Here are some commentaries about "anointing"!

The anointed person has been set apart for special service to God and through the anointing receives empowerment for that service (Isa. 61:1 relates this to the power of God’s Spirit). Biblical writers draw special attention to the anointing of a king when there is either a change in dynasty (e. g., 2 Ki. 9:3, 6) or when there are other contenders to the throne (1 Ki. 1:34, 39, 45)
( Mounce’s Complete Expository Dictionary)


This “anointed” king receives special protection (Ps. 20:6; 84,9) and kindness 18:50) from the Lord.The focus of māšîaḥ as a term for the king is not on his power or his royal status, but on the fact that he has been chosen by God to fulfill tasks that the Lord has given. It is with this in mind that Isaiah is able to call Cyrus the Lord’s “anointed” (Isa. 45:1)
((MCED)


After conquering Babylon, Cyrus issued a decree (found on the Cyrus Cylinder) that allowed Jewish people to return home. The part of this decree dealing with the Jews has been recorded in 2 Chr 36:22- 23 and Ezra 1:1- 3. Cyrus commissioned the Jews to rebuild their temple and society. Isaiah named Cyrus as Judah’s future deliver (Isa 44:28- 45:13) and even called him the Lord’s anointed (Isa 45:1, Hebrew mashiakh, “messiah”). Israel regarded Cyrus as called and empowered by God to free them. Cyrus was not the Messiah, but what he did served as an example of what the Messiah, Jesus Christ, would later do in setting God’s people free from servitude.
(Ezra Intro NLTSB Notes)

God had long planned to raise up Cyrus and give him a vision to restore worship at Jerusalem (Isa 44:28; 45:13; 48:14- 15)
(Ezra 1:2 NLTSB Notes)

God is sovereign, even when rulers and nations do not recognize his authority (Isa 10:5, 12- 14)
(Ezra 1:1 NLTSB Notes)

Mercy vs Judgment

     I  would like to also address the issue of "mercy versus judgment" of God! I believe this is also very significant regarding our perception of who God is; of what his nature and character are! Is God's heart to "save" or to "destroy"? What is the difference between how God dealt with sin in the Old Covenant compared to how he deals with sin in the New Covenant? Or is there any difference? Here is my proposition: The God of the Old Covenant and the New Covenant is the same God! However, there is a drastic difference in the way sin is addressed this side of the cross! God's heart hasn't changed, but his methods have changed.

     The difference between the Old and New Covenant is the cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and the Body of Christ! Because of the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross for sin, the power of sin was broken, our sins were totally paid for, the sacrifice was completely acceptable by our Father, and the judgment of God was totally appeased; if people believed on what Jesus did for them at the cross. The resurrection of Jesus was a manifestation of power available to us to live free from sin. Judgment is finished during this era of time; between the cross and Jesus' return! Is there still judgment to come?Absolutely! Judgment will be completely and finally exercised; eternal life with God for all who believed on Jesus Christ and what he did at the cross, and eternal separation from God for those who rejected God's gift of Jesus! When Jesus declared "It is finished" the judgment of God was fully appeased or fulfilled!  

     Consider this perspective: At the cross God brought complete judgment upon Satan and all of the Kingdom of Darkness. He irrefutably judged them to be eternally separated from God (which is a pretty good definition of hell). They were stripped of all authority (except what man continues to give them through willful disobedience to God). God broke the power of Satan to hold people in the bondage of sin. God, however, holds judgment in reserve for mankind until Jesus' return, at which time full judgment will occur; unto life eternal with God, or eternally separated from God! At the return of Jesus, God will exercise His full authority over the enemy. People bring judgment upon themselves when they reject the freedom Jesus purchased for them; either willfully or in ignorance because they have never heard what Jesus has done. By willfully rejecting God, they impose the consequences of self-imprisonment upon themselves. At any point they could, however, choose to receive the freedom already theirs in Christ!  In the interim, God partners with redeemed man to be restored to the place of dominion man had lost at the garden! 

     Once again, what we are addressing here is the nature and character of God as displayed through Jesus Christ. Jesus said that when we see him we see the Father. So, how did Jesus deal with sinners while he walked this earth? That is our model to follow. For the sake of brevity, I would like to simply share a number of scriptures which reveal God's heart of mercy instead of judgment this side of the final judgment of God. The work of the Holy Spirit includes convicting of the "coming" judgment:

And when he (the Holy Spirit) comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment. The world’s sin is that it refuses to believe in me. Righteousness is available because I go to the Father, and you will see me no more. Judgment will come because the ruler of this world has already been judged.

 “There is so much more I want to tell you, but you can’t bear it now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth.

(John 16:8-13 NLT)

     The scriptures point to sin itself as being the source of judgment upon those that will not believe on Jesus. It is not that God has to, or even wants to, bring external judgment upon people or nations, but that, sin itself brings it's consequences and thus judgment. 

     

“For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.

 “There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son. And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed. But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants.”

(John 3:16-21 NLT)

     God did not send his son to bring judgment but salvation, however sin results in self-imposed judgment! But that is not God's heart for people. 

"I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer remain in the dark. I will not judge those who hear me but don’t obey me, for I have come to save the world and not to judge it. But all who reject me and my message will be judged on the day of judgment by the truth I have spoken."

(John 12:46-48 NLT)

"You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross."

(Colossians 2:13-15 NLT)

This shows that sin is it’s own judgment. God doesn’t bring outside judgment but allows people to experience the consequences of their own sins! This shows that the primary judgment made at the cross was upon spiritual rulers and authorities which opposed the Kingdom of God! 

    Let's consider what God says about "sinners" in our midst:

Here we see a picture of those who reject God and his ways:

"Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done. Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, quarreling, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip. They are backstabbers, haters of God, insolent, proud, and boastful. They invent new ways of sinning, and they disobey their parents. They refuse to understand, break their promises, are heartless, and have no mercy. They know God’s justice requires that those who do these things deserve to die, yet they do them anyway. Worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too."

Here, however, is what Paul says through the Holy Spirit, about our response:

"You may think you can condemn such people, but you are just as bad, and you have no excuse! When you say they are wicked and should be punished, you are condemning yourself, for you who judge others do these very same things. And we know that God, in his justice, will punish anyone who does such things. Since you judge others for doing these things, why do you think you can avoid God’s judgment when you do the same things? Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin."

(Romans 1:28 - 2:4 NLT)

     The scariest thing I see in this is not God's judgment on "sinners" (though their sin brings judgment on themselves), but what God says to us, his church about judging others. It seems that if judgment is to come during this era it will be more likely to come upon us, his people, for neglecting to live out our faith. Why? Because we have the power to be free from sin, we should remember that we also were once like "sinners", and above all else, we are misrepresenting and wrongly displaying God to those "sinners" by our judgment upon them! 

     How then should we live? 

Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

(James 2:12-13 NIV)

[Jesus] "You judge me by human standards, but I do not judge anyone."

(John 8:15 NLT)

But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

“Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned."

(Luke 6:35-37 NIV)

So don’t make judgments about anyone ahead of time—before the Lord returns.

(1 Corinthians 4:5 NLT)

Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.

(Luke 6:36 ESV)

But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness.

(Matthew 23:23 NIV)

So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

(2 Corinthians 5:16-21 NIV)

I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.

(2 Corinthians 6:2 NIV)

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,

for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released,

that the blind will see,

that the oppressed will be set free,

 and that the time of the Lord ’s favor has come.”

 He rolled up the scroll, handed it back to the attendant, and sat down. All eyes in the synagogue looked at him intently. Then he began to speak to them. “The Scripture you’ve just heard has been fulfilled this very day.

(Luke 4:18-21 NLT)

Therefore, it was necessary for him to be made in every respect like us, his brothers and sisters, so that he could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God. Then he could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people.

(Hebrews 2:17 NLT)

Noun: [grace] χάρις (charis), GK 5921 (S 5485), 155x. charis is “grace, favor” the acceptance of and goodness toward those who cannot earn or do not deserve such gain.

( MED)

      Is God really going to judge this nation for it's sins? Maybe what we should be asking is, "Is God going to judge his church because we have not obeyed him or rightly represented him?" Is it the world's fault that sin abounds in this nation? Or is it that we, his Body, have allowed the world to influence us instead of us influencing the world? Have we been the salt and light in our nation? 

     Again, God is never a god of condemnation. Our spiritual enemy works really hard, and far too well, at causing us to become powerless and pathetic, then bringing accusation against us because of this. I stand here now to declare that is not the way of God! God will, and is, convicting us of our sins of negligence BUT he is a merciful God, faithful even when we are faithless. He is faithful to woo his bride back to himself for his son's sake! We are the reward of his Son Jesus, and Father is fully committed to presenting us to Jesus as a purified, powerful bride; one whom is fully prepared to rule and reign with Him! 

     What is happening in the world now is that God is shaking what can be shaken, particularly in his Body, the church so that we will awaken to our identities as sons and daughters, and to our destiny to rule with Jesus! The shaking is painful, uncomfortable and can bring fear. But it does not need to, for it is the goodness of God to prepare the Bride for the Son! It is up to us to open our eyes to see, open our ears to hear, and then humble ourselves to respond in obedience, recognizing the goodness of God to glorify his name through his people and magnify his name among the nations! That is a vision worth embracing!

OUR RESPONSE TO GOD:

     We humble ourselves before you, O God, our Creator and Father! We confess that we too easily forget that you are God and we are not! We confess that your ways are higher than our ways, and your thoughts greater than ours! We lay down our own thoughts, desires and will in surrender to your perfect will. We ask that you help us to see through your eyes and hear through your ears, for hearing and seeing in the Spirit are some of the most precious gifts you give to us that we might walk with you in all ways! May your name be magnified, made famous, revealed in truth and in spirit! As your children, your body, your Son's bride, we thank you that you are so gracious and merciful to us; that you are faithful even when we fall short; that your heart is always to redeem and restore your people to intimacy with you! We are blessed beyond comprehension through experiencing your love which is beyond understanding (Eph. 3)! And you make us complete in power and love! 

Unto the Awakened, Arising Bride of Jesus Christ,

Ray