Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory

 

On January -1-1863- Americas’ greatest President issued the Emancipation Proclamation which declared that all persons held as slavers were to be now “forever free”

The Emancipation Proclamation went into effect; it promised freedom to 4 million slaves in those territories which were then in rebellion against the Government of the United States of America, the proclamation, however, at its time of issuances it really did not initially set any persons free just by issuing it. This required a more statutory solution of war.

The American Civil War was very complex, filled with layers of meanings and issues. In one way the Civil War was not really about slavery, yet on the other hand, it was all about slavery. It was about economics and States rights verses the rights of the Federal Government and about the changing conscience of a nation.

The War was violent and driven by firm passions and beliefs held by people who had a great communion heritage, yet for a segment of this people, this heritage produced a way of life which gave rise to the maintenance of slavery.

The War was fought over the conciseness of the American nation, destructive and costly in lives and in treasure. President Lincoln came to believe that the War was a result of God’s divine judgement due to the great national sin of slavery.

This conviction, that God was displeased with America, led Lincoln to draft and then issue the Emancipation Proclamation. When the Proclamation was declared it, in realty, did not bring freedom to any slaves, but what it did do was to elevate the War on behalf of the Federal Armies and in hearts of the people. The Armies of the United States were now no longer just fighting to ensure the life of a political system, but they had become armed liberators of people who were held in the grip of slavery, as one Federal officer stated regarding the Proclamation that it “ennobled the War”, that there was now, introduced a spiritual element so that the Federal Armies could see themselves as doing the work of God in a great crusade to bring freedom to the captive held in bounds.

 This new spirit did add a spiritual dimension to the War. Federal armies now could and identify themselves as armed liberators in spiritual conflict in a great work of redemption, freeing millions.

Seeing the Glory

The Federal armies would march across the land singing: “mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the LORD”.

Those persons who were held in bondage could identify their freedom in the wake of advancing armies, with the Jubilee year, the acceptable year of the LORD and came to see the hand of God in their liberation.

For four years the War raged and at the cost of 625000 lives, it took to restore the American union, and the setting free of four million slaves from the bounds of slavery, all this to give our country a “new birth of freedom”.

Proclaim Liberty

But long before the Emancipation Proclamation was issued by President Lincoln and long before the clash of armies, the Great God, the Creator of all things, sent a message of true freedom to and for all peoples of all nations.

Through Jesus Christ the eternal son of God, the Emancipation Proclamation of The Gospel was issued to all. Our Lord after returning from the Wilderness Temptation where Jesus demonstrated that he and he alone is the Messiah, came to Nazareth and went to the Synagogue and read from the Prophetic word of Isaiah about himself before the assembled congregation and the liberating work of the Messiah.

“Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. He was teaching in their synagogues, and everyone praised him. 

He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:

 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me,

because he has anointed me

to proclaim good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners

and recovery of sight for the blind,

to set the oppressed free,

to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” Lk: 4:14-21

Gospel of Freedom

Jesus’ Proclamation of the Gospel sets any and all who will receive it free, and gives us true freedom. When we hear the message about Jesus Christ and we come to see that he is the Messiah sent from the heavens above and the truth of his life death and resurrection.

This glorious proclamation gives us freedom which goes beyond and above any and all circumstances, setting us free from, fear, death and sin. This true freedom brings a glorious freedom to us even when we find ourselves in the incarnations of situations and conditions of this life, bring us hope for eternal life beyond the confines of this world in eternality to come.

Jesus speaking to a group of Jewish opponents two thousand years ago, and to believers throughout the ages, about this true freedom.

“To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” Jhn: 8:31-32

When we or any one hears the Gospel about Jesus and the Kingdom of God and receives it they are then free. We then can experience the blessing of being a member of the household of God which Jesus has secured for us.

Answering again the Jews who looked to the Patriarch Abraham and the heritage which they held in him in high value.

They answered him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?”

Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So, if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (33-36)

The Blood of One

In the case of the United States and freeing of the slaves it took the blood of over 625000 of our countrymen to free the slaves and to restore and preserve the American Union.

We each and all, like those persons who were held in slavery, had no means of self-emancipation. It was seldom that a slave could “work” their way out of bondage, and the very few who did such a thing only did so by the leave of their masters. Those who stole their way to freedom by escaping, lived in fear of being apprehended and would have been returned to a worsening state of bondage.

We could not, by any effort of our own or even through moral highness and piety gain freedom which only ours through Jesus.

God has set us free and restored humanities union with himself, through the Blood of only one man his Holy Son Jesus Christ.

St. Paul wrote to the Roman Christian and to believers throughout the ages regarding the accomplishment of Jesus for each and all of us. The accomplishment of humanities emancipation manifested at the Calvary upon the cross of our Lord and his glorious resurrection. 

St. Paul writes:

 “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Rom: 5:6-7

We all , through Jesus have had the “atonement” and reconciliation and a restored union with our God through Jesus.

“Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!  Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. (9-11)

 The Cross and blood of Jesus proclaims that he has accomplished all this for us so that we might have to give humanity “a new birth of freedom”, born again from above. Through his death we have freedom from sin.

We now are united with Jesus and through Jesus with the Great God, the Holy Trinity. We are united with Christ in a restored union as it always was meant to be we are set free; no longer do we need to be slaves of sin.

“For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— because anyone who has died has been set free from sin” Rom:6:5-7

We don’t have to live in bondage any longer we can walk in freedom liberated from sinful life styles from Jesus has Christ overcome sin

We have the new birth of freedom, emancipated from sin and even from the captivity to death by Jesus.

What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (21-23)

Freedom from sin and death and reconciliation is the message which is message sent by God through his Son to any who will receive it through grace alone. And have that new birth of freedom.

The Gospel is the great Emancipation Proclamation that all Christians are given to proclaim to the world around us. This is the message Christ has given His church to proclaim to a world in rebellion against the Constituted Government of God.

The is the great holy endeavor each of us is called to do, setting freeing the slaves to sin and death and fear and restoring the Union between God and humanity.

Let us each and all proclaim the Gospel as liberators in the great march of freedom so all humanity will be able to sing, just as we are able, “mine eyes have seen the glory”!

Benediction: May we each and all ever proclaim the Gospel, through our words and actions so that others might hear that great emancipation proclamation through Jesus and be forever free, and declare the glory of God, today, tomorrow and forevermore. Amen.

 

Rev. Todd Crouch, Pastor 

Topinabee Community Church

Topinabee, Michigan 

If You Would Like to Know More About or to Support the Ministry of Topinabee Community Church You Can go to Our Web Site.

https://topinabeechurch.org/index.html

You Can Follow Topinabee Community Church on Face Book 

https://www.facebook.com/Topinabeecommunitychurch

                    "If It Is Not About Jesus, It Is Not About Anything"

Gifted to Build

 

The LORD chose Beazalel, filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability and knowledge.” Ex: 35:30

We can, when we discuss the gifts of the Holy Spirit, think of them only being confined to what we read with in the New Testament, but if we read the Old Treatment, we can see the New Testament gifts foreshadowed.

In the case of the construction of the Wilderness Tabernacle in which the God of Israel was to be worshiped, we can see an example of the Holy Spirit working and the gifting of a man of Israel named Beazalel , this mas endued, by God through his Spirit with the skills sets and knowledge needed to construct the Tabernacle.

The LORD chose Beazalel, filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability and knowledge.”Ex: 35:30

This endowment of the abilities needed for the task at hand was not conferred upon Beazele for his own uses , but was given to him so that he might in-turn instruct others in their participation of the Tabernacle project.

“Then Moses said to the Israelites, “See, the Lord has chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills— to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, to cut and set stones, to work in wood and to engage in all kinds of artistic crafts. And he has given both him and Oholiab son of Ahisamak, of the tribe of Dan, the ability to teach others. He has filled them with skill to do all kinds of work as engravers, designers, embroiderers in blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen, and weavers—all of them skilled workers and designers.” Ex: 35:30-35

Moses recognizing the “gifting” which the Lord God had given to Bezalel and proceeds to publicly endorses and appoints Bezalel as the General Overseer of the construction of God’s Tabernacle.  

Though Bezalel's oversight of the project he then in turn instructs others so that they might participate in the task of build the Tabernacle.

Along with Bezalel as General Overseer, another man named Oholiab was named the Forman and he ,as well , received skills to aid in the construction and fashioning of the furnishings of the place of worship.

And he has given both him and Oholiab son of Ahisamak, of the tribe of Dan, the ability to teach others. (34)

All types of skill

These two-construction leader are, we are told, able to impart their knowledge to others so that they too might have a part in this work which produces the meeting and worship place.

the ability to teach others. (34b)

Under Beazalel and Ohiliab leadership and oversight the sacred Tabernacle project is undertaken and employed a number of other craftsman and assisting personal utilizing a wide range of skills.

“So Bezalel, Oholiab and every skilled person to whom the Lord has given skill and ability to know how to carry out all the work of constructing the sanctuary are to do the work just as the Lord has commanded.” Ex: 36:1

We are told, as well, in the narrative of Exodus that there was a willingness on the part of the people to participate in the fashioning of the Tabernacle.

“Then Moses summoned Bezalel and Oholiab and every skilled person to whom the Lord had given ability and who was willing to come and do the work” (2)

Willing to Build

God had put it on their hearts along with the endowment gifts a willingness to step in and help, to participate and have involvement. These gifts of skills were not just for their own uses, but was granted to help and be a part of the work on the Tabernacle. The gifts were meant to be used in conjunction with others on what God has decreed Israel to do.

What is the lesson for us, we Christians, which is the Church? Now, we are called to build the Church, to do this He has given us Gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus, at his ascension into the Heavens, conferred upon all Christians down through the ages the Great Commission of going into all the world and preach the Gospel and the assurance that he himself would be present with the Church and provide the means to fulfill the Commission. Mk: 16:15, Matt: 28:19 and Acts: 1:8

St. Paul tells us that at the assurances at the ascension of Jesus into the glory of Heaven he did not do so to leave the Church without the means to fulfill this Great sacred Commission.

“Christ ascended on high, led captives in His train and gave gifts to men” Eph: 4:8

St. Paul tells us in his Ephesian Epistle that those in the train of Jesus are the recipients of “gifts”, in many ways this is a glance to the Exodus theme which we find in the story of the Children of Israel, who the Lord God had set free and led out of the land of their captivity and were now, though God’s grace had receive many gifts from God on their journey to the Promised Land.

St. Paul speaks to the Corinth Church about the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and wants to convey to them that they are not exclusive to only the “ordained clergy”.by using the term “brethren”, the Apostle is stating that the gifts are for all believers, the clergy and laity alike.

1Cor: 12:1-I don’t want you to be ignorant brethren concerning spiritual gifts.

St. Paul is also introducing the concept that all Christians are “ministers”, this is to all, not just “ministers” in the ordained positional sense but all Christians are to be minsters and to minster.

St. Paul wants all believers to understand that there is a diversity to these gifts, and that unlike what we read in the Exodus account of the Tabernacle construction, the gifts are not “task oriented” but rather “relational oriented” in order to build up and bind together the “brethren” through the diversity of the gifts given to each by God, but he reminds us that it is all from the Spirit of God.

“There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.

Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same   Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.” (4-11)

St. Paul again stresses the relational nature of the gifts by recalling the theme of inter- related nature of the Church as the very body of Jesus, each having their part and participation. 

One Body

“Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.”(12-14)

St. Paul wants his readers to understand that above what sort of gifts God has blessed us with, the main objective is that we have deep abiding relationships within the Church. The Apostle does this by leading his discourse on the gifts directly into in his expounding about the divine love of God as it should be made manifested in our lives for all see.

“If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres.

Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.” 1Cor:13:1-8

Overseers

God has in his wisdom, however, has made a part of his purpose for the Church overseers which we see foreshadowed in Beazalel and Ohiliab. These men were to supervise the Tabernacle’s construction and to assign the workers to varies task involved in the project.

This pattern is seen even within the nature of the Church. God has, through public endorsement and commissioning, provided supervision in the Church. St. Paul list these positions of appointment to help build up the Church.

Those given oversight of a Church are to help others it recognizes their gifts affirm them and teach and empower other Christians, especially within the context of a local Church, to identify and serve so that the Church grows and matures in the Christian life.

 “So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” Eph: 4:11-13

St. Paul had no echelon thinking into his approach to the Church, he saw each Christian as vital and having their place in the function of the Church as a whole or on a local level. All were, in his eyes of the same importance but with different gifts of participation, but all equal in importance.

“each part dose it work in the process of building the church” (16)

The Church needs the participation of all members and their gifts to build the Church, just as the “skilled” men built the Tabernacle, out of the offerings given by the people of Israel.

We each and all need our Lord’s help us use our gifts especially now in the times in which we live. The need for local personal evangelism is growing more needful within local congregations and to individuals.

 We each and all need to assemble together and seek our Lord Jesus for his guidance and for opportunities to use the gifts given us. Jesus Christ lives in you to do the work.

Greater Things

As great as the work of our Lord Jesus was in the days when he was upon the Earth were, Jesus was only one man in one place at a time in his humanity, but now that our Lord has ascended into the height of Heaven, and has sent us the Holy Spirit to be made manifested our lives , he can and does function through the body of the Church Universal in many way in many places to accomplish many things. 

This tells us that Jesus is still even to this very hour is still ministering, but through the body of his Church across the face of the Earth and that his Church would even in his own words “do greater things” then he did.  

“Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these”, Jhn: 14:12a

That is an astounding thought, that we, frail sinful humans could do greater things than our Lord Jesus, the Second person of the Holy Trinity incarnate, yet Jesus then proceeds to us why that can and is true.

“because I am going to the Father.”(12b)

Jesus ascension to his Father above is the reason that we can do these “great things” and upon his ascension Jesus has sent the Holy Spirit, so that we might receive the gifts, the very same Spirit who enabled the over sight and building of the Wilderness Tabernacle to Beazalel and Ohiliab.

Jesus has sent the Holy Spirit to Christians throughout the ages to enable us each and all to participate in his work and so that we might build up the Church and that place where our God is worshiped for we are gifted to build.

Benediction: May we each and all willing use the Gifts of the Holy Spirit to participate in the building up of the Church, today, tomorrow and forevermore. Amen.

 

Rev. Todd Crouch, Pastor 

Topinabee Community Church

Topinabee, Michigan 

If You Would Like to Know More About or to Support the Ministry of Topinabee Community Church You Can go to Our Web Site.

https://topinabeechurch.org/index.html

You Can Follow Topinabee Community Church on Face Book 

https://www.facebook.com/Topinabeecommunitychurch

                    "If It Is Not About Jesus, It Is Not About Anything"