Day 7 - Intense Treatment - Awake, Confess, Put on Garments of Splendor and Victory

God says to us:

"Awake, awake, O Son or Daughter!  Clothe yourself with strength!  Put on your garments of splendor.  The uncircumcised and defiled will not bother you again.  Shake off your dust.  Rise up and sit enthroned. Free yourself from the chains on your neck, Daughter.  This is what the Lord says, "You were sold for nothing and without money you will be redeemed.  At first you went to the world to live, then in the world in other places.  And the spiritual forces of those worlds mocked you and told you lies.  They blasphemed my name.  BUT My People - YOU! - know my name.  It is I who foretold it."

So, God, I pray you will awaken each of us to the fullness of your redemptive plan for us.  Loose us from any captivity - spiritual, mental, emotional, physical, regrets, fears, etc. - and help us find our abiding place and be seated.  Help us to not dwell on past defeats and sins, knowing that confessed sin is forgiven and washed clean - whiter than snow.  Show us how to live in the garment of victory you give me through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen!

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9 NIV)

1 Awake, awake, Zion,

    clothe yourself with strength!

Put on your garments of splendor,

    Jerusalem, the holy city.

The uncircumcised and defiled

    will not enter you again.

2 Shake off your dust;

    rise up, sit enthroned, Jerusalem.

Free yourself from the chains on your neck,

    Daughter Zion, now a captive.

3 For this is what the Lord says:

“You were sold for nothing,

    and without money you will be redeemed.”

4 For this is what the Sovereign Lord says:

“At first my people went down to Egypt to live;

    lately, Assyria has oppressed them.

5 “And now what do I have here?” declares the Lord.

“For my people have been taken away for nothing,

    and those who rule them mock,[a]”

declares the Lord.

“And all day long

    my name is constantly blasphemed.

6 Therefore my people will know my name;

    therefore in that day they will know

that it is I who foretold it.

    Yes, it is I.”  

How beautiful on the mountains

    are the feet of those who bring good news,

who proclaim peace,

    who bring good tidings,

    who proclaim salvation,

7 who say to Zion,

    “Your God reigns!” 

10 The Lord will lay bare his holy arm

    in the sight of all the nations,

and all the ends of the earth will see

    the salvation of our God.

12 But you will not leave in haste

    or go in flight;

for the Lord will go before you,

    the God of Israel will be your rear guard.

(Isaiah 52:1-7, 10, 12 NIV)

Idea from:  https://www.elijahlist.com/words/display_word_pf.html?ID=25704 

Some notes from:   NIV Study Bible (c) Zondervan, 2011

Align, Abide

I recently began my journey through "The Message" version of the Book of John. A few nights ago I was reading the story of Jesus' feeding of the thousands and the subsequent conversation where Jesus names himself the Bread of Life and the people still want more 'proof.' What struck me in this version of the story was the word "align."

Jesus said, "I am the Bread of Life. The person who aligns with me hungers no more and thirsts no more, ever. I have told you this explicitly because even though you have seen me in action, you don't really believe me. Every person the Father gives me eventually comes running to me. And once that person is with me, I hold on and don't let go. I came down from heaven not to follow my own whim but to accomplish the will of the One who sent me...This is what my Father wants: that anyone who sees the Son and trusts who he is and what he does and then aligns with him will enter real life, eternal life. My part is to put them on their feet alive and whole at the completion of time."

The word "align" has several different definitions that I think can apply to our faith:

1. To arrange in a line or so as to be parallel

2. To adjust (parts of a mechanism, for example) to produce a proper relationship or orientation

3. To ally (oneself, for example) with one side of an argument or cause

1. To adhere to a prescribed course of action.

2. To move or be adjusted into proper relationship or orientation. (thefreedictionary.com)

Are our lives arranged so they are parallel with Christ, so we are in proper relationship and allied to his cause?

Are our spirits adhered to His course of action and are we willing to be moved and adjusted to a proper orientation?

Sometimes those are hard questions to get gut honest with.

"Align" brings me to "abide."

¹"I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. ² Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. ³Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. ⁴ Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. ⁵I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. ⁶If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. ⁷If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.⁸ By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. ⁹ As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.¹⁰ If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. ¹¹These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. (John 15 ESV)

I'm not sure I can add anything more to this. When Jesus uses a word ten times in the same paragraph, I think he wants us to hear it...!

So, we pray....

God of the Universe,

Thank you for being the Bread of Life, the One who promises that when we align with you, we will hunger and thirst no more. Forgive us for the times in which we have seen you in action, but have not quite believed. We come running to you and trust that you will hold on and not let go. We desire to align with you, to enter real life, eternal life. Thank you for putting us on our feet alive and prepared to be whole at the completion of time. God, we want to abide in you, to bear fruit - even to let you prune us for greater fruitfulness. Give us courage to allow you to do that work. We want to abide in your love and to keep your commandments. We want to have the fullness of your joy. By your Spirit, continue to draw us toward your love, joy, and peace and live the abundant life you have called us to. Maranatha, Lord, come soon..... In Christ's name we pray, Amen.