"The Lord's Work Is Justice"
"The Lord's Work is Justice"
August 10, 2008
Sermon Notes: Pastor Carolyn Sissom
Dear Church of The First Born,
After two weeks of Holy Ghost Power in our Fellowship with Apostles, Prophets, Bishops, Pastors and Saints, I have been before the Lord this week seeking Him for clarity for the church members, the ministry and the nation as well as the nations of the world. Yes, I strongly believe we are in the perfect will of the Lord for His Kingdom purposes. What does that mean?
There has been so much happen and so many lives touched, that one short sermon cannot do justice to all that has transpired. I do believe the supernatural miracle power of the wind of forgiveness that releases Justice is blowing. I am watching the Lord as the Holy Spirit moves in these present days in the church and the world, as well as in my life and relationships.
What is Justice? Webster defines it as “The quality of being just; fairness.”
Isa. 1:17: “Learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless. Plead the case of the widow.”
“Mercy triumphs over judgment.” (James 2:13)
"What does the Lord require of you? to act justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." (Mic. 6:8)
At the tent of meeting, Marjorie McKnight handed me a book, The Shack, by William P. Young; published by Windblown Media, 4680 Calle Norte.
It is fiction and a page turner of suspense, riveting with twists which I won’t reveal to you. However, for those who have unsettled questions of the truths of God the Father, Son and Holy Ghost with reference to the Redemptive Plan of the Lord, through Forgiveness, resulting in the Lord's work of Justice; His love, faith, mercy, Judgment, and much more, I believe you will find answers in this book.
Page 169: Wisdom is speaking, “Judgment is not about destruction, but about setting things right.”
Our work to set things right is forgiveness, the Lord’s work is Justice.
The Lord ministered to me this week through this book. In the past several weeks, there has been a steady stream of people coming back into my life and the ministry who have in the past rejected, scorned, mocked, judged, opposed, antagonized and persecuted this ministry. Had I forgiven them? Absolutely!!! The forgiveness work was done between the Lord and me that no root of bitterness would have its place. This is the cost of the Office of Apostle and the Prophet. Have the relationships been restored? No!! Why?
The answer is written clearly by Mr. Young on behalf of “Mackenzie” the fictitious name of the person to whom the Lord gave this vision.
Page 126: The Holy Spirit is speaking – Sarayu (Wind): “Mackenzie, you cannot produce trust just like you cannot do humility. It either is or is not. Trust is the fruit of a relationship in which you know you are loved.”
Page 122: God is speaking: “Once you have a hierarchy you need rules to protect and administer it, and then you need law and the enforcement of the rules, and you end up with some kind of chain of command or a system of order that destroys relationships rather than promotes it. You rarely see or experience relationship apart from power. Hierarchy imposes laws and rules and you end up missing the wonder of relationship that we (the trinity) intended for you.”
Page 125: The Holy Spirit is speaking – “”broken humans center their lives around things that seem good to them, but that will neither fill them nor free them. They are addicted to power, or the illusion of security that power offers. When a disaster happens, those same people will turn against the false power they trust. In their disappointment, they either become softened toward me or they become bolder in their independence. If you could only see how all of this ends and what we will achieve without the violation of one human will—then you would understand. One day you will.”
Page 127: Mack is pondering how all of the human pain and suffering can be justified.
God says, “We’re not justifying it. We are redeeming it.”
The story goes on as the Father, Son and Holy Ghost minister to Mackenzie. After the Lord has walked him through healing of some childhood wounds and understanding of His Great Love for all mankind, then the Lord begins to minister to him about His Great Sadness which requires forgiveness beyond our human capability.
Page 224: Mackenzie says, “But this man…”
God says, “But he too is my son, I want to redeem him.”
“So what then? I just forgive him and everything is okay, and we become buddies?”
God says, “Forgiveness does not establish relationship. In Jesus I have forgiven all humans for their sins against me, but only some choose relationship. Mackenzie don’t you see that forgiveness is an incredible power---a power you share with us, a power Jesus gives to all whom he indwells so that reconciliation can grow…When Jesus forgave those who nailed him to the cross they were no longer in his debt, nor mine. In my relationship with those men, I will never bring up what they did, or shame them, or embarrass them…..Unless people speak the truth about what they have done and change their mind and behavior, a relationship of trust is not possible. When you forgive someone you certainly release them from judgment, but without true change, no real relationship can be established. …Forgiveness in no way requires that you trust the one you forgive. But should they finally confess and repent, you will discover a miracle in your own heart that allows you to reach out and begin to build between you a bridge of reconciliation…that road may even take you to the miracle of fully restored trust…Forgiveness does not excuse anything. Believe me, the last thing this man is, is free. And you have no duty to justice in this. I will handle that.”
There it is. Our work in this supernatural miracle power to set things right is forgiveness. The Lord’s work is Justice.
I believe a new wind has been released through love and forgiveness and a supernatural move of the Spirit is happening in the earth.
If we can truly release forgiveness to people like Osama bin laden, Ahmadinejad, Taliban, Hamas, Hezbollah and other terrorist organizations, then we release the power of the Lord’s Justice.
As a result of Mackenzie’s forgiveness In this story, the criminal is apprehended and prosecuted for his crimes. Forgiveness does not mean people are not brought into correction. It means we release the power for the Lord to bring Justice that will in turn work His redemptive work in their lives.
As I pondered the tropical storm Edouard, I believe this wind revealed that which was hidden by John Edwards. It seems his wife has valiantly forgiven him. This forgiveness will release the justice of the Lord into the whole situation.
I believe we will see other hidden injustices revealed in the days to come. I want to be part of this miracle work. I have been given many opportunities to forgive old wounds even this week. Do I trust those people? No, they have not earned my trust. However, I loose my forgiveness and forgetfulness.
The Lord showed me the Book of Jeremiah in a dream Friday night. This is a confirmation that I am to begin teaching this as a Bible Study.
I believe Jeremiah’s call will be helpful to us as ministers of the gospel in our relationship to understand how we are to be part of this supernatural power with God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Jeremiah 1: 8-10 “Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with you to deliver you, says the Lord. Then the Lord put forth His hand and touched my mouth. And the Lord said to me. Behold I have put My words in your mouth. See, I have this day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build and to plant.”
Jeremiah was to be a Kingdom man under the authority of the Lord; he had no rights or alternatives! There was no choice of audience for Jeremiah. His life and his ministry were under the exclusive covenantal right of Jehovah. There would be opposition and fierce antagonism. But those that oppose are but men, while the ruler of the whole universe is at the prophet’s side!
Through these many trials of His Faith, the Lord will work into him the Grace of Forgiveness that will release the supernatural power of the Justice of the Lord. Jeremiah was not promised that they would treat him well, respect him or show him honor. Actually he died a martyr’s death. He was stoned to death after fifty years of prophetic ministry.
This prophet like all the others had to learn how to co-operate with the will of the Lord to fulfill the work of the Lord’s redemptive purposes.
Jeremiah gives the Lord excuses of timidity and inexperience. The Lord is not looking for experience. He is looking for obedience from a heart that seeks only after the Lord.
Here we see the principle of the laying on of hands. “The Lord put forth his hand. And touched my mouth.” The mouth of the old man (the mouth of fear, must be smitten so that the mouth of the new man, the mouth of Faith, can speak.) All authority centers in the Lord Jesus Christ. The authority of His own delegated authority.
.”
It is the Lord who is in charge here. He will deliver His prophet and then His nation and then His planet and then his universe. Jeremiah here points to the Prophet Christ Jesus who has been set in the heavens.
Throughout your lifetime Jeremiah, I put my words in your mouth.
Are our words condemnation or forgiveness? (Romans 6:13) “Yield yourselves to God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. (Romans 8: 1-2) “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.”
There is life and death in the tongue of the man whom God has chosen. It is therefore useless to worry about inexperience or the resistance from ones opponents. To resist the words of Jeremiah is to resist the Word of Jehovah! The commission of verse 10 is what God Himself did to man. He bruised and slew the Lamb. The Lamb forgave mankind that the Justice of the Lord will redeem the world.
We become partakers of this supernatural redemption of the “man created terrors that ravage the earth” when we loose forgiveness. It is not about our rights and righteous indignation, our selfish motives, wounded pride, and desires, but it is all about participating in union with the Father, Son and Holy Ghost in this supernatural work of redemption. "We become partakers "according to the Gift of Grace given us by the effectual working of His Power." (Eph. 3:7)
“This day” Today, I have been able to watch this redemptive work taking place in the world around me. The day comes when the Lord’s justice is revealed to all. It is not always a future day, but Today is the Day of His salvation. Blessed be the name of the Lord. Eph. 4:30: "And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whreby you are sealed unto the day of redemption."
I recommend the book The Shack to everyone who has ever had the walk of a painful life experience. I ordered twelve copies to share as gifts.
Carolyn Sissom, Pastor
Eastgate Ministries, Inc.
Scripture quotes from KJV. Quotations from The Shack, by William P. Young and published by Windblown media.
The conclusions and text of this message are my own.