He Who Brings Good Tidings to Zion

Abraham was a wonderful example of living before God and serving Him. He didn’t attain so much according to the flesh, but what he attained according to the Spirit is indescrib­able. Abraham had no natural abilities by which he could at­tain the promise, but he believed in God and gave honor to Him. Rom. 4:17-18. God’s goodness was over him mightily. In our trials we too, must hold on to God’s goodness. If you doubt God, you believe that the blessing is a reward and not grace. People like that often perceive God’s chastening as punishment. The truth is that God’s goodness is over us. God’s Word chastens and corrects, but it also gives hope—a hope that reaches far into eternity.

Faith is full assurance. Heb. 11:1. The hope of glory must be preached with enough power to bring full assurance into the hearts of those who hear us. We work with people, and we must be convinced of things they cannot see. Shepherds must be full of the Spirit of faith and speak with conviction about the things that are not seen. This must be a conscious work for us. Abraham sacrificed his Isaac. We too, must be willing to sacrifice the things we love. Heb. 11:20-21. We can also bless by faith.

“Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowl­edge in every place.” 2 Cor. 2:14. We can always have victory! Young people must always be allowed to drink of this Spirit and be inspired by it. People must recognize the fragrance of knowledge from those who overcome. That is a powerful tes­timony. Fathers must bring home a fullness of the Spirit of victory and allow their family to drink of it. All hypocrisy must be cleansed out.

“Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, ‘Now salva­tion, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our breth­ren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.’” Rev. 12:10-11. Now we can over­come just as He did, so that we get content in our life. We must have the testimony of victory in our heart and teach young people to go into the good fight of faith and overcome in the power of the Spirit.

“O Zion, you who bring good tidings, get up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, you who bring good tidings, lift up your voice with strength, lift it up, be not afraid; say to the cities of Judah, ‘Behold your God!’” Is. 40:9. We must bring good tidings from Zion and spread the hope of being trans­formed and conformed to the Son. The power to be one who brings good tidings from Zion is ours in the life-giving Spirit. There is good reason for anyone who wants to be a true ben­efit to his fellow men to ask himself, “What is the effect of my words? Have I been made alive? When I speak with people or preach to them, does a door into heaven open for them?” Rev. 4:1.

“For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance, as you know what kind of men we were among you for your sake.” [“In order to be of benefit to you.” (Norw.)]. 1 Thess. 1:5.

Such a life can only be lived at the expense of enjoying a “paradise life.” The death of Christ must work over all the lusts and de­sires of the flesh. If that is not the case, you are just preaching words, and you are not able to serve people so that they come to salvation and sanctification. Many people have a great need to be lifted up in the Spirit—they must be washed clean from unbelief and doubt so that God’s Word can come into their hearts and they can live a resurrected life with Him. For those who, through the obedience of faith, enter into the Word and are faithful in their covenant as a disciple, a door will open into the glories of the kingdom of heaven, and those glories will become their own personal possession.

“But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable com­pany of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, to Jesus the Media­tor of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel.” Heb. 12:22-24.

Zion is just as living and real as Sinai. And we have come to Mount Zion. Mighty heroes stand there with their trophies of war. They have been victorious and burning in their spirit their whole life. Remember the company of people you have come among, and don’t go sinning in the corner. On Sinai there was natural human fear. Heb. 11:18-20. On Mount Zion there is a radical godly fear. There is only a “thin wall” be­tween us and the spirits of just men made perfect. The saints live in the spirit world, and they are following along. They are waiting to get their bodies, and they will get them when Jesus returns. Then the dead in Christ will rise first. 1 Thess. 4:16. When the dead meet the living, the capstone will be put in place, and we will meet our Savior. This is a tremendous com­fort for us who are in the midst of our life’s battles.

The blood of Abel spoke of vengeance, but the blood of Jesus speaks only of forgiveness. We must cleanse ourselves from the blood of Abel in the circumstances of life so that we become pure from all vengeance, even if we are “right.” Then we come to the blood of Jesus. The people did not dare speak with God except through Moses because of God’s horrible wrath over sin. That wrath could have its full expression in Christ, so now we can invite people to be reconciled with God. Therefore, never turn away from the voice from heaven that causes you to find your life and lose it. All stubbornness, re­bellion, resistance and arrogance must be crucified so that Christ is manifested in all of our works. Then our peace will be like a river in all our situations. It is difficult for a righteous person with a good conscience to acknowledge a deeper de­gree of his sin. But that must happen if a deeper salvation is going to take place.

Let us be thankful from our innermost being. There should be a cry of: “Glory, glory to the eternal God! To Him be honor and praise for all eternity.” He has prepared works for us to walk in so that we can be saved. We receive a kingdom that cannot be moved. If something in us can be shaken, let it be destroyed. Then we will receive a kingdom that cannot be shaken.