April 2000

Part 6 of 6

by Carole Forde

espite the violence and destruction ever heaped on the earth, God comforts us in Ps 76:10:

"SURELY THE *WRATH OF MAN SHALL P R A I S E YOU;
THE REMAINDER OF WRATH, YOU SHALL *RESTRAIN!"

*The Hebrew word, chagar, used here is only interpreted once as "restrain",
but it is translated "37" times as "G I R D" (as a belt or armor); once as
"Were able to put on" (as armor- 2 Ki 3:21); once as "Shall be afraid"
(2 Sam 22:46); and 3 more times as "Appointed with weapons"!!

                So whatever residue of man’s wrath cannot Praise God, He restrains and "girds" Himself with it as a belt or armor! This is startling and wonderful. If all the bloody brutality and devastation that stain the pages of history, shall praise God, [or as Rom 8:28 says, "Work together for good"]; our spiritual man has no need to worry or fret! For as a soldier of Christ he is also commanded to "Put on the whole Armor of God to be able to stand against the wiles of the devil (serpent tongue of the carnal mind)." And one piece of armor is specified, "Stand with your loins GIRT about with TRUTH!" (Eph 6:11,14) This leads us to Jn 14:6 where Jesus Christ says, "I AM...the TRUTH". And what ‘loins’ are girded with Christ. 1 Pet 1:13 says: "Gird up the loins of your MIND!" This means the war between good and evil is in our minds- a battle of wits! So the conflict is between the carnal mind and the spiritual mind; that is, between the Spirit of Christ and the spirit of antichrist!! The "man of sin" should be terror-stricken by the sight of Almighty God "girding up" for war !!
                 But thank God for Everlasting Mercy! His "Weapons of warfare are not carnal, but are mighty to the pulling down of strongholds!" (2 Cor 10:4) Heaven’s complete Arsenal is CHRIST!
                And His strategies of war are to, "LOVE ALL YOUR ENEMIES; BLESS those who curse you; DO GOOD to all who hate you; and PRAY for all who persecute you! For in this way you prove that you are the children of your heavenly Father Who makes the sun rise upon evil and good; and sends rain on the just and unjust. If you only love them that love you, what reward have you? Don’t the publicans even do this much? And If you only salute your brethren; what more are you doing than the publicans? Rather be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect!" (Mt 5:44-48) But how can we be perfect? Jas 3:2,8 says, "If a man does not offend at all in WORD, he is a PERFECT MAN (this is the Word of God ruling in our hearts) who bridles the whole Body!" [But remember only Christ can do this in us, for "No man can tame the tongue (or "word"); it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison."
                 "He that descended (as the "Seed-Word of Wheat that fell into the ground and DIED") is THE SAME THAT ASCENDED FAR ABOVE ALL HEAVENS that He might fill all things. So to some He gave apostles, to others He gave prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers; for the PERFECTING OF THE SAINTS; the work of His ministry; and the edifying of the Body; until we ALL come in the unity of the faith to the knowledge of the Son of God to be a PERFECT MAN unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that no more are we as children tossed to and fro, carried about with every wind of doctrine; by the sleight and cunning craftiness of M E N (note: it does not say devils); whereby they (that is, "men") lie in wait to deceive! But by speaking the Truth in Love. they shall ALL grow up into Christ the Head !" (Eph 4:10-17) And there shall be NO MORE HURTING PEOPLE LEFT TO HURT PEOPLE! Amen.