By way of reminder we are currently looking at Ephesians 6:10-17, 18-20, 21-22, 23-24's many hidden truths of divine revelation of Christ and His church which is also pictured as a bride. As this also is coupled to Ephesians 5:15-24, 25-6:3. That is why this topic seems to go on and on and I by the Spirit am trying to hit only the hot topics as HE guides me. My next area is our being enjoined to be witnesses of the truth and then the LORD willing some special marks of being a true witness.
Our Witness to the Truth is enjoined,
Daniel Webster's 1828 Bible Dictionary states this about enjoined, "Ordered; directed; admonished with authority; commanded."
Isaiah 40:10 of 3-11 "A voice cries out: "In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our GOD (this is seen again some four hundred years later, in Matthew 3:3, Mark 1:3, Luke 3:4-6 and John 1:23). Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. Then the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken." A voice says, "Cry out!" And I said, "What shall I cry?" All flesh is grass, and all its beauty is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades when the breath of the LORD blows on it; surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our GOD will stand forever. Go on up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good news; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good news; lift it up, fear not; say to the cities of Judah, "Behold your GOD!" Behold, the Lord GOD (YHWH) comes with might, and His arm rules for Him; behold, His reward is with Him, and His recompense before Him. He will tend His flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs in His arms; He will carry them in His bosom, and gently lead those that are with young."
John 15:27 of 26-27 (Jesus is speaking) "'But when the Helper comes, Whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of Truth, Who proceeds from the Father, He will bear witness about Me. And you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning.'" (Many interpret this to mean only the disciples then with Him, not realizing that we all have been with Him from the beginning.)
Acts 5:20-21 of 17-26 "But the high priest rose up, and all who were with him (that is, the party of the Sadducees), and filled with jealousy they arrested the apostles and put them in the public prison. But during the night an angel of the LORD opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said, "Go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this Life." And when they heard this, they entered the temple at daybreak and began to teach. Now when the high priest came, and those who were with him, they called together the council, all the senate of the people of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought before them. But when the officers came, they did not find them in the prison, so they returned and reported, "We found the prison securely locked and the guards standing at the doors, but when we opened them we found no one inside." Now when the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these words, they were greatly perplexed about them, wondering what this would come to. And someone came and told them, "Look! The men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people." Then the captain with the officers went and brought them, but not by force, for they were afraid of being stoned by the people."
Acts 18:9-10 of 5-11 "When Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul was occupied with the word, testifying to the Jews that the (Messiah) Christ was Jesus. And when they opposed and reviled him, he shook out his garments and said to them, "Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent. From now on I will go to the Gentiles." And he left there and went to the house of a man named Titius Justus, a worshiper of God. His house was next door to the synagogue. Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord, together with his entire household. And many of the Corinthians hearing Paul believed and were baptized. And the LORD said to Paul one night in a vision, "Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent, for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you, for I have many in this city who are My people." And he stayed a year and six months, teaching the word of GOD among them."
Acts 22:14-15 of 12-16 "And one Ananias, a devout man according to the (Mosaic) Law, well spoken of by all the Jews who lived there, came to me, and standing by me said to me, 'Brother Saul, receive your sight.' And at that very hour I received my sight and saw him. And he said, 'The GOD of our fathers appointed you to know His will, to see the Righteous One and to hear a voice from His mouth; for you will be a witness for Him to everyone of what you have seen and heard. And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on His name (Messiah-Christ).'"
Titus 2:15 "Declare these things; exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you."
Special Marks of a True Witness;
Relates to Personal Experience,
Psalm 66:16 of 16-20 and 71:15, 119:13, 46 "Come and hear, all you who fear GOD, and I will tell what HE has done for my soul. I cried to Him with my mouth, and high praise is on my tongue. If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the LORD would not have listened. But truly GOD has listened; HE has attended to the voice of my prayer. Blessed be GOD, because HE has not rejected my prayer or removed His steadfast love from me!"
Psalm 71:15 of 12-16 "O God, be not far from me; O my God, make haste to help me! May my accusers be put to shame and consumed; with scorn and disgrace may they be covered who seek my hurt. For I will hope continually and will praise You yet more and more. My mouth will tell of Your righteous acts, of Your deeds of salvation (H8668, safety, victory and help) all the day, for their number is past my knowledge. With the mighty deeds of the LORD, GOD I will come; (and) I will remind them of Your righteousness, Yours alone."
Beth.
Psalm 119:13 of 9-16 "How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to Your word. With my whole heart I seek You; let me not wander from Your commandments! I have stored up Your word in my heart, that I might not sin against You. Blessed are You, O LORD; teach me Your statutes! With my lips I declare all the rules of Your mouth. In the way of Your testimonies (of my personal witnesses) I delight as much as in all riches. I will meditate on Your precepts and fix my eyes on Your ways. I will delight in Your statutes; I will not forget Your word."
Waw.
Psalm 119:46 of 41-48 "Let Your steadfast love come to me, O LORD, Your salvation (H8668) according to Your promise; then will I have an answer for him who taunts me, for I trust in Your word. And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth, for my hope is in Your rules. I will keep Your law (H8451, the true course to take for life) continually, forever and ever, and I shall walk in liberty (as a wide place), for I have sought Your precepts. I will also speak of Your testimonies before kings and will not be put to shame, for I find my delight in Your commandments, which I love. I will lift up my hands toward Your commandments, which I love, and I will meditate on Your statutes."
Recounts GOD's Blessings,
Isaiah 63:7 of 7-14 "I will recount the steadfast love of the LORD, the praises of the LORD, according to all that the LORD has granted us, and the great goodness to the house of Is-ra-el that He has granted them according to His compassion, according to the abundance of His steadfast love. For HE said, "'Surely they are My people, children who will not deal falsely.'" And HE became their Savior (H3467, deliver, help, preserved, salvation, avenger, defender, rescuer, safety, victory). In all their affliction HE was afflicted, and the angel of His presence saved them; in His love and in His pity He redeemed (H1350, to restore one to his original position or avenge his death, as a kinsmen) them; He lifted them up and carried them all the days of old. But they rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit; therefore HE turned to be their enemy, and HE Himself fought against them. Then HE remembered the days of old, of Moses and his people. Where is HE Who brought them up out of the sea with the shepherds of His flock? Where is HE Who put in the midst of them His Holy Spirit, Who caused His glorious arm to go at the right hand of Moses, Who divided the waters before them to make for Himself an everlasting name, Who led them through the depths? Like a horse in the desert, they did not stumble. Like livestock that go down into the valley, the Spirit of the LORD gave them rest. So You led Your people, to make for Yourself a glorious name."
Bursts Out from an Inward Fire,
Jeremiah 20:9 of 7-13 with Daniel 4:2 and Jonah 1:9 " O LORD, You have deceived me, and I was deceived; You are stronger than I, and You have prevailed. I have become a laughingstock all the day; everyone mocks me. For whenever I speak, I cry out, I shout, "Violence and destruction!" For the word of the LORD has become for me a reproach and derision all day long. If I say, "I will not mention Him, or speak any more in His name," there is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I am weary with holding it in, and I cannot. For I hear many whispering. Terror is on every side! "Denounce Him! Let us denounce Him!" say all my close friends, watching for my fall. "Perhaps he will be deceived; then we can overcome him and take our revenge on him." But the LORD is within me as a dread warrior; therefore my persecutors will stumble; they will not overcome me. They will be greatly shamed, for they will not succeed. Their eternal dishonor will never be forgotten. O LORD of hosts, Who tests the righteous, Who sees the heart and the mind, let me see Your vengeance upon them, for to You have I committed my cause. Sing to the LORD; praise the LORD! For HE has delivered the life of the needy from the hand of evildoers."
Daniel 4:2 of 1-3 "King Nebuchadnezzar to all peoples, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth: Peace be multiplied to you! It has seemed good to me to show the signs and wonders that the Most High GOD has done for me. How great are His signs, how mighty His wonders! His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and His dominion endures from generation to generation."
Jonah 1:9 of 4-9 "For the LORD hurled a great wind upon the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship threatened to break up. Then the mariners were afraid, and each cried out to his god. And they hurled the cargo that was in the ship into the sea to lighten it for them. But Jonah had gone down into the inner part of the ship and had lain down and was fast asleep. So the captain came and said to him, "What do you mean, you sleeper? Arise, call out to your god! Perhaps the god will give a thought to us, that we may not perish." And they said to one another, "Come, let us cast lots, that we may know on whose account this evil has come upon us." So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah. Then they said to him, "Tell us on whose account this evil has come upon us. What is your occupation? And where do you come from? What is your country? And of what people are you?" And he said to them, "I am a Hebrew, and I fear (H3372, have reverence for) the LORD, the GOD of heaven, Who made the sea and the dry land."
An Everyday Duty,
Malachi 3:16 of 16-18 and Matthew 9:31 "Then those who feared the LORD spoke with one another. The LORD paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before Him of those who feared the LORD and esteemed His name. "They shall be Mine, says the LORD of hosts, in the day when I make up My treasured possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him. Then once more you will see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves GOD and one who does not serve Him."
Matthew 9:31 of 27-31 "As Jesus passed on from there, two blind men followed him, crying aloud, "Have mercy on us, Son of David." When He entered the house, the blind men came to Him, and Jesus said to them, 'Do you believe that I am able to do this?' They said to Him, "Yes, Lord." Then He touched their eyes, saying, 'According to your faith be it done to you.' And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them, 'See that no one knows about it.' But they went away and spread His fame through all that district."
Inspired by the "Spirit,"
Acts 2:4 of 1-4 "When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. When suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and (it) HE filled the entire house where they were sitting. And then HE divided into tongues as of fire appeared on them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance."
Becomes Irrepressible,
Acts 4:20 of 13-22 with 5:32 and 26:22 "Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus. But seeing the man who was healed standing beside them, they had nothing to say in opposition. But when they had commanded them to leave the council, they conferred with one another, saying, "What shall we do with these men? For that a notable sign has been performed through them is evident to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. But in order that it may spread no further among the people, let us warn them to speak no more to anyone in this name." So they called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered them, "Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard." And when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way to punish them, because of the people, for all were praising God for what had happened. For the man on whom this sign of healing was performed was more than forty years old."
Acts 5:32 of 27-32 "When they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest questioned them, saying, "We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man's blood upon us." But Peter and the apostles answered, "We must obey GOD rather than men. The God of our fathers raised Jesus, Whom you killed by hanging Him on a tree. GOD exalted Him at His right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, Whom GOD has given to those who obey Him."
Acts 26:22 of 19-23 "Therefore, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, but declared first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout all the region of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to GOD, performing deeds in keeping with their repentance. For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple and tried to kill me. To this day I have had the help that comes from GOD, and so I stand here testifying both to small and great, saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses said would come to pass: that the Christ must suffer and that, by being the first to rise from the dead, He would proclaim light both to our people and to the Gentiles."
The Outgrowth of Faith,
2Corinthians 4:13 of 13-15 and 1Peter 5:12 "Since we have the same Spirit of Faith according to what has been written (in Psalm 116:10), "I believed, and so I spoke," we also believe, and so we also speak, knowing that HE Who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into His presence. For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people (it) HE may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of GOD."
1Peter 5:12 of 11, 12-14 "To Him be the dominion forever and ever. The Amen.
By Silvanus, a faithful brother as I regard him, I have written briefly to you, exhorting and declaring that this is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it. She who is at Babylon, who is likewise chosen, sends you greetings, and so does Mark, my son. Greet one another with the kiss of love. Peace to all of you, who are in (the anointing as a) Christ."
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