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Seated With Christ
What
It Means to Be Seated With Christ
Francis Frangipane
Psalm 2, perhaps more then any
other Bible text, accurately portrays the spirit of our time.
Indeed, it also proclaims our
correct response to Satan’s bold advance.
Although it was quoted by the
early church (Acts 4:25-26), God has set its full
realization for the end of this age.
“Why
are the nations in an uproar
And the peoples devising a vain thing?
The kings of the earth take their stand
And the rulers take counsel together
Against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying,
‘Let us tear their fetters apart
And cast away their cords from us!’”
— Psalm 2:1-3, NASB
And the peoples devising a vain thing?
The kings of the earth take their stand
And the rulers take counsel together
Against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying,
‘Let us tear their fetters apart
And cast away their cords from us!’”
— Psalm 2:1-3, NASB
Although
“the rebellion” reveals itself worldwide in many ways, in America many of
our leaders have certainly been counseling together “against the Lord”
in their decisions.
We see it in the legal
protection offered the gay movement and the shelter provided for satanic
rock music.
Again, our anti-censorship
laws, like armor plating, have been established to defend sin against the
Lord, shielding the perversity of our entertainment industry.
The virulent cry of those in
rebellion hammers relentlessly upon the fetters of moral restraint!
This railing against God has
not gone unnoticed in heaven.
Is the Almighty
confounded? Has fear concerning recent developments gripped the Lord’s
heart? No.
The
psalm continues: "He who sits in the heavens laughs, the Lord scoffs at
them. Then He will speak to them in His anger and terrify them in His
fury" (verses 4-5).
The
Lord laughs at the foolishness of those in full revolt who imagine God’s
judgments cannot reach them.
Why, then, you
ask, does the
Lord delay His full judgment? In part because the Lord waits
for us, His church.
While the world shall demand — and
receive — the reign of hell, the goal of the praying church shall be for
the reign of heaven.
You see, all of God’s prophecies shall be fulfilled — those concerning
evil and also those concerning righteousness.
The Lord has purposed to
have a bride without spot or wrinkle (Ephesians 5:27) and a
kingdom of wheat without tares (Matthew 13:24-30).
The transformation of the
church will be fulfilled as surely as every other prophecy occurring
before the Lord’s return.
Thus,
with great fear and holy trembling, we must review what God has promised
concerning us.
Let us remember that the Lord
is not alone in the heavens.
According
to His Word, He has “seated us with Him in the heavenly places” (Ephesians
2:6).
It is time for our identity as
Christians to shift. Our nationalities only define our ambassador status;
our true citizenship is in heaven (Philippians 3:20).
And if God is laughing at
the mocking of those in the rebellion, let us also, as His subjects,
share His confidence!
Thus He commands us to sit with
Him in the completeness of His purpose. He requires us not only to live
without fear but also to stand in prayer for these very nations that defy
Him.
Listen
to another portion of the psalm, for in the very context of
worldwide rebellion against the Lord it records the most remarkable
discourse: “Ask of Me,” the Father says to the Son, “and I will
surely give the nations as Your inheritance, and the very ends of the
earth as Your possession” (Psalm 2:8).
When I first came to Christ in
1970, churches in America were deeply divided and rather cold in organized
prayer.
Today so much has changed.
Leaders of denominations are working together, and it is estimated that
more than a quarter of a million American churches are moving toward
deeper unity and increased prayer for this nation.
Jesus has asked the Father
for the United States, and in response the prayer movement has been born!
As Christ’s church, we do not
deserve a national revival, but Jesus does. As His representatives, in His
name and virtue, we ask of the Father for America.
More than an expression of
faith, our prayer is actually an act of obedience — we are commanded to
ask God for the nations.
Therefore, while the perverse strive toward complete rejection
of God, even as their mocking words fill the air, the Almighty’s
unchangeable promise to His Son (and, by extension, us as Christ’s body)
is, “Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations!’’
As violence, New Age religions
and witchcraft flourish in our schools, ask God for this nation.
While all restraint is removed
from the entertainment industry, ask God for this nation.
While perversity dresses
in normalcy, ask God for America.
While abortion remains protected
by law, ask God with confidence, with boldness and with faith for our
land.
Where you see injustice in any
form, ask God for His kingdom to manifest on earth.
Verse 4 of the psalm reads, “He who sits in the heavens
laughs.”
Put away fear and discouragement,
and repent of fretting.
The more we accept our
place in the divine plan, the more we shall laugh at the enemy's plans.
The faith that relentlessly asks God, pleases God.
Now, as
the fullness of the times unfolds, as the world around us clothes itself
in prophetic fulfillments, let us put away unbelief.
Let us repent of
withdrawal. It is a time to boldly ask of God. As He has promised, He will
give the nations as an inheritance to Christ!
Francis Frangipane is
the founder of River of Life Ministries in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and has traveled
throughout the world ministering to thousands of pastors and intercessors from
many backgrounds. His heartfelt prayer is to see established in every city
Christlike pastors and intercessors, united before God, revealing the love of
Christ to their communities. Since 1985, Frangipane has written 14 books plus a
number of study booklets. Over the past decades, he has served on a number of
other ministry boards. However, in recent years he has gradually resigned from
these various boards. As of June 2009, he has also retired from his position as
senior pastor of River of Life Ministries. In his more simplified
life, Frangipane is devoting himself to prayer and the ministry of
God's Word. This article was excerpted from Frangipane's book The Days of
His Presence.
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