We hear so often after every disaster and ill a call to pray for this person, or pray for that place. Yet what use is such a call to prayer if all believe the Most High has no power? As the Most High is powerful, ought not the Most High be exalted as having this immense Power - at all times?
The prophet Hosea proclaims that Israel was suffering terrible ills due to the consequences of their own ideas about things. The sword he referred to is the lawlessness of murder.
The sword shall abide on his cities, and shall consume his branches, and devour them, because of their own counsels.
And my people are bent to backsliding from me: though they called them to the most High, none at all would exalt him. (Hosea 11:6-7)
In what ways is the Most High exalted? The situation indicates that only the Most High gives peace. In reasoning with Israel, Yahweh (the name of the Most High) said through Isaiah,
“Come now, and let us reason together,” saith Yahweh: “Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword:” for the mouth of Yahweh hath spoken it. (Isaiah 1:18-20)
Therefore rebels who have refused the ways of Yahweh are in constant wars. If we wish to exalt the Most High, we should thank Him always for the peace we have.
Peace is from God
But we will never have peace at all unless we have exalted the ways and laws of the Most High.
There is no peace, saith the LORD, unto the wicked. (Isaiah 48:22)
I create the fruit of the lips; Peace, peace to him that is far off, and to him that is near, saith the LORD; and I will heal him. But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked. (Isa 57:19-21)
If we look about us, we may see that those who least value the laws of our Creator are the most troubled by internal and external wars. If we look about us we can see those who have no hope at all are the most troubled in life. To exalt the Most High we need to exalt His ways and laws as the remedy for the evils of the age.
No true Christian can say all will be well, when people are fragrantly violating the laws and loudly rejecting all restraint of the ways of the Most High.
They say still unto them that despise me, The LORD hath said, Ye shall have peace; and they say unto every one that walks after the imagination of his own heart, No evil shall come upon you. For who hath stood in the counsel of the LORD, and hath perceived and heard his word? who hath marked his word, and heard it? Behold, a whirlwind of the LORD is gone forth in fury, even a grievous whirlwind: it shall fall grievously upon the head of the wicked. (Jeremiah 23:17-19)
There is no escape from the evil consequences of walking contrary to right ways.
None can say, 'no evil will come upon you', when in fact humans have no control over the matter! Let us take the troubled matter of abortion. Before ever it gets to that point of arguing about the murder of abortion, the society has to have abandoned all morality to permit extensive fornication, which itself has terrible consequences not the least of which is sexually transmitted disease, emotional maladjustment and lack of any trust due to unfaithfulness in relationships. Shall fornicators be happy? The particular sin of fornication has a special place
Flee fornication. Every sin that a man does is without the body; but he that commits fornication sins against his own body. (1Cor 6:18)
We exalt the Most High when we, as Paul did, point out that all need to flee fornication. Jude exalts the Most High pointing out the full outcome of a society having no restraint to fornication.
Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. (Jude 1:7)
Nothing has changed. The outcome of pervasive fornication
is the questioning of sexual 'orientation' (as that is all that is on
their minds) and the violence against those who suggest any
restraint. However Jude's point is not about the morality but the
absolute power of the Most High to revenge suddenly and completely,
using the natural elements as a miracle! How powerful is the most
High? So powerful that He can, in a day raise up fire from the earth
to wipe out two cities, leaving barely a trace. Have humans power
over the fire of the earth?
Have humans power over the earth opening? Jude alludes to the incident of the earth opening swallowing Korah and his followers, recorded in Numbers 16.
I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not. And the angels (Messengers) which kept not their first estate (as priests), but left their own habitation (seeking to rule instead of Moses), he has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. (Jude 1:5-6)
How many times after an earthquake that kills hundreds are we told that a new 'fault' has been found? Do any exalt the Most High and pray each day for protection from the earth opening in unstable areas? Even stable areas can have earthquakes that result in death from building collapse. What is the use of praying after the earth has opened and so many have been maimed and killed? Why will so few exalt the Most High as powerful over the massive forces of the earth?
Hosea is echoed in the words of Paul to Timothy showing that nothing had changed in over 800 years,
This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. (2 Tim 3:1-5)
The issue in Paul's day, as in Hosea's day, was among not the great unwashed of the lawless heathen, but in the congregation. As Paul said, God winked at the great unwashed living in the consequences of their pagan lawlessness, but this lack of Exaltation of the Most High was a feature of the Congregation. Paul says that when people love themselves, then they deny the power of God and Godliness.
Paul points out a raft of terrible behaviours that come from denying the power of the Most High in exalting the love of self. Fundamentally those who Exalt and give Power to the Most High, fear respect and love the Most High first of all. Those who love only themselves don't even respect others, in their pride exalting themselves and leaving behind even truth to covet and be false accusers and truce breaking traitors. Exalting and giving power to the Most High allows truth and mercy to prevail in a society.
Truth is from God
When laying the foundation for his congregation the Most High lay not only the right and just laws, but also the foundation of judgement of that law on Truth.
Thou shalt teach them ordinances and laws, and shalt shew them the way wherein they must walk, and the work that they must do. Moreover thou shall provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens: (Exodus 18:20-21)
The Most High is so associated with truth, he is called the God of Truth,
That he who blesseth himself in the earth shall bless himself in the God of truth; and he that sweareth in the earth shall swear by the God of truth; because the former troubles are forgotten, and because they are hid from mine eyes. For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind. (Isaiah 65:16-17)
Those who love themselves and don't fear and respect God's truth are cursed in that they can never see the truth!
And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. (2 Thess 2:10-12)
What lie might people believe that causes them harm? It turns out all lies cause harm. As the dark ages showed the inability to see truth led them into many hurtful practices. Due to false ideas of grace they failed to implement God's law regarding human waste and in failing to understand the soul they failed to understand disease.
In the modern world there is a lie causing much harm. Many countries are destroying themselves in the presence of their enemies in rejecting cheap energy when their enemies are not bound to it, for the lie of 'Climate Change'. How do we know the idea that CO2 changes the weather (which is climate) is a lie? Who reading this has read the Science of the IPCC reports, the physical basis? They show the role of Clouds. Also we should believe the multiple eye witnesses that saw the raging sea go calm and hear Christ's rebuke!
“Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith?” Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm. (Mat 8:26)
He rebuked them (and us) before they were shown the evidence he could control the wind. Why? Because they had already the example of the true witness of the reluctant prophet Jonah! When they threw out Jonah, he witnesses that the sea went calm. Where is the fear and reverence for the power that controls the wind? Why do people pray after the winds of a great storm have destroyed when they should pray at all times they are preserved from the Power of the storm, by seeking and Exalting the Power of the Most High?
He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. (Psalm 91:1-2)
The Creator knows every heart. Why should the Most High listen to any call at all unless that person calling is willing to exalt and give all power to the Most High?
Power is from God
Those who exalt themselves, and have no fear or reverence for other think they control their own destiny. They may indeed do so, if the only destiny they seek is Sheol. Those who exalt themselves may think in their pride and covetousness they, as a mass, may control who rules. Yet the greatest ruler in the greatest superpower of the ancient world was forced to acknowledge that the Most High only Rules.
Let his heart be changed from man's, and let a beast's heart be given unto him; and let seven times pass over him. This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones: to the intent that the living may know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men. (Daniel 4:16-17)
Think of all the foolish striving for political power, the
anxious cares and wars of those seeking power, when the end is
controlled by the power Most High for good or evil!
I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. (1Tim 2:1-2)
For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that does evil. (Romans 13:3-4)
What is the point of praying only after suffering injustice and oppression, as ancient Israel did, rather than exalting at all times the Most High Great Power who gives power to just rulers that can have so much power over our lives day to day?
It is entirely foolish for Christians, without fear and reverence for the Most High to say all will be well for those who reject righteousness, as the Most High has made his intent clear: He will send his son and take political control using all the power of fire, earthquake and storm. Paul wrote of flaming fire:
In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: (2 Thess 1:8)
When Paul spoke of what was to come the agnostic Roman Felix trembled (Acts 24;25). Joel speaks of the earth quaking.
The earth shall quake before them; the heavens shall tremble: the sun and the moon shall be dark, and the stars shall withdraw their shining: And the LORD shall utter his voice before his army: for his camp is very great: for he is strong that executeth his word: for the day of the LORD is great and very terrible; and who can abide it? (Joel 2:10-11)
Nahum gives us two choices in the face of the coming storm, quake and fire. We can trust in ourselves in pride and deny the power of the Most High and by so doing join His enemies, or we can in fear and reverence exalt and trust the Most High in all things.
The LORD is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked: the LORD has his way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet. He rebukes the sea, and makes it dry, and dries up all the rivers: Bashan languishes, and Carmel, and the flower of Lebanon languishes. The mountains quake at him, and the hills melt, and the earth is burned at his presence, yea, the world, and all that dwell therein.
Who can stand before his indignation? and who can abide in the fierceness of his anger? his fury is poured out like fire, and the rocks are thrown down by him.
The LORD is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knows them that trust in him.
But with an overrunning flood he will make an utter end of the place thereof, and darkness shall pursue his enemies. (Nahum 1:3-8)
For more see God controls the Clouds
