Groaning with the Creation (TLT Worship Help)
"For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God.
For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God.
For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now.
And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body.
For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees?
But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it.
In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words;
and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God." Romans 8:19~27 NASB
Just this past week, many or some of you could watch one special extravaganza Hollywood show named "American Idol". I don't watch it at all because of the abominable name, not to mention that I don't have much time to watch TV, but I looked into a part of the video file due to one news saying they sang a Christian worship song.
For me, I don't care no matter how many worship songs they sing, because, you see, an idol is idol. They sang that kind of song, for they wanted to find some way to connect to American Christian majority. This is a silly gesture and a joke actually. No, I am not cynical but serious.
Besides, they changed one major part of the lyrics of the song: they replaced 'Jesus' with 'shepherd'! Well, that's the world; and it's called the "political correctness". They're usually ashamed of that name. Even the U.S. presidents are.
Let me tell you... When you are ashamed of the name Jesus, He will be ashamed of your name, too. Isn't it that simple? Isn't it fair enough?
They say they had this contest to get at least $100M for charity and they got more than that. The British prime minister alone pledged to give $200M! You see, this is a huge business. A business, not a Christian worship at all. Make no mistake about it. As the title itself shows, this is an idol-maker. Talent idols, fame idols, money idols-those are what they are making.
And there is no such thing like a "Christian idol" absolutely no matter what definition you add to it. Isn't it an oxymoron?
You have to understand that this world is not "Christian" like that. The whole world system belongs to Satan, the devil (John 8:23,44,47). Satan is the king and god of this world (John 14:30, 16:11, Eph. 2:2). You wouldn't believe but that's exactly what Jesus and the Apostles said. These showmen and showwomen - they belong to the world, but we don't. Well, some of you still may be hanging to it somehow, but I want you to come out of it. Come out of the matrix! Escape from the grip of the devil. That's what God said (2Cor. 6:14~17, Rev. 18:4).
As long as you belong to the world's system, you are under the rule of Satan (Eph. 2:1~3). I'm not talking about the school you are attending, the company you work for, the bank you are dealing with, the money you are earning, the house you live in now, the geographic area you are in, and not even the friends you have. As long as you live on this earth, you can't be out of it unless you die.
I am talking about the heart of you: where it is connected to. If you are not born again - you haven't believed in Jesus yet and confessed Him as your Savior and Lord - you still belong to the world, I mean that you belong to Satanic system.
True Christians don't belong to this world (John 15:19, 17:14,16, 1 John 4:5). Even though they live here on earth, they belong to heaven. Satan is not our god or king. Jesus is our God and King!
Our identity is from above. As soon as you become a believer in a true sense, you belong to heaven and God.
But still there are an enormous number of Christians who imagine that this world belongs to God rather than to Satan. Well, it's true that the world was created by God. But God originally intended to give it to the man, not Satan. God created man as a kind of god of the world to keep, rule over and conquer it (Gen. 1:26~29; 2:15). But Adam handed it over to Satan by high treason. This is what the first Adam did.
But, Jesus, the second Adam, has recovered it. How?
Jesus has been recovering the rulership and authority over all, through Christians. First of all, after he demolished the power of sins and curses forever by his blood he shed on the cross, he got the total control over satan and his cohorts and commended this authority of His name to the true Church that is the believers.
That's why Satan and his forces have to obey to you whenever you use that name. That's the top secret of the church, heaven's agency.
So if you are a born-again believer, you are granted and commended with this authority. It's because you belong to heaven, not this world.
Look around. Everything in this world is crying and yearning for something. They suffer and moan due to the depravity and decay resulted by human sins. Every tree and every creature is subject to futility or vanity. They groan and suffer. The whole creation wants to be set free from it's slavery to corruption into the freedom. Freedom of what? Of the glory of the children of God.
So many endemic and native species of animals and plants have extinct and still many are endangered. Many are as dead as a dodo. This great tragedy is not intended by God. It all happened because of the devil and the sinful people who are subject to him. Satan came to destroy, steal and kill (John 10:10a).
But thank God, Jesus came to recover, giving us life and abundance of it. From the moment you are subject to Jesus, you will find to see the recovery begins in every area of your life. But you have to reclaim it from the devil in the name of Jesus. That's what He promised.
Everything Jesus promised in the Bible can be yours in His name. Every one of His promises is to mean to be kept and performed due to His faithfullness. God is faithful. Jesus is faithful. Faithfulness means truth.
Well, we are a bit off the main topic now, but the important thing is that the whole creation is waiting for the children of God. And we are the children of God.
In Christ, we begin to recover things we lost.
We all groan together with the creation.
Paul, here in Romans, said when we pray in tongues, the Holy Spirit groans. When He groans, we groan in our spirits.
When you are born again, you are granted with the utterance and the might to pray in tongues. Again, that's what Jesus promised in Mark 16:17. Praying in tongues is how you groan with the creation and to begin to recover.
Blessed be the name of Jesus forevermore!
MAY GOD RICHLY BLESS YOU ALL.