EVER-INCREASING PEACE

Ever-increasing. Limitless, infinite, endless, eternally going forth. His kingdom, His peace. It is for you, today. God’s Christmas gift.

[SW072] 12/23/12 message notes by Rev. Susan J. Wynn ©2012
“Ever-Increasing Peace”

I have a priceless gift for you today — Jesus Christ!

He is the Gift that keeps on giving!

Isaiah 9:6 For to us a child is born,
        to us a son is given,
        and the government will be on his shoulders.
        And he will be called
        Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
        Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

       7   Of the increase of his government and peace
        there will be no end.
        He will reign on David’s throne
        and over his kingdom,
        establishing and upholding it
        with justice and righteousness
        from that time on and forever.
        The zeal of the LORD Almighty
        will accomplish this. (NIV)

The angel Gabriel announces the identity of this coming One to Mary:

Luke 1:31 “And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you  shall name Him Jesus.  32 “He will be great and will be called the Son of  the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him  the throne of His father David;  33  and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever,  and His kingdom will have no end.”
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Isaiah 9:7 Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end . . .

Of the increase

4766 marbeh — properly, the increasing. Increasing greatness, abundance.

of His government

from the root 8280 sarah — to prevail:—have power (as a prince).

and peace

7965 shalom — safety, welfare, i.e. health, prosperity, favor, wholeness.

there shall be no end

7093 qets — an extremity, border, end. It is infinite; there is no end.

Why? A child is born unto us, a Son is given — Jesus Christ!

And indeed, the zeal (7068/7065) of the Father has accomplished it!

His zeal,
His great energy,
His great power,
His great desire to have for Himself a people!

He has GIVEN us the gift of His Christ, His Son, Jesus,
and offered Him to bear our sins, once for all,
so His creatures may be reconciled to Him.

And He raised Him from the dead so we may have eternal life, with Him.

Isaiah 9:7 Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end . . .

Luke 1:33b and His kingdom will have no end.

Yes, this passage refers to a future kingdom that we do not yet see.

But also, a kingdom for here and now!

Here and now

Of the increase

John 10:10 “I have come that you may have life [2222 zoe, life as God has it], and have it abundantly.”

He has come that we may have life, and have it abundantly, to the full, ‘til it overflows.

The increasing of His life — in you!

abundantly (4053) — superabundantly, superiorly, excessively, exceedingly abundantly above, beyond measure!

Oh, the increase!

It is the “still more” of Paul’s letters:

1 Corinthians 12:31 But  earnestly desire the greater gifts. And I show you a still more excellent way.

Philippians 1:9 And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in  real knowledge and all discernment,

1 Thessalonians 4:1  Finally then,  brethren, we request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us instruction as to how you ought to walk and  please God (just as you actually do walk), that you excel still more.

1 Thessalonians 4:10 for indeed you do practice it [love] toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia. But we urge you, brethren, to excel still more,  

Still more!

2 Corinthians 3:18 And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. (NIV)

Of the increase of what? Of His government!

He will prevail!

He will have power, He will be your Prince!

Once you have truly seen Him,  you will want Him to rule and reign.

You will invite Him to rule and reign.

And His kingdom, His royalty, His rule, will be within you, in your heart:

Luke 17:20b  “The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: 21 Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.” (KJV)

He will dwell inside of you, by the Holy Spirit
whom God to His children who ask Him (Luke 11:13).
He will tabernacle in your tent of flesh.

John 14:23 Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will  keep My word; and  My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him.”

He abounds –> critical mass is reached –> Lord, possess me fully!

THEN:

The increase of His peace!

His peace,
safety in Him,
welfare through Him,
health from by Him,
spiritual prosperity,
His favor,
your heart beating in time with His,
wholeness to we who are broken.

Beloved, His government of your heart must come first,
and then His peace will be given to you.

His peace,
the peace that passes understanding (Philippians 4:7),
peace that cannot be explained away by anything of this world.
God’s peace, guarding our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

This peace is in and for all who belong to Him,
all in whose heart He dwells and rules and reigns and governs!

Peace in all circumstances (2 Thessalonians 3:16)!
Peace in every manner, every way, every respect,
regardless of what happens around us and to us!

His shalom, His safety, welfare, health, prosperity, favor, wholeness!

Of the increase of His government and His peace there will be no end!!!

There is no border, no limit, no end.
No end to His government’s increase,
no end to the increasing of His peace!
It is infinite! It is abundant, super-abundant!

His government is established,
He dwells within, without any limits.

Once He reigns in you,
once His kingdom is in place in your heart,
your peace is limitless and endless.

When His government is established in you,
when He has become your Ruler, your Master, your Owner,
He endlessly expands and expands and expands,
enlarging your heart — making a wide space in it —
so you follow and obey Him (Psalm 119:32).

Oh, it is a place of liberty (Psalm 119:45)!

It is an endless kingdom,
it is an endless and limitless and borderless peace.

When His kingdom is established in you,
it is possible for you to fully know the height, length,
width and depth of the love of God in Christ Jesus (see Ephesians 3:18).

You will understand its endlessness,
its immeasureability,
its eternal stretching forth.

No eye has seen, no ear has heard what God has prepared for those who love Him (1 Corinthians 2:9)!

All of this, all of this . . .

Because unto us a Child is born. Unto us a Son is GIVEN!

It is the greatest of gifts,
this giving of the life of Jesus Christ,
the very Son of God, God in the flesh.

He entered His creation to return you to His Father,
He gave His life as a ransom for you,
to set you free from the sins you’ve committed
and free of the rebellious nature you were born with.

HALLELUJAH! HE SETS US FREE!

Sounding the warning (the trumpet)

But in the very next verse, the Lord says:

Isaiah 9:8   The Lord sends a  message against Jacob,
    And it falls on Israel.
9 And all the people know it,
    That is,  Ephraim and the inhabitants of Samaria,
    Asserting in pride and in  arrogance of heart —
10 “The bricks have fallen down,
    But we will  rebuild with smooth stones;
    The sycamores have been cut down,
    But we will replace them with cedars.”

Therefore, He sends an enemy against His people.
It is a strange work (Isaiah 28:21),
but He’ll do whatever it takes to return them (and you) to Him.

O Church,
our bricks have fallen down.
WE rebuild
WE replace.
But unless THE LORD builds the house,
its builders labor in vain. (Psalm 127:1).

Much of the church does not teach that Jesus Christ MUST govern your heart!

When and where it IS taught,
many resist and fight against God.

But Jesus Christ is the Gift that keeps on giving!
His grace is here for you today,
if you will submit to Him.

He has broken the rod of your oppressor, but you must perceive your oppression in order to receive His freedom!

He will MOST GLADLY receive you today,
if you will bow your knee to Him.

We are coming rapidly to the end of all things.
You have resisted His governance of your heart.
Today, you must bow to Him.

When He rules and reigns,
You will find His peace,
And He will ever increase in you
For His glory
And the glory of the Father.
Others will be drawn to the truth
by seeing the “Him” in you.

And then Isaiah 9:7 will be a reality TO you, and IN you:

Isaiah 9:7 Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end . . .

Of the increasing, of the greatness,
of the abundance . . .

Of His governance of your heart,
of His prevailing, of His power,
of His reign as Prince of Peace . . .

Of His peace, His safety,
welfare, health, prosperity, favor, wholeness . . .

There shall be no end,
no extremity, no border.
It shall be infinite and eternal.