Zeal for Your House Consumes Me

Zeal from the Greek word ζῆλος (zelos). Definition: eagerness, zeal, rivalry; to have warmth of feeling for or against, to be zealous or jealous. Jesus Messiah had zeal for His Father’s house. He said to Jews who were profiteering in the temple, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’” (Mark 11:17) After He made a whip of cords and drove the thieves out of the temple, His disciples remembered that it was written, ‘Zeal for Your house has consumed Me.’” (John 2:13-17)

King David who wrote by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, wrote, “Today, if you will hear His voice: ‘Do not harden your hearts, as in the rebellion, as in the day of trial in the wilderness, when your fathers tested Me; they tried Me, though they saw My work. For forty years I was grieved with that generation, and said, ‘It is a people who go astray in their hearts, and they do not know My ways.’ So, I swore in My wrath, ‘They shall not enter My rest.’” (Psalm 95:7-11)

Hardening of the heart is not something to hang onto. When God the Holy Spirit speaks, listen. Do not grieve God! “Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” (Ephesians 4:30)

The disciples of Jesus had the zeal of the Lord. They prayed, “Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus.’ And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.” (Acts 4:29-31)

What was the outcome of such zeal for the Lord?

“Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common. And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all. Nor was there anyone among them who lacked; for all who were possessors of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold and laid them at the apostles’ feet; and they distributed to each as anyone had need.” (Acts 4:32-35)

The outcome of their zealous faith in Jesus was oneness, sharing, and great witnessing for Jesus. God gave them GREAT GRACE! No one lacked anything. There was no needy among them.

“Dear Heavenly Father, please stir up zeal for Your house in the Name of Your Son Jesus, and by the power of the Holy Spirit working among us who believe in You.”

Relying on Divine Intervention

The angel of the Lord gave Joseph a prophetic dream. He said to him, “Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” It is safe to say that Joseph would not have known to leave Bethlehem if the angel had not spoken to him. Joseph was not doing anything at then but sleeping and God graciously spoke to him. He and his family were spared from harm. [1]

Paul testified of an angel of God coming to him in the night. The angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Paul; you must be brought before Caesar; and indeed, God has granted you all those who sail with you.” By this angelic appearance in his dream, he knew that he and his ship’s crew would reach their destination. [2]

“He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways. In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone. You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra, the young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot.” [3]

There are times when we don’t know what to do. We have no reference point for our circumstance. There is no one around to advise us. And thankfully, God intervenes! How does He intervene? By protecting us with His angels,

God gives us revelation by His angels! Throughout the Book of Revelation, Jesus uses angels to reveal to John what is about to happen. Christianity is a revealed religion. Stephen said that the law was received by the direction of angels. One of the ways God saves us is to give us direction via the Law. [4]

“The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; the statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. They are more to be desired than gold, yes, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover, by them Your servant is warned, and in keeping them there is great reward.” [5]

The angel showed John the destiny of those who refuse to repent of sin and give God the glory. [6] It is horrible! Holy Spirit revelation that Jesus is Messiah is grace. Without this revelation people perish.

“Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.” [7] Some people get the revelation but reject it. God says, “Don’t do that!” Holy Spirit revelation that Jesus is Messiah is grace. Receive this revelation and profess it and He will save you. There’s a knowing, an assurance, all will be well when the Spirit reveals to you God’s saving grace.

The prophet Elisha relied on the Lord for revelation. Elisha’s servant Gehazi was going to push a woman away from him. But Elisha said to him, “Let her alone; for her soul is in deep distress, and the Lord has hidden it from me, and has not told me.” [8] When Elisha did perceive hidden things, it was because of God’s Spirit helped him to do so.

The Lord says to rely on His power. “Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit.” “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit…” [9] We must rely on the Lord to reveal Himself to us so we can reveal Him to others.

“Without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen by angels, preached among the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up in glory.” [10] Praise the Lord! Let us rejoice in the Lord as Paul did for revealing Himself to us.

[1] Matthew 2:13
[2] Acts 27:23-24
[3] Psalm 91:11-13
[4] Acts 7:53
[5] Psalm 19:7-11
[6] Revelation 16:9
[7] Hebrews 3:1
[8] 2 Kings 4:27
[9] Zechariah 4:6; John 15:5
[10] 1 Timothy 3:16

Guarding Your Relationship with God

“Pilate said to them, ‘You take Him and crucify Him, for I find no fault in Him.’” “From then on Pilate sought to release Him, but the Jews cried out, saying, ‘If you let this Man go, you are not Caesar’s friend. Whoever makes himself a king speaks against Caesar.’” [1]

Pilate turned against an innocent man, in fact against his Savior and Lord, due to pressure from others.

“He who loves pleasure will be a poor man; he who loves wine and oil will not be rich.” [2]

Love of pleasure, drinking alcohol and extravagant spending… these ill-advised choices can cause one to lose the richness of a close relationship with God which they once enjoyed.

King David wrote a song that could be summarized as guarding one’s relationship with God:

“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law, he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, which brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.” [3]

This person guards his/her relationship with God more than anything else.

On the flipside is the person who is careless about their relationship with God…

“The ungodly are not so but are like the chaff which the wind drives away. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish.” [4]

There is a way of escape from deadly peer pressure, from the love of pleasure, and from ungodliness. It is via repentance of sin to God, asking His pardon and admitting one’s need for Him, and asking for His help.

“Who is a God like You, pardoning iniquity and passing over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in mercy. He will again have compassion for us and will subdue our iniquities. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.” [5]

[1] John 19:7, 12
[2] Proverbs 21:17
[3] Psalm 1:1-3
[4] Psalm 1:4-6
[5] Micah 7:18-19

Knowing Jesus Whom God Sent

Such an amazing revelation! Jesus prays to the Father for His disciples and for those who will believe in Him via their witness, that’s people like you and me… Christians!

His words to His Father convey respect and affection: “Father.” “O Father.” “Holy Father.” “O Righteous Father.” [1]

He recognizes that the men to whom He manifested God’s Name were His Father’s, and that His Father gave them to Him. These men kept His Word, knew that He (Jesus) was sent from the Father and believed in Him. [2]

Jesus is praying for these men (His disciples), that His Father will keep them that may be one as He and the Father are one. In other words, do not let distance grow between them. Let them remain steadfastly close to the Father even as He is close to the Father.

“I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are.” [3]

He acknowledges that the world hates these men because they are not of the world. He prays that the Father will keep them from the evil one.

“I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one.” [4]

Next, He prays for the ongoing oneness of people who believe in God through the witness of His disciples, that they too will enjoy oneness with God.

“I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.” [5]

“…that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.” [6]

That they… “May be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.” [7]

God reveals His heart for humans who believe in Him and walk with Him via this prayer of Jesus. A key truth for us to be ever mindful of from the prayer of Jesus is, “This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” [8]

[1] John 17:1, 5, 11, 25

[2] John 17:6-8

[3] John 17:9, 11

[4] John 17:14-15

[5] John 17:20-21

[6] John 17:23

[7] John 17:24

[8] John 17:3

God’s Word a Wonderful Gift

The Word of God is a wonderful gift! By His Word God created the heavens and earth. God’s Word transform lives! And God is willing to entrust His Word to us who are seldom aware of what a great gift it is to us.

“Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah…” [1] God gave Jonah His Word, and what did Jonah do with it? “Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.” [2] Like so many, his initial response was to run from God. God wants us to receive and believe His Word, and to help others do the same.

“The Lord sent out a great wind on the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship was about to be broken up.” [3] In a sense, the storm symbolized God’s faithfulness to Jonah. He was not going to let Jonah flee from Him unchallenged. First, God sent a storm, and then, He sent a great fish. “Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.” [4]

What did Jonah do?” Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the fish’s belly.” [5] “So the Lord spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.” [6] Was that the end of the story? No. “Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time…” [7] God gave Jonah another opportunity to receive His Word and bear fruit with it. Jonah preached God’s Word and his audience didn’t flee from the Lord, they fled to Him. “So the people of Nineveh believed God, proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them.” [8] His listeners repented to God and were spared from the consequences of sin.

Jesus said, “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.” [9] “I am the vine; you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” [10] “By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.” [11] He urges us to abide in Him who is the Living Word. While in Him, in Christ, fruit comes forth from us.

To be chosen to receive and proclaim, God’s Word is a gift of God. Jesus said, “You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.” [12] Notice the mention of prayer! When Jonah prayed about what God said instead of fleeing from Him, good fruit came forth. Jesus urged us to pray to the Father in His Name for success.

“But when the Helper [the Holy Spirit] comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me.” [13] Receive the Word of the Lord. Pray about it. Rely on the Holy Spirit as you testify for God.

[1] Jonah 1:1
[2] Jonah 1:3
[3] Jonah 1:4
[4] Jonah 1:17
[5] Jonah 2:1
[6] Jonah 2:10
[7] Jonah 3:1
[8] Jonah 3:5
[9] John 15:1-2
[10] John 15:5
[11] John 15:8
[12] John 15:16
[13] John 15:26

Receive The Holy Spirit

 

Faithful Love

“He knew who would betray Him; therefore He said, ‘You are not all clean.’” [1]

Clean and unclean were often used terms among Jewish priests. The priests were tasked with the work of helping God’s people to discern between that which was considered clean in God’s sight and that which was not. Clean is synonymous with holy and unclean is synonymous with sinful. Here, Jesus applies “not clean” to the disciple who was about to betray Him.

“I do not speak concerning all of you. I know whom I have chosen; but that the Scripture may be fulfilled, ‘He who eats bread with Me has lifted up his heel against Me.’

When Jesus had said these things, He was troubled in spirit, and testified and said, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, one of you will betray Me.’” [2]

The most grievous sin against love is betrayal. Betrayal is unclean in God’s sight. Especially, betrayal of His Son who gave His life as a ransom for our sins. This is a sin that we should pray that the Holy Spirit will convict us not to commit: “Holy Spirit, please graciously grant us the gift of repentance to repent of not steadfastly loving our Savior Jesus Christ as we should.”

After announcing His betrayal, and after His betrayer Judas Iscariot left the room, Jesus said to the remnant, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” [3]

“Dear Heavenly Father, please help us to be faithful in love towards You, towards Your Son Jesus Christ, and towards those who are our fellow disciples. May You be glorified in us! In Jesus’ Name, I pray, Amen.”

[1] John 13:11
[2] John 13:18, 21
[3] John 13:34-35

Holy Spirit Rain Down

Discern the times! Take appropriate action! Sound the alarm! Call people to gather to fast and pray. Pray specifically for believers in GOD to be spared from the calamities that are coming on the world for its sin and to be delivered from the insults with which the enemy tries to destroy faith in GOD. [1]

In response to our obedience to pray, God pours out His Holy Spirit on us and gives praying people prophetic messages, dreams, visions, and salvation. [2]

We need a mighty movement of the Holy Spirit to overcome the works of our enemy. The devil is destroying many lives. We need to be filled and led by the Holy Spirit to overcome the evil one and to save those that he is destroying.

[1] Joel 2:15, 17
[2] Joel 2:28-29, 32

Jesus Christ Alone Conquered the Grave

 I took the picture for the background of this message while standing inside the empty tomb in Israel where it is believed that the body of Jesus came back to life after being dead for three days. No other religious leader left behind an empty tomb after he died. Only Jesus Christ did that. He said that His resurrection is the proof that He was sent from God and that He is the Messiah. The Savior of all who believe in Him!

From Mess to Message

Their nation was in a mess. God asked them, “Has anything like this happened in your days, or even in the days of your fathers?” [1] Bugs had decimated their land. [2] A strong nation fiercely attacked them. [3] The priests were mourning. [4] Farmers were wailing because they had no harvest. Trees gave forth no fruit. Joy had withered away. [5]

What did the Lord urge them to do? He urged them to call a fast. Call a sacred assembly! Gather in the house of God and cry out to the Lord! [6] Blow the trumpet in Zion and sound an alarm in My holy mountain! [7] “’Now, therefore,’ says the Lord, ‘Turn to Me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.’ So rend your heart, and not your garments; return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness; and He relents from doing harm.” [8]

As they sought the Lord, the question came up, “Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’” [9]

Then, the Lord said to them, “Be glad then, you children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God; for He has given you the former rain faithfully, and He will cause the rain to come down for you—the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month. The threshing floors shall be full of wheat, and the vats shall overflow with new wine and oil.” [10] “You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God, who has dealt wondrously with you; and My people shall never be put to shame.” [11]

But the Lord did more than restore their land, He poured out His Holy Spirit on them so that prophesying, dreams, and visions were happening in abundance. “And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,

your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions. And also on My menservants and on My maidservants, I will pour out My Spirit in those days.” [12]

People were getting saved! “And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” [13]

As the people seriously and earnestly sought the Lord, He brought them from mess to message… a message of salvation that yielded increase both physically and spiritually.

Therefore, may the Lord help us to fast, to gather together and to cry out to the Lord for an outpouring of His Holy Spirit on our land.

[1] Joel 1:2
[2] Joel 1:4
[3] Joel 1:6
[4] Joel 1:9
[5] Joel 1:11-12
[6] Joel 1:14
[7] Joel 2:1-2
[8] Joel 2:12-13
[9] Joel 2:17
[10] Joel 2:23-24
[11] Joel 2:26
[12] Joel 2:38-39
[13] Joel 2:32

Do You Believe in the Son of God?

The event might have seemed happenstance to some, but it was divinely driven. Jesus and His disciples met a man who was blind from birth. The disciples wanted to know if the man’s blindness was due to his sin or the sin of his parents. Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him.

This man had been destined by God for many years to show forth the mighty work of God.

After Jesus opened the blind man’s eyes, a group of religious leaders brought the man in for questioning. When he did not give them the answer they were looking for, they brought his parents in for questioning. When the parents did not give the answer, they were looking for, they turned back to the man, and commanded him, “Give God the glory! We know that this Man [Jesus] is a sinner.”

The religious leaders did not see a miracle in what happened, they saw an offence, namely that Jesus had healed a man who had been born blind. The narrative that they wanted the blind man and his parents to profess was a false one, namely that Jesus was a sinner. The now seeing-blindman said to them, “Whether He is a sinner or not I do not know. One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see.”

The religious leaders reviled the man.

He answered and said to them, “Why, this is a marvelous thing, that you do not know where He is from; yet He has opened my eyes! Now we know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, He hears him. Since the world began it has been unheard of anyone who opened the eyes of one who was born blind. If this Man [Jesus] were not from God, He could do nothing.”

There the man’s witness for God. He stood up for Jesus God’s Messiah! He gave glory to God!

The religious leaders insulted him and cast him away.

“Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when He had found him, He said to him, ‘Do you believe in the Son of God?’ He answered and said, ‘Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?’ And Jesus said to him, ‘You have both seen Him and it is He who is talking with you.’ Then he said, ‘Lord, I believe!’ And he worshiped Him.”

Do you believe that Jesus Christ the Son of God? If you do, good, because that is indeed who He is, but beware! There are a whole lot of powerful and influential people in this world who want to silence believers in Jesus. Let God have them! But as for you and me, let us continue to do as the healed blindman did… He believed that Jesus is the Son of God and He worshipped Him!

(See John 9 for the complete text of this story)

The Fallow Versus the Fertile Ground

“Break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the Lord, till He come and rain righteousness on you” [1]

Commentary below from A.W. Tozer:

“Here are two kinds of ground: fallow ground and ground that has been broken up by the plow.

The fallow field is smug, contented, protected from the shock of the plow and the agitation of the harrow. Such a field… can be counted upon to remain always the same, while the fields around it change from brown to green and back to brown again. Safe and undisturbed, it sprawls lazily in the sunshine, the picture of sleepy contentment.

But it is paying a terrible price for its tranquility; never does it feel the motions of mounting life, nor see the wonders of bursting seed, nor the beauty of ripening grain. Fruit it can never know because it is afraid of the plow and the harrow.

In direct opposite to this, the cultivated field has yielded itself to the adventure of living. The protecting fence has opened to admit the plow… Peace has been shattered by the shouting farmer and the rattle of machinery. The field has felt the travail of change; it has been upset, turned over, bruised, and broken.

All over the field, the hand of God is at work... New things are born, to grow, mature, and consummate the grand prophecy latent in the seed when it entered the ground. Wonders follow the plow.

There are two kinds of lives also: the fallow and the plowed. For example, of the fallow life, we need not go far. They are all too plentiful among us.

The man of fallow life is contented with himself and the fruit he once bore. He does not want to be disturbed. He smiles in tolerant superiority at revivals, fasting, self-searching, and all the travail of fruit bearing and the anguish of advance. The spirit of adventure is dead within him. He is steady, “faithful,” always in his accustomed place (like the old field) … but he is fruitless.

The curse of such a life is that it is fixed, both in size and in content. “To be” has taken the place of “to become.” He has fenced himself in, and by the same act he has fenced out God...

The plowed life is the life that has, in the act of repentance, thrown down the protecting fences and sent the plow of confession into the soul. The urge of the Spirit, the pressure of circumstances and the distress of fruitless living have combined thoroughly to humble the heart. Such a life has put away defense and has forsaken the safety of death for the peril of life.

As always, fruit follows the plow. Life and growth begin as God “rains down righteousness.” Such a one can testify, “And the hand of the Lord was upon me there.” [2]

Corresponding to these two kinds of life, religious history shows two phases, the dynamic and the static. The dynamic periods were those heroic times when God’s people stirred themselves to do the Lord’s bidding and went out fearlessly to carry His witness to the world. They exchanged the safety of inaction for the hazards of God-inspired progress. Invariably, the power of God followed such action. The miracle of God went when and where his people went. It stayed when His people stopped.

The static periods were those times when the people of God tired of the struggle and sought a life of peace and security. They busied themselves, trying to conserve the gains made in those more-daring times when the power of God moved among them.

Bible history is replete with examples. Abraham “went out” on his great adventure of faith, and God went with him. Revelations, theophanies, the gift of Palestine, covenants, and the promises of rich blessings to come were the result. Then Israel went down into Egypt, and the wonders ceased for four hundred years. At the end of that time, Moses heard the call of God and stepped forth to challenge the oppressor. A whirlwind of power accompanied that challenge, and Israel soon began to march. As long as she dared to march, God sent out His miracles to clear a way for her. Whenever she lay down like a fallow field, God turned off His blessing and waited for her to rise again and command his power.

This is a brief but fair outline of the history of Israel and the Church as well. As long as they “went forth and preached everywhere,” the Lord worked “with them…confirming the Word with signs following.” [3] But when they retreated to monasteries or played at building pretty cathedrals, the help of God was withdrawn ’till a Luther or a Wesley arose to challenge hell again. Then, invariably, God poured out His power as before.

In every denomination, missionary society, local church or individual Christian, this law operates. God works as long as His people live daringly: He ceases when they no longer need His aid. As soon as we seek protection out of God, we find it to our own undoing. Let us build a safety-wall of endowments, by-laws, prestige, multiplied agencies for the delegation of our duties, and creeping paralysis sets in at once, a paralysis which can only end in death.

The power of God comes only where it is called out by the plow. It is released into the Church only when she is doing something that demands it. By the word “doing,” I do not mean mere activity. The Church has plenty of “hustle” as it is, but in all her activities, she is careful to leave her fallow ground mostly untouched. She is careful to confine her hustling within the fear-marked boundaries of complete safety. That is why she is fruitless; she is safe, but fallow.

The only way to power for such a church is to come out of hiding and once more take the danger-encircled path of obedience. Its security is its deadliest foe. The church that fears the plow writes its own epitaph. The church that uses the plow walks in the way of revival.”

[1] Hosea 10:12

[2] Ezekiel 3:22

[3] Mark 16:20

For Christ Amidst Againsters

“The Jews sought to kill Him…” [1]

Jesus told His own brothers, who incidentally did not believe in Him, “The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify of it that its works are evil.” [2]

“There was much complaining among the people concerning Him. Some said, ‘He is good;’ others said, ‘No, on the contrary, He deceives the people.’” [3]

Some Jews marveled, saying, “How does this Man know letters, having never studied?” [4]

Jesus urged the people, “Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.” [5]

“Some of them from Jerusalem said, ‘Is this not He whom they seek to kill? But look! He speaks boldly, and they say nothing to Him. Do the rulers know indeed that this is truly the Christ?’” [6]

“Many of the people believed in Him, and said, ‘When the Christ comes, will He do more signs than these which this Man has done?’” [7]

Many from the crowd said, “Truly this is the Prophet.” Others said, “This is the Christ.” [8]

“But some said, ‘Will the Christ come out of Galilee? Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the seed of David and from the town of Bethlehem, where David was?’ So, there was a division among the people because of Him.” [9]

“And everyone went to his own house.” [10]

Do you see it? The responses to Jesus were diverse then, and the responses to Him are diverse now. What is your response to Jesus? Especially when He is bringing the conviction of sin? The proper response to Jesus is to acknowledge that He alone is the Messiah sent from God. The only Savior of the world. The only one who gives the Holy Spirit to whosoever believes in His Name.

The problem with the Christian faith is not its Founder and Leader… our Lord Jesus Christ, but the opposition that comes from those who refuse to believe in Him and persecute those who do. Righteous ones! You who confess Christ as your Lord and Savior below are some of God’s promises of protection and faithfulness to you:

“Do not fret because of evildoers… they shall soon be cut down like the grass…” [11]

“Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him; do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass. Cease from anger and forsake wrath; do not fret—it only causes harm. For evildoers shall be cut off; but those who wait on the Lord, they shall inherit the earth. For yet a little while and the wicked shall be no more; indeed, you will look carefully for his place, but it shall be no more. But the meek shall inherit the earth and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.” [12]

“For those blessed by Him shall inherit the earth, but those cursed by Him shall be cut off.” [13]

“I have been young, and now am old; yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his descendants begging bread. He is ever merciful and lends; and his descendants are blessed.” [14]

“For the Lord loves justice and does not forsake His saints; they are preserved forever, but the descendants of the wicked shall be cut off. The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell in it forever.” [15]

“The wicked watches the righteous and seeks to slay him. The Lord will not leave him in his hand, nor condemn him when he is judged.” [16]

“I have seen the wicked in great power and spreading himself like a native green tree. Yet he passed away, and behold, he was no more; indeed, I sought him, but he could not be found.” [17]

“The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord; He is their strength in the time of trouble. And the Lord shall help them and deliver them; He shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in Him.” [18]

[1] John 7:1
[2] John 7:5-7
[3] John 7:12
[4] John 7:15
[5] John 7:24
[6] John 7:25-26
[7] John 7:31
[8] John 7:40-41
[9] John 7:41-43
[10] John 7:53
[11] Psalm 37:1-2
[12] Psalm 37:7-11
[13] Psalm 37:22
[14] Psalm 37:25-26
[15] Psalm 37:28-29
[16] Psalm 37:32-33
[17] Psalm 37:35-36
[18] Psalm 37:39-40

God Wants a Close Relationship with Us

“I will return to My place till they acknowledge their offense. Then they will seek My face; in their affliction they will earnestly seek Me.” [1]

The Lord pulls back and the hedge of protection around decreases. The ensuing afflictions bring about a change of perspective in the people that He is pursuing. They say…

“Come and let us return to the Lord; for He has torn, but He will heal us; He has stricken, but He will bind us up. After two days He will revive us; on the third day He will raise us up, that we may live in His sight. Let us know, let us pursue the knowledge of the Lord. …He will come to us like the rain...” [2]

They seek the Lord for healing. They seek Him for revival. They pursue the Lord and He responds…

“Your faithfulness is like a morning cloud, and like the early dew it goes away. Therefore, I have hewn them by the prophets, I have slain them by the words of My mouth; and your judgments are like light that goes forth. For I desire mercy and not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.” [3]

The Lord knows that their faithfulness to Him is short-lived. His prophets are His hands to shape them aright. His Word speaks death to that in them which needs to die so that they can truly live. His judgments provide light for them. The Lord wants to see reflections of His mercy in their lives. They considered their sacrifices for sin sufficient to please God, but no, He was looking for a change in their feelings towards Him. He wanted them to genuinely love Him! To know Him! To love Him which is the first commandment. God wants to be loved by people. He didn’t want to mete out judgments and rebukes to bring them back to Him, but He did so because only He could save them from sin and transform them. He cared for them.

“Then they said to Him, ‘What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?’ Jesus answered and said to them, ‘This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.’” [4]

To do a pleasing work for God, believe in His Messiah. Walk with Him! Learn from Him! Love Him!

“Then Jesus said to them, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me.’” [5]

Know and believe God’s Messiah, also partake of Him! We partake of Christ when we eat the bread which is His body and drink the fruit of vine which is His blood. This refers to the new covenant Jesus made. The new covenant is that He became our sacrificial lamb. The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! We eat His bread and drink His blood for the forgiveness of our sins, to have communion with Him and to proclaim that He will come again.

The relationship God wants with us is a close one.

[1] Hosea 5:15
[2] Hosea 6:1-3
[3] Hosea 6:4-6
[4] John 6:28-29
[5] John 6:53-57

The Importance of Christian Faith

By Christian faith I mean believing inwardly and professing outwardly that Jesus Christ alone is your Lord and Savior. To be a Christian in the Biblical sense is to be one who believes that Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah promised by Moses and all the prophets.

Jesus went as far as to tell Jews who had a head knowledge of the Scriptures that they did not have the God’s Word abiding in them. They did not have the One from whom all Scripture came. They did not have the One who reveals the meaning of the Scripture, namely Jesus Messiah.

“You do not have His Word abiding in you, because whom He sent, Him you do not believe. You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.” [1]

These Jews had the Scriptures but not the Author of the Scriptures. Jesus told them, “You are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.” [2]

Jesus pinpointed what was lacking in their faith:

1) They would not come to Him… they did not receive Him as their Messiah. They were unwilling to be Christians. To be identified with Christ!

2) They did not have the love of God in them. [3]

3) They were apt to receive a self-appointed messiah but not the One whom the Father sent them. [4]

4) They were more interested in being honored by human peers than by God. [5]

5) They claimed to be followers of Moses, but Moses prophesied of Jesus in his five books (Genesis – Deuteronomy). Jesus fulfilled the prophecies of Moses. Jesus told them, “If you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me.” [6]

The Christian faith is important. Be a person identified with Christ! A Christ-centered and Christ-exalting believer!

A spiritual stronghold to overcome is the lie which says no one should say that salvation is only in the Name of Jesus. A second stronghold to overcome is the lie which says that no one should speak the Name of Jesus in public places. The early Christians countered these lies with truth…

“Let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole. This [Jesus] is the ‘stone, which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.’ Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other Name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” [7]

“So, they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His Name.” [8]

“Dear Heavenly Father, please help all of us Christians to believe that the prophecies of the coming Messiah have all been fulfilled by Your Son, Jesus of Nazareth. Please fill us afresh with Your Holy Spirit so that we unashamedly identify ourselves as Christians and lead others to believe in Him. In Christ’s Name I pray. Amen.”

[1] John 5:38-39
[2] John 5:40
[3] John 5:42
[4] John 5:43
[5] John 5:44
[6] John 5:46
[7] Acts 4:10-12
[8] Acts 5:41

Love for the Lord Restored

“’I will punish her for the days of the Baals [false gods] to which she burned incense. She decked herself with her earrings and jewelry and went after her lovers [idols]; but Me she forgot,’ says the Lord.”

Our Lord is faithful in love. He desires faithful love to be mutual. Israel had failed the relationship by giving to other idols what should have been given to the Lord.

“Therefore, behold, I will allure her, will bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfort to her. I will give her vineyards from there, and the Valley of Achor as a door of hope; she shall sing there, as in the days of her youth, as in the day when she came up from the land of Egypt.”

The Lord took her away from the place of her failings in relationship and caused her to be fruitful in a place that was not normally considered a place to bear fruit – namely a wilderness. She became aware of God’s mercy toward her and His love for her was a door of hope. She began to sing to the Lord as in the days of her first love for Him.

“’And it shall be, on that day,’ says the Lord, ‘that you will call Me ‘My Husband,’ and no longer call Me ‘My Master,’ for I will take from her mouth the names of the Baals [idols], and they shall be remembered by their name no more. In that day I will make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field, with the birds of the air, and with the creeping things of the ground. Bow and sword of battle I will shatter from the earth, to make them lie down safely. I will betroth you to Me forever; Yes, I will betroth you to Me in righteousness and justice, in lovingkindness and mercy; I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness, and you shall know the Lord.”

“Heavenly Father and Christ Jesus the Son, thank You for Your faithful love for us Your people. Thank You for loving us so much that even when we disappoint and fail You, You do not give up on us, but You bring about favorable circumstances for us to be renewed in our love for You. You restore us in the qualities that make You so beautiful and unique in this world. The qualities of righteous and just living, as well as lovingkindness, mercy, and faithfulness. Thank You for revealing Yourself to us so that we know You and walk with You as Your betrothed. We look forward to the day when You bring us to Your house, and we will dwell in Your house forever. In the Name of Jesus Your Son Jesus Christ I pray. Amen.”

The Scripture verses are from Hosea 2:13-20 NKJV

The Despicable And The Discerning

The despicable man destroys people and nations via intrigue and deception. The discerning people of God turn many to righteousness and shine like the stars forever.

The Lord described a despicable despot to the Prophet Daniel.

“There will arise in his place a despicable man not entitled to inherit the majesty of the kingdom, but he will come without warning and gain the kingdom by intrigue.” [1]

“Large armies will be broken and swept away before him…” [2]

“…Alliances will be made with him, but he will undermine them by deceit. …He will have but a small following, he will emerge and become strong.” [3]

“Without warning, he will assail the most powerful men… he will reward them with plunder, spoil and wealth while devising plots against their strongholds…” [4]

“…He will take furious action against the holy covenant, again showing favor to those who abandon the holy covenant.” [5]

“His armed forces will profane the sanctuary and fortress. They will abolish the daily burnt offering and set up the abomination that causes desolation.” [6]

“Those who act wickedly against the covenant he will corrupt with his blandishments, but the people who know their God will stand firm and prevail.” [7]

“Those among the people who have discernment will cause the rest of the people to understand what is happening; nevertheless, for a while they will fall victim to sword, fire, exile and pillage.” [8]

“Even some of those with discernment will stumble, so that some of them will be refined, purified and cleansed for an end yet to come at the designated time.” [9]

“The king will do as he pleases. He will exalt himself and consider himself greater than any god, and he will utter monstrous blasphemies against the God of gods.” [10]

“He won’t show respect for any god, because he will consider himself greater than all of them.” [11]

“He will honor the god of strongholds; with gold, silver, precious stones and other costly things he will honor a god unknown to his ancestors.” [12]

“…He will confer honor on those he acknowledges, causing them to rule over many and distributing land as a reward.” [13]

“Finally, when he pitches the tents of his palace between the seas and the mountain of the holy Glory, he will come to his end, with no one to help him.” [14]

“There will be a time of distress unparalleled… At that time, your people [Daniel’s] will be delivered, everyone whose name is found written in the book. Many of those sleeping in the dust of the earth will awaken, some to everlasting life and some to everlasting shame and abhorrence. But those who can discern will shine like the brightness of heaven’s dome, and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever.” [15]

This is good news! The discerning people of God will be shining brightly and turning many people to righteousness even during the days of the despicable despot’s reign.

“…Many will rush here and there as knowledge increases.” [16]

“Many will purify, cleanse, and refine themselves; but the wicked will keep on acting wickedly, and none of the wicked will understand. But those with discernment will understand.” [17]

“But you [Daniel], go your way until the end comes. Then you will rest and rise for your reward, at the end of days.” [18]

[1] Daniel 11:21
[2] Daniel 11:22
[3] Daniel 11:23
[4] Daniel 11:24
[5] Daniel 11:30
[6] Daniel 11:31
[7] Daniel 11:32
[8] Daniel 11:33
[9] Daniel 11:35
[10] Daniel 11:36
[11] Daniel 11:37
[12] Daniel 11:38
[13] Daniel 11:39
[14] Daniel 11:45
[15] Daniel 12:1-3
[16] Daniel 12:4
[17] Daniel 12:10
[18] Daniel 12:13

All Bible quotes from the Complete Jewish Bible (CJB)

Let the Revival Begin

Where do we start? How does revival begin? It begins with prayer. Christians, we need to gather together for prayer and pray for revival in our city, across the USA and throughout the world.

 
God is looking for people to stand in the gap and pray.  I think even if a couple of us set a time to pray and gather together each day, God will honor our prayers and send the revival.

Listen to our Lord Jesus Christ not to the Thief

“Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, ‘Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?’ And Jesus answered and said to them: ‘Take heed that no one deceives you.’”

Matthew 24:3-4

Handwriting On The Wall

“Suddenly the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall, near the lampstand in the royal palace. The king watched the hand as it wrote. His face turned pale, and he was so frightened that his legs became weak, and his knees were knocking.” [1]

This hand crashed the king’s party. He and his supporters were drinking alcohol from the cups of God’s temple. Stolen from Jerusalem! They were praising gods that were no gods. Suddenly, the true and living God interrupted the vile behavior of these worthless leaders. The king was so frightened that his knees literally began to knock together. The king’s wife got him to call for Daniel the prophet of God to give him the interpretation of what the divine hand wrote.

Daniel said to the king, “You, Belshazzar… have not humbled yourself... Instead, you have set yourself up against the Lord of heaven. You had the goblets from His temple brought to you, and you and your nobles, your wives and your concubines drank wine from them. You praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which cannot see or hear or understand. But you did not honor the God who holds in His hand your life and all your ways. Therefore He sent the hand that wrote the inscription.

This is the inscription that was written: mene, mene, tekel, parsin.

Here is what these words mean: Mene: God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end.

Tekel: You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting.

Peres: Your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.” [2]

What are our nation’s leaders doing? Have they set themselves against the Lord of heaven by the things they are doing both before us and behind us? God knows! God sees! In due season, God acts against arrogance. They too, will see the writing on the wall, and not be able to wiggle out of the consequences that are coming to them from the hand of God.

Let us humble ourselves, turn from sin, and give glory to God because the day of judgment on proud rebellion against God is at hand.

[1] Daniel 5:5-6
[2] Daniel 5:22-27

Earnest Prayers for Friends in Danger

The king of Babylon sent the commander of his guard to execute the wise men of his kingdom. Why? Because some said, “What the king asks is too difficult?” But Daniel spoke to him with wisdom and tact. He was granted time. His next step was to ask his three friends to pray…

“He urged them to plead for mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that he and his friends might not be executed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. During the night, the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision. Then Daniel praised the God of heaven.” [1]

Jesus warned His disciples that He was about to be arrested, tried, tortured, and executed. He told His disciple Simon Peter…

“Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” [2]

As the hour of His physical abuse drew near, Jesus said to His disciples, “Pray that you will not fall into temptation.” “He [Jesus] withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed.” [3] In fact, “being in anguish, He [Jesus] prayed more earnestly.” [4]

How many key servants of the Lord need our prayers today? They are wisely and earnestly serving God our Father, but dark characters want to destroy them, that is, unless intercessors, pray for them.

“Heavenly Father, I have some people on my heart today. You know who they are. They need victories that only you can give them. Please come through for them today. Be glorified in giving them the victory over those who seek to ruin them. In Jesus’ Name I pray. Amen.”

[1] Daniel 2:18-19
[2] Luke 22:31-32
[3] Luke 22:40
[4] Luke 22:44

A Burden Released

Is there a narrative that guides your goals?

I’ve always hoped that God would use my life to bring Him glory. In 1977, I wrote a story of a crusader who attempted to reopen a boarded-up church. It was the last remaining church building in his city. He had a congregation of two. They were content for him to be their teacher even if no one else joined their gathering, but he was not content. He rallied young people together to help him repair and reopen the church, but sadly, satanic people killed them all. My goal was to inspire commitment to church gatherings even if in doing so it resulted in martyrdom.

Dedication to church gatherings has been a driving force in my life. Glory to God!

However, this morning, while reading Ezekiel, the Lord revealed to me something I had not noticed before. Earlier in the book, the Israelites had strayed from God. Worse than closing churches, they were worshipping false gods in their gathering places. God gave Ezekiel words for them, but ultimately, it was God who would bring them back to Himself. Ezekiel just needed to keep his eyes on the Lord and follow the Lord’s leading.

I am not abandoning my dedication to church gatherings, but I am abandoning the lie that if I don’t gather people to God, I’m a failure. God has shown me through His prophet Ezekiel that sometimes though a man of God speaks the truth and models godly principles for others, they will not join themselves to God.

My part is to be a witness for the Gospel that saves lost souls. It is the listeners’ part to respond or to face the consequence of their non-response. On the one hand, I don’t want to shut down my effort due to a lack of response on the part of my listeners, on the other hand, I want to maintain a whole lot of passion to keep spreading God’s Word.

Below is a portion of what I read in Ezekiel this morning:

“In 25th year of our exile, at the beginning of the year, on the tenth of the month, in the 14th year after the fall of the city—on that very day the hand of the Lord was on me, and he took me there. In visions of God he took me to the land of Israel and set me on a very high mountain, on whose south side were some buildings that looked like a city. He took me there, and I saw a man whose appearance was like bronze; he was standing in the gateway with a linen cord and a measuring rod in his hand. The man said to me, ‘Son of man, look carefully and listen closely and pay attention to everything I am going to show you, for that is why you have been brought here. Tell the people of Israel everything you see.’ I saw a wall completely surrounding the temple area. The length of the measuring rod in the man’s hand was six long cubits, each of which was a cubit and a handbreadth. He measured the wall; it was one measuring rod thick and one rod high.” [1]

The vision continues with Ezekiel measuring the dimensions of the city. God rebuilt the lost city of Jerusalem. Years later, many of Ezekiel’s people did return to the Lord. This spiritual awakening came about as a result of God’s work. Ezekiel had a part in it but was not the lone crusader on whom the whole vision depended.

God has done great things through my life, but the greatest thing that He will do, namely the transformation of a fallen world back into a paradise, only He will do. I am okay with that. In fact, going forward, I just want to proclaim His Name and let Him carry the burden of the results.

[1] Ezekiel 40:1-5

From Bones to Blessings

The Spirit of the Lord gave the prophet Ezekiel a most amazing vision. He witnessed the Spirit of the Lord transforming dry bones into a mighty army for God. Imagine turkey bones that were picked clean by thanksgiving feasters suddenly coming together to form the bird’s skeletal structure, muscle forming on the bones, feathers reappearing and then, life entering it, and it is now alive and stronger than ever before. And it’s soul mission now is to bring glory to God!

“The hand of the Lord was on me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones.

He asked me, ‘Son of man, can these bones live?’ I said, ‘Sovereign Lord, you alone know.’

I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. I looked, tendons and flesh appeared on them, and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them.

Then he said to me, ‘Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come, breath, from the four winds and breathe into these slain, that they may live.’ So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet—a vast army.

‘I will put my Spirit in you, and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the Lord have spoken, and I have done it, declares the Lord.’” [1]

“Holy Spirit please breathe life into souls today and cause them to rise up to serve and glorify God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ. Please bring dry bones together. Please grant us muscle. Please fill us with very presence. In Jesus’ Name I pray. Amen.”

[1] Ezekiel 37:1, 3, 7-9, 14

From Insult to Praise

“No longer will I make you hear the taunts of the nations, and no longer will you suffer the scorn of the peoples or cause your nation to fall, declares the Sovereign Lord.” [1]

Have you ever been taunted or scorned? Insulted or laughed at due to your size, shape, color, ethnicity, speech, or lack of ability? The people that the prophet Ezekiel addressed experienced taunting. The Lord told them it was going to stop. What would a life without insults look like?

“I will show the holiness of My great Name, which has been profaned among the nations, the Name you have profaned among them. Then the nations will know that I am the Lord, declares the Sovereign Lord, when I am proved holy through you before their eyes.” [2]

Wait! What’s this? The people who experienced disrespect disrespected God’s great Name both by their words and deeds? Are there any nations like that today? Thankfully, God has a solution.

“I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land. I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put My Spirit in you and move you to follow My decrees and be careful to keep My laws.” [3]

The Lord gathered them back to their homeland. He led them to repent of their unfaithfulness to Him, namely from idolizing other non-gods and living in sin. Then, He filled them with His Holy Spirit so that they could live lives that brought praise and glory to His Name.

“Then you will remember your evil ways and wicked deeds, and you will loathe yourselves for your sins and detestable practices. I want you to know that I am not doing this for your sake, declares the Sovereign Lord. Be ashamed and disgraced for your conduct, people of Israel!” [4]

The only shame and disgrace that His people should have been concerned about was the shame and disgrace they brought to their Creator and Sustainer. To the lover of their souls!

“Heavenly Father, in Name of Your Son Jesus the Messiah, please forgive me… forgive my nation… forgive my world for the way we have treated You and Your Name. Please do anoint us with Your Holy Spirit so that we might with a new heart live to praise and glorify You.”

“Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!” [5]

[1] Ezekiel 36:15
[2] Ezekiel 36:23
[3] Ezekiel 36:24-27
[4] Ezekiel 36:31-32
[5] Psalm 150:6

Remaining Return Ready

“Where, Lord?” they asked.

He replied, “Where there is a dead body, there the vultures will gather.” [1]

What is the context of this conversation between Jesus and His disciples?

The answer is… “It will be just like this on the day the Son of Man is revealed.” [2] Jesus is using a metaphor to describe the spiritual condition of people when He returns. A dead body is a human form with no life in it. Jesus is saying that when He returns, those who are spiritually dead to God will be caught off guard.

“Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man. People were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all.” [3]

Just as it was on the days of Lot… “It was the same in the days of Lot. People were eating and drinking, buying, and selling, planting, and building. But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all.” [4]

The people in Noah’s days and Lot’s days, did not take God seriously. They did not repent of their sins. Other things were more important to them than God was.

Jesus does not want anyone to be caught spiritually dead to God when He returns. He wants you and me to be ready. Spiritually awake! Spiritually alive to God!

The good news is that Jesus Christ gave His life on Calvary’s cross for your sins and mine. He is our Savior. Jesus taught His disciples, “Even if they [brothers] sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive them.” [5] So, God is willing to forgive us as oft as we are willing to repent of our sins. The key to salvation is to repent when we sin and to remain with Christ until the day He returns or until we die, whichever comes first.

[1] Luke 17:37
[2] Luke 17:30
[3] Luke 17:26-27
[4] Luke 17:28-29
[5] Luke 17:4

Every Eye Shall Behold Him

Annie Herring is one of the pioneers of the Jesus music genre, later to be called Contemporary Christian music. She was a member of the trio 2nd Chapter of Acts, for which she wrote most of the songs and sang lead and harmony vocals with her brother Matthew Ward and sister Nelly (Ward) Greisen.

During an interview, she testified of a moment in which she had a vision of Jesus Christ in heaven. She said that she felt such love for Him. She wanted to kiss Him. As she drew near to Him, she felt every sin that she ever committed. She felt each transgression. It broke her heart. She felt there was no way Jesus could love her. The vision ended. She said, “Jesus is the perfect spotless Lamb of God!” Jesus took her sins away and affirmed His love for Annie over and over again. The Name of Jesus became like honey to her soul. And He filled her with His Holy Spirit.

JOY in You the Lord JESUS!

“Therefore, the redeemed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.”

Isaiah 35:10

Be Filled with the Holy Spirit

 

A Noble & Good Heart

“The seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.” [1]

“He replied, ‘My mother and brothers are those who hear God’s word and put it into practice.’” [2]

“’Where is your faith?’ He asked His disciples.” [3]

“Then He said to her, ‘Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.’” [4]

“Hearing this, Jesus said to Jairus, ‘Don’t be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed.’” [5]

The Word of God supplies our faith in God to trust in Him for miracles when we need Him for help.

Questions to ask oneself: “Have I a noble and good heart that hears the word, retains it, and by persevering produces a crop?” “Do I hear AND practice the Word of God?” “Do I believe God for miracles both for myself and others?”

[1] Luke 8:15
[2] Luke 8:21
[3] Luke 8:25
[4] Luke 8:48
[5] Luke 8:50

The World’s Kingdoms Become the Lord’s

“Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, ‘The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!’” [1]

The Kingdom of God will outlast all other kingdoms built on false narratives contrary to the Word of God. In due season, the false narratives collapse, and those who trusted in those false narratives will be greatly disappointed and suffer great losses.

“Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the Gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the Gospel.’” [2]

Believing the Bible about Jesus Christ being your Savior from sin is the answer for entering the kingdom of God.

“The kingdom of God is… righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” [3]

[1] Revelation 11:15
[2] Mark 1:14-15
[3] Romans 14:17

Affirming God’s Witnesses

“He who gathers in summer is a wise son; He who sleeps in harvest is a son who causes shame.” [1]

Now is the time to harvest! Our feet are still on planet earth. It is our opportunity to share the Good News of what Jesus Christ did for us on the cross and at the empty tomb.

Consider God’s servant Job! His story is a metaphor for Christians who are attacked physically, spiritually, mentally, and emotionally for their faith and obedience to God. The lengthiest part of Job’s suffering was with his “three friends” who did not understand that he was being a witness for God. The story concludes with God affirming that Job spoke rightly of Him. [2]

Peter, James, and Paul, like Job, also suffered for their faith in God.

Consider what happened to Jesus while He walked the earth! After He preached to the truth to them, His hometown folks almost threw Him over a cliff. [3]

For so many years, I have struggled to overcome the lie that a person needs to be continuously “successful” in the eyes of others to be a good witness for God. That is not Scriptural. Actually, in most cases, it is contrary to Scripture. What I have experienced when I love people like Jesus loves them is attacks. The enemy of human souls – the devil – delights in his captives. The last thing the devil wants is for some person to demonstrate by word and deed the love of Jesus Christ to lost souls.

“He who gathers in summer is a wise son.” [4] Gathering is work. It involves sweat, injuries, and yes, even unkind treatment at times. The gatherer's hope is in his or her Redeemer. One day, he or she will be welcomed into the Savior's rest.

“Thank You, Heavenly Father, for affirming those who witness for You.”

[1 & 4] Proverbs 10:5
[2] Job 42:7
[3] Luke 4:29

Rejoicing for our Lord's Faithful & Righteous Judgments

 

The New Temple & Christ's Return

Jesus resurrected a new temple built without hands when He resurrected from the dead on the third day and when He baptized His disciples with the Holy Spirit. The new temple is His body, the Church. His body, the Church, reaches to every continent and to every nation. For this Church He shall return. And thanks to His atoning work on the cross for our sins, we shall live and reign with Him forever and ever. Hallelujah!

 

God is the Strength of My Heart

 

Trust & Praise God Always!

 

Precious Promises that Brighten our Day

“Thank You Heavenly Father for the beautiful artistry You create daily for us to behold. And thank You for Your precious promises that rise like the sun to brighten our day.”

 

As the Lightning Flashes

People Get Ready! The King of kings and Lord of lords will come quickly.

“As the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.”

Matthew 24:27

Glorying In The Lord

 

First Love

Loving the Lord our God is the first and great commandment.

On a scale of 1-10, is our love for JESUS cold or hot?

Love for God is the best foundation to build on.

“Dear Heavenly Father, please forgive us for not loving You as we should. You are lovely, loveable, and loved! You are wonderful! Please help to always love You fervently. In the Name of Jesus Your Son, I pray. Amen.”

True Conversions

 Jesus said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3:3)

Let us pray and speak for true conversions wrought by the preaching and teaching of the Gospel accompanied by the converting power of the Holy Spirit. 

Please Carry Me as I Serve You Lord

Did your father ever carry you on his shoulders? Or as a father or mother, did you carry your child on your shoulders? I am so glad my Heavenly Father has been carrying me and carrying the burden I feel for the proclamation of the Gospel to lost souls.

“I love You Lord and want to lead more lost souls to You before I leave this present age. But the task is beyond me for it requires responsive hearts. Please carry me Lord to the heart whom You have prepared to receive and believe Your Gospel, and please help me share the Gospel clearly and lovingly with that soul.”

The King Is Coming

“I was watching in the night visions,

And behold, One like the Son of Man,

Coming with the clouds of heaven!

He came to the Ancient of Days,

And they brought Him near before Him.

Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom,

That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him.

His dominion is an everlasting dominion,

Which shall not pass away,

And His kingdom the one

Which shall not be destroyed.” [1]

“Then the seventh angel sounded:

And there were loud voices in heaven, saying,

The kingdoms of this world

Have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ,

And He shall reign forever and ever!” [2]

[1] Daniel 7:13-15

[2] Revelation 11:15