Believing our Redeemer

“Of the Rock that begat thee thou art unmindful, And hast forgotten God that formed thee.”

‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭32:18‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Moses told the children of Israel that they ignored the Rock Who bore them and forgot the God Who gave birth to them.  Mankind has forgotten their Maker, and in the process, their identity.  When Jesus was sent by God, it was not to begin the Christian religion.  His mandate was to reveal and redeem the image and likeness of God in human form.  James, Jesus’s brother didn’t believe in Jesus during the three years of Jesus’s ministry, but discovered his own true identity when Jesus appeared to him after the resurrection.  James said that God was delighted to give us birth by the truth of His infallible Word so that we would fulfill His chosen destiny for us and become the favourite ones out of all His creation!  Let’s believe wholeheartedly in the truth of our origin through the incarnation of Jesus our Lord.  Thank You Father! 

New Wine

 “And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come.”

‭‭John‬ ‭2:3-4‬ ‭KJV

At the wedding in Cana Jesus and his disciples were all invited to the banquet, but with so many guests, they ran out of wine. And when Mary realized it, she came to Jesus and asked, “They have no wine; can’t you do something about it?” Jesus replied, “My dear one, don’t you understand that if I do this, it will change nothing for you, but it will change everything for me! My hour of unveiling my power has not yet come.  Religion has run out of wine and Jesus lived aware of His mission which was to redeem and restore the joyous celebration of the union of marrying humanity and Divinity!  While Jesus is the true joy and wine, He fully understood what it would cost Him to drink the cup of mankind’s injustice and violence on the Cross.  When we are reluctant to act on the high calling and election God has purposed for us, let there be Mary sent to remind us, “They have no wine.”  Thank You, Jesus!

Messenger of the New Covenant

 “Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts.”

‭‭Malachi‬ ‭3:1‬ ‭KJV‬‬

These are the words of Yahweh, Commander of the heavenly armies:  Pay attention! I am sending My messenger, and he will clear the road for Me.  The Lord you seek will suddenly arrive at His temple.  And the Messenger of God’s covenant, your soul’s delight, Watch, because He, too, is coming, prophesied Malachi, about four hundred years before this happened.  Even though John the Baptist would deny that he was actually Elijah in person, as they expected, but Jesus called him Elijah in spirit.  The angel had already told John’s father Zechariah that his son will go before the Lord as a forerunner, with the same power and anointing as Elijah the prophet; and that he will be instrumental in turning the hearts of the fathers in tenderness back to their children and the hearts of the disobedient back to the wisdom of their righteous fathers. And he will prepare a united people who are ready for the Lord’s appearing.  The prophetic word always happens!  Let’s not despise prophecies but give heed to them.  Amen!

God’s Awesome Act of Reconciliation

 “For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭5:10-11‬ ‭KJV‬‬

So if while we were still enemies, God fully reconciled us to Himself through the death of His Son, then something greater than friendship is ours. Now that we are at peace with God, and because we share in His  resurrection life, how much more we will be rescued from sin’s dominion! And even more than that, we overflow with triumphant joy in our new relationship of living reconciled to God—all because of Jesus Christ!  Paul explains that our hostility and indifference towards God did not reduce His love for us; He saw equal value in us when He exchanged the life of His Son for ours.  Now that the act of reconciliation is complete, His life in us saves us from the gutter-most to the uttermost.  Thus, our joyful boasting in God continues; Jesus Christ has made reconciliation a reality.  Let’s overcome indifference and apathy and rejoice at what God has done for us.  Glory to God in the highest!

A Life of Debt is a Heavy Burden

 “There is treasure to be desired and oil in the dwelling of the wise; But a foolish man spendeth it up.”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭21:20‬ ‭KJV‬‬

A fool and his money are soon parted!  In wisdom’s house you’ll find delightful treasures and the oil of the Holy Spirit. But the stupid squander what they’ve been given.  In the credit card debt ridden society that we live in, it is easy to be foolish and believe you know it all and everything will happen just the way you want it to happen and you’ll be out of debt, it’s just a matter of time!  For those who trust in Jesus, they forget that God has called us to be stewards of all the money He has given us, it belongs to Him and not to us.  We sin against Him by depending on ourselves and not on Christ for we have experienced the extravagant grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that although He was infinitely rich, He impoverished Himself for our sake, so that by His poverty, we become rich beyond measure.  Let’s depend on the exceeding great riches of the exchange that Jesus made on the Cross and depend on the wisdom of Christ.  Let’s repent of a seared conscience and the evil heart of unbelief for living according to the culture of the world today rather than living by the Word of God.  Thank You Jesus for what You did on the Cross for us all!  Amen!

Yahweh is Mindful & Gracious

 “But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭1:13‬ ‭KJV

Zechariah (whose name means ‘Yah is mindful’), is the officiating priest at this time whose job is to place incense on the altar, heated with coals from the brazen altar of sacrifice and then prostrate himself in prayer.  The incense represents the prayers of the people and outside the people are reciting their prayers.  The angel standing before Zechariah said, “Yah is mindful, Zechariah, you have no reason to fear!  This is the moment for your dream to realise!  Elizabeth will bear you a son and you shall name him John.”  Zechariah had most likely ceased to ask for offspring owing to his extreme years and he certainly was not offering this prayer during this solemn moment.  God is saying that the prayer Zechariah no longer prayed, was heard!  So Zechariah is startled to the core by the mercy and favour of God.  Yahweh’s mercy introduces and unveils the Lamb of God, Who would take away the sin of the world, through Yohannan which means Yahweh is gracious.  John the Baptist embodied the grace of God in his person and mission.  The entire prophetic priesthood and sacrificial system was to be rendered redundant when God Himself became the sacrifice concluding the judgment of creation in His death and resurrection!  Glory to God!

Our Chief Cornerstone

 “And the house, when it was in building, was built of stone made ready before it was brought thither: so that there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building.”

‭‭1 Kings‬ ‭6:7‬ ‭KJV‬‬

The temple that Solomon constructed was out of rocks that had been finished and polished at the quarry.  Not a single hammer, hatchet, or other iron tool was heard inside the temple during construction.  The cornerstone or foundation stone is the first stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation.  All other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entire structure.  Jesus is the Chief Cornerstone and we are like Him.  We are invited to be His “living stones” who are continually being assembled into a sanctuary for God.  No chiseling is required, only nurturing because Jesus shed His own Blood so that we may be perfectly mirrored to the pattern of our Chief Cornerstone.  Let’s surrender to the Holy Spirit to be in the pattern of Jesus Christ Himself, our Rock from Whom we are hewn!  Amen!

Sanctification & Sprinkling of the Blood

 “elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.”

‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭1:2‬ ‭KJV‬‬

What a glorious revelation Peter received that we are not forgotten, for we have been chosen and destined by Father God. The Holy Spirit has set us apart to be God’s holy ones, obedient followers of Jesus Christ who have been gloriously sprinkled with His Blood. May God’s delightful grace and peace cascade over us many times over!  Our original identity is defined by what God, the Father of mankind has always cherished about us; how our pre-Adamic innocence would be preserved in the prophetic word, and redeemed through the obedience of Jesus Christ, and the effect of the sprinkling of His Blood.  Realising His grace and peace exceeds any definition of contradiction or reward.  Peter emphasises the priceless value of our redeemed innocence through the obedience of Christ and the shedding of His Blood.  Worthy is the Lamb of God!

Patient Endurance

 “But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face.”

‭‭Job‬ ‭1:11‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Satan challenged God that if God removed His protection from Job and destroyed all his possessions, Job would curse God right to His face.  Instead, Job patiently endured his sufferings which is why we honour him as one of our faith heroes because he remained faithful even while enduring great sufferings considering all that he went through and we can now see that the Lord ultimately treated him with wonderful kindness, revealing how tenderhearted God really is.  Job prophetically said that he knew his Redeemer lived because he had a revelation of our Redeemer Who redeemed us from Satan by paying with His Own Blood.  Now no accusation of Satan comes against us because of the Blood of Jesus, our Redeemer.  Hallelujah!

Humility attracts Grace

 “But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.”

‭‭James‬ ‭4:6‬ ‭KJV‬‬

As it was revealed to James, by thanksgiving God continues to pour out more and more grace upon us. For it says, “God resists you when you are proud but continually pours out grace when you are humble.  God’s gift of grace through Christ Jesus is in direct opposition to the vanity of the proud mindset of self effort, whereby people strive to prove themselves as superior to others.  Gifts and rewards are opposite!  Humility attracts grace.  Let’s walk in life with a humble attitude honouring others and not judging and condemning others.  Grace, the unmerited favour of God, will flow through our lives.  Jesus humbled Himself even to the place of utter humiliation which is the Cross, so that God exalted Him to the highest place.  Jesus is our mirror image and we are in His likeness.  Hallelujah!

Blessings of Abraham

 “and I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:”

‭‭Genesis‬ ‭12:2‬ ‭KJV‬‬

When God told Abram to leave everything and follow Him, He told Abram that He will make him into a great nation; and will exceedingly bless and prosper him; and make him famous, so that he would be a tremendous source of blessing for others.  God was calling Abram out from more than just his relatives.  He was calling Abram out from specific diety worship connected to nations, clans and ancestors.  It was an incredible act of childlike faith on Abram’s part to go to an unknown land but it resulted in the blessings of Abraham for all the redeemed!   Because he left his nation, God would make Abram into a great nation and give ability to procreate.  God esteemed this aspect of Abram’s faith in the unseen and made his name great.  Let’s walk by faith and not by sight, it pleases God.  This will open our spiritual eyes to see as Jesus did when He said that He did what He saw the Father do.  Thank You Jesus for being the Way to see into the spiritual realm!

Childlike Confidence

 “But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭18:16‬ ‭KJV

As the disciples scolded the parents bringing babies and little children to Jesus, He summoned His disciples to Him, and clearly instructed them to immediately allow the little ones to freely come to Him and not to hinder them at all - they own God’s Kingdom instinctively!  Their minds are not cluttered with religious perceptions of performance related requirements and identity issues - they revel in their innocence and childlike confidence!  In fact, this is the very reason why so many struggle to consciously access the dimension of the Kingdom of God - they seem trapped in a religious, ‘adult’ mind of performance and self-doubt, having forgotten what it’s like to live in childlike trust and receive the blessing of the Kingdom as effortlessly as breathing!  Let’s accept the Kingdom of God with childlike trust!  Jesus gave us newness of life to be childlike not childish and immature!  Amen!

Soar like Eagles

 “but they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭40:31‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Isaiah prophesied that those who entwine their hearts with Yahweh will experience divine strength.  They will rise up on soaring wings and fly like eagles, run their race without growing weary, and walk through life without giving up.  We are wired by design to entwine our hearts with Yahweh, and then we soar as eagles.  The outer court is where we walk, the Holy Place is where we run, and we soar like eagles into the heavenly realm, in the Holy of Holies.  As we wait on Him, let’s bind our hearts together with the Lord and see His plan unfold for us.  The Holy Spirit helps us entwine our heart and thoughts with Yahweh.  Jesus gave us the mind of Christ to think His thoughts and entwine our heart with His.  Hallelujah!

Abide & Dwell

 “Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye? They said unto him, Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, Master,) where dwellest thou?”

‭‭John‬ ‭1:38‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Jesus turned around and looked them in the eyes and asked, “What is it that you’re really looking for?”  They answered Him, Rabbi, which means, my Teacher, where do You abide?  Abide means to be present in seamless union.  In Jesus Christ, God has given all humanity the greatest gift.  It locates us to where He is - in the bosom of the Father.  Just as He is in the Father, so we too are in Him and He in us.  Mankind is fully included and located in Him, in His Son Jesus Christ; this means that whatever Jesus is as the Son, we are.  Thank You Jesus for dwelling and abiding in us in seamless union!

End Time Revival

 “Behold ye among the heathen, and regard, and wonder marvellously: for I will work a work in your days, which ye will not believe, though it be told you.”

‭‭Habakkuk‬ ‭1:5‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Habakkuk sees the vision where the Eternal One tells him to “take a look at the nations and watch what happens!  You will be shocked and amazed.  For in your days, I am doing a work, a work you will never believe even if someone tells you plainly!”  The Apostle Paul spoke this at the synagogue in Antioch, Pisidia where he gave the Gospel with Barnabas, giving this as a future happening just before the return of the Lord of Glory.  This revelation should cause God’s people to greatly wonder and rejoice.  Jesus said He will come again and let us wonder at what the Lord is going to do to bring in the end-time harvest.  Let’s be part of the coming revival and see with the eyes of faith the wonderful end-time harvest of souls into the Kingdom of God.  Thank You Father!

The Order of Melchizedek

 “After this I will return, And will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; And I will build again the ruins thereof, And I will set it up: That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, And all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, Saith the Lord, who doeth all these things.”

‭‭Acts‬ ‭15:16-17‬ ‭KJV‬‬

This is what James spoke at the Jerusalem Council of Apostles, quoting the prophet Amos that ‘the Lord will return to the Jews and raise up the tabernacle of David that has fallen into ruin. The Lord will restore and rebuild what David experienced so that all of humanity will be able to encounter the Lord including the gentiles whom He has called to be His very own,’ says the Lord.  The Tabernacle of David is the name given to the tent that King David set up on Mount Zion in Jerusalem to house the Ark of the Covenant.  Although the high priest went only once a year to where the Ark of the Covenant was, now it was open to all to come and bring high praises and worship to the Lord.  This was prophetic of the new order of Melchizedek that the Lord Jesus instituted under the new Covenant.  A new way is opened for Jews and Gentiles to come boldly to the Mercy Seat of the Throne of Grace.  Jesus, our High Priest, made the new way.  Thank You Jesus!

Jesus Destroyed Fear & Unbelief

 “And at that time came Joshua, and cut off the Anakims from the mountains, from Hebron, from Debir, from Anab, and from all the mountains of Judah, and from all the mountains of Israel: Joshua destroyed them utterly with their cities.”

‭‭Joshua‬ ‭11:21‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Joshua also drove out the Anakim, a race of giants, from the hill country (including the cities of Hebron, Debir and Anab) - from the entire hill country of Judah and Israel.  Joshua destroyed the Anakim and their towns.  The Anakim were descendants of Anak.  They were intimidating giants that kept the Israelites fearful in unbelief, which led to their wandering in the wilderness.  But Joshua eliminated  these giants and enabled the tribes of Israel to possess their inheritance, just as Jesus does today to the giants keeping us from full faith.  Giants are nothing compared to God’s omnipotence.  Let’s by faith nail fear and unbelief on the Cross of Calvary, where Jesus dealt the death blow to the devil and destroyed the devil’s works. What amazing grace that saved us even now in this present age.  Thank You Jesus!

The Sevenfold Seal on the Redeemed

 “who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.”

‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭1:22‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Paul writes that God knows we are His since He has also stamped His seal of love over our hearts and has given us the Holy Spirit like an engagement ring is given to a bride—a down payment of the blessings to come!  God has sealed the redeemed with a sevenfold seal - the seal of security, secured tightly in God’s love; the seal of authentication that marks us His own; the seal to certify genuineness; the seal of ownership; the seal of approval; the seal of righteousness; and finally, the seal denoting a promise to be fulfilled.  This seal of Christ our Bridegroom, is on our hearts.  We are born of the Spirit, sealed with the Spirit, indwelt by the Spirit, baptised in the Spirit, filled with the Spirit, joined one with the Spirit, given gifts of the Spirit and given ministries by the Spirit.  He is the Promise of our full inheritance!  Thank You Holy Spirit!

Jesus our Sacrifice

 “To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the LORD: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats.”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭1:11‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Yahweh keeps saying: Why such countless sacrifices - what use are they to Me?  I’ve had My fill of your burnt offerings of rams and your fattened animals.  I find no delight in the blood of bulls, lambs or goats!  Outward sacrifices are empty if there is no inward reality.  God cannot be bought.  He looks at the heart and requires offerings given in holiness and truth.  The sacrifice of a fattened animal is an outward picture of what God wants to do inside of us.  He wants to kill that ‘fattened’ part of us that is stuffed only with the letter of the Word but not the humility taught by the Word.  It is by Jesus’s One Perfect Sacrifice He made us perfectly holy and complete for all time!  Glory to God!

Gospel Power

 “For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.”

‭‭1 Thessalonians‬ ‭1:9-10‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Paul writes to the newly founded church in Thessalonica of everyone telling the story of the kind of welcome they showed Paul and his team when they  first came there.  Everyone saw knows wonderfully they turned to God from idols to serve the true and living God. And now they eagerly expect His Son from heaven—Jesus, the Deliverer, Whom He raised from the dead and Who rescues us from the coming wrath.  The Gospel of power changes lives.  The Thessalonians had renounced the worship of false gods and turned wholeheartedly to the true God and become faithful servants.  Every time true repentance takes place, a life is changed.  The Thessalonians wholeheartedly turned to God and abandoned worshipping false gods, becoming passionate servants of the Lord Jesus Christ as they eagerly anticipated Him.  Let’s move in the power of the Gospel as true repentance happens.  Amen!

Happy are the Forgiven

 “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, And in whose spirit there is no guile.”

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭32:1-2‬ ‭KJV‬‬

David wrote this psalm after he seduced the wife of his most loyal soldier, then had him killed to try to keep her pregnancy a secret.  This sin with Bathsheba brought great disgrace to David, yet he finds complete forgiveness in God’s mercy.  How happy and fulfilled are those whose rebellion is forgiven, those whose sins are covered by blood.  How blessed and relieved are those who have confessed their corruption to God!  For He wipes their slates clean and removes hypocrisy from their hearts.  David foresaw the important doctrine of salvation for he wrote it in the days when the covering of sin was by the blood of sacrifice.  Today our sins are no longer simply covered, but they are removed forever by the Blood Sacrifice of Jesus Christ once and for all.  Through our faith in Him, Christ’s perfect righteousness is deposited to our account and we are declared righteous by faith.  This is the finished work of the Cross forever.  Let’s put our faith in what Christ has done for each of us, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.  The Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world!  Thank You Jesus!

In Christ Privileges

 “And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.”

‭‭John‬ ‭3:13‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Jesus tells Nicodemus this wonderful mystery that no one has risen into the heavenly realm except the Son of Man who also exists in heaven.  While Jesus is on earth ministering, He was also in heaven in the spirit realm.  Being in different realms at the same time is a privilege given to the redeemed in Christ.  We are seated with Christ in the heavenly realm and living our earthly lives to please Him.  This is what it means to be “in Christ”.  In the realm of the Spirit, heaven and earth is one.  Jesus tells Nicodemus that only those who are seated in the heavenly realm will understand spiritual truths.  Let’s be in Christ and allow the Kingdom of God to be on earth as it is in heaven through us.  Hallelujah!

Faith defeats Death

 “and Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.”

‭‭Genesis‬ ‭5:24‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Enoch and God walked together as intimate friends; then God took Enoch to Himself, and he was seen no more.  Enoch enjoyed God’s favour by faith, in spite of Adam’s fall; he proved that faith defeats death.  His absent body prophesied the resurrection of Christ - faith does not die!  Enoch also prophesied about the coming of Christ with myriads of holy ones.  Let’s have an intimacy in our friendship with Christ because He has called us friends, not servants.  Let’s defeat death by the faith of the Son of God living in us and through us.  Amen!

Confidence in Christ’s Blood

 “Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;”

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭10:19-20‬ ‭KJV‬‬

And now we are brothers and sisters in God’s family because of the Blood of Jesus, and He welcomes us to come into the most holy sanctuary in the heavenly realm—boldly and without hesitation. For He has dedicated a new, life-giving way for us to approach God. For just as the veil was torn in two, Jesus’ body was torn open to give us free and fresh access to Him!  The Blood of Jesus communicates, seals our immediate access into this ultimate place of sacred encounter, with unashamed confidence.  This is the official inauguration of a brand new way of life.  The torn flesh of Jesus opened the veil for us.  Our own flesh can no longer be a valid excuse to stop the expression of the life of our design from within us - the most holy sanctuary where Christ our High Priest dwells is in us!  Thank You for Your Blood sacrifice, Lamb of God!

God’s Word in our Mouth

 “Then the LORD put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth. See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant.”

‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭1:9-10‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Then the Eternal reached out and touched Jeremiah’s mouth and gave him the divine message.  What God told Jeremiah, is what He is telling us personally and directly.  God says that He has placed His words in us.  We will know what to say now, for we will be His voice.  This very day, God has appointed us to speak with His authority over nations and kingdoms.  Our word, which is God’s Word, will have the power to uproot and stamp out; it will destroy and overturn.  And then our Word, which is God’s Word, will rebuild and plant anew.  This is exactly what the Holy Spirit endorses in us, the redeemed, having already foretold it in Scripture.  Let’s be bold to speak the life-giving Word from our mouth to uproot, stamp out, destroy, overturn; and then to rebuild and plant anew for those who walk after the law of the Spirit of Life and not after the law of sin and death.  Jesus is the Word!  Thank You, Jesus!

God’s Act of Reconciliation

 “And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; to wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.”

‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭5:18-19‬ ‭KJV‬‬

The idea of man’s co-inclusion in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is entirely God’s doing!  To now realise that God has indeed brought final closure to the old and for us to see everything and everyone in this new light.  God has always known  this to be true about us in Christ; we are not debating human experience, opinion, or their contribution - this is exactly what God believes.  In Jesus Christ, God exchanged equivalent value to redeem us to Himself.  He went to the highest extreme in this act of reconciliation to persuade us of our original worth! God was present in Christ when He reconciled the total cosmos to Himself.  Deity and humanity embraced in Him; the fallen state of mankind was deleted; their trespasses would no longer count against them!  He now announces His friendship with every individual through us!  Mankind was not redeemed from the devil; a thief never becomes an owner; neither did Jesus do what He did to change His Father’s mind about us, it was our minds that needed persuasion!  God was not to be reconciled to His creation; God was in Christ when He reconciled the world to Himself!  Hallelujah!

God Delights in Me!

 “I will love thee, O LORD, my strength. He brought me forth also into a large place; He delivered me, because he delighted in me.”

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭18:1, 19‬ ‭KJV‬‬

David composed this psalm when the Lord rescued him from all his many enemies and from king Saul’s jealousies.  David expresses that he loves Yahweh, and is bonded to Him, his strength! Yahweh’s love broke open the way, and He brought David into a beautiful, broad place. He rescued David—because Yahweh’s delight is in David!  David loves the Lord and wants to embrace Him like “Lord, I want to hug You!”  Yahweh’s love broke open the Way, and is prophetic as we see the glorious resurrection of Christ, when the Father reached down and kissed the Son with Life and Love and Christ is raised from the tomb!  Glory to God for the resurrection of Jesus, our Lord and Saviour!

See Christ in Scripture

 “And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them. And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭24:30-31‬ ‭KJV‬‬

This is how it happened, as soon as they reclined at the table, Jesus took the bread, blessed it, broke it, and was giving it to them!  And immediately their eyes were opened, and they knew exactly Who He was!  Then He vanished from their view!  He vanished from their sight because Jesus can no longer be any more present in His Person than what He is present in the Word incarnate in us.  Jesus said that every time we eat and drink, to remember Him.  The moment we discover Jesus in Scripture, as in a mirror, our hearts ignite and our meal becomes a celebration of our incarnate union.  Our body is His temple and we celebrate Him in us!  Thank You Jesus for Your incarnate union with us!  Hallelujah!

The Glory Cloud

 “And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night: he took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.”

‭‭Exodus‬ ‭13:21-22‬ ‭KJV‬‬

The Eternal One went on ahead to guide them during the day in a cloud shaped like a pillar; at night He appeared to them in a fire shaped like a pillar to light their way.  So they were able to travel by day and by night.  God’s people were familiar with the cloud!  Whenever the cloud covered the tabernacle in the wilderness, the glory of the Lord appeared.  When Peter, James and John were on the mount with Jesus, a cloud covered them and the disciples feared as they entered the cloud when Jesus was transfigured.  After Jesus’s resurrection when He was to ascend, He was taken up and a cloud veiled Him from their sight.  When He comes to take His Bride, we will be caught up in the clouds to meet Him in the air.  When He comes again on earth, He will come in a cloud with great power and glory.  Let’s walk in His glory in an intimate relationship with Christ! Maranatha!

Love Celebrates the Truth

 “doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;”

‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭13:5-6‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Paul shows the Church of the love of God in each of us who have Christ dwelling in our hearts.  Love does not traffic in shame and disrespect, nor selfishly seek its own honor. Love is not easily irritated or quick to take offense. Love joyfully celebrates honesty and finds no delight in what is wrong.  Love is predictable and does not behave out of character.  Love is not ambitious or spiteful and gets no mileage out of another’s mistakes; it bears no record of wrongs!  Love sees no joy in injustice.  Love’s delight is in everything that Truth celebrates.  The Holy Spirit has shed abroad this love in our hearts so let’s ask Him to help us release God’s Love that celebrates Truth! Amen!