Jesus Conquered Death and Hades

 “And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit.”

‭‭Revelation‬ ‭9‬:‭1‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Then the fifth angel sounded his trumpet, and I saw a star that fell from heaven to earth, and he was handed the key to the shaft leading down to the pit of the deep.  Jesus is the One Who holds the keys of death and Hades, for He unlocked both and walked out triumphantly in resurrection power.  Many things are opened in Revelation - heaven, doors, books - with the purpose of releasing a new understanding.  There is a deep place in the human heart, like a pit, that Jesus opens so that we can see what has been there inside us.  Jesus gave this revelation to John the beloved disciple who witnessed Jesus on the Cross, at the receiving end of the depth of the evil of the human heart, when He died.  But thanks be to God that He rose victorious having conquered death and Hades and every depravity of the human heart.  Hallelujah!

God’s Care & Protection on Orphans & Widows

 “Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elisha, saying, Thy servant my husband is dead; and thou knowest that thy servant did fear the LORD: and the creditor is come to take unto him my two sons to be bondmen. And Elisha said unto her, What shall I do for thee? tell me, what hast thou in the house? And she said, Thine handmaid hath not any thing in the house, save a pot of oil.”

‭‭2 Kings‬ ‭4‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭KJV‬‬

The wife of a man from the guild of prophets called out to Elisha, “Your servant my husband is dead. You well know what a good man he was, devoted to God. And now the man to whom he was in debt is on his way to collect by taking my two children as slaves.” Elisha said, “..Tell me, what do you have in your house?” “Nothing,” she said. “Well, I do have a little oil.”  The widow knew to come to the prophet Elisha for help.  The children of Israel knew that He is a father of the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in His holy habitation. The Lord relieves the fatherless and widow; But the way of the wicked He turns upside down. This widow and her fatherless sons came out of bondage with God’s grace and power.  That is the heart of our Father in heaven Whom the Lord Jesus revealed, and for us to show this love in the Body of Christ by the pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father: by visiting orphans and widows in their trouble.  Amen!

The Time is Near When Mankind Bows to Christ

 “And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake.”

‭‭Revelation‬ ‭8‬:‭5‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Then the angel filled the golden incense burner with coals of fire from the altar and hurled it onto the earth, releasing great peals of thunder, voices, lightning flashes, and an earthquake.  As our prayers, mixed with the intercession of our High Priest, Jesus, ascend in the Spirit the very coals of fire from the altar, are cast into the earth, which releases mighty power.  The voices carry the Word of the Lord.  The thunder manifests God’s power.  The lightening strikes illuminate divine truth as a great earthquake shakes the kingdoms of men in their foundations.  These are not only acts of judgment, but purification.  The altar is central in the vision of the Lamb that was slain - the triumph of the Cross is unveiled, in redeeming mankind’s innocence.  The fire from the altar is the judgment that the Lamb faced as scapegoat of the human race.  The earthquake takes place because of fault lines - a great shifting is taking place along the fault-lines of people’s thinking.  Let’s believe that the time is near when all mankind acknowledges and bows before our LORD and Saviour - Jesus Christ.  Hallelujah!

Worship Brings God’s Power

 “But now bring me a minstrel. And it came to pass, when the minstrel played, that the hand of the LORD came upon him.”

‭‭2 Kings‬ ‭3‬:‭15‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Elisha said, “bring me a minstrel.” (When a minstrel played, the power of God came on Elisha.). He had learned well from Elijah the power of worship and from king David who knew the secret of worship well, especially as he served king Saul who was troubled by the evil spirit.  Whenever this spirit came upon Saul, that David would take a harp and play it with his hand. Then Saul would become refreshed and well, and the distressing spirit would depart from him.  David wrote in the psalms, “Praise the Lord with the harp; Make melody to Him with an instrument of ten strings. Sing to Him a new song; Play skillfully with a shout of joy.”  Nehemiah also knew when the walls of Jerusalem had been built that he called the priests, Levites and the people to sing with instruments to worship God and there was great joy.  John saw in Revelation, the heavenly host having harps of God and singing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying: “Great and marvelous are Your works, Lord God Almighty! Just and true are Your ways, O King of the saints!”  There is power in worship and may we be true worshippers of the Living God, even on earth as it is in heaven.  Amen!

Sealed with the Mind of Christ

 “And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, saying,”

‭‭Revelation‬ ‭7‬:‭2‬ KJV‬‬

Then I saw another angel ascending from the east, who had the seal of the living God.  The east, where the sun rises is associated with blessings, the place from where God appears.  The messenger was not descending from the east but ascending.  The star of Jesus was rising in the east.  This sealing messenger represents the living God and points to Christ, Who is rising in His people, bringing the light of the new day and the seal of God on them.  The seal is the mind of Christ on the forehead (thoughts) of His people (until they have His mind, they are incapable of discerning properly).  Partaking of Christ’s mind empowers the people of God to be righteous judges, righteous kings and righteous priests.  This seal Is more than a seal of protection from the coming judgments, but a seal that qualifies them to bring the righteous judgments of God to the earth.  This is the nature of God being written upon the foreheads and minds of Christ’s holy ones.  Let’s be people who are sealed with the mind of Christ.  Amen!

Limitless New Covenant Christ Anointing

 “And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me. And he said, Thou hast asked a hard thing: nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be so…and he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, Where is the LORD God of Elijah? and when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither: and Elisha went over.”

‭‭2 Kings‬ ‭2‬:‭9‬-‭10‬, ‭14‬ ‭KJV‬‬

When they reached the other side, Elijah said to Elisha, “What can I do for you before I’m taken from you? Ask anything.” Elisha said, “Your life repeated in my life. I want to be a holy man just like you.” “That’s a hard one!” said Elijah…Then Elisha picked up Elijah’s cloak that had fallen from him, returned to the shore of the Jordan, and stood there. He took Elijah’s cloak and hit the river with it, saying, “Now where is the God of Elijah?” When he struck the water, the river divided and Elisha walked through.  How powerful was the anointing even in the double portion from Elijah to Elisha to fulfill God’s purpose in the old covenant.  In the new covenant, the Christ anointing is limitless through faith.  This Christ anointing, embedded deeply within us, teaches us the truth on everything we need to know.   Amen!

All Creation See the Glory of God

 “and they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?”

‭‭Revelation‬ ‭6‬:‭10‬ ‭KJV‬‬

They cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Sovereign Lord, holy and dependable, how long before You judge those who live on the earth and vindicate our blood on them?”  These were those who were slain for the Word of God because they had the testimony of the Lamb of God.  The actual word here would be ‘to validate’ and not ‘to avenge’ these souls who are under the altar of Christ’s sacrifice.  Their cry is, that the nature of restored identity of mankind as the new creation born of the Spirit, will bring the glory of God, and these martyrs are asking for this powerful move of God.  That is the validation of the martyrs that all creation may see the glory of God and it is every believer’s desire echoing on earth for the glory of God to be manifest, that all may worship the True and Living God and the Lord Jesus Christ, glorious, majestic and worthy of all worship.  Hallelujah!

Judge Not, but Build Up the Church

 “And he sent again a captain of the third fifty with his fifty. And the third captain of fifty went up, and came and fell on his knees before Elijah, and besought him, and said unto him, O man of God, I pray thee, let my life, and the life of these fifty thy servants, be precious in thy sight. Behold, there came fire down from heaven, and burnt up the two captains of the former fifties with their fifties: therefore let my life now be precious in thy sight.”

‭‭2 Kings‬ ‭1‬:‭13‬-‭14‬ ‭KJV‬‬

The king then sent a third captain with his fifty men. For a third time, a captain with his fifty approached Elijah. This one fell on his knees in supplication: “O Holy Man, have respect for my life and the souls of these fifty men! Twice now lightning from out of the blue has struck and incinerated captains with their fifty men; please, I beg you, respect my life!”  Ahaziah of Israel sent messengers to Baalzebub to consult the god of Ekron for his health.  Elijah, God’s prophet, intercepted the messengers and gave them the message that Ahaziah will not survive his illness.  So Ahaziah sent two bands of soldiers one after another  to talk to Elijah but the fire of God consumed them.  This third band and the captain came in fear and trembling to talk to Elijah.  They survived but the king did not.  Who can stretch out his hand against the Lord’s anointed, and be guiltless?  Let’s not judge but build up those who are anointed but not in God’s will.  Amen!

Reigning as Kings and Priests

 “And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; and hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.”

‭‭Revelation‬ ‭5‬:‭9‬-‭10‬ ‭KJV‬‬

They were all singing this new song of praise to the Lamb: “Because You were slaughtered for us, You are worthy to take the scroll and open its seals. Your Blood was the price paid to redeem us. You purchased us to bring us to God out of every tribe, language, people group, and nation. You have chosen us to serve our God and formed us into a kingdom of priests who reign on the earth.” Belief in Jesus’s Blood is the only way of redemption and the afterlife in eternity.  That’s the value God has paid to purchase all mankind.  How valuable we are to Him.  The reign of believers on earth has already begun.  We have been redeemed to reign as kings and priests, after the order of Melchizedek.  The Christ life rules through us.  Hallelujah!

Being Motivated by Money is Evil

 “Jehoshaphat made ships of Tharshish to go to Ophir for gold: but they went not; for the ships were broken at Ezion-geber. Then said Ahaziah the son of Ahab unto Jehoshaphat, Let my servants go with thy servants in the ships. But Jehoshaphat would not.”

‭‭1 Kings‬ ‭22‬:‭48‬-‭49‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Jehoshaphat built ocean-going ships to sail to Ophir for gold. But they never made it; they shipwrecked at Ezion Geber. During that time Ahaziah son of Ahab proposed a joint shipping venture, but Jehoshaphat wouldn’t go in with him.  Jehoshaphat's reign appears to have been one of the best, both in following God and in prosperity. He pleased God, and God blessed him but he erred in making alliances with Ahaziah, who was a committed idolator and rebellious against God, like his father Ahab.  Ships of Tharshish were the best in that time and according to the historian Josephus, Ophir was India which at that time was rich in gold. When we agree with those against the Lord Jesus Christ, especially if motivated by the love of gold, we will never succeed.  The Word of God is clear that the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.  Let’s be motivated only by the love for our Lord Jesus and the obedience of faith.  Amen!

The Sevenfold Spirit of God

 “And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.”

‭‭Revelation‬ ‭4‬:‭5‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Pulsing from the Throne were blinding flashes of lightning, crashes of thunder, and voices. And burning before the Throne were seven blazing torches, which represent the seven Spirits of God.  Lightening is often an emblem of the revelation-word of God breaking forth on the earth as His lightnings light the world; the earth sees and trembles.  This is what dismantles the works of satan.  As God’s Word goes forth, there will always be voices to carry the fresh revelation of heaven.  The seven-fold Spirit of God are the Spirit of the LORD, the Spirit of wisdom, the Spirit of understanding, the Spirit of counsel, the Spirit of might, the Spirit of knowledge and the Spirit of the fear of the LORD.  May we yield to the Holy Spirit to walk in the victory of the Cross of Christ, every moment of our life.  Amen!

Hear God’s Voice, Don’t Harden Your Heart

 “But there was none like unto Ahab, which did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the LORD, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up. And he did very abominably in following idols, according to all things as did the Amorites, whom the LORD cast out before the children of Israel.”

‭‭1 Kings‬ ‭21‬:‭25‬-‭26‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Ahab, pushed by his wife Jezebel and in open defiance of God, set an all-time record in making big business of evil. He indulged in outrageous obscenities in the world of idols, copying the Amorites whom God had earlier kicked out of Israelite territory.  Ahab had coveted Naboth’s property and his wife Jezebel manipulated to have Naboth killed and Ahab took possession of Naboth’s property.  Along with unbridled idolatory, Ahab was consumed by covetousness which is as idolatory.  Ahab and Jezebel were only out for themselves, ready to exploit for their own gain through their cunning arguments. Their condemnation and destruction eventually happened.  They were separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that was in them due to the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity, they surrendered to sensuality, impurity and greed. Those born of God do not sin but keep themselves, and the wicked one does not touch them. Today when we hear God’s voice, let’s not harden our hearts. Amen!

The Key of David

 “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth;”

‭‭Revelation‬ ‭3‬:‭7‬ ‭KJV‬‬

The resurrected Christ tells John for the church in Philadelphia, “Write the following to the messenger of the congregation in Philadelphia, for these are the solemn words of the Holy One, the True One, Who has David’s key, Who opens doors that none can shut and who closes doors that none can open”.  The key of David unlocks intimacy and prayer.  David was a man who lived in grace centuries before the Gospel of God’s grace was unveiled in the Lord Jesus Christ.  In that sense the key of David allowed him to live in the future and in the grace it would reveal.  This open door is an invitation to come into the fullness of the righteousness, peace and joy of the Holy Spirit, in the Kingdom of God.  It is also an open door of opportunity to give witness to others of God’s power and grace.  Let’s be those who are so conscious of the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ that the overflow of gratitude constantly comes forth from our lips.  Amen!

Discerning God’s Voice through Prophecy

 “And he hasted, and took the ashes away from his face; and the king of Israel discerned him that he was of the prophets. And he said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Because thou hast let go out of thy hand a man whom I appointed to utter destruction, therefore thy life shall go for his life, and thy people for his people.”

‭‭1 Kings‬ ‭20‬:‭41‬-‭42‬ ‭KJV‬‬

At that, the man ripped the bandage off his eyes and the king recognized who he was—one of the prophets! The man said to the king, “God’s word: Because you let a man go who was under sentence by God, it’s now your life for his, your people for his.”  Those who follow the ways of the world will have unbelief in their hearts to receive the voice of God spoken through the prophets even today.  Jesus was the Prophet Moses spoke about saying, “The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren. Him you shall hear”.  Jesus said He will send us the Holy Spirit to guide us into all truth and through His death and resurrection, the Holy Spirit came to empower us to prophecy and to discern spirits, through His gifts to the Body of Christ.  Paul told the Church, of the ministry of apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers, to build and strengthen the Body of Christ - the Church.  Let’s dwell in God’s Word to recognise God’s Voice and discern the prophetic Word given to us, and not to despise prophesies.  Amen!

Passion for Christ

 “Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.”

‭‭Revelation‬ ‭2‬:‭4‬-‭5‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Jesus spoke to the Church at Ephesus, “But I have this against you: you have abandoned the passionate love you had for Me at the beginning. Think about how far you have fallen! Repent and do the works of love you did at first. I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place of influence if you do not repent.”  Jesus refers to the exclusive love that has first place in our hearts above all else.  Repentance means to turn from the fallen mindset of error and returning to the mind of Christ which is the Word of God.  Let’s learn to return to our passion for Christ that motivated us first and meditate in His Word with that intimacy of relationship He has invited us to.  Amen!

Serving Others is the Hallmark of Christ’s Disciples

 “So he departed thence, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth: and Elijah passed by him, and cast his mantle upon him.”

‭‭1 Kings‬ ‭19‬:‭19‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Elijah went straight out and found Elisha son of Shaphat in a field where there were twelve pairs of yoked oxen at work plowing; Elisha was in charge of the twelfth pair. Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak over him.  Twelve yoke of oxen means there were twenty-four oxen. Elisha gave up a stable and secure life for the volatile world as a prophet of God being trained by Elijah.  An ox represents servitude. Elisha, a wealthy and secure individual surrendered himself to a life of service.  Elijah obeyed God and Elisha obeyed Elijah, accepting the mantle.  The Lord Jesus, the Creator, obeyed His Father when He chose to come as the Son of Man.  He said, “..the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”  Jesus went on to say, “Anyone who leaves his home behind and chooses Me over children, parents, family, and possessions, all for the sake of the Gospel, it will come back to him a hundred times as much in this lifetime..and in the age to come, he will inherit eternal life.”  Followers of Christ lead a life of humility and service to bless others with the Lord Jesus as our Master.  Amen!

Every Human is Appointed to Die Once - No Cycle of Repeated Lives

 “I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.”

‭‭Revelation‬ ‭1‬:‭18‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Jesus said, “I Am the Living One! I was dead, but now look—I am alive forever and ever. And I hold the keys that unlock death and the unseen world.”  Through the victory of Christ’s death and resurrection, He now holds the keys of death and the unseen world.  There is nothing to fear because Christ holds all authority.  Hades is identified with “the place of the dead” in Greek.  There is no cycle of life of coming to live again and again ad infinitum in different forms.  Every human being is appointed to die once, and then to face God’s judgment. But when we die we will be face-to-face with Christ, the One who experienced death once for all to bear the sins of many! And now to those who eagerly await Him, He will appear a second time; not to deal with sin, but to bring us the fullness of salvation.  Amen!

Every Knee Will Bow to Christ

 “And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The LORD, he is the God; the LORD, he is the God.”

‭‭1 Kings‬ ‭18‬:‭39‬ ‭KJV‬‬

All the people saw it happen and fell on their faces in awed worship, exclaiming, “God is the true God! God is the true God!”  When Elijah asked the fire of God to consume the sacrifice, God sent the fire.  Fear of God, awe and reverence filled all the people, whether Baal worshippers or YHWH worshippers.  Moses had told the children of Israel that “For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.”  Yet they went after other gods.  Isaiah prophesied about God, “Let all the world look to Me for salvation! For I Am God; there is no other. I have sworn by My Own Name ; I have spoken the truth, and I will never go back on My Word: Every knee will bend to Me, and every tongue will declare allegiance to Me.”  Paul said about Jesus, “that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”  This is our lifestyle to lift up Jesus so He draws all men to Him.  Amen!

Set Our Affections Above Where Christ Is

 “Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.”

‭‭Jude‬ ‭1‬:‭11‬ ‭KJV‬‬

How terrible it is for them! For they have followed in the steps of Cain. They have abandoned themselves to Balaam’s error because of their greedy pursuit of financial gain. And since they have rebelled like Korah rebelled, they will experience the same fate of Korah and likewise perish.  It is terrible because there is a curse on them.  The way of Cain was to reject the blood sacrifice that God desired and instead offer the fruit of his own labours (works).  False teachers will insist on adding something to the Gospel, polluting it with human works. Balaam’s error was an abuse of the prophetic gift for financial gain.  Korah led 250 men in rebellion against the leadership of Moses.  The earth opened up and swallowed Korah alive.  In a similar way, the “things of this earth” these false teachers and they will be “swallowed up” by their greed for what this world can offer.  These three instances of wicked men, Cain, Balaam and Korah, show they did as they pleased and suffered greatly.  If then we were raised with Christ, let’s seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Let’s set our mind on things above, not on things on the earth. Amen!

The Power of Goodness and Grace

 “Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee.”

‭‭1 Kings 17:9 KJV

Then God spoke to him: “Get up and go to Zarephath in Sidon and live there. I’ve instructed a woman who lives there, a widow, to feed you.”  An unknown widow in Sidon, a territory against Israel, was miraculously nourished by God through the prophet Elijah in the time of great famine.  When Jesus was being denigrated by the Pharisees in His hometown Nazareth, He answered, “Isn’t it true that many widows lived in the land of Israel during the days of the prophet Elijah when he locked up the heavens for three and a half years and brought a devastating famine over all the land? But he wasn’t sent to any of the widows living in that region. Instead, he was sent to a foreign place, to a widow in Zarephath of Sidon.”  God knows to take care of anyone, whose attitude is a cry to the Living LORD God for help.  Even when the widow’s son died, Elijah prayed to the Living LORD God and the son was raised from the dead.  God accomplished His purpose by the power of His goodness and the prophetic word spoken through Elijah the prophet.  He is the same God today and through the Cross, the power of His goodness in the time of trouble is available to anyone who believes in Jesus Christ.  Amen!

In Christ, Love is not Controlling

“I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not.”

‭‭3 John‬ ‭1‬:‭9‬ ‭KJV‬‬

John, the beloved disciple said to Gaius his friend, that he had already written  once about this, but Diotrephes, who loves to be in charge and recognized as first among the church, does not acknowledge their authority. Diotrephes loved being in charge, denigrated John’s counsel. When John came, he would hold Diotrephes to account for spreading vicious rumors about them.  Diotrephes refused hospitality to traveling Christians and tried to stop others from welcoming them and instead threw them out.  Obviously, Diotrephes saw himself as the most important one pushing himself forward with a controlling leadership style.  Leaders must view other leaders not as threats but as coworkers.  Love is not controlling or tyrannical.  The local church needs a God-appointed ministry in the congregation from pastors, prophets, teachers, evangelists and apostles.  In addition are itinerant ministers (proven to be authentic), who are to be received by the local church authorities and given both opportunities to minister, as well as generous gifts to send them on their way.  This was the local church in the beginning and this still continues in these end times.  Amen!

Be Not Deceived

 “And it came to pass, as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he took to wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Zidonians, and went and served Baal, and worshipped him.”

‭‭1 Kings 16:31 KJV

Ahab son of Omri did even more open evil before God than anyone yet—a new champion in evil! It wasn’t enough for him to copy the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat; no, he went all out, first by marrying Jezebel daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and then by serving and worshiping the god Baal.  Jezebel, Ahab’s wicked queen, was immoral and practiced idolatry.  She released into Israel a spirit of darkness that hindered God’s faithful ones by attempting to mix the worship of Baal with the worship of the true God.  She became a symbol of a spirit of tolerance and compromise, which teaches that God’s servants can sin and not experience any consequence.  Accepting Christ as one more god in a pantheon of gods is not tolerated by the True and Living LORD God.  Let’s be careful that we are not deceived in this.  Amen!

Jesus Christ is LORD

 “And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it. For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.”

‭‭2 John‬ ‭1‬:‭6‬-‭7‬ ‭KJV‬‬

This love means living in obedience to whatever God commands us. For to walk in love toward one another is the unifying commandment we’ve heard from the beginning. Numerous deceivers have surfaced from among us and gone out into the world, people who will not acknowledge Jesus Christ coming as a man. These deceivers are antichrists!  In the context of live, John mentions false teachers, which shows that love is the safeguard against error.  The more that love flows through us as we honour God’s commands, the more we are kept from deception.  Our unity, produced by love, enables us to recognise and resist false teachers. Love means following His commandments, and His unifying commandment is that we conduct our lives in love. This is the first thing we heard, and nothing has changed. There are a lot of smooth-talking con artists loose in the world who refuse to believe that Jesus Christ was truly human, a flesh-and-blood human being. Give them their true title: deceiver and antichrist!  Let’s move in love.  Amen!

Seek First the Kingdom of God & Christ’s Righteousness

 “And also Maachah his mother, even her he removed from being queen, because she had made an idol in a grove; and Asa destroyed her idol, and burnt it by the brook Kidron. But the high places were not removed: nevertheless Asa's heart was perfect with the LORD all his days.”

‭‭1 Kings‬ ‭15‬:‭13‬-‭14‬ ‭KJV

Asa spared nothing and no one; he went so far as to remove his mother, Queen Maacah from her position because she had built a shockingly obscene memorial to the whore goddess Asherah. Asa tore it down and burned it up in the Kidron Valley. Unfortunately, he didn’t get rid of the local sex-and-religion shrines. But he was well-intentioned—his heart was in the right place, in tune with God.  Throughout human history the fingerprints of God have been upon mankind, yet we refused to honor Him as God or even be thankful for His kindness. Instead, we entertained corrupt and foolish thoughts about what God is like. This left us with nothing but misguided hearts, steeped in moral darkness, trading the unfading splendour of the immortal God to worship the fading image of other humans, idols like people, animals, birds, and even creeping reptiles!  Let’s realise that those who do this will not inherit the Kingdom of God.  Let’s not fool ourselves. Instead, seek first the Kingdom of God and Christ’s righteousness and all will be added to us.  Amen!

Faith Celebrating Victory in Christ

 “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.”

‭‭1 John‬ ‭5‬:‭3‬ ‭KJV‬‬

True love for God means obeying His commands, and His commands don’t weigh us down as heavy burdens.  God’s grace empowers us to love, which makes His commands a delight instead of a duty.  The spontaneity of love is never crushed by the commands of a loving God.  For the love of God is realised in the way we evaluate His precepts; if love’s triumph is the conclusion of every prophetic pointer, how can this be interpreted as an unbearable burden?  Whoever is born of God is destined to triumph over the world system.  Our faith celebrates a victory that is already accomplished.  Hallelujah!

The Boundaries God Has Set

 “For they also built them high places, and images, and groves, on every high hill, and under every green tree. And there were also sodomites in the land: and they did according to all the abominations of the nations which the LORD cast out before the children of Israel.”

‭‭1 Kings‬ ‭14‬:‭23‬-‭24‬ ‭KJV‬‬

They set new records in sin, surpassing anything their ancestors had done. They built Asherah sex-and-religion shrines and set up sacred stones all over the place..worse, they had male sacred prostitutes, polluting the land outrageously.  There are consequences of rebellion against God Who has set boundaries for the human race.  This is reflected in the two greatest commandments which a seeker of the truth quoted to Jesus saying, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and ‘your neighbor as yourself.’ Jesus said to him, “You have answered rightly; do this and you will live.”  The Lord Jesus Christ is the Living God Who cannot be worshipped in lifeless idols.  The LORD God has made the human race in His image and likeness, to be fruitful and multiply as a man and a woman.  Humans have no authority to change these boundaries.  There are consequences to any rebellion against God Who is eternal and forever.  Amen!

Discerning Truth & Deceit

 “We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.”

‭‭1 John‬ ‭4‬:‭6‬ ‭KJV‬‬

But we belong to God, and whoever truly knows God listens to us. Those who refuse to listen to us do not belong to God. That is how we can know the difference between the spirit of truth and the spirit of deceit.  We belong and originate in God and our revelation is that Jesus Christ is the Word made flesh.  He is the One Who as the Son of God, mirrors and redeems the image and likeness of God in human form.  He declares God as the Only legitimate Father of the human race.  Because the Word is Christ, we can discern true prophets from false ones.  True prophets will: confess that Christ has come in bodily form; they do not come in the spirit of this world, but listen to the truth; the Spirit of Truth is in them as they demonstrate love, they remain true to the written Word of God; they are overcomers as the greater One lives in them; and they have a commitment to the Body of Christ.  Let’s not operate in the spirit of error but in the Spirit of Truth.  Amen!

The Obedience of Christ

 “And when the prophet that brought him back from the way heard thereof, he said, It is the man of God, who was disobedient unto the word of the LORD: therefore the LORD hath delivered him unto the lion, which hath torn him, and slain him, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake unto him.”

‭‭1 Kings‬ ‭13‬:‭26‬ ‭KJV‬‬

When the prophet who had gotten him off track heard it, he said, “It’s the holy man who disobeyed God’s strict orders. God turned him over to the lion who knocked him around and killed him, just as God had told him.”  Disobedience to God in the old covenant had terrible consequences for this prophet of God.  In the new covenant, it is all about the Lord Jesus Christ.  Because though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. Through Him grace cascaded into us, empowering us with the gift of apostleship, so that we can win people from every nation into the obedience that comes from faith, to bring honor to His name.   So now we can cast down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.  That’s how we walk in victory, overcoming the world through the obedience of Christ.  Amen!

The Throne of Grace which is the Mercy Seat

 “For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.”

‭‭1 John‬ ‭3‬:‭20‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Whenever our heart makes us feel guilty and reminds us of our failures, we know that God is much greater and more merciful than our conscience, and He knows everything there is to know about us.  There is a higher courtroom for the human heart: it is where grace is enthroned.  The very worst that is in us is known by God  and He still showers mercy, love and acceptance upon us.  This is the greatness of God’s grace.  He sees beyond the sin of the moment and sees the holy affections of love in those who refuse to turn away from Him.  So, even if our own hearts would accuse us of not really being true to ourselves, God is greater than our hearts and He has the full picture!  His knowledge of us is not compromised.  We have laid aside our old Adam-self with its masquerade and disguise. Now we have acquired new creation life which is continually being renewed into the likeness of the One who created us; giving us the full revelation of God.  Amen!

Christ, Our Wisdom, Righteousness, Sanctification & Redemption

 “And the king answered the people roughly, and forsook the old men's counsel that they gave him; and spake to them after the counsel of the young men, saying, My father made your yoke heavy, and I will add to your yoke: my father also chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.”

‭‭1 Kings‬ ‭12‬:‭13‬-‭14‬ ‭KJV

The king’s answer was harsh and rude. He spurned the counsel of the elders and went with the advice of the younger set, “If you think life under my father was hard, you haven’t seen the half of it. My father thrashed you with whips; I’ll beat you bloody with chains!”  All the favour and wisdom that Solomon had, came to nothing with his son Rehoboam.  The result of foolish counsel was division and strife.  It was Solomon who spoke these wise words, “People lose their way without wise leadership, but a nation succeeds and stands in victory when it has many good counselors to guide it.”  In the new covenant God the Holy Spirit gives us the wisdom needed for our situations when we believe in the finished work of Christ that He is the solution to all our problems. For it is not from man that we draw our life but from God as we are being joined to Jesus, the Anointed One.  Now He is our God-given wisdom, our virtue, our holiness, and our redemption.  Hallelujah!