Jesus Christ Is the Same, Yesterday, Today & Forever

 “He hath remembered his covenant for ever, The word which he commanded to a thousand generations. Which covenant he made with Abraham, And his oath unto Isaac;”

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭105‬:‭8‬-‭9‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Part of this psalm  was sung when the ark of glory was brought to Jerusalem.  “For though a thousand generations may pass away, He is still true to His word. He has kept every promise He made to Abraham and to Isaac.”  The twenty four elders in heaven sing, “We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty, The One Who is and Who was and Who is to come, Because You have taken Your great power and reigned.”  God reigns in eternity and forever, the Great I AM, Who is forever and true to His promises.  “I Am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "Who is and Who was and Who is to come, the Almighty."  God keeps His covenant, because grace and peace is multiplied to us in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these we may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.  What an amazing God, the same yesterday, today and forever, keeping His covenant with us who believe in His great Blood sacrifice through the finished work of the Cross.  Amen!

The Image of Christ

 “Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.”

‭‭Revelation‬ ‭13‬:‭18‬ ‭KJV‬‬

As John was given revelation, “This will require wisdom to understand: Let the one with insight interpret the number of the wild beast, for it is humanity’s number —666.”  This is the son of Adam’s number or man’s number.  The beast is equated to the nature of humanity. The number 666 is the number of man; not an incarnation of the devil, but human nature; and man was created on the sixth day.  The wild beast rising out of the ground (which man was made from) is the sin of man that wars against our souls and prevents the image of Christ from emerging in fullness within believers.  The number 666 cannot be literal, for a literal number would need no wisdom to interpret.  Both the mark of the beast and the mark on the foreheads of God’s faithful followers, is a metaphor of the character of the beast revealed by thoughts (foreheads) and by actions (the hands).  As the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ, we are to pray that people find their identity in Christ and crucify their fleshly nature and carnal mindedness, allowing the image of Christ to come into its fullness.  Amen!

God of Glory is the God Who Is Light & Love

 “Bless the LORD, O my soul. O LORD my God, thou art very great; Thou art clothed with honour and majesty: Who coverest thyself with light as with a garment: Who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain:”

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭104‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭KJV‬‬

David’s psalm, “Everything I am will praise and bless the Lord! O Lord, my God, Your greatness takes my breath away, overwhelming me by Your majesty, beauty, and splendor! You wrap Yourself with a shimmering, glistening light. You wear sunshine like a garment of glory. You stretch out the starry skies like a tapestry.”  This is our God, the One Who created the universe and all that is seen and unseen.  David knew Him personally and had intimate relationship with Him, worshipping Him from the depths of his heart.  Job, many centuries earlier had worshipped the same God with awe, “Then adorn Yourself with majesty and splendor, And array Yourself with glory and beauty.”  God is Light and He is the God of glory, in Him there is no darkness at all.  God is love, and in this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His Only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. If God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.  Amen!

The Overcoming Power of the Blood of the Lamb

 “And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.”

‭‭Revelation‬ ‭12‬:‭9‬-‭11‬ ‭KJV‬‬

This is what John saw, “So the great dragon was thrown down once and for all. He was the serpent, the ancient snake called the devil, and satan, who deceives the whole earth. He was cast down into the earth and his angels along with him. Then I heard a triumphant voice in heaven proclaiming: “Now salvation and power are set in place, and the Kingdom reign of our God and the ruling authority of His Anointed One are established. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters, who relentlessly accused them day and night before our God, has now been defeated—cast out once and for all! They conquered him completely through the Blood of the Lamb and the powerful word of His testimony. They triumphed because they did not love and cling to their own lives, even when faced with death.”  So the lying slanderer, mankind’s adversary, whose sole mission was to lead the entire inhabited world astray - was cast down to the earth, together with all his cohorts.  This serpent, who was a murderer from the beginning, was stripped of his pseudo authority.  John heard the voice that endorsed the prophetic word spoken from the beginning and now culminated in the realisation of mankind’s salvation.  The Blood of the Lamb brought closure to every possible accusation against the human race.  What a triumph!  Hallelujah!

By Faith We Belong Forever to Our Loving God

 “The LORD is merciful and gracious, Slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. He will not always chide: Neither will he keep his anger for ever. He hath not dealt with us after our sins; Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above the earth, So great is his mercy toward them that fear him. As far as the east is from the west, So far hath he removed our transgressions from us.”

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭103‬:‭8‬-‭12‬ ‭KJV‬‬

David’s recognition of God’s mercy and grace, “Lord, You’re so kind and tenderhearted and so patient with people who fail You! Your love is like a flooding river overflowing its banks with kindness. You don’t look at us only to find our faults, just so that You can hold a grudge against us. You may discipline us for our many sins, but never as much as we really deserve. Nor do You get even with us for what we’ve done. Higher than the highest heavens— that’s how high Your tender mercy extends! Greater than the grandeur of heaven above is the greatness of Your loyal love, towering over all who fear You and bow down before You! Farther than from a sunrise to a sunset— that’s how far You’ve removed our guilt from us.”  The Hebrew word for compassion is the same as for “womb”.  The Lord carries His people like a mother carries a child in her womb.  That’s how God gave revelation to Moses on mount Sinai, “The LORD, the LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children’s children to the third and the fourth generation.”  Through the Blood Sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ, God removed all mankind’s sins, iniquities and transgressions, when He punished Jesus for it.  By faith in the finished work of the Cross, we receive God’s mercy, grace and compassion and we are forever His. Amen!

Every Knee Shall Bow & Every Tongue Confess that JESUS CHRIST IS LORD

 “And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.”

‭‭Revelation‬ ‭11‬:‭8‬, ‭15‬ KJV

As John was revealed, “Their dead bodies will lie on the street of the great city that is symbolically called Sodom and Egypt, where their Lord was also crucified. Then the seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and a loud voice broke forth in heaven, saying: “The kingdom of the world has become the Kingdom of our God and of His Anointed One! He will reign supreme for an eternity of eternities!””  This is the great city of Jerusalem, where our Lord was crucified, symbolically called Sodom and represents the spiritually dead and the corrupt religious systems of this world.  The kingdom of this world is the kingdom of finance, culture and government, both religious and secular.  The end of the kingdom of this world is 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 and thus the kingdom of this world shall become the Kingdom of our God and of His Anointed One!  

Hallelujah!

Freed in Christ from the Law of Sin & Death

 “This shall be written for the generation to come: And the people which shall be created shall praise the LORD. For he hath looked down from the height of his sanctuary; From heaven did the LORD behold the earth; To hear the groaning of the prisoner; To loose those that are appointed to death;”

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭102‬:‭18‬-‭20‬ ‭KJV‬‬

The psalmist wrote, “Write all this down for the coming generation, so re-created people will read it and praise the Lord! Tell them how Yah looked down from His high and holy place, gazing from His glory to survey the earth. He listened to all the groaning of His people longing to be free, and He set loose the sons of death to experience life.”  By writing this down, the psalmist foresaw those born anew, born again, new creatures in Christ.  Yah is the Name of the God of Power.  It took the God of Power to raise the Son of Man from the dead, with Resurrection Power.  Sin, death and hell were conquered and removed from the equation which the accuser of the brethren used to bring mankind under condemnation.  There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made us free from the law of sin and death.  Hallelujah!

God’s Revelation is Like Honey

 “And I took the little book out of the angel's hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter. And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.”

‭‭Revelation‬ ‭10‬:‭10‬-‭11‬ KJV

As John was told, “I took the little scroll from the hand of the mighty angel and ate it. Indeed, it was sweet as honey to taste, but after I had eaten it, my stomach turned bitter. Then they said to me, “You must go back and prophesy again to many peoples, and nations, and languages, and kings!””  Honey is a picture of revelation knowledge as David wrote “The rarest treasures of life are found in His truth. That’s why God’s Word is prized like others prize the finest gold. Sweeter also than honey are His living words— sweet words dripping from the honeycomb!”  The prophet Ezekiel was told the same, to eat the scroll and it would be sweet in the mouth but sour in the stomach.  Givers of good news have it sweet to speak but persecution comes from those who hear and find it unpalatable.  Here, God is giving encouragement to John that he would be freed from his exile on Patmos to yet prophesy to us today through his writings.  It is the fear of persecution that stops many believers from giving the Gospel but let us remember the joy of having Jesus with us always, in every trial and tribulation, and the promise of every spiritual blessing in heavenly places being ours.  Amen!

God’s Mercy & Judgment in Christ

 “I will sing of mercy and judgment: Unto thee, O LORD, will I sing. I will behave myself wisely In a perfect way. O when wilt thou come unto me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart.”

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭101‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭KJV‬‬

David’s poetic praise, “Lord, I will sing about your faithful love for me. My song of praise will have your justice as its theme. I’m trying my best to walk in the way of integrity, especially in my own home. But I need your help! I’m wondering, Lord, when will you appear?”  David understood God’s holiness that mercy and judgment require God’s chosen people to walk in integrity.  This foreshadowed God’s new covenant through Christ’s Cross where mercy triumphed over judgment as Jesus, the Son of Man took the judgment for all mankind’s sin to make us sons and daughters of the Most High God.  What amazing love is this that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.  Let’s be those who believe in this awesome love, but for those who reject Christ’s sacrifice, judgment will overtake the mercy God showed in Christ.  Amen!

Deep Calls Unto Deep

 “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

As John saw, “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.”  This bottomless pit or the well of the abyss is the same as how Genesis began when the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face 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 new understanding or revelation.  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.  What a privilege we have that through the Cross, the depth of our heart can be cleansed by the Blood of the Lamb and be filled with the love of God by the mighty Holy Spirit.  Let’s be filled with the fire and passion for our Lord Jesus Christ as He has for each of us who believe in His great sacrifice on our behalf.  Amen!

Rejoicing with Gratitude

 “Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, And into his courts with praise: Be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; And his truth endureth to all generations.”

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭100‬:‭4‬-‭5‬ ‭KJV‬‬

By tradition David wrote this psalm and it was very likely used in Temple worship when a "thank offering" was made, which was a voluntary sacrifice of thanksgiving, as it says in Leviticus.   “You can pass through His open gates with the password of praise. Come right into His Presence with thanksgiving. Come bring your thank offering to Him and affectionately bless His beautiful Name! For Yahweh is always good and ready to receive you. He’s so loving that it will amaze you— so kind that it will astound you! And He is famous for His faithfulness toward all. Everyone knows our God can be trusted, for He keeps His promises to every generation!”  The only way to know God in Christ and have intimacy with Him is what David said and what Paul said in the new covenant, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful, Who also will do it.”  Let’s always be thankful and full of joy.  Amen!

Being Purified

 “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

John saw the unimaginable sounds, “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 th 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.  As Job said, “who can understand the thunder of God’s power?”  The lightening strikes divine truth.  As the psalmist said, “His lightnings light the world; The earth sees and trembles.”  A great earthquake shakes the kingdom of men to its foundations.  These are not acts of judgment, but purification.  Jesus Himself said, “I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already ablaze with fiery passion for God!”  Let all believers be ready for Jesus’s coming and cooperate with the Holy Spirit to be purified day by day as His consecrated and set apart chosen people.  Amen!

Jesus - the Name Above Every Name

 “Thou answeredst them, O LORD our God: Thou wast a God that forgavest them, though thou tookest vengeance of their inventions. Exalt the LORD our God, and worship at his holy hill; For the LORD our God is holy.”

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭99‬:‭8‬-‭9‬ ‭KJV‬‬

The psalmist says, “God, the great forgiver, answered their prayers, yet He would punish them when they went astray. Keep exalting the Lord our God facedown before His glory-throne, for He is great and holy!”  Although there is no name for the writer of this psalm, some traditions say it is David.  David knew the power of forgiveness for he said elsewhere of the LORD God that He forgives all our iniquity, and heals all our diseases!  Through the Blood of God’s Son, we are set free from our sins. God forgives our failures because of His overflowing kindness.  Jesus Himself, brought us His  wonderful new agreement; of His sprinkled Blood, which graciously forgives instead of crying out for vengeance as the blood of Abel did.  That is why He is worthy to be exalted, worthy to be worshipped, night and day, at all times and in all places.  Jesus alone is the Name to be lifted up for His is the Name above all names.  Amen!