The Mystery of God Fully Realised in Christ

 “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 ‭11‬:‭15‬ ‭KJV‬‬

When the seventh celestial messenger sounded his trumpet, there was a massive crescendo of voices in the heavenly realm, saying, “The kingdom of the entire human family has become the Kingdom of our Lord, and of His Christ, and He will reign as King for all the ages of the ages.”  The mystery of God will be fully realised in exact accordance to the Gospel He announced to His servants the prophets.  Here, John sees the impossible to count throng of people, all nations and tribes, all races and languages, delivered out of their national, geographical and historical identities!  God’s intention spoken through the prophets to release the blessing of the single Seed of God’s faith through Abraham to bless all the nations of the earth, is realised and made manifest now.  Our salvation is secure in our God Who is seated on the Throne executed by the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world!  Hallelujah!

The Power of God’s Compassion

 “And Moses went out of the city from Pharaoh, and spread abroad his hands unto the LORD: and the thunders and hail ceased, and the rain was not poured upon the earth.”

‭‭Exodus‬ ‭9‬:‭33‬ ‭KJV

The very call of God upon Moses to free the Hebrew slaves, came from God’s compassion.  God’s compassion is as powerful as God Himself.  Though God judges people in His anger, He compassionately averts judgment in answer to prayer.  When Jesus Christ died as Man on the Cross, He took all of mankind’s judgment upon Himself.  That is why mercy triumphs over judgment. It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not.  It is His compassion that releases His Resurrection Life, through the Holy Spirit, from the heart of every new creation in Christ.  This miracle working power is the compassion that averts judgment, revokes plagues, heals the sin-sick, delivers the demon possessed, reverses curses and breaks the hard-hearted and rescues the perishing.  We, who are in Christ, are sent as God’s ambassadors of compassion to display the miracle power given to each one of us through the Cross of Calvary.  Amen!

God Swore by Himself

 “and sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer:”

‭‭Revelation‬ ‭10‬:‭6‬ ‭KJV‬‬

And made a solemn oath in Him Whose life spans the ages.  The One Who created the heaven, and everything in it; the earth and everything in it and the sea and everything in it - this is the conclusion of prophetic time!  To swear an oath, requires the lifting of the hand to a higher authority.  In the old covenant, God is described as swearing by Himself, as there is no one greater to swear.  So He swore by Himself, bringing an end to all dispute.  The prophetic Word is the promise, the Incarnate, crucified and risen Christ is the proof - He is the fulness of time.  Glory to God!

Distinction Between the Righteous & the Unrighteous

 “And I will sever in that day the land of Goshen, in which my people dwell, that no swarms of flies shall be there; to the end thou mayest know that I am the LORD in the midst of the earth. And I will put a division between my people and thy people: to morrow shall this sign be.”

‭‭Exodus‬ ‭8‬:‭22‬-‭23‬ ‭KJV‬‬

In Egypt, all the children of Israel lived in Goshen and none of the disasters that came on the Egyptians touched them, perfectly safe inside their blood-marked homes.  Life in Christ is the most distinguished life on earth.  The whole world lies blinded by the god of this world, that wicked one deceiving many.  We, in Christ, rest on our Father’s bosom!  The moment we accepted Christ, we were transferred from death to life, from darkness to light.  Terrible times will come in the last days.  In the midst of all the disasters, our God will make a clear distinction between those who are righteous in Christ and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not.  Let’s not come under the category of being neither here nor there.  For who makes you differ from another? And what do you have that you did not receive? Now if you did indeed receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?  In Christ, we are His treasured possession, the apple of His eye, His property purchased by His precious Blood.  Let’s be distinct from everyone around in every area of our life.  Hallelujah!

The Bright & Morning Star

 “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

When the fifth celestial messenger blew his trumpet, I saw a Star that had fallen to earth from the sky.  The Star was given the key into the fathomless depths of the abyss.  The number five is divine grace - grace and truth came through Jesus.  He is the bright Morning Star Who appeared on the horizon of our heart.  In His death, Jesus conquered the underworld and has the keys, no one else does!  His being God’s equal in form and likeness was official; His Sonship  didn’t steal the limelight from His Father!  Neither did His mankind distract from the deity of God!  His mission to earth was not to prove His deity, but to embrace our mankind.  Emptied of His reputation as God, He fully embraced our physical human form; born in our resemblance, He identified Himself as the servant of the human race.  His love enslaved Him to us!  Worthy to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.  Amen!

The Power of Faith Life in Christ

 “Thus saith the LORD, In this thou shalt know that I am the LORD: behold, I will smite with the rod that is in mine hand upon the waters which are in the river, and they shall be turned to blood.”

‭‭Exodus‬ ‭7‬:‭17‬ ‭KJV‬‬

God says that by this they shall know that He is the LORD.  He shall strike the waters which are in the river with the rod in His hand, and they shall be turned to blood.  God’s miracle power is the ultimate and every enemy bows down before the LORD God Almighty.  In Christ, we have the authority to bring judgment on all false gods as they have no power to harm us.  The reason for the hardness of our enemies is that there is no fear of God and the people of God are missing in action!  The power of faith life in Christ, the power of God to salvation, the glorious Gospel of Christ, is the remedy for this critical situation.  Every power will bow down only to such miracles.  Paul withstood Elymas the sorcerer and the result was that the proconsul, a senior Roman authority, believed.  Let’s release God’s power which He has invested in us through the finished work of the Cross and the mighty Holy Spirit in us.  Amen!

The Fire of the Altar

 “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 celestial messenger took the golden censer for frankincense and filled it with burning coals from the altar and cast it upon the earth.  And the burning coals became thunder and voices and lightning shaking the earth like an earthquake!  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.  Like when Isaiah’s lips were touched by fire to purify him.  The fire from the altar is the source to all the symbolic fiery pictures of the extent of the judgment that the Lamb faced as the scapegoat of the human race.  The Lamb descended to the lowest parts of the earth when He set the captives free and led them as trophies triumphantly on high.  The entire known world is addressed in the slain and risen Lamb.  An earthquake takes place indicating the great shift in the thinking and mindset of the people.  The old things have passed away, behold everything has become new.  Glory to God!

Continuous Communication with the Father

 “that the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, I am the LORD: speak thou unto Pharaoh king of Egypt all that I say unto thee.”

‭‭Exodus‬ ‭6‬:‭29‬ ‭KJV‬

The Lord said to Moses, “I am the Lord! Tell Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, everything I am telling you.”  God performed mighty and different kinds of miracles and Moses received many instructions from God for each miracle.  It was God’s will being communicated to Moses.  Even our Lord Jesus saw His Father and did what God told Him to.  That unleashed all kinds of miracles.  In Christ, we too can see and do what our Father is doing!  God performed many different methods of miracles through Moses and then through Jesus.  This is because of continuous communication with the Father.  In Christ we, through continuous communication, can do many methods of miracles as the occasion requires.  God gives instructions step by step, never overloading us with all the instructions at once. No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love Him.  But it was to us who are in Christ, that God revealed these things by His Spirit. For His Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets.  Amen!

Innumerable Multitude Worshipping the Lamb of God

 “After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;”

‭‭Revelation‬ ‭7‬:‭9‬ ‭KJV‬‬

John writes he beheld a massive throng of people, impossible to count, standing innocent, dressed in white with palm branches in their hands; they have escaped everything that defined them as a non-Jewish, Gentile world!  In fact every sphere of society was there - including the entire spectrum of people-groupings; all tribal identities with their unique language-specific dialect preferences, they were all present facing the Throne of the Lamb as the people of the planet!  John sees the innumerable and impossible to count multitudes in a white outer garment of kings and priests waving palm branches in their hands worshiping the Lamb shouting with a thunderous voice, “Salvation belongs to our God and to the Lamb!”  Let’s be part of this innumerable throng of people worshiping our God at all times.  Hallelujah!

Confident in our Hope in Christ

 “For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in thy name, he hath done evil to this people; neither hast thou delivered thy people at all.”

‭‭Exodus‬ ‭5‬:‭23‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Moses cried to the Lord after Pharaoh increased the labours of the slaves and refused to let them go, “Ever since I approached Pharaoh to speak in Your Name, he has done more harm to them than ever before.  And You have done absolutely nothing to rescue Your people.”  The rescue of the slaves was not a human plan.  Moses had to trust God’s right time to judge Pharaoh.  For us in the new covenant, God says, “At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you.” Indeed, the “right time” is now. Today is the day of salvation.”  Moses was certainly faithful in God’s house as a servant. His work was an illustration of the truths God would reveal later. But Christ, as the Son, is in charge of God’s entire house. And we are God’s house, if we keep our courage and remain confident in our hope in Christ.  Let’s believe in Christ, God’s Son Who has forever freed us from slavery to sin.  Thank You Jesus!

The Lion & the Lamb

 “And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see.”

‭‭Revelation‬ ‭6‬:‭1‬ ‭KJV‬‬

John is saying, “When I saw the Lamb open one of the seals, the first Living Being roared with a thunderous voice, Come forth!”  This first Living Being is the one with the appearance of a Lion.  The force with which the mighty roar of the Lion exclaimed, announces the victory of the slain and risen Lamb.  The Church of the Lord Jesus is here to announce, (in heaven and in earth, with the humility and the grace of the slain Lamb’s nature, now risen), the mighty roar of the victory of the Cross by the Lion.  Just like Jesus, we are to be the Lamb and to then roar like the Lion because the Lamb’s nature always precedes the roar of the Lion!  May the Church come to proclaim the victory of the Cross like the Lion!  Glory to God!

Obedient to His Call

 “And Moses answered and said, But, behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice: for they will say, The LORD hath not appeared unto thee.”

‭‭Exodus‬ ‭4‬:‭1‬ ‭KJV‬‬

God had just told Moses that the Hebrews would heed him and with their elders, he would meet the Pharaoh.  Moses instead, answered God, “But suppose they will not believe me….”  Unfortunately, Moses’ unbelief made him not believe in God’s Word.  The One Who sends us today in the new covenant, knows the end from the beginning and all His missions are well planned and worked out beforehand.  In Christ, God’s super power is working in us.  The Holy Spirit, Who is the Source of all miracles, lives in us.  His proving power is in us through signs, wonders and miracles as we believe and obey Him.  The Word from God’s mouth into ours and spoken through us carries God’s authority to accomplish His work.  This is the prophetic Word power spoken through our mouth which produces faith in people’s heart.  Paul, when he stood before king Agrippa, told him that he was not disobedient to the heavenly vision.  Let our response to our God not be ‘but’ or ‘suppose’, but that we would be obedient to His call.  Amen!

Believe in Christ’s Redemption

 “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;”

‭‭Revelation‬ ‭5‬:‭9‬ ‭KJV‬‬

And they sang a new song saying, “We proclaim Your excellent worth!  You are the only One in the universe entitled to open the scroll and break its seals, since You were slaughtered in sacrifice and in Your Blood redeemed mankind’s authentic identity in God.  You rescued them from everything that could possibly define society before and brought them out of the confines of their dwarfed mindsets.  This includes the entire spectrum of people-groupings: our tribal identities, our language-specific dialect preferences, our political and religious associations, as well as every form of racial identity!  Mankind doesn’t need to persuade God of their worth. Jesus’s priceless Blood was shed to persuade mankind of their worth! For this is how God loved the world: He gave His One and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.  Hallelujah!

In Christ we have God’s Glory

 “And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.”

‭‭Exodus‬ ‭3‬:‭2‬ ‭KJV‬‬

The glory of God appeared to Moses from the bush and transformed him into a mighty deliverer, when he least expected it.  The saints in the old covenant saw God’s glory outside themselves but in Christ, the same glory has now come to reside in us permanently.  Christ in us is the hope of glory because Jesus is the glory of God in human form and the Spirit of glory rests on us.  The burning bush was shining with God’s glory.  In Christ, God’s glory is shining in and out of us dispelling all the powers of darkness around.  God’s glory quickens us from inside and doesn’t burn us out, sanctifying and purifying us completely.  As Moses was attracted to and drew near to God’s glory, so multitudes are attracted and drawn to God’s glory shining through us who are in Christ.  God’s glory voice is heard from within us as we bring honour to His glory.  To be in Christ is a life of glory, let’s manifest His glory now!  Hallelujah!

Christ Always be is Worthy

 “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.”

‭‭Revelation‬ ‭4‬:‭11‬ ‭KJV

Our Lord and our God!  You are worthy to take the glory and the honour for the dynamic competence displayed in every detail of all of creation!  Yes, everything owes their existence to Your resolve and for Your pleasure we were created!  Everything that is, begins in Him, whether in the heavenly realm or upon the earth, visible or invisible, every order of justice and every level of authority, be it kingdoms or governments, principalities or jurisdictions; all things were created by Him and for Him.  All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made.  He towers in conspicuous prominence far above all things.  He is both their Author and their Conclusion.

Be Not Ashamed of the Gospel

 “And Pharaoh's daughter said unto her, Take this child away, and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages. And the woman took the child, and nursed it.”

‭‭Exodus‬ ‭2‬:‭9‬ ‭KJV‬‬

When Moses was born as a baby, his Levite parents seeing that he was a special child, tried to hide him and when they couldn’t, they laid the babe in the ark of bulrushes into the flowing river.  At the right time and the right place, Pharaoh’s daughter saw the baby and then paid Moses’ mother to nurse the child.  God trained Moses in Pharaoh’s pagan palace in royal life to set the Hebrew slaves free, as a slave can’t set other slaves free.  We, who are in Christ, are chosen by God even before the foundation of the world, to fulfil God’s special purpose, as His special children until Christ is formed in us.  As a royal child, we have the protection and security of the King of kings, and are not ashamed to proclaim the glorious Gospel of Christ for it is the power of God to salvation to set people free from slavery to sin.  Hallelujah!

Awake & Be Watchful

 “Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God.”

‭‭Revelation‬ ‭3‬:‭2‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Awake from your slumber!  Get a firm grip on what little life you have left in you!  Your work does not mirror my finished work.  John heard the message of the angel to the ekklesia in Sardis and wrote it down.  It is a warning to the Church, the Body of Christ, today, to become vigilant to the finished and perfect work of Christ on the Cross through which we can mirror and reflect Him today.  Let it be the steadfast resolve of every church of every denomination in the Kingdom of God, to proclaim the finished work of Jesus Christ and to reflect His glory through the church’s life.  It’s all about Christ, not about worldly philosophies and psychologies and self-help activities, nor about event planning and execution.  Christ is the Church’s sufficiency.  May this be the Church’s reason to exist.  For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.  Amen!

Nothing Stops the Kingdom of God Increase

 “But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were grieved because of the children of Israel.”

‭‭Exodus‬ ‭1‬:‭12‬ ‭KJV‬‬

The new Pharaoh panicked seeing the extraordinary growth of the Israelites and said that they were more and mightier than the Egyptians.  Aggravated, he oppressed the Israelites with forced labour and cruel taskmasters to make them bitter but even that didn’t stop their growth.  Today, the enemy attacks those of us who are in Christ because we are a great threat to him.  He Who lives in us is the  greatest!  All the persecution, afflictions, sufferings, hardships and tribulations that the enemy brings will not stop the Kingdom of God from increasing.  We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down but not destroyed.  Through this, the life of Jesus is manifest in us.  Let the Holy Spirit power reflect the glory of God in and through us who are in Christ.  Hallelujah!

The Second Death

 “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.”

‭‭Revelation‬ ‭2‬:‭11‬ ‭KJV

Now listen with your inner ears!  Hear with understanding what the Spirit is saying to the ekklesia: the individual who continues to see their triumph mirrored in Christ (their co-seatedness with Christ in the Throne Room), is most certainly not threatened by any contradiction to their true likeness; there is nothing to fear in the second death.  It is a continuous victory - the second death is not to distract from the once and for all death that Jesus died, but to endorse it.  The fist death is the once and for all death that Jesus died, representing the global death of mankind.  The second death indicates that this revelation of the full extent of everyone’s inclusion in Jesus’s death, has not dawned on some.  It will take the lake of burning sulphur to separate the gold from the dross mindset of doubt, ignorance and unbelief, and to awaken the success of the Cross.  This lake of fire is where death and Hades are obliterated - the death of death itself!  Thank You for the Cross, Lord Jesus!

God Always Turns Evil to Good

 “And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God? But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.”

‭‭Genesis‬ ‭50‬:‭19‬-‭20‬ ‭KJV‬‬

But Joseph dried his tears and said, “Don’t be afraid.  How could I ever take the place of God?  Even though you intended to hurt me, God intended it for good.  It was his plan all along, to ensure the survival of many people.  So don’t worry.  I myself will provide for you all that you need, both for you and your little ones.”  Only God can judge, for He has perfect love and knows all things.  Since we are not in His place, we have only the right to forgive.  Many assume the role of a judge when they have someone cornered and vulnerable, but Joseph refused.  He refused to harbour a grudge, but offered them reassurance and forgiveness.  He understood that God turned the evil intentions of others into something good.  God has power to transform pain into blessing when we see Him through it all.  Joseph is a type of Christ Who said at the Cross, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.”  Forgiveness is imperative for Christians who are obedient to Christ, so let’s forgive everyone and bear no grudges.  Amen!

Jesus Crowned Us

 “and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,”

‭‭Revelation‬ ‭1‬:‭5‬ ‭KJV‬‬

May this grace and peace of Jesus Christ overwhelm us!  He is the firstborn from the dead and embodies the evidence and testimony of everything that God believes about us.  He heads the authority in which we reign as kings on the earth.  His crown endorses our crown!  He always loves us and loosed us once and for all from the dominion of sin in the shedding of His Blood!  In His Blood He brought closure to an inadequate sacrificial system of removing sin through mankind’s sinfulness and sin-consciousness.  Jesus Christ, fully God and fully Man, represents the entire human race, by becoming our sin and distortedness in His death; and raising us together with Him in His resurrection, as the firstborn from the dead, He re-birthed us and redeemed His image and likeness within us!  He leads the triumphant procession of our new birth out of the region of the dead, redeeming our life from the pit and crowning us with loving kindness and tender mercies, satisfying us with good and renewing our youth like the eagle’s.  Hallelujah!

The Mighty Lion of Judah

 “Judah is a lion's whelp: From the prey, my son, thou art gone up: He stooped down, he couched as a lion, And as an old lion; who shall rouse him up?”

‭‭Genesis‬ ‭49‬:‭9‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Just before giving up his spirit, Jacob is prophesying over his sons and for Judah, he says, O Judah, your brothers will praise you.  You will conquer your foes in battle, And your father’s sons will bow down before you.  Judah, you are like a young lion who has devoured its prey, my son, and departed.  Like a lion, he crouches and lies down, and like a lioness - who dares to awaken him?  Judah is a wonderful prophetic picture of the Mighty Lion of Judah - Jesus Christ - Who places His hand on the neck of his enemies and delivers us.  After He places His hand on the prey, no one pursues Him or seeks revenge, for He is the conqueror.  He is now a resting Lion.  He crouched and took His Cross, but now He lies in perfect peace.  Who would dare rouse a lion lying down after the kill, or who would rouse a lioness guarding her cubs.  This Young Lion came as our Saviour-King to lay down His life on the Cross and destroy the one who held us in fear of death and Who was raised again to be seated at God’s right hand.  Today He guards us with tender love and compassion!  Hallelujah!

Be Merciful to Others

 “and others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.”

‭‭Jude‬ ‭1‬:‭23‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Jude writes in his epistle to snatch others out of the fire to save them.  Be merciful over and over to them, but always couple your mercy with the fear of God.  Be extremely careful to keep yourselves free from the pollutions of the flesh.  We do all we can to bring others to Christ, but not at the expense of becoming like them in ignoring sin.  Jude tells us to: keep building up our inner lives on the foundation of faith; pray in the Holy Spirit; fasten our life to the love of God; receive more mercy from our Lord Jesus Christ; have compassion on the wavering; share the Gospel with those who are lost; hate any compromise that will stain our lives.  Let’s cooperate with the Holy Spirit and be obedient to the Word.  Amen!

Generational Blessing

 “the Angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.”

‭‭Genesis‬ ‭48‬:‭16‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Jacob blessed Joseph’s sons, “the Angel Who has delivered me from all harm, May He bless these boys!  May their lives echo my name, and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac.  May they multiply into teeming multitudes throughout the earth!”  The Lord had visited Jacob as an Angel, the Midnight Wrestling Man, his true Friend.  At the end of Jacob’s life, he could say that his Shepherd-Friend had delivered him from all harm.  Instead of moaning and complaining about his hardships, this servant of God declared the mercy that had preserved him.  Christ, the Angel of the Covenant, has redeemed us from all evil through the power of His shed Blood, at the Cross! Hallelujah!

A Mature Ekklesia

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

‭‭3 John‬ ‭1‬:‭9‬ ‭KJV‬‬

John is writing to the church, “I have already written you once about this, but Diotrephes, who loves to be in charge and recognised as first among you, does not acknowledge our authority.  Diotrephes was most likely an elder in the congregation who saw himself as the most important one, pushing himself forward with a controlling leadership style.  He refused the apostolic authority of John and would not accept guest speakers who may have been sent by John.  Leaders must view other leaders not as threats but as coworkers.  Love is not controlling or tyrannical.  The local church must have God-appointed ministry in the congregation from pastors, prophets, teachers, evangelists and apostles.  This, along with itinerant ministers (if proven authentic) to be received by the local church authorities and given both opportunities to minister and generous gifts to send them on their way.  Let’s pray for all churches and denominations to function in this biblical way to mature as the ekklesia God has called us to be in Christ!  Amen!

Resting in Resurrection

 “but I will lie with my fathers, and thou shalt carry me out of Egypt, and bury me in their buryingplace. And he said, I will do as thou hast said.”

‭‭Genesis‬ ‭47‬:‭30‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Jacob made Joseph pledge to him to not bury him in Egypt, “but when I go to rest with my fathers.  I want you to carry me out of Egypt and bury me where they are buried.”  That burying place was Machpelah which Abraham purchased as the burying place.  Why did this matter to Jacob?  He was looking forward to the time of resurrection!  Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were all buried here, near what would be Jerusalem, where centuries later Jesus would be crucified, buried and raised from the dead.  On the day Jesus was nailed to the Cross, the tombs nearby opened, and many holy people arose in resurrection life and were seen walking about the city!  In faith, Jacob asked to be buried near the spot where the Messiah would be crucified!  God honoured that faith and raised many holy people to life in order to glimpse the city they had only dreamed of!  Jacob knew the fulfilment of the promise would be in Canaan, not Egypt.  Let’s in the new covenant be a living sacrifice to our Messiah!  Amen!

Flow in Agapé Love & Honour God’s Commands

 “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 ‭1‬:‭7‬ ‭KJV‬‬

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 love, John now mentions false teachers.  This shows us that love is the safeguard against error.  The Holy Spirit has shed abroad God’s love in our hearts and the more we flow in this agapé love and honour God’s commands, the more we are kept from deception.  Our unity, produced by love, enables us to recognise and resist false teachers.  Let’s keep the bond of unity in the Church powered by agapé love and demolish lies spewed out by those who are against Jesus Christ.  Amen!

God Keeps All His Promises

 “I will go down with thee into Egypt; and I will also surely bring thee up again: and Joseph shall put his hand upon thine eyes.”

‭‭Genesis‬ ‭46‬:‭4‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Yahweh appeared to Jacob in a vision at night and told him, “I will go with you to Egypt, and I will bring your descendants back to this land.  And the hand of Joseph will be there to close your eyes when you die.”  Within Jewish culture, even to this day, the nearest relative or oldest son would gently close the eyes of a loved one at death.  Indeed, Joseph did as Yahweh had promised Jacob.   But the moment was yet to come when Jacob met with his beloved son Joseph.  Words completely fail to describe the emotion of that scene as father and son embrace!  After two decades, Jacob saw his son whom he had given up for dead.  The two men stood, staring into each other’s eyes - weeping.  What a family reunion that was, beyond Jacob’s imagination.  Yahweh is and always will be a promise keeper!  Now to Yahweh Who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, be all glory! Amen!

Knowing God as Father

 “If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son.”

‭‭1 John‬ ‭5‬:‭9‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Now if it is reasonable for us to be readily persuaded by the evidence that people may lay out before us, how much more certainty is there in the evidence that God has so compellingly borne witness to, concerning His Son!  To go back to the very beginning is to find the Word already present there - face to face with God.  This Word finally became flesh and forever divided human history into a BC and AD.  The heavens declare His glory, night to night exhibits the giant solar testimony that is mathematically precise, revealing that God knew before time was, the exact moment He would enter our history as a Man, and the exact moment the Messiah would expire on the Cross and be raised again from the dead!  No one has ever known God as Father.  Jesus said that if we have seen Him, we have seen the Father.  The Holy Spirit now endorses in us what happened to us when Jesus died and was raised, and now echoes from within our spirits, “Abba Father!”

Showing Forgiving Love Every Time

 “So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God: and he hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and Lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.”

‭‭Genesis‬ ‭45‬:‭8‬ ‭KJV

So it was God, not you, who sent me here.  God has made me a father to Pharaoh, the master of his entire household, and the ruler over all of Egypt.  For the third time Joseph told his brothers that it was God and not they, that caused him to be in Egypt and he encouraged them instead of being vengeful towards them.  Through his own tears of loving forgiveness, Joseph convinced them not to dwell on their sin but on how God had worked through it all.  Today, because of Jesus’s forgiveness on the Cross, we should see those who hurt us the most as those who move us toward the throne of authority.  Let’s see ourselves in the Hands of our loving God, and we will not be offended.  Like Joseph, some of our dreams will only come true when we learn to handle both mistreatment and betrayal with forgiving love.  Amen!

We Are Of God

 “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

Our beingness originates in God; anyone who knows what God knows about mankind’s authentic genesis, hears us; those who do not see their origin in God are deaf to what we communicate.  This is the difference between the spirit of truth and the spirit of terror.  The essence of the Incarnation is the revelation 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.  Glory to God!